Sports
NBA roundup: Rockets edge Thunder in battle of top 2 West teams
Dec 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) attempts to secure the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Fred VanVleet scored a game-high 38 points and Dillon Brooks nailed a midrange jumper to beat the shot clock and give Houston the lead for good as the host Rockets eked out a 119-116 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in a matchup between the top two seeds in the Western Conference.
VanVleet sank four free throws in the final 4.6 seconds as the Rockets squared the season series at a game apiece and closed to within a half-game of the Thunder atop the West. Brooks’ jumper with 33.6 seconds left followed a wild scramble and gave the Rockets a 115-113 lead.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 32 points while Jalen Williams added 22 points, including a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left that sliced the deficit to one. Isaiah Hartenstein added a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds) while Cason Wallace tallied 14 points, including two 3-pointers to match 3s from VanVleet down the hectic waning moments.
The fourth quarter featured seven ties but the Rockets, who trailed 93-85 late in the third after Gilgeous-Alexander led a 16-4 run, didn’t take their first lead in the fourth until VanVleet hit a buzzer-beating 3 with 1:29 left.
Alperen Sengun (20 points, 14 rebounds) and Jabari Smith Jr. (15 points, 14 rebounds) registered double-doubles for Houston. Sengun added nine assists.
Spurs 127, Kings 125
Devin Vassell and Chris Paul combined for three 3-pointers down the stretch, Victor Wembanyama posted the third triple-double of his budding career and San Antonio came on late for a win over host Sacramento.
Wembanyama finished with game highs of 34 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Vassell finished with 21 points, Julian Champagnie had 19, Keldon Johnson supplied 17 and Paul chipped in 13 to go along with 10 assists for the Spurs, who won for the fifth time in their past six games.
Domantas Sabonis used 10 offensive boards as the foundation for a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double for Sacramento, which lost for the sixth time in its past seven games. DeRozan paced the Kings with 28 points to go along with eight assists and three steals, while De’Aaron Fox had 23 points and nine assists, Malik Monk totaled 19 points and Isaac Jones posted 12.
Clippers 126, Nuggets 122
James Harden had 39 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead Los Angeles to a win over Denver in Inglewood, Calif.
Harden hit six 3-pointers for the game and played all 24 minutes of the second half while Norman Powell flourished in his first game back after missing the past six due to a hamstring injury. Powell hit five treys and finished with 28 points in 25 minutes of action. The win was the Clippers’ eighth in a row at home, soured slightly by an injury to Amir Coffey, who had 13 points before limping off the court after knocking knees with teammate Ivica Zubac about midway through the third quarter.
Nikola Jokic posted 28 points, 14 boards and 11 assists to move into a tie for third place on the all-time triple-doubles list. It was Jokic’s eighth triple-double of the season and the 138th of his career, drawing him level with Magic Johnson in the record books.
Lakers 105, Jazz 104
Anthony Davis and LeBron James had double-doubles and Los Angeles survived a late rally by Utah to escape Salt Lake City with a victory.
Davis finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James scored 27 points with 14 assists to lift the Lakers to their second win in six games.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 22 points and John Collins scored 21 with nine rebounds in the Jazz’s fourth consecutive defeat. Walker Kessler had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Sexton netted 15 points.
Mavericks 137, Trail Blazers 131
Luka Doncic excelled in his return from injury with 36 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds to lead Dallas to a victory over host Portland.
Doncic was 15 of 24 from the floor after missing the previous five games with a wrist injury. He guided the Mavericks to their eighth victory in the past nine games. Quentin Grimes was 5 of 7 from 3-point range while scoring a season-best 28 points for Dallas.
Anfernee Simons scored 27 points, Shaedon Sharpe had 22 and Deni Avdija added 21 for Portland, which lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Grizzlies 136, Pacers 121
Memphis Grizzlies recovered from a disastrous opening quarter to defeat visiting Indiana for the Grizzlies’ sixth straight victory.
The Grizzlies placed seven players in double figures, led by Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 25 points and eight rebounds. Memphis also finished with 30 or more assists (36) for the fifth straight game to tie a franchise record. The Grizzlies entered the game with averaging 30.4 assists to lead the NBA.
Indiana got 19 points and eight rebounds from Bennedict Mathurin. Memphis trailed by 19 early in the second quarter but recovered to outscore the Pacers 74-46 in the second and third quarters to enter the final period with an 11-point advantage.
Magic 100, Nets 92
Franz Wagner totaled 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while enduring a rough shooting performance as Orlando ran its winning streak to six with a choppy victory in Brooklyn.
Orlando won for the 12th time in 13 games and beat the Nets for the third time this season in a game that saw the teams combine for 60 personal fouls. Wagner shot 4 of 17 from the field but also made 12 of 14 free throws, including two after taking a shot across the face from Nic Claxton that resulted in the Brooklyn center’s ejection with 18 seconds left.
Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 26 points but appeared to tweak his ankle or hamstring in the final minute. Brooklyn also lost Ben Simmons to a bruised left knee. The Nets shot 38 percent (30 of 79) and missed 23 of 31 3-point tries.
Raptors 119, Heat 116
RJ Barrett scored 37 points and Toronto staved off a late charge by visiting Miami.
Scottie Barnes added 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Raptors, who gained a split in back-to-back games with the Heat after losing in Miami on Friday.
Tyler Herro scored 31 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo put up 13 points and a season-best 20 rebounds. Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier each added 17 points.
Knicks 118, Pelicans 85
Mikal Bridges tied a career high with seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 31 points as New York annihilated visiting New Orleans.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 19 rebounds for the Knicks, who took control with a 23-1 first-quarter run. Jalen Brunson scored 16 points, Miles McBride had 13 off the bench and starter Josh Hart added 12.
CJ McCollum scored 13 points for the Pelicans, who have lost eight in a row and 14 of their last 15. Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi had 11 points apiece, while Dejounte Murray added 10 as New Orleans lost by at least 30 for the second time this season.
Cavaliers 115, Celtics 111
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 35 points, including 11 straight late in the fourth quarter, to propel Cleveland past visiting, which had a seven-game winning streak snapped.
After hitting three 3-pointers, Mitchell capped his surge with a floater that put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 103-101 with 1:07 left. Mitchell finished 12-of-21 from the field and made 6 of 11 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds. Darius Garland added 22 points and eight assists.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 33 points, while Payton Pritchard supplied 24 off the bench. Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his third game back from a foot injury sustained during last season’s NBA Finals.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Surging Cubs turn to Matthew Boyd vs. frustrated Phillies
Apr 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Owners of the longest current winning streak in the majors, the Chicago Cubs will look to continue their dominant starting pitching when they face the reeling Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.
Chicago recorded its seventh straight win with a 7-4 decision Tuesday over Philadelphia, which has lost seven games in a row.
Since Chicago’s 13-7 loss to the Phillies on April 13, the Cubs’ starters have allowed an average of 1.6 runs per outing, helping manager Craig Counsell’s club post its longest winning streak since an eight-game run in July 2023.
“The starting pitching has been the key to this,” Counsell said. “When you’re getting that deep into a game with your starters and consistently going 6 2/3, seven innings, one run each night, you’re putting your team in a really good position. You’re not making the offense do everything.”
Shota Imanaga’s seven innings of one-run ball prolonged that trend on Tuesday, and fellow left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1, 6.75 ERA) will get his chance in the third contest of a four-game set on Wednesday.
Boyd allowed eight runs in 9 2/3 innings in a pair of starts to open the year before serving a stint on the 15-day injured list due to a left bicep strain. Making his return after one start with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Boyd is eager to continue the club’s momentum.
“It’s been good,” he said of his time away from the big-league club. “Obviously I would have loved to be up here that whole time, but we’ve used it to clean up some mechanical stuff. After that lingering soreness passed, we dove into the mechanics and continued to work down that path. Excited to go out there tomorrow and excited to compete and help our team get a win.”
Boyd, 35, has faced the Phillies twice in his career, compiling a 2.25 ERA in a pair of no-decisions.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is riding its worst stretch in seven years. The franchise last lost seven straight games in June 2019. The Phillies’ four runs on Tuesday matched their most across the current slide.
Slugger Kyle Schwarber was one of Philadelphia’s lone bright spots in Tuesday’s loss, connecting on his eighth home run — tied for most in the National League.
Schwarber knows the team’s season is far from over in April, but halting the extended losing streak is a necessity.
“Obviously on both sides of the ball, we’re really struggling to find our stride,” said Schwarber, who’s hitting .217. “It’s our job to keep going out there, batting, working, figuring out what we have to do. … This isn’t the start that we wanted by any means, but we have to come in and focus on the controllables.”
Left-hander Kyle Backhus (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will serve as the opener and make the first start of his career in his 40th appearance in the majors. The 28-year-old faced the Cubs twice last week, allowing one run across 2 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Knicks and Nuggets Blow Big Leads: What Went Wrong in Game 2?
Roughly 5,000 feet of elevation separate Denver and New York City.
Still, gravity works the same regardless of where one stands. Just ask the NBA teams in both towns.
“You get too high, and you get, I don’t want to say cocky, but feeling yourself,” Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said.
That sensation went south on either side of the country Monday night.
After squandering sizable leads that would have cemented commanding 2-0 advantages in their respective first-round playoff series, the Nuggets and Knicks now find themselves bracing for a fight.
Should their opponents ultimately have their number, Denver and New York will look back with disdain on 19 and 14. Those were the Game 2 cushions the teams coughed up as the No. 3 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference.
“It’s a game we should’ve won,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”
Be that as it may, the Knicks did just that against the Atlanta Hawks. They controlled the outcome for much of the night and took a 12-point edge into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 14.
Then New York shot 5-for-22 from the floor in the final 12 minutes compared to 10-for-15 for Atlanta. Fighting through vulgar chants from the Madison Square Garden faithful, Hawks star CJ McCullom scored six straight points down the stretch during one key sequence on the way to a game-high 32.
“In that fourth quarter, you could tell [the Hawks] were playing with a level of desperation,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “There were four 50-50 balls, and they got three of the four. We always use that stat to gauge the level of aggression in a game. In that fourth quarter, their aggression stepped up.”
New York’s melted at the same time. How many late possessions saw the Knicks pass or hold the ball around the perimeter before settling for subpar looks from 3-point range? The Knicks went 3-for-11 from deep as part of their flop.
Denver led the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 points early in the second quarter before crumbling. The Nuggets still were ahead by three points to start the fourth quarter but a combined 2-for-12 shooting effort from pillars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the final 12 minutes took a toll.
“I feel like we had the game in hand, and then we just didn’t make our shots,” Murray said.
As with the Knicks and Hawks, the reversal of fortunes stemmed both from the hosts’ miscues and an outstanding effort from a visiting player, as Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 30 points.
“Great leadership, positive,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He recognized he needed to get into attack mode and get downhill a little bit more. He did that.”
The Knicks and Nuggets no doubt sensed the need to amp up their own urgency as things started slipping away Monday.
That neither could act upon it didn’t signal the end for either New York or Denver, of course. But now there’s unnecessary added weight for the climb back to the top.
Sports
Pistons seek return to identity vs. Magic after Game 1 shocker
Apr 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) is defended by Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) in the second half during the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images After an exceptional regular season, this wasn’t the start to the NBA playoffs that the Detroit Pistons envisioned.
Reeling from a stunning Game 1 loss in which only two players reached double figures, the Eastern Conference’s top seed heads into Game 2 Wednesday against the visiting Orlando Magic facing early pressure to reset the best-of-seven series.
The eighth-seeded Magic controlled the opener from the start, never trailing and leaning on a balanced offensive attack. Paolo Banchero led the way with 23 points while Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter to help close out the 112-101 win.
For Detroit, the issue wasn’t just the loss — it was how it happened. The Pistons never established their defensive identity and struggled to find consistent offense beyond star guard Cade Cunningham, two areas that will be central entering Game 2.
“It starts, always, with us defensively,” said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “When you go back and watch the film of that (game), we weren’t ourselves defensively. The telling tale is typically when we play them, they go to the free-throw line a ton.
“… We went 38 (times) but they went 19. So that means we weren’t playing our brand of basketball, being physical, being handsy, being aggressive. That kind of sets the tone for us.”
Offensively, the Pistons leaned on Cunningham, who scored 39 points, but got little other support — scoring their fewest points in nearly three months, since a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 29. Detroit will need more help from All-Star center Jalen Duren, who was held to just eight points and seven rebounds in Game 1.
“They came out ready from the jump,” Duren said. “We didn’t really meet their intensity. They’ve been playing with their backs against the walls the last few weeks, so they were already kind of already rolling. I think we just got to do a better job meeting that intensity.”
Duren said the Pistons remain confident despite the loss, which extended their home playoff losing streak to 11 games, the longest in NBA history.
“We know the type of team we are,” Duren said. “We feel like we’re the better team. We know that we’ve just got to make adjustments and come out smarter, come out playing harder.”
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said he has talked to his team about not becoming too overconfident coming off Sunday’s win.
“It’s one game at a time,” Mosley said of his message to the team. “It’s the reality that, yeah, you did get the Game 1 win, but now you have to go and figure out how to get a Game 2 (win). There’s going to be, obviously, the positive talk about what you’ve done, and thinking there’s reasons to celebrate, but at the end of the day, it’s one game, and that’s the most important piece that we’ve talked about: just taking it one game at a time.”
Banchero said the team has received the message, and he believes the key for the Magic is to play defense like they did in the opener.
“I thought we were on a string, just communicating, talking out coverages,” Banchero said. “I think it’s just going to continue to take that, being aggressive, being the aggressors on defense and just not trying to give them much. Obviously they’re going to make shots, but just not trying to give them any free looks.”
–Field Level Media
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