Sports
NBA roundup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder close out sweep of Suns
Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) greets Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) after advancing in a four game sweep of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 31 points and eight assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off a four-game first-round playoff sweep with a 131-122 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
Chet Holmgren added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Ajay Mitchell had 22 points and six assists as the top-seeded Thunder swept their opening Western Conference series for the third straight season.
Isaiah Hartenstein produced 18 points and 12 rebounds and Alex Caruso added 14 points off the bench for Oklahoma City. Mitchell and Caruso each made four 3-pointers for the Thunder, who will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets in the second round.
Devin Booker scored 24 points and Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 23 apiece for the Suns, who were swept in the first round for the second straight playoff appearance, the other occurring in 2024. Phoenix has lost 10 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2023.
Nuggets 125, Timberwolves 113
Nikola Jokic recorded 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds as host Denver stayed alive with a win over Minnesota in Game 5 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Spencer Jones posted a playoff career-high 20 points and Cameron Johnson finished with 18 for third-seeded Denver, which had lost three straight following a Game 1 home victory.
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points and nine rebounds. Bones Hyland and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 apiece. Jaden McDaniels, loudly booed whenever he possessed the ball, added 13 points for the Timberwolves, who committed 25 turnovers.
Magic 94, Pistons 88
Desmond Bane scored 22 points and made one of his five 3-pointers with 1:16 left as Orlando beat visiting Detroit to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 19 points before exiting late in the third period due to right calf soreness. Paolo Banchero scored 18 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The top-seeded Pistons were held without a field goal in the final five minutes before Isaiah Stewart scored at the buzzer. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Arch Manning favorite to be top pick in '27 NFL draft
Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Damon Payne (44) tips a pass from Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Arch Manning has opened as the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft for the second consecutive year.
The Texas quarterback was installed as the +250 favorite by DraftKings. That’s ahead of fellow quarterbacks Dante Moore (+380) of Oregon, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (+650) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellars (+1200).
After only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round on Friday — including the Rams surprising many by taking Ty Simpson at No. 13 — the 2027 quarterback class is projected to be much deeper.
It’s led by Manning, who was installed as the +200 favorite by DraftKings following the conclusion of the 2025 class to be the No. 1 pick this year. Manning endured some struggles the first half of last season before finishing strong, and opted to return for another year with the Longhorns.
Moore also decided to return to school despite being projected as a potential top-5 selection, boosting a ’27 quarterback class that already boasted intriguing talent. Carr is coming off a strong first season as Notre Dame’s starter, while Sellars is looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 for the Gamecocks.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has the shortest odds among non-quarterback. He is being offered at +1400 along with new Miami Hurricanes signal-caller Darian Mensah.
2027 NFL DRAFT NO. 1 PICK ODDS*
Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+250)
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (+380)
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame (+650)
LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina (+1200)
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1400)
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami, Fla. (+1400)
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (+1800)
Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State (+2000)
Dylan Steward, LB, South Carolina (+2200)
Colin Simmons, LB, Texas (+3000)
Dayden Maiava, QB, Southern Cal (+3500)
Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA (+4000)
Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana (+4000)
Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas (+5000)
Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU (+5000)
Jordan Seaton, OT, Colorado (+5000)
John Matter, QB, Oklahoma (+5000)
John Henry Daley, DE, Michigan (+5000)
DJ Lagway, QB, Baylor (+5000)
Demond Williams, QB, Washington (+5000)
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss (+7500)
*DraftKings
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ranger Suarez, Red Sox blank Blue Jays, win third straight
Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Left-hander Ranger Suarez pitched eight innings of one-hit ball Monday night as the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0.
Suarez (2-2) struck out 10 and walked one in the opener of a three-game series. Greg Weissert pitched around a double in the ninth to complete the shutout.
The Red Sox have won three in a row for the first time this season, the past two under interim manager Chad Tracy.
Carlos Narvaez hit a solo homer for Boston, and Marcelo Mayer and Wilyer Abreu each had two hits, a walk and an RBI.
Boston opened the scoring in the fourth inning against Dylan Cease (1-1). Willson Contreras led off with a single, took second when Abreu walked with one out and scored on Mayer’s two-out single to center.
The Red Sox scored twice in the fifth.
Caleb Durbin walked with one out and was forced at second on Jarren Duran’s grounder to second. Contreras was hit by a pitch, and the runners advanced when Cease’s pickoff throw to second sailed into center field.
Duran came home when Cease tripped moving off the mound in an attempt to field Roman Anthony’s infield hit, a trickler near the first base line. Abreu lined an RBI double to right that Jesus Sanchez dropped at the warning track.
Boston took a 4-0 lead in the sixth. Mayer led off with a walk and took second on Ceddanne Rafaela’s single. A double-play grounder put Mayer at third, and he scored on Durbin’s soft single to left. Joe Mantiply then replaced Cease, who allowed four runs, seven hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.
Toronto had only a walk before Sanchez led off the home sixth with a double past third base. Suarez escaped the inning with two strikeouts and a flyout.
Narvaez hit a homer to left-center with two outs in the eighth on a 2-2 sweeper from Chase Lee, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Buffalo.
Toronto put Max Scherzer on the injured list due to tendinitis in his right foreman and inflammation in his left ankle.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Penguins extend series again with 3-2 win over Flyers in Game 5
Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing Alex Bump (20) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) battle for the puck during the first period in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Kris Letang’s fluky go-ahead goal late in the second period proved to be the difference as the Pittsburgh Penguins posted a 3-2 home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
Sidney Crosby had two assists for Pittsburgh despite missing some action after taking a shot off his leg in the second period. Arturs Silovs turned aside 18 shots for the Penguins, including a quality pad save on Porter Martone in the final minute, to help the hosts stay alive in the best-of-seven series.
Dan Vladar made 18 saves for the Flyers, who will get a third chance to win the series Wednesday when the teams reconvene in Philadelphia for Game 6. Alex Bump scored for the visitors in his first career playoff game, while Travis Sanheim also tallied for the Flyers.
Elmer Soderblom’s goal was the only tally of the first period. Just under three minutes into the contest, Anthony Mantha won a battle behind the net and sent the puck into the slot for Soderblom, who launched a one-timer past Vladar.
Early in the second, Connor Dewar beat Vladar with a wrister to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh, although Bump scored 12 seconds later to bring Philadelphia back within a goal.
The score remained 2-1 until the Flyers tied it with 4:54 left in the second period. Sanheim took a seemingly innocent shot from near the boards that skimmed off the stick of Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson and past a helpless Silovs.
Letang gave Pittsburgh the lead just over two minutes later, following another apparently harmless shot that found its way into the net.
The veteran defenseman lofted the puck from the right point, and the floater went past Vladar’s glove. The puck then bounced off the end boards, caromed back in front, got lost in Vladar’s skates and slid into the goal.
Vladar kept the game close with a sprawling pad save on Rust in the opening minute of the third period.
Philadelphia pressured throughout the final session and had a couple of chances down the stretch with Vladar pulled for an extra skater, but Silovs and the Penguins held firm.
–Field Level Media
