Sports
RJ Barrett's OT heroics push Raptors-Cavs to Game 7
May 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) celebrates after scoring the winning basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the overtime period in game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images RJ Barrett made a dramatic 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in overtime Friday night as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 to force Game 7 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Barrett’s Kawhi Leonard-esque bucket from straight away hit the back of the rim, bounced high into the air and fell in between the mesh. The shot was from the same end of the court as Leonard’s four-bounce miracle during Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers that sent Toronto to the Eastern Conference finals in 2019.
Asked by a reporter how many times he dreamed about making a big shot like Game 6’s winning basket, Barrett said, “I still dream about it.”
The hoop set up a deciding game Sunday at Cleveland. The home team has won every game in the series.
Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 assists for the Raptors. Barrett finished with 24 points, as did Ja’Kobe Walter. Collin Murray-Boyles contributed 17 points.
Evan Mobley had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell added 24 points, and James Harden had 16 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers. Jarrett Allen scored 14 points, while Dean Wade contributed 10.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We rebounded like we asked them to rebound (Cleveland had a 52-38 advantage). We had some really good looks, you know sometimes it’s make or miss but I like a lot of things we did. That’s why you fight so hard to get home-court advantage. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. This is the playoffs. This is what it’s about.”
Toronto took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter. After two Cleveland defensive stops, Mitchell nailed a corner 3-pointer and then made a driving layup to reduce the margin to three with 6:54 to go. Mobley’s rebound and dunk cut the gap to one with 5:48 left.
A Barnes free throw had the Raptors up by two with 1:17 to go. Toronto’s shot-clock violation gave Cleveland possession with 15.6 seconds remaining. Mobley’s layup tied the game at 104 with a layup with 11.6 seconds to play in regulation. The Raptors’ Jamal Shead missed a 17-footer to set up overtime.
“We tightened up defensively,” Mitchell said of the Cavs’ fourth-quarter comeback. “I think both sides got a little fatigued naturally in a game like this. We put ourselves in position. We had a bunch of good looks, they didn’t fall and now we’ve got to go home and protect home court.”
After a Toronto turnover, Harden hit a 12-footer to give Cleveland a two-point lead in overtime. Barnes tied it at 108 with a floater with 1:25 to go.
Mitchell’s layup put Cleveland up by two with 33.7 seconds left, and then Shead made one of two free throws to cut the lead to one. Mobley’s turnover gave Toronto the ball with 10.9 left to set up Barrett’s shot.
“Call me crazy, call me psychic, but I saw this one coming tonight … It’s surreal,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said, adding that he drew up the play for Barrett. “It was (in the air for) only half a second, but it felt like an eternity. … I was happy for him, for this team, for this city, that the shot went down.”
“To do it in the city where he grew up in, that’s truly amazing,” Barnes said of Barrett, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., about 20 miles southwest of Toronto. “The way that shot went in and when we needed it most, he showed up, that’s big time. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”
After Barrett put the Raptors on top, Mobley was off target on a 29-foot attempt at the OT buzzer.
The game was tied at 32 after one quarter.
The Raptors led by nine points after Barnes spun around Harden before dunking with 7:04 left in the second quarter. Cleveland cut the margin to two before Toronto took a 61-51 halftime lead following Shead’s 3-pointer with 51.3 seconds remaining.
A Cleveland turnover led to Barrett’s running layup and a 15-point lead with 5:02 to play in the third quarter. Toronto led 92-81 after three quarters.
Toronto was without Brandon Ingram (heel) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lamenting lack of rest, LAFC face slumping San Diego FC
Apr 25, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Football Club forward Denis Bouanga (99) shoots during the second half against Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images Los Angeles FC have experienced dominating results on the field this season but coach Marc Dos Santos is not too happy with the MLS schedule-makers entering Saturday night’s road match at San Diego FC.
LAFC are coming off a big 2-1 victory over visiting Toluca FC in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals on Wednesday night. Los Angeles doesn’t have much time to prepare before it visits a rival that didn’t play a midweek match.
Dos Santos isn’t just fretting about this weekend assignment. He pointed out he has been frustrated with the schedule since late March.
LAFC played eight matches in April between MLS and Champions Cup play and has five more coming in the first 17 days of May.
“The schedule is a scandal. It’s a scandal,” Dos Santos told reporters. “I don’t understand why MLS … who is the genius in the meeting that says, ‘I have a good idea?’ At some point, it’s enough. Saturday we have to go to San Diego.”
Regardless, LAFC (6-2-2, 20 points) have been thriving and have outscored MLS opponents 17-6. In Champions Cup play, LAFC have outscored their foes 16-5 and are 5-0-2 entering the second semifinal leg at Toluca on May 6.
LAFC also get star forward Denis Bouanga back from a suspension for yellow-card accumulation. He has four goals and four assists in MLS play.
Last season, San Diego went 2-0 against LAFC during its stellar expansion campaign when it won the Western Conference.
Things are much different for San Diego FC (3-5-2, 11 points) this season. The club has lost five straight matches, is winless in its last seven MLS games (0-5-2) and eight overall, counting a loss to Toluca in the Champions Cup Round of 16.
Nobody associated with San Diego was expecting to be sitting in 11th place entering May.
“It’s been a tough period for San Diego FC, five losses in a row,” said San Diego star forward Anders Dreyer, who has five goals and four assists in MLS play. “It’s not what we wanted, but that’s the reality. That’s how it is and we can’t run from that.”
Last weekend, San Diego lost 2-1 to visiting Portland when the Timbers scored the decisive goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
San Diego coach Mikey Varas is hoping the turnaround begins Saturday.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to take the next step and get back on track,” Varas said. “We know we’re in a tough moment and haven’t been at our best. But we’re working very hard and doing everything possible to get back to it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alejandro Osuna hits go-ahead double to lift Rangers over Tigers
May 1, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen (9) receives congratulations from left fielder Alejandro Osuna (19) after he hits a home run in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Alejandro Osuna hit a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning as the visiting Texas Rangers opened a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers with a 5-4 win Friday.
Danny Jansen slugged a solo homer and Josh Jung had two hits and two RBIs for Texas, which moved ahead on back-to-back doubles by Jake Burger and Osuna with one out in the eighth against Burch Smith (0-1).
Tyler Alexander (1-0), one of five Texas relievers, pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win. Jacob Latz retired the Tigers in order in the ninth for his third save.
Riley Greene had two hits and an RBI for Detroit, which has lost three of its last four. Wenceel Perez added a two-run single.
Texas claimed a 1-0 run in the first inning against Jack Flaherty when Brandon Nimmo singled to begin the game and scored from second on Jung’s two-out single to left field.
The Rangers tacked on three runs in the third. Jansen began the inning by depositing a 2-1 slider into the left field seats for his second homer of the season.
Flaherty issued three straight walks to Nimmo, Evan Carter and Corey Seager before the Rangers scored twice on Jung’s single and Joc Pederson’s sacrifice fly.
Nimmo singled in the fourth inning before exiting the game with right hamstring tightness.
Flaherty gave up four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four.
Detroit cut into the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fourth against Texas starter MacKenzie Gore.
Spencer Torkelson drew a two-out walk to load the bases before Perez singled in two runs and Hao-Yu Lee delivered an RBI single.
With runners on the corners, Cole Winn replaced Gore and struck out Gleyber Torres to end the inning.
Gore allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings.
The Tigers pulled even with a run in the fifth. Detroit put runners on the corners with one out before Jalen Beeks replaced Winn and allowed a run on Greene’s forceout.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ben Rice (3-run HR) backs Will Warren as Yankees beat O's
May 1, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) hits a three run home run during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Ben Rice continued his torrid start by hitting a three-run homer in the second inning Friday night and the host New York Yankees recorded a 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees won for the 11th time in their past 13 games in their return from a 7-2 road trip against the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Jose Caballero also homered and Cody Bellinger hit an RBI double as the Yankees rebounded from getting blanked for the second time this season. Aaron Judge added an RBI single in the eighth, reached base four times and scored on Bellinger’s double and Amed Rosario’s single in the seventh.
New York’s Will Warren (4-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out nine, walked one and won his third consecutive start.
Pete Alonso hit a tying homer in his first at-bat in New York since joining the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract after he was not offered a contract by the New York Mets in the offseason.
Baltimore’s Cade Povich (1-1) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.
In the first of seven meetings with the Yankees over the next two weeks, the Orioles were held to three hits and lost for the 10th time in 15 games. Earlier in the day, Baltimore put closer Ryan Helsley on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
Alonso forged a 1-1 tie by hitting a 1-1 sinker into the second deck in right field but the Yankees answered with a four-run second.
Caballero homered down the left field line by hitting Povich’s first-pitch fastball. Following a two-out double by Trent Grisham and a walk by Paul Goldschmidt, Rice hammered a 1-0 slider into the right field seats.
It was Rice’s 11th homer, one behind Judge for the team lead. It also was the first baseman’s seventh in the past 14 games and fifth off a left-handed pitcher this season.
Warren retired 12 straight until Alonso walked with one out in the seventh. After Samuel Bassallo singled and took second on Grisham’s error in center field, Fernando Cruz came in and allowed a run-scoring groundout to Dylan Beavers before finishing the inning.
Camilo Doval and Jake Bird pitched an inning apiece to close out the win.
–Field Level Media
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Lamenting lack of rest, LAFC face slumping San Diego FC
