Sports
Rockets aim to show off maturing team to Celtics
Jan 1, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The manner in which the Houston Rockets won on Wednesday, with veteran guard Fred VanVleet missing 7 of 8 shots from the field while tallying only five points, seemed an impossibility last season.
But perhaps the clearest testament to how the Rockets have grown as a unit was on display in their 110-99 victory Wednesday over the Dallas Mavericks, a win that snapped a two-game losing streak in the third game of a five-game homestand that will continue Friday night against the Boston Celtics.
VanVleet contributed five rebounds, seven assists and six steals in the victory. However, the Rockets (22-11) didn’t require his scoring or his ability to organize the offense because others gradually have matured and embraced those roles in support. One of those “others” — Amen Thompson — was unavailable Wednesday as he served the first of a two-game suspension for an altercation with the Miami Heat on Sunday, but the Rockets were undaunted.
Houston has gained confidence relying on Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green to co-author the offense when VanVleet isn’t thriving in the dual role of complementary scorer and primary facilitator. Green recorded 22 points and capably kept the Rockets organized despite failing to record an assist.
Sengun produced a game-high 23 points plus four assists. He long ago proved adept at running the offense from the center position, with his court vision and skilled passing serving the Rockets well. In Green, Sengun and Thompson, the Rockets have uncovered options to share the load steering the ship and have grown less reliant on VanVleet and his veteran touch.
“I think across the board, the more guys you have that can get us into sets, penetrate, shoot, drive and all those things, it makes us more balanced and deadly,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “Fred keeping the turnovers down and getting us into sets last year was a big thing for us to improve our offense and improve the team overall. The growth of our young guys and those guys taking on that role with Fred being the recipient sometimes can be beneficial for us.”
The Celtics, meanwhile, eked out a much-needed 118-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in the opener of a four-game road trip. Boston did so without Jaylen Brown (shoulder injury) and Kristaps Porzingis (ankle), with Jayson Tatum producing 33 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
Boston finished 8-6 last month. As reigning champions, the Celtics haven’t suffered any lack of confidence following their mundane December, but the win in Minnesota could provide some propulsion.
“We’ve had a rough stretch the last eight or nine games,” Tatum said. “This January (we’re) trying to turn it around and get back to our identity.”
The road won’t get any easier for the Celtics, who will face the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets following their game with the Rockets. Even without Brown or Porzingis, the Celtics produced a template for how to win on the road against quality competition.
“Take it one game at a time,” Tatum said. “I love the way we competed. Our physicality was on point. That’s what it’s going to take. We play four really good, physical teams on the road, and were going to need everybody each game.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics return home with chance to finish off reeling Sixers
Apr 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts after making a three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The Boston Celtics can close out the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
After splitting two games in Boston, the second-seeded Celtics took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series by beating the seventh-seeded 76ers twice in Philadelphia.
“Played another about-as-bad-as-you-can-play game,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said following Boston’s 128-96 victory in Game 4. “That’s two out of four in this series. Played well in the other two and we got to get back to playing well quickly. Got to go get one.”
Philadelphia can point to defending the perimeter as one of the must-fix items on the 76ers’ list in order to stave off elimination. The Celtics made 24 3-pointers during Game 4, shooting 48.3% overall and 45.3% from 3-point range.
Payton Pritchard, Boston’s backup point guard, made 6 of 12 3-pointers and tossed in 32 points in the Game 4 victory. Pritchard was 2-of-13 from 3-point territory in the first two games of the series and then made 5 of 10 3-pointers in Boston’s Game 3 win.
“I don’t know if I saw anything different,” Pritchard said. “It’s just more playing with that aggression, playing with that spark. I felt it in Game 3. I was telling some of the coaches I thought it was a step in the right direction as far as my aggression and getting my rhythm back.”
Boston’s 24 3-point field goals set a franchise record for made 3-pointers in a playoff game. Jayson Tatum made five shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
“It was very bad,” Nurse said when asked about his team’s defensive effort in Game 4. “It just didn’t seem like any matchup could guard anybody one-on-one. We had them pushed out and bottled up and physical and really off kind of rhythm for a couple games, and there was none of that “
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid returned to the court after missing the first three games in the series following an emergency appendectomy on April 9. He finished with a team-high 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, but didn’t get a lot of offensive support.
Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points, but attempted only three shots in the first half. VJ Edgecombe was 2-of-9 from the field and had six points.
“That can’t happen,” Maxey said. “That’s on me. That absolutely can’t happen. That’s unacceptable by me. I was playing within the flow of the game and it kind of just happened that way.
” … We can’t win basketball games with that happening and I take full responsibility on that one.”
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics have to be prepared for Philadelphia’s best effort in Game 5.
“Regardless of who we’re playing against, we have to have an understanding that they are a really good team,” he said. “They can beat you on any given night. They’ve got great talent with the three stars that they have (Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George) and their role players when they are at their best … We’ve got to be disciplined on all the things that we can control – physical, mental, emotional, psychological, tactical, all of them.”
The winner of the Celtics/76ers series will meet either third-seeded New York or sixth-seeded Atlanta in the next round. That series is 2-2 headed back to New York for Game 5 Tuesday.
“We’ve got three chances to win one game,” Jaylen Brown said. “And the goal is just to get it done as soon as possible.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez a reliever 'for now' to work on delivery flaw
Mar 28, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez is moving to the bullpen “for now” to work out a mechanical flaw in his delivery, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss told reporters Sunday.
Lopez began the season as Atlanta’s No. 2 starter after making just one start in 2025 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He had a 2.18 ERA through four starts this season before he gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in one inning of last Tuesday’s 11-4 loss at Washington.
“We see him as a starter,” Weiss said. “He’s working through some things, delivery wise, that type of thing, and he’s getting right there. And when he’s right, he’s one of our best starters. He was our No. 2 coming out of camp, even with some of the issues at the end of spring training.
“So we see him as a starter long term, but right now, trying to iron some things out. He’s going to help us out of the pen in the short term.”
Lopez has extensive experience both as a starter and reliever at the major league level. He’s posted a 48-55 career record and 3.93 ERA over 273 appearances (128 starts) over 11 seasons.
He earned his first All-Star nod and finished 11th in National League Cy Young Award voting during his first season with the Braves in 2024 when he finished with a 1.99 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 42 walks over 135 2/3 innings.
Atlanta kept 22-year-old right-hander JR Ritchie on its major league roster after he allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven over seven innings in his major league debut Thursday vs. Washington. He’s set to make his first home start Wednesday against Detroit.
The Braves are also expecting right-hander Spencer Strider to make his season debut as soon as this weekend at Colorado after he started the season on the injured list with a strained oblique.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alex Fitzpatrick officially accepts PGA Tour membership
Apr 26, 2026; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Alex Fitzpatrick walks on the green on hole 18 during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Alex Fitzpatrick officially accepted PGA Tour membership following his emotional victory alongside his brother, Matt, in last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
His decision hardly is a surprise, given he said as much following the win, which their parents were on hand to witness.
“I am, indeed, yeah, yeah. I signed as quick as I could. I’m still shaking, and yeah, it was crazy,” the 27-year-old Englishman said during a media interaction at TPC Louisiana on Sunday.
The win was the first on the PGA Tour in his 11th career start for Fitzpatrick, who is now exempt through the 2028 season and is eligible to compete in this week’s Cadillac Championship, the fifth of eight Signature Events this season. The DP World Tour player also qualified for the remaining three — the Truist Championship, the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship — as well as the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 The Players Championship.
Fitzpatrick turned professional in 2022 after his collegiate career at Wake Forest.
–Field Level Media
Celtics return home with chance to finish off reeling Sixers
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez a reliever 'for now' to work on delivery flaw
