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Rockets start strong, don't let up to beat Lakers, stay alive in series

NBA: Playoffs-Los Angeles Lakers at Houston RocketsApr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson (1) dribbles the ball during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Amen Thompson scored a game-high 23 points, Tari Eason added 20 added 19 and the Houston Rockets averted elimination with a 115-96 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Rockets, who played without Kevin Durant (ankle) for the third time in the series. Reed Sheppard chipped in 17 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting while Alperen Sengun (19 points) and Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points) rounded out the balanced offensive attack. Eason and Smith grabbed eight rebounds apiece.

The Rockets made headway by forcing 24 turnovers that they converted into 30 points. Houston scored 23 fast-break points and limited the Lakers to 5-for-22 3-point shooting (22.7%).

After dominating Game 3 and co-authoring the Lakers’ overtime victory, LeBron James (10 points, nine assists) and Marcus Smart (nine, five) shot a combined 5 of 17 from the floor. Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds but was ejected with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter after elbowing Sengun in the neck and incurring a flagrant-2 foul.

The Lakers will carry a 3-1 series lead back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Houston seized an 18-17 lead on a Sengun dunk at the 3:19 mark of the first quarter and didn’t look back. The Lakers shot 41.2% (7 of 17) in the first period, missed both of their 3-pointers and conceded eight points off eight turnovers. Sengun played the entire first period for the Rockets.

The Rockets used a 16-4 run bridging the opening two periods to help extend to a 38-28 lead via a Sengun three-point play at the 6:35 mark of the second. When the Lakers sliced that deficit to three points, Josh Okogie keyed a 10-2 rally with a 3-pointer. Thompson added a pull-up jumper and a three-point play before Sheppard capped the run with a layup.

The Lakers shot 58.8% in the second quarter (10 of 17) but committed six turnovers in the frame. Houston pulled away in the third, opening the second half with a 12-4 burst before Eason drilled a corner 3 and Sengun completed another three-point play that pushed the lead to 76-55.

The Rockets led by as many as 28 points.

–Field Level Media

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D-backs stage massive rally to get past Padres in Mexico City Series

MLB: San Diego Padres at Colorado RockiesApr 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Gavin Sheets (30) rounds the bases on a three run home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Ildemaro Vargas had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a six-run deficit to beat the San Diego Padres 12-7 for a split of the short two-game Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu on Sunday.

The D-Backs trailed 6-0 after Manny Machado’s second homer, a three-run shot in the fifth, before scoring 10 runs in their final two bat-bats while batting around in the seventh and eighth.

Tim Tawa triggered a six-run seventh with his first career grand slam, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped it with a two-run single to give the D-Backs their first lead, 8-7

Vargas had a bases-loaded triple to ignite a four-run eighth inning and scored on a Ketel Marte single to close the scoring.

Vargas’ homer in the sixth extended his season-opening hitting streak to 20 games, and he doubled and scored in the seventh. He has the longest active hitting streak in the majors and is tied with Pablo Sandoval for the longest in the majors since 2012. He has a 23-game hitting streak dating to 2025.

Jose Fernandez had three hits including a homer and Gurriel, Alek Thomas and Nolan Arenado had two hits apiece for the D-Backs, who had lost four of five. They were the designated home team.

Luis Campusano doubled and homered and Jackson Merrill had two hits for the Padres, who had won 13 of 15.

Machado’s two-run homer off Ryne Nelson in the third gave the Padres a 3-0 lead following Campusano’s RBI double in the second,. Campusano went deep in the sixth gave San Diego a 7-2 lead.

Padres starter Michael King gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. He fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced.

Fernandez, Arenado and Thomas singled off David Morgan with one out to open the D-Backs’ seventh with one out, and Tawa followed with a 363-foot shot to left, a homer in 15 major league parks, according to Statcast.

Bradgley Rodriguez (0-1) entered and gave up a double to Vargas and a two-out walk to Corbin Carroll before Gurriel grounded a two-run double inside the bag at third.

Ryan Thompson (2-0) gave up two hits in the seventh.

Nelson allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 14 runs in his last two starts over 5 1/3 innings.

Arizona catcher Adrian Del Castillo was replaced by James McCann in the third inning after suffering a dislocated left ring finger when his glove was struck by Jackson Merrill foul tip.

–Field Level Media

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Nathan MacKinnon scores twice as Avs race away to sweep Kings

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles KingsApr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) is greeted by defenseman Cale Makar (8) after scoring during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and added an assist for the Colorado Avalanche, who finished off the host Los Angeles Kings with a 5-1 victory Sunday to sweep the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals in the regular season, got his first goals of the postseason. Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews also scored for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog added two assists in the win.

Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for the Avalanche, who will advance to play the winner of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series that’s tied 2-2.

Joel Edmundson registered his first goal of the series for the Kings, with assists coming from Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere.

Anton Forsberg stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced for Los Angeles.

The Kings received two power-play opportunities in the first 10 minutes of the contest. However, it was the Avalanche who struck first, capitalizing on their first chance with the advantage with 6:47 remaining in the first.

MacKinnon’s one-timer from the left faceoff circle came off a feed from Nazem Kadri. It trickled in as Forsberg could not close the five-hole in time.

Makar doubled the lead with 14:12 left in the second. He stopped Scott Laughton’s attempted clearance at the point and turned around Taylor Ward, who was playing in his first Stanley Cup playoff game, as he skated into the right circle and beat Forsberg on the short side for his second of the series.

While Colorado padded its lead, the Kings went 11:38 between shots on Wedgewood. That prompted the Kings to shuffle their lines, and Edmundson broke the ice with 6:17 remaining in the second.

It became a two-goal lead again with 16:47 left in the third on Roy’s second of the series, as he put away a rebound created by Forsberg’s denial of Artturi Lehkonen.

Less than three minutes later, Toews got his first from MacKinnon and Landeskog.

With their season on the brink, the Kings pulled Forsberg with 5:48 remaining. MacKinnon finished the scoring 20 seconds later.

The loss was the final game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who announced his plans to retire after this season. As the game neared its end, Kings fans chanted their thanks to Kopitar, who played 20 seasons for the Kings and led them to two Stanley Cups.

–Field Level Media

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Rockies deliver shutout to finish doubleheader sweep of miserable Mets

MLB: Colorado Rockies at New York Mets Game 2Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander (32) pitches in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as the visiting Colorado Rockies completed a doubleheader sweep of the sinking New York Mets with a 3-0 win in Sunday’s nightcap.

Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener. The doubleheader was necessitated by a rainout Saturday.

Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.

The Rockies didn’t record their 13th win last season until June 12, when they improved to 13-55 on their way to a 43-119 finish.

The Mets have lost 15 of 17 – their worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004.

New York scored one run or fewer in a traditional doubleheader Sunday for the first time since Oct, 3, 2015, when the Mets scored one run while being swept by the Washington Nationals.

Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.

The scoreless start was the first of Dollander’s career, though he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings as a bulk reliever and earned the win in a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Apr. 16.

Dollander wriggled out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first when he got MJ Melendez to fly out. Carson Benge and Ronny Mauricio singled to open the fifth, but Tyrone Taylor lined into a double play before Dollander retired Bo Bichette on a grounder.

Seth Halvorsen threw a hitless eighth before Zach Agnos worked around Melendez’s one-out double in the ninth to notch his second save.

The struggling Kodai Senga (0-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Senga has given up 17 runs (16 earned) over 8 1/3 innings in his last three starts.

–Field Level Media

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