Sports
Suns, bound for play-in tournament, take on Cooper Flagg, Mavs
Apr 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Jalen Green (4) against the Houston Rockets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns spent the first 79 games of the NBA season in a vain attempt to lock up a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Their task now is to hang on to postseason spot No. 7.
The Suns (43-36) blew a 21-point lead and were crushed 55-34 on the boards in a 119-105 home loss to Houston on Tuesday in an outcome that dropped them into a play-in tournament position after Minnesota (47-32) won at Indiana.
Phoenix will close its home season in the second game of a back-to-back set when it faces the Dallas Mavericks (25-54) and top NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg on Wednesday night before finishing on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City.
The regular season will end April 12.
“We are trying to get better and be perfect for 48 minutes, and that has been our focus for the last few weeks,” Suns reserve guard Grayson Allen said.
“Not looking ahead but thinking ahead on what we are prepared for, and that is the postseason. It will be the same thing these last few games, try and put perfect stretches together.”
The Suns have clinched a postseason berth, but their hold on the No. 7 seed is tenuous. They have lost nine of 13 games and are just two ahead of the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers (41-38).
The Clippers have home games remaining against Oklahoma City and Golden State and a road contest at Portland.
The Suns and Clippers split the four-game season series, and the Suns currently hold the tiebreaker advantage because of a better Pacific Division record (10-6 vs. 9-6).
Each team has one division game remaining.
Devin Booker had 31 points and eight assists against Houston, but the Suns could not keep the Rockets off the boards. Houston turned 24 offensive rebounds into 37 second-chance points.
“One-shot defense was great, then it fell apart,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said.
The Suns’ Jordan Goodwin made his second straight start at small forward on Tuesday as Ott worked to find a balance between his first and second groups. Goodwin had 11 points, three 3-pointers, four rebounds, two steals and two assists.
“We know with his improved shooting that he can definitely pop, and we feel comfortable playing through him in that role,” Ott said. “I feel comfortable wherever he’s at.”
Flagg had 25 points, nine rebounds and two assists in the Mavericks’ 116-103 road loss to the Clippers on Tuesday and has 121 points in his last three games.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg and former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets probably are 1-2 in some order in the Rookie of the Year chase, although Flagg appeared to take a final step by scoring 51 points against Orlando on Friday, then getting 45 with eight rebounds and nine assists against the Lakers on Sunday.
“I think it is definitely some sort of statement,” Flagg said. “I’m confident in myself and I know what I am capable of. Just let the rest of the stuff figure itself out.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has been in a similar situation. Kidd was the 1995 co-Rookie of the Year with the Mavericks, tying with Detroit’s Grant Hill.
“I don’t know if he’s making a closing statement,” Kidd said. “He just doing what he has been doing all season, being able to play different positions, being able to be uncomfortable. Has never complained and has delivered for us.”
Flagg often faces the opponent’s best wing defender.
“For him to be able to deliver, it’s not easy,” Kidd said, “I know he makes it look easy. That’s how special he is. That’s only going to make him better.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Union edge CF Montreal, end 6-game losing streak
Apr 11, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; CF Montreal defender Dagur Thorhallsson (17) defends against Philadelphia Union defender Japhet Sery (5) during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Jesus Bueno scored the tiebreaking goal in the 70th minute, and the visiting Philadelphia Union earned a 2-1 victory over CF Montreal to snap a season-opening six-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon.
Philadelphia (1-6-0, 3 points) ended its worst skid to open a season since going 0-4-4 to start the 2017 season.
The Union took their first lead of the season when Bueno scored a minute after Bruno Damiani’s right-footed shot was stopped by Thomas Gillier. Following a throw-in, Bueno took a pass from Ezekiel Alladoh following a throw-in by Nathan Harriel.
Bueno charged in through the middle of the field, eluded Montreal’s Dawid Bugaj and finished it with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box that landed in the lower left corner of the net.
Bueno scored his fifth career MLS goal, and the clutch tally occurred 15 minutes after Japhet Sery Larsen tied it with a header. Larsen evened the score by flicking it in with a header off a set piece after Bueno was fouled by Montreal’s Fabian Herbers a minute earlier.
After the goals, Philadelphia controlled the final minutes and held on after Olger Escobar’s free kick sailed long on the final play following a yellow card by Jovan Lukic.
Ivan Jaime had given Montreal the lead by finishing a 2-on-1 with Prince Owusu in the 23rd minute. On a counterattack, he got a pass from Efrain Morales at midfield, faked a shot with a left foot as defender Olwethu Makhanya fell down, and flicked a shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner.
Philadelphia goalie Andre Blake made four saves.
Hillier finished with three saves as Philadelphia finished 15 shot attempts.
Montreal (1-6-0, 3 points) played its home opener after losing five of its first six matches. Montreal is off to a slow start for the second straight season after opening 2025 with an 11-game winless streak (0-8-3).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dallas Fuel reach grand final of OWCS NA Stage 1 playoffs
Dallas Fuel downed Spacestation Gaming 3-1 on Saturday to advance to the grand final of the Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 playoffs.
Spacestation Gaming dropped to the lower-bracket final in the double-elimination playoffs on Sunday against Team Liquid, with the winner advancing to the grand final against Dallas Fuel later in the day.
Team Liquid stayed alive on Saturday by blanking LuneX Gaming 3-0 in the lower-bracket semifinal.
The Overwatch 2 online competition, with a prize pool of $75,000, began with six teams playing a regular season with a round-robin format.
The top four teams advanced to the regional playoffs, and all sealed berths in North America Stage 2. All playoff matches are first-to-three except for the grand final, which is first-to-four.
The championship team will receive $30,000, the runner-up $15,000, with both teams receiving berths in the OCS Champions Clash, scheduled for May 22-24 in Tokyo.
Dallas Fuel opened the best-of-five on Saturday with a 2-0 win on Busan Control before Spacestation Gaming earned a 3-3 draw on Numbani Hybrid. Dallas came through with a 2-1 victory on Watchpoint: Gibraltor Escort, then lost 3-1 on Aatlis Flashpoint.
In the decisive final map, Dallas won on Esperanca Push, 87.01 meters to 47.24 meters.
Team Liquid swept LuneX Gaming 2-0 on Lijang Tower Control, 4-3 on Havana Escort and 144.4m to 62.39m on Runasapi Push.
Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 prize pool
1. $30,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
2. $15,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
3. $12,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 — LuneX Gaming
5-6. Extinction, Disguised — $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Sports
Timo Baumgartl scores in 61st minute as St. Louis City tie FC Dallas
Apr 11, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; St. Louis CITY SC forward Simon Becher (11) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide (3) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Timo Baumgartl’s 61st-minute goal negated Louicius Deedson’s opener as visiting St. Louis City SC earned a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas.
The equalizer was the first goal in four matches at Toyota Stadium for St. Louis (1-3-3, 6 points), which has gone 1-0-2 in its last three matches after getting shut out in three straight.
Dallas (3-1-3, 12 points) is now unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four matches and has outscored St. Louis, 8-1, in those four home matches.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in the opening 45 minutes, despite chances from both sides. St. Louis’ Marcel Hartel had two chances himself early on.
He took the ball down to the end line in the third minute and sent it across the goal mouth, but there was nobody home to tap it in. Then, in the 21st minute, Hartel took the ball down the left side into the box and tried to beat Michael Collodi to the near post, but Dallas’ goalkeeper turned it aside.
In the 30th minute, Conrad Wallem just missed connecting with Sergio Cordova, which would have left the St. Louis attacker alone in the middle.
Dallas’ Kaick, who came on for his injured Brazilian countryman Ramiro in the 36th minute, was high on a header three minutes later off a cross into the box from Deedson.
Petar Musa, who came into the match tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, was quiet for most of the first half, but he came alive late.
He was called offside on an attempt that hit the post in the third minute of extra time, and then, one minute later, he took a pass from Logan Farrington into the box and forced a save from St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki, who had two saves.
Musa played a role in Dallas’ goal three minutes into the second half. He intercepted a St. Louis pass and freed up Deedson on the left side, and the Haitian International finished for his first goal of the season.
The assist was Musa’s first of the season, and the goal stood up for 20 minutes. St. Louis’ Daniel Edelman sent a ball to the far post, where two teammates ran onto it. Baumgartl got in first and finished Edelman’s cross with a right-footed shot from close range.
Burki and Collodi, who had four saves, denied late winners off attempts from both attacking sides to preserve the draw.
–Field Level Media
Union edge CF Montreal, end 6-game losing streak
Dallas Fuel reach grand final of OWCS NA Stage 1 playoffs
