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Three NBA Playoff Teams Likely to Be Eliminated Early

Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesMar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Four first-round NBA playoff series begin Saturday while the rest kick off Sunday, including the first game of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s title defense.

By the time next weekend rolls around, the field might already have some teams preparing to bow out.

This doesn’t suggest that the three teams below each will be swept out of the postseason. It is guessing, though, that their counterparts will be longer for the bracket.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Lakers coach JJ Redick advocates for mindfulness and meditation, two good things in this crazy world. Redick even has been seen engaging in those mental-health exercises before games.

By month’s end, he’ll have to take the balancing act out of the arena. With Lakers starts Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) out indefinitely, there’s little chance this series extends beyond five games.

Yes, LA still boasts home-court advantage and LeBron James, who is three triple-doubles shy from passing Lakers icon Magic Johnson for most in NBA playoff history. But the Rockets are far closer to full strength, even with Kevin Durant questionable with a right knee contusion. Look for Houston big man Alperen Sengun to keep rolling. He shot 57.3% over the last 24 games and has a quickness advantage against Lakers counterpart DeAndre Ayton.

PHILADELPHIA 76ers

Mar 30, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesMar 30, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Sixers showed inconsistencies even during those rare cases when they were healthy this season, so a first-round date with the surging Boston Celtics didn’t figure to have staying power.

Take Joel Embiid and his emergency appendectomy out of the Philly equation and that cinches it. This smacks of a Celtics runaway, even if Embiid manages to return to the lineup during the series, then magically remove the rust in real time against a team that has Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Boston commits the fewest turnovers in the league and is adept from long range and on the offensive glass. While it’s possible that Tyrese Maxey could go off and steer the Sixers into stealing a game – he averaged 30 points and 8.8 assists in four regular-season matchups with the C’s – Boston simply has too much talent.

Philly gets a head start on getting healthy for another shot (how many does that team have left, anyway?) next season.

TORONTO RAPTORS

Nov 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesNov 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Heaven knows that not every prediction lands. Who’d have imagined the Cavaliers would have be eliminated before the conference finals last season, for instance?

While Cleveland carries a slightly different core and a less lofty regular-season pedigree than last spring, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and the Cavs seem like a good bet to handle a Raptors team whose ballhandler, Immanuel Quickley, is dealing with hamstring issues.

Mitchell carries plenty of firepower, to be sure, and has scored at least 30 points in eight straight series openers, a league record. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram can keep the Raptors close, but they won’t be enough to overcome the Cavs’ depth.

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Cody Bellinger hits 2 of Yanks' 4 HRs in rout of Royals

MLB: Kansas City Royals at New York YankeesApr 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Cody Bellinger homered twice and collected five RBIs as the New York Yankees easily recorded a 13-4 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.

The Yankees notched their most lopsided win this season after their previous five victories were decided in the final at-bat.

Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer and Ben Rice hit a solo shot during a five-run third off Kansas City left-hander Noah Cameron (1-1).

Rosario started the scoring with his two-run blast to left after a three-base error by Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel.

J.C. Escarra hit a fly ball to the warning track in center field, and the ball was not caught when Isbel and right fielder Jac Caglianone converged. Isbel knocked the ball out of Caglianone’s glove and was charged with a three-base error.

After Rosario’s homer, Aaron Judge walked, then Bellinger sent a first-pitch slider into the second deck in right. Rice homered two batters later when he hit a fastball into the right field seats for his third straight game with a homer.

Bellinger homered again in the sixth off Mitch Spence for a 10-0 lead. It was Bellinger’s 20th career multi-homer game and his eighth game with at least five RBIs.

Bellinger also had an RBI single in between homers. Rosario added a run-scoring single in the sixth and Escarra contributed an RBI double in the fourth.

Escarra also drove in two with his first career triple in the seventh as the Yankees collected 11 hits. Randal Grichuk added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for his first RBI with New York.

New York’s Will Warren (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. The right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked none.

The Royals dropped their sixth straight. Kansas City was blanked until Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the seventh and got a two-run double from Michael Massey in the ninth.

Cameron was shelled for a career-worst seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings.

Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was tossed by second base umpire Nestor Ceja before Cameron threw a pitch after the Royals batted in the first.

–Field Level Media

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NHL roundup: Flyers win Game 1 of in-state playoff series vs. Penguins

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh PenguinsApr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) celebrates his goal with the Flyers bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Porter Martone scored a timely goal late for the Philadelphia Flyers, who skated away with a 3-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Martone, a 19-year-old playing in his 10th NHL game, scored an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with 2:37 left in the Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry series. That proved crucial when the Penguins’ Bryan Rust found the net with 1:01 left.

Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale also scored for Philadelphia in the franchise’s first playoff game in six years. The Flyers got 15 saves from Dan Vladar in his playoff debut, including one on a point-blank shot from Anthony Mantha in the closing seconds.

Evgeni Malkin scored his 68th postseason goal for the Penguins and assisted on Rust’s goal. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves. Game 2 is Monday in Pittsburgh.

Wild 6, Stars 1

Matt Boldy had two goals and an assist for visiting Minnesota in a win against Dallas in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.

Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice, Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist and Mats Zuccarello had three assists for the Wild, who are trying to win their first playoff series since 2015 after getting eliminated in the opening round eight times since then. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt got the start and made 27 saves.

Jason Robertson scored and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for Dallas, which lost Game 1 of its first-round series 5-1 against the Colorado Avalanche last season before rebounding and eventually reaching the Western Conference finals. Game 2 is Monday in Dallas.

Hurricanes 2, Senators 0

Frederik Andersen made 22 saves and Logan Stankoven had a goal and an assist as Carolina overcame a slow start to defeat Ottawa in the opener of the first-round series in Raleigh, N.C.

Andersen recorded his sixth career playoff shutout after not having any in 35 regular-season starts this season. Taylor Hall also scored and Jackson Blake had two assists for the Hurricanes.

Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Senators, who saw 13 of their 22 shots on goal come in the third period but were unable to get on the board, even with a late power-play opportunity. Game 2 is Monday in Raleigh.

–Field Level Media

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Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series

MLB: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles AngelsApr 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) runs after hitting a RBI single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Mason Miller struck out two en route to his seventh save to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim.

Ramon Laureano also drove in two runs, Jake Cronenworth scored a run and reached base four times with a single, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Freddy Fermin scored twice for San Diego, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 games.

Adrian Morejon (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief while Miller pitched around a leadoff single by Yoan Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom in the ninth to extend his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings dating back to Aug. 6, 2025.

Zach Neto and Mike Trout each doubled and Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which finished with just six hits. Ryan Zeferjahn (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one inning immediately after Yusei Kikuchi wrapped his scoreless six-inning start for Los Angeles.

Kikuchi allowed four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, striking out eight.

The Angels, who entered the contest having hit 16 home runs while scoring 49 runs in their previous six games, managed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings against San Diego starter German Marquez.

However, they nearly took a 1-0 lead in the second. Moncada led off the inning with a deep drive to right-center that Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made a highlight-reel grab on, reaching above the fence to deny Moncada of a home run. It was the third time this season that Merrill robbed a batter of a home run.

The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning against Zeferjahn, who walked Fermin and Cronenworth on eight straight balls to open the inning. Laureano then grounded a single to center to drive in Fermin, and Tatis followed with a slow roller into shallow right to drive in Cronenworth.

Los Angeles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth on Schanuel’s single, driving in Logan O’Hoppe who had singled and advanced to second on a single by Adam Frazier.

San Diego then added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Laureano followed by an RBI single from Tatis.

–Field Level Media

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