Sports
Winning Pistons make free throws, Nuggets don't at dramatic finish
Jan 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) and forward Spencer Jones (21) defend on Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 11 assists, Tobias Harris also scored 22 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds remaining, and the visiting Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 109-107 on Tuesday night.
Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson scored 14 each, and Ronald Holland II and Javonte Green contributed 10 each for Detroit, which has won nine of its last 11.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 24 points but missed two free throws on separate trips to the foul line in the final seconds that could have sent the game to overtime.
Down 107-104, Murray was fouled on a 3-point attempt, missed the first free throw and made the next two for a one-point deficit. After Harris hit a pair at the other end, Murray again was fouled with 0.7 seconds left.
He made his first foul shot, missed the second and intentionally missed the third.
Jonas Valanciunas finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds, Bruce Brown also had 16 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 14, Peyton Watson had 13 and Spencer Jones added 12 for the Nuggets.
Denver has dropped three straight home games.
The Nuggets were playing for the first time since Friday night, an unscheduled break after their game at the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday was postponed due to inclement weather.
Denver spent three nights in Memphis after they could not fly out home until Monday morning.
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who reinjured his right hamstring at Milwaukee a night later, did not play Tuesday night.
Detroit led by 11 early in the fourth, but the Nuggets chipped away and got within 95-90 on Watson’s 10-footer with 5:25 remaining. Green scored off of an offensive rebound and Cunningham hit a short jumper to make it 99-92, but Murray’s three-point play and later fallaway jumper cut it to 99-97.
Cunningham made a floater, Murray missed at the other end and Harris hit a layup to put the Pistons ahead 103-97 with 1:33 left.
After a timeout, Murray made another fadeaway, Cunningham missed a turnaround and Hardaway hit a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with 56 seconds remaining.
Harris hit a turnaround jumper with 18 seconds left, setting up the final sequence.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canes keep rolling, blank Flyers to open semifinal series
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) is congratulated by left wing Taylor Hall (71) and right wing Jackson Blake (53) after his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Logan Stankoven scored twice and goaltender Frederik Andersen collected his second shutout of this year’s playoffs as the host Carolina Hurricanes opened their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-0 victory on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Jackson Blake scored once and added an assist for the Hurricanes, who followed a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a decisive victory to kick off the Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series.
Andersen made 18 saves for his seventh career playoff shutout.
Mike Reilly collected a pair of assists.
Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers, who will attempt to regroup when the series resumes Monday in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes, who finished atop the Eastern Conference standings in the regular season, are yet to trail in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and continued that trend thanks to their hottest player.
Stankoven tallied for the fifth consecutive game to open the scoring only 91 seconds into the clash. Reilly fired a point shot that Stankoven deflected into the net. Stankoven, 23, is the youngest player in history to score goals in five consecutive games to open the playoffs.
Stankoven has scored first in four of Carolina’s five playoff outings.
Blake doubled the lead six minutes later with a highlight-reel worthy tally. He zipped around the defenders before tucking home the puck for his second tally of the playoffs.
The Flyers had managed only one shot on goal at the point.
Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a three-goal edge late in the second period. After a turnover, Seth Jarvis fed a pass to Stankoven in the slot and he immediately buried the chance with 3:44 remaining in the middle frame.
From there, the Hurricanes cruised to victory, amidst a string of message-sending infractions by the Flyers and retaliatory actions from Carolina’s skaters.
After a handful of players were sent to the dressing room with misconducts just past the midway point of the final frame, things quieted.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners place INF Will Wilson (thumb) on 10-day injured list
Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Will Wilson (7) reacts after hitting a two home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Seattle Mariners placed infielder Will Wilson on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a fractured left thumb.
The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Mariners recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma.
Wilson, 27, played in two games and hit .200 (1-for-5) with a home run in his first at-bat for the Mariners in an 11-9 win on April 25 against the host St. Louis Cardinals. He may have been injured on Wednesday when he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his second game this season, a 5-3 road victory over the Minnesota Twins.
The Los Angeles Angels selected Wilson in the first round (15th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of North Carolina State.
Wilson, a second and third baseman, made his major league debut in 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians and batted .192 (15-for-78) with two RBIs and four doubles in 34 games. He signed as a free agent with Seattle in January.
Pereda, 30, has a career batting average of .241 with eight RBIs in 48 games with the Miami Marlins (2024), Athletics (2025) and Minnesota Twins (2025).
In other moves on Saturday, Seattle optioned left-hander Josh Simpson, 28, to Tacoma and selected right-hander Nick Davila, 27, from Double-A Arkansas.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sean Burke stifles Padres, lifts White Sox to fifth straight win
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke (59) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Sean Burke tossed six scoreless innings Saturday night and the visiting Chicago White Sox stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-0 blanking of the San Diego Padres.
Burke (2-2) allowed only four hits and a walk while fanning eight, including Xander Bogaerts three times. Three relievers finished up, with Seranthony Dominguez getting the last two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances, as Chicago wrapped up its first series win over San Diego since 2022.
The Padres filled the bases with no outs in the ninth when Jackson Merrill beat out an infield single followed by walks to Manny Machado and Bogaerts. Grant Taylor slipped a called third strike past Gavin Sheets before Dominguez came in to retire Miguel Andujar on a shallow fly ball and strike out Luis Campusano.
Michael King (3-2) yielded seven hits and four runs over six-plus innings. King walked three and struck out five as the Padres dropped their fourth straight game.
Burke and King matched each other pitch-for-pitch through the first five innings. But the White Sox struck in the sixth when Tristan Peters drew a one-out walk and Andrew Benintendi legged out an infield single.
After Munetaka Murakami moved the runners up 90 feet with a groundout, Miguel Vargas looped a liner into short right field, scoring Peters and Benintendi for the only runs Chicago needed.
But the White Sox added on with two more runs in the seventh. Chase Meidroth singled and reached third on Sam Antonacci’s double, then scored on Edgar Quero’s single that knocked out King. Peters then capped the scoring with a safety squeeze bunt that plated Antonacci.
The Padres’ best scoring chances against Burke came in the second and fifth innings. Sheets walked and Andujar singled with one out in the second. But Burke stiffened, fanning Campusano and inducing a groundout from Jake Cronenworth.
In the fifth, Andujar led off with a single and Cronenworth singled with one out. However, Ramon Laureano flew out and Burke blew away Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches to quash the threat.
The Padres were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight runners.
–Field Level Media
