Shohei Ohtani is closing in on history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ two-way phenom singled into right field off of Colorado Rockies starter José Quintana in the third inning on Monday night at Coors Field to extend his on-base streak to 52 games. Now, Ohtani enters Tuesday’s away series opener against the archrival San Francisco Giants with the opportunity to tie Shawn Green — who reached base safely in 53 consecutive games in 2000 — for second place on the Dodgers’ all-time on-base streak list (since 1900).

Shohei Ohtani has now reached base in 52 straight games 🫡 pic.twitter.com/K0R0wOgEpk

— MLB (@MLB) April 21, 2026

If Ohtani ties Green with a hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch in any of his plate appearances on Tuesday, he’d be five games away from the franchise record, which belongs to Hall of Famer Duke Snider. He got on base in 58 straight games in the 1954 season.

Ohtani’s streak began back on Aug. 24, 2025. In that time, he’s slashed .280/.402/.590 with 56 hits, 16 home runs, 39 walks and three HBPs. He passed “Wee” Willie Keeler (1900-1901) on Sunday to move into third place in the Dodgers’ record book after breaking into the top five by surpassing Ron Cey’s mark of 47 consecutive games from 1975-76 earlier in the season. On April 10, Ohtani’s streak reached 44 games, moving him past Ichiro Suzuki for the longest on-base streak by a Japanese-born player.

“It’s a tremendous streak,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “It’s hard to get on base, certainly when everyone’s trying to target you. This streak is one of the great ones, and hopefully he can keep it going.”

If Ohtani can pass Snider’s benchmark, he’d still be a ways away from Ted Williams’ MLB record of 84 straight games reaching base in 1949.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani on-base streak: What to know

Tonight, the Colorado Rockies (9-14) welcome the San Diego Padres (15-7) to Coors Field for the first of a three-game stand.

As a reminder, the Padres swept the Rockies in four games at Petco Park just over a week ago.

Starting for the Padres is Randy Vásquez. This will be his fourth start in 2025.

The righty has a 2.49 ERA in 21.0 IP. He’s struck out 25, walked eight, and given up one home run. Vásquez has a 1.29 WHIP. 

Taking the mound for the Rockies will be RHP Jimmy Herget, who will open the game and turn it over to Chase Dollander. This will be his third stint as an opener in 2026.

Currently, Herget has an ERA of 1.64 in 11.0 IP. He’s struck out eight while giving up two walks and no home runs with a 0.91 WHIP.

As for Dollander, this will be his sixth appearance of 2026. In 19.0 IP, he’s earned an ERA of 3.32, including 23 strikeouts and six walks. In addition, Dollander has allowed three home runs.

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 6:40 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Padres SB Nation site: when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Jaylen Brown got the TD Garden crowd on its feet early Tuesday with a poster dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Boston Celtics guard then promptly got T’d up for the dunk’s aftermath, quickly shifting the tenor of the energy in the building.

The dunk took place in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s Game 2 as it was tied 6-6. Brown beat Tyrese Maxey from the top of the 3-point line, then leaped between four 76ers defenders from the top of the restricted area.

Adam Bona was the only defender brave enough to challenge Brown at the rim. It was a poor decision. Brown cocked the ball back an unleashed a one-handed hammer dunk as Bona met him at the rim.

Bona fell on his back to the court after both landed from the mid-air confrontation.

Brown continued to walk forward, leering over his vanquished opponent after completing the dunk. For this, he drew a technical foul.

Brown, who has frequent and vocal beef with NBA officials, immediately protested. But it was to no avail.

The 76ers were awarded a technical free throw that Tyrese Maxey converted.

But Brown’s dunk still counted on the scoreboard. As did the message as he set the tone early with the Celtics in search of a 2-0 series lead.

Jaylen Brown got the TD Garden crowd on its feet early Tuesday with a poster dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Boston Celtics guard then promptly got T’d up for the dunk’s aftermath, quickly shifting the tenor of the energy in the building.

The dunk took place in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s Game 2 as it was tied 6-6. Brown beat Tyrese Maxey from the top of the 3-point line, then leaped between four 76ers defenders from the top of the restricted area.

Adam Bona was the only defender brave enough to challenge Brown at the rim. It was a poor decision. Brown cocked the ball back an unleashed a one-handed hammer dunk as Bona met him at the rim.

Bona fell on his back to the court after both landed from the mid-air confrontation.

Brown continued to walk forward, leering over his vanquished opponent after completing the dunk. For this, he drew a technical foul.

Brown, who has frequent and vocal beef with NBA officials, immediately protested. But it was to no avail.

The 76ers were awarded a technical free throw that Tyrese Maxey converted.

But Brown’s dunk still counted on the scoreboard. As did the message as he set the tone early with the Celtics in search of a 2-0 series lead.

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Life is funny. The one thing that made the Los Angeles Lakers underdogs is kind of the reason they won the series opener with the Houston Rockets.

Kevin Durant’s absence sapped more star power from this Round 1 matchup — already down Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — but unlike L.A.’s injured studs, Durant has a good shot of playing in Game 2 tonight.

My Rockets vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks bank on a better showing from Houston tonight, with or without KD on April 21.

Rockets vs Lakers prediction

Who will win Rockets vs Lakers Game 2?

Rockets: I bet the Lakers’ moneyline in Game 1, even before the news of Kevin Durant’s knee injury. If there was going to be a game in which L.A. came out swinging, it would be the opener. And boy did it. But balance is restored in Game 2 as Houston’s role players get on track and the Lakers’ support staff plummets back to earth.

Rockets vs Lakers best bet: Rockets -4.5 (-110)

With the way the Los Angeles Lakers shot the ball in Game 1, it may not have mattered if Kevin Durant was healthy or not.

Los Angeles finished a blistering 61% from the floor, including 10-for-19 from beyond the arc. A well-rested LeBron James conducted a crisp L.A. attack that recorded an assist on more than 72% of its total buckets.

The Houston Rockets’ offense, on the other hand, was lost and untethered without the gravity of Durant. The Rockets were a chilly 38% from the floor, with an 11-for-33 mark from beyond the arc.
 
Los Angeles was able to be more aggressive when it came to double-teaming Houston’s secondary stars, and the Rockets missed KD’s ability to create when things broke down. Couple that with playoff nerves on the road for some younger standouts, and you can see how things fell apart.

I expect it all to come closer to the middle in Game 2 as a potential letdown for the Lakers, who got a Luka-like effort from reserve-turned-starter Luke Kennard on Saturday.

Los Angeles won’t connect at the same clip, and Houston will tighten the bolts on offense, with or without Durant. Head coach Ime Udoka is emphasizing spacing and more screen action — both on- and off-ball — after iso-heavy sets stagnated the Rockets in Game 1.

I’m holding out hope Durant returns for the sake of this bet, but I’m confident Houston will still perform better than Game 1 if he doesn’t.

Rockets vs Lakers same-game parlay

Amen Thompson scored 17 points in Game 1 as one of Houston’s lone bright spots. He dropped 26 and 19 points in the previous two matchups with Los Angeles, and if Durant returns, he’ll enjoy a lot more space in Game 2. Thompson is projected for as many as 19 points.

LBJ did it all for L.A. in the opener but didn’t need to take or make triples, with the Lakers playing with the lead. Game script has Los Angeles trailing tonight, and with some of the Lakers’ role players coming back to earth, James will jack up his share of long-range looks to close that gap. 

Rockets vs Lakers SGP

• Rockets -4.5
• Amen Thompson Over 16.5 points
• LeBron James Over 1.5 threes

Our “from downtown” SGP: The King and I (V2.0)

Let’s try this one more time. I had a fun all-GOAT same-game parlay pegged for Game 1 leaning into LeBron vs. KD. Then Durant went and spoiled it all by banging up his knee in practice. He’s trending toward playing in Game 2, so I’m calling for these two HoFers to pace their team in points and knock down shots from downtown.

Rockets vs Lakers SGP

• Rockets -4.5
• Kevin Durant Over 23.5 points
• Kevin Durant Over 2.5 threes
• LeBron James Over 24.5 points
• LeBron James Over 1.5 threes

Rockets vs Lakers odds for Game 2

• Spread: Rockets -4.5 | Lakers +4.5
• Moneyline: Rockets -205 | Lakers +170
• Over/Under: Over 207 | Under 207

Rockets vs Lakers betting trend to know

Houston is 22-8 SU off a loss this season, with those bounce-back spots producing a 12-17-1 Over/Under count. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Lakers.

How to watch Rockets vs Lakers Game 2

Rockets vs Lakers latest injuries

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Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers

Game 2 – April 21, 2026

Location: Crypto.com arena, Los Angeles, CA

TV: NBC/Peacock

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Online: Peacock

Time: 9:30 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Lakers: Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, Lebron James, Deandre Ayton

The playoffs continue tonight for the Rockets. The biggest question is the status of Forward Kevin Durant, as he is listed as a game time decision with his knee bruise. Honestly, even without Kevin Durant, this Houston team should win over a depleted Lakers team, but then again, Houston could put up another stinker offensively.

Hopefully Sengun, Jabari, and Amen Thompson all bounce back from their lackluster Game 1 performances. ( I am excluding Reed because to give him grace since it was his first real NBA playoff game). If not, the Rockets could be in trouble, and facing an 0-2 deficit before the series shifts to Houston this Friday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s trophy haul keeps growing.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City guard who is the reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP, was the overwhelming and nearly unanimous pick as the Clutch Player of the Year for this season, the NBA announced Tuesday.

It’s the first of what could be several awards for Gilgeous-Alexander in the coming weeks. He’s the heavy favorite to win a second straight MVP trophy — and because he’s a finalist there, he’s also a lock to make the All-NBA team for a fourth straight year.

“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC Sports, which aired the award announcement. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”

Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes. Jamal Murray of Denver was second, one point ahead of Anthony Edwards of Minnesota.

Edwards didn’t reach the 65-game eligibility standard for most league awards like MVP and the All-NBA team — and unsuccessfully appealed for a waiver that would have put him on those ballots — but his candidacy for the clutch award wasn’t affected by that rule.

Instead, the finalists for the clutch award were decided by a survey of the league’s coaches. That whittled the group down to 14 names, which were then placed onto the ballot that a panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league filled out last week to decide the various awards.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been a contender for the clutch award since it was added to the league’s slate of trophies; he was third last season, eighth in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

And now, it’s his.

“I’m proud I get to hoist it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It means I’m effective out there.”

Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the fourth player to win the clutch award, which was added in tribute to Jerry West — the inspiration for the NBA’s logo and the player long known as “Mr. Clutch” as a nod to his exploits when the outcome of games was on the line.

De’Aaron Fox (then of Sacramento, now of San Antonio) was the first clutch award recipient in 2023, followed by Golden State’s Stephen Curry in 2024 and New York’s Jalen Brunson last season. Brunson was a nominee again this year, finishing fifth.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham was fourth, followed by Brunson, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Houston’s Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Brunson and Jokic are now the only players to get votes in the clutch balloting in all four seasons of the award’s existence.

Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving saw their three-year streaks as clutch vote-getters end because of injuries; Curry missed about half the season, Tatum missed most of the season and Irving was sidelined for the entire season.

For a play to be considered clutch, by the NBA’s definition, these are the criteria: The score differential has to be five points or less, and the game has to be in either the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime.

All three of the leading vote-getters had compelling statistical arguments for the award:

— Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 175 points in clutch times, plus was ninth with 21 assists in those situations. The Thunder went 20-7 in the 27 clutch games in which he played, and outscored opponents by 93 points in those clutch situations with him on the floor.

— Edwards shot 56.5% from the field in clutch moments, the best of any of the league’s 19 players that had at least 85 clutch-time points this season.

— Murray was second in clutch points with 166 plus led the league with 30 clutch-time assists.

The clutch award was the second to be handed out this season. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous winner of Defensive Player of the Year, which was announced Monday.

“It’s just very meaningful to me,” Wembanyama said Tuesday about being the first unanimous winner of the DPOY trophy. “It means that’s there no place for debate. It means that everybody agrees upon something.”

On Wednesday, the Sixth Man of the Year winner — either the Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. or Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. — will be revealed. The league’s Sportsmanship Award winner will be announced Thursday, followed by Most Improved Player on Friday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Here are the NBA playoff games for Tuesday, April 21, 2026:

• Boston Celtics at Miami Heat — 7:30 PM ET (TNT)
• Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder — 8:00 PM ET (NBA TV)
• Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns — 10:00 PM ET (TNT)

Enjoy the basketball!