LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Durant was scheduled to miss the Houston Rockets’ playoff opener against the Los Angeles Lakers with a knee injury, leaving both teams without their top scorer to begin the first-round series.

Durant was ruled out for Game 1 on Saturday night by coach Ime Udoka, but the Rockets seem confident Durant’s bruised right knee isn’t a long-term problem.

“Hopefully it’s a one game thing, but he tried it out in practice and it didn’t feel good enough,” Udoka said.

Durant bumped knees with a teammate during practice on Wednesday, and he was added to the Rockets’ injury report on Friday. The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history led the Rockets with 26.0 points per game this season, his first in Houston.

Udoka said Durant’s knee is “very tender. … Tough to bend in certain ways. Hit it in a very awkward spot, I suppose. Pain tolerance is one part, but (also) limited movement.”

Reed Sheppard will take Durant’s spot in the fifth-seeded Rockets’ starting lineup for the opener against the fourth-seeded Lakers, who are playing without NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and high-scoring guard Austin Reaves indefinitely.

Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) were injured April 2. Both of their injuries typically take several weeks to heal, but Doncic traveled to Europe this month for treatment in hopes of getting back on the court sooner.

Durant’s absence injects some hope into the Lakers’ intention to hang with the Rockets long enough for Doncic and Reaves to have an opportunity to return to the postseason.

“We’re going try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday. “We don’t know what that is, but that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”

It is the 37-year-old Durant’s 14th trip to the NBA playoffs.

The series is his fourth career postseason meeting with 41-year-old LeBron James, who has faced off against Durant in three NBA Finals.

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

The Cincinnati Reds entered play on Saturday with just 66 runs scored so far this season, the lowest such mark of any team in the game. They also entered play with just 19 doubles (fewest), one triple (five teams have zero), and 86 singles (second fewest), an indicator that they haven’t just struggled to cross the plate, they’ve struggled to hit the ball in the field of play altogether.

Despite their .197 team average (last), they have socked 21 homers – tied for a respectable 12th so far this season. In other words, they have been absolutely dependent upon hitting homers to score their runs in 2026, moreso than any other team out there. So, when they hit the road for Minneapolis this weekend and the temperatures and swirling winds suggested hitting anything over the wall would be near impossible, well, it was hard to muster much hope for this offense’s success given what we’ve seen so far.

It was with that in mind that their rally past the Twins on Saturday looked that much more special.

They trailed 2-0 early as starter Andrew Abbott struggled again with his command, and trailed 4-2 entering the Top of the 7th as Minnesota went to their bullpen. And though they rallied back for the win (thanks to the elite work of Brock Burke, Kyle Nicolas, and Tony Santillan at the back end of the ‘pen when other big names weren’t available), they did not do so with one big 3-run swing.

Instead, they got runners on, over, and in in each of the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, piecing together singles here, productive outs there, a key sac fly, and even a TJ Friedl sacrifice bunt to move the game’s winning run into scoring position.

It was a series of small-ball miracles, especially given the context of how this offense has operated (or not) through the season’s first 20 games. And, once again, the bullpen managed to slam the door at the end, something they’ve become brilliant with despite being banged up and overworked early on.

There’s a quiet swagger with this club, one perhaps highlighted perfectly at the end of the series with the San Francisco Giants when the Giants barking closer tried to start a ruckus after they won the finale of a series they’d already lost. The Reds, though, weren’t interested in fisticuffs and instead the barking turned into a standoff before a nothingburger. Cincinnati hit the showers, packed their bags, and moved on to the next thing on their docket: a series in Minnesota in poor weather than they knew they were more than capable of winning.

They’ve already won it, now. Next up is a chance for a series sweep on Sunday even though they still haven’t been playing their ‘best’ ball of the year.

Today, I think it’s time for Terry Francona’s first Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game. He’s got this club doing all the right things at the right times even though they still haven’t clicked just yet…and they’re still 13-8 on the season.

UConn guard Braylon Mullins is returning to school for his sophomore season, he announced via Instagram on Saturday, April 18, which happens to also be his birthday.

Mullins, a projected lottery pick in USA TODAY’s latest NBA mock draft, averaged 12 points per game for the Huskies as a true freshman in 2025-26, starting 29 games and playing a key role in UConn’s run to the national championship game.

REQUIRED READING: Braylon Mullins is more than a big shot. He’s been UConn’s missing piece

The 6-foot-6 guard etched his name in NCAA Tournament lore after nailing a game-winning 3-pointer to beat top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight. And with UConn’s returning roster plus its transfer portal additions, he’ll be looking to win the national title in 2027 after falling to Michigan.

“Unfinished business,” he wrote on Instagram.

UConn returns its entire starting backcourt next season, with Mullins pairing with Silas Demary Jr. and Solo Ball to form one of the most experienced groups in the sport. It also replaced four-year starter Alex Karaban and star center Tarris Reed Jr. with a pair of highly sought-after transfer portal recruits in former Duke forward Nikolas Khamenia and former Seton Hall center Najai Hines, both top-50 prospects per USA TODAY’s transfer portal rankings.

Mullins’ return gives him the opportunity to improve his draft stock ahead of being one of UConn’s top scoring options next season. His likely increase in name, image and likeness compensation could also potentially pay him more in college than an NBA contract, and skipping a draft class lauded as one of the best in recent years will likely result in a better draft position in 2027 anyway.

The former five-star recruit will be one of the most-recognizable players in college basketball next season with his return.

Braylon Mullins NBA mock draft projection

Mullins was projected as the No. 14 overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in USA TODAY’s latest mock draft.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braylon Mullins announces return to UConn for sophomore season

The Mile High City is abuzz on Saturday.

The Denver Nuggets kick off their first round playoff series against the Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Over at Mile High Stadium, 70,000+ tickets have been sold to welcome Lionel Messi to town, as the Colorado Rapids take on Inter Miami for a 30th anniversary celebration. Back at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers for the nightcap on a busy Denver sports day.

Hopefully the Rockies can bring some fireworks with them.

The Rockies have scored three or fewer runs in six of their last eight games. That’s only worked out for them once, in a 3-2 win against the Houston Astros on Thursday. They’ll need to find some offensive consistency to have a shot against L.A.

Standing in the way of that is Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA). In his last start, Sheehan made it through six innings on just 77 pitches, giving up four hits and two home runs along the way. He surrendered three runs, all at the hands of Brandon Nimmo (a solo home run in the first and a two-run homer in the top of the sixth).

Painting a more complete picture of Sheehan’s wins is a look at the scoring behind him. He’s gotten plenty of run support in the games he’s started, with L.A. averaging 8.64 runs across his starts. The Dodgers offense has been firing on all cylinders.

Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado, looking to prevent Los Angeles from inflicting the damage they did yesterday in their 13-hit, seven-run win. They hopped on the Rockies early, scoring in each inning from the first through the fifth. In his last outing, Feltner started sharp but fizzled out, posting two scoreless innings before giving up three runs in the third and three more in the fourth.

Sheehan vs. Feltner is the highest-ERA pitching matchup on the docket around the league today. It will be a battle of who blinks first. Or, maybe more accurately, who blinks the least.

These two teams are on vastly different trajectories in the NL West at the moment. Over the last 10, the Dodgers are 8-2, while the Rockies are 3-7. The juggernaut Dodgers are always a tough test, but the Rockies will need to steal one this series to stop the skid.

Could a slugfest at Coors be the setting to do just that? Or is the Rockies offense too flaky right now to bet on against the powerful Dodgers bats?

First Pitch: 6:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

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

SBN Site:True Blue LA 

Lineups:

Tonight’s #Dodgers lineup at Rockies: pic.twitter.com/904PcytcTO

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 18, 2026

Saturday squad 😎 pic.twitter.com/Y2LuzCgoW3

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 18, 2026

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The Los Angeles Lakers won’t be the only team missing a star in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

Hours before the series was set to begin Saturday, the Rockets ruled out Kevin Durant with a knee contusion. He had previously been listed as questionable for the game, with ESPN reporting the Rockets to be optimistic the injury, sustained in practice, wouldn’t impact the series.

Durant was previously seen going through pregame warm-ups, which apparently didn’t go well enough for him to give it a shot.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, “Hopefully it’s a one-game thing.”

With Durant out, the Rockets rolled out a starting lineup of Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie against Los Angeles.

The development somewhat evens the odds for the Lakers, who still have leading scorers Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out indefinitely with injuries. However, they still face long odds even with Durant out for a game, with the Oklahoma City Thunder likely waiting in the Western Conference semifinals.

Durant is in his first season with the 52-30 Rockets after a trade from the Phoenix Suns last season and led the team in scoring with 26 points per game. He will now have to wait at least one more game to notch his first playoff win since 2023.

The second-most expensive roster in MLB isn’t paying off so far this season.

With a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, the New York Mets’ losing streak reached 10 games and worsened their record to 7-14, tied for the worst mark in all of baseball. It is their first double-digit losing streak since 2004.

New York had some reason for hope entering the game, with top starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, acquired at significant expense via trade over the winter, taking the mound at Wrigley Field. The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off a Mark Vientos solo homer and then, well, the usual stuff happened.

Cubs outfielder Ian Happ tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a homer off Peralta, then Cubs catcher Carson Kelly continued a hot start to the season with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the sixth off Brooks Raley, who had inherited two baserunners from Peralta.

Peralta’s final line: 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Which isn’t horrific, but also not enough to overcome a day in which the Mets offense went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

The current state of the Mets offense is offensive underperformance across the board outside of catcher Francisco Alvarez. Francisco Lindor is slashing .214/.305/.321. High-priced addition Bo Bichette is slashing .227/.266/.295. Trade acquisition Marcus Semien is slashing .216/.280/.297. And Juan Soto has been out since April 4 with a calf strain.

Bichette said he didn’t have many answers while speaking with reporters after the game, via SNY:

“I don’t really wrap my mind around it. It’s tough right now,” Bo Bichette said of the team’s losing streak after the game. “If we knew the answer, we’d do it. But we’ll keep working to try and figure it out.”

Overall, the Mets are tied for dead last in runs scored through Saturday, with the worst on-base percentage in baseball. By comparison, their pitching has been merely mediocre, but nothing has been what you would want from a team with an estimated $370 million payroll this season.

Since July 28 of last year, New York is 28-49, which works out to a full-season pace of 59-103. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, whose seat is getting plenty hot right now, said he understood their fans’ emotions these days:

“I understand how they’re feeling. I’d be pissed too if I’m a fan. I’m pissed. They’re pissed.”

The good news for the Mets is that as much as their talent has so far underperformed, it’s still talent. They are just in the unenviable position of needing a complete reset after a month of play. They are also staring down the barrel of the club’s worst losing streak since 1980, when they lost 13 in a row. Their record for consecutive losses remains 17 in 1962, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

New York has one game remaining against the Cubs on Sunday, with David Peterson and Chicagos’ Javier Assad expected to pitch, before returning home for a series against the Minnesota Twins next week.

The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into Saturday night’s home game against the Atlanta Braves as losers of seven of their last nine games. The Phillies’ pitching staff has been struggling, and the team revealed hours before first pitch that it won’t have its closer for a while longer.

The Phillies announced that Jhoan Durán has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 15, with a left oblique strain. He hasn’t pitched since April 11, when he recorded a save in a 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Durán, whom Philadelphia acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline last year, has made seven appearances for the 8-11 Phillies this season, notching a save in each of his five opportunities.

The flame-throwing righty’s posted a 1-1 record so far with a 1.35 ERA, piling up eight strikeouts without issuing a walk in the 6 2/3 innings he’s pitched.

Durán’s spot on the roster will be taken by right-handed reliever Seth Johnson. The Phillies recalled him from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johnson has made one relief appearance for Philadelphia this season, and that was on Monday in a 13-7 win over the Chicago Cubs.

When the 27-year-old entered the game, the Phillies were ahead 12-2. He made it through the seventh inning unscathed before allowing five runs — three earned — in the eighth.

Johnson logged 10 appearances for the club last season, posting a 4.26 ERA.

The Phillies’ bullpen has been nipped by the injury bug so far this spring. Jonathan Bowlan and Zach Pop have also spent time on the IL.

Durán won’t be eligible to come off the IL until April 30. With him out, it’s possible Philadelphia looks to another right-hander in closing situations, Brad Keller. The Phillies signed Keller to a two-year deal in free agency this past offseason. He served as the Cubs’ closer late last season, collecting a trio of saves.

Keller has a 4.70 ERA through 7 2/3 innings of work this season.

Regardless whom the Phillies pick to fill Durán’s void, their bats will have to come to life in his absence. Philadelphia’s offense, which has been shut out three times in this forgettable nine-game stretch, has also been lacking the juice it was expected to bring in 2026.

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets were flustered and out of sorts early in their playoff opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

But the Nuggets weathered an early storm to secure a 116-105 win, taking an early 1-0 series advantage against what is now a familiar playoff foe.

The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves in the first round of the 2023 playoffs en route to winning the NBA championship. The Timberwolves then spoiled the Nuggets’ quest for a repeat in a dramatic seven-game game series in the second round of the following postseason.

Nuggets recover after early struggles

Through one quarter Saturday, Nikola Jokić had as many turnovers (three) as points. Rudy Gobert and Minnesota’s defense flustered the Nuggets and their three-time MVP center, limiting Denver to 27.3% shooting and forcing six turnovers en route to a 33-23 lead.

Aaron Gordon picked up his third foul on offense late in the quarter and went to the bench, leaving the Nuggets without a key to the NBA’s most efficient offense.

But the Nuggets weathered the early storm after six days off. Spencer Jones, who was a game-time decision after missing the last six games of the regular season with a hamstring strain, gave the Nuggets a boost off the bench with five straight points, including a 3. Jamal Murray was perfect at the line in 11 first-half attempts. And Denver’s offense found its rhythm from the field, particularly from 3. By halftime, the Nuggets were shooting 44.7% from the field and 47.4% (9 of 19) from 3.

Murray had 17 points at halftime while Cameron Johnson (4 of 7, 2 of 5 from 3) was Denver’s most reliable weapon from the field.

Jokić, Gordon step up after halftime

The Nuggets made a concerted effort to get Jokić involved early in the third quarter. He attacked Gobert on the first possession of the half and got a layup off his own miss. Three possessions later, he pump-faked Gobert from the top of the key and drove past him for an uncontested layup.

Gordon, meanwhile, was off his foul-induced minutes restriction and became the aggressor in the third quarter. He hit a 3 to extend Denver’s lead to 75-68 midway through the period. He then scored a put-back dunk to cap 14-0 run and send the Denver crowd into a frenzy.

The dunk extended Denver’s lead to 82-68, and the Nuggets were in control. They took a 91-79 lead into the fourth quarter.

Minnesota ensured that the Nuggets didn’t run away with the win. The Timberwolves cut their deficit to 97-95 midway through the fourth quarter. But Jokić’ reeled off a personal 5-0 run, including an and-1 layup past Gobert to help the Nuggets again persevere.

Denver maintained control from there despite shooting 1 of 17 from 3 after halftime. But the Nuggets did go 30 of 33 at the line, with Murray hitting all 16 of his free-throw attempts while shooting 0 of 8 from 3.

Jokić tallied 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He finished with five turnovers after committing four in the first half. Murray led the Nuggets with 30 points and 7 assists, and Gordon posted 17 points and 8 rebounds after scoring 5 in the first half.

Anthony Edwards looks fine after being listed as questionable

Anthony Edwards’ status for the Timberwolves wasn’t certain until game-time. He was initially listed as questionable with a lingering knee injury that sidelined him late in the regular season.

He wasn’t efficient from the field while tallying 22 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists on 7 of 19 shooting. But he was aggressive and didn’t appear to have any limitations. How he continues to play on his ailing knee will be key to Minnesota’s hopes of tying the series in Game 2 Monday night.

— Jason Owens

Raptors-Cavaliers takeaways

The last time the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA playoffs was 2018, and the history between them is about as lopsided as it gets. Cleveland holds a 12-2 all-time playoff record against Toronto, winning all three previous series, including back-to-back sweeps in 2017 and 2018. The Raptors came in having swept the regular-season series 3-0, with a legitimate case that this playoff matchup would be different.

Game 1 didn’t offer much evidence of that. Cleveland won 126-113, taking an early series lead over Toronto. Here’s what decided it.

Cavs owned the paint

The Cavs were brilliant at all three levels, but it was their dominance near the rim that created the biggest advantage in Saturday’s victory. Cleveland scored 48 points in the paint, generating high-percentage attempts off James Harden’s pick-and-roll operation and Donovan Mitchell’s unrelenting drives. Toronto, meanwhile, managed 30 points in the paint — a workable number in isolation, but a losing number when the team on the other side is getting to the rim that freely. The Raptors’ first dunk as a team didn’t come until Scottie Barnes converted one midway through the fourth quarter, by which point the game was effectively over. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Raptors in rebounding, signaling a major issue if they want to keep up in this series. Jakob Poeltl was a no-show (4 points, 6 rebounds) for Toronto, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 27 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 9-for-13 from the paint. Brandon Ingram was elite in the mid-range in the first half, but when Cleveland is getting that many clean looks at the rim while you’re settling for contested mid-range attempts, you’re playing into their hands.

The third quarter opened it up. The bench finished it

Cleveland outscored the Raptors 36-22 in the frame and pushed the lead to 21 entering the fourth. Mitchell scored 9 of his 30 points in the period. Then Max Strus got loose. He scored 8 of his 22 points (8-10 FG, 4-6 3PM) in the third quarter, providing a game-changing momentum boost in the third. And that’s where the game started to separate itself. Cleveland’s depth was far too much for Toronto. Both squads went deep into their rotations — the Cavs went with 10, while the Raptors ran 9. However, the Cavaliers’ bench outscored the Raptors’ 36-20 before garbage time, led by Strus. Cleveland was one of six teams in the league this season to utilize 40-plus lineups, and while rotations typically tighten in the playoffs, its depth is a genuine weapon rather than a byproduct of regular-season experimentation. The Cavs’ plug-and-play scheme could prove to be a leverage point in this series, especially with Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley injured.

Now what

For Toronto: The 18 turnovers are the most urgent and fixable issue. Cleveland turned them into 22 points, which alone made up the final margin. Ball security in Game 2 is non-negotiable. Toronto led the league in fast-break points this season, but managed just one on Saturday. To have a chance, the Raptors must push the pace before Cleveland sets its defense and weaponizes transition to neutralize Mobley and Allen without fouling. The 3-point shooting was there (48% on 27 attempts), proving the offense can click when the ball moves. They need Quickley back healthy to run at full speed and more from their bigs. Toronto showed real fight in the first half. Its path back in the series is clear: make better decisions, play faster, and get more production from the frontcourt. Ingram needs to step up. After a strong first half, he scored 4 points (0-1 FG, 4-4 FT) in the second half. Inexcusable.

For Cleveland: Keep pounding the paint. There’s no reason to change that approach. Harden set the tone early and having six Cavs score in double figures with Mitchell going for his usual 30-piece is Cleveland at its best. Its depth allows it to match any Toronto lineup. If the Cavs keep Toronto a jump-shooting team rather than one that feeds off defense and transition, this could be a quick series.

— Dan Titus