The 2025-26 NBA regular season has reached an exciting conclusion, with playoff and play-in tournament positioning coming down to the final Sunday.
The Detroit Pistons closed with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Boston Celtics had an impressive regular season — most of which was played without Jayson Tatum as he recovered from an Achilles injury suffered in last year’s postseason — and finished with the second seed in the East.
Oklahoma City Thunder are the top seed in the West for the second straight season, two games ahead of Victor Wembanyama’s hard-charging San Antonio Spurs.
The Eastern Conference play-in tournament includes the surprise Charlotte Hornets, while the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry find themselves as the No. 10 seed in the West.
Here are the odds for every NBA play-in game and the playoff series that we know so far.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. This piece will be updated as more odds are released.
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 New York Knicks (-300) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (+240)
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (-700) vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors (+500)
Play-in games
No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5, 220.5)
No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. TBD
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (-2500) vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers (10-1)
The NBA is reviewing LaMelo Ball’s trip of Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo to determine whether it merits upgrading to a potential flagrant foul and additional punishment. The decision is expected ahead of the Charlotte Hornets’ Friday play-in game, NBA TV’s Chris Haynes reported.
Adebayo left the game with a back injury early from the fall and did not return in the Hornets’ 127-126 OT victory over the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra complained after the game that Ball should have been ejected for the “dangerous” play.
Adebayo grabbed a rebound after a LaMelo Ball layup was blocked early in the second quarter. As Adebayo landed near the baseline, Ball, on the ground, grabbed the back of Adebayo’s left ankle while Adebayo’s right leg was in the air.
Adebayo fell hard to the court and was in immediate pain.
Replay of LaMelo Ball grabbing Bam Adebayo’s ankle before Bam Adebayo landed on his tailbone pic.twitter.com/KVv1rkjxm2
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 15, 2026
Adebayo needed help up from the court and eventually walked to the locker room. The Heat listed him as questionable to return with a lower back injury before ruling him out late in the third quarter. The Heat went on to lose 127-126 in overtime with Ball scoring the winning basket with 4.7 seconds left.
No foul on LaMelo, no review of play
Spoelstra was heated on the Miami bench after Adebayo’s fall. Officials didn’t call a foul on Ball, and Spoelstra’s pleas to review the play for a potential flagrant foul went unheeded.
Referee Zach Zarba told the Amazon Prime broadcast the play wasn’t eligible to be reviewed because it wasn’t immediately stopped and there was a change of possession.
Spoelstra was still upset after the game and said Ball should have been ejected.
“I don’t think it’s cute,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. He should be penalized for that. …I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys.”
Erik Spoelstra on LaMelo Ball’s dirty play on Bam:
“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that. He… pic.twitter.com/7pbCWPnUv8
Spoelstra thought the officiating crew should have seen the foul and not put the onus on the game being stopped for a review.
Official “Curtis [Blair] was there,” Spoelstra said. “It’s his responsibility to see that. And if it’s not his responsibility, then Zach [Zarba]’s got to see it. Somebody’s got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. There’s no place in the game for that. But that did not deter us.”
The Hornets led 30-26 at the time of Adebayo’s injury early in the second quarter. The Heat maintained their composure and went into halftime with a 54-52 lead.
Adebayo remained out of the game for the start of the third quarter, but the Heat had not yet ruled him out. Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the second-half start in his place, and Miami eventually ruled him out in the final minutes of the third.
A three-time All-Star and a force on both sides of the court, Adebayo was the best big in the game and gave Miami an edge inside when he was on the court. They were at a significant disadvantage without him.
Adebayo posted six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes before leaving the game.
The Hornets will play the loser of Wednesday’s Orlando Magic-Philadelphia 76ers game to determine who will be the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said this year’s draft class grades out similarly to recent years in terms of overall numbers, but noted Baltimore sees stronger positional depth in areas that align with its roster needs, particularly along the offensive line.
DeCosta also pointed to where the Ravens believe value can be found throughout the draft, including later rounds where the team holds multiple selections.
“So, the draft is probably similar in numbers to last year. As I just look at it clinically, the numbers is probably, I would say, maybe a little less than last year. I think where we have the – if there is an advantage to this year for us is we’re picking higher in each round. But I think numbers-wise, we have just under 200 players that we have ranked as draftable players for us. That doesn’t mean there aren’t more players, but for us, about 200, I think it’s 197 that we have as draftable players for us. Now that would mean that if the board came off exactly the same way as we have it, then we’d have to go outside that range to finish our draft because there’s over 250 picks in the draft. But, we think it’s a solid draft. First-round-wise, there’s definitely a drop off probably midway through the round in terms of talent, but looking at the overall numbers and the players that we think have a chance to be starters in this draft, probably similar to the last couple of years, I would say. I do think that there’s some really intriguing guys. For us, we’ve got four fifth-round picks, and we’ve challenged the coaches and scouts, I think, to hit on some of those players, which would be really good. [With] the offensive line question, I think it’s a deep board, and you have guys kind of throughout first round, second round, all the way through [with] players that we think would be of good value in the sixth and seventh rounds that hopefully could fall to us. So, that’s a nice thing. That’s a nice position for us to be in last year. I don’t think that the offensive line board was probably quite as robust, but it’s very cyclical. And you see from year to year how the board changes. Some years you have some positions that are really, really strong and maybe the next couple of years, not quite as strong. This year seems to be pretty good, I think, on the offensive line [and with] interior offensive linemen – we see some centers in the draft; I’m sure people are interested in that, but I think there’ll be many opportunities for us along the way.”
“We have just under 200 players that we have ranked as draftable players.”
For Baltimore, the emphasis remains on depth and flexibility, particularly along the offensive line, where DeCosta suggested the Ravens expect viable options to be available across multiple rounds.
Ronda Rousey was at her very best during her time in the spotlight at the Palladium Times Square in New York, transforming the MVP MMA press conference into a war declaration on Kayla Harrison and the UFC.
Despite being away from the octagon for almost a decade, Rousey remains atop the biggest names in women’s mixed martial arts. The less-than-impressive end to her career didn’t stifle her career status, with many fighters still referencing the 39-year-old, both positively and negatively.
One of those who has sided against Ronda Rousey is fellow judo practitioner Kayla Harrison. The pair have traded shots at each opportunity they get, but none come close to the destructive speech Rousey gave while attending the Most Valuable Promotions presser this week.
“Gina [Carano] is so relevant that she’s the whole reason that the 145-pound division even exists,” Rousey said, defending her upcoming opponent against Harrison’s comments. “And I am so relevant that the only reason she has a job at the UFC is because of me. And Kayla is so irrelevant that she couldn’t even keep the 145-pound division around.”
“And honestly, she’s just sour because no matter what she does or what she accomplishes, she can’t change the fact that she has the charisma of a wet towel, and will always be in me and Gina’s shadow. So, the next time she wants to talk sh*t, she should look down at her feet and consider who paved the road that she’s walking on. Oh, wait, she can’t look down at her feet because she’s too busy holding on to the belt in a neck brace.”
Rousey’s attack became more personal. The martial arts icon-turned-pro wrestler recalled a less fortunate time for Harrison, in which she was forced to help pay for her groceries.
“Then she goes on and says that I lied about training in judo in Canada in like 2006,” Rousey stated. “Like, who the f*** are you to call me a liar? Okay. I was training there for five months. Bit**, you weren’t even there. Over the last decade and a half of being a public figure, I have cultivated a reputation for being unabashedly truthful. This bit** just got here and was already caught in a lie.”
“What did she say after she won the belt? She said, ‘Oh, I’m never going to say anything bad about Ronda. She took care of me when I was broke in Japan and bought me groceries.’ How about you shut the f*** up and eat your groceries.”
Aiming once again at the UFC and Hunter Campbell, Ronda Rousey went on to discredit the company’s credibility.
The rumored Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes clash is being billed as the biggest women’s fight of all time, but Rousey stole the show as she not-so-politely disagreed with that sentiment.
“Her and Hunter [are] trying to act like her next upcoming fight is the biggest women’s fight of all time,” Rousey continued. “Then why is it being booked as a co-main for a men’s interim title fight? The bit** isn’t even bigger than Paddy ‘The Baddy’. No offense to Paddy. I think he’s got more potential than anybody in the UFC, and he should call me when his contract runs out.”
“Here’s another contradiction that I think is a f***ing kicker. If she thinks that her fight is the biggest women’s fight of all time, why is she getting paid less now than I was 10 years ago? So, riddle me this, bit**: are you overvalued or are you underpaid?”
“And what really pisses me off more than anything else, yeah, I’m not f***ing done, is how small she thinks. This is not just the biggest women’s fight of all time. This is the biggest MMA fight of all time. It’s going to get the most views on the biggest platform on a card with the biggest stars. And it was all assembled by and will be headlined by two women who dare to dream big. And this dream is going to bring more opportunities and greater revenue share to fighters than they’ve ever had before because this fight is bigger than just me and Gina, and it’s bigger than anybody on this stage. It represents an unstoppable force of change in this industry, spearheaded by the fighters themselves. Bet your f***ing asses it’s the biggest MMA fight of all time, bar none.”
“He ran again today,” Mendoza said of Soto. “He took live at-bats at Citi Field. We brought some pitchers from Brooklyn. He came out well.”
Mendoza was asked if Soto will rejoin the team in Chicago, but the manager quickly said he wouldn’t. However, the goal is to have Soto be with the team when the Mets return to Citi Field.
“Not sure when, but at some point in the next homestand, we’ll get him back,” Mendoza said.
After the Mets’ three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago, they have an off day on Monday before hosting the Twins for a three-game set on Tuesday.
Soto has missed significant time since injuring his calf back on April 3. Mendoza said that the team will continue to monitor Soto’s progress before he undergoes more imaging to make sure everything is healed. The Mets skipper added that the next step for Soto is to increase the intensity of his running, in particular, going side to side, and starting and stopping.
Before his injury, Soto was having a strong start to the 2026 season. He was 11-for-31 with one home run, two doubles and five RBI across his first eight games.
Carlos Mendoza says that the goal is for Juan Soto to return at some point on the next homestand pic.twitter.com/eAcTayphaw
Polanco is dealing with Achilles bursitis and he has his good and bad days. After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts yesterday, Polanco is not in the starting lineup.
“Just one of those days where yesterday he felt it a lot more,” Mendoza explained. “Trying to take advantage of tomorrow’s off day. We’ll go from there. Have to check back on him to see if there’s any type of availability for today’s game.”
Polanco has been in and out of the lineup for weeks now, and has been used strictly as a DH. Mendoza was asked whether they will consider placing the veteran on the IL and he revealed a decision is likely coming soon.
“Still on the table. Not going to lie,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see where we’re at after today, after tomorrow’s off day. By the time we get to Chicago, if we decide to go that right, pretty sure we will.”
Polanco has played in 14 games, and is 10-for-56 with one home run, three doubles and two RBI.
Decision to call up Melendez
The Mets placedJared Young on the IL on Wednesday and called up outfielder MJ Melendez.
Melendez is in Wednesday’s lineup and Mendoza was asked why they chose to bring Melendez up from the minors instead of Ronny Mauricio.
“The versatility piece. Lefty bat,” Mendoza explained. “Talking about with Mauricio, we want him to play. I’m pretty sure it’ll continue to be fluid, but right now, we felt Melendez was the right way to go.”
The Mets will look at the other depth pieces to step up in the absence of Young, who has provided a strong left-handed presence off the bench — and would sometimes start.
Mendoza also admitted that Brett Baty will see more time with Young on the IL.
“Especially when we’re facing righties. We’ll stock up on as many lefties as possible,” Mendoza said. “We’ll go from there. We’re going to need all of these guys.”
Baty is 12-for-55 with seven RBI in 15 games, while playing all over the diamond, including outfield.
“He ran again today,” Mendoza said of Soto. “He took live at-bats at Citi Field. We brought some pitchers from Brooklyn. He came out well.”
Mendoza was asked if Soto will rejoin the team in Chicago, but the manager quickly said he wouldn’t. However, the goal is to have Soto be with the team when the Mets return to Citi Field.
“Not sure when, but at some point in the next homestand, we’ll get him back,” Mendoza said.
After the Mets’ three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago, they have an off day on Monday before hosting the Twins for a three-game set on Tuesday.
Soto has missed significant time since injuring his calf back on April 3. Mendoza said that the team will continue to monitor Soto’s progress before he undergoes more imaging to make sure everything is healed. The Mets skipper added that the next step for Soto is to increase the intensity of his running, in particular, going side to side, and starting and stopping.
Before his injury, Soto was having a strong start to the 2026 season. He was 11-for-31 with one home run, two doubles and five RBI across his first eight games.
Carlos Mendoza says that the goal is for Juan Soto to return at some point on the next homestand pic.twitter.com/eAcTayphaw
Polanco is dealing with Achilles bursitis and he has his good and bad days. After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts yesterday, Polanco is not in the starting lineup.
“Just one of those days where yesterday he felt it a lot more,” Mendoza explained. “Trying to take advantage of tomorrow’s off day. We’ll go from there. Have to check back on him to see if there’s any type of availability for today’s game.”
Polanco has been in and out of the lineup for weeks now, and has been used strictly as a DH. Mendoza was asked whether they will consider placing the veteran on the IL and he revealed a decision is likely coming soon.
“Still on the table. Not going to lie,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see where we’re at after today, after tomorrow’s off day. By the time we get to Chicago, if we decide to go that right, pretty sure we will.”
Polanco has played in 14 games, and is 10-for-56 with one home run, three doubles and two RBI.
Decision to call up Melendez
The Mets placedJared Young on the IL on Wednesday and called up outfielder MJ Melendez.
Melendez is in Wednesday’s lineup and Mendoza was asked why they chose to bring Melendez up from the minors instead of Ronny Mauricio.
“The versatility piece. Lefty bat,” Mendoza explained. “Talking about with Mauricio, we want him to play. I’m pretty sure it’ll continue to be fluid, but right now, we felt Melendez was the right way to go.”
The Mets will look at the other depth pieces to step up in the absence of Young, who has provided a strong left-handed presence off the bench — and would sometimes start.
Mendoza also admitted that Brett Baty will see more time with Young on the IL.
“Especially when we’re facing righties. We’ll stock up on as many lefties as possible,” Mendoza said. “We’ll go from there. We’re going to need all of these guys.”
Baty is 12-for-55 with seven RBI in 15 games, while playing all over the diamond, including outfield.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates flawlessly executed a pitching plan with an effective first inning from Mason Montgomery followed by six-shutout innings from Carmen Mlodzinski in a 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on Wednesday night.
Scoring Plays
Bottom 1st, 2-0 PIT: The Pirates (11-7) struck for two runs against Nats starter Jake Irvin (1-2). Marcell Ozuna plated Bryan Reynolds with a base hit to right field and Nick Gonzales legged out an infield single, which allowed Ryan O’Hearn to score from third base.
Key Moments
The two Pirates’ runs in the first inning came thanks to a two-out rally. After Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe struck out to start things off, five straight Pirates reached. The Nationals (8-10) were never able to answer.
Player of the Game
Carmen Mlodzinski (1-0) is the first Pirates reliever to pitch at least six-scoreless innings since Steve Cooke tossed seven-scoreless on Sep. 21, 1992 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s also the sixth Pirates reliever in the Expansion Era (since 1961) with six-plus scoreless innings and two or fewer hits allowed and the first since Bob Johnson in 1972.
Stat to Know
This was only the third time the Pirates have won at home on Jackie Robinson Day, which was first celebrated in 2004. The other two instances were from 2005-06 — both against the Chicago Cubs.
Notable Performances
Mason Montgomery: 1.0 inning, one hit, no runs, one strikeout, no walks, 11 pitches/nine strikes
Carmen Mlodzinski: 6.0 innings, two hits, no runs, two walks, five strikeouts, 81 pitches/55 strikes
Ryan O’Hearn: 3 for 4, one run
Bryan Reynolds: 0 for 1, three walks, one run
Noteworthy
Although it only lasted one inning, this was Mason Montgomery’s first start of his career. His last start as a professional came with Triple-A Durham on August 4, 2024 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Montgomery became the third Pirates pitcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to to pitch in relief one game and then start the team’s next game in back-to-back days. The others were Kevin Correia (Aug. 19-20, 2012) and Bruce Kison (June 2-3, 1967).
Bryan Reynolds drew three walks and extended his on-base streak to 14 games.
Dennis Santana recorded his second save of the season.
Up Next
The Pirates and Nationals will wrap up their four-game series on Thursday afternoon. RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.12 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh and LHP Foster Griffin (2-0, 1.76 ERA) will take the ball for Washington. First pitch: 6:40 p.m. on ET SportsNet Pittsburgh/100.1 FM & AM 1020.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2026 NFL draft.
As it stands right now the Green Bay Packers have a pair of seventh-round picks during the 2026 NFL Draft. A potential target with one of those picks could be Anterio Thompson. The Washington defensive tackle had a 30 visit with the Packers and checks in at No. 11 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A Wisconsin native, Thompson didn’t start playing football until his senior year of high school. He started his collegiate career at the JUCO level at Iowa Western Community College. He then transferred to Iowa for the 2023 season and logged 41 snaps on special teams and blocked two punts.
Following his lone season with the Hawkeyes, he transferred to Western Michigan for the 2024 season and recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and blocked another punt.
Thompson spent his final season at the University of Washington. During his lone season with the Huskies, Thompson recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
“Anterio was a huge piece for Washington against the run,” Roman Tomashoff, the editor for UWHuskiesWire, said. “His strength and athleticism in the middle of the defense helped the Huskies take a massive step forward in run defense, as they improved to No. 12 in the nation, allowing just 100.08 yards per game.”
Thompson is hard to dig out for one player. It usually takes multiple offensive linemen to move him off his spot. He uses a lower center of gravity to maintain proper leverage at the point of attack. He utilizes his first-step quickness to slither into gaps and disrupt run lanes. His motor is always running, and he has the lateral quickness and burst to chase down ball carriers.
“Thompson anchors very well,” Tomashoff said. “He plays with great upper body strength to help him shed blocks and redirect ball carriers, even if he wasn’t the one making the tackle.”
Thompson is still developing a pass rush plan, which isn’t surprising for a player as green as he is. Where he wins as a pass rusher is with his explosive first step (1.74 10-yard split) and ability to convert speed to power. Over the past two seasons, he recorded 33 pressures.
Anterio Thompson is a DT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.38 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 141 out of 2270 DT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/WCWmd02DIIpic.twitter.com/X6Was28HyA
“His pass rushing ability came on throughout the season, as his natural athleticism and improved technique shined through,” Tomashoff said. “He even discussed attempting to pursue an extra year of eligibility to continue refining his technique, so his pass rushing is still a little ways off, but he knows exactly where he needs to improve to take his next step.”
Fit with the Packers
The Packers signed veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency. Even with the addition of Hargrave, the Packers still need to add one or two defensive tackles in the upcoming draft.
Thompson’s production won’t wow anybody, and he’ll also turn 24 in October. Those two things could keep him from getting drafted.
However, he has active traits, and the flashes on tape are there. Flip on the Michigan game from this past season and you see a player capable of carving out a role in a rotation.
The Wisconsin native has a unique blend of quickness and power to at least peak teams’ interest late on Day 3. He has the strength to hold the point of attack and be a factor against the run. As a pass rusher, he has the tools to develop into a factor and it will be up to a team to help him develop a pass rush plan.
“He has all the physical tools to at the very least be a valuable special teams player, if not a rotational piece along the interior,” Tomashoff said. “He’s also spent a lot of time talking about the mental journey that he’s taken to become more coachable throughout his college career, and the strides he’s made in that department can’t be overlooked.”
With a pair of seventh-round picks at his disposal, Gutekunst could roll the dice on Thompson’s athleticism as he looks to find another Day 3 gem.
Munich, Germany – April 15: Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid Referee Slavko Vincic shows Eduardo Camavinga the yellow Card during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between FC Bayern München and Real Madrid CF at Football Arena Munich on April 15, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images) | DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Real Madrid bowed out of the Champions League and likely extended their trophy-less run to two seasons after a 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Here are three observations from the game:
The Camavinga problem
The second yellow may have been harsh. It may not have been. Everything around that is subject to opinion, no matter what the ratio is. However, as harsh or fair as it was, it still happened, and there is no one else to blame for it but Eduardo Camavinga himself, and the red card impacts him beyond the result in Germany.
Real Madrid looked good with 11 men. Before Camavinga had come on, Real Madrid’s build-up structure was good, and sometimes, they defended well — particularly in the second half, where Bayern really did not have much to do until Jamal Musiala came on.
There were problems, but they looked to have calmed those problems down as the second half went on. However, Camavinga’s substitution left Real Madrid in a system that left more holes in the middle of the park. Brahim’s work rate went missing, as did Fede Valverde’s presence in the pivot. The game opened up a bit for the Bavarians, and the red card was the final nail in Real Madrid’s white-painted coffin.
It was not a good idea to be wasting time by kicking the ball around while already on a yellow. These sorts of things can see a reaction from the referees, just to make it known to other players that they cannot do this, too. It did irreparable damage. There was so much space left for Michael Olise and co to operate in, and Real Madrid ultimately paid the price.
Camavinga’s personal position during the match was really complex, too. Off the back of a few disappointing performances, the Frenchman started the game on the bench despite Aurelien Tchouameni’s suspension for the clash. He would’ve hoped to then have a good performance, against Bayern Munich, no less, in the biggest game of the season, to shake off the cobwebs and convince the manager a bit more. This is not going to help his confidence.
These things matter at Real Madrid more than any other club, and rumors of Real Madrid being open to letting him go are only going to multiply.
Set-pieces…
Real Madrid conceded just one goal from a set-piece in the 4-2 loss on Wednesday night, but it was less about the goals that went in and more about the similar easy chances Bayern kept missing.
Dayot Upamecano and other Bayern players had chances to score a few more open goals from set-pieces — even through no complex sets and more simple runs, and Real Madrid had no answer for it. Andriy Lunin has never been a comforting presence in the box for crosses and set-pieces — in the 2023-24 season, that was pretty much his only drawback. However, even for him, it was a new low.
Bayern looked more and more threatening in each of the corner kicks and free-kicks they took. Despite having so many physical players that can jump high and win headers, Real are always toothless from a defensive sense.
Even against ‘smaller’ teams, Real Madrid almost always look close to conceding a corner or a free kick — at many points, they are saved by heroics from Thibaut Courtois. Lunin, with less dominance in the box during crosses, simply cannot deal with it the same way, which means the plan and set-up as a whole must be better.
On the other end, Los Blancos have been scoring more from set-pieces, but even then, it just looks nothing like a planned part of their game — unlike the likes of Bayern and especially Arsenal, who have made it a unique weapon to use in desperate times.
The positives
As difficult as the pill of the loss would be to swallow, Real Madrid did have some good moments, and some good performances. Ferland Mendy, who had the better of Michael Olise for as long as his limited match fitness could hold out for, showed the crowd once again why his inclusion in a Champions League knockout tie would never be a surprise.
He was not just defending against Olise well. Some of his off-ball runs into space to create attacking transitions, some through balls to the attackers, press-evasive passes, Mendy left it all out on the pitch. He was doing things that many fans had not seen from him in a long time, and it was a pleasant surprise.
Jude Bellingham had another brilliant showing, and this has potentially opened up a lot of avenues for Real Madrid going forward. Everyone knew he can play deeper in the midfield, but it was great to actually see it. Bellingham was sliding in for difficult challenges in the penalty area, dribbling past multiple bodies inside Real Madrid’s own half, creating chances in and around Bayern’s box, and was an energetic figure that showed just how well he can control the midfield if he is given the keys to the chain.
Bellingham plays extremely well going forward, particularly as a 10, but having him as a box-to-box presence that can control play and create from deep may just be the move that Real Madrid need. He showed that he is a versatile superstar who can turn games around, but it might be worth having him play this position again as it clearly worked well.
Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Ben Saraf was one of a few players on the Nets who had to adjust from playing internationally to playing in the NBA seemingly on the fly. Saraf has had some bumps along the road during his initial season in Brooklyn and he is looking forward to being a better player over the course of this offseason.
“I’m very excited for the offseason. I think it’s gonna be a huge summer for me. It’s time to work,” Saraf said after the Nets’ 136-101 loss at the Toronto Raptors on Apr. 12 to end the season. Saraf had one of his better games of the season as he finished the contest with 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists in 26 minutes on the floor.
“I think it’s been a tough season for all of us, but I’m proud of all the guys, all the players,” Saraf said when asked for his takeaway from this campaign. “Everybody were pretty positive. I hink we got 1% better every day. This is the goal we set up for ourselves. So, I think we reached our goals.”
Saraf, who turned 20 years old on Tuesday, averaged 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.6% from the field and 21.1% from behind the three-point line. While Saraf has his fair share of struggles over the course of this season, he finished the season on a strong note that should propel him into a beneficial summer.
In April, Saraf averaged 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 18.8% from three-point land in 31.1 minutes per contest. Saraf, the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, could be facing an important summer as well as he will have to show what he has improved on, starting with the Las Vegas Summer League in July.
