The Miami Heat’s quest to come out of the NBA Play-In Tournament may have just become a lot more difficult.

Early in the second quarter, Heat captain Bam Adebayo was shaken up when he took a hard fall on the court. He’s questionable to return with a lower back injury, per the Heat.

During the play, Adebayo was trying to save a ball from going out of bounds when Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball took Adebayo’s foot out from under him. Adebayo lost his balance and then fell on his backside, landing on his tailbone. Adebayo fell without the ability to brace himself. He remained down in discomfort for a minute or so, but eventually walked off.

He got up on his under his own power, though he walked gingerly into the locker room for observation.

Bam Adebayo falls hard and walks gingerly to the locker room after LaMelo Ball grabs his foot while in mid-air, swinging it (with replays) pic.twitter.com/bI3gC13xKk

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 15, 2026

With his ability to guard every position on the floor, Adebayo is Miami’s anchor on defense. A three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defense selection, Adebayo averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 73 appearances.

On March 10, Adebayo scored the second-most points in a single game in NBA history, when he dropped 83 on the Washington Wizards.

This story will be updated

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bam Adebayo injury update after LaMelo Ball tie-up in Heat-Hornets

Things got heated early in Tuesday’s play-in game between the Heat and Charlotte Hornets after a hard fall to the court by Miami’s Bam Adebayo.

Adebayo grabbed a rebound after a LaMelo Ball layup was blocked. 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.

He 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.

No foul on LaMelo, no review of play

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, meanwhile, was heated on the Miami bench. 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 that the play wasn’t eligible to be reviewed because it wasn’t immediately stopped, and there was a change of possession.

The Hornets led, 30-26 at the time of Adebayo’s injury early in the second quarter. He didn’t return in the first half, and the Heat went into halftime with a 54-52 lead.

He remained out of the game for the start of the third quarter, but the Heat had not ruled him out. Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the second-half start in his place.

A three-time All-Star and a force on both sides of the court, Adebayo is the best big in the game and gives Miami an edge inside when he’s on the court. Adebayo had 6 points and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes at the time of his injury.

This story will be updated.

Things got heated early in Tuesday’s play-in game between the Heat and Charlotte Hornets after a hard fall to the court by Miami’s Bam Adebayo.

Adebayo grabbed a rebound after a LaMelo Ball layup was blocked. 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.

He 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.

No foul on LaMelo, no review of play

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, meanwhile, was heated on the Miami bench. 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 that the play wasn’t eligible to be reviewed because it wasn’t immediately stopped, and there was a change of possession.

The Hornets led, 30-26 at the time of Adebayo’s injury early in the second quarter. He didn’t return in the first half, and the Heat went into halftime with a 54-52 lead.

He remained out of the game for the start of the third quarter, but the Heat had not ruled him out. Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the second-half start in his place.

A three-time All-Star and a force on both sides of the court, Adebayo is the best big in the game and gives Miami an edge inside when he’s on the court. Adebayo had 6 points and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes at the time of his injury.

This story will be updated.

The Mets are dealing with another potential IL situation on their roster.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked why he decided to go with Mark Vientos over Jared Young at first base, and the skipper revealed that Young is dealing with a knee injury. 

“Jared is dealing with some left knee discomfort. Happened Sunday after the game,” Mendoza said. “Didn’t get better yesterday, so we have to see what we’re dealing with here.

When asked if an IL stint is possible, Mendoza said it was but that they have to wait and see the results from imaging they had done on Tuesday. 

“Yea we have to see what we’re dealing with and see what we got,” Mendoza said of a potential IL stint for Young. “Have to check in to see if he’s available today. And then we’ll go from there.”

Young has appeared in 11 games so far this season, mostly off the bench, but has been effective in his handful of starts. This year, he’s 7-for-20 with two doubles, two RBI with a .391 OBP. 

In Young’s last game, Sunday against the Athletics, he went 1-for-2.

The Mets are dealing with a few injuries on their roster. Of course, Juan Soto is on the IL and they just placed reliever Joey Gerber on the IL with a blister. Jorge Polanco is dealing with Achilles tendinitis and has been in and out of the lineup — and unable to play first base. 

The injuries are a part of the Mets’ early-season struggles, along with their lack of offense. Mendoza has changed his lineup a bit in recent games to try and get a spark from his bats.

For Tuesday’s game, Mendoza moved Vientos down in the lineup and explained that he just liked Francisco Alvarez‘s at-bats right now. 

“Just continue to move guys around and continue to get guys going,” Mendoza said. 

One aspect of the lineup he won’t change, for the time being, is moving Francisco Lindor out of the leadoff spot. 

“Not at this point,” Mendoza said of the proposition. “He’s too good of a hitter. I haven’t considered that.” 

After a hot stretch, Vientos is just 2-for-24 over his last seven games. Lindor’s slump has been season long. The shortstop is slashing .176 with an OBP of .291 and has not recorded an RBI yet. 

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe made his first rehab start on Tuesday night, playing for Double-A Somerset and it was a bit of a mixed bag.

Volpe finished the game going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, but he was going up against one of the best pitchers in the league, Zack Wheeler.

The Phillies ace was making a rehab start of his own, and the right-hander struck Volpe out swinging on three pitches. In Volpe’s second at-bat, he put up more of a fight. Volpe worked the count full and fouled off a couple of pitches before Wheeler finally got the young infielder to strike out swinging on a nasty sweeper. 

In the field, Volpe made every play hit to him at shortstop. Rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, Volpe is showing no effects of the injury that hampered his offensive and defensive performance in 2025. He was eventually pulled after five innings. 

Volpe had his worst statistical season last year, batting .212 with 19 home runs and a career-low .272 OBP. He also had a career-high 19 errors in the field.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Volpe will play about three to five innings in his first couple of starts before building him up. The Yankees skipper said that Volpe has had more than 50 live at-bats in the Yankees complex in Tampa and has put in a lot of work at shortstop, so he considers Volpe ahead of where players are at when spring training begins. 

Anthony Volpe fields his first chance in his first rehab appearance for Somerset pic.twitter.com/mi70G9ozE7

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 14, 2026

Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. was also playing in Somerset on Tuesday and started at third base to pair with Volpe. Lombard was a victim of a Wheeler strikeout in the first inning, going down in six pitches. But the second at-bat, he launched a 3-1 pitch deep to right-center field, but the ball died at the wall and was caught for the first out of the fourth inning.

Lombard has had a hot start to his Double-A season. He entered Tuesday’s game hitting .464 with five doubles, two home runs and four RBI in seven games.

NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.

The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft , Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here’s how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward’s draft night will play out.

Our draft order is based on ESPN’s projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.

Jayden Quaintance 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 17 overall, Charlotte Hornets (via Suns)

Kalbrosky’s Analysis:

Jayden Quaintance recorded just one start during his sophomore campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL, meniscus and fractured knee. The big man is still one of the youngest players in this class, but he has shown flashes during his time at Arizona State and Kentucky. When healthy, he is arguably the most talented defender in this draft class and could help a team that desperately needs frontcourt help, like the Hornets. But health may cause some concern for evaluators.

See USA TODAY’s full mock draft 10.0 here

Jayden Quaintance player profile

(all stats as of April 8)

• Position: Forward
• Current Team: Kentucky
• 5 points per game
• 5 rebounds per game
• 0.5 assists per game
• 57.1 field goal percentage
• 0.0 three-point field goal percentage

Charlotte Hornets 2026 projected draft picks

• No. 14 and No. 17 (via PHX)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayden Quaintance NBA mock draft projection: Where Kentucky star is expected to land after March Madness

NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.

The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, Baylor’s Cameron Carr is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here’s how USA TODAY currently projects the Guard’s draft night will play out.

Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.

Cameron Carr 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 27 overall, Boston Celtics

Kalbrosky’s Analysis:

One of the players who improved his draft stock the most this season was Baylor junior Cameron Carr. The All-Big 12 wing brings athleticism and shooting and, per Bart Torvik, he was the only player to make at least 40 field goals that were dunks and more than 60 field goals that were 3-pointers this season. Baylor outscored opponents by an additional 28.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor relative to when he was not, via CBB Analytics, which ranked as the fourth-most of any high-major player in the NCAA.

See USA TODAY’s full mock draft 10.0 here

Cameron Carr player profile

(all stats as of April 8)

• Position: Guard
• Current Team: Baylor
• 19.2 points per game
• 5.5 rebounds per game
• 2.7 assists per game
• 51.0 field goal percentage
• 39.4 three-point field goal percentage

Boston Celtics 2026 projected draft picks

• No. 27 and No. 40 (via MIL)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cameron Carr NBA mock draft projection: Where Baylor star is expected to land

NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.

The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, Washington’s Hannes Steinbach  is expected to go in the first round after declaring his intention to turn pro on Tuesday. Here’s how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward’s draft night will play out.

Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.

Hannes Steinbach 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 19 overall, San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)

Kalbrosky’s Analysis:

German big man Hannes Steinbach is a name worth watching in the 2026 NBA Draft. While his team missed the tournament, the All-Big Ten post is an instinctive rebounder with great hands, including an absurd 24 rebounds against USC on March 4. Additionally, the center is one of the more prolific pick-and-roll finishers in college basketball. He shined during the FIBA U19 World Cup, too, and scouts love that he is a smart basketball player who can make great reads. Steinbach could make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama. 

See USA TODAY’s full mock draft 10.0 here

Hannes Steinbach player profile

(all stats as of April 8)

• Position: Forward
• Current Team: Washington
• 18.5 points per game
• 11.8 rebounds per game
• 1.6 assists per game
• 57.7 field goal percentage
• 34.0 three-point field goal percentage

San Antonio Spurs 2026 projected draft picks

• No. 19 (via ATL), No. 35 (via UTA), No. 42 (via POR) and No. 44 (via MIA)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hannes Steinbach NBA mock draft projection: Where Washington star is expected to land after March Madness

The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14, which means we’re only a few days away from the playoffs. While many fans might expect a predictable postseason, with the usual suspects like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

But the NBA Playoffs are no strangers to surprises. Just last year, we saw the Indiana Pacers reach the finals as a 5-seed, nearly taking down the heavily favored Thunder for the title. No one expected that. We’ve seen mutliple play-in teams reach their conference championships as well. Even the 2023 Miami Heat reached the finals despite entering the postseason as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed.

That is to say that the NBA playoffs aren’t as predictable as they may seem. That’s why several experts have different opinions on what will happen. Here’s a quick breakdown of numerous predictions from around the internet:

NBA Playoff predictions

Zach Kram, ESPN: Spurs defeat Thunder, win Finals

Kram writes, “Oklahoma City and San Antonio could spark a decade-long rivalry this spring, after the Spurs beat the reigning champs in four out of five meetings this season. Oklahoma City has crucial playoff experience and the best clutch scorer in the NBA on its side. But San Antonio presents real matchup problems for the champs because of its athleticism, guard play and game-changing force at center.”

He continues, “It’s possible that Wembanyama can’t handle many more minutes because of his aggressive style of play. He looked noticeably fatigued when he reached 40 minutes in San Antonio’s thrilling overtime loss in Denver this month. But Wembanyama doesn’t need to play 40 minutes at altitude every game in the playoffs, and he successfully exceeded 35 minutes 10 times this season. In those games, he averaged 30.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 blocks while making 44% of his 7.3 3-point attempts and 86% of his 9.6 free throw attempts. That’s not evidence of a consistent problem playing big minutes; if anything, it’s the opposite, and Wembanyama’s stats have been even better when he has increased his workload.”

He predicts the Spurs to win in six games, then take care of the Boston Celtics in six as well.

CBS Sports: 4 of 6 experts predict Celtics to emerge from the East

While the Western Conference is littered with different picks from CBS Sports’ panel of experts, the East doesn’t have as much variety, with two-thirds of their panel picking Boston to represent the conference in the Finals.

Funny enough though, only one of them has the Celtics winning it all. Jack Maloney is the the only person to predict a victory for the Eastern Conference, picking Boston to defeat the Thunder.

Maloney writes, “The Thunder would surely be favored in a Finals matchup against the Celtics, and could very well win. But Boston has defied the odds at every turn over the past seven months, and will cap a storybook season with an upset over the reigning champs.”

Avery Johnson: Thunder will defeat Celtics

Former NBA head coach Avery Johnson says that the Thunder remind him “of what [they] built in San Antonio.”

He also believes that whoever comes out of the Western Conference between the Spurs and Thunder should win the championship. He specifically predicts the Thunder to win in six games over Boston.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Playoffs predictions, picks for NBA Finals, 2026 championship