Joel Embiid made his return to the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday, April 26 after recovering from appendix surgery that kept him out of the first three games of the NBA playoffs and the Sixers’ lone game in the play-in tournament.

Embiid started for the 76ers in Game 4 and played the majority of the first half against the Boston Celtics. He led Philadelphia in scoring after two quarters, though the Boston dominated, leading 56-38 at the half.

The 76ers trail the Boston Celtics 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid has not been on the court since the 76ers’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs on April 6 during the regular season.

Joel Embiid SLAMS one home for his first FG in his return to action!

📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/p3STOmB5tl

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 26, 2026

Joel Embiid stats

(Stats after two quarters of play)

• Minutes: 18
• Points: 12
• Rebounds: 5
• Assists: 3
• FG: 3-for-10
• 3FG: 0-for-2
• FT: 6-for-8
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 2

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joel Embiid 76ers stats vs Celtics in Game 4 after appendix surgery

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked ugly once again as the Toronto Raptors tied their series 2-2.

Let’s go over today’s losers.

LOSER – The Core Four

Yep, all of ‘em.

Winning in the playoffs can often come down to having the best player on the floor. In the case of the Cavs, they have an argument for four of the five best players in the series. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen should all be capable of dominating a game against the Raptors.

So, when none of them show up to play, that’s a concern. There’s really no excuse for some of the poor performances we saw in both Games 3 and 4.

Harden and Mitchell were totally disrupted by Toronto’s defense. The backcourt combined for 11 turnovers in Game 4 as their team scored just 89 points. The decision-making was highly questionable, and they didn’t make up for any of it with their defense.

Mitchell was especially bad. He didn’t have any positive impact on either game played in Toronto. He’s been far too content watching the ball. And when he does fight to get open, he’s settling for jumpers more often than not. There needs to be a greater focus on applying rim pressure. Right now, that extra effort just isn’t there.

The bigs are, of course, impacted negatively by the backcourt’s playmaking. It’s harder to get Allen and Mobley rolling offensively when… well, you aren’t getting them the ball.

That said, the bigs didn’t do enough to assert themselves or create advantages through their screening. A more dominant presence on defense could have swung things. Mobley can not get by with scoring only 8 points in a pivotal playoff game. Not when the backcourt is being hounded as heavily as they are. There has to be a release valve, and Mobley is supposed to be the guy.

Allen wasn’t much better. Though I think he deserves credit for grabbing 15 rebounds and anchoring Cleveland’s defense. He was largely responsible for all of their best contests at the rim. That’s his job, obviously, but it’s worth noting that he did it.

Offense was the issue. Allen was unable to punish Toronto for going small. Whether it’s failing to get a deep seal in the post, rolling hard to the rim, or crashing the offensive glass for a putback opportunity. As is the theme, the Cavs needed more from their best players.

To call a spade a spade, this series will end with four straight losses if the core four continues to play the way they just did. It’s time to meet the moment, or be defined by another early playoff exit.

The Cardinals rotation has not performed particularly well. Individual games are quite good here and there, check out McGreevy’s line from his start today, but on the whole they are near the bottom of the league in many important pitching indicators.

We were joined by Benjamin Hochman of the Post-Dispatch to consider the rotation from an interesting angle. Given a “trust pie,” how would we divide the pie amongst the current starters for the Cardinals? This convo had it all: stats, vibes, insider info from Benjamin and, of course, pie!

Would certainly be curious to see how you all would divide your trust pie amongst the staff. I’ve put all the relevant links below, would be awesome if you could subscribe as you listen! We appreciate your time — and thanks for listening!

After sitting out Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Victor Wembanyama was back in prime form Sunday to lead the San Antonio Spurs in a Game 4 win. But all wasn’t well with Wembanyama after the game.

The superstar Spurs center was asked about his experience in concussion protocol in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. He was not pleased.

“The Spurs have done an amazing job,” Wembanyama told Andrews. “I’m very unhappy about the way the protocol has been handled by other parties. 

“My staff has been amazing. I’ve been really healthy starting on Day 1 after the injury. It was weird, though. It was funny.”

Wembanyama asked to follow up in postgame presser

And that was that — for his postgame interview, at least. Wembanyama didn’t elaborate on what bothered him, and Andrews steered the interview to another direction.

Wembanyama was asked again to elaborate during his postgame news conference. He again declared displeasure with the protocol process while making clear that he wasn’t upset with the Spurs.

“I won’t get into the details,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again after the end of the season.”

He then paused for a beat before continuing.

“Again, our doctors, especially on the Spurs, but the doctors all around. They were great. They took great care of me. But the way that the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs, again.”

Wembanyama’s mic appeared to cut out at that point, but he continued to elaborate without declaring exactly what about the process bothered him.

“I’m not saying that not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad. But the way the situation was handled, very disappointing.”

When asked, Wembanyama then declared that “I’m feeling great.”

So this appears to be a stay-tuned situation.

With the Spurs holding a 3-1 lead and a win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs, Wembanyama says he doesn’t want to create a distraction. He didn’t go into what precisely bothered him about his experience in the NBA’s concussion protocol and who he believes is to blame for what he’s displeased with — just that he’s happy with San Antonio’s medical staff.

But it sounds like he wants to talk. And he might have more to share once San Antonio’s season is done.

After sitting out Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Victor Wembanyama was back in prime form Sunday to lead the San Antonio Spurs in a Game 4 win. But all wasn’t well with Wembanyama after the game.

The superstar Spurs center was asked about his experience in concussion protocol in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. He was not pleased.

“The Spurs have done an amazing job,” Wembanyama told Andrews. “I’m very unhappy about the way the protocol has been handled by other parties. 

“My staff has been amazing. I’ve been really healthy starting on Day 1 after the injury. It was weird, though. It was funny.”

Wembanyama asked to follow up in postgame presser

And that was that — for his postgame interview, at least. Wembanyama didn’t elaborate on what bothered him, and Andrews steered the interview to another direction.

Wembanyama was asked again to elaborate during his postgame news conference. He again declared displeasure with the protocol process while making clear that he wasn’t upset with the Spurs.

“I won’t get into the details,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again after the end of the season.”

He then paused for a beat before continuing.

“Again, our doctors, especially on the Spurs, but the doctors all around. They were great. They took great care of me. But the way that the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs, again.”

Wembanyama’s mic appeared to cut out at that point, but he continued to elaborate without declaring exactly what about the process bothered him.

“I’m not saying that not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad. But the way the situation was handled, very disappointing.”

When asked, Wembanyama then declared that “I’m feeling great.”

So this appears to be a stay-tuned situation.

With the Spurs holding a 3-1 lead and a win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs, Wembanyama says he doesn’t want to create a distraction. He didn’t go into what precisely bothered him about his experience in the NBA’s concussion protocol and who he believes is to blame for what he’s displeased with — just that he’s happy with San Antonio’s medical staff.

But it sounds like he wants to talk. And he might have more to share once San Antonio’s season is done.

The Mets have designated veteran outfielder Tommy Pham for assignment, according to multiple reports.

The move came soon after New York lost both games of a doubleheader, managing just one run on 10 hits on Sunday as the Colorado Rockies completed a three-game sweep at Citi Field. Pham went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the first game, a 3-1 defeat.

A corresponding move had yet to be announced. New York is in the midst of a team-wide slump, and has scored one run or fewer in 10 of the first 28 games of the season, including both games Sunday.

The Mets signed Pham to a minor league deal in late March and called the 38-year-old up earlier this month. He appeared in nine games with the team and went hitless in 13 at-bats with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Pham first signed with the Mets in 2023, appearing in 73 games before he was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the trade deadline, slashing .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI. Pham has always hit left-handed pitchers well, posting a career .802 OPS with 49 home runs against lefties. 

Pham played for 10 teams during his 13 big league seasons. In 449 plate appearances over 120 games for Pittsburgh last season, Pham slashed .245/.330/.370 for a .700 OPS (94 OPS+) with 10 homers and 17 doubles.

With just two days between games, the NBA has promptly sorted through discipline stemming from the Denver Nuggets–Minnesota Timberwolvesaltercation, with no players drawing suspensions.

The NBA announced Sunday, April 26 that Nuggets All-Star center and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić has been fined $50,000, and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35,000, following a review of the incident.

NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones oversaw the league investigation and levied the fines.

Jokić’s fine was for initiating the altercation and shoving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and Randle’s is for escalating the event by “forcefully inserting himself into the scrum” and shoving Nuggets guard Bruce Brown.

The NBA conducts its investigations by reviewing footage from inside the arena and speaking to parties involved.

Although the NBA has rules for players drawing automatic suspensions for leaving the bench area during altercations, the league weighs the role those individuals play in any fight. That allowed players like Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who clearly left the bench area despite not being checked into the game, to avoid a suspension.

The fight started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, an eventual 112-96 Timberwolves victory Saturday, April 25, when the outcome was already decided. But the Timberwolves, looking to burn the clock, tossed the ball up to forward Jaden McDaniels. Rather than dribble it out for the end of the game, McDaniels put up an uncontested layup to push Minnesota’s lead to 16 points.

Jokić took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDaniels’ face and shoving him.

McDaniels grabbed Jokić by the jersey as the two got tangled up, leading to teammates and assistants getting in between the pair to break it up. The incident took place right in front of the Timberwolves’ bench.

NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHT

OH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026

Eventually, both players were separated, and both Jokić and Randle were ejected.

“Because he scored when everybody stopped playing,” Jokić said after the game when asked what upset him. “Come on, guys, you saw it, what happened.”

The Nuggets fell to a 3-1 series deficit with Saturday’s loss, though the victory didn’t come without some significant cost for the Timberwolves. Minnesota lost starting guard Donte DiVincenzo to a torn right Achilles tendon, and All-Star guard Anthony Edwards reportedly suffered a bone bruise and hyperextended knee that will sideline him for multiple weeks.

The altercation, though, somewhat marred what was a physical, hard-fought game, one in which backup Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu dropped a career-high 43 points.

“Obviously, I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game. “The game was over. The game was conceded both ways. In 2026 that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That stuff happened in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is. And so if that’s what they want to do, that’s what they want to do. It has nothing to do with the win or the loss.”

Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle disciplined after NBA playoff game fracas

[Editor’s note] Due to an incorrectly constructed Google form, I don’t know whose responses are who! So enjoy this game of “Guess the Snakepitter”! LOLExcept for Mak. Thanks for still putting your name, Mak.

So what did the disappointing series against the White Sox tell us?

Response 4: I think it says more about the Chicago White Sox than it does about the Arizona Diamondbacks. The White Sox aren’t the historically bad team that they’ve been the last couple seasons is the main take home here. As far as the Dbacks go, I think this roster is going to need a revamping. You have three position players in Ryan Waldschmidt, LuJames Groover, and Tommy Troy who almost certainly could contribute more than some of the other position players on the roster. There are several veteran relief arms and a few pitching prospects I think it would be a huge improvement over some of the arms currently in the bullpen.

Makakilo: The White Sox series showed excellent batting will often prevail over average pitching.

Response 2: That the bullpen weaknesses we all feared really are still there. But it also showed that this team is more resilient than last season’s. Also, Merrill Kelly is still rusty.

Response 1: That the pitching is still Arizona pitching. And the offense needs to be more consistent. It also told us that Murakami is far more likely to be a Dodger in 2027/2028 than we would’ve thought 2 months ago.

Perhaps more importantly, what did it not tell us?

Response 4: I don’t think it tells us how either team’s 2026 season will go. The White Sox could very well slip and finish with a losing record, and that applies to the Dbacks as well

Makakilo: The White Sox series did not tell us anything about the Diamondbacks chances to reach the playoffs.

Response 3: It still didn’t tell us what sort of pitching we actually do have and it also is still looking like the team is not firing on all cylinders on offense. So what we still don’t know is how this offense is going to fare moving forward. Would the real versions of roster members please stand up?

Response 1: That the season is over. We had a bad series. Ok. Get up, shake it off, move on. Bigger fish to fry.

What is our level of concern with Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson?

Response 4: They’ll both be fine. Not going to stress about a sub-4 ERA in Merrill Kelly’s case, and an ERA barely over 4 in Ryne Nelson case. Even Paul Skenes has had a bad start this year, so it happens, and I wont stress or worry about it until this becomes an extended trend.

Makakilo: I’m optimistic that the problem can be fixed. Perhaps it was the mix of pitches. For reasons that are unclear, in their two recent starts, Kelly and Nelson pitched a much higher than normal percentage of four-seam fastballs (MLB com and Baseball Savant). Before he left the game, Kelly had about half four-seam fastballs, when a quarter is his normal. In his first four batters, Nelson pitched 8 four-seam fastballs and one slider, when 60% is his normal.

Response 2: With Merrill Kelly, right now it is around 3-4 out of 10. He looked mostly decent but rusty in his season debut. Oddities galore muddied his second performance where rust and said oddities led to the game spiraling out of control. But he needs to start looking sharper moving forward or that concern is going to escalate quickly. With Ryne Nelson, it’s somewhere around a 7 out of 10. When he is on his game, he is getting the swings and misses. But it really seems like he isn’t trusting his defense to make plays and is trying to strike everyone out, which is leading to him getting swatted around. It really looks like he is grinding through a bit of a confidence problem all around. Those can snowball into nightmare seasons in a hurry and he is still learning to adapt to the Majors. I would be less concerned if he had another full season of decent performance under his belt. If he has another blow-up or two in his next two starts, it might be time to look at piggy-backing a tandem starter situation with Pfaadt on days when Nelson would be the starter.

Response 1: Medium for both. Nelson was supposed to be the next Mainstay. And the old Mainstay is old. I trust and believe in both. Trust the process (and keep an eye on Reno pitching lines).

The Diamondbacks are playing in Mexico as this is being written. What are your thoughts on MLB’s attempts to grow the sport beyond the US/CA borders?

Response 4: I think MLB needs to do a lot more like this to grow the sport. Mexico has been a market that could be tapped into much more, so having series there is a start. I’d like to see more regular season games hosted in WBC countries. What MLB really needs to do though is get games back on free, over-the-air television. Games being broadcast on local television is what got me into baseball for the long haul. New fans arent going to plunk down money on a sport they aren’t even sure they like! If over-the-air TV isnt an option, then my suggestion is for MLB to broadcast a game each day, rotating so every single team gets a couple games available for free with no blackouts each season. THAT would do more to grow the game than having games in random non-American/Canadian countries.

Makakilo: Baseball Reference shows this season there are 8 players in the Majors who were born in Mexico. With two players, the Blue Jays have more than any other team. Baseball shows what team cooperation and healthy competition can look like. The world would benefit if more countries followed the model of baseball.

Response 3: I love the motivation for the Mexico City series. I am getting sick and tired of such international exhibitions costing AZ home games. At the same time, it puts AZ out there more than other teams. I expect the balls to be flying at that altitude, which could get interesting.

Response 1: It’s fine. I wish there was more of this. I’m confused why it’s two games with days off on either side though. I thought the excuse for why international series were so difficult was jet lag, but the series takes place in US Central time zone so that doesn’t add up. Neither does travel time since it’s closer than NYC to Phoenix. As for there only being two games… idk I guess this is just MLB being MLB. Honestly I just hope we fare better than when MLS teams have to go down to play “tournament” matches in Mexico. They almost always seem to get sick. For a soccer team that’s a minor blip on the schedule. For a baseball team? Huge ramifications for end of season record.

Last time the Athletics played the Texas Rangers, the teams split a four-game series in Sacramento. This time, the A’s emerged victorious in a best-of-three battle in Arlington. The two runs they scored in the first inning proved sufficient to win a game in which they overcame an injury to their starter and a 1-for-13 performance with runners in scoring position.

Facing Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker, the A’s offense got going early. With two outs in the first inning, Rocker walked A’s left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and designated hitter Brent Rooker. Hot-hitting right fielder Carlos Cortes stepped up to the plate and promptly smoked his first triple of the season over the head of the Rangers center fielder Evan Carter, scoring those two runners to give his team an immediate 2-0 lead. That would be the first of three hits in this game for Cortes, who capped off an incredible week at the plate.

Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn only needed to throw six pitches in a scoreless, shutdown first inning. After giving up a leadoff single, he got Joc Pederson to ground into a double play before retiring the dangerous Corey Seager on a line out snagged nicely by first baseman Nick Kurtz.

In the second inning, A’s center-fielder Lawrence Butler came close to hitting a two-run home run. However, it went just foul near the foul pole and he ended up lining into an unlucky double play. Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, who hit the go-ahead home run last night, led off the home half of that inning with a double. Ginn escaped the jam unscathed, striking out Texas’ catcher Danny Jansen to strand Jung and another runner on base.

The next inning, the A’s somehow went scoreless despite the final three batters smoking the ball. Soderstrom crushed a two-out double to the right-center gap, but was left stranded when third baseman Jung made a nice play to field Rooker’s hard-hit grounder and then threw him out.

With Ginn through three scoreless, the A’s sought to give him more of a cushion. Cortes and shortstop Jacob Wilson led off the fourth with back-to-back singles. Rocker got out of the jam by retiring the next three A’s hitters. He got some help from his first baseman Jake Burger, who made a diving stop to rob Butler of a hit.

With one out in the fourth inning, Ginn left the game with right arm soreness, abruptly ending his outing and forcing the A’s to turn to their bullpen earlier than expected. Reliever Joel Kuhnel came out of the bullpen on short notice and got the final two outs of that inning.

The Athletics wasted another scoring opportunity in the fifth. Catcher Shea Langeliers was left at second base after hitting a double down the left field line. Despite all of the baserunners he allowed, Rocker only gave up those two first-inning runs over six innings of work.

The team was planning to skip left-hander Jacob Lopez’s next turn in the rotation as right-hander Aaron Civale is scheduled to start the first game of the home stand against the Kansas City Royals. So, in the wake of Ginn’s injury, Lopez entered this game out of the A’s bullpen in the fifth inning.

Making his first relief appearance of the season, Lopez pitched a scoreless first inning. The sixth inning did not go as well. Jung hit a lead-off double and then Lopez fielded Carter’s bunt, but threw wildly to first, allowing Carter to reach safely and Jung to score the Rangers first run.

Right-handed reliever Justin Sterner replaced the rattled Lopez and came up huge! He pulled a Houdini to escape a bases loaded, no outs jam, striking out two-straight Rangers before getting right fielder Brandon Nimmo to fly out to end the inning.

Seeking insurance runs, the A’s got a two-out rally going against Rangers left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander in the seventh on back-t0-back singles by Kurtz and Langeliers. Unfortunately, Soderstrom flew out to end the inning and stop another scoring opportunity.

Following scoreless innings from Hogan Harris and Jack Perkins to maintain the A’s advantage, the A’s loaded the bases in the ninth looking to extend their lead. In that inning, Kurtz was intentionally walked, overtaking Rickey Henderson for the most consecutive games drawing a walk in franchise history. Alas, Rooker struck out on three pitches to send it to the bottom of the ninth with the Athletics still clinging to their one-run lead.

Perkins finished off the Rangers in the ninth, setting them down in order to complete his second two-inning save of the road trip and lock up the series win for the first-place Athletics.

As a result of their win, the team gets to enjoy a happy flight home and an off day tomorrow before beginning a new series against the Royals. On Tuesday, Civale will look to pitch better than he did in his first Sacramento start during the A’s previous home stand. He will be opposed by left-hander Kris Bubic, who is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA through his first five starts this season.