BOSTON (AP) — Brad Stevens didn’t know the Boston Celtics would find themselves among the NBA’s top teams in the last week of the regular season.

The Celtics president of basketball operations also never discounted the possibility before the season, despite every reason those outside of the team’s facility parroted about why it would be a bridge year following Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles tendon injury and the offseason departures of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.

Yet, the Celtics entered Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets two wins away from clinching the No. 2 seed in the East and as a legitimate NBA title contender.

That doesn’t mean Stevens is ready to make any predictions. Far from it. He’s content following the same one day at a time mantra that has driven him his entire basketball life, from the coaching sidelines and now in the front office.

“I feel the exact same as I did at the beginning, I really feel that way normally,” Stevens said. “When we get into the playoffs, it’ll be the same thing. It’s one game at a time. I don’t think in terms of the big picture as far as this individual team. I just think, I know that we can play.”

He’s also watched the remaining players that constitute his once-underestimated roster find individual new gears that have contributed to their collective success.

With Tatum out to start the season, Jaylen Brown seized on the opportunity to be the No. 1 option and leader, taking his game to new levels on the offensive and defensive end. It’s added up to him achieving career-high averages in points (28.7), rebounds (7.0) and assists (5.2).

It’s also gained him entry into a crowded MVP conversation. More than that, since Tatum’s return on March 6, Brown’s play has taken some of the pressure off Tatum as he’s worked his way back into form. The same is true for defensive stalwart Derrick White.

The result has been a successful return for Tatum, whose comfort and confidence have grown exponentially over the past month. He had scored 20 or more points in five straight games entering Tuesday.

“I’ve seen us rise and meet challenges and I know this team is looking forward to the next one,” Stevens said. “As you get into this time of the year and get into the playoffs, everything’s hard and the other teams are really good. See where it all stacks up, but I’m going to continue to not put a ceiling on us.”

As is his style, Stevens has stayed mostly in the background this season, with Tuesday marking his first comments with reporters since Tatum’s return. He said they never truly entertained the thought of Tatum returning this season until around the trade deadline.

“He was in a pretty good spot physically and from the standpoint of his strength,” Stevens said. “And then it’s just a matter of reconditioning and getting your confidence back in a lot of ways and playing and getting back on the court.”

What’s also been clear to Stevens is that he has a coach in Joe Mazzulla, who along with his staff, are putting this team in the best position to achieve. While Brown has been the biggest catalyst to how this team has overachieved, the improvement of players such as Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and rotation addition Baylor Scheierman has also helped.

Queta in particular went from a fourth-string center at one point earlier in his career to the starter this for the Celtics, one of the most improved players in the league and among its top performing big men.

It garnered Mazzulla high consideration for coach of the year honors, praise that he repeatedly eschewed while deferring his players and assistants.

Stevens, who surprisingly elevated him to the job after Ime Udoka was suspended, said Mazzulla is worthy of all the compliments he’s gotten.

“They all, players, coaches, and everybody else that are up for all these awards, whether they want them or not, they certainly all deserve it,” Stevens said.

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

Even with a blowout result, the 2026 NCAA women’s national championship drew impressive TV ratings on ABC. UCLA’s win over South Carolina became the third most-watched women’s title game ever, ESPN announced.

An average of 9.9 million viewers tuned in on Easter Sunday as UCLA dominated South Carolina to win its first-ever national title. That includes a peak audience of 10.7 million and marks a 15% increase, year-over-year. The game sits only behind the 2023 and 2024 national title games as the third most-watched on ESPN.

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The NCAA women’s national championship game capped a strong run through the Final Four. South Carolina’s victory over UConn, which notably drew headlines for the events in the postgame handshake line, averaged 5.4 million viewers on April 3. The nightcap between UCLA and Texas averaged 5.0 million viewers, as well.

On the whole, it was the second most-watched women’s Final Four on ESPN networks with 6.7 million viewers for the three games, the company said. It didn’t quite reach the Caitlin Clark-fueled heights of 2024 when the games averaged 13.8 million viewers, including 18.9 million for the national championship between Iowa and South Carolina, but it was still quite a way to wrap up the 2025-26 season.

The 2026 Final Four capped a strong run for women’s basketball this year. The NCAA Tournament capitalized on a regular-season viewership surge. TV ratings increased 19% from 2024-25, and ESPN networks had six of the Top 10 most-watched women’s basketball games of the year.

Of course, it’s important to note this was the first season since Nielsen introduced its Big Data + Panel metric, which has played a role in increased sports viewership. But ESPN’s increases likely are beyond the range for which Big Data would be the sole reason.

UCLA wins first national title

Gabriela Jaquez led UCLA with 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Bruins won their first-ever national championship. Lauren Betts also had had 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks as she became the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player.

UCLA went into halftime with a 36-23 lead over South Carolina, but took total control in the third quarter. The Bruins outscored the Gamecocks 25-9 after halftime and eventually went on to get the 79-51 victory.

“We knew we had the tools,” Jaquez said after the game. “It was just about staying focused and working hard every day to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Game two in Anaheim, can the Atlanta Braves shift the momentum to show the same team we’ve gotten glimpses of in the earlier series?’

I’ve always been told, if nothing changes… nothing changes. And changes have been made to the lineup to opt for an opportunity to snap this losing streak the team has found itself in. The Los Angeles Angels smell blood and another win to extend their streak to four games.

One thing is for sure… We’ll have something to talk about late tonight. Let’s hope it’s mostly positive.

First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Preview

Lineups

João Cancelo’s stock is rising. He started a bit slowly but he has adjusted to La Liga again after spending time in Saudi Arabia. The FC Barcelona full-back has filled in admirably as the Catalans have struggled with injuries to various defenders. Now, reports say Barcelona are happy to keep him past this season.

Now, the Portugese international has given a hint about his future. “In football, anything can happen. I’m going to keep working. I know what I want for next season, but I’m not going to say it. Right now, I’m going to fight for Barça; my future is irrelevant,” he declared. Cancelo stated that there was “always a chance” he would stay past this season but that at the moment he was a player on loan from Al-Hilal.

The defender hit back at critics who dismissed him during the early part of the season, acknowledging that “it was said that I was finished, that there were doubts.” Now, the situation is quite different. Cancelo has filled in well during injury absences to Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. Even with both back, he is sure to play a role and could even start in the pivotal clash against Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

During his first spell at Barcelona, Cancelo showed a notable amount of enthusiasm for the club despite his short stay. When Barcelona went searching for a center-back and couldn’t find a good deal, they instead opted for signing the Portugese full-back to give them more options to shuffle things at the back. Despite early pressure over a slow start, Cancelo’s loan signing has been a success.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) travel to Crypto.com Arena to face the Los Angeles Lakers (50-28) in a Tuesday night NBA matchup.

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Sitting comfortably atop the Western Conference with a nearly insurmountable lead over the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder are riding a 20-2 run over their last 22 games, with a five-game winning streak. Their last game was a laugher, a 146-111 thrashing of the Utah Jazz at home, where the Thunder took a 7-6 lead with 9:13 remaining in the first quarter, and never trailed again. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Chet Holmgren’s 21 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. 

After going on their own magical run (16-2), the Lakers have dropped two straight and will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the remainder of the regular season at a minimum. The Lakers’ last game was a 134-128 loss on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, despite racking up 36 assists on 47 field goals. Ultimately, the Lakers couldn’t contain star rookie Cooper Flagg, who scored 45 points with eight rebounds and nine assists.

This is a great NBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

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Game two in Anaheim, can the Atlanta Braves shift the momentum to show the same team we’ve gotten glimpses of in the earlier series?’

I’ve always been told, if nothing changes… nothing changes. And changes have been made to the lineup to opt for an opportunity to snap this losing streak the team has found itself in. The Los Angeles Angels smell blood and another win to extend their streak to four games.

One thing is for sure… We’ll have something to talk about late tonight. Let’s hope it’s mostly positive.

First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Preview

Lineups

Ravens select Mark Andrews replacement in latest mock draft originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Baltimore Ravens made the surprise decision to extend tight end Mark Andrews and allow the youthful Isaiah Likely to move on in free agency.

For most, Likely is the one who should have stayed, and Andrews the one out, but the Ravens clearly thought otherwise.

Now, with an aging tight end, the Ravens might have to look for Andrews’ replacement even though he signed an extension last season.

And for ESPN’s Peter Schrager, in his latest mock draft, he has the Ravens taking the best tight end in the draft with Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq.

“What better way to show Lamar Jackson and Ravens fans that the Baltimore offense isn’t going anywhere without offensive coordinator Todd Monken or former TE2 Isaiah Likely than by drafting a supreme talent like Sadiq?” Schrager wrote.  

“One of the stars of the combine, Sadiq ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time for a tight end since at least 2003. Mark Andrews is back in Baltimore, but he’s now in his 30s, and this offense likes having multiple impact players at the position.”

More:Chiefs’ mock draft selection nightmare scenario for AFC

Ravens get a dynamic weapon in Sadiq

The most athletic weapon in the passing game, Sadiq would give the Ravens a proper vertical threat downfield.

Seen by some as a big receiver, rather than a tight end, Sadiq could become a dangerous weapon for the Ravens.

Learning from Andrews for a season would be ideal for the young tight end, and if he becomes the type of player many are predicting, Baltimore might have just its next tight end for the next decade.

Yes, there are other areas of need, but if Sadiq is on the board, the Ravens might not be able to resist.

More NFL news:

• Chargers named landing spot for All-Pro WR
• Jaguars’ Liam Coen makes eyebrow-raising Trevor Lawrence comment fans will love
• Ravens urged to sign 3-time Pro Bowler for Jesse Minter
• Kirk Cousins has perfect mentality for Raiders chapter
• Analyst reveals best outcome for Eagles’ A.J. Brown amid trade rumors
• Bills urged to continue WR spending spree for Josh Allen with All-Pro weapon
• Kirk Cousins’ latest Raiders quote will scare AFC

Player Ratings: Real Madrid 1 – 2 Bayern Munich

Andriy Lunin: 6.5
Made five saves, but looked shaky when claiming crosses. His distribution needed to be better, and he couldn’t get a hand to Harry Kane’s goal.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7.5
A bizarre performance. His passing was generally woeful, and he completed only two of his 11 long-ball attempts. But he also produced an unbelievable assist for Mbappé in the second half.

Antonio Rüdiger: 6
Too chaotic defensively and struggled to track Bayern’s runners on set pieces.

Dean Huijsen: 7
A bit better than his center-back partner. He made a couple of crucial clearances and played with good verticality.

Álvaro Carreras: 3
Was tormented by Olise all night. A disastrous performance. He also lost control of the ball on Harry Kane’s goal.

Fede Valverde: 7
Showed great fight and drove the ball forward well in transition. He did, however, leave Upamecano completely free early on, and it nearly cost Real Madrid a goal.

Thiago Pitarch: 4.5
Struggled badly with Bayern’s intense pressure and nearly made a costly mistake by giving the ball away in front of Andriy Lunin.

Aurélien Tchouaméni: 6.5
A bit quiet, but still made some important challenges. His biggest issue was picking up a yellow card, which means he will miss the second leg.

Arda Güler: 8
Real Madrid’s best performer on the night. He was composed under pressure and repeatedly found the right pass in transition. Deserved an assist.

Kylian Mbappé: 7.5
Caused Bayern a lot of trouble with his off-ball runs. His teammates found him often enough, but he couldn’t take all of his chances. Still, he scored a crucial goal that could prove very important if Real Madrid mount a comeback in the second leg.

Vinícius Jr: 4
Gave the ball away dangerously four times, and two of those turnovers led to Bayern goals. He had seven shots, with only three on target.

Substitutes

Jude Bellingham: 7.5
An immediate upgrade over Thiago Pitarch. Bayern couldn’t cope with his ball-carrying and strength on the ball.

Brahim Díaz: 7
His first touch resulted in a bad pass, but he eventually found some rhythm and helped Real Madrid control possession.

Éder Militão: 7.5
Made a crucial defensive intervention late on. He looks ready to start in the second leg.