The Tampa Bay Lightning played as good of a hockey game as you can play in the playoffs. Yet unfortunately, they’re going home regardless.
On Sunday, the Lightning lost Game 7 of their first round playoff matchup against the Montreal Canadiens in a wild turn of fortune. Despite outshooting the Canadiens 29-9, the Lightning lost 2-1 after Alex Newhook gave Montreal the late third period lead on an incredibly bizarre sequence of events.
With less than nine minutes to play, the Canadiens were set up in the Lightning end on one of their only major moments of extended pressure in the attacking zone. Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson shot a puck that went high off the glass, landing behind Andrei Vasilevskiy’s cage. Newhook was in the right position at the right time to take the bounce off the ice and backhand it off of Vasilevskiy and into the net for the lead.
It’s a truly stunning sequence of events that feels like a one-in-a-million chance that has to be seen to be believed.
The Lightning had the pressure on the Canadiens all game long, so to bow out of the playoffs on this kind of goal has to be excruciating. Not only that, the Lightning now have exited the playoffs without winning a round for four straight seasons since losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
It’s going to be a long summer for the folks in Tampa Bay after this one.
It’s going to happen. You can guarantee it. At some point in the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Round 2 series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the latter’s supersized fanbase will invade social media with slowed-down clips of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to prove one point.
Gilgeous-Alexander gets an unfair whistle. He foul-baits his opponents. He initiates contact. His nonstop flopping is a poison to the integrity of the sport. Blah. Blah. Blah. About every other NBA fanbase has voiced those same complaints to the ether over the years. It comes with the territory of basketball dominance.
That’s why Austin Reaves’ answer was a breath of fresh air. Also known to dive into the dark arts of generating contact to get to the free-throw line, the Lakers’ homegrown scorer refused to swing at the slow-pitch setup question about Gilgeous-Alexander’s free-throw numbers.
“I know that’s a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion. He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win,” Reaves said. “If it’s shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I shoot 20 free throws, I’d be happy. I don’t think there’s any bad intentions with trying to get to the line.”
Smart. While you could say Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension into being a 30-point scorer over the last four seasons can be tied to his free-throw numbers, the same can be said about every all-time bucket-getter. It’s the secret fourth level of scoring that every pseudo-NBA-All-Star hopes to unlock to become a perennial MVP candidate.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a measly 4.9 free-throw attempts in his first four seasons. In his next four seasons — when he graduated into NBA superstar status — that number jumped to 9.3 attempts. In a similar vein, Reaves went from a nice undrafted rookie to slowly climbing Los Angeles’ ladder. Becoming a 20-point scorer over the last two years, he’s averaged 5.9 free-throw attempts.
The Thunder will enter their Round 2 series against the Lakers as the overwhelming favorite. As they should. They dominated the rest of the league and look primed to go back-to-back. They’ve also had Los Angeles’ number this year, with four blowout wins this past regular season.
Whatever happens, it feels like both sides respect the other’s ability. At least for now. The Thunder won’t take the Lakers lightly after they won an NBA playoff series without Luka Doncic. And Los Angeles understands the magnitude of its upcoming challenge and how daunting the odds are against it.
Austin Reaves was asked about his and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to draw fouls.
“I know that’s a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion. He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win. If it’s shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I… pic.twitter.com/tbwaO2i6e4
The Brooklyn Nets have developed their teams through a number of strategies over the decades, and their front office has put together considerable success through the NBA draft. Many of the franchise’s best players have joined the Nets either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades made on that day.
Moreover, it is not only the star players who have been acquired by the Nets through the draft. Several prominent alumni have been selected by the team each offseason during this annual event, with certain colleges being more prominently represented than others. An analysis of the players from different schools reveals that both prestigious programs and smaller institutions have contributed top talent to the Nets’ roster over the years.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Nets out of
Frank Booker – guard
Draft year and position: seventh round (second pick, 140th overall), 1987 NBA Draft
Seasons at Bowling Green: four
Seasons played with Nets: did not make the team
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.
To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.
With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today’s article, we will continue with the seventh of 11 who wore the No. 13, wing alum Kirk Snyder. After ending his college career at Nevada, Snyder was picked up with the 16th overall selection of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.
The Los Angeles, California native played the first seasons of his pro career with Utah. He would also play for the (then) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (now, Pelicans) before he was dealt to the Houston Rockets in 2006. His stay with the team lasted until he was dealt to te Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008.
During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Snyder wore only jersey No. 13 and put up 3.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
May 3, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Fire forward Bridget Carleton (6) defends Los Angeles Sparks guard Jihyun Park (6) in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
PORTLAND, Ore. — Bridget Carleton has officially arrived in the Rose City, stepping into a role that feels like the ultimate culmination of a journey that began as a dominant collegiate star and evolved through years of professional grit.
Although she arrived later than her teammates due to finishing her season in Prague, Carleton remained tethered to the franchise’s inaugural steps. “The whole practice film was sent to us, so I was in Prague watching the whole thing in my off time,” Carleton said.
From Iowa State Legend to WNBA Resilience
Carleton’s arrival as a franchise cornerstone is particularly poignant given her history. She entered the professional ranks following a storied career at Iowa State University, where she was the first Cyclone women’s basketball player to named Big 12 Player of the Year (Ashley Joens won the award in 2023) and was the recipient of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award as the nation’s top small forward. Despite leaving Ames as the program’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,142 points, her transition to the WNBA was far from guaranteed.
Drafted 21st overall in the second round, Carleton faced immediate adversity when she was waived just one month into her rookie season in Connecticut. “I think it’s kind of surreal,” Carleton said reflecting on a path that saw her fight for roster spots in Minnesota before becoming a full-time starter.
“To be where I am today, I know younger me would not believe it and just – really proud of all the work I’ve put in, and I just love the game so much,” she added.
A Choice Based on Value
Her decision to sign with Portland was rooted in a desire to play where her contributions were not just useful, but essential. “I wanted to go somewhere where they wanted me, and Portland showed how much they wanted me here,” Carleton said, pointing to the fact that the team selected her first in the expansion draft. At nearly 29 years old, she views this transition as a definitive new chapter. “I’m ready just to take that next step… and show a little bit more of what I can do,” Carleton stated.
This belief is shared by General Manager Rana, who has publicly challenged her to reach an All-Star level—a goal the forward has fully embraced. “She sees that in me, and I see it in myself,” Carleton said.
The Analytical Approach and Chemistry
Carleton’s excitement is further fueled by the tactical vision of Head Coach Alex, whose system favors the fluid, “read-and-react” style she mastered while playing internationally. “It’s not a lot of X’s and O’s,” Carleton said. “It’s just reading, reacting, driving, cutting, shooting threes. It’s all things I like to do, and high IQ players do well in that system.”
In the whirlwind of a first-year franchise, Carleton has found an anchor in assistant coach Sylvia Fowles, a legend she spent four years playing alongside in Minnesota. “Seeing Syl’s face, it was like automatic comfort,” Carleton said., whom she has leaned on since 2019.
To bridge the gap of unfamiliarity among a new roster, Carleton is preaching a philosophy of radical transparency: “It just starts with communication, over-communicating even, because we don’t know each other as well yet.”
Reviving a Legacy
As she plays in her first game at the Moda Center on Sunday, Carleton is acutely aware that she is part of a larger movement to return professional women’s basketball to a city that has long championed the sport.
“My first time in Portland, but I know, especially for women’s sports, the Thorns do so well and draw such a great crowd,” Carleton said. “Really big fans of women’s sports here, so I’m excited that the W is back here, and we have a piece in that. So I’m really excited. I feel the excitement on social media a little bit, but I’m excited to see it and feel it in person.”
As the Fire have their second oreseason game Sunday, Carleton has a goal as “one of the best shooters in the league right now”: “I would like to be even better. So hopefully … All the three-pointers go in.”
ESPN has generally been very careful to cover the saga involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. But TNT Sports’ Inside the NBA production crew wasn’t afraid to go there in its first season with the Worldwide Leader.
After the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday, Inside the NBA followed on ESPN (the game was on ABC). At the end of the program, Inside the NBA aired its “Gone Fishing” segment, which mocks teams eliminated from the playoffs. The “Gone Fishing” graphics always show stars from the team that has been eliminated, and they frequently include notable figures from the sports and pop culture worlds relating to that team’s city.
Well, the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs in a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. And the Inside the NBA “Gone Fishing” graphic included Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Bill Simmons, John Krasinski, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting form… and Russini and Vrabel.
Usually, the Inside the NBA crew isn’t afraid to speak its mind. But Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson didn’t know what to do with this one.
“You guys are…” Barkley said, likely referring to the production crew that put the graphic together.
“Our buddy Bill Simmons is in there, John Krasinski, Mark Wahlberg,” Johnson said.
“Who are the two people at the front?” Smith said, surely trying to bait Barkley or Shaq into addressing it. “I don’t know them.”
“Stop it,” Barkley responded. “Stop it.”
“Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on there, Tatum and Brown,” Johnson continued. “That’s all I see on that boat. I don’t see anything else.”
The Montreal Canadiens played 60 minutes of the grittiest hockey imaginable.
Along the way, they scored two goals, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored one, and so that means the Habs are moving on.
It was Game 7 on Sunday night, and Montreal was 2-1 winners. They’ll play the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference semifinal starting on Wednesday.
That’s more than 100 years of NHL history that this had never been done.
Shoot, the Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than anyone. They’re right in the thick of lots of huge playoff moments. They had never done anything like this.
Even the goals were gritty. Nick Suzuki deflected a shot with a redirection into the net. And Alex Newhook banked one off the back of Andrei Vasilevsky from behind the goal.
These weren’t pretty plays. But on this night, they were winning plays.
The Cleveland Browns made their 2026 intentions clear in the NFL Draft, as the franchise’s first three selections were offensive players.
An offensive lineman and two receivers come to Todd Monken’s team, and one who is expected to be a big player straight away is KC Concepcion.
The first-round selection is expected to have a big role for whoever is the starting quarterback under Monken, but what can we expect from the big receiver?
Sports Illustrated’s Eva Geitheim has offered a projection, and Browns fans will like it. KC is projected to have 61 catches, 784 yards, and seven touchdowns.
“KC Concepcion should be an immediate contributor on a Browns’ offense that was lacking in weapons heading into this draft,” Geitheim wrote. “Concepcion will be competing for targets with Denzel Boston, who the Browns selected in the second round.”
Spencer Fano is slated to be a Day 1 starter, along with Concepcion and fellow receiver Denzel Boston.
In truth, all three are going to have big roles to play for Monken, and the trio could carry the offensive hopes for 2026.
Granted, that isn’t ideal, but the Browns need an injection of hope and optimism, and who knows, they might be able to kickstart this new era of Browns football.
If KC can match Geitheim’s projection and has over 700 yards and 7 TDs, that will be a good season from the rookie. Can he do it? There’s no reason why not.
The calendar flipping to May means it’s NCAA lacrosse time once again.
Every year brings something new but the usual suspects lead the way in the 2026 women’s tournament. North Carolina, Northwestern, Maryland or Boston College has won every title but one since 2005 (the exception being James Madison in 2018), and the first three teams also lead the pre-tournament rankings this time.
The Tar Heels defeated the Wildcats in last year’s final, but Northwestern handed UNC its only regular-season loss this year in an overtime thriller in Chapel Hill back in March. Are those two on a collision course once again or will another team break through?
Here’s everything you need to know to watch this year’s tournament.
NCAA women’s lacrosse bracket 2026
The bracket consists of 29 teams, with 15 automatic and 14 at-large selections. The top eight schools are seeded nationally and the top three receive first-round byes.
This section will be filled in as seeds are announced.
Where to watch NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament
TV channels: ESPNU (quarterfinals, semifinals), ESPN (championship)
The 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament will air on multiple ESPN platforms, including the quarterfinals and semifinals on ESPNU and the championship game on ESPN.
All of those games will also be available to stream via fubo, which offers a free trial. Fans can also stream those games and every first- and second-round game with the ESPN app.
Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the ESPN app.
Aleksander Čeferin, during his appearance at THE FORUM, the event promoted by Atlético de Madrid and Apollo Sports Capital, warned about the importance of unity and institutional responsibility regarding the future of European football.
During the event held at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, the president of UEFA asserted that all stakeholders, from clubs to leagues and unions like FIFPRO, must work as partners: “We are all associates, we are all partners. We live in the same ecosystem.” In this regard, he highlighted the positive attitude of leaders like Miguel Ángel Gil and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi in achieving common goals that will allow football to continue flourishing: “We have the same goal; we want football to flourish, to become better.”
On calendar saturation, Čeferin was emphatic in stating that the system has reached its capacity limit: “What I can say now is that we’re at the top. We can’t play any harder.” The leader pointed out that, although there are “selfish perspectives on the situation,” the solution will only come if the entire ecosystem unites: “I believe a decision is possible if the entire ecosystem comes together and we try to reach a solution.”
He also referred to the perception surrounding refereeing in professional football: “The club presidents don’t call me, but they do call other colleagues at UEFA. Nobody ever calls me to say that a penalty awarded to them wasn’t fair; it’s always the ones against them.” He added that UEFA is trying to “explain that the referee is the one who decides on the field and that the decisions must be very clear and quick.”
The UEFA president also highlighted the impact of social projects linked to football, emphasizing the work of the UEFA Foundation: “This is one of my greatest passions here, because we are truly doing some very good things.” He shared his visit to one of these projects: “I was in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, for example, where there are 80,000 refugees. And it’s striking to see the children who lost their parents in Syria, who have such a hard life. When they’re in the camp, they start to smile. They start to play, not just football; we also built basketball courts and funded judo.”
Finally, Čeferin emphasized the global dimension of these initiatives and their future projection: “Looking ahead, we have around 100 projects each year: 50% in Europe and 50% outside of Europe.”
THE FORUM is powered by Atlético de Madrid, Riyadh Air, and Apollo Sports Capital. More information at www.theforum.es.
