The NBA teams with the worst records would no longer have the best chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft as part of a potential, dramatic draft lottery reform, longtime NBA writer Mark Stein and others have reported.

In an apparent effort to discourage tanking, the teams with the fourth-worst through 10th-worst records each would have the best chances at the No. 1 pick – 8.1% – according to Stein. Those teams would get three lottery balls each, per ESPN.

By contrast, the NBA teams with the three worst records each would have a 5.4% chance at the top pick, according to Stein, who reported teams with the 11th-worst through 14th-worst records also would have a 5.4% chance at the top pick. Those teams would get two lottery balls.

This year the bottom three teams – the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets – each will have a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick, and the odds drop among lottery teams with better records.

The “3-2-1 lottery” reform proposal, which would expand the lottery to 16 teams from 14 teams, could be approved May 28, according to Stein. The lottery for this year’s draft takes place May 10, when the order of selection among 14 teams will be determined by a lottery machine and the random draw of numbered ping-pong balls.

The additional lottery teams would be those that lose the No. 7 vs. No. 8 Play-In game, according to Stein, who reported that each of those two teams will have a 2.7% shot at the No. 1 pick. They would each have one lottery ball.

Of course, the team with the worst record in the NBA has not been assured of the top pick since 1984. Last year, for example, the Dallas Mavericks had just the 11th-best lottery odds yet won the top pick. They drafted Cooper Flagg, who was named Rookie of the Year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Radical NBA draft lottery changes are on the table

Florim
Zendeli ranks as one of the more compelling under-30 talents on
the
Professional Fighters League roster.

The once-beaten Albanian prospect will take center stage when he
meets Logan
Storley in the
PFL Sioux Falls headliner on Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon
in South Dakota. Zendeli, 27, won the PFL Europe welterweight
tournament in 2024, then fought only once in 2025. He last competed
at PFL Champions Series 3, where he laid claim to a three-round
unanimous decision over Omar El
Dafrawy on Oct. 3. Zendeli returns to a PFL that now employs a
traditional ranking system instead of a tournament format. It
should be more conducive to upward mobility.

“The tournament was good because you have everybody who is going up
as they’re winning, so the two best fighters in the tournament are
fighting each other in the finale, but for me, the rankings system
is much better for my situation,” Zendeli told Sherdog.com. “I have
time for recovery, time to fight, and you get to see who is where
in the rankings, who they’re fighting; and it’s easier to plan, so
I like the rankings much more.”

Zendeli understands the reality of his current situation, as he
heads into enemy territory against an accomplished opponent.
Storley, a former interim Bellator
MMA champion, was born in Roslyn, South Dakota, some 165 miles
north of Sioux Falls.

“Look, for me, it’s fighting,” Zendeli said. “If I fight in my home
or the home of my opponent or any other city, it doesn’t matter. We
fight in the cage. The cage is my home. I have respect for all fans
of Logan Storley and also have respect for Logan Storley, but I am
just going in there for a fight. I’m going in there for a win.”

A world class
welterweight clash headlines PFL Sioux Falls: Tune in Saturday, May
2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The confrontation with Storley offers Zendeli a chance to test his
wrestling skills against a man who was a four-time NCAA
All-American at the University of Minnesota.

“Logan and I fighting is like one in the same,” he said. “He’s also
a wrestler with good striking, and me, too. I’m more of a wrestler.
I have a little bit better striking, but for me, it doesn’t matter
whether it’s striking or wrestling. I am ready for a fight. This is
MMA. I think I’m much better than him everywhere. Our wrestling is
going to be a good match because I come from a mountain. My
wrestling is not from college; it’s from a mountain. It’s going to
be a hard night for Logan. He’s going to see.”

This marks Zendeli’s first appearance in the United States, and as
he prepares to introduce himself to a new audience, he wants only
to be seen as a fighter who chases the biggest challenges.

“I come from a small city in Albania and when I was there, I didn’t
have a gym or anything,” he said. “I come here to the States just
for the high level of fighters and opponents, and I’d just like the
fans to respect me for that. I came from nothing to be in the
United States, to become world champion and to fight the high-level
guys.”

Chicago Cubs (17-12) at San Diego Padres (19-9), April 28, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Tuesday night at the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/mcA0evMufM

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 28, 2026

Night two.

Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/wX1sG8VADo

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 28, 2026

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The Athletics return home tonight after a successful 4-2 road trip through Seattle and Arlington, Texas that put them in first place over the Rangers by 1.5 games. Tonight, they are back home at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento to take on the Kansas City Royals, who currently sit in last place in the American League Central division with an 11-17 record.

Taking the mound for the A’s tonight is 30-year-old righty Aaron Civale. He is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts. He’s struck out 21 in 25.1 innings so far in 2026. Civale will go up against 28-year-old lefty Kris Bubic for the Royals. After an injury-shortened 2025 season, Bubic is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA this season. Bubic was selected to his first All-Star team last season before going down with a rotator cuff injury later in July.

Kris Bubic will face this lineup for the Athletics tonight:

Game 1 vs. KC 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Nwa2Os0Vs3

— Athletics (@Athletics) April 28, 2026

Civale will go up against this batting order for the Royals:

West Coast road trip starts tonight. pic.twitter.com/OLYJG9TtzO

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 28, 2026

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

NEW YORK — This is, for both the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, the most pivotal game of the season.

Granted, every postseason game is paramount, but Game 5s in the NBA playoffs when both teams enter tied at two games apiece are particularly crucial. Historically, the winner of Game 5s when tied at 2-2 go on to win the series 82% of the time.

For New York, it will come down to the plan on offense, and how coach Mike Brown deploys All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the latter of whom posted a 20-10-10 triple-double in Game 4 on Saturday, April 25.

The Hawks will need to play quickly and emphasize transition offense; through the first three quarters Saturday, Atlanta had failed to score a single fastbreak point.

Here are the live winners and losers from Game 5 between the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. Refresh frequently for live updates.

At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks are up 35-22.

RANKINGS: Biggest surprises so far in first round of NBA playoffs

WINNERS

New York’s early shotmaking

The Knicks made four of their first five shots and 8-of-12 to start the game. The Knicks are clearly intending on playing quickly and decisively, and that has made a big difference. New York shot 65% in the first quarter.

OG Anunoby’s rebounding

He has significantly improved his impact on the glass throughout the playoffs, and the first quarter was no different. Anunoby recorded a team-high 7 rebounds in the period.

Dyson Daniels

He hasn’t been as engaged on offense, and his shot selection has felt forced at times in the series, but the Hawks clearly wanted to get Daniels going early. He scored the first two Hawks buckets of the game. Because Daniels hasn’t been a threat, Atlanta’s offense has suffered at times. And because Brunson is guarding him, it’s a matchup the Hawks can exploit.

By the first media timeout, with 6:42 left to play, Daniels was already 3-of-3 with 6 of Atlanta’s 8 points. That matched his point totals from Games 2 and 4 and surpassed his total from Game 1 (4).

Mitchell Robinson

As he does sometimes, he has made an instant impact off the bench. Robinson first swiped a ball on defense that went off of CJ McCollum’s knee for a Hawks turnover. Seconds later, he slammed down a putback jam.

LOSERS

New York’s backscreen flex action

In Game 4, the Knicks repeatedly ran the same action to quite a bit of success. With Karl-Anthony Towns holding the ball at one of the wing spots, the Knicks then set a screen along the baseline to get a back cut. That was part of the reason why Towns dished 10 assists on Saturday.

On the first Knicks offensive possession, they tried the same thing. This time, Atlanta was ready for it and forced Brunson into a tougher shot. As a result, New York’s early offense has been heavily focused on iso actions.

Jonathan Kuminga gets in early foul trouble

He was a massive spark off the bench in Atlanta’s two wins in the series, and the Knicks have looked to attack Kuminga on defense. He was called for a pair of early fouls. He did, however, have a massive alley-oop dunk midway through the period but finished the first quarter 2-of-7 for 4 points.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawks vs Knicks live winners, losers from NBA playoffs Game 5 tonight

Kevin Durant won’t be with the Houston Rockets for Game 5. 

The Rockets ruled Durant out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his left ankle injury, which has kept him out for nearly all of the playoffs. 

Durant missed Game 1 of the series with the Lakers due to a knee injury, though he returned for Game 2. He scored 20 points in the first half of that contest, but was then limited to just three points in the second half as the Lakers rallied to grab the win. Durant then missed the next two games with his left sprained ankle and bone bruise. 

“I think the bone bruise is the worst part about it,” head coach Ime Udoka said before Game 4. “They did all the treatment and rehab and pushing the swelling out, but the pain from the bone bruise is the main thing and limited mobility.”

Durant has averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season, his first with the Rockets. The 37-year-old was dealt to Houston last summer in a massive deal, and then signed a two-year, $90 million extension.

The Lakers, after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the series, failed to complete the sweep on Sunday. The Rockets, thanks to 23 points from Amen Thompson led the entire second half in Game 4 to pick up a commanding 115-96 win to keep their series alive. But, of course, no team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied out of an 0-3 hole in the playoffs to win a series. 

The Lakers have again left the door open for Austin Reaves to return. Reaves, who is recovering from a left oblique strain, is officially questionable as of Tuesday night. He is “optimistic” that he’ll be able to play in the contest after missing the Lakers’ last five regular season games and the first four so far in the playoffs.

If the Lakers can close it out on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, they’ll officially secure their first trip out of the opening round of the playoffs since 2023.

Kevin Durant won’t be with the Houston Rockets for Game 5. 

The Rockets ruled Durant out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his left ankle injury, which has kept him out for nearly all of the playoffs. 

Durant missed Game 1 of the series with the Lakers due to a knee injury, though he returned for Game 2. He scored 20 points in the first half of that contest, but was then limited to just three points in the second half as the Lakers rallied to grab the win. Durant then missed the next two games with his left sprained ankle and bone bruise. 

“I think the bone bruise is the worst part about it,” head coach Ime Udoka said before Game 4. “They did all the treatment and rehab and pushing the swelling out, but the pain from the bone bruise is the main thing and limited mobility.”

Durant has averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season, his first with the Rockets. The 37-year-old was dealt to Houston last summer in a massive deal, and then signed a two-year, $90 million extension.

The Lakers, after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the series, failed to complete the sweep on Sunday. The Rockets, thanks to 23 points from Amen Thompson led the entire second half in Game 4 to pick up a commanding 115-96 win to keep their series alive. But, of course, no team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied out of an 0-3 hole in the playoffs to win a series. 

The Lakers have again left the door open for Austin Reaves to return. Reaves, who is recovering from a left oblique strain, is officially questionable as of Tuesday night. He is “optimistic” that he’ll be able to play in the contest after missing the Lakers’ last five regular season games and the first four so far in the playoffs.

If the Lakers can close it out on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, they’ll officially secure their first trip out of the opening round of the playoffs since 2023.

The Yankees got off to a strong start in the Lone Star State last night, dispatching the Rangers 4-2 behind a trio of home runs and another Max Fried quality start. Tonight, one of the league’s most precocious fireballers will face a living legend. Cam Schlittler takes aim at Jacob deGrom as the Bombers seek a series victory.

Schlittler’s last start was his long-awaited Massachusetts homecoming, and it did not disappoint. Cam barreled his way past a moribund Red Sox lineup and completed eight full innings, just like in last fall’s Wild Card finale. He’s continued to ace every test placed in front of him, and enters tonight’s action with a 1.77 ERA and MLB-leading 1.53 FIP. Most impressively of all, his occasionally-squirrely command from last year has been laser-focused: how does 41 strikeouts against four walks sound? Well, it computes to a 10.25 K/BB ratio, which also leads the Show. On a per-nine inning basis, he’s been the most walk-averse pitcher in the sport.

Will this regress? Probably. But Schlittler has continued to blow our expectations out of the water, one start at a time. Maybe this is just what he is now. It’ll help if he retains that pinpoint control against a Rangers lineup which has a plethora of patient hitters—Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager, Evan Carter, and others are all more than happy to take their walks.

Did you remember that Jacob deGrom started 30 games last season? I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t. That’s no knock on the 37-year old, who returned to form in 2025 with an All-Star season, his first since moving down to DFW. Five starts in, he’s proving he’s still got it, with a 2.13 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.

deGrom doesn’t go deep into ballgames with much regularity anymore; the Rangers remain cautious about his pitch count. That didn’t stop him from racking up 10 K’s against the Pirates his last time out. It’s unfortunate that Giancarlo Stanton was just placed on the IL, since he has a .333 career average with four home runs against deGrom in his career.

No notes on the Bombers lineup tonight: It’s identical to last night’s starting nine, with the recently-recalled Jasson Domínguez getting another start at DH. His Triple-A teammate Max Schuemann—a 2024-25 big leaguer with the A’s—is also up with the Yankees now as the corresponding roster move with Stanton on the shelf. On to Skip Schumaker’s crew. The Rangers have penciled veteran Joc Pederson, who hit a pinch-hit homer off Camilo Doval last night, into their card, and longtime AL East foe Danny Jansen will catch in lieu of old friend Kyle Higashioka. One former Yankee prospect dealt in the Joey Gallo trade subs in for another: Josh Smith replaces Ezequiel Duran at the keystone.

How to Watch:

Location: Globe Life Field — Arlington, TX

First Pitch: 8:05 pm EDT

TV broadcast: Amazon Prime Video (NYY) | Rangers Sports Network (TEX)

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 105.3 The Fan, KFLC 1270 (TEX)

Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Tuesday in Texas. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/eIury5c8l2

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 28, 2026

Game 2 vs the Yanks. #AllForTXpic.twitter.com/amzPG6imHL

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 28, 2026

The top men’s college basketball recruit has made his decision.

Forward Tyran Stokes committed to Kansas, he announced on “Inside the NBA” on Tuesday, April 28 in a major get for Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

It’s been a major sweepstakes as programs awaited to see where Stokes would choose to play college ball, as he was the last major prospect yet to announce his decision. He is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country per 247Sports and ESPN. The Seattle-native chose Kansas over other contenders in Kentucky, Oregon, Louisville and Southern California.

The newest Jayhawk is also a contender to be the top overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Breaking: Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the SC Next 100 Class of 2026, has committed to Kansas, he announced on Inside the NBA. pic.twitter.com/tPjZWdLYPo

— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2026

At 6-7 and 230 pounds, Stokes has displayed elite skills on both sides of the ball to make him one of the top high school players in the country. He has the ability to handle to ball on the perimeter while also dominating near the bucket, all while maintaining a stout defensive game with the ability to create steals.

In his senior season at Rainier Beach (Seattle), he averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals per game while leading his team to a state title. He also had one game where he scored 63 points.

What Tyran Stokes means for Kansas

By choosing the Jayhawks, Self also secures another talented recruiting class that includes two five-star prospects in Stokes and guard Taylen Kinney, and brings a major boost to Lawrence after concerns about the future.

There was speculation Self could retire after Kansas was eliminated in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the fourth straight season the Jayhawks failed to advance to the Sweet 16. However, he decide to return for his 24th season, and he gets another top recruit in the process after last season’s team featured Darryn Peterson, who declared for the NBA draft..

Peterson was one of several players that have left Kansas, which includes Flory Bidunga, Melvin Council Jr. and Bryson Tiller.

Stokes gives Kansas a chance to improve its March fortune, trying to compete for another national championship since winning it all in 2022. In addition to Stokes and Kinney, other recruits include four-star rated players in center Davion Adkins, forward Trent Perry and guard Luke Barnett. Kansas also got additions in the transfer portal in Keanu Dawes (Utah), Christian Reeves (Charleston) and Leroy Blyden Jr. (Toledo).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyran Stokes commits to Kansas basketball, Bill Self: What it means