Brandon Miller #24 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during an NBA basketball game against the LA Clippers, Monday January 12, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif.There are two spots remaining in the NBA Playoffs bracket to be decided Friday night, as the play-in tournament comes to a close.The respective top seeds of each conference, the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder, await their first round opponents, as tonights slate opens with the Orlando Magic hosting the Charlotte Hornets.Orlando has come up flat in the two biggest games of its season.In the final game of the regular season, the Magic lost to a Boston Celtics team sitting their starters in a game that wouldve sealed the No. 7 heading into the play-in, which would have resulted in them hosting the Philadelphia 76ers instead of going on the road.They then got a major break in playing the 76ers without MVP center Joel Embiid, but still fell short, resulting in a do-or-die situation against the Hornets, who escaped an overtime thriller with the Miami Heat to keep their season alive.In the West, the Golden State Warriors shocked the Los Angeles Clippers, and are now just one game from making the playoffs despite finishing several games under .500.Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have had a tremendous season, defying expectations by finishing 17 games over their preseason win total.They will look to avoid disaster against the Warriors on Friday night, as a loss would make the Suns the first seventh seed to ever miss the playoffs since the inception of the play-in tournament.To exit the NBA Play-In Tournament a winner, here are tonights TST Best Bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.First Pick: Charlotte Hornets -3 over Orlando MagicRundown: It speaks volumes to the disappointment of the Magics close to the season that the fledgling Hornets are road favorites in a postseason do-or-die matchup.However, Charlotte is flatly the better team in this matchup.The Hornets rank second in the NBA in net rating since the All-Star break, and demonstrated their depth against the Heat on Tuesday.LaMelo Ball, despite his overtime game-winner, shot 2-for-16 from three, which is good for the most missed threes in a game in NBA postseason history. Charlottes Rookie of the Year hopeful Kon Knueppel was non-existent in the Hornets biggest game of the year, and was benched down the stretch by head coach Charles Lee.Despite the odds, Charlotte pulled out the win, which is something Orlando has seemed incapable of heading into Friday.Orlandos recent stretch has almost guaranteed significant offseason changes to its core, and its disappointing season should come to a close against the red-hot Hornets.Second Pick: Phoenix Suns -3 over Golden State WarriorsLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) battles for position with Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks (3) during an NBA game on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.Darwin Walker - The Sporting TribuneLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) battles for position with Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks (3) during an NBA game on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.Rundown: We saw shades of the dynastic Warriors on Wednesday, with Steph Curry hitting clutch three after clutch three down the stretch and Draymond Green making key defensive stops on Kawhi Leonard to seal the victory.However, it is hard for the Warriors turning back the clock to erase the fact that the Suns finished eight games ahead of them in the regular season.Phoenix has boasted the ninth ranked defense in the NBA this season, and its offense has been powered by Devin Booker, whose 26 points and six assists per game have helped the Suns overcome their lack of offensive creators.While the Warriors were perfectly equipped to guard the Clippers by putting Green on Leonard, their answer in guarding Booker is much less obvious.The slight point spread despite the massive difference in these teams regular seasons creates a massive opportunity to back Phoenix on Friday night.

Ravens wideout Zay Flowers says "heavy" practices under former coach John Harbaugh were the reason Baltimore "had a lot of injuries" last season.

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Real Madrid were slapped with a 20,000 fine for a delayed kick-off during their recent quarterfinal tie with Bayern Munich. The disciplinary move comes as Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have been hit with a formal UEFA warning following a similar breach against Sporting CP in the Champions League last week. Real Madrid hit with fine following Bayern clash Madrids Champions League campaign has ended on a sour note after the governing body imposed a financial penalty on the Spanish giants. While Los Blancos were eliminated following a dramatic 6-4 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich, the administrative fallout has only just begun. UEFA confirmed that the 15-time winners have been fined 20,000 for a delay in the start of their first-leg encounter at the Bernabeu, according to Mundo Deportivo. The sanction is part of a wider crackdown by UEFA match delegates on procedural delays that disrupt the strict timing of high-profile broadcast matches. Arteta receives formal warning Arsenal and manager Arteta found themselves in a similar predicament but managed to escape a direct financial hit. The Gunners have instead been issued a formal warning for a delayed kick-off during their narrow aggregate victory over Sporting. The disciplinary report states that the north London club must tighten their pre-match protocols to ensure teams are ready to begin on the referee's whistle. For Arteta, the warning serves as a notice that any further infractions during the upcoming semifinal against Atletico Madrid could lead to significant fines or touchline bans. Gunners prepare for Atltico test The focus for Arteta now shifts to the semifinal stage, where Arsenal are aiming to reach their first Champions League final since 2006. Having navigated a tense quarterfinal, the current leaders of the Premier League will be wary of any further administrative distractions that could hinder their progress. The Londoners are currently in the midst of a defining run of fixtures, including a pivotal domestic showdown with Manchester City this weekend. With the squad already managing the fitness of key players, Arteta will be desperate for a smooth lead-up to their historic meeting with Diego Simeones side.

New Zealand's fast bowlers were clinical in high humidity in a 26-run victory against Bangladesh in the opening game of the three-match ODI series on Friday.

LeBron and KD are going head-to-head in the playoffs for the fifth time in their Hall of Fame careers

A former Clemson football standout is on the move in the NFL.The Atlanta Falcons are trading former Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive tackle Maason Smith, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday.Orhorhoro was the Falcons' second-round pick at No. 35 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent parts of five seasons with the Tigers from 2019-2023, playing in 53 games and making 30 starts. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound tackle from Lagos, Nigeria, had 88 total tackles, 25.5 TFL and 12 sacks in his collegiate career. He started all 12 games his senior season at Clemson in 2023, making 25 tackles (eight for loss) with five sacks and one pass breakup.Last season, Orhorhoro played in all 17 games for Atlanta and made 25 tackles (12 solo) to go with 3.5 sacks. The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after finishing 8-9 for the second consecutive season.Orhorhoro will join a Jaguars team anchored by former Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who threw for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns after returning from an injury shortened 2024 season. Lawrence led the Jaguars to the AFC South division title and a 13-4 regular season finish. Jacksonville lost to the Buffalo Bills, 27-24, in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.Sources: the Falcons are trading DT Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jaguars in exchange for DT Maason Smith. pic.twitter.com/SVKnpeBPJx Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 17, 2026Contact us@Clemson_Wireon X, and like our page onFacebookfor ongoing coverage ofClemson Tigersnews and notes, plus opinions.This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football former star swaps NFL teams in trade

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