The Houston Rockets will be without star Kevin Durant for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a right knee injury sustained at practice this week.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Chris Sale struck out seven in seven innings to outduel Cristopher Snchez in a matchup of two of baseball's best pitchers, and the Atlanta Braves took advantage of an error to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Saturday night.Mauricio Dubn had a pair of RBIs for the Braves, who have won four games in a row and eight of 10.Felix Reyes homered in his first at-bat in his big league debut for the Phillies, who have dropped nine of their last 12 games. Reyes became the sixth Phillies player to homer in his first at-bat, driving a 94 mph four-seamer from Sale into the seats in right field in the second inning.Sale (4-1) gave up five hits and walked one. Robert Suarez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.Atlanta scored three unearned runs in the third inning against Snchez (2-2). After striking out the first two batters in the frame, the left-hander surrendered a single to Drake Baldwin. Ozzie Albies hit a grounder to second base, but second baseman Edmundo Sosa could not handle the ball for an error. Matt Olson walked to load the bases.Austin Riley hit a dribbler in front of the mound, but Snchez slipped trying to field the ball and Baldwin scored to tie the game at 1. Dubns bloop, two-run single to center gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead.Snchez allowed eight hits while striking out eight and walking one in six innings. Phillies catcher JT Realmuto left the game after the sixth inning due to lower back tightness.The Phillies placed closer Jhoan Duran on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.Olson extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a seventh-inning double. Up NextThe teams wrap up their three-game series on Sunday night. Braves RHP Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.32 ERA) opposes Phillies rookie RHP Andrew Painter (1-0, 3.77). ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

SportsLine's model reveals its Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets predictions for their NBA playoffs Game 1 matchup on Saturday with Kevin Durant out

Quetta Gladiators announced Dinesh Chandimal as a replacement for Bevon Jacobs, but fielded both players in the same match, leading to controversy.

The Mets lost their 10th straight game Saturday, the team's longest skid since 2004. Only three teams have made the postseason after a losing streak that long.

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 10: Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) during the ACC Men's basketball tournament between the Syracuse Orange and the SMU Mustangs on March 10, 2026 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesKentucky Basketball could be closing in on a major addition to its frontcourt, according to KSRs Matt Jones.Jones posted on Twitter that Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow, while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. Johns as the top teams.Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.

The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away and the Giants just added another Top 10 pick with trade of Lawrence

Kavya Maran was extremely excited as Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off a brilliant win over Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling IPL 2026 encounter in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Jamal Murray had a devastating night at the free throw line, making all 16 of his attempts to carry the Nuggets past the Wolves in a Game 1 in which Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon had a quiet first half.

Kansas City Royals captain Salvador Perez got a day off on Saturday, apparently against his will.The fun began when the Royals posted a lineup without Perez. Royals manager Matt Quatraro then told reporters he was giving Perez a mental breather after some recent struggles, with Carter Jensen getting the start behind the plate instead.Quatraro on giving Salvador Perez a day off today: Just looking at the way things have gone, he's played in every game. Day game after night game, Carter was going to catch today, and Salvys been struggling a little bit. Just try to give him a little mental breather. #Royals Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) April 18, 2026That seemed simple enough until about nine hours later, when Perez bluntly posted I dont need a mental breather on social media.I dont need a mental breather Salvador Perez (@SalvadorPerez15) April 19, 2026So it might not be the most harmonious state of play in Kansas City right now. The Royals also lost 13-4 to the New York Yankees on Saturday, worsening their record to 7-14, tied with the New York Mets for the worst in MLB.Jensen homered in that game, bringing his season total up to five (video above).Whats particularly awkward is that the 35-year-old Perez has barely been playable so far this season, after a down 2025. Hes slashed .160/.210/.307 in 20 games so far this season, with 17 strikeouts and 4 walks in 81 plate appearances. Jensen hasnt been much better at .214/.274/.446, but he has been better (except when it comes to waking up).Similar to what just happened on the Toronto Blue Jays with Eric Lauer, theres probably a conversation to be had behind closed doors. Perez commands immense respect in Kansas City as a nine-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, five-time Gold Glove and World Series MVP of the Royals 2015 title, but hes simply a different player now.Quatraro has been the manager in Kansas City since 2023 and entered this season with a 224-262 record, with a playoff berth in 2024.

New York now holds two picks in the top 10 of the draft following this blockbuster

KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar is under mounting pressure as his side has remained winless after the first six games of IPL 2026 season.