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Rockets avoid elimination again, beat Lakers in Game 5

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LOS ANGELES — Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points, Tari Eason added 18 and the Houston Rockets avoided playoff elimination for the second straight game with a 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, trimming Los Angeles’ lead in the first-round series to 3-2.

Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves’ return to the Lakers.

Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has missed four of the series’ five games with injuries.

No team has ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win an NBA playoff series, but the Rockets are halfway. Only four of the 159 teams to start a series down 0-3 have ever even forced a Game 7.

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LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and added seven assists, but Los Angeles lost its second straight after stealing Game 3 with an improbable rally in the final seconds of regulation.

James’ teams have never blown a 2-0 series lead in his entire 23-year NBA career.

Reaves had 22 points and six assists in his return from a nine-game injury absence for the Lakers, but they committed 15 mostly atrocious turnovers in their worst performance of the series and only their second loss in 16 home games since February.

Deandre Ayton had 18 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles, which is still without Luka Doncic. The NBA scoring champion doesn’t appear to be close to a return from a strained hamstring.

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Strained oblique muscles had sidelined Reaves since April 2, but he had 11 points and six assists in the first half of Game 5. Yet the Rockets coolly carried an advantage into the second half and led 87-74 with 5:55 to play.

Los Angeles awoke for a late 11-1 run and trimmed Houston’s lead to 88-85 on a driving layup by James, but Reed Sheppard hit a jumper before ripping the ball away from James for a dunk with 2:20 to play.

Ayton’s putback dunk made it 96-93 after James and Reaves both missed open 3-pointers. Thompson hit one of two free throws, and James badly missed another 3-point attempt that allowed Houston to ice it.

The Rockets shot particularly poorly while losing the series’ first two games in Los Angeles, but they’ve rediscovered their collective touch while running a balanced offence in Durant’s absence. Houston has played with the confidence exemplified Tuesday by Smith, who claimed the Rockets were “obviously the better team” despite their 3-1 series deficit.

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The Rockets’ resilience is also good news for the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are resting and awaiting the series winner after sweeping Phoenix.

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Coco Gauff calls out racist gamblers on social media after Madrid Open loss

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At just 22, Coco Gauff has already earned U.S. Open and French Open Grand Slam titles. 

But earlier this week, the American star exited the Madrid Open well before the final, falling short in her bid for another tournament victory.

Linda Nosková defeated Gauff Monday in the Round of 16. After her Madrid Open run ended, Gauff said she faced backlash from “angry” gamblers upset their wagers did not pay off.

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“@ the angry gamblers saying racist things in my IG comments/dms hiding behind anonymous accounts,” Gauff said in a post to her TikTok account Wednesday.

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coco gauff at the madrid open

Coco Gauff reacts against Sorana Cîrstea during the Madrid Open 2026 at La Caja Magica on April 26, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.  (Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Gauff also referenced a Young M.A. song, sharing lyrics that read: “Yeah they hate, but they broke though (But they broke though) / And when it’s time to pop, they a no-show (Where they at?)”

The sports betting industry continues to surge in the U.S., generating a record $16.96 billion in revenue in 2025, the American Gaming Association said. Prediction markets have increased competition but have not significantly slowed the industry’s growth.

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Coco Gauff walks off the tennis court in Madrid

American tennis player Coco Gauff looks dejected as she leaves the court after losing to Linda Nosková of Czechia in the women’s singles fourth round at the Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain, on April 27, 2026. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The surge in revenue also translated into hundreds of billions in losses for Americans who legally placed wagers in 2025, an increase of roughly 11% from the previous year, according to the association’s figures.

Gauff battled an apparent illness during the Madrid Open, even taking a medical timeout in the Round of 32 over the weekend. She vomited on the court and later said she was dealing with digestive issues.

Coco Gauff reacting during a tennis match

Coco Gauff of the United States reacts during a women’s singles fourth-round match against Linda Nosková of Czechia at the Madrid Open April 27, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

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“I don’t know how I got it done,” Gauff told Sky Sports. “Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up — and I was able to throw up after the first set — I felt a bit better.

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“It was just a tough match. I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that’s going around. I’m usually someone who doesn’t get sick. My luck today just wasn’t good.”

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Predictions ft. Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone, Hubert Hurkacz vs Emilio Nava

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Second-round matches will conclude on Day 4 (Thursday, April 30) of the ATP Challenger Cagliari 2026. Fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego has been the only notable casualty so far, going down to Mattia Bellucci in three sets in the first round.

Former top 10 players Matteo Berrettini and Hubert Hurkacz headline Thursday’s order of play. Here are the predictions for all the singles matches set for Day 4 of the ATP Challenger Cagliari:


#1. Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone

Berrettini fought past Patrick Kypson to reach the second round of the ATP Challenger Cagliari. He improved his record on clay to 6-6 with the win. Defending champion Navone received a first-round bye. He won the title in Bucharest at the start of the clay swing, and has an 8-5 record on the surface.

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Berrettini leads their rivalry 2-0. Both of their previous matches were on clay. He won their recent encounter at the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 in straight sets. His record in this rivalry makes him the favorite to win this match despite Navone having better results on clay than him this year.

Winner: Matteo Berrettini


#2. Marcos Giron vs Aleksandar Kovacevic

Marcos Giron at the Delray Beach Open 2026. (Source: Getty)Marcos Giron at the Delray Beach Open 2026. (Source: Getty)
Marcos Giron at the Delray Beach Open 2026. (Source: Getty)

Giron kicked off his ATP Challenger Cagliari campaign with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 win over Aleksandar Vukic. Kovacevic beat Luca Potenza 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the first round. This marked the first win of the clay swing for both players.

Giron won their previous and only encounter at the Indian Wells Masters 2023 in straight sets. His 13-9 record for the season outshines Kovacevic’s 10-12 record by a slim margin, thus making him the slight favorite to win this duel.

Winner: Marcos Giron

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#3. Hubert Hurkacz vs Emilio Nava

Hurkacz has a 4-2 record on clay, and he made the third-round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. He beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the ATP Challenger Cagliari. Nava has gone 11-8 on clay this year, and advanced to the second round here following Damir Dzumhur’s mid-match retirement.

This will be the first meeting between them. Nava has challenged the likes of Ben Shelton and Jiri Lehecka on clay this year, pushing them to three sets before coming up short. He could one-up Hurkacz, who hasn’t been as successful as him on clay this year.

Winner: Emilio Nava


#4. Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Matteo Arnaldi

Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open 2026. (Source: Getty)Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open 2026. (Source: Getty)
Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open 2026. (Source: Getty)

Arnaldi and Cerundolo needed three sets to beat Federico Arnaboldi and Federico Cina respectively in the first round. Arnaldi snapped his four-match losing skid and improved his record on clay to 2-4.

Cerundolo tallied his 12th win on clay this year, against eight losses. This will be his first meeting with Arnaldi. The Italian’s shaky form on clay makes him the underdog in this contest.

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Winner: Juan Manuel Cerundolo


#5. Roman Andres Burruchaga vs Andrea Pellegrino

Winner: Roman Andres Burruchaga


#6. Nuno Borges vs Cristian Garin

Winner: Nuno Borges


#7. Adrian Mannarino vs Jesper de Jong

Winner: Jesper de Jong

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#8. Mattia Bellucci vs Gianluca Cadenasso

Winner: Mattia Bellucci