LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves on perilous ground Friday when they visit the Houston Rockets in their third attempt to close out their NBA playoff first-round series.

No team in NBA history has ever recorded from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, though four have forced a decisive Game 7. The Rockets are one victory away from doing just that following their gritty 99-93 road victory Wednesday in Game 5. Minus star Kevin Durant, who has played just one game in this series and will remain sidelined because of an ankle injury, Houston seeks its third consecutive victory Friday in Game 6 on its home floor. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center in the Western Conference matchup. 

Led by vintage playoff performances by James and supplemental help from veterans such as Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, the Lakers won the first two games of the series on their home court in wire-to-wire fashion as underdogs. James then led a furious last-minute Game 3 comeback in Houston that resulted in a 112-108 overtime victory and a 3-0 series lead against what appeared to be an understandably deflated Houston club.

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However, the younger Rockets took advantage of a weary Lakers club in Game 4 and rolled to a 115-96 win to stave off elimination before using a defense-oriented effort to force 15 turnovers and hold the Lakers to 42% shooting in the 99-93 Game 5 victory.

Austin Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points in the regular season (second on the team), returned from a nine-game injury absence for Los Angeles in Game 5. He scored 22 points but was just 4-of-16 from the field. Meanwhile, star Luka Doncic remains sidelined indefinitely because of a hamstring injury.

Although Durant is still out for the Rockets, they have found production from versatile big man Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Four other Rockets are averaging at least 12.6 points, led by guard Amen Thompson at 19.4 ppg. 

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In addition to this NBA matchup, we’ll take a look at an NHL playoff elimination game and a late MLB contest. Here are the games to watch for Friday, May 1. All times Eastern.

NBA best bets, where to watch

Lakers at Rockets 

Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Houston | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: Over 205.5

The SportsLine Projection Model has an ever-so-slight lean on the Rockets against the spread, but it sees this contest falling right near the number most of the time so there is not enough of an edge to recommend a confident play. However, the model’s 10,000-game simulation produced an average score of 108-104 in favor of the Rockets, resulting in a strong play on the Over 205.5 points.

This is an extremely modest total even by NBA playoff standards, but one the teams have clipped just once in regulation in the four non-overtime games. Oddsmakers anticipate another low-scoring, grinding affair, but the model sees just enough offensive output to carry the total Over. The model projects the Over hitting about 61% of the time in comparison to the implied sportsbook odds of around 52%.

MLB best bets, where to watch

White Sox at Padres

Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: San Diego | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: Padres -150

Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. is still seeking his first home run of the season, though he is not the only San Diego regular who is struggling at the plate as the team currently carries a .231 batting average (No. 21 in MLB). The Padres have lost three of their last four, but solid pitching has still carried them to a 19-11 mark as they host the resurgent White Sox on Friday to kick off a three-game weekend series.

German Marquez (3-1, 4.38 ERA) who has won three of his past four outings and pitched a scoreless no-decision in the other, is set to take the mound for San Diego. He is opposed by rookie lefty Noah Schultz (1-1 3.52) for the White Sox, whose 13-13 finish in April was their first month at .500 or better since June 2023. The SportsLine Projection Model offers a fairly confident play on the Padres as a moderate favorite at -150. Its forecasted win rate for San Diego of 65% is greater than the sportsbook implied odds of 60%.  

NHL best bets, where to watch

Golden Knights at Mammoth

Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Salt Lake City | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: Mammoth -106

The Golden Knights have used back-to-back 5-4 victories to manage a 3-2 lead in this tightly contested series that has seen each game decided by two or fewer goals and each team win on the opponent’s home ice. Las Vegas can wrap up the first-round series with another victory, but the SportsLine Projection Model favors the homestanding Mammoth to force an elimination game.

Oddsmakers have this elimination game priced with about pick’em odds on both sides but the model leans toward the Mammoth, who are 23-16-4 at the Delta Center this season. The model’s 10,000-game simulation sees Utah winning about 60% of the time, a value window compared to implied sportsbook odds of about 52%. 

Liverpool have a number of injury concerns heading into their high-pressure encounter with Manchester United

Arne Slot appears set to be deprived of both Mohamed Salah and Alisson following injury updates on the Liverpool pair ahead of their Premier League showdown with Manchester United. The Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper has been sidelined for the last six weeks, while Salah picked up a problem last weekend against Crystal Palace.

In delivering his latest team news, Slot conceded that Salah will sit out the trip to Old Trafford but is anticipated to shake off the injury and feature again before the curtain falls on his final season at the club. Alisson, meanwhile, has an outside chance of returning but is more likely to be fit for the following weekend, with Slot admitting they will not “take any risks.”

Slot lamented Liverpool’s lengthy injury list in his pre-match press conference, with Milos Kerkez also among those causing concern. The Liverpool manager did confirm it was merely a minor complaint and that he remains expected to feature on Sunday.

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The absence of such high-profile stars marks a boost for United who face their familiar rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

Here, Manchester Evening News has the latest on Liverpool’s injury news.

Mohamed Salah

Earlier this week, Liverpool confirmed in an official statement that Salah would return to action this season. Slot echoed that sentiment in his injury briefing on Friday, though revealed he won’t quite make it back into contention against Man United.

What Slot has said: “He is always working incredibly hard when he is injured to get back as soon as possible. Usually, he is back earlier than other players. He has a minor injury, and we expect and need him back for the final part of the season, but not for Sunday [vs Man Utd].”

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) – Sunday, May 17.

Alisson Becker

Liverpool could welcome Alisson back into the starting XI this weekend, though Slot has indicated that it remains uncertain.

What Slot has said: “Ali hasn’t trained with us yet. [He is] very close… I have to hear today from the medical staff if he is able to train today or tomorrow. Otherwise, the start of next week. He is very close, but of course, we don’t want to take any risks.”

Potential return date: Chelsea (H) – Saturday, May 9.

Milos Kerkez

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Kerkez was mentioned by Slot as one of the Liverpool players experiencing difficulties, though he subsequently acknowledged he anticipates the Hungarian will still be available.

What Slot has said: “Milos has had some niggles, and left the training pitch on Wednesday. I expect him to train today or tomorrow.”

Potential return date: Man Utd (A) – Sunday, May 3.

Giorgi Mamardashvili

Mamardashvili remains several weeks away from making his comeback, as confirmed by Slot earlier this month, following the injury sustained against Everton.

What Slot has said: “No, Giorgi will definitely not be available tomorrow, and not for the upcoming weeks.”

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) – Sunday, May 17.

Wataru Endo

Liverpool are hopeful of welcoming Endo back for the final few matches of the campaign, with the midfielder having undergone ankle surgery earlier this year.

What Slot has said: “Endo is starting to go out, not with the team, but he is starting to do exercises outside with the rehab team. He will not be available next week or the week after. We are hoping for him to be back at the end of the season

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) – Sunday, May 17.

Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike has been ruled out for the remainder of the season and this summer’s World Cup due to a serious Achilles injury.

What Slot has said: “The surgery went well, but in such a long rehab process, there are so many steps that need to be made. Experts will tell you this will take multiple months, and then it depends on the steps. We don’t know yet, but the first and most important step is that the surgery went well.”

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) – Sunday, May 17.

Conor Bradley

Bradley is another player sidelined for a prolonged spell due to a significant injury, though he remains on course to return within this calendar year.

Potential return date: November/December 2026.

Giovanni Leoni

Young defender Leoni is just over seven months into his rehabilitation from a ruptured ACL.

Potential return date: Late 2026.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Leeds bounced back from their Wembley disappointment by beating already-relegated Burnley 3-1 at Elland Road to take another giant step towards Premier League safety.

Daniel Farke’s side, who lost 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea last Sunday, took an early lead through Anton Stach’s superb long-range strike before second-half efforts from Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Loum Tchaouna pulled one back for Burnley in the 71st minute but the managerless visitors, who parted company with Scott Parker by mutual consent on Thursday, slipped to a fifth straight league defeat.

Leeds’ third win in four league matches lifted them up to 14th in the table, nine points clear of the bottom three, with their relegation rivals all in action later this weekend.

Leeds’ former owner Andrea Radrizzani was watching from the stands and he did not have long to wait before cheering their opening goal.

Jaka Bijol rolled the ball to Stach in a central position 30 yards from goal in the eighth minute and the Germany midfielder arrowed a brilliant low shot inside Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka’s left-hand post for his fifth league goal of the season.

The early strike settled Leeds and they pinned Burnley in their own half in pursuit of a second goal.

Stach, back in the starting line-up after a four-game absence due to an ankle injury, was wayward with a free-kick from similar distance soon after and Ao Tanaka also fired over the crossbar.

Burnley’s relegation was confirmed after last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City and to their credit they maintained their composure under periods of heavy pressure, defending resolutely before half-time.

James Ward-Prowse’s deflected shot was easily gathered by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow at the start of the second period before the home side struck twice in four minutes to kill the game.

A sweeping move down the right involving Calvert-Lewin and Jayden Bogle saw the latter cross for Okafor to volley into the far corner for Leeds’ second in the 52nd minute.

It was the Switzerland winger’s eighth league goal of the season and his fourth in as many league matches.

Tanaka’s 20-yard shot was then parried by Dubravka and Calvert-Lewin pounced to stab home their third in the 56th – his 12th league effort of the season.

Calvert-Lewin’s effort prompted chants of ‘We are staying up’ and ‘United are back’ from Leeds fans before Burnley responded through Tchaouna in the 71st minute to cut the deficit.

The French forward raced on to former Leeds winger Jaidon Anthony’s superb through-ball and got the better of Pascal Struijk before firing into the bottom corner.

Tchaouna’s goal lifted the Clarets, but Farke sent on substitutes Sean Longstaff and Brenden Aaronson to help steady the ship and they comfortably navigated eight minutes of stoppage time to extend their unbeaten league run to six matches.

Thierry Henry has sent a warning to Arsenal ahead of the final few games of their Premier League title race with Man City

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has cautioned the Gunners that their seemingly favourable fixture list will mean nothing in their Premier League title battle with Manchester City. Mikel Arteta’s side sit three points ahead at the summit with four matches remaining, though Pep Guardiola’s outfit have a game in hand.

The Gunners have the chance to extend their lead to six points with victory over Fulham tomorrow afternoon, with City not in action until Monday evening when they face Everton.

Arsenal must tackle relegation-threatened West Ham United and already-relegated Burnley before rounding off the campaign with a trip to Crystal Palace on the final day of the season.

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City, meanwhile, face Brentford, Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa before the curtain comes down on the campaign.

However, Henry has cautioned Arsenal that their remaining fixtures count for nothing if they believe they can simply turn up and coast through their remaining games.

Speaking to Betway Insider, Henry said: “Not at all. It doesn’t change anything to me. Do you think it’s going to be easy away at West Ham when they’re trying to stay up?

“We dropped points against Wolves when we were 2-0 up, and we lost to Southampton. It was supposed to be difficult for Man City at Chelsea, right? You have to respect teams, go out there and perform.

“You just have to win games – it doesn’t matter who it is against, or how it is done. This Arsenal team is very different to mine, but at the end of the day if you win the league, no Arsenal fan will complain.

“Embrace who you are and what you do. We are not a team who are going to create a lot of chances, but we find a way to win games.”

Arteta has emphasised that his squad possess a siege mentality and will leave absolutely nothing on the pitch in their bid to clinch the Premier League title.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with the Cottagers, he said: “There is hunger to play, hunger to compete, hunger to win, and hunger to be closer to achieving our dream.

“We certainly have that (siege mentality). We need to face any context, and any situation to achieve our goal.

“What happened on Wednesday night was extremely disappointing. But we have enough fuel in the tank. We’re playing to win the Premier League. It’s exactly where we want it to be.

“Emotionally, we have to manage that in the right way. But I would place the emphasis more on desire and the determination that we’ve shown all season.

“Because we have only four games to play now, this is game two, and everything is at stake. It doesn’t get better than that.”

World number one Jannik Sinner remains on course for a record fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 title after reaching the Madrid Open final with a straight-set win over Arthur Fils.

The Italian won his 22nd successive match to reach his first Madrid final, where he will face second seed Alexander Zverev.

Sinner, 24, has won the opening three ATP 1,000 events of the season – in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo – and also triumphed in Paris last year.

If he claims a fifth Masters 1,000 title in a row on Sunday, Sinner would surpass Novak Djokovic, who won four consecutive events on three occasions, and Rafael Nadal, who clinched four straight tournaments in 2013.

Sinner has also become the fourth player – and the youngest – to reach all nine Masters 1,000 finals, joining Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer.

The Italian broke twice to take the first set of Friday’s semi-final 6-2 against 21st seed Fils, who won the clay-court Barcelona Open two weeks ago.

Fils, 21, was 3-2 up in the second set having saved two break points, but four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner finally broke to move 5-4 ahead and served out the match to progress 6-2 6-4.

Sinner becomes the third man to reach the final of the first four Masters 1,000 events of the season, after Federer (2006) and Nadal (2011), while his victory means he is the first player born in the 2000s to record 350 tour-level wins.

Later on Friday, world number three Zverev overcame unseeded Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2 7-5 to reach the Madrid final for a fourth time.

Sinner and Zverev, 29, will now face off at a fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 event, with the German having lost in straight sets in four consecutive semi-final meetings.

Zverev, a winner in Madrid in 2018 and 2021, raced through the first set against 21-year-old Blockx, but had to be patient in the second, breaking in the 11th game before serving out the match.

Despite his defeat Blockx moves up 34 places to 35th in the ATP rankings, having previously beaten three seeds ranked in the top 20 to reach his first Masters 1,000 semi-final.

Minnesota’s haul in this year’s draft included nine new players. First-rounder Caleb Banks was a controversial selection, as he comes into the building with two significant foot injuries on his resume, but also with a ton of physical talent.

Seemingly less controversial was the Vikings’ addition of third-rounder Caleb Tiernan. The offensive lineman was ranked 34th on ESPN’s top 100 pick rankings, assembled by draft analyst Matt Miller. No Viking received a better ranking.

Though perhaps not an immediate contributor given the state of the offensive line, the Northwestern pickup might pay huge dividends in the future.

Miller wrote, “A value pickup at the end of Round 3, Tiernan should be viewed as the long-term plan at right tackle. Brian O’Neill is still a very good player at 30 years old, but the team must make a decision on his expiring contract after this season. Drafting Tiernan might give us a hint about Minnesota’s long-term plans.”

O’Neill can still play, without a doubt, but he will turn 31 in September and has missed some time in recent years. His contract is up and the Vikings either need to hand him a new one or say goodbye to their veteran next March. Furthermore, Christian Darrisaw’s knee issue remains a topic of conversation. His health was a huge problem in 2025, a year after suffering a torn ACL and it cannot be taken for granted moving forward.

Having a backup plan for either tackle position is a smart move. Cross-training Tiernan at guard could also be in the franchise’s best interest.

Miller added, “A six-game starter at right tackle (38 at LT), Tiernan has experience on the right side and a frame many scouts think projects better to that side or at guard. He’s worth monitoring in training camp to see where and how Minnesota plans to use him.”

Tiernan doesn’t possess the prototypical arm length teams are looking for in an offensive tackle. Therefore, guard has been floated as an idea for the 6’7″ blocker.

About his arms, he said in his introductory presser, “A lot of those [doubts] come from people who probably don’t know football that well. You know, obviously I’m a football player and there’s no — it’s not an arm length competition on the field. It’s a physicality competition. And, you know, I feel like I’m really good at that. And I feel like that’s kind of what allowed me to kind of succeed.”

Whether it will ultimately hinder his play at tackle remains to be seen. It is a fact that elite pass rushers can take advantage of any physical disadvantages.

He added, “I’d love for someone to say I got beat here or I didn’t do as well here because my arms are too short — kind of going to be pretty tough to find. But yeah, you know, obviously arm length, some teams harp on it. Some fans love it. Some guys hate it. I’m just a football player at the end of the day.”

At guard, the Vikings have a long-term starter on the left side in last year’s top pick, Donovan Jackson. On the right side, Will Fries enters his second campaign as Minnesota’s starter. He signed a massive deal last offseason, and the Vikings could decide to move on next year, which would present another path to the starting unit for Tiernan.

The rookie has some solid athletic tools and his football IQ has drawn praise in the pre-draft process.

The Ringer‘s Todd McShay wrote about Tiernan: “Early in his career, Tiernan could fill a swing tackle role while also providing guard depth as he develops into a potential starter. Players like Bernhard Raimann, Luke Goedeke, and Braden Smith have overcome similar length limitations to stick at tackle.”

“There’s also a Northwestern precedent for shorter-armed tackles moving inside and thriving — Peter Skoronski is already among the league’s best. If Tiernan follows that path, Sam Cosmi is a strong stylistic comparison. Tiernan is an athletic, experienced, and versatile offensive lineman who may need to transition from tackle, where he played in college, to guard in the NFL.”

The Vikings might not need Tiernan to block defenders anytime soon, but once there’s an injury or another roster shakeup, having a talented third-rounder waiting in the wings is what smart franchises do.

Tiernan ranks 34th among Miller’s best draft picks of the year. The selections of Caleb Banks (43rd), Domonique Orange (68th), Max Bredeson (83rd), and Demond Claiborne (85th) also made his top 100 list.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

The 2022 champions, India, have advanced to the semifinals of the Thomas Cup 2026 on Friday, following a resounding 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals held in Horsens, Denmark.

The result was secured in the first three matches of the tie, eliminating the need for the final two scheduled games. India will now face the winner of the France vs. Japan quarterfinal in the semifinals.

Lakshya gives India the lead

The quarterfinal opened with a classic encounter between Lakshya Sen and the veteran Chou Tien Chen. For a while, it looked like India would be chasing the tie; Lakshya dropped the first game 18-21 and found himself trailing 6-12 in the second.

Satwiksairaj-Chirag secures a three-game thriller

The doubles powerhouse duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then took the court to face Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-lin. It was a marathon battle that tested the Indians’ patience, especially after they lost a tight second game to force a decider.

Despite a few uncharacteristic service errors, “Sat-Chi” regained their world-class form when it mattered most. They dominated the third game from the opening serve, racing to an 11-5 lead at the interval and eventually closing out the match 23-21, 19-21, 21-12. Their victory put India 2-0 up and left Chinese Taipei with a mountain too steep to climb.

Ayush Shetty seals the win

The knockout blow was delivered by young Ayush Shetty, who faced a personal demon in Lin Chun-Yi. Having never beaten Lin before, Ayush initially struggled, trailing 7-11 in the first game. However, a spectacular tactical shift saw him win 14 of the next 17 points to take the opening set.

In the second game, Ayush remained the “calm and composed” figure the Indian camp needed. He dictated the tempo and kept Lin under constant pressure, finishing the match 21-16, 21-17. By securing the straight-games win, Ayush completed the 3-0 sweep and officially punched India’s ticket to the semifinals.

WWE had to cancel a major Backlash match. The premium live event will emanate from Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Satuday, May 9, and three matches have already been confirmed.

Roman Reings will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu after the Samoan Werewolf brutally attacked OTC1 on RAW this week. Seth Rollins also confronted Bron Breakker, and the two will clash at the weekend.

The third match announced so far will see Asuka battle IYO SKY. Going by WWE’s new trend of keeping match cards short, another couple of matches could be added to the night. However, it appears the promotion had to cancel a planned match for the event.

In the recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON), Dave Meltzer mentioned that two or three more matches could be expected to be added to Backlash. He then noted that even though Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer was not officially on the card, it was in discussion before La Primera’s injury.

Vaquer was taken out backstage in an attack by The Judgment Day’s Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. This angle was carried out because the former Women’s World Champion was dealing with a legitimate injury.

Vaquer and Morgan clashed at WrestleMania 42 for the Women’s World Championship, and it looks like WWE may have been contemplating a rematch between the two for Backlash. But now it looks unlikely due to the injury of the 33-year-old star.

Earlier, Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that Stephanie Vaquer will be out of action “for the foreseeable future,” with talk of at least a six-week absence. Still, it is hoped that she could return in time for SummerSlam.

Stephanie Vaquer was not 100% heading into WWE WrestleMania 42 match

Ahead of WrestleMania 42, Stephanie Vaquer appeared for an interview on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. During the discussion, she said that she needs to recover and mentioned she isn’t at 100% for the Show of Shows.

Her Title match against Liv Morgan on night one of WrestleMania lasted barely seven minutes. This drew criticism from the fans, but there was a reason why WWE kept the match short.

Bodyslam+ reported that both competitors were banged up heading into the match, and the company didn’t want either woman to get hurt further.