The second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs continued on Saturday with a pair of Game 3s. 

In the first game, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a massive home win over the Detroit Pistons, the top seed in the East. Looking to avoid a 3-0 hole, the Cavs were able to withstand every Pistons run in a 116-109 victory to pull within 2-1 in the series. Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavs with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while James Harden had 19 points and seven assists and closed things out with three clutch buckets, including the dagger 3-pointer with 25.9 seconds to play.

In the nightcap, the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their playoff dominance with a 131-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder, the reigning champions, are still unbeaten in this year’s postseason and can complete a sweep with a win in Game 4 on Monday. 

Here are the winners and losers from Saturday’s action:

Winner: Cavs’ clutch backcourt

James Harden stepped up when it mattered most

Let’s start with Harden, who has (understandably) taken a lot of heat for recording more turnovers than made field goals in four separate games this postseason, including the first two games of this series. Harden wasn’t the star of the show for most of Saturday’s 116-109 win, but late in the fourth quarter, he took over.

First, with the Cavaliers up just two points, Harden targeted Tobias Harris in a pick-and-roll, got the switch and went into iso mode. Given how his old Houston Rockets teams disdained the midrange, it amuses me that this stepback middy has become such a hallmark of Harden’s game in recent years:

Then, after a huge Cade Cunningham dunk, Harden hunted Duncan Robinson, shook him with a crossover and made a clutch floater over Jalen Duren:

Cunningham responded with a 3, setting up the biggest bucket of the day. Harden went at Harris again, danced with the ball and then drilled a three in his face, giving Cleveland a four-point lead with 25.9 seconds left:

Asked how he quieted the chatter in his walkoff interview with NBC’s Ashley ShahAhmadi, Harden said, “What chatter?”

He continued: “I play basketball, and whatever this team needs me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. So letting the game play out. Fourth quarter, my number was called, and I go to work.”

Before that seven-point outburst, Harden had done most of his damage as a passer. Operating out of high pick-and-rolls, he set up a massive Evan Mobley dunk and repeatedly created wide-open 3s. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting and seven assists in 40 minutes, and Mitchell, his backcourt partner, had a game-high 35 points on 13-for-24 shooting, plus 10 rebounds and four assists.

With the exception of the disastrous third quarter, Mitchell and Harden built on some of the good stuff that they did offensively in the second half of Game 2. Led by their two star playmakers, the Cavs got into their offense more quickly, attacked matchups more purposefully and put more pressure on the rim. As a result, Cleveland had far and away its most efficient offensive game of the series. — James Herbert

Loser: Deandre Ayton gets benched

Lakers big man struggled mightily on the glass

The ongoing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Ayton saga persists for the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. It’s a shame, too, because for most of the past two months, Deandre Ayton has more or less been exactly what the Lakers have hoped he’d be: low-maintenance on offense, physical on the glass, generally engaged defensively. That’s the version of him that took the Suns to the Finals in 2021 and got a max contract a year later. That’s the version of him that showed up for the most part in the first round against Houston.

And tonight against the Thunder, especially in the second half, we got the version of Ayton that Portland was eager to buy out. Ayton had one defensive rebound. He failed to get to the line for the second time this series. The Lakers allowed 64 points in the paint, quite a few of them on his watch. When even the broadcast is willing to call you out for your lackadaisical defensive effort, you know you’re not doing your part.

JJ Redick’s frustration was evident. With around nine minutes to go, he pulled Ayton out for rookie Adou Thiero, who is 6-foot-7 and played 149 regular-season minutes. He is, quite clearly, not ready for playoff minutes. But he plays hard, and subbing him in in that situation sends a message. The Lakers didn’t use a center after that point, which is pretty damning for Jaxson Hayes as well. Remember, Redick played an entire playoff half last season against Minnesota without using a center. Ayton and Hayes have had all season to earn Redick’s trust. It seems as though neither has done so.

It’s a shame, too, because for most of March and April, the Lakers really did get the best of Ayton. If he played that way consistently, he’d be able to comfortably decline his player option and re-sign at a typical starter’s salary this offseason. Instead? It’s yet again clear that the Lakers need to shake up their center rotation this offseason. — Sam Quinn

Winner: Ajay Mitchell

Thunder’s depth on full display once again

Let’s compare stat lines in this series:

Now, Mitchell statistically outperforming Gilgeous-Alexander in this series is mostly meaningless. The whole Lakers game plan revolves around stopping Gilgeous-Alexander. The MVP of the league is still the MVP of this series, no matter what the numbers say. But just having to explain this amounts to an enormous win for Mitchell, a second-year second-round pick. How many times over the past two postseasons did the opposing defense key in on Gilgeous-Alexander only for none of his teammates to step up and fill in the shot-creation gap? If there was a concern about Oklahoma City this postseason, especially with Jalen Williams out, that was it.

And Mitchell is erasing it. The Jalen Brunson comparison has been made to death, but that really might be what’s happening here. Mitchell is getting to the rim completely at will. He’s shooting 18-of-28 in the paint in this series and using all of that rim pressure to create easy looks for teammates. Through three games, the Thunder have outscored the Lakers by 23 points in the minutes Gilgeous-Alexander sits. Mitchell is the biggest reason why.

The bar right now is relatively low. The Lakers pose nowhere near the challenge in this round that the Spurs will in the next. If Mitchell is headed where we think he is, that’s the series he needs to thrive in. But he’s passed every test this postseason has thrown at him thus far, and no matter what happens against San Antonio, he’s cemented himself as a core player for the Thunder moving forward. — Sam Quinn

Loser: The possession game

Pistons won the possession game, but not the actual game

Especially during the playoffs, coaches love to talk about the importance of the possession game. It’s imperative, they all say, to get “shots on goal,” and you simply cannot afford to throw the ball away or allow opponents to pile up offensive rebounds.

Well, Game 3 of the Cavaliers-Pistons series is the exception that proves the rule, I guess. Detroit attempted 17 more field goals than Cleveland did, but somehow lost by seven points.

The main reason this happened: the Cavs couldn’t keep the Pistons off the offensive glass. Detroit had 17 offensive boards, which means they rebounded 40.4% of their misses. Cleveland, meanwhile, had five offensive boards and rebounded 27.8% of its misses.

“It’s really hard to win in this league with that disparity, so I’d just say that’s a little lucky on our part,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters.

Atkinson added that they can’t have another game like this: “It’s not sustainable.”

Cleveland overcame this by scoring far more efficiently than Detroit did. At the end of the first quarter, the numbers were absurd — the Cavs had a 25% turnover rate and zero offensive rebounds, but had an 88.2% effective field goal percentage, while the Pistons had a 16% turnover rate and a 50% offensive rebounding percentage, but their effective field goal percentage was also exactly 50%, per Cleaning The Glass. In the halfcourt, the Cavs were scoring 142.9 points per 100 possessions to the Pistons’ 90.5 per 100, but they led by only two points heading into the second quarter.

By the end of the game, the contrast wasn’t quite that extreme, but it was still there. In the halfcourt, Cleveland scored 113.5 per 100, and Detroit scored an ugly 89.9 per 100. The Pistons may have dominated the possession game, but they couldn’t execute well enough to come away with a win on the road. Their 17 offensive boards turned into only 19 second-chance points, and the Cavs’ 16 turnovers turned into only 19 points off turnovers for Detroit. — James Herbert

LIV Golf’s future is in doubt, but 53-year-old Richard Bland knows one thing about where his professional career is headed next — it won’t be on the PGA Tour Champions.

Bland, who won the Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open in 2024, said on Friday at LIV Golf Virginia that he can see the end of his playing days coming. While former LIV members Pat Perez and Henrik Stenson have opted to serve a one-year suspension before teeing it up on the PGA Tour’s senior circuit, Bland won’t be following in his former LIV-mates footsteps.

“From what I’ve been told, I’m not hugely welcome there,” Bland said on Friday.

“I wasn’t given the exemption. I’m the only senior major champion never to get that exemption, and that’s fine, I don’t have an issue with that,” Bland said. “I think the Champions Tour have made it pretty now impossible for anybody to come and play. I’m not going to go chasing it. I’ll be 54 years old, but I’m going to be banned for a year anyway.”

The Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open are run by the PGA of America and the USGA, respectively, while the PGA Tour operates PGA Tour Champions.

LIV Golf is in uncharted waters after the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund announced that it will withdraw its financial backing for the league after the 2026 season. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil is working to secure outside investment to keep the league running beyond this season.

For Bland, either way, he knows the end of his professional days is near. That’s something he has made peace with.

“I know it’s coming quite soon,” Bland said of retirement. “I kind of earmarked next year would probably be my last year of playing full-time, as I do right now. Then going forward, really kind of scattered, but play where I want to play. For me right now, I’m 53. For me, the travel is the hard bit. … That’s been the hard thing for me, is recovery, getting ready for tournaments.

Bland turned pro in 1996 and became the DP World Tour’s oldest first-time winner when he captured the Betfred British Masters in 2021. He jumped to LIV Golf during its inaugural season in 2022 and that, at the moment, will be the final chapter of his professional career. He doesn’t feel the need to try to extend it on a senior circuit.

“Semi-retirement, it’s getting a lot nearer — and that’s fine,” Bland said. “I’m okay with that. I’ve had one helluva ride out here and the best decision I ever made.”

Any doubt over Joshua Van’s bona fides as UFC flyweight champion after capturing the title when Alexandre Pantoja suffered an injury less than 30 seconds into their title fight were erased on Saturday night when Van survived a tough-as-nails challenger in Tatsuro Taira. Van scored a fifth-round stoppage in the co-main event of UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.

Taira opened the fight with a heavy leg kick, wanting to circle at distance before suddenly changing tactics and shooting for a takedown. Taira quickly got to the body, scored the takedown and quickly advanced to full mount. A positional battle followed, with Van looking to utilize a butterfly to get back to his feet, only to nearly be caught in a guillotine choke.

Van eventually escaped from the choke attempt and got back to his feet, where he popped off a few solid punches. Van’s solid jab was eventually neutralized by another double-leg takedown by Taira. Van again escaped to his feet, only to be taken down yet again, with Taira again getting to mount and doing a little damage before the end of the opening round.

Van did a much better job of defending the takedown early in Round 2, allowing him to pop off hard combination punches that connected cleanly to Taira’s face. Taira remained relentless, however, again scoring a takedown and quickly achieving mount again. Again, Van worked the butterfly guard to get out of the worst possible position and threaten to scramble to his feet again. Despite Taira being on top, it was Van who was landing more strikes, throwing off his back as Taira was overly concerned with positioning.

After the fighters went back to their feet, Van scored a big knockdown with a right hand and attempted to drop big shots before the horn sounded to end the second round.

Taira still looked rocked coming out of the corner for Round 3 and Van took advantage with sharp punches as Taira was suddenly fighting off the back foot. Taira shot for takedowns from too far out, making it easy for Van to defend and go right back to his pinpoint boxing.

After another takedown attempt, Van landed a big knee, hurting and bloodying Taira.

A sudden jab from Van resulted in a delayed knockdown as Taira’s legs betrayed him. Van followed up with another flurry and a takedown, immediately taking the back and working for a rear-naked choke. Taira somehow survived the position and ended up back on his feet. Despite the accumulation of punishment, Taira ended the round with another big takedown, landing in side control.

Somehow, Taira continued to bring the attack in the fourth round, immediately putting Van on his back and again working to full mount. This time, Van seemed to have less energy to explode out of the bad position. When Van finally attempted to explode, he was nearly caught by a Taira triangle choke in transition.

The momentum continued to swing as Van again was able to connect with clean shots as the fight went back to standing, forcing Taira onto the defensive once again.

With the fight potentially hanging in the balance in the final round, Van opened up with big strikes. While Taira attempted to secure another takedown, Van cracked with heavy shots, eventually sending Taira reeling. As Van followed up with more big shots, the referee jumped in to halt the fight.

The official time of the stoppage was 1:32 of Round 5.

“I said I was going to finish him inside three rounds, and I almost did, but he’s a tough motherf—er,” Van said of his hard-fought victory. “As soon as I went to the body, it was over.”

Van’s next title challenge is expected to be a rematch with Pantoja, who suffered an arm injury in their title win. Van had no problem with the idea of a rematch.

“Pantoja, you better get your shit right,” Van said. “We can run it back if you want.”

Daniel Dubois may already have his next bout set after he was involved in one of the best heavyweight fights in recent memory against Fabio Wardley.

Dubois stopped Wardley in the 11th round of their clash at Co-Op Live in Manchester to win the WBO heavyweight title, after an incredible clash that saw ‘DDD’ get off the canvas twice early on before going on to dominate the closing rounds of the contest.

Wardley showed tremendous heart and bravery to stay on his feet and survive as long as he did, but in the end, Dubois came out on top to become a two-time world heavyweight champion, with referee Howard Foster stopping the action.

Speaking in the aftermath of the fight, promoter Frank Warren announced that there was a rematch clause in the contract, indicating that Dubois and Wardley could face off again next.

“It was amazing. These two guys showed such heart. Great heart, chins, an amazing fight. It was absorbing, it had everything. The best heavyweight fight I’ve ever put on.

“There is a rematch clause in the contract. Let the dust settle, there are a lot of things happening in the heavyweight division, then we’ll see. Fabio isn’t going away, he’ll be back. He’s a true, brave, gutsy man. I take my hat off to both of them.”

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk previously stated he wanted to face the winner of the bout, but having already beaten Dubois twice, fans may certainly prefer to see ‘DDD’ have the rematch with Wardley instead, or defend his belt against number one contender Moses Itauma.

Though he would not be blamed for taking time off and having a lower-level comeback fight – in fact most would advise that path – Wardley’s determination, paired with the success he had early on, could well see him look to win his title back immediately by activating the clause. It will, of course, depend on the most important update fans are waiting for – full recovery from a brutal eleven rounds.

Cris Gambaré and Camilla Orlando closely followed Brazil’s title-winning campaign at the South American Women’s U-17 Championship on Saturday night (9). Speaking directly from Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, the CBF Women’s National Teams coordinator and the Women’s U-20 National Team head coach congratulated the Young Canaries on their triumph under coach Rilany Silva.

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“I feel very proud of the work being done by the CBF, this integration between the coaching staffs bringing another title. I can only say that we are on the right path, the staff did an impeccable job, and the players dedicated themselves a lot to the tournament. I believe we still have a lot more to achieve”, said Cris Gambaré.

Cris Gambaré attended the South American Women’s U-17 finalCredits: Samara Moumei/CBF

“I was very happy to be able to come because it is very important for us to stay connected. We grow stronger as coaches, we grow stronger as the Brazil national team, and we grow stronger with the idea of what we want to build and bring to the senior team. It was a great match, and it was very important for me to see the title won against a great opponent”, said Camilla Orlando.

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Brazil went unbeaten in the South American Championship, with five wins and one draw. Winning their sixth title marks coach Rilany Silva’s first trophy in charge of the Brazil national team.

It is also worth noting that, during the continental tournament, the Young Canaries secured a place at the World Cup in the category, which will be played between October and November this year in Morocco.

Camilla Orlando attended the final between Brazil and ArgentinaCredits: Samara Moumei/CBF

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

The highly anticipated 30th WNBA season tipped off Friday with three games, including the expansion Toronto Tempo’s first-ever contest.

The action continued Saturday with a full slate, including Caitlin Clark’s return after an injury-riddled sophomore season.

Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings on Saturday afternoon in a matchup featuring the four most recent No. 1 overall picks. The Wings outlasted the Fever 107-104, but the game was defined by Azzi Fudd’s — the most recent top pick — underwhelming debut.

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Dallas Wings guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers react during the first half of the Fever’s season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 9, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench, scoring three points — the lowest ever by a No. 1 overall pick in a WNBA debut.

Wings coach Jose Fernandez addressed Fudd’s performance after the game, encouraging the rookie to, “Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her first year in the league. We got five really talented backcourt players.”

EX-WNBA STAR CRITICAL OF SKY ROOKIE HAILEY VAN LITH, BELIEVES POPULARITY PLAYED ROLE IN DRAFT SELECTION

In addition to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt features last year’s top draft pick Paige Bueckers, last season’s No. 12 overall pick Aziaha James, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and starting guard Odyssey Sims.

Until Saturday, Kelsey Plum held the record for the lowest-scoring debut by a No. 1 pick. Selected first overall by the then-San Antonio Stars in 2017, she scored just four points in her debut. The Stars relocated to Las Vegas in 2018 and was subsequently rebranded as the Aces.

Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd warms up before the game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 9, 2026. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Despite the slow start to her first season in the league, Plum ended the year with All-Rookie team honors. In the years since, she’s been named to four All-Star teams and won two championships with the Aces.

The Wings’ decision to take Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick drew controversy, raising questions about whether Bueckers’ personal relationship with her influenced the selection. Late last month, Bueckers said last month it did not.

Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed in New York City on April 13, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)

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“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draft pick because she earned it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, who she is as a basketball player,” Bueckers said, according to ESPN.

Neither Bueckers nor Fudd has publicly updated their relationship status since the April draft.

“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” Bueckers also said in April. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us.”

Next up, the Wings play their home opener on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream.

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The game Anthony Kim left in 2012 and then returned to in 2024 was very different, and perhaps no aspect was more different than the equipment.

Back in 2012, TaylorMade was still selling a white driver, Callaway just released their first adjustable one, Fujikura was still six years from releasing Ventus and Nike was still making golf clubs. Not to mention the practice of fitting had advanced leaps and

Needless to say, Kim did a lot of catching up between then and his breakthrough win earlier this year in Australia.

With Kim returning on LIV Golf, lot of that re-education fell to Ben Giunta, the owner of the Tour Van, LIV Golf’s lone Tour Truck. On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, Giunta reflected on what it was like to reintroduce Anthony Kim to modern equipment.

Giunta worked with Kim previously back when he worked as the Nike Tour rep and Kim was coming up as a young player.

“I remember walking down, we were at Doral, and I was walking across the range and about halfway down the range, he sees me and throws his arms out,” Giunta said. “The funniest part actually is I still wear a bunch of Nike garb… He thought I still worked for Nike.”

After the two shared a laugh, they got to work and Giunta brought out a “this orange box” to watch him hit balls on the range.

“And he’s like, what the hell is this? Yeah, like he had no idea. He didn’t know anything about numbers,” Giunta said. Kim had never used a Trackman before.

Kim had always relied on his feel and watching ball flight to determine if equipment was working because launch monitors simply weren’t as useful as they are now.

But he and Giunta slowly got to work as Kim got back into the swing of playing regular competitive golf. As Kim got more in the groove, his speed came back and even increased, resulting in more changes to his bag.

It eventually culminated in his win at LIV Golf Adelaide in February.

For more from Giunta and co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to find the best driver for your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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Arsenal will continue their Premier League title chase when they face West Ham United in a London derby on Sunday at the London Stadium.

Arsenal head into the match full of confidence after reaching the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in 20 years.

The Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final.

Manager Mikel Arteta and his players are also leading the Premier League title race after Manchester City played a dramatic 3-3 draw with Everton.

Arsenal are now five points ahead of City, although Pep Guardiola’s side still have a game in hand.

The North London club also defeated Fulham 3-0 in their last league game and are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions.

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has been one of the team’s standout players this season.

The Swedish forward has scored 21 goals and provided three assists in 51 appearances in his first season with the Gunners. He also has 14 Premier League goals this campaign.

Arsenal’s defence has also improved in recent weeks, conceding just one goal in their last four games.

Meanwhile, West Ham are battling to avoid relegation after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Brentford last weekend.

Coach Nuno Espirito Santo knows his side must start winning quickly to improve their survival hopes.

The Hammers have conceded 61 goals in 35 league matches this season, making them one of the weakest defensive teams in the division.

Despite their struggles, West Ham received positive news as Nuno confirmed that all his players are fit and available for the match.

Arsenal, however, could still miss defender Jurrien Timber, who is recovering from injury, while captain Martin Odegaard is also battling a knee problem.

A victory for Arsenal would strengthen their hopes of winning their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Minnesota Vikings took their time courting Jauan Jennings. He had made it known this offseason that he was looking for money that paid him like a top-two wide receiver on a team. The Vikings moved around cap space, but they still smartly weren’t going to break the bank.

On Thursday night, Jennings came to his senses and decided that working with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison put him in a really great spot. Now, as the third wide receiver in a dynamic Kevin O’Connell offense, the Vikings have the best trio in the sport.

Jennings Gives the Vikings a New Offensive Ceiling

In recent seasons, the Vikings’ third wide receiver has been either K.J. Osborn or Jalen Nailor. Both are no longer in purple, and each used their elevated exposure with Minnesota to secure a warranted payday. Jennings represents a significantly higher bar than either of them, which is why his deal can be worth up to $13 million.

Minnesota is getting a dynamic talent in Jennings. He operated in a Kyle Shanahan offense that asked him to do a lot for the San Francisco 49ers. With Brandon Aiyuk pouting all of last season, Jennings had plenty of runway to operate on his own.

Not only is Jennings a red zone threat with a 6’3″ stature, but his 212 pounds outman most any defensive back, and he’s an asset in the blocking game as well. In 2024, Jennings posted 975 yards for San Francisco, and he came back with 643 last year. Able to work in the middle of the field, he’s an athletic check-down option and will allow new quarterback Kyler Murray a big target to rely on.

Jennings has found paydirt 22 times in his career and scored a career-best nine times last season. Minnesota routinely struggled when closing in on the goal line last year, and Jennings should be expected to alleviate some of those issues.

There are other talented trios in the NFL, but having the league’s best wide receiver in Jefferson and a legitimate star in Addison, just ahead of Jennings, puts Minnesota over the top. If Murray was hoping to have weapons he didn’t experience with the Arizona Cardinals, he’s been handed an embarrassment of riches when going into this season.

The Vikings played their cards right and landed Jennings at the opportune moment. Now it will be on opposing defenses to pick their poison and decide who they will try to stop.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler