Joel Embiid has evasive response to questions about 76ers
Joel Embiid was not exactly effusive on Sunday when asked about the state of his relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Embiid was asked about whether his relationship with team management is in a better place following his team’s 128-96 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Sunday.
“I mean, we’re in the playoffs, we’re 3-1 so that’s what we focus on,” Embiid said. “I think we try to do the best job possible to try to make sure that I get back on the court but the focus is on the playoffs, trying to find a way to win one at a time.”
Obviously, Embiid is focused on other things, but he did not really go out of his way to say nice things about team management. There were reports last season that he had internal tension with the organization over treatment of his injuries, and it is not clear if that has subsided.
Embiid made his playoff debut Sunday after a bout with appendicitis. The frustration about his inability to stay healthy is high, both for him and the team, and one has to wonder how much longer the organization can stay committed to a player who has so rarely been available to them over the past several years.
Rajon Rondo emerges as a candidate for a head-coaching job
Rajon Rondo could find himself roaming the sidelines as a head coach, beginning in the 2026-27 NBA season.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Rondo is among those the New Orleans Pelicans are considering to be the team’s next head coach.
“League sources say Rondo has been interviewed for the post after serving as a special assistant on Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee staff. Rondo is said to have felt his first coaching itch while recovering from a torn ACL as a Celtic, prompting Brad Stevens to bring him into staff meetings,” Stein wrote on his Substack.
It’s not surprising to hear that the 40-year-old Rondo has a strong interest in coaching in the Association. He displayed his high basketball IQ throughout his playing days, earning him a reputation as one of the league’s smartest players.
Being an intelligent point guard, however, doesn’t always equate to a successful coaching career. Rondo also has no head-coaching experience since he officially hung up his sneakers in 2024.
The four-time NBA All-Star Rondo had a stint as a guest on the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching staff under his former Boston Celtics head coach, Doc Rivers, during the 2025–26 regular season. However, he would be making a giant leap to the top of the Pelicans’ coaching hierarchy if he lands the job.
Rondo, who won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008, appeared in 65 games (63 starts) for the Pelicans during the 2017-18 season.
H/T HoopsHype
Gabrielle Union reacts to Dwyane Wade’s role in Candace Parker’s special day
Basketball legend Candace Parker is soon joining her friend Dwyane Wade and many others in the sport’s most prestigious club.
The two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, and when she heard the news, she knew who her presenter for the event would be.
In a video shared on social media by NBA on Prime, Parker gave Wade a handwritten letter during a plane ride, asking the Miami Heat legend to join her on stage during the induction.
You can watch that moment here.
“Dear No. 3… always looking out for me, through Olympic gold, medals, championships,” Wade said, while reading the letter out loud. “You have always had my back. It would be an absolute honor if you walk me and join me on stage at the Hall of Fame. I love you like a brother.”
Of course, Wade was happy to learn the news, immediately going over to Parker to give her a hug.
Meanwhile, Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union, saw the video of the heartfelt moment between her husband and Parker, who won three WNBA titles.
“[It’s] only right,” Union commented, adding a fire emoji for emphasis.
Union clearly has no issue with her husband showing support for Parker. Like many basketball fans familiar with Parker’s incredible career, Union was simply thrilled to know that the seven-time WNBA All-Star will receive a much-deserved spotlight.
The induction ceremony for Parker and the rest of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in August.
Fans can’t resist making the same joke about Russell Wilson at Savannah Bananas game
Russell Wilson is still an NFL free agent, but that is not keeping him out of the spotlight.
The 10-time Pro Bowler showed up on the baseball field on Sunday, joining the Savannah Bananas for a game against the Party Animals at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback grabbed everyone’s attention when he stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning, but not entirely for the right reasons. Wilson made contact with the ball and failed to leg out a single, as he was beaten to the bag on a trick play. You can watch the video of that play here.
Fans focused more on Wilson’s physique than his performance at the plate.
Bruh walking to the plate like …. pic.twitter.com/bfM0VgnXke
— Ah Sahm (@AhSahm96) April 27, 2026
His dad bod fits right in with all the other MLB players
— JO Buras (@JOBuras) April 27, 2026
Bro put down the burritos pic.twitter.com/RHjGKXxrQ3
— DK (@DK3OffTheT) April 27, 2026
Russ looking thicc in Free agency.
— Eric Diaz (@TheDudeDiaz) April 26, 2026
Russ turning into White Goodman pic.twitter.com/d35RxwTM1T
— Nicky Giuffre (@NickyMulligans) April 26, 2026
At 37 years old, it’s harder for Wilson to stay in top shape than it was during his prime. That said, he did not look so bad when he ran to first base.
He still has good speed, but it’s going to take more than that for an NFL team to take a chance on an aging quarterback who is coming off a mediocre campaign.
In the 2025 season, Wilson played in just six games (three starts) and passed for just 831 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on a 58% completion rate with the New York Giants.
Ime Udoka keeps door open for Kevin Durant’s Game 5 return
The Houston Rockets bought Kevin Durant some more time to recover from his ankle injury after taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.
With their 115-96 win over LA at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, the Rockets avoided a series sweep and kept alive their hope of seeing Durant suit up for at least one more time in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
After Game 4, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka hinted at the possibility of Durant returning to the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
“Kevin Durant’s status is game-to-game per Ime Udoka. He has not been ruled out for the series,” Vanessa Richardson of ESPN shared via a post on X.
Durant sat out Game 1 of the series with a knee issue before playing in Game 2, where he scored 23 points. However, he sat out again for Game 3 due to an ankle injury.
With Houston facing elimination on Sunday, Durant missed yet another game, though the Rockets found a way to survive, thanks to the collective effort of his healthy teammates.
No team in NBA history has won a series after opening it with three straight losses, but the Rockets’ chances of pulling off a miracle should increase if Durant plays in Game 5.
No team in NBA history has come back to win a series after losing the first three games, but the Rockets’ chances of pulling off a miracle would increase if Durant plays in Game 5.
LeBron James suffers an embarrassing low for the first time in his NBA career
LeBron James is an incredible ageless wonder, but he can’t always beat Father Time.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward lost one of those battles on Sunday. In Game 4 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, James scored just 10 points on 2/9 shooting. He dished out 9 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds, but he repeatedly shot the Lakers in the foot with 8 turnovers in a 115-96 Lakers loss.
It was also the second playoff game in a row that the four-time NBA MVP turned the ball over eight times, the first time ever in his legendary career that he committed at least that many turnovers in back-to-back postseason contests.
LeBron in Game 4 vs Houston:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 27, 2026
10 PTS
9 AST (8 TOV)
2-9 FG
0-3 3P
Back-to-back playoff games with 8 TOV for the first time in his career. pic.twitter.com/qh2aMjoWXr
The Lakers were able to weather James’ turnovers in Game 3, as they came away with a 112-108 come-from-behind victory.
James softened the blow of his miscues in that contest with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, but he did not have that kind of production in Game 4, as Los Angeles failed to complete a series sweep of the Rockets.
James has been left with increased ball-handling duties amid the absences of injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, which could explain his turnovers. He will look to tighten up his ball security on Wednesday, when the Lakers try to eliminate the Rockets again at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
Celtics fans take over 76ers’ arena with savage 3-word chant in Game 4
Boston Celtics fans were loud and proud on Sunday as their squad dominated on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series.
The Celtics throttled the Sixers 128-96 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in front of a muted Philadelphia crowd inside the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The home trailed by at least 15 points throughout the entire second half in the rout.
With Boston leading the contest by 30 points in the fourth quarter, the Celtics faithful taunted their Sixers counterparts with a mocking three-word chant.
“We want Boston! We want Boston!” chanted a smattering of Celtics fans in the building.
“We Want Boston” chants breaking out here in Philly
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 27, 2026
The Celtics are up by 30 pic.twitter.com/HrpmOiqgo4
The chants were clearly audible during the ESPN broadcast of the Beantown smackdown.
And now Celtics fans are chanting “WE WANT BOSTON” after blowing out the Sixers pic.twitter.com/LTEYfG11HA https://t.co/hTak6CpWw5
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 19, 2026
Sixers fans were chanting the same thing as their team beat the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament. Bostonians did not forget.
76ers fans were optimistic entering Game 4 with the return of All-Star center Joel Embiid, who had been recovering from an emergency appendectomy. Philly nearly stole Game 3 even without the former league MVP, and his return gave the Sixers an interior force it didn’t have for the first three games of the series.
Instead, the Celtics played their best game of the first round so far. Boston went 24/53 from beyond the arc and out-rebounded Philadelphia 51-30 to get the team one game away from advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Ravens owner ‘was begging’ to make draft pick for his team
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti did more for his team’s draft prep than prepare his checkbook.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta revealed on Sunday that Bisciotti was in charge of making one of the team’s selections in the 2026 NFL draft. The player who caught the billionaire’s eye was Clemson running back Adam Randall, whom the team selected with the last of its three fifth-round picks on Day 3.
DeCosta shared during his post-draft press conference about how Bisciotti’s involvement came about during the NFL Annual League Meeting about a month prior.
“It’s the first draft pick Steve Bisciotti’s ever made,” DeCosta told reporters. “When we were down in Florida, Steve was begging for a draft pick—and he owns the team. I said, ‘Yeah, Steve, of course you can have a draft pick.’ And so we decided on our last fifth-round pick.”
The Ravens executive assured the media that Bisciotti did the work necessary to make an informed decision on the 174th pick. Per DeCosta, Bisciotti studied tape, did his research, and talked to people around Randall to validate his choice.
While all that could be true, the slippery slope here is that Bisciotti will now have extra investment in Randall’s success. How Randall performs on the field — if he even gets enough time there — would be a direct reflection of Bisciotti’s eye for talent.
Randall could very well be a slam-dunk pick who outperforms his draft slot. He’s a converted wide receiver who had a standout senior year as Clemson’s RB1. He finished with 814 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns in his first year as a full-time back.
However, slowly integrating the team owner in the draft process could bring serious consequences. Just ask Dallas Cowboys fans.
Mike Tomlin makes ‘gun to my head’ prediction about Aaron Rodgers’ future
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t think Aaron Rodgers is going anywhere.
The Steelers’ quarterback plans for next season remained in limbo before the NFL draft, and not much has changed since. Rodgers has yet to confirm whether he’ll return to Pittsburgh next season or finally hang up his cleats for good.
Tomlin, who coached Rodgers during the 2025 season, believes he knows what’s going through his former QB1’s head. During his first appearance as an analyst on NBC, Tomlin was asked who he believes would be the Steelers’ starting quarterback once the season rolls around.
“Man, if you’ve got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s A.R.,” Tomlin told Maria Taylor. “I just think being around him for 12 months, he’s got a love affair with the game of football. And not only the game, but the process.
“The informal moments of the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates — I think he has an addiction to that, and there’s only one way to feed it. And certainly, he’s still capable and in really good shape. I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
Rodgers has been in the NFL for over two decades and has been widely revered as one of the league’s most talented players for most of that time. Going from being “the man” for all those years to the next retired player to appear as an analyst for the NFL Network is an adjustment he may not be ready to make.
Everyone made the same joke about Diego Pavia joining Ravens
Diego Pavia may be getting a chance to form something of an odd couple in Baltimore.
The former Vanderbilt quarterback Pavia has accepted an invite to rookie minicamp from the Baltimore Ravens, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Sunday. After officially going undrafted this week, Pavia will be joining the Ravens for minicamp next weekend.
That news of Pavia heading to Baltimore led to everybody making the same joke online. Many users on X joked about the impending dynamic between Pavia and Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Lamar Jackson and Diego Pavia at Ravens mini camp pic.twitter.com/kNkKBZTT5m
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) April 26, 2026
Lamar after Pavia demands to play with the 1s pic.twitter.com/gY7a1YOwVV
— Garage Gameday Sports (@GamedayGarage) April 26, 2026
Lamar to Diego. pic.twitter.com/8p9oGnbP2b
— Brady (@TheyCallMeBrady) April 26, 2026
Pavia when he sees Lamar pic.twitter.com/af9rMNeELJ
— Ralph (@Ralph6554183881) April 26, 2026
Pavia, 24, was a Heisman finalist and an SEC Offensive Player of the Year winner in 2025 after throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns at Vanderbilt (plus adding 862 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground). But with real questions over his height and arm strength, Pavia was ultimately not selected in the NFL Draft this week.
Additionally, Pavia did not help his own cause with his well-documented maturity concerns. But now Pavia will be getting a chance to potentially be teammates with a very different quarterback personality in Jackson.
Behind the former MVP Jackson, the Ravens currently have Tyler “Snoop” Huntley but no other backups at the QB position. Thus after Pavia made some embarrassing history by going undrafted, he will be getting his opportunity to prove that he belongs at the NFL level.
NBA decides on punishments for Nuggets-Timberwolves Game 4 fight
The Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves will officially have every (healthy) player available for Monday’s Game 5.
The NBA announced on Sunday that they are handing down fines only for Saturday night’s Game 4 incident between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves. Denver star Nikola Jokic is being fined $50,000 and Minnesota counterpart Julius Randle is being fined $35,000 as well.
In their official release, the NBA said that Jokic initiated the heated incident. Meanwhile, Randle was said to have “forcefully” inserted himself into the scrum before shoving Nuggets swingman Bruce Brown in the process.
Minnesota defeated Denver by a final score of 112-96 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. In the closing seconds of the game, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels made a layup after both teams had effectively stopped playing.
That led to Jokic rushing over to confront McDaniels, and players from both teams then proceeding to exchange shoves. You can see the full video of the incident here.
In addition to Jokic and Randle (both of whom were ejected on the spot), there was uncertainty about whether players such as Aaron Gordon of Denver or Rudy Gobert of Minnesota would trigger automatic one-game suspensions for leaving the bench area during the fight. Ultimately however, the NBA will not be handing out any suspensions, though the bigger concern for the leading Timberwolves right now is the bad news that they just got on star player Anthony Edwards.
Rams may still add another quarterback
The Los Angeles Rams might be committed to loading up on quarterbacks this offseason.
The Rams drafted Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall as their quarterback of the future on Thursday in the NFL Draft, but they may not be done. Coach Sean McVay refused to completely shut the door on the potential return of Jimmy Garoppolo in a backup role to Matthew Stafford.
“I don’t want to say completely closed, but I would say this. You guys know how much I appreciate Jimmy and what he could really do. I always viewed him as a starting-caliber quarterback,” McVay said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “I wouldn’t say he’d ever close it, but by being able to do what we did last night, it probably lessens the level of urgency for that position. I certainly would never say never in anything like that.”
The Rams have essentially confirmed that Garoppolo is contemplating retirement, which may have played at least a small role in the Simpson pick. The team is still hopeful that he will reconsider, even though, as McVay alluded to, their backup situation is more settled now.
If Garoppolo did come back to the Rams, Simpson would wind up third on the depth chart. That shows just how serious the Rams are about letting him develop instead of throwing him into game action.
Report reveals how severe Kevin Durant’s injury really is
Kevin Durant will not play in Game 4 of the Houston Rockets’ first round playoff series, and under normal circumstances, he would be out for a while after that, too.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Durant has not been cleared by doctors to play in Sunday’s do-or-die game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant is dealing with a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would be a two-to-three week injury during the regular season.
Houston's Kevin Durant is expected to miss Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Durant has a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would sideline him 2 to 3 weeks in season. He's had around-the-clock treatment to play but has not been cleared by doctors. pic.twitter.com/DpOdclPEAw
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026
Obviously, Durant is pushing to return as soon as possible with the Rockets on the brink of elimination. The timeline gives an indication, however, of just how significant Durant’s injury really is.
Details about Durant’s injury have been few and far between. He missed Games 1 and 3, and even his teammates seem largely unaware of what is going on and whether his rehab is progressing. It is not clear if he would have a chance to play in a hypothetical Game 5 either, with the Rockets likely to take things day-by-day.
Durant scored 23 points on 7/12 shooting in Game 2, his only appearance of the series to date.
Raptors set an incredibly ugly record in their playoff win
The Toronto Raptors evened their Eastern Conference first round series on Sunday despite a performance that went into the record books for the wrong reasons.
The Raptors pulled out a 93-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, On. in what was a defensive struggle for most of the game. The two teams combined for just 74 first half points, and things did not improve significantly in the second half.
The Raptors wound up shooting 31/97 from the field, a 32 percent mark. That is the lowest figure a winning team has ever posted in a playoff game since the advent of the three-point line.
Raptors win! They shot 32% from the field, the worst mark in a playoff win in the 3-point era.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) April 26, 2026
Toronto went just 4/30 from three-point range. Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett combined to shoot 14/45, while Scottie Barnes was a bit more respectable at 6/15.
Though they have come back to tie the series at 2, the Raptors have played some ugly basketball against the Cavaliers. They should feel fortunate to be in the series, but that is exactly where they find themselves.
Brett Baty got yelled at by umpire Ryan Blakney for ridiculous reason
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty got in hot water with home plate umpire Ryan Blakney for a ridiculous reason.
Baty was called out on strikes on a pitch at the bottom of the zone to end the fourth inning of Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field in New York, N.Y. Baty was clearly displeased with the call and took a glance back toward Blakney as he removed his equipment. Blakney did not like that, initially telling Baty he should have challenged. Baty pointed out that he hadn’t said anything to Blakney, but he apparently didn’t need to.
“You didn’t need to. Don’t look at me,” Blakney replied.
"Don't look at me"
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 26, 2026
Brett Baty has a back-and-forth with the home plate umpire following a strikeout pic.twitter.com/naRGIg5Fyl
Baty rightly asked Blakney why the umpire was instigating, but things did not escalate from there.
Blakney is correct to point out that if Baty disliked the call, he should have challenged. The pitch did look like a strike, too. Getting worked up because Baty looked back at him, however, is pretty soft behavior.
Maybe there’s something about New York that gets home plate umpires a bit uptight. Fortunately, everyone kept their cool, and Baty was not ejected or anything silly like that.
Son of WWE legend lands an NFL contract
The son of a WWE Hall of Famer is embarking on an NFL career after landing a contract following the NFL Draft.
Former Jacksonville State wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner is signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent, the team announced Sunday. Rechsteiner is the son of WWE legend Scott Steiner, who promptly celebrated the news on social media.
Titan Up! @brocksteiner pic.twitter.com/02JWORyzXp
— Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner (@ScottSteiner) April 26, 2026
Steiner was one half of the Steiner Brothers wrestling duo in the 1980s and 1990s. He was also a WCW Triple Crown Champion, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022 as half of the Steiner Brothers.
Rechsteiner is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a big wide receiver at 6’2″ and 225 pounds. He caught 36 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns for Jacksonville State last season.
The Steiner Brothers have plenty of athletes in the family. Scott’s nephew Bronson is also a pro wrestler under the name Bron Breakker.
Jason Varitek had a priceless reaction to the Red Sox firings
Jason Varitek is doing is best right now to grin and bear it.
The Boston Red Sox decided on the nuclear option on Saturday, firing manager Alex Cora and several other top coaches. The drastic move came with the Red Sox having gotten off to a lousy 10-17 start to the 2026 MLB season.
Varitek, the retired Red Sox legend, was originally reported to have been fired as well from his job as the team’s run prevention coach. It was later revealed however that Varitek was actually getting reassigned to a different role by Boston (with the exact details to come at a later date).
Nevertheless, Varitek still went viral for his priceless reaction to the news. Varitek posed for a photo with all of his fired colleagues amid their flight back to Boston. In the photo, which was posted by Cora to Instagram, Varitek was smiling and giving the thumbs-down sign.
Jason Varitek gives a thumbs down as the fired group of Red Sox coaches flies back to Boston (via Alex Cora’s IG story). pic.twitter.com/QoOIrhzPTC
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 26, 2026
Now 54 years old, Varitek is a Red Sox icon. He played his entire MLB career in Boston from 1997-2011, making three MLB All-Star teams and serving as the starting catcher on two Red Sox World Series-winning teams in 2004 and 2007.
But obviously “Tek” is not too pleased about seeing all of his colleagues get the boot. He can now join the club along with Boston’s current players, many of whom are reportedly unhappy about the Cora firing.
Deion Sanders sends encouraging message to Diego Pavia
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is still waiting for an NFL opportunity, but he has at least one believer in Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
Sanders had a message for Pavia on Saturday after the Heisman Trophy finalist went undrafted in the NFL Draft. On X, Sanders said he was a believer in Pavia and urged the quarterback to “stay strong.”
“I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN!” Sanders wrote. “Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget.”
@diegopavia02 “I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN! Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget. Much Love & God bless you. #PRIME
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) April 26, 2026
Pavia going undrafted is not a total shock, as he was never regarded as a top-tier prospect. Still, he was a Heisman finalist, and there is not much precedent for someone with that pedigree to go undrafted.
Sanders’ endorsement probably won’t do much for Pavia, who has a lot working against him. He turned 24 in February, stands just 5’10”, and has dealt with questions about his temperament. Plenty of teams probably just don’t want to deal with that from a player who is unlikely to make a roster out of training camp.
Kevin Durant appears to be leaving his Rockets teammates in the dark
Kevin Durant may already be torching his goodwill with yet another franchise.
The Houston Rockets star Durant missed Game 3 of his team’s first-round series against the Lakers on Friday with an ankle sprain. The absence came after he also missed Game 1 of the series due to a knee injury.
Prior to Sunday’s Game 4 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas (a potential elimination game with the Rockets now down in the series 0-3), ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared an unflattering report about Durant. McMenamin said that there are questions among Houston teammates about whether Durant is doing his rehab away from the team right now.
Additionally, McMenamin notes that Rockets forward Amen Thompson replied, “I don’t know” earlier in the day on Sunday when asked about Durant’s status. Questions also reportedly exist about whether teammates have been able to check in on Durant as he works to recover.
David McMenamin says Kevin Durant’s teammates have no idea what’s going on with him, raising questions about whether KD is rehabbing away from the team and whether his teammates have been checking on him
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 26, 2026
(h/t @NBA__Courtside ) pic.twitter.com/IsLVFXdPNS
The former NBA MVP Durant, 37, is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 against the Lakers. But there has indeed been an air of mystery with Durant’s latest injury as he notably no-showed on the Rockets bench for the entirety of Game 3 in Houston.
Durant is in his first season with the Rockets but cannot become a free agent until 2027 after signing a contract extension this past October. But if there is a disconnect between Durant and his Houston teammates, that would only further fuel the uncertainty that the Rockets will be facing with a potential first-round exit this year.
Red Sox players are not happy with Alex Cora’s firing
Boston Red Sox players do not appear happy with the team’s decision to fire manager Alex Cora, or the way they went about it.
The Red Sox fired Cora on Saturday with the team off to a 10-17 start, prompting a great deal of surprise around the baseball world. That apparently extended to the players, many of whom found out about the decision via social media.
Some Red Sox players found out about the details of the firings of Alex Cora and the coaches on social media, like the rest of the world, I'm told.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 26, 2026
"We're gonna meet together tomorrow as a team," Sam Kennedy told MasLive. "We wanted to meet with Alex before talking to anybody…
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said the team would be addressed on Sunday. That, apparently, did not go well. General manager Craig Breslow was the only member of team leadership to speak to the players, and according to pitcher Garrett Whitlock, players were not allowed to ask questions.
“They made it very clear that we get paid to play baseball and we need to just focus on playing baseball,” Whitlock said, via Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.
In general, the mood of the players appeared quite negative. Shortstop Trevor Story said he wanted to clear the air with Breslow, and said the coaching staff did not get a fair shot.
Trevor Story is not happy with the decisions and says he wants to clear the air with Craig Breslow today. Says “some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot.”
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 26, 2026
Cora was seemingly made the scapegoat for the team’s 10-17 start, even though he has won a World Series as manager and few really blamed him for the issues. Cora himself seemed to believe he got a raw deal, at least based on his social media activity.
There had been past rumors about something of a power struggle between Cora and Breslow. If these reactions are any indication, the players are more supportive of their former manager, which may be a problem for Breslow in the future.
