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Deadspin | Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper power Phillies past D-backs  Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) hits a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs to highlight the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.  Taijuan Walker (1-2) bounced back after a rough first inning to get the Phillies through five frames. He gave up two runs – both in the first – on four hits and two walks, striking out six to help Philadelphia snap a three-game slide.  Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered for Arizona, which had won five of its previous six games. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – and five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.  Arizona got off to a great start, as Marte hit Walker’s third pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.  Corbin Carroll followed with a walk and advanced on a groundout. The next hitter was Del Castillo, who delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.  Philadelphia went down quietly against Pfaadt in the first and second innings before an error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to a four-run rally in the third.  After Alec Bohm reached on Perdomo’s miscue, Justin Crawford singled and Trea Turner struck out. Pfaadt then tried to get a 1-0 changeup past Schwarber, who launched it into the seats in right field to put the hosts ahead.   Two pitches later, Harper sent a fastball into the Phillies’ bullpen in right-center, making it 4-2.  Schwarber’s fourth home run and Harper’s third of the season proved to be enough support for Walker, who induced a double play to get through the fifth.  Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado combined to get through the sixth and seventh innings.  Brad Keller ran into some two-out trouble in the eighth, as he allowed a walk and two hits – including Jose Fernandez’s single that sliced Arizona’s deficit to 4-3. However, Keller struck out Nolan Arenado with the tying run on third base to end the inning.  Jhoan Duran had no issues in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Kyle #Schwarber #Bryce #Harper #power #Phillies #Dbacks

Deadspin | Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper power Phillies past D-backs
Deadspin | Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper power Phillies past D-backs  Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) hits a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs to highlight the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.  Taijuan Walker (1-2) bounced back after a rough first inning to get the Phillies through five frames. He gave up two runs – both in the first – on four hits and two walks, striking out six to help Philadelphia snap a three-game slide.  Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered for Arizona, which had won five of its previous six games. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – and five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.  Arizona got off to a great start, as Marte hit Walker’s third pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.  Corbin Carroll followed with a walk and advanced on a groundout. The next hitter was Del Castillo, who delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.  Philadelphia went down quietly against Pfaadt in the first and second innings before an error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to a four-run rally in the third.  After Alec Bohm reached on Perdomo’s miscue, Justin Crawford singled and Trea Turner struck out. Pfaadt then tried to get a 1-0 changeup past Schwarber, who launched it into the seats in right field to put the hosts ahead.   Two pitches later, Harper sent a fastball into the Phillies’ bullpen in right-center, making it 4-2.  Schwarber’s fourth home run and Harper’s third of the season proved to be enough support for Walker, who induced a double play to get through the fifth.  Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado combined to get through the sixth and seventh innings.  Brad Keller ran into some two-out trouble in the eighth, as he allowed a walk and two hits – including Jose Fernandez’s single that sliced Arizona’s deficit to 4-3. However, Keller struck out Nolan Arenado with the tying run on third base to end the inning.  Jhoan Duran had no issues in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Kyle #Schwarber #Bryce #Harper #power #Phillies #DbacksApr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) hits a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs to highlight the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.

Taijuan Walker (1-2) bounced back after a rough first inning to get the Phillies through five frames. He gave up two runs – both in the first – on four hits and two walks, striking out six to help Philadelphia snap a three-game slide.

Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered for Arizona, which had won five of its previous six games. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – and five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.

Arizona got off to a great start, as Marte hit Walker’s third pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.

Corbin Carroll followed with a walk and advanced on a groundout. The next hitter was Del Castillo, who delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Philadelphia went down quietly against Pfaadt in the first and second innings before an error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to a four-run rally in the third.


After Alec Bohm reached on Perdomo’s miscue, Justin Crawford singled and Trea Turner struck out. Pfaadt then tried to get a 1-0 changeup past Schwarber, who launched it into the seats in right field to put the hosts ahead.

Two pitches later, Harper sent a fastball into the Phillies’ bullpen in right-center, making it 4-2.

Schwarber’s fourth home run and Harper’s third of the season proved to be enough support for Walker, who induced a double play to get through the fifth.

Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado combined to get through the sixth and seventh innings.

Brad Keller ran into some two-out trouble in the eighth, as he allowed a walk and two hits – including Jose Fernandez’s single that sliced Arizona’s deficit to 4-3. However, Keller struck out Nolan Arenado with the tying run on third base to end the inning.

Jhoan Duran had no issues in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Kyle #Schwarber #Bryce #Harper #power #Phillies #Dbacks

Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) hits a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs to highlight the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.

Taijuan Walker (1-2) bounced back after a rough first inning to get the Phillies through five frames. He gave up two runs – both in the first – on four hits and two walks, striking out six to help Philadelphia snap a three-game slide.

Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered for Arizona, which had won five of its previous six games. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – and five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out six.

Arizona got off to a great start, as Marte hit Walker’s third pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.

Corbin Carroll followed with a walk and advanced on a groundout. The next hitter was Del Castillo, who delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Philadelphia went down quietly against Pfaadt in the first and second innings before an error by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to a four-run rally in the third.

After Alec Bohm reached on Perdomo’s miscue, Justin Crawford singled and Trea Turner struck out. Pfaadt then tried to get a 1-0 changeup past Schwarber, who launched it into the seats in right field to put the hosts ahead.

Two pitches later, Harper sent a fastball into the Phillies’ bullpen in right-center, making it 4-2.

Schwarber’s fourth home run and Harper’s third of the season proved to be enough support for Walker, who induced a double play to get through the fifth.

Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado combined to get through the sixth and seventh innings.

Brad Keller ran into some two-out trouble in the eighth, as he allowed a walk and two hits – including Jose Fernandez’s single that sliced Arizona’s deficit to 4-3. However, Keller struck out Nolan Arenado with the tying run on third base to end the inning.

Jhoan Duran had no issues in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Kyle #Schwarber #Bryce #Harper #power #Phillies #Dbacks

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Bangladesh retains squad for first two New Zealand ODIs <div id="content-body-70850544" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Bangladesh named an unchanged squad on Saturday for the first two matches of the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, the first announcement by a newly formed selection panel.</p><p>The four-member panel, led by Habibul Bashar Sumon, opted to stick with the same group that featured in the ODI series against Pakistan last month, citing continuity and overall team performance.</p><p>Bangladesh beat Pakistan 2-1 in the home ODI series.</p><p>“Our policy is to give adequate opportunities to anyone who comes into the team. We believe in continuity, which is why we did not change the team for this series,” Habibul, who took over last month, told reporters.</p><p>The selectors also backed out-of-form opener Saif Hassan, who managed just 52 runs in three matches in the Pakistan series.</p><p>“We want to give him more opportunities before making a decision. We do not want to go into a chop-and-change approach,” he said.</p><p><b>READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/virat-kohli-vaibhav-suryavanshi-orange-cap-signed-autograph-rr-vs-rcb/article70850297.ece" target="_blank">Virat Kohli signs Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s cap, pens sweet message</a></b></p><p>New Zealand is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on Monday for the white-ball tour, which includes three ODIs and three T20Is.</p><p>The opening two ODIs will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on April 17 and 20, followed by the third on April 23 at Chattogram.</p><p>The T20I series will begin in Chattogram with matches on April 27 and 29, before concluding in Dhaka on May 2.</p><div class="fact-box"><h5 class="main-title"> SQUAD </h5><p> Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman. </p></div><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 11, 2026</p></div> #Bangladesh #retains #squad #Zealand #ODIs

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Deadspin | Heat, Hawks clash with major playoff implications <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28298528.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28298528.jpg" alt="NBA: Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Feb 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots over Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The Miami Heat are guaranteed a fourth straight year in the play-in round, but — with one game left in the regular season — there’s still something for Miami to chase.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>On Sunday night, the Heat (42-39) will host the Atlanta Hawks (46-35). If Miami beats Atlanta and Charlotte loses at the New York Knicks, the Heat will have home-court advantage against the Hornets in a do-or-die play-in game next week.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he would’ve preferred to have made the playoff round outright, but …</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>“We’re there (in the play-in),” he said. “We still have an opportunity to get home court (against Charlotte). We want to maximize that opportunity.”</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>On Friday, the Heat broke a two-game losing streak with a 140-117 win at Washington. The Heat are just 4-10 over their past 14 games but are 7-1 in games in which they make at least 20 3-pointers.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Indeed, Miami shot 20 of 37 from deep on Friday, and the Heat did that despite playing without several key players who are injured: Tyler Herro (right foot), Norman Powell (groin), Davion Mitchell (right shoulder), Dru Smith (right foot), and Nikola Jovic (left ankle).</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Their status for the game vs. the Hawks is uncertain, but the Heat have solid depth, as they showed on Friday with Simone Fontecchio and Pelle Larsson scoring 24 points each, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. adding 23. Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Fontecchio, who has played 70 games this season, got just his ninth start of the campaign on Friday, and he earned praise from Spoelstra.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-9"> <p>“He has always kept himself ready,” Spoelstra said. “He’s done a lot of things that have made me take notice. He’s one of our better rebounders. He gives us positional size, and he’s ignitable as a shooter. If he sees a couple go down, it can be an avalanche from there.”</p> </section> <section id="section-10"> <p>Meanwhile, the Hawks have clinched their first playoff berth since 2023. Atlanta, the Southeast Division champion, will be seeded either fifth or sixth. The team’s first-round opponent will be either the Cavaliers if Atlanta holds on to the fifth seed, or the Knicks if the Hawks slip to sixth.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Atlanta, which has not won a playoff series since 2021, is led by Jalen Johnson, a first-time All-Star this season. He tops the Hawks in scoring (22.5 points per game), rebounds (10.3 per game), and assists (7.9).</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Johnson had 18 points, nine rebounds, and two assists in just 25 minutes in Atlanta’s 124-102 playoff-clinching win over visiting Cleveland on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are three more Hawks players to watch.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>Daniels had his second career triple-double on Friday with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. For the season, he averages 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and a team-high 2.0 steals.</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>Alexander-Walker is second on the Hawks in scoring (20.8 ppg), and McCollum is third (18.7). McCollum scored a game-high 29 points on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-16"> <p>“These guys believed we could do this,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said when asked about making the playoffs. “This year is about building a foundation. That, regardless of what happens going forward, is a win. We’re excited.”</p> </section><section id="section-17"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Heat #Hawks #clash #major #playoff #implications

Rohit Sharma has been a stalwart for Mumbai Indians for a long time now, leading the side to five IPL titles.

As Mumbai Indians faces its familiar foe Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL 2026 clash on Sunday, let’s take a look at Rohit’s record against RCB.

Rohit Sharma’s record against RCB

Innings: 33

Runs: 848

Average: 27.35

Strike Rate: 136.99

Highest Score: 94

While statistics might show that Rohit hasn’t always been at his best against RCB, the MI opener though has scored seven fifties, including a 94 in 2018.

Rohit will also look to capitalise on an impactful start to the 2026 season. He has scored 118 runs in the first three matches at an average of 39.33 with a strike rate of 168.57 so far.

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#RCB #IPL #Rohit #Sharmas #record #Royal #Challengers #Bengaluru">MI vs RCB, IPL 2026: Rohit Sharma’s record against Royal Challengers Bengaluru  Rohit Sharma has been a stalwart for Mumbai Indians for a long time now, leading the side to five IPL titles.As Mumbai Indians faces its familiar foe Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL 2026 clash on Sunday, let’s take a look at Rohit’s record against RCB.
Rohit Sharma’s record against RCB

Innings: 33

Runs: 848

Average: 27.35

Strike Rate: 136.99

Highest Score: 94
While statistics might show that Rohit hasn’t always been at his best against RCB, the MI opener though has scored seven fifties, including a 94 in 2018.Rohit will also look to capitalise on an impactful start to the 2026 season. He has scored 118 runs in the first three matches at an average of 39.33 with a strike rate of 168.57 so far.Published on Apr 12, 2026  #RCB #IPL #Rohit #Sharmas #record #Royal #Challengers #Bengaluru

Deadspin | Hornets aim to bounce back in season finale vs. Knicks  Dec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA;  Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives past New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images   After clinching the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks are expected to sit a number of key players in their regular-season finale against the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.  New York (53-28) has won five straight games and 12 of its past 15, including a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.  Before opening their first-round series either next Saturday or Sunday, the Knicks will face a Charlotte team headed to the East’s play-in tournament.  The Hornets (43-38) saw their chances at a guaranteed playoff bid evaporate with a 118-100 home loss to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Friday. Charlotte has lost two straight following a four-game winning streak.  As a result, the Hornets will be locked outside of the top eight. With a win on Sunday, they will earn the ninth seed. If they lose and the Miami Heat win, the Hornets would slide down to 10th.  LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists, and Brandon Miller added 22 points and four steals in Friday’s loss for the Hornets.   Charlotte allowed 62 points in the paint and was outscored 25-10 in the fourth quarter.  “(The Pistons) are good at being physical and getting to the paint,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “Offensively, we let some of their physicality bother us. Our screening was not physical enough, way too many guys going under. Not the group that I think we’ve been the last couple of weeks, and what we’ve built throughout the season.”  Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting in the loss for the Hornets, who were outscored 27-12 on second-chance points.  “A night like this can really put things in perspective,” Charlotte forward Grant Williams said. “I thought that we could have upped our physicality. Rather than us rallying together and understanding that 10 points is nothing in the NBA, I think we went the opposite way. I think the group just didn’t necessarily commit to understanding that.”   Knueppel made two 3-pointers in the loss and became the 13th NBA player with at least 270 3-pointers in a season.  The Hornets defeated New York 114-103 in their last meeting in Charlotte on March 26.  New York won its seventh straight home game on Friday and impressed Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic in the process.  “(The Knicks) have a lot of depth. They’re an elite offensive rebounding team. They have an amazing closer in (Jalen) Brunson. They have an amazing shooter and rebounder and playmaker in Karl-Anthony Towns,” Rajakovic said. “I can talk about their roster and how well they’ve played for a long time. They’re an elite, elite team.”  Brunson scored 29 points, and Towns added 22 points and 10 rebounds to help the Knicks complete a season sweep (5-0) against the Raptors and improve to 30-9 at home this season.  New York shot 54.7 percent from the field and outscored Toronto 58-40 in the paint.  “Tonight was a good night to show our improvement as a team,” Towns said. “Things we can be better at, but I think that right now confidence is high, morale is great in the locker room. It feels good to step into Sunday with that kind of momentum.”  One area of concern is the status of forward OG Anunoby, who exited the game midway through the second quarter with an injured left ankle and did not return.  Anunoby will rest on Sunday as the Knicks focus on their first-round matchup. The Knicks have about a week for Anunoby to recover before facing the East’s No. 6 seed.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Hornets #aim #bounce #season #finale #KnicksDec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives past New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

After clinching the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks are expected to sit a number of key players in their regular-season finale against the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

New York (53-28) has won five straight games and 12 of its past 15, including a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Before opening their first-round series either next Saturday or Sunday, the Knicks will face a Charlotte team headed to the East’s play-in tournament.

The Hornets (43-38) saw their chances at a guaranteed playoff bid evaporate with a 118-100 home loss to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Friday. Charlotte has lost two straight following a four-game winning streak.

As a result, the Hornets will be locked outside of the top eight. With a win on Sunday, they will earn the ninth seed. If they lose and the Miami Heat win, the Hornets would slide down to 10th.

LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists, and Brandon Miller added 22 points and four steals in Friday’s loss for the Hornets.

Charlotte allowed 62 points in the paint and was outscored 25-10 in the fourth quarter.

“(The Pistons) are good at being physical and getting to the paint,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “Offensively, we let some of their physicality bother us. Our screening was not physical enough, way too many guys going under. Not the group that I think we’ve been the last couple of weeks, and what we’ve built throughout the season.”

Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting in the loss for the Hornets, who were outscored 27-12 on second-chance points.


“A night like this can really put things in perspective,” Charlotte forward Grant Williams said. “I thought that we could have upped our physicality. Rather than us rallying together and understanding that 10 points is nothing in the NBA, I think we went the opposite way. I think the group just didn’t necessarily commit to understanding that.”

Knueppel made two 3-pointers in the loss and became the 13th NBA player with at least 270 3-pointers in a season.

The Hornets defeated New York 114-103 in their last meeting in Charlotte on March 26.

New York won its seventh straight home game on Friday and impressed Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic in the process.

“(The Knicks) have a lot of depth. They’re an elite offensive rebounding team. They have an amazing closer in (Jalen) Brunson. They have an amazing shooter and rebounder and playmaker in Karl-Anthony Towns,” Rajakovic said. “I can talk about their roster and how well they’ve played for a long time. They’re an elite, elite team.”

Brunson scored 29 points, and Towns added 22 points and 10 rebounds to help the Knicks complete a season sweep (5-0) against the Raptors and improve to 30-9 at home this season.

New York shot 54.7 percent from the field and outscored Toronto 58-40 in the paint.

“Tonight was a good night to show our improvement as a team,” Towns said. “Things we can be better at, but I think that right now confidence is high, morale is great in the locker room. It feels good to step into Sunday with that kind of momentum.”

One area of concern is the status of forward OG Anunoby, who exited the game midway through the second quarter with an injured left ankle and did not return.

Anunoby will rest on Sunday as the Knicks focus on their first-round matchup. The Knicks have about a week for Anunoby to recover before facing the East’s No. 6 seed.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Hornets #aim #bounce #season #finale #Knicks">Deadspin | Hornets aim to bounce back in season finale vs. Knicks  Dec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA;  Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives past New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images   After clinching the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks are expected to sit a number of key players in their regular-season finale against the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.  New York (53-28) has won five straight games and 12 of its past 15, including a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.  Before opening their first-round series either next Saturday or Sunday, the Knicks will face a Charlotte team headed to the East’s play-in tournament.  The Hornets (43-38) saw their chances at a guaranteed playoff bid evaporate with a 118-100 home loss to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Friday. Charlotte has lost two straight following a four-game winning streak.  As a result, the Hornets will be locked outside of the top eight. With a win on Sunday, they will earn the ninth seed. If they lose and the Miami Heat win, the Hornets would slide down to 10th.  LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists, and Brandon Miller added 22 points and four steals in Friday’s loss for the Hornets.   Charlotte allowed 62 points in the paint and was outscored 25-10 in the fourth quarter.  “(The Pistons) are good at being physical and getting to the paint,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “Offensively, we let some of their physicality bother us. Our screening was not physical enough, way too many guys going under. Not the group that I think we’ve been the last couple of weeks, and what we’ve built throughout the season.”  Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting in the loss for the Hornets, who were outscored 27-12 on second-chance points.  “A night like this can really put things in perspective,” Charlotte forward Grant Williams said. “I thought that we could have upped our physicality. Rather than us rallying together and understanding that 10 points is nothing in the NBA, I think we went the opposite way. I think the group just didn’t necessarily commit to understanding that.”   Knueppel made two 3-pointers in the loss and became the 13th NBA player with at least 270 3-pointers in a season.  The Hornets defeated New York 114-103 in their last meeting in Charlotte on March 26.  New York won its seventh straight home game on Friday and impressed Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic in the process.  “(The Knicks) have a lot of depth. They’re an elite offensive rebounding team. They have an amazing closer in (Jalen) Brunson. They have an amazing shooter and rebounder and playmaker in Karl-Anthony Towns,” Rajakovic said. “I can talk about their roster and how well they’ve played for a long time. They’re an elite, elite team.”  Brunson scored 29 points, and Towns added 22 points and 10 rebounds to help the Knicks complete a season sweep (5-0) against the Raptors and improve to 30-9 at home this season.  New York shot 54.7 percent from the field and outscored Toronto 58-40 in the paint.  “Tonight was a good night to show our improvement as a team,” Towns said. “Things we can be better at, but I think that right now confidence is high, morale is great in the locker room. It feels good to step into Sunday with that kind of momentum.”  One area of concern is the status of forward OG Anunoby, who exited the game midway through the second quarter with an injured left ankle and did not return.  Anunoby will rest on Sunday as the Knicks focus on their first-round matchup. The Knicks have about a week for Anunoby to recover before facing the East’s No. 6 seed.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Hornets #aim #bounce #season #finale #Knicks

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