Deadspin | Lakers romp past Rockets, seal series in 6, set date with Thunder May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) reacts after a made basket against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images LeBron James scored 18 of his 28 points in a runaway first half for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who cruised to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday and claimed their Western Conference first-round playoff series in six games. By virtue of the 4-2 series victory, the Lakers advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will travel to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 on Tuesday. James added seven rebounds and eight assists to his ledger. Teammate Rui Hachimura put up 21 points, hitting 5 of 7 from the 3-point arc. Austin Reaves, who started for the first time in the series, added 15 points for the Lakers. Undermined by turnovers throughout the series, the Lakers committed just 11 giveaways while limiting Houston to 35% shooting. The Lakers finished with a 19-8 edge in fastbreak points, made 12 of 28 3-point shots (42.9%) and produced a plus-9 rebounding margin. Alperen Sengun paired 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who played without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the fifth time in the series. Amen Thompson added 18 points and eight rebounds while Tari Eason tallied 14 points. Reed Sheppard scored 10 points for Houston, but missed 15 of 19 shots, including 9 of 10 from 3-point range. Houston finished 5 of 28 (17.9%) from deep. The Rockets’ promising bid to rally from a 3-0 series deficit and force a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday fizzled quickly. Sengun gave Houston a 16-11 lead with a hook shot nearly seven minutes into the first quarter, but the Lakers seized control with a 12-0 run. Reaves ignited the surge with a three-point play while Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Hachimura added treys to lift the Lakers to a 23-16 lead. The Lakers opened the second with a 9-0 spurt keyed by James, who scored in the post, drilled a 3-pointer and tallied a driving layup. The Rockets missed their first 11 shots of the second, with Sheppard ending the drought by driving for a layup at the 6:55 mark. After Thompson scored through a foul to cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 11, Ayton sank 1 of 2 free throws and then James assisted on a Hachimura trey before nailing a pull-up 3-pointer that helped the Lakers re carry a 49-31 lead into the intermission. Los Angeles led by as many as 29 points in the second half. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Lakers #romp #Rockets #seal #series #set #date #Thunder

Deadspin | Lakers romp past Rockets, seal series in 6, set date with Thunder
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) reacts after a made basket against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

LeBron James scored 18 of his 28 points in a runaway first half for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who cruised to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday and claimed their Western Conference first-round playoff series in six games.

By virtue of the 4-2 series victory, the Lakers advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will travel to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 on Tuesday.

James added seven rebounds and eight assists to his ledger. Teammate Rui Hachimura put up 21 points, hitting 5 of 7 from the 3-point arc. Austin Reaves, who started for the first time in the series, added 15 points for the Lakers.

Undermined by turnovers throughout the series, the Lakers committed just 11 giveaways while limiting Houston to 35% shooting. The Lakers finished with a 19-8 edge in fastbreak points, made 12 of 28 3-point shots (42.9%) and produced a plus-9 rebounding margin.

Alperen Sengun paired 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who played without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the fifth time in the series. Amen Thompson added 18 points and eight rebounds while Tari Eason tallied 14 points. Reed Sheppard scored 10 points for Houston, but missed 15 of 19 shots, including 9 of 10 from 3-point range. Houston finished 5 of 28 (17.9%) from deep.

The Rockets’ promising bid to rally from a 3-0 series deficit and force a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday fizzled quickly. Sengun gave Houston a 16-11 lead with a hook shot nearly seven minutes into the first quarter, but the Lakers seized control with a 12-0 run.

Reaves ignited the surge with a three-point play while Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Hachimura added treys to lift the Lakers to a 23-16 lead.

The Lakers opened the second with a 9-0 spurt keyed by James, who scored in the post, drilled a 3-pointer and tallied a driving layup.

The Rockets missed their first 11 shots of the second, with Sheppard ending the drought by driving for a layup at the 6:55 mark. After Thompson scored through a foul to cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 11, Ayton sank 1 of 2 free throws and then James assisted on a Hachimura trey before nailing a pull-up 3-pointer that helped the Lakers re carry a 49-31 lead into the intermission.

Los Angeles led by as many as 29 points in the second half.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Lakers #romp #Rockets #seal #series #set #date #Thunder

Sports news May 2, 2026

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) reacts after a made basket against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

LeBron James scored 18 of his 28 points in a runaway first half for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who cruised to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday and claimed their Western Conference first-round playoff series in six games.

By virtue of the 4-2 series victory, the Lakers advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will travel to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 on Tuesday.

James added seven rebounds and eight assists to his ledger. Teammate Rui Hachimura put up 21 points, hitting 5 of 7 from the 3-point arc. Austin Reaves, who started for the first time in the series, added 15 points for the Lakers.

Undermined by turnovers throughout the series, the Lakers committed just 11 giveaways while limiting Houston to 35% shooting. The Lakers finished with a 19-8 edge in fastbreak points, made 12 of 28 3-point shots (42.9%) and produced a plus-9 rebounding margin.

Alperen Sengun paired 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who played without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the fifth time in the series. Amen Thompson added 18 points and eight rebounds while Tari Eason tallied 14 points. Reed Sheppard scored 10 points for Houston, but missed 15 of 19 shots, including 9 of 10 from 3-point range. Houston finished 5 of 28 (17.9%) from deep.

The Rockets’ promising bid to rally from a 3-0 series deficit and force a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday fizzled quickly. Sengun gave Houston a 16-11 lead with a hook shot nearly seven minutes into the first quarter, but the Lakers seized control with a 12-0 run.

Reaves ignited the surge with a three-point play while Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Hachimura added treys to lift the Lakers to a 23-16 lead.

The Lakers opened the second with a 9-0 spurt keyed by James, who scored in the post, drilled a 3-pointer and tallied a driving layup.

The Rockets missed their first 11 shots of the second, with Sheppard ending the drought by driving for a layup at the 6:55 mark. After Thompson scored through a foul to cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 11, Ayton sank 1 of 2 free throws and then James assisted on a Hachimura trey before nailing a pull-up 3-pointer that helped the Lakers re carry a 49-31 lead into the intermission.

Los Angeles led by as many as 29 points in the second half.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Lakers #romp #Rockets #seal #series #set #date #Thunder

Narnia Release Date Delayed, Netflix & Greta Gerwig Movie Gets Major Update

Former F1 driver and Paralympic champion Zanardi dies at 59 <div id="content-body-70931232" itemprop="articleBody">Former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi, who lost both legs in a racing crash and went on to win Paralympic gold ‌medals, has died at the age of 59, his family said on Saturday.Zanardi, ⁠from Bologna, made his F1 debut in 1991 and later achieved success in the CART series in ‌the United States, winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998.His life took a ‌dramatic turn in September 2001 when ‌he ⁠was involved in a high-speed crash during ⁠a CART race in Germany that led to the amputation of both legs.Zanardi refused to end his sporting career and instead turned ‌to para-cycling, becoming one of Italy’s most successful Paralympic athletes.He won four gold medals and two silver medals at the 2012 London ‌and 2016 Rio Games.“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Alessandro Zanardi, which occurred ⁠suddenly yesterday evening, May 1,” his family said in a statement.“Alex passed away peacefully, surrounded by ‌the love of his family and friends.“The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all those who are showing their support at this time and asks that their grief and privacy be respected during this ‌period of mourning.”Zanardi also claimed multiple world championship titles in para-cycling and became a powerful advocate for athletes with disabilities.His life took ⁠another blow in 2020 when he was seriously injured ⁠after being struck by a truck while competing in a charity para-cycling relay ‌in Tuscany. He sustained serious head injuries and spent years undergoing treatment.Published on May 02, 2026</div> #driver #Paralympic #champion #Zanardi #dies

#CWG #Glasgow #LIVE #Updates #Day #Track #field #athletes #focus #Sajan #Prakash #crashes #mens #50m #butterfly">

CWG Glasgow 2026 LIVE Updates, Day 6: Track and field athletes in focus; Sajan Prakash crashes out of men’s 50m butterfly Giving you multiple reasons below to stay glued to our blog today:ATHLETICS AND PARA ATHLETICS4:30 PM – Men’s 400m Round 1 – Rajesh Ramesh (Heat 3), Vishal TK (Heat 6)11:35 PM – Women’s high jump final (medal event) – Pooja12:55 AM, July 29 – Men’s 10,000m final (medal event) – Gulveer SinghBOXING10:30 PM – Women’s 54kg quarterfinal – Preeti Pawar vs Nicole Clyde (Northern Ireland)11 PM – Women’s 60kg quarterfinal – Priya Ghanghas vs Niamh Mitchell (Scotland)11:30 PM – Women’s 65kg quarterfinal – Parveen Hooda vs Sacha Hickey (England)12:15 AM – Men’s 55 quarterfinal – Jadumani Singh Mandengbam vs Mwengo Mwale (Zambia)1:30 AM – Men’s 90kg quarterfinal – Kapil Pokhariya vs Robert McNulty (SCO)SWIMMING AND PARA SWIMMING3:26 PM onwards – Men’s 50m butterfly heats- Sajan Prakash (Heat 9)4:41 PM onwards – Men’s 100m backstroke heats – Srihari Nataraj (Heat 4)4:57 PM onwards – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 heats – R.V.V.B.K. Budigina (Heat 1), Ali Imam (Heat 2)11:57 PM – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 Final (medal event)- R.V.V.B.K. Budigina, Ali Imam (Subject to qualification)12:50 AM – Men’s 50m butterfly Semifinals – Sajan Prakash (Subject to qualification)1:33 AM – Men’s 100m backstroke Semifinals – Srihari Nataraj (Subject to qualification)WEIGHTLIFTING6:30 PM – Women’s 63kg final (medal event) – Nirupama Devi Seram1:07 AM – Women’s 69kg final (medal event) – Harjinder KaurBOWLS AND PARA BOWLS10:20 PM – Men’s Pairs Sectional Play – Section B, Round 1 – India (Navneet Singh & Dinesh Kumar) vs Cook Islands (Epii Poila & Jason Lindsay)1:10 AM – Women’s Singles Sectional Play – Section C, Round 1 – Nayanmoni Saikia vs Amy Williams (Wales) #CWG #Glasgow #LIVE #Updates #Day #Track #field #athletes #focus #Sajan #Prakash #crashes #mens #50m #butterfly

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Sajan Prakash (Heat 9)
4:41 PM onwards – Men’s 100m backstroke heats – Srihari Nataraj (Heat 4)
4:57 PM onwards – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 heats – R.V.V.B.K. Budigina (Heat 1), Ali Imam (Heat 2)
11:57 PM – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 Final (medal event)- R.V.V.B.K. Budigina, Ali Imam (Subject to qualification)
12:50 AM – Men’s 50m butterfly Semifinals – Sajan Prakash (Subject to qualification)
1:33 AM – Men’s 100m backstroke Semifinals – Srihari Nataraj (Subject to qualification)

WEIGHTLIFTING

6:30 PM – Women’s 63kg final (medal event) – Nirupama Devi Seram

1:07 AM – Women’s 69kg final (medal event) – Harjinder Kaur

BOWLS AND PARA BOWLS

10:20 PM – Men’s Pairs Sectional Play – Section B, Round 1 – India (Navneet Singh & Dinesh Kumar) vs Cook Islands (Epii Poila & Jason Lindsay)

1:10 AM – Women’s Singles Sectional Play – Section C, Round 1 – Nayanmoni Saikia vs Amy Williams (Wales)

#CWG #Glasgow #LIVE #Updates #Day #Track #field #athletes #focus #Sajan #Prakash #crashes #mens #50m #butterfly">CWG Glasgow 2026 LIVE Updates, Day 6: Track and field athletes in focus; Sajan Prakash crashes out of men’s 50m butterfly

Giving you multiple reasons below to stay glued to our blog today:

ATHLETICS AND PARA ATHLETICS

4:30 PM – Men’s 400m Round 1 – Rajesh Ramesh (Heat 3), Vishal TK (Heat 6)

11:35 PM – Women’s high jump final (medal event) – Pooja

12:55 AM, July 29 – Men’s 10,000m final (medal event) – Gulveer Singh

BOXING

10:30 PM – Women’s 54kg quarterfinal – Preeti Pawar vs Nicole Clyde (Northern Ireland)

11 PM – Women’s 60kg quarterfinal – Priya Ghanghas vs Niamh Mitchell (Scotland)

11:30 PM – Women’s 65kg quarterfinal – Parveen Hooda vs Sacha Hickey (England)

12:15 AM – Men’s 55 quarterfinal – Jadumani Singh Mandengbam vs Mwengo Mwale (Zambia)

1:30 AM – Men’s 90kg quarterfinal – Kapil Pokhariya vs Robert McNulty (SCO)

SWIMMING AND PARA SWIMMING

3:26 PM onwards – Men’s 50m butterfly heats- Sajan Prakash (Heat 9)

4:41 PM onwards – Men’s 100m backstroke heats – Srihari Nataraj (Heat 4)

4:57 PM onwards – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 heats – R.V.V.B.K. Budigina (Heat 1), Ali Imam (Heat 2)

11:57 PM – Men’s 50m freestyle S13 Final (medal event)- R.V.V.B.K. Budigina, Ali Imam (Subject to qualification)

12:50 AM – Men’s 50m butterfly Semifinals – Sajan Prakash (Subject to qualification)

1:33 AM – Men’s 100m backstroke Semifinals – Srihari Nataraj (Subject to qualification)

WEIGHTLIFTING

6:30 PM – Women’s 63kg final (medal event) – Nirupama Devi Seram

1:07 AM – Women’s 69kg final (medal event) – Harjinder Kaur

BOWLS AND PARA BOWLS

10:20 PM – Men’s Pairs Sectional Play – Section B, Round 1 – India (Navneet Singh & Dinesh Kumar) vs Cook Islands (Epii Poila & Jason Lindsay)

1:10 AM – Women’s Singles Sectional Play – Section C, Round 1 – Nayanmoni Saikia vs Amy Williams (Wales)

#CWG #Glasgow #LIVE #Updates #Day #Track #field #athletes #focus #Sajan #Prakash #crashes #mens #50m #butterfly

Deadspin | ATP roundup: Terence Atmane upsets Frances Tiafoe in Washington Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images France’s Terence Atmane avenged a first-round Wimbledon loss to Frances Tiafoe, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. Tiafoe, a Washington-area native, was the tournament’s sixth seed. Atmane got the decisive service break in the next-to-last game, then served out the match. Earlier in the day, third-seeded Taylor Fritz swept his service games and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. Fritz saved all four break points he faced while converting two of his four break opportunities. The California native was playing his first match since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Fourth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian matchup when Matteo Arnaldi retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Musetti was returning from injury issues that kept him out since early May. Also advancing to the second round were Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo. Mifel Tennis Open Australia’s Bernard Tomic was nearly perfect in the first round at Los Cabos, Mexico, powering to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mexico’s Alex Hernandez. Hernandez, a 27-year-old qualifier who is ranked No. 498 in the world, held serve while trailing 5-0 in the first set to avoid a double bagel. Tomic, a 33-year-old who is ranked 171st, made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying. In other first-round action, U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer downed Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 6-2. The night slate included fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong opposing Darwin Blanch. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Terence #Atmane #upsets #Frances #Tiafoe #Washington

#Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Terence #Atmane #upsets #Frances #Tiafoe #Washington">

mwasimuddin125 0

Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

France’s Terence Atmane avenged a first-round Wimbledon loss to Frances Tiafoe, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.

Tiafoe, a Washington-area native, was the tournament’s sixth seed.

Atmane got the decisive service break in the next-to-last game, then served out the match.

Earlier in the day, third-seeded Taylor Fritz swept his service games and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

Fritz saved all four break points he faced while converting two of his four break opportunities. The California native was playing his first match since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

Fourth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian matchup when Matteo Arnaldi retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Musetti was returning from injury issues that kept him out since early May.

Also advancing to the second round were Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

Mifel Tennis Open

Australia’s Bernard Tomic was nearly perfect in the first round at Los Cabos, Mexico, powering to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mexico’s Alex Hernandez.

Hernandez, a 27-year-old qualifier who is ranked No. 498 in the world, held serve while trailing 5-0 in the first set to avoid a double bagel. Tomic, a 33-year-old who is ranked 171st, made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.

In other first-round action, U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer downed Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 6-2. The night slate included fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong opposing Darwin Blanch.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Terence #Atmane #upsets #Frances #Tiafoe #Washington">Deadspin | ATP roundup: Terence Atmane upsets Frances Tiafoe in Washington

Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

France’s Terence Atmane avenged a first-round Wimbledon loss to Frances Tiafoe, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.

Tiafoe, a Washington-area native, was the tournament’s sixth seed.

Atmane got the decisive service break in the next-to-last game, then served out the match.

Earlier in the day, third-seeded Taylor Fritz swept his service games and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

Fritz saved all four break points he faced while converting two of his four break opportunities. The California native was playing his first match since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

Fourth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian matchup when Matteo Arnaldi retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Musetti was returning from injury issues that kept him out since early May.

Also advancing to the second round were Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

Mifel Tennis Open

Australia’s Bernard Tomic was nearly perfect in the first round at Los Cabos, Mexico, powering to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mexico’s Alex Hernandez.

Hernandez, a 27-year-old qualifier who is ranked No. 498 in the world, held serve while trailing 5-0 in the first set to avoid a double bagel. Tomic, a 33-year-old who is ranked 171st, made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.

In other first-round action, U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer downed Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 6-2. The night slate included fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong opposing Darwin Blanch.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Terence #Atmane #upsets #Frances #Tiafoe #Washington

There is no question that LeBron James isn’t the same level of player heading into this season as he was for most of his career. In fact, it would be absurd to think he would be. But with that being said, he’s still a high-end player who can do things on the court that few others in the history of the game ever could.

Last week LeBron James announced he would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, immediately making them possibly the most interesting team in the NBA. But what does that mean on the court? In addition to James, the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown over the offseason, adding both All-Star players to a roster that already includes Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey. There is no reason this team can’t compete with anyone in the league. But it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best team in the league, or even the Eastern Conference for that matter.

With the defending world champion New York Knicks right down the road, a still intriguing Boston Celtics, a revamped Miami Heat, and a challenging Cleveland Cavaliers, the East is anything but a cake walk. So for this week’s NBA Reacts survey, we want to know who you think is the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Get your votes in now and be on the lookout for results later this week!

#NBA #Reacts #LeBron #Sixers #team #East">