📰🏟️ Playoffs?!
Plus: Former teammates spark brawl…
Good afternoon. Welcome back to a shortened week full of top sports stories. Let’s rock and roll.
—Kyle
1) NBA playoff picture comes into focus
This year’s NBA playoff bracket is close to being finalized, with just 5 days remaining before the NBA regular season ends on Sunday.
- In the Western Conference, all 6 playoff teams (Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets, T’Wolves) and all 4 play-in teams (Suns, Clippers, Trailblazers, Warriors) are now set, with only seeding left to decide.
- In the East, the top-4 teams (Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavs) are all locked into playoff spots, with several teams still fighting for the right to be their opponents in the 1st Round.
2) Rory hosts Masters dinner ahead of Round 1
Rory McIlroy hosted his 1st-ever Champions Dinner at Augusta National last night after winning the 2025 edition, with Rory selecting the most expensive food options in Masters history ($264/plate).
- The 2026 Masters tournament tees off tomorrow, with world #1 Scottie Scheffler entering as the favorite followed by Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and McIlroy.
- Scheffler is hoping to become the 1st golfer to win 3 Masters in 5 years since Tiger Woods (2001-05).
Who will take home the green jacket?
3) Former MLB teammates spark major brawl
LA Angels DH Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves SP Reynaldo López were both ejected from last night’s game for starting a benches-clearing brawl, after López threw a wild pitch up-and-in during Soler’s 3rd at-bat.
- Soler had homered off LĂłpez earlier, and was hit by a pitch in his 2nd at-bat.
- After ~15 seconds of staredown between the 2 players—who were teammates in 2024—Soler charged the mound and threw punches at López, who countered with a few of his own as the benches cleared.
Tempers ran hot in Los Angeles
4) NHL’s Avalanche clinch #1 spot
The Colorado Avalanche (51-16-10) earned the top seed in the Western Conference and clinched home ice advantage in the playoffs with last night’s win over the St. Louis Blues.
- The Avalanche have now finished atop the West for the 3rd time in 5 seasons, and first since 2023.
- They’re also all-but-guaranteed to clinch the Presidents Trophy for top record in the NHL, needing only 1 point in their final 5 games or a single loss by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Colorado is winning by a landslide
5) 20-year-old chess prodigy dominates top players
Javokhir Sindarov, a Uzbekistan prodigy who was once the 2nd-youngest grandmaster ever, is currently dominating the prestigious Candidates tournament (a World Chess Championship qualifier).
- Sindarov has 5 wins and 3 draws so far, already tying the record for most-ever victories at the Candidates—with 6 matches left to play.
- His victories include US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the world’s #2-ranked player, who spent a near-record 67 minutes on a single move (which ended up being a misplay).
Can anyone keep Sindarov in check?
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