The week of April 13–19 brought intense playoff action and building anticipation across the four major leagues, as the NBA and NHL launched their postseason battles, MLB kept delivering daily games and the NFL continued to shift its focus to its upcoming draft.
NBA: First-round fireworks
The NBA wrapped up its 82-game regular season early in the week before exploding into postseason action.
The play-in kicked off Tuesday, April 14, with the Charlotte Hornets eliminating the Miami Heat 127-126 in a chaotic 9/10 matchup on a game-winner by LaMelo Ball. That same night, the Portland Trail Blazers pulled off a road upset against the Phoenix Suns 114-110 to secure their postseason spot and a date with the San Antonio Spurs.
On Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors kept their season alive by knocking off the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121, with multiple winning plays down the stretch from veteran players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, while the Philadelphia 76ers fended off the Orlando Magic 109-97 to earn a first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
The final seeds were decided on Friday as the Suns bounced back to knock out the Warriors 111-96, and the Magic routed the Hornets 121-90. Those wins set up first-round matchups against the Thunder and Pistons, respectively.
Playoff basketball officially began on Saturday with four Game 1 matchups.
The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers, without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, stunned the Houston Rockets 107-98 in LA. Elsewhere, the Denver Nuggets topped the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105, the Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Toronto Raptors 126-113 and the New York Knicks took a 1-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks with a 113-102 victory.
On Sunday, the remaining four series tipped off.
Victor Wembanyama lived up to the hype in his playoff debut, dropping 35 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98. Elsewhere, the Orlando Magic pulled off a 112-101 upset to steal home-court advantage from the Detroit Pistons, the Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Phoenix Suns 119-84 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s aura and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 123-91 blowout victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
NHL: Playoff puck drop
The NHL regular season reached its dramatic conclusion early in the week with several teams fighting for playoff positioning. On Monday, April 13, the Philadelphia Flyers clinched a postseason berth with a 3-2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes; Tyson Foerster scored the lone shootout goal, securing a first-round date with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime, and the Florida Panthers topped the New York Rangers 3-2 in what was reportedly Jonathan Quick’s final NHL game.
By Saturday, the Stanley Cup Playoffs were officially underway. The Carolina Hurricanes took an early 2-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators, while the Montreal Canadiens pulled off a 4-3 overtime upset against the Tampa Bay Lightning behind a Juraj Slafkovsky winner. In the West, the Minnesota Wild stunned the Dallas Stars with a lopsided 6-1 victory to open their series.
On Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres pulled off a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-2. The Colorado Avalanche fended off the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in a goaltending duel.
MLB: Yankees explode, Diamondbacks and Dodgers fight
Baseball is moving out of its “small sample size” phase as divisional rivalries heat up. The New York Yankees dominated the headlines this week, punctuated by a 13-4 blowout of Kansas City, where Cody Bellinger smashed two home runs and drove in five.
On the mound, Seattle’s George Kirby turned in a masterpiece against the Rangers, throwing seven dominant innings in a 7-3 victory.
In the NL West, the Diamondbacks and Dodgers remain locked in a stalemate at the top of the division after a week of back-and-forth wins.
NFL: Pre-draft
With no games on the calendar, the NFL’s focus shifted entirely to roster building ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh. Teams held final pre-draft press conferences and workouts.
The Las Vegas Raiders, holding the No. 1 overall pick, remained the biggest story. Mock drafts heavily projected them selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, though other top prospects, such as wide receivers and edge rushers, were also in the conversation.
Broader league chatter included ongoing discussions about expanding to an 18-game season and international games for every team.
