POLY MAG

Celtics' Brad Stevens named NBA Executive of Year

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was named the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for the second time in three seasons on Tuesday.

Stevens' Celtics finished with the second-best record (56-26) in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 and secured a top-two playoff seed for the fifth time in his five seasons in his current role.

Boston accomplished that despite parting ways with Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday before the season and only having All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum for 16 games after he recovered from an Achilles injury.

Stevens, who also won the award in 2023-24, is the 12th executive to receive the honor multiple times since it was first presented in 1972-73.

Stevens, 49, received 11 first-place votes and 69 total points in voting by his fellow executives. Atlanta Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh was second with 41 points, one more than Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon.

Before joining Boston's front office, Stevens served as the team's head coach for eight seasons and tallied a 354-282 record. During his 13-year tenure with the franchise, the Celtics have made 12 playoff appearances.

The Celtics currently have a 3-1 lead in their first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. Game 5 is on Tuesday night in Boston.

--Field Level Media

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 29, 2026

Celtics' Brad Stevens named NBA Executive of Year

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was named the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for the second time i...

Yankees set for Elmer Rodríguez's big league pitching debut as roster shuffling continues

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, one of the Yankees' top prospects, is set for his major league debut Wednesday as New York tweaks the bottom of the rotation while awaiting the return of Carlos Rodón.

Rodríguez was already in the Yankees clubhouse Tuesday, telling the story of the late-night summons at a hotel informing him that he was headed to Texas with a plan to start the finale of a three-game series against the Rangers.

The Yankees have been shuffling their roster, but still have a move to make to clear space for the 22-year-old who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic last month.

Infielder Max Schuemann was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesdayin place of Giancarlo Stanton, who went on the 10-day injured list after straining his right calf Friday in Houston.

Rodríguez is taking right-hander Luis Gil's spot in the rotation after Gil was sent to Triple-A following a rough start in a7-4 loss to the Astros.

The Yankees filled Gil's place on the roster with outfielder Jasson Domínguez, who was in the lineup against the Rangers as the designated hitter for the second consecutive game Tuesday night.

Manager Aaron Boone declined to say what roster move was coming to make room for Rodríguez, who had a 1.27 ERA in four Triple-A starts this year after climbing from Class A to Triple-A last season.

“He’s impressive,” Boone said. “I’ve really been impressed with a lot of our young guys that are kind of knocking on the door, Elmer included in that, about to be big leaguers, feel like they have a chance to be longtime big leaguers. As well as being a talented pitcher, he seems to have a really good way and makeup about him that should serve him well.”

Rodríguez pitched three scoreless innings in his only WBC appearance for his native Puerto Rico.

“It was a great experience to pitch there and obviously close to the same thing you're going to have here in the bigs,” said Rodríguez, who said his family was in transit to see him face 15-year veteran Nathan Eovaldi of the Rangers. “I feel like it just prepared me more and gave me a little bit of getting my feet wet.”

Boone estimated Rodríguez would get at least two starts as the Yankees anticipate the return of Rodón, the left-hander awaiting his season debut coming off left elbow surgery in October.Rodón made his first rehab startlast week.

The Yankees decided to put Rodríguez in front of the other starters because it was close to his scheduled Tuesday start in Triple-A. New York is off Thursday, which means right-hander Will Warren is the likely starter Friday night at home against Baltimore.

Boone has said he is hopeful Stanton will be ready to come off the IL as soon as he's eligible, but won't commit to a timetable. Neither will the 36-year-old slugger who has dealt with similar issues throughout his career.

“I really don’t have much for you guys,” Stanton said Tuesday. “I’ve got to move around. It’s good that it’s not a high grade, but at the same time, you’ve got to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 29, 2026

Yankees set for Elmer Rodríguez's big league pitching debut as roster shuffling continues

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, one of the Yankees' top prospects, is set for his major league debut Wednesda...

Rockets start strong, don't let up to beat Lakers, stay alive in series

Amen Thompson scored a game-high 23 points, Tari Eason added 20 and the Houston Rockets averted elimination with a 115-96 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Rockets, who played without Kevin Durant (ankle) for the third time in the series. Reed Sheppard chipped in 17 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting while Alperen Sengun (19 points) and Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points) rounded out the balanced offensive attack. Eason and Smith grabbed eight rebounds apiece.

"We said we didn't want to let that last 30 seconds defeat us in another game, and we kind of put that behind us," Houston coach Ime Udoka said, referring to the team's Game 3 loss. "The focus was good today, and I think just in general, guys have pride, so you don't want to obviously get swept.

"We understood how well we played last game, and that was the big-picture perspective we had. We played a really good three quarters, and don't let that last 30 seconds take away from what you did. I think it was good carryover tonight."

The Rockets made headway by forcing 24 turnovers that they converted into 30 points. Houston scored 23 fastbreak points and limited the Lakers to 5-for-22 3-point shooting (22.7%).

"We understand that if we want to win this series, we have to protect the ball," LeBron James said. "The turnovers obviously killed us from the start to the finish."

After dominating Game 3 and co-authoring the Lakers' overtime victory, James (10 points, nine assists) and Marcus Smart (nine, five) shot a combined 5 of 17 from the floor. Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds but was ejected with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter after elbowing Sengun in the neck and incurring a flagrant-2 foul.

The Lakers will carry a 3-1 series lead back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Houston seized an 18-17 lead on a Sengun dunk at the 3:19 mark of the first quarter and didn't look back. The Lakers shot 41.2% (7 of 17) in the first period, missed both of their 3-pointers and conceded eight points off eight turnovers. Sengun played the entire first period for the Rockets.

"This is a top-10 defense the entire season," Lakers coach JJ Redick said about the Rockets. "It's obviously very challenging without your two leading scorers (Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves) to generate offense. We'll take a look at the process again on that end as well.

"Our points per shot and our expected points per shot were slightly below our season average, so to me, it goes back to the two keys: Take care of the ball. We'll look at that and how we can be better there."

The Rockets used a 16-4 run bridging the opening two periods to help extend to a 37-28 lead via a Sengun three-point play at the 6:35 mark of the second. When the Lakers sliced that deficit to three points, Josh Okogie keyed a 10-2 rally with a 3-pointer. Thompson added a pull-up jumper and a three-point play before Sheppard capped the run with a layup.

The Lakers shot 58.8% in the second quarter (10 of 17) but committed six turnovers in the frame and trailed 56-47 at the break. Houston pulled away in the third, opening the second half with a 12-4 burst before Eason drilled a corner 3 and Sengun completed another three-point play that pushed the lead to 76-55.

The Rockets led by as many as 28 points.

--Field Level Media

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 28, 2026

Rockets start strong, don't let up to beat Lakers, stay alive in series

Amen Thompson scored a game-high 23 points, Tari Eason added 20 and the Houston Rockets averted elimination with a 115-96 victory over ...

NYT ‘Connections’ Hints, Clues and Answers Sunday, April 26, 2026

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as the feeling of completing the daily New York TimesWordle,Strands,Mini CrosswordandConnections Sports Editionword games in one fell swoop. But sometimes that can be easier said than done. If you need help with today'sConnectionspuzzle, keep reading.

Spoilers ahead! We've warned you. We mean it. Read no further until youreallywant some clues or you've completely given up and want the answers ASAP. Get ready for all of today'sNYT 'Connections’ hints and answers for#1050 onSunday, April 26, 2026.

Today's NYT Connections Puzzle for Sunday, April 26, 2026 / New York TimesThe New York Times

If you've been having trouble with any of theconnections or wordsin Sunday's puzzle, you're not alone, and these hints should definitely help you out. Plus, I'll reveal the answers further down.

Related:The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Hints About Today's NYT Connections Categories on Sunday, April 26

What's the fine print?
Singer's technicalities.
Famed children's book from the 1930s.
Like one's countenance.

Related:300 Trivia Questions and Answers to Jumpstart Your Fun Game Night

Ready for the answers? Scroll below this image (the image that represents your very appreciatedpatience!).

Today's Connections Game Answers for Sunday, April 26:

1.STIPULATION:CATCH, CAVEAT, FINE PRINT, STRINGS2.VOCAL CHARACTERISTICS:PITCH, RANGE, REGISTER, TONE3. CHARACTERS IN "DICK AND JANE":DICK, JANE, MOTHER, SPOT4.THINGS WITH FACES:BUILDING, CLIFF, CLOCK, POLYHEDRON

How'd you do?

Up Next:-15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day-Hints, Clues and Answers to the NYT's 'Mini Crossword' Puzzle

Did You Miss a Few Days?Let's Catch You Up With Recent Connections Answers

Related: 9 Items To Buy From Aldi's Produce Section and 6 To Skip

This story was originally published byParadeon Apr 26, 2026, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 28, 2026

NYT ‘Connections’ Hints, Clues and Answers Sunday, April 26, 2026

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as the feeling of completing the daily New York TimesWordle,Strands,Mini CrosswordandConnecti...

George and Amal Clooney Step Out for Gala in His Honor as He Shares Sweet Update on Their Twins (Exclusive)

George and Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George’s contributions to cinema on Monday, April 27

George and Amal ClooneyCredit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

The annual fundraising gala was held at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City
George told PEOPLE how the couple's children have "slowly been figuring" he's an actor and the one movie they've recently been watching

GeorgeandAmal Clooneyhad a date night in the actor’s honor!

On Monday, April 27, the couple attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala Celebrating George Clooney at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Amal, 48, turned heads in a purple Balenciaga peplum-style mini dress, which she teamed with a gold clutch bag and matching heels, while her husband, 64, looked dapper in a black tuxedo.

The duo posed for a series of photos on the red carpet before heading inside for the event, which recognizes an individual’s “significant contributions to the art of cinema,” per the Lincoln Centerwebsite.

George and Amal Clooney attend the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George Clooney at Alice Tully HallCredit: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

The award is named after its first honoree, Charlie Chaplin, with all proceeds from the annual gala fundraiser “going to support our nonprofit organization’s mission to celebrate cinema as an essential art form and foster a vibrant home for film culture to thrive.”

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE on the red carpet, George shared that receiving the award and the attention that has come with it was “wild” and “a little embarrassing,” but “fun” at the same time.

“You don’t, you drink,” he jokes about how he prepared for the evening. “I'm gonna have to start drinking soon.”

TheJay Kellystar also shared an insight into how his children — twins Ella and Alexander, 8 — have been watching his movies as he reflected on his career.

Revealing that he doesn’t tend to watch his films now he’s older because it’s “hard” to see how he looked in his younger years, George said that he’s made an exception for 2009’sFantastic Mr. Fox.

"It's a weird thing. As you get older, it's hard to watch movies when you were younger because you're like, holy s---, that doesn't even look like me anymore," he tells PEOPLE. "You know, I'm watching because I've got 8 year olds, I'm watchingFantastic Mr. Fox, which is a little easier because it's not really me, it's just my boys. And that's kind of fun because the kids are slowly figuring out what I do for a living."

Earlier this year, George revealed that he finally showed his son Alexander hisBatmanmovie.

In an interview withW. Magazine,George explained that he showed his son the film after he went as the character for Halloween last year.

Amal and George ClooneyCredit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"Halloween's a big holiday. My son went as Batman. He hadn't seenBatmanyet," Clooney told the outlet of his 1997 filmBatman & Robin. "I always say to him, 'You know I was Batman.' He's always like, 'No.'"

"I don't know that he knew how profound it was when he said I wasn't Batman. A couple of weeks ago, I finally showed it to him," he continued. "It wasn't great for grown-ups, but it's great for 8-year-olds, so he loved it."

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 28, 2026

George and Amal Clooney Step Out for Gala in His Honor as He Shares Sweet Update on Their Twins (Exclusive)

George and Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George’s contributions to cinema on Monday, April 27 NEED T...

Is Austin Reaves playing tonight? Injury status for Lakers vs. Rockets

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill look to close out the first-round NBA playoff series with theHouston Rocketson Sunday, April 26.

LeBron Jameshas helped lead the way for the Lakers, who hold a 3-0 lead in the series against Houston.

Los Angeles has played throughout the series without guardsAustin ReavesandLuka Doncic.

Doncic was ruled outfor Game 4, but Reaves could be a game-time decision.

Here’s the latest on Reaves for Sunday.

Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.

A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.

Cleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.

A fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.

Fans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.

NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy

Will Austin Reaves play for the Lakers tonight?

Reaves has been dealing with a left oblique muscle strain and has not played since participating in a 139-96 blowout loss against theOklahoma City Thunderon April 2.

He was listed as questionable on the Lakers' status report released on April 25.

Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters ahead of Game 3 on Friday, April 24, that Reaves would test whether he would've been able to play in the game. He did not play.

Redick had also confirmed that Reaves had recently played in 5-on-5 games, which usually indicates a player is close to a return.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on March 31, 2026.

Austin Reaves stats

Reaves has averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games played this season.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will play theHouston Rocketson Sunday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed on Peacock.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Austin Reaves injury update: Will Lakers star play vs Rockets Sunday?

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 27, 2026

Is Austin Reaves playing tonight? Injury status for Lakers vs. Rockets

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill look to close out the first-round NBA playoff series with theHouston Rocketson Sunday, April 26. LeBron ...

NFL undrafted free agents: Tracking signings for all 32 teams after 2026

There were 257 seats available in the2026 NFL Draft, but don't overlook the group in the "standing room only" section.

Plenty of prospects saw their dreams come true over the course of three days in Pittsburgh. Some will just have to wait a little longer and work extra hard.

One thing is for certain, however. If you are talented, the NFL will find you. The league has gone beyond the United States' borders and searches endlessly between them, all in an effort to build the best football team possible. While disappointing in the moment, it's the reason why prospects can't let the "undrafted" label define them.

Players will all show up to training camp with the same goal in mind – to make the team.

With a solid showing, and a little bit of luck, there will be a spot on the team. After all, there have been some great players in league history that went undrafted. Look no further than Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner. Or longtime Dallas Cowboys starter and current NFL on CBS analyst Tony Romo. Or Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates.

Maybe there's a diamond in the rough this year. Time will tell.

USA TODAY Sportsis tracking the NFL undrafted free agent signings for all 32 teams after the draft concludes. Here's a look at the players each team signed.

The 2026 NFL Draft Theater stage at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on April 23, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A general overall view of the downtown skyline and Fort Duquesne bridge of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pa. on April 22, 2026.