Can Lakers beat the Thunder? What we learned from series vs. Rockets

LeBron Jamesand theLos Angeles Lakersbounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series against theHouston Rockets.

James had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds asthe Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78on Friday, May 1. It was his league-record 157th playoff game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Lakers played with a sense of urgency and energy that was missing from their home loss on Wednesday.

“My mindset was to play with aggression,” James said during a postgame interview on Prime. “(The Rockets) changed the aggression level in Games 4 and 5. … Most of our guys haven't been in a close-out game situation. … So I had to come out and set the tone for my team and just try to find a way to close this thing out.”

The Lakers will be asked to produce the same level of energy if they want to compete with the defending champions, theOklahoma City Thunder, in the second round.

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.

See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.

Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

The NBA playoffsbring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

The Lakers must continue to get strong contributions from players such as Rui Hachimura, who helped neutralize the Rockets and kept them from having any chance of battling back into the game with several big shots. Hachimura finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He shot 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers will need all the rest they can get before the series with the Thunder begins on Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City. The three days off won’t be enough time to get guard Luka Doncic back, though.

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Doncic has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 2 in a blowout loss to the Thunder during the regular season.

Without the guard, Los Angeles will be tasked with overcoming the Thunder's defense and finding a way to generate enough offense to match the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Austin Reaves will be asked to shoulder some of that offensive responsibility. He made his return to the Lakers on Wednesday for Game 5 after missing time due to a left oblique muscle strain. He returned to the starting lineup in Game 6.

Reaves has 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds combined in his first two games back. He will need to round back into form at the 3-point line, where he's made just 2-of-12 this week.

The Thunder will enter the series well-rested, having swept the Phoenix Suns. OKC will enter the second round having had a full week off.

The Thunder could also see the return of Jalen Williams in the series. He has not played since April 22 due to a hamstring strain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What's next for Lakers after win over Rockets? Thunder await

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

May 02, 2026

Can Lakers beat the Thunder? What we learned from series vs. Rockets

LeBron Jamesand theLos Angeles Lakersbounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series a...

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Mariners' Brendan Donovan set for Double-A rehab assignment

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Arkansas on Monday, general manager Justin Hollander said.

Donovan left Seattle's5-0 loss to the Texas Rangerson April 17 with a left hip issue, and then was placed on the 10-day injured list three days later with a left groin muscle strain.

Donovan was also dealing with right groin discomfort in early April and suggested it might be related to an Oct. 7 sports hernia surgery.

The plan is for the 2025 All-Star to join the Mariners in Chicago on May 8.

“Really positive the way that Donnie (Donovan) has progressed through this. Probably not going to be activated for this home stand,” Hollander said Friday. “The idea would be a couple rehab games in Arkansas then meet us in Chicago.”

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Donovan, 29, is hitting .304 and has three home runs, eight RBIs and nine walks in 18 games this season. The Marinersacquired Donovan from the Cardinalsin February in a three-team trade involving the Tampa Bay Rays.

He fielded grounders and took batting practice Friday before Seattle faced Kansas City.

In other moves, the Mariners recalled LHP Josh Simpson from Triple-A Tacoma and placed RHP Matt Brash (2-0, 0.00 ERA) on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Thursday. Brash was removed Wednesday during his relief appearance against the Twins. Simpson made nine appearances in Tacoma, allowing one run in 9 1/3 innings.

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

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

May 02, 2026

Mariners' Brendan Donovan set for Double-A rehab assignment

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Arkansas on Monday, general m...

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Man, 19, arrested on suspicion of bomb hoax after Peter Kay gig evacuated in Birmingham

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of abomb hoax offenceafter aPeter Kaygig was evacuated.

The show was stopped and the audience evacuated at Utilita Arena on Friday night after reports of a suspicious bag. The comedian was also ushered off stage mid-performance.

Police said on Saturday that no suspicions items have been found.

West Midlands Policesaid in a statement: “Following searches of the Utilita Arena last night, no items of a suspicious nature were found.

“A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax offence and remains in custody this morning as our inquiries continue.

“We’re grateful to everyone for their co-operation and understanding. As always, our priority is the safety of the public.”

Doors opened at 6pm before the show began around 8pm.

Witnesses said two members of staff came onto the stage about 45 minutes into the performance, whispered into Kay’s ear, and then escorted him off.

Footage on social media showed people queueing to leave their seats as part of the evacuation. A video from outside the venue showed police vehicles and flashing lights.

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Steve Aspinall, who was at the gig with his wife, said: “Two guys came on, one with a mic and headphones, one guy whispered to Peter Kay and then he and Peter Kay shot off down the side.”

He said the audience was told to look for security guards and listen out for any announcements.

“To be honest, I thought it was part of the show at first,” Mr Aspinall, who lives in Bideford, Devon, said.

“It was a strange atmosphere, eerie, just confused really (about) what was happening.

“But it was alright and everyone was calm and left quite quickly with no panic.”

A spokesperson for the arena said that the evacuation was precautionary on advice of the force and ticket holders would be contacted in due course.

The arena, which can seat around 15,800 people, was set to host Mr Kay as part of his latest tour across the UK and Ireland, with allprofits donated to 12 leading cancer charities.

The charities are: Children With Cancer UK, Teenage Cancer Trust, Kidney Cancer UK, Blood Cancer UK, Bowel Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, DKMS UK, Ovarian Cancer Action, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Anthony Nolan, The Brain Tumour Charity and Breast Cancer UK.

The comedian said last year: “Unfortunately, everybody knows someone who’s been affected on that list, and I just hope people support it. Come to the shows. That’s why I’m here.”

Mr Kay became a household name following his early 2000s TV creation,Phoenix Nights.He has since starred in other sitcoms includingPeter Kay’s Car Share.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

May 02, 2026

Man, 19, arrested on suspicion of bomb hoax after Peter Kay gig evacuated in Birmingham

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of abomb hoax offenceafter aPeter Kaygig was evacuated. The show was stopped and the aud...

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Ukraine says it shot down record 33,000 Russian drones last month

Ukraine’s defence minister says the country’s forces shot down a record 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, marking the highest monthly figure sinceMoscow’s full-scale invasionbegan over four years ago.

It comes as Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range attack dronesstruck a Russian oil refineryand terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting local evacuations as a precautionary measure.

Kyivhas developed advanced, battle-tested drone technology, which has proven crucial in resisting Russia’s larger military and has attracted international military interest. Ukrainian officials report that interceptor drones, as part of a comprehensive air defence system, are now being sought by Middle Eastern and Gulf countries for protection amid the war inIran.

Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Telegram that Ukraine is increasing its supply of interceptor drones to counter Russian aerial attacks. The military has also established a new command within the air force to bolster the nation’s capabilities.

Ukraine’s offensive capabilities have also seen significant improvement. The Defence Ministry stated on Tuesday that the range of its deep-strike operations has more than doubled since the February 2022 invasion.

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Initially, Ukrainian forces could hit targets approximately 630 kilometres away; they are now capable of striking targets up to 1,750 kilometres behind enemy lines, according to a ministry statement. This enhanced range has enabled Ukraine to target Russian oil installations, which are vital forMoscow’s war revenue, and manufacturing plants supplying its armed forces.

The latest strike on the Tuapse oil refinery at the Black Sea port was a coordinated operation involving multiple branches of Ukraine’s defence and security services, the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed on Tuesday. Earlier strikes this month reportedly destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others. Independent verification of these claims was not possible.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that residents near the Tuapse refinery were being evacuated Tuesday, though he provided no further details on numbers or duration.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry reported Tuesday that its air defences intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. In the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that a drone attack killed three people and wounded three others.

Conversely, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian drone attacks killed three civilians and injured five others. Two people died in the city of Chuhuiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to regional military administration head Oleh Syniehubov.

A 40-year-old man was killed and five others sustained injuries in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Another Russian attack on Konotop, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, resulted in power and water supply outages for the city.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

May 01, 2026

Ukraine says it shot down record 33,000 Russian drones last month

Ukraine’s defence minister says the country’s forces shot down a record 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, marking the hi...

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Endangered kiwi return to New Zealand capital in emotional homecoming after century-long absence

New Zealandis witnessing an extraordinary citizen-led effort to bring its sacred national bird, thekiwi, back to the capital’s hills after an absence of over a century.

Residents are spearheading an ambitious campaign to reintroduce the endangered, flightless birds to their ancestral lands.

Kiwi are “a part of who we are and our sense of belonging here”, Paul Ward, founder of the Capital Kiwi Project, a charitable trust, said.

“But they’ve been gone from these hills for well over a century and we decided as Wellingtonians that wasn’t right."

In a poignant scene late on Tuesday night, Ward and his team traversed rugged farmland, shrouded in mist above the dark sea separating New Zealand’s North and South Islands. By the dim glow of red torchlight, they silently carried seven crates, each containing a kiwi.

This release marked a significant milestone, including the 250th bird relocated toWellingtonsince the project’s inception.

The kiwi, a shy and distinctive bird with underdeveloped wings and a whiskery face, is so emblematic that it lends its name to New Zealanders themselves. Its image is ubiquitous, even adorning the tailfins of the country’s air force planes – an ironic tribute for a bird that cannot fly and possesses no tail.

Historically, an estimated 12 million kiwis roamed the landscape before human settlement. Today, however, only around 70,000 remain nationwide, with the population declining by 2 per cent annually.

In the hills where Wellington’s kiwi now live and breed, the only late-night sound on Tuesday was the whoosh of wind turbines. Mr Ward and his friends set their crates down in pairs, slid them open and gently tilted the boxes.

Some in the small group of hushed onlookers were tearful. One man chanted a karakia, a Māori prayer.

From each crate, a long, curved beak eventually protruded as kiwi took their first tentative steps into the shadowed landscape, then sped to a run and disappeared into the darkness.

Kiwi make their first-ever visit to Parliament

One place kiwi had never set foot until this week was inside New Zealand’s Parliament. Hours before Wellington’s seven newest residents were transported to their hillside home, they were carried into Parliament’s grand banquet hall by handlers for a celebration of the 250th kiwi's arrival in the city.

Politicians and schoolchildren alike expressed whispered delight at seeing the timid, nocturnal birds up close, many for the first time, as conservation workers cradled the large birds like human babies, with their gnarled feet outstretched.

“This animal has given us as a people so much in terms of our sense of identity,” Mr Ward said.

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“We want to challenge our civic leaders, our politicians and say ‘this is a relationship we need to honour’.”

Endangered birds move from sanctuaries to urban life

New Zealand is home to some of the world’s strangest and rarest bird species. Some have only survived because of against-all-odds conservation programs, at times with uncertain funding.

Initiatives decades ago saw all surviving birds of some species moved onto offshore, predator-free islands or into sanctuaries where they could be carefully monitored and protected, but where few New Zealanders would ever see one.

Mr Ward and his group had a different dream: that New Zealand’s iconic national bird could flourish alongside people in a bustling capital city, where human encroachment and introduced predators had wiped out the kiwi before.

“Where people are is also the places where we can bring them back because we’ve got the means to do that guardianship,” Mr Ward said.

Thousands of traps protect kiwi in the capital

Although unmanaged kiwi populations are shrinking, their numbers have thrived in carefully managed wild bird sanctuaries — so much, in fact, that some of these protected areas have run out of room for them.

That has prompted their relocation to places like Wellington, where groups such as Mr Ward’s rally residents to embrace their new neighbors. Kiwi have been spotted by late night mountain bikers and on backyard security camera footage in the capital, he said.

“They’re living and calling and being encountered on the hills surrounding our city,” Mr Ward said.

That has taken work. Over the past decade, efforts between landowners, the local Māori tribe and the Capital Kiwi Project have produced a sprawling, 24,000-hectare tract of land where kiwi can roam.

It’s dotted with more than 5,000 traps for stoats, the main predator of kiwi chicks. So far, the Wellington population has a 90 per cent chick survival rate.

NZ eyes predator free goal

The kiwi initiative is part of New Zealand’s quest to rid the island nation of introduced predators, including feral cats, possums, rats and stoats, by the year 2050. Since a previous government established the target in 2016 its chances of success have been debated, but community groups have taken up the work in earnest.

Parts of Wellington are now entirely free of mammalian predators apart from household pets, and native birds flourish. Volunteers monitor suburbs with military precision for the appearance of a single rat.

“When I think of endangered species globally, for the most part you can’t do much other than campaign or donate money,” said Michelle Impey, chief executive of Save the Kiwi.

“But we have this incredible movement throughout the country where everyday people are taking it on under their own steam to do what they can to protect a threatened species.”

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

May 01, 2026

Endangered kiwi return to New Zealand capital in emotional homecoming after century-long absence

New Zealandis witnessing an extraordinary citizen-led effort to bring its sacred national bird, thekiwi, back to the capital’s hills af...

Read More