Lakers pull out OT win over Rockets, move to verge of sweep

LeBron James and Marcus Smart recorded double-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers took a stranglehold on their first-round playoff series against the host Houston Rockets with a 112-108 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday.

After James (29 points, 13 rebounds) forced OT with a 3-pointer, Smart scored eight of his 21 points in the extra period to put the Lakers up 3-0 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Smart added a team-high 10 assists while Rui Hachimura put up 22 points for the Lakers.

The Lakers will look for a sweep of the best-of-seven set in Game 4 on Sunday at Houston.

The Rockets were without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the second time in the series. Durant, who missed Game 1 with a knee contusion, was a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain sustained in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points, 6 of 10 from 3-point range) spearheaded Houston's comeback early in the fourth quarter before Alperen Sengun nearly carried the Rockets to victory in regulation. Sengun converted two late turnovers by James, sinking a layup with 49.6 seconds left, then turning a steal into a transition dunk and a 101-95 lead nine seconds later.

However, the Lakers got late life when Smart made three free throws after absorbing a foul from Jae'Sean Tate with 25.4 seconds left. Then, with the Rockets leading 101-98, James forced a turnover in the backcourt and followed by draining a 3-pointer that knotted the score with 13.6 seconds to go.

Advertisement

Each team missed another shot before regulation ended.

Sengun paced the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds while Amen Thompson chipped in 26 points and 11 assists. Reed Sheppard, who gave the Rockets their first lead since the opening quarter with a trey at the 4:59 mark of the fourth quarter, tallied 17 points and seven assists.

The Lakers, Hachimura in particular, fashioned a scorching start to build an early double-digit lead.

Hachimura tallied 16 first-quarter points on 6-for-6 shooting, and he hit a 3-pointer in an 11-0 run that lifted the Lakers to a 34-23 lead. Jaxson Hayes was critical to that spurt, igniting it with a three-point play and capping the run with an alley-oop dunk with 2:20 left in the period. Hayes' steal resulted in the Hachimura trey, and Smart also sank a 3-pointer during the rally.

The Lakers made that run with James on the bench. He returned and helped the Lakers extend to a 15-point lead. His son, Bronny James, drilled a 3-pointer and converted a reverse layup off a pass from his father.

When the elder James stroked a 3-pointer, the Lakers led 55-43. The margin was 11 at the intermission after the Lakers shot 57.5% from the floor, including 8 of 13 from behind the arc. LeBron James and Hachimura scored 16 apiece in the half.

--Field Level Media

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 26, 2026

Lakers pull out OT win over Rockets, move to verge of sweep

LeBron James and Marcus Smart recorded double-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers took a stranglehold on their first-round playoff series...

Read More

Artemis II mission is giving NASA clues about how to design a moon base

Less than two weeks afterNASA’s Artemis II mission, the crew's observations from their lunar flyby are already providing insights into what it might take to build a base on the moon, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Thursday.

In a live conversation with NBC’s Lester Holt and former NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Isaacman said that findings from Artemis II are shaping the agency’s plans to build infrastructure for long-term stays on the lunar surface. The panel discussion was part of an event for Common Ground, an NBC News franchise bringing together leaders with different perspectives to focus on solutions to pressing issues.

The Artemis II mission launched April 1, sending NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day trip around Earth and the moon. The crewreached their closest point to the moon on April 6, when they spent seven hours taking photographs and making observations during their flyby. The astronauts were the first ever to see the entire far side of the moon with their own eyes.

Isaacman described a moment at the tail end of thelunar flybyas being particularly revelatory: While witnessing a solar eclipse, the astronauts reported seeing multiple flashes of light on the moon. The flashes were caused by rocky objects smacking into the lunar surface, and the astronauts’ observations of them caused scientists in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center to erupt in cheers.

“Everybody got excited because there was a question of whether or not they’d be able to see it,” Isaacman said. “I mean, you just look at the surface the moon, it takes a beating, right? But they actually saw it, and that allows us to maybe update our models of how often is it taking a beating. And if you know that, it might inform your roof design when you build a moon base.”

Last month, Isaacman announced that NASA had canceled a plan to build a space station in orbit around the moon and will instead repurpose the components of that station toconstruct a $20 billion base on the lunar surface.

That announcement followed an even bigger announcement in February, when Isaacmanoverhauled NASA’s Artemis return-to-the-moon programwith the goal of increasing the pace of launches ahead of a targeted moon landing in 2028.

Advertisement

The changes included adding a mission, Artemis III, in mid-2027, to test rendezvous and docking technologies in low-Earth orbit with one or both of the lunar landers that SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing. If that's successful, NASA then intends to launch the Artemis IV mission to land on the moon the following year. The agency's plan calls for one of those commercially built vehicles to dock with its Orion spacecraft then carry astronauts to the lunar surface.

“If something doesn’t work the way we expect, we’d rather be hours away from being back in the water and not days,” Isaacman said of the Artemis III test flight. “What we learn from that will roll into Artemis IV in 2028, and that’s where we’re going to land astronauts on the moon. And in parallel, we’re building the moon base.”

Williams, who retired from NASA in December 2025, said theInternational Space Stationis also an important proving ground for future long-term stays on the moon.

“We’ve had human presence on the International Space Station since 2000, so we’ve learned a lot,” Williams said, adding that long stays at the orbiting lab have taught NASA about the ways exercise and nutrition can counteract some of the negative effects of microgravity on the human body.

“We’ve learned about engineering and manufacturing, even biomedical engineering, doing research on stem cells and DNA sequencing while we’ve been up on the space station,” she said. “The space station has provided us with a myriad of technologies that we can apply on this moon base, and as we get ready to live there for longer periods.”

Williams knows about long stays off the planet. Before her retirement, she logged a total of 608 days in space, with three stays aboard the International Space Station. Her most recent visit occurred last year, when Williams and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmoreunexpectedly spent more than nine months at the orbiting outpostafter they encountered problems on a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule.

When asked if they would sign up for a stint on the moon if given the chance, both Williams and Isaacman were eager volunteers.

“I suspect our answer would be the same on this one,” Isaacman said. “Yes!”

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 26, 2026

Artemis II mission is giving NASA clues about how to design a moon base

Less than two weeks afterNASA’s Artemis II mission, the crew's observations from their lunar flyby are already providing insights i...

Read More

Roma’s week of turmoil ends with Malen leading a win at Bologna

MILAN (AP) — Roma put a turbulent week behind it to win at Bologna 2-0 in Serie A on Saturday and continue its push for the Champions League.

Italy Serie A Soccer

The in-form Donyell Malen scored one and set up the other to help Roma close to within two points of fourth-placed Juventus, which visits AC Milan on Sunday.

Romafired special adviser Claudio Ranierithis week after his verypublic clash with coachGian Piero Gasperini.

However, it put issues off the field to one side and took the lead after less than seven minutes. Malen took one touch to control Neil El Aynaoui’s through ball before firing past the onrushing goalkeeper and into the bottom right corner.

It was Malen’s 12th goal for Roma in 16 matches since joining on loan from Aston Villa in January.

Malen repaid the favor in first-half stoppage time by crossing the ball into the area for El Aynaoui to volley in from close range.

Advertisement

Pisa and Verona could be down

Pisa will be mathematically relegated if Lecce manages to win at Hellas Verona later Saturday, which would also consign the home side to Serie B.

Pisa lost at Parma 1-0 to leave it level with Verona at the bottom of Serie A, 10 points from 17th-placed Lecce and safety.

Subsitute Nesta Elphege got the only goal eight minutes from time, controlling a header with his back to goal and turning to sweep in from close range.

That made Parma mathematically safe, setting off a party atmosphere on a sunny afternoon at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 26, 2026

Roma’s week of turmoil ends with Malen leading a win at Bologna

MILAN (AP) — Roma put a turbulent week behind it to win at Bologna 2-0 in Serie A on Saturday and continue its push for the Champions L...

Read More

Princess of Wales lays wreath at Cenotaph to mark Anzac Day

ThePrincess of Waleslaid a wreath at The Cenotaph during a ceremony and parade to markAnzac Day.

The day commemorates members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who have died in conflict.

Advertisement

Wearing a navy dress with white lapels and a poppy, Kate stood alongside the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Hamish Cooper, before placing a wreath at the memorial.

Princess Anne had laid a wreath earlier during a dawn service at Wellington Arch.

Anzac Day was originally established to commemorate the 1915 Gallipoli landing of Australian and New Zealand troops in the First World War.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 25, 2026

Princess of Wales lays wreath at Cenotaph to mark Anzac Day

ThePrincess of Waleslaid a wreath at The Cenotaph during a ceremony and parade to markAnzac Day. The day commemorates members of ...

Read More

Starmer pays tribute to nurse who cared for his brother who died of cancer in emotional St George’s Day speech

Sir Keir StarmermarkedSt George’s Dayby championing "service, generosity and respect" as quintessentialEnglishvalues that the nation should embrace.

The Prime Minister also cautioned against "voices both here and abroad" attempting to sow division within the country, as he hosted a reception atDowning Streetfor members of the public and celebrities to honour England’s patron saint.

During the No 10 gathering, Sir Keir highlighted three individuals whom he believes embody these core English principles. Among them was Isaac Davidson, a window cleaner who last year helped to remove racist graffiti from a Chinese restaurant in York.

He also recognised George Sutherland, a dedicated volunteer at a Telford food bank, whom he previously praised during his Labour Party conference speech in 2025.

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to Ben Huntley, the nurse who provided care for his brother, Nick Starmer,before his passing from cancer on Boxing Day 2024.

“Sadly my brother passed on Boxing Day 2024 and it hit me like a bus,” Sir Keir told the reception, his voice faltering.

The Prime Minister added: “But because of Ben, my brother always felt cared for and respected, because of the way that he was treated by Ben and the whole team, and that was really important to a vulnerable man with stage four cancer going through a really challenging time.

“Ben, I’ll never forget what you did for me and my family.”

Sir Keir added: “These are three very different stories, all in different parts of England, but they’re bound together by the same values of service, of generosity, and of respect.

Advertisement

“They are examples of people stepping up in their communities, when, frankly, it would be easier in many cases to step back. But they step up.

“They’re exceptional stories, and yet in this country, they feel familiar because you will find them in every community across England.”

The Prime Minister continued: “Time and time again, when times get tough, we pull each other together and we pull each other up.

“It’s really important we do that, because there’s no getting round the fact that there are voices both here and abroad, who would seek to divide us, who want to set us apart from each other, who want to pretend that in this country, what we really do is to distinguish between people, to find their points of difference, to have a sort of toxic culture of hatred between different individuals, different groups, different communities.”

He referred to attacks on synagogues and mosques as “acts of violence designed to send a message to the Jewish and Muslim communities of this country that they are not safe”.

The Prime Minister added: “We reject their division completely, and we will fly our flag proudly. It’s our flag. It belongs to us, and we will fly it for the values that we believe in, and they are the values of the people I’ve named in this room tonight.”

The reception, which was held on Monday night, came after Sir Keir spent a bruising several hours answering questions from MPs about the latest revelations surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.

Sir Keir was introduced at the reception by multi-Olympic medal winning cyclists Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Jason Kenny, who spoke of how they had first met the Prime Minister at the Pride of Britain awards several years ago.

Fresh from his Commons appearance, Sir Keir joked: “It was great to meet you at the Pride of Britain Awards and to talk about everything but politics. I like those kind of evenings.”

Among the celebrities present at the reception were former England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman; the ex-England footballer, sports journalist and Strictly Come Dancing winner Karen Carney; and actor and comedian Joe Thomas, who rose to fame in sitcom The Inbetweeners.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 24, 2026

Starmer pays tribute to nurse who cared for his brother who died of cancer in emotional St George’s Day speech

Sir Keir StarmermarkedSt George’s Dayby championing "service, generosity and respect" as quintessentialEnglishvalues that the...

Read More

New fossil discoveries suggest existence of giant ‘kraken’ octopuses as large as lorries

Akraken-like octopusthe size of a lorry prowled Earth’soceansback whendinosaursruled the land, new fossil discoveries have suggested.

Scientists have believed that sharks and giant marinereptilesdominated the seas during the Cretaceous era, such as 11-metre-long mosasaurs and 12-metre-long plesiosaurs. But new fossils suggest thatearly octopuses could have been just as big, with one potentially measuring 19 metres in length – the same size as a lorry, or two double-decker buses.

Palaeontologists from Hokkaido University used a new technique called “digital fossil mining” to revisit the 15 large fossil jaws previously identified as belonging to early octopus relatives.

The technique involves grinding away a super-thin layer from the fossil-bearing matrix, taking a high-resolution photo, then repeating the process thousands of times to create a 3D, full-colour model.

Using the technique on late Cretaceous sediments collected from Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, one jaw was found to surpass that of a living giant squid, whose body can stretch up to 12 metres.

Advertisement

The study, published inScience, found that all the fossils belonged to two species of extinct octopus: Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti. The latter may have stretched between seven and 19 metres long, one of the largest invertebrates ever described.

Without full specimens, it is hard for scientists to confirm the size of these animals. Due to their soft bodies, squids and octopuses don’t preserve as well, researchers have said, making the fossil record less complete than that of other creatures; chitinous beaks are often the only traces of their existence.

Modern-day octopuses are revered for their intelligence, showcasing impressive problem-solving and learning capabilities. The fossil evidence suggests early cephalopods may have been the same.

Yasuhiro Iba, from Hokkaido University, suggested early octopuses were “huge, intelligent” carnivores that used their long tentacles to seize bony fish and sizable molluscs, before crushing them with their powerful beaks.

Palaeontologists observed from the extensive wear on the jaws of these early cephalopods that they crunched on hard shells and bones. Where some beaks were more degraded on one side than the other, fellow palaeontologist Shin Ikegami said that there may be an indication of the cephalopod equivalent of handedness, in the same way that humans are left or right-handed.

“This laterality is related to the complexity of the brain,” Mr Ikegami added.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 24, 2026

New fossil discoveries suggest existence of giant ‘kraken’ octopuses as large as lorries

Akraken-like octopusthe size of a lorry prowled Earth’soceansback whendinosaursruled the land, new fossil discoveries have suggested. ...

Read More

Pitcher Left Stunned After He Catches a 108 MPH Hit in His Jersey

Seattle Mariners' pitcher Logan Gilbert caught a 107.8 mph line drive in his jersey during a game against the Oakland Athletics

NEED TO KNOW

• Umpires ruled the play did not count as a catch since the ball wasn’t caught with a glove

• Gilbert sustained minor injuries from the unconventional catch, but continued playing as the Mariners secured a 5-4 victory over the Athletics

A baseball pitcher had a unique catch — that he didn’t make with his glove.

Seattle Mariners starter Logan Gilbert turned heads during his team’s game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, April 22 after he unknowingly caught a ball with his jersey.

It all happened when Athletics’Carlos Corteswent up to bat and hit a line drive on the baseball — which ended up lodging into Gilbert’s Jersey.

In a video shared byESPNof the moment, Gilbert could be seen looking around for the ball immediately after Cortes made the hit. He turned around and before realizing that the ball was stuck inside his shirt.

"It happened so quick, I wasn't quite sure what happened," Gilbert recalled of the play, per ESPN. "And then, I mean, I hurt a little bit after that. So, [I] had to take a second."

"That was crazy," Gilbert added. "That was a freak thing, to end up through the jersey, too."

He could then be seen scrunching his face in pain as he reached into his shirt and finally pulled out the baseball — which had flown at him at 107.8 mph, according to the velocity counter. He then bent over as his teammate Josh Naylor appeared to check on him.

Advertisement

The umpires took a moment to discuss whether it would count as a catch, before making the call that it did not because it was not caught with a glove. Cortes was allowed to stay on first base as the crowd booed the decision.

"At first, I thought I was pretty fortunate that it was a catch," Gilbert said, per ESPN. "But I guess it wasn't a catch. But at the same time, if they hit it like 110 off the bat, I don't really feel like I deserve an out there."

He was briefly examined by Mariners' head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson before continuing the game. Though he gave up three runs in four innings, his team ultimately went on to win the game 5-4 against the Athletics, per ESPN.

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.

After the game it was discovered that Gilbert had a bruise on his stomach and a cut on his left hand — though it was unclear whether the latter was also due to the catch. His teammates told ESPN that they were just happy that he was in good shape.

"Anything hit back to the pitcher with that exit velocity's kind of scary," Naylor said. "You never know what's going to happen. So, I'm glad he's okay."

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

April 24, 2026

Pitcher Left Stunned After He Catches a 108 MPH Hit in His Jersey

Seattle Mariners' pitcher Logan Gilbert caught a 107.8 mph line drive in his jersey during a game against the Oakland Athletics ...

Read More