TAMPA, United States — Juraj Slafkovsky scored three power-play goals, including the winner 1:22 into overtime, to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their first-round NHL playoff series on April 19, 2026. Slafkovsky’s overtime snap shot from the left circle beat Andrei Vasilevskiy for the hat trick, making him the first Canadiens player with three power-play goals in a playoff game and, according to research, the youngest player to record a postseason-opening hat trick. Josh Anderson opened the scoring for Montreal and rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš made 20 saves. Brandon Hagel scored twice and Darren Raddysh added a goal for Tampa Bay; Jake Guentzel had three assists. The Lightning, the No. 2 Atlantic seed, have struggled in recent postseason overtime games and at home, while Montreal — coached by former Lightning star Martin St. Louis — seized early series momentum. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena.

April 22 — The Portland Trail Blazers rallied from 14 points down to beat the San Antonio Spurs 106-103 in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series, tying the best-of-seven at 1-1. Scoot Henderson led Portland with a season-high 31 points, Jrue Holiday added 16 and Robert Williams III’s late putback dunk sealed the win. The game’s turning point came 8:57 into the second quarter when Spurs star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the court after contact and was removed under the NBA’s concussion protocol; he was later diagnosed with a concussion and did not return. Wembanyama, who was unanimously named Defensive Player of the Year on April 20 after leading the league in blocks and posting career highs in points and rebounds, faces an uncertain timeline for clearance ahead of Game 3 on Friday in Portland. San Antonio say they will follow protocol; coaches noted the team went 12-6 without him during the regular season and must rely on depth if he misses time. The series shifts to Portland for Games 3 and 4.

The Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 19-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-114 in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series on April 21 in Denver, tying the best-of-seven at 1-1. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 30 points and 10 rebounds despite playing through a sore right knee; Julius Randle added 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Donte DiVincenzo contributed 16. Rudy Gobert’s rim protection helped stifle Nikola Jokić late — Jokić finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists on 8-for-20 shooting — and Minnesota outscored Denver 29-21 in the fourth quarter. Jaden McDaniels had 14 points and drew headlines after the game by calling the Nuggets “all bad defenders,” singling out stars including Jokić and Jamal Murray. The game came the same day Defensive Player of the Year voting was revealed; Gobert, a four-time winner, finished fourth in the ballots. The series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Thursday, April 23, with Denver expected to adjust after surrendering a sizable lead.

The Orlando Magic stunned top-seeded Detroit in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round, defeating the Pistons 112-101 on April 19, 2026, and will visit Little Caesars Arena for Game 2 on April 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Orlando entered the series as the No. 8 seed (45-37) after surviving the play-in; Detroit finished atop the East at 60-22. Paolo Banchero paced the Magic in the opener while Cade Cunningham scored 39 for Detroit. Detroit’s All-Star center Jalen Duren was limited in Game 1, raising questions about the Pistons’ interior attack despite the team leading the NBA in points in the paint during the regular season. Oddsmakers still favor Detroit — spreads around 8-9 points and a Pistons moneyline near -410 — but Detroit has lost 10 straight playoff home games, a troubling trend as it tries to avoid an 0-2 hole. The series will be carried across the NBA’s new multi-platform rights landscape, with games split among ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video (finals remain on ABC).

April 22, 2026 — The New York Mets dropped their 12th consecutive game, falling 5-3 at Citi Field to the Minnesota Twins after a ninth-inning rally. Luke Keaschall delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth and Matt Wallner followed with a bases-loaded walk off Mets closer Devin Williams, who failed to record an out and walked three batters before being pulled to boos from the announced crowd of 32,798. Rookie Nolan McLean retired the first 15 Twins batters and struck out 10, finishing with 6 2/3 innings and three runs allowed; Simeon Woods Richardson started for Minnesota. Cole Sands worked the final two innings to earn the win for the Twins. The loss left New York 7-16 and tied for the franchise’s longest losing streak since 2002. Historic context: no team in the modern era has reached the postseason after enduring a 12-game losing streak. The Mets were due to get Juan Soto off the injured list the following day, offering an immediate opportunity to try to halt the slide.

The Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at TD Garden, beating Boston 111-97 on April 21 to even the series 1-1 after the Celtics dominated Game 1, 123-91, on April 19. The matchup has been shaped by a prolonged absence for Philadelphia’s star center Joel Embiid (abdomen), who is listed out, while the Celtics have been relatively healthy aside from guard Ron Harper Jr. (probable with an ankle issue). The series is being broadcast across the new multi-partner NBA rights landscape — NBC/Peacock, ABC and streaming partners including Prime Video, ESPN app and DIRECTV — and upcoming games include Game 3 in Philadelphia on April 24. Pre-game betting markets and projection models heavily favored Boston, with large spreads and lopsided moneylines, but Philadelphia’s Game 2 road win defied those probabilities and recalibrated expectations for the series.