From The Sports Desk: Ant-Man’s return - BERITAJA

About a week and a half ago, Anthony Edwards landed awkwardly during a game, his near knee buckling arsenic his ft deed the ground. Edwards had to beryllium helped disconnected the court, and the charismatic test was a bony bruise and hyperextension of the knee.

Last night, Edwards returned to action sooner than expected, for the commencement of Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, and led the Minnesota Timberwolves to an upset complete the San Antonio Spurs. Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down the crippled below.

Also, the New York Mets are disconnected to a bad commencement and a New York tabloid thinks they mightiness beryllium cursed. Could they person a point? Our Tim Rohan investigates.

For much NBA and MLB coverage, arsenic always, cheque retired the Beritaja website.

NBA Playoffs

Hours earlier Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, connection came that Edwards would springiness it a spell for the Timberwolves. He’d travel disconnected the chair and beryllium playing connected a minutes restriction, but he wanted to play against the Spurs.

“I cognize for a fact, conscionable maine being retired there, it calms everybody down,” Edwards said.

In 25 minutes of action, Edwards scored 18 points, including 11 successful the 4th quarter, to thief the No. 6-seeded Minnesota upset No. 2 San Antonio connected the road, winning 104-102.

After defeating the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic successful Round 1, the Timberwolves now person to woody pinch Victor Wembanyama, the Defensive Player of the Year. Wembanyama recorded a triple-double past nighttime — 11 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocks — but he went 0-for-8 from 3-point range. At times, he seemed to struggle offensively against his French countryman, Minnesota halfway Rudy Gobert.

Trailing 101-94 pinch 1:44 to go, the Spurs about mounted a miraculous comeback successful the last 100 seconds, but Julian Champagnie’s imaginable game-winning 3 bounced disconnected the rim arsenic clip expired.

“We person to beryllium better,” a stoic Wembanyama said.

Earlier successful the night, connected the Eastern Conference broadside of the bracket, the No. 3-seed New York Knicks dismantled the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers, winning 137-98 to return Game 1.

Jalen Brunson scored 35 points successful only 31 minutes for the Knicks, who took advantage of a lethargic 76ers squad coming disconnected a seven-game first-round conflict pinch Boston.

The character Timothée Chalamet was besides courtside cheering the Knicks on, alternatively of attending the Met Gala, to which he was presumably invited.

Timothée Chalamet looks connected during the 2nd 4th of a crippled betwixt the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks successful Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs astatine Madison Square Garden connected May 04, 2026 successful New York City.Al Bello / Getty Images

'Cursed Mets'

Baseball has ever been a athletics that believes successful the occult — successful juju and curses and superstitions. That type of reasoning could beryllium traced to the game’s origins, much than a period ago. To this day, players and fans still judge that extracurricular forces could conspire for aliases against them, that actions taken disconnected the section could someway impact the consequence of the game.

None much truthful than the New York Mets.

In early April, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Citi Field and, successful the recesses of the stadium, shared a infinitesimal pinch the team’s mascots, Mr. and Mrs. Met. A self-described casual Mets fan, Mamdani smiled wide arsenic he gave them large hugs. As the trio posed for photos, Mr. Met placed his oversized chapeau connected the mayor’s head.

More than a week later, the Mets hadn’t won a crippled since, a streak that would tally to 12 games. The New York Post ran that photograph connected its screen — Mamdani posing pinch the mascots — and blamed the mayor’s hugging Mr. Met for the team’s losing skid.

“Curse of the Mambino,” the header read.

It turns out, much than 100 years ago, players would swipe the mascot’s caput for bully luck earlier an at-bat. For the remainder of this heavy dive into baseball’s narration pinch superstitions, and why the Mets look to beryllium peculiarly susceptible to this benignant of thinking, read here.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani meets Mrs. Met and Mr. Met astatine Citi Field anterior to the crippled betwixt the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Mets connected April 09, 2026 successful New York City. Caean Couto / Getty Images file

What We're Watching

Both No. 1 seeds stay live successful the NBA playoffs, and they commencement their Round 2 bid coming on Peacock.

In the East, the Detroit Pistons hardly survived a seven-game bid against the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic. Fortunately for Detroit, the Cleveland Cavaliers besides needed 7 games to hit the Toronto Raptors. Both Detroit and Cleveland mightiness beryllium moving connected fumes astatine the commencement of this series.

Then successful the nightcap, some Oklahoma City and Los Angeles are dealing pinch injuries to prima players. The Thunder’s Jalen Williams and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic person some been retired pinch hamstring injuries, and some will miss Game 1 tonight.

Doncic’s wounded appears to beryllium much serious, but it’s unclear erstwhile either subordinate will return. In the meantime, which squad could clasp dependable until the reinforcement arrives?

All times are Eastern:

• 7 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, connected Peacock
• 8:30 p.m.: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers, connected NBC/Peacock

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost tomorrow.