Sports
Luka Doncic scores 33 and remains unbeaten against Mavericks in Lakers comeback
DALLAS — Luka Doncic was met with a chorus of cheers when he strolled onto the court at American Airlines Center to do his pregame shooting routine.
“We love you Luka,” the fans chanted. “We love you.”
Doncic smiled and waved toward the crowd. He had spent six-plus seasons playing for the Mavericks, a place he thought he would call home for his entire career as the face of the franchise.
But a stunning, three-team trade last year sent Doncic to the Lakers.
Doncic returned to Dallas for the second time since the trade, leading the Lakers to a 116-110 comeback win on cold and icy Saturday night.
Doncic was magnificent with 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as he improved to 4-0 against his former team.
“Obviously, there’s always going to be emotions,” Doncic said. “I was happy to be back here. I went to my house. I saw my cars. But obviously it’s always going to be emotions. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.”
LeBron James finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Rui Hachimura had 17 points and eight rebounds and Marcus Smart had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
“I’m always going to want to win, no matter what,” Doncic said. “But obviously this win is a little different.”
The Lakers (27-17) led by 14 points at one point before going down by 15 in the fourth quarter.
They made a stirring comeback late in the fourth quarter behind Hachimura, who went on a 7-0 run. He made a three-pointer while being fouled and made the subsequent free throw. He then hit another three to put the Lakers ahead 108-106, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I think we were sharing the ball today and Luka was getting double-teamed in the last five minutes. So, I think that was a good look for us,” Hachimura said. “We talked about how we had to share the ball and find each other and I ended up shooting the last shot. So, yeah, I think it was good by the whole team.”
Hachimura was six for 13 from the field and four for seven from three-point range.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura celebrates after scoring against the Mavericks in the second quarter Saturday.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
“He took his shots tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And we’re all very confident in him. He’s a laser. He’s a fantastic shooter. The four-point play followed by the three, that seven-point swing where we’re down five and go up two in the matter of 30 seconds was huge.”
After Cooper Flagg made one of two free throws, Smart grabbed a rebound off a missed Hachimura three-pointer and scored despite dislocating his right index finger earlier in the quarter.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want to come out of the game, so I’m trying to pop it back in real quick,’” Smart said. “It was able to go back in.”
James followed Smart’s play with a tip-in. Doncic made two free throws to finish off the Mavericks (19-27) after Naji Marshall was called for a charge.
In the first quarter, Doncic shot a three-pointer over Brandon Williams to give him 1,500 career threes, making him the youngest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat.
“There were still emotions, trust me. But a little bit better, a little bit easier for me,” Doncic said. “How the fans accept me here, it’s unbelievable. I still got a lot of friends here, players, some other people. So I’m happy to be back a little bit.”
Sports
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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Sports
NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.
The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.
The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.
Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.
Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.
In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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