Daily briefing
Top Sports Headlines – April 16, 2026
Curated from 63 sources across 3 leagues in the last 24 hours.
Last updated Apr 16, 2026 • 2:31 AM UTC
Top headlines
-
1
Blazers ride Avdija's 41 over Suns, grab 7th seed
Deni Avdija scored 41 points to help the Blazers erase an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 114-110 win over the Suns that secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
-
2
NBA touts near doubling of television viewership
The NBA says 170 million people in the U.S. watched NBA games across the league's four primary broadcast platforms during the regular season, a number that represents an 86% rise over last season.
-
3
🏀 NBA playoffs: Predicting the entire bracket
ESPN's Zach Kram decides each NBA series in the playoffs through the Finals. Who will square off in June?
-
4
Amazon feed cuts out late in Heat-Hornets thriller
Amazon Prime Video's stream of the Miami-Charlotte play-in game went offline for nearly two minutes during the overtime period, causing fans to miss a Hornets possession.
-
5
No seats, no silence: A night inside the Clippers' Wall
Built to disrupt, the Intuit Dome's most intense section affects games in real time by turning fans into participants -- and opponents into targets.
- 6
- 7
-
8
Hornets' Ball fined $35K for 'reckless' Bam play
The NBA has fined LaMelo Ball $35,000 "for making unnecessary and reckless contact" with Bam Adebayo during Tuesday's play-in game. The Hornets star also was fined $25,000 for using profane language during a TV interview after that game.
-
9
Messi hit with $7M lawsuit over missed friendly
A Miami-based event promoter has filed a $7 million lawsuit against Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association, alleging fraud and breach of contract after the star sat out an exhibition match last October.
-
10
🏈 Kiper's two-round NFL mock draft
Mel Kiper Jr. predicts 64 picks across the first two rounds of the draft, including two potential trades, a few QB landing spots and plenty of impact additions.
-
11
Sources: MLBPA fires two top execs with cause
The Major League Baseball Players Association fired two top executives with cause Wednesday following an internal investigation, sources told ESPN.
-
12
LIV CEO says season to continue 'at full throttle'
Amid reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund might be on the verge of pulling its funding for the league, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil told staff in an email Wednesday that its season will go on "as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle."
-
13
'Joke': Madrid fume at costly red card in UCL exit
Coach Álvaro Arbeloa said it was "obvious" that Eduardo Camavinga's red card was crucial in Real Madrid's Champions League quarterfinal elimination by Bayern Munich on Wednesday, while midfielder Jude Bellingham called the decision "a joke."
-
14
Memo: NFL onboarding replacement officials
The NFL has started onboarding potential replacement officials as the expiration of its CBA with the NFL Referees Association approaches.
-
15
Ohtani on mound but not in lineup against Mets
Shohei Ohtani was not in the starting lineup for his start day Wednesday, the first time in five years that he has pitched but not also hit.
-
16
MLB celebrates Robinson's legacy, dons No. 42
Major League Baseball celebrated the 79th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the sport's color barrier, with every player, coach and umpire wearing his No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.
-
17
Wolves ready to 'flip the switch' off uneven season
Coming off a rather uninspiring regular season, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves said "we're here now" and are ready to take on the Nuggets for the start of the playoffs.
-
18
Hornets' Ball fined $35K for 'reckless' Bam play
The NBA has fined LaMelo Ball $35,000 "for making unnecessary and reckless contact" with Bam Adebayo during Tuesday's play-in game. The Hornets star also was fined $25,000 for using profane language during a TV interview after that game.
-
19
Curry on minutes restriction in must-win play-in
Stephen Curry is one of three Golden State Warriors who will be on a minutes restriction in the team's play-in game against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
-
20
J. Cole ends stint with Chinese pro hoops team
Rap megastar J. Cole said Tuesday that his time playing professional basketball in China has come to an end after one game.
-
21
Sources: NBA investigating Ball trip of Adebayo
The NBA is investigating LaMelo Ball's trip of Bam Adebayo, which resulted in the Miami Heat star's lower back injury during Tuesday's play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
- 22
- 23
-
24
The legacy of Jackie Robinson, baseball's greatest agent of change
On Jackie Robinson Day, we remember one of the game's most legendary players and his lasting impact.
-
25
'He wants a Cy Young': With his arm at full strength, Shohei Ohtani is a man on a mission
Dodgers teammates say MLB's most singular star has set his sights on another history-making achievement.