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  • 3 things to watch in Lakers-Rockets Game 5

    3 things to watch in Lakers-Rockets Game 5

    Austin Reaves, out nearly 4 weeks, could provide the Lakers a big boost in Game 5.

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    The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since 2023, when they reached the Western Conference Finals as the No. 7 seed. 

    They lost in the first round in 2024 and 2025 but are one victory from the conference semifinals. Despite the absence of leading scorers and essential playmakers Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves due to injuries, the Lakers have taken a surprising 3-1 series lead in their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets. 

    LeBron James, at 41 years old, has been (mostly) sensational, and the Lakers have received greater-than-expected production from Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, who were thrust into the starting lineup with Dončić and Reaves sidelined. 

    Can James pull the Lakers to another victory? Game 5 is Wednesday in Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). The winner of the Rockets-Lakers series will play Oklahoma City in the conference semifinals. The Thunder swept Phoenix to advance. 

    Here are three things to watch in Game 5 of Rockets-Lakers:

    1. Does James have a bounce-back game?

    In the first three games of this series, James averaged 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.0 steals and shot 47.4% from the field and 43.8% on 3-pointers. It helped the Lakers to a 3-0 series lead. 

    In Houston’s 115-96 Game 4 victory, James had 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting (0-for-3 on 3-pointers), nine assists, four rebounds and eight turnovers. 

    James’ teams are 41-14 in closeout games, according to statmuse.com, and with his team one victory from clinching a series, James has not lost two closeout games consecutively since 2006. In those 55 closeout games, James averaged 28 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists. 

    2. Injury updates for Lakers, Rockets

    Rockets star Kevin Durant missed Game 1 with a bruised right knee and missed Games 3-4 with a left ankle sprain and bone bruise and has been listed as out for Game 5. 

    Reaves (strained left oblique) is getting closer to getting back on the court. He was upgraded to questionable before Game 4 but did not play. He’s listed as questionable for Game 5. There is a chance he plays in Game 5, and it’s unlikely Dončić (strained left hamstring) plays in the Rockets series.  

    Reaves (23.3 points, 5.5 assists per game) would give the Lakers another ballhandler and playmaker to help James. 

    3. Can the Rockets make the series interesting?

    Winning Game 5 and going back to Houston with a chance to tie the series and force a Game 7 would turn up the pressure on the Lakers, who jumped to a 3-0 series lead. They played well enough to win Game 3 without Durant and took Game 4 with him on the bench. In the last game, Houston found defensive success by switching and forcing turnovers, and its starting five produced 95 of the team’s 115 points, led by Amen Thompson’s 23 and Alperen Sengun’s 19. 

    It won’t be easy against James and the Lakers in Los Angeles, but the Rockets are talented enough and young enough not to dwell on what has amounted to insurmountable odds for a team trailing 3-0 in an NBA playoff series. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. Teams trailing are 0-159. 

    * * *

    Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • 3 things to watch in Cavaliers-Raptors Game 5

    3 things to watch in Cavaliers-Raptors Game 5

    Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has played a key role in Toronto tying up its first-round series vs. Cleveland.

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    This series is deadlocked and so is the momentum. It’s anyone’s guess as to which team moves on to the Eastern Conference semifinals, and in that sense, the Cleveland Cavaliers must be feeling a bit dizzy right now.

    They built a 2-0 lead and looked dominant while doing so, only to flutter helplessly in Toronto and allow the Raptors to pull even. That’s more of an indictment against the Cavs, who do have the advantage of home court, which could swing in their favor, starting with Game 5 on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

    Much will fall on the reputations and shoulders of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. The duo worked so wondrously in the first two games … and then, at times, became victims of their own mistakes and missed shots in the two Cleveland losses.

    The Raptors have shown they can take a punch and not only survive, but give a strong response. And they still haven’t seen Brandon Ingram’s A-game yet.

    If he starts connecting, and he’s certainly due, the Raptors might find themselves going home with a chance to close out the series.

    Yes, the situation is that delicate between the Cavs and Raptors. Here’s what to watch for Game 5 in Cleveland:

    1. Will Raptors’ strategy work?

    What has happened since the first two games, which were dominated by the Cavs? The Raptors paid extra attention to Mitchell and Harden and dared their Cavs teammates to step into those big roles. And none have so far.

    Mitchell and Harden create so much for themselves and their teammates because of their ball dominance that when Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and the rest of the rotation must fend for themselves, the offensive output can be minimal at times.

    The obvious third wheel in the equation is Mobley, who has made steady improvement at both ends since his rookie season … except for this season, when he flatlined. And that has carried over into this first-round series as Mobley has had one impactful game. He’s averaging 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game vs. Toronto.

    The Raptors must be aware of the Harden and/or Mitchell response, especially at home. Harden will look to secure the ball better; he’s averaging six turnovers per game. Also, Toronto might need to be mindful of a level-up by a Cleveland rotational player. Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson could have their game of the series and put Cleveland one step closer to winning this round.

    2. Why 3s are the magic number

    Both teams are coming off a Game 4 where points and efficiency took a back seat. That means the Raptors and Cavaliers are due for a bounce-back.

    And it might come down to long-distance shooting.

    Which team seems most capable?

    As for the Cavs, who are at 34% in the series, Strus, Harden and Sam Merrill must take charge. They’re the most efficient of the bunch, and in the case of Strus and Merrill, it might be time for them to shoot often. As a duo, they’re barely taking more combined than Mitchell does in a game, and Mitchell’s efficiency is streaky.

    The Raptors don’t emphasize 3-point shooting mainly because it’s not their strength, especially with Immanuel Quickley out for the series with an injury. Grady Dick was supposed to be the designated specialist, but he has regressed and isn’t even in the rotation. Except for RJ Barrett, none of Toronto’s top scorers are volume shooters from deep.

    Should the Raptors make 3s, that would be a bonus for them and send the Cleveland defense scrambling. Should the Cavs make 3s, that could make it hard for Toronto to win.

    3. Shead, Murray-Boyles stepping up

    What’s impressive about the Raptors in this series is how two players taken in the last two drafts are coming up large at times. That would be Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles, who are demanding and getting ample playing time.

    How many guards who average six points and don’t control the ball can earn 30 minutes a night in the playoffs? Shead is on the floor because of his intense defense, relentless hustle and he’s not intimidated by the moment.

    Harden and Mitchell know that Shead will be in their grill constantly.

    As for Murray-Boyles, he’s the best paint player in the series, bringing energy and blue collar, more impactful than Mobley and Allen, two more experienced and accomplished players. Murray-Boyles is attacking the glass and supplying a skill that has diminished in the NBA over the last decade or so — offensive rebounding. Those second-chance possessions are giving the Raptors multiple scoring opportunities.

    “He changes games,” said Barnes.

    * * *

    Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • Triple Oscar-Winning Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro to Be Honored by Italy’s David Awards

    Triple Oscar-Winning Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro to Be Honored by Italy’s David Awards

    Triple Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro is set to be honored with a special prize by Italy’s David di Donatello Awards in tandem with Rome’s Cinecittà Studios during the upcoming edition of the country’s top film prizes.

    Storaro — who has won Academy Awards for his work on “Apocalypse Now,” the Warren Beatty-directed “Reds” and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” — will be celebrated during the 71st edition of the Davids that will take place at Cinecittà Studios on May 6.

    Storaro has more than 70 cinematography credits, including with Woody Allen, Carlos Saura, Richard Donner, Alfonso Arau and Paul Schrader. His work with fellow Italian Bertolucci is considered one of the most seminal filmmaking partnerships in history.

    “The Cinecittà David 71 Special Award to Vittorio Storaro is a tribute to a maestro who knows how to write with light, transforming technique into visual poetry and bringing our country’s excellence to the world’s most prestigious stages,” said Italy’s undersecretary for culture Lucia Borgonzoni, who oversees the country’s cinema department, in a statement.

    “Cinecittà is known worldwide for the brilliance of its artists and artisans,” noted Cinecittà CEO Manuela Cacciamani. “This well-deserved fame is also due to the work of this poet of the image. So this award goes to him along with our gratitude.”

    Donatello Academy president Piera Detassis called the prize to Storaro “the most beautiful way to celebrate an immense talent and, along with him, a special anniversary: the 50th anniversary of Bernardo Bertolucci’s masterpiece ‘Novecento,’” the historical epic shot in 1976 with a stellar cast comprising Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda and Donald Sutherland.”

  • CoinDesk 20 performance update: Litecoin (LTC) gains 2.4%, leading index higher

    CoinDesk 20 performance update: Litecoin (LTC) gains 2.4%, leading index higher

    CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

    The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 2093.01, up 0.7% (+15.25) since 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

    Fourteen of 20 assets are trading higher.

    Leaders: LTC (+2.4%) and APT (+1.7%).

    Laggards: AAVE (-1.1%) and SUI (-0.4%).

    The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.

  • German Company Founder Makes Remarks That Will Anger Trump! “Actually, the Biggest Obstacle is Himself and Altcoins!”

    German Company Founder Makes Remarks That Will Anger Trump! “Actually, the Biggest Obstacle is Himself and Altcoins!”

    As is known, US President Donald Trump launched his own altcoin just a few days before officially taking office.

    Official Trump ($TRUMP), which rose to over $60 after its release, has been the target of criticism ever since.

    At this point, a criticism also came from the founder of Moonrock Capital. According to Simon Dedic, the founder of Moonrock Capital, the memecoin named Trump is the biggest obstacle to cryptocurrency regulation.

    Simon Dedic, founder of cryptocurrency and blockchain venture capital firm Moonrock Capital, argued that President Donald Trump’s memecoin is the biggest obstacle to creating a clear regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.

    In a post published from his X account, Dedic claimed that the $TRUMP meme coin delayed the passage of the Clarity Act by Congress.

    Dedic stated that Democrats are using the Trump memecoin issue to demand the addition of ethical clauses, which could lead to the law being completely halted or repealed.

    The well-known figure also claims that the president, who portrays himself as crypto-friendly, is too focused on lining his own pockets, thus ruining the legislation the industry needs most.

    He also criticized the crypto sector for failing to address this uncomfortable reality.

    Dedic pointed out that instead of distancing themselves, members of the cryptocurrency sector attended dinners organized for Trump coin holders and flattered the president. At this point, Dedic emphasized that nothing would change unless someone spoke up.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Missouri pet named world’s oldest dove at the age of 44

    Missouri pet named world’s oldest dove at the age of 44

    Odd News // 3 weeks ago

    Wrong click earns Michigan woman a $251,738 lottery jackpot

    April 1 (UPI) — A Michigan woman said the wrong click at the right time while buying lottery tickets online led to her winning a $251,738 Fantasy 5 jackpot.

  • Netflix’s Newest True Crime Docuseries Asks ‘Should I Marry a Murderer?’ (No, You Should Not)

    [This story contains spoilers from So I Married an Axe Murderer.]

    In 1993’s So I Married an Axe Murderer, Mike Myers thought he married an axe murderer (and then he didn’t, and then he did again, and then he found out, factually, that he did not). As it turns out, the killer was Amanda Plummer’s character, not Nancy Travis’, with the axe, in whatever room(s) in which she murdered Travis’ (onscreen) ex-husbands. Myers and Travis’ Charlie and Harriet live happily ever after, probably, with the exception that she has to spend the rest of her days listening to his beat poetry.

    In the 2026 Netflix docuseries Should I Marry a Murderer?, Dr. Caroline Muirhead factually knows her Scottish fiancé Alexander McKellar killed an innocent man and buried him on a farm, but she moves back in with him anyway. The title is provocative and very easy to answer (“No!”), but it is posed as a legitimate question that Muirhead faces at least twice in the three-part documentary now streaming. If right about now you are wondering, “Was she on drugs?!” Yes, yes she was.

    Muirhead, a young forensic pathologist, met McKellar on Tinder, and the two begin dating. After about a month, their whirlwind romance became a whirlwind engagement. It is the typical boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-in-love-with-girl, boy-confesses-to-girl-he-killed-a-bicyclist-and-dumped-the-body-in-an-animal-burial-pit tale. Is there no original storytelling left in Hollywood?

    McKellar confesses to Muirhead that he struck bicyclist Tony Parsons, who was on a 100-mile ride from Fort William back to his hometown of Tillicoultry to raise money for a prostate cancer charity. Parsons, 63, was a prostate cancer survivor, as well as a grandfather and former navy officer. McKellar and his twin brother Robert McKellar were under the influence when their pickup truck hit Parsons under the cover of night. The brothers left Parsons there before returning with a new vehicle to bring him back to the sprawling farm they both worked and lived on. Parsons was not dead upon impact; the brothers buried him in a kill pit along with some of their hunting trophies.

    Muirhead had Alexander show her where Parsons was buried, and she secretly marked the spot with a can of Sugar Free Red Bull — her signature non-alcoholic drink. She went to the cops with the information, but they proceeded slowly. She gathered more intel; they still moved slowly. Eventually, the McKellar boys figured out who the snitch was. But instead of getting stitches, they forgave her. She forgave them, and life goes on — for everyone but Parsons, of course — with heavy cocaine and alcohol abuse.

    At some point, Muirhead sobers up. The boys go to prison and she goes to therapy — both, long overdue.

    Muirhead has since moved on, and has filmed this documentary series, and is in a new romantic relationship. She says the new boyfriend is “kind,” which is code to say that he’s probably never killed anybody or buried them under deer skulls. You have to kiss a few frogs, I suppose…

    Should I Marry a Murderer? premieres Wednesday, April 29, on Netflix.

  • CFTC Backs Prediction Markets in Yet Another Lawsuit Against a State

    CFTC Backs Prediction Markets in Yet Another Lawsuit Against a State

    In brief

    • The CFTC sued Wisconsin after the state moved against prediction market platforms.
    • Wisconsin targeted Polymarket, Kalshi, Coinbase, Robinhood, and Crypto.com on Friday.
    • The state argued those platforms’ sports-related markets constitute unlicensed sports bets.

    The CFTC on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin over the state’s own lawsuit against top prediction market platforms, in the latest escalation of a jurisdictional standoff over the fate of the lucrative new sector.

    Wisconsin is the fifth state the CFTC has sued in recent weeks for attempting to regulate prediction markets via state gambling laws. Earlier this month, the federal regulator filed lawsuits against Illinois, Arizona, and Connecticut. On Friday, it sued New York, days after the state commenced legal action against crypto exchanges Coinbase and Gemini for their prediction market offerings.

    All states targeted by the CFTC thus far, including Wisconsin, feature Democratic governors and attorneys general. The CFTC is currently chaired by Donald Trump appointee Mike Selig.

    But the growing conflict between states and the Trump administration over prediction markets is by no means partisan. In the last year, numerous red states—including Tennessee, Utah, and Ohio—have expressed opposition to the federal government’s aggressively pro-prediction market stance.

    The states, red and blue alike, contend prediction market wagers related to sports—and in some cases, politics and entertainment—are illegal gambling bets, lacking necessary registration with state gambling authorities. The prediction market platforms themselves have argued the wagers instead constitute event contracts exclusively under the federal purview of the CFTC. In recent months, the CFTC has full-throatedly backed the platforms’ position.

    “States cannot circumvent the clear directive of Congress,” CFTC chair Mike Selig said in a statement Tuesday. “Our message to Wisconsin is the same as to New York, Arizona, and others: if you interfere with the operation of federal law in regulating financial markets, we will sue you.”

    The speed of the CFTC’s response to state-level legal action is accelerating; Wisconsin only filed lawsuits against top prediction market platforms on Friday. Those suits targeted Polymarket, Kalshi, Coinbase, Robinhood, and Crypto.com.

    The Wisconsin lawsuits focused on those platforms’ sports-related prediction markets, which the states’ attorney general argued are unregistered sports bets. Lawsuits filed by other states, however, including New York and Arizona, have been broader, targeting not just sports-related wagers but also those pertaining to elections and popular culture.

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  • Amazon Prime’s Eva Longoria-Produced ‘The House of the Spirits’ Is a Spectacular and Gutting Adaptation: TV Review

    Amazon Prime’s Eva Longoria-Produced ‘The House of the Spirits’ Is a Spectacular and Gutting Adaptation: TV Review

    Based on Isabel Allende’s acclaimed 1982 novel and adapted for television by Francisca Alegría, Fernanda Urrejola and Andrés Wood, Prime Video’s “The House of the Spirits” is a spectacular and heart-wrenching saga that chronicles three generations of women in the Trueba family. Beyond blood, these women are tied together by destiny and the decisions of the violent and tyrannical men surrounding them. Gorgeously filmed, the series is about family, passion, revenge and political unrest. The first Spanish-language adaptation of Allende’s novel is sensational, and long overdue.
    ​
    Set in a deeply conservative South American country, which is not named, but is based on Chile, “The House of the Spirits” begins in the 1970s amid a violent, terrifying military coup. Alba (Rochi Hernández) arrives bloody and beaten at the gates of her towering family home in the nation’s capital. Weeping and overcome with grief, Alba is guided by the spirit of her late grandmother, Clara (Dolores Fonzi), to an old trunk. Packed neatly in the case, Alba uncovers hundreds of notebooks that recount Clara’s life over half a century, and offers her the missing puzzle pieces to her own fractured and confusing origin story.
    ​
    Pouring over the many pages of her grandmother’s writing, Alba and the audience are transported back to the 1920s into the childhood home of Clara del Valle (Francesca Turco). The youngest of her siblings, Clara is deeply cherished by her family who indulge her ethereal whimsy, telepathy, psychic abilities and endless curiosity. However, her favorite person is her eldest sister, Rosa (Chiara Parravicin). A stunning beauty with green hair, Rosa attracts countless suitors. Yet there is no one more determined to win her love than Esteban Trueba (Alfonso Herrera), who seeks his fortune in a gold mine in an effort to earn a good enough living to ask for Rosa’s hand in marriage. Tragically, their love story does not come to fruition, and a decade or so later, it’s Clara (now portrayed by Nicole Wallace) who finds herself wed to Esteban.
    ​
    Now a well-to-do patrón and landowner of a thriving farm, Las Tres Marías, Esteban appears to have it all. Unfortunately, as Clara begins to understand, he is consumed by rage because he never got to possess Rosa as he desired. This anger crackles around him like a smoldering fire, igniting and engulfing everyone from the workers on his farm, his meek sister Férula (Fernanda Castillo), to Clara and, eventually, to their daughter, Blanca (Sara Becker and later Fernanda Urrejola), Alba’s idealistic mother.
    ​
    On the surface, “The House of the Spirits” is a typical family epic tracing shifts in tradition. It focuses on the rise of women’s autonomy and how that progression affects not only familial dynamics but also a swiftly changing country as a whole, as its citizens try to unshackle themselves from the chains of machismo and conservatism. Still, this eight-episode series, which is executive produced by Isabel Allende, Eva Longoria and Courtney Saladino, is much more than that. Miraculous to behold, especially following the ill-conceived 1993 film adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder and a majority-white cast, the show is as beautiful to watch as it is fascinating.
    ​
    As Alba narrates Clara and Blanca’s stories before cracking open her own memories, the viewer can see how small choices made either in selfishness, greed or wicked depravity help shape the three women’s lives. Though “The House of the Spirits” has plenty of joyous moments, it is also full of volatile and depraved sequences. It does not shy away from the brutal assaults, sexual violence and anguish that the people, but namely the women around Esteban, endure either at his hand or under his watch. It’s an insidiousness that Clara first witnesses as a child when she interrupts an act of necrophilia.
    ​
    “The House of the Spirits” is exceptional, not simply because of Allende’s eloquent and timeless storytelling, but because of the actors who have brought these characters to life in the way they should have always been rendered. The narrative is a reminder that cruelty is not fixed; it often tumbles outward, smothering those who had no tangible connection to it to begin with. Additionally, it is a recognition of the hearts and power of women, who are often the cultural carriers and waymakers in families determined, no matter how few resources they have, to forge a better path for those who come after them.

    The first three episodes of “The House of the Spirits” debut April 29 on Prime Video, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays.

  • ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Jamie Ding Calls Out ICE After 31-Game Winning Streak Ends: ‘The Government Is Going After Immigrants in a Way Unlike Anything We’ve Seen’

    “Jeopardy!” contestant Jamie Ding‘s winning streak came to an end on Monday, April 27 after 31 victories and $882,605 earned, which puts him in the number five spot on the list of most consecutive games won and highest all-time winnings in regular-season play. Ding’s beloved run on the show earned him legions of fans on social media, and he told People magazine after his defeat that it was more important than ever for an immigrant “Jeopardy!” contestant to unite viewers.

    “I kept hearing how it was bringing people together, and I love that very much,” Ding said. “I’ve heard people say, ‘It’s nice to have something positive on TV!’ As an immigrant and a person of color, I was able to become part of the history of an American institution.”

    Ding added, “‘Jeopardy!’ really is an institution and America’s turning 250 years old and the federal government is going after immigrants in a way unlike anything that we’ve seen in the recent past. So I hope that immigrants can be seen in a positive light too.”

    Ding joined the “Jeopardy!” history books during his run on the show. The only players to have won more consecutive games than Ding are James Holzhauer (32 games in 2019), Matt Amodio (38 games in 2021), Amy Schneider (40 games in 2022) and Ken Jennings (74 wins in 2004), the latter of whom now hosts the game show.

    “I think my last game is unusual, because I was a super champ, but I also lost in a runaway, which I feel like is the first time that ever happened,” Ding told People about being defeated by 13,990 points in his final game. “It almost makes me feel better about the thing because there wasn’t really one clue or whatever that everything hinged on. It being a runaway means that I got to write a goodbye message instead of nothing at all. I wouldn’t have done that if there had even been a chance of me coming out with the victory.”

    Ding signed off from the show by writing a farewell note on his final “Jeopardy!” answer that read: “TTFN,” short for “ta ta for now.” The contestant will surely return for the next Tournament of Champions.