The NBA playoff race, MLB regular season, NHL playoff race, UFC 300 and The Masters are all slated for this weekend.
NBA Playoffs
Buckle up for the weekend, basketball fans. With the playoffs less than a week away and 17 teams still fighting for a better spot, this weekend is set to bring the buckets.
In the newly revamped NBA playoffs, the best six seeds solidify themselves in the bracket with multiple “play-in” games between the No.7 and No.8 teams, followed by the No.9 and No.10 seeds to finish the eight seed bracket. The winner of No. 7 vs No.8 seed is in the playoff bracket. The loser of that match then plays the winner of the No.9 vs No.10 game. The loser of the No. 9 vs No.10 game is eliminated.
With two more days of regular season play, the final playoff picture remains unsettled. In the Western Conference, three California teams – the Lakers, Warriors and Kings – are also battling for better seeds to avoid traveling and having to play in an additional game.
The Lakers will play Memphis on April 12 at 5 p.m, and New Orleans April 14 at 12:30 p.m. In order for the Lakers to receive home-field advantage for the play-in game, they must win both of these games – and the Warriors must lose one of their upcoming games.
The Warriors play New Orleans April 12 at 7 p.m. and Utah on April 14 at 12:30 p.m. In order to clinch the eighth seed, they must win both games and Sacramento has to lose one.
The Kings play Phoenix on April 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Portland on April 14 at 12:30 p.m. If the Kings win both games, they will have the No.8 seed.
While in the Eastern Conference, five teams will fight to stay out of the play-in games. The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are vying for the best seed this weekend.
UFC 300
Fighting out of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada is UFC 300!
This star-studded day of fighting on April 13 will see the UFC early prelims kick off at 3 p.m. The day will begin with a Bantamweight bout between No.8 Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Gabrandt followed by four more fights.
At 5 p.m, the regular prelims start on ESPN and ESPN+ with the main event: a Light Heavyweight bout between No.2 Jiří Procházka and No.5 Aleksandar Rakić.
The main fight card of the Pay-Per-View event slated for 7 p.m. is what has UFC fans really buzzing. With three belts up for grabs, No.2 Justin Gaethje will fight against No.2 Max Halloway in a Lightweight bout for the BMF title.
The first division title fight will take place between champion Zhang Weili and No.1 challenger Yan Xiaonan in a must-see Strawweight title bout. The Light Heavyweight Champion of the World match is the main event. The fight for the title will be between reigning champion Alex Pereira and the No.1 challenger Jamahal Hill.
MLB Season
With the second week of the MLB season winding down, the limelight has been on Shohei Otani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Currently in federal custody, Mizuhara faces allegations of taking more than $16 million from the generational talent.
He allegedly used this money to cover up his debts from sports gambling according to court documents. The scandal has distracted fans from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ fantastic start to the season. What will happen next is still to be determined but one for sure bet is that Shohei is moving on to a different interpreter.
In the American League the New York Yankees hold the top spot while in the National League the Brewers are out front with an 8-3 record.
This weekend includes a series of games between the Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians, the first and second ranking teams in the AL. There is also a rivalry matchup at Chavez Ravine with the 7-8 San Diego Padres against the 10-5 Dodgers.
NHL Conferences
With the NHL season ending April 18, a set of important matchups to make the playoffs are slated for the weekend.
In the Western Conference the Las Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues are still fighting for a playoff berth. While in the Eastern Conference four teams are vying for two more available spots.
Important matches this weekend include back-to-back games on Sunday, April 14 on TNT with the Seattle Kraken against the Blues at 10:00 a.m. and the Colorado Avalanche at the Golden Knights at 12:30 p.m.
The Masters
Saturday and Sunday bring the final rounds of the Masters Tournament at Augusta Nationals which will be relayed on ESPN and CBS. Multiple story lines are unfolding in this annual classic.
This tournament brings Tiger Woods to the forefront of the spotlight again, with questions from the audience about whether he can make a push to the top of the leaderboards. Woods finished through two rounds at +1 overall and set a Masters tournament record with his 24th consecutive made cut.
Scottie Scheffler, the No.1 golfer in the world and the odds-on favorite to win the Masters sits tied at second.
The top of the leaderboard currently consists of Bryson DeChambeau who is -7 through rounds one and two, and Max Homa tied with Scheffler at -6.
With all the sports events scheduled for this weekend, sports fans are sure to have their eyes glued to the television.