Watch as Cavaliers are introduced to open the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Pacers
The NBA playoffs started off with a bang on Saturday, with the Cavs almost suffering an upset in game one, then the Bucks and Jazz finishing the job against higher seeds later in the day.
Sunday should be just as exciting, with four more games on tap: Wizards-Hawks, Warriors-Blazers, Celtics-Bulls and Rockets-Thunder.
Our NBA experts will be here all day to bring you scores, updates and analysis from the second set of Game 1s. Please join us in the live blog below.
Schedule/How to watch the NBA Playoffs
If you are unable to view the live blog below, please click here .
The death of Isaiah Thomas"s sister, April 15, 2017 & his scripted 2016-17 Boston Celtics season
The sister of Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas was killed in a one-car crash early Saturday morning, according to Washington State police.
Chyna Thomas died at the scene of the accident on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Washington, police said. She was 22.
A source told ESPN"s Jeff Goodman that Isaiah Thomas received news of his sister"s crash after he participated in Celtics practice in the afternoon.
Thomas was talking to a reporter after practice when Avery Bradley, a fellow Tacoma native, emerged from the trainer"s room and pulled him away. Thomas never returned to engage in other scheduled media requests.
A source close to Thomas told ESPN the plan as of Saturday night is for Thomas to play Sunday evening when the team opens its first-round series against the Chicago Bulls in Boston.
Isaiah Thomas" father, James, told the Boston Herald that his son hadn"t decided when he would fly home to Tacoma, Washington, to be with family members.
in a statement released Saturday, the Celtics extended their condolences to the Thomas family.
"We are terribly saddened by the tragic loss of Chyna Thomas," the Celtics said in the statement. "The thoughts and prayers of the entire Celtics organization are with Isaiah and his family."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement on Chyna Thomas" death.
"The NBA family mourns the tragic passing of Chyna Thomas, and we send our deepest condolences to Isaiah, his family and the Celtics organization during this difficult time," Silver said in the statement.
Police said the accident occurred at around 5 a.m., when Chyna Thomas" car suddenly drifted onto the left shoulder of the highway and traveled about 50 feet before hitting a large metal pole.
Police said Chyna Thomas was not wearing her seat belt.
Isaiah Thomas, who was named an NBA All-Star for the second consecutive year, averaged 28.9 points and 5.8 assists in leading the Celtics to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Information from ESPN"s Jeff Goodman and Chris Forsberg was used in this report.
ROME In vintage Pope Francis style, the pontiff broke withtradition and delivered an off-the-cuff homily for Easter Sunday, one of the very few improvised speeches in such a solemn setting from a pope whos used to puttinghis prepared remarks aside to speak from the heart on more informal occasions.
Jesus has risen from the dead, Francis said. And this is not a fantasy. Its not a celebration with many flowers [pointing at the arrangements surrounding him]. This is beautiful, but [the resurrection] is more.
Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peters Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini.)
It is the mystery of the thrown-away stone, that ends up being the cornerstone of our existence. Christ has risen from the dead. In this throwaway culture, where that which is not useful takes the path of the use-and-throw, where that which is not useful is discarded, that stone that was discarded is the fountain of life, he said.
And even us, little pebbles, whove been thrown in an earth full of suffering, tragedy, with faith in the risen Christ, have a reason for being, amidst so much calamity. A sense to look beyond: There is not a wall, but a horizon. Theres life, joy, in there is the cross with this ambivalence.
The pope began his remarks saying that the Church, facing our distrust, [and] closed and fearful hearts, continues to say, calm down, the Lord has risen.
But, he continued, if he has come back from the dead, how do these things happen, so many tragedies: illnesses, human trafficking, human exploitation, wars, destruction, mutilations, vengeance, hatred?
Where is the Lord? he asked aloud.
Francis then shared that on Saturday hed phoned a young man, an engineer with a serious illness, and the pope told him there are no explanations for whats happening to you. Look at Jesus crucified, G*d has done this with his son. Theres no other explanation.
To this, the pontiff said, the man answered: Yes, but he [G*d] asked his Son and the Son said yes. He didnt ask me if I wanted this.
And this moves us. Not one of us is asked, Are you happy with whats happening in the World? Are you willing to carry this cross? he said.
Today the Church continues to say, stop, Jesus is risen.
Francis has improvised homilies before. He does so every morning in Santa Marta, behind closed doors. Every Holy Thursday, when he visits prisons or refugee centers to celebrate the Mass for the Lords Last Supper, and he even did so once in the middle of a tropical storm, in the Philippines, back in 2015.
Yet hes never strayed far from the text in such a solemn context before. On this occasion, however, there was no homily, he improvised all the way.
You, little pebble, have a reason in life. Because youre a pebble holding on to the cornerstone, that stone that evilness of sin has discarded, Francis said in his homily. What does the Church say amidst so much tragedy: the stone that was discarded wasnt From within the heart [the Church says] Jesus is risen!
Closing his homily, Francis called upon those present to think about the every-day problems of life, illnesses, wars, human tragedies and say, with a humble voice, without flowers, alone, to G*d whos in front of us: I dont know how this is going, but Im sure that Christ has risen.
Urbi et Orbi
After the Mass, and this time staying true to the text, Pope Francis went up to the loggia centrale, or the central balcony in St. Peters Basilica overlooking the square, to deliver what is known as the Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Pope Francis waves prior to delivering his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message, from the main balcony of St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia.)
This window is used regularly twice a year, for this blessing imparted on Easter Sunday and Christmas day. Its also the window from where a new pope is presented to the world.
Popes typically use their Easter Day Urbi et Orbi blessing, addressed to the city and to the world, to present a summary of the global situation, singling out what are bound to be the Vaticans key political and social concerns for the foreseeablefuture.
Pope Francis held to form on Sunday, and judging by what seemed to be foremost on his mind, as proved by his improvised homily, its a good bet that the instructionto reach out to what hes described as the outskirts of society amidst a throwaway culture will continue to loom front and center of his papacy, as has been the case for the past four years.
He spoke of the Risen Shepherd, meaning Christ who rose from the deadon the third day. Francis used this figure to say that he tirelessly seek us, with the marks of the passion- the wounds of his merciful love- he draws on us to follow him on his way.
Today too, Francis said, he places upon his shoulders so many of our brothers and sisters crushed by evil in all its varied forms, before listing many of them.
He began with all those lost in the labyrinths of loneliness and marginalization.
For a pope whos often railedagainst the modern economic system, saying that this economy kills, having placed the G*d money at the center instead of the human person, he was at it again on Sunday, but going after the two most profitable illegal industries: Human slavery and drug trafficking.
The Risen Shepherd, the pope said, takes upon himself the victims of every form of slavery, inhuman labor, illegal trafficking, exploitation and decriminalization, and grave form of addictions, and those abused in their own homes.
Seeing that Francis is currently hosting both Christian and Muslim refugee families in the Vatican, the world has come to expect the Argentine pontiff to shine a light over the thousands who still venture towards Europe in overloaded rubber boats every day, with countless lives lost in the mare mortum, the Mediterranean Sea, which as hes said before, has become a cemetery.
The Risen Shepherd walks beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes, he said, placing attention also onthose who look afterpeople forced to migrate.
Expressing a hope more than stating a fact, Francis then urged the Risen Lord to guide the steps of all those who work for justice and peace. May he grant the leaders of nations the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts and to put a halt to the arms trade.
As is usually the case, the pope then ticked off specific conflict zones, praying in particular for the civil population in Syria, pray to end a war that continues to sow horror and death, the entire Middle East, particularly the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.
In a last-minute addition to his text, Pope Francis commented on a suicide bombing in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday that killed roughly 100 people, most of whom were refugees waiting to be evacuated from four government-held vans. The attacker drove the powerful bomb up to buses waiting to carry people to safety, using a van meant to hold aid supplies.
Just yesterday, there was the latest ignoble attack on refugees attempting to flee, which provoked numerous deaths and injuries, the pope said.
Francis then turned his attention to Africa.
May the Good Shepherd, Francis said, remain close to South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo, all waging their own civil and ethnic wars, aggravated by a famine affecting certain parts of Africa and which has put millions of lives at risk.
Avoiding naming any country in particular, or perhaps knowing that it applies to most, he prayed for Latin America, hopingthat the Risen Jesus may sustain those committed to ensuring the common good despite political and social tensions that in some cases have resulted in violence.
Last but not least, he prayed for Ukraine, still beset by conflict and bloodshed, and Europe. Its worth rememberingthat the Ukraine was invaded by Russia in 2014.
Francis closed his blessing noting that all Christians this year celebrate Easter on the same date- a rare occurrence since different churches use different calendars.
With one voice, in every part of the world, we proclaim the great message: The Lord is truly risen, as he said! May Jesus, who vanquished the darkness of sin and death, grant peace to our days.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Washington Capitals. 2017 NHL Playoffs. Round 1. Game 1. 04.13.2017 (HD) Washington Capitals
WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals are giving fans a chance to win playoff tickets during a bobbleheadhunt. The team has hidden 40 #BobbleBeastbobbleheads in different neighborhoods around the DMV.
At 9 a.m. today, the locations will be revealed.
Lucky fans who find them should Tweet the Caps a photo of themselves with their #BobbleBeast, winning ticket number tag, and the hashtag #RedHuntWinner, to redeem their prize.
CLICK HERE FOR LOCATIONS: https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/852506535297208320
Prizes include playoff tickets, signed Caps gear and airline tickets.
GET READY FOR THE ACTION: https://twitter.com/Capitals
Joe Johnson"s GAME WINNER vs Clippers Game 1 of NBA Playoffs April 15,2017
The Memphis Grizzlies got awful news before their first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs started: guard Tony Allen strained his calf and will be out indefinitely. This was particularly painful because Chandler Parsons, the Grizzlies" major free agent acquisition last summer, had already been ruled out indefinitely with a meniscus tear in his left knee. Memphis isn"t exactly the deepest team in the league to begin with, but it had survived stretches where it was shorthanded in the regular season. Doing so against a team with the depth of Spurs, however, is different.
The Grizzlies lost Game 1 to San Antonio 111-82, and the way it went down revealed how little margin for error they have in this matchup. Their starting lineup built an early 22-9 lead with stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol playing almost perfectly, but as soon as they started making substitutions things started to fall apart. The Spurs cut that lead down to three points before the end of the first quarter, and they dominated after that. Memphis scored just 33 points after halftime, and Conley finished with 13 after scoring 10 in the opening frame.
Memphis coach David Fizdale said that this will be a short series if Conley doesn"t come up big, and that"s true. Even if he and Gasol are firing on all cylinders, though, they will need more help. San Antonio outscored Memphis 39-25 in bench points, but that doesn"t even paint the whole picture. Big men Pau Gasol and Zach Randolph play similar roles for these teams, and their plus-minuses tell the story: Pau was plus-22; Randolph was minus-40.
"They chip at you," Fizdale said. "That"s what they do. They chip at you and they wait for you to break on little areas and they take full advantage of it. They kept chipping, kept chipping and eventually it broke open."
The Grizzlies didn"t fully break until late in the third quarter. It was 74-64 with less than two minutes to go in the third when Kawhi Leonard hit a hook shot on a broken play. Then Manu Ginobili stole the ball from Gasol on a drive and Patty Mills hit an open 3-pointer. Memphis called timeout to try to stop the bleeding, but Randolph had his shot blocked on the next possession and Leonard finished a 3-point play off a pick-and-roll. Conley then turned the ball over, Leonard did a stutter step into a jumper and all of a sudden it was a 20-point game.
Randolph, who anchored the Grizzlies" second unit all season on offense, scored six points on 3-for-13 shooting. Vince Carter, Wayne Selden and JayMychal Green, the three players who started next to Conley and Gasol, combined for 12 points and shot 5-for-17. Troy Daniels played 16 minutes off the bench and missed three 3-pointers, finishing scoreless.
"We gotta find a third scorer, whether it"s Z-Bo, who struggled tonight, Troy Daniels or Vince," Fizdale said. "Or maybe a little bit of all three."
The special thing about the Spurs is that it almost doesn"t matter who"s on the court throughout a game. Gregg Popovich makes sure everyone in his rotation has chances to play major roles throughout the regular season, and the statistics show that they don"t depend on one star in particular. Leonard, who scored 32 points on 11 for 14 from the fieldand looked like the MVP candidate he is, is clearly their best player. San Antonio, however, still outscored opponents by 6.6 points per 100 possessions this season when he was on the bench. It also outscored opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions when LaMarcus Aldridge was on the bench. Unsurprisingly, its bench comfortably led the league in net rating, per NBA.com.
All of that is to say that Memphis has an extremely difficult challenge ahead of itself. If it doesn"t figure out how to get more contributions up and down the roster, it will be in deep trouble.
WashedUp Janet Jackson Successfully Scammed Arab Husband Out Of $500M Dollars W/ Pending Divorce!
While news ofJanet Jackson"srecently announced splitfrom her husband, businessmanWissam Al Mana, continues to make headlines, the pop icon is reassuring the world that she"s doing just fine and isenjoying quality timewith her adorable newborn son,Eissa.
This past week on Thursday (April 13), Al Mana shareda public update on his websitethat many interpreted to be his thoughts regarding his current separation from jackson. now, a couple days later, it appears as though Al Mana haseven more to say, this time choosing not to leave it up to interpretation and address his estranged wife directly.
On hispersonal website, Al Mana wrote an emotional open letter to the pop singer, posting the sincere words along with a black-and-white photo of her.
"To the most beautiful person in the world," he writes. "Thank you for your divine love, your eternal support and for being my best friend. I love you so much, inshallah we will be together in the Great Forever x."
The heartfelt message arrives a few days later after he shared a passage from the Quaran that many thought to be directed at Jackson.
As evidenced by his recent messages to his estranged wife, this separation is not coming easy, especially considering the recent arrival of their son together.
Take a look at Wissam Al Mana"s latest message to Janet Jackson in the screengrab below.
Janet Jackson"s BESTIE Says she not trying to get $500 Million & NOT a Gold Digger 💰❌
An unbreakable bond! Janet Jackson took to Instagram on Friday, April 14, to share the first photo of her 3-month-old son, Eissa.
Celebrity Babies 2016
"My baby and me after nap time," the five-time Grammy winner, 50, captioned a sweet picture of herself snuggling with Eissa as he let out a big yawn for the camera.
jackson and her husband, Wissam Al Mana, welcomed their first child together in January. "Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son, Eissa Al Mana, into the world," the singer"s rep told Us Weekly at the time. "Janet had a stress-free, healthy delivery and is resting comfortably."
Michael Jackson"s Most Unforgettable MomentsKurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images
Just three months after giving birth, the "Nasty" singer split from the Qatari billionaire businessman, 41, whom she quietly married in 2012. The former couple"s differing lifestyles were at the heart of their conflict, a source exclusively told Us.
Celeb Moms Brag About Their Kids on Social Media
"Wissam wanted a wife who stuck more with the Muslim traditions," a friend of Jackson, who is known for her racy live performances and music videos, told Us. "Even before the baby was born, they clashed and butted heads a lot." The insider added, "She couldn"t settle down and be what he wanted her to be. Janet wanted more freedom."
Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!
