Last Night in Sports: April 17, 2026

The Play-In ended Friday night the way a lot of people expected: Phoenix and Orlando booked the last two playoff spots, and the real bracket starts Saturday. Elsewhere, Atlanta hung a shutout in Philly, Chicago routed the Mets, and Boston and Detroit grinded out a 10-inning 1-0 instant classic. Here's every game from Friday.

NBA Play-In — two tickets punched

Two Play-In elimination games, two road teams going home.

Phoenix Suns, 111 — Golden State Warriors, 96. Jalen Green poured in 36 with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in his first postseason-adjacent appearance in a Suns uniform, and Phoenix takes the West's 8-seed. Brandin Podziemski kept the Warriors afloat with 23 and 10, but Golden State's season is over.

Orlando Magic, 121 — Charlotte Hornets, 90. Paolo Banchero had it going early — 25 points, 6 assists — and Orlando never let Charlotte hang around. LaMelo Ball's 23 was the only real Hornet pulse. The Magic get the East 8-seed and a first-round series assignment tomorrow.

NHL — dark Friday before the bracket

No NHL games on the schedule Friday. The playoffs open Saturday with three Game 1s across both conferences.

MLB — 15 games, a shutout, and a walk-off

A full Friday slate produced one statement shutout, two runaway road wins, and a 10-inning 1-0 thriller.

Atlanta Braves, 9 — Philadelphia Phillies, 0. Atlanta's offense showed up and the pitching staff did not give an inch. A division-rival shutout in Philly sets a tone that will carry into Saturday's FOX window.

Chicago Cubs, 12 — New York Mets, 4. Wrigley Field, 12 runs, no doubt — Chicago keeps piling on through early April.

Boston Red Sox, 1 — Detroit Tigers, 0 (10 innings). A pitching clinic from both sides until Boston found one run in extras. The only 1-0 final of the night.

Every final from around the league:

• New York Yankees, 4 — Kansas City Royals, 2.
• Baltimore Orioles, 6 — Cleveland Guardians, 4.
• Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 — Tampa Bay Rays, 1.
• San Francisco Giants, 10 — Washington Nationals, 5.
• Milwaukee Brewers, 7 — Miami Marlins, 5.
• Cincinnati Reds, 2 — Minnesota Twins, 1.
• St. Louis Cardinals, 9 — Houston Astros, 4.
• Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 — Colorado Rockies, 1.
• Los Angeles Angels, 8 — San Diego Padres, 0.
• Chicago White Sox, 9 — Athletics, 2.
• Texas Rangers, 5 — Seattle Mariners, 0.
• Arizona Diamondbacks, 6 — Toronto Blue Jays, 3.

What to watch tonight

The bracket gets real on Saturday.

• NBA: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Round 1 Game 1 and the marquee primetime spot — Rockets favored by 5.5 on the road.
• NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, 8:00 PM ET on ESPN. The Battle of Pennsylvania renewed in the playoffs. Two Original Six rivals, a divisional series, and Pittsburgh favored at -148.
• MLB: Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:15 PM ET on FOX. A premium pitching duel: Chris Sale versus Cristopher Sanchez under the FOX national lights.

See the full Tonight preview for every game on the board.