Lakers romp past Rockets, seal series in 6, set date with Thunder

LeBron James scored 18 of his 28 points in a runaway first half for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who cruised to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday and claimed their Western Conference first-round playoff series in six games.

By virtue of the 4-2 series victory, the Lakers advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will travel to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 on Tuesday.

James added seven rebounds and eight assists to his ledger. Teammate Rui Hachimura put up 21 points, hitting 5 of 7 from the 3-point arc. Austin Reaves, who started for the first time in the series, added 15 points for the Lakers.

"To me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player.," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of James. "You can argue all you want; I don't care to postulate on who's the greatest of all time. He's one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it's baffling in some ways."

Undermined by turnovers throughout the series, the Lakers committed just 11 giveaways while limiting Houston to 35% shooting. The Lakers finished with a 19-8 edge in fastbreak points, made 12 of 28 3-point shots (42.9%) and produced a plus-9 rebounding margin. That included a plus-7 margin in offensive rebounds against the league's best offensive-rebounding team in the regular season.

"An area we dominate all year and then struggle these last two games, no doubt, especially with the poor shooting," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "Give them credit; obviously, it was a focal point for them, and they did a good job there."

Alperen Sengun paired 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who played without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the fifth time in the series. Amen Thompson added 18 points and eight rebounds while Tari Eason tallied 14 points. Reed Sheppard scored 10 points for Houston but missed 15 of 19 shots, including 9 of 10 from 3-point range. Houston finished 5 of 28 (17.9%) from deep.

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"In order for us to win, we had to protect the ball, we had to defensive rebound," James said. "We just had to be physical. Make them take tough shots, make them make tough shots. I thought defensively we came in with a great game plan and we executed that thing to a T."

The Rockets' promising bid to rally from a 3-0 series deficit and force a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday fizzled quickly. Sengun gave Houston a 16-11 lead with a hook shot nearly seven minutes into the first quarter, but the Lakers seized control with a 12-0 run.

Reaves ignited the surge with a three-point play while Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Hachimura added treys to lift the Lakers to a 23-16 lead.

The Lakers opened the second with a 9-0 spurt keyed by James, who scored in the post, drilled a 3-pointer and tallied a driving layup.

The Rockets missed their first 11 shots of the second, with Sheppard ending the drought by driving for a layup at the 6:55 mark. After Thompson scored through a foul to cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 11, Lakers center Deandre Ayton sank 1 of 2 free throws and then James assisted on a Hachimura trey before nailing a pull-up 3-pointer that helped the Lakers re carry a 49-31 lead into the intermission.

Los Angeles led by as many as 29 points in the second half.

--Field Level Media

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May 02, 2026

Lakers romp past Rockets, seal series in 6, set date with Thunder

LeBron James scored 18 of his 28 points in a runaway first half for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who cruised to a 98-78 victory ove...

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“Melrose Place ”Actor Patrick Muldoon’s Cause of Death Revealed

Patrick Muldoon's cause of death has been revealed

NEED TO KNOW

• The Days of Our Lives star died suddenly on Sunday, April 19, his manager previously told Variety

• He was remembered in a tribute from former costar Alison Sweeney as "brilliantly talented, endlessly kind and generous in spirit"

Patrick Muldoon's cause of death has been revealed.

TheMelrose Placealum died of myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, on April 19, according to the death certificate viewed by PEOPLE.

The document lists pulmonary embolism and hereditary coagulopathy as underlying causes.Coagulopathyis a genetic condition that involves problems with how the body forms blood clots. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that prevents blood flow to an artery in the lung, according to theMayo Clinic.

Muldoon's remains were cremated on Tuesday, April 28, according to the death certificate. The document lists his occupation as an actor and producer.

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Muldoon's manager previously confirmed his death in a statement toVariety, sharing that theDays of Our Livesactor died suddenly on Sunday, April 19. His sudden death came following a heart attack,Deadlinereported at the time. PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Muldoon for comment.

The actor shared aposton Instagram two days before his death, writing that he was excited about his new crime thrillerKockroach,starringChris HemsworthandTaron Egerton. Muldoon was credited as an executive producer on the project.

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"So excited to be a part of this amazing project KOCKROACH directed by Matt Ross starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Edgerton, Zazzie Beetz and Alec Baldwin," Muldoon wrote in the caption.

Muldoon most notably played Austin Reed onDays of Our Livesfrom 1992 to 1995, before reprising his role after a 16-year hiatus in 2011. He also starred as Richard Hart inMelrose Placefor three seasons until 1996. Other notable works included a three-episode stint onSaved by the Belland his performance as Zander Barcalow in the 1997 cult classicStarship Troopers.

Several former costars paid tribute to Muldoon on social media following news of his death, includingDayscostarsAlison SweeneyandLisa Rinna. Rinna, who played his on-screen sister Billie Reed, shared a picture of the pair with a broken-heart emoji on her Instagram Stories.

Sweeney, who played Samantha "Sami" Brady on the soap since 1993, reflected on the "heartbreaking news" in a post shared onX.

"Pat was a rare kind of person—brilliantly talented, endlessly kind, and generous in spirit," Sweeney, 49, wrote. "I was so lucky to have worked with him when I first started at Days, he made me feel at ease right away."

She added, "He brought his unique charm and humor to work every day. A truly gifted guy, and one who will be profoundly missed."

Muldoon is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart, along with his parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr.; his sister and brother-in-law Shana and Ahmet Zappa; niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa, perVariety.

Read the original article onPeople

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May 01, 2026

“Melrose Place ”Actor Patrick Muldoon’s Cause of Death Revealed

Patrick Muldoon's cause of death has been revealed NEED TO KNOW The Days of Our Lives star died suddenly on S...

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New York Mets' Luis Robert Jr. hits the injured list with disc herniation

NEW YORK (AP) — The depletedNew York Metstook another hit Thursday when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with lumbar spine disc herniation.

Robert, 28, hasn’t played since the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies due to what the team said was lower back tightness. AnMRI administered on Wednesdayrevealed the injury. The IL move was retroactive to April 27.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Robert had an epidural and was instructed to rest for seven to 10 days. He said team doctors were hopeful Robert could return shortly thereafter.

“It’s just frustrating from both ends — for Luis, for us,” Mendoza said before the series finale againstthe Washington Nationals. “But we’ve got to get him back right.”

The IL stint is the 10th since 2021 for Robert, who has previously been sidelined by right hip, right knee, left wrist and left hamstring issues as well as blurred vision. He has played more than 110 games just once — in 2023, when he finished 12th in the AL MVP voting after hitting 38 homers for the Chicago White Sox.

The Mets acquired Robert from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Luisangel Acuña in January in hopes the former Gold Glove Award winner could help improve their up-the-middle defense. He was limited to back field duty for most of spring training in an attempt to keep him healthy for the regular season.

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Robert had a homer and five RBIs in the first two games of the season but has just five hits in his last 38 at-bats dating back to April 13 to drop his season average to .224.

“He’s super frustrated — yesterday and this morning, when he got the news — because he’s done everything we’re asking him to do,” Mendoza said.

Robert is the second Mets player to hit the injured list with a lumbar spine ailment this week and the third opening day position player on the shelf. Starting pitcher Kodai Senga (lumbar spine inflammation) went on the 15-day injured list Tuesday.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor (left calf) and first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco (left Achilles, right wrist) are also on the injured list for the Mets, who began Thursday with baseball’s worst record at 10-20.

To replace Robert, the Mets recalled infielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. The club also recalled pitcher Austin Warren from Syracuse and designated veteran pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment. Edwards allowed one run in six innings of relief over two appearances this week.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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May 01, 2026

New York Mets' Luis Robert Jr. hits the injured list with disc herniation

NEW YORK (AP) — The depletedNew York Metstook another hit Thursday when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured...

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Valerie Bertinelli Reflects on Son Wolfgang Van Halen’s Unique Name

Valerie Bertinelli named her son Wolfgang after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

NEED TO KNOW

• Wolfgang Van Halen inherited his father Eddie Van Halen’s musical talent, showing interest in instruments as a baby

• Wolfgang and wife Andraia Allsop joined his mom on The Drew Barrymore Show, where they recalled falling in love after meeting on Instagram

Valerie Bertinelliis opening up about the inspiration for her son’s musical name.

During an appearance onThe Drew Barrymore Showalongside son Wolfgang Van Halen and his wife, Andraia Allsop, the celebrity chef noted that he’s named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“Now looking back, it's like how could I saddle some man with Wolfgang and Van Halen?” she asked. “It's like, what if he doesn't become a musician? But the thing is, our house always had instruments, like there was guitars on every wall, there was a piano, there was a drum set.”

She said she could tell even at a young age that her musician son, now, 35, inherited his father Eddie Van Halen’s talent.

“So even as a little baby before he could walk, you could see if you watch the ‘Distance’ video, you can see him just constantly plucking on strings and just fascinated by what Ed was doing on the guitar. It was always in him.”

Bertinelli, 65, was married to the late Van Halen frontman from 1981 until 2007. Eddie died from cancer in October 2020 at age 65. Following his dad’s death, Wolfgang released the song “Distance” with his band Mammoth as a tribute.

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When Bertinelli admitted she worried about her son entering the music business, which she said “tried to destroy his father,” host Barrymore suggested that he’s stayed grounded because he has “a good mom looking out for him.”

“I like to say that Wolfie is the man he is in spite of me and Ed,” Bertinelli said. “We made a lot of mistakes, but in the end he always had unconditional love.”

Wolfgang and Andraia also recalled falling in love after meeting on Instagram, eight years before theytied the knotin an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home in October 2023.

“At the time that it felt funny, but now in hindsight seeing like what has developed with the way people meet now, it's not that uncommon anymore,” he said.

“We went to get sushi and then we ended up watching the stars in Malibu in a hammock and we laid there for like four hours and we probably saw like six shooting stars,” he remembered. “Iif you were, like, one of those superstitious people it's like, ‘Oh yeah, like the universe is telling us that like we're stupid to ignore any of the signs.’”

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Valerie Bertinelli Reflects on Son Wolfgang Van Halen’s Unique Name

Valerie Bertinelli named her son Wolfgang after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart NEED TO KNOW Wolfgang Van Halen inherited ...

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Olympic Champions Nadia Comăneci and Bart Conner Celebrate 3 Decades of Marriage

Nadia Comăneci and Bart Conner celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary at the Mutua Madrid Open with a sweet Instagram post

NEED TO KNOW

• The couple first met in 1976 at the American Cup and reconnected years later before marrying in Romania in 1996

• They share a 19-year-old son, Dylan, who has also developed an interest in sports

Retired Olympic gymnastsNadia ComăneciandBart Connerare celebrating a big milestone in their marriage.

On Sunday, April 26, they gave each other a lovely shout-out for their 30th wedding anniversary onInstagram. A joint post read, "Happy 30th Anniversary today dear @bartconner 3 Perfect 10 celebrating here @mutuamadridopen ❤️❤️❤️."

In the post, the couple shared a photo of them sitting side-by-side during a game at the Mutua Madrid Open 2026. In the snap, they both wore straw hats and sunglasses. Comăneci, 64, completed her look with a snakeskin jacket, a black skirt and a beige top. As for Conner, 68, he wore a polka dot blue-and-white shirt with a pair of black jeans.

In the post, they also shared a video of Comăneci dancing by her seat.

The Olympiansfirst met in 1976at the American Cup, where Conner won the men's title at 17 and Comăneci won the women's title at 14. While posing for a photo together at the event, Conner gave Comăneci a kiss on the cheek, per the direction of the photographer.

“The photographer said, ‘Oh, she's adorable. Give her a kiss on the cheek, it'd make a nice picture,' " he recalled during a 2016 episode ofOprah: Where Are They Now.

The two eventually reconnected in 1991 after Comăneci went to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and scored seven perfect 10s.

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“She redefined our sport and became a global superstar,” Conner said.

“And I took 46th place in the Olympics so nobody knew me and she certainly didn't pay attention to me,” he added with a laugh.

Conner and Comăneci got married in 1996 in Bucharest, Romania. While appearing onOprah: Where Are They Now, Comăneci, who was born in Romania, said she wanted to get married there because the lush country, known for its medieval towns, had "a big role in everything that I've done."

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"I couldn't imagine doing the wedding somewhere else," she added.

Conner and Comăneci have been going strong ever since. In 2006, they welcomed their son, Dylan, now 19, who has also taken an interest in sports.

Read the original article onPeople

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April 30, 2026

Olympic Champions Nadia Comăneci and Bart Conner Celebrate 3 Decades of Marriage

Nadia Comăneci and Bart Conner celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary at the Mutua Madrid Open with a sweet Instagram post NEE...

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George and Amal Clooney Step Out for Gala in His Honor as He Shares Sweet Update on Their Twins (Exclusive)

George and Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George’s contributions to cinema on Monday, April 27

NEED TO KNOW

• The annual fundraising gala was held at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City

• George told PEOPLE how the couple's children have "slowly been figuring" he's an actor and the one movie they've recently been watching

GeorgeandAmal Clooneyhad a date night in the actor’s honor!

On Monday, April 27, the couple attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala Celebrating George Clooney at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Amal, 48, turned heads in a purple Balenciaga peplum-style mini dress, which she teamed with a gold clutch bag and matching heels, while her husband, 64, looked dapper in a black tuxedo.

The duo posed for a series of photos on the red carpet before heading inside for the event, which recognizes an individual’s “significant contributions to the art of cinema,” per the Lincoln Centerwebsite.

The award is named after its first honoree, Charlie Chaplin, with all proceeds from the annual gala fundraiser “going to support our nonprofit organization’s mission to celebrate cinema as an essential art form and foster a vibrant home for film culture to thrive.”

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE on the red carpet, George shared that receiving the award and the attention that has come with it was “wild” and “a little embarrassing,” but “fun” at the same time.

“You don’t, you drink,” he jokes about how he prepared for the evening. “I'm gonna have to start drinking soon.”

TheJay Kellystar also shared an insight into how his children — twins Ella and Alexander, 8 — have been watching his movies as he reflected on his career.

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Revealing that he doesn’t tend to watch his films now he’s older because it’s “hard” to see how he looked in his younger years, George said that he’s made an exception for 2009’sFantastic Mr. Fox.

"It's a weird thing. As you get older, it's hard to watch movies when you were younger because you're like, holy s---, that doesn't even look like me anymore," he tells PEOPLE. "You know, I'm watching because I've got 8 year olds, I'm watchingFantastic Mr. Fox, which is a little easier because it's not really me, it's just my boys. And that's kind of fun because the kids are slowly figuring out what I do for a living."

Earlier this year, George revealed that he finally showed his son Alexander hisBatmanmovie.

In an interview withW. Magazine,George explained that he showed his son the film after he went as the character for Halloween last year.

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"Halloween's a big holiday. My son went as Batman. He hadn't seenBatmanyet," Clooney told the outlet of his 1997 filmBatman & Robin. "I always say to him, 'You know I was Batman.' He's always like, 'No.'"

"I don't know that he knew how profound it was when he said I wasn't Batman. A couple of weeks ago, I finally showed it to him," he continued. "It wasn't great for grown-ups, but it's great for 8-year-olds, so he loved it."

Read the original article onPeople

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April 30, 2026

George and Amal Clooney Step Out for Gala in His Honor as He Shares Sweet Update on Their Twins (Exclusive)

George and Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George’s contributions to cinema on Monday, April 27 NEED T...

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All About “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”, the Latest “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Centered on Stuart Bloom

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the latest spinoff of The Big Bang Theory

NEED TO KNOW

• The series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom, reprising his role from the long-running sitcom

• Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will premiere this summer

The world ofThe Big Bang Theoryis blending sci-fi with sitcom in the upcoming seriesStuart Fails to Save the Universe.

The latest entry in the franchise,Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,joins otherBig Bang Theoryseries, includingYoung SheldonandGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage.Young Sheldonended in 2024 after seven seasons, and season 2 ofGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriageis set to conclude in May 2026, but it has already been renewed for an upcoming third season, perDeadline. It has been seven years sinceThe Big Bang Theoryleft the air in 2019.

On April 26, HBO Max unveiled a first look at the upcoming show during a panel at CCXP Mexico City. The series is expected to stream on the platform in the summer of 2026.

Here's everything to know about the latestBig Bang Theoryspinoff,Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

What isStuart Fails to Save the Universeabout?

Stuart Fails to Save the Universeis bringing multiverse madness to theBig Bang Theoryuniverse.

The spinoff follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), who "is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon," per theofficial logline.

Stuart is accompanied by his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and his friends as they run into "alternate-universe versions" of beloved characters fromThe Big Bang Theory.

"As the title implies, things don’t go well," ends the synopsis.

Who is in the cast ofStuart Fails to Save the Universe?

Sussman is reprising his role of Stuart, which he played on seasons 2-12 of the originalBig Bang Theory. OtherBig Bang Theorycast members returning are Lapkus as Denise, Stuart's girlfriend, Brian Posehn as his geologist friend Bert and John Ross Bowie as "quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass" Barry Kripke.

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Since "alternative-universe versions" ofBig Bang Theorycharacters are expected to show up, other actors from the sitcom could make an appearance.

In a July 2025 interview withTV Line, whenBig Bang Theoryfranchise co-creator Chuck Lorre was asked ifJim ParsonsandJohnny Galecki— who played Sheldon and Leonard on the flagship series — would be reprising their characters forStuart Fails to Save the Universe.Lorre said, "I cannot speak to that."

"That is a closely guarded piece of information that, you know," he teased. "I've taken a blood oath regarding."

Most recently,Parsons said he wouldn't come back for a rebootduring an April 2026 appearance onThe View. “I don’t believe I would do a reboot,” he said, adding of his famous character, “I can’t say I miss him, partly because, especially 12 years on a TV show where they’re writing for this specific actor, there’s a lot of me in that. Not the genius part, but there’s a lot of me in that.”

While not a cast member, it was also revealed at the CCXP Mexico City panel that Danny Elfman created the original theme music for the upcoming series.

When doesStuart Fails to Save the Universepremiere?

Stuart Fails to Save the Universewill debut in July 2026 on HBO Max, but an exact premiere date has not been announced.

In February 2026, Lorre spoke with PEOPLE aboutStuart Fails to Save the Universe, calling it "a science fiction action-adventure comedy."

“We just finished principal photography and I'm pretty excited about it.It's a big swing," he continued. “I think it will be revered or reviled. I'm not sure which.”

Where can I watchStuart Fails to Save the Universe?

Stuart Fails to Save the Universewill be available to stream onHBO Max.

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All About “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”, the Latest “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Centered on Stuart Bloom

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the latest spinoff of The Big Bang Theory NEED TO KNOW The series stars Kevi...

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