There were several reasons why the Flyers were able to hang a slightly surprising 3-2 defeat on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their playoff series Saturday night: • They held the high-powered home team to just 17 shots by blocking a bunch and jamming up passing lanes to neutralize the setup wizardry of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs continued Friday and the first of three games began on the night was a thriller in Philadelphia. The upset-minded 76ers had a chance to take a 2-1 series lead over the Celtics,

Will Hill is leaning more toward the favorites in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Check out his picks.

Game 4 is Sunday before the series shifts back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Over in the Western Conference, the Play-In Tournament begins with the Phoenix Suns hosting the Portland Trail Blazers, with the winner of that game on Tuesday securing the No. 7 seed. The loser will take on the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 10 Golden State and No. 9 Los Angeles.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama emphasizes staying 'grounded' ahead of first playoff game and series in his career.

With eight Game 1s in the books over the weekend, let’s check in on which of these series are worth watching.

The South Bay Lakers have had a whale of a season in the G League, and they're looking to go all the way for the first time in franchise history. They claimed the first seed in the Western Conference with a 26-10 record after defeating the Sioux Falls ...

The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs will feature eight series. USA TODAY staffers weigh in on which teams will reach the second round.