Kevin Durant scores 24 in his return to Phoenix, leads the Rockets past the Suns 119-105

PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 24 points in his return to Phoenix and the Houston Rockets rallied from an early 21-point deficit and pulled away late to beat the Phoenix Suns 119-105 on Tuesday night.

Associated Press Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, right, pauses before dribbling against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) shoots over Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) goes in for a block against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, left, and Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) dive after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin celebrates a made 3-pointer against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Rockets Suns Basketball

The Rockets are on a seven-game winning streak and moved into a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

All five Houston starters scored in double figures. Durant made 5 of 9 3-pointers.

Durant, a 16-time All-Star, was greeted with a mix of boos and cheers by Suns fans when he was announced as part of the Rockets' starting lineup. Hewas traded to the Rocketsduring the offseason after spending 2 1/2 seasons in the desert in a package that brought Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns.

The Suns jumped out to a 26-5 lead midway through the first quarter, hitting 10 of their first 15 shots, but the Rockets cut the deficit to 57-54 by halftime. Houston led early in the third quarter but Phoenix rallied to take an 84-81 into the fourth.

Houston scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to push back into the lead and didn’t trail again. Durant hit a 3-pointer to put Rockets up 111-96 with 4:14 left.

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Devin Booker scored 31 points for the Suns. The Rockets finished with a 55-34 rebounding edge.

Durant came to the Suns in 2023 aspart of a four-team trade deadline dealjust hours after Mat Ishbia officiallytook the reins of the franchiseas a majority owner. The splashy move was widely praised at the time, but the Suns were never able to advance past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure.

Up next

Rockets: Host the 76ers on Thursday.

Suns: Host the Mavericks on Wednesday.

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Kevin Durant scores 24 in his return to Phoenix, leads the Rockets past the Suns 119-105

PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 24 points in his return to Phoenix and the Houston Rockets rallied from an early 21-point deficit an...
‘Laguna Beach’ Cast Reveals Show’s Most Surprising Off Camera Hookups During Reunion Special

Laguna Beachis going back, back to the beginning — and revealing some behind-the-scenes romances that never made it to air.

Us magazine The Cast Of "Laguna Beach" Appear On SiriusXM's The Julia Cunningham Show

During the Friday, April 10, 20th anniversary special, titledThe Reunion: Laguna Beach, the season 1 cast spilled all the tea on the relationships that were — and weren’t — highlighted on the series. The reality show, which ran from 2004 to 2006 on MTV, followed the trials and tribulations of Laguna High School students as they navigated love, friendship and their impending graduation.

But before the secret romances were revealed, hostCasey Wilsonhad a few hot-seat questions for Laguna’s most iconic love triangle:Kristin Cavallari,Stephen CollettiandLauren Conrad.

The love triangle was a major contributing factor to Laguna Beach’s insta-popularity, as the pilot episode picked up right as Stephen was seemingly choosing between Kristin, his on-off girlfriend, and Lauren, his longtime best friend. According to the trio, cameras actually started rolling after the drama was over, but producers “stretched” out the conflict to keep things interesting.

Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari Break Down ‘Laguna Beach’ Reunion, Where They Stand Now

Warning: Spoilers below forThe Reunion: Laguna Beach.

“Stephen and I were together for about a year before cameras ever came. So my sophomore year, his junior year. We then broke up beginning of my junior year, [his] senior year. That’s whenTalan [Torriero]and I had a little something and [he and Lauren] may have had a little something, and then we got back together, and this is all before MTV ever came,” Kristin explained during the special. “And then when they came, they obviously caught wind of that … and MTV knew it was a juicy story line, so they kept it going as much as possible.”

Kristin admitted she felt most “threatened” by producers asking Stephen and Lauren to “hang out” alone, as she was afraid that he might pick Lauren over her. Lauren, meanwhile, said she was mostly broken up about losing a friend in Stephen.

As for when the height of the drama took place, Lauren recalled a disastrous winter formal.

“[Kristin and Stephen] were starting to get back together, and [Stephen and I] were in the back of a big party bus talking. And I was saying, ‘Well, if you guys are getting back together, that’s fine, I don’t need to be a part of this,’” Lauren shared. “And [Kristin] came back and got really upset. It got a little heated.”

Neither Kristin nor Stephen could remember the incident, but according to Lauren, “A shoe got thrown. We had people pulling us [apart].”

Keep scrolling for every surprise hookup and romance revealed duringThe Reunion: Laguna Beach:

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Trey Phillips and Alex Hooser

Alex revealed during the reunion that she and Trey have “shared a smooch.”

The Cast Of

Dieter Schmitz and Alex Hooser

While Alex’s love life wasn’t highlighted on Laguna Beach, the former reality star confessed that she dated more than one person from the show. “Dieter and I have … ‘dietered,’” she said with a laugh.

Jessica Smith and Stephen Colletti

Although briefly discussed on Stephen and Kristin’s “Back to the Beach” podcast in 2022, Jessica recalled how she and Stephen “hung out for a summer, a blip,” although she “wouldn’t call it dating.”

Stephen, for his part, called it a “flash in the pan.”

Christina Sinclair and Talan Torriero

Christina caused jaws to drop when she announced that she was Talan’s “first girlfriend.”

Talan confirmed the news, telling the group, “I remember she was the first girl that I kissed in the quad, with people looking and [we] held hands,” revealing it was “sophomore or junior year” when they got together.

“That’s something that people don’t know,” he said, to which Christina replied, “I thought you forgot!”

‘Laguna Beach’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad’s Ex Doug Reinhardt

When Lauren recalled her off camera relationship with Doug Reinhardt in high school, Kristin revealed that she actually dated him too during her freshman year.

“Can’t you let me have one thing?!” Lauren jokingly yelled at Kristin before admitting, “We’ve got great taste.”

Lauren Conrad and Dieter Schmitz

While portrayed as best friends on the show, Dieter noted that he and Lauren were an item — in middle school.

“It was a roller-coaster,” he quipped.

‘Laguna Beach’ Cast Reveals Show’s Most Surprising Off Camera Hookups During Reunion Special

Laguna Beachis going back, back to the beginning — and revealing some behind-the-scenes romances that never made it to air. Durin...
Florida AG to probe OpenAI and ChatGPT

April 9 (Reuters) - ‌Florida ‌Attorney ​General James ‌Uthmeier ⁠on ⁠Thursday ​launched ​an ​investigation ‌intoOpenAI‌and ​its ​popular ​chatbot ‌ChatGPT.

Reuters

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(Reporting ​by ​Juby ​Babu ‌in ​Mexico ​City)

Florida AG to probe OpenAI and ChatGPT

April 9 (Reuters) - ‌Florida ‌Attorney ​General James ‌Uthmeier ⁠on ⁠Thursday ​launched ​an ​investigation ‌intoOpenAI‌and ​its ​popula...
Catherine O'Hara's brother says actress 'wasn't talking much in the end,' said goodbye to him in a dream

Catherine O'Hara's brother Michael P. O'Hara is sharing some insight into the "sort of goodbye" he shared with his sister beforeher death in January.

Entertainment Weekly Catherine O'Hara attends the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 19, 2020Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

During the first episode of season 3 of his podcastDreams of Our Loved Ones, Michael looks back on a dream he had in which he was visited by his sister shortly before her death on Jan. 28. While sharing with his listeners that he recently had a "very unexpected and very, very sad" death in the family, Michael recalled the dream that came to him "days or a few days before she died."

"I always cherish the times I can meet with a loved one in the dream state," Michael began. "And I was hugging her, which was really beautiful. And I guess it was sort of a goodbye."

Catherine O'Hara attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 05, 2025Credit: Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

The dream served as their farewell because, as the podcast host shared, Catherine "wasn't talking much in the end" before her death. "She didn't really want to talk on the phone. And she didn't live close by, she's in Los Angeles," he explained.

The dream visitation didn't end there, according to Michael. "Since then, I've had a lovely dream where I was visiting her, and she was in a new house and it was being renovated and she was really busy choosing furniture and couches," he told listeners. "And she said, 'You can sleep here anytime, Michael. You can come over and stay anytime.'"

"And it reminded me of when I was when she was inSecond City Televisionand I was apprenticing at the Windsor Arms Hotel," he continued. "I would go over and sleep over at her place some nights because she had an extra bedroom. Yeah, pretty cool. But yeah, it was beautiful. She was just so happy and very busy in the other world that she's now in, but yeah, it's beautiful."

Michael ended the podcast telling his listeners that the bittersweetness of dream visitations was that it helped people stay connected with their "deceased loved ones."

"We're all interconnected," he added. "And the love, you know, continues no matter what. They're always with us."

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Since Catherine's death, her peers and celebrity fans haveshared numerous tributestoher memory.

Dan Levy, who co-created and starred on the award-winning seriesSchitt’s Creekalongside O'Hara, recentlyremembered his beloved costarin an emotional interview onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

"It's a collective loss. She was the greatest. She's irreplaceable. I think the great comfort for me has just been to see how loved she was. The outpouring — everyone felt like they kind of knew her," he said.

Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Annie Murphy, and Daniel Levy on 'Schitt's Creek'Credit: Pop TV

During a recent visit toSchitt's Creekshooting location Goodwood, Ontario, Levy surprised himself bybreaking down into tears over the prospect of a sequelwithout Catherine.

"No, not now," hetoldCBS Sunday Morningcorrespondent Anthony Mason, who asked if there could ever be moreSchitt's Creekin the wake of the tragedy. "You can't."

Levy grew up with Catherine: She and his fatherEugene Levyenjoyed a long, fruitful creative relationship that began at Toronto comedy institution The Second City in the 1970s. That collaboration continued on the sketch seriesSCTVand in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, and culminated with her Emmy-winning portrayal of riches-to-rags matriarch Moira Rose onSchitt's Creek.

Dan explained that before Catherine's death, he was "thinking about" aSchitt's Creeksequel, reboot, or some other kind of revival. But now, he said, "it's tough."

When Mason asked what Dan was feeling, he responded that he was overwhelmed with "just a lot of memories. A lot of memories with with Catherine... It's what you have to hold onto, the memories of it all."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Catherine O'Hara's brother says actress 'wasn't talking much in the end,' said goodbye to him in a dream

Catherine O'Hara's brother Michael P. O'Hara is sharing some insight into the "sort of goodbye" he shared with hi...
Who's in 2026 NBA playoffs? Latest bracket, standings, scenarios

The NBA's annual play-in tournament is less than a week away. We know, we're shocked, too. However, despite the proximity to the end of the regular season, there are only two teams currently locked into their seeds in the Eastern and Western conferences.

USA TODAY Sports

Only the Golden State Warriors (locked into the Western Conference's No. 10 seed) and Detroit Pistons (locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed) know for sure where they'll rank by season's end.

Other than them, it's an absolute mish-mosh of what-ifs and maybes that could shape the NBA's postseason, with five teams in the Eastern Conference fighting it out to ensure they avoid the play-in.

Here are the current NBA standings and what the NBA postseason and play-in tournament would look like if the season ended today.

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors' Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center. Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards' Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena. <p style=Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets' Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns' Grayson Allen at Ball Arena. Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum. Oct. 24: The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum. Oct. 22: The New York Knicks' OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

NBA Eastern Conference standings

(Through Wednesday, April 8)

*- clinched conference;d- clinched division; x-clinched playoff berth

  1. *-Detroit Pistons: 58-22

  2. x-Boston Celtics: 54-25 (3.5 GB)

  3. x-New York Knicks: 51-28 (6.5 GB)

  4. x-Cleveland Cavaliers: 51-29 (7 GB)

  5. Atlanta Hawks: 45-35 (13 GB)

  6. Toronto Raptors: 44-35 (13.5 GB)

  7. Orlando Magic: 44-36 (14 GB)

  8. Philadelphia 76ers: 43-36 (14.5 GB)

  9. Charlotte Hornets: 43-37 (15 GB)

  10. Miami Heat: 41-38 (16.5 GB)

The Bucks, Bulls, Nets, Pacers and Wizards have been eliminated from postseason contention.

NBA Western Conference standings

(Through Wednesday, April 8)

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*- clinched conference;d- clinched division; x-clinched playoff berth

  1. *-Oklahoma City Thunder: 64-16

  2. d-San Antonio Spurs: 61-19 (3 GB)

  3. x-Denver Nuggets: 52-28 (12 GB)

  4. d-Los Angeles Lakers: 50-29 (13.5 GB)

  5. x-Houston Rockets: 50-29 (13.5 GB)

  6. x-Minnesota Timberwolves: 47-33 (17 GB)

  7. Phoenix Suns: 44-36 (20 GB)

  8. Los Angeles Clippers: 41-39 (23 GB)

  9. Portland Trail Blazers: 40-40 (24 GB)

  10. Golden State Warriors: 37-42 (26.5 GB)

The Pelicans, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Kings and Jazz have been eliminated from postseason contention.

NBA playoffs bracket

(Through Wednesday, April 8)

Eastern Conference

  • (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner

  • (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

  • (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors

  • (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner

Western Conference

  • (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner

  • (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

  • (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

  • (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner

NBA Play-In Tournament

(Through Wednesday, April 8)

Eastern Conference

  • (7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

  • (9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat

Western Conference

  • (7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers

  • (9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors

When do the NBA playoffs begin?

The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14 and finishes Friday, April 17.

The NBA playoffs begin the very next day, Saturday, April 18, featuring eight teams in each conference after two teams from both the East and West are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be on Wednesday, June 3.

Which upcoming games could impact the postseason standings?

With just five days left in the regular season, every game matters, but there are a few games that could have serious impact on the end-of-season standings.

Wednesday, April 8

  • Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers

    • Thunder can clinch top seed with win or Spurs loss

Thursday, April 9

  • Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors

  • Boston Celtics at New York Knicks

Friday, April 10

  • Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks

  • Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks

  • Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers

Sunday, April 12

  • Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat

  • Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers

  • Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA playoff bracket, latest standings, scenarios

Who's in 2026 NBA playoffs? Latest bracket, standings, scenarios

The NBA's annual play-in tournament is less than a week away. We know, we're shocked, too. However, despite the proximity to th...

 

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