AV H-Town Sports Minute: Rockets, WNBA And More.
Rockets Visit Lakers To Open Playoffs
The Rockets are gearing up for the first round of the NBA playoffs. Houston will visit the Los Angeles Lakers in Game One on Saturday night at Crypto-Dot-Com Arena. The Rockets enter the postseason as the West’s fifth-seed after finishing the regular season at 52-and-30.
NBA Playoffs Begin Tuesday With Play-In Tourney
The NBA postseason is finally here. The play-in tournament tips off on Tuesday with the Heat visiting the Hornets in a battle for the East’s eighth seed. The winner will square off against the 76ers or the Magic for a chance to tangle with the top-seeded Pistons in Round One. Out West, the Suns duel the Trail Blazers from the desert in a showdown for the seventh seed. The prize for that contest is a date with Victor Wembanyama and the second-seeded Spurs in the opening round.
WNBA Draft Recap
The WNBA Draft was held Monday night in the Big Apple. Azzi [[ A-Z ]] Fudd was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings, reuniting her with her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers [[ beckers ]]. The Minnesota Lynx took TCU guard Olivia Miles with the second pick, followed by the Seattle Storm selecting Spanish center Awa [[ Ah-wuh ]] Fam [[ Fahm ]] Thiam [[ Tee-ahm ]]. A pair of national champions rounded out the top five, as UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez went to the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky, respectively.
ESPN Announcer Dick Vitale Diagnosed With Cancer For Fifth Time
Legendary ESPN college basketball announcer Dick Vitale [[ vi-TAL ]] is facing cancer for a fifth time. The 86-year-old made the announcement Monday, saying a biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in his lung and liver cavity. The diagnosis follows imaging from last week that showed abnormalities, leading doctors to order additional tests. Vitale has previously been diagnosed with cancer four times, most recently beating it in 2024. He says he’s fully confident he’ll make it five for five.
