With the NFL draft complete and the MLB season and NBA playoffs underway, the past month has had major implications for the sports world. Here’s the best athlete, team, and moment from April.
Athlete of the month: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shined as the best NBA player this month. In his last four regular season games, he led the No. 1 seed Thunder to four straight wins, scoring an average of 23.3 points per game. Come late April, Gilgeous-Alexander continued his success during Oklahoma City’s 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs. He averaged 33.8 points per game, the most of all players in the postseason. His versatility, whether it be his ability to shoot from mid-range or drive to the basket, was on full display against Phoenix in the first round, making it extremely difficult for the Suns to stop him. His efficient playoff shooting — with a 42-point, 15-for-18 performance in Game 3 — contributed to the Thunder’s series win. To top it all off, Gilgeous-Alexander received the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award on April 21.
Team of the month: New York Jets
From first impressions, it seemed like the New York Jets nailed this year’s draft. Their first pick, Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, offers a potential solution to last year’s struggles getting to the quarterback. With their next two first-round picks — Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. — the Jets were able to stack up on talented skill position players. This choice will ease the burden on their future quarterback, whether Geno Smith is able to revive his career or the Jets go in a different direction in 2027 — possibly with fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. Sadiq offers an athletic, developmental option for the Jets at tight end, while Cooper is coming off a CFP National Championship win with Indiana as a favored target of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. In the second round, the Jets took another Indiana prospect in cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Though some spout concerns about his small frame, Ponds is ultimately a fast and capable corner who shows up in the big moments. The Jets have set themselves up well for the future through this year’s draft; if they are able to find good quarterback and offensive line play, they could see themselves finally become a playoff-caliber team.
Moment of the month: Dodgers win series against Blue Jays in rematch of World Series
Last October, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers went toe to toe in a nail-biting World Series matchup that went a full seven games. The Dodgers emerged victorious after an improbable home run off the bat of infielder Miguel Rojas tied Game 7 in the ninth inning, followed by catcher Will Smith’s game-winning home run in extra innings. This year, as luck would have it, baseball fans didn’t have to wait long for the National League and American League champions to face off again. When the three-game series began on April 6, the Dodgers picked up where they left off, scoring in all but two innings to make easy work of the Blue Jays pitchers in a 14-2 win. Game 2 was a much more competitive showing, with Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman and Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting for their respective teams. After six innings, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs to threaten the Dodgers’ late 3-1 lead. However, Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia managed two flyouts and a strikeout to get LA out of its jam and keep the lead, essentially securing a 4-1 win in Game 2. In the last game of the series, the Blue Jays finally tasted victory. Down 3-1 once again, the Blue Jays scored two runs in the seventh inning off a George Springer double and a Daulton Varsho single. In the eighth, Smith committed an error on a ball thrown to second, allowing third-base runner Davis Schneider to score and seal a 4-3 win for the Blue Jays.
This month’s must-watch: Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain
On Wednesday, the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will kick off at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The Champions League semifinal follows a two-leg format in which the winner of the aggregate score of the two games will advance to the final in Budapest on May 30. PSG heads into the second leg with a one-goal lead after a high-scoring first leg that ended 5-4. Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé scored two goals in the first leg to give PSG the win and will have to put up another great performance in the second leg in hopes of becoming a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner. On the other side, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is chasing his first Champions League and Ballon d’Or win. The winner of this semifinal clash of titans will likely be the favorite to win the final, and this game will be majorly decisive in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
