The Athletic’s Weekly Live Coverage: NBA Play-In Tournament and Champions League Quarters

With the echoes of Augusta National still reverberating, the global sports spotlight pivots to hardwood heroics and continental drama as the NBA Play-In Tournament and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals command center stage this week. The Athletic will deliver wall-to-wall, real-time coverage—news, pregame context, minute-by-minute play-by-play, instant reaction, deep-dive analysis and fan-driven conversation—beginning Monday, April 13, and running through Friday, April 19.

Monday’s curtain-raiser is the WNBA Draft, where the Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 selection for the second consecutive year. TCU guard Olivia Miles, Spanish forward Awa Fam, UConn scorer Azzi Fudd and UCLA center Lauren Betts headline the pool of potential top picks set to reshape the league’s future.

Tuesday belongs to Europe’s elite. Paris Saint-Germain, defending champions, carry a 2-0 aggregate lead into their quarter-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield. First-leg goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have put the French giants on the brink of the semi-finals, yet Liverpool’s history of European miracles ensures tension will be sky-high on Merseyside.

The NBA’s postseason prelude begins Tuesday night with the opening games of the Play-In Tournament. In the Eastern Conference’s 9-10 matchup, the Miami Heat meet the Charlotte Hornets, while the Western Conference’s 7-8 clash features the Portland Trail Blazers against the Phoenix Suns. Each contest carries win-or-go-home stakes as franchises angle for one of the final two playoff berths in each conference.

Wednesday’s Champions League action sees Bayern Munich welcome Real Madrid to the Allianz Arena. Bayern’s 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu gives the German side the slimmest of advantages, but Kylian Mbappe’s away goal and Real’s storied knack for continental comebacks set the stage for a knife-edge encounter.

Thursday’s Play-In slate shifts to the East’s 7-8 game, where the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers square off with automatic playoff qualification on the line. Later that evening, the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers collide in the West’s 9-10 showdown. Steph Curry and company must survive a single elimination contest to keep their championship aspirations alive.

Friday brings the Play-In finale: the winners of the 9-10 games face the losers of the 7-8 games for the final playoff spots, completing the 16-team bracket that will vie for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Domestic football highlights include a crucial Stamford Bridge meeting between Chelsea and Manchester United, both desperate for a top-five finish and next season’s Champions League places. Their September reverse fixture finished 2-1 to United and featured two first-half red cards—Robert Sanchez for Chelsea and Casemiro for United—setting the stage for another combustible encounter.

The weekend’s marquee Premier League fixture lands at the Etihad Stadium, where Arsenal—reeling from recent defeats—visit reigning champions Manchester City. A victory for either side would provide vital momentum in the tightening title race with only weeks remaining.

Throughout the week, readers can join the conversation by emailing live@theathletic.com; the most insightful opinions, hot takes and predictions will be woven into The Athletic’s rolling live coverage.