2025-26 Season in Review: Egor Chinakhov

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Colorado Avalanche at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Vitals

Player: Egor Chinakhov
Born: February 1, 2001 (Age 24/25 season)
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 203 pounds
Hometown: Omsk, Russia
Shoots: Left
Draft: 2020 first round (21st overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets
2025-26 Statistics: 72 games played, 21 goals, 21 assists = 42 points (w/ Penguins: 43 games played, 18 goals, 18 assists=36 points); 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists in playoffs.
Contract Status: Just completed a two-year contract originally signed with Columbus. Set to become a restricted free agent and is arbitration eligible.

Monthly Splits

via Yahoo!

For reference when looking at Chinakhov’s monthly splits for this season, he was acquired by the Penguins on December 29th from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and made his Penguins debut on January 1st. Knowing that removes any confusion about what stats belong with Columbus and which with Pittsburgh.

While he didn’t score in his debut with the Penguins on New Years Day, he didn’t wait long to make an impact with his new team, scoring in his second game just two nights later in Detroit, then adding another five in January and becoming one of the Penguins most valuable players in the second half of the season.

March was a make or break month for the Penguins playoff hopes, and they faced a daunting schedule without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for lengthy portions. That is exactly when the Penguins needed their depth to step up and Chinakhov held up his end of the bargain, scoring six goals and recording 15 points in 17 games to help keep the Penguins afloat during the crucial stretch.

Story of the Season

When a player is described as needing a fresh start or a change of scenery, it’s often deployed as just a nice way of saying that specific player isn’t very good. Since Kyle Dubas took over the Penguins front office, he has brought in a few names that have been labeled in that fashion and the results have been mostly as expected with those players.

Then there is Egor Chinakhov.

Brought over from Columbus just before the new year, Chinakhov carried the “change of scenery” moniker as a former first round pick who was struggling mightily with the Blue Jackets, recording just three goals and three assists through the first 29 games of the season. It was a high price for Dubas to pay for Chinakhov, sending over a second and third round pick plus Danton Heinen to Columbus, but the pay off was well worth the cost.

Chinakhov joined the Penguins at a critical juncture of their season, coming off a December that saw them go 5-5-4 and lose eight straight at one point, including a slew of embarrassing meltdowns that resulted in several blown multi-goal leads.

Although Chinakhov didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until around the midway point of the 2025-26 season, his impact was felt the rest of the way. After making his Penguins debut on New Years Day, he scored nine goals in his first 20 games with the team leading into the Olympic break and helped them post a 12-3-3 in that same span, putting an ugly December behind them and giving them momentum for the home stretch once the season resumed.

Coming out of the break, the Penguins were sitting in a playoff spot but facing a daunting March slate and missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Like many of his teammates, Chinakhov stepped up with an outstanding performance throughout this stretch, recording 15 points across 17 games that solidified the Penguins as a playoff team.

In total with the Penguins in 2025-26, Chinakhov played in 43 games, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points. That works out to a .84 points per game pace over an 82 game season and a massive improvement over his time with the Blue Jackets where he was at just a .21 PPG pace.

Regular season 5v5 advanced stats

Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.

Corsi For%: 49.1% (10th)
Goals For%: 59.7% (2nd)
xGF%: 49.5% (16th)
Scoring Chance %: 48.8% (15th)
High Danger Scoring Chance%: 49.0% (18th)
5v5 on-ice shooting%: 13.4% (2nd)
On-ice save%: .909% (6th)
Goals/60: 1.72 (2nd)
Assist/60: 1.29 (6th)
Points/60: 3.01 (1st)

One thing Egor Chinakhov does very well is put the puck in the net. His shot speaks for itself and Penguins fans saw first hand just how lethal he is when the puck is on his stick. Chinakhov does not create many high danger opportunities on the ice but he doesn’t need to when he can shoot the puck as well as he does.

Chinakhov ranked second in both GF% and G/60, but the only players above him in those catrgories were Filip Hallander and Avery Hayes respectively, both who played significantly less minutes this season than Chinakhov. He was the only Penguins player to top a P/60 of three this season, and even though that number is isolated to his time with the Penguins and does not account for him time in Columbus, that gives him the fourth best P/60 in the entire league this season when just looking at his second half.

Charts n’at

Via Advanced Hockey Stats and NHL Edge

Chinakhov is an offensive weapon. His shot enables him to look very good on goals and finishing, it’s going to be exciting to see a full season’s worth of data next year with him in a scoring line role surrounded by players who can get the puck to him. Figuring out how to get a spot or role on the power play ought to be a top off-season coaching priority for Dan Muse to ponder to unlock even more from Chinakhov’s game to help the team.

Chinakhov’s shot is otherworldly, and his speed is right there to boot. Those are scarce skills to combine a shot like that on a player who can move as fast. Maybe Chinakhov is the long awaited good karma the Penguins were due for Konstantin Koltsov, a player with all the speed in the world, but cursed with cinder blocks at the end of each arm where his hands should have been.

The wildest part about the shot metrics are how many wrist/snap shots Chinakhov takes. He has almost unmatched velocity and often can release these just as quickly. As long as they’re on target, goalies don’t stand a chance against this type of power. Interestingly enough, however, according to NHL Edge, Chinakhov did not score a goal on any of his 10 hardest shots of the season.

The speed bursts and acceleration that Chinakhov regularly displays is just absurd. It’s one trait besides his shot that really makes him stand out on the ice and there were several instances this season where his speed caught defenders flat footed and created chances for the Penguins.

Highlights

Questions to ponder

What will Chinakhov’s next contract look like?

There is little reason to believe Chinakhov won’t be in a Penguins uniform next season, but he will need a new deal this summer since he is a pending restricted free agent. He made $2.1 million against the cap on his last deal that was signed with Columbus and he has surely done enough to warrant a pay raise on this deal. How much of a pay raise remains to be seen but given the Penguins cap space it won’t be any issue for them to take on.

Besides money, the other question regarding Chinakhov’s new deal will be length and that’s where more of the risk comes into play. Perhaps Dubas has seen enough and is convinced Chinakhov can live up to his first round billing and will feel confident in giving him a long term deal to remain in Pittsburgh. On the flip side, maybe Dubas is more interested in a bridge deal as a “prove it” challenge for Chinakhov. It will be interesting to see how this plays out between the front office and the player this summer.

Bonus question: What is Chinakhov’s ceiling as a player?

After coming over from Columbus in Decemeber, Chinakhov was an absolute offensive force for the Penguins. His numbers in Pittsburgh spread out across a full NHL schedule work out to roughly 35 goals and 70 points. That puts him in company with players like Adrian Kempe, Brandon Hagel, and fellow pending RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. Those are some pretty good comparables and the Penguins will be thrilled to have Chinakhov post those type of numbers.

It almost feels like we are putting blinders on when we only look at his work with the Penguins and ignore how bad he was in Columbus, but that team was a complete disaster until their midseason coaching change so it’s hard to know exactly what to make of that.

Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but given how good Chinakhov looked in the Penguins system, it doesn’t feel like that much of a stretch to think he could be a centerpiece for the Penguins future both in the short and long term.

Ideal 2026-27

Taking his 43 game sample size with the Penguins from this past season and extrapolating it over the course of 84 games is the ideal scenario for Chinakhov next season. He’s more than earned a top-six role and as long as he’s playing with guys who can get the puck on his stick he can do the rest with his speed and shooting ability.

His own playmaking ability gets overshadowed by his lethal shot, but in his time with the Penguins this season he showed that he was more than capable of dishing the puck just as well. Getting him looks from his teammates combined with setting up chances for his teammates will go a long way towards the Penguins success in 2026-27.

One major focus for the Penguins this offseason involving Chinakhov will be figuring out a way to get him more power play time, ideally by getting him a permanent spot on the top unit with the likes of Crosby and Karlsson. Simply having his shot lingering as a threat should be enough to open up opportunities for others on the ice, but knowing he needs little space to get shots on net at even strength, the extra space on the man advantage could turn him into even more of a weapon and fully unleash his game.

Bottom line

There’s no question about it, Egor Chinakhov has been one of the more important and impactful acquisitions by Kyle Dubas since he came to Pittsburgh. From a healthy scratch in Columbus to a top-six mainstay with the Penguins, Chinakhov shattered whatever expectations anyone had of him when he was acquired.

It didn’t take long for his game to blossom in the Penguins system and it has everyone wondering what exactly the Blue Jackets were doing that they failed to unleash the player we were watching on a nightly basis. His shot is lethal, he can skate by you in a flash, and he has playmaking ability that the Penguins were sorely lacking in years past. Every shot he takes feels like a rocket coming off his stick, and more than once did he score where no one was actually sure the puck went in the net or not.

There is a new deal to iron out this summer between the Penguins and Chinakhov and it’s a deal he certainly earned with his play once the Penguins traded for him in December. If he can continue to develop and be the player we saw in the second half of the season, then it’s a safe bet he’ll have a home in Pittsburgh for many years to come.

Final Grade

A.

It’s fair to say the Penguins probably don’t survive that March stretch without Chinakhov playing at the level he did. With Crosby battling injury and Malkin either being suspended or injured himself, the Penguins needed players to step up and Chinakhov was one who did on almost a nightly basis.

Even outside of that March stretch, it was clear Chinakhov brought something to the Penguins that they did not have on the roster before he arrived and helped take an already good offense and make it that much better. Working closely with fellow Russian Malkin seems to have unlocked something in Chinakhov that remained buried during his time in Columbus.

If there was one knock on Chinakhov from this season it’s his performance in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first taste of playoff hockey, he put up a goose egg in all offensive categories over the six games. It wasn’t even that his process in those games was bad he just could not buy a goal and the Penguins were desperately in need of some.

All in all though, not much to complain about from Chinakhov in his first stint with the Penguins. He’s an exciting player who revitalized his career and has the makings of a player who could be a very important piece in what Kyle Dubas is trying to build in Pittsburgh.

DitD & Open Post – 5/25/26: Elephants in the Room Edition

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 2 : Brenden Dillon #5 of the New Jersey Devils takes a shot on goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center on April 2, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

An illuminating conversation with Brenden Dillon:

“There have been conflicting reports about Simon Nemec and whether he requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Regardless, I think there is a very real chance Sunny Mehta trades Nemec this summer – and rightfully so. The 22-year-old is a flawed player and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations that come with being selected 2nd overall in the draft.” [Infernal Access ($)]

“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among them is improving the team’s depth on defense and up front. One model he could look to is what Kyle Dubas has done as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM over the last year and change.” [Devils on the Rush]

Hockey Links

A bit of a stunning result in the Western Conference Final:

We are tied in the Eastern Conference Final:

“There are still teams with significant raises for top players kicking in next year, along with other key unrestricted and restricted free agents who will demand more expensive contracts. The combination of those forces will leave a few organizations without the requisite cap space to bring everybody back.” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Premier League 2025-26 review: gripes of the season

The most infuriating things, including mayhem at set pieces, daft jerseys and a largely ignored video game

You will almost certainly be aware that there have been a load of set-piece goals this season, and an extraordinary proliferation of long throws. At times the self-styled greatest league in the world has drowned in a torrent of guileless ball-flinging.

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Premier League 2025-26 review: young players of the season

The league has been awash with youthful talent, led by a Manchester City converted midfielder who is already filling his medal cabinet

There have never been as many good young players in the world as there are now, so we have limited this list to those aged 21 and under at the time of writing. And, though both are extremely good, neither Max Dowman nor Rio Ngumoha has played enough to be considered this season – though it seems unlikely either will be missing from the selection a year hence.

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On this date in Penguins history: Chris Kunitz sends Pittsburgh back the Cup Final

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate after Chris Kunitz #14 scored the game winning goal against Craig Anderson #41 of the Ottawa Senators in the second overtime with a score of 3 to 2 in Game Seven to win the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 25, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Nine years ago today, Chris Kunitz scored one of the most memorable goals in Pittsburgh Penguins history with a double overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

The Penguins were looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017 after beating the Sharks to win the title in 2016.

Pittsburgh bullied their way past the Blue Jackets and won a second-round matchup against the Capitals for a second straight season, earning a spot in the Eastern Conference Final for the fifth time in ten seasons.

The Ottawa Senators and their defensive way of stifling offense gave Pittsburgh fits throughout the series, holding the Penguins to three goals for the first three games.

The Penguins managed to battle through the slog, winning Game 4 and Game 5 to put the Senators on the brink of elimination.

Ottawa held serve at home, sending things back to Pittsburgh for a series-deciding Game 7.

Chris Kunitz opened the scoring, but Mark Stone quickly equalized.

Justin Schultz gave the Penguins a third period lead, but again, the Senators wouldn’t go away as Ryan Dzingel tied the game 2-2.

Overtime was up next, followed by a second overtime period.

Then came one of Chris Kunitz’s career-defining moments.

The Penguins were headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time since 2008.

Premier League 2025-26 review: signings of the season

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has discovered a new lease of life in Yorkshire while Adrien Truffert made a big impression

Considering the cost of signing elite Premier League strikers, Calvert-Lewin deserves a spot because he cost absolutely nothing. Plenty played a part in other clubs deciding the centre-forward was not for them after leaving Everton; his injury and goalscoring record left plenty to be desired but everyone knew what was available, if a club could get him fit. Still only 29, Calvert-Lewin wanted a change of scenery and has proved plenty wrong by missing only three Premier League games all season and producing the goals that have gone a long way to keeping his side in the Premier League – scoring seven in six games at the end of 2025 – and earning a first England call in five years along the way. “For me, he is one of the best English strikers in this league,” Daniel Farke said. “Harry Kane is playing in Germany for Bayern Munich, but in the Premier League, he is definitely one of the best English strikers and he will be a key player for us going forward.”

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Premier League 2025-26 review: flops of the season

From Wissa’s solitary goal for Newcastle to Postecoglou’s brief reign at Forest, it’s been a campaign to forget for some

Newcastle’s year-long chase to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford felt like it would never end until they paid £55m for his services in September. The Democratic Republic of the Congo forward arrived after banging in 19 goals for Brentford last season and was supposed to lead the charge for Eddie Howe in the Premier League and Europe. In reality it has been a whimpering experience. Admittedly, none of Newcastle’s attacking recruitment paid off; Wissa sat on the bench alongside £65m Nick Woltemade and £55m Anthony Elanga in the April defeat away to Crystal Palace where the manager preferred to start Jacob Murphy and Will Osula. Wissa has scored once in 13 league appearances, starting only four times because he does not fit into the system and has not built the level of rapport he had with Bryan Mbeumo. The team as a whole has struggled, finishing 12th, a drop of seven places from last season, meaning they will not be returning to Europe. With Anthony Gordon expected to depart in the coming months, having faith in the reinvestment is not a given.

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Yankees news: Aaron Judge lives up to Aaron Boone’s promise of a slump breakout

May 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after hitting a walk off two run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Post | Dan Martin: Before Sunday’s victory, the Yankees were mired in a 4-10 slide that dropped them 5.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East. Despite this, the Yankees’ manager expressed optimism that Saturday’s rainout could be an inflection point. “I think it will serve us well,’’ said Aaron Boone of the postponement. “It’s been a crappy couple weeks for us, result-wise, but I feel like we’re in a good place team-wise. I feel we have a good run in us here.” In addition to a slumping offense, the team’s bullpen has blown some close games, losses that Boone called “tough” as they try to turn things around.

New York Daily News| Gary Phillips: As previously noted, the Yankees won Sunday’s game in dramatic fashion, with their slumping captain walking off the division-topping Rays. Aaron Judge entered play with just one hit in his last 24 at-bats but recorded two hits in the win, including a two-run homer off Kevin Kelly to send the rain-soaked faithful home happy. Boone had previously said to reporters during Judge’s slump: “He’ll get through it, and somebody will pay the price real soon.“

In case you were watching the YES Network broadcast, here’s the Dave Sims call on WFAN!

Judge wasn’t the only hero on this day. Ryan Weathers starred as well, holding Tampa Bay off the board through seven innings to keep the Yankees in the game and drop his ERA to 3.27 on the season. And in the eighth, a potential Rays rally was squelched by bad baserunning from Junior Caminero, who was thrown out on a heads-up play by Cody Bellinger. The left fielder himself credited third baseman Ryan McMahon, who immediately signaled for Bellinger to get the ball to him; McMahon applied the tag before Oliver Dunn crossed home plate.

Also from Phillips: the Yankees confirmed that ace Gerrit Cole’s second start of 2026 will come on Wednesday in Kansas City. Cole went six scoreless on Friday against the Rays in his first start since completing his Tommy John surgery rehab. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported that Will Warren will start today and Cam Schlittler will get the ball tomorrow.

MLB.com | Tim Crowley: Yankees prospect Hans Montero had a night to remember Saturday, hitting three home runs for Low-A Tampa. The performance raised his season OPS to .923. The infielder, who received a $1.7 million signing bonus from the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, is not among the team’s top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline but is still just 22 years old.

Premier League 2025-26 review: goals of the season

Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Iwobi redefined the idea of possibility but Leandro Trossard’s mattered most

With most free-kicks, we’ve a decent idea where the taker can put them, which is why Dominik Szoboszlai’s effort against Arsenal, though it was a brilliant late winner, hasn’t been picked here: the execution, replete with whip and dip, was perfect, but we knew in advance that what turned out to be possible was possible. On the other hand, his goal against Manchester City – which edges Anton Stach’s for Leeds at Villa – was a mind-boggler. It’s fair to wonder why the wall contained only two men, but equally so to counter that he was so far out, the keeper wanted a decent view – and didn’t he get the perfect aspect. Hit with the laces, the ball jiggling, dipping and swerving at improbable angles, Gianluigi Donnarumma anticipated an inswinger then, when it turned out to be an outswinger, didn’t even get to attempt a save because, once it was clear which way the shot was actually going, it was far, far too late, a cursory step in the right direction all he had time for as an incredible, unsaveable effort shrieked past him and in off the post, three-quarters of the way up.

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Vegas takes 3-0 lead into game 4 against Colorado

Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -120, Golden Knights +100; over/under is 6

STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS: Golden Knights lead series 3-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the seventh time this season. The Golden Knights won the last matchup 5-3.

Vegas has gone 25-14-9 in home games and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a 48-7-11 record in games they score at least three goals.

Colorado has a 55-16-11 record overall and a 32-9-5 record on the road. The Avalanche are 31-7-6 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 37 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mitchell Marner has seven goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.

Nathan MacKinnon has 53 goals and 74 assists for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has scored four goals with five assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Avalanche: 6-4-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: out (upper-body).

Avalanche: Cale Makar: day to day (undisclosed).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Premier League 2025-26 review: managers of the season

From the experience of Emery to European-bound Le Bris there are a handful of managers whose work stood out

Promoted through the playoffs, Sunderland began the season as white-hot favourites to go straight back down but never once flirted with relegation and a win over Chelsea on the final day secured Europa League qualification. Their success was rooted in an inspired summer recruitment drive that prompted Le Bris to ruthlessly phase out most of his promotion-winning squad and replace them with a winning mix of raw young talent and seasoned leadership. Tactically flexible and a study in touchline equanimity, the 50-year-old Breton is an expert in tailoring his team’s approach to their opposition but tends to favour lightning-fast transitions before getting the ball wide in matches against teams he expects to beat. Victories at home and away over Newcastle mean his legendary status on Wearside is already cemented and the concern now for Sunderland fans is that executives at more high-profile clubs will have taken note of the stellar job he has done in his two seasons at the Stadium of Light.

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Premier League 2025-26 review: matches of the season

Nine-goal and seven-goal thrillers feature with a chaotic denouement at Anfield and a fraught Tyne-Wear derby

It is rare for a centre-forward to score a hat-trick and still be disappointed, but in the 10th minute of stoppage time, Jean-Philippe Mateta has a golden chance to win this pulsating affair for Crystal Palace. He clatters the ball down to South Norwood from eight yards out. Even before that it’s a rollercoaster of emotion for all concerned. Eagles fans fear the worst when their team fall 2-0 behind in the 37th minute after Junior Kroupi’s double. On 63 minutes, Mateta’s first Premier League goal of the season at Selhurst Park sparks home hope after a lengthy video assistant referee check for offside. Five minutes later, the Frenchman stretches to turn in a ball from Daniel Muñoz: 2-2. When James Tavernier rifles a low cross into the six-yard box in the 89th minute, Ryan Christie slams it in, seemingly snatching glory. There is time for Mateta to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot before missing his late chance.

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Spurs defense roars to life in Game 4, that's a real problem for the shorthanded Thunder

This will be the most-played clip when talking about Victor Wembanyama's Game 4.
However, this highlight from the opening minutes of Game 4 better shows what Wembanyama and the Spurs did differently — keeping him around the rim on defense — and why not only is the Western Conference Finals now tied, but the Spurs may be in the pole position to advance to the NBA Finals.

San Antonio adjusted how it handled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which allowed Wembanyama to stay close to the rim, where he is a defensive force unlike anyone else in the NBA. What the Spurs did in Game 4 shifted the burden onto Oklahoma City to adjust heading into Game 5 on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to get into details, but in general, being more disciplined and just trusting the game plan even more,” Wembanyama said of what the Spurs did differently.

Wemby is selling it short, the Spurs completely altered how they were dealing with Gilgeous-Alexander, and by extension, the entire Thunder offense.

For three games, San Antonio had leaned into a variation of the Lakers' defense on Oklahoma City from the second round. They trapped Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out high, tried to take away driving gaps (even if it meant helping off shooters one pass away) and generally force the ball out of his hands, daring the other Thunder players to beat them from beyond the arc.

It didn't work because the Thunder's role players knocked down shots. Through the first three games, OKC shot 39.5% from beyond the arc. Alex Caruso was 14-of-23 from deep, Cason Wallace was 8-of-17, and big man Jaylin Williams was 7-of-12.
In a must-win Game 4, the Spurs went back to a defensive system they were more comfortable with. They left one defender, usually Stephon Castle, on SGA and when the MVP drove, they helped from nearby players. The result was keeping Victor Wembanyama closer to the rim rather than having long close-outs to shooters, and from the opening moment of the game, that paid off. This new system threw Oklahoma City off its axis, and it turned the ball over 20 times Sunday night (and the Spurs scored 25 points off those turnovers).

Playing into this was the Thunder's injuries — the Thunder's second and third best ball handlers and shot creators, Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Away Mitchell (calf), were both out. Gilgous-Alexander wasn't getting much help. Also, in Game 4 the tables turned and the Thunder couldn't buy a 3-pointer, going 6-of-33 (18%) on the night. With Wembanyama playing closer to the rim, OKC shot 18-of-41 in the paint.

The pressure now falls on the Thunder to make adjustments. One of those is relatively simple — just make more shots. The Thunder are better shooters than we saw in Game 4, they just had an off night.

“We’ve played 12 playoff games. When you play 12 playoff games, they’re not all going to be masterpieces,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “As much as you want to win, there’s nights where you just don’t have it for whatever reason.”

The other part may prove more challenging: Get Gilgeous-Alexander the ball with a little more space around him to make moves — and they probably have to do that without Mitchell and Williams. It's a lot to put on Daigneault's plate.

But he's got to figure out before Tuesday. The Spurs look like sharks that smell blood in the water, and this could be a feeding frenzy if the Thunder don't find a solution.

Premier League 2025-26 review: players of the season

Two deadly strikers, two creative forces and an all-but unbeatable goalkeeper make up our picks for the season

The adulation offers a fine indication of how good the Manchester United captain has been this season. At the start, he was dragging Ruben Amorim’s interpretation of a team through matches and spent the past five months leading Michael Carrick’s unified side. Awards and records keep coming his way; winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was swiftly followed by picking up a record Premier League assist tally of 21 at Brighton on the final day of the season. Considering United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, one wonders what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, supported by stunning technique that has put him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It is hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes and United have reaped the awards.

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Oklahoma City, San Antonio meet with series tied 2-2

San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -5.5; over/under is 215.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Series tied 2-2

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs are in a 2-2 series tie in the Western Conference finals. The Spurs defeated the Thunder 103-82 in the last matchup on Monday. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 33 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 19.

The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is second in the league allowing just 107.9 points per game while holding opponents to 43.7% shooting.

The Spurs are 36-16 in conference matchups. San Antonio is fourth in the Western Conference giving up just 111.5 points while holding opponents to 45.1% shooting.

The Thunder's 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs average 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 fewer makes per game than the Thunder allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cason Wallace is scoring 8.6 points per game and averaging 3.1 rebounds for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 27.0 points and 2.8 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Wembanyama is averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for the Spurs. Devin Vassell is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 117.3 points, 40.4 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.2 points per game.

Spurs: 6-4, averaging 117.0 points, 49.6 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.5 steals and 8.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (undisclosed), Jalen Williams: day to day (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.