BBC to bring back classic gameshow after 24 years away
Former world champion to host with Paddy McGuinness
The BBC is re-racking the balls and chalking the cues again after announcing that classic TV gameshow Big Break will return after 24 years away.
Seven-time snooker world champion Stephen Hendry is to co-host the series alongside presenter and comic Paddy McGuinness in a reboot of a show that originally ran for 10 series from 1991 to 2002.
Continue reading...The Athletic's Corey Pronman recently released his latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft, where he made picks for the first round. When it came to the Buffalo Sabres, Pronman predicted that they would end up selecting defenseman William Hakansson.
The idea of Hakansson joining the Sabres' prospect pool is a fascinating one. The first thing that stands out about him is that he is a big, 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman. With this, he would give the Sabres another defenseman with size in their prospect pool, which would not be a bad thing in the slightest.
Hakansson has the potential to become a solid defensive defenseman in the NHL, so it would be understandable if the Sabres considered selecting him at this year's draft. The potential for him to emerge as a top-four shutdown defenseman is there.
Hakansson played in 22 games this season with Lulea HF of the SHL, where he recorded two assists and a plus-1 rating. He also recorded two goals and four points in 16 games with Almtuna IS in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Ultimately, with the Sabres needing more defensive depth, it would make sense if they picked Hakansson if he is still available once they are on the clock. It will be interesting to see if they do just that.
Warwickshire hammered Yorkshire to go second in Division One as league leaders Nottinghamshire were held by Surrey
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
Continue reading...
In Monday night’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Cleveland took out Detroit, 112-103, behind a dstunning 22-0 run. Tyrese Proctor got in at the end, but did not score. The series is now tied 2-2.
In the nightcap, Oklahoma City eliminated Los Angeles, 115-110. Jared McCain scored 13 points and had 2 assists for OKC, while Luke Kennard finished his season with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
At 8-0, the Thunder look increasingly inevitable, and may push the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. When someone asked Moses Malone how his team would do, he famously said, “Fo’, fo’, and fo,” meaning the Sixers would not lose in the playoffs.
Close: Philadelphia finished 11-1 in the postseason.
On Tuesday, The T-Wolves and the Spurs tangle in Game 5. Mason Plumlee is on the Spurs’ roster, but he’s essentially depth at this point, and we don’t expect to see him going forward.
Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Western Conference Semifinals shift back to Sin City tonight as the Anaheim Ducks visit the Vegas Golden Knights, with the series tied at two games apiece.
My Golden Knights vs. Ducks player props are targeting Mitch Marner to keep dominating, while Jack Eichel and Beckett Sennecke will also do their part.
Read more in my Golden Knights vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks for Tuesday, May 12.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Mitch Marner | Over 1.5 points | +175 |
| Jack Eichel | Over 0.5 assists | -170 |
 Beckett Sennecke | Anytime goal | +320 |
+175 at BET99
Mitch Marner has been an absolute monster in these playoffs. The veteran has compiled 16 points already, and he has a mind-boggling seven points across the last two games. While the Vegas Golden Knights did lose Game 4, he finished with three helpers. Marner also netted a natural hat-trick in Game 3 while grabbing an assist.
In the postseason, he's had four multi-point outings, and the Canadian is playing with so much confidence. His ice time has also skyrocketed across these last two games, playing over 23 minutes per contest after barely playing 18 minutes in the first two games of this series. John Tortorella is putting Marner out there a lot, and it's paying off.
-170 at BET99
Jack Eichel sits right behind Marner with 13 playoff points. The majority of his production has come as a playmaker, notching 12 assists. Eichel was one of the Golden Knights' top suppliers during the regular season as well, picking 63 apples, ranking 11th in the NHL.
He's hit the Over in helpers in three straight, finishing with four assists during that span. Eichel had two in the Game-4 defeat. He's also grabbed five assists on home ice in the playoffs, and his presence on the top line and PP1 strengthens his case for another.
+320 at BET99
He may be just 20 years of age, but Beckett Sennecke is proving the playoff stage isn't too big for him. The youngster had 23 regular-season goals, and he's added another four in the postseason. After a quiet Round 1, Sennecke has found his best against Vegas, scoring three times, finding the back of the net in three consecutive contests.
While he's only notched six SOG across those games, Sennecke is making the most of his chances. His PP2 line also scored both goals for the Anaheim Ducks on the man advantage in Game 3, including his PP goal, assisted by Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier, who notched three helpers. Heavy PP usage and solid playmakers getting him the puck make this one a valuable bet.
img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
(not available in Ontario)
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has an ultimatum from Milwaukee Bucks ownership: either sign a contract extension this summer, or get traded. The long-rumored divorce between the two sides might finally come to fruition as the NBA prepares to enter the offseason, and the Bucks are making it known they’re ready to hear offers.
The Bucks are “open for business ”on Antetokounmpo trade offers, and the team is reportedly seeking “young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks,” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania’s report comes on the brink of the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, historically a place where early trade conversations happen as the entire league is gathered in Chicago. Antetokounmpo essentially asked out of Milwaukee ahead of the trade deadline, but a deal never materialized, and the trade landscape feels different this time.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly not interested in a Giannis trade at the deadline. Does that change for Houston after a first-round exit? Will San Antonio or OKC also change their mind on a potential trade if they fall short of a championship? The Boston Celtics are another team to watch in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes now after a first-round exit in the 2026 NBA Playoffs when they were supposed to be the favorites in the East.
Here are six potential Antetokounmpo trade packages that make sense, plus two darkhorse surprise teams at the end.
Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, No. 13 overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft, 2030 first-rounder, 2032 first-rounder
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
It will be tricky to make the salaries match, but there’s a framework in place for the potential Giannis trade to the Heat this summer. Miami has three first-round picks available to trade, including No. 13 overall this year, where we have Karim Lopez projected in our mock draft. Kel’el Ware had a solid second season even if he falls short of the “blue chip” prospect Milwaukee covets. If Mikal Bridges and Rudy Gobert were traded for five first-round picks, why is Giannis only fetching three? Well, it’s a different trade landscape these days, and Antetokounmpo’s constant late season injury issues feel like a real problem at age-31. The Heat are also chasing stars, and at this point it feels like they’ve maximized their current group. An all-in trade for Giannis makes sense for Miami, and it might be the best package Milwaukee can get.
Bucks receive: Evan Mobley, Sam Merrill, 2030 and 2032 first-round picks
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
This trade is not currently legal because the Cavs are in the second apron, and thus cannot aggregate salaries to match Giannis’ massive deal. It’s possible Cleveland can get under the apron for this deal during the summer, and subbing in Jaylon Tyson for Merrill would make it even more appealing if they can square the salaries. Mobley is potentially the best young player on the market for Milwaukee. The big man turns 25 years old next month, and feels like he stagnated a bit offensively this season. He remains an incredible defender as a mobile 7-footer, and Milwaukee could probably flip him for a ton of assets if they wanted a longer view of their upcoming rebuild. Those Cleveland picks could be pretty valuable too with an older core in place should the Cavs do this deal.
Bucks receive: No. 8 pick in 2026 NBA Draft, Celtics’ first-round picks in 2027 and 2032, Zaccharie Risacher, Hugo Gonzalez, Corey Kispert
Celtics receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hawks receive: Jaylen Brown
This is admittedly a rough draft what a three-team trade would look like between the Celtics, Hawks, and Bucks. The general framework would have Jaylen Brown landing in his hometown of Atlanta, Giannis going to the Celtics, and the Bucks getting Atlanta’s No. 8 overall pick and more future first-rounders. The salaries do work out in this deal according to the trade machine, so something like this could make sense. Risacher was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but he already lost his spot in the Hawks’ playoff rotation, so this doesn’t feel like too much to give up for Atlanta to get Brown. The Celtics upgrade from Brown to Antetokounmpo and push for a championship next year. The Bucks land a second top-10 pick in this trade, and Gonzalez would be a nice get after a surprisingly strong rookie year.
Bucks receive: Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, 2032 first-round pick
Wolves receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis
The Wolves were reportedly interested in Giannis at the trade deadline, and they could have interest again this summer should they fall short in the playoffs. This package features neither a blue chip young player or a bundle of picks, but it would give the Bucks a lot of flippable assets. McDaniels will be 26 years old next season and is one of the best wing defenders in the league. Gobert is still a defensive stud, and he’s on a more affordable deal now. DiVincenzo is out for the year sadly with an Achilles tear. Milwaukee could flip McDaniels and Gobert for 1-2 more future first-round picks each if they take this deal, and that Minnesota 2032 first-round could be spicy down the line.
Bucks receive: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, 2028 and 2030 Bucks swaps returned, 2032 Blazers first-round pick
TrailBlazers receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
New Blazers owner Tom Dundan said the team has a big trade offer available at the trade deadline that the team chose to not pull the trigger on, but that things might be different under his watch. Was he talking about Giannis? The Blazers have always felt like a natural trade partner for Giannis because they own two future Milwaukee pick swaps. This deal has Portland unloading bad money in Jerami Grant, and cashing in Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen, while returning the swap rights to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo. Henderson is starting to come on lately even if he hasn’t yet lived up to his draft hype, and he’s exactly the type of player who could intrigue Milwaukee. This is probably too much to give up for Portland, but it could potentially win a bidding war.
Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, 2032 first-round pick
Knicks receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma
The Knicks seem very likely to go to the Finals, but I won’t put a trade like this past them if they get smoked by the Thunder or Spurs once they get there. I do think it’s too much to give up for New York given Giannis’ injury history. Milwaukee wouldn’t get a pick surplus or any good young players from this haul, but it could immediately turn around and trade Anunoby and KAT for value.
The NBA Draft lottery just happened which means we are one step closer to the actual NBA Draft. There are events going on all around the NBA to prepare the next crop of stars. Guys like Braden Smith are getting weighed and measured, how tall is he anyway? TKR is playing in the G-League Combine and doing a great job, enough to even move up a level in the combine hierarchy. Fletcher Loyer even showed up some of his skills at that same event. So what does this mean for the three Purdue seniors? We chat about that on this episode of the Boiler Alert podcast.
Then, we look at Daniel Jacobsen and I ask Ryan about Jacobsen’s impact for next season and if he’s the biggest question mark of all the returning players. DJ did some great things this season but I think many of us came away disappointed with his play, but was that on our expectations or his play? We discuss on the latest episode.
LeBron James talked about steps he’ll take before deciding whether to play again next season, but is there one missing from the list?
Spending time with his family. Talking to his 12-year-old daughter; his 19-year-old son; and his wife. Reflecting on this past season and deciding what’s in his best interest. And ...
What he didn’t cite explicitly is how his role changed this past season, during which he averaged 20.9 points, the fewest since he averaged the same in his rookie season.
"I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment, that's for damn sure," James, 41, told reporters after the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-110, Monday, May 11 and got swept in the Western Conference semifinal playoff series. "Especially, I was put into some positions that I've never played in my career before, actually in my life.
"I've never been a third option in my life."
This season, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerged as the NBA’s highest-scoring backcourt, and in March, Lakers coach JJ Redick officially asked James to accept the role of the team’s third scoring option.
He agreed.
With James in that role, the Lakers thrived.
That is, until Doncic suffered a hamstring injury in February and Reaves strained his oblique muscle April 2, during 139-96 loss to the Thunder.
Suddenly James was the Lakers’ No. 1 option again, and he led them past the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series.
"So to be able to thrive in that role (as the team’s third option) for that period of time and then have to step back into the role that I've been accustomed with over my career, over my life ... that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career," he said.
But would it be cool to go back to being the third option next season, which would be his 24th in the NBA?
It could be a complex assessment.
When asked about the love for the game, James said, "I don't think it ever goes away."
More imporantly, James said, is maintaining his love for "the process." That entails arriving for games 5 1/2 hours early to start getting ready. And arriving three hours before practice.
"...giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play," he said.
James played a co-leading role Monday night, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Reaves had a team-high 27 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
James took 18 shots. Reaves took 16 shots. Luka remained sidelined.
The highlight of James' eight-year tenure with the Lakers, he said, was leading the Lakers to the NBA title in 2020. He mentioned competing for championships again Monday.
“I think that's a motivating factor, it's always been since I've – probably the first time I touched the postseason in ‘06 – was like, how can I compete for a championship?" he said.
Does accepting the role of third option give James and the Lakers third best chance to win an NBA title?
Is it something he thinks is in his best interest?
Would he still love showing up 5 1/2 hours before games and three hours before practices?
The process of figuring it out all out has officially begun.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is LeBron James willing to be Lakers’ third option again?
After the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night, Luka Doncic took to Instagram to announce he will not be joining the Slovenian national team this summer. Instead, he shared that he plans to devote his time to his daughters.
The message, initially written in Slovenian and later translated into English, emphasized that being a father to his two daughters is his top priority. Doncic explained that over the past eight months, it has been challenging to spend time with them as he works toward a joint custody agreement with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes. The couple shares a three-year-old daughter, Gabriela, and a five-month-old daughter, Olivia.
“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life. As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer,” Doncic wrote in the post. “Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months.”
Since Matvei Michkov ended the season a healthy scratch, he'll be all the talk this offseason, and that is going to open up some sore wounds for Philadelphia Flyers fans.
This conversation has, of course, resurfaced again, even after things went mostly well under John Tortorella, and later Brad Shaw, last season.
The Flyers fanbase has been divided into two splinter cells: one that thinks head coach Rick Tocchet is right to bench an underperforming, out-of-shape Michkov, and one that thinks the Flyers botched this whole operation and gave the player little opportunity to perform in a meaningful role.
In reality, both sides are, to an extent, right in both cases.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who has no skin in this game, took to his "32 Thoughts" podcast to dish on Michkov and the Flyers, expertly playing both sides and making sense of it all.
He also indirectly cautioned the Flyers against trading Michkov, even invoking the despised Cutter Gauthier as an example of why it just can't happen again.
Flyers Boss Rick Tocchet Talks Matvei Michkov, Improved Recent PlayThings were never quite right between <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> head coach Rick Tocchet and phenom forward Matvei Michkov for much of the season, but Michkov's strong finish to the season has all but erased that now.
"Look what happened with Cutter Gauthier. . . just look at Gauthier's natural gifts. It's really hard to let two players walk like that in a short period of time," Friedman said.
"Gauthier was a really good pick by Philadelphia that didn't work out. And Michkov, I still say, was a really good pick by the Flyers. I just don't think you can give up that easily. If I'm [Danny Briere], I'm saying 'We have to find a way to make this better.' . . . You would have to show me a trade that really made sense for me to do this."
The Flyers obviously need a good center, and a young one, at that, but no team with a good center at Michkov's age is going to pony one up for him after this debacle.
And for the Flyers, taking a draft pick and/or other futures for Michkov from a team like the San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks doesn't make sense.
They just made the playoffs, and using a pick on a player who could be three years away from being a contributor at the expense of a back-to-back 20-goal, 50-point player strays from that progress.
"I would say to Tocchet, 'You can't find guys like this.' If we're going to move on from him, we better be sure. Better be sure, that there is absolutely no chance it works out here for him," Friedman continued.
"I would also say to Michkov, 'I am not going to trade you.' So, your best answer, whatever you're not delivering, you have to change that, too."
Some things we can safely assume Michkov has not delivered, at least for Tocchet, is a consistent forechecking presence and more frequent skating. It's not Michkov's style, especially offensively, but that is what the coach wants.
Flyers Must Avoid This Trap in NHL Free AgencyThe Philadelphia Flyers must be careful and not get greedy overpaying for a player like Darren Raddysh in NHL free agency.At the same time, this is now two seasons and counting of the Flyers trying to pivot Michkov off the things that made him the seventh pick three years ago. The creativity, the risk-taking, opportunism, offensive puck touches.
Friedman and co-host Kyle Bukauskas went on to discuss the training camp out-of-shape stuff that has been beaten like a dead horse, and yeah, the player has to work on that. Everyone can benefit from improved conditioning and added speed.
We saw what Bobby Brink did over the last few seasons, and it turned him from a bubble player to an important one.
Michkov is already important, so the next step is... elite?
At the end of the day, there are a lot of moving parts here, and there doesn't appear to be any motivation from either side for a Michkov trade.
Like Friedman says, get everyone together and figure it out, because nobody's going anywhere after the success the Flyers had as a team this season.
And Friedman's opinion matters. He's plugged in with front offices, agents, and all kinds of staffers, so he knows how the league works, why it works, and how the situation is viewed.
The Flyers have taken a beating from the public all season long over the Michkov stuff, and the perpetuated noise around them is asking them to quash it for good.
The Montreal Canadiens have outscored the Buffalo Sabres 11-3 in the last two games and taken a 2-1 series lead. While that will have given Martin St-Louis’ men plenty of confidence, they must be careful not to be overly confident, as this series is far from over. If Tage Thompson and co. can get a win in Game 4, they will be right back in this series and will regain home-ice advantage. If the Habs get the win, though, they will have the all-important 3-1 commanding win and push the Sabres to the brink of elimination. Given the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes are already through to the Conference Final, both teams should want to win as quickly as possible.
In league history, the team with a 2-1 lead has won the series 69% of the time (399-180). What’s even more interesting for Habs’ fans, though, is the fact that when the Sabres are trailing 2-1 in a series, they have a 0-14 record and a 0-3 record when the series started at home. Meanwhile, when the Canadiens lead a series 2-1, they have a 40-11 record, meaning they’ve won over 78% of the time. When the series started on the road, though, that record goes down to 11-6, which is still a .647 winning percentage.
Xhekaj And Malenstyn Fined, Expect More Bad Blood
Canadiens’ Bolduc Is A Pain For Sabres
Canadiens’ Dobes On His Way To Make History?
The Canadiens had an optional skate on Tuesday, and only a few players opted to take to the ice: Brendan Gallagher, Oliver Kapanen, Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, Joe Veleno, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Jacob Fowler, and Samuel Montembeault. In other words, only three players who are in the active lineup joined the reserves on the ice: Newhook (who has five goals in the last four games), Veleno, and Hutson.
As for the Sabres, they were supposed to hold a full practice, but they canceled it. Speaking to the media, Lindy Ruff explained that they didn’t practice in between games at all during the series against the Boston Bruins and that they had already made one exception in the Montreal series, so they decided to revert to the original plan: rest in between games and just have a simple morning skate.
Asked about the possibility of changing his goaltender to provide a spark in his team, the experienced bench boss stuck with what he had said on Sunday night, praising Alex Lyon, but he did say that he would have liked to change a couple of blueliners and forwards on Sunday, but that he didn’t have that option.
Sounds like we’ll have another Lyon vs. Jakub Dobes duel in Game 4. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM at the Bell Centre, and you can catch it on CBC, TVAS, SN, and ESPN. Kelly Sutherland and TJ Luxmore will be officiating, while Julien Fournier and Matt MacPherson will be the linemen. Expect another electric night at the Bell Center, as fans will no doubt have read about the Sabres being unable to communicate in Game 3 due to the noise.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Sixteen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Penguins were blown out in a Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens, losing the final game in the storied history of the Mellon Arena.
The Penguins were the defending Stanley Cup champions and made their way to the second round of the playoffs after beating the Ottawa Senators in six games.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 1-0 series lead against Montreal and quickly learned the Canadiens would not be going quietly with P.K. Subban making national headlines and Jaroslav Halak being a brick wall in the net.
The Penguins and Canadiens traded wins through six games as Mellon Arena would host the deciding game of the series.
With all the excitement in the air of the building, it was just as quickly let out as Brian Gionta scored a power play goal for Montreal just 32 seconds into the game.
Dominic Moore doubled the Canadiens’ lead in the first period, but the second period was when the wheels fell off.
Noted Penguins killer Mike Cammalleri scored his 12th goal of the playoffs and then Travis Moen scored a backbreaking shorthanded goal to make it 4-0 a short time later.
The Penguins would get on the board with two goals and a sign of life, but it was too little, too late.
Just like that, Penguins fans had to say goodbye to the Mellon Arena.
So not much happened in official Celtics news last week. Brad Stevens gave a press conference which, while not quite promising the Wyc Grousbeckian “fireworks” of 2014 that never quite materialized, suggested that the team would be looking to address shortcomings that revealed themselves in the playoff series against Philadelphia.
On the CelticsBlog Slack, there were a host of Jaylen Brown trade scenarios pitched, along with trade scenarios for Derrick White and Sam Hauser. Jayson Tatum even made a surprise appearance.
And I had to ask myself, “Is this what other fanbases do?”
Because I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
Barring injury, the Celtics have been consistent Eastern Conference contenders for almost ten straight years now. They’ve been to the Finals twice, have won once, and have been the most consistently good team in the NBA since Danny Ainge made the widely panned moves to draft Brown and Tatum in back-to-back years.
In short, we have been spoiled. We have been very, very spoiled.
A long summer stretches out before us, with very little to engage our attention as fans. Shoot. We couldn’t even get excited about the lottery, and with the fourth best record in the league, draft chatter is going to be hard to get into, at least for me, because the farther down the draft you go, the harder it is to rank players.
There may be a consensus #1, but there is never a consensus 27th pick, and basically the predictions at this section of the draft are white noise. This is the part of the draft where I tend to think that ‘character counts,’ and that comes down to interviews and one-on-one sessions that draft predicters aren’t part of.
For example, the Celtics apparently saw something in Baylor Scheierman that suggested he would be a far better defender than writers who focused primarily on clips of his role and style of play at Creighton for their evaluations. That ‘something’ didn’t show up on film from a program where Scheierman was asked to do very little on the defensive end of the court.
So I can’t really get into draft predictions.
The rest of the playoffs are a rather flavorless affair for me as well. Perhaps that’s a knock against me as a basketball fan. To be sure, if my Dad were still around, he’d still be watching, and my younger brothers are both still watching, but even the most amazing plays sort of stop at the back of my eyeballs when I’m watching other teams. I can appreciate good offense and good defense up to a point, but it just doesn’t move me the way watching the Celtics does.
Plus, I really don’t like the Thunder. They’ve taken the place of the Warriors as a team to dislike because of their combination of dirty play and favorable whistles. The difference is that they’ve basically ratcheted the whole thing up to eleven. Lu Dort is…well, let’s just say that he makes Draymond Green look like St. Francis of Assisi, and SGA’s whistle is not to be believed at this point in time.
As Celtics fans, we’re on the outside looking in at both sources of entertainment at this point in the season.
It’s an odd place to be.
As I said earlier, we’ve been spoiled.
Boston’s management has been rock solid—they’ve made moves when moves are necessary, they’ve drafted exceptionally well, and they’ve given us plenty to get excited about.
I’m confident that they know what they’re doing, that they—along with Mazzulla—have a pretty good idea what went wrong against Philadelphia, and they’ll find the right combination of patience and action to move the team forward for next season.
But in the meantime, we as fans have to choose between building castles in the air and twiddling our thumbs. We can either cook up crazy trade scenarios that never really pan out, or we can dive deep into the middle of this year’s draft class to see if we can suss out which player the Celtics are likely to land on with their pick, or we can basically mark time until the draft, free agency, and the summer league give us something concrete to talk about.
The C’s might make a couple trades around the draft, but the reality is that the league year ends on June 30, and the team is so dang close to the tax line that any moves they make will have to be very tightly constrained in terms of salary, and in any case, the draft is still six weeks away.
One of the weirder aspects of the abrupt end to this season is that when it comes to improving the team, we’re now talking about trading guys that we spent the past eight months cheering on.
It was a bit understandable last season when the salary cap situation meant that the C’s were going to have to part ways with a lot of money.
It’s another thing when you’re looking at a guy who deserved legit MVP consideration for what he did for the team and saying, “Yeah, but can we get Giannis if we trade him?”
This is where I have to wonder what it’s like for fans of other NBA teams that get caught in this limbo.
Do they really spend months speculating on roster moves that don’t happen and draft picks that don’t get made?
It all seems rather strange to me. Like, how do you go from rooting for Jaylen Brown to shopping him for Giannis and then, when that doesn’t pan out, back to rooting for him next season?
Perhaps I’m too wedded to the concrete, and I need to spend more time using my imagination—perhaps that’s the key to being a fan of a team that isn’t regularly a contender. Perhaps you have to have the ability to imagine your team being a contender because, in reality, they don’t have much of a shot.
That might be my problem.
I haven’t had to imagine the Celtics being contenders. They’ve just been contenders, period.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons to even the series confirmed Koby Altman’s vision for the team when he made the blockbuster trade that brought James Harden to town in February.
“It’s hard being the number one option on a championship-level team,” Altman said right after the trade deadline. “The good news for him is he has another number one option right next to him.”
For the second game in a row, the Cavs showed the value of having two guys who can comfortably shift into the number one role.
There’s a trust between Mitchell and Harden that you don’t always see with superstar teammates.
Mitchell has reiterated during this playoff run that he’s more than happy to get out of the way if Harden has it going.
“With the way they’re guarding me, it’s kind of like four on four in a sense,” Mitchell said after Game 3. “They’re not leaving me so he can create the way he can. He gets in the paint, there’s no help.”
Mitchell willingly ceded control of the offense out of the gate, just as he did down the stretch on Saturday. Harden scored or assisted on Cleveland’s first 11 points, which helped them avoid digging a hole at the start of the game, as they did in their previous three games.
That was much needed on a night Mitchell struggled to get anything going early when he tried to. He compiled just four points on 1-8 shooting in the first half. Despite the strong overall start, the Cavs found themselves down by four at the break.
Mitchell determines the ceiling of this team. We’ve seen this repeatedly throughout the playoffs. The Cavs barely scraped by a Toronto Raptors team that they were far more skilled than, partially because they contained Mitchell.
“Toronto was unique in how they sold out on taking him (Mitchell), and James away,” Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 4. “Detroit has a little more comfort in their base defense and what they do.”
Mitchell made a compelling argument that the Pistons should shift out of their base defense.
Mitchell’s game is predicated on getting into the paint. He scored the first five points of the third quarter by getting to his floater in the lane, finding a rhythm he wasn’t able to discover in the first half. And once he gets the defense on its back foot, the outside shot opens up.
A three off a Harden assist, a pull-up triple, and then a step-back with his foot on the line took Mitchell’s strong start to the quarter into the stretch that essentially ended the game.
This all led to a 22-0 run for the Cavs that saw them turn a four-point deficit into an 18-point advantage. Mitchell provided 15 of those 22 points during that span.
In total, Mitchell poured in 21 points on 8-9 shooting in the third quarter alone. That mark tied him with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the most in a quarter for a Cavalier in the postseason.
Anytime your name is mentioned with those two, you’re in pretty good company.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the comfortable Cavs hoodie HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
That impressive third-quarter run was only possible because of Cleveland’s defense, specifically Evan Mobley’s.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year reminded everyone how impactful he can be, as he registered five blocks and three steals in what his head coach called possibly the best game he’s seen from him defensively.
Mobley has done a great job of controlling the paint and making life difficult for Detroit’s All-Star center, Jalen Duren.
This was another tough outing in what has been a rocky road for Duren. He was limited to just eight points and two rebounds on Monday.
Both Mobley and Jarrett Allen have done a good job of not ceding offensive ground to Duren. They’ve contained him in the pick-and-roll and have been physical with him when he’s gotten the ball on the block.
Limiting Duren has forced more of the scoring burden onto Cunningham’s shoulders. He wasn’t able to carry it like he needed to on a day when Cleveland’s backcourt had it going.
The Cavaliers won the possession game. They had five fewer turnovers and five more points off opponent giveaways. Additionally, they won the second-chance points battle by five.
Detroit’s two wins have come off dominating both categories. The Cavs have done a much better job of cleaning this up since the series shifted to Cleveland.
Mitchell didn’t stop with an impressive third quarter.
The onslaught continued in the fourth until he put up 43 points. His 39-second-half points tie a league record for the most points scored in a half of a playoff game.
“He’s electric,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said afterward. “You let him get going, we know what he’s capable of. He hit some tough shots, but that’s what he does.”
Part of Mitchell’s effectiveness came from his ability to get to the line. He attempted 15 free throws while the Pistons as a group took just 12. That is something Bickerstaff took issue with, calling the free-throw disparity “unacceptable.”
“Ever since coming to Cleveland, the whistle has changed,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We’re not a settle team. We’re not a jump shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint. … It’s frustrating, but we can’t allow that to be the reason why [we lost]. Because we didn’t play well enough or to the best of our capabilities.”
Mitchell was on the other end of this issue earlier in this series, but has changed how he’s played since initially complaining.
“You can control what you can control,” Mitchell said. “And I can control getting downhill. Like I told y’all, I can’t say something about not getting calls and then shoot jump shots.”
Cleveland’s backcourt has done a good job of finding ways to be impactful at the same time.
Even though Harden didn’t have the same scoring numbers in the second half as he had in the first, he still was orchestrating the offense with 11 assists and finished with 25 points.
The current duo has struck a balance that Mitchell and Darius Garland weren’t able to discover.
One of the common criticisms of the Mitchell and Garland backcourt was that only one of them could be at the top of their game at a time. Something about their styles didn’t mesh as cleanly as it should’ve. While it’s true the pairing disproved some of those concerns last regular season, they were never able to actually do so in the playoffs.
Conversely, Harden and Mitchell have already shown numerous times this postseason run that they can, due to the quick chemistry they’ve developed in just three months.
“You have to learn to play together with somebody like that,” Jarrett Allen said about the current backcourt. “You have to learn how to share the ball and co-exist with two excellent players on your side. I feel like every single game, they learn something different about each other. They’re willing to take a step back and let the other one shine…it’s incredible to watch.”
The Cavs have defended their home court and have evened the series at two. Now, they need to find a way to steal at least one game in Detroit — a place they’ve melted late in the first two games.
So what’s it going to take to get it done in Game 5?
“Everything,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a hostile environment. We need each other. We’ve had two good games to build off of. … It’s going to be a lot of fun. I know we’re ready for the challenge.”
I get it, you’re still thinking about the Lakers getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
It was a valiant fight to the end, Monday’s season-ending 115-110 loss. A thriller for naught.
But now we’ve finally reached the big, beautiful offseason the Lakers have been teasing for months. This pivotal moment that’s had them hoarding assets and fencing off their financial flexibility. All but paralyzed by possibility.
Even after jogging in place all this time, they’ve finally caught up with the can they kicked down the road: All indications are that the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to hit the trade market.
And the Lakers — loaded with trade ammunition and cap space and forever wishing on star players — are going to be expected to make a play.
But they should run a different play.
Read more:Lakers fight to the finish but are eliminated by Thunder
For months, they’ve been signaling as if with a searchlight how much they covet the 6-foot-11 Greek forward. So, of course, they’re going to take a run at the two-time NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, 2021 NBA champion who will earn about $58 million next season, when the 31-year-old will expect a massive, multi-year extension.
They should run the other direction.
The Lakers have stockpiled cap space and picks — as of draft night, they’ll have 2026, 2031 and 2033 first-rounders to offer — like they’re doomsayers outfitting a bunker. If they fill all that available cap space with Antetokounmpo’s salary, they won’t be using it on LeBron James or Rui Hachimura. The Lakers likely also will have to empty their cupboard of those first-round picks.
And, yes, it would be a disaster to dedicate all of that to an aging Antetokounmpo instead of doing the work to build a suitable army of role players to take on OKC’s corps — and to orbit Doncic, the guy who the Lakers already brought in to save the days ahead.
But, wait, you say, this is the Lakers. This is stars shine here.
Sure, but what does L.A. love most? Winners.
You know what constitutes a winning formula in today’s NBA?
Depth. Athleticism. Versatility. Optionality. Think, the 2019-2020 Lakers.
You know what doesn’t win?
Imbalanced rosters. Top-heavy teams. All your dang eggs in one basket. The misfit Russell Westbrook Lakers. These 2026 three-or-D Lakers. And certainly not a flimsy, clunky Luka Doncic-and-Antetokounmpo Lakers.
Sure, those guys are great players. They could figure it out.
But would it be an optimum use of their respective talents?
In Greek: όχι. In Slovenian: Ne.
In Los Angelese: Oh, heck no.
Read more:Plaschke: For the sake of their future, Lakers should bid farewell to LeBron James
Everyone knows to get the best out of a Luka-led team, you surround him with shooters — and Antetokounmpo is 28.5% from deep for his career. But Hachimura — proven playoff riser and certified laser — is a 51.6% three-point shooter in the postseason; the better more-gifted player isn’t necessarily the better fit.
Because everyone also knows Antetokounmpo is at his best when he’s barreling toward the rim with the ball in his hands — during which time Doncic is going to be doing what? Standing in the corner, arguing with the refs?
The last time they waited to catch the big fish, he didn’t bite. Fortuitously. They missed out on injury-prone Kawhi Leonard, who chose the Clippers before the 2019-20 season and left the Lakers to scramble to assemble … a championship roster.
Around James and Anthony Davis — who, fun fact, made just $27 million that season before agreeing to a historic and more cumbersome three-year extension — the Lakers had shooters who could defend, like Danny Green. And defenders who could shoot, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso. Length all over the court. Athleticism in the post: JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard who could play with or for AD.
It’s the blueprint OKC has been using, the same one the Lakers discarded to go big-name hunting, bringing aboard Westbrook by trading away Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and a No. 22 pick.
Talk about a brick.
Similar story in Milwaukee, where Antetokounmpo’s Bucks went all in for Damian Lillard and have nothing but failure to show for it.
So if — or, well, when — the Lakers go in mad pursuit of Giannis, I will have questions.
I’ll question why the Bucks would have the appetite to send another singular, single-name talent to L.A. after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came and won five championships here.
I’ll question whether Giannis wants to be in L.A., our “superficial” city, as he called it.
I’ll question why the Lakers would invest so heavily on an aging, oft-injured star whose game is predicated on athleticism and not the out-of-this-world basketball IQ like 41-year-old LeBron.
And, yes, I’ll question the fit and the function and whether the Lakers have fully missed what’s been happening around them — and to them.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
