Jerseys for Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski hang in the Milwaukee Brewers team store. | Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers became the first team since August 2024 to have a pair of teammates named as co-Players of the Week on Monday, as outfielder Jackson Chourio and right-hander Jacob Misiorowski both took home the NL Player of the Week Award.
Chourio, 22, earns his first such award, while this marks the second career award for Misiorowski, 24, who earned his first in the final week of May earlier this year.
Chourio batted 13-for-29 with five homers, 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored across the Brewers’ six games this week, as he hit safely and drove in at least one run in each of those games.
Not to be outdone, Misiorowski put together one of the best pitching performances we’ve witnessed, perhaps ever. In a complete game shutout against the Phillies on Friday night, Misiorowski allowed just one hit and no walks, striking out 15 on 95 pitches (58 of which came in at 100-plus mph) while facing the minimum thanks to a fourth-inning double play.
Chourio and Miz both seem like solid bets to make the All-Star Game in Philadelphia next month, even with Chourio having missed the first month-plus of the season.
Across 35 games this year, Chourio is hitting .322/.370/.572 with nine homers, 11 doubles, 26 RBIs, 27 runs, and five steals, totaling 2.0 bWAR, which nearly matches the 2.2 bWAR he put up across 131 games in 2025.
Misiorowski, who currently seems like the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, has made 14 starts and leads the majors in ERA (1.34), strikeouts (131), FIP (1.69), and WHIP (0.736), among other stats. He’s also compiled 3.9 bWAR over 87 innings.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Andrés Chaparro #87 and James Wood #29 after winning a game against the Seattle Mariners at Nationals Park on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats were able to put the San Francisco meltdown behind them, and now have another chance to go 3 games over .500 for the first time since 2019. A 29-43 Royals team will stand in their way. This season has been a major disappointment for the Royals, who had so many stars at the WBC. The Nats still can’t take them lightly.
Blake Butera is making a couple tweaks to his lineup. Curtis Mead will be back at third base after not playing yesterday. The outfield will consist of Daylen Lile in left, Jacob Young in center and Dylan Crews in right. James Wood will be the DH. Nasim Nunez is the preferred option at second and Keibert Ruiz is back behind the plate. Andrew Alvarez will look to bounce back from a walk filled outing last time out.
This Royals offense has struggled this season, but there are still some big names. Old pal Lane Thomas will be leading off against the left handed Alvarez. Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will follow him. Familiar faces like Starling Marte and Salvador Perez will be in the lineup, though Perez is at first and not behind the plate. Mitch Spence got lit up in his lone MLB outing this year, but gets the start tonight.
After the big series win against the Mariners, the Nats have a chance to keep the momentum rolling. While the Royals have one of the best players in the league, the team as a whole has struggled. On paper, this should be another series win for the Nats, but the games are played on the field. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
Carson Benge – RF Bo Bichette – SS Juan Soto – LF Jared Young – 1B A.J. Ewing – CF Marcus Semien – 2B Brett Baty – 3B MJ Melendez – DH Francisco Alvarez – C
Tobias Myers – RHP
Reds lineup
Blake Dunn – CF JJ Bleday – LF Sal Stewart – DH Spencer Steer – 1B Eugenio Suarez – 3B Noelvi Marte – RF Matt McLain – SS Tyler Stephenson – C Edwin Arroyo – 2B
Chase Burns – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Lindor, who has been out since April 22 with a calf strain, played in another simulated game on Monday, Mendoza said.
"I haven't had the latest report because it was this afternoon," the manager admitted, but added, "he was scheduled to go three innings."
"Pretty much getting at-bats, playing defense, running the bases," Mendoza said. "I think he'll get the whole week of doing that, and then we'll revisit after that."
As far as Lindor needing a rehab assignment, Mendoza said the Mets "haven't discussed that" as of right now.
The All-Star shortstop took at-bats against pitchers from High-A Brooklyn and played two innings in the field during a simulated game Friday.
In 24 games this year before the injury, Lindor got off to a slow start with 21 hits in 93 at-bats (.226) and posted a .669 OPS (88 OPS+, 93 wRC+).
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that he expects Lindor to get back into big-league games this month.
The centerfielder is currently doing "baseball activities," Menodza said.
"He's running, hitting – I think he got up to like 90 percent sprinting-wise," he continued. "He's progressing."
Taylor was placed on the injured list in late May with a right hip flexor strain. He posted a .186 average (18-for-97) with a .530 OPS (47 OPS+, 45 wRC+) across 43 games before the injury.
Much like Taylor, the infielder is "feeling a lot better" as he continues to progress.
"Doing a lot of baseball activity, hopefully he's playing – I want to say at [Port St. Luice] towards the end of this week if everything goes well, he's gonna start playing rehab games for us," Mendoza said.
Mauricio, who landed on the IL with a right thumb fracture in early May and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, appeared in 10 games with the Mets and posted a .531 OPS in 32 at-bats. In 15 games at Triple-A, the 25-year-old posted a .293 average and a .987 OPS with six home runs and 13 RBI.
Polanco was transferred to the 60-day IL in a flurry of roster moves on Monday that saw right-handerChristian Scott land on the 10-day IL with right hip impingement, Tobias Myers and Jonathan Pintaro called up, righty reliever Daniel Duarte optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, and infielder Zack Short claimed off waivers.
However, Mendoza said there was "nothing new" to report about Polanco on the injury front.
"I heard he had a good day today, as far as like swinging the bat and all that," the manager said. "This is a day-to-day type deal."
The manager said it is "still on the table" that Polanco could return for a rehab assignment this week, but "we'll see."
The move for Polanco to the 60-day IL, as he hasn't played since April 14, makes this more of a paper move than anything else.
Polanco made 14 appearances with the Mets this season, with 10 hits in 56 at-bats (.179) and a .532 OPS.
England coach Brendon McCullum said he felt “bewildered, on to angry, on to kind of gutted” upon finding out about Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson’s nightclub incident.
Today’s Cubs transaction: The team acquired right-handed reliever Yosver Zulueta from the Mariners for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa. Zulueta pitched in 19 games for the Reds in 2024 and 2025 but had been at Triple-A Tacoma this year. To make room for Zulueta on the 40-man roster, left-hander Doug Nikhazy was designated for assignment.
Monday notes…
TRY TO WIN THE FIRST ONE, PLEASE: The Cubs are 5-6 in first games of series at home. Last season, they finished 19-8. They are 9-14 in first games of all series and just 1-8 in first games after having lost last games of previous series. They are 1-3 at home following losses. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
AND BEAT THE GUYS WHO AREN’T WINNING: The Cubs’ last 12 games have been against teams that were below .500 going into each game. The Cubs won six and lost six. Their next 10 games will be against teams with losing records as of Sunday. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUNS SCORED AND ALLOWED: In their 37 wins, the Cubs have scored 242 runs and allowed 104, for an average score of 6.5 to 2.8. In their 35 losses, they have allowed 211 and scored 86, for an average score of to 6.0 to 2.5. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Steve Lake’s RBI single in the 11th inning gave the Cubs a 4-3 walk-off win over the Cardinals. Leon Durham and Shawon Dunston had homered in the eighth to tie the game and both teams scored in the 10th before Lake’s hit. It happened 40 years ago today, Sunday, June 15, 1986.
This is a pitching rematch of the game last Wednesday at Coors Field. Shōta Imanaga threw well, allowing no runs in five innings, striking out seven. Michael Lorenzen, who came into that game with an 8.01 ERA, allowed only one Cubs run in five innings. The Cubs wound up losing in a walk-off.
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
"Kodai Senga is going to start for us tomorrow, and is going to be followed by Nolan McLean on Wednesday," Mendoza said.
Senga last pitched in the big leagues on April 26 against the Colorado Rockies, but struggled mightily while on the active roster, going 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA over five starts.
"We've been saying that we wanted to see results, which we had with his last outing," Mendoza said. "But with him, not only the result, just how he feels after he pitches. While we were waiting for him to throw his bullpen yesterday, he was scheduled to throw his bullpen yesterday in Citi Field, which he ended up throwing it. Felt good today and then we decided to go with him.
"He's ready to go. He's telling us that he feels 100 percent. He was on board with, 'Hey, if you guys want me to go in the minor leagues and pitch again, I'll do it, but I'm ready to compete at the big league level.' For him to be very vocal about it is a good sign."
Overall, during his rehab assignment, Senga went 0-1 with 17 strikeouts, a 4.00 ERA, and a 1.17 WHIP over 18.0 innings.
Senga returning and being a productive arm would be a huge boost for New York, as the starting rotation has been in flux over the last month. Clay Holmes went down with a fractured fibula on May 15, Sean Manaea and David Peterson have recently swapped bullpen and opener roles, and Tobias Myers is back up from a brief stint in the minors to start Monday night's game vs. the Reds.
Carlos Mendoza says Kodai Senga will return to the Mets and start tomorrow's game in Cincinnati
"He's ready to go. He's telling us he feels 100%. For him to be very vocal about it is a really good sign" pic.twitter.com/c80CwM9cjE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Mitch Spence #54 of the Kansas City Royals in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2026 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Royals 13-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Argentina and Algeria prepare to take over the sports complex on Tuesday, the 29-43 Royals find themselves on the road for a single series against the surprising 37-35 Washington Nationals, who are in third place in the NL East.
James Wood and CJ Abrams provide the thump in the lineup, and they both remain quite young. It feels like I’ve been hearing about those guys for a decade, but Abrams is 25 and Wood is 23. That Juan Soto trade returned Wood, Abrams, and MacKenzie Gore among others. The Nationals traded Gore prior to the 2026 season. Seems like that trade worked out pretty well for the Nationals I guess. Soto himself is still not yet 28. Having said all that, if you asked me to name anyone besides Wood or Abrams in their starting lineup, I would have struggled mightily.
The projected starter is Andrew Alvarez, who just turned 27 a couple days ago. He’s a ground-ball specialist not unlike Brady Singer. Alvarez gives up a few more walks but not as many homers as Singer. At least so far – he’s got only 47 and 2/3 MLB innings under his belt.
On the Royals side, Vinnie Pasquantino hit the IL. John Rave is up for him. Cole Ragans is still not rehabbing well. Kyle Isbel is out for a long time. Seth Lugo is on the concussion IL. The Royals are stashing outfielders on the bench like they’re going out of style. The Royals scheduled starter is Mitch Spence, who was last seen giving up six runs in four innings against the Yankees in April. In AAA on May 26, he gave up 13 runs in 3 innings on 4 homers. Bobby’s having an MVP season and Cags seems to be heating up, but the Royals don’t have much else to feel good about.
In other words, these teams are not going in the same direction. And that’s a shame. The Royals are basically out of time to right the ship. They are in last place in the AL Central. Eat Arby’s.
The game starts at 5:45pm US Central time. You can watch on Royals.tv or listen on 96.5 The Fan/The Royals Radio Network.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 19: Yainer Diaz #21 congratulates Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros on striking out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners in the sixth inning at Daikin Park on September 19, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While it has been known for some time that the Astros had planned to activate SP Hunter Brown for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, it turns out that the Astros also intend to activate C Yainer Diaz as well according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart:
Yainer Diaz is about to take some live ABs against a Minor League arm. He missed four or five at-bats with the rainout yesterday at Sugar Land. Astros want him activated tomorrow to catch Hunter Brown.
The red-hot postseason for sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez continued on Monday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha as the No. 6 Texas Longhorns extended their stay in the College World Series with a convincing 14-2 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In the seventh postseason game for Rodriguez, the Flower Mound product recorded his seventh straight multi-hit performance, going 5-for-5 with seven RBI in hitting for just the third cycle in CWS history after a scoring decision review turned a second-inning double into a triple.
Rodriguez combined with the two batters in front of him — freshman left fielder Anthony Pack Jr. and junior designated hitter Ethan Mendoza — to go 11-for-14 (.786) with six runs and 13 of the 14 RBI recorded by the Longhorns. In recording 13 hits overall, Texas went 8-for-17 (.471) with runners in scoring position and 9-for-21 (.429) with runners on base, evidence of the extent to which the Horns improved their mental process at the plate after getting sped up in Saturday’s loss to the Diamond Dogs.
Texas also got a quality start from senior right-hander Ruger Riojas, the third straight from the 6’0, 195-pounder after battling shoulder tendinitis last month. Riojas threw 105 pitches over six innings, allowing two runs on six walks with seven strikeouts and two walks, putting the Horns in a positive to win without extending the bullpen after the offense gifted him three runs in the first inning and four runs in the second inning.
To open the game, Riojas worked off his lively fastball at 95 to 96 miles per hour, mixing in two different breaking balls to keep Alabama hitters off balance. Shortstop Justin Lebron did record a one-out single up the middle and a two-out stolen base, but the depth on a 1-2 breaking ball from Riojas induced the third strikeout in the frame.
Texas quickly looked threatening in the first as junior right fielder Aiden Robbins bounced back from his 0-for-4 performance against Georgia by smashing a 1-0 breaking ball down the left-field line for a leadoff double. Junior catcher Carson Tinney worked a full-count walk and Pack got to 3-2, too, but flew out to left field. Battling through a right shoulder injury and elevated to the four spot in the lineup, Mendoza took advantage of an elevated breaking ball to shoot a double through the left side and drive in Robbins.
So with only one out in the first inning, the Horns had already scored more runs against Adams than they did in the Texas product’s scoreless, six-inning outing in Austin two months ago. Rodriguez quickly added another double, pulling a 1-0 pitch down the right-field line to drive in two runs.
Adams recovered to strand Rodriguez on third by retiring redshirt senior second baseman Temo Becerra on a groundout to third and striking out junior first baseman Ashton Larson.
Despite getting ahead 0-2 against designated hitter Josh Lemm, Riojas issued a leadoff walk in the 11-pitch at bat as the Texas starter lost some velocity on his fastball and started to get some arm-side run on it, losing the strike zone entirely on an ensuing four-pitch walk. Trying to bunt, diminutive second baseman Brennan Holt got down 0-2 and suffered some bad luck on a hard-hit liner to first base that turned into a double play.
Dropping down for an 0-1 breaking ball, Riojas gave up a bloop single to left field that got one run back for Bama and extended the inning, but only for one more batter as Riojas recovered his command enough to get ahead and force a groundout to shortstop.
Junior third baseman Casey Borba opened the second inning with a leadoff single into the left-center gap, setting up a bunt situation for redshirt senior center fielder Dariyan Pendergrass, who finally got it down with two strikes to advance Borba into scoring position and turn the lineup over for Robbins. A strikeout on three pitches brought Tinney to the plate. Borba advanced to third on a wild pitch as Tinney drew his second walk.
Down 1-2, Pack slapped his own bloop single to left to score Borba before Mendoza pushed the lead to four runs on an opposite-field single through the right side.
Rodriguez blew the game open, hitting a ball into the left-center gap that was misplayed by the Tide outfielders as the ball rolled to the warning track, allowing Rodriguez to advance to third on the two-run double eventually reclassified as a triple for a 7-1 lead as the Horns keyed in on Adams tipping his pitches, negating the effectiveness of his high-level changeup.
After walking Becerra on a full count, Adams departed with two outs in the second inning and runners on the corners, but Alabama escaped without further damage as left-hander Matt Heiberger recorded the final out to strand both runners.
Riojas appeared to settle in with a 1-2-3 third inning and a strikeout to start the fourth before spinning a breaking ball onto Lemm’s barrel for a solo home run and then giving up two straight singles. On a hard-hit ball into right-center, Pendergrass was able to track it down with a good jump for a big second out. Reaching 81 pitches, Riojas left two runners on base with a swinging strikeout to get out of the fourth.
As assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki implored his hitters to work deeper in counts in the wake of a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 third inning, Tinney drew his third straight walk, but Pack grounded into a double play on the second pitch he saw from Heiberger. Mendoza was able to work a longer at bat before his own groundout that ended with his favoring his injured shoulder on the way back to the dugout.
Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle was able to get some length with Riojas out for the fifth and sixth innings, which went quickly as the Texas starter extended his streak of consecutive batters retired to eight to finish his outing.
In the bottom of the sixth, two home runs turned the game into a blowout as Pack sent a two-run shot into the bullpen in left field, his fifth postseason homer, but his first since the Austin Regional, and a two-run bomb by Rodriguez at 106 miles per hour off the bat that traveled 418 feet.
It was only the fifth home run of the season for Rodriguez, who hasn’t had his typical power since breaking his right hand almost 16 months ago.
On in relief for Riojas, freshman right-hander Brody Walls helped preserve the Texas bullpen, which only threw 31 pitches on Saturday, striking out two and allowing only a single base runner over two innings.
In a heartening development for Schlossnagle and Tulowitzki, the Horns kept the pressure on the Tide at the plate, taking advantage of a fielding error by Lebron in the eighth when Tinney drew his fourth walk and Pack recorded his third RBI with an opposite-field single. After redshirt sophomore pinch hitter Blake Peterson notched his first career RBI, Rodriguez added another run on his second double of the game.
Redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker came on to retire the first batter of the inning before giving way to redshirt senior right-hander Cody Howard, who only needed seven pitches to get the final two outs.
Texas advances to face another elimination game on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Central on ESPN against the loser of Georgia and Oklahoma, Monday’s late game at Charles Schwab Field.
In the process of his multi-hit performance, the Longhorns' shortstop made history by becoming the third player to hit for the cycle on college baseball's grandest stage — and he got some help from the official scorer to reach that mark.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, ESPN announced that Rodriguez's hit in the second inning had been rescored to a triple by the official scorer after it was scored as a double with the ball falling between Alabama's Eric Hines and Bryce Fowler in left center field.
Rodriguez's third triple of the game brought in two of his seven runs driven in on the day — two more RBI than his former season-high of five RBIs against Oregon in Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional.
Rodriguez began the day with a two-RBI double down the right field line in a three-run bottom of the first inning for the Longhorns. He'd tack on two more RBIs in the sixth inning when he got hold of a 91 mph pitch from Haegan Banks that sneaked into the corner of the Longhorns' bullpen in left field. His single came in the fifth inning.
He capped off his day with a double down the right field line to push his RBI count up to seven, matching a College World Series record.
Here's what to know on Rodriguez's big day:
College World Series cycles
Adrian Rodriguez (Texas): Monday, June 15 vs.
Christian Moore (Tennessee): Friday, June 14, 2024 vs. Florida State
Jerry Kindall (Minnesota): Monday, June 11, 1956 vs. Ole Miss
Rodriguez joins the University of Minnesota's Jerry Kindall and Tennessee's Christian Moore as the three hitters to have hit for the cycle in the history of the College World Series. His cycle comes two years and a day from when Moore hit the cycle against Florida State in what was one of the craziest CWS games played in recent memory.
Kindall first reached the feat back in the 1956 CWS in a 13-5 victory against Ole Miss during the Golden Gophers run to their first College World Series title.
Why was error on Adrian Rodriguez triple rescored?
ESPN’s Mike Monaco noted on the broadcast that the scoring change came after the official scorer reviewed the footage of Rodriguez’s triple. According to the scorer’s explanation, Rodriguez briefly eased up after rounding first base before then accelerating again and maintaining that momentum all the way to third.
The Cincinnati Reds are back in action on Monday night in Great American Ball Park after dropping Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That loss canned the series for them, and they’ve now dropped five straight series overall as their precipitous fall down the NL Central standings continues.
They’ll look to get back on the winning side of things with Chase Burns on the mound, as he’ll fire the first pitch of tonight’s series opener against the New York Mets. Righty Tobias Myers – a reliever by trade – will be the nominal starter for the Mets this evening, though given he’s only topped 36 pitches once all season it will undoubtedly be an early bullpen game for New York.
The Mets come to town fresh off a series victory over the Atlanta Braves, so that’s fun.
First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET this time around, and the game will be televised on Reds.TV and MLB.tv.
The Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years had a local flavor.
Traded deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado, a Brooklyn native, offered his Christ the King in Middle Village, Queens coach a moment of reflection nearly a decade after the freshly minted champ played for him.
“I wasn’t thinking in this picture that Alvarado would one day win an NBA Championship. I was probably telling him to stop sneaking into the corner and get back on defense,” Joe Arbitello wrote on Instagram. “Proud is an understatement. This kid is a product of doing things the right way.”
Jose Alvarado holds the NBA Finals trophy draped in a Puerto Rican flag. Getty Images
Arbitello described some of the characteristics that make Alvarado such a successful player, noting his loyalty was notable, as he stayed at Christ the King and played for just one AAU team throughout his amateur career in what is a rarity, especially in this era.
The loyalty extended to his college decision, as he picked and stuck with Georgia Tech for his entire college career.
Another trait described by Arbitello was that whenever he was on the bench, Alvardo was always engaged in the game and never moped.
The coach recalled the young point guard telling him from the bench that he was “getting paid to have the best seat in the house.”
Jose Alvarado in Game 5 of the NBA Finals NBAE via Getty Images
His addition proved critical to the team’s championship run as he drained critical three-pointers during comebacks in Games 4 and 5 and gave star Jalen Brunson crucial rest by playing quality minutes.
Now, Christ the King, which boasts the likes of Lamar Odom, Jayson Williams, Speedy Claxton, Sue Bird, Chamique Holdsclaw and Tina Charles among its alumni, has another NBA champion among its graduates.
Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, left many talking about something entirely different.
Dan Patrick praised Jalen Brunson and blasted Victor Wembanyama after the NBA Finals. Getty Images
Following New York’s five-game NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs, longtime broadcaster Dan Patrick offered a blunt assessment of how the two superstars handled the spotlight.
“I think Wemby got exposed in a variety of ways here,” Patrick said. “I think he came off as petty. I think he came off occasionally as a guy who would give a cheap shot. I didn’t like sort of how he ended the series. Go find Jalen Brunson. I mean, Jalen Brunson was all class.”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson holds the MVP trophy after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Patrick’s criticism stems less from Wembanyama’s performance and more from how he carried himself during the series.
The Spurs star faced scrutiny for several heated exchanges with Knicks players, including Mitchell Robinson, a controversial shove on Jalen Brunson and criticism after leaving the floor without the same visible postgame sportsmanship that Brunson displayed.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama sits on the floor after a foul during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the New York Knicks AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
While many viewed those moments as the frustration of a 22-year-old superstar learning on the biggest stage, Patrick saw them as signs that Wembanyama’s maturity and leadership still have room to grow.
To Patrick, the contrast with Brunson could not have been sharper.
As the final seconds ticked away in New York’s 94-90 championship-clinching victory, Brunson first sought out Spurs coach Mitch Johnson for a handshake before joining his teammates in celebration. It was a small gesture, but one that reinforced the reputation Brunson has built throughout his rise from overlooked free agent signing to Finals MVP.
NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks star backed up that sportsmanship with one of the greatest championship performances in franchise history. Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5, tying Michael Jordan for the most points ever scored on the road in a Finals-clinching victory. He finished the series averaging 32.6 points and earned a unanimous Finals MVP vote.
Wembanyama’s production was impressive as well. The 22-year-old averaged 27.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocks during the series while leading San Antonio to the Finals in just his third NBA season.
But several analysts pointed to flaws in his offensive game that became apparent late in the series. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor noted Wembanyama’s struggles creating his own shot, his tendency to settle for jumpers and moments where veteran Knicks center Mitchell Robinson physically overwhelmed him around the basket.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) speaks to the media after the New York Knicks defeat the Spurs during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
None of that changes Wembanyama’s enormous long-term potential. He finished third in MVP voting and helped guide the Spurs to 62 wins and a Western Conference title.
Still, as Patrick noted, the Finals became a reminder that talent alone isn’t enough.
Brunson left the series with a championship, a Finals MVP trophy and praise for his leadership.
Wembanyama left with valuable lessons and a long offseason to answer the criticism.
To his credit, Wemby recognizes this as a time of learning, despite not currently understanding what lessons he is learning;
“This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment, Wembanyama said during the post-game press conference. “I can’t tell you exactly what the lesson is. But we’re learning from that. I’m learning more than any other time in my life.”
Knicks owner James Dolan’s joke about giving up sex during the NBA playoffs has been revealed.
“I had this idea that maybe you should give up sex for the next 10 weeks,” Dolan told the Knicks before the playoffs on Apr. 3. “You don’t have to give up sex for the next 10 weeks, but like Spartans — do you know what Spartans are? — they denied themselves to gain an edge. Get the edge.”
The joke was part of a 15-minute surprise speech Dolan gave to the Knicks about making sacrifices to end the Knicks’ 53-year title drought.
Knicks owner James Dolan gives a speech before the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Dolan, who oversaw the Knicks in 1999, told players to tell their significant others and family members about the commitment they would bring to the NBA Finals and that they, too, would need to make sacrifices to win.
“Go home, talk to your wives. Don’t tell them you’re not going to have sex, and don’t tell them it was my idea,” Dolan said. “But let them know what this is going to be like, what your commitment is going to be like.”
They were certainly memorable to at least some of them as Mikal Bridges referenced the no-sex joke during an Instagram live on Monday, calling Dolan a “savage” for the gag.
New York Knicks owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Getty Images
Two months removed from the speech, the sacrifices the Knicks made paid off, as they won their first NBA Finals since 1953.
“Hey, New York, I’m sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won’t take that long again,” Dolan said.
