MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 12: Blaze Jordan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an RBI single against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning of his MLB debut at Target Field on June 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue their weekend in Minneapolis as it’s game 2 versus the Minnesota Twins Saturday. Matthew Liberatore will make the start for the Cardinals while LHP Connor Prielipp will be on the mound for the Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm central time at Target Field and the broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv. Note that JJ Wetherholt has the day off and Masyn Winn is leading off Saturday.
Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup after missing a game with left knee inflammation as the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar is batting leadoff for their Saturday, June 13 matchup against the Chicago White Sox.
Ohtani was pulled from the team’s game Thursday at Pittsburgh and underwent an MRI on his knee Friday in Chicago. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters the scan came back clean and he expected, for now, Ohtani would make his next scheduled pitching start Wednesday.
Roberts initially said there was also pain in the back of Ohtani’s knee, but walked that assessment back. The Dodgers lost the first game of the three-game series 8-6 Friday night.
After what was for him a pedestrian start at the plate, Ohtani has been on a one-month tear since May 12, with seven homers and a .412/.508/.753 line in 118 plate appearances. He's also posted a 1.06 ERA in 11 starts, which would lead the National League if Ohtani had two more innings pitched to qualify.
Now in his third year with the Dodgers, Ohtani won a World Series and an MVP award in each of the first two seasons of his record-setting $700 million deal.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been the kryptonite of New York Yankees star right-hander Cam Schlittler in his young career.
The Jays’ bats profile well to continue that dominance this afternoon, making Schlittler Over 5.5 hits allowed an attractive play at +120.
Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Yankees Predictions and MLB Picks for this Saturday, June 13 matchup.
Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions
Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Cam Schlitter Over 5.5 hits (+120)
Cam Schlittler is having a Cy Young worthy season, but has struggled against the Toronto Blue Jays throughout his career, which has led to his market being mispriced.
I expect the Jays to go over 5.5 hits on Schlittler today.
Toronto’s current lineup owns a .339 batting average, earning 28 hits against the New York Yankees starter through four games, profiling well against his aggressive strike-throwing style and pitch mix.
Schlittler has a high zone rate and uses a mix of four-seamers, cutters, and sinkers.
As a team, the Blue Jays own a .272 average (8th) with a 41% hard-hit rate (5th) against these pitches.
Schlittler has eclipsed this hit total in 3-of-4 career starts against Toronto, with the lone other start only lasting 1 2/3 innings, where he still gave up five hits.
We'll continue to bank on a productive day for the Blue Jay bats in today’s SGP with Ernie Clement and Jesus Sanchez hitting props.
Clement has 18 hits over his last 12 games, eclipsing this total in 10 of them. He profiles well against Schlittler as a contact hitter, and it has led him to being 4-for-9 against the Yankee starter in his career.
For the last leg of this SGP, I’ll bet on Sanchez Over 0.5 hits. He owns a .330 average and a .370 BABIP against Schlittler’s pitch mix. He’s also eclipsed this total in four of his last five starts and is 3-for-5 career against the Yankees starter.
Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP
Schlittler Over 5.5 hits
Clement Over 0.5 hits
Sanchez Over 0.5 hits
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Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+475)
Kazuma Okamoto leads the Jays with 14 homers this season and hits Schlittler's pitch mix well with a 60% hard-hit rate, to go along with a 9.7% barrel rate.
This positions him well for success today as the Yankee starter does get barreled up quite often, while also ranking in the 33rd percentile in hard-hit rate.
However, despite giving up the hard contact, Schlittler does keep the ball in the yard, allowing only four home runs in his 14 starts this season.
Therefore, I’ll be making this a half-unit wager today.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 33-34, +3.85 units
SGPs: 13-54, +5.35 units
HR picks: 10-57, -0.45 units
Yankees vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: New York -125 | Toronto +105
Run line: New York -1.5 (+140) | Toronto +1.5 (-160)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Yankees vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Game Total Over in 10 of their last 16 games at home (+4.70 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Yankees vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, 6-13-2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet
Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.87 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman (4-4, 3.60 ERA)
Yankees vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Yankees vs Blue Jays weather
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.
The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of promising prospects in their system. One of them is forward Owen Beck.
Beck just completed his second professional season split between the Canadiens and Laval Rocket in 2025-26. In 15 games with the Habs, he scored his first-career NHL goal, threw 24 hits, and won 58.7% of his faceoffs. Down in the AHL with Laval, he had 13 goals and 33 points in 58 games. He also recorded three goals and two assists in five playoff games for the Rocket.
Beck's offense dropped a bit this season compared to his first campaign with Laval, as he had 15 goals and 44 points in 64 regular-season games with the AHL club in 2024-25. While this is the case, he is still a prospect to watch very closely in 2026-27.
There is a lot to like about Beck's game when it comes to his two-way play, faceoff ability, and penalty-killing ability. Because of this, it would not necessarily be surprising if the Canadiens give him more opportunities on their NHL roster next season. If they do, he will be a prime breakout candidate to watch for the Canadiens next season.
With Beck being among the Canadiens' most notable prospects, they are certainly hoping that he can take that next step. He has the tools to become a solid NHL player, and it will be intriguing to see if he emerges as just that next season for Montreal.
According to the conditions of release, the terms of his bond ban him from possessing any firearms, ammunition, or other weapons, and from using, possessing, or consuming any alcohol, controlled substances, dangerous drugs or marijuana, unless prescribed by a doctor. He must also submit to random urinalysis.
The court documents noted that Harden had “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” had the weapon.
The 36-year-old Harden is an 11-time NBA All-Star who recently wrapped up his first season with the Cavaliers, who acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on February 4. Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game for the Cavaliers while helping lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were swept by the New York Knicks.
"The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information," the Cavaliers said in a statement. "We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment."
Harden spent nine seasons of his 17-year NBA career with the Houston Rockets, with whom he was named the 2018 NBA MVP.
Fresh off an opening-game victory, the Chicago White Sox look to protect home field once again on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field.
Standing in their way is a massive pitching mismatch, as the Los Angeles Dodgers hand the ball to the stellar Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Given the clear edge on the mound for L.A., my Dodgers vs. White Sox predictions favor the road favorites to cover the spread.
Read on for more analysis and to get my free MLB picks for Saturday, June 13.
Who will win Dodgers vs White Sox today: Dodgers -1.5 (-117)
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto is getting batters to chase on 34.3% of their swings while maintaining a walk rate of just 5.1%. He’s also generating a 47.3% ground ball rate, which plays well against a Chicago White Sox lineup that hits grounders 44.2% of the time.
White Sox starter Sean Burke has a 5.40 ERA over his last six starts, and will have trouble turning things around against a Dodgers lineup leading the majors with a .345 wOBA. The Dodgers are the pick to cover the run line, and I’d take them to do so at -130 or better.
COVERS INTEL: The White Sox lead the majors in whiff rate at 27.9%, a troubling number against Yamamoto, who is getting batters to whiff on 29.5% of their swings.
Dodgers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-113)
With two teams that have powerful offenses, the total is a bit high at 8.5 runs today. Yamamoto has only allowed a total of three runs over his last four starts (spanning 27.1 innings), and Burke should at least compete against the Dodgers thanks to his arsenal of pitches.
Burke relies on his four-seam fastball and curveball, throwing them a combined 59% of the time. Los Angeles only pulls those pitches in the air 17.2% of the time against righties, which will limit the damage their lineup can do. I’m taking the Under today at -120 or better.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 12-16, -4.70 units
Over/Under bets: 9-17 -8.47 units
Dodgers vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -186 | White Sox +178
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-117) | White Sox +1.5 (+113)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)
Dodgers vs White Sox trend
The Dodgers are 3-0 in Yamamoto’s last three starts, winning each game by at least four runs. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. White Sox.
How to watch Dodgers vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Saturday, June 13, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, CHSN
Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA)
Dodgers vs White Sox latest injuries
Dodgers vs White Sox weather
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.
The New York Knicks are on the verge of capturing the NBA championship after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, but closing out a Finals opponent is rarely easy.
San Antonio returns home for Game 5 facing elimination, putting the spotlight on stars like Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper to keep the Spurs alive. On the other side, Karl-Anthony Towns continues to play a pivotal role in New York's offense as the Knicks look to finish the job.
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Jason Logan's expert pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 17.5 points
Price: +100 at bet365
Karl-Anthony Towns sat for most of the first half of Game 4 but was ready to roll in the second half, playing 18 of 24 minutes.
His offense, however, was understandably spotty, and much like Game 3, Towns couldn’t get into a rhythm. Mike Brown’s plan for Game 4 was to get Towns going early, but that went out the window.
I’m not backing off KAT in Game 5. He salvaged 13 points Wednesday, not too short of his total of 17.5, considering the circumstances.
Projections sit as high as 21+ with my number at 18.7 points, which should have Over 17.5 listed at -118.
Jason Logan's expert pick: Victor Wembanyama Over 28.5 points
Price: -105 at bet365
Victor Wembanyama scored 16 of his 24 total points in the opening half of Game 4, shooting 54.5% from the floor while collecting all three of his free-throw chances.
A glance at his shot chart in that opening 24 minutes shows a very efficient and analytics-friendly fire rate. He either attacked at the rim or let it fly from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-for-5 from deep in the first half.
Once the Wu-Tang Clan had finished igniting the Big Apple crowd during the halftime break, fatigue seemed to settle in for Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. On top of more careless turnovers, the team’s shot selection was passive and leaned on long 3-pointers rather than the aggressive action that built the big lead.
Douglas Farmer's expert pick: Dylan Harper Over 3.5 assists
Price: +125 at bet365
Obviously and memorably, De’Aaron Fox had an ugly closing few minutes in Game 4 that likely cost the Spurs a win. But San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson should already have been playing Fox fewer minutes and turning to Dylan Harper more often.
Harper is clearly the Spurs’ best guard in this series, outplaying both Fox and Stephon Castle. He has notched at least three assists in each of the last three games, playing 32 minutes in each and with a usage rate of at least 22.1% in them after playing only 28 minutes in Game 1 with a usage rate of 19.0%.
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.
1912-ORIGINAL CAPTION READS: This terrible scene, painted by German artist Willy Stoewer, depicts the sinking of the Titanic, the proud British luxary liner which struck an iceberg off New Foundland, April 14, 1912, carrying 1,517 persons, many of them Americans, to their deaths. It was the supposedly non-sinkable ship's maiden voyage. BPA2# 1076
You are still singularly focused on Cincinnati Reds baseball, and for that I applaud you (to a degree).
They’ve lost key player after key player to injuries. They’ve nosedived from first place to dead last in the National League Central. They’ve found ways to lose that will make you absolutely rip out every hair on your head that you haven’t ripped out while watching them over previous years.
Yet here you are, loyal Reds fan. Here you are reading about a Saturday afternoon game between the Reds and the Arizona Diamondbacks that’s taking place during the first weekend of the world’s biggest sporting event.
That’s fandom.
The Reds, to their limited credit, appear to have shaken the lineup a little bit after last night’s frustration. Not anything super serious – there were no promotions or demotions – just a handful of tinkers that manager Terry Francona surely hopes can light a fire under this underperforming group.
Edwin Arroyo will hit leadoff tonight and play shortstop, as Matt McLain – who’s still hitting 9th – swaps over to 2B for the game. Noelvi Marte, who homered last night, will get a start in CF this afernoon. Spencer Steer will slide out to RF, and Blake Dunn will start on the pine tonight after last night’s unbelievably forgettable 9th inning.
All that will be behind Rhett Lowder, who’ll start having allowed 13 BB and 11 ER across 7.1 IP over his last three starts combined. Woof!
First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET, and it’s back on Reds.tv after Friday’s Apple TV coverage.
The Kansas City Royals are short favorites against the Houston Astros on Saturday night, and I’m laying the small moneyline price.
Noah Cameron gives Kansas City the cleaner starting-pitching profile, while Mike Burrows’ low-strikeout, contact-heavy profile gives the Royals enough scoring upside.
Here are my Astros vs. Royals predictions and MLB picks for June 13.
Who will win Astros vs Royals today: Royals moneyline (-125)
This is a matchup of two pitchers that are trending in different directions. I'm backing the Kansas City Royals, who have the better pitcher by a sizable gap in this matchup. I'd play them to -135.
Houston Astros SP Mike Burrows has a4.72 xERA and a .338 xwOBA, which creates too many balls in play against a lineup with real top-end damage from Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone.
Royals SP Noah Cameron is not dominant, but his 3.98 xERA and 6.2% walk rate are cleaner than Burrows’ profile.
I have slightly more conviction on the Over than a side and would play to 10 at even money.
Although I expect Kansas City to eventually get the win, it won't come without trouble. Cameron has allowed a 41.0% hard-hit rate and 9.3% barrel rate, which is dangerous against an Astros lineup with plenty of power, particularly considering the current form of Yordan Alvarez.
Burrows is the bigger trigger for a variety of reasons, the most pressing being his bottom 20th percentile of most hard-hit metrics paired with looming negative regression.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-23, +5.71 units
Over/Under bets: 32-20, +14.87 units
Astros vs Royals odds
Moneyline: Astros +105 | Royals -125
Run line: Astros +1.5 | Royals -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Astros vs Royals trend
The Royals have covered the F5 Run Line in 7 of their last 11 games (+2.85 Units / 22% ROI)
How to watch Astros vs Royals and game info
Location
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Date
Saturday, June 13, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
Space City Home Network, Royals.TV
Astros starting pitcher
Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.77 ERA)
Royals starting pitcher
Noah Cameron (3-4, 3.84 ERA)
Astros vs Royals latest injuries
Astros vs Royals weather
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.
The NBA Finals returns to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, June 13.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks will have a chance to repeat what they did in the first two games in the series – but with the stakes much higher this time around. The Knicks won both games in San Antonio to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the Spurs.
Another road win for New York will result in the team’s first NBA championship since 1973.
San Antonio held most of the lead throughout four quarters of play and led by as many as 29 points in Game 4 before the Knicks stormed back in the final minutes to steal Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead.
Here’s when Game 5 of the series will be played:
What time is NBA Finals Game 5?
The San Antonio Spurs will host the New York Knicks for Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center. The game will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
NBA Finals schedule, results
*- if necessary
Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95
Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104
Game 3: Spurs 115, Knicks 111
Game 4: Knicks 107, Spurs 106
Game 5: Saturday, June 13 @ SAS, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 6*: Tuesday, June 16 @ NYK, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 7*: Friday, June 19 @ SAS, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MAY 25: Luigi Suigo, #19 of U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan selected to All-Tournament Team after Adidas NextGen Euroleague Finals Championship game between U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs U18 Zalgiris Kaunas at Mubadala Arena on May 25, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Grau/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)
The “Italian Wemby” saga has finally come to an end.
NEWS: Luigi Suigo has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and committed to Villanova, Sigma Sports and Excel Sports tell DraftExpress.
The 7'4, 289-pound 19-year-old will be a physical outlier in the Big East who can pass, space the floor, protect the rim, and finish effectively. pic.twitter.com/S9HeU5kreq
After weeks of hype, anxiety and anticipation, the 19-year-old center from Tradate, Varese, Italy has finally made it official: he’s a Villanova Wildcat for the 2026-27 season. Suigo flirted with the NBA Draft process, hoping to get a top-20 guarantee from a team. But after receiving feedback, he has decided to play in college next season with the hopes of improving his stock.
The 2026 NBA Draft is considered by many to be one of the best in years, so from Suigo’s perspective it makes sense to wait a year. With even a relatively-successful season at Villanova, Suigo would position himself well for a weaker 2027 NBA Draft. From a Villanova standpoint, this unlocks another ceiling level for Kevin Willard and co.
Up to this point of the offseason, Willard has been able to retain two of his best players from a year ago, in addition to adding depth, experience and talent at all forward and guard spots. The one question mark was in the middle, with only redshirt-freshman Nico Onyekwere returning. That question has been answered in emphatic fashion with the commitment of Suigo.
The 7’3” big man had until June 13 at 5 PM to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft, and he took almost all of that time to make his decision. But the wait and gamble was worth it for Villanova, who secures an NBA-caliber center who will be able to add floor spacing on offense, while also providing elite rim protection on the other end. The happiest person in the building right now might be incoming senior Kwame Evans Jr., who gets to strut his stuff more as a pure forward with this addition.
There’s still work to be done with the depth up front, with both the international route and the high school route reportedly being considered. But otherwise, the roster appears set for a top-25 ranking and a return to national relevance for the Wildcats.
Another member of the Cloutier family is rising through the ranks of organized hockey.
Kane Cloutier, son of former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier, was selected with the first-overall pick in the 2026 OHL Draft on June 12. The forward, who will turn 16 on Sunday, was selected by the Oshawa Generals. Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares was present at the draft to announce Oshawa’s selection.
Cloutier spent the 2025–26 season with the U16 AAA Vaughan Kings of the GTHL, putting up 32 goals and 26 assists in 33 games played. Next season, he’ll join an Oshawa team that currently features forwards Cole Mazzoni, Mark Pape, and Brooks Rogowski.
Former NHLer and Canuck Dan Cloutier spent 10 seasons in the NHL, having been drafted 26th-overall by the New York Rangers in 1994 and also playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings.
In his five years with Vancouver, Cloutier put together an overall record of 109–68–24, registering a .906 SV% and 2.42 GAA. In four playoff runs with Vancouver, he won 10 of 25 games played in and posted a .872 SV% and 3.31 GAA.
After his playing career, Cloutier spent two seasons as the Barrie Colts’ goaltending coach before heading back to the Canucks. From 2012 to 2016, he served as a goaltending consultant for Vancouver before being elevated to goaltending coach for two seasons. He spent the 2018–19 season as Vancouver’s Director of Goaltending before heading back to Barrie to serve as the special assistant to the General Manager.
Photo Credit: @OshawaGeneralsOHL - Instagram
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 10: An overall view of Madison Square Garden after the game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Up until Wednesday, we knew Madison Square Garden was the Mecca of Basketball.
There were loud Garden nights. There were celebrity Garden nights. To be fair, there were all sorts of nights inside the Garden because there is no event—no cap to its greatness—the Garden hasn’t graced.
But then, there was Game 4.
Like many, most of y’all, I wasn’t there on Wednesday night. Not that I needed it, because even watching from my bed—games are tipping off at 2:35 am in my place—I could still feel everything percolating inside the Garden.
If you just woke up from a week-long coma, let me put it in context. The Knicks were down 29 points in an NBA Finals game. That’s doubly stupid, considering the Knicks were in a Finals game, and that they somehow found a way to go nearly 30 damn points behind. At home, to put the cherry on top.
There they were, your Taylor Swift, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Larry David, Fat Joe, the whole damn Wu-Tang Clan, Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Metta Sandiford-Artest, and I don’t even know how many more names. It was absurd before the game, let alone the comeback, even started.
— Edilson J. Silva 🇨🇦🏀🇦🇴 (@edilsonbuzz) June 11, 2026
Jalen Brunson kept pushing. OG Anunoby kept making threes. Jose was more like Jesus. The lights and the crowd started to become too bright and too loud. San Antonio looked more uncomfortable each passing second, even if they kept hoisting three-pointers like missing them was raising money for their charity of choice.
By the fourth quarter, the Garden was not reacting to the game as much as dragging the Knicks back into it by force, and the other way around.
Then came the final sequence: Anunoby blocked De’Aaron Fox, followed Brunson’s missed shot on the other end, molly-tracked the rebound and tipped the rock in with 1.2 seconds left, somehow giving the Knicks a 107-106 lead and their eventual win in the largest comeback ever witnessed in NBA Finals history.
“It’s good! It’s good! It’s good! With 1.2 remaining, Knicks take the lead! OG Anunoby! It’s 107-106!”
This is what made the night feel different, unique, one for the ages, and for generations to remember and remind future beings of.
It was not just the flashy stars sitting courtside. The massive ticket prices keeping blue-collar New Yorkers from entering the venue. The noise. The first Knicks Finals run in 27 years and first legitimate, win-and-win shot at a title for the first in 32 years.
It was the collective feeling that after all of the years of suffering, after every bad season we’ve endured, after every failed rebuild and stunted retool, every fake addition we claimed as the next franchise savior, every bonkers loss, all the Knicks-for-Clicks, and every “same old Knicks” joke got squeezed into one impossible comeback, vaporized, demolished, destroyed, pulverized, and smoked forever.
"One more baby one more"
Mariska Hargitay, Spike Lee, Kurt Thomas, Iman Shumpert, Kiyan Anthony, Karl Towns Sr, Gerald Wilkins, Victor Cruz, John Wallace, John Starks, Leon, Metta, Joe, AJ Dybantsa, Chris Dudley, Perk, Raekwon, Spree & Starbury w Tim Thomas postgame center court pic.twitter.com/WKJT4hFo6Q
Entering Saturday’s Game 5, FanDuel is acknowledging the Knicks have all going their way and placing -500 odds on them to hoist the trophy to San Antonio’s +385. The Knicks lead the Spurs 3-1. The Knicks, the goddam New York Knicks, sit just one win from their first championship since 1973 and third in franchise history.
The Garden has had better teams, seen bigger legends, and battled endless ghosts.
Hopefully, the next time the Knicks step into MSG, it’s with a banner waiting for its hanging and unveiling.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 08: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By now, it’s safe to say that third baseman Ryan McMahon has met expectations on the defensive end since landing in New York via trade last year. The offense, however, has been a big problem so far, as Sam Chapman recently pointed out. Last year, the third baseman posted an 84 wRC+ with the Bombers, and he was at 79 before Friday’s game against the Blue Jays. That’s actually not that far from his career mark of 88, but New York always expects more from its players.
There might be some light at the end of the tunnel, though. From May 19th until Wednesday, McMahon has turned things around to some extent, and the numbers show it. Over that span, the infielder is hitting .304/.319/.587 with four home runs and a 150 wRC+ in 47 plate appearances. Has he turned a corner? Is that kind of performance sustainable? Let’s examine his profile and what’s under the hood.
The short answer is no, because McMahon is definitely not a 150-wRC+ player. Life, however, is full of grays, as things don’t always have to be black or white. So the answer to the original question could be that some of his gains could be sustained over time. For example, McMahon boasts an 89th percentile hard-hit rate this year, at 50 percent. That means half of his batted balls leave his bat at a minimum of 95 mph, which makes them much harder to field cleanly. We don’t need to tell you that hitting the ball hard leads to success.
However, even if he hits the ball hard consistently, McMahon is in the 19th percentile in launch angle sweet spot, which are batted balls hit with launch angle between 8 and 32 degrees. If he could live between those two numbers more often, we would be more inclined to believe in a full-on breakout.
Another roadblock to continued success is plate discipline. Even during his hot stretch in the aforementioned span, McMahon is walking just 2.1 percent of the time and striking out at a 34 percent clip (last night’s game not included). That’s hard to stomach and doesn’t bode well for the future.
If you want to know whether what he’s currently doing can be sustainable or not, the wOBA and xwOBA gap might give us an idea. It’s not the be-all, end-all, but it helps us understand where we are. Since May 19th, the lefty hitter boasts a .389 wOBA, but a .349 xwOBA. It means that he is overperforming a bit, but the newfound power has made a difference for the better. The .040 gap says that he’s playing a bit over his head, but the xwOBA on itself isn’t bad at all.
McMahon can hit the ball over the fence, and it’s not just short-porch cheapies to right field at home:
To sum up, McMahon is still wildly inconsistent and keeps striking out a lot, but at least he has shown much more power since May 19th. There’s still a lot of work to do in the plate discipline department, but if you ask the Yankees, they would probably take the over-the-fence power even if it comes with precious few walks and lots of whiffs. The Yankees sure would be happy if McMahon could be an 85-95 wRC+ hitter with elite third base defense and consistent 20-25-homer power. Heck, you can even throw the ‘consistent’ part away, because it might be unrealistic.
The Larry O’Brien Trophy will be in the building. The rehearsals for the presentation ceremony, if one is needed, are complete. Thousands of New York fans have made the trip to Texas, looking to see something that hasn’t happened in 53 years.
New York can win its first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night, with the Knicks holding a 3-1 lead going into Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks are 3-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them by an average of 39.3 points — all of them on the road.
“We’ve been preaching all year it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation — for your opponents — increases (and) the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort because even if you bring your best effort, it may not happen, especially on the road.”
New York got to the brink of this title by rallying from 29 points down in Game 4 to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. It was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and the biggest comeback in any game this season, regular season or playoffs.
The Spurs have led each of the four games entering Saturday by double figures and let three of those games become losses.
“The biggest thing for us is just can’t take our foot off the gas in a sense,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “Can’t get comfortable with a lead. It’s the NBA Finals. Anything could happen, like we just saw. But just at the end of the day, we’ve just got to stay together as a group.”
The referees selected for Saturday’s game were Scott Foster, James Capers and Tyler Ford. Foster and Capers both worked Game 1 and Ford worked Game 2 of the series.
If the Spurs win, Game 6 would be Tuesday in New York.
COVERS INTEL: Toronto is averaging 
Jason Logan
