If the sun is blocked at some point Sunday by clouds passing over Dodger Stadium, Freddie Freeman won’t move his sunglasses to the brim of his cap.
He doesn’t want his shades to obscure the Dodgers’ logo.
Former Braves manager Bobby Cox died Saturday at age 84. AP
“It will be on the back of my hat,” Freeman said. “That’s Bobby. Bobby’s still in me.”
Freeman smiled often Saturday as he told stories of his first MLB manager, Bobby Cox, whose death was announced earlier in the day by the Braves. The Dodgers are in the middle of a three-game series against the Braves.
Cox, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, was 84.
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A September call-up in Cox’s final season as a manager, in 2010, Freeman’s time with the Braves didn’t overlap much with Cox’s. However, Freeman said Cox had an oversized influence on him.
“A manager who relentlessly had our backs,” said Freeman, who was in the Braves’ major-league spring training camp in each of Cox’s last two years.
Freeman recalled walking into the Braves’ clubhouse for the first time on Sept. 1, 2010, and seeing a lineup card on which he was listed as the team’s No. 6 hitter.
“I almost threw up,” Freeman said.
Freeman was staring into space in front of his locker when Cox walked over. The manager dropped an expletive, which was followed by a question: “What took you so long to get here to the big leagues?”
“All the nerves immediately went away,” Freeman said.
Dodgers star Freddie Freeman shared his favorite Bobby Cox stories on Saturday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Freeman said everyone who was in Cox’s orbit had stories like that.
“A lot of how the game goes is already played out before the game,” Freeman said. “There’s meetings with pitching coaches, who’s available, who’s down, but the managers that can connect with you as a person, that’s what makes a great manager. And that’s what Bobby was.”
Freeman’s favorite memory of Cox wasn’t even from a baseball field or clubhouse. In spring training of 2017, Freeman and his wife were out to dinner with their then-6-month-old son, Charlie. They ran into Cox and his wife.
“To see Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, the joy on his face when he saw my 6-month-old son, that’s the stuff I will never forget,” Freeman said.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 3: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the San Francisco Giants looking to grab a win.
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MILWAUKEE — The biggest Yankees workhorse over the past two seasons is ready to get back in the saddle.
Nearly seven months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur, Carlos Rodón is set to return from the injured list Sunday to make his season debut against the Brewers at American Family Field.
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The left-hander will do so with an unfamiliar feeling: no longer pitching through discomfort.
Across an MLB-high 33 starts last season, and even for some time before then, Rodón had limited range of motion with his left arm — making everyday tasks like buttoning his shirt difficult — which he had learned to pitch through, and pitch well. He posted a 3.09 ERA with 203 strikeouts across 195 ¹/₃ innings and finished sixth in the American League Cy Young voting.
Now, after spending much of his rehab process rediscovering how to harness the extended range of motion that he was not used to, Rodón is about to find out how it plays on a big league mound.
“I just want to go out there and compete,” Rodón said Saturday. “I know I can still do this.”
After right hamstring tightness in late March slightly delayed his buildup, the 33-year-old made three rehab starts, getting up to 83 pitches and 6 ¹/₃ innings Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He will likely be limited to a pitch count around that same range Sunday as the Yankees ease him back in.
Carlos Rodón of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, during a game against the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park on Tuesday May 5, 2026. Arthur Mansavage for NY Post
“This being probably my third time through a lengthy rehab process, I have some experience, although most people don’t want to really say that,” Rodón said. “Just [leaning] back on those times and working on the craft and trying to get back here and help the team.”
Aaron Boone acknowledged that Rodón, who admitted not being good at staying patient, would have liked to be back pitching in the big leagues a few turns sooner. But the manager is looking forward to getting him back Sunday.
“Feel like he’s had a good couple months, even in and around the hamstring that didn’t trip him up too much,” Boone said.
Rodón’s return gets the Yankees one step closer to having their full rotation, with Gerrit Cole possibly joining it by the end of the month after he makes two or three more rehab starts in his own comeback from Tommy John surgery.
The Yankees rotation has gotten off to a terrific start without the two veterans, entering Saturday with a 3.09 ERA (the second best mark in the majors, trailing only the Dodgers’ 2.95) and a 4.9 fWAR (which was the best in the majors). Much of that has been thanks to Max Fried and Cam Schlittler, though Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have been strong in their own rights, with the rotation providing the backbone for the AL-best 26-13 record coming into Saturday.
Carlos Rodon throwing during a spring training workout. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“They’ve been impeccable,” Rodón said.
But adding Rodón — whose 370 ¹/₃ innings from 2024-2025 were the fifth most in the majors and 3.50 ERA the 20th best during that span — into the mix has the potential to make the Yankees even better.
In his first few starts back, Rodón’s command and velocity will bear watching. He only walked three batters in 16 innings during his rehab process, though he acknowledged at various points of his comeback that he was still relearning his arm path after compensating for the limited range of motion in recent years.
As for the velocity, part of the reason why Rodón finally underwent the surgery in October was because his four-seam fastball velocity took a fairly significant step down last season — averaging 94.1 mph compared to 95.4 mph in 2024. In his final rehab start Tuesday, Rodón’s four-seamer averaged 93.3 mph, though that number is expected to tick up a bit when he gets the adrenaline back of pitching in the major leagues.
Just how much that accounts for in miles per hour remains to be seen, but after staying patient throughout a lengthy rehab process, Rodón is champing at the bit to find out.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 8: Otto Lopez #6 of the Miami Marlins reacts after being tagged out by CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals at second base during the eighth inning at loanDepot park on May 8, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals had a chance to get back to .500 this afternoon and after the first couple innings, it looked like they would pull it off. They were all over Marlins starter Janson Junk early. However, when the game got turned over to Zack Littell and Mitchell Parker, things went off the rails.
As we mentioned, things started so well in this late afternoon showdown. For the third time this season, James Wood hit a leadoff home run. It was a towering 442 foot shot that went way into the second deck. Seeing Wood really get a hold of a ball is truly a joy to watch.
After the Wood homer, Luis Garcia Jr., Brady House and CJ Abrams got three straight hits. Before you could even blink an eye it was 3-0 Nats. The same sort of thing happened last night, but this time it was even faster. Last night the Nats could not add on and were lucky to escape with a victory.
This time the Nats scored on a sac fly after a CJ Abrams triple. However, the offense went quiet after that. The Nats did not score between that Lile sac fly and the ninth inning. While the Nationals were in an offensive malaise, the Marlins struck.
Once Zack Littell entered the game, the momentum really shifted. Littell has probably been the biggest disappointment of the season so far. He is fooling absolutely nobody, and even in a bulk relief role he struggled. Even the outs he was getting were loud outs.
Littell did not totally melt down in this one, but he allowed the Marlins to slowly chip away. In the 4th, he allowed a home run on an absolute meatball to Kyle Stowers. Nats pitchers got punished for hanging their offspeed pitches all afternoon in this one. All three Marlins homers came on secondary pitches right down the middle.
The Nats led 4-0 after three innings. The Marlins have responded seven unanswered runs, thanks in large part to three big homers on pitches over the middle of the plate.
Littell was also not helped by his defense. CJ Abrams made an error for the second straight game, and has really gone back to old habits defensively. He looked great on defense the first week or two of the season, but that has shifted in a big way. While Abrams is a superstar at the plate, he might be the worst defender of any everyday shortstop. His -5 OAA ranks in the 1st percentile.
Littell was not convincing at all, but he did maintain the lead for the Nats in his four innings of work. However, I am not sure how much longer you can continue with this experiment. He just has not had it in a Nats uniform.
Mitchell Parker had looked promising in a multi-inning relief role before this game, but today was not his day. After giving up a game tying home run and limping his way through the 7th inning, that much was clear. However, Blake Butera decided to stick to his plan and roll out Parker for a second inning.
That decision backfired in a huge way. Parker’s command was just completely off today. He was unable to consistently throw his fastball in the zone and his slider was just hanging on a tee for Marlins hitters. After a single and a walk, Parker allowed a gut punch of a homer to Jakob Marsee. It was on yet another hanging slider.
He was unable to stop the bleeding there either. Still in the game, Parker allowed a double to Esteury Ruiz before Blake Butera finally pulled him, a move he made way too late. Butera went to Zak Kent, who allowed the inherited runner to score, but stopped the bleeding there.
It was a major gut punch and the game felt all but over, but the Nats had one last rally in them. Jose Tena led off the inning with a double, and then the light hitting Drew Millas drove him in with an RBI knock. With the top of the order coming up, the boys were in business.
James Wood made the game even more interesting with an RBI double on a rope to left field. Luis Garcia Jr. drove him in with yet another hit. It was now 8-7 Marlins with a runner at second base. Joey Wiemer would pinch run for Garcia, but his base running would cost the Nats. Pinch hitter Jorbit Vivas hit a ground ball to third, and Wiemer was caught between second and third base. He got tagged out trying to scramble back to second.
That meant the game would be up to CJ Abrams. There was only a runner on first now, but the Nats had the right man in the box. The Marlins went to a lefty out of the bullpen, and unfortunately, the move paid off. Abrams got under an 0-2 sweeper and flew out to left to end the ball game.
This was a really frustrating loss. The Nats were in control for most of the contest, but allowed the Marlins to wrestle that control away. Sloppy mistakes were just scattered across this contest. I did not think Blake Butera had his best game either. The Nats had a chance to get to .500 and they blew it. Now the boys need to brush off that disappointing loss and go for the series win tomorrow afternoon.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 08: Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (23) reacts after being called out at home trying to score during the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 8, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Join us and discuss tonight’s game in the comments below, as the Braves look to even up their series against the Dodgers in LA!
Game Info
Game Time: Saturday, May 9th, 9:10 pm EDT
Location: UNIGLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.
The Montreal Canadiens struck back with authority in Game 2, powering past the Buffalo Sabres 5–1 to level the series at one win apiece as the matchup now shifts into a hostile setting at the Bell Centre for Game 3.
Buffalo, meanwhile, won’t be making the trip at full strength—but they will be adding back a familiar, physical presence at the right time.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed to reporters, including TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, that forward Sam Carrick is expected to draw back into the lineup for Game 3 against the Canadiens.
Carrick isn’t the type to drive headlines, but his value shows up in all the places coaches notice most—penalty kills, defensive-zone faceoffs, and the grinding minutes that stabilize a bottom-six group. For Buffalo, his return is less about flash and more about function, restoring a layer of structure and physical edge that becomes even more important in a tightly contested playoff series.
Across the season, Carrick split time between the New York Rangers and the Sabres, appearing in 73 games while recording nine goals, seven assists, and 16 points. He also delivered 106 hits and finished with a plus-2 rating, cementing himself as a dependable depth forward. Since joining Buffalo, he’s chipped in five goals and an assist in 13 games, quickly earning trust in a checking-line role.
Ruff Confident Sabres Can Reset and Respond in Montreal
Still, the bigger message out of Buffalo isn’t about personnel—it’s about belief.
Even after a decisive Game 2 loss, Ruff projected calm rather than concern, leaning on his group’s ability to respond to adversity rather than spiral from it. The Sabres’ bench boss emphasized that postseason swings are part of the rhythm of winning in the playoffs, and that one result rarely defines the next.
“Sometimes when you're winning, you don't ever think you're going to lose in the playoffs,” Ruff said. “Then when you lose one, you don't ever think you're going to win again.”
He pointed to recent examples of Buffalo’s resilience during the regular season, including responses after uneven stretches and setbacks following long winning runs. For Ruff, the pattern has been consistent: the Sabres have shown an ability to reset quickly rather than carry frustration forward.
“We knew we had to play really well in Boston,” he added, referencing a previous playoff series. “The whole year we've answered the call. You had a couple stretches, even after our 10-game winning streak. We played a terrible game in Columbus, and we bounced back with real good hockey, so really just reset, refocus, let's take the temperature down a little bit.”
Now, with the series tied and the pressure shifting to Montreal, Buffalo’s message is simple—Game 2 is in the rearview mirror. Game 3 is a different game entirely.
Munetaka Murakami set yet another MLB record in last night’s game: Homering in the opening game of eight straight series. The Good Guys look for more of that power tonight. | (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
After dropping the first game of this nine-game homestand last night and on a three-game losing streak, the Chicago White Sox will rely on Anthony Kay to provide a lead the turnaround. Kay (1-1, 5.70 ERA, 7.62 xERA) has struggled with consistency in the early going and hasn’t pitched into the sixth inning since April 9 in Kansas City. He’s yet to find the success he had on the other side of the world, so here’s hoping he settles in against a Mariners squad on the verge of breaking through.
As for his mound mate, he’s off to a rocky start himself. Luis Castillo (0-3, 6.29 ERA, 5.86 xERA) has given up runs in every start apart from his first of the year. He’s already had two such starts where he’s given up seven runs. Let’s see if the Sox can make it three.
Either way, something’s gotta give between these two starting pitchers.
Looking to keep the offense the way it was last night, Will Venable makes two small changes: swapping out his catcher and substituting an Andrew Benintendi dealing with neck soreness with Randal Grichuk, who homered in his pinch-hit appearance yesterday.
Here’s how the Mariners will line up:
Luckily for us, Luke Raley is not in tonight’s starting lineup — but Josh Naylor is.
You can catch tonight’s game at 6:40 p.m. CT on CHSN or ESPN 1000. Let’s get back in the win column!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 9: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles throws a pitch against the Athletics during the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This game was summed up for me by two innings. Be warned; it’s not pretty.
In the top of the third, the Athletics’ Brent Rooker came to the plate with two on and one out. Orioles starter Shane Baz had already given up a four-pitch walk and a single. Then, with the right-hitting Rooker up to bat, Baz left a cutter hanging up and just off the plate. Rooker swung, launching the pitch 365 feet away onto the flag court. That meatball, and the bombardment thereof, made the game 4-0 Athletics.
This felt like an insurmountable lead until the Orioles got a glorious scoring chance in the bottom of the fifth inning. Infielder Jeremiah Jackson had reached on a Bermuda Triangle single, Gunnar Henderson doubled, and Taylor Ward walked. That brought up to the plate Adley Rutschman, a career .407 hitter with the bases loaded. Sadly, Adley did not deliver that inning. Nor did Pete Alonso. Nor did Samuel Basallo. The former struck out after a long battle with A’s starter Aaron Civale; the second popped up too shallowly to score the lead runner; the third also flew out.
There was a late, two-run Baltimore rally against Mark Leiter Jr.—brother of Jack, son of Mark, nephew of Al, but also a pitcher who entered this game with a 7.63 ERA. Leody Taveras, Dylan Beavers, and a pinch-hitting Colton Cowser strung together consecutive hits to make it 5-2. That was as good as it got.
Anyway, today’s game is still defined by Shane Baz handing out runs with missed pitches and Orioles hitters making Civale look like an ace. I’m not sure which is more concerning: Baltimore hitters failing to take advantage of Civale, a pitcher whose average exit velocity is higher than his fastball, or Baz failing to go five while throwing one hundred pitches.
Start with the pitching side. Shane Baz is way too talented to be allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings to an offense like the Athletics’. Command issues were at the heart of his problems today. It started in the first, when Baz hung a cutter to leadoff man Nick Kurtz, who doubled. Then Baz missed with three straight cutters to catcher Shane Langeliers, who singled home a first run.
After looking lost against the first two hitters, Baz appeared to find something, and reeled off three consecutive outs, plus a scoreless second.
But again, there was that third inning, which felt completely avoidable, barring that early walk and two bad cutters.
It still feels true to say that with his stuff, most teams can’t beat Shane Baz, so long as he doesn’t beat himself. But he sure seems to be beating himself a lot lately…
As for the offense, let’s put it this way. At one point in the third inning, with Baltimore still scoreless, MASN flashed a graphic placing Aaron Civale in the bottom 110 to 130 MLB pitchers in hard-hit percentage and whiffs. Perhaps such stats undervalue “Crafty Veteranness.” And true, Civale did command his breaking pitches today.
But I don’t quite buy this excuse, for the reason that today, it was the same O’s hitters who’ve been connecting who connected, and the same ones who’ve lately looked hopeless who continued to look hopeless.
Gunnar Henderson had two hits, including a double. (He’s chasing too much, but still.) Adley Rutschman had a double. (Also that crucial bases-loaded strikeout, but still.) Taylor Ward walked three times (!!). Samuel Basallo singled twice, one of them 112 mph.
But that was it for the hitters against Civale, who over five innings racked up six punchouts, equal to nine per nine innings. Given a pitcher who averages 6.6 strikeouts a game, it feels hard to deny that O’s hitters aren’t giving opposing pitchers much of a challenge.
And toward the middle innings, it was the talented Shane Baz who looked error-prone, not Civale with his more limited stuff. Baz allowed a leadoff double to first baseman Nick Kurtz, then allowed Kurtz—no Trea Turner in sprint speed, from what I can see—to take third base uncontested as Baz missed high to catcher Shea Langeliers, who then got the RBI with a sac fly to center.
Now 5-0 Athletics, this felt like a slow trudge through nine. The fifth inning was the one exception: a bases-loaded situation that had you dreaming of grand salamis, only to cruelly rob you of all hopes of a stirring comeback.
The bullpen pitched okay, with the exception of Andrew Kittredge. Lou Trivino covered two 1/3 scoreless and Dietrich Enns threw one, too, despite allowing two hits. Kittredge continues to look problematic, allowing a sixth run in the ninth, although at this point it didn’t feel very important.
The two-run rally in the eighth was nice, in that it raised the averages of the struggling Beavers and Cowser, but I doubt the Athletics were very nervous.
It is what it is. Back this spring, there were high hopes for both this lineup and the starting rotation. Well, maybe not high hopes for this rotation, but at least reasonable expectations of competence. Now, Trevor Rogers is hurt (or something), Zach Eflin is out for the year, Dean Kremer—who didn’t even make the rotation—is out with a quad, and Shane Baz is highly erratic.
If this is the Orioles throwing their hardest punches and still getting KO’d, this is going to be a long season.
CHICAGO - AUGUST 09: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians pauses during a heavy rain storm during the tenth inning against the Chicago White Sox on August 9, 2020 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 08: Wenceel Perez #46 of the Detroit Tigers hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 08, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (18-21) vs. Kansas City Royals (18-21)
Time/Place: 7:10 p.m., Kauffman Stadium SB Nation Site: Royals Review Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (3-2, 3.05 ERA)
May 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart (41) pitches during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — Blake Snell was activated off the injured list on Saturday to start against the Atlanta Braves, after missing the first six-plus weeks of the season with left shoulder fatigue. To make room on the active roster, Brock Stewart is back on the injured list, this time with a bone spur in his left foot.
With Tyler Glasnow sidelined with back spasms, the Dodgers turned to Snell, who was scheduled to pitch five innings in his final rehab start for Class-A Ontario on Saturday, with a proposition he was eager to accept.
“You try to figure out if [Snell] is open to taking the five innings here versus on rehab,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “And he was. he couldn’t be more excited to do that.”
Saturday is the 39th game of the season for the Dodgers, who to date have only used six starting pitchers in an incredibly stable rotation to date. This is the latest into a season the Dodgers have used their seventh different starting pitcher since 2021, when it took until game number 40 with opener Jimmy Nelson.
Stewart was just activated on Wednesday after missing the first 36 games while rehabbing from last September’s shoulder surgery. Stewart pitched in both games in which he was active, throwing scoreless innings on both Wednesday in Houston and on Friday against the Braves, totaling three strikeouts and a walk among his seven batters faced.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 21: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot park on April 21, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dustin May will get the Saturday night start at Petco Park for the Cardinals as he’ll do battle with Randy Vásquez who will take the mound for the Padres. First pitch is set for 6:15pm central time and the musical chairs broadcast schedule has the game being broadcast on Fox Saturday night.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks to media after his team's 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thriller over the Detroit Pistons behind some heroic shot-making from James Harden.
Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
WINNER – The First Quarter
Hey, it turns out the Cavs can start a game ahead every once in a while. Not everything has to be an uphill battle.
The Cavs won the first quarter 32-30. Nothing special. But it felt a whole lot better than falling behind by double digits as they did in the previous two games. Sometimes, just giving yourself a chance is all it takes.
Shooting above 70% from the floor didn’t hurt. Cleveland began the game red-hot. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen each scored 9 points in the opening quarter, shooting 8-for-11 combined. James Harden also chipped in with 5 points, starting this game significantly better than he did the previous one.
Again, no one wins a game in the first 12 minutes. But you can certainly kneecap yourself early, making the rest of the game a slog. The Cavs finally learned that lesson and started Game 3 with the appropriate energy.
WINNER – Donovan Mitchell
I don’t think it’s an overreaction to say this entire Cavs team is built around the idea of Donovan Mitchell being one of the best playoff performers in the league. If you take that away, the Cavs aren’t a serious contender.
But when he’s playing like the superhero we know and love? This team feels like it has a fighting chance.
Mitchell web-slinged his way to 20 points on 8-12 shooting in the first half. He cooked in isolation, burning Duncan Robinson to a crisp with his step-back jumper. Then, moments after throwing an impressive alley oop to Evan Mobley, he worked his way downhill and dropped a dime to Allen in the dunker spot.
This type of efficient scoring and processing speed as a playmaker is what we’ve been missing from Mitchell. He established himself as a threat and then used that against the defense to create opportunities for others.
Spida finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.
LOSER – Offensive Rebounding
Detroit beat the Cavs 17-5 on the offensive glass.
While that’s a problem, it wasn’t as glaring as it might have seemed.
For further context, the Cavs were only outscored 19-11 on second-chance points. And, they somehow ended the game with more defensive rebounds than Detroit, winning that battle 28-23.
So what happened?
Well, the Pistons finished the game shooting 45% from the floor, and spent most of the day below that number. Meanwhile, the Cavs sat above 60% for a majority of the game and finished just below at 58%. The more shots you miss, the more offensive rebounds you have a chance to grab. The inverse is true, as well.
That doesn’t make it okay. Of course, giving up nearly 20 offensive rebounds is what allowed the Pistons to creep back into this game and take a momentary lead in the fourth quarter. They might have shot 8-18 on those second-chances, which is a credit to the Cavaliers’ defense, but that’s still eight field goals that shouldn’t have gone in, and 18 attempts that should have never had a chance.
WINNER – James Harden
Can I take back everything I’ve ever said?
Not really. The limitations in Harden’s style of play are still worth highlighting when he has games like the previous one in Detroit. But darn it, it looks great when he saves the day.
Harden took full control of Cleveland’s offense in the closing minutes. He picked his poison, working for a mismatch and then dictating the rest of the possession with his on-ball creation. The results? A step-back jumper from the mid-range. Then a crossover into a floater.
Finally, his patented three-point dagger.
“You know who you are, keep being yourself,” said Donovan Mitchell on his trust in Harden after the game. “The outside world can turn on you like that, but if you watch [Harden’s] face or demeanor, you can’t tell if he’s playing well or shooting poorly.”
We can talk about whether or not the Cavaliers’ offense needs to be more inclusive, or if Harden’s got enough gas in the tank to go the distance in a deep playoff run. But not tonight. Save that discussion for another day. Uno came through and put his team in a position to tie this series on Monday.
LOSER – The Starting Small Forward
The Cavs have an impossible decision to make. Worse, it’s a decision they’ve spent multiple years trying to solve. No matter what they try, it always feels like the wrong move.
Max Strus competently filled the starting small forward spot for years. Though he always felt undersized as the Cavs moved deeper into the postseason. Package that with a matchup versus the Toronto Raptors in round one, and it’s no wonder the Cavs pivoted to Dean Wade.
Only, Wade has given diminishing results as the playoffs go on.
Wade looked great in Games 1-2 versus Toronto. He’s had scattered moments since. But the Raptors eventually stopped defending him. The Pistons haven’t even pretended to care about him. That’s cramped Cleveland’s spacing and effectively blunted any defensive impact Wade can offer.
It went poorly the last time the Cavs tried adjusting this by starting Strus versus the Raptors in Game 5. Should that discourage them from trying it again? I’d say no, but I also think one can argue that Strus is better suited to being the sixth man than the starting forward. I think you could have argued that for years now.
Not having a better option isn’t an indictment on Strus or Wade, to be clear. This is a roster construction issue that’s bigger than either of them. Wade is a fine eighth man. Strus can be electric, if not streaky, off the bench. The issue is that both players have been overextended by trying to fill a round hole as square pegs.
Then there’s Jaylon Tyson, who many fans (including myself) have nominated for the job. He theoretically splits the difference between Wade and Strus. Just enough size to compete at the forward position, with just enough offensive skills to avoid being a detriment.
But starting lineups are earned, not given. The Cavs aren’t going to grant Tyson the starting position because of what he can do on paper. This actually has to translate to something tangible. And so far, that hasn’t happened in a strong enough way to take a chance on a sophomore wing in his first playoff run.
Note:I wrote a decent chunk of this before Max Strus stole an inbound pass and went coast-to-coast during a pivotal junction of the fourth quarter. While I do not want to delete everything I wrote before, I would like to formally give Strus my recommendation for the starting job, and perhaps even a key to the city of Cleveland, if I have that authority (I don’t).
The Montreal Canadiens got things back on track with their 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2. With this, the Canadiens have now tied the series up at 1-1 as they head back to Montreal for Game 3.
However, the Sabres are expected to get back one of their key forwards for Game 3 against the Canadiens.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including TSN's Pierre LeBrun, that Sam Carrick is available to play for Buffalo in their Game 3 matchup against the Canadiens.
With Carrick being an important part of the Sabres' bottom six and penalty kill, it is not necessarily the best news that he is returning to the lineup for Buffalo. While this is the case, the Canadiens will be looking to build off their big Game 2 win against the Sabres by beating them again in Game 3.
In 73 games this season split between the New York Rangers and Sabres, Carrick recorded nine goals, seven assists, 16 points, 106 hits, and a plus-2 rating. This included him posting five goals and an assists in 13 games after being traded to Buffalo.
CLEVELAND — James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116-109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18 for the Cavaliers, who will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.
Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 21 points.
Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining tied it at 104 before Cleveland, which is unbeaten in five playoff home games, was able to seize control.
Max Strus intercepted an inbound pass by Cunningham at midcourt and made a breakaway layup with 2:28 left.
Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots. The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four.
Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109.
Robinson was short on a 3-pointer after a timeout and Mitchell made three free throws down the stretch.
