TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Monday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram helped lead Toronto past Cleveland, 93-89. Mason Plumlee and San Antonio took care of Portland, 114-93. Jayson Tatum and Boston smacked Philadelphia around, 128-96. Finally, Luke Kennard and Los Angeles fell to Houston, 115-96.
Ingram had 23 for Toronto, while Barrett finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Neither shot well, with Ingram hitting 6-23 while Barrett was slightly better at 8-22.
Rookie Tyrese Proctor got a DNP for the Cavs.
Plumlee got in for 2 minutes for the Spurs but didn’t put anything in the box score.
For his part, Tatum racked up 30 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds to pace the Celtics.
And for JJ Redick’s Lakers, Kennard finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
On Monday, we’ll see Paolo Banchero and Orlando take on Detroit, Oklahoma City try to eliminate Phoenix, and Denver and Minnesota in the nightcap.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA — Payton Pritchard is sitting at his locker, his ankles submerged in ice.
“I need another win on the way home,” he says, grinning.
Neemias Queta chuckles and shakes his head.
Pritchard, after all, is just a few minutes removed from the best individual playoff game of his six-year NBA career, a 32-point, 5-assist masterpiece that saw him drain 6 three-pointers, including a ridiculous end-of-first-quarter buzzer-beater.
But, with the Celtics’ 128-96 Game 4 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the rearview, he’s already begun to think about his next conquest, which will come on the plane ride home. That’ll be a victory in the team’s plane-ride game of Catan, which Pritchard, Queta, Ron Harper Jr, Jordan Walsh, and Derrick White all regularly partake in.
The first time I heard Pritchard talk about Catan was a month ago, when he crashed my pregame interview with Hugo Gonzalez about the team’s obsession.
Gonzalez had been carrying a Catan board in several Celtics social media posts, so I mistakenly assumed he was passionate about the game (“I am the Catan hater,” Gonzalez clarified emphatically, explaining it was his rookie chore. “I am the Catan hater.”)
Pritchard, always one of the chattiest Celtics in the locker room, wanted to make sure I knew that he won more than anyone else on the roster.
That he was the ultimate Catan competitor.
That, really, the rest of them were just battling for second place.
“I’m the best,” Pritchard told me, explaining that Walsh sucked. “It’s more of a strategy game, more mental to it. You’ve got to be better.”
During that interview, in which Pritchard’s demeanor appeared hilariously serious, I tried my best to suppress a smile.
I just might be talking to the most competitive person in the world, I thought to myself.
Four weeks later, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Pritchard yells at Reggie Miller, who is announcing Game 4, after each one of his made baskets.
“Reggie is my man,” he said afterwards. “It’s just a friendly banter. I get going off that, and I probably use it to my advantage to get going even more. I don’t even know. I black out in those moments, so I don’t really know what I say at times. But it helps.”
Jaylen Brown says he doesn’t know what it is that Pritchard is yelling, either, but he laughs at the question.
“Whatever it is, tell him to keep doing it.”
Jaylen Brown was asked by @JackSimoneNBA what Payton Pritchard yells when he’s on a heater and hitting 3s:
Four days before that, Pritchard felt he had let the team down
After the Celtics’ 111-97 Game 2 loss on Tuesday night, Pritchard was bummed out.
In the loss, he attempted 8 shots — making just two — and finished the night with just 4 points, 13 less than his season average.
“I was definitely very disappointed after Game 2,” Pritchard said. “Felt like I was kind of a shell of myself. Bad decisions. Shot making wasn’t great.”
“I did not give the game what it needed, or my team, and it hurt us.”
It was time to turn the page.
On the flight to Philadelphia, Pritchard took care of business: he handily beat his teammates in the plane ride Catan game, a reality that Derrick White conceded at shootaround on Friday.
Then, with the series back on the road, Pritchard was back in his element, in a hostile environment, faced with a whole sea of 76ers fans he could talk trash to.
In Game 3, the tides began to turn. He hit 5 three-pointers, including a massive one with just over a minute to play that gave the Celtics a five-point lead.
He claims he doesn’t remember what he said after that shot, though the words were flowing.
”I probably blacked out in that moment,” he said. (I’m honestly still not sure if Pritchard truly can’t remember what is that he’s bellowing after these big-time shots, or if he just knows that he can’t repeat it).
Still, though Pritchard said that Game 3 was a step in the right direction after a lackluster Game 2, he emphasized after that one that it still wasn’t his best.
He had another gear to reach.
Two days later, he reached it, pouring in 13 first-quarter points, and another 14 in the third quarter, en route to Sunday’s career night.
“When you get in that flow stage, it’s the rhythm: how you’re dribbling, the moves you can get to, the shot making,” Pritchard said afterwards.
It’s a feeling that he’s — intentionally — used to: “In my workouts, I try to hit that on the daily, so then when I get in the games, it’s a regular thing.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket with head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 4 served as Pritchard’s ultimate bounce-back
Pritchard’s best game of the series came on a night when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both struggled in the first half, combining for just 13 points on 4-17 shooting.
Brown didn’t score until the second quarter. Tatum started the game 1-8.
Still, the Celtics led by 16 points after one quarter, and never looked back.
“It’s a luxury to have a guy like that, that can score with the best of them, coming off the bench on your team,” Tatum said.
Brown felt that, two nights after he and Tatum combined to score 27 of the team’s 29 points, the 76ers made a concerted effort to take the ball out of their hand.
“They wanted to take away me getting to my spots, and also, JT — and make us play on the backside,” he said. “And we made the right rim read in the seam. Our bigs made the right plays, and then our shooters punished them, and then once you see a couple go down, it’s open from there. I thought we just did a good job of just trusting our system. And then everything took care of itself.”
On Sunday, Pritchard attempted 21 shots, his most attempts in a month. He’s only reached that number 7 times all year.
But, there’s a direct correlation between his shot attempts and the team’s success: The Celtics were 9-10 (47.4%) this season when Pritchard took less than 11 shots, and they were 45-15 (75%) when he took 11 or more shots.
“We’re at our best when he’s aggressive,” Joe Mazzulla said.
Mazzulla makes sure that the former Sixth Man of the Year knows that, too.
“He’s definitely in my ear all the time about being aggressive, especially since the playoffs have come around. He wants me to be in attack, and to be able to touch the point,” Pritchard said. “When you’re hearing your coaches say that — that gives you the ultimate freedom.”
And ‘free’ is a pretty good way to describe how Pritchard played on Sunday.
He beat the end of the first quarter buzzer with a wild three-pointer and drew a shooting foul at the end of the third quarter. Gonzalez, Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and the rest of the Celtics bench watched it all unfold in disbelief, chuckling to themselves at the shotmaking display.
Scheierman typically watches Pritchard play with a grin.
From my vantage as someone who’s been around this team almost every day this season, it’s long felt like the two have something unique in common: a seemingly unshakeable confidence that is rare even in the NBA, this belief that they’re destined to be on the court, a swagger, a showmanship.
Everyone is confident at the pro level — that’s how they got here — but Scheierman and Pritchard seem to be on another level.
After Pritchard’s 32-point masterpiece, I asked Scheierman if he felt that was an accurate representation, if he could confirm my perception that he and Pritchard were uniquely competitive.
He grinned. He agrees.
“We’re both just super confident in our abilities,” Scheierman said. “And I think that comes from being maybe under-looked, overlooked throughout our careers, and maybe just [playing] with a chip on our shoulder, just wanting to go out there and just kind of put on a show every night.”
All of Pritchard’s teammates are familiar with his almost ridiculous level of competitive spirit at this point.
“I’ve known P since we was in high school, same high school class,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he’s a better version of himself, but he’s always been that competitive. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Always takes on a challenge.”
They also know him as one of the most relentlessly hard-working people.
“The work ethic speaks for itself,” Brown said, “and when you see someone put in the work behind the scenes, moments like this are all the better.”
“He’s a gym rat,” Tatum said. “That’s one thing that is consistent and constant about him always, is he is always gonna be in the gym, working on his game, working on his craft, trying to get better. It shows in moments like tonight.”
On Saturday, a day before his monster Game 4, I asked Pritchard where his Game 3 three-pointer ranked as far as big shots made in his Celtics tenure.
He was reluctant to herald it as one of the biggest because he wanted it to be followed by many more.
“I knew it was a big shot,” Pritchard said. “It was needed in the moment. But, hopefully, I can hit more like that.”
A day later, amid the heater of all heaters, that line felt prescient.
Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight had a solid 2024-25 season. In 55 games on the year, he had a .902 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average, and three shutouts. With numbers like these, he showed that he is capable of being a solid starting goaltender in the NHL.
Yet, with Knight still being only 25 years old, the possibility of him hitting a new level with the Blackhawks next season should not be ruled out. The Darien, Connecticut native has high potential, and he could take that next step now that he has gained more experience as a true No. 1 goaltender for the Blackhawks.
Goaltenders can take a longer to develop at the NHL level, so it would not be particularly surprising if we see Knight improve next season. He has already shown plenty of promise with Chicago, and if the Blackhawks' defense improves in front of him, he could have a big year in 2026-27.
It will be interesting to see what kind of campaign Knight has for the Blackhawks next season, but there is plenty to be optimistic about when it comes to his game.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 25: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives against Onyeka Okongwu #17 and Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hawks (2-2) had a listless Game 4 loss on Saturday meaning they’ve now squandered the home court advantage they picked up with their clutch win in Game 2.
Certainly, there have been some disappointing performances from an individual player perspective. But let’s zoom out a tad and focus on a trio of tactics the Hawks as a team could (and in my opinion should) address.
These three adjustments could be instrumental if the Hawks are to go at least 2-1 in the next two or three games and advance.
Punish New York for going under screens
The Knicks have consistently soft switched or bump switched most screen actions all series long. But even when they have fought through screens, they have pointedly navigated under a majority of these actions no matter the ball handler.
Their biggest goal has been to cut off drives into the paint at all costs.
One solution: take what the defense gives you. Empower your better three-point shooters into taking step back threes.
It may seem like keeping the ball moving and putting the defense in rotation is the move, but in reality, their usual offense hasn’t generated enough good looks in the halfcourt to this point.
The Hawks were 11th in the NBA in the 2025-26 season in three-point attempt rate (3PAr) — with 42.9% of their field goal attempts coming from behind the arc. Little has changed in the playoffs — fifth among the 16 teams at a 41.8% 3PAr.
Of course, they hit 37.1% of attempts from deep in the regular season, but that mark is down to 32.6% through four playoff games.
I will admit self-creating three-point attempts at volume is a bit of uncharted territory for these Hawks. In the regular season, they were 27th in the percent of unassisted threes made (9.1%), but they’ve had to double that rate in the playoffs. Of course, adding CJ McCollum — still one of the best self-creators around — for this late season run obviously altered that distribution some.
It may sound silly, but the unassisted three-point rate still isn’t high enough. Beyond McCollum, you would of course trust Alexander-Walker (who is largely scuffling, alas) and Vincent with those sorts of attempts.
But the elephant in the room is how disappointing Jalen Johnson has been this series. He could really benefit from launching instead of driving into traffic.
Here’s what it should like — an example from Game 3. After the screen-the-screener action, Josh Hart’s first instinct is to dive under the Onyeka Okongwu screen. It’s a great look for Jalen Johnson:
But on this possession, despite Dyson Daniels sealing off both defenders to the inside for an open wing step back or sidestep attempt, Johnson tries to beat all-world defender OG Anunoby off the dribble. He just never had the angle to get to the rim considering his All-Defensive First Team-caliber matchup:
Johnson and Alexander-Walker have to keep letting the three-ball fly as soon as they see this coverage in my mind. Otherwise, you’re playing right into New York’s hands.
Put Jalen Brunson in action from the opening tip
Clearly, Jalen Brunson provides little resistance as a defender. And yes, the Hawks have been diligent in attacking him late in close games.
But they need to step it up even more. It’s time to target Brunson relentlessly starting from 12:00 in the first quarter.
This particular line of logic is pretty straightforward. If you start wearing down Brunson from the beginning of the game, you get the benefits of both compromising New York’s defense and the exhaustion of his energy defending instead of attacking.
Overall, the Hawks have done a solid enough job on Jalen Brunson so far this series. He’s averaging 25.5 points per game but on a 52% true shooting — six points lower than his regular season mark.
After averaging 9.6 assists and 3.4 turnovers per 100 possessions in the regular season, he’s at 7.1 and 4.8 per 100 respectively during this series.
But Brunson has scored 10.5 points (on 58% true shooting) in the first quarter of these playoffs, the most of any NBA player who has played at least two postseason games. He has also played all 12 minutes in three of those first quarters.
The Hawks should expect this minutes allocation for Brunson the rest of the series and put him constant action on offense. Maybe he wears down by the end of the game. Maybe he picks up two — or even three — early fouls.
Atlanta has struggled with starting slowly so far. The Hawks have found themselves down at least six points at the end of the first quarter in three of the four playoff games so far.
Digging out of early holes every game is just not a recipe for success. It’s time to take the kiddie gloves off and be ruthless.
Make Karl-Anthony Towns a driver
Towns is obviously a gifted big man scorer — maybe one of the most skilled ever. So far this series, Towns is cooking the Hawks to the tune of 21 points per game on a blistering 72% true shooting percentage.
The shooting range speaks for itself, and he’s also got a soft touch near the rim. But still, the Knicks have received a lot of criticism for his offensive usage during his two-year stint in New York.
Or maybe his play style is just harder to incorporate into a team setting than it seems on the surface.
A big gap in his game is the combination of ineffective driving mixed with poor passing vision. Towns’ drives are often grindingly slow, and they rarely create significant separation to generate an uncontested look.
Towns not being able to get up a clean shot over Gabe Vincent, almost a full foot shorter than him, is pretty problematic:
Quite simply, he’s a poor passer out of double teams and drives. In the 2025-26 regular season he passed on just 18.8% of his 499 drives this season. And he was the league leader in offensive fouls committed — often driving straight into already set defenders.
The Hawks need to do their work on him both early and late. Early, in the sense that you can’t let him get low post position for easy shots and foul-drawing — especially given how few big men the Hawks have available.
But the late piece is critical.
Solutions? For one, Atlanta needs to make sure to go over inverted screen actions and trail drives when ‘KAT’ is the trigger man.
For two, close out on his pick-and-pop game as hard as humanly possible. From Game 4, Okongwu and Johnson scramble their coverage communication. After the pop to the corner, Okongwu can do a lot more to force ‘KAT’ to drive baseline towards help:
And finally, let Towns start his dribble before crowding him with a double team, preferably from the low man. The Knicks have been reluctant to play Towns at the four, so any pass into the restricted area behind the low man would be for a non-lob threat (so, not Mitchell Robinson).
None of these three tweaks are a panacea, of course. If the Hawks’ two leading scorers, Johnson and Alexander-Walker, don’t get it together soon, the above may not matter.
But there are still opportunities to squeeze out advantages in your favor from a Knicks team that, frankly, looks very beatable.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: George Gervin looks on during the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Today the Iceman turns 74.
That doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true.
He moved here in 1974 in after being traded to the San Antonio Spurs by the Virginia Squires. This was in the final years of the ABA.
Soon after the trade, Gervin became eligible for the NBA draft and was chosen 40th overall by the Phoenix Suns, but he turned down the NBA to stay with the Spurs. Two years later, the ABA and NBA merged, bringing Gervin into the NBA.
Gervin brought an offensive flair the Silver & Black that revolutionized the Spurs game. He was their centerpiece elevating them as contenders. He played with the Spurs until 1985, making the postseason for all but one year.
In his final NBA season, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He played one season alongside a young Michael Jordan, then moved to playing in Italy with Banco di Roma, Continental Basketball Association Quad City Thunder, and TDK Manrese in Spain before retiring in 1990.
After retiring, Gervin returned to San Antonio as a community leader, creating safe spaces for underprivileged children. In 1991, he established the George Gervin Youth Center.
The following year he rejoined the San Antonio Spurs, this time as an assistant coach. He served for two years while David Robinson was the centerpiece of the Spurs, the mantle being passed as Gervin worked with the next player to revolutionize the franchise.
At the first Spurs playoff game since 2019, George and his sister Barbra Gervin-Hawkins were honored on the court in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the George Gervin Academy.
30 years in the community after retiring from basketball. And The Iceman chose to stay here in San Antonio. A reminder that this community embraces its players, part of the reason you can see George Gervin walking through a furniture store, or David Robinson sitting next to you in a Mexican restaurant, or bump into Bruce Bowen at H-E-B, or Monty Williams coaching high school ball, or see Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Gorgui Dieng watching a Spurs game, or Tony Parker on the front row, or Fabricio Oberto or Boris Diaw returning for a visit.
The community embraces them, the crowds love them, and they had great years here.
And if we’re really being honest, it started with Gervin. He came in with his winning smile, and his pinache and simply took over. He set the tone that brought the leadership of David Robsinon and Tim Duncan, and now Victor Wembanyama.
It started over fifty years ago.
That doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true.
Happy birthday, Iceman. I hope it is an epic day.
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BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox steals second base in the third inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
What if I told you that one team at Camden Yards this weekend dropped two out of three games and lost one of them by 16 runs…and it wasn’t the team that fired their manager and half their coaching staff in the middle of the series?
Such is life for the 2026 Orioles. Even when playing against an opponent that’s going through a public self-immolation, the O’s still can’t seem to find a way to win. After briefly getting back to the .500 mark on Friday, the Birds are now two games under .500 heading into their off day, losing back-to-back contests both before and after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora. Tyler Young recapped the Orioles’ 5-3 loss in the rubber game.
The same old problems continue to plague the Orioles. In both of their losses, the defense was sloppy again, committing three errors and turning some possible outs into Red Sox baserunners. Key members of the Orioles lineup continue to struggle, including Pete Alonso — whose 1-for-13 performance in the series dropped him below the Mendoza line to .196 — and Gunnar Henderson, who is hitting for plenty of power but isn’t getting on base (.280 OBP). That duo makes up the heart of the Orioles lineup, so until they get going, the O’s will struggle to score runs consistently.
Also distressing is the underperformance of the Orioles’ starting rotation. Both Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish turned in outings this series that ranged from mediocre (Bradish) to outright disastrous (Rogers). When the front office eschewed acquiring an ace this offseason, much was said about how they already had a pair of #1-type starters on the roster in Rogers and Bradish. That idea is, uh, aging poorly. The two have combined for a 4.48 ERA and each is averaging more than 10 hits per nine innings. Elsewhere in the rotation, Shane Baz hasn’t broken out as the top-flight starter the O’s envisioned, Chris Bassitt is rocking a 6.75 ERA, and Zach Eflin is out for the season after one start. The Orioles’ rotation plan has soured quickly, and it’s not even May.
At times, the Orioles have shown they’re capable of playing quality baseball. The opener of this series, when the O’s bashed six home runs behind a solid Brandon Young start, was evidence of that. But those impressive showings are just too few and far between.
It’s still early, but it’s not that early anymore. It’s time for the Orioles to start playing with a purpose. So far, they just haven’t been able to get any traction.
This would be more encouraging if we hadn’t heard these same sentiments from the Orioles last April. The O’s always think they’re capable of stepping up until they prove they aren’t.
Gunnar Henderson says that Samuel Basallo has “the stupidest juice I’ve ever seen.” And he’s not talking about crab juice.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only O’s player in history with an April 27 birthday is 2019 right-hander Aaron Brooks (36). You could also sort of count righty Michael Rucker (32), who pitched in spring training with the Orioles in 2020 as a Rule 5 pick but was sent back to the Cubs near the end of camp.
On this date in 1968, Baltimore-born Orioles righty Tom Phoebus pitched a no-hitter against the Red Sox, the second individual no-no in O’s history. Phoebus walked three and struck out nine in throwing his masterpiece, shutting down a Sox lineup that included Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. Phoebus even had two hits at the plate (remember, this was the pre-DH era) to help the Orioles compile six runs of support.
And on this day in 2015, the Orioles canceled their scheduled game against the White Sox at Camden Yards due to civil unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. The O’s would cancel the next day’s game, too, and play the following game with no fans in attendance.
Random Orioles game of the day
On April 27, 1989, the Orioles lost to the Athletics in Oakland, 9-4. The game was tied 3-3 until the bottom of the seventh, when the A’s erupted for a six-run rally. The Athletics pounded out eight hits in the inning, including five singles, a double, a triple, and a Mark McGwire home run, his second of the game. Orioles reliever Mark Williamson took the brunt of the damage, giving up five runs and seven hits while recording just one out. Mickey Tettleton and Phil Bradley homered for the Birds in the losing effort.
Apr 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) reacts after striking out against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Phillies are off today and that’s probably best for everyone involved. They won a game Saturday, but they’re still playing pretty badly, so maybe a day off will help them.
That and the schedule, which eases up a bit with the Giants coming into town.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 19: Randy Guzmán #39 of the New York Mets stands on the field prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jonah Tong’s maddening start to 2025 continues. The right-hander continues getting plenty of strikeouts (38 in 25.1 innings), but has been allowing too many free passes (15 in 25.1 innings) and has been far too hittable, leading to afternoons like this one, where he allowed three runs in four-plus innings. Jonathan Pintaro, he wasn’t great in relief, and the offense on the whole kind of stunk.
The SeaWolves plated three runs off of Jonathan Santucci before the southpaw could even record a single out. He settled down, allowing one more in the top of the sixth, his last inning of work, but the Rumble Pony offense wasn’t able to do much against starter Joe Miller or the Erie bullpen despite plenty of batters getting on base.
In Game Two of the afternoon, Binghamton struck first, with AJ Ewing and Marco Vargas hitting back-to-back triples. Vargas did the heavy lifting for the Rumble Ponies in this one, going 3-3 with 3 of their 5 runs. Binghamton used seven pitchers in total, with only Jordan Geber and Zach Peek allowing runs.
Brooklyn’s own Channing Austin continued his excellent week with another four-plus innings of scoreless ball, giving him 9.1 innings against the Renegades this week. The Cyclones took the lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Kevin Villavicencio and a two-run homer off the bat of Mitch Voit and never looked back. A Kaeden Kent two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh broke up the shutout, but this one was all Brooklyn.
The Cyclones were a bit less fortunate in Game Two, with Jonathan Jimenez allowing a five-spot in the fourth to put Brooklyn well behind the eight ball. Corey Collins put the Cyclones in the driver’s seat in the top of the first with a solo homer, but Jonathan Jimenez sunk any chance of Brooklyn sweeping the doubleheader, allowing seven runs- six earned- in total.
The St. Lucie offense found their stroke, with Randy Guzman having another explosive day. Getting a start at the hot corner, a position he only has a handful of professional games at, Guzman went 3-4 with two doubles and a homer, his fourth of the season. Branny De Oleo also had a three-hit afternoon; in fact, every St. Lucie batter notched at least one hit, with five of the nine getting on base multiple times. Nicolas Carreno threw five scoreless, and while the bullpen after him allowed a pair of runs, St. Lucie won convincingly.
Fort Myers, FL - February 11: Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The Boston Red Sox held their second day of Spring Training at JetBlue Park on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Long time readers of the MMBB know that I like to divy these articles up into three points discussing three things that caught my attention across the previous week. They could be positive trends, concerning developments, or stuff about the Red Sox that I just find amusing and fun. Either way, I like to give the OTM readers a collection of things to discuss.
But, like, what else am I gonna write about this week?
Am I really gonna sit here and try to dive into the plate approach of guys hitting in the bottom half of the order? Do you really need me to drone on about pitch mixes and why Brayan Bello shouldn’t be throwing his cutter as much anymore? I like doing that analysis, and I hope you folks continue to read it because I enjoy outlining it to you. More typical Brushback articles will be published on a consistent basis in the future.
Alex Cora just got fired, though! That’s the only topic worth diving into today! Normally I’d be looking forward to talking about a series victory after an awful mid-week series, but there are bigger fish to fry here. That’s the only thing I have the bandwidth to talk about right now! Regardless of how you feel about the decision, it’s one that’s so massive that I would hope you’d understand the decision to only focus on that this time around. I’d also hope you’d understand that the rest of the site is going to be flooded with the Cora fallout in the coming days; these things happen when a manager with almost a decade’s worth of experience with a team is cut off in late April after a piss poor start.
As for the specific topic of my musings, though, I do want to focus on President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow. This is the not the first time the front office has made a decision at this scale, so I think it makes sense to discuss what it could mean for Breslow’s future.
It’s Monday Morning Brushback time, y’all.
Before We Begin…
I want to give a summary of where I think I stand, as I write this early Sunday afternoon before the finale in Baltimore, regarding the Red Sox’s decision to fire manager Alex Cora along with numerous members of his now-former coaching staff. Apologies if these thoughts are a bit scattered, because I’ve got a lot to say before I get into my main point. I wanted to make this a quick snapshot, but if you’ve ever read the MMBB or listened to Pod On Lansdowne before you’d know that brevity is not really in my toolbox.
I was shocked when I heard the news Saturday, and it’s still very surprising now. I thought Cora was made of teflon. I’ve been more of a Cora apologist in years’ past, but perhaps it was time for a change—as our own Bryan Joiner wrote recently.
The 2026 Red Sox have had an unacceptable start as they’ve simply looked unprepared out of the gates. A bad plate approach, some bone-headed decisions, you know how this shit has gone in the first few weeks. And not for nothing: this is not the first time the Sox have had stretches of playing sloppy and—frankly—dumb baseball.
Errors are a funky stat, yes, but Boston has been in the top three in errors per game (so, I guess overall errors too because everyone plays 162 lmao) in each of the previous three seasons; that ain’t a small sample size. I know you’ve noticed how many outs this team has had a tendency of running into in recent years. Entering play Sunday, the Red Sox only had the 17th best OPS with runners in scoring positions (.737; thought it would be worst frankly, though I’d guess that Saturday’s win boosted those stats a bit). They haven’t ranked within the top 10 in MLB in OPS with RISP since 2021. Does that not speak to some approach with the coaching? Have you not lamented the lack of situational hitting from this club in recent times? The platooning within the lineup at times made sense, but didn’t it annoy you to see Wilyer Abreu consistently get benched against lefties prior to this year? A guy who has 30 home run potential, even if he’s cooled off recently? I know my answer to that.
Yet at the same time, I can’t levy every failure at Cora’s feet. He wasn’t the guy ultimately tasked with buying the groceries, to borrow a platitude from Bill Parcells. Craig Breslow was, and still is, that guy. Those groceries have been pretty shit to start this year. The checks are being signed by the FSG brass, but the decisions he’s made in developing this roster haven’t gone swimmingly in 2026. There’s still a huge question mark regarding the outfield logjam, a conundrum he’s been unable to solve for months at this point. Guys can’t consistently get playing time because of that pickle. The infield defense has improved overall (Contreras has been awesome at first, Durbin has gotten way better at third after a shaky start, while Mayer and IKF have rated out as positive defenders thus far. Just don’t look at Trevor Story’s OAA). But that’s come with big offensive production dips at third base and second base. Breslow made huge decisions to bring on—and also let go—of guys with offensive track records at the hot corner (Devers has been bad to start the year, to be fair, while Bregman is starting to turn things around after his slow start. So, who knows how those deals end up. Whether you liked those decisions or not, the final story on those sagas have yet to be written). The club is currently tied for last place in homers after we (me, you, your friends and family who watch this team regularly, the front office guys themselves!!!!!) identified power as a big thing to address this winter. The pivot in the off-season was to invest in run prevention through sound defense and improved pitching; the Sox’s errors per game has dropped from 0.72 to 0.59 prior to Sunday’s game, sure, but that’s still in the bottom 10 across MLB.
If guys ultimately aren’t performing to the level they should be, I don’t know how much I can blame the manager for that. AC doesn’t go out there and cough up a ton of runs as the starter. AC doesn’t strike out on three pitches with ducks on the pond. How much of those struggles are coaching, and how much of those struggles are stemming from the front office’s philosophies?
Cora’s also seen pretty consistent roster churn over the last few years; the 26-man list has been consistently inconsistent. But on the other other hand, isn’t his job to elevate that roster—regardless of the churn—to be the best that they can be? They’ve under-performed in 2026. They under-performed between 2022 and 2024.
How all of the guys in that clubhouse feel about a clubhouse guy-type of manager being shown the door remains to be seen, though I do know that Trevor Story ain’t happy about it. I also want to make it clear that players learning about this news on social media with the rest of us, per Chris Cotillo of The Mexican Times MassLive, is unacceptable stuff from FSG—especially when you consider that guys like John Henry and Sam Kennedy were physically there in Baltimore when the news broke over the weekend. Jarren Duran didn’t seem to have any thoughts about it (hmm), while Roman Anthony was actually pretty well-spoken for a guy who’s just 21 and was just thrown through an absolute loop along with his teammates.
Trevor Story is not happy with the decisions and says he wants to clear the air with Craig Breslow today. Says “some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot.”
All of this is to say that there’s a lot of blame to go around for where we stand right now, well below .500 and with legitimate questions about the future. I don’t think Cora is totally innocent, though I do think he will continue to have a solid career in coaching within this sport. I hate to sound like a fence-sitter here, but this is a complicated situation. It’s a clusterfuck, and it often takes a lot of different people to create a clusterfuck. The team did not look prepared to start 2026 (a coaching issue) while there are legitimate question marks regarding the roster construction (a front office issue). I get why FSG and/or Breslow (they can’t even agree about who made this decision; more on that later) would want to pull the plug now if they didn’t want this soap opera to drag on for months, though I can’t say for sure that this is or is not the right decision right here and right now. Sorry to disappoint.
Is there something to be said about a new perspective in the clubhouse? Maybe; the guys playing still seem to like Cora, but I’ve also heard nothing but good things about Chad Tracy—a guy who has already mentored a lot of young Sox players in Worcester. At least there’s some familiarity there, though who knows if Tracy’s interim title turns into a full-time one. I’ll forever be appreciative of the 2018 Red Sox, and he’s going to land on his feet, but how much leeway do you give to the manager of the 2018 club if that same franchise is currently on pace to have its fourth losing season in five years when he’s been the one constant that entire time? Simultaneously, how much do you blame the guy who has already made transactions—and balked at others—that are going to have ramifications that haven’t even come to pass yet? These aren’t only rhetorical questions, folks; I’m genuinely asking these things out loud, because I just don’t know.
Over 1,600 words to say “I don’t know.” Nice job, Fitz, you fuckin’ stiff.
I know it sounds like a cop out, but that’s just how I feel. There are merits to the “Cora should’ve stayed” camp. There are merits to the “Cora had to go” camp. These are the realities, at least in my book, when you have a complicated clusterfuck like the one that the Red Sox have found themselves in. It’s complicated. There are nuances here. I can’t look at this as a black-and-white thing. I don’t know what else to tell ya…other than the entire novel I just wrote.
Regardless of how you feel about the Cora decision itself, it seems pretty obvious to me that this is the end of a power struggle between manager and CBO. Mr. Breslow himself doesn’t think it’s fair to call the relationship he had with Alex Cora as a power struggle, but come on dude: when your guy Andrew Bailey is the only major coach not given a pink slip this weekend, what do you expect this to look like?
Man think it’s “unfair” to characterize the thing walking and quacking like a duck as a duck https://t.co/nT1gcuIXAM
I do find it funny that FSG’s failure to communicate doesn’t even stop at their communications with their players and their fans; no, it leaks into their own understanding of franchise-altering decisions. Breslow and Kennedy couldn’t even seem to find…………….alignment……….on where the onus of this decision fell.
Pretty weird to see Craig Breslow paint the decision to fire Alex Cora as a joint decision, before Sam Kennedy makes it very clear this move was led by Breslow. pic.twitter.com/BhvwjLsZax
Regardless of who actually pulled the lever here, this is now Craig Breslow’s show whether you like it or not (again: not sure if I’m all the way in on that myself, but this is the nature of the situation we’re living in). This team is primed to be shaped in his vision.
The question then becomes: how much time did Craig Breslow just buy himself with this decision?
If he’s being given the keys to the car, does FSG ride this out until at least the end of 2026? Barring a 2027 lockout (oh God I don’t even want to think about that in this equation, just assume we’ve got a season next year), does he also get the lion’s share of that year to see out another season of the contracts he provided and traded for? Does he get to go through his own managerial search in the coming months? If he’s canned within the next year and a new full-time manager had already been appointed, does that hinder the team from finding the best CBO candidate considering that they won’t have their choice of a manager—just like the hand that Breslow was dealt following Chaim Bloom’s departure? Does Breslow even make it to the end of 2026? Does he even make it to fumble one last trade deadline this summer, for ol’ times sake?
Are we talking years here? Months? Weeks?! Say this team has really and truly taken a nosedive and the season is dead by Memorial Day; how does the guy who took enormous swings such as the Devers trade last year, the Bregman balk this winter, and the firing of Alex Cora survive a nightmare opening third of the 2026 campaign? His DNA would be all over the body of a dead team. If John Henry and the rest of Fortress Fenway really wanted to turn the page, that would have to be final straw, no?
Point is: Breslow better be reeeeeeeeeeally fuckin’ sure, for our sake as fans and for his own sake as a professional within the sport, that this gambit pays off. He showed the door to a respectable manager within the baseball world (look at just about any national writer’s take within the last 48 hours; regardless of how you feel about Cora, that’s the perception he has nationally); he better be certain that this is the right call for the team we all love.
Maybe Breslow thinks he bought himself at least another year or so of time in charge here. Hell, maybe he’s right. He could also be dead wrong and he could be sent packing sooner than he expects. Mr. Henry’s been present at games more often. For all of his faults (I don’t have another 2,000+ words in me this weekend; perhaps another time) and for all the criticism he’s been hit with for seemingly being tuned out of the baseball team he owns, Henry’s now currently watching. The excuses for Breslow are gone, right, wrong, or indifferent.
Jake T. O’Donnell (great Twitter follow, by the way) had a great point while referencing the greatest TV show ever, ironically while the team was playing in Baltimore.
I made this analogy when Dombrowski fired Farrell. I’ll make it again.
There’s a scene in The Wire S1 when Maury Levy tells Orlando after he got busted: “You wanted to be in the game, right? Now you’re in the game.”
1931 – At Griffith Stadium, a walk to Lyn Lary is followed by a Lou Gehrig home run, a smash which clears the fence, but bounces back into the hands of Senators center fielder Harry Rice. The baserunner Lary thinks the ball has been caught on the fly for the third out and returns to the dugout without crossing home plate; Gehrig, running with his head down, is ruled out for passing a runner in front of him, costing the Yankees a possible victory (they lose by two runs), the 1931 home run crown (he ties Babe Ruth with 46) and two RBI to add to his record-setting 184 for the season.
1941 – Wrigley Field becomes the first ballpark to install an organ to entertain fans, with Roy Nelson manning the keyboard. But Nelson’s successful pregame serenade doesn’t help the Chicago Cubs as they fall to pitcher Max Lanier and the rival St. Louis Cardinals, 6-2.
1957 – Don Bessent‘s quick pitch vs. Roberto Clemente‘s quick wrists? No contest. The Bucs’ 7 – 1 trouncing of Brooklyn knocks the “Bums” out of first place and pulls Pittsburgh out of the cellar while Clemente’s 7th-inning double, which drives the final nail in the coffin, results from Bessent’s ill-advised attempt to quick-pitch the whippet-wristed Roberto, as he will later recall.
1992 MLB St. Louis Cardinals Ozzie Smith steals his 500th base.
1997 – Ryne Sandberg breaks the major league record for most home runs by a second baseman. His 267th career home run surpasses the old mark set by Joe Morgan from 1965 to 1984. The first five home runs came as Sandberg was a third baseman.
2016 – The Chicago Cubs who improve to 15-5 with a 4-3 win over the Brewers. For the Cubs, it’s their best start since 1907, when they had begun the season by going 16-4 on their way to a World Series win.
2019 – All eyes are turned on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who makes his major league debut with the Blue Jays against the Athletics. With his illustrious father, Vladimir Guerrero, watching from the stands, he starts the winning rally in the 9th by leading off the inning with a double off Yusmeiro Petit for his first major league hit.
1392 – Korean Confucian scholar and statesman Jeong Mong-ju is assassinated on the Sonjuk Bridge in Gaeseong (now North Korea). A brown spot on the bridge is still said to be his blood.
1859 – US Congressman Daniel E. Sickles is acquitted in the murder of Philip Barton Key on grounds of “temporary insanity,” the first time this defense is used successfully in the US.
1865 – Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders remaining forces to Union General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place in Durham, North Carolina, ending the American Civil War.
1905 – Cubs Jack McCarthy becomes only major league player to throw out 3 runners at plate in 1 game, all were ends of a double play.
1954 – Mass trials of Jonas Salk‘s anti-polio vaccine begin; the first shot is delivered in Fairfax County, Virginia; more than 443,000 children receive shots over three months.
1986 – The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurs when the fourth reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union explodes, resulting in 31 deaths and radioactive contamination spreading to much of Western Europe.
2021 – US Census results shows its population growth second slowest in recorded history, population at 331,449,281 with only 7.4% increase on 2010.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Given the importance of stacking undervalued players and making every dollar count in the cap world, there are a few guys on the Devils who stand out as bets Mehta will not want to make. Let’s take a closer look.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Dougie Hamilton is still the New Jersey Devils’ best defenseman. They need to mend fences and get him back in the fold for 2026-27.” [Devils on the Rush]
“Sunny Mehta is the New Jersey Devils’ newest GM, a position he himself dreamed of as a kid. It’s a dream come true for many of us as well, with a data-driven, calculated individual at the helm who has a back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning pedigree to boot. Of course, there are certainly some lessons he likely learned or integrated with the Panthers during his five years there, and, as such, I certainly hope he brings those with him to his new organization.” [Devils’ Advocates]
Hockey Links
The Hurricanes and Avalanche advance:
CANES COMPLETE THE SWEEP 🧹
The @Canes advance to the Second Round of the #StanleyCup Playoffs!!!! 🌪️
What does the future hold for Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa? “…He was a major disappointment this series. Tkachuk is now two years away from unrestricted free agency. His future and the chatter around him will hang over the team until he’s signed to an extension, is traded or walks away from the nation’s capital. Next season could even be a last dance of sorts for this core.” [Sportsnet]
A scary moment for Nils Lundkvist the other night:
Scary moment as Nils Lundkvist takes Michael McCarron's skate to the face 🤕
Expansion is coming… to the #PWHL (as anticipated). Announcement is expected in the not-too-distant future. Told the current 8 teams were recently briefed on expansion rules. Seems like 4 new teams, but could be spread out with 2 next season and 2 the season after.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers eyes the puck against Connor Dewar #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Philadelphia Flyers (3-1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1-3) in Game 5 of the best of seven series
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are fighting to make sure they have a path ahead. That would be a Game 6, back in Philadelphia on Wednesday night if Pittsburgh wins today to extend the series.
Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 3-1 in the series and looking to close out and move onto next round against the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina wrapped up a sweep of Ottawa on Saturday and now sits back to await the PIT/PHI winner in the next round.
Hidden Stat: From Pens PR, Arturs Silovs (28 saves in Game 4) became the second goaltender in franchise history to make his Penguins playoff debut in an elimination contest and earn a win, following Frank Pietrangelo (Game 6 of 1991 division semifinals).
Hidden Stat 2.0: By my count the Penguins are 11-13 in the Sidney Crosby era when facing elimination in the playoffs (11-12 in the games Crosby has played, 0-1 when he hasn’t in 2011 vs TB). The Pens have won two games in the same series when facing elimination on three occasions (2009 vs DET, 2012 vs PHI, 2016 vs TB).
Getting to know the Flyers
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone
Denver Barkey – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Alex Bump – Noah Cates – Tyson Foerster
Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway
DEFENSEMEN
Travis Sanheim / Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York / Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler / Noah Juulsen
Goalies: Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson
Potential scratches: Matvei Michkov, Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, David Jiricek, Oscar Eklind, Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Jacob Gaucher, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason
It looks like there is going to be a lineup change among forwards for the Flyers for the first time in this series. Michkov is going out and Alex Bump is headed in to make his NHL playoff debut, based on a practice the Flyers held yesterday before traveling to Pittsburgh.
Michkov hasn’t done much of anything (no points, four shots on goal and barely averaging above 10 minutes per game) but was Philadelphia’s fourth highest scorer with 51 points in the regular season. Removing him would take some skill out of their lineup, even though he hasn’t been able to get much of anything going as it was.
There was another change in the middle lines with Barkey and Foerster trading spots. Barkey scored a goal in Game 4 on a nice setup from Zegras, it looks like the Flyers will be wanting to see them play together.
Updated the scratch list for the Flyers, with their AHL affiliate didn’t qualify for the playoffs they have quite the taxi squad of young players sticking around.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Ilya Solovyov
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Connor Clifton, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Sergei Murashov
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)
The Penguins did not have practice yesterday while traveling back home. That probably means there will be a well-attended gameday skate this morning for the club where we’ll see what, if any, changes happen from last game. Being as it was a win, the status quo sounds like the play at this point.
We updated the Penguin scratch list as well, technically Murashov is up with the NHL roster right now to serve as an informal emergency third goalie. It’s expected he’ll be assigned back to the AHL by the time WBS’s series kicks off on Thursday against Hershey, assuming the NHL Penguins are still alive and kicking by that point.
Crazy good stat about Letang being the first Penguin defenseman to register a playoff GWG in an elimination game since Darius Kasparaitis ‘sniped’ Dominik Hasek in the 2001 series against Buffalo. Wild last game was the first time since back then given all the playoff games played in the Crosby era, though from the hidden stat above there were ‘only’ 10 GWG’s when facing elimination prior to Letang’s goal on Saturday.
Multi-point monsters
Evgeni Malkin had a two-point night in Game 1 to tie Joe Sakic for seventh all-time in NHL playoff history multi-point games. Sidney Crosby still sits solidly in third place after his multi-point last outing in Game 3.
The Buffalo Sabres currently have a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins in their first-round playoff series. The Sabres have won each of their last two games to take this commanding lead, and perhaps the biggest reason for it has been the play of former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Alex Lyon.
After Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started each of the first two games of the series, the Sabres switched to Lyon for Games 3 and 4. This decision has paid off big time, as Lyon has been outstanding for Buffalo since taking over the crease.
In Game 3 against the Bruins, Lyon stopped 24 out of 25 Bruins shots he faced in Buffalo's win. Then, in Game 4, he made 23 saves on 24 shots against Boston.
With his excellent play, Lyon now has a 2-0 record, a .964 save percentage, and a 0.89 goals-against average this postseason. With numbers like these, he has helped the Sabres grab complete control of their series against the Bruins, and they now have a great chance of making it to the second round because of it.
In 36 regular-season games this season with the Sabres, Lyon had a 20-10-4 record, a .907 save percentage, a 2.77 goals-against average, and three shutouts. With this, the former Flyers goalie has been a very good pickup for the Sabres.
UNITED STATES - MAY 26: Basketball: NBA Finals, Philadelphia 76ers Julius Dr, J Erving (6) in action, making dunk vs Portland Trail Blazers, Game 2, Philadelphia, PA 5/26/1977 (Photo by James Drake/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X21496 TK1)
The ABA and the NBA merged in 1976, and one of the big reasons was Julius Erving.
The ABA never really had any national television exposure, but everyone knew who Dr. J was. The afro, the kneepads, the dunks…everyone understood that he was a phenomenon, and that, once the 1976-77 season started, fans would get to see a lot of the Doctor.
He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after the merger, and that team was insane.
Aside from Erving, it had George McGinnis, a ball-dominant power forward, World B. Free, and Darryl Dawkins. They also had Doug Collins, Henry Bibby, Caldwell Jones, and Kobe Bryant’s dad, Joe, but the first four players really were the ones who drew the most attention, although at 6-6, Collins was an unusually tall guard for the day.
Philly got to the NBA Finals, where they met Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers.
That series would be framed as a traditional NBA team vs. one that was more ABA-ish.
Portland ultimately won the championship 4-2, thanks largely to Walton’s exceptional brilliance, but before the series turned, the Sixers were up 2-0, and America got to see Erving’s brilliance up close and personal.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy speaks to the media prior to the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello and happy Monday, folks. Anything big happen over the weekend?
What a whirlwind we’ve gone through in the last few days. Managers being fired, CBOs being pinned for drastic organization changes, questions about which players would be saying what in the clubhouse after Alex Cora’s departure, the works.
But as a way to start moving forward, I pose to you: do you have any initial feelings about interim manager Chad Tracy at this point in time? Hard to judge a guy after exactly one (1) MLB game under his belt as the skipper—tied for the best winning percentage in league history as things stand, by the way—but I’ve heard some great things from those who have played or worked with him.
Not just saying this because I now am covering him: I have never heard a single thing but unbelievable praise for Chad Tracy.
