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'Football 301' on 49ers vs. Seahawks: Brock Purdy and his offensive machine face their biggest test

It's not every day you see a Week 5 matchup as impactful as this week's NFC West clash between the San Francisco 49ers (4-0) and Seattle Seahawks (3-1) on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. With NFC playoff implications and a long-standing rivalry at stake, the stage is set for what Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice aptly dubbed the "Hoss Fight of the Week." Tice and fellow Yahoo analyst Matt Harmon discussed the matchup on this week's episode of the "Football 301” podcast and how they expect the game to play out Sunday.

Coming into this game, the 49ers' offense has looked untouchable. Tice said San Francisco "is tipping the scales in every single stat." The Niners haven't allowed a sack all season, a feat that seems almost fictional in today's NFL. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has his offensive machine humming, QB Brock Purdy is leading the way as "the dot at the top right of every chart right now" thanks to scorching-hot efficiency and command.

The chess match between Shanahan and Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is a heavyweight bout. Seattle's defense, loaded up front, will look to feast if the 49ers stick to what was comfortable. The Niners, meanwhile, might look to stress the boundaries with hard play-action and hope for chunk gains, but Seattle's back end has proven tough.

As Harmon pointed out, San Francisco's lack of elite wide receiver depth could show in this matchup as George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey have carried much of the load this season.

Harmon also highlighted San Francisco's tendency to "get away with it," using its creative playbook to mitigate a lack of star power on the outside. But this, he said, was a week where even the best schemers will be tested by top-level athletes and disciplined execution.

Harmon confidently predicted: "I feel like this is the week that the no sacks taken streak gets broken." Why? The Seahawks' defense is starting to find its groove, especially in the trenches, and this would be the toughest front the Niners have faced this season.

The Seahawks have been one of the league's best against the run, ranking third in running back stuff rate and allowing just 0.5 yards before contact on running back carries. Explosive runs? Nearly non-existent. Pass defense? Even better — only eight explosive passes allowed all season compared to the league average of 18.

The Niners' renowned ground game will be tested, especially with Kyle Juszczyk expected to be out with a knee injury. Tice wonders how Shanahan might adapt, given that Seattle has devoured zone runs this season, allowing just two explosive plays and leading in stuffs against zone concepts. But gap and duo runs offered a glimmer of hope, as Seattle was only average against duo.

A critical subplot involved the Seahawks' near-total embrace of zone coverage: "90% zone rate on all downs, 90% on late downs — the lowest rate of Cover 1 in history," noted Tice. If there's an edge for Shanahan, it might be in leaning on play-action away from those cloud corners, as the Chargers managed a few times.

Harmon dubbed the Seahawks' run offense vs. the 49ers' run defense "movable object versus a stoppable force" as both units have struggled this year. The Seahawks have cycled through running backs with injuries to Zach Charbonnet and George Holani. Emanuel Wilson had flashed some effectiveness, but the team has largely languished near the bottom of the league in efficiency stats.

Seattle might be able to find some explosive runs on the duo concepts that have troubled San Francisco. But would Seattle call enough of them? Gap concepts, jet sweeps and creative use of speedy playmakers like Rashid Shaheed (lined up as a running back for change-of-pace plays) could be the X-factor.

In the passing game, QB Sam Darnold will need to be aggressive, Tice said. The 49ers are vulnerable to chunk plays if you challenge the middle of the field. But Darnold is a high-variance player — sometimes brash enough to make those throws, sometimes a little trigger-happy and error-prone.

Both Tice and Harmon leaned toward the Seahawks pulling this one out, with Harmon predicting Seattle to cover the 3-point spread. "A little more sound sometimes," Tice said of Seattle, noting their discipline and ability to avoid breakdowns. Both hosts agreed: Seattle's defense was at worst the second-best in the league, and the Niners' offense hadn't yet faced a test like this.

But, just as crucially, the Seahawks' offense, though full of questions at running back and right guard, still "do the things you want to do — explosive passes" and, sometimes, that's what it takes to win.

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LeBron James, 76ers' loaded starting 5 play preseason game: Did we learn anything?

NEW YORK — LeBron James, just like always, walked to the scorer’s table.

And, just like always, he picked up the bottle of talcum powder, dusted a tiny bit off to his right and left sides, and then he caked his right hand. It was the same chalk toss, the same staccato claps and the same strut toward center court. The jarring difference, of course, was the bright blue uniform bearing PHILA across the chest.

It’s a new era, indeed.

James made his 76ers debut Thursday, Oct. 8 in Philadelphia’s second preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, in which all five starters played together for the first time in a competitive game. And with that, coach Nick Nurse and the rest of the NBA world caught the first glimpse of the revamped Sixers, who wield arguably the best starting five in the world and who enter the 2026-27 season with massive expectations — championship ones.

And if this first look is indicative of where the 76ers are as a collective, it’s clear there are issues to smooth, like turnovers and slight miscommunications. But it’s undeniable that the offensive structure in place has the potential to ascend to the upper tiers of the league.

How did LeBron James do?

James, for the most part, served as point-forward, facilitating offense and deploying his exceptional vision to whistle passes all over the floor. At this stage of his career, it’s what he does best.

The 76ers missed their first shot of the game, a 14-foot turnaround jumper from Joel Embiid. After that, Philadelphia converted its next 7 field goal attempts. By that point, James had not put up a single shot; he had, however, dished out 3 assists by then.

James made his only shot attempt but drained all 8 free throw attempts to finish with 10 points — second-most among starters and behind All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey’s 14 — 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 turnovers. All 5 assists came in the first quarter.

“It’s a small sample size, and we’re still trying to learn each other on the floor,” James told reporters after the game. “We’re still trying to put each other in the position to be successful and complement each other the best way we can on the floor. But it’s going to take some time.”

When given a crease, James was aggressive in attacking the basket, though everything was under control. He played his game, patiently waited for players to get open.

The luxury Nurse now has is three superb ball-handlers in James, Maxey and shooting guard VJ Edgecombe. Each can initiate actions, though Brown and Embiid are both more than capable of effective spurts of on-ball play.

“Some good, some bad,” Nurse told reporters when asked to characterize the play of his starting unit. “Good to get them out there for the first time. Obviously, it’s kind of what the preseason is for. I think there was some really good things happening right off the bat; some back cuts and good passing, et cetera.

“But then I think there were segments where we turned the ball over a lot, which we can never do. A little clunky in segments, too, but it’s preseason. First time they’re together.”

What 76ers still need to work on

Despite that abundance of creators, turnovers and timing plagued Philadelphia, which committed 14 turnovers in the first half, against only 12 assists on 16 made field goals. For Philadelphia to compete, that figure is way too high, and it turned into 16 Nets points off of those turnovers, seven of which were on Embiid.

They were most often the product of crowded spacing, passes slightly off target, or slight timing misjudgments, all of which should be corrected with time. After all, this group is still learning how to play together, and it’s requiring some players — Brown, chief among them — to adapt to entirely new roles.

Though Embiid, Brown and Edgecombe were on the floor to start the second half, James and Maxey were not. None of the five starters played the fourth quarter as the Nets went on to win 114-108.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Lebron James (23) defends Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle (30) during the first half at Barclays Center.

In the first half, the 76ers made 57.1% of their shots, and it became clear that Nurse wants this group to play with space, looking for outlets on skipahead passes to compromise the opposing transition defense.

If there was any play that flashed the promise of this experiment, it came just minutes into the game.

Maxey brought up the ball and slipped to the right wing before delivering a behind-the-back bounce pass to Embiid, who was at the top of the key. Embiid fielded the pass, but quickly skipped it over to James, who was on the left wing. James carved his way into the lane and zipped a no-look bounce pass to Edgecombe, who was cutting along the baseline: wide open dunk.

It wasn’t even a set play, and all the communication was nonverbal.

“It’s just all a read,” Edcombe said. “When there’s someone like (James) who demands so much gravity and attracts so much attention, I just have to play off him. … We made eye contact, and I went to the rim.”

As long as the Sixers can play like that, fluidly and decisively, with clean passes, they might just live up to their massive expectations.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James, 76ers' loaded starting 5 play preseason game: Did we learn anything?

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Tales From the Island of Misfit Toys: Remembering the Golden Knights’ Inaugural Season with James Neal

Nobody arrives in Las Vegas by accident. Some come chasing a jackpot, some come running from a bad streak, and a few come because there’s simply nowhere left to go. The inaugural Golden Knights were all three: a roster of strangers dealt a fresh hand in a city built on second chances.

With the exception of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, who previously played together in Florida, the inaugural Golden Knights team was one full of strangers in a strange land, a land that had never had a major professional sports team to call its own.

When they arrived in Vegas, those inaugural Golden Knights all had one thing in common: on paper, they were a collection of spare parts that 30 other teams had cast aside and given up on. 

Back in 2017, James Neal jokingly referred to the team as the “Golden Misfits.” But that nickname took on a life of its own, serving as a rallying cry that turned strangers into brothers.

He loves that it’s still in circulation.

“Yeah, I definitely still get a kick out of hearing it,” Neal laughed. “Hearing it just brings back a lot of really good memories of all the guys getting together. [We hadn’t] been in a situation like that ever really… You kind of had a fresh start after coming from a position or a team that wasn’t too fond of you, or you kind of felt like they gave up on you. So it was kind of a fitting name at the time. It was kind of a joke that turned into something where we kind of put our backs against the wall, and went out there, and played for, and became proud of.”

You might not remember this, but the Golden Knights weren’t supposed to be good that year. They were supposed to be pretty bad, actually. Broadcasters and analysts projected that they’d finish as a lottery team. 

“I just went in with an open mind,” Neal said. “I didn’t put any crazy expectations on it; I just wanted to go in and enjoy it. For me, it was a contract year, and it was kind of like, you know, they’re gonna stack up on some older guys, and they’re gonna trade us because we weren’t going to be that good. So there were just a lot of different things going through my mind coming into it.”

Neal was fresh off hand surgery after a tough loss in the Stanley Cup Final, and he couldn’t take part in training camp. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he’d be ready for the first game of the regular season. But when the season began, he was in the lineup.

“I sure am glad that I was healthy enough and ready to go for game one, because it was a fun, fun first game,” said Neal. “ I think those first two games in Dallas and Arizona kind of set the tone for how our season was going to go.”

Of course, Neal didn’t just play in that first game in Dallas. He also scored the Golden Knights’ first goal, cementing his legacy in franchise history and ensuring he’d be the answer to trivia questions for years to come.

“It’s really cool,” he admitted. “It’s definitely something I talk about and joke about to people. It’s something I’m very proud of. In the moment, in the game, you don’t realize how you’re going to look back on things… It was pretty surreal, and a really cool moment. And after I scored that goal, I’ll never forget going back to the bench and just seeing the excitement on the guys’ faces. Guys were just so excited and so fired up, for our team, for us, just for each other.”

The players’ excitement for each other didn’t waver as the year went on. That year, the “Golden Misfits” proved that they were far more than the sum of other teams’ parts. Their regular-season record of 51-24-7 was the best of any NHL expansion team, and it was enough to finish first in the Pacific Division.

Of course, it helped that many of those Misfits enjoyed career years. William Karlsson scored 43 goals, a single-season record that still stands 10 years later. Jonathan Marchessault recorded 75 points. Reilly Smith hit 60 points. And at age 33, Marc-André Fleury recorded 29 wins and an average save percentage of .927, which was, at that time, a career-best. 

“Everyone was so excited for each other,” said Neal.

Neal attributes some of that historic success to Gerard Gallant, the first head coach of the Golden Knights.

“The way he brought us in, and the way we went to practice every day, it was pretty simple,” Neal said. “It was ‘play hard, work hard for each other, and the rest will kind of take care of itself ’… And if you do that, good things are going to happen, for yourself and for your teammates and for your team.”

Neal said he’d always remember the passion with which the city of Las Vegas embraced their first major professional sports team.

“The way the city embraced us, the fan support… And then the rink, going into T-Mobile every night, the place was rocking,” he said. “You couldn’t get more energy and more excitement out of a rink than we did at T-Mobile.

“You didn’t realize how many people were from Las Vegas, didn’t realize how many people were dying for a sports team to root for,” Neal continued. “They were kind of dying to grasp onto a team that was theirs. And for the Golden Knights to be the first team to come there, I think everyone kind of grasped onto us. And then for us to have success and do what we did just kind of made it even better. And we hit the ground running, and it was fun.”

That inaugural season was a whirlwind. It was historic. It was a year of redemption. 

But like Neal kept repeating, most of all– and most importantly– that year was fun. For many of the players, that inaugural season was about falling back in love with the game they played as kids.

“I just remember going to the rink excited every day, going to the rink with a smile on my face, and having fun,” Neal said. “Yeah, it was just a whole different atmosphere. I think guys were used to kind of going to the rink, you know, maybe pissed off or not in the best moods. And it was kind of a complete 180 for everybody.

“It was a special year all around,” he continued. “Everybody just became so close so fast; right from the first get-together, we all went out, had dinner, and kind of got right to it. From the first win all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, it was just an enjoyable year… Every day, we just enjoyed each other.

“And I think if you ask all the guys the same question, what was their favorite year playing hockey, I would say 95% of them would say the first year with Vegas.”

Saturday will be the 10th anniversary of the first Golden Knights home game. To celebrate, they’re going all-out in true Vegas fashion. The Welcome to Impossible Weekend festivities begin at 11 a.m. on Friday with a free autograph session during the team’s practice at City National Arena. 

Fans will also have another chance to get autographs from members of the inaugural team at Fan Fest, which runs from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday before the Golden Knights’ home game against the Los Angeles Kings.

James Neal is one of the players returning to Las Vegas for the festivities. The others? Well, you’ll have to wait and see.

“First off, I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years. That flew by,” Neal chuckled. “I’m just looking forward to coming back and seeing old faces. I know that Turk, our coach, is coming… I was excited to hear that he was coming back because of the role that he played in bringing the guys together right from the start; I was excited to see that. And getting on the group text and shooting guys messages and seeing everybody excited to come back was pretty cool. I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Logan O’Connor Steps Away From Avalanche After Father’s Sudden Death

Logan O’Connor was getting close to returning to the ice. Now, hockey can wait.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that O’Connor’s father, Myles, had died suddenly at age 59. The news came just hours before Colorado was set to face the Calgary Flames.

Myles had played in the NHL himself. A defenseman, he spent time with the New Jersey Devils and the then-Anaheim Mighty Ducks between 1990 and 1994. He appeared in 43 NHL games, recording three goals and four assists.

He continued playing after leaving the NHL, eventually heading to Japan to join the Nippon Paper Cranes. In the 1997-98 season, he had four goals and 11 assists in 31 games.

His son went on to make his own mark in hockey. Logan played at the University of Denver before making his NHL debut with the Avalanche in the 2018-19 season. He was also part of Colorado’s Stanley Cup run in 2022.

Since then, O’Connor has put up 45 goals and 60 assists in 356 regular-season games. Colorado signed him to a six-year extension in September 2024.

He had been working his way back from a lower-body injury and was in contention to make his season debut against Calgary. That return is on hold as he steps away to be with his family.

The Avalanche shared their condolences with O’Connor and his family. The team will look to honor Myles during Thursday’s game.

Colorado lost 3-2 to Winnipeg on Wednesday, despite putting 34 shots on goal to the Jets’ 19. The Flames are next, with less than 24 hours between games.

Colorado has had the better of Calgary lately, winning 12 of their last 15 meetings. Last season, the Avalanche won all three matchups and outscored the Flames 15-4.

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas combined for 14 points in those games. Kadri will face his former team, while Scott Wedgewood is expected to make his first start of the season in goal.

Now the mission is to win one for Myles.

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ALDS Game 4 thread: Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 07: Fans arrive prior to game three of the American League Division Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field on October 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hey folks, if you are doing a full detox from baseball in wake of the Yankees’ ugly elimination last night at the hands of the Rays, I totally get it. However, in case anyone here wants to chat about the one playoff game on tonight, I figured that I would throw a thread up, just in case!

The surprising White Sox lead their ALDS, two games to one, but unlike the Yankees, Cleveland won yesterday to force a Game 4. The aggressive White Sox bullpenning finally hit a wall of sorts, spoiling the fun of the first playoff game on the South Side of Chicago in five years. If the Guardians turn the trick again, we’ll be guaranteed of at least some baseball between now and the start of the Brewers/Dodgers NLCS on Sunday night. Game 5 would be Saturday in Cleveland.

With the Yankees out of it, I’m fully rooting for maximum-length series to squeeze however much competitive baseball I can out of the 2026 season, so go Guards. Either way, I’ll be hoping for a miracle in the ALCS and that one of these underwhelming AL Central teams can pull off an upset over Tampa Bay. A lad can dream!

Today’s Matchup:

American League Division Series Game 4

Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians (CWS leads 2-1)

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

TV: TBS/HBO Max, TruTV, Univision

Venue: Rate Field, Chicago, IL

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SnakePit Post-season GDT, #9

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: The postseason logo is seen prior to game two of the American League Wild Card Series between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

And then there was one… Three of the Division Series finished yesterday. The Brewers and Dodgers both finished off their opponents in four games, and will face off again – as they did last year – starting on Sunday. Milwaukee are 0-3 in NLCS’s: as well as losing to LA in 2026, they did so in 2018, and the Cardinals in 2011. It has been 44 years since the Brewer last World Series appearance: the Pirates (47 years) and the Mariners (never) are the only franchises with a longer pennant drought. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Rays get to chill out until Monday, waiting for whoever prevails betwen the Guardians and White Sox.

If the White Sox win today, there’ll be no baseball until the NLCS kicks off Sunday. So I guess let’s hope for a Guardians victory, so we’ll have something to do over the weekend!

  • Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox (1-2): 5:00 pm, TBS/truTV
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ALDS Game 4 open chat

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 07: Chase Meidroth #10 of the Chicago White Sox and José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians talk during Game Three of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Three of the four Championship Series teams are set, and so far the postseason has gone straight chalk. In the National League, the #1-seeded Brewers and #2 Dodgers will square off for the second straight year. In the American League, the top-ranked Rays are ALCS-bound after sweeping the Yankees, to everyone’s delight. The Rays will wait to find out what opponent they’ll face, which could be decided tonight as the #6-seeded White Sox have the chance to crash the party of top-ranked teams.

Guardians at White Sox, 8:00 PM (TBS/HBO Max) — White Sox lead 2-1

LHP Parker Messick (CLE) vs. LHP Hagen Smith (CWS)

The White Sox failed to sweep the series yesterday, as the Guardians’ offense erupted for nine runs — four more than any other team has scored in the Division Series round — to keep Cleveland’s hopes alive for another day. As you might have heard, it’s been a minute since the White Sox clinched a playoff series at home. To be precise, it’s been 120 years, since the 1906 White Sox won the World Series over the crosstown Cubs at South Side Park. That was before there was televised baseball. Or televised anything. You could only keep up with sports or current events by reading something called a newspaper. Truly wild times.

Anyway, the White Sox have another chance to end that drought tonight. As has been their custom in this postseason, they’re just going to cobble together a bullpen game instead of using a real starting pitcher. The White Sox have used an opener in five of their six playoff games so far, including this one, where rookie lefty Hagen Smith will do the opening honors for the third time. He has pitched 5.2 scoreless innings in his two previous outings as an opener this postseason, so it seems to be working.

The Guardians, by contrast, have a strong starting rotation, and none are stronger than tonight’s hurler, Parker Messick. The 25-year-old lefty was an All-Star this season, going 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts. In his Game 1 outing against the White Sox, though, he labored for 87 pitches in 4.1 innings and gave up two runs in a Guardians shutout loss.

I don’t have a strong preference for who wins this series. I suppose it would be nice for the White Sox to finally celebrate a postseason series win at home after all this time, but if they do, that means we won’t have any more baseball until Sunday. If the Guardians win today, it’ll force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Cleveland on Saturday.

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Thursday Guardians @ White Sox ALDS Game

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 27: General view of the Southside sign as the downtown skyline is visible before an MLB game between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox on July 27, 2025 at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Game four of the Guardians/White Sox series. White Sox are up two games to one. They win, they take on the Rays.

Lineups:

Today’s Lineups

GUARDIANSWHITE SOX
Steven Kwan – CFChase Meidroth – 2B
Jose Ramirez – 3BRandal Grichuk – LF
Chase DeLauter – RFMiguel Vargas – 3B
Jo Adell – DHMunetaka Murakami – 1B
Nathaniel Lowe – 1BTommy Pham – DH
Angel Martinez – LFBrenton Doyle – CF
Travis Bazzana – 2BKyle Teel – C
Austin Hedges – CBraden Montgomery – RF
Brayan Rocchio – SSColson Montgomery – SS
Parker Messick – LHPErick Fedde – RHP

The MLB wants to cut the season to a 154 games in the future.

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Wild's Olli Maatta A Late Scratch With A Lower-Body Injury; David Spacek Takes His Place

The injury bug continues to plague the Minnesota Wild, with Olli Maatta joining Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, and Nick Foligno on the injured list.

The Wild PR revealed that Maatta would miss tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a lower-body injury, just half an hour before puck drop.

In three games this season, Maatta has recorded one assist and is averaging the team's third-most ice time at 21:22.

David Spacek is entering the lineup for the Wild in place of the injured Maatta. The 23-year-old defenseman is making his season debut tonight and is dressing in just his third career NHL game.

Spacek played both of his NHL games in January 2026. In those games, Spacek failed to record any points and averaged 10:45 of ice time. 

Spacek has spent the last three seasons with the Iowa Wild in the AHL. Last season, Spacek scored seven goals and tallied 36 points in 59 games. In the pre-season, Spacek beat out Carson Lambos for a roster spot.

At six feet, 174 pounds, Spacek is a confident defender who excels with the puck on his stick. Drafted by the Wild in the fifth round (153rd overall) in 2022, Spacek has been a great developmental story and now has the chance to make his mark in the NHL. 

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It’s time for Preseason Basketball: San Antonio Spurs vs Atlanta Hawks

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs walks on the court during a break in the first half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.

After the Spurs lost in the NBA Finals to the Knicks, it’s been a long, cruel summer with no Spurs basketball, and that comes to an end tonight. It’s only preseason, but it’s great to see the Silver and Black in action again. The final score won’t count tonight, so it’s going to be interesting to see the Spurs try to run it back with mostly the same lineup, with the major additions being Jayden Quantance1, Tobias Harris2, and Tarris Reed3.

That’s not counting the internal growth of the squad. Dylan Harper is poised for an incredible sophomore season after a rookie season where he became one of the best performers on the team during the playoff run. Stephon Castle has been working on his game in the offseason and we could see the results early this season, if not tonight. Carter Bryant looked lost at the start of the season, but he sh0wed a lot of promise towards the end of the season. This season could see that promise develop into production. And Victor Wembanyama is always amazing to watch, and he’s just getting started, as he will take another leap in both the physical and mental parts of his game. David Jones Garcia, who is on a 2 way contract, is returning to health after missing most of last year and could have a breakout season as he looks for a bigger role on the Spurs.

The veterans can’t be overlooked, De’Aaron Fox looks to be in the best shape to start a season since he joined the Spurs, and Luke Kornet could become more active on offense under Billy Donovan’s tutelage. Devin Vassell had his best season in 2025-2026, and Julian Champagnie is a key component on both the offense and defense. Keldon Johnson has trimmed down a bit over the summer, and it’ll be interesting to see how well that will affect his game in the new season after a somewhat disappointing playoff run for him.

Tonight starts the DAZN era. I’m not happy about having to pay for another streaming service, but there’s already a positive. In past seasons, it was really hard to find preseason broadcasts, but that’s not the case with DAZN, because they will be showing all five preseason contests live. They’re going to be the main broadcaster for all of the games that aren’t on national TV or one of the other streaming services, so that’s something to consider if you’re a fan that likes watching games live and you’re not on a pirate ship. If you are, don’t tell me.

  1. [Unavailable until some time in 2027]
  2. [Unavailable for preseason]
  3. [Available tonight]

Game Prediction:

Carter Bryant gets a little too excited in warmups and jumps over the backboard during shootaround.

San Antonio Spurs vs Atlanta Hawks (Preseason)
October 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: DAZN, League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

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ALDS Thursday open thread

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 03: Parker Messick #77 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after pitching against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in game one of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The number of playoff teams is dwindling.

Tonight, the Chicago White host the Cleveland Guardians in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series. It is the only remaining Divisional Series in the playoffs as the other three have concluded, including two last night.

The first team to advance to the League Championship Series was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who easily dispatched the Atlanta Braves in four games. Yesterday, the Rays completed their sweep of the Yankees as the Brewers knocked off the Padres.

The NLCS is set: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers.

The Tampa Bay Rays await the winner of the Cleveland-Chicago series. Chicago jumped to a two-games-to-nothing lead before Cleveland won 9-3 yesterday to live another day.

That day is today.

The White Sox will send out lefty Hagen Smith to open against the Guardians. Smith, the former No. 5 pick, went 3-3 during the regular season over 18 appearances that included one start. Smith pitched 2/3 of an inning yesterday while allowing one hit, two walks, and one earned run while striking out one batter.

Cleveland’s going with Parker Messick, another southpaw. Messick pitched 186-and-1/3 innings this season while finishing 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, and 3.07 FIP. He struck out 193 batters while walking 51. The first-time All Star finished with a 6.3 bWAR.

He didn’t fare so well in the first game of this series five days ago as he took the loss as he pitched only 4-and-1/3 innings while giving up four hits, two walks, and two earned runs while striking out six.

Let’s get to the lineups, Cleveland first:

Now, for the White Sox:

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ALDS GAME FOUR: GUARDIANS AT WHITE SOX, Smith vs. Messick, discussion

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 25: Austin Hedges #27 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

This what they call a must-win game.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the White Sox lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

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MLB Division Series 2026 discussion thread: Day 6

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 07: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting an RBI triple against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on October 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The League Championship Series matchups are almost set.

Wednesday saw the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers move on in the National League, while the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees in the American League. Now, all eyes turn to Chicago, where the Cleveland Guardians — who won 9-3 yesterday — try to even the series against the White Sox to force Game 5 on Saturday.

Now, let’s get to the details.

Cleveland Guardians (0-2) at Chicago White Sox (2-0) — 6:00 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: LHP Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) vs. LHP Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA)

TV: TBS/HBO Max

SB Nation Sites:Southside Sox, Covering the Corner

Lineups:

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Dodgers-Brewers NLCS schedule announced –– with another inconvenient weekday start time

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A packed American Family Field filled with cheering fans during a game, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates on the podium after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium

Major League Baseball on Thursday announced start times and broadcast schedules for the National League Championship Series.

And, for a second straight series, Dodgers fans were greeted with an inconvenient weekday first pitch.

While Game 1 of the team’s NLCS rematch against the Brewers will kick off at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday from American Family Field in Milwaukee, Game 2 on Monday will begin at 2 p.m. local time in Los Angeles –– similar to the late-afternoon weekday starts the Dodgers had in Games 3 and 4 of their NL Division Series defeat of the Braves this week.

Major League Baseball on Thursday announced start times and broadcast schedules for the National League Championship Series. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Every other game of the NLCS will be at night on the West Coast.

The series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 (Wednesday at 5 p.m.), Game 4 (Thursday at 6 p.m.) and Game 5 (Friday at 6 p.m.).

Game 6 (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.) and Game 7 (Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.) will be back in Milwaukee, if necessary.

All games will be on Fox or FS1.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts celebrates on the podium after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dodgers swept the Brewers at this stage in last year’s playoffs, propelling them to a second straight NL pennant en route to a second straight World Series title.

This year, the club is trying to complete the first NL pennant three-peat since the St. Louis Cardinals of 1942-44 and the first World Series three-peat by an NL team in baseball history.

Here is the full schedule for the NLCS:

Game 1, Sunday: 5 p.m. PT, Fox in Milwaukee

Game 2, Monday: 2 p.m. PT, Fox/FS1 in Milwaukee

Game 3, Wednesday: 5 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 4, Thursday: 6 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 5*, Friday, Oct. 16: 6 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 6*, Sunday, Oct. 18: 5 p.m. PT, FS1 in Milwaukee

Game 7*, Monday, Oct. 19: 5 p.m. PT, Fox/FS1 in Milwaukee

*if necessary

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Postseason / ALDS Game 4 chat and discussion, October 8

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 26: Luisangel Acuña #0 of the Chicago White Sox rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the third inning during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Good evening, y’all.

At this time yesterday, I had posted something along the lines of “can we borrow some runs @/guardians”, because our game was deadlocked and Cleveland was well on their way to the 9-3 final score against the Chicago White Sox to stave off their elimination.

Must be fun to score a lot. I’m not bitter, who said that?

Following our LDS exit, the Yankees and Padres quickly followed suit.

Max Fried was charged with the loss with four runs given up to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees very nearly tied the game with a potential two-run homer off the bat of Anthony Volpe. But an umpire review and spectator interference ruling only allowed one run to score… and that was the difference. Yes, that’s Frenchy in the booth. Absolutely unreal way to lose.

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the Padres, but that solo shot was all the Padres would manage in Milwaukee.

The last piece of the League Championship Series could fall into place tonight. The White Sox will take another shot at clinching at home at Rate Field tonight at 8 pm ET. Braves menace Parker Messick will get the ball for Cleveland, opposed by reliever Hagen Smith for Chicago.

The comments are yours for the ALDS, post-elimination clarity, or anything else on your mind. Go forth and opine / reflect / GIF to your heart’s content, baseball sickos. I say that with love, as I am one of you.