Gkolomeev pipped McEvoy’s legal WR by only 0.07s
‘Missile’ Magnussen finished last in both freestyle races
Australian world record-breaking swimmer Cam McEvoy has had a clear dig at the inaugural Enhanced Games.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev went under McEvoy’s 50m freestyle world record time at the Games, held on Monday in Las Vegas.
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The San Antonio Spurs weren’t fooling around on Sunday, and really took it to Jared McCain and the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-82.
After his tremendous performance Friday, where he lit San Antonio up with 24 points, McCain got just 4 Sunday night, and shot just 1-10 overall.
Despite the big win, Mason Plumlee again got a DNP for the Spurs.
With the win, San Antonio ties the series, 2-2.
On Monday, the New York Knicks get a chance to close out Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game time is 8:00 p.m.
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson’s honesty and transparency are among his best attributes. He’s always going to tell you the truth, which is different than most coaches who give trite answers that mean very little.
That honesty, though appreciated by me, might not always be welcomed by everyone. Especially when his group is down 3-0 to a New York Knicks team that has simply been better.
After practice on Sunday, Atkinson shared that his players gave him numerous reasons to believe that they could win Game 4. When asked what his reasoning would be, he pointed to the numbers.
“Analytically … we’ve won two out of three.”
On its surface, that’s a rough quote. There’s no way around that.
Yet, if you listen to the whole quote within its context, and the question that led up to it, it makes much more sense. He’s asked why he would believe they can win one game. He’s not making excuses for them being down.
Reporter: “What’s your answer to your own question (why you believe the Cavs could win the next game)?”
Atkinson: “We’ve had success against this team before. We’ve had really good moments in this series, up 20 in Game 1. Even Game 2, take that run out from the beginning of the third quarter and it’s pretty tight.
“I think analytically, think we’ve won the … I said three out of three (after Game 3), we’re two out of three, in the expected wins. I don’t know if you guys follow that, the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.
“I know you’re looking at me confused, but there is really… if you believe in process and all that, … Take that layer. I know I don’t throw that on them. I see it for myself. We have this feeling, I have this feeling, then I can go to our analytical table.
“Last night, our expected score was like one point or two, us shooting way below expected. Them shooting way over. I know no one wants to hear that. I think you guys like it. I know the general public, no one wants that. Everyone is outcome-based. Sure, I get that too.”
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Mark Price shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Analytics can be an easy punching bag, especially when what happens on the court goes against what the numbers suggest. But it’s important to remember that analytics are just stats. And stats are tangible facts that come from the game. It’d be stupid not to use those facts as a coach.
Anyone who works in an analytics department for an NBA team will tell you that the results in a single game or series could go against longer trends. Usually, the numbers will even out over a long enough stretch, but playoff series are sprints, not marathons.
The Cavs have, in fact, been on the wrong side of the numbers game so far in this series.
New York has sometimes dared Cleveland’s best shooters to beat them from deep, and they haven’t been able to make them pay. So much so that Knicks head coach Mike Brown said that his team was “lucky” that Cleveland had been missing good looks before Game 3.
These misses have cost the Cavs games and a chance to be competitive in the series.
As a coach, all you can do is instill confidence in your group and make sure the process is correct. After all, Atkinson isn’t able to come off the bench and start knocking down open looks himself.
Delivering a message to his team that they should stick with what they’re doing is reasonable. They aren’t going to radically change who they are overnight, especially against a Knicks team that is selling out to stop rolls to the basket and anything inside the paint. If the outside shots start falling, they might be able to win a game and send this series back to New York.
At the same time, when these comments are said to the public, they come across as arrogant and detached from reality. It’s what someone would say if they want to keep their job and shift the blame to others while also discrediting their opponent.
I’ve been around Atkinson long enough to believe that his intentions weren’t to do so. He’s honest to a fault with reporters. And it’s understandable to think that his good three-point shooters will eventually start knocking down open looks.
We’ll see if the Cavs can do so in Game 4. If they don’t, their season could come to an unceremonious close in a series they actually lost in four games.
Player: Egor Chinakhov
Born: February 1, 2001 (Age 24/25 season)
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 203 pounds
Hometown: Omsk, Russia
Shoots: Left
Draft: 2020 first round (21st overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets
2025-26 Statistics: 72 games played, 21 goals, 21 assists = 42 points (w/ Penguins: 43 games played, 18 goals, 18 assists=36 points); 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists in playoffs.
Contract Status: Just completed a two-year contract originally signed with Columbus. Set to become a restricted free agent and is arbitration eligible.
For reference when looking at Chinakhov’s monthly splits for this season, he was acquired by the Penguins on December 29th from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and made his Penguins debut on January 1st. Knowing that removes any confusion about what stats belong with Columbus and which with Pittsburgh.
While he didn’t score in his debut with the Penguins on New Years Day, he didn’t wait long to make an impact with his new team, scoring in his second game just two nights later in Detroit, then adding another five in January and becoming one of the Penguins most valuable players in the second half of the season.
March was a make or break month for the Penguins playoff hopes, and they faced a daunting schedule without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for lengthy portions. That is exactly when the Penguins needed their depth to step up and Chinakhov held up his end of the bargain, scoring six goals and recording 15 points in 17 games to help keep the Penguins afloat during the crucial stretch.
When a player is described as needing a fresh start or a change of scenery, it’s often deployed as just a nice way of saying that specific player isn’t very good. Since Kyle Dubas took over the Penguins front office, he has brought in a few names that have been labeled in that fashion and the results have been mostly as expected with those players.
Then there is Egor Chinakhov.
Brought over from Columbus just before the new year, Chinakhov carried the “change of scenery” moniker as a former first round pick who was struggling mightily with the Blue Jackets, recording just three goals and three assists through the first 29 games of the season. It was a high price for Dubas to pay for Chinakhov, sending over a second and third round pick plus Danton Heinen to Columbus, but the pay off was well worth the cost.
Chinakhov joined the Penguins at a critical juncture of their season, coming off a December that saw them go 5-5-4 and lose eight straight at one point, including a slew of embarrassing meltdowns that resulted in several blown multi-goal leads.
Although Chinakhov didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until around the midway point of the 2025-26 season, his impact was felt the rest of the way. After making his Penguins debut on New Years Day, he scored nine goals in his first 20 games with the team leading into the Olympic break and helped them post a 12-3-3 in that same span, putting an ugly December behind them and giving them momentum for the home stretch once the season resumed.
Coming out of the break, the Penguins were sitting in a playoff spot but facing a daunting March slate and missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Like many of his teammates, Chinakhov stepped up with an outstanding performance throughout this stretch, recording 15 points across 17 games that solidified the Penguins as a playoff team.
In total with the Penguins in 2025-26, Chinakhov played in 43 games, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points. That works out to a .84 points per game pace over an 82 game season and a massive improvement over his time with the Blue Jackets where he was at just a .21 PPG pace.
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
Corsi For%: 49.1% (10th)
Goals For%: 59.7% (2nd)
xGF%: 49.5% (16th)
Scoring Chance %: 48.8% (15th)
High Danger Scoring Chance%: 49.0% (18th)
5v5 on-ice shooting%: 13.4% (2nd)
On-ice save%: .909% (6th)
Goals/60: 1.72 (2nd)
Assist/60: 1.29 (6th)
Points/60: 3.01 (1st)
One thing Egor Chinakhov does very well is put the puck in the net. His shot speaks for itself and Penguins fans saw first hand just how lethal he is when the puck is on his stick. Chinakhov does not create many high danger opportunities on the ice but he doesn’t need to when he can shoot the puck as well as he does.
Chinakhov ranked second in both GF% and G/60, but the only players above him in those catrgories were Filip Hallander and Avery Hayes respectively, both who played significantly less minutes this season than Chinakhov. He was the only Penguins player to top a P/60 of three this season, and even though that number is isolated to his time with the Penguins and does not account for him time in Columbus, that gives him the fourth best P/60 in the entire league this season when just looking at his second half.
Via Advanced Hockey Stats and NHL Edge
Chinakhov is an offensive weapon. His shot enables him to look very good on goals and finishing, it’s going to be exciting to see a full season’s worth of data next year with him in a scoring line role surrounded by players who can get the puck to him. Figuring out how to get a spot or role on the power play ought to be a top off-season coaching priority for Dan Muse to ponder to unlock even more from Chinakhov’s game to help the team.
Chinakhov’s shot is otherworldly, and his speed is right there to boot. Those are scarce skills to combine a shot like that on a player who can move as fast. Maybe Chinakhov is the long awaited good karma the Penguins were due for Konstantin Koltsov, a player with all the speed in the world, but cursed with cinder blocks at the end of each arm where his hands should have been.
The wildest part about the shot metrics are how many wrist/snap shots Chinakhov takes. He has almost unmatched velocity and often can release these just as quickly. As long as they’re on target, goalies don’t stand a chance against this type of power. Interestingly enough, however, according to NHL Edge, Chinakhov did not score a goal on any of his 10 hardest shots of the season.
The speed bursts and acceleration that Chinakhov regularly displays is just absurd. It’s one trait besides his shot that really makes him stand out on the ice and there were several instances this season where his speed caught defenders flat footed and created chances for the Penguins.
What will Chinakhov’s next contract look like?
There is little reason to believe Chinakhov won’t be in a Penguins uniform next season, but he will need a new deal this summer since he is a pending restricted free agent. He made $2.1 million against the cap on his last deal that was signed with Columbus and he has surely done enough to warrant a pay raise on this deal. How much of a pay raise remains to be seen but given the Penguins cap space it won’t be any issue for them to take on.
Besides money, the other question regarding Chinakhov’s new deal will be length and that’s where more of the risk comes into play. Perhaps Dubas has seen enough and is convinced Chinakhov can live up to his first round billing and will feel confident in giving him a long term deal to remain in Pittsburgh. On the flip side, maybe Dubas is more interested in a bridge deal as a “prove it” challenge for Chinakhov. It will be interesting to see how this plays out between the front office and the player this summer.
Bonus question: What is Chinakhov’s ceiling as a player?
After coming over from Columbus in Decemeber, Chinakhov was an absolute offensive force for the Penguins. His numbers in Pittsburgh spread out across a full NHL schedule work out to roughly 35 goals and 70 points. That puts him in company with players like Adrian Kempe, Brandon Hagel, and fellow pending RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. Those are some pretty good comparables and the Penguins will be thrilled to have Chinakhov post those type of numbers.
It almost feels like we are putting blinders on when we only look at his work with the Penguins and ignore how bad he was in Columbus, but that team was a complete disaster until their midseason coaching change so it’s hard to know exactly what to make of that.
Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but given how good Chinakhov looked in the Penguins system, it doesn’t feel like that much of a stretch to think he could be a centerpiece for the Penguins future both in the short and long term.
Taking his 43 game sample size with the Penguins from this past season and extrapolating it over the course of 84 games is the ideal scenario for Chinakhov next season. He’s more than earned a top-six role and as long as he’s playing with guys who can get the puck on his stick he can do the rest with his speed and shooting ability.
His own playmaking ability gets overshadowed by his lethal shot, but in his time with the Penguins this season he showed that he was more than capable of dishing the puck just as well. Getting him looks from his teammates combined with setting up chances for his teammates will go a long way towards the Penguins success in 2026-27.
One major focus for the Penguins this offseason involving Chinakhov will be figuring out a way to get him more power play time, ideally by getting him a permanent spot on the top unit with the likes of Crosby and Karlsson. Simply having his shot lingering as a threat should be enough to open up opportunities for others on the ice, but knowing he needs little space to get shots on net at even strength, the extra space on the man advantage could turn him into even more of a weapon and fully unleash his game.
There’s no question about it, Egor Chinakhov has been one of the more important and impactful acquisitions by Kyle Dubas since he came to Pittsburgh. From a healthy scratch in Columbus to a top-six mainstay with the Penguins, Chinakhov shattered whatever expectations anyone had of him when he was acquired.
It didn’t take long for his game to blossom in the Penguins system and it has everyone wondering what exactly the Blue Jackets were doing that they failed to unleash the player we were watching on a nightly basis. His shot is lethal, he can skate by you in a flash, and he has playmaking ability that the Penguins were sorely lacking in years past. Every shot he takes feels like a rocket coming off his stick, and more than once did he score where no one was actually sure the puck went in the net or not.
There is a new deal to iron out this summer between the Penguins and Chinakhov and it’s a deal he certainly earned with his play once the Penguins traded for him in December. If he can continue to develop and be the player we saw in the second half of the season, then it’s a safe bet he’ll have a home in Pittsburgh for many years to come.
A.
It’s fair to say the Penguins probably don’t survive that March stretch without Chinakhov playing at the level he did. With Crosby battling injury and Malkin either being suspended or injured himself, the Penguins needed players to step up and Chinakhov was one who did on almost a nightly basis.
Even outside of that March stretch, it was clear Chinakhov brought something to the Penguins that they did not have on the roster before he arrived and helped take an already good offense and make it that much better. Working closely with fellow Russian Malkin seems to have unlocked something in Chinakhov that remained buried during his time in Columbus.
If there was one knock on Chinakhov from this season it’s his performance in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first taste of playoff hockey, he put up a goose egg in all offensive categories over the six games. It wasn’t even that his process in those games was bad he just could not buy a goal and the Penguins were desperately in need of some.
All in all though, not much to complain about from Chinakhov in his first stint with the Penguins. He’s an exciting player who revitalized his career and has the makings of a player who could be a very important piece in what Kyle Dubas is trying to build in Pittsburgh.
Here are your links for today:
An illuminating conversation with Brenden Dillon:
“There have been conflicting reports about Simon Nemec and whether he requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Regardless, I think there is a very real chance Sunny Mehta trades Nemec this summer – and rightfully so. The 22-year-old is a flawed player and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations that come with being selected 2nd overall in the draft.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among them is improving the team’s depth on defense and up front. One model he could look to is what Kyle Dubas has done as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM over the last year and change.” [Devils on the Rush]
A bit of a stunning result in the Western Conference Final:
We are tied in the Eastern Conference Final:
“There are still teams with significant raises for top players kicking in next year, along with other key unrestricted and restricted free agents who will demand more expensive contracts. The combination of those forces will leave a few organizations without the requisite cap space to bring everybody back.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
The most infuriating things, including mayhem at set pieces, daft jerseys and a largely ignored video game
You will almost certainly be aware that there have been a load of set-piece goals this season, and an extraordinary proliferation of long throws. At times the self-styled greatest league in the world has drowned in a torrent of guileless ball-flinging.
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Kentucky Basketball received major offseason news when Malachi Moreno officially announced his return to Lexington on Sunday, giving Mark Pope and his staff one less NBA Draft decision to monitor.
Moreno had recently started appearing in several mock drafts as a late first-round or early second-round projection after receiving strong feedback during the pre-draft process.
Now, Kentucky fans will turn their attention toward Iowa State transfer forward Milan Momcilovic, along with Wildcats Jayden Quaintance and Otega Oweh.
ESPN — Jeremy Woo
No. 20 overall to the San Antonio Spurs
Yahoo! Sports — Kevin O’Connor
No. 24 overall to the New York Knicks
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman
No. 15 overall to the Chicago Bulls
CBS Sports — Adam Finkelstein
No. 15 overall to the Chicago Bulls
CBS Sports — Isaac Trotter
No. 14 overall to the Charlotte Hornets
Despite playing only four games at Kentucky because of lingering recovery from a previous ACL injury, Quaintance continues to receive strong first-round projections because of his elite defensive upside and physical tools.
Woo called Quaintance “one of the biggest wild-card picks in this class” while noting teams are still monitoring the health of his knee. However, NBA teams remain intrigued by his 7-foot-5¼ wingspan, defensive instincts, mobility, and long-term upside.
O’Connor highlighted Quaintance’s ability to block shots and move fluidly at his size, while Wasserman noted that his draft range could vary greatly because of the uncertainty surrounding his health and development.
Finkelstein added that Quaintance “checks those boxes better than anyone left on the board” when discussing his size, athleticism, and defensive impact.
ESPN — Jeremy Woo
No. 38 overall to the Chicago Bulls
Yahoo! Sports — Kevin O’Connor
No. 43 overall to the Brooklyn Nets
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman
No. 40 overall to the Boston Celtics
One of Kentucky’s top remaining transfer portal targets, Milan Momcilovic continues to draw steady NBA Draft attention while testing the waters.
Momcilovic is widely viewed as one of the best shooters currently available in the draft after shooting nearly 49% from three-point range last season at Iowa State.
O’Connor praised Momcilovic’s elite shooting ability while noting concerns about his athleticism, rebounding, and shot creation. Wasserman added that teams will likely view Momcilovic as a valuable specialist because of his ability to consistently space the floor at 6-foot-8.
Should Momcilovic ultimately withdraw from the draft, Kentucky is expected to remain heavily involved in his recruitment.
Yahoo! Sports — Kevin O’Connor
No. 53 overall to the Houston Rockets
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman
No. 49 overall to the Denver Nuggets
ESPN — Jeremy Woo
Undrafted
Kentucky guard Otega Oweh continues appearing primarily as a second-round projection after his two seasons in Lexington.
O’Connor highlighted Oweh’s 35-point performance against Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament while praising his slashing ability, physical frame, connective passing, and defensive versatility.
Wasserman noted that Oweh’s expanded offensive role at Kentucky helped revive his NBA Draft stock late in the season. Although evaluators still question whether he possesses a true specialty skill offensively, his versatility and athleticism continue to make him an intriguing developmental prospect.
With Moreno officially returning, Kentucky fans now wait to see if Momcilovic will remain in the draft or ultimately head back to college basketball before the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline on Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. ET.
The league has been awash with youthful talent, led by a Manchester City converted midfielder who is already filling his medal cabinet
There have never been as many good young players in the world as there are now, so we have limited this list to those aged 21 and under at the time of writing. And, though both are extremely good, neither Max Dowman nor Rio Ngumoha has played enough to be considered this season – though it seems unlikely either will be missing from the selection a year hence.
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Nine years ago today, Chris Kunitz scored one of the most memorable goals in Pittsburgh Penguins history with a double overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.
The Penguins were looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017 after beating the Sharks to win the title in 2016.
Pittsburgh bullied their way past the Blue Jackets and won a second-round matchup against the Capitals for a second straight season, earning a spot in the Eastern Conference Final for the fifth time in ten seasons.
The Ottawa Senators and their defensive way of stifling offense gave Pittsburgh fits throughout the series, holding the Penguins to three goals for the first three games.
The Penguins managed to battle through the slog, winning Game 4 and Game 5 to put the Senators on the brink of elimination.
Ottawa held serve at home, sending things back to Pittsburgh for a series-deciding Game 7.
Chris Kunitz opened the scoring, but Mark Stone quickly equalized.
Justin Schultz gave the Penguins a third period lead, but again, the Senators wouldn’t go away as Ryan Dzingel tied the game 2-2.
Overtime was up next, followed by a second overtime period.
Then came one of Chris Kunitz’s career-defining moments.
The Penguins were headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time since 2008.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has discovered a new lease of life in Yorkshire while Adrien Truffert made a big impression
Considering the cost of signing elite Premier League strikers, Calvert-Lewin deserves a spot because he cost absolutely nothing. Plenty played a part in other clubs deciding the centre-forward was not for them after leaving Everton; his injury and goalscoring record left plenty to be desired but everyone knew what was available, if a club could get him fit. Still only 29, Calvert-Lewin wanted a change of scenery and has proved plenty wrong by missing only three Premier League games all season and producing the goals that have gone a long way to keeping his side in the Premier League – scoring seven in six games at the end of 2025 – and earning a first England call in five years along the way. “For me, he is one of the best English strikers in this league,” Daniel Farke said. “Harry Kane is playing in Germany for Bayern Munich, but in the Premier League, he is definitely one of the best English strikers and he will be a key player for us going forward.”
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The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are in full swing and for the 2nd straight season, the Celtics are not participating. That is the first time that has happened in consecutive seasons since 2015 and 2016.
NBA Final Four History (Conference Finalists Since 2017) pic.twitter.com/TIl5DnveHv
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 18, 2026
That is a lot of Celtics logos.
I decided to look back at those series, how the Celtics got there and what we were feeling as fans afterwards.
2017: Cavaliers 4, Celtics 1
After the Celtics beat the Bulls and Wizards to advance to the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals (long live the Kelly Olynyk Game) they were set up to play LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The series started and it became very clear that the Celtics were just overmatched by the Cavaliers. After losing Game 1 by 13 points, Cleveland humiliated Boston by 44 points in Game 2, 130-86.
Isaiah Thomas would miss the final three games of the series. After he led the Celtics all the way to the conference finals with his huge scoring games and clutch 4th quarters, this series made it clear the Celtics had a ceiling on them with Thomas as their best player.
The Celtics would comeback from 21 points down and win Game 3 behind 27 points from Marcus Smart, 20 points from Avery Bradley and a perfect 4/4 shooting from Jonas Jerebko. It was Bradley’s game winner that won the day for Boston.
— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) May 20, 2026
42 points from Kyrie Irving in Game 4 would put Cleveland up 3-1 and Boston’s season would end with a 33-point loss on their home floor. The 2017 Eastern Conference Finals was a sour ending to a great season. The Isaiah Thomas led-Celtics are fondly remembered by all but at the end of the day, it became clear that Boston just could not compete with the best the NBA had to offer with the roster they had.
2018: Cavaliers 4, Celtics 3
Nothing like reliving a Game 7 loss at TD Garden.
After big offseason additions Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving were both lost for the season due to injuries, many doubted the Celtics ability to make a deep playoff run. Then, the playoffs started and after the Celtics took out the Bucks in 7 and the 76ers in 5, it was clear that this Celtics group needed to stop being underestimated.
Double digit wins in Games 1 and 2 proved that this group was ready to make the Finals. 23 points from Jaylen Brown in both contests played a big part in Boston taking a 2-0 series lead.
Then the series shifted back to Cleveland and a 30-point Cavaliers win had Cleveland right back in the series. The Celtics battled hard in Game 4 but just couldn’t break through as LeBron’s 42 points evened the series at two games apiece.
After a Game 5 Celtics win behind 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists from Jayson Tatum, the Cavaliers would force a Game 7 back in Boston behind 46 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists from James in Game 6.
Another Game 7 masterpiece from LeBron James hurts, but the Celtics lost that Game 7 because Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris combined for 12/56 (21%) from the field and 5/32 (16% from three). That game is remembered for the Tatum dunk on LeBron, but the Celtics lost the game and only scored 79 points in the process.
In case it wasn’t clear, this game still bothers me.
There was a lot of hope after this series. Sure the Celtics lost, but LeBron had went west to the Lakers and the Celtics had Irving and Hayward returning to a team that was a win away from the Finals. We know what happened next.
2020: Heat 4, Celtics 2
After the disaster 2018-19 season, the Celtics roster saw a lot of turnover, losing a bunch of key players from the 2018 team while signing Kemba Walker to a max contract.
After the 2019-20 season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA resumed their season in the Orlando bubble where they would also host the playoffs. After sweeping the Sixers in Round 1 and winning a classic seven-game series against the Raptors in Round 2, Boston was set to face off against the Miami Heat in the conference finals.
Game 1 was a a tough one for the Celtics in which they blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Tatum had a look to win it at the end of regulation, but it came up short. The play that defined this series came in overtime as Bam Adebayo blocked Tatum’s dunk attempt that would have tied the game and Miami took a 1-0 series lead.
The Celtics couldn’t muster enough offense in Game 2 and fell behind 2-0. Game 3 saw the return of Gordon Hayward who had been out a month with a sprained ankle missing all but one playoff game in the process. The Celtics would win that game behind 25 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists from Jayson Tatum, but Game 4 was where Boston officially watched their season slip away.
37 points from rookie Tyler Herro along with 20+ for Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic put Miami up 3-1. The Celtics fought to try and steal the game but they ran out of time, losing 112-109. Boston would win Game 5 forcing a Game 6, but that is where the Celtics season ended as 32 Adebayo points and 22 Butler points beat Boston.
The 2020 season hurts because I do believe that the Celtics had a legit shot to win the title. Not saying they would have beaten the Lakers — in fact, I would say they probably would have lost that series — but the 2020 Celtics were really good and had a real shot to win that title.
2022: Celtics 4, Heat 3
The 2021-22 season got off to a nightmare start for the Celtics as they started 18-21. They then flipped the season around finishing 51-31 and 2nd in the East. After sweeping the Nets and winning a seven-game slugfest against the Bucks. Boston met the Heat in the conference final again.
Game 1 was a Miami win that saw Jimmy Butler score 41 points. That was followed by Game 2 which was a dominant Celtics win by 25 points.
Then, the series shifted back to Boston for Game 3 and the Celtics lost a heartbreaker in which Butler left the game and Jaylen Brown scored 40 points. It was a game the Celtics should have won but they lost (how many of those have we seen?) However, it did produce my favorite Marcus Smart moment.
Paul Pierce Moment ☘️https://t.co/izNGQisdmH
— ☘️ – Jays Enthusiast (@gReenbean_26) June 23, 2023
Games 4 and 5 both saw dominant Celtics wins in which they won by double digits in each game. Game 4 saw the Celtics take a 18-1 lead and never look back. A thunderous Jaylen Brown dunk in Game 5 all but put the Heat away and gave the Celtics a 3-2 lead.
Game 6 felt like a formality that the Celtics would head to the Finals. Then, Jimmy Butler had his 2012 Game 6 LeBron moment, scoring 48 points along with 9 boards and 8 dimes to drag the Heat to a 111-103 win to force a Game 7 back in Miami.
Game 7 was a game to remember. The Celtics led wire to wire and had a 95-85 lead with 4:28 to go after a Tatum midrange shot put them up 10. That was the last field goal the Celtics would score in the game and the Heat had the ball, down 2 with 17 seconds left when Jimmy Butler missed a pull up three that we all remember. The Celtics got the rebound, made two free throws and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) May 21, 2026
The Celtics would lose the Finals in a series that still hurts to this day. However, just like LeBron did in 2018, Stephen Curry had his greatest NBA moment and sometimes, one of the greatest players of all time has his greatest moment to beat you.
2023: Heat 4, Celtics 3
After an annoying first round series that went 6 games against the Hawks and a 7 game slug feast against the 76ers in which Tatum scored 51 points in Game 7, the Celtics once again faced off against the Miami Heat for the 3rd time in 4 years.
This one was especially shocking because Miami was the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
i cannot believe it's miami again
— jack (@janderson22_) May 15, 2023
Games 1 and 2 were both gut wrenching losses for the Celtics. Game 1 was doomed by a 3rd quarter in which Miami scored 46 points and outscored the Celtics by 21. Game 2 was a gut punch where the Celtics led by 12 in the 4th quarter and again, the game slipped away. Jayson Tatum was a +5 in a game he played 42 minutes and the Celtics lost by 6.
Down 0-2 the Celtics were embarrassed in Game 3, losing 128-102 and it felt like they quit. Then, the Celtics won Game 4 behind 33 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists from Jayson Tatum. They also won Game 5, holding the Heat under 100 points for the 2nd straight game and the series was all the sudden 3-2.
Game 6 was very similar to Game 7 of the 2022 season. The Celtics were up 10 with under 5 minutes to go and couldn’t make a basket. A big difference was that the Heat did take the lead, going up 103-102 with 3 seconds left after Jimmy Butler made three free throws. Then, Derrick White saved the day and forced a Game 7.
You know how this ended: another Game 7 loss at home. Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle under 30 seconds int0 the game and Jaylen Brown had 8 turnovers as the Celtics lost. That series will always be remembered as the Caleb Martin series when he shot 60% from the field and 49% from three.
To me, this is the worst conference finals loss the Celtics have had in this era. Denver did roll Miami and maybe they would have rolled the Celtics, but the Celtics absolutely let a title chance slip away by falling back 3-0.
2024: Celtics 4, Pacers 0
The 2024 Boston Celtics rolled their way to the Eastern Conference Finals with 64 regular season wins and going 8-2 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs.
The series started and the Indiana Pacers looked up for the challenge. It looked like Indiana had Game 1 in hand with under a minute to go as they were up 3 with the ball. Then a turnover gave Boston a chance and Jaylen Brown took advantage.
In overtime, it was a Tatum three that was the dagger as his 36 points led the way to the Celtics win. Game 2 belonged to Brown, he scored 40 points as the Celtics took the commanding 2-0 series lead.
As the series shifted back to Indiana, the Pacers led for most of the 2nd half but then the game flipped as the Celtics as an Al Horford three (0ff of a sweet JT behind the back pass) and a Jrue Holiday and-1 put the Celtics up one before a sweet Holiday and made free throws put the Celtics up three.
— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) May 21, 2026
The Pacers missed a game tying three at the end of the game and the Celtics went up 3-0. In Game 4 it was 29 points from Jaylen Brown, 26 points from Jayson Tatum and a Derrick White dagger that sent Boston to their 2nd NBA Finals in three years.
— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) May 21, 2026
That season ended pretty well for the Celtics as they would go on to win their first championship since 2008.
From Wissa’s solitary goal for Newcastle to Postecoglou’s brief reign at Forest, it’s been a campaign to forget for some
Newcastle’s year-long chase to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford felt like it would never end until they paid £55m for his services in September. The Democratic Republic of the Congo forward arrived after banging in 19 goals for Brentford last season and was supposed to lead the charge for Eddie Howe in the Premier League and Europe. In reality it has been a whimpering experience. Admittedly, none of Newcastle’s attacking recruitment paid off; Wissa sat on the bench alongside £65m Nick Woltemade and £55m Anthony Elanga in the April defeat away to Crystal Palace where the manager preferred to start Jacob Murphy and Will Osula. Wissa has scored once in 13 league appearances, starting only four times because he does not fit into the system and has not built the level of rapport he had with Bryan Mbeumo. The team as a whole has struggled, finishing 12th, a drop of seven places from last season, meaning they will not be returning to Europe. With Anthony Gordon expected to depart in the coming months, having faith in the reinvestment is not a given.
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No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. If the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be the first to do so, they’ll need to shoot the ball considerably better than they have so far in this series.
The New York Knicks have thoroughly controlled the first three games. Their 22-point comeback victory in Game 1 has seemingly taken the life out of a Cavs team that had it going through the first 40 minutes of the series. Since then, the Cavs haven’t been able to establish any consistent rhythm on both sides of the ball. This is in addition to shooting below 30% from beyond the arc.
Cleveland likely won’t win this series. They do, however, have a chance to save some of their dignity. Maybe they can steal Game 4 at home, and then put up a good fight in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (0-3) vs. New York Knicks (3-0)
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Mon., May 25 at 8 PM
TV: ESPN
Point spread: Knicks -2.5
Cavs injury report: None
Knicks injury report: None
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Knicks expected starting lineup: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns
Previous matchup: The Knicks took firm control of the series with a dominant Game 3 victory.
Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
| Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Net Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavs | 118.9 (8th) | 115 (15th) | +3.9 (9th) |
| Knicks | 120.2 (4th) | 114.2 (10th) | +6 (6th) |
New York Post | Dan Martin: Before Sunday’s victory, the Yankees were mired in a 4-10 slide that dropped them 5.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East. Despite this, the Yankees’ manager expressed optimism that Saturday’s rainout could be an inflection point. “I think it will serve us well,’’ said Aaron Boone of the postponement. “It’s been a crappy couple weeks for us, result-wise, but I feel like we’re in a good place team-wise. I feel we have a good run in us here.” In addition to a slumping offense, the team’s bullpen has blown some close games, losses that Boone called “tough” as they try to turn things around.
New York Daily News| Gary Phillips: As previously noted, the Yankees won Sunday’s game in dramatic fashion, with their slumping captain walking off the division-topping Rays. Aaron Judge entered play with just one hit in his last 24 at-bats but recorded two hits in the win, including a two-run homer off Kevin Kelly to send the rain-soaked faithful home happy. Boone had previously said to reporters during Judge’s slump: “He’ll get through it, and somebody will pay the price real soon.“
In case you were watching the YES Network broadcast, here’s the Dave Sims call on WFAN!
Judge wasn’t the only hero on this day. Ryan Weathers starred as well, holding Tampa Bay off the board through seven innings to keep the Yankees in the game and drop his ERA to 3.27 on the season. And in the eighth, a potential Rays rally was squelched by bad baserunning from Junior Caminero, who was thrown out on a heads-up play by Cody Bellinger. The left fielder himself credited third baseman Ryan McMahon, who immediately signaled for Bellinger to get the ball to him; McMahon applied the tag before Oliver Dunn crossed home plate.
Also from Phillips: the Yankees confirmed that ace Gerrit Cole’s second start of 2026 will come on Wednesday in Kansas City. Cole went six scoreless on Friday against the Rays in his first start since completing his Tommy John surgery rehab. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported that Will Warren will start today and Cam Schlittler will get the ball tomorrow.
MLB.com | Tim Crowley: Yankees prospect Hans Montero had a night to remember Saturday, hitting three home runs for Low-A Tampa. The performance raised his season OPS to .923. The infielder, who received a $1.7 million signing bonus from the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, is not among the team’s top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline but is still just 22 years old.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Iwobi redefined the idea of possibility but Leandro Trossard’s mattered most
With most free-kicks, we’ve a decent idea where the taker can put them, which is why Dominik Szoboszlai’s effort against Arsenal, though it was a brilliant late winner, hasn’t been picked here: the execution, replete with whip and dip, was perfect, but we knew in advance that what turned out to be possible was possible. On the other hand, his goal against Manchester City – which edges Anton Stach’s for Leeds at Villa – was a mind-boggler. It’s fair to wonder why the wall contained only two men, but equally so to counter that he was so far out, the keeper wanted a decent view – and didn’t he get the perfect aspect. Hit with the laces, the ball jiggling, dipping and swerving at improbable angles, Gianluigi Donnarumma anticipated an inswinger then, when it turned out to be an outswinger, didn’t even get to attempt a save because, once it was clear which way the shot was actually going, it was far, far too late, a cursory step in the right direction all he had time for as an incredible, unsaveable effort shrieked past him and in off the post, three-quarters of the way up.
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