Australia are sitting in the box seat to “drive home the advantage” in the third and final Test of their series against South Africa in Cape Town.
Lakers, playing without Luka Doncic, have others step up in win over Clippers
Lakers scoring phenom Luka Doncic missed his first game of the young season with back tightness, leaving a giant hole in their offense with the NBA’s leading scorer (36 points per game) sitting out.
Lakers defensive star Ziaire Williams also missed his first game with left foot soreness, leaving them even more depleted with two starters unable to play.
The Lakers added a lot of depth over the summer in case of injury situations and now it was going to be tested against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.
Collin Sexton is one of the players the Lakers acquired for a moment like Wednesday, and he delivered in a big way, coming off the bench to provide energy and effort in helping the Lakers take a 103-87 victory over the Clippers.
Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket. His play helped the Lakers open a 22-point lead they never lost.
Read more:High-scoring Lakers stress they need to play championship defense
He was four for five from the field in the third, six for 11 for the game. He was two for three from three-point range in the third, four for seven for the game. He also had four rebounds and two assists.
Quentin Grimes (23 points), Matisse Thybulle (15) and Austin Reaves (16 points) did their part to help the Lakers improve to 4-1.
Doncic and Williams played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, but they couldn’t go in the back-to-back game.
“Both those guys woke up with some soreness and tightness today — tightness for Luka, soreness for Ziaire,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “We have a tough stretch of games. Not a lot of time between [games so] just being overly cautious.”
The Lakers next play at the Golden State Warriors on Friday, their fourth game in six days.
Redick was asked if Doncic and Williams would be available for that game.
Read more:Lakers newsletter: Why Collin Sexton's 'insanity' works
“That’s the hope,” he said.
Redick turned to Jarred Vanderbilt, who didn’t play in the first four games, and Jaden Hardy, who played in the first game of the season, to help the shorthanded Lakers in their time of need. Vanderbilt played 21 minutes and had seven rebounds. Hardy played nine minutes and had two points.
“Yeah, I go back to something I said a couple of times already is that every guy’s going to get an opportunity throughout the season,” Redick said. “...Guys that haven’t played are going to get opportunities tonight.”
The Clippers, however, have their own injuries to worry about.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (left quad soreness) missed his first game of the season, joining Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right lisfranc surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear) on the injury report.
The Lakers signed center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract Wednesday and waived two-way forward AK Okereke.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Diving deeper into Cavs win over Wizards: Evan Mobley finds his shot
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers coasted through the first half, fell down by double digits, and then turned it on down the stretch to grab their 17th straight win against the Washington Wizards with a final score of 121-111.
Three stars of the game
First star: Evan Mobley
24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 12 rebounds, 2 assists
The Cavs ceiling changes if Mobley becomes a consistent and lethal three-point shooter. We saw that in Wednesday’s game as he went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. This wasn’t just a one-off performance. Through four games, Mobley is 12-for-18 (66.7%) from three.
“There’s a shift in his demeanor,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s a confidence to him now. … The jumper looks quicker to me. It’s not just that he’s making them. I think last year he kind of made threes [when he had] time and space. I feel like this year he’s getting it off quicker. He’s making them with harder contests.”
The Wizards had to change their defense to account for this. They didn’t give him the same time and space in the second half, which allowed the rest of the offense to flourish.
On top of that, Mobley, along with Jarrett Allen, made it difficult for the Wizards to finish inside in the second half. Washington attempted just 13 shots in the paint in the second half after taking 31 there in the first.
This was a solid and complete game from Mobley
Second star: Peyton Watson
22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
This was the first time we got a real taste of how helpful Watson can be for Cleveland. He was impactful attacking off the dribble, and more importantly, in creating out of the short roll when running pick-and-rolls with the starting backcourt. That was incredibly useful considering how the Wizards — and most of the other teams before them — were trapping Cleveland’s guards on high pick-and-rolls.
“I loved the offensive part,” Atkinson said. “Getting in the pocket, making plays, driving [against] mismatches. He goes hard to the rim.
Watson also made a difference as an offensive rebounder by creating five extra chances. Three of those opportunities directly led to points. Atkinson has consistently talked about wanting his team to do a better job on the offensive glass. Watson may be the answer here with his height and athleticism.
Watson has a well-rounded and intriguing skill set that the Cavs are still figuring out how to best use. The early results are interesting. Watson provides a different dimension to how this team can play. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cavs fine-tune his role as the season progresses.
Third star: Alex Sarr
18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, 1 block
Sarr was helpful for Washington on both ends. Offensively, he picked his spots well and finished looks that Trae Young and Kyshawn George created for him. Defensively, he had active hands in passing lanes and deterred shots at the rim. It was a solid game for a young player that is steadily coming into his own.
Dud of the game
James Harden
16 points on 5-of-18 shooting, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
Harden had a tough time finding a scoring rhythm. He led the Cavs in shots (18) but completed just 27.8% of them. This included missing a couple of point-blank floaters he normally converts.
It’s unfair to blame Cleveland’s poor defensive start on one person, but Harden left a lot to be desired on that end in the first half. He lost his assignment repeatedly off-ball in the first half, which led to easy baskets.
To his credit, Harden was good down the stretch. He got the Cavs into their offense and protected the ball in the second half. It wasn’t an outright awful game — just one where he could’ve been better.
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Cavalier who deserves a shoutout
Meleek Thomas
10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Wednesday’s performance wasn’t as noteworthy as his debut earlier this week, but it was a strong showing nonetheless.
Thomas has found a nice balance on the defensive end. He’s not afraid to jump passing lanes and force the action, but this hasn’t come at the expense of losing his man or being out of position. It’s not uncommon for a rookie to be an active defender; it is uncommon for them to consistently be in the right place when they’re away from the play. So far, Thomas’s defensive positioning has been impressive.
Offensively, he did a good job of slotting into more of an off-ball role. He was helpful attacking in transition and provided some scoring punch in the half-court.
At this point, there isn’t a strong case for either Craig Porter Jr. or Tyrese Proctor getting minutes over Thomas. The rookie just adds too much as an offensive threat and active defender.
“We found a guy that can really help us,” Atkinson said.
Play of the game
The Cavs are at their best when they’re regularly turning defense into easy opportunities the other end. That was a hallmark of the 2024-25 regular-season team that turned in 64 wins.
We haven’t consistently seen that version of this team through four games, but little moments like this serve as a reminder that they may still get there.
Quote of the day
“The first few went in, so I just kept shooting them.”
– Evan Mobley on going 5-for-6 from three
Stat of the game
The Cavs won the offensive rebounding battle 15-5, which led to them outscoring Washington 19-8 in second-chance points.
The Cavs thoroughly controlled the glass and the overall possession battle. They outrebounded Washington 58-33. Cleveland won’t lose many games when they rebound like this.
What this game will be remembered for Mobley’s breakout three-point performance
A hot shooting week doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. The high variance of the shot can lead to drastic results in small sample sizes. This, however, tends to even out over time. From that perspective, Mobley hitting 11 of his last 14 threes might now mean much.
At the same time, everything about the Cavs changes if he can develop a more consistent outside shot. Only time will tell whether this start is real.
“We’re going to be really hard to stop,” Atkinson said when asked about how Mobley’s shooting can transform the offense. “If he can do that, hit threes and still be the great defender that he is and should be, then that could be our next jump.”
Gang's all here! Brewers win first World Series despite big-name defections
Pat Murphy is not Craig Counsell.
Counsell departed the Milwaukee Brewers for a $40 million contract down I-94 with the more celebrated Chicago Cubs. The Brewers, once again feeling less than their bigger-market rivals down I-94, looked around and decided to promote Murphy, Counsell’s college coach whose rough edges ran counter to the new-age managers he’d call his peers.
Pat Murphy is now a World Series champion.
Matt Arnold is not David Stearns.
Stearns jumped ship on the Brewers, even taking time off for his contract to expire before joining the New York Mets, who envisioned Stearns’ smarts combined with Steve Cohen’s hedge fund money to create Dodgers West. Arnold, Stearns’ top lieutenant, was summoned to replace him.
Matt Arnold is now a World Series champion.
Cooper Pratt is no Willy Adames.
Adames hit 107 homers and was a top 10 MVP finisher for the Brewers, a superstar shortstop who jumped at a $182 million free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants in 2025. Pratt was plucked out of a Mississippi high school two years earlier, agreed to sign a contract that could keep him in Milwaukee through 2034 and assumed the shortstop position in Milwaukee only in June.
Cooper Pratt is now a World Series champion.
Aaron Ashby is no Josh Hader.
Hader pitched his way to four All-Star Games as a Brewer, the franchise’s most dominant relief pitcher since Rollie Fingers was winning a Cy Young Award in 1981. But Hader would eventually command $95 million in free agency and has been replaced by a cadre of relievers over the years – with Ashby, another tall lefty, setting a postseason record with 18 consecutive scoreless innings in the most crucial of situations.
Aaron Ashby is now a World Series champion.
They all earned their championship Wednesday, Oct. 28 under the lights of Tropicana Field, a 4-1 Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, clinching the first World Series title in the Brewers’ 57-year history.
Make no mistake: This was a dominant Brewers team.
They won 114 games, including playoffs, and rampaged through October on an 11-2 heater, a run that included dethroning the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a squad whose $338 million roster earned more than double the $144 million Milwaukee’s players earned.
Yet for years, as the Brewers contended with high-profile departures on and off the field while exiting the playoffs in the early rounds, they were defined as much by who was gone as who they had.
Such was life in a lower-revenue town, said the conventional, external wisdom. Lose elite talent, try to backfill with leftovers.
Yet these Brewers ultimately never bought into that.
Not Murphy, whose collegiate coaching chops resonated with a roster that always skewed younger, and responded strongly to his resolute culture of accountability.
Not Arnold, who toiled in the shadows of several brilliant executives before coming to Milwaukee and taking a number behind the ultimate Boy Genius, Stearns, who moved on to the Mets and their mega-bucks. But he didn’t take all the secrets and all the executive talent with him, and Arnold pushed Milwaukee from 92 to 93 to 97 to 103 wins the past four seasons, reaching heights Stearns never could.
Arnold’s administration spent a sixth-round pick on Pratt, gave him a well-above slot bonus to keep him away from Ole Miss and, three years later, signed him to a $95 million contract. This past June, he made his major league debut.
It was a leap of faith for player and franchise alike, and in Game 2, Pratt threw away the first ball he fielded, burying the Brewers in a four-run hole.
But Pratt stayed with it, like all Brewers do. He banged out six consecutive hits across Games 4 and 5, including a 12th-inning home run in Game 4 and a two-run single in Game 5. These guys learn quickly.
Arnold’s fingerprints were all over this club: A three-way trade to land indispensable catcher William Contreras, whose ABS wizardry, eight base hits and handling of a near-perfect pitching staff dominated this World Series.
Collecting NLCS MVP Jake Bauers and closer Trevor Megill off various scrap heaps and integrating them seamlessly into the mix.
To say nothing of the epic work by their international and domestic scouting departments through both regimes, a haul that netted Pratt, Ashby, Jackson Chourio (17 hits this postseason at age 22), Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell and, of course, Jacob Misiorowski.
It was a late bit of due scouting diligence just before the 2022 draft that got The Miz into the fold. And phenomenal player development and work from pitching coach Chris Hook that turned him into baseball’s most dominant force.
They have seven regulars between the ages of 22 and 28. They will hit this offseason minus the body blows so many champions suffered in recent seasons, when they employed starting pitchers in high-impact relief situations, appearances that take their toll over time.
No, it’s too soon to call this a burgeoning dynasty. Yet as Counsell does his best with the 89-win Cubs, who finished 14 games behind Milwaukee, and Stearns aims for the perfect formula with the Mets, the Brewers don’t need to dwell on who’s gone.
No need. As the song says, the gang’s all here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gang's all here! Brewers win first World Series despite big-name defections
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Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 to win the first World Series title in franchise history
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The small-ball Milwaukee Brewers playing in the smallest market in the majors are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history.
Hey, Milwaukee: grab a brat, raise a beer and prepare for that parade.
Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, rookie Cooper Pratt got two more hits and two RBIs, and the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to set off a long-awaited celebration among thousands of Brewers fans in attendance at Tropicana Field.
Misiorowski left the game because of a right calf cramp. He got a standing ovation from the Brew-Crew fans, who took over the section behind Milwaukee’s dugout for the last three games.
The 22-year-old Pratt set a Series rookie record with six straight hits before a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 hits.
The World Series title comes in the 58th season for a franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and moved to Milwaukee the following year. The Brewers’ only previous trip to the World Series in 1982 ended in heartbreak when they blew a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning of Game 7 and lost 6-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Warriors win second straight behind Steph Curry’s 44 points and 16 free throws
For most of Wednesday night’s game in Minneapolis, the Golden State Warriors looked like the team that trounced the Denver Nuggets Monday. In the last four minutes, they looked like the team that choked away the second game of the season to the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the end, a series of turnovers, dropped passes, missed free throws, and inattentive three-point defense didn’t quite doom the Warriors, who held on for a 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves behind Steph Curry’s 44 points, He scored the last of these on a pair of meaningless free throws with 0.1 seconds on the clock, which closed out a perfect 16-for-6 night from the free throw line. He’s made all 39 of his freebies to start the season.
The Warriors led for the final 38 minutes of the game, maintaining a double-digit lead for mot of the second half and going up 11 points after a Curry picked off a LaMelo Ball pass and turned it into a Yaxel Lendeborg dunk with 2:16 to play.
Jonathan Kuminga made a three-point play, the Warriors missed some shots, then Ayo Dosunmu followed up a layup and a three-pointer by picking Curry’s pocket down four points. It took a heroic block by De’Anthony Melton on Dosunmu at the rim and two bricked threes from Jaden McDaniels before the Warriors could finally relax.
Lendeborg scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while former Warrior Kuminga led the Wolves with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting, a 3-for-5 effort from deep, along with five assists and zero turnovers. McDaniels had 19 points and eight rebounds and Terrence Shannon, Jr. put up 19 off the bench, shooting 8-for-10 on free throws.
The Timberwolves were playing without Anthony Edwards, who had knee surgery that should keep him out until at least December. They struggled to find offense, particularly from Ball, who shot 3-for-11 and had almost as many turnovers (6) as points (8). Rudy Gobert was a total non-factor, perhaps because the Warriors devoted only 20 minutes to traditional centers. The Stifle Tower finished with a single point, four rebounds, and zero blocks and clearly did not appreciate having to defend against Curry.
The Warriors started to pull away in the second quarter after a signature Curry Flurry. From an 184-second stretch between 9:11 and 6:07 of the second quarter, Curry made five three-pointers, scored 17 points, and delivered an assist, a run that took Golden State from a one-point advantage to a 13-point lead. He also demonstrated a curling-style follow-through after the fourth triple, perhaps paying tribute to Canadian Curry fans while playing up north in Minneapolis.
Curry finished the first half with 23 points and Lendeborg had 14, already drawing double teams in his 5th NBA game. Draymond Green had five assists before the break, the Warriors outrebounded the Timberwolves by three, and Will Richard was the top reserve, playing 11 first-half minutes and logging a +13, grabbing two offensive rebounds on pure hustle. The Warriors took a 64-48 lead into the locker room.
This happened late in the third, but we would be remiss not to highlight Richard’s acrobatic layup here.
The strong second quarter, which the Warriors won, 34-25, came despite a lot of fouling from the road team. The Timberwolves got in the bonus with 7:21 left in the quarter but it didn’t hurt the Dubs that much. Minnesota went 4-for-6 from the foul line while in the bonus, with two trips to the line on shooting fouls. The Warriors reserves managed to extend the lead by a point while Curry rested for three minutes.
They kept up their furious pace to start the second half. Curry hit another three and got to the line for four free throws as the Warriors began a 9-2 run. He also slid out of bounds in a vain attempt to chase down a rebound, missing a highlight play by roughly 15% of an ass cheek.
Green blocked his arch-nemesis, Rudy Gobert, then took over mopping duties during a stoppage in play. Perhaps that was a response to the sloppy play on both sides, full of wild early shots and overly frenetic play, which induced Steve Kerr to call timeout simply because Golden State’s lead dropped to 21 points.
Things tightened up at the end of the third quarter as the Timberwolves got hot from three-point range. The Warriors got a bunch of layups thanks to slick passing from Brandin Podziemski, but the Wolves answered with threes, including some difficult running threes from Bones Hyland. The quarter ended 93-81, after Curry sank two more foul shots, racking up what felt like a stunning nine free throws in three quarters. Do the refs know who he is???
For the fourth quarter, the Warriors gassed up the Minivan. Georges Niang missed a layup, hustled 94 feet for a steal, saved the ball, and created an uncontested fast break for Curry, who unselfishly left it for an easy Gary Payton II jam.
Niang started in place of Gui Santos, who sat with a sore knee. The veteran had seven points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, an absolutely adequate performance that left him +5 on the game.
What went badly? Lendeborg had seven turnovers. Green had eight rebounds and six assists, but made some bad fouls late and couldn’t handle a Curry dumpoff that would have been an easy game-icing layup in the final seconds. The team’s three-point shooting went missing in the second half, with Curry going 1-for-6 and the rest of the team going 0-for-4, while committing 11 of their 16 turnovers after halftime. Podz only took five shots.
Still, the Warriors won two games in a row, and two road games at that! The 18-year veteran and the rookie are both playing great, Melton and his bad thumbs are shooting well again, and this team just might have a decent bench after all.
And perhaps best off all with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves coming to down, the NBA has actually started calling fouls for flopping. No B.S. Association action! It’s fan-tastic!
Milwaukee Brewers win their first World Series: Brewers 4, Rays 1
Late last night (or early this morning, depending on what time zone you were watching from), the Rays managed to stave off elimination and keep themselves alive in the World Series for a Game Five. It promised to be a pitching match for the ages, with Jacob Misiorowski getting the nod for the Brewers (fresh off throwing the fastest pitch in World Series history in Game One), and Drew Rasmussen trying to be the Rays’ hero on short rest.
The Brewers went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, but Rasmussen had some awkward pitches in the mix. In the home half with two outs there was a lengthy pause in the game to re-groom the pitching mound after Misiorowski’s lunging delivery knocked literal chunks of dirt into the infield grass. Junior Caminero singled, but a third out quickly sent him right back to the bench.
Brice Turang got a one-out double for the Brewers in the top of the second, then Sal Frelick was hit by a pitch. The game paused again, this time while Frelich was checked by his team’s athletic trainers before being sent to first. Cooper Pratt singled, scoring Turang, before Pratt got caught in a rundown between first and second, ultimately getting tagged out for the second out of the inning. Gotta learn to dodge, buddy. A strikeout ended the inning. Another inning, another pause to groom the mound. Is the dirt really that soft, or does Misiorowski have the pointiest toes in the history of baseball? The Rays went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
The Brewers went 1-2-3 in the top of the third, with the final out being on a foul pop-up caught by Hicks. But after the Game Four gaffe where Hicks and Caminero couldn’t communicate and the ball dropped, Hicks simply allowed Caminero to collide with him as he caught the ball. Perhaps some communication would have helped? It was pretty messy, but hey, they got the out. In the home half, Yandy Diaz got two-out walk, but the Rays weren’t able to convert the baserunner.
Rasmussen had another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, which is exactly what Cash and the Rays were hoping for with him, though they’d want to keep a close eye on him as the innings progressed. With one out in the home half, Hicks was hit by a pitch for a free base. Then, with two outs, Chandler Simpson singled. Hicks advanced to third, and Simpson was able to get to second thanks to an error from Frelick. Despite the hustle, though, and the best scoring opportunity of the game so far, the Rays weren’t able to bring a runner home. So help me, if this is a single-run game, I’m going to lose my mind.
Rasmussen was, indeed, on a short leash, pulled after the fourth inning. That feels, perhaps, premature (which wouldn’t be unusual for Cash in the World Series), but so it goes. His final line for the game was 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K on 48 pitches. Kevin Kelly came in to replace him. Cooper Pratt got a one-out single. Garrett Mitchell then singled, pushing Pratt to third. David Hamilton then singled, scoring the second Brewers’ run of the night and making me wish I was a drinker. With two outs, Garrett Cleavinger replaced Kelly to get the final out of the inning. The Rays went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Things went from bad to worse in the sixth. Christian Yelich was hit by a pitch. William Contreras then doubled, bringing Yelich home. A single from Turang put runners on the corners, and that was it for Cash, heading out to get Cleavinger. Tyler Wells came in, and Turang subsequently stole second. A sac fly from Pratt brought Contreras home. Mitchell walked. Wells was pulled for Steven Matz because if there’s a shrinking chance of a next game, just use all your relievers. Matz got the final out of the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, there was another long Brewers pause, this time to check on Misiorowski, who looked uncomfortable after the second out, shaking his leg. On review, it looked like he slid slightly on the mound, so perhaps all that grooming was just foreshadowing. After some consideration, he was pulled from the game. JoJo Romero came in and got the final out of the inning.
Jackson Chourio singled to get the seventh going. Jake Bauers then grounded into a double play to eliminate the baserunner. A third out ended the inning. In the home half with one out, Simpson reached thanks to a throwing error by Contreras and advanced to second. Abner Uribe came in out of the Brewers’ pen. Two pinch hitters came in for the Rays, Richie Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr., but they didn’t get on base.
Bryan Baker was the new Rays’ pitcher in the eighth, and he got the side out in order. Trevor Megill came in for the Brewers in the bottom of the inning, and he got the side out in order, though Yandy Diaz did have one nice hit, it just happened to go directly to the right fielder. Alas.
In the top of the ninth, Ian Seymour came in for the Rays and he got the Brewers out 1-2-3. The last chance for the Rays came up in the bottom of the ninth. With one out in the inning, Hicks doubled, the liner bouncing off first and confounding Bauers at first. Jonny DeLuca struck out, and it was all up to Simpson. Simpson actually came through, lacing a double down the right-field line to score Hicks. A Palacios groundout ended the inning, the game, and the World Series with the Brewers making history by winning their first-ever World Series title.
Congrats to the Brewers, and see you next season, Rays.
Final: Brewers 4, Rays 1
When is Brewers parade? Milwaukee ready to celebrate first World Series
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Milwaukee Brewers World Series parade has been scheduled for Friday in downtown Milwaukee, Brewers officials told USA TODAY Sports after the team finished off the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5.
It will begin on Wisconsin Ave. and will wind up at the end at the lakefront – with an anticipated crowd of at least 400,000, nearly two-thirds of the city’s population.
Who knows, that estimate may be light considering these are the same fans who paid a World Series record $2,338 just to get into American Family Park in Milwaukee for Game 1 – and then bought every plane ticket possible from Milwaukee to Tampa to cheer on their beloved team at Tropicana Field.
“It's been awesome to see," Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “It's been pretty evident this month about how much the fans have gotten behind this team, the fan support that we've had at the road venues, at our home ballpark.
"People just coming up to you and telling you what the team means to them, and how awesome and how much fun and memories they've made over the years watching the Brewers.
“We don't take that lightly as a team. We understand that when we play well, it creates memories for people and makes people happy."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Brewers parade? Milwaukee ready to celebrate first World Series
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Which MLB teams have never won a World Series? Brewers come off list
The Milwaukee Brewers can finally cross their name off one of baseball's most frustrating lists.
Milwaukee finished off the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series, capturing the first championship in franchise history and ending a wait that stretched back to the organization's beginnings as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. The Brewers moved to Milwaukee the following year and had previously reached the World Series only once, losing a seven-game series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Before the 2026 World Series, Milwaukee was one of only five active MLB franchises that had never won a championship, a group that includes the Rays despite them now reaching the World Series three times.
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Here's a look at the MLB teams still searching for their first World Series championship.
Which MLB teams have never won a World Series?
San Diego Padres
- First season: 1969
- World Series appearances: 1984, 1998
Seattle Mariners
- First season: 1977
- World Series appearances: None
Colorado Rockies
- First season: 1993
- World Series appearances: 2007
Tampa Bay Rays
- First season: 1998
- World Series appearances: 2008, 2020, 2026
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which MLB teams have never won a World Series? Brewers come off list
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers finally the toast of baseball
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — They wanted to roar louder Wednesday evening, but they were wiping their eyes with tears.
They wanted to clap louder, but their hands were busily taking pictures for posterity.
They wanted to call their loved ones, but all lines were busy to Wisconsin.
But, oh, the memories they’ll cherish forever, with half of the sellout crowd of 40,489 at Tropicana Field being Brewers fans to witness the most glorious day of baseball in the history of Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Brewers are the World Series champions for the first time in their 57-year franchise history.
The Brewers, who reside in baseball’s smallest market, with a payroll dwarfed by nearly two-thirds of baseball, defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, winning the World Series 4 games to 1.
“This means everything to the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin," Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told USA TODAY Sports. “I mean, this has never happened. They’ve always been supportive, but now they have something to really celebrate.
“Robin Yount was a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest players of his generation, and he says his only regret was that he never won a World Series in Milwaukee. He wanted this as much as anyone, perhaps more than anyone."
Now, there are no regrets, with Yount finally being able to say he’s a World Series champion, too.
Yount was among plenty of Brewer greats on hand to celebrate with Hall of Fame teammate Paul Molitor, former MVP Ryan Braun and former home run champion Prince Fielder.
It meant everything to their devoted long-tenured employees like Tony Migliaccio, Brewers director of clubhouse operations, born and raised in Milwaukee, and the only person who has been with the franchise since its inception. He began as a 15-year-old bat boy, making $1.76 an hour, became their bullpen catcher, and then became their beloved clubhouse manager.
“This city has spent 44 years talking about the magic of ’82 when we were last in the World Series, with Hall of Famers, Cy Young winners and All-Stars," Migliaccio said. “Everyone was in love with that team. Everyone knows the history of this organization. And now, especially for all of us that have been with the organization most of our lives, this means everything.
“For those of us who have been here during the lean years, you can look back, and know how tough it was. People will never look at this franchise the same way again."
Said former Brewers catcher Bill Schroeder, and now their broadcaster, who has spent 40 years in the organization: “It’s still surreal. I can’t believe it."
Now, they’ll all board planes together Thursday, head back to Milwaukee, for a World Series parade to remember.
The parade has been scheduled Friday in downtown Milwaukee, Brewers officials said, beginning on Wisconsin Ave. and will wind up at the end at the lakefront, with an anticipated crowd of at least 400,000, nearly two-thirds of the city’s population.
Who knows, that 400,000 estimate may be light considering these are the same fans who paid a World Series record $2,338 just to get into American Family Park in Milwaukee for Game 1, and then bought every plane ticket possible from Milwaukee to Tampa to cheer on their beloved team at Tropicana Field.
“It's been awesome to see," Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “It's been pretty evident this month about how much the fans have gotten behind this team, the fan support that we've had at the road venues, at our home ballpark. People just coming up to you and telling you what the team means to them, and how awesome and how much fun and memories they've made over the years watching the Brewers.
“We don't take that lightly as a team. We understand that when we play well, it creates memories for people and makes people happy."
You want insanity? The Brewers’ watch party back home at American Family Field, where fans can buy $15 tickets to sit with other fans and watch the Brewers’ game on the scoreboard, were being scalped for $850.
And folks didn’t hesitate buying them.
Hey, why not celebrate not only the greatest team in Brewers history, but one of the most dominant postseason teams in baseball history, at least since the divisional era in 1969?
The Brewers nearly ran the table this postseason, going 11-2, losing only one game since Oct. 6, and just five times since Labor Day, 49 days ago.
Winning the World Series, they’ll tell you, wasn’t as easy as it may have appeared. They played three one-run games in the first four games, and were only three outs away from sweeping the Rays until their 12th-inning comeback, but the Brewers, just as they have all season, showed their resiliency.
“Sometimes the game tests you, sometimes the game makes you want to dig deep,” Yelich said. “Ad it’s all part of the journey, all part of the experience, and that’s part of our story.”
Now, that story can be shouted to the mountaintop, where the Brewers stand alone.
“This is for all of those that implemented and laid the foundation for what winning baseball looks like and what we need to do," said Matt Arnold, Brewers president of baseball operations. “They set those standards. Our guys here are unified and completely bought into what we need to do, the little things to win baseball games. There's no egos in this. Everybody's pulling on the same rope.
“And Milwaukee is huge in all this, man. They're loyal. They show up. They're loud. They care, and they wanted it just as bad as us. It’s been awesome.’’
Jacob Misiorowski, who should be the unanimous Cy Young winner, made sure that there would be no zany comebacks by the Rays this night. He completely suffocated the Rays’ lineup. In the finest postseason start of his career, he gave up just two singles in 5 2/3 shutout innings, departing only after suffering cramps in his right calf, leaving his vaunted bullpen to close out the game.
Just like that, Misiorowski will go down in history as the first pitcher since Orel Hershiser of the 1988 Dodgers to pitch the World Series clinching game and win the Cy Young award.
“He's come a long way since last year when he was a young kid with a lot of ability and a lot of natural talent,’’ Yelich said. “Anybody could see that looking at the radar gun and what he can do. He's come a long way learning himself as a pitcher, and learning how to pitch, and he's still learning in a lot of ways.
But he's matured a bit. He's gotten to know himself a lot. He's gotten confident. And he continues to get better, which is kind of crazy from stuff he's done.’’
There was 22-year-old rookie Cooper Pratt, who became the first rookie to drive in multiple runs in three consecutive World Series game. He was the the youngest player to produce a four-hit game in Game 4, and followed it up with two hits and a sacrifice fly in his first three plate appearances.
“I've been impressed with him all season," Yelich said. “Everybody was really talking about his glove, him coming up, but he can really hit. He's gotten some big hits during the season for us, and postseason obviously had a couple of big ones."
And then, there was catcher William Contreras, who put on a clinic in every phase of the game with Brewers manager Pat Murphy calling him their MVP.
“There is no one more important doing the job for us bigger than William," Murphy said. “He's been incredible. Both sides of it, catches every inning, that’s not easy. He's been incredible, plain and simple.’’
Really, the Brewers outplayed the Rays in every facet of the game. They out-hit them. They out-pitched them. They out-defended them.
“That's a really talented group,’’ said Rays ace Drew Rasmussen, who was beaten twice in the series, in Game 2 and again in Game 5. “In all honesty, they've outperformed us in all three facets of the game.
“I think they've pitched better than us. I think they've done better offensively. And I think they've played better defense than we have. It’s a really talented group. Their decision-making is off the charts.’’
And, oh, don’t forget that killer instinct.
“We're the type of team to step on teams' throats and keep going," Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell said. “We're relentless. We don't stop. Especially this time of the year, you never want to let anyone even have a sliver of chance if you don't have to let them.’’
Again and again and again.
“It makes you smile inside knowing that so many people care and they hang on this," Murphy said. “That's the whole thing about the state of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee. It's like these people really identify. They're hard-working people, a lot of them, and this is what they do in life. They do their job, and then they follow their sports teams…
“It's just about the Brewers, it's about the city of Milwaukee, it's about the state of Wisconsin, all coming together. We all play a role. It's wonderful to all be together."
Certainly, it could be a long winter, with a lockout that’s expected to begin Dec. 1, with an indefinite end date, but, oh, will it ever be glorious for the good folks of Wisconsin.
“I think the game's in a great spot right now,’’ Yelich said, “with a lot of people tuned in, a lot of popularity, a lot of great players out there. It would obviously be a shame if we miss time, but we'll have plenty of time this off-season to talk about it.’’
For now, the Brewers have a parade to worry about.
Follow Nightengale at X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers finally the toast of baseball
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Sixers Bell Ringer: James, Embiid, Brown post double-doubles, Maxey comes alive late
Regular Season Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 2.5
Joel Embiid – 1
Jaylen Brown – 0.5
The Sixers made it interesting for awhile, but came back around to take down a shorthanded Indiana Pacers squad on Wednesday night.
The Pacers were banged up for this one, with multiple players sidelined including Tyrese Haliburton and starting center Ivica Zubac. The Sixers, on the other hand, had all five starters on the floor Wednesday.
The Sixers looked sloppy and shot poorly to start the night, allowing the Pacers to keep things tied after one. Fortunately the second quarter was a bit tighter from Philadelphia — far from perfect, but better — with the team shooting 56.0% from the floor in the frame to amass a 10-point lead at the break (special thanks to VJ Edgecombe for hitting a buzzer-beating 50-foot triple to end the half).
It was a lead they quickly squandered, allowing Indiana a quick 17-0 run to start the second half. It was as bad a third as you could get from Philadelphia, who entered the final frame down 10 points to the shorthanded Pacers. Fortunately, things finally started clicking for the Sixers, helped by the leadership of LeBron James and some hot shooting from Tyrese Maxey, with the visitors battling back within a few points and finally retaking a narrow lead toward the end of the game.
It was way harder than it should have been, but the Sixers held on. A win’s a win. The Sixers move to 4-1.
Let’s get to the Bell Ringer. With different players stepping up at different times throughout this one, we have quite a few options.
Joel Embiid: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Joel Embiid looked sharp to start the evening, leading the Sixers after one with six points on 3-for-3 field goal shooting. With the Pacers down their starting center, it was the perfect excuse to get the ball to Embiid in the post, which the big fella was quick to take advantage of. Even if he was double-teamed, Embiid was able to simply spin away and create a ton of space for himself to pull right up or hit the fadeaway. And the best part: the shot was silky smooth and falling tonight. If anything, the Sixers weren’t going to him quite enough to start the night, but they started to rectify that in the second frame. By halftime, Embiid had 14 points on 6-for-10 field goal shooting, with five buckets coming off the midrange jumper.
The puzzling thing is that the Sixers seemed to stop running the offense through Embiid in the second half. I personally think it’s no coincidence that, once they stopped getting the ball to Embiid, the offense grinded to a halt. Was it the only reason? No, absolutely not. But it certainly didn’t help.
Nevertheless, Embiid got involved again late and hit a few big buckets toward the end of this one to help secure the Philadelphia win. He finished the game with 21 points on 9-for-17 field goal shooting with 11 rebounds, two assists and one block.
Anfernee Simons: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Apparently all it took to get Anfernee Simons into a groove was a reverse jinx from yours truly. Not even kidding. After missing his first triple attempt of the night, I tweeted about Simons’ struggles thus far, and how he came into the night shooting just 23.8% from long range to start the season.
He immediately sank two back-to-back triples. Like clockwork. In the second frame, he tacked on two more quick threes off the bench. At that point, the team was 4-for-11 from three-point range for the night, with Simons responsible for all four successes — a huge boost for a Sixers team that was letting the Pacers hang right in there with them at that point in the game.
Simons ended up sinking 6-of-10 three-pointers on Wednesday night. Again, after coming into this game having shot just 23.8% from behind the arc to start the season, that’s one hell of warm-up. We’ll take it.
Simons finished with 20 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal off the bench.
LeBron James: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers
LeBron James had a far from perfect game. His shooting could have been better. He could have been a bit better rebounding at times. But he is able to turn it on when the team needs it. In the fourth, with the Sixers trailing after a miserable third, James locked in. First, two back-to-back assists to Anfernee Simons both resulting in triples. Then, he hits a triple of his own. Next, right back to facilitator, working the two-man game with Embiid that resulted in an and-1 for the big fella. Suddenly, the Sixers were back within two points. It feels strange to have to say “that’s why you want to have a player like LeBron James,” but, well… that’s why you want a player like LeBron James! He has all the capabilities to turn a game around through both his own scoring and especially his playmaking, and he was responsible for a huge momentum swing for the Sixers late in this one.
He finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, two blocks and ZERO turnovers. But, again, with LeBron, even the stats don’t always fully reflect his impact.
Jaylen Brown: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
It’s not always flashy. In fact, with Jaylen Brown, it seems to happen in ways you don’t even notice. It just slowly adds up. A few buckets here, some foul shots there… but Brown is constantly contributing offensively for the Sixers. There really wasn’t a specific big run from Brown in this one. There was nothing super flashy or anything that will pop up on a big highlight reel, but he was present throughout, chipping in points when the Sixers are hot and even when the rest of the team seems to be ice cold.
Even if you aren’t watching the games to see the impact he quietly makes on both ends of the floor, the stats speak for themselves: 20 points on 7-for-13 field goal shooting, 10 rebounds (4 offensive), two assists, one steal and one block. You take that every single day of the week.
Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
This wasn’t Tyrese Maxey’s best game by any means… but man, did he turn it on when it really counted. It had been a bit of an up-and-down night, with some inconsistent shooting and some sloppy turnovers. Maxey also seemed to let his frustration on calls — or lack thereof — get the better of him.
But late in the fourth, he did what he does best. He turned on the jets to get out ahead for some transition buckets. He used his fancy footwork and impressive body control to stop on a dime and sink pull-up and step-back threes. He helped put the Sixers ahead when it matters the most: the end of the game. I actually didn’t have him as a Bell Ringer contender until late in this one, but you can’t deny the importance of having a reliable late-game scorer. It’s the difference between a close loss and a close win… and the difference this time was, in no small part, Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey finished the game with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Rapid Recap: Rockets 132, Bucks 100
The Milwaukee Bucks tried to build on their win over Indiana, but the Houston Rockets proved too much, winning 132-100 in a blowout. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 23 points in 27 minutes, while Fred VanVleet led a balanced Houston attack with 24 points.
Game Recap
The Bucks started off looking solid, matching the Rockets shot for shot and keeping them from putting together a run; still, the game was choppy. Late in the first quarter, though, the Milwaukee finally found a rhythm, piecing together a neat little 7-0 run to take its first lead; Tyler Herro hit a finger roll lay-up and a sweet mid-range floater, then AJ Green nailed a three to give the home side a 19-16 edge. The play of the first quarter, though, belonged to Nate Ament, who rose and blocked Jabari Smith Jr. on a baseline jumper. This kind of defensive effort kept the Bucks in the game after they went cold to close out the quarter, finding themselves down 23-21 to end the first.
Unfortunately, that defense would fade a little as the second quarter began, as the Rockets opened on an 8-0 run, extending their lead to double digits. However, as Milwaukee’s starters cycled back in, the defense began to shore up… the only issue was that the offense did not! AJ Green hit a three around the 10-minute mark, and then the Bucks went four minutes without scoring, with Tyler Herro breaking the seal at the six-minute mark. Oof. With two minutes to go, the Bucks had shot just 4/21 in the quarter as the Rockets built a 22-point lead. Offensively, it was very unremarkable: the Bucks couldn’t get comfortable or find their stroke all quarter as the Rockets’ defence tightened. The lone silver lining was the strong team defence the Bucks played, which (somewhat) matched Houston’s pressure and energy.
The third quarter saw the Bucks get out to a faster start as they whittled away the deficit ever so slightly. Ryan Rollins logged four quick assists and a bucket as he pushed the pace and found the open man. Look, Milwaukee actually scored the ball decently in this perioid; the issue was they couldn’t get any stops, which allowed Houston to still win the quarter 38-34. In any event, the home side’s energy was paying off. Amen Thompson would end the quarter leading the Rockets in scoring with an impressive 23 points, showing off his versatility as scorer and looking much more comfortable with VanVleet back from injury. H-Town led bigly after three: 95-69.
Down 26, the Bucks would start the fourth with Brayden Burries, AJ Green, Ousmane Dieng, Nate Ament, and Jericho Sims. The Rockets, meanwhile, kept many of their starters in. For what it’s worth, Milwaukee actually held their own and out-shot Houston 15-10 in the first half of the final perioid. At the 6:55 mark, down 21, Gary Trent Jr. checked in for his first minutes of the season, and boy, was he spectacular, proceeding to score three points on 1/3 shooting. On a real dud of an offensive night, it felt like a fitting end to a clunker of a game.
Stat That Stood Out
18, 19: That is the current NBA season of Kevin Durant and Nate Ament’s age, respectively. KD was Ament’s assignment when he checked in, and it was a trip down Feel Old Lane, realising Ament was 10 months old when Durant made his debut in Seattle.
Obscene Overreaction
Jenkins has been quite effective at instilling culture. No, there are no moral victories, but even in an ugly loss, the Bucks kept their motor high all game and showed they believe in the process. Jenkins was also very encouraging even as players struggled, which will be necessary as the young Bucks continue to grow. They may be 1-4, but they also seem to be taking the right steps under Jenkins’ guidance.
Knicks 133, Bulls 127: Scenes from big-time bench minutes
The league has done the world champion Knicks (2-3) no favors to start the new campaign. Their first four games were matches against playoff teams, and when they finally faced an easier opponent, it was a road game on the second night of a back-to-back.
Tonight’s opponent, the Chicago Bulls (1-4), came into the game as the NBA’s worst perimeter shooting team, but you wouldn’t believe it as they hit 43% from deep and took the Knicks to the wire. If New York was fatigued after beating Detroit last night, they benefited from huge minutes by reserves Tyler Kolek (9 PTS, 9 AST, 0 TO, 18 MIN), Jordan Clarkson (18 PTS, +15, 17 MIN), and Landry Shamet (14 PTS, 5 AST, 32 MIN).
With the second unit cooking, and double-digit points from three starters—Jalen Brunson (38 PTS, 7 AST), Karl-Anthony Towns (19 PTS, 13 REB), and OG Anunoby (23 PTS, 6 REB)—the Knicks overcame a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to win in the fourth, 133-127.
This summer’s fourth draft pick, Caleb Wilson (20 PTS, 6 RBS, 2 STL, 1 BLK), is a fixture of the rebuilding Bulls. He showed his pop when dunking over OG Anunoby in the first quarter and thefting two steals. Should he add any muscle, the kid might live up to his confidence.
Last night, Mikal Bridges got back on track against Detroit. He continued it tonight with an early corner bomb, but got a quick hook and played just nine first-half minutes.
The eleventh pick two years ago, Matas Buzelis (17 PTS), mixed in a three-pointer and a couple of free throws. Chicago came into the night ranked 30th in the league for long-range shooting. Their play supported that rotten rating, as they converted just 2-of-10 from deep in the first 12 minutes, while the visitors shot 5-of-9 from the yard.
Midway through the period, Chicago’s Noa Essengue was knocked into Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT appeared to injure his wrist when he fell to the floor and went to the locker room for treatment. With two minutes remaining in the quarter, Towns returned with a taped left wrist and was accompanied by Anunoby, Bridges, and Tyler Kolek. The latter made his first trey of the season with a minute to go in the period. After six lead changes, New York sat on top at the break, 34-33.
The second quarter saw five more lead changes, as the teams took turns leaping ahead. Kolek continued to dish, hitting Anunoby for an alley-oop and a three. Chicago had an answer for every score, with New York playing less enthusiastic defense than they did 24 hours earlier against Detroit. Blame fatigue. Jordan Clarkson gave them six points in support, and the team was generating second looks (10 offensive rebounds in the half), but they failed to give themselves breathing room. Miles McBride went scoreless on six shots, and Bridges missed his only attempt of the quarter and committed a turnover before being yanked again.
Chicago closed the half on a 13–3 run, thanks to timely baskets from Buzelis and Normal Norman Powell (30 PTS, 10-15 FG), and Tre Jones’ last-second buzzer-beater gave the hosts a 62-56 lead, their largest of the night.
Through the half, the Knicks were outshot 45% to 37%, and their 10 turnovers gifted the Bulls 12 points. The home team had a 28-20 advantage in the paint, despite the guests winning the boards 31-26. New York had shot better from deep (33% to 26%), but the Chi-Guys were capitalizing on easier baskets. Brunson led all scorers with 16 points, while Buzelis had nine.
KAT scored five quick points and dished to Anunoby for a dunk, but then the big fella’s fourth foul banished him to the pine at 9:03. While he sat, Chicago hit the gas. Powell drove to the cup, while Josh Giddey (10 PTS, 11 RBS) doled out three dimes and added a jumper. In a blink, the halftime lead had jumped from six to 13. Our heroes continued to squander their chances: Bridges missed twice before Shamet replaced him, and Anunoby blanked on two threes and was blocked by Buzelis at the rim. The Bulls scored nine unanswered to push their lead to 19 halfway through the frame.
From there, Captain Brunson ignited a 22-7 run. Jalen scored six of those, Kolek added his second and third triples of the night, and Drummond had some nifty cleanups at the rim. In the final second, Anunoby fouled Powell, who made two freebies. Chicago’s once-formidable lead was just 96-90.
Onto the fourth we went. Towns and Clarkson hit threes, as did Isaac Okoro for the villains, and Kolek added a steal. The third-year man has had at least one steal in each game he’s played this season. With a sprained ankle keeping Jose Alvarado out, Kolek is certainly making the most of his minutes. He distributed five assists while Brunson rested, and New York’s 14-8 run tied the score at 104 with just over eight minutes left.
Clarkson gave New York its biggest lift off the bench, scoring 12 fourth-quarter points and stealing consecutive Chicago passes to set up a Shamet three and his own layup.
That steady vet Powell kept answering for Chicago, but the Knicks were getting contributions throughout the lineup. Brunson scored 13 points after checking in at 7:04, hitting three triples as New York’s lead reached 11. His last three, following Hart’s offensive rebound, made it 130–122 with 1:39 remaining.
Jalen Smith (17 PTS, 11 RBS, 5 AST) buried a corner three to pull Chicago within three with 46 seconds left. Powell missed a potential tying triple, leaving New York ahead 130–127 with nine seconds on the clock. Cap and OG made their free throws. Ballgame.
Up Next
My notes say that Mo has a recap coming your way. The Knicks host Philly at home on Friday for a Cup game. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
Jordan Goodwin is showing how to play “Suns’ Basketball”
Unfortunately for the Suns, the season has not panned out as much as anticipated. With a 1-2 start and their next game not until Friday, the team’s pulse has been off, and everyone has expressed frustration. Whether it’s the early injuries that have hurt the roster or the starting lineup not meshing well, the discussion surrounding the Suns hasn’t been positive in the first few games. Even with all that negativity, though, the Suns have shown some positives, including a major offseason re-signing.
This has been Jordan Goodwin, someone who blossomed on the team last year and is still finding ways to make an impact this year. In just these three games, he has made himself feel present with the squad and has made his presence felt in all three contests. His hustle and ambition to become a better player show in his relentlessness on the court.
Because of the injuries the Suns have already dealt with early on, Goodwin’s role has grown. With no Oso Ighodaro for the Suns, Khaman Maluach has started, but with Mark Williams also out, the center room is thin. The Suns have used two-way player Duop Reath for some of those minutes, but a lot of them have been put into small-ball lineups. This was one of the Suns’ strong suits last season, and again, it can be said to be led by the same player both years: Goodwin.
To start the season, the Suns have struggled in two main areas: rebounding and three-point shooting. For the Suns, though, Goodwin has at least shone by not letting them get completely obliterated in those categories any more than they already have. The 6’3” guard, even though he is undersized, proves that it is heart over height in any scenario, as he makes his impact known within the roster. He’s made that impact known, and the fans have noticed it, too.
That is why, to me, he’s truly been one of the bright spots on this Suns team and deserves recognition for his hard work, even if the results haven’t always been what everyone wants. That said, the Suns should look at what Goodwin has accomplished over the last few games and incorporate his skill set into the roster build. As we know, the starting lineup has not panned out at all. With Ighodaro out with an injury, we haven’t been able to switch him and Maluach, but even without that, others haven’t performed.
Jalen Green has been inconsistent; Devin Booker had one dominant performance but then went silent; Dillon Brooks just hasn’t looked like the same player, and Miles Bridges, well, what is there positive to say about him? Truly, the cohesion has been terrible, and the roster build, with no one to make those Goodwin-like plays, has set them back. Everyone is looking for their own bucket and a way to win for the team, rather than playing as a unit. That is why the bench looks so much better: everyone has their role, and they try to execute it.
Even early in the season, the starters’ lineup issues are glaring, and with the squad’s build, this could persist as the season goes on. With no clear playmaker, true rebounder, or even a solid three-point scorer, the solution seems to be working through this together for now, but if it sticks, bigger issues could arise near the trade deadline. This is where I think the Suns, in this scenario, would still need to reevaluate all avenues to build around their star.
Sadly, three points isn’t something anyone can support, but fans can still cling to the 43-point game from before. That is the Booker fans all know and grew up supporting, the one they saw on Saturday night, and even if it was against a depleted Warriors team, that star is still there. He needs the right pieces around him to get back to his true self, and that is where the front office needs to look. They need to find guys who can replicate what Goodwin brings to the starting lineup: connectivity. Someone willing to do the dirty work and be the glue guy for the starters. As many liked to taunt Royce O’Neale last year for being in the lineup, that is what his role was, and he did it perfectly.
Sometimes it is not about the biggest names on the roster; it is about how they work, and that is how last season’s Suns thrived. This year, the opposite is true, and the outcomes aren’t looking great. It’s still early in the season, and things can change once Ighodaro gets back or their team gels more, but if the issues persist, the only way out may be to sell some of these starters, especially ones looking for a long-term extension.
Takeaways & Quotes: Raptors defeat Magic 129-99
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 129-99 on Wednesday.
With the victory, the team improved to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in games without Kawhi Leonard.
Here are four takeaways and quotes after the win:
Where would the Raptors be without RJ?
“We can do an even better job of providing him those angles…but he’s very crafty and he plays in tight spaces…I thought he did a really good job tonight.” – Darko Rajakovic on RJ Barrett
There’s something about RJ Barrett’s game that can’t escape the relentless criticism from a specific portion of the Raptors fanbase. Even after hitting a Kawhi-like bounce that foreshadowed the return of his newest teammate, Barrett’s name is often included in hypothetical trades.
Contract and financials aside, no one on the team can replicate what Barrett does best: provide relentless pressure and pursuit that even Michael Myers would be jealous of.
When Toronto’s offence was stuck in molasses, it was Barrett who supercharged his play. After hitting a triple to cut the Magic lead to 19-13, he followed that up with an offensive putback on the next possession.
Barrett led all scorers with 21 points at halftime, matching his second-highest output through two quarters in his eight seasons in the league. Barrett’s career-high for points at the half remains at 30, which was recorded while playing for the New York Knicks on Feb. 25 in 2022.
Barrett proved himself as a playoff riser against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It makes sense that he elevates his game while Leonard is out of action. Barrett finished with 25 points on 50 per cent shooting.
No trick, all treat
“Today was the first day I was looking for my shot more…Offensively, I’m a liability when I don’t look for my shot.” – Jamal Shead on whether he needs to be more aggressive on offence
With the Raptors trailing 21-15 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter, head coach Darko Rajakovic looked to his bench for answers, or at the very least, for a group capable of keeping them in the game until their offence recovered.
What emerged was the unique combination of Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle, Scottie Barnes and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The group was the jump scare Toronto needed to wake up from its slumber. An 11-2 run pushed the home team to a two-point lead and invigorated the Scotiabank Arena.
The most encouraging part was that production came from all five players and not just the known quantities. Jackson-Davis was an excellent screener and capitalized on his scoop shot after Shead dropped it off to him in the paint. The veteran was also a stabilizing force on the glass. Battle bounced back after his performance in Minnesota, finishing with seven points, while knocking down a left-corner three during this particular stretch. Defensively, Battle was playing with an infectious effort and hit the floor for loose balls. Shead had his best game of the young season and was a force on both ends. The backup point guard scored a season-high 13 points.
Orlando ultimately went 1-for-4 from the field and committed three turnovers before Rajakovic brought Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett back into the game.
Scottie returns to form
“I thought we just played our brand of basketball…we’re trying to play to our standards.” – Scottie Barnes on whether the team played a different way due to Leonard’s absence
After Barnes faced criticism for finishing with zero points for the second time in his career, there was understandably increased curiosity surrounding how the All-Star would approach this game, especially with Leonard out of action.
Whether it was by design or a product of what was available on the court, Barnes and the Raptors had an obsession with getting into the paint to begin the game. Barnes generated five consecutive paint touches, with one of them leading to a Quickley three-pointer. He didn’t take his first jump shot until the 7:23 mark. In total, the Raptors as a team attacked the paint on seven straight possessions.
Barnes was an absolute force once again, finishing with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists and five stocks (steals and blocks). For the Raptors to author a sequel to 2019, Barnes needs to be an automatic 20-point scorer while doing enough to cement his reputation as an All-Defensive mainstay.
Part of the sophomore experience
“For all of our guys, they come off the bench and are ready to go… they have something to prove and do well for the team, and they’re very much ready to do that.” – Rajakovic on the team’s depth
We’ve seen the Photoshop gems on X and the addictive edits on TikTok. Along with Leonard and Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles is often viewed as an integral part of the three-headed defensive monster. While it’s a compliment to be typecast as the “Dennis Rodman” of the group, Toronto can renovate its ceiling to impressive heights should Murray-Boyles grow as an offensive weapon.
Unfortunately, Murray-Boyles couldn’t get into a rhythm, particularly due to foul trouble. The defensive demon picked up two fouls in his first three minutes of action. He also committed three turnovers during this stretch. Early in the fourth quarter, Murray-Boyles picked up his fifth foul. At this point, he had seven points, two rebounds and three turnovers.
Thankfully, the Magic didn’t pose a permanent threat and Jackson-Davis was solid as a fill-in at the centre position.
Offensively, Murray-Boyles’ highlight of the night came in the form of a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Moments later, he attempted a second triple from nearly the same spot. The ball touched every part of the rim before bouncing out. During Raptors Media Day, Rajakovic expressed his preference for players to be more willing to take shots. Murray-Boyles finished 2-for-3 from the perimeter. It was the first time Murray-Boyles had attempted more than two three-pointers since Dec. 31 in 2025.