NEW YORK (AP) — Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Ottawa Senators moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot by shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.
Ottawa is in if Detroit loses at home in regulation to New Jersey. The Islanders’ hopes took another hit with a fifth loss in six games.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took a puck up high late in the second period, returned for one shift in the third and then did not return.
Greig made it a 1-0 game with 6:54 remaining in the first. Jake Sanderson scored in the third, and Michael Amadio sealed it with an empty-netter. The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.
New York is now 1-1 since firing coach Patrick Roy and hiring Peter DeBoer as his replacement. Ilya Sorokin allowed two goals on 15 shots.
Max Homa led at this stage two years ago, ending the week in third spot after falling away over the weekend with a pair of 73s. Undaunted, he came back last year, and tied for 12th. The 35-year-old Californian has fallen in love with Augusta National late in life, and he’s going well again this week. Birdies at 1 and 2 have whisked him up the standings to -4.
While we’re waiting for the leading players to take to the course, we’ve got time to indulge in a wee spot of Masters nostalgia. This episode of This Golfing Life, a wonderful new golf podcast hosted by the award-winning journalist and author Dan Davies, dives deep into the career of the 1980 and 1983 champion, the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and comes much recommended. (Fans of Paddington and Maurice Flitcroft may enjoy this episode too.) Get on it!
NEW YORK (AP) — Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Ottawa Senators moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot by shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.
Ottawa is in if Detroit loses at home in regulation to New Jersey. The Islanders' hopes took another hit with a fifth loss in six games.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took a puck up high late in the second period, returned for one shift in the third and then did not return.
Greig made it a 1-0 game with 6:54 remaining in the first. Jake Sanderson scored in the third, and Michael Amadio sealed it with an empty-netter. The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.
It appears the Vancouver Canucks are looking to get more of their young players into the lineup ahead of the end of the season. Earlier today, the team announced that they have recalled defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev from the AHL.
Despite the Abbotsford Canucks’ less than stellar season, Kudryavtsev has played solidly on a roster that has seen lots of change throughout the past few months. He has scored two goals and 16 assists in 42 games played at the AHL level, ranking fourth on the team in points by a defenceman (third of those who have spent the entire season with Abbotsford).
Kudryavtsev made his NHL debut last year on April 14 against the San Jose Sharks and also played against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 16. The defenceman has yet to make his Canucks debut this season but was recalled in October as a result of Vancouver’s injury issues.
Both Vancouver and Abbotsford will play later tonight, with the Canucks facing the Sharks at 7:00 pm PT and Abbotsford taking on the Calgary Wranglers at 5:00 pm PT.
Apr 14, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) makes his NHL debut in warm prior to a game against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 06: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals carries the puck against Ryan Shea #5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 6, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
May 18, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Grant Holman (67) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
We’ll always have those 10 days when Grant Holman was in the Dodgers organization. The well-travelled right-hander was claimed off waivers from Los Angeles by the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, ending Holman’s 10-day stay.
The Dodgers claimed Holman off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 1, and optioned him to the minors. He was technically on the Arizona Complex League Dodgers roster, though there are no games on that level yet, so it’s basically another way of saying he was getting work in at Camelback Ranch. Holman did not pitch in the minors in his week and a half in the organization.
Holman, who turns 26 in May, pitched in 40 games for the Athletics in 2024-25, but is now on his third team since getting designated for assignment by the A’s in February. Arizona claimed the right-hander on February 15, then designated him for assignment 10 days later, before the Dodgers claimed him on April 1. Now, he’s with the Tigers, more specifically their Florida Coast League team in Lakeland.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 5: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after hitting an rbi triple during the third inning of a game against the San Diego Padres on April 5, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re very early in the 2026 MLB season, but there’s still been enough action to shock and surprise us. This week, we asked Yankees fans about which American League rival had gotten off to the most surprising start, with the options consisting of a number of clubs off to the disappointing starts: the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles and Mariners.
The results are in, and it’s our rivals in Boston that have surprised us the most thus far:
The Red Sox garnered as many votes as the other three choices combined, and with good reason. At the time of the poll, the Red Sox were a dreadful 2-8, and they needed to win the last two games of their series with Milwaukee this week just to get to 4-9 and four games back of the Yankees for first in the AL East with the Junior Circuit’s worst record. Boston’s lineup has cobbled together a shoddy .646 OPS, while their pitching staff has yielded the seventh-highest wOBA in the league. There’s plenty of time for Boston to stabilize, but their start has been poor enough to cause some high-profile fans to start panicking.
All that said, there’s reason for concern elsewhere as well, particularly in Toronto and Seattle. The Blue Jays’ 6-7 is far from disastrous, but their injury bill is; Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber are all on the IL at the moment, putting Toronto in a tough spot as they’ll now need to hope that their depth players can keep them from falling in a hole. The Mariners benefit from playing in a weaker division, but at 5-9 they’ve really scuffled out of the gate.
Now, onto our MLB-wide fan polls, which simply asked which team would win each division:
In related news, with Toronto, Baltimore, and Boston all off to iffy starts, the Yankees are the overwhelming choice by MLB fans to take the AL East. We’ve seen this movie before, with the Yankees consistently getting out to early division leads in recent seasons, but not consistently finishing the year in first in the East. Their stellar pitching so far has them looking like the favorites in perhaps the toughest division in baseball, but there’s still a very long way to go.
Here are the results for the other five divisions:
AL Central: Tigers (55%; runner-up: Guardians, 28%)
AL West: Mariners (69%; runner-up: Astros, 18%)
NL East: Phillies (40%; runner-up: Braves, 29%)
NL Central: Brewers (56%; runner-up: Cubs, 24%)
NL West: Dodgers (88%; runner-up: Padres, 5%)
There are a few interesting nuggets here. Despite rough starts from the Mariners and Tigers, MLB fans still tab those squads to secure the AL West and AL Central, respectively. Interestingly, the Phillies, despite an offseason that left their fans wanting and a third-place spot in the standings currently, rate as the top choice in the NL East, with the Mets not to be found in the top two.
The Brewers remain the top dog in the NL Central, off to a fine start but with teams like the Reds and Pirates also playing decently out of the gate. That said, the Cubs still come in second in the polls, and are likely still the team that should give Milwaukee their stiffest challenge. Out west, well, there’s little surprise to be found, as the expectation remains that the Dodgers will run away with the division.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 27: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates with the puck against Pavel Dorofeyev #16 of the Vegas Golden Knights as Alexander Holtz #26 of the Golden Knights looks on in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on December 27, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a Presidents Trophy-clinching performance on Thursday, play their final weekend game of the regular season tonight.
After a three and a half month hiatus, they will wrap up the season series against the Vegas Golden Knights, who pay their only(?) visit to the Mile High City this spring.
Colorado Avalanche (52-16-10)
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-17)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ABC, ESPN (US National Broadcast), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Outside Colorado and Vegas broadcast areas – Canada)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
As mentioned above, the Avalanche secured their rightful place as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings in their 3-1 defeat of the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Gabe Landeskog would open the scoring late in the first period, and Martin Nečas scored on a pretty play as he skated through the Calgary defense to double the lead in the second period. A sleepy third period (and an extra skater in place of goaltender Dustin Wolf late in the frame) cracked open the door for Calgary, who had a tying goal wiped out due to a successful offside challenge by Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. Nathan MacKinnon would ice the game on an empty net goal late in regulation for his League-leading 52nd goal of the season, ensuring that Colorado would claim the fourth Presidents Trophy in franchise history. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 of 29 shots for his 22nd win of the season.
With the win, Avs locked in home ice advantage throughout the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. With their position as the top seed in the playoffs now secured, Bednar has the option to rest players up and down the lineup. Speaking on the option to rest some players leading up to the end of the season, he said, “I’d like to see all of our guys play games yet before the playoffs […] If they’re able to play, we’ll get them as much rest as we can in between games, and then some guys, I’m going to try to get some guys a little bit of a breather that, I think, could probably benefit from it.”
Tonight wraps up the three game series against Vegas, with the Avs having won both of the previous two games. The last time both teams met was coming out of the holiday break back on December 27 at T-Mobile Arena. With Vegas leading 4-2 at the beginning of the third period, Nečas and MacKinnon would score to pull the Avs back on even footing, and despite falling behind with four minutes to play in regulation, a goal from Artturi Lehkonen with under two minutes pushed the game to overtime. Neither team scored in the extra session, and MacKinnon scored the shootout winning goal to complete the comeback as the Avs walked out with a 6-5 decision.
MacKinnon remains atop the League lead in goals coming into tonight’s game, having set a career high with his 52nd goal of the season on Thursday. With four games remaining in the regular season, his 126 points ranks third behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (128) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (133). Nečas is two goals shy of his first ever 40 goal season, and two points away from his first 100 point season. Bednar indicated that Nazem Kadri will require further evaluation before rejoining the lineup, and he expects Cale Makar to return to action prior to the end of the season.
Scott Wedgewood is likely to start in goal for the Avs tonight. A win against Vegas would see him reach the thirty win mark for the first time in his career.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Nicolas Roy – Joel Kiviranta Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Brett Kulak – Josh Manson Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
A hot start that saw Vegas begin the season with a near identical record to Colorado through the month of October was derailed by a combination of injuries to key personnel: forwards Jack Eichel, William Karlsson Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons, Mark Stone, defensemen Brayden McNabb, Noah Hanafin, Jérémy Lauzon, and goaltenders Adin Hill and Carter Hart all missed time throughout the season. Even with so many injuries through their lineup, Vegas strung together several modest winning streaks through the year, including a stretch that saw them win seven straight games in January. However, they struggled to maintain their winning ways, winning only five games coming out of the Olympic break, and those hardships would only continue through February and March. As the season winds down, Vegas finds themselves tied with the Anaheim Ducks in points (89), but due to tiebreakers, currently occupy second place in the porous Pacific Division.
This isn’t the same Vegas team that previously faced Colorado back in December. They made their first trade of 2026 in January, sending longtime defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman Abram Wiebe, a 2027 first round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick in 2028 to Calgary for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Leading up to the trade deadline, they acquired depth forward Cole Smith from Nashville for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 third round pick, and forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third round pick, a 2029 second round pick.
Vegas didn’t limit themselves to roster makeovers this season. On March 29, head coach Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his head coaching duties, replacing him with John Tortorella in an interim capacity. Vegas marks the seventh stop for the two-time Jack Adams and former Stanley Cup-winning coach. The team responded with a four game winning streak to kick off the Tortorella era, which came to an end this past Thursday in a 4-3 shootout decision against the Seattle Kraken. Tortorella has yet to lose in regulation in his short time behind the Vegas bench, and a win tonight against Colorado could make things interesting in the chase for first place in the Pacific. The Edmonton Oilers, who currently lead the division, face the Los Angeles Kings this afternoon. By the time the puck drops in Denver, Vegas will know whether if they’re in a position to overtake Edmonton for the top spot, or if they’re still chasing them down. As of this writing, neither team has clinched a playoff spot, but the outcomes of both games could change that.
Eichel leads all Vegas skaters in points (83) and assists (58) while Mitch Marner ranks second in both categories (78 points and 55 assists, respectively). Pavel Dorofeyev leads all Vegas forwards in goals (35), while Theodore leads all Vegas defenders in goals (9), assists (29), and points (38).
This is the final road game of the season for Vegas, as they wrap up a four game road trip. Hart, who played the first three games of the road trip since (his first action since January 8), may return to the crease this evening. Hill was the goaltender of record in the loss this past Thursday in Seattle.
Vegas finishes out the regular season with a brief two game home stand against the Winnipeg Jets on April 13, and close out the regular season against Seattle on April 15.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone Brett Howden – Mitch Marner – Pavel Dorofeyev Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Colton Sissons Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 19: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after making a catch for the winning and final out during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Truist Park on August 19, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NL East leading Atlanta Braves have announced some joyous news before Saturday night’s home game versus the Cleveland Guardians.
The #Braves today selected INF Luke Williams to the major league roster and placed OF Michael Harris II on the paternity list. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred LHP Danny Young to the 60-day injured list. The club today also reinstated RHP Daysbel Hernández…
I didn’t know Michael was anticipating, which makes me even more excited. Michael Harris will go on the paternity list. Infielder slash part time outfielder slash emergency late inning reliever Luke Williams will join the active roster. Luke has slashed .212/.270/.280 over 349 lifetime plate appearances. He is out of option years, which means when Harris returns Williams will be in no man’s land. He will likely be booted from the 40-man roster. This could conceivably place Luke in an organization with some available playing time. With a 2025 wRC+ of zero though, I’m not so sure.
In other news, Daysbel Hernandez has been reinstated and optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Daysbel didn’t throw a pitch in Spring Training as he has worked his way back from a right shoulder sebaceous cyst. Danny Young is recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he was moved to the 60-day IL to make room.
Apparently Michael Harris will be celebrating more that his home run last night. Congratulations, Mike, and enjoy the little one!
With the Pittsburgh Penguins having several players out for their contest against the Washington Capitals, they have called up multiple forwards from the AHL.
The Penguins have announced that they have recalled Ville Koivunen, Joona Koppanen, and Rutger McGroarty from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Koivunen has appeared in 36 games this season for Pittsburgh, where he has recorded two goals and seven points. In the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has 11 goals and 36 points in 32 games this season.
Koppanen has one assist, two penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating in 10 games this season for Pittsburgh. Down in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has eight goals, 15 assists, 23 points, and a plus-19 rating in 42 games.
As for McGroarty, he has two goals and five points in 21 games so far this season with Pittsburgh. He has shown clear improvement this campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as he has eight goals and 30 points in 28 games with the AHL squad.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ready to extend this win streak to four games? The A’s are suiting up and getting ready for the second game of their weekend series against the Mets, looking to take the win and reach the .500 mark.
On the mound today will be Jacob Lopez. The left-hander hasn’t gone long in either of his two first outings of the year so the club will surely be hoping for some more length from the lefty this afternoon.
He’ll be opposed by Mets righty Kodai Senga this afternoon. The Japanese righty is off to a quick start so far this season after a lost year in 2025. He’s had some good success against the A’s in his career so the team will be hoping to change things around on that front.
3 min Both teams have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation as expected.
1 min Fulham kick off from left to right as we watch. The home fans launch straight into a song about Andy Robertson, who announced this week that he will leave the club this summer. £8m he cost.
Jun 10, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; A partial annular eclipse of the sun rises over the skyline of Toronto. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY NETWORK
First Pitch: 2:07 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
Not only did the Twins blow a 4-0 lead last night in what looked like a morale-boosting, streak-extending win against a top-tier opponent, but they also officially lost two players, as Royce Lewis and Cody Laweryson hit the IL.
It’s the kind of 12-hour implosion all too familiar to the Twins, which is part of the reason that having Joe Ryan on the bump today could serve as a nice stabilizer before the series gets away from Minnesota.
In a season that requires him to step up to the level of a true ace, Ryan has had a pair of nice starts (@BAL and vs. DET), as well as a four-inning clunker against the Kansas City Royals. Perhaps the most encouraging stat is his having avoided the long ball in 14 innings so far this season, even as his H/9 and BB/9 rise above their usual averages. Ryan is 2-1 against the Jays in his career, with a 4.70 ERA in four total starts.
Random sidebar. Did you know that Joe Ryan has never intentionally walked a hitter? This sent me on a dive, whereupon I learned that actually, Mick Abel is the only member of the starting rotation to have intentionally walked a hitter in his career. Upon reflection, I suppose the proper conditions usually leading to an intentional walk are rarely present early enough in a game for a starter to be the one tasked with issuing the free pass. But I wouldn’t have guessed that the full rotation had one career IBB between them, and that it belonged to the second-youngest guy on the club.
Anyway. The Blue Jays will be tossing Eric Lauer, who boasts a career 8.80 ERA against the Twins. This is Lauer’s second season in Toronto, having pitched for the Padres and Brewers for six years before exclusively pitching in the KBO and the minor leagues in 2024. He returned to the Jays after they selected Lauer’s minor-league contract last year, and ultimately threw 4.2 innings in the marathon World Series Game 3 last October.
Lauer’s another lefty. Who would have guessed, with the way things have matched up for the Twins so far in 2026? He features a four-seam well below league-average lefty velocity, and a change/cutter/slider mix bolstered by a very occassional curveball.
The Twins will try to even the series this afternoon and give them a chance for a road victory against the Blue Jays. GO TWINS GO!
The Buffalo Sabres are in a fortuitous position with less than a week to go in the regular season. The club has already locked in their first postseason berth since 2011, and after their 5-0 shutout victory over Columbus, the Sabres have over a 95% chance to secure home-ice advantage by either Montreal or Tampa Bay losing on the weekend, or the Sabres earning two points in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Monday.
Tampa Bay and Boston play on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, and the Blue Jackets and Canadiens face off at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff put his group through their paces at the Harborcenter on Saturday morning and spoke to the media:
What is the status of Noah Ostlund and do you hold out any hope for him being available next weekend?
(He’s) getting better, just one of those injuries, just pain management, and as soon as we get that reduced he'll be back…… I do. Hope's the one thing you can have. He was skated this morning. He's skating every day, just trying to get through this. That's all.
How nice is it to have a two-day respite before playing the final two games?
Shocking.....we thought originally maybe off-ice again today. But then we thought there's some things we'd like to work on in a quick sense, with a turnaround, with playoffs around the corner, (we'll) probably only have maybe one more practice this week after tomorrow.
With the power play struggling, you’ve moved Alex Tuch back on the top unit. What are you hoping for with this move?
We're going to take a look at this for a game or two, which we have that luxury. If we run it off the left side where (Dahlin), is, then we got one-timer up-top, another one timer. So we've got the hands matched up a little bit better. Before these last five games, our power player was on a pretty good pace. We've run a little bit dry, so it's now time just try something.
How has Logan Stanley fit in on the blueline?
I thought he closed his gap lot quicker. His first pass was a lot better. I think all that's related, (he) made a nice play getting up ice. But I think he plays a real predictable game. You make the easy plays and kept everybody in front of him...... I think he dealt with the year where Winnipeg lost a couple top defensemen. He was put on a power play for a while. So I think the adjustments coming here are, you're not getting quite the same role, but what he's offered us is one, one real tough guy in the back end. He does have good hands. I think we saw that the other night, that in situations where we need somebody to get up ice, he can get up ice. He's a good skater. He's physical, so I think he's a good fit. He's the type of guy you need in the playoffs.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 02: Koby Brea #14 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball /C during their game at Spectrum Center on April 02, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There I was, watching the fourth quarter of the Phoenix Suns’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn’t a pretty sight. The youthful movement that so many have been clamoring for — myself included — was on full display, and boy, did they look youthful. Koby Brea launching bomb after bomb, Rasheer Fleming tossing the ball to the other team, no semblance of organized offense to be found. They finished with 9 points in the quarter. 73 points for the game, their lowest total since St. Patrick’s Day of 2016. Ten years since we’ve seen a Suns team score 73 or less.
But hey, that gives us a chance to look back at the Suns’ history, right? And when we do, we are reminded of darker times. Much darker times.
The last time the Suns scored 73 points or less? March 17, 2016. They scored 69 against the Jazz that night, led by Brandon Knight's 17 points pic.twitter.com/FhbMiWmmAi
And as I sat there watching it unfold, I felt a little sadness creep in. Maybe it was the margaritas on a Friday night after a long week. Maybe it was something deeper. The NBA is a cycle, and the regular season is closing in on its final turn.
The back end of the season has been frustrating. When I look back at what I’ve written and the observations I’ve made, I can see where the negativity has crept into my own lens. But I also want to put something out there that reminds me, and anyone reading, of the positive things that have happened. Because even with frustrations around the rotations from head coach Jordan Ott or the issues defending the paint over the past two months, I’m not ungrateful. I’m grateful. This season could have gone sideways. We could have experienced no identity, no opportunity, and nothing to build on. Instead, an identity showed up. It faded some, but it exists. And the organization followed through on what it talked about last summer.
The cycle keeps moving, and I don’t expect a deep postseason run. Part of me is uneasy about the Play-In, about the potential Blazers or Clippers matchups, about facing teams that are trending up while the Suns are still searching this late in the year. Call it Post-Traumatic Suns Disorder. It’s an annual April tradition. And that’s fine.
Because when I look back on this season once it concludes, I’ll write about how thankful I am that it happened. This was an inflection point, and it was handled the right way. At worst, this team finishes with 44 wins. I had them at 35. There’s no version of this where I walk away disappointed.
The cycle tells you what comes next, and what comes next doesn’t carry the same rhythm as the season. I love the in-season rhythm. I’m guessing you do too. You’re here every day, reading, absorbing, reacting, and throwing your thoughts into the mix. I enjoy the thought exercises, the graphics, the podcasts, the matchups, and the injury reports. The regular season gives you a cadence that fits. And in that fourth quarter, while things were unraveling, I felt it. That quiet realization that this is almost over.
I’m looking forward to the break. Everyone needs it. The players need the mental and physical reset, and I’ll take one too. I’ll settle into it, pick a video game to play to get me through the Arizona summer, and take advantage of some rest. I always do. But I also know what’s coming. The offseason conversations, the scenarios, and the debates. They can wear on you. This offseason will be interesting. Last offseason was about laying the foundation. This one is about what you do with it, how you build on it, and how you make the next set of decisions. That part isn’t easy.
I’m looking forward to those conversations. At the same time, I’m going to miss this. The day-to-day. The random Friday night against the Lakers where everything goes sideways and you’re sitting there taking it in anyway, albeit with a little help from a reposado-based adult beverage. I’ll miss the grind. I’m thankful for it.
Last season felt like a finish line I couldn’t wait to reach. This one feels different. I don’t want it to end. It’s something to hold onto, something to appreciate. We want it to keep going as long as it can. But like every season, it ends. The question now becomes when. And we’ll learn that in the days (and hopefully weeks) to come.
