NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2026-06-09 19:52:31
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2026-06-09 19:52:31
Knicks understand what needs to happen 'to be better' in Game 4 after watching film of first loss in 13 games
Josh Hart said it perfectly while talking to reporters after the Knicks’ practice on Tuesday, “We knew they weren’t just gonna lay down and let us win four straight.”
Hart, of course, was referring to the San Antonio Spurs who recovered from losing the first two games at home in the NBA Finals by beating New York in Game 3 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden and putting the pressure on the Knicks who are up 2-1 heading into Wednesday’s Game 4.
“We knew this was gonna be a battle,” Hart said. “They played very well and you gotta give them credit for that.”
Still, in the loss, the team’s first since April 23, New York made some uncharacteristic mistakes that it wasn’t making during its 13-game winning streak.
Perhaps the most obvious was the amount of turnovers – the Knicks had 13 to the Spurs’ eight which led to San Antonio scoring 21 points. Jalen Brunson had five turnovers by himself and emphasized not turning the ball over as a way to improve the team’s flow offensively.
“Our attention to detail needs to be better,” he said.
“We were making turnovers that were uncharacteristic of us, just being sloppy with the ball, not being on the same page,” OG Anunoby added. “Throughout the course of a game stuff like that happens so we’re just gonna try and clean it up.”
Turnovers are a part of the game and there’s no escaping them entirely. However, the goal is to cough up the ball fewer times than the opponent which New York had been doing an excellent job of during the playoffs.
Another thing the Knicks had done so well until Monday’s loss was moving the ball around and not being stagnant on offense. Yes, Brunson is capable of playing hero ball late in the game when his team needs a clutch bucket, but New York was running teams out of the gym in previous rounds thanks to its game speed and constant movement around the court.
But in Game 3 the Knicks had just 18 assists, their lowest total in the postseason and the first time they’d gone under 20 assists since their last playoff loss against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
“We gotta pick up the ball movement for sure,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “… We have 13 games in a row, 50 days of film to show what it looks like when we’re at our best so we got good film. We’ll get back to our fundamentals which makes us great and get back to work tomorrow.”
“We didn’t play to the best of our capabilities and I think that’s the frustrating part because we knew we didn’t play our best basketball,” Hart added. “We learned from film today and we’ll be better tomorrow.”
Hart dove into the benefits of watching film, not just from the loss to the Spurs, but in general as it can help players and a team quickly identify and correct mistakes or how to plan to counteract an opponent’s strengths.
“You wanna watch kind of as much film as you can or get as much information as you can to then go out there and play to that,” he said. “Obviously you want to play with your instincts as a basketball player that you’ve been playing the game for such a long time, but certain situations you want to have that information so certain plays you can try to deter them from getting to their spots.”
Despite losing Game 3, New York still leads the series and head coach Mike Brown mentioned that “nobody is panicking” in his “veteran group”. In fact, whether the Knicks won or lost on Monday night, nothing would’ve changed with their preparation on Tuesday for Game 4, a mentality they’ve been running with for a while now.
If anything, a loss, especially after such a long time without one, can bring out new ways to improve.
“Obviously I'm a firm believer that you can grow and learn a lot in wins, but you can do the same in losses, too,” Brown said. “... Everybody is disappointed that we didn't go out and execute and play to what we feel our standard is.
“That's not taking anything away from San Antonio, but we feel like we can play a lot better than what we did. We're looking forward to going out on the floor and showing it.”
“Each game, no matter what the situation is, we're growing as a team,” Brunson added. “I think we're learning and we're getting better… No matter what the situation is, we're going to stick together. We're going to execute, we're going to be better. That's just how our mindset has to be going forward.”
How a Knicks fan’s 'Jalen Brunson' chant turned into an all-day NYC spectacle
As the New York Knicks chase glory in the 2026 NBA Finals, their fan base's passion has been on full display, manifesting itself in inventive and sometimes downright quirky gestures that capture the essence of New York fandom.
Ahead of Game 3, one superfan named Jake Epstein took team spirit to a new level, vowing to repeat Jalen Brunson's name 100,000 times before tip-off. He set up outside the 34th Street subway entrance just steps from Madison Square Garden. Despite his unsuccessful attempts to score a ticket, Epstein’s energy was undeterred, chanting “Jalen Brunson” for hours on end.
Seated comfortably in a folding lawn chair, Epstein held a handmade sign reading, "Saying Jalen Brunson 100,000 times." Beside him, a laptop kept an official tally, its screen clearly visible to passersby who stopped to witness the spectacle.
Epstein told USA TODAY Sports that the inspiration for his quirky marathon chant came after watching viral video stunts by internet personalities such as Mr. Beast. Motivated by a desire to channel that same spirit of fun and community, he recruited two close friends to join him, scouted a prime spot outside MSG and set up a livestream that kicked off at 8:40 a.m.
The journey wasn’t without challenges. Intermittent rain and spotty internet connections threatened to derail the attempt. Yet, as the hours passed, Epstein said his determination drew a growing crowd of supporters. Strangers offered high-fives and words of encouragement. The scene reached a new level of excitement when actor and comedian Ben Stiller stopped by, snapping photos of Epstein and later sharing them on social media.
Knicks fans are renowned for their unwavering dedication, having stood by their beloved team through decades marked by championship droughts and heartbreak. Epstein credited the outpouring of support, ranging from fans who brought him food and cold drinks to a surprise FaceTime call from rapper Fat Joe when he hit the 80,000-chant milestone, as the fuel he needed to keep going.
"The whole reason for the challenge was because there were so many times the Knicks were down for so long, but we were never out," Epstein said. "The Knicks never gave up; they kept fighting, kept getting better, even if they lost Game 3."
As for what comes next, Epstein joked that his Game 4 stunt might be another marathon chant but this time, "The refs are against us!" or perhaps something more elaborate like organizing a Jalen Brunson lookalike contest in Central Park.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Knicks superfan chanted 'Jalen Brunson' nonstop in Game 3 stunt
Thunder's Presti defends Gilgeous-Alexander against social media narrative, 'He's playing against six people'
Sam Presti knew he shouldn't do it, but he couldn't help himself.
The man in charge of Oklahoma City's basketball operations — the man widely considered the best executive in the league, one who built a young championship roster — said he knew Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would "kill me for talking about this" and then he proceeded to talk about the narrative around SGA's drawing free throws and the backlash to his playing style anyway. For almost seven minutes.
"He's playing against six people, he's got five defenders and the sixth defender is social media," Presti said (credit to Brandon Rahbar of the Daily Thunder for posting the video). "That's a reality, and he's not going to be the last player that the machine decides to target, but no one's going to handle it as gracefully, because when they turn it on somebody else, they're not going to step up there every night and not acknowledge it."
Thing is, it's not just fans on social media who complain about Gilgeous-Alexander's playing style — although there are plenty of those — it's coaches like the Knicks Mike Brown, the Warriors' Steve Kerr and the Pistons' J.B. Bickerstaff (among others). It's also players such as the Celtics' Jaylen Brown, or Victor Wembanyama's thinly veiled discussion of "ethical basketball."
Presti defended Gilgeous-Alexander against them, too.
"The postgame press conference has turned into the bully pulpit to create competitive advantage..." Presti said. "It used to be you get up there, you talk about your own team, now everyone gets up there and they talk about the officials and they discredit the other team."
Presti's rant was playing to his core audience — and that likely starts with Gilgeous-Alexander himself. As noted by Presti, SGA brushes questions about his foul-drawing aside during the season, but if the narrative about it really does bother SGA, then Presti went out, made the case that everyone inside the Thunder organization has made for years, and had his star's back. This also will play well with Thunder fans.
Presti continued to defend SGA for drawing fouls, saying all the greats do it, and his total fouls drawn last season were tied with Joel Embiid and comparable to those of Jaylen Brown and Jalen Brunson, guys who don't face the same criticism.
Presti also talked about all the things that Gilgeous-Alexander does right that he feels don't get enough attention.
"[People say] Players don't play defense, Shai is a two-end player," Presti said. "Now, he plays with four or five All-NBA defensive players, so sometimes his defensive ability gets undersold, but he plays two ends. Second, [fans say] all NBA players do is complain, b**** and moan... He's gotten three technical fouls this year, none for complaining, one for waving a towel in support of someone that hit a shot that doesn't play very often...
"The other thing is load management — nobody plays, they take all these games off. Shai plays every night... Next one is all you do is shoot threes. NBA players, all they do is shoot threes. Okay, well, he's brought the mid-range back to an art form."
All that is going to play well with the Thunder and their fans, and be mocked by most outside of OKC. Presti is smart, and he knew all of that before he went off on his rant in the first place.
Former Red Joel Kuhnel is the Brewers latest bullpen machine
You may recall Joel Kuhnel from his days with the Cincinnati Reds. Big guy, he is – listed at 6’5” and 290 lbs. He was an 11th round pick out of the University of Texas-Arlington, threw a heavy heater, and made it into 14 games with the Reds in 2019-2020 before injuries shut him down for most of 2021.
He was a big part of the 2022 Reds bullpen most of the entire year, though, getting into 53 games, pitching 58.0 IP, and even logging a save, his 6.36 ERA wholly different than the 3.96 FIP he posted, as he did own a pretty impressive 56/14 K/BB in his time. With similarly frustrating surface stats during the start of the 2023 season and a dwindling ability to be jockeyed back and forth between Cincinnati and AAA Louisville, Kuhnel was designated for assignment and eventually traded to the Houston Astros for cash.
Since then, he has bounced like a basketball that rolled down the driveway. He’s been with Houston, Tampa, and eventually with the Athletics, the latter of whom traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers after the A’s, too, had DFA’d him late last week.
What’s interesting about any of this, you ask? Well, the Brewers – who have a pitching lab that has turned just about anyone into superstars – seem to have known exactly what to do when they got their hands on Kuhnel. Here’s a quick glimpse at what his stuff looked like with the A’s vs. what it looked like in his first appearance on the mound for Milwaukee:
So, in the matter of two days, he went from throwing his fastball at 94 mph to touching a hundred (with a 99.5 mph average overall). That’s even significantly higher than the 96.4 mph he averaged during his first call-up with Cincinnati in 2019 as a young buck.
That a team uncovered something like this is pretty miraculous at the macro level, and insanely frustrating on the micro level for the Reds. Not only is he their former arm, he’s now doing this within the division while their own bullpen is a raging conflagration that has already derailed their entire season.
For the Brewers, though, he’s just their latest success story even if this doesn’t pan out with Kuhnel being a perennial All Star. That they can clearly identify these kinds of inefficiencies right under the noses of the rest of the sport – particularly within the NL Central – is a pretty damning indictment of the clubs trying to chase them down.
The Reds, who are already 10.5 games back of the 41-23 Brewers, will face Milwaukee seven times between now and July 2nd.
Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Blue Jays Batters
Over the past two weeks the Jays are 7-6. The offense has scored 4.5 runs per game.
Hot
Brandon Valenzuela: Played in 10 games, starting 9. Hit ..290/.361/.677 with 3 double, 3 home run, 6 RBI, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts.
And he didn’t have a sac bunt over these two weeks. Yay. He’s been amazing. If he walked a bit more I’d say the second coming of Carlos Delgado. It is getting close to the point that they will have to figure a way to keep him in the lineup when Alejandro Kirk comes back. He played a little bit of first base in the minors and of course he could DH. He’s hit lefties and righties about the same this year, .823 OPS vs RHP, .771 vs LHP. Base stealers are 6-0 against him in the past 10 days. On the season he’s thrown out 21% of base stealers, just slightly below league average.
Ernie Clement: Started in all 13 games. Hit .346/.346/.596 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 0 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Started 11 games at second, 2 at short. I often talk about guys that control the strikezone. Ernie doesn’t have a strikezone. If a pitcher throws it, he’ll swing and it works. There is more than one way to be successful. Baseball Savant has him at 1 percentile for chase rate and 3 percentile in bat speed, which you would generally say ‘this guy can’t be successful’. But he is 95 percentile in ‘squared-up’. He’s also 92 percentile in whiff rate and 98 percentile in strikeout rate. I’d generally think that his not a player that will age well, but he already has a slow bat speed, will it drop that much more as he ages? He’ll be interesting to watch over the next few years.
Jesús Sánchez: Played in 11 games, 9 starts. Hit .323/.344/.516 with 3 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBI, 0 walks and 8 strikeouts.
The power hasn’t been there the way we expected, but he’s hitting well. He could go on the list of guys who really should DH, but that list is surprisingly long for a team that was building around defense just a few years ago. I don’t know that there has been a shift in philosophy or if this is just the type of player who has been available. The fun part of his defense if that he seems as surprised as the rest of us when he games a catch. Baseball Savant has him at the 5 percentile in range and 23 percentile in arm value with a 67 percentile in arm strength, suggesting he throws the ball well, but perhaps not on target or to the wrong place.
Kazuma Okamoto: Started 13 of the 13 games. Hit .298/.377/.511 with 1 double, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 3 walks, and 18 strikeouts.
Fairly quietly, he’s been very good lately. I think he’s going to be a streak hitter. Weeks of cold and weeks of hot, but then I think that all of us are streak hitters. His defense looks better than I thought it would, but Baseball Savant suggests it isn’t great, 37th percentile range and 30th percentile arm strength. I would have guessed better. Savant also likes his bat speed (91th percentile), barrel % (89th percentile) and hard hit % (93rd percentile).
Yohendrick Pinango: Played in 11 games, starting 8. Hit .303/.343/.606 with 1 double, 3 homers, 7 RBI, 2 walks and 11 strikeouts.
He’s been great. Like Sanchez, he’s likely better suited to DH, though I hate the idea of something that young DHing. FanGraphs has a him at a -1 Outs Above Average, but that’s in limited innings. I like watching his at bats. He seems to be hitting the ball harder lately, four home runs on the season and three were in the last 11 games. Just 24, I think we are going to enjoy his watching his career.
Nathan Lukes: He’s played in all 12 games, starting 10. Hit .349/.404/465 with 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.
He’s picked up right where he left off before the injury. It is too bad that we have so many good left handed hitting outfielders, it is hard to get them all the playing time they need. He’s played all three outfield positions starting 7 games in right, 2 in left and 1 in center. He’s a better player than I tend to give him credit for. Outfielders without a lot of power or speed tend to get less credit than deserved. But he’s getting on base 36% of the time, he makes the plays in the outfield.
Cold
Daulton Varsho: Played in 12 games, starting 9. Hit .200/.286/.333, with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts.
A sore wrist has him out of the starting lineup at the moment. He’s been going in as a defensive sub. The down side of that is that they can’t backdate if they decide to put him on the IL. I don’t know if his wrist is improving. I also don’t know how long his wrist has been bothering him.His defense has been looking better lately.
Vladimir Guerrero: Started 12 of 13. Hit .261/.314/348 with 4 doubles, 3 RBI,4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. And 1 steal.
1 start was as DH. Yeah he’s slumping. I don’t know how to fix it. If I did, I likely wouldn’t be a blogger. He has been getting hard contact in pretty much every game, course not every at bat. He’ll seem to have a good at bat, hit one into a glove and then the next at bat isn’t as good. He’s still 96th percentile expected batting average, 94th percentile bat speed. But chase rate is up, 36th percentile and squared up is 56 percentile. Strikeout rate is still low 96th percentile. Walk rate is still high 77th percentile.
Andrés Giménez: Played in all 13 games, starting 11. Hit .220/.273/.341 with 1 home runs, 2 doubles, with 3 RBI, 1 steal, 2 caught stealing, 2 walk and 10 strikeouts.
His RISP numbers have dropped, .749 OPS now on the season, two weeks ago it was .973 on the season. Still a good number but dropping. I love watching his defense and I like him at short. Baseball Savant says 96th percentile in range. How you value bad bat, great glove is tough. Since I play OOTP, I value offense more. In real life? Baseball Reference has him at a 0.2 WAR, Fangraphs 0.8 WAR. Next year, he’s being paid $23.5 and for the two years after that. I don’t know that I’d want to be paying that to a guy who doesn’t hit.
George Springer: Started 11 games, 10 starts. Hit .214/.298/.286 with 3 doubles, 1 RBI, 4 walks and 8 strikeouts, with 1 steal and 1 caught.
I don’t know….we have half a dozen guys who should DH. But, Springer is popular with his teammates. And he’s making a lot of money. He is hitting lefties (.725 OPS) much better than righties (.590) so you could look to platoon him and see if his bat comes around. We do have a few lefty batters who would be better served as DH. That, of course, might be a hard sell to him and maybe to the clubhouse.
Myles Straw: Played in 11 games, 5 starts. Hit .222/.300/.278 with 1 double, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts..
He’s getting more playing time with Varsho’s injury. I don’t think his defense is quite what it used to be, but it is still good.
Tyler Heineman: Started 4 games. Hit .167/.286/.250 with 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.
He threw out 5 of 12 basestealers. The Marlins tried to steal 9 times against him, on May 27, but he threw out 4. If he would be hitting like he did last year, Brandon wouldn’t be playing so much. I kind of feel bad that he’s going to be DFAed when Kirk comes back, but he’ll likely land another backup job before long.
IL
Anthony Santander: Might get into a game before the end of the season. Who knows.
Alejandro Kirk: He should be back soon, maybe by the weekend.
Addison Barger: He’s likely a couple of weeks from coming back.
NBA Mock Draft projections for Jayden Quaintance and Otega Oweh
With the Kentucky Basketball roster essentially finalized following Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic’s withdrawal from the NBA Draft and commitment to the Wildcats, attention now shifts to where forward Jayden Quaintance and guard Otega Oweh will be selected in the NBA Draft.
Kentucky’s roster currently includes Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Milan Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye, Malachi Moreno, Jerone Morton, Braydon Hawthorne, Kam Williams, Justin McBride, Franck Kepnang, Mason Williams, Trent Noah, Reece Potter, and Zyon Hawthorne, with one roster spot still open heading into the final stretch of the offseason.
Now, let’s take a look at where Quaintance and Oweh could hear their names called during this month’s NBA Draft.
Jayden Quaintance Mock Draft Projections
Ricky O’Donnell (SB Nation)
No. 16 – Memphis Grizzlies
O’Donnell writes that, “Last time he was right physically, JQ looked like an elite paint protecting prospect as a 17-year-old at Arizona State. The Grizzlies feel like the type of franchise that would take a chance on him.”
Brett Siegel (ClutchPoints)
No. 20 – San Antonio Spurs
Siegel notes the Spurs would be using a “luxury” pick while pairing a long-term frontcourt piece next to Victor Wembanyama.
Jeremy Woo (ESPN)
No. 20 – San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta)
Woo describes Quaintance as a “wild-card prospect” with major defensive upside, but one whose draft stock depends heavily on medical evaluations after knee issues limited him to four games at Kentucky.
David Cobb (CBS Sports)
No. 17 – Oklahoma City Thunder
Cobb highlights Oklahoma City’s ability to take a calculated risk on a player with elite defensive traits and long-term potential.
Sam Vecenie (The Athletic)
No. 19 – Toronto Raptors
Vecenie emphasizes that Quaintance’s projection remains volatile until full medical clarity is available, calling him a potential top-10 talent if fully healthy.
Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report)
No. 23 – Atlanta Hawks (via Cavaliers)
Wasserman points to Quaintance’s 7-foot-5 wingspan and defensive instincts while noting uncertainty tied to his injury recovery and development.
Otega Oweh Mock Draft Projections
Brett Siegel (ClutchPoints)
No. 57 – Atlanta Hawks
Siegel notes Oweh’s slashing ability and transition scoring but projects him as a developmental wing.
Kevin O’Connor (Yahoo Sports)
No. 53 – Houston Rockets
O’Connor highlights Oweh’s breakout scoring moments, including a 35-point NCAA Tournament performance, while noting limitations as a primary creator.
Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report)
No. 43 – Brooklyn Nets
Wasserman praises Oweh’s athleticism, cutting, and defensive versatility, projecting him as a role-player fit in a spacing-heavy system.
Jeremy Woo (ESPN)
Undrafted
Woo lists Oweh outside the draft board, citing questions about offensive creation and consistency.
It will be interesting to see if Oweh is drafted, but Kentucky will at least have one player selected in Quaintance, which is always a strong recruiting point, even though he only played in four games. The schedule for the two-night event breaks down as follows:
First Round: Tuesday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET (Broadcast: ABC, ESPN)
Second Round: Wednesday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET (Broadcast: ESPN)
Weekly Pebble Report: Wilder Dalis is out to prove himself in 2026
Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) was signed by the Colorado Rockies in May 2023, well after the big signing period that usually happens in January, and has been an under-the-radar prospect since.
Baseball America described him as a “late bloomer” who “turned in an inauspicious pro debut,” but Dalis turned things on in 2025 when he made his stateside debut – slashing .352/.440/.525 in 56 games in the Arizona Complex League followed by .241/.333/.379 in 31 games in Low-A Fresno.
Ahead of the 2026 season, Brendan Gawlowski of FangGraphs wrote, “Dalis stood out in a positive way. He’s a good athlete with a chance to stick at short… it’s early, but the arrow looks up here.”
Dalis grew up in Maracay, Venezuela, as an only child where he lived with his mother and aunt. He started playing baseball when he was two years old and was a shortstop and right-handed batter.
When he was 12, he picked up switch hitting.
“I’ve got a very good swing from the left,” he said. “My tío said ‘You’ve got a good swing. You’re gonna try to be a switch hitter,’ and I switch hit the whole way.”
Despite growing up hitting righty, Dalis now prefers hitting left-handed.
“It’s more comfortable,” he said. “It’s more free, so it’s good, and my right hand has more power.”
In 2025, Dalis batted left-handed much more than right-handed and found success. In 309 plate appearances as a left-handed batter (87 games), Dalis slashed .319/.410/.480 with 26 extra-base hits. By comparison, in 46 plate appearances as a right-handed batter (30 games), he slashed .250/.333/.400 with four extra-base hits.
Through May 3 with the Fresno Grizzlies, Dalis has batted left-handed nearly twice as often as right-handed in 2026, but has also struggled a bit more. In 76 plate appearances as a left-handed batter, Dalis has hit .161/.316/.339 with two doubles and three home runs. In 25 plate appearances as a right-handed batter, Dalis has hit .261/.280/.435 with one double and one home run.
Off the field, Dalis prides himself on having a good relationship with his teammates and with fellow Venezuelan shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who is also from Maracay.
“He’s talked to me offensively about how to use my hands and how to stay back,” Dalis said of Tovar through interpreter Fred Ocasio, “and defensively just always try to create that good hop and use my hand out in front to create that good hop to field the ball.”
Tovar had good things to say about Dalis, as well.
“He has all the talent in the world,” Tovar said through interpreter Edwin Perez. “I think once he puts it all together and gets that maturity that all of us professional baseball players do. I think he’s going to show a lot of people that talent because he’s a very, very talented guy.
Dalis also works really well with fellow switch-hitter Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP).
“He gives me a lot of advice and a lot of energy. He’s a really good player,” Dalis said. “The mental aspect of the game is where we help each other out (most). We talk a lot about having confidence and playing the game with confidence.”
It helps that all of the players move as a cohort from the Dominical Summer League to the Arizona Complex League, and then on to Fresno and beyond.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with my teammates,” Dalis said. “I don’t think there’s any difference (between the ACL and Fresno) because I’ve played with all the guys here, and there’s no difference. We all came together from the Dominican to Arizona.
“But there was one thing: When I left for Fresno, I was playing with more Americans,” he continued. “I liked listening to them and learning about them as well, because they know different things.”
Dalis is currently ranked 18th in the system according to MLB.com and Baseball America. But he’s not worried about rankings. He’s looking towards the future and what he can bring to the Rockies when the time comes.
“Obviously, I know I’m talented,” he said, “but I’m not thinking about ‘Hey, I’m a prospect in the Top 100’ or whatever. I know what I have and my abilities, and that’s it. I don’t worry about the other stuff.
“Hopefully in the near future, I’ll be there (in the majors) and can help the team win and make an impact with the team in Denver.”
Weekly Pebble Report: June 2nd-8th
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4, 34-29 Overall)
The Isotopes dropped four games in their series against the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels), including an odd and rare 1-0 loss in a pitching duel. When the Isotopes won, their bats were firing on all cylinders and the pitching was able to stave off the Bees, but the two sides rarely worked in tandem during this series. The Isotopes are sitting at 34-29, 4.0 games back of the PCL lead.
⬆️ Stock Up:No deep drive into left from this Castellano
Signed this off-season to a minor league contract, 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano made his Triple-A debut against Salt Lake and turned in quite the gem. Castellano was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for his six scoreless innings of work, giving up just one hit while tallying seven strikeouts and two walks.
⬆️ Stock Up:Dr. Veen’s Extra-base Machine
Zac Veen (no. 9 PuRP) continues to push for a fresh chance at playing in the big leagues with yet another strong week. Veen went 11-for-28 with a home run, three doubles, two triples, four RBIs, and two stolen bases. Veen has been playing very well for the Isotopes this season, hitting .317/.417/.525 with eight home runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 40 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.
Upcoming
The Isotopes are off to the Pacific Northwest for six games against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners).
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (3-3, 30-25 Overall)
Helped by a series split against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox), the Hartford Yard Goats sit atop their division in the Eastern League. The series got off to a rough start as the Yard Goats were blown out and shut out. The next day the pitching staff gave up ten runs in another loss. However, Hartford then rattled off three strong wins to seal a series split.
⬆️ Stock Up:Running Up That Hill
GJ Hill had his best series of the season after largely struggling this year with Double-A Hartford. Hill went 9-for-21 at the plate with a double, a triple, four home runs, and ten RBIs. With this series, he boosted his OPS from .643 all the way to .794 on the season.
⬇️ Stock Down:Fish out of water
Left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring (no. 10 PuRP) made just one appearance out of the Yard Goats’ bullpen this series and it was a rough one. Herring went just 0.2 innings and gave up seven earned runs on three walks and four hits—including a home run—without recording a strikeout.
Upcoming
The Yard Goats will host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays) in a seven game series that includes a double-header on Wednesday.
High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 23-34 Overall)
After losing the first two games of the series against the Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks) it looked like the Spokane Indians could regain their footing. They won two in a row including a 12-5 blowout. Unfortunately, they then lost their final two games of the series including a thud of a series finale via a 14-0 beatdown.
⬆️ Stock Up:Continued rehab progress
Right-handed pitcher Gabriel Hughes (no. 12 PuRP) made his second rehab start with the Indians and looks ready to return to action. Hughes struck out six over three shutout innings while giving up two hits and a walk. A return to the active roster in Albuquerque would mean a lot to both the Isotopes and the big league squad, who are both in desperate need of pitching reinforcements.
⬆️ Stock Up:
Outfielder Robert Calaz (no. 6 PuRP) still hasn’t quite found his power swing in Spokane, but he had a very solid week at the plate. Calaz went 9-for-18 with a double, a triple, a home run, and seven RBIs with two walks and only three strikeouts.
Upcoming
Now tied for last in the Northwest League, the Indians are off to Eugene to play the league-leading Emeralds (San Francisco Giants).
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 30-27 Overall)
Plenty of runs were scored in a series split against the California League South-leading Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego Padres). The Fresno Grizzlies are still two games back in their own division behind the San Jose Giants, but they still have one of the better records in the league.
⬆️ Stock Up:Never in a pickle
2025 draft pick and right-handed closer Seth Clausen continues to quietly be an underrated gem for the Grizzlies pitching staff. The 16th round pick pitched a combined 3.1 innings of scoreless, hitless late innings work against the Storm with a strikeout and a walk. Opposing batters are hitting just .122 against Clausen and he currently has a 1.61 ERA over 28 innings this season.
⬇️ Stock Down:Missing the Marcos
Right-handed pitcher Marcos Herrera was a fairly reliable starting pitcher for the Grizzlies last season. In 21 appearances—19 of which were starts—he posted a 3.93 ERA. Unfortunately, this season has been a rough one. Herrera has a 9.28 ERA in 12 starts so far. This week he struggled again. In 4.2 innings he gave up nine earned runs on 11 hits—two of which were home runs—and four walks while striking out four.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies have six game series ahead of them against the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies (5-0, 20-7 Overall)
After a 5-0 week, the ACL Rockies find themselves sitting atop the Arizona Complex League with the best record in the desert. They even had two games in which they scored 14 or more runs.
⬆️ Stock Up:Ugarte A La Carte
First baseman Ronny Ugarte went 10-for-18 at the plate this week with his best game coming against the ACL Giants where he went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
⬇️ Stock Down:More of a concept than a Concepcion
18-year-old righty Kevin Concepcion (no, not the wide receiver drafted by the Cleveland Browns this year) made his first start since joining the Complex League after two solid relief appearances. The start went poorly, with Concepcion giving up six earned runs on seven hits and a walk over just 2.2 innings of work.
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Mets activate catcher Francisco Alvarez off IL
The Mets are getting a huge piece back in their lineup, with the club activating catcher Francisco Alvarez off of the IL.
In a corresponding move, catcher Hayden Senger was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Alvarez suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee while swinging a bat against the Tigers on May 12. And while the initial diagnosis had Alvarez likely to miss 6-8 weeks, he has been activated in just four weeks, including a brief rehab stint.
The young catcher is hitting .241 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 37 games this season, but he was heating up prior to his injury. In his last seven games played, Alvarez is hitting .292 with a ,375 slugging percentage.
The hope for the Mets was that Alvarez would be able to be activated at some point during their current six-game home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, which begins on Tuesday night, and it turns out that he'll now be availability for the entire homestand.
Spurs vs Knicks Prediction, Picks & Odds for NBA Finals Game 4
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One of the biggest players in the NBA Finals shrank like a cheap t-shirt under the bright lights of Broadway with the championship series swinging to the Big Apple.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has played out of his mind in the postseason, just didn’t have it in the loss to the San Antonio Spurs last time out.
My Spurs vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Game 4 of the NBA Finals are counting on the KAT to come back on June 10.
Spurs vs Knicks Game 4 prediction
Spurs vs Knicks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 32.5 points + rebounds + assists (-112)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t get going in Game 3.
The San Antonio Spurs mixed up their defense, sending guard Stephon Castle at the 7-footer. While that threw off Towns, he was also passive cutting, posting, and attacking (when he wasn’t passed up in pick-and-pop spots).
Even so I recall a couple of possessions where the veer-back switch was either nonexistent or late, windows the Knicks missed on KAT PnPs. Part of why KAT wasnt in rhythm tonight is because the team didn't particularly focus on getting him into a rhythm.
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) June 9, 2026
Would expect this to be… https://t.co/Rr5BVJOVTh
Coach Mike Brown singled out his lack of activity, and I expect the Knicks to get KAT early touches in Game 4.
He’s thrived as a passer against smaller defenders, and my projections call for 19+ points, 12+ rebounds, and 3+ assists, with a higher ceiling on dimes. That should have Over 32.5 PAR priced around -130.
COVERS INTEL: Towns’ usage sunk to 14% in Game 3 — a dip from his 19.9% rate in the opening two games of the finals and his 20.3% usage in the playoffs. The last time his usage dropped this low, KAT came back the following contest with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists over just 26 minutes in Game 4 of the ECF.Spurs vs Knicks Game 4 same-game parlay
The Knicks may not get to use the brooms in the NBA Finals, but they can get out the mops and clean up their messy play after a turnover-plagued Game 3 loss.
New York will settle down after an emotionally charged night in MSG, not throwing gas on the Spurs’ transition fires with giveaways and long misses.
I also see the officials trying to balance out some of the foul shooting discrepancies from Game 3 (a squeaky coach gets the grease), which can mean more trips to the stripe for New York or the refs swallowing their whistles.
Unders have been the right side of most NBA Finals games in recent years, cashing in at better than 60% since 2005-06. Game 3 finished Over the total, thanks in part to San Antonio scoring 25 points from the foul line with the clock stopped.
New York cleans up the turnovers and brings this series back to the half-court style we saw in the opening two games, keeping this final score short of the 216.5 O/U.
Karl-Anthony Towns seemed to have left his groove in Texas. He was flat in Game 3, lacking aggression in the offense — with or without the basketball.
The Spurs are sending 6-foot-6 Stephon Castle at the big man, and we saw KAT exploit smaller defenders throughout the playoffs, especially with his passing from the top of the key. My projections call for 35 PRA for Game 4, with some models calling for as many as 41+ combined stats.
Spurs vs Knicks SGP
- Knicks moneyline
- Under 216.5
- Karl-Anthony Towns Over 32.5 PRA
Spurs vs Knicks odds for Game 4
- Spread: Spurs +1.5 | Knicks -1.5
- Moneyline: Spurs +105 | Knicks -125
- Over/Under: Over 216.5 | Under 216.5
Spurs vs Knicks betting trend to know
Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 20.14 points when failing to score 15 or more points in the previous game this season, including the playoffs. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Knicks.
How to watch Spurs vs Knicks Game 4
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Wednesday, June 10, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC, ESPN |
Spurs vs Knicks latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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Spurs Make Up Ground in NBA Finals Prediction Markets, Still Game 4 Underdogs
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The San Antonio Spurs made up substantial ground in NBA Finals prediction markets after the team clawed its first win of the series Monday and cut the deficit to 2-1.
The New York Knicks are still favored to win the series, although they’re down to 63% from as high as 79% at Kalshi.
Key Takeaways
- The Spurs gained 16% probability of winning the Finals by stealing Game 3.
- Prediction market users like the Knicks to win Game 4.
- Jalen Brunson has stayed fairly consistent in Finals MVP markets; Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns have been volatile.
No team in NBA history has lost the first two games of the NBA Finals at home and gone on to win the championship. The Spurs still have a long way to go to rewrite the history books, but they took a crucial step with Monday’s 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden.
Kalshi users gave the Spurs a 64% chance to win the Finals before the series began. They still had a 53% chance even after they lost Game 1, but they plummeted to as low as 21% after going down 0-2.
Support flipped in favor of the Knicks for Game 3, where they were 2.5-point favorites. The apple cart was upset once again, as Victor Wembanyama’s 32 points, eight rebounds, and six assists powered the visitors over the line.
The latest prediction market data from Kalshi suggests the Knicks have a 63% chance of winning the Finals, while the Spurs have a 37%. Nearly $290 million has been traded since the market opened after the conclusion of last year’s Finals.
A win for the Spurs in Game 4 could make them the favorites to win the Finals, seeing as they’d host two of the final three matchups. The Knicks are still favored in Game 4, but only just, at -1.5.
Kalshi’s Game 4 prediction market has the Knicks at a 53% chance of winning the crucial fourth encounter, with very little movement since the final buzzer sounded in last night’s thriller. The Spurs have a 47% chance, which has also virtually not changed during that period..
Finals MVP markets
NBA Finals MVP prediction markets have proved to be fairly volatile through three games.
Wembanyama, who had a 63% chance of winning the award a week ago, is down to 36%. He had fallen as low as 18% when his team was down 0-2.
Jalen Brunson has seen the least movement, settling at 47%, after entering the series at 32%. His probability essentially hasn’t changed since the Knicks won Game 1.
Karl-Anthony Towns has already seen huge peaks and valleys. He surged from 6% to 38% entering Game 3, only to fall back to 14% after the loss.
The only other player with a likelihood of winning the Finals MVP greater than 1% is OG Anunoby, who scored 28 points in Game 3 and has averaged 20.7 points and 4.0 rebounds for the series.
Kalshi users have traded nearly $12.6 million in the Finals MVP prediction market.
Who will win MVP?
As things stand, the Finals MVP is unclear. All three players mentioned above have their selling points and shortcomings.
Wembanyama only shot 28.6% from the floor in Game 1 despite posting a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double. He followed that up by committing the pivotal turnover that led to Brunson’s game-winning free throw with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and then missed the game-winning jump shot.
However, Wemby was back to his best in Game 3, with the aforementioned 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist stat line. He has averaged 29 points, 9.7 boards, 3.3 dimes, and 3.3 blocks for the series.
Brunson has been instrumental in his team’s attack. Much of the Knicks’ offensive success has come from him blowing by his primary defender and getting two feet in the paint, which has triggered a series of rotations by the Spurs’ defenders that has often created open looks for teammates. He also showed up with big buckets in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and the game-winning free throw in Game 2.
That said, the Knicks guard was extremely inefficient and careless with the basketball. His 37% field-goal and 31.8% 3-point shooting are well below his standard, and he logged just as many turnovers as he did assists.
Towns was the Knicks’ best player in Games 1 and 2, although his scoring average (19.5 points) was still 5.5 points behind Brunson’s. He was also a relative no-show for Game 3, putting up 11 points, eight rebounds, and one assist, and only taking 10 shots.
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The Braden Montgomery era begins on the South Side
The future keeps arriving on the South Side. Prior to Tuesday night’s series opener, before the Braves roll in, the White Sox officially selected the contract of Braden Montgomery from Triple-A Charlotte. One of the most hyped call-ups of this whole rebuild is now, at last, real.
Montgomery, No. 2 in Chicago’s system and No. 21 in all of baseball (MLB Pipeline), has been banging on the door since Opening Day.
He started the year in Birmingham, and it took about five minutes for the 23-year-old switch-hitter to torch the Southern League. Player of the Month in April, up to Charlotte by May 5. The brakes? He never found them.
The numbers across the season: .314/.422/.548, 10 bombs, 41 RBIs, 52 runs, 39 walks in 56 games between Birmingham and Charlotte. And in his last 10 with the Knights, he basically turned into Barry Bonds: .474/.580/.711, on base like it was a birthright.
At that point, there wasn’t much left to prove.
This call-up is another notch for the blockbuster Garrett Crochet trade between Chicago and Boston in December 2024. Montgomery was one of four bodies in that deal — Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Wikelman González, the others. All four have reached the majors (although González started the season in Charlotte and is currently on the IL), and the trade isn’t even two years old.
For Montgomery, the journey to the majors has been anything but ordinary.
The former No. 12 overall pick entered the 2024 draft as one of the most talented players in college baseball after starring at Texas A&M. His combination of switch-hitting pop, incredible athleticism, and an arm that could knock over a mailbox from the outfield. A broken ankle suffered during the Aggies’ postseason run briefly slowed his ascent, but it did little to diminish the excitement surrounding his long-term potential.
Since turning pro, the hype train has only picked up speed.
Scouts drool over the power, but that’s just the start. The arm is a cannon — 70-grade, no exaggeration — and he can handle center or right. Most see him sticking in right, but the ability to play center is a nice bonus for a team still sorting through its future core.
The best part is that Montgomery isn’t just a slugger. He works counts, draws walks, and owns the strike zone. That patience, plus the pop, is why scouts see him as a real middle-of-the-order threat.
Now the White Sox and their fans will find out how quickly those tools translate in the big leagues.
Montgomery’s call-up came as part of a roster shuffle, with Joe Rock up from Charlotte, Rikuu Nishida and David Sandlin back to Triple-A, and Austin Hays to the 60-day IL.
But let’s be real: Tuesday is all about Montgomery.
For a team still building towards the next competitive window, these call-ups are the measuring stick. Some are just bodies. Some are hope.
Montgomery feels like something more.
The Sox think they landed a cornerstone in the Crochet deal. Starting tonight against Atlanta, fans get their first look at whether he can turn all that promise into something real.
The Braden Montgomery era? It’s here. Get excited.
White Sox Weekly: June 1-7, 2026
Last week, we turned the page to a new month. The White Sox hit the road for their sixth road trip of the year. Instead of building off of a 6-1 home stand, they dropped four of six.
June was always going to be a tough month for this South Side squad. The month started with a continuation of the division matchups that ended May, moved on to a trip to Philly, relentlessly pushes into three series against some of the best teams in the league, and ends with three divisional series. Which is why after recently taking three of four from the Twins at home, it seemed like a sure thing the domination of the Minnesota club would continue.
For the bats, much of this trend continued this week. The Pale Hose scored no fewer than four runs in all six games they played.
Miguel Vargas came to play in the opener in Minnesota. Two-run home runs were the name of the game for the third baseman. He hit not one but two in the 9-6 loss:
In Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the Twins, Vargas showed up again with a two-run single. RBI’s five and six of the week put the White Sox up 3-0 at the time:
On Wednesday, the White Sox finally got into the win column, 8-0. Vargas went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs and his eighth RBI of the week. Had an MVP been named for the series, it would have gone to the 26-year-old.
Randal Grichuk kept his team in the opener on Friday in City of Brotherly Love. The outfielder was brought in specifically to hit against lefty pitching, and hit against lefty pitching he has. This season five of his six home runs and 12 of his 19 RBIs can be credited to facing a left-handed pitchers. Jesús Luzardo was Grichuk’s most recent victim: The DH for the night nabbed two solo shots off the starter and kept the game within striking distance, but the White Sox would ultimately end up losing, 8-6:
The six runs scored on Saturday, however, would be enough to earn the win. Both Colson Montgomery and Jacob Gonzalez homered, and we’ll show you the latter home run because it was the first long ball of J-Gone’s career. The ball traveled 428 feet into the second deck of right field, so it was no cheapie:
There were six lead changes in Sunday’s 9-5 loss. There were no home runs for the White Sox in this effort, but Tristan Peters smacked his 15th double of the year. The brief Banana is now batting .307 on the season. Peters was designated for assignment by the Rays before Chris Getz made a call to trade for him. A trade that cost the club cash and a player to be named later. While Tampa is sure to get a PTBNL upgrade from a system nobody to an actual prospect, for now one team’s loss is another team’s treasure.
The pitching this week was feeling the effects of playing 13 games in a row.
The highlight of this pitching struggle could be summarized best in David Sandlin’s performance. As you might remember, the rookie’s career debut was highlighted by retiring 18 in a row after giving up a solo home run to Byron Buxton to start the game. Last week, Sandlin started a second game against the Twins to open the series in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The result could not have been more different. He only made it through four innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits and four walks.
During the rubber match in Philly on Sunday, Sandlin entered the game after a Tyler Gilbert open. This time he made it through 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks. His home runs allowed has now climbed to four after just 13 1/3 innings of work over three game appearances.
This week was also the week Davis Martin finally stumbled. A bad start was bound to happen, but Buxton and company is not who I anticipated this struggle to happen against. The starter added a second loss to his record after pitching 4 2/3 innings. He surrendered six runs on 10 hits and struck out a season-low two batters.
Relief pitching did not have a great week, either. Tyler Davis and his 12 ERA over the stretch was a perfect example of this. His first of the week, on Monday, was an inconsequential ninth run given up to the Twins in a 9-6 loss. On Friday, Davis had a scoreless outing against the Phillies. What happened on Sunday to finish up the week, you ask? Davis entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a 5-4 lead and a job to hold the score there. Hold the score he did not. After three hits, a walk and one strikeout, the inning ended with the Good Guys in a 7-5 hole. The rubber match would be lost by a final of 9-5. An opportunity for a .500 week and a series win going into playing Atlanta was squandered by one inning of poor pitching.
As if that relief pitching wasn’t ugly enough, Bryan Hudson came out of the week with a 27 ERA in 1 1/3 innings of work. His two appearances in Philadelphia were both two outs apiece, giving up two runs in each. To no one’s surprise, there were no strikeouts involved during these outings.
Hopefully the Monday off-day will prove as a reset for Zach Bove’s pitching staff. The club will need a locked-in rotation and bullpen if they are to squeak out some wins against the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.