Houston Rockets phenom Amen Thompson is eligible for a contract extension this offseason for up to five years at $251 million.

That’s the most the Rockets can offer, but there’s reason to believe Houston would not want to give him that much money, given how much they have to spend elsewhere. Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar believes the Rockets won’t offer a full max contract to Thompson this offseason.

“Do not expect Amen Thompson to get a max contract extension. Such a contract would pay him a quarter of the salary cap over the next few seasons, but the impressive guard/forward still faces enough questions about his shot and eventual offensive profile. That, combined with the Rockets’ precedent of getting relatively team-friendly extensions, should keep him in the ballpark of 20-23% of the salary cap,” Shankar wrote.

Thompson and his camp have a right to push for a max extension, scoring 15 points in all six games of the playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, including 26 points in Game 3.

During the season, Thompson averaged a career-high 18.3 points per game while also establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the league. He is only 23 years old, so the sky is truly the limit for him and what he can achieve as he continues to grow in the NBA.

The Rockets value him highly and should look to pay him a max contract, or very close to it.

TDS community, should Thompson get the max this offseason? Chime off in the comments section below.

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In a matchup that felt inevitable, the top two seeds will clash in the Western Conference Final, and Game 1 tips off tonight.

The MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and their runners-up will all be on the floor tonight as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center.

Our Spurs vs. Thunder props break down some of the night’s most favorable values, giving you my best NBA picks for Monday, May 18.

It's all part of our full Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

Best Spurs vs Thunder props for Game 1

Player	Pick
Stephon Castle	Over 5.5 assists	-160
Devin Vassell	Over 2.5 made threes	+150
Isaiah Hartentstein	Over 18.5 PRA	-120

Game 1 Prop #1: Stephon Castle Over 5.5 assists

-160 at bet365

Stephon Castle has found the ball in his hands a lot this postseason, and he ranks second on the San Antonio Spurs in usage rate and first in assists.

Among players with at least 10 games played, Castle’s 6.1 assists per game are tied with Jalen Brunson for fifth-most, and his 28.9% assist percentage is 10th among players with 30+ minutes per game.

Castle has hit 6+ assists in six of 11 games overall and three of five road games, and with De'Aaron Fox banged up, the second-year man could see an uptick in playmaking responsibilities.

Game 1 Prop #2: Devin Vassell Over 2.5 made threes

+150 at bet365

Devin Vassell is only shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc this postseason, but his career 37.2% mark from deep means that there is room for positive regression in the Western Conference Final. 

Vassell can enjoy improved efficiency against a Thunder team that’s allowed the seventh-most efficient 3-point shooting (36%) and fifth-most made 3-pointers (12).

The volume is there for Vassell, whose 65 triples are the 10th-most in the playoffs. If he can improve his shooting percentage in this favorable matchup, Vassell can reach three triples and cash this plus-money prop.

Game 1 Prop #3: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 18.5 points + rebounds + assists

-120 at bet365

The Spurs, and Victor Wembanyama in particular, limited Chet Holmgren in the regular season. Holmgren’s 16.5 Usage Rate and 10.5 points per game against the Spurs were his lowest marks against any team.

Conversely, Isaiah Hartenstein’s 19.7 Usage Rate against the Spurs was his fourth-best mark.

Wembanyama’s defensive attention will likely remain focused on his rival, Holmgren, who can stretch the floor. Hartenstein, as a result, should see less of Wemby, allowing him to stay productive in the paint.

Hartenstein has gone for 19+ PRA in five straight games and six of his last seven.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They recently acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis who will be around a young core that features Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and the No. 1 pick. But let’s say that the Wizards are a team that players do NOT want to get traded to. In fact, when polled about the No. 1 team they wish they would NOT go to, the Wizards ranked No. 2. The Memphis Grizzlies were the runaway … winners with 35.8 percent of the vote of a 120 player survey.

You can read more about it here by Sam Amick, Josh Robbins and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Despite the Wizards’ front office trying to rebuild the team from the ground up, it’s clear that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins have work to do. Here are some hypothetical reasons why players wouldn’t want to be traded to the Wizards:

• The Wizards have a losing culture (until I hope the 2026-27 season) — Washington hasn’t won 50 games since 1978-79. They have gone through their worst three year losing stretch since Winger came to town. Even if the tear down WAS intentional, the end result is a team that loses and loses. We’re optimistic that that changes next season. But given the last few years, it’s harder to argue that Washington doesn’t have a losing culture.
• A player who gets traded to the Wizards is likely a stepping stone for someone or something else — Since Winger took over, there have been some notable players in Wizards uniforms like Jonas Valanciunas or CJ McCullom. But they were traded out when a pick became available. If you’re an existing NBA player and you get traded, you want to feel valued by the team who acquires you. Given Washington’s tank-at-all-costs philosophy over the last three years, if you’re a veteran or even a player in his mid 20s who gets traded to Washington, you already have a feeling that you’re only playing here for a few weeks to a season before Dawkins trades you again for something else. Players, even role players, want to feel valued for more than as a tuture trade chip.
• Political environment of DC — Well, there is always the perception that D.C. is about political drama.

Now, look. Do I honestly think that the Washington area is undesirable to live in or work in? No. But there are costs to the strategy the Wizards took since Winger and Dawkins took over. And here’s an excerpt of the Amick/Robbins/Vardon article on that:

The Wizards finishing second [in this survey] is not a surprise. The team has not won 50 games in a season or reached the Eastern Conference finals since 1978-79. Its 17-65 record as it tanked this season likely perpetuated the losing-franchise narrative.

Washington’s current front office has attempted to change perceptions over the last three years, investing heavily in basketball-operations staffing and franchise infrastructure and overseeing a long-overdue renovation of Capital One Arena, beginning with the home and visitors’ locker rooms.

Anthony Davis, who was traded to the Wizards in February, said during a news conference last month that outside views of the franchise are inaccurate.

“I can personally say now it’s not what people think or what people make it seem,” Davis said. “Yes, the losing is part of it, so people kind of tie that with the organization. But the organization within itself is totally different from what people think they’re seeing.”

Hopefully, the Wizards will be a team players want to play for (or get traded to) in the not-too-distant future.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

The New York Knicks finally know what’s what.

Starting Tuesday, May 19, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and co. will go toe-to-toe with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the long-awaited 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.

Home games are Madison Square Garden are scheduled to go down at:

Game 1Tuesday, May 19
8 p.m.

Game 2Thursday, May 21
8 p.m.

Game 5Wednesday, May 27
8 p.m.

Game 7Sunday, May 31
8 p.m.

If you’d like to catch a game at MSG, last-minute tickets are available for all four potential Big Apple contests.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one game was $510 including fees on SeatGeek.

Other games start anywhere from $557 to $1,194 including fees.

New York comes into this series rather well-rested. Mike Brown’s club wrapped their Semifinals sweep of the 76ers on Sunday, May 10, nine days before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

As a bonus, they’ll be getting star power forward OG Anunoby back from a mild right hamstring strain injury that he suffered in game 2 against the Sixers.

Meanwhile, Mitchell, Harden, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley had to tough out a seven-game series against the No. 1-ranked Detroit Pistons before finishing them off with a decisive 125-94 Game 7 victory.

“Yeah it’s great I get to play at home…doesn’t matter.” NYC native Donovan Mitchell said in a press conference after the game.

“We gotta be locked in and ready to go…they’re a tough team. We’re excited.”

Adding intrigue to this high-stakes series is Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown’s history with Cleveland. The 56-year-old Columbus native coached Cleveland from 2005-10 and ’13-14, leading the team to their first Finals appearance in 2007.

Now, he’s hoping to do the same for New York who haven’t gotten to the Big Dance since 1999 where they lost to the Spurs (just like the Cavs in ’07).

“I don’t look at it like [there’s pressure],” Brown said. “I literally do this to try to compete to try to win a championship. That’s what my focus is throughout the course of the year.”

“People can talk about Mike Brown, but it’s my job to ignore the noise. It’s easy to do that because the pressure that I put on myself and the team puts on itself to be great or try to be the best team in the league.”

While we don’t know how this series will turn out, we do know the Garden will be electric.

We’ll see you there.

New York Knicks playoff home game tickets

A complete calendar, including all announced Knicks Eastern Conference Finals home game dates and the best prices on tickets, can be found here:

Cleveland Cavaliers playoff home game tickets

All Cavs Rocket Arena playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.

How to watch the Knicks and Cavs on TV

Fans hoping to catch Brown’s ballers on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on MSG, ABC, ESPN, TNT, Prime Video, NBC, and NBA TV.

Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.

If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.

About Knicks-Cavs

Over the course of the 2025-26 campaign, the Knicks and Cavs met three times.

In the first game of the season way back on Oct. 22, New York won 119-111 behind OG Anunoby’s 24 points and Jalen Brunson’s 23.

The Knicks came out on top again in their second showdown, which took place on Christmas Day. This one was a bit of a nail-biter with leads varying wildly. Cleveland was up 38-23 at the end of the first quarter but by halftime, New York had regained the lead. By the end of regulation, Brunson had led the club to a 126-124 victory.

Cleveland notched their sole win against the orange and blue when they took down the Knicks 109-94 on Feb. 24. Donovan Mitchell dropped 23 points, grabbed five boards, recorded assists and notched three steals.

As for this series, Yahoo! Sports predicts “Knicks in six.”

2026 NBA playoff schedule

Been meaning to see how the postseason has shaken out?

Check out the NBA’s 2026 playoff bracket here.

Huge concerts at MSG in 2026

Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NBA season?

MSG has you covered.

The legendary venue has booked a number of exciting acts to entertain audiences all summer long.

Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.

• Bon Jovi (July 7-9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26)

• Earth, Wind, and Fire with Lionel Richie (July 11)

• Phish (July 22, 24, 25, 27, 29)

• RUSH (July 28, 30, Aug. 1, 3)

• J. Cole (Aug. 2, 4)

Want to see who else is Big Apple-bound? Check out this list of all the upcoming events at Madison Square Garden to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Jamahl Mosley did not have to wait long.  

Less than two weeks after the Orlando Magic let him go, Mosley is heading to New Orleans. The Pelicans are hiring him as their next head coach on a five-year deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday.  

League executives at last week’s combine had been whispering for days that Mosley was the reason the Pelicans kept stalling their decision. New Orleans wanted him. They just had to see if he was ready to jump back in.  

Clearly, he is.  

It’s the first major coaching hire for Joe Dumars, the Hall of Famer who took over the Pelicans’ front office last April after a long run in Detroit. Dumars was a legendary Pistons player and then built a championship team as an executive. He came to New Orleans to do it again.  

The Knicks play in their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals beginning Tuesday, when they take on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is coming off seven-game series wins over the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons. 

These two teams met, albeit under different circumstances, in the first round of the playoffs just three short years ago, and now get to reignite that rivalry with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line. 

Here’s what to expect from the series and who we expect to advance...

The Cavaliers have one major question the 76ers also failed to solve against the Knicks: what do you do about Jalen Brunson? Both their starting guards are lackluster defensively, their wing options are shaky, and their bigs are better suited for the paint.

There’s a strong chance Cleveland deploys whoever out of Max Strus, Caris LeVert, or Dean Wade is on the floor on Brunson, who should be able to get to the paint with ease against these names. As far as individual matchups go, Brunson may have more pickings in this series than any of the previous ones, with almost any switch giving him a huge advantage. 

Of course, he’ll need to execute and not fall too deep into the isolation hole. With how successful the motion offense and Brunson off-ball play has been, this shouldn’t be a concern.

If Cleveland decides to send extra bodies Brunson’s way, their backline defense can easily get stretched too thin between relying on their guards (who have now led their offense through two seven-gamers) and less mobile bigs to make plays three-on-four. Teams haven’t been able to employ this effectively thus far in the postseason, though Cleveland has some decent size to cause problems at least.

Speaking of wings, the Knicks have more advantages here, as OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have been looking for their offense all postseason, and the Cavs don’t have clean matchups for them. Harden and Mitchell lack the instinct, one wing is likely on Brunson, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will have to be really polished if switched on.

One measure New York will have to attack early is Cleveland putting a big on Josh Hart so they can roam the paint defensively. He’ll need to be ready to take and make threes, as well find timely cuts to punish them for this.

Karl-Anthony Towns has of course been the star of the Knicks' offense with his patience and playmaking, and will need to continue that streak against tighter passing lanes and longer arms inside. Where he and his fellow big man Mitchell Robinson can really win the series is on the glass.

Cleveland has been one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the playoffs, which plagued them against New York three seasons ago. Towns and Robinson could have the chance to bully them on the offensive boards again, and we could see more double-big lineups to press upon this edge.

On the flip side, the Cavs boast a ton of raw offensive talent that will push the Knicks defense to its limits. Mitchell and Harden are each capable of turning an entire game on their own, and will be probing New York’s pick-and-roll defense for holes.

Expect the Knicks to start Hart on Mitchell, Bridges on Harden, and Anunoby on Mobley. They could also switch their bigs so Towns is on Mobley, allowing Anunoby to ghost Allen and deal with most of the pick coverage. 

A key here will be not falling for Harden’s foul-baiting and forcing him into tough jumpers and floaters instead of layups and easy assists. They’re going to try and get him in empty-side situations so the Knicks have a tough time helping on the roll, don’t expect traditional drop coverage too often.

If the Cavs are getting too much leverage on their star pick-and-rolls, the Knicks have the defenders to switch everything and try and force them to win one-on-one. Expect Brunson to be a major target again in screens and set plays, especially since he’ll have to chase sharpshooters in Strus and Sam Merrill. 

Mobley stepped up as a shot-maker, averaging 17 points on 55 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from three these playoffs, including some clutch buckets against Detroit. Anunoby and Towns can’t expect an easy matchup here and will need to work to limit him.

After their first three games, the Knicks have largely moonwalked through these playoffs, while the Cavaliers have scratched and clawed their way here. Was this a sign of asymmetric preparedness, or the strength of their foes?

We’ll find out for certain in a couple weeks' time, but for now it’s hard not to be impressed with the Knicks' precision and dominance in the face of the Cavaliers' inconsistent production. While anything can happen in the playoffs, one outcome seems much more certain.

Prediction: Knicks in 5

For as long as he’s had a family, LeBron James has always made it clear where they stand when it comes to life’s priorities.

As the Lakers star just wrapped up his 23rd NBA season and is contemplating retirement, he was quick to point out, “I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously.”

When asked postgame following Los Angeles’ elimination from the 2026 NBA playoffs about how he’ll come to a decision regarding retirement or a 24th NBA season, James gave an honest response.

“I’ll have a conversation with my 12-year-old daughter, that’s a big factor. And my 19-year-old son [Bryce] is entering his second year at Arizona. And my wife as well. They’re a huge factor in any decision I’ve made, so they’ll be a big part of it as well.”

If the offseason is telling us anything, James is serious about spending time with his family.

“Got the band back together.”

Bron, Bryce, and Bronny back home rocking the same cut

(Via @KingJames) pic.twitter.com/LqsgNv15jP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2026

In a rare moment where James let his fans into his world, he posted a video on Instagram featuring him and his sons Bronny and Bryce relaxing at home.

“Got the band back together.”

James is coming off his record-setting 23rd NBA season where he led the Lakers to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. In 60 games, he averaged 20.9 points. 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game — but upped those numbers in the postseason when averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game.

In just his second year in the league, Bronny played in 47 games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists per game, but proved that he’s capable of playing in this league and could have an expanded role next season.

Bryce is coming off his redshirt freshman season at the University of Arizona.

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Dinners should not be where revelations take place.

After a Saturday night meal, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told head coach Kenny Atkinson that Jarrett Allen was the team’s spark. Atkinson has since credited that conversation as a turning point. And while Gilbert was right, it’s a “no s***” observation. Frankly, the fact that it took a dinner with the owner to shift Atkinson’s worldview is the most concerning detail of Cleveland’s postseason run so far.

Because the evidence was already there. Repeatedly. In plain sight.

Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors was a blueprint. Allen’s presence was stamped all over the 114-102 win. Allen was physical, assertive, and finished at the rim. Donovan Mitchell, who was nowhere near his best that night, operated as a facilitator rather than a hero. The offense flowed. Cleveland advanced.

Then the series shifted to Detroit, and almost like the coaching staff hadn’t been in the building for Game 7, the focus reverted back to the star backcourt. Allen played just 18 minutes in Game 1, which is unacceptable even though he was dealing with foul trouble. He and Evan Mobley combined for only 11 points. Cleveland lost 101-111. The team spent the next several games trying to find Mitchell’s groove rather than building on what had just worked.

Games 2 through 6 against Detroit told the same story in rotating chapters. When Allen and Mobley were connected and involved, the offense had a logic to it. When Cleveland fell back into “let’s see if Mitchell has it” mode, and more often than not in this postseason, he didn’t, the offense siloed. James Harden became the primary facilitator by default. Mitchell forced. The life drained out of the building, and it seemed like the Cavaliers blew their chance at the Eastern Conference Finals.

The pattern was never subtle. Mitchell playing hero-ball, chucking up contested looks, is electric when they’re falling. When they don’t, it is the most aggravating form of basketball to watch, and it visibly drags him and everyone around him down with it.

Game 7 against Detroit confirmed what Game 7 against Toronto had already shown. From the opening possession, the bigs were going to be involved. Allen was set up immediately and converted. Mitchell ran the offense as a distributor, getting Mobley and Allen engaged early and keeping them there. The result was an offense that played with a coherence Cleveland rarely sustained for more than a few minutes at a stretch across either series; it produced a 125-94 blowout on the road.

When Mitchell drives and draws defensive bodies, it opens a dump-off lane for Allen or Mobley. Either they finish inside, or they kick out to Sam Merrill, Max Strus, or Harden for open looks. Allen and Mobley are too gifted offensively to exist solely as pick-and-roll partners. The offense becomes genuinely difficult to guard when they’re true options, not afterthoughts.

The Cavaliers have now won two Game 7s this postseason running this offense. They’ve also dropped winnable games in both series when they abandoned it.

Cleveland opens against the New York Knicks on Tuesday as significant underdogs, and they are heading into a road series against a deeper, well-coached team. The margin for error is thin. Reverting to Mitchell-first basketball when it isn’t working; burning possessions, flattening the offense, waiting for a hot streak that may not come, is a luxury they cannot afford.

The blueprint has been written twice now. Allen and Mobley at the forefront. Mitchell as the engine who makes everyone better, not the lottery ticket the team cashes in and hopes for the best. When this Cavaliers offense is a collective effort rather than an individual one, it is as good as anything left in these playoffs.

Atkinson shouldn’t need another dinner to figure that out.

After what felt like a month, the Knicks finally learned the next team they’ll put to the sword.

It’s the Cleveland Knights, no puns intended.

Here’s the latest in what will likely be the softest and most casual Bulletin in the next two weeks.

Mike Brown

On sticking with Mikal Bridges despite outside questions:

“I don’t know if I was publicly backing him. I was just telling the truth. He can play, he’s been in this situation before, we’ve had success with him. So I was just basically answering the questions regarding him. He’s earned the right to be there. He’s earned the right to do a lot of different things. And I was just reiterating it.”

On Bridges’ importance within the team structure:

“He’s definitely an important piece of what we’re trying to do, as well as everybody else. He’s gotta do his job on both ends, and when he does, we’re pretty good. Not just him; when anybody else does, we’re pretty good. So he’s no different than anybody else.”

Mikal Bridges

On the need for steady improvement throughout the playoffs:

“You can’t look at the past. You learn from it, but just be present and do what you gotta do to get better. I think that’s really it. Just learn from each game and try to get better every single game. And that’s really it. Like I said, I always try to play to help win and just keep trying to get better. That’s been the outcome.”

Miles McBride

On the benefit of extra rest before the Eastern Conference finals:

“It’s good to give your body some rest. Be able to sit back and watch your opponents beat each other up in a sense.”

Patrick Ewing

On the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of the Knicks:

“What I would tell them is they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. No one knows if it’s going to come back around. When we got there in ’94, I definitely thought that we were going to have another opportunity in ’95 — take advantage of this opportunity. Continue to do the things that they’ve been doing. Continue to play as a team. The five guys on the floor got to do their part, the bench has to do their part. So remember that it’s about team, this is not tennis with one person against another person, all five have to be locked in, be unselfish, be selfish when you need to be selfish, and just play a team game.”

On why these Knicks can win a championship:

“Anything is possible. These guys have been putting in the work, the coaches have been putting them in great positions to accomplish that. That’s everybody’s goal at the beginning of the year to win a championship, and we’re all hoping that happens.”

On how the Knicks finish the job:

“They have to continue to do what they’ve been doing. We’ve been definitely hot in these last two rounds. We have to continue to do the same thing that we’ve been doing — playing as a team, both offensively and defensively taking care of business, no turnovers, just all the things that they’ve been doing.”

John Calipari

On how playing through Karl-Anthony Towns elevates the Knicks:

“What everybody is seeing is that playing through him the way they are doesn’t take away from anybody else’s game. On the contrary, it adds to everybody else’s game. And is exactly right for this team. The style of game he’s been playing, especially since they got behind the Hawks, I call that Jokic style, and that’s without him getting a ton of shots. Good for Mike and good for Karl.”

On Towns handling regular-season criticism:

“You know why I’m happy for him? He never said a word when he was taking all the grief he took during the regular season. He just kept walking. There’s a word for that, by the way: Professional.”

“Hey, I know it’s hard to listen to me when I’m talking about him. I admit I’m biased. But I stand up for my guys and this time it was easy, even when it looked as if he was scuffling. Now he’s started making things easier for everybody else. I told Spike the other day: If they keep playing through Karl this way, they can win the whole thing.”

On Towns’ versatility and unselfishness:

“You can’t foul him because he shoots free throws like a guard. He can absolutely make the right pass if you make a hard cut. And because of his size, he can pass the ball over the defense if he has to. As good a scorer as he’s been, guy’s not thinking shoot first. It just speaks to how unselfish he is. Hey, back when we were both at Kentucky and I needed him to play 21 minutes a game so Dakari Johnson could get 19, you know what he did? He went and sat down and didn’t say a word then, either.”

On first recognizing Jalen Brunson’s talent:

“I remember seeing [Brunson] when he was on his way to Villanova. And even though I knew Jay Wright had him locked up, I called up Jay and said, ‘I need to recruit the hell out of this Brunson kid.’ Because it was clear how good he was.”

Naz Reid

On supporting Karl-Anthony Towns during the Knicks’ playoff run:

“I’m trying to get out there back home for sure, trying to see him play in person, you know, from a spectator aspect, that’s a brother for sure, I’ve been years in with him as well. So, and him also being from Jersey, I’ve known him long before NBA. So I mean, just trying to make sure I give the same love to him that he’s reciprocated to us and so forth and so on. I obviously want to be there for him as much as I can. I mean, he’s been there for me more than you guys know. So I mean, just showing that love is the least I can do.”

Baron Davis

On comparing Jalen Brunson to Allen Iverson:

“Jalen Brunson to me is like Allen Iverson in this era. Like nobody can guard him. No matter what you do, he going to get his shot off. He gets hot. You know, it’s on fuego and he can play to the moment.”

Jamal Crawford

On the similarities between Jalen Brunson and Allen Iverson’s usage:

“I think they are a little more diverse in using Brunson. To me, they’re using Brunson, as AI was used in Philly. And they got him off the ball some. They moved him around. Then they got him in pick-and-roll situations. Obviously, we know the playoffs slow down, and you want the ball in your best player’s hands, but they’re a little less predictable.”

Stephen A. Smith

On why the New York Knicks are LeBron James’ best option:

“Now, I understand that it’s emotional. I know that. But what I’m thinking about when it comes to the New York Knicks is two things. If you don’t win the title this year, again, you don’t … He gonna be with the Knicks. That’s the brand that will easily enable LeBron to pocket an additional half a billion dollars. And then you got LeBron with Brunson, with OG, with Karl-Anthony Towns.”

Paul Pierce

On why LeBron James should retire:

“Yeah, I think he should, man. Just like for the simple fact that at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does. The greats wasn’t getting this criticism late. Nobody was criticizing Kobe when he wasn’t going to the playoffs in his last year. They was just enjoying his moments. Like, the same with Jordan in Washington.

“For the simple fact that the man is 41, and we still critiquing him like he 25 and should be winning championships still. Just the criticism he gets still. He still gets criticism.”

After a great night for Cleveland in Detroit, the Guardians head to the Motor City to play the Tigers for four days beginning tonight. Let’s hope it goes as well for the Cleveland baseball team as it did for the Cavaliers.

Yesterday was a tremendous day for the Guardians. Nicole/Deborah covered it quite well here as always.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Zack Meisel’s amazing work at the Athletic, now’s the time to catch up. He covered remembering Bob Tayek, Guardians’ stadium PA here. He covered Parker Messick’s historic start here. And it’s a good idea to go back to take a look at Angel Martinez’s hot start as covered by Zack here. I have to note that the Athletic tried to get their Twins’ writer to go national and he refused and started his own website, so I’d continue to subscribe to the Athletic and support Zack were I a Guardians’ fan who loves his content.

FanGraphs’ Michael Baumann had a nice article about Erik Sabrowski that I missed earlier.

AROUND MLB:

The Tigers lost, but the Royals, White Sox and Twins all won yesterday.

Mikal Bridges chose the perfect time to find his mojo. After a tepid close to the regular season, and an alarming first few games in the playoffs, the Knicks' wing has played some of his best basketball lately. 

With the Cleveland Cavaliers standing between the Knicks and an NBA Finals appearance, Bridges will be an X-Factor in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Bridges’ offense has taken off. In the last five games, he’s averaging 18.8 points on 67.8 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the three-point line. 

The Knicks have needed the offense from Bridges with OG Anunoby missing the last two games of the second round with a right hamstring injury. Anunoby is expected to play in the Conference Finals, but it’s unclear how he will look both physically. Also, it will be important to see if he can quickly shake off the rust of not playing for nearly two weeks. 

That makes Bridges’ offensive role even more important. He’s not a playmaker for the Knicks, but he’s proven to be a very good play finisher. He can score both as a cutter and outside shooter. 

As New York's assists and passing have increased since center Karl-Anthony Towns’ emergence as a playmaker, Bridges has become one of the main beneficiaries of the stylistic shift.

Defensive pest

Defense is where Bridges should have an even larger role. He will check Cleveland's star perimeter duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden throughout the Conference Finals. Both Mitchell and Harden are dynamic with the ball in their hands and are capable of creating scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates.

Bridges’ playoff defense has been a strength to the Knicks during these playoffs, hounding the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the first two rounds. In the second round sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers, Bridges led the charge in defending Maxey. He and New York did a good job on the 76ers All-Star, limiting him to 18.3 points on 43.3 percent from the field.

Now, Cleveland presents some different challenges for New York’s defense. During the Knicks’ February loss to the Cavs, Bridges guarded Mitchell for much of the game, so expect him to take on that challenge again for Game 1.

Mitchell is a tough cover. He can be electric on the drive with power reminiscent of a tailback striding through the teeth of an NFL defense. Mitchell can also pull up from three as a shooter. He’s not the best playmaking guard in the NBA, but he’s shown he can both score and distribute. In Cleveland’s 125-94 rout of the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the second round, Mitchell had 26 points and eight assists. He consistently knifed into the lane and found Cleveland big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley for drop-off passes.

Bridges’ skills on defense are bolstered by length. Armed with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he can get into passing lanes and disrupt offenses with deflections and steals. As New York blitzed Maxey in the pick-and-roll, Bridges’ anticipation created some deflections to slow down Philadelphia’s offense. New York’s defense is allowing 104.8 points per 100 possessions through 10 playoff games, the second-best number among all 16 playoff teams.

Though New York’s trade of Bridges nearly two years ago continues to be debated, he’s proven to be a key cog in the playoffs. For the Knicks to advance to the NBA Finals, they will need him to have a significant impact in this series.