Exactly one year ago, the Knicks stepped onto the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Pacers. Our heroes had lost the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, each by five points or less. Favored to win the series, New York stunned us by dropping those two at Madison Square Garden, but our faith remained strong. It was still our year! We would just have to wait a couple more games to reach the promised land.

New York won by six on May 25, 2025. From there, they lost Game Four nearly wire-to-wire, won Game Five wire-to-wire, and then the wheels came off. Aside from a brief five-point lead in the first quarter, they were demolished in Game Six. Brokenhearted, disconsolate, forlorn, confused—you name it, we felt it as fans. We blinked through disbelief as we watched Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers hoist the Bob Cousy Trophy and advance to the Finals. The friggin’ Pacers.

One year later—with a new coach but essentially the same roster—the Knicks stand on the verge of a Finals berth again. This time, they will leave nothing to chance. Their opponent, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, are reeling from three straight punches and are utterly exhausted after playing 17 postseason games without a break. In Game Three, essentially with their season on the line, the Cavs simply couldn’t keep up. New York outscored them on fast breaks 17-0 through three quarters, and by the fourth period, Cleveland basically stood back and admired the craftsmanship of Sir Jalen Brunson.

You’ll forgive us for counting the chickens still gestating in their eggs. We take great confidence in the fact that no NBA team has ever climbed out of a three-game hole to win a playoff series. Our heroes have not appeared in the NBA Finals since 1999, and destiny, at last, is on our side. No more front-office incompetence. No more LOLKnicks. No more cheap shots in kids’ movies that I have to explain to my son. Finally, we have a team that deserves to share a jersey with Willis, Walt, and Patrick. Enjoy every blessed minute of it, fans.

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson has tried to lift his team’s spirits. He claims they’re actually winning the series analytically. What else can he say? “Donovan Mitchell looks ready for a summer-long convalescence,” or “James Harden is a washed-up paper tiger,” or “Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have folded like laundry in the frontcourt”? Could Kenny ever admit that a supporting cast of Max Strus, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson just doesn’t emanate that certain championship aroma?

Atkinson has a ring. He won it with Mike Brown as an assistant on Golden State’s bench. Kenny knows what greatness looks like. Surely he can see that his team is tapped out after surviving slugfests with the Raptors and Pistons to get here, then finding a juggernaut before them. Would we be surprised if Laura Atkinson hasn’t already booked a Turks and Caicos getaway for next weekend? No sir, we would not.

All things considered, the Cavs seem kinda lucky to be here. The Knicks stopped believing in luck under the cruel tutelage of Pai Mei (a.k.a. Tom Thibodeau) and—for Jalen—Rick Brunson. They believe in maximum effort, discipline, and unity. They took two seasons to learn how to combine like Voltron, but combine they have and all the talking heads are giving them flowers. Winners of the most lopsided 10-game winning streak in league history . . . the most potent offense in history . . . all the laudatory noise means nothing to that maniac Brunson. He is obsessively focused on one thing and steadily leads his troops toward it. It’s not the Cousy—Jalen is coming for the Larry O’Brien. Heaven help anyone who stands in his way.

Tonight’s prediction? Knicks by 15 and bedlam in NYC.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (3-0) at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-3)
Date: Monday, May 25, 2026
Time: 8 PM ET
Place: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
TV: ESPN
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

When Pop speaks, the Spurs listen.

San Antonio was blown out by the Thunder 123-108 in Game 3 on Friday, leading to former coach and Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich giving the team a tongue-lashing for the first time all season.

His message clearly resonated with the Spurs as they responded with a 103-82 Game 4 win to tie the Western Conference finals at 2-2.

“We lost Game 3 … but that was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s BS. That’s not how we play basketball,’ and obviously he had some choice words for us,” Spurs star De’Aaron Fox told NBC after the blowout win Sunday night. “That was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt.”

Popovich doesn’t stand on the sidelines barking directions to his players anymore.

He was seen sitting in a luxury box next to Tim Duncan during Game 4.

A video of Popovich speaking to star center Victor Wembanyama went viral on social media ahead of Game 3, with the Frenchman listening intently and hanging on every word.

The Hall of Fame coach has tutored Wembanyama since he entered the league, acting as his coach for his first full season and then for five games in the 2024-25 season.

The 77-year-old Popovich still has plenty of connections with this Spurs roster, as he stepped down as the coach in May 2025 after suffering a stroke, which has limited his physical condition and forced him to relinquish the role. Mitch Johnson, who is currently in his second season, replaced him.

“Every team gets blown out, but just mentality-wise, I think that was one of the worst games we had probably of the season,” Fox said of the Game 3 home loss, per ESPN. “Then, Pop came in after the game. He saw it, we all saw it. We all felt it. Coming into this game, we wanted to make sure that mentality was out the door. Even if we lost this game, as long as we came in with the right mentality and played the right way, we could be OK with losing the game. The way that we lost [Game 3] I think hurt more than losing the game, and that was pretty much for everybody in the locker room.”

After a historic 29-year run in San Antonio, Popovich, who started in December 1996, won five titles as the team’s coach, dominating with a Duncan-led tandem.

The Spurs now head back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.

I must admit, my confidence was hanging by a thread as last night’s game started. After all, the Thunder are a genuinely great team, the Spurs had suffered consistently bad disadvantages in three straight games (e.g., turnover margin), and it felt like OKC’s plan of fouling Wemby continuously was going to end up being an effective method for mitigating his impact. I didn’t even feel good when San Antonio got up big in the first quarter because, well, look at Game 3. Even so, my spirits lifted as the second quarter progressed, soared with Victor’s halfcourt heave to go up 12 at halftime, and remained excellent throughout a dominant second half. Considering the environment and stakes, this may have been the Spurs best performance of the season to date, and fortunately it also produced a fascinating box score. Let’s review some highlights:

Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of May 24, 2026, this group include 1,197 games.

Factors that decided the game

• This is a great game for showcasing why winning is determined by relative differences in performance (i.e., how the winner performed relative to the loser). In particular, the Spurs shot terribly in this game, yet still outscored OKC by 13 from the field because the Thunder’s shooting efficiency was DREADFUL.
• I talk about this more below, but the Spurs achieved the rare feat of beating OKC in every basic box score battle that doesn’t directly relate to shooting volume or efficiency (more on that below). These margins were rarely huge (hence the grades are usually modest), but lots of little advantages often add up to a big victory.
• San Antonio also won most margins having to do with shooting volume or efficiency, with the most notable victory being their FTA margin of +14. Interestingly, FT% is the only key area where they lost to the Thunder badly; even so, the Spurs outscored OKC by eight from the charity stripe.

Rare Box Score Stats

• Last night, San Antonio became the first postseason victor since the start of 2012-2013 to win by 21+ points while logging FG%, 3P%, and FT% values at least as bad as 38.89%, 27.27%, and 75%, respectively. There are only four other instances in the same 1,197-game period in which a winning team had a shooting percentage line at least as bad in all three dimensions, and the previous high margin of victory in that set was 12.
• The Spurs became just the 12th winner since the start of the 2012-2013 postseason to win EVERY basic box score battle outside of anything related to shooting volume or accuracy. In other words, relative to OKC they had more offensive rebounds, more defensive rebounds, more assists, fewer turnovers, more steals, more blocks, and fewer personal fouls.
• San Antonio became the 42 winner in the last 1,197 NBA postseason contests to win by 21+ points with FGA and 3PA margins no better than -1 and 0, respectively (that’s a frequency of about once in every 29 postseason games during the period).
• The Spurs and Thunder combined for just 15 total made threes in this game. That is not wildly unusual over the last 14 postseasons; in fact, it has now happened 195 times in that 1,197-game span. However, the vast majority of those occasions were in the 2010s. Since 2019, it’s happened between 0 and 7 times per postseason.
• An interesting point of comparison for this fact about total threes made is that the total number of field goals made in last night’s game (65) was also quite low relative to the reference period, with 98 total games over the last 1,197 (i.e., about one game in every dozen) where two teams have combined to make 65 or fewer field goals. The frequency of this occurrence has declined over time (largely due to rising pace), but not nearly as dramatically.
• Wemby logged just the 12th true playoff performance since the 1996-1997 postseason that included 33+ points, 8+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 3+ blocks, and 2+ steals.
• Kelly Olynyk is featured in the headline photograph because last night he became the only NBA player to record 3+ steals while playing no more than five minutes in a true playoff game since 1996-1997. In fact, of the 48,406 player performances that have included 3+ steals in ANY NBA game since 1996-1997, Olynyk’s game last night was just the sixth case that lasted less than five minutes. Nice job, Kelly!

What are Team Graded Box Scores?

Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).

Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.

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The New York Knicks will try to secure the rest advantage over their Western Conference counterpart in the NBA Finals when they play the Cleveland Cavaliers up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

These Knicks vs. Cavaliers props and NBA picks for Game 4 fully expect New York to complete this sweep tonight, with Karl-Anthony Towns playing a key role.

For more on this game, read Zak Hanshew's Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions.

Best Knicks vs Cavaliers props for Game 4

Player	Pick
Karl-Anthony Towns	Over 3.5 points 1Q	-150
James Harden	Under 17.5 points	+100
Miles McBride	Over 5.5 points	+102

Game 4 Prop #1: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 3.5 points 1Q (-144)

The New York Knicks should emphasize a strong start tonight. Make the Cleveland Cavaliers face elimination early in Game 4 and challenge them to not think about packing it in before they head to the beach.

The NBA punchline of “1, 2, 3, Cancun” usually overlooks that moment at the start of Game 4 when the “Cancun” aspect of that laugh is cemented. A strong first quarter can erase any remaining competitive intrigue from the trailing team.

Jalen Brunson may be New York’s star, but he rarely starts a game aggressively. He instead incorporates his teammates early before taking over late. For example, Brunson has scored just two and five points in the last two first quarters.

Karl-Anthony Towns, however, is a willing beneficiary of Brunson’s early deference. Towns has scored seven and 11 points in the last two first quarters, a combination of long-range shooting and work at the rim.

Two buckets from Towns in tonight’s early frame is not much of an ask, but it would help spur the Knicks toward the Finals more than usual.

Game 4 Prop #2: James Harden Under 17.5 points (-102)

Winning back-to-back seven-game series should not be quickly forgotten, but losing a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals may cost the Cavaliers and James Harden all such goodwill. Well, it may cost the Cavaliers all such goodwill. It is debatable if Harden has any such goodwill.

He went 3-for-9 from the field in the decisive win against the Raptors in the first round before going 2-for-10 from the field in Game 7 against the Pistons. Did Cleveland win because of Harden or despite him?

This Game 4 should not help his argument.

Harden has cleared this prop in the last two games, but topping out at 19 points in Game 3 despite playing 41 minutes is not an encouraging sign. If New York does indeed win its 11th straight game, a blowout feels rather likely. Eight of the Knicks’ last 10 wins have been blowouts.

A blowout in a series-clinching game typically cuts into starters’ minutes. Cutting into Harden’s minutes at all should doom his scoring, given that he has hardly scored in bunches in this series.

This prop is likely already set at its actionable low, so the -102 are a delightful surprise.

Game 4 Prop #3: Miles McBride Over 5.5 points (+102)

A blowout should lead to only more minutes for Miles McBride. The Knicks guard is rarely the subject of prop bets, but there is still value in this.

Realize, New York has shown a penchant for closing series with firepower. It beat Atlanta by 51 points in a game that was not even that close. The 76ers fell by 30 points.

Routs lead to more minutes for McBride, obviously. Thus, he scored 25 points in 29 minutes in that farewell to Philadelphia.

This is very much a bet that the Knicks will win with ease tonight and give Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart some time to laugh and celebrate. McBride has already scored five points in each of the last two games. An additional shift on the court should spur him past this prop and into plus-money profit.

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 Lakers have filled one of their two assistant general manager vacancies. 

The franchise has hired Rohan Ramadas as an assistant general manager under president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka.

Ramadas last worked as a vice president of strategy and operations for the Pelicans. 

The hiring, which was first reported by ESPN on Monday, is the first of two assistant general manager hires the Lakers plan on making this offseason.

Pelinka told reporters after the Lakers’ 2025-26 season ended that the franchise was in the midst of the interview process for the roles.

One assistant general manager will work in “player draft and evaluation processes”, according to Pelinka, which will include pro scouting, draft scouting and player development. The other will be more on the “strategy side”, which entails cap, analytics and data.

The latter is the role is filling Ramadas.

After earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering from USC, Ramadas worked for The Aerospace Corporation for 12 years before joining the Pelicans’ front office on a full-time basis in September 2024.

He was the franchise’s senior director of analytics and innovation before being promoted in May 2025 to vice president of strategy and operations.

Ramadas was an analytics consultant for the Pelicans for seven years before joining the organization full-time. Before working with the Pelicans, Ramadas was a draft analyst with the Heat in 2016-17.

The hiring of Ramadas is part of the Lakers’ “reconstruction” this summer, which is the franchise’s first full offseason since Mark Walter, also the Dodger’s controlling owner, purchased the majority stake of the Lakers.

“We have already started that reconstruction, have made hires in our front office and continue to develop new technologies and new areas that we’ve turned on for the draft [and] free agency,” Pelinka said. “A lot of the infrastructure is being built. We will continue to staff out with assistant general manager positions. There’s a couple of those that we’re currently interviewing for and have done an extensive dive in that process. Those will be two key pillars that we’ll add for this offseason.”

The Lakers have made several hires since Walter’s purchase, including Lon Rosen as the president of business operations (replacing Tim Harris), Michael Spetner as the new chief strategy and growth officer (new position) and Ryan Kantor as the vice president of global partnerships (new role). 

Rosen, Spetner and Kantor all previously worked for the Dodgers.

On the basketball operations side, the Lakers hired former Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett as an NBA draft adviser in February, in addition to the hiring of Ramadas.

Dodgers executives Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman joined the Lakers in advisory roles in November. 

The franchise is also looking to enhance their practice facility with a biomechanics lab, new movement labs and a recovery lab.

The Lakers’ changes come in the midst of a pivotal offseason: LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent; Austin Reaves is expected to decline his player option for 2026-27 and become an unrestricted free agent; Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes are also unrestricted free agents; Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart also have player options for next season.

Never in Knicks history has New York swept back-to-back postseason series.

Monday’s the day, youknowwhatimsaying.

Here’s the latest. Get hype, enjoy tonight.

Mike Brown

On avoiding complacency with the Finals in sight:

“Going through this process, one of the things that I’m trying really hard to do and trying really hard to make sure our team does from the top down is to stay present. And what I mean by that is, we don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves, because as soon as we start getting ahead of ourselves, that’s when disaster always occurs, it seems. So for us, starting with me, making sure everybody in the organization on down understands it’s about the next game. And really, it’s about the next possession. And I try to block out everything else as best I can and not think about ‘what ifs,’ because I know for me, it would distract me 100 percent at this time of the year.”

On the risk of getting ahead of themselves:

“We don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves, because as soon as we start getting ahead of ourselves, that’s when disaster always occurs, it seems.”

On thinking about winning a title when he signed with the Knicks:

“When I took the job, I thought about it. But going through this process, one of the things that I’m trying really hard to do and trying really hard to make sure our team does from the top down is to stay present.”

On balancing enjoyment with focus:

“The guys have played good basketball, and they deserve the right for me to make sure that I recognize it and that they’re able to take a breath and enjoy for a few moments what they did do. But again, I’ll try to read the room, and so every once in a while, I may tell them, ‘Hey, you guys were great. Great, great, great, great, but be ready for this, because this can happen.’ So I’ll try to let them go a little bit but bring them back to earth every once in a while with a statement, something that could happen or did happen. And we kinda go from there, but everybody is human. Everybody needs an opportunity to enjoy this roller-coaster ride as it’s unfolding. But the same breath, it’s my job to try to make sure I lead the charge in bringing them back down to earth sooner than later.”

On OG Anunoby’s All-Defense snub:

“I got one more thing before I’m taking off. You guys can all print this. Great players out there. I’m not discounting anybody, but freakin’ OG got robbed. He should’ve been first-team All Defense. First-team All-Defense. The versatility he brings to this team — we’re a top-five defensive team. Top-five defensive team, OK? The versatility that he brings — and everybody always says, ‘Oh, you got KAT. You got Jalen. Blah, blah, blah.’ The versatility that that guy brings to this team is off the charts, and I hope the voters get it right the next time around. I’m happy he’s second-team. He deserves something, but it was wrong.”

On championship traits he sees in this group:

“All of them had a competitive spirit that was unmatched. They were all connected. Those intangibles are what I see that our team is.”

OG Anunoby

On closing out the series in Game 4:

“We have to come in knowing that this series isn’t over and keep our foot on their necks and try to win the game.”

On earning second-team All-Defense recognition:

“It was cool to get the recognition. Anytime you’re recognized by coaches and the media, it’s really cool. The second team is cool, I was hoping I got first team, I thought I should have gotten first team. But second team is good. Every recognition is good. First team, second team. There’s a lot of good defenders in the league, so to be recognized as one of the 10 premier ones is really cool in itself. Just happy. Now I’m just focused on the rest of the playoffs.”

On believing he’s been elite defensively for years:

“I feel like I’ve been a great defender for years. So anytime you get recognition — recognized by coaches or the media, your peers, whatever — it’s really cool. Second Team is cool.”

On not dwelling on the Knicks’ finals drought:

“I don’t think we’re stuck on it. Our goal is just to win each and every game. However long it was, six years or two years or 20 years, it doesn’t matter.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the team’s unity during the streak:

“We’ve won all these games in a row as a team. We’ve had this winning streak as a team. We found ways to get these great wins as a team. As long as we stay together and stay unified, we feel and have always felt that the sky’s the limit for us.”

On demanding more desperation amid the Game 3 win:

“I think that we’ve got to be more desperate. We’ve got to be more desperate. This [Cavaliers] team is too good, too great, it’s too much of a big stage to not find more desperation in the game.”

On what frustrated him most during the first half of Game 3:

“We gave up 27 points. That’s what pissed me off more than anything.”

Jalen Brunson

On how long he’s thought about reaching the Finals with the Knicks:

“Since I signed.”

On whether the Knicks are peaking:

“I don’t want to consider us peaking at this moment. I still think we have a lot of work to do. Us as a team, I’ve said this all year, we just want to get better every single day. That includes the times that we’re in the playoffs because there’s still time to learn, still time to get better. That’s how I’ve always thought about it. I haven’t really had the time to really kind of wonder where we are as a team. All I focus on is how can we get better from the day before?”

On treating Game 4 like any other:

“No matter what is at stake, it’s a chance for us to come together, be better than we were the game before, continue to learn. And try to be the best team we can be.”

On not thinking about historical stakes:

“It doesn’t really cross my mind at all right now. Just really focused on tomorrow. I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, honestly.”

On fan excitement amid this ridiculous run:

“I mean they’re probably excited. Rightfully so, but we have a job to do, and we have things that we need to focus on. That’s on them being them, but we have to be locked in to do what we do.”

Kenny Atkinson

On claiming the Cavs are ‘analytically’ ahead:

“Analytically, we’ve won 2 out of 3. We’re two out of the three in the expected score. If you believe in process and all that, like, man, take that later. I don’t throw that on them. I see it for myself, and if I have this feeling, I can go to our analytical table and be like, man, the expected score was like one point or two — us shooting way below expected, them shooting way over.”

On the public’s reaction to that argument:

“I know no one wants to hear that. I think you guys like hearing it, but I know the general public, nobody wants to hear that. Everybody is outcome-based. You know, sure, I get that too.”

On past success against New York:

“We’ve had success against this team before. We’ve had really good moments in this series — up 20 in Game 1. Even Game 2, take that run out from the beginning of the third quarter, and it’s pretty tight.”

On believing in process despite results:

“If you believe in process and all that … take that layer. I know I don’t throw that on them. I see it for myself. We have this feeling — I have this feeling — then I can go to our analytical table.”

On the Knicks avoiding any sort of drop in production:

“Teams that make that next step, it’s the balance that’s impressed me the most. They have so many contributors right now, and I think that is what’s different from the regular season. We all know they had ups and downs, they had periods where they weren’t playing well. The sustainability of it, you’re expecting a letdown. We haven’t seen a letdown from them yet.”

On Cleveland’s defensive struggles and Knicks contributors:

“It comes down to performing better, individually. Bridges is 27 of 38 [in this series]. [Landry] Shamet is 7-for-8 from 3 in this series. They’re getting stellar performances across the board. Josh Hart in Game 2 had an incredible game. Jalen’s great and Towns is great, but we’ve kind of done a decent job on those guys, you can argue. … OG’s two wing 3s [in Game 3], like the jab, jab 3, are you kidding me? … The goal was to slow down their momentum, and that mojo they got, and we haven’t been able to do that. That’s the frustrating thing for me. Part of that is them playing great. We haven’t found a formula to slow their mojo down.”

On the Cavs players believing in a comeback:

“I had eight great answers. I said, ‘Well that makes me believe more because you guys really believe in yourselves.’ Each guy had a different reason or two. I don’t want me to get up and say, ‘Hey we got to believe.’ It’s not that. It’s, do they believe? They do believe. They’re probably not steeped in the stats that you guys all know, how hard this is. But I don’t think they care about that. They believe in the group, they believe in each other, they believe we’ve had really good stretches against this team.”

Jaylon Tyson

On believing the Cavs are better than the Knicks:

“I still feel like we’re the better ballclub. Obviously, we haven’t shown that. We have another opportunity Monday to keep this thing going.”

On playing for avoiding a sweep:

“I think, ultimately, it’s a pride thing. Tomorrow is going to be a big test for where we are mentally. We’re at home — we don’t lose at home. We should take pride in that. These dudes, call a spade a spade, they’re trying to sweep us. Me, personally, I don’t take that lightly. Whether I’m playing five minutes or 15 minutes, whatever it is, I’m going to put my best foot forward and I know my teammates are going to put their best foot forward and try not to let that happen. I think that’s a pride thing.”

Walt Frazier

On what this Knicks team reminds him of:

“It reminds me of a team I played on. Bradley, Frazier, DeBusschere, Reed, Barnett — unselfish play, tenacious defense.”

On whether the Knicks will finish the sweep in Cleveland:

“I’m buying the brooms!”

LeBron James

On the Knicks’ offensive evolution:

“The defense can’t just key on a couple of actions anymore. I thought over the last couple of years with New York, you kind of got a good rhythm of how they were gonna play. The ball was gonna end up in a certain way every single time.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns as a hub in the offense:

“You now shift your pie chart from people just thinking heavy, heavy, heavy, JB pick-and-roll, JB iso, to now the demographic of your offense shifts. Which means the defense can’t just be keyed in on one action now. So having KAT as the hub, at the elbow, at the top of the key, it allows JB to be off the ball, where he can set a rip screen for OG to get to the rim where if [the defense] messes that up, OG gets a dunk. If they mess that up and both of them go with OG to the rim, now you have JB coming off it clean, either for a clean shot or a [dribble handoff]. Now the defense is playing catch up. That’s helped their demographic out a lot, their pie chart on what they can do offensively. And JB is still gonna have his iso game where he’s really good, he’s still gonna have his pick-and-roll game where he’s really good. But to sprinkle in a little bit of off-ball action, a little bit of pinch-post action, with a different hub, that helps a lot.”

Iman Shumpert

On Donovan Mitchell failing to lead the Cavs:

“When you look at somebody like Donovan Mitchell, you know what he possesses. I don’t care if you’re tired. I don’t care if you’re banged up. Do it without the mask. Save the bus, save the girl, take the punches, the broken ribs. That’s why you’re Spidaman.”

On the Cavs’ overall issues:

“When I look at this team, I look at guys that feel like sometimes somebody needs to put them in position, somebody needs to show them the way. No, no, no. Half the things that are going on with Cleveland is effort.”

Kevin Garnett

On Jalen Brunson’s place in Knicks history:

“He is this generation’s Patrick Ewing. He is the best player on the Knicks. He is, for me, the engine that makes that s*** go.”

On Brunson’s playoff résumé:

“He is. Like that mofo, if he don’t do that (late-Game 1 burst), they get smoked. That s started with him. He hit three, four shots in a row… It was perfect. The stage was perfect for him to do what he did. What he did last night will be why you remember him. Real shit man. He took the game over.”

Paul Pierce

On Brunson’s standing among Knicks greats:

“Arguably already a top-five Knick ever.”

We’ve heard plenty of stories about the Cleveland Browns and analytics over the years, especially when Paul DePodesta first came around. DePodesta departed this offseason to go back to Major League Baseball, but present day, analytics is more widely accepted as a standard across the NFL. One thing you typically don’t see, though, is using analytics to talk about a team’s win-loss record in critical moments.

That shifts us over to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had fans on the highest of highs a little over a week ago when they dominated the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, the series against the Knicks has soured fans again, starting with when New York had an improbably 22-point comeback half-way through the fourth quarter in Game 1. Since then, the Cavaliers have not been able to have sustained success at getting a lead against the Knicks, with a combination of poor three-point shooting, defensive assignments, and New York executing at a high level combining to them now being down 3 games to 0 and facing elimination tonight. No team has ever come back from being down 0-3 at this stage.

Nonetheless, head coach Kenny Atkinson had this to say in an interview yesterday, which certainly didn’t go over the way you expected it too:

“Analytically, we’ve won three, no, two out of three games.” I saw someone on Twitter celebrate by posting a 2026 Analytical Champions Banner for the Cavaliers yesterday. That’d be like saying, “With our defense last year, analytically, the Browns made the postseason.” Yes, I get the things that he’s trying to imply, like the Knicks shot the lights out of the ball and the Cavaliers missed some open looks, and if those things had been closer to the averages, the outcome might have been differently. But there are so many variables in every game, and Cleveland hasn’t done the right things strategically to force such shooting percentages to be different on either side of the court.

It’s been an interesting past month of Cleveland sports — a time when all three major teams are potentially in the spotlight. You had fans high on the Cavaliers, they are currently high on the division-leading Guardians, and any time the Browns are in the midst of an offseason, it feels good to build up that hope all over again. But it looks like the Cavaliers are about to give way to the Browns in terms of sports fandom, with more organized team activities and then mandatory minicamp coming up over the next 2-3 weeks, as fans try to figure out who Cleveland’s starting quarterback will be in 2026.

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A BetMGM customer who has won nearly $2 million laddering spread bets during the NBA playoffs lost $350,000 backing the Oklahoma City Thunder in their Game 4 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The bettor's customary ladder spread bets went 0-for-6 Sunday night, with a standout loss of $150,000 on Thunder +6.5. The Spurs cruised past the Thunder 103-82.

Key Takeaways

• The bettor had won multiple ladder spread bets since the beginning of the playoffs.
• BetMGM reported the user had correctly backed OKC with $300,000 in bets in Game 3.

The ladder bettor – whose identity remains anonymous – has dominated the sportsbooks during the NBA playoffs.

The big-bank user has won more than $1.9 million since April 27. The bettor took home $167,508 from $300,000 in bets by supporting the Thunder in Game 3 against the Spurs, which ended in a 15-point road win for the defending champs. 

Laying another $350,000 in tickets on the Thunder in Game 4 felt like a sign that the series was destined to be headed to a 3-1 count.

More ladder action for Thunder-Spurs Game 4 🪜

A bettor at @BetMGM has wagered $350,000 on @okcthunder to cover

▪️ $150,000 on Thunder +6.5 -185
▪️ $75,000 on Thunder +5.5 -160
▪️ $50,000 on Thunder +4.5 -150
▪️ $35,000 on Thunder +3.5 -130
▪️ $20,000 on Thunder +2.5 -118
▪️…

— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 24, 2026

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs had different plans. After they became the second team in NBA playoff history to lose a game they started with a lead of at least 15-0 in Game 3, they raced out to a 23-8 lead. The difference this time was that the Thunder never took the lead during the final 44 minutes of play, leaving the series tied 2-2.

The loss ended the ladder bettor’s sharp streak, during which numerous days of six-figure profits were racked up.

BetMGM reported the user won $466,718 from $775,000 in wagers during the New York Knicks’ historic Game 1 comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The bettor followed that up with $176,883 in profit from $300,000 in Game 2 and $217,172 in new funds from a $350,000 stake in Game 3. 

Earlier in the playoffs, the bettor won $419,641 from $225,000 in tickets during the conference semifinals matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Cavaliers and $291,860 from $190,000 backing the Thunder in the conference semis against the Los Angeles Lakers, among other prolific wins.

Thunder still lead future odds

With their series now tied at two games apiece, the Thunder still find themselves in the driver’s seat in NBA Finals odds.

Heading back to OKC for Game 5 on Tuesday, the Thunder are -115 to win the Finals. That’s the longest their odds have been since before the playoffs began, although it is still comfortably ahead of the Knicks (+260), Spurs (+275), and Cavaliers (+25,000).

The Thunder are also -210 to win the West, while the Spurs are only +170. Those odds translate to a 67% implied probability that the Thunder will find themselves back in the Finals for the second straight season.

OKC is a 5.5-point favorite in Game 5 and -200 on the moneyline. They’re 6-4 against the spread as a favorite in the playoffs, although they’re only 1-1 against the Spurs. They also lost six of nine games against the Spurs straight up dating back to the beginning of the regular season.

NBA teams that win Game 5 in a 2-2 series have won the series more than 82% of the time, according to Spurs analyst Dan Weiss. That heaps even more pressure onto both teams, who have already produced one of the best series in recent playoff history.

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.

LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent. Again. But this time, the Washington Wizards are involved.

According to Brandon Robinson of ScoopB, the Wizards are a dark horse contender for James, who just finished the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Here’s the money quote from Robinson:

The gravity of Washington’s pitch centers around Anthony Davis. It is no secret around the league that Davis and James remain incredibly close friends. However, Davis has been noticeably non-committal publicly regarding his long-term desire to stay in Washington. Compounded by a desire to keep their star happy and anchored in D.C., the Wizards organization could be feeling the pressure to make a major splash.

Robinson went on to add that Trae Young would form the third piece of a “Big Three” of James, Davis and Young. In addition, James has been complimentary of the Wizards’ rebuilding process in past podcast interviews.

I am skeptical that the Wizards will bring in James for a farewell tour. He is 41 years old, yet he remains one of the league’s top players. But then again, the Wizards are under pressure to start winning games after getting the No. 1 draft pick.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You might think that after getting traded in a somewhat humiliating fashion, that former Duke star Jared McCain might enjoy his success, and that he might want to rub Philadelphia’s nose in it a bit.

That’s not his style, though. Check out what he says here about Philadelphia and the trade. Previously, he has said that it stung a bit, but here, he clarifies how he feels about Philly, and it’s quite positive. He’s not going to waste a lot of time and energy on resentment. This is remarkably mature for a guy who is just 22.

Sean Kennedy, who wrote this article about the trade, is not as sanguine.

As a 76ers fan, he says that it’s going to haunt him. He hates that McCain was traded to Oklahoma City, where he’s constantly on the radar. Kennedy hates that he has to hear about how his teammates heap praise on him. He says “…[i]t’s torturous. It’s like if I had a huge scab, but right before it could finish completely healing the wound, somebody rips it off again and pours rubbing alcohol over the entire area. And this happens every couple of days.”

It’s brutal, but it’s honest. McCain has emerged as a critical factor for OKC, and Philly fans will probably have to watch him excel for a decade or more. That’s not going to be fun.

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The San Antonio Spurs bounced back from their Game 3 loss, to tie the NBA Western Conference Finals at 2-2 Sunday night – and "Pop" had a hand in it.

After the Spurs dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 on May 24, Spurs guards De'Aaron Fox said that former coach Gregg Popovich came into the locker room following San Antonio's 123-108 Game 3 loss on Friday, May 22 with some "choice words."

"Pop's been around, like throughout the course of the season, but that was the first time he walked into the locker room, and it was like, 'Nah, that's B.S. That's not how we play basketball.'" Fox said during an interview NBC’s postgame show. "Obviously, he had some choice words for us. That was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt. And everybody felt that."

Now that we’ve properly buried the Minnesota Timberwolves season, I think it’s safe for us to come back to the table and remember the good times. There were 25 of us who pulled up to the dinner table for Canis Pulsus to reminisce.

What were the favorite on and off court memories from the season?

The fifth-most voted on game was…

5/4 – Ant’s unlikely return steals gm 1 from SAS; 104-102

This was arguably the high of the season for the Wolves. After an emotional round one playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets, all odds were still stacked against Minnesota heading into a date with Victor Wembanyama. Then, seemingly out of the blue, the news broke that Anthony Edwards would be suiting up after missing just about one week from an excruciating knee hyperextension.

It looked like it was going to be all Spurs, as Wemby goaltended swatted away shot after shot. However, the Wolves took control in the fourth quarter and survived till the final buzzer sounded. A 1-0 lead against the two-seed Spurs was a surprise to all.

• Box score

The fourth-most voted on game was…

12/19 – Ant returns, hits go-ahead 3 before stripping SGA on prime time; 112-107

Anthony Edwards had missed three games in a row mid-December due to nagging right foot soreness. He had already missed a handful of games a couple months ago with a hamstring issue, so the foreshadowing for later in the season was already showing. However, they had a date on Friday night, prime time, against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first time hosting the Thunder since they were eliminated in the 2025 playoffs.

Just minutes into the game, Minnesota fell behind by double-digits and watched their Head Coach, Chris Finch, go on an epic tirade on the officials. From there, it felt like life was injected into the Wolves as they battled back. It all culminated in a series of dramatic Ant plays on both sides of the ball.

• Box score

The third-most voted on game was…

3/25 – Wild OT comeback win over Scott Foster and HOU; 110-108

What if I told you the Wolves pulled off the biggest overtime comeback in NBA history against a team they were chasing in playoff positioning near the end of the season while missing Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid? Not unlikely enough? How about Scott Foster going on a personal tirade against the Wolves as well?

This was literally one of the most impossible victories you could think of. It was a total team effort by the rest of the rotation that left Wolves fans in awe.

• Box score

The second-most voted on game was…

4/25 – Emotional Ayo 43-pt game overshadows Ant & DDV injuries in gm 4; 112-96

It wasn’t surprising to see this game pop up on the list. However, it was also hard to vote for this knowing what happened early on. The Wolves lost Donte DiVincenzo, who Finch and his teammates call “the heart and soul” of the team, for likely a calendar year in the opening quarter. To add injury to injury, Anthony Edwards also took a nasty looking fall on his one healthy leg that would bury most mortal men.

It seemed like Minnesota’s season was over in the first half.

Enter: Ayo Dosunmu. Acquired just about two months ago, Ayo threw on his cape and ripped the heart out of the Denver Nuggets. His career-high 43 points was tied for second-most in franchise history. It was certainly a night to remember at Target Center. For better or worse.

• Box score

The most voted game was…

4/30 – Jaden finishes off DEN with the game of his life in gm 6; 110-98

Speaking of ripping the heart out of the Nuggets, let me introduce you to one Jaden McDaniels. “Slim,” as his friends know him, had talked some serious trash truth to the Nuggets all series. After Donte and Ant went down in game four, both Nuggets players and fans had a lot to get off their chest at Ball Arena in game five. It was a drubbing by Denver which seemed to be an ominous sign for the next two games.

Wrong.

Jaden single-handedly cooked the Nuggets on both ends of the floor. He scored a career-high 32 points including clutch baskets to end the series. It felt like the dawn of a new era as McDaniels was in full bloom. Was this the precipice of him becoming the second star that we’ve all been waiting for?

• Box score

Full results:

The third-most voted non-basketball memory was…

Wolves collectively punking the Nuggets

We’ll talk more about Jaden McDaniels below, but he was far from the only player who took it to Denver. Rudy Gobert’s defensive performance against Nikola Jokić was a huge talking point. We already mentioned Ayo Dosunmu’s epic single-game accomplishment. TJ Shannon had two strong games to wrap up the final games. Even Mike Conley looked revived.

This series helped the Wolves improve their all-time postseason record against Denver to 13-10, including 3-1 series advantage.

Return of the black tree jerseys

Wolves fans have been calling for the return of the iconic black tree jerseys ever since the cursed 2018-2019 season. It was a season that most fans wanted to forget, but Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were able to finally bring them back to life this year. They also had a matching throwback court to boot. Just excellent stuff all around.

The second-most voted non-basketball memory was…

KG’s return to the franchise

Perhaps the only thing more anticipated than the return of the black tree jerseys was the man who memorialized them himself, Kevin Garnett. News started to leak last year that the new ownership group was working on bringing KG back into the fold, but it finally came to life during the last game of the regular season. It was a meaningless game as far as the standings go, but I certainly got teary eyed when they played another KG tribute video, during his walkout to a standing ovation, and also when tipoff was delayed due to Anthony Edwards going to dap him up.

This will never get old.

The most voted non-basketball memory was…

Jaden McDaniels: “They’re all bad defenders.”

What else more is there to say? This will truly go down as one of the most iconic moments in Wolves lore.

Full results:

What do you most hope the Timberwolves do this offseason with their roster?

Trade Julius Randle (92%)

All but two voters hope the Wolves trade Randle this offseason. It’s easy to see why, given his lackluster performance in the postseason and usual up-and-down performance during the regular season. There’s been lots of chatter about what exactly was impacting Julius and if the trade rumors from the Giannis saga really affected him that much.

Either way, there’s clear issues with the current roster construction and shedding Randle for someone else.

Other top voting answers were locking up Ayo Dosunmu, who essentially came at the cost of Rob Dillingham and everything Connelly gave up to acquire him.

Full results:

What non-roster thing do you most hope the Timberwolves do this offseason?

Retain front office (56%)

There’s been quite a few franchises that have made significant changes to their front offices. Tim Connelly’s name has popped up quite a bit, though there hasn’t been any true reason to believe he would be leaving any time soon. He should be due up for a contract extension soon so hopefully ownership prioritize that as well.

Micah Nori continues to be an assistant coach that pops up among head coaching searches around the league. It seems just a matter of time before he moves on as well, but retaining him for another year would be good for the Wolves.

Full results:

How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the final result of the 2025-2026 season?

Slightly satisfied (48%)

Less than a quarter of voters were dissatisfied with the season. Many fans have voiced that the regular season didn’t meet expectations, but they were a surprising success in the postseason given all the injuries. Overall, a satisfied season is still a satisfied season.

Full voting results:

What are you most excited about during the offseason?

Free Agency (36%)

This isn’t a make or break offseason for the Wolves, but they may be just a couple seasons away from that. It seems like the days of “one-way, high usage power forward next to Ant” may be over. It’s almost becoming commonplace to hear the Wolves among possible destinations for high-profile NBA players.

Will Tim Connelly continue to hunt for guys like Giannis, Kyrie, and Kawhi.

Full voting results:

My current feelings on the direction of the Timberwolves are…

Very optimistic (44%)

Even though the season came to a crashing end, we’re still in the “Golden Era” of Timberwolves basketball without an end in sight. Sure, the ascension of the Spurs and dominance of the Thunder continue to loom large, but Ant and the core has yet to hit their prime. There’s still plenty of reason for optimism moving forward.

Full voting results:

Victor Wembanyama called for the ball. His San Antonio Spurs were up by nine at the tail end of the second quarter, but had led by as many as 16 in the first half. Down 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, building the lead in the final seconds of the half felt urgent – in the previous game, the Spurs had exploded into a 15-0 lead, only to lose heavily. In Game 4 on Sunday night, the klaxon was closing in, and so might the Thunder. Wembanyama got in a couple dribbles, but only had time to reach half-court before the clock forced him to shoot. He hoisted the ball into the air from 43ft; the buzzer sounded. The ball slammed cleanly into the basket.

Buoyed up by that shot and the Thunder clanking almost all their three-point attempts off the rim as if in solidarity with one another, the Spurs completed a 21-point annihilation to tie the series.

The buzzer-beater brought to mind the long three Wembanyama hit in Game 1, which forced a second overtime when the Spurs were struggling for offense and on the brink of defeat. (Another point to consider: Three-point shooting is not even the Frenchman’s most potent skill.) That shot was from a mere 32ft, but was executed under more pressure, when other, safer options were available. If you’re not a fan of shots behind the arc, maybe the moment on Sunday when Wembanyama missed a tip-in, then corrected it with a backwards tap over his head was what made your heart sing. Or the most spiteful of his blocks. Or one of the many times when an opposing player streaked to the basket for a layup, spied Wembanyama in the paint, and kept right on dribbling by. He is beginning to stack magical moments atop each other.

Through four games of this postseason matchup, it seems clear that the Thunder are the better and deeper team. San Antonio’s starters have narrowly outplayed Oklahoma City’s, but the Thunder’s bench has proven stronger by about five times that margin. The depths of Wembanyama’s talents have been required just to keep this series competitive.

In Game 1, Wemby produced a 41-24 double-double that had many a podcaster wondering if the Thunder – the defending champions, best-record-in-the-league Thunder! – could do anything to stop him. Thunder’s hulking German center Isaiah Hartenstein has offered the rejoinder, wrapping his 7ft 4in opponent in a buffet of bear hugs that evade referees’ whistles, minimizing the Frenchman’s ability to get into the paint and slam home dunks or snare rebounds. Wembanyama had a milder performance in Game 2. In Game 3, his voice in the paint – only four boards! – felt quiet to the point of silence, given that he’s capable of making more noise there than anybody who’s ever lived.

Related: Knicks are within one win of NBA Finals after Game 3 win over Cavaliers

At that point, the Spurs’ astonishing Game 1 triumph felt like a pyrrhic victory. Their starters played so many minutes. The Thunder felt like they had an endless reserve of second-stringers capable of leaping off the pine and delivering a sweatless 18 points, and with several of them in Game 3 they brutalized San Antonio’s reserves while letting the stars rest. How that problem wouldn’t compound over the rest of the series felt hard to imagine.

But Wembanyama put up 33 of the Spurs’ 103 points in Game 4, supplementing it with his usual defensive impact, and what may be even more encouraging is that he only played 31 minutes. With the Spurs enjoying a healthy lead late in the fourth quarter, he got a head start on his recovery on a stationary bike in the tunnel.

The Spurs have a path to victory here, but it remains precarious: Get herculean performances from Wembanyama, and just enough from everybody else. The Spurs’ crucial offensive creators in De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are compromised, Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle are excellent on both ends of the floor but don’t take over games (not to mention Castle’s copious turnovers this series). Wembanyama knows the deal. It was there in that ridiculous 32-footer to rescue Game 1. He knew his teammates’ ability to generate offense was dying a fast death. As absurd as it sounds, he took that long three-pointer with 19 seconds left on the shot clock out of necessity.

More than anything, you can see how vital Wembanyama is to his team when he has to rest and his backup, Luke Kornet, comes in. Kornet is a perfectly good player; he could start on the Lakers. But in this series, at this standard, he borders on unusable. He’s incinerated as soon as he steps on to the court. It raises the question of whether the Spurs could somehow play Wembanyama for all 48 minutes, at a limited intensity. Kornet’s stat line from his 13 minutes of playing time on Sunday sparkles: six points on three-of-four shooting, seven rebounds, two blocks. The Thunder still outscored the Spurs by nine in that time. The Spurs won Wembanyama’s minutes by twenty-nine.

The Spurs are deep enough in this series to believe that Wembanyama’s sorcery will be enough to win it. You feel bad for those who have staked out anti-Wembanyama campsites already. The Spurs are young and dealing with enough injuries – and the Thunder are a special enough team – that Wembanyama is the underdog. His triumphs can still feel unlikely, and are worth cherishing for as long as that’s true. One day he and the Spurs will be so good that we’ll laugh at the memory, or maybe mourn it.

Memorial Day is a day to stop, reflect, and remember those who gave everything defending our freedoms, our liberty, and our way of life. As the country prepares for its 250th anniversary, the number of people who made the ultimate sacrifice to make that possible is staggering. It should always be valued. Because of that sacrifice, we get the freedom to do silly little things, like write articles on a blog about a basketball team. That’s never lost on me, and it shouldn’t be lost on any of us.

Memorial Day, on the surface, is one of those holidays that tends to move around. It’s not like Christmas. It always lands on the last Monday in May, same as Labor Day finding its place on the first Monday in September. Easter somehow feels even more complicated, living on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Holidays have their rhythms.

With Memorial Day moving around every year, I thought it’d be interesting to take a look through the 58-year history of the Phoenix Suns and see how many times they’ve actually played on the holiday. It’s a tougher exercise than Christmas or Easter. Those fall during the regular season. Memorial Day lands at the end of May, which means the only way you’re playing basketball on that date is if you’ve made it to at least the conference finals.

For a franchise with 34 playoff appearances, 10 conference finals trips, and three NBA Finals appearances, you figure there had to be a few. There weren’t. They’ve played the day before. They’ve played the day after. They’ve been in plenty of meaningful postseason games around this time of year. But only once in franchise history did they actually take the floor on Memorial Day itself.

The Suns are 1-0 all time on Memorial Day. That came on May 30, 2005. And Phoenix made it count.

I’ll take you back 21 years, to when the Phoenix Suns completely changed the way they played basketball. They had acquired Steve Nash the previous offseason. Mike D’Antoni was on the sideline. That team was all gas, no brakes. Seven Seconds or Less in its purest form. By the time Memorial Day 2005 rolled around, they had arrived at the SBC Center in San Antonio down 0-3 in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. The inevitable felt close.

Phoenix delayed it one more night, grinding out a 111-106 win.

Go back and look at the box score, and it almost feels absurd. Amar’e Stoudemire dropped 31. Joe Johnson added 26, which was wild considering he was playing through an orbital bone fracture suffered in the previous round when Jerry Stackhouse took him out on a fast break dunk attempt. Nash had 17 and 12. Damn, I loved those teams, and especially this one. Joe Johnson and Q were amazing.

And then you get to the part that always makes me laugh. D’Antoni rolled with a seven-man rotation. Seven! Season on the line, and only Jim Jackson and Steven Hunter came off the bench. Shawn Marion played 45 minutes. Nash, Johnson, and Quentin Richardson all cleared 40.

As I look back on the only Memorial Day game in franchise history, it’s hard not to be reminded why those Suns teams never quite got over the hump. The offense was beautiful. The pace was electric. They changed basketball. And by the end of every postseason, they looked exhausted. A team built to play at full throttle eventually ran out of gas at the worst possible time, year after year.

That’s what makes that lone Memorial Day game feel oddly fitting when you zoom out. A holiday rooted in reflection. A moment to appreciate sacrifice, commitment, and the cost attached to chasing something bigger than yourself. That 2005 Suns team embodied plenty of that. They were innovative, fearless, and endlessly entertaining, pushing the pace and reshaping the modern game even if the finish line always felt one step too far away.

21 years later, that win still stands alone in franchise history, a small piece of Suns lore attached to a day that asks all of us to pause, remember, and appreciate the people whose sacrifices made all of this possible in the first place.