Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers bounced back nicely on their road trip against the Marlins and Tigers, and they’re now back in Milwaukee to host Paul Skenes and the Pirates this weekend. In some scary news, team No. 2 prospect and MLB No. 21 prospect Luis Peña reportedly collapsed in the dugout late in High-A Wisconsin’s game on Wednesday night. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
The countdown has started in less than eight hours, and the Bell Centre sound system will blast Fix You as the Montreal Canadiens players take to the ice for Game 3 of their first-round battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The young Habs came very close to coming back home with a 2-0 lead in the series, but when Lane Hutson hit the post late in Game 2, the team was deflated. So much so that in overtime, the Sainte-Flanelle couldn’t even muster a single shot while the Bolts peppered Jakub Dobes’ net.
Not shooting in overtime can only lead to one result: a loss. Even if Kirby Dach didn’t ice the puck and stopped playing for a fraction of a second in the ensuing defensive zone faceoff, the Canadiens would still have lost eventually. It couldn’t have been any other way without attacking. The two teams are now back to square one, tied 1-1, 70% of the time, the team that wins Game 3 of a best-of-seven duel wins the series. Will the young Canadiens be able to put the deflating end of Game 2 behind them and move on?
Historically, in the third game of a series, the Bolts have a strong record: 23-16 overall for a .590 winning percentage. On the road, they are even better with a 14-7 record for a .667 winning percentage. When a series is tied at one all, they have 13 series wins and only 7 series losses for a .650 winning percentage.
Meanwhile, the Habs have a 74-51 record in the third game of a series for a .592 winning percentage. At home, they are 24-21 in third games for a .533 winning percentage. When a series is tied at 1-1, they have 24 series wins and 19 series losses, for a .558 winning percentage, but they are 12-9 when the series started on the road for a .571 winning percentage.
Those numbers only reflect what has happened in the past, though. This new iteration of the Canadiens is keen to write its own story, and it starts by bouncing back from a heartbreaking defeat. Since that loss in Tampa, there have been no hints of what changes, if any, Martin St-Louis is likely to make to his lineup. He’s the kind of coach who doesn’t change a winning formula, but after that kind of loss? All bets are off.
Could it have made a difference to have Brendan Gallagher’s experience on the bench last time? There’s a reason why the battle-tested warrior wears a letter on his jersey. He’s a great leader, and he’s seen it all. The alternate captain has played 76 playoff games and has racked up 33 points with just 25 penalty minutes. He plays an intense game, but he knows not to cross the line when it matters the most. 15 of his 76 playoff games have been played against Tampa, and he gathered nine points against them, including five goals.
Granted, he doesn’t have the same speed and stamina he once had, but he still has the same dedication to the sweater. He still battles hard in front of the net and can create havoc or much-needed screens in front of goalies. On Tuesday, Dach spent a total of 10:53 on the ice, and only 9:16 in regulation, on a fourth line. After a lot of rest, Gallagher can give you that kind of ice time. Corey Perry, who’s older than Gallagher, had 10:49 of ice time, 8:40 in regulation. Gallagher has often been the spark the Canadiens needed in the past, and he could still play that role if he gets the opportunity.
Of course, Joe Veleno could also be an option; he’s younger, can play a physical game, is heavy on the forecheck, and brings combativeness, but he has never played a single playoff game. Chances are the Montreal-born center is chomping at the bit for an opportunity to play not only a playoff game, but one in Montreal, in front of friends and family.
Dach is not the only player who could find himself on the outside looking in. Alexandre Texier, who has been skating on the second line, has failed to impress. He has been kept off the scoresheet in the first two games. The Frenchman normally plays better in Montreal than he does on the road, however.
Whatever St-Louis decides to do with his lineup, don’t expect to hear about it before tonight’s warmup. He’s been keeping his cards close to his chest, and he has no intention of showing his hand before the puck drops.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and if you are going, make sure to be in your seat well in advance. The Canadiens have a knack for spectacles when it comes to opening a playoff series at home, and yesterday they asked the media to leave the arena by 3:00 PM because they didn’t want any leaks about what they are preparing. It should be a perfect starter to what promises to be a sumptuous multicourse meal for Montrealers hungry for playoff hockey. Chris Rooney and Peter MacDougall will officiate, while Devin Berg and James Tobias will serve as linemen. You can catch the game on CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, and The Spot.
Coach JJ Redick has guided the Lakers to a 2-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets despite injuries that have sidelined the team's starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The only thing that would make the job JJ Redick is doing better is if he were wearing a suit.
The part of a lawyer, walking down his opposition in the open court. He delivered an airtight opening argument that was stunning for how much stronger it was than opposing coach Ime Udoka’s. And evidence of how far Redick has come.
Now, look, your honor: The short-on-star-power Lakers winning both games at home to take a 2-0 series lead over the heavily favored Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs? That’s a compelling start.
But Redick, James and Associates are only halfway there; they’re still proving their case.
They still need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their top role players can perform as persuasively on the road as they have at home.
And they’ll probably have to prove they can effectively rebut the Rockets’ adjustments, though those are merely conceptual at this point, they’re so overdue.
Two games into this series it looks to us, the members of the jury, as though Redick has taken this allegedly open-and-shut case, this slam dunk of a trial — and thrown down a reverse.
The Lakers look like the better team. Like the better-constructed team, even. And that’s without injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who are hustling back as fast as their bodies will let them from hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively.
They look like the better-coached team.
It’s the opposing counsel who looks dressed for the part, Udoka in a sweatsuit like a dad at a Saturday morning youth league trying to get his players to get along, with just one play in his pocket: Give the ball to Kevin.
Meanwhile, the legal team minding the game in the Lakers’ huddle is running laps around the guys on the other bench.
Coach JJ Redick and forward LeBron James have helped the Lakers earn a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series agains the favored Rockets without injured guards Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Exhibit A: One of the game’s greatest scorers, Kevin Durant, has been forced by his own team to do a lot of ballhandling chores too. So the Lakers have been double-teaming and blitzing Durant all over the court, compelling him into nine turnovers in Tuesday’s 101-94 Game 2 victory at Crypto.com Arena. Using the same strategy, they’ve turned him over 20 times in his last three meetings with the Lakers, going back to the regular season.
Exhibit B: By playing drop, hedge, man and mixing zone defenses, the Lakers also have been, according to Marcus Smart’s postgame testimony, “throwing different packages” at the Rockets. It’s working: Houston has failed to score 100 points in either game of the series.
Exhibit C: The Lakers are putting the ball in Smart’s hands, using him in a way that forces the Rockets to defend honestly, instead of sagging off him. They’ve also been intentional with how they leverage Luke Kennard, running actions that overrule his reluctance to shoot. It should please the court to see the man shooting 65.4% (17 for 26) from the field in the first two games!
With these tactics and others, the Lakers seem almost to be creating new precedent for the laws of basketball, because what do you mean the Rockets have taken 44 more shots but have been outscored by 16 points?
What makes it so wildly impressive is that before the Lakers brought this thing to trial, it looked as though it would be thrown out on the grounds of insufficient star power.
With just 41-year-old LeBron James to carry them without Doncic and Reaves, Houston seemed so much stronger. Physically, on the boards, in just about every way — except in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and communication.
Even Udoka's record seemed superior. In 2021-22, his first (and only) season as the Boston Celtics’ coach, he led them to the NBA Finals.
Redick, in his first playoffs as a coach last year, showed such contempt for his own team and made an absolute mockery of the game plan that got the Lakers to the postseason in the first place. Remember how he panicked, refusing even to approach the bench to give his preferred five a breather for a full losing half in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves? The little tantrum he threw when asked about it before the Game 5 finale?
The Duke graduate and self-proclaimed “basketball sicko” has appeared much more prepared this time, much more composed.
He seems to be in his element, problem-solving alongside his former podcast host, James, who has stepped right up with 47 points, 20 assists and 16 rebounds — including some highlight-reel dunks and passes — through the first two games. We are all witnesses.
Still, this thing is going to last at least two more games, and possibly more, before we get a verdict.
And if it goes the Lakers’ way?
Congratulations, JJ, you will have earned the reputation as a coach who can take on the toughest cases and win them. And do we have an impossible challenge for you next on the docket.
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are young, deep, and up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. The defending-champion Thunder have run the Lakers out of court in every meeting this season, beating them by an average of 29 points. And they’re clever too; referees — those judges on the court — always seem so sympathetic to OKC.
Would the Lakers have any chance? Redick is proving he might be able to make a case.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 23: Evan Mobley #4 and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers play defense against Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you were to draw up the worst-case scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 — that didn’t involve injuries — it’d look pretty similar to what we saw. The Cavs couldn’t keep control of the ball, had awful games from their star backcourt, missed clean looks, and weren’t putting up good contests on three-point shots.
This all came to a head in the fourth quarter when the Toronto Raptors ran them off the floor. They outscored Cleveland 43-23 in the final frame to cruise to a lopsided 126-104 victory to trim their deficit in the series to 2-1.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has consistently talked about wanting to win the possession battle. To do that, you need to take care of the basketball. The Cavs simply didn’t do that.
James Harden was the worst offender. He coughed it up eight times, which included six in the second half when the game was getting away.
The Cavs have gone as Harden has offensively. He’s been at the center of their resurgence on that end to close the season. And when things go wrong — as they did on Thursday — he deserves the blame.
The Raptors made cutting off lanes to the basket a priority — especially when Harden drove. They completely sucked into the paint to close avenues for Harden to score or pass inside. Given how switchable and how much length Toronto has at the wing, this led to turnovers.
Just look at how crowded the lane is on some of these drives.
Atkinson mentioned that the spacing wasn’t great, which led to some of the miscues. Part of that is due to the clunkiness of playing two non-shooting bigs. Part of that is due to not having a good offensive process.
A situation like the one below, where everyone is below the free-throw line, and four are either in the paint or one step removed, is only going to end one way.
Collapsing this hard made it difficult for the guards to score inside.
None of Harden’s 13 shots came in the restricted area, while only three were in the paint. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell took just three of his 16 shots at the rim and only seven in the paint in total. That all led to no free-throw attempts for Mitchell and six for Harden.
It’s difficult to keep Cleveland’s guards from getting to the basket, even when you’re making a concerted effort to do so. The Raptors deserve a ton of credit for this. All five defenders were competing hard, communicating, and executing the game plan at a high level. This included Scottie Barnes, who was hands down the best player on both sides of the ball.
Additionally, the Raptors did a good job of making Harden and Mitchell work when they didn’t have the ball. They weren’t allowing easy catches above the arc, and denied them the ball whenever they could.
At the same time, playing this way is incredibly risky. Toronto’s entire game plan was predicated on the hope that the Cavs, particularly their guards, would miss wide-open threes, and that’s exactly what they did.
Mitchell went 1-7 for deep. Many of those were clean looks that he got through pull-ups or from spotting up.
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Harden went 3-10, and it was much the same story. Toronto went under on screens to cut off the drives to the hoop that were so effective in the first two games of the series.
Collapsing the paint this aggressively lends itself to open catch-and-shoot threes as well. Some made the most of those opportunities, like Max Strus (4-8) and Jaylon Tyson (3-6). Others couldn’t, such as Dean Wade (1-4) and Evan Mobley (0-4).
As a team, the Cavs went 14-45 from three (31.1%). Those looks accounted for 50% of their shots (94th percentile).
While it’s easy to say the Cavs should’ve gone inside more, they’re a good three-point shooting team. If you’re going to get that many open looks for your best players, you simply need to knock them down.
It’s a make-or-miss league, and the Cavs missed.
The Raptors were the opposite.
They didn’t generate many threes, but they knocked down the ones they took. They also hit 14 triples, but needed 21 fewer attempts to hit that number as they converted 61% of their looks. This included RJ Barrett going 6-8 and Jamison Battle connecting all four of his looks.
One of Toronto’s biggest disadvantages is the fact that their offense comes from much less efficient places on the floor. The three best spots to score from are at the rim, the free-throw line, and from three.
The Raptors were an efficient offense in Game 3, but in a somewhat roundabout way.
Toronto converted just 50% of their looks at the rim (5th percentile), had a free-throw rate in the 17th percentile, and took less than a quarter of their shots from three (2nd percentile). However, that didn’t matter because of how well they shot from three, and the fact that they connected on 62.5% of their midrange shots (96th percentile).
Once again, the Cavs kept the Raptors from really hurting them in transition, despite how many turnovers they committed. Toronto was in the second percentile for points added in transition and had just nine fast-break points. That’s impressive given how much the Raptors emphasize playing fast.
The Cavs’ defense wasn’t perfect. The looks they gave up from deep were clean, and they overall didn’t play with the sense of urgency you’d like to see. At the same time, the Raptors executed a very difficult game plan to absolute perfection.
Cleveland’s rotations should be shrunk.
The minutes distribution feels off. Tyson played well and provided exactly what the Cavs needed physically in this matchup, but was limited to less than 16 minutes. There’s no excuse for that happening, especially given how this hasn’t been a favorable matchup for either Dennis Schroder or Keon Ellis.
It’s time for Atkinson to go away from the 10-man rotation.
The Cavs’ lack of fight in the fourth quarter was a problem.
Letting go of the rope while up 2-0 in the first road game of a series isn’t exactly something new. Teams that we consider good and mentally tough can do so. We even saw the Indiana Pacers — a team that never let go of the rope last season — do so at home when they had a 2-0 lead on the Cavs last spring.
At the same time, the Cavs haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt. They’ve consistently shown a lack of fight when things get difficult in the playoffs. That cropped up again as they completely folded in the fourth quarter after continually battling back through the first three quarters to make it a two-point game heading into the final frame.
That said, there isn’t a reason to panic for the Cavs, at least not yet.
Any playoff loss is a cause for concern to some degree. The Cavs have been upset too many times in the Mitchell era to take anything for granted. But there’s not a lot from this game that feels repeatable from Toronto’s perspective.
The margin for error is considerably smaller for a team that plays the way Toronto does. Where they get their offense from puts them at a disadvantage. If they can’t get out in transition — like the Cavs have kept them from doing — they need to rely on hitting inefficient midrange shots and canning a good portion of the limited threes they take.
As an example, Toronto scored 18 more points from three than they would have if they shot their season-long average from three. That was more than the margin of victory (which speaks to how poorly things went in the fourth quarter), but also shows how much of an outlier this performance was. Can you reasonably rely on making that many jumpers in three of the next four games?
On the other end, Toronto had the right game plan defensively. You can’t let the Cavs have their cake and eat it too. Preventing Mitchell and Harden from wreaking havoc inside is a win, and it speaks to how well Toronto’s defense was.
That said, you can’t take everything away. The Cavs missed so many open three-point looks and turned it over an uncharacteristic amount. It feels like at least one of those things would need to continue if the Raptors are going to steal this.
Anything can happen in a short series. Trends that wouldn’t last over 82 games can produce unexpected results in a seven-game sample. So yes, maybe this is a formula that Toronto can use to win three of the next four games. But I’ll need to see it work out again before putting my faith in it.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Is there anything better than a sweep in Boston? The Yankees kept the good times rolling yesterday, rallying late to support Cam Schlittler, who tossed eight stellar innings for his oart. Up next are the Astros, another struggling rival off to a very poor start. The Yankees would do well to shove more dirt on Houston, just as they just did with the Red Sox.
On the site today, Sam reviews last night’s American League action, and also looks ahead to the upcoming three-game series with the Astros. Later, Matt remembers Carlos Beltrán’s brief time in pinstripes on the occasion of Beltrán’s 49th birthday. Meanwhile, Josh argues that MLB can’t afford to forfeit the momentum they’ve generated with recent rules changes by instituting a damaging lockout next year, and Andrés examines another great start from top prospect George Lombard Jr.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Houston Astros
Time: 8:10 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Space City Home Network
Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Questions/Prompts:
1. Is there a pitcher that you’re more excited to watch than Cam Schlittler right now?
2. As we head to Houston, how worried are you that the Astros will be able to shrug off this slow start and return to prominence by season’s end?
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 22: Porter Martone #94 of the Philadelphia Flyers checks Connor Dewar #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
Anthony Mantha’s poor playoff showing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, which includes zero postseason goals after leading the team in the regular season with 33, in addition to costly penalties across the first three games, may be making the team’s offseason choice easier by pushing them away from re-signing him this summer. While Mantha had a career-best regular season, his age, injury history, and lack of playoff impact make him a questionable fit for a team that needs to get younger and faster. [PensBurgh]
If you’re looking for a sliver of optimism in what has been a disaster-filled three-game series thus far, maybe it’s comforting to know that Stuart Skinner’s experience helping Edmonton nearly climb out of a 0-3 Stanley Cup Final deficit in 2024 gives the Penguins reason to believe he can handle adversity again. [Trib Live]
Three Penguins prospects selected in the 2025 draft, forwards Jordan Charron, Kale Dach, and Travis Hayes, have signed amateur tryout contracts with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the remainder of the season. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou underwent a minor knee surgery earlier this week, but is expected to be ready for training camp, the team says. [Sportsnet]
The New York Islanders have trademarked three possible names—Hamilton Mustangs, Hamilton Havoc, and Hamilton Hammers—for their AHL team relocating from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, for the 2026-27 season. [Sportsnet]
Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger denied rumors that he interviewed for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ general manager job, saying in a recent radio interview, “I did not interview for that role.” [TSN]
After scoring the goal that knocked out Arsenal, the midfielder is relishing Saturday’s semi-final against his old club Manchester City
In the seconds after Southampton disposed of Arsenal to tee up an FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City, a camera operator scooted on to the St Mary’s pitch and got to work on locating the match-winner. As the crowd swayed to the sound of Doris Day’s Que Sera, Sera, another lasting image was born.
In between high-fiving and embracing teammates, Shea Charles tilted his head and turned towards the camera, raising his eyebrows a little with a playful ‘how-about-that-then?’ expression. It was a snapshot that snowballed into a viral meme, viewed by millions on social media, and a couple of days later Southampton asked their players to recreate the moment. “I just looked at the camera as if I was looking at my mates down the lens,” Charles says. “I’ve seen it’s gone all over.”
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: Cam Schlittler has been one of the biggest surprises in recent Yankee history, coming onto the major-league stage in the most impressive way in less than a year. Part of his repertoire of success has been a shiny new cutter he unveiled in his final regular-season start, a cutter taught to him by no less than Gerrit Cole. Cole himself adopted the breaking fastball in his 2023 Cy Young season, and if that’s the pedigree that Schlittler is learning under, the sky is the limit for the young righthander.
MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: Alongside that cutter, Schlittler features a four and two-seam fastball, throwing those three pitches more than 85 percent of the time in 2026. This flies in the face of current pitching trends, where guys are offering more breaking and offspeed pitches than ever before. This old-school approach may be part of what takes MLB hitters by surprise when facing Cam, but all three heaters are also legitimate, big-league caliber pitches.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: We move from the pitcher’s mound to the batter’s box, where Amed Rosario has carved out a prominent spot for himself in the Yankee lineup. The onetime top prospect drove in all four Yankee runs in Wednesday’s win, and entering play yesterday had a sterling 137 wRC+. The righty credits an offseason change since re-signing with the Yankees over the winter, adding more uppercut to his swing and inducing more fly balls. His big home runs this year have been a direct symptom of that change — pulled fly balls do much more damage than shortening up and hitting the ball the other way.
New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: When you’re rolling, these are good problems to have, but Aaron Boone does have to fill out a lineup card every day. Giving Ben Rice a day off will have Yankee fans grinding their teeth, and you need to balance out the new offensive upside Rosario has shown with the fact that Ryan McMahon really is a diamond defender at the hot corner. For now, Boone is pulling the right strings, although we’ll certainly hear about it if his luck starts to change.
Dallas Stars (50-20-12, in the Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (46-24-12, in the Central Division)
Saint Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 5:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Wild -135, Stars +114; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Stars lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars visit the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime in the last matchup.
Minnesota has a 14-11-4 record in Central Division games and a 46-24-12 record overall. The Wild have a +33 scoring differential, with 268 total goals scored and 235 allowed.
Dallas has a 50-20-12 record overall and a 19-7-3 record in Central Division play. The Stars lead the Western Conference with 71 power-play goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Boldy has 42 goals and 43 assists for the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Jason Robertson has 45 goals and 51 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has scored seven goals and added four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 5-4-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, five penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Stars: 8-2-0, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.4 assists, 5.3 penalties and 12 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Wild: Yakov Trenin: day to day (upper-body), Mats Zuccarello: day to day (upper-body).
Stars: Nathan Bastian: out (hand), Roope Hintz: out (lower body), Tyler Seguin: out for season (acl).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division)
Philadelphia; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Flyers -119, Penguins -101; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Flyers lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Flyers won the last matchup 5-2.
Philadelphia has a 43-27-12 record overall and a 15-9-5 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Flyers have committed 322 total penalties (3.9 per game) to rank seventh in NHL play.
Pittsburgh has gone 41-25-16 overall with a 13-7-9 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins are 41-8-9 in games they score at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Travis Konecny has 27 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has six goals and six assists over the last 10 games.
Sidney Crosby has 29 goals and 45 assists for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin has scored six goals and added five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 9-1-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.8 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
Penguins: 3-7-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 4.7 penalties and 13.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body), Emil Andrae: day to day (upper-body).
Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (44-27-11, in the Atlantic Division)
Ottawa, Ontario; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT
LINE: Senators -111, Hurricanes -109; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Thursday for the seventh time this season. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in the last matchup.
Ottawa has a 44-27-11 record overall and a 23-13-6 record on its home ice. The Senators have a 9-12-4 record in games they serve more penalty minutes than their opponents.
Carolina is 25-12-5 on the road and 53-22-7 overall. The Hurricanes are second in the league with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
TOP PERFORMERS: Tim Stutzle has scored 34 goals with 48 assists for the Senators. Brady Tkachuk has two goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
Sebastian Aho has 27 goals and 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has scored seven goals and added five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Senators: 5-3-2, averaging three goals, 4.6 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Hurricanes: 8-1-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Senators: Jake Sanderson: day to day (undisclosed), Artem Zub: day to day (undisclosed), Nick Jensen: out for season (lower-body).
Hurricanes: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Too old, too small, too little athleticism, too little accountability and inconsistent secondary scoring. The Warriors’ shortcomings, so visible throughout the 2025-26 season and amplified in the absence of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, are being magnified in the NBA playoffs.
Even at their healthiest, the Warriors’ roster is incapable of running with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s army of deep shooters and aggressive, switchable defenders.
Even though Golden State won twice at San Antonio last November, the Spurs afterward responded with rapid improvement to post the best record in the league over the last five months.
The Warriors were 12-23 against Western Conference teams that finished ahead of them in the regular season, and it won’t get any better without extensive roster upgrades.
“To compete in the West next season, Golden State will have to do some serious roster maneuvering,” one Western Conference scout told NBC Sports Bay Area. “They’ve got to plan for Butler to miss maybe 50 games. They can’t know if (Moses) Moody will make it back. They don’t have enough offense, even with Steph, to scare anybody.”
This is not news to CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy. It’s not news to coach Steve Kerr. And, if he departs, it won’t be news to the next coach.
The Warriors are facing their most consequential offseason since a new ownership group, led by Lacob, bought the team in 2010. Considering the heights the franchise has reached since then, the personnel adjustments this summer are even more significant than signing free agent Kevin Durant in 2016.
Whereas Durant bolstered a team in flight, this summer is about the front office rescuing a team treading water. A few tweaks won’t make an appreciable difference.
Here is a look at the five factors that must be addressed for the Warriors to have any chance of rejoining the contenders in the West.
Too Old
Curry is 38. Butler will be 37 when he returns. Draymond Green is 36. If that is the core, as it was last season, it won’t be enough to chase the mission – a deep postseason run – they failed to complete last season.
Curry is a lock to return next season and, presumably, beyond. Green knows there’s a chance he’ll be moved. Butler isn’t going anywhere, according to Dunleavy, but what was said in January could be retracted in July.
For the Warriors to make any noise in the West, an infusion of reliably productive youth must be added. And at least one of the newcomers must have enough NBA All-Star characteristics to join the existing core, if not replace one of the seasoned trio.
If this remains the core and the Warriors don’t add an impact player, they’ll have only the slimmest chance of rising above the NBA play-in tournament.
Too Small
The Warriors are miniature by current NBA roster standards. Small teams have no chance of thriving unless blessed with elite speed, intellect, discipline and tenacity. Their “death lineups,” before adding Durant, were smallish – averaging a shade under 6-foot-6 – but had all four of those components.
Golden State’s current roster has tenacity but lacks the other three. Curry and Green don’t move as they did 10 years ago. They were supported by a roster with one switchable young rotation player, 6-foot-7 Gui Santos, standing taller than 6-foot-5.
No one in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation is under 6-foot-4. The only Spurs rotation player under 6-foot-5 is hiccup-quick De’Aaron Fox at 6-foot-2. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is speedy 6-foot-2 Bones Hyland. The only Los Angeles Lakers rotation player under 6-foot-5 is 6-foot-3 Marcus Smart, a defensive beast who plays closer to 6-foot-6. OKC’s only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is 6-foot-3 Cason Wallace.
“And he’s in the top tier of athletes in the league,” a Western Conference assistant coach said of Wallace.
Too Little Athleticism
When the Curry-less Warriors stumbled through March jacking up 3-pointers against teams vulnerable in the paint, I was puzzled enough to ask Kerr about shot selection.
“Without Steph and Jimmy,” he said, “we really don’t have anyone we can count on to break down a defense. It’s hard for them to dribble and shift their way past someone. I don’t like all the threes we take, especially early in the shot clock, but sometimes it’s our best chance to score.”
Seven of the top 10 teams in total dunks are in the West, and the Warriors ranked dead last. They ranked 27th in shots within three feet of the rim. Kerr believed too few players on the roster possess the handle and wiggle to get to the rim – and the bounce to consistently finish. It’s hard to argue.
Their lack of quickness was no less notable on defense.
If next season’s Warriors can’t better manipulate defenses – and prevent penetration on the other end – they’ll be home before May.
Too Little Accountability
How hard it must have been for Lacob and Dunleavy and any citizen within Dub Nation to watch, game after game, the Warriors literally throwing away chances to win.
Their turnovers were spread across the roster and throughout the season. January was the only month Golden State didn’t post multiple games with more than 20 giveaways.
Kerr seemed to take the edge off his typical bristling and barking when Golden State victimized itself with sloppy ballhandling and passing. Maybe he was acknowledging the team’s greatly diminished talent level with Curry and Butler sidelined. He generally praised the effort and mentioned the need to be smarter, but any demands went unmet.
The roster was not deep enough to bench Player A and expect an upgrade with Player B.
Whether it’s Kerr or another coach, there must be a lower tolerance for turnovers.
Inconsistent Secondary Scoring
Curry and Butler established themselves as the top two scorers, Curry averaging 27.2 points and Butler an even 20, but the offense generally ran dry if they weren’t stacking buckets.
None of the youngsters averaged more than 13.8 points per game (Brandin Podziemski), even with the additional minutes and opportunities afforded when Curry and Butler were sidelined. Podziemski led the team in minutes, scoring at least 25 points on five occasions but topping it only twice.
Kristaps Porziņģis, acquired in February, managed to average 16.7 points, but his availability was a model of inconsistency. De’Anthony Melton’s 12.3-point average came with strong highs and extreme lows; he shot 40.7 percent from the field, including 29.4 percent from deep. Moody averaged 12.1 points, shooting a team-high 40.1 percent from deep before sustaining a severe knee injury.
If the Warriors were without Curry and Butler, it’s hard to guess which of them would be at the top of an opponent’s scouting report.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -APRIL 21: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half of Game Two of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 21, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Two of the San Antonio Spurs’ first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers went about as poorly as it could go. Not only did the team lose at home, surrendering home-court advantage, but they also lost their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, to a concussion. Now, Wembanyama’s status becomes the big question for Game Three.
Wembanyama traveled with the team to Portland and is listed as questionable for Game Three. There is a chance he can play, but being just 72 hours removed from the initial incident, it will be a long shot for him to pass the league’s concussion protocols and suit up on Friday night.
If Wembanyama is out, the Spurs will rely on Luke Kornet as their starting center. They’ll look to the rest of the supporting cast to replace Wemby’s scoring in most of the team’s first playoff experience in hostile territory. San Antonio won its only game in Portland this season, 115-102. De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points in that game, and Kornet held down the paint with 3 blocks. That game could be the perfect blueprint for stealing a game on the road and re-taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jordan McLaughlin – Out (ankle), Victor Wembanyama – Questionable (concussion protocol)
Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard – Out (achilles)
What to watch for:
Backup center minutes
Congratulations, Carter Bryant! You are the Spurs’ de facto backup big man! When Wembanyama went down, Mitch Johnson went to Bryant as the backup center when Kornet needed a spell. The results were mixed. Bryant plays with excellent energy and made some winning plays on the offensive end. However, the Blazers attacked the basket with even more force when Bryant was playing the five. He was -14 in his 12 minutes. He simply lacks the size to play big minutes at center. Assuming Wembanyama is out, Bryant will probably need to play backup center again. The Spurs will need to hope the advantages he creates offensively outweigh the problems his lack of size makes defensively.
Or, Johnson may need to go to his big man depth for at least a few minutes while Kornet sits. Mason Plumlee seems like the most likely candidate to get spot minutes. He was largely ineffective in the regular season, but at this point, the Spurs may need another big body. All Plumlee needs to do is grab rebounds and hold his own against Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan in short spurts to help San Antonio withstand the non-Kornet minutes.
Can the guards step up?
It has not been the best start to the series for the Spurs’ guards. Fox has played the best out of the three, but went ice-cold in the fourth quarter of Game Two when San Antonio needed him the most. Stephon Castle has been wildly inefficient, going 11-33 from the field in the first two games. Things seemed to click for Dylan Harper in Game Two, but he has made some rookie mistakes as well. San Antonio will need all three of them to play at the top of their games to beat Portland on the road.
Fox should have the ball in his hands frequently. He’s been great when Wembanyama doesn’t suit up this season. There is no reason to doubt his ability to rise to the occasion on Friday. Castle is needed in a major way on both ends. Whether it’s slowing down Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija on defense or scoring efficiently around the rim, San Antonio needs Castle to get back on track. Harper can be a spark plug for a Spurs’ bench unit that has lacked some punch in the series so far. Either he or Keldon Johnson needs to add some scoring off the bench.
Three-point shooting
One of the biggest differences from Game One to Game Two was the Spurs’ three-point shooting. San Antonio shot 15-33 (45%) in Game One, and 7-24 (29%) in Game Two. Portland has shot below 35% in both games and was 28th in three-point percentage in the regular season. If San Antonio continues to play tough perimeter defense, they can hold Portland at bay from deep. They need to hit their threes, especially while the Blazers have been so effective at protecting the paint.
San Antonio could use some hot shooting from its best shooters. Julian Champagnie has been efficient on low volume, hitting 4 of his 6 attempts from three in two games. Devin Vassell went 0-5 from deep in Game Two’s loss. Harrison Barnes has yet to hit a three-pointer in the series. One or multiple of these three will need to be a threat from outside in what will most likely be a very tough Game Three.
ATLANTA - Mikal Bridges has been a Knick for two years. So he understands what’s going to be said/written about him over the next two days.
“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one. You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”
The Knick wing missed all three of his shot attempts and had four turnovers in Game 3. New York was outscored by 26 in Bridges’ 20 minutes on the floor. Bridges was benched for nearly all of the second half as Mike Brown replaced him with Miles McBride.
McBride delivered in all the ways Bridges fell short: he hit five threes, had two steals and helped stabilize the Knicks defense. It obviously wasn’t enough in the end. But McBride’s performance leaves Brown and the coaching staff with an interesting decision ahead of a must-win Game 4.
Should Brown shake up his starting lineup and replace Bridges with McBride?
The Knicks got off to a terrible start on Thursday, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first quarter. So maybe Brown and his staff believe McBride can help them avoid another start. Maybe they think Bridges can get going off the bench.
Whatever decision Brown comes to will be crucial.
The Knicks can’t afford to get off to another slow start in Game 4. A loss on Saturday would put the Knicks on the brink of a disaster.
As you know, this is a team that is supposed to reach the NBA Finals, not fall out in the first round.
A loss to the Hawks would almost certainly lead to major changes – whether they be to the roster, coaching staff or front office.
It would also lead to heavy criticism of the decisions to trade for Bridges and Towns and fire Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks gave up five first-round picks to acquire Bridges. Team president Leon Rose & Co. saw him as the perfect complement to their core.
They certainly didn’t see him being a non-factor in a pivotal playoff game.
But that’s what happened on Thursday. If you go back to the second half of Game 2, Bridges is 0-for-7 with four turnovers and a -37 net rating against the Hawks.
He acknowledged that it was tough to be on the bench in the fourth quarter of a close game.
“But I’ve just gotta be better so I can be out there,” Bridges said.
In his news conference after Game 3, Brown said he believes Bridges will bounce back.
“I’m not concerned. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there,” Brown said. “He’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine.”
Maybe Brown is right. But the more important question is whether Bridges will be in the starting lineup on Saturday.
The answer to that may define the rest of this series – and the rest of this season – for the Knicks
