With the Giants seeking a comeback win for a series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, Camilo Doval had thrown five consecutive balls in the top of the ninth inning.
The Oracle Park crowd — 28,592 strong — grew restless. Doval, whose struggles last season were well-documented, was attempting to secure his third save in as many appearances. With a potential setback looming, shortstop Willy Adames jogged to the mound, joined by third baseman Matt Chapman and catcher Patrick Bailey, to offer Doval some words of encouragement.
The result was a 6-5 win, bumping San Francisco to a 17-9 record and series win over Adames’ former team.
“I was just trying to calm [Doval] down,” Adames told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Shawn Estes on “Giants Postgame Live” following the win. “I feel like he’s just getting his confidence back, and he’s been looking great. I didn’t want him to get out of control there, so I just wanted to give him some time and just calm him down, and I think him seeing that and seeing the boys come to the mound to give him a breath, I think that helped him a lot.”
Giants closer Ryan Walker, who took over the role following Doval’s troubles last year, has run into a roadblock of his own in 2025, blowing a save opportunity in Sunday’s walk-off loss to the Los Angeles Angels and failing to finish the job in Wednesday’s eventual 4-2 win over the Brewers.
Doval earned the save in that victory, too, but manager Bob Melvin said after Thursday’s game that he simply was giving Walker the day off, noting it’s nice to have “two closers” in a stretch like San Francisco’s current 17-game marathon without a day off. But that doesn’t mean there actually are two closers now, Melvin said.
“Look, Walker’s going to have tomorrow’s game if we get into a save situation,” Melvin told reporters with a smile.
The Giants certainly hope to have a game with less excitement — and a bigger lead — when Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers come into town Friday. San Francisco came back three times against Milwaukee for the eventual win Thursday, with Adames delivering the game-winning sacrifice fly and forcing an error by Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich in the bottom of the eighth.
“Calm” was the word of the day for Adames, who is starting to find a groove at the plate amid a slow start with his new team in the Bay.
“I just tried to stay short there, just tried to put the ball in play,” Adames told Britt and Estes. “Tried to hit the ball to the outfield to give [Christian] Koss an opportunity to score there. It hasn’t been the best for me at the plate, but in that situation there I just tried to calm myself down, just try to do my job and execute the situation there with first and third, not try to do too much and not trying to hit a homer there, put the ball in play.”
While the Giants wait for Adames’ bat to get hot, he has proven to be the exact clubhouse leader San Francisco knew it was signing this offseason, with his mound visit to Doval serving as the latest example.
But Adames came up clutch with his bat Thursday, along with Chapman, who hit his fifth home run of the season with a two-run shot, Jung Hoo Lee, whose first-inning RBI double tied the MLB lead, and Mike Yastrzemski’s two-hit, two-RBI day that included a game-tying homer in the third.
As long as the Giants keep rolling, Adames is more than satisfied. And, some might say, calm.
“You can tell I’m not there yet, but we’re working on it every day, we’re trying to make the adjustment,” Adames said. “We’re going to continue to work until I get that click, and until that moment, we’re going to continue to grind, man. But if we continue to win like this, I’m honestly fine with it.
“Obviously I want to do great, and I’m going to continue to work to be better.”
While that's great to have, the Knicks point guard also understands his role goes beyond just scoring, and that in certain situations he needs to pass the ball more.
Speaking to reporters after practice on Thursday, Brunson said after watching film of New York's Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons that "there were a couple of possessions where I had some bad shots."
"That’s on me to just understand the situation where I need to get off of it," he continued, clarifying that he meant he needs to pass the ball more.
Despite having "some bad shots," Brunson still finished with 37 points on 12-of-27 shooting from the field (4-for-12 from three) and almost willed the Knicks to a win. However, the 27 shots he took were almost nine shots more than the 18.5 field goal attempts he averaged in the regular season.
In fact, in Game 1 -- a 123-111 Knicks win -- Brunson also went 12-for-27 from the field and scored a game-high 34 points.
None of this should diminish Brunson's role as a facilitator, though, as the point guard still managed to have eight assists in Game 1 and seven assists in Game 2 (almost half of New York's season-low 15 total assists), right on par with his season average of 7.3
Regardless, for the Knicks to have success in the postseason, other players besides Brunson will need to step up in big moments, so getting his teammates involved more often can only help in doing that. Karl-Anthony Towns, for example, had just 10 points in Game 2 and didn't attempt a shot in the fourth quarter.
"That’s the toughest part is trying to find that balance," said Josh Hart about Brunson. "I think him coming in, maybe at the start of the game, try to get some of these guys involved and get them free flowing and feeling great… It’s a feeling out process, but the good thing is it’s all fixable things."
Brunson will have a chance to showcase that balance on Thursday night in Game 3 against Detroit.
After more than a decade as the decision maker in Golden State — and winning four rings — Bob Myers stepped out of an NBA front office and into the media with ESPN/ABC, where he has served as a studio and game analyst.
Sources informed The Arizona Republic earlier this week the Suns will likely look to add someone to the front office. They currently have James Jones working a general manager and team president and CEO Josh Bartelstein. The two have collaborated with team owner Mat Ishbia on basketball personnel decisions, but sources also informed The Republic that Ishbia has been "pushing hard" to get Myers.
Stein has said landing Myers is a long shot, and for good reason. For one thing, Myers prefers to work in a collaborative setting, but with Jones, Bartelstein and a hands-on owner in Ishbia, there are already a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Myers would demand the hammer — final say on all personnel decisions — before he walked in the door, but how does that really work when Ishbia is in the decision-making mix and owns the team?
This past season, the Suns had the most expensive roster in the NBA, yet could not even qualify for the Play-In Tournament in the West.
Myers — or whoever gets the job — will oversee a massive roster overhaul, remaking it with Devin Booker as the centerpiece. Kevin Durant and the Suns will work together to find the future first-ballot Hall of Famer a new home, although the market for the 37-year-old (by next season) is not going to be as deep or bring back the haul that Phoenix expects. The Suns will attempt to trade the anchor of a contract (and still some solid production when healthy) belonging to Bradley Beal. Additionally, they must hire a new coach after firing Mike Budenholzer, the team's third coach in three seasons. Through all of that, the Suns need to find an on-court and organizational identity, while owner Ishbia has admitted to not being patient or wanting a rebuilding situation — he wants to win big and win now.
Myers will have his choice of front office jobs should he return to the NBA, is this the situation he wants to walk into.
Bucks GM Jon Horst — a Michigan native, like Ishbia — was mentioned as another name for the job, but no so coincidentally, it was reported Thursday Milwaukee has worked out an extension with Horst to remain head of their basketball operations.
Chris Wakelin leads Mark Allen 6-2 in second round
Luca Brecel completed an impressive comeback to beat Ryan Day 10-7 and avoid becoming the latest former champion to exit the World Snooker Championship at the first-round stage.
The 2023 winner looked in danger of joining the defending champion, Kyren Wilson, and Neil Robertson in crashing out when he was 5-1 down to Day during the first session. But Brecel won the final three frames on Wednesday to make it 5-4 and get himself right back in the match.
EDMONTON – In the words of everyone’s favorite wise monkey, “it is time.”
Time for what, you ask? To talk about goalies, of course.
The Edmonton Oilers have many woes ailing them in their series against the Los Angeles Kings. One of them is their goaltenders' ability to make a timely save.
To say that the Oilers have been getting subpar goaltending to begin the playoffs would be an understatement. But just how bad has it been?
According to NHL Edge data, Stuart Skinner has a .571 save percentage on high-danger shots – the league average is .784. Does this mean they need to have someone else in net?
Maybe.
The Oilers allowed four high-danger shot attempts in Game 2 and scored on two of them. In Game 1, the Kings had one high-danger shot attempt but didn’t score. Instead, they scored on two low-danger and four medium-danger opportunities.
Oilers Goalie Recall Options
If the Oilers want to bring along a third goalie to aid them in their quest to get through the first round of the 2025 playoffs, their options are limited.
Olivier Rodrigue
Olivier Rodrigue came up after Skinner was put on the shelf for a brief time. He was able to get some time in, for the most part, Calvin Pickard was relied on to be between the pipes. The likelihood that they would rely on Rodrigue in the playoffs, especially after not doing so in the regular season, is very low.
Colin Delia
Colin Delia didn’t get an emergency recall after Skinner was injured, which feels like a big enough reason why the Oilers wouldn’t consider bringing him up. Needless to say, his AHL numbers aren’t phenomenal, so it’s tough to rationalize that he would do any better than Pickard.
Connor Ungar
Because his entry level contract started earlier this season, Connor Ungar could be recalled by the Oilers. However, that road is also a dead-end. Ungar’s ECHL numbers are average, so it’s tough to make a case for him to be the guy getting the recall.
No other goalie can be recalled because of their contracts taking effect next year.
There will be no goalie coming in to save the Oilers. They’re just going to have to play better defense.
Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins believes the referees are letting too many calls go in the Warriors’ playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
The first-round Western Conference matchup has been bruising so far, but Cousins is not a fan of how the refs are calling things on the court.
“It is getting a point where I think the refs are letting too much go,” Cousins told Michelle Beadle and Chandler Parsons on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” “As a fan and as a physical player myself, I enjoy this type of basketball. I think this is the foundation of basketball. It has always been a [part of the game]. I think in the past 10-15 years, we’ve kind of shied away from the physicality in basketball.
“That being said, there were some plays within the game that I thought the refs let go a little too much. There was one specific play where [Gary Payton II] tried to drive down the lane and went up for a dunk and completely got clipped. I think Steve [Kerr] called a timeout immediately after that. It was plays like that that stood out to me. You have to make those calls. Certain things you just can’t let go.”
"The refs are letting too much go." 😱
Boogie Cousins was never afraid of contact in the NBA, but (like Warriors fans) he thinks the Rockets' physicality should be put in check 👀
Houston’s physical and swarming defense has been causing issues for Steph Curry and the rest of Golden State’s offense in two games of the best-of-seven series. For the most part, the refs have not been calling many fouls despite the Rockets contesting every shot around the rim.
With Jimmy Butler sidelined with a pelvic contusion, Golden State struggled to get in an offensive rhythm in Game 2 as Houston brutalized them. The NBA officiating crew appears content to let the two teams trade blows, harkening back to previous generations of professional basketball, when teams could hand-check with impunity.
Even a more favorably officiated game would do little for the Warriors if they cannot devise a successful offensive strategy against the Rockets.
With Butler’s status uncertain for Game 3, the Warriors must get more offensive production out of their bench players. If not, no amount of favorable officiating will stop Houston from pulling out another win.
As the Knicks face the Detroit Pistons in their first-round playoff series, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley answers some of your most pressing questions surrounding the team.
So, here's an all-new, playoff edition Knicks Mailbag.
Think you’re glossing over an important thing; HOW did he answer the questions about adjustments and schemes? One of his biggest (legitimate) critiques is that the offense lacks creativity especially given the talent. Is there anything in his answers to note? - @ThirtySeventy12
This was in response to a tweet about one of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s answers in a post-practice news conference on Wednesday. I promise, @ThirtySeventy12, that I wouldn’t gloss over anything noteworthy that comes out of a press conference. Thibodeau, like almost all NBA coaches that I’ve been around, isn’t going to talk to the media about specific adjustments he plans to make ahead of a game. He doesn’t do it during the regular season and he certainly isn’t going to do it during the playoffs.
If Thibodeau said something significant/concrete about adjustments, I certainly would have included it. I’ve been listening to Thibodeau’s answers in press conferences for almost five years -- he rarely gets into details when he’s asked about adjustments.
Based on the general reaction to that post on X, formerly known as Twitter, it seems like people read it as Thibodeau was not going to make adjustments ahead of Game 3 on Thursday. I can guarantee that there will be some between-game adjustments. Will they work? We’ll find out.
As we’ve noted over the past couple weeks, the stakes for Thibodeau are high in this series. So his between-game adjustments ahead of Game 3 are pivotal.
Did they ask him about Karl-Anthony Towns’ second half involvement? Or about the pick and roll defense? What other questions did he answer Ian? - @AtlasPharaoh
Yup, he was asked about Towns’ shots, rebounding, and adjustments on Cade Cunningham. I don’t think he was asked specifically about pick and roll defense. The whole interview is on SNY’s YouTube page.
Here’s Thibodeau on Towns’ shots: “Well I think part of it is, if they’re going to commit to two and three people on him, I don’t want him forcing shots. But there’s things that he can do also, and we can do, to get him a second and third look. So that’s what we have to try to do. And then I think there’s ways in transition that we can search him out as well.”
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) watches his three point shot go in during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Here’s Thibodeau on Tobias Harris defending Towns while Jalen Duren defends Josh Hart:
“We’ve seen that all year so it’s not anything new. Game 1 it was 123 points. So we have to take each game, each game is different; what do you learn from the game and then move it forward.”
A few other notes on potential adjustments:
As OG Anunoby noted, the Pistons screened him off the ball more often in Game 2 in an effort to get Cunningham going. "They’re playing different actions," Anunoby said. Cunningham obviously had a big impact in Game 2. How will the Knicks counter this?
The Knicks had a season-low 15 assists in Game 2. As Newsday’s Steve Popper noted, the 15 assists matched the lowest they had in any game since January 2023.
Here’s Anunoby’s answer when asked if the offense was too stagnant in Game 2:
"It was a little stagnant but even in some of our best games, the ball gets stagnant sometimes. It’s just how the game goes sometimes, how it flows. We just try to correct that and figure out how to prevent it as much as possible."
Jalen Brunson and Hart both referenced some potential adjustments during their interviews with media after Thursday morning’s shootaround.
BALL MOVEMENT:
Brunson said he saw on film several individual and team-wide missed opportunities in Game 2: "There were a couple possessions where I had some bad shots and that’s on me just to understand the situation where I need to get off of it. But that’s on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively we need to be communicating a little better — me individually — and I’ve just gotta hold myself to a higher standard when it comes to that. I just need to be better."
Hart was asked about Brunson’s comment on moving the ball.
"That’s the toughest part is trying to find that balance. I think him coming in, maybe starting the game to try to get some of these guys involved, get them free flowing. You see it with LeBron (James) all the time,” Hart said. “One thing with LeBron, he comes in the first quarter, the second quarter, makes sure he gets his guys involved and gets them into rhythm and then he takes over when you need him to take over. So you can take bits and pieces from guys like that. It’s part of the reason sometimes when the 5 is on me, I can’t be that other ball handler that brings it up and gets him off the ball so maybe we’ll put Mikal (Bridges) in that role or something like that. So it’s a feeling out process but the good thing it’s all fixable things.
REACTING TO REFS:
Both Brunson and Hart said they needed to complain less often to referees during game-play. “We’ve had a lack of focus when it comes to that. We’ve gotta let them do their job and we’ve gotta do ours,” Brunson said.
Added Hart: “(Complaining to refs during game-play) definitely takes you off your game. I think controlling that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control. We can’t control what they’re calling. We can’t control getting our first free throws with what, 17 seconds on the clock? We can’t control those kind of things. We can just control how we respond to it. Last game I responded terribly. I have to make sure I fix that, (Karl-Anthony Towns) fixes that, and move on from it.”
DETROIT'S DEFENSE ON HART/KAT:
Hart talked about the Knicks’ offensive approach when he is guarded by Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris is defended by Towns.
“I feel like I’ve been solid with it. I think at times we gotta make sure I remember, even with the flow of the offense, the role of the offense, I make sure at times I remember I’m also a guard, and I can play in those kinds of ways and not act like I’m a 6-8, 6-9 power forward. So just getting guys good shots, getting guys the ball, attacking, playing with pace and doing those kind of things.
“….So obviously you gotta try to figure that out, how they’re playing, attacking that, but also knowing that obviously I have the big on me. But also let’s not get away from KAT setting screens and getting himself open or getting other guys open. So, it’s just a balance, and I think that’s what you try to figure out the first couple games.”
What is the temperature of the team as we head into the playoffs? Feels like the vibes are erratic and the inconsistencies make it hard to gauge what to expect in the weeks ahead. Thanks! - @nilegirl (on March 24)
This question was from before the end of the regular season but it remains relevant, I think. I have thought for most of the season that this team doesn’t have the same tight connection that the 2023-24 team established. Even with that, it’s logical to assume that the Knicks will get through this Pistons series. The talent gap between the teams heavily favors New York. But playoff pressure is always a good stress test for a team’s cohesion. These next two games in Detroit will tell us something significant about the Knicks’ chemistry/connection.
As the regular season draws to a close, do you have any insight into how the org views each of their 4 rookies? Who do they feel is most ready to be a rotation piece next year? Who will likely still be on a 2 way deal, or buried on the bench? - @jayb8418 (on March 24)
This is another one from the end of the regular season but it’s still relevant today. I can say that many in the organization are high on Ariel Hukporti. This is based on conversations with people in touch with the team over the course of the season. I think New York is optimistic about Hukporti’s future. Just to clarify: this doesn’t mean that they aren’t also high on Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. I would assume that they are. But I’m just relaying what I gathered from conversations over the course of the season on Hukporti.
After opposing the war in Ukraine and coming out as gay, the 27-year-old made a ‘tough’ choice to change nationality
Over the past three years, Daria Kasatkina has slowly come to terms with a painful truth: the country she was born in, grew up in and represented to great success in the most prominent women’s sport steadfastly rejects her existence.
Four months after Kasatkina came out as gay in 2022, the Russian government enacted a slew of laws aimed at cracking down on and criminalising homosexuality. Last year, Russia began to convict individuals charged with displaying pro-LGBTQ+ imagery. While travelling the world for her profession, already competing under a neutral flag in the grim shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 27-year-old spent much of her time ruminating over whether it was time for her to depart.
It's Thursday, April 24, and the Rangers (14-10) take on the Athletics (11-13). Jacob deGrom is slated to take the mound for Texas against J.T. Ginn for the Athletics.
The Athletics won yesterday's game against Rangers.
Kumar Rocker was on the mound for the Rangers. He only made it through 1.2 innings before giving up five runs on seven hits.
JP Sears picked up another win last night with a dominant performance. He went 5.0 innings and gave up just two earned runs.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Rangers at the Athletics
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Rangers (-150), Athletics (+126)
Spread: Rangers -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Athletics
Pitching matchup for April 24, 2025: Jacob deGrom vs. J.T. Ginn
Rangers: Jacob deGrom, (0-1, 3.32 ERA) Last outing (vs LA Dodgers, 4/18): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
Athletics: J.T. Ginn, (1-1, 3.60 ERA) Last outing (vs Milwakuee Brewers, 4/18): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Athletics
The Athletics have lost 6 of 10 games this season following a win
The Over is 12-8 in the Rangers' last 10 games on the road and the Athletics' last 10 at home combined
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rangers and the Athletics
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Rangers and the Athletics:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard was a rookie with the Philadelphia Phillies just putting baseball on notice with his moonshot home runs when he met Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field.
Howard was introduced to O’Neil as a modern-day Josh Gibson, one of the Negro Leagues greatest players who hit .466 for the 1943 Homestead Grays. Howard, who hit at least 45 homers four times in his career, was too embarrassed to accept the comparison.
“Mr. O’Neil was like, “Do you got that power?′ I said, ‘Yes sir, I do,’” Howard said. “He told me, ‘Don’t be ashamed of it. Let it out.’ It was great, just hearing the stories from and just being in his presence.”
O’Neil, who died in 2006, long was a champion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Howard, who won an NL MVP and a World Series with the Phillies, is ready to take up O’Neil’s cause as the former slugger joined the push in helping the museum’s expansion project.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is fundraising for a new 30,000-square-foot facility and campus, aimed at advancing the museum’s mission of preserving the rich history of Negro Leagues baseball and its impact on social progress in the United States.
Howard and San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced their plans to join the Negro Leagues’ “Pitch for the Future” in bringing greater awareness to the legacy of the Negro Leagues with a museum expansion.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick said he hoped to raise $30 million to complete the project.
“It’s a tremendous indicator of the growth of his museum and the heightened interest in the subject matter that we’ve generated through the years and has dictated a need for us to grow in all phases of our operations,” Kendrick said. “This is a byproduct of growth.”
Interest in the Negro Leagues has spiked of late in large part because of its inclusion in MLB The Show and when records for more than 2,300 players were incorporated into Major League Baseball statistics. The museum that was founded in a tiny, one-room office space in 1990 that attracts about 70,000 visitors each year — plus major leaguers who stop by during road trips — has outgrown its space at 18th and Vine.
Kendrick said the current space “wasn’t designed to handle large crowds at any one time.”
“In a perfect world, Kansas City will host the World Cup next year,” Kendrick said, “and we would love to follow the energy and excitement of the World Cup with a grand opening of the Negro Leagues Museum in 2027. That might be a little bit ambitious, but it’s doable.”
Howard toured the museum long before he was one of the feared sluggers in the National League.
“It was my way of paying homage to the Negro Leagues and former Negro League players that didn’t get the opportunity to play in the big leagues,” Howard said.
Howard was always struck by the Field of Legends — 13 life-size statues of the first Negro Leaguers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York — that deepened his understanding of the journey the players took to reach the Hall.
“I think that’s why it’s important to keep the story going, keep it alive,” Howard said. “You’ve got to understand the history of Black baseball and how it correlates with baseball, in general, and Major League Baseball.”
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida found during its last published study that Black players represented just 6.2% of players on MLB opening day rosters in 2023, down from 7.2% in 2022. For the first time since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, there were no U.S.-born Black players on the Houston Astros or Philadelphia Phillies roster in the 2022 World Series.
Former New York Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry said MLB needed to focus on developing and marketing the game within the inner cities in order for the percentage of Black players to rise substantially.
Howard said connecting Black youth with baseball has long had its issues.
“It’s tough, trying to help figure things out,” Howard said. “I think there are now more young Black kids starting to get back into baseball. You have to be able to turn on the TV and see somebody that looks like you.”
Howard was raised in Missouri and noted Black former St. Cardinals stars such as Willie McGee, Vince Coleman and Terry Pendleton that helped ignite his interest in the sport. Howard and fellow NL MVP Jimmy Rollins were two Black stars and fan favorites with the Phillies when they won their last World Series in 2008.
Shildt was a frequent visitor of the museum when he managed the St. Louis Cardinals and remained hopeful expansion would provide the resources needed to educate a new generation of fans.
“There’s a bigger story to tell,” Shildt said. “What’s taken place has been more grassroots oriented. They’ve been able to put it together without the resources to tell the full, big-picture story.”
Green, 35, received 15 first-place votes, 20 second-place votes and finished with 154 total points, coming up short to Mobley’s 285 points and Daniels’ 197 points.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2024-25 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
“It would mean the world to me; you know I pride myself on the defensive end,” Green told Poole and Burke. “I think to be acknowledged as the best defender in this league is no small feat. It’s something that, I never pride myself on winning awards, but they never hurt the ego and they don’t hurt the pockets. But most importantly, even more so than that, I think all the hard work you put in to try and stay at an elite level, and to be recognized as the Defensive Player of the Year at 35, eight years after first doing it, it takes a lot of work and a lot of effort to have that type of longevity.”
As unlikely as Green’s first DPOY was in 2016-17, he understood how much more profound winning it eight years later would have been.
“To even be mentioned in that conversation, to me, is special,” Green said. “Obviously, I want to win it, but it’s not something that’s totally in my control … When I started to see my name pop up in the conversation, I was like, ‘Wow, I really have a chance to do this.’
“And I came into this season, for the last couple years I’ve been kind of priding myself on that. Like, ‘I want to win another one. I want to win another one.’ But obviously you have to have success as a team and just to find that success, put myself in the conversation. At worst, I want to make [All-Defensive First Team] and if I can put myself in the conversation to be DPOY, I think that would be crazier than winning the first one.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, on numerous occasions, has called Green the best defensive player he has ever been around, but the four-time NBA champion still has just one Defensive Player of the Year Award on his resume.
It’s Saturday, April 26, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) and Miami Heat (37-45) are all set to square off from Kaseya Center in Miami.
Cleveland won Game 2 at home, 121-113, after a 21-point blowout win over Miami in Game 1. The series goes back to Miami for Game 3 in an attempt to slow down Donovan Mitchell who scored 30 points in both games. Tyler Herro led Game 2 with 33 points and will be relied on heavily to avoid a sweep.
The Cavaliers are currently 30-11 on the road with a point differential of 10, while the Heat have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Cavaliers vs. Heat live today
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Kaseya Center
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: TNT
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Cavaliers vs. Heat
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Cavaliers (-246), Heat (+200)
Spread: Cavaliers -6.5
Over/Under: 214 points
That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 109.31, and the Heat 105.92.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Cavaliers vs. Heat game
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Cavaliers 1Q Team Total Under 27.5:
"Last season, Cleveland went 1-5 on the road in the playoffs and cracked 100 points once in those contests (the only win). While they have been a tank in the regular season this year, there is still no telling if they will look like the same Cavaliers in the first road playoff game this time around.
The Cavaliers scored 21, 23, and 25 points in the first round at Orlando last year and 28 or more in three at Boston. With Miami's tempo and style of play, I like this to be a low-scoring first quarter, so I'll fade the Cavaliers First Quarter Team Total and take the Under 27.5."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Cavaliers & Heat game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Heat at +6.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 214.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Cavaliers vs. Heat on Saturday
The Cavaliers have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division teams
The Cavaliers' last 3 matchups against Eastern Conference teams have gone over the Total
The Heat are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a home underdog
The Heat have covered in their last 4 games as a home underdog
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Halonen, 26, played in 62 games this season with the Comets, where he had 27 goals, 40 points, and a plus-9 rating. He also played in two games this campaign with the Devils, posting zero points and a minus-1 rating.
Hardman, 26, had one assist in two regular-season games with the Devils this campaign. Down in the AHL with Utica, he had 18 goals, 35 points, and a plus-11 rating.
Legare, 24, played in his first three career NHL games this campaign with the Devils, where he was held off the scoresheet. In 69 games with Utica, he had 17 goals, 25 points, and 102 penalty minutes.
McLaughlin, 25, played in 50 AHL games this season split between the Providence Bruins and Comets, where he had five goals and 20 points. He also had two goals and an assist in 14 NHL games with the Bruins and Devils this year.
Vilen, 22, spent all of this season with the Comets, where he had one goal, 24 points, and a plus-2 rating in 58 contests. The Devils selected the 6-foot-1 defenseman with the 129th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
White, 27, appeared in 61 games this season with the Comets, where he had four goals, 17 assists, 21 points, and a plus-1 rating. This was after he had eight points in 53 games last season with the San Diego Gulls.
Poulter, 23, had a 16-13-6 record, a .898 save percentage, a 2.86 goals-against average, and one shutout in 36 games for the Comets this season.
If there’s one thing that has held about Juraj Slafkovsky since the start of his career, it’s that he’s always his harshest critic. On Wednesday night, it was still the case after the Montreal Canadiens dropped game two of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals 3-1.
It was a visibly emotional Slafkovsky who spoke to the media, providing a tough assessment not only of himself, but of the whole team:
Everyone here has to be better, starting with me and then everyone else. We’ve got to show a different kind of energy and a different kind of game on Friday at home.
- Juraj Slafkovsky on the need to be better
The Capitals play a tough physical game, but it’s not beyond what the 21-year-old power forward expected. After the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the former first overall pick said he needed to play a more physical game to succeed in the NHL and would like to bring the kind of game Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk brings, and at times, he has done it. Still, he has yet to find that kind of game consistently, and he knows it:
I just got to play more physical myself, got to be better.
- Slafkovsky on the need to be more physical
In game two, the big Slovak landed three hits and sent seven shots to the net, although only five made it there. Still, he committed giveaways attributed to a lack of concentration or execution. The no-look back passes can fly in exhibition games or scrimmages, but they have no place in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he’s learning it the hard way.
Asked if the fact that they knew they didn’t play their best the whole way through was something the Canadiens could build on, Slafkovsky indicated that it was often the case:
You know, there’s always something lacking. We always talk about, "Oh, today was this, tomorrow it’s something else." We have to have an almost perfect game to win.
-
Visibly, the youngster had had enough of the team’s and his own uneven effort. The Canadiens showed a knack for coming from behind in the third period this season, but only providing your best effort in the last frame will rarely be enough come playoff time. Coach Martin St-Louis will preach to the converted the next time he tells his players they must play better earlier.
The Canadiens slept in Washington last night and will fly back to Montreal this morning. There will be a media availability early, before the flight, but no practice is scheduled. This isn’t surprising as St-Louis appreciates the value of a rest day, but when the Canadiens hit the ice for morning skate on Friday, the bench boss will have some adjustments to make.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
