PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors will play their first back-to-back of the season Saturday night as they head to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Suns. The game will be played at 7:00 PM PT in Phoenix and can be watched on NBA TV and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State suffered a heartbreaking 111-108 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. The Warriors appeared to be in control late in the fourth quarter, holding a 12-point lead with just over three minutes remaining. However, the Grizzlies stormed back with 12 unanswered points to erase the deficit and tie the game. Cam Boozer then delivered a clutch isolation bucket as the shot clock wound down to give Memphis the lead.
Just when Golden State looked to respond on the ensuing possession, Draymond Green was whistled for a moving screen at half-court, giving the ball back to Memphis without the Warriors even attempting a shot. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was irate with the call and subsequently assessed a technical foul before Ty Jerome converted a breakaway layup to put the game out of reach.
Steph Curry on the 12-point blown lead in the final four minutes: “There are losses and then there are ways that you lose like tonight that sting a bit more.” pic.twitter.com/J24fy4XENd
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski made an encouraging return to the court Friday night after missing Golden State’s season opener with a back injury. The fourth-year guard looked explosive against Memphis, finishing with 18 points, three assists, two rebounds, three steals and a block. However, despite the performance, Podziemski is reportedly set to sit out Saturday night’s matchup alongside Steph Curry, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Brandin Podziemski said he will not play tomorrow in Phoenix. So it sounds like the already depleted Warriors will also be without Steph Curry and Podziemski against the Suns.
With Golden State’s starting backcourt unavailable, the Warriors will need someone to shoulder more of the offensive workload against Phoenix. One player who could benefit from the opportunity is backup guard Brandon Williams, whose ability to create off the dribble and finish at the basket gives Golden State some much needed offense from their backcourt. After playing in just nine minutes in yesterday’s game, Saturday should present an opportunity for him to take on a much bigger role.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense on Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during the game during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Who: Phoenix Suns (0-1) @ Golden State Warriors (0-2)
When: 7:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, AZ
Watch: Suns+, 3TV/AZFS
Listen: AZ Sports 98.7
The Phoenix Suns had two full days to sit with their historic season-opening loss. Two days to flush it out.
It was a historically bad season-opening loss in Portland; we all know it. Devin Booker called it a “wake-up call”. We don’t want a players-only meeting. We don’t want to hear any more pep talks. We want a response on Saturday night against Golden State, in front of the home crowd, that tells us Game 1 was a fluke.
The Suns will face a shorthanded Warriors squad that is coming off a collapse last night against the Grizzlies in their home opener. They’re basically without… everyone?
Steph Curry officially ruled out tonight in Phoenix for the Warriors first back-to-back. Right knee management. Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford also out. Draymond Green is doubtful.
Luke Kennard — QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Tendinopathy)
Oso Ighodaro — OUT (Oblique Strain)
Mark Williams — OUT (Left Shoulder Surgery)
Warriors
Kristaps Porzingis — OUT (Health)
Stephen Curry — OUT (Rest)
Brandin Podziemski — OUT (Back)
Jimmy Butler — OUT (Knee)
Moses Moody — OUT (Knee)
Al Horford — OUT (Rest)
Draymond Green — DOUBTFUL (Rest)
Here’s my quick hit on the Suns-Warriors injury report ahead of tonight’s game!
What to Watch For
Oso Ighodaro is OUT
That stings for this specific matchup. Oso is the guy who can switch onto Golden State’s guards, run the floor, and keep the ball moving out of the short roll.
Losing him thins out a frontcourt that just got beat by 14 on the glass. The good news is the Warriors are a much smaller and less athletic team than Portland. Khaman will need to be ready, as the Warriors will certainly try to drag him away from the rim and hunt him on the perimeter.
Steph-less
Curry tweaked his ankle before the Lakers game, was listed as probable, and played. Golden State just hosted Memphis Friday in its home opener, which makes Phoenix the second night of a back-to-back. It should come as no surprise that this early in the season, especially after a scare in an open practice that he will sit this one out.
The Warriors will rely on a combination of Gary Payton II, Brandon Williams, LJ Cryer, De’Anthony Melton, and Will Richard to pick up the guard play.
When Steph sits, Draymond tends to hunt for trouble. Put him and Brooks on the same floor and a scuffle feels inevitable. Phoenix needs Brooks to win that exchange on the scoreboard and keep his head.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 17: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. 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. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Already depleted
While the Suns are down Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro, Golden State has deep issues of their own. Jimmy Butler is out until after the new year, and Kristaps Porzingis may not ever play another game of basketball. Plus, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are out.
The Suns must control the game defensively, beccause it could be difiicutl for the Warriors to get buckets with this group.
Key to a Suns Win
1) Fix the shot diet. Phoenix took just four corner shots the entire night in Portland, two of them in the 4th, and went 6-of-33 from deep. The rest was contested mid-range junk, the shots Portland funneled them into. Credit the Blazers for executing their plan. Golden State will try to copy that film. The Suns need early rim touches and kick-outs to the corners in the first six minutes, before the Warriors get comfortable and the Suns get frustrated again.
2) The ball has to move. Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks combined for zero assists. One game, I get it, and I’m not torching the roster build yet. But the connective passing that made this group fun last year was nowhere. Against a Warriors defense that loads up on Booker, the second pass is the whole game.
Oct 21, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) and Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges (22) battle for control of the ball during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
3)Watch the defensive assignments. Expect rookie Yaxel Lendeborg (who already made headlines calling out Luka’s whining and then guarded him well) on Booker, with De’Anthony Melton or Gary Payton II sliding to Jalen Green.
This is a scrappy roster with or without Steph, and they will compete. It’s a group that is trying to prove themselves and has nothing to lose at this point, which swings all the pressure back in Phoenix’s direction.
Prediction
The Suns take advantage of the Warriors’ lack of depth and feed off the home crowd to get a double-digit win while holding Golden State just below 100 points. Anything less than a win and we need to have a serious discussion about this team.
Suns 111, Warriors 99
Let us know your prediction below. See you in the Game Thread!
The sting of the Warriors’ late collapse to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night cut deeper knowing how short-handed they could be the next night in Phoenix against the Suns in their first of 15 back-to-backs this season.
Steph Curry didn’t suit up Saturday night. Neither did Draymond Green, Al Horford and Brandin Podziemski, among the other usuals for the Warriors. Their backs were against the wall, and the Warriors didn’t lack in fight. They did lack in experienced talent, though.
Devin Booker torched the Warriors for 43 points as they fell to the Suns 131-122 at Mortgage Matchup Center. He was the Suns’ only player to score 20 points in a game where the Warriors had three of them, and it didn’t matter.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg led the way with 26 points for his first 20-point game of his young NBA career. Lendeborg also had nine rebounds and five assists. De’Anthony Melton (25 points) and Brandon Williams (20 points) also reached the mark.
Golden State’s defense in the first three games of the season has been a stroll in the park for its opponents. The Suns shot 58.1 percent from the field and tallied 60 points in the paint.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ third straight loss to open the 2026-27 NBA season.
Playing Through Yaxel
The Warriors already are basically leaning on Lendeborg to be their No. 2 scorer. In their first game of the season without Curry, he became the Warriors’ top scoring option. Really, the entire offense needed to run through him when taking the absences of Green and Podziemski into account.
And Lendeborg was first to get the Warriors on the scoreboard with a three just to the right of the arc. His next shot was another made three, connecting just to the left of the arc. Lendeborg’s first three made shots were 3-pointers after draining one from the right corner.
But his most impressive sequence might have been Lendeborg’s fourth made shot, sealing Dillon Brooks for a mismatch down and finishing through contact for a three-point play. Lendeborg went into halftime as the Warriors’ leading scorer with 13 points, plus four rebounds and two assists.
Lendeborg proved the Warriors can play through him as a main option. The rookie made six 3-pointers and should have had many more than five assists if his teammates made shots off his dribble-drive passes. This was a Warriors loss, but a win in the development of Lendeborg.
Big Dubs Duo
Having Graham Ike and Charles Bassey as the Warriors’ centers set a tone. The Warriors were all over the glass and keeping possessions alive. Ike, who started the game at center, and Bassey, who made his season debut after missing the first two games to knee tendonitis, combined for nine points and eight rebounds in the first quarter.
As a team, the Warriors had 10 second-chance points, nine bench points and eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter to hold a three-point lead. But they also committed eight turnovers for 11 points. That number rose to 12 turnovers for 15 points with the Suns now leading by three.
While the Warriors did have 17 second-chance points in the first half, they continued to be too sloppy for a team that has such little margin for error. When it looked like the Suns were about to separate themselves with a 9-1 run during the third quarter, it was Bassey who carried the Warriors in answering with a 12-0 run to take the lead.
Ike recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Bassey added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting. They accounted for 17 of the Warriors’ 44 rebounds and seven of their 19 offensive rebounds. The problem is, the Warriors allowed as many points off turnovers (26) as second-chance points scored (26).
Richard’s Role
All signs pointed to the Warriors finding a steal late in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft when they took Will Richard out of Florida. In just his seventh career game last year, Richard started and scored 30 points on a night where the Warriors didn’t have their regulars. He wasn’t close to the same player a little more than a year later in Phoenix.
Richard had the same amount of turnovers and fouls as shot attempts at halftime: One. He missed his one shot attempt, a three from the left corner. It often felt like the Warriors were playing 4-on-5 offensively having Richard on the floor.
Then in the third quarter, Richard hit two threes that felt like they were worth triple that. The first was wide-open from the right wing where Richard looked around the court and then finally launched from deep. The second was in rhythm from the right corner, where Richard caught a bounce pass and in the same motion splashed a three, which is the exact shot the Warriors have to rely on him for.
Richard made a smooth reverse layup cutting under the hoop early in the fourth quarter, showing more shades of what the Warriors expected. The player he was in the second half, scoring 11 points, was much more reminiscent of who the Warriors need going forward.
The Penguins played a full 60 minutes Thursday, getting contributions from up and down their new-look lineup. They were without the services of forwards Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel - who were both placed on injured reserve Thursday - and it appears they will be without another forward Saturday.
Forward Evgeni Malkin, who missed Friday's team practice with an illness and who registered a goal and two points in Thursday's win, was ruled out by Penguins' head coach Dan Muse after the morning skate, which Malkin participated in. Forward Egor Chinakhov, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, is expected to miss his second consecutive game.
In addition, defenseman Sam Girard was officially placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, and the Penguins recalled forward Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) to fill Malkin's hole in the lineup.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs - who posted a 25-save shutout Thursday - will get his second consecutive nod in goal Saturday.
There were no line rushes during the Penguins' optional morning skate, and it is difficult to tell where Hayes will fit into a lineup that was already shorthanded to a pretty large degree. He has had some legitimate chemistry with Rutger McGroarty in WBS, and both had nine points in six AHL games, so it won't come as a surprise if they begin the game on the same line.
The Predators are coming into this one 3-3-3 to start the season, and the Penguins are 7-0-2 in their last nine games against Nashville. They currently sit seventh in the Central Division standings and have a minus-7 goal differential.
36-year-old center Steven Stamkos has started the season hot with four goals and 10 points in nine games, and projected starting goaltender Juuse Saros is 3-2-2 with a .906 save percentage in seven appearances.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X."
The Florida Panthers had some new-look forward lines when they took the ice on Saturday in Chicago.
Fresh off a pair of lopsided defeats in Ottawa and Pittsburgh, the Panthers will be looking to get back on track when they face the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon at United Center.
Florida head coach Paul Maurice was not pleased with his players following the back-to-back losses and said he would be looking for a way to turn things back around ahead of Saturday’s skate.
“I think it looked the way I thought it did from the bench,” Maurice said. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to clean up in our game and we have an opportunity to do that tomorrow.”
When the team took the ice, it was apparent that Maurice had done some tinkering with the forward groupings.
The top line and the fourth line remained the same, but Maurice made a not-so-subtle move to his middle six.
Exciting young forward Sandis Vilmanis was bumped up to the second line, where he skated alongside Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe.
Vilmanis was a healthy scratch on Thursday.
“It’s just a little different look,” Maurice said. “When he was with Lundell and Luostarinen, I liked it early on but it’s starting to fall off a bit for me. We gave him a little bit of a reset, so he should have some good legs and good urgency in this game.”
Dependable forward Lars Eller, who Maurice has complimented several times during the early stages of the season, was on the left side of the Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen line.
In terms of defensive pairings, Radko Gudas was back with Dmitry Kulikov after being a healthy scratch during Thursday’s loss to the Penguins.
That was the only change on the blue line, as the top two pairings remained intact.
Between the pipes, Florida will turn back to Akira Schmid after giving rookie Cooper Black his first taste of NHL action on Thursday.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown in Chitown:
Photo caption: Jan 10, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers left wingSandisVilmanis(95) chases the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images)
Giancarlo Stanton’s mind has consistently said one thing, his body another.
Whether the two will finally match up again to allow him to be any kind of contributor for the Yankees in 2027, though, remains very much in question, setting up a $15 million decision.
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After three separate calf strains sidelined him for five-plus months and relegated him to a pair of pinch-hit at-bats in October, the soon-to-be 37-year-old DH entered the offseason healthy. That is the only bit of certainty the Yankees have involving Stanton, whose body continues to betray him late in his potential Hall of Fame career.
“It destroyed him that he wasn’t available to us to try to help us and impact us in a positive way for most of the run this year,” general manager Brian Cashman said earlier this week. “He continued to fight through it, as someone who is wired right should. He is wired right. His leadership in there [the clubhouse] is not in question. His care factor is not in question. It’s just keeping him on the field so he can help us in that win column — it was a huge problem for us especially in 2026.”
Regardless of what happens, the Yankees owe Stanton $15 million in 2027 (with the Marlins paying the other $10 million of his $25 million salary), which is why it makes little sense to cut him now. They have sufficient room on their 40-man roster to get to work this offseason without having to worry about a crunch just yet.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton reacts after striking out swinging with a runner on, ending the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
So whenever spring training actually begins, depending on the looming lockout, Stanton figures to at least have a chance to report to camp and show the Yankees what he has left. But once that happens, then the clock might start ticking louder.
The way the Yankees are currently constructed, assuming health, there may not be a whole lot of DH at-bats up for grabs even if Stanton is physically able. In his absence this season, Ben Rice essentially became a full-time DH, especially after the Yankees acquired Luis García Jr. at the trade deadline. García has another year left on his contract, and while the Yankees have teased possibly reintroducing some second base to him, that would likely only be a part-time solution instead of any kind of permanent move.
Even if García does play second occasionally and Rice can improve his defense at first base, Aaron Judge may need to start getting more DH days, meaning another potential roadblock for Stanton at-bats.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) and Giancarlo Stanton (27) chat in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Of course, all of that banks on him being healthy in the first place, which has proven difficult. His calves limited him to 96 plate appearances in 24 games this year. Last season, his elbows (a problem that isn’t going away) limited him to 281 plate appearances in 77 games.
“Obviously we know what he’s capable of when he is healthy,” Cashman said. “We look forward to seeing if we can deploy a healthy version of him next year. But obviously that DH spot is also available or up for grabs as well, for other people that could benefit from it at the same time. We’ll have those conversations. But I can tell you this … G’s a very accountable, responsible, wired correctly professional athlete.”
That much has never been in doubt. Throughout the ups and downs of his Yankees tenure, Stanton has been one of the most respected and important voices in the clubhouse. He continued that this season despite being hurt for most of it, but the Yankees missed the threat of his right-handed bat in the middle of the order — still a presence, as his half a season in 2025 (he hit .273 with a .944 OPS and 24 home runs) reminded.
“I know it was a very tough year for Giancarlo, from the soft-tissue stuff and lower-body stuff, and that pains him because … Big G is wired right and he cares immensely and does all he can to take care of his body as best he can,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So we’ll see. We’ll see as the winter unfolds, we’ll see what the roster looks like when we get to Tampa and we go back at it. But it’s impossible to know exactly what that looks like right now.”
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 23: Logan Henderson #43 of the Milwaukee Brewers takes the field prior to Game One of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday, October 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Series started with a bang last night, as the Brewers escaped with a close victory despite a ninth-inning rally (and some favorable umpiring) that led to the first run allowed in Trevor Megill’s postseason. See postgame comments from both managers and several of the key players in our Brewers Notes, here.
Don’t expect things to get any easier today. After the somewhat controversial decision to go with number-three starter Nick Martinez in Game 1, the Rays will send ace Drew Rasmussen, who has been the best starting pitcher in these playoffs, to the mound in Game 2 with an extra day of rest. Milwaukee will counter with Logan Henderson.
Rasmussen, the 31-year-old right-hander, has made three starts this postseason. In the first, he dominated the Yankees: eight innings, 10 strikeouts, one hit, two walks, no runs in a 1-0 victory. He pitched twice in the ALCS, first in a game in which he allowed just two runs (both solo homers) in six innings but lost, and a win in Game 5 when he went seven innings, struck out six, and allowed one run. Overall this postseason he’s averaging seven innings per start, has 23 strikeouts to just three walks, and has a 1.29 ERA and 2.58 FIP.
That postseason success follows a season that could see him finish in the top five in AL Cy Young voting. Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and league-leading marks in WHIP (0.913) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.44). Like Martinez, Rasmussen is one of the best pitchers in the league at limiting walks (just 1.7 per nine), so it’s a bit of an “unstoppable force, immovable object” situation with Milwaukee’s ultra patient lineup.
Folks will also remember that Rasmussen was, briefly, a Brewer. Milwaukee drafted him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, and he debuted with the team in 2020. On May 21st, 2021, Rasmussen was the key piece going back to Tampa in one of the more consequential trades of the Brewers’ recent past, the swap that brought Willy Adames to Milwaukee. Rasmussen emerging into an ace over the last couple of years makes that sting a bit. But Adames is very popular franchise figure who gave the Brewers three-and-a-half very good seasons, and the Brewers were also compensated with the draft pick that turned into Brady Ebel, so it seems to be one of those trades that worked out for both sides.
For the Brewers, Henderson makes his third start of the postseason. Things haven’t been quite as easy for him in the playoffs as they were during the regular season, but his teammates (and his own defense) haven’t exactly picked him up; Henderson has allowed six runs over two postseason starts, but only three were earned. In five innings against the Padres, Henderson allowed just two hits but uncharacteristically walked three en route to two runs, one earned in a game that the Brewers won 4-3. In Game 2 of the NLCS against Los Angeles, Henderson went four innings, walked two, allowed three hits, and gave up four runs, though only two were earned. Milwaukee was resilient in that game and won 7-4.
We’re still waiting to see the best version of Henderson, the one who went 11-3 with a 2.47 ERA during the regular season. That pitcher matched Rasmussen’s sparkling 1.7 BB/9 and struck out batters at a higher rate, giving him a K:BB ratio (5.79) that bested even the Tampa ace’s American-League-leading mark. Brewers fans will also be hoping that Henderson didn’t get into his own head after two bad throws to first handed the Dodgers a pair of runs in the NLCS; I wouldn’t be surprised if Chandler Simpson checked on Henderson’s confidence in his throwing arm during his first at-bat tonight.
In a bit of a surprise (only because they almost never did this during the regular season), the Brewers are rolling out the same lineup tonight against Rasmussen as they did yesterday versus Nick Martinez, with Jackson Chourio leading off, followed by Jake Bauers, Christian yelich, William Contreras, Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton. The Rays made a change at second base, where Richie Palacios, who is batting .364 in the postseason, enters the lineup in place of Ben Williamson.
First pitch is around 7:15pm on Fox, with pregame coverage starting at 6pm. Of course, you can always find the game on the Brewers Radio Network.
BOSTON — The Knicks bricked too many shots in their first two games. Plenty of open ones, too. But coach Mike Brown wasn’t concerned about the misfiring after his team was toppled Friday night by the Celtics.
Those will eventually fall. Especially Jalen Brunson’s. The Knicks aren’t going to shoot just 40.8 percent like the combined home and road openers.
But Brown did identify a glaring issue because the championship hangover apparently hit the Knicks with laziness.
“It was a physical ballgame and [the Celtics] had the advantage out there with the physicality,” Brown said.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacts on the baseline in the first half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brown reiterated, several times after Friday’s 107-103 defeat, the problem that has plagued the Knicks intermittently for years: the inability, or unwillingness, to fight through picks.
It was exacerbated in Beantown because the refs were cooler than usual with moving screens, allowing the Celtics to hunt mismatches with weaker defenders like Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“They set a screen, and we lay on the screen, don’t fight to get through it,” Brown said. “And then we have to switch and get the wrong matchup. That’s why I bring up their physicality in screens, whether it’s the pick-and-roll or off the ball. If that is there from the other team and we’re not defending the screens the right way, communicating, and navigating them the right way instead of laying, laying, laying — it’s going to start the dominoes to fall. If they’re illegal or not, it doesn’t matter.”
Jayson Tatum cooked the Knicks for 36 points, three days after another star ball handler, Tyrese Maxey, filleted the Knicks for 28 points.
The point-of-attack defense has been suspect and OG Anunoby’s rough start is a problematic factor. He’s supposed to be the Knicks’ top stopper and owns the worst defensive rating among the starters through two games.
Mikal Bridges, the other defensive specialist, was benched for much of Friday’s game — including the final 8 ¹/₂ minutes — amid a 2-for-16 shooting slump.
The Knicks closed with Miles McBride over Bridges and nearly pulled off the comeback, but Tatum buried a couple of difficult shots over Josh Hart.
Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics handles the ball during a game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden in Boston, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“At the end of the first quarter there was a two-minute stretch where we were just b—hing to the referees instead of just playing through it,” Brown said. “In the third, their level of physicality picked up. And also the beginning of the fourth quarter. And we found a combination toward the end that handled their physicality. And we were just as physical back. And that gave us a chance to win. But against a good team on the road, it was too late.”
Brown said the effort also negatively impacted the team’s offense because it led to turnovers.
“When we tried to drive the basketball, we either fell on the ground and there was no call, or when we got in the paint, and they brought a second guy they had us either jumping in the air and turning it over, or they had us on the heels, trying to make sprays. And it was just because they got us in our bodies,” the coach said. There was a level of physicality that Boston brought to the table that caused us to have 18 turnovers on the road compared to their 11 turnovers. It’s going to be tough to win.”
The Knicks, as a result, became the first defending champs to start 0-2 since the Mavericks in 2011. The good news is they’re back home Sunday against the Magic, who are also 0-2 after getting blown out Friday by the Timberwolves.
A defeat against Orlando would have Brown contemplating a losing start to the first segment of the championship-defending season.
“We break the season into five-game segments,” Brown said. “There are marks that we like to hit in those five games and it kind of gives us a good feel of where you were, in a fair amount of games, and to see if you can make progress in the next five.
“Obviously you want to go 5-0, you’ll take 4-1, and then maybe you have to take 3-2. But if you’re doing anything less than that, you know that nobody is reaching their potential.”
Oct 11, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims (00) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Lakers’ preseason roster crunch was ultimately solved by cutting Dalton Knecht, an unceremonious end to his once-promising Lakers career.
It was also an anticlimactic ending to the team’s search for a solution that didn’t involve just waiving Knecht. While they hoped to find a backup center, multiple teams in the league were also looking for ways to consolidate the roster without waiving a player.
There were indeed talks with the Lakers about a swap headlined by Dalton Knecht and Jericho Sims, as The Stein Line first revealed on Oct. 15, but sources say those discussions were derailed by Milwaukee’s intent to extract two future second-round picks in the deal and the Lakers’ insistence that they part with only one in exchange for Sims.
Through two games this season, Sims has played 1:52, all that coming in the third quarter of the team’s loss in the first game of the season to the Wizards.
It’s still early in the season, so his role could change. But is he going to be a big enough piece to turn down draft compensation for him? Especially when he’s on an expiring contract as well?
Granted, every team should have a line in the sand they won’t cross. For the Lakers, including two second round picks does feel like a step too far. That would, effectively, be trading Deandre Ayton for Jericho Sims, since that’s where the team got the second round picks.
Is Sims a better fit than Ayton? Certainly. But Ayton is a better player than Sims, so from a talent standpoint, that trade wouldn’t make sense. You could argue you’re attaching a player to offload in that as well, but it still feels like the right call from the Lakers to not pull the trigger on that deal.
Given how bad Kevon Looney has looked through the first two games of the season, though, it does seem like the team will have to make a move for a backup center. At least we know they are actively searching for an upgrade.
Jun 12, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) gestures after he is called out at first base during the sixth inning against against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Luis Arráez was arguably the best thing about the San Francisco Giants 2026 season. The best because it was so unexpected. The best because there are so few good options to choose from.
Luis Arráez’s freakish bat-to-ball skills in an era of swing-and-miss offense has set him apart from his peers, giving him a certain sheen that some teams can’t resist. We’ve known his name since he emerged his rookie year in 2019 because he’s different. He’s been elected to four All-Star teams in the past five years because isn’t that how you treat players who hit pitches without fail?
The point of baseball is to hit the baseball. As much as that essential truth has been flat-out refuted and refused by slug-hungry analysts, it’s hard to get around the fact that hitters need to hit. It’s right there in the name. Arráez is a hitter. Thanks to this unique skillset became a continent-traversing hired gun. An outsider. A man from a different era, maintaining his relevancy because a high-average, zero-power hitter has always been relevant. The Twins traded him to Miami in January of 2023. The Marlins traded him to San Diego in May of 2024. Two leagues, three coasts (if we count lakes), three different time-zones, and three batting titles. Each move he’s flown first class with his bat swaddled in the seat next to him. But tossed unceremoniously in with the other luggage, stuffed in the plane’s cargo hold like a dark secret — Arráez’s glove.
Going into the 2026 season, Arráez had a career -54 Fielding Run Value. His best defensive season according to that metric (excluding the shortened 2020 season) was the 2021 season with the Twins when he logged more innings at third than second and patrolled left field for more than 100 innings. Across those three positions he accrued a -4 Run Value. The year he won his first batting title in 2022 his FRV dropped to -5.
In Miami, primarily at second base, his FRV fell to an untenable -11. He only hit 10 homers. Two numbers that aren’t directly related, but illustrative. Generally if you allow runs because of your glove, it’s nice to balance things out by scoring runs with your bat. That’s not Arráez. 2024 was split between Miami and San Diego, second base and first, and again he posted a dismal -11 FRV. He knocked just four dingers.
San Diego kept Arráez tethered to first base in 2025 and even with him tucked in the corner, he once again accrued a -11 FRV while hitting just 8 homers. He also fell off the batting average pedestal for the first time since 2021. The fall wasn’t far. His .292 average ranked fourth in the league, but slipping below .300 number is never a good look for a supposed batting champion. His 104 wRC+ in 2025, essentially league average, was the lowest of his career, as was his 0.9 fWAR.
The timing was awful considering the well-traveled Arráez was entering into free agency for the first time. He had just posted a -33 FRV in three years. He couldn’t play the field. He couldn’t hit for power. He was too good at making contact to walk. On top of that his bat appeared to be splintering. No wonder he sat on the shelf for most of the winter. Even Buster Posey, with his old-school love of batting average and low-K rates, seemed reluctant to dig this can of lima beans from the pantry. But by the end of January, options for filling the perceived hole at second base were limited. Arráez was certainly not the second base solution fans envisioned. Brady put words to what many of us were feeling when the news broke of the one-year, $12 million deal.
Posey took a swing. A swing he really didn’t have to make. A swing better described as a lunge, a reflexive hack at a pitch in the dirt — but not only did he make contact, the baseball found a hole.
Luis Arráez was unexpectedly good in 2026. Good measured against himself, and good measured against his adjacent peers. While the rest of the Giants’ lineup taxied on the runway at the start of the season, Arráez took off. His monthly splits climbed from .324 in April, to .340 in May, to .354 in June. Similarly his slugging skipped skyward as well, from .394 to .490 to .536.
By the end of June, Luis Arráez led the team with a .331 batting average, 15 points above Jung Hoo Lee. His .836 OPS was second to Bryce Eldridge’s .841, and 30 points above breakout star Casey Schmitt, as well as 75 points, 100 points higher than club core of Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman.
His plate appearances became a drink of cool water for parched fans. Posey was right — it was fun to see basehits. But it wasn’t just the dinks and doinks, it was the expressiveness of his at-bats. An Arráez plate appearance was a sensory experience from start to finish. Hitting was a dance with the pitcher, the opposite of Buster ball with his khaki stoicism. He’d often take a first pitch without breaking eye-contact with the pitcher. Sometimes he’d taunt a ball he knew was off the plate, guiding it into the catcher’s glove before doing a little tango step and shoulder-shimmy in the box. His bat was a conductor’s baton, a shovel, a rapier. He parried away pitches, yipped at foul balls, bat-flipped singles. He invited two-strike counts, batting a MLB-leading .299 with his back against the wall while striking out just 8.8% of the time. The next lowest K-percentage in two-strike counts was Nico Hoerner’s 18.5%. Willy Adames saw a third strike nearly 50% of the time. 2026 was the fifth time in his career that his walk rate was higher than his strikeout rate. His 20 at-bats-per-strikeout was the third highest rate for a Giant in the San Francisco era (min. 300 PA).
That 3.8 mark is the best of his career because this season was by far his best all-around year. The aforementioned offensive numbers weren’t surprising. His bat improved from 2025, but it didn’t come out of the blue. What did feel like it was conjured up from nothing was his performance on defense.
Arráez completely transformed himself as a member of the Giants’ infield. His -11 Fielding Run Value in 2025 was nearly flipped perfectly on its head to +10 FRV. A 21 run swing that put him in the 91st percentile of the league. His 12 outs above average was fifth most among all second basemen.
These results border on the miraculous. Water into wine type stuff, and watching Arráez out at second base felt a bit like a party. He didn’t play like a reprogrammed fielding robot. He played with flair and lightness, born again. He picked short hops with attitude and exaggerated underhand feeds with a whole-body lunge. He relished throwing off one foot, on the run, contorting his body to look like a Baroque sculpture as he discovered new ways to deliver the ball to first. Fielding coach Ron Washington, hired a couple months prior to Arráez, was the miracle worker, the one to touch the infielders clumsy oven-mitt hands and make them soft. But it wasn’t just a physical change, but a mental and spiritual one as well. Washington had Arráez out on the field in Scottsdale, morning dew still clinging to the grass, peppering him with grounders, and he had him laid out on the couch as well, delving into his subconscious, his anxieties and fears in order to reclaim second base as a field to roam, to frolic, to literally play in. Matisse said he spent his entire career trying to relearn how to draw like a child. Maybe that’s what Arráez did in the 2026 season. He rediscovered the joy.
Though he fell short of a fourth batting title (.310, 2nd in NL to Gabriel Moreno’s .311) and a career first Gold Glove nomination, Arráez’s 2026 was one to remember. A year to hang a bat, hat, and glove on. He played so well that he played himself out of the orange-and-black uniform, which is maybe not the ideal situation, but a pretty good one considering the initial risk taken.
So let’s give credit where credit is due. Posey got this one right. The problem became that a lot of the other things went wrong. Adames never figured out his offense or defense. Chapman hobbled around the diamond for a little bit before going completely AWOL. Devers launched into the stratosphere pretty much the moment Arráez shipped off to Philadelphia. The four of them seemed to enjoy making faces across the infield while whipping the baseball at each other, but they never could coordinate how to turn their wheels in the same direction at the same time. A shame, for a number of reasons — one of them being that we didn’t get to watch Luis Arráez play baseball the last two months of the season.
Carr has yet to make his NBA debut as he is dealing with a right oblique strain and has been sidelined for the Lakers’ first two games of the season against the Warriors and Clippers. There’s a chance Carr could suit up for the Lakers’ matchup with the Jazz Sunday, but it’s not guaranteed.
The 2026-27 season is an important campaign for the Lakers as its officially the Doncic era, the first without LeBron James. Thus far, it appears the massive roster overhaul has paid off but the Lakers will have to contend in a loaded Western Conference to prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
Sal Frelick tied the score with his first home run in three months, Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers stunned the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead by overcoming a four-run deficit for the second time in the postseason.
Tampa Bay, which won the AL pennant by forcing opponents into mistakes, committed one error, made two other misplays that could have been charged as errors and had a runner thrown out at the plate.
Down 4-0 in the first inning, Milwaukee rallied for its seventh comeback win of this postseason. The Brewers also rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, completing a four-game sweep.
After losing Friday’s opener 3-2, the Rays burst ahead against rookie Logan Henderson but the Brewers started to claw back with two runs in the bottom half against Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen.
David Hamilton cut the deficit to 4-3 with a run-scoring grounder in the fourth and Frelick capped a nine-pitch at-bat against Ian Seymour in the sixth by driving a fastball over the center-field fence.
Frelick had gone 103 plate appearances without a home run since his July 11 drive off Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft and had not gone deep against a lefty pitcher since opening day against Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox. Frelick sped around the bases in 18.72 seconds, half the time of some theatrical trots this postseason.
Screaming fans at the second game of Milwaukee’s first World Series since 1982 were fired up during the seventh-inning stretch, dancing to the “Beer Barrel Polka” played by Mike Schneider, an accordionist from Clinton, Wisconsin.
Brice Turang doubled against losing pitcher Tyler Wells on the second pitch of the bottom half, advanced on Garrett Mitchell’s flyout to right and scored when Pratt, a 22-year-old who debuted in June, looped a sinker from Kevin Kelly into short right field.
Abner Uribe pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win.
Jonny DeLuca doubled off Aaron Ashby starting the ninth, then Victor Mesa Jr. struck out when he couldn’t check his swing. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson’s groundout advanced the runner and Yandy Díaz struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a full-count pitch.
Ashby has three saves in the postseason while not allowing a run.
Milwaukee won its seventh straight game, becoming the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits for victories in a single postseason and the first since Philadelphia in 2022.
Game 3 of the matchup between teams seeking their first title is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Brewers last played in 2023.
Of the 57 previous teams to take 2-0 World Series leads, 46 claimed the championship.
Tampa Bay took a 4-2 lead in the highest-scoring Series first inning since 1993’s Game 4 as teams combined for seven hits, tying the most in an opening frame.
Still, Milwaukee improved to 13-0 in games started by Henderson, dating to his 2025 debut. He followed Jacob Misiorowski in the Brewers’ rotation, the first time teammates 24 or younger started the first two games of the Series since Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan and Ross Grimsley in 1972.
Henderson started on 11 days’ rest and struggled as the Rays fouled off 13 of 35 pitches in the first. He gave up four runs — three earned — in three innings.
Given an extra day of rest, Rasmussen allowed three runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings in his shortest start since July 9.
Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason at shortstop, the Brewers’ ninth in 10 games, bouncing his throw past first baseman Jake Bauers on a leadoff grounder by Díaz. Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero followed with RBI singles, and Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer.
Jackson Chourio and Bauers started the bottom half with singles and first baseman Jonathan Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.
With Bauers running on a full-count pitch, Contreras bounced an RBI single to the left of second baseman Richie Palacios, who had taken a step toward the base. Mitchell’s two-out single cut the deficit to 4-2.
Hamilton hit an RBI grounder in the fourth that bounced under Aranda’s legs for an error.
Chourio threw out Hicks from left for the final out of the sixth when third base coach Brady Williams waved the slow-footed catcher to try to score from second on Mesa’s single.
Up next
Rays RHP Freddy Peralta, who became a two-time All-Star when he pitched for the Brewers from 2018-25, starts Game 3. He was the AL Championship Series MVP and is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in three postseason starts and one relief appearance. He will be opposed by Brewers LHP Robert Gasser, who allowed one run over nine innings in his first two postseason starts.
The Philadelphia Flyers jumped out to 2-0 and 3-2 leads thanks to Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Tyson Foerster, but the team collectively fell asleep for the last half of the second period and first half of the third period, dooming them to a 5-4 loss at home ice and snapping a three-game win streak.
Michkov opened the scoring for the Flyers on a 5-on-3 power play, rifling a shot from the high slot through screens from Foerster and Martone, beating Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal cleanly from range.
To set up the 5-on-3, rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald drilled Ducks forward Sam Colangelo with an open-ice hit, which prompted tough guy A.J. Greer to chase the Flyers defenseman down and initiate a fight.
McDonald escaped the fracas with only a five-minute penalty for fighting, while Colangelo was tagged for roughing and Greer was whistled for instigating and instigating, earning a 10-minute misconduct in the process.
After Michkov's goal on the 5-on-3, Martone joined in on the fun on the ensuing 5-on-4 chance, streaking back door and tapping in a pass from Travis Sanheim.
The Flyers went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead and a commanding 11-6 shots on goal advantage, but the Ducks quickly came to life in the middle stanza.
Punishing a Nick Seeler turnover behind the net, Flyers archnemesis Cutter Gauthier set up Leo Carlsson for a goal from below the goal line, and Greer, back from his misconduct, tied the game at 2-2 with a fluky goal that bounced off the post and off Joseph Woll's skate, with the puck settling just enough past the goal line to count.
Foerster bought one back with a fluke goal of his own, racing down the ice on the penalty kill and flinging the puck at Dostal, who was beaten between the legs to allow the Flyers to take a 3-2 lead.
Ducks forward Judd Caulfield tied the game at 3-3 only 1:15 later, cashing in on a wacky bounce in Woll's crease.
At the start of the third period, the Flyers still looked out of it, and Tristan Luneau's goal, which went through Woll, felt like a back-breaker. Trailing for the first time, the Flyers didn't begin to push back until Beckett Sennecke's redirect gave the Ducks a 5-3 lead, which was ultimately insurmountable.
Michkov, staying scoring hot, crashed the net 1:07 after Sennecke's tally to pull the Flyers within one, and despite a last hurrah that carried them through the end of the game, the Flyers came away empty-handed.
Although the Flyers were out-scored 4-1 at 5-on-5, special teams were the difference one way or another; the Flyers went 2-for-7 on the power play after starting 2-for-2, and the Ducks finished 1-for-4.
"Today good power play, a couple goals, and I think we need to stay hot on power play and five on five we have chance. We need score. We have today lots of chance. Five chances, one score. This is no good. We need hard work for chances. Chances we need score, score, score. Hard concentration, just one moment," Michkov assessed in the locker room after the game.
In the end, the Flyers spent far too much time on special teams, and while their opponents contributed, the Flyers did themselves no favors in that regard, either.
Noel Acciari, who drew three penalties in Saturday afternoon's loss, took a retaliatory penalty by tackling Tim Washe, coming to the defense of Trevor Zegras, while Sean Couturier made the mistake of inadvertently pulling Jeff Malott's helmet off in a scrum, earning himself an unnecessary roughing penalty.
Flyers react to the loss to the Ducks
The Ducks didn't score on either penalty, though Luneau's goal came very shortly after Acciari left the penalty box.
"I think there's some undisciplined penalties that we got to stop doing. I mean, guys get hit, so what? Back in the day, we used to do all that stuff. I don't think you can do that nowadays," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said postgame.
"It's a clean hit. Take the guy's number, do it a different way. Everybody's got to be alert. I'd like us to be a little more disciplined."
Tocchet shared the assessment of Martone, who felt the sheer number of penalties affected the flow of the game.
Martone played 18:25 against the Ducks, but 6:29 of that came on the power play. For Michkov, it was 18:15 in total, and 5:59 on the power play.
The Flyers' two young stars combined with Noah Cates to provide the Flyers' only 5-on-5 goal of the afternoon.
"Lots of penalties. It kind of ruins the flow of the game," Martone said. "But I know this group, we want to win, everyone in this room. The way we fought back, the way we got one there in the third, we just couldn't buy another one."
In the loss, the Flyers eclipsed three goals for the first time this season. They're now 3-7-3 with a home game against the 3-5-0 Columbus Blue Jackets coming up on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
It’s hard to be too critical of the Lakers after their first two games of the season – home wins over the Warriors on Wednesday and Clippers on Friday.
Luka Doncic recorded a career-high 11 turnovers against the Clippers. NBAE via Getty Images
They won those matchups by a combined 30 points.
Walker Kessler is making the Lakers brain trust look like geniuses for making the investment to acquire the 7-foot-2 center.
Reaves is playing at an All-Star level after securing a four-year, $180 million contract.
Doncic continues to be the focal point of the Lakers’ success.
Austin Reaves has also been a significant contributor to the Lakers’ ball security issues. NBAE via Getty Images
The team’s roster reconstruction is paying off with an abundance of role players stepping up.
But the major early blemish that’s carried over from the preseason: Turnovers.
“We know the turnovers are a problem,” coach JJ Redick said. “We’ll continue to work at it, continue to get better at it.”
The Lakers followed up recording 18 giveaways in their season opener against the Warriors by turning the ball over 21 times against the Clippers, directly leading to 29 points.
Doncic and Reaves were once again the biggest culprits, combining for 17 of the team’s giveaways.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick had ideas on how his star players could turn the ball over less. NBAE via Getty Images
“How many did I have?,” Reaves asked after Friday’s game.
Six.
“Oh,” Reaves responded, “it felt like 10.”
That was actually Doncic, who recorded a career-high 11 turnovers – something pointed out to Reaves.
“Y’all didn’t have to say that,” he said. “I asked about me.”
But the Slovenian guard wasn’t shy when it came to acknowledging his role in the Lakers’ turnover struggles .
“We have a lot of room left to improve,” Doncic said. “Obviously, my game was terrible. But we are 2-0. Not playing a great game by me and AR, we have a lot of room left [to grow], so it’s very exciting news, honestly.”
The Lakers’ early turnover woes are, in a way, encouraging because of the results they’re getting despite them.
They’ve scored a combined 252 points through their first two games (127 against the Warriors and 125 against the Clippers).
They shot 56.8% from the field against the Warriors, and 58.2% against the Clippers.
They’ve been living up to the expectations of being an ultra-efficient, high-powered offensive team despite nearly a fifth of their possessions ended in a turnover.
But they aren’t allowing their offensive success so far to take away from the progress they’re hoping to make with taking care of the ball.
They know their ceiling can be significantly higher if they clean up the ball security, especially against teams looking to trap Doncic and Reaves.
But some of the giveaways are also growing pains that come with such a significant roster overhaul.
“The reality is a lot of the turnovers are just the pass in front of them,” Redick said. “Just make the pass in front of you. We’ve talked about it with both those guys. It’s the familiarity. They trust their teammates. They want to be playmakers. It’s building that over the course of the season to familiarity where guys are going to be in their spots. So we’ll just continue to build out our options out of that and we’ll be better.”
