The playoffs are steadily widdling down the number of combatants, with the Penguins the latest to fall. Tonight the Wild-Stars and Ducks-Oilers resume their series, with the home team in each aiming to stave off elimination again.
Yesterday’s late-breaking news was expected yet tempered by the Islanders’ late-season swoon: Ilya Sorokin is indeed one of the Vezina finalists for best goalie, along with Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The other two are the common favorites, so don’t hold your breath for Ilya.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 29: Erik Karlsson #65 and Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins exchange words with Trevor Zegras #46 of the Philadelphia Flyers after the whistle during the first overtime period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Up until the very end, the Pittsburgh Penguins battled and fought to force a Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers in their first round series, but Dan Vladar was a brick wall in net and Cam York found a just enough daylight behind Arturs Silovs to score an overtime winner that gave the Flyers a 1-0 victory in Game 6 to eliminate the Penguins and send the Flyers into the second round where they will face the Carolina Hurricanes.
After no scoring through 60 minutes thanks to some stellar goaltending from both Silovs and Vladar, Game 6 went into overtime for the first time this series and the Penguins were in control for much of the overtime period but Vladar never blinked. Although they had few opportunities in the extra frame, all the Flyers needed was to make one count and Cam York did exactly that to initiate handshakes between the two rivals. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points…
Mario Lemieux was in attendance for the Penguins Game 5 win on Monday night and his presence around the team may become more frequent in the near future. According to sources close to Mario, he is planning on having a bigger role with the franchise once the team sale is approved to the Hoffman family. [The Athletic $$]
In case of emergency, the Penguins recalled Joel Blomqvist from the AHL on Wednesday to serve as the third goalie for Game 6 in Philadelphia. Sergei Murashov held that role earlier in the series, but with him being the top netminder in Wilkes-Barre, it was Blomqvist getting the nod last night. [Trib Live]
It has been a roller coaster 2025-26 for Kris Letang, with seemingly more downs than ups this season. While there will certainly be questions about Letang’s future this offseason, right now he is playing his best hockey of the season right as the team needs him most. [The Hockey News]
Aside from a single assist in Game 5, this has been a series to forget for Penguins leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha. Through 19 career playoff games, Mantha has never recorded a postseason goal, but he’s hoping if he start putting more puck on net his luck will start to change. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
It’s all Eastern Conference goalies among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy this season. Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins will each be looking to take home their first Vezina while now six-time finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy will hope to add to his 2019 win. [NHL]
After being held pointless in a four game sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk spoke to the media on Tuesday and denied any rumors he was unhappy in Canada’s capital and could be looking for a way out this offseason. [NHL]
Youthful exuberance on a veteran team is not such a bad thing. Keeps everyone loose.
That leads to a related question: If you had to pick one player to host a comedy show, who would it be?
“Kiké would be the one I would choose,” Freddie Freeman said. “Will Smith is the complete opposite of who I would think, but it kind of fits perfectly.”
On May 7, Smith hosts his third annual Dodgers Comedy Night, part of the Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. It’s a fundraiser for the Catching Hope foundation, launched by Smith and his wife to equip at-risk youth with skills in leadership and self-sufficiency.
It’s also a night that forces Smith, the Dodgers’ stoic All-Star catcher, to take the stage, thank everyone for coming, and smile and laugh before the professional comedians take the stage.
“I was definitely a little anxious because you have to get up there and give a little speech, which I enjoy now,” he said. “It kind of took me back to my high school days, where you have to give a speech in front of the whole school.
“It was a little worrisome, but it was fine. It was fun once I got up there.”
Said Rojas: “The first time, it was just a welcome. Last year, he told a couple jokes.”
Smith insists he writes his own jokes.
“I’m not saying too many jokes,” he said. “Maybe one.”
The Smith we all see is the one Buster Posey — the soon-to-be Hall of Famer and now the San Francisco Giants’ president of baseball operations — described to me last year: “He wasn’t looking to be your best friend when you came to the plate. I kind of appreciated that about him. He was always very business.”
The Dodgers’ social media team nudged Smith out of that public shell a bit this spring, in a spot promoting his bobblehead night, in which Smith nailed a deadpan delivery and a range of facial gestures.
Roberts said he had noticed that in the two previous comedy shows Smith has hosted.
“Jon Lovitz is a comedian, and he has that dry humor, so there you go,” Roberts said. “Will has that dry humor.”
When I asked Smith which players might be the funniest on the team, he also went with Hernández and Rojas.
“I’m not one of the jokesters,” Smith said. “With my closest friends away from baseball, yeah, we joke around. I like to keep it light, and very sarcastic.
“The funny guys are the louder ones, usually Miggy and Kiké. Everyone is funny in their own way.”
Rojas said he sees Smith less in terms of the annual joke or two on stage and more in terms of the game night he and his wife recently hosted for teammates and their families.
“I’m a little more vocal,” Rojas said. “If he has to say something, he will say it, but in a different way.
“He is a great leader that cares. He’s not the outgoing guy, but he’s always aware of, ‘OK, this is what I want to do to connect with my guys.’”
Apr 29, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) reacts to being hit by a pitch during the game between the Rangers and the Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It would have been extremely nice to finsh an 8-1 road trip with another sweep, but mean ol’ pal Nathan Eovaldi proved to be the force that stopped the Yankees in their tracks. The tenacious foe shut New York out through seven as Texas salvaged the final game of their series, outdueling the debuting Elmer Rodríguez.
The most concern from the affair, however, came from a fourth-inning plunking by Eovaldi on Jasson Domínguez. The pitch hit him on the elbow, and he was visibly in quite a bit of pain. After being examined, he stayed in to run the bases but was ultimately pulled before he could take the field on defense in the home half of the inning. An MRI in Texas was inconclusive, so Domínguez will get CT scans when the Yankees return to New York. Monitoring that situation will be the story of the Thursday offday.
So our question to you: What should the Yankees do if Domínguez needs to join the man he was effectively replacing in the lineup, Giancarlo Stanton, on the IL?
Unfortunate timing might have sapped the Yankees out of one of their options, as they had designated Randal Grichuk for assignment that very morning to make room for ERC on their roster; he and Domínguez had nearly-duplicative roles, so it made sense to cut ties even with Grichuk hitting at least a bit better than he began 2026. Perhaps they’re able to bring him back anyway despite the DFA, but if another team claims Grichuk, then they’re out of luck there.
There are other options at Triple-A Scranton, though. The most straightforward answer is bringing the versatile Oswaldo Cabrera back to the majors for the first time since his ugly injury ended his 2025 season quite abruptly. He’s already on the 40-man roster, he’s a known commodity, and the Yankees already have a full outfield of Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge anyway. So if they’re really only replacing Stanton’s DH time, then they could have a rotation of sorts there with at-bats from Ben Rice, Amed Rosario, Judge himself, or whoever. If they want more of a pure outfielder backing up, then they could add someone like the speedy Duke Ellis to the 40-man pretty easily, too. Former big leaguers Yanquiel Fernández and Seth Brown are non-40-man outfield options as well.
And of course there’s Spencer Jones. The Yankees’ top draft pick from 2022 is off to a .242/.364/.538 start with seven homers in Scranton across 26 games and 110 plate appearances. The strikeouts remain quite present, with only a slight dip in Jones’ K-rate, from 36.6-percent at Triple-A in 2025 to 33.6-percent thus far. There are zone-contact questions as well that would likely be exposed by MLB pitching. That being said, the talent remains tantalizing, and Jones is on the 40-man roster. The Yankees could take a flyer on Jones at least for a week or so, just to get a big-league read on him. But maybe the playing time isn’t quite there; it’s a bit of a different story than Domínguez, who they at least knew could help in The Show by mashing right-handed pitching. Jones is unquestionably a wild card.
So what’s your move? I’m skill a Spencer skeptic, and I do wonder if the risk of him getting exposed in any sort of time at the big-league level might only lower his possible trade value. So maybe the boring option of a Grichuk recovery or an Oswaldo return is more probable. That being said, I will be excited to see Jones if he does make his big-league debut, even if it’s under Jasson’s unfortunate circumstances. (And yet: sigh.)
The Yankees are off but the blog doesn’t rest. Today on the site, Peter will break down his Sequence of the Week, Matt will lead the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan will celebrate the 119th birthday of the one and only Walter “Jumbo” Brown. Later, Sam will run through the Yankees’ top plays of March and April, and Peter will take the occasion of the offday to run his monthly GM poll on Brian Cashman to get the pulse on his first month of the 2026 season. At the end of the day, Jonathan will look ahead to Anthony Volpe’s 2026 debut, breaking down the variety of expectations.
Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) celebrates his three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
CLEVELAND – Dennis Schroder spent a few minutes at halftime listing out all of the things the Cleveland Cavaliers should be doing better in Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors. On the top of that list, was getting back to playing their way.
“I felt like I had to say something to the group,” Schroder said afterward. “So we can rise and play Cavs basketball.”
The Cavs played their brand of basketball in the second half. After being down 12 near the start of the third quarter, Cleveland rallied for a 125-120 victory in Game 5. They now own a 3-2 lead in the series and have a chance of ending things back in Toronto on Friday.
Being able to control the paint made the difference.
After being mostly an outside shooting team in the first half, the Cavs made a concerted effort to get inside in the second. They attacked the basket in a way they haven’t this series, going 14-25 (56%) on shots in the paint. Conversely, they held Toronto to just 9-26 (34.6%) in the paint over the final two quarters.
Schroder led that charge. His speed and willingness to attack the basket changed how the game was played.
The Raptors have kept Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in check by being physical off the ball and preventing easy catches. And once they do get the ball, they’ve put as many bodies as possible in the lane, making it difficult to get to the basket.
That strategy has worked for the Raptors, but it does create opportunities for someone else to beat them off-the-dribble. This is where Schroder took advantage.
These two plays show how.
First, Schroder fakes a dribble-hand-off with Harden to freeze Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl hesitates, expecting Harden to get the ball. That pause is all Schroder needed. He has the speed to get past his man, and the help defense was far too late to recover.
Schroder has always played his best basketball when he’s been empowered as a ball handler, as seen in his numerous successful international tournaments with Germany.
This has carried over to his time in Cleveland. He was exceptional for the Cavs before they made the Harden trade, and was solely responsible for running the second unit. Similarly, he performed well when they were without Mitchell for a few games at the end of February. In both stretches, the team allowed and needed Schroder to create offense for them.
It’s been more difficult for Schroder to fit in when both Mitchell and Harden have been healthy. One of the starters is on the court at all times, and typically, you want them to have the ball in their hands. This has made it tricky for Schroder to stay involved as he does his best work on-ball.
That trust was placed back in Schroder during Game 5. Mitchell chose to stay on the bench midway through the fourth quarter instead of coming back in like he usually would to give Schroder more time on the court.
Mitchell told head coach Kenny Atkinson no when asked if he wanted to return to the game. “Why? This is working,” Mitchell said. “You ride the hot hand.”
The Cavs certainly did.
Schroder accounted for 17 points in the fourth quarter, with the 11 he scored and the two triples he assisted. That’s the same number the Raptors as a team had in the final frame. That was much needed on a night Harden and Mitchell combined for just one fourth-quarter point.
For the third game in a row, Mitchell didn’t have the hot hand. He struggled to get inside as a scorer and wasn’t able to finish when he did. Mitchell went just 4-10 in the paint and had 19 points on 7-17 shooting.
Typically, the Cavs have lost when Mitchell doesn’t produce as a scorer. During the regular season, they were 7-11 when he played and scored 21 or fewer. That trend continued in the playoffs as he was held under 21 points in both losses this series.
Unlike Game 4, Mitchell didn’t force the issue. He let the game come to him more than he typically has during the playoffs, saying that sometimes the best offense is standing away from the ball and creating room for others with how Toronto is guarding him.
“I’ve done this at a high level in the playoffs, I’ve scored a lot of points,” Mitchell said. “I could score zero, and if we win the game, we advance. Excuse my language, I don’t give a damn.”
While this is the right attitude and possibly not one Mitchell has had throughout his entire career, the simple truth is that the Cavs will need him to score more at some point in the playoffs. This team is built around him carrying the scoring load. He hasn’t been able to do that in the last few games against Toronto.
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Inserting Max Strus into the starting lineup for Dean Wade didn’t work. The Cavs lost the 10 minutes Strus played with the core four by 11. This has been a trend throughout the series as the Cavs have now lost the minutes with that lineup by 24 points in 23 minutes.
Atkinson said before the game that it’s difficult to put too much stock in lineup data from a sample size this small. He also mentioned that the idea to go with Strus wasn’t because of anything Wade did, but more so to give the starters a boost with additional playmaking and shooting.
Usually, you don’t change a starting lineup after a playoff win, but this might be the exception. The Cavs have opened better with Wade than they have with Strus thus far.
Atkinson also decided to keep Keon Ellis on the bench. That move makes sense given Toronto’s size on the wing and the fact that the Cavs already have too many shooting guards to give minutes to.
Losing Brandon Ingram really hurt the Raptors. He left the game in the first half with a heel injury. We don’t know if he’ll be available for Game 6, but we do know the Raptors offense struggled mightily without him.
After scoring 74 points in the first half, the Raptors registered just 46 in the second. This included putting up 17 in the fourth quarter on 7-28 shooting (25%).
Even though Ingram hasn’t found his shot in this series, he’s helped Toronto’s offense with the attention he’s drawn. The Cavs have consistently sent two to the ball or have used their best wing defender in Wade to stop him. Both of these things help his teammates, as does the shot-creation he provides.
There’s a cascading effect with injuries. Losing starting point guard Immanuel Quickley shifted some of the playmaking responsibilities. Part of that fell to Ingram.
Now, the Raptors will need to pick up the facilitating burden that transferred to Ingram while also trying to replace their leading scorer throughout the regular season. In Game 5, that put even more of a burden on Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
Both Barnes and Barrett had a difficult time in the second half after being lights out in the first two quarters. Barnes went from putting up 14 points on 6-10 shooting with eight assists in the first half, to having just six points on 0-6 shooting in the second. Meanwhile, Barrett went from scoring 13 points on 5-8 shooting to having just 12 points on 4-11 shooting in the second half.
This shouldn’t be surprising. The defense was able to key in on Barnes and Barrett much more easily.
We’ll see whether or not Ingram can go in Game 6, but if he can’t, the Raptors will have a difficult time generating consistent offense.
There’s a common theme in the Cavs wins and losses — the outcome has coincided with how well Mobley has played.
The Cavs turned momentum around at the end of the third quarter when Mobley went on a 5-0 run in the closing seconds to make it a three-point deficit heading into the fourth. A three at the start of the fourth then gave the Cavs a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Mobley’s offense was at the center of their second-half comeback. He contributed 16 of his 23 points in the final two quarters. Nine of those were from three-balls that he confidently knocked down despite being hesitant to take outside shots throughout the series.
The Cavs passed the test in Game 5. They weathered an up-and-down first half to take a commanding 3-2 lead in the series. It was the response that Atkinson was looking for from his group.
“We’re trying to get over the hump, we’re trying to get to the next level,” Atkinson said. “That’s a real mental challenge to me, especially in a Game 5, 2-2. These are high-pressure elements. You’re down. You feel the crowd getting nervous. So I think we took a step tonight.”
This game wasn’t pretty. But there’s no style points in the playoffs. The final result is all that matters. This time, the Cavs found a way to do that. And given this group’s track record in the playoffs, that isn’t something to knock them for.
At the same time, it’s fair to acknowledge that they still aren’t playing up to their incredible talent level. This is a highly skilled team that fits together well on paper and has at times throughout the regular season. Whether or not they can figure out how to get that to come through consistently in the playoffs will determine how long this run lasts.
At the very least, this was a step forward from where things were after Game 4.
“We didn’t sit here and think we’re coming out 4-0,” Mitchell said. “We weren’t going 16-0. This is a test. The same test we’ve been talking about all season, and we responded tonight.”
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, watches from the bench with guard Austin Reaves,second from right with head bowed. during the fourth quarter of Gsme 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
There have been 159 times an NBA team has led a series three games to none.
There have been 159 times that team has won the series.
Marvel in that statistic. Appreciate its power. Wax in its endurance. Embrace its existence.
Because the Lakers are two losses from blowing it to bits.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves tries to control the ball under pressure from Rockets guard Amen Thompson during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
This is not really happening, is it? The Lakers aren’t really on the verge of messing up a three-games-to-none lead to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, are they?
It’s happening. With a glare and a snarl and youthful athleticism, the wrong side of history beckons.
Like Reed Sheppard wrestling the ball out of LeBron James’ hands in the final minutes, the Rockets are in the process of stealing this.
Like three-point misses from James and Austin Reaves in the final minute, the Lakers are on the verge of bricking this.
With a 99-93 loss in Game 5 of the first round at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night, the Lakers have seen a historically insurmountable lead shrink to three-games-to-two while turning some recent words from the Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. into temporary reality.
““We’re obviously the better team,” Smith Jr. told reporters earlier this week. “I just feel like from top to bottom…we’re the better team.”
Even without injured star Kevin Durant, who hasn’t played in either of their two wins?
Even with — and this really hurts — the Wednesday return of Reaves?
Right now, the answer is a resounding yes.
To which James, when told of Smith’s statements, just shook his head.
“I don’t care about …that, bro,” he told reporters after the loss. “The game is won in between the four lines. I don’t give a damn. Who cares? Of course you say it. What would you say, ‘Oh, we’re not the better team.’ I don’t….Ask one of them young guys that question. I’m too old for that.”
The answers were a bit more concise from JJ Redick. The Lakers coach who was so inspirational at the beginning of this series has been reduced to spouting simple math.
“It’s the first team to win four games in a series,” he said. “We happened to win the first three. They happened to win the last two. We have to be better.”
James has to be better. After carrying the team for the first three games, he looks exhausted, and it is the Lakers who are now carrying him. Although he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and 25 overall, he missed all three of his fourth-quarter trey attempts and lost the ball to Sheppard in the key turnover of the game.
LeBron James loses the ball to Rockets guard Reed Sheppard late in Game 5. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A layup from James had cut a once-13-point margin to three, then Sheppard sank a runner before stealing the ball from James and proceeding to go solo on a fast-break dunk to give the Rockets an edge they never lost.
“Obviously, we’ve got to learn from our mistakes,” James said. “I think we made some mistakes tonight. Too many unforced mistakes.”
Marcus Smart, another early-series hero, has to be better. He made twice as many turnovers (6) as baskets (3) and, like James, the 12-year veteran looked worn down from the effort exerted last week.
Luke Kennard, the surprise playoff star, has to be better. Heck, he has to just show up. He was invisible for a second consecutive game Wednesday with exactly one point on exactly four shots.
Then there Reaves, who took the floor in the first quarter to a huge ovation after missing nearly a month with a Grade 2 left oblique strain. It’s hard to fault him amid the obvious rust, but he did miss 12 of his 16 shots and six of his eight three-point attempts, including two big bricks late.
“I thought he was aggressive..did a good job of driving..he’ll find his rhythm,” said Redick of Reaves.
Austin Reaves vies for the rebound against Rockets guard Amen Thompson and forward Tari Eason in the first quarter of Game 5. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
As usual, Reaves shouldered more than his share of the blame.
“I missed a lot of easy looks,” he said, later adding. “You know, I wish I could, you know, get a little bit more of a rhythm before jumping into the fire like that.”
The uneven Lakers’ night was epitomized by those two plays from Sheppard that put the kibosh on the momentum from an 11-1 Lakers run and set up the Rockets for a fairly smooth landing. You know, unlike the earlier game when they blew a six-point lead in the last 30 seconds.
Think about that. The Lakers are lucky they’re not on the verge of losing this series. And after another turnover fest — 15 errors, 18 Rockets points — they’re lucky they haven’t blown this series already.
You know the part where the schedule makers say the game is, “If Necessary?” What’s necessary is for the Lakers to win Friday. They want no part of Sunday, even at home. Too many weird things can happen. Enough weird things have happened already.
“Once we get on that plane and head down to Houston we’ve got to forget about it and understand what we are going for and it’s going to be even harder,” James said. “Every game is hard. It’s so hard to close out a team in the postseason, to win a series and this is our first time doing it as a unit. So, we’ll see what we got.”
LeBron James looked exhausted near the end of Game 5. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
What they had was enough early, the Lakers riding the spark from Reaves to grab as much as an 11-point lead in the first quarter.
But the excitement quickly wore off, as the Rockets began the second quarter taking advantage of Laker turnovers, rolling to a 9-0 run and taking the lead midway through the quarter. The quarter was best illustrated in the final minutes when two Rockets swiped the ball from Reaves and Amen Thompson wound up standing alone under the basket for a layup that eventually led to a 51-47 halftime edge.
The Rockets kept up the surge in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers by five while continually applying the pressure that resulted in the necessity of a big Laker fourth-quarter comeback. Which they didn’t have in them.
Trailing by four in the final 20 seconds, James rushed up a three-point attempt that clanked, and that was that.
“Try to flush this one,” said James.
Push hard on that handle. Very hard. Historically hard.
Rugby league veteran to stay at NRL club amid horror start to season
Specialists say coaching ability not affected in immediate future
Craig Bellamy has been diagnosed with an unspecified neurodegenerative disorder but will remain as coach of Melbourne Storm in the immediate future, the club has said.
The club issued a statement 24 hours out from Melbourne’s NRL clash with the Dolphins in Brisbane, with the 66-year-old Bellamy recently undergoing a series of medical tests.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 29: Chris Devenski #57 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made several roster moves this week, particularly with their bullpen, which has been off to a not-so-perfect start. First, they DFA’d righty Ryan Harbin to make room for righty Chris Devenski. The Bucs had to make room for Devenski on the 26 and the 40-man, so it was Harbin who took the red ticket.
Harbin has been injured and wasn’t expected back until late May at the earliest, and that sadly meant bye-bye, and unfortunate reality of sports injuries for non-stars.
Cam Sanders was also brought up a few days ago, replacing Braxton Ashcraft who is out on family bereavement. Again, they exchanged a righty for a righty. But they also called up lefty Hunter Barco, while optioning righty Wilber Dotel this week.
They then sent down Barco when Devenski got called up. Barco allowed 5 runs in 4.2 innings versus the St. Louis Cardinals and now has an ERA of 7.71 in just five appearances. Devenski, who is a 10-year veteran, gave up two hits and a run in last night’s loss to the Cards. Not a good start for Devenski, as the Bucs look to tighten up a bullpen that currently has more blown saves than actual saves.
Don’t expect too much roster action at the top of the pen, where Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson and Yohan Ramirez have gotten the bulk of the work, but the Bucs need some help in the long and middle relief category and on the edges of the bullpen, where we’re likely to see guys bouncing in and out as the Bucs look for a better combination to help solidify what has been, to this point, a team weakness on the season.
CHICAGO - MAY 19: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a jump shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1992 NBA Playoffs at Chicago Stadium on May 19, 1992 in Chicago, Illinois. 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 1991 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Michael Jordan/LeBron James GOAT debate is heating up again, thanks largely to King James, who had a few things to say about it.
They’re very different players, as James rightly notes, but we’re in the Jordan camp for several reasons.
First, as Muggsy Bogues pointed out, consider their weaknesses. For James, it’s free-throw shooting, basic shooting mechanics, turnovers (it’s not generally understood that one of his records is that he is the all-time turnover king in the NBA. Part of that is due to his extraordinary longevity, but still), and his mid-range game is not really all that great. And he also doesn’t move a lot when he doesn’t have the ball.
Now, as Muggsy asked, what are Jordan’s weaknesses? His fundamentals are as sound as anyone who ever played the game. Shooting? Check. Rebounding? Check. Defense? Check+. Ballhandling was a weakness, but he attacked it and made it a strength.
You can absolutely argue that Jordan wasn’t a phenomenal passer, but he was a lethal weapon with the ball. And when he wanted to pass, he could dazzle. But who would you rather have shoot, Jordan or Dennis Rodman? Jordan or BJ Armstrong? Jordan or Horace Grant?
Of course you’d pick Jordan.
Jordan’s talent was off the charts, and he also has huge hands, which helped a lot. He was also arguably the best defender of his day.
However, Jordan’s greatest asset as a basketball player was his extraordinary competitive desire.
The Chicago Bulls would not let him lift weights with Horace Grant, because they were scared he would hurt himself trying to outwork the much bigger Grant. He also didn’t move from team to team in search of a better supporting cast. He elevated his own team instead.
None of this is to say that James is not a great player. He’s very, very good.
However, if they played in the same era, Jordan would have chewed his own leg off if it meant beating James. In every sense, he was on a different level.
It’s late March when Jordan Walsh plops down in a director’s chair in a theater where we are taping interviews with the members of the Celtics. It’s one day before Walsh, who at times earlier in the 2025-26 season felt like he was finally on the path to consistent playing time, will log his sixth consecutive DNP.
Walsh started 20 consecutive games from Nov. 12 to Jan. 1, raising eyebrows around the league with his relentless energy and defensive potential. But his playing time slowly evaporated, culminating with this late-March dry spell.
As Walsh waited his turn in our chair, he was punching away at his phone. On the other end was former Celtics forward Xavier Tillman, who played sparingly here over two-plus seasons but never let a lack of floor time dictate his attitude and approach. Tillman was ready whenever called upon, including in key spots during the team’s 2024 NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks.
Walsh learned a lot about what it means to be an elite teammate and a true professional by watching the way Tillman carried himself in Boston. Tillman got dealt to Charlotte in a series of cost-cutting moves at the February trade deadline.
But Walsh continues to lean on Tillman’s wisdom in the aftermath.
“We talk all the time, even if it’s not basketball-related,” said Walsh. “Sometimes it’s just me sending him Instagram reels of funny stuff and him sending something back. Or like food — we talk about food a lot, too. It’s just random stuff but I think that’s a big part, too.
“[Tillman is] a guy who’s removed from our organization and is technically competing against us now, [but he’s] still looking out for the best for me and trying to give his help as a vet. I think it’s huge.”
How ironic, then, that just a couple days after our chat, Walsh returned to the lineup, making a spot start against Tillman’s Hornets. In fact, Walsh made 10 straight appearances to close out the regular season (including five starts) while reaffirming his ability to help Boston with his defensive tenacity and energetic rebounding.
Being ready for the moment helped Walsh state a case for postseason playing time. He’s appeared in all five games for Boston in these playoffs, often being an early sub tasked with chasing All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey through a never-ending gauntlet of screens. But Walsh dutifully fights through every Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid pick as if staying attached to Maxey is the key to his survival.
Entering Game 6 of an Eastern Conference first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, and with the Celtics facing a second chance to close out an Atlantic Division rival Thursday night, Walsh leads Boston’s playoff regulars in defensive field goal percentage differential, holding his opponents to 9.5 percent below expected output.
Opponents are shooting 36.4 percent when Walsh is the primary defender, per NBA tracking. Chasing Maxey is a thankless and nearly impossible task. Maxey has generated 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting with two turnovers and a blocked shot while defended by Walsh. All other Sixers players are 2-of-9 shooting with four points when Walsh is the primary defender.
Look at this defense from Jordan Walsh on Tyrese Maxey
In December, players like Austin Reaves were raving about how Walsh could be “one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.” After limited playing time in his first two seasons in green, Walsh finally seemed to be carving out a role.
But Walsh stayed engaged even when his playing time evaporated, as head coach Joe Mazzulla cycled through all of Boston’s young wings at various points during the 2025-26 season.
“I think a big part of it is understanding that, if you’re not playing, you’re still holding onto the rope,” said Walsh. “You’re still a kind of support beacon of hope, almost, you could say, for the team and for guys. At no point are you left out. At least in this organization, there’s never a point where I felt like I was left out, or not in consideration or not being thought of or protected.
“So just knowing that, at every point, you’re still a part of the machine, whether your cog is [big or small], you’re still a part of it and, with you, it moves the machine forward.”
And when his playing time became sparse, Walsh leaned on Tillman.
Hearing his point of view … it helps you stay sane. … It keeps you here, keeps you focused.
Jordan Walsh on Xavier Tillman
“Obviously it’s big because, like I told you, I never felt like I was given up on. A guy I talked to a lot is Xavier,” said Walsh. “He’s been in this situation. Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but he was here for two years, didn’t play most of the year, goes in the Finals against the Mavs, hits a really big shot.
“So hearing his point of view, and I’m talking to Al [Horford], talking to guys that are here, [Jaylen Brown] — JB and me [are] always going back and forth. It’s a big part of it. It helps you stay sane, you don’t lose yourself in the, ‘I’m not playing,’ or ‘I am playing,’ and these guys still support you. So it keeps you here, keeps you focused.”
The Celtics are outscoring the Sixers by 23.5 points per 100 possessions with Walsh on the floor this postseason. Boston’s defensive rating is 8.4 points per 100 possessions better during Walsh’s court time, with the team posting a 103.8 defensive rating in his 65 minutes.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, who selected Walsh 38th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, knew Walsh would maximize his opportunities.
“I think Jordan has always been probably as talented a young player, physically — especially on the defensive end — that we’ve had,” said Stevens. “But he just got thrust into a team that nobody was going to play on. So it’s been good to see him take advantage of these opportunities. But you could kind of see that coming over time.”
Walsh has produced multiple highlight-worthy hustle sequences in the postseason, including one scramble for an offensive rebound in Philadelphia that ignited the entire Celtics bench.
It’s not easy to come off the bench and chase Maxey, but Walsh does what he’s asked. The Celtics have outscored the Sixers by 45 points in Walsh’s floor time in the three wins.
Tillman’s time in Boston might have ended in February, but his impact lives on in Boston through Walsh.
Before her first Miami Grand Prix in charge, Nowak opens up on F1’s boom time in the US and flying the flag for women in the sport
There is an air of buoyant confidence about Katharina Nowak that is striking but also understandable given the robust state of Formula One in the United States and at the Miami Grand Prix, where the 29-year-old who is at the helm of the race believes the sport only has more to come.
“F1 is at its strongest right now that we’ve seen, the interest in F1 is still going up and will go further,” she says in the buildup to this weekend’s meeting in Florida. “From my seat at the table, we are seeing the interest continue to grow.
Apr 29, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; The New York Yankees team staff and manager Aaron Boone (17) check on left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) after Dominguez is hit by pitch during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Jasson Domínguez took a pitch off his left elbow Wednesday afternoon and left the game shortly after. X-rays taken at the stadium were inconclusive so the Yankees are sending Jasson for a CT scan. For his part, he doesn’t sound too concerned, publicly at least. When asked, Domínguez commented, “As of right now, I don’t feel any concern.”
Aaron Boone meanwhile is hoping it’s just bruising but it’s too early to know much of anything, though it’s hard to not be a little worried about the vague results of the X-rays. Regardless, it’s safe to expect that The Martian will be out of the lineup for at least a couple days.
MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: Speaking of injury, ace Gerrit Cole is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Wednesday, he made his third rehab start, pitching for Double-A Somerset. Cole went 5.2 innings on Wednesday, throwing 60 pitches. He has gone from 44 pitches to 52 to 60. At those increments, Cole could perhaps have four more rehab starts, building his pitch count into the low 90s. But that’s just speculation. The Yankees have long looked at a late-May/early-June debut for Cole and that seems to be where he is trending.
The Athletic | Rustin Dodd ($): As part of a series where they look at sports duos handle high pressure, The Athletic talked to former Yankees and current YES booth mates David Cone and Joe Girardi. The latter caught more of Coney’s starts than any other catcher, most famously Cone’s perfect game. And that’s what Dodd asks them about. How they handled the pressure that day. There’s a lot of fun stuff behind the paywall but two things in particular jumped out. First, the two were so synced that Cone did not shake off Giradi until the ninth inning and only did so once. Second, you get a real sense from Girardi that he really wanted Cone to get that perfect game to the finish line.
MLB.com | Jason Foster: Somehow, we’re already 20-percent of the way through the season. As the calendar is about to turn to May, MLB surveyed 39 people to get their thoughts on the Cy Young races in each league. In both leagues, they’ve gone chalk, with Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes favored to win their respective leagues. But the Yankees are very well represented. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried place third and fourth in the ballot, with Cam’s strikeout numbers and Fried’s innings total jumping out in the early going.
This season never really gave the Golden State Warriors a stable version of themselves. It kept shifting with players in, players out, lineups changing, roles stretching past where they were supposed to go. Some nights it looked functional, some nights it didn’t, and most of the time it felt like they were figuring it out in real time with no guarantee it would ever settle.
But every now and then, something cut through all of that.
A game where the chaos stopped mattering for a while. Where one player found a rhythm strong enough to pull everything else into place, even if it was only for one night. And nobody planned for a night like this. Not the team, not the player, and definitely not the guy who spends three quarters missing everything he normally makes.
Nikola Jokic was doing what he does, stacking up a 35-point, 20-rebound, 12-assist triple-double like it barely required effort, the kind of performance that usually decides the game by itself. The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, were operating with nine available players and a starting lineup that felt more like a group project than a rotation, no Stephen Curry, no Jimmy Butler III, no Draymond Green, just whoever was upright and ready to go.
And for a while, it worked in a way that almost made you suspicious. They hit everything early, moved the ball cleanly, scored 76 in the first half with 15 threes, and built a lead that felt a little too functional for the circumstances. It looked like one of those nights where everyone does their job and the math holds up long enough to get you out of the building.
Then the third quarter showed up and reminded everyone what kind of team they actually were. Thirteen straight missed threes, a 34–19 swing, the lead gone, the rhythm gone, and Jokic starting to take the game apart in that slow, methodical way that makes it feel like there was never really a choice involved.
Somewhere inside all of that, Brandin Podziemski had one made field goal. He was 1-for-10 through three quarters, had more turnovers than baskets, and had spent most of the night doing the right things just in time to watch them not matter. The kind of game where you start thinking about fixing it instead of playing it.
He never really did that. He just kept arriving at the same spots and trusting that eventually the ball would cooperate. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, and the run that followed, 20–2 to close the game, didn’t feel like a burst as much as a slow takeover that nobody interrupted.
Brandin Podziemski 18 Points, 15 Rebs, 9 Assists full highlight vs Nuggets I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/n0GjsIUPxY
That’s phenomenal, especially after missing nine of your first ten shots. Most players spend a night like that searching for a different answer. He waited for the same one to start working. He finished with 18 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, and nine assists, one short of a triple-double, which is a funny stat line for someone who essentially couldn’t buy a bucket for three quarters and then played perfectly when it mattered. And those 15 boards from a guy with the body of a point guard?? That’s insane grit.
That’s the part that stays with you. Not that he got hot, because players get hot all the time, but that he did it at the exact moment the game stopped offering second chances. When the lead was gone, Jokic had settled in, and the Warriors looked like they had already used up whatever margin they had to work with, Podz delivered.
But without Pavel Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights wouldn’t have made it to overtime. The winger recorded his first career playoff hat trick in a 5-4 win, including the game-tying goal with 52 seconds remaining in regulation.
With 37 goals in the regular season, Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in scoring for the second consecutive year. However, after a costly mistake in Game 4 on Monday, he rode the pine for most of the third period.
On Wednesday, he bounced back, and he did so in a big way.
“Players make big plays at key times,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella. “Perfect timing. It's good timing. He was fighting it a little bit, but he’s found his game. Hopefully, it’ll continue.”
Dorofeyev scored his first of the night on the power play with 41 seconds remaining in the first period. Tomáš Hertl made a play to find him all alone in the right circle, and Dorofeyev picked his spot.
French fries for my drive to Utah! Pavel is all alone in the right circle and beats Vejmelka clean.
His next two goals came because of his willingness to go to the net.
“Everything around that net, so many things are happening. It’s a big part of playoff hockey, protecting your blue and getting to the other blue,” said Tortorella. “The puck seems to find him when he’s on his game. I thought he’s done a really good job of the battles, too, as far as battling for pucks. You do stuff on the other part of the game, I think you get rewarded in the strength of the game.”
Dorofeyev’s second of the night came off an excellent drop-pass by Shea Theodore after Jack Eichel won an offensive zone draw. As Theodore pressed lower in the zone, Dorofeyev went to the net. When Theodore fed him a drop-pass from below the goal line, the winger roofed it.
Ew. Shea Theodore jukes Kevin Stenlund, dances below the goal line and hits Pavel Dorofeyev with a drop pass. Pavel is once again all alone and roofs it.
The Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker down 4-3 late in the third period. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka made the save on Jack Eichel’s one-timer and another on Reilly Smith’s second attempt. But once again, Pavel Dorofeyev was in the right place and ready to collect the change.
Throw the hats! Pavel Dorofeyev scores with the net empty.
“I was so fired up,” said Dorofeyev postgame. “It’s not [my first goal] in a tight game, but in playoff time, it feels so, so good.”
Dorofeyev played 23:34 in Game 5 and led the Golden Knights with five shots on goal. He also blocked two shots, finished the night as a +2, and wasn’t on the ice for any of Utah’s four goals.
“I think Dory’s game has been coming,” said Tortorella following the 5-4 overtime win. “Big credit to Dory. I’ve pushed him along here a little bit as far as his play. He’s handled himself really well, and found a way to be a star tonight in a big game.”
Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division)
Salt Lake City; Friday, 10 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -119, Mammoth -101; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Golden Knights lead series 3-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights look to clinch the first round of the NHL Playoffs over the Utah Mammoth in game six. The teams meet Wednesday for the ninth time this season. The Golden Knights won the last meeting 5-4 in overtime. Pavel Dorofeyev scored three goals in the victory.
Utah has gone 23-16-4 at home and 43-33-6 overall. The Mammoth have gone 43-11-2 when scoring three or more goals.
Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 20-15-8 record in road games. The Golden Knights have a 40-6-11 record in games they score at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Guenther has 39 goals and 34 assists for the Mammoth. Lawson Crouse has six goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
Dorofeyev has 37 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has scored six goals with four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mammoth: 4-4-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.1 assists, 4.1 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: day to day (upper-body).
Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
