There have been moments these playoffs where Victor Wembanyama has looked otherworldly. Like the best player on the planet. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was the perfect example, when he dropped 41 points with 24 rebounds and looked every bit the best player on the planet. Then there are nights like Game 5 on Tuesday: 4-of-15 shooting, 0-of-5 from 3 and just 4-of-9 in the paint. While he finished with 20 points (thanks to a dozen free throws), he did not impose his will on the game. Wembanyama was not the best player on the court, he wasn't the best player on his team.
"He's got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws. He's going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure..." Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "OKC did a good job. We've got to do a better job."
If San Antonio is going to advance to the NBA Finals, what is required of Wembanyama is both straightforward and incredibly arduous:
He has to be the best player on the court in a series against the defending champions led by the two-time MVP.
He was that in Games 1 and 4, and the Spurs won those two.
He was not in Game 5. He was again pushed out to the perimeter too often by Isaiah Hartenstein and did not dominate the paint like the Spurs needed. "It's a team defense," the Thunder's Jared McCain said of how they defended Wemby. "We talked about it. We made adjustments to it. We know that when he gets going, their whole team gets going."
His first playoffs
The criticism of Wembanyama's performance is both justified — he simply wasn't good enough in a pivotal game — and overlooks the simple fact that this is his first playoff run. At age 22.
Every future star's first playoff run is messy (Magic Johnson excepted). Kobe Bryant was airballing shots against the Jazz. LeBron James put up numbers but learned hard lessons about efficiency and physicality from the Pistons. On NBC's postgame show, Vince Carter and Trace McGrady recalled their first playoffs, when Carter shot 30%, McGrady 39%, and their Raptors were swept by the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets won one game in his first playoffs, when he shot 33%.
The stakes are higher for Wembanyama: If he isn't the best player on the court, the Spurs lose. That's happened three times in this series.
Now he has to turn that around and have back-to-back epic games — he has to play like he did in Games 1 and 4 — or San Antonio's season ends. That's a tall task against the best defense in the NBA, one that has made him uncomfortable like no other in this series.
But that's the air Wembanyama has put himself in, a challenge he relishes.
It's just a big ask, especially in a first playoff run.
May 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) runs out to the mound for the top of the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Gerrit Cole will make his second start of the season tonight in Kansas City, coming off a season debut on Friday that went about as smooth as we could expect. While he didn’t get to throw quite as much as he would have liked, all signals are green that there should be no real restrictions against the Royals, and we’re free to speculate on the impact Cole will have on the rotation going forward. I don’t think we are going to get 2019 Gerrit Cole, but if he’s the third-best pitcher behind talent like Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, that is a rotation that will be damn hard to beat.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankee bullpen has been the topic of much conversation this year, inarguably the weakest unit on the team. One of the questions around the group is how its constructed, currently carrying two guys that could feasibly be starters. Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough are at their best when they’re working multiple innings, but neither have been so spectacular that there aren’t alternatives within the Yankee system, especially given the current group’s lack of velocity and whiff.
The Athletic | Brandon Kuty ($): We’re past the one-third mark of the season, and the Memorial Day weekend always seems a natural time to take stock of a baseball team. The 2026 Yankees seem to be a top and bottom heavy squad overall, with more than their share of straight-A students in Cam Schlittler, Aaron Judge, Ben Rice and others, and far too many players that would receive failing grade…and then there’s Austin Wells, whose parents would likely be getting a phone call.
The Sporting News | TJ French: Ryan McMahon may be in trouble. In two straight games the third baseman was sat, Monday in favor of José Caballero and benched Tuesday to give Amed Rosario a start, while Anthony Volpe manned shortstop in both games. McMahon has failed to find any kind of stick with the Yankees, and while he is a talented defender, there’s only so much value there when you’re leaving runs on the table 3 times a game.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 26: Relief pitcher Will Dion #98 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the seventh inning of his major league debut against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field on May 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Nationals defeated the Guardians 6-3. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Left-handed hitters entered Tuesday batting .336 off of Nationals SP Cade Cavalli. The Guardians put 9 left-handed hitters in their lineup. The Guardians had 5 hits and 1 run off Cavalli in 6 innings.
The Guardians hitters can not do anything besides draw walks right now. So in back to back games the Nationals have just decided to throw strikes. Normally, you’d worry about those strikes getting hit, but… lol.
One Guardian who is not seeing strikes is Kyle Manzardo. Because why would you throw him a strike when he’s swinging at 3 pitches in the dirt every time he comes to the plate?
For the second straight game, the Nats only needed to use 2 pitchers. Sad.
On the bright side, Will Dion made his MLB debut after a number of years in the system. Dion was promoted earlier in the day, taking Logan T. Allen’s place on the 26-man.
National coach Andrew McDonald remains hopeful that Nathan Lyon will recover from his injury before the Test series against Bangladesh, but stopped short of guaranteeing the veteran spinner’s selection if available.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives around Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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
Following a dominant defensive performance from the Spurs Sunday night to even the series at 2, that same intensity was nowhere to be found in game 5, resulting in a 127-114 loss that has the good guys on the brink of elimination.
With Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams still out, OKC started Jared McCain in their stead. It was a sloppy start for both teams, as they combined for seven turnovers in the first four minutes of the contest. The Thunder made it a priority to get Chet going offensively, leading to him starting 4/4. On the other end, Julian Champagnie hit three consecutive threes — a welcome sight given that he’d been ice cold in the series up to that point. San Antonio’s defensive coverage was similar to that from game 4, gapping against Shai but throwing aggressive traps at certain times, while Wemby was mainly matched up against OKC’s bigs. The Spurs’ bench minutes were a mixed bag, as usual. Carter Bryant scored five quick points before giving five back from defensive mistakes against Shai, who was ice cold until then.
Unfortunately, the turnover issues continued for San Antonio. The young guards lost the ball multiple times by getting too loose around the Thunder’s perimeter hawks, and Castle’s hail-mary passes were picked off on a few occasions too. The Spurs’ offense became stagnant, forcing bad shots with no off-ball movement. Surprisingly, this all happened with Shai getting an extended rest on the bench, and San Antonio didn’t make a run until he checked back in. The Spurs started attacking Shai offensively and used Wemby as a screener to force switches, leading to good shots for the Black & White. However, they didn’t find the Alien on any of those possessions, resulting in him going into the half with just six total shot attempts. On the other end, OKC’s role players began hitting shots again while Shai attempted eight free throws in the second quarter alone, resulting in the Thunder building a 69-58 lead at halftime.
Unfortunately, the third quarter couldn’t have started any worse for the Spurs. OKC came out on fire, scoring nine unanswered points to go up by 20, while San Antonio looked lifeless at both ends. McCain, in particular, came alive, scoring nine points in just four minutes after being played off the court in the first. Still, San Antonio refused to go away. The Spurs started playing with more intention, involving everyone on offense and creating good looks. In just a few minutes, San Antonio had cut the lead down to just seven, forcing OKC to call a timeout.
The teams traded blows after that, with the game becoming surprisingly sloppy. Turnovers became an issue again, as both sides tried to outrun the other to no avail. Wemby still had trouble getting good positioning on the offensive end, and the Spurs’ shooting went ice cold. Meanwhile, the Thunder regained their footing and made threes, a number of which were created from offensive boards. With OKC already up double digits, the Spurs couldn’t muster up a final run, resulting in Mitch Johnson taking the starters out with two minutes left and waving the white flag.
Game notes
The Spurs did a great job of hunting McCain and Jaylin Williams (the big), especially in the first quarter. They basically forced OKC to sub McCain out less than 10 minutes into the game, as he wasn’t able to provide the necessary secondary ballhandling on offense and was giving San Antonio easy drives to the rim. Unfortunately, this didn’t continue into the second half, as McCain got loose for nine quick points in the third. The Spurs will need to get back to what they did in the first if they want to take OKC’s role players out of the series again like they did in game 4.
The Carter Bryant experience is something to behold right now. He scored five quick points at the end of the first with a dunk and a step-back three, before leaving Shai of all people to help on an OKC role player, giving the MVP an open three and his first points of the game. Right after that, he then fouled Shai with 20s left for no reason, sending him to the line for two more points. Unsurprisingly, Barnes checked in for him soon after. The rookie giveth and the rookie taketh, I guess.
This was perhaps the worst playoff game of Wemby’s career so far. He finished with 20 points on 4-15 shooting and had just six rebounds, while registering a -8 — the first single-game negative for him in this series. The Alien looked completely gassed and barely got positioning around the rim offensively, even when OKC put wings and guards on him in the third. Let’s hope he can regain some juice in a do-or-die game 6 Thursday.
The only players with average or better performances were Castle and KJ. The former led all Spurs scorers with 24 on 7-11 shooting, and was the only consistent player even though some of his turnover issues resurfaced (though he finished with “just” 3). Meanwhile, KJ was somehow the only rotation player with a positive plus/minus of +3, and he finished with 15 on 7-13 shooting. I’ve been very tough on Big Body throughout this playoff run, but he deserves his due for keeping the Spurs somewhat in this game and refusing to give up regardless of the score. We’ll need to see a similar (if not better) performance from both if this series is going back to OKC for game 7.
Play of the game
Even in a bad game (for him), Wemby never fails to amaze.
The Spurs will play game 6 in Frost Bank Center on Thursday at 7:30mst. This team has risen to the challenge every step of the way, and I’m confident they’ll do it again to force a game 7 back in OKC.
Just over a year after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tortorella has already done several things many thought impossible.
Tortorella, 67, hopped out of the ESPN booth and behind the bench, taking over for Bruce Cassidy as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The result was a 7-0-1 finish to the regular season, and now a scintillating run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
At the time of Tortorella's hiring by the Golden Knights, many were concerned about the fit with former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, given the public's general view of Marner as a "soft" player who ran from the spotlight.
Instead, Marner is the playoffs' leading scorer with seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in just 16 games, with teammate Jack Eichel right behind with his 18 points in 16 games.
Even in Philadelphia with the Flyers, Tortorella made things work with Matvei Michkov, even if there were battles and benchings along the way.
In Vegas, Tortorella has also been reunited with former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, whose sudden departure to tend to the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case in 2024 was something Tortorella pointed to as the team crumbled in the months that followed.
After being found not guilty of the sexual assault charge and serving a suspension levied by the NHL, Hart has returned to form under his old Flyers coach, leading all goalies who have played past the first round with a .924 save percentage and a 12-4-0 record.
Now in the Stanley Cup Final, Tortorella, Hart, and the Golden Knights await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens series.
The late-inning reliever whipped out a version of the “suck it” crotch chop — made famous in the 1990s by the D-Generation X faction in WWF — after striking out Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson to end the top of the eighth in a 6-0 Milwaukee win.
After the game, Uribe alleged that Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol signaled in the prior game to hit certain Brewers players.
Abner Uribe celebrates the final out of in the eighth inning of the Brewers’ 6-0 win over the Cardinals at American Family Field on May 26, 2026 in Milwaukee. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Uribe got the first two outs of the inning before yielding a four-pitch walk to Iván Herrera and a single to Jordan Walker.
After the count went full to Burleson, Uribe got him looking with a low slider, which led to the three pumps chop celebration. Burleson challenged the call, and luckily for the Brewers reliever, the call was upheld.
Milwaukee skipper Pat Murphy didn’t mince words after the game — he didn’t like what he saw. At all.
“That’s unacceptable. Just unacceptable,” Murphy told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I don’t know what got over him, he’s been an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things. I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it in a 6-0 game? What are we doing? There must be something deeper that I don’t know about.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe (45) celebrates the final out of in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Murphy said that he does like Uribe but that he just won’t tolerate that type of celebration on the field. He said he talked to Uribe and speculated MLB could punish him in some shape or form.
Uribe said through an interpreter after the game that he owed an apology to his teammates and coaching staff after the game and that he understood the chop was “unacceptable.”
Nevertheless, he said Marmol apparently gestured on Monday that he wanted to hit Brewers players, so he wanted to have his Milwaukee teammates’ backs. He said there was an event before the game that also led to him expressing himself through the celebration, but he did not elaborate on what the event was.
“I don’t think it’s very professional for them to be making gestures like that,” Uribe said through the interpreter. “And I don’t think it’s right for any of my guys to be going out there with any sort of fear in their heads that we may be getting thrown at or they can’t play the game the way they want to be able to play.”
Herrera, who was on second during the celebration, called the chop “disrespectful” but hoped the Cardinals “take care of it and we move on,” according to the Belleville News-Democrat.
The teams play again on Wednesday afternoon, and this should add some extra intrigue.
May 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) runs after hitting a single during the third inning Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
It was Eric Lauer’s first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform — he’d only signed with them 17 days earlier — but he pitched like he’d been a part of the organization for years as the Dodgers made quick work of the Colorado Rockies in a 15-6 rout with a bizarre ninth inning.
Kyle Freeland has another a rough outing
It wasn’t the night Freeland had hoped for.
On one hand, he met a personal benchmark. He began the game 1.1 innings shy of reaching 1300 innings, which would make him the second pitcher in Rockies history (Aaron Cook is the other) to throw at least 1300 innings for the club. This goal, he achieved despite the loss. He is 13.2 innings short of Cook’s 1312.1 IP, the most in franchise history — a record he will surely break before the season ends.
On the other, Freeland struggled to keep the ball in the park and the Dodgers in the dugout.
He gave up a two-run home run to Mookie Betts (5) in the first.
In the third inning, he surrendered two more homers, one to Kiké Hernández (1) and another to Andy Pages (12). By the end of the third inning, the Dodgers had a 4-1 lead.
Things got worse in the fourth when Freeland allowed two hits before hitting Shohei Ohtani with a pitch and loading the bases. A wild pitch scored Miguel Rojas while a Pages double scored two more. Freeland managed to finish the fourth on 81 pitches, but the score was 8-1, and the Dodgers never looked back.
He finished the evening with a final line of 4.0 IP. Freeland allowed eight runs (all earned) on nine hits, three of them home runs. He did not issue any walks and struck out four.
His ERA is 8.08. He also managed to throw a “pitchergami.”
🚨 PITCHERGAMI 🚨
Kyle Freeland just threw a line that has NEVER happened in MLB history:
4.0 IP | 9 H | 8 ER | 0 BB | 4 K
COL @ LAD That's the 146th Pitchergami of 2026 and 1 of 83,370+ unique lines on record.
“Their right-handed hitters came ready to hit tonight,” said manager Warren Schaeffer.
“Tough for me to find location,” Freeland said, noting that the Dodgers had taken advantages of any mistakes he made.
The bullpen (mostly) fares no better
The Rockies utility pitcher Zach Agnos entered the game in the fifth inning, but he fared no better than Freeland had. By the end of the fifth inning, the score was 10-1 Dodgers and Ohtani had left the game to prepare for his Wednesday start.
Things did not improve in the sixth when Agnos gave up a three-run homer to Betts (6), and the score was 13-1 with no outs.
Smith followed with a two-run homer of his own (5), making the score 16-1, a season high for the Dodgers.
Agnos lasted only two innings. He allowed six runs and seven hits (all earned) with one run and one struck out on 42 pitches.
On a more positive note, Reliever Welinton Herrera scored his first career strikeout against Dalton Rushing, who promptly burned one of the Dodgers ABS challenges to learn that he had, definitively, struck out.
He also struck out Freddie Freeman. Herrera had a final line of 1.0 IP with two strikeouts, one hit, and no runs.
“The arm’s alive,” Schaeffer said, adding that the Rockies were pleased to have him on their roster.
The eighth inning went to catcher-RHP Brett Sullivan in what would be his third relief appearance of 2026. Sullivan allowed one hit but no runs in 1.0 IP.
The Rockies avoid a shutout
The Rockies fell behind after the first inning, but they quickly fought back.
However, they had a quick answer in the second when Hunter Goodman led off with a homer of his own, making the score 2-1 Dodgers. (Of the 12 home runs he has hit this season, nine have been on the road, FWIW.)
They occasionally got runners on base — Willi Castro had two hits — but failed to score.
By the sixth inning, Schaeffer followed the lead of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and began pulling his starters.
As for Eric Lauer, he went 6.0 IP, allowing one run (earned) on one hit. He walked one and struck out four on 96 pitches.
“We just didn’t have an answer for him tonight,” Schaeffer said.
The Rockies never touched the Dodgers bullpen until position player Miguel Rojas pitched the ninth when manager Dave Roberts (presumably) attempted to save his bullpen.
Then things got weird
Brett Sullivan hit his first home run of the year — as a pitcher no less.
The last Rockies pitcher to hit a home run? Germán Márquez on July 31, 2021. Sullivan was also the first pitcher, other than Shohei Ohtani, to hit a home run in 2026.
The Rockies promptly began a rally of sorts. Braxton Fulford and Jake McCarthy singled followed by a Kyle Karros home run, making the score 15-5. Troy Johnston followed that up with a double.
Suddenly, the Dodgers had their bullpen warming as Sterlin Thompson hit a single to score Johnston, and the Rockies loaded the bases and batted around the order.
With two outs, Sullivan came very close to hitting a grand slam, but the ball died at the warning track.
Game over, 15-6.
“We never want to be in that position when they’re throwing a position player at us,” Schaeffer said. “But every at-bat in the big leagues counts.”
The Rockies finished the evening with six runs on 12 hits. They walked twice and struck out seven times.
With the Colorado Avalanche being swept and ending their season, it was a grim night for Denver sports.
Get some sleep, everyone.
Up Next
Join us tomorrow for Game 3 at 8:10 pm when Tomoyuki Sugano will face Shohei Ohtani in a must-watch baseball game. (Seriously, there will be global interest in this one as a Japanese pitching legend takes on the greatest player on earth.)
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) and center Nathan MacKinnon (29) congratulate Vegas Golden Knights. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
One week ago, the Colorado Avalanche looked like they were cruising toward another deep playoff run. Now they’re heading home earlier than anyone expected after getting swept out of the Western Conference Final by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche fell 2-1 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, completing a four-game series win for Vegas that few people saw coming given how the playoffs started for Colorado.
This was supposed to be the year Colorado pushed all the way. They opened the season on an incredible 31-2-7 run, rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and entered this series as one of the clear favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Instead, everything came apart in just over a week.
Vegas, meanwhile, found its rhythm at exactly the right time. A team that was fighting just to stay in the playoff picture late in the regular season ended up completely controlling the series and punching its ticket back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Game
It was a cautious start by both teams but Vegas got on the board first as Mark Stone got behind the defense just under five minutes into the game. It was one of their first shots on goal and Mackenzie Blackwood settled into the net from that point forward. Still, Vegas took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission after a fairly balanced first period.
In the second the Avalanche couldn’t get much going and fired only six shots on goal despite earning a power play and then controlling play for a little while after. Vegas also didn’t score and had a power play themselves. A 1-0 Vegas lead wasn’t insurmountable at that point after 40 minutes of play.
The third period was a continuation of the first but both teams weren’t generating much offense. Vegas got the crucial second goal, though from Coke Smith. From that point on they could lock down the game. Gabe Landeskog gave Colorado a glimmer of hope with three minutes to go and cut the lead but they never could find the equalizer. A sweep, a completely collapse and a final 2-1 loss.
A Series That Got Away From Colorado Fast
Game 4 summed up the series pretty well. Vegas struck early when Mark Stone got behind the defense and scored on a breakaway just a few minutes into the first period.
Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start of the series, kept things from getting out of hand early. He made several big saves and was probably the reason the game stayed close as long as it did. This series was never about goaltending, though.
But offensively, Colorado just never really found its footing.
There were long stretches where the Avalanche couldn’t generate much of anything. At one point, they went nearly 30 minutes of game time with just one shot on goal. For a team that’s built around speed and scoring, that’s a tough stat to explain.
Injuries, Pressure, and a Quiet Offensive Struggle
It’s worth noting the Avalanche weren’t at full strength. Nathan MacKinnon played through an injury he picked up in Game 3, and Valeri Nichushkin was out after getting hurt earlier in the series. Other key players like Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen also weren’t at 100%.
Still, even with that context, this was a tough series for Colorado’s offense overall.
They weren’t able to consistently break through Vegas’ defensive structure, which clogged up the middle of the ice and made it hard to create clean chances. That part isn’t surprising — Vegas has been doing that to teams all postseason — but the extent of the struggle definitely was.
And honestly, the overall effort in Game 4 will be hard to ignore. For a team with this much talent, it just wasn’t there often enough when it mattered.
A Painful Finish to a Promising Season
The Avalanche had built a reputation this season for being nearly unbeatable in certain situations. Before Game 2 of this series, they were 45-0 when leading after two periods. Before Game 3, they were 52-0 when leading by multiple goals.
But those numbers didn’t matter once the series got away from them.
Game by game, Vegas chipped away at their confidence. Colorado had leads slip away, momentum disappear, and eventually just couldn’t recover.
Last year ended in heartbreak too, but this year feels different — more abrupt, more complete, and harder to explain.
Blow it all up. No one should feel safe after this historic embarrassment.
Brad Scott’s exit from North Melbourne in 2019 was very different from his sacking at Essendon this week. “Brad’s offer to step aside is nothing short of selfless and honourable – terms befitting his character,” Kangaroos president Ben Buckley said at the time. “There’s nothing but blue sky for North,” Scott said. He said it three times. He thanked the individual board members, the coterie groups and even the media. But many thought he had left North’s list in tatters. David King called him “a visitor”. Certainly the backside completely fell out of the Roos in the years after he left.
Scott wasn’t at the press conference announcing his departure from the Bombers on Tuesday. Most agree that he wasn’t the right fit, and probably never had been. He’d never been fully embraced by Essendon people, or the senior players. There was always a lingering doubt over the state he left North Melbourne in. There was always the sense that he was an outsider.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from another trip to the NBA Finals.
The Thunder overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, May 26, in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, 127-114, to seize a 3-2 lead in the series.
By no means was this a clean game exemplary of Oklahoma City’s ability, but the Thunder adjusted to San Antonio’s plan to get Victor Wembanyama going, frustrating him to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 32 points, though the Thunder had three different players score at least 20.
The Spurs need Victor Wembanyama to be far more assertive
And San Antonio needs him to work in the paint. Wembanyama loitered along the perimeter far too much to be forceful on offense. Granted, Oklahoma City adjusted its physicality on Wembanyama, but his response to that, for the most part, was to avoid the low block.
In Game 5, Wembanyama took just 9 shots in the paint, making four of those. The Spurs have been at their best in this series when Wembanyama’s presence in the paint opens up the rest of the offense.
“We’re going to need to,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said when asked if there was more the team could do to get Wembanyama going. “He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws. Yeah, he’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure.”
When Wembanyama settles, it also seems like the rest of his teammates do, too. San Antonio lacked juice throughout the entire game, and it was only when he activated them during an impassioned huddle on the bench that the Spurs showed some fight.
“I think they send so many bodies at him it’s hard at times, and I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win,” Stephon Castle said of Wembanyama. “But yeah, he’s our best player, so we need him to be aggressive. And him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”
With their season on the line, Wembanyama will need to be the one to spark the Spurs.
When Thunder perimeter shots fall, they’re tough to beat
In Game 4, a 21-point Oklahoma City loss, the Thunder hit just 6-of-33 (18.2%) shots from beyond the arc. Tuesday night, the Thunder embraced efficiency from deep and didn’t force their looks. This time, they fell.
Oklahoma City hit 14-of-32 (43.8%) from beyond the arc. And while that was only two more 3-point conversions than the Spurs hit, San Antonio had to strafe the rim with 41 attempts to get there.
It’s not just the shot making, it’s what it does for the entire offense. That creates better spacing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to attack the rim and it gets role players going.
Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein deliver steady minutes
And steady is all Oklahoma City needs.
The pair combined to score 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting (70.6%). They also cleaned the glass, scooping 26 rebounds, nine of which were offensive.
This was a good sign, in particular for Holmgren, who had been struggling to score in the series. The Thunder actually started the game poorly, missing some easy looks. Holmgren, however, hit all four of his shot attempts in the first quarter and was a stabilizing force.
“He was really good,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Chet has all the tools, and everybody in our building and the league knows that. He’s a hell-of-a player. And as a player you’re going to go through ups and downs. I don’t ever worry about Chet just because I know how much he loves the game, how much he cares and how much he works.”
The longer this series goes, the better it is for the Knicks
The New York Knicks might eventually be underdogs in the NBA Finals, regardless of their opponent. Yet, they’ll have a clear and decisive advantage in at least one area.
By the time May wraps up, the Knicks will have played just eight games of basketball in the month. New York entered its decisive Game 4 blowout against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a completely clean injury report.
And now the Knicks are afforded the luxury of scouting these two teams from home. All the while, the Spurs and Thunder are expending enormous energy to prevail.
“This is up there with the best of them,” Holmgren said when asked where this series ranks on a list of physical ones he has played. “Our last three series last year were all just bloodbaths, both teams just beating each other up, and I’d say this is up there with that.”
The NBA season is a grind. These players began their preparations for this season in late September when training camps opened. This added rest will go a long way.
And, if the series goes to seven, that’s even better for the Knicks.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was hit on the right hand by a pitch and left the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
The two-way superstar was struck by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland in the fourth. Ohtani left after grounding out in the fifth. He was 0 for 2 with a run scored.
Ohtani is scheduled to start on the mound for the Dodgers in the series finale on Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts said before the game Tuesday that Ohtani likely would hit as well.
The Mets have played plenty of bad baseball this season, and Ron Darling sounded tired of watching it from the SNY booth.
The 1986 World Series champion pitcher ripped into left-hander David Peterson and what he believed to be a less-than-satisfactory reprimand to potentially come from the Mets coaching staff after the starting pitcher failed to back up a play at the plate in the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s 7-2 loss to the Reds at Citi Field.
The blunder, after Bo Bichette made a wild throw home as JJ Bleday scored, allowed Tyler Stephenson, who doubled on the play, to move to third on the throwing error.
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“I don’t understand it,” Darling said on the broadcast. “It really tells me that coaches really don’t have as much influence as the players as they think they have because someone should rip someone at some point. But they don’t because they don’t want to upset anyone. You have to back up bases every single time.”
The tough critique left an almost surprised play-by-play man, Gary Cohen, asking if Darling believed it would be addressed after the game “at all.”
Darling didn’t let up.
“It might be, but not addressed the way it should be addressed, because if it was addressed, Gary, it wouldn’t happen,” he said. “It happens every game. We just don’t point it out.”
Even the Mets booth thinks Carlos Mendoza should be out of a job.
Speaks volumes when one of the most ethical booths in sports speaks this poorly. pic.twitter.com/bYomdtybDP
New York Mets pitcher David Peterson reacts after Cincinnati Reds left fielder JJ Bleday scores as the ball gets passes New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens in the sixth inning on May 26, 2026. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza did tell reporters after the game that he would address the mistake with Peterson, who could be moving to a bullpen role with Sean Manaea starting to pitch more effectively as of late. Manaea allowed one run on three hits and fanned six in three innings of work.
“It can’t happen. Obviously, he knows that,” Mendoza said of Peterson’s mistake. “There’s no excuses for it. I haven’t talked to him about it, but obviously, there’s going to be a conversation. He knows he made a mistake.”
Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling throw out the ceremonial first pitches when the Mets played the Phillies on Aug. 26, 2025 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post
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Peterson has a 5.57 ERA after allowing six runs on 11 hits Tuesday night as the Mets dropped their fifth straight game to fall to 22-33, 15 games out of first place.
May 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) celebrates teammates Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll (7) and Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Tommy Troy (9) against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
The Dbacks were able to get their 9th win in the past 10 games Tuesday evening in San Francisco as they were able to beat the Giants 7-5. An all around win for a surging Dbacks team as they were able to get pitching as well as timely offense as this team just keeps rolling.
Eduardo Rodriguez was crafty tonight giving the Dbacks 6 innings while striking out 6 Giants and allowing just 2 earned runs despite maybe not having his best stuff. ERod got off to a little bit of a bumpy start with a long first inning and a couple of runs by the 3rd inning, but he settled in nicely getting some clutch outs as the game went on. This Dbacks starting rotation has continued to carry this team over the past several weeks as they seemingly give this team quality start after quality start and today was no exception.
The highlight of the night was Ketel Marte hitting an absolute moonshot on the day he was named the NL player of the week. The blast was simply incredible as it was a 2 run shot that traveled 452 feet. The fact that that blast happened at night at Oracle Park makes this swing the stuff of Dbacks lore. People will remember this hot streak that Ketel is on for a long time something is telling me.
It was not all highlights for the Dbacks tonight as unfortunately Nolan Arenado was lifted in the 8th inning due to groin tightness. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that this is something that will resolve itself after some rest. Arenado has been such a fixture in this lineup this season as a steading force in the cleanup spot and at 3rd base that any extended period of time without Arenado would be terrible. In the post game conference Torey said that Arenado is day-to-day, but he feels as though he is in a good spot and not getting any imaging. Arenado himself said that it was more precautionary than anything. Hopefully the Dbacks will dodge a bullet here.
I also wanted to note that Paul Sewald picked up his 13th save of the season on his 36th birthday tonight. Despite giving up a home run tonight, he definitely deserves some praise on his birthday as he has flat out gotten the job done as the closer in the early going saving 13 of 14 opportunities. He may not always be flawless, but he is a great closer and an even better human being who deserves the praise and a big happy birthday from Dbacks fans.
The Dbacks will send Mike Soroka to the mound tomorrow as they look for the 3 game sweep.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) and right wing Logan O’Connor (25) defend against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Cole Smith (22) during the first period in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored for Vegas and the Golden Knights suffocated Colorado’s high-powered offense to beat the Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night for an unthinkable sweep to make their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons.
The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerges from the Eastern Conference Final.
This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Stone scored for the Golden Knights on a lob pass from Brayden McNabb deep in his zone. Stone caught the puck and had a direct path to the net and made the most of it. Smith later tipped in Dylan Coghlan’s shot from the point with 5:45 left for a critical two-goal margin.
Carter Hart stopped 20 shots, coming within 2:03 of his first playoff shutout in six years.
Gabriel Landeskog ended that shutout, one of the few highlights of the night for the Avalanche, who went the final 14:23 of the second period without a shot on goal and more than 22 minutes with just one shot.
Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start in the series, gave the Avalanche a chance to win with several dazzling saves en route to 24 saves overall. His best stop came late in the second period when he lunged to glove a power-play shot from Pavel Dorofeyev.
The journey to the Cup Final isn’t quite the Cinderella story of the Golden Knights’ first team that made the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 before losing in five games to Washington, but Vegas’ journey to this point was far from expected.
The Golden Knights faced the possibility of not making the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history when management fired coach Bruce Cassidy, who led the club to the 2023 title, with eight games left in the regular season.
In came John Tortorella, who validated the controversial decision by leading Vegas to a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season and then series victories over Utah and Anaheim. Then the Golden Knights faced an Avalanche team on a roll and without any sign of slowing down.
At least until facing Vegas.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar searched for answers against the Golden Knights, even changing goalies on Tuesday. The Avalanche also dealt with injuries to their top two players this series — reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon.
The Golden Knights had their own injury issues, winning the first two games of the series without Stone.
