The NHL world is stunned today with the passing of four-time Stanley Cup winning forward Claude Lemieux, who was one of the central figures of the legendary rivalry between the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
Lemieux passed away on Thursday at the age of 60 as confirmed by multiple sources.
The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to share that Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60.
Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later… pic.twitter.com/iohlATU6qz
A four-time Stanley Cup winner, Lemieux helped the New Jersey Devils defeat the Red Wings in a shocking four-game sweep in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, collecting his second Stanley Cup ring.
Moving on to the Avalanche, Lemieux delivered the infamous hit from behind to Red Wings forward Kris Draper in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final, effectively sparking what became one of the most iconic rivalries in sports.
The infamous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997 remains one of the most memorable games in Red Wings history.
Lemieux would later win the Stanley Cup once again with the New Jersey Devils in 2000, and would go on to play for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and briefly, the San Jose Sharks.
He would routinely make appearances with former rival Darren McCarty at joint autograph signings. Additionally, he became an NHLPA-certified player agent and included current Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider among his clients.
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ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 6: Landry Shamet #44 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Most years, as June approaches, you have plenty of time to prepare for the offseason and everything that it may potential entail, in the draft, on the trade market, and in free agency.
Yet, with the Knicks in the NBA Finals, it’ll be a quick turnaround, so in the lead-up to the Finals, we’re getting to hear some rumors surrounding Knicks free agency, specifically with two of the players about to hit the market and be in line for nice paydays.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the belief around the league is that both Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson will re-sign with the Knicks on multi-year contracts this summer.
ESPN’s @TimBontemps is reporting that “the belief is… both will be back” when it comes to Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet.
After a few years of ducking the harsh penalties of the second apron, it is believed that the Knicks will blow past it to preserve the best roster in generations. The penalties are only considerably harsh if you exceed them for more than two seasons, so Bontemps believes that Shamet and Robinson will sign two-year deals to allow the team to hit a hard reset after the 2027-28 season, which by that point, much of the core will be exiting their prime in their early-to-mid 30s.
Robinson, as the longest-tenured Knick, has full Bird rights, which allow the team to extend him for as much as possible. With his injury history and limited offensive game, his market value is difficult to pin down. ESPN projected him for a three-year, $39 million contract earlier this month, but Bontemps believes a bidding war could push it over the mid-level exception, which would give him a raise over his prior deal with a max value of $64 million over four years.
Shamet, who’s risen to the level of role player folk hero that we rarely see, is in Early Bird territory in a similar fashion to Isaiah Hartenstein in 2024. Unlike Hartenstein, no team is coming with a $29 million AAV offer. Based on Early Bird rules, Shamet can extend for up to $11 million as a Year 1 salary in 2026-27, something that doesn’t feel as risky due to most teams’ financial pictures.
What's the best way to improve NBA officiating? Introducing some AI into it, of course. What could possibly go wrong?
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver went on ESPN's Pat McAfee show to prop up his anti-tanking, dramatic lottery reform "3-2-1" proposal expected to be approved by NBA owners on Thursday. However, as part of that, he got drawn into the annual conversation around officiating in the NBA playoffs, which this year has focused on "flopping" and players who draw contact and a lot of fouls. Specifically on the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Flopping has been a conversation..
There’s a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop..
"It's been a conversation. I would only say that there's a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop which is where you're actually fooling the referees. I think sometimes, even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call. But then to me, if they're not fooling the referees, it's like, 'Okay. That's like, the players are taught to sell calls these days.' I mean, can officiating get better? Of course, we're always working on that. Can officials get fooled occasionally? We're always looking that as well. But the officiating is incredible."
That becomes the line that's increasingly hard to draw for officials and the league. Gilgeous-Alexander drives the lane as well as anyone, absorbs the contact and gets his shot off as he sells a call, often by falling. Where the line between selling a legit call by exaggerating contact is versus flopping is an eye-of-the-beholder thing — SGA walks that line as well as anyone. But there are plenty of players across the other 29 teams who do it to varying degrees, and fans of those teams don't see it the same way when their guy does it.
Silver then talked about trying to speed up the replay process and game flow by, at some point, using Hawkeye technology (not unlike tennis) with AI to handle in-bounds and out-of-bounds calls.
"Those calls will be done by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court and it'll take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees. It'll be instantaneous, it'll be automatic. Just, 'Play on. Let's go, Spurs inbound.' And you'll move on, you won't have to deal with challenges on those calls."
It's a little more complex in the NBA. For example, the ball can go out of bounds off a thicket of players' hands under the basket, all going for a rebound. Having AI quickly determine whose hand from which team is not as straightforward a process as "in or out." That said, we're seeing things headed in that direction.
Feb 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) drives past Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner (15) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Cam Spencer (53rd overall) and Tristen Newton (49th overall) were second round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Both have performed well with the opportunities presented to them as less-heralded pro prospects.
Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, Spencer saw the floor 25 times in his rookie campaign with eight G League appearances. After signing a four-year, $10.5 million contract, he made a major jump in the sophomore season, playing in 72 games and starting in 25.
The 6 ‘3 guard averaged 11.1 points on 44.9% from three-point range, which ranked him 3rd in the NBA behind Bobby Portis and Luke Kennard. The former UConn sparkplug has become a key role player for the Grizzlies.
Spencer is on a rebuilding Memphis team which dealt Desmond Bane to Orlando last offseason and 2-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the deadline. He faced off against former teammate Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs in early January, finishing with 21 points, 13 in the 4th quarter, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Spencer hit the go ahead shot with 36 seconds left, knocking off the powerhouse Spurs team.
“It felt good, I love winning,” Spencer said postgame.
Cam Spencer (21/8/8) hit the go-ahead shot as the Grizzlies took down the Spurs tonight. Killa Cam 📸 pic.twitter.com/VrE0dFAdGj
Winning is what the former Husky is used to. Off the court, Spencer caught some UConn games, most notably the Elite 8 classic as the Huskies knocked off Duke to head to the Final Four.
“I wouldn’t be here today without them and, super grateful to have had those guys in my life. Got to play with a few of the guys who are still left on the team, obviously, and, just super proud of them for fighting back yesterday,” said Spencer after seeing Braylon Mullin’s buzzer beater to cap off the comeback win over the Blue Devils.
Newton’s path has been more winding. He was selected 49th in the 2024 draft by the Indiana Pacers. The guard played for their G League affiliate before being waived and picked up by Minnesota. This season, he appeared in 35 G League games, 5 for the Iowa Wolves and 30 for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he is currently on a two-way Contract with the Houston Rockets.
Newton was selected to play in this year’s Rising Stars Game at NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Four out of the five starters on the 2024 championship team, himself, Donovan Clingan, Spencer and Castle were all playing in the Rising Stars Game.
“That shows a lot about UConn as a whole. The level of work we put in day in and day out translates to the next level.” Newton said. The fifth starter, Alex Karaban, is on his way as a prospect in this upcoming draft.
The two-time national champion has proved he is capable of making an NBA roster, averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 48% from the field. His scoring ranks 3rd among the G League behind Jahmir Young and 2-time G-League MVP Mac McClung, as he earned All-NBA G League first team honors.
Newton was called up for the final game of the season for the Rockets, where he put up 12 points in 12 minutes, knocking down a pair of three-pointers.
Over the last several years, the Philadelphia Flyers have developed a penchant for making opportunistic buy-low trades, especially for players who were formerly high draft picks.
As they head into the offseason in desperate need of more talent at center and an upgrade on defense, it's time for them to explore this habit once again.
On Thursday morning, The Athletic released its latest NHL trade board as we approach the beginning of June, and it's chock-full of interesting options for the Flyers.
For this article, though, I wanted to focus on Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Wright, 22, ranks 11th on the new trade board and fourth amongst centers, behind only Vincent Trocheck, Mason McTavish, and Elias Pettersson.
Wright's the youngest of the bunch and coming off the most disappointing season; he scored just 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points in 74 games for the Kraken after having 44 points in 79 games last season.
Now entering a contract year, it's now or never for Wright in Seattle, and the Kraken, at this point, aren't obligated to give him that opportunity.
The Burlington, Ontario, native can and will be replaced by prospects Berkly Catton and Jake O'Brien at center behind Matty Beniers, and the Kraken have long been looking for winger upgrades to complement those players.
Of course, it goes almost without saying by now that the Flyers have loads of wingers to trade in a deal that makes sense for them, and this might be one of those deals.
Shane Wright showed flashes of developing into a productive offensive player in the 2024-25 season. (Evolving-Hockey)
Wright's trade value has never been lower, and that should be music to the Flyers' ears.
In the recent past, the Flyers have shown a demonstrable level of patience when it comes to finding the right trade for them while maintaining interest in the players they want.
This was the case with David Jiricek before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, and discussions around Trevor Zegras took place over an extended period of time before the deal was finally done last summer.
The Flyers also picked up Owen Tippett, a former No. 10 overall draft pick, in 2022 in the Claude Giroux trade.
That precedent tells us that now is the Flyers' time to trade for Shane Wright.
It has been suggested in the past that the Flyers were not especially interested in Wright, but again, the opportunity is presenting itself to Philadelphia at a great discount.
Wright had 44 points as a 21-year-old in his first full NHL season a year ago, and on the Flyers, he would be playing alongside much more talented wingers, such as Tippett, Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Travis Konecny.
It helps, too, that Wright is a right-shot center, one of the reasons the Flyers went out of their way to claim Luke Glendening off waivers a few months back.
Wright, unlike someone such as Jett Luchanko, is already a qualifiable, established NHL center, and with one year on his contract, the Flyers won't be tying themselves to a gaudy undertaking if things don't work out.
For a player who was once widely regarded as 2022's No. 1 overall prospect, this is a chance worth taking for the Flyers.
From left, Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31), center fielder Matt Vierling (8), center fielder Wenceel Pérez (46) celebrate 4-0 win over Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (22-34) vs. Los Angeles Angels (21-35)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Halos Heaven Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-6, 5.94 ERA) vs. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (1-1, 10.61 ERA)
When the Yankees acquired David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates at last season’s Trade Deadline, he almost immediately stabilized the back end of the bullpen. After his first disastrous appearance with the team against the Marlins in early August, he allowed just 4 runs in 23 innings, striking out 33 and walking only 9, as “the Renegade” seized the closer’s role by the horns. Sure, the bullpen still wound up a block of Swiss cheese, but hey, it wasn’t his fault.
This year, though, the situation is very much different. While it would be unfair to pin the entire bullpen’s struggles on Bednar, the closer certainly shoulders some of the blame. Heading into action last night, he had a 4.70 ERA (89 ERA+), having allowed 15 runs (12 earned) in 23 innings; his K% is a career-low 26.4 percent (ignoring his four-game cameo in 2020), while his walk rate has inched up to 9.4 percent after a career-best 7.6 percent last season. He’s allowed at least one run in 11 of his 23 appearances this season, and two or more hits in eight of them.
Bednar has been able to lock down his share of leads — his 12 saves are tied for sixth in baseball — but even when he’s kept the opposition off the board, he’s needed to put on his emotional support baserunners first before he locks in. Meanwhile, his meltdowns have been big and loud, and were a major contributor to the oft-cited “June Swoon, but make it May” that dogged the Yanks until this week in Kansas City.
So how concerned should we be? Is this simply a cold stretch by a reliever, or are we looking at another Devin Williams situation on our hands? Well…it’s complicated.
As can be seen here, Statcast is overall very much a fan of what Bednar has been doing. While I’m sure everybody involved would like to see that walk rate and that hard-hit rate down, a 97th-percentile ground-ball percentage is exactly what the Yankees are looking for out of their relievers; after all, you can’t take advantage of the Short Porch on a worm-burner to second. When we dive into Bednar’s individual offerings, however, we see where the problems begin to emerge.
Bednar is a three-pitch pitcher*, throwing a four-seamer, a curveball, and a splitter. Whereas he was once overwhelmingly fastball-dominant — from 2021 through 2024, he threw the four-seamer more than 54 percent of the time — he has settled into a much more even three-pitch mix over the past two years. This year, he still throws his fastball the most (39.4 percent), but his splitter is a close second at 34.2 percent and he throws his curveball a touch over a quarter of the time (26.4 percent).
*He technically threw one sinker in 2023 and one cutter in 2019, but I’m willing to bet those were fastballs that wound up moving a bit too much, so they can be safely ignored.
Last season, Bednar found success with all three pitches, with both his curveball and splitter serving as very effective out pitches, generating whiffs roughly 40 percent of the time and soft contact when they did manage to hit it. 2026 has been a very different story. Opposing hitters have crushed the fastball and the curveball, with batters hitting .419 with a .613 slugging percentage against the former, and .412 and .765 against the latter. And of course, one particularly awful Uncle Charlie got annihilated by Tyrone Taylor on May 17th, leading to a galling Subway Series loss at the hands of a cellar-dwelling Mets team. It was Bednar’s second blown save of the road trip.
Only Bednar’s splitter has maintained its effectiveness from last season, as hitters have batted just .130 and posted a .152 slugging percentage against it.
When it comes to the fastball, the Statcast data suggests that we shouldn’t be too concerned. The pitch has an xBA of .230 and an xSLG of .327: so long as his defense doesn’t continue to let him down—much like Clay Holmes in 2024, it feels that the infield forgets how to play defense when Bednar is pitching—we should see better results from his fastball.
On the other hand, Bednar has been having some trouble throwing the curveball with consistency. Despite the pitch having the lowest exit velocity against of the three (82.1 mph), it is the pitch that hitters have been able to square up most consistency, as he has surrendered seven hits, including both of his home runs, on curveballs like the one above to Taylor. Furthermore, the batted-ball data does not suggest regression to the mean should be expected, as the xBA and xSLG of .368 and .626 are better than the actual numbers mentioned above, but not all that much better.
In order for Bednar to be the dominant closer he was down the stretch last season, the Yankees will need to figure out what exactly has been wrong with his curveball. In the meantime, however, the solution is simple: focus on the splitter. Despite occasional bouts of wildness, Fernando Cruz has shown just how useful a fastball/splitter pitcher can be out of the bullpen, and it seems like Bednar and pitching coach Matt Blake may have been taking notes. Bednar has increasingly sidelined his curveball in favor of throwing his splitter more over the last few outings, to great success. Against the Rays on the 22nd, he threw just two curves, leaning on his splitter as he struck out three of the four Tampa Bay batters he faced.
This past Monday, meanwhile, Bednar abandoned the curveball entirely, using the fastball and splitter evenly against Kansas City in one of his most stress-free outings of the season.
Time will tell if this was just a small blip in the data, or if Bednar will truly be leaning more heavily on his splitter going forward. In either case, it’s something to keep an eye out going forward — and if it works, well, it’ll go a long way towards getting the bullpen back on track.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 18: Kendry Rojas #60 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Houston Astros on May 18, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):1:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: South Side Sox
This series has had everything. A nail-biting loss, a nail-biting win, a blowout loss. Let’s hope the pattern keeps up this afternoon and the Twins get a blowout win.
Taj Bradley had his start bumped a day in his return from the IL, so it will be rookie left-hander Kendry Rojas on the mound for the Twins. Rojas has showcased his effectively wild tendencies with electric stuff complimented by spotty command, but calling his potential tantalizing would be an understatement. The rook is off to a strong start with a 1.26 ERA, but will still be in the hybrid starter role and limited to 50-60 pitches. The Twins have quite a few pitchers on that same schedule between Rojas, Simeon Woods Richardson, Travis Adams, and Andrew Morris, though the latter’s outings have been getting shorter and shorter in his move to higher leverage spots.
Minnesota will be facing Davis Martin, the White Sox starter off to a blistering start. Martin had a solid, if unspectacular, first three seasons in Chicago but has ratcheted things up this year. He has a 2.04 ERA/2.30 FIP and 66 strikeouts in 61.2 innings this season. Martin’s 2.3 fWAR is 6th in the entire AL and second among pitchers. Even with some expected regression factored in, Martin looks like a surefire All-Star.
Cristopher Sánchez blanked another team, this time the San Diego Padres, for seven innings on Wednesday at Petco Park. He allowed six hits, no walks and struck out nine in the Phils’ 3-0, series-sweeping victory.
It was the fifth straight start in which he did not allow a run, a streak of 44.2 scoreless innings, all coming in the month of May. Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Hall of Famer whose jersey is retired by the team, previously held the record of 41 straight scoreless innings, done in 1911.
No one, not a single soul, over the course of 115 years was able to top Alexander’s mark until Cristopher Sánchez did it on Wednesday out in California.
We have fought two World Wars, one Cold War, been through a Great Depression, put men on the moon, watched rock ‘n roll rise and die, and created a world in which computers may someday soon rule us all during that time frame.
A lot of extremely talented pitchers have come and gone through Philadelphia in those 115 years. Four different pitchers have won seven Cy Young Awards, and dozens of others have come really close.
Steve Carlton. Roy Halladay. Curt Schilling. Cole Hamels. Zack Wheeler. Cliff Lee. Robin Roberts. Jim Bunning. Chris Short. Aaron Nola. Curt Simmons.
None of them did what Sánchez has done.
And is still doing.
His 44.2 straight scoreless innings ranks 11th all-time in MLB history. He is 16.2 innings away from breaking Orel Hershiser’s all-time record of 59. It’s also the third-longest scoreless inning streak by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, and he’s just three innings away from surpassing Carl Hubbell’s 45.1. He’s the first pitcher in Phillies history to have five straight starts of seven or more innings. Only Don Drysdale (1968) and Hershiser (1988) reached six.
Sanchez’ season ERA stands at 1.47. He leads all MLB starters in fWAR (3.3). Only six pitchers are over 2.0. His rise from a AAAA/No. 5 fringe starter to the best left-handed pitcher in baseball is unprecedented in the history of the Phillies.
And although the competition is fierce, Sanchez should be the favorite to win NL Pitcher of the Month for May.
This is the greatest battle for NL Pitcher of the Month in the history of the award:
Cristopher Sánchez: 0 runs in 39 IP Jacob Misiorowski: 0.29 ERA, 49 K in 31 1/3 IP Shohei Ohtani: 0.95 ERA Kyle Harrison: 4-0, 0.96 ERA Chase Burns: 4-0, 1.19 ERA Zack Wheeler: 4-0, 1.38 ERA
Only one of those pitchers didn’t give up a single run all month. And, Sánchez has been piling up strikeouts, giving up no walks, and dominating on another level.
He’s one of only three pitchers in MLB history to have a month in which he pitched at least 39 innings without giving up a run, joining Hershiser and Doc Gooden.
Now, there were a few instances in Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over San Diego where it looked like the Padres might break through.
Philly is such an incredible sports city. All of us had knots in our stomachs watching this play out today. Can't tell you how sick I felt watching some of these swings before Cristopher Sánchez made history pic.twitter.com/WUg50rIs3A
It’s also fair to wonder if this is the greatest single month any Phillies player has had, offensively or defensively. In terms of pitching, Cliff Lee’s iconic 2011 month of June has often been cited as the greatest single month of pitching in franchise history. Sánchez just topped it.
Cliff Lee’s iconic June 2011 is widely viewed as the greatest month a Phillies pitcher has ever had.
Nearly 15 years later, Cristopher Sánchez’s pristine May 2026 has given Lee a run for his money. pic.twitter.com/EQTZYQMSfD
Offensively, one could argue Ryan Howard’s August of 2006 was superior. He tied the franchise record (Cy Williams) for most home runs in a calendar month (14), totaled 41 RBIs and hit .348/.464/.750 with a 1.214 OPS. He followed that up with a September in which he hit 9 bombs, knocked in 21 runs, and put up an even better slash line: .385/.562/.750, 1.312 OPS.
That’s a coin flip.
What’s next? In order to keep the streak going, he’ll have to go up against most of the same hitters he faced on Wednesday when the Padres visit Citizens Bank Park next week.
No one knows how long he’ll be able to keep this going. But for one afternoon, Phils fans got to experience a little bit of electricity watching The Sánchize make history.
May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presents Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) with the MVP award before game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
There are few things that make my blood boil more than being gaslit. It’s a term people use a lot more these days now that it’s been more clearly defined, and at its core, it’s pretty simple. You witness something with your own two eyes, you experience it in real time, and then somebody turns around and tells you that what you saw was wrong or that you somehow misinterpreted it. In essence, they’re attempting to devalue what you saw or experienced, and in the same breath, dismissing it entirely.
We see it everywhere these days, especially in politics. But I won’t go down that road.
The latest blatant example came courtesy of Adam Silver, who stopped by Pat McAfee’s show yesterday and proceeded to say that NBA “officiating is incredible”.
There will always be conversations about officiating in the NBA. The game moves too fast. There’s too much physicality and too much happening in real time for officials to catch everything perfectly. Everybody understands that going in, and there’s an accepted level of missed calls or imperfect moments that come with the territory. That’s part of basketball.
When your sport is in the national spotlight during its biggest and most important stretch — the postseason — and one of the dominant talking points becomes whether flopping has become too prevalent, that’s usually a sign things have drifted a little too far. And that’s where the conversation is right now, as made apparent by McAfee posing the question.
The best team in the NBA and the defending champions are a team that leans heavily into embellishment. People who watch the sport night after night see it. They recognize it immediately. And the frustration comes from watching that behavior continue to be rewarded. It doesn’t feel natural. It feels like a team identifying the flaws in an imperfect system and pushing against them every chance they get. And at this point, it feels like they’re pushing it a little too far.
Adam Silver’s response?
“Even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call. But to me, if they’re not fooling the referees, it’s OK. Players are taught to sell calls these days.”
Then what in the name of Vlade Divac’s shoelaces is this shit?
It’s a tone deaf statement. If players aren’t fooling referees, then what exactly are we watching? Are modern NBA players simply so uncoordinated and frail that the slightest bump sends them flailing to the hardwood? Perhaps the NBA should partner with milk and focus on calcium intake.
And why are players “taught to sell calls”, Mr. Commissioner? Seems counterintuitive to the integrity of the game to me. Seems that if players are being taught to take advantage of poor officiating, the root cause is poor officiating. But you just said officiating was “incredible”. I can read it back to you. Did you order the code red?!
Players are taught to sell calls because officials allow themselves to be duped. And rather than acknowledging that referees are being manipulated over and over by blatant embellishment, Adam Silver doubled down. That’s the frustrating part. It undermines the sport. It undermines fan bases across the league. And yeah, it feels like gaslighting.
We watch multiple members of the Oklahoma City Thunder hit the ground over and over in clear and obvious fashion, trying to sell contact and draw whistles, and then we’re told that’s not what’s happening. Come on. At some point it starts feeling like the league is insulting the intelligence of the people watching.
It has come to the point that analysts are tracking the number of times Shai Gilgeuos-Alexander (whom I affectionately now call FTA) falls down on his shots. Per Tom Haberstroh, who is out there doing God’s work, the two-time reigning MVP falls on 17.4% of his shots (through Game 3 of the Western Conference playoffs, counting only the postseason).
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) May 21, 2026
“Incredible.”
And no, Oklahoma City isn’t the only team that does it. Every team has a guy or two who leans into embellishment. Look at the NBA Finals-bound New York Knicks. Jalen Brunson has built a reputation for drawing contact and snapping his head back on drives to the rim. I often wonder if he’s playing basketball or galvanizing around the mosh pit while Metallica performs “Creeping Death”.
The difference with OKC is volume. They have so many players doing it that it becomes impossible to ignore. Watching them can feel like watching five Brunsons on the floor at once. One guy flopping around is annoying. An entire team kicking legs out on jumpers, throwing themselves backward on contact, and crumbling to the floor the second they feel any physicality, that’s something else entirely.
From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to backup big Jaylen Williams, and everyone in between, the embellishment shows up constantly. And it’s embarrassing.
Jared McCain elbowed Dylan Harper in the throat, backed it up on him and fell down 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/P8JsvftRHl
For those of us on the front lines who love this sport and spend so much time covering it, it’s hard to defend. This is the time of year when casual fans show up. The people who haven’t been watching all season. The people who naturally tune into the NBA once the postseason begins.
And when they come to me and ask, “What is this?”, I don’t have a great answer for them. Apparently, neither does Adam Silver.
Silver did go on to say the league plans to use artificial intelligence to assist with officiating. “We’re going to move to a system like [Hawk-Eye],” the gaslighting commissioner stated on The Pat McAfee show. “[Objective] calls will be done by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court…You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
And hey, I’m open to that. If it helps speed up challenges and makes the review process cleaner, great. I didn’t think I’d be a fan of the ABS system in Major League Baseball either, and that’s worked out pretty well. It’s quick. It’s efficient. It gets you an answer.
That still doesn’t touch the core issue.
If AI is helping correct calls after the fact, at what point do we address the people responsible for getting the call right in real time? At what point is there accountability? At what point does the league truly live up to the standards it keeps talking about, where players aren’t rewarded for embellishment, for unnatural shooting motions designed to bait a whistle, for flopping all over the floor?
That’s the real issue. That’s what fans are frustrated by. And instead of acknowledging any of that, the commissioner looked at all of us and tried to tell us everything is fine. That’s why this lands the way it does. Because it doesn’t feel like the problem is being addressed. It feels like we’re being told not to believe what we’re watching.
And that’s where the disconnect keeps growing between the league office and the people actually consuming the product. Fans can handle missed calls. Players can handle occasional inconsistency. Basketball is chaotic, and nobody expects perfection.
What wears people down is when an obvious issue becomes impossible to ignore, and the response from the top feels dismissive. The postseason should be about brilliance, shot-making, adjustments, and stars delivering on the biggest stage. Instead, too often the conversation drifts toward whistle hunting and whether contact was exaggerated enough to earn two free throws.
That doesn’t mean the NBA is broken. The game itself is still incredible. It does mean the league owes people a more honest conversation than pretending the product on the floor and the frustration surrounding it somehow aren’t connected.
Baltimore Orioles starter Chris Bassitt has been crushed by left-handed hitters this season, and the Toronto Blue Jays’ lefty-heavy lineup is positioned to exploit that weakness again tonight in Baltimore.
That sets up well for Bassitt to go Over his 2.5 earned runs total tonight, which is my best bet for my Blue Jays vs Orioles predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 28.
Blue Jays vs Orioles predictions
Blue Jays vs Orioles best bet: Chris Bassitt Over 2.5 earned runs (+125)
The veteran righty owns a 5.51 ERA through his first 10 outings in orange, while ranking in the 9th percentile in opponent xBA.
Opponents are consistently squaring Bassitt up this season as he owns a .311 opponent batting average, while exceeding tonight’s earned runs total in four of his last six starts.
Additionally, the Toronto Blue Jays feature a heavy left-handed-hitting lineup that matches up well against Bassitt, who owns a .917 opponent OPS against lefties this season.
Daulton Varsho profiles as a strong contender to punish Bassitt today as a left-handed slugger who crushes the sinker. As mentioned before, Bassitt owns a .917 OSP against lefties this year, and the sinker-ball in particular has been victimized.
Despite owning a .373 average on the pitch, Bassitt throws it more than any other pitch in his arsenal
This is where Varsho profiles well, owning a .394 average against the sinker with a 50% hard hit rate. So I'll take Over 0.5 hits for Varsho tonight.
I’ll also target Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 hits. The Jays' third baseman has crushed the sinker as well, owning a .444 average with a 62% hard-hit rate against the pitch.
Blue Jays vs Orioles SGP
Chris Bassitt Over 2.5 earned runs
Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 hits
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Blue Jays vs Orioles home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+550)
I'll make this wager a half unit, considering Bassitt has done a solid job of keeping the ball in the yard despite the rest of his struggles.
Kazuma Okamoto showed earlier in the season his homers can come in bunches, and after a go-ahead home run Wednesday afternoon, I'm banking on another long ball tonight in Baltimore.
Bassitt is throwing the sinker at a 48% rate to right-handed hitters, which plays to Okamoto's strengths. The Jays slugger owns a .506 slugging percentage and a 62% hard-hit rate against it.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 26-28, +2.10 units
SGPs: 11-43, +5.60 units
HR picks: 8-46, +0.15 units
Blue Jays vs Orioles odds
Moneyline: Toronto +110 | Baltimore -130
Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-175) | Baltimore -1.5 (+150)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)
Blue Jays vs Orioles trend
The Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Orioles.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Orioles and game info
Location
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Date
Thursday, May 28, 2026
First pitch
6:35 p.m. ET
TV
SN, MASN
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.86 ERA)
Orioles starting pitcher
Chris Bassitt (4-3, 5.51 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Orioles latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Orioles weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Ryan Ward had to wait seven years for his first career call-up to the big leagues.
This time, he’s returning less than six weeks later.
With Teoscar Hernández set to go on the injured list with a hamstring strain he sustained Wednesday night, the Dodgers on Thursday decided to call Ward back up to the majors as his replacement, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The California Post.
Ryan Ward has been called up to the big leagues, again, this time in pace of injured OF Teoscar Hernández . Getty Images
The move will mark Ward’s second time playing in the majors this year, after making his long-awaited MLB debut on April 19 in Colorado, when he recorded two hits and an RBI while filling in for Freddie Freeman during his absence on the paternity list.
Ward, 28, is a left-handed slugger who should give the Dodgers an option for what will now be a platoon in left field.
Alex Call figures to be the primary right-handed option there, having hit .294 in a reserve role this season. Ward and Hyeseong Kim figure to get the left-handed portion of at-bats in that equation.
Ward can also play first base if needed.
The Athletic earlier reported the news of his call-up on Thursday morning.
The reigning MVP of the triple-A Pacific Coast League, Ward has regressed somewhat in 2026, batting just .254 with six home runs and 31 RBIs in 47 games with the club’s Oklahoma City affiliate.
After a slow start to the season, Hernández was hitting .276 with seven homeruns and 31 RBI’s this season. Getty Images
However, he has continued to control the strike zone (34 walks, 43 strikeouts), is getting on base at a .379 clip, and now has at least a small taste of MLB experience to fall back on.
He’ll likely stay in the majors this time until either Hernández (who will be out at least a couple weeks) or Tommy Edman (who is just starting a multi-week rehab assignment in triple-A coming off ankle surgery this winter) returns to the field.
The Dodgers did have other options to consider, from breakout prospect James Tibbs III to three-year MLB veteran utility man Tyler Fitzgerald.
And this role –– which is still likely to include somewhat sporadic at-bats over only a temporary period –– suited his skill set and development arc best.
Boston, MA - May 23: Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony watches from the dugout. The Boston Red Sox played the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Anyone in the mood for some good injury news? While he still has yet to face living pitching, Roman Anthony is finally swinging a bat without pain the injured hand that has kept him out for most of this month. Granted, these are “dry swings,” which are every bit as fun and exciting as dry weddings, but he’s going to attempt to hit an actual baseball off a tee today. Garrett Crochet, meanwhile, threw live batting practice on Tuesday and will do so again next week. He hopes to be able to return to the big league club without going on a rehab assignment. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
But because the universe requires balance, we have some potentially bad injury news. Garrett Whitlock slipped on the muddy Fenway mound over the weekend and subsequently had his worst appearance of the season. He hyperextended his plant leg and received an painkilling injection. No word yet on whether he’ll avoid an IL stint. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
Before the season, if someone had told you that Mickey Gasper was going to get regular playing time, you probably would’ve assumed there’d been some kind of IL stint for either Carlos Narvaez or Connor Wong, too. But Gasper, along with Nick Sogard and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, is quickly becoming a favorite of Chad Tracy. “They take good at-bats,” the interim boss said. “You can see when they’re in there and when you’re watching, they know what a strike is, they know what a ball is, they’ll go deep in the count, they get into hitters’ counts, they’ll use the off-side of the field. That sparks things when people see that.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Last night, Sogard didn’t just help the team by getting into a hitters count, he also had a sacrifice bunt. Of the eight sac bunts the Sox have laid down this year, six of them have come since Tracy took over as he searches for ways to kick-start the offense. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
And make no mistake: the offense desperately needs something to get it going, as it is potentially the worst Red Sox offense many of us have ever seen. (Chad Finn, Boston Globe)
Could Franklin Arias be a part of the offense at some point this season? That seemed like a big-time long shot just a few months ago, but the shortstop continues to impress. He’s impressing so much that one prominent prospect evaluator now has him as the third-best prospect in all of baseball, with Anthony Eyanson coming in at number 21. (Keith Law, The Athletic)
Payton Tolle and Connelly Early are no longer eligible for Law’s prospect rankings, which is certainly fitting in the case of Early, who looks like a vet on the mound. “After what he did last year for us in the playoffs, I feel like he had to grow up pretty quick,” Jarren Duran said. “Some of us forget he’s a rookie and he’s doing the things that he’s doing.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
For every NHL team, including the eventual Stanley Cup winner, summer is a time of change.
Naturally, the Cup-winning GM would love to stand in front of his team and make the Wolf of Wall Street speech: "We're not leaving! The show goes on!"
But the salary cap, free agency and maybe a retirement or two make that impossible.
For a GM like Ottawa's Steve Staios, after watching his team get swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and score just five goals in the process, he might have been thinking a month ago that he has some serious work to do this summer to help his team close the gap.
However, the way the Carolina Hurricanes have played this spring may be giving him some new pause for thought.
What if the team that spanked the Senators in Round 1 goes on to just completely trample everyone else and win the Stanley Cup? Doesn't that have at least some effect on Staios’ view of his club and how much change is actually required?
As the 2026 playoffs march on, it's becoming crystal clear that the Hurricanes are a wagon. As of this writing, the Canes are 11-1 in these playoffs, getting timely scoring, solid goaltending and, most of all, they boast an absolutely suffocating defensive structure that the Senators, the Philadelphia Flyers and now the Montreal Canadiens had no answer for.
The Hurricanes have taken a 3-1 series lead on the Canadiens and dominated Game 4, outshooting Montreal 43-18 in a 4-0 victory. Every time cameras cut to Martin St. Louis, he looked completely exasperated, like a man with no answers.
It was a game the Canadiens had to have, and yet they finished the third period with just three shots on goal.
Carolina is one win away from getting to the Cup final in just 13 games. The all-time NHL record (four rounds, all seven-game series) for fewest games needed to win a Cup is 18. That’s how good Carolina is.
Sure, no matter how you slice it, getting swept in round one was disappointing for the Sens organization and the fan base, but it's becoming obvious there's no shame in it.
The Senators were one of the best teams in the NHL in the second half of the season, but because they got off to a rough start thanks to poor goaltending, their punishment was getting pinned as the lowest seed and having to play the very best team right away.
Carolina isn't just good. They're hungry, they're filled with experience, and they're covered in playoff scars.
In 2019, they lost in the Conference Final. In 2020, they lost in the first round. In 2021 and 2022, they lost in the second round. In 2023, they lost in the Conference Final again. In 2024, the second round. In 2025, another loss in the conference final.
This is a group that is clearly being driven by the sting of all those past playoff failures, and all those hard lessons are now well-learned. They work hard, they sweat the small stuff, and they're doing whatever it takes to avoid reliving the heartbreaks of the past.
The Senators will have some of that motivation next season, too, though not to the same degree as 2026 Carolina.
The good news is that if the Hurricanes do win it all this year, there will be solace in that for the Sens. It sucks to be swept. It sucks less to be swept by the Cup champs. Meanwhile, the hunger fueling the 'Canes right now may become difficult to replicate next season, which could allow famished teams like Ottawa to close the gap.
There will be changes this summer because there always are. But the Senators may be closer to contention than they appeared to be a month ago.
The Chicago Cubs come in as underdogs against Paul Skenes and his Pittsburgh Pirates on tonight.
However, my Cubs vs. Pirates predictions expect them to pull off the upset, with the reigning Cy young winner not playing at his best lately.
Read on to get my free MLB picks for Thursday, May 28.
Who will win Cubs vs Pirates today: Cubs moneyline (+146)
Paul Skenes is coming off the roughest two-game stretch of his young career, allowing nine earned runs in 10 innings of work in two losses for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Skenes has seen opponents square up more of his pitches than ever, with 32.7% of batted balls landing in the Launch Angle Sweet Spot this season.
The Chicago Cubs have been incredibly streaky this year, but are a fundamentally strong offensive squad, averaging 4.73 runs per game and posting a .725 OPS.
I’m backing Chicago to win this game as long as I can get a premium of +140 or more.
COVERS INTEL:The Cubs are raking against Skenes’ bread-and-butter pitch – the four-seam fastball – pulling it in the air 21.3% of the time against right-handed pitchers.
Cubs vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-110)
Even when Skenes struggles, it hasn’t been enough to hit the Over. The Pirates have played to totals of seven runs or less in five of his last six starts, as their ace keeps them in games even when the offense flounders.
While Colin Rea (4-3, 4.83 ERA) has struggled a bit this year, he has put up a strong 32.2% chase rate, which will play well against a Pirates team that ranks third-worst in whiff percentage this year at 27.5%.
I’m taking the Under at 7.5 runs if we can get the standard -110 odds or better.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 9-14, -5.98 units
Over/Under bets: 7-14, -7.53 units
Cubs vs Pirates odds
Moneyline: Chicago +146 | Pittsburgh -161
Run line: Chicago +1.5 (-142) | Pittsburgh -1.5 (+129)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-103) | Under 7.5 (-112)
Cubs vs Pirates trend
The Pirates have hit the Under in each of Skenes’ last four starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Pirates.
How to watch Cubs vs Pirates and game info
Location
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Thursday, May 28, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
MARQ, SNP
Cubs starting pitcher
Colin Rea (4-3, 4.83 ERA)
Pirates starting pitcher
Paul Skenes (6-4, 3.00 ERA)
Cubs vs Pirates latest injuries
Cubs vs Pirates weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Bassitt owns a 
