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How the 76ers' figured it out on defense at the last possible moment

How the 76ers' figured it out on defense at the last possible moment originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

We waited all year for this 76ers team to show up. We knew it was possible, we just kept wondering if it would really happen.

It took the 76ers 86 games to figure it out – 82 regular-season games and the first four games of the Celtics series – but they figured it out at the last possible moment.

How to defend at a consistently high level against an explosive offense for 48 minutes. And how to do it three games in a row, two of them on the road, when a loss ends your season.

This was one of the most remarkable, improbable, incredible three-game stretches in 76ers history. And it happened because they stifled the Celtics’ offense like very few teams ever have.

The first 86 games of the season, the 76ers allowed 116 points per game and they allowed opposing teams to shoot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. Middle of the pack across the board.

Those are not championship numbers. Those are not numbers that scare a team like the Celtics, who averaged 115 points per game during the regular season and made 37 percent of their 3’s.

But once Joel Embiid returned, an amazing thing happened.

The 76ers turned into a defensive force, and there was nothing the Celtics – with all their offensive weapons – could do about it.

Embiid’s first game back was Game 4 and that was another Celtics blowout, the one that put the 76ers in a 3 games to 1 hole.

But these last three games were a model in how defending at a high level can propel an underdog No. 7 seed that hadn’t won three straight road games against playoff-bound teams since 2023 past a No. 2 seed that never loses at home.

This is a Celtics team that averaged 115 points per game, shot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3, and the last games they averaged 97 points, shot 41 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3.

Ballgame.

The 76ers really wore the Celtics down these last three games, and by the fourth quarter the Celtics couldn’t get good shots, forced 3 after 3 and just got run off the court in the final minutes.

In these last three fourth quarters, the Celtics shot 33 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3. The Celtics are built on burying 3’s. They made 1,268 during the regular season, 9th-most in NBA history, and they shot 37 percent, tied for 5th-highest in the league this year.

But when they needed them the most, the 76ers kept denying them. They kept bombing away and missing and it turned out when the 3’s weren’t falling they didn’t have an answer. 

The Celtics attempted 323 3’s in this series, 2nd-most ever in any postseason series, behind the Rockets’ 357 in their 2020 Western Conference First-Round series win over Oklahoma City.

You only take that many 3’s when you can’t do anything else.

Most of those 3’s were contested but they also missed a lot of open looks (I’m looking at you Derrick White) just because the 76ers had them so beat up by the end of the game thanks to a physicality and intensity we rarely saw in the regular season.

And you know what happens when one team keeps missing 3’s. Long rebounds and fast breaks, and that’s how the 76ers outscored Boston by an average of 55-41 in the fourth quarter of these last three wins.

The Celtics never went three games in a row scoring 100 or fewer points during the regular season and they actually haven’t done that in the regular season since 2021. Then the 76ers held them to 93, 90 and 100 in three straight elimination playoff games.

The 76ers’ neutralized the Celtics’ two studs, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, late in the series. Tatum missed Game 7 but shot 43.8 percent and 33 percent from 3 from the field in Games 5 and 6 and was minus-20, and Brown shot 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 the last three games with a minus-57, the worst plus-minus of his 10-year career over any three-game span.

Last time the Celtics had a three-game stretch in the regular season scoring fewer than 300 points and shooting below 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3 was 2021.

So this was the Celtics’ worst three-game offensive stretch in five years, and it came at the hands of a 76ers team that was mediocre defensively during the regular season and needed to win a play-in game just to reach the postseason.

Nick Nurse preached defense all year, but with injuries and the Paul George suspension, he just never had the people to play the brand of defense he wanted. It took 86 games and Embiid returning to action 2 ½ weeks after an appendetomy for it all to come together.

But when it did, it was beautiful.

The 76ers won this series by denying the Celtics what they do best when they needed it the most.

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Report: Rockets have “no plans” to move on from Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Ime Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets speaks with the media during the NBA Media Day at Toyota Center on September 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If reports are to be believed, the Houston Rockets have already made a decision on one of the biggest questions of the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Rockets have “no plans” to move on from either Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone.

The report says:

“At this juncture, there are no plans to move on from either Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone. Ownership has remained steadfast in its belief in a three-pronged leadership sector because of a combination of the turnaround in recent years and consecutive 50-win seasons, the latter of which was marked by major injuries, resulting in confidence from the top down.

“One of the prevailing internal beliefs concerning this roster is assuming that Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are healthy, along with Durant, the Rockets aren’t too far removed from Western Conference powers Oklahoma City and San Antonio.”

So there you have it, folks. It’s sounding like the coach and GM are staying. I’m not ready to give up on Rafael Stone just yet, but Udoka is trying my patience — like he is for many Rockets fans. It would be nice to see Udoka welcome an offensive coordinator, but I wonder if he’s too much of a control freak for that to be sucessful.

That leaves any potential Rockets changes to come via the lineup, and my biggest fear is sounding like it might also be close to coming true — that the Rockets make no roster changes and simply run it back with Adams and FVV and keep their fingers crossed.

The team needs more ball handling and shooting and less forwards, and I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone. They also need another big, since Clint Capela isn’t used much by Udoka. I’d personally love to see the Rockets trade Durant. With KD not getting any younger, how many years does he have left at this level? One? Two? I think the one thing we learned this year is that the Rockets are more than one or two years away. For this reason alone, I’d like to see the Rockets move KD for assets that allow the Rockets to retool in a sort of soft rebuild. That’s to say nothing of the KD burner incident that compromised another locker room, especially since it’s essentially been released that it was all true.

While we wait on roster changes, however, get ready for more Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka. It appears that they’re not going anywhere.

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Spurs vs. Timberwolves: Styles, matchups, and X-factors

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 11: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on January 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Ah, yes, it’s the Spurs-Wolves second-round clash that everyone anticipated! No one around here penciled in a Spurs-Nuggets tilt, and there’s also no evidence of yours truly crashing out following San Antonio’s final regular-season loss to Denver.

Now that we have our matchup set, it’s time to dive into some stylistic battles that could take place. Given the small sample size of the first round, the stats used will come from the regular season, and Minnesota’s numbers will reflect data from lineups without Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards — although the latter could come back later in the series.

Let’s start with the Wolves’ shot diet.

Minnesota’s shot chart

The Wolves take 36.3% of their shots at the rim (top 5 league-wide) while converting on just 64.5% of those attempts (bottom5). It goes without saying that Wemby will make their lives much tougher, as opponents are shooting just 60.8% in that area with him playing. More importantly, only 26.2% of attempts are at the rim when Wemby’s on, and the Alien’s presence will force Minnesota to shoot from farther out.

Assuming Wemby camps in the paint due to Gobert’s lacklustre offensive game, the Wolves will focus on pull-up 3s and long 2s. Some of their guards caught fire in round 1, but the full-season stats indicate that Minnesota is a below-average shooting team from every area of the floor except above-the-break 3s, and even that came on extremely low volume. The Wolves will need to find other sources of offense if their shooting reverts to the norm, and one potential solution is to crash the boards.

Offensive rebounding

The biggest matchup advantage Minnesota has over San Antonio is their size at the forward positions. None of the Spurs’ forwards can match up physically against Julius Randle and Naz Reid, which could allow the Wolves to fatten up on the offensive glass. Still, that is easier said than done, as the Wolves’ 28.6% OREB is decidedly average, while the Spurs’ 74.1% DREB ranked first league-wide.

If they decide to go down this route, Minnesota will need to be comfortable taking shots deeper in the paint to force Wemby to commit, leaving the backline more exposed. Even so, there’s a good chance that the Alien will either block the shot or recover fast enough to grab the rebound. The Wolves might be forced to play lineups featuring all of McDaniels, Reid, Randle, and Gobert — a quartet that saw minutes in the Denver series but only logged 71 possessions together in the regular season.

Transition opportunities

If the Wolves prioritize the offensive glass, then they’ll be giving the Spurs easier opportunities to run. Minnesota would be playing into a strength of San Antonio’s, as they rank 6th and 8th, respectively, in transition frequency and points per play. On the other hand, the Wolves could decide that the defensive tradeoff is not worth the potential offensive gain, and they could go big to prioritize defensive boards instead. Minnesota increased their DREB from 66.7% in the regular season (9th percentile) to 79.2% in round 1 against Denver (95th), and they’ll prevent the Spurs from getting easy second-chance points if this continues.

The Wolves could push the pace themselves if defensive rebounding remains a priority. They ranked 6th in transition points per play in the regular season, and both teams were top 10 in preventing opposing transition opportunities too. Fast break points are clearly an emphasis for both teams, and the winner in that category could be determined by the size of Minnesota’s lineups and which side of the rebounding battle they prioritize.

Pace

This one is very simple: both teams are better when they play fast. Minnesota and San Antonio ranked 10th and 12th, respectively, in pace in the regular season, and are now tied for 1st and 3rd in the playoffs. The Wolves were able to take Denver out of rhythm by speeding them up, but doing so against the Spurs would only benefit the black and silver.

For San Antonio, Stephon Castle specifically needs to play with speed and purpose. Portland cut the Spurs’ large lead down to single digits in game five of round 1 because Castle started walking the ball up without getting into any action until the shot clock almost expired. However, San Antonio’s offense is almost impossible to stop when he’s running handoffs and attacking closeouts, which is how the Spurs built their lead.

X-Factor: Rudy Gobert

When Gobert’s been played off the floor in the past, it was always due to issues with his offense, not defense. That problem could rear its ugly head again in this series if his lack of a post game and shooting allows Wemby to camp in the paint, allowing the latter to shut off Minnesota’s drives and rim attempts. Given the ability of the Spurs’ guards to fight through screens and defend, Gobert won’t be able to make as big an impact as a screener either, which could render him close to a zero on offense.

Defensively, Gobert’s matchup with Wemby will be the polar opposite of the one he had against Jokic. Wemby’s lob threat as a roll man and his ability to come off screens will force Gobert to guard in space, which is why I expect him to be assigned to Castle instead. Similar to what Portland did, Gobert can sag off the second-year guard (who quietly hit over 40% from three on five attempts a game against the Blazers) and stay in the paint, while physical forwards like Randle and Reid match up with Wemby instead. The Spurs found counters to this strategy by running hand-offs with Castle (as was shown above), but that might be the lesser of all evils given the offensive versatility that San Antonio has.

Another wrinkle in the Gobert-Wemby matchup is the number of corner threes the Spurs generate. In the regular season, Wemby’s roll gravity helped San Antonio take 13.8% of their shots from the corners when he played, which was one of the highest recorded numbers ever. However, the Wolves are elite at preventing shots from the corners, conceding just 8.6% of such attempts to their opponents, which was one of the five lowest marks league-wide. If Gobert can guard the paint alone, the other Wolves players can focus on playing man defense and prevent open looks instead of worrying about packing the paint to stop lobs to Wemby.

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Dodgers notes: Roki Sasaki’s improvements, slumping offense

May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Dodgers fans have received more of the same experience they had last year with Roki Sasaki to begin this season, but there are some signs of growth that are starting to appear.

Sasaki has shown flashes of dominance early in games, as characterized by his 0.75 ERA over the first two innings of his six starts, but the wheels fall completely off once the third inning begins, illustrated by an ugly 9.72 ERA over innings 3 and beyond. It hasn’t helped that he is currently tied for the fifth most home runs allowed by qualified pitchers this year.

Over the last three starts, Sasaki has quietly been more effective on the mound. After walking 10 batters over his first 13 innings on the year, he has walked only five through his last 15 2/3 innings. On Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sasaki showed that he could bounce back after a rough inning by setting down his final 10 hitters in a row, managing six full innings for the first time while tossing a career-high 104 pitches.

Sasaki spoke about his ability to overcome the three-run third and deliver positive results through the middle innings on Saturday, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“After giving up three runs in the third inning, I was able to just stay focused and attack the zone, especially (the fifth and sixth) innings. So that’s good,” Sasaki said through his interpreter.

“The third and fourth innings, I was kind of struggling. I was trying to find my mechanics. But after that … I was able to make an adjustment. I got better mechanics.”

Dave Roberts spoke about Sasaki’s growth as a major league starter following Saturday’s loss to St. Louis, noting that there are hurdles that have yet to be overcome, per Plunkett.

“Each of his last handful of starts, he’s gotten better,” Roberts said. “But there’s some finishing school that needs to happen, where you’ve got to get the guys out that you need to get out and try to face less hitters.”

Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times notes that Mark Prior has worked with Sasaki on developing a new splitter that’s around six miles per hour faster than his ordinary splitter, and that has been a key reason for his recent effectiveness.

“We’re always supportive of crisper, harder, however you want to define it, assuming that it maintained his throw and maintained everything else,” Prior said of the new splitter… “Lo and behold, the first one was really good,” Prior said. “The second one was really nasty.”

The Dodgers offensively are in the midst of a dormant five-game stretch where they have totaled just 12 runs as a team, and they were nearly shut out on Saturday had it not been for a two-run, two-out rally in the top of the ninth where they had the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base.

Andy Pages— who added to the rally with an RBI single to make it a one-run Dodgers deficit— noted that the rally might have lit a spark within this struggling offense, but the importance is maintaining good at-bats top through bottom, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“It was a good offensive sign in the ninth inning,” Andy Pages said through interpreter Juan Dorado. “But I think as a whole, we know we’re going through a bad stretch, and we’re just trying to focus on having really good at-bats, one at a time.”

Facing against an old friend on Sunday in Dustin May, who carries a 5.28 over his first six starts as a Cardinal, Dave Roberts hopes that the Dodgers bats can wake up and salvage the series against a pitcher they’re quite familiar with, per Chen.

“Hopefully,” Roberts said, “we can take that sense of urgency tomorrow against a guy that we’re very familiar with.”

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Orioles minor league recap 5/3: Norfolk wins despite being out of starting pitchers

JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Ryan Noda #41 of the Baltimore Orioles at bat during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium on March 09, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 5, Nashville Sounds (MIL) 2

With most of their starting pitchers in New York this weekend to pitch for the Orioles, the Tides went with a bullpen game. They did a pretty good job! Cameron Weston started and allowed a solo home run in 2/3 of an inning. That was the only run Nashville scored until they got a single run in the ninth. Yaqui Rivera pitched 3.1 innings, the longest of any of the relievers.

After falling behind in the first inning, the Tides scored two in the second and never looked back. With Creed Willems and Ryan Noda on third and second base in the second inning, Willy Vazquez singled them both in. Christian Encarnacion-Strand added to the lead with his sixth home run of the year, then Sam Huff and Bryan Ramos had RBI hits of their own.

It was a big night for the bottom half of the lineup as Ryan Noda, Huff, and Willy Vasquez each had two-hit games. Number nine hitter Ramos singled and walked.

Box Score

Double-A: Erie SeaWolves (DET) 5, Chesapeake Baysox 4

It was a bullpen game for the Baysox and their bullpen let them down. Juan Rojas started and pitched one inning, in which he technically struck out the side but also walked four and threw a wild pitch. No hits, one run. Overall, they used six pitchers with Micah Ashman taking the loss with two runs allowed in two innings pitched.

The offense scored three runs in the third inning, in which Griff O’Farrell and Tavian Josenberger doubled. Carter Young also singled in the inning. One run scored on a squeeze bunt by Alfredo Velásquez. After their big second inning, the team had just three singles in innings three through eight. They added a fourth run in the ninth on a homer from Frederick Bencosme.

Brandon Butterworth and Ethan Anderson were hitless at the top of the order. Aron Estrada did not start but pinch-hit in the ninth. He struck out on a pitch clock violation.

Box Score

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM) 2, Frederick Keys 0

You will not win many games with just one hit. For the Keys last night, a second-inning single by Braylin Tavera was the only hit of the night.

Starting pitcher Yeiber Cartaya deserved better. He pitched five shutout innings with two hits, one walk, and six strikeouts. He threw 75 pitches and has allowed just two earned runs in 21.2 innings this season.

The only two runs of this game scored in the sixth inning with the appropriately named Brandon Downer on the mound. Downer allowed three hits and walked four in just 1.1 innings.

Box Score

Low-A: Hill City Howlers (CLE) 13, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

Starting pitcher Kailen Hamson was lucky to pitch four shutout innings, considering he also walked four batters. He did only allow two hits. Things got out of hand late in the game when J.D. Hennen and Luis Beltrán combined to allow eight runs in the eighth inning.

The Shorebirds led this game, 2-0, at one point thanks to an RBI single from Junior Aybar and a sac fly by Félix Amparo. They added on two more runs in the eighth inning. DJ Layton doubled, then came in to score on a triple by Raylin Ramos. Ramos then scored on a balk.

The Shorebirds made five errors in the game, two by Félix Amparo. One of those errors could have been an inning-ending double play had Amparn not thrown it into center field to let three runs score.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

  • Triple-A: Norfolk @ Nashville, 2:05. Starter: TBD
  • Double-A: Chesapeake @ Erie, 1:35. Starter: Evan Yates
  • High-A: Frederick @ Brooklyn, 2:00. Starter: Kiefer Lord
  • Low-A: Delmarva vs Hill City, 2:05. Starter: Denton Biller

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SF Giants Video: Let’s re-visit Game 7 of the 2014 World Series

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 29: Buster Posey #28 and Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals to win Game Seven of the 2014 World Series by a score of 3-2 at Kauffman Stadium on October 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for the next week or so, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.

For the third day of Mays-mas, I think you can guess where we’re headed given the last two. That’s right, we are off to Game 7 of the 2014 World Series!

This is absolutely the most iconic of the three championships. It’s the one that everyone remembers the details of because it was the most exciting, and also the most terrifying. My father “watched” the last couple of innings through closed eyes and covered ears because he couldn’t take the stress.

But of course, we all know how things played out, with folk hero Madison Bumgarner taking the mound in relief to continue his mission to nearly single-handedly win a World Series Championship.

So get your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

What time do the Giants play today?

The San Francisco Giants wrap up this three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays this morning at 10:10 a.m. PT.

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This Week in Purple: May-be you’re gonna be the one that saves me

May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies infielder Edouard Julien (6) loses his helmet as he strikes out during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies started the week by sweeping a double-header against the New York Mets, but sadly managed just one more win through the rest of it.

During the week, the month of April drew to a close. Their 13-14 record for the month was the best April the Rockies have managed since 2022—where they went 12-9—which was the last time they managed double-digit wins. In 2025, the Rockies were just 4-26 in April.

Unfortunately, the Rockies hit the month of May like a brick wall when the red-hot Atlanta Braves came to town. A bullpen meltdown on Friday saw the Rockies blow what was at one point a 6-0 lead while a rare dud from Chase Dollander and a failure to launch on offense saw the Rockies get blown out on Saturday.

But hey, after this, things can only get better.

Right?

With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:

To Read: Rockpiles

To Read: News

Weekend Discussion Topics

Saturday’s ballgame saw the opener gambit for Chase Dollander backfire. Brennan Bernardino recorded just two outs and allowed two runs to score before Dollander got the call to come in. However, Dollander also struggled and gave up six more runs against a potent Braves offense. Would you continue to use an opener with Dollander operating largely in a bulk role—which has been fairly successful so far—or would you officially move Dollander back to the rotation?

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Chicago Cubs news and notes, — Palencia, Counsell, Hoerner

Today’s Reflection

The fact that the Chicago Cubs have kept a run a going with all the obstacles in their way (like the Dodgers) is quite the blessing!

What the heck is going on? The Cubs won 10 in a row, then they showed that they were human in Los Angeles. Then they pull off four more wins in a row against the Padres and Diamondbacks — by big scores, or with stellar pitching.

What the heck is going on? NICO HOERNER is hurt! Hopefully just for one game. But that is an example of the productive offense without the usual big bats or without major injuries (Pounds fist on wood!). The Cubs are led in home runs by ….. Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson? They are led in RBI by …… Hoerner? It doesn’t matter — production is production, right? Right? And just depend on the pitching staff——

What the heck is going on? The starting pitching is led by ….. the guy that nearly everyone regretted took the qualifying offer, Shōta? He’s improved across the board, but how many of his pitches are really consistently effective? And what the he — no, the wreck of the bullpen was expected, just a shuffling of the deckchairs on a group of boats in a number of harbors.

And all that, plus a pair of Reds losses by the combined score of 26-8, put the Cubs in first place of the N.L. Central by the end of the day on Saturday? Keep up the great work, the Chicago Cubs hitting/Iowa Cubs pitching!

“Every page these days has some form of advertising. {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.“

Food For Thought:

John Lee Hooker was born August 17, 1917, in Coahoma County near Clarksdale, Mississippi. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he developed in Detroit. Hooker often incorporated other elements, including talking blues and early North Mississippi hill country blues. He developed his own driving-rhythm boogie style, distinct from the 1930s–1940s piano-derived boogie-woogie.

Beginning in 1962, Hooker gained greater exposure when he toured Europe in the annual American Folk Blues Festival. Hooker began to perform and record with rock musicians. In 1970, he recorded the joint album Hooker ‘n Heat, with the American blues and boogie rock group Canned Heat, whose repertoire included adaptations of Hooker songs. It became the first of Hooker’s albums to reach the Billboard charts, peaking at number 78 on the Billboard 200. Other collaboration albums soon followed, including Endless Boogie (1971) and Never Get Out of These Blues Alive (1972), which included Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, Van Morrison, and others. Hooker owned five houses in his later life, including ones in the California cities of Los Altos, Redwood City, and Long Beach. On June 21, 2001, Hooker died in his sleep at home in Los Altos.

San Diego Zoo launches Elephant Valley live camera

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is giving the entire Internet the chance to visit its new elephant habitat with a live camera on its website. The zoo announced pachyderm patrons around the world can now meet the eight elephants in its herd thanks to a live camera feed from the newly-opened Denny Sanford Elephant Valley.

“Elephant Valley serves as a bridge between the vital science happening in San Diego and the collaborative elephant conservation initiatives supported by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance across the African savanna.” (Video)

Top 10 Places To Visit in 2026 (Year of Travel) (Video)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

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Reactions to the Yankees’ AL East foes’ first month of play

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares to bat in the first inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 1, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Pinstripe Alley readers are well accustomed to our traditional end-of-month check-ins around the other five divisions. With that in mind, we’ve decided to take this opportunity in early May to cover one specific aspect that stands out about the journeys of the Yankees’ adversaries in the AL East. It’s been a weird start to the season, with the Rays currently standing out as the second force in this division and a couple other storylines that few people saw coming: manager Alex Cora getting the axe in Boston, and the Blue Jays failing to capitalize on last postseason’s momentum.

Tampa Bay Rays: A different kind of rotation—one that still figures out a way to succeed

The Rays couldn’t make Shane Baz and Taj Bradley work last year, and to be frank, they couldn’t make those two work throughout their whole tenure with the club. Shane McClanahan is back, but he doesn’t have the same zip on the fastball as he once did, although it is still effective. In the end, almost independently of who they throw out there, the Rays seem capable of securing good numbers as a staff, which is the primary reason for this 20-12 record to open the year.

Drew Rasmussen has proven himself a terrific, All-Star-caliber starter when healthy, and he headlines this rotation, but seeing two veteran innings eaters in Nick Martínez and Steven Matz feels almost too traditional for Tampa. The skepticism about just how much we can expect from these pitchers is part of why there isn’t a large concern about the Rays’ record, particularly with the news that Ryan Pepiot is out for the year. Still, they’re probably going to be a feisty bunch, as the Yankees saw themselves in the first series between these two in 2026.

Toronto Blue Jays: Missing Bo Bichette and likewise on the other side

The Blue Jays got about as close as a team could get to winning the whole thing without actually doing it, and right in the middle of it all was free agent-to-be Bo Bichette. It’s difficult to blame the Jays for not matching the Mets’ offer for Bo Bichette, but it’s also undeniable that both parties are missing each other early on in 2026. Bo is off to a lousy start, having moved to third base for a New York Mets team with a shuffled infield and a last-place record. The Jays haven’t had a single impact bat outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Sure, newcomer Kazuma Okamoto has flashed here and there, but this is an offense that clearly lacks depth. With Dylan Cease in tow, the rotation seemed at least somewhat better equipped to withstand the early absence of Trey Yesavage, who has now returned.

Ernie Clement is doing his best to provide some stable production out of the second base spot as Andrés Giménez takes his defensive prowess to short, but particularly with George Springer yet to get going in 2026, Vladdy is close to a one-man show—not the ideal scenario for a team with such lofty expectations.

Baltimore Orioles: “Thank goodness we traded for Taylor Ward.”

Once upon a time, not very long ago, Grayson Rodriguez was touted as one of the next big things in the American League, the ace who was supposed to lead this young Orioles team. Well, a plethora of injuries and inconsistencies along the way prevented Rodriguez from fulfilling the promise, and already with his value severely diminished this offseason, the O’s opted to move him to the Angels for Taylor Ward—it was a rare one-for-one trade of established big leaguers.

As things currently stand, the Orioles are a team with league-average production offensively and on the mound. A primary reason the former is true rather than something far worse is Ward’s value, who’s been far and away the best Orioles hitter in 2026, particularly with Gunnar Henderson off to a meandering start.

The Orioles, more than most teams, have suffered in recent years with underwhelming production from potentially valuable players. Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, and Dylan Beavers come to mind as hitters who could become terrific big leaguers but have yet to truly cement their place as reliable contributors—whether due to injury issues, inconsistencies, or even lack of opportunities. With Ward, the Orioles knew what they were getting, and considering Rodriguez has yet to throw a pitch in 2026, one could say Baltimore made out well—even if Ward naturally takes a step back from the AL-leading 13 doubles he’s provided so far in what could be the pending free agent’s only season in the Charm City.

Boston Red Sox: Reevaluating front office decisions

Things are not always in your control. Something may happen to a team, and they’re just not in a position to do anything about it … but it’s possible to respond to setbacks in a positive way. Working under the assumption that the Red Sox simply had to move Devers—and that’s very much up to what you think about owner John Henry—they managed to do it in a way that netted them nothing other than the financial room to reinvest* the money he was making.

*It certainly wasn’t reinvested in his replacement Alex Bregman, who opted out after 2025 and walked in free agency.

The issue right now isn’t so much the absence of Devers, who has scuffled to a 55 OPS+ start in San Francisco this year. James Tibbs III and Kyle Harrison are the two players involved in the Devers deal whose value has skyrocketed since then. It’s just unfortunate for Boston that this happened after the Red Sox flipped both them to the Brewers and Dodgers in deals that haven’t panned out.

Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers for Harrison alongside other players, and he’s been the main third baseman for Boston in 2026 with terrible results. At his best, Durbin can deliver the league-average line he did for Milwaukee in 2025, but even those numbers might not be worth the Harrison loss if the southpaw can capitalize on the early-season form he has shown since moving to Milwaukee. Tibbs III is raking in the Dodgers Triple-A team after Boston flipped him for Dustin May in last year’s deadline, a free-agent-to-be who was terrible for them.

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Season in Review: CJ Huntley stayed in the fight when the roster spots ran out

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 22: CJ Huntley #22 of the Phoenix Suns in action during his NBA debut in the game against the Toronto Raptors at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

Player Snapshot

  • Position: SF/PF
  • Age: 24
  • Contract Status: Two-Way, RFA in 2027-28
  • SunsRank (Preseason): 18
  • SunsRank (Postseason): 18

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

From undrafted to two-way to waived to two-way, the rookie year for CJ Huntley was full of earning opportunities and the establishment of his personal foundation.

By the Numbers

GPMINPPGRPGAPGBLKFG%3PT%FT%OFFRTGDEFRTG+/- (TOTAL)
410.03.01.30.50.054.5%0.0%0.0%122.4104.7+15

Let’s take a look at his stats with the Valley Suns.

GPMINPPGRPGAPGBLKFG%3PT%FT%OFFRTGDEFRTG+/- (TOTAL)
2927.416.08.51.11.262.3%33.8%69.0%111.6118.0-162

The Expectation

There were not many expectations for CJ Huntley entering the season. When you are the last man on the roster, that is the reality. He signed a two-way contract with the Suns after he went undrafted. Not long into the season, Phoenix waived him to create space for Jamaree Bouyea. Huntley cleared waivers and stayed in the mix. Later in the year, after a few subsequent moves, the Suns brought him back on a two-way deal.

From an expectations standpoint, the goal was simple. Get reps. Learn in the G.

The Reality

The reality with Huntley is that he is a solid foundational piece to have at the back end of a roster. There is room to grow, but the tools are there. He has size, he plays with a motor, and over five years at Appalachian State, he showed steady improvement from three. Around the rim, he has a natural feel for finishing.

The challenge shows up on the defensive end. In his Valley Suns run, there were flashes offensively that stood out. Defensively, there were lapses in positioning, slower reactions, and moments where the read was a beat late. Those are areas that can develop, but at 24, you are also weighing how much growth is still coming.

Could he become a rotation piece? It feels unlikely. As a deep bench option, someone you keep in your system and turn to when needed, he makes sense.

What It Means

Having him under contract on a two-way through next season is a smart move for Phoenix. Is he turning into the next great power forward? Probably not. But what he can provide — size, effort, and the potential to space the floor as a 3-and-D wing — has value. You want those kinds of guys in your organization. Because they may hit, and if they don’t, they are ideal players to sharpen the iron of those around them.

Defining Moment

The best moment of the season for Huntley came with the Valley Suns on the day he signed his two-way contract. He went off that night and gave you a glimpse of what he can be offensively.

Grade: B-

Huntley is the kind of player you like having in your system, and based on expectations coming into the season, I land on a B-.

That is what makes these grades interesting. It depends on what you are measuring. If this were based strictly on his impact with the Phoenix Suns, it would be an F. He did not factor in at that level. The B- reflects what he showed in the G League and how that aligned with what I expected. You could even argue for an A. There were no real expectations attached to him. He met the moment that was there.

What we saw in Summer League carried over. He popped. The question was always sustainability, and the G League gave a clearer answer. There is something there. There is also a ceiling. And it feels finite.

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Lakers’ defensive buy-in propelled them to second round of NBA playoffs

HOUSTON, TX – MAY 1: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Six of the...

HOUSTON — Austin Reaves couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened. 

But he remembered what sparked the Lakers’ defensive turnaround, which has carried over for 3 ½ months, through their first-round playoff series victory over the Rockets, which ended with Friday’s 98-78 Game 6 victory at Toyota Center.

The Lakers’ Deandre Ayton (5) and his teammates stymied the Rockets with their defensive intensity. NBAE via Getty Images

Nearly midway through the regular season, the Lakers ranked 26th in defensive rating, performing even worse on the less glamorous end of the floor than even their biggest detractors expected entering the season.

Only a few of the worst teams in the NBA (Kings, Pelicans, Wizards and Jazz) ranked worse than them defensively at the time. 

The Lakers knew a change was needed, and it came during their 110-93 win over the Raptors on Jan. 18, when they started playing more zone defense than they had up to that point in the season.

Positive results immediately followed, with the Lakers ranking as an above-average defensive team (13th) in their 14 games leading into the All-Star break en route to ranking 12th in defensive rating over their final 42 games.

“Our voices, we were talking more, we were rotating more — that was like a starter for us to kind of get the feel of what that communication looks like,” Reaves said. “And then we could change defenses, we could throw different schemes.”

Even though the Lakers barely played zone defense against the Rockets, the carryover from what coach JJ Redick and his staff were looking to emphasize was evident.

“When we started first playing zone, it did force everybody to communicate with one another and force guys that other teams probably wouldn’t see as communicators to be able to communicate, which ultimately put them in the right position because now they’re talking,” Marcus Smart said. “Now, they’re keeping their head on a swivel, they’re seeing things. So, I definitely have to agree with [Reaves] on that when we started to play that zone. And obviously we didn’t play that much zone in this series, but it helped us when we did play our man, to understand that everybody out there has to talk, and you don’t want to be the weak link.”

It was a collective defensive effort that got the Lakers their first playoff series victory since 2023, starting with Smart and LeBron James (in Year 23) setting the tone.

“In the NBA, you need to have an openness,” Redick said. “And whether that’s LeBron who’s been an All-Defensive player, arguably should have been Defensive Player of the Year multiple times, Smart’s been Defensive Player of the Year; they just buy into whatever schemes that we come up with. When you get buy-in from those guys, it’s easy to sort of execute because then the accountability piece is there.”

The Rockets’ Tari Eason and his teammates struggled against the Lakers’ defense during the first-round series. NBAE via Getty Images

Deandre Ayton controlled the interior, whether it was strong 1-on-1 defense as the primary matchup against Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun or closing out possessions with defensive rebounds. 

Sengun scored 32 points on 15-of-37 shooting (40.5%) when Ayton was the closest defender to him and only drew one shooting foul, according to the league’s matchup data.

The Lakers were a significantly better defensive rebounding team when Ayton was on the floor, even if he wasn’t the one grabbing the board.

He led the Lakers with 7.3 defensive rebounds per game, including 9.3 in the final three games of the series against the Rockets, who were the best offensive rebounding team in the league.

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“You have to have some type of stop sign where enough is enough,” Ayton said. “You have to match their physicality in a way where it’s contagious to your teammates as well. So I just tried to play as I am, the biggest dude on the court, and just go out and get every damn rebound. It got to a point where I didn’t even know I was hitting guys and giving certain blows, just off boxing out and to where you keep hitting them, hitting them, they eventually break.”

The Lakers flipped the script on expectations.

Not just entering the playoffs with Luka Doncic and Reaves sidelined before Reaves played in the last two games of the series.

But even going all the way back to last offseason when the roster was put together.

The Lakers weren’t expected to be the kind of team that could ride their defense to postseason success.

The series against the Rockets showed the progress they made. 

“It means everything,” Smart said. “It shows our resilience, and it shows the belief that we have in the next man up. It shows the belief that the coaching staff has in us to be able to, you know, put us in the right position. It just shows that no matter how depleted we are, we’re always going to go out there and compete and give everything we got and our trust in each other.”

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Magic vs Pistons Same-Game Parlay for Today's NBA Playoffs Game 7

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Fans of "old-school basketball" must be loving this series, with both the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons leaving it all on the floor.

Our SGP for Game 7 expects more defense, with Cade Cunningham doing all he can to complete the 3-1 comeback.

We've also got you covered with more NBA picks and analysis in our Magic vs. Pistons predictions for May 3.

Our best Magic vs Pistons SGP for Game 7

SGP leg #1: Cade Cunningham Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists

In the playoffs, Cade Cunningham ranks second in points per game, first in field goal attempts, third in free throw attempts, and fourth in minutes.

His 23 field goal attempts are up from 18.6 in the regular season. His free throws have increased from six per game to 10.7, and his minutes have shot up from 33.9 to 40.5.

Cunningham leads all players in postseason usage at 35.3%. The Detroit Pistons go as far as Cade takes them, and the team will need him to stuff the stat sheet in order to complete the series comeback and avoid an upset by the No. 8 seed.

SGP leg #2: Pistons -9

The Orlando Magic have outplayed the Pistons for most of the series, but the psychological aspect of competition comes into play here.

The Magic were up 22 points at halftime in front of the home crowd before suffering a historic meltdown, blowing their chances to complete the upset and advance to the second round.

The Pistons were clearly feeling themselves at the end of Game 6, and they’ve got swagger and momentum to go with home-court advantage. Orlando has got to be reeling, and I’ll bet on Detroit to win this one by double digits.

SGP leg #3: Under 203

Scoring has come at a major premium in this series, and the game total Under has hit in four of six matchups. The game total has gone Under 203.5 in three of six, including two of the last three.

Both teams failed to record 100 points three times in the series, and I’ll take the Under in what should be a gritty, physical dogfight, 2004-style.

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Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Magic vs Pistons predictions for Game 7.

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Handing out MLB's early awards: Best and worst of whacky opening month

It’s the Year of the Rookie, the Year of the Underdog, and the Year of the Underperforming.

Who could have envisioned that Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson would be unemployed before May?

Who could have imagined, in their wildest dreams, that that the Colorado Rockies would have a better record than the Mets, Phillies and San Francisco Giants?

How in the world of economics can four of the top six highest-paid teams have losing records: the Mets, Phillies, Blue Jays and Red Sox?

It’s been a strange but certainly entertaining start to the season, so why not hand out awards to some of the best, worst and funkiest events of April.

BEST REACTION TO A FIRING

Former Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett

Beckett, upon hearing that Alex Cora was fired as Red Sox manager while retaining GM Craig Breslow, sent a text message to Boston reporter Rob Bradford.

“It’s like (expletive) your pants and changing your shirt.”

A few days later, there was a plane hovering above Fenway with a banner that read: “Fire Craig! Sell the team!”

No idea whether Beckett was the pilot.

BEST SPEECH AFTER A BLOWN SAVE

New York Mets reliever Luke Weaver

“This pursuit of perfection is just an ultimate pressurized failure mindset. I just think it becomes everybody wants to be the hero because we care and we want to win really, really bad. And I just don’t think success lives in that realm. The freedom of which we play day to day is kind of being suffocated a little bit.”

RUDEST WELCOME

Philadelphia Flyers fans to their hometown Phillies

The Phillies thought it would be cool to catch a Flyers playoff game across the street after their own game.

They made some calls, got a suite, and were shown on the Spectrum Jumbotron in front of the Flyers’ fans.

Oops.

They were loudly booed.

CY YOUNG KRYPTONITE

St. Louis Cardinals

They are the only team in the world that can make Pittsburgh Pirates Cy Young winner Paul Skenes look ordinary.

Skenes has faced the Cardinals seven times in his brief stellar career.

And he has never beat them even once, going 0-5.

The Cardinals are the lone team who has beaten Skenes more than twice in his young career.

Skenes has an illustrious 25-15 career record and 2.08 ERA, but if he never faced the Cardinals, he’d be 25-10 with a 1.96 ERA.

BIGGEST IMPACT OF A HATED RIVAL

New York Yankees

The Yankees have long been the Red Sox’s worst nightmare, but now they’re playing a vital role in the Red Sox’s decision-making. Look at the circumstances firing executives and managers in recent years.

Let’s see, in September 2019, the Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski, their president of baseball operations, during a four-game sweep by the Yankees at Fenway Park.

In September, 2023, Chaim Bloom, who replaced Dombrowski, was fired after the Red Sox lost three of four games to the Yankees at Fenway Park.

And now, just two days after the Red Sox were swept by Yankees at Fenway, manager Alex Cora was fired.

EASIEST PRE-SEASON PREDICTION

New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert would go on the injured list

The Mets, ignoring the fact that Robert has missed 289 games the last five years with the Chicago White Sox, still traded for him during the winter. And it took just a month for Robert to go back on the IL with lumbar spine disc herniation.

Robert, who is earning $20 million with a $20 million club option in 2027, hits the IL with a .224 batting average and .656 OPS with two homers.

BEST PLAYER

Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros

The big guy (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) is not only one of the greatest power hitters in the game, but also one of MLB’s finest pure hitters.

Entering Saturday, Alvarez was slashing .341/.446/.707 with 12 home runs, 27 RBIs and an MLB-leading 42 hits. He has struck out only 15 times in 154 plate appearances.

But the key phrase is “Best Player,” not, “Most Valuable Player.’’

It’s awfully hard to win the official BBWAA MVP award when your team is the worst in baseball - unless your name is Andre Dawson.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER

Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants

Remember when the Giants were wildly celebrating their trade a year ago when they acquired Devers from the Boston Red Sox, assuming the remaining $250 million on his contract, and predicting that he’d be their greatest slugger since Barry Bonds?

Well, Bonds is 61 years old these days, hasn’t played since 2007, and he’d be performing a whole lot better than Devers, who has become one of the worst everyday players in baseball.

Devers is hitting .211 with a paltry .547 OPS and has two home runs with a negative 1 WAR. He’s not catching up to fastballs, and is swinging at pitches out of the strikezone. He drew 112 walks last year. This year he has seven.

Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow: “There’s one guy in the Giants lineup that pitchers don’t respect right now, and that’s Devers.”

BEST LOST BET

Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer

Palmer is 80 years old and a color analyst for the Baltimore Orioles, and until this past week, had never eaten a chicken wing in his life.

He made a bet last year with fellow broadcaster Kevin Brown a year ago that he’d eat a chicken wing if the Orioles hit a grand slam in a game that he was broadcasting. Adley Rutschman hit a slam against the Houston Astros, and the MASN crew had a chicken wing ready.

His reaction after 80 years of abstinence?

“These are pretty good,” he said. “What have I missed all these years?”

BEST STARTER

Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels

Soriano always had the talent, but it never has transformed to consistency on the mound. That has dramatically changed this year.

Soriano, until giving up three runs in his last start, had a preposterous 0.24 ERA. Still, he is 5-1 with a 0.84 ERA, striking out 49 batters in 42 2/3 innings.

He could be the Angels’ best pitcher since they had that two-way dude, Shohei Ohtani.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Ildermaro Vargas, Arizona Diamondbacks

This is a guy who was signed out of the Bridgeport Bluefish Independent League in 2015 by Arizona Diamdonbacks scout Chris Carminucci.

He has had three different stints with the Diamondbacks, playing parts of 10 different seasons with six different teams, and signing a minor-league contract this winter when no one else would give him a big-league deal.

Now, here he is, barely making over the minimum salary at $1.25 million, and making history. He opened the season with a 24-game hitting streak, 27 games extending to last season, which came to an end Saturday.

It was the second-longest hitting streak to open a season since 1940.

“Those things don’t happen by accident or because he’s lucky,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo says. “He’s paid his dues, he worked his butt off  and he’s learned how to play the game at a very high level.”

BEST ROOKIE

Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

It has been the year of the rookie with Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds, Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox, Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians, JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, Nolan McLean of the Mets, and McGonigle.

But no one has shined more than McGonigle.

He slashed .333/.420, .518 with two homers, 13 RBI, 11 doubles and two triples in his first 30 games. He leads all AL rookies in hits, doubles, triple,s batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He has come up 25 times with a runner in scoring position, and has yet to strike out.

He’s the first Tigers’ rookie to have a 13-game hitting streak since Al Kaline in 1955.

BIGGEST POWER OUTAGE

Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres

OK, after Tatis got popped for PEDs in 2022, there were questions how much of his previous power was PED-influenced.

He certainly hasn’t been the same offensive force since the suspension, but he’s now having the worst power outage of his career.

He has gone a major-league leading 139 plate appearances without a homer, with just one extra-base hit in his last 16 games.

In his last full season before the suspension in 2021, he was hitting .309 with 13 homers, 26 RBI, .727 slugging percentage, 1.111 OPS after 30 games, as reporter Hector Gomez tracks daily.

This year: .261, five extra-base hits, .311 slugging percentage, .644 OPS, and ZERO homers.

BEST RELIEVER

Mason Miller, San Diego Padres

Miller, the greatest strikeout artist in the game, just threw a franchise-record 34 ⅔ innings dating back to Aug. 7, 2025. He not only didn’t give up a single run, he didn’t even give up an extra-base hit.

Miller, who is perfect in an MLB-leading 10 save opportunities with a 1.17 ERA, has struck out 29 of the 54 batters he has faced (53.7%), with a chance to produce the greatest strikeout rate for any pitchers with at least 50 innings in baseball history.

He is also vying to become the first reliever to win the Cy Young award since Eric Gagne with the 2003 Dodgers.

MOST OVERWORKED RELIEVER

James McCann, Arizona Diamondbacks

He happens to be a catcher.

And has already pitched in four games, including two in three days with the Diamondbacks.

It’s ties the most appearances by a position player before May in MLB history.

BEST MANAGER

Oli Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals

How in the world is this team winning with a young, rebuilding roster like this?

They are in a full-blown rebuild, trading away all of their stars, and looked like a team headed for a dead-last finish, hoping to avoid a 100-loss season.

Well, here they are, 20-13 entering Sunday – the same record as the Dodgers – and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

Who knows how long the Cardinals’ run will last, but no team is out-performing expectations more than this group.

DEAD MAN (SLOWLY) WALKING

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza

Mendoza has been on the managerial death row for weeks, with Mets’ reporters wondering each and every day whether this would be the day an e-mail would drop informing them that Mendoza was of his duties, and thanking his for his services.

Having the worst record in baseball in on the last year of your contract, isn’t real healthy for your job security.

David Stearns, president of baseball operations, waited until the Mets departed on a three-city, nine-day road trip before giving Mendoza a vote of confidence, saying that he is safe.

Well … at least for now.

BEST EXECUTIVE

Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta

They have a payroll dwarfed by the Mets and Phillies, but despite losing three key starters, their starting shortstop, their starting catcher and their DH before opening day, here they are with the best record in MLB at 24-10.

They’re off to the second-best start in franchise history without having the benefit of playing the Mets yet.

Anthopoulos’s under-the-radar moves acquiring Mauricio Dubon from the Houston Astros and signing journeyman free agent Dom Smith have looked brilliant, and their depth has enabled them to not only survive, but thrive.

The scary thing for the rest of the league is that this team may get even better with Spencer Strider returning Sunday to give Atlanta a lethal 1-2 punch with Chris Sale.

BEST RESURGENCE

Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals, who were expecting Walker to be a star far too early in his career, and became exasperated when he wasn’t, with a negative WAR the past three seasons, letting teams know he was available in trade talks.

They wound up keeping him, and now have watched him emerge into the star they envisioned all along.

Walker is hitting .315 with 10 homers, 27s RBI and a .982 OPS. He is just one homer shy of his total the past two years combined.

Now, instead of trying to trade him, the Cardinals should be looking for ways to keep him on a long-term extension.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Just when it looked like we would never see vintage Mike Trout again, along comes April when he reminded everyone of his greatness.

Trout, who returned to center field, hit 10 homers with 21 RBI in April to go along with a .999 OPS. He even stole five bases.

Trout, the three-time MVP winner who hasn’t been an All-Star since 2023, and hasn’t received a single MVP vote in four years, is back to being one of the elite players in the game.

WILDEST DAY

Luis Garcia, Minnesota Twins

Garcia, 39, has played parts of 14 years, for different 10 teams, but never in his life did he experience a day like April 28.

Then again, maybe no one else has either.

Garcia was in the bullpen for the Twins’ Triple-A St. Paul team with a game in the morning, was called up to the Twins for their night game against the Seattle Mariners. On the ride over to Target Field, he was on his cell phone watching the birth of his second child on FaceTime, born a week early in the Dominican Republic. And that evening, he was pitching in the ninth inning for the Twins.

Mom and daughter, Adhara, are doing well.

And dad?

“It was a long day,” Garcia told the Minnesota Star-Tribune.

BEST FATHER-SON MOMENT

Carl and Justin Crawford

On April 8, 2014, Carl Crawford produced a walk-off hit for the Dodgers, playing for manager Don Mattingly.

On April 30, 2026, Justin Crawford, Carl’s son, produced a walk-off hit for the Phillies, playing for manager Don Mattingly, whose son, Preston, happens to be the Phillies’ GM.

It’s only the second time since at least 1920 that a father-son combination had walk-off homers for the same manager, according to Sarah Lang’s research.

CLASSIEST MOVE

Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies

Thomson, who was fired Tuesday morning, spoke with reporters on a Zoom call in the afternoon, taking every single question, saying he felt it was his obligation to address the media one final time.

“I think if you’re an accountable person and you’re a leader, you’re going to stand up in front of people and answer the questions when it’s all over,” Thomson said. “And I just wanted to make sure I did that in the right way.”

BEST COMEBACK TEAM

San Diego Padres

They have already had five comeback victories when trailing by at least four runs.

WORST COMEBACK TEAM

Boston Red Sox

They have not won a single game this year in which they trailed by more than one run.

BEST CLUTCH PERFORMANCE

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds entered the weekend having been outscored by 11 runs this season, but they are sitting with a 20-12 record and tied for first place in the NL Central.

How did they do it?

They were 12-0 in games decided by two or fewer runs.

WORST EXCHANGE

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates unceremoniously dumped Andrew McCutchen, one of the greatest players in franchise history, believing he was no longer useful, even as a part-time DH.

They replaced him with Marcell Ozuna, giving him a one-year, $12 million contract. Ozuna’s start has been horrific, hitting .185 with a .560 OPS.

McCutchen has struggled with Texas, hitting just .195 with one homer, five RBI and a .562 OPS, but at least he was beloved, and wouldn’t have been booed every time he steps to the plate.

BEST DECISION

Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs

Bregman wrestled with his free agency all winter, but when the Boston Red Sox refused to increase their offer, or even provide a no-trade clause, he pivoted to the Chicago Cubs.

He was spared the Red Sox soap opera with manager Alex Cora, a close friend,  and six of his coaches being dumped three weeks into the season. He’s now on a team with stability, a team that’s in first place in the NL Central, and a place with peace and tranquility in a place that he can call home.

BEST MONEY SPENT

Chicago White Sox

Just how many teams are kicking themselves now for not signing Japanese free-agent first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who wound up getting just a cheap two-year, $34 million deal from the Chicago White Sox?

You think the Mets wish they had invested in Murakami instead of giving Jorge Polanco a two-year, $40 million deal?

Murakami has been a steal. He leads MLB with 13 home runs, and set an MLB record with 12 homers in April. He’s also one of only five players in MLB history to produce at least 13 homers with at least 27 walks in the first 32 games of a season. He joins Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Albert Pujols and Jim Thome.

WORST MONEY SPENT

San Francisco Giants

If it’s not bad enough that they still owe infielders Rafael Devers and Willy Adames about $385 million into the next decade, the Giants are spending a record $10.5 million on managers this season.

They fired Bob Melvin, and paid him $4 million to go away two months after giving him an extension.

They hired Tony Vitello, who became the first collegiate coach to go directly to the MLB managerial chair, is being paid $3.5 million in the first year of a three-year, $10.5 million contract.

They had to pay the University of Tennessee $3 million for the buyout in Vitello’s contract.

The result?

The Giants are last in the NL West with a 13-20 record, having the worst offense in baseball, and a bloated payroll, with Devers and Willy Adames owed $432 million by the Giants.

They have already been shut out seven times, the most after 32 games in the franchise’s last 50 years. They rank last in runs. Last in homers. Last in walks. Last in stolen bases.

But first in managerial pay.

AROUND THE BASEPATHS

  • While Alex Cora will be the hottest free-agent commodity this winter, the Phillies are confident that he will be managing their team in 2027. Cora also is expected to be wooed by the Houston Astros and New York Mets.
  • Now that Carlos Mendoza has been informed that his job is safe for the time-being, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada could be the next manager dismissed amid the Astros’ struggles.
  • Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, said that with so many teams with big payrolls struggling this year, trade talks have already picked up. The hottest commodity at the trade deadline is expected to be Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and the Boston Red Sox could trade left-handed hitting outfielder Jarren Duran before the Aug. 3 deadline.
  • The Boston Red Sox wanted to fire several of their coaches last year before being saved by manager Alex Cora, but he wasn’t given that opportunity this time around with Craig Breslow, president of baseball operations, not even asking if Cora would be willing to stay without his most trusted coaches.
  • While Breslow is getting torched for dumping Cora, it still will be impossible to upend his worst move: Trading Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Vaughn Grissom and throwing in $17 million. Sale has gone 30-9 with a 2.45 ERA and won a Cy Young award with Atlanta. Grissom played 31 games for the Red Sox and is now with the Angels.
  • Teams in need of catching help are paying close attention to the Athletics and Shea Langeliers. The 28-year-old backstop is earning $5.25 million and in line for a fat raise in his second year of salary arbitration this winter with his fabulous start. The A’s must decide whether they can sign him to a long-term contract as they have with four other young players, go year-to-year in arbitration, or even trade him at some juncture.
  • Interim managers Don Mattingly (Philadelphia Phillies) and Chad Tracy (Boston Red Sox) will be making history if they produce a winning record. There have been 18 interim managers who took their place within the first 30 games of a season since the divisional era. The only who had a winning record was Billy Martin, who went 91-54 after replacing Yogi Berra with the 1985 Yankees.
  • They divorced back in 2010, but now are back together again with Dan Lozano and his MVP sports agency merging with the Beverly Hills Sports Council. The new name is EVOLV Sports Management, reuniting Lozano and Danny Horwitz. Lozano, who worked 22 years with the Beverly Hills Sports Council before starting his own agency, negotiated four contracts in excess of $200 million: Manny Machado (11 years, $350 million), Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million), Albert Pujols (10 years, $250 million) and Joey Votto (10 years, $225 million).
  • MLB executives and scouts believe that the New York Yankees are the best team in the American League, and there’s not another team particularly close.
  • Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery is emerging into a star, hitting 30 homers and driving in 75 runs since the 2025 All-Star break.
  • The Miami Marlins, drawing just 12,032 fans a game, still are enjoying a home-field advantage with a 10-7 record at home this season. Their pitching staff certainly has enjoyed the home confines, yielding a 2.85 ERA – second best in the NL – with a league-best .192 opponent’s batting average.
  • The Seattle Mariners’ MVP the first month is young second baseman Cole Young, who was rated one of the worst defensive second basemen in the game last year but now is ranked No. 1 in defensive runs saved. He’s also hitting .276 with a .751 OPS and team-leading 19 RBI. The Mariners have had a different starting second baseman on opening day since 2018, but with Young’s emergence, that should finally end.
  • Hard to believe that in Shohei Ohtani’s past eight starts, allowing just two earned runs in 44 ⅔ innings, the Dodgers are 2-6.
  • Don’t look now, but the White Sox might be closer to contending than originally envisioned. They still are likely a year away, but their 13-13 record in April was the first calendar month since June 23 they didn’t have a losing record.
  • Infield coaching guru Ron Washington is working his magic again. When Luis Arraez arrived to San Francisco, he was considered one of the worst defensive second basemen in baseball, producing a negative-36 outs above average in defensive metrics. This year, he is 6 outs above average, tied for the fourth-best rating in baseball, behind only Gold Glove winners Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bobby Witt Jr. and Nico Hoerner. And, oh yeah, he’s also hitting .303.
  • The NL Central became only the fourth division in the history of divisional play in 1969 to have every team at .500 or better entering May. The others? The AL West in 1996 and 1997 and the AL East in 2012 and 2023.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB awards 2026 for whacky first month: Best player, biggest flop

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Six things the Raptors must overcome in Game 7 against the Cavaliers

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 01: Jamal Shead #23 of the Toronto Raptors is defended by James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 01, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Toronto Raptors aren’t supposed to be here.

But they are anyway, and it’s the best-case scenario for a team surviving mostly off their instincts. They’ve learned to live with injuries to key players and miraculously adapted to the harsh environment of playoff basketball.

They have one last mountain to climb in their Game 7 matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that’s mandatory for any team playing with house money.

With a monumental upset now potentially in play, here are six things the Raptors must overcome ahead of the 7:30 p.m. EST tip-off:

History

The Raptors are 3-3 in Game 7:

  • Lost 88-87 to the Philadelphia 76ers (2001)
  • Lost 104-103 to the Brooklyn Nets (2014)
  • Won 89-84 against the Indiana Pacers (2016)
  • Won 116-89 against the Miami Heat (2016)
  • Won 92-90 against the Philadelphia 76ers (2019)
  • Lost 92-87 to the Boston Celtics (2020)

That’s not a bad winning percentage compared to the rest of the league. Legacy organizations like the Boston Celtics (0.729) and Los Angeles Lakers (0.666) rank the best, especially amongst those with the most experience. Modern-day contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder (8/13) and the New York Knicks (7/16) offer a more realistic spectrum of results.

The real concern lies with the fact that home teams have won 74 per cent of the time throughout the history of the NBA. For all of the discourse surrounding the length of the regular-season, there’s still tremendous value in putting in the work during the marathon of a grind.

Troubles in the fourth

After averaging 35.3 points in the fourth quarter throughout the first four games of the series, the Raptors have mightily struggled in the final frame during the last two contests. Cleveland has figured something out or is playing with more urgency. They’ve limited Toronto to an average of 14.5 points in Games 5 and 6. The Raptors are also a combined -19 during this stretch. A part of their issue can be attributed to the loss of Brandon Ingram.

Assuming Ingram won’t be available despite his status being upgraded to questionable, this won’t cut it in Game 7. Even if the Raptors get off to a great start and figure out how to maintain it, it’ll all come down to whether they can produce in the final 12 minutes.

Can the Canadian do it again?

A part of the problem with the team’s late-game offence stems from RJ Barrett. The Canadian knocked down one of the greatest shots in Raptors history, but the road to that legendary moment was a bumpy one. In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers fully lean into a strategic decision to put length (either Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen) on Barrett to negate his drive. While Barrett found success earlier in the series, credit Mobley and Allen for doing a better job of absorbing contact and making it difficult for any over-the-top finishes.

Even with his wrecking-ball style limited, what’s further complicating things is that Barrett’s outside shooting has abandoned him late in games. The Cavaliers are daring Barrett to beat them from the perimeter late in games. It ultimately worked out in the Raptors’ favour to win Game 6, but will it carry over to Game 7?

Need more from Shead

Another symptom of the Raptors’ offensive struggles traces back to Jamal Shead. The point guard is the most obvious Raptors bulldog. It’s easy to spot the Kyle Lowry mannerism. Unfortunately, like Lowry, Shead has battled with his outside jumper during his young career. While he was never the sub-30 per cent shooter that Lowry was during his first four seasons, Raptors fans understand that anything Shead provides from beyond-the-arc is a breath of fresh air.

The Cavaliers have hedged their bets on the law of averages, often leading to wide-open shots for Shead in the fourth quarter. He frustratingly missed multiple attempts from the corner in Game 5 and went 2-for-7 in Game 6.

Toronto has done a few things to counter this, like putting the ball in Shead’s hands more, which leverages his strengths as a ball-handler and set-up man. But there will be pivotal moments when the ball is in the hands of Barrett or Scottie Barnes, and chances are Shead will be called on to hit a series-clinching type of shot.

Mobley is a problem

After being labelled as the primary reason for Cleveland dropping the first two games in Toronto, Mobley has quieted the doubters. Mobley averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 0-for-7 from deep during Games 3 and 4. Since then, the big man has averaged 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. He has also knocked down six of his 10 three-point attempts.

He confidently attacked Collin Murray-Boyles to send the game into overtime on Friday and nearly knocked down the game-winner in overtime.

Mobley is getting strong as the series progresses and another stellar performance could mean trouble for the Raptors.

Pride matters

Mobley’s running-mate in Allen has also answered the call over the last two games. Allen drew criticism for how he handled the Raptors’ decision to guard him with a smaller player. While Toronto survived hiding players like Barrett, Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter on Allen earlier in the series, the Cavaliers centre has done a better job of exploiting the size mismatch.

The Raptors’ most physical bigs (Barnes and Murray-Boyles) also happen to be their two best perimeter defenders. Toronto has understandably declared Donovan Mitchell and James Harden as the more dangerous threat, which means getting creative with Allen and Mobley.

In Game 6, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had no choice but to deploy Jakob Poeltl. The Austrian centre played a series-high 21 minutes. This isn’t necessarily a sustainable option. Extended minutes for Poeltl mean other schematic issues could – and typically do – materialize.

Unfortunately, the Raptors may not have a choice after being out-rebounded 65-48 (19-10 on the offensive boards) in Game 6.