May 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) waves to the fans after the Phillies beat the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Well, Friday is here. The Phillies are about to start a three-game set in Los Angeles. Tonight’s start time is 10:15. Tomorrow night’s is earlier…. by five minutes. Break out the coffee.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 24: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 24, 2026 in San Antonio, 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 Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighty-two regular season games. One Emirates Cup Final. Five games in round one of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. It took six games to eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves. And last night the Spurs evened the Western Conference Finals at three games apiece.
By my count —and I am a math teacher after all — that is 100 games.
The Spurs are heading back to Oklahoma City in a winner-take-all Game 7. Their 101st game.
Basketball 101.
The biggest factor for the Spurs in wins versus losses comes down to Victor Wembanyama.
In Games 1 and 4, the Spurs won when Wemby scored over 30 points. In the losses in Games 2, 3, and 5, Victor scored 21, 26, and 20 respectively.
Last night in Game 6, Wembanyama scored 22 points in the first half. He ended the night with 28 points, but he played sparingly in the second half as the Spurs pushed the game out of reach during the 3rd quarter.
By comparison, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in Game 6 and sat out the entire 4th quarter. This is the second loss in a row at the Frost Bank Center where Mark Daigneault has kept his MVP out of the final frame.
The Spurs did a fantastic job in the elimination game of limiting SGA to just three free throws. Over the series, they have frustrated his shooting game, forcing him to score from the line. Reducing his trips to the charity stripe paired with the Spurs defense on him has been paramount in taking the series to a Game 7.
Meanwhile, both teams have suffered injuries.
From the Spurs side, De’Aaron Fox have been pushing through a high ankle sprain, and though he’s not a hundred percent, he is able to steer the ship when needed. Dylan Harper also suffered a right adductor injury. He played through but was not producing. If Game 6 was any indication, Harper is better and ready to battle.
For the Thunder, Jalen Williams (J-Dub) has missed much of the Western Conference Finals with a hamstring injury. Though he came off the bench in Game 6, he scored only 1 point in ten minutes of playing time.
The Thunder have also utilized Alex Caruso as a difference maker. Other than the doule-overtime loss in Game 1, Caruso scored 17, 15, and 22 in the Thunder victories, a key component to their success. But in the losses they endured in San Antonio, Caruso scored 0 and 7 respectively.
While the Spurs have exhibited balance all season — they were close to having eight players averging double figures in the regular season — their wins and losses in this series align with Victor Wembanyama.
So the real question is, which Wemby will hit the hardwood in Oklahoma’s capital Saturday night?
Victor has made his intentions clear. He shares his emotions readily and he does not hide his frustration when he does not perform at his best. But this is win or go home.
He will be the focal point of the Thunder’s defense. He should expect double teams and clogging in the paint, which is an asset when he’s dishing to Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and De’Aaron Fox, provided they are hitting open threes.
The version of him from Games 3 and 5 that looked winded, missed shots, and hung around the three-point line instead of making a play for the paint cannot step onto the court Saturday night.
It is imperative the same confident superstar that came out of the gate hitting threes in Game 6 dominates the reigning champions. For 48 minutes, the Spurs must execute.
For most on the team, this is just another in the series of “firsts” they have experienced this season.
Victor has to impose his will to ensure this is the first of many.
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Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
There are always several players in the NBA Draft who just know how to play the game at a high level. They make the right plays, are always in the right spots, and are efficient in almost everything they do. This year, one of those players is Bennett Stirtz out of Iowa. Stirtz has an amazing combination of ball skills, shooting ability and high IQ that makes him one of the more solid point guard prospects, and he could help any team with what he provides.
It’s a list of things that Stirtz does well, but the thing that jumps out the most that will help him at the next level is his play in the pick-and-roll. Whatever Iowa needed Stirtz to do out of that play, he executed it and made something out of it. He knows how to create easy shots for himself, whether that’s getting crafty and going to the rim or creating a shot on the perimeter. He averaged 19.8 points per game, and it’s safe to say most of his points came out of the pick-and-roll.
When it comes to his playmaking, his assist numbers don’t do him much justice (4.4 per game), but he makes the right play. He hits the roller with a perfect pass, or he might make a skip pass to an open shooter. These are the type of intangibles a team would want, and Stirtz has it on offense.
What makes him even more of an efficient prospect is his shooting numbers. He shot 36% from behind the arc, and in his junior season with Drake, he shot 40%. That should be enough to show that he can knock it down at a high level, and in different situations. Though he thrives in pick-and-roll, he was also good playing off ball, and his catch-and-shoot ability worked well in Iowa. Unfortunately, when it comes to creating his own shot, Stirtz falls short in that category, but if he’s doing everything else right on offense, it may not be a big issue for teams.
The reason for his lack of shot creation is attributed to his athleticism. When looking at the mix of guards that are projected to go in the lottery, they all have some sort of speed, strength, or twitch that helps their game. As for Stirtz, he just doesn’t have that extra burst, which could limit him on offense if you’re asking him to go get a bucket in isolation.
His lack of athleticism also bleeds into the other side of the ball, where he can be taken advantage of at the point of attack. He’s not the worst defender, but Iowa usually sat him in the corner against the opposing team’s worst offensive player, which is what might happen at the next level. The thing is, camping him in the corner at the next level isn’t going to work all the time, especially if teams are looking to attack him.
Of course, the other thing that is always questionable about prospects is their age, and Stirtz will be 22 years old on draft day. At the end of the day, Stirtz has the skills to play at the next level, and age shouldn’t deter teams away from drafting him.
The Hawks could look at Stirtz as a guy to draft late in the first round. The two areas of need for them are guard and center, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were on their draft board. He seems like a guy who would fit in perfectly in Quin Snyder’s system, but his lack of shot creation may be something that could make them lose interest.
15 Mar 2000: Claude Lemieux of the New Jersey Devils looks on from the wall during a game against the Dallas Stars at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Stars defeated the Devils 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60:
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
The New Jersey Devils organization is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former Devil Claude Lemieux.
A clutch player on the ice and greatly appreciated by Devils' fans off it, Claude's impact in bringing the first-ever Stanley Cup to New Jersey will forever be… pic.twitter.com/kDD9ZMAPOr
“Lemieux, nicknamed ‘Pepe,’ played 21 years in the NHL, winning the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy and the four Cup titles — two with the New Jersey Devils and one each with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens. His 80 playoff goals rank ninth in NHL history and his 158 points are tied for 27th. Lemieux played 1,215 regular-season games, scoring 379 goals and 786 points and amassing 1,777 penalty minutes.” [The Athletic ($)]
Defensemen updates:
The Chris Johnston Show (May 28): On New Jersey… • Even if the report on Simon Nemec asking for a trade was false it doesn't mean he won't be traded. He will be looking for a long term contract similar to what Luke Hughes signed for. • CJ says his sense is Dougie Hamilton is… pic.twitter.com/mKAMOcfzI0
“The Devils have a lot of pieces in place, but also some major holes to reconcile. Here’s where the Devils stand going into the 2026-27 season.” [The Athletic ($)]
“A new deal won’t be cheap, even if Hischier takes a team-friendly discount. What could his next contract with the Devils look like?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“Former Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy called it ‘upsetting’ in a podcast Thursday that he can’t interview with other clubs after Vegas management declined reported requests by Edmonton and Los Angeles. ‘There were two teams that asked,’ Cassidy said on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. ‘It’s public knowledge now, and I would like to talk to them. I want to go to work. I’m a hockey coach.’” [Associated Press]
“For one reason or another, there are many young players who would benefit from a trade to a team that is interested in letting young players flourish. Here are a dozen such candidates:” [ESPN]
Vegas taking the Western Conference Final was a shocking result. Where does that series win rank among recent surprise playoff sweeps? [Daily Faceoff]
An interesting idea: “The NBA’s board of governors voted overwhelmingly Thursday to change the league’s draft lottery format beginning with the 2027 NBA draft, the league announced. The new format expands the lottery from 14 to 16 teams, including the 8-seed in each conference’s playoff picture, and adds anti-tanking measures where the bottom three teams are dealt lesser chances for the No. 1 pick while flattening odds for teams that do not qualify for the playoffs or the play-in tournament.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 28: Jackson Holliday #7 of the Baltimore Orioles bats in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The good vibes of the Orioles’ sweep of the first-place Rays did not carry into their next series, at least not for the opener. The O’s slipped back to five games under .500 with their 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays, as their offense, which had plated 26 runs in three games against Tampa Bay, was held to nothing more than a Coby Mayo solo homer by graybeard Patrick Corbin and three Blue Jays relievers.
It was a very winnable game, thanks to one of Chris Bassitt’s strongest outings of the year, but a lot of little things went wrong. The O’s didn’t capitalize on some scoring opportunities, both through bad luck — such as scorching liners by Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson that went directly into infielders’ gloves — and dumb baseball, most notably Pete Alonso getting picked off first base to quash an eighth-inning rally. Craig Albernaz’s bizarre decision to eschew his best reliever, Rico Garcia, and instead turn to the struggling Anthony Nunez to face the top of the Jays’ lineup in the eighth turned out predictably poorly. Check out Mark Brown’s recap of all the action.
Oh well. You can’t win ’em all, and the Orioles are still 5-2 on this homestand. But they can’t rest on their laurels anytime soon. They’ve still got a bit of a hole to climb out of to get back to the .500 mark, and they’re facing nothing but division opponents for the next nine games, including the Blue Jays six more times and the Red Sox thrice. The Birds have been playing better baseball of late, and they’ve at least avoided tanking their season by Memorial Day like last year’s Orioles did, but it’s going to take a longer stretch of success before we can take them seriously as contenders.
Even after dropping the opener, the Orioles have a chance to make a statement against the defending AL champions, struggling as they may be. A series win is still on the table, but we’d settle for a split. Let’s see the O’s offense come back to life, and most of all, we need to see the Trevor Rogers of 2025 instead of whatever this 2026 monstrosity is. He’s on the mound tonight, and there’s no time like the present for Rogers to start turning his season around.
The O’s are changing the way they draft and develop pitchers. I would hold off on saying it’s “jump-started” their pitching development, though. Let’s see a few of these guys have sustained success in the majors first.
My random thought from watching Bassitt last night: this guy really stretches the limits of the pitch clock, huh? On pretty much every pitch he starts his delivery with like half a second left on the clock, yet he manages never to get any violations. Bassitt likes to live dangerously, I suppose.
At least there’s one fan who had more luck than the Orioles did last night.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Five former Orioles were born on this day: utility guys Tyler Nevin (29) and Jerry Hairston Jr. (50), outfielder Eric Davis (64), and right-handers Fred Holdsworth (74) and Dyar Miller (80).
On this date in 1970, Mike Cuellar became the first — and still only — Orioles pitcher to strike out four batters in one inning. In the bottom of the fourth against the California Angels, Cuellar started the inning with a strikeout of Alex Johnson, but a passed ball by Elrod Hendricks allowed him to reach first. Cuellar then racked up Ks of Ken McMullen, Tommie Reynolds, and Jim Spencer. At the time, Cuellar was only the fourth pitcher in American League history to accomplish the feat, but it has since been done 45 more times by AL pitchers, including 18 in the past 10 years. Yet somehow no other Oriole has done it.
And in 2013, the O’s gave up three homers in one game to the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman — but still won, 9-6, thanks to four homers of their own, including two by Chris Davis.
Random Orioles game of the day
On May 29, 2015, the Orioles pulled off a walkoff win over the Rays, 2-1. In front of a sellout crowd of 45,505 at Camden Yards, starter Miguel González delivered an incredible outing, going eight innings and giving up just one run — with a Steven Souza second-inning homer his only blemish — but the O’s offense didn’t answer quickly enough to get him a win. The Birds trailed for most of the game, getting shut out through six by future Oriole Nate Karns, before Chris Davis launched a game-tying homer in the seventh.
In the bottom of the ninth, singles by Travis Snider and Davis set up J.J. Hardy, who grounded a base hit through the left side to score pinch-runner Everth Cabrera and send the fans home happy. The win was Buck Showalter’s 400th as Orioles manager.
Old-school baseball guys think the 60-game mark is where a team needs to re-assess where they are at versus what they thought they had coming out of spring training. Tony LaRussa used to say (maybe he still does) that teams need to shoot for a record of 30-30 or better, re-assess and go from there. I like 54 games because of the symmetry of being exactly one-third of the season. Either works, I suppose.
What did we think they were back in March?
To assess and re-evaluate, it pays to re-visit what the expectations were coming out of Spring Training.
People were concerned about the offense, particularly the power. Where would it come from?
The bullpen was expected to be a strong point. The rotation? A question mark, but likely no worse than 2025.
The defense was expected to be a bit better with returning players to their more comfortable positions such as Burleson (to first) and Gorman (back to third).
Overall, while the opinions varied widely, most expected a slightly sub-.500 team, with many in the high 60’s and low 70’s for wins. A few optimists thought 85 wins was doable.
How has it played out to-date, relative to the first 1/3 of 2025 season?
One way of looking at it is to compare this year to last year’s team at the same point in time. Not a totally valid comparison, because in between, they subtracted talent from the MLB roster and added it to the MiLB pipeline. But perhaps instructive, nonetheless. Indulge me. By the numbers…
Metric
2025
2026
Wins
30
29
Losses
24
25
RS
256
235
RA
216
245
ERA
3.59
4.27
xERA
4.34
4.87
RunDiff
40
-10
Off WAR
8.2
6.8
Pit WAR
6.3
1.7
Last year at this point, the Cardinals were 30-24, in 2nd place, 3 games out in the division and 1 game behind in the WC race. They carried a +40 run differential with 246 RS and 216 RA. This year, at the same point, they are 29-25, 4.5 games out in the division and tied for the last wild card spot with many. The carry a -10 run differential, with 235 RS and 245 RA.
They have backslid offensively, not surprising given that they traded away 3 line-up stalwarts with no real upgrade. They have also backslid a fair bit in run prevention (in spite of unloading 2 less than productive starters). The offensive improvement shows up mostly in the HR total (at 60, up from 49 at this point in 2025). Overall offensive WAR to-date is 6.8 as opposed to 8.2 last year. This point-to-point comparison may not be totally valid, as the first third last year was the nadir of offensive production in 2025, led by Donovan, Nootbaar, Burleson and Contreras. There was significant fall-off from Donovan and Nootbaar in the latter 2/3 of the 2025 season and the team that finished 2025 was not the same as the one that started.
On the pitching front, last year’s team had accumulated 6.3 fWAR by this point. This year’s team? 1.7 fWAR. Remarkable that they are only 1 game off last year’s pace. Speaking of pace, I like to read that the current team is on pace for 87 (ish) wins. By that thinking, last year’s team was on pace for 90 wins. Except they weren’t. Pace isn’t a reliable predictor of baseball outcomes, with one data point in support being that 90-win pace team finished with 78 wins. Now, I’m not predicting a similar collapse this year, just that multiplying the current win total times 3 is about as good a predictor of the future as flipping a coin.
What has gone well?
Well, we have enough data now to have moved past small sample size in most metrics, except defensive ones like OAA and DRS. What can we discern?
Jordan Walker has it in him. This has gone almost as well as anyone could have reasonably hoped. I can’t overstate the impact this has not only on this year’s team, but on long-term planing.
JJ Wetherholt is the real deal. Offense, defense, baseball acumen.
These two are the two main difference between 2025 and 2026 and they are impactful differences.
The team dynamic and sequencing has been better this year. Random stuff, bound to normalize? Hard to say, but some luck is created by things like good baserunning and good defense and other things tougher to measure.
Burleson and Herrera are hitters. The four above begin to form an offensive core, that while incomplete, is a solid base to start from.
What has not gone well?
Nolan Gorman remains stuck offensively, although his defense has been a pleasant surprise. Mostly the lack of power is the primary concern.
Masyn Winn hasn’t progressed offensively. Simple as that. He is only 24. There is time.
Victor Scott II seems mostly lost, although his xwOBA has been steadily improving the last 3 weeks. Both his offense and defense are below par for what is needed from him.
The bullpen is not good.
The bench is … not good. The manager tells us that through his refusal to play them. I’m convinced they didn’t even take Saggese on the road trip.
Upper-level long-term minor league pitching injuries continue to bite. Henderson, Hence, Roby, Fitts make up a good chunk of the AAA talent that was to emerge this summer. We won’t see them until next year.
What remains to be determined?
On the bright side, answers are formulating. That helps decide the direction. Some things are better, some things worse, but now they know (or have a good idea) where the holes really are that aren’t fillable with a prospect who just needs runway.
Are we still confident that Winn is a core member? (I am, but I hear rumblings…)
What is Nolan Gorman?
What is Nathan Church?
What about the AAA talent (Baez, Crooks, Jordan)? Are they MLB ready? Are they answers?
Has so much pitching been set back that 2027 really isn’t a realistic year to expect emergence?
How might we modify the outlook for the rest of the year?
Do we have enough data to re-calibrate our expectations of the season. Have you seen enough to update your expected W-L?
I came into the season think 78 +/- wins would probably be where this team lands. I’m not inclined to come off that view. If I was, I’d probably reduce my win expectancy a bit. They’ve done better in the first third than I expected, but I don’t think that translates into more success in the next two-thirds. Why?
Offensively, their fortunes are fundamentally tied to Wetherholt, Walker, Burleson and Herrera being top 20th percentile hitters all season. If they can avoid slumps and injuries, this could happen, but that is asking a lot. If it doesn’t happen, things could get rough quickly.
Bullpen-wise, I don’t see a pathway to fix the bullpen in a meaningful way. I do expect Leahy to end up back there, but there just isn’t much coming from Memphis. No power arms that I can see.
Starting pitching-wise, they are who they are. Reliable, steady, low wattage. Enough to keep them in most games, not enough to win if their offense slumps at all. Similar to the core offensive pieces, they don’t have the depth to withstand slump or injury. Similar to the offensive core, if slump or injuries arise, things could get rough quickly.
The trade deadline will do what slump and injury may not, in that it could well deplete what pitching depth there is as Stanek, May, Romero represent expiring contracts that smart teams move for future value. Youngsters may be poised to arrive around that time, but holding their own might be the optimistic outcome.
Could they contend?
Sure. Baseball is funny. And random at random times and in random ways.
Nootbaar could come back hale and hearty. Baez could emerge as a force. This would be a deep line-up then, with six “plus” hitters in addition to league average Gorman and Winn. Better than most, I’d say.
The pitching could improve and avoid injury. A deep line-up could overcome some of the rougher parts of the pitching equation. But that bullpen….
The Detroit Tigers had a chance to claw back a few wins this week at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Instead, they lost their seventh straight series, taking just one of three from the visitors, and are now back in a tie for last place in the American League with that same Halos squad.
Next up for the Motor City Kitties is a trip to the Windy City to take on the Chicago White Sox, who currently sit in the AL Central’s second-place position behind the Cleveland Guardians at two games over .500. The Pale Hose are coming off a four-game series win over the Minnesota Twins at home, having taken three of four.
The Tigers will have right-hander Troy Melton on the mound for his second start of the campaign to open things up. The 25-year-old went 5 2/3 innings in his first appearance, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out three en route to a win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Melton faced the ChiSox twice last year, once as a starter and once in relief. In the former role, he tossed five shutout innings on just one hit and no walks en route to a 1-0 victory on Aug. 13.
The home team will send fellow righty Erick Fedde, who has struggled mightily this season, to the bump to do battle. The 33-year-old’s most recent outing in relief on the road against the San Francisco Giants was particularly foul, giving up eight runs on 10 hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out three over 3 1/3 frames.
Fedde’s previous appearance against Detroit last year on May 20 was not particularly impressive either. He gave up four runs on five hits (two home runs) and no walks while striking out two over five innings of work, earning a no-decision in a 5-4 loss.
Take a look at how the two match up on Friday night.
Detroit Tigers (22-35) vs. Chicago White Sox (29-27)
Time (ET): 7:40 p.m. Place: Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 58: RHP Troy Melton (1-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (0-5, 5.47 ERA)
The Hockey News released its list of the Top 100 NHL players this season in April, and four Montreal Canadiens have made the list. Yesterday, we covered Juraj Slafkovsky, who’s 94th on the list. Today, we look at the second Hab on the list, which is at number 48: Captain Nick Suzuki.
THN justifies his presence at number 48 because he’s the number one center the Canadiens have been looking for for years, adding that his chemistry with Cole Caufield and Slafkovsky is sublime. The magazine also praises the playmaker because he has racked up five 20-goal seasons in a row.
I find this ranking highly debatable. This season, Suzuki put up 101 points, a career mark, which was good for sixth overall in league scoring. That’s 20 more points than Tage Thompson, who lands in 32nd place after putting up 81 points in 81 games. Granted, offensive production shouldn’t be the only criterion to make the Top-100 ranking, and that’s exactly why Suzuki should be higher on the list.
All season long, he has had the toughest matchup, being pitted against the opponent’s top line more often than not and yet, on top of producing a career year offensively, he has earned a Selke Trophy nomination as the top defensive forward. Rumblings around the league are that he will likely win the trophy as well.
Since he was given the C in Montreal, becoming the youngest captain in Canadiens history, Suzuki has led by example on and off the ice. He’s put the team on his back in 2025-26, almost taking it single-handedly to the playoffs. For an encore, he was selected to represent Canada at the Olympics and was highly praised by coach Jon Cooper on the international stage before returning to lead the Habs to the playoffs.
While he might not have been all that productive at even strength in the playoffs, he’s still third in scoring with 16 points in 18 games. Granted, the list was published before he led Montreal through two playoff rounds and eliminated both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, but that just goes to show how good a player he has become.
The fact that he’s the third-best Canadiens player on the list is surprising. One could argue that Suzuki is the glue that holds this Habs’ team together, and while journalists from other markets are starting to take notice of what he accomplishes since the Olympics, he’s still grossly underestimated. He can attack, he can defend, he can do anything the coach wants him to do, and having such a Swiss army knife kind of player on your roster is any coach’s dream.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 28: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 28, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Thursday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, San Antonio smoked Oklahoma City, 118-91, to even the Western Conference Finals at 3-3.
The Spurs just punked the Thunder. There’s really no other way to put it, and keep in mind that OKC is a great defensive team, and San Antonio is ridiculously young.
Jared McCain got the start again, and he finished with 13 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds.
For his part, Mason Plumlee got 5 minutes and had 1 rebound.
Game 7 will be on Saturday, and that’s going to be worth tuning in for.
The Thunder managed to sweep their first two series of the postseason before running into the team that caused problems for them during the regular season. The Spurs got the best of the Thunder in four of five meetings during the regular season, including a 117-102 victory on Christmas Day.
Victor Wembanyama has led the way for the Spurs and did again Thursday, producing a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds in Game 6. He went 10-for-21 from the field, including 4-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line, in 28 minutes of play.
“We played together and passed the ball,” Wembanyama said. “We trusted the game plan as always.”
The Spurs had a dominant third quarter, outscoring OKC 32-13. San Antonio produced a 20-0 scoring run during the quarter.
“I think we need to be consistent (on defense),” Wembanyama said. “I think outscoring them 20-0 is not a realistic projection … but we want to be consistent.”
Wembanyama played a big role in the team’s defense and had three of the team’s seven blocks.
Stephon Castle has also held his own on defense against the two-time reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder star struggled to find a rhythm throughout the game on Thursday.
He was held to 15 points after shooting just 6-of-18 from the field and going 0-for-5 from long range in 28 minutes of play. Gilgeous-Alexander was 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
“A lot of the shots I’m shooting I’ve taken plenty of times before and felt good,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re just not going in. It’s too late in the season to abandon (my shooting style) now.”
The Thunder will have home-court advantage but Gilgeous-Alexander knows it will take more than that to defeat a determined Spurs team.
“We are a motivated group and accept the challenge ahead,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. ”Anything can happen in a Game 7.
“It's win or go home. Playing in your building is nice but it doesn’t really mean anything. You have to be the better basketball team.”
When do Thunder and Spurs play Game 7?
The Thunder will host the Spurs in Game 7 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 25: Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by catcher J.C. Escarra #25 after sliding safely into home plate to score the game-winning run during the 9th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 25, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a well-earned day off, the Yankees have their final series of May in front of them with a trip to Sacramento to visit the Athletics. The not-yet-Vegas A’s were the first team to take a series against New York way back in the first week of April, as they took two of three in the Bronx, but now they’ll get a chance to return the favor and kick the A’s while they’re down — after leading the AL West for a good amount of time, Seattle just leapfrogged them with a sweep.
To start us off today, Matt will give us the series preview of the pitching matchups we’ll see against the A’s. Sam has the Rivalry Roundup on a pretty quiet day across the American League, Jeff gives some love to a Yankee that only put on the pinstripes late in his career but was around the organization for a long time in George McQuinn, and Andrés looks into what’s going wrong with Austin Wells this year. Michael ponders who could be the next big Yankees prospects to break out, and finally I’ll be back to answer your latest mailbag questions.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Athletics
Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, NBCSCA
Venue: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
Questions/Prompts:
1. The Yankees are 14-11 this month. After the highs and lows of May, if they could walk away with a 16-12 or 17-11 record on the month would you call it a success?
2. Is Carolina going to lock up a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals tonight, or can Montreal keep their season alive?
The Hens pitching staff was shelled on Thursday, while the offense couldn’t capitalize much on six walks given up by the Clippers.
Troy Watson got the start and was clobbered for four runs and knocked out of the game with one out in the second inning. Yoniel Curet took over and settled things down through the third inning in a nice performance. Curet arguably has the best stuff on the staff and is still actually a prospect still 23 years old, so outings without walks are a step in the right direction for him.
The Hens got on the board in the bottom of the third when Ben Malgeri drew a two-out walk and stole second base. Max Clark pulled a grounder through Clippers’ first baseman Ralphy Velazquez to drive in Malgeri and make it a 4-1 game.
Max Clark scalds a low liner to first and Ben Malgeri (BB, SB) speeds home from 2nd to score. pic.twitter.com/HkexsSzcf7
Woo-Suk Go took over from Curet and kept the Clippers off the board in the fourth. In the bottom half, Eduardo Valenica led off with a single. Jace Jung struck out, but Corey Julks walked and Tyler Gentry singled to load the bases. Cal Stevenson grounded out, scoring Valencia, and Andrew Navigato smoked a line drive single to center field to make it 4-3 Clippers, but that was all they’d get.
Go cruised through the fifth, but they tried to squeeze a third inning out of him and he immediately gave up back-to-back doubles and a walk before Jack Little took over. Little allowed two more of Go’s runners to score for a 7-3 Clippers lead.
Little and then Luke Ritter gave up three more runs in the late innings while the Hens offense missed a few opportunities.
Clark: 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB
Malgeri: 1-4, R, BB, K, SB
Watson (L, 1-1): 1.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, K
Go: 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday night in Toledo.
Kenny Serwa and Tanner Kohlhepp were the Baysox’s main victims in this one as Michigan State grad and Orioles’ second rounder last year, Joseph Dzierwa, punched out nine SeaWolves in his start.
Serwa gave up five runs, three earned through three innings of work. Kohlhepp couldnt’ miss a bat, giving up four runs in the fifth.
It was already 9-0 when the SeaWolves got on the board. Izaac Pacheco led off the fifth with a double and E.J. Exposito drew a walk. Bennett Lee and Brett Callahan struck out, but Peyton Graham lined a single that was misplayed into a double to center field to plate both runs. Callahan would later double in the seventh, and an error on the play scored Exposito to make it 9-3.
Brett Callahan ropes an RBI double into the right corner to score E.J. Exposito from 1st. pic.twitter.com/f4UY2ulSgx
First baseman Andrew Jenkins tossed the ninth. Enough said. One of the few bright spots was reliever Moises Rodriguez, who tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless ball to keep his ERA at 2.22 on the year. Rodriguez high-powered sinker makes him the next Jason Foley, but he’s still got to improve his command to get there.
Graham: 1-5, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Callahan: 1-4, 2B, BBf, K
Serwa (L, 1-6): 3.0 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Friday with the Baysox up 2-1 in the series.
Lansing Lugnuts 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)
Carlos Lequerica was rocked in relief, while Andrew Sears made another rehab start with the Whitecaps in yet another loss.
The Whitecaps’ offense got speedy infielder Woody Hadeen back from the injured list, and they churned out 10 hits and drew four walks, but couldn’t come through with runners in scoring position. At least that’s a change from watching their bullpen blow leads.
Things were promising early on. Samuel Gil tripled with two outs in the first and Bryce Rainer pulled a ground ball through the right side for a 1-0 lead. In the second, Cristian Santana walked but was cut down at the plate trying to score on a Junior Tilien double.
Sears wasn’t real sharp in terms of command, but he didn’t have much trouble with the Lugnuts until giving up an RBI double in the third that tied the game 1-1.
Carlos Lequerica took over to get the final out of the third, but walked the first two hitters in the fourth and went on to give up five runs, capped by an Ali Camarillo three-run shot.
The Whitecaps had plenty of baserunners the rest of the way but just could not buy an RBI knock.
Lucas Elissalt’s usual start day accomodated Sears rehab outing, and the right-hander was really good, throwing four scoreless frames without a walk, striking out four.
Rainer: 3-4, RBI
Hadeen: 1-3, 2 BB
Sears: 2.2 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Elissalt: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start in Lansing on Friday. The Lugnuts lead the series 2-1.
Malachi Witherspoon was crusining early on but ran out of gas and was rocked by a pair of homers as his outing ended in this one.
Carson Rucker opened the scoring in the top of the second with a missile to center field for his sixth home run.
Carson Rucker smashes the first pitch of the 2nd inning to dead center to give Lakeland a 1-0 lead. It’s his 5th home run of the year. pic.twitter.com/NqTQKIHpDS
Witherspoon leaked a run in the third, and gave up a Trevor Haskins solo shot in the fourth. Still, he was racking up plenty of strikeouts and routine ground balls until the fifth. He gave up a solo shot, and then a single before Andrew Pogue took over. Pogue allowed the inherited runner to score and then gave up two more runs to make it a 6-1 Palm Beach lead.
In the sixth, Sergio Tapia drew a leadoff walk, and a Jude Warwick sac bunt and then a Jesus Pinto single got Tapia to third. A Beau Ankeney sacrifice fly scored Tapia to make it 6-2. Anibal Salas added a solo shot in the seventh. The bullpen leaked three more runs in the late innings.
Rucker: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Salas: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 3 K
Witherspoon (L, 2-1): 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The Cardinals are up 2-1 in the series going into a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday.
Jhonan Coba made an excellent, though curiously short outing, but the Tigers didn’t swing the bats well in this one. They got an early lead when Maikol Orozco was hit by pitch, and a rehabbing Jack Penney drew a walk. Cris Rodriguez singled in Orozco for a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, Jake Bushnell allowed a pair of runs in his 3.1 innings of work and the Tigers couldn’t answer back.
As we wait for news of who Vegas will meet in the Stanley Cup final (surely Carolina, no?), June is just around the corner, which means the draft, RFA decisions and prep for the UFA period with a thin class will be underway.
What the Islanders do, with two top-grade assets but a lot of holes, is of course continually on our minds and discussed a bit in one of the quotes and links below.
Islanders News
Maybe DeBoer could unlock Barzal more consistently, or help Horvat maintain his level of play from this past season. But even if they each bump up a slot, it still leaves the team without a franchise forward.
The Islanders have an incredible Calder winning defenseman and a Vezina finalist in net. Here are the other major pieces they need to contend, preferably sooner than later. [Athletic]
With the cap rising and the UFA market very thin, there will be “massive attempts” at big trades. Also: “My understanding is that New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has indicated to Lee’s agent, Neil Sheehy, that the team does have interest in re-signing Lee but that it needs to make a few other moves before it can go down that road.” [Athletic]
Mark Recchi discusses his four favorite leaders, including two Islanders legends in Bryan Trottier and Zdeno Chara. [Athletic]
On the ties between Bobby Valentine and Lou Lamoriello. [Newsday]
Danny Nelson and the U.S. were eliminated by Canada at the Worlds. [THN]
Elsewhere
How Mitch Marner went from Toronto playoff goat to Vegas Conn Smythe contender. [Sportsnet]
Former NHLer and Conn Smythe winner Claude Lemieux has died at 60, reportedly by suicide. (Trivia note: he was technically Islanders property at one point, as he was part of the three-way Steve Thomas-Wendel Clark trade, which is officially listed as the Islanders sending Thomas to the Devils for Lemieux before flipping the notoriously dirty pest to Colorado for Clark.) [Post] Patrick Roy is among those mourning his death. [Post] He had just rallied fans in the pre-game hype in Montreal for Game 3. [Athletic]
Bruce Cassidy is pretty unhappy that the Knights are blocking him from talking to other teams about coaching openings, and Vegas is unapologetic. [Athletic | Sportsnet | TSN]
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 29: Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks watches the game between the UConn Huskies and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during an Elite Eight round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Dickies Arena on March 29, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets are being floated as a team to watch in the blockbuster trade market this offseason.
Last summer, the Rockets traded for Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns, acquiring him for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and the number 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, which was used to select Khaman Maluach out of Duke.
Now, the Rockets could be looking to acquire Durant’s former teammate, Kyrie Irving, whom he shared the court with from 2020-23 with the Brooklyn Nets.
CBS Sports contributor Sam Quinn listed the Rockets as a potential destination for Irving if he were to be traded this offseason.
“The Rockets are loaded with draft capital, including, potentially, a Mavericks pick in 2029. They can match money with Fred VanVleet, who’d be a useful veteran point guard for Dallas, assuming he picks up his player option, and Dorian Finney-Smith, a former fan-favorite for the Mavericks. Little needs to be said about the basketball fit,” Quinn wrote.
“The Rockets had the second-worst per-play half-court offense in the playoffs and ranked 19th on that front in the regular season. Durant and Irving could cover the half-court offense. Their legion of young wings could generate transition offense and rebounding and play defense. It’s the obvious sort of move Houston could make to build on last year’s flaws.“
While it would be difficult for the Rockets to move on from VanVleet, a trade like this is likely something General Manager Rafael Stone could consider over blockbuster deals that would force the Rockets to trade anyone from the young core.
Despite two consecutive first-round exits, it’s too early for the Rockets to move on from Alperen Şengün, Reed Sheppard, or Jabari Smith Jr. They still have a lot of potential for growth and the Rockets have to continue investing in them.
TDS community, would you trade for Irving this offseason? If not, what trades do you want to see the Rockets make? Let us know in the comments section below.
Apr 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Ron Harper Jr (13) dribbles down the court during the second half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Going into the 2025-26 season, Ron Harper Jr.’s NBA career was seemingly stuck in mud. After going undrafted in 2021 out of Rutgers, he began his career with the Toronto Raptors for the first two seasons of his career where he played a total of 10 NBA games. He started last season with Boston in training camp but was waived and spent most of the season 2024-25 season with the Maine Celtics where he played a total of 14 games before signing a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Harper Jr. played the last 23 games of the G League regular season with the Motor City Cruise before getting the chance to play one game with Pistons on the last game of the season, but that would be his last game with Detroit. The Pistons would waive Harper Jr. on July 24th, 2025 after averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, and 39% shooting from 3-point range in the G League.
He would reunite with Boston a month later on August 16th, 2025, signing an Exhibit-10 Deal to attend training camp. This is where the story of Ron Harper Jr.’s incredible 2026 season begins. Through grinding in Maine to slowly creeping his way up the Celtics depth chart to finally ending his season starting in the biggest game of his career, you couldn’t write a better redemption story if you were trying to pitch it to Disney.
Preseason and Maine Celtics
Preseason was an import time for Ron Harper Jr. because was fighting for a two-way contract against a lot of stiff competition. He played well in the three games, averaging 4.3 points in 10.6 minutes per game while shooting 40% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. He was awarded the final roster spot on the Celtics, signing a two-way contract on October 16th, 2025.
He made it a point to comment on his familiarity with the Celtics system that helped him feel more comfortable this time around. He said, “Being here last year, I feel like it helped me gain a grasp of the system a little better, a little faster…so, I feel like I was a step ahead in that aspect.”
Harper Jr. spent most of the first half tearing up the G League, averaging 26.9 points on 49.7% shooting from the field and 39.8% shooting from three in eight games for the Maine Celtics in their Tip-Off Tournament. He continued his stellar play into the regular season, including Player of the Week honors for games played from November 17th-23rd where he averaged 36.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in a 2-0 run.
His best game during this stretch came on November 21st, 2025 where he dropped 46 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds on the Delaware Blue Coats while shooting 16-26 from the field and 7-14 from three including a game winning layup with 1.1 seconds left to give Maine the victory.
During this time, he was seeing spot minutes with Boston but mostly at the end of blowouts. In only seven games from October to January, Harper Jr. averaged 1.9 points on 31.3% shooting from the field and 25% shooting from three in 5.0 minutes per game. This drop in performance was a stark contrast to his play in Maine and although the numbers didn’t jump off the page, Ron Harper Jr. was about to get his shot.
Becoming a star in his role paid off
Ron Harper Jr. got his first real minutes on February 2nd, 2026 when the Celtics were on the second half of a back-to-back with Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser out. Harper Jr. would be thrust into the starting lineup for the first time in his NBA career and be matched up with Kevin Durant for most of the game. He thrived, finishing with a (at the time) career-high 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists on 4-8 shooting from the field and 3-7 shooting from three in the Celtics under-manned 114-93 win over the Rockets. Not only did his offense come up big, he also played lock down defense on Durant, holding him to 2 points on 1-5 shooting and one turnover in 4:41 minutes matched up with KD.
He had a busy All-Star Weekend following his career game, being chosen to be on the G League team of NBA Rising Stars Challenge and competed with his father, 5x NBA Champion Ron Harper and brother, San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper in the Skills Challenge.
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 14: Ron Harper Jr. #13, Ron Harper Sr. and Dylan Harper #2 of Team Harper pose for a portrait during the State Farm All-Star Portraits – 3PT Slam Dunk Shooting as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Coming out of the All-Star break, Harper Jr. continued to find more minutes as the dog days of the season started to come around. In February, he averaged 4.5 points in 16.3 minutes per game, but really started to impress on the defensive end. Harper Jr. surpassed his career high in points scored for the second time on March 10th, 2026 against the San Antonio Spurs. With Jaylen Brown ejected early in the game, Harper Jr. stepped up to score 22 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 6-9 shooting from three in a close 125-116 loss.
His play on a two-way contract caught the attention of Brad Stevens in the front office and after everything he went through this season, on April 4th, 2026, Ron Harper Jr. signed an official two-year standard contract with a club option for the 2026-27 season. From starting the season not even guaranteed a roster spot to signing an official contract six months later is an incredible story and everyone across Celtics Nation was so happy that he finally made it. Harper Jr. would reward the front office’s trust in him with his best performance on the final game of the season.
The Boston Celtics are signing two-way wing Ron Harper Jr. to a new two-year deal, agent Drew Gross of WME Basketball tells ESPN. Harper has played a key Celtics rotation role at times this season while spending time starring for their Maine G League affiliate. pic.twitter.com/3g44oay1Ql
The Orlando Magic came into the game playing all of their starters for a chance at better seeding in the Eastern Conference while the Celtics played their bench guys. It looked like the Magic weren’t taking this game serious at all after building a lead but the Celtics stormed back behind Ron Harper Jr. igniting for his now career high 27 points along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals on 10-20 shooting from the field and 5-12 shooting from three. Boston would win the game 113-108 and Harper Jr. would finish his season with career highs across the board. In 29 games played he averaged 4.2 points, on 41.8% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from three.
The playoffs saw Harper Jr. go back to his role as a reserve player for most of the series where he hyped up his teammates and played at the end of a few blowouts — that was until Game 7 when Jayson Tatum was ruled out. After showing a ton of fight at the end of the Celtics Game 6 loss with the rest of the stay ready group, Joe Mazzulla put Ron Harper Jr. in the starting lineup for Game 7 for his first career playoff start. Harper Jr. only played 4:02 minutes and shot 0-1 in the first quarter before sitting the rest of the game, but he did make a couple really nice defensive plays with two steals.
Future for RHJ in Boston?
What impressed me the most with Ron Harper Jr. this season was the defense he was able to play against other high level wings. He is a ball hawk when it comes to forcing steals and can hold his own against bigger offensive players. On offense, he can be a microwave scorer when given the chance, but he also did a great job of playing his role as a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter from the corners.
I think Ron Harper Jr. has been able to secure his spot on this Celtics team going into next season. I think his role moving forward will be similar to what it was this season: a solid third option at the wing that can play in case of an emergency and can hold his own on both sides of the ball.
Harper Jr. is just a guy who is so easy to root for. His story alone but he was also able to show off his personality as the season went. He was a big member of the Celtics players who would play Catan on team flights, he was always celebrating his teammates on the bench, and he was able to ingratiate himself within the Celtics community, going to multiple autograph signings around the city.
His brother Dylan Harper might be the one in the spotlight right now with his playoff run in San Antonio, but Ron showed this season that he is a legitimate NBA player and he has the potential to carve out a solid career for himself.
