PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 21: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins chat against the Vancouver Canucks at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 21, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
As the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans begin the off-season, two of the franchise’s biggest stars are in something of a “wait-and-see” mode regarding their future. Captain Sidney Crosby hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue playing beyond the 2026-27 season when his contract expires. He could sign an extension this summer, but is in no rush to decide his long-term future. [PensBurgh]
Evgeni Malkin, on the other hand, is waiting to resolve his ongoing contract saga and see whether he will be a part of the team for the 2026-27 season. If he is not a Penguin, it appears Malkin has no issue donning the colors of another team to continue his NHL career. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins are likely headed for another off-season of major roster turnover, with uncertainty at center, defense, and goaltending, despite maintaining a veteran core led by Crosby. [PensBurgh]
Connor Dewar carved out a strong role with the Penguins this season, thriving as a reliable fourth-line contributor. But with Dewar set to become an unrestricted free agent, his future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain. [Trib Live]
Forward Filip Hallander has returned to Sweden to resume off-season training after missing most of the season due to a blood clot, with plans to be reevaluated ahead of training camp. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mats Sundin as a senior executive adviser for hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager as part of the much-discussed front-office overhaul. [NHL]
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid played through a fracture in his foot/ankle area during the playoffs, head coach Kris Knoblauch said. [Sportsnet]
Jayson Tatum looks on during Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers on Saturday. | NBAE via Getty Images
What are we supposed to do now?
But seriously, after watching the Celtics collapse against the 76ers and seeing their season come to a crashing halt, it feels like something is missing from spring.
We’ve all devoted countless hours to watching this team play in May and June, and knowing that the journey is completely finished as of May 2 just doesn’t feel right.
In one sense, this team ultimately underachieved and fell short of its potential. In another, if you view it through a broader lens, the Celtics also overachieved and exceeded expectations from the start.
“When you start a season, you think you’re going to be playing until June every single year,” Sam Hauser told reporters. “That’s the expectation, especially being in Boston and with the Celtics — the standard is a championship, and when you fall short of that, it’s disappointing. But there’s a lot of good that we can take from this year and a lot of things that we can build off of.”
Asked Sam Hauser how he processes loss/disappointment on the heels of what was a great regular season:
“When you start a season, you think you're going to be playing until June every single year. That's the expectation, especially being in Boston and with the Celtics — the… pic.twitter.com/uiwRXa0Y3p
As you wake up in a somber daze, and solemnly stare out your window, I encourage you to view this season through both a glass-half full and glass-half-empty prism. I don’t think it’s accurate to say it was a complete success, and I also don’t think it’s fair to say it was a complete failure.
In that sense, it’s a very unique season and one unlike any other I can recall. The only one that comes close is the Isaiah Thomas masterpiece in 2017, but that one felt different as the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. This playoff run was over before it began. So, how can fans not be disappointed?
No, no, don’t get me wrong … You can absolutely be disappointed, but you should also be grateful. Back when the season began, many expected it would end somewhat like it eventually did. The Celtics would lose in the first round to a more-talented opponent and fade into the night as a middling team.
But, they didn’t do so as the 7-seed. They did so as the 2-seed, which makes it so much more difficult to digest.
Remember, they weren’t supposed to be here. In my opinion, these are the most gratifying seasons, where a team defies the odds and the whole becomes greater than the parts.
“This season, what the expectations were and how we came out and we rose to meet that level of uncertainty with this group,” Jaylen Brown told reporters. “There’s nothing more I could ask for. I had a great time with my teammates. We played hard. Feel like we left it all out there. Tonight, we came up short.”
Asked Jaylen Brown how he looks at failure and success, and whether anything short of a title feels like a failure:
“It's hard to reflect on it just right now, because it's so fresh from the moment. But, obviously this organization is used to playing later into the season. I… pic.twitter.com/q1l5UA5GI3
Brown took his game to the next level this season. Derrick White was a dominant force defensively. Payton Pritchard created even more for himself and others. Hauser evolved as a driver and defender. Neemias Queta was one of the most-improved players in the NBA. Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., Hugo González and Jordan Walsh stayed ready and all made significant strides.
Oh yeah, and Jayson Tatum busted his butt and came back. He didn’t just come back. He was back. Back to his old ways, terrorizing opponents and making the game look easy. Then came another injury. Life isn’t always fair, but Tatum should be applauded for his resilience and determination. Full stop.
When you look closely at the roster, and compare it to Celtics teams of the past and other rosters around the NBA, it’s truly a remarkable feat that the Celtics secured the 2-seed. Joe Mazzulla and his staff deserve a great deal of credit for maximizing each player’s skills and pushing the right buttons throughout the regular season.
At the same time, this series exposed what is clearly a flawed roster with several holes. The Celtics need a versatile big who can defend, rebound and score at a high level. They need a wing who can give Brown and Tatum a breather and get buckets. They need a scrappy on-ball defender (it may be González, but he’s still learning) who can pester opponents and let them know he’s there.
While there are many layers to this series, when you break it down to its core, the deciding factor (besides Joel Embiid, of course) was that the Sixers felt way too comfortable in the games they won. There was no resistance. Where was Kevin Garnett, Marcus Smart or Jrue Holiday to channel that intensity the right way?
I admire the youth approach, and it’s quite amazing how much each player grew, but they need more defensive-minded veterans to complement that young talent.
Oh yeah, and there’s the 3-point shooting. I love 3-pointers more than anyone I know, so if I’m saying you’re shooting too many 3’s, you’re probably shooting too many 3’s. There’s nothing wrong with having it as your bread and butter, but you need to be able to diversify your offensive approach when the 3-ball isn’t falling.
Asked (a very visible disappointed) Payton Pritchard how he balances processing a 56-win season with this outcome:
“Just because you don't win a championship one year doesn't mean it didn't build for the next championship. So, when we won Banner 18, four years before that, we… pic.twitter.com/Ow3sxKhSfw
This will be an interesting offseason, and I expect the team to look different moving forward. I don’t think this is the end of the Tatum and Brown era, but otherwise, nothing would surprise me.
As you digest this season, and analyze what went wrong with a glass-half-empty mind-set, this is your friendly reminder to also look at the glass half full. It was one hell of a ride. Be grateful it happened. For now, maybe read a book, get outside, spend time with your family.
The Celtics will be back. They’ll learn from this, and next time, they’ll be ready to shatter the glass to smithereens.
Pritchard summed it up perfectly while speaking with reporters Saturday night.
“Just because you don’t win a championship one year doesn’t mean it didn’t build for the next championship.”
Could be first male French winner since Hinault in 1985
The cycling prodigy Paul Seixas will make his Tour de France debut this year, raising hopes of France’s first male homegrown winner since 1985.
The 19-year-old Decathlon-CMA CGM rider has prompted intense debate in France after a dazzling start to 2026 with his team weighing the benefits of early exposure to the Tour against the risk of overburdening a rider still in his first season as a professional.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 03: Braxton Ashcraft (35) of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks to the dugout after being relieved in the eighth inning during an MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 03, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off a series sweep of the rival Cincinnati Reds, but they still find themselves at the bottom of what’s been a tightly contested National League Central division all season long.
Despite the last place distinction that the Pirates hold, they still have a record over .500, as they are currently 19-16 on the year. The NL Central has just been stacked to start the year with every squad having a winning record in the division; this is the only division in baseball where every team has a winning record. The Pirates’ last place .543 winning percentage is greater than the division leading Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central (.514) and the Athletics in the AL West (.529).
In the division, the Pirates are playing above .500 baseball, but have been far from perfect against these clubs. They currently have a 9-7 record in the division and hold a .563 winning percentage against NL Central opponents. They have been very successful against the Reds as they won both of those series this year. They were uncharacteristically successful against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, as they won two out of the three games in that series. Their lone series against the Milwaukee Brewers was also a victory as they took two out of three games at American Family Field. The club did suffer a devastating four game sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs currently lead the division with a 22-12 record, which is the third best in baseball. The Reds and Cardinals both hold 20-14 records, while Milwaukee is just narrowly ahead of Pittsburgh with an 18-15 record. St. Louis has the best record against division opponents as they currently sit at 4-0 in NL Central play. The Cubs and Brewers both hold 1-2 records in the division while Cincinnati has a division worst 1-5 record against NL Central opponents.
May has only just begun, but the way the division is playing out now could very easily forecast what the race for the postseason could like at season’s end. This is the most competitive division in baseball right now as even the “worst” team in the division is playing at a high level. The Pirates have completely transformed their lineup, and yet only time will tell if they did enough to win the NL Central or earn to even earn a Wild Card berth. Pittsburgh has seen the most action from opposing NL Central teams to start the season which could benefit them down the stretch, but it’s looking like it’s going to be a tough grind for any team to gain any real separation at the top.
The Pirates will be playing out of division until the end of May. Starting on May 19 Pittsburgh will be in a three game series against St. Louis and then starting on May 25 the Pirates will host the Cubs for a four game series.
Occam’s razor is attributed to a 14th-century friar named William of Ockham. He doesn’t seem to be widely remembered for much else. The simplest explanation is: his idea that the explanation with the fewest elements is probably the most logical one was by far his best work.
The Houston Rockets had a disappointing 2025-26 season. It culminated in a disappointing first-round exit. Now, it’s time for explanations, diagnoses, and plans.
Here, the focus is on the playoff exit. There’s minimal value in considering plans that will bolster the team’s regular-season record if they aren’t playoff viable. So, why did the Rockets lose to a Lakers team that was without Luka Doncic and largely without Austin Reaves?
There are likely multiple Occam-friendly explanations, which may disqualify the razor from being applied. Firstly, and most obviously, the Rockets were without Kevin Durant. That’s a sound explanation, but it’s not very satisfactory. With Doncic and Reaves (mostly) sidelined, the Rockets’ young core should have taken care of business.
So, the task becomes explaining why they couldn’t. Here’s where the razor cuts:
Having two non-shooters in the same starting lineup is likely the primary culprit.
People don’t like that explanation. They’d prefer to believe there are multiple ways to build an NBA contender. It’s a reaction to the NBA’s optimization movement. It’s disheartening to think that team-building concepts are so rigid.
Here’s the issue: Everyone else is optimizing. The only other would-be contender to feature two non-shooters in the starting lineup would be the Detroit Pistons. As of this writing, they’re due to face the eighth seed in the weaker conference in a do-or-die Game Seven in seven hours.
So it’s not going well for them either (Editor’s note: The Pistons won last night, but doesn’t take away from James’ point).
Otherwise, go look at the playoff bracket. Every other serious team’s starting lineup features four, if not five, players whose three-point attempts must be defended. This is reality. The Lakers predictably packed the paint, and that’s the primary reason why the Rockets lost. When the paint isn’t available, it’s easier for defenses to guard the entire floor.
So what’s the solution?
Rockets have to explore three options
Let’s start with one option that shouldn’t be an option (even if it’s the most probable course of action):
Running it back.
Rafael Stone: Please. You cannot run this back. This is not a team that’s a Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams away from accomplishing anything substantial. Even adding a Tim Hardaway Jr. or a Gary Trent Jr. or a (wait, why are you throwing a tomato) Luke Kennard won’t be enough to move the needle.
Why? The explanation is, thematically enough, simple. The Rockets will still be starting two non-shooters. That’s still going to be tremendously easy to exploit in the playoffs. Adding bench shooters would allow them to stagger Sengun and Thompson, but if they can’t both be on the floor when the stakes are high, the problem persists. The Rockets will be choosing between keeping their best playmaker and best defender on the floor.
Put differently: It’s not just about shooting, it’s about spacing. You could surround Sengun and Thompson with the best shooting trio that could be assembled. Thompson’s defender will still sag off of him to put an extra man in the paint, which will result in the same problem.
That leaves two obvious options (spoiler: There’s a third): Trade Sengun, or trade Thompson. Full disclosure: I lean towards moving Sengun.
*I dug my own grave on this, but I can no longer say anything about Alperen Sengun other than “Nikola Who?” without becoming painfully self-conscious. Yet, when I was telling whoever would listen that a non-shooting, non-defending big man was a tough sell in 2024, I was a pariah. Now, the notion of moving Sengun is much more fashionable. I’ll credit myself for being early and move on.
This is less about Sengun himself and more about roster construction and market scarcity. Sengun is Houston’s primary playmaker. It’s more feasible to find a better primary playmaker than it is to find a better defensive wing than Amen Thompson. Thompson’s skillset is rarer, and that’s one of two reasons why I’d lean towards keeping him between the two.
The other reason? Sorry, but Sengun hasn’t hit 60% True Shooting yet in his career (yes, he hit 59.9% in 2023-24, but 60% isn’t even an especially high bar, and that’s one season). You can blame spacing, but Sengun had ample one-on-one opportunities with Deandre “Don’t call me Gobert” Ayton in this year’s series. When he doesn’t have a strength advantage, he has a tremendously difficult time scoring, and that has nothing to do with spacing. There is a legitimate concern that Sengun just doesn’t have great touch.
If the Rockets go this route, they don’t need to push chips in for a superstar. It could be wiser to retool. Trading Sengun for a lesser five who’s a better stylistic fit with the rest of the roster and future assets could put the Rockets in a better overall position.
That could mean a stretch five. Could Myles Turner and two first-round picks be had in a multi-team deal? Bobby Portis and picks? A non-Buck and picks?
Yet, it doesn’t have to be a stretch five. A lower usage big man with defensive value who can comfortably be benched could work. What about Yves Missi and two unprotected future firsts? In that permutation, you’re relying on Jabari Smith Jr. at the 5 minutes to be viable.
And yes, you could just flip Sengun and a bunch of other stuff for Giannis Antetokounmpo. You’re still running two non-shooters, and almost certainly not winning a title, and totally berift of assets, but…yeah, you could.
Alternatively, you could build a high-octane offense and live with the defensive shortcomings by pairing Sengun and Kevin Durant with a third star – but it has to be the right star. It can’t be a paint merchant, or even a midrange maestro. This player would need to be a high-volume three-point shooter.
Who might be available? Jaylen Brown feels like an obvious candidate given his ties to Udoka, but he’s one of those players whose reputation as a three-point shooter doesn’t quite align with reality. Donovan Mitchell is a thought, but pairing him with Fred VanVleet (and if he’s not in the deal, Reed Sheppard) makes for two small guards in a defense that’s still anchored by Sengun. No bueno.
We don’t need to identify the specific star. The simpler point is that if the Rockets want to test the theory that Sengun would thrive with better spacing, they’d need to bring in a third star who’s a significant three-point threat. Even if Sengun’s scoring efficiency never improves, his passing processing would surely improve with three-point threats around him.
So, those are the obvious routes. There is a third one:
But it almost certainly won’t happen.
Rockets could trade Kevin Durant
A starting lineup featuring two non-shooters isn’t championship viable in 2026.
If you don’t have championship aspirations, that’s a moot point.
Why did the Rockets acquire Durant? Was it to make a championship push? Or, was it to get off Jalen Green expeditiously and bring in a veteran who, at least in basketball terms, should elevate the rest of the core?
If it’s the latter, there should be no qualms about moving the guy with the burner accounts. If the Rockets could flip Durant for complementary players (ie, shooters) and a future first, they’d buy themselves some time. Time to build around the sneaky superstar they grab in the 2027 or 2029 draft.
Time to see if one of Sengun or Thompson makes a shooting leap. Time for Anthony Edwards to shake loose to pair with Sengun.
I love this option, but it’s likely a tough sell for ownership. That’s why it’s being treated as an addendum here. Assuming that it’s not an option, the Rockets should move one of their non-shooting starters this summer:
The Boston Bruins’ journey in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs lasted just six games, and now a very pivotal offseason awaits the franchise as it searches for ways to become a true title contender again.
Overall, the season was undoubtedly a success for the Bruins. Very few experts and analytics models predicted Boston would make the playoffs one year after finishing with the NHL’s fifth-worst record. But to their credit, the B’s were in a playoff spot the majority of the season.
Jeremy Swayman bounced back from a tough 2024-25 campaign and was a top-five goalie and Vezina Trophy finalist. Many of the team’s young players, such as center Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, took positive steps in their development. David Pastrnak is still a 100-point player.
So, what now for the Bruins? How should they attack the upcoming offseason? Do they stay the course of their retool or look to accelerate the process and make some bold moves?
There’s an argument to be made for staying the course, continuing to draft well, developing young players at the NHL level and not sacrificing premium assets to make short-term upgrades.
But the obvious path for the Bruins is accelerating this retool.
The case for offseason upgrades
They punched above their weight all season, and assuming they will perform at a similar level (especially offensively) next year without making substantial upgrades is a huge risk.
The analytics crowd was skeptical of the Bruins’ success all year. The B’s scored 15.45 goals above expected at even strength during the regular season, per Natural Stat Trick, which led the league. They also ranked seventh in shooting percentage at even strength. Several players, including Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt, posted career high-shooting percentages.
A scoring regression seemed inevitable, and it came in the playoffs. The B’s scored only five goals in the last four games combined against the Sabres. The power play, which ranked third-best in the league entering the Olympic break in February, ranked 28th the remainder of the regular season and scored on just two of its 16 opportunities in Round 1.
That’s a steep regression.
“You look around the playoffs now and how goals get scored — everything is in the paint,” B’s head coach Marco Sturm said after Game 6. “And for some reason, we didn’t get there. We didn’t get those garbage goals we needed this time of the year. It was just not enough. If you look at Buffalo, they scored a lot of (those kinds of) goals. I think that was a big difference.”
Great goaltending also masked some of the defensive issues that popped up throughout the season. Swayman bailed out the B’s in a lot of games. He ranked No. 2 in goals saved above expected and No. 3 in wins above replacement for goalies, per MoneyPuck.
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The best case for accelerating this retool is that the Bruins’ core players are in the win-now portion of their careers. The Bruins aren’t an old team by any means, but their best players aren’t exactly young, either.
Morgan Geekie, LW, 27 years old
Jeremy Swayman, G, 27
Charlie McAvoy, D, 28
Pavel Zacha, C/W, 29
David Pastrnak, RW, 29
Elias Lindholm, C, 31
Nikita Zadorov, D, 31
Hampus Lindholm, D, 32
Viktor Arvidsson, LW, 33 (UFA this summer)
Pastrnak was asked to describe his emotions after losing to the Sabres in Game 6 and gave a telling answer.
“Of course it’s disappointing,” Pastrnak said. “I’m turning 30 in a couple weeks. Had one sniff at the Cup so far. It gets harder every single year. … You don’t want to waste any opportunity.”
Anyone drafted this year is probably not going to be an impact player at any point during the rest of the above players’ primes. If rookie James Hagens is the real deal, maybe he becomes a top-six forward in this window, but it would be unrealistic to expect a 2026 draft pick to be a franchise player in 2028 or 2029.
Potential trade targets for Bruins
So, what would be a move to accelerate the retool and win now?
Making a bold trade for someone like St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas is one example.
Thomas is a legit top-six center and he’s only 26 years old. He tallied 64 points in 64 games this past season and posted 80-plus points in each of the previous two campaigns.
Thomas is an elite playmaker and can score 20-plus goals. He’s also signed through 2029-30 to a team-friendly contract that carries an $8.125 million salary cap hit.
The cost to acquire Thomas, or a similar player, via trade would understandably be very high.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported on Feb. 26 that the Blues were seeking “three first-half-of-the-first-round assets ahead of the trade deadline. For example, that could mean an established young player, a drafted prospect and a draft pick who were all selected or could be taken in the first 15 or so picks.”
Thomas was rumored to be available before the trade deadline back in March, but the Blues ended up holding on to him.
Another potential trade target for teams in need of scoring is Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. He’s not a center, but he’s one of the league’s top goal scorers, and the Bruins could certainly use another one of those players, too. Robertson scored a career high 45 goals with 51 assists this season, and has scored 35-plus goals in four of the last five seasons.
The Stars were eliminated in the first round of this year’s playoffs, but it wasn’t Robertson’s fault. He tallied eight points (five goals, three assists) in six games against the Minnesota Wild.
The Stars are in a bit of a salary cap dilemma, and Robertson is an RFA this summer. He could re-sign with the Stars, and they’d be foolish not to pay him. But if he did become available, the Bruins would be wise to at least call the Stars and see what it might take to pry Robertson out of Dallas.
The cost to acquire Robertson via trade and then sign him to a huge long-term deal would obviously be high, but it would be worth it for an elite offensive player who is just 26 years old.
The Bruins have plenty of quality trade assets, including some good young NHL players, several talented prospects and five first-round picks over the next three drafts. If they decide to use any of these assets to bring in an impact player, it should be a forward.
The Bruins’ No. 1 roster weakness is a lack of elite forwards, specifically at center. Pastrnak is the only high-end forward on the team. He just posted a fourth consecutive 100-point season. Geekie scored 39 goals but can also be a little streaky. The B’s have some other good forwards, but no one who is going to dominate the opponent’s scouting report besides Pastrnak.
Pastrnak was the only Bruins player to eclipse 70 points this season. Only four other 2026 playoff teams — the Ducks, Kings, Flyers and Penguins — had one or zero 70-point scorers. The Lightning and Canadiens, who both play in the Bruins’ division, had four each. Six of the eight teams that advanced to Round 2 have two players with 70-plus points.
If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners, they all had a legit No. 1 center (or two in some cases).
2024 and 2025 Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
2023 Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
2022 Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon
2020 and 2021 Lightning: Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point
2019 Blues: Ryan O’Reilly
2018 Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom
2016 and 2017 Penguins: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
The Bruins haven’t had a real top-six center since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired after the 2023 playoffs. Elias Lindholm was supposed to be a top-six center when he signed a seven-year, $54.25 million free-agent contract in 2024. But he has been a huge disappointment so far.
Whether it’s Thomas, Robertson or someone else, the Bruins have to add another premium forward before next season. Hagens has the potential to be that kind of impact player, but will the Bruins want to wait until he develops into that?
Running it back with a similar roster next season makes no sense. It would likely result in another first-round exit.
The current Bruins core is solid. But it’s not a championship-winning core. A high-end player or two must be brought in before next season, or we will be having this exact same conversation in May of 2027.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 23: Anthony Volpe #11 and José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees after winning the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees have been mulling their options with Anthony Volpe for days now, but they made it official on Sunday — the shortstop will not be getting handed the starting job back after his rehab assignment, instead getting optioned down to Triple-A Scranton. It’s a reversal of fate for Volpe, who has been entrenched at the position since winning it out of spring training in 2023 mostly due to a lack of internal competition, but with José Caballero’s electric play of late the team decided to stick it out with Caballero and let Volpe find his footing in the minors. We went into the reasons that led to Volpe’s demotion, but Gary has plenty more to add on how this came to be.
New York Post | Dan Martin: While the big news of the day wound up being Volpe’s demotion, a scare earlier in the day easily could’ve led the way instead had the Yankees been a little bit less lucky. Ben Rice launched his 12th home run of the season in the first inning of yesterday’s game against the Orioles, briefly tying himself with Aaron Judge for the team lead, but not long after he exited the game in the fourth inning. Rice suffered a hand contusion while fielding a pickoff attempt from Max Fried in the third inning, but X-rays were negative and the team says he will be day-to-day. Rice did take his at-bat in the bottom of the third and doubled before scoring on a Judge blast that put him back as the team leader, and hopefully Rice is out there chasing the Captain down before long.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Tim Hill is an effective man, inducing groundball out after groundball out, but his manager doesn’t think he’s as predictable as he might appear on the mound. Hill’s reintroduced his slider this year, throwing the pitch just a bit over 10 percent of the time while mixing in a couple of four-seam fastballs to keep hitters guessing more on his signature sinker. Hill’s tinkered with the pitch recently, first adjusting it late last season before comparing notes with Blue Jays submarine pitcher Tyler Rogers during this year’s World Baseball Classic. Hill’s form has only looked fantastic since putting on pinstripes, but he’s off to a marvelous start this year with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings.
MLB.com | Thomas Harrigan: This season’s had plenty of stars get off to surprisingly poor starts, but not all slumps are made equal. Some of the members of this club have exhibited signs that could lead to more than just a slight turnaround, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. doesn’t appear to be there yet for Harrigan, as he notes that Chisholm’s power being absent for most of the year has been a worrisome note for the soon-to-be free agent.
Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -262, Flyers +212; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Hurricanes won the last meeting 3-0. Logan Stankoven scored two goals in the victory.
Carolina is 53-22-7 overall with a 21-4-2 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Hurricanes rank second in league play with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
Philadelphia is 16-12-5 against the Metropolitan Division and 43-27-12 overall. The Flyers have given up 239 goals while scoring 240 for a +1 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Stankoven has nine goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Christian Dvorak has 18 goals and 33 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 9-0-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.3 assists, 5.2 penalties and 12.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.6 goals per game.
Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.7 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: Alexander Nikishin: day to day (concussion).
Flyers: Owen Tippett: day to day (undisclosed), Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Anaheim Ducks (43-33-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -166, Ducks +140; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Golden Knights host series opener
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in game one of the Western Conference second round. The teams meet Sunday for the fourth time this season. The Ducks went 3-0 against the Golden Knights in the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on Feb. 1, the Ducks won 4-3.
Vegas is 15-5-6 against the Pacific Division and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a +22 scoring differential, with 264 total goals scored and 242 conceded.
Anaheim is 43-33-6 overall with a 19-12-1 record against the Pacific Division. The Ducks have a 23-12-3 record when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Leo Carlsson has 29 goals and 37 assists for the Ducks. Mikael Granlund has two goals and 10 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
Ducks: 6-3-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Ducks: Radko Gudas: day to day (lower body), Petr Mrazek: out for season (lower-body), Jansen Harkins: out (hand), Ross Johnston: day to day (lower-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Arne Slot is fuming, Mikel Arteta’s big risk pays off and Josh Dasilva enjoys an emotional return for Brentford
Arne Slot was seething as he lamented the decision to allow Manchester United’s second goal to stand despite claims of handball by Benjamin Sesko. “The curve on the ball changed so there must have been a contact,” argued the Liverpool head coach. “But it’s no surprise to anyone that if there is a VAR intervention then the decision goes against us. It’s happened to us all season.” As PGMO confirmed at the time, however, there “was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring”. Slot was stretching it to pin Liverpool’s latest defeat on poor refereeing. United’s movement pulled the visitors apart in the first half and, without the injured Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak, the threat from Liverpool was nonexistent until capitalising on two errors early in the second half. Defeat stemmed from an anaemic first-half performance, nothing else. Andy Hunter
After a convincing 3-1 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers in round one, the San Antonio Spurs will face a familiar foe in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves are red hot, coming off a 3-2 victory over the Denver Nuggets, despite missing several key rotation players. The series is set to be a defensive, physical battle that will test the young Spurs and give the Wolves a chance to reach their third straight Western Conference Finals.
The Timbewolves enter the series as underdogs, with multiple players on the injury report. Anthony Edwards’ status is the most interesting of the series as a whole. Edwards has been cleared for on-court opportunities after suffering a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise against Denver. He is listed as questionable for Game 1. Donte DiVincenzo will miss the series after tearing his Achilles tendon in round one. Ayo Dosunmu, who dominated the Nuggets in the first round, is listed as questionable with calf soreness.
The Spurs come into the series with a full bill of health, but they struggled against Minnesota in the regular season. The Wolves took the regular season series between these two teams 2-1. Two of the three games were settled by 3 points or fewer, and the teams never played each other at full strength. It’s hard to take much from the regular season, other than the fact that these are two top-ten defenses, with superstar shotmakers in Victor Wembanyama and Edwards.
The Timberwolves are undefeated at home in the playoffs, which makes home-court advantage crucial for the Spurs. Winning two games at home will put them in a good position to take the series. It all starts with setting the tone in game one, with the chance to make the WCF for the first time since 2017.
Spurs Injuries: Carter Bryant – Questionable (foot)
Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles), Ayo Dosunmu – Questionable (calf), Anthony Edwards – Questionable (knee)
What to watch for:
Minnesota’s Offense
If Edwards and Dosunmu sit, the key question for Minnesota becomes, where do they get offense from? Against Denver, it came from Jaden McDaniels, who is emerging as a star in these playoffs. McDaniels is averaging 17.8 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field in the playoffs. He’s been a force getting to the rim, but is shooting just 11.1% from deep. The Wolves have also gotten solid production from Naz Reid and Terrance Shannon Jr. without Edwards.
Denver and San Antonio are two very different defensive teams. The Spurs have been excellent at funneling drivers toward Wembanyama, who has dominated around the rim this postseason. Stephon Castle will have a major challenge in front of him in guarding the Wolves’ best perimeter player, whether it’s Edwards or someone else. If San Antonio’s defense can slow down a surging Minnesota offense attack, they should be in a good position for Game One.
Defensive matchups
Portland showed the league what the blueprint for guarding the Spurs could be in the postseason. They put a big man on Castle, a wing on Wembanyama, and their best perimeter defender on De’Aaron Fox. Ultimately, the Blazers didn’t have the personnel to match up with San Antonio, but the Timberwolves have enough talent to make it interesting.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch could elect to put former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on Castle, allowing him to roam the paint as an elite rim protector. Then he could put Julius Randle on Wembanyama. That matchup gave Wembanyama some issues in the regular season, as Randle could get under him and play physical defense. Then, McDaniels, the best perimeter defender, could take the Fox assignment.
Or, Finch could ride the hot hand and just put Gobert on Wembanyama. The Wolves’ center played great defense on Nikola Jokic in round one. That could give Minnesota the confidence to let Gobert handle Wembanyama, even if San Antonio’s star big man has historically dominated that matchup.
Spurs three-guard lineup
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson has been hesitant to play his three best guards together this season and in the playoffs. Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper only logged 10 minutes together in Round One, with a neutral net-rating. In the regular season, the trio played 25 minutes together with a -26.9 net rating. If that doesn’t sound good, it’s because it isn’t. However, this lineup could come in handy against Minnesota.
The Wolves don’t have a lot of strong ball-handlers themselves, and could be bothered by the Spurs’ tough guards on the perimeter. Then, on the other end, the Wolves would need to contest with multiple players who can create their own shots and open up looks for others. If Castle and Harper continue to knock down threes, this is a lineup that could swing the series.
Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)
Detroit; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Pistons -3; over/under is 213.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons host first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin the Eastern Conference second round. Detroit and Cleveland tied the regular season series 2-2. The Cavaliers won the last regular season matchup 113-109 on Wednesday, March 4 led by 22 points from Jaylon Tyson, while Jalen Duren scored 24 points for the Pistons.
The Pistons are 12-4 against opponents in the Central Division. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference with 57.9 points in the paint led by Duren averaging 14.6.
The Cavaliers are 11-5 against Central Division teams. Cleveland is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 32.7 defensive rebounds per game led by Evan Mobley averaging 6.6.
The Pistons make 48.5% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Cavaliers have allowed to their opponents (46.4%). The Cavaliers score 9.9 more points per game (119.5) than the Pistons allow (109.6).
TOP PERFORMERS: Cade Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Tobias Harris is averaging 19.3 points over the last 10 games.
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 110.5 points, 47.2 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.7 steals and 9.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.6 points per game.
Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 113.7 points, 45.3 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.8 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).
Cavaliers: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -16; over/under is 213.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder host first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers to open the Western Conference second round. Oklahoma City went 4-0 against Los Angeles during the regular season. The Thunder won the last regular season matchup 123-87 on Wednesday, April 8 led by 25 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Rui Hachimura scored 15 points for the Lakers.
The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City averages 119.0 points and has outscored opponents by 11.1 points per game.
The Lakers are 33-19 in conference play. Los Angeles ranks sixth in the Western Conference scoring 52.0 points per game in the paint led by LeBron James averaging 11.1.
The Thunder score 119.0 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 114.6 the Lakers allow. The Lakers score 8.4 more points per game (116.3) than the Thunder give up (107.9).
TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over the past 10 games.
Austin Reaves is averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists for the Lakers. James is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 123.7 points, 44.4 rebounds, 29.1 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points per game.
Lakers: 7-3, averaging 104.5 points, 40.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.8 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Cade Cunningham top-scored for the Pistons with 32 points and 12 assists, while Tobias Harris added 30 points.
"We had a great regular season, we built a lot of momentum going into these play-offs," said Cunningham.
"To lose in the first round would have really stung. To come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home - it feels good."
The Pistons will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semi-finals, another best-of-seven series starting on 5 May.
The Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors to book their place in the second round with a 114-102 victory.
Jarrett Allen starred for the Cavaliers with 22 points and 19 rebounds as they recovered from a 10-point deficit after the first quarter.
The scores were tied 49-49 at the halfway mark but the Cavaliers surged ahead in the third quarter with Allen contributing 14 points and 10 of his rebounds.
"I just wanted to show my team-mates that we can win this game," said Allen.
"Energy and effort, that's what I believe wins games. Every single possession, it means a lot. Every single possession means it could be the end of the season."
Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and James Harden scored 18.
For the Raptors, who were in the play-offs for the first time since 2022, Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds while RJ Barrett scored 23.
Brown went on the streaming platform Twitch on Sunday, May 3 to discuss what happened in Game 7 and spoke about the officiating. Brown had been critical of the officiating during the regular season and believes it played a role in how things were called during the postseason.
“They clearly had an agenda, maybe because I spoke so critically of them in the regular season,” Brown said on his stream. “I actually spoke to some refs, and they told me there’s an agenda going on each game, every time Jaylen puts his arm up, just call it.”
Brown explained that it was a simple basketball play that several other players do.
“Philly took advantage of that and the officiating and it cost us to some degree,” he added.
The five-time all-star also shared his displeasure with 76ers star Joel Embiid.
"Flopping has ruined our league,” Brown said. “Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. Flops. He knows it.”
Brown also made mention of a back brace he was wearing during the broadcast, saying that he was dealing with back pain after having to guard Embiid and the size difference between the two players.
Brown is listed at 223 pounds. Embiid is listed at 270.
“A (expletive) almost took me out,” Brown said. “I can't even bend down to tie my shoe (after guarding) Embiid.”
Brown showed a clip from Game 7 where he was seen guarding Embiid while saying, “I tried to bump and throw my weight and I felt something in my back give out.”
The former NBA Finals MVP said he wasn’t willing to share some of his grievances until after the series had ended because he didn’t want to be a distraction for his team.
