The Los Angeles Dodgers won't go wire-to-wire in the National League West - nor will they in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
The preseason No. 1 club may very well win a third consecutive championship this autumn but for now, they've been dislodged from the top spot for the first time this season by the Atlanta Braves.
The passing of the torch came head-to-head, as Atlanta won two of three games at Dodger Stadium and improve to a major league-best 28-13. Their plus-87 run differential is also tops in the majors, and they also lead in OPS and ERA.
Uh, any questions?
The Braves' newfound position will be tested immediately, as they return home for a three-game series against the No. 3 Chicago Cubs, beginning Tuesday, May 10 at Truist Field.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Atlanta Braves (+1)
Spencer Strider punches out eight Dodgers in second start of year.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)
Mookie Betts is back this week, not a moment too soon for flaccid offense.
3. Chicago Cubs (+1)
Have the Cubs rescued Michael Conforto? Batting .364 with 1.132 OPS in 55 plate appearances.
4. Tampa Bay Rays (+2)
Nick Martinez's 1.70 ERA is best in club history through eight games for a starter.
5. New York Yankees (-2)
Carlos Rodón makes season debut, but can't prevent unsettling sweep at Milwaukee.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Camilo Doval #75 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: Camilo Doval was trusted with the eighth inning of the Yankees’ Saturday extra inning loss to Milwaukee, and Doval played his part in getting the game to extras by allowing Bryce Turang to get aboard, steal second, and score on a William Contreras hit. Doval has managed to cut back on issuing walks, his previous Achilles heel, and yet he’s allowed 10 runs in his last 12.1 innings of work largely due to the 15 hits he’s allowed over that span, three of which were long balls. The former Giants closer doesn’t look like he can be trusted with high leverage outings at this point, leaving a gap in the team’s bullpen hierarchy that needs to be filled sooner rather than later.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: Spencer Jones recorded the first hit of his MLB career on Sunday, lining a single up the middle to drive in a run in the second inning. It was an extra special moment for Jones, playing on Mother’s Day with his mom and family members in attendance sitting just next to the Yankee dugout. Jones got a trial by fire in his first series of play, going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts and a walk against Milwaukee’s pitching staff, but Jones thinks he’s gotten to settle in having faced the challenge head on.
ESPN | Bradford Doolittle: You might’ve taken a look at the AL standings at large lately and become perplexed at how bunched up most of the field is. Outside of New York and Tampa Bay, everyone else is either under .500 or skirting around it. While the standard deviation between the teams in the league is currently 14.4 wins, it’s projected to dive back down towards a final number of 8.8, by far the lowest amount since the turn of the decade and a sharp nosedive from the drastic disparity that 2019 displayed with three 100 win teams and three 100 loss teams in the league. Whether this can hold up or not remains to be seen, but the huge clump that has formed at the start of the year should give us a race where most teams are in the running for a long time.
MLB.com: There are flaws to be spotted on each and every team after more than a month of play, and the Yankees have their fair share of them. One of the areas they can reasonably improve on is their leadoff production, and their biggest culprit can lead the charge to fixing the problem. Trent Grisham’s gotten the lion’s share of starts atop the lineup but struggled out of the gate. Grisham’s peripherals have looked amazing, however, and he’s starting to see more of the hits that he’s deserved based off of how hard he’s been ripping the ball setting the table quite nicely for the Yankees’ sluggers behind him.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after a play against the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Only 34 of the 471 teams that have fallen behind 2-0 in an NBA playoff series have come back and won the series. The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to become the 35th team to do so as they attempt to climb out of that hole against the Detroit Pistons. Winning Game 4 and evening the series would go a long way in helping them do so.
As of now, the Cavs are favored in Game 4 and have a good chance of doing so. FanDuel lists Cleveland as a 3.5-point favorite in Game 4. So far this series, the favored team has won all three games and covered the point spread in the process. The Cavs are hoping that trend continues on Monday.
The race out of the Eastern Conference is clearing up with the New York Knicks sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers. Understandably, the Knicks are the favorites to come out of the conference as they’re -150 to do so.
The Pistons are closely behind. FanDuel lists them at +200 to win the East. The Cavs are far behind at +650 to do so.
These odds mirror how things look for the Cavs in terms of winning a championship. The Cavs have the fifth-lowest odds to win the Finals among the seven remaining playoff teams at +4000. The Pistons are just in front of them at +1800.
This rationale makes sense. The Cavs are behind in the series. Even if they tied things up in Game 4, they would still need to win on the road at least once to prevail in the series. Picking up a road win has alluded them so far this postseason as they’ve dropped all five road games. Since 2023, the Cavs are a combined 4-13 away from Rocket Arena in the postseason.
We’ll see if the Cavs can come back against the Pistons in their second-round series.
You can follow all of the playoff action with FanDuel.
Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Canadiens -135, Sabres +113; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Canadiens lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the eighth time this season. The Canadiens won the previous matchup 6-2. Alexander Newhook scored two goals in the victory.
Montreal has a 22-11-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 48-24-10 record overall. The Canadiens are 48-8-9 in games they score three or more goals.
Buffalo has gone 50-23-9 overall with a 21-9-5 record in Atlantic Division play. The Sabres are 49-4-8 in games they score three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Suzuki has scored 29 goals with 72 assists for the Canadiens. Lane Hutson has two goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 40 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored five goals with three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-2-2, averaging 2.9 goals, five assists, 6.6 penalties and 16.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Sabres: 5-3-2, averaging three goals, 4.8 assists, 5.6 penalties and 14.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).
Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: day to day (arm), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).
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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; Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -148, Ducks +124; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Series tied 2-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in game five of the second round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 2-2. The teams meet Sunday for the eighth time this season. The Ducks won 4-3 in the last matchup.
Vegas is 39-26-17 overall with a 17-7-6 record against the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have a +22 scoring differential, with 264 total goals scored and 242 given up.
Anaheim has a 43-33-6 record overall and a 21-14-1 record in Pacific Division games. The Ducks have gone 18-6-5 in games they score one or more power-play goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has scored 27 goals with 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Brett Howden has seven goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
John Carlson has 14 goals and 46 assists for the Ducks. Cutter Gauthier has four goals and six assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-4-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.9 assists, four penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Ducks: 6-4-0, averaging 3.6 goals, six assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: out (undisclosed), Mark Stone: day to day (undisclosed).
Ducks: Radko Gudas: out (lower body), Petr Mrazek: out for season (lower-body), Drew Helleson: day to day (undisclosed).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The selection chair for the Australian cricket team is unruffled by reports of unrest among the nation’s leading cricketers regarding their displeasure over the contracts offered to them heading into an exceptionally busy 2026/27 season.
Victor Wembanyama did not speak to the media following his ejection from game four on Sunday [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his NBA career - for elbowing an opponent - as his San Antonio Spurs side were beaten 114-109 by the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the Western Conference semi-finals.
France international Wembanyama, 22, had grabbed the rebound of a missed Spurs three-pointer early in the second quarter and was protecting the ball when he turned around and appeared to elbow Timberwolves' Naz Reid in the jaw.
The incident was initially called as a offensive foul, as fans in Minneapolis chanted "kick him out, kick him out".
And, after a video review of the play by the officials, it was upgraded to a flagrant 2 - which is an automatic ejection and a minimum of $2,000 (£1,464) fine - for excessive contact above the neck.
When the ejection was announced, Wembanyama appeared to ask Spurs team-mate Harrison Barnes: "What does that mean?"
Timberwolves' victory on Sunday levels the best-of-seven series at 2-2 before game five in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, while he did not condone Wembanyama's actions, he was glad he "took matters into his own hands" as he believes the 7ft 4in (2.24m) star needs more protection from referees.
Johnson added: "I'm glad Naz Reid is OK and I didn't want him to elbow him. But [Wembanyama's] going to have to protect himself if no-one else does for him. And I think it's disgusting."
Wembanyama finished with four points and four rebounds in just under 13 minutes of action, while his Spurs team-mates De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper scored 24 points each.
Reid, meanwhile, contributed 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Timberwolves.
"We never expected them just to go away," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
"They won a game in the Portland series without Wembanyama, so they're a very good team."
Also on Sunday, the New York Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals as they brushed aside the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 in game four.
Miles McBride scored 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 22 points to hand the Knicks a 4-0 series clean sweep.
The Knicks will take on top-seeded Detroit Pistons or fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers for a spot in the NBA Finals.
After the steepest one-sided result through the first three games of the second-round series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3, a 6-2 Vegas victory, the Ducks hosted the Knights again on Sunday for Game 4, with the Knights up 2-1 in the series.
The Ducks were looking to avoid a 3-1 series deficit returning to Vegas. They reinserted Mason McTavish into the lineup and on his typical spot on the left wing of Ryan Poehling and Cutter Gauthier.
Defenseman Drew Helleson was ruled out, considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Ducks head coach elected to inject some mobility to his bottom pair, placing Ian Moore on the blueline for the first time since April 1, next to Olen Zellweger, who made his playoff debut and hadn’t played since April 7.
Vegas captain Mark Stone was ruled out for this game after exiting Game 3 early with an apparent lower-body injury. Brandon Saad replaced him, as Knights head coach John Tortorella was forced to do some surgery to his lineup for Game 4.
Lukas Dostal returned to the Ducks’ cage after he was pulled after the first period in Game 3. In this game, he stopped 18 of 21 shots in this game. Vegas expectedly went back to Carter Hart in their net, and he saved 19 of 23.
Game Notes
The Ducks were more prepared for the start of this game than they were for Game 3. Neither team dictated tempo or gained a significant advantage in volume or quantity of chances, especially at 5v5.
This game brought with it promised emotions and chipiness synonymous with playoff hockey, as liberties were taken, tempers flared, and animosity was apparent. Vegas attempted to physically engage the Ducks’ younger stars (Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke) whenever they could.
Though the Ducks pushed back and returned the favor when the situation called for it, the Ducks made the Knights pay where it counted most: the scoreboard. The Ducks’ power play, which had gone 0-11 through the first three games, notched two goals on four attempts and was the difference in this game.
“Both teams played hard. That was a man’s game out there today,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “We worked hard. I thought we did a lot of good things. A little dangerous at the end again, but certainly a lot of positives.”
Cycle: While goaltending wasn’t spectacular, and the defensive structure was faulty, perhaps the most significant issue pertaining to Anaheim’s Game 3 was their lack of creativity or variety offensively.
In this game, they threw more looks Vegas’ way. Defensemen were far more involved and active throughout the offensive zone. They attacked downhill while opening, looking for, and finding seams to dangerous areas of the ice. They didn’t just funnel pucks and fight their way to the front of the net; they carried pucks there and made precise cuts away from the puck to render themselves dangerous options.
Ian Moore/Olen Zellweger: Though the Ducks’ bottom pair received very limited ice and very sheltered minutes, they added that needed dynamism from the backend to aid in breaking down Vegas’ extremely solid defensive structure.
Zellweger was involved from the opening puck drop, not dipping his toe into his first playoff action, but diving headfirst. He joined rushes, led rushes, and activated when needed. He was a step late in reading how plays developed in his zone, but recovered nicely with his flawless skating.
Moore is a natural defenseman, and he operates best when he has the entire ice in front of him. He’s just as impactful defensively from the backend, and his poise and paitence led directly to what turned out to be Anaheim’s game-winning goal.
Power Play: The Ducks’ power play broke the seal in this game and notched a pair of goals on four attempts. LaCombe’s unit notched both tallies, with Killorn and Sennecke providing the goals. Both units were more cohesive in this game, determined to get Vegas’ killers to move away from the middle of the ice.
Player movement was a key contributing factor, as was their ability to win ensuing puck battles that followed shots and shot attempts. They were able to create chances off broken plays as Vegas’ killers were forced to spread to the perimeter in attempts to win pucks back, creating open space behind them and through the zone.
Mason McTavish: McTavish, like Moore and Zellweger, didn’t receive ample ice time in this one, and he was the least-played forward in this game. However, his impact was felt on a shift-by-shift basis, as he won a multitude of puck battles, kept plays alive, and created looks from the tight areas of the ice.
McTavish played well enough to find the scoresheet, and if he continues to put forth similar efforts going forward, the Ducks may have found the key depth scoring they’d been needing through the first few games of this second-round series.
This series will now shift back to Vegas, as it’s now a best-of-three between these two Western Conference semifinalist clubs. Game 5 will be at 6:30 PM PST at T-Mobile Arena.
The Vegas Golden Knights never had the upper hand over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4— the Ducks recorded more shots on goal, threw more hits, and won the special teams battle. This was also the case in Game 1, but the Golden Knights found a way to win that one.
They didn’t get so lucky on Sunday. The Ducks capitalized on almost every scoring chance and survived a late push to secure a 4-3 win.
The series is tied 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. PST on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
1. Off the Schneid
Tomáš Hertl, who was second on the team in goals last season, entered tonight on an all-time goalless streak. The last time he scored a goal was on March 4th, 29 games ago. If there’s one very shiny silver lining that Golden Knights fans should look at following this loss, it’s that it finally happened: Hertl scored a goal. The monkey is officially off his back.
“With goal scorers, an empty netter, a 6-on-5, it doesn’t matter [as long as] the puck goes in the net. Hopefully, it just releases him a little bit,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella postgame. “He’s been close for quite a while. He bangs one in, and hopefully, that’ll help him as we move forward.”
2. Penalty Kill? Nope. Penalties are Killer.
Coming into Game 4, the Golden Knights were nearly perfect on the penalty kill. They were 26-for-27 this postseason and hadn’t allowed their opponent to score a power play goal since Game 3 against the Utah Mammoth. Tonight, they allowed two.
This Ducks team can do some real damage when up a man; in the First Round, they went 8-for-16 on the power play against the Edmonton Oilers. If they want to beat Anaheim, the Golden Knights need to ensure that tonight was a fluke and get their penalty kill back to what it was in the first three games of this series.
3. Glass Half Empty, Glass Half Full
There are two ways to look at this series. On one hand, the Golden Knights have been thoroughly outplayed in three of the four games this series. That’s concerning. They can’t quite seem to shut down Anaheim’s speed, and now the Ducks have broken through on the power play.
On the other hand, the Golden Knights have been thoroughly outplayed in three of the four games this series… and yet, it’s tied 2-2. They have been the second-best team on the ice, and the Golden Knights are still in a situation where all they have to do is win a best-of-three to advance to the Western Conference Final.
“I have zero worry about this team,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella following the 4-3 loss. “As far as how we’re going to go about the next few games here, whatever it goes to, I have total trust.”
The Vegas Golden Knights entered Sunday’s Game 4 with a chance to go up 3-1 in their Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks. Instead, they fell 4-3 in a coin-flip game and will return to Las Vegas with the series tied 2-2.
If you asked a magic eight-ball about the start of the game for the Golden Knights, it would respond: outlook not so good. Despite a shaky performance in Game 3 from Lukáš Dostál that resulted in an early goaltender change, it took the Golden Knights nearly seven minutes to record their first shot.
The Ducks broke the ice on the power play at 8:43 in the first. Alex Killorn found Beckett Sennecke above the right circle, and the Calder finalist blasted a one-timer past Carter Hart far-side.
That’s a rocket from Beckett Sennecke and the Golden Knights finally give up a power play goal.
The Golden Knights responded on the power play at 10:22 in the first. Lukáš Dostál couldn’t secure the puck after Mitch Marner got a piece of Jack Eichel’s shot, and Pavel Dorofeyev was out in front to collect the change.
Cole Smith tries to block Mikael Granlund’s shot, and the puck takes a weird bounce and flutters through Hart.
The Ducks regained the lead at 15:25 in the first. Jeffrey Viel made a play along the boards to find Mikael Granlund cutting towards the center of the ice. Cole Smith lunged to try to knock Granlund’s shot away, but the puck took an odd bounce and fluttered through Carter Hart.
Cole Smith tries to block Mikael Granlund’s shot, and the puck takes a weird bounce and flutters through Hart.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer just 4:04 into the second. Mitch Marner dumped the puck in, and William Karlsson got to it behind the net. Karlsson backhanded a centering pass past Jackson LaCombe, and Brett Howden chipped a shot past Lukáš Dostál with Tim Washe draped all over him.
Karlsson to Howden in front of the net and we are tied.
For the rest of the second, the Ducks generated the lion’s share of chances and outshot the Golden Knights 9-7. Cole Smith took a penalty at the end of the period, and Anaheim cashed in on the ensuing power play to retake the lead.
Beckett Sennecke spun away from Brett Howden, entered the zone, and threaded a cross-ice pass to Alex Killorn at the point. Cutter Gauthier couldn’t handle Killorn’s pass, but he chipped a return feed to the 36-year-old. Unmarked, Killorn pressed deeper into the zone, swung towards the net, and banked a shot in.
When it rains, it pours. Beckett Sennecke with a video game spin move on the entry, and Alex Killorn goes to the net and makes it happen.
“I think we needed to get out of the second period tied 2-2. That gave them some life,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella postgame. “They scored their fourth goal, and they’re just filling the neutral zone, just stacking it. I thought that was the most important part of the game.”
At the start of the third, the Golden Knights looked like they were shot out of a cannon. They recorded the first three shots of the period and swarmed in waves. But despite the Golden Knights tilting the ice, Anaheim got the ever-important next goal.
The Ducks doubled their lead just 3:43 into the third. Cutter Gauthier found Ian Moore at the point, and the defenseman fired a wrister through traffic that found its way home.
An Ian Moore shot from the point gets through. There was traffic in front, but Moore leads the handshake line.
Down by two, the Golden Knights took risks defensively to produce offense. For every look they generated, they gave one to Anaheim as well; both teams generated five scoring chances.
The Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker with just under three minutes remaining, and it eventually paid off. The Golden Knights entered the zone, and Mitch Marner threaded a cross-ice pass to find Tomáš Hertl back-door.
Tomáš Hertl… has scored a goal! Amazing feed from Mitch Marner and Hertl gets off the schneid.
Now down by just one with over a minute remaining in regulation, the Golden Knights again pulled Hart for the extra attacker. They managed just one shot on goal, and iced the puck with 11 seconds remaining to effectively end the game. Jack Eichel lost the ensuing defensive zone draw, and the Golden Knights fell 4-3.
Jérémy Doku finds the net again, Joshua Zirkzee struggles at Sunderland and Ismaïla Sarr is fulfilling his potential
On Friday when Bruno Fernandes became the Football Writers’ Association player of the year, either Declan Rice or David Raya could have been forgiven for feeling a touch aggrieved. Both have been essential to Arsenal’s bid for a Premier League and Champions League double but it is Raya who showed why he may have been more deserving at the London Stadium as his technically pinpoint one-on-one save gave Arsenal the platform they so desperately needed to secure a vital three points late on. Mikel Arteta’s side were on the ropes as Mateus Fernandes exchanged a one-two with Pablo to run in with the goal at his mercy. Surely this was it for Arsenal: the title slipping again. Raya’s nerve held strong, making the most crucial of saves. Arsenal’s dream of winning a first title in 22 years remains in his hands. Graham Searles
Owner of eatery that created the Philly Cheesesteak will cook at Long Island pizzeria in Knicks gear as punishment for lost bet.
Maybe it was a misteak.
The descendant of the brothers credited with creating the first Philly cheesesteak will make the renowned sandwiches at a Long Island pizzeria — while wearing head-to-toe Knicks gear — after losing a bet with the eatery’s co-owner.
Frank Olivieri, proud owner of Philadelphia’s iconic Pat’s King of Steaks, will begrudgingly wear orange and blue while slinging sandwiches at Dario’s Pizza in West Hempstead after the Knicks annihilated the 76ers 144-114 on Sunday.
Frank Olivieri owns Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia. The Washington Post via Getty Images
Olivieri had instigated a friendly wager with the pizza parlor’s co-owner, Louis Cretella. The pair bet on which teams would win, Olivieri siding with the 76ers and Cretella with the Knicks — and the loser would have to travel to the other’s restaurant and cook for a day in the winning team’s gear.
“[Olivieri] wanted to make a wager on game three. I said, let’s bet the whole series,” Cretella told The Post.
Olivieri is accustomed to losing, but held out hope for his Philadelphia team until the bitter end.
“We always have a feeling that the 6ers, or anyone else in Philly are going to come back. We’re used to saying ‘maybe next year’,” he told The Post.
He shrugged off the impending ignominy, adding that he’s “been meaning to try [Dario’s] cheesesteak anyway.”
“I figured it would be a good way to extend some brotherly love to our brothers up in New York and on Long Island,” he added.
Olivieri made a bet with Dario’s Pizza co-owner Louis Cretella. Alex Mitchell / NY Post
Olivieri and Cretella haven’t set a firm date for when the cheesesteak connoisseur will grace the Long Island pizzeria, but suggested that this may not be the end of their game.
“We’re willing to do another bet in the next round, whether it’s a place Cleveland or Detroit, so we’ll see,” Cretella said.
The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and will play the winner of the Detroit Pistons vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers series.
Cretella changed the pizzeria’s computer system to rename the Philly cheesesteak the Philly SUCKS cheesesteak. Alex Mitchell / NY Post
The friendly wager came about after Olivieri learned his ancestors’ cheesey, meaty creation had come under fire amid the NBA’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Knicks were pitted against the 76ers.
Olivieri will cook cheesesteaks at Dario’s while wearing Knicks gear. Alex Mitchell / NY Post
Cretella changed the menu item from Philly cheesesteak to the Philly SUCKS cheesesteak in the restaurant’s computer system. Hard copy menus also have the “Philly” crossed out and “F*** Philly” in black marker written over it.
Olivieri took notice and reached out to place the bet he has now lost.
It feels ironic that the Washington Wizards became the first team with the worst record to get the No. 1 pick since the NBA switched to these new lottery odds — just in time for the league to change everything next year to "fix" tanking. Again.
The way the ping-pong balls bounced this year left some big winners and some painful losers. Let's break down who won and who lost in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.
Winner: Shameless tanking
The Washington Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis and barely played them to maintain their lottery odds (to be fair, AD was injured). The Utah Jazz were the face of tanking in the league, got a massive fine, traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. and mostly sat him to keep their draft position. The Memphis Grizzlies were just a couple of games out of the play-in when they traded Jackson to the Jazz and started tanking in earnest, going 5-28 the rest of the way.
All three of those teams were rewarded and have the top three picks in this draft. If you wonder why the league thinks it needs a new lottery system to fix tanking, this is the prime example.
Winner: Toni Kukoc, Chicago Bulls
Chicago jumped up to the top four because Toni Kukoc brought the swagger.
Six years ago, when Arturas Karnisovas took over as the lead executive in Chicago, the Bulls jumped up from seventh in the lottery odds to get the No. 4 pick, which they used to select Patrick Williams. That pick (and subsequent contract) was an anchor on Karnisovas' entire tenure.
This year, Bryson Graham has taken over as the lead executive in Chicago, and the Bulls jumped from ninth in the lottery odds to get the No. 4 pick. Most likely, they will use that on North Carolina's Caleb Willson, unless Memphis falls in love with him, in which case Cameron Boozer of Duke likely falls to the Bulls. Either way, Graham needs this pick to work out.
Winner: Washington Wizards
Washington was active in "pre-agency" at the trade deadline last February, getting good deals on two former All-Stars other teams were looking to dump move on from: Trae Young and Anthony Davis. This is a team that already had some promising young players like big man Alex Sarr and last year's first-round pick Tre Johnson. This was a team that was already going to be better and in the postseason mix in the East.
Now they likely add AJ Dybantsa, the 6'9" ultra-talented, ultra-athletic wing out of BYU, who seems like a perfect fit. Suddenly, the Wizards look interesting next season.
There is a report that Washington might be open to trading down, via Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Sure, if someone comes in with a Godfather offer they can't refuse, but that's unlikely at best. The Wizards are not giving up their first No. 1 pick since selecting John Wall in 2010, a pick that has the fan base excited, without some overwhelming talent returning.
Loser: Brooklyn Nets
The most talent-starved team in the league was let down by the basketball gods. While they will still get a quality player at No. 6 — likely a star guard like Darius Acuff Jr. or Keaton Wagler — but it's not the guy or the lottery luck they were hoping for.
Brooklyn is on track to struggle again next year, and with the coming new “3-2-1" lottery system, their chances of adding that elite talent just got longer.
Winner: Utah Jazz
The lottery gods finally smiled on the Jazz. Which is ironic because they became the face of tanking this season when the league fined them $500,000 for playing their stars 20 minutes a game, then benching them in the stretch and losing. It turns out that what the league wanted was just for the Jazz to make up an injury and bench them all game, so they did. The Jazz got all the bad press, and the basketball gods rewarded them.
This is another team already building something with guard Keyonte George and big man Walker Kessler, plus last year's No. 1 pick Ace Bailey. They already had Lauri Markkanen and then added Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline. Now put Kansas guard Darryn Peterson in the mix and they look like a potential playoff team starting next season.
Loser: Indiana Pacers
You know it's not good when just after the lottery the GM steps up and takes the blame.
I'm really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember - this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.
As part of the trade to bring in Ivica Zubac in February, the Pacers traded their pick this year to the Clippers, but it was top-four protected. While the Pacers finished with the league's second-worst record, that made it basically a coin toss (52% to 48%) whether they would lose their pick. They did lose it, which essentially means they traded the No. 5 pick for Zubac. Make no mistake, Zubac with a healthy Tyrese Halliburton is a good pairing — and the Pacers will be back contending for the East crown next season with him — but that is a steep price.
Winner: LA Clippers
If the Pacers are losers, then the Clippers must be winners. They get to add another high-level player to a roster that is getting retooled in the next couple of years.
They are going to be an interesting team on draft night. At No. 5, that's where a run of strong point guards starts, except the Clippers traded for Darius Garland during the season (for James Harden). LA needs to find a guard or wing who can play off ball, not just on, which might be Keaton Wagler.
Loser: Sacramento Kings
Call it an ethical tank if you want, the Kings were just bad this season. At No. 7, they are still going to get a quality player, but maybe not the star they were hoping for to anchor their rebuild. Also, like Brooklyn, the Kings may be bad again next year but with flatter lottery odds (almost certainly a part of whatever system the owners approve) it will be even harder for Sacramento to get that elite talent.
Loser: New Orleans Pelicans
We knew this would be the case when it happened last June. That's when the Pelicans traded the rights to their pick this year to jump up 10 spots and select Derik Queen. Now we know that it is the No. 8 pick. Queen showed promise this season, but that looked like a bad trade at the time and it may be worse now.
But the offense isn’t the only thing that changed.
“I feel like our mindset shifted,” McBride told SNY. “We know we’re the better team (but) we can’t just come out there and expect to win, because they’re talented too. So I feel like our mindset just shifted totally to ‘take the game’ instead of (waiting for) them to give us the game.”
He made four three-pointers in an 81-second span to give the Knicks an early 14-point lead.
New York never looked back, building a 24-point lead at halftime and going up by as many as 44 in the second half.
They beat Philadelphia by 30 to extend their playoff win streak to seven games, winning each of those by an average of 26.4 points.
Given the circumstances, has any Knick team in the last 50 years played a better seven-game stretch?
Don’t think so.
Now New York will enter the Eastern Conference Finals as the prohibitive favorite.
“I think the more we’ve played together as a team, the more we’ve grown. And we’ve continued to get better,” Jalen Brunson said. “It’s a chemistry thing. It’s a feel thing. It’s how things get better. Things get better over time.”
Things are getting better at the right time for Brunson and the Knicks.
A SLOW BUILD
The Knicks underwhelmed for long stretches of the regular season. Fans and media questioned their legitimacy again and again. But that sentiment never effected the team, Brunson says.
“It was a rollercoaster for sure,” he said. “I think outside the Knicks organization, things looked worse than what they were. From the outside looking in. But inside the building, we were working every single day to be the best team we can be. That’s all we were focusing on.
“There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs. But that’s what our goals were. And that’s still our goal. Be the best we can be. Continue to learn. Continue to get better. The journey shows you who you are.”
So far, the journey has shown that the Knicks are a resilient, talented team.
Now, they can take a short rest and get ready for the next round of the playoffs.
The conference final will start on either Sunday or Monday. Game 4 of Cavs-Pistons is Monday night.
Not sure if you heard, but the Brooklyn Nets fell to the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If you want to hear the longest F-bomb in the history of Locked on Nets, hosted by Erik Slater, here’s Sunday’s episode, where Slater and I talked and groaned through the latest Brooklyn Nets disappointment…
Terance Mann provided a more SFW reaction on social media…
The two-year tank is over. The Houston Rockets have swap rights with the Brooklyn Nets next season, though given the ultra-flattened odds set to come into effect, there is a world where both the Nets and Rockets miss the playoffs, and Brooklyn gets a decent pick anyway. But GM Sean Marks can’t bank on that, and besides, it’s a bit too early to think about the 2027 NBA Draft Lottery; the Nets have all but sworn to improve next season after winning just 46 games over the past two seasons.
Luckily, they have Head Coach Jordi Fernández, who, despite the record, seems to be pretty good. After that, it’s bleak. Michael Porter Jr., with one more year on his contract, is up for an extension likely in the $40 million range. Nic Claxton, with two years left on his $22 million AAV deal, has likely regressed into negative-value territory, though perhaps there are some executives around the NBA who don’t watch enough of the Nets to know that yet. Day’Ron Sharpe is a pretty good backup center, especially with a $6 million team option next season. Egor Dëmin had a nice rookie season all things considered, though he has much work to do to become a valuable playoff contributor. The other rookies are much, much further away. Josh Minott seems like a real player. Ziaire Williams might be too. We’ll see about Noah Clowney.
Barring some splashy summer moves, that’s about it. So who can the Nets add with the #6 overall pick in June? Who can we get excited about? (Let’s assume that Dybantsa/Boozer/Peterson/Wilson go with the first four picks, in some order.)
Kingston Flemings
I think you’ll hear this name a lot leading up to the NBA Draft. Flemings, a 19-year-old guard who had an incredibly productive freshman season for the University of Houston, had been linked to the Nets throughout the season — perhaps there’s already some mutual interest between the two sides. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sportsmocked him to the Nets following the lottery drawing…
The quick sell is simple: Flemings defends, he drives the ball, and his 2.9 assist:turnover ratio could indicate some real playmaking ability. And for a guy whose shot was questioned, well, 38.7% from deep on six attempts per 100 ain’t bad, nor is 84.5% from the line and 44% on long twos. At 6’4”, can he play with enough force to finish inside consistently? Does his outside jumper have room to grow?
These are the questions, but given his strengths — not to mention a lauded work ethic and disposition —it’s easy to see the Nets taking a chance on him at #6.
Darius Acuff Jr.
He’s probably going to be there at #6. Maybe the Chicago Bulls take him at #4 ahead of Caleb Wilson, and it’s also possible the Los Angeles Clippers take the SEC Player of the Year at #5 despite already rostering another small guard in Darius Garland.
But it feels like this 19-year-old and the Nets are going to hear a lot about each other in the coming months. Listed 6’3”, Acuff is a polarizing prospect, not because of his height but in part because of his frame. He is quite skinny — shifty but not overly explosive — and he is the betting favorite to be the worst defender in the NBA next season. He rarely rebounded, stole, or deflected the ball in college. It’s not easy for any young guard in the league, but Acuff’s defensive effort at Arkansas was consistently under the microscope, not to mention the frame.
Now that that’s out of the way, good God can he play offense. He was at the absolute center of John Calipari’s offense, handling a ton of pick-and-roll, and shot 60% at the rim, 40% from the midrange, 44% from deep, and had 3x as many assists as turnovers. Again, he won SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Tournament’s MVP. The arguments about what it means to be a small guard in the NBA won’t be fun, but his highlights…that’s another story.
Keaton Wagler
The Illinois guard could certainly get picked by the Clips at #5, but we have another offense-first guard (get used to it) in the mix. ESPN and The Athletic each have the 19-year-old as the #5 overall prospect, as the 6’7” 19-year-old can theoretically play at either guard spot and bring valuable shooting + passing skills to the table. He and Egor Dëmin would comprise the NBA’s least explosive backcourt next season, but some of Wagler’s highlights are just nutty…
Worried that he’s not blowing by people? Fair. But the frame might help him survive; sounds a little bit like a certain Russian ballplayer I know.
Mikel Brown Jr.
Mikel Brown Jr. is already 20 years old and played just 21 games for Louisville in his lone NCAA season, dealing with a lower back injury. You want the sell? Just check out his 45-point night against NC State…
Like Acuff Jr., Brown’s not gonna provide much defensive or rebounding value; he’s going to have to be an overwhelming offensive threat … which he might be.
He rarely got to the rim this season, and didn’t finish well when he got there, and he only shot 34.4% from deep. But Brown shot a million of ‘em, largely off the dribble, shot well on midrange jumpers, and dropped some high-level dimes out of the pick-and-roll. Plus, he was a consensus top-10 player in his high school class, and we know the Brooklyn Nets love them some pre-draft-year pedigree.
Others
My gut is that those are the four names you’ll be hearing the most, but there are certainly not the only options for the Brooklyn Nets at #6. Remember, Egor Dëmin wasn’t even in the picture when Brooklyn first drew #8 last season.
Labaron Philon Jr.: He’ll turn 21 early next season after playing at Alabama for two seasons, but the 6’4” guard has an electric highlight tape and shot nearly 40% from three this season. He was a better playmaker his sophomore season, and though he put up very few rebounding/defensive numbers, posting a 63 TS% while carrying a huge offensive load is more than impressive.
Aday Mara: He’s 21, he’s slow, yes, yes, yes. But the Spanish big man is also 7’3” with commendable passing and rim protection instincts. Drafting him at #6 wouldn’t be the sexiest pick, but it’s conceivable that he ends up as one of the draft’s six best players.
Yaxel Lendeborg: Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents but raised in New Jersey, Lendeborg is 23 years old. He’ll be 24 when training camp opens. However, the big wing was one college basketball’s best all-around players this past season, winning a title with Aday Mara at Michigan while making threes, making twos, rebounding, passing, blocking shots, and rarely turning it over. Is Lendeborg going to be the ideal role-playing wing?
Dailyn Swain
NateAment
Brayden Burries
If we’re making a really long list, I could’ve thrown a couple more names in there. There is little consensus after the first four picks. The Brooklyn Nets have the opportunity to select the best prospect they’ve had since moving to Brooklyn, but it will not be easy.
Let’s get this out of the way now: They are not trading up. It’s not happening.
Bryson Graham after the Bulls jumped up to No. 4 overall in the NBA Draft: “I almost fainted … It’s such a great draft.” pic.twitter.com/wkpOOVbxcu
What the heck would Brooklyn have to offer the teams at the very top of the draft?
Trading down is infinitely more feasible, though perhaps not likely. But it may be the right move for the Nets if they particularly like one of the older prospects like Swain/Lendeborg/Joshua Jefferson or a less heralded guard like Tyler Tanner or Bennett Stirtz. The guards projected to go in the 5-9 range are quite talented, but all have very real question marks. The older prospects, if nothing else, could be more ready to help Brooklyn take a step forward next year, perhaps quelling some of the fanbase’s frustrations. (And saving some jobs?)
The NBA Draft Lottery Gods did not smile upon the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, but once again regarded them with wrath. That doesn’t mean the Nets can’t draft a great player, though. Here’s to hoping.
