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Knicks blow 14-point lead, fall in overtime 138-135 to Pacers in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks, who led by 14 points with 2:51 to play in the fourth quarter, succumbed to a barrage of three-pointers from the Indiana Pacers down the stretch before falling in overtime, 138-135, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York recovered from the blown lead and Tyrese Haliburton's buzzer-beater to send the game to the extra period by grabbing a four-point edge, and off a steal, Jalen Brunson had a layup taken off the glass in what looked like a goaltend. The Pacers answered with five straight from Andrew Nembhard,starting a back-and-forth battle with Brunson doing the scoring for the Knicks. But Indiana had a one-point edge with 27 seconds to play when head coach Tom Thibodeau called for time after Obi Toppin's tip-slam.

But a turnover, the Knicks' third of the overtime, and a blown defensive assignment led to another Toppin slam to put the visitors up by three with 15 ticks to play. The ball was in Brunson's hand, but his three was way short. Josh Hart grabbed a rebound and found Karl-Anthony Towns, but he was well short, too. When Bridges couldn't corral the rebound, the first game of the best-of-7 series had fully slipped through their fingers.

Here are the takeaways...

- The fourth quarter started poorly, had an amazing middle, and an even worse finish for the Knicks. It began when Brunson, the NBA’s clutch player of the year and engine of the Knicks’ offense, exited after he picked up his fifth foul after just 115 seconds and New York up by two.

OG Anunoby, who finished with 16 points, had a 5-0 run starting with a step-back three to push the lead back to seven. Miles McBride blocked Pascal Siakam as he attempted a jam,Towns added a block of his own, and Indiana was held to 1-for-9 from the floor before Anunoby’s layup gave the Knicks a 16-point lead (their biggest of the game) with 7:22 to play. It was a 14-0 run in under three minutes after Brunson sat.

And then, it all changed with 3:44 to play. Indiana responded with a barrage of threes, and a 10-3 run, cutting it to a seven-point game with 80 seconds to play. Brunson, who returned with five minutes to play and hit the lone three in that run, responded with a driving layup. But Indiana added two more threes (around a Towns layup) to make it a five-point game with 34 seconds left.

Out of a Knicks’ timeout, they turned it over (thanks to a smart Pacers challenge), and an Aaron Nesmith three, his third straight for Indiana, made it a two-point game with 22 seconds to play. After another near turnover on the in-bounds, Towns was fouled with 14 seconds to play but only managed to make the first from the line. Then the Knicks played the foul game: Anunoby got Nesmith immediately, and he made a pair. Siakam got Anunoby, who got just the second with 7.3 to play.

And Haliburton, with a toe barely on the three-point line, hit back iron, had the ball bounce high off the rim and right through to tie the game at the buzzer.

- Brunson finished with 43 points on 15-for-25 shooting (1-for-6 from deep, 12-for-14 from the line) with five assists and seven turnovers. He was a minus-8 in 38 minutes. Towns had 35 points on 11-for-17 shooting (4-for-8 from deep) with 12 rebounds and was a plus-9 in 39 minutes. Anunoby was a minus-12 in 42 minutes. Bridges had 16 points, six rebounds (four offensive), five assists, and was a minus-15 in 46 minutes. Hart was quiet on offense with eight points, but had 13 rebounds, seven assists and was a minus-4 in 44 minutes.

A big difference: Indiana had 27 points off the 15 New York turnovers. The home team managed just four points off of seven turnovers by the visitors.

Haliburton had 31 points (12-for-23) and was a plus-15 in 42 minutes. Nesmith had 30 points (9-for-13) and was a plus-10 in 39 minutes. Siakam added 17 points as a plus-8 in 43 minutes and Nembhard had 15 and was a plus-1 in 35 minutes.

- The key for the Knicks against the Pacers, a team that wants to push the pace and attack New York’s short rotation with waves of players coming off an eight-day layoff, was to limit turnovers and control the defensive glass to keep possessions short.

Unfortunately for the home side, the visitors scarcely missed a shot in the game’s early minutes, missing just three shots in their first 15 attempts after they opened the game by making their first nine field goals. The Knicks made five of their first nine attempts to keep things close. 

Mitchell Robinson entered and the offensive rebounds came right away. After the Pacers matched their biggest lead of the quarter at seven, he corralled his third of the period and kicked it to McBride for a three as part of a big run for New York, including Robinson stuffing an alley-oop. The reserve center added a block and steal and was a plus-6 in five minutes.

The run stretched to 14-5 to give the Knicks a two-point edge after shooting 15-for-23 (65 percent) to Indiana's 14-for-20 (70 percent). Bridges and Towns had eight points each.

Overall, Robinson had two points and eight rebounds (four offensive) and was even in 21 minutes. McBride had nine points (2-for-7) and was a plus-12 in 25 minutes.

- The Pacers’ full-court press began on the first made basket with two men guarding Brunson. But the Knicks’ MVP managed to find his way into the offense and against a wave of Indiana defenders – Nesmith, Nembhard, and TJ McConnell (off the bench) – followed a nine-point first quarter with nine in the second. And at the half, Nembhard had three fouls while Nesmith and McConnell each had two.

But three minutes into the third, it was Brunson who picked up his third foul on the offensive end as he got tangled with Nesmith. (Thibodeau unsuccessfully challenged the call.) Four minutes later, Brunson committed his fourth turnover and then picked up his fourth personal for fouling Haliburton on a jumper. He stayed in the game and put in a floater for an and-1 for seven in the quarter and 25 in the game.

After Haliburton hit a three to give him 23 in the game, Brunson (following a Robinson offensive board) hit a step-back jumper. Haliburton’s response: an air-balled three and a Pacers timeout. Brunson finished the quarter with nine points, of course.

- In the second, the Pacers’ shooting went cold and they suffered through a four-minute stretch without a field goal, including Toppin missing a wide-open tomahawk dunk, leading to Towns knocking down a corner three for a 13-1 Knicks run and an eight-point lead.

Even with Robinson off the court, the Knicks’ offensive rebounding proved a problem for Indiana; the home side had six rebounds on the offensive end (three of the team variety) as the shooting slowed down to 10-for-26 (38 percent) in the second quarter. The Knicks got nine second-chance points and 32 points in the paint through 24 minutes for a 69-62 halftime lead, with Towns adding seven points and Bridges four in the quarter. The Pacers' shooting fell off a cliff in the second: 9-for-26 (35 percent). But they recovered in a big way in the second half.

- Bridges continued to have a terrific two-way game to start the second half, collecting his third block of the game. But Indiana responded with a 10-4 run in less than two minutes, knocking down four-straight buckets to cut New York’s lead to three, forcing a Thibs timeout.

Indiana out-shot attempted New York in the third (21 to 14) as they hit the offensive glass hard, but the Knicks converted a higher percentage (57 to 48). But the nine-point lead in the quarter’s first minute was just three points entering the fourth.

- Cam Payne struggled with the bench unit to start the second quarter, committing two fouls early. But he made his first three since the opening round series to end a long drought from behind the arc. His second three capped a 10-1 run to give New York a five-point edge. He finished with six points and was a plus-5 in 10 minutes.

Highlights

What's next

These two teams are back in action at MSG on Friday night for an 8 p.m. tip.

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Yankees score three unanswered, capped by Jasson Dominguez's walk-off home run, to beat Rangers, 4-3

Jasson Dominguez's walk-off home run gave the Yankees a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night in The Bronx.

Here are the takeaways...

-In his third start since assuming the fifth starter's spot in a rotation that has endured injury after injury, Ryan Yarbrough pitched his best game in pinstripes and was outdueling two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom through the first four innings.

Fully taking advantage of the opportunity, Yarbrough pitched five innings for the second consecutive outing, except this time he struck out eight, walked none and allowed just a run on three hits. The only run came by way of a Jake Burger solo home run in the fifth inning that tied the game at 1-1.

The left-hander lowered his ERA to 3.38 and aside from one poor performance out of the bullpen in early April, he's been a tremendous help for New York in the swingman role.

-Meanwhile, deGrom ended up dominating in his return to New York. The right-hander, looking to remain healthy for a full season for the first time in five years, finished the night by going seven strong innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out nine on 103 pitches (68 strikes).

The first run he allowed came in the second inning after Anthony Volpe tripled to lead off and came around to score the game's first run on a groundout. The second one came on a Cody Bellinger solo shot in the seventh.

Since leaving the Mets, deGrom had made only nine starts from 2023 and 2024. He's already made 10 starts this season and continues to be one of the best pitchers in the game with a 2.33 ERA.

-Burger made it a double by smashing his second solo homer of the night to lead off the top of the seventh against Tim Hill, who got a huge bases-loaded out to end the sixth, that gave Texas a 2-1 lead. Burger would add a side of small fries in the eighth with a single and got a shake to boot with his first stolen base of the season.

-After Burger's home run, the lefty Hill retired the next two batters before giving way to Ian Hamilton. But much like Hill before him, Hamilton served up a solo shot on the first pitch he threw to Sam Haggerty that extended the Rangers' advantage.

-Yerry De los Santos got into a heap of trouble in the eighth inning trying to keep it a one-run game, but he managed to leave the bases loaded and give his team a chance to rally. Which they did.

-With deGrom finally out of the game, the Yanks managed to put two runners on in the bottom of the eighth via walks by Robert Garcia, sandwiched between a strikeout and flyout. Luke Jackson entered the game to face Aaron Judge, who was held in check against deGrom, but with a runner in scoring position, Judge did what he does best and singled in the tying run.

Trent Grisham got thrown out trying to reach third base to end the inning, but it happened before the run crossed home plate. It was also a smart play because it's possible Paul Goldschmidt would've been thrown out at home if Grisham hadn't gone to third base, which forced the throw from the outfield to be cut off.

-Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, aided by a nifty pickoff move to second base for a caught stealing that ended the inning. That set the stage forDominguez to hit his walk-off home run and give the Yanks their third straight win.

-Jonathan Loáisiga made his third appearance of the season since returning from injury, matching his total from last year, and after 0.2 scoreless innings, he's remained unscored upon so far in 2.2 innings.

Game MVP: Yerry De los Santos

Maybe not who you'd expect, but getting into trouble in the eighth inning and managing to get out of it helped keep New York within striking distance and pull off the eventual win.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees end their three-game series against the Texas Rangers with a Thursday matinee to close out a six-game homestand. First pitch (weather permitting) is scheduled for 12:35 p.m.

LHP Carlos Rodon (5-3, 3.17 ERA) opposes RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.61 ERA).

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Brett Baty drives in three to lift Mets to 5-1 win over Red Sox

Brett Baty drove in three runs and Francisco Lindor homered to help the Mets beat the Red Sox, 5-1, on Wednesday night in Boston to salvage a game in the series.

The win snapped the team's season-long three-game losing streak.

Here are the takeaways...

-Runners in scoring position have been a bugaboo for the Mets of late. Entering Wednesday, the Mets were 9-for-54 (.167) with RISP over their last seven games.Lindor gave his team an instant RISP chance with a leadoff double but Starling Marte (flyout), and Juan Soto and Pete Alonso (strikeouts) left him stranding.

The Mets had another chance in the second after Mark Vientos walked and Luis Torrens doubled to start the inning. Again, the Mets had a tough time with runners on base. Tyrone Taylor popped out on the first pitch he saw and Luisangel Acuña grounded to third on the first pitch to leave Vientos and Torrens stranded. But it was Baty -- who had just seven at-bats against lefties this season -- who lined a single to right field to score Vientos, but Torrens was gunned out at home by centerfielder Ceddane Rafaela on the send from third base coach Mike Sarbaugh.

-The big inning for the Mets' offense came in the seventh against reliever Liam Hendricks. After back-to-back singles by Torrens and Taylor, Acuña hit an infield single to load the bases with no outs for Baty. Hitting against the lefty Brennan Bernardino, Baty went the other way, lining a single toward the left field corner to drive in two. Unfortunately, Acuña got a bad read and had to stay on second. Lindor reached on a fielder's choice and Marte walked to load the bases to bring up Soto. The slugger hit a long sacrifice fly to bring in the Mets' fourth run of the game.

For the game, the Mets went 3-for-12 with RISP and left eight on base.

-Tylor Megill was on his game in his first start at Fenway Park. The big right-hander struck out nine of the first 14 batters he faced, but faced trouble in the fifth inning. After two infield singles -- both thanks to misplays on defense -- and a HBP, Megill had to face the bases loaded with one out. Jaren Durran jumped on the first pitch and launched it into right-center field. The wind brought it back in for Soto to make the out, but the Red Sox tied the game at 1-1 on the sacrifice fly. After a walk to Rafael Devers to load the bases again, Mendoza pulled his starter for Huascar Brazoban. The reliever would get Alex Bregman to strike out on a check swing to end the 10-pitch at-bat and the threat.

Brazoban's heroics put an end to Megill's night. Megill threw 85 pitches (55 strikes) across 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk and tying a career high with 10 strikeouts.

-Brazoban continued his dominance, striking out four batters in a season-high 2.1 innings to help bridge the gap to Edwin Diaz. Brazoban's ERA this season dropped to 0.90. Reed Garrett pitched a scoreless eighth, working around a one-out single and capping his night off by striking out Bregman. It was the third baseman's fourth strikeout of the evening, the first time Bregman has earned the "Golden Sombrero" in his 10-year career.

Diaz worked around a leadoff walk to nail down the win. Mets pitchers struck out 16 batters on Wednesday.

-Manager Carlos Mendoza changed up the lineup, batting Marte in the two-hole, Soto in the three-hole and Alonso at cleanup behind Lindor. And, for at least one night, it worked out. Marte finished 0-for-3 with a walk, while Soto went 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Alonso went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with a home run. Lindor's long ball, which came in the ninth inning to put a cap on the night, is his 10th of the season and now leads the team. It also snapped the team's 217 at-bats between home runs.

Soto struck out looking twice in his first two at-bats on seven pitches without swinging the bat. It was the first time in his career that Soto struck out twice in a row without swinging the bat. Garrett Crochet would strike out Soto for the third time in the sixth, this time swinging.

Game MVP: Brett Baty

With the offense scuffling, especially with runners in scoring position, Baty helped alleviate that pressure with his two big hits. He finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets have an off day on Thursday before starting a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

Griffin Canning (5-1, 2.47 ERA) will take the mound while the Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw, making just his second start this season, to oppose him.

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Two-time All-Star infielder Jean Segura retires after 12-year major league career

PHILADELPHIA — Jean Segura, a two-time All-Star infielder who hit .281 in a 12-year major league career with six teams, announced his retirement.

Segura's announcement was made on social media Wednesday by his agent, CAA Sports, and the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he played from 2019-22.

The 35-year-old Segura last played in the major leagues in 2023, with the Miami Marlins.

He was an All-Star in 2013 with the Milwaukee Brewers and 2018 with the Seattle Mariners. Segura led the National League with 203 hits in 2016, while with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He also played for the Los Angeles Angels. He lone postseason appearance was in 2022, with the Phillies.

He finished his career with 1,545 hits, 513 RBIs, 110 home runs and 211 stolen bases in 1,413 games.

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Nationals place Dylan Crews on 10-day injured list with oblique strain, call up Hassell

WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals placed rookie slugger Dylan Crews on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain on Wednesday.

Crews, the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB amateur draft, exited before the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s 5-3 win over Atlanta, after reporting stiffness during a fifth-inning plate appearance. He underwent an MRI earlier Wednesday.

“We know he’s got a strain,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said shortly before Wednesday’s scheduled game against the Braves was rained out. “We don’t know the severity of it yet until the doctor sees him this afternoon.”

Crews’ first major league injured list stint comes after he homered in consecutive games Sunday and Tuesday for the first time in his career.

He’s hitting .196 with seven home runs - a high among rookies - and 15 RBIs. He said he’d been managing soreness for roughly a week.

“It’s never a positive, you always want to go out there and play every day,” Crews said. “But I guess it could’ve been worse. So we’ll just get in the training room and get it right so I can get on the field as soon as I can.”

In a corresponding move, the Nationals recalled Robert Hassell III from Triple-A Rochester. Hassell was scheduled to make his MLB debut by batting seventh and playing center field in Wednesday’s rainout.

Hassell was the eighth overall pick by San Diego in the 2020 draft. He’ll become the fourth minor leaguer to reach the majors with Washington that was acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to the Padres, joining James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

“It was a big trade, and everybody has high expectations for us,” Hassell said.

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OHL Heavily Represented in Craig Button's Recent Mock Draft

Matthew Schaefer playing for the Erie Otters. He is projected to go first overall at the 2025 NHL Draft [OHL Images].

The 2025 NHL Draft is just around the corner, and many pundits are starting to project what the first round will look like. Craig Buttons' recent mock draft projects the OHL to be well represented in the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Historically, the OHL has always featured prominently in the opening round of NHL Drafts. Last season, nine of the players picked in round one played for OHL teams, meaning the league claimed 28 percent of the players picked. That was the highest percentage for any individual league.

Based on Buttons' projections, the OHL could receive an even larger share of this year's first-round picks. 

Picks 1-5 

1. New York Islanders - Matthew Schaefer
2. San Jose Sharks - Porter Martone 
3. Chicago Blackhawks - Michael Misa
4. Utah Mammoth - James Hagens 
5. Nashville Predators - Jake O'Brien 

According to this mock draft four of the opening five picks could be OHL players. While Schaefer going first feels like a no brainer based on every projection seen since January, some people are asking whether the Islanders might take James Hagens instead seeing as he is a Long Island native.

Porter Martone going second is a bit of a surprise given that he has slipped down prospect lists in the second half of the season. The Steelheads forward fell from fourth to sixth in NHL Central Scouting's latest rankings.

Jake O'Brien has risen up draft boards in the second half of the year. He jumped up from eighth to fourth on NHL Central Scouting's rankings. Seeing him go fifth to Nashville would round out a dominant showing for the OHL in the first five picks.

The London Knights Hang On To Win OHL ChampionshipThe London Knights Hang On To Win OHL ChampionshipFor the second time since 2010, the London Knights are the winners of back-to-back OHL Championships. The Knights took game five of the OHL Final to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup on home ice. 

Picks 6-10

6. Philadelphia Flyers - Brady Martin
7. Boston Bruins - Caleb Desnoyers
8. Seattle Kraken - Anton Frondell
9. Buffalo Sabres - Radim Mrtka
10. Anaheim Ducks - Lynden Lakovic

After dominating the top five picks, Button projects just Brady Martin being taken in this segment of the first round. Martin is a riser when it comes to prospect rankings having moved from 17th to 11th on NHL Central Scouting's rankings. His dominant performance at the U-18 Men's Championship will only have served to boost his stock higher. In seven games at the tournament he scored three goals and added eight assists while looking like a man playing amongst boys. 

As a side note, when it comes to recent history, the Flyers have tended towards OHL players when they have a first round pick. Since 2020, they've drafted an OHL player three times in the first round. In 2021 they did not have a first-round pick and in 2022 they selected Cutter Gauthier of the USNDTP.

2025 NHL Draft Profile: Jacob Cloutier2025 NHL Draft Profile: Jacob CloutierWith the OHL season finished, and the London Knights crowned champions for the second consecutive season, many OHL fans are turning their attention towards the NHL Draft in June. Questions abound about where certain players will be picked and who will rise or fall on draft boards. 

Picks 11-16

11. Pittsburgh Penguins - Roger McQueen
12. New York Rangers - Kashawn Aitcheson 
13. Detroit Red Wings - Victor Englund
14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Jackson Smith 
15. Vancouver Canucks - Cole Reschny
16. Montreal Canadiens - Justin Carbonneau

Again, the OHL becomes somewhat sparse in this segment of Buttons' mock draft, with just one pick predicted to come from the league. Kashawn Aitcheson is a hard-nosed defender who is gifted on both sides of the puck. He also rose up NHL Central Scouting's rankings, going from 15th to ninth. 

It is possible we could see players like Malcolm Spence, Henry Brzustewicz and Jack Nesbitt creep into these picks as well. There is a fair amount of disagreement between pundits on this segment of the draft. 

Based on Buttons' draft, six OHL players project to be picked in the first half of the draft. If the percentages pan out, that would mean a total of 12 OHL players get picked in the first round, which would be a 33 percent increase from last year. 

This does seem a bit far-fetched, though. It seems much more likely that by the end of round one, the OHL will have around 10 players taken. 

What is clear is that the OHL is very well represented at the top of this year's draft class, with pundits predicting a large number of OHL players being taken in the first 10 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

As always, the draft is unpredictable, and while it is fun to look at mock drafts and projections, we will never know how the chips will fall until teams start making picks. 

The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on Friday, June 27th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

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Knicks' Jalen Brunson receives NBA MVP vote

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was not close to cracking the top of the 2024-25 NBA MVP voting, but did get recognized for his achievements on the hardwood during the season.

Brunson received a single fifth-place vote out of 100 cast, tying him with Clippers guard James Harden and Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley for 10th place.

For the second-straight season, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic were the top two vote-getters, but this time the Thunder guard took home the award with 71 first-place votes (913 points) over the Nuggets' center (787 points), who had the other 29.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (470 points) took home third place ahead of the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (311 points). Donovan Mitchell (74 points), LeBron James (16 points), Cade Cunningham (12 points), Anthony Edwards (12 points), and Steph Curry (2 points) also received votes.

In 65 regular season games this year, the Knicks' leader averaged 26 points (48.8 percent from the floor), 7.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game. He was also named to his second-straight NBA All-Star game, this time as a starter. He was also awarded this season's Clutch Player of the Year.

Last year, Brunson finished in fifth place (142 points) after receiving three second-place votes, one third-place vote, 28 fourth-place votes and 32 fifth-place votes.

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Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is voted NBA MVP

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) as guard James Harden (1) tries to help on defense during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is fouled by Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) while driving between Powell and Clippers teammate James Harden (1) during a game at Intuit Dome in March. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)

The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simple. He's the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had the best record this season and set a league mark for margin of victory. If that wasn't enough, he also won the scoring title.

That's an MVP season.

Gilgeous-Alexander was announced Wednesday as the NBA's Most Valuable Player, his first time winning the award. It's now seven consecutive years that a player born outside the U.S. won MVP, extending the longest such streak in league history.

“You try so hard throughout the season to like not think about it and just worry about playing basketball and getting better and trying to win games,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on TNT, when the results were unveiled. “But as a competitor and as a kid dreaming about the game, it's always in the back of your mind.”

It ultimately was a two-person race. Gilgeous-Alexander got 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes; Denver's Nikola Jokic got the other 29 first-place votes and the other 71 second-place votes.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo was third, getting 88 of the 100 possible third-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander — the No. 11 pick in the 2018 draft by the Clippers — averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game this season, leading the Thunder to a 68-14 record. The Thunder outscored teams by 12.9 points per game, the biggest margin in league history.

He becomes the second Canadian to win MVP; Steve Nash won it twice.

“His value is his confidence,” Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams said of Gilgeous-Alexander, his Thunder teammate for the last five seasons. “His confidence that he has in himself and the confidence that he instills in every one of his teammates, including the coaches.”

Read more:Granderson: The Lakers should draft a big man who's also a grown-up

Jokic — a winner of three of the last four MVP awards — was second, despite a season for the ages. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game, the first center to average a triple-double and the first player since all those stats were tracked to finish in the NBA’s top three in all three of those categories.

It was the sixth instance of a player finishing a season averaging a triple-double — at least 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game. Russell Westbrook did it four times and Oscar Robertson once, but only one of those triple-double seasons led to an MVP win.

“He’s a special player,” Jokic said of Gilgeous-Alexander earlier this week when the Thunder eliminated the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. “His shot selection, his shot capability … he’s always there. He’s a special player.”

Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He started this run of international players winning MVP. Of Greek and Nigerian descent, he won in 2019 and 2020.

Jokic, a Serbian, won in 2021, 2022 and 2024. And Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon but since became a U.S. citizen, won the award in 2023.

Now, it's Gilgeous-Alexander — a son of Ontario, where hockey reigns — carrying the MVP flag after finishing second last year.

“There are voters every year. That will never change,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And last year, all it meant was that more people thought I shouldn't have won than should have won. This year I wanted to change the narrative and have it flipped. I think I did a good job of that.”

The MVP award, like most other NBA honors, was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly before the start of the playoffs.

The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already had their results unveiled: Cleveland's Kenny Atkinso, coach of the year; Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, most improved player; San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, rookie of the year, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, defensive player of the year; New York’s Jalen Brunson, clutch player of the year; Boston’s Payton Pritchard, sixth man of the year.

Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year, Warriors teammate Draymond Green, hustle award; Oklahoma City's Sam Presti, executive of the year; Boston’s Jrue Holiday, sportsmanship award for the second time in his career as well as social justice award.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Turner, Harper and Phillies' lineup put on a show again in 6th straight win

Turner, Harper and Phillies' lineup put on a show again in 6th straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DENVER — It was the Trea Turner and Bryce Harper Show early on Wednesday night at Coors Field, another dynamic night for the Phillies’ offense in a sixth straight win.

Turner and Harper singled on consecutive pitches in the top of the first and homered on consecutive pitches in the top of the third, scoring the first four of the Phillies’ runs in a 9-5 win over the Rockies.

The duo put instant pressure on lowly Colorado by executing a double-steal in the first inning. Turner and Harper had both bags stolen easily on rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist but bat-first Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman still tried to throw Turner out at third, sailing the ball into left field. The play created two runs for the Phils, allowing Turner to score on the errant throw, Harper to advance to third and Harper to score on Nick Castellanos’ sacrifice fly.

Turner is 5-for-5 stealing third base this season, 28-for-28 since 2020 and has been caught just three times in 59 career attempts. Goodman should’ve just eaten it.

“I try to be a smart baserunner and not be overly aggressive because I feel like I’ll score on basically any hit,” Turner said. “So a lot of times I just try to pick my spots.”

The Phillies’ offense, top to bottom, has taken advantage of the thin air of Denver, the Rockies’ awful pitching staff and penchant for physical and mental errors. They had 17 hits in each of the first two games and 12 more on Wednesday.

The Phillies are a National League-best 31-18. They’re 18-5 overall and 10-1 on the road dating back to the final weekend of April.

“It feels like everyone’s contributing,” Turner said. “It just feels like everyone’s kinda hot right now, swinging it good. Even the outs feel like good swings.”

Turner has been on fire for a month and now Harper is, too. Turner has multiple hits in 13 of the last 22 games, batting .371 over that span with 19 runs scored. The power is starting to come, too — Turner has two doubles, two triples and a homer these last two series against the Pirates and Rockies.

Turner said after Wednesday’s win that he made a small mechanical adjustment earlier this week at Coors Field. He was hit by pitches in nearly the same spot of the elbow on April 17 and April 20 and said it caused bad habits because he couldn’t physically do what he’s used to at the plate.

“Made a little adjustment the first day here working in the training room,” he said. “I think when I got hit by that pitch earlier in the season, I think that kinda created bad habits for driving the ball. I’ve been taking my hits and whatnot but the last few days it’s been better about hitting the ball in the air and getting it in the gaps.”

Harper is 15-for-30 (.500) over his last eight games with four doubles, a homer, nine RBI, four walks and just one strikeout. He’s raised his batting average from .232 to .276 and his OPS from .771 to .852 in a week.

But it was a full team effort. J.T. Realmuto, 0-for-10 in the first two games, singled, doubled, homered and drove in four. Castellanos singled and scored twice. By the fifth inning, 10 different Phillies had already reached base.

“I think it’s important when you’re winning games consistently, it’s usually a different guy every night,” manager Rob Thomson said. “You’ve got one or two guys that are on a heater but then it’s different guys contributing every night and that’s what we’re getting right now.”

Taijuan Walker allowed single runs in the first and second innings in his return to the rotation but went mostly into shutdown mode after the Phillies went ahead in the third, recording the next six outs on just 17 pitches.

Walker is starting in the spot usually occupied by Aaron Nola, who is on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain. Walker will have at least one more start. Nola long-tossed Wednesday at Coors Field but hasn’t yet thrown off a mound since being placed on the IL last Friday. The Phillies hope to have him throw a bullpen session this weekend in Sacramento, and manager Rob Thomson said that Nola wouldn’t need a traditional ramp-up process if he misses only a couple of cycles through the rotation.

Walker allowed three runs over five innings and has a 2.97 ERA in seven starts.

“Bouncing back and forth is tough. He did a great job tonight,” Thomson said.

“He’s been huge. He’s given us good starts, his ERA is under 3.00. He’s given us some length at times and did a great job out of the bullpen, too. He’s a huge factor on this club, he really is.”

The Phillies used Tanner Banks, Joe Ross and Carlos Hernandez after Walker. They’ve not only won all three games so far in Colorado, they’ve done so without using their top three relievers, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering.

The Phillies go for their second straight sweep on Thursday afternoon with Ranger Suarez (2-0, 5.09 ERA) opposing veteran right-hander German Marquez (1-6, 8.78).

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What Could The Islanders Gain From Brendan Shanahan If He And The Maple Leafs Part Ways?

As reality settles in for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the future of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is looking murkier and murkier. 

Shanahan’s contract with Toronto is set to expire at the end of June, and Sportsnet reported the New York Islanders received permission to speak with Shanahan about their front office vacancies.

Barring some last-minute change of approach, it seems almost certain now that Shanahan’s time with the Maple Leafs is nearing an end. While reporting by The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner indicates that former NHL players and executives Marc Bergevin and Mathieu Darche are the front-runners for the Islanders’ GM job, the possibility of Shanahan joining the Isles as their president is far from a long shot.

Maybe a fresh start somewhere like Long Island will be good for Shanahan. He’s worked in the greater New York City area as a player and an NHL executive. With a driven and determined Islanders ownership group above him, Shanahan could bring the Isles the type of success that’s eluded them for many years now.

While Bergevin was GM of the Montreal Canadiens before, Darche has been a director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2019-20 and an assistant GM since 2022-23. If the latter gets the job, having Shanahan in the president role could set up Darche to have the most success, guidance and support in what would be his first GM role. Shanahan already has some experience and lessons learned from when Kyle Dubas was a GM for the first time for the Leafs.

The Islanders’ job is certainly more attractive with having the first-overall pick, which is similar to when the Maple Leafs had pick No. 1 in 2016. If Shanahan joins the team as the president, he can set a clear direction forward with their top selection and get a second shot at perfecting the ‘Shanaplan.’

With a projected $28.3 million in cap space next season and only 14 of 23 roster players under contract, the Islanders can start to build a new core this off-season. A good chunk of that space will likely go to RFA Noah Dobson, but whether it’s in free agency or making a big trade, the team can really start to commit to contending in the playoffs instead of being stuck in the mushy middle.

REPORT: Toronto Maple Leafs Grant New York Islanders Permission To Speak To Team President Brendan ShanahanREPORT: Toronto Maple Leafs Grant New York Islanders Permission To Speak To Team President Brendan ShanahanThe New York Islanders have been given permission to speak with Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, per Elliotte Friedman: 

It’s also possible that, if Shanahan does leave the Leafs, current assistant GM Brandon Pridham becomes Buds GM, with current GM Brad Treliving getting bumped upstairs into a president of hockey operations role, along the lines of what the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals have done in recent years with their GM and assistant GM. But one thing seems clear – the Maple Leafs’ flame-out in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will significantly impact the entire Leafs organization.

Indeed, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment head honcho Keith Pelley has been on the job overseeing the Leafs for a year now, and the team’s constant failure to get to the Eastern Conference final means the status quo won’t be a viable option.

Now, if Shanahan meets with Pelley in the next handful of days and somehow finalizes an extension, there will be no shortage of critics complaining the Leafs are going to run it back with the same group of hockey minds. It’s hard to argue with those critics. Shanahan has now had three different GMs trying to get the job done – Dubas, Lou Lamoriello and Treliving – and nothing has worked.

While Shanahan’s done many things right – including retiring the numbers of Leafs legends and getting Toronto into the post-season for nine straight years – Shanahan hasn’t been able to succeed in the most important department, and that’s playoff wins. The NHL is a results-oriented business, after all.

Brendan Shanahan (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

We’ll know soon enough whether Shanahan parts ways with Toronto, but there isn’t an indication that a contract extension for him is coming. He gave it his best shot, and he has some things to be proud of in terms of where Toronto was at the beginning of his time running things versus where the Leafs are today.

While there hasn’t been enough success with the Maple Leafs, there’s a lot of experience to learn from and improve on if Shanahan joins the Islanders or another squad. And getting the chance to start fresh with the Islanders in a competitive Metropolitan Division is an exciting opportunity if that’s Shanahan’s next chapter.

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Mets' Carlos Mendoza likely sticking with lineup shuffle beyond Wednesday: 'I’d like to take a look at it'

On the heels of getting shut out against the Boston Red Sox and scoring just 10 runs in their last seven games, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shuffled his lineup for Wednesday's series finale, facing a tough lefty on the mound in Garrett Crochet.

Francisco Lindor is still batting leadoff, but Juan Soto and Pete Alonso were both dropped one spot in the order and are hitting third and fourth, respectively. Starling Marte will hit second against the left-hander.

And while Mendoza is not a guy that likes to overreact, evidenced by his unwavering belief all season that his offense will pick up because of the quality of hitters in the lineup, he wanted to try something different and "shuffle some things around."

"I just felt today was a day to move some people around, especially the guys at the top," Mendoza said. "Facing a lefty, I knew I was gonna go Soto third and Pete fourth. Looking for a right-handed bat to hit in that two-hole, and it came down to Mark [Vientos] or Marte, and I decided to go with Marte today. That’s why he’s here, especially against a left-handed pitcher."

Because the skipper likes consistency, it's likely this new lineup configuration will be more than just a one-time thing against a good left-hander.

"Ideally, I’d like to take a look at it," Mendoza said. "But it depends on teams we’re facing, how their bullpen is set up, whether I wanna go a lefty in the two hole and then you take your chances left, left second and third. Or do you want to insert a righty there? It depends on who we’re facing, but we’ll see. There’s a good chance I’ll keep those guys three and four and then we’ll go from there."

For what it's worth, Alonso has the most experience hitting cleanup in his career. In 509 games hitting fourth (more than double the next closest spot), the first baseman is slashing .248/.336/.515 with 137 home runs.

Perhaps a move to his most-used spot in the order can also help Alonso snap out of a recent cold streak after such a prolonged hot start.

As for Soto, while he has vast experience hitting two through four in the lineup, he has the most plate appearances hitting second. However, not far behind for the 26-year-old is the three-hole where he actually has better numbers (.986 OPS compared to .881 OPS in the two hole).

Nevertheless, Wednesday will be the first time Soto hits in the three-spot since 2023 because he spent all of last season hitting in front of No. 3 hitter Aaron Judge with the Yankees.

"It also makes my decision a lot easier when I go up to someone like Pete Alonso and kind of like 'hey man, this is what I'm thinking' and he's like 'I'm all up for it'," Mendoza said. "'Soto, this is what I'm thinking,' and he's like 'whatever you need, skip'. It makes my job a lot easier when I'm making these decisions."

Asked whether he thinks this lineup change can catch lightning in a bottle and reverse the Mets' offensive misfortunes -- similar to the Lindor lineup change of 2024 -- Mendoza is hopeful, but he knows it's up to the players, no matter where they hit, to execute.

"It comes down to them executing," the skipper said. "They’re too good of a player… at the end of the year the numbers are gonna be there, regardless of where they’re hitting, but I just felt like switching it up a little bit here might help the whole team and we’ll see and go from there."

As for the rest of the lineup, Vientos, Luis Torrens, Tyrone Taylor, Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty are batting five through nine.

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Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially named NBA MVP, his first win

This year's NBA MVP announcement was put on hold while the players who everyone knew would finish one-two in the voting — Denver's Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — went head-to-head in an epic playoff series. With that series in the rearview mirror and the Thunder moving on, the league is announcing the winner on Wednesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP, getting 71 of the 100 first-place votes. This is Gilgeous-Alexander's first MVP award.

Jokic got 29 first-place votes and 71 second place votes — only he and Gilgeous-Alexander got top-two votes from the global panel of 100 media members who voted. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo came in third and had 80 third-place votes, while Boston's Jayson Tatum was fourth and got 84 fourth-place votes. Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell finished fifth with 60 fifth place votes. Other players to get votes included LeBron James, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry, among others.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game and was the offensive engine of a 68-win Thunder team. He also averaged 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds a game this season.

Jokic's backers in the MVP race point to the legitimate argument of him averaging a triple-double this season of 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists a game. However, the argument that he drove winning more than Gilgeous-Alexander fell flat with enough voters for two key reasons: 1) SGA is a much better defender and that is a key to winning, especially with this Thunder team; 2) To say Jokic had to do more because he had a lesser team around him is to punish Gilgeous-Alexander because his GM, Sam Presti, did a better job of roster construction than Denver’s now-fired GM Calvin Booth. It's not on the player what teammates he has around him, it's how he leads and interacts with them, and both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic were brilliant on that front.

Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the 11th player in NBA history to lead the NBA in scoring and be on a 60+ win team — and with SGA, 10 of them won MVP. (The one that didn't was Michael Jordan in the 1996-97 season when voters gave it to Karl Malone, a case now synonymous with voter fatigue.)

Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible to sign a four-year $293 million extension with the Thunder this offseason, but he likely waits a year because with this MVP award he becomes eligible to sign a five-year $380 million super-max extension in the summer of 2026.

Gilgeous-Alexander, born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, continues the trend of foreign-born MVPs. This is the seventh year in a row a player born outside the United States has won the award (the last American to do it was James Harden in 2018).

SGA is the third Thunder player to win MVP, joining Kevin Durant (2014) and Russell Westbrook (2017). The Thunder drafted MVPs in three straight years with Durant, Westbrook and Harden (who won his with Houston).

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Which Players Led The Vancouver Canucks In Wins Above Replacement During The 2024-25 Season

There are many different ways to evaluate a player's impact on their NHL team. One could look at basic stats like points, shots, and wins, while others elect to use analytics like expected goals, high-danger chances created, and PDO. Ultimately, thanks to the amount of data being collected, fans now have a greater understanding of how the game is played and what on-ice strategies work best. 

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One metric that has been created to understand a players value is WAR or Wins Above Replacement. This metric attempts to determine how many additional wins a team will get with a specific player in the lineup compared to replacement-level player at his same position. While WAR is mostly used in baseball, it has started making it's way to hockey, with some sites already creating a formula that works for the NHL. 

Mar 18, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Brock Boeser (6) and forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) celebrate Boeser’s goal against the Winnipeg Jets n the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images  

Mar 18, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Brock Boeser (6) and forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) celebrate Boeser’s goal against the Winnipeg Jets n the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Evolving-Hockey is one of the few sites that records WAR for NHL teams. The site also provides a goals above replacement metric and Standing Points Above Replacement. Using their data, here is a look at which players led the Vancouver Canucks In WAR during the 2024-25 season. 

Forwards

Elias Pettersson: 2 (Tied 55th among forwards)
Pius Suter: 1.6 (Tied 86th among forwards)
Conor Garland: 1.5 (Tied 94th among forwards)
Kiefer Sherwood: 1.5 (Tied 94th among forwards)
Nils Höglander: 1.4 (Tied 106th among forwards)
Jake DeBrusk: 1.2 (Tied 114th among forwards)

Defensemen

Quinn Hughes: 2.8 (6th among defensemen)
Marcus Pettersson: 1.6 (Tied for 31st among defensemen)
Filip Hronek: 1 (Tied for 75th among defensemen)
Derek Forbort: 0.4 (Tied for 135th among defensemen)
Tyler Myers: 0.2 (Tied for 158th among defensemen)

Goaltenders 

Kevin Lankinen: 2.4 (22nd among goaltenders)
Thatcher Demko: 0.9 (41st among goaltenders)

To simplify, the low numbers, especially among the forward group give a clear picture as to why the Canucks missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals all have multiple players in the top 50, while Vancouver's top player was Pettersson, who ranked tied for 55th. If Vancouver has a bounce-back season next year, they will likely have multiple forwards in the top 50, as they did in 2023-24. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

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