ATLANTA, GA - JULY 02: A general view of the Los Angeles Angels baseball cap sits in the dugout during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Atlanta Braves on July 02, 2025 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The first of three games at Angel Stadium. I figured it would be Angels Stadium.
I was there a number of years ago and really enjoyed the park (which means we must have won). One of the games we sat in an area where they had waiters to bring us food and drink so we didn’t have to get up at all. I think I only got popcorn and a beer but not much more (if I remember right).
And late night games you could see the fireworks from Disneyland, which was fun.
I’m not a fan of American beers, though I’m sure they have some good craft beers. At Angel Stadium, I didn’t know any of the beers, and asked what I should get, she said ‘this one is popular’. So I got it, it is the only time in my lift that I’ve poured out a beer. It was undrinkable.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 20: Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Rhys Hoskins (8) singles to drive in a run during the first inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians on April 20, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The less said about this one, the better. Astros 9, Guardians 2.
We appear to have a Slade Cecconi problem. After tonight he has a 6.20 ERA. But, not to fret… it’s only a 5.97 FIP. I attempted a hot take of saying that Cecconi would be the rotation’s second-best pitcher when I thought he was probably their fourth-best. It turns out that saying he would be fourth-best should have been my hot take. His velocity was back tonight, but the pitch mix seemed suspect with way too many four-seamers early in counts.
Slade has to find a way to get some whiffs and avoid more barrels or he’ll be ticketed to the pen as soon as Will Dion, Matt Wilkinson or Khal Stephen show they are ready. Does it help that I think Slade would probably be very good for one inning at a time out of the pen? No? Well… I tried.
Which is more than I can say for most of the Guardians tonight. Jose Ramirez had a walk and a double, but also an error and a called K where he looked unnaturally confused. Hoskins had two hits, a walk and an RBI and George Valera had an RBI hit, also. DeLauter continues to slump, with two pop-ups and a walk. Kwan’s OPS is .580 and should be replaced as leadoff hitter by .847 OPS-Rocchio who had three hits and a walk. Juan Brito made a nice basket catch but continues to chase and (weakly) hit too many bad pitches.
Matt Festa, Tim Herrin and Connor Brogdon pitched tonight, but not particularly well. Isaac Parades and Christian Walker seemed determine to show the Guardians that they should have traded for one of them when the Astros were trying to give Walker away. But, joke’s on you guys! We kept Kyle “I Have No Idea Why I Am Striking Out Almost Forty Percent of the Time” Manzardo. (Just kidding, Kyle! I love you. Just please, please, WAKE UP!)
Good news is that the Tigers lost and we get to see the Guardians play another game tomorrow. Parker Messick is on his hill and all’s right with the world.
Hate losing to the Asfros, though. Bleah. Get well soon, Ben Lively
Goalie interference has been a source of frustration for many NHL teams, coaches, and general managers. But, according to Bettman, they're getting more right than ever before.
"You know, when it was first instituted, we had warned the coaches and managers that this isn't going to be crystal-clear in every situation," Bettman said. "It will be, sort of, a judgment. Whatever your view of the process is, I guarantee you it's much better in terms of getting it right than if we didn't have video replay. There's no question. But the only difference (is) it was originally designed for the most simple case: Somebody skates by the goaltender and hits his glove, but the officials on the ice don't see it. That would be something that's clear-cut when you pick it up in video.
"I think (NHL director of hockey operations) Colin Campbell and his people have done a great job with more and more cameras in the net (behind) the crossbar and overhead. We're going to get it right overwhelmingly. And we'll get a few calls where people will debate them. Depending on your interest in the game, you may have a different view."
In addition, Bettman reiterated that it is on the coaches to make the right call when it comes to challenges and only contest calls that are blatantly obvious to overturn. He said that this was a point of discussion when meeting with NHL GMs last summer.
"I think the issue comes when people hope that a goal will either be confirmed or overturned," Bettman said. "In final analysis, you shouldn't be challenging unless the call is clearly and conclusively wrong one way or the other. And sometimes, strategically, you'll make the call to support your goaltender. Sometimes, you hope you'll get result you want. But, no, goaltender interference - and we've had a few video calls over the weekend, and they were all bang-on.
"Sometimes, the situation room has a view that isn't shown in real-time, or, sometimes, not at all, and we have to tweet it out. But the situation room does a good job. We went through an exercise a year ago with the general managers, and I think we showed 54 examples of what were, quote, 'controversial' coach's challenges. And the general managers, as a group, I think on like 48 or 50 of them, agreed that the right call had been made overwhelmingly, and the three or four where there was some disagreement, the room was pretty split.
"So, the rule of thumb should be that unless it's conclusively wrong, you shouldn't be challenging it."
Bettman doubled down when asked whether or not there was any discussion about a deviation or shift in interpretation of the rule.
"Listen... When you have a rooting interest or you are, in the moment, very passionate or frustrated, you may challenge a call," Bettman said. "But, in the final analysis, overwhelmingly, they get it right... and this final analysis, it's a judgment call. You know, offsides - other than when it comes to control of the puck - but offsides in terms of where the skate is is a whole lot easier to do because it's more black and white. It's a fine line.
"Goaltender interference is, again, a judgment call, which is why you go with the call on the ice unless it's conclusively wrong."
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 19: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits the ball during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on April 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael McGreevy did not have his best stuff Monday night and the Miami Marlins took advantage of his mistakes beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3, but Jordan Walker did extend his hitting streak to 15 games.
Monday night’s game began as a pitcher’s duel. The Cardinals missed a golden opportunity to score in the top of the 1st inning after JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera were both hit by pitches, but Alec Burleson grounded out, Jordan Walker struck out and Nolan Gorman grounded out stranding both of them. There was no score until the top of the 4th inning when Jordan Walker hit a sharp single up the middle, stole second base then advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Max Meyer. Walker scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Masyn Winn making it 1-0 Cardinals.
A walk by Michael McGreevy in the bottom of the 4th inning came back to haunt him. He walked Kyle Stowers with one out. Stowers advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and then scored on a ground rule double by Xavier Edwards tying the game 1-1. The Marlins would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 5th inning when Agustin Ramirez crushed a home run to deep left center.
The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the 6th inning when Jordan Walker walked. After Nolan Gorman flied out, Walker advanced to third base when Masyn Winn singled. He scored on a wild pitch by Calvin Faucher who had just entered the game in relief of Meyer. Meyer had 8 strikeouts over his 5 1/3 innings with 2 walks and 2 earned runs.
The Marlins would regain the lead in the bottom of the 6th inning when Stowers singled and scored after Lopez doubled. McGreevy would give up a walk to Edwards. Hicks then singled which scored Lopez, but Edwards was thrown out at home by an excellent cutoff throw by Masyn Winn giving the Marlins a 4-2 lead. Matt Svanson got the last out of the bottom of the 6th inning. Michael McGreevy completed 5 2/3 innings allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts and 4 earned runs.
Miami would add an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th when Lopez and Edwards were walked by relief pitcher Ryan Fernandez. Liam Hicks then singled which scored Lopez making it 5-2 Marlins, but Jordan Walker fired a cannon to third base to nail Edwards.
The Cardinals tried to mount another 9th inning comeback as Masyn Winn hit the first triple of the season for St. Louis and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ramón Urías making it 5-3 Marlins, but that was all they could muster after Saggese and Fermin struck out.
The Cardinals will send Dustin May to the mound for the 2nd game against Miami Tuesday night as Chris Paddack will start the game for the Marlins. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Backup Mouhamed Gueye bruised his right hip early in Game 2 of the playoffs Monday night, but was able to return to the game late in the first half for an Atlanta Hawks team in need of healthy big bodies against the New York Knicks.
Gueye had just come into the game in the first quarter and tried to throw down a dunk to finish a fast break. He came up short and then landed hard behind the baseline, where he remained as play continued until the Hawks called timeout. Gueye was eventually helped up and went directly toward the locker room.
The Hawks announced in the second quarter that the native of Senegal was questionable to return. He came back into the game with 1:03 remaining in the half after starter Onyeka Okongwu picked up his third foul.
The Hawks were already playing without center Jock Landale because of a sprained right ankle, and Okongwu was questionable coming into the day with right knee inflammation before being cleared to play after Atlanta's morning workout.
Atlanta eventually gave Tony Bradley, who was added to the roster late in the season, his first playing time of the series late in the first quarter.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners tags out Nolan Schanuel #18 of the Los Angeles Angels, who was attempting to steal home off of a wild pitch, during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 04, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners will look to make it three in a row as they begin a new series with A’s on Monday.
Emerson Hancock takes the mound for the Mariners. He has a 2.75 FIP and 24.7% K-BB over his first four starts. It’s one of the most remarkable turn arounds in the early going across the majors. If you’re interested in learning more about how Hancock has gone from, frankly, unwatchable to one of the 20 best starters in the majors (small samples be danged), I highly recommend this post from Michael Rosen at FanGraphs. Hancock appears to be a rare example of a pitcher who fundamentally changed the way they throw, and its worked
The big news in Mariners-land Monday is less happy: Brendan Donovan will spend at least 10 days on the injured list with a groin strain. Donovan has been dealing with the injury off and on since the earliest days of the season, and he left Friday’s game midway after aggravating the injury.
Minor league journeyman Will Wilson was called up in his place but is not in the lineup tonight. Leo Rivas will continue to hold down third place for the Mariners in the near term.
The Mariners will face sinker-slider-groundballer J.T. Ginn. For more on Ginn and the A’s, Jake Mailhot has you covered in our series preview.
Lineups
Game Info
First pitch: 6:40 PDT TV: Mariners.TV Radio: Old Reliable
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 8: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round 2 Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
History was made in the NBA on Monday, when it was announced that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama had been named the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner in league history. Golden State Warriors fans, of course, know a thing or two about unanimous award winners, as Steph Curry became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history in 2015-16.
They also know a thing or two about the Defensive Player of the Year award, as Draymond Green hoisted the trophy following the 2016-17 season, and has four other top-three finishes.
Green’s days of winning that award are behind him, but he’s still collecting some recognition from voters. The announcement of Wemby as the winner was accompanied by the full voting results, and Green collected one point, the result of a third-place vote on one person’s ballot. That put him in a tie for 11th place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, alongside Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
The top 10 is, in order: Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson, Rudy Gobert, Scottie Barnes, Derrick White, Cason Wallace, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels, and OG Anunoby. Voting for Defensive Player of the Year is handled by 100 media members who each get to add three names to a ballot.
For Green, this is his 10th time earning vote shares for the award, but he’s hoping that something bigger is around the bend. The future Hall of Famer has been open about his desire to make the All-Defense team this year. If that wish comes true, Green will become just the sixth player in NBA history to make 10 All-Defense teams, joining Tim Duncan (15), Kevin Garnett (12), Kobe Bryant (12), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11), and Scottie Pippen (10). He’s one of eight players stuck on nine All-Defense selections, but the other seven are all retired: Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Chris Paul, Bobby Jones, Dennis Johnson, Jason Kidd, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
With or without that, a share of Defensive Player of the Year voting — even if it’s just one third-place vote — is an impressive achievement, especially for someone in their 14th NBA season. And it’s just another accolade in a career full of them.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics celebrates hitting a two-run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Sutter Health Park on April 15, 2026 in Sacramento, California. All players are wearing the #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Road trip! The A’s have departed Sacramento to head north to Seattle, getting ready to take on the division-rival Mariners for a mid-week three-game set. The A’s at 11-11 are tied for the AL West lead so a win tonight would be huge since Texas is off today. A win this evening and the Athletics will be back in sole possession of the division. Early but exciting!
On the mound for the Green & Gold tonight will be J.T. Ginn. The right-hander is on a bit of a roll coming into tonight, putting together two quality starts since taking the rotation spot of Luis Morales. The 26-year-old is taking advantage of this opportunity and he’ll be aiming to keep it up tonight against the M’s, who entering tonight are in fourth place in the AL West at 10-13. Seattle’s offense hasn’t quite found their groove yet as they have the 24th-ranked OPS by team in the league. A lot of that is due to the struggles of catcher Cal Raleigh but there are still solid hitters in that lineup that Ginn will need to be careful with. This’ll be his first appearance against these guys so he’s got that advantage going for him as well.
The first lineup of the series will see the typical 1-2 atop the lineup with Nick Kurtz leading off followed by Shea Bangeliers. Interestingly Mark Kotsay is putting backup outfielder in the DH spot and hitting third tonight. The DH’ing, that makes sense. But that high in the lineup? Interesting move, though he does have a .372 OBP. Behind him batting cleanup will be Tyler Soderstrom.
The middle of the lineup provides a bit more of a typical top-of-the-order with Jacob Wilson and Jeff McNeil hitting back-to-back. That could provide a bit of a leadoff-esque spark halfway through the batting order. Max Muncy and Lawrence Butler follow, but then we got a surprise at the bottom. Zack Gelof will get the start in center field today as Kotsay wants more offense in there against a tough starter. This’ll be his second game at the position after he handled an inning there in a blowout last week. If he can provide a decent glove up the middle that would be huge for both him and the team, considering Denzel Clarke’s struggles with the bat so far.
That starting nine will be going up against Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock. Once one of the top prospects in the sport, Emerson is living up to that hype early this season. After struggling in the first couple years of his big league career he’s off to a hot start here in 2026, posting a 2.28 ERA over his first four starts. He’s been especially stringy with the free passes issuing only four so far. If the A’s can work some walks against him they’ll need to take advantage of those opportunities.
And here’s Seattle’s lineup for the first game at T-Mobile Park this series:
The A’s are getting a bit lucky tonight as the Mariners placed third baseman Brendan Donovan on the IL prior to tonight’s game. Donovan, one of their bigger additions this past offseason, was out to a strong start for his new team. HIs absence will deprive them of one of their better hitters, which bodes well for the Athletics this series. Hey, we’re missing Rooker too after all.
The rest of the Seattle lineup is full of regulars. Catcher Cal Raleigh is off to a horribly slow start this year but you can’t count on that lasting all year. Julio Rodriguez is another batter that’s off to a slow start. But Seattle has gotten big contributions from Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley so the A’s pitchers have to be a little extra careful with them.
Time to get back in the win column and start a new winning streak. Let’s go A’s!
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves is hit by a pitch in the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuńa, Jr. was removed from tonight’s game prior to the bottom of the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch on the left wrist by Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin. It was the second time in the game Irvin hit Acuńa, Jr.
Acuńa, Jr., who was replaced in right field by Eli White, came in to score on a Drake Baldwin double but was stranded in the on-deck circle after the team batted around in the top of the sixth.
Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder hit Nationals’ shortstop C.J. Abrams in the bottom of the inning, leading both teams to receive a warning.
The pitch that hit Acuńa, Jr. the second time appeared to catch part of a protected guard, but he was shown pointing where the pitch hit him on the wrist after reaching first base.
More details of his status will hopefully be available after the game.
Update: The Atlanta Braves announced that X-rays were negative, thankfully, but he is considered day-to-day.
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. was removed from tonight’s game after being hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 18: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel #91 after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With Alex Call batting second, the Dodgers face José Quintana in Coors Field.
While the 2025–26 NBA regular season standings were finalized after last weekend, as I mentioned a week ago, that didn’t mean the lottery odds were completely set. Since multiple teams in the lottery finished with identical records, the NBA needed to conduct random tiebreakers between those teams to determine who got an extra ball in May 10th’s drawing, potentially getting a better shot at a top-four pick. Or in the case of the Pelicans and Mavericks, who both finished tied for the seventh-worst record in the league, who would have a chance to pick seventh and who wouldn’t. Those tiebreakers happened today.
Why does this matter to the Bucks, who were locked into the 10th position after losing their final game to the Sixers? As you likely know, it’s because New Orleans owned swap rights on Milwaukee’s 2026 first-round pick, traded as part of 2020’s Jrue Holiday deal. Now, the Pels shipped those rights to the Hawks last summer, so they won’t have the chance to switch places with the Bucks in this year’s draft, and the Hawks do. Milwaukee and Atlanta had to be watching this closely because whichever of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s picks ends up earlier on lottery night, Atlanta will own. The lesser of the two goes to the Bucks.
Just after 4 p.m. Central, the league communicated the results of this and other tiebreakers: to Milwaukee’s (and Atlanta’s) benefit, New Orleans won their coin flip with Dallas and garnered the lottery’s seventh-best odds. That pick now has a 29.3% chance of being in the top four as opposed to 28.9%; not a huge jump, but one the Hawks likely loved to see, since if that pick and/or the Bucks’—which has a 13.9% of landing in the top four—jumps up, they’ll receive the best one. But this was good news for the Bucks too, as I’ll explain.
First the bad news: Milwaukee’s chances at moving into the top four aren’t good, and are even worse as a result of the pick swap. By virtue of the swap, they have 0% chance of actually drafting first overall (if they win the lottery, that pick goes to Atlanta by default, and they’d pick wherever New Orleans ends up, which could be as low as 11th) and their chances at 2–4 decreased too. Instead of the listed odds for 10th, seen on the left, here are the Bucks’ actual chances at any of those picks, factoring in the swap:
Pick
Listed
Actual
1
3.0%
0.0%
2
3.3%
0.5%
3
3.6%
1.1%
4
4.0%
2.1%
That’s a huge drop: had they not traded these swap rights back in 2020, they’d have a 13.9% chance of jumping into the top four, with a shot at number one overall. It turns out the likelihood of that happening is 3.7%. For what it’s worth, had the Bucks lost a few more games and finished with the league’s ninth-best record, they’d have only slightly better odds of moving into the top four: 5.3%, still with no chance of getting number one.
Now we come to today’s tiebreaker results, and the modicum of extra lottery luck they garnered for Milwaukee. Since the Pelicans finished seventh, the Bucks did see their chances of moving up improve slightly. While the overwhelming likelihood is that they end up picking 10th, the tiebreaker gave them a small shot at picking eighth, which wouldn’t have been possible if the Pelicans lost the tiebreaker. That’s because the NBA’s lottery odds don’t allow the team that receives the eighth position (which went to Dallas) to receive picks 5–7: they can only rise into the top four or draft between eight and 12.
The seventh position (New Orleans’) has a much better chance of picking eighth (34.1% if tiebreakers aren’t involved) than seventh (19.7%). But because the Bucks’ pick could land in the top four pre-swap, the Pelicans’ pick would thus have a higher likelihood of coming seventh through ninth, since they couldn’t move up to whichever spot the Bucks win. In this scenario, Milwaukee’s pick would go to Atlanta, and New Orleans’ to Milwaukee. While yes, it would stink to not receive that top-four selection, they would technically still be moving up.
In the table below, you’ll see the Bucks’ chances to end up with any given spot in June’s draft on the right, with the swap again factored in. Compare those with their chances had New Orleans lost today’s tiebreaker and received the eighth-best lottery odds, rather than seventh:
Bucks’ pick
Pelicans in 7th
Pelicans in 8th
1
0.0%
0.0%
2
0.5%
0.5%
3
1.1%
1.1%
4
2.1%
2.1%
5
0.0%
0.0%
6
0.0%
0.0%
7
0.0%
0.0%
8
5.4%
0.0%
9
5.6%
7.8%
10
61.7%
64.7%
11
21.5%
21.8%
12
1.7%
1.7%
13
< o.1%
< o.1%
14
< o.1%
< o.1%
Average pick
9.8
9.9
The figures are rounded, but as you can see, their shot at getting a top-four pick didn’t appreciably improve. It’s only half a percent better with the Pelicans in seventh as opposed to eighth. However, we can look at this another way: now the Bucks have a 14.7% chance of moving up from 10th to any spot, as opposed to 11.4% had the Pelicans lost. They also go from a 7.8% chance at ending up with the ninth choice to an 11% chance of receiving eighth or ninth after the swap. Again, if either of those two outcomes occurred, it would mean they ended up in the top four pre-swap and ended up taking New Orleans’ pick while theirs went to Atlanta. Nevertheless, they moved up, so all’s well that ends well?
I’ll be at the lottery on Sunday, May 10th, to see how the ping pong balls actually fall. Like I’ve written before, don’t get your hopes up about drafting second: you have a better chance of dying from accidental poisoning. But until then, Bucks fans can take some solace in a positive lottery outcome, even if it’s a small one.
Victor Wembanyama made a bit of NBA history on Monday, becoming the first ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
The Spurs big man earned all 100 first-place votes from the group of media members tasked with voting for this year’s league awards, beating out Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson.
Wembanyama became the youngest player to win the award since it was first handed out following the 1982-83 season.
It didn’t come as a surprise that Wembanyama was given the Defensive Player of the Year award, considering his impact on that side of the ball for San Antonio during the regular season.
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks the shot of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Wembanyama averaged a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game in 64 games and opposing teams shot 40.7 percent from the field against the 7-foot-4 Spurs star.
He also had 66 steals and had the NBA’s second-best defensive rating at 110.4.
“Everything that [he’s] achieved so far has been earned and never given,” teammate Keldon Johnson said, per ESPN. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He takes his craft very seriously and I feel like this is just a small token of what’s to come for Victor. He’s a special player on the court and an even more special person off the court.”
Wembanyama is the first Spurs player to win Defensive Player of the Year since Kawhi Leonard won the honors in back-to-back seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs celebrates after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
Wembanyama is also a finalist for the MVP award, along with fellow finalists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
The Spurs are in the middle of a first-round playoff series with the Trail Blazers and are holding a 1-0 series lead after defeating Portland 111-98 in Game 1.
Game 2 is slated to take place on Tuesday in San Antonio.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Dallas Mavericks win the 1st overall pick during the 2025 Draft Lottery on May 12, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t end up here by accident. This wasn’t just bad luck or one bad stretch. This was a season defined by hesitation. They didn’t fully commit to competing, but they also didn’t fully commit to losing until it was too late. The result was a middle ground that, in the NBA, is the worst place you can be. Dallas picked up just enough late-season wins to avoid the very bottom of the standings, but not enough to matter in the playoff picture. That’s how you end up tied with New Orleans at 26-56, not bad enough to lock in stronger odds, but not good enough to control your own fate.
And that’s where this whole “coin flip” situation comes in.
Except it’s not actually a coin flip.
The NBA doesn’t literally flip a coin. Instead, random drawings conducted by the league and Ernst & Young in Secaucus, New Jersey, are used to break ties in the standings for lottery positioning. It’s still pure luck, just with ping-pong balls instead of heads or tails. The outcome serves the same purpose. It determines who gets the better odds and who gets pushed into the more dangerous range. It’s just dressed up in a more official process.
And for Dallas, that drawing didn’t go their way.
The Mavericks officially lost the tiebreaker with New Orleans, which means they enter the lottery with the 8th-best odds instead of 7th. On paper, the difference between those two spots looks small. The odds of landing the No. 1 pick barely change. The top-four odds dip slightly, but nothing drastic. If you’re only looking at the upside, it doesn’t feel like a big deal.
But that’s not where the real impact is.
The real impact is the floor.
Looking at the odds chart, this is exactly where things start to shift. At 7, you’re relatively protected from a major drop. At 8, you’re not. The probability of falling into the 9–11 range increases significantly, especially with the lottery format allowing teams behind you to jump into the top four. That’s the part that changes everything. It’s not just about missing out on moving up. It’s about being far more vulnerable to sliding back.
And that’s why this outcome matters so much.
Odds are what they are but anyone that tells you it doesn’t matter probably isn’t very good at math pic.twitter.com/XrTYHSWlRA
Because the Mavericks have already seen how something this small can change everything.
Last year, they were in this exact position, tied in the standings and needing a tiebreaker. They won that drawing against Chicago, secured the slightly better odds, and that marginal advantage turned into the biggest moment in franchise history. They jumped in the lottery and landed Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall, completely altering the direction of the team.
That’s the margin. That’s how thin it is.
This time, they’re on the wrong side of it.
And it makes the way they got here even more frustrating. Because this wasn’t unavoidable. Dallas had chances to fully lean into the tank earlier in the season, to secure a better slot cleanly, and they didn’t. They hovered in that in-between space, picked up a few extra wins late, and ultimately left something this important up to randomness.
Now, the path forward is still there, but it’s way more difficult to land on the best path forward, and way easier to land on a lesser path forward.
Dallas can still jump. They still have a chance at the top four. But they’re now more exposed than they would have been just one spot higher. In a draft that is critical to building around Cooper Flagg, that difference matters.
And that’s the brutal reality of all of this.
An entire season, all the decisions, all the losses, all the frustration… and the Mavericks still could find a way to have the eight best odds at the number 1 pick and could lose out on one of the better players in this draft by falling.
Munetaka Murakami (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Which team is projected as better? On 20 April, FanGraphs projected the Diamondbacks to win more games (82 vs 68). Only the Rockies were projected to win less games than the White Sox.
The Diamondbacks are better in four top-level comparisons.
Offense. This season through 17 April, the Diamondbacks averaged one more run scored per game (4.45 vs 3.45).
Defense. The Diamondbacks are better by a wide margin (Outs above average, OAA +2 vs negative 5, Defensive Runs Saved, DRS +14 vs negative 7).
Bullpen. This season through 19 April, shutdown performances by the Diamondbacks bullpen were more than double the White Sox bullpen (33 vs 16).
Starting Pitcher Matchups. The Diamondbacks have an overall edge: first game is clear advantage D-backs (Kelly vs Burke), second game is slight edge D-backs (Rodriguez vs Kay), and third game is equal (Soroka vs Martin).
White Sox Player to Watch.
Munetaka Murakami is a player worth watching.
Power Batter. He hit 7 home runs in his first 21 MLB games, which was 2 more than Ohtani hit in his first 21 MLB games as a batter. In the most recent six games through 18 April, Murakami hit 1.325 OPS with 7 RBIs.
First Baseman. He played 8 seasons in Japan before this season. He is a rookie in MLB. In Japan, he started his career primarily at first base until 2021 when he became primarily a third baseman. This season, in spring training and the regular season he played at first base.
White Sox. He was asked why the White Sox. Per his translator, this is what he said:
“I feel there are a lot of exciting young players here. Just as I played when my career panned out in Japan, I went to a team that was very young and we got to the promised land of winning a championship there. And I kind of feel something similar here. And I feel like I’m destined to be here.” — Munetaka Murakami, January 2026
The batting lineup of the White Sox has 6 of 9 players 25.0 years old or younger. Munetaka is 26.2 years old.
Pitching Matchups.
Tuesday,6:40 PM MST.
Merrill Kelly. This will be his second start of the season. That appearance was a confidence builder that his injury is behind him. This game, he will likely pitch even better!
Sean Burke. Burke is arguably an average pitcher (ERA+ of 99). On the other hand, ignoring his latest start (4 earned run in 5.1 innings), this season his strikeouts outnumber walks (15 vs 3), and he allowed zero homers. So, it’s possible that he may challenge Diamondbacks batters. They are up to the challenge.
This matchup of starting pitchers is clear advantage Diamondbacks.
Wednesday, 6:40 PM MST.
Eduardo Rodriguez. In his first four games, his 1.96 ERA is comparable to June of 2025, when his ERA was 1.98. This season his ERA+ of 211 is a career best.
Anthony Kay. In 2024 and 2025, he pitched in Japan. This season his ERA+ of 169 is a career best.
This matchup of starting pitchers is slight edge Diamondbacks.
Thursday, 6:40 PM MST.
Michael Soroka. His last start was a quality start (2 earned runs in 7 innings). This season, he started 4 games, and was credited with 4 wins. Unexpectedly, he emerged as a solid part of the rotation.
“I think I’m better than I’ve ever been. I mean, everybody goes through some sort of injuries at some point in their career, or struggles with performance. And I think for myself, it has always been there. I’ve always been able to kind of show that ability and give teams a reason to believe in me, and I’m very thankful that I’m with an organization that does as much as anybody. So, it’s easy to go out there and want to prove them right.” — Michael Soroka, April 2026
Davis Martin. This season, 3 of his 4 starts were quality starts. He is the ace of the White Sox rotation.
PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 10: Brian Gregory introduces Jordan Ott as head coach of the Phoenix Suns during a press conference on June 10, 2025, at the Verizon 5G Performance Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The tiebreakers are out of the way, and the Phoenix Suns hold one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
They are set to make the 47th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brian Gregory and company had one of the most active draft nights in recent memory last year. What’s in store for this one?
Pick number 16 (owed to Memphis Grizzlies via Orlando from Phoenix)
Pick no. 47 (from Philadelphia 76ers via Houston and Oklahoma City)
Pick no. 48 (owed to Dallas Mavericks)
Entering the 2026 NBA Draft, Phoenix’s only pick is the 47th overall pick. It would not be surprising to see them attempt to trade up for an NBA-ready talent that they like, especially with the new format, as we saw them target Rasheer Fleming, who fell to the 2nd round. They also targeted Brea in another deal, so expect them to be aggressive if any of their “guys” are there.
Phoenix’s last two drafts have landed them quality talents in the 2nd round in Oso Ighodaro (4oth pick), Rasheer Fleming (31st pick), and Koby Brea (41st pick).
