May 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren (29) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
May has been a hit-or-miss month for the Yankees, and so has this series. They dominated the Athletics on Friday, only to lose behind a trio of homers last night. With Will Warren on the hill, they stand the chance today to win a game, win a key series, and hopefully put the messiness of the last 30 days behind them.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old Warren has taken a step forward so far this year, with a solid 3.55 ERA and very impressive 3.27 FIP, built upon significant cuts to his walk and home run rate. The strikeouts are still there, to be sure, but Warren’s progress has been buoyed by him making fewer mistakes. Warren is for now the No. 5 starter in the rotation, but he’s top 40 by ERA and 27th in all of baseball. If that’s the way the supposed weakest link in your rotation is going, you’re eating pretty good. For what it’s worth, Warren had his career-best outing by Game Score last May in this very ballpark, dominating the A’s with 7.1 innings of four-hit, one-run ball with seven strikeouts.
Jacob Lopez goes for “Sacremento,” and he is exactly the kind of pitcher the Yankees should feast on. He gives up 2+ HR/9 while walking 13.5 percent of batters faced, while seeing a BABIP that’s not quite league average but isn’t far off. He’s not a victim of bad luck — he struggles to find the strike zone and when he does its hittable. That should appeal greatly to a team trained to attack mistakes and let border pitches go, but then again we’ve seen more than one 5+ ERA hurler toss blanks against this team in previous seasons.
We have a couple changes to the ordinary lineup today, with José Caballero batting fifth (and I triple-checked) and manning the hot corner, while Max Schuemann gets the start at second while he’ll hit eighth. Paul Goldschmidt is once again penciled in for a start, leading us off in front of the familiar Ben Rice-Aaron Judge-Cody Bellinger trio.
Yes, we have one more afternoon start to endure.
How to watch:
Location: Sutter Health Park — West Sacramento, CA
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 21: A general view of the Seattle skyline, Seattle Space Needle, the exterior of T-Mobile Park, home of the Major League Baseball Seattle Mariners and Lumen Field, home of the National Football League Seattle Seahawks, with Mount Rainier in the background on October 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
MARINERS
Ketel Marte – DH
J.P. Crawford – SS
Corbin Carroll – RF
Julio Rodriguez – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Josh Naylor – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Randy Arozarena – LF
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Luke Raley – RF
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Cole Young – 2B
Jose Fernandez – 1B
Dominic Canzone – DH
Aramis Garcia – C
Jhonny Pereda – C
Tim Tawa – LF
Colt Emerson – 3B
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Luis Castillo – RHP
This has definitely been a season which, so far, has shown spending big is no guarantee of success. If you look at the top 10 teams by cash payroll, half of them – the Mets, Phillies, Blue Jays, Astros and Giants – would not be in the playoffs, if the season ended today. All but the Phillies are below .500. Conversely, the last-placed by payroll Guardians are leading their division, while Tampa and Milwaukee are other teams on top of their division, while in the bottom half by payroll. Of course, it’s still relatively early. But we’ve seen before how, well before the one-third point, the standings become a pretty reliable guide to the post-season.
While the D-backs stand lower in total payroll, the harsh fact is that the team’s spending has not been very productive so far either. If we look at their top contracts this year (and excluding Nolan Arenado, since the Cardinals are responsible for the vast bulk of what he’s getting paid), here’s what we find.
Corbin Burnes, $31.7 million, zero appearances
Eduardo Rodriguez, $21 million, 2.3 bWAR
Merrill Kelly, $20 million, 0.0 bWAR
Zac Gallen, $16.2 million, -0.5 bWAR
Ketel Marte, $15 million, 1.2 bWAR
Lourdes Gurriel, $13 million, -0.3 bWAR, currently injured
That’s a total of almost $117 million being paid to these six players this year, for a total of 2.7 bWAR thus far. Only two are living up to their contracts this season, and E-Rod is probably still in the red overall, after getting paid $34 million in 2024-25 for half a win. Now, the math may change when Burnes returns, but he’ll also be starting in an overdraft situation, after missing most of last season. I’m trying to think of the last multi-season contract Arizona gave a free agent player, that turned out to be worth the money. It’s certainly been a while. I’m increasingly inclined to feel player development is perhaps more important than big-ticket free-agents.
And we welcome PhoenixSportsFan to the site, for his first guest recap of 2026! May it be a sweep-avoiding one…
As we recap the individual best performances from Golden State Warriors from this past season, there’s a lot of heartbreak to parse through. The week before February 5 had been genuinely ugly for the Golden State Warriors. Jimmy Butler had the horrific ACL injury. Then the emotional whirlwind of a trade deadline as the team shipped out Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, two players the locker room genuinely spoke well of and cared for. Stephen Curry was watching from the bench in street clothes again. Head Coach Steve Kerr was so disgusted by how his team played against Philadelphia two days earlier that he promised changes in Phoenix, and the emotional weight of everything sitting on that roster was real and visible.
Then Pat Spencer walked into Mortgage Matchup Center and decided this was a good night to have the best game of his career.
Spencer scored a career-high 20 points on six threes, added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and provided the kind of high-velocity offensive juice that Golden State had been missing since Curry went down. He was doing it at a moment when his two-way contract was about to become a standard NBA deal, a promotion he had earned through the kind of steady, unspectacular professionalism that doesn’t always get its flowers.
Spencer was genuinely having fun out there, shooting with the looseness of a man who understood exactly what this night meant and refused to let the weight of the week land on him. The enthusiasm was real; the gratitude was visible. And six threes into the fourth quarter, the building knew it too.
He gobbled up every minute Kerr gave him, knocked down open threes with the confidence of a guy who had been waiting for this night to arrive, and gave a crowd in Phoenix something to watch that it had no particular reason to care about. That kind of performance is contagious in a way that’s hard to quantify, and the Warriors needed someone to play loose and free and unafraid on a night when the entire roster had every reason to feel heavy.
The Warriors were down 14 in the fourth quarter and came back to win 101-97 on a 25-7 run to close it, with De’Anthony Melton tying the game and Gui Santos hitting the go-ahead layup in the final minute. Kerr said afterward it felt like they had won a championship, which sounds like hyperbole until you understand what the previous ten days had actually felt like inside that organization. Spencer’s own postgame framing captured the week honestly. He acknowledged the human cost of what the trade deadline does to people, noted that most fans forget the human aspect of those decisions, and then said simply that you have a game to play and you have to find your head space and compete.
Spencer found his head space in Phoenix by shooting 6-of-11 from three and reminding everyone watching that joy is its own kind of fuel. February 5 was the night the rest of the basketball world found out.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: The sneakers worn by VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
May 31, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) turns a double play past Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jesus Sanchez (12) during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Orioles 9 Blue Jays 5
That was bad in so many ways.
Worst of which, Jesús Sánchez was hit in the wrist by a ball thrown from the stands. They are saying he has a contusion, which is pretty much the best possible news. It was weird. Apparently, a kid(?) or young person, thought that he could throw to Sánchez and it would be caught. But, Jesús had turned away and the ball hit his wrist. Unfortunate, but no one should be throwing things from the stands.
Spencer Miles has been so good. Today he wasn’t. He went 3 innings, allowed 5 hits, 6 earned, 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Not his day, but John had to leave him out to get some innings, as it was our second ‘bullpen’ day in three days.
Beyond that, Hayden Juenger didn’t have a great first appearance in the majors, giving up 2 hits, 3 earned, 2 walks in his inning of work.
Adam Macko (2 innings), Yariel Rodriguez (1) and Mason Fluharty (1) all put up zeros.
We had trouble with Kyle Bradish, who went 7 innings allowing just 1 unearned runs. We did get 4 runs off reliever Tyler Wells, but it was too little too late.
We had 8 hits and 4 walks. The big hit was from Yohendrick Piñango (in the game because of Sánchez’s injury), who he a home run that went 421 feet, scoring 3 of our 5 runs. Piñango, Nathan Lukes and Ernie Clement had 2 hits each. Sánchez and Charles McAdoo had one each.
No JoD today, but lets give Lips an honourable mention.
Other Award: Miles (-0.30 WPA).
Tomorrow is an off-day, which I’m sure we can all use.
Mitchell Robinson did individual work at Knicks practice on Sunday, May 31 with his hand protected, but coach Mike Brown said the center is uncertain for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. That decision will ultimately belong to the medical staff.
Robinson, 28, broke his right pinky finger during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland and had surgery to repair it. He plans to play against the San Antonio Spurs with a brace protecting it.
Brown said to reporters after practice that Robinson has to be cleared by the medical staff first.
He wouldn’t be the first player to will himself through something like this, and with Robinson, the bar for playing hurt is already set high. The longest-tenured Knick has battled through a broken right hand, a broken right thumb, a broken right foot and multiple surgeries on a stress fracture in his left ankle over eight seasons in New York. This year, he had finally gotten healthy enough to make a big impact. He played 60 games, his most since 2021-222, and has been one of New York’s most important role players in the playoff run.
During the regular season, Robinson led the team in blocks and was second in rebounding. His presence changes the game on the glass. New York’s offensive rebounding percentage jumps nearly 10 points with him on the court. In the playoffs, he's shooting 73.7% from the floor across 13 games off the bench and is fourth on the team in both blocks and rebounds.
If he can’t play on Wednesday, that creates a heavier burden for Karl-Anthony Towns and likely forces seven-footer Ariel Hukporti into more playing time.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kyle Bradish pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Colton Cowser homered and drove in four runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 Sunday.
Pete Alonso had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Orioles, who mounted a 6-0 third-inning lead against rookie Spencer Miles (2-1) and coasted to the finish.
It was a complete contrast to the first three games of the series, each of which was decided by one run after the winner staged a late comeback. In earning a split, the Orioles completed an uplifting homestand in which they won seven of 10, including a three-game sweep of first-place Tampa Bay.
Bradish (3-6) allowed an unearned run, struck out four and walked three. Although it was only his second win since April 8, the right-hander has a 1.72 ERA over his past five starts.
Cowser hit a run-scoring groundout in the second inning before Baltimore took control with a five-run fifth. Alonso singled in a run and Samuel Basallo hit an RBI double before Cowser launched a three-run drive to center.
The Orioles made it 9-0 in the sixth against Hayden Juenger, making his major debut after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday. The right-hander walked two and gave up two hits in his only inning of work.
Yohendrick Piñango hit a three-run homer for Toronto in the eighth.
Blue Jays right fielder Jesús Sánchez left the game in the sixth inning with bruised right wrist after apparently being struck by a ball thrown from the bleachers during a stoppage in play. X-rays were negative.
Up Next
Blue Jays: After taking Monday off, Toronto sends Kevin Guzman (4-3) to the mound in Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Orioles: Following a day off Monday, Baltimore starts Shane Baz (2-5) on the road Tuesday night in Boston.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 24: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics prepares to pitch against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Petco Park on May 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This afternoon, the Athletics and New York Yankees will match-up in the rubber-game of their three-game series at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park.
In the wake of dropping the series-opener 8-2, the A’s rebounded last night, evening up the series with a 6-4 victory. Home runs from left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, catcher Shea Langeliers and first baseman Nick Kurtz gave the hosts a 6-1 lead. It looked like the A’s would coast to the finish line, but the Yankees rallied for three runs in the ninth as A’s relievers Jack Perkins and Scott Barlow combined to walk five batters. Barlow replaced Perkins with the bases loaded and two outs. He proceeded to walk three straight batters before finally getting the final out. According to Associated Press writer Josh Dubow, Barlow became the first pitcher to get a save after walking three out of four batters faced in an outing.
Seeking the series win, left-hander Jacob Lopez will start for the A’s. The 28-year-old enters his 12th appearance and 10th start of the season with a 4-2 record, a 5.73 ERA, and 35 strikeouts in 48.2 innings pitched. Lopez will pitch from the outset today, a contrast to his last appearance when he followed opener Luis Medina. In that outing, he earned the win after holding the San Diego Padres to one run on six hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Lopez has struggled with his command at times this season, as reflected in his 1.77 WHIP. However, he walked just one batter against San Diego, a positive step that must continue this afternoon, especially after A’s pitchers recorded more walks than strikeouts last night. If Lopez’s command wavers and leads to free passes or mistake pitches that are driven for extra-base hits, the Athletics could find themselves in serious trouble and facing a third consecutive series loss.
Left-handed-hitting outfielders Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler replace right-handed hitters Henry Bolte and Colby Thomas in the A’s starting nine. Additionally, backup catcher Jonah Heim will start behind the plate in the series-finale while Langeliers gets the day off.
With Soderstrom showing signs of heating up, the Athletics will need slumping hitters Butler, designated hitter Brent Rooker and second baseman Jeff McNeil to provide more offensive production as the calendar turns to June.
The A’s offense will face Yankees’ right-hander Will Warren, who has emerged as one of New York’s most reliable starters this season. The 26-year-old enters his 12th start with a 6-1 record, a 3.55 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 65 strikeouts across 58.1 innings. Warren received a no-decision when he faced the A’s at Yankee stadium in April, limiting the team to two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. The A’s offense will look to make a bigger impact against the talented right-hander as the team vies for its second straight win.
The Yankees meanwhile have this lineup set for today:
New York’s lineup becomes considerably less imposing after its fearsome foursome. Further down the order, former A’s infielder Max Schuemann gets the start at second base in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr., who made the final out in yesterday’s game.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 31: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles congratulates Colton Cowser #17 after Cowser hit a three-run home run in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colton Cowser spearheaded a dominant Orioles start, and Kyle Bradish shut down the Blue Jays lineup, as the O’s beat the Blue Jays 9-5 to earn a series split.
After using small ball and a patient approach for their dramatic comeback Saturday, the O’s went back to small ball to take an early lead Sunday. In his first AB since his walk-off winner, Pete Alonso kicked off the 2nd with a sharp single up the middle. Samuel Basallo then worked a seven-pitch walk to move Alonso into scoring position for Leody Taveras. The Oriole’s CF laid down a perfect sac bunt right out in between the pitcher and catcher, allowing both Alonso and Basallo to move up. Colton Cowser then got the O’s on the board, hitting a ground ball just slow enough to second to bring home Alonso and give Baltimore a 1-0 lead.
Cowser, Alonso, and Basallo were then at the heart of another rally in the 3rd. Gunnar Henderson set the table with a one-out single up the middle and Adley Rutschman moved him over after a five-pitch walk. Alonso then continued to spray the ball to all fields, flipping a single into right-center to plate Henderson and grow the lead to 2-0. Basallo then continued his incredible hot streak, turning on an 0-2 slider inside and lining it into the right field corner for a double.
The big blow came from Cowser, who has turned into the Orioles’ most clutch hitter over the last eight days. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Oriole RF got a 1-1 sinker over the middle of the plate and blasted the ball into the center field bleachers. It was the third multi-run homer for Cowser in the last nine games, after his two walkoff homers earlier against Detroit and Tampa Bay.
After ending the 3rd inning rally with a long ball, Cowser began another rally in the 6th. The Milkman started the inning with a four-pitch walk. Blaze Alexander then picked up his first hit of the afternoon, singling on a line drive to center. Jackson Holliday then walked to load the bases, before Taylor Ward grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, driving home Cowser for a 7-0 lead.
Henderson then picked up his first RBI of the day, doubling to center on a first-pitch slider to bring home Alexander and grow the lead to 8-0. With Ward on third, Rutschman delivered the final run of the inning, launching a 2-2 fastball into deep center for a sac fly to make it 9-0.
The run support was more than enough for starter Kyle Bradish, who once again looked dominant in shutting down the Blue Jays lineup. Nathan Lukes led off the bottom of the 1st with a single to left, but that was one of only four hits Bradish would allow in seven innings Sunday. He’d strand Lukes by getting Vladimir Guerror Jr. to pop, getting Daulton Varsho to fly out on a lazy ball hit to left and punching out Kazuma Okamoto on a sharp slider.
Jesús Sánchez would record the Jays’ second hit off Bradish with a one-out single in the 2nd. That runner was immediately erased when Charles McAdoo bounced an up-and-in sinker to Jackson Holliday at second for a 4-6-3 double play.
The double play ball would start a stretch that saw Bradish set down five straight Blue Jays hitters, a streak that only came to an end on an Okamoto walk in the 4th. However, nothing came of that baserunner, as Bradish got Ernie Clement to fly out on a 0-1 curveball to end the inning. Bradish would repeat the feat in the 5th, walking Andrés Giménez with two outs before stranding him by getting Brandon Valenzuela to fly out.
Bradish would set down the Jays in order in the 6th, ending the inning on 72 pitches. With the score at 9-0, Craig Albernaz decided to send his starter out for another inning, which is when Toronto would finally blemish Bradish’s record. Clement started the rally with a one-out single before moving to second on Yohendrick Piñango single. McAdoo would then send a potential double-play ball to short, and while the O’s got the first out at second, Holliday’s throw sailed over Alonso and allowed Clement to score.
Bradish would limit any further damage, striking out Valenzuela to end the frame and finish his afternoon. His final line closed at 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB and 4 K. It was only his second start this season where he completed seven innings, and his fourth straight start allowing two or fewer earned runs.
Tyler Wells would take over in the 8th inning and make the game feel closer than it really was. Lukes led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a two-out walk by Okamoto. Wells then left a fastball up to Clement, who slashed a double to left to score Lukes and cut the Baltimore lead to 9-2. The righty’s cutter then caught too much of the plate against Piñango, who blasted a three-run homer onto the flag court to cut the O’s lead in half.
Rico Garcia then took over in the 9th and shut down the top of the Jays’ order to seal the win. Valenzuela started the inning with a one-pitch groundout to first. He then got Lukes to pop out to third on two pitches before getting Vladdy to pop out to Alonso to end it. The six-pitch shutdown inning was Garcia’s 21st appearance this season without allowing a hit and 15th without allowing a base runner.
The win moves the Orioles to 28-32, a game back of Toronto for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The O’s continue their stretch against AL East opponents Tuesday when they travel to Boston to face the Red Sox.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 31: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a single in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park on May 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Elly De La Cruz was having a stellar Sunday in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves in the series finale in Great American Ball Park, opening the day with a single, walk, stolen base, and a pair of runs scored. Things sure seemed like they were about to get even better when he led off the Bottom of the 5th with what looked like a stand-up double to the wall in right-center off Atlanta starter Spencer Strider.
Problem is, Elly never made it past 1B.
As the Cincinnati Reds star went to round 1B and head to 2B, he clearly pulled up lame – seemingly favoring his right leg as he limped back to the bag. Trainers were immediately summoned, and Elly exited the game in short order.
Uh-Oh… Elly De La Cruz is coming out of the game after pulling up just before he hit the bag at first on that hit. pic.twitter.com/hpjLSyl8Bz
It’s a brutal blow to this lineup even if he’s going to miss just a few days. If it’s longer than that – god forbid – the Reds are going to find themselves without one of the most dynamic players in the sport today.
The Reds later confirmed it was a hamstring issue that sent Elly to the shelf.
#Reds SS Elly De La Cruz left today's game with right hamstring tightness.
Matt McLain, who’s been benched often over the last few weeks as he struggles mightily offensively, was brought in off the bench to take over post-injury, but it’s hard not to wonder if Edwin Arroyo – who has been lighting up AAA all year and jumped right back up Top 50 prospect lists all over the place – might be where the Reds turn if Elly indeed is going to miss any real time.
May 13, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The Phillies will wrap up their western road trip with a Sunday afternoon game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After falling on Friday night, the Phillies took the second game of the series thanks to Edmundo Sosa’s home run.
Andrew Painter gets the start for the Phillies. The rookie righthander has pitched better of late and this will be his first time facing the defending champs.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesus Sanchez had to leave Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles after getting hit by a baseball thrown from the stands in the middle of the sixth inning.
Sanchez originally stayed in the game for two batters in the bottom of the inning before he was replaced by Yohendrick Piñango.
"Jesús Sánchez was removed from today’s game with a right wrist contusion," The Blue Jays said in a statement. "He underwent precautionary X-rays that were negative for a fracture."
According to Baltimore Sun beat writer Jacob Calvin Meyer, a young fan apparently thought Sanchez was waving his glove like he wanted to play catch − as players occasionally do with fans between innings. However, Meyer reports the kid threw the ball late, after Sanchez had turned his back.
Sánchez left game after this fan interaction, ball appears to hit him in arm/wrist.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after being awarded the Earvin "Magic" Johnson MVP Trophy after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s bring it back full circle, baby.
The last time the San Antonio Spurs were genuinely feared in the Western Conference, Kawhi Leonard was arguably the most dangerous two-way player on the planet and the Warriors were the only thing standing between San Antonio and another dynastic chapter. Then came the 2017 Western Conference Finals when Kawhi’s tender ankle buckled on Zaza Pachulia’s foot, the series ended before it really started, and a dynasty died in the cruelest possible way. Not in a Game 7 or in a shootout. On a hardwood floor in Oakland, in a moment that still makes Spurs fans go quiet.
We always knew the Spurs would come back though. That is what San Antonio does. And they roared back last night in the Western Conference Finals when that young team walked into the building of the reigning champions and refused to blink.
Mitch Johnson's 9-man playoff core, averaging exactly 24 years of age, becomes the youngest core group of players on a team headed to the NBA Finals. They are way ahead of schedule.
Now here is the part that should genuinely terrify the rest of the league. Victor Wembanyama is 22. Stephon Castle is 21. Dylan Harper is 20. Most contenders spend their first deep playoff run figuring out whether they belong. The Spurs spent theirs taking the entire conference and breaking their back over their knee. They are not arriving on schedule. They are arriving ahead of it, and that gap between expectation and reality is exactly what makes San Antonio dangerous right now.
What their coach Mitch Johnson built this season should not exist yet, with a locker room where the future is old enough to rent a car but not old enough to remember most of Tim Duncan’s championships. And somehow they walked into Oklahoma City and took a Game 7 from the defending champs. Julian Champagnie, 22 years old, made six threes and scored 20 points when the Spurs needed someone fearless to be exactly that. De’Aaron Fox, the veteran in the room at 28, steadied a group of 20-year-olds when the crowd was shaking the walls. Keldon Johnson drained back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter to end any real conversation about a Thunder comeback. And Luke Kornet materialized out of nowhere to block an Isaiah Hartenstein dunk with six minutes left, a play Champagnie called the biggest of the entire game, a play that took all the life out of the building and ended OKC’s last real hope.
That is not talent alone. That is a team that trusts each other completely.
And at the center of all of it stands Wembanyama. He finished Game 7 with 22 points, seven rebounds, and went 3-for-5 from three in a game where OKC needed stops more than oxygen. For the series he averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.4 steals, shot 40 percent from deep, and held Chet Holmgren, an All-NBA selection this season, to two shot attempts and four points in the deciding game. The Spurs were plus-62 with him on the court across the entire series. He became the first player in playoff history to record at least 15 made threes and 15 blocks in a single series. He imposed his will on a championship-level opponent and made it look inevitable.
Let’s just not forget the (many) people who were saying, back during Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season, that he was overrated, fragile, incapable of winning games, etc., and that Pop didn’t know what he was doing anymore with him and the team. (Ooh I heard that so many times).…
After punching their ticket Saturday night, Wembanyama said winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy feels like the meaning of his life. Then he said he wants to do this fifteen or twenty more times. The man is 22 and already addicted to the feeling of winning.
That is a potential dynasty in its first chapter. This is the first time the Spurs have reached the Finals since 2014, the first time without Gregg Popovich on the bench, the first time without Tim Duncan on the roster. The organization did not just rebuild. It remembered who it was, found arguably the most gifted big man the sport has ever produced, and got back to the promised land faster than anyone thought possible.
That is what five championships of institutional knowledge looks like when it finally has the right pieces again. They’re only four wins away from completing one of the most remarkable organizational resurrections in professional sports history The West belongs to San Antonio right now!
The only question left is whether the Knicks got the memo.
The Edmonton Oilers’ coaching search is heating up, and with the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl window a major factor in who is ultimately hired, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
After parting ways with Kris Knoblauch following another early playoff exit and an interview request that blew up in their face, Edmonton is aggressively pursuing a proven, battle-tested bench boss who can finally push this star-studded roster over the top.
Bruce Cassidy is the known frontrunner, but new names like Jared Bednar have suddenly surged into the conversation, while veterans such as Peter Laviolette, Craig Berube, and Patrick Roy might all be receiving serious consideration. The Oilers are expected to ramp up their efforts in the coming weeks, hoping to land a respected coach who can command attention and install structure while extracting maximum performance from a talented but underachieving group.
Let's take a look at the list of names being linked to the Oilers' search.
1. Bruce Cassidy (Clear Frontrunner)
By now, everyone knows that Bruce Cassidy is on Edmonton's radar. Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon confirmed it and said the Oilers leaked the denial of the request to speak to their former coach. Cassidy has also confirmed it, saying people have now heard that two teams requested access to him.
The Oilers have aggressively pursued him, and many insiders view him as the top choice due to his pedigree as a coach, the fact that he's won a Stanley Cup, and the fact that he takes a no-nonsense approach.
Pros: While his style has a shelf life, he gets the most out of high-skill rosters, and he's a proven winner. Vegas obviously still thinks he's a top coach because they're willing to pay him millions not to join a division rival. Cassidy would bring immediate credibility.
Cons: Vegas is still blocking permission, and it's possible the Oilers are never granted an interview this summer. If that's the case, they'll have no choice but to move on if they're not prepared to hire an interim coach until Cassidy's contract expires. They likely aren't prepared to do that, given how critical every year is in their current window.
Bednar's name exploded into the conversation after Colorado’s disappointing playoff exit. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Oilers (along with Toronto and LA) are “very curious” about his situation. As a Saskatchewan native, the Alberta connection adds appeal.
If the Avalanche move on from Bednar, many will see it as an overreaction. He remains one of the NHL's best coaches and he'll be out of work only as long as he wants to be.
Pros: Stanley Cup winner (2022 with Avs); excellent at developing young talent while also managing elite stars. He can manage a fast, modern system that would fit McDavid/Draisaitl perfectly. He's well respected, and the Oilers' stars wouldn't question his style and instruction.
Cons: He's not been fired. Even if he is, Bednar is still under contract in Colorado for one more year and they would have to grant permission to speak with other teams. His availability is all speculative.
3. Peter Laviolette
According to Jason Gregor of Sports 1440, the Oilers have already reached out to Laviolette (or intend to). He’s a veteran coach available after sitting out 2025-26 season and known for quick turnarounds with star-heavy teams.
Of the big names in coaching, he's on the Plan A list, or at worst, he's a solid Plan B.
Pros: Stanley Cup experience; aggressive, offensive-minded style that suits Edmonton’s roster. He's unafraid of big personalities and the pressure of coaching in Edmonton won't bother him.
Cons: He hasn’t coached recently, and for as much success as he's had (took the Rangers to Round 3 in 2023-24), he's also coached teams that didn't perform well. With the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, and Nashville Predators, his teams either didn't make the playoffs or were eliminated quickly.
4. Craig Berube
The Oilers have interviewed the recently fired Toronto coach. That took place almost immediately after the Bruce Cassidy drama became public. Berube is said to be extremely interested in the job, but it's unclear if the Oilers see him as one of their top candidates.
Pros: Berube is a tough, gritty personality who has won before. He led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup and he likes his team to play a physical game with a focus on two-way hockey.
Cons: His underlying numbers in Toronto were abysmal and his style reportedly clashed with the pure skill players on the Maple Leafs. That might be a problem in Edmonton is personalities clash.
5. Patrick Roy
This one feels more like a long shot, but local media have floated Roy as a high-upside “shake-up” candidate. He proved he can win and he's got a reptuation as a players coach.
Pros: Roy is a Hall of Famer with an intense, competitive personality. He's the polar opposite of what Knoblauch brought to the Oilers. He brings energy and passion, which might be what this Oilers team needs.
Cons: Fire is good, but too much is problematic. His polarizing personality and shorter NHL coaching track record make him somewhat of a risk behind the bench.
The Vegas coach is leading his team into the Stanley Cup Final, but he doesn't have a contract for next season. The fact Vegas is playing as well as they are, Tortorella has shown he's still got gas left in the tank as an NHL head coach. Elliotte Friedman noted that if Vegas doesn't re-sign him, someone will scoop him up.
Pros: In a short run, Tortorella may be able to get more out of the Oilers than any other coach. His modus operandi is to win immediately, even if he's not a great fit in most places long term.
Cons: Tortorella is not everyone's cup of tea. He's combative with media and he's unafraid to call out his players and ruin his relationships with them.
Bonus Mentions Getting Traction
Jay Woodcroft — Familiar internal option (former Oilers coach), low-risk comfort pick. His name has popped up of late, but it's unclear how seriously he's being considered by other teams. He's currently an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks.
Gerard Gallant / Dean Evason — Veteran “tough love” alternatives if the big names fall through.
Bruce Cassidy remains the dream hire if Vegas softens their stance and Jared Bednar has suddenly become a very realistic Plan B (or even A) depending on how quickly Colorado moves.
The Oilers want a proven Cup winner with playoff experience to maximize the McDavid/Draisaitl window.
In the Ottawa Senators' lucrative Erik Karlsson trade from 2018, Rudolfs Balcers is one of the names from that deal that's often overlooked. Balcers played parts of two seasons in Ottawa, playing in a total of 51 games, and putting up 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
But in January of 2021, when the Sens tried to send him to Belleville, he was claimed off waivers by the Sharks. He knew the way to San Jose, the team that drafted him, but by that point, with Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris playing so well in Ottawa, it was already clear the Sharks had lost the Karlsson trade quite badly.
It was almost as if Sharks GM Doug Wilson was vainly trying to mitigate the damage.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss whether free agent Viktor Arvidsson would be good free agent target for the Senators.
Balcers' NHL days are now behind him. For the past three years, he's played for Zurich SC in Switzerland, but at the well-scouted 2026 World Hockey Championships, which wrap up on Sunday, it's possible the 29-year-old may find himself back on NHL radars.
Balcers finished the tournament with a Latvian record 7 goals in the tournament, and heading into the gold medal game, no one in the tournament had more. He's tied with Noah Steen, who was Norway's overtime hero in the bronze medal game against Canada.
Balcers was named captain of Latvia for the first time, replacing Kaspars Daugavins, another former Senator who held that role for a long time, including the 2026 Olympics in Milan.
