TORONTO, ON- JUNE 8 - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after striking out in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays play the Philadelphia Phillies at Rogers Centre in Toronto. June 8, 2026. Steve Russell/Toronto Star (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
There isn’t much for Blue Jays news today.
Vladimir Guerrero (back) and Andrés Giménez (wrist) both are out of the lineup today. The team isn’t saying how long either will be out.
Bob Nightingale says that ‘teams’ expect Bo Bichette to opt out of his contract with the Mets after this season. I’m finding it hard to believe. He’ll have $79 million left on the contract, that would be hard to give up to go off into the unknown. And it isn’t like he’s having a great season, Baseball Reference has him at a -0.5 WAR. He’s hitting .236/.283/.361. I don’t think his defense at third base has been terrific, though he’s been playing mostly short lately.
Knicks Finals MVP Jalen Brunson couldn’t help but make a subtle dig at New York’s high cost of living while celebrating his latest victory in Texas early Sunday.
In his post-game interview, Brunson, 29, was reminded that his two big college championship victories were both won in Texas, leading one reporter to ask him what he has against the Lone Star State.
“I have nothing against Texas. I love Texas. I miss the Texas taxes,” Brunson joked.
Jalen Brunson speaks with the media after the Knicks clinched an NBA championship. NBABrunson raises the trophy and celebrates with his teammates after defeating the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. NCAA Photos via Getty ImagesBrunson poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs NBAE via Getty Images
Texas famously does not have individual income tax nor corporate income tax, a far cry from New York, which has tax rates between 4% to 10.9%.
Brunson had played for the Villanova Wildcats during their big 2016 and 2018 NCAA championship victories, with the games played in Houston and San Antonio, respectively.
He then played for the Dallas Mavericks after the 2018 NBA draft, spending four years in Texas.
Brunson, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Illinois, is on a 4-year, $156.5 million contract with the Knicks.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Yohendrick Pinango is at the center of today's Yankees vs. Blue Jays predictions as he draws a favorable matchup against New York starter Will Warren.
Read my MLB picks below for a full breakdown of today's matchup.
Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions
Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Yohendrick Pinango Over 0.5 hits (-160)
Warren is a contact-pitcher who lives in the zone with a heavy dose of the four-seamer and sinker to left-handed batters. Pinango owns a .385 average against that pitch mix, with a .500 xSLG rate.
Additionally, the Toronto Blue Jays rookie owns a well-above-average solid-contact rating of 6.7%. Warren allows solid contact at a 7.8% clip, well above the 5.9% league average.
Pinango has eclipsed his hits total in eight of his last 11 games, garnering a .994 OPS in that stretch. I’d buy Pinango Over 0.5 hits up to -165.
COVERS INTEL: Will Warren doesn’t have swing-and-miss stuff and allows consistent contact, which should play into Yohendrick Pinango’s strengths with his .283 xBA and 6.7 solid-contact rating.
Yankees vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
We'll continue to bank on a productive day for the Blue Jay bats in today’s SGP with Ernie Clement and Alejandro Kirk hitting props.
Clement has a hit in 22 of his last 25 games, posting a .964 OPS in that stretch, averaging 2.3 bases per game. He is a premier contact hitter, and Warren is a contact-friendly pitcher.
For the last leg of the SGP, I’ll bet on Alejandro Kirk to keep swinging his hot bat. He draws back into the lineup after a 3-for-3 outing in his return on Friday. He’s one of the best contact hitters in baseball with a .306 xBA.
Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP
Yohendrick Pinango Over 0.5 hits
Ernie Clement Over 0.5 hits
Alejandro Kirk Over 0.5 hits
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Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+450)
Kazuma Okamoto has gone back-to-back games with a home run and leads the Jays with 15 homers this season. He also hits Warren's pitch mix well with a .500 slug-rate and a 58% hard-hit rate,
This positions him well for success today as the Yankee starter pitches to contact, while ranking in the 43rd percentile in hard-hit rate.
However, Warren has only allowed one home run in his last 5 starts this season. Therefore, I’ll be making this a half-unit wager today.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 34-34, +5.05 units
SGPs: 13-55, +4.35 units
HR picks: 11-57, +1.9 units
Yankees vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: New York -130 | Toronto +110
Run line: New York -1.5 (+125) | Toronto +1.5 (-150)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)
Yankees vs Blue Jays trend
The Blue Jays have gone Over the total in 12 of their last 18 games for +5.5 units and a 28 ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Yankees vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Sunday, 6-14-2026
First pitch
1:37 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, YES
Yankees starting pitcher
Will Warren (7-1, 3.28 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.45 ERA)
Yankees vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Yankees vs Blue Jays weather
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When the Senators make the 32nd overall pick at the NHL Draft in Buffalo on June 26, they'll likely be selecting a player they believe should have gone earlier.
Speaking recently on TSN 1200, Senators head scout Don Boyd said there will likely be a tier of about eight players on their list that could realistically be in play when their turn arrives at the end of the first round.
They think five of their higher-ranked players might drop to 32, and they also have three players ranked 33-35 that they'd be happy with, too. So the Sens are probably confident they'll end up with one of eight or nine specific players.
The Hockey News Wrap Around Show discusses the idea of the Senators going after Vancouver's Jake DeBrusk.
Since we don't have access to the Sens' ranked list of 32, and we don't know who other teams will pick, any reference to this tier of eight players is just speaking in generalities.
However, The Hockey News Draft Preview provides an interesting glimpse at the prospects we project to go in the range Boyd mentioned. To round things out, we even expanded the list to ten players.
So, using our Draft Preview issue rankings from 26 through 35, here's a look at some of the names who could be in play when the Senators are on the clock.
#26 Marcus Nordmark, LW — Djurgårdens IF Jr. (Sweden)
It's hard not to be intrigued by a player who thrives in a best-on-best. Nordmark led Sweden in scoring at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but he's probably one of the most polarizing players in this range. His supporters see a skilled winger with top-six NHL potential thanks to his offensive creativity, but critics wonder why a player with his talent doesn't dominate more consistently. His father, Robert, was a defenseman in the NHL in the late 1980s.
Another player with NHL bloodlines, Maddox is the son of former Montreal Canadiens winger Pierre Dagenais. Maddox enjoyed a breakout season, scoring at a point per game clip and winning the QMJHL award for best pro prospect. Scouts love his shot and saw some games where he was a legitimate power forward. But being that player more consistently will be the challenge next season.
#28 Tobias Trejbal, G — Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
The Czech goalie was named the top goaltender in the USHL after posting a .916 save percentage. Scouts praise his athleticism, size and calm presence in the crease. He's headed for UMass in 2027 and will be a target in this month's CHL import draft.
A year before being draft eligible, Roobroeck scored 41 goals in the OHL last season. Between that and his impressive size, it had people thinking he might be a lottery pick this year. His stats dipped this season due to a season-ending lower-body injury in February. Some scouts see a future power forward with a pro-calibre shot, while others want to see him use his size more and become harder to play against. He's already played three seasons for Niagara and has been able to produce despite that team's ongoing struggles on and off the ice.
The Norwegian winger impressed scouts at the Under-18 World Championship and already has experience in Sweden's top professional league, playing 16 games this season. Evaluators praise his skating, hockey sense and shot. Many see him as one of the safer prospects in this range because he plays a mature, well-rounded game.
At this point in the draft, it's going to be awfully hard to turn down a player in his draft year who just won the WHL scoring title with 108 points. According to one scout, NHL analytics departments are particularly fond of his game. Skeptics wonder how much of his production was helped by playing with his twin brother, Liam, on a loaded Medicine Hat roster, but few question his hockey IQ.
Piiparinen played the entire season in the Finnish men's league, which is certainly a feather in his cap. The biggest question revolves around his offensive ceiling, and a first-round selection needs to be able to deliver at least some of that. But many believe he has the tools to become a reliable NHL defenseman,
Cover only began playing organized hockey five years ago after first excelling in roller hockey. Scouts rave about his athleticism, creativity, and his snap shot is off the charts. Because he is still relatively new to elite-level hockey, many believe he has a lot more room to improve than almost anyone in the draft. And he's already pretty darn good.
#34 Brady Knowling, G — U.S. National Team Development Program
The Boston University commit was chosen to play for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky and the World Juniors. At 6-foot-5, he has all the physical attributes teams look for in a modern NHL goaltender. Scouts have seen him dominate games against top competition and praise his athleticism and competitive level. The concern, as it is for most teenagers at this range, is consistency.
#35 Yegor Shilov, C — Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
Shilov might be the highest-risk, highest-reward player in this group. Scouts praise his offensive instincts, puck skills and ability to create scoring chances. However, concerns about his compete level and play away from the puck appear repeatedly in scouting reports. One evaluator described him as a classic boom-or-bust prospect whose talent could make him a first-round bargain or a disappointment.
* Predictions? Granted, I'm no draft guru by any stretch, but I do like to read up and watch player highlights. If they're still there, it's hard not to like Jaxon Cover (pronounced like clover) or Markus Ruck.
Wearing Sidney Crosby's number 87, Cover's puck skill, fierce snap shot, and fearlessness at the net are pretty crazy, especially for a young man with only five years of organized hockey. The Sens won with Shane Pinto, who didn't play competitive hockey until he was 15.
As for Ruck, again, it's tough to turn down a player in his draft year who just won the WHL scoring title with 108 points.
Of course, the Senators only need two teams ahead of them to see these players the same way.
No matter how it plays out, Boyd says the Senators have identified an eight-player tier they'd be comfortable selecting from, so they'll have plenty of intriguing choices available when their turn arrives in Buffalo.
IT’S PRETTY RARE: The Cubs swept three games at San Francisco on Sept. 13-15, 1993. They have done it in only one of the 35 subsequent series before the current one, July 26-28, 2013. This is their 12th since then. Five times, the Cubs won the first two games and lost the third, most recently in 2023. In 2009, they won three, then lost the fourth. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUN SCORING NOTE: The Cubs have scored 20 runs in their last three games (nine, five, six). They had scored at least 20 in 11 previous three-game spans this season, some overlapping, but only twice since May 8: 21 runs, May 15-17, and 22, May 27-29. They played 10 more games after the last of the previous span before the first of the current span. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE PITCHING IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK: Cubs pitchers have yielded no more than three runs in a season-best four consecutive games. They had allowed three or fewer in three straight three times, all between March 30 and April 20. The Cubs have allowed eight runs in the last 40 innings. Six came on five homers, one on a triple and one on a walk-off single. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PCA! PCA! PCA!: Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a 17-game on-base streak in which he is batting .370/.425/.726 (27-for-73) with six doubles, a triple, six home runs, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored.
Ryan Rolison is going to open this game because the Giants generally stack the top of their lineup with left-handed hitters. This is an attempt to try to neutralize that. Rolison threw a scoreless inning vs. the Giants last Saturday at Wrigley Field and overall this year, lefties are batting .182/.263/.182 (6-for-33) against him with 13 strikeouts. Rolison last pitched Thursday against the Rockies, throwing one inning and 17 pitches.
After Rolison, Colin Rea is supposed to be the “bulk guy” this afternoon. Rea got hit pretty hard by the Rockies in his last start, last Tuesday at Coors Field. So what do you say we try to pretend that didn’t happen?
In Rea’s three previous starts he posted a 3.57 ERA and got into the sixth inning in all three of them.
Current Giants, though, have hit him hard (small sample size alert): 16-for-32 (.500) with four home runs (Luis Arraez, Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee).
Rea has two outings this year as the “bulk guy” and in those he’s thrown 9.1 innings, allowed eight hits and four runs, and struck out eight.
Logan Webb has been the Giants’ best starter for the last five-plus seasons, with Top 6 Cy Young finishes three times in that span. He’s continued that this year, with a bit of a higher ERA (3.88), which has come down over his last three starts (0.90 ERA, 0.672 WHIP, no home runs in 19.1 innings).
Webb last faced the Cubs Aug. 28, 2025 in San Francisco and allowed three runs in seven innings. Ian Happ is 5-for-14 (.357) against Webb with a home run and Dansby Swanson has homered twice off him in 14 career at-bats, including a homer in that game last year.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Last week, Alexander Zharovsky arrived in Montreal and wasted no time starting his on-ice training. On the very next day, he was at the Montreal Canadiens’ training facility in Brossard, and he’s hit the ice every day since then. Habs player development consultant Paul Byron was with him, but no other Canadiens’ player up to this weekend.
On Saturday, Zharovsky’s countryman Ivan Demidov landed back in Montreal, according to his significant other’s Instagram account, and it’s safe to assume that the talented winger will soon hit the ice with his childhood friend.
Not only did he tell the media at the dressing room clearout day that he would train with Zharovsky this Summer, but his work ethic is also second to none, and he’s not the kind to spend a lot of time on the ice. Back in February, when the Canadiens were off during the Olympics and had told players to take a break, he and Lane Hutson ended up skating on an outside rink in Notre-Dame-de-Grace.
While Demidov failed to capture the Calder Trophy because of Matthew Schaefer’s incredible rookie season with the New York Islanders, the soon-to-be sophomore still led all rookies in points with 62 points in 82 games.
If Kent Hughes manages to get a real second-line center to ride along with the youngster next season, we should see a significant increase in production. While Oliver Kapanen did well in the first part of the season, centering him, he struggled after the Olympics break, which no doubt impacted Demidov’s point production.
It will be interesting to see Demidov skate alongside Zharovsky in Brossard in the coming days and, in July, to see how the prospect handles the Canadiens’ development camp, which he will attend for the first time after missing last year’s edition due to visa issues.
Alexander Zharovsky is back on the ice in Brossard today.
Jun 13, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) celebrates with on base hitter Ozzie Albies (1) after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It’s time for some Sunday baseball. The Atlanta Braves are looking to take the series against their division rivals in this afternoon’s finale, and the rosters are set.
Let’s take a look at them.
Michael Harris II is leading off for the Braves today, swapping places with Mauricio Dubón. Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson have the most experience facing Mets’ Freddy Peralta.
Albies, with 14 at-bats against him, hasn’t recorded as much success, only batting .071 with a .378 OPS, but Olson and Riley, however, with 11 and 14 respective appearances, find their ways to bases pretty frequently, with Riley batting .429 against him with an OPS of 1.396.
Dominic Smith has also found his pitches against Peralta, batting .400 with an .800 OPS.
The person Peralta really has to worry about, though, with only two appearances against him, is Eli White. Batting in the seventh hole, he averages .500 and has 2.500 OPS against the righty.
The Braves are looking for Bryce Elder to hold the Mets’ defense off, as a few key players are known to get hot against him, and have shown in this series that they could rally at any point. Though the name Bo Bichette has been ringing throughout the series, it’s Juan Soto, who’s seen him the second-most behind Brett Baty, that Elder needs to look out for. Soto’s average is .429 against Elder with a 1.413 OPS, in which he also recorded one homerun and one RBI.
A lot of possibilities as both teams look to close this matchup with a series win. New York is looking to continue their celebration and defeat their division rivals to add to a fresh NBA finals win, but the Braves are looking to shut it down before getting back on the road.
CANADA - APRIL 22: Late Robin: Shortstop Robin Yount of Milwaukee Brewers is tagged out at home plate by catcher Ernie Whitt of Blue Jays while trying to score in seventh inning of game at Exhibition Stadium. Brewers had little trouble winning; however; as a bases-loaded home run by Paul Molitor sparked them to an 8-1 victory. (Photo by Dick Darrell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
Today marks Ernie Whitt’s 74th birthday. Actually, it was yesterday, but I got busy and didn’t get this posted. But, since he was a favourite of mine I wanted to
The Red Sox selected Whitt in the 15th round of the 1972 amateur draft, just one pick ahead of Jason Thompson, who became a standout first baseman for the Tigers and Dodgers. Blocked by Carlton Fisk, Whitt never got a chance with the Red Sox and was left unprotected in the 1976 expansion draft, where the Blue Jays picked him up.
Whitt had 41 at-bats in the Blue Jays’ inaugural season and appeared in a few games in 1978. He spent all of 1979 in the minors, but at age 28, he finally secured a regular role in the majors as the left-handed half of a catching platoon with Rob Davis. He struggled offensively, hitting .237/.288/.353.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, the Jays acquired Buck Martinez, who would become Whitt’s platoon partner for several years. Whitt continued to struggle at the plate, hitting just .236/.307/.297 with one home run.
In 1982, Bobby Cox took over as manager and Cito Gaston became the hitting coach. That year, Ernie rediscovered his swing, raising his averages to .261/.307/.440 and hitting 11 home runs in just 284 at-bats, thanks in large part to Cito’s all-out pull philosophy. In 1983, Whitt continued to improve, batting .256/.346/.459 with 17 home runs in 344 at-bats. Together with Buck Martinez, the Jays’ catchers produced 27 home runs and 89 RBI. Under Cito’s guidance, Whitt’s home run totals jumped from 1 to 11 to 17 over two seasons.
In 1984, Ernie maintained his power, hitting 15 home runs in 315 at-bats. The following year, during the Blue Jays’ first playoff appearance, Whitt set a career high with 19 home runs, batting .245/.323/.444 in 412 at-bats and earning an All-Star selection. However, he struggled offensively in the seven-game ALCS loss to the Royals, hitting just .190. Whitt started every game of the series, as Buck Martinez was injured—fans likely recall the memorable play where Martinez broke his leg, dislocated his ankle, and still tagged out the runner at home—with Jeff Hearron serving as backup catcher.
Whitt remained remarkably consistent. In 1986, he hit 16 home runs. After Buck Martinez retired before the 1987 season, Charlie Moore became Whitt’s catching partner. That year, Whitt matched his career best with 19 home runs, set new personal highs with 75 RBI, 24 doubles, and 120 hits, and batted .269/.334/.455. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays faltered down the stretch in 1987 and lost the division to the Tigers, with Whitt missing the end of the season due to a rib injury—a factor that might have changed the outcome.
Whitt’s steady production continued in 1988, when he hit .251/.348/.410 with 16 home runs in 398 at-bats. In 1989, as the Jays made their second playoff appearance, he batted .262/.349/.416 with 11 home runs in 385 at-bats. However, his postseason struggles persisted, as he managed just a .125 average with one home run in 16 at-bats during the five-game ALCS loss to the Oakland A’s.
After the 1989 season, Whitt was traded to Atlanta with Kevin Batiste for Rick Trlicek, making way for Pat Borders and Greg Myers behind the plate. He spent a year with the Braves and finished his career with a short stint in Baltimore in 1991. Despite playing just 33 games before his 28th birthday and only reaching 300 at-bats in a season at age 31, Whitt crafted an impressive and consistent career. From 1983 to 1989, he posted OPS+ numbers between 104 and 121, with on-base percentages from .323 to .349 and slugging averages from .410 to .459.
Whitt appeared in 1,328 games over 15 seasons, hitting 134 home runs and posting a career line of .248/.324/.410 with 534 RBI. He was known as a strong defensive catcher with a reliable arm. Despite early doubts from first manager Roy Hartsfield, Whitt proved himself and enjoyed the longest career with the Jays among players from their inaugural season.
Whitt was always one of my favorites. His all-out pull swing, encouraged by Gaston, was the most entertaining to watch. He’d finish his swing down on his left knee, sometimes nearly coming out of his shoes. Watching him, you’d wonder how he ever connected, with his back knee dropping and dragging, seemingly risking swinging under the ball. But his open stance gave him a great look at the pitch, and he was a smart, instinctive hitter. As a catcher, he excelled at anticipating pitches, making him tough to fool at the plate.
He wrote a biography called ‘Catch: A Major League Life,’ which I still have somewhere at home. The book stirred controversy when he labeled umpire Joe Brinkman ‘incompetent.’ Whitt also argued he shouldn’t have been limited to a platoon role, but the stats suggest otherwise: he hit just .223/.303/.311 against left-handed pitchers, and resting against them likely kept him fresh.
Rob Neyer, in his “Big Book of Baseball Lineups,” names Whitt as the Blue Jays’ all-time best catcher—a ranking I still support—and credits him with being the franchise’s top defensive backstop. Bill James ranked Whitt 72nd among all-time catchers in his “New Historical Baseball Abstract.” Whitt will have moved down a few spots since then. He was arguably the most popular Jay during his playing days, known for his relentless effort and extensive charity work off the field.
Ernie later served as the Jays’ bench coach and then first base coach beginning in 2005, before being let go alongside John Gibbons and much of the staff in June 2008. Whitt didn’t hold back afterward, criticizing JP Ricciardi and dubbing himself ‘the best manager the Jays never had.’ Maybe he was right.
Since 2004, Whitt has managed the Canadian National Baseball Team, including leading them during Olympic qualifiers.He is also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
When Buck Martinez left the broadcast booth this year, I thought Whitt would have been a fitting replacement, though I’m not sure how he’d fare in that role.
Whitt is married with three children.
He remains near the top of my list of favourite Blue Jays. As a fellow lefty hitter, I often tried to mimic his unique swing—dropping down to my knee—but could never quite master it.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 09: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on June 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are closing things out in their three-game weekend series against the Miami Marlins with an earlier start for the nationally-televised contest.
The Pirates will put their ace on the mound in Paul Skenes, hoping that he can rebound from his struggles over his last five games. The Pirates have not won a start from Skenes since May 12 against the Colorado Rockies and have dropped their last five, including the most recent one against the Dodgers on June 9. Skenes pitched six innings and gave up just two runs, but the bullpen could not support him enough.
The Pirates surrendered 10 runs in the seventh inning, which led to the 12-3 defeat. The Pirates cannot let another Skenes start go to waste again, especially with the Marlins countering with one of the top underrated starting pitchers in the league.
The Marlins are starting Max Meyer, who was the number three overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft. Meyer is enjoying the best season of his career so far with a 6-0 mark, which matches his win total from his first four seasons combined. Meyer has gone at least five innings in all but one of his starts this season, so his consistency should challenge the Pirates in the matchup.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Peacock
Pitching Matchup: Max Meyer (6-0, 2.85 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (6-5, 2.84 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
What - Game 6 (3-2) When - 8 p.m., Sunday, June 14 Where - T-Mobile Arena; Las Vegas, NV How to Watch - ABC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
The Stanley Cup is in the building.
After a Game 5 win on Thursday, the Carolina Hurricanes are now just one win away from winning the Stanley Cup and they'll have two cracks at the Cup, starting tonight in Vegas.
The Hurricanes have been firing on all cylinders in the last few games, with all four lines going, the power play being red hot and Brandon Bussi solidifying the net.
Jordan Staal has also put the team on his back with a monstrous Final, and he's put himself right there in the Conn Smythe conversation.
But the series isn't done yet.
The Golden Knights still have a lot of talent (even though they'll be without center William Karlsson) and they're capable of pulling off another two wins, so the Canes are going to have to bring their best game of the season if they want to secure eternal glory.
Streaks
Jordan Staal (6g, 1a) has goals in five straight games.
Sebastian Aho (1g, 4a) has points in four straight games.
Nikolaj Ehlers (1g, 5a) and Shayne Gostisbehere (3a) have points in back-to-back games.
Game Notes
Carolina and Vegas have never met in the postseason before.
This is both team's third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history (CAR - 2002, 2006, 2026; VGK - 2018, 2023, 2026).
William Carrier played for the Golden Knights from 2017-2024, winning the Cup with them in 2023.
Noah Hanifin (2015-2018) and Dylan Coghlan (2022-2024) both played for Carolina.
The Hurricanes went 0-2 against the Golden Knights in the regular season, with both games taking place in October.
All-time, the Canes have a 9-7 record against Vegas.
Key Matchups
Projected Starting Goalies
Brandon Bussi: 2-1; 0.908 Sv%; 2.18 GAA
Carter Hart: 14-7; 0.909 Sv%; 2.59 GAA
Leading Scorers
Goals - Logan Stankoven (11) / Brett Howden (14)
Points - Taylor Hall & Jackson Blake (18) / Mitch Marner (29)
Power Play
Carolina - 18.1% (13/72)
Vegas - 21.3% (13/61)
Penalty Kill
Carolina - 91.2% (62/68)
Vegas - 81.3% (52/64)
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Jordan Martinook Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Seth Jarvis William Carrier - Mark Jankowski - Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield K'Andre Miller - Sean Walker Shayne Gostisbehere - Alexander Nikishin
Brandon Bussi Frederik Andersen
Injuries and Scratches: Mike Reilly, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Pyotr Kochetkov
Golden Knights Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev Brett Howden - Tomas Hertl - Mitch Marner Brandon Saad - Colton Sissons - Mark Stone Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Keegan Kolesar
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May 30, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) heads back to the dugout after striking out during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
As expected, Vinnie Pasquantino has been placed on the 10-day IL following a pop-up that appeared to injure his right hand during last night’s game. The injury is being described as a right hamate fracture, which is quite bad for the Royals’ first baseman and another brutal injury blow for a team that wasn’t playing well enough before everyone started getting hurt.
Vinnie was not having the season he or anyone else wanted, but he’d been doing better lately. He was slashing .224/.309/.350/.660 for the year, but .289/.372/.408/.780 over his last 20 games and .316/.381/.474/.855 over his last 10. The Royals will miss his bat in the middle of the order.
To replace Vinnie on the roster, the Royals have recalled John Rave. Rave is a 28-year-old, left-handed outfielder who debuted for Kansas City last year. He slashed .196/.283/.307/.590 in 72 games for the big league club. He has been slashing .278/.395/.475/.880 for the Omaha Stormchasers this season. He’s also been walking more and striking out less than he did in the minors last season, so perhaps he can offer more than he did last year.
Rave’s biggest problem would seem to be that he’s too passive at the plate, but he also doesn’t hit the ball hard consistently despite a more than respectable .197 ISO for the year. He’s been known for his speed and defense at the minor league level, though that didn’t always show up in the big leagues last year.
Hamate injuries are notoriously difficult for hitters to overcome. If you want to read more, MLB.com has a detailed article on the subject, thanks to hamate injuries affecting stars like Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, and Jackson Holliday earlier this year. The recovery timeline is 4-8 weeks, but not everyone is at full strength upon their return.
Blake Mitchell suffered a hamate bone injury last year and basically lost his ability to hit for power, even once he returned, hitting far fewer extra-base hits in 2025 than he did in 2024 or has in 2026. There has been a wide range of outcomes even among the people who have had the surgery this year. Carroll didn’t miss a beat, Holliday is hitting for more power than ever (though still struggling as a hitter overall), but Lindor is having by far the worst season of his Hall of Fame career.
Even if Vinnie returns in a month, the Royals were floundering with him in the lineup. Thanks to Buddy Bell, no Royals fan would ever say things can’t get worse, but it’s hard to imagine the Royals being even as close as they currently are to competing whenever Vinnie returns.
The Saints landed on the right side of a tight tussle with their young star in full flight alongside Liam Ryan in the AFL win over GWS Giants
To be frank, on a day where the Socceroos were opening their World Cup campaign and the New York Knicks captured their first NBA title in more than half a century, the prospect of AFL games at Ninja Stadium in Hobart and under the roof at the Docklands didn’t exactly get the pulse racing.
And so, while the national sporting eye was on Vancouver, Brisbane did what they were expected to do in Tasmania with a win against Richmond. The more intriguing game of the two was between St Kilda and GWS Giants, and the cross-code fans who spilled out of bars after the Socceroos’ win over Turkey were treated to an entertaining contest.
Jun 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
So, I was going to open this up with a play on the song You Gotta Have Heart, from the classic musical Damn Yankees. But I did that for an article before. And I’m fresh out of heart puns. Something about those chalky candy hearts that nobody ever eats? Something about cardiology? Maybe a bit about how Brandon Marsh is playing so thrillingly that you might need a cardiologist to handle watching him? I’m going to sleep on it, and if you’re reading this, that means I didn’t think of anything clever overnight.
Anyway, Brandon Marsh is doing something interesting with the heart region this year. All pitches thrown end up in one of four Attack Regions:
Purple is Heart, Red is Shadow, Yellow is Chase, and Grey is Waste. I was gonna do a Captain Planet bit here (by your powers combined, I’m Captain Strike Zone!), but then I remembered that was created by Ted Turner, who owned the Braves, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to write about a Braves-affiliated cartoon on a Phillies site. Anyhow, every pitch thrown ends up in one of those four regions, and a batter’s performance on every pitch he receives either adds or subtracts from his team’s run expectancy, and so we can calculate the run value he contributes or detracts by region. That’s what we see here. This isn’t some random player’s chart, by the way. It’s Brandon Marsh’s, from this season.
And this is Marsh’s from last season.
Last season, Marsh’s performance on the pitches he got in the Heart region graded out as exactly neutral. The run expectancy he added with decisions to swing were canceled out by the run expectancy he lost with decisions to take. This season, though, he’s been a decided positive on pitches in the Heart region, adding 8 runs there. Only 10 players league-wide have added more, and their number includes familiar names like Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt, Jr., and Kyle Schwarber. That’s good company.
Here’s Marsh’s performance in the Heart region since 2022. Overall performance is the sum of the runs generated by swings and the runs generated by takes.
Season
Overall Runs Value, Heart Region
Swing Runs
Take Runs
2026
8
12
-4
2025
0
9
-9
2024
4
15
-11
2023
0
13
-13
2022
-5
5
-9
Since this is a cumulative statistic, and you can lose run value with bad decisions, there’s a possibility that his number for 2026 could drop before season’s end. Still, it’s notable that his 8 runs added in the Heart region would be by far the most of his career. If it holds (or goes up), it’ll be just the second time in his career he’s posted a positive run value in the heart region. So, how’s he doing it? Well, you want to swing at pitches in the Heart region. And he’s generating more runs with his swing decisions than he did last year, and losing fewer with his take decisions than he did last year. So he’s probably swinging at more of the pitches he receives there as compared to last year, right?
Last season, Marsh swung at 72% of pitches he received in the Heart region. And this season he’s swinging at… 72% of pitches he receives in the Heart region. He hasn’t changed his swing rate there at all. (As a side note: Marsh’s swing rates in 2025 were exactly identical to the MLB average in three of the four attack regions, and just 1% off of the average in the other. That’s not really relevant to this piece, but it was odd enough that I felt I had to mention it somewhere).
So if Marsh isn’t swinging at more pitches in the heart zone, how is he generating more run value there this year?
Well, one way to do it would be to just do more damage on his swings there. A double on a pitch in the Heart region is going to add more run value than a single. And that’s the case: in 2025 he posted a wOBA of .386 on pitches in the Heart region, and in 2026 that number is .516. Marsh is just better at the plate this year, and so of course that’s going to show up on his performance on pitches in the heart of the zone. But there’s gotta be something more specific we can say. Something a little more precise than, “I dunno, Marsh hit ball good” (which is true, but not exactly the sort of analysis that you come to TGP to read).
So, what is it? Well, we know that his overall swing rate on pitches in the Heart region hasn’t changed. But that doesn’t mean that his swing decisions there haven’t changed. Let’s take a look under the hood.
Season
Fastball Swing Rate, Heart Region
Breaking Swing Rate, Heart Region
Offspeed Swing Rate, Heart Region
2026
77.2%
56.4%
84.2%
2025
70.6%
69.8%
87.5%
Marsh’s overall swing rate in the Heart region hasn’t changed one bit, but his swing decisions sure have. He’s a lot more likely to swing at fastballs there, and a lot less likely to swing at breaking balls there (as well as a little less likely to swing at offspeed pitches). The fact that his overall swing rate in the Heart region hasn’t changed is hiding the fact that he’s started to hunt fastballs. Actually, he’s swinging at fastballs more in the Shadow and Chase regions too; it’s not an approach limited to the Heart region. He’s getting fewer fastballs overall, and he’s clearly making a decision to maximize what he can do with the ones he does get. His decreased willingness to swing at breaking balls is Heart-region specific, though: he’s swinging at a greater percentage of them in all other regions. At any rate, when it comes to the Heart he’s clearly swinging at more of the pitches he can do the most damage on and at fewer of the ones he can do less damage on.
“Wait for a fastball over the meaty part of the plate” isn’t exactly an iconoclastic idea. But there’s no rule that says your strategy needs to be novel. It just needs to work. And for Brandon Marsh, it’s working quite well. He’s taken that approach, old to many, new to him, to heart.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Jamal Murray’s shot clanked off the rim and the final seconds on the clock expired, the ball fell to Karl-Anthony Towns, who looked down at his own hand in amazement at what he and his Minnesota Timberwolves team had just done.
For the first time in exactly 20 years, the Timberwolves were headed to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the defending champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7, coming back from 20 points down in the second half, with Towns leading the Timberwolves in scoring.
As KAT went from the visitors’ locker room at Ball Arena to the postgame press conference podium, he walked side-by-side with longtime Timberwolves reporter and Minnesotan Jon Krawczynski, who reminded Towns to take a beat and soak in everything that had just been accomplished.
Towns and Krawczynski, both pillars of the Timberwolves community, had seen it all: countless losing seasons, a carousel of coaches and general managers, a disastrous year with Jimmy Butler that saw Towns’s name sullied in the eyes of many, and, worst of all, a COVID pandemic and the loss of Towns’ beloved mother Jacqueline.
On the court, there were moments of immaturity as the growing process wasn’t always linear. Towns started as one of the “Timberpups,” and grew into the role of Timberwolves franchise player. He eventually became a multi-time All-NBA player who had just taken the Wolves to a place that only Kevin Garnett had before.
The feeling for KAT that night in Denver was one of validation. All the hard work he had put in, everything he had been through personally and on the court with the Timberwolves organization, had been worth it. Not only was the franchise that drafted Towns nine years earlier finding success, but they were doing it with him and because of him.
Everything in KAT’s Timberwolves tenure to that point led to that moment. Through all the turmoil during his nine seasons in Minnesota, Towns, like Andy Dufresne, had crawled through a river of sewage and come out clean on the other side.
“How much more we gotta lose?” Towns said in the most KAT way possible after the game about his team, “We’ve been losing for 20 years.”
That magical night in Denver may have been the first time Towns ended a team’s decades-long drought, but it would not be the last. On Saturday night in San Antonio, the New York Knicks, with Towns at center, became NBA champions for the first time in 53 years.
The Knicks and Towns stormed through the 2026 NBA Playoffs on their way to the title. New York finished with a 16-3 record in the playoffs, including nine straight road wins while clinching all four series away from Madison Square Garden. Among NBA champions, this Knicks team set the record for best Net Rating in a single postseason, outpacing the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2017 Golden State Warriors.
KAT himself finished with an NBA record plus/minus of +262 during the playoff run, finishing ahead of Steph Curry in 2017 (+246), Draymond Green in 2017 (+229), his teammate Jalen Brunson (+224), and Kobe Bryant in 2001 (+213).
The feeling again has to be validation for Towns, and this time, maybe even vindication.
Karl proved all of his doubters incorrect. People said he was soft, that he didn’t work hard enough, and that he didn’t have enough basketball IQ. They said KAT wouldn’t be able to control the “stray voltage” on the biggest stage, that he’d be unwilling to play as a team’s #2, or that he didn’t have the defensive ability to lead a quality defense at the center position.
All of it wrong.
“You work your whole life for this moment,” Towns said to ABC’s Ernie Johnson with the Larry O’Brien trophy in his hands. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen myself fall down. People tell me to stay down, and I got back up. Even when I was in the mud, I kept putting my left foot in front of my right foot.”
The trade that sent KAT from the Timberwolves to the Knicks was nuanced and will surely be debated in Minnesota for years to come. It was brought on in large part by the NBA’s then-new second apron, which punished teams for being a certain level above the luxury tax threshold, as the Wolves were in the summer of 2024.
While the success or failure of the trade for the Wolves is still up in the air, what is clear is that Towns still has an immense respect for the Timberwolves organization, his former teammates, including Anthony Edwards, and all the people of Minnesota.
KAT: "Shoutout to my brother Anthony Edwards talking to him all the time. Those guys made me better, they made me a better leader, they made me a better player, made me the man I am today. Forever grateful for them" pic.twitter.com/dux6qydTdG
The journey for Towns to get to this point was a long one. It started when the Wolves selected a 19-year-old kid out of the University of Kentucky, and it was filled with every manner of obstacles, difficulties, and loss. Through it all, Karl came out of it a better player and a better person.
“Y’all know my story, you’ve heard my story,” Towns said. “I just want to say, thank you, Momma, I appreciate you getting me one.”
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: New York Knicks owner James Dolan is interviewed by Ernie Johnson Jr. after his team's victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
— sports live tweeter yadira (@jonmoxIeys) June 14, 2026
Mike Brown
On Jalen Brunson being a true No. 1 star:
“I hope you guys will listen to me, he is a top-three MVP candidate. Everybody kind of mentions his name in passing, they don’t do it seriously enough — people say he’s too small, people say he’s a 1B or a 2B or whatever, he is a freaking 1A. I hope tonight you guys, and I’m talking to the media more than the fans, but I hope you guys recognize what this man is all about because he is A1 MVP — he is him.”
On Jalen Brunson being the face of New York basketball:
“He comes, and he probably takes a pay cut that I wouldn’t have taken, every time they would have thrown that number in front of me would have said no, and I feel like I’m a good guy.”
On the significance of the Knicks franchise:
“There are a couple of franchises that are pretty iconic just because of the history that they have, the location that they’re in, sometimes even the building that they’re in. New York is definitely one of the few that you could say that to in all three facets. Everybody goes through their ups and downs. I don’t really think much about the tough times [the Knicks] had because everybody has tough times, including individuals. You just want to try the best you can to be a part of whatever you can to bring joy to the city, to the organization. I feel blessed, fortunate, lucky, to be a part of what is going on now.”
On bringing a title to New York:
“It’s just a heck of a win. To have these fans that we have in New York City, and to bring home a championship to them after all of these years, it’s just an absolutely amazing. It’s surreal – I don’t know how long it’s been since that final buzzer, but I still don’t believe it. I’m pinching myself, I’m telling myself to try to be present, and all of the stuff I tell my guys every day because I still just can’t believe it.”
On his staff, players, and the Knicks organization:
“My staff, they carried me all year. Our players are fantastic – they’ve been ready from Day 1, and it’s not just our top-five, but 1 through 18 they have been ready from Day 1 of the season. You saw it we called on different guys at different times and every time they stepped up – I love my players, I love the organization, but most importantly Let’s Go New York, we can’t wait to get home and celebrate.”
“It’s everything I dreamed of. It’s why I came to New York.”
On the Knicks’ late-game identity:
“For some reason I feel like the game for us starts for us 30 minutes later than it’s supposed to. We don’t show up at 8:30. We show up at 9 p.m.”
On winning the title:
“It’s everything I dreamed of. This is why I picked New York.”
On his emotions after the championship:
“Holy s—. I’ve got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of. I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m in awe, I don’t know. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”
On where his confidence comes from:
“My confidence comes from my work ethic. Every time I had the ball, all I could think about was all the hours I put in the summer… into making this a reality. So whenever I got the ball, I just thought about me being alone in the gym.”
On finding a way to win:
“We’re going to find a way, whatever you put in front of us, we’re going to find a way. I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
On becoming a champion:
“I got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of. I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
On winning Finals MVP:
“It was definitely more emotional than I thought it would be. Once I got on stage and everything, it started to settle, but it’s everything I dreamed of, seriously. I woke up this morning not wanting to play another game. At some point, I knew I was going to win [an NBA Championship]. The opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t want it to slip away.”
On the journey to a championship:
“Words can’t describe it. I put a lot of time and effort into being the best player I can be, and I’m just really thankful to have a coaching staff and teammates who have my back every day. At the final buzzer, I walked right to half court, shook Mitch Johnson’s hand, and turned around. My dad was there, and I felt emotions from that point on. But it still hasn’t sunk in. I honestly don’t know right now. I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and we were able to get it done. Through hard work and effort, I knew this was achievable, but it was only a small portion of it. Tonight, we played like we wanted to finish the game as champions. It means the world to me to go on the court with those guys.”
On his reaction to the championship:
“I got no words. It’s everything I’ve dreamt of. I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m just like… I’m in awe. I don’t know. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.”
On his preparation and work ethic:
“My confidence comes from my work ethic. Every time I got the ball, all I could think about is all the hours in the summer. For every summer I had, since I ever could remember, making this a reality. Whenever I had the ball, I’m just thinking about just me alone in the gym.”
On the Knicks’ resilience:
“We’re going to find a way. Whatever you put in front of us, we’re going to find a way. It doesn’t matter. It does not matter whatsoever. We’re going to find a way every single time we step on this court. Every f–king time. Every time.”
On the “1A” haters:
“I didn’t respond to them then and I’m damn sure not going to respond to them now.”
On winning all of his NBA and college titles in Texas:
“I have nothing against Texas. I love Texas. I miss the Texas taxes.”
On his mentality:
“I’m just never afraid to fail.”
On what it took to win the championship and score 45 points:
“Everything.”
On finishing the job in Game 5:
“Tonight, we played like we wanted to go home champions, to finish the game. Not to start the game, to finish the game.”
On winning a championship:
“Words can’t describe it. I put a lot of time and effort into trying to be the best player I can be to try and help a team win. Just really thankful to have the organization, the coaching staff, my teammates, to have my back every single day.”
On playing through injury after yet another dirty Victor Wembanyama play:
“I’m hurting right now, I’m not going to lie to you. I’m hurting right now, but like i said before, the opportunity presented itself. Whatever you gotta do.”
On when he knew Jalen Brunson would become a star:
“I knew through college, but I really knew when he signed (with the Knicks). I knew what he was going to do, especially in the league we play in. Him having the ball and being able to be ball dominant … his efficiency is out of the roof. I knew what he was going to be able to do with the ball in his hands here, more than what he was able to do in Dallas.”
On the five-pick trade and the haters:
“You talking about f–-k them picks. Very grateful. F–-k ’em. Through the times I’ve been struggling, fans said things about me, I want to always be better. Keep pushing me. I appreciate the tough love.”
On Knicks fans pushing him to improve:
“Given all of the times I’ve been struggling and our fans are on me, I want to always be better – so however they feel I always want to be better. I just hope that I’m still here and they just keep that edge and keep pushing me. If they strongly believe we have a chance every year and they strong believe they need me to be better I’m already thinking that – I appreciate the tough love, I know some fans might be crazier than others, but the ones that truly care, they just want me to be better so don’t stop now.”
"This is home. I had a lot of instability in my career. This city really embraced me."
“We don’t really talk about it, but the weight of that jersey. The expectations, the pressure of that jersey. Right now, it’s the lightest it’s ever felt.”
On Mike Brown’s impact on the Knicks:
“Mike was invaluable to this run. He knows what it is to be a champion. He knows how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful to have him at the top. He kept us even at so many times. He brought the best out of us. He’s the reason why we’re here.”
On the Knicks’ togetherness:
“Oh, man, it’s been invaluable. I think you can look at the play (in Game 4), I missed the layup . . . I miss, and we come down and foul Wemby. I think I fouled him or KAT fouled him or whatever [Anunoby fouled him], and I ended up on the ground. I was frustrated and kind of down on myself. You see JB, KAT, Jose run up to me and pick me up. You see Landry [Shamet] on the bench yelling at me to get up and those kinds of things.
“When you have a team that has that kind of togetherness in the most adverse situations, that breeds championship habits and a championship team. I feel like we can go down the line of every guy in that locker room that has had moments like that during the season, and everyone has been there to pick each other up. When you have a team that can do that, no matter what happens in a game, you feel like you can get through it.”
On staying even through highs and lows:
“In an 82-game season, especially in New York, you know, there’s going to be mountains and valleys. If we win three or four in a row, you know, you’re the best team in the league. If you lose three or four in a row, everybody is on the trade block. We know that and that’s why during the course of a season, you try to stay even and you try to continue to build those habits, championship habits, that put you in that position at the end of the year.
“And that’s what you focus on. Sometimes it’s not about the result; it’s about the process. You know, every game, every second, every practice of the season, it led us to this point.”
On finally finding a home in New York:
“I had so much instability, traded, different coaches, and I found a home in New York and they embraced me. This city is built on toughness, grit, blue-collar people, and I feel like I’m the same person. They can look in the mirror and they can see [me].”
On the Nova Knicks:
“Those are my brothers for life. We have a bond that’ll never be broken. We won a championship together in college, but this one obviously takes the cake. We’ve been built for this moment. We’ve all been forged in the fire … Coach [Jay] Wright helped us be cut from a different cloth. No matter the moment, it’s never too big for us.”
"I just feel like whenever we're down, that's when the game started."
“Shout-out to everybody who told him he couldn’t do it because it gave him fuel for the fire. I think I speak for me and OG when I say it’s been an honor to be brought to this team to amplify him.”
On his father:
“He’s been everything to me. He taught me the game of basketball.”
On bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Dominican Republic:
“Hell yeah, I’m bringing the trophy over there!”
On Jalen Brunson leaving Gatorade at the podium:
“You know JB’s happy, he left the Gatorade up here!”
On the Knicks’ unity:
“I talk about our unity, our connectivity. We just continue to believe in each other and believe in our team, our game plan. Whatever needs to be adjusted in the game, us as players will always talk it out, and we’re willing to have those conversations that are difficult. We’re willing to keep each other accountable.
“Regardless of what happens, we know, like I said, we all we got and we all we need, and it’s more than enough to have a chance to win every single night. I know a lot of people talk about it. I know you’ve heard a ton of people come up on this mic and say the same thing, but I hope our team shows the world that we truly mean it. Even though last year we didn’t get the job done, that unity and that connectivity and that continuity has always shown itself.
“I think that last game is just another example of us talking about how connected we are together and how much we truly do have love for each other as teammates, as a team, as brothers, as a family. Only brothers would keep each other going, especially in the game where it was last game. Because of that family, family stays close. When things got really bad, we got closer. We didn’t start fading away from each other.”
On feeling the presence of his late mother and the support of Jordyn Woods:
“Her presence is always felt in my life. You always pray you’re going to pick the right woman for you and I know I did in my fiancé. I damn sure know now with that bag, that bag held it down. Shout-out to Woods by Jordyn.
It’s crazy, when she passed, there was so much turmoil in my life. Funny enough, my fiancé was the one, who was a friend at the time, was the only person I got to call before I had to go out there and say bye to her at the hospital. Me and her have a real bond that goes deeper than just physical features and everything like that. We’ve got a true friendship that was built from the ground up.
I remember just always asking her if this was going to be my last time seeing her in the physical, let me feel her spirit at all times. In moments of true pressure and a lot of things going on, I always feel this calming come to me and it’s always her. It’s just great to always feel her arms around me and always to feel her love in my life, in so many different ways.
It’s a testament. I haven’t felt love from a woman like that until I met my fiancé. It really means a lot that, in a way – without sounding weird – Jackie Jr. was able to be here celebrating this moment with me.
It’s amazing. It’s truly a humbling feeling when you know you have walked the path. I stayed faithful. In every decision that I was supposed to make, I made the right one. Feels good to be at this moment.
“Y’all heard my story, y’all know my story. I just want to say: Thank you Mama, I appreciate you getting me one.”
On finally winning a championship:
“You work your whole life for this moment. As they always said with this team, it is written for New York.”
"You know what's crazy? Yesterday at the hotel I caught a snake"
Mitchell Robinson says that he's caught a snake twice during the playoffs, and both times the Knicks have won the series🤔
On bringing the monster truck to the championship parade:
“I just got asked to put my truck in it so I’m gonna be really excited.”
On Jalen Brunson’s Game 5 performance:
“It was unreal.”
On snakes being the Knicks’ lucky charm:
“You know what’s crazy? Yesterday at the hotel I caught a snake. I think it’s something about snakes.”
On finally winning a title with the Knicks:
“I’ve seen the recipe being made. I’ve been here when we’ve won 17 games, when we’ve won 60 games, and to finally be able to get it done in 2026, it’s been amazing.”
On his offensive rebounding and his late effort:
“That’s just something I always do. I trust my guys that they are going to make them, but I’m just going crash anyway – luckily I did and came up with a big rebound.
“Grabbed it, kicked it out and they fouled us again, so we got a chance to shoot two more and I almost got it again, so I’m just going to continue to do that.”
“I thought when we acquired him if he averaged 20 points and six assists it would be good. I thought like other people, in a playoff scenario where you get guys 6-[foot]-6 and 6-7 on him, he would have trouble scoring. But he found a way, against all these guys.”
On Brunson’s place in Knicks history:
“He’s got to be considered one of the greatest Knicks ever. He’s been magnificent the whole playoffs and all season. … Clutch, he’s Mr. Clutch. He comes up with the big baskets. He was the only guy scoring at one time for the Knicks. That kept them in the game.”
On Brunson changing perceptions of small guards:
“Brunson has definitely changed the mindset of that thinking, a guy 6-foot-2 can’t lead a team to a championship.”
On watching the championship run:
“I was living through the eyes of Jalen, saying ‘Wow, I used to be doing that out there on the court.’ I’m sure those guys [from our last championship team] are watching tonight, and they’re very proud of the team like I am.”
On what the title means for the New York Knicks:
“It’s a magnificent night for the fan base and the franchise.”
“Fourth time is the charm. ’99, I did the same thing I did tonight, just sit and watch and cheer. I take my hat (off) to the team, take my hat off to Jalen. He did an outstanding job with putting us on his back and being able to bring a championship back to New York.”
On what the championship means for New York and the Knicks:
“It means everything to the city. It was a magical run, all the things they were able to accomplish.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns:
“This guy right here, this is my guy, right here.”
"At some point, I knew I was going to win [an NBA Championship]."
“I want to give him some credit. I want to give, you know, obviously what you said about Brunson, I said, it’s the greatest free agent signing in NBA history, but also he took so much criticism for guys when he took a hundred million dollars less so they could go out and get other players. He deserved like, hey, listen, a hundred million dollars is a lot of money, but he wanted them to go out and get him some help, and they went on and got him some help, and they are the World Champs.”
“It’s over! It’s over! Knick fans, this is not a dream! Your long, long wait is ended. Go ahead and cry: after 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA Champions once again!”
“I don’t even know how to put it in words because I damn sure didn’t play. I didn’t practice like these guys did, they did it. But it’s been 53 long years, and there’s been so many moments of misery that we had to endure as New York Knick fans. And to be here tonight, I gotta confess until this series I never thought it’d happen.
“So many things have gone wrong: The layups that wasn’t with Charles Smith, the [Patrick] Ewings finger rolls, the Game 7s they didn’t come out on top. Time after time after time… And to be in attendance witnessing the end of a 53-year drought as born in The Bronx, raised in Hollis, Queens, New York City. I’ve been a New York fan all my life, I never thought I’d see it.
“I don’t even know what to say. I can’t put into words how this feels. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life covering sports. I’ve never had a feeling like this. It’s unbelievable.”
On why the Knicks ‘saved’ the NBA:
“Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks saved the NBA with this championship. Stay with me. If the Spurs win the championship, the entire NBA is evolving its scheme around how do you knock off the alien, the 7-foot-5 alien from France. How do you do it?
“Well, guess what? Now that a 6-1 guard, who’s not the most athletic above the rim dude — that ain’t his game, just savvy, brilliant as a basketball savant, footwork extraordinaire — that guy at 6-foot-1 led this team. And in a close-out Game 5 drops 45 on a Spurs defense that was pretty elite. That’s what they did.”
"As happy as I've ever felt. It's pretty amazing."
Ben Stiller is filled with joy after the Knicks become champs for the first time in 53 years ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FKPZgJRCe7
COVERS INTEL: Will 
