The New York Knicks have been doing a lot of that lately, much to the delight of franchise icon Walt “Clyde” Frazier.
The longtime player and broadcaster, 81, was the last man to lead the franchise to a championship way back in 1973. Now, 53 years later, he thinks he’s starting to see some parallels between his dominant team and the current-day Knicks, who currently lead the Philadelphia 76ers 1-0 in the second round of the playoffs.
“I’m mesmerized by the way the team is playing,” Frazier told Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday’s episode of “The Tonight Show.” “Actually, I’m living vicariously through them. They remind me of my team. My team personified team, you couldn’t mention Frazier without (Bill) Bradley, without (Dave) DeBusschere, without (Willis) Reed, without (Dick) Barnett.
“I see similarities to this team, so they’re starting to do that. Their camaraderie, their teamwork, they like each other, it’s manifested on the court.
There’s still a long way to go in the NBA playoffs, but Frazier added that “hopefully we’ll see another championship.”
The Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the first round after falling behind 2-1. They closed that series with runaway wins by 16, 29 and 51 points, then followed that up with a 39-point blowout over Philly to begin the second round.
Frazier has been watching it all happen from his seats at Madison Square Garden, where he still works for the Knicks’ MSG Network. Wearing his iconic suits, you can’t miss the Hall of Famer on TV or in person.
“It’s genetic,” Frazier said of his fashion sense. “My dad was a guy who was into clothes. Then, I came to the mecca for fashion.
“I wasn’t playing good as a rookie, so in order to pacify myself I went shopping.”
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks high fives Walt Frazier after the game during Round 1 Game 6 on May 1, 2025, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
How exactly does Frazier pick out his looks? As he told Fallon, there’s one line that gets him the outfit he wants.
“When I go to a suit place, I just say ‘Show me something you think no one will wear.'”
With the Knicks set to host the Sixers in Game 2 on Wednesday night, keep an eye out for Frazier in the crowd.
“In the morning, there was a big wind blowing and the waves were running high up on the beach and he was awake a long time before he remembered that his heart was broken.”
The words are Hemingway’s.
I was woken up, as I usually am, by Clara the cat, whose business is to inform me when the rest of the cats are ready for breakfast. The time, 5:30, was not particularly unusual either.
I woke up with a sense of something lost, something gone irretrievably, and I knew immediately what it was. I was not awake a long time before I remembered that the Celtics’ season had ended on Saturday night.
I used to live in the middle of Sioux Falls, where I could hear the old courthouse clock toll the hours, and there was no silence quite like the silence that came after the final bell tolled—it was not the silence of silence, it was the silence of absence, something missing that had been there a moment ago.
But one thing is certain: the team that was is gone.
Boston, MA – April 10: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vuevi and Jaylen Brown head to the bench for a timeout in the first quarter. The Celtics played the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden on April 10, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
This happens to every team, and of the sixteen teams that make the playoffs, only one will end the season a champion. For every other team, there comes a moment like the one on Saturday night where it all ends, and where it leaves a hole.
As fans, we kind of get used to this, to a certain extent. We know there’s always a next year—but when the end comes the way it came to this year’s Celtics, it’s hard.
It’s hard not just because Boston put up a 3-1 lead, it’s because of the way they put together that 3-1 lead. They blew out the Sixers twice and won a third time in a closely matched game. There was no reason to expect that the Sixers could win three straight against a team that had blown them out twice, and yet…
Much as we would like them to be, games are not stories. The narratives that fit best are fitted in hindsight. No team in the NCAA tournament is a Cinderella until they’ve won a game they shouldn’t have.
The danger of making narratives in advance was apparent by December, when the Celtics were demonstrating that, at least as far as the regular season went, this was not going to be a gap year.
When Tatum came back, there seemed to be even more validity to the idea that this was a storybook season.
And what we got was a version of Cinderella that went like this: “Cinderella lost her shoe on the way out of the ball. The Prince, although stricken by her beauty, figured that he had no chance of finding her by searching the kingdom, so he got on with his life. Eventually he forgot all about her.”
In other words, the end of the season felt premature, abrupt, and cruel.
But that’s how it feels to us as Celtics fans. On the other side of the court, there’s a different storybook unfolding. Sixers fans who could claim that legitimately, with Embiid’s limited availability and Paul George’s league mandated vacation, they had not been at full strength during the regular season either, now get to savor their own Cinderella story. Perhaps their story will end as abruptly as Boston’s did, perhaps it will linger on as far as the Eastern Conference Finals; it seems unlikely to last much farther.
Trying to tell stories before they unfold, setting expectations that are not matched, is dangerous unless you’re prepared to accept not only the hollow pit of losing, but the added chagrin of having ‘gotten it wrong.’
Were we fooled into expecting more from the Celtics than they were capable of delivering?
I mean, the results are the results, and the reality is that you are what your record says you are, but it feels like Boston left behind unfinished business this season.
Predictably, there have been calls for drastic changes—the notion that Jaylen Brown should be traded has once again surfaced, and there have been calls for a review of Joe Mazzulla’s chops as a coach.
This is not unexpected. And it strikes me as a bit of an overreaction.
It’s tempting to focus on the fact that the C’s lost three straight against Philly, without remembering that Boston finished the series +19 in points scored.
Is this evidence of bad coaching and bad play on the part of the Celtics, over the last three games?
You better believe it is. It’s the fault of the Celtics coaching staff and players that they couldn’t adapt to the return of Embiid.
Does this mean that the only sensible, sane, and reasonable reaction is to make major personnel changes and fire the coach?
No. Not even remotely.
Feb 22, 2007 – Austin, TX, USA – Former Boston Celtic Great guard DENNIS WAYNE JOHNSON, the 13 year NBA star guard who was part of three championship teams and combined with Larry Bird in one of the greatest all time postseason plays, died Thursday February 22nd 2007, after collapsing at the end of practice while coaching an NBA developmental team. the Austin Toros. Johnson was born Sep 18, 1954 in Compton, CA. High School: Dominguez (Compton, Calif.). Junior College: Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.). College: Pepperdine University. Drafted: Seattle SuperSonics, 1976 (29th overall). Transactions: Traded to Phoenix Suns, 6/4/80; Traded to Boston Celtics, 6/27/83. Nickname: DJ. Height: 6-4. Weight: 200 lbs. Honors: NBA champion (1979, '84, '86); NBA Finals MVP (1979); All-NBA First Team (1981); All-NBA Second Team (1980); All-Defensive First Team (1979-83, '87); All-Defensive Second Team (1984-86); Five-time NBA All-Star 1979-82, '85).
PICTURED: Johnson driving down the court in an 1987 game.
(Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
In 1978, Dennis Johnson had a terrible Finals performance. In Game 7, he went 0-14, as the Sonics lost to the Bullets.
The following year, in a Finals rematch, DJ redeemed himself; his shooting percentage jumped from .382 in 1978 to .459 in 1979, and he won the Finals MVP in a series that was over in just five games.
Now I’m not saying that there are guys who came up small in this series who are as good as DJ was. I’m saying that DJ, in just his second year in the league, caught a serious case of the yips, but the Sonics stuck with him, and he redeemed himself—against the same basic team that he choked against the year before.
I think there are young guys on the Celtics who, given a second chance, will surprise us.
Yes, you only get so many bites at the apple—playing careers do not last forever, and finishing a season this way basically wastes a year of Jaylen’s prime, but that year is gone now. No amount of rash actions over the summer will get that year back.
My response to the season is that patience should carry the day. There will probably need to be some personnel tweaks over the summer, but nothing major is warranted, in my opinion. I think this is a time to trust the coaching staff and players to respond the right way to what went wrong against Philadelphia.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talks to Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Rocket Arena on November 30, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 117-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After scoring 33 points in the Celtics’ Game 7 loss at home to the 76ers, Jaylen Brown took to Twitch to get everything off his chest before heading into the offseason. Much of it was positive after his MVP-level performance this year. Despite the early exit, he called the 56-win season the most fun he’s had in his career in what should be a First or Second Team All-NBA season.
However, he did have some choice words regarding the officiating of not just the series-clinching loss at TD Garden, but on the state of the league and how flopping has become so prevalent with the game’s best players.
The NBA’s iconoclast has been on this crusade all year, most vocally after he was ejected from a much anticipated game against the San Antonio Spurs in March. CelticsBlog’s Gio Rivera has this from Brown’s stream:
Brown said Embiid routinely exaggerated contact, insisting it’s an epidemic affecting the NBA.
“It’s like when someone barely touched you, and you selling the call to make it seem like you just got shot by two police officers. Big difference. Whether you like it, don’t like it, your grandma like it, your grandma don’t like it. I don’t really care. That’s just my personal opinion on basketball. Some of y’all might disagree. Argue with your grandma. Flopping has ruined our game. Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in f**king basketball history. He flops. He knows it. This ain’t breaking news.”
Yesterday, the league fined Brown $50,000 for “public criticism of the officiating” and hours after a Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell had his back.
#Cavs Donovan Mitchell on only got to the line twice tonight. His response to why he's not getting more calls:
"I'm just not getting the calls I don't know why, I don't flop, maybe that's why." pic.twitter.com/VJsglOq0dK
“A friend of mine got fined for talking about flopping,” Mitchell said of Brown’s comments. “I’m not trying to double down, but I feel like that’s what I got to do at this point. I’m trying to get downhill, trying to get to the bucket, sometimes people are in my way and I’m trying to fight through contact and I’m not getting these calls…I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why. This isn’t just a tonight thing. This has been the entire season. It’s frustrating —I’m such a dynamic driver — but I can’t control that.”
During the regular season, Brown was second in the league in drives at 9.1 per game with Mitchell trailing behind at 14.1. However, Brown was just ninth in free throw attempts and Mitchell was further down the list at 22nd.
You can bet that with Brown as one of the vice presidents of the NBPA and Mitchell serving as the player rep in Cleveland, the state of officiating will be a topic of discussion the next time the league’s competition committee meets this summer.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2026: Carlos Rodon #55 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during a live batting practice session on Field 2 prior to a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 14, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Phillies beat the Yankees, 6-4. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After a scheduled rehab outing Tuesday, Carlos Rodón is expected to make his next start in the majors, per Yankees manager Aaron Boone. He’ll take Elmer Rodríguez’s spot in the rotation, the top prospect who’s made two starts in the interregnum between Luis Gil’s demotion and Rodón’s activation. Fellow starter Gerrit Cole made a rehab start Tuesday as well, though Boone indicated he is still “a little bit of a ways away” from returning. In other injury news, Ben Rice was out of the starting lineup again Tuesday, though he hopes to be back soon, and Giancarlo Stanton has yet to resume running as he works back from a right calf strain that landed him on the IL.
Although they won’t need to call up Rodón until he makes his next start, the Yankees did option Rodríguez back to Triple-A after last night’s game. This will allow them to carry an extra reliever during this week without an offday until they can move on to Rodón ‘s turn in the rotation.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Monday night’s victory over the Orioles doubled as a tribute to John Sterling, the beloved broadcaster who served as the Yankees’ radio voice for 36 seasons. In this article, Aaron Judge reminisces about Sterling’s call of his record-breaking 62nd home run in 2022, Suzyn Waldman recalls smiling upon hearing a “That’s baseball, Suzyn!” from the crowd after a moment of silence for her longtime colleague, and Boone expressed enthusiasm for the “JS” stitched into each Yankee’s cap for the game. The skipper also voiced support for the team continuing to pump Sterling’s iconic “Yankees win…Theeeeeeee Yankees win!” over the loudspeakers after each victory. “I’d love it,” he said. “Right on into Frank.”
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees announced Tuesday that their uniform hats would continue to feature the “JS” initials in honor of Sterling through May 17th, when they face the Mets at Citi Field. The following day, their jerseys will begin featuring a custom memorial patch in his memory for the remainder of the season. The Yankees’ captain also joined his manager in expressing support for the continued playing of Sterling’s game-ending celebration after each victory. “I think it’d be a nice little tip of the cap to John and what he meant to so much of this franchise and this fan base,” Aaron Judge said.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: In surprisingly unseating incumbent shortstop Anthony Volpe (at least for the moment), José Caballero has flown in the face of the underlying metrics that inform organizational decision-making. Despite posting an expected weighted on-base average of .266 — ranking in the seventh percentile across the game — his results on offense and exemplary performance defensively and on the basepaths have earned him a reprieve from the utility role which appeared a fait accompli just a couple of weeks ago. “I’m trying to win a battle, man,” Caballero said in describing his scrappy approach. “It doesn’t matter how I win it, I want to win the battle. I’m just trying to be on base, make some damage, and help my team.”
When asked if he foresees a backslide, Boone demurred. “Maybe,” said the Yankee manager. “Look, I think he’s a player. He’s a gamer. You like him up there when the chips are on the table.”
To little surprise, Washington Wizards coach Brian Kiefe topped the list at 22 percent after his team had the worst record in the league during the 2025-26 season with just 17 wins.
Coming in just under Kiefe was Kerr, ranked fourth with 6 percent of players’ votes.
As the article notes, Kerr, whose future with the franchise is unknown after 12 seasons as Golden State’s coach, always has been one of the more praised coaches in The Athletic’s past player polls. But with the Warriors missing the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, there appears to be a different perspective, even when things have been out of Kerr’s control, such as injuries.
“I think he’s a great coach,” one of the players who voted for Kerr said. “I just thought the way he handled the Kuminga situation wasn’t very smart.”
Aside from a little recency bias, the former NBA Coach of the Year boasts a 604-353 regular-season record and 104-48 playoff record as coach of the Warriors — all while at the helm of the team that won four NBA titles.
Speaking of recency bias, Kings first-year coach Doug Christie seemed to have bitten the bullet for Sacramento’s disappointing 22-win season. Christie was voted one spot above Kerr at third overall with 10 percent of the votes.
Despite the lackluster season, Christie will return as coach next season in hopes that a top-draft pick and some roster reconstruction can lead to a change during the 2026-27 campaign.
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division)
Philadelphia; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -164, Flyers +138; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the seventh time this season. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime in the last meeting.
Philadelphia has gone 43-27-12 overall with a 16-12-6 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have a 38-7-4 record when scoring three or more goals.
Carolina is 53-22-7 overall with a 22-4-2 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes have a 26-9-2 record in games they score at least one power-play goal.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trevor Zegras has 26 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has three goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has scored eight goals with four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 6-3-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.9 assists, 5.9 penalties and 15.8 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Hurricanes: 9-0-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.9 assists, 5.8 penalties and 13.8 penalty minutes while giving up 1.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flyers: Owen Tippett: day to day (undisclosed), Noah Cates: day to day (lower body), Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
Hurricanes: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 15, 2025: Sean Keys #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Minnesota Twins at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2025 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
87 hitters have taken 100 PA so far in AA leagues so far this season. The best batting line among them belongs to the Blue Jays’ 2024 fourth round draft pick, Sean Keys. Keys played his college ball at Bucknell, putting up ridiculous numbers against pretty pedestrian Patriot League competition. He popped a bit with excellent showings in summer wood bat leagues, particularly a brief cameo in the top tier Cape Cod League the summer before his draft season. After turning pro, he put up good-not-great surface level numbers in Dunedin and Vancouver. His advanced approach allowed him to wait out wild low minors pitchers, leading to big walk totals, but his power production was just solid. Underlying metrics suggested he was doing a lot of things right, though, and so far in 2025 a move up to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ lefty-power friendly Delta Dental Stadium has allowed the top line stats to catch up. Keys is hitting .310/.429/.667 with nine home runs in 24 games.
Keys’ offensive calling card is his power. His raw strength is solid average or a little better, but he has an uppercut swing that’s geared to pull balls hard in the air and might allow his game power production to come out as plus. Keys is a solidly built guy at 6’2” and 230lbs and can generate that power without selling out. It’s a simple swing, with just a small toe tap and a pretty direct path to the ball. This season, it looks like he’s quieted down his pre-swing movement in the box and opened his stance just a little. He can look a bit stiff, particularly in his two-handed follow-through, but he’s shown decent ability to get the bat on the ball. Last year his 78% contact rate was a bit above average. It’s fallen to 72% this year, partly because he’s gotten more aggressive but probably also because of better competition. He doesn’t have top tier bat speed, and good fastballs at the top of the zone can beat him. It’s possible the swing tweaks are an attempt to adjust to that. Whether he can reliably catch up to MLB calibre heat will be the biggest question on his offensive upside. If he can, he profiles as a low-ish average but solid OBP hitter who could produce 20-something home runs a season. He didn’t show a marked platoon split last year, but as a lefty he has the advantage of being the big side of a platoon if that ends up being his role.
Defensively, Keys’ only real long term home is at first base. He’s still mostly playing third, and his hands and arm actually look solid there, but he’s got a first base build and is a 30 grade runner. At some point probably just won’t have the range to stick at the hot corner. He has a reputation as a hard worker, and can probably be an above average glove at first with reps. He could probably also stand in left field, but again his speed would be a liability.
Keys is off to one of the most intriguing starts in the Jays’ system, and he has real tools to back it up. His 1.096 OPS is a bit of a caricature, but he’s also clearly better than the .773 he put up last season. Given his defensive limitations he’s unlikely to be a star, but he has everything he needs to be a dangerous bench bat in the near future, and everyday upside if he continues to regularly get to his power against higher level pitching.
If supporters want transparency, they won’t find it in the rubber-stamping of Steve Borthwick’s coaching team
There has been a lot of fuss in recent days about French TV directors not giving rugby fans the full picture. In that particular department, sadly, there remains a runaway market leader. To say the Rugby Football Union’s public response to England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign has failed to supply all the relevant angles is an understatement.
In an ideal world, there would have been a media conference with Bill Sweeney, the RFU’s chief executive, alongside Steve Borthwick, his head coach, presenting a united, purposeful front and outlining precisely why the status quo needs preserving despite England having racked up four championship defeats for the first time since 1976. Instead, there was only a “Don’t tell ‘em, Pike” statement on email best summarised in four words: “Nothing to see here.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is guarded by Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Even with Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to come into the Frost Bank Center and steal both Game 1 and home court advantage from the Spurs. The style of play on display in that game was what was expected of the series from the outset: hard-fought, physical games that would likely need to be won on the margins and boy was Game 1 decided on the margins. Meh offensive showings from both Victor Wembanyama and DeAaron Fox coupled with a handful of lackadaisical turnovers (Spurs were +3 in the turnover department) were ultimately the difference in a game that San Antonio still had a chance to win at the buzzer. With Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota and with just a day between each of these games, it is imperative that San Antonio finds a way tonight to pull even in this series against a Minnesota team that’s trying to make their 3rd straight trip to the Western Conference Finals. This will be the first time this young squad is playing from behind in a best of 7 series, and while the pressure valve hasn’t popped yet, a loss tonight against a veteran Timberwolves squad could see it blown wide open.
San Antonio Spurs (0-1) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) May 6 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Line: -9.5
Spurs Injuries: Carter Bryant, foot (QUESTIONABLE)
Twolves Injuries: Anthony Edwards, knee (QUESTIONABLE), Ayo Dosunmu, calf (QUESTIONABLE)
What to watch for
DeAaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama said all the right things in the aftermath of Game 1, with Fox in particular shouldering the bulk of the loss on his shoulders. Fox finished with just 10 points and had 6 of San Antonio’s 13 turnovers, with a few egregious ones of the live ball variety in the 2nd half where it looked like he was playing with basically no urgency. Wemby meanwhile was a demon defensively, setting the playoff record for most blocks in a game in just his 4th ever playoff game, but shot just 5/17 from the field and was 0/8 from downtown. Knowing that this time of year often comes down to your best players playing at their best, expect Mitch Johnson to try and get those two guys back on track early tonight offensively.
For all the talk about San Antonio not having anyone to contend with Julius Randle, they did a solid job on him for the most part. Randle went just 8/20 from the field and took just 6 free throw attempts for the game. Where he excelled though what using his size and bulk to both pick up a few fouls on various Spurs’ defenders and to slow the pace down for Minnesota at the end of the game. San Antonio wings that get caught on him need to clean up some of those reach-ins and to continue to goad Randle into face-up jumpers.
A few times in Game 1 it looked like Anthony Edwards was in some discomfort, but for the most part he looked very much like the Anthony Edwards people have come to expect. Just 9 days removed from a leg hyperextension, Edwards was limited to just 25 minutes off the bench, but his presence was felt in all of them. He went 8/13 from the field for 18 points, scoring in a variety of ways and putting all the worries about his health at that moment to rest. Whether or not Edwards will be as fresh in a Game 2 that takes place just 48 hours later as opposed to the 9 days off he had before Game 1 though remains to be seen.
If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!
What stood out in both the AFL and Carlton’s statements regarding what happened to Elijah Hollands at the MCG three weeks ago were the things that weren’t and couldn’t be said. There were legal restrictions. There was medical confidentiality. There was a WorkSafe investigation. There was a universal acceptance that the privacy and wellbeing of the young man at the centre of all this was the most important thing.
The AFL did what they usually do in matters of the utmost complexity – they issued a fine. In fact, it was more of a donation. How much of a dent $75,000 makes in Carlton’s hip pocket is not for me to say, though a club whose four pokie venues raked in nearly $20m in the last financial year can probably afford it. The AFL also announced a series of measures to ensure this never happens again – mandated club phycologists, stronger industry healthcare governance standards, and a “mental health media roundtable”, which itself probably warrants a separate column.
Stanton has not yet started doing any kind of running, manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday, as the 36-year-old is still feeling the effects of the lingering calf issue.
“[It’s lingering] a little bit. It still feels minor, but not ready to push it yet.”
When Stanton landed on the IL — four days after suffering the injury jogging between first and second base in an April 24 game against the Astros, with the club waiting to see if he might be able to avoid a stint — the Yankees were hoping it would be a shorter stay.
But Stanton has had a history of soft-tissue injuries in his legs, so they said they were not going to push anything to have it turn into something more significant.
Giancarlo Stanton, who is still battling a “low-grade” right calf strain, still has not run yet since being put on the injured list. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
In the meantime, Jasson Domínguez has mostly filled the DH role — after avoiding a serious elbow injury when he was hit by a pitch last Wednesday — entering Tuesday batting .273 with an .833 OPS in six games.
He went 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s win.
Ben Rice was out of the lineup for a second straight day Tuesday, still dealing with soreness from a left hand contusion he suffered Sunday.
The slugging first baseman was hoping to pick up a bat at some point Tuesday to see how much improvement he had made, but was mostly relegated to getting treatment.
“Better today,” Rice said before trying to swing.
Paul Goldschmidt started again at first base in Rice’s place and went 2-for-4 with a home run.
Carlos Rodón made his third and likely final rehab start Tuesday night with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — throwing 85 pitches across 6 ¹/₃ innings in which he gave up six runs (five earned) — as long as everything goes well in the coming days.
Carlos Rodón's road back to the @Yankees rolls on.
The plan is for the left-hander to make his next start with the Yankees, Boone said Tuesday, assuming he comes out of the start healthy as he finishes off his comeback from October surgery to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow.
“I’m up to do whatever they want me to do,” Rodón said at Polar Park. “I’ll be ready when they call my name. That would be great.”
Rodón said his stuff could have been crisper, but he got done what he wanted to get done in terms of increasing his workload.
Gerrit Cole also made a fourth rehab start Tuesday with High-A Hudson Valley — building up to 69 pitches while giving up five runs across 4 ¹/₃ innings — though there was nothing imminent in regards to his return as he goes through a longer comeback from Tommy John surgery.
“I don’t know for sure, but I still think he’s a little bit of ways away,” Boone said.
— Additional reporting by Dan Martin in Worcester, Mass.
Chet Holmgren earned his first All-Star selection this season [Getty Images]
The Oklahoma City Thunder proved too strong for the Los Angeles Lakers to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA's Conference semi-finals.
The defending champions are the Western Conference's top seed and made a strong start to the best-of-seven series with a 108-90 win at home on Tuesday.
The Thunder produced a balanced offensive performance while their defence restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a play-off game since 2021.
LeBron James claimed a game-high 27 points for the Lakers while Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece for the hosts.
"You're playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high," said Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
"[There were] just too many tonight. We've got to clean that up."
LA guard Luka Doncic remained out with a hamstring injury and could also miss game two on Thursday.
The Detroit Pistons drew first blood in their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding off a late rally to claim a 111-101 home win.
Cade Cunningham scored 23 points for the Eastern Conference's top seed Detroit, with Tobias Harris adding 20.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23 points while James Harden added 22 but had seven turnovers.
May 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) awaits the puck during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal and assisted on two more as the Colorado Avalanche rolled through Minnesota's newest netminder, Filip Gustavsson, on their way to a 5-2 win over the Wild on Tuesday night, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the second-round playoff series.
The Avalanche have now won six straight postseason games, which ties the 2021 squad for the franchise's longest win streak to begin the playoffs.
This game featured a little more defense than the 9-6 eruption in Game 1. The 14 goals for the Avalanche are the most in the first two games of a playoff series since the Calgary Flames had 15 against the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
Martin Necas, Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy all scored their first goals of the series. Valeri Nichushkin added an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Twelve different Avalanche players have scored in the series, an NHL record for the first two games of a series.
“It’s great. I mean, right now, that’s what you need,” defenseman Cale Makar said. “You need everybody contributing and we’re finding ways to do that. There’s a lot of jelling minds right now.”
Scott Wedgewood made 29 saves on a night where he drew contact — he was knocked into the net on one occasion — and took a puck off the mask, leading to some quick repairs. It was a bounceback performance after giving up six goals in Game 1.
“He’s been unbelievable for us,” Roy said. "You can feel the confidence he’s got and it bleeds through the lineup.”
The Wild went with Gustavsson in net after Jesper Wallstedt gave up eight goals in the 9-6 loss. Gustavsson got off to a rocky start by giving up goals on the opening two shots of the first period and the first shot of the second. He settled down and finished with 18 saves.
“Just fine. Nothing special," Gustavsson said of how he felt Tuesday. “Not bad, not good.”
The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Saturday.
The Avalanche are 18-2 in best-of-seven playoff series when winning the first two games since moving to Denver in 1995-96.
Kirill Kaprizov and Marcus Johansson had goals for the Wild. Tempers flared in the third, with Parker Kelly getting into a scuffle with Matt Boldy and hitting the linesman with his glove. No penalties were called.
Colorado weathered a late rush by the Wild after they pulled Gustavsson for an extra skater late in the game. Boldy took a big hit from MacKinnon along the boards.
The game boiled down to special teams. The Avalanche were 2 of 5 on the power play while the Wild finished 0 of 2.
“It’s not good enough,” said Boldy, whose team is missing two big pieces with forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin sidelined by lower-body injuries. "We know that. It’s on us. We’ve got to make adjustments and be way better.”
Necas gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead in the first period but just six seconds later Kaprizov tied it. The six-second gap between the goals was tied for the fifth-fastest two goals by both teams in postseason history, according to NHL Stats.
Landeskog later added a power-play score on a pass from MacKinnon, who notched two assists in the first period for his 21st career multipoint playoff period. He passed Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for the most in franchise history.
“Just excited to play playoff hockey,” said MacKinnon, whose team has scored five or more goals in three straight postseason games for the fifth time in franchise history. “Obviously, the best time of year.”
Logan Webb (62) wipes his head after giving up an rbi double to Sung-Mun Song (24) in the fourth inning as the San Francisco Giants played the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park San Francisco on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ offense came to life on Tuesday, and it is critical that you understand that “come to life” is a relative term. Life, in living and breathing human being terms, may be binary, but in baseball parlance it is not.
For the Giants, coming to life means they scored exactly five runs, which marked just the 11th time they’ve done that through 36 games this year. It might not be a sign of life for the eight MLB teams that are averaging at least five runs per game.
But the issue with an offense that comes to life is that you never know whether its relationship with the other half of the game will be symbiotic or parasitic. Can life on offense beget life on the mound? Or must life on offense funnel life from a pitcher in order to stay alive?
On Tuesday, it was emphatically the latter. San Francisco’s life in the batter’s box, relative as it may be, came at the direct expense of their life throwing pitches. And the result was a 10-5 loss at the hands of the San Diego Padres.
That’s disappointing enough as is, but disappointment gives way to concern when you get to the critical detail: Logan Webb was on the mound.
We keep waiting for Webb’s season to arrive, and it keeps putting us on hold, and making us listen to that annoying music while we wait. There are flashes though, and Webb treated us to a few right out of the gates. He opened the night by striking out Jackson Merrill, and immediately followed it by K’ing Manny Machado. He did allow a two-out triple to Miguel Andujar, but in vintage Webb fashion, looked utterly unbothered while quickly retiring the next batter.
And on the other end, the offense wasted no time upping its game, and trying to prove to Buster Posey and Tony Vitello that the roster buttons being pressed are not in vain, and that the roster messages being yelled are heard, chef. Jung Hoo Lee quickly started a rally with a leadoff single against old frenemy Walker Buehler, setting the first inning in motion.
That set the stage for seemingly the only player employed by the Giants who knows how to hit these days, but my goodness does he know how to hit. For the second day in a row, Casey Schmitt (playing second base this time) launched a majestic first-inning moonshot that tickled the fog and hugged the left field line.
Just like that, the Giants had struck first with a pair of runs. With their offense looking lively and their ace on the mound, it didn’t even feel concerning when Xander Bogaerts bopped a solo shot in the second inning, cutting the lead in half.
You had more confidence than a one-game winning streak should afford you, but you felt sure that the offense would get the run back and Webb would settle down.
Right on the former; wrong on the latter.
The offense got the run back and then some in the bottom half of the inning thanks to the final third of the lineup. The seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters — Willy Adames, Drew Gilbert, and Jesús Rodríguez, respectively — all singled with one out. It was the third and final knock in that hit parade that was special: Rodríguez, getting a second straight start behind the dish to begin his MLB campaign, slapped one to right field for his first career hit. Adames, meanwhile, with his head down in reckless hustle, never looked up to see Hector Borg’s stop sign, and ran right through it, challenging Fernando Tatis Jr.’s dynamic arm, and winning ever so slightly.
Lee would follow that up with a fielder’s choice to score Gilbert, and the Giants led 4-1. Life was good, and it was even better when Webb would set down the side in order in the third, once again striking out Giants killers Merrill and Machado.
But soon it would not be very good at all. The fourth inning ended any and all hopes we garnered for an enjoyable baseball game. It started with a one-out, mild-mannered, seeing-eye single by Gavin Sheets. Such is the life of a sinkerballer.
It escalated a pitch later, when Tatis mashed a double to put runners at second and third with one out. Now the Padres were threatening to not just score a run, but get right back into the game.
They scored a run indeed, on a productive groundout by Bogaerts. It cut the score to 4-2, but it also gave Webb the second out of the inning, and escaping mostly intact was still in play. But Tatis would score when Nick Castellanos, who somehow still has a job, singled. And the danger only mounted further when Webb hit Luis Campusano with a pitch, putting the go-ahead run on the bases. And those runs would both score when Sung-Mun Song one-upped Rodríguez with his first career hit, which went for two bases and scored two runs. Take that, Jesús!
Song, who had taken third on an error by Adames on the play, would score easily on a Merrill single, and just like that, the Padres had flipped the game on its head. The inning had started with what felt like a comfortable lead. It had ended with the worst inning Webb has had in ages, and a 6-4 deficit.
It would be the final inning for Webb, who finished with four frames thrown, seven hits allowed, six runs, and four strikeouts (but no walks!). He had only thrown 62 pitches, but Vitello announced after the game that Webb had some leg discomfort, and the training staff wanted to play in safe after a long inning.
Ever the gamer — and in this case, likely ever the truth-teller — Webb was adamant that any soreness he felt had no impact on the way he threw the ball. He just didn’t throw it well, and with that, his ERA ballooned to 5.06.
What came after wasn’t much prettier. JT Brubaker took over for the fifth, and managed to give up two hits and two walks in his only inning, though he somehow allowed just one run along the way. Despite the second and third batters in the sixth inning being right handed, Tony Vitello shockingly opted for Ryan Borucki in the frame, and it went about how you would expect: he didn’t even get through the opening lefty unscathed, as Merrill bopped a leadoff single. After stealing second, he scored on the most predictable of outcomes: Borucki allowing a hit to a righty.
Gregory Santos handled the seventh and eighth, and while his stuff was nasty — and 20 of his 28 pitches were strikes — his second frame featured a single by Song, a stolen base, an RBI double by Merrill, and, just because this is the kind of day the Giants were having, a balked-home run.
The lone clean outing belonged to Joel Peguero, who made his return from the Injured List and pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his season debut. Welcome back, Joel. And happy birthday!
As that chaos and disappointment unfolded on the mound, the Giants’ offense realized that resistance was futile, and tucked their hits into their back pocket for Wednesday’s game (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself). They went down in order in the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. But while the showing was feeble during that time, it wasn’t devoid of highlights or feels, because in the seventh inning we were treated to one of the most special things in baseball: the first career home run.
No, it wasn’t off the bat of the highly-anticipated slugger Bryce Eldridge, though he did single for his first hit of the year. Instead, it was Rodríguez, who is getting the playing time preference over Patrick Bailey, it seems. With one out in the inning, Rodríguez got a slider from Jeremiah Estrada and, as he did earlier in the day with his single, inside-outed it to right field.
One day the rookie will learn about the disappointments that await hitters who hit fly balls to right field at Oracle Park, but that day will have to wait. Because in just his second career game, Rodríguez took on the arcade and emerged victorious, with his first slow jog around the bases.
Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -15.5; over/under is 209.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last matchup 108-90 on Wednesday, led by 24 points from Chet Holmgren. LeBron James led the Lakers with 27.
The Thunder are 41-11 in Western Conference games. Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the Western Conference in rebounding with 44.1 rebounds. Holmgren leads the Thunder with 8.9 boards.
The Lakers are 33-19 in Western Conference play. Los Angeles scores 116.3 points and has outscored opponents by 1.7 points per game.
The Thunder score 119.0 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 114.6 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.3 per game the Thunder allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
James is scoring 20.9 points per game and averaging 6.1 rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 120.6 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points per game.
Lakers: 7-3, averaging 104.8 points, 40.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 9.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.3 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring), Jarred Vanderbilt: day to day (finger).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
