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Former Washington Wizards star John Wall will become the President of Basketball Operations at Howard University in Washington, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Wall, who is currently a studio analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s NBA coverage, has expressed interest in being a front office leader later in his career. He has also worked with Howard recently.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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The Toronto Raptors are not only running out of time in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs but also running short on bodies.
Toronto heads back home for Game 6 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, worse for wear and facing elimination. Forward Brandon Ingram is a question mark for Friday after reinjuring his heel, and star Scottie Barnes is hobbled with bum quads.
Those injuries are like blood in the water for Cleveland’s versatile forward Evan Mobley, who’s a tough matchup even with a healthy lineup.
Mobley was strong in the Game 5 win with a focus on getting him the ball, and our Cavaliers vs. Raptors predictions really like his matchups against a crumbling Toronto frontcourt.
My NBA picks take Mobley to make us money with his points prop on Friday, May 1.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with the game airing on Prime Video and TSN.
Cavaliers: Cleveland comes to Canada as a short road favorite, and that spread could look different depending on the health of Ingram and Barnes.
On top of missing Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors just don’t have the depth to plug those holes, especially when it comes to countering the Cavs’ scoring punch.
Evan Mobley had a tough time in Toronto earlier this series, shooting a combined 8-for-24 from the field for tallies of eight and 15 points in Games 3 and 4.
That output pales in comparison to his postseason work at home, averaging almost 22 points on 71% shooting. However, he catches a break with this next trip to Canada.
The Toronto Raptors’ two best solutions for Mobley’s size and speed are nursing injuries heading into Game 6. Scottie Barnes is limping around with an injured quadriceps, and Brandon Ingram left Game 5 after re-aggravating a heel injury.
That had Toronto’s frontcourt ripe for the picking in the second half of Game 5. The Cleveland Cavaliers came out of the halftime break with a focused effort to feed their bigs, and Mobley, along with center Jarrett Allen, thrived in the closing frames.
Mobley finished with 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting in Game 5, with 16 of those coming on 6-for-8 success in the second half. He also left points on the table with a 4-for-8 finish from the foul line, but still cleared his points prop of 16.5 O/U with ease.
The Cavs went with a smaller rotation in Game 5 to spread the floor and create space. With Ingram questionable, Cleveland can take that approach again on Friday. That allows Mobley to exploit bad matchups, either backing down shorter defenders or facing up bigger ones.
Game models sit between 17.0 and 18 points for the Cavs’ forward. I believe Mobley’s ceiling is much higher, considering Toronto’s injuries and Cleveland’s offense now going through the big man.
Cleveland has a perfect opportunity to end this series with Toronto hurting coming out of Game 5. This is a quick turnaround with the Raptors’ best player, Scottie Barnes, really limited by a quadriceps injury. The Cavs' inside-out attack drops the dinos in Game 6.
Donovan Mitchell got to put his feet up at the end of Game 5, thanks to Dennis Schroder going off for the Cavs. Mitchell still made three triples in the win and has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in four of the first five games of this series.
The Cavaliers came out feeding their big men in the second half of Game 5. Toronto doesn’t have the bodies to battle that half-court attack, which will slow the pace of this game.
Meanwhile, the Raptors' offense will also be disjointed with Brandon Ingram potentially out and Scottie Barnes limping around the court, unable to create his own shot.
Totals of 220 points or higher have produced a 4-8 Over/Under record so far in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Raptors.
| Location | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Friday, May 1, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Prime Video, TSN |
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson exited Wednesday evening’s start against the Colorado Rockies after having thrown just 58 pitches across 3.0 IP. It was the latest in a series of frustrating starts for the 28 year old, who for the season has actually walked more hitters (20) than he’s struck out (19).
After the game, it was announced that he was dealing with ‘shoulder fatigue,’ something that’s 100% within the realm of expectations at this point after he missed all of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery (and also dealt with shoulder issues before that). The hope, of course, was that it wouldn’t be serious, though the Reds announced on Thursday that Williamson had been placed on the injured list in the wake.
According to AP reporter Jeff Wallner, Williamson received an MRI and the results showed ‘no structural issues,’ which is obviously a great sign.
Reliever Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell was recalled from AAA Louisville to take his place on the active roster, for now.
Maxwell, of course, is a reliever, and he’ll add depth to the relief corps for the next few days alongside the recently recalled Luis Mey for the time being. What the Reds do when Williamson’s spot in the rotation comes back around remains to be seen, however.
Nick Lodolo shined in his first rehab start with the Dayton Dragons in High-A Midwest League action earlier this week, but he’s slated for a second rehab start on Saturday. So, it’s likely that it won’t be him who is called upon to slide into the starting rotation. Chase Petty, however, is on the 40-man roster and already has had his first cup of coffee at the big league level, and he started last night against the Omaha Storm Chasers for AAA Louisville and would be on regular rest to take a turn in the team’s rotation.
Interestingly enough, Petty was pulled last night after just 62 pitches, firing just 2.1 IP of scoreless 2 hit, 3 walk, 4 K ball.
The Mets announced a flurry of roster moves ahead of their 1:10pm series finale with the Nationals this afternoon in Queens. Luis Robert Jr., who has been sidelined with back issues since Monday, was put on the 10-Day Injured List retroactive to Monday with ‘lumbar spine disc herniation.’ In a corresponding move, Eric Wagaman, who the Mets claimed off of waivers on Monday from the Twins, was recalled.
Wagaman has made 603 plate appearances in parts of two seasons with the Angels and Marlins and has appeared at the corner outfield and infield spots.
On the offensive side of the team, Robert joins Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Jared Young on the Injured List.
Carl Edwards Jr, who tossed six solid innings for the Mets in two appearances, was designated for assignment. Austin Warren was recalled to take his spot on the roster.
It is unfortunate to lose Edwards who has been quite good in limited time while the Mets have a number of pitchers on the roster who have not looked nearly as good as Edwards. Because he is out of minor league options, the Mets have to hope that Edwards passes through waivers and does not elect free agency if they want to keep him in the organiation.
Warren has been impressive in his brief major league playing time as well, but the bullpen churn is already becoming an issue when rostering multiple long relievers.
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The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks go to war in Game 6 tonight, with New York having a 56% chance of advancing according to prediction markets like Kalshi.
Our Knicks vs. Hawks predictions and free NBA picks have a little more faith in Atlanta getting it done on April 30.
Knicks win probability:56% (-127)
Hawks win probability:44% (+127)
Despite being the road team, New York has a 56% chance of ending this series tonight in Atlanta.
Our prediction:Hawks to win
As Knicks fans poured out of MSG after a convincing Game 5 win, the Big Apple crowd chanted, “We want Boston”.
Ah, there’s still at least one more game, folks. New York won’t shoot 57% from the field again, and Atlanta’s outside touch should improve in the friendly confines of State Farm Arena, where it shoots nearly 38% from beyond the arc.
Read more in Jason Logan's full Knicks vs. Hawks predictions.
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You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Knicks -2.5 spread means the Knicks will cover, while "No" means the Hawks will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using the Covers odds converter).
| Outcome | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Knicks -2.5 | 52¢ (-108) | 49¢ (+104) |
| Over 213.5 points | 53¢ (-112) | 48¢ (+108) |
Our predictions:Knicks -2.5 — No and Over 213.5 points — No
As mentioned, the New York Knicks aren't shooting as well as they did in Game 5. Elimination games are always played tight, and this series is no stranger to Unders.
Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts" which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Hawks win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.
In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.
Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Imagine not being able to enjoy Joel Embiid’s fantastic Game 5 performance in Boston.
Surely, Sixers fans have been emotionally fatigued after nearly a decade of not getting out of the second round with a slew of different roster iterations centered around Embiid. After last season’s debacle, many of them likely resigned to the team never again being able to seriously contend with Embiid as their best player.
But Tuesday night’s masterpiece from the former MVP should have reminded fans that while Embiid might not be a league MVP ever again, he can still impact winning at a high level. It’s clear to anyone who watches Embiid that he doesn’t have the same burst and athletic ability to be the elite defender he once was. Additionally, it should come as no surprise that the 7.7 rebounds per game that Embiid averaged in the regular season were a career low.
However, for most of the game on Tuesday night, Embiid was doing whatever he wanted to do offensively. In a way, the fact that Embiid had 33 points on 0-of-5 from the three-point line should be even more encouraging for Sixers fans. Embiid did his damage offensively with his midrange jumper, bullying his way through whoever Boston attempted to have guard him and making his free throws. He might not be able to constantly bully his way through opposing bigs in the future, but he could certainly do that once or twice more in this series against Boston and he’s not going to shoot 0-for-5 from the three-point line with regularity either.
What we’re getting at here is that Embiid’s game is still versatile enough offensively to score 30+ points on any given night. If you have someone that talented offensively, then that’s someone that can help you win. The narrative around Embiid this season has shifted a bit too far in a pessimistic direction. All of a sudden, the focal point of Embiid conversations was about how much of a burden his max salary is for the next three seasons that he still has under contract after the current one. His play on the court was basically ignored by the masses just because he wasn’t the MVP candidate he used to be every season.
For both the rest of this series against the Celtics and for next season and beyond, Game 5 in Boston should serve as a reminder of what the Sixers can be with Embiid still playing a pivotal role. It hasn’t happened often for Embiid in his career, but the big man was both the best player on the floor on Tuesday night and he got adequate help from his teammates. Quentin Grimes was excellent off the bench. Paul George defended well and knocked down some shots. Tyrese Maxey helped compensate for Embiid’s rebounding struggles with 10 boards of his own. VJ Edgecombe hit a few open threes. Embiid’s eight assists were no fluke.
It was a team win by a team that has for years needed to win on Embiid’s individual talent more than it should have. Can the Sixers pull out two more of those wins against the Celtics? Well, they should certainly have a lot more confidence. They’ve now won twice in Boston, the first time coming without Embiid even playing. Philadelphia is far from the deepest roster in the NBA, but it does appear as if the non-Embiid players are doing enough to not require Embiid to be Superman every night.
Most of Philly’s role players can go to free agency this summer. It’s possible that the bench is a much different collection of talent on next year’s roster. We should also point out that Kelly Oubre played in 50 games in the regular season and started 41 of them and he too can go to free agency in July. But whether the Sixers bring a lot of this roster back or not next season, fans should feel optimistic that they can give Embiid enough help to at least be competitive and worth watching with Embiid still on the roster. In other words, don’t go into the offseason thinking, “What are we going to do about all the money we still owe to Embiid?!”
As for the rest of the series, just enjoy the fact that there couldn’t be a team still left in the NBA Playoffs with less to lose than the Sixers. No one expected Philly to win this series or even get to a Game 6 for that matter. In previous postseasons, fans have rightfully questioned the team’s effort. They bowed out in embarrassing fashion in Boston in 2023. They laid down in 2022 on their home floor against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. We all know how embarrassing the ending of the Atlanta series in 2021 was. Regardless of what happens here, we’ll be able to say that they went down fighting, and finally gave Joel Embiid some much-needed help.
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
Sugar Land got on the board in the 2nd inning on an Unroe RBI double. Gordon got the start and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings. The offense got another run on an Alexander walk. Mancini struggled out of the pen allowing 4 runs and the Aces picked up one more later. The offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 5-2.
Note: Nelson is hitting .324 this season.
Pearson made a rehab start for the Hooks but struggled allowing 4 runs over 2 innings. The offense got on the board in the 4th on a Whitaker 2 run double. In the 5th they scored 2 more runs on a Sullivan single and Guillemette groundout. Mayer pitched in relief and allowed 3 runs over 4 innings, though he struck out 8 batters. The pen allowed a couple more runs and the offense was shut down the rest of the way as the Hooks lost 10-4.
Note: Mayer has 25 K in 14 innings this season.
Asheville got on the board in the first inning with a run scoring on a balk. They got 2 more runs in the third on a Frey 2 run HR, his first of the year. Santos got the start and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, 2 earned. Asheville got a run in the 5th on a balk, a run in the 6th on a Cruz sac fly and a run in the 7th on Batista sac fly. The pen struggled though allowing 7 runs and the offense was unable to comeback as Asheville fell 11-6.
Note: Holy is hitting .281 this season.
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Wakefield RBI single. In the 3rd inning, Neyens added an RBI double. The offense picked up 3 more runs in the 4th on a Ramirez RBI single and Cole 2 run double. Potter got the start and pitched well striking out 3 over 3 scoreless innings. He was relieved by Oakes who allowed 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. Rosario closed it out with 1.1 scoreless innings.
Note: Neyens has a .831 OPS this season.
Today’s minor league starters:
SL: Jason Alexander – 8:05 CT
CC: James Hicks – 6:35 CT
AV: TBD – 5:35 CT
FV: TBD – 6:05 CT
Morning, all!
Wyatt Langford is gearing up for a return this weekend, but weather and other externalities are making it hard for him to get live at bats in either a rehab start or simulated game.
Josh Smith is getting a chance to “reset,” and Ezequiel Duran will be starting at second base for multiple games for the first time this season.
Brandon Nimmo left yesterday’s game with a tight right hamstring but says he isn’t expecting to miss any games because of it.
Nimmo has a history of hamstring issues and says that the important thing is to not try to push through it or it will get worse.
The Rangers chase rate is among the lowest in the league on the road and among the highest in the league at home, leading Evan Grant to ask if Globe Life’s park effects are all in the Rangers’ heads.
Evan Grant looks at the Rangers 15-16 record at the end of April and finds cause for optimism, saying that it was a tough month and we saw things that bode well for the rest of the season.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched the way we expect Nathan Eovaldi to pitch last night, shutting out the Yankees over seven innings and giving the offense a chance to close out the series with a win.
The Knicks heat into Game Six in Atlanta with a chance to close out their first round series, but might have to do so without an essential piece.
Josh Hart exited Tuesday’s 126–97 Game Five humiliation of the Hawks in the fourth quarter and never returned to the bench. Afterward, Mike Brown didn’t have much to offer on the subject. On Wednesday night, New York added Hart to the injury report, listing him as questionable with a lower back contusion.
Hart seemed to tweak something in the first half but gutted it out before being pulled for good with 6:27 left. With the Knicks hammering the Hawks, he probably could have ducked out sooner. Despite the injury, he finished with nine points, five boards, and four assists in just over 30 minutes.
So far this postseason, Hart has averaged 10 rebounds, 9.4 points and 4.8 assists. His defense has been murder on Atlanta, and he has given them a taste of their own medicine with eight steals.
It’s not the first back issue for Hart over the past year. Mr. Mike & Ike suffered a lower back injury when he slipped on the court during the preseason opener in early October. That caused him to miss the beginning of the regular season, including the opener against the Cavs.
Although the Knicks’ injury report is otherwise clean, we suspect that most of the starters are dinged up. Forever turning ankles, Jalen Brunson limped his way to a 39-point performance in Tuesday’s annihilation of Atlanta; Karl-Anthony Towns was seen favoring his knee(s) in the game; and OG Anunoby, the MVP of the series, sprained his left ankle late in the season and was most recently listed as probable before Game Two. Iron Man Mikal Bridges seems fine.
If Josh can’t play, New York still has the wing depth to cover with Anunoby and Bridges. Hart’s versatility, however, especially in their switch-heavy defense, is tough to replicate and has been a key to their success all year. Given the stakes—our heroes could close out the series tonight and start prepping for round two—we know that Hart will want to play. But the Knicks may think bigger picture and try to convince him to rest.
Think Josh should play? Rest? Air it out in the comments below.
For the first time this season, the Celtics allowed their opponents an efficiency above 70% on both layups and floaters. This wasn’t caused by a high transition volume, but rather by a half-court defensive collapse. The Sixers posted a 1.19 points-per-possession efficiency in non-transition situations, their third-highest mark of the season. Only Washington and Chicago provided weaker opposition to Phily this year.
Where did that collapse come from, and why has the pick-and-roll defense been such an issue in these latest games? Let’s go back to the film and figure it out.
On this first play, you will recognize a set that the Celtics run often, and they should be ready to defend it, as they have been practicing it for years now under Joe Mazzulla.
You can see here why Jordan Walsh has sometimes struggled in on-ball defense. His anticipation and screen navigation aren’t good enough to consistently stay connected to the ball handler. However, in drop coverage like the Celtics are playing, the on-ball defender needs to stay attached to his man to avoid a defensive breakdown.
Then comes Quentin Grimes’ back screen on Nikola Vucevic, which creates another problem. The big man can’t execute the drop because he is also caught in the screen. It then becomes Payton Pritchard’s job to slow down the drive, but he commits his steps too early, allowing Tyrese Maxey to go around him.
On this possession, Baylor Scheierman comes high enough to protect against a right-hand drive while still staying close enough to Paul George to contest a potential shot. However, the weakside help from Jaylen Brown is nowhere to be found.
But Jordan Walsh isn’t the only one who struggled with screen navigation. Derrick White also had a hard time keeping up with Tyrese Maxey, and navigating (moving?) screens from Joel Embiid is always tough.
Then comes the big-man issue: the Celtics don’t have a center who can backpedal and execute solid drop coverage, especially on high ball screens. Watch Neemias Queta’s feet and hips—it’s a mess, and Maxey can beat him in a second, while Jayson Tatum takes too long to commit as the strong-side helper.
There are several possessions where it’s hard to understand the defensive decision-making. Here, Tatum doesn’t impact either the drive or the passing lane, Brown’s body orientation opens a freeway for Paul George, and Vucevic doesn’t disrupt the two-man action at all.
The screen navigation issues are where it all starts because they give the ball handler far too much freedom. Look at the lack of intensity on this possession from JB. He jogs and doesn’t fight over the screen, which gives PG space and momentum to attack Vucevic, who is known for poor rim protection. Again, there is no commitment or help from the weakside by either White or Tatum.
Here again, the defensive shell breaks after another ball-screen action. Jayson Tatum can’t keep up with VJ Edgecombe, which triggers help from Sam Hauser, who forgets about Kelly Oubre behind him. When the Sixers wing cuts, he has enough space to finish and draws another shooting foul from Queta.
To avoid Joel Embiid’s screening action, the Celtics switch Jaylen Brown onto the big man, but the size mismatch is too significant and quickly forces Queta to help, leading to yet another shooting foul.
Nonetheless, because drop coverage against Embiid screening actions has been so problematic, the Celtics will likely need to adjust their coverage—or execute it far better than what we saw in Game 5.
The transfer portal has changed college basketball, look no further than Michigan's remade roster that led the Wolverines to the national championship this April.
But high school recruiting still remains important. Don't believe us? Look at the 2026 NBA Draft. Nine of the top 10 projected picks in this year's draft were in the 2025 recruiting class.
Tyran Stokes, the consensus No. 1 player in the 2026 class, committed to Kansas on April 28, giving Bill Self yet another blue-chip prospect in a recruiting class that includes five players inside the top 150.
But that's not enough to put the Jayhawks atop USA TODAY Sports' 2026 recruiting team rankings. See who picked up the top spot and check out the full top 25 below.
Player rankings are the average position from 247Sports, Rivals/On3, ESPN and Prep Hoops rankings.
Just missed: Ohio State, Pitt, Wake Forest, Iowa State, Gonzaga
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball recruiting 2026 class team rankings: Rich get richer
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees open a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx on Friday...
Volpe is on the cusp of returning. The Yankees haven't announced whether the shortstop will be activated off the IL this weekend or if he will even start right away, but it's something that's worth monitoring.
Volpe is seemingly ready to come back after he hit .303 with a homer, three RBI, and two stolen bases across 10 minor league games.
Whenever Volpe returns, the everyday lineup will get a shakeup. Will that affect how manager Aaron Boone uses his players, and how will the utility players like Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario respond?
And speaking of...
If Volpe gets his starting shortstop job back, that means Caballero will be more of a bench player.
It's a shame considering Caballero has had a strong start to the 2026 season. Through 30 games, Caballero is slashing .267/.313/.400 with an OPS of .713 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He's also been very good defensively.
The calls for Volpe to be on the bench will be louder if he doesn't get off to a good start when he returns, but that will especially be the case if Caballero gets benched.
What benefits Caballero is his versatility. In his career, he's played second base, shortstop, third base, and in the outfield. With Ryan McMahon's continued struggles, Rosario could see starts at the hot corner against a left-handed starter.
Dominguez was called up to give the Yanks a bat after the youngster killed it down in Triple-A and when Giancarlo Stanton landed on the IL. But now Dominguez could be landing on the IL as well.
Dominguez suffered a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday's loss to the Rangers, and will receive more imaging when he gets back to New York.
Will Dominguez be able to just sit and wait for his elbow to heal, or will the Yankees need to make another move? If Dominguez does land on the IL, who will be called up? Volpe could take Dominguez's spot on the roster and leave Max Schuemann on the team until Stanton returns.
However the injury news falls for Dominguez, it's a shame for the youngster who has worked his way back to the team and was hoping to prove that he belongs.
Bednar has been very effective this season, but he's been more cardiac-inducing than dominant of late.
In his last two outings (Monday and Tuesday against the Rangers), he's allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a hit batter. He eventually locked down saves in both games, but the Yankees could use easier ninth innings this weekend.
Of his 13 appearances this season, he's allowed one or fewer baserunners just five times.
The Yankees' rotation is one of the best in baseball and they hope to keep that going in this four-game series.
Using Elmer Rodriguez on Wednesday gives the rotation an extra day of rest, which could benefit them all. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers take the mound to start the series and hope to build on their last starts.
Max Fried, after not allowing a run in his last two starts (14 innings), will take the mound on Sunday. With Garret Crochet on the IL and Tarik Skubal not pitching to his usual Cy Young level, another dominant start would put Fried at the top of early Cy Young race.
And speaking of the top pitchers in the AL, Cam Schlittler is making waves in the early going. He outdueled Jacob deGrom on Tuesday and will take the mound for the series finale on Monday.
Aaron Judge
The captain has three home runs in his last seven games and that'll continue this weekend.
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler is just on a roll. It's hard to imagine the Orioles putting an end to that streak of great starts.
Gunnar Henderson
The shortstop has nine home runs entering play Thursday, and the lefty could utilize the short porch.
Sixers appreciate George doing ‘everything' through roller coaster of Celtics series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
In a Sixers-Celtics series of brilliant highs and terrible lows, Paul George has been steady.
For his teammates, George’s two-way play has certainly not flown under the radar.
“He does everything,” Joel Embiid said Tuesday night in Boston after the Sixers beat the Celtics and forced a Game 6. “It starts on defense. He’s been guarding (Jaylen Brown), (Jayson Tatum), just going back and forth. He’s an amazing defender, making it tough on those guys. … He just does a little bit of everything and we need all of it.”
Through five games of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series, George has averaged 17.2 points. He’s scored between 16 and 19 in every game and done so quite efficiently, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range. George has also chipped in 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
“He’s smart (defensively), he’s quick, he’s long, he’s athletic, he’s determined,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday. “And I think his offense still is growing and his confidence is still growing a bit.”
George’s second season as a Sixer was derailed when the NBA suspended him 25 games in late January for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
The nine-time All-Star wing saw a major silver lining in the suspension, noting that he felt in a “much better place physically” after the time off. Including the Sixers’ play-in tournament victory over the Magic, George has played in 16 consecutive games. During that stretch, he’s largely been the player the Sixers envisioned when they signed him to a four-year, $212 million contract in the summer of 2024.
Veteran leadership has been part of the package with George. Though he’s comfortable going with the flow, George hasn’t been silent at all. Tyrese Maxey mentioned that the 35-year-old was one of the Sixers who told him that his three field goal attempts in the first half of the team’s blowout Game 4 loss was an “unacceptable” number.
Maxey played a strong Game 5, posting 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
“I thought he was aggressive,” George said in the visiting locker room at TD Garden. “I thought he was looking for his shot, looking to go downhill and be aggressive. And that’s what we need. When we’re locked in as a group, he’s playing at his best and he’s aggressive offensively. I thought he was everything and all of that from start to finish tonight.”
Asked about the internal conversations that helped the Sixers bounce back from their brutal Game 4, George kept it simple.
“Rebounding and defending,” he said. “Those were really the two things that we needed to do to give ourselves a chance.”
To continue their comeback and take Thursday night’s Game 6 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Sixers know they need George to play just as he has the whole series.
“He’s been excellent on defense,” Nurse said Wednesday. “He’s in a physical battle a lot of times with Brown on both ends. They’re really battling each other.
“There’s a lot of screens to get through, there’s a lot of push-offs, there’s a lot of isolations, there’s a lot of actions. … If (Brown) doesn’t have the ball, they’re setting flare screens for him. If he’s down the floor, they’re setting pin-downs, cross screens. They’re posting him, they’re running him in screen-and-rolls, they’re getting him at the nail for isos. … (Brown) right now is up there with the best of the league, but I think Paul has taken that challenge and done a good job.
“He’s good off the ball, too. He’s a really good defender and he’s been good in this series.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins playoff run and 2025-26 season came to an end on Wednesday night with a 1-0 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It is a frustrating loss, mostly because the Penguins were the better team for most of the game, including the third period and overtime. It was the third consecutive game in the series where they got better, played better, and seemed to be tilting the ice in their favor. Each game it felt like there was a big breakthrough about to happen, and then they simply ran out of time for it to happen.
If it had gone to a Game 7, you would have had to have liked their chances.
But there will be no Game 7, and it is not really because of what happened on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
It is because of what happened in Games 1-3, and specifically in Games 1-2 on home ice.
Those games count just as much as the later games, and in some ways they count even more. When you put yourself into a 3-0 hole, you are leaving yourself with no margin for error the rest of the way. Literally, zero margin. You have to be nearly perfect and get some breaks. The Penguins made it interesting, they made it dramatic, and I have no fault with the way they played to close out the series. They just put themselves in a bad spot. You can not do that if you are going to win in the playoffs.
It also does not negate the positives from the season.
Like I said on Tuesday, not every season has to end with a championship or a No. 1 overall pick to be meaningful. You can enjoy a fun, unexpected season and walk away from it feeling good. You can appreciate the ride. And this was one hell of a ride that nobody expected when the season began.
Outside of that stretch in December where they lost eight games in a row and blew some unimaginable leads, this team was consistently awesome. Even that ugly stretch of games was important for the storyline because their ability to bounce back from that losing streak, and the way they accumulated some of those losses, was a testament to the mindset they had and showed all year. Nothing phased them. Nothing shook them. Most teams that go down 3-0 fizzle out in four or five games. They were a shot away from a Game 7 on home ice. It is okay to walk away from that feeling good when the season began with the team being labeled as “the only team trying not to win,” and having the third-worst playoff odds in the league.
They also found some dudes for the long haul.
Ben Kindel is a dude and got a taste of what the NHL and playoff hockey are all about.
Egor Chinakhov looks like a dude. I am not down on his playoff performance that much. It is frustrating he never broke through and found that goal, but he was at least noticeable and in scoring positions.
They found some players that look like they have a chance to stick around. Elmer Soderblom has a place here. Harrison Brunicke is going to be here next season. Sergei Murashov is going to be here next season. Both got a taste of NHL life and gave you a glimpse of what they can do. You should be excited for it. Especially Murashov.
The season did not take on the look or feel that everybody expected, but it was hardly a waste.
Not only do they have more people coming from within, they have an outstanding salary cap situation and tradable assets going into the summer. I have no idea what is going to happen this summer and who it is going to involve, but it is going to be one of the more fascinating offseasons we have seen in a while.
We have weeks to discuss all of that. For now, let’s just take some quick thoughts on what we just watched in the first round.
This was the difference and the thing I am going to keep going back to when it comes to where it all went wrong. They had opportunities. They had chances to swing games. And they not only failed to do so, they usually sucked the life out of games and ruined momentum. The two worst examples of it were in Games 1 and 2 and Game 6. In the first two games at home they were barely able to even enter the zone. In Game 2, they missed early opportunities to score the first goal and then gave up a back-breaking shorthanded goal in the third period with a chance to tie the game. In Game 6, they again missed some big opportunities to break through and score the first goal.
Aside from the lack of production, it just never felt like they were particularly close to scoring. The numbers back that up. They generated just 7.73 expected goals per 60 minutes of power play time, 12th among the 16 playoff teams as of Thursday. That number would have ranked 31st in the NHL during the regular season. The Penguins, for that matter, generated 9.19 expected goals per 60 minutes of power play time, 11th most in the NHL.
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact the Penguins power play ALLOWED 2.30 expected goals per 60 minutes (including a shorthanded goal). That is an appalling number. No other team in the playoffs has allowed more than 1.77. No team in the regular season allowed more than 1.39 per 60 minutes of power play time.
The power play did them in.
It did them in by not scoring enough, by giving up a game-changing and series-changing goal, and by sucking momentum away from them and toward the Flyers.
Too many times in this series it looked like the power play we saw the past few years. Stationary. Not enough chances. Too much perimeter passing. Easily the most disappointing part of the series from a Penguins perspective.
What a roller coaster of a season this has been. He arrived with the expectation of being a trade chip. He ended up having a career year, scoring 33 goals, setting a career high and leading the team in goals. Then he delivered one of the most underwhelming, no-show playoff appearances I can ever recall from a Penguins player. Non-factor does not even begin to describe this playoff showing from him, and the fact he has now played 20 career playoff games and not scored a single goal is a tough look.
Also a tough look: Flubbing a potential game-winning chance in overtime with a muffin backhand shot, and then standing at the side of the net like it is a regular season practice with your stick on your knees while everybody else digs for the puck.
If opposing general managers really were watching him closely this offseason as a pending unrestricted free agent, he did not do himself any favors.
What do you do with this guy?
He is still young.
He still has limited NHL experience so the jury is still out on him.
He is a goalie, so trying to project future performance is as useful as trying to predict what the weather is going to do four weeks from now.
He went through stretches this season that made you say, “hey, this guy might be a player.” He went through stretches that made you say, “how is this guy an NHL goalie?” Through all of those stretches his rebound control and puck-playing skills were a constant wild ride.
But man did he deliver in the playoffs when he got his opportunity. As limited as his resume is, he has already developed a reputation as a big-game player and he only built on that over the past three games.
I will admit that he was the biggest concern that I had in the Penguins ability to make this series or potentially win it. But he played great.
Sidney Crosby is going to be back, but we have no idea whether or not Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang will be. If one, or both, of them is not, what a run it has been.
Since the start of the 2005-06 season no team in the NHL has won more playoff games than the Penguins.
No team has been in more Stanley Cup Finals.
Only one team has won as many Stanley Cups.
Hard to find fault with any of this. The best and most successful 20-plus year run in the history of the franchise. These guys were the centerpieces of it all.
It was a lackluster day down on the farm, but there were a handful of individual performances to highlight. So let’s dive into Wednesday’s action.
Despite holding a three-run lead headed into the home half of the seventh inning, Gwinnett failed to hold on to it, resulting in the one-run loss to Charlotte as the Stripers dropped game two of the series.
Gwinnett jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to an RBI-groundout off the bat of Jair Camargo which scored Brett Wisely.
After Charlotte tied things up in the bottom of the frame, the Stripers retook the lead in the top of the third — scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Whenever you score nine runs on 10 hits, the odds for winning are probably going to be heavily in your favor. That was not the case for Gwinnett on Wednesday.
The biggest detriment came in the form of starting pitching, as Elieser Hernandez got the start on the mound and proceeded to give up six runs on nine hits while striking out three before he was pulled in the sixth inning.
As the score suggests, Gwinnett’s offense more than held its own on the night. Luke Williams launched his third homer of the year in the top of the sixth inning — a solo shot that traveled 391-feet over the left field wall.
On a defensive note, first baseman Aaron Schunk made an incredible play in the bottom of the third inning where he tracked down a fly ball in foul territory and made the catch despite his momentum carrying him over the dugout railing. Somehow Schunk held on to the ball and made the out in what was a stellar play.
Sean Murphy — who continues to rehab in an attempt to make his way back to the big league roster — also came through with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 as well.
It’s been a rough go of it for Murphy on his rehab stint as he’s only posted an OPS of .469 in 10 games. However, he may be turning a corner as he has five hits in his last three games, including a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
It was yet another rough outing for Garrett Baumann, as the tall righty suffered through a lackluster start again for Columbus as the Clingstones — like their triple-A counterparts — came up short in the one-run loss.
Across five innings of work, Baumann surrendered six runs on eight hits while also issuing four walks and striking out three. In 22.1 innings on the mound this season, Baumann has allowed 22 runs (20 earned) on 30 hits, while giving up at least one homer in each of his five starts thus far. He is carrying an ERA of 8.06 after Wednesday’s outing.
While his strikeout rate is up a click at 23.4%, Baumann’s walk rate has also skyrocketed along with it; going from 6.4% to end the 2025 season, to 13% in 2026. His fly ball-home run ratio is also trending in the wrong direction, as 30% of balls hit in the air against Baumann leave the yard.
It’s as close to a disastrous start to a season as you can get for Baumann, who was hoped to be on the verge of taking that next step toward becoming the next elite starting pitching prospect in Atlanta’s system. Instead, he has taken several steps backwards and could be on the verge of being sent down to high-A Rome with the hopes he gets things back on track.
Otherwise, Baumann may be destined for a bullpen role if he’s not able to make things work as a starter. Regardless, it’s extremely concerning.
Getting back to Wednesday’s action, David McCabe stole the show at the plate for Columbus, as the designated hitter went 2-5 with a home run and a double to pace the Clingstones’ offense. McCabe also drove in two of Columbus’ five total runs on the night.
Ha-Seong Kim also made his much-anticipated debut as he begins his own respective rehab assignment.
Going 1-2 with a single, Kim also managed to swipe third base eventually and by all accounts looked healthy.
On defense, Kim only had one ball hit to him before he was removed in the sixth inning, but he managed to field it cleanly.
The Emperors rode an early hot start — in which they scored all but one of their nine total runs in the first four innings — to a victory to get back above .500 on the season.
Cedric De Grandpre got the start on the mound and arguably put up one of his best performances thus far. Across five innings of work, De Grandpre did allow three runs, but managed to strike out eight on the day while keeping his offense in the game.
Of course, it wouldn’t take much to keep the bats in it as Rome outhit Bowling Green 11-4.
Dixon Williams continued his hot start at the plate following his delayed start to the season, as he went 2-5 with a homer and three RBI on the day for Rome. Going 2-5 with a homer and three RBI, Williams raised his season OPS to .953 with his stellar performance on Wednesday as he continues to get up to speed after starting the season on the injured list.
One thing to keep an eye on is Isaiah Drake, who was removed from Rome’s game in the top of the second inning on Wednesday and replaced by Logan Braunschweig. While there has been no official report as to why he was replaced, Braunschweig put up a solid night by going 3-4 with two RBI to his credit.
Long story short: it simply wasn’t Augusta’s night on Wednesday as the GreenJackets were shutout in the loss.\
Derek Vartanian got the start and while he was somewhat solid — five innings pitched while allowing two earned runs on three hits and six strikeouts — his offense failed to provide him with any meaningful support on the day.
Overall, Augusta was was outhit 7-5 as the GreenJackets simply failed to string together any sort of meaningful offense on Wednesday.
One positive was Tate Southisene, who managed to go 2-4 on the night, while Juan Mateo — who went 2-3 with Augusta’s only extra-base hit in a double — also put up respectable numbers for the GreenJackets on Wednesday as well.