PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 30: Nick Bonino #13 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a third period goal against Martin Jones #31 of the San Jose Sharks in Game One of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Consol Energy Center on May 30, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ten years ago today, Nick Bonino brought the house down at PPG Paints Arena with a late game-winning goal in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.
The Penguins opened the 2016 Cup Final with a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks and it was quite the thrilling contest.
Pittsburgh was back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2009 and the Penguins didn’t waste any time giving the home fans something to be excited about.
Bryan Rust opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game and around a minute later, Conor Sheary extended the Penguins’ lead to 2-0.
The second period went more the way of the Sharks with Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau leveling the game at 2-2 headed to the final frame.
The third period was tightly played and it almost felt like the air in PPG Paints Arena was starting to reach a boiling point.
Then Nick Bonino blew the roof off with his late game-winner.
SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 9: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings smiles prior to the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 9, 2024 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Today Harrison Barnes celebrates his 34th birthday. As one of the elder statesmen with the San Antonio Spurs, Barnes has been a leader both on and off the court. In addition to his athletic ability, his philanthropic endeavors have been recognized throughout the league.
Barnes was drafted by the Golden State Warriors 7th overall in 2012. In 2015, he won an NBA title with the Warriors. He, along with Luke Kornet, are the two current members of the Spurs with NBA Championships.
The following year, the Warriors tallied the greatest regular season record in NBA history going 73-9. In the Western Conference Finals, they met the Oklahoma City Thunder. And on May 30, 2016 — ten years ago today — Harrison Barnes won his last Game 7 against that very Thunder team, advancing to the NBA Finals.
Harrison Barnes won his last Game 7 on May 30, 2016.
— ClutchPoints NBA (@ClutchPointsNBA) May 29, 2026
Can Barnes and the Spurs grant a birthday victory? Let’s blow out the candles and sing him a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
This game is going to be epic. For the young Spurs, this is the most important NBA game they have ever played. In fact, after the Spurs tied the series on Thursday night, Dylan Harper stated Game 7 will be the biggest game he’s played in. When asked what was the biggest game so far, he said, “this one tonight” referring to Game 6.
For Barnes, this is his furthest he’s been in the postseason in quite some time. He has the opportunity to make it to the big show a decade after back-to-back trips in the early years of his career. Back then, he was on the court with a generational player being coached by a man who credited much of his learning to Gregg Popovich.
While the situation may bear similarities, tomorrow’s game will determine if the Spurs will make their first NBA Finals in a dozen years. The last time Barnes was in this situation, the Warriors fought their way into their second consecutive title run. He was a young player. Now, he brings institutional knowledge to a team looking to secure a shot to play the New York Knicks next week. But first, they have to get through tonight.
Happy birthday, Harrison, may this be your best day yet.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees stands next to Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics at first base in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just as it looked like the Yankees were swooning, they’ve pulled out of it. Five straight wins will do that, with New York now within 1.5 games of Tampa Bay and one off their highwater mark above .500 for the season. It’s times like these that the club’s stellar starting rotation feels so imposing; coming off a quick stretch in which Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Cam Schlittler all shoved, the Yankees can casually toss out another player with an ERA that’s threatening to go under 3 in Ryan Weathers tonight. When your starting pitching gives you a great chance to win every night, well, you’re gonna win a lot of games.
It’ll be another long day’s journey into night today, with the Yankees and A’s facing off at 10 pm EST. Before that, Andrew will get you caught up with today’s Rivalry Roundup, and Matt’s profile of Rube Oldring will be the next entry in our Yankee Birthday series. Later, John analyzes the opening salvos in the CBA negotiations from the MLBPA and the league, Josh discusses The Backup Catcher situation, and Kento analyzes Amed Rosario’s quality work at the plate.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Athletics
Time: 10:05 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, NBCSCA
Venue: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
Questions/Prompts:
1. Have Carlos Rodón’s back-to-back solid starts convinced you that he’s all the way back?
2. The A’s, at 27-30, are just one game back of first in the AL West. Who do you favor in this division of sub.-500 clubs?
The Hens offense had a good night, but Carl Edwards Jr. and the Hens bullpen did not.
Edwards Jr. is being stretched out as a starter for whatever reason. Probably because Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg liked him as a Cubs reliever nearly a decade ago. Anyway, he got shelled right out of the gate much like his last outing and was pulled before the first inning was over. Scott Effross allowed two run in the second, and so it was 6-0 real quickly.
It was 7-0 by the time the Hens got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Max Anderson drilled an opposite field homer, and two batters later Jace Jung launched his seventh of the year to make it 7-2 Columbus. Corey Julks immediately followed with another solo shot, and Tomás Nido doubled. Kerry Carpenter singled to right to get Nido to third, and Ben Malgeri doubled in Nido to make it a 7-4 game.
Anderson was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth, and two batter later Jung cracked a two-run shot, his second of the game. 7-6 Columbus.
Lael Lockhart Jr. allowed two runs in the eighth, and Luke Ritter one in the ninth. The Hens got a run in the bottom of the eighth when Tyler Gentry singled against Daniel Espino and Trei Cruz doubled him in.
Carpenter went 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and a strikeout in his first rehab game with the Hens. Trei Cruz had the double and two strikeouts. Cruz shouldn’t be too far from readiness, particularly as the Tigers need him to play shortstop and center field, so all he has to do is be slightly more effective than Zack Short.
Jung: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, BB, K
Julks: 2-5, R, RBI, HR, 3 K
Cruz: 1-5, RBI, 2B, 2 K
Clark: 1-4, BB
Edwards (L, 1-4): 0.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start at Fifth Third on Saturday with the Clippers up 3-1 in the series.
The Baysox clobbered lefty Carlos Peña in this one, and they found that clobbering pitchers was fun. So they continue to add on as they ran away with this one.
Peña got through the first, but the second was just a parade of hits that wouldn’t end. He didn’t even walk a batter, but the Baysox racked up seven runs in the second inning, knocking him out of the game.
Luke Taggart took over, but left in the fourth with two on, and Johan Simon got a grounder that went for an error on first baseman Chris Meyers to plate another run. Eric Silva gave up another in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Justice Bigbie doubled to lead off and a flyout and a ground out were enough to score him. Thayron Liranzo has been red hot the past few weeks after a slow start, and he crushed his seventh homer of the year, this one right-handed, in the seventh. That’s six homers in Liranzo’s last 12 games.
Thayron Liranzo goes to the opposite field for his 7th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/uzaIPNbURN
Catcher Aaron Antonini pitched 2.1 innings, which tells you all you need to know really. First baseman Andrew Jenkins got the final two out.
Liranzo: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K
Bigbie: 1-3, R, 2B, BB
Peña (L, 3-2): 1.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Lansing Lugnuts 2 (box)
Carlos Marcano gave the Whitecaps a solid short start and the bullpen held up in this one as they evened the series on Friday.
Marcano needed 55 pitches to work through three innings, and for whatever reason the Tigers refuse to stretch their pitchers out. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out four in a scoreless outing.
Caleb Shpur doubled and then stole third in the third inning. Woody Hadeen singled him in for a 1-0 lead.
Lefty Ethan Sloan allowed the Lugnuts to tie it up in the fourth, but bounced back with a scoreless fifth inning. Doubles from Ricardo Hurtado and Garrett Pennington in the sixth made it 2-1 ‘Caps. In the eighth, they loaded the bases and a two-run single from Clayton Campbell made it 4-1.
Kelvis Salcedo’s command just wasn’t there in this one. The offense made a nice push late to come back, but couldn’t complete the task.
Salcedo just couldn’t find a groove in this one. His fastball velocity was down, and while he only walked one in three innings of work, he was behind in counts though much of his outing. He gave up a solo shot in the second inning, and three runs in the third before departing. Jatnk Diaz settled things down in the fourth, but then surrendered a pair of runs in the fifth. So it was 6-0 Cardinals at that point, and Yendy Gomez balked in another in the sixth.
Zach MacDonald continues to mash and play a good center field. He crushed a rocket to left in the top of the seventh for his 12th home run on the year with Beau Ankeney board. 7-2 Cardinals.
In the eighth Newremberg Rondon (I can’t help but think Nuremberg) doubled to lead off the inning and singles from catcher Hunter Dobbins and Jordan Yost singled in Rondon. The Cardinals went back to their pen, but Jude Warwick greeted Jesus Garcia with a double to left to plate Dobbins. Yost was thrown out trying to go first to home, but Warwick took third on that play, and Nick Dumesnil lifted a sacrifice fly to score him.
So it was 7-5, but the Flying Tigers couldn’t muster anything more.
MacDonald: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Yost: 1-4, RBI, K
Dobbins: 1-2, R, BB
Salcedo (L, 0-2): 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday with Palm Beach leading the series 3-1.
Aleiman Cruz gave the Tigers a very good start and they pounded out 14 hits to crush the Yankees on Friday. Cruz scattered three hits and no walks over four innings of scoreless work, striking out five.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars dribbles the ball while being guarded by Nic Codie #10 of the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is not difficult. Don’t get cute. Don’t get smart. Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins should keep it simple and just pick the guy they think is likely to be the best NBA player and move on to the next opportunity.
There are several reasons for this. For starters, decades of NBA Draft experience says that the answer to the question in the headline is simple: do not pick for fit. Washington Wizards general manager and the team’s decision-makers would be wise to accept this lesson, even in a year with multiple high-quality prospects.
BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is expected to the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. | Getty Images
The most famous blunder stemming from picking for fit was probably when the Portland Trail Blazers chose Kentucky center Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan because they thought they needed a center.
As former Indiana University head coach Bob Knight said, “Then play Jordan at center.”
This leads me to the second major reason to pick upside and talent over fit — team needs and fit is a moving target. The reality is that no team is so talented that they can’t use another great talent. If they’re truly having a positional logjam, they can always make a trade. It turns out, other teams will pay for talented players.
But even without injuries, team needs change fast. For example, look back to 2020 when the Wizards picked Deni Avdija over Tyrese Haliburton, in large reason because the front office at the time thought they were well-stocked at guard. After all, Bradley Beal was a two-time All-Star and John Wall was slated to return.
Their trade of Wall brought back Russell Westbrook — another guard.
Tyrese Halburton spent last season in street clothes recovering from an Achilles tear, but he should have been Washington’s first round pick in 2020. | Getty Images
The case for picking Avdija was that he had good size and and some guard-like skills, and that he’d pair well with Rui Hachimura as highly switchable forwards. That was the theory.
Except…well…Haliburton was the better prospect. No insult to Avdija but still. Haliburton was crazy productive in the NCAA, had an infectious and ebullient leadership style, and a funky-junky jumper and all-around game that just worked. He was All-Rookie, and in four seasons was a two-time All-Star, twice named All-NBA, and was the best player on a team that reached game seven of the NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, Westbrook wanted out after a season and suddenly the Wizards were back in the market for guards.
The point: needs change. Often fast.
The third major reason to pick talent over fit is that even savvy basketball executives have difficulty determining how players actually fit together — even when the players are established veterans. The Milwaukee Bucks paid a ransom for Damian Lillard because it seemed a sure thing that Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo would make a devastating pick-and-roll combo. On the court, they were kinda okay together but true synergy never coalesced.
The reality is that skilled players usually can figure out how to work together effectively. They can develop fit. Not always, of course — ego, money, health, and other factors come into play too. But that’s true even when positions and skills seem to fit like puzzle pieces. Think about Kyrie Irving asking for a trade after three straight trips to the NBA Finals, which included winning a championship. He wanted out from LeBron James’ considerable shadow despite what seemed to be an ideal on-court fit.
Could the Wizards pick Darryn Peterson with the No. 1 overall selection? | Getty Images
The fourth major reason: NBA teams are choosing young men in their late teens or early twenties. Most prospects — especially those at the top of the draft — have been the best player on virtually every team they’ve ever played on. Some guys will learn lessons from NBA-level competition and work themselves into stars. Some will adapt themselves into roles with varying degrees of responsibility. Others won’t rise to the challenge or they’ll get distracted and never become contributors.
Which is which is challenging enough without layering on guesses about how they’ll fit on court with other NBA players.
The only exception to the rule is if two or more prospects are essentially equals. Then go ahead and pick for a perceived positional need. This kind of thing is pretty rare, though. Especially at the top of the draft.
This year’s NBA draft is strong at the top. My stat-based prospect evaluation tool Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short) has four players with grades consistent with being the number one overall pick in most drafts — Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson. But they’re not co-equals.
A strong majority of public-facing talent evaluators believe Dybantsa has the highest upside. The betting odds at FanDuel agree on the top pick and point towards a hierarchy of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson.
This doesn’t mean Dybantsa should be the pick. The lesson for the Wizards is to conduct a thorough evaluations, decide which of these prospects is most likely to have the best NBA career, and then pick that guy. Let the coach and the players figure out how to make it work on the floor. Make a trade down the road if they can’t. But don’t waste time guessing at perceived fit. The first step in building a great basketball team is collecting talent.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (4) moves the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
This one is a bit personal for me.
I’ve been a Nikola Vučević fan since he was traded from Philadelphia to Orlando, and for years I hoped the Montenegrin big man would eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics. That trade to Orlando happened back in 2012, when I was still in high school. Fast forward 14 years, and the wish finally came true when Boston acquired Vučević.
Unfortunately, 12 games into his Celtics tenure, Vučević suffered a fractured right ring finger against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next 14 games.
In the 16 regular-season games he played for Boston, Vučević averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and two assists while shooting 34% from 3-point range and 43.9% from the field.
The numbers don’t jump out, but there are plenty of explanations as to why he wasn’t an instant fit.
The biggest factor was the injury. Vučević simply didn’t get enough time on the court with his new teammates to learn everyone’s tendencies and settle into the system. From the moment he arrived in Boston, he was already playing catch-up.
Vučević has never been known as a great defender, so adjusting to Joe Mazzulla’s system was always going to take time. With such a strong emphasis on communication and knowing every assignment, he needed reps that he ultimately never got. By the time he returned from injury, he had only four games left in the regular season to ramp up before the playoffs began.
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens also acknowledged the impact the injury had on Vučević’s season. “He’s our only unrestricted free agent. I thought, obviously, getting traded here when he did, he had some moments. Broke his finger, that probably set him back,” Stevens said.
There were flashes during the season that showed what Vučević could bring to the roster. Against Brooklyn, he posted 28 points and 11 rebounds. In his Celtics debut against Miami, he recorded a double-double in a win.
In the playoffs, though, Vučević struggled.
Facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round was never an ideal matchup for him, and that showed throughout most of the series. His season ultimately ended with a DNP-CD in Game 7.
“This was a hard matchup for all of us. I think when I looked at it the other day, he ended up being a plus in the series, but it was back and forth with all those guys,” Stevens said.
“I thought Vuč gave us all that he had and did what we asked. It was a hard matchup,” Stevens added. “I have a lot of respect for Vuč as a person and as a pro. I know he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around.”
As the team’s lone unrestricted free agent, it’ll be interesting to see what Vučević prioritizes this offseason. Is it money? A contender? A mix of both?
If the Celtics want him back, they can certainly offer him a chance to compete for another title, though it would likely need to come on a team-friendly contract, if not a veteran minimum deal.
If Vučević is open to returning, I’d be all for bringing him back on a reasonable contract. He’s still a solid frontcourt option and could provide valuable depth alongside Neemias Queta and Luka Garza.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
What’s a fair trade for the Sharks’ No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft?
Of course, odds are, the Sharks aren’t actually going to deal the pick: The last time that a top-five selection moved, post-draft lottery, was in 2008.
That said?
“Mike Grier is absolutely open to moving the No. 2 pick,” insider Pierre LeBrun reported in The Athletic on Wednesday, “depending on the offers.”
So what are fair offers for No. 2 overall?
San Jose Hockey Now spoke with three NHL scouts and an executive to come up with some reasonable deals.
Two trade scenarios seem to make the most sense for the Sharks: Trading back from No. 2 and still coming out with a high pick or dangling No. 2 for an established star.
Trade Back?
The Sharks, as an organization, are deep up front and shallow on defense.
So while there’s much thought that wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the top prospects of the draft, there’s also a handful of blueline prospects, Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff and Alberts Smits, who could well be future No. 1 defensemen.
The Sharks must also add to their current blueline, which has just two defensemen signed for next year, veteran Dmitry Orlov and rookie Sam Dickinson.
So trading back can still net the Sharks a high pick, which they can use on a top defensive prospect, and they can acquire some blueline help right now, too.
Could the Sharks trade No. 2 to the Blackhawks for the No. 4 pick, defenseman Kevin Korchinski and Chicago’s 2026 second-rounder — No. 34 overall?
“I think that would be a fair trade,” the executive said.
“I like this trade for San Jose,” Scout No. 1 said.
Korchinski would be an intriguing-but-risky gamble. The 2022 No. 7 pick has bounced between the NHL and AHL for the last two years.
“I’m only 50-50 that he’s a top-four guy [in the future],” the exec said. “He’s sort of erratic. Has trouble slowing the game down.”
That said, the 6-foot-1 left-hander is just 21, talented, and could benefit from a change of scenery.
Also, the Blackhawks aren’t likely to trade their top young defensemen, think Alex Vlasic and Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, just to move up two spots in the draft. Meanwhile, the Sharks might still end up with their choice of defenseman in the draft, if the top-three picks are forwards, and they’re adding some quality assets on top of that.
In the same vein, could the Sharks trade No. 2 to the New York Rangers for the No. 5 pick, defenseman Braden Schneider and the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2026 second-rounder? That pick will be in the 60’s.
Schneider, unlike Korchinski, is an established NHL player. He’s 24, big and mobile, and averaged over 20 minutes a night this season.
But there are also questions about what the pending RFA’s ceiling is, if he’s more of a high-end bottom-pairing defender as opposed to a true top-four.
“He didn’t elevate his play last year,” Scout No. 2 said. “But he would be a stabilizer for the Sharks. Not a big numbers guy, [can be] second-pairing and kill penalties.”
Schneider could be a solid replacement for possibly departing UFA Mario Ferraro. Both are stay-at-home defenders.
“I like this trade for both teams,” the executive said.
“This one could be close,” Scout No. 3 said.
This deal might lose the Sharks their top choice of defenseman in this draft, but that could be acceptable, if they like multiple blueliners equally or if their favorite is a less celebrated one like Smits.
Win Now?
Or, the Sharks could get teen superstar Macklin Celebrini some real help right now.
There aren’t a lot of true No. 1 defensemen in the NHL, and even fewer potentially available for the No. 2 pick. So who’s a top blueliner who could be conceivably available?
Keep in mind, this is less likely than a trade back, and simply an exercise in ascertaining fair value.
Could the Sharks trade No. 2 and center prospect Filip Bystedt (or goalie prospect Joshua Ravensbergen) to the Rangers for defenseman Adam Fox?
Fox, 28, is a right-hander with a $9.5 million AAV until 2029. He has a No-Movement Clause next year, which becomes a 16-team No-Trade List after that.
“If I were San Jose, I would be scared to take Fox,” the executive said, remembering that the star defenseman forced his way out of the Calgary Flames, who drafted him, and the Carolina Hurricanes, before landing in the Big Apple. Is he finally ready to go West?
New York was one of the NHL’s worst teams this year, though Rangers general manager Chris Drury hasn’t signaled that the organization is ready to rebuild.
Fox is not considered by most to be in the class of arguable best defenseman in the world, Cale Makar, but he’s still a true No. 1, a point-per-game force who was the 2021 Norris Trophy winner and a four-time top-five Norris finalist. Despite these accolades, Fox’s reputation has taken a hit in recent years, as he struggled for Team USA at Four Nations and was passed over for the 2026 Olympics.
“Value is fair,” the executive said of the No. 2 and Bystedt for Fox.
“I like the Fox scenario [for both sides],” Scout No. 2 said.
If the No. 2 pick and 2022 first-rounder Bystedt, a good-but-not-great third-line center prospect, feels light for Fox, perhaps 2025 first-rounder and top goalie prospect Ravensbergen instead of Bystedt is more appropriate value? The Rangers don’t appear to have an heir apparent for veteran Igor Shesterkin, while the Sharks have 23-year-old Yaroslav Askarov tabbed as their starter of the future.
“I’m sure they’d ask for a higher-end prospect than Bystedt,” Scout No. 3 opined, “or a young player already in the NHL.”
That said, youngsters Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson or Igor Chernyshov, along with the No. 2, would probably tip the scales too much in the Rangers’ favor.
Anyway, remember these trade proposals are just exercises in figuring out fair value.
“I think all have some traction to them,” Scout No. 2 said.
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: We’re still a bit of a ways off from the Trade Deadline and the season leading up to it, but a picture is starting to be painted in regards to what the Yankees might do. Reports have the Yankees looking at relievers and catching options most notably.
MLB.com | Clark Fahrenthold: The phrase “there’s no such thing as a pitching prospect,” isn’t meant to be taken literally, as much as it is to get across that so much can go wrong for even the most “can’t miss” young pitchers. However, you can still get excited by them, and Carlos Lagrange is an exciting one. While he still has to put things all together, Lagrange has had the raw “stuff” for a while now, and he’s turning heads down in Triple-A.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees’ roster as currently made up contains quite a number of left-handed hitters. Now while they do have quite a very good right-handed hitter in Aaron Judge, the only other currently righty regulars are José Caballero, and Paul Goldschmidt. That’s why the Yankees believe that Giancarlo Stanton’s eventual return to the lineup will be a massive plus, even if he had gotten off to a slow start prior to his injury.
Undermanned side upsets finals-bound ACT Brumbies 21-19
Players come together to mark victory and club’s expected demise
An undermanned Moana Pasifika have capped off their potential final match with a stirring victory, upsetting the finals-bound ACT Brumbies 21-19.
But there were mixed feelings as players celebrated a rare win before coming together with staff to mark the occasion of the club’s farewell game and expected demise with an emotionally charged hymn.
A drunken lifeguard. A laptop with no disk space. A millenial regularly buying and consuming avocado toast. The San Francisco Giants bullpen.
What do they have in common? They’re not good at saving.
That was the case Friday night at Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies hit two home runs and scored five runs off Caleb Killian (1-3) in the bottom of the 9th inning, sending the Giants to their fourth straight loss and their eighth loss in their last 10 games.
Hunter Goodman hit a three-run homer to tie the game. Then with two outs, Ezequiel Tovar finished the shot with a two-run shot to left that gave Colorado an 8-6 victory and prompted the Rockies social media department to quote a song from “The Lizzie Maguire Movie,” which is about Lizzie Maguire traveling to Italy and meeting a pop star who looks exactly like her — a plot point only slightly more improbable than this Giants loss.
Just a note: That film pre-dated Hannah Montana, a series where Miley Cyrus leads a double life as a regular teenager and a famous pop star, but no one notices because she wears a blonde wig. Also for some reason, Haylie Duff does the singing for her sister’s Italian doppelganger.
Was that a digression? Sure, but isn’t it better than talking about the 2026 Giants?
Perhaps the Giants should have been more wary of a clutch two-run homer from Tovar, considering he did it one inning earlier to pull the Rockies to a 4-3 deficit in the 8th. Tovar hit it off Keaton Winn and the official 441-foot measurement honestly seems low.
How did the Giants get enough of a lead to set up their epic bullpen collapse? Logan Webb returned from the IL and fought his way through 4 1/3 innings that included three hits, three walks, a hit-by-pitch, and surrendering a steal of home on a Little League-caliber trick play.
But the Giants still held a 3-1 lead after five innings, even after SF nemesis Goodman (2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB) doubled the pitch-hit Tyler Freeman to third and Jung Hoo Lee, also fresh off the IL, made a very creative catch in right field.
You know who else is bad at saving? People not lucky enough to join the Safeway Select Club.
The Giants got on the board when DH Bryce Eldridge (1-for-1, two walks and a sac fly) doubled in the third and scored on a Willy Adames sac fly. They took the lead in the third with two walks, a Daniel Susac sacrifice fly, a single from Lee (4-for-5, two runs) and an RBI single from Harrison Bader.
The Giants scored three runs on sacrifice flies and another when Lee scored from second on Bader’s single, and not one player was thrown out at home plate. Welcome back to the third base coaching box, Ron Wotus!
Like the outs at home plate, the Giants also solved their season-long aversion to insurance runs Friday night. Lee doubled and Eldridge drove him home to make it 4-1 in the 8th. In the 9th, the Giants made it 6-3 after Rafeal Devers tripled home Luis Arraez, and Matt Chapman followed with an RBI single.
That missionary who tried to convert the tribespeople of North Sentinel Island, that guy was really bad at saves.
But a three-run lead wasn’t enough at Coors Field. Killian allowed an infield single to himself to start the 9th. Freeman singled and Goodman hit a Carlton Fisk-esque bomb to left field that just barely stayed fair. The umpires reviewed the play and confirmed the home run, which Goodman appreciated because he was “pretty gassed.”
That was Goodman’s fifth career home run against the Giants and his 24th-26th RBIs, which is 11 more than he has against any other team. He’s also slugging .591 against the Giants and he may have advised the Giants to buy the Curran Theatre in the offseason.
Jose Mejia (1-4) got his first win of the season and did not deserve it one bit after giving up two runs and three hits in the 9th, while also hitting a batter. Tovar ended up doubling his 2026 home run total in two at-bats, having gone deep twice in his first 202 trips to the plate this season before duplicating that feat after the 7th inning.
We should note that Tovar’s walkoff didn’t just give the Rockies a win. It gave the Rockies fans discounted tacos. At participating Denver-area Taco Bells, four crispy tacos can be had for just $3 from 4-6 PM tomorrow night. Just a warning — fans still have to pay for their own toilet paper after that promotion gives them diarrhea.
Saturday night Adrian Hauser takes the mound for the Giants as they face right-hander Ryan Feltner, who is coming off the injured list. He’ll probably throw a no-hitter.
The Cup Winners’ Cup would become a victim of the Champions League’s expansion in the late 1990s, but there could be no questioning the quality of the competition when Arsenal won it in the 1993-94 season. Real Madrid, Ajax, Parma, Torino, Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain stood in Arsenal’s way as they tried to win their first European trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1970.
The first round was far from encouraging. Arsenal limped past Danish club Odense 3-2 on aggregate. But the 10-0 demolition of Standard Liège – including a 7-0 win in Belgium – took George Graham’s side into a testing quarter-final against Torino.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -MAY 28: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half of Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A hard-fought Western Conference Finals will culminate in a Game Seven between two of the best teams in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs will venture to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder after a dominant 118-91 win in Game Six. It will be the biggest game of many of the young Spurs’ careers.
The Spurs took down the defending champions in Game Six thanks to an elite defensive performance. That same level of shut-down defense has been hard to come by on the road in this series. San Antonio will need to bring the same level of aggression and attention to defensive detail they’ve had at home to the sea of blue in OKC.
It all starts with Victor Wembanyama, who has been up and down in the series. When Wembanyama dominates, the Spurs do too. Oklahoma City has done whatever they can to slow down the 7-foot-4 alien. It’s on Wembanyama and the Spurs to find a way to free him up for easy looks in this elimination game.
Oklahoma City will come into Game Seven down two key players: Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams suited up in Game Six but looked extremely limited. He is ruled out for Game Seven. The Thunder will rely on the two-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the guard duo of Jared McCain and Alex Caruso to handle the ball and guard the perimeter.
The winner of Game Seven will go on to face the New York Knicks, who are on a 10-game winning streak heading into the NBA Finals. In many ways, this series has been two heavyweights trading major blows to qualify for the championship fight. We’ll see who lands the final knockout punch on Saturday night.
Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Out (hamstring)
What to watch for:
Wembanyama’s performance
It’s pretty simple: Wembanyama has to dominate for the Spurs to win. The Thunder have done everything in their power to keep him out of the paint. They’ve put stronger defenders on him to push him out of the paint. They’ve doubled him on lobs and sent two defenders at his post touches. The Spurs responded to this in Game Six by trying to get Wembanyama involved in empty-side pick-and-rolls or setting screens to get him moving toward the paint. Wemby mainly hurt the Thunder from deep in Game Six, but he’ll do his best work inside. A standout performance would establish him as one of the best players in the world.
Winning the possession battle
Mistakes will bury a team in Game Seven. Giving up second-chance points or easy buckets off of turnovers are debilitating when the stakes are high. San Antonio has done much better at taking care of the basketball since De’Aaron Fox returnred in Game Three. They have given up some offensive rebounds here and there in this series, mainly on long boards or when Wembanyama is out of position after going for a block. Minimizing turnovers and easy offensive boards will be crucial in Game Seven.
Guard play
This series has been defined by guard play. The Spurs haven’t relented guarding SGA with physical defenders like Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. While SGA hasn’t had a great series, his teammates have picked up the slack. McCain and Caruso have been awesome at home. San Antonio can’t let the Thunder’s role players heat up. McCain and Caruso can swing this game with their effort and shot making. Similarly, Dylan Harper and Castle can give the Spurs an edge by aggressively attacking the paint and putting pressure on the Thunder’s paint defenders. Watch out for Fox’s shot making. He’s been cold all series, but could be due for a big game.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 29: JP Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at T-Mobile Park on May 29, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
J.P. Crawford hit two homers, saved the go-ahead run, and then scored the winning run in extras.
The Mariners returned to .500 with a 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks. Randy Arozarena picked up the final knock, lacing a double into the right center gap to score Crawford in the 10th. It was the 13th — and the sixth for extra bases — on what turned out to be a phenomenal day for the Mariners’ lineup. But a sixth-inning implosion another blown save for Andrés Muñoz kept this one close to the very end.
It all started with Crawford, way back in the first inning. He led off and worked a three-ball count, as he does, laying off a nibbling Zac Gallen. Crawford got a fastball up and out over the plate, turned, and launched it into the right field stands.
It’s been a great season for Crawford at the plate. He’s continued to showcase his tremendous eye, and he’s continued to avoid strikeouts. His 0.81 K/BB is top 20 in baseball. But it’s his .179 ISO that really stands out, looking far closer to his excellent 2023 than what we’ve seen the last two season. The (relative) power is back.
In some ways, it never really left. Crawford changed his swing in 2023 and began hitting the ball much harder. He maintained that hard contact in 2024 even as he struggled, and it stuck around for his bounce back season last year, too. The lesser power numbers in either season were more about the angle that contact was going. Last year, most of his hardest hit balls were on the ground. This year, they’re in the air.
We saw that again in the fifth. Jhonny Pereda smoked a groundball single to lead off the inning. Crawford got a changeup down and out over the plate. He crushed the pitch at 104.8 mph and a perfect 27 degrees and sent it 417 feet over the fence in center field.
Crawford is now up to a 121 wRC+ on the season. It wasn’t just the homers that improved his line Friday. In the third, he drew an eight-pitch walk with two outs. That kept the inning alive to bring Julio to the plate. Gallen hung a slider, and Julio hit a missile to left — 113.6 mph at a razor thin 16 degrees:
It was Julio’s 11th homer of 2026 and his ninth in May. It’s the most homers he’s ever hit in a month for his career. It’s not quite his best month ever as a matter of total production; he entered the day with a mere 141 wRC+ (Julio has had some very, very, very good months). But he’s making great contact, hitting the ball hard and in the air, and avoiding strikeouts. Julio also rocketed a 109.2 mph single and 112.3 mph double on Friday to bring his wRC+ up to 126 on the year.
That’s how the Mariners built a comfortable 5-0 lead, setting themselves up to cruise to a fourth win this week. It wasn’t so easy from there.
George Kirby was fine until he wasn’t. He faced the minimum in the first, thanks to a nifty double play turned by Cole Young. He faced the minimum in the second. He worked around a hit and a walk in the third, and he gave up a leadoff homer in the fourth. He got through five inning without too much trouble and holding 5-1 lead.
Then the Diamondbacks stepped to the plate in the sixth. As it happens, this was exactly the start of their third time through the lineup — something Mariners’ pitchers have struggled with this season. Kirby entered the day with a 4.07 FIP on the third pass in 2026, making him the Mariners only somewhat effective pitcher on that split. That wasn’t the case Friday.
Corbin Carroll laced a one-out single. Geraldo Perdomo flared a weak double to left that got tangled where the wall juts out in foul territory. Gabriel Moreno plated them both with a well-hit double to make it 5-3. That was the end of Kirby’s day: 5 1/3 innings, six hits, four strikeouts, one walk, and a fair amount of hard contact allowed. Meh.
Matt Brash replaced Kirby. He was bad. He walked a batter and gave up a sharp single to load the bases, still with one out. He gave up a run on a groundout. He gave up another on a single to tie the game at 5-5. He walked one final batter but finally ended the inning — the 10th batter of the frame — with a strikeout. It was his worst outing of the season, or rather, his first bad one.
The Mariners lead was gone. No matter: Luke Raley stepped to the plate. With his all-or-nothing dial set to “all,” Raley crushed a hanging, middle-middle changeup way out to right field, giving the Mariners a 6-5 lead. He now leads the team with 12 homers.
Then came the tight rope. The Diamondbacks threatened in the seventh with a couple hits, but Eduard Bazardo eventually shut the door. The Diamondbacks threatened in the eight with a double and a walk, but Dan Wilson brought in Gabe Speier to strikeout Carroll — the best left-on-left hitter in baseball — on three pitches.
That got the ball to Muñoz in the ninth with a 6-5 lead. He struggled, as he has several times this year. He gave up a pair of leadoff singles. Then he hit Nolan Arenado really hard in the elbow to load the bases with nobody out; Arenado exited in considerable pain. Muñoz limited the damage, but still gave up a run on a weak roller. He escaped the inning with a blown save and a 6-6 tie.
Cooper Criswell worked the 10th. He got a groundout to move the Manfred man to third. The Mariners infield came in to cut off the run at home. Carroll then smacked a 101.6 mph hopper up the middle. Crawford ranged a step to his left and dove, snared the grounder, popped to his feet, looked the runner back to third, and fired in time to first.
“That’s just a great reaction on his part to glove that ball, to get it and get the throw to first and keep that runner at third,” Dan Wilson said after the game. “I thought that was the turning point in the game there.”
The play kept things tied until the Mariners turn to bat in the 10th. Arozarena stepped to the plate with one out and Crawford on second as the Manfred Man. Juan Morillo go him to two strikes, and he got Arozarena to chase a nasty slider way out of the zone. But Arozarena was on it, driving it hard the into the left-center gap, bringing Crawford around to score the winning run 7-6.
Arozarena said after the game he wasn’t trying to do too much in that spot, just get the ball in play and try to move the runner. He said the team feels relaxed right now, with everyone feeding off each other’s at bats.
“I think this whole team, right now, it’s in a good spot. Everybody’s been working, putting up good at-bats, and even last year, we still had a good team, but I think right now things are just working and clicking.”
For Crawford, scoring the final run was a nice cap for one of his best games as a Mariner. It’s been a weird start to the 2026 season, with his replacement getting a historic contract and eventually a call up. Crawford’s defense has been measurably and observably poor, with talk of a move to third (to this point, it remains just talk). But it’s games like Friday that show why he’s still around. He gets on base, sometimes he slugs, and he’s one of the great clutch performers in team history. He did all those things Friday. The Mariners won.
San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -3.5; over/under is 212.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Series tied 3-3
BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the Western Conference finals. The Spurs defeated the Thunder 118-91 in the last matchup on Friday. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 28 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 15.
The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City ranks third in the league with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.
The Spurs have gone 36-16 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Wembanyama averaging 11.5.
The Thunder's 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field, 4.6% higher than the 43.7% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.
Stephon Castle is scoring 16.6 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Spurs. Wembanyama is averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 113.9 points, 41.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 10.6 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.
Spurs: 6-4, averaging 116.7 points, 48.7 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 9.0 steals and 7.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (calf), Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
