Worldwide Sports News
Masters champion points out fan to security
McIlroy has had prob;em with American crowds before
Rory McIlroy clashed with a fan on Sunday in the final round of the US PGA as chanting from the gallery once again drew his ire.
McIlroy was among the challengers on the final day but found heavy rough on the 16th as his bid for victory petered out. His next shot rebounded into a bunker, although he would go on to par the hole.
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Hello and happy Monday, folks. A new week begins, but that means we’re closer to a long weekend. So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
What we don’t have going for us at the moment, though, is quality outings from Brayan Bello. The birthday boy was unfortunately shelled on Sunday, as he gave up eight earned runs in five innings en route to the loss against Atlanta. Bello will not be pitching in this upcoming series in Kansas City, which is set to begin tonight at 7:40 p.m. EST.
My question to you folks is simple: what’s next for Bello?
He had two very solid outings preceding yesterday’s disaster, as both of those appearances featured an opener from the bullpen eating the first inning before handing things over to number 66. Is this simply a matter of reverting back to that strategy, or do you think the problems with Bello go deeper than that? Do we have to ride things out with him—especially with Crochet still on the mend—or do we have to consider sending him down to Worcester to get his act together? I want to hear from you.
Be good to each other and go Sox.
Last week saw to divisional matchups in the National League West, and NL West teams lost the two series against other NL teams outside the division. The San Diego Padres dropped two of three against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Colorado Rockies lost two out of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But the division mostly took out any such frustration against the American League. The Dodgers and Padres, the two teams at the top of the standings and the only two teams in the division with a winning record, swept the Angels and Seattle Mariners, respectively, over the weekend. The San Francisco Giants won two out of three against the A’s in West Sacramento. The Arizona Diamondbacks did lost two of three to the Texas Rangers, but overall the division went 9-3 in interleague play for the week.
The Dodgers and Giants split four games in Los Angeles, with the Giants winning the first two games. On Tuesday, Eric Haase homered twice off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the first player to homer against Yamamoto twice in the same game. Haase is just the fourth catcher in Giants history to hit two home runs in a game against the Dodgers, and the first since Bob Melvin on September 22, 1987. Haase is the only Giants catcher with such a game at Dodger Stadium. Sean Keane has more on Haase’s big game at McCovey Chronicles.
Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly at age 37 pitched the first complete game of his career on Thursday night, his 178th career start, in a 9-1 rout of the Colorado Rockies. The folks at AZ Snake Pit have more. Kelly had just the second complete game at Coors Field since the start of 2023, along with Stephen Kolek of the San Diego Padres on May 10, 2025. There are 94 complete games in the history of the ballpark, which is now in its 32nd season.
Jake Cronenworth out with a concussion. Padres have gotten contributions from other players, like Miguel Andujar and Gavin Sheets (three go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning), which Thomas Conroy chronicled at Gaslamp Ball.
Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander exited his Thursday start and was placed on the injured list on Friday. There’s no timetable yet for his return, but optimism that he won’t need surgery. From Evan Lang at Purple Row:
Dollander described his injury as “just a very minor UCL sprain. That’s just what the MRI showed. I have a little information around the ligament, nothing to be too concerned about. Just thanking God that it wasn’t more than that. Obviously, it’s probably the best case scenario. Trying to look at the positive side.”
Dodgers 29-18, – –
Padres 28-18, 0.5 GB
D-backs 22-23, 6 GB
Giants 20-27, 9 GB
Rockies 18-29, 11 GB
Three different intradivisional series this week, in San Diego and Arizona.
England defender thanks Prince of Wales for his support
William expected to be in Istanbul for Europa League final
Ezri Konsa has said the Prince of Wales referring to him as a “Rolls-Royce” counts as the greatest compliment of his career and that Aston Villa are grateful for his royal backing. Prince William, arguably Villa’s best-known supporter and a patron of the Football Association, is expected to be in Istanbul for Wednesday’s Europa League final. Villa are seeking their first trophy since the League Cup in 1996 and will face the German side Freiburg in Turkey.
Konsa has opened up on the surreal nature of support from the heir to the throne. William was in the Villa Park directors’ box for Villa’s second-leg 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, which cemented Villa’s place in a first major European final since 1982.
Continue reading...Benhard Janse van Rensburg in 42-man training squad
England consider resting Itoje and other senior players
England have called up the former South African U20 centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg to train with the national squad ahead of this summer’s inaugural Nations Championship. The Bristol Bears midfielder has been picked ahead of the omitted Bath pair Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh despite not being officially available for England until 8 July.
Janse van Rensburg will become eligible on residency grounds on the grounds he has been in the UK for five years since joining his former club London Irish. This means he will not be available for England’s Test against the Springboks on 4 July but could potentially make a full debut against Fiji at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium the following weekend.
The 29-year-old, may also feature in a non-cap game against a France XV in Vannes on 19 June, assuming he makes a good impression in training. He did not have the best of nights in Northampton last Friday when Bristol suffered a record 94-33 defeat and were repeatedly cut apart by a rampant Saints backline.
The Rugby Football Union had to make a special appeal to World Rugby for dispensation to consider Janse van Rensburg, who played 21 minutes as a late replacement for South Africa’s U20 side back in 2016. This made him technically ineligible to qualify for England on residency grounds, until the RFU successfully argued that it was unfair for that brief appearance to bind him to South Africa in perpetuity.
Borthwick is clearly seeking fresh ways to inject momentum into his squad following the team’s fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations which saw England lose four of their five games. There are also call-ups for the impressive young Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland and Saracens’ fast-rising No9 Charlie Bracken, along with a recall for the rapid Leicester wing Adam Radwan.
Radwan has nipped in ahead of the unfortunate Arundell with Saracens’ Noah Caluori also included in a 42-man squad. Up front there are call-ups for the uncapped Bath front-row duo of Vilikesa Sela and Kepu Tuipulotu, prominent members of England’s U20 side who are now pushing for senior recognition. There may well be opportunities this summer with Borthwick understood to be considering resting some of his senior pros including the captain Maro Itoje for some or all of England’s July games.
This offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers will be spending the bulk of their finances re-signing their own free agents, rather than those coming from other teams.
Established core players like Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are pending restricted free agents in need of new contracts, and it's possible the Flyers retain the likes of Nikita Grebenkin (upper-body), Sam Ersson, and Emil Andrae.
The Flyers already re-signed Aleksei Kolosov, so that is one piece of relevant business done for the summer. Now, they won't have to worry about AHL goaltending for the 2026-27 season.
As for the names above, though, their contracts are going to be less straightforward than Kolosov's one-year deal worth $850k.
In regards to Zegras and Drysdale specifically, those two players are going to be the talk of town in terms of contract value and length.
We can all expect the Flyers' exciting duo to sign for another couple of years, though what a "couple of years" means depends on the person.
NHL analytics mavens Evolving-Hockey have made their widely anticipated contract projections for the 2026 offseason available, and we can reference their data model to see what kind of contracts we can expect for all the Flyers' free agents.
To establish some precedent, Evolving-Hockey projected Kolosov's most likely contract to be two years for $866.5k. The Belarusian was assessed to have a 48% chance to sign for two years, and a 42% chance to sign for one. So, they were pretty close to the mark on this one.
At the time of this writing, Zegras is given a 23% chance to re-up with the Flyers for four years, which Evolving-Hockey predicts to come with a $7.589 million annual cap hit.
Notably, their model also gives Zegras a 19% chance to sign for five and eight years, and those lengths would then carry cap hits of $7.919 or $9.654 million, respectively.
Personally, I would expect Zegras and the Flyers meet somewhere in the middle, like seven years and $8.5 million annually, give or take.
The 25-year-old could sign almost any deal, though, and it would be a big win for Philadelphia. Anything that keeps him an important piece of the future is a success.
However, the Flyers will have a smaller margin for error with Drysdale's next deal, especially given that this past season was the best, and objectively the only good, season of his NHL career.
The 24-year-old defenseman's most likely contract comes in at five years and a $6.155 million annual cap hit, which will certainly carry some sticker shock.
A number in the $5 million range would be more reasonable for Drysdale, though Evolving-Hockey's model says the Flyers will have to offer between two and four years to get the price down to that level.
As it stands for the other relevant pieces, Ersson is projected to land a two-year, $2.762 million AAV contract if he re-signs with the Flyers, which seems unlikely at this stage.
Andrae and Grebenkin are given whopping 56% and 58% chances to land two-year extensions themselves, accompanied by modest cap hits of $1.462 and $1.127 million, respectively.
Grebenkin's is just about what I personally expected, though a one-year deal feels like the smartest move for Andrae.
He only has a 16% chance to sign one of those, but he is no longer waivers-exempt and won't be an unrestricted free agent until 2029.
If Andrae does remain with the Flyers, it would be surprising if it was for more than a season, even with the team's lack of left-shot defensemen coming up through the pipeline.
The Flyers will have a ton of cap space this summer with Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, and Scott Laughton all coming off the books, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive they get with re-signing their own players as well as with targeting new ones.
The date May 18 this year marks Victoria Day for most provinces and all of Canada's territories. This day last year, however, consisted of a franchise-altering result for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That result was when the Florida Panthers came to town for Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With hope from Leafs fans that Toronto was going to see the third round of the post-season for the first time since 2002, the Panthers steamrolled the Maple Leafs with a 6-1 scoreline.
That humiliating loss for Toronto at Scotiabank Arena turned out to be more than just a defeat or elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs. What came to fruition in the aftermath of that loss changed the immediate future of the organization.
What many will remember from that night is that, in addition to being the Maple Leafs' final contest of the campaign, it turned out to be the end of Mitch Marner's tenure in Toronto - and it wasn't memorable in a good way.
In the final moments of that game, fans began to boo Marner whenever he got control of the puck. They would also throw jerseys and garbage onto the ice during play.
Were Toronto Maple Leafs Fans and Pundits Wrong About Mitch Marner?Freed from the suffocating weight of Toronto's expectations, Mitch Marner is doing in Vegas what Leafs Nation spent a decade insisting he never could, leading the NHL in playoff scoring and forcing an uncomfortable reckoning with the narrative that defined his time in blue and white.This loss marked the seventh straight Game 7 that the Maple Leafs dropped dating back to the 2012-13 post-season.
Florida would go on to win its second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Maple Leafs were actually the toughest series that the Panthers had in those playoffs in terms of the length of the series.
Nonetheless, there were a couple of changes to the team in that off-season, highlighted by the departure of Marner, who was signed and traded to the Vegas Golden Knights just one day before free agency kicked in.
Marner's departure marked the end of an era. For the previous nine seasons, Marner, along with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, were the team's top players. But with a third of that trio now gone, the Maple Leafs were always going to be a different team going into the next campaign.
'I Wish I Had A Recording': Former Maple Leaf Kurtis Gabriel Shares Experience Hanging Out at John Tavares' CottageKurtis Gabriel, who spent one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs' organization, shared a story about spending time at John Tavares' cottage in the summer of 2021. He referenced former Leafs such as Jason Spezza, Michael Bunting, Jake Muzzin and Wayne Simmonds.Still with the off-season additions of Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy - who arrived with the Marner deal - the difference was glaring, and not in a positive way.
Toronto ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years and became a lottery-winning franchise for the first time since the Leafs drafted Matthews in 2016.
That Game 7 loss to the Panthers isn't solely responsible for the downfall of the 2025-26 regular season, of course. But it certainly played a role in the organization's trajectory.
Now, exactly one year later, Brendan Shanahan, Brad Treliving, Craig Berube, and some other members of the front office are no longer a part of the franchise.
At any rate, May 18, 2025 was certainly a day for Leafs fans to remember, for all the wrong reasons.
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SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 5, SYRACUSE 3 (BOX)
Syracuse got on the board in the top of the first on a pair of extra base hits off the bats of Nick Morabito and Christian Arroyo, but Scranton recouped both runs in the bottom of the third. Syracuse took the lead once again in the top of the sixth, this time on a Yonny Hernandez RBI single, but the RailRiders took the lead permanently in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs off of Alex Carillo and taking a 5-3 lead. The Mets had a couple of opportunities, getting the tying run up in the eighth and ninth, but weren’t able to cash in.
· CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, 3B
· DH Ji Hwan Bae: 2-3, 2 R, BB, K, SB (12)
· 1B Ryan Clifford: 0-4, K
· 2B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, 2B, RBI
· 3B Yonny Hernández: 2-4, 2 RBI
· RF Cristian Pache: 1-4, K
· C Ben Rortvedt: 1-4, K
· SS Jackson Cluff: 0-4, K, E (7)
· LF Matt Rudick: 0-4, 2 K
· RHP Jack Wenninger: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
· LHP Matt Turner: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
· RHP Ryan Lambert: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
· RHP Alex Carrillo: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, BLK, L (1-1), BS (2)
· LHP Cionel Pérez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
· LHP Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Ofreidy Gómez from the Development List.
ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets released RHP Luke Jackson.
BINGHAMTON 10, SOMERSET 7 (BOX)
Binghamton trailed early on, at one point as much as 6-1, but the bats came through. In the fourth, they plated three runs, in the fifth, they plated two, and in the sixth, they scored four more, taking the lead. Jacob Reimer had a big game, going 3-3 with two doubles and a homer, raising his batting line from .200/.328/.355 coming into this game to .221/.346/.416; the infielder has quietly been enjoying a solid May after a very poor April and is hitting .279/.373/.581 on the month.
· LF Eli Serrano III: 0-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
· DH Chris Suero: 0-4, R, 3 K, HBP, SB (10)
· 3B Jacob Reimer: 3-3, 2 R, 2 2B, HR (4), 4 RBI, BB, SB (6)
· CF Jose Ramos: 1-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
· 2B Nick Lorusso: 1-5, R, 2B, K
· C Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB, 3 K
· 1B JT Schwartz: 1-4, R, BB, 3 K, E (1)
· RF Jaylen Palmer: 1-4, R, K
· SS Wyatt Young: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, K
· RHP Brendan Girton: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, BLK
· RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (3-0)
· RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (1)
· RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (3)
· RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)
ROME 3, BROOKLYN 1 (BOX)
The Emperors scored a pair of runs off of Brady Miller in the second and one more in the third; that would end up being all they needed to win, as the Cyclones managed just a single run on the afternoon, a Trace Willhoite RBI single in the seventh. With the loss, the Cyclones lost the series two games to four and have just four wins in the entire calendar month of May.
· 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-4, SB (2)
· C Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, 2 K, HBP
· LF John Bay: 1-4, R, 2B, K
· DH Corey Collins: 0-4, 2 K
· SS Colin Houck: 0-2, 2 BB, K
· 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-4, RBI
· CF Sam Biller: 0-4, 2 K, CS (1)
· 3B Nick Roselli: 0-3, K
· RF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-2, BB
· RHP Brady Miller: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HBP, E (1)
· RHP Felix Cepeda: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
· RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
· RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
ST. LUCIE 3, JUPITER 1 (BOX)
St. Lucie got on the board in the bottom of the first on an AJ Salgado RBI double and held onto the lead for the rest of the ballgame. Branny De Oleo plated two more in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets a little breathing room, which came in handy when Nicolas Carreno allowed a run in the sixth. That run ended up being the only one that the Hammerheads would score on the afternoon, and all’s well that ends well.
· DH JT Benson: 0-4, K
· 1B Jared Young: 0-2, BB
· 1B Chase Meggers: 0-0, HBP, E (3)
· LF Randy Guzman: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, HBP
· RF AJ Salgado: 2-4, R, 2 2B, RBI
· 3B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-4
· CF Simon Juan: 0-3, 2 K
· C Francisco Toledo: 0-2, K, HBP, E (3)
· SS Branny De Oleo: 1-3, 2 RBI
· 2B Jamari Baylor: 0-2, 2 K, HBP
· RHP Emilio Obispo: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
· RHP Nicolas Carreno: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HBP, W (1-0)
· RHP Joe Scarborough: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP, S (1)
NO GAME (SCHEDULE)
Jacob Reimer
Alex Carillo
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you had a nice weekend. Things started off poorly for the Orioles with two losses to the Nationals, including an embarrassing 13-3 rout on Saturday. But they finished the series with a solid 7-3 victory to salvage one game.
The offense yesterday was powered by home runs from guys who had been struggling. Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, and Colton Cowser all went deep yesterday, which felt pretty good. If those guys can rebound, it would work wonders for the offense.
No offense to Cower or Mayo, but Henderson is the one who matters most. And he had himself a fine weekend. On Friday, in the team’s 3-2 loss, Henderson singled and doubled in five trips to the plate. But he hit the ball hard four times up, with exit velocities of 97.5, 100.1, 106.1, and 111.9. He went hitless on Saturday, but did pick up a walk. And yesterday, Henderson had a four-hit game, including a double and a home run. His exit velocity in those four hits? 100.3, 100.3, 105.6, and 106.7.
It has only been one weekend’s worth of games, and I am not declaring Gunnar to be back. But I feel like I am ready to start asking the question. If he keeps hitting the ball hard, we’ll have our answer soon. He has been in the 57th percentile of exit velocity this year, averaging 89.1. In 2023-25, he was around the 90th percentile. A hard-hitting Gunnar is a good Gunnar.
He and the rest of the team will face a tough test over the next 10 days, where six of their nine games will be against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. They have won every series they’ve played this month and have only lost four all year. Weirdly, all of those series losses have come against the NL Central. They have not been swept. You can check back to this website at 10 a.m. to read Paul Folkemer’s series preview, which will tell you all the ways the Rays will beat the Orioles this week.
One last thing: former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez made his 2026 debut yesterday. It had been 655 days since his last start back on July 31, 2024. I wish I could say he had a triumphant return. Against the Dodgers, Rodriguez allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings. Here’s hoping he feels good physically after the start and that he can keep going.
Links
More bullpen banter, Albernaz on having Eflin around team and some mailbag questions – MASN Sports
Zach Eflin is providing veteran leadership even with his arm in a brace. Readers ask Roch Kubatko about Mike Elias’s job security, Jackson Holliday’s return, and more.
Orioles mash 3 homers en route to a 7-3 victory over the Nationals – The Baltimore Banner
Game story with quotes from Craig Albernaz and the players.
After slow starts to ’26, three young O’s heat up in a big way – MLB.com
I don’t know that I’m ready to say that Colton Cowser has heated up, but the home run was nice.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including the legendary Brooks Robinson. Robinson spent his entire 23-season career with the Orioles. He won 16 Gold Gloves, was an 18-time All-Star, won two World Series, was named American League MVP, World Series MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983. He was also the nicest human of all time. Brooks Robinson passed away in 2023 at the age of 86.
Believe it or not, Brooks Robinson isn’t the only former Oriole and Hall of Famer born on this day. Today is Reggie Jackson’s 80th birthday. Jackson spent one season, 1976, with the Orioles.
Also born on this day is 2026 Oriole, Trey Gibson. Gibson has pitched in two games with the Orioles this year, and is currently with Triple-A Norfolk. We’ll see him in Baltimore again this season, I’m sure. Happy 24th birthday, Trey!
Last (and also probably least, sorry), today is Luis Terrero’s 46th birthday. Terrero appeared in 27 games with the 2006 Orioles.
On this day in 1957, the Orioles and White Sox were playing in Baltimore with a 10:20 curfew put in place to ensure the White Sox could catch the last train out of town. At 10:19, Oriole Dick Williams hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run. The game was called for curfew as he touched home plate. The two teams later replayed the game, and the Orioles won. Why didn’t the White Sox pitcher just stall for one minute? That’s what everyone else wondered too.
In 1983, the Orioles and White Sox were again playing, and White Sox pitcher Rich Dotson pitched a one-hitter against the Orioles. Unfortunately for him, the one hit was a home run by Dan Ford. Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combined to pitch nine shutout innings for the O’s.
In 1990, the Orioles tied an American League record with eight straight singles in the first inning against the Rangers’ Bobby Witt (who wouldn’t become Bobby Witt, Sr. for 10 more years). The Orioles scored seven runs in that first inning and went on to win, 13-1.
And on this day last year, the Orioles lost to the Nationals, 10-4. Zach Eflin started for the Orioles and was torched for eight runs, including a six-run second. The Orioles had nine hits, including solo home runs by Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Cedric Mullins.
Here are your links for today:
“Everybody knows the Hughes brothers want to play together. Maybe Jack wants to come to Minnesota now to join forces with Quinn rather than wait or have it the other way around. It would be complicated, though, because it’s hard to believe Jack would leave their youngest brother, Luke, behind with the New Jersey Devils. That may be why, per league sources, the Wild made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to acquire Luke this past season.” [The Athletic ($)]
“While he’s still young enough to improve, it stands to reason Nemec may not be looked at as a long-term core piece by Mehta. If that’s the case, here are a few landing spots that could make sense:” [Infernal Access ($)]
What should the Devils do about Dougie Hamilton?
Hurricanes have had a long break:
Quinn Hughes on the idea of resigning in Minnesota: “I can say that I really like it here. I love the team. I love the city and the fans. Just being in that locker room, it’s a special group. Would definitely be open to re-signing here with the guys that we have in the room and just the people we have in the room. A lot of trust with Billy, as well, and love (coach John Hynes) and (associate coach Jack Capuano) and the coaching staff.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Vegas Golden Knights have been stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s draft, with coach John Tortorella also receiving a $100,000 fine, for ‘flagrant violations’ of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff media regulations, the league announced Friday.” [ESPN]
“It’s safe to say the ‘Yzerplan’ has not worked out. And as the Detroit Red Wings enter a critical off-season, they need to change up their methods, even if that doesn’t include Steve Yzerman.” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
After sweeping away the hapless Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday, the Knicks were able to spend the last week in a rare spot as spectators, watching the seven-game clash between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers while resting, practicing, and rehabbing for the series. Ultimately, it was Cleveland that prevailed on Sunday night in the Motor City, finally finalizing our Eastern Conference Finals clash.
It’s the No. 3 seed New York Knicks (53-29) against the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) for a spot in the NBA Finals, kicking off on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
You know how the Knicks’ season has gone. After all, you’re reading this on a Knicks site, but just to sum it up.
After firing Tom Thibodeau, engaging in a long coaching search, and keying in on Mike Brown, the Knicks mostly ran back the same team, albeit with new faces Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, while drafting Mo Diawara. It was supposed to be a deeper, offensive powerhouse, and, for the most part, it was. The Knicks started 23-9 and even got some hardware along the way, beating the Spurs in the NBA Cup Final in December. Everything was coming up New York as 2025 turned into 2026.
And then everything fell apart. Starting with a New Year’s Eve collapse in San Antonio, the Knicks lost nine of their next 11 games, capped off by a terrible effort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at MSG against the tanking Mavs. The sky was falling, we had podcasters saying he couldn’t wait to blow up this core, we had loud calls for Mike Brown’s job, the defense was abhorrently bad, and the season was in a tailspin.
Then, they mollywhopped the Nets by 54 and everything calmed down. After going from 23-9 to 25-18, the Knicks won 28 of their final 39 games, powered by the NBA’s second-best defense over the final 2.5 months of the season. They swapped the disappointing Yabusele for Jose Alvarado and finished the season strong. After struggling through three games with the feisty Hawks, they made the last three games look like varsity playing JV. They then proceeded to make a talented Sixers team look just as helpless, sweeping them in uncompetitive fashion.
Coming off a tremendous 64-win regular season, expectations were high for the Cavaliers with both Boston and Indiana diminished. They were considered co-favorites in the East alongside the Knicks, even amidst the shakiness of prior postseason failures and the increasingly worrying health of Darius Garland’s toe.
A 12-6 start bled into an alarming 17-16 record shortly after Christmas, and the discourse surrounding the team was getting louder. Evan Mobley wasn’t properly progressing, the depth was in and out of the lineup, and Garland was struggling badly when he wasn’t in street clothes. Aside from Donovan Mitchell, this was a concerning operation.
All that changed as soon as January hit, as Cleveland got hot. They were 29-21 entering February, but fully sent things into hyperdrive after a blockbuster move to flip Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, pushing all of Cleveland’s chips into the middle for an all-in push right now. The move was a big success, as the Cavs pushed for the No. 3 seed with a 23-9 finish to the year. They lost more games before New Year’s than they did afterwards.
It hasn’t been easy for them in the playoffs. A tougher-than-expected seven-game battle with the Toronto Raptors took a lot out of them, but they were fortunate to run into a similarly beaten-up Pistons team that they similarly battled to seven games, prevailing on the road despite a blowout home loss with a chance to close it out on Friday.
10/22/2025: Knicks win 119-111 (H)
12/25/2025: Knicks win 126-124 (H)
2/24/2026: Cavs win 109-94 (A)
Two of the three meetings with Cleveland had the eyes of the entire world on them on big days. The first matchup came all the way back in October to open the season, where both teams were banged up (no Garland, Mitchell Robinson, or Josh Hart).
The Knicks took two separate 15-point leads, but the Cavs had a response to both, ultimately taking the lead early in the fourth quarter. Despite seeming to have all the momentum, a 14-0 run early in the fourth spearheaded by OG Anunoby and Deuce McBride buried Cleveland to open the season. Jalen Brunson struggled, but Anunoy picked up the slack with an impressive 24/14 performance, while Donovan Mitchell scored 31.
The next meeting on Christmas could not have started worse for the Knicks, as Cleveland burst out to a 19-5 lead early in the first before the Knicks’ second unit slowly ate away at the deficit. The home team somehow managed to take the lead at the half, but once again was blitzed in the third quarter and trailed by as much as 16 with just eight minutes to go.
A Blue Christmas quickly shifted into a White Christmas at MSG, however, as a fourth-quarter avalanche by Tyler Kolek dragged the Knicks back into the game until Brunson brought it home by finishing off a 34-point gem. Kolek and Jordan Clarkson combined to score 41 points on 14-for-26 and 9-for-15 from three, while they survived another big game by Spida (34/7/6) and a big game by Jaylon Tyson.
The third meeting came underway in different circumstances. Harden was in, Garland was out. As the season series shifted to Cleveland in late February, the energized Cavs dominated action for 48 minutes and stifled the Knicks’ offense that couldn’t buy a shot. Mikal Bridges and Brunson combined to go 12-for-36 as a balanced attack from Harden, Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Dean Wade proved just enough for a commanding win.
(Cavaliers)
1978 East 1st Round: Knicks won 2-0
1995 East 1st Round: Knicks won 3-1
1996 East 1st Round: Knicks won 3-0
2023 East 1st Round: Knicks won 4-1
Cavaliers:
Offensive rating: 118.3 (6th)
Defensive rating: 114.1 (15th)
FG%: 48.2% (8th)
3pt%: 36% (13th)
FT%: 77.6% (19th)
Pace: 100.7 (13th)
OREB%: 30.7% (9th)
TOV%: 13.8% (9th lowest)
Points in the Paint: 52.0 (T-10th)
Opponent PITP: 45.6 (5th)
Opponent 3pt%: 37.2% (26th)
4th Quarter Net Rating: +6.8 (3rd)
Clutch Record/Net Rating: 24-18, +14.5 (5th)
Knicks:
Offensive rating: 118.7 (T-3rd)
Defensive rating: 112.3 (7th)
FG%: 47.8% (11th)
3pt%: 37.3% (4th)
FT%: 79.2% (T-10th)
Pace: 97.5 (25th)
OREB%: 32.8% (7th)
TOV%: 13.9% (T-10th lowest)
Points in the Paint: 47.8 (22nd)
Opponent PITP: 43.4 (3rd)
Opponent 3pt%: 36.2% (20th lowest)
4th Quarter Net Rating: +11.7 (1st)
Clutch Record/Net Rating: 21-13, +20.5 (3rd)
Trends:
Knicks since 1/20: 118.5 ORtg (6th), 108.2 DRtg (2nd), +10.3 net rating (3rd)
Cavs since Harden trade: 22-9, 120.8 ORtg (4th), +5.7 net rating (9th)
Mike Brown (NYK):
Season with team: 1st
Season as head coach: 12th
Career teams coached: CLE, LAL, SAC, NYK
Career record: 507-333 (.604)
Career playoff record: 54-42 (.563)
Best finish: 2007 Cavaliers (Finals appearance)
Mike Brown is entering the postseason as the head coach of a third different team. He’s never won a game past the Eastern Conference Finals, but he’s certainly experienced deep playoff runs as an assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2001-03 and an assistant under Steve Kerr from 2017-22, winning four championships as an assistant coach.
Brown’s philosophy is a stylistic change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, in that he prioritizes ball movement, spacing, and a drive-and-kick to open shooters (which he calls “sprays”). He was mostly unsuccessful in increasing the Knicks’ pace, showing that the team’s slow play is rooted in the way their captain operates in the offense, rather than the scheme. His biggest success has been increasing three-point attempts, but those have slowly decreased as the season has gone on.
Defensively, Brown has been flexible in his scheme. While Thibodeau always required a true rim protector on the floor, Brown has been more willing to mix up lineups in certain areas. After starting the season with a scheme that funneled the ball towards the middle of the floor into the help, Brown switched the scheme to look to send the ball towards the sidelines after the Knicks endured a month-plus stretch of abhorrent defense, powered by other teams driving and kicking to open shooters.
Kenny Atkinson (CLE):
Season with team: 2nd
Season as head coach: 6th
Career teams coached: BKN, CLE
Career record: 234-248 (.496)
Career playoff record: 14-14 (.500)
Best finish: 2026 Cavaliers (ECF and counting)
Atkinson got his start in NBA coaching with the Knicks, serving as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni from 2008-12 before D’Antoni’s spats with Carmelo Anthony wound up leading to a coaching change. After four good years, he latched onto Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta in 2012, where he helped groom a future No. 1 seed with four all-stars. It eventually led to him being hired by the Brooklyn Nets in the midst of their deep rebuild.
That deep Brooklyn rebuild finally bore fruit in 2018-19, when a fun collection of players spearheaded by All-Star D’Angelo Russell emerged as a playoff team in a soft Eastern Conference. The tremendous progress that Brooklyn made as a franchise made them a desirable landing spot for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that summer in the “Clean Sweep”, but Atkinson never saw them through. He was canned midway through the next season while Durant recovered from Achilles surgery.
He rehabilitated his coaching prospects as a lead assistant under Tyronn Lue in LA with the Clippers, and later joined Steve Kerr’s staff and won a championship in 2022. After JB Bickerstaff was canned in Cleveland in 2024, he has spearheaded a balanced Cavs attack for the last two years, winning NBA Coach of the Year in 2025.
Knicks:
Jalen Brunson
Mikal Bridges
Josh Hart
OG Anunoby
Karl-Anthony Towns
–
Jose Alvarado
Deuce McBride
Landry Shamet
Jordan Clarkson
Mitchell Robinson
Situational: Mo Diawara, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan
Cavaliers:
James Harden
Donovan Mitchell
Max Strus
Evan Mobley
Jarrett Allen
–
Dennis Schroder
Sam Merrill
Jaylon Tyson
Dean Wade
Situational: Thomas Bryant, Keon Ellis
For the Knicks, it’s all centered around OG Anunoby. He missed the last two games of the second-round series in Philadelphia with a balky hamstring, but all signs point to him suiting up on Tuesday night. Will it look like Game 7 against Indiana two years ago, or will the eight-day layoff heal all wounds?
For the Cavs, they are pretty healthy, but are surely aching from playing 14 high-intensity playoff games in a little over four weeks. The only concern right now is that there’s a stomach bug running through the locker room, but no major player has missed time.
(The full schedule has yet to be released, this will be updated)
Game 1: Tues, May 19, 8 pm (ESPN)
Game 2: Thu, May 21, 8 pm (ESPN)
Game 3: Sat, May 23, 8 pm (ABC)
Game 4: Mon, May 25, 8 pm (ESPN)
Game 5*: Wed, May 27, 8 pm (ESPN)
Game 6*: Fri, May 29, 8 pm (ESPN)
Game 7*: Sun, May 31, 8 pm (ESPN)
I don’t know if there is a way to write this article on a Spurs site without it coming off automatically as sour grapes, but I am going attempt to do it anyway.
First, I will say congratulations to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s an incredible player who has had an incredible year. For those who remember, he was traded in 2019 from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder with Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks.
The trade is considered one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. And the picks the Thunder acquired still haven’t fully conveyed, but the addition of Jalen Williams via the 2022 pick has been an essential piece of their success.
I will also add if I was a fan of any of the other 29 teams, I’d probably be more supportive of SGA picking up the MVP for the second year. Alas, I am a Spurs fanatic and a Wembanyama devotee and have to admit he is my choice for MVP.
But Victor Wembanyama did not start the year with MVP statistics, and the trophy is based on the entire season. I believe Maxime Aubin, who covers the Spurs and Wembanyama for the French publication L’Equipe, said it best. (See translation below.)
“Now that Shams has spoiled the news, I’m revealing my vote for the MVP award:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Victor Wembanyama
3. Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama experienced an incredible surge over the course of the season—to the point where, in my view, he became the best player in the NBA during the final few weeks. However, I believe the MVP trophy is meant to reward the best player over the entire regular season, and SGA demonstrated exemplary consistency, in addition to finishing with the best team record in the league.“
SGA was the favorite all year, and Wemby made his case in the latter half of the season. It was an uphill battle to get the voters to change their minds. I believe his making the top three was a win in an of itself.
The other difficult selling point for Wemby was his playing time. He averaged under 30 minutes compared to SGA’s 33.2 or Jokic’s 34.8. While I believe Victor does more with less time, voters often see the MVP as the player running most of the game.
So maybe Wembanyama wasn’t truly in a position to entice the voting reporters to chose him this year, but should it have been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
These stats suggest Jokic should have earned his fourth MVP award.
Bottom line, the league was not ready for Wemby to be MVP in the same way they weren’t ready for the Spurs to be title contenders.
And yet, here the Spurs are, walking into the Western Conference Finals against the reigning NBA champions, and the reigning two-time MVP.
How will Wemby respond? Will the stats between SGA and Victor Wembanyama in these Western Conference Finals tell a different story?
We know Wemby takes these things very seriously.
Game 1 of Western Conference Finals begins tonight. Expect a fast-paced, competitive, and often heated series.
Nothing else to say, but-
GO SPURS GO!
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The Thunder appear to be on their way to becoming the NBA’s next dynasty.
Even though they’ve only won one championship, they’re already being talked about in the same breath as the league’s most elite teams.
This season they joined the Bulls (1995-97) and Warriors (2014-16, 2015-17) as the only teams to win at least 80% of their games over a two-season span. And they set the NBA record for the highest cumulative point differential over that span.
“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It’s just the reality. They’re that good.”
Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agree?
As he walked out of Crypto.com Arena amid his team’s 8-0 postseason run, he was asked to weigh in on whether he believes his team is as good as Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Steph Curry’s Warriors that dominated the league.
“I don’t know,” Gilgeous-Alexander told The California Post. “That’s so far from where we are today. Those teams have won multiple in a row. We’ve won one and are in the [Western Conference finals] of this run, so it’s so far away. We still have a lot to do to get there.
“So, to answer your question, right now, no. We’re far from it.”
Jordan led the Bulls to six championships over an eight-year span from 1990-98. Curry carried the Warriors to four titles in eight years from 2015-2022.
There’s a Mount Everest-sized difference between a team that won one championship and franchises that dominated the league for nearly a decade.
But if you watch the Thunder, it feels as though you’re witnessing greatness.
They could be on the verge of etching their name onto the Mount Rushmore of NBA dynasties.
For two straight seasons, the Thunder have had the league’s best net rating and top-rated defense. They have a two-time MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander. They’re a well-oiled machine with a seemingly endless cadre of fresh legs that are able to dismantle teams on both ends of the court.
Get past the swarming defense of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace? You have a frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein waiting to swat your shot or displace your body with their physical, 7-foot physiques.
On offense, try to contain Gilgeous-Alexander, who can be likened to a metronome because of his consistency? There are nine other lasers waiting to shine. It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole.
The Thunder don’t have any weaknesses. They’re deep, strong, agile and young. Their chemistry is palpable. After spending 48 minutes as a cohesive tidal wave swallowing their opponent, they sit around the locker room after games joking with each other.
It’s clear the Thunder are special.
Perhaps no one knows that more than LeBron James, who was recently asked if the Thunder are as good as the dynastic Warriors, whom he met in four straight Finals from 2015-2018 when he played for the Cavaliers.
“They’re pretty damn good from top to bottom,” said James, whose Lakers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Thunder. “They don’t let their foot off the gas.”
The Thunder are so deep that they won four games against the Lakers by an average of 16 points even though Gilgeous-Alexander only scored 24.5 points per game, a marked dip from the league-leading 33.7 points he averaged in the first round. Oh, and Oklahoma City was without Williams, who was sidelined with a strained hamstring.
None of that mattered.
This postseason, Holmgren is averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell became a breakout star, averaging 18.8 points, 4.9 assists and four rebounds. Jared McCain and Wallace are shooting better than 46% from beyond the arc. The Thunder have weapons everywhere, including deep into their bench rotation.
But the Thunder’s biggest challenge is next.
They’re playing the Spurs in the Western Conference finals, the one team they’ve struggled against this season. Of the 18 games they lost, four were to San Antonio. The Thunder won 64 games this season, the Spurs won 62.
For the Thunder to become the first team to repeat for a title since the Warriors in 2018, they will have to get past Victor Wembanyama, the 7-4 Defensive Player of the Year who is expected to become the next face of the league.
Gilgeous-Alexander is far more focused on winning two more playoff series than basking in the talk around his team’s potential.
He believes the Thunder could become a dynasty.
But they haven’t accomplished anything yet.
“We have the opportunity in front of us,” Gilgeous-Alexander told The California Post. “But so does every team that wins one. You win one and you have the opportunity to repeat. In the past few years, teams haven’t been able to do it. But it’s our goal, and that’s what we’re after.”
Gilgeous-Alexander wants the Thunder to become the next Bulls or Warriors. It’s why he gives his all every night on both ends of the court. It’s why he empowers his teammates. It’s why his team is soaring.
But while the comparisons are nice, he believes they’re empty.
At least for the moment.
“Today, no,” he said of whether his team belongs in the same conversation as the Bulls and Warriors. “But hopefully we are.”
Above .500 before Memorial Day. Who’d have thunk it?
It does help that they are playing some of the middle class teams in baseball instead of repeating viewings of the upper crust, but the Phillies are still playing good baseball right now, getting back to the spot we thought they’d be in.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
MLB news:
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-3 vs. Syracuse Mets
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-4, RBI — tied the game on an infield hit in the sixth, also hit a ball 106.3 mph in the first (though a groundout)
DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-2, 2 BB, RBI, K — drew bases-loaded walk to put Scranton ahead
2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error
LF Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2, BB, RBI, 2 K, SF
DH Ernesto Martínez Jr. 0-4, K
C Payton Henry 1-3, BB
3B Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis 1-3, BB, K
RF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB
Carlos Lagrange 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 6 K — per YES Network’s Conor Foley, four-seamer averaged 100.2 mph, topping out at a season-best 103 mph, smokin’ (though still might be a reliever long-term)
Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (win)
Kervin Castro 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)
Double-A Somerset Patriots: L, 7-10 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies
LF Jace Avina 1-5, 4 K
DH Garrett Martin 1-4, 2B, 3 K
RF Jackson Castillo 0-4, K
SS Tyler Hardman 1-4, HR, RBI, K, fielding error — go-ahead homer briefly made it 7-6, Somerset (also I guess they’re trying to add versatility because he’s normally a third baseman)
3B Coby Morales 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, SB — Patriots’ second three-run homer of the day put them ahead 6-1
CF DJ Gladney 0-4, 3 K
C Manuel Palencia 1-2, 2 BB, K, SB
1B Miguel Palma 1-4, HR, 3 RBI — three-run blast in the second
2B Duncan Pastore 1-3, BB
Chase Chaney 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR — fortunate to be spared the loss as he let 6-1 Patriots lead go by the wayside
Chris Kean 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, throwing error (loss) — gave up back-breaking three-run dinger to Jacob Reimer
Hayden Merda 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Matt Keating 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 3-6 vs. Frederick Keys
SS Kaeden Kent 0-3, BB
C Eric Genther 2-4, K
DH Kyle West 1-4, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-2, 2 BB
2B Roderick Arias 0-4, RBI, 2 K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K — only run-scoring hit of the day for the ’Gades on his double
1B Josh Moylan 0-4, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer 0-4, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, BB, K
Franyer Herrera 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, throwing error (loss) — most consequential pitch might have been plunking 2025 first-rounder Ike Irish on the wrist
Tanner Bauman 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Wilmy Sanchez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K — bullpen combined for
Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, pickoff error
Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Chris Veach 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 0-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays — shut out on five hits
3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, 3 K
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, throwing error
1B Hans Montero 0-3, BB, K, picked off
LF Luis Puello 0-4, K
CF Willy Montero 2-3, 2B — the lone multi-hit day in the batch
DH Engelth Urena 0-3, K
C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K
RF Luis Durango 1-3
2B Santiago Gomez 1-3, SB
Tyler Boudreau 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, fielding error (loss) — 11 swings and misses from his fastball/slider/changeup/curveball mix, not that bad a day honestly for the 2025 undrafted free agent, just needs to work on that PFP since his E1 led to the two runs
Bryce Warrecker 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Brennan Stuprich 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, HR, balk
Florida Complex League Yankees: Offday