Gary Cohen made an incredible catch during the Mets' win against the Angels on Sunday.
Gary Cohen broke out the dictionary to find a way to describe the incredible catch made by Carson Benge in the ninth inning of Sunday’s Mets’ 5-1 win over the Angels.
The SNY broadcaster called the diving catch a “pulchritudinous play” on air as broadcast partner Todd Zeile looked as astonished by the play as he was by Cohen’s choice of words to describe it.
“I’m not going to say it was pulchritudinous, but I’m going to take your word for it,” Zeile said, “That was an amazing play.”
For those that don’t know, pulchritudinous is an adjective that means physically beautiful or attractive, per Dictionary.com.
The play by Benge would certainly fit the bill.
Carson Benge makes a catch during the Mets’ May 2 win. Screengrab via X/@SNYtv
With Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom up in the ninth, he hit a ball that looked destined to fall in right field.
However, Benge was able to hustle over and reach out and grab the ball as he was diving to make the impressive out.
It was the second out of the inning and third baseman Oswald Peraza struck out to end the game.
Carson Benge reacts after making a catch during the Mets’ May 4 win. Screengrab via X/@SNYtv
“I was kind of surprised to tell you the least,” Benge told reporters after the game about the catch. “If I see a ball that I think I can get to, I’m going to go after it — I’m just glad that I was able to come down with that one there.”
Gary Cohen is pictured during a June 2023 press conference. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza told reporters that if Benge wasn’t able to make the play then “that’s a completely different inning.”
The Mets won two of the three games they played against the Angels this weekend, also defeating Los Angeles 4-3 on Friday night.
The Mets will play six more games on the road, playing a three-game series against the Rockies beginning on Monday and then a weekend series against the Diamondbacks.
Pistons fans got in one final dig at the Magic as their side blew out Orlando in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs, specifically getting a shot in at Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr.
Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) drives past Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first half in Game 7 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Detroit. AP
Angel Reese chants break out as the Detroit Pistons give the Magic the BELT in Game 7 pic.twitter.com/V1HsthWjhS
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) May 3, 2026
Carter is currently dating the WNBA star, and the two were first romantically linked last May.
But before she dated the Magic center, she had been dating Jalen Duren, who plays for the Pistons — adding an extra layer of spice to the first round series between Detroit and Orlando.
As if that wasn’t enough, Reese then got in on the chirping, taking to social media late last month to share a highlight on her Instagram Story of Carter, her current beau, slam dunking on Duren, her ex.
Angel Reese attends the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic. NBAE via Getty Images
It’s clear that Duren and the Pistons got the last laugh in the end, taking the best-of-seven series at home, and Duren finished the game with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Going into Game 7, Duren had averaged 9.8 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and averaging 8.5 rebounds during the postseason.
DENVER — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and the Colorado Avalanche overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat the Minnesota Wild 9-6 on Sunday night in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
He made 30 saves while Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 shots.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.
Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period. The Avalanche defenseman’s right leg flew into the air before falling to the ice. Makar tested out his skating with some twirls at the end of the first and returned for the second. He had an assist on Nick Blankenburg’s goal.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.
Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.
The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.
Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.
Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.
AVALANCHE 9, WILD 6
DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and Colorado overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat Minnesota in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 23: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks shoots a three point basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round One Game Three...
When the Knicks faced the 76ers in the playoffs two years ago, Josh Hart was a pivotal factor in the series.
In large stretches, Philadelphia used Joel Embiid on Hart, daring him to shoot from the perimeter, and Hart shot a robust 43.6 percent from distance on 6.2 attempts per game.
He would welcome that same plan from the 76ers.
“Each series is different. Atlanta, I don’t think there were many catch-and-shoot opportunities,” Hart said Sunday on the eve of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Knicks and 76ers. “Most of my 3s were off the bounce or within the last five seconds of the shot clock. [In this series], it’s going to be a completely opposite story. If it’s similar to what it was in the past, I’ll probably have as many catch-and-shoot opportunities as I want. I got to go out there, shoot the ball with confidence. I’m a good shooter, I know I’m a good shooter. I trust my work.
“Do that, and then when I’m not taking those shots, screening off-ball, screening on-ball, holding my screens, and just being decisive.”
Josh Hart attempts a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ April 23 game. NBAE via Getty Images
The 6-foot-5 Hart shot only 21.7 percent from deep in the Hawks series, although he did make 41.3 percent of his 3s during the regular season on 3.7 attempts per game.
Odds are, the 76ers are going to challenge him to make them pay by playing off him like they did two years ago.
The 76ers feature some local connections.
Reserve guard Quentin Grimes was drafted by the Knicks and played parts of three seasons for them before being dealt to the Pistons in February 2024 for veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe spent two years at Long Island Lutheran before one season at Baylor.
VJ Edgecombe dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on February 11, 2026, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. NBAE via Getty Images
In the series win over the Celtics, the 6-4 guard from the Bahamas averaged 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and three assists.
Philadelphia also includes assistant coach Rico Hines, who was a St. John’s assistant under Steve Lavin from 2010 to 2015.
With the offseason officially in full swing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it's fair to wonder what this roster is going to look like next season.
Fresh off a season where they defied expectations and made the NHL playoffs, the Penguins will have some big decisions to make this summer regarding some uncertain situations. GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job in collecting assets and draft capital, and there's a good chance he will target and favor young talent to help this team take the next step in 2026-27.
So, which pending restricted and unrestricted free agents figure to be part of that focus? There is a pretty long list of them, and not all of them will be wearing black and gold next season.
Here is who the Penguins should lock up - and who they should let go.
Restricted free agents
F Egor Chinakhov: Sign
This is a no-brainer, and it doesn't require too much explanation. Chinakhov said during locker cleanout day that he wanted to sign in Pittsburgh and be "part of the organization for a long time."
Well, his 18 goals and 36 points in 43 regular season games with the Penguins certainly earned him a multi-year deal, even if it is more along the lines of a two- or three-year bridge deal. The Penguins really like Chinakhov and his potential as a star top-six winger, and Chinakhov really likes the Penguins.
I would be shocked if he is not in Pittsburgh next season, and I think three years, $4.5 million per sounds about right given the salary cap spike.
I can't say I've seen a player literally earn a new contract at the last minute before. But Silovs did just that.
His .939 save percentage and otherwordly performance in the playoffs gave the Penguins a chance to come back from down 3-0 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and his playoff success is nothing new. He was tournament MVP during the Abbotsford Canucks' AHL Calder Cup run in 2025, and he gave the Vancouver Canucks a chance to win against the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game series in 2024 with next to no prior NHL experience.
Finding goaltenders who can turn it up five notches in the playoffs isn't an easy thing. It's a rarity. Even if there are some ups and downs as Silovs searches for regular season consistency, re-signing him as a playoff surety is a worthwhile gamble.
There's a greater than decent chance that he and Sergei Murashov are the Penguins' NHL tandem next season.
Acciari had a nice season for the Penguins, registering 13 goals and 25 points, which were each the second-highest totals of his career. He did that as part of a fourth line that was very formidable for the Penguins, generating momentum from the forecheck, turning in strong defensive plays and physicality, and successfully killing penalties.
But Acciari is 34, and he's the exact kind of player who would block a worthy young player like Avery Hayes or Tristan Broz. Those guys are at a point in their development where NHL playing time is essential if they've earned it, which they largely have.
For that reason, there's no sense in bringing back Acciari in terms of where the Penguins are at.
D Connor Clifton: Walk
Clifton started to come around at the end of the season, and his physicality is a unique aspect of his game and something that the Penguins could definitely use more of.
At the end of the day, he's replaceable - and the Penguins may just add to their blue line this summer, anyway. Even if they don't, Brunicke can effectively replace those minutes on the Penguins' bottom pairing, assuming he has a strong camp.
After putting together a nice season - posting career-highs in goals (14) and points (30) to go along with a plus-16, the highest mark among forwards on the Penguins - there is a chance that another NHL team offers Dewar something above what the Penguins are willing to. And, like Acciari, he's a fourth-line player, and Pittsburgh has plenty of younger players who will be vying for NHL roster spots.
It's also worth noting that Dewar's production dropped off significantly in the second half of the season.
But I think this is a player they bring back. Dewar likes it in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins are very happy with what Dewar has brought to the fourth line alongside Blake Lizotte. He'll be 27 next season, which is still young enough to have around for several more years as a key depth contributor.
F Kevin Hayes: Walk
Hayes is a great locker room presence. The guys love him, and he's a very positive and honest influence in that room.
But he played in only 28 games this season and was healthy-scratched otherwise. He's 33, and he still has a set of hands, but his footspeed is an issue. There's not really much point in keeping him around.
There are a lot of narratives out there about Malkin right now: He's too old, he's too injury-prone, he's too unpredictable, the Penguins need youth, they shouldn't commit to term, etc.
Well, here's the thing. Malkin - who will be 40 next season - was over point-per-game for the first time in three years this season, is willing to play wing, has declared he wants "one more year," probably won't ask for a lot of money based on past comments, and is not currently blocking any "younger player" from top-six minutes because Ben Kindel is going to stay put at center and no one else has pushed.
So, there is no good reason not to bring him back for one year. It's what Malkin wants, and it will have little to no effect on what Dubas is trying to accomplish. Quite frankly, I fail to understand why an extension hasn't happened yet.
That said, I think it will. It may just drag out a bit, whether that's fair to a franchise legend like Malkin or not.
While folks didn't seem to be overly impressed with Mantha's playoff performance - he recorded just one point in six post-season games - this is a guy who still led the Penguins in goals this season with 33 and was a huge reason they ended up making the playoffs, especially during the stretch run of the season.
But, Mantha is going to get paid - and he should get some term, too. Even though the Penguins have a lot of cap space, committing term to a 31-year-old winger coming off a career year and who is prone to injury probably isn't the smartest move.
Had the Penguins not been in playoff contention, flipping Mantha would have been an easy choice. Not flipping him at the deadline isn't going to set back their future, however, so neither will letting him walk and cash in elsewhere.
D Ryan Shea: Sign
Shea - like many - also had a career year for the Penguins. He had six goals and 35 points and was a team-high plus-30, and he helped shore up the Penguins' bottom defensive pairing. The 29-year-old will be due for a relatively significant pay raise from his current $900,000, and he is likely to sign for more than one year.
I do think Shea will sign an extension with the Penguins for two or three years, but I don't necessarily think that means he'll stick around. I believe the Penguins are going to try to upgrade their blue line this summer - particularly, on the left side - and it would be a crowded place with a new face, Parker Wotherspoon, Shea, and Sam Girard.
It's more likely that Girard or Wotherspoon is dealt as part of a package, but there is a chance that Shea could be the odd-man out. The only way I don't see the Penguins signing him in the first place is if a team wants to throw stupid money at a third-pairing defenseman, and I can't entirely rule that out.
Speaking of the left side, Solovyov is another option. While he very well may leave for a better opportunity outside of Pittsburgh, I kind of see him as a Jack St. Ivany replacement of sorts: He'll be young enough at age 26 that there is still more upside potential, he'll come cheap, he can play both sides, and he is a good depth option.
Again, if another team comes knocking and offers Solovyov the chance to get more minutes, he'll probably bite. But I don't necessarily think that's going to happen. If the Penguins can retain him, I think they will.
G Stuart Skinner: Walk
The goaltending situation in Pittsburgh will be sure be an interesting one to watch. Skinner played well in the playoffs and was good enough down the stretch for the Penguins to help them reach the playoffs in the first place. He's also a great locker room presence and has said numerous times that he loves the family environment in Pittsburgh.
However, the play of Silovs during the playoffs may have just pushed Skinner out. Silovs is younger - technically, he was still a rookie this season - and he has a proven track record at this point of being able to perform in the playoffs.
Again, Murashov is pretty likely to be full-time in the NHL next season. I'm sure the Penguins would love to have Skinner back in a veteran mentor capacity to guide their most promising goaltending prospect.
But I'm not sure Skinner would settle for that. Goaltending is always needed across the league, and the 27-year-old can probably find a better opportunity elsewhere. Plus, I think the Penguins would be generally comfortable with a Silovs-Murashov tandem next season, especially with Joel Blomqvist and Taylor Gauthier likely to be waiting in the wings in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 03: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is interviewed after defeating the Toronto Raptors 114-102 in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m not sure if there was a more encouraging way for the Cavs to exorcise some demons and advance to the second round than Jarrett Allen going full-on beast mode in a Game 7.
Are the lights no longer too bright?
Allen was steady in the first half, immediately making his presence felt on both ends of the floor. But it wasn’t until the third quarter that all hell broke loose. Allen scored 14 points and hauled in 10 rebounds during that period, suddenly appearing anywhere a rebound was available.
This was the total package from Allen. Offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. Rejecting shots at the rim, then securing stops with his defensive rebounding. All the while, Allen rolled hard to the basket and kept applying pressure on Toronto’s undersized frontcourt to stave him off. They weren’t successful, and Allen made sure to take full advantage of it.
The Cavs fired off their fake-snow machine for a ‘Cavalanche’ in the fourth quarter. Moments before, Allen received loud MVP chants at the free-throw line. He finished with 22 points and 19 gigantic rebounds. To say it again, beast mode.
Allen has had some real stinkers in big spots. We’ve seen him look totally invisible in some of the most important games of the season. Tonight couldn’t have been any more different. You couldn’t watch a possession without noticing Allen on the floor. This was the best performance of his career in arguably his biggest game to date.
LOSER – First Half Turnovers
Every second you’re trailing in a Game 7 feels like you’re drowning. The Cavs drowned for nearly the entire first half, only getting a brief gasp of breath when the game was tied in the closing moments of the second quarter.
Turnovers were the primary reason for that struggle.
The Cavs turned it over 13 times in the first half. To his credit, only one of those came from James Harden. The rest of the Cavalier starters coughed it up 10 times. That’s the type of stuff that can end your season.
Cleveland knew this would be an area of concern against the Raptors. This is a team that thrived on generating steals and taking them in transition. Toronto flexed its strengths early in this game by scoring 14 points off turnovers in the first half.
WINNER – The Role Players
As mentioned, the first half of this game wasn’t pretty. The Cavs were flirting with an early deficit that could have closed the door on anything meaningful happening in the second half. There are a lot of reasons they avoided that outcome.
One of them is Merrill.
This wasn’t a super explosive game from Merrill. But his timely shot-making was a life jacket during an otherwise stormy section of the game. Toronto recovers and closes out to shooters as quickly as any defense in the NBA. Merrill is just faster.
Merrill also deserves credit for his defense. The tone of this game shifted when he and Max Strus began pressuring the ball full court. Neither one can be considered a defensive stopper, but hustle and heart go a long way in a win-or-go-home setting.
Next on the list are Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson. Each player came up in crucial moments throughout this game.
Strus did a little bit of everything, scoring 10 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing 5 assists. Oh, he had 2 steals and 1 block, as well. He might have struggled at various points in this series, but Max remains the type of player who you want on the floor in the biggest spots.
Then there’s Tyson, who is quickly proving that even in his sophomore season, no moment is too big.
Tyson changed the dynamic of this game by being able to float around the free-throw line and create from the middle of the floor. His guard-guard screening unlocked so much for the Cavs offense, and his game-tying shot near the end of the first half gave the Cavs their first gasp of breath all night.
“I thought Jaylon was huge,” said Kenny Atkinson. “It was amazing, James and Don just gave him the ball and let him go ahead — we needed that.”
Elmer Rodríguez watched two of his cousins ride in the Kentucky Derby on Sunday.
Rookie right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, just days after making his MLB debut with the Yankees, had another memorable moment Saturday, as two of his cousins rode in the Kentucky Derby and finished first and second.
Elmer Rodríguez throws a pitch during the Yankees’ April 29 game against the Rangers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rodríguez, who is set to make his second start for the Yankees on Tuesday against the Rangers, said he watched the race alone and was “more nervous watching that race than [in] my debut. I don’t know why. I started crying.”
Rodríguez, a 22-year-old right-hander, said he saw Irad Ortiz ride Renegade on Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay Downs.
José Ortiz (l.) and Irad Ortiz Jr. (r.) are pictured during the Kentucky Derby on May 2. Getty Images
Rodríguez, who allowed two runs in four innings in a loss to Texas on Wednesday, likely won’t be with the Yankees for long, as Carlos Rodón is expected to return from elbow surgery after one more rehab start in the minors.
But he expects to have gained something from his first outing.
“You take all the good and bad and learn from it,” the right-hander said. “The first one feels like the toughest one. I’m more comfortable now.”
CLEVELAND — Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 114-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their series Sunday night.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 22 points and James Harden added 18 in a series in which the home team won all seven games.
Cleveland, the No. 4 seed, will visit top-seeded Detroit on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the second round. The Central Division rivals split their four regular-season meetings.
“I think we’ve already moved on (to focusing on Detroit),” Mitchell said on the court immediately after the final buzzer. “We understand we won this game, but we play in a couple days.,”
Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 23 for the Raptors, who were in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Jarrett Allen attempts a dunk during the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win May 3. AP
All-Star forward Brandon Ingram missed his second straight game with a bruised right heel.
“We gave it all, everything we had today,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Our guys were awesome. We made it hard on them.”
Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, as Cleveland went on a 49-21 run during a 15-minute span over the second and third quarters where it turned a nine-point deficit into an 19-point advantage.
One of Allen’s baskets during the third quarter was a fast-break dunk after Max Strus stole the ball from Barnes to make it 74-59.
Cleveland was 17 of 33 from the field, including five 3-pointers, during the run while converting seven of Toronto’s turnovers into 14 points. The Raptors shot 6 of 23 and were 1 of 8 behind the arc.
The Cavaliers also had a 25-8 rebounding advantage during the spurt, and converted 10 offensive boards into 14 points.
“They were scoring in transition, getting some offensive rebounds,” Barnes said. “The offensive rebounds were giving them extra possessions. That really hurt us, giving them momentum.”
Donovan Mitchell drives to the basket during the Cavaliers’ May 3 game against the Raptors. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Toronto led for most of the first half and had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter before Cleveland began its comeback.
The Cavaliers were down 47-38 with 2:58 remaining before going on a 11-2 run to close the half and tie it at 49. The Cavs were 4 of 17 on 3-pointers before Harden, Strus and Jaylon Tyson connected from beyond the arc.
“Sam (Merrill) said this whole series, we haven’t closed out the second quarter. We all took that to heart. We all looked at ourselves and decided that now was the time to do it,” said Allen, who had his 11th double-double in a playoff game. “I think the defensive stops, rebounds and the offense is still shaky in some areas, but I think when we rebound the ball and get stops, that just translates to the offense so much better and transition and open shots for everybody.”
Cleveland took the lead with nine straight points to open the third quarter as Mitchell scored five and Mobley added four.
“In the first half, we were forcing it too much, driving down tunnels and forcing it to the basket,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Sometimes you have to move the defense. We just kept hammering that message.”
The Cavaliers are 6-5 in Game 7s, including unbeaten in five home games. Toronto fell to 3-4 in Game 7 and 0-2 on the road.
When the Senators parted ways with head coach DJ Smith and GM Pierre Dorion during the 2023–24 season, it was fair to wonder if they'd get another opportunity. The two men were at the helm through some pretty dark days for the franchise, including a seemingly never-ending rebuild.
But after a couple of seasons as an assistant coach in L.A., Smith resurfaced this season as the Kings' interim head coach when Jim Hiller was fired, and helped guide them to the post-season.
It was a reminder that everyone is usually better in their second job because of the lessons learned in their first.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said last week that he's frustrated by the incessant questions about his future.
The Vancouver Canucks, with the worst record in the NHL this season, think there’s a chance that may also be true for Dorion.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Canucks, after firing Patrik Allvin on April 17, have interviewed Dorion for their GM vacancy.
Former Ottawa Senators GM, Pierre Dorion was in Vancouver last week and has interviewed for the Canucks GM vacancy.
Dorion was fired in 2023 because of the Senators’ botched communications during their 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sens failed to disclose Dadonov’s no-trade list, which derailed the Knights’ later attempt to trade him to Anaheim.
The NHL penalized the Senators by docking them a first-round draft pick, a debt they were scheduled to pay off this year until Gary Bettman recently let them off the hook. The Sens will draft 32nd overall this summer, no matter what.
Dorion certainly had a long list of missteps as GM in Ottawa, but it’s not hard to imagine that, under the late Eugene Melnyk, there was considerable meddling in hockey matters.
Interestingly, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Dorion's former assistant GM may be competing with him for the Canucks job. After Dorion was fired in Ottawa, Ryan Bowness spent another year and a half with the Sens as associate GM under new Sens GM Steve Staios.
Dorion did have some highlights, though, including arguably the most lucrative first round in Sens history. He took Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson in the 2020 Draft and eventually signed both to team-friendly long-term deals. He also grabbed Ridly Greig in the first round that year.
The 53-year-old Ottawa native made the most of the 2018 Erik Karlsson trade to San Jose, acquiring Josh Norris, Dylan DeMelo, and Chris Tierney, along with a 2020 first-round pick that became Stützle, and a 2019 second that was packaged so they could draft Mads Søgaard.
He also has an ace in the hole.
While the Canucks have interviewed other candidates, no one will be able to match Dorion’s GM experience in navigating the pitfalls of an NHL rebuild while dealing with challenging ownership.
That job experience would almost certainly come in handy in Vancouver.
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 12 assists, Tobias Harris added 30 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Game 7 on Sunday to win a playoff series for the first time in 18 years.
Cunningham averaged 32.4 points for Detroit, which last won a postseason series by beating Orlando in the second round in 2008. The Pistons advance to play the winner of Sunday evening’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 will be Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and the second in the last two nights, after the Philadelphia 76ers came back to eliminate Boston.
They trailed by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando before rallying to take the series at home. Orlando only scored 113 points in the final six quarters of the series — an average of 18.8 per period.
Cunningham and Harris became the first Pistons teammates to score 30 points in a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) against the Golden State Warriors on April 17, 1977.
CAVALIERS 114, RAPTORS 102
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a victory over Toronto in Game 7 of their series.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 22 points and James Harden added 18 in a series in which the home team won all seven games.
Cleveland, the No. 4 seed, will visit top-seeded Detroit on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the second round. The Central Division rivals split their four regular-season meetings.
Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 23 for the Raptors, who were in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, as Cleveland went on a 49-21 run during a 15-minute span over the second and third quarters where it turned a nine-point deficit into an 19-point advantage.
Toronto led for most of the first half and had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter before Cleveland began its comeback.
The Cavaliers were down 47-38 with 2:58 remaining before going on a 11-2 run to close the half and tie it at 49. The Cavs were 4 of 17 on 3-pointers before Harden, Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson connected from beyond the arc.
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 1: Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers CLECAV looks on against the Toronto Raptors during Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 1, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 4-3 to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
22 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers
This wasn’t a great game from Mitchell, per se. We’ve seen him play much better than this. But compared to his recent performances, this felt huge. Mitchell fit in more than he fit out, despite starting the game 6-16 from the floor. The Cavs better utilized the space around him, cutting into the lane and pounding the offensive glass.
If you can’t get Mitchell free, you can at least use the defensive attention he receives to your advantage elsewhere. The Cavs did that, and Mitchell leaned further into it than in the games before.
Harden took care of the ball for his fewest turnovers in a game this series. That’s impressive stuff for a player who has struggled in elimination games in the past. Harden, like Mitchell, didn’t have his shot falling tonight. He was only 1-5 from deep and 3-9 from the floor. But he worked the extra mile to get into the teeth of Toronto’s defense and forced them into rotation just enough to keep the offense running smoothly.
Then on defense, Harden had his occasional lapses, but he also turned up huge for three steals that all felt like energizers.
He, of course, also kept the bigs involved. That’s half the reason you traded for him.
Mobley was a beast in games 5-6. His increased aggression and clutch performances were everything you hoped to see from him. I wouldn’t say much changed about his approach to tonight — only that his frontcourt partner stole the show.
This should be a moment of graduation for Mobley. He responded to a horrid stretch on the road by rattling off three of the more impactful and successful games of his playoff career. If he carries this forward, the Cavs will be in serious business.
I don’t think anything I type will do justice to the type of night Jarrett Allen just had.
“Man, he really put us over the top,” said Kenny Atkinson. “Best I’ve seen him.”
The Fro put on an absolute clinic in playoff toughness. He bruised the Toronto frontcourt, hammering them on the glass for 19 rebounds, 8 of which were offensive. Each rebound feels bigger than the last when playing in a Game 7 on your home floor. Allen punched in a deadly combo and ended the Raptors’ season with his rim-running efforts.
Grade: A+++
Dean Wade
5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Wade returned to the starting lineup tonight, and it immediately felt like the Cavs made the wrong decision. His indecisiveness on offense can make it hard to keep him on the floor. Especially against an aggressive team like the Raptors.
But Wade’s defense more than made up for that in this series. And despite this being his worst offensive game of the series, his minutes still felt impactful.
Strus shot just 2-8 from downtown but was a team-high plus 20 tonight. I don’t think that’s a mistake. He had one of his better games of the series, bringing all of the intangibles you need to pull off a Game 7 victory. His intensity as an on-ball defender was a bright spot and something we hadn’t seen from him yet in the playoffs this year.
Grade: B+
Jaylon Tyson
7 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
Tyson’s composure in his first Game 7 was a standout. The young wing has never feared the moment before, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise.
The Cavs used Tyson in the short-roll to unlock their offense and punish Toronto for swarming the ball. His decision-making over the last two games showed that Tyson’s versatility can translate to the playoffs. The lights will only get brighter, but Tyson seems to be ready for that pressure.
Grade: B+
Sam Merrill
13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Merrill’s scoring kept the Cavs from falling too far behind in the first half. His quick trigger from deep was a vital release valve for Cleveland against an athletic Raptors defense.
Grade: A-
Dennis Schroder
2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Schroder’s Game 5 takeover was the anomaly from this series. Still, the additional ball handling he provides took pressure off Mitchell and Harden and widened their margin for error. That was helpful, though Schroder shot just 1-7 from the floor.
The Sydney Sixers have unveiled former Australian all-rounder James Hopes as their new Big Bash League coach, signing the Queensland cricket legend on a two-year contract.
For the final 27 minutes of Game 7, the Cleveland Cavaliers that a lot of people expected to show up in Game 1 — the one with more talent than their Toronto opponents — finally showed up.
In the final three minutes of the second quarter through the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers shot 51.5% from the floor, hit 38.5% of their 3-point attempts, grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and turned them into 14 points, and forced seven turnovers that became 14 points the other way. In that same stretch, Toronto shot 29.2% from the field and was 1-of-8 from 3.
By the end of that, the Cavaliers had turned a nine point deficit into a 19 point lead, and the game was all but over. Toronto made a push in the fourth but never got the deficit down to single digits, and Cleveland cruised to a 114-102 Game 7 win.
With the victory, the Cavaliers advance and will travel to Detroit to take on the No. 1 seed Pistons on Tuesday night for the start of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The star of this game for Cleveland was big man Jarrett Allen, who stepped up with Evan Mobley in foul trouble and finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds (eight of those offensive), three blocks and a couple of steals.
Donovan Mitchell added 22 points for the Cavaliers and James Harden, after a slow start, scored 18.
Scottie Barnes had a strong game for the Raptors with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus nine rebounds. RJ Barrett added 23 points, but shot just 9-of-25 to get there. As a team, Toronto shot 29% from 3-point range for the game.
In the first half, it looked like the Cavaliers might be plagued by the things that slowed them all series. Cleveland had 13 turnovers leading to 14 Toronto points in the first half, and that, combined with the Cavaliers' starting 4-of-15 from beyond the arc, had the Raptors leading the whole way, by as many as 10. It was only getting to the free-throw line that was keeping the Cavaliers within striking distance.
And they did strike — an 11-2 run to end the half tied the game up, and it was 49-49 at the break. That was where the Cavaliers started to turn everything around.
Cleveland started the third quarter with a 9-0 run, five of those from Mitchell. Toronto started the third 3-of-12 from the floor, but the bigger issue was the five quick turnovers that had the Cavaliers running the other way.
Max Strus stripped Scottie Barnes and tossed ahead to Jarrett Allen for the SLAM.
Anthony Kay did the best he could to secure a series sweep, but fell short. | David Frerker-Imagn Images
If you had told me about six weeks ago how disappointed I would be at the Sox losing a 4-3 nailbiter and failing to complete a series sweep against one of the National League’s better teams, I probably would’ve told you that it was a good thing.
And I would be correct! While today’s tight 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Padres was certainly a frustrating one to watch, it speaks volumes that I actually expected them to have a chance to win, even after falling behind in the middle innings. They aren’t exactly the Cardiac Bears of this past fall, but if this game gave me anything, it’s that the late innings of a close game are no longer completely futile for the White Sox.
That might seem like backhanded praise, but when it comes to the post-2021 White Sox there haven’t been many avenues for giving them credit without a healthy dollop of criticism. What may seem like a baseline to many other franchises — still hanging around .500 as we get close to a third of the way through the season — seems like excellence to us. That might be embarrassing to some degree, but then again, if you care about being embarrassed, the White Sox are unequivocally the wrong team to get behind.
As has been much the case lately, pitching wasn’t much to blame for today’s tally in the loss column. At the same time, we’re getting to the point in the season where it becomes easy to understand who exactly you do or do not want on the mound at any given time. And as stellar as the Sox pitching staff has been as of late, Griffin Canning gave the kind of performance that would likely make fans wish the South Siders had landed him to fill out the back of their rotation rather than Anthony Kay. Kay has had his moments, and he’s giving the team a chance to win, but after a bit less than a month and a half of play, it seems clear that even a highly successful campaign across the Pacific isn’t quite enough to make a pitcher who can actually get through a big league lineup more than twice.
To be fair, Kay did hold serve plenty well early on, keeping San Diego off the board long enough for backup catcher Drew Romo to continue his best Seby Zavala impression and get the Sox offense rolling early.
Unfortunately, the lefty then provided another few reminders of why it’s been a few years since he consistently threw the ball in an American time zone, as he wasted little time in giving the lead back up thanks to two homers within a span of three plate appearances to homers from Miguel Andujar and San Diego’s third baseman, who Sox fans might be familiar with as the cousin of franchise legend Jon Jay and brother-in-law of noted Chicago slugger Yonder Alonso.
Canning was locked in after Romo’s dinger, but Sox hitters managed to get him out of their faces after five innings. At that point they were confronted with lefthander Adrián Morejón, who probably made them wish they were still facing Canning given Morejón’s bevy of 100 mph sinkers against which Sox hitters had virtually no chance.
There was one member of the Sox who seemed unfazed by Morejón’s electric stuff, as Derek Hill reminded us all that he’s more than a defensive replacement by smashing a home run to deep left-center field to tie things up at three in the seventh inning.
That’s when Jordan Leasure came into the game. While I have been a fan of Leasure since his acquisition, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to deny that the man is simply not the candidate for holding leads or preserving close games. On this day, however, Leasure did his job. It was the combo of righty Tyler Davis and lefty Bryan Hudson — both of whom have admittedly been outstanding, to this point — that did the damage in this one. Davis allowed the first runs of his big league career at a rather inopportune time, allowing a walk and a pair of singles in a manner that gave Xander Bogaerts the chance to put the Padres ahead with just a few outs to play.
It goes without saying that given the presence of Mason Miller, the Padres are probably the last team in the league you want to be playing a close game against in the late innings. Although the Sox did manage to scratch across a baserunner thanks to Tristan Peters poking a scrappy single to right field, that was all the ink the Sox had in their pen this series. Miller had little trouble retiring everyone else he faced to secure a win for the Friars.
The squad will be staying out west for the rest of the week, as they now head north to Anaheim for another three-game set with the Angels. We’ll see you for that one tomorrow night, at 8:38 p.m. Central time!
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