Throughout this postseason, when Jalen Williams has been out with a hamstring strain — seven games and counting — coach Mark Daigneault has turned to Ajay Mitchell, and the Thunder have not missed a beat.
Now, someone is going to have to step up for Mitchell on Sunday, as he is officially out for Game 4 with a hamstring strain, the team announced Saturday. Mitchell was forced to leave Game 3 in the third quarter after he appeared to be injured on a play where he picked up a flagrant foul for his play on Stephon Castle, which led to a minor altercation when Devin Vassell stepped in (both received technicals for their trouble).
Williams is officially questionable with his hamstring strain, but it seems unlikely he would return as quickly as Sunday. That will leave the Thunder without their second- and third-best ball handlers and two of their top four scorers in these playoffs. Mitchell was a force in the Lakers series and is averaging 15.1 points per game in the postseason, although that has fallen off to 5.3 points a game on 38.9% shooting against the Spurs.
It's expected Daigneault will turn to Cason Wallace to start. That keeps the bench combo of Jared McCain, who scored 24 points in Game 3, and Alex Caruso, who provides disruptive defense and knocked down eight 3-pointers in Game 1 on his way to 31 points, together.
The availability of Spurs guards De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Dylan Harper (adductor) has yet to be announced. Both played in Game 3, but Fox appeared to re-injure his ankle in a collision with Lu Dort going for a loose ball, and Harper was clearly slowed all night.
Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference Finals 2-1, making Game 4 critical for the Spurs if they are going to have a chance in this series. You can watch Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC, or stream it on Peacock.
Stars are just like us, and Olivia “Livvy” Dunne was the latest example for baseball fans.
Dunne, the former LSU gymnastics star, was in attdence for boyfriend Paul Skenes’ start for the Pirates on Saturday against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
She was invested in the game as the broadcast caught her yelling, taking photos and videos of Skenes, and also muttering profane language.
After the crack of a bat that prompted Blue Jays fans to get on their feet, Dunne was seen saying “f–k” twice before leaning back in her seat in frustration.
Livvy Dunne caught saying “f–k” during the Pirates-Blue Jays game on Saturday as boyfriend Paul Skenes pitched. X @Sportsnet
The announcers didn’t miss a beat on it.
“Paul Skenes is on the mound today and his girlfriend — the equally famous, maybe more famous — Livvy Dunne is here,” the SportsNet TV commentator said. “She was a gymnast at LSU. They met in college and she has eight zillion on social media right now. I believe she attends almost every single game of his and she is invested.
“She is not just sitting around and looking around. She is into the game. Emotional and occasionally profane. But she is invested in the successes and rare failures of her Cy Young award winning boyfriend Paul Skenes.”
The reaction came from early on in Skenes’ start in the Pirates’ eventual 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays.
To open the game, Skenes gave up a leadoff home run to George Springer, who ripped the ball 396 feet to left field for an early Toronto lead.
Livvy Dunne says “f-k” again during the Pirates-Blue Jays game on Saturday after a leadoff home run over her boyfriend and Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes. X @Sportsnet
Dunne certainly wasn’t a fan of the moment.
Nor likely as more trouble came in the sixth inning when the Blue Jays found an offensive spark and scored three runs to earn a 4-1 lead.
After five-plus innings, the two-time All-Star and the 2024 Rookie of the Year allowed nine hits for four runs (all earned). He also logged two strikeouts and one walk.
It was Skenes’ lowest strikeout tally since recording just one in Pittsburgh’s season opening 11-7 loss to the Mets. Skenes only lasted 2/3 innings as he gave up four hits and five earned runs at Citi Field.
Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes at the All-Star Game in 2025. Instagram @livvydunne
Skenes has returned the support, including when he shared a positive reaction to her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 2023.
“I texted him. I was like, ‘Hey, the SI photos are out.’ And he’s like, ‘Where can I see them?’” Dunne told People recently.
“He loved it. Yeah, he loved it. He always does,” she added.
May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and forward OG Anunoby (8) fight for a rebound against Cleveland Cavaliers centers Jarrett Allen (31) and Evan Mobley (4) during the fourth quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Today is Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The New York Knicks play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET. Watch it on ESPN. Enjoy the game!
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 22: Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) hits a ball during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field on May 22, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 23: Starting pitcher Stephen Kolek #32 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In today’s game thread, I wrote that Stephen Kolek’s second-best career start probably came against the Mariners last September, and we might need him to do even better if they were going to win today. As it turned out, they probably didn’t need him to be quite that good, but he absolutely was anyway.
Things got started fast for the Royals today. Stephen Kolek retired the Mariners in order on 10 pitches to start the game. Then, on the second pitch he saw, Maikel Garcia tattooed a line drive into the left-center gap for a leadoff double. Bobby Witt Jr. got an infield single that sent Maikel to third, and then Maikel scored on a groundball from Vinnie Pasquantino that was only ever likely to be worth one out, but became none when J.P. Crawford couldn’t hang on to Cole Young’s glove flip at second.
Salvador Perez came to the plate, and Bobby and Vinnie each took off on the first pitch, successfully swiping their bags and giving the Royals second and third with no one out. This is where you’d expect the Royals to completely choke, and it looked like that’s exactly what was going to happen. Salvy grounded to the pitcher, though George Kirby could only deflect it to Crawford. Crawford still managed to throw Sal out because he’s so dang slow. Then Carter Jensen hit a soft roller to first, and when Josh Naylor realized he was going to have to run to the bag for the out, Bobby took off and scored.
Sure, that gave the Royals two runs, but getting two straight weak outs after putting runners at second and third didn’t feel good. Fortunately, Jac Caglianone came through with a single to right that scored Vinnie from second, and the Royals had a three-run lead. That was when it finally felt like maybe things could go their way today.
Bobby scored again in the third when Carter hit a shallow fly to left-center and Randy Arozerena couldn’t get the throw home quite quickly enough. They scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a single from Carter, a groundout by Jac that advanced Jensen to second, and a solid single to center from Isaac Collins.
But Kolek will be the talk of today’s game as he pitched the first complete game shutout by a Royals pitcher since Brad Keller in 2020. Despite the fact that he got only two strikeouts on the day, and none until the eighth inning, Kolek made it look easy.
As you can see, this was far from what we’ve come to expect from dominant pitching performances in 2026. He wasn’t necessarily in the strike zone very often, he didn’t get an excessive amount of chase, and the whiff% is frankly abysmal. But the Mariners couldn’t square him up at all; they had four hits all day, and three of those were from Luke Raley. Even one of Raley’s hits was an infield single. Thanks to his pitch efficiency, the inability of the Mariners to do anything with his pitches, and some slick infield defense that turned a pair of double plays on the day, Kolek faced only two batters over the minimum in this one. That is just absolutely wild.
This game was the first in a while for a lot of different things:
As noted earlier, this was the first CGSO for a Royals pitcher since Brad Keller on September 13, 2020.
It was the Royals’ first complete game with any number of runs scored since Seth Lugo got the White Sox on July 21, 2024.
It was Kolek’s second career CGSO; he also got one against the Rockies in Coors Field while pitching for the Padres on May 10, 2025. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks in that one, but did get 7 strikeouts, so it’s up to you which one was more impressive.
It was the first time the Royals had scored more than three runs in a game since last Friday, May 15.
It was the first time the Royals had a three-run inning since May 13.
It was the first time the Royals won a game by more than 2 runs since May 9.
It was the first time the Royals had a three-run first inning since May 1 against Bryan Woo and the Mariners.
It was the best the Royals have looked on the field since at least May 13 and probably more like May 9
Unfortunately, it did not end the Hawaiian Bros Curse, as the Royals still haven’t scored six runs in a game since May 4
Today’s win gives the Royals a victory in the season series regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, giving them a tiebreaker should it somehow matter by the time the season comes to an end. It would be really cool if this win was something of a turning point for the Royals. If so, hopefully we’ll see more evidence of it in a victory tomorrow to win their first series since the Detroit series two weeks ago.
Tomorrow’s game will air on Royals.TV at 1:10 p.m. Central time. Seth Lugo (3.68 ERA) will face Bryan Woo (3.51 ERA) in the rubber match. Woo has been one of the better pitchers in the AL this year, but the Royals got to him in Seattle to start the month. It would be fun to do it again.
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
After a memorable game 1 where the St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Cincinnati Reds 8-1, the second game of the doubleheader is scheduled to get underway at 6:15pm central time in Great American Ball Park as the Cardinals will send Kyle Leahy (5-3, 3.94 ERA, 34 SO) to the mound while the Reds will rely on the arm of Chase Petty (0-0, 4.76 ERA, 1 SO). Game 2 will be watchable on Fox during a national broadcast.
MIAMI — The Mets evidently want to leave zero doubt over the identity of the NL East’s worst team.
They held that distinction by only a half-game over the Marlins as they arrived at loanDepot park on Saturday and by early evening had created a cushion.
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Instead of simply not hitting, they added a second straight lackluster performance from their ace in a 4-1 loss to Miami. It was the fourth loss in five games for the Mets, who fell eight games below .500.
The Mets had only one hit until pinch hitter Tyrone Taylor doubled with two outs in the ninth. Mark Vientos’ ensuing single brought in their only run.
After a resurgence offensively on the last homestand and to begin this trip, the Mets have scored only four runs over their last three games.
“I think the past couple of games we faced some good pitching,” Vientos said. “Obviously we haven’t done what we wanted at the plate, but we have got to give credit when credit is due. We’re going to come back [Sunday] and come back strong.”
Max Meyer dominated the Mets, allowing only one hit over seven shutout innings. Vientos’ grounder to right field against a shifted infield leading off the second was that only hit. Meyer struck out eight and walked three.
A night earlier, the Mets managed only three hits in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins, spearheaded by Eury Pérez’s strong outing.
“We are coming off a few games where you are starting to see some of the guys coming out of the struggle,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, referring to the Marlins. “In the past couple of days, Pérez, even though he has been struggling as of late, he was on [Friday] and today another good pitcher. So, yeah, we are better. We have seen that, but at the same time we ran into two pretty good arms over the last couple of days.”
Freddy Peralta, who slogged in his outing against the Yankees last Sunday, allowed two homers, both to Liam Hicks, on this day.
Bo Bichette strikes out swinging during the sixth inning of the Mets’ 4-1 loss to the Marlins on May 23, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
The right-hander surrendered four earned runs on eight hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts and two walks.
“[The outing] was probably a plus in the innings and all that, because I was able to save the bullpen,” Peralta said. “But it wasn’t enough because we didn’t get a win.”
Owen Caissie stroked a two-run double in the second that put the Mets in a 2-0 hole.
Juan Soto sits in the dugout during the fifth inning of the Mets’ loss to the Marlins. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Peralta walked Jakob Marsee with one out in the inning and got stung, as Connor Norby singled and Caissie followed with the double. Peralta escaped further harm by retiring the next two batters.
Hicks homered in the third to extend the Mets’ deficit to 3-0. It was the third straight appearance in which Peralta surrendered a homer. Otto Lopez followed the blast with a double, but Peralta got two outs to end the frame.
Peralta dodged trouble in the fourth when Graham Pauley was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on Xavier Edwards’ grounder off Vientos’ glove. Pauley’s two-out single and a walk to Joe Mack created peril for Peralta.
Hicks’ second homer of the game, leading off the bottom of the fifth, sank the Mets into a 4-0 hole. The multihomer game was the first of Hicks’ career.
“It was a big mistake that I made with the curveball with the second home run,” Peralta said. “I shook to that pitch with Luis [Torrens] and I should have made a better pitch, but it happens and I learned from that one.”
Vientos was hit by a pitch in the seventh to snap a string of 10 straight batters retired by Meyer, but A.J. Ewing struck out and Marcus Semien hit a grounder that became an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
Anthony Bender struck out the side in the eighth and remained in the game to retire Bo Bichette leading off the ninth before lefty Andrew Nardi recorded the final two outs, with a run scoring.
“It was one of those days where [Meyer] had everything going for him,” Mendoza said. “I thought he was better than the line, to be honest with you.”
Washington Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin held the Atlanta Braves hitless through five innings Saturday before leaving with an apparent injury at Truist Park, putting his health in question.
After the game, Nationals manager Blake Butera told reporters that Irvin felt something in the back of his shoulder or lat area during the game. Butera says Irvin will have an MRI Sunday. Irvin told his manager this was something he has felt before.
Irvin was dominant through the first five innings, striking out seven and walking just one over 80 pitches against one of the National League's most dangerous lineups.
Then, after walking out to the mound and trying to warm up for the bottom of the sixth inning, Irvin departed with a trainer.
Brad Lord entered in relief with the no-hit bid still intact, but gave up a single to Michael Harris in the bottom of the seventh. That was the only hit the Nationals' staff allowed in the game.
The Nationals led 2-0 at the time of Irvin's exit with Jorbit Vivas and Dylan Crews hitting solo home runs off Braves starter Grant Holmes. They held on to win by the same score.
Irvin came into the start with 1-4 record and a 5.79 ERA.
The Mets' bats stayed dormant, mustering just three hits in their 4-1 loss to the Marlins in Miami on Saturday afternoon.
Mark Vientos picked up a squib hit (64.2 mph off the bat) in the second inning, but wouldn't get another until the ninth. New York worked three walks as a team, and Vientos was hit by a pitch and was the only Mets batter to get on base twice.
Even the red-hot Juan Soto (0-3, BB) was held hitless as the Mets (22-30) lost back-to-back games and are 2-4 on the current seven-game road trip.
Here are the takeaways...
- Unlike in the series opener, the Marlins would get on the board first against Freddy Peralta. Back-to-back one-out singles in the second inning put runners on second and third -- thanks to an ill-advised throw bySoto -- before Owen Cassie lined a double past a diving Vientos to drive in the first two runs of the game.
Liam Hicks launched a 389-foot blast, just past the outstretched glove of Carson Benge, to give Miami a 3-0 lead. It wouldn't get much better for Peralta in the fourth as the Marlins got two men on base with two outs. Xavier Edwards hit a slow grounder to Vientos at first, but the young infielder couldn't make the shovel pass to Peralta covering, allowing Edwards to reach, but fortunately for the Mets, Vientos threw out Graham Pauley at the plate trying to score from second.
In the fifth, Hicks would get to Peralta again, leading off with his 11th homer of the season to put Miami up 4-0. It's Hicks' first career multi-homer game.
- To Peralta's credit, he grinded into the seventh inning. After allowing a leadoff single, he struck out Edwards, got Hicks to fly out and Otto Lopez to strike out to get through seven innings for the first time as a Met.
The veteran right-hander gave the Mets what he had on extra rest, throwing a season-high 108 pitches (67 strikes). He finished allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out a season-high nine batters.
- Max Meyer, on the other hand, had no issue with the Mets, who are in the midst of a major offensive slump. After scoring just one run on three hits in Friday's loss, Meyer pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
- Even with Meyer out, the Mets bats stayed dormant. Anthony Bender struck out three batters in his 1.1 innings of work. Tyrone Taylor hit a two-out, pinch-hit double in the ninth against Andrew Nardi to give the Mets their second hit of the game. Vientos followed with a hit to drive home Taylor and break up the shutout, but then A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the game.
- Jonathan Pintaro, called up on Saturday, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning on just 12 pitches.
Game MVP: Max Meyer
Meyer matched his longest outing of the season and kept the Mets off balance with his vast arsenal of pitches.
Highlights
Mark Vientos can't make the play at first but recovers to throw out Graham Pauley trying to score pic.twitter.com/YUAbGgcQ4m
It’s the fights we had along the way… | Getty Images
It’s Memorial Day weekend in the United States, the impetus for barbecue and such. But the playoffs march on with Carolina-Montreal Game 2 Saturday and Colorado-Vegas Game 3 Sunday…
Islanders News
Tracking Danny Nelson at the Worlds for Team USA. [THN]
In a summer of affiliation shuffles, the Isles ECHL affiliate will now be in Trenton. [Isles]
Officially now, the Islanders announced that their relocated AHL affiliate in Hamilton shall be named the Hammers. [Isles] At this time, a friend shall lose a friend’s hammer…:
Elsewhere
The Avalanche are in an 0-2 hole heading to Vegas, both games missing Cale Makar. [NHL]
The (consecutive) long layoffs are a thing for the Avalanche and Hurricanes. Ex-NHLer Craig Johnson discusses. [NHL]
A dozen years since he and the Canucks parted, Mike Gillis ‘wasn’t the right fit’ for the Leafs, or vice versa. [Sportsnet]
The Knights’ ruthlessness in management may be the new model for the NHL. [Sportsnet]
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 23: Maikel Garcia #11 of the Kansas City Royals tags out Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners at third base in the fifth inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners did not score, and they did not win.
The Mariners dropped game two of their series in Kansas City on Saturday by a score of 4-0. They collected just four hits — three from Luke Raley — and drew one walk, allowing Stephen Kolek to work through all nine innings with ease. The few chances they had ended with bad base running. George Kirby was fine but had a bit of a paper cut problem, with the Royals finding every nook and cranny on the infield grass to score. The Mariners fell to 25-28.
Kirby’s had a bit of a weird season to do date, striking out batters at a career low while walking batters at a career high. He’s gotten by with tons of grounders, which is why his xERA entering the day was an impressive 3.21. Still, the result of that approach has been a mix.
We saw the downside of balls in play — even grounders — right from the jump. Maikel Garcia led off the game with a low sinking liner that snaked its way into the outfield gap for a double. Then began a sequence of five weak grounders, none of which left the infield and all of which helped the Royals. The speedy Bobby Witt Jr. hit a weak chopper to no man’s land at third, and beat the throw to first, moving Garcia up. Vinnie Pasquantino hit a weak chopper to second that took Cole Young to his right, but his flip to second was awkward and not in time, scoring a run. Witt and Pasquantino stole second and third. Salvador Perez then hit a weak chopper back at Kirby, who reached for the ball over his head, deflecting it to J.P. Crawford, who got the first out of the inning. Carter Jensen then hit a hard grounder to Josh Naylor at first, who had to range his right and then race back to first, getting the second out and allowing a run to score. Jac Caglianone singled in a third run on a grounder into the outfield. A strikeout would end the inning at 3-0.
That’s a mouthful. Basically, the Royals hit 5 1/2 grounders, four of which never left the infield, and it resulted in three runs. That inning is case in point for why strikeouts are so coveted: Even great contact suppression can result in minor meltdowns. And while it wasn’t bad defense so much as just perfectly placed BABIP, a grounder-first approach isn’t ideal in front of the Mariners’ bottom ranked infield defense.
Things got more normal from there for Kirby, but not quite better. The Royals got a couple legit singles in the second and a sac fly to make the game 4-0. They got a couple legit singles in the sixth to make it 5-0. He finished the day after six with three strikeouts, no walks, nine hits (including eight singles), and a 50% groundball rate. That’s pretty much in line with his season to this point.
The Mariners were bad on offense. Again, they managed just four hits and couldn’t score. They sent the minimum to the plate in all but one inning, allowing Kolek to cruise through nine innings unbothered. They did have a couple opportunities to score, but base running mistakes cut those threats short.
With one out in the second, Luke Raley beat out an infield single (he was initially called out but was clearly safe after review). Cole Young singled him to third. Dominic Canzone then hit a sharp grounder right to Pasquantino, who was literally standing on the bag while holding the runner at first. Pasquantino stepped on the base and threw home in one motion, getting Raley in a pickle, eventually ending in a 3-2-5 double play.
Raley led off the fifth with a single. Young traded places with him on a fielder’s choice. After a Canzone fly out, Young tried to make it all the way to third on a passed ball. He was thrown out to end the inning.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 23: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners fields the ball in the first inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Shreyas Iyer scored a maiden Indian Premier League hundred to keep Punjab Kings’ hopes alive with a seven-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
The Knicks' offensive revival in the playoffs has even impressed LeBron James.
CLEVELAND — Making the Knicks offense more dynamic was one of the most important improvements Mike Brown was supposed to bring.
One of basketball’s best minds is raving about his job doing just that.
“The defense can’t just key on a couple of actions anymore,” LeBron James said on his “Mind the Game” podcast, which he co-hosts with Steve Nash. “I thought over the last couple of years with New York, you kind of got a good rhythm of how they were gonna play. The ball was gonna end up in a certain way every single time.”
Now, with the new wrinkle the Knicks have unleashed this postseason, they have become much more unpredictable.
The transformation the Knicks underwent, after trailing the Hawks 2-1 in the first round, worked wonders.
Karl-Anthony Towns operating as a facilitator from the elbow was freeing up Jalen Brunson to find open shots off the ball and allowing other teammates to cut and set screens around him.
“You now shift your pie chart from people just thinking heavy, heavy, heavy, JB pick-and-roll, JB iso, to now the demographic of your offense shifts,” James said. “Which means the defense can’t just be keyed in on one action now. So having KAT as the hub, at the elbow, at the top of the key, it allows JB to be off the ball, where he can set a rip screen for OG [Anunoby] to get to the rim where if [the defense] messes that up, OG gets a dunk. If they mess that up and both of them go with OG to the rim, now you have JB coming off it clean, either for a clean shot or a [dribble handoff]. Now the defense is playing catch up. That’s helped their demographic out a lot, their pie chart on what they can do offensively.
Karl-Anthony Towns looks to pass during the Knicks’ May 21 game against the Cavaliers. Charles Wenzelberg
“And JB is still gonna have his iso game where he’s really good, he’s still gonna have his pick-and-roll game where he’s really good. But to sprinkle in a little bit of off-ball action, a little bit of pinch-post action, with a different hub, that helps a lot.”
That new “sprinkle” has led to a whirlwind for Towns and his role in the Knicks offense, though.
Just when it seemed it had been cemented, it was again forced to change.
The Towns-as-a-hub system was not as effective the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers’ big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
LeBron on KAT as hub: "You now shift your pie chart from people thinking heavy…JB iso, to now the demographic of your offense shifts…D can't just be keyed in on 1 action now"
On Josh Hart: "Knicks have always had 1 of those guys…that's just synonymous with the Knickerbockers" pic.twitter.com/QsZyde0WNj
By the fourth quarter of Game 1, when the Knicks pulled off their historic comeback, they abandoned the Towns-centric system and reverted back to running the offense through Brunson with the ball in his hands.
And that’s how Brunson and the Knicks pulverized the Cavs down the stretch.
LeBron James drives to the basket during the Lakers’ May 11 game. NBAE via Getty Images
In Game 2, when the Cavs began aggressively double-teaming Brunson, he became the facilitator, rather than Towns.
And Brunson subsequently recorded 14 assists, his most ever in a playoff game.
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So far this postseason, Towns has gone from playing off Brunson, to having the ball constantly in his hands early in possessions, to once again playing off Brunson.
What’s that been like for him?
“I’ve always said I’m willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win,” Towns said Saturday morning after shootaround. “That’s the blessing of our group. We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. I’ve been happy because we’ve continued to win. There’s nothing to be sad about.”
And now, it’s left the Knicks with multiple systems they can utilize when the situation calls for it.
“I think whatever it is, you kind of have a counter for it,” Mikal Bridges said Saturday. “And everybody be ready. Five guys who can play on ball and off ball so I think it’s just to be able to keep everybody honest and just read and react.”
The Cavaliers have no answer to slow down Brunson.
Their strength, defensively at least, is in their bigs with Mobley and Allen.
So it makes sense to let Brunson torch the Cavs in isolation.
But perhaps there will be a moment where the Towns-as-a-hub offense is again required, either in this series or a potential Finals appearance.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Tari Eason of Rockets warms up before the NBA playoffs game 5 between Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets at the Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
The NBA Draft is still a month away and the Brooklyn Nets participating in two — count ’em — two summer leagues a week after that, it’s easy to forget that NBA free agency is sandwiched in between them. Last year, the Nets had nearly $60 million in cap space, most in the league, Sean Marks & co. used most of it in seven salary dumps, acquiring two first rounders, a net of three seconds and players from Michael Porter Jr. to Terance Mann to Terance Mann to Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji .
This year is different. Brooklyn still has a huge cache of cap space, as much as $48 million, third in the league, but the priorities have shifted. It’s more about roster-building this time around as Nets have no interest in a high pick. They may have to swap firsts with Houston.
Most importantly, if they can find an immediate contributor at No. 6 in the NBA draft and make wise moves in the veteran market, there’s a pathway, narrow as it is, for the organization to become competitive sooner than fans realize. Spoiler alert: it may be exciting but it will be difficult.
Here is a look at three free agents Brooklyn fans should keep an eye on as free agency approaches. Think young players, defensive-minded, and reasonably priced. We’re not talking about trades for disgruntled stars and superstars just yet. We’ll stick for now on players who are not (yet) franchise-changers, but big additioins.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (RFA)
Tari Eason was selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, which the Nets sent to Houston in the James Harden blockbuster deal.
In 2025, the 6’8” 25-year-old Eason compiled a solid season with Houston, averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 41.6% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range. With just a little improvement in his deep shooting, he could make for an ideal 3-and-D player.
It will be difficult for the Rockets to bring Eason back if they want to stay under both apron levels. Last summer, they were hard-capped at the first apron thanks to the extensions of Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. This year, they’ll have a lot of questions after last year’s disappointments. What’s their plan?
Due to the Nets’ abundance of cap space, they should have the ability to top any offer for the 24-year-old. While he is far from a franchise-changing player, he would join the Nets’ young core and overall boost the floor of this team. He also has experience as a young piece on a playoff-caliber team, which the Nets value.
Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (RFA)
Peyton Watson is a headline name that could land with the Nets this summer.
With the Nuggets in 2025, he averaged 14.6 points, 2.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 49.1% from the field and drilling an impressive 41.1% on 3-point attempts.
He only played in 54 of Denver’s games, though, while missing the first round of the playoffs due to recurring right hamstring strains. At one point, he was sidelined for 19 consecutive games.
That is certainly something the Nets will take into account as they build out their free-agent roadmap. The year prior, he played in 68 games; in 2023-24, he played in 80.
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line,” the Nets are among the teams linked to Watson. However, the team would need to pay up, as “Executives from around the league believe that Watson could receive a larger deal than Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million contract,” wrote Fischer. Indeed, pundits have noted that the Nuggets may regret choosing Braun over Watson last summer when they had the choice. Braun averaged only 12 points a game and had difficulty creating his own shot. Cam Johnson, acquired from the Nets in what was not the worst trade in a decade has a smaller shorter deal but he may be easier to move.
More to the point, Josh Kroenke, the Nuggets owner said after the Nugs shocking first round exit that “I think everything is on the table outside of trading Nikola (Jokic.)” That even includes Jamal Murray. It will take some real roster manipulation for the Nuggets to get enough cap space to thwart not just the Nets ambitions, but the Lakers as well. The Lakers under new management may feel the need to make a big splash.
At just 23 years old, two years younger than Eason, the 6’9” Watson is another young piece that the Nets could inject into their starting lineup immediately. And they may have a somewhat hidden advantage: He and MPJ are close from their days together in Denver, as both have acknowledged. On the other hand, Watson is an Angeleno, born in Beverly Hills.
C.J. McCollum, UFA
While signing McCollum wouldn’t ignite the fanbase as much as a player like Watson would (rightfully so), it makes sense for the team to bring in someone like the 34-year-old as a veteran ball handler to help steady the offense which is in desparate need of everything.
Entering his 14th NBA season in 2026-27, McCollum remained outstanding in 2025 despite being in his mid-30s, averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
He also shot 35.7% from beyond the arc and 45.6% from the field while helping the Hawks crack the playoffs after being shipped to Atlanta from Washington in the Trae Young trade.
As Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré enter their second season, they could certainly benefit from having McCollum by their side, especially when it comes to the veterans’ shot-making ability.
It is a similar situation to when Tyrese Maxey played alongside Kyle Lowry early in his career with the 76ers. However, if as seems likely the Nets take a lead guard in the NBA Draft, whether it’s Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings or Keaton Wagler, would there be enough minutes for McCollum?
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The Nets cash reserves and other roster flexibility — only nine players are under contract for 2026-27 and they don’t have to worry about the dreaded repeater tax for the rest of the current CBA to cite two examples — can be used in a number of ways. They can, as they did four times early in the Marks era, tender an offer sheet to restricted free agents like Watson and Eason then wait 48 hours to see the Nuggets or Rockets match. In the past, the Nets added sweeteners that in the era of luxury taxes and aprons make it difficult for teams to match. For example, they can fine tune their offer so that the first year salary can be paid out all at once, add a no-trade clause, etc. Such offers can also lead to sign-and-trade talks.
How soon should we start thinking about free agency if it’s far-too-early as the headline notes? Free agency negotiations will begin on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. Expect first reports of signings — and offers sheets — at 6:01 p.m. Players can be signed officially after the July moratorium on July 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Enjoy.
