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Ex-Celtic Aaron Nesmith made wild NBA history in Pacers' comeback win

Ex-Celtic Aaron Nesmith made wild NBA history in Pacers' comeback win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If you turned off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with about three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Wednesday night, you missed an ending for the ages — with a former Boston Celtics draft pick playing a crucial role.

The New York Knicks led the Indiana Pacers by 14 points (119-105) with 2:45 on the clock. Then Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith went absolutely nuclear, hitting five 3-pointers in a span of under three minutes to help Indy storm back.

Tyrese Haliburton delivered the final dagger with a 2-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, and the Pacers outlasted the Knicks in overtime to complete a stunning 138-135 victory. But it was Nesmith’s heroics that helped Indy become the first team in NBA playoff history to overcome a 14-point deficit in the final 2:45 of a fourth quarter.

To put Nesmith’s late-game eruption into context, the fifth-year guard hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, which is the most by any player in a single quarter of a playoff game since 1998. And Nesmith hit all of his triples within the final five minutes.

Nesmith has had quite the basketball journey; he was one of the best shooters in college basketball entering the 2020 NBA Draft (52.2 percent from 3-point range at Vanderbilt in 2019-20), and was expected to continue that success with the Celtics, who selected him 14th overall.

But Nesmith just couldn’t make a bucket in Boston, averaging just 4.2 points per game over two seasons (98 total games) while shooting 31.8 percent from distance. After the 2021-22 season, the Celtics dealt Nesmith — along with Daniel Theis, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Nik Stauskas and a 2023 first-round pick — to Indiana in return for Malcolm Brogdon.

In the short term, the deal was a win for the C’s, as Brogdon earned Sixth Man of the Year honors while helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals. But Nesmith since has blossomed in Indy, rediscovering his shooting stroke (43.1 percent from 3 this season) and playing with relentless energy for a perennial East contender.

Nesmith’s contributions culminated in Wednesday’s 30-point effort on 9 of 13 shooting (8 of 9 from 3) that has the Pacers three wins from an NBA Finals berth.

“It’s unreal,” Nesmith said after the game. “It’s probably the best feeling in the world for me, personally. I love it when that basket feels like an ocean and anything you toss up, you feel like it’s going to go in. Ahh, it’s just, so much fun.”

The Celtics got their own star from that 2020 draft — Boston selected Payton Pritchard 12 picks later at No. 26 overall — but it has to sting a bit watching Nesmith thrive in another uniform.

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Why Kerr believes Draymond is ‘heartbeat' of Warriors' dynasty

Why Kerr believes Draymond is ‘heartbeat' of Warriors' dynasty originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr believes Draymond Green has been just as impactful as Steph Curry in the Warriors’ sustained run of success over the last decade.

The Golden State coach explained that he has recently been reading Sam Walker’s “The Captain Class,” and that much of what the book discusses applies to the Warriors.

“The point of the book is that it’s not always the leading scorer, it’s not always the most talented player but it’s the guys who are — literally or figuratively — the captains of the team and why they have such an impact on winning,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show.”

“I think Draymond really applies in a lot of ways. I’ve always felt that Draymond is, as I’ve said, the heartbeat of the team. Steph’s obviously our best player, but Draymond has driven a lot of the winning. Now he doesn’t fit every category in the book.

“Obviously, he’s had his own ups and downs in terms of his own leadership. I think the common thread between all these championship teams is just competitive force and fire. That’s what Draymond has.”

Green’s passion for the game and stifling defense have been some of the main ingredients to Golden State’s four NBA championships over the past 10 years. Earlier this year, the 36-year-old’s impassioned speech during a team meeting set the tone for the Warriors’ Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Still, it has not been smooth sailing during Green’s tenure with Golden State. At times, his competitive nature and passion get the best of him. Between numerous flagrant and technical fouls and plenty of suspensions for his aggressive play, Green has been a lightning rod for controversy.

Kerr wouldn’t have it any other way, though. He wants to ride out this era in Golden State with Green and Curry at his side. With a full offseason to integrate Jimmy Butler into the mix, Kerr and the Warriors are feeling good about their chances to capture a fifth NBA Finals trophy next season.

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Warriors star Draymond named to 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team

Warriors star Draymond named to 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even though the Warriors fell short of their NBA championship aspirations this season, Draymond Green reached one of his biggest goals.

Green was among the five players selected to the 2024-25 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team, alongside Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort, Amen Thompson and 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley.

It is the ninth All-Defensive Team nod of Green’s 13-year NBA career, and the fifth time he was named to the First Team. He made the All-Defensive Second team four times in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Warriors superstar Steph Curry congratulated his longtime teammate on Instagram.

Green was a finalist for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, finishing third in voting for the award. His last DPOY nod was for the 2016-17 season.

The 35-year-old also won the 2024-25 NBA Hustle Award, which “honors players who make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis.”

He also made history as the first award winner to finish inside the top 40 in all nine hustle categories, per the NBA. Hustle stats, which the league has been tracking since the 2016 postseason, include charges drawn, deflections, screen assists, contested 2-point shots, contested 3-point shots, offensive loose balls recovered, defensive loose balls recovered, offensive box outs and defensive box outs.

Green, on a per-minute basis, ranked second in contested 3-point shots, sixth in charges drawn, 10th in defensive box outs, 13th in contested 2-point shots and 15th in deflections. The eight-time All-Defensive Team member also was one of just two players with 40-plus appearances to average at least 1.45 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently labeled Green as the “heartbeat” of the Warriors, and his most recent nod perfectly embodies just that.

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Padres at Blue Jays prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 22

Its Thursday, May 22 and the Padres (27-20) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (24-24).

Stephen Kolek is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Bowden Francis for Toronto.

The Jays have blanked the Padres each of the last two days. Yesterday, Toronto smacked San Diego 14-0. Daulton Varsho cleared the bases with a grand slam and the Blue Jays collected 14 hits in the beating.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Blue Jays

  • Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
  • Time: 1:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: SDPA, Sportsnet, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (-114), Blue Jays (-106)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for May 22, 2025: Stephen Kolek vs. Bowden Francis
    • Padres: Stephen Kolek (2-1, 2.33 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. Seattle - 5IP, 5ER, 8H, 1BB, 4Ks
    • Blue Jays: Bowden Francis (2-6, 5.63 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. Detroit - 4.2IP, 4ER, 8H, 2BB, 6Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Blue Jays

  • The Jays have outscored the Padres 17-0 through two games of the series
  • The Under is 26-20-1 in Padres' games this season
  • The Blue Jays are up 2.14 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Rogers Centre
  • George Springer collected 2 hits last night to snap an 0-15 streak

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Padres and the Blue Jays

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Padres and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Diego Padres on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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How Ottawa Charge built a PWHL championship contender in an unconventional women’s hockey market

How Ottawa Charge built a PWHL championship contender in an unconventional women’s hockey marketOTTAWA — The Ottawa Charge’s ascension from one of the bottom teams in the PWHL to a franchise that’s two wins away from winning the Walter Cup started with a trade deadline that was widely viewed as a head-scratcher.

In March 2024, Ottawa traded defender Amanda Boulier for Montreal forward Tereza Vanišová in a tidy bit of work in using its depth on defense to add more offense to its lineup. Then general manager Mike Hirshfeld traded fan-favorite Lexie Adzija for Shiann Darkangelo, who at the time had just one point in her PWHL career.

Ottawa fans were shocked by the early departure of one of the team’s breakout personalities. And the early reviews weren’t kind — gave Ottawa a C for the move.

In reality, that inaugural trade deadline was the start of a series of aggressive, smart and crafty roster moves over the last 14 months — including a blockbuster trade, savvy draft selections and efficient free agency signings — that have put the Charge on the doorstep of a league title.

It’s a method of roster building that has been out of necessity for Hirshfeld: Unlike most of the other original six franchises in the PWHL, the Ottawa market hasn’t historically been a hotbed for women’s hockey, and hasn’t exactly been a destination for top free agents. Case in point: Ottawa drafted Daryl Watts in the sixth round of the inaugural PWHL Draft. She led the team in goals in 2024 and signed with Toronto (her hometown team) in the offseason.

“We knew we were never going to be able to compete with Toronto,” Hirshfeld said in an interview with . “Montreal has a huge base, and they have (Marie-Philip) Poulin and others. Boston is always a hub for women’s hockey; everyone played university there. And Minnesota is always going to be a hub … So we’ve had to be creative.”

Both Vanišová and Darkangelo were identified by the organization as players who could hit another level if given the chance (and more ice time) in a new environment. At the time of the deals, Vanišová had a modest 10 points in 17 games for Montreal and Darkangelo was playing a fairly minimal role in Boston with very little production.

This year, however, only superstars Hilary Knight and Poulin had more goals than Vanišová, who broke out as a spark plug for Ottawa with the ability to drive offense — but also mix it up. In February, she and Jill Saulnier got in the first fight in the league’s history.

“She’s got elite talent and speed,” said Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner. “She can get away from defenders, get on defenders on the forecheck, and it’s been really fun playing with her … We’re lucky to have her.”

Darkangelo was actually a player Ottawa targeted in the original PWHL Draft, but Boston grabbed her first in Round 12. When the opportunity came along to trade for her, Hirshfeld said it was a “no-brainer.”

She didn’t make big waves in seven games last season, but after signing a one-year extension in the summer, Darkangelo has become one of the most improved players in the PWHL, finishing with 17 points in 29 regular season games — more than double Adzija’s production in Boston this season. She’s a top-line staple for the Charge and scored the game-winning goal in Ottawa’s first-ever playoff game against Montreal.

“She’s elevated her game this season,” said head coach Carla MacLeod. “She’s a leader in the room, she’s a leader on the ice, she plays a 200-foot game, and she’s just really, really consistent. What she’s been able to help us with this year has been truly impactful.”

Game 1 of the Finals tells a similar story of Ottawa’s offseason work paying off in the spring. Six of the seven draft picks taken in June played regular shifts in the 2-1 win against the Minnesota Frost, and were key contributors in Ottawa’s semifinal upset against top-ranked Montreal.

On Tuesday night specifically, at least three players, none of whom were around last season, played crucial roles in beating the reigning champions to take a 1-0 series lead.

Rebecca Leslie, who signed with Ottawa as a free agent, scored the first goal of the game, a gorgeous bar-down opener in the face of one of the very best defenders in the world. Ottawa targeted her as a free agent for her ability to shore up their depth and secondary scoring. Leslie, 29, also grew up in Ottawa and was known around the rink as a great person to bring into the locker room.

“When we played against her last year in Toronto, she was always buzzing and making things happen. She brings some of that maturity we’re looking for in our locker room to help us get over the hump,” said Hirshfeld. “She made sense for us and she’s been exactly what we hoped she’d be.”

Gwyneth Philips stopped all but one of the shots she faced in the game and has looked like the best goalie in the postseason thus far. She has a league-best 1.11 goals against average and .957 save percentage through five games and was just named a finalist for Rookie of the Year. Last week, she was named a finalist for Goalie of the Year, despite only entering the starter’s crease in March after No. 1 Emerance Maschmeyer was put on long-term injured reserve.

Drafting Philips in the third round last year was intentional. Not in case of a season-ending injury, but to strengthen the team’s goalie depth chart after Maschmeyer played more minutes than any other goalie in the league last season.

After scouting Philips and understanding her potential to be a legitimate goalie superstar in the PWHL, Hirshfeld and the Charge went about planning to take her no later than the third round.

“That’s a difference-maker in this league,” Hirshfeld thought at the time. “And we’re going to get her.”

And Jocelyne Larocque largely shut down Minnesota’s top players, just as she did against Montreal in the semifinals alongside her defense partner Ashton Bell.

Back in December, the move to acquire 36-year-old Larocque — and Victoria Bach in exchange for Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra — was heavily scrutinized. Larocque, who turned 37 on Monday, had a tough start the the season in Toronto and was playing heavy minutes on the top pair. She was on the ice for over half of the Sceptres’ goals against, and most fans viewed Harmon, 29, as the better piece.

Well, in Ottawa, playing fewer minutes on a deeper blue line, Larocque has looked the part of a top-pair, shutdown defender again. She and Bell played heavy matchup minutes against Poulin’s line in the semis, and kept Montreal’s captain and Laura Stacey to one goal apiece in the series. Perhaps more impressively, Larocque and Bell were only on the ice for Stacey’s goal.

On Tuesday night, she and Bell led the team in minutes and weren’t on the ice for the lone goal against. Beyond her on-ice impact, Hirshfeld said Larocque has been an excellent leader and really helped some of Ottawa’s younger defenders such as Bell, Zoe Boyd and Ronja Savolainen, who is playing in her first year in the PWHL.

“She brings calmness, she brings toughness, she makes the right plays at the end of games,” Hirshfeld said. “And we just felt like if she played 20 minutes per game, it was the right amount for her.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Larocque said managing her minutes has helped her game tremendously.

“I think last year it was more difficult to give those extra bumps and really be diligent on box outs and the tasks that require a lot of effort,” she said. “I think I can do that a lot more this year, and I think I’m playing more my game.”

There have been other moments where new faces have excelled in the playoffs. Mannon McMahon, a late-round draft pick last summer, scored the winner in Game 3 of the semifinals and has fit in well on Ottawa’s shutdown line alongside Emily Clark and Gabbie Hughes. Free-agent signing Alexa Vasko hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet yet in the playoffs, but she was blocking plenty of point-blank shots on Tuesday night.

None of this should be viewed as any real slight against Ottawa’s foundational players, either. Emily Clark has scored back-to-back game-winners and leads the team in scoring. Jenner is tied for second. Even Hirshfeld won’t take the credit, saying it’s a confluence of factors that has gotten the team to the Finals and that the players deserve a lot of credit for jelling at the right time. And frankly, that original group missed the playoffs last season, finishing one point behind Minnesota after a loss on the final day of the season.

But let’s not forget the several squandered chances to clinch a spot last season, or the struggles holding a lead in third periods. Those are key areas that Ottawa wanted to improve this season with more veteran experience, like Darkangelo and Larocque. In the playoffs, Ottawa has scored first four times and won each game.

Parity in the PWHL is real, and the margins are so thin between all six (soon to be eight) teams. Ottawa, Minnesota and Boston all finished the season tied in points, with the Fleet missing the playoffs on a tie-breaker. Getting something as small as a goal from a third liner — or as big as having a superstar goalie waiting in the wings — could be the difference between making the Finals or missing the playoffs altogether.

And if you ask Hirshfeld, these kinds of contributions, from the new faces and old, were the plan all along.

“We’ve got a good group of people who are experienced in women’s hockey, and we work really hard at it,” he said of a team that includes former Team Canada coach Mel Davidson and Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell. “We try and be strategic, we know what we want, what’s important to us in Ottawa, and we’ve been fortunate to hit on a couple of things. So it’s worked out the way we hoped it would.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Ottawa Senators, NHL, Women's Hockey

2025 The Athletic Media Company

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Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: DPOY Mobley sets the tone

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Today, we’re looking at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a roster packed full of fantasy studs.

Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 64-18 (1st, East)

Offensive Rating: 121.0 (1st)

Defensive Rating: 111.8 (8th)

Net Rating: 9.2 (3rd)

Pace: 100.31 (10th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 49th pick, 58th pick

The Cavs’ 2024-25 season was wildly successful from a real-life perspective, but it was tremendous from a fantasy perspective, too. Four players finished inside the top 55 in per-game value, and six finished inside the top 130.

Cleveland chose to reduce minutes across the board and go deeper into the rotation. This strategy proved beneficial to a number of players who enjoyed unprecedented efficiency and durability despite taking a hit in playing time.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.

Fantasy Standout: Evan Mobley

Mobley set the tone for Cleveland on both ends of the court, and his stellar, two-way play was a huge reason for the Cavaliers' success in 2024-25.

The fourth-year man had a career season, becoming the fifth-youngest player (and first Cavalier) to win Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland sported the eighth-best defensive rating overall and second best when Mobley was on the court.

Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 triples. He knocked down 55.7% of his shots from the field, 72.5% from the foul line and 37% from beyond the arc.

It was a phenomenal season for Mobley on defense, but he was tremendous on offense, posting career highs in points, assists, three-pointers and FT%.

Mobley scored a career-high 41 points on December 7 at Charlotte while sinking a career-best six three-pointers. He provided a career-best 37 double-doubles, easily clearing his previous best of 24.

The addition of a three-point game was a boon to Mobley’s fantasy value and to Cleveland’s offense. He finished with at least one made three-pointer in 45 games this season. He knocked down multiple treys in 21 games after doing so just 15 times across his first three seasons combined.

Mobley finished the season ranked 23rd in per-game fantasy value, reaching that mark in 30.5 minutes across 71 games. Still just 23 years old, Mobley can become a consistent 20/10 guy in Year 5 if he continues to ascend. His ability to facilitate and hit shots from long range only adds to his appeal.

Consider him in the early rounds of 2025-26 fantasy drafts for his versatility and high ceiling.

Fantasy Revelation: Ty Jerome

Jerome finished 130th in per-game fantasy value, but to look solely at that finish would be doing a disservice to how impactful he was to Cleveland this season.

He provided electric scoring off the bench, averaging a career-high 12.5 points to go with 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 triples. He pushed for a 50/40/90 season, just missing it with 51.6/43.9/87.2 splits.

After appearing in just two games in 2023-24 due to injury, Jerome roared back with 70 appearances in 2024-25. He did all of his damage in just 19.9 minutes per game, primarily off the bench. In three starts, Jerome posted 25.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 triples.

Jerome’s previous career-high in scoring was 24 points across his first five seasons. After reaching that mark only once in his career prior to this season, he scored that many points nine times this season. Jerome dropped a career-high 33 points with eight triples on January 24 against the Sixers.

Jerome is set for unrestricted free agency this summer, and his career year couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s likely due for a payday, and if he lands on a team that can give him more playing time, he can be a meaningful contributor.

Keep an eye on Jerome this offseason and target him at the end of 2025-26 fantasy drafts if he signs with a team that could offer a more prominent role in the rotation.

Fantasy Disappointment: Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell finished his third season in Cleveland with averages of 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 triples with 44.3/36.8/82.3 shooting splits.

The production was stellar for most, but by Mitchell’s lofty standards, it was a disappointing season statistically. The points were his fewest since the 2019-20 campaign, the steals were his fewest since 2020-21, and the rebounds and assists were his fewest since arriving in Cleveland.

Mitchell’s efficiency suffered as well. His FG% was the lowest since 2020-21, and his FT% was his lowest since 2018-19. Mitchell’s 31.4 minutes per game marked a career low, but he appeared in 71 games - his most since 2018-19.

Minutes were down across the board for most of Cleveland’s players, as the team utilized a deeper rotation on the way to 64 wins. The reduction in minutes for Mitchell and his teammates obviously paid off, as Cleveland earned the No. 1 seed and Mitchell enjoyed a high level of durability.

After per-game fantasy finishes of 24, 15, and 8 across his last three seasons, Mitchell finished 30th in 2024-25. It was a solid outing, but fantasy managers likely spent a top-15 pick to draft him.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

Jarrett Allen:

Like Mitchell, Allen’s playing time took a hit, and the 28 minutes per game were his lowest since 2019-20. The big man finished with 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 70.6% from the field and 71.8% from the charity stripe.

The points, rebounds and blocked shots were Allen’s fewest since 2019-20, his final full season with Brooklyn. The playing time proved beneficial for Allen though as his FG% was a new career high, and he appeared in 82 games for the first time in his career.

The dip in counting stats wasn’t harmful to Allen, as he finished 46th in per-game fantasy value after finishing 45th a season ago. Allen signed a three-year extension with the Cavs last summer, and he should play a similar role for the team for as long as he’s on the roster.

Even with the ascension of Evan Mobley, Allen should push for top-50 production each season thanks to his high field goal percentage, low turnovers and ability to rack up boards and blocks.

Darius Garland:

After a down season in 2023-24, Garland bounced back nicely last season. He finished with averages of 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 triples. Improved efficiency was a hallmark of Garland’s 2024-25 campaign as he shot a career-high 47.2% from the field. His 87.8% mark from the foul line and 40.1% mark from beyond the arc marked the second-best marks of his career.

Garland’s playing time and games played followed a similar pattern to Mitchell’s and Allen's. He logged a career-low 30.7 minutes per game across a career-high 75 games.

Allen finished with seven double-doubles, and the highlight of his season came on January 9 when he went off for 40 points to go with two boards, nine dimes, two steals and four triples.

Garland finished 52nd in per-game fantasy value, and a finish in this range is a reasonable expectation for him moving forward. Fantasy managers in need of a point guard can target him in the middle rounds of 2025-26 drafts.

De’Andre Hunter:

Hunter started the season with Atlanta, but he was dealt to Cleveland at the trade deadline. In 27 appearances with the Cavaliers, he averaged 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 triples across 25 minutes per game.

He started just four games for his new team and posted numbers similar to those he posted off the bench. He tied a career-high with 35 points on January 27 while still with Atlanta, and he dropped 32 points, seven boards and five triples on March 2 against the Trail Blazers after landing in Cleveland.

Hunter saw his role drastically reduced during Cleveland’s playoff run, due in part to injury. He’s got two more years left on his current deal, and he figures to be a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation for the foreseeable future. Hunter finished 122nd in per-game fantasy value, and he’ll be worth a look in the final rounds of 2025-26 drafts.

Max Strus:

Strus injured his right ankle just before the start of the 2024-25 season, and he didn’t debut until December 20. In his second season with Cleveland, the sharpshooter averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 triples with 44.2/38.6/82.4 shooting splits and 1.1 turnovers.

In 50 appearances, Strus logged 25.5 minutes per game, down significantly from the 32 minutes per game he saw in 2023-24. Strus finished 161st in per-game fantasy value after a career-best 118 finish in 2023-24. A finish around 120 likely represents Strus’ ceiling. His services are best reserved for deeper league fantasy managers in 2025-26.

Isaac Okoro:

The dip in playing time wasn’t a boon for Okoro, as he finished with just 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.0 triples across 19.1 minutes. The points, boards and minutes were all career lows for Okoro, who appeared in a career-low 55 games due to injuries.

The fifth-year man saw his role greatly reduced, starting only 22 of 55 games after starting 42 of 69 last season. Okoro has proven to be a better on-court player thanks to his defense, but his contributions don’t tend to show up in the box score, which is where fantasy managers are looking.

Restricted Free Agents: Emoni Bates

Unrestricted Free Agents: Tristan Thompson, Javonte Green, Ty Jerome

Club Option: Chuma Okeke

Player Option: None

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Phillies at Rockies prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 22

Its Thursday, May 22 and the Phillies (31-18) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (8-41).

Ranger Suárez is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Germán Márquez for Colorado.

The Phillies will be looking for the sweep today as they have taken the first three games of the series. Philadelphia's offense has scored 25 runs thus far. They won yesterday 9-5. Bryce Harper and Trea Turner paced the attack with home runs.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Phillies at Rockies

  • Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
  • Time: 3:10PM EST
  • Site: Coors Field
  • City: Denver, CO
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSP, COLR

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Phillies at the Rockies

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Phillies (-299), Rockies (+240)
  • Spread:  Phillies -1.5
  • Total: 11.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Rockies

  • Pitching matchup for May 22, 2025: Ranger Suárez vs. Germán Márquez
    • Phillies: Ranger Suárez (2-0, 5.09 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. Pittsburgh - 7IP, 3ER, 6H, 1BB, 6Ks
    • Rockies: Germán Márquez (1-6, 8.78 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/17 at Arizona - 3IP, 5ER, 7H, 3BB, 1K

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Rockies

  • The Phillies have won their last 5 road games, while the Rockies have lost 4 straight overall
  • The Under has cashed in 8 of the Rockies' last 10 games with German Marquez starting
  • The Rockies have failed to cover in their last 6 games against the Phillies
  • Trea Turner is 7-15 in this series with 1 HR and 4 runs scored
  • JT Realmuto collected 3 hits yesterday to snap a 2-21 stretch over the previous 5 games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Rockies

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Rockies:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Philadelphia Phillies at -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 11.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Rangers at Yankees prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 22

Its Thursday, May 22 and the Rangers (25-25) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (29-19).

Nathan Eovaldi is slated to take the mound for Texas against Carlos Rodón for New York.

The Yankees have taken the first two games of this series. Last night they knocked off the Rangers 4-3 scoring single runs in each of the last three innings to secure the come from behind win. Jasson Dominguez won it with a walk-off home run for New York. The Rangers' bullpen failed to close out a stellar Jacob deGrom start. The veteran allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Rangers at Yankees

  • Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
  • Time: 12:35PM EST
  • Site: Yankee Stadium
  • City: Bronx, NY
  • Network/Streaming: RSN, YES, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Rangers at the Yankees

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Rangers (+135), Yankees (-159)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Yankees

  • Pitching matchup for May 22, 2025: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Carlos Rodón
    • Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.61 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. Houston - 5.2IP, 0ER, 2H, 3BB, 5Ks
    • Yankees: Carlos Rodón (5-3, 3.17 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/16 vs. Mets - 5IP, 1ER, 2H, 4BB, 5Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Yankees

  • The Yankees have won 4 of their last 5 games against AL West teams
  • The Under is 7-3 (70%) in the Yankees' games this season with Carlos Rodon on the mound
  • The Rangers have covered in 4 of their last 5 on the road, profiting 2.50 units
  • Cody Bellinger extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a couple of hits last night.
  • Wyatt Langford has hit safely in 4 straight games (5-16)

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Rangers and the Yankees

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Rangers and the Yankees:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Texas Rangers at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade

What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite some concern about how Jimmy Butler would fit into the Warriors’ culture, coach Steve Kerr’s mind was at ease.

That’s because his good friend and longtime Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reassured him before Golden State acquired the six-time NBA All-Star at the February trade deadline.

“Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, ‘He’s going to be great for you.’ And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show.” “I believed him and he was right. Within a couple of days of his arrival, Jimmy was so easy to speak with.

“He reminded me of Andre [Iguodala] with the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world perspective and the maturity. It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.”

There was plenty of chatter about Butler’s locker room fit in Golden State since the veteran forward’s relationship with his previous team, the Heat, and particularly team president Pat Riley, soured.

Things got so bad that Butler was suspended multiple times by Miami after missing a team flight, walking out of a shootaround, and other actions deemed as “detrimental” to the team. And given that it wasn’t the first time Butler left a team on bad terms, there were reasonable worries for the Warriors.

But those concerns immediately were put to rest upon Butler’s arrival, as his impact quite literally did the opposite as he provided a rejuvenated energy to Golden State both on and off the floor. His relationship with Buddy Hield in particular warmed the hearts of Dub Nation.

“He was an absolute dream,” Kerr said. “I know everything that happened in Miami would not have suggested that, but I can only base Jimmy’s impact and his personality and all that stuff on my experience. And he was the model citizen. Just an amazing guy to coach these last few months.”

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Major League reunion for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Budweiser and MLB

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — In celebration of Major League Baseball‘s 2025 jewel event, the MLB Speedway Classic presented by BuildSubmarines.com in Bristol, Tennessee, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Budweiser and MLB are teaming up to bring a NASCAR Hall of Famer, American beer and America‘s favorite pastime to fans by recreating and paying homage to the iconic No. 8 Budweiser / MLB All-Star Game paint scheme.

The legendary scheme will be showcased at the MLB Speedway Classic on Aug. 2 and will be raced by Earnhardt Jr. in the zMAX CARS Tour event at South Carolina’s Anderson Motor Speedway on Aug. 16.

In July 2001, the original Budweiser / MLB All-Star Game paint scheme cemented its place in racing history when Earnhardt Jr. raced the red and white No. 8 design to an emotional victory in his first trip to Daytona International Speedway following the tragic loss of his father at the track earlier that year.

“It is an incredible opportunity to reunite with Budweiser and Major League Baseball,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I‘ve watched that July 2001 race at Daytona so many times. It‘s such a great memory for me. I am excited that we have this chance to collaborate with Bud and MLB to bring that scheme back again because of what it means to me and so many others.”

This partnership follows Budweiser and Earnhardt Jr.‘s reunion last November, when they brought back one of the most recognizable paint schemes in racing history, the red Bud No. 8 made famous by Earnhardt Jr. from 1999 to 2007.

RELATED: Memorable Dale Jr. paint schemes

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 7, 2001: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. celebrates his win in the Pepsi 400 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, his third major NASCAR win. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Furthermore, as the longest-tenured sponsor of Major League Baseball, Budweiser has been a staple in the sport‘s traditions and game-day experience for 21+ fans for decades. This August, Budweiser, MLB and Earnhardt Jr. are helping fans celebrate another historic milestone by promoting the MLB Speedway Classic that will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway. One of NASCAR‘s most popular tracks will host a special regular season contest between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, marking the first Major League game to be played in the state of Tennessee. Attending fans can also view the No. 8 Budweiser / MLB Speedway Classic show car at the event.

“The incredible fan response to Budweiser‘s reunion with Dale Jr. last November reminded us just how special this partnership is to racing fans,” said Todd Allen, SVP of Marketing at Budweiser and Bud Light. “This No. 8 Budweiser / MLB All-Star Game-inspired paint scheme pays tribute to one of the most iconic moments in the storied history of Dale Jr. and Budweiser‘s partnership. The MLB Speedway Classic is the perfect stage to revive this fan-favorite design, uniting an American racing icon and American beer at a first-of-its-kind MLB event.”

In addition to enjoying the action at the MLB Speedway Classic and Anderson Motor Speedway, fans can commemorate the return of this iconic paint scheme with limited-edition merchandise available now on shopjrnation.com and coming soon to additional select retail locations.

Anheuser-Busch has proudly supported and elevated NASCAR through Budweiser, Busch and Busch Light for more than 40 years. Its long-standing commitment to the motorsports industry has included driver partnerships — notably as the primary sponsor of Earnhardt Jr. for nine seasons — key event sponsorships and media investments in motorsports.

Follow along on Budweiser‘s social channels for more details about its partnership with Earnhardt Jr. and programming at MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, and stay up to date on the racing events at the JRM X account or watch the Anderson Motor Speedway race on www.FloRacing.com.

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Warriors coach Kerr offers two intriguing player comps for Kuminga

Warriors coach Kerr offers two intriguing player comps for Kuminga originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was one NBA player that Jonathan Kuminga frequently was compared to early on in his career, but even at the time it was rather unrealistic.

The young, 6-foot-7 forward, selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, received early comparisons to Kawhi Leonard, a six-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year who is bound for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when his career eventually ends.

While it might have been an apt comparison for the unproven Kuminga’s potential ceiling throughout his first couple seasons in the league, the 22-year-old, fresh off his fourth roller-coaster campaign with Golden State, no longer is receiving Leonard comparisons, but was compared by Warriors coach Steve Kerr to one current and one former NBA star.

“I’ve always felt like the type of player JK needs to be, I’ve mentioned this in the past, Shawn Marion is a guy that jumps out,” Kerr told The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami on the latest episode of the “The TK Show.” “I talked about this JK’s rookie year. With his athleticism, running the floor, putting pressure on the rim, offensive rebounds, getting into the dunker, the drop-off pass from divers, going up and dunking, guarding everybody at the other end. I think that’s, to me, what he’s really built for.

“We’ve really pushed him in that direction. I think sometimes with young players, there’s a process. I think Aaron Gordon is a good example. He spent years in Orlando, where he really wanted to be the scorer and the lead guy and had some success, like JK has, but really maybe didn’t find his role and find himself until later. And that’s kind of the hope.”

The 6-foot-7 Marion, a 16-year NBA veteran, was a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on 48.4-percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent from 3-point range.

Gordon (6-foot-8), who is one of the more impactful players in today’s game and played a big role in the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship, is another player that Kuminga frequently has been compared to throughout his career.

While Kuminga still has the raw talent to ascend to the level of either of those two star players, Kerr believes it will be tricky for him to do so in Golden State’s system with the way he currently plays the game.

“I think right now, he is a ball-dominant player 92nd percentile in usage rate this year in the NBA,” Kerr told Kawakami. “That’s really high. So on a team with Steph [Curry] and Jimmy [Butler], honestly, Steph’s going to have the ball. Jimmy’s going to have the ball. So the fit is tricky, there’s no question. What JK and I have talked about a lot and what we’ve really tried to hammer home with him is sprint the floor and rebound and be complimentary to those guys and that’s how you can find your role and find more minutes.”

That’s not to say Kuminga, a restricted free agent this offseason, can’t reach his full potential with the Warriors, but it could take some time. And it has.

“Hopefully that will click and we’ll find that place where he can start to do those things and rebound and get loose balls and be a high-energy possession guy like Shawn Marion, like Aaron Gordon,” Kerr concluded. “I think those guys are great comps. But young guys take some time to find their place, to figure out the best versions of themselves, and I think that process is still happening.”

But do the Warriors have time to wait?

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Is the Mets’ $765m slugger Juan Soto sad, bad or just playing in New York?

Juan Soto during this week’s series against the Boston Red Sox. Photograph: Natalie Reid/MLB Photos/Getty Images

If you only tuned into the biggest headlines about him, you might be convinced that Juan Soto’s first quarter of a season with the New York Mets has been a complete flop.

Last December, the Mets guaranteed Soto $765m on a 15-year contract, the most lucrative deal in professional sports history. In the early going of his time with the Mets, Soto has been the subject of a handful of viral stories, ranging from the mundane to the bizarre. None of them have been positive. Last Sunday, Soto did not hustle out of the box on a ground ball up the middle, and his casual trot to first base cost him a chance at an infield hit, in the eighth inning of a tied game against the crosstown rival Yankees. The very next night, Soto jogged out of the box on a fly ball at Fenway Park that he thought was a home run. It was not, and another news cycle about Soto’s effort followed. “I think I’ve been hustling pretty hard,” he told reporters.

Elsewhere, rumors flew around the internet last week that Soto had an arrangement with the Mets to fly to road games on a private plane, separate from his teammates. That was made up; Soto flies with his teammates, just like every other player in the league. Michael Kay, a broadcaster for the Yankees – who Soto ditched for the Mets in free agency after one year – added fuel to the fire on his radio show. Kay, citing conversations with “people on the Mets side” of the rivalry (Grimace?), said that Soto had been “very, very glum around the clubhouse” in Queens. He had wanted to remain a Yankee, Kay said, before family pushed back and urged him to sign with the Mets. (Nobody has substantiated any of Kay’s reporting.)

Soto’s results in the batter’s box have induced a bit of anxiety, too. In mid-April, Soto was so downtrodden that Mets fans greeted him for a run-of-the-mill at-bat with a standing ovation, hoping their support would lift him up. How bad had Soto been to that point? Well, his adjusted on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS+) was 118, meaning he was “only” 18% better than the league average hitter to date. In Soto’s career up to this year, his adjusted OPS was 60% better than average.

Related: Pete Rose returns to the Hall conversation as baseball embraces his original sin

For Soto, those few weeks of being a well above-average hitter rather than a great one must have been like torture. Even now, Soto’s OPS+ of 134 through Tuesday’s game has not quieted much of the anxiety around him. Soto’s first 49 games haven’t felt like a fairytale, even as the Mets have raced to one of the best records in baseball (their form, and batting, have slumped in the last week). But perhaps anyone feeling tense about Soto should take a wider lens: Soto’s first seven weeks with the Mets have been good, not great, but he had dozens of less productive spans over his first seven big league seasons. 2025 hasn’t even been his slowest start by OPS; that was 2022, when Soto posted a .795 OPS (compared to this year’s .815) over the season’s first 48 games.

And what did Soto do that year? Well, what he does every year: He made the National League All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger in the outfield, putting up a typically elite year split between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. In other words, the solution to any anxieties about Soto’s opening stint as a Met is simple: Everyone should just calm down for a few months. As the club’s owner, Steve Cohen, posted this week on X: “Welcome to the ups and downs of a baseball season.”

Soto has damned himself to a lifetime of enormous expectations, and he has 765m reasons to suck it up and deal with it. But Soto has been so consistently good for so long – and is still so young – that he is graded on an outrageous curve. Soto posted at least an OPS+ of 140 in each of his first seven big league seasons, something that only Albert Pujols and Ted Williams have done while qualifying for the batting title in each of those years. (Soto missed qualification by a few at-bats as a teenager in 2018.)

It isn’t just that Soto delivers year in and year out, but that his 26-year-old body and his approach to hitting make it seem so implausible that he would ever struggle. Soto has never played fewer than 150 games in a full major league season, save for his rookie year (when he was a midseason callup) and the shortened 2020 campaign. Soto has a slugger’s frame but not such a big one that he looks like he is likely to break down anytime soon. And so little of his success at the plate owes to luck or variance. Soto may have the keenest eye for pitches of any hitter who has ever lived. Plate discipline isn’t just about letting unfavorable pitches go, but about destroying meaty ones, and Soto has mastered both of those skills.

And, indeed, a look under the hood suggests that Soto will soon revert back to his normal, elite self, instead of being the merely very good hitter he has been so far as a Met. Soto’s batted-ball statistics, tracked in Statcast, look a lot like they do every year: He’s hitting the ball hard, laying off balls better than practically anyone else, and holding a top-five walk-to-strikeout ratio in Major League Baseball.

Soto is also playing in New York, an atmosphere for athletes only a little less hostile than the surface of Venus. The rumors and behindbacks that have circulated around him are also part of playing in the city, where the slightest dip in form will be endlessly debated in the press. That wasn’t really a problem when Soto was with the Yankees and everything was going well. But now he is struggling a little, all while walking away from a team who are not used to being jilted, and signing a contract worth nearly $1bn. It would be understandable if he’s feeling the pressure a little, all while adjusting to a new clubhouse and teammates.

Does that mean any concern about Soto is fantastical? Certainly not. He has looked uncharacteristically unsure of himself at times at the plate this season – on Wednesday against the Red Sox he struck out twice in his first two bats without offering a swing, his excellent eye seeming to desert him.

While he’s nowhere near there yet, even the greatest hitters will eventually decline, and Soto won’t be an exception. His defense in right field has drawn mixed reviews from various metrics during his career. This year, numbers place Soto somewhere between “very bad” and a bit below average in the field. He’s dead last among right fielders in Outs Above Average and has posted a Defensive Runs Saved total of negative-1. Yankees fans surely enjoyed Soto failing to get to a sinking fly ball off Aaron Judge’s bat last weekend. It’s possible that as Soto ages further into his contract, his defense will become a more substantial liability and cut into his value.

That’s not likely to be a major 2025 problem, however, and it speaks to Soto’s excellence that a solid start by almost anyone else’s standards has prompted doubts. The Mets are just a shade behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, and their early success has come despite a handful of difficulties – an injured starting rotation, a slow start for now-rounding-into-form closer Edwin Díaz, and Soto not yet operating to his usual standard. Soto is only 2% of the way into his 15-year contract. It’s just a matter of time until he shows why the Mets invested their future in him.

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Pacers overcome improbable 0-994 record in stunning Game 1 win over Knicks

Pacers overcome improbable 0-994 record in stunning Game 1 win over Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Indiana Pacers never quit.

That was evident on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, when they defeated the New York Knicks in overtime to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were relentless for the first 45 minutes of the game, building a 14-point lead (119-105) on their All-Star guard’s 3-pointer with 2:51 to play. Then, the impossible happened.

Tyrese Haliburton for 3. Aaron Nesmith for 3. A Pascal Siakam free throw. Three more triples for Nesmith. And an insane step-back bucket for Haliburton to force overtime.

In the extra period, Indy outscored New York 13-10 to walk away with a shocking Game 1 road win.

Just how improbable was that late 14-point comeback? According to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press, teams leading a playoff game by 14 or more points in the final 2:45 of the fourth quarter were 994-0 during the play-by-play era (since 1997).

Make that 994-1.

It doesn’t stop there, though.

The Pacers pointed out that since 1997, teams trailing by seven or more in the final 50 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime in the playoffs are now 4-1,702. This year’s Pacers squad has three of those four wins, including Wednesday night.

Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press added that the Pacers’ 23 points in the final 3:14 of regulation is the most ever in a playoff game during the play-by-play era.

Indiana, now 9-2 in the postseason, hadn’t won a game in the East finals since 2004 after being swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics last season.

The Pacers will look to keep the magic going on Friday night for Game 2, with the Knicks again hosting at Madison Square Garden before the series shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3.