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Warriors can make Giannis trade but won't win bidding war, Brian Windhorst says

Warriors can make Giannis trade but won't win bidding war, Brian Windhorst says originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brace yourself for another offseason of Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-the-Warriors trade rumors.

The Milwaukee Bucks star reportedly is “open-minded” about the possibility of exploring moving on from the only NBA franchise he has known, and teams will start lining up to make a run at the two-time NBA MVP if he decides he wants out.

ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst believes there is a pathway to the Warriors acquiring Antetokounmpo but there’s a big BUT involved in any hypothetical trade.

“Yes, there is a package that the Warriors could use,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on Friday morning. “They have some future draft picks. They have interesting young players. Like last year, Brandon Podziemski was off limits. Who knows if that’s going to be the case this year? But they can’t win a bidding war.

“First off, I just want to say Giannis has not let it be known he certainly wants out of Milwaukee, so I do not think we should assume that. If we do reach that point where Giannis was going to look around, he will have agency in this. He has two years left on his contract. The Bucks don’t have to listen to him. But if he were to come to Milwaukee and say, I want to play with Steph [Curry], there could be a deal worked out. The same would apply, in my view, to the [New York] Knicks or [Los Angeles Lakers], if he says I want to be a Knicks, send me to New York or I want to be a Laker. These are big ifs. Those trades can get worked out. But if it’s just an open market, none of those three teams, in my opinion, could win a bidding war with the Bucks.”

As “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg and analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Jay Williams discussed how Antetokounmpo’s Warriors fit and how the 30-year-old might convey to the Bucks where he wants to go, Windhorst doubled down on his earlier statement.

“If you’re asking, can the Warriors get Giannis?” Windhorst said. “The answer is yes. But, and it’s the but that is going to be a big thing that’s going to define this offseason.”

The Warriors have been linked to Antetokounmpo in previous offseasons, but nothing ever came close to materializing.

Now, with Curry’s NBA title window closing, the Warriors might be inclined to push for Antetokounmpo to get the four-time NBA champion a fifth ring.

As Windhorst alluded to, other NBA teams have more coveted trade assets to send to the Bucks. But if Antetokounmpo tells Milwaukee he only wants to go to the Warriors, the sides must try to work out a deal.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that the Warriors have four tradeable future first-round draft picks in 2026, 2028, 2030 (if picks 1 through 20) and 2032, and Golden State can offer first-round pick swaps in any of the next seven years.

To make the money work, the Warriors almost assuredly would have to include Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler in an Antetokounmpo trade, but Golden State publicly is committing to the core of Curry, Green and Butler.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy will have plenty of conversations over the next month leading up to the start of NBA free agency, and things certainly can change.

The Warriors can get a seat at Antetokounmpo’s trade table, but it sounds like he would have to pick them for the sides to finally unite.

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Jokic stars as Nuggets take Thunder semi-final to game seven

Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic led the scoring for the Denver Nuggets [Getty Images]

Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and recorded 14 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-107 to force a decisive seventh game in their Western Conference semi-final series.

Denver headed into Thursday's match 3-2 down in the series after squandering late leads in games five and six, but fought back after half-time to earn a trip to Oklahoma City for Game seven on Sunday, 18 May at 14:30 local time (20:30 BST).

"To win that [fourth] quarter, after what's happened the last two games, says a lot of our guys and the fact that they can bounce back from anything - I keep saying that," said Denver interim coach David Adelman. "We just keep finding our way."

Jamal Murray shook off an illness to produce 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Christian Braun added 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Julian Strawther came off the bench to score 15 points, his postseason career high.

The Nuggets needed a seventh game to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points for the Thunder, who ended the regular season top of the Western Conference with a 68-14 record.

Chet Holmgren wound up with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace scored 10 points apiece.

The Minnesota Timberwolves await either Denver or Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final - last year they defeated the Nuggets in game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals.

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Shohei Ohtani homers twice, Dalton Rushing has strong debut as Dodgers rout Athletics

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 15, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) runs the bases after hitting a three-run homer against the Athletics in the third inning at Dodgers Stadium on May 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Ohtani had two home runs and 6 RBI's in the Dodgers 19-2 win. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a three-run homer against the Athletics in the third inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

As is typically the case when a team wins 19-2 like the Dodgers did against the Athletics on Thursday night, plenty of hitters in the team’s star-studded lineup aligned to have monster nights.

Shohei Ohtani homered twice in a six-RBI performance, tying the major league lead with 15 long balls this season. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also went deep, helping the club set a season-high for runs. Hyeseong Kim reached base all five times. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also combined to get aboard five times before being removed after the third inning, the lead at that point already 11 runs.

All of those accomplishments, however, paled in personal significance to what the Dodgers’ starting catcher did.

Making his major league debut after being called up in a major roster move the day prior, top prospect Dalton Rushing walked in his first at-bat, singled in the next and went two-for-four while navigating a pre-determined bullpen game behind the plate — a strong showing for a 24-year-old slugger with so much potential, the Dodgers cut longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes to get him on the roster.

“He’s very comfortable, I think, in a good way,” manager Dave Roberts said of Rushing, a second-round draft pick in 2022 who has blossomed into one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball. “I think he thought he was ready [for the majors] when he signed.”

Rushing’s rise wasn’t that quick, requiring the University of Louisville product to climb through the farm system over four minor-league seasons. But after batting .277 with 54 home runs, 185 RBIs and a .931 OPS as a farm hand, the Dodgers decided their minor league player of the year award-winner from last season was finally ready.

Read more:Dodgers call up catcher Dalton Rushing, designate Austin Barnes for assignment

As far as first impressions go, Thursday was a good start.

"He just didn't look like a player that was making his debut,” Roberts said.

In the second inning, Rushing got a three-run rally started by drawing a leadoff walk. In the third, he worked a full count before blasting a belt-high sinker through the infield at 110 mph off the bat, the first domino in what became a seven-run outburst. In the eighth, he tacked on another base hit when a ground ball to first was deflected.

“It's been something that obviously I wanted to do at a very young age,” Rushing said. “Never in a million years did I imagine it would come with a team like this. So that just makes it that much more special … And getting here and being able to scratch a couple across like that, get them out of the way, now it takes a little pressure off your shoulders.”

The Dodgers have been contemplating when to bring Rushing to the majors for a while, long ago convinced his bat was ready to handle big-league pitching.

It’s part of the reason why, during the second half of last season, they experimented with him in left field; a position where, at the time, he had a clearer pathway to regular playing time.

This offseason, however, the club decided to rededicate his focus to his duties behind the plate, “challenging him,” as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman put it, to improve his defensive fundamentals, pitching-calling during games and ability to build rapport with members of the pitching staff.

Dalton Rushing is congratulated by first base coach Chris Woodward after his first major league hit.
Dalton Rushing is congratulated by first base coach Chris Woodward after his first major league hit. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“He’s continued to improve and get better,” Friedman said. “When we drafted him, he was new to catching. So there were a lot of areas to improve upon. But his work ethic is off the charts. And he really cares about being great. Each challenge we’ve given him, he’s met that challenge. And the success he’s had, there’s also an important element of having our finger on the pulse of that with guys, in terms of moving them up.”

And over the last couple weeks, the ways Rushing could potentially impact the club’s MLB roster became increasingly more clear.

Two weeks ago, the Dodgers sorely missed a left-handed bat like his off the bench in a May 4 loss in Atlanta, a game that ended with Barnes and fellow soft-hitting veteran Miguel Rojas recording outs in tough right-on-right matchups against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.

In Barnes’ final Dodgers start last Saturday in Arizona, his weakened throwing arm was also exposed, the Diamondbacks stealing three bases in a game Barnes one-hopped one throw to second base and airmailed another to the outfield.

Perhaps, if the Dodgers weren’t facing the prospect of a tight division race in this year’s talented National League West, such problems would have been more tolerable. But, with the team’s MLB-best 29-15 record affording them just a one-game division lead so far this year, it’s already become clear that fine margins could matter this season.

So, once the Dodgers returned home from their 10-game trip this week, the front office decided to pull the trigger.

Read more:Dodgers prospect Dalton Rushing sowing seeds of trust as he awaits his MLB debut

“Rush has obviously been on our radar for a long time in terms of when and how to introduce him to the major league team,” Friedman said. “I think with the improvements we’ve seen year over year, coupled with being in a tight division race … I think it falls in line with our consistent message of doing anything and everything we can to win.”

That didn’t mean cutting Barnes, who was in his 11th season with the Dodgers and won two World Series with the club, wasn’t difficult.

“Obviously Austin has been a huge part of this organization for a long time, he’s been in the middle of a lot of really big moments for us,” Friedman said. “His impact has been significant. So it was one of the harder decisions.”

Barnes’ departure sent ripples around the rest of the clubhouse, as well.

"I think everybody was surprised,” Clayton Kershaw said when asked of Barnes, whose 68 games behind the plate for the future Hall of Famer trails only A.J. Ellis for most in Kershaw’s career.

Max Muncy is greeted at home plate by Freddie Freeman after his two-run homer.
Max Muncy is greeted at home plate by Freddie Freeman after his two-run homer. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“It's sad. Barnesy's one of my best friends on or off the field. You won't find a guy that competes better than Austin Barnes. He wants to win more than anybody, and he always found a way, and he came up with some big moments for us throughout the years. I think a lot of people forget he was starting a lot of playoff games and winning a lot of games for us, getting big knocks. It's sad to see someone like that go who's been here that long, and I think we all kind of feel it.”

“It's no disrespect to Dalton,” Kershaw added. “I know he deserves it, and he's going to be a great player. It's just for me, personally, I think for a lot of guys on the team, it was disappointing to see [Barnes] go."

As the door on Barnes’ Dodgers career closes, however, a new one is opening for Rushing.

And one night in, the early results were promising.

“The last mile of his development is helping lead a major league staff,” Friedman said. “We felt like now is the right time to give him that opportunity, and for us to learn some things about him that you can’t know until they’re at the major-league level, and for him to experience the speed of game here, which will be insightful for all of us in terms of the next set of things to work on.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Thunder vs. Nuggets Game 6: Jokic got help with Murray, Braun, Strawther stepping up to force Game 7

NBA: Playoffs-Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets

May 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Christian Braun (0) in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game six of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

This series had to go seven. Basketball fans deserved it. Denver vs. Oklahoma City has been too close, too back-and-forth, and just too entertaining not to go seven.

That Game 7 takes place on Sunday because Nikola Jokic got the help he lacked in a Game 5 loss two nights earlier. Jamal Murray, playing through an illness that had him listed as doubtful earlier in the day, scored 25, while Christian Braun added a career playoff-high of 23 points and 12 rebounds.

The game was tied 80-80 in the later stages of the third quarter when Denver went on a 10-0 run, and held on from there. The Nuggets won 119-107 to force a Game 7 on Sunday back in Oklahoma City.

This is the second straight series Denver will have to go seven games. The Nuggets comfortably beat the Clippers at home in the last Game 7.

“We just keep finding a way,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said of forcing a second Game 7.

Who found a way was little-used forward Julian Strawther. He sparked the Nuggets’ third-quarter run and finished with a career playoff-high 15 points, all of them coming in the second half.

Denver's biggest concern out of the night was Aaron Gordon, who was seen grabbing his hamstring at points in the fourth quarter and seemed slowed for that stretch. Gordon said postgame he was fine and that recovery for him started immediately.

The advantage they have is two days off in a series that has been every other day up until this point. The older, thinner Nuggets, in particular, were clearly excited about having a couple of days off to rest between games.

The MVPs did their part in this game, with Jokic scoring 29 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points, with 18 of those coming in the second half despite him having four fouls by halftime.

SGA did not get enough help. Jaylen Williams scored six points on 3-of-16 shooting — he has to be better on Sunday if OKC is going to advance. Chet Holmgren poured in 19.

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Jacob deGrom and Rangers get 1-0 win on Jake Burger's homer against Astros and Hunter Brown

degrom.jpg

Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Jacob deGrom went eight innings to win his fourth consecutive start for the Texas Rangers, who got Jake Burger's solo home run off Hunter Brown in a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night in an anticipated pitchers' duel that certainly lived up to expectations.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom (4-1) is having quite a comeback after missing most of the last two seasons following Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old right-hander struck out seven, two of those to end innings with two runners on base, while walking one and giving up five hits.

Brown (6-2), who is 10 years younger that deGrom, struck out nine without a walk while scattering three hits in his first career complete game. The righty was tied for the major league lead in wins and retired the first 12 batters he faced before Adolis García lined a double to left to start the fifth.

Shawn Armstrong worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his second save.

Burger went deep leading off the sixth, a 394-foot drive into the Texas bullpen in right-center for his fourth homer of the season.

Rangers right fielder García made a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Mauricio Dubón for the final out of the seventh when Houston had a runner at second base. García had several nice plays, including a sliding catch near the line after running a long way to open the fourth.

Bruce Bochy got his 2,195th career win to break a tie with Sparky Anderson for the sixth-most by an MLB manager. Bochy, who turned 70 last month, is in his 28th season as a manager, his third in Texas.

Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.78 ERA) goes into Friday night having allowed only two earned runs over 25 innings in his last four starts (3-0). Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 15.75) makes only his third start for Houston since the 2022 World Series.

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Bruce Bochy passes Sparky Anderson with 2,195th career win for 6th among all-time MLB managers

bochy.jpg

Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Bruce Bochy got his 2,195th career win to break a tie with Sparky Anderson for the sixth-most by an MLB manager when the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 1-0 on Thursday night.

Bochy, who turned 70 last month and is in his 28th season as a manager, has a record of 2,195-2,206 in regular-season games with Texas, San Diego and San Francisco. He has won four World Series titles, three with the Giants and the only one ever for the Rangers two years ago in his return to the dugout after a three-season retirement from managing.

The five managers ahead of Bochy on the career wins list, and Anderson, are all in the baseball Hall of Fame. Next ahead of Bochy in fifth place is Joe Torre's 2,326. Connie Mack is the career leader with 3,731 wins, followed by Tony La Russa, John McGraw and Bobby Cox.

Anderson had a 2,194-1,834 record and three World Series titles, two with Cincinnati from 1970-78 and another with Detroit from 1979-95.

Bochy, now in third season in Texas, is 192-177 with the Rangers. He was 951-975 with the Padres from 1995-2006, and had a 1,052-1,054 record from 2007-2019 with the Giants when his three World Series titles there came in a span of five seasons from 2010-14.

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Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends, and best bets for May 16

It’s Friday, May 16, and the Boston Celtics (61-21) and New York Knicks (51-31) are all set to square off from Madison Square Garden in New York for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Celtics owned Game 5 with a 25-point blowout win at home (127-102) amid the loss of Jayson Tatum (Achilles injury in Game 4). Boston is still one game away from elimination and split 1-1 in New York. Derrick White is coming off a game-high 34-point outing on 7-of-13 from three (53.8%), while Jaylen Brown scored 26 points to go along with 12 assists and 8 rebounds.

Jalen Brunson had his second-lowest point outcome of the series with 22 points on 7-of-17 from the field (41.2%), while Josh Hart added a playoff-high 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had his lowest output (19 points) since Game 1 but also dealt with foul trouble as he's had four or more fouls in all five games.

The Celtics are currently 33-8 on the road with a point differential of 9, while the Knicks have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on 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.

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Game details & how to watch Celtics vs. Knicks live today

  • Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
  • Time: 8:00 PM EST
  • Site: Madison Square Garden
  • City: New York, NY
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

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 NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Celtics vs. Knicks

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Odds: Celtics (+119), Knicks (-142)
  • Spread:  Knicks -2.5
  • Over/Under: 210 points

That gives the Celtics an implied team point total of 104.43, and the Knicks 105.73.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Celtics vs. Knicks game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Knicks to close the series at home with a strong start:

"This has been one fun series to watch and despite two blowouts in the past three games, I think we see a tight contest like we did in Game 3. Four of the Celtics' starting five went a combined 28-of-48 from the field (58.3%) in Game 5 and I don't think that translates as well in MSG. This is a moment that the New York franchise has been waiting on and from the gate, the home crowd will make it a tough environment. With Mr. Clutch on the Knicks side at home, I trust New York with a lead or trailing. I will back the Knicks to win and like the Celtics first quarter team total Under after two strong starts in Games 4 and 5."

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 NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 today’s Celtics & Knicks game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Celtics at +2.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 210.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Celtics vs. Knicks on Friday

  • The Celtics have won 4 of 5 games at divisional opponents
  • The Over is 12-9 in the Celtics' divisional matchups this season
  • The Celtics have failed to cover in 12 of their 21 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams this season
  • The Celtics have won 4 of 5 games at divisional opponents

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 NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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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Cooper Flagg: 'It was a crazy draft lottery,' is optimistic about his fit in Dallas

When NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum held up the Dallas Mavericks logo Monday night, announcing they had turned their 1.8% chance into the No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg's reaction was understated. To put it mildly. The presumptive No. 1 pick in this draft, he seemed as stunned as everyone else Dallas was going to be his new home, but also he was not reacting excitedly like Victor Wembanyama when he found out he was headed to San Antonio.

Flagg admitted was as caught off guard by the outcome as everyone else, but then spoke highly of Dallas, talking to reporters at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Quotes via Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal:

"It was a crazy draft lottery. It was a cool experience to be there and go through that experience...

"I'm grateful to get this opportunity, or any opportunity to hear my name called on draft night. I'm just really excited for this whole experience. Not everybody gets to go through this, so I just feel really blessed. As far as Dallas goes, they've got a lot of really good pieces."

Among those pieces is fellow Duke player Dereck Lively II.

"To be able to learn from D-Live—that's pretty cool. So I think it would be a really cool opportunity."

Flagg also talked about what he learned being on the USA Select team last summer, practicing and scrimmaging against the USA Basketball team that won gold in the Paris Olympics. He got to see up close how hard the best in the game work and how much they prepare, mentally and physically, and he said he took that to heart.

With a front line of Anthony Davis, Lively and Flagg, plus Kyrie Irving (eventually, he will miss most if not all of next season after tearing his ACL in March), there is a path to the Mavericks being a dangerous team — if they can get everyone healthy. The lottery ping-pong balls also bailed maligned GM Nico Harrison out: One of the biggest flaws of the Luka Doncic trade was that Davis was six years older, and with that, Dallas got a lot older. Flagg is 18 and gives the Mavericks a clear path to the future.

Flagg is excited about that future, no matter what his face looked like seconds after the announcement.

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The London Knights Hang On To Win OHL Championship

Easton Cowan (center) and Denver Barkey (left) celebrate with teammates [Luke Durda/OHL Images].

For the second time since 2010, the London Knights are the winners of back-to-back OHL Championships. The Knights took game five of the OHL Final to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup on home ice. 

This year, the Knights took five games to defeat the Oshawa Generals, whom they swept in last year's finals. 

In an immediate divergence from last year, the Generals took game one on the road and started the series confidently. From there, the Knights dominated the series, winning three games in convincing fashion. 

While the Generals put up a fantastic fight in game five, they ultimately fell short, losing 5-2. 

Nashville Predators prospect Andrew Gibson got the scoring started in game five, firing a puck past Austin Elliott from the point. The big blue-liner was one of Oshawa's best players throughout the series, tallying multiple goals at crucial moments.

London's Kasper Halttunen, who scored a pair of goals in the game, got the Knights on the board in the final minute of the period to take things to the intermission tied at one.

Halttunen was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, which is given to the OHL Playoffs MVP. He scored eight goals in the last three games of the series, recording back-to-back hattricks. He is the first European to win the award.

As was the case in games two through four, London dominated the second period, scoring a pair of goals to take a 3-1 lead. Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke found a big response at the end of the period to make it 3-2. 

London locked things down in the third period, stifling the talented Oshawa offense, which got 18 shots in the final frame.

Halttunen Hattrick Highlights London's Game Four WinHalttunen Hattrick Highlights London's Game Four WinThe London Knights won game four of the OHL Final in dominant fashion, defeating the Oshawa Generals 6-2. A pair of San Jose Sharks prospects factored heavily into the Knights' victory. 

Landon Sim scored a huge goal by following up on Ottawa Senators prospect Blake Montgomery's rush and batting the puck out of the air to make it 4-2. Easton Cowan scored an empty-net goal to make it 5-2. 

The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his fifth OHL Championship, tying him for the most in OHL history. 

The last time the Knights won back-to-back championships was during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. It takes a special set of players to win in two consecutive seasons. Notable members of the 2012/13 Knights included Islanders' star Bo Horvat, Leafs' forward Max Domi and Chris Tierney. 

Just like those teams, the 2024/25 Knights were loaded with talent. It feels like it will only be a matter of time before we see these young stars start to step into the NHL.

While the Knights will assuredly take some time to celebrate their victory, they still have unfinished business to attend to. They made it to the Memorial Cup Final last year, where they lost to the Saginaw Spirit. 

Sam Dickinson told The Hockey News earlier in the season that the Memorial Cup was the goal and the standard that this team held itself to. They want to return to that stage, and this time, potentially take home a trophy.

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Tigers at Blue Jays prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 16

The Tigers (29-15) travel north of the border this weekend for a series in Toronto against the Blue Jays (21-22).

Jack Flaherty is slated to take the mound in the series opener Friday for Detroit against Bowden Francis for Toronto.

The Jays lost to the Rays Thursday, 8-3. Kevin Gausman got run over allowing six runs in 5.2 innings. Bo Bichette, though, did collect three hits for Toronto.

Detroit had Thursday off after sweeping the Red Sox in a three-game series in Motown. The Tigers' offense was on overdrive in the series scoring 30 runs over the three games.

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 Tigers at Blue Jays

  • Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
  • Time: 7:07PM EST
  • Site: Rogers Centre
  • City: Toronto, ON
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNDT, SN1, 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 Tigers at the Blue Jays

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Tigers (-133), Blue Jays (+113)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at Blue Jays

  • Pitching matchup for May 16, 2025: Jack Flaherty vs. Bowden Francis
    • Tigers: Jack Flaherty (1-5, 4.61 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/10 vs. Texas - 3.0IP, 5ER, 4H, 2BB, 4Ks
    • Blue Jays: Bowden Francis (2-5, 5.40 ERA)
      Last outing: 5/10 at Seattle - 6.2IP, 3ER, 6H, 1BB, 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 Tigers at Blue Jays

  • The Tigers have won 4 of their last 5 on the road against American League teams
  • The Tigers' last 3 road games in Toronto have gone over the Total
  • Gleyber Torres has 6 hits in his last 19 ABs (.316)

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 Friday’s game between the Tigers 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 Friday's game between the Tigers and the Blue Jays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Detroit Tigers at -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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Mets acquire LHP Jose Castillo from Diamondbacks for cash considerations

The Mets have acquired left-handed pitcher Jose Castillo from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations, the team announced Thursday night.

Castillo, 29, had appeared in five games for the Diamondbacks this season, pitching to an 11.37 ERA across 6.1 innings. His last appearance came on May 11 against the Dodgers, where he allowed three runs over two innings. Castillo was designated for assignment the next day.

The Venezuela native has 45 major league games under his belt across five seasons and two different teams. Prior to this year, Castillo made one appearance each season for the Padres from 2019-23, largely due to various injuries. He missed all of 2024 as he recovered from an ACL injury.

His best season came in 2018, his first, with the Padres. In 37 games, Castillo pitched to a 3.29 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.

In a corresponding move, the Mets designated RHP Kevin Herget for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Herget made one appearance this season for the Mets back on April 29 against the Diamondbacks. He allowed one run on three hits across two innings.

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Mets Prospect Roundup: Nolan McLean battles through five innings, Ronny Mauricio drives in a run

The Mets have a deep roster of pitching prospects in their system, including Nolan McLean.

McLean, 23, had a successful Triple-A debut last week and was on the bump again for the Syracuse Mets on Thursday night, but it was a different story this time.

In his first Triple-A start, McLean pitched seven scoreless innings, but he could only get through five against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In those five innings, McLean allowed four runs on five hits while striking out four. The biggest issue for McLean on Thursday was his command. He walked six batters and allowed two home runs. The first came in the third on an 82 mph curveball that had too much plate, and the second came in the fourth on a 75 mph curveball that was down and in on left-handed Justin Crawford, the Phillies' No. 3 prospect and son of former major league player Carl Crawford.

McLean retired the final four batters he faced, so there's something to build upon for his next start with Syracuse.

The right-hander took the loss as the IronPigs defeated the Syracuse Mets, 7-3.

Offensively, Syracuse picked up eight hits and Drew Gilbert was in the mix on Thursday. The outfielder went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. The 24-year-old is now slashing .244/.384/.372 with an .848 OPS this season. He also has four home runs and six doubles across Low-A and Triple-A this season.

Jett, Ronny drive in runs for Double-A

Down with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Jett Williams had another solid day at the plate. The shortstop went 1-for-3 with walk and an RBI double to help Binghamton win 5-3 over the Hartford Yard Goats.

After Thursday's performance, Williams is now slashing .280/.374/.490 with an .864 OPS in 29 games with Binghamton. He's also smashed three homers, eight doubles and stolen seven bases in nine tries.

Ronny Mauricio continued his rehab with Double-A on Thursday, playing seven innings at third base while going 1-for-4 with an RBI double. The double came in the eighth on a pitch running up and away from him that the infielder hit over the center fielder's head. Mauricio's double was his second hit (both doubles) with Binghamton in four games since being transferred from St. Lucie.

Ryan Clifford did not have that same success at the plate. Playing as the DH, Clifford went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.