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Haliburton invites Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him in New York to Game 4

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

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Brewers’ William Contreras showing that his fractured finger won’t limit his hitting productivity

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras is learning how to keep hitting the ball hard while dealing with a fractured left middle finger.

Contreras has been playing through this injury for much of the season, which has impacted the hitting production of one of the game’s top catchers. But he’s turned a corner lately.

The two-time All-Star went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles and hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the eighth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He has gone 9 for 16 at the plate over his last five games.

“It’s been the William Contreras who finished in the top five of the MVP voting last year,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

Contreras ranked fifth in the MVP balloting after leading Milwaukee to a second straight NL Central title last year. Contreras understands how much he means to this team, which helps explain why he has continued to play just about every day even while facing this injury.

“I’ve worked too hard to miss a day,” Contreras said. “I don’t want to take two or three months off.”

Teammates appreciate Contreras’ ability to play through pain. Contreras has missed just three of Milwaukee’s first 48 games this season after playing 155 games last year. Even when he isn’t catching, Contreras typically remains in the lineup as a designated hitter.

“It really shows his passion to one, play the game, and also about how important he thinks winning is and how badly he wants to win and be a part of it,” pitcher Quinn Priester said. “It’s really easy to play with and trust a guy like that.”

The Brewers reconfigured Contreras’ catching mitt to help him avoid feeling so much pain with every foul tip he gets while working behind the plate. Contreras has continued doing an outstanding job behind the plate, as Statcast ranks him among the NL’s best catchers at throwing out potential base stealers.

His injury had a bigger effect on his hitting.

Contreras homered April 13 in a 5-2 loss at Arizona but didn’t get another extra-base hit until May 11, when he went deep again in a 4-2 victory at Tampa Bay. That represented quite a drop for someone who had won the Silver Slugger as the NL’s top hitting catcher each of the last two seasons.

He has looked more like his usual self at the plate.

Contreras’ surge started when he went 3 of 4 with a double and scored four runs in a 9-5 victory at Cleveland. That began a five-game stretch in which his batting average has improved from .224 to .258, his on-base percentage has soared from .333 to .370 and his slugging percentage has improved from .322 to .371.

While metrics show Contreras hasn’t hit the ball as hard this year as in previous seasons, he’s clearly making progress in that regard. All four of his most recent hits had an exit velocity exceeding 100 mph.

“It’s hard to hit a ball hard with that finger because there’s pain sometimes,” Contreras said. “But I don’t have to think too much about my finger because I’m going to keep playing the rest of the season.”

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Mets will talk to Juan Soto about hustle after line drive off Green Monster ends up a single

BOSTON — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he’ll talk to Juan Soto about hustling out of the batter’s box after the slugger watched his would-be home run bounce off the Green Monster for a single against the Boston Red Sox.

Leading off the sixth inning on a chilly night at Fenway Park with a 15 mph wind blowing in from left field, Soto hit a 102 mph line drive to left and stood watching as it sailed toward the Green Monster. The ball hit about two-thirds of the way up the 37-foot wall, and Soto was only able to manage a single.

“He thought he had it,” Mendoza told reporters after his team’s 3-1 loss. “But with the wind and all that, and in this ballpark — anywhere, but in particular in this one, with that wall right there — you’ve got to get out of the box. So, yeah, we’ll discuss that.”

Soto stole second on the first pitch to the next batter, but the $765 million star ended up stranded on third. He denied lollygagging on the basepaths.

“I think I’ve been hustling pretty hard,” he said. “If you see it today, you can tell.”

It’s not uncommon for balls hit off the Green Monster to result in singles: In the first inning, Pete Alonso was thrown out trying for second base on a ball off the left-field wall. But Soto had also failed to run hard out of the box on a groundout at Yankee Stadium.

“We’ll talk to him about it,” Mendoza said.

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Report: Red Wings Interested in NHL Return for Former Ducks Second Rounder

Sep 29, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights forward Maxime Comtois (88) skates against the Arizona Coyotes during the second period of a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)

According to a report from RG Media, the Detroit Red Wings are one of a handful of teams interested in facilitating an NHL return for Maxime Comtois, a 2017 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks who spent last season in Russia, playing for the KHL's Dynamo Moscow.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"I felt like I got a second wind," RG quoted Comtois as saying in a recent interview.  "I've always said I want to return to the NHL, and this season I did everything possible to make that happen. Hockey had become just a job for me in North America, but here, it became my passion again."  Comtois scored 21 goals and gave 29 assists in 62 regular season games for Dynamo this season.  Per RG, the Boston Bruins are among the other teams potentially interested in Comtois' services.

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It is worth noting that Comtois played for the 2018 Canadian World Junior Team, from which five players (Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod) are currently standing trial for sexual assault.  Comtois has not been charged with any wrongdoing.  In 2022 (when these reports began to surface), he released a statement describing the allegations as "deeply troubling" and expressing his intent to fully cooperate with the investigation.

Now 26, Comtois has played 211 career NHL games (all but one with Anaheim, the other with the Carolina Hurricanes), totaling 38 goals and 49 points for 87 points.  He's not a player with the potential to provide Detroit with a seismic impact, but he could be a low cost, quality depth acquisition.

Do you see Comtois as a worthwhile acquisition for the Red Wings?  Let us know in the comments.

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LA Clippers 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell enjoy breakout seasons

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.

The Clippers were finally healthy for a playoff run, but they weren’t able to get past the Nuggets in the first round. However, there’s no reason to think this team isn’t going to run things back again, though the clock certainly continues to tick.

Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 Season Recap

Record: 50-32 (5th, West, lost first round)

Offensive Rating: 1146.7 (15th)

Defensive Rating: 109.4 (3rd)

Net Rating: 4.9 (5th)

Pace: 98.24 (22nd)

2024 Draft Picks: 30, 51

After Paul George left for Philadelphia in free agency, Norman Powell called it “addition by subtraction.” Well, the Clippers ended up winning one less game and finishing one spot lower in the standings, but they lost in seven games instead of six games in the first round. Improvement? Perhaps, but either way, it’s difficult to lose a player as talented as George (well, at least the player he was for them last season) and still be just as competitive, which made this season impressive. However, that doesn’t mean it was a successful year. When your team is built on stars that are 35 and 33 years old, it’s championship or bust.

That doesn’t mean that it was a waste of a season. Both Ivica Zubac and the aforementioned Powell had the best years of their careers, and Kawhi Leonard had a lot of success after he finally made his season debut. James Harden was excellent after a down 2023-24 season. Still, it wasn’t enough for them to make it out of the first round of the playoffs once again. This was their third straight first round exit, and they haven’t made it to the second round since the 2020-21 season.

Fantasy Standout: James Harden

Despite a poor postseason, Harden was awesome during the regular season. He struggled in his first year with the Clippers, but he averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and three triples per game this season. The 4.3 turnovers per game and 41 percent shooting from the field were poor, but he was still able to provide top-20 value in nine-cat leagues.

The only narrative that will come out of this season is that the 35-year-old Harden couldn’t get it done in the playoffs once again. His lowest-scoring performance of their series against Denver came in Game 7; he had seven points on eight shots. However, that shouldn’t alter how he is viewed in fantasy basketball. He isn’t vying for the top spot in the rankings anymore, but he is still fantastic during the regular season. The turnovers and poor field goal percentage aren’t going anywhere, which makes it important to account for them in category leagues. Harden isn’t slowing down, and he played 79 games during the regular season this year. There were no signs that would indicate he isn’t ready to repeat his production from this season once again.

Fantasy Revelation: Ivica Zubac

For years, head coach Tyronn Lue simply refused to play Zubac like a typical starter. He had him splitting the center minutes with multiple different players, including Isaiah Hartenstein and Mason Plumlee. Even when there wasn’t another quality center, Lue opted to play smaller lineups that featured Nicolas Batum at center. However, that changed this season, and the results were fantastic. Zubac’s minutes jumped from 26.4 per game last year to 33.1 this season, and he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, which resulted in him providing third-round value in nine-cat leagues.

The 28-year-old proved that it’s never too late to enjoy a breakout season. Zubac has long been a solid option, but at his Yahoo! ADP of 86.8, he was one of the steals of the draft and a true league-winner. Zubac was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He’ll go significantly earlier in fantasy drafts next season and should be in for another strong year, assuming Lue doesn’t reduce his role or put him in another minutes split at center. With the way he played this year, that seems unlikely.

Fantasy Disappointment: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Since making his NBA debut during the 2017-18 season, Bogdanovic has been a strong producer in fantasy basketball, especially as a three-point threat. However, this was a down year for him, and he ended up being traded to LA after starting the year with the Hawks. Though he was slightly better with the Clippers than he was with Atlanta, he only averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and two triples per game for LA. That ranked outside the top 150 after he was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues the year before.

The 32-year-old was mostly ineffective during the playoffs as well, though he was able to knock some shots down during Games 5 and 7. Still, he didn’t miss any games with the Clippers after making his debut just before the All-Star break, but he was sidelined a lot early on when he was with the Hawks. Bogdanovic will hopefully enjoy a healthier season during the 2025-26 campaign, which will give him a chance to bounce back.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads 

Kawhi Leonard

Though he didn’t suit up until January, Leonard was productive during his time on the floor. In 37 appearances, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.1 triples in 31.9 minutes per game. He was eased in slowly after missing the start of the season due to the same knee issue that kept him from playing in the Olympics last summer and forced him to miss Games 4-6 against the Mavericks in the playoffs last year.

The injury concerns and questions aren’t going anywhere, but Leonard remains effective when he is on the floor. He’ll be 34 at the start of next season, and with his injury history, there have to be concerns about how much longer he’ll keep playing. Still, he was productive during the playoffs and after the All-Star break, he was able to provide first-round value in nine-cat leagues. Leonard will likely continue to slip in fantasy drafts because of the headache that he has caused for managers over the past half-decade. However, that just makes him an excellent value pick.

Norman Powell

Powell was certainly a candidate for “Fantasy Revelation” with his breakout performance this season. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and three triples in 32.6 minutes per game, which led to arguably the best season of his career. Powell really took advantage of Kawhi’s absence early on and was in the conversation to make the All-Star Game. However, he only played one game in a month-long stretch from mid-February to mid-March and wasn’t able to produce at the same level over the final month of the regular season. Still, It was an impressive year for a 31-year-old, and he’ll continue to be an excellent source of offense for them, assuming he remains in a starting role like he did this season after being LA’s sixth man the last few years.

Kris Dunn

The former top-five pick has bounced around the league without finding a consistent place to call home. This was his first season with the Clippers, and he started 58 of his 74 games while averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and one three-pointer per game. Dunn’s steals were valuable, but he wasn’t able to do much else for fantasy managers. LA had him in the starting lineup for his defense, but he was able to provide some points and assists occasionally. Still, his role in fantasy basketball next season will be as a steal streamer once again.

Derrick Jones Jr.

Early in his career, Jones Jr. was known as a dunk specialist, but he has reinvented himself over the last two seasons. After an excellent year in Dallas, he earned a three-year deal with the Clippers. He started 55 of his 77 appearances, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, one steal and one triple per game. Jones Jr. was a solid defender in the rotation, but his limited offensive game prevents him from being dominant in fantasy basketball. He’ll continue to play heavy minutes, but he makes more of an impact on the court than he does in the box score.

Ben Simmons

After playing 90 games across two and a half seasons with the Nets, Simmons’ contract was bought out in February, and he signed with the Clippers for the rest of last season. In his 18 games, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Simmons’ fall from grace has been well documented, and the once-dominant fantasy player doesn’t provide much optimism for the future. Sure, he’s still talented, but it’s going to take a lot more than that for him to be a reliable player.

Amir Coffey

Coffey has spent six years with the Clippers, and this was his best yet. Across his 72 appearances, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 triples in 24.3 minutes per game. He has had some stretches as a starter where he has been effective, but he was out of the rotation for the final two weeks of the regular season and didn’t see the floor during the playoffs. He’ll continue to be a rotation piece for LA, but he won’t make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Nicolas Batum

While speaking with BeIN Sports, Batum said that the 2025-26 season will likely be his last year in the league. He has a player option, so he could finish out his career with the Clippers. However, he likely won’t see his role increase after averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 threes in 17.5 minutes per game this year. Batum will be a solid veteran presence again next season, but he shouldn’t be considered in any fantasy format.

Kobe Brown

Since they took Jerome Robinson in the 2018 draft, Brown has been the lone first-round pick made by the Clippers that also suited up for them. However, his role decreased in his second year with the team. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in just 6.8 minutes per game while suiting up 40 times. The 25-year-old is one of the few young pieces on this Clippers team, but it is unlikely they pivot to a youth movement next season. He’ll continue to try and develop from the bench.

Jordan Miller

The 2023 second-round pick saw his role increase in year two, but not by much. He played 11.4 minutes per game across 37 appearances and averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Miller played a larger role than Brown last season, but it was still insignificant. That is unlikely to change next season.

Restricted Free Agents: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers

Unrestricted Free Agents: Amir Coffey, Patty Mills, Ben Simmons

Player Option: James Harden, Nicolas Batum

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Giro d’Italia: Ayuso and Roglic close on Del Toro as Hoole prevails in Pisa

  • Dry roads help Dutch rider to win stage 10 time-trial
  • Juan Ayuso now just 25 seconds adrift in second place

Dutchman Daan Hoole won stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia as rain hampered the later starters in Tuesday’s time trial, which ended with Mexico’s Isaac del Toro clinging to the overall lead.

Hoole, the 26-year-old Lidl-Trek rider, took advantage of dry roads to cover the 28.6km from Lucca to Pisa in 32 minutes and 30 seconds for his first Grand Tour stage win. By the time the leading riders left the start gate rain was falling, making the corners slippery and reducing speeds.

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Hurricanes Defenseman Jalen Chatfield Questionable For Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Final

The Carolina Hurricanes have a big question mark on the blueline as we head toward puck drop of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Defenseman Jalen Chatfield has been dealing with an undisclosed injury, that seemed to have flared up in Game 4 of the Canes' second-round series against the Washington Capitals.

The veteran missed Game 5 and a few Hurricanes practices, and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he'd probably need a practice before he gets back in.

While he did take the morning skate on Tuesday morning, he was skating as an extra during the practice session so his status is still up in the air.

"We're still debating it, but it was a good sign that he was out there," Brind'Amour said. "Whether he's ready to go, that will be determined here shortly. Good sign that he was at least out there with us.

Chatfield had one goal in nine postseason games this season, but more importantly, he's a vital piece of the Hurricanes' staunch blueline.

He plays big minutes, averaging 20:24 a night in these playoffs, and he's making a difference whether it's at 5v5 or on the penalty kill.

"He definitely wants to play, so we'll see where it goes," Brind'Amour said.

If he can't go, rookie blueliner Scott Morrow will draw into the lineup for his NHL postseason debut.

"He's been around a little longer, knows our system a little better than [Alexander Nikishin] does and he played well when he came up," Brind'Amour said. "There's also the righty/lefty thing, that does matter a little bit. So those little things help. I think he's earned the right to have a shot, so we'll see."

Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!   

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Celtics trade rumors: Are Warriors a realistic Derrick White suitor?

Celtics trade rumors: Are Warriors a realistic Derrick White suitor? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Silly season has started early in Boston this year.

The beginning of any NBA team’s offseason usually brings a flurry of rumors and fake trade proposals, and that’s especially true with the Celtics, who fell to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and need to shed more than $20 million in salary just to avoid severely restrictive penalties associated with being in the second apron of the luxury tax.

That financial situation means the Celtics may have to consider trading at least one core rotation player. And in recent days, Derrick White’s name has been thrown into the NBA rumor mill, with the Golden State Warriors floated as a potential suitor.

“Another guy for the Warriors to look at going forward is Derrick White,” The Ringer’s Logan Murdoch told longtime NBA reporter Zach Lowe on The Zach Lowe Show. “I think that’s something the Warriors are looking at right now.

“That’s somebody who can play defense, can settle everyone down especially when you have a young group like that.”

White arguably is the Celtics’ third-most important player behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and projects as Boston’s No. 2 next season if Tatum’s Achilles injury keeps him out most or all of the 2025-26 campaign. But Lowe admitted the Celtics may have to at least consider moving White and his $28.1 million salary for next season in order to shed salary.

“I’ve talked about how depressing trading Derrick White would be for Boston, and the sort of a dilemma they face in terms of, ‘How much of a reset do we really want to have and who we want to be back here when Tatum comes back?’” Lowe said. “Who has trade value in the interim and where (does) Derrick White fit in that conversation?”

The Celtics have a few other avenues they can consider before exploring a White trade, such as shopping Jrue Holiday and/or Kristaps Porzingis. NBA insider Marc Stein reports the C’s are “more apt” to make Holiday available via trade than White, and that Porzingis is considered Boston’s “most movable vet” because he’s on an expiring contract.

But if the Celtics get to the point entertaining White trade offers, are the Warriors even a realistic partner?

In order for the salaries to match, the Celtics would need to take back roughly $28 million (or slightly less) worth of contracts from Golden State. A deal involving Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski would meet those requirements, but it’s unlikely the C’s would have interest in that package, especially if it means releasing two players from their current roster.

Another avenue could involve a sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga, who is currently a restricted free agent. But while the 22-year-old had a strong finish to the postseason — 97 points over the Warriors’ final four games against the Minnesota Timberwolves — he shot just 30.5 percent from 3-point range during the regular season and missed 31 games earlier in the campaign due to a sprained ankle.

If the Celtics are forced to trade White, they should try to maximize their value for the do-it-all guard. A look at Golden State’s roster suggests they’d be better off entertaining other offers.

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Former Arkansas standout Boogie Fland commits to national champion Florida

Former Arkansas standout Boogie Fland, widely considered the top guard in the transfer portal, chose to play for defending national champion Florida on Tuesday. Fland committed to coach Todd Golden following a two-day visit to Gainesville and posted his decision on Instagram. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Fland averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 21 games with the Razorbacks last season.

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Aku Räty Returns Home To Finland

Finnish winger Aku Räty, 23, has signed a two-year contract with his hometown team Kärpät Oulu, the Liiga club announced on Tuesday.

Räty had spent the past two seasons in North America in the systems of the Arizona Coyotes, Utah HC and Chicago Blackhawks.

“Expectations for next season are high,” said Räty. “The team is really good, and with a championship-winning coach on top of that. I hope that as a leading player I can help the team return Kärpät to where it belongs – at the top of the league.”

Aku Räty playing for the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24. © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s great to have Aku back in Oulu,” said club sports director Kimmo Kapanen. “He is a versatile player, grew up with Kärpät and knows what it means to play for this club. We believe he will be a significant part of next season’s team.”

Räty was drafted in the fifth round, 151st overall, by Arizona in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He played with Kärpät, then one season with Ilves Tampere before heading to North America in 2023.

Räty played one NHL game for the Coyotes in 2023-24 but otherwise spent the past two seasons in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners and Rockford IceHogs. On the 2025 trade deadline, Räty’s rights were moved from Utah to Chicago along with the rights to defensemen Victor Söderström – who was playing in Sweden at the time – and Shea Weber – who hadn’t played since 2021 and was unofficially retired – in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2026.

Victor Soderstrom Wins Borje Salming Trophy As SHL’s Top DefensemanVictor Soderstrom Wins Borje Salming Trophy As SHL’s Top Defenseman Victor Söderström has been named the top defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League for the 2024-25 season. As a result, he has been awarded the Börje Salming Trophy.

Räty’s younger brother Aatu is a center for the Vancouver Canucks.

Kärpät had high expectations for last season but missed the playoffs, causing the club maangement to issue an apology to the fans.

Keeping the puck out of the Kärpät net was a particular issue for the team, and during the course of the season the team acquired, among others, defensemen Dominik Mašin, Marcus Björk and Ville Pokka and goaltender Damian Clara, with limited success. As the transfer deadline approached, native son Jesse Puljuärvi was rumored to be headed there after securing his release from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he instead signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The payroll for 2025-26 seems lower so far – Räty’s one game represents the only NHL experience on the team so far – but the club does have prospects Viljami Marjala (Buffalo Sabres), Janne Peltonen (Chicago) and Visa Vedenpää (Seattle Kraken) under contract.

After Disappointing Season, Kärpät Management Addresses Fans: 'The On-Ice Goal Was Far From Achieved'After Disappointing Season, Kärpät Management Addresses Fans: 'The On-Ice Goal Was Far From Achieved' A perennial powerhouse and seven-time champion in Finland since being promoted to the top-tier Liiga in 2000, this past season was bitterly disappointing for Kärpät Oulu. Despite the high hopes and a high payroll, the team finished 13th in the 16-team league, missing the post-season for the first time since the turn of the Millenium.
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LeBron James has interesting theory about why Celtics lost to Knicks

LeBron James has interesting theory about why Celtics lost to Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Did complacency cost the Boston Celtics a chance at repeating as NBA champions?

The C’s fell to the New York Knicks in six games during their second-round series, ending their season on a sour note with a blowout loss at Madison Square Garden. While one could point to several issues that led to Boston’s demise, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James offered a unique take on why the reigning champs came up short.

“It seems like sometimes, it seems like they get bored sometimes with the — I don’t want to say the process. Because I mean, s–t, they are who they are, and when you look at (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown, this is years and years and years and years, they’ve punched their 10,000 hours,” James said on the “Mind the Game” podcast with fellow NBA great Steve Nash.

“But sometimes it seems like they get a little bored because of how great they are. Not only as those two as individuals, but them as a team, sometimes it looks like they get bored.”

Boston fell into a 2-0 series hole after blowing consecutive 20-point leads at home. While “bored” may not be the right word to describe the Celtics’ mindset during those collapses, it’s fair to criticize them for getting too comfortable.

The C’s responded with a lopsided Game 3 win at MSG, but a disastrous Game 4 ultimately determined their fate. They blew a 15-point halftime lead and lost superstar Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles late in the fourth quarter. After they rallied to win Game 5 at home, Tatum’s absence was glaring in their 119-81 Game 6 defeat.

Health was a significant factor in the Celtics’ second-round exit. On top of the Tatum injury, Jaylen Brown played through a partially torn meniscus, and Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t himself due to a nagging illness.

Still, above all else, a lack of in-game adjustments cost Boston a shot at raising Banner 19. Joe Mazzulla’s group had no answers when their 3-pointers stopped falling, and the Knicks capitalized each time the Celtics’ offense went ice-cold.

Although the Celtics were the better team for most of the series, the Knicks were relentless. That’s why they’re on to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on the Indiana Pacers, and the C’s are back home looking ahead to an uncertain offseason.

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Look, Ma! No NHL Division Winners In The Conference Finals. What Went Wrong?

For the first time since 2020-21, there will be nary a regular-season division winner in the NHL's Eastern and Western Conference finals. So let's take a moment to remember the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Actually, this happens more than you might think.

Since the NHL went to its four-division format in 2014, it has happened four times. So perhaps winning your division and securing home-ice advantage through the first two rounds isn't all it's cracked up to be. That was certainly the case in Round 2 this year, where the teams with home-ice advantage that finished higher in the standings didn't use it to their advantage.

Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Promo image credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Man charged with giving alcohol to fan who fell at Pirates game at PNC Park

Man charged with giving alcohol to fan who fell at Pirates game at PNC Park originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A man has been charged with providing alcohol to a Pittsburgh Pirates fan who was critically injured in a fall onto the field at PNC Park during a game against the Chicago Cubs last month.

Ethan Kirkwood, 21, faces criminal charges for “furnishing alcohol to a minor” who ultimately fell off a wall in the outfield of the park, Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.

The incident occurred late last month, when Kavan Markwood was caught on video celebrating a play and flipping over a railing onto the home field.

The 20-year-old plunged two stories after celebrating Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hitting a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead over the Cubs in the seventh inning.

Markwood appeared motionless on the field before being rushed to an area hospital in critical condition.

More than 11,000 people were in the stadium that Wednesday night, falling silent as players took a knee.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said the incident was accidental, not criminal.

In his first interview since the dramatic incident, Markwood told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he has “broken everything.”

“I’m all right,” he told the outlet on May 7. “I can’t really sleep. I have a lot of back pain.”

A GoFundMe set up by his girlfriend’s mother said Markwood broke his neck, clavicle and back.

“I think when I get home I’ll just put ice on it,” Markwood told the Tribune-Review, saying he would speak more once released from the hospital.

Markwood said he had not watched the horrifying video of his fall over the Roberto Clemente Wall, the Tribune-Review reported.

The update from Markwood himself came after his sister, Taryn Markwood, said in a statement on May 5 that her brother was breathing on his own, able to speak and squeeze her hand.

“To the Pirates and Cubs players, coaches, staff, and all who paused to take a knee in prayer during that tragic moment — your compassion did not go unnoticed,” Taryn Markwood said in her statement. “It brought a sense of unity and hope amidst the chaos.”

The South Allegheny School District said Markwood graduated in 2022 and was a football standout, with first-team all-conference honors and being named team MVP.