Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Diamondbacks play a three-game series in Arizona beginning on Monday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.
Preview
Will the hard luck end?
The Mets have hit a rough patch for the first time this season, losing four of their last five games.
Those four losses have come by a combined five runs, which includes one-run losses in both games of Sunday's incredibly frustrating doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Cardinals in St. Louis.
While New York hasn't been at the top of its game when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position, they've also been almost impossibly unlucky lately.
In Game 2 on Sunday, a Juan Soto blast to center field at 105.9 mph was about to sail over the fence for a three-run homer and 7-4 Mets lead in the fourth inning. But it was brought back by Victor Scott II. With two outs in the inning, Brandon Nimmo scalded a ball to right field at 107 mph that seemed destined to clear the bases, but Jordan Walker made a diving catch.
If just one of those balls lands, the Mets very likely win. They're 11 games over .500 instead of nine games over .500, and a series loss is a series win.
The Mets also had outs on Sunday on balls that were hit 108.1 mph, 112.7 mph, 102 mph, 101.6 mph, 105.2 mph, and 99.2 mph.
That doesn't excuse the Mets' struggles, but some perspective is needed, along with the understanding that New York won't hit into this kind of hard luck for much longer.
During his last start, Senga didn't look like himself.
He gutted his way through 4.0 innings while limiting the D-backs to one run. Along the way, Senga allowed five hits, walked three, and struck out six, but he was laboring.
After the game, it was revealed that Senga was pitching through an illness, which helped explain why he seemed a bit off.
Senga will get the ball on Wednesday in the series finale, following six days of rest.
Winker suffered a side injury on Sunday that is expected to lead to an IL stint.
With Winker out, the Mets could theoretically turn to outfield prospect Drew Gilbert to take his place on the roster. But the more likely scenario is going to someone like Jared Young, who is already on the 40-man roster.
New York Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker (3) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
In Winker's absence, Starling Marte could get a more regular look at designated hitter.
The Mets could also opt to use Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil as DH options at times, which -- in the case of McNeil at DH -- would keep second base free for Luisangel Acuña.
An interesting alignment could be to use McNeil or Acuña in center field, flanked by Nimmo and Soto, with McNeil or Marte as the DH.
The D-backs have been struggling
Arizona is 4-7 over its last 11 games, but a series win over the Mets last week at Citi Field came during that span.
The Diamondbacks' offense has been very hot and cold, including a series loss to the Phillies over the weekend where they scored four total runs over the first two games before erupting for 11 in Sunday's victory.
Along the way, Corbin Carroll (slashing .281/.344/.575) has stayed hot.
Meanwhile, Geraldo Perdomo has picked things up, with eight hits in his last 16 at-bats.
No Corbin Burnes this time
Burnes limited the Mets to one run in 6.0 innings during his outing last Wednesday at Citi Field, but his start during this series will be skipped.
With Burnes dealing with shoulder inflammation, Ryne Nelson will start in his place on Monday.
Nelson, who had been working in relief, has a 5.82 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 17.0 innings over seven appearances this season.
Zac Gallen gets the ball on Tuesday, followed by Merrill Kelly on Wednesday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Pete Alonso
Alonso has reached base in 16 straight games.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Kodai Senga
Senga brings a sparking 1.38 ERA and 1.16 WHIP into Wednesday's start.
Which D-backs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Monday, May 5 at 4 pm PST. There will be two lotteries held, one for the first overall selection and one for the second.
The Anaheim Ducks enter Monday with a 6% chance to win the lottery and select first overall for the first time in franchise history.
Unlike most years, the 2025 Draft does not have a true consensus top prospect. As of now, most experts’ lists have either defenseman Matthew Schaefer or forward Michael Misa as this year’s prize at the very top of the draft.
Of the 11 teams eligible to win the top pick in the draft, the Ducks are the most deserving of the lottery balls bouncing their way on Monday.
Too Bad for Too Long
The Ottawa Senators took a major step in their journey toward contention in 2024-25 by qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In doing so, it rendered the Ducks' current seven-year playoff drought as the third-longest in the NHL.
The Red Wings are ineligible for first overall after finishing 21st in league standings, leaving just the Sabres as the only team in contention with a longer playoff drought than the Ducks.
Never Been Done
Of the 11 eligible teams in 2025, the Ducks, Nashville Predators, and Seattle Kraken are the only teams to have never made a first overall selection in the history of their franchises.
Of those three teams, the Ducks and Kraken are the only ones to have never had a first overall pick even suit up for them.
Cruel Lottery Luck
Under the new NHL Draft Lottery odds calculator, the team that finishes at the bottom of the NHL standings each year has roughly a 25% chance of winning and selecting first overall.
Despite those odds, the team that finished at the bottom of the standings has won the subsequent lottery three out of the last four years.
The Buffalo Sabres had the highest odds (25.7%) of winning the 2021 Draft Lottery and the right to select first overall. They did (Owen Power).
The Montreal Canadiens had the highest odds (25.5%) of winning the 2022 Draft Lottery and the right to select first overall. They did (Juraj Slafkovsky).
The Anaheim Ducks had the highest odds (25.5%) of winning the 2023 Draft Lottery and the right to select first overall. They didn’t (Connor Bedard).
The San Jose Sharks had the highest odds (25.5%) of winning the 2024 Draft Lottery and the right to select first overall. They did (Macklin Celebrini).
The Ducks were the only team in the last four years to finish a season at the bottom of the standings and not win the subsequent lottery, a lottery whose prize was the most highly-touted prospect in recent years, receiving the label of “generational.”
Always a Bridesmaid
In the salary cap era of the NHL (2005-present), there have been three draft-eligible prospects to have earned the label of “generational” heading into their respective drafts: Sidney Crosby (2005), Connor McDavid (2015), and Connor Bedard (2023).
In two of those three drafts, the Ducks had to select second behind one of those said-to-be generational talents.
In 2005, every team had the opportunity to win the lottery, as that draft followed the 2004-05 lockout season. Four teams had a 6.25% chance of drafting first overall (New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, ten teams had a 4.17% chance (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, and Phoenix Coyotes), and the remaining 16 teams had a 2.08% chance.
The Pittsburgh Penguins won the 2005 lottery and selected Sidney Crosby, who would captain them to three Stanley Cups and is widely considered to be on the “Mount Rushmore” of NHL players in history. The Ducks selected Bobby Ryan second overall, who played 866 career NHL games, including 378 for the Ducks, where he scored 289 points (147-142=289).
In 2023, the Ducks had the very best odds to win the draft lottery after the worst season in franchise history and were the NHL’s worst defensive team (4.09 goals allowed per game) in 27 years.
The Chicago Blackhawks won the lottery and the rights to select Connor Bedard. Despite the Blackhawks' two seasons finishing 31st in the NHL standings with Bedard on the roster, Bedard has seen personal success so far in his young career, with 128 points (45-83=128) in 150 games while adding the 2024 Calder Trophy to his cabinet. The Ducks selected Leo Carlsson second overall in 2023, who has been electrifying in stretches during his two seasons in Anaheim, but the production hasn’t followed. He’s totaled 74 points (32-42=74) in 131 games.
In conclusion, if there were a team who deserves to win the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery and the right to choose between Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa (or someone else), it would be the Anaheim Ducks, as they 1. Have the second-longest playoff drought among eligible teams 2. Have never won a draft lottery 3. Have been the only team of the last four years with the best odds to win not to do so 4. Have had to watch generational talents drafted right in front of them twice in 20 years.
Eason famously taunted the Warriors, who, at one point during the 2023-24 NBA season were directly ahead of the red-hot Rockets in the Western Conference standings, with a social media video where he told Golden State to “come out and play.”
The Rockets forward was quoting the classic 1979 film, “The Warriors,” citing a line where actor David Patrick Kelly famously challenges: “Warriors, come out to play.”
Green responded on multiple occasions last season, and after the Warriors ended the Rockets’ 2024-25 season on Sunday, resurfaced the video with a repost on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a caption describing how terribly the video aged.
Green, when Eason initially posted the video last season, was confused why the then-injured wing was taunting Golden State.
“I wasn’t surprised at all [when he said it], I am a little surprised that he hasn’t played in a game since January 1 so it’s kind of tough to yell ‘come out and play’ and you’re not going to play, it puts a lot of strain on your guys, when you can’t get out there and help them,” Green said in March 2024.
The Rockets (41-41) finished 11th in the Western Conference last season, five games behind the No. 10 seed Warriors (46-36). However, Houston broke out this season, surging all the way up to the No. 2 seed in the West, where they faced off against Green and the No. 7 seed Warriors in the first round. Eason, perhaps inevitably, found himself in the middle of an altercation with Green and other members of the Warriors.
Eason, in seven games against Golden State this postseason, averaged 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in 18.9 minutes per contest.
Phillies prospect Otto Kemp has been on a tear since Opening Day for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and on Monday was named International League Player of the Month for April.
The right-handed-hitting infielder hit .330 with big power in April and has carried it over into May. Overall, Kemp is batting .344/.433/.703 in 150 plate appearances with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 32 games.
Kemp is 25 years old and was signed by the Phillies in August 2022 after going undrafted out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He’s played mostly third base in the Phillies’ system along with some work at second, first, and interestingly, two starts in left field this season.
“He’s played really well and he can play all over the diamond,” manager Rob Thomson said last weekend. “He’s got a lot of value, he really does.”
A late bloomer, Kemp is not on the Phils’ 40-man roster but the production has been impossible to overlook and he’d have to be added to the 40 before December’s Rule 5 draft anyway to protect him from being selected by another organization. Same with Gabriel Rincones Jr., another member of the 23-10 IronPigs.
Kemp leads the International League in slugging and OPS but this isn’t just a six-week hot streak. He also went 7-for-20 (.350) with four extra-base hits in big-league spring training and hit six homers with a .460 on-base percentage in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League four months earlier.
What Weston Wilson has been able to do for the Phillies as a platoon piece and pinch-hitter against lefties (.327, 1.033 OPS in 67 plate appearances) could be a template for Kemp if/when a need arises.
Another IronPig who’s starting to figure it out is right-hander Mick Abel, the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020 who has had stops and starts with control and confidence. Abel is 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and has allowed one or no runs in four of his seven starts, including three in a row.
The walk total is still too high with 17 in 39⅓ innings but it’s the lowest rate of his pro career.
The 23-year-old is making progress.
“He’s throwing the ball well, he really is. He’s pounding the zone. He’s always had good stuff, it’s just been a matter of consistency and so far he’s been pretty consistent.”
Phillies prospect Otto Kemp has been on a tear since Opening Day for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and on Monday was named International League Player of the Month for April.
The right-handed-hitting infielder hit .330 with big power in April and has carried it over into May. Overall, Kemp is batting .344/.433/.703 in 150 plate appearances with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 32 games.
Kemp is 25 years old and was signed by the Phillies in August 2022 after going undrafted out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He’s played mostly third base in the Phillies’ system along with some work at second, first, and interestingly, two starts in left field this season.
“He’s played really well and he can play all over the diamond,” manager Rob Thomson said last weekend. “He’s got a lot of value, he really does.”
A late bloomer, Kemp is not on the Phils’ 40-man roster but the production has been impossible to overlook and he’d have to be added to the 40 before December’s Rule 5 draft anyway to protect him from being selected by another organization. Same with Gabriel Rincones Jr., another member of the 23-10 IronPigs.
Kemp leads the International League in slugging and OPS but this isn’t just a six-week hot streak. He also went 7-for-20 (.350) with four extra-base hits in big-league spring training and hit six homers with a .460 on-base percentage in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League four months earlier.
What Weston Wilson has been able to do for the Phillies as a platoon piece and pinch-hitter against lefties (.327, 1.033 OPS in 67 plate appearances) could be a template for Kemp if/when a need arises.
Another IronPig who’s starting to figure it out is right-hander Mick Abel, the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020 who has had stops and starts with control and confidence. Abel is 4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and has allowed one or no runs in four of his seven starts, including three in a row.
The walk total is still too high with 17 in 39⅓ innings but it’s the lowest rate of his pro career.
The 23-year-old is making progress.
“He’s throwing the ball well, he really is. He’s pounding the zone,” Thomson said. “He’s always had good stuff, it’s just been a matter of consistency and so far he’s been pretty consistent.”
Its Monday, May 5 and the Padres (22-11) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (19-15).
Nick Pivetta is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Carlos Rodón for New York.
The Padres arrive in the Bronx having won five in a row. They took three against the Pirates in Pittsburgh over the weekend including a 4-0 win yesterday. Stephen Kolek pitched six scoreless innings allowing just four hits in his first major league start yesterday for San Diego. As a pitching staff, the Padres allowed just five runs over the three games against the Bucs.
The Yankees have lost their last two. The Rays knocked them off Saturday and Sunday at the Stadium. Will Warren allowed five runs (three earned) over just 4.2 innings yesterday as New York fell to Tampa, 7-5.
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.
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Game details & how to watch Padres at Yankees
Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: Yankee Stadium
City: Bronx, NY
Network/Streaming: SDPA, 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 Padres at the Yankees
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Padres (+123), Yankees (-147)
Spread: Yankees -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Yankees
Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Nick Pivetta vs. Carlos Rodón
Padres: Nick Pivetta (5-1, 1.78 ERA) Last outing: 4/29 vs. San Francisco - 5.1IP, 3ER, 5H, 1BB, 9Ks
Yankees: Carlos Rodón (4-3, 3.43 ERA) Last outing: 4/29 at Baltimore - 6IP, 2ER, 2H, 1BB, 7Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Yankees
The Yankees have won 3 Carlos Rodon's last three starts
In his last 5 starts Carlos Rodon has an ERA of 4.94
Fernando Tatis Jr. was 1-9 over the weekend in Pittsburgh
Aaron Judge was 5-13 over the weekend against Tampa Bay
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 Padres and the Yankees
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 Monday's game between the Padres 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 San Diego Padres at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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SNY's Joe DeMayo answers your Mets prospect questions...
Are there any prospects who were not on your preseason Top 30 that look like they could be Top 20 guys by the end of the season? - @beast8131
One name that stands out is 20-year-old outfielder/second baseman A.J. Ewing. Ewing was a fourth-round pick, No. 134 overall, in the 2023 MLB Draft. He was selected with the compensatory pick the Mets received when Jacob deGrom left as a free agent to the Texas Rangers.
Ewing had a pedestrian first two months with St. Lucie in his first professional season in 2024, but closed out August by posting a .908 OPS with three home runs and 12 RBI in 22 games. He started the 2025 campaign back with St. Lucie and hit .400 with a 1.122 OPS. He had three doubles, four triples, a home run, 20 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases in only 18 games before the Mets promoted him to High-A Brooklyn -- where he has appeared in four games.
He is a plus athlete who has played center field, left field and second base, and has strong pitch recognition skills. With Low-A St. Lucie, Ewing had just a 16.9 percent whiff rate and a well-above average 17.5 percent walk rate. He also has good barrel control, showing consistent ability to find the sweet spot of the bat. Ewing is entering a difficult environment for left-handed hitters, but if he continues to build off what he did with St. Lucie, he is a prime candidate to jump up my list.
Is there a world where the Mets promote one of the top-rated starting pitchers and add them to the major league bullpen, specifically later in the season? - @gametime41
It absolutely is possible. When president of baseball operations David Stearns was with the Milwaukee Brewers, he did this with multiple future All-Star starting pitchers early in their careers:
- In 2018 and 2019, Corbin Burnes appeared in 62 games, with only four of them being starts
- In 2018, Brandon Woodruff appeared in 19 games, with only four of them being starts
- In 2019 and 2020, Freddy Peralta appeared in 54 games, with only nine of them being starts
Now, as Stearns has said on multiple occasions, there is quite a difference between the Brewers job and this Mets job. In Milwaukee he was not able to be as aggressive in acquiring external talent, making the utilization of internal young arms more prevalent.
New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean participates in the Spring Breakout game in the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park / Jim Rassol - USA TODAY Sports
With the Mets, he can make external additions with as much aggression as he sees fit to try to win a World Series. Just this past week the Mets re-signed left-hander Brooks Raley to a one-year deal with a team option as a likely second half bullpen contributor. If the season continues its trajectory, the trade deadline is likely to be a factor here, as there is always a bevy of relief pitchers moved from non-contenders.
However, looking internally, there are three notable candidates who could fit for this possibility:
The organization’s No. 1 prospect, right-hander Brandon Sproat,has found inconsistencies at the Triple-A level, but he still comes equipped with a pitch mix that could play up in short spurts, including a fastball that can touch triple digits. The Mets certainly view him as a long-term starting pitcher, and I do expect his big league debut to come this season, but could it start in the bullpen? I think that is possible.
Right-hander Nolan McLean, the No. 3 prospect,is currently pitching in Double-A Binghamton, and he is off to arguably the best start of any prospect in the Mets system, with a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings across five starts. A former college reliever, McLean would be no stranger to the role, where he could lean on his mid-to-upper 90s fastball and devastating sweeper, which is the best pitch in the Mets' system. A promotion to Triple-A shouldn’t be that far away.
No. 12 prospect, right-hander Blade Tidwell, who was called up for his big league debut on Sunday, has had a much better season than his baseline statistics (5.00 ERA in 27 innings this season with Triple-A Syracuse) would suggest. He has a 3.17 FIP while striking out over 12.0 batters per nine and maintaining a modest 8.5 percent walk rate. He has a fastball that is up to 99 mph, and he has generated plus swing-and-miss percentages on his slider, sweeper and changeup. At times, his control will take a step back as he gets later into outings. So if the Mets feel the need for him in the bullpen, he certainly has the stuff to fit in that role.
There is plenty of season left with twists and turns to come, especially on the pitching side, so it’s important to keep an open mind. The Mets see all three of the pitchers above as future starters, but if they are deemed big league ready and that opportunity exists in the bullpen, I don’t think they’d be opposed at all.
Its Monday, May 5 and the Dodgers (23-11) are South Beach to open a series against the Marlins (13-20).
Ben Casparius is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Sandy Alcantara for Miami.
The Dodgers had their seven-game win streak snapped in Atlanta yesterday. The Braves won 4-3. Austin Riley went yard twice in the first three innings which proved to be enough for Atlanta and Bryce Elder.Dusty May took the loss for Los Angeles.
The Marlins lost two of three over the weekend to the Athletics including a 3-2 loss yesterday. Anthony Bender gave up a run on two hits in the ninth inning to earn the loss for Miami. The Marlins have lost six of their last seven 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.
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Game details & how to watch Dodgers at Marlins
Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: loanDepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: SNLA, FDSNFL
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Odds for the Dodgers at the Marlins
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Dodgers (-178), Marlins (+149)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Marlins
Pitching matchup for May 5, 2025: Ben Casparius vs. Sandy Alcantara
Dodgers: Ben Casparius (3-0, 2.91 ERA) Last outing: 4/27 vs. Pittsburgh - 3.2IP, 0ER, 2H, 0BB, 5Ks
Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (2-3, 8.31 ERA) Last outing: 4/29 at Dodgers - 2.2IP, 7ER, 7H, 5BB, 2Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Marlins
The Dodgers have won 4 of their last 5 games against NL East teams
In his last 5 home starts, Marlins' pitcher Sandy Alcantara has an ERA of 5.27
The Dodgers have covered the Run Line in 8 of their last 10 matchups against the Marlins
Shohei Ohtani has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games (12-30)
Mookie Betts saw his 6-game hitting streak snapped Sunday
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 Dodgers and the Marlins
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 Monday's game between the Dodgers and the Marlins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
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The Knicks are fresh off a 4-2 first round win against the Detroit Pistons and are gearing up for an Eastern Conference semifinals duel with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics starting Monday night.
Overwhelming favorites in the series, the Celtics present a host of challenges for the Knicks, including outstanding three-point shooting and elite defense. Here are four aspects of the series to focus on...
Three-point shooting looms large
It’s almost a given that the Knicks are going to lose the three-point battle. New York is 15th in three-point attempt rate among the 16 playoff teams and was 28th in the category during the regular season. Boston’s offense revolves around the three-point line. The Celtics were first in three-point attempt rate, with more than half of their field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.
There are several ways the Celtics can generate threes. Center Kristaps Porzingis has rained from three as a floor spacer. Jayson Tatum can wreak havoc as a shooter off the dribble, and the team has a plethora of deep ball threats like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
For the Knicks, the focus will have to be getting out in transition to create clean outside looks and playing faster in the half-court. That can help get Karl-Anthony Towns going from deep. Also, having a high volume shooter like Miles McBride on the floor more often could be an adjustment head coach Tom Thibodeau can go to. The three-point gap can exist, but it can’t be too severe, or the series will end quickly.
Defense of the stars
Knicks offensive hubs Jalen Brunson and Towns will carry a heavy responsibility on offense. In the first round, Brunson averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists while Towns was a near 20-10 performer. The defensive end will be important as well. Both stars are weak points in the Knicks defense that Boston can attack. Look for Tatum and Jaylen Brown to work to get Brunson and Towns switched onto them.
The Knicks are going to try to avoid switching, but that could open up good looks for Boston’s other players. This was always going to be a concern when the Knicks acquired Towns in the offseason. Having two defensive liabilities on the court for extended portions of the game will be a problem the Knicks have to solve.
Creating extra shot opportunities
One way for the Knicks to attack the Celtics will be the possession game. New York needs to control the boards and minimize turnovers to have a chance. The last of the four regular season matchups was the most competitive and offered a blueprint of how the Knicks can compete with Boston.
New York was able to win the possession battle. The Knicks had 17 offensive rebounds and four fewer turnovers than the Celtics. It led the Knicks to attempt 14 more shots than Boston. It was the only game that center Mitchell Robinson played in.
The Knicks rebound better with Robinson on the floor. In the Pistons series, the Knicks had an offensive rebound rate of 38.3 percent in Robinson’s 99 minutes, according to NBA Stats. The club’s offensive rebound rate plunged to 24.9 percent when he was off the floor. Could Robinson see an increase in playing time? It’s a legitimate possibility. After playing just 47 minutes with Towns in the regular season, the two shared the floor for 40 minutes in the opening round.
Wings need to deliver
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby carry heavy responsibility on both ends of the floor. Both are expected to contribute on offense while guarding the opposition’s top scoring options. In the first round, Anunoby and Bridges saw time guarding Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham. Now, expect both to hawk Boston’s star wings Tatum and Brown. Both are tough matchups, and New York’s defenders will have to navigate several screens while having to keep Tatum and Brown in check.
With so much attention commanded by Brunson and Towns on offense, there will be opportunities to attack for Bridges and Anunoby. In the season series against Boston, Anunoby (9.0 points) and Bridges (13.7 points) were both quiet. That can’t happen in the second round.
Both players are capable cutters off the ball and are adequate corner three-point shooters. New York traded five first-round picks to the Nets for Bridges and signed Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million contract for these moments. We’ll see if they are up to the challenge.
The Denver Nuggets were pushed to a seventh game in the first round but shook off the ghosts of playoffs past to get the win. Their reward? Oklahoma City, 48 hours later. Here is everything you need to know.
When does the Nuggets vs. Thunder begin?
Denver travels to Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the series on Monday, May 5, with a 10:30 ET tip-off. This series plays every other day, up until a Game 7 when there would be a couple days of rest.
Denver vs. Oklahoma City Playoffs Schedule 2025
All times are Eastern (* = if necessary) Game 1: Nuggets at Thunder (Mon. May 5, 9:30 ET, TNT) Game 2: Nuggets at Thunder (Wed. May 7, 9:30 ET, TNT) Game 3: Thunder at Nuggets (Fri. May 9, 10 ET, ESPN) Game 4: Thunder at Nuggets (Sun. May 11, 3:30 ET, ABC) Game 5: Nuggets at Thunder (Tues. May 13, TBD, TNT)* Game 6: Thunder at Nuggets (Thurs. May 15, TBD, ESPN)* Game 7: Nuggets at Thunder (Sun. May 18, TBD)*
Player to watch: Michael Porter Jr.
While he doesn’t qualify as a “headliner” in this series, Michael Porter Jr.’s productivity will be key for Denver to win this series. And he was productive against the Thunder during the regular season. In four meetings, he averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 3.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the foul line. Interestingly, Porter shot far better on the road (54.8 percent) than at home (36.4 percent) in the regular-season series. He’s managed to play through his left shoulder injury and deserves credit. If Porter can be consistently productive as a scorer and rebounder, the Nuggets can pull the upset. —Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld basketball analyst
Keys to watch for in Denver vs. Oklahoma City
1) Jamal Murray vs. Thunder perimeter defenders
Nikola Jokic will get his. While Mark Daigneault and crew will study Jeff Van Gundy’s solid game plans against Jokic from the first round — with Isaiah Hartenstein trying to fill the Ivica Zubac role — the simple fact is Jokic is the best basketball player on planet earth right now and there is only so much any human being can do.
However, for the Nuggets to have a chance in this series, they need 2023 Jamal Murray to show up. That peak Murray appeared in spots against the Clippers — such as Game 4, when he had 43 points and 7 assists — but he has not been around consistently all season (or in the last series). Now Murray is going to have to do it with Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and other elite defenders focused on him.
2) Can Denver survive the non-Jokic minutes
The Nuggets' long-running issues when Nikola Jokic is off the court are no secret, and that played out again this past regular season with Denver having a -8.3 net rating when Jokic sat. In the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers, that climbed to a -26.4 net rating without Jokic. The Thunder are better than the Clippers, and if Oklahoma City can dominate the non-Jokic minutes at the level Los Angeles did or more, it will dig too deep a hole for Denver, even if those non-Jokic minutes are limited.
3) Battle of the MVP candidates
At some point during this series, the NBA will announce the winner of the MVP award for this season, and Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will finish 1-2, likely with Gilgeous-Alexander winning his first-ever award. That should light a fire under Jokic and the Nuggets.
As a side note, this could be a huge SGA series, the Nuggets don’t have a defender who can keep him out of the paint. While Denver will throw multiple players at SGA to slow him, that opens the door for Jalen Williams and others to step up for the Thunder. —Kurt Helin, NBC Sports lead NBA writer
Predictions
Jay Croucher (NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst): Thunder in 6
With Christian Braun taking a leap and Jamal Murray healthier, this Nuggets team isn’t really any worse than last year’s team that entered the playoffs the clear favorite to win the West. Jokic provides the highest floor any offense can have, and Denver won’t be overwhelmed by OKC’s size.
But OKC are in a tier of their own in the West - the greatest net rating of all time speaks for itself. Expect Murray to struggle with the army of elite perimeter defender OKC can throw at him, and for the Nuggets to eventually run out of gas playing effectively a 6-man rotation.
Kurt Helin (NBC Sports lead NBA writer): Thunder in 5
There’s a segment of fans, as well as some scouts and front office people around the NBA, who still don’t believe in Oklahoma City as a contender. They see OKC as a regular-season team, not a playoff team, and think this is the series where OKC gets tested and probably exposed by a proven, championship squad. I say those people are about to eat… crow. The Thunder are real, they are deep, they defend at an elite level and can beat teams a lot of different ways.
I saw the Nuggets in person three times in the first round and came away thinking, “This is not a championship team this season.” Here is where Denver’s ride ends.
The Boston Celtics dominated the New York Knicks during the 2024-25 regular season, piling up three double-digit wins and outscoring their Atlantic Division rivals by 65 points overall.
Will it be more of the same when these two teams meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2013? In the long ramp to Monday’s Game 1, Knicks forward Josh Hart was quick to note that “there are bits and pieces you take from [the regular season] … but the series is 0-0.”
He’s not wrong. But the regular-season data only seems to highlight the advantages that Boston potentially could generate against this Knicks team, so it’s understandable if New York would prefer to ignore those numbers. The Celtics would be wise to take some guidance from the numbers, but not be overconfident from them.
Here are five storylines — beyond the Jaylen vs. Jalen marquee matchup we spotlighted earlier — that could dictate whether this series is as lopsided as the first four meetings this season:
1. The KP Effect
The last time we saw Kristaps Porzingis against the New York Knicks, he was tongue-wagging all over center court at Madison Square Garden after piling up 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting and hitting a bunch of deep 3s from New Rochelle to help Boston escape with an overtime triumph to sweep the regular-season series.
Porzingis, by his own admission, did not play up to his own standards in Round 1 against the Magic. Their size and physicality bothered him.
Porzingis produced a much-needed 20-point, 10-rebound effort when the team was without Jayson Tatum in Game 2 against the Magic. But Porzingis shot just 35.2 percent from the floor overall (19 of 54) and missed 15 of the 17 3-pointers he attempted against Orlando. The Magic were fearless attacking him defensively, too, and Porzingis will need to be better on both ends in Round 2.
But he won’t lack for motivation.
Drafted No. 4 overall by the Knicks a decade ago, Porzingis battled injury woes in New York before being unceremoniously dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019. He’s spoken with great appreciation for all the stops on his NBA journey, but Porzingis almost certainly will get a jolt of extra adrenaline when he hits the floor, espresso in hand, for pregame warmups in front of blue and orange-clad Knicks fans at MSG later this week.
The Knicks dispatched Karl-Anthony Towns as their primary defender against Porzingis in two regular-season matchups, and Porzingis generated 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting while connecting on 4 of 8 attempts beyond the 3-point arc.
Perhaps more intriguing will be how the Celtics deploy Porzingis defensively. Al Horford has been an elite KAT defender, and it’s no surprise the Knicks big man had his best game against Boston without Horford available for the final regular-season meeting.
The Celtics would prefer to match Porzingis on Josh Hart, giving the team the ability to send two bodies at Towns or Brunson when needed. That could give Hart some open perimeter looks at times, but he made just 1 of 9 3-pointers against Boston in the four meetings this season.
Porzingis will need to be ready to joust with Towns, and defending without fouling will be a priority. But Porzingis’ presence on the offensive end could put the Knicks in a lot of binds and he must be ready to punish them the way he did in the final meeting of the regular season.
2. Checking in on Knicks’ moves to stop the Jays…
The Knicks have made two major trades in the past 18 months to add defensive-minded wings who were supposed to slow down Boston’s superstar tandem of Tatum and Brown. Alas, even with both OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks haven’t quite been able to corral the Celtics’ offense.
Tatum shredded the Knicks for 33.5 points per game this season while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 47.8 percent beyond the 3-point arc. Boston outscored the Knicks by 58 points in Tatum’s 151 minutes of floor time this season.
Brown’s knee hindered him in the fourth meeting, but the Celtics offense still hummed whenever he was on the court.
A look at how the Knicks’ primary options fared defending Tatum and Brown this season:
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Anunoby had excellent individual numbers against both the Jays and often forced them to move the ball. The Celtics should hunt more advantageous matchup against the Knicks.
Bridges didn’t bother Tatum in the least, with Boston’s star shooting 68.4 percent from the floor against him, including 57.1 percent on 3s. Bridges didn’t spend much time against Brown and logged the majority on his non-Tatum minutes against Derrick White, who also thrived at a Tatum-like level (62.5 percent shooting overall; 66.7 percent on 3s).
Sending help didn’t make it any easier to corral Tatum, who seemed to light up when he got matched on Towns.
Tatum put up 25 shots on Towns in the 27.7 defensive possessions logged by the NBA tracking, generating a staggering 43 points on 16-of-25 shooting (64 percent) while making 6-of-12 3-pointers.
After the Celtics dominated the first three matchups against the Knicks, it was often suggested that things might be different if Mitchell Robinson was available. The 7-foot big man played 16 minutes in the final meeting of the regular season and left his mark on the glass with more offensive rebounds (four) than defensive boards (seven) in his floor time.
Rebounding will be a priority for Boston this series. The Magic were able to hang around with an anemic offense because they generated extra possessions on the glass, and the Knicks are too good offensively to allow second chances.
MITCHELL ROBINSON WITH POWER 💥
Throws down the putback slam and Spike is loving it 🤩
As for Robinson’s potential impact, the Knicks had a minus-2.9 net rating in his 99 minutes during the Round 1 slugfest with the Pistons. They were 9.4 points better defensively with him but the offense ground to a halt (97.1 offensive rating, 12.7 points worse than the team’s series average).
Robinson certainly helps a team that basically only goes eight players deep, but as long as Luke Kornet and Co. are finishing rebounds for Boston’s reserve units, the suggestion that Mitchell’s presence could alter Boston’s regular-season dominance feels a bit overstated.
4. Will Knicks sell out to stop the 3?
While no team in the NBA ran opponents off the 3-point line like the Magic, the Knicks did finish fifth in the NBA in opponent 3-point attempts, allowing just 35.7 per game. The bad news for New York: Opponents shot 36.7 percent on them, the fifth-worst mark in the NBA.
The Celtics were unfazed by New York’s attempts to limit 3s during the regular season, averaging 48.3 3-point attempts per game versus the Knicks.
That number is slightly juiced from opening night, when Boston tied an NBA record with 29 makes on a ridiculous 61 attempts. But the Celtics shot 43.5 percent on their 193 total 3s against New York this season. Boston’s 130.2 offensive rating vs. the Knicks was its highest mark against any East opponent.
Will the floodgates open for the Celtics after the Magic did everything they could to take away the 3 last round? Will the Knicks modify their approach and try to match Orlando’s blueprint? New York doesn’t have the defensive versatility to switch as frequently as Orlando did without Boston taking advantage of matchups.
The Knicks limited the Pistons to 32.4 percent shooting beyond the arc on just 31.3 3-point attempts per game in Round 1. They also gave up the second most free-throw attempts per game (27.8) and Boston needs to continue to be aggressive if teams take away the 3.
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5. How much will Celtics lean on double-big lineups?
With Porzingis and Horford sitting out various games during the regular season, the Celtics logged only 11 minutes with that particular double-big grouping. Boston was +14 in their time together while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 50 percent beyond the 3-point arc in that span.
Defensively, the double-big lineup has the potential to challenge the Knicks’ offense. Horford has been solid against Towns, limiting him to eight points on 3-of-8 shooting with a block and a turnover in 8:37 of matchup time. Putting Porzingis on Hart gives the Celtics an ability to have multiple big bodies to swarm Towns or Brunson near the basket.
Even if the Celtics elect to go small, the Celtics have routinely dispatched Jrue Holiday to defend Towns. This feels like a big Holiday series if his hamstring is healthy again. The Celtics will ask him to chase the shifty Brunson through endless screens on one possession, then go joust with Towns the next.
The Celtics will have to balance how much they are willing to live with Brunson getting his points. The Knicks were 26-22 when Brunson scored 21+ points this season but 14-3 when he scored 20 or fewer.
There’s some flukiness with blowouts and a 9-3 record when Brunson went for 35+, which suggests there are limitations on just how much you’re willing to concede to reel in Towns and the rest of the supporting cast.
Simone Inzaghi dreamed of a quadruple but European success is now the Nerazzurri’s best chance of silverware
The Inter team that lined up to face Verona on Saturday was so heavily rotated it even included a backup manager. OK, their first-choice boss Simone Inzaghi was technically suspended, but seeing his assistant Massimiliano Farris trot out for the pre-game interview only reinforced a feeling that we were not about to watch the real thing.
For months, Inter had tried to compete at full focus on every front, Inzaghi speaking of the ambition to win a quadruple. Then they lost three games in a week, falling behind Napoli at the top of Serie A and suffering elimination from the Coppa Italia by neighbours Milan. Suddenly their most ambitious target, the Champions League, looked like it might be their most realistic shot at claiming any silverware.
On Sunday, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti broke a long-time record held by former Vancouver Canucks forward Matt Cooke. Pefetti's goal at 59:57 broke Cooke's record as the latest game-tying goal in a Game 7 in NHL history. Cooke set the record back in 2004, when he scored at 59:54 to force overtime against the Calgary Flames in the Conference Quarterfinals.
Thanks to Perfetti's goal, the Jets will get to continue their hunt for the 2025 Stanley Cup. They will now face the Dallas Stars, who also need seven games to advance to the second round. Winnipeg and Dallas will start their series on Wednesday, with the Jets holding home-ice advantage.
While Cooke's Game 7 record fell, he still has the record for the latest game-tying goal in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. During Game 1 of the Canucks Conference Semi-Finals against the Minnesota Wild, Cooke scored at 59:58 to force the game into overtime. Vancouver would go on to win the game as Trent Klatt scored on the power play 3:42 into the extra frame.
Over his career, Cooke had many memorable moments with Vancouver. In 566 regular-season games, he scored 83 goals and collected 203 points. As for the post-season, Cooke dressed for 32 games with the Canucks, recording eight goals and 12 points.
After leaving Vancouver, Cooke spent time with the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Wild. In total, he played 1,046 regular-season games, recording 398 points and 1,135 penalty minutes. Cooke also won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, which is the same year that Patrik Allvin was a European Scout for the Penguins organization.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Doug Christie is proud to formally be the Kings’ new coach after holding the position in the interim period following the firing of Mike Brown in late December during the 2024-25 NBA season.
On Friday, the new Kings coach sat down and shared the reasoning for his humility in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason.
“[I’m] humbled, man,” Christie told Mason. “It’s hard to put into words, to be honest with you. A long journey, but there’s a love, a passion, a respect for what I consider to be an incredible jewel here in Sacramento. And for the organization, for our fan base, for all of them to trust me with that is humbling.”
Christie doesn’t take for granted the support he feels in California’s capital city.
After spending five seasons in Sacramento as a player, a season at Golden 1 Center as an NBC Sports California broadcaster and the last four seasons with the Kings as an assistant coach, Christie is honored to now lead the franchise he speaks about and treats like family.
“I think that any time you have the ability to have more of a full view of anything, it helps the process of what you’re going through,” Christie told Mason about how his longstanding ties to the Kings help him as a coach. “I think you understand it from different angles, you have a greater respect for what you’re dealing with, and being in all those different areas, I’ve seen it from a lot of different aspects. And it just gains a respect of what I’m dealing with and a love for where I would like to go.”
Sacramento has plenty to address after finishing 40-42 during the 2024-25 season. But there remains some optimism after the team finished with a 27-24 record after Christie took over; some of it comes from the arrival of new Sacramento general manager Scott Perry, whom Christie is excited to work with.
“More than anything, it’s to really sit down with Scott and lay out the map of what he sees, what I see, bring that together and sharpen the knife and begin to cut,” Christie told Mason about what his first order of business will be as coach.
Christie endured a long journey to reach this point in his NBA career with the Kings – one that left him ringless since entering the league as a player in 1992-93.
But Sacramento’s new coach is focused on bringing the organization, city and the gritty fans the NBA championship that all parties want so desperately, with, of course, how close the Kings came during the 2002 playoffs in the background.
Christie is thankful for his new opportunity. And he is adamant about leaving everything he has on the court.
