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Chicago Cubs update: Ian Happ, Shōta Imanaga, Ben Brown

There’s almost all positive news about the Cubs this week, as they took five of six from the Padres and Diamondbacks, the last five all in a row. Winning 15 of their last 18 games, the Cubs enter this week’s series against the second-place Reds two games in the lead of the NL Central.

Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up

Ian Happ continues his solid, consistent season

Happ batted .316/.519/.684 (6-for-19) over the week with two doubles, a triple, a home run and seven walks. That .519 OBP is very impressive and Happ is now riding a career-high 24-game on-base streak. For the season, Happ leads the Cubs with eight home runs, 24 walks and 25 runs scored.

Here’s his home run, hit on Saturday [VIDEO].

Shōta Imanaga is also having an excellent year

Imanaga pitched just once this past week, but it was another excellent outing. He held the Diamondbacks scoreless for seven innings Saturday, allowing four hits with just one walk, and striking out five. Best of all this year, Imanaga has allowed just three home runs in 41.1 innings, and not more than one in any of his seven starts. His 0.847 WHIP ranks second in the National League (Tyler Glasnow, 0.824).

Here are the five K’s he registered on Saturday [VIDEO].

Ben Brown appears to have finally found his role

Brown is being used by Craig Counsell in high-leverage multi-inning relief and he has taken to it very, very well. Over this past week: 5.2 innings, 19 batters faced, one unearned run. Only three of the 19 batters he faced reached base, and on Wednesday in San Diego, he recorded five outs on just 11 pitches, including this key double-play ball [VIDEO].

H/T to Carson Kelly, who is quietly putting together a fine season.

Here’s the weird pop fly RBI single he had on Friday. That turned out to be a very important run [VIDEO].

Also a H/T to Michael Busch, who has shown signs of coming out of his early-season slump.

Three down

What is up with Alex Bregman?

Bregman did have a two-hit game last week — a game he didn’t start, he went 2-for-2 after entering in the seventh inning.

But overall, he batted just .190/.320/.238 (4-for-21) over the week, and hasn’t shown much power this year (four doubles, a triple, three home runs in 136 at-bats). He’s drawn 18 walks so his .333 OBP is decent.

Then he had a brain fart on a bunt on Friday that wound up going for a double.

The Cubs are winning without production from Bregman, so if he ever does get going, that’ll be a nice bonus.

Ryan Rolison and Corbin Martin have struggled

These guys are the back end of the bullpen and both have had good games this year — but not this past week. Martin walked the bases loaded Wednesday in San Diego and got bailed out by Brown. Then he had a two-run inning in garbage time Sunday. Rolison had been pretty good early on, then got hit hard by the D-backs Friday.

Both of these guys will probably not be on the roster once the Cubs’ injured relievers begin to return. It’s possible Ethan Roberts might replace Martin within the next couple of days.

Moisés Ballesteros had a rough week — until Sunday

Ballesteros went 1-for-20 in the first five games against the Padres and D-backs, though the one hit was a home run in San Diego. There were some thoughts that maybe the league was adjusting to him.

Then Moisés homered and singled on Sunday and in a key play, beat a throw to second base that wound up being very, very important [VIDEO].

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Here’s why Ballesteros was able to beat that throw:

Cubs designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros, who is in the bottom four percent of sprint speed, per Statcast, took a big secondary lead on the play and beat out Arenado’s throw to second, giving the Cubs an extra out.

“It doesn’t matter how fast a runner you are; you can still take a great secondary and get there as fast as you can,” Counsell said. “I think we’ve stressed that to (Ballesteros). I think that’s important to (Ballesteros), and (he’s) had some pretty good examples of it and that’s another one.”

This is what good management and coaching can do. Good stuff.

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The Week Ahead for Atlanta: An early showdown looms nearby

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 24: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma Sharon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The biggest series of the season so far is on the horizon and it’s not just big for both the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although it won’t be nationally televised, you can bet that the rest of the baseball world will be keeping an eye on this series to see if the Braves can send a serious message of intent with another series win this season in a stadium that has historically been a house of horrors — and one that is the home of the two-time defending World Series Champions, mind you.

Before we can get to the Showdown at Dodger Stadium, the Braves will have to continue their Western road trip with a visit to Seattle to take on the Mariners. Seattle has been a little better at home than on the road and their poor road form has been the difference between them being at .500 and being where they’re currently at. I’m saying that to say that the Braves can’t find themselves looking forward to the massive series in Los Angeles without taking care of business in Seattle first. That’s what’s on the horizon for what could be a really big week ahead for the Atlanta Braves.

May 4-6: Seattle Mariners

Current Record: 16-19 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 85-77

Seattle’s rotation has been pretty solid so far and the Braves will have to deal with three of the better hurlers for Seattle so far. It’ll all get started against Logan Gilbert on Monday. While Gilbert hasn’t been super imposing so far, he’s done a good job of avoiding walks and generating whiffs and chases so the plate discipline for Atlanta will have to be on point if they want to be effective against him.

George Kirby will get the ball on Tuesday and that’ll likely be tough sledding for the Braves since his underlying metrics suggest that he’s been a lot better than his ERA (4.03 with an ERA- of 102) and FIP (3.33 with a FIP- of 82) suggest. He’s been even better than Gilbert when it comes to inducing chase and just as good in every other category (if not a bit better) as well. Bryan Woo will start on Thursday and that does seem like Atlanta’s best chance to pick up a win (and hopefully a series win if the first two games go well). Woo has also done a good job of limiting walks but he hasn’t been great doing much else, so there’s that.

Meanwhile, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and JR Ritchie will have to contend with a Mariners lineup that has hit their way into a Top-10 offense according to wRC+. Heading into Sunday’s action, they had produced a team wRC+ of 103 with a team slash line of .232/.320/.382 with a .317 wOBA. The good news is that the Braves clear the Mariners in every offensive category so far (aside from walk rate) so the Braves could do well enough to out-slug yet another opponent.

Still, Randy Arozarena figures to be a problem and guys like Cole Young, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley have to be taken seriously as well. Plus, there’s the looming specter of either Julio Rodríguez taking a game over or Cal Raleigh waking up from his current slumber at any given moment as well. On top of that, Brendan Donovan could be activated from the IL in time for this series as well, so there’s certainly a lot to keep an eye on when it comes to threats coming from the Mariners.

Monday, May 4 at 9:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Tuesday, May 5 at 9:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)
Wednesday, May 6 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

May 8-10: Los Angeles Dodgers

Current Record: 21-13 Projected Record: 98-64

Assuming the Braves don’t get swept and end up limping into Dodger Stadium, the Braves will enter this series with fewer losses than their hosts in Los Angeles. Heading into this season, you probably would’ve figured that that meant either one or both teams had been disappointing to start out, but nope! The Dodgers are in first place and as of right now they’re either at or near the top of the leaderboards in any given statistic that you can think of. This is the type of start you’d expect for a team that is this loaded with talent and experience so that’s really another indicator of just how good of a start that the Braves are on, themselves.

The “good” news is that the Braves won’t have to deal with Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher, at least. He’s currently scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Astros and he’s usually gone up to a week in between starts so they won’t have to figure out a way to wrangle him. Still, it’s likely that they’ll have to deal with 2026 World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto and an impressive 25-year-old hurler in the form of Justin Wrobleski. If we’re going on form then Emmet Sheehan should get the ball for Los Angeles in this series. If not then it’s also possible that Roki Sasaki could get a start, though I’m sure that the Dodgers would much rather see Sheehan take a crack at keeping Atlanta’s lineup quiet.

When it comes to this Dodgers lineup, well, it’s the same ol’ stuff. They’re nine-deep and the easy outs will be few and far in between with this crew. With that being said, they did suffer through a bit of a power drought as the team’s ability to hit the long ball escaped them for a bit. Hopefully, that trend continues through this week once the Braves get a hold of them. They also had to recently suffer through the ignominy of a four-game losing streak. In typical Dodgers fashion, though, even the losing streak seemed to go LA’s way because everybody else in the division had just as long of a losing streak or an even longer one so the streak didn’t even hurt them in the NL West. That’s just how it seems to go for this team!

With that being said, you know this team isn’t going to stay down for long. Ohtani is just too good at the plate and he’s surrounded by guys like Max Muncy, Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Freddie Freeman. Then they’ve got guys like Dalton Rushing, Alex Call, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith who can deliver when called upon as well. The fact that the offense is still clicking this well without Mookie Betts is a testament to how deep and talented this crew is.

The Braves are going to have their work cut out for them and it’ll truly be an auspicious occasion if Atlanta’s streak of not losing a series is still on the line once they get to Dodger Stadium. I’m personally very excited to see how this series goes and hopefully the Braves will have taken care of business in Seattle beforehand in order to give this early-season showdown the level of hype that it deserves. Let’s see what happens!

Friday, May 8 at 10:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Saturday, May 9 at 9:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
Sunday, May 10 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)

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Seattle Mariners Minor League Roundup – Week Six

SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 13, 2026: Felnin Celesten #5 of the Seattle Mariners throws to first base during a minor league spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on March 13, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Tacoma Rainiers

The Rainiers dropped the series 4-2 this week, unfortunately unable to land the knockout punch in several close games this series. They stand at 16-17 on the season, good for fourth in their division.

The Colt report this week is a tough one, unfortunately. Three walks, three hits, ten punchouts. He did hit a homer and a triple, but there’s not nearly enough production outside of that to spin this week positively. Hopefully a quick bounce back is inbound.

With the major league bullpen in rough shape right now, there’s a few names in Tacoma that might end up becoming pertinent in the coming weeks. Robinson Ortiz, a lefty, has decent stuff, but walks a lot of people. Domingo Gonzalez is kind of the opposite, with lesser raw stuff but much better command. Yosver Zulueta, probably the best of the three, has major velocity on his sinker and big league experience in the past. All three are already on the 40 man roster and could be options should the big leagues come calling.

Arkansas Travelers

The Travs are hot right now! Securing a 5-1 series win over Wichita, the Travs have dug themselves out of the basement and now find themselves with a 15-12 record, a mark good for 3rd in their division. The offense has really picked things up as of late, and the stars they’ve needed desperately all season are beginning to look like their usual selves. It’s been a treat to watch.

Kade Anderson continues to dazzle, working another 5.2 innings of shutout ball in a Wichita stadium that’s one of the least pitcher-friendly in the Texas League. Allowing just four hits and no walks, Anderson struck out eight batters in Friday night’s contest, pushing his season total to 38 across just 24.1 innings. Whether the M’s see merit in sending him to Triple-A or not seems like the final frontier in his development track; it’s not something they typically do with their premium starting pitching prospects, but Double-A is posing little challenge to Anderson at present and may ultimately force the M’s to make him an exception. Still just 21 years old, here’s where he stands amongst other Texas League arms thus far:

ERA: 0.37 (1st)

K: 38 (1st)

BB: 4 (2nd)

WHIP: 0.70 (2nd)

BAA: .157 (2nd)

Not too bad for your first taste of professional baseball.

I encourage you to check out the article we put out about Lazaro Montes this past weekend. Since then, he managed yet another homer and raised his season OPS to .928. He’s hotter than the sun right now.

Laz wasn’t the only hitter seeing the ball well this week; Caleb Cali lit up Wichita pitching all week and is thrilled to get out of the cavernous confines of Dickey-Stephens Park. With roughly a 50/50 split between home and away thus far, Cali lays claim to a paltry OPS of .405 inside of DSP. The half that came on the road? An OPS north of 1.000. Cali has one of the starkest discrepancies of Home/Away splits I can remember seeing and should be someone to monitor; there’s a chance he gets a call up to Tacoma and is finally able to unleash the major pop he’s got with some consistency.

Everett AquaSox

The Frogs lost this week’s slate 4-2, squandering some late leads and missing plenty of opportunities to take a convincing series win. The bullpen, usually a strong suit, was shaky this week, and the uptick in offense wasn’t enough to offset the lack of pitching.

¡El Fénix está en fuego! Felnin Celesten continues to light it up at the plate and looks like the player we saw dominate the Complex League just a few years ago, spraying the ball with authority all over the ballpark. The young shortstop is slashing .457/.556/.600 over the past two weeks and has upped his stolen base count to six on the young season. Celesten has all the talent in the world and could easily be one of the best prospects in this system if he’s playing to his fullest potential. The whiffs are down, the walks are up, and he’s hitting the ball hard with consistency. It’s been a fantastic few weeks of watching him play.

Brock Moore continues to overpower Hi-A hitters. He logged three more innings this week, punching out four and walking one. He currently sits at 24 K’s through 11.1 IP this season and has just two walks, a truly unfathomable mark if you were to look at his walk totals from just a season ago. Get this man to Arkansas ASAP.

Shoutout to Brandon Eike. He was having a brutal go of things at the plate to start the season, but he’s started to really heat up as of late. He’s pushed his OPS just north of .900 and has launched five homers in his past seven contests. The K% is still untenable and will need to come down before a trip to Arkansas is on the table, but the progress has been great to see nonetheless.

Inland Empire 66ers

IE lost yet another series this week, dropping to 10-16 on the year. The pitching has had a tough time keeping games close, and though the offense is starting to pick up a bit, it hasn’t been enough to secure many wins. This team is going to benefit greatly from the draft’s injection of talent.

The Mason Peters agenda continues forward. Similarly to Anderson in Double-A, Peters has arguably been the best pitcher in the California League to start the season:

ERA: 2.25 (2nd)

K: 31 (1st)

BB: 5 (5th)

WHIP: 0.85 (2nd)

BAA: .176 (2nd)

Spinning a gem of a game on Friday night, the southpaw starter logged four innings of shutout ball, surrendering just one hit on the night and punching out six. He’s obviously been off to an incredible start thus far, but with as much room as there is to add strength to his frame, a future velocity spike that elevates his arsenal a tick or two seems more than possible, making him that much more exciting as a prospect to follow over the coming years.

Cesar Quintas is a far less heralded prospect than most names featured on our prospect roundups, but after the week he just had, it’s impossible to keep him off. A 2024 minor league Rule 5 draftee from the Giants system, Quintas played last season with the Nuts and had a good, if unremarkable season at the plate. This year, however, has been a different story. His 15 hits this week brought his season OPS up to .957, comfortably giving him the team lead and breathing new life into a player that lacked pedigree. It’s his third go of A ball, but should he maintain this level of production throughout the year, he’ll have transformed his future and firmly made himself a name to know.

The ACL Mariners have logged just one game so far, but they managed 24 runs on an astounding 21 walks. Nick Becker, Yorger Bautista, and Leandro Romero, arguably the three biggest name prospects on the roster, all were strong contributors in the win and will look to power this potent lineup all season.

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Knicks vs. Sixers: Scout weighs in on 2026 Eastern Conference Semifinals

With Game 1 of Knicks-Sixers coming up on Monday night, an Atlantic Division scout shares what to watch during the series:

APPROACH VS. MAXEY

"It's (obvious) to say they (the Knicks) need to figure out Tyrese Maxey. You saw how (Boston) struggled with him. New York hasn't been able to keep up with him (well) this year or even last year. Do you allow (Maxey) to get his and let the others beat you? Who do you put on (Maxey)? 

"I really liked what (Josh) Hart did on CJ (McCollum) in the first round. CJ is obviously not the same player as Maxey. But if you're picking between OG (Anunoby), (Mikal Bridges) and Hart, I'd see how it goes with Hart. Obviously, (Mike) Brown will throw different looks at him, especially in pick-and-roll. The way he got straight to the rim when (Boston's big moved further from the basket) on-pick and-rolls has to be a nightmare (for the Knicks). This one will tilt the series, I think."

DOUBLE-BIG LINEUP

"(New York) has been solid on the glass, especially when (Mitchell Robinson) is on the court. I think they should lean into that and force Philadelphia to play big. I liked the (lineup featuring Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns) against Atlanta. I thought they picked the right spots for it late in the series. If you go there again, make Philadelphia match you and then (win the rebounding margin). It sounds simple, but the Knicks can win the possession battle by controlling the glass and they have the (personnel to do it). (Anunoby) rebounded really well (against Atlanta)."

PREDICTION

"The Sixers aren't (a traditional No. 7 seed). With (Joel Embiid) healthy, they have the top of the roster talent to compete with (the Knicks). If Joel is on the floor, I think the Sixers really test (New York). But I can't ignore (what the Knicks did in the last three games of the Hawks series). This Knicks team is playing at a higher level than any time I (saw them in the regular season). If they look to play through (Towns) as often as they did last series, they will ultimately (be too much for the Sixers). I like the Knicks in six."

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John Sterling called Jeter's 3,000th hit through tears: Suzyn Waldman remembers icon

Suzyn Waldman spent decades sitting next to John Sterling in broadcast booths around the world and she offered a very simple explanation of why a whole sport is mourning the Yankees broadcaster who died Monday at age 87.  

“That kind of love for a team and that kind of love for his fan base, there will never be another person like that,” Waldman said on WFAN hours after Sterling’s death was announced.  

Waldman said her favorite Sterling moment was not one of his historic “It is high! It is far! It is gone!” and unique home run calls like “Bern, baby, Bern” for Bernie Williams. It is a simple call of a big moment that she cherishes: Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit on July 9, 2011, when Jeter homered off David Price to reach that milestone.  

“He had tears coming down his face. He was crying. I was crying,” Waldman said. “When you see someone’s whole career – we met Derek Jeter when he was just 18 years old. That call was absolutely perfect. And he did it perfectly while he was really emotional.” 

Waldman said Sterling never wrote down any of his iconic calls. What came out of him, she said, came from his heart.  

She pointed to his call of the final out of the 1996 World Series. Charlie Hayes caught a popup in foul territory for the Yankees’ first championship in 18 years.  

“Go back and listen to what he said. He never wrote anything down. So, what came out of him, came out of his heart,” Waldman said. “And it was perfect, just perfect.” 

Sterling called 5,631 games for the Yankees over 36 seasons, beginning in 1989. He never missed a game for the first 30 years, a streak of 5,060. He retired abruptly early in the 2024 season but came back to call the World Series one final time.  

“Every day was a unique, funny, strange, wonderful experience,” Waldman said. “One of a kind” 

John Sterling, the voice of the Yankees on radio, on Aug. 17, 2012 at Yankee Stadium.

Born John Sloss in Manhattan, Sterling started his play-by-play career with the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets in 1970-71. He came back to New York in 1971, calling Islanders hockey and Nets basketball. He spent nine years in Atlanta calling Braves and Hawks games for Turner Sports before returning to New York in 1989 to take the Yankees job. Sterling won 12 Emmy Awards and was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame twice.  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman on John Sterling's Death

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Playoff Game Preview: Knicks vs 76ers, Game 1, May 4, 2026

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 03: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers in action against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during game at Madison Square Garden on January 03, 2026 in New York City. The Philadelphia 76ers won 130-119. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The New York Knicks (53–29) open their second-round series tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers (45–37) at Madison Square Garden. Game time is 8 p.m., and you can catch it on NBC and Peacock.

The Knicks finished their first-round series 4–2, thanks to a 51-point evisceration of the Hawks on Friday. Pacome Dadiet went 2-of-4 and finished with five points. Nice! Our heroes scored a couple of extra days off, thanks to Philadelphia pushing their series with Boston to seven games, completing a comeback from a 3–1 hole.

These teams split the season series 2–2. The last meeting—February 11 in Philadelphia—was a demolition, a 138–89 Knicks win. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges controlled the game, while Tyrese Maxey had 32 in defeat.

The Philadelphia 76ers (45–37, seventh in the East) profile as a middle-of-the-pack team on both ends—17th in offense (115.9 PPG), around league average defensively (116.1 allowed). It’s a volatile group that leans heavily on star power rather than depth or consistency. They ranked in the bottom tier for three-point shooting, but they get to the free-throw line a bunch and were sixth in steals.

Joel Embiid averaged 32 points, 10.5 rebounds, and five assists in two tussles with the Knicks this season. The big fella—who once had some choice words for Karl-Anthony Towns—is listed as probable for today’s game with a sore hip. After a regular season defined by load management and a late-season appendectomy, Joel Embiid has regained his MVP-caliber form at the perfect moment for the Cheesesteaks. After playing just 38 games this season, the big man has been a dominant presence in the postseason so far, dropping 34 points in the final game against Boston. Although this became Tyrese Maxey’s team while the aging Embiid nursed his injuries, Embiid remains the biggest problem on New York’s whiteboard.

Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 20.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 14 games versus Joel Embiid, while Embiid has averaged 28 points, 9.4 boards, and 3.6 dimes. But really, we’re most excited to see Mitchell Robinson square up with Joel, especially after the latter tried to end Mitch’s career in their last playoff series.

Speaking of Maxey, the young guard had another strong 2025–26 regular season as the Philadelphia 76ers’ primary option. He averaged 28.3 points (5th in the NBA), 6.6 assists (15th), and 4.1 rebounds per game across 70 games, while playing heavy minutes (>38 MPG). Shooting 46% from the field, 37% from three, and 89% from the free-throw line, he’s a scoring threat from all depths—and not shabby on defense either (1.9 steals per game). We expect Mikal Bridges will guard him to start the series.

Jalen Brunson (23.6 PPG, 5.7 AST, 4.6 REB) has a slight all-around edge over Tyrese Maxey (22.5 PPG, 4.3 AST, 2.9 REB) across their 16 career matchups.

The third star of their squad is Paul George, who pulled off one of the cleverest scams in NBA history. Not only did he take a banned substance that (we assume) benefited his body, but that led to a 25-game suspension (or, if you like, rest) that has him nice and fresh for the postseason. Aging hoopers, take note! Due to his scandal-shortened season (scandal seems strong, given how little media attention has been given to his malfeasance), Georgie boy appeared in just 37 games, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. The 15-year vet just turned 36 this week, but can still shoot—he made 44% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 82% from the free-throw line. We expect OG Anunoby to defend him to start the series.

VJ Edgecombe had an outstanding rookie 2025–26 regular season with the Sixers after being selected third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old guard played in 75 games (all starts), averaging 16 points, about six boards, and 1.4 steals in 35 minutes per game. While making 43.8% from the field, 35.4% from three, and 81.8% from the free-throw line, he showed strong two-way versatility, athleticism, and playmaking as a primary wing creator. As a result, he earned strong Rookie of the Year consideration (finishing third) and has become a cornerstone piece for the Sixers.

Rounding out Nick Nurse’s starting five is one of my least favorite players in the league, Kelly Oubre Jr. When not perfecting his Sideshow Bob hairdo or suspicious hit-and-run stories, Oubre has carved a nice niche for himself in Philly. In an injury-shortened 2025–26 season, he appeared in 50 games (41 starts), averaged 14.1 points, five boards, and 1.4 steals in 31.5 minutes per game. Oubre shot 46.7% from the field, 36% from three-point range, and 77% from the free-throw line, providing reliable scoring, athleticism, and perimeter defense.

One thing that might sting will be seeing Quentin Grimes come off the bench. The former Knick had a productive 2025–26 regular season as a key rotation guard/wing for the Sixers, appearing in 75 games (19 starts) and averaging 13.4 points in 29.4 minutes per game. He shot 45% from the field, 33.4% from downtown, and 84% from the free-throw line. In the Celtics series, he delivered in a few big moments, and it can be hard to watch him without thinking what could have been. You may recall that Q-Dot was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February 2024 as part of a multi-player deal to acquire Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks.

Aside from Embiid’s hip, there’s nothing noteworthy on the injury report for tonight’s game. Check back later in this series, which is sure to be physical, and you’re likely to see the list fill up.

Prediction

ESPN.com thinks the Knicks have a 77% chance tonight. Wowza! The central question seems to be: can Philly’s top-end talent generate enough offense to overcome New York’s depth, size, and physicality? The Knicks want a grind, and they stand a good chance to win the series if they can dictate pace and physicality (and make their shots). It starts with one win, however, and it starts with defense and rebounding. Towns and Robinson need to control second chances and make Embiid sweat. If New York can stymie Embiid, Maxey, and George and deliver on the offensive end, then we should enjoy a nice, eight-point Knicks win to start Round Two. Go Knicks!

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (0-0) vs Philadelphia  76ers (0-0) 
Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY
TV: Peacock / NBC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

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4th straight 1st-round exit leaves the Lightning searching for answers

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning dominated most of Game 7, had triple the scoring opportunities and still found a way to lose.

It’s an early exit for the fourth straight season.

A pair of fluky goals helped the Montreal Canadiens beat the Lightning 2-1, sending Tampa Bay to a familiar first-round exit.

The Lightning played their best game of the series, held the Canadiens to just nine shots and yet are heading on vacation while the Canadiens advance to face the Buffalo Sabres.

Montreal’s first goal bounced off Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and went in. The second was whacked out of the air behind the net, hit goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside and went in..

“The hockey gods have been in my corner many, many times. Tonight they were in the other corner,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

For a talented team whose standard is hoisting Stanley Cups, nobody has any answers. Since falling two wins short of a three-peat in 2022, Tampa Bay can’t win a series.

“I don’t really have words,” Ryan McDonagh said. “You like a lot about the game. From start to finish, we stuck with our process and our plan. But at the end it doesn’t matter because they had two, we had one. It’s a loss. Credit to them. They grinded and found a way.”

The Lightning just couldn’t get much past rookie goalie Jakub Dobes throughout the series. He made 28 saves in Game 7. Tampa Bay didn’t get enough production from its offensive stars. Nikita Kucherov, who had 130 points in the regular season, still has zero in his career in Game 7s.

“There’s some disbelief in our room that we can play like that and not walk away with anything,” Cooper said about the defensive effort. “We couldn’t have played any better and still it wasn’t good enough. You have to tip your cap to (Canadiens coach) Martin St. Louis, Jakub Dobes and the Montreal Canadiens.”

After tallying 106 points in the regular season and finishing second in the division, the Lightning missed an opportunity to make a run at the Cup.

And, the team could be running out of time together.

Kucherov and Jake Guentzel, the team’s two leading scorers in the regular season, and Vasilevskiy are in their early 30s. McDonagh is 36. Captain Victor Hedman, who hasn’t played since March, is 35.

Darren Raddysh, who is coming off a breakout 70-point season, will be a free agent.

“It sucks. You don’t get any younger that’s for sure,” Brandon Hagel said. “I have one goal on my mind every single year and I just want to win.”

The Lightning have to wait until next year to do that.

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Anthony Volpe’s rehab ends and Yankees option shortstop to Triple-A with José Caballero playing well

NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe’s rehab from left shoulder surgery ended, but the shortstop’s next step is not rejoining the New York Yankees.

With José Caballero excelling as New York’s everyday shortstop, the AL East-leading Yankees announced they had optioned Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” manager Aaron Boone said before an 11-3 win over Baltimore. “That complicates it.”

Volpe batted .250 (11 for 44) in 13 minor league rehabilitation games, mostly for Double-A Somerset. He reached the maximum 20th day for a rehab assignment in the minors.

If Volpe remains in the minors for another 20 days or more, it would delay his free-agent eligibility by a year until after the 2029 season.

Volpe had left shoulder surgery on Oct. 14, a week after the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in the AL Division Series.

Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs last year and made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops. He got a cortisone shot on Sept. 10 after reaggravating a previous shoulder injury three days earlier.

Volpe also had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break. He initially got hurt when he felt a pop in his shoulder during a loss to Tampa Bay on May 3 last season.

As a rookie in 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove and hit .209 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and had 24 stolen bases after winning the shortstop job in spring training.

He batted .243 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs in 2024.

In the 2024 playoffs, Volpe batted .286 and hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Caballero has started at shortstop in 33 of the Yankees’ 34 games this season. On Friday, he had a go-ahead, second-inning homer off Baltimore’s Cade Povich. He is batting .259 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

“He’s been right in the middle of that, defensively and offensively,” Boone said. “He’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that.”

A 29-year-old acquired from Tampa Bay last July 31, Caballero is hitting .316 (24 for 76) with 11 RBIs in his last 21 games.

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Shohei Ohtani wins NL pitcher of month for April

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 28: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after throwing a pitch during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 28, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has six player of the month honors in his career, but on Monday he won his first career pitcher of the month award, taking home top National League honors for his excellent mound work in March and April.

Ohtani allowed only four total runs, two of them earned in his 30 innings of work, with 34 strikeouts and nine walks to go with his 0.60 ERA and 2.24 xERA in five starts. Among NL pitchers with at least 30 innings, Ohtani led the league in ERA, xERA, and FIP (1.98), and ranked sixth in strikeout rate (28.6 percent) and ninth in strikeout-minus-walk rate (21 percent).

In Dodgers history, Ohtani’s 0.60 ERA is third-best in the live-ball era through the end of April in at least five starts, trailing only Fernando Valenzuela in both 1981 (0.20 ERA) and 1985 (0.21 ERA).

Ohtani has led the National League in ERA after each of his five starts, but only intermittently so as his innings total has at times lagged behind the total number of Dodgers games played. He’s completed exactly six innings in each of his starts thus far, and will need to do so again to qualify for the leaderboard on Tuesday, pitching in the Dodgers’ 36th game of the season, in Houston.

Ohtani has won player of the month six times in his career — June 2021, July 2021, June 2023, July 2023 with the Angels; then September 2024 and May 2025 with the Dodgers.

Tyler Glasnow was among the other National League pitchers receiving votes for the monthly honor, with his 2.56 ERA, 3.07 xERA and 23.6-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate with 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 38 2/3 innings over six starts.

The Dodgers won two pitcher of the month awards last season, both by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in March/April and in September.

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Crawfish Boil: Astros’ Espada Job Security, Yordan Award, Vintage Defense & More

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:

Is Astros Manager Joe Espada’s job hanging by a thread? MLB Insider Bob Nightengale addressed that and more with our Craig Larson Jr. in Four Big Questions:

Yordan Alvarez named AL Player of the Month:

Astros will go the opener route Monday against the Dodgers:

It only took about 2 and a half weeks:

AJ Blubaugh, who has not been pitching in longer outings recently, gave the Astros a very important 11 outs Sunday:

Its a commandment: Thou shalt not steal on Christian Vazquez:

The Astros have mostly gotten vintage Carlos Correa since acquiring him:

Brice Matthews and Mauricio Dubon text each other to talk trash. This is awesome.

Bryan Abreu pitched 2 innings without giving up a run for the win Sunday. Yes, this is real life.

Houston’s much-maligned defense performed better this weekend at Fenway:

Astros dodged a major bullet with Christian Walker avoiding injury after getting beaned:

Spencer Arrighetti continued to give the Astros innings and got his 4th straight win to start the season:

Zach Dezenzo is starting to find his rhythm at the plate on his rehab assignment:

Xavier Neyens. Boss Tendencies:

Change for change sake doesn’t always work:

Laz Diaz is still an awful umpire:

Baseball mourns the passing of legendary broadcaster John Sterling:

Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras thinks the Boston clubhouse has been a little more at ease without Alex Cora on the bench:

Contreras also managed to tick off his young teammates:

The Braves have done something the franchise hasn’t done in over 130 years. Thankfully they don’t play in the AL West.

Things that should not happen, but somehow did:

Maybe not the mother of all backfires, but that did not look like it went as planned:

Deals like this are probably why the Red Sox aren’t doing so well:

Shohei Ohtani was the victim of a vicious plunking:

Full list of MLB award winners for April:

Bob Nightengale’s best and worst of the first month of the season – and the Astros didn’t land on any worsts:

All or nothing:

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Ducks bring speed to challenge the playoff-tested Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS — If the first round of the NHL playoffs played out almost exactly like the opening series a year ago when the Golden Knights eliminated Minnesota in six games, their next opponent is a striking reminder to the one they just vanquished.

The Golden Knights again are the more playoff-seasoned team, but the Anaheim Ducks counter with a faster team interested in more of a track meet when their best-of-seven series opens in Vegas.

Much like the Utah Mammoth, a team Vegas eliminated in six games. The Golden Knights are -210 favorites.

Their playoff experience was crucial against the Mammoth, never panicking even when the Golden Knights had every reason to, trailing in the third period in each of the first five games. They found ways to survive before putting together their most complete game in the 5-1 clincher.

“I think (the experience) only helps the farther you go,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “The pressure ramps up as you keep going. A lot of guys in here have had long playoff series and understand what it’s like. Intensity and speed kind of ramp up as the series goes on.”

The Golden Knights have advanced beyond the first round for sixth time in their eight playoff appearances. The 2023 Stanley Cup champions have missed the postseason only once in their nine years as a franchise.

This is the Ducks’ first playoff appearance since 2018, but Vegas captain Mark Stone said that is misleading. Nine players not only appeared in the playoffs before this season, eight have played in conference finals and beyond. Alex Killorn won two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay and John Carlson was on the Washington team that beat the Golden Knights for the 2018 championship.

“So you still have to be on your toes,” Stone said. “You just have to play good. You’re playing against the same opponent for seven games potentially. Experience helps, but it’s not everything.”

The Ducks certainly aren’t exhibiting a just-happy-to-be-here vibe. That was evident in their six-game series victory over an Edmonton team that played in the past two Cup Final series.

“We didn’t accomplish any goal yet,” Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “We’re kind of playing as underdogs through the whole playoffs here, so we’re just going to keep doing our thing.”

Ducks wing Troy Terry said the focus after dispatching the Oilers didn’t take long to shift to the Golden Knights.

“It’s May, and you guys (media) are still talking to me,” Terry said. “It’s new for me, and it’s new for a lot of us. It’s just exciting to come to the rink.”

Young Ducks rising

LaCombe appeared to signal his arrival as an NHL star in the first round with nine points and shutdown defense against Connor McDavid, but other Anaheim youngsters also had auspicious playoff debuts.

Leo Carlsson scored eight points and thrived in the run-and-gun tempo of the first series, demonstrating his formidable two-way game while centering Anaheim’s top line. The 21-year-old Swede led the Ducks with 28 shots.

Cutter Gauthier kept up the pace from his 41-goal regular season, pumping four past the Oilers – three on the power play with his vicious one-timers from the faceoff circle. The 22-year-old wing had seven points and forced the Oilers to pay inordinate attention to his side of the ice and created opportunities for the likes of linemate Ryan Poehling, who scored four goals.

The other Great One

Golden Knights forward Brett Howden was being interviewed at his locker when teammate Keegan Kolesar yelled out, “Brettsky!”

Howden kept on talking, and even he knows it’s a little much to be compared to Wayne Gretzky.

“(Kolesar) likes to call me whatever he wants to call me,” Howden said with a chuckle. “Only my dad and my mom called me that growing up.”

The Golden Knights are probably done for the season if not for Howden. He scored four goals over the final three games. Two were short-handed, including the Game 5 overtime winner.

Anaheim roots, Vegas heights

The careers of Shea Theodore and William Karlsson will come full circle in this series: Two of the most important players in Golden Knights history began their NHL careers in Anaheim before ex-Ducks general manager Bob Murray foolishly let them go.

Theodore, a first-round pick by Anaheim, was two seasons into his NHL career when Murray traded him to Vegas in 2017 to ensure the Knights would not pick Josh Manson off the Ducks’ unprotected list in the expansion draft. Theodore has been a mainstay on Vegas’ blue line ever since, become the top-scoring defenseman in team history.

Karlsson, a Ducks second-round pick in 2011, still was finding his NHL stride when Murray traded him to Columbus in March 2015 in an inexplicable deal for aging defenseman James Wisniewski, who only played 13 games for Anaheim.

Vegas took Karlsson in the expansion draft two years later, and “Wild Bill” grew into the second-leading scorer in Golden Knights history. He has been sidelined since last November with a lower-body injury, but is back skating in practice and might suit up this in this series.

Special teams could decide it

Both teams made it this far because of their success on special teams.

For the Ducks, that came off the power play, where they converted 50% of their chances against the Oilers. The penalty kill was key for the Golden Knights, in which they were 15 of 16 and even outscored the Mammoth 2-1 on the Utah power play.

“I think it can definitely carry over,” McNabb said of the PK. “It’s been good all year. It’s something we’re going to need.”

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Today’s Yankees birthday: Miguel Cairo

BRONX, NY - APRIL 29: Miguel Cairo #41 of the New York Yankees makes a throw during the game against the Oakland A's on April 29, 2004 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Athletics 7-5. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Our Yankees birthday series has covered players from every era of Yankees history, from the legends immortalized in Monument Park to virtually unknown characters of franchise lore. If those are the two extremes of the sliding scale of fame, Miguel Cairo can probably be found directly down the middle. Cairo was your prototypical dependable reserve—a 17-year big leaguer who played over 1500 games between the regular season and playoffs for nearly a third of all teams in the league, but never played a starring role. Cairo was, above all, the kind of guy you remember during idle conversations with friends years after he took the field.

One of Cairo’s best MLB seasons came in 2004, during the first of two different stints in the Bronx. He filled the keystone position admirably that year as the direct predecessor to franchise cornerstone Robinson Canó. Two years later he returned to the Yankees and stayed through August of 2007 before his winding journey through the league resumed for another five seasons.

Miguel Jesus Cairo
Born: May 4, 1975 (Anaco, Venezuela)
Yankees Tenure: 2004, 2006-07

Cairo was born in Anaco, a city in northern Venezuela further inland and east of the capital Caracas. (For those curious, Anaco is roughly 6,200 miles away from the capital of Egypt—Cairo, New York is about 4,000 miles closer.) Cairo signed at the age of 15 with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1990, and began a slow and steady climb through the Minor Leagues in 1992. He left his first organization, for whom he never played a game, in a trade to the Mariners, a team he wouldn’t play for until the back-nine of his career in 2008. He was shipped to Seattle in a November 1995 deal for third baseman and clairvoyant Mike Blowers—then flipped by the M’s to Toronto in another trade the following month.

It was with the Blue Jays in 1996 that Cairo first had a cup of coffee in the Show—and we do mean a cup of coffee, as he played just nine games and logged 30 plate appearances for a fourth-place team. In the offseason, the Cubs acquired Cairo in a prospect swap, and afforded him 16 games of Major League action for an even less impressive team. Then came the 1998 expansion draft, in which the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays entered the league. Cairo was selected by the latter club and at last planted roots in the Cairo of America: St. Petersburg, Florida..

Cairo’s official rookie season, which came in the Devil Rays’ rookie season of 1998, was by bWAR the best of his career. While he only managed a 74 OPS+ at the plate as their everyday second baseman—a mark well in line with career norms—he quickly proved to be a strong defensive player. Cairo stayed in Tampa for three seasons before being released at the end of 2000. He signed with Oakland, then returned to the Cubs in a preseason trade for Eric Hinske. Chicago waived him in the summer, so he caught on with St. Louis at the end of 2001, hitting .333 down the stretch for a playoff team.

Cairo couldn’t replicate that success at the dish in two subsequent seasons with the Redbirds, but had at last reached free agency ahead of 2004. Enter: the big bad Yankees. In a move seen as highly unfair to the rest of baseball, the Yankees signed Cairo in their most publicized deal of the offseason to form a new star double-play combo with captain Derek Jeter—the kind of co-star capable of hitting clutch home runs like this go-ahead grand slam in Texas on August 12.

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…Okay, fine. Maybe A-Rod was a bit more important to the Yankees’ success that season than our hero, but Cairo was quite valuable for them! Incumbent second-sacker Enrique Wilson wasn’t cutting the mustard at the plate, so Joe Torre made the move to Cairo about two months into the season. Miguel rewarded his skipper with one of the best offensive seasons of his career, hitting .292/.346/.417 (good for an OPS+ of exactly 100), giving the Yankees a perfectly pesky ninth-place hitter that opponents couldn’t overlook.

Enough ink has been spilled on the Yanks’ 2004 postseason that we won’t belabor it here, but Cairo continued to play well for New York throughout the run—posting a .383 OBP across 11 postseason games. He was particularly effective against Boston, grabbing seven of his ten hits in the ALCS.

Cairo became a free agent again in the offseason, so he simply moved across town to Queens to spend 2005 with the Mets before the Yankees welcomed him back to their neighborhood in 2006. Of course, the Bombers had a new everyday second baseman in town: the smooth-swinging, sweet-smiling Robinson Canó. So Cairo wasn’t about to get his starting role back, but plied his trade as a dependable utilityman for the Yankees throughout 2006 and the better part of 2007. By August, however, the 33-year old appeared to be running out of steam, so the Yanks cut him to give more looks to young players like Wilson Betemit and Shelley Duncan—two more excellent Remember-Some-Guys guys.

Cairo’s journey was far from over. After sojourning in St. Louis in September (say that five times fast), he had a few more destinations to check off his bucket list. In 2008, he finally played for the Mariners, who had dealt him away 13 years earlier. A season later at age 35, Cairo joined the defending champion Phillies, and made a few appearances off the bench throughout their NL pennant run—though he never appeared in that year’s Fall Classic against the Yanks.

Cairo spent the final three years of his playing career in the Queen City, hitting to a highly respectable .751 OPS with the Reds across 193 contests in 2010 and 2011. But in yet another win for sports’ greatest dynasty, Father Time, Cairo’s numbers plummeted to subterranean depths in 2012. The vet made three more appearances in the playoffs for the Redlegs in their NLDS loss to the Giants before finally calling it quits.

Unsurprisingly, Cairo has stuck around baseball since retiring as a player. His MLB coaching career began in 2021 with the White Sox, and he served as interim manager for Chicago in 2022 after Tony La Russa stepped away for good. He did the same for the Nationals last season after the dismissal of skipper Dave Martinez.

This season, Cairo joined the Orioles’ staff as an infield coach—meaning he’ll be celebrating his 52nd birthday tonight at Yankee Stadium. Welcome back, Miguel! ¡Y feliz cumpleaños!

I’ve often said to friends that the Guy We Remember is one of the most universally respected kinds of people in American life; players who weren’t good enough or prominent enough for public opinion to tilt one direction or the other, but whose mention elicits a hearty “oh yeah, that dude!” Cairo is the perfect example of a guy we fans love to remind ourselves of—but owing to his longevity in the league and success as a coach, it’s clear he was more than just a great pull on Immaculate Grid. It wouldn’t be surprising if Cairo gets an opportunity as a full-time manager in MLB someday soon. After all, it’s hard to imagine there’s anything he hasn’t seen throughout a full life spent on the diamond.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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The Turning Point Of the Canadiens vs. Lightning Series Didn’t Happen On The Ice

In the end, it wasn’t Max Crozier’s thundering hit on Juraj Slafkovsky that was the turning point in this series or that Brandon Hagel’s jab to his chin, but rather when coach Martin St-Louis stopped hoping his top guys would “figure it out”. The Montreal Canadiens’ bench boss has been known for sticking to his guns, as he explained a couple of years ago, he didn’t care for the opinion of people he wouldn’t ask for advice. The bench boss is the type of person who believes he knows better until he’s proven wrong, and after Game 4, he concluded that he had been.

At that stage of the series, he realized that if he let the Tampa Bay Lightning’s bench boss get the matchups he wanted, the Habs wouldn’t come out on top. He not only decided to make some changes to his attacking lines but also learned to do so on the fly, mixing things up to keep Jon Cooper guessing as the game went on.

Canadiens Steal The Series With Close 2-1 Win
Former Canadiens Player Says St-Louis Was Always Going To Be A Coach
Canadiens Made Impressive Progress In A Season

The coach realized that if he didn’t react, his team would be doomed. He understood that while there’s an argument to be made for not disturbing his players’ rhythm by letting them play with consistent lines, that also allowed the Bolts to gain some rhythm because of the Canadiens changes’ predictability.

St-Louis mixing up his lines and spreading the talent around gave Cooper headaches; he didn’t have two Anthony Cirelli. He still had his top defensive center stick to Nick Suzuki like glue, but having Juraj Slafkovsky take some shifts on another line at times with Ivan Demidov created some opportunities, even if they couldn’t convert. Furthermore, that freed his bottom six to create offense, as they had easier matchups.

In the end, this series forced St-Louis out of his comfort zone, and he proved up to the challenge, getting the better of the Jack Adams Trophy finalist he was pitted against. Montreal is a young team on the ice, and behind the bench, just like his players gained experience by taking on the Bolts, the coach gained some by facing Cooper.

There’s no doubt that St-Louis won’t want to take the credit for the series win, because he wasn’t on the ice, but recognizing his impact on proceedings doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Jakub Dobes was impressive all the way through, that the Canadiens played a physical brand of hockey that put pressure on the Bolts’ defense, that Josh Anderson’s forecheck was key or that the defense managed to make-do without Noah Dobson for six games. Credit has to be given where credit is due. The Canadiens won their duel with the Lightning, but they couldn't have done it if St-Louis didn't win his with Cooper. 

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NBA Finals Odds Update: Thunder Lead, Knicks Biggest Winner of Playoffs So Far

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As the NBA Playoffs transition to the conference semifinal stage on Monday, sportsbooks are still heavily backing the Oklahoma City Thunder to win their second straight championship.

While the Thunder are the outright leaders, the New York Knicks enjoyed the largest surge in Finals odds after the Boston Celtics were eliminated in seven games.

Key Takeaways

  • The Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead in Finals and Finals MVP odds.

  • Philadelphia’s 3-1 comeback propelled the Knicks to lead the East in Finals odds.

  • BetMGM users are backing Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Finals and Finals MVP markets.

The Thunder began the year as a +240 leader in NBA Finals odds, according to BetMGM. They had closed to +115 when the playoffs began and are now down to -140 (58.3% implied chance) with a leading 19.3% of all money in the futures market behind them, along with 10.6% of tickets (third).

The San Antonio Spurs have shortened from +450 at the start of the playoffs to +325. They have 10.9% of tickets, first among remaining teams, and 16.8% of the handle, second only to the Thunder. 

One of the main reasons the Spurs have such a large share of the handle is that they have the largest reported futures bet at BetMGM, a $50,000 wager at +650 odds.

Over on the other side of the brackets, the Knicks (7% of bets, 6.5% of money) were only fourth in odds to win the Eastern Conference when the postseason commenced. Their title odds grew from +2200 to +900, the new leading mark in the East, after they dispatched the Atlanta Hawks in six games. 

While the Knicks are now the team to beat in their conference, they wouldn’t be in their current position without several unforeseen developments.

No result was more beneficial for the Knicks than the Celtics blowing a 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston was +550 in odds to win the NBA Finals (third) when the playoffs began and would’ve faced the New Yorkers in the second round had they advanced. Instead, Philly overcame their near-fatal position and will now battle the Knicks for a spot in the conference finals.

The 76ers’ improbable victory shocked the odds board as they climbed from +25000 to +3500. Despite that, they only have 3.8% of tickets and 3.4% of the pot. 

The first-seed Detroit Pistons were also shockingly taken to seven games and needed to overcome a 3-1 deficit to get past the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic. Their title odds (+1700) are the same as they were at the start of the playoffs, but they have 10.4% of tickets, 8.5% of the handle, and one $25,000 wager at +1400 odds supporting them. 

Who else is in the picture?

Only three teams that are still alive have not been mentioned up to this point. One of those is the Los Angeles Lakers, who are both the biggest winners and losers of the postseason thus far.

LA was an enormous underdog against the Houston Rockets in the first round as both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were sidelined by injuries. Despite that, they raced ahead to a 3-0 lead and eventually closed the series out in six games. Their NBA Finals odds are down from +20000 at the beginning of the playoffs to +2500.

Unfortunately for the purple and gold, they now get to battle a Thunder team that won the Western Conference at 64-18, swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and is the largest series favorite of the second round (-2000). 

Reaves is back, but Doncic is still out and reportedly hasn’t begun running. Despite that, the Lakers have 9.1% of bets and 7.5% of money wagered backing them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were +1600 in odds to win the Finals at the beginning of the playoffs, but they fell to +2000 after being taken to seven games by the Toronto Raptors. They’re looking up at the Knicks and the Pistons in the East.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are the final team remaining. Although they upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round, their odds lengthened from +8000 to +10000 due to injuries suffered by Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu. Chris Finch's team has 5.5% of bets, and 5.2% of money is in favor of the Wolves.

NBA Finals MVP odds picture

While the Thunder are in pole position to win the championship, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama is BetMGM bettors’ pick in the NBA Finals MVP odds market. A high percentage of tickets, 14.5%, and 7.5% of the handle are on the French sensation, who is down from +600 in the first round to +400 currently.

Only three players received more than 7.5% of the handle in this market. Two of them, Jamal Murray and Jayson Tatum, were already eliminated.

The third, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has 7.6% of tickets and 14.3% of bets behind him. He sits at -135 to win his second straight Finals MVP after beginning the playoffs at -105.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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Flyers @ Hurricanes: Round 2, Game 2 – Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 02: K'andre Miller #19 of the Carolina Hurricanes knocks the puck away from Garnet Hathaway #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes are ready to do battle again with the Philadelphia Flyers for game two of round two of the NHL Playoffs. Game time is 7 P.M. tonight at the Lenovo Center.

So far in these playoffs the Hurricanes have been at the top of their game regarding puck possession and shot suppression. They have yet to trail at any point in a game this postseason.

The scary part is, they can still be better.

While Logan Stankoven, (points in 13 straight games), Taylor Hall, (leads team in postseason scoring with 8 points in five games), and Jackson Blake are tearing it up, the other lines are ready to break through as well.

The penalty kill is almost flawless, but the powerplay needs to improve.

Walt Ruff is reporting from the morning skate. Fred Andersen is in the starter’s net.

I expect Nikishin to be a game time decision based upon how he feels. The lines are the same as in game one.

How will the Flyers regroup?

The game will be televised by ESPN. Our friends, Mike Maniscalco, Tripp Tracy, and Shane Willis will be on 99.9 The Fan with the play-by-play and analysis.