After more than two decades of pain, suffering and way too much time thinking the Stephon Marbury trade would right the franchise's ship, the Knicks have returned to the NBA Finals. All that's left for them to do is wait to see who they'll face.
In the West, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are duking it out in a series for the ages. Whoever emerges victorious will undoubtedly be the favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy when all is said and done, but the Knicks shouldn't be counted out entirely. Their 11 straight postseason victories are the most in franchise history, and tied for the third-longest such streak in league history with the 1989 and 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.
Momentum matters a whole lot when it comes to the NBA postseason, which is why it could be a disadvantage for the Knicks to have to wait so long following their victory in the Eastern Conference finals. Here's the full schedule for the 2026 NBA Finals:
2026 NBA Finals schedule
The NBA Finals will stream exclusively on ABC with all games starting at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.
*- if necessary
Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 at Thunder/Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 2: Friday, June 5 at Thunder/Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 3: Monday, June 8 at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 4: Wednesday, June 10 at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 5*: Saturday, June 13 at Thunder/Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 6*: Tuesday, June 16 at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 7*: Friday, June 19 at Thunder/Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
The New York Knicks hold the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. Photograph: Tim Phillis/AP
The New York Knicks are back in the NBA finals for the first time since 1999 after another overwhelming victory completed a 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks are in ruthless form as they attempt to win their first NBA championship since 1973. They also swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs. While their path to the finals in their Eastern Conference has been smooth they will face a stiff test to claim the NBA title. They will face either the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, a team with very few flaws, or the San Antonio Spurs, led by 7ft 4in superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs-Thunder series is tied at 2-2 with Game 5 on Tuesday night.
For now though, the Knicks can rest up and look back on an excellent series against the Cavaliers after completing the sweep with a 130-93 win. Cleveland only seriously threatened the Knicks in the opening game of the East finals, when they held a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter, before Jalen Brunson inspired New York to a thrilling comeback win in overtime. The Knicks won the next three games by 16, 13 and 37 points and are on an 11-game winning streak, the third longest in a single postseason in NBA history.
Brunson, whose father Rick played for the Knicks the last time they reached the finals, has been the star of the series but paid tribute to the rest of the Knicks after Monday night’s game.
“It means a lot [to get to the finals], but I wouldn’t be here without my teammates,” Brunson said on the ESPN broadcast. “My coach, this staff, the fanbase, without them none of this is possible.”
Brunson was also awarded the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference finals MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists across the series.
“[Brunson’s leadership] is vital for us,” said Josh Hart of his teammate. “He’s an even keel, he doesn’t let us get too high or too low. Even games like this when we’re up 15 or 20, he wants to make sure we’re doubling down on our habits.”
Monday’s game was all but over after the Knicks went on a 20-0 run at the end of the first quarter and early into the second. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell put up 31 points but once again he could not lead his team to a serious challenge against the Knicks.
“They’re playing better basketball. You got to give them credit. They’re on a heater. I don’t want to detract from what we’ve done, but sometimes you’ve got to give the other team credit,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said.
The Knicks’ presence will bring plenty of attention to this year’s finals. On Monday, several of their high-profile fans, including Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan and Timothée Chalamet, made the journey to Cleveland to see them complete their victory. Lee is on an excellent run after his favorite soccer team, Arsenal, clinched their first Premier League title since 2004 last week.
“Knicks fans are a specific species of human that should be studied, they’re crazy,” said Knicks guard Landry Shamet. “They fly out to Cleveland on a Monday, they’re everywhere. Everywhere you walk in [New York City] that’s what you hear, the buzz is unbelievable. You could try to explain what’s going on for Knicks fans in New York right now, but good luck.”
Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski set an MLB record on Monday in Milwaukee’s 5-1 win over the Cardinals, throwing 57 pitches that reached at least 100 mph on the radar gun, making it the most by any pitcher in a single game since pitch tracking started in 2008.
Misiorowski tied a career high with 12 strikeouts in the game and he became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball this season to reach the 100 strikeout mark.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws a pitch during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 25. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
“That’s what I do,” Misiorowski told reporters after the impressive performance. “I throw hard.”
Misiorowski reached 103 or higher on eight pitches in the first inning alone and topped the previous record holder by 10, which had been set by Reds pitcher Hunter Greene against the Cardinals when he threw 47 pitches hitting at least 100 mph.
He was on the mound for seven innings and allowed just one run on two hits and only one walk.
The Cardinals did not get their first hit of the game until the sixth inning when Pedro Pagés collected a single into right field.
Pagés eventually scored on a groundout by Iván Herrera.
Jacob Misiorowski broke the record for most 100+ MPH pitches by an MLB starter in a game since pitch tracking began in 2008. Simply incredible.
Brewers skipper Pat Murphy called the outing “one of the best performances I’ve seen in a long time.”
Misiorowski is 5-2 this season with a 1.83 ERA in 11 starts for the Brewers.
He’s in his second season in the majors after making his MLB debut in June 2025, coincidentally, against the Cardinals.
Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after the third out in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on May 25, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Getty Images
Misiorowski has only been getting better with every start since then and Brewers major league pitching coordinator Jim Henderson has seen it firsthand.
“We’re seeing it happen before our eyes, so you start believing it,” he told MLB.com. “Two or three weeks into the season, there was a bullpen between starts when he was touching 99 mph. We were like, ‘Jesus.’”
Latrell Spreewell. Allan Houston. Marcus Camby. Larry Johnson. Charlie Ward. Jeff Van Gundy as coach.
The last time the New York Knicks were in the NBA Finals, 27 years ago, those were the legendary names (Patrick Ewing helped get them there, but was out with a torn Achilles).
Now the names that will go down in Knicks history are Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and others. Mike Brown, who was brought in with a finals-or-bust mandate as coach, has delivered.
The entire team delivered on Monday, as they have for a few weeks and a few series now. Once again, New York ran Cleveland out of its own building, this time in a 126-83 blowout win that saw the Knicks sweep the Cavaliers out of the playoffs and themselves into the Finals.
New York heads to the Finals for the first time since 1999, riding an historic 11-game winning streak, as everything with the Knicks has clicked at the right time. They will get more than a week off to rest and recover as the NBA Finals don't start until June 3, with Game 1 either in Oklahoma City or San Antonio, depending on who comes out of the Western Conference Finals (that series is tied 2-2 heading into a critical Game 5 on Tuesday night).
Cleveland heads into an offseason with a lot of questions — including whether Donovan Mitchell will sign an extension to stay beyond next season. This team was the top seed in the East a season ago but lost in the second round of the playoffs. Then, this season, traded for James Harden mid-season to improve their chances, made the Eastern Conference Finals but were out-everythinged by the Knicks. It's going to force a summer of harsh evaluations for the most expensive team in the NBA.
For a brief few minutes to start Game 4, there was a glimmer of hope for the outnumbered — at least it sounded like it — Cavaliers fans in their home arena. A desperate Cleveland team started the game on an 8-2 run, and midway through the first quarter the Cavaliers still led by one.
Then Game 4 turned into essentially a replay of Game 3. Cleveland missed contested looks while New York hit open ones — or scored in transition. Knicks' role players could not miss, starting with Landry Shamet off the bench. The Knicks' 26 first-half fast-break points were the most by any team in the playoffs in the last 30 years (stat via ESPN). New York was executing on a level Cleveland could not match on both ends of the court and that turned into a 20-0 run that thrilled the Knicks faithful.
Cleveland pretty much rolled over from there, any runs the Cavaliers made was simply because the Knicks hit a cold stretch. New York spread the scoring around. Towns led the scoring with 19 points, Anunoby had 16, Shamet remained hot off the bench with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while Bridges and Brunson had 15 points but both were a little cold from the floor. Not that it mattered.
Mitchell showed up and played hard, at least on offense, scoring 31 on 9-of-18 shooting. He was also frustrated on the bench because of the effort his team gave on Monday night, and that's going to lead to even more questions this summer.
The only question the Knicks face is how to spend the next week until the NBA Finals start.
The New York Knicks are heading to the NBA Finals, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed home.
New York closed out the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night, winning Game 4 by a final score of 130-93 to complete the four-game sweep of the Cavaliers.
And Charles Barkley pointed to a lack of “effort,” and how the team “quit” in the first half of Game 4 as a major reason why.
Facing elimination at home against the Knicks in Game 4, the Cavaliers were on the wrong end of a 20-0 run from the Knicks, as New York built a 68-49 halftime lead. And during the halftime show, Barkley “requested special time” to address what he saw in the first half:
After Barkley provided the definition of quit — which included a notation to “see also: Cavaliers in Game 4 vs. Knicks” — the show aired several clips from the first half of Knicks players beating Cleveland defenders back down the court for fast-break points.
“This is just effort here,” began Barkley as the montage of Knicks players rolling up fast-break points aired during the halftime break.
“Players ain’t gonna say they’re gonna quit, but you know what shows? Their actions,” continued Barkley.
By the time Game 4 drew to a close, New York had outrebounded Cleveland 60-33, and had scored 33 fast-break points, compared to just nine for Cleveland.
And those watching at home were treated to a vocabulary lesson, courtesy of Charles Barkley.
Jalen Brunson has been named the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The captain did his part to lead the Knicks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Brunson was absolutely spectacular throughout the series as New York wrapped up a dominant four-game sweep of the Cavaliers on the road on Monday night.
He opened things with a 38-point showing in the Knicks' Game 1 overtime win.
The All-Star point guard then followed that by becoming more of a playmaker in Game 2, finishing with just 19 points while dishing out 14 assists for his first double-double of the postseason.
Brunson led all scorers with 30 points in Game 3, then needed just 15 as he sat the entire fourth quarter during the Knicks' blowout victory to close things out Monday night.
He averaged 25.5 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds during the four ECF games.
The Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals after a 130-93 win on Monday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York has been blowing teams out during this incredible playoff run its on right now and a lot of that has to do with getting out to early leads which happened again in Game 4. It took a minute as the Cavs, desperate to keep their season alive, came out aggressive, particularly Donovan Mitchell, but the Knicks eventually imposed their will and took advantage of Cleveland's lack of hustle while getting back on defense.
-- The two biggest scorers in the early part of the game were, no surprise, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the first quarter was truly an all-out team affair with bench players Landry Shamet and Miles McBride also hitting some big shots to kill any momentum the Cavs were trying to create.
Both players kept up their hot shooting in the second quarter where New York continued to extend its lead. Shamet, in particular, was in his bag and had the hot hand from beyond the arc. He finished with 16 points on 5-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-4 from deep.
-- In the blink of an eye, thanks to a 12-0 run to kick off the second quarter, the Knicks had a 24-point lead on the Cavs and were simply the far superior team. They dominated Cleveland in nearly every aspect of the game, most notably rebounding and fast-break points.
-- Other than Mitchell, the Cavs had no answers to keep up with New York's fine-tuned offense and looked disjointed and at times uninterested on most of their possessions. For his part, Mitchell showed up and finished with 31 points, but his scoring mate James Harden had a terrible game and scored just 12 points on 2-for-8 from the floor (0-for-6 from deep). As a team, Cleveland shot a paltry 27.5 percent from three-point range.
-- As for the Knicks, they couldn't miss from downtown. Along with Shamet, Towns literally didn't miss a single three ball (3-for-3) with Brunson and McBride also chipping in from behind the line. As a team, New York shot 44 percent from deep and had 33 assists on the night. But it wasn't just the three-point shot that had New York rolling; everything was working.
The Knicks outrebounded the Cavs, 60-33, including 20-6 on the offensive glass. Towns finished with a game-high 14 rebounds and Mitchell Robinson had 10 in 18 minutes off the bench. They also had 15 steals on the night with contributions up and down the lineup in that department.
-- New York's lead grew to as large as 45 points in the fourth quarter with Cleveland waiving the white flag. Both teams emptied their bench with still eight minutes to play, and even with their reserves on the court the Knicks didn't miss a step.
Every single player who stepped onto the court for New York had a positive impact on the game with nobody finishing with a plus-minus rating below plus-2.
Game MVP: Landry Shamet
Sham-wow's energy off the bench was the catalyst for the Knicks' annihilation of the Cavs, and he finished with a game-high plus-minus rating of plus-28.
Next comes the biggest stage in the sport. Next comes the chance to end the drought that matters most.
Next comes the chance for glory.
It felt like the Knicks couldn’t be bothered with this series any longer. The Cavaliers, too, in the opposite manner. And it produced another epic blowout, as the Knicks bludgeoned the Cavs 130-93 on Monday night at Rocket Arena to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
“I truly felt that this team was an NBA Finals team,” coach Mike Brown said. “I thought we had a true opportunity. Some jobs you take, you’re like, ‘OK, we can get better, we have a chance to make the playoffs.’ But this one, I felt we legitimately had a chance.”
Owner James Dolan’s Finals-or-bust mandate has now been fulfilled — in emphatic fashion. The Knicks stormed past the conference finals roadblock that they couldn’t get past last year.
The 21st century had never witnessed or experienced the absolute mania that surrounds a Knicks Finals run. Finally, at long last, it’s arrived.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, center, holds the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
And it’s provided every reason to believe the Knicks are not close to being finished. Every reason to believe that these surging Knicks can conquer either the Thunder or Spurs — who are tied 2-2 — and win their first championship since 1973.
This tour de force has so far ripped through Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland. There has been minimal resistance on the way. Since midway through the first round, this is now an incredible 11-game winning streak. Only one of those wins was by single digits. There are so many new records set with each passing game that it makes your head spin.
It’s back-to-back overpowering series sweeps. It’s three straight closeout games in which Knicks fans completely took over the opposing arena. It’s a full-circle moment for Brown, who reached the Finals against the team he made his last Finals appearance with — in 2007 — and that fired him twice. It’s the latest — and so far, most meaningful — feat of the Jalen Brunson era as he keeps rising higher and higher on the hierarchy of Knicks legends.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) goes up for a shot as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) jumps to defend during the fourth quarter of Game 4. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
It’s a long-awaited breakthrough for Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost in the conference finals the past two years — with the Timberwolves and Knicks — before finally getting past that hurdle this year. It’s validation for president Leon Rose and all the moves he made, particularly his controversial trade for Mikal Bridges, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career.
It is so, so many things.
“To be part of this team that revives the word ‘hope’ in this city, it’s something special,” Towns said. “It’s something really, really special. And it’s an honor.”
Knicks fans celebrated at Radio City. Michael Nagle for NY Post
Brown has repeatedly talked about closeout games being the hardest. At this point, that almost feels like satire. They have won their three closeout games by a combined 118 points. They became the first team to ever win three series-clinchers by at least 20 points in one postseason.
They had broken the Cavs’ spirits by Monday, just like they did with the Hawks and 76ers by the end of those series. This game was much more dismissive than dramatic — the Knicks swatted away the Cavs like a gnat.
“We’ve been locked in on the moment,” Brunson said. “And I think we need to continue to do that.”
Knicks players holding the Eastern Conference Trophy after the game.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It would be inaccurate to say the Cavs let go of the rope Monday, because they never truly grabbed hold of it in the first place.
The Knicks used a 20-0 run to build their lead. By midway through the second quarter, that lead had ballooned to 29 points. It became a full Knicks party behind enemy lines. An Eastern Conference coronation in somebody else’s house.
The Cavs cut it to 16 by the start of the third quarter, but the Knicks got it back to 27 points by the start of the fourth quarter. Not even Kenny Atkinson’s analytics could save the Cavs. Brown was able to pull his starters and empty his bench for almost the whole fourth quarter.
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The scoring was, once again, perfectly balanced. Towns led the way with 19 (and 14 rebounds), OG Anunoby had 17, Brunson and Bridges had 15 apiece and Josh Hart added six along with 11 rebounds and six assists. Landry Shamet drilled all four 3s he took and provided 16 points off the bench.
The Knicks had a 33-9 advantage in fast-break points, embarrassing the Cavs by beating them down the court over and over again. James Harden had no interest in getting back after misses. He and the Cavs folded like lawn chairs. The Knicks also had a 58-24 edge in bench points.
This was yet another all-around beatdown. They turned the Cavaliers into cadavers.
“I’m sorry for the city of Cleveland for it to be like this in a sweep,” Donovan Mitchell said. “That’s ass.”
That’s the state in which the Knicks left the Cavs.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the third quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season officially ended at 10:31 P.M. on Monday, but they didn’t show much effort after about 8:30.
The New York Knicks, with nearly as many of their fans in attendance as there were Cavs fans, completed the sweep with a one-sided 130-93 win.
Cleveland started the game strong. Their offense looked much better with the assertion of Max Strus in the starting lineup. They scored on three of their first four possessions, jumping out to an early six-point advantage. Then, the Knicks turned it on and never looked back.
New York took control of the game at the end of the first quarter. They closed the frame on a 13-5 run, then scored the first 12 points of the second quarter. That made it a 24-point Knicks lead. Any hope of extending the series was extinguished with that run.
The remaining 33 minutes of play were just an excuse for the Knicks fans who packed Rocket Arena a chance to celebrate their team’s first trip to the Finals in over a quarter of a century.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in scoring. He put up 31 points on 9-18 shooting. Evan Mobley had 15 points and seven rebounds.
It was a complete team effort for the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the starters with 19 points on 8-11 shooting with 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby had 17 points. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges had 15 apiece.
This was the furthest this Mitchell-led Cleveland group has gone in the playoffs, yet this postseason run was mostly unfulfilling.
The Cavs needed seven games — which was at least two too many — to get past a feisty, but inexperienced Toronto Raptors team that is far from a finished product. That was followed up with a seven-game series against a Detroit Pistons team that really couldn’t establish any consistent offense throughout the postseason. Then, they blew a golden opportunity to take Game 1 against New York by squandering a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter.
We’ll see where this team goes from here.
This was a turbulent regular season that featured injuries at every point and drastic trades in February to try to get the season back on track. On one hand, it’s impressive that they made it this far. But if this game — and series — were any indication of things, the Cavs have a long way to go if they want to compete for championships. Something needs to change.
With a Game 4 win over the Cavaliers on Monday night, the Knicks completed a Eastern Conference Finals sweep.
New York is now headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Mike Brown's squad has been able to do so with one of the most incredible runs in NBA history.
The Knicks have not lost since going down 2-1 to the Hawks with a Game 3 first-round defeat, rattling off 11 consecutive victories against Atlanta, Philly, and now Cleveland.
That is the third-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history.
Brown's team has been clicking on all cylinders from top to bottom, completely dominating their opponents on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis.
They are an incredible +262 during the winning streak, which is the best point differential across 11 games in NBA history, regardless of regular or postseason play.
The Knicks now await the winner of the Thunder and Spurs Western Conference Finals, which is knotted up at two games apiece heading into Tuesday’s Game 5.
They'll be looking for the franchise’s third title, and the first since 1973.
The New York Knicks jumped on the Cleveland Cavaliers early in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals and the "Inside the NBA" crew piled on at halftime.
The Cavaliers, down 3-0 and facing a sweep on their home court at the hands of the Knicks, came out flat and found themselves trailing 68-49 at halftime. During the "Inside the NBA" halftime show on ESPN, the studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith made it clear what they thought of Cleveland's effort.
"Kids at home, you oughta see what the word 'quit' means," Barkley riffed. "To give up. The verb of that is 'Ca-va-liers.'"
That was followed by a graphic of a banner for the Cavs' season shown on screen. Rather than celebrating a championship, it simply reads "NBA Playoffs/Taylor Swift came to one of our games."
The Cavaliers pulled out Game 7 wins against the Toronto Raptors in the first round and the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but since their epic collapse in Game 1, they have been no match for the Knicks so far in this series.
Whether authored by Nolan Ryan or Mike Scott or Ronel Blanco or a cast of several to nail down a World Series victory, the Houston Astros simply have a way with no-hitters.
And the one they spun Monday, May 25 might have been the unlikeliest of the 18 no-hitters in franchise history.
Tatsuya Imai, their splash free agent pitching acquisition who was so disappointing he was stashed on the injured list just two starts into his career, pitched the first six innings of a three-man relay and relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa – making his major-league debut – took care of the final three innings as the Astros subdued the Texas Rangers, winning 9-0 at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Imai walked the first two batters of the game. Santa had never thrown a major league pitch before Monday night. Yet somehow, they started and finished a thorough suppression of the Rangers.
Then again, lots of teams are doing that these days.
Just one night before, Los Angeles Angels lefty Reid Detmers struck out 14 Rangers and allowed just a solo homer and the Rangers managed just one more hit in losing to the Angels.
This time, a lineup missing Corey Seager drew just two walks against the Astros’ trio. And even if the competition was meager, Imai’s performance was surely a relief to Houston: Signed for $54 million, he was shipped to the injured list after just three starts, admitting he was struggling acclimating to life in the major leagues and the USA.
He spent five weeks working his way back, yet still entered Monday’s game with an 8.31 ERA in five starts.
By night’s end, he had the biggest piece of the fifth combined no-hitter in franchise history.
ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 25: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday, May 25, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelcee Skoug/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tatsuya Imai (W, 2-2) hurled 6 innings of no-hit ball, Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker homered and the Houston Astros (24-31) pummeled the Texas Rangers (24-29) 9-0 in the first game of their four-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
It’s a huge mark for Imai, who was making his 6th start of the season and whose early tenure with the Astros has been marked with struggle and injury. While his most recent performances have been trending in the right direction, Imai’s line tonight of 6 no-hit shutout innings was easily his best performance of the season. While he walked 4 and struck out 2, he also generated 8 ground ball outs which was very important given his recent penchant for ceding the long ball.
Steven Okert pitched the 7th. Alimber Santa set the Rangers down in order over the final 2 innings, punctuated with a strikeout of Brandon Nimmo to end the game. This was Santa’s first appearance with the Astros.
The Astros got to Rangers SP Kumar Rocker (L, 2-5) right away in the first. Jeremy Pena was hit by a pitch leading off the game, and then stole 2nd. After advancing to 3rd on a groundout by Isaac Paredes, Yordan Alvarez hit a sacrifice fly to score Pena and make it 1-0 Houston after 1.
The Astros would get on the board again in the 4th, when Alvarez led off the inning with his 16th HR of the season. The 415 foot blast to center was hit 110.6 MPH, and gave the Astros a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the 4th.
Houston would get 2 more in the 5th. Zach Dezenzo led off with a walk. Nick Allen then singled to right to put runners on the corners with no out. Christian Vazquez then successfully executed a squeeze bunt to score Dezenzo and increase the lead to 3-0, with Allen advancing to 3rd.
Pena would then rip a ground ball single to right to score Allen to make it 4-0 Astros.
Houston would break it open in the 7th. Vazquez led off with a single to center, followed by Pena being hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to runners at 1st and 2nd with no out. After Paredes and Alvarez both popped up, Christian Walker launched his 15th HR of the season to left center. The 3-run blast made it a 7-0 lead for the Astros.
The next batter, Jake Meyers, would reach on an error by Rangers shortstop Michael Helman. Cam Smith would also reach on an error by Helman, giving the Astros 2 on with 2 out. Brice Matthews then hit a hard single to left to load the bases for Nick Allen.
Allen, coming off a 3-for-3 performance in yesterday’s series finale with the Cubs, continued his hot hitting with a 2-run single to left scoring Meyers and Smith and pushing the lead to 9-0. It also capped a 5-run 7th inning for Houston. Allen would finish 2-for-5 with 2 RBI, he is now batting .317.
The combined no-hitter is the 18th no-hitter in franchise history and the first no-hitter in MLB since September 2024. It is the first Astros no-hitter since Ronel Blanco’s solo gem April 1, 2024. It is the franchise’s 5th combined no-hitter, and first since Cristian Javier led a combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Jason Alexander (1-0, 7.30 ERA) will get the start tomorrow as the Astros look to continue their march towards the 2026 Silver Boot and back towards .500. Houston has now won 4 straight and 7 of their last 10.
The last time the Mets were home they capped off their best stretch of the season with a thrilling come-from-behind win to lock up the first-half of the Subway Series.
A struggling offense showed some much-needed signs of life, signaling perhaps that they were finally ready to make a dent in the gaping hole they put themselves in.
However, a much different club returned to Citi Field on Monday.
With Juan Soto sidelined again with an illness, those bats have quickly returned to their sluggish form, as they dropped their fourth consecutive game with a 7-2 loss to the Reds.
Unlike their sweep at the hands of the Marlins to begin the week, they were able to generate some traffic this afternoon, but that still didn’t lead to runs, as they finished 0-for-6 as a team with RISP.
Bumped up to the cleanup spot, Marcus Semien broke a Mets' three-game homerless drought with a solo shot in the sixth. It was just one of three extra-base hits on the afternoon.
As a result, New York finished with two or less runs for the fifth straight game.
"We can sit here and make excuses with some of the guys we’re missing, but we have big-league hitters here and they are struggling," manager Carlos Mendoza said.
"We're having a hard time putting rallies together, and the biggest thing is our inability to drive the ball out of the park -- look at a night like tonight, we had nine hits but two runs -- it’s hard to score three or four by just singles, you gotta be able to drive the ball out of the ballpark.”
Just like that, any signs of May momentum have quickly been swept away.
With losses in six of their last seven games, the Mets are now back to 10 games under .500 and remain in the basement of the NL East at the one-third mark of the season.
“It sucks,” Mendoza said. “I’ve been saying it, it’s not early anymore -- we’re not putting ourselves in a good position, obviously. We gotta go out and do it.”
