INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 23: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is fouled by Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 23, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In just the second game of the season for the Dallas Mavericks, former Duke star Cooper Flagg picked off a steal and headed downcourt for an easy basket. However, Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith was closing fast on Flagg, and caught up to him at the basket, where he dispatched a hard foul that sent the young Dallas star to the floor, holding his shoulder and grimacing.
As it turned out, Flagg left the game and later got an MRI. It looks like he has a mild shoulder sprain, and will probably miss a few games.
Fortunately, it’s not all that serious, but he’ll join his former Duke roommate Kon Kneuppel on the sidelines. The runner-up to Flagg for last year’s Rookie of the Year Award, Knueppel is getting over a hamstring issue. He’s expected to return to the court fairly soon.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Justin Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies enters the dugout prior to Game Three of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Thursday, October 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I find myself becoming a crotchety old man watching baseball these days, so seeing these two teams in the World Series makes me happy. I am especially enamored with watching Chandler Simpson….yet I can’t really stand Justin Crawford, a Simpson lite type of player.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta works out before Game 2 of the World Series in Milwaukee on Saturday. Peralta is set to pitch in Game 3 on Monday. (Kayla Wolf / Associated Press)
In retrospect, conventional wisdom might not be all that wise. Just check out this postseason.
The Atlanta Braves should have started Chris Sale in Game 2 of the division series against the Dodgers. They didn’t. They won.
The Braves then had an edge with Sale starting Game 3. They didn’t. They lost that game, and they were eliminated in the next game.
The Milwaukee Brewers should have considered trading rookie pitcher Logan Henderson in a package for Tarik Skubal, a win-now proposition for a team that has dominated the regular season but had not appeared in the World Series in 44 years. They didn’t. Skubal and the Dodgers missed the World Series, and Henderson started Game 2 for the Brewers on Saturday, helping them move within two victories from their first championship.
That brings us to Freddy Peralta, who starts Game 3 for the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Peralta was one of the top pitchers in the majors for the Brewers last year, and he has been one of the top pitchers in the majors since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets three months ago, but in between he performed so poorly for the Mets that he cannot really explain why.
“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” Peralta said.
So poorly that, when the league’s website ranked the most impactful trades at the deadline, the Peralta deal did not make the top 10, behind trades for six other starting pitchers: Skubal, Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the Chicago Cubs, and Jose Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Conventional wisdom? No big deal.
For the Mets, Peralta put up a 4.99 ERA and a negative WAR. For the Rays, he put up an 0.79 ERA in his last six starts of the regular season and a 1.07 ERA so far in the postseason, honored as American League Championship Series MVP.
“I feel like he’s kind of come back to being Freddy Peralta with us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 earned-run average for Milwaukee last year, leading the National League in victories and posting 5.5 WAR, third behind Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
If you wonder why the Brewers would trade Peralta, well, you don’t know the Brewers.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta throws against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 19. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)
Peralta was approaching free agency, and the Brewers routinely trade All-Star pitchers like that for prospects: Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams.
This is how the Brewers restock: The Burnes trade brought two pieces of this World Series team, pitcher DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz. The Hader trade brought Game 3 starter Robert Gasser and journeyman outfielder Estuery Ruiz, and within a subsequent three-team trade, the Brewers swiped All-Star catcher William Contreras for Ruiz.
The Mets wanted Peralta for what they considered an inevitable playoff run, with the largest Opening Day payroll of any major league team, the Dodgers included. The Mets finished in last place, and Peralta’s ERA exceeded 6.00 in each of the two months preceding the trade deadline.
“I was feeling bad,” Peralta said, “because I couldn’t do anything.”
The adjustments the Mets asked him to make, he said, were “a little different” than the ones that reversed the course of his season with the Rays.
The Rays let him pitch from the stretch, as he had in Milwaukee. They modified his delivery, including having him start it from the third-base side of the pitching rubber. His fastball got faster: 94 mph with the Mets, hitting 97 mph in the playoffs.
“We see that he’s in his element, man,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s Fastball Freddy.”
In Milwaukee, it’s all love for Peralta. The fans even cheered his bullpen session there before Game 1.
He’ll start Game 3 in Tampa Bay and, after that, who knows, but he would be lined up to start a potential Game 7 in Milwaukee.
“I know how special it is to pitch on this mound here in Milwaukee,” Peralta said. “I would like to pitch here during the postseason.”
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates during Game 2 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians on Oct. 13. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
He would have liked to pitch in New York during the postseason too.
“They had a lot of big expectations for me, the fans too, in New York,” he said. “They were waiting for something great from me.”
Conventional wisdom can boomerang. The conventional wisdom on Peralta’s free agency in the spring: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal; in the summer: this is a bad year to take into free agency; in the fall: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal.
But, given what happened in New York, what were the realistic expectations in Tampa Bay?
“I was able to go to a new team that probably needed me for …” Peralta said, his voice trailing off.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares to catch a pop up during game one of a baseball doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
There are 150 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game. There are probably something like 110 days before we will actually know whether an Orioles game or any other game will be played on that day.
They won’t be playing a World Series game today. It’s an off day as the series travels from Milwaukee to Tampa, or more accurately St. Petersburg. Game 3 will be played tomorrow. If you were watching Game 2 last night, you certainly got your fill of the excitement from the get-go, with the Rays taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning that they gradually squandered by the sixth inning. Former Oriole Tyler Wells was involved in the Rays falling behind in the seventh.
I had to put the Bird Droppings to bed before the game ended, so maybe there was even more excitement and the Rays came back and tied up the series, or maybe the Brewers held on to take a 2-0 lead. You probably already knew before looking in here. Either way, do you think that this series will end in Florida, or will it end up going back to Wisconsin?
One thing is certain: The World Series will be over within a week, and after that, there will be a race to the end of November before the lockout hits. Will teams be looking to strike early, thinking that it will be better to head into the lockout with more certainty, or will they generally think that it’s better to try to pounce in whatever chaotic period occurs between a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and the start of the 2027 season?
Up until last season, Mike Elias had been a “wait until later” kind of guy. He did some early strikes last offseason, including the trade for Taylor Ward and the signing of Ryan Helsley. Pete Alonso getting signed was also fairly early in the offseason, though since it was in December, that same date this year will be lockout central. The only thing that I feel confident in predicting about Elias is that he’s going to do something weird. This doesn’t always equate to failure.
The Orioles definitely have a shopping list to get through this offseason, but they’ve got some stuff to figure out internally too. One of the bigger projects that they are going to need to accomplish is going to be to get Gunnar Henderson looking like his MVP-caliber self from 2024 again. Pairing that level of player with Pete Alonso would be a huge! I don’t know whether new general manager Jared Banner is going to have any better ideas than anyone who was around last year did. As you’ll see below, Henderson still has his believers with the Orioles – not like they have much choice.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
We are into the time of year where there aren’t many new stories, so if you have been diligently reading Bird Droppings, you may have already seen these.
Can Jared Banner fix the Orioles? Here’s what his mentors said. (The Baltimore Banner) We’ve all been burned with similar-sounding praise for manager Craig Albernaz a year ago, so I get it if you don’t put much stock in this. People who would know are nonetheless quite positive about the new GM hire.
Rising prospect Ethan Anderson wrapped strong season with stellar homecoming (Orioles.com) The catching prospect, who went to high school in Virginia Beach, played the final week of the season with Triple-A Norfolk. His results at Double-A offered a nice sign that maybe not everyone from the top of the Orioles 2024 draft class is cursed.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Nothing of particular import has happened to the Orioles on October 25. It is unlikely to change until some day that they actually make the World Series again.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1983/1988 outfielder Tito Landrum, and 1960 three-gamer Bobby Thomson.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Johann Strauss (1825), composer Georges Bizet (1838), baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez (1971), author Zadie Smith (1975), singer-songwriter Katy Perry (1984), singer-songwriter Ciara (1985), and gold medal figure skater Victor Zhou (2000).
On this day in history…
In 1415, England’s Henry V scored a victory in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, utilizing his longbows to defeat a numerically superior French force. Shakespeare wrote a famous speech set before the battle.
In 1812, notable Marylander Stephen Decatur – born on the Eastern Shore – led the USS United States in capturing a British warship, HMS Macedonian. Decatur eventually returned the prize to American waters, the first time an American naval vessel had brought a British warship back to an American harbor.
In 1917, according to the Old Style calendar then used in Russia, today marked the start of the October Revolution, the coup that brought the Bolsheviks to power in the country.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 25. Have a safe Sunday.
Oct 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; As the bench celebrates, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches the play during the second half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Joe Mazzulla has used 11 players in each of the Celtics’ first two games, which sounds democratic until you inspect the timecards.
Everybody has checked in, but that doesn’t mean everybody has a full-time job.
Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Paul George have predictably played the most. Payton Pritchard is fourth in total minutes despite coming off the bench. Sam Hauser has logged more minutes than Jordan Walsh and Mitchell Robinson, two members of the starting lineup. Hugo González has played just 13 minutes.
Two games are not enough to settle Boston’s rotation, but they do give us some clues about how Mazzulla is sorting it.
The same five players started against Detroit and New York: White, George, Tatum, Walsh and Mitchell Robinson. Everything after that has been more fluid. The first week has already exposed a few levels of trust. Pritchard’s bench designation looks increasingly cosmetic. Hauser may be the cleanest solution to Boston’s spacing issues. Among the young wings, meanwhile, the minutes have not been distributed equally.
Here are my biggest takeaways from Joe’s rotations through the first two games.
Boston, MA – October 14: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks to guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in the second quarter. The Boston Celtics played the Charlotte Hornets in a preseason game at TD Garden on October 14, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
“To me, a starter is the amount of minutes you play,” he said. “Do you finish games? Are you playing 30-plus minutes? Then you are a starter.”
By his own math, Pritchard is starting.
He has played 57 minutes and 56 seconds through two games. Only Tatum, White and George have played more. Against the Knicks, Pritchard scored a measly four points on 1-for-6 shooting, but still remained on the floor for more than 30 minutes.
I’m not going to try and spin his four points as a secretly great performance. He missed five of his six shots and never found an offensive rhythm. But cold shooting nights can reveal more about a coach’s confidence than another three-point avalanche. Any reasonable person would leave Pritchard on the floor while he’s setting fire to the net. Mazzulla stayed with him even when he wasn’t.
Single-game plus-minus can tell lies with a straight face, but Boston still outscored New York by eight points during Pritchard’s 30 minutes. It wasn’t Pritchard’s night, but it wasn’t a problem large enough to lose a game, which is probably the distinction Mazzulla cares about most.
The Celtics opened the second quarter with Pritchard, White, George, Hauser and Luka Garza. Tatum rested while George carried the star responsibilities. Boston started the fourth with almost the same construction, swapping Robinson in for Garza.
Pritchard was the constant. He is becoming the connective tissue between Boston’s different versions of itself.
Incredible early offense from Boston
Ghost screen by Hauser gets him to the top then we see Stagger screen for Pritchard
His closing role was more situational. Mazzulla initially went with Tatum, George, White, Hauser and Queta during crunch time. Pritchard returned for Hauser with 1:11 remaining, giving Boston another ball handler and free-throw shooter. He made one at the line, then was replaced by Queta for the final defensive possession.
That wasn’t one permanent closing five we saw Friday night. Mazzulla was changing the group possession by possession, which is probably how this roster should work.
Pritchard may not always be standing on the court when the game ends, but he’s made it clear that he’ll be plenty involved in getting Boston there.
Hauser keeps solving lineup problems
Hauser has played 40 minutes and 52 seconds, six seconds more than Robinson. That isn’t a meaningful statistical gap, but it’s a pretty useful reminder of how little the starting label matters to Mazzulla.
He has made five of his first 10 three-point attempts after shooting 39.3% from deep last season, the worst mark of his career and still a percentage most players would happily tell their grandkids about down the road. His shooting stretches the floor in ways Boston needs, particularly when Mazzulla uses Queta or Robinson at center.
Those big men provide vertical spacing, offensive rebounding and rim protection. Neither one is naturally dragging a defender away from the paint. Hauser gives those groups oxygen.
The best example came against Detroit. White, Hauser, Tatum, George and Queta turned a 39-39 game into a 57-43 Celtics lead in roughly five minutes. That lineup produced a 172.7 offensive rating and a 136.4 net rating, which are hilarious numbers that should not be treated as remotely sustainable. The part worth taking seriously was the fit. Four shooters surrounding Queta gave everyone room to operate.
Mazzulla returned to the same idea against New York.
George was getting ready to set this pin down for Hauser but he rejects it seeing PG had the mismatch
NYK doubles and Hauser sets screen for Pritchard to go to corner and McBride follows – Hauser open 3 pic.twitter.com/y7KEhBVBHE
Hauser opened the fourth quarter alongside Robinson, Pritchard, White and George. Later, with the Knicks threatening, Mazzulla used Hauser next to Queta in a lineup with Tatum, George and White.
The shooting explains why Hauser fits, but his defense might be why Mazzulla can keep turning to him.
Hauser still gets hunted occasionally because opposing stars see a white guy with a sensible haircut and make certain assumptions. Those assumptions have not produced easy baskets as often as expected. According to NBA tracking data from last season, opponents shot 0.7 percentage points below their expected field-goal percentage when Hauser was the closest defender.
He is sturdy enough to survive switches, rarely wanders away from the scheme and has become good at forcing scorers into shots the defense can live with. Nobody is asking him to turn into Scottie Pippen. He just can’t be the loose thread every offense tries to pull.
That combination of competent defense and elite shooting allows Mazzulla to place him almost anywhere without creating an obvious problem at either end.
Queta did make his only three-point attempt against New York, so Hauser should probably keep an eye on his job. Queta is currently shooting 100% from deep, and I refuse to entertain any small-sample-size arguments at this time.
Until Queta starts receiving the same treatment behind the arc, Hauser gives Mazzulla a proven shooter without handing opposing offenses an obvious place to attack.
The young wings are not receiving equal auditions
Walsh, Scheierman, González and Ron Harper Jr. entered the season as Boston’s collection of young wings. The first two games have not treated them as interchangeable.
Walsh has started both games and played 33 minutes and 45 seconds. His offense remains a work in progress, but Mazzulla has given him difficult defensive assignments, including Cade Cunningham in Detroit and Jalen Brunson against the Knicks, and allowed him to play through mistakes. He also rewarded that patience against New York, hitting a three and scoring on a nice cut during Boston’s third-quarter run.
I asked Paul George what he saw from Jordan Walsh against Jalen Brunson tonight and how, when Walsh was matched up with him, that freed George to be a defensive playmaker off the ball.
Scheierman has played 29 minutes and 22 seconds. He scored eight points in the opener, made both of his threes and already looks more willing to make a quick decision when the ball finds him. Mazzulla has used him in both halves of both games, including alongside Tatum during the third quarter Friday.
González has played just 13 minutes and 18 seconds. Only Garza has played fewer. Harper has yet to see the floor at all.
González checked in midway through the first quarter against New York, stayed on the court for three minutes and 35 seconds and never returned. His 13 total minutes are less than half of Scheierman’s and well below Walsh’s.
That isn’t a verdict on a 20-year-old two games into his second NBA season. González had a really encouraging preseason, and his size, defensive instincts and fearlessness should get him onto the court plenty as the season wears on. Boston’s first back-to-back arrives Monday and Tuesday, which may create an opportunity almost immediately.
For now, Mazzulla appears more comfortable with Walsh’s defense and Scheierman’s…Scheiermanning. The gap is worth noticing without declaring it permanent. These first two games show Mazzulla’s initial preferences with a healthy roster. They don’t tell us what the rotation will look like after a difficult back-to-back, an injury or the first time somebody ahead of González stops giving the Celtics what they need.
Garza provided a useful reminder that the bottom of the rotation can still change quickly. He entered against New York, scored eight points in three and a half minutes, made two threes, drew a charge and returned to the bench like a man who had broken into the game, emptied the register and disappeared before anyone could identify him.
Great opening sequence by Luka Garza
Steal on defense as he plays the Spain perfectly then hits the corner three after the Tatum timely pass
Mazzulla will need those little bursts over 82 games, but every player producing one doesn’t suddenly move into the permanent rotation.
Right now, Walsh and Scheierman have the longer runway. González is waiting for his next opening. Harper is waiting for his first.
Tatum and George are sharing the floor, and the workload
The Celtics did not acquire George so he and Tatum could alternate isolations while everyone else watched. Through two games, Mazzulla has started working on a more useful kind of staggering.
Against the Knicks, Tatum rested to begin the second quarter while George played with Pritchard, White, Hauser and Garza. Tatum played the entire third, with George sitting for the final four and a half minutes. George then opened the fourth while Tatum rested.
At the 6:53 mark, Tatum replaced George. Just over two minutes later, George returned and the two stars finished the game together.
The basic rhythm is beginning to emerge. Tatum and George overlap at the beginning and end of halves, then take turns anchoring the middle. Pritchard moves between both groups. White can run the offense with either. Hauser gives each of them another outlet when the defense loads up.
The arrangement should keep Boston from living through too many possessions without a high-level creator. It also gives George stretches where he can operate as the primary option instead of trying to fit his touches around Tatum’s.
There will be nights when the rotation gets smaller. Injuries, foul trouble and matchups will rearrange all of this. If we have learned anything about Mazzulla, it’s that he will happily abandon Tuesday’s rotation by Thursday and seem mildly irate that anyone expected otherwise.
Still, his first two games have given us a working hierarchy.
Tatum, White and George are the foundation. Pritchard is a starter, his words, not mine. Hauser and the two centers give Mazzulla different ways to build around them. Walsh and Scheierman have received meaningful auditions. González, Garza and Harper are waiting for the game that calls for them.
There are still 80 games left. Roles will change, new lineups will emerge and Mazzulla may render half of this article obsolete by Thanksgiving. For now, we get to study two games far more closely than any reasonable person should, because Celtics basketball is finally back.
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 21: Jeremy Sochan wears orange clear sunglasses, a beige double breasted blazer jacket with checkered patterns, before the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall-Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After spending the greater part of four season with the San Antonio Spurs, Jeremy Sochan fell out of rotation and left the team that drafted him. Shortly thereafter, he joined the New York Knicks and won an NBA Championship.
Over the summer he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, but was waived just before the season tipped off. Coincidentally, he was released on the same day Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham, his draft mates.
But Sochan has bounced back. He went #1 overall in the G-League draft on Saturday.
While the G-League may be a step down for a lottery pick with less than five seasons, staying in America with an NBA affiliate keeps him closer to the action. No telling where his career could go as the twists and turns of an 82-game NBA season rolls on.
For now, the former Baylor Bear will stay in Texas.
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ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 24: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles to the basket during the first half against the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on October 24, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin D. Liles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks took on the Houston Rockets in their first home game of the 2026-27 NBA season. Both teams entered the contest 2-0 and were on the second night of back-to-back. Both teams have done a great job of scoring, as Atlanta defeated Charlotte by 47 points, and Houston defeated the Spurs 114-110 the night prior. Fatigue was possibly going to be a factor, but both teams appeared fresh throughout the game. Here’s the breakdown:
Offensively: The Hawks had good looks for shots from the wing and deep, but they failed to be consistent. Shooting from three was a hindrance for them as they went 13/49 for 26.5%. They also went 15/21 from the free throw line, which isn’t bad, but not good enough to beat a team like Houston. Making the most out of offensive possessions is a key component and the Hawks didn’t quite do much of that.
Shooting was a struggle during the night, but they did well down in the post, getting the ball to open guys and capitalizing. Atlanta’s back court really kept them in the game with players such as Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexnader-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Aaron Wiggins in double figures. Johnson led the team in scoring with 26.
Defensively: The Rockets athleticism and size was an issue for the Hawks. Houston was able to get open looks from three, shooting 40 percent. Houston was also able to take advantage of matchups near the paint. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring with 22. Alperen Sengun was a problem as well, scoring 17 to go along with 10 rebounds.
Mainly the Hawks had issues with shooting from three, they had a few miscues that could have led to points. They struggled to defend the wing and get through screens.
Atanta will face the Houston Rockets again on Monday, October 26th.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 24: Tyrese Proctor #24 listens to Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena on October 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs defeated the Nets 125-121. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost the two fourth quarters they’ve played this season by a combined 24 points. Their poor late-game execution kept them from delivering a statement win over the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night, and it almost cost them again two days later in their home opener against the Brooklyn Nets.
The culprit behind both collapses was the same.
“We lost the possession game by 16,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said after his team narrowly defeated the Nets. “We got to clean up the turnovers.”
Turnovers lead to bad offense. Bad offense leads to bad defense. You combine those together, and 22-point leads can evaporate in a heartbeat, even against an inexperienced Nets team.
“Good offense [is important] because it really helps you guard the ball,” Mario Hezonja said. “Our rhythm is imposed onto the opponent, so it’s much easier to go both ways. The moment you start to have bad turnovers or bad possessions or even bad shots…that impacts a lot of the mental aspect for a player, and it impacts a lot of the defensive side.”
It’s easy to look at the poor fourth quarter in Game 1 last postseason against the New York Knicks and the start of this season, and believe that there’s a mental barrier keeping the Cavs from closing out games. Maybe there is, but at least in these first two games, the Cavs’ issues are very much basketball-related. As was the case in Philadelphia, the Cavs once again struggled to handle ball pressure.
It’s a copycat league. Teams see what works, and then try to replicate it. One wave we’re seeing now is a drastic increase in blitzing defenses. Defenses are more aggressive in how they’re sending doubles and jumping passing lanes than before. That is especially true late in games, when opponents are trailing and are desperate to get back into games. Hence the reason the Cavs are struggling with this so much down the stretch.
“There’s an unpredictability to it,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think it’s random. The NBA has turned into that as a whole. Indiana really did a great job of it two years ago, and I think everybody followed suit. It was just like, just cause chaos and figure it out. … When you’re picking up full court and randomly trapping, there’s really no scheme for that. It’s like AAU basketball.”
Atkinson has emphasized the need to just “pass to the open man.” That sounds simple enough and is what needs to happen. The problems come when the team isn’t currently capable of doing that.
There are a couple of issues preventing the Cavs from doing so. First, their starting lineup only has two players they trust to operate in these situations with the ball in their hands. Second, there isn’t a good feel for where guys should be on the court when the traps come.
“It’s a different five,” Mitchell said. “[We’re] calling different plays.”
For as frustrating as these first two games have been, the sky isn’t falling — at least not yet. These are things that can be cleaned up.
“There’s no excuses, but we are working on it,” Hezonja said. “There are some new pieces that we added to the team, so this unfortunately takes a little bit of time, but we are working on it. Everything started to mesh better and better, and I hope [that] soon it’s going to look good.”
Time is on the Cavs’ side. The regular season is where you build habits and problem-solve for how teams are going to attack you.
Right now, the book is out on how to disrupt the Cavs: be physical with them at the point of attack and send random double teams at their guards. That is how teams will defend them until the Cavs show they can beat that kind of defense. And from a certain perspective, going through these struggles now instead of in April should benefit them.
“It’s not always going to be perfect,” Mitchell said, “but I think for us, having these first two games…similar but different ways, I think is definitely going to help us in the long run.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 23: A general view inside the stadium prior to game one of the 2026 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 2 of the World Series started off with a bang, the Rays jumping out to a 4-0 lead and threatening to tie this thing back up with their ace Drew Rasmussen on the mound. The Brewers had other plans though, and did what they’ve done all postseason long — chip away at any deficit, flip it into a lead and shut down the opposition’s chances to get anything else going. Lo and behold, it worked again and Milwaukee is heading out of town with a 2-0 lead hoping that their next flight back home will be with a trophy in tow. The Rays have certainly threatened in this Fall Classic so it won’t be a cakewalk, especially going into Tropicana Field where they’ve had the best home record in baseball, but the Brew Crew have to like their odds.
It’ll be a busy day here as we close out the weekend, and Matt has contributed heavily to the cause today: he’ll lead off with an extended look at how Game 2 went down last night before covering his own exploits avenging the Yankees’ dismal results by wrecking havoc in some MLB The Show sims, and then rounding it all out with a look at Bobby Brown’s incredible career as a baseball player and a cardiologist. Estevao takes a look at which contract the Yankees would blip out of existence from their current roster if they could, and John ends the day with the weekly social media spotlight.
Today’s Playoff Matchup:
Off-day
Questions/Prompts:
1. Was stealing Game 2 back after falling behind 4-0 in the Rasmussen start a dagger for Milwaukee, or do you expect the Rays to claw their way back into this series?
2. How will Fastball Freddy fare in his World Series debut against his former team?
James Tedesco inspires in otherwise underwhelming Australia outing
Tonight’s referee is NRL veteran Gerard Sutton.
A quick reminder about the 2026 men’s Rugby League World Cup format.
The 2026 men’s RLWC features ten teams. Eight of these qualified via their performances at the last world cup, back in 2022. That is: Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, PNG, and Lebanon. The first seven countries in that list also happen to be the top seven on the IRL rankings; Lebanon are a lowly 23rd.
The remaining qualifiers, France and Cook Islands, won regional playoffs. Cook Islands are ranked eighth in the world, by the way, France recently held that position but have slipped to 11th. In other words, the cream of the crop will be on display.
The tournament will be played under NRL rules, including six players on the interchange bench with up to four to be used.
The ten teams have been distributed into three pools.
Pool A contains Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Cook Islands. The top two from this group qualify for the semi-finals.
The teams in Pool B (England, Samoa, Lebanon) play the teams in Pool C (Tonga, PNG, France) with the top two on a combined group table qualifying for the semi-finals.
The winner of Pool A takes on the runner-up from Pool B&C in Sydney.
The winner of Pool B&C takes on the runner-up from Pool A in Newcastle.
The world cup final is in Brisbane on 15 November.
The group phase will take place over three weekends.
The fourth weekend will feature the semi-finals, with the final wrapping up proceedings the following Sunday.
10 locations will host matches. Eight of these are in Australia: Sydney (Allianz Arena), Sydney (Commbank Arena), Brisbane, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Townsville, Wollongong, and Perth; while Port Moresby will host two Papua New Guinea matches, and Christchurch will stage one New Zealand fixture.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 23: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles downcourt against Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics during second quarter of the Celtics Home Opener at TD Garden on October 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A basketball game can span over 200 shots with over 600 passes thrown and eighteen miles ran over 48 minutes. There’s a beautiful randomness to it all. But if you dig down and zoom in on every 24-second possession, there may not be anything more important than the point of attack and how it’s defended.
Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP last summer as the champs’ point of the spear, the head of their offensive snake. And in the Celtics’ first matchup against the Knicks, Jayson Tatum’s clutch play and 36 points in the home opener will deservedly grab all the headlines in the 107-103 win at TD Garden.
Jordan Walsh wasn’t even on the parquet when Tatum hit shot-after-shot-after-three-point-shot down the stretch. His work was already done.
Brunson didn’t exactly have a bad game: 19 points (7-of-17 from the field) and four assists. But he had to grind for it and sometimes, being able to just blunt the steel and defang some of the bite is a good day’s work.
“I thought he was special. He set the tone,” Paul George said of Walsh’s defense on the All-NBA Second Team point guard. “Jalen is a handful and for a young guy, he can be a lot. Jordan took the challenge. He did a great job of navigating being physical and not being overly physical. He gave him some good looks defensively to frustrate him and get him out of rhythm.”
Heading into training camp, Walsh wasn’t on many people’s bingo card as a possible starter. Some thought that Payton Pritchard would get the promotion or more of an offensive connector like Baylor Scheirman might join Tatum, George, and Derrick White. Now, through three preseason games and now two regular season games against Brunson and Cade Cunningham, it’s easy to see how the four-year player fits into the opening five’s ecosystem as the designated stopper.
After the game, George also remarked that because of Walsh’s on-ball presence on Brunson, that freed him up to be a free safety behind Walsh; including the preseason, he’s grabbed 14 steals in four games.
Walsh signed a three-year, $15 million extension over the summer. His only mistake so far has been telling head coach Joe Mazzulla that he felt like a vet in training camp. Otherwise, it’s in games and matchups like the one last night against the defending champs and Brunson that Walsh has shined in.
“[Brunson]’s a guy that can keep his dribble, he can create separation with multiple moves. I thought Jordan’s second half was important for us,” Mazzulla said. “He had a layup in transition, he had a catch-and-shoot three, he had some great defensive possessions. Even when he fouled, we need that type of physicality. I thought tonight, we saw a version of him at his best and that’s what he’s gotta be for us and he’s gotta continue to get better.”
After the game, Brunson noted that the 0-2 Knicks failed to impose their physicality on offense. Or maybe, just maybe, that’s just the Walsh effect.
Intrigue has deepened into Marnus Labuschagne’s hold on an Australian Test spot with the under-fire No.3 not in his usual batting rotation in the main nets training session at Newlands on Sunday.
St. Petersburg, FL: New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake watches as New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole warm-ups in the bullpen session as the New York Yankees practice before the ALDS at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Oct 2, 2026. (Photo by William Perlman/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: As my colleague Madison covered in detail yesterday, the Yankees finalized a three-year extension for pitching coach Matt Blake, keeping probably the most important member of their coaching staff in the fold. The Yankees pitching staff boasted the best ERA in the league (3.23), and that has as much to do with Blake’s work with star and presumptive AL Cy Young Cam Schlittler as it has to do with his well-known talent for converting pitchers they acquire into impact relievers, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn the foremost examples this season. With Blake continuing in his role and last year’s reunion with assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, the Yankees’ pitching development factory looks to be in good hands for the near future.
The Big Lead | J.P Hoornstra: The Yankees may have succeeded in retaining Blake, but they lost another influential voice in their pitching room. Spencer Medick, pitching coach for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, has agreed to join the Astros as their new major league director of pitching. It’s a huge promotion for a minor league pitching coach and one that is well deserved given how well Yankees prospects at that level pitched in 2026. Medick helped implement the organization-wide pitching philosophy at the level closest to the majors, and it is no surprise that the Yankees minor league affiliates lapped the field when it came to K-BB%, one of the best publicly available predictive stats for future performance.
SNY | Phillip Martinez: The Yankees’ infield is in need of a major revamp this offseason, though it remains to be seen whether that renovation is forthcoming. We’ve spent the last few days wondering about second base and Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s future, and today we shift our attention to third. The Yankees have been among the worst teams in the league at third base over the last decade, the platoon of Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario the latest to disappoint at the hot corner. The most likely course in 2027 would be a platoon between McMahon and Caballero given they are both still under contract, though they could consider shifting Anthony Volpe after he took reps there leading into the postseason. Looking outside the organization, the author considers trade proposals for Eugenio Suárez and Isaac Paredes while also examining the free agent cases of Alec Bohm and Bo Bichette should he opt out of his deal with the Mets.
MLB.com | Sweeny Murti: Almost 70 years after attending the last World Series win in Milwaukee, Joe Torre is back in the city that gave him his shot in baseball watching another Fall Classic. Torre was just a teenager when the Milwaukee Braves defeated the Yankees in seven games in 1957, his older brother a backup first baseman on the winning team. Torre played the first six seasons of his career in Milwaukee for the Braves before the franchise moved to Atlanta, and you can bet the Hall of Fame player and manager is rooting for the home team.
The Knicks are catching an injury break.BOSTON — The Knicks are catching an injury break.
Paolo Banchero, the leading scorer for the Magic, will miss Sunday’s game at MSG after being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
Banchero, an All-Star power forward, sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves.
In an opening-night loss to the Hawks earlier in the week, Banchero dropped 35 points on an efficient 10-for-12 shooting.
Paolo Banchero goes up for a shot during the Magic’s loss to the Timberwolves on Oct. 23, 2026 in Orlando, Fla. NBAE via Getty Images
The Magic, like the Knicks, are 0-2.
In fact, the Knicks, who fell to the Celtics on Friday, are the first defending champs to lose their first two games since the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
“We break the season into five-game segments,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said before New York’s comeback fell short in Boston. “There are marks that we like to hit in those five games and it kind of gives us a good feel of where you were, in a fair amount of games, and to see if you can make progress in the next five.
“Obviously you want to go 5-0, you’ll take 4-1, and then maybe you have to take 3-2. But if you’re doing anything less than that, you know that nobody is reaching their potential.”
Ringgate prompted another statement.
A day after the Knicks announced they were handing out 275 championship rings to employees at the cost of $3.7 million, an MSG spokesperson clarified Saturday that it was always the plan and not a response to the backlash of a report in The Athletic about empty ring boxes and callous cybersecurity tests.
“There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the championship rings,” Saturday’s statement read. “The plan has always been to distribute more than 275 rings and jewelry to the people in the organization who were part of last season’s success. As is common with many teams, the players were always supposed to get their rings as part of the opening-night ceremony and then everyone else will receive theirs in about four to six weeks.
“Regarding the phishing email, the process of securing and reminding our employees to protect our IP was not a mistake but the choice to use the ring to do so was a mistake and we apologize to our employees and the fans. Winning the championship was a great moment for all New Yorkers. Those who choose to focus on the negative are missing the joy that comes with the team’s accomplishment.”
