Mariners 7, Rangers 3
Watching the Mariners win: George Kirby, +0.20 WPA
Watching the Mariners lose: Josh Naylor, -0.04 WPA
Game Thread Comment of the Day
9-13: Chart
What’s the definition of a broken record?: Braves 3, Phillies 1
When I was growing up, the term “broken record” never really made sense to me. If a record was broken, to my young and impressionable mind, how would it actually work in the first place? I knew that the general meaning was that if something sounded like a broken record, you’d hear it over and over and over again, but it remained one of those things that I just didn’t comprehend.
I’m reminded of this as the Phillies post another loss at home, one marred by sloppy play that put their starting pitching in a hole and an offense that continues to spin its wheels. It’s the same things that have been at the forefront of their slow start, the plagues and blights on their season.
It’s a broken record.
A marquee pitching matchup was billed between Cristopher Sanchez and Chris Sale and it largely lived up to it. One might have thought that a first at bat home run robbery by Brandon Marsh would be a portend of things to come, but no sir.
Outside of one pitch, Sale shut down a Phillies offense that tried to load up on right handed hitting to try and counter the southpaw. The lone highlight of the evening was Felix Reyes, in his major league debut, taking Sale deep to the opposite field in his first at bat.
However, more just uncalled for errors by the Phillies gave the lead right back. Sanchez got the first two outs via strikeout before Drake Baldwin singled with two outs. Ozzie Albies grounded a ball to Edmundo Sosa, who bobbled the ball and couldn’t record a third out, a crucial error that came right back to haunt them when Matt Olson walked to load the bases. Austin Riley hit a dribbler that Sanchez couldn’t field and the game was tied. Mauricio Dubon hit a duckfart to center and the lead was two.
From there, the game settled into a pitching clinic. The way the Phillies have “hit”, this one was over.
The cold bats are going to happen. Players go through slumps at the plate all the time, even a bunch of them at once. That is something that can be at least understood. Balls finding the Bermuda Triangles seems to be happening to the Phillies a lot lately, the BABIP gods frowning down on pitcher after pitcher on the team’s staff. It’s the sloppy play by the defense that is just baffling, particularly when it’s by normally good defenders. It’s inexcusable for them to play in this manner and cost themselves extra pitches, extra runs and extra losses.
It’s just another broken record in a season full of them so far.
Tobias Myers to start Mets’ series finale in Chicago on Sunday
The Mets have announced that Tobias Myers, the 27-year-old who came to the Mets with Freddy Peralta in the team’s trade with the Brewers ahead of this season, will start the team’s series finale against the Cubs on Sunday afternoon. David Peterson had been slated to start the game, and according to Mike Puma, Peterson is not injured.
Peterson has been struggling lately, though. After a good outing in his first start of the season, he has an 8.79 ERA over his past three starts. For what it’s worth, he has a 3.43 FIP and a 5.87 xERA over those three starts, and while those two metrics are pretty far apart, both suggest that Peterson hasn’t been nearly as bad as his ERA would suggest.
As for Myers, he’s thrown 13.0 innings so far this season with all of them coming out of the Mets’ bullpen. He has a 3.46 ERA and a 4.00 FIP in that limited sample. And in his time with the Brewers, Myers made 31 starts and had success in both his relief and starting roles.
Mets' Tobias Myers to start series finale vs. Cubs instead of David Peterson
The Mets are shaking things up some more ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Cubs in Chicago.
New York announced that Tobias Myers will get the start instead of originally scheduled starter, David Peterson.
Myers has not made a start in his first season with the Mets after being acquired alongside Freddy Peralta in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Myers has made six appearances this season, allowing five runs in 13.0 IP. He last took the mound on Wednesday in Los Angeles when he pitched two innings and allowed one run on three hits and struck out in the team's loss to the Dodgers.
The plan and hope on Sunday is for Myers to "make it through the batting order one time," per The Athletic's Will Sammon.
As for Peterson, Sammon notes that he is available out of the bullpen for Sunday. The Mets did not announce an injury-related reason for the move and could be a strategy to not only help the young southpaw but also to try and end the team's current 10-game losing streak. In this scenario, Myers could start as an opener and Peterson follows.
The Mets are searching for answers when it comes to Peterson. This season, the All-Star starter has struggled mightily. In four starts, his ERA sits at 6.41 (14 ER in 19.2 IP), including three straight starts of four runs allowed or more. Peterson's last start (April 13 vs. Dodgers) saw him allow four runs on five hits and four walks across five innings pitched.
Myers does have starting experience. He made six starts for the Brewers last season, but only pitched five innings once. In 2024, Myers made 25 starts, going 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA.
Cubs Minor League Wrap: Pelicans blast past Cannon Ballers
Outfielder Dylan Carlson has re-signed with the Cubs and was assigned to Triple-A Iowa.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs scuttled the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 7-6.
Jordan Wicks made a rehab start for Iowa today and got some good results. Wicks went three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. Wicks struck out two and walked one. He threw 37 pitches and 24 were for strikes. That’s a very good first step back.
Ty Blach threw the next 3.2 innings and got the win in his Iowa debut after allowing two runs on four hits. He walked four more and struck out two.
Collin Snider had a rough outing, giving up a three-run home run in the eighth. Snider’s final line was three runs on one hit and no walks over one inning. How? Snider hit three batters and struck out none.
Gabe Klobosits pitched the ninth and got an ugly save, but it was a save. Klobosits gave up a one-out home run to Travis Bazzana and then put two more on with a walk and a single. But two hard hit line drives were caught by left fielder Carlson and third baseman Pedro Ramirez to end the game.
Shortstop Ben Cowles hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his second in three games. Cowles was 1 for 4.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt connected on a solo home run in the fourth inning and then hit a two-run double in the eighth. Bethancourt went 3 for 4 with the double and the home run.
Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 5 with and RBI double in the seventh inning. He also stole a base.
Cowles’ two-run shot.
Bethancourt’s home run.
The Triantos double.
Pedro Ramirez’s game-ending and game-saving snag.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies got pulled into the ocean by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 13-4.
Starter Jake Knapp took the loss after getting knocked around for six runs on just four hits over 3.1 innings. Two of those four hits were home runs. Knapp walked three, hit one batter and struck out three.
Right fielder Andy Garriola hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning and an RBI single in the seventh. Garriola went 2 for 4 with the three runs batted in.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Catcher Ariel Armas was 2 for 4.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez was 1 for 1 with three walks and a run scored.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs shot down the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 12-5.
Koen Moreno gave South Bend four strong innings to start the game. Moreno surrendered just one run and just one hit. He did walk three while striking out five.
Grayson Moore kept Beloit from scoring for 2.2 innings and was awarded the win. Moore allowed two hits and walked one. He did not strike anyone out.
Catcher Owen Ayers hit his sixth home run of the year already when he connected with the bases empty in the eighth inning. Ayers went 2 for 4 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Ayers had three total RBI and scored twice. He also stole a base.
Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 3 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch. Kepley stole three bases, giving him ten already. Kepley drove in two with a single in the second inning. He scored once.
Right fielder Kade Snell went 2 for 5 with a walk and a steal. Snell scored once and had three RBI.
First baseman Cameron Sisneros hit a two-run double in the second inning to open the scoring. Sisneros went 3 for 5 with three total RBI. He also scored twice.
Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 6 with a double and two runs scored.
Left fielder Leonel Espinoza went 0 for 0 with four walks and a steal. Unfortunately, he appeared to injure himself on the steal of second base and left the game for a pinch-runner. Espinoza scored one run.
DH Angel Cepeda also left this game with an apparent injury.
Sisneros’ two-run double.
Ayers’ home run. Ayers six home runs this year already ties him for a season-high in his career.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans defused the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 6-0.
Three Pelicans pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout. Victor Zarraga tossed the first four innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out one, walked one and hit one batter.
Ben Johnson threw the middle three innings and was awarded the win because Zarraga didn’t go five innings. Johnson gave up just one hit. He walked two and struck out three.
Jackson Brockett pitched the final two innings in a non-save situation, giving up just one hit. He struck out one and walked no one.
The Birds took an early lead when right fielder Josiah Hartshorn hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was the second of his pro career. Hartshorn was 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. He scored twice.
In the fourth inning, third baseman Derniche Valdez cranked a solo home run, which was also his second of the season and second in two games. Valdez went 2 for 4.
Finally, first baseman Cole Mathis refuses to cool off. In the fifth inning, he hit his seventh home run of the year and fourth this week. It came with a man on. Mathis went 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Catcher Logan Poteet drove in the other Birds run with an RBI single in the fouth inning. Poteet went 1 for 2 with two walks.
Hartshorn’s blast.
The Valdez home run.
Finally, some really easy power out of Mathis. Not only do his seven home runs lead the Carolina League, second place only has four. It also leads all of Low-A.
Andre Pallante’s Strong Effort, Cardinals 3 Home Runs Beat Astros 7-5
There was a lot to like Saturday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros again thanks to a strong effort from Andre Pallante and three home runs. There were also some things not to like about the Cardinals bullpen, but more on that later.
The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead in the 1st inning when JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera were hit by pitches. Nolan Gorman came through with a clutch 2-strike double down the right field line to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.
Andre Pallante provided the Cardinals a very solid 5 inning effort giving up only 3 hits and 1 run, but that 1 run went a long way thanks to Alvarez in the bottom of the 1st inning cutting the Cardinals lead to 2-1.
The St. Louis Cardinals offense continues to be relentless as Masyn Winn turned on an inside pitch in the top of the 3rd inning slamming a 2-run homer into the Crawford Boxes making it 4-1 St. Louis.
In the 6th inning, José Fermín joined the Cardinals home run parade as he also sailed a ball into the Crawford Boxes in left field extending the St. Louis lead to 5-1.
Alec Burleson decided that the fans in right field deserved a souvenir as he launched a shot into the upper deck making it 6-1 St. Louis. Alec would almost homer twice as he banged a ball high off the left field wall for a double in the 9th.
The charitable Astros decided to gift the Cardinals a run in the top of the 8th inning when Gordon threw a wild pitch which scored Nathan Church who had reached on an 8th inning bunt making it 7-1 Cardinals. If it’s any consolation to Houston, it’s that Church would have scored anyway after JJ Wetherholt reached on an infield single down the 3rd base line on a ball that went off the end of his bat.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen had a solid start to their night as Gordon Graceffo held the Astros scoreless in the 6th and 7th innings. However, Matt Svanson entered the game in the 8th and promptly walked Altuve, Alvarez and Correa to load the bases with no outs for Christian Walker. Fortunately, Walker kindly hit into a double play which scored Altuve which made the score 7-2 Cardinals. Svanson did escape the inning only allowing 1 run which was borderline miraculous considering how wild he was. George Soriano came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning. He did a brief Matt Svanson impersonation by walking two batters and then giving up a 3-run blast to Whitcomb. That meant Riley O’Brien did not get the night off and came in to close out the Astros which he fortunately did.
The Cardinals will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon when Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Mike Burrows (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.
Chris Sale leads the way in 3-1 victory over Philadelphia
It was a battle of the lefty aces in Philly on Saturday, as Chris Sale led the Braves against Cristopher Sanchez and the Phillies, with Atlanta seeking to secure a series win.
Ronald Acuna led off the game with a 107 MPH, 404 foot fly ball that landed for an out due to a Brandon MArsh robbery and perhaps the 2026 ball design instead of a home run or an extra-base-hit that it very easily could have been. Notably, in the second, Austin Riley hit a ball at over 111 MPH that landed for a single, but wasn’t able to come around to score.
The scoring got kicked off in the bottom of the second, as Phillies’ rookie Felix Reyes hit a 348 foot home run off of Chris Sale. Fortunately, Atlanta’s offense got a spark with a two out single from Drake Baldwin with some help in the form of an error that they converted into three runs with a walk and two soft singles. There was a lot of fortune involved in this sequence for Atlanta. Sale worked around a Schwarber single to consolidate the lead in the home third, striking out Harper along the way. Ronald hit a 109 MPH single in the fourth, as he continues to hit the ball very hard, but the Braves were unable to bring him around. Ozzie managed a bloop single in the fifth after a clean inning from Sale, but the Braves were again unable to bring him around.
Sale attempted and nearly converted an incredible jump throw on a swinging bunt to lead off the fifth, but the runner was erased on a double-play from Marsh regardless on the way to another scoreless frame. Jonah Heim of all people created a threat with a one out double in the sixth out of the eight hole. Neither Mateo nor Acuna were able to get the hit to bring him home. Jose Alvarado replaced Sanchez in the seventh and Matt Olson managed a lefty-on-lefty double with two outs to give Austin Riley an opportunity to tack a run on. Alvarado struck out Austin to hold the lead to two runs. Sale finished his outing in the seventh, ending up with 7.0 innings of 1 run ball, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts. Sale also passed Tom Glavine on the career strikeouts list in this outing, which is pretty cool.
The Braves put together another chance for some insurance runs in the eighth, as Jonah Heim poked an opposite-field single through and Michael Harris drew a walk (!!!) with two outs ahead of Acuna. Ronald drew a walk to load the bases, despite Philly challenging a pitch that was at least 3 inches above the zone to bring up Drake Baldwin. Baldwin grounded out, squandering another threat, as Atlanta turned to Dylan Lee to preserve the 2 run lead with 6 outs left in the game. Lee worked a 1-2-3 inning with an assist from a slick diving play by Ozzie. Suarez got the ninth instead of Iglesias in a save situation and was absolutely dominant in a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
That’s another series win through seven series now this season and the Braves are 14-7 with a 5.0 game division lead. Join us tomorrow as Grant Holmes leads the attempt of a sweep in Philadelphia against Andrew Painter.
Suns vs. Thunder – NBA Playoffs – Game 1 predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets for April 19
The NBA’s top overall seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder open the defense of their title Sunday at Paycom Center against a battle-tested but potentially fatigued Phoenix Suns squad. Less than 48 hours ago, the Suns eliminated the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament while OKC sat at home. Sure, the Suns arrive with momentum and a "nothing to lose" attitude, but the schedule and the Thunder roster see OKC favored by 13.5 at DraftKings. Oklahoma City started their march to the title last season with a first round sweep.
The Suns, led by rookie head coach Jordan Ott, were not expected to be a factor in the Western Conference this season after trading Kevin Durant last summer. However, they face a monumental task at both ends of the court. OKC’s defense finished the regular season with the best defensive rating in the league. Their offense is quarterbacked by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Phoenix will need an MVP-level performance from Devin Booker and major contributions from the supporting cast.
Key to the matchup is the battle between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Phoenix’s perimeter defenders, specifically Dillon Brooks, who will more than likely be tasked with slowing down SGA. If somehow the Suns succeed in containing the MVP, they then must slow down the supporting cast led by Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. The Suns do not have the depth the Thunder possess.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Thunder vs. Suns
- Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
- Time: 3:30PM EST
- Site: Paycom Center
- City: Oklahoma City, OK
- Network/Streaming: ABC
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Game Odds: Thunder vs. Suns
The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder (-1100), Phoenix Suns (+700)
- Spread: Thunder -13.5
- Total: 215.5 points
This game sits right where it opened with OKC favored by 13.5 and the Game Total set at 215.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Thunder vs. Suns
Oklahoma City Thunder
- PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG Luguentz Dort
- C Isaiah Hartenstein
- SF Jalen Williams
- PF Chet Holmgren
Phoenix Suns
- SG Devin Booker
- PG Collin Gillespie
- SF Jalen Green
- PF Dillon Brooks
- C Mark Williams
Injury Report: Thunder vs. Suns
OKC Thunder
- Thomas Sorber (knee) has been declared OUT of Sunday’s game
Phoenix Suns
- Mark Williams (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- Grayson Allen (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Thunder vs. Suns
- The Thunder are 34-7 at home this season
- The Suns are 20-21 on the road this season
- The Suns are 47-34-3 ATS this season
- OKC is 39-42-1 ATS this season
- The OVER has cashed in 44 of the Thunder’s 82 games this season (44-38)
- The OVER has cashed in 38 of the Suns’ 84 games this season (38-46)
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s Thunder and Suns’ game:
- Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
- Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Thunder -13.5 ATS
- Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 215.5
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Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson combine for 53 points to lift Knicks past Hawks in Game 1
It was often an overlooked part of New York's playoff resume: The Knicks evolved into a good defensive team. Since the calendar flipped to Jan. 1, the Knicks have had the sixth-best defense in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks found out about that. For the first 19 minutes of the second half, the Hawks scored just 32 points (14 fewer than the Knicks) on 37.1% shooting and went 3-of-15 from 3-point range after New York cranked up the defensive pressure. Even Karl-Anthony Towns was making defensive plays (and hitting some 3-pointers).
KAT DOING IT ALL.
— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2026
24 points, 8 boards, 3 blocks and this strip... he's HYPED as the Knicks look to seal Game 1 at home! pic.twitter.com/WEMcEpNo6n
Towns and Jalen Brunson combined for 53 points and lifted the Knicks past the Hawks 113-102 Saturday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Game 2 is set for Monday at Madison Square Garden.
For Knicks fans hoping their team can take the next step this season after making the conference finals for the first time in 25 years last season, this game was exactly what they wanted to see. OG Anunoby played elite defense and added 19 points, while Josh Hart had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
It was Brunson who got the Knicks off to a fast start, scoring 19 in the first quarter.
THE BRUNSON BURNER ♨️
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) April 18, 2026
HE DROPS 19 PTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER pic.twitter.com/4ZnACHB5qS
CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 26 points, while Jalen Johnson added 23. While the Hawks made some runs, their offense wasn't consistent against the Knicks defense.
New York, on the other hand, looked like the best version of themselves. The challenge now for Mike Brown's crew is to maintain that.
Kremer throws one bad pitch, offense goes silent in a 4-2 loss to Cleveland
This was a short and unremarkable game. If you’re are a Guardians fan . . . well, what are you doing reading this blog? OK. If you’re a Guardians fan, there was much to celebrate in Gavin Williams’ seven-inning, three-hit, one-run, eleven-strikeout performance. The current MLB strikeout leader continued a fabulous streak where he’s allowed two ER in 24.2 innings, and now has a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings.
But without taking away anything from Williams, for the Orioles, the real story seems to be the bats, which remain missing in action after tonight’s 4-2 loss, a game where they managed just four hits total. The good news: Gunnar Henderson = still a stud. He finished 2-for-4 with a homer. Leody Taveras also went deep. He’s looked like a good signing thus far, doing it with the bat and the glove. Taylor Ward hit a double.
But that’s it, folks. Pete Alonso finished 0-for-4 with four K’s. Golden Sombrero territory is not where we want to be with the offseason’s biggest signing. Dylan Beavers, 0-for-4 with three punchouts. Colton Cowser, another Golden Sombrero. And these are the No. 3-5 hitters in the lineup. How is the team exactly to produce runs while going a combined 0-for-12 with 11 K’s from this chunk of the lineup?
Cleveland’s rotation may be on a red-hot streak, but there have been too many of these performances.
The Orioles made some noise early, but as usual of late, no runs. Taylor Ward doubled in the first, but Dylan Beavers swung through a fastball and couldn’t push him home. Gunnar singled and made it to third on a throwing error in the third inning, but two K’s in a row left him stranded. Cleveland’s Williams fed Pete Alonso and Dylan Beavers a bunch of breaking stuff that they swung through. It was frustrating.
In the top of the fourth, Leody Taveras opened the scoring by walloping a curveball into the right field seats. This is the way the few teams that have scored runs off Gavin Williams have done it—by long ball. It was a good idea, but to make a 1-0 lead stick, you need ace pitching on the other side. Instead, the O’s had Dean Kremer.
Maybe that’s too harsh. I continue to be happy to see Dean Kremer in the rotation. He threw six innings today and struck out seven. He allowed only two hits in that stretch. Regrettably, one of those was a home run with two on, courtesy of Brayan Rocchio. Dean Kremer has, in the past, had the tendency to go “boom” in the fifth inning. Today, he was nearly perfect through four, and then allowed three runs in the fifth. He walked Rhys Hopkins, hung a splitter that Daniel Schneeman roped into right, and then Bryan Rocchio made it 3-1 with that one swing, powering a fastball into the right field bleachers.
I’ll still take it, under the circumstances. He has a 6.12 career ERA in April. Considering, three runs on two hits and two walks in six innings from your No. 5 is fine, frankly.
No, I think we can safely say that the offense is the real problem here. They struck out 16 times and had just four hits, half of which belonged to Gunnar Henderson, who made it a manageable 3-2 game with an eighth-inning solo shot off Hunter Gattis, pitching for the third straight day and not maybe at his freshest. Down just one run, the O’s could smell another comeback.
But no comeback was forthcoming today. Bo Naylor took Albert Suárez deep off a low-and-inside changeup, and this was a 4-2 game. Then Cleveland’s Cade Smith struck out the side swinging in the ninth.
Maybe the bats will heat up as the weather does. But for now, the Birds are not doing it at the dish, and there are lots of questions to be asked and answered. Game Four of the series, a Trevor Rogers start versus Joey Cantillo, is at 1:40 ET tomorrow.
13 Takeaways from Cavs 132-126 win over Raptors: James Harden changes everything
CLEVELAND — White dress shirt, white sport jacket, white bowtie, white three-quarter-length dress shorts, white socks, and a pair of his own signature basketball shoes. Whether or not they were the same pair James Harden wore 45 minutes earlier during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 126-113 Game 1 win over the Toronto Raptors is unknown.
What we do know is that it takes a certain kind of superstar to have the confidence to make an outfit like this work on an overcast and rainy Cleveland spring day. And Harden is exactly that kind of star. The kind that the Cavs have needed in their last few postseason runs.
Being able to dictate the terms of a series doesn’t mean that you’ll win it. It does, however, force the other team to beat you at your own game.
The Cavs were able to do that in Game 1. They kept the Raptors from running in the open court and forced them to outscore them in the half-court. And you have to be a well oiled machine in the half-court if you’re going to beat a Harden-led team that way. The Raptors are not.
Harden made the difference here.
There are All-Star caliber players, and then there’s ones who’s presence causes the entire defense to shift. Every time Harden had the ball, the defense needed to adjust to account for what he could do. Whether it was sending players his way in the pick-and-roll or simply shading over to hopefully cut off his pathways to the hoop, the Raptors were aware of where he was on the court at all times.
“It’s the thing that makes everything click,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Harden. “He gets us clicking. It’s like a quarterback that’s super accurate. He’s just kind of picking them apart with short passes.”
That opened everything up for his teammates. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley didn’t have the gaudiest scoring totals, but they were incredibly efficient. Six of the duo’s 11 combined field goals were assisted by Harden.
The Raptors don’t have an easy way of stopping the Harden pick-and-roll.
Jakob Poeltl is more of a drop big in the pick-and-roll. Like most centers, he doesn’t have the footspeed to be at the level of the screen. Because of this, Cleveland decided to start these actions much higher than the top of the arc, just a few paces inside half court. This forced the defense to guard more space, and that meant there was more room for the offense to attack.
When the defense shifted over to contain the Harden drive, he was able to dump it off to one of the bigs.
And if they gave Harden an alley, he was able to float it in for a basket over the top.
Toronto’s best counter was to send extra help into the paint and force the ball to swing outside. But that invites a whole different problem with the Cavs’ shooters.
The extra attention Harden demands also created driving lanes for Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell’s ability to get downhill is what makes him a star. In the past, we’ve seen teams load up inside to make it difficult for him to finish in the paint. This strategy doesn’t completely stop Mitchell, but it can begin to wear him down, as we saw late in the Game 2 loss to the Indiana Pacers last season.
The Raptors tried to make Mitchell finish through bodies inside, but that task is much more difficult to do when your attention is split elsewhere. Mitchell finished with 32 points, which included going 7-13 on shots in the paint and having seven attempts at the free-throw line. It was the ninth straight time Mitchell has opened a series with 30 or more points in Game 1.
“It’s his job,” Harden said. “That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for.”
Mitchell has changed his offensive philosophy for the regular season. Instead of trying to get to the basket as much as he can, he’s opted instead for floaters in the lane to save his body for the postseason. But getting to the rim like this was always the plan for the playoffs.
“[I’m just trying] to continue to put pressure on teams,” Mitchell said. “That’s where I feel like I thrive, and making the defense have to react to that.”
The pairing between Mitchell and Harden feels comfortable in the playoffs. It was only one game — and not a particularly close one at that — but the duo did a good job of playing off of each other. That’s made possible because of the willingness each has to cede control to the other.
“We understand that,” Harden said when asked about Mitchell’s scoring. “So our job is to just go out there and fulfill the roles and do other things to impact the game. If he got it going, he’s going to give you 40, 50 (points). I think for us it’s just finding other ways.”
Max Strus changed the game with his scoring. He helped cap off a first-quarter run that saw the Cavs turn a five-point deficit into a four-point advantage by scoring five points in the final 25 seconds. He then poured in eight points at the start of the third quarter to help the Cavs turn a seven-point advantage into a 22-point one.
Strus is a streaky shooter. He had it going on Saturday afternoon as he poured in 24 points on 8-10 shooting, which included going 4-6 from three.
As good as the shooting was, Strus brings much more than that. If he makes shots, it’s a “bonus” according to Harden. The leadership that Strus provides and his ability to do the little things that impact winning are what make him invaluable. And it wasn’t always a guarantee that he’d be able to provide it, given the injuries he was dealing with throughout the season.
“One thing I learned is to never doubt that man,” Mitchell said. “He’s put the time and put the work in. … There was no doubt he was going to come back and make an impact.”
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The transition defense was excellent.
The Cavs spent the lead-up to the series talking about how they need to match the Raptors’ speed. Toronto came into this game taking the third-most shots in transition in the league. You wouldn’t have known that if you just watched them here.
The Cavs were able to do this by hustling back in transition, stopping the ball in the open court, occasionally attacking the offensive glass, limiting turnovers, and generating clean offense. This all led to Toronto finishing with just three fast-break points. That’s nearly 16 points less than their season-long average.
The Raptors don’t have the firepower or the shot profile to easily hang with the Cavs.
Before the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković talked about wanting to have his team continue to stick to their identity going up against a group that shoots as well as the Cavs. “We cannot be changing, and we don’t want to be changing at this stage.”
That’s fair, and could be the correct game plan, but the Raptors don’t have the offensive weapons to stay in a game the Cavs are taking and making threes like this. That’s true even when the Raptors hit 48.1% of their own threes. The Raptors just aren’t taking enough looks from the outside.
The most efficient places to score on the court are the rim, free-throw line, and from beyond the arc. The Cavs did those things incredibly well. Cleveland took 42% of their shots at the rim (89th percentile) and 36% of their shots from three (36th percentile). Meanwhile, the Raptors split their shots evenly between the rim, midrange, and beyond the arc. That includes taking 13% of their shots between 14 feet and the three-point line (91st percentile).
The Cavs were hitting their threes — and that’s worth acknowledging — but it’s difficult to keep up with your opponent in most circumstances when the shots you’re forced into taking are simply much harder.
The pathway forward for the Raptors is more difficult than simply making more shots. They have to either change where they’re taking them or keep the Cavs from getting to their spots.
Despite how lopsided this game felt, the series isn’t over yet.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Harden said. “Our job is to stay in the moment and take one game at a time. … Things happen fast. Our job is to focus on what we can do better, watch film tomorrow, and then come out in Game 2 and be ready to go.”
NBA First Round Best Bets, Odds, Predictions: Celtics vs 76ers, Thunder vs Suns, Spurs vs Trail Blazers
The NBA playoffs has begun and as expected, the favorites are winning Game 1 at home. Well, Sunday's action should be no different. The Celtics, Thunder, and Spurs are all in play for big wins and when looking at the series, I think there is value on all three to sweep and go Under 5.5 games played.
Thunder (-3000) vs Suns (+1300): O/U 5.5 Games
Oklahoma City has won the first round 4-0 each of the past two seasons and I don't see that changing this year. The Suns survived a terrible Warriors team in the play-in tournament after losing to the Trail Blazers. Phoenix has Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker back, but I don't think it will be enough against the best team in the NBA as the Thunder chase back-to-back titles.
At +125 odds, I will back the Thunder to earn its third consecutive first round sweep and parlay the Under 5.5 games in the series along with the Spurs Under 5.5 games at -115 odds and the Celtics Under 5.5 games at +100.
Pick: Thunder win series 4-0 (1 unit), Thunder and Celtics parlay of Under 5.5 games each series (1 unit), Spurs and Thunder parlay of Under 5.5 games each series (1 unit)
Spurs (-2000) vs Trail Blazers (+1000): O/U 5.5 Games
San Antonio has seven players averaging double digit points per game this season and that will be far too much for Portland. This is Portland’s first playoff appearance since 2020-21. Despite this likely being a quick series, the Trail Blazers will get excellent playoff experience taking on the Spurs.
Next year, Portland welcomes Damian Lillard back and will likely add a free agent or two as they have an appealing crew with youngsters Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan. I don’t think the Spurs play with their food in the first round and win this series 4-0, maybe 4-1, but watch out for the Trail Blazers next year.
The Spurs are one of two teams that rank top five in offensive and defensive net rating (Celtics). Portland is 21st and 12th in those two categories. Victor Wembanyama will be un-guardable in this series and with too many weapons, the worst case scenario is a 4-1 series win for the Spurs, but I think they get the sweep.
I played the Spurs to sweep 4-0 at +200 odds and parlayed their series Under 5.5 games with the Thunder's series to go Under 5.5 games at -115 odds.
Pick: Spurs win series 4-0 (1 unit), Spurs and Thunder parlay of Under 5.5 games each series (1 unit)
Celtics (-900) vs 76ers (+600): O/U 5.5 Games
Philly was a fun watch during its play-in win over Orlando, but I don’t see the upside in facing the Celtics over the Pistons. Joe Mazzula doesn’t get enough respect for his 50-33 playoff record, including a 12-4 first round record.
In three-straight first round series, Boston has won 4-2, 4-1, and 4-1. I have a hard time seeing the 76ers win more than one game in this series so Under 5.5 Games is the best bet next to Celtics in 4. I think Mazzulla finally gets first sweep in the first round.
Boston ranks fourth in defensive net rating and second in offense. Without Joel Embiid, the 76ers are relying on a 25-year-old Tyrese Maxey to lead them to victory without enough pieces. I grabbed the Celtics to sweep at +180 and the series to go Under 5.5 games parlayed with the Thunder series to go Under 5.5 games at +100 odds.
Pick: Celtics to win series 4-0 (1 unit), Thunder and Celtics parlay of Under 5.5 games each series (1 unit)
NBA Futures Card
2 units: Keldon Johnson to win Sixth Man of the Year (-195)
2 units: Nickeil Alexander-Walker to win Most Improved Player (+105)
2 units: Jalen Johnson to win Most Improved Player (-130)
2 units: JB Bickerstaff to win Coach of the Year (+130)
2 units: Oklahoma City Thunder to win NBA Finals (+125)
2 units: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP (+125)
2 units: Luka Doncic to win MVP (+400)
1 unit: Celtics to sweep 76ers 4-0 (+180)
1 unit: Thunder to sweep Suns 4-0 (+125)
1 unit: Spurs to sweep Trail Blazers (+200)
1 unit: Spurs and Thunder series to go Under 5.5 games (-115)
1 unit: Celtics and Thunder series to go Under 5.5 games (+100)
1 unit: Boston Celtics to win the East (+400)
0.5 unit: Boston Celtics to win NBA Finals (+2000)
0.5 unit: Victor Wembanyama to win MVP (+1200)
Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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Both sides try to give it away, but White Sox pitchers are poorer as Sox lose to A’s in 11
When the White Sox took a 5-0 lead in the second inning, the game had the makings of another laugher. Instead, 10 walks by Sox pitchers and eight to go with four hit batters by the A’s staff turned a runaway win into a groaner, with the Sox losing, 7-6, in extras..
The big Sox lead came on two bloops and two blasts. It started with a solo 106.5 mph, 397-foot blast by Colson Montgomery followed by lucky pop-ups (a double by Everson Pereira and RBI single by Reese McGuire) and a three-run shot by Andrew Benintendi. At that point, it sure looked like A’s starter Luis Severino, who came into the game with a 5.55 ERA, was done for.
Instead, Severino would last into the sixth, walking four but only giving up one single after the second. Meanwhile, Erick Fedde lost his sense of direction, himself walking four and surrendering solo runs in the second, third and fifth. Sean Newcomb managed not to walk anyone but gave up a triple to Max Muncy and a sac fly in the sixth, to close the Chicago lead to 5-4.
In the top of the seventh, though, Munetaka Murakami showed how amazingly strong he is by just sort of wrist-flicking the ball 415 feet over the center field wall. The blast gave the White Sox a 6-4 lead and made Murakami the fastest Japanese player to seven homers in history.
The lead lasted all of four pitches from Jordan Leasure, who reverted to his old ways and served up a single and 115.3 mph Nick Kurtz shot. Make it 6-6.
Now, with all the walks and hit batters and actual hits, the White Sox ended up leaving 14 on base and going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Not to be outdone in causing fan angst, the A’s left 15 on and were 2-for-14 with RISP.
The A’s should have produced the winning run in the eighth when speedy Lawrence Butler led off by lacing a line shot down the right field line, but decided he was speedier than he actually is and created the no-no of trying for third with no outs.
The beautiful relay from Pereira to Chase Meidroth to Miguel Vargas saved the day for the moment, taking advantage of Butler trying to see if he could slide clear into the coach’s box.
There was actually really good defense by both teams, including a running grab at the wall in the gap by Sam Antonacci — but at the plate, he grounded out to end the ninth after the A’s walked the bases loaded. The A’s in turn got two walks from Seranthony Domínguez in the bottom half, but naturally stranded the runners.
To extra innings we go.
The Sox stranded the Manfred Man in the top of the 10th, and after Jordan Hicks failed to field a bunt and ended up putting men on first and third and none out. With the game on the line Will Venable played five infielders, which turned out to be a good idea, thanks to Tanner Murray.
In the 11th, the Sox went for really serious failure, loading the bases with no outs, only to have Montgomery and Pereira strike out and Antonacci pop-up. The A’s made death quick, going sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly for a 7-6 win, wrapping up the game in just 3:34.
One note of worth — cheap homers are legion in Sacramento, but all five in this game were shots, good enough to go out in at least 29 of 30 parks.
Knicks 113, Hawks 102: “We have the better Jalen”
Fun fact: Jesse Itzler, who wrote “Go New York Go” is both a Knicks fan and a minority co-owner of the Hawks. Mr. Itzler must have felt some conflicted feelings as he sat down to watch the Knickerbockers host Atlanta in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round. And it must have been a special kind of sting to watch a raucous crowd chanting his most famous song as the home team closed out a 113-102 victory.
An electric Madison Square Garden looked sold-out from the cozy confines of this Binghamton abode. To our delight, Mikal Bridges drew first blood, leading the home team to a 7-4 lead.
From there, Atlanta crept into the lead thanks to buckets by veteran CJ McCollum (26 PTS). It wouldn’t last long. The Brunson Burner was lit from the jump, and Jalen scored 19 in the quarter while shooting 8-of-11 from the field. The captain set the Knicks franchise record for first-quarter points—beating the record that he and Towns set in the last playoffs. He and Bridges combined for New York’s first 22 points.
We knew it would be a game of runs. Answering with a 10-2 stretch, led by a stretch of perfect shooting by Jalen Brunson (28 PTS, 7 AST), New York leapfrogged ahead by six. Quoth LOB14: “We have the better Jalen.” Cap didn’t have a stellar shooting night (9-22 FG), but he made 75% of his longballs, had a 7:2 assist-to-turnover ratio, and set a winning tone from the start. The better Jalen, indeed.
Dyson Daniels (4 PTS, 11 AST, 9 RBS, 3 STL) picked Josh Hart’s (10 PTS, 14 RBS, 3 STL) pocket, which turned into a Jalen Johnson (23 PTS, 7 RBS) triple. Johnson scored eight in the quarter, including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, to keep the Birds competitive. The visitors briefly regained a lead thanks to Onyeka Okongwu (19 PTS, 7 RBS) connecting from deep, but the ‘Bockers were laser-focused. By winning the boards and the paint, going 12-of-20 from the field, and holding their guests to 39% shooting, our heroes survived four turnovers and took a 30-24 advantage into the second quarter.
Whoever represents Blake Griffin deserves Agent of the Year honors. Not a single commercial break passed without at least one appearance by Blake’s narrow-eyed noggin. Good for the big fella, I say—he’s likable enough and deserves a Purple Heart for being groped by Donald Sterling.
To start the second quarter, Mitchell Robinson (3 PTS, 4 RBS, 2 BLK) was a blocking machine. With his team continuing to dominate the glass, they pushed out to an 11-point lead early in the period. When the Peaches played at their pace, though, the Knicks had trouble catching up. Steadily, the bad guys clawed their way back with balanced scoring, getting contributions from multiple guys. When McCollum hit a nine-foot floater with 3:43 on the clock, logging his 15th point of the contest, the score was knotted at 48 apiece.
After scoring zilch in the opening quarter (although he did run some nifty pick-and-rolls with J.B.), Karl-Anthony Towns (25 PTS, 8 RBS, 3 BLKS) began to score in the second. The All-Star center committed four turnovers in the first half, but redeemed himself with a block at the rim on Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17 PTS, 6-17 FG). Alexander-Walker was quiet through the first half, logging seven points and a team-worst -11 plus-minus.
KAT and Cap got to the charity stripe, the Knicks crashed the boards, and packed on a small lead again. With the clock running down, Johnson pressured New York’s defense and, at the last second, dished to Okongwu for a buzzer-beating three. Halftime score: Knicks 57, Hawks 55.
Through the first half, New York won the glass (27–18), owned the paint (26–20), and shot a touch more efficiently overall (49% to 45%). Despite Atlanta’s three-point shooting (50% on 16 attempts), our heroes led for 83% of the game thus far. Brunson led all scorers with 22. For the Hawks, McCollum had 17, and Daniels already had three steals.
The broadcast crew said something about Fat Joe performing at halftime. Once again, I was pleased to be watching from home. (No offense to the big guy.)
Twenty seconds into the third quarter, McCollum travelled while attempting a three-pointer. On the nullified shot, the veteran Hawk kicked his foot into the groin of Brunson, dropping Cap to the floor and earning himself a flagrant-one foul. McCollum and Okongwu comprised the Hawks’ offense for a while, while the Knicks went on a 10-2 run, capped by a Josh Hart pick-six steal.
What would a Knicks game be without anxiety? Around the 7:30 mark, OG Anunoby—who was having a quietly effective evening for the Knicks—turned his ankle on a drive and was relieved of his duties. To our surprise, he checked back into the game after a short break, and the tri-state area breathed a sigh of relief.
As the Knicks built up a 10-point lead, capped by a dunk by Bridges, Atlanta’s skipper Quin Snyder tried to get Johnson into the action to mixed results. The team’s top scorer hit a couple of buckets for eight points in the quarter. Meanwhile, KAT continued to have a confusing game, scoring seven points in the period but also coughing up the ball again—before blocking another shot.
Despite getting a scant seven points from their bench through three quarters (Shamet 1-of-5 from deep; McBride 0-3 FG), the Knicks held the Hawks to just 19 points in the third and took an 83-74 lead into the fourth.
Jordan Clarkson added a jolt of electricity to start the final frame, connecting with Robinson for an alley-oop. And Deuce McBride finally hit a shot, swishing a triple to give New York its largest lead of the night at 12 points. The bench crew picked up the pace and gave the Hawks a taste of their own medicine. At the other end, Alexander-Walker connected from deep (just his second of the night), only for McBride to answer with another dinger from beyond the arc.
Neither team got many stops, content instead to trade buckets. The 34-year-old McCollum continued to impersonate a spring chicken, and off the bench, Gabe Vincent scored on a drive. For New York, Clarkson answered with a dynamic layup. And so on. When Towns stomped into the lane to score at the cup, though, his efforts goosed New York’s lead to 13 with half a quarter to go. When Clarkson scored on another thrilling contested layup, the lead reached 16. With five minutes left, the young Hawks (those other than McCollum) looked out of sync and rattled.
Out of a timeout, Towns cashed in from 25-feet, crowning a 13-2 run and putting our heroes in a 19-point catbird seat with under four minutes remaining. McCollum missed two free throws at the opposite end as nothing was going right for Snyder’s boys.
But not so fast. After that swish by Towns, the Hawks went on an 11-0 run that included deep balls from Okongwu, Johnson, and Alexander-Walker. With a huge lead slashed to eight in just two minutes, the Birds were knocking on the door with a minute and a half left.
After a timeout, Brunson missed on the next possession, but Hart corralled a defensive board on a Johnson miss. KAT came through with a pounding payup, and N.A.W. cancelled that with one on the other end. With 40 seconds left, Hart made two free throws that essentially sealed the game. Knicks go ahead, 1-0.
Up Next
Game Two will be played at MSG on Monday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns lead Knicks to Game 1 win over Hawks, 113-102
The Knicks stepped up on defense in the second half and held on to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 113-102, in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Jalen Brunson started the game on fire with 15 of New York's first 22 points, making all six shots he took, including three three-pointers. Mikal Bridges also got involved early, scoring the team's other seven points. Although the Knicks defense wasn't on the same level as the offense, and the Hawks kept pace by finding ways to score inside, blocking shots, and creating turnovers to get out in transition.
OG Anunoby began to heat up toward the end of the first quarter, getting to the foul line and scoring inside. Brunson capped off his big first quarter with a high floater as time expired, giving him 19 points and the Knicks a 30-24 lead after one.
-- Mitchell Robinson made his impact right away in the second quarter with a block on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, leading to a Jordan Clarkson dunk. Robinson got his second block a few possessions later and Anunoby buried a step-back three to make it a 38-27 game.
Atlanta continued to fight back as Jonathan Kuminga scored on the fastbreak and Alexander-Walker nailed a three-pointer to cut the New York lead down to three. Josh Hart countered with a layup, but C.J. McCollum came right back with a wide-open three to keep it close with five minutes left in the second quarter.
-- Despite a quiet first half, Karl-Anthony Towns made his presence felt at the end of the second quarter. The All-Star big man got his third assist on an Anunoby dunk and then scored on a dunk of his own for his first basket of the game. He made up for his fourth turnover of the game by blocking Alexander-Walker at the rim, but the Knicks couldn't capitalize on the other end.
Towns made two free throws with 8.0 seconds left, but with the clock winding down, Jalen Johnson found Onyeka Okongwu for three at the buzzer and the Hawks trailed by just two, 57-54. Atlanta outscored New York 31-27 in the second quarter and shot 50 percent from three in the half (8-for-16). Brunson finished with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while McCollum had 17 points (7-for-10 from the field) for the Hawks.
--Towns and Anunoby opened the third quarter with back-to-back three pointers, and Hart turned defense into offense with a steal and fastbreak dunk to go up 68-60. Looking for ways to slow down the Knicks, the Hawks turned to the "hack-a-Mitch" play twice -- and it worked as he went 1-for-4 from the foul line and was subbed out by Mike Brown.
With under a minute left in the quarter, Brunson grabbed a rebound and found Anunoby wide open down the court for an easy dunk, going up 83-74 heading into the fourth.
-- Robinson scored on an alley-oop jam and Miles McBride made his first three-pointer of the night in the fourth quarter, giving the Knicks their biggest lead of the night, 88-76. McBride drilled another three-pointer, but Atlanta kept up with the pace and Alexander-Walker hit a three right back. Towns then took over, making a pair of threes and using his size to score inside and extend the lead to 106-87 on a 13-2 run for NY.
-- It wouldn't be a playoff game without the dramatics as the Hawks made it a 106-98 game all of a sudden with about 1:30 left on the clock. The Knicks were able to hold on, icing the game at the foul line.
All five Knicks starters finished in double figures -- Brunson (28), Towns (25), Anunoby (19), Bridges (11), and Hart (10). The shot 48 percent from the field and from three-point range (12-for-25). They also won the rebound battle, 45-40, with Hart grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. McCollum finished with just 26 points for the Hawks and Johnson had 23 points.
Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns stepped up in the second half after Brunson's high-scoring first quarter. He scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, to go along with eight rebounds, four assists (five turnovers), three steals, and a block.
Highlights
Jalen Brunson pull-up pop! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/gblKSMbBbL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
Beautiful ball movement and Mikal Bridges drains the triple 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KAiGD3OlLe
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
JALEN BRUNSON IS ON FIRE pic.twitter.com/YVPcUlCOFQ
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
19 FIRST QUARTER POINTS FOR JALEN BRUNSON! pic.twitter.com/S30KeusZRk
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
DENIED BY MITCHELL ROBINSON 🚫 pic.twitter.com/hG2x2IwRDh
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
KAT's first bucket of the night 💪 pic.twitter.com/4dNLFuICE3
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 18, 2026
KAT 😤 pic.twitter.com/Uc9yYanDYl
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 19, 2026
What's next
The Knicks and Hawks play Game 2 of their first-round playoff matchup on Monday at 8:20 p.m.