MILWAUKEE — The Brewers trotted out their young flamethrower Friday night, and the Yankees could not touch him.
Cam Schlittler turned the tables a night later and was just as unhittable as Jacob Misiorowski.
The only thing that really touched Schlittler was a 108.5 mph comebacker that smoked his left calf in the bottom of the first inning, but after it looked like he might have to come out of the game, he remained in it to deliver six shutout innings before the Yankees wasted it in a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Brewers.
Cam Schlittler holds his left calf after getting struck by a 108.5 mph comebacker in the first inning of the Yankees’ 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Brewers on May 9, 2026 in Milwaukee. Getty Images
“Not really concerned,” said Schlittler, who still had the imprint of a ball on his left calf after the game. “Obviously he got me good. The warmup pitches weren’t too encouraging, but I was able to settle in after that.”
Schlittler limited the Brewers to just two singles while striking out six. He did not allow a base runner to reach second base all night as he lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.35 through nine starts — four of which have been scoreless. Opponents are now hitting just .177 (34-for-192) against him.
One of those hits was William Contreras’ hard grounder right back at Schlittler in the bottom of the first.
The right-hander was in obvious pain as he tried to walk it off and was paid a visit by manager Aaron Boone and head trainer Tim Lentych. After some conversation, Schlittler got back on the mound and threw three warmup pitches — two of them coming in high, as it looked like he might be having some trouble with his landing (left) leg in his delivery.
“I kept trying to be pretty firm as far as, ‘Tell us the truth — even here and as we go,’” Boone said. “He was more mad at himself for not throwing a strike in the warmup pitches. So that’s why he kept throwing.”
Once he was cleared to stay in the game, Schlittler struck out Jake Bauers on a 98 mph fastball to end the inning, though he hobbled off the mound and went down the dugout steps toward the clubhouse.
After the top of the second, Schlittler did not immediately jog out to the mound as he usually does, and after a delay — it turned out he was still getting the calf wrapped up inside — Boone even started to go out to chat with the home plate umpire before Schlittler finally came out of the dugout.
“Doing some exercises in between innings, making sure I kept it loose and it wasn’t tightening back up,” Schlittler said.
With a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 second inning, Schlittler began to quell any lingering fears that he might be hurt, though he did have a few more mishaps on the mound. In the third inning, he stumbled off the mound and fell trying to field Jackson Chourio’s comebacker behind him, then appeared to lose his landing spot and slipped out of his delivery during the next batter.
Contreras even hit another chopper right back at Schlittler in the fourth inning, though he was able to get out of the line of fire on that one.
“I let up a lot of balls up the middle,” said Schlittler, who also got hit by a comebacker on his quad in his last start. “They’re just finding me right now. Hopefully I can get a breather next week.”
PHOENIX — Bo Bichette’s numbers are lagging, perhaps along with his luck.
The Mets infielder, still searching for his first real hot streak, entered Saturday with a disappointing .570 OPS, but his underlying numbers suggest he should be faring better.
Bichette began play with a .231 batting average, but according to Statcast, his expected batting average was .283, placing him in MLB’s 83rd percentile.
Bo Bichette Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Bichette had two hard-hit balls in Friday’s victory over the Diamondbacks, including one to the right field fence that resulted in an out. In Saturday’s 2-1 loss, he added another hard-hit ball: a 100 mph shot to left field that went for an out in the eighth inning.
“It feels like every day there’s one at-bat when he hits a rocket and somebody is making a play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “I am not worried about him. The ball is going to find holes. He’s too good a hitter.”
Bichette’s hard-hit ball rate (46.9 percent) and average exit velocity (91.2 mph) entering play also suggested some misfortune given his disappointing OPS.
“He’s just got to continue to focus on the things he can control,” Mendoza said, “which is to get a good pitch and put a good swing on it.”
Luis Torrens had a sore jaw Saturday after he was struck in the mask by a foul ball the previous night.
Torrens said he was fine to play, but Mendoza went a different direction with the lineup, inserting Francisco Alvarez (0-for-3) behind the plate with MJ Melendez (0-for-3 with a walk) as the DH.
There is a good chance Torrens will return behind the plate for Sunday’s series finale, according to Mendoza.
Huascar Brazobán will serve as Sunday’s opener, with David Peterson scheduled to pitch in a bulk relief role. Brazobán served as the opener ahead of Peterson on Monday in Colorado.
The lefty Peterson allowed two earned runs over four innings in his last appearance. *
Ketel Marte returned to Arizona’s lineup in the leadoff spot a day after being scratched due to an illness.
Aston Villa and Crystal Palace’s runs to European finals are historic achievements, but symptomatic of a worrying trend
There will be no doubting Unai Emery’s supremacy in the Europa League if he is reacquainted with the trophy in Istanbul this month. A fifth title would add to the Aston Villa manager’s legend and it would show he can do it with an English club. The latter achievement, though, may be diminished in value. A greater concern lies in the way that Premier League clubs, gradually but discernibly, are dominating Europe’s smaller competitions in a way Uefa surely could never have intended.
Villa will be the eighth English finalists from the last 22 teams to reach the Europa League’s showpiece. Should they win, it would be the first time since the first two years of the Uefa Cup, its predecessor with the same trophy, that sides from England have won the secondary tournament in consecutive seasons. They would build on Tottenham’s haphazard triumph of last May and while neither consistency nor relative excellence should be sniffed at their progress contributes to a concerning broader trend.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 08: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against Terrence Shannon Jr. #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Round One of the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs lost home-court advantage to the Portland Trail Blazers, and then won two road games to take a 3-1 lead. Now the Spurs find themselves in a similar situation, with the chance to go up 3-1 on the Minnesota Timberwolves before heading back to San Antonio with a chance to win the series.
Victor Wembanyama’s heroics helped the Spurs take a 2-1 lead in a 115-108 victory. Much like the first game of the series, Game Three was defined by back-and-forth play and tough defense. It wasn’t until Wembanyama took over in the fourth quarter that a clear winner emerged. Minnesota desperately needs a win at home to avoid going down 3-1, so expect another physical game with a large sense of urgency from the Wolves.
San Antonio’s strategy of playing fast on offense, pestering the Wolves’ ball-handlers on the perimeter with full-court pressure and doubles, while funneling everything to Wembanyama in the paint, has worked so far. Minnesota’s head coach, Chris Finch, is one of the best in the business. He’ll certainly have adjustments to counter the strategies that have worked for the Spurs.
This series has been pretty close through three games. Game Four should be no different. San Antonio can put itself in a great position to win the series by stealing another game on the road.
Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles)
What to watch for:
Winning the possession battle
The Timberwolves took 14 more shots than the Spurs in Game Three. It’s rare to win a game where you lose the possession battle so brutally. Minnesota had 15 offensive rebounds compared to the Spurs’ 8. A lot of those offensive rebounds were long or contested 50/50 balls. If San Antonio had eliminated those second-change opportunities, the margin of victory may have been wider.
A great example of that was Game Two, when the Spurs forced 22 turnovers and grabbed more offensive rebounds, leading to a blowout. The Wolves have struggled to shoot the ball well in the series. Giving them easy opportunities and extra possessions is allowing them to make up for this weakness. The Spurs have to secure the defensive glass and take care of the ball to give themselves some more cushion in Game Four.
De’Aaron Fox’s shotmaking
San Antonio’s All-Star guard has been hot and cold in this series. He shot poorly in Games One and Three, but had a nice stat line in Game Two. Fox is averaging 18 points on 46.3% shooting in the playoffs overall. He, for the most part, has stepped up when the Spurs needed him this postseason. It’s been harder for him to get to the rim with guys like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards guarding him on the perimeter, and Rudy Gobert roaming the paint.
Wembanyama is sure to draw a lot of attention in Game Four. San Antonio is going to need another player to step up and take on some of the scoring load. Fox is the best equipped to do that.
Minnesota’s Wembanyama game plan
Wembanyama has dominated this series. Something has to change for Minnesota to minimize his impact. Will they play Gobert more minutes? Start sending doubles earlier? Give the Spurs more open three-pointers to prohibit him from scoring inside? On offense, will the Wolves look to generate more threes to avoid going at Wembanyama in the paint? Whatever adjustments Chris Finch makes will be important to watch for in Game Four.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP in the NBA [Getty Images]
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to the brink of another Western Conference Finals appearance with a dominant 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers to take a commanding lead in the play-offs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played his part for the top-seeded Thunder with 23 points and nine assists, but team-mate Ajay Mitchell was generally more accurate in his shooting and added 24 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers had 19 points from 41-year-old LeBron James, but he was not at his best as a team that again competed without the injured Luka Doncic proved unable to stem the tide in a one-sided series.
The Thunder were NBA champions last year and look the team to beat once more. Gilgeous-Alexander had his highest-scoring game of the series despite missing nine of his first 11 shots. His form in the play-offs has been down on his return in the regular season, when he averaged 31.1 points per game.
"Obviously, I haven't been my best in performances, but I think I've been able to help the team win and that's most important," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
"As long as we win. If the rest of the play-off run or the rest of my career look like what it looked like the past few games, I'd be OK with it because we won games."
In the Eastern Conference, Donovan Mitchell produced a 35-point performance to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Victory at Rocket Arena was vital for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who cut the Pistons' series lead to 2-1.
Cleveland built a 16-point lead by half-time and, despite a Detroit surge led by Cade Cunningham's 27-point triple-double, featuring 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Mitchell's late free throws secured the win.
The New York Knicks are a game away from progress after a 108-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, and the San Antonio Spurs lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1 after a 115-108 win.
PHILADELPHIA — Karl-Anthony Towns knows what Nick Nurse is going through.
He has dealt with personal loss, and he understands how difficult it is to balance grief with the job.
“I really wanted to give my condolences to him, I haven’t been able to talk to him personally, but I know it’s really tough,” Towns said unprompted Saturday. “I don’t know what he’s going through [exactly], but in a similar fashion I know how it is to have to show up to work and to have a lot of pressure on you to do something special when you’re kind of not fully there.”
Karl-Anthony Towns looks to make a move on V.J. Edgecombe during the Knicks’ Game 3 victory. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Nurse’s brother, Steve, unexpectedly died April 29 at the age of 62.
The coach didn’t miss any time with the 76ers despite the difficult loss, other than to attend Steve’s funeral Tuesday, an off-day between Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Knicks. Before Game 2, he addressed it.
“I mean, kind of the film and the practice and the game and all that stuff kind of takes care of some time, right?” Nurse said then. “But I’m here coaching and my brother would expect me to be. He was a huge fan. He wants us to go play, he wants us to play hard, so that’s what we’re going to try to do tonight.”
The 76ers honor the passing of Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse’s brother Steve Nurse before the start of the first quarter of the Knicks’ Game 3 win. Jason Szenes for the New York PostPhiladelphia head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the fourth quarter of the 76ers’ loss to the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Sunday figures to be emotional for Towns, since it is Mother’s Day. He lost his mom, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, in April of 2020 to COVID-19.
He is thankful there is a game to take his mind off it. The two were very close.
“It’s work. Just work to me,” Towns said. “I’m glad we got a game on Mother’s Day. It gets me doing what I love and what gets me off of everything off the court.”
Los Angeles, CA - May 09:Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero (1) dives on a loose ball during first half action against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the second round of the NBA playoffs in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, May 9, 2026.(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Lakers headed into Game 3 in search of proof.
Proof that they could find a strategy that worked. Proof that they could find a lineup that clicked. Proof that they could beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. By the end of Saturday night, the only proof they had was that they could not do any of these things.
After getting crushed again by the Thunder, this time by the final score of 131-108, the Lakers find themselves on the verge of being swept. Although there were glimpses, there were ultimately few signs that a different result was on the horizon in Game 4. The team’s season very well may be over.
With plenty of time for reflection to come in the upcoming weeks, let’s remain in the present and take a look at the biggest takeaways from Game 3…
Second half woes continue
It may be hard to believe given the final scores, but the Lakers have held halftime leads in each of the last two games.
Thanks to a strong defensive effort on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and hot shooting from behind the arc in the first half — including Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard drilling seven of their eight threes — the Lakers clung to a two-point advantage after two quarters.
Then the third quarter started and the team experienced a collective case of déjà vu. As has happened all series, the Thunder imposed their will in the second half, snuffing out anything that worked for the Lakers earlier in the game.
The Thunder accomplished this by following an eerily similar script. They hustled and grabbed every loose ball, secured back-breacking offensive rebounds and turned the Lakers over ad nauseam.
By the end of the game, the Thunder ended up outscoring the Lakers in the second half by 25, with the trio of Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe having nearly as many points (45) as the Lakers did combined (49).
Playing well for two quarters isn’t enough to beat a team like the Thunder. You have to be as close to perfect for all 48 minutes. That’s especially the case for the Lakers’ best players.
The Lakers need more from their Big 2
Even with a healthy Luka Dončić, the Lakers were never going to be able to match the Thunder’s immense depth. Their best bet in the series would be for one of, if not multiple, of their stars to be able to be the best players on the floor in every game. That has not been the case.
Given the talent deficit, the Lakers could not afford an off night from LeBron James or Austin Reaves, and especially not both, if they had hopes of pulling off the upset.
In what essentially was the Lakers’ last hope to get back into the series, James and Reaves combined for just 36 points on 37.5% shooting from the field. They also turned it over eight times.
Admittedly, it is an unfair ask of James and Reaves to propel the Lakers over the reigning champions nearly single-handedly. But it is the reality of the situation, and it is fair to expect them to reach a certain threshold to give the team a fighting chance.
Both James and Reaves have had their moments in the series, and neither will ultimately be the reason the Lakers will lose it. The issue is, neither James nor Reaves is why they’re in it.
Any buttons left to press?
Historically, there are not many cards a head coach can play once their team is on the verge of getting swept that could change the fortunes of a series.
That is even more the case when that team is without its best player and facing an opposition as dominant as the current Thunder team. But that is the job head coach JJ Redick and his staff will be tasked with ahead of Game 4 on Monday.
From a strategic standpoint, Redick has coached a good series. It just hasn’t mattered enough to overcome the Thunder’s advantages over the Lakers. That doesn’t mean he’s stopped trying.
In Game 3, Redick shuffled his rotation once again. After a rough postseason from an offensive standpoint, Redick decided not to play Jake LaRavia on Saturday and, instead, gave the likes of Adou Thiero and Maxi Kleber playing time.
The move ultimately didn’t move the needle enough, as the final score could attest. But it is an example of the type of outside-the-box thinking that’s all that’s left to do. And perhaps, in the process, the team can find something to build on now and into the future.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social
CHICAGO — The Nets don’t have the face of their franchise.
Lottery luck Sunday in Chicago (3 p.m. on ESPN) could change that.
Brooklyn hasn’t drafted a homegrown All-Star in over a decade, dating back to Brook Lopez. But in a generational class with a trio of projected franchise-changers, the Nets go into Sunday’s lottery tied for the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick (14.0 percent) and of landing a coveted top 3 pick (40.15 percent).
BYU wing AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke big Cam Boozer are all viewed as face-of-the-franchise stars, with North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson an elite prospect who could conceivably turn that Big Three into a Fantastic Four.
“If I got another guy here who really is able to create and draw some attention, and now I’m getting two or three wide-open 3s a game, it would really help us,” Michael Porter Jr. said on the Road Trippin’ podcast.
“That’s what we’re [looking for]. I’ve talked to the front office, and that would be a big thing for us. I think we’re going to get a good draft pick, and then we’ve got the most money in the NBA to go get a really good playmaking two-guard or point guard; that would just help.”
Forward AJ Dybantsa reacts to scoring a career high and new freshman record during the second half of BYU’s win over rival UTAh on Jan. 24, 2026, in Provo, Utah. AP
Despite a glaring need for a playmaker, Brooklyn is talent-poor enough that it will almost certainly draft the best available player and trade or sign a guard if needed. With the Nets owning Houston swap rights on next year’s pick — in a class already seen as weak — Sunday marks their best shot at a young star.
Dybantsa, Peterson or Boozer are all perceived cornerstones, and Wilson could be as well. If they fall outside the top 4, there are a host of guards in Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr.
Could sliding as they did last year prompt Brooklyn to be more aggressive in the trade market?
They can’t dip below the seventh pick, but their likeliest landing spots are sixth (26.02 percent chance) or fifth (14.82 percent chance).
Cameron Boozer drives on Flory Bidunga during the first half of Duke’s win over Kansas in the State Farm Classic on Nov. 18, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
A franchise that has been one of the league’s most star-crossed will send owner Joe Tsai to the team drawing room and Hall of Famer Vince Carter to the dais seeking some much-needed luck.
“I’m excited to be representing the Nets at the draft lottery this weekend,” Carter said in a message recorded for Brooklyn fans. “I’m hoping I can bring us some luck. Stay tuned. Go Nets.”
The Nets need luck more than their lottery co-leaders, as Indiana reached the Finals a year ago and Washington added Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Brooklyn lacks a star, and this is its best opportunity for one.
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
To drive that point home, the Mavs, Spurs, 76ers and Hornets got the first four picks last year, and vaulted from averaging 29 wins to 44. But the Jazz, Wizards, Pelicans and Nets settled for the next four selections, and after averaging 20.5 wins were right back in the cellar again with 21.
The lottery has rarely been kind to the Nets, with top 8 odds 10 times and only moving up twice: winning in 1990 to land Derrick Coleman and again a decade later to pick Kenyon Martin. Within two years they’d made the Finals.
Their lucky charm in the drawing room that day in 2000 — ex-team president Finn Wentworth — told The Post a successful Sunday could spark a similar meteoric rise.
“Ours was the worst draft. This is arguably the best draft in the modern era,” Wentworth told The Post. “They don’t need to get the first pick in this draft, it’s so deep. If they get one of the top 3 picks, they’ve got a force to coalesce around.
“If they can get one of the top 3 picks in this draft, they can coalesce around this guy, that’s going to go ahead and become a cornerstone.
“This is one of those drafts where it’s very, very deep. You have three or four guys that are A-pluses, and then you have a bunch of A’s.”
Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
Cleveland; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Cavaliers -3.5; over/under is 212.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Cavaliers won the last matchup 116-109 on Saturday, led by 35 points from Donovan Mitchell. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27.
The Cavaliers are 33-19 in conference play. Cleveland is 2-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Pistons have gone 39-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Detroit is fourth in the Eastern Conference scoring 117.8 points per game and is shooting 48.5%.
The 119.5 points per game the Cavaliers average are 9.9 more points than the Pistons allow (109.6). The Pistons average 117.8 points per game, 2.4 more than the 115.4 the Cavaliers give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell is shooting 48.3% and averaging 27.9 points for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Jalen Duren is scoring 19.5 points per game and averaging 10.5 rebounds for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 109.7 points, 42.3 rebounds, 21.5 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.8 points per game.
Pistons: 6-4, averaging 104.4 points, 45.6 rebounds, 21.6 assists, 8.6 steals and 7.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.8 points.
INJURIES: Cavaliers: None listed.
Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -10.5; over/under is 213.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder look to clinch the series over the Los Angeles Lakers in game four of the Western Conference second round. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 131-108 in the last meeting on Sunday. Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 24 points, and Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 21.
The Lakers are 33-19 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is 8-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Thunder are 41-11 in Western Conference play. Oklahoma City is third in the Western Conference scoring 119.0 points per game and is shooting 48.4%.
The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer makes per game than the Thunder give up (14.3). The Thunder are shooting 48.4% from the field, 0.1% higher than the 48.3% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: LeBron James is shooting 51.5% and averaging 20.9 points for the Lakers. Hachimura is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Chet Holmgren is scoring 17.1 points per game and averaging 8.9 rebounds for the Thunder. Luguentz Dort is averaging 1.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 5-5, averaging 104.3 points, 40.6 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.3 points per game.
Thunder: 8-2, averaging 119.3 points, 42.1 rebounds, 27.5 assists, 9.9 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.9 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).
Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
PHILADELPHIA — There hasn’t been much change in OG Anunoby’s availability.
He is again questionable for the Game 4 clash against the 76ers on Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena, as the Knicks look to close out the series. Anunoby, who has a right hamstring strain, was also questionable for Game 3 but did not play.
Coach Mike Brown said Saturday that they still consider Anunoby day to day.
OG Anunoby drives to the basket during the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ Game 2 win over the 76ers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Not for me,” Brown said. “It’s all medical related and it starts with [the training staff], the doctors and OG. All I want them to do is tell me when he can play.”
Anunoby suffered the injury in Game 2, when he began limping after driving to the basket in the fourth quarter. He stayed in for a few plays, but soon after asked to be subbed, went to the locker room and did not return.
Miles McBride started in his place in the 108-94 Game 3 win, though he struggled with his shot. It was Landry Shamet, who finished with 15 points and ended up playing more minutes than McBride, who more so helped fill the void.
Joel Embiid, who missed Game 2 with hip and ankle ailments and returned for Game 3, is probable for Game 4 for the 76ers.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit. But the Knicks are cognizant that the 76ers just overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first round against the Celtics.
“They’re a really good team and they’ve already done it once before,” Brown said. “We addressed it, but the biggest thing is just trying to stay present, not getting ahead of yourself.”
Giants coach John Harbaugh is itching to get to a Knicks playoff game.
“My wife is on me, she wants to get there for a playoff game,” Harbaugh said Saturday. “Where do they stand? 3-0? Counting on another series.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 9: Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round Two Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The location of the Thunder-Lakers series switched from OKC to LA, but nothing else changed.
It was still a contest where the Lakers had to play to perfection to win and the Thunder just had to be good enough. Like the other matchups, it went OKC’s way as they won131-108 to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
There are plenty of reasons to explain these losses. Key starters have struggled. Austin Reaves had a bad game in Game 1 and LeBron James played poorly in this contest. Turnovers have also been an issue for LA. They led the NBA playoffs in this category, turning it over 17 times on Saturday night.
But the biggest reason they’ve lost is obvious and simple: they just aren’t as good.
“The MVP [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is…7 of 20 tonight, and they’ve kicked our ass three straight games,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “They’re an incredible basketball team.”
While the result itself was discouraging, how it happened was even more demoralizing.
The Lakers didn’t lose due to a lack of effort. Rui Hachimura was a laser, scoring 21 points and shooting 50% from the field. Luke Kennard gave LA an injection of offense off the bench, scoring 18 points. And Redick made some adjustments as well.
He benched the struggling Jake LaRavia and gave rookie Adou Thiero extended minutes. Before the game, Redick said he wanted Thiero to bring high effort and physicality. Thiero did just that, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds while playing 13 minutes.
With adjustments working and role players shining, the Lakers were up by two at the half. But when it was time to win the game, the Thunder woke up and put the Lakers to sleep.
OKC started the third with a pair of threes from Luguentz Dort and Ajay Mitchell. Then Isaiah Hartenstein slammed the ball on a Mitchell lob to regain the lead. The Thunder continued to pile on, going on a 15-6 run to start the quarter, forcing Redick to call a timeout.
Feel like the Thunder might have just snatched the Lakers' soul in the third.
This was similar to their Game 2 meltdown, when the Lakers went from being up by five in the third quarter to down by 13 to start the fourth. In that instance, it happened when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t on the floor. This time, SGA was on the court, able to relish his team putting another nail into the Lakers’ coffin.
“Especially in that second half, third quarter especially, they’ve just been killing us,” Kennard said. “We know it. It’s in our minds and hopefully we can get together, talk about it tomorrow, figure some things out, and be ready to go.”
The Thunder are the defending champions, have the best record in the NBA and have yet to lose a playoff game. They have arguably the best player in the world in SGA, and even his struggles have been irrelevant with OKC possessing the deepest bench in the NBA.
Jared McCain has hurt the Lakers all series long and Mitchell has looked like one of the best offensive players in the league, including in Saturday’s second half.
LA just doesn’t have the guys to compete with OKC, who are evenare playing without their second-best player, Jalen Williams who hasn’t played in this series.
Teams trailing 3-0 have never come back to win a playoff series. After three blowouts, only delusion at a level beyond comprehension would make one believe LA can turn this around.
Still, while an impossible task lies ahead of him, Redick maintains his message that this comeback can be accomplished.
“Third straight game, we’re right there after two and a half quarters,” Redick said. “We tried different lineups, tried different coverages, still lost those minutes again. We’ve got to be better.”
At this point, the only question that remains is how much fight does this team have left? Will they bring the appropriate level of urgency and play with the perfection and execution needed to win on Monday? Or does giving into a sweep seem far more pleasant than playing Game 5 in OKC?
What is wholly unquestionable, though, is that the Thunder are just the better team.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 25: Nick Fortes #40 and Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays during a mound meeting in the bottom of the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field on April 25, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The No. 4 seed Lakers led the No. 1 seed Thunder at halftime for the second straight game, but were outscored by 25 points in the second half following yet another collapse over the final two quarters to find themselves down 3-0 to the defending NBA champions.
"I'm not angry or disappointed," James told reporters postgame. "Obviously, I'm disappointed being down 3-0, but we still got life and that's all you can ask for, and we gotta be much better on Monday. We'll see what happens."
Whatever happens in Game 4, there's a chance it could be James' last in a Lakers uniform. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and the fact that no extension has been worked out has been at the center of a season-long soap opera filled with rumors suggesting a deterioration of his relationship with team governor Jeanie Buss. There's also been rumors to the contrary, that the Lakers would be happy to keep James in purple and gold through the remainder of his playing days.
And, of course, there's also the chance that James retires this summer.
All signs throughout the season have pointed to James playing a 24th NBA season next year, but his recent declaration that he wouldn't want a retirement tour sparked renewed speculation.
James' legacy as a Laker is a complicated one, but that's another story for another time. He brought a championship back to LA in his second season, ending a decade-long drought for the second-most decorated franchise in NBA history. He was the superstar who wanted the pressure of playing in LA when several in the years before 2018 eschewed what was then perceived as a dysfunctional, rebuilding team that lacked direction (remember LaMarcus Aldridge?).
Though James will probably forever be associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers first, his eight years as a Laker is his longest continuous stretch with any one team, surpassing the first seven years of his career in his home state (though he later rejoined the Cavs for four more seasons following his stint in Miami). He broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record — and several others — wearing a gold jersey.
But none of that matters right now. There's still more basketball to be played.
Both James and Austin Reaves had off nights offensively on Saturday; James contributed 19 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds, but was an inefficient 7-of-19 (36.8%) from the field and 2-of-6 from long range and was a -24 in his 37 minutes played. He and Reaves combined for eight total turnovers, half of the Lakers' total.
That's not to place the blame solely on the Lakers' two stars. Realistically, the Lakers were doomed from the moment Luka Doncic strained his hamstring on April 2 in Oklahoma City. It was James who turned back the clock and showed that he can still do incredible things on the court at 41 years old by leading LA to a first-round win over the Houston Rockets; don't forget his game-tying 3 in the final seconds to send one game to overtime, where they eventually gutted out a 112-108 win behind his 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
In this round, however, the Lakers have simply run into a team that's just flat-out better than them.
They've done an admirable job limiting MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Chet Holmgren has thrived. So has Ajay Mitchell, who has stepped into a bigger role while Jalen Williams has been sidelined with a hamstring strain of his own. Mitchell led OKC on Saturday with 24 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals. Jared McCain and Cason Wallace have been sparkplugs off the bench all series. The Thunder are simply too talented and too deep across the board for the Lakers to compete with for all four quarters, especially without the NBA's leading scorer this season in Doncic.
"They're pretty damn good, from top to bottom," James told reporters. "They don't let their foot off the gas. ... They have a lot of bodies and they got a lot of guys who can do multiple things on the floor, so it helps to have that depth."
As for the possibility that Monday might be it?
"Nah, you don't really talk about that," James told reporters. "Just focus on the moment, and go from there."
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 9: Luke Kennard #10 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While it doesn’t make the losses feel any more frustrating in the moment, there is something comforting in the long run knowing that the team you’re losing to is just a better team.
It was apparent before Saturday, but Game 3 made it abundantly clear that the Lakers are simply levels below the Thunder. LA has made mistakes at times, but OKC is relentless and punishes them every time.
Normal teams make mistakes. Normal teams do not take advantage of every one of them. The Thunder are an abnormality. We have rarely seen a team like this.
There’s a bit of bitterness that the Lakers won’t have Luka Dončić this series. But against many other teams, this effort would result in a competitive series. The scheme is there. The effort is there more often than not. It’s not been perfect and there are areas to improve, but it ultimately doesn’t matter because they’ve run into a buzzsaw.
The only question left is if they’re interested in taking a flight back to Oklahoma.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
This wasn’t LeBron’s best effort. He’s looked more tired as the series has progressed. He hit a couple of threes in the first half that were big, but he was much quieter in the second half.
He’s still attacking the rim…and not getting calls. The Lakers need that. But can we just let this man have continuation on one jumper?
The biggest winner of this series for the Lakers is Rui. He’s been a playoff riser before, but he’s been unbelievable in this series. Even after all the attention on it after Game 2, Rui came out and had his best game of the series.
This wasn’t a great Ayton game. That being said, it seems he became a bit of a lightning rod for blame for this loss. Oddly, that was led by the broadcast.
Blaming Ayton for the team not grabbing offensive rebounds felt out of order. He was battling Isaiah Hartenstein on most of those possessions and getting a hand on it. He isn’t solely responsible for rebounding.
Now, having said all that, he’s been outplayed by both OKC bigs and it’s made a steep hill even harder to climb.
The positive was that his playmaking remained strong. He set a new playoff career high with nine assists. However, eight of those came in the first half, a sign of how much the Lakers tailed off in this one.
The big negative, though, was his overall shooting. He started the game missing a lot of shots. He found his way a bit later on, but it was too little, too late. The Lakers just need him to be better, flat out.
It’s not realistic to expect him to average 30 points and be an elite playmaker. But it is what the Lakers need right now.
And when he’s not doing that, his defensive shortcomings look really loud.
These have been back-to-back frustrating Smart games. He’s doing a lot of the little things on both ends of the floor. He’s making things difficult defensively. His hustle created a couple of baskets on the offensive end.
Those things are great when Luka is around. When he’s not, the Lakers need more and he’s unable to provide it.
At the same time, he’s still doing some nonsensical things. His football pass to LeBron in the first half was a terrible decision that somehow worked and ended in a Luke Kennard three. OKC was forcing him to create as well, and you’ll never believe how that went.
Easily his best game since the start of the first round. The difference in Game 3 was that he was aggressive, both as a shooter and as a driver. The Lakers got multiple open looks off his drive and kicks.
There are still negatives with him — he plays small even as a small player, which gets him crushed on switches — but this was still a great showing.
Adou got Jake LaRavia’s spot in the rotation and was largely good. There were some chaotic moments, like blowing a wide open dunk and then getting bailed out by a foul call right after. But he grabbed eight boards, played decent defense and wasn’t awful. I’d suspect he gets time again in Game 4.
It was a bit of a surprise to see Kleber get minutes. It was even more surprising that he got them without another big on the floor. And those minutes went terribly. He turned the ball over, bobbled a pass out of bounds and set an illegal screen in consecutive possessions.
So, enough of that.
Grade: F
Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.
Only minutes in garbage time for this group.
JJ Redick
Redick is coaching one hell of a series. For a third straight game, they got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of rhythm as he finished 7-20 from the field. They’ve found some things that work offensively in spreading the Thunder out and finding shooters.
He changed up rotations today and found something that worked in Adou and something that didn’t in Kleber. But given where the team was in the game and series, you can’t blame him for trying something.
At the end of the day, it’s just obvious the team isn’t good enough.
