PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Ryan O'Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds third after hitting a two run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, with even staff ace Paul Skenes failing to secure a win for the Buccos. That was Pittsburgh’s third straight loss, as they sit tied in the basement of the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, both with 24-23 records on the year. But they got some evern worse news on Sunday, when they were forced to place outfielder / first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on the 10-day DL with a strained right quad. Jake Mangum was called up to replace O’Hearn.
O’Hearn has been one of the Pirates’ key offseason acquisitions, batting .289 for the year with 7 homers and 29 RBIs for the season, becoming a key cog in Pittsburgh’s offensive resurgence this season. However, according to Bucs GM Ben Cherington, the quad strain is moderate and will sideline O’Hearn for about four weeks. So that’s a full month without their one of the top bats for the Buccos. It’s an unfortunate injury for Pittsburgh’s second best batting average.
His replacement Mangum was also an offseason acquisition for the Bucs, though he came over in trade, while O’Hearn signed as a free agent. Mangum can get it done in the field, but the Bucs will take a hit at the plate when Mangum plays over O’Hearn. Mangum is hitting .253 on the season with no homers and 3 RBIs in 75 at bats. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Sunday.
Last season, with Tampa Bay, Mangum played in 118 games in did hit .296, but with 3 homers and 40 RBIs. He can get it done in the average department, but the Bucs are definitely going to take a power hit.
The Pirates are now off today after being swept, but they’ll return to action on Tuesday, when they will head to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in what will be a battle for one of them to get out of the basement of the NL Central. The first game of the three-game set starts at 7:45pm Tuesday.
Dylan File had a rough day on the mound, and the Hens offense just couldn’t string enough runs together as they dropped the series four games to two in Omaha on Sunday.
The Hens took an early lead when Ben Malgeri led off the game with a double. An Eduardo Valencia single and a Jace Jung sacrifice fly made it 1-0, but as it went most of the day, they couldn’t add on runs.
File quickly surrendered the lead as Omaha scored two in the bottom of the firs, but Tomás Nido cracked a solo shot in the second that made it 2-2. Omaha came right back with a three run bottom of the third punctuated by a Brett Squires two-run homer. Luke Ritter led off the fourth with a solo shot to make it 5-3, but that was as close as they’d get.
Pitching dominated the rest of the way. Ricky Vanasco spun a perfect inning with a strikeout in the fourth, and Tanner Rainey worked two innings, allowing a run that made it 6-3. Woo-Suk Go continues to pitch really well and handled the seventh and eighth in perfect fashion with three strikeouts, but no rally by the Hens’ offense was forthcoming.
Nido: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
Ritter: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
File (L, 1-4): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 22-23 Hens come home to welcome in Indianapolis for six starting Tuesday night.
Carlos Peña was knocked around in a short start, but the duo of Brett Callahan and John Peck continue to be the run scoring engine for the SeaWolves and brought them back in the middle innings to win the first of two on Sunday.
Peña gave up a pair of solo shots in the first, and Peck answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Peña then pitched a scoreless second before giving up two more solo shots to start the third. The Squirrels seemed to have him dialed in and could read what was coming but Peña’s low powered stuff doesn’t play well over the middle of the plate. Uniquely so on this day.
Dariel Fregio took over after Peña allowed a double to follow the homers, and he was able to settle things down.
In the bottom of the third, Andrew Jenkins singled and rode home on Callahan’s seventh home run to make it 4-3, Richmond. Peck followed with a single and stole second base, and Thayron Liranzo walked, but Justice Bigbie flew out to end the inning.
Brett Callahan crushes a 2-run homer to deep left center and the SeaWolves are back within a run. It’s his 7th home run of the year, and he’s now batting .310 with 3 homers against left-handed pitching this year. pic.twitter.com/0w1VZ0cG2n
The rest of the comeback didn’t take long. Chris Meyers and Izaac Pacheco doubled to open the fourth. That scored Meyers and tied the game 4-4. Pacheco took third on a balk, and Jenkins walked. Pacheco would eventually scored on a Seth Stephenson ground out and Callahan dropped a ball into left field on an error that brought home Jenkins. 6-4 Erie.
Luke Taggart handled the fifth and sixth, allowing a run that brought the Squirrels within one run. Moises Rodriguez got into a little trouble in the bottom of the seventh. A walk started things, and then a single moved the runner, Scott Bandura, to third base. Parks Harber bounced one back to Rodriguez, who made a nice play to fire home to Liranzo, who dropped the tag and prevented the tying run. Rodriguez shut it down from there to earn his first save of the year.
The offense was out of gas for Game 2. The SeaWolves managed just two hits and two walks over seven innings, and never really threatened to score.
Kenny Serwa held the Squirrels down for four scoreless innings in his start, but the offense couldn’t take advantage. Yosber Sanchez allowed a run in the fifth, and Tyler Owens one in the sixth. It wasn’t much of an offensive performance on either side, but the Squirrels came out ahead and split the series.
Serwa: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head out to Altoona this week with a 20-19 record, while the Flying Squirrels continue to rule the division at 28-10 for the first half.
Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
The Whitecaps lost their 19th game out of their last 20 on Sunday as their brutal May continues.
Gabriel Reyes managed to hold the Loons to just one run over five innings, despite walking five hitters on the day. The Whitecaps didn’t get much of a threat going until Luke Shliger was hit by a pitch and stole second base, and then Cristian Santana and Caleb Shpur walked to load the bases. However, their were already two outs and Ricardo Hurtado struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Reyes walked the first two hitters and they pulled off a double steal. Reyes struck out the next hitter, and then a grounder to Santana at third turned into an out at home plate as he fired home in time. Reyes then picked of Jose D. Hernandez off third base to escape.
That was about as interesting as it got in this one. The ‘Caps made a bunch of nice defensive plays, but the offense was lifeless. Sounds familiar. They were still right in it until Ethan Sloan allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Shpur: 1-3, BB, SB
Strong: 1-4, 3B
Reyes (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, ER, H, 5 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 13-26 Whitecaps come home to lick their wounds this week as the South Bend Cubs come to town. Manager Rene Rivera needs to find a way to turn things around.
The resurgence of young pitching in the Tigers’ system has seen Ben Jacobs and Malachi Witherspoon off to good starts this spring. Kelvis Salcedo is still stretching out after missing time early in this season, but he continues to show off the best stuff in the system. Owen Hall is finally pitching consistently and seems bound to join the Flying Tigers out of rookie ball shortly. We can probably add Charlie Christensen to the list.
The Tigers’ 15th rounder last summer out of the University of Central Arkansas, Christensen features a quick, snappy release from a low arm slot and a good slider-changeup combination. He’ll need to add velocity, as he’s currently 91-92 mph with his sinker, but at 6’4”, 190 pounds, he has the frame to build on. He profiles as a sinkerballer, but the low release also begs for him to develop a riding fourseamer.
The right-hander punched out seven in four scoreless innings of work on Sunday, walking one and allowing two hits. He struck out the side twice, and the slider in particular was just lethal.
For the second time today Charlie Christensen strikes out the side on 13 pitches. pic.twitter.com/yfa0WRdSLK
The game was scoreless until the Flying Tigers broke through in the top of the fourth. Jude Warwick was hit by a pitch and Jesus Pinto walked to open the inning, and they went on to pull off the double steal of second and third. A Zach MacDonald sacrifice fly scored Warwick, and walks to Carson Rucker and Edian Espinal followed to load the bases. That got starter James Tallon yanked, but his relief immeditaely gave up a bases clearing double to Beau Ankeney. 4-0 Lakeland.
In the top of the fifth, Pinto singled with one out, and after MacDonald struck out, Rucker blasted his fifth home run of the season to make it 6-0 Lakeland.
That was, of course, the high water mark for the Flying Tigers. Preston Howey allowed a run in the sixth and Jan Carabello coughed out three more as the Threshers closed the game to two runs. Pedro Garcia allowed a run in the eighth, and then blew the save as the Threshers walked them off.
Ankeney: 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 2B, K
Pinto: 1-2, 2 R, BB, K, SB, CS
Salas: 2-4, 2B
Christensen: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers head down to Palm Beach on Tuesday to open a series with the Cardinals.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 18: Sidney Crosby #68 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a goal by teammate Ryan Malone #12 , surrounded by goaltender Martin Biron #43, R.J. Umberger #20 and Lasse Kukkonen #28 of the Philadelphia Flyers at 11:42 of the second period of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 18, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighteen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Penguins punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992.
The Penguins, full of a mix of youth and grizzly veterans, had made their return to the postseason a year prior, quickly dispatched in five games by the Ottawa Senators.
Now a year later, Pittsburgh had seemed to have learned a lot from their loss, storming through the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 sweep of the Ottawa Senators and a 4-1 series win against the New York Rangers.
Up next were the Penguins’ cross-state rivals from Philadelphia, but the series shifted heavily towards Pittsburgh from the start.
The Flyers held off being eliminated in Game 4, but all things went Pittsburgh’s way in Game 5 at the Mellon Arena.
Ryan Malone scored twice along with goals from Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Jordan Staal, and Pascal Dupuis as the Penguins cruised to the Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 win.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees runs during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 16, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What an awful road trip. The Yankees got swept in Milwaukee, lost two of three to an underwhelming-as-hell Orioles team, and then did the same against the Mets, who entered as one of the worst teams in baseball. The 2-7 trip ended when David Bednar couldn’t hold a three-run lead in the ninth, evaporating the edge on a three-run blast by Tyrone Taylor. They then stranded the zombie runner and lost in the bottom of the 10th. That’s some bad baseball, folks.
Now, they get to play the Blue Jays! It doesn’t matter that they’ve been kind of whatever thus far in 2026; it’s not as though the O’s or Mets were rolling when the Yankees faced them this past week. So… joy.
For our Question of the Day today, we want to know what you would do to try to get the Yankees out of this funk. I only have one request: Please do not say “Fire Aaron Boone,” “Fire Brian Cashman,” or “Hal Steinbrenner should sell the team.”
Even if you think these are valid solutions, we’re trying to remain in the realm of plausibility here. None of those guys are going anywhere at the moment (if indeed ever), so consider something that could actually happen right now, in mid-May 2026. Be more creative! It sounds like the Yankees might bring a fresh reliever aboard for this series, so something along those lines could be an idea if there’s a particular target or two.
Here’s my pitch: Bench Austin Wells for this full series. I suppose if the game situation calls for him to come in off the bench and catch a couple innings, that’s fine. But the point is to largely give him a mental reset.
This isn’t about any confidence in backup J.C. Escarra, as I really have none; he may hit as poorly (or worse) as Wells. They just need to try to get Wells right though; he looks completely lost at the plate. There’s no real cavalry coming because Ben Rice is essentially a pure first baseman now (probably for the best to preserve his bat anyway because 2025 Cal Raleigh seasons are just so damn rare) and the catching alternatives at Triple-A are late-20s former big leaguers Payton Henry and Ali Sánchez. So just turn the keys over to Escarra for a few days and let Wells attempt to work things out behind the scenes. It’s brutal out there and all-too-reminiscent of Chris Stewart.
Let us know your pitch!
It’s a light slate today on the site ahead of the opener of the four-game set against the Jays. Jeremy will have the preview of the pitching matchups for this series and I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup coverage of yesterday’s notable American League action. Later, Nick will offer an 80th birthday salute to the one and only “Mr. October,” Reggie Jackson, and Madison will ask for your mailbag questions.
Justin Turner runs through a gauntlet of teammates as punishment after not wearing the right jersey to batting practice before Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Justin Turner did not wear the correct jersey one day, and now he would pay for his sin.
His teammates formed two lines, one facing the other. Turner snaked through the gauntlet, as his teammates playfully slapped and shoved him around.
Turner is 41, an All-Star and World Series champion, one of the most beloved players in Dodgers history. Yet there he was on a gloomy Saturday afternoon in a 50-year-old stadium in Tijuana, subjecting himself to a mashup of a kangaroo court and a hazing ritual, three hours before he would play in a uniform with six advertisements on the jersey and four more on the pants.
“Justin doesn’t have to be here,” said former major leaguer Roberto Kelly, the manager of the Tijuana Toros. “He doesn’t need this to continue his life.”
For the first time in 17 years, Turner is not playing in the major leagues. No team wanted him.
In Tijuana, whether he decides to end his career here or elsewhere, he has nurtured a special bond with his son and emerged as an improbable tourist attraction for Dodgers fans.
The sun sets in the neighborhood surrounding Toros Mobil Park.
A fan hands Justin Turner a bobblehead of Turner to sign before the start of Friday's Tijuana Toros game.
Justin Turner follows through on a swing while warming up in the batting cages before the start of Saturday's Tijuana Toros game.
Life is what you make of it. When Turner signed with the Toros, he wanted to make a video introducing himself to their fans. He drove 45 minutes from Studio City to East Los Angeles, to the only store he could find in L.A. that stocked Toros caps, then stood in line to buy some.
“Are you buying these hats because Justin Turner just signed in Tijuana?” the clerk asked, without looking too closely at the customer.
“Yes,” Turner said, without letting on.
When Turner went job hunting last winter, the top line of “41-year-old with a .602 OPS” carried the day, even if he was primarily a platoon player last season, with a .759 OPS against left-handers.
Justin Turner jokes with batboy Valentin "Chevale" Burgos before the start of Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
He said he pursued a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, then simply a minor league contract, where he could start the season at triple A and both he and the team could evaluate as the season went on. Even the Angels, whose annual lack of depth already is on stark display, said no.
“I wasn’t expecting to be handed anything or guaranteed anything,” Turner said. “But I was not expecting to not even get a chance to play at all.”
He looked into playing in Japan and South Korea, but the guaranteed roster spots there filled as he held out hope for a job in the United States. In Mexico, where the season does not start until mid-April, three teams offered him contracts.
He chose Tijuana, where he and his family could live in San Diego and commute to the games.
Lights in the stadium turn on and off as Saltillo Saraperos players have a mound visit. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s hit and miss, same as L.A.,” he said. “Depending on what time you go, it could be 20 minutes, or it could be an hour.”
Turner’s son, Bo, turns 2 in July. Dad could have stayed home with him all year but, in baseball as in life, diamonds are forever.
Bo Jordan is held by his father, Justin Turner, while he takes photos with fans after Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
“I got a late start in parenthood,” Turner said. “I’ve been around a lot of guys who had the opportunity to have their kids grow up in a clubhouse, and I’ve always thought that was really cool.
“He wakes up in the morning, and the first thing he says is ‘baseball.’ He’s definitely not at the point where he’s going to retain any of this, I don’t think, but he’s already developing the love for baseball that I have.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Neither would the Toros. With Dodgers fans regularly making the trip from Los Angeles to see Turner, and with the Dodgers having the largest fan base of any team in Mexico, Toros president Omar Canizales said, ticket sales are up 30%. The Dodgers’ Pantone 294 fan club has bought a block of tickets for the Toros’ June 2 game.
The Toros never had sold jerseys with player names on the back until this year, a team official said, and 98% of the jerseys sold have Turner’s name on the back.
Luchador masks and other Tijuana Toros merchandise on display for sale. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)A roasted pig lays on a flat iron stove at a food stand. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
Canizales declined to say how much the Toros are paying Turner this season. He said top Mexican League players make in the $150,000 range and Turner would generate enough business by himself for the Toros to recoup the entire cost of Turner’s contract.
“We haven’t seen anything like this before,” Canizales said through an interpreter. “There’s nothing to compare it to the impact Justin has made in such little time.”
The influence Turner had in Los Angeles lives on among fans that have not forgotten that he is one of them.
The kid who watched Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run in his grandmother's living room grew up to be the third baseman that helped the Dodgers win their next World Series, in 2020. Turner took a moment every night to sign a ball for the military veteran honored at each game at Dodger Stadium, and no Dodger did more in the community.
About 15 minutes before game time in Tijuana, a line forms next to the Toros’ dugout, and Turner signs for fans in Dodgers caps and lucha libre masks.
Fermin Padilla of Los Angeles got Turner’s autograph on a jacket, cap and jersey. “It would have been impossible to get that at home,” Padilla said.
Tijuana Toros fans scream for a baseball during Saturday's game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
David and Samantha Anderson of East Los Angeles got a selfie with Turner, who signed two baseball cards for the couple.
“If it wasn’t for Justin, I wouldn’t be here,” David Anderson said. “Now I’m going to come all the time.”
The tickets are cheaper than Dodger Stadium, of course, and the food is better. The kiss cams and sing-alongs and air horns and thunder sticks are all integrated into the game, not reserved for stoppages in play.
“It’s three hours of music, dancing, drinking and entertainment, with a sprinkle of baseball,” Turner said. “There’s not really any lines they won’t cross down here.”
In one skit between innings, a character wore a sign around its neck that said “ICE.” Another character pretended to rough up the first character until the sign opened to say “ICE CREAM,” and then everyone danced happily.
Newlywed couple Jessica Oneda Rojas and Moises Benitez celebrate with mascots Tonia and Toron after signing marriage papers before the start of Friday's Tijuana Toros game. This was the first wedding held at a Tijuana Toros game.
Torina the mascot lays on the ground trying to catch her breath as a member of the Toritos dance crew performs on the field in between innings on Friday.
Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles TimesToron the mascot dresses up as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Kelly, the manager, played the last two years of his career in the Mexican League. It can be a long season if the bitterness of the major league rejection of the winter lingers into the spring and summer, but Kelly does not see that in Turner.
“He’s been a good addition, not because he was a big leaguer but because of what he brings to the club. He’s not just a name,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t let us know that he played in the big leagues or how good he was. To see somebody like that come down and just be one of the players is very good for our team.
“He enjoys it. You can see him around these guys and he’s having fun.”
Orel Hershiser, the officiant at Turner’s wedding, ended his career at 41.
“I had really lost my ability,” Hershiser said.
Justin Turner works out with a barbell in the Tijuana Toros' gym. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
At the same age, Turner is betting he has not. Hershiser said he has not talked with Turner recently but wondered if a season in Japan could be in his future if a return to the major leagues is not.
Is Turner going to keep playing until he either gets back to the majors or knows he is not?
“No,” he said. “I’m playing until I want to be done playing.”
I told Turner that Julio Franco played in the Mexican League at 49. Turner laughed. That might be about all he rules out at this point.
“I love playing,” he said. “I love competing. As long as I feel I’m serviceable and not just here for entertainment purposes, I’m going to keep doing it.”
Turner should have the same ending as Hershiser, a Dodger standout that represents the organization in some capacity after retirement.
Hershiser said Turner could join him in the broadcast booth, or become a great manager, or an outstanding hitting coach.
“He’s almost a hitting savant,” Hershiser said. “He’s like a Manny Ramirez for me as far as how he understands swings and how he can put himself in other people’s bodies or make adjustments for them.
“He’ll be good at whatever he tries to do.”
Justin Turner walks out of the battling cages onto the field to finish warming up before Friday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
The one thing he probably would not do: serve as a Dodgers community ambassador, shaking hands and posing for photographs at Dodger Stadium and various events around town.
“I don’t want to be paraded around and be a sideshow,” he said.
For now, he just wants to play baseball. On Tuesday, he can, in Zapopan, Mexico.
May 16, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) signals for a pitching change in the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees limp home from what Aaron Boone called “a terrible road trip” — a 2-7 stretch that saw them fall from a half-game up on Tampa Bay to three games back of the surging Rays. The obvious takeaway was the alarming performance of the bullpen, capped off by closer David Bednar squandering a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth of the series finale against the Mets. Although paling in comparison to the disappointment of their recent run of form, there were several positives that can be taken away from the last nine games as well.
Anthony Volpe collected his first hit of the season and ended with a pair of knocks and three runs driven in, the recently recovered shortstop showing improved discipline at the plate with seven walks in 16 PAs. Ben Rice slugged his 15th home run of the year, he and Aaron Judge becoming the third pair of Yankees teammates to hit at least 15 home runs each in the first 47 games of a season, joining Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle in 1956 and Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961. Elmer Rodríguez pitched the best start of his young MLB career and looks to be improving his strike throwing at the highest level. It’s meager consolation for an otherwise wretched stretch.
MLB.com | Anthony DiComo: The Mets’ extra-inning walk-off over the Yankees on Sunday created some pretty jaw-dropping statistics. The Yankees still have yet to win a series at Citi Field since 2018, Aaron Boone’s first year as skipper. The Mets’ win probability stood at just five percent when Tyrone Taylor stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth. Most damning, this is the first time since the 2024 NL Wild Card Series—the Pete Alonso vs. Devin Williams game—that the Mets have won a game in which they trailed after eight innings. They were 0-96 in previous such games including the playoffs.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty (subscription required): The Yankees’ bullpen continues to be one of the biggest problem areas on the team, and now they might have yet another legitimate closer crisis. With Bednar surrendering the three-run homer on Sunday, his ERA bloats to 4.95. He’s already one blown save away from matching his total of three from last season after beefing two on this road trip alone. Unfortunately, the Yankees do not appear to have another in-house option to step into the role given that the likes of Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz are similarly shaky, and will likely ride it out with Bednar and hope his fortunes improve.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: We were provided with a raft of injury updates and speculation on which players could return soonest. José Caballero continues to rehab from a fractured finger and looks the closest to returning, possibly at the minimum return date of May 22nd. Gerrit Cole might be the next behind him. As Scott wrote up for us yesterday, he made his penultimate rehab start on Saturday. The ace could possibly make his long awaited return to the major league team in time for the series against the Royals in the final week of May, more than 14 months after suffering the injury that required Tommy John surgery.
Max Fried (elbow bone bruise) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) are a little further behind, with a June return the most optimistic outcome. Finally, Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John rehab) and Angel Chivilli (chronic shoulder discomfort) are not expected back until September at the earliest.
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) on the court before game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Going into the 2025-26 NBA season, there were a ton of people saying that it was a gap year for the Boston Celtics. Luke Kornet, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis all left the team in the offseason and Jayson Tatum was expected to miss most of the season with a torn Achilles. This left Jaylen Brown to carry the load as the number one option, a position that he never experienced going into his 10th season in the NBA.
Brown knew that he had to take on a leadership role from his first press conference at Media Day, making a concerted effort to mention that he had to help integrate the new players into the Celtics system to try and expedite chemistry and trust building. People were skeptical if he could lead the way for Boston but he proved all of the doubters wrong with the best regular season of his entire career.
I thought we could go down memory lane and take a look at the season Jaylen Brown called his “favorite season of his career.” This was the year we saw Brown come into his own as a leader and as a number one option, a disappointing playoff ending, and now, questions of the future loom large going into the offseason.
Regular Season Highlights
Brown finished with personal career highs in almost every statistical category in 71 games this season, averaging 28.7 Points, 6.9 Rebounds, and 5.1 Assists. He led the NBA in field goals made (736), field goals attempted (1543), two-pointers attempted (1139), and two-pointers attempted per game (16.0) while shooting 48% from the field and 35% from three point range. Brown made his 5th All-Star game of his career, is in line to make 1st or 2nd Team All-NBA, and is a finalist for the NBA Social Justice Champion.
The season didn’t start out great as the Celtics fell to 0-3 after a loss to the Detroit Pistons on October 26th, 2025 where Brown dropped 41 points. It was Boston’s worst start to a season in 12 years and Brown put out a call to action to the team after the loss in his postgame interview, talking about how they needed to be better on the glass and that the results will come with time. He also said, “It’s not an excuse, but it takes time,” when referring to the chemistry being built.
The Celtics would win 11 of their next 17 games to finish November and wouldn’t lose three games in a row for the rest of the regular season. Brown finished the first 20 games of the season averaging 28.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists but didn’t get any Player of the Week or Month awards, potentially due to Boston’s record but that would change once December hit.
Brown won Eastern Conference Player of the Week for both Week 7 (Dec. 1-7) and Week 10 (Dec. 22-28) of the season as he put on one of the best December’s we have seen. Brown tied Larry Bird for the Celtics franchise record with 9 straight 30-point games. He finished with averages of 31.7 Points, 6.5 Rebounds, and 5.4 Assists on 54% shooting from the field and 43% shooting from three, but lost the Player of the Month Award in December to Jalen Brunson. Brown voiced his displeasure on a livestream saying he deserved Player of the Month, but this was just a warning shot for what he would do in January.
Jaylen Brown on Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the Player of the Month award for their conferences:
“No disrespect, no diss to Shai or Brunson. But neither one of them had a better month than I had.”
Brown’s 30-point streak snapped on New Year’s Day in a loss to the Denver Nuggets, but he bounced back in a big way on January 3rd, 2026. Boston was set to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers who were one of the hottest teams in the NBA at that point. Brown came out with no fear against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, tying his career high with 50 points on 18-26 shooting from the field and 6-10 shooting from three.
Brown proclaimed to be the “best two-way player in the game” and he was just trying to lead his team to a win on the last day of a west coast road trip. His hot shooting from December tapered off a little bit, but Brown continued to put up big performances, including a 41-point game in his hometown against the Hawks on January 17th. Brown finished January with averages of 29.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 44% shooting from the field and 33% shooting form three.
February saw the Celtics trade Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vucevic as well as a ton of other depth guys at the deadline, but Brown didn’t skip a beat. He continued his high level of play with a couple big performances. One came in Dallas on February 3rd with a 33-point performance in a duel with Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks while the other came on February 22nd with a 32-point performance in a blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers.
March saw the return of Jayson Tatum on March 6th and with it, questions of “can Brown and Tatum work together” came back into the media-sphere. It seemed silly to still be talking about that point after all these years and nothing was out of the ordinary until the Celtics faced off against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder on March 10th and 12th. These were the games that looked to determine if Boston was going to be able to look like real contenders for the title.
Against the Spurs, we saw Brown start off hot but after a non-foul call in the second quarter, he was ejected after arguing with the officials. It was an awful ejection and Brown voiced his displeasure in the moment on X saying: “This the sh*t I be talking about” and the Celtics lost to San Antonio 125-116.
The next game in Oklahoma City saw Brown put up one of his best performances of the season without Tatum and Derrick White. He dropped 34 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds on 10-25 shooting but Boston once again lost to a Western Conference powerhouse, this time on game-winning free throws by Chet Holmgren to give the Thunder a 104-102 win.
Boston was able to shake off those tough losses and start to find their form just in time for a rematch against OKC on March 25th in TD Garden. Brown put on an MVP level performance of 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists on 9-17 shooting to lead the Celtics to a 119-109 win. This game really was the moment that the NBA world thought the Celtics were going to be legitimate title contenders coming out of the Eastern Conference. Jaylen Brown proved he could lead a team even with Tatum there as Boston geared up to face the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 1 of the Playoffs.
Playoff Disappointment
When Boston was matched up against Philadelphia, it felt like it was going to be a somewhat easy matchup. The Celtics looked like they were going to steamroll the 76ers through the first four games of the series and Brown was a big part of that. In Games 1-4, he averaged 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 49% shooting from the field and 48% shooting from three as Boston took a 3-1 lead in the series.
With a 13-point lead in Game 5, Boston was primed to face off against the New York Knicks for a second round matchup, but the wheels completely fell off from here. The Celtics missed their last 14 shots in the fourth quarter to drop Game 5 and got blown out in Game 6 back in Philadelphia to force a Game 7 back in TD Garden. Jaylen Brown was going to have to carry the load by himself in Game 7 because Jayson Tatum was ruled out.
This was arguably one of the biggest games of Brown’s career and he put up a great effort, dropping 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 12-27 shooting from the field, but it wasn’t enough. Boston missed 10 shots in a row down with five minutes left in the game while Tyrese Maxey hit multiple daggers to lose Game 7 and officially blow the first 3-1 lead in Celtics franchise history.
Brown’s future in Boston?
Going into the offseason, there are a ton of potential question marks on what the Celtics will do with Jaylen Brown. On one hand, they could trade him to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. They would sell high on the peak of his value for another star that could play alongside Tatum. Brown could also request a trade at some point this offseason and want to be the number one option somewhere else. The Celtics could also just keep him around and continue to retool the team around Brown and Tatum to gear up for a potential title run next season.
Trading for Giannis has so many potential draw backs for the Celtics. He would be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season, so Boston would have to give him an extension and I don’t think they want to spend all of that money for a player who has been injury-prone in the last few seasons going into his late-30’s. When it comes to Brown requesting a trade, he hasn’t expressed any desire to leave Boston in his most recent comments and out of all the possible places he could go, the Celtics would be his best chance at winning another championship.
Brown has ingratiated himself within the fabric of Boston with all of his charity events, pop-up shops, and other endeavors that I don’t see him or the Celtics wanting to go their separate ways. Jaylen will be turning 30 years old next season and has been the longest tenured Celtic for a couple of years now. I don’t see his stint ending with Boston anytime soon and I am excited to see what he and a healthy Jayson Tatum can do next season.
Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)
Buffalo, New York; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Sabres -122, Canadiens +102; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Series tied 3-3
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres in game seven of the second round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Saturday for the 11th time this season. The Sabres won 8-3 in the last meeting. Jack Quinn led the Sabres with two goals.
Buffalo is 50-23-9 overall and 23-10-5 against the Atlantic Division. The Sabres are seventh in the league serving 9.7 penalty minutes per game.
Montreal has a 23-13-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 48-24-10 record overall. The Canadiens have a 49-9-9 record when scoring at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has scored 40 goals with 41 assists for the Sabres. Rasmus Dahlin has three goals and nine assists over the last 10 games.
Cole Caufield has 51 goals and 37 assists for the Canadiens. Lane Hutson has 10 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 5.3 penalties and 14.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Canadiens: 5-4-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.3 assists, 6.1 penalties and 19 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).
Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 03: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is losing his patience with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
On Sunday night, Brown took to his FCHWPO Twitch channel to address Smith directly over comments the $40 million talking head made about Brown’s post-Game 7 livestream. And it only took three words to get a feel for where Brown’s response was heading.
“F*ck Stephen A,” Brown said during his Twitch stream Sunday night.
Smith spoke critically of Brown on ESPN’s “First Take” after Boston surrendered a 3-1 first-round series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers, primarily focusing on the 2024 NBA champion’s comments that the year, despite its finish, was his “favorite.”
“This is why, respectfully, a lot of people say, ‘f*ck Stephen A,’” Brown said. “Because this is the type of stuff he does, and then he doesn’t recognize it. But he’s creating a narrative saying that the reason why I’m saying that I had my favorite season is because, selfishly, I had a best-performing year — not the fact that we outproved expectations. Not the fact that everybody expected us to be nothing, and we had to fight, and we showed up, and we competed every single day, and had to fight for every victory.
“Not the joy of watching our teammates grow, or not the growth of watching guys who are unproven start to solidify themselves as well through leadership, through chemistry. He maybe doesn’t understand that because maybe he’s never had to fight for nothing in his life. Maybe anytime adversity has hit, he’s rolled over, or he’s gave in.”
Smith immediately jumped on the airwaves of the worldwide leader in sports to vocalize his interpretation of Brown’s comments, portraying him as a selfish teammate. Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points as Boston’s primary scorer this past season and finished sixth in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić, and Cade Cunningham.
It was the first time Brown had ever received MVP votes, but, as the five-time All-Star reiterated, that wasn’t the motivating factor behind calling this past season his favorite.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown speaking to his online audience during Sunday night’s Twitch stream.
Brown also took issue with Smith’s remarks that he should “be quiet” unless he’s “trying to get traded” from Boston.
“Did he just say I need to be quiet? Be quiet for who? Man, f*ck Stephen A. Stephen A, Stephen B, Stephen C. My offer still stands. You want me to be quiet and stop streaming. Well, I want you to be quiet and get off these networks because you’re not using your platform to do real journalism. You’re using your platform to use clickbait.”
Once Smith’s ESPN commentary hit Brown’s radar, he offered the longtime personality to stop streaming under the condition that Smith retire. Brown, most notably in recent years, isn’t the only NBA star Smith has clashed with from his multi-million-dollar throne. Last year, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took issue and confronted Smith courtside at Crypto.com Arena after Smith used Bronny James’ struggles as an NBA player benefiting from nepotism to challenge LeBron’s abilities as a father.
Smith ran with that incident like a Taylor Swift summer tour to drive social media engagement and ESPN segments long past the expiration date, encapsulating the broader issue athletes have raised with members of the media and the current landscape.
Smith continued toeing the line and moving the goal posts, speaking with what appeared to be rift-creating undertones by highlighting Tatum’s appearance on “First Take” while questioning why he never joined his running mate Brown on his Twitch channel. Brown caught that right away and called it out, questioning why the face of ESPN, rather than breaking down the game and his performance specifically, was instead fixated on speculating about the relationship between Brown and Tatum.
That especially rubbed Brown the wrong way.
“That last statement took the cake,” Brown responded. “Like, you’re talking about JT coming on my stream. What did that have to do with anything? It’s the same conversation we had before. You’re supposed to be doing journalism. You’re supposed to be talking about the game and sports — my performance. Cool. We blew a 3-1 lead. I understand, I can take accountability for that. That’s fine. But when you start bringing this other stuff up, and you don’t see how that line is getting crossed, when you talk about other people’s families, and you talk about other people’s character, and you talk about other people’s personal lives, etc., and you cross that line, and you don’t think somebody gonna cross that line back? Boy, you crazy as hell.”
For years, Smith and ESPN have moved away from traditional sports coverage — and its standards — leaning instead on hot-take fodder by using the biggest teams and athletes for debates, most of which aren’t rooted in anything beyond social media chatter. Smith has been a central figure in that shift, frequently using athletes such as Brown to drive viewership for clips in a way similar to a YouTuber, while pushing most of journalism’s rules of thumb to the side.
In 2024, before Brown and the Celtics won the NBA Finals, Smith stated that Brown was “not liked” among his NBA peers due to issues with his ego and attitude. Brown responded on X, calling for Smith to “state (his) source,” before the two later had a sit-down interview to clear things up.
“You ain’t nothing but a cozy fire in a burning down house,” Brown added.
Brown doubled down on his offer to Smith and the proposal of removing him from his seat to restore “integrity” within journalism as a whole.
“Tell this motherf*cker to retire, because he’s the face of clickbait media,” Brown said. “And maybe with his retirement, we can spark a movement to get the rest of these motherf*ckers outta here or to also have some type of — forget journalistic integrity — actual integrity.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The basketball world has been expecting the San Antonio Spurs to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Both teams took care of business in the first two rounds to face off in one of the most highly anticipated matchups in recent memory.
For the first time in the playoffs, the Spurs will start the series on the road. San Antonio split their games in OKC this year. The Spurs were 4-1 against the Thunder in the regular season. You can essentially throw out the regular-season matchups between these two teams, as most of them were not played at full health, and both teams are a lot better since the last time they played each other. The Thunder are undefeated in the playoffs so far, and the Spurs have been at another level since February.
San Antonio has played well on the road in the playoffs, going 4-1. Stealing a game in Oklahoma City is going to be a tall task, but this team has stepped up to every occasion so far this postseason. Winning Game One in this series would be a major feat and would signal that the Spurs can seriously win this series.
Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle), Luke Kornet – Questionable (foot)
Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee)
What to watch for:
Limiting turnovers
The Thunder’s best offense is their defense. When OKC can turn teams over, they get a lot of open shots in transition. They forced 16.7 turnovers in the regular season. They are excellent at playing physical at the point of attack and getting into passing lanes to force steals. They’ll want to do this a lot against San Antonio, because scoring in the half-court against Victor Wembanyama will be difficult. Producing easy looks in transition will be a priority for OKC.
The Spurs can be susceptible to turnovers, primarily when facing extreme physicality on the perimeter. Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama can do a bit too much with the ball when pressured, leading to turnovers on the other end. When they beat OKC in the regular season, the Spurs kept the turnovers low. They’ll need to take care of the ball to give themselves a chance to win this series.
Three-point shooting
The recipe for beating the Thunder in the regular season was not letting them get easy looks inside and forcing some of their so-so shooters to beat you from deep. If Alex Caruso or Lu Dort took a lightly contested three, that was a win for the Spurs. If those players are hitting shots, defense becomes much harder for the Spurs. Alternatively, San Antonio will need to hit their three-point shots to keep OKC honest. The Thunder will direct a lot of defensive attention to Wembanyama in half-court offense. Guys like Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell can provide some relief if they hit shots.
Wemby vs. Chet
It’s the rivalry that everyone says isn’t a rivalry. Wembanyama wants to destroy Chet Holmgren every time he steps on the basketball court. Anyone watching can understand that, no matter what they say off the court. This is the highest stakes competition Wembanyama has faced Holmgren in since FIBA play. It’s going to be interesting to see how that chip on Wembanyama’s shoulder manifests itself in this series.
Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -6.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Knicks host first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers to start the Eastern Conference finals. New York went 2-1 against Cleveland during the regular season. The Cavaliers won the last regular season matchup 109-94 on Wednesday, Feb. 25 led by 23 points from Donovan Mitchell, while Jalen Brunson scored 20 points for the Knicks.
The Knicks are 35-17 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Cavaliers have gone 33-19 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland is second in the Eastern Conference scoring 119.5 points per game and is shooting 48.2%.
The Knicks' 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are the same per game average that the Cavaliers give up. The Cavaliers are shooting 48.2% from the field, 2.2% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 17.4 points over the last 10 games.
James Harden is averaging 23.6 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers. Mitchell is averaging 26.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 44.4% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 8-2, averaging 120.4 points, 44.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 51.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.0 points per game.
Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 111.1 points, 42.4 rebounds, 22.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.6 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: OG Anunoby: day to day (hamstring).
Cavaliers: Larry Nance Jr.: out (illness).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Donovan Mitchell also made six rebounds and made eight assists [Getty Images]
The Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed top seeds the Detroit Pistols 125-94 in their series decider to secure a place in the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Sam Merrill and Jarrett Allen 23 and Evan Mobley 21 for the Cavaliers, while Daniss Jenkins was the Pistons' highest scorer with 17.
Cleveland, who lost the first two games of the series, raced into a 20-point lead in the first half before wrapping up a 4-3 series win at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The fourth seeds will face third seeds the New York Knicks for a place in the NBA Finals, with game one at Madison Square Garden in New York at 01:00 BST on Wednesday.
"This is fantastic. But we've got to be more disciplined," Mitchell said.
"We shouldn't have to wait to get hit, to get punched in the mouth and face a go-home situation."
Detroit, who finished the regular season with a 60-22 record, have not reached the Eastern Conference finals since 2005.
The Cavaliers or Knicks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
The Western Conference finals begin at 01:30 BST on Tuesday in Oklahoma.
Gilgeous-Alexander wins second straight MVP
Oklahoma guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.
The 27-year-old is the first player to do so since Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022, and the first guard since Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry in 2015 and 2016.
"It's special - not really for me personally but more so for the city and organisation," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
He received 83 first-place votes and won with 939 points in a ballot of 100 voters.
Jokic finished second and Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama third.
After signing a four-year contract extension worth a reported $285m (£214m) in the off-season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 68 games as Oklahoma finished the regular season with a 64-18 record.
Bafflement at Old Trafford, Chelsea’s Wembley drought goes on and Leeds give fans cause for optimism
Luke Shaw’s first goal in over three years for Manchester United was a further reminder of the left-back’s capabilities. This has been his best season at Old Trafford having featured in all 37 league games thus far, leaving his injury-prone past forgotten. Considering Shaw’s experience and quality, he should be considered for a spot at the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel does not have a vast array of riches in the position and Shaw’s consistency has been key to Michael Carrick’s turnaround at Old Trafford. “He deserves to go,” said Carrick after the win against Nottingham Forest. “His consistency, his performances, his experience, his qualities. He’s an excellent full-back.” Nico O’Reilly is the current first choice for England and he has a very different profile from Shaw, having converted from playing as a central midfielder under Pep Guardiola. Tuchel may want to take Shaw to provide variety and reliability, which would be a sensible approach. Will Unwin
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 17: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after his team defeated the Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game Seven of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time since 2018, the Cavs are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavaliers went all-in on this core when they traded Darius Garland — who admitted after the season that his toe still wasn’t right — for a decade-older James Harden. It’s too early to say the gamble has completely paid off. We can at least say they’ve reached the minimum for this season not to be labeled a disaster.
This team took a step forward this postseason.
Going into training camp, head coach Kenny Atkinson wrote 11-15 on a whiteboard. That was the Cavs’ postseason record in the previous three seasons.
The current version that won tonight was comprised mostly of the same players as those previous teams, but this group is different.
They faced adversity and responded in a way that we simply haven’t seen before. After falling behind 0-2 against a 60-win team, they strung together three impressive victories that showcased different skills. And then, after a demoralizing Game 6 loss that was all too reminiscent of previous postseason collapses, they responded with a win that showed that this team is, in fact, not the same.
That difference starts with their star player.
“It’s been almost a decade of running into the same issue,” Donovan Mitchell said after Game 7 when asked what it means to get to the conference finals. Some of those issues were self-inflicted. Some weren’t.
Before the game, Kenny Atkinson said that Mitchell being more of a playmaker has been an emphasis this postseason, even though this hasn’t come to fruition yet. He wanted Mitchell to “hit singles” and make the easy pass.
Mitchell did that. He picked up three helpers in the first three minutes of the game by easily reading where the help defense was coming from and then making the pass to the open man.
When he’s doing that, the game opens up for him and everyone else — especially the bigs.
Atkinson had dinner with Dan Gilbert on Saturday night, and he gave Atkinson some advice: “The spark for this is Jarrett Allen.”
This resulted in Atkinson drawing up the first play for Allen, and the rest is history.
Allen finished off a few easy dump-offs in the paint in the opening three minutes, two of which came from Mitchell.
The more you feed Allen, the more force he plays with. We saw that as he continually attacked the basket in the short roll and around the rim. And when he’s playing with that energy level on offense, he carries it over to the defensive end as well.
“His energy, his effort, rebounding, drawing contact wherever he played like that,” Evan Mobley said. “It’s a whole different team for us.”
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Allen played with an edge that we don’t typically associate with him. He repeatedly took it to Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Paul Reed, pushing them off their spots. Allen was the aggressor until he finished with 23 points and seven rebounds.
After being the star of two straight Game 7’s, maybe it’s time to bury the notion that Allen can’t come up big in the playoffs.
“This is just who he is,” Mitchell said. “He was phenomenal for us, even before I got here. I’m glad people are starting to see how he really is.”
Once one big is attacking inside with that much force, it makes it easier for the other one to get going.
Mobley has consistently elevated his game this postseason. That continued as he was forceful in his attacks on the basket both as a roller and off-the-dribble. He did this while keeping his eyes up and looking for his teammates, which allowed him to finish with six assists.
The Cavs are an inside-out team. If they’re able to get to the basket, the three-ball opens up.
Sam Merrill was the biggest beneficiary of this as he knocked down four triples in the first half when the game was still up for grabs. That took the life out of a building that was already on oxygen at that point in the game.
“He was unbelievable,” Atkinson said. “We weren’t rolling until he came in the game.”
Merrill ended the night with 23 points on 5-8 shooting from three.
This was an all-around impressive team performance that was made possible by Mitchell’s approach.
He didn’t punch the ticket to his first-ever conference finals by dominating the ball scoring at an impressive clip. Instead, it was because he did all the little things he hadn’t done at a high level in any of his previous postseason runs with the team.
This was the most complete game we’ve seen from Mitchell, considering the moment. He was helpful in every facet of the game.
Mitchell’s willingness to move the ball only made it easier for him to score. He had a playoff-high eight assists. The threat to pass to one of the bigs or kick it out to a shooter in the corner forced Detroit’s defenders to stay home, which opened up driving lanes to the basket, as evidenced by his 26 points on 10-22 shooting.
This was paired with Mitchell being a disruptive defender. He was forceful at the point of attack, and he held up well when switched onto Cade Cunningham or one of Detroit’s forwards. This was in addition to being helpful off-ball as he picked up a steal and a block.
This performance was fitting. Mitchell has been the steadying force all year. He’s the reason why the Cavs were in a position to do anything in the first place.
“He kept this thing together,” Atkinson said. “When things weren’t going great, he was the beacon, the light, his leadership carried us on the court. … And when things weren’t going great, he was the person everyone looked to his positivity. I would have said this even if we lost.”
Mitchell has all the talent in the world, which typically only shows through in his incredible scoring. However, games like this show you that he could be the best guard in the league if he consistently made an effort like this on all aspects of the game.
The New York Knicks will be a formidable matchup, but not an impossible one. If you can get this version of Mitchell, the one that’s locked in defensively and trying to find his teammates for open looks, the Cavs have a good chance of winning the conference.
The organization appears to be on the backend of its championship run years, with aging players such as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the roster.
The Warriors could either use the pick to address a need or focus on their future.
If the Warriors use the pick, it will be the first time the organization has drafted a player since 2023, when the team picked Brandin Podziemski.
Green and veteran center Al Horford will have player options to return to the team. Forward Kristaps Porzingis and guard Gary Payton II will be among the top unrestricted free agents.
Here are predictions from sports experts in their mock drafts for the Golden State Warriors:
