Justin Verlander was shelled for four home runs, and the Hens couldn’t put much together at the plate against Twins’ starter Mick Abel and the Saints’ bullpen on Wednesday.
Well, Justin Verlander appears healthy, so I don’t know how much longer the Tigers can keep him on the injured list. He also looks incapable of starting successfully in the major leagues right now. Enjoy that dilemma, Scott Harris.
The right-hander allowed four solo shots in 5.2 innings of work, and there were several other very sharply hit balls in play in this outing. What there was not, was much swing and miss. Verlander threw 86 pitches, recording six whiffs, four of them on the fourseam fastball, which averaging 92.9 mph with below average extension. The riding action is still good, and he topped out at 95.5 mph, but we would’ve liked to see him sitting more comfortably around 94 mph. He worked on his slider for much of the outing but it wasn’t very sharp.
Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko recorded the first two homers in the second and third innings, respectively. Verlander settled in for a couple of innings, but in the sixth, Matt Wallner crushed a slider and Gabriel Gonzalez a fastball back-to-back to finish Verlander’s outing on a pretty sour note.
Ben Malgeri hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for the Hens only run.
Ben Malgeri rips a solo homer over the wall to get Toledo on the board. That’s his 8th home run of the year, and it raises his slash line against left-handed pitching to .375/.478/.750 pic.twitter.com/zXBM1b08eA
Things got even rougher for the future Hall of Fame set when Kenley Jansen took over the in the seventh. He quickly gave up three runs on a walk and two hits, striking out one, and Yoniel Curet had to take over with two outs. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three more runs of his own, and Konnor Pilkington gave up two more before this came to an end.
Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 3B
Malgeri: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Verlander (L, 1-1): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Jansen: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, B, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start time on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.
Tigers have acquired RHP Jacob Waguespack from the Brewers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Waguespack currently has a 1.66 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Triple-A.
The 32-year-old has a 5.11 ERA in 105.2 career MLB innings, most recently with 2024 Rays
Carlos Peña was hit hard in this one, but the SeaWolves fought back and then seized control in the middle innings to win on Wednesday.
Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the second to open the scoring, but Peña was knocked around for four runs in the third, and another in the fourth.
So it was 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the SeaWolves started turning this game around. Thayron Liranzo led off with a walk and was wild pitched to second. Bigbie singled home Liranzo, and Chris Meyers singled as well. After a pair of strikeouts, E.J. Exposito finally cashed in the runners with a double to left, and it was 5-4 Akron.
Unfortunately, Peña wild pitched a run home in the fifth, and so the task was again more difficult down 6-4.
Brett Callahan kicked started the final push with a solo shot to right field for his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth. That was Callahan’s fourth homer in five games, and the well rounded outfielder is starting to make a serious push toward Toledo.
Brett Callahan hit this ball a long way for his team-leading 11th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/4acaico1fJ
In the sixth, Meyers led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on throwing error, while Exposito walked and Seth Stephenson singled. Stephenson stole second base, and a swinging bunt toward third from John Peck scored Exposito as Peck beat out the throw to first. Stephenson never stopped running and tore around third base and home under a tag at the plate for an 8-6 lead.
Dariel Fregio and Tyler Owens were each excellent in relief, throwing a pair of scoreless innings apiece.
Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K (.913 OPS on the year)
Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2B, SB
Peña: 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the series.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Lake County Captains 4 (box)
Ben Jacobs was a little wild in this one, which made for another relatively short outing, but he allowed just one run while his teammates went off at the plate.
Jacobs struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and in the top of the second, Clayton Campbell singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Luke Shliger flew out, but Cristian Santana drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Juan Hernandez singled in Campbell, and Caleb Shpur singled in Santana for a 2-0 lead.
Jackson Strong, Garrett Pennington, and Bryce Rainer all walked in the third, but Pennington was thrown out in a double steal attempt with Strong taking third, and they couldn’t push across a run.
Jacobs walked the first two hitters in the fourth, and wild pitched a runner to third. A single scored the run before Jacobs dug in for a strikeout, pop up, and a ground out to escape the inning.
So it was 2-1 Whitecaps, and it was quickly 3-1 when Woody Hadeen and Strong doubled back-to-back to start the fifth. In the seventh, Shpur singled, and Strong walked before Pennington mashed a three-run shot to left center field for a 6-1 lead.
Logan Berrier gave up a run to the Captains in the seventh to make it 6-2. he gave up a two-run shot in the eighth as well.
However, Strong launched a two-run shot to right in the top of the ninth to make it 8-4 and put this one away. After a solid but unspectacular first two months, Strong is suddenly scorching hot. The strikeout rate is still way too high, but he’s homered four times in five games and may be turning the corner a bit.
Strong: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K, SB
Campbell: 2-5, R, K
Pennington; 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The series is tied heading into a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
Cash Kuiper put together a solid start and the bats were hot as the Flying Tigers built an early lead and then poured it on to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.
Kuiper wasn’t getting a ton of whiffs, but he spun five innings of one run ball.
The offense took over in the top of the second as Carson Rucker walked with two outs. Singles from Nick Dumesnil and Jack Goodman followed for a 1-0 lead. Anibal Salas doubled in both runs, and then scored on a Jordan Yost double for a 4-0 lead.
Jordan Yost with a nice inside-out RBI double to left that put Lakeland up 4-0. pic.twitter.com/sgjTQktBWi
In the fifth, Jesus Pinto, Beau Ankeney, and Edian Espinal all singled with one-out. That scored one run, and Rucker drew a two out walk to load the bases. Dumesnil was hit by a pitch to make it 6-1, but that was all they’d get.
However, in the top of the sixth, Salas was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, and Yost then went deep to right field with a 102.3 mph shot for his first home run of the season. 8-1 Lakeland.
Congratulations to Jordan Yost, who launches a 2-run blast to right for his first professional home run. Left his bat at 101.2 MPH and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/PitNF3nhbI
Later in the inning, Espinal doubled and scored on a Jude Warwick single. Yost was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to make it 10-1.
Win Scott, Andrew Pogue, and Eliseo Mota were all solid in relief, allowing just two baserunners over the final four innings.
Yost: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Espinal: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB
Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Kuiper (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Flying Tigers look to run their winning streak to four.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 10: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks shoots the game winning shot during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“I knew there was a lot of time left. I knew we’ve got to get a little lucky, but let’s do what we have to do to make some of that luck happen.”
On Jalen Brunson’s performance:
“Jalen, he’s an MVP candidate. I say the same thing about Jalen every game: He does what an MVP is supposed to, and he did it again tonight.”
On OG Anunoby’s Game 4 tip-in:
“How he had to control it and tip it in, that has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball. It’s unbelievable. Just how he had to control it and tip it in.”
On challenging Anunoby before Game 4:
“I challenged a lot of our guys today, and OG was one of the guys I challenged. I told OG, as big, as strong, as athletic as he is, he’s got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight. I don’t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history in Knicks basketball. That was a huge offensive rebound. Huge offensive rebound. He took on the challenge, and he went and won the game for us doing exactly what I called him out for during shootaround today.”
On not changing much schematically before the second half rally:
“Really, we didn’t change much. We basically kept the same game plan. But defensively, we just did it [better] for longer stretches, and we were really in tune to what we were supposed to be doing. Our level of physicality increased without sending them to the free-throw line as well, which is huge.”
On Jose Alvarado’s Game 4 impact:
“Jose was unbelievable tonight. He changed the game. His speed, his ability to touch the paint… if you don’t close out to Jose, as hard as he works on his shot, he’s gonna make you pay. If you close out to him, he’s quick enough to go by you and he made some great basketball plays offensively tonight. And then he was great defensively.”
On the league not upgrading Victor Wembanyama’s foul to a flagrant before Game 4:
“The league is gonna do what they’re gonna do. You gotta live with it. They ain’t gonna listen to me, they ain’t gonna listen to nobody else. You just hope at the end of the day, everything is consistent on both ends throughout the whole game, that’s it. It is what it is. Stuff like that can cause a fight. Obviously, they didn’t see it. If it happens in the future, fingers crossed the officials see it and call it, but again, it’s out of my control. The officials are human; they’re gonna miss stuff. You hope that they miss stuff for both teams, but they’re gonna miss stuff.”
On the Knicks’ chemistry, continuity and keeping a group together:
“The longer you can keep a group together, I think that’s better. And it’s kind of always been that to a certain degree. You know, way, way back, the Lakers, they had Karl Malone, I think Gary Payton and a couple other superstars that they threw together one year, and it was hard. Not to say that it can’t be done. I’m sure it’s been done. But the longer the group can stay together, I feel the better chance they have.”
“That’s called Knicks basketball. Stay together, be together. And look at this f—— energy man. This is who we do it for.”
On the Knicks’ mindset at halftime in Game 4:
“Regardless of the outcome, these next 24 minutes, we better bring it and show them how we really play basketball.”
On proving the first half was an anomaly:
“We needed to show them that first half was a fluke.”
On playing in the fourth quarter of an NBA Finals game:
“Playing in the fourth quarter, that’s something, when you play this game, that’s when you want to play at. Shout out to our bench… we all stepped up when our number was called and I’m glad we got the job done today.”
On being part of the Knicks’ journey:
“Just to be part of the journey is amazing. I appreciate coach [Brown] and everybody giving me my flowers, but this is what I worked hard for, to be in moments like this and it’s showing. I’m glad we got a win today and I’ll definitely remember this for the rest of my life.”
On Brown’s message to the team while trailing:
“Stay together, and chop the lead down. More importantly, stay together and stay confident.”
On nearly crying after the Game 4 win:
“I was about to cry, not because — obviously there is one more, but … I’m at Madison Square Garden, end of the fourth quarter, playing with these guys, and we’re playing for something special. It’s really something. I couldn’t put it in words.”
"Right hand of God!"✋
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado talk about OG Anunoby's game-winning tip-in.
KAT: "He gave us a chance to win and that's all you can ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA." pic.twitter.com/CoAlOxZ4J7
“He gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you can ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA.”
On Jose Alvarado’s Game 4 performance:
“He’s a special player. His tenacity, his defensive ability and his offensive ability that I got to see first-hand… He has so much to his basketball game that people don’t give credit to and I’m glad at this stage and like this he was able to show the world what he can do when he’s given a chance. Jose Alvarado literally told everybody in the world tonight he’s a big time player.”
On an emotional Madison Square Garden after the comeback:
“I felt for all of y’all who were at the game, obviously, you could feel the abundance of joy at one time from everyone at one time, the collective joy that came out of everybody for that one moment, to hear the buzzer going off and not to see the ball go in the basket, I think we all felt something, like that emotion that was special. It’s something that MSG hasn’t had that kind of moment in a long time, so shoutout to our fans for real. I’ve seen people leave before the game was over at MSG, watching on MSG Network before. … You could see my reaction, the emotion, it kind of spilled out of that moment. It was tears of joy … All you can do is ask for a chance. And for me personally, I just wanted one break in life. And I got one.”
“We’re a team, a brotherhood, you know, we just have each other’s backs. That’s just how it goes sometimes. We would all do the same for each other.”
On his message in the locker room at halftime:
“I’ll just say stuff like, ‘We’re fine. Stay with it, we’re fine.’ “We know it’s a game of runs. We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated. Cut it down to 18, cut it down to 12, cut it down to six. Pushing through. It’s a 48-minute game. Just play to the end.”
On how Mike Brown challenged him at shootaround:
“Make an impact on the offensive glass. And it happened at the end.”
On crashing the glass after Brunson’s miss:
“I inbounded the ball to Jalen. He got a pretty good look and I just went and crashed. Tried to get a tip-dunk or something. The ball went over my head, so I couldn’t really dunk it. So, I tried to tip it in softly and it went in.”
“I was free. There was no one boxing me out. So I just went in there for a tip-dunk and then ended up just tipping it in. Brunson got a pretty good look. And I just went and crashed.”
On the defensive turnaround in the second half:
“Our contests were better, just 1 percent better. Getting out faster and then finishing possessions with rebounds.”
On pulling off another monster comeback:
“When you do it once. You know you can do it again.”
On the MSG faithful belief in these Knicks:
“They believed the whole way.”
On the team’s resilience:
“We stayed with it. It’s a game of runs. We’ve come back before, we’re battle-tested, we’re tough, we’re a resilient group.”
On staying focused on the task at hand:
“We’re enjoying it right now. But we’re just focused on the next game now.”
On the Knicks’ chemistry playing a big role in their postseason run:
“For sure, having another year together builds chemistry, builds just every day learning how to play off each other. Yeah, that means a lot. It’s a big time for us. Just going through the experience last year — we played a lot of games, 82-plus — and losing in the Eastern Conference finals and learning a lot of things about each other definitely helps.”
"I got a special shout-out for OG because he saved me … a lifetime of regret.
On OG Anunoby saving him after the missed layup and rebound:
“I’ve got a special shout-out for OG, man, because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret. So I’m sitting there just hoping my guys make a play. And OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here. This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.”
On Anunoby’s season and game-winner:
“This whole playoff run he’s been amazing, and he’s a winning player, and he went and made a winning play.”
On the fourth-quarter defensive effort:
“That’s unreal, and doing that especially in the fourth quarter. We were able to get stops without fouling, and that fueled our offense.”
On where he ranks the Game 4 win among his career highs:
“I won a national championship in 2016. [Jalen Brunson] and [Mikal Bridges] will probably remind you that I only have one and they have two. So that night is No. 1. This one is definitely No. 2.”
On the trust and familiarity within the Knicks:
“I think you just get a familiarity and a certain comfort level with those guys. All of them can go out there and make plays, especially end of shot clock. … I think it’s more so the trust that’s built, and you know where everyone likes the ball and plays for them to execute.”
“Really wasn’t that much to be said at that point. It was really just, we need to chip away. We need to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there.”
On focusing on what’s next instead of getting distracted:
“The most important thing for me over the next 48 hours is focusing on what we have to do to win Game 5. There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”
On OG Anunoby’s Game 4 performance:
“OG is someone who brings it, every night. Does what’s asked of him, plus more, every single night.”
“I don’t think any of us have ever seen anything like that. It’s a lot to process.
“On the bench when we’re slowly walking them down and you feel it shift a little bit and there’s a little bit of hope there that creeps in, it’s hard to explain, but if you were in the building, everybody felt it. This isn’t just talking about staying in the game, let’s cut the lead. It was like, ‘No, we’re here, let’s make something happen.’”
On Alvarado’s spark:
“He checked into the game and changed the game. That’s when things really started to shift. He’s a spark. The energy he brings for us … he was ready to go and stepped in and made some huge plays for us.”
“To put as much good work into that first half as we did and get the lead that we had and not finish the job, it’s disappointing to say the least. We felt the momentum [shift]. Too much to overcome? I didn’t feel that way until the clock hit zero…. We got away from playing the brand of basketball that got us the lead. And then you saw at times, the aggressiveness and conviction that we played with early on dissipated and they made some shots. We needed a couple of more tough-minded plays to finish the job.”
Victor Wembanyama:
End of Game 1: 👽Dribbles off foot
End of Game 2: 👽Butt pass 👽Fouls Jalen Brunson 👽Misses good look at buzzer
End of Game 4: 👽Misses both FTs 👽Doesn't crash boards on losing putback 👽Ball not in hands last shot
“It began before that. I can’t really explain it right now. Stopped moving the ball. Stopped executing.”
“I can’t really explain it right now, I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”
“It’s gonna go one of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up; the good one would be getting stronger from this, getting more together, and this is what we’re gonna do.”
“It was painful, of course. It feels like we’re working too hard to give up our leads. It just hurts.”
On what’s next for San Antonio after suffering the worst loss in NBA history:
“Holding each other accountable, communicating, not pointing fingers. After that, we either got it or we don’t. But we’ve proven we can surpass these difficulties, and even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built this way and we’re gonna get better from this.”
On focusing on his weaknesses during his early development:
“As a kid, whether you’re 10, 13, 16 years old, you’re working for the future. You’re trying to develop your range of skills. I would say, long story short, play on your weaknesses, not only your strengths.”
On the Spurs’ identity:
“What we’ve built with this team is we have an identity that makes everybody dangerous. Sometimes it will pay off over a season, [sometimes] over a playoff series.”
On the MSG crowd and playing on the road:
“I like lively crowds, active crowds. … At home, it’s an extra motivation because you want to give the people who support you a good show. On the road, you want to do the opposite.”
“We’re all definitely hurt. I mean, we kind of gave the game up. Was up, what, 30? Hurt, I mean, angry. But I mean, I feel like this is all fuel to the fire for us. I think that we’re just going to go out next game with a sense of fire, and we’re just going to focus on game five. I mean, can’t do anything about it now.”
“A whole new fire, I feel like, is ignited in me, in a sense that we gave that game away. And if we’re going to lose, we’re not going out like that. We’re going to put up a fight. We’re going to keep swinging.”
On the Spurs’ chemistry despite their youth:
“I feel like those kind of events and things like that make up for the years that we weren’t together or the years that we haven’t had. So, the biggest thing, I feel like, is chemistry when you get in a building like this, when you get in an environment like this. I feel like we have the most chemistry and camaraderie, and togetherness as anyone else.”
On OG Anunoby’s tip-in:
“It bounced off the rim the right way. He tipped it in the right way. It went in. I could play, ‘Wish I could have did this, wish I could have did that.’ But at the end of the day, he tipped the ball, and it went in the rim. I definitely thought I had a hand on it. I definitely think I helped put the ball in the rim. But just got to box out.”
The Knicks led for just 53.8 seconds in Game 4 🤯
That's the 2nd-lowest amount of time leading in a Finals win since the 1976-77 merger 😲 pic.twitter.com/QBOqZGc6Sq
“Coach Mitch said it best, we’ve pretty much dictated the winner and loser of all these games. I think that just finishing games and just trying to maintain our lead has been tough for us.”
Keldon Johnson
On the Spurs’ belief after going down 3-1:
“The main thing is that belief is there. We believe. Our belief is as high as ever. You don’t get here without belief, without faith in each other, and that’s not going to change now. If it was easy, everybody would do it.”
"I just thought I'd be able to outrun [OG Anunoby]."
De'Aaron Fox explains his late game shot that was blocked by OG Anunoby.
On going for a layup late instead of just running the clock:
“I just thought I’d be able to outrun (OG). That’s it. I tried to get the layup to get up three, force them to need a three, and OG made a good block.”
On what makes the Knicks different:
“Yeah, I mean, I think just all four of our playoff series this year. I mean, Portland, physical team. Minnesota, physical team. OKC, physical team. New York, physical team. I think all these teams have something in common.”
“I think on the offensive end is where these teams are really different. Neither of those other three teams shoot the ball like [New York] does. Neither of those other three teams play as fast as [New York] does. Knowing there’s something similar that we come out but knowing there’s going to be differences in some of the nuances of schematics or personnel. I think those three series did help us prepare for the physicality we were going to see.”
“We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization. … The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game.”
Charles Barkley after the Spurs allowed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history 👀 pic.twitter.com/Y7t4UZsVhU
“We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization. We saw they had a 25-point lead, took eight straight threes. Like they thought… that was some of the most mismanaged and stupid basketball.”
“Hey, when you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you. The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupid a– stuff I’ve ever seen on the basketball court. When they shot when they had a 25-point lead, they shot eight threes in a row.”
“Never even came close to using any time on the clock. And you’re like, ‘This game ain’t over yet.’ Then the Spurs and DeAndre Fox, whatever his name is. Calling him a– DeAndre tonight.”
“That was a dumba– play. He did not have to shoot that ball. They could have just gotten fouled. There was no reason for him to shoot that ball. They had a 29-point lead, and they shot eight threes in a row and never came close to losing any time on the clock, and you’re like ‘This game ain’t over yet.’ The Knicks got a Christmas gift in June tonight.”
On the Knicks’ historic comeback and Fox’s decision:
“We just watched the Knicks make the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history! The first and second halves were two completely different stories – the Spurs dominated in the first half and the Knicks stormed back in the second. Jalen Brunson put the team on his back with his 36-point performance, but OG Anunoby was the true hero tonight, finishing with 33 points AND the game-winning tip-in!”
“De’Aaron Fox made a huge mistake when he got the ball with seconds left in the fourth and decided to go for a layup instead of dribbling the ball out to be fouled. I think the Spurs have another win in them, and the Series will stretch out to 6 or 7 games, but I still see the Knicks winning it all.”
"I just tried to make a play."🔥
OG Anunoby after making the game-winning shot in the Knicks' Game 4 comeback 😤 pic.twitter.com/uYx9SwGfOw
“Fox, come on, fam! Finish that or dribble it out.”
Latrell Sprewell
On the Garden atmosphere during Game 4:
“I’ve heard it loud in here before. I remember how loud it was when [Larry Johnson] hit that four-point play against the Pacers in ’99. I’ve never heard it like this.”
“That game was physical as shit. There was times where [Karl-Anthony Towns] was holding on to [Victor Wembenyama], grabbing him, and it was no calls. There was times where [Jalen Brunson] was getting bumped. It was no calls.”
“I think that the physicality of this series is it’s whoever’s the most physical team, but the smart physical team, because now, after a game like that, game three back in New York, all eyes are on it, the energy that’s surrounding it, they’re going to pay close attention to all the little shit in the game. So don’t be surprised if game four they come out and the game is super tight.”
On the Knicks’ lack of response to Wembanyama’s shove of Brunson:
“Somebody should have put Wemby right there. You put me on the ground and you laughed at me? Nah. Next play, boom. He got to feel something.”
On the need for standing up for teammates on the court:
“It’s like football. If you hit the quarterback late, them offensive linemen come see you.”
On the criticism of Brunson’s shot volume:
“The reality of that is he has to do that. If he don’t do that, Knicks don’t stand a chance.”
On Towns’ small fourth-quarter involvement heading into Game 4:
“KAT just can’t have one shot in a half, fourth quarter. You can’t be doing that in the Finals. You got to set the tone for Game 4 in the post. That’s what KAT got to do. And that will help JB.”
“I don’t think I know enough about the history of the older teams to fully know. But forget the Knicks, this is one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in NBA history.”
“One word that captures that all is just believe.”
Jalen Brunson joins Inside the NBA to react to the Knicks’ historic comeback win in Game 4 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lj0GKIGYaO
“They’re going to win it. I think this is going to be the time. I knew I wanted to see it in my lifetime, and it feels like Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs right now even though [San Antonio’s Victor] Wembanyama is really good. But right now, Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs.”
On wanting to play and lead the Knicks in his prime:
“I wanted to be the one to bring the Knicks back and be a real core piece in my prime. Being the Defensive Player of the Year in the Garden, I just felt like that would’ve been a helluva — if you would’ve come to the Garden with me on the other side in my prime, good luck to you. I’m always going to go back to me, personally. But for the Knicks to win the championship now, you can’t take it away from nobody. You can’t take it away from anybody from New York. You can’t take it away from the players. You can’t take it away from the coaches. You can’t take it away from the owners. You can’t take it away from the fans. We want to see that because we’re from New York.”
Apr 6, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor (24) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Being selected 49th overall, Tyrese Proctor faced an uphill battle for relevance in his rookie season. Even though his playing time was uneven, he showed that there’s a pathway to battle for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ backup point guard spot as early as next season.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Regular Season Stats
5.4 points
1.3 rebounds
1.5 assists
41.3% FG
35% 3PT FG
88.9% FT
It’s tough to break into the rotation on a playoff team as a rookie, never mind a second-round pick on a team with a dearth of guards. Proctor was always going to have to flash in his limited meaningful minutes with the Cavaliers this past season. For the most part, he showed that he could be up to the task with more development.
Proctor’s bread and butter is his jumper. In college, Proctor shot the three-ball around 40%. While that number dipped down to around 35% in the NBA, it could climb back up with more stable minutes in the future.
The majority of the opportunities Proctor was presented with came either in garbage time or in short bursts. The Cavaliers have done this before, most recently with Jaylon Tyson, sprinkling in some quality runs to get the young guy familiar with the system in meaningful moments.
Proctor has a lot physically going for him, he is 6’5” and has a good frame for showing combo guard potential. The Duke product isn’t a defensive hound by any means, but the instincts shown this past season give hope that there is potential for two-way play. The size gives him a huge advantage, while the athleticism is enough to create havoc in passing lanes and make smaller guards’ lives harder.
Where Proctor really struggled with was playmaking for others. It felt like sometimes the game was a little too fast. Proctor was forcing passes to make the perfect read, which while showing that he can see the floor, he didn’t necessarily have the ability yet to convert on those reads.
Proctor had 40 turnovers compared to 74 assists. A 1.85 assist-to-turnover ratio is not great, however, it is fair to note that going forward it is likely that this primary facilitator role will be held by either Donovan Mitchell or James Harden. It will be imperative that Proctor can alleviate either for possessions at a time rather than for entire games. Proctor will rarely, if ever, be the point guard of the Cavaliers’ offensive ecosystem.
Proctor’s road map is definitely there for next season. The Cavaliers have Dennis Schroeder and Craig Porter Jr. on the books vying for that backup point guard spot. Neither really offers much upside, so it’ll be a perfect opportunity for Proctor to flash his offensive skills and make use of his frame on defense.
The rookie laid a decent foundation for his role with the Cavaliers. With increased reps, Proctor could rise to become a valuable contributor sooner rather than later.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 09: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his power-play goal against Carter Hart #79 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In hockey, as in life, the game of what if’s can go just about any direction possible.
By now the story about the end of Jordan Staal’s stint with the Penguins is fairly famous since it gets repeated just about nightly on national hockey telecasts. Which, hey, why not, since it is such a colorful story to tell. News that the Pens traded Staal to Carolina broke on his wedding night in the summer of 2012, while he was surrounded by many teammates in what understandably had to be a crazy and surreal scene. What is often left out of the story for brevity before moving onto other subjects is that Staal decided to reject a 10-year contract offer from Pittsburgh earlier that week and would have been an unrestricted free agent in 2013, so it wasn’t like a major trade on NHL draft night was a true bolt out of nowhere, it just happened to have bad timing since it was when his wedding was scheduled. (Interestingly enough, Staal would soon sign a 10-year contract once traded to the Hurricanes with a $6.0 million cap hit, the exact offer that was on the table from the Pens).
So, in that sense, what was done was about the only result that could have happened, pragmatically-speaking. Pittsburgh made their best shot to keep Staal, and at the time he felt it in his best interests to decline. The only real ‘what if’ has to start based around changing Staal’s answer in the first place.
Which leads to the great hypothetical: what if Staal would have signed with the Penguins in 2012?
The first issue to confront and address would be the NHL’s salary cap in 2013-14, when the new contract would have kicked in. It was set at $64.3 million. Adding Staal at a $6 million cap would have been 9.3% of the salary cap, which to put into today’s dollars on a $104 million cap would be the equivalent of a $10.1 million cap hit.
Add Staal to Crosby and Malkin (each at 13.5% of the cap, $8.7m hits, with Malkin increasing to $9.5m in 2014-15) plus Marc-Andre Fleury and Paul Martin’s matching $5m hits would have taken up 52% of the total space in 2013-14 for just those five players. A massive problem in the latter part of the Ray Shero era was finding enough talent to create a quality team around their star players, retaining Staal would have compounded that issue even further, likely to negative results for the club’s overall success in that 2013-18 range (did anything good end up happening then for the Pens?).
Had Staal stayed, the shape of the Penguins would have had to morph drastically as a result. That might start with Chris Kunitz, Pittsburgh had Kunitz re-sign in 2013 for a $3.85 million cap hit for 2014-15 (at the time the Malkin+Letang increases kicked in). Jam Staal into the Pens’ structure and that would have made for a sticky situation to keep Kunitz. A $3.85 million contract might not sound like a lot from the 2026 perspective, but back then that was 5.6% of the cap, comparable to $5.8 million in today’s cap dollars. (And, let’s not forget both Crosby+Malkin would be at $13.5m each in today’s dollars. Throw Staal’s $10 in there and suddenly we can understand the math isn’t adding up for someone like Kunitz).
Going down that rabbit hole, beyond just someone like Kunitz – the possibility can’t be dismissed that Pittsburgh keeping Staal would directly tie to having to shed one of Malkin or Kris Letang in the 2013 or 2014 range prior to their next contracts in 2014-15. Letang’s 10.5% of the cap contract in 2014-15 is almost an $11 million contract in 2026-27 dollars. At some point it was fated to become an inevitability that the core of high picks of Fleury-Malkin-Crosby-Staal couldn’t be retained indefinitely in those early days of a restrictive salary cap once they got into their high-earning days. The way the timing and contract lengths worked out it ended up being be Staal as the first to go due to his unrestricted free agency coming up the soonest.
There’s more possibilities for change in every area you look. Staal staying with the Pens could have altered whether or not the Pens acquired Brendan Morrow the following spring in 2013. That proved significant since of the pick Dallas sent to Pittsburgh ended up being used on Jake Guentzel, and Pittsburgh wouldn’t have been in position to select Guentzel without having that pick. Therefore, it’s conceivable that keeping Staal could have changed the course of the franchise in ways both obvious and under the surface. Changing any one decision can have a cascading effect down the line for everything else that is to come in ways large and small. That’s deep into the butterfly flapping its wings causing a tornado on the other side of the continent, but the direct line can be traced just the same.
The other glaring result without requiring a deep dive is that Brian Dumoulin and Nick Bonino were added to the organization via the Staal trade (Dumoulin coming directly from Carolina, Bonino traded for Brandon Sutter, a piece Pittsburgh got for Staal) and those two were instrumental in the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cups. Dropping Staal meant increasing the team’s depth, eventually leading to success. It’s possible there’s a path that includes keeping Staal leads to championships in the mid-2010’s, but it would be difficult to do the same or better than how the reality played out – with the Staal trade leaving no small lasting effect on the Pens.
In the end, without the benefit of viewing a parallel universe to see how it all played out under slightly different circumstances, we ultimately couldn’t say for sure what would have happened if Jordan Staal agreed to a contract with the Penguins. Maybe the Pens don’t have Malkin and never drafted Guentzel. It also doesn’t have to be negative, maybe the Pens would have traded for some excellent players that we can’t even fathom now because their focus was changed. Literally any potential scenario is possible once getting into that realm, without any one clear path.
Regardless of exactly how the Pens with Staal post-2012 would have panned out, it is indisputable that a large number of team construction decisions would have been different to make it all work with the salary cap. Without going too off the rails, we can take comfort that fate generally worked out the best for all parties- especially now that Staal has seen his 14 years in Carolina pay off by helping get them within reach of a Stanley Cup. In the end, Staal’s choice not to sign with the Pens and Pittsburgh’s use of the resources they got from him helped to bring two more Stanley Cups to Western Pennsylvania, while also sending out what would have been a very successful and popular player away from the team that drafted him, allowing him to get onto his next chapter that’s still being written.
But we can always stop to wonder how it might have gone if that decision was different..
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) makes the call to the bullpen during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on June 9, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s less a question of “if” than “when” as it pertains to whether the Yankees will add to their bullpen this year. Though the consternation over the club’s relief unit has been overblown (the bullpen does have the third-best ERA and best expected ERA in the American League right now), it’s clear the Yankees plan to make some sort of alterations to a group that contains a few question marks.
As of now, there’s probably only two guys out there that fans would pencil in with relative confidence as late-inning guys, in David Bednar and Fernando Cruz. That pair, barring injury, will almost certainly factor into the Yankees’ high-leverage plans throughout the year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the hierarchy will shake out.
Outside of Cruz and Bednar, which Yankees reliever are you most optimistic about? As shaky as the group has felt at times, there are some decent choices to pick from. Maybe the most obvious choice is Camilo Doval, whose 100-mph cutters and sinkers force one to wonder how it’s even possible that he’s not a dominant reliever. Doval has looked better lately after a terrible first couple of weeks of the season, but he’s still got an unimpressive 5.47 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the year.
Perhaps you’ve bought into Brent Headrick, who actually leads the Yankee bullpen in fWAR and narrowly trails Cruz in rWAR. Though he won’t run a 2.03 ERA all year, Headrick has done an admirable job missing bats and limiting homers, sitting 94-95 mph from the left side. There’s also Paul Blackburn, whose quietly been excellent at managing contact this year, and has seen his fastball velo tick up toward 95 mph, the hardest of his career.
There’s of course Tim Hill, the early-season hero who’s numbers have taken a hit after a few bad outings lately, but still has the look of a good contact-manager. There could ostensibly be some Jake Bird believers out there, with the right-hander posting totally cogent fielding-independent numbers. One could even cape for the flame-throwing Yovanny Cruz, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the Yankees, but whose control problems (he walks 4.5 per nine in the minors) have likely kept the team from committing to him.
Look up and down the bullpen, and the Yankees really have managed to coax fine production from most of their relievers this year, but there just aren’t many that inspire iron-clad confidence. If you had to choose one, which of the Yankees’ relievers that aren’t fully in the Circle of Trust now would you bet on to ascend there by season’s end?
It’ll be a relatively light day, as we all catch a breather while the Yankees travel back from Cleveland. In the morning, John wonders whether Paul Blackburn can take the Luke Weaver route to a high-leverage relief role, and Andrew recaps Wednesday’s American League action. Later, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Dan Topping, and Andres analyzes the dismal production the Yankees have gotten from their catchers at the plate the last few weeks.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Many worried how the Yankees offense would suffer in the absence of Aaron Judge as he recovers from a broken rib, and while they will always be a better team with him in the lineup, they have to feel encouraged about the sweep they just completed over the Guardians scoring 18 runs across the three games. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt in particular stepped up in Cleveland and the hope is that they can continue to lead the team into the summer.
Also contained within this series takeaway was a nugget that Ryan Weathers was seen warming up in the bullpen in the fourth inning on Wednesday and was “in play” as a reliever according to Aaron Boone despite being scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Friday. It offers an insight into the Yankees’ rotation plans as Max Fried makes progress in his elbow injury rehab, Weathers perhaps now the first name on the chopping block for a move to the bullpen.
Yahoo! Sports | Jordan Shusterman: Gerrit Cole labored through his Tuesday night start against the Guardians, though it is interesting to note that he threw his first 100 mph fastball in an MLB game since September 28, 2022. Cole offered some insights into the possible cause of the bump in velocity, noting the hot, humid weather and a very elevated heartbeat up to what he felt was around 185 BPM. He did admit that he was completely gassed by the 29-pitch third inning where the Guardians scored two runs, but also felt encouraged that he was able to complete four innings and limit the damage to two.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As Anthony Volpe neared his season debut from offseason shoulder surgery, Aaron Boone promised the media and fans that José Caballero had played well enough that he would not lose the starting job at short should Volpe hit better than him upon returning. Well, it turns out that is exactly what happened, Volpe riding a ten-game hot streak to start his campaign to effectively steal the starting shortstop job from Caballero. Volpe has gone cold since then with a 78 wRC+ in 20 total games yet continues to receive the lion’s share of starts at short despite several notable fielding blunders and non-competitive at bats. To be fair, Caballero has gotten starts in the outfield with Judge injured, but that is also taking playing time away from guys like Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann, both of whom have been more productive hitters than Volpe in limited playing time.
New York Post | Ryan Dunleavy: Jasson Domínguez is nearing his return from a shoulder injury and has been learning a new position in his Triple-A rehab assignment. Domínguez manned right field in his two outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite playing just one game there in the minors and none in the majors. The idea is that it will give him the opportunity for more reps between right and DH with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined. Once Domínguez has completed his rehab assignment, Spencer Jones is the most likely to be optioned to make room on the major league roster, though Boone did not guarantee an immediate call-up and committed to playing it day-by-day based on the performances of Domínguez and Jones.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: In addition to overlapping on the report of Domínguez’s position change, Miller provides an update on Carlos Lagrange’s progress transitioning to a bullpen role. Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven in his first relief appearance as the bulk guy to follow and opener before giving up a run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings his next time out. He had five days of rest in between those relief appearances and the plan now is to reduce the time between outings. The Yankees still believe his long-term future is as a quality big league starter, but the hope this year is that he can reinforce the struggling big league bullpen with his triple-digit heater.
Knicks fans threw objects at Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama as he and his teammates returned to their Midtown hotel following New York’s historic comeback win on Wednesday night.
Wembanyama had just gotten off the team’s bus and was walking towards the entrance of the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad when an object was hurled towards him and smashed into a street sign, according to video posted on X.
San Antonio’s towering 7-foot-5 center, wearing street clothes and carrying a large Louis Vuitton duffel bag, ducked as the apparent piece of trash shattered against the post.
An object is thrown at Spurs’ star Victor Wembanyama as he walked from the team bus to the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad after Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 11, 2026. @KingCharge/X
Security guards grabbed Wembanyama and rushed him inside the luxury hotel as the crazed fans continued jeering the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, shouting “Wemby” after the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in the 107-106 loss.
Wembanyama made one last glance at the thousands of Knicks fans behind metal barriers before he vanished inside the hotel.
Police have not been called or made any arrests around the hotel as of early Thursday morning, the NYPD told The Post.
“The Alien,” as he is known, scored 24 points and one assist in the 44 minutes he played, making only eight points in the second half and missing two crucial free throws when the Spurs were up 104-103 with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter.
Play got chippy early Wednesday night as Knicks center Mitchell Robinson was called for a flagrant foul after throwing an elbow into Wembanyama, knocking San Antonio’s big man to the floor.
As his teammates ran to pick him up, Wembanyama stared down Robinson, pointing at his temple, saying ‘I’m in your head.”
Knicks fans throwing stuff at Wemby and the Spurs as they arrive at their hotelpic.twitter.com/R2qGunsxBW
Wembanyama made one last glance at the thousands of Knicks fans behind metal barriers before he vanished inside the hotel. @KingCharge/X
Two quarters later, Wembanyama was hit with his own Flagrant 1 after his elbow came across the face of Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns while he was trying to break free as the Spurs held their 29-point lead.
Knicks fans had swarmed the area around W28th Street waiting for the Spurs to return to the luxury hotel they’ve been staying at while in town for Game 3 and Game 4 of the NBA finals.
Hours before tip-off, Knicks fans had given the Spurs a “boo-filled” send-off to Madison Square Garden as the team boarded the bus headed towards the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Wembanyama had been branded public enemy number one after he got away with shoving Knicks’ captain Jalen Brunson in a dirty play during the first quarter of Game 3 on Monday.
Had Wembanyama been charged with a flagrant in Game 3, he would now have four flagrant foul points that would’ve suspended him for one game, meaning he would have missed Game 5 back in San Antonio on Saturday.
New Yorkers had called for “Wemby” to be charged with a flagrant foul, but both the referees and NBA officials declined to charge the penalty to Wembanyama.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs works against Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. 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 Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I cannot believe that just happened.
At halftime, I remarked in the P&T group chat that I wasn’t doing player grades. Why should I? The entire team deserved a big ol’ F.
He wasn’t immune to the unanimous feeling of being flustered in the first half that every last Knick felt, so some of the possessions looked downright ugly early, but he calmed everything down in the second half, leading the impossible comeback.
He played 23 minutes in the second half. He had 17 points on 6-11 shooting. He nailed momentum shot after momentum shot. It was vintage Jalen Brunson.
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) June 11, 2026
But what was most impressive was that he was more willing to get the ball out of his hands. He had some bad turnovers, but had a series-high in assists and was more willing to work off-ball. The plan coming into the game was very clearly to get back to the KAT-centric offense, but him getting in foul trouble early ruined it.
I cannot find it in my heart to critique really anything. Even his startling final shot was calculated. He dragged Victor Wembanyama out of the paint with his gravity, and it allowed OG Anunoby to fly in for a putback to win the game.
I refuse to be too negative after that game, but this was another disappointing game for Bridges, who’s now just 1-for-4 in the Finals on impactful games.
He played just 28 minutes and spent a lot of the fourth on the bench after not making much of an impact early. The defense wasn’t good enough. The offense wasn’t good.
For all the good that Josh Hart has done for this franchise, this could’ve been the game that sealed him in history in infamy.
The brick open layup for the lead. The ball-watching on the Stephon Castle offensive rebound. Two disastrous plays threatened to spoil one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Even aside from that, he didn’t really do much. He clearly had some sort of impact, being on the court for pretty much the entire comeback, but man.
This is one of the greatest games in Knicks history. This was, quite simply, unbelievable.
He made clutch three after clutch three. His shooting in the first half was the only reason we weren’t down 50. Every time he had the ball, he made something happen.
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) June 11, 2026
He made a game-saving play when he swatted De’Aaron Fox on a layup with 15 seconds to go. He then hit the greatest shot in franchise history by tipping in a missed 3 by Brunson.
It was absolutely abysmal that he was forced out of the game in one minute because of two ticky-tack calls. He’s a star. Why doesn’t he get a whistle like one? Oh, wait, I can think of a reason.
Anyway, the one benefit of him being glued to the bench for the entire first half is that he was able to empty the tank in the second half, playing 17 of his 26 minutes. He was unable to get to much offense, but he was a beast on the boards, re-established physicality on Wemby, and played with energy.
He also scored five points in that fourth-quarter run, including an incredible stepback three and a drive on Wemby himself that was probably also a blocking foul. Zach Zarba, this is why you let the man play.
Genuinely unbelievable that this is the shot KAT ended up with on this possession lol pic.twitter.com/rrvX1JvPI8
— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) June 11, 2026
(Bonus: He seems to have tipped the game-ending inbound that led to Castle not getting a clean catch. Big time stuff.)
Mike Brown got bold in the fourth quarter. He played Alvarado alongside Brunson, giving up a ridiculous amount of size on the defensive end to diversify the team’s offense and take pressure off JB.
In his 16 minutes, he committed five fouls. He played with intensity. He bit Wemby’s ankles. He made two massive shots in a row to cut the lead to four with 3 minutes to go.
Couldn't believe this from Alvarado. Big time move with no fear of the moment. pic.twitter.com/y6smvAAS1u
He probably deserves a D, to be honest. He looked gassed when he had to come in to play early for KAT. He missed three layups early and a dunk in the third quarter. He was pulled for Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan.
Why does he get a C? He got a lick back on Wemby late in the first quarter for his shenanigans the last two games. It wasn’t the turning point, per se, but it was the warning shot that the Knicks were done getting punked by Victor Wembanyama. That’s what an enforcer does.
Wemby has been great in isolation so far this game and gives Mitch Rob some extra words afterwards
These were some ugly minutes. When the Knicks tried to make a run in the third quarter, he was extremely clumsy with the ball and threw away multiple possessions.
You had to reward him with minutes with the way Deuce is playing and how he played on Monday, but goodness.
Miscellanous
Ariel Hukporti: Welcome to the series, Huk! Three minutes, 1 block, 1 foul. He didn’t really do much, but I guess he was the start of slowing down Wemby late in the second quarter?
Jeremy Sochan: The only thing I remember him doing in three minutes was taking a hilarious turnaround jumper that missed badly. The center rotation was in shambles in that first half. Trey Jemison III, where art thou?
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 21: Juan Sanchez #13 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Jays’ International Free Agent pipeline has been a bit down in recent years. Vladimir Guerrero jr. and Alejandro Kirk are homegrown stars who signed at 16, but they’re it on the roster right now. There isn’t a ton of immediate promise on the farm, either. Recent top dollar signings, including like Manuel Beltre, Luis Meza, and Enmanuel Bonilla have crashed out in the low minors. On our top 40, the highest rated homegrown IFA was Fernando Perez at #8, and he’s slammed into a wall at AA this season and is now on the non-injury development list trying to rebuild his arsenal. He’s joined by Victor Arias, another prospect struggling a bit in New Hampshire, Silvano Hechavarria, who signed at 20 out of Cuba and so effectively represents a different class of prospect, and Juan Caricote, this year’s big signing who’s just getting his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.
Juan Sanchez, our #12 pre-season prospect, represents one of the few bright spots. He was actually the third largest bonus the Jays handed out last year, behind Cristopher Polanco (not looking great) and Seojun Moon (just 5 appearances at the complex so far, but early reports are intriguing). Sanchez got off to a hot start to his pro career, posting a .341/.439/.565 line that was the 11th best in the DSL, with most of the guys ahead of him being older players repeating the level.
The Jays rewarded his precocious debut with a jump over the complex and straight to A ball to begin the 2026 season. Sanchez is one of just 11 qualified hitters 18 or younger in full season ball. The early returns weren’t promising. Through his first 20 games, Sanchez was hitting just .118, with a 30% strikeout rate and just two extra base hits. Since then, though, he’s found his footing, trimming his strikeout rate to 25% and posting 13 XBH, including a triple and three homers, for a .313/.367/.554 line.
The cornerstone of Sanchez’ game is power. He’s listed at 6’3” and 180lbs, and while he already looks substantial his shoulders are broad and he has plenty of room to pack on good weight. He’ll probably be huge as a full grown man. Baseball America notes in their scouting report that he hit a ball over 115mph last season. That would be a monster number for a 17 year old, and he hasn’t gotten close to that this season, but his hard hit rate is a respectable 37%, and 45% since things started to click for him this time last month. His swing also naturally produces his hardest contact in the 8-32 degree range of launch angles that accounts for almost all extra base hits and home runs. This is the profile of a potential 30 home run hitter if he can refine his hit tool enough to allow all that power to play in games.
Admittedly, there’s work to do on that front. Sanchez has been aggressive this year, swinging at right around 50% of the pitches he sees. He’s chased exactly a third of the time against a 66.1% in-zone swing rate. That’s not terrible plate discipline, but it’s not great either. He’s also got a fair bit of swing and miss in his game. His in-zone contact rate is 75.1%. That’s a huge drop from the 89% he posted in the DSL, but he’s trending in the right direction by raising it to 78.3% over the past month. That’ll be a key thing to watch going forward. League average zone contact is around 85%. It’s fine if Sanchez comes in a bit below that if it’s the result of a swing that allows him to use his power, but not many productive hitters land below 75%, and ideally he’d get into the 80s. Contact outside the zone is less important, but his 39% rate there is also low.
The good news is that I think experience and pitch selection are a bit part of the issue. He has great bat speed and doesn’t have trouble catching up to high heat, with a contact rate of 80% on fastballs 94 and above in the zone. The big issue seems to be on breaking balls, which he whiffs on in the zone and chases below it far too often. That’s hardly a surprise for a teenager who’s suddenly facing a steady diet of college drafted pitchers whose arsenals and approach are far beyond anything he’s seen before. Over time, he’ll hopefully learn to lay off and adjust to pro quality breakers, and indeed his improvement over the last month shows that he’s already taking steps in that direction.
Sanchez has mostly played third base so far this season, moving off shortstop in deference to Jojo Parker. That’s probably his long term home anyway, as he’s already a fringy runner who’s almost certainly going to slow down as he bulks up. His actions are just OK, but he has a strong arm that can make all the throws for the position and I think he can stick on the dirt. He projects as a 5-6 hitting slugger whose big power production more than makes up for lower averages. There’s a lot of ground to cover between here and there, but his holding his own and showing he can adjust after big jumps in competition this season cements him as a major prospect and a bright spot in the international talent pipeline.
Visualizing LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to join the Warriors requires tuning out financial implications, a hyperactive imagination and prolonged suspension of disbelief. Too many reasons why it can’t happen. Won’t happen. Shouldn’t happen.
And some are saying off the record that it cannot be dismissed.
“I know it seems crazy,” one well-connected league source told NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday. “But there is at least curiosity on both sides. This wouldn’t even be a conversation five or six years ago, and it might not happen now, but there’s enough there that we shouldn’t ignore the possibility. It’s mostly up to LeBron.”
The general belief is that James likely will remain in Los Angeles, where he can continue to play alongside his son, Bronny, and stay close to his family. The Lakers can offer a considerably larger contract than Golden State, which tops out at the non-taxpayer midlevel exception of about $15 million.
Many other factors keep supplying oxygen to the speculation, from the mutual respect between Stephen Curry and James, along with Steve Kerr’s deep appreciation for smart players. There also is the proximity of the Bay Area to James’ home and business infrastructure in greater LA.
There is another factor, however, that won’t leave my mind: Attempting a feat never accomplished has a seductive appeal for alpha competitors like Steph and LeBron. No team with its top four players averaging more than 35 years of age has won the NBA Finals.
Curry and James have built legendary careers by defying realistic expectations. Steph, selected seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft, is the only unanimous MVP winner in league history and the engine within a once-forlorn franchise becoming a global icon. James entered the league as a teenager advertised as the next superstar and has exceeded that. He’s the all-time leader in games, minutes and points, top five in assists and top 25 in rebounding. At age 40 in 2024-25, he still was putting up MVP-like numbers.
Once bitter rivals in four consecutive NBA Finals, Curry and James have since bonded over shared greatness and as teammates on Team USA basketball. Their competitive fires continue to burn, and they still enjoy beating each other. But when elite athletes see the sun setting on their careers, they better understand they share a bigger community. Different teams, same society. Their hearts tend to find enough room for appreciation.
James went on record years ago saying he likes the idea of playing with Curry.
Curry has not fully reciprocated, not yet, but a meeting is expected, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Knowing Steph’s thirst for playing “meaningful basketball,” he’d listen to any move that would bolster the Warriors.
Is that enough for Curry to gather influential teammates Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green – one of LeBron’s best friends – to make a recruiting pitch? Probably. The least that can happen is no agreement.
The most that can happen is James rocking the world by working out a deal with Golden State. Why would he even consider such a thing? Because his presence would intensify marquees in every town the Warriors visit. Because he knows it would be unique to punctuate an illustrious career. Because he likes/respects Steph and Jimmy and Draymond.
And because LeBron’s contract, whether $50 million in LA or $15 million in Bay Area, won’t be the primary force behind his decision. He’s already said as much. And it’s believable insofar as his net worth, according to the pocket-watchers at Forbes, is about $1.4 billion.
Why would Warriors CEO Joe Lacob be on board? Because he loves stars. Because he learned 10 years ago, after successfully recruiting Kevin Durant, that anything is possible if you persuasively shoot your shot. Lacob knows the value of a superstar goes beyond on-court metrics, and that every game at Chase Center would be The Event, not just in the NBA but across sports.
As captivating as it is when it’s Steph vs. LeBron, Steph and LeBron would be irresistible.
Durant was a rival until the Warriors chased and caught him. Chris Paul was a rival, and the Warriors traded for him. Perhaps the poster man for Golden State’s surprising star-level additions is DeMarcus Cousins in 2018.
But it was only a few weeks ago that Kerr said he didn’t want another roster top-heavy with guys unable to play back-to-back sets. Butler turns 37 in September and isn’t expected back until midseason. James turns 42 in December. Green turns 37 next March, 10 days before Curry turns 39. If all four are on the roster, Kerr could find a way to stagger them.
James is set to become an unrestricted free agent in month’s end. The chatter connecting him to the Warriors isn’t going anywhere until somebody on either side shuts it down.
Meanwhile, enjoy this improbably juicy morsel of summer. For however long it lasts.
OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks blocks De'Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs in the closing seconds of Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the NBA finals.Photograph: Michael Gonzales/NBAE/Getty Images
For nearly 47 minutes, the San Antonio Spurs looked poised to leave Madison Square Garden with the NBA finals level at two games apiece.
They’d led by 81-52 in the third quarter, brought a frenzied Madison Square Garden crowd to heel and put themselves on the verge of reclaiming home-court advantage after having dropped the first two games at home. Even after the Knicks mounted a furious second-half fightback and wiped out the entirety of San Antonio’s 29-point cushion, the Spurs still appeared to have one final lifeline.
Then came a decision that could haunt San Antonio for years if the Knicks go on to end their 53-year championship drought.
The Spurs led 106-105 with less than 15 seconds remaining Wednesday night when Jalen Brunson’s floating bank shot ricocheted into the backcourt. The loose ball bounced toward De’Aaron Fox, who sprinted after it and found himself racing toward the basket with only a trailing OG Anunoby between him and what looked like a game-clinching score.
Instead of pulling the ball out and forcing New York to foul, Fox attacked the rim. But Anunoby chased him down and blocked the lay-up attempt.
Seconds later, the Knicks had the ball back. Brunson missed a 31-footer off the front of the rim, but Anunoby soared in from the top of the key and tipped home the winner with 1.2 seconds remaining, completing an improbable 107-106 victory and the largest comeback in NBA finals history.
Fox did not shy away from explaining his thought process afterward.
“You have to score. Try to get a lay-up, get up three [points]. Force them to need a three,” Fox said. “OG made a good block.”
Asked why he went for the basket rather than dribbling out the clock and forcing a foul, the ninth-year point guard was to the point.
“I just thought I’d be able to outrun them. That’s it.”
The explanation did little to quell the criticism.
On TNT’s post-game show, Charles Barkley delivered a verdict that quickly spread across social media and sports television.
“That was a dumbass play,” Barkley said. “He did not have to shoot that ball.”
The blunt assessment reflected the reaction around the basketball world. With the Spurs clinging to a one-point lead, Fox had safer options available. He could have retreated from pressure and waited to be fouled, shaving precious seconds off the clock. He could have used San Antonio’s final timeout. Instead, he chose the most aggressive path – a gamble Anunoby made him pay dearly for.
Of course, reducing the collapse to a single possession would let the Spurs off too easily. The final mistake merely capped a spectacular unraveling that had begun long before Fox found himself alone in the open floor. San Antonio scored 76 points in the first half but just 30 after half-time. The crisp ball movement and long-distance sharpshooting that had carved apart New York’s defense evaporated as the Knicks chipped away at the deficit.
“Obviously let that get away, being up [29 points],” Fox said. “Got away from doing the things that got us up and put ourselves in that position.”
“I think we played a little slower,” he added. “The ball wasn’t moving the same way that it did in the second half like it did in the first half. We didn’t get a flow on the offensive end in the second half.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson saw the same thing.
“We got away from what got us the 76 points in the first half,” Johnson said. “Then you saw at times the aggressiveness and just conviction that we played with early on dissipate a little bit. They made some shots. That’s where you felt the momentum a little bit. We just needed few more tough-minded plays to finish the job.”
He added: “To put as much good work into that first half as we did, get the lead that we had and not finish the job, is disappointing to say the least.”
Wembanyama said he was unable to see Fox’s fateful layup attempt after tumbling to the floor during the play, but he offered a curt appraisal of the Spurs’ second-half performance.
“We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half,” Wembanyama said. “Stopped moving the ball. Stopped executing.”
That reality may ultimately be what stings most for San Antonio. Fox’s layup attempt did not create the collapse. The Spurs had already let a 29-point lead fritter away by then. What the play did was quash their last chance to survive it.
“Going down 3-1 is obviously very different,” Fox said. “But we feel like we have a team to be able to come back from this.”
Two minutes earlier, the Spurs were staring at a tied series with momentum to burn and a restored clear path to a championship. One miscue later, they were left to reckon with a reality that had seemed impossible minutes earlier.
For the fourth time in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks did not start off the game well in Wednesday night’s Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, going down 41-22 after the first 12 minutes.
It was actually the worst first quarter, in regards to point-differential, by New York not just in the series, but during the playoffs. And after dropping Game 3 on Monday night following another disappointing opening quarter, the Knicks vowed to get off to a better start in Game 4.
What happened instead, though, was New York falling behind by as many as 29 points and going into halftime down by 27 points. A good third quarter helped things slightly, but the Knicks still found themselves trailing by 20 points with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and almost assuredly leaving New York without a win while losing the momentum of the series as well.
Of course, that didn’t happen after the Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history thanks to a complete shift in execution and OG Anunoby’s tip-in game-winner with 1.2 seconds left.
While New York is up 3-1 in the series and just one win away from its first NBA championship in more than 50 years, the series, which moves back to San Antonio for Saturday’s Game 5, is far from over.
Therefore, the Knicks need to start playing like they did in the second half in the first quarter if they want to thwart any ideas of a comeback by the Spurs.
“We got a lot to learn in these next couple of days, but our mentality has to be 0-0 – the way it’s been,” Jalen Brunson said. “It has to be that way and I feel like us moving forward with that mindset could really benefit us. There’s nothing to celebrate because it’s not over yet. Not even close.”
Sure, Brunson is right. While New York hasn’t won anything just yet and the main celebration cannot commence, the team surely celebrated together following Game 4’s improbable comeback win.
But after all of that dies down and the Knicks get closer to Game 5, the goal will once again be to win at all costs.
“We can get excited and enjoy this, but we got one more to do,” Jose Alvarado said. “So that’s the main goal, the next game.”
If New York is able to enjoy a better first quarter, it will give it a better chance to come out on top. And even though it’s possible the Knicks can overcome yet another poor opening frame – let’s face it, they’ve done it three times already – it’s a dangerous way to live.
Sooner or later, New York’s luck will run out if it keeps putting itself into these tough positions. Remember Game 2 where San Antonio was one bad pass away from possibly winning the game?
One could even make the argument that the Spurs deserve to be up 3-1, not the Knicks. Of course, the most deserving don’t always get what they want, and it’s New York who is one win away, but it goes to show just how close San Antonio is and for the Knicks to not take it lightly.
“The most important thing for me over these next 48 hours is just focusing on what I can do to win Game 5,” Brunson said.
It’s the kind of question that’s hard to ask athletes in moments like this.
Wembanyama had led his team to a 29-point lead over the Knicks. He was so confident after sprinting to a 21-point advantage in the first quarter that he taunted Mitchell Robinson, telling him, “I’m in your head.” The Spurs were about to tie the series at 2-2. The Larry O’Brien Trophy was within their grasp once again.
It was wild. It was stunning. It was jaw-dropping.
After the final buzzer, the cheers in the hallway at Madison Square Garden were so loud that it was hard to hear Spurs coach Mitch Johnson address the media even though he was using a microphone. Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller were among the people dancing and screaming in the impromptu celebration that resembled Mardi Gras more than a workplace.
As for Wembanyama, he knew what was coming.
The criticism was going to be brutal. There was going to be an avalanche coming from TV screens, airwaves and newsstands. As the future face of the league, everything ultimately falls on him. But nothing could compare to the demons in his own head.
This is the type of thing that can break a player.
Or it can be his villain origin story.
“What’s going through my mind right now?” Wembanyama asked. “I think it’s going to go one of two ways. One of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.”
So much went wrong for the Spurs in the fourth quarter.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama looks on during the Knicks’ historic 107-106 comeback win over the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at the Garden. NBAE via Getty Images
They were outscored 32-16. They were outshot from the field 60% to 21.1%. They were bested from beyond the arc 60% to 20%.
As the Knicks chipped away at the third-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals history (27 points), a comeback seemed impossible. Improbable. But the crowd got louder. The Knicks inched closer. And suddenly, Madison Square Garden had transformed into the embodiment of a nightmare for the Spurs.
Fingers can be pointed in a lot of directions.
How could Wembanyama have missed two free throws with 1:47 left and the Spurs up 104-103? Jalen Brunson then made a floating jumper with 1:22 remaining to give the Knicks their first lead of the game, 105-104.
Victor Wembanyama said it’s up to him and his teammates to “hold each other accountable” after the Spurs’ historic Game 4 loss to the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Why in the world did De’Aaron Fox attempt a layup instead of dribbling out the clock with the Spurs ahead 106-105 and 13.5 seconds left?
Then came the dagger.
How in the heck did no one box out OG Anunoby following Brunson’s missed 3-point attempt?
Anunoby came flying out of nowhere to make a tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining, delivering the Spurs a blow to their jugular.
It was brutal.
How do the Spurs recover from this?
“Holding each other accountable,” said Wembanyama, who had team highs in points (24), rebounds (13) and blocks (3). “Communicating. Not pointing fingers. And after that, we either got it or we don’t. But we’ve proven that we can surpass these difficulties. Even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built that way and we’re going to use the better of this. It’s going to tighten us up.”
For the Spurs, there’s a lot of string to spool after the greatest unraveling in NBA Finals history.
Remember that turnover that haunted Wembanyama in the final seconds of Game 2, when he threw the ball off Stephon Castle’s back? Child’s play. What happened in Game 4 is the type of thing that will reverberate for years.
Maybe longer.
The Spurs had outshot the Knicks at halftime 59.6% to 40.5% from the field and 53.8% to 33.3% from beyond the arc. They were soaring. The narrative was about to become, “Will the Spurs be the first team in Finals history to recover after losing their first two games at home?”
Now it’s something else altogether.
This was embarrassing. It was shocking. It was gut-wrenching.
As nearly 20,000 people roared with joy inside Madison Square Garden at one of the most stunning games in sports history that brought the Knicks within one win of their first championship in 53 years, a shocked 7-foot-4 superstar tried to show his resolve.
But this loss was devastating. It was a collapse of epic proportions. An undoing.
It left a wound that’s not going to scar anytime soon.
For the first time since 1996, Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic returns to Philadelphia.
The 96th All-Star Game arrives just in time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday.
And with the turnaround of the Phillies under former six-time All-Star and now interim skipper Don Mattingly, there is more juice surrounding the weekend and who will participate in the game.
Mattingly, who has led the Phils to a 28-12 record, was asked by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to join his coaching staff alongside Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Roberts took down Mattingly’s Blue Jays, where he served as bench coach, in last year’s Fall Classic.
But what about personnel?
Who will don the red pinstripes on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park?
It starts with the group fans cannot vote on.
Pitchers.
Two names stand as locks, pending health, a little more than a month out.
Cristopher Sánchez has registered the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 1.54 while leading the sport in starts (14), innings pitched (93 1/3) and bWAR (5.0). The Phillies’ lefty ace also authored a 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the fifth-longest in the modern era and longest by a left-handed starter.
It would make a lot of sense if Sánchez started the game for the National League, but that will ultimately be Roberts’ decision.
If Sánchez gets the ball, he would become the 14th pitcher to start an All-Star Game in his home park. He would be the first since Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in 2022 and the first Phillie since Robin Roberts at Shibe Park in 1952.
Sánchez has also helped the Phillies hand the ball to closer Jhoan Duran in low-scoring save situations. So far, Duran has provided the return on the investment.
He has converted 17 saves in 18 opportunities. That save total is tied for the second most in the National League, behind San Diego’s Mason Miller with 18.
Duran has posted a 1.99 ERA and a 38.6 percent strikeout rate, third best among relievers with at least 20 appearances and second best in the National League.
A lot would have to go wrong for Duran to not have a strong case to make his first All-Star team. He could become the first Phillies closer since Jonathan Papelbon in 2015 to make it.
Zack Wheeler also has a real chance.
In nine starts since returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, Wheeler has posted a 2.22 ERA, fifth among NL starters with at least nine starts. His 0.85 WHIP is the third best in baseball under the same criteria.
His consistency and the respect he has across the league give him a convincing case.
There are stipulations involved.
Every team needs a representative. Some players will opt out. That opens opportunities.
Last year, Roberts carried seven starting pitchers on the National League team. One was Kershaw as the “Legend Pick,” so really six.
Sánchez, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes feel like the other shoe-ins. If you include Wheeler, that is six.
If the National League takes seven again without a “Legend Pick,” one of Los Angeles’ Justin Wrobleski or Yoshinobu Yamamoto could also make the game. Another Dodger, Shohei Ohtani, will take up a roster spot, but if he does not plan to pitch, that should not restrict the National League from taking another starter.
That would be an interesting and devastating group for American League hitters.
Speaking of arms, one more Phillies arm, a dark horse, could pitch himself into the All-Star Game with a dominant stretch before the break.
Setup man Brad Keller currently sports a 3.38 ERA. He has been solid with 13 holds, tied for the third most in the NL. But his durability gives him a chance if names start to drop out.
Keller is one of 15 National League relievers to appear in 30 or more games. He is one of 10 with an ERA below 3.50 and one of four right-handers in that group.
It sounds like a stretch, but as the game inches closer, Keller could find his way next to his bullpen mate in the Midsummer Classic.
The Phillies have sent two relievers to an All-Star Game once in franchise history. That came in 2024 in Texas, when Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman made the team as part of a franchise-record eight total All-Stars.
Offensively, it is pretty clear what the Phillies have to offer.
That is where the fans come in.
Kyle Schwarber, the league leader in homers with 24, should be in play to start the game at designated hitter, but Ohtani stands in his way.
The Phils’ slugger has posted a .933 OPS, third best in the NL and just seven points behind Ohtani. The Dodger has a dozen fewer home runs, but his average (.299) is exactly 60 points higher and his on-base percentage is ahead by nearly the same margin.
Regardless, Schwarber, the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, is a lock to make the game.
It would also be a surprise not to see him participate in the Derby.
Bryce Harper has more competition for a spot, but should be able to hold on if he can fend off another Dodgers veteran.
The Phillies’ first baseman has posted an .893 OPS with a .517 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 28 total extra-base hits.
While his defense has been underwhelming from a metrics standpoint, he has been the second-best first baseman in the NL behind Matt Olson, who has 19 homers, 50 RBI and a .902 OPS.
Harper has played every game of the Phillies’ season. Freddie Freeman, as Harper said recently, is also having a solid year. Freeman is hitting .283 with 10 homers and an .848 OPS.
If both play to the back of their baseball cards until the break, Harper should draw a strong vote total and logically be named as the backup first baseman to Olson as things stand.
Then there is the one that would mean a lot to the Philadelphia faithful and presents a lot of competition.
Brandon Marsh.
The 28-year-old, in the middle of a breakout campaign, is batting .326, fourth best in the majors.
Like the starting pitchers, seven NL outfielders made the team last year.
Washington’s James Wood, Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, St. Louis’ Jordan Walker, New York’s Juan Soto, Atlanta’s Michael Harris and Los Angeles’ Andy Pages feel like six names that could occupy outfield spots.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. also felt like he could be in play, but he has landed on the injured list for the second time in a month.
Marsh could go toe-to-toe with San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, who is batting .338, the best mark among all outfielders in baseball.
Marsh has the edge in extra-base hits, RBI and OPS over Lee, who has put the ball in play more often this year.
Defensively, they are similar.
At the end of the day, though, this comes down to a popularity contest. Lee, who was born in Japan and played professionally in Korea, has a large following and plenty of Giants fans behind him.
Marsh has Philadelphia.
It would be the first All-Star team for either player, and that could come down to the wire.
Be sure to keep an eye on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com for more All-Star content.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 points for the Knicks [Getty Images]
NBA legend Charles Barkley branded the San Antonio Spurs "the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilisation" after the New York Knicks pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
The Spurs led by 29 points as they aimed to level the best-of-seven series in New York before hosting game five, but the Knicks fought back to win 107-106.
London-born OG Anunoby claimed a tip-in basket with 1.2 seconds left to clinch victory, much to the delight of a star-studded crowd at Madison Square Garden, which included Taylor Swift and Timothee Chalamet.
It gave the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the series and put them within one win of their first championship since 1973.
The previous biggest comeback in the NBA Finals was 24 points, by the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
San Antonio went 29 points up in the second quarter and their 27-point lead at half-time (76-49) was the largest for a road team in Finals history, but they then scored just 30 points in the second half.
"That was some of the most mismanaged, stupid basketball," said ESPN analyst and former NBA most valuable player Barkley.
"When you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help, and the San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game."
Victor Wembanyama scored a team-high 24 points for San Antonio and claimed 13 rebounds.
"I can't really explain it right now," said the NBA's defensive player of the year.
"I don't know. I think it's just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren't the most hungry in the second half."
The Knicks still trailed 90-75 heading into the fourth quarter but Jalen Brunson put them in front for the first time at 105-104 with 82 seconds remaining.
Anunoby then made a block with 11.1 seconds left, to stop the Spurs leading 108-105, before tipping in the game-clinching score after Brunson's three-point attempt struck the rim.
"One word that caps that all is just 'belief'," Brunson told ESPN. "It was chipping away, one possession at a time. It wasn't going to be one play to get us back."
Game five is in San Antonio on Saturday (01:30 BST, Sunday).
