PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 30: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 30, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA)
The Pirates continue their road trip, traveling out west to face the Diamondbacks in a three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix.
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Luckily for Ben Stiller, the Met Gala is only one night.
The actor and director was back at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win over the 76ers after missing the second-round series opener on Monday night due to his prior commitment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At the gala, Stiller supported his Knicks when he wore an orange tie, while his wife, actress Christine Taylor, donned a royal blue gown designed by Bibhu Mohapatra. Stiller put up six fingers while he entered the gala, signifying he believed New York would beat Philly in six games in the series. New York did its part with a Game 1 rout of the 76ers.
He had a much more toned-down look at the Garden with a black Knicks hoodie. Sitting not too far from him along the first row was actor Timothée Chalamet — who did skip the Met Gala to attend Game 1 — and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.
Actors Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller on celebrity row during the second quarter on May 6, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jenner attended the gala without her beau. On Tuesday, Chalamet posted a video of him draining a 3-pointer at MSG, prompting the Knicks to reply in the comments: “check your dms we just sent you a 10-day,” jokingly offering him a contract.
Jason Bateman, Sam Rockwell, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet chat courtside at Knicks vs 76ers Game 2 at MSG pic.twitter.com/S8WiQweu6O
Actor Timothee Chalamet and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner on celebrity row during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostJay-Z jokes around with New York Knicks alum Tim Thomas during the third quarter.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The actors were only part of the equation for the Game 2 celebrity scene, as rapper and mogul Jay-Z — the former Nets part-owner — posed for some pictures with Knicks legend and MSG Network analyst Walt “Clyde” Frazier.
Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Spencer Haywood, Chris Childs and Kurt Thomas rounded out the Knicks alumni contingent for the evening.
Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – SS MJ Melendez – RF Mark Vientos – 1B Brett Baty – 3B Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – CF Francisco Alvarez – DH Luis Torrens – C
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 30: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies throws during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not May baseball in Colorado without the annual snowstorm that pops up. Denver woke up to a winter wonderland and one of the biggest May snowstorms in a long while. As a result of the ongoing weather today, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets resume their series with the second game but at a much later start time than originally planned.
Luckily for the Rockies, the groundscrew is always up to the challenge of clearing the field.
Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09 ERA) takes the hill for Colorado, looking to find a groove. Lorenzen has faced some inconsistency at the start of the season, making it hard to gauge what he’s doing to do each start. His last outing against Cincinnati was progressing well until he gave up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to surrender a 2-1 lead. His best outing of the season did come against the Mets, however, as he fired seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits. Walks and a lot of contact have proven to be the main issue for Lorenzen, especially if he isn’t getting ground balls at home. However, he has managed to deliver two solid starts at Coors Field after his disastrous outing against Philadelphia in the home opener
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) makes his eighth start of the year for New York. Among the many things that have gone wrong for the Mets, Peralta has been as solid as ever in the rotation. In his last outing, he faced off against Washington, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings of work. Before that, he allowed two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings against the Rockies in New York. Peralta’s ability to rack up strikeouts is his greatest tool, but he is prone to walk at least three batters in a game. In four career appearances at Coors Field, Peralta has been quite comfortable with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings of work with 30 strikeouts against eight walks.
First Pitch: 7:20 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez #85 and Buddy Kennedy #70 of the Detroit Tigers a solo home run hit by Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida.
Tigers Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez was removed from his position after an investigation into allegations of harassment by a female employee.
Alvarez had his contract terminated on Tuesday “due to violation of club policy.” The Athletic then revealed the harassment allegations in a report on Wednesday afternoon.
The firing is another black eye for the Tigers organization after assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned abruptly in April 2025 after an internal investigation by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment — the parent company of the Tigers — had discovered he sent lewd photos to female team staffers, The Athletic reported.
The latest issue was brought to light to IS+E on Monday.
Alvarez said in a statement to ESPN that he sent a lone “inappropriate” text message to a female colleague and he regretted it “created this situation.”
“I sent a single text message to a colleague that I intended as a lighthearted joke,” Alvarez told the outlet. “Shortly after sending it, I recognized that the message was inappropriate and did not reflect the values and judgment I strive to uphold, and I immediately reached out to clarify my intent.
“I never intended to cause discomfort or offense, and I regret that the message created this situation. This was an isolated incident and not reflective of my long-standing record of professionalism, respect for colleagues, and conduct over the course of my career.”
The IS+E employee handbook states that a violation of the company’s harassment policy are subject to “including immediate termination,” The Athletic reported.
Alvarez’s dismissal continues a troublesome pattern that has come to light for the organization after Menzin and seven other men employed by the franchise were accused of inappropriate conduct toward women since 2023.
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez and Buddy Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida. Diamond Images/Getty Images
Alvarez had been a member of the Tigers organization that was looked at as a possible future big league skipper after being promoted to manager of Triple-A Toledo last year.
Alvarez, 52, was the manager of Double-A Erie when the team won the Eastern League title in consecutive seasons in 2023 and ’24.
When The Athletic released its report in September, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson denied the need for outside counsel to examine the workplace culture.
“Do we need to focus on continued improvement in our culture? Yes,” he told the outlet in September. “But I’m very confident that there isn’t a larger issue from a misconduct standpoint.”
Gabe Alvarez of the Detroit Tigers in action during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 14, 1998. Getty Images
Alvarez had a short stint in the major leagues, playing for the Tigers from 1998 through 2000, when he was traded in the middle of the season to the Padres.
He remained with the Padres for the rest of the 2000 season.
Alvarez started coaching in 2010 when he returned to USC, where he played college baseball in the early 1990s, to serve as an assistant coach.
The Mets pulled left-handed reliever A.J. Minter off his rehab assignment on Wednesday after he reported experiencing left hip discomfort before Triple-A Syracuse’s game against the Rochester Red Wings.
Minter, recovering from lat surgery, was scheduled to pitch for Syracuse in Wednesday’s game as part of the first leg of a back-to-back that would’ve been the final step in his rehab process before re-joining the Mets. Now, that process has been put on pause.
“We’re not too concerned, but probably giving him a couple, few days there and then he’ll continue to throw,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But as of right now, we pulled him off.”
Neither Minter nor New York is too worried about the severity of the setback despite the hip discomfort being on the same side that he got surgery on in August 2024 to repair a torn labrum.
Still, it does set the lefty back a bit with the clock on his rehab restarting.
With a downtick in velocity in a few of Minter’s appearances this year, Mendoza was asked if he thinks the hip discomfort had any role to play in that.
“I don’t know because there were days where we saw the velo at 92, 93, couple of 94,” the skipper said. “But there were some ones where it was like 91. But I don’t know, I would have to talk to him personally. I will have to talk to the trainers, but I didn’t get that [sense] when I was talking to the trainers when they gave me the report today.”
Minter hasn’t pitched for the Mets since April 2025, when he suffered a lat strain that required season-ending surgery. He's pitched to a 1.17 ERA across three minor league levels during his rehab assignment.
As hilarious as it would have been to send one final middle finger in the direction of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Derrick Favors will not be the Utah Jazz’s representative for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. I know, I know. How poetic would it have been to display the long-tenured Jazzman on the podium as a physical reminder that OKC will not be getting Utah’s lottery pick this year, nor any year for the forseeable ever.
Face!
In Favors’ place, the Jazz have elected to send the smiling face of breakout point guard Keyonte George (along with the rest of his body). George was selected 16th overall in the 2023 draft — the year that Utah officially began to reconstruct from the ruins of the Gobert-Mitchell explosion. He has developed into a borderline All-Star in just three years with the Jazz, and he orchestrates Will Hardy’s offense better than any of Utah’s many, many selections since ‘23 — with the tantalizing talent of Ace Bailey still pending.
Keyonte is living proof that the rebuild was a success. Breathing evidence that a team can build through the draft, and that these SLC Punks (hey, kinda like the name of the site!), will not conform to Adam Silver’s backwards regime, nor will they relent when the losses flip to wins in under a year’s time. A beautiful decision, and one deserving of my applause.
Utah currently holds the fourth-best odds thanks to boasting the fourth-worst record league-wide, plus a coin flip to nudge ahead of Sacramento. With just an 11.5% chance of claiming the number-one overall pick, the basketball world will watch with bated breath as we send a solemn prayer to the hooping heavens:
“Please, please, please I have never asked for much Except for last year. And the year before that But I pray not for the number-one pick. I ask for only this: Don’t give it to Golden State And especially don’t give it to Dallas Amen.“
Cancel your Mother’s Day plans. The NBA Draft Lottery will air on Sunday, May 10, at 1:00 PM MT.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 12: Moussa Cisse #30 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Chicago Bulls on April 12, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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 (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When Mousa Cisse was signed as a two-way player before the season, no one had any expectations for the rookie big-man.
But Cisse was a pleasant surprise all season, as his energy and rim protection were felt anytime he stepped on the court. But with the Mavs frontcourt being so crowed, should the Mavericks bring him back next year?
Well, they should, and it would be malpractice not to.
Season review
Cisse began the season as an afterthought, but as the Mavericks big-men suffered repeated injuries, it forced Cisse into the spotlight.
He would receive inconsistent minutes for most of the first few month, with some games where he wouldn’t see the floor at all. But his minutes were always impactful, the relentless effort on the glass, and eye-popping athleticism always showing up.
But then he stopped playing, all because of a decision the Mavericks made.
After the trade deadline, the Mavericks had the option to convert one two-way player, and chose Ryan Nembhard over Cisse. This led to Cisse brushing up to the two-way limit for games, meaning he played only 8 games post trade deadline.
Despite the weird end, Cisse thrived when his number was called. While the box-score numbers don’t jump off the page, the underlying metrics suggest that Cisse may have real rotation potential.
One number that highlights this is his RAPM (Regularized adjusted plus-minus).
Cisse posted a +0.8 RAPM, which is in the 70th percentile across the league, all per Databallr.
But my favorite part of Cisse’s game is his offensive rebounding, with a 16.2% OREB rate, which is 96th percentile. With extra possessions becoming so much more important in recent years, Cisse projects as one of the true elite offensive rebounders in the NBA.
Best game
My choice for Cisse’s best game is easily his performance on Jan. 19 against the New York Knicks.
Cisse scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots, all leading to a Mavericks win. This game specifically showed off his offensive rebounding, as he grabbed 4 offensive rebounds against a Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson front-court.
Contract status
Since the Mavericks did not convert Cisse at the deadline he will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Mavericks can match any offer he receives.
The Mavericks can offer Cisse up to a 4 year deal, most likely at around the league minimum, or just above.
Looking towards the future
Moussa Cisse is not yet a true rotation player, with his rawness offensively holding him back.
He often chases blocks on the defensive end and racks up fouls at a very high rate. But these are things that can be ironed out, with his strengths being very important in the NBA.
Cisse’s is somewhat similar to players like Neeimas Queta and Moussa Diabete, who are both high energy big men who dominate the offensive glass. Cisse slots in perfectly as a third center within a rotation; not relied upon to close, but able to give a team solid minutes throughout the season. And if he takes a large leap offensively, he could even become a true starting quality center.
Grade: B+
Moussa Cisse was able to showcase real potential this season, and with his strengths becoming sought after league wide, the Mavericks should bring him back.
Cisse should be cheap, with him being able to fill in Dwight Powell’s role if he decides to retire.
No matter the future, it was fun to watch a young player like Cisse find a role in the NBA.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 25: Ayo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on April 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Part of me feels like it’s too early to start diving into free agency, then I look at the calendar and realize it’s already May. We’re in the middle of Bright Side’s SunsRank and player recaps for the 2025-26 season, and it’s already time to start looking ahead to 2026-27. The draft lottery is this weekend. We’re already in the second round of the playoffs. The Finals will be here before you know it, then the draft, then free agency. So let’s start breaking down the free agent market by position and eligibility.
First up, point guard.
Ah yes, the point guard position. It’s not what it used to be. There was a time when the point guard was the table setter. Every successful team had someone orchestrating the offense, creating opportunities for everyone else. As the game evolved and spacing took over, the traditional point guard slowly gave way to combo guards. Scoring exploded. Every position is now expected to contribute offensively and fill up the box score.
And with that shift, true floor generals became harder to find. Players don’t always see the whole floor anymore. Most see the rim first. That evolution has completely changed the point guard position over the last decade.
It’s one of those interesting notes that you hear whenever people talk about what needs to be fixed on the Suns. “We need better point guard play. We need a better facilitator, somebody who understands distribution and who focuses on setting up those around them.” Not wrong. But also, becoming extinct. It’s like me asking for a Schlitz at dinner. It’d be nice to have, but no one has it.
You can tell that our fan base was raised on quality point guard play. Because we’ve had Steve Nash, Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Don Buse, and Paul Westphal. Yeah, he was a starting point guard on the 1976 NBA Finals team. My point? Were conditioned to the old-school way of thinking. But it’s a new NBA, and the current Suns administration is fully embracing that by having both Devin Booker and Jalen Green on the roster. They leaned into still having Collin Gillespie, however, thus creating undersized small-ball three-guard lineups this season.
So when we look at the upcoming unrestricted free agents at the point guard position, the natural question is whether the Suns should explore signing any of the guys listed below, excluding those who played for the team this past season. It’s almost the punchline in Phoenix right now. If you propose a name like Collin Sexton, the instant response is “Oh, another guard?”
So, who’s gonna be available on the free agency market at the point guard position? Here’s the list provided by Spotrac.
Player
Age
Exp.
Previous Team
Previous AAV
Status
Collin Sexton
27.3
7
CHI
$17,737,500
UFA / Bird
Coby White
26.2
6
CHA
$12,000,000
UFA / Bird
Gabe Vincent
29.8
6
ATL
$11,000,000
UFA / Bird
Ayo Dosunmu
26.2
4
MIN
$7,000,000
UFA / Bird
Aaron Holiday
29.6
7
HOU
$4,784,700
UFA / Bird
Kyle Lowry
40.1
19
PHI
$3,634,153
UFA / Early Bird
Russell Westbrook
37.4
17
SAC
$3,386,366
UFA / Non-Bird
Gary Payton II
33.4
9
GSW
$3,303,774
UFA / Bird
Jordan McLaughlin
30
6
SAS
$2,874,436
UFA / Early Bird
Nah’Shon Hyland
25.6
4
MIN
$2,461,463
UFA / Early Bird
Collin Gillespie
26.8
3
PHX
$2,378,870
UFA / Early Bird
Jordan Goodwin
27.5
4
PHX
$1,286,648
UFA / Early Bird
Jevon Carter
30.6
7
ORL
$1,168,625
UFA / Non-Bird
Brandon Williams
26.4
3
DAL
$1,159,362
UFA / Bird
Mike Conley
38.5
18
MIN
$1,148,727
UFA / Non-Bird
Tyus Jones
29.9
10
DEN
$814,552
UFA / Non-Bird
The two obvious names that jump off the list are Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, and we already know the organization will prioritize bringing them back. Both are eligible for Early Bird, which gives the Phoenix Suns an inside track to retaining them.
I would expect the Suns top priorities this offseason to be 1. Retaining Collin Gillespie 2. Retaining Jordan Goodwin
Looking at the rest of the list, I’m curious who you all think the team should target, if any one. If both Gillespie and Goodwin return, and you factor in Jamari Bouyea on a team option next season, that’s a lot of players capable of handling point guard duties. The depth is there. Maybe too much depth. Because with that comes the temptation to keep rolling out three-guard lineups.
If there’s one thing the Suns should prioritize next season, it’s getting bigger and finding more ways to consistently finish at the rim, so I’m not sure how appealing any of these names are. Who do I like?
I like the idea of Collin Sexton in a vacuum because he applies pressure at the rim and has that quick-twitch athleticism. At the same time, he’s essentially Jalen Green, only smaller and older. That kind of defeats the purpose. Although he would be cheaper. If there’s a scenario where the Suns move Green and redistribute that incoming $36.3 million salary into multiple assets, then I wouldn’t mind pursuing someone like Sexton.
There’s also Ayo Dosunmu, who is finally getting some shine with the Minnesota Timberwolves this postseason after years of fading into the background in Chicago Bulls land. The problem is postseason shine usually equals postseason money, and that’s not a road Phoenix should go down in my opinion. He’s a solid all-around guard, still, if you’re bringing back both Goodwin and Gillespie, the skill set becomes redundant.
And that’s really where the conversation lands for Phoenix at point guard. It’s less about finding another ball handler and more about understanding roster balance. The Suns already have enough players capable of initiating offense. What they lack is complementary size, interior pressure, and lineup versatility that doesn’t force them into playing small every night. That’s why this free agent market feels more like a test of restraint than aggression.
There are intriguing names available, sure. Still, adding another guard simply because he can dribble, pass, and score misses the bigger picture. The Suns do not need more redundancy. They need fit.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 1995: Owner Ted Turner of the Atlanta Braves holds the World Series trophy after the Braves win the World Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 28, 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Media mogul, philanthropist and former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner passed away earlier today at the age of 87.
The bombastic businessman and cultural icon reshaped the media landscape in the latter half of the 20th century after taking over his father’s company, Turner Outdoor Advertising, in 1963.
A rebellious and ambitious entrepreneur, Turner began acquiring radio and television stations, including Atlanta’s WJRJ (channel 17), in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He renamed WJRJ to WTCG (for Turner Communications Group), and by the late 1970s began leveraging the emerging technologies of satellite and cable television to expand his media reach nationwide.
Driven by a need for content and profitability for his stations, Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 – and the Atlanta Hawks the following year. Both franchises became central to the success of what became known as the Superstation WTBS, helping drive ratings and advertising revenue as Turner broadcast his teams’ games across the country.
Turner bought the Braves during a transitional period for the franchise. The team had moved to Atlanta only a decade earlier, and Braves legend and inner-circle Hall of Famer Henry Aaron had been traded to Milwaukee two years before Turner’s purchase. With future franchise cornerstone Dale Murphy still a young catcher trying to establish himself in the majors, the first four years of Turner’s ownership saw the Braves lose 90-or-more games including a 101-loss season in 1977.
While the team’s on-the-field performance was at a nadir, the team’s 162-game schedule provided a copious amount of content and that combined with Turner’s larger-than-life personality quickly became part of TBS’s identity. Turner famously branded the Braves as “America’s Team” as his station’s baseball broadcasts introduced the club to fans nationwide, making a superstar of Murphy as his back-to-back National League Most Valuable Player seasons came as cable and satellite service exploded across the country.
Turner’s hands-on approach with his MLB team occasionally crossed into controversy. In May 1977, during a 16-game losing streak, Turner briefly named himself interim manager, replacing Dave Bristol for one game before National League president Chub Feeney forced him to relinquish role. Turner appealed the decision, but commissioner Bowie Kuhn upheld the decision. The Braves lost their 17th consecutive game in Turner’s only turn as the team’s skipper.
In another instance, Turner had free agent signee pitcher Andy Messersmith, who wore the number 17 on his jersey, wear “Channel” as his nameplate until the league made Messersmith remove “Channel” from his jersey because of the blatant – albeit humorously ingenious – bit of advertising.
In 1978, Turner hired Bobby Cox as manager, beginning one of the most important relationships in franchise history. Cox managed the Braves until being fired after the 1981 season. In a press conference announcing the managerial change, when asked who he would ideally replace Cox with, Turner famously answered, “Bobby Cox”.
Turner hired former Braves All-Star Joe Torre as the team’s next manager. Torre led the Braves to the playoffs in 1982 before being fired after the 1984 season after two middling but disappointing seasons based on the expectations created during their 1982 success.
Cox, who had become manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 and led the team to the ALCS in 1985, returned to Atlanta when Turner brought Cox back into the organization as general manager following the conclusion of the 1985 season.
After rebuilding the organization’s farm system, Cox returned to the dugout during the 1990 season as the team’s manager. With John Schuerholtz brought in the from the Kansas City Royals as new general manager, the Braves “Worst-to-First” 1991 season launched an unprecedented era of success that permanently transformed expectations for baseball in Atlanta.
Turner, who was at his peak of celebrity, and then-partner Jane Fonda became regular fixtures in the stands during the Braves’ postseason run in 1991 and throughout the1990s, culminating in the franchise’s 1995 World Series championship.
While Turner labeled is own tenure running the operations of the club a “disaster” his support of his organization’s leadership and financial backing took the Braves from a cellar-dwelling laughingstock in the late 1980’s to a National League juggernaut in five seasons.
Outside of his sports ownership, Turner built one of the most influential media empires in history. His portfolio included Atlanta-based CNN, TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies. CNN, which launched in 1980, revolutionized television journalism as the first 24-hour-a-day news network.
At the zenith of his success in media, Turner’s eponymous Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in 1996. Half-a-decade later, Timer Warner merged with America Online (AOL) in 2001, creating AOL Time Warner. Although Turner initially retained high-level leadership roles with Time Warner, his influence diminished significantly following the AOL merger despite remaining the company’s largest shareholder.
Turner’s accomplishments extended far beyond media and sports. Through Turner Enterprises, he became the second-largest private landowner in the United States. He founded the United Nations Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, among other philanthropic organizations. He also created the Goodwill Games as an alternative to the Olympics.
Among the honors Turner received are two lifetime achievement Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award in 1997, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1990, and Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 1991. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The wry-smiling and mustachioed Turner also left a lasting mark on professional wrestling. In 1988, he purchased Jim Crockett Promotions and rebranded it as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), using it as programming for his networks. His enthusiasm for wrestling helped fuel the “Monday Night Wars” of the 1990s, as WCW battled WWF/WWE for television ratings dominance bringing the entertainment product to a higher national profile.
Turner, who began competitive sailing while at Brown University, won the 1977 America’s Cup as the ship’s skipper and was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Turner’s impact on Atlanta sports extended beyond baseball. His ownership of the Hawks helped establish the franchise in the South, beginning with the hiring of coaches Hubie Brown and later Mike Fratello. The team would then acquire the draft rights to Dominique Wilkins in 1982, giving the team their biggest star since relocating to Atlanta. Although the Hawks did not win an NBA title under Turner, they remained consistently competitive for much of his ownership before the franchise was sold in 2004 to Atlanta Spirit, LLC.
Born in Cincinnati, OH, Turner moved to Savannah, GA, as a child and attended school in Chattanooga, TN. He studied at Brown and served in the Coast Guard Reserves. After his father’s suicide in 1963, Turner assumed control of his father’s advertising business, laying the foundation for the media empire.
For Braves fans, Turner’s impact remains immeasurable. His vision of using the Braves as nationally distributed programming created generations of fans across the country and gave the franchise the financial wherewithal to maintain one of the sport’s highest payrolls throughout most of his ownership.
Although his formal ties of ownership to the Braves ended Time Warner sold the franchise to Liberty Media in 2007, his association with the team was a contestant reminder through his namesake Turner Field, the team’s home until relocating to what is now-known as Truist Park in 2017.
Whatever missteps and controversy Turner made during his early years as owner has largely faded with time. Fifty years after purchasing the franchise, his legacy in Atlanta sports and media is undeniable.
Without Ted Turner, the Braves may never have fully established their roots in the Southeast and wouldn’t have become the brand they are today.
Turner was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2000.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 05: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives around Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 05, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 1 against the Thunder was the biggest game of the season for the Lakers, and Austin Reaves didn’t show up.
He was historically bad, shooting 3-16 from the field, which was the worst shooting night a Laker has had in a postseason in over three decades.
Austin Reaves' 18.8 FG% in Game 1 was the lowest by any Laker in a playoff game over the last 35 years (min. 15 FGA) 😳 pic.twitter.com/1o97wPL1tq
It’s just one game, and there can be plenty of reasonable reasons why Reaves had a bad performance.
For starters, the Thunder have the best defense in the NBA, so they make plenty of players look bad. Also, he is still just coming off his Grade 2 oblique strain. He returned for Game 5 against the Rockets, and while he’s now played in three matchups, it’s unlikely that he is anywhere close to 100%.
However, if fans expect Reaves to make excuses, he isn’t taking that option.
“Nobody cares about that,” Reaves said after the loss. “I got to go out there and play better.”
The good news is, Reaves has plenty of ways to improve. He can focus on protecting the ball and not having four turnovers as he did in Game 1, or he can just get back to his regular-season average offensively, scoring 23.3 points per game.
“Obviously, the easy thing is to make more shots,” Reaves said. “I got to my spots multiple times and just missed a couple of easy shots. But, for the most part, got to limit the turnovers. They pressure the ball really well. Just got to give us an opportunity to get a shot on goal each possession.”
In a seven-game series, players typically perform what their averages are. So, Reaves should have better games ahead of him.
“Watch film,” Reaves said. “See what the game gives you and learn from that and move on. It’s not going to do us any good to think about that.”
Reaves will have all eyes on him after this loss.
He is currently LA’s No.1 offensive option and didn’t play like it. He has to be better, and Reaves, to his credit, made it clear in his comments that he’s well aware of this.
If he is the franchise player everyone thinks he is and wants the big payday this summer, then the response from him will be a great Game 2 performance.
And the Lakers will be hoping for just that, or else this series will be a short one.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 28: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after reaching second on a fly ball to right field in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on April 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s get to the action. The Rays’ six game win streak, and streak of 13 straight games of allowing three runs or less to opponents, has by and large been the byproduct of the Flappy Boys’ use of leather.
Taylor Walls made a stellar play from shortstop to end the first inning and keep Kazuma Okomoto’s first inning double from scoring.
Things remained quiet through the third inning, with Patrick Corbin getting two double plays and finishing three frames with more balls than strikes.
Shane McClanahan would go on to match and supplant his fellow southpaw’s goose eggs, going 5 2/3 innings of two hit, one walk, and four strikeout ball, all while earning the win.
Over his last three starts, ‘Sugar Shane’ is sporting a 16 2/3 scoreless inning streak.
Jonny DeLuca drove in Jonathan Aranda from first base with an RBI double in the fourth.
Chandler Simpson would pick up his eighth RBI of the season, driving in DeLuca with a two out single in the same frame. 2-0 Tampa Bay.
Two would be all the Rays would need, as the bullpen shut the door on Canada’s Team with Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, and Brian Baker each earning saves, and Ian Seymour earning his first career save.
Undefeated against the AL East (6-0) the Rays are Shipping up to Boston to take on the Red Sox in a four game set from Fenway Park starting on Thursday.
Chase Meidroth and the Sox couldn’t recover after a chaotic second inning, but he did eventually put on sunglasses. | (Meg McLaughlin/Getty Images)
For a minute there in the top of the second when the Good Guys got on the board first, it felt like they might actually take the series. Then the bottom of the second inning happened, and poof, the vibes from the past couple of weeks packed up and left the building.
Chicago dropped the rubber match in a game that unraveled early and never really gave the Sox a chance to get back into it. For a team that has started to look watchable, this one felt like a throwback to the bad old days. By the end of the second frame, it had that all-too-familiar “this is over already” energy.
Rookie Noah Schultz simply didn’t have it. The southpaw hurled his ugliest outing of the season, lasting just 3 2/3 innings while allowing seven runs on seven hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. The command issues highlighted in the Game Thread were immediately evident, and the Angels made him pay.
After working around a leadoff walk in the first — with Drew Romo cutting down Zach Neto trying to steal — things fell apart in the second. A potential inning-ending double play fizzled when Colson Montgomery bobbled the ball before the turn, and then the wheels fell off. Travis d’Arnaud crushed a three-run bomb, Bryce Teodosio doubled, Neto tripled him home, and even a routine pop-up to Chase Meidroth turned into a run when he lost it in the sky. Five runs later, the game had that unmistakable 2024 White Sox feel.
It didn’t get much better from there. Osvaldo Bido came on in the fourth with the bases loaded and immediately plunked back-to-back batters to plate a pair. No sign of the Mike Vasil magic wand here.
Offensively, there just wasn’t enough. The Sox mustered only four hits, went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and struck out ten times. They did scratch across that run in the second, which was sparked by a Montgomery double and a bloop single from Meidroth, then driven in on a sac fly by Andrew Benintendi. However, even that inning ended with the bases loaded and nothing more to show for it.
They tried to make a little noise in the seventh. Meidroth singled, Benintendi walked, and after a couple of quick outs, Romo drew a walk to load them up. Sam Antonacci wore a pitch to force in a run, but that was it. Munetaka Murakami watched strike three, and the last gasp went with him.
The rest was mostly procedural. Chase Silseth struck out the side in the eighth, and the Angels tacked on another run in the bottom half against Grant Taylor.
So, no series win. Just a gentle reminder that while things have looked better lately, there’s still plenty of work to be done. Especially when it comes to avoiding those innings that spiral out of control.
The Sox head back to Chicago now with an off-day before welcoming the Seattle Mariners in for a three-game set.
Zach Neto broke out of an extended cold spell with a go-ahead solo home run in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Angels' 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim on Tuesday night. As he walked back to the dugout, Mike Trout gave Neto a hug and said to him, "Hey, I told you that case had homers."
According to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, Trout had sent Neto a text earlier that day inviting the 25-year-old shortstop to help open a large box of Pokémon cards pregame. Neto, looking to get his mind off of his 0-for-23 slump, obliged — and ended up pulling a rare Charizard card.
"He said, ‘This case, when we rip it, it's going to have homers in it,’" Neto told reporters.
Those words would end up foreshadowing a big day for both Angels stars as Trout connected on a sweeper at the knees from White Sox starter Erick Fedde and drove it just over the top of the short wall in left field to get the Halos on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Jorge Soler would also homer later in the frame, and Neto singled in the third to snap his hitless streak that dated back to April 28 ... but was promptly picked off at first base.
He made up for it two innings later when he got a sweeper up and on the outer part of the plate from Fedde and crushed it 410 feet into the bullpen for his first long ball since April 10. That solo shot broke a 2-2 tie and eventually proved to be the difference in the game.
"It felt amazing,” Neto told reporters. “I was in my biggest slump ever in my career and just the sound of the bat again, it reminded me of a lot of good things. It’s just one of those things where it just takes one swing to get back into the mix of things."
Neto finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI, his first multi-hit game since April 26. His momentum carried into Wednesday's series finale, where he went 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBIs and two walks in the Halos' 8-2 win to secure their first series win since they took two of three games against the Cincinnati Reds from April 10-12.
