SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 4: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The good thing about a defensive battle is that it provides some incredibly compelling basketball, where every shot must be earned, and every make has been fought for. The bad thing about a defensive battle is that sometimes no one makes a shot for five minutes at a time, and you can feel the life force draining from you as you watch a 7’4” inhuman monster block every single shot that the Minnesota Timberwolves throw within 48 inches of him.
The best part about a defensive battle, however, is winning it. It’s that first gasp of air after a stressful game. May basketball is fun. There’s truly nothing better than this.
The return of Anthony Edwards loomed large heading into this one, as just over a week after nearly snapping his knee on live television, the superstar shooting guard stepped back onto the court just a few minutes into the first quarter.
However, with Ant on a minutes restriction and Ayo Dosumnu still out with a calf injury, the Wolves lacked any real 3-point shooting or self-shot creation. With that need in place, Chris Finch did what would’ve seemed impossible a day ago. He let Ant challenge the limits of the minutes restriction.
Edwards started off slow but found a rhythm in the fourth. He is clearly still hobbled; his verticality and burst are near zero comparatively, but still, he continued to push.
For Minnesota, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels performed admirably as offensive pressure valves, with Jaden finding shot after shot from inside the arc and Reid with a team-best plus/minus. However, there was a looming absence that continues to shape the Wolves’ rotation.
TJ Shannon and Jaylen Clark continue to figure into minutes distributions, largely due to the loss of not just Dosumnu but the ever-missed Donte Divincenzo.
It’s pretty obvious that losing a guy taking eight threes a game and making around 40% of them is gonna be a devastating event, but it’s especially bad when the San Antonio Spurs defense was hemorrhaging open threes and the Wolves just didn’t have anyone to shoot them.
Wolves can't take 3x more 2PT shots than 3PT shots in the 2H
They made 5 of their 13 triples (38.5%) and just 15 of their 35 2s (42.9%)
Love the 20 shot attempts at the rim (10/20, 50%), but just 5-15 (33.3%) on floaters/middies.
The Wolves roster is shaped by its specialists. Bones Hyland being terrible tonight made the lack of healthy Ayo and Ant even more obvious. The impact of Jaylen Clark as a defensive ace gave Jaden just enough of a break to not foul out in the same with that his counterpart in Stephon Castle did.
In losing Donte, they lost that aspect of themselves. It was painfully obvious tonight.
Everything came to a head in the last three minutes of the game. After an aggressive Ant built a lead that Julius Randle maintained, the Wolves led by seven with 180 seconds remaining. A minute later, DeAaron Fox scored a fastbreak layup to bring that lead down to a more achievable five.
Clutch time was always a worry for the Spurs, who lack any real playoff experience beyond Harrison Barnes, but there is also the question of whether this will be a running theme or a one-off. The Wolves have been here; the Spurs have not.
That was not immediately obvious, though. While the Wolves floundered, San Antonio stayed alive. A couple of second-chance points given up to Julian Champagnie (of all people) pulled it down to four when it could’ve been game over with miss after miss still becoming points.
Free-throw shooting has long since been an issue for Minnesota. Maybe it started when Anthony Edwards went from around 85% to 75% near overnight. Maybe it became more obvious when Rudy Gobert joined the team. Maybe it just got particularly obvious when checking the box score and seeing those nine missed free throws.
Dumb mistakes have also been abundant. From Rudy Gobert forcing a three-second rule to turn over Julius Randle to ridiculous turnovers to the lasting memories, lackluster defense, and backcuts from so many different playoff runs. Tonight’s version was a cursed inbounds play.
All of that was nearly enough to sink the Wolves.
But that’s exactly the thing: nearly.
The Wolves didn’t blow it. They held on and won Game 1 to claim home court advantage in this series.
There are so many things to point at to blame for this game. The last three minutes were a comedy of errors. The inbound pass that led to a turnover to bring the lead down to two was horrifying. The final offensive possession from Julius Randle (who had an excellent game and even better fourth quarter) was mindbogglingly bad.
Anthony Edwards spent the entirety of his postgame presser talking about how terribly he played. Nine days after a major knee injury, he was upset with his lack of rebounding. He had a fair amount to be upset about and an upsetting amount of things that he should be fairer about.
There was no way this should have worked. This should have been a disaster. In anything outside of a Disney Channel movie, this ends in failure and pain.
But it didn’t really matter.
On a night where Victor Wembanyama challenged the playoff block record in only the first quarter, the Wolves did enough to win.
If he can have his own movie moment, the Wolves can have their own.
Additionally, the potential return of Ayo Dosumnu, echoing that of Ant tonight, could give Minnesota another extra boost when the Spurs are very much locked in on who they are. It seems this series will be the ultimate battle of basketball identity vs. team identity.
The Spurs know exactly how they play. The Wolves know exactly who they are.
That made all the difference tonight.
“We just want to win ballgames. That’s all we want to do, as a group. No matter whose night it is, we don’t care, we want to embrace each other.
“We just want to win ballgames,” says Anthony Edwards. They have done that more than any era in franchise history. They did that tonight.
Goodnight Wolves fans. We’ll be back again on Wednesday night for Game 2, which likely won’t be nearly as neck and neck as this one was.
Phew. I have no other words outside of a few expletives and that aforementioned sigh. What a game. What. A. Game.
Up Next
Game 2 of this Timberwolves-Spurs series continues on Wednesday as the Wolves look to take the first two games on the road as they did two years ago in Denver. Tip-off is again at 8:30 PM CT, airing this time on ESPN.
Game 1 went about as good as the Knicks could’ve hoped.
New York came out on their homecourt and really set the tone for this second round series, dominating the 76ers on both ends of the floor in a commanding 39-point victory.
Defensively, they shutdown Philly’s one-two punch of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, limiting them to just a combined 27 points and six fields goals on the night.
They continued clicking on all cylinders offensively, as well, as everyone who logged a minute scored and they shot a whopping 63 percent from the field as a team.
“We played full game of Knicks basketball,” Josh Hart said.
“I thought it was a really good game by our guys,” Mike Brown added.
New York has put together their best stretch of basketball when it’s mattered the most, winning their last four games by a combined 135 points.
That’s the largest point-differential in any four-game span in NBA playoff history.
Even as they keep rolling, though, the Knicks now firsthand that they can’t get too far ahead of themselves as there is still a lot of series left to be played.
“It’s good, but it’s just one game,” Mikal Bridges said. “It goes back to 0-0 in Game 2.”
“You’ve got to take this with a grain of salt and just move forward,” Jalen Brunson added. “I don’t think we’re going to see that team that we saw in Game 1 out there in Game 2 -- they’re going to be ready to go.”
Vegas forward Brett Howden scores past Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal in the second period of the Ducks' 3-1 loss in the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
T-Mobile Arena sits just off the Las Vegas Strip, not far from a faux Manhattan skyline, a pyramid and a casino made to look like a castle.
The line separating illusion from reality can be a thin one in Sin City, where the Ducks opened the second round of the playoffs Monday intent on proving their first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers was more than a facade. It didn’t go well, with Brett Howden’s goal early in the second period and Ivan Barbashev’s tiebreaking tally late in the third period giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 victory in the best-of-seven series.
Mitch Marner added an empty-net goal with six seconds to play to end any hope of a Ducks comeback. Mikael Granlund scored for the Ducks with six minutes left in the game.
But the game turned on what the Ducks thought was a missed icing call just ahead of Barbashev’s goal, which came 65 seconds after Granlund tied the score.
“Clearly I disagreed with the call. Clearly it was icing,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “That was the play for me. We had just scored. It was a huge call. And an easy call.”
The Ducks were a shadow of the team that eliminated Edmonton. After averaging a playoff-high 4.33 goals a game, the Ducks were stymied by Vegas goalie Carter Hart, who turned away 33 shots. And after converting eight of 16 power-play opportunities against the Oilers, the Ducks were shut out in four chances against the Golden Knights.
Although the Ducks played their best defensive game of the postseason, giving up just 21 shots before the empty-netter, the balanced Knights gave them few good scoring opportunities, especially on the power play. Troy Terry, who had four shots, said he’ll have nightmares about the misses.
“I’ve got to put one of them in,” he said. “I’m going to be kicking myself tonight. But overall I thought the pace that we played at tonight, if we can play like that for the length of this series, we should put ourselves in a good spot.”
The Ducks, who needed to use their superior speed to counter the Knights' edge in experience, pushed the pace in the opening period but got nothing to show for it. The Knights took the lead less than four minutes into the second period when Howden made a dash to the edge of the crease to deflect in a pass from Marner for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
Vegas defenseman Rasmus Andersson celebrates after Mitch Marner's empty-net goal in the final seconds of a 3-1 win over the Ducks on Monday. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Howden had a chance to double the lead less than six minutes before the second intermission, but he whiffed trying to bat a loose puck in an open net from the right side.
Mark Stone had an opportunity to score on the power play with less than nine minutes left, but Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made a spectacular save to keep it a one-goal score. And that paid off when Granlund put the puck through Brayden McNabb's legs 2½ minutes later.
Defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who passed up a prime scoring chance earlier, made that goal, driving hard from the top of the left circle to the crease and backhanding a shot off Hart that bounced toa wide-open Granlund in the center of the right circle.
The tie was shortlived, however, with Barbashev tapping in a pass from Pavel Dorofeyev for the go-ahead goal.
The Ducks mounted a furious rally after pulling Dostal with about two minutes to play, but that ended with Marner clearing the puck the length of the ice into the empty net.
Trevor McDonald prepares to throw a pitch during the Giants' May 4 game.
SAN FRANCISCO — Trevor McDonald wasn’t the headliner of the Giants’ roster shakeup Monday, but credit the third newcomer of the day with making the moves look good.
Neither top prospect Bryce Eldridge nor hot-hitting rookie Jesus Rodriguez gave the Giants’ offense the jumpstart it needed. But McDonald was brilliant beyond expectations.
The 24-year-old right-hander, called up to make a spot start, held the Padres to one run on two hits over seven innings in a 3-2 win to open a six-game home stand. The club was in desperate need of a course correction after going winless on its six-game road trip.
Trevor McDonald prepares to throw a pitch during the Giants’ May 4 game. Getty Images
Eldridge, the Giants’ No. 1 prospect, went hitless in two at-bats with a walk in his return to the majors after a brief 10-game stint last September. Rodriguez, who sported a .330 average at Triple-A, put his funky stance on display in the bigs for the first time but came up empty in three at-bats.
Instead, it was an increasingly common character who got the Giants on the board: Casey Schmitt, who launched a solo home run off Padres starter Randy Vasquez in the first inning.
Casey Schmitt hits a home run during the Giants’ May 4 game. Getty Images
The solo shot was the Giants’ first home run since they left home last Sunday, ending a six-game drought. It was their 20th as a team, still the fewest in the majors, and Schmitt’s fifth, leaving the Mets as the only team without a player to hit at least five.
Caleb Killian recorded the final three outs to earn his first career save, but not without drama. He served up a 447-foot homer to the first batter of the inning, Ramón Laureano, before getting Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado in order to preserve the one-run lead.
What it means
San Francisco snapped a six-game losing streak dating back to the start of its last road trip.
The Giants improved to 11-3 when hitting a home run; they’re 3-18 when held in the ballpark.
Who’s hot
Rafael Devers drove in the Giants’ other two runs, only the second time this season the slumping slugger has recorded more than one RBI in a game — his first since April 8. Luis Arraez doubled twice and was driven home by Devers both times, on a single in the first to put the Giants up 2-1 after Schmitt’s homer, and again with a sac fly in the sixth.
Devers has hit safely his past five games — matching his longest streak of the season — raising his OPS to .572 from a low-water mark of .530 last Sunday.
Rafael Devers hits an RBI single during the Giants’ May 4 game. Getty Images
McDonald didn’t allow a hit to anybody besides Merrill, who got him twice, including a solo shot to straightaway center that briefly put the Padres ahead 1-0 in the top of the first.
Schmitt is responsible for the last three home runs hit by the Giants, dating back to last Saturday, hitting safely in nine of his past 10 games. Over the stretch, dating back to the start of their series against the Marlins, Schmitt is 13-for-36 (.361), raising his average to .308 and OPS to .901.
Who’s not
It was largely the same story for the rest of the Giants’ lineup, which was held to three runs or fewer for the 23rd time in 35 games this season — three more than any other team.
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With the chance to add on with runners at the corners and two outs in the eighth, Willy Adames struck out swinging, the second time he offered at a pitch above the strike zone for strike three.
Up next
The Giants will look to make it two in a row Tuesday against RHP Walker Buehler, who they beat 3-2 in the second series of the season. San Francisco hasn’t named its starter.
Munetaka Murakami continues to dominate the league, now with 14 home runs. | Getty Images
The Force was strong with the White Sox tonight as they shut out the Angelswith a 6-0 win. Davis Martin reached a career-high double-digit strikeout milestone, and Munetaka Murakami finally doubled!
José Soriano started off the night with back-to-back walks, but redeemed himself with back-to-back strikeouts. But Soriano’s woes could not be escaped for long, with back-to-back RBI singles from Chase Meidroth and Andrew Benintendi, making it 2-0 before the Angels ace could get out of the top of the first.
Martin was outstanding once more, shutting down the Angels with efficiency. It was the third inning before Travis d’Arnaud got the first hit for the Angels, but Adam Frazier hit right into a double play to follow, keeping Martin facing the minimum batters.
In just the fourth inning but for the third time in the game, Sam Antonacci got on base. Insert Munetaka Murakami, who put the Good Guys up 4-0 with a two-run bomb:
Not to be outdone, Miguel Vargas followed with a solo homer, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Two innings later, Murakami finally doubled for the first time in his major league career, ending his MLB record streak of 14 straight extra-base hits as a homer at 14. In the bottom half, Martin reached a career high of nine strikeouts, still at just 68 pitches. And by the seventh, Martin notched his 10th strikeout of the game, and he would end his outing there, at seven innings, five hits, no walks and 10 Ks.
In the eighth, Colson Montgomery had an RBI single to extend his on-base streak to 17. Sean Newcomb, who entered in the eighth and was the only other pitcher used by the Sox in the game, retired the Angels in order, and then dominated the Angels in the ninth by striking out the side to preserve the shutout win.
May 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Luke Raley (20) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is guarded by Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After seven days off since beating the Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the first round, the San Antonio Spurs opened Round 2 against an injured but pesky Minnesota Timberwolves squad that gave them trouble in the regular season. It was an old school, defensive slug-fest most of the night, with neither team able to find much offense or build any separation throughout the first three quarters. Unfortunately, behind the surprising return of Anthony Edwards, the Wolves went on a run in the fourth quarter and built just a big enough lead that the Spurs couldn’t quite make it all the way back from, losing on a Dylan Harper miss at the buzzer, 102-104.
Despite seven Spurs scoring in double figures, they got very little offense from their stars. Wemby had an inefficient triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and Spurs playoff record 12 blocks, while Harper led all Spurs with 18 points off the bench. Julius Randall, who was huge in the fourth quarter, led the Wolves with 21 points, while Edwards had 18 in 25 minutes off the bench.
Observations
Ant and Wemby are a lot alike: they’re both confident, loud and highly competitive. Just like many were surprised to see Wemby returns from a concussion in just five days in Round 1, there was equal surprise when it was announced Edwards would be ready for Game 1 of Round 2 tonight, albeit off the bench and on a minutes restriction, despite dealing with runners knee in one leg and a hyper extension and bone bruise in the other, suffered just over a week ago. Playing on two bad knees doesn’t seem like the greatest idea, and odds are he wouldn’t be if this were the regular season, but these are the playoffs, and competitive Ant won the argument.
Neither team faced particularly formidable defenses in the first round, so the opening minutes felt like both a “brushing of the rust” and adjustment period. Both squads tried and found out that challenging Wemby and Gobert at the rim is a fool’s errand, and there wasn’t a whole lot of ball movement from either team.
One thing the Spurs did have going initially was the three-point shot, as they hit 4 of their first 7 while the Wolves missed their first four to get out to a 17-10 lead, but then they went cold and otherwise kept getting stuffed everywhere on the court when they tried to play iso-ball, and the Wolves responded with a 12-2 run while Edwards was in the game and led 24-23 after the first quarter.
The scripts flipped to start the second quarter. With Gobert resting and Wemby in, it was his turn to stuff the paint while the Spurs finally had a path to the rim, using a 9-0 to retake the lead. The quarter continued to be a game of runs, often dictated why whether Wemby or Gobert were on the floor, and the defensive-dominant half fittingly ended with things tied at 45 apiece, which actually kind of felt like a win for the Spurs considering Wemby had just 6 points on 3-9 shooting and Fox 0 on 0-5. They largely had Stephon Castle and Harper to thank, who combined for 22 points on 7-13 shooting in the half.
What Wemby was doing was dominating on defense, with 7 blocks in the half, one off of tying Dwight Howard for the most ever in a half of a playoff game. (He had originally tied it, but one was retroactively taken away during halftime.) He got his 10th in the third quarter to surpass Tim Duncan’s Spurs record of 9 blocks in a playoff game, which he achieved three times between 2002 and 2003. Wemby’s 12 overall blocks was one shy of George Johnson’s franchise record of 13 in 1981.
The third quarter was more of the same: a defensive slug-fest with neither team able to consistently score, and every time one team created a sliver of daylight (as in a four or five-point lead), the other team would respond. One place the Wolves kept shooting themselves in the foot was the free throw line, where they were 5-13 after three quarters, and the Spurs being in the bonus early ended up being a blessing in disguise as it gave them a chance to breath while the Wolves missed free throws. The Spurs led 72-69 after three.
After being mostly invisible in his brief stints in the middle two quarters, the offenses opened up and Edwards scored 8 quick points to open the fourth quarter, and while the Spurs had a brief answer, they appeared out of gas while everything opened up for the Wolves. They couldn’t get a kind whistle on either end, were missing easy shots on offense, and even when they did get stops, the Wolves made lemonade off broken plays, stretching the lead to as much as nine at 95-86 with under five minutes to go. The Spurs tried to fight back, getting within two points on a Harper steal with 31 seconds left and a chance to win at the buzzer, but Harper’s three came up just short.
This was the second game in a row Castle fouled out, this time with just over three minutes left. He’s not afraid to muck it up a bit, but that can get him trouble in games with a tight whistle, and this was one of them. (In fairness to him, he had a couple of bad calls against him, the fifth one of which was Randall pushing him over from behind. No idea how that was perceived as a foul on Castle, but the Spurs didn’t have a challenge after Mitch Johnson had used it on another Castle foul in the first quarter in which he was pushed, but the refs decided he grabbed the defender first, which was iffy.)
May 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Atlanta Braves starter JR Ritchie (60) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The Braves saw their winning streak come to an end on Monday night in Seattle, falling to the Mariners, 5-4, despite hitting four homers and leading 4-0 at one point.
Walt Weiss has been terrific this year, but his very questionable decision in the sixth inning turned the game upside down.
With the Braves up 4-0, JR Ritchie was very clearly out of gas — and had lacked command all night — and was inexplicably sent to the mound once again in the sixth. He issued back to back walks and was *still* not taken out of the game, giving up a three-run homer moments later on a hanging slider to Luke Raley to cut the lead to 4-3.
Tyler Kinley entered in relief and surrendered a two-out, two-strike, two-run shot to JP Crawford to give Seattle a very sudden 5-4 lead.
The Braves hit Mariners starter Logan Gilbert hard all night, launching four solo homers and spraying line drives all over the field. Drake Baldwin led off the game with a homer. Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson then went back-to-back in the sixth, followed by Austin Riley two batters later with a rocket of his own. The Braves could have very easily scored more than four against Gilbert, but some poor luck on batted balls prevented a bigger night offensively.
Pitching in front of hundreds of friends and family, it was not a great night for Ritchie, who issued six walks and scattered four hits across 5+ innings. He only struck out two. We’ll see if he makes another start against the mighty Dodgers this weekend or if Atlanta turns to a different option, like Martin Perez or Didier Fuentes.
The series continues Tuesday night with Bryce Elder set to face very good righty George Kirby. First pitch at 9:40 p.m. ET.
The Mets are at an interesting crossroads with David Peterson.
After turning in another solid outing from the bullpen on Monday against the Colorado Rockies where he allowed two earned runs in four innings while striking out six, Peterson now has a 2.45 ERA in three appearances this season as a reliever. In five games as a starter, his ERA is 8.10.
So what should New York do with the left-hander?
Obviously, Peterson is more valuable to the Mets as a starting pitcher and if given the choice he would choose to be a starter. However, the numbers don't lie and so far this season Peterson has been more effective as a reliever.
"That’s how I expect myself to pitch and that’s how I expect myself to attack hitters so that’s why it is disappointing when it has gone the other way a couple of times this year," Peterson said. "Great win today and one to build off of."
Actually, this isn't Peterson's first instance with pitching in relief. In his career he's made 18 relief appearances, albeit none since 2023 (although he did predominantly pitch out of the bullpen during New York's 2024 postseason run). Interestingly enough, Peterson's career regular season ERA as a reliever is 2.41 in 33.2 innings pitched. In the postseason? 3.14.
Pretty elite numbers.
As a starter, Peterson is 34-34 with a 4.33 ERA with his best year coming in 2024 when he had a 2.93 ERA in 21 starts after he began the season on the IL. Last year, after a terrific first half that made him an All-Star for the first time in his career, Peterson fell apart in the second half while reaching a career-high 168.2 innings pitched.
Despite the pretty noticeable difference in numbers between starting and relieving, as well as Peterson's inability to prove he can either stay healthy for an entire season or be effective the whole way through, the Mets and manager Carlos Mendoza still view the 30-year-old as a starter.
"It’s easy [to think Peterson pitches better in relief] because of three outings now where he’s been really, really good, but I keep saying it, he's a starter," Mendoza said. "He’s very good when he’s at his best and we saw it today. I think the key is attacking the strike zone. He pounded the strike zone today with everything."
The question becomes why hasn't Peterson pitched like he did on Monday or in his two other relief appearances this season when he starts a game?
When asked what the difference was between this relief outing and his last start where he allowed seven earned runs in 3.2 innings, Peterson pointed to examining his pitch-usage and finding that he wasn't using his slider enough, instead opting for other pitches like the curveball in similar spots.
"The slider is one of if not my best pitch and the curveball, overall, is towards the bottom of the list," he said. "So kinda switching that today and really being able to attack with the fastball and the slider off of it felt like gave us a really good chance."
If it's really that simple and Peterson can take what he did against the Rockies into his next start and beyond then the Mets will be ecstatic. If not, then the case for Peterson to remain in the bullpen grows.
Regardless of what New York decides to do with the left-hander, it's clear that Peterson plays an important role on the team.
"He’s too good of a pitcher and I know he’s gonna continue to help us," Mendoza said.
Mikal Bridges helped the Knicks win Game 1 on Monday.
Was it a one-game anomaly?
Or the start of a turnaround?
Based on Monday night, it could be the latter.
Bridges was at his best in the opening-round, series-clinching rout of the Hawks, the kind of performance the Knicks would like to see more from the two-way wing, and he built on it in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Bridges attacked, was decisive and was typically strong on the defensive end, helping the Knicks to another blowout victory, a 137-98 mauling of the 76ers in Game 1 of this best-of-seven series.
He had 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting along with five assists and a plus-19 rating in 27 minutes.
He also kept 76ers star Tyrese Maxey under wraps.
“It’s very important. He’s a huge factor for us,” Jalen Brunson said of Bridges. “He’s been playing great.”
Mikal Bridges reacts during the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the 76ers on May 4. Charles Wenzelberg
It was a down regular season for Bridges.
He attempted his fewest field goals (11.7) since the 2021-22 season, and he averaged only 14.4 points, well down from the 17.6 he tallied in his first season as a Knick.
He struggled over the first five games of the Hawks series before his 24-point, five-rebound, three-assist breakout in Game 6.
There was talk of bringing him off the bench at one point in the series, although coach Mike Brown stuck with the 29-year-old Bridges.
Mikal Bridges defends Tyrese Maxey during the Knicks’ May 4 win. NBAE via Getty Images
“He’s been our starting two-guard all year, and he’s had a really good season, so for me it was easy,” Brown said.
Bridges’ best is needed against the 76ers.
In Game 1, he spent a lot of time guarding Maxey, Philadelphia’s budding star.
Maxey averaged 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds and shot 41.8 percent from 3-point range in Philadelphia’s opening-round victory over the Celtics.
During the regular season, Maxey had success against the Knicks as well, producing 30 points and 5.3 assists in four contests.
But that player was missing in the series opener, held to 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting along with four turnovers.
Bridges had a lot to do with that.
“He didn’t shut Maxey down. Maxey missed some shots, and our team defense behind him was pretty good,” Brown said. “But the one thing that I give Mikal a lot of credit for is his alertness and his ability to have multiple efforts when guarding Maxey because Maxey is similar to [Stephen Curry], where he’s constantly moving, especially when it comes to the two-man game with [Joel] Embiid.
“You can’t ever relax. And Mikal did as good as he could, trying to stay with him whether he was moving or when he gave up the basketball.”
Well, folks, season two of my Pittsburgh Penguins coverage for The Hockey News is in the books.
But that doesn't mean there's a shortage of things to discuss as far as the team is concerned.
You all asked your questions - from talk of contention to the potential goaltending tandem next season - and I did my best to answer as many of you as I could.
So, without further ado, here is my first Monday Mailbox of the 2026 offseason.
What do you expect an Evgeni Malkin extension to look like? @katwhetstone_ on X
Isn't that the big question?
But, despite all the noise, I do believe a Malkin extension gets done. There is, quite literally, not a single reason good enough I can think of for the Penguins not to bring him back.
He's willing to play wing, he said he wants "one more year," he won't ask for a high payday, he's not blocking a young player in the top-six, he was point-per-game this season, and he wants to come back.
Malkin is also going to be 40. But, so what? One more year isn't going to be a hindrance to anything Dubas is trying to accomplish, which I'll get to in a bit. There is no harm in bringing him back for that "one more year." Not only is a franchise legend owed that to an extent, it's also just not worth the internal fallout if Dubas decides to force him away to another team.
One year, $5 million. Get it done.
What’s the goalie tandem you see in Pittsburgh next year? I think Murashov and Skinner with Silovs getting traded. @JimStripsky on X
What do you think our goaltending situation will look like next season? @bun_sprout on X
What do you think the goalie situation looks like next year? @1lya_rozzy on X
Clearly, many are wondering what the goaltending situation may look like next season.
Earlier on Monday, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Stuart Skinner is not expected to return to the Penguins next season. To be honest, I am not entirely surprised by this, as Skinner was replaced by Silovs for the must-win games in the playoffs (even if the losses weren't on him) and the Penguins have a lot of young goaltenders knocking on the door, which probably means he has a better shot at a multi-year deal and a starting job elsewhere.
I do think the Penguins will bring back Arturs Silovs. He put up a .939 save percentage in his three playoff games, which only builds on his prior success in high-stakes hockey. Finding goaltenders with a track record of thriving in those environments is rare, and even if Silovs had an up-and-down first full NHL regular season, his playoff prowess along is reason enough to take a chance on him.
And then, there's the Penguins' farm system. Sergei Murashov is the best the Penguins' system has to offer right now, and he'll probably be ready to make the jump to the NHL in 2026-27. Taylor Gauthier - who has put together an unreal campaign for the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL - should be at the AHL level, but injuries during training camp and the existence of Murashov and Joel Blomqvist have blocked him from that opportunity.
I think Silovs and Murashov will be the NHL tandem next season, and I think it will be Blomqvist and Gauthier in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). There comes a point when development is being stunted if guys aren't progressing upward, and I think the Penguins have reached that point with Murashov, Blomqvist, and Gauthier.
All that said, I would not be surprised, either, to see someone like Blomqvist or Gauthier leveraged as part of a trade package for a young NHL player. If that happens, it might change a few things.
Who’s more likely to be a permanent member on the roster next year, Koivunen, Avery Hayes or McGroarty? @Ozzyhen on X
It's pretty crazy how one calendar year can change perceptions entirely.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty were called up to the NHL and gave what fans thought would be a preview for 2025-26, with Koivunen registering seven points in eight games and McGroarty putting up a goal and three points in five. Avery Hayes had not even made his NHL debut at that point, even if he was on people's radar.
Fast forward to now, and Koivunen was a disappointment this season with two goals and seven points in 39 NHL games and has not yet appeared to process things at NHL speed, while McGroarty began the season on injured reserve and struggled to find consistency with three goals and six points in 24 NHL games. Hayes debuted Feb. 5, scored two goals, and showed a bit more consistency down the stretch than the other two. He was also favored late in the season as an injury call-up for the NHL club.
Things appear to be trending up for Hayes, and I imagine he's most likely to stick on the roster out of the three next season - especially since he can effectively be plugged into a fourth-line role without any kind of detriment to his development. That said, I still believe McGroarty has the highest ceiling of the three. It might just take him a bit longer to get there.
Will the tandem of Alexeyev/Brunicke make the Pens next year. @TheAud25 on X
I have a hard time seeing Alexander Alexeyev crack the NHL roster, assuming the Penguins tender him an RFA offer. Parker Wotherspoon and Sam Girard are under contract for another year, it remains to be seen what happens with Ryan Shea, and Owen Pickering will also be in the mix on the left side. And that's not even accounting for the possibility of the Penguins looking to upgrade their blue line.
Harrison Brunicke, on the other hand, probably cracks the roster with a good training camp - again, barring no upgrade on the right side. He's already playing top-pair minutes for WBS in the playoffs over guys who have been there the whole season and helped them earn a playoff berth, and he's made tangible progress physically and in the defensive details of his game.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Brunicke start in WBS next season, as he will (finally) be AHL-eligible. But, even if he does, I think folks will see plenty of him at the NHL level in 2026-27. The Penguins are very much invested in Brunicke's potential as an impact NHL player, so they're not going to rush him if he's not ready.
Was there any word on the injuries the players were dealing with? Sid definitely didn't seem to be fully recovered from his injury at the Olympics. @samsdrunkdog.bsky.social on Bluesky
Crosby said his knee is fine and that it does not require offseason surgery, but he didn't want to elaborate further - even if he cheekily addressed that a certain star Canadian forward and Vegas Golden Knights player blurted it out already.
Other than that and Silovs playing the last 3-4 weeks with a knee injury - which makes his playoff performance even more impressive - no other updates were provided.
Do you think dubas will re-sign dewar and acciari to keep the 4th line together? or just re-sign one and fill the empty spot with a player from wbs? @chinny_crosby on X
Dewar, 27, had 14 goals and 30 points last season and is good enough and young enough to be a key depth contributor for the next few years. There is little risk in signing him to a deal as long as it's not an overpay.
But, as for Acciari, he's 34. He had a great season for the Penguins and is an important player for them, as he hits, wins faceoffs, forechecks well, penalty kills well, blocks a lot of shots, and elevated his game offensively.
Most of those are things that a guy like Hayes excels at, too, and he's 23. Hayes also has speed and a bit more offensive upside, so he's a good candidate to, essentially, replace Acciari on that line. A line of Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Hayes could give the opposition headaches with their speed, energy, and forechecking ability.
What is the best plan to replace Anthony Mantha's 30 goal production? @AdamMihara on X
I'll go over this in the next question, but I think it will, somewhat, be by committee. I think the Penguins are going to target a good young player in the trade market, and add that to some of the young guys hopefully beginning to assert themselves and the Penguins having a full season of Egor Chinakhov and a better offensive version of Ben Kindel - and there's your answer.
Do you think the Pens take a step backwards next year? They overachieved this season and Mantha and few others probably won’t be here.
What are the odds that Dubas makes a big/huge move this summer to bring in a young superstar? @brian_andrews on X
Will the Penguins have a directive to try and land an Auston Matthews or Jason Robertson in a trade to ensure playoff revenue? @joshuacarns.bsky.social on Bluesky
could u see the penguins trade for a bigger younger player like a robertson, wright, nemec @jansen_aid97343 on X
Brian asked two questions - and Joshua and Jansen asked a similar question - and I think they kind of both tandem with my answer.
Contrary to what some others are saying around these parts, I do not believe the Penguins will be taking a step back next season, and I will have a long piece detailing why in the coming days. Yes, they overachieved this season, but I've long-believed that the summer of 2026 was always going to be a target of sorts for them to start making bigger moves toward contention.
Older players may have been large contributors to their success this past season, but I think one young player has pretty handily altered the short-term outlook of this team.
I expect Kindel to take a step next season, potentially easing into the 2C role. He already has all the details sorted out in his game - even if he needs to and will add a little bit more weight in the offseason - which is rare for a player as young as he is. He plays and thinks the game like a veteran, and the production will eventually follow.
And, when you couple Kindel with the possibility of guys like Brunicke, Murashov, and Hayes populating the roster - in addition to Koivunen, McGroarty, Tristan Broz, Tanner Howe, and possibly Bill Zonnon, who will likely play in the AHL next season - there's already more youth talent that should be in the mix.
Plus, the Penguins can sell and buy, which is something I think they're going to do. Sure, shipping off someone like Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust alone isn't going to net them a young star player, but packaging one of the two with their 2026 first-round pick - which will already be in the 20s, anyway - and perhaps another few picks and a shiny prospect or two not named Murashov (or Kindel, even if he's techincally not a prospect anymore)?
Then, they might be able to pull off a pretty big move for a very good younger player, which helps them in both the short- and the long-term.
Do I think they're Cup contenders next season? No. But I expect them to push for the playoffs again, and I expect them to be making tangible progress with the development of some of their more promising young players. Even if a bona fide "superstar" isn't available, I also expect them to execute a trade for either a solid young blueliner with higher upside or a young top-six forward.
If a superstar does become available, I'm not sure the Penguins would have the shiniest assets to be able to outbid for someone like Jason Robertson or Auston Matthews. But they will certainly be in on those players, as will most other teams. And they might be able to build enough of a package with all of the assets they've collected up to this point quantity-wise.
Either way, I think this is a team that tries to get better. Adding peripheral young talent to the roster - and, potentially, having three core pieces in Murashov, Kindel, and Brunicke already in the organization and in the NHL - not only helps the now, but it should also minimize the amount of time the Penguins need to "tank" after Crosby retires.
And that, I believe, would be the goal for the rebuild: Have two windows of contention. One with Crosby, and one a few years after Crosby, with much of the young peripheral talent intact to bridge that gap. Again, the purpose of adding all this young talent now, via trade or through the system, would be to have those lottery-zone picks for a few years after Sid, but not for more than that. Minimizing the turnover time is key.
What do you think is the Penguins biggest need to contend for next year? @BalmalcolmArab on X
In general, to get younger by both selling and buying. Positionally? They still need to upgrade their blue line. I think they will try to land a young, top-four left-side defenseman in the trade market this summer. The Penguins are playing better systemically on defense, but they could simply use more talent there, too.
What does EDM do with McJesus? @TomParr14916922 on X
Haha. Well, they'll keep him for now, but they're certainly running out of time - for both McDavid and Draisaitl.
If we're talking about these same things next summer? Yeah, they may have to change course and consider the market, if that's what either or both players want.
What are your summer plans? :) @meowlkin on X
I would love to say "relax and take some time off," but, unfortunately, the grind never stops. The draft is in June, and development camp and free agency is in July, so I'll be covering those closely.
I'm also a barista, so I'll be working. A lot. But, that said, I'm going on a nice beach vacation in July and, possibly, a Disney vacation with my baby nephew and the family just before training camp. I would also like to bike a lot more this summer - whilejamming to my mixed playlist that includes the likes of Eric Church, The Black Keys, KONGOS, Jake Bugg, Daughtry, The Vaccines, Jack Johnson, THE BAND CAMINO, Miley Cyrus, and others (mostly in the alternative/indie rock realm), which was a question requested by @reallyafairy on X - and take a Yoga in the Park class. I spend a whole lot of time inside at my desk writing, so I want to make an effort to get a whole lot more fresh air this summer.
Getting some things done around my apartment that I've been putting off would be nice, too. Also a big amusement park enthusiast, so I'll be making my rounds at those.
But the big thing for me is spending time with family and my dog. I mentioned my nephew, but I have a newborn little niece now, too, and spending time with them is my new favorite thing to do. No amount of time with them is ever enough, and not having to be at the rink most days - as much as I love my job - makes way for that time.
Hope you enjoy whatever plans you have this summer as well.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 02: Manager Craig Counsell #11 of the Chicago Cubs looks on during the team celebration after defeating the San Diego Padres in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 02, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The Cubs beat the Reds tonight 5-4 in dramatic fashion. Trailing 4-3 going to the bottom of the ninth, Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with a triple and after a Dansby Swanson strikeout, Nico Hoerner got him home on a sacrifice fly. Then Michael Conforto pinch hit off the bench and knocked it into the left-center field stands for his first career walk-off home run.
Last week I asked you if you to grade the Cubs’ first month of the season. Sixty-two percent of you gave the Cubs a “B” and 34 percent gave them an “A.” Some of you made a point that I should have put in plusses and minuses and well, maybe I should have and maybe I should not have. But I lot of you apparently wanted to give the Cubs a “B+” since they were in second place at the time. But they haven’t lost since then. Maybe it the Cubs were in first place like they were now, the number of top grades would be higher.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You can skip ahead if you want.
I feel like I play too many of these Emmet Cohen videos, but in my defense, he’s one of the top jazz pianists at the moment, he releases new stuff on a regular schedule, he brings in a lot of other top jazz talent to play with him and most of them are pretty darn great.
So here is Cohen playing “On the Street Where you Live” by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe from My Fair Lady. Joining Cohen is vocalist Stella Cole, Philip Norris on bass and Hank Allen-Barfield on drums.
This is from 2025.
The only movie I’ve seen over the past week is Filipino director Lav Diaz’s historical epic Magellan (2025), starring Gael García Bernal as the titular explorer. I’m unfamiliar with the previous works of Diaz and I found this film a bit tough to get through, although I don’t regret having watched it because there is some good stuff in there.
Diaz is one of the forefront directors in the field of “slow cinema” and it might have helped me to have known that going in. From the reviews, I’ve discovered that at two hours and 45 minutes, Magellan is perhaps the most accessible of Diaz’s movies. Most of his earlier films go four or five hours. One of his movies is over ten hours long. So while I found Magellan to be slow, it’s apparently a sprint compared to his other films.
I also came into Magellan knowing just the bare-bones of the historical event for which the title character is known for. He led the first circumnavigation of the globe, although he didn’t make it all the way back to Spain because he was killed in the Philippines. I knew only one of the five ships and a handful of the men made it all the way back.
I mention this because Diaz doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining things in this film. Nor is there a lot of connective tissue from one scene to the next. Not that I recommend being on your phone while watching a movie, but I found Magellan much easier to follow along after I decided to open up the Wikipedia summary of the Magellan Expedition to follow along with. The good news here is that the film appears to be fairly historically accurate.
That’s not to say that choices weren’t made. Even at two hours and 45 minutes, there was a lot of stuff about Magellan that I was interested in and Diaz wasn’t. But he’s understandably concerned about two things—what motivates Magellan and his relationship to Diaz’s native Philippines. The six-month voyage across the Pacific is reduced to about five minutes. The mutinies all get scenes, but they just appear out of nowhere with no build up. Until we get to the Philippines, the scenes lack a narrative cohesion. I’m guessing that’s intentional.
You would think a Filipino director would be unsympathetic to Magellan, but Diaz tries to be fair to the man while still portraying him as kind of a monster. García Bernal’s Magellan is a deeply-religious man who sees the mission of colonization as one of bringing about the second coming of Christ. He seeks forgiveness from the Church for the terrible crimes that he commits. He gives a Filipino child dying of scurvy some quince jelly, which cures him. He longs for the touch of his wife back in Seville, who visits him often in a dream.
But Magellan also has the brutality of a fanatic, striking out at all of his enemies, real or perceived. He executes several of his own men during the voyage. He rampages through a village because of their refusal to give up the idols of their old gods after Magellan baptized them. His downfall comes over his decision to go to war against a tribe that refuses to convert. Diaz also reveals the real hero of his story at the end, Magellan’s translator/slave, Enrique of Malacca (Amado Arjay Babon).
García Bernal’s Ferdinand Magellan is probably the best reason to watch Magellan. He’s certainly a man of contradictions, full of both small acts of goodness and tremendous atrocities, and García Bernal makes us believe that they could all come from the same person. He also learned to speak Portuguese to accurately portray Magellan, who sailed for Spain only after being rejected by the King of his native Portugal. Don’t ask me about his accent, however.
While I’m sure the film was a big-budget film for a Philippine film, Diaz does have to do a lot with less. Things like the death of Magellan, which would have been the climax of any American film, ends up happening offscreen. That’s part of the reason I had trouble following it. A lot gets elided between scenes and you’re just expected to pick it up.
Unsurprisingly for a Filipino director, Diaz treats the island wilderness and its inhabitants tenderly. It’s certainly not a paradise and the islanders fight amongst each other, but they also are real people who have hopes, dreams and weaknesses. There are certainly a few stunning images at sea as well.
Overall, I found Magellan to be a mixed bag. Even though I now know it’s intentional, I found it slow. I needed a reading guide to follow along with it. But it also wa a film with a clear point of view and a couple of great performances by Gael García Bernal and Amado Arjay Babon. I’m not sure I’m going to go on and watch more Lav Diaz films after this one though. I don’t think I could get through a ten-hour movie.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
The Cubs have now won six in a row, 16 of their last 19 and 12 straight at home. The team is clicking on all cylinders at the moment.
The players are clearly the ones most responsible for the winning, but how much credit do you give to the coaching staff?
Three years ago, the Cubs fired manager David Ross, whom we got to see in the pregame rain delay theater if you weren’t at the game, in order to hire Counsell away from the Brewers. The hope was that Counsell, who had been a thorn in the Cubs side with the “Far-North Siders,” would be the difference in getting the Cubs over the hump.
The Brewers promoted Counsell’s bench coach and finished ahead of the Cubs in each of the past two seasons. To add insult to injury, Milwaukee knocked the Cubs out of the playoffs in five games during the Division Series last year.
But this year the Cubs are rolling to a 23-12 start, which is their best start since 2016. The players all praise Counsell for his leadership. Of course, a lot of players on last place teams praise their manager too.
So grade Counsell’s two-plus years as the Cubs manager. And in the comments, tell us how many wins do you think Counsell is worth. No one knows how much impact a manager can have on a team. Certainly a bad one can mess a team up, but can a good one actually help win a significant number of games? No one knows. So give us your guess. And if you want to give plus and minus grades in the comments, be my guest.
Just get home safely, OK. Thanks for stopping by. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.
Dec 23, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) moves to the basket on Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the 4th quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
The Lakers and the Sonics/Thunder have plenty of history between them in the playoffs throughout the decades. LA has had memorable battles in both Seattle and Oklahoma City with title-winning teams picking up wins en route to the Finals.
Let’s look back before moving forward and take a Dip in the Lake with the Sonics/Thunder playoff history.
1978 Playoffs – First Round
In this best -of-3 series, it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley and Norm Nixon against Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams.
Game 1 was a loss for the Lakers with Don Ford starting, so a change was made for Game 2 with Jamaal Wilkes replacing him. Game 2 tied the series and in Game 3, Kareem scored 31 points, but it was not enough.
The Sonics would go on to the Finals, losing to the Washington Bullets, led by Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes, in seven games.
1979 Playoffs – Second Round
In this next matchup, Johnson was a thorn in the Lakers’ side, which would continue later on in his career in Boston.
Games 1 and 2 were pretty similar to last year’s matchup, with the Sonics winning both. The Lakers grabbed Game 3, and in Games 4 and 5, it was the Sonics defense and balanced approach that was too much as the Sonics won the series 4-1 and went on to win the title over the Bullets in a rematch.
1980 Playoffs – Conference Finals
With the arrival of Magic Johnson and the Showtime era, there was a change. Game 1 went down to the wire with the Sonics winning by one after a late Jack Sikma free throw.
In the next four games, the Lakers would handle things and gentleman sweep the Sonics on the way to a title against the 76ers, including the memorable Game 6 with Magic playing center.
1987 Playoffs – Conference Finals
Still firmly in the Showtime Era, the Lakers saw James Worthy dominate the series by averaging 30.5 points per game. The Lakers would go on to sweep the Sonics before eventually beating the Celtics in six games to win another title.
1989 Playoffs – Second Round
As the two-time defending champions, the 1989 semifinals would create a unique challenge with the decline of Kareem. Up to this point in the playoffs, Kareem would play less than 30 minutes per game with Magic and Worthy taking up more prominent roles.
Sound familiar?
It became a balancing act of ensuring Kareem was ready for the latter part of the playoffs. This series would be a sweep once again as the Lakers would eventually face the Bad Boy Pistons at the peak of their powers, who ended any chance of the Lakers getting more rings in the ‘80s.
1995 Playoffs – First Round
In Del Harris’ first season as head coach, he had former Sonic Sedale Threat in tow with a brand new young core of Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Cedric Ceballos and Vlade Divac. But it would be a challenge out of the gate.
Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would be the main duo for Seattle in the ‘90s. Game 1 did not go according to plan, but the remaining three games went the Lakers’ way.
1998 Playoffs – Conference Semifinals
With the departure of Kemp to the Cavs, there would be no Shaq and Kobe Bryant against Kemp and Payton matchup.
The Sonics won the first game of the series, but that was a flash in the pan as the Lakers took the next four games despite Kobe being limited throughout the series.
2010 Playoffs – First Round
This was the era of the young Thunder in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, and they would turn out to be one of the hardest matchups in the later years of Kobe’s career.
In the first few games, the Lakers couldn’t stop Durant. The two teams split the first four games. Games 5 and 6 would be different as the Lakers blocked off the middle with their twin towers of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
The series is best remembered, though, for Pau’s heroics to win Game 6 late.
The Lakers would go on to win the title in seven games against the Celtics.
2012 Playoffs – Conference Semifinals
An aging Lakers core led by Kobe came up against an ascending Thunder side led by Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. It was a 5-game series with the Lakers were on the tail end of their dynasty.
The Thunder would go on to the Finals to face the Heatles and lose in five games.
A dip is all it takes to soak yourself in history.
"If you can't be at Madison Square Garden watching the Knicks ... this is a great second choice," said Stiller, who added the Knicks will win the semifinal series in six games. "This is an incredible event supporting the Costume Institute and the arts in New York. And we've been here a couple of times."
Stiller and his actress wife Christine Taylor, however, paid homage to the Knicks by wearing orange and blue.
"We are representing for the Knicks. We are wearing our Knicks colors," Taylor said during an interview with Vogue.
While Stiller was full of regret for missing Game 1 between the Knicks and 76ers, actor Timothée Chalamet was in attendance at Madison Square Garden.
Chalamet was in his customary courtside seats for the Knicks' 137-98 Game 1 rout ... even while girlfriend Kylie Jenner made an appearance at the fashion spectacle across town.
The stars are out at MSG for Sixers/Knicks Game 1!
Jenner is typically a courtside staple alongside Chalamet at Knicks playoff games, but the Met Gala created a scheduling conflict for the couple. There was precedent for Chalamet, meanwhile, as he skipped the Met Gala last year, too, so he could watch the Knicks on TV in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics.
Karl-Anthony Towns attempts a shot over Joel Embiid during the Knicks' May 4 win.
The spotlight was on Joel Embiid from the opening tip.
The first “f–k Embiid” chant came immediately afterward.
Several more followed.
The sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden picked up where it left off two years ago, screaming when the Sixers’ 7-footer flopped and erupting every time Jalen Brunson burned him.
But unlike the intense first-round matchup in 2024 — when the reigning MVP delivered a series of timely buckets, cheap shots and verbal jabs — the Knicks now may have the most impactful big man in the series.
While Embiid failed to make much of an impact in the series opener — scoring 14 points while shooting 3-for-11 from the field and recording a minus-24 rating — Karl-Anthony Towns continued his incredible all-around postseason, finishing with 17 points (7-for-11 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers), six rebounds, six assists and two blocks in just 20 minutes of the 137-98 win.
Karl-Anthony Towns attempts a shot over Joel Embiid during the Knicks’ May 4 win. Charles Wenzelberg
In the first-round win over the Hawks, coach Mike Brown helped swing the series when he put the ball in Towns’ hands, asking the 7-footer to facilitate the offense.
He responded with his first pair of playoff triple-doubles, finishing the six-game series averaging 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals while shooting nearly 57 percent from the field and over 44 percent on 3-pointers.
“I just love that I get to get my teammates involved and I get a chance to quarterback the offense and put them in positions where I feel they can succeed,” Towns said. “They’re trusting me more with the ball right now, and I want to continue to repay their trust with the right plays and make the right decisions.”
Towns, a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, never has taken fewer shots and rarely made so much of an impact, helping put the Knicks three wins from another conference finals appearance after helping the team end its 25-year drought last year.
During the regular season, Towns averaged a career-low 13.8 field goal attempts.
In the first round, he averaged 9.7.
On Monday, he took only one shot in the first quarter — hitting a 3-pointer — before his worst habit emerged.
Karl-Anthony Towns attempts a shot during the Knicks’ May 4 win over the 76ers. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
After stripping Embiid on back-to-back possessions, Towns headed to the bench with two fouls in barely more than five minutes of play.
But when Towns returned in the second quarter, he immediately made noise, attacking Andre Drummond to score inside.
He followed with a beautiful backdoor pass to Jose Alvarado.
By halftime, Towns had 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and one block.
Before the third quarter was done, Towns left the floor for the final time, with the Knicks leading by 27.
“I think we’re doing a good job of executing what we want to do and a better understanding of the new system,” Towns said. “We’re doing a great job of cutting and bringing energy to our cuts and putting ourselves into positions where we can succeed.”
“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins.”
