Jalen Duren, the Pistons' All-NBA center and anchor in the middle on both ends of the court, will miss at least two weeks with a strained right hamstring, the team announced on Sunday.
Duren left Detroit's game against Miami in the second quarter, after a drive to the rim against Giannis Antetokounmpo where he instantly grabbed at the back of his leg and asked to be taken out of the game.
Duren scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Pistons' season-opening win against Boston. He will now miss games against the 76ers, Knicks and others. Duren had a dramatic offseason contract standoff with the Pistons that drew headlines and ended with him signing a five-year, $200 million contract with the team. After returning, Duren said all that drama was behind him and his focus was on helping a team that won 60 games a season ago take a step forward.
Paul Reed will start in Duren's place and get heavy minutes there, with Tolu Smith getting some run. Don't be surprised if coach JB Bickerstaff tries some small-ball lineups with John Collins at the five.
As part of the fanfare that comes with hosting an outdoor game, the city of Winnipeg hosted an old-timer’s game between the former Montreal Canadiens and the former Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Center on Saturday night. With nothing but pride and bragging rights on the line, fans who made it to the game got a good show and didn’t regret it.
The Habs alumni, coached by former blueliner and now media personality P.K. Subban, won 7-4 over the Jets alumni. The bench boss had plenty of talent to draw on, with Paul Byron, David Desharnais, Guillaume Latendresse, and Andrei Markov lacing them up for the Sainte-Flanelle. In net, Montreal chose the 2011 playoff hero, Jaroslav Halak, and Yan Danis, and it proved a winning formula.
Desharnais, who spent part of 10 NHL seasons in the Canadiens’ organization, led the charge with four points in a 7-4 triumph, a total matched by linemate Guillaume Latendresse on a line completed by Erik Cole. The big number 84 scored a brace like Byron, while Desharnais, David Savard and Cole also found the back of the net, with the latter scoring on an empty net.
Meanwhile, Ron Hainsey, Mark Stuart, Anthony Peluso and Blake Wheeler beat the Canadiens’ goaltenders, but it wasn't enough to give the home side a win. Andrew Hutchinson and Jason Kasdorf were the locals’ netminders.
With that game in the books, the two NHL teams can now get down to business at Princess Auto Stadium. The Jets will try to right the ship after four straight losses, while the Canadiens will try to build momentum after returning to winning ways Friday night. The puck drops at 7:00 PM for a game that will hopefully live up to its Heritage Classic billing.
Despite Jayson Tatum’s efforts to cool the conversations around the Celtics star and his former teammate, Jaylen Brown poured fuel on the fire by Saturday night.
The most recent development in the back-and-forth saga in regards to having “beef” with one another, Brown — now a 76er — didn’t say there is as much.
However, he suggested there are “lamp chops and some gravy” and that Tatum “should stay ready at all times.”
Jaylen Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers walks off the court after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. NBAE via Getty Images
“I didn’t see the full thing, but I saw that he said it’s no beef, and I think he’s right,” Brown said of Tatum’s most recent comments following the 76ers’ 127-116 victory over the Bucks on Saturday. “There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We’ve accomplished some great things. He’s hell of a basketball player. He’s got a great PR team. There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times.”
When a follow up question came, asking why he said that Brown stated “That’s what it is.”
“No beef. It should never, ever be that. It’s just basketball. We both blessed. But it might be a little lamb chop. We’ll be alright,” he concluded.
The episode highlighted how Tatum learned of Boston trading Brown to Philadelphia during the offseason in July. He explained he was “caught off guard as the rest of the world.” That didn’t seem to sit right with Brown, who commented the blue cap emoji on the post.
Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics walks off the court during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“I understand we’re in the entertainment business. Me personally, I’m not much of an off-the-court entertainer type of guy,” the 28-year-old said. “For me, I don’t have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him. I think the frustrating part is, since he’s not with the Celtics anymore, the narrative or the conversations haven’t been enough about what we accomplished. All the games we won, winning a championship, how we’ve grown together. And it’s turned into this drama type of thing.
“I’ve seen all these things about ‘get your popcorn ready when they play.’ This ain’t no f–king boxing match. I play basketball. Again, there’s no animosity. There’s no beef. I just hate the way the conversation and the narrative around it when there’s not enough communication. And I think a conversation would solve or put out a lot of fires.”
After Saturday’s game, Brown was asked if his cap emoji comment was meant to suggest Tatum was lying about the true sequence of events in Boston. Yet, he dodged the question.
“Hey, look, like I said, there’s no beef. The PR and all that type of stuff, it is what it is. But I think we’re just both focused on what’s in front of us,” the 30-year-old said.
Jayson Tatum #0 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics look on against the Philadelphia 76ers during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Friday, April 24, 2026. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. Getty Images
In 2016, the Celtics drafted Brown third overall in the NBA Draft. The following year, Tatum was taken third overall out of Duke.
Since then, the two have been defining figures for the franchise.
Since the 2016-2017 season, the Celtics made four Eastern Conference Finals appearance and two NBA Finals berths. The two led Boston to take home the title in 2024 and Brown won the Finals MVP.
Despite their successful history, it’s unknown if the two will reconcile their differences. When asked if he’s open to having a conversation with Tatum, it didn’t seem high on Brown’s to-do list.
“We both got so much stuff in front of us. So, you know, at the end of the day, he gotta do what he gotta do for his team. I gotta do what I gotta do for my team,” he said.
The 76ers will host the Celtics for their first meeting of the season on Nov. 10 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Oct 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Through three games, Joel Embiid has been healthy and available.
That wouldn’t be notable for most players, but Embiid didn’t play all three of the first three games of the 2024-25 or 2025-2026 seasons.
While he’s not likely to play Sunday in the Sixers’ second leg of their home back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons, it won’t be for lack of trying.
“I have no idea,” Embiid said when asked about the plan to play him Saturday. “I actually want to play tomorrow, so can you guys put pressure on them?”
Embiid relented a little, understanding there are still 79 games to go and greater goals ahead.
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask them, but obviously you get three days off,” he said. “Could have been two, but you get three days off. It doesn’t really matter. It’s all about the beginning of the season. It’s going well, so I guess more time you can get to recover, the better, and then get used to it.”
Still, Embiid couldn’t help himself.
“But yeah, I want to play tomorrow, so start writing articles. Put pressure on them so they let me play,” he said playfully.
It makes sense Embiid would want to keep things rolling. He put up a triple-double in the team’s 127-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday, moving the Sixers to 3-0 on the young season.
Embiid’s performances have been a mixed bag — unsurprising, as Embiid is a notorious slow starter and still needs to adjust to his new superstar teammates, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. On the one hand, he’s looked better physically than he has in two years and is contributing to winning. On the other hand, he’s still not moving like his former MVP self and is still feeling out his place in a new offensive ecosystem.
After a poor shooting performance on opening night, Embiid has been much more efficient in his last two games. He was 8-for-20 against the Bucks, but did have an outstanding stretch in the fourth quarter, being the team’s offensive hub. He seemed to make the right plays consistently throughout the night. His 10th assist came at a great time as Brown nailed a three late in the game to extend a shrinking lead back to six.
With James sitting the first leg of the back-to-back, Embiid became the team’s primary facilitator. The abundance of talent allows Embiid to play his preferred brand of basketball.
“I get more fulfilled when I play team basketball and the ball is moving and I’m making plays for everybody,” he said. “Like it just feels so much better as a basketball player. A night like tonight … that’s the way I like to play. The ball moves, everybody’s touching it, side to side, and then that’s good offense.”
So much for all that there’s only one ball! talk.
Embiid isn’t moving like he was in 2023, but you have to be encouraged by what you’ve seen so far if you’re the Sixers. This is a guy who thought he might have to retire not all that long ago. To get to this point three games into the season is a positive start.
Even Embiid knows he still has work to do, but he believes he can do it — no small thing for a player who’s lacked confidence in his body the last several years.
“I’m happy that I’m playing basketball, but I’m not really happy about the way I’ve been playing,” Embiid said. “I just haven’t been efficient. Not even close to what I should be. So, yeah, that’s the part that I got to work on.
“But everything else, kind of getting the feeling back, whether it’s on defense, rebounding, making plays for guys — slowly getting there. But as myself, as the great scorer that I’ve always been, I gotta figure it out because I think once I really get back to myself — whether it’s in the post, midrange, from three — that’s going to be a game-changer for us.”
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 16: Brent Burns #84 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against Ryan O'Reilly #90 of the Nashville Predators at Ball Arena on January 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a victory at home on Friday, are back on the road!
Tonight, they’ll take on the Nashville Predators in a matchup featuring some very familiar faces wearing opposing colors.
Colorado Avalanche (6-4-1)
The Opponent: Nashville Predators (3-3-4)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), SCRIPPS (Nashville Local Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – Canada)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 on Friday night, snapping a two game losing streak. Nathan MacKinnon, who had been held off the scoresheet during the team’s back-to-back road games, led the way with a four point effort (1G/3A). Artturi Lehkonen scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season, which stood as the game-winner, and Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside thirty-one of thirty-four shots to pick up his fifth win of the season.
Friday’s game also marked the return of Logan O’Connor to the lineup. O’Connor, who had missed the first ten games of the season with injury, skated on a line with Parker Kelly and Taylor Makar, who had been called up from Loveland earlier in the day.
In comments on Saturday, head coach Jared Bednar again highlighted the progress his team has made and the hurdles of putting together a complete effort from start to finish. “Leading into those two games [on the road], I was starting to like where our game was coming. It was just a matter of putting together a full sixty. We went the other way, and then last night, I felt that was probably, like, as close as we could get to a full sixty even with the disruption of flow with all the penalties in the second period.”
Bednar also stated on Saturday that Nicolas Roy would accompany the team to Nashville, although he’s considered “questionable but doubtful” for playing on Sunday. As for the injured Zachary L’Heureux, he’s still considered “week-to-week”, but no timetable exists for his return. Taylor Makar also will be on the road trip.
MacKinnon still leads all skaters in points (20) and assists (13), and trails Lehkonen for the team lead in goals (7). Fedor Svechkov, who was drafted by Nashville in 2021, played the previous two seasons with the Predators before being acquired by the Avs, along with L’Heureux, during the offseason.
The Avs split the season series against Nashville last season, with both teams splitting victories at home and on the road.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes Logan O’Connor – Parker Kelly – Taylor Makar
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Nashville Predators
A decade ago, Nashville was at the height of its powers as a Stanley Cup contender. They made their first (and so far, only) appearance in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2017, only to lose to the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Since then, Nashville has only advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs once, lost in the first round four times, and missed the playoffs three of the past four seasons. With general manager Barry Trotz stepping down at the end of last season, the organization wanted someone that had prior success in reshaping a roster into a legitimate playoff threat.
On June 02, they had their man: Chris MacFarland, who spent the previous four seasons as Colorado’s general manager, was brought in as Nashville’s general manager and president of hockey operations. On June 05, former Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake was hired on as vice president of hockey operations. With both men having had success in Colorado at the executive and player levels now in place, a very busy summer was about to start in Smashville.
Nashville acquired left wing Ross Colton and goaltender Isak Posch from Colorado in exchange for Nashville’s third round pick in this year’s draft, Colorado’s own third round pick in the 2027 draft, and goaltender Magnus Chrona on June 16. Eight days later, Nashville acquired center Jack Drury from Colorado along with left wing Chase Bradley and Colorado’s third round pick in 2029 in exchange for left wing Zachary L’Heureux and center Fedor Svechkov.
Drury signed a five year, $22.5 million dollar contract extension on June 29. That same day, Nashville traded Colorado’s 2029 third round pick it had acquired in the Drury deal to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for left wing Nils Höglander. Prior to the start of free agency, center Adam Enstrom was acquired from the New York Rangers on June 27 in exchange for center Massimo Rizzo and Edmonton’s fifth round pick in 2029.
As free agency began, MacFarland set his sights on another Central Division rival. On July 01, he acquired right wing Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Nashville’s 2027 second round pick and Vegas’ third round pick in 2028. Three days later, Bourque signed a six-year, $33 million dollar contract with Nashville.
Despite their refreshed roster, Nashville has gotten off to a decidedly lukewarm start, sporting a 3-3-4 record through their first ten games of the season. However, they’ve also lost five of their previous six games, with their most recent loss coming last night in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. With goaltender Juuse Saros starting in goal against Pittsburgh, goaltender Justus Annunen will likely get the call against his former club, who will be well rested and ready when the teams take the ice tonight.
Steven Stamkos leads all Nashville skaters in points (11) and goals (5), captain Roman Josi leads the team in assists (8). Nicolas Hague leads all Nashville skaters in penalty minutes (13). Saros is credited with all three of Nashville’s wins this season. Annunen has played only one game this season with Nashville, having spent some time on injured reserve earlier this season.
Despite this game having all the markings of a schedule loss for Nashville, a win tonight could pull them one point behind Colorado in the Central Division standings.
Tonight’s game marks the beginning of a five game home stand at Bridgestone Arena, and their start of their four game series with Colorado.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Matthew Wood Filip Forsberg – Mavrik Bourque – Jonathan Marchessault Daemon Hunt – Alex Kerfoot – Nils Höglander Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom
Defense: Roman Josi – Adam Wilsby Nicolas Hague – Jayden Struble Brady Skjei – Reid Schaefer
Here is a player who epitomizes the Cubs’ pitching infrastructure.
The Cubs don’t have a lot of guys who throw hard. But Hunter Harvey does!
Or… sometimes does, because he’s more injured than not. He was the Orioles’ No. 1 pick (22nd overall) out of high school in North Carolina in 2018. He’s got a pedigree — his dad, Bryan Harvey, was second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1988 and was a two-time All-Star, leading the AL in saves with 46 in 1991 — before he was injured and his career essentially ended at age 30. Bryan Harvey pitched in only a handful of games after that.
Hunter? Same thing. He wound up with the Nationals in 2022 and had two good years there, with 20 saves for them in 2023. But his numbers dived south in 2024 and since then he has pitched in 12 MLB games… which is exactly the number of games his dad pitched in 1994, his second-to-last season.
Bryan Harvey pitched in one game for the Marlins in 1995 and was done.
Hunter Harvey pitched in four games for the Cubs in 2026. Yes, really, he did! If you blinked while it was cold out, you probably missed it. Two of the games were at Wrigley Field, and the photo at the top is photographic proof of that, but you might have missed those too, as it was pretty cold both those days.
Hunter Harvey faced 18 batters in a Cubs uniform, recording 12 outs. For that they paid him $6 million. That’s $500,000 per out.
That’s $6 million wasted. Jed Hoyer should not have made this signing, knowing that this was a very possible outcome. There is a mutual option for $8 million for next year that Hoyer should decline at the first opportunity.
And learn the lesson to not to stuff like this anymore.
The Sixers on Sunday afternoon ruled Joel Embiid and Jabari Walker out for the last leg of their back-to-back.
Embiid’s official injury report listing was “right plantar fasciitis injury management” and Walker’s was “left knee soreness.” The 3-0 Sixers will host the 2-0 Pistons on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Embiid and Walker join Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) and Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) on the sidelines. LeBron James is set to return after sitting Saturday night.
Following a 28-point triple-double Saturday in the Sixers’ win over the Bucks, Embiid made a good-natured public pitch to play. In his postgame media availability from the Sixers’ locker room, Embiid asked reporters with a smile to make it known that he felt good and wanted to go Sunday. The Sixers stuck with their original plan of Embiid splitting the back-to-back.
Adem Bona will presumably be the next center in line behind Embiid. Detroit is also down its usual starting big man with Jalen Duren out because of a right hamstring strain. Former Sixer Paul Reed should play a large role for Detroit without Duren.
Walker “tweaked his left knee” against the Bucks, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said postgame. He played 12 solid minutes, posting six points and three rebounds, before exiting late in the third quarter.
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 24: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 24, 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
With 5:53 left in the second quarter, Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford grabbed an offensive rebound, dunked it home, and screamed at his home crowd. The energy play gave the Mavs a 49-43 lead, despite missing several key starters like Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. That play prompted a timeout from San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.
At that point, all of the doom and gloom about the Spurs’ first two games seemed warranted. The team looked sluggish and disengaged in a genuinely worrisome way. What happened to the fire and spunk this team played with last season? Johnson may have asked them the same question in the huddle during that second-quarter timeout. A different team emerged from the bench after the pep talk.
San Antonio responded with a 25-11 run after the timeout, leading to their first win of the season, 122-106.
So what changed after that point? It started with defensive pressure at the point of attack. Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and De’Aaron Fox all had multiple steals as the team forced 21 turnovers, leading to 26 points off them. The energy and intensity on defense changed after the timeout. The Mavericks’ backcourt mistakes led to easy runouts for the Spurs, igniting a scoring explosion that inevitably won the game. Just a tweak in intensity and aggression made a major difference on the scoreboard.
To start the season, San Antonio’s players and coaches have talked a lot about effort and focus. Fox cited a bad preseason, and Mitch Johnson talked about playing up to a standard and not being a team that just flips the effort switch on and off. It’s concerning that a team coming off an NBA Finals in which they blew multiple winnable games is still showing inconsistent effort. But maybe a dominant win against a team they are supposed to beat will wake them up from this early-season stupor.
San Antonio is entering an easier part of their early-season schedule with games against teams that failed to make the playoffs last year. Some dominant wins would be the type of continued response this team needs, and could signal this game as a turning point for this year’s squad.
Takeaways:
San Antonio is still struggling to figure out its new rotation. The four-guard starting lineup has forced Johnson to change how he staggers his guards. The results thus far have been mixed. The starting lineup has a +1.8 net rating in 28 minutes, with the defense looking great and the offense shaky. Johnson has then taken Fox out first and brought him back in to run the second unit with Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Carter Bryant/Harrison Barnes, and Luke Kornet. Small sample size here, but that lineup has a net rating of -77.8 in 9 minutes. The group simply needs more playmaking to succeed. It ultimately turns into Fox dominating the ball with limited movement, and no offensive flow. The bench lineup was on the floor for most of Dallas’ scoring runs on Saturday.
Part of what has made those second-unit lineups look so bad, and what killed San Antonio in the playoffs last year, has been the play of Kornet. Plus-minus is not usually a great stat, but it can be helpful when it matches the eye test. Kornet was -18 in 14 minutes, going 0-2 from the field, grabbing 4 rebounds and recording 2 turnovers. He has not finished in the paint, nor protected the rim well to start this season. His offensive limitations are exacerbated by the Spurs’ lack of second-unit creation, and if he’s not crushing the glass or holding down the paint, it’s hard to find a lot of positives in having him out there.
With Kornet struggling, the Spurs went to the rookie, Tarris Reed, to start the third quarter. The rookie helped the team go on an 11-4 run in his 4-minute stint. Reed scored his first NBA bucket on a lob from Vassell, and snatched an offensive rebound that eventually led to a Champagnie three-pointer. He had 2 points, 3 rebounds, and a turnover in 7 total minutes. That performance, and Kornet’s struggles, should earn the rookie some more minutes moving forward. We’ll see if the coaching staff gradually increases his opportunities as they did for Bryant last season.
Victor Wembanyama had a much better game by keeping things simple against Dallas. He led the team in scoring with 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting, making 2 of his 6 three-pointers. He mainly served as a lob threat in the pick-and-roll, particularly thriving when running the action with Fox. He still took some frustrating three-pointers, but the ones he made genuinely came within the flow of the offense. He was also one of the players who benefitted from Johnson’s second-quarter pep talk. Wembanyama looked a step slow and lethargic in the first half, but responded with improved defense in the second. It was a step in the right direction, but we still haven’t seen Wembanyama put it all together this season.
Fox was the Spurs MVP on Saturday night. He had 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting, adding 9 assists and 3 steals. He was fantastic in the pick-and-roll, developing chemistry with Wembanyama. He’s taking and making shots within the flow of the offense. He may be thriving more than any of Spur in these new guard-heavy lineups.
Castle’s shooting may be real. The third-year guard is now shooting 37.9% from three on 9.7 attempts to start the season. He went 3-for-8 from deep on Saturday. Teams are leading him open for the most part, and he still struggles to shoot threes off the dribble, but when his feet are set, his shot looks good. If he becomes a 36%+ shooter this season, he’ll make it easier for the Spurs to play him alongside Harper and Fox.
Keldon Johnson was back to playing the high-energy role that made him so successful last season. He had 7 points and 6 rebounds, 4 of them offensive, in his 26 minutes. Johnson continues to be at his best when he is driving hard to the cup in transition and crashing the boards.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets puts up a shot over DeAndre Jordan #6 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.
Having completed a remarkable comeback to knock off the Pelicans on Saturday night, Nikola Jokić shifted his attention toward his unexpected next opponent: Nuggets fans who had booed the team.
The superstar center heard the jeers of an unhappy, home crowd at Ball Arena, who witnessed the Nuggets getting stomped through the first half. After leading a rally that ended in a 141-135, overtime victory, Jokić used his postgame news conference to state that those disbelieving and venting fans are not welcome in the Denver arena.
“We get booed in the first home game,” Jokić told reporters after the Nuggets’ first victory of the season. “I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore. Because if you guys follow us, you know that we never quit. And we came back from much worse or similar situations.
“If they ask me, they are not welcome anymore.”
The Pelicans are blowing out the Nuggets in Denver
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets puts up a shot over DeAndre Jordan #6 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Getty Images
The Nuggets had trailed, 45-26, in the second quarter when the boos began to rain down, according to the Denver Post. Coming off a season-opening defeat in Oklahoma City, the Nuggets dug a hole as great as 23 and were losing by 16 points at halftime against a New Orleans team that is not expected to be good.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman told reporters his team’s first-half effort was “dismal.”
“I didn’t expect our team to come out the way they did,” Adelman told reporters. “It was a horrendous first half for us. But I liked the fight back.”
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, left, drives to the rim past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Perhaps motivated and clearly angered by the boos, Jokić scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and added 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his 222nd triple-double of his regular-season and playoff career, passing Russell Westbrook for the most combined in NBA history. It was the 199th of Jokić’s regular season, second to Westbrook’s 209.
As Jokić made history and led the comeback, Nuggets fans cheered. Afterward, though, Jokić remembered the boos during an odd start to his 12th season with the team.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Sebastian Walcott #12 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the 2026 Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Brewers beat the Rays last night by a score of 5-4, giving them a 2-0 lead as the series now heads back to Tampa.
Cody Stavenhagen writes about how the presence Bob Uecker, who passed away in 2025, is still felt by the Brewers.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: Tyler Herro #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket during the game against the Washington Wizards on October 21, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With the Bucks going 2-3 in the preseason—beating the Thunder and Pacers and losing to the Wolves, Hornets, and Bulls—we wanted to take the fans’ pulse on whether their optimism had changed for this week’s survey. As the graphic shows, a plurality (48%) of fans were neutral, voting that they felt “about the same” as before preseason, while 38% felt worse. This left 14% of fans voting that they felt better.
VoltantheDestroyer: “About the same. Ware is worse than expected. Others non-Herro players from Miami look marginally better than expected. Burries/Ament better; Dieng worse. All in all a wash. Plus it’s preseason.”
naveed2000s: “Worse. Our key guys often looked pretty bad out there, but our overall depth makes us a great garbage time team. I had a lot of opinions on who should stay and who should go, who should be featured or not. But I’m settling into the idea of this being a complete retool season, and am not getting too attached to anyone. We may be really bad, but let’s introduce concepts and a general identity, and continually clean up the roster. See what (probably few) players emerge as keepers, trim the fat where needed, and make an impactful trade or two to set the tone.”
Nate O: “I went with Better: I’m definitely worried about Ware. I was hopeful he would slot right into a Jenkins’ run system, and there’s still time, but the early returns were disappointing. Jaquez Jr. in my opinion was “meh”- not worried, not thrilled, saving any judgements until I can see way more minutes from him regularly. He played sporadically during the preseason as many did so the hot and cold, up and down here doesn’t worry me too much for now. So the “better” is coming from Burries and Co. appearing to be ahead of schedule. I really thought he looked impressive on his drives and his court vision, but I sort of expected the pieces to look sloppier than they have been. Ament showed more promise than I ever originally gave him credit for, and Jakucionis really looks comfortable with the ball in his hands.“
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 19: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning during Game Six of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday, October 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Like everyone else, the ALDS and the conclusion to the Yankees’ 2026 season left me very frustrated. It just feels like another year of missed chances with a roster that is good, but not good enough as it probably should be. There will always be moves made and unmade that you can look back on that you wish you could go back over. However, there’s no way to really do that… except in the fictional world.
I decided to take out my frustration at the end of the season in the only way in which I have a real way to: using the MLB The Show video game. Messing around with the game, I wanted to see how many pieces the Yankees truly were away from maybe winning the World Series. None of this is completely realistic, but that’s not the point, I wanted to use the Yankees to put a hurt on some teams. With that in mind, here is my experiment.
To start, let’s upgrade the Yankees’ weakest position, both in the game and arguably in real life this year: third base. To do that, we’ll not only add to the Yankees but weaken their biggest enemies this year by taking Junior Caminero from the Rays.
The Caminero addition doesn’t help the Yankees avoid a slow start to the season, as they’re hovering around .500 well into June. However, they play good baseball after that, finishing 91-71 and getting the top AL Wild Card. The Rays are significantly weakened without their star, but the Yankees still fall short of the Blue Jays.
Judge stays fully healthy and hits over 50 homers, with Caminero hitting 41 himself. However, this universe’s Cam Schlittler struggles to a 5.00 ERA, while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón both throw less than 10 innings in the regular season due to injury. Max Fried picks up the slack, putting up a nice season though. In the end, this universe’s 2026 ends like the real universe’s 2025: the Yankees lose to Toronto in four in the ALDS. The Dodgers end up completing the three-peat, beating the Royals (???) in the World Series.
For round two, we decide to shore up the designated hitter spot and take the guy who will likely win this year’s AL MVP in Yordan Alvarez.
Despite that, the Yankees again go just 91-71. Alvarez isn’t really the issue, as he posts a .898 OPS with 32 home runs. This time, they’re severely hampered by Caminero missing over 100 games with injury, and Amed Rosario struggles in his place. However this time around, those 91 wins are enough to take the AL East.
This time with home field advantage, the Yankees again take on the Blue Jays in the ALDS. This series goes all the way to Game 5, and features a wild ending. Taking a 2-0 lead into the ninth, David Bednar coughs up three runs to put the Jays three outs away. However, the Yankees rally in the ninth, scoring twice with Austin Wells getting a walk-off, series winning hit to move onto the ALCS.
In the ALCS, the Yankees face the Mariners, who put up the top record in the AL. The series again goes to the final game and is also decided by one run, albeit not in as dramatic circumstances. A 5-4 Yankees win in Seattle sends the Yankees to the World Series, with Bednar recording the save this time around.
In the Fall Classic, the Yankees dispatch the Cubs in five games, winning Game 5 after failing to sweep the series. The latest addition, Alvarez, proves to be a very big one. He goes 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in the clinching win. He OPSed .912 in the postseason in general. Cody Bellinger ended up winning the World Series MVP though, having homered and drove home three runs in the clinching Game 5 win.
So that’s what it would apparently take for this Yankees’ roster to get over the hump and win the World Series, but I’m still out for blood. I want to know what it will take for the Yankees to get towards record setting territory. While I’m hopeful about George Lombard Jr., we can still upgrade that spot even if he turns out pretty good. Let’s go get the best shortstop in baseball.
An 8.7 WAR season from Witt — and 6.0 from Austin Wells??? — gets the Yankees to 100-62, but an ALCS loss to the Mariners. Now, it’s time to go in for the kill.
Doing all that apparently only gets the Yankees to 106-56. That may have to do with the fact that somehow Mark Leiter Jr. reappeared on the roster.
While it takes six games, the Yankees do end up taking the World Series over the Brewers.
While the Yankees’ roster is now excellent, the depth still lacks. Plus, we’ve been leaving “budgets” on, and we should not have to follow those. Let’s go truly nuts.
The Yankees now have the top rated depth chart at every position except for first base. As far as that goes, I don’t want to trade Ben Rice, and we can’t upgrade Paul Goldschmidt until June 15th as he was an offseason free agency signing. Once that deadline goes past, I decide to make a further move as the team is still not good enough for my liking.
Finally now have we assembled a truly unstoppable team. It’s baseball, so they still end up losing over 40 games, but this version of the Yankees goes 119-43. They score 985 runs on the season which is over six per game. They drop just four total games over their three playoff series. Two come in the ALCS against the Twins, which seems unrealistic for several reasons. However, I now feel better about things, at least until I turn off my XBOX.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: Luis Torrens #13 of the New York Mets looks on during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on September 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hi there, just trying something new, only for this season review. You’ll see the Spanish version I wrote below the English version. If you don’t speak Spanish, just scroll past it.
Saludos, probamos algo nuevo, pero es sólo para esta revista. La versión en español está debajo de la versión en inglés. Muchas gracias por su paciencia si hay error.
Luis Torrens capped off a successful 2026 with his second consecutive Gold Glove nomination. It is well-deserved, as he once again demonstrated his defensive acumen and, presumably, vibe. Although he was technically the backup catcher, he started 74 games and participated in a total of 86 games at the position. During his season, he also cemented himself as a steady hand for veteran and rookie pitchers alike.
After Francisco Alvarez tore his meniscus in May, Torrens took over as the starting catcher, and Hayden Senger joined him as his backup. During this time and throughout 2026, Torrens’ defensive metrics were elite. His DRS was 12 (17.8/1000 innings), his FRV was 10 (14.8/1000 innings), and he caught 17 runners stealing. In addition, his pop time was 1.86 seconds. It is no surprise that he was considered one of the best, if not the best defensive catchers in the league.
Pitchers also had success with Torrens behind the plate. It is difficult to do a comprehensive analysis of pitcher/catcher splits due to a variety of factors affecting pitchers, such as other players on the field, ballpark factors, weather conditions, and potential injuries at play. That said, pitchers complimented Torrens’ pitch calling and game management. It can also be noted that his catcher ERA was 3.74, lower than Alvarez’s at 4.54.
Despite typically being lauded for his defensive prowess, Torrens also broke out offensively in August. In 14 games, he hit six of his nine home runs, and raised his OPS from .602 at the beginning of August to .701 at the beginning of September. He hit .235/.295/.396 for the season.
And don’t forget that he pitched 2.1 innings, allowing two runs for an ERA of 7.71. For some reason, he also played 3.0 innings at first base. Maybe this contributed to his overall fWAR of 2.1; maybe not.
Torrens’ overall performance meant it was not surprising that the Mets offered him a two-year, $11.5 million contract to return through 2028. He signed in May, presumably to remain as the Mets’ backup catcher. With so many things now up in the air, it’s nice to think that he will return with the Mets when baseball returns.
Luis Torrens tuvo gran campaña detrás del plato
Luis Torrens tuvo una campaña exitosa en 2026 y fue nombrado finalista al Gold Glove por segundo año consecutivo, un honor muy bien merecido. A pesar de ser el cátcher suplente, fue el titular en 74 partidos y participó como cátcher en 86 partidos. Se ha establecido como una presencia firme y estable detrás del plato y con los pícheres veteranos y bisoños.
Cuando Francisco Álvarez se desgarró el menisco en mayo, Torrens se hizo el titular, con Hayden Senger como suplente. Mientras era titular y durante todo 2026, sus números defensivos fueron magníficos. Tenía DRS de 12 (17.8/1000 entradas), FRV de 10 (14.8/1000 entradas), y atrapó a 17 corredores robando. Su tiempo de tiro a segunda (pop time) fue de 1.86 segundos. No es sorpresa que Torrens sea considerado uno de los mejores, si no el mejor, cátcheres defensivos en MLB.
Los pícheres tenían mucho éxito cuando Torrens estaba detrás del plato, también. Aunque un análisis completo es bastante difícil a causa de la variedad de factores que afectan a los pícheres, como los otros jugadores, los estadios diferentes, el tiempo, lesiones, etc., podemos decir que los pícheres elogiaban sus habilidades. Su ERA durante el año con Torrens fue de 3.74; en comparación, con Álvarez fue de 4.54.
Torrens era más conocido por su talento defensivo durante esta campaña, pero al final del verano también se encendió ofensivamente. Él participó en 14 partidos en agosto, y golpeó seis jonrones, subiendo su OPS desde .602 al principio de agosto a .703 al principio de septiembre. En toda la campaña, él bateó para .235/.295/.396.
Y no se nos olvide que Torrens también fue pícher por 2.1 entradas este año. Permitió dos carreras para una ERA de 7.71 y jugó en la primera base por 3.0 entradas. ¿Por qué? No sabemos. Quizás contribuye a su fWAR de 2.1, o quizás no.
Su conjunto de obras en 2026 demostró por qué los Mets decidieron ofrecerle a Torrens un contrato rico para quedarse como suplente por dos años más. En mayo, él firmó un contrato de $11,5 millones hasta 2028. Con todo lo que pueda cambiar ahora, es buena noticia saber que Torrens volverá a los Mets cuando el béisbol vuelva.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 24: Sal Frelick #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in game two of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field on October 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The final call in last night’s World Series Game 2 has sparked some controversy. Yandy Díaz got crossed up by an Aaron Ashby curve and was called for a swing on the appeal down to first, a call that Díaz disagreed with. I believe that the moment is way too big to allow a judgement call be the deciding factor, and while it’s easier said than done, you have to swing or get off the pot. Do you think he swung? Do you think he didn’t swing? Do you think if you stare into the abyss long enough it stares back? These are the important questions of our time.
Happy Sunday everybody!
In the World Series…
The Rays jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in Game 2 last night, but the Milwaukee pitching locked in and allowed no more runs after the first, while the offense slowly whittled away the lead, until Sal Frelick tied it in the sixth with an unlikely left-on-left homerun to center in the sixth, and Cooper Pratt singled to score Brice Turang in the seventh to complete the comeback. The series flips to Tampa where the Rays will try to prevent going down 3-0 on Monday at 5:00 pm PST on Fox.
In Mariners news…
If you ever find yourself wondering where Josh Naylor is and what he’s up to for some reason just check whether or not the Kraken are playing a home game that day and you’ll likely have your answer.
Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López has been on a very tight schedule since the last weekend of the season to make absolutely sure that he is on-time with his Tommy John rehab.
The Yankees will likely be in the market for a backup catcher when the stove lights up, but the team’s belief, or possible lack thereof, in Austin Wells could potentially be the linchpin for their entire offseason.
Nick’s pick…
I really need to start hitting the gym so that these pictures of me stop going viral.
An Illinois racoon got so fat that he got stuck in a sewer grate, forcing police to show up and free him.
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 24: Luke Fox #5 of the Glendale Desert Dogs pitches during the game between the Scorpions and the Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, October 24, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Steve Chadwick/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Scoring three in the first and on the back of a dominant, albeit short start by Dodger farmhand Luke Fox, the Desert Dogs outlasted the Scorpions in a one-run win by a score of 5-4. Fox covered three frames, allowing a single run, recording six of his nine outs via strikeout, setting the tone for an overpowering 15 punchouts by the Desert Dogs pitching staff. For a pitcher who so heavily relied on strikeouts, Fox was relatively efficient, averaging a tad over 16 pitches per inning.
That’s one sly Fox@Dodgers prospect Luke Fox strikes out six across three innings of work. Fox has a 3.38 ERA this Fall. pic.twitter.com/qXwWpK5MxB
Fox wasn’t the only Dodger to start off this game strong, as Glendale opened the scoring in the first thanks to a leadoff home run by Charles Davalan, who got the nod at second base. The solo shot would be the only time he would get on base in this game and represent his second home run in the AFL.
Deuces for Davalan@Dodgers No. 6 prospect Charles Davalan blasts his second homer of the Fall. The homer came on the third pitch of the game giving the Desert Dogs an early lead. pic.twitter.com/aWeHi77W03
Batting cleanup and playing first base, Chase Harlan didn’t record a hit but scored a run with a walk on four plate appearances. While Davalan’s numbers have been underwhelming as a whole, only Caleb Bonemer has an OPS higher than Harlan’s (.963) in the Desert Dogs lineup.
Sunday is an off-day in the AFL, and the Glendale Desert Dogs return to the field on Monday at 1:30 p.m. (PT) to welcome the Mesa Solar Sox in the matchup of the only two teams with a losing record in the league.
