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Rockets 2026-2027 player previews: Amen Thompson
The Houston Rockets had two constants during several seasons of their rebuild. Multiple seasons of losing a lot and drafting near the top, thanks to those losing seasons. After the Rockets traded away their franchise star, James Harden, in 2021, they knew they had to tear down the entire roster and start from scratch.
That meant a lot of losses and multiple years drafting in the top ten to hopefully get back to contention soon as possible. Since 2021 the Rockets drafted in the top five four different times starting with Jalen Green in the first draft post Harden. The Rockets would go onto draft three other players Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.
For the most part, the Rockets have had success in those drafts, even though the only All-Star from the group has been Alperen Sengun, who wasn’t drafted in the lottery. Green was part of the Rockets’ blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant; the jury is still out on Sheppard going into his third season; and Smith has improved each season, but the improvement has been slower than some hoped. The one player drafted in the top five who has a chance to become a star in the league is Thompson.
Amen Thompson Player Preview
Thompson came into the league known for his athleticism, and at 6’7 while playing point guard, he was seen as the type of big, playmaking guard every team would love to have. After his first season, he had transformed into one of the NBA’s best defensive players. With the Rockets already having Fred VanVleet, Thompson adjusted his game to fit what the Rockets needed.
After Smith’s injury sidelined him for an extended period, the Rockets had Thompson play at the dunker spot from the power forward position. That is when Thompson’s game took off, as he could play around the basket where his athleticism was on full display. Thompson also showed he was already one of the league’s better defenders.
The rest of the NBA took notice as Thompson made the All NBA Defensive team in only his second season. Even with the Rockets having Dillon Brooks on the roster Thompson took over as the teams primary defender for the opposing teams best perimiter player. Even though Thompson did not make an All NBA Defensive team his third season he did improve across the board on the offensive end.
The rest of the NBA took notice when Thompson made the All-NBA Defensive Team in only his second season. Even with the Rockets having Dillon Brooks on the roster, Thompson took over as the team’s primary defender against the opposing team’s best perimeter player. Even though Thompson did not make an All-NBA Defensive Team in his third season, he improved across the board on the offensive end.
Even though Thompson took a step back on the defensive end last season, he finished with career highs in points, assists, and even free-throw shooting. Now, going into his fourth season on a new five-year, $ 208 millon contract, Thompson hopes to keep building on his offensive success while returning to the All-Defensive Team accolades he earned in his second season.
From day one, Thompson understood he had to improve his offensive game, especially as a jump shooter, and it has become even more evident going into season four. The Rockets brought in renowned shot specialist Chip Engelland, who has built a career improving players on the offensive end, especially as shooters. Now he is tasked with helping Thompson, who has struggled to score away from the basket, add a consistent jump shot that could open up his entire offensive game.
Teams have made it a point to pack the paint against Thompson and force him into that jump shot. If Thompson can add not just a three-point shot but a midrange shot, he could go from an elite two-way young star to a superstar in the league. Thompson has the ability, and now it is about putting it all together in year four.
Yankees' Aaron Boone hoping for 'little spark' after making lineup change for Game 3 of ALDS
With the Yankees down 0-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, and as the series shifts to The Bronx, manager Aaron Boone made some changes to the lineup ahead of Wednesday’s Game 3 as he and the Yanks look to stave off elimination.
Facing RHP Nick Martinez, righty Anthony Volpe (batting seventh) is getting the start at second base over lefty Jazz Chisholm Jr., while righty Jose Caballero (batting ninth) is at third base over lefty Ryan McMahon.
For what it’s worth, Martinez does have reverse splits this year as right-handed hitters are hitting .261 against him compared to .236 versus left-handed hitters. However, other than Volpe and Caballero, George Lombard Jr. is the only other right-handed hitter in the lineup.
“Two guys that have been an important part of our team this year that have played important roles, that have played a lot for us and [I have] a lot of confidence in what they bring to the table,” Boone said about Volpe and Caballero. “Just kinda felt like, thinking about it on the plane ride home, made my decision there and then just stewed through the lineup yesterday and ultimately excited to get those guys in and hopefully be a little spark for us.”
New York’s offense struggled mightily in two games at Tropicana Field, scoring just two total runs on five hits. In fact, aside from Ben Rice, who had two solo shots in Game 2, the Yankees’ offense has been a disaster after they scored 18 runs in two games against the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series. Both of those games came at Yankee Stadium.
Back at home again, New York is hoping that being in front of its fans and the tweaks to the starting nine can be enough to keep its season alive. Either way, Boone believes in his offense, which finished the regular season tied for second in the American League in runs scored with 739.
“It’s two games. Obviously we’re gonna have to swing the bat better if we’re gonna keep this series going, but I feel like [Cody Bellinger] has had some good at-bats and I feel like there’s a number of guys more than capable of getting it going and certainly we gotta do some of that tonight,” the skipper said.
And while Chisholm and McMahon aren’t in the starting lineup, Boone said that doesn’t preclude them from potentially having an impact on the game. The skipper also added that Chisholm, who had 19 home runs this season, is “ready to go” off the bench.
“As I talked to these guys before the series, it’s gonna take all of us and Jazz might be the most important guy on the field tonight,” Boone said. “Just because you’re not in the starting lineup doesn’t mean you’re not gonna be the central figure.”
As for Volpe, this will be his second start of the postseason after going 1-for-3 in Game 1 against the Red Sox. In 78 career at-bats in the playoffs, Volpe is hitting .256 and after a whirlwind of a regular season, he finished it strong by hitting .265 in 49 at-bats in September.
“I think Anthony’s played well since coming up at the end of the year – both sides of the ball he’s done a good job,” Boone said. “So it felt like it made some sense to get him in there tonight.”
Meanwhile, Caballero doesn’t have the postseason experience that Volpe and some other Yankees on the roster do (one hit in four career at-bats), but what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in confidence.
“One thing I always say about Jose, he plays the game with a ton of confidence,” Boone said. “… He’s played a big role for us all season – actually going back to when we got him at the deadline last year. He’s an important part of this team, but I know one thing, he’ll walk out there with a lot of confidence tonight and hopefully that serves him and us well in pushing this to tomorrow.”
The last change that Boone made to the lineup was moving Trent Grisham up to the leadoff spot where Rice had been over the last three games (Paul Goldschmidt hit leadoff in Game 1 against Boston).
Grisham, who had been batting seventh in his three prior postseason starts, has hit leadoff for the Yankees in 81 games this season where he slashed .199/.303/.378. Nevertheless, he has the most experience batting first than anywhere else in the lineup throughout his career and it moves the red-hot Rice to second in the order, followed by Luis Garcia Jr. and Bellinger.
“Just the potential of the on-base there and trying to get traffic created for Benny and Garcia and Belly there,” Boone said about his reasoning for the switch. “[I] considered a lot of different ways. When Trent’s at his best, obviously he’s got that ability to get on.”
Former Blackhawks Forward Waived By The Panthers
A former Chicago Blackhawks forward is available for the taking.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers have placed former Blackhawks forward MacKenzie Entwistle on waivers.
Entwistle was injured during the pre-season, but this waiver placement indicates that the 27-year-old is now ready to return to action. However, before he can be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, he must clear waivers.
Entwistle is entering his third season with the Panthers organization. Since then, he has played exclusively at the AHL level with the Checkers. In 49 games last season with Charlotte, the former Blackhawks forward posted five goals, 11 points, 41 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating.
Entwistle played four NHL seasons with the Blackhawks from 2020-21 to 2023-24. In 193 games with the Original Six club over that span, he posted 15 goals, 20 assists, 35 points, 86 penalty minutes, and 404 hits. Overall, he was a bottom-six, energy forward for the Blackhawks during his time with the team.
Entwistle has not played in an NHL regular-season game since his time with the Blackhawks came to a close.
Sabres' Post-Game Report: Buffalo Stands Strong With Big Comeback Win Over Well-Contstructed Minnesota Wild Squad
As part of a new, season-long series on TheHockeyNews.com, we’re analyzing every Buffalo Sabres game in the 2026-27 season.
In each file, we’re spotlighting three different things: the Best Thing: the top statistic, player, or narrative Sabres fans will enjoy. Secondly, we’ll pick out the worst thing from every game from a Sabres perspective. And we’ll finish by wrapping up our thoughts on the game, and preparing readers for Buffalo’s game – a tough showdown on Thursday when the Sabres host the Dallas Stars.
With that said, here’s this writer’s thoughts on the Sabres’ 3-2 comeback overtime win over the Minnesota Wild:
The Score: Sabres 3, Wild 2
Best Thing: The comeback
The Sabres dug themselves a two-goal hole in this game, but in an approximately six-minute span early in the third frame, they evened things up on goals from Noah Ostlund (with his first of the season) and Tage Thompson (with his second of the year). And with goalie Colten Ellis stopping 18 of 20 Minnesota shots to give his team a chance to win the game, Buffalo got the overtime victory on Owen Power’s first marker of the year.
The goal gave Power his fifth point of the season, while Thompson now has four points on the season. But it was the Sabres bending, but not breaking that was the biggest positive takeaway from this game. There are going to be nights where Buffalo just doesn’t have it on offense, and there are going to be nights where they trail for most of the game.
But hanging in there and keeping the deficit to two goals was a big reason why the Sabres’ comeback ended in victory. And they’re now 2-1-0 to start the season at a time they could’ve been 1-2-0 and negative Nancys would’ve ruled the day. Winning makes you forget a lot of negatives, but Buffalo needs to remember their fighting spirit, because that’s what delivered the ‘W’ against a Wild team many are predicting big things from this year.
Worst Thing
The Sabres’ power play has yet to generate a single goal in 10 opportunities this season, and that includes two man-advantages against the Wild. Buffalo had the NHL’s 21st-best power play in 2025-26, but they’ve started the 2026-27 campaign unable to do any damage at all with the extra man.
Is that partly because of the departure of star winger Alex Tuch? Not really. Tuch produced seven power-play goals and nine power-play-points last season – decent numbers, but nothing that would’ve created a gaping hole on the power play that the team hasn’t been able to adequately fill.
Special teams success isn’t going to bail you out each night if you’re not doing good things at even strength. But failing to generate a single PP goal in four games is something that will soon be an issue for Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.
The Wrap-Up:
Winning three straight games after losing Game 1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets is an impressive achievement, and one that should infuse Sabres fans with confidence. The Wild were hurting without injured star defenseman Brock Faber, but that’s still a well-constructed Minnesota squad, and Buffalo deserves full credit for absorbing a couple body blows and punching back just as hard, if not harder.
Now attention turns to the Sabres’ Thursday game against the Stars. Dallas has a 1-2-0 record thus far this season, losing to the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators before beating the San Jose Sharks on Monday for their first win of the season. Dallas has produced only six goals this season, and five of them were against San Jose. So if the Sabres can clamp down on the Stars in Buffalo’s defensive zone, and if Buffalo’s offense can get more volume of goals, the Sabres have a chance to stake out a very strong start to the year.
Like every team, Buffalo has its flaws. But the Sabres have to be opportunistic, and finding a way to eke out a win over the Wild now gives Buffalo a chance to make people forget about their stumble out of the gate in 2025-26. And that has to be a big win for Ruff and GM Jarmo Kekalainen.
Shohei Ohtani scores, ties NLDS Game 4 on Mauricio Dubón gaffe
Game 4 of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves is already off to a frantic start, which might be expected when a team is facing elimination. After Michael Harris II did it all in the bottom of the first and scored from third on a heads-up read of a curveball in the dirt from Tyler Glasnow, it was Shohei Ohtani's turn to make his impact in the next frame.
Ohtani, batting fourth after struggling to a 2-for-10 start to the postseason, didn't swing his bat once and worked a leadoff walk on five pitches from Tyler Mahle. He stole second as Teoscar Hernández struck out swinging in the next at-bat and took third after Braves catcher Sean Murphy airmailed the throw into right field.
That was the easy part.
The Dodgers have yet to get a hit with runners in scoring position all series, a trend that continued when Max Muncy got under a splitter away from the plate and popped it up to shallow left field. Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón drifted out to get in position for the catch with left fielder Mike Yastrzemski also in the vicinity, but the utilityman overplayed it and dropped the ball as he tried to shift back towards his left, giving Ohtani enough time to score easily from third to tie the game back up at 1-1 in the top of the second.
Oh my! Mauricio Dubón couldn't make the catch and this game is tied!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2026
📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/RJC8iilKyj
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani scores, ties NLDS Game 4 on Mauricio Dubón gaffe
NLDS Game 4 Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (2-1) @ San Diego Padres (1-2)
Despite playing a close game last night, the Brewers couldn’t finish the sweep and dropped their first game of the NLDS. They still have two chances to close it out, one on the road and one at home. Tonight, the Brewers will send Robert Gasser to the mound as they go for the win to advance to the NLCS, while the Padres will send Walker Buehler to stave off elimination.
It’s been rough on the road for the Brewers in the postseason. Going back to the 2018 NLCS, the Brewers have lost 12 consecutive road games. Here is the full streak:
- 2018 NL Championship Series @ Dodgers, Games 4 & 5
- 2019 NL Wild Card Game @ Nationals
- 2020 NL Wild Card Series @ Dodgers, Games 1 & 2
- 2021 NL Division Series @ Braves, Games 3 & 4
- 2025 NL Division Series @ Cubs, Games 3 & 4
- 2025 NL Championship Series @ Dodgers, Games 3 & 4
- 2026 NL Division Series @ Padres, Game 3
That’s more a statistical anomaly than a full concern, as most of the current team has only been around for five of those losses. During the regular season, the Brewers were 48-33 in road games. However, in the history of the franchise, they are 6-24 in postseason road games. It can be difficult to win on the road in the postseason, and as long as the Brewers can take care of business at home, they can keep advancing. It still would be good to take some games on the road to ease that burden.
Holding a 2-1 lead, the Brewers will send Gasser to the mound. He began the season in the minor leagues, but pitched his way into a full-time starting role with the Brewers as the season went on. In his last six starts, he has a 1.67 ERA and 3.29 FIP over 32 1/3 innings, with 31 strikeouts and 12 walks. This will be his first career appearance against the Padres. He was originally drafted by them in 2021, but was traded to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade.
For the Padres, Buehler gets the start. He signed a one-year contract with the Padres this season, and his results have been mixed. Overall this season, he has a 4.63 ERA and 4.51 FIP with 131 strikeouts and 57 walks. Since the All-Star Break, his ERA has dropped a bit to 3.62, but his FIP is also up at 4.72. One of his post-All-Star break starts came against the Brewers, where he allowed one run in six innings. He has a career 2.53 ERA against the Brewers during the regular season, covering four starts over 21 1/3 innings.
Buehler has also faced the Brewers three times in the postseason. The first was in Game 3 of the 2018 NLCS with the Dodgers, and he allowed four runs in seven innings with eight strikeouts as the Brewers won that game (their last road win in the postseason). He started again in Game 7 that year, and allowed just one run in 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts as the Dodgers won that one. His other start came in Game 1 of the 2020 NL Wild Card Series, when he allowed two runs in four innings while striking out eight.
In the bullpen, the Brewers should have plenty of rested relievers for this game. Trevor Megill and Aaron Ashby did not pitch in last night’s game, and Abner Uribe only threw seven pitches in his inning of work. Additionally, Chad Patrick, Shane Drohan, and Kyle Harrison have all not pitched in the series yet. All should be available if needed tonight.
For the Padres, the two relievers they did not use yesterday were David Morgan and Joe Musgrove. Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui have pitched in all three games so far this series. Adrian Morejon was unavailable in Game 3, and his status for tonight is up in the air. Mason Miller has returned from the paternity list, and he will take the place of Wandy Peralta. Michael King is reportedly also available tonight after throwing 40 pitches in two innings last night and starting in Game 2.
The Brewers are using the same starters as last night, but are switching up the order. Christian Yelich moves up to second in the lineup, and Jake Bauers drops down to fifth. Cooper Pratt and Sal Frelick each move up a spot while Garrett Mitchell drops to eighth. Meanwhile, the top four in the Padres lineup remain the same, but they are switching the middle and bottom of the lineup.
First pitch is at 9:08 p.m.
AL Division Series Game 3: Max Fried vs. Nick Martinez
It all comes down to Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees look to avoid a sweep and elimination in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Rays.
Despite coming off an electric offensive explosion in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees offense has been unable to produce against Tampa Bay’s pitching staff, putting the Pinstripes in a two-game deficit in the ALDS. However, there is a lot to expect from Ben Rice, who has stepped up as a leader for this team in Aaron Judge’s absence. He’s gone 7-for-15 this postseason and is the first player in franchise history to have more than one multiple-home-run game under his belt in a single playoff year.
The offense is partly to blame for the Yankees’ failure to even the series, but one of the most glaring flaws from Game 2 is the infield errors that eroded the Yankees’ defensive efficiency. Boone shuffled around the lineup for Game 3, subbing José Caballero in for Ryan McMahon at third and Anthony Volpe in for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second.
Max Fried will look to secure his second win this postseason as he prepares to face a gritty Rays lineup that’s carved through the Yankees’ rotation over the last few days. Rumors were circulating earlier this week that he may not start in Game 3 because his girlfriend is due to give birth any day now, but he met with the media on Tuesday to confirm that he’ll take the ball.
Fried got through six innings against the Red Sox, striking out six with three hits and one run allowed in the Wild Card Series. He’ll look to deny the Rays’ offense any opportunity to gain an edge, with the support of the Bronx crowd, and allow the Yankees offense the chance to explode.
Nick Martinez will make his first career postseason start against the Yankees. His last playoff appearance was with the Reds in Game 2 of the 2025 NL Wild Card Series, where he gave up four runs in the sixth inning to put the Dodgers ahead 7-2. Although his numbers have improved since joining Tampa Bay and he finished the regular season with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, the Yankees will have no trouble giving him a tough battle if he pitches like he did last October.
The Rays’ lineup remains consistent with Yandy Díaz in the leadoff spot, followed by Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero. Tampa Bay has struggled as a whole against lefties in 2026, so the optimists can turn to that with Fried on the bump.
It’ll surely be a long night of bracing for the worst and hoping for the best as the Yankees strive to keep the chase for 28 ongoing.
ALDS Game 3 Info
Teams: No. 4 seed Yankees vs. No. 1 seed Rays
Series: Rays ahead 2-0
Ballpark: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Start time: 8:00 p.m.
TV: TBS/truTV
Streaming: HBO Max
National radio: ESPN Radio (Mike Couzens, Eduardo Pérez, Tim Kurkjian)
Local English radio: WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM
Local Spanish radio: WADO 1280 AM
For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
Flyers Not Making Progress in Dylan Larkin Trade Push
Much to the chagrin of an increasingly impatient fanbase amid an 0-2-2 start, the Philadelphia Flyers have not gotten very far in their attempts to acquire a No. 1 center, or otherwise any kind of game-changer to help right the ship.
Throughout the offseason, and even into training camp, the Flyers have been reported to be seriously interested in Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, a center who submitted a trade request and was stripped of his captaincy heading into the season.
Larkin, 30, made his season debut for the Red Wings on Tuesday night, turning boos from loyal fans every time he touched the puck into cheers with a one-goal, two-point performance in Detroit's first win of the season.
That win by the Red Wings left the Flyers as the only team in the Eastern Conference, and one of three teams in the NHL, without a win, and Larkin is reportedly still giving the Flyers the cold shoulder with his trade request still pending.
"Philly's checked in. They've repeatedly checked in, but my understanding is, the answer is still no to Philly," NHL insider David Pagnotta reported on Daily Faceoff's most recent episode of "DFO Insider". "For now. Buddies with [Trevor Zegras], the longer this goes, maybe he changes his mind in another month and adds to [the trade list]. Going into this week, Philly was still a no."
Will the Flyers ever find a No. 1 center?
That's discouraging for the Flyers, to say the least, having already struck out on Leo Carlsson on an aggressive offer sheet at the top of the offseason, and with someone like Noah Cates seemingly taking a step back with the team struggling early this season.
The Flyers' center depth was already average at best, but with pretty much the whole team struggling to do anything at either end of the ice, the issue is exacerbated even further.
Pagnotta was adamant that Flyers general manager Danny Briere was not going to "sit on his hands" and stand idle, but despite the organization's insistence on improving the defense, taking a big swing, and finding a No. 1 center, none of those things have materialized.
As Pagnotta mentioned, the longer the saga between Larkin and the Red Wings drags out, the better a chance the Flyers will have at getting themselves involved.
Larkin still has five years remaining on his contract, including this one, at an $8.7 million cap hit, so finding a destination he's happy with will be important for the player, and he'll utilize the penultimate year of his full no-trade clause to make that happen.
Until something changes, the Flyers are fully at the mercy of Larkin, the Red Wings, and likely any other player or team they want to trade for or with, especially given how dire their current situation is.
Dodgers catch huge break after Mauricio Dubón’s routine-play blunder
Sometimes, the simplest of plays don’t work out the way players would like to have hoped.
After a routine pop fly surfaced off the bat of Max Muncy in the second inning of Game 4 of the NLDS, Atlanta Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón completely blundered it.
Dubón ran deep towards left field and had the ball ready to easily land into his glove until he completely dropped it, resulting in the Dodgers tying the game at 1-1.
The play happened in the second inning just after Shohei Ohtani stole second, then was able to advance to third following an ill-advised throw by Braves catcher Drake Baldwin.
After Dubón’s mistimed catch, Ohtani was able to advance his way to home and tie the game.
At first, everything was looking to go right for the Braves, after they had their share of luck happen in the first inning, when Michael Harris scored on a wild pitch in the first inning.
The shocking miss on a routine play by Dubón came a night after he got the start in left field for Game 3 of the series, when he made a sensational play near the left corner of Truist Park, sticking his glove over the fence to rob Freddie Freeman of an opposite, two-run home run.
Of course, Freeman got one back against the Braves in the following inning, but avoided Dubón by hitting one over the fence in right field.
After Dubón got settled back at shortstop, the Braves got Kiké Hernández to ground out at first to end the inning.
Yankees vs Rays: LIVE MLB playoffs Wild Card Game
Major League Baseball's postseason is heating up with the best teams chasing a World Series title in October, a month synonymous with greatness in baseball history.
Where to watch Yankees vs. Rays: Channel, live stream
First pitch between the Yankees and Rays is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
TV: TBS
Streaming: Peacock
Watch the MLB Postseason on Peacock
What time is Rays at Yankees
The Yankees host the Rays on Wednesday, Oct. 7. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET).
MLB games today
See scores, results for all of today's games.
Past World Series winners
- 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3)
- 2024: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. New York Yankees, 4-1)
- 2023: Texas Rangers (def. Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1)
- 2022: Houston Astros (def. Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2)
- 2021: Atlanta Braves (def. Houston Astros, 4-2)
- 2020: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2)
- 2019: Washington Nationals (def. Houston Astros, 4-3)
- 2018: Boston Red Sox (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1)
- 2017: Houston Astros (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3)
- 2016: Chicago Cubs (def. Cleveland Indians, 4-3)
Rays lineup change explained
06:47 PM ET, October 7 2026, Scooby AxsonLike the Yankees, the Rays are changing up their lineup in an attempt to close out the series and advance to the ALCS, with outfielder Chandler Simpson out of the lineup but saying he could make an appearance in Game 3.
"Look, Fried's numbers against us -- he's pitched very well against us," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Figured a little bit more versatility, a little more balance to the lineup rather than loading up all the lefties. I would imagine it's very safe to say or assume that Chandler will play a very big role in this game."
Boone explains decision to bench Jazz Chisholm
05:26 PM ET, October 7 2026, Scooby AxsonNEW YORK - With their season on the line, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shook up the lineup for Game 3, inserting Anthony Volpe at second base and Jose Caballero at third, benching struggling Jazz Chisholm and adding Trent Grisham.
Grisham will lead off, and Caballero will bat ninth, as Boone said he wanted to try to create some traffic on the bases.
"Two guys that have been an important part of our team this year, that have played important roles, that played a lot for us, and a lot of confidence in what they bring to the table," Boone said.
"So just kind of felt like thinking about it on the plane ride home, kind of made my decision there, and then just stewed through the lineup yesterday. And yeah, hopefully excited to get those guys in and hopefully it will be a little spark for us.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees vs Rays: LIVE MLB playoffs Wild Card Game
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Brandon Williams takes advantage of opportunity in Warriors' short-handed loss
Brandon Williams takes advantage of opportunity in Warriors' short-handed loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There will be plenty of opportunities for Warriors role players to go around in the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season.
Steph Curry will miss a handful of games, as will fellow veterans Draymond Green and Al Horford. The Warriors hope the reason is for rest, not injury. They’ll have the same hope that De’Anthony Melton can play most back-to-backs, too.
Anybody can play the guessing game of Kristaps Porziņģis and his availability. The Warriors already are in their own game of it right now before the real games begin.
This isn’t even including the injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. Golden State is down to a 12-man team two weeks ahead of the regular-season opener in Los Angeles. On Wednesday night in Portland, the Warriors were a nine-man team against the Trail Blazers’ regulars.
After playing the night before at Chase Center in San Francisco, which followed a week of NBA training camp in Hawaii, the Warriors opened the floor to players on the bench, on two-way contracts and in the G League to have the stage and give a show. Brandon Williams grabbed the lead role and never let go of it in the Warriors’ super short-handed 123-118 loss to Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and the Blazers at Moda Center.
Williams scored 17 points in 17 minutes on 7-of-11 shooting with four rebounds and three assists. His plus-1 was the only positive plus/minus among Warriors starters.
With Curry, Melton and Brandin Podziemski not even traveling, the ball instantly was in Williams’ hands. Keeping Yaxel Lendeborg back home gave Williams even more chances to be a lead playmaker and a top scoring option. He did both from the opening tip.
A full picture of a Williams-led offense was painted. He scored 10 points in the first quarter and was up to 15 at halftime. Williams was a perfect 4 of 4 on 2-pointers in the first quarter and missed his two 3-point attempts. The first missed the rim completely and hit the bottom right side of the backboard, and then the second barely pecked the front of the rim.
He was wide-open each time, especially the second. But he also hit a pull-up jumper from the free throw line, a fadeaway from the left baseline, a floater on the right side of the paint and a three in the first half.
Speed is the name of Williams’ game, and he used that to his advantage too, getting downhill and to the rim. The new wrinkle to the Warriors is being talked about by everyone. Fans also have taken quick notice of it.
His quickness isn’t solely a scoring weapon. Williams repeatedly got two feet into the teeth of the defense and made a play for a teammate. He set up multiple threes that way, and the Warriors already are benefitting from Williams having something that has been lacking lately on their roster.
While Williams did have three turnovers, two in the second quarter and one in the third after none in the first, he should have had far more than four assists if his teammates converted pinpoint passes.
Williams wasn’t the only Warrior to capitalize on a big chance. Miles Kelly scored a game-high 24 points and was 6 of 11 from 3-point range. The 23-year-old 6-foot-4 guard also had seven rebounds and six assists as the most impressive stat line of the night. Dalen Terry was right behind him.
Terry, 24, scored 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and was 4 of 5 from deep. The 6-foot-6 wing nearly had a triple-double, adding eight rebounds and nine assists. He and Kelly will be names to watch in Santa Cruz as part of the Warriors’ G League affiliate.
These kinds of games are great to see players like Kelly and Terry catch some eyes. They’re just much more about players like Williams. Through training camp and three preseason games, Williams has shown how he can be the microwave scorer off the bench when the Warriors need to get hot in an instant.
That’s still going to be a must on nights when the Warriors are healthy, and Williams already is earning his way up the pecking order in games where the main names aren’t on the court.
A competitive loss where the Warriors didn’t have Williams in the fourth quarter, and more of their players were in the Bay Area than the Pacific Northwest, was another example of his importance.
How Lakers’ Luka Doncic will win NBA MVP this season
Mark my words: This is going to be the best NBA season yet for Luka Doncic.
He should win the MVP award. Or be the runner-up if the Lakers can’t make enough noise in the very- crowded Western Conference.
The pathway is primed. Let’s break it down.
Doncic is mad.
He’s still reeling from the shock of being traded by the Mavericks to the Lakers in February 2025. He was stunned. Humiliated. What other top-four player has been dealt in their prime? He has a vendetta. Something to prove to the league.
He has a sense of ownership.
The Lakers are now his team. LeBron James left in free agency for the 76ers. The success or failure of a 17-time championship franchise now rests squarely on his shoulders. That means something.
He has his fingerprints on everything.
During the offseason, he put his stamp on the squad. He had a big say in who he wanted to play alongside, including the Lakers re-signing Austin Reaves and acquiring center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade from Utah.
He’s ready.
He’s arguably in the best shape of his career. Lakers coach JJ Redick recently said he “worked his butt off all summer,” adding that he “actually did sprints and stuff.” He’s noticeably slimmer.
He’s acting like a leader.
Doncic recently hosted a four-day minicamp in Slovenia to help build chemistry. He has never done anything like that before in his career. He paid for everyone on the roster to fly to his home country. He really wants this to work.
And in many ways, he was spurned last season.
Let’s not forget that Doncic actually fell in NBA.com’s MVP Ladder in late March from No. 2 to No. 4 following a six-game stretch in which he averaged 40.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals, becoming the first player to average 40 points over six road games since Michael Jordan in 1986.
“The better I play, the more I go down in ratings,” Doncic said at the time. “So I don’t know what more I can do.”
Over the month of March?
Doncic averaged 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists, leading the Lakers to a 15-2 record before suffering a strained hamstring on April 2.
And yet, Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
The case could’ve been made for him to finish higher. Voters knew that. It was an impossible task trying to rank those guys for the league’s most prestigious individual award, especially considering there are no distinct specifications for it. The bar keeps endlessly moving for how voting is justified.
So, all of this to say, Doncic is next.
The kindling is on the floor. The logs have been stacked. Gasoline has been poured over it all. A lit match is about to be dropped.
Right now, basketball is everything for Doncic. His daughters are in Slovenia. He’s engaged in an ongoing custody battle with his ex-fiancée over them. Pouring himself into his sport is the only thing that’s going to keep him sane.
That’s powerful.
Last season, Doncic declined to advocate for himself to win the MVP award, something Wembanyama successfully did to his advantage.
Doncic led the league in scoring (33.5 points) and finished third in assists (8.3). The only things that could be held against him in such a tight race? The Lakers finished fourth in the West behind the Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets. And Doncic’s defense lags behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar two-way play and Wembanyama’s wizardry on the less glamorous end of the court.
But standings aren’t always taken into consideration for the MVP award. For example, Russell Westbrook won MVP in 2017 even though the Thunder finished sixth in the West. Jokic won the award in 2021 even though the Nuggets finished third in the conference.
Defense isn’t always taken into consideration, either. See guys such as Jokic, Steph Curry and James Harden winning MVP.
In other words, it’s all subjective.
Voters do the best they can, including this one, who voted for Doncic to finish fourth for MVP last season. But we all know when our decision was decided by millimeter margins.
Doncic is primed to have an explosive season.
All of the ingredients are in the pot. We’re all waiting to see how the dish turns out.
But really, we know what to expect.
And it’s going to be nothing short of incredible.
Brewers vs Padres LIVE updates, lineups and where to watch NLDS game today
The Milwaukee Brewers get another chance to close out the San Diego Padres with Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday, holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five set.
Milwaukee won the first two games of the series at home but San Diego bounced back in Game 3 on Tuesday at Petco Park to extend their season and force at least one more game. If the Padres emerge victorious tonight, the NLDS will head back to Mllwaukee for a winner-take-all Game 5.
The Brewers have lost 12 consecutive road postseason games, tying an MLB record in the process. Milwaukee and San Diego are two of baseball's five franchises that have not won a World Series title.
The winner of this NLDS will face the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, which begins Sunday, Oct. 11.
Where to watch Brewers vs Padres: TV channel, NLDS streaming
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- TV channel: FS1
- Live stream: Fubo and Fox One
Padres lineup for Game 4
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (R) RF
- Jackson Merrill (L) CF
- Manny Machado (R) 3B
- Ty France (R) 1B
- Austin Hays (R) DH
- Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
- Luis Campusano (R) C
- Jake Cronenworth (L) 2B
- Samad Taylor (R) LF
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers vs Padres LIVE updates, lineups and where to watch NLDS game today
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How The Canucks Fared On The Road During The 2025–26 Season
The Vancouver Canucks will skate in Game 1 of their first road trip of the 2026–27 season on Thursday. This upcoming slate of games will be the second-longest stretch Vancouver takes part in throughout this season as they’ll also take part in a seven-game road trip in mid-January.
Last year, Vancouver’s road numbers got off to a stronger start than their time on home-ice, but as how the rest of the season went, things slid downhill pretty quickly. They finished the season with a road record of 16–22–3, good for 28th in the league ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary Flames.
The 2025–26 Canucks finished tied with the Florida Panthers for 29th in points on the road with 35, ahead of only Toronto and Calgary. They also finished 29th in the NHL in save-percentage on the road with .8774%. The Panthers (.8624%), Ottawa Senators (.8632%), and San Jose Sharks (.8755%) were the only three teams to register lower numbers.
Vancouver’s goal differential on the road (tracked by actual goals scored, not by final game scores) wasn’t the worst in the league (-46), though they did have the highest goals-against with 156 allowed. The Flames had the league’s worst road goal differential with -59. Where Vancouver made up ground in the goal differential department was in goals-for, with their 110 goals-for on the road ranking 27th.
Part of what helped Vancouver make up the difference in goal differential was their power play, which heated up after the 2026 Olympic Break and finished with an effectiveness rate of 24% on the road. By the end of the 2025–26 season, only seven other teams had a higher road power-play percentage than the Canucks: the Boston Bruins (24.5%), Vegas Golden Knights (26.6%), New York Rangers (27.9%), Dallas Stars (28.1%), Minnesota Wild (28.2%), Montréal Canadiens (28.2%), and Edmonton Oilers (34.7%).
Individually, two Canucks led their team in goals scored on the road in 2025–26 — Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk, each of whom scored 13 away from Rogers Arena. Boeser was also tied for the team lead in points with Elias Pettersson, with both players recording 25. Filip Hronek led Vancouver in two different categories on the road — assists (22) and time on ice (1015:55 minutes).
Vancouver’s first long road trip of the 2026–27 season starts tomorrow, when the Canucks face the Carolina Hurricanes on October 8 at 4:00 pm PT. They then go on to play the New Jersey Devils on October 10, the New York Rangers on the 11th, New York Islanders on the 13th, Florida Panthers on the 15th, and the Tampa Bay Lightning on the 17th.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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