Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton left Friday night's game against the Houston Astros with what the team is calling right lower leg tightness after running the bases in the sixth inning.
After stroking an RBI single to extend New York's lead to 6-2, Stanton advanced to second base after Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked. J.C. Escarra then ripped a single off the wall in short left field at Daikin Park, which caused Stanton to hold up before deciding to go. Once he went, Stanton put it into first gear and jogged to third base.
The trainers looked at Stanton and shortly after, he was walking off the field. Randal Grichuk entered the game to pinch-run for Stanton, who finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI.
"Some tightness in his calf. Hopefully, we got ahead of anything serious," manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow."
The Yankees skipper said that Stanton had motioned to him when he was on second, and didn't want to push it around the bases, which is why he stopped at third base.
As far as getting tests done, Boone said right now they don't plan on getting imaging done, but the team will see how Stanton feels Saturday morning.
Stanton has dealt with a multitude of injuries in recent history, but played in 24 of the first 25 games for the Yanks this season. He is slashing .256/.302/.422 with three home runs, 14 RBI and a .724 OPS after a monster season in 2025 in just 77 regular season games.
Giancarlo Stanton left the game after gingerly jogging to third base on a single pic.twitter.com/qoP8s64rLZ
SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 04: Guard Courtland Muldrew #30 and forward Hannes Steinbach #6 of the Washington Huskies react during a game between the USC Trojans and Washington Huskies on March 4, 2026 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While jack-of-all-trades prospects are tantalizing, the players who become special at the highest level were very often uniquely gifted at one skill or another as prospects. If you want to be great in the NBA, you need something to hang your hat on, a talent that teams will seek out and incentivize them to work around your weaknesses. Hannes Steinbach has one of those talents, as he is, without hyperbole, one of the best and most projectable rebounders to enter the league in years. And while rebounding dominance is far from the sexiest trademark skill a prospect can have, I believe Steinbach brings enough to the table to firmly be considered a lottery-level player.
Steinbach’s rebounding on film is even more impressive than the Big 10 leading 11.8 rebounds he snagged per game would suggest – his combination of size, fluidity, and generationally soft hands create perhaps the most startlingly impressive rebounding highlights I have ever seen. Hannes is German-born, but if he grew up somewhere with American football we would be talking about him as the best tight end prospect of an era. Once he gets a finger on the basketball, you can guarantee that he’s pulling it down. He isn’t ground-bound either; while no one would call him an electrifying athlete, he moves around the court very fluidly and is quite quick off of the ground. Additionally, for someone who’s only 220 pounds (this is his last listed weight, I would bet that he comes in as heavier at the draft combine), he’s physically firm, and strong enough to reach and keep his spots on the court. This helps his rebound-radius to be remarkably wide – nearly every ball that comes off of the rim is well within Steinbach’s jurisdiction.
As the 18 points per game as a high major Freshman would indicate, Steinbach’s offensive value extends beyond rebounding his teammates misses. Most of his scoring is opportunistic, to be fair, but Steinbach is so good at those looks that it isn’t a slight at him to say that. His two most efficient play-types are immediately after rebounds or in transition – he tends to be in the right place at the right time, and when combined with his fluidity and strength, that creates highly efficient scoring opportunities. the transition scoring is something I expect to translate exceptionally well to the next level. While you wouldn’t want him dribbling too much in the half court, he functions well as rebound-and-run player, using his gazelle-like strides to do his best poor-mans Giannis impression.
The shooting is still a work in progress – he doesn’t play too similar to his German power forward predecessor – but there are lots of positive flashes. The form is solid and compact, lacking unexplained or unnecessary motions. A free throw percentage of 75.9% is promising as well, and when judged in tandem with his really solid touch in the paint (70% at the rim, 44.8% on non-rim twos, many of which were floaters and hook shots), I would be surprised if he wasn’t serviceable as a jump shooter once he hits the prime of his career.
His defense is likely where I am highest on Steinbach compared to consensus. Without a great vertical, commanding strength, or a height about 7’0, expecting him to develop into a paint anchor appears to be unfair. However, he’s surprisingly quick on his feet, be in the form of chasing a guard off of a switch or covering ground to help at the rim. It’s rare for smart, big, and positionally agile defenders to wind up being bad defenders at the NBA level, even if Steinbach is far from perfect at that end.
While this strength is more theoretical than actualized at this point, it would be remiss to not mention the flashes he shows as a passer. He misses a read here and there, and is far from a hub, but his vision and accuracy are generally impressive for a player at his size and age.
Weaknesses
Steinbach’s biggest weakness isn’t any one of his skills, but whether or not they combine to create a cohesive role in the NBA. If you look up “tweener” in the dictionary, it very well may be a picture of Hannes – too small to be a center and lacking the lateral quickness and ball skills that some modern day power forwards possess. These problems are present on offense and defense – if he plays center, he is neither an intimidating paint defender or as overwhelming an offensive rebounder. And, until he’s a more proven shooter or ball handler, can you really afford to play him at the power forward in a motion-based NBA offense? While his rebounding brings intrinsic value whenever he walks on the court, to best take advantage of Hannes as a player a coach must be intentional with how he plays him. However, that isn’t always realistic for a prospect likely to be picked somewhere in the mid teens to early twenties.
Additionally, much of Steinbach’s future appeal is largely theoretical in the present. Am I optimistic about his passing in the long run? Sure, but that passing comes and goes in the present – there’s a legitimate chance that it stagnates. A similar contention arises with his shooting. There are indicators that he can be a better shooter than he currently is, but that is betting on improvement that has not yet happened. He has a lot of the pieces of a really well-rounded offensive player, but don’t mistake me – it will take time and developmental priority for Steinbach to reach his potential, more so than a Cameron Boozer or Yaxel Lendeborg, two other strong prospects at his same position.
While strong post scoring is becoming less important as the years go by, it would be nice for Steinbach to be more impressive with his back to the basket. A simplistic handle and uncreative post moves lead to some bad shots – projecting Hannes to develop into an on ball scorer or becoming anything more than the opportunistic scorer that he is now isn’t the smartest bet.
Conclusion
Steinbach’s success at the NBA level depends a lot on what role he is asked to play. If he is casted as a center, his strengths are mitigated and his weaknesses are magnified. He lacks positional size for the 5 and his dominant rebounding, while still being impressive, is less comparatively impressive against other centers. However, at the power forward? I believe that NBA teams should always be looking to play the most size that they can without sacrificing versatility on either end. If Steinbach can develop as a shooter and passer, a team doesn’t lose the spacing or quick decision making necessary to operate a modern-day NBA offense. Instead, his rebounding is only additive – most forwards would be incapable of dealing with his size, and Steinbach’s team would always win the ever-important possession battle.
On defense, you can tell a similar story. If a coach sees a 6’11 rebounder and assumes he’s most fit to play center, Steinbach becomes very unimpressive. He won’t ever be a strong primary rim protector, and he loses the positional size that makes him so enticing. However, if he can be flying in from the weak-side, impacting pick-and-rolls and gobbling up the rebounds his center misses, Steinbach becomes a unique weapon that perfectly fits in the direction of large+mobile that the NBA is moving in.
Does he fit on the Jazz? That is harder to say. If we didn’t pick up Jaren Jackson Jr. – a player very similar to Steinbach in that his skills are maximized at the 4 instead of the 5 – I would be overjoyed at the possibility to draft Hannes. Guaranteeing strong rebounding over 48 minutes with a front court combo of Steinbach, Nurkic, and Kessler allows us to compete in the positionally-large Western Conference. However, with the roster as is? Steinbach would be beneficial but the cost to obtain him (trading into the second half the first round) might be greater than the benefit he would provide – power forward isn’t exactly our position of weakness. But his imperfect fit on the Jazz doesn’t speak too much on his value as a prospect; expect to see Hannes nearing the top of the rebounds per 36 minutes rankings for years to come.
Current Draft Projections (most recent big board/mock draft)
No Ceilings: 29
Sports Illustrated: 12
ESPN: 15
The Ringer: 14
CBS Sports: 20
Quite a wide range of projected outcomes for the Washington freshman, but what do you think? Discuss in the comments below where you would select Hannes Steinbach!
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 03: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after a solo home run during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 03, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giancarlo Stanton has been ravaged by injuries over the years, many of them to his lower body. During an otherwise-smashing Friday night in Houston for the Yankees, his old injury bug seemingly popped up yet again. With Stanton at second base, J.C. Escarra singled to left field, off the wall at Daikin Park. Stanton advanced to third but it was obvious to anyone watching that he was not moving well.
Stanton immediately left the game, replaced by Randal Grichuk. It’s obviously too soon to speculate. With any luck, it is something minor and the club is just being careful with Stanton who, while he hasn’t been on fire at the plate, is still off to a solid start and poses a dangerous power threat to opposing pitchers.
Update: Meredith Marakovits reported that it’s right lower leg tightness for Stanton.
The YES booth wasted no time considering roster implications in the event Stanton has to go on the IL. Michael Kay quickly suggested that the club’s move will be to greatly increase Paul Goldschmidt’s playing time, with him and Ben Rice covering first base and designated hitter. Anthony Volpe is expected to return from the shelf himself soon, so the roster machinations might discourage the Yankees from calling up a more long-term answer like Jasson Domínguez. Someone else on the 40-man roster like Oswaldo Cabrera might be more likely until Volpe’s rehab assignment ends. We’ll find out soon enough.
Stanton hasn’t played anything close to a full season since 2021, when he appeared in 139 games. Unfortunately, Big G going down with something was almost inevitable. For so many reasons, hopefully he’s back sooner rather than later. Stanton sits 44 home runs short of 500. Every missed game makes that bit of baseball immortality more out of reach.
No one thought the winning would go on forever, right?
After back-to-back victories over Minnesota, the Mets got another dose of reality Friday, dropping their series opener to Colorado, 4-3, at Citi Field.
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For those keeping score, that’s now losses in 13 of their last 15. The Mets seem to be in an unlikely race to the bottom of the NL East with the Phillies.
This one involved some late drama, as the Mets rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull within a run, but with two on and one out, Mark Vientos lined into a double play to end the threat.
It was the fourth double play of the night by the Mets — the first three on the ground.
And they failed to take advantage of a game against a Rockies team that entered 10-16.
The issues that have plagued the Mets, who dropped to 9-17, so far this season haven’t gone away and it became obvious Friday that Juan Soto’s return alone won’t fix the lineup.
“We’ve still got a long way to go,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “We put ourselves in this position, but we understand what’s ahead.”
Sean Manaea reacts after giving up a two-run singles to Troy Johnston during the seventh inning of the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Rockies on April 24, 2026 at Citi Field. . Robert Sabo for NY Post
After scoring 10 runs Thursday, their bats went silent again versus right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who entered the game with a 7.48 ERA, but limited the Mets to just one run over seven innings.
In the process, Lorenzen outdueled Freddy Peralta, who dropped his third straight start.
Peralta wasn’t bad — two runs in 5 ²/₃ innings — but he wasn’t nearly enough to overcome another disappearing act from the offense.
“He’s an ace,’’ Mendoza said of Peralta. “He’ll get there.’’
The offense nearly came all the way back in the bottom of the eighth — with Lorenzen replaced by right-hander Jaden Hill.
Bret Baty rips a twor-run single in the seventh inning of the Mets’ loss to the Rockies. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Ronny Mauricio and Bo Bichette singled to lead off the inning, but Juan Soto lined out to first.
Francisco Alvarez singled to left to load the bases for Brett Baty, who delivered a two-run single to center to make it 4-3.
Vientos’ line drive double play kept them a run short and the Mets have scored more than three runs just three times in their last 15 games — as they now deal with life without Francisco Lindor, out indefinitely with a left calf strain.
Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy slides in safely with an RBI go-ahead double during the sixth inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“We had a lot of hard-hit balls,” Marcus Semien said. “[Vientos] hit that ball 107 [mph] in the middle of the field. Most of the time, that’s a base hit.”
That’s not the way it’s going right now in Queens.
“Every loss is frustrating,’’ Semien said. “They put together good at-bats when they needed to … [and] we hit into some double plays.’’
The Mets went ahead in the bottom of the second when Baty, heating up offensively, doubled to right to open the inning and moved to third on Vientos’ infield single.
With runners on the corners, Semien hit into a double play, scoring Baty to put the Mets up, 1-0.
Colorado threatened to score in the third, as ex-Yankee prospect TJ Rumfield and Tyler Freeman opened with singles.
Troy Johnston followed with a fly ball down the left field line, where Carson Benge made an outstanding sliding grab for the first out to save at least one run.
It was the rookie’s second excellent diving catch in as many games and Peralta retired the next two batters.
New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts to getting out of the fifth inning when the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies Friday, April 24, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Rockies tied it in the fifth, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk before Rumfield hit a slow roller in front of the plate to score Brenton Doyle.
The Mets fell behind in the sixth when Peralta walked Kyle Karros and Ezequiel Tovar reached on a slow roller to third.
Jake McCarthy hit a run-scoring double to right-center to put the Mets in a 2-1 hole.
With the infield in, Peralta fanned Doyle and was lifted for Sean Manaea, who struck out Mickey Moniak.
But Manaea faltered in the seventh, giving up a two-run single to Johnston that made it 4-1.
NEW YORK — The New York Mets provided some more information Friday on the status of injured shortstop Francisco Lindor.
There’s still no projected timeline for Lindor’s return, but the five-time All-Star will wear a protective boot on his lower left leg for the next week. He will undergo imaging again in three weeks and then be re-evaluated.
Lindor was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a left calf strain, with manager Carlos Mendoza saying only that the switch-hitter was “going to be down for quite a bit here.”
“We’ve still got a lot of people looking at this,” Mendoza said before Friday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
The injury came just hours after star slugger Juan Soto was reinstated from the IL after missing 15 games with a right calf strain that wasn’t as severe as the one sustained by Lindor.
“We’ve got to see where this is in three weeks and see how the healing goes,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said.
Ronny Mauricio was recalled Thursday from Triple-A Syracuse and he started at shortstop Friday for the second consecutive game.
Soto was the designated hitter for the third game in a row since returning, even though he initially had been slated to play left field Thursday night. Mendoza said keeping Soto at DH allowed him to start three straight games.
“Finding ways to keep his bat in the lineup while we’re not putting him at risk,” Mendoza said. “If he needs a day, he needs a day. As much as we need his bat in the lineup, he’s going to get days (off).”
Right-hander Christian Scott was optioned back to Syracuse after a wild outing Thursday against the Twins in his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. New York selected the contract of veteran right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. from its top farm club.
Scott issued five walks and lasted only 1 1/3 innings. He also hit a batter with a pitch and committed a balk, but the Mets pulled out a 10-8 victory despite a late mix-up with their bullpen.
Left-hander David Peterson is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against Washington when that turn in the rotation comes up next — although it could be in a bulk-relief role again, rather than a start.
In another update, Stearns described Jorge Polanco’s status as week-to-week, rather than day-to-day. The first baseman and DH is on the 10-day injured list with a bruised right wrist — although he’s also dealing with bursitis in his left heel, which has bothered him since very early in the season.
Mendoza said Polanco is feeling better. He is scheduled to undergo more testing this weekend.
Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter remains on target to return in early May from left lat surgery that cut short his 2025 season.
“Injuries are part of this, and injuries to good players are part of this,” Stearns said. “We’re certainly not the only team in baseball that deals with this, and we just have to get through it.”
The 12-game skid was New York’s longest since August 2002. The Mets won back-to-back games once Soto returned to the lineup, but no team has ever made the playoffs during the same season in which it lost 12 consecutive games.
“I still think we’re a good team. I recognize we had a stretch where we did not play good baseball and it cost us, and cost us repeatedly, but I think we’re a good team and I think we will show that,” Stearns said.
“Yes, it’s a frustrating stretch and we didn’t play well. We’re also not going to wholesale-change our evaluation of our team over a two-week stretch. This is a long season. Going through a 12-game losing streak is difficult and it’s not usual. There’s a reason it doesn’t happen very often. Even with that, I don’t think it should change our overall evaluation of the team — especially this early in the season.”
Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
In a game that featured all the worst aspects of the 2026 team, the Mets dropped the opener of their three game set with the Rockies 4-3. Freddy Peralta was outpitched by Michael Lorenzen, who entered the game with an ERA of nearly 7.5. The offense had just about as poor of luck as you can imagine. It was more of the same.
We can keep the play-by-play portion of the recap brief. Two deep fly balls in the first died on the warning track, and a rally that could’ve been bigger in the second resulted in only a single run. After that, the Mets’ bats went silent while the Rockies scored in three consecutive innings; one run in the fifth, another to take the sixth, and two more for insurance in the seventh. The Mets got two back in the eighth but lined into three outs in the inning, then had some more poor batted luck in the ninth as they went down 1-2-3.
Let’s get more granular on just how bad the batted ball luck was in this one. The Mets ground into three double plays and lined into another, with the latter coming in the eighth with the tying run on second. They hit two other line drive outs on the infield. There were multiple balls die on the warning track that might have left the yard on another night. The struck out only 3 times to the Rockies 15 and had more hits (though they did not work a walk). Yes, the offense needs to do more against literally Michael Lorenzen, but sometimes the baseball gods are just not on your side. Sure seems like that’s been the case more often than not for the 2026 Mets.
That said, chalking this entire loss up to poor sequencing and BABIP isn’t fair – the manager deserves blame too. Yes, the Mets could’ve used some more length out of their starter after Thursday night emptied their bullpen and yes, Freddy Peralta was nominally acquired to lead the rotation (though Nolan McLean is clearly the staff ace). At the same time, Peralta has never been the arm to give his team length. He was clearly gassed at the end of the fifth. And Carlos Mendoza, asleep at the wheel as he so often is, sent Peralta back out for the sixth and pulled him five batters too late after he’d given up another run.
It’s impossible to say for certain that the Mets win the game if that run doesn’t score, or that the reliever who came in would’ve been more effective. That’s irrelevant, however. This is one of the most basic managerial decisions imaginable, and Mendoza got it blatantly wrong. More than that, it’s a mistake he’s made time and again with Peralta and other starters. Clearly, no learning has occurred here.
In short, this was a typical loss for the 2026 Mets; solid pitching undermined by an inert offense, managerial incompetence, and poor luck en route to another irritating loss. The Mets are now 2-6 in 1-run games and 9-17 on the season. They’ll try to get back on the winning side of the ledger on Saturday with former Met Jose Quintana squaring off against Kodai Senga.
Big Mets winner: Brett Baty, +19% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -19% WPA Mets pitchers: -12%% WPA Mets hitters: -38% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty singles on a ground ball to center field Brenton Doyle, +16.4% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jake McCarthy doubles in the sixth to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead, -20.8% WPA
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 24: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field on April 24, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Against an opposing pitcher who’s been one of the best in the AL the last several years, you need your starter to be really sharp — Taj Bradley was doing kinda OK until he wasn’t — and you need your hitters to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. These Twins were terrible at the latter last year, and are running out mostly the same lineup now. What else would you expect to happen?
Inning-by-inning notes:
1: If you missed the intro, Drew Rasmussen is a darn good pitcher. His sinker/4-seam/cutter mix means three pitches in the 90s that can go in or out and they’re all thrown hard. Byron Buxton strikes out and two other guys hit nubbers. The onus is gonna be on Taj Bradley to throw a heckuva game.
Aren’t too many ballparks where a ball hit 450 feet ain’t a home run. Maybe the old Polo Grounds? (Looks it up.) Yep, the centerfield wall was 483 feet from home plate. This ain’t the Polo Grounds, though. Nice swat, Junior Caminero. Rays 1-0
2: Groundout, flyout, groundout. Drew Rasmussen’s career BAbip is .262. Normally, when a pitcher’s BAbip is much lower than around .300, that’s taken as an indicator that they’re getting lucky and are likely to come down to Earth sooner or later. So was Mariano Rivera’s .265 BAbip a fluke? It certainly wasn’t.
Three outs on nine pitches is much better than 450-foot dongs.
3: Well, that’s one way to get on base; Matt Wallner walks. (Rasmussen doesn’t walk a lot of guys, either.) Followed by K, ꓘ, groundout. Sigh.
Unlucky start; Nick Fortes squeezes one right down the left-field line and it gets by 3B Royce Lewis for a double. Then the Rays do something I can’t remember the Twins doing in years; they have the #9 hitter lay down a perfect sac bunt to move the runner to third. A grounder on a contact play gets Fortes in.
Radio actually has an interesting factoid; that RBI grounder was by Chandler Simpson, who has never hit a home run over the fence; he had three inside-the-park home runs in the minors. He hit one off Twins pitcher Dan Altavilla in Spring Training this year, but I guess that doesn’t count. Devil Rays 2-0
4: Hey now — a single by Trevor Larnach and a first pitch double by Austin Martin puts two guys in scoring position. Victor Caratini strikes out and I have a terrible feeling about this. Kody Clemens strikes out and Royce Lewis bloops one into “no-man’s land” that Ben Williamson, who is a human man, catches.
It’s innings like this that make me physically angry with the Twins. Like my tummy hurts. I hope the team hotel has bedbugs. OK, not that. But I’m still angry.
Jonathan Aranda hits another dinger off Bradley, the second long ball Bradley’s given up this year. Notably, both homers were on balls outside of the strike zone.
Also not in the strike zone were the four straight balls Bradley threw to Cedric Mullins (after a single by Jonny DeLuca), so this inning/game are within range of getting out of hand. Smart running by DeLuca; he tags and reaches third on a foul flyout just beyond first base. Fortunately Bradley induces the groundout; still, 3-0 seems like more than these Twins can manage tonight.
5: FINALLY! Brooks Lee has a nice AB and it ends with a bang. He fouled off or took several close pitches after falling behind 0-2. The Pride of Missouri City, TX, Tristan Gray, singles. Nothing comes of it.
A seven-pitch inning for Taj. He really is pitching pretty well (minus that walk last inning); too bad the Twins left their good bats in Minnesota. Tampa Bay 3-1
6: Klobberin’ Kody Klemens has a two-out hit. Do you think it matters? Do you think anything the Twins will try to do matters? Now, tomorrow, or ever again? It doesn’t.
Aranda does it again. Same location; off the plate inside. Then Yandy Díaz singles. With two outs, Ben Williamson walks. Royce Lewis saves a double that probably would have scored both runners BUT NOTHING MATTERS DO NOT BOTHER CARING
7: Kris Atteberry mentions that new RP Cole Sulser went to Dartmouth and this fills my heart with hate. Not for Sulser. Brooks Lee has a one-out single. It doesn’t matter. Byron Buxton hits a long fly. Atteberry is excited. I know not to be.
Huh. With one out and the Rays coming around for the fourth time, pitching coach Pete Maki walks out from the dugout and… is ejected. I dunno why. Doesn’t he know that it doesn’t matter?
Caminero hits another homer. So what. That one wasn’t off the plate, by the way, it was dead center. In comes Anthony Banda, a relief pitcher who currently sucks at relief pitching. He is fine. St. Petersburg Devil Rays 6-1
8: Trevor Martin replaces Cole Sulser. It doesn’t matter.
Eric Orze comes in for the team that will lose. He was traded by Tampa to Minnesota this offseason for a pitcher named Jacob Kisting. He currently has a 1.80 ERA in high-A. Good for him.
9: Royce Lewis improves his OPS from .726 to .771 with a dinger. Good for him. Wallner singles and Lee doubles. It doesn’t matter. Bryan Baker in to pitch for the Rays. The shame of Missouri City, TX, Tristan Gray, can’t hit it far enough for the runners to advance and Buxton strikes out on nine pitches and Larnach grounds out I told you it didn’t matter. Twins lose
Studs of the game: Lee and Lewis both having dingers and nice fielding plays. Duds: hoo boy. That last Bradley homer was bad. Caratini, Clemens, Gray and Wallner for failing to do ANYTHING with RISP and less than two outs.
COTG goes to nagurskiinnortheast for cussing at the Twins’ hitters and Zach for sharing a typically wonderful family photo. Thanks to everybody who participated in a GT for a game that was genuinely pretty boring right from the start.
Tomorrow’s game is at 3:10, featuring Shane (not Rue) McClanahan against our own Bailey Ober. Catch y’all next time!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 24: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 24, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles’ offense had been looking for a “get right game” all season; they finally found it Friday night agains the Red Sox, as they launched six long balls and collected 20 hits in a 10-3 win over the Red Sox.
The O’s had struggled all season to get off to hot starts, but you never would’ve known watching Friday’s first-inning firework show. It only took two pitches for Baltimore to get on the scoreboard against Red Sox righty Brayan Bello, as 26-year-old Dominican left an 0-1 cutter over the plate to Gunnar Henderson, who emphatically launched a high fly ball toward Eutaw Street.
The solo shot was Gunnar’s first leadoff home run since September 4th, 2024 and the first of three homers in the inning for the suddenly on fire Orioles’ offense. After Taylor Ward shot a single up the middle, Adley Rutschman decided to get in on the early-inning fun. Bello left a 2-2 sinker up and over the plate, and the Baltimore backstop did his best Ken Griffey Jr. impression, upper-cutting a ball into the right-center bleachers.
After a Pete Alonso groundout, the Red Sox starter made another mistake to Dylan Beavers. The rookie outfield jumped all over a first-pitch fastball from Bello, sending another towering home run onto the flag court to give Baltimore a 4-0 lead and send Birdland into a first-inning frenzy. Samuel Basallo tried to keep the rally going, hustling for a double a ball he grounded down the first base line and off the bag into right field. However, the big DH would get stranded at second after a Leody Taveras flyout and Coby Mayo strikeout.
And yet, while Bello escaped further damage in the first inning, the O’s weren’t done teeing off on the Red Sox’ suffering starter. Baltimore would manufacture a run in the third, thanks again to the resurgent top of their order. With one out, Henderson laced a single into right field, which probably would have gone for a double if not for its 111mph exit velocity. Then, with Gunnar trying to steal second, Taylor Ward bounced another single up the middle to give the Orioles runners at the corner. Rutschman then picked up his third RBI of the night, grounding into a fielder’s choice at third and beating out the double play to allow Gunnar to score.
The fireworks returned in the 3rd thanks to the big bat of Basallo. With one out and the O’s up 5-1, Bello left a cutter over the plate to his compatriot, and Basallo joined in on the home run derby, sending a laser over the right field fence for his fourth long ball of the season.
The O’s would finally chase Bello in the 4th after the second Rutsch-bomb of the night. Ward once again started the rally, collecting his third single of the night on a sharply hit ground ball to right. Then, in a deja vu moment for the right-hander, Bello left another cutter over the plate and Adley hooked a ball over the flag court fence for his second homer of the night, and the Orioles fifth home run off Bello. Boston left him in for two more batters, but after back-to-back singles from Pete Alonso and Dylan Beavers, manager Alex Cora finally pulled the plug on his starter. Bello came into Friday’s start with a strong track record in Camden Yards; he left having given up over 2,000 feet of home runs, while allowing eight runs and 13 hits.
However, just because Bello left the game didn’t mean the ball stopped leaving the Yard. Coby Mayo led off the bottom of the 5th inning with his third long ball in as many games, digging out a low changeup from Boston lefty Jovani Morán and flipping the left field wall for the Orioles’ fourth solo shot of the night.
Rutschman would pick up his 6th RBI of the night in the 7th to push the Orioles to double-digit runs. With two outs, Henderson picked up his third hit of the night, before Ward added his fourth single of the evening to move Gunnar into scoring position. Not wanting to feel left out, Adley joined the three-hit club, slashing a single to left that allowed Gunnar to race home and make the score 10-3.
The barrage of long balls overshadowed a strong outing from Baltimore starter Brandon Young. After pitching five shutout innings against the White Sox in his only other major league start this season, Young once again looked sharp early against the Red Sox. He worked a quick 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 1st, thanks to a lineout to center and a pair of groundouts to short.
Young was especially sharp with his sinker and splitter early on, tunneling the pitches off each other and consistently hitting the outside with both pitches. He also showed a sharp slider to right-handers, using the breaking ball to punch out Willson Contreras to lead off the 2nd. The 27-year-old righty only made one big mistake on the night, leaving a four-seamer over the plate to Wilyer Abreu, who hit the Red Sox’ only homer of the night with a solo blast in the 2nd.
The right-hander worked around a one-out single in the 3rd to post another scoreless frame. Young then started the 4th with back-to-back Ks, punching out Contreras on a high fastball before getting Abreu to swing through a splitter that fell off the plate at the bottom of the zone.
Young started to fade as he got into the 5th and 6th innings. He allowed back-to-back singles to Caleb Durbin and Carlos Narváez to start the 5th. Durbin would come around to score after moving to third on a fly ball and scampering home on an RBI groundout.
Abreu would get Young again in the 6th, slashing a one-out double down the left field line for his second extra-base hit of the evening. Two batters later, Marcelo Mayer lined a double to the right-center gap to score Abreu and end Young’s evening. After Yennier Cano stranded Mayer at second, it closed Young’s final line at 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB and 5 K.
The bullpen combined to pitch 3.1 scoreless innings, while not allowing a hit until the 9th. The most notable outing came from the 36-year-old Andrew Kittredge, who pitched a 1-2-3 7th inning in his season debut.
Additional game notes:
The two home runs and 6 RBIs both tie career highs for Adley Rutschman. The other three two-homer games from Adley all came against the Blue Jays
Taylor Ward tied his career high with four hits. All three of his four-hit games have come this month with the Orioles.
Samuel Basallo set a career high with four hits and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Dylan Beavers tied a career high with three hits.
Friday was the first game in Orioles history where they hit 6+ home runs and collected 20+ hits.
The Orioles are the first team to record 20+ hits in a game in 2026.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers (17-8) return home to take on the red hot Chicago Cubs (16-9) for a three game series starting Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.58 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) makes his fifth start for the Dodgers.
Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA, 1.28 WHIP toes the rubber for the Cubs.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 21: De'Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
Game 2 didn’t go off as planned, in fact it turned into a nightmare for the Silver and Black when Victor Wembanyama tripped when Jrue Holiday pulled the chair on a drive to the basket and hit his head hard on the Frost Bank Center’s hardwood early in the second quarter. Victor suffered a concussion, and it looked like he might have briefly lost consciousness. The Spurs could have folded after watching their best player have to be taken to the locker room with a serious injury, but they continued to play hard and were able to take a double digit lead midway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the home team, they could not hold on as the Spurs offense went cold for the last 5 minutes and the Blazers made clutch shot after clutch shot. Portland is not a good three-point shooting team, but you couldn’t tell that by their late game performance, as Scoot Henderson played out of his mind for the entire fourth quarter. Conventional wisdom is that you only need to worry about Deni Avdija on offense, but they got great performances from Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara as they took a three point lead with just a few seconds left to play. Devin Vassell had an opportunity to tie the game with time running out, but he was well guarded, and the shot missed, allowing the team from Rip City to walk away from San Antonio with a 1-1 series tie in the first pair of games, securing home court advantage for the rest of the series.
Victor Wembanyama has been making an excellent recovery from his initial concussion diagnosis, and he was allowed to travel with the team to Portland yesterday. He’s listed as questionable on the injury report this morning, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be cleared to play in time for tonight’s late-starting game. My guess is that even if he were officially able to enter tonight’s game, the Spurs may be reluctant to throw him out without having participated in practice since his injury. In my mind, it’s more likely that we’ll see him play on Sunday, and that would be subject to his continued improvement and a positive evaluation from the doctors that are monitoring his condition.
The Spurs should be prepared to play tonight without the super tall French guy, and if they play their normal game, they should be able to win tonight without his services. Luke Kornet will be fine against the Portland bigs, but it gets dicey when he has to sit. Mitch Johnson has shown that he likes to go small with Carter Bryant when Luke is out, and that has had mixed results so far. We might see some Kelly Olynyk in non-garbage time minutes to limit the time for small lineups. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox will have to step up tonight after being somewhat inefficient in Game 2, especially late in Game 2. Dylan Harper has been effective, and doesn’t get too rattled by the physical play of Portland defenders and inconsistent calls from the refs, including a double dribble call that was totally a figment of the official’s imagination. The team will have to keep their composure as the Blazers will throw everything they have at them to try and take a lead in the series. It’s up to Mitch to have the team mentally prepared and ready to handle adversity. It’s a test, and I think it’s one that they’ll pass. There are at least three games left in this series, and each one of them is an opportunity for the team to learn. LET’S GO SPURS!
Game Prediction:
Scoot Henderson’s Magic Johnson votive candle burns out during shootaround, and he goes back to playing like just a guy for the rest of the series after his atypical game 2 showing.
San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers, First Round, Game 3 April 21, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT Streaming: Prime TV: Prime Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 24: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammate Taylor Ward #3 after hitting a home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is Friday night.
The Orioles have demolished the Red Sox by a 10-3 score, a beatdown so thorough that they literally ran out of in-game pyrotechnics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards because the O’s hit so many home runs. Gunnar Henderson led off the O’s hitting in the game with a homer, Adley Rutschman hit a pair of homers, each of Taylor Ward and Samuel Basallo had four hits, Brandon Young got a second win, and the Orioles picked up 20 hits on the way to an easy against the last-place Boston Red Sox.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 and Luka Garza #52 of the Boston Celtics react during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After a rough Game 2 loss the Celtics needed a bounce back win in Game 3. They got it, thanks to clutch shots by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the fourth. Each Jay scored 25 points as the Celtics won a great game against the 76ers, 108-100.
There were no injuries to report for the Celtics and they started their usuals of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Joel Embiid is nearing a return, but it was not in Game 3. Philadelphia started Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George and Adem Bona.
It was back and forth for the start of the game. Just like in Game 1, Neemias Queta picked up 2 quick fouls, so he had to go to the bench. Nikola Vucevic was once again the first big off of the bench for Boston.
The Celtics led 29-24 at the end of the first quarter. Jaylen Brown led the team with 7 points while Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic all had 6 points.
Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza were brought into the game to start the 2nd quarter. Both players made impacts with offensive rebounds and a made three.
The Celtics got hot from three in the 2nd quarter, but the Sixers were still hanging around. The Celtics led 41-35 with 7:42 to go in the 2nd quarter after a VJ Edgecombe dunk led to a Joe Mazzulla timeout.
Boston did have the lead, up 54-47 at the end of the first half. It was still Brown leading the way in scoring with 11 points while Tatum and Vucevic were behind him with 8 each.
Vucevic started the 3rd quarter over Neemias Queta.
Paul George really got going in the third quarter;he had the Sixers first 8 points of the quarter and matched his first half total in the first 2 minutes of the quarter.
The Celtics built up a 9-point lead, but 7 straight Sixers points cut the lead to 2 and a Joe Mazzulla timeout.
The third quarter was back and fourth as the Celtics could not pull away from the Sixers, in large part due to their turnovers.
The Celtics led 79-74 at the end of three. Jaylen’s 15 and Jayson’s 14 led the team in scoring but Payton Pritchard also needs to be shouted out, through 3 quarters, he had 12 points and was a +15.
It was the Tyrese Maxey show to open the fourth quarter for the 76ers. He had 8 points in the first 3:18 of the period as the Sixers took an 85-84 lead.
Just too many turnovers for the Celtics. They had 17 with just over 7 minutes to go in the 4th while giving up 21 points off of those turnovers.
The Celtics need more from Derrick White on offense. He has been so great on defense all season but he just hasn’t made his threes. He was 3/12 from the floor and 1/8 from three with just over 4 minutes to go in the game.
The Celtics took a timeout after a Kelly Oubre Jr. layup cut what was a 7 point lead down to 2 at 92-90.
Neither team was getting a lot of stops late in the game. Clutch threes from Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard kept the Celtics in the lead but the Sixers were running Paul George and Andre Drummond pick and roll and getting buckets every time because Nikola Vucevic was struggling to guard it.
After a pair of Kelly Oubre Jr. free throws cut the lead to 3, Nikola Vucevic missed an open three but a Derrick White offensive rebound and kick out to Jayson Tatum leading to a three put the Celtics up 6 and they did not look back.
The Mets dropped the series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on Friday night by a score of 4-3.
Here are the takeaways...
-- After putting up 10 runs the night before to break out of a long, team-wide slump, New York's offense went right back to sleep against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, who entered the game with a 7.48 ERA. Lorenzen held the Mets to just one run through seven innings, maneuvering around seven hits by keeping the ball on the ground and getting New York to hit into three double plays.
The first double play of the night at least brought home a run when Brett Baty scored following Marcus Semien's double play grounder in the second inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Still, the inning started out promisingly after Baty doubled to lead off, followed by Mark Vientos' infield single. With two outs and nobody on, the inning continued with a Carson Benge single and Tyrone Taylor reaching on an error, but Ronny Mauricio grounded out to end the threat.
New York would threaten again in the fifth after back-to-back, one-out singles by Taylor and Mauricio, but Bo Bichette's double play grounder on the first pitch got Lorenzen through the frame unscathed. Juan Soto then began the sixth with a well-struck single but was erased on a double play by Francisco Alvarez.
-- Opposite Lorenzen was Freddy Peralta, who was looking to get back on track after losing his previous two starts. Staked to the early 1-0 lead and nothing else, the right-hander made it stick for the first four innings, getting some help from his defense in the fourth after Benge made a diving catch in left field after running a long way.
Striking out six through four innings, Peralta had things working early, but he loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and allowed Colorado to tie the game on a weak groundout. Things unraveled further for Peralta in the sixth after a walk and a single brought up Jake McCarthy, who doubled in a run to give the Rockies the lead.
After striking out Brenton Doyle, Peralta's night was done. His final line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K on 95 pitches (67 strikes). His ERA dropped to 3.90.
-- With runners on second and third, Sean Manaea entered the game and struck out Mickey Moniak to keep the Mets' deficit at one. He wasn't so lucky in the seventh, though, getting into trouble and surrendering a two-run single to Troy Johnston. Manaea pitched 3.1 innings, allowed two earned runs on three hits, a walk and a HBP while striking out seven.
-- With Lorenzen out of the game, New York was finally able to capitalize with runners in scoring position. The inning began with singles from Mauricio and Bichette and after a lineout by Soto, Alvarez singled to load the bases. Baty followed with another single to score two and get the Mets to within a run.
Just as New York was getting a rally going, Vientos stepped up to the plate and, as luck would have it, lined into an unassisted double play for the Mets' fourth double play of the game. The ball Vientos hit had an exit velocity of 107.7 mph, but was hit directly at the second baseman, who doubled off pinch-runner Tommy Pham, who had no chance of getting back to the base.
New York went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning.
Game MVP: Michael Lorenzen
The right-hander got the win after pitching seven terrific innings.
The NBA playoffs on NBC continue Saturday afternoon with the Detroit Pistons playing the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of their first-round series. The game will be on Peacock.
Detroit tied the series at 1-1 on Wednesday, winning 98-83. The win ended an 11-game home playoff losing streak for the Pistons, dating back to 2008 — the longest home playoff losing streak in NBA history. The streak was so long that the win also marked the Pistons' first-ever postseason win at Little Caesars Arena, which opened ahead of the 2017-18 season.
Star guard Cade Cunningham had a game-high 27 points and game-high 11 assists in Game 2. It was Cunningham's second career playoff game recording 25+ points and 10+ assists.
This is the fifth playoff series between the Pistons and Magic and the first since 2008, which is also the last time the Pistons won a playoff series (2008 conference semifinals). You have to go back to the 1996 first round for the one and only time the Magic have won a playoff series over the Pistons.
See below for additional information on the Pistons-Magic game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Announcing team: Michael Grady, Austin Rivers, Robbie Hummel, Grant Liffmann
Live stream: Peacock
Series status: Tied 1-1
What other games are on NBC and Peacock Saturday?
Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns (Game 3), 3:30 p.m. on NBC & Peacock
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks (Game 4), 6 p.m. on NBC & Peacock
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic Game 3 preview
Orlando came out hot to start the series, upsetting Detroit 112-101 in Game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead as the only lower-seeded team to win their opening game of their respective first round series. Detroit won the second game, 98-83, to break the aforementioned 11-game home playoff losing streak that dated back to 2008.
Detroit's Cunningham and Orlando's Paolo Banchero — the No. 1 draft picks in 2021 and 2022, respectively — have been at the center of the two franchises' revivals. The Pistons and Magic finished as the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference in the 2021-22 season. Just four years later, they are now playoff mainstays thanks to their star players.
This is a key turning point for this series. Teams that win Game 3 of a 1-1 best-of-seven series go on to win the series 73.7% of the time, according to NBC Sports research. To further drive home the significance of Saturday's game: Detroit is 15-2 all-time in best-of-seven series when it takes a 2-1 series lead, and Orlando is 5-1 in the same scenario.
Points in the paint is the stat to watch. In each of the first two games of this series, the winning team has dominated the other team in that area. The Magic outscored the Pistons 54-34 in the paint in Game 1, while Detroit outscored Orlando 54-34 in points in the paint in Game 2.
Both teams are looking to break first round droughts, with neither team reaching the second round of the playoffs since 2010.
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the first round and 11 games in the conference semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including the first round, the conference semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Rebounds, got to grab those, guys.
The Sixers fell short 108-100 to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 Friday night, falling down 2-1 in the series.
Tyrese Maxey, off an electric third quarter, led all scorers with 31 shooting 12-of-31 from the floor along with six assists. Paul George shot it well once he started attacking, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
VJ Edgecombe’s jump shot came down to earth. He finished with 10 points shooting 5-of-17 from the floor with 10 rebounds.
Despite being upgraded to doubtful on the initial injury report, Joel Embiid remained the only injured player unable to suit up.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Edgecombe was able to pick up where he left off, beating his defender and going right at Neemias Queta, hitting a contested layup for the Sixers’ first points of the game. The Sixers took advantage of their paint touches early as Maxey was able to kick to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a wide open corner three. Their effort on the glass was good early with Edgecombe and Adem Bona poking free two defensive rebounds while Bona got an early putback on the other end.
Brown opened the game for Boston by getting switched onto Bona in space and was able to beat him pretty easily with a pump fake. After that the Celtics went on to miss their next six shots. The Sixers started to settle into jumpers though and none of them fell. Four straight misses prevented them from getting any type of space.
The Celtics found their three-point stroke, hitting seven to round out the quarter. The Sixers were able to get to the rim a couple of times, but their offense looked pretty gummed up. There was no better example of that than Andre Drummond accidentally bumping into Maxey and knocking him over mid-jump shot attempt. Free throws from Maxey and Oubre were answered by another Nik Vucevic three to put the Celtics up by five after the first.
Second Quarter
It was a very quiet first for PG. He had only taken one shot attempt. He started the second with a pull-up three for his first points of the game, but struggling to rebound had the second unit in trouble. Two quick offensive rebounds led to six Boston points. A couple more threes gave the Celtics the first double-digit lead of the game.
A big difference from the first two games in this series was how much better the Sixers were with Bona on the floor than Drummond. Bona struck the balance of being much more under control while being in good position to contest shots. He had two blocks, the second leading to a much needed fast break when the Sixers needed some life.
George really got the worst of it drawing an offensive foul as Brown hit him in the groin trying to create space. Despite the crowd’s protests, the play was rightfully not upgraded to a flagrant. Bona took a hard fall and was favoring his left wrist but also stayed in the game.
Bona did sub out though when he picked up his third foul, two of them coming on moving screens. Drummond started the shift well, but giving up an offensive rebound, an open layup, and turning it over to lead to an open three was a brutal five-point swing. Derrick White hasn’t been able to hit anything in this series, but he hit a tough midrange fadeaway to push the Celtics lead at seven before the break.
Third Quarter
PG making his first three shots of the half was exactly what the Sixers needed. Two Boston threes thanks to a blown switch and an offensive rebound weren’t though, as well as Bona picking up his fourth. Edgecombe could not buy a three. He missed two more to make him 0-of-5 from deep. Maxey though was able to hit one after putting Sam Hauser on skates. George finding an open Bona rolling for a dunk cut the lead to two and prompted a Celtics timeout.
The Sixers’ defense did a great job rotating over and forcing a turnover coming out of that timeout. Maxey tied the game up with a midrange and took the lead on the next possession with a stepback three over Tatum. Things really came to a halt though when Drummond was T’d up for a hostile act fighting for a rebound with Queta. It was a weird whistle in a playoff game.
The Celtics turned it over on the following two possessions but the Sixers weren’t able to score off either of them. A few trips to the line for Boston and a Drummond three swung the game on the seesaw. Quentin Grimes made a great stand to block a Brown pull-up, but the Sixers’ confusion when play wasn’t stopped led to a Payon Pritchard three. That gave him enough confidence to come off a screen and hit another one from about 35 feet, keeping the Celtics lead at five.
Fourth Quarter
It didn’t take long for the game to get back on the seesaw. Maxey drilled another jumper from the top of the key to start the quarter with replay showing that his foot was in fact behind the three-point line. Bona split a pair of free throws and Edgecombe floated in for another impressive layup before Maxey came off a screen to hit another three at the top of the key, putting the Sixers back up by one as the Celtics called timeout.
The Celtics went back in front thanks to a controversial goaltending call on a Tatum layup. The Sixers then turned it over twice in a row, then jacked up a three that didn’t come close and Boston took full advantage with an 8-0 run. Drummond getting fouled on a roll didn’t stop the run, but the corner three he got on the following possession did.
Oubre and Maxey were both able to get to the basket to get it to two, but both of those were answered by baskets from Brown. George led the offense for two possessions that both led to Drummond dump-offs. Tatum had split a pair of free throws in between them, but a defensive breakdown on the following possession gave him an open three.
George took the ball again and hit a tough floater, but Pritchard was able to outlast Maxey on the other end and answer with another three. Oubre cut it to three at the line. Vucevic missed a corner three but no one tagged White flying in from the corner. He grabbed the offensive rebound, the Celtics’ 15th of the game, and found Tatum who hit the dagger three.
