STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: The Cubs’ current five-game losing streak is their longest this season. Five also was their high last year, but it did not happen until Sept. 18-23. They have not lost at least six in a row since July 7-16, 2022, when they lost nine straight. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TOO MANY RUNS ALLOWED: The Cubs have allowed at least five runs in six straight games: five, eight, nine, nine, five and five. Six games also was their longest such streak of its kind last season, June 19-24. They went 1-5 then, as they are now. Their last longest streak was eight games, May 29-June 6, 2024. They went 3-5. Their longest streak of allowing at least five runs was 13 games, May 9-23, 1930. They had an 11-game streak, Aug. 31-Sept. 11, 2000, and 10 in a row, May 6-17, 1986. This is their 16th streak of at least six games since 2000. Seven ended at six games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE WALK WATCH: The Cubs’ 228 walks lead MLB. That’s an average of 4.56 walks per game. If they keep up that pace they would have 739 walks for the season, which would demolish the franchise record (656, set in 2016).
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A GOOD HOBY: Hoby Milner, last 20 games since March 31: 1.29 ERA, 0.857 WHIP in 21 total innings.
Maybe we should just pretend Jameson Taillon’s last start didn’t happen.
Oh, you can’t do that. Right. So: Five home runs and eight runs given up to the White Sox. Don’t do that again, Jamo.
Taillon has also had some very good outings this year. So, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Last year in Houston, June 29, 2025, Taillon allowed the Astros two runs in 4.2 innings and struck out four. Which doesn’t sound too bad until I tell you that he threw 107 pitches in that game, which, yikes. Don’t do that again either.
Spencer Arrighetti made 29 starts for the Astros in 2024 (including one against the Cubs) and posted a 4.53 ERA. Then he was injured much of last year and made only seven starts for Houston with an even worse ERA (5.35).
Thus his 1.50 ERA in six starts this year has to be a bit of a surprise. He’s allowed one or no runs in five of those six starts.
No current Cub has more than four at-bats against him. Hope they have a good scouting report.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The Montreal Canadiens picked up an impressive 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1. While the Canadiens' offense certainly played a significant role in this victory, Jakub Dobes also stepped up for them big time.
Dobes had a strong night for the Canadiens in Game 1, as he stopped 25 out of 27 shots. With this, he finished the contest with an impressive .926 save percentage.
Now, Dobes has made more history due to his strong play.
According to Sportsnet Stats, Dobes is now just the third rookie goalie in the history of the NHL to win seven out of his first nine road decisions in the same post-season.
The other goalies who achieved this were Ron Hextall in 1987 with the Philadelphia Flyers and Jordan Binnington in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues.
This latest impressive accomplishment shows just how strong Dobes has played this post-season for the Canadiens. The 24-year-old now has a 9-6 record, a 2.48 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage in 15 games this post-season. Let's see how he builds on it from here.
After a fourth-quarter takeover, Jalen Brunson showed love to his favorite actress.
The Knicks’ star, who hit double-figures in points again in the final quarter of the Knicks’ 109-93 Game 2 win over the Cavaliers, celebrated by running over to Mariska Hargitay, the star of “Law & Order: SVU.”
The actress, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, gave Brunson a big hug for his latest heroics, as seen in a video posted by award-winning director and actor Ben Stiller.
“Jalen, from one captain to another, congratulations on becoming a 2025 NBA All-Star,” Hargitay said. “I cannot wait to see you work your magic in San Francisco.”
“Yeah, that’s my favorite person ever,” Brunson responded. “That’s my favorite person ever.”
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay and Jalen Brunson are good friends. NBA
Brunson’s love of Hargitay is no secret of everyone else on Celebrity Row.
“The love that Mariska Hargitay gets from you postgame is the envy of every other Knicks fan, Knicks celebrity fan. She gets a hug after a loss,” Stiller told Brunson on his “Roommates” podcast last year.
Brunson was also seen with multiple other “Law & Order” stars on different occasions, including Christopher Meloni, who sat next to Hargitay in a clip that went viral last year as Brunson hugged her.
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Also in the photo was Hargitay’s son, August, whom she had with her longtime husband, Peter Hermann, with the two tying the knot in 2004.
The stars love Brunson, as he’s been seen hugging the likes of Francisco Lindor, Jimmy Fallon and many more before and after games.
There will be many more flocking to him, too, as the Knicks are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals in this dominating run.
Jalen Brunson embraces with the Law & Order: SVU star.
After going down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, the Knicks have won nine straight playoff games.
The Knicks have opened Game 3 as 2.5-point underdogs with the series shifting to Cleveland, as oddsmakers suspect a big boost from the Cavaliers’ home crowd.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 18: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox bats against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The White Sox spent a little bit in the offseason and acquired a fun player from Japan who has slugged the franchise back into relevance. As fun as it has been to see that the literal Pope of the Roman Catholic church is a White Sox fan, Munetaka Murakami’s fast rise in 2026 has dragged the Southsiders from embarrassing afterthought to a firm “on second thought” team and that alone makes this matchup feel cringe-inducing.
See, the Giants were supposed to be better than the Chicago White Sox. They’re supposed to be the better-run operation. Their player-turned-exec isn’t the one who should be getting grilled by AM radio hosts, it’s Chris Getz, the utility guy who hit .250 for his career then ditched his cleats for the front office, who should be having a tough time of things. He not only put together the 2024 & 2025 teams which combined for 223 losses, he was the exec in the offseason who couldn’t remember the handedness of a player he traded for — embarrassing… right?
And yet, his team has some heat. Not just from Vatican City, but across the country and in Japan. Game one of this three-game series is Friday Night at Oracle Park, which just so happens to be Japanese Heritage Night. Once again, the Giants don’t have a Japanese player on the roster, perhaps not for lack of effort, but they sure could use Munetaka Murakami in their lineup right now.
Here’s an extensive highlights package put together by MLB:
On the other hand, as Ben Clemens wrote for FanGraphs a month ago:
The book on Munetaka Murakami was pretty straightforward when he hit the market this winter. Phenomenal cosmic power – itty bitty contact rate. While acknowledging recent injuries, our writeup noted his contact rates against good velocity (63%) and secondary pitches (50%) as red flags in his profile. And these weren’t little red flags, either. […] “…if Murakami is only ever the quality of contact hitter we’ve seen the last three years, with no changes or improvements, he basically can’t be a good MLB hitter.”
In the 26 games since that post went up, the White Sox have gone 16-10 with Murakami hitting.253/.372/.526 in 113 plate appearances, boosted by 8 home runs and 2 doubles in 24 hits. His 18 walks and 38 strikeouts translate to a 15.9 BB% and 33.6 K%. On the season, he has 17 home runs and an 18.4 BB% paired with a 32.5 K%. That strikeout rate is currently 7th-worst in the sport behind the following players:
Hunter Goodman, COL — 36% (99 wRC+)
Garrett Mitchell, MIL — 35.9% (100 wRC+)
Oneil Cruz, PIT — 35.1% (115 wRC+)
Ian Happ, CHC — 33.0% (123 wRC+)
Kyle Schwarber, PHI — 32.9% (168 wRC+)
Spencer Torkelson, DET — 32.6% (95 wRC+)
I hope the takeaway is not that you can be a great hitter with a high strikeout rate, even as this list shows increasingly better hitters as the rate goes down. The 26-game sampling I just cited suggests that Murakami is trending in the direction the projection systems indicated given his numbers in Japan, too. No qualified hitter ended last season with a strikeout rate that high (Ryan McMahon had the worst with 32.1%) and only Zack Gelof in 2024 could “boast” something worse (34.4%). That walk rate is very competitive, though. It’s currently fourth-best in MLB behind Nick Kurtz (21.2%), Taylor Ward (21%), and Mike Trout (20.4%). His 17 home runs trail only Schwarber.
Why am I mentioning any of this?
Hmm… is it that I think the Giants missed out on signing a 26-year old slugger? Not exactly. I can certainly see the organization not wanting a player with lots of swing and miss in his game and I see that they’re willing to ignore the power potential to back up that belief (hello, Bryce Eldridge — or, rather, is it soon to be goodbye?) and I also acknowledge that 17 home run total might be closer to 8 or 9 playing in Oracle Park — though, it must be noted, the majority of his dingers have come on the road. And, it’s plausible that he’s going to regress to a mean ol’ mean pretty soon here given the spiking strikeout rate. But, just for a moment, it’s fun to imagine a team coming out of a rebuild led by a former player. Sounds nice.
Because how else have the White Sox gotten to the point of being above .500? Before he was the GM, Chris Getz was the team’s farm director. From his Wikipedia:
In 2014, Getz was hired by the Kansas City Royals as their assistant to player development. He worked with them until 2016 when he went to the Chicago White Sox as their director of player development from 2017 to 2020. There, he worked with many talented prospects like Luis Robert Jr., Yoán Moncada, Eloy Jiménez, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, and Dylan Cease. The White Sox farm system was ranked as the best in the MLB in 2017. In 2021, White Sox promoted him as assistant General Manager to then-GM Rick Hahn. Following Hahn’s firing on August 22, 2023, Getz was promoted as the White Sox new Senior Vice President and GM on August 31
The current roster has his fingerprints all over it, both from player development and during a teardown that saw the franchise go 162-324 over three seasons.
C — Edgar Quero (acquired in deadline deal trading away Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez) 1B — Munetaka Murakami (signed in the offseason via the posting season, 2 years, $34 million) 2B — Chase Meidroth (acquired in deal for Garrett Crochet) SS — Colson Montgomery(1st round draft pick — #22 — in 2021) 3B — Miguel Vargas (acquired in 3-way with Dodgers & Cardinals for Michael Kopech & Erick Fedde) LF — Sam Antonacci (5th round draft pick in 2024) CF — Tristan Peters (acquired for cash considerations this offseason — was acquired by Giants in 2022) RF — Jarred Kelenic (signed as a free agent in the offseason) DH — Andrew Benentendi (the inherited bad contract — just one more season to go!)
Starting pitchers: Davis Martin (14th round draft pick in 2018), Sean Burke (3rd round in 2021), Anthony Kay (a pitcher I thought the Giants might’ve signed this offseason), Erick Fedde (signed him out of Korea and got the best season of his career in 2024), Noah Schultz (1st round draft pick — #26 — in 2022).
They also signed Seranthony Dominguez in the offseason to be their closer. It hasn’t gone well so far (6+ FIP), but the White Sox kept pushing even if the vision wasn’t quite clear. And from above I intend to illustrate that this is the road map the Giants have been chasing since 2017, just without those 100+-loss seasons as catalysts. Some of Chicago’s later round picks have paid off on top of trades and free agent pickups.
One of Getz’s other key moves was hiring Max Venable to be their manager starting last season. Max and Molly’s kid really wore it in year 1 of his deal (101 losses), but with Murakami and the fruition of some talent development, he’s off to a much better start in 2026. In Wednesday’s post-game wrap, Dave Flemming mused that Max Venable is the first major league manager that Duane Kuiper has ever changed the diapers of and that notion had Kuip feeling some kind of way. Max Venable’s name had been mentioned as a possible candidate going all the way back to the post-Bochy days, but here he is now wrangling another team trying to win its way back to relevance. Who’s got it better right now?
The Giants have lost 3 straight games and are just 7-12 in May with a -26 run differential. Their team 89 wRC+ puts them ahead of only the Mets and Rockies in MLB, but their team batting average of .244 puts them in a three-way tie with Arizona & Washington for top 1/3 of the league, so, who’s to say if they’re bad or not? The White Sox are hitting just .235 but have a 105 wRC+. They also have better pitching (3.8 fWAR to the Giants’ 2.3), but if you’re only looking at ERA then, sure, the Giants have it over Chicago with a 4.17 team ERA compared to Chicago’s 4.35. But if you’re only comparing batting average and ERA, please check the nearest calendar because you might have traveled back in time to some point in the 20th century.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (20-30) vs. Chicago White Sox (25-24) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Friday: Davis Martin (RHP 6-1, 1.61 ERA) vs. Trevor McDonald (RHP 2-0, 2.37 ERA) Saturday: Erik Fedde (RHP 0-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (RHP 2-4, 5.25 ERA) Sunday: Noah Schultz (LHP 2-3, 4.93 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (LHP 3-6, 4.28 ERA)
Players to watch
White Sox (besides Murakami)
Randal Grichuk: Here’s where this almost-Giant wound up in 2026. Well, first he was in the Yankees’ minor league system, then granted release, and then the White Sox got him. With three lefties in the Giants’ bullpen, it’s probable we’ll see him as a pinch hitter in this series as that’s been a big role for him in his 13 games. He’s 7-for-22 with 4 homers in this small sample size.
Jordan Hicks: Here’s where this former Giant wound up in 2026. The Red Sox wanted him off the roster enough to send cash, a prospect, and two players to be named later and all he’s done for the White Sox is continue his terrible slide into not being a major league-caliber pitcher. Having said that, don’t be surprised if he’s asked to get key outs in one of these games.
Giants
Victor Bericoto: As of this writing, it’s unclear who he’s replacing or what his role will be, but figure we’ll see him in this series at some point. The 24-year old left-handed batter has an .804 OPS in 186 PA for Sacramento this season.
Trevor McDonald: The Giants seem like they don’t want to send him down when Logan Webb becomes eligible to come off the IL, but it’s always worth checking out one of his starts.
Tony Vitello watch
With Eldridge and now Bericoto on the bench (presumably), might he turn to it a bit more often?
Bettiol: ‘I knew every single corner in the last 50km’
The Italian cyclist Alberto Bettiol attacked at the top of the final climb to ride solo to victory on stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia in Verbania on Friday, five years after his last stage win.
Bettiol, who also soloed to win a stage in 2021, caught Andreas Leknessund as they reached the Ungiasca summit and left the Norwegian in his wake before powering away on the descent to the shore of Lake Maggiore. The Italian took a quick glance over his shoulder before raising his arms long before the line in celebration, and his girlfriend, Lisa Finetti, was there to hug him after the finish.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets on April 21, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
At times this season, the dynamic between Jarred Vanderbilt and Lakers head coach JJ Redick was rocky, in obvious and subtle ways.
It was never more apparent than their very vocal argument in a late regular-season loss against the Thunder. Redick called a timeout in the second quarter to take Vando out of the game, and they got into a heated debate.
It wasn’t a good look for either person. Vando didn’t play again in that contest, even though the Lakers were playing without Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, or Jaxson Hayes.
During Vando’s exit interview, he spoke about his dynamic with Redick.
“We ended up good,” Vanderbilt said. “Like I said, we’re both competitors. We’re competing at the highest level, so sometimes tensions rise and you have disagreements. But, it happens. Player to player, coach to player, staff to player, when you all have a goal like that of winning, sometimes disagreements happen. That’s all it was. We’ve been good ever since.”
Vando says they are good, but clearly, Redick prefers to play many players over him.
In Redick’s first year in charge, Vanderbilt averaged just 16.1 minutes per game. That was his lowest minutes total since the 2020-21 season.
This year, Vando played 17.4 minutes per game. That is well below his averages over the previous four seasons before Redick, when he was a 20-plus minutes-per-game player.
Given that Vando is the fifth-highest played player on the roster, but averaged the 11th most minutes, it’s clear his actual value on the team and what he’s compensated are out of whack.
This has been an adjustment for Vando, and given what we saw during that game against the Thunder in April, disagreements and frustration can boil over.
Still, Vando is a pro and handled it well. Not once did he publicly bash his coach or rant about wanting to play more. When his number was called, he gave his best effort, and that’s all one can ask for. It’s Redick’s team, and he gets to decide when people should play.
It’s good that the two are okay because Vando not only has value as a perimeter defender but also has a guaranteed contract next season and a player option the following year.
So, unless a trade happens, they have to figure out how to work well together. It seems that late into the year, after that disagreement, they found some common ground.
May 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Cole Smith (22) controls the puck under pressure from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) in the third period in game one of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
After a frustrating Game 1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche are back in action again tonight, as they look to bounce back and even this series up in Game 2.
Colorado Avalanche
Game 1 was, in a word, frustrating for Colorado. Yes, Vegas is a good hockey team and they were incredibly opportunistic with their goals, but the Avs made it super easy for them to actually benefit from those opportunities, as they made a lot of mistakes defensively in that game, giving the Golden Knights maybe a bit of an easier time than they would’ve had otherwise. Tonight, they’ll have to clean up those defensive mistakes to even this series.
There’s no greater storyline for Colorado than what’s the status of Cale Makar. He was a participant at morning skate, which was fostering some optimism that he could return to the lineup tonight but the team indicated he is still out tonight. In net it still looks to be Scott Wedgewood despite the loss.
Projected Lineup
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Gabriel Landeskog Valeri Nichushkin – Brock Nelson – Martin Necas Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nic Roy Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Brett Kulak – Brent Burns Jack Achan – Josh Manson
Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
As previously mentioned, the Golden Knights were very opportunistic in Game 1, and capitalized on the opportunities they got throughout the game. They were as advertised in this game, being strong defensively and overall frustrating to play against. Colorado did make a late push in Game 1 and showed that they’re capable of hanging with this team, they’ll just need to capitalize the way Vegas did to even this series.
No lineup changes are expected for Vegas, though Mark Stone did make the trip to Colorado but he’s still out indefinitely.
Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner Brandon Saad – Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolessar
After splitting a pair of games at Paycom Center, the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs shift to Frost Bank Center for Game 3 tonight.
Our Thunder vs. Spurs props dive into the best NBA player prop values for Friday, May 22, headlined by Victor Wembanyama.
Game 3 Prop #1: Victor Wembanyama Over 14.5 rebounds
Victor Wembanyama has been unstoppable on the glass since the second round. Not counting the game in which he was ejected, Wemby has averaged 15.6 boards across his last seven contests.
The big man has corralled 15+ rebounds in six of those seven games, including two straight against the Thunder.
The Thunder have thrown Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein at him as primary defenders, but the result has been the same.
Oklahoma City has allowed the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game this postseason, and Wemby has gobbled up 14 of them across his last two outings.
Game 3 Prop #2: Ajay Mitchell Over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists
Jalen Williams re-injured his hamstring in Game 2, and he's questionable tonight. Given his injury history and risk of re-aggravation, it would be surprising if he took the court.
Ajay Mitchell filled in for Jay Dub admirably in the playoffs, starting six straight games. Mitchell’s usage skyrocketed from 15 to 28.3 in six games without Williams, and his PRAs jumped from 16.3 to 30.2 compared to the four games they played together.
Mitchell has the clearest path to picking up Williams’ vacated production, and I expect him to cruise past his PRA total tonight.
Game 3 Prop #3: Chet Holmgren Under 23.5 points + rebounds + assists
Wembanyama has Holmgren’s number, and he’s locked him down all season. Holmgren averaged a career-best 27.7 PRA in the regular season, but that number plummeted to 19.3 in four matchups with Wemby.
Holmgren has been even more limited in the Western Conference Finals, averaging just 17.5 PRA in Games 1 and 2.
Wembanyama ranks in the Top 3 in opponent FG% (39.4), opponent points per game (64.3) and defensive rating (98.8) this postseason. He’s expected to be on Holmgren again tonight, impeding the OKC big man once again.
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Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog lead the Colorado Avalanche in expected goals generated during the playoffs. They are piling up quality chances and plenty stem from Martin Necas' playmaking.
Necas has recorded 10 assists through 10 games. He is serving as the main distributor for his line, and his facilitation skills become more important on the power play with Cale Makar injured.
The Avalanche have a team total of 3.5 that is juiced to the Over, and Necas is a likely candidate to facilitate a goal. Look for him to assist against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2.
Game 2 Prop #2: Brent Burns Over 1.5 shots on goal
Brent Burns is an elite shot-generator and he's being put in prime situations to shoot. Jared Bednar gave Burns more offensive zone starts at 5-on-5 than any other defenseman on the Avalanche in Game 1.
Burns took advantage of the favorable usage, generating six shot attempts and recording a couple of shots on target.
That kind of output is par for the course without star defenseman Makar in the lineup. Burns has averaged 5.8 attempts through eight games without Makar this year, and he has cleared 1.5 shots in seven straight.
Game 2 Prop #3: Nazem Kadri Over 0.5 points
Nazem Kadri's line spent a ton of time on the front foot in the series opener. The Avalanche won the scoring chance battle 12-4 and controlled well over 80% of the expected goal share with Kadri on the ice at full-strength.
Kadri didn't factor into the goal his line scored but he was front and center all night, tying the team-lead in 5-on-5 shots while leading the way in rebounds created.
He also continued to skate on the top power play, giving him exposure to the team's elite forwards like Necas and MacKinnon.
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CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 14: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds runs to second base against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park on May 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By now you are all well aware of the quad issue that plagued Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz during the second half of the 2025 season. He rolled into the All Star Game having already hit 18 homers on the season, sporting a .495 slugging percentage and .854 OPS at the time.
During the season’s second “half,” or the final 65 games after the break, he swatted just 4 bombs, slugged just .363, and sported a meager .666 OPS. Clearly the leg was a problem despite him still playing each and every single day, and that was reflected in the decline in his sprint speed, too.
When he broke in during the 2023 season, he was at 30.5 feet per second – in the 100th percentile.
During his first full season in 2024 (when he swiped an MLB-best 67 bags), he was at 30.0 – once again in the 100th percentile.
During that 2025 season with the quad issue, though, he slipped a bit. He still ranked in the 91st percentile overall, but his speed was down to just 29.1.
The Elly we’ve seen so far in 2026 sure looks like he’s not dealing with any quad issues anymore. He’s hitting .290/.356/.525 (.881 OPS) through 50 games, and he’s already swatted 11 homers. Despite the spike in on-base percentage, he’s not nearly on the same pace when it comes to stealing bags, however – he has just 9 on 13 attempts, perhaps impacted by the fact that so many more of his hits so far this season have been of the extra-base variety than in previous years.
It’s not the decline in steals that jumps off the page to me, however. We know manager Terry Francona is much less inclined to push the issue on the bases than was David Bell, who managed during Elly’s league-best steals season in 2024. What’s puzzling to me is that despite Elly a) being 100% healthy this year, by all reports and b) having dealt with a pretty serious quad injury in 2025, he’s actually slower this year than he was last year.
It’s by a significant amount, too. So far in 2026, he’s averaging just 28.1 feet per second when sprinting, and that’s all the way down to the 74th percentile. That’s slower than Blake Dunn (30.0), Noelvi Marte (28.9), Will Benson (28.7), Matt McLain (28.6), and even Spencer Steer (28.3). Elly, who a blink ago was the fastest, most electric runner in the sport, is now just the 6th fastest player who’s donned a Reds uniform this season.
I’m not at all sure the origins of this decline. Perhaps it’s still just early season noise, and he’s just not had enough opportunities to motor to 1B on a weakly hit grounder on infield, or to try to score from 1B on a ball in play. Perhaps as the summer heat rolls in he’ll unleash a few faster runs and make this somewhat a moot point.
For now, though, it’s hard not to notice that despite still being just 24 years old and, reportedly, fully healthy, he’s slowed down pretty significantly even from his time playing hurt.
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 22: Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro answers questions during a press conference before a MLB game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals on April 22, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals are in midst of an awful streak, having lost 11 of their last 14 games. During the streak, the main culprit has been the offense, as they’ve scored 3.07 runs per game.
Unfortunately, this inability to score runs is also part of a season-long struggle to put together runs. On the year, they are scoring 3.88 runs per game, which ranks 28th out of the 30 Major League Baseball clubs. It is extremely difficult to consistently win baseball games when you can’t score, which is reflected in the Royals’ record of 20-30.
A particularly frustrating aspect of the Royals offense has been the baserunning. They have the fourth-lowest stolen base success rate in the league. They have made the fourth-most non-stolen base outs in the league. Overall, the Royals make outs on the bases at the third highest rate in the whole league.
On Tuesday, I was covering the game as a credentialed reporter. It was not a good contest, as the Royals were blown out by the Boston Red Sox. And, somewhat unsurprisingly, Kansas City made a pair of outs on the bases and once again struggled to score. At the end of every game, there is a postgame press conference with manager Matt Quatraro down in the media room outside the Royals clubhouse, and the bad offense and odorous baserunning would surely be topics of discussion.
They were. I recorded the interview, and I have some thoughts. Below is a majority of the interview that Q gave. Everything below is in sequential order, but I will note when I skipped a portion of the interview and what was talked about just for context.
After an initial inquiry about the pitching, we get to the first question about the offense.
Anne Rogers, MLB.com: Offensively you get the run in the first, but what kind of adjustments did they make with Suarez and then the bullpen shut you guys down later?
Quatraro: I thought our bats against Suarez were good. I mean, he was at 70-something pitches after four innings. I mean, the guys didn’t expand with him. They laid off some tough pitches. Obviously he puts the ball on the ground. That’s what he does really well. But as far as the competitiveness of those at bats and what the guys got him out of there in the fifth inning, it was working pretty good.
Immediately afterwards, we get into a lengthy discussion about baserunning:
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star: Can you take us through just some of the base running today, particularly Maikel Garcia in the fifth inning and then Lane Thomas later in the game?
Quatraro: Yeah. Well, I mean, start with Lane in the first inning, the hustle double getting to second base, setting up a second and third situation there. So that was a positive from him going hard out of the box. He’s got a green light to steal and in a situation where obviously we’re struggling to score runs, that’s a split second from being him standing up on third. The guy held the ball a split second longer and got us. So that was a tough break there. And Maikel reads the high throw out of the guy’s hand, he launched the throw and the catcher did a good job of throwing him out at second.
Rogers: Just to be clear, you do like that aggressiveness from Garcia going to second?
Quatraro: Yeah. When you read a throw like that, I mean that’s what everybody’s taught to do. You read that throw launch out of his hand like that, you go.
Rogers: I think metrically that you guys grade out pretty well baserunning this year in terms of extra bases taken and some of the stolen bases, but do you feel like those, I don’t know if you’d call those two mistakes tonight. Do you feel like they’re magnified more when you’re not scoring?
Quatraro: Sure. And at the same time you have to try to create some things when you’re struggling to score a run. So with every opportunity there’s also a chance to be thrown out and it feels bad when it doesn’t work out. But at the same time, like I said, like you accentuate the one in the first inning if we come through there and put up a crooked number or maybe the game has a totally different complexion. But yeah, I’m not going to sit here and tell you it doesn’t hurt when it doesn’t work out your way. But at the same time, if you’re trying to be aggressive and make some things, create some opportunities for yourselves on the bases, you got to do that.
Kurtis Seaboldt, 810 Sports: From a philosophical standpoint, can you be too aggressive on the base paths? What would that be?
Quatraro: Yeah, sure. I mean, if you’re just running without any regard for the game situation and those kinds of things, but yeah, for sure.
After some questions about the defense, the umpire review, and some more pitching, we got back to the offense.
Rogers: Just offensively, I know you guys are searching for answers searching for consistency. Where do you think that lies in terms of: Is it approach? Is it the mentality? Is it the personnel? I mean, where do you feel like the answer could be?
Quatraro: Well, I don’t know if there’s one answer. I think the mentality is good. I mean these guys are preparing, their execution, thoughts about the game plan and the approach are really solid. They’re competitive. These guys are between every at bat trying to make adjustments. Unfortunately it hasn’t stacked together. For 10 days, two weeks we were trending pretty good there offensively and then this last week’s been rougher and it’s been a grind, but I mean these guys are good players and with the ability to bounce back and that’s what we’re counting on.
Seaboldt: You’re around the major league average in almost every offensive category with the exception of runs scored. Is that a situation where if those other numbers stay there, the runs will eventually come. It really seems like it’s something you really can’t address.
Quatraro: Yeah. I mean I’m glad you brought that up because yeah, we look at that stuff all the time and even the underlying numbers as far as hard hit and those kinds of things, they are there and it’s just a matter of—I hate saying that just because it’s not that easy, but you know, cashing in some of those opportunities, we talk about that a lot in here, right? You got to give yourself the opportunity first and then you have to figure out how to put that best at bat together when you have it.
And finally, not pleased with Quatraro’s answers so far and wanting to push for a real answer, I asked again about the baserunning at the end of the presser.
Matt LaMar, Royals Review: You mentioned the hustle double earlier. A large part of the attitude of the team is aggression, but the Royals are third in the league in total outs on the bases this year. How do you sort of reconcile with ‘we want to be aggressive’ versus ‘we’re making a lot of outs on the base paths when maybe we don’t have to?’
Quatraro: Yeah. I mean, again, I think not all of those are going to be equal, right? Because some of them are talking about stolen base opportunities. Some of them are talking about things like tonight where the aggressiveness is warranted and some of them were much earlier in the season as well. We need to create opportunities. So we have to try to do things like that because we’re not hitting a bunch of homers. Our offense has to be predicated on some of the aggressiveness on the bases and sometimes you’re going to make those outs.
Thoughts on the interview
The Royals have played poorly all year. They are objectively a poor offense and were an objectively a poor offense last year, when their 4.02 runs per game ranked 26th in MLB. They have objectively ran into a high rate of outs on the basepaths. Their run differential lines up with their actual win-loss record. And they’ve done this while the vast majority of the team has stayed healthy.
All of this is important context, because there is a big underlying question here: why are the Royals bad? What is their plan to improve it? And what do they think about all of this? These are, ultimately, the queries that Quatraro—and by extension the front office, who are in lockstep with Quatraro on important decisions—was posed on Tuesday.
And I don’t know about you, but I get a distinct vibe from Q’s answers, and that vibe is “Yeah, bad things are happening to the Royals in these games, but it’ll all turn around eventually.” This is an extraordinarily frustrating position for the team to take because it feels like an abdication of responsibility. Nowhere in the press conference did Quatraro say that something was a mistake or that the Royals players or coaching need to do better.
From a baserunning perspective, this is clearest in his talk of aggression—that the Royals need to be aggressive and that outs on the bases just happen when you’re aggressive. When I specifically mentioned that the Royals have the third most outs made on the bases, Q brushed it off because “not all of those are going to be equal” and “sometimes you’re going to make those outs.” And from a batting perspective, Q lauded the team’s mentality, preparation, and execution.
But something just doesn’t add up. Bad teams don’t become bad on accident, and yet it feels like the Royals aren’t really convinced that they’re even bad at the things they’re bad at. It would be very, very easy for Quatraro to say something like this about the baserunning: “We want to stay aggressive. It’s part of our identity. But we need to be better at execution.” It’s easy to say about the offense: “Our underlying metrics look good, but at some point you have to perform and we didn’t do that.”
There just seems to be a huge disconnect going on between what the Royals see themselves as and what they are. I worry that the organization operates with too much faith in its own process and too much fear in making a change. Would moving Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen into the top four spots in the lineup really move the needle? Maybe, maybe not. Would firing Matt Quatraro or Alec Zumwalt really result in better coaching or preparation? Maybe, maybe not. But you’re rapidly approaching the point where the risk for an awful lot of moves is vastly outweighed by the potential reward, and the worst thing the Royals can do right now is nothing.
PORTLAND, ME - SEPTEMBER 05: Blake Wehunt #37 of the Portland Sea Dogs pitches during the game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on Friday, September 5, 2025 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Ella Hannaford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Woo Sox used up all of their firepower in the first inning on Thursday night against the Red Wings (WAS). Anthony Siegler’s three-run double, and Allan Castro’s RBI single gave Worcester a 4-0 lead after one, before Rochester got the final nine runs.
Primarily a reliever, Jacob Webb got the start, allowing three runs in 2 ⅔ innings. The loss went to Devin Sweet, who gave up the go-ahead run in the fourth inning.
Castro and Tsung-Che Cheng had two hits for the Woo Sox, with Braiden Ward picking up his 23rd stolen base of the season.
Not sure in how much detail you may have looked at that box score, but yes that says 20 strikeouts in total underneath the Sea Dogs pitchers on Thursday. They were not playing a high school team, this was the double-A team from Reading (PHI), which has the same number of wins as Portland so far this season.
Blake Wehunt got things going by throwing five innings and getting the win, while striking out 11 batters. He did so in a nice and tidy 69 pitches, which seems mathematically impossible. Patrick Halligan was in relief of Wehunt, with all six of his outs retired coming via the strikeout. Cooper Adams got the save, striking out three more in two innings.
Though the Sea Dogs only had four hits in the victory, three of those came from shortstop Marvin Alcantara. Their lone run came in the bottom of the third, on a Nate Baez RBI groundout.
Each of the other two levels was postponed on Thursday, due to rain.
Greenville at Frederick will play a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 ET on Friday. Devin Futrell (2-0, 4.35 ERA) will throw the first game for the Drive.
Salem at Hill City will also play a Friday doubleheader, kicking off at 4:00. Leighton Finley (2-1, 4.05) gets the ball in game one for the RidgeYaks.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We anticipated an epic clash of titans before the Western Conference Finals even began, and we’re getting it after two intense battles in OKC between the Spurs and Thunder. Mark Daigneault made some impressive moves to change things up in Game 2 after the Spurs stole Game 1, and now the series comes to San Antonio all tied up but with injury questions lingering for both squads. With that, I continue Fraternizing with the Enemy, in this round Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder, as we discuss what those chess moves were and what we can expect in Game 3.
As a reminder, this round is in honor of the late great J.A. Sherman: friend and former manager of Welcome to Loud City, who passed away last year at the age of 49.
J.R.
It’s never been a stretch to call playoff basketball a chess match. (I’ll bet someone made the comparison as far back as the 60’s.) But if it’s largely true, then it’ll be specifically true for any series. If it’s definitely true, then it’ll be phenomenally true for a series that conventional wisdom said would be epic before it even began. So let’s look at the chess moves made by the coaches and the players Wednesday night.
In order to fully evaluate a game of chess, you have to understand the context in which it was played. Same with basketball, so the place setting for Game 2 includes a quick cap of Game 1. The Spurs didn’t play particularly well with tons of turnovers and poor shooting but OKC shot well from deep. SA dominated the glass and got 10 more free throws. Chapagnie, Vassell, Harper, and Castle shot 8-33 from 3pt and the Spurs still won. SGA had what could be expected to be his worst game of the series; San Antonio turned the ball over a ton and hemorrhaged transition points, but won anyway, which set up round two in Oklahoma.
The biggest move from Game 1 to Game 2 was MD’s decision to place one of his knights, Hartenstein, on the opposition’s queen, Wemby, with the instructions that no holds are barred. This was the biggest move of the game and all others pale by comparison. Freed from having to defend the pivot, the other knight, Caruso, was a terror all over the court. Knights move oddly, show up where they’re not expected, and are difficult to nail down. The incisive use of Thunder’s supplemental pieces tilted the game their way.
But the match wasn’t decided. The rooks were in play, and they were making themselves felt when one was taken out from each side. JDub and Harper left the game with injuries and without being able to expect either’s return, the series will likely not be the same. Without a major piece to support his most powerful piece, Daigneault leaned on SGA, his most powerful piece, and was not disappointed.
What did you see as the second match went to the home team, and what do you expect from match number three?
Cray:
I love the chess analogy, but I’d call Game 2 closer to a round of “Chesskers: We Gave the Checkers a Pieces a Gun” (yes, that’s a real game). Hartenstein didn’t just provide more physicality against Wemby; he applied all his might to block, hold, lane screen, pull, smack, pin, and spend as many hard playoff fouls as the refs afforded him. That he hit some pretty moonball floaters over Wemby’s umbilicals made him look a little more like a chess piece at times. That Daigneault didn’t just use his championship starting center to guard the tallest starting center in the NBA *at all* for Game 1 made the adjustment less brilliant.
And who better to fill in for both Spurs Rooks than San Antonio’s Castle? Well, Stephon Castle is more of a gunslinger than a finesse piece. The guy is powerful, applying enough brute force and speed to keep Shai from breaking into space, and yamming all over Hartenstein for one of the fiercest dunks of the season (iHart’s hair pull on Castle, if even 1% accidentally-on-purpose, was the furthest thing from a power move). Castle can sling lethal passes to the corners and lob grenades for Wemby to detonate from the highest rung of the ladder, but he can’t keep a live dribble or make clean passes against the Thunder pack of defenders for the duration of the game. Now averaging 10 turnovers in the series, Castle is being tasked with work that De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper have been underappreciated for.
In the 18 minutes Castle shared the court with Harper, the Spurs were +6. In his other 20 minutes, they were -17. When Caruso and Cason Wallace smell blood, ball handlers are never safe.
If Williams is out, Daigneault won’t even have the Mighty Mouse in the House option outside of Alex Caruso’s minutes. I expect the Spurs to find ways to get Wemby back on the prowl, and/or for different officiating crews to blow the whistle more. Wembanyama earned about 7 fewer free throws per-36 than normal, and SGA was down about 4 attempts per-36. I also expect San Antonio to get a needed boost of energy from their home crowd after such a demanding open to the series. They have to be tired. Shoot, I’m tired just watching.
Both teams seem poised to maintain sky-high intensity all series, but now it’s OKC’s turn to try and keep their oomph for 48 minutes on the road. They’ll need another night of steady shotmaking to steal the first in San Antonio, and not just from Shai. And as fluid and effective as the Spurs have been flying around on defense, they haven’t generated many of the live ball turnovers that can power huge runs and overwhelm the opponent.
Get ready for the weekend with a trio of NRFI/YRFI bets for Friday, May 22!
My top MLB picks call for a low-scoring first frame between the Cleveland Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies, with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels also blanking the first inning to wrap up my betting card.
Williams has held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average while tossing a scoreless first inning in seven of 10 starts, and it’s been a similar story for Sanchez. The southpaw has pitched a scoreless first in eight of 10 starts with a 2.70 ERA.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSP, CLEG
Mariners at Royals: NRFI (-121)
The Kansas City Royals have scored in the opening inning in just 24% of their games, tied for sixth-lowest in the majors.
Although Seattle Mariners starter Logan Gilbert has been hit for a 1.045 OPS in the first inning, he posted a .645 mark in 2025, making this a great spot for the righty to flip the early script.
Seattle also ranks 29th in wOBA against left-handed starters, and Royals southpaw Noah Cameron has fired a scoreless first inning in six of eight starts.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ROYL, SEAM
Team at Team: Rangers at Angels: NRFI (-127)
While it might be asking a lot to back Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers have scored in the first inning at the eighth-lowest rate in baseball this season. Rodriguez also held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless in the first inning in his season debut last time out.
Rangers righty Jacob deGrom is also due for some statistical correction in the opening frame. He’s allowed four first-inning home runs with a 1.010 OPS, but considering he’s surrendered just 10 total homers and a .625 OPS overall, those early struggles should start to subside.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ABTV, CW33
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
NRFI/YRFI picks: 6-10, -4.27 units
What is a NRFI bet?
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 21: Josh Hart #3 reacts after scoring a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of the New York Knicks in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night the five-man lineup that’s caught more flack than any in the NBA for two years led the New York Knicks to a 109-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 2-0 lead in the conference finals and their ninth straight playoff win. For a little more than half the game, neither team led by double-digits; for the last 20 or so, the Knicks did almost entirely. In the process, they’ve presented their opponents with an all-new kind of nightmare.
Three years ago, the Cavs were eliminated in five games by the Knicks. Two years ago, it was 4-1 Celtics. Last year the gentleman’s sweep came courtesy of the Pacers. Now the only double-apron payroll in all the land — whose all-in move was trading a quicksilver 26-year-old All-Star point guard (albeit once in the past four years) for a molasses-legged 37-year-old All-Star point guard (albeit once in the past four years) — are in danger of being swept in a decidedly un-gentlemanly manner by a Knick team that marries the traits of Cleveland’s past three conquistadors.
You wouldn’t know off of last night, when no Knick starter played fewer than 32 minutes and Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell were the only Cavs to play more, but the Knicks are the deeper team. Their much-maligned starting five are the superior quintet. Jalen Brunson’s better than Mitchell. Karl-Anthony Towns clears Evan Mobley. James Harden is a first-ballot HOFer, but in 2026 OG Anunoby is the better player. I’d grant you Jarrett Allen may have done more over 82 games for his team than Mikal Bridges did for his, but in the playoffs Bridges has played like he’s worth 10 draft picks. And while Dean Wade looks better with a mustache-less beard than most, Josh Hart looks better doing everything else.
Two years ago New York were down to three healthy players and a couple assistant coaches by Game 7 against Indiana. Last year the Knicks ran seven-deep. This series, 10 Knicks have played in both games for a total 14-plus minutes, to just eight Cavs. If that doesn’t seem like much of a difference, multiply it by two or three, depending how long this series goes. Then square it by this: since April Fool’s Day, the Knicks have played 17 games and flown three times, all to Atlanta; the Cavs have played 22 (including two Game 7s) and flown nine times. It adds up.
In 2025 the Cavs ran into a Celtic squad on its way to the title. That Boston team featured a five-out offense, with each starter a two-way player. The only answer to that kind of firepower is to feature a five-out offense with five two-way players yourself, but that ain’t easy; if it were, the Mavs would’ve already tried and failed to re-invent it.
Hart’s growth as a shooter, crystallized by last night’s John Starks-like explosion from deep, plus the presence of shooters like Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson — all two-way players — means the Knicks can play five-out whenever they want. The only time they don’t is when Mitchell Robinson is gobbling 50% of the available offensive rebounds. Pick your poison. Either way, the Cavs look sick.
The 2023 Knicks were just plain tougher than the 2023 “Lights Too Bright” Cavaliers. Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert — those are total sweeties. Meanwhile those Knicks featured the sinister, sinewy musculature of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, plus granite block Isaiah Hartenstein. If you landed from the planet Xylar at the start of that series and just looked at the Earthlings for each squadron, you’d know who was gonna win.
And that, beyond Brunson’s brilliance and Hart’s heroics and KAT contorting the very question of what is and isn’t possible for an NBA offense, is the subatomica powering the Knicks to their 2-0 lead: their power.
In one of the few moments last night when the fourth-quarter lead was double to single-digits, and the game was a Cav three away from squeaky-bum time, OG Anunoby went baseline and got to the basket and just powered the ball through the hoop. It wasn’t a dunk. Wasn’t a lay-up or a floater. It was just literally like when three little kids are all giggling and hanging on their dad’s arm, trying to hold it down, and he just pulls whatever strength he needs from whatever reservoir he has and raises it. The arm doesn’t flow with the grace of its usual freedom, nor struggle or tremble beneath the added weight. It is simply what is going to be, visibly being.
These Knicks are big and strong and good. All of them. Brunson is a power point. Hart’s a 4 that’s tough enough to play 5 in the body of a 2. KAT is big and brilliant and beautiful. This playoff offense has spawned some interesting new species. Por ejemplo: what is this feeling when the ball moves around and Towns of all people is wiiiiide-open? When Towns-as-shooter is an afterthought, given how good he and his teammates look with him doing more with less?
Could there be any sweeter justice from the basketball gods than Towns becoming a superior version of his envious troll, Draymond Green: a brilliant passing big and face-up fulcrum, plus he can actually shoot? And work out of the post?
Donovan Mitchell moved for much of the game like something isn’t 100%. He refuses to confirm that, as you’d expect from anyone in his position. During the game, Kenny Atkinson confirmed to ESPN — during the game! — that he, the coach of the Cavaliers, the team Mitchell plays for, agreed that Mitchell looked off.
WHAT?!
How is that real??
Quoth DWilTheKnicksfan: “Finish strong.” The Knicks continue to play strong. They put the Hawks to the sword the first chance they got, and Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia were your classic no-rope, no-hope one-two. The Cavs are going to play their best* game of the season tomorrow. Elimination games are almost always the hardest to win, but trying to go up 3-0 is often the same energy.
In my lifetime the Knicks have taken 2-0 leads in the ECF twice. In 1993 they followed that up with four straights Ls. In 1994 they lost the next three, before rallying to win the last two. Normally I’d say this time I’ll settle for a split, but today I wouldn’t.
I don’t think that does these Knicks enough credit. They can finish this in four, both because they are in fact that good, and because these Cavaliers do not exactly have a 2004 Red Sox vibe to them.
The Knicks have learned what works the past few seasons and now represent the best of what the East has been. If they can finish the Cavaliers off sooner than later, they can rest before pitting their best against the West’s.
Victor Wembanyama
Ajay Mitchell
Martin Necas
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