NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2026-06-08 11:04:29
On This Day In 1997: Red Wings Win First Stanley Cup In 42 Years
It was on this day in 1997 that the collective euphoria of the first Stanley Cup victory in 42 years washed over the city of Detroit in a sea of confetti and champagne.
Boosted by goals from Nicklas Lidstrom and Darren McCarty, the Detroit Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers four games to none, capturing the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1955.
Goaltender Mike Vernon, who had won the Stanley Cup earlier in his career with the Calgary Flames, caught a leaping Steve Yzerman in his arms as the final horn sounded at Joe Louis Arena, sparking a celebration that everyone in attendance would remember for the rest of their lives.
Vernon would be named the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Yzerman soon received the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
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As Yzerman lifted the Cup into the air for the first time, the collective weight of over four decades of frustration melted away.
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Rising star rewarded for eye-catching cameo as Aussie stars drop out of ODI squad
Victorian trio Todd Murphy, Ollie Peake and Matt Short have been added to Australia’s squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh starting Tuesday as Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were ruled out of the three-match series.
Flyers Star Ranked Among NHL's Best Pending RFAs
Adam Proteau recently ranked the top 10 pending restricted free agents in the NHL for the 2026 NHL Off-Season. Philadelphia Flyers star forward Trevor Zegras made the cut, as he was given the No. 7 spot by Proteau.
When looking at the season Zegras just put together for the Flyers, it is certainly fair that he has been named one of the top pending RFAs by The Hockey News. The 25-year-old not only bounced back during his first season as a Flyer but together the best campaign of his career so far. In 81 games this season with the Flyers, he set career highs with 26 goals and 67 points.
With how well Zegras played this season for the Flyers, there is no question that he has set himself up for a nice raise for his next contract. Given how perfectly he has fit into the Flyers' system, he is a player that Philadelphia should be looking to lock up on a long-term deal as well.
It is going to be interesting to see what kind of contract Zegras gets from the Flyers. Getting him re-signed is easily one of the Flyers' most important tasks of the off-season.
Nelly Korda wins US Open ahead of Charley Hull to claim second consecutive major
American survives close putt on final hole
Korda claims $2.5m first prize for victory
England’s Hull misses out on first major title
Nelly Korda won the US Women’s Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot when her final putt curled perilously around the cup and dropped in.
Korda’s first US Open win is the fourth major victory of her career, and she claimed it with a steady two-under 69 in the final round – but only after her second putt on the 18th green – from a little over 2ft – caught the edge and toured half the circumference of the hole before falling.
Continue reading...Landry Shamet an unsung hero who can't be ignored in Knicks' incredible postseason run
It takes 12 players, multiple coaches, a medical staff, front office and much more to win a championship, but to the general public, most of the credit falls on the big stars. For the Knicks, now two wins away from their first chip in over half a century, that’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but their roster of unsung heroes runs much longer.
One player who can’t be ignored is Landry Shamet -- now on his second consecutive veteran's minimum deal, Shamet's been a major part of their run to the championship, despite the bumps and bruises on the way.
Last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in preseason and agreed to rehab in the G-League before rejoining the team midseason. While he returned to action, he fell out of the rotation when the playoffs rolled around, until the Knicks desperately turned to him facing elimination in the Conference Finals.
He provided a nice spark, but New York had limited roster spots going into 2025-26, and he had to compete for another minimum deal. Shamet made the cut, but this year began to look like Déjà vu.
Shamet suffered another shoulder injury early this season, sidelining him for a third of it. He’d come back again, but wasn’t a major rotation piece early in the postseason.
Things turned around in New York’s second round, when Shamet popped for 15 and 12 points in Games 3 and 4 on the road in Philadelphia. His performance helped close out the Sixers, as he shot 6-of-9 from three in the two contests.
But the real magic came in Game 1 of the Conference Finals. With Josh Hart struggling down 22 and just seven minutes to play, head coach Mike Brown subbed in Shamet with the starters for spacing, and the Knicks rolled.
Shamet hit some of the biggest threes of the season: one to cut the lead to 17, another that bounced in with under a minute to play that tied the game, and finally the clincher in overtime. He finished with just these nine points, but they were crucial to one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Playoffs history.
He followed up with another pair of big road games, scoring 14 in Game 3 and 16 in Game 4, contributing to another dominant sweep. He finished the Conference Finals shooting a stellar 11-of-12 from downtown.
If these performances weren’t enough to cement his legacy in this playoff run, his early start to the Finals might put #44 in the rafters. Shamet’s been a big boost off the bench in a series Brunson’s struggled and the Knicks haven’t played to their best offensively as a team.
Shamet scored 13 in Game 1 on 3-of-6 shooting from three, and another 13 on 3-of-7 three-point attempts in Game 2, as the Knicks won two tough road games to take control of the championship round.
Throughout his appearances, he’s defended hard and attacked the mid-range and paint to keep defenses honest.
It’s no exaggeration that the Knicks wouldn’t be in this spot without Shamet’s contributions. Miles McBride is averaging under seven points this postseason and Jordan Clarkson slowly fell out of the rotation as the competition stiffened.
With limited offensive help from the pine, Shamet’s been a major lift, providing double-digit scoring in single-digit victories. All on a prove-it contract that’s likely to now be aggressively outbid in the summer.
The Knicks are still two wins away from their ultimate goal, and Shamet will need to continue his pace to secure them. If that happens, he goes from heartwarming story to local legend, and no matter where he ends up, New York fans will be eternally, deservingly grateful.
‘Not good enough’: Stokes slams Lord’s farce as England great calls for ‘radical option’
England captain Ben Stokes said the Lord’s pitch was “not ideal” for Test cricket after his side thrashed New Zealand by 115 runs on Sunday.
Mets’ Francisco Alvarez reaches twice, Tobias Myers takes home win with Triple-A Syracuse
Francisco Alvarez was back behind the plate as he continued his minor league rehab assignment on Sunday afternoon with Triple-A Syracuse.
The 24-year-old backstop enjoyed himself a much-needed strong day with the bat after going hitless in each of his last two appearances with the team.
Alvarez was retired his first two times up, but then drew walk before being stranded in scoring position.
He then ripped a third-pitch fastball right back up the middle in the top of the eighth, and came in to score a few batters later on a Matt Rudick homer.
Before that, Syracuse regained the lead on a Ryan Clifford RBI sacrifice bunt.
Alvarez finished 1-for-3 with a walk, and caught a runner too far off first on a back-pick.
The Mets don’t have an exact day for his return, but as long as things continue progressing as planned, he could be back in the lineup at some point during the upcoming six-game homestand.
On the mound for Syracuse, prospect Zach Thornton delivered a bounceback performance, allowing just two walks and walk hits while striking out five over five scoreless innings.
Tobias Myers followed that by only giving up an unearned run while striking out one over two innings of work in his second appearance following his demotion from the Mets.
Dylan Ross was called upon to get the final out after Syracuse ran into trouble in the ninth, and he allowed an RBI double and two walks before striking out George Lombard Jr. to end the game.
Ross took home his first save, but he’s now issued 16 walks over 18 outings this season.
Elton Brand out as GM, Jameer Nelson promoted in 76ers shakeup
Former NBA guard Jameer Nelson is taking on a significantly larger role within the 76ers organization following a dramatic front-office shakeup.
With Daryl Morey no longer the team president, the 76ers have also removed Elton Brand from his role as general manager — a position he held since September 2018.
Taking his place will be Nelson, the Philadelphia native and former NBA All-Star who has been the team’s assistant general manager since May 2025 and has been in the team’s front office since 2020.
Nelson will work under Mike Gansey, the newly hired president of basketball operations.
The changes for Philadelphia follow yet another disappointing postseason exit, as Philadelphia’s hopes of a deep run ended, once again, in the second round of the playoffs.
Coming off the high of a seven-game series win against the Celtics, which included three straight victories to end the first round, the 76ers were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Nelson has steadily climbed the organizational ladder since transitioning from his playing career.
The former Magic star has worked in player development, scouting and executive roles, leading to his promotion to the general manager seat.
His promotion signals a new direction for a team attempting to regroup after another second-round exit.
The 76ers haven’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, and since becoming a perennial playoff team again, they’ve been eliminated in the second round in six of their last nine seasons.
Philadelphia enters the offseason with major roster questions, too.
Joel Embiid, 32, is going to make a combined $120 million for the next two seasons, with a $67 million player option in 2028-29.
Paul George, 36, will enter the third year of a four-year deal, earning $54 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.
Tyrese Maxey, 25, has three years remaining and will make over $40 million next season.
The 76ers, who own the No. 22 pick in the draft, will also have free agency decisions to make on Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre.
With this hiring, Nelson now becomes one of the most influential figures in shaping Philadelphia’s future.
Before enjoying a successful NBA playing career, Nelson starred at Saint Joseph’s University, where he became one of the most accomplished players in program history.
After being the No. 20 pick in the 2004 draft, Nelson played with the Magic for 10 seasons, and starred on the 2008-09 team, which reached the NBA Finals and lost to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant’s first ring post Shaquille O’Neal.
Nelson, an All-Star that season, averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 89 percent on free throws.
He retired following the 2018 season after stints with the Nuggets, Pelicans, Celtics, Pistons and Mavericks.
Carson Benge’s five-hit day another sign of the ‘special player’ he can be
Carson Benge just continues to progress at the big-league level.
The youngster has settled in nicely after a bit of a slow start to his career, and Sunday was easily one of his most impressive showings to this point.
Benge led the way for the Mets’ offense, becoming the third-youngster player in franchise history to enjoy a 5-for-5 day in a series-finale win over the Padres.
He’s also the first Mets rookie to reach that mark since Pete Alonso in 2019.
“Pretty impressive, it was really cool to see,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball -- he set the tone for us and it was a good team win.”
The 23-year-old certainly set the tone, lining the fourth pitch of the game right back up the middle before coming in with the opening run just two batters later.
Benge also singled leading off the top of the third, then again to open the fifth, with the second sparking another rally which chased Vásquez from the ballgame.
The damage wasn’t done there, as Benge lifted a homer in a left-on-left matchup in the sixth then ripped an RBI triple down the right-field line with two outs in the top of the eighth.
Benge scored three runs, drove in two, and finished just a double shy of the cycle.
“Today was definitely nice,” the slugger said. “It’s always nice to get two hits let-alone five, so being able to do that today was definitely pretty special.”
With the Mets’ offense extremely shorthanded Benge has slid seamlessly into the leadoff spot, hitting an impressive .316 with five homers and 20 RBI since the beginning of May.
“I’m not surprised,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen the type of player and the talent and just the things he can do on a baseball field -- he’s settling in, is comfortable, and is just going out and playing his game.
“We’re going to see a lot of games like that moving forward where he’s just totally locked in and he's doing a lot of things to help us win baseball games -- he’s just a special player.”
With NBA Finals shifting to New York, can Spurs slow Knicks' roll to the title?
Through two games, the New York Knicks have been clearly the better team in the NBA Finals. They have the best player in the series so far in Karl-Anthony Towns, the most clutch player in Jalen Brunson, and they have been the better defensive team.
Now those Knicks — winners of 13 playoff games in a row — head home to what will be a frenzied Madison Square Garden and home fans desperate for the team's first title in 53 years — even President Donald Trump will be in attendance.
"The Garden is going to be rocking," Josh Hart said of the atmosphere. "Obviously, in this city, we love our Knicks. So we're going to come out, show love, support. The energy is going to be electric."
What do the Spurs need to do to turn this series around and stop it from becoming a Knicks coronation?
"Resilience," De'Aaron Fox said. "Obviously, losing two games at home is never ideal, but we have to be able to let those two games go and look forward, look ahead toward the game that's in front of us."
The Spurs need a few other things, too.
More De’Aaron Fox
While the Knicks have knocked the entire Spurs offense off balance, San Antonio has looked better with Fox running the show and less Stephon Castle. While Castle is an impressive young player, he has struggled in the Finals to finish at the rim or in the paint and has committed some sloppy turnovers. Take a look at his shot chart.
Fox isn't exactly lighting the world on fire — 44% shooting overall and 33% from 3-point range the past two games — but the Spurs are +2 in his minutes through two games and -15 in Castle's minutes. Coach Mitch Johnson needs to lean more on the Fox-Dylan Harper backcourt.
Finish possessions
San Antonio's defense has done its job and held the Knicks in check — New York has a 106.6 offensive rating through two games, which is almost 10 below their regular season average and more than 20 below their playoff average coming into this series. Or, look at it this way, 106.6 would have been the worst offense in the league during the regular season by more than two points per 100 possessions.
However, the Spurs are even worse with a 101 offensive rating. What has happened to San Antonio's offense in this series?
"I think that's probably been, if there's a thematic thing, the biggest thing is we've put in some good, hard work at times, and have not taken advantage of that hard work," Johnson said. "That's been partially some undisciplined things of us, partially also New York has stepped up and made some plays at the end of the clock and finished out possessions."
Victor Wembanyama echoed that point.
"We need to capitalize, actually use all the efforts we did," Wembanyama said. "It felt like we did a lot, we did a lot of things wrong, but we also were relentless and kept pushing, but kind of like wasted that effort. Even though I know it's not wasted because our lessons are learned, I know we're not going to make the mistakes of the past again, but in a moment like this we need to make these things matter."
Jalen Brunson in the clutch
While the Spurs have struggled at the end of games and possessions, that's where the Knicks have thrived, with a composure they have earned the past couple of seasons.
"Us staying composed helped us win that game," Jalen Brunson said about Game 2. "We do need to be able to finish the game better. Unacceptable the way we just obviously just let that 14-point lead go the way we did."
One of the things San Antonio has done well in these Finals is make things difficult for Brunson, who is shooting just 33.9% through two games. But while Brunson has struggled overall in the Finals against the Spurs' defense, when it's gotten into crunch time, he has finished plays.
"I mean, you watch him, he has some of the best footwork in the game. Obviously, he's a tough shot-maker. He can really shoot the ball. He's strong," Fox said of Brunson. "Talk about his size, yeah, he's not tall, but he's strong and he knows how to get to his spots. He plays angles well.
"But we've done, I think, a good job on him through the course of the game, but he's made big shots. He's been a Clutch Player of the Year, obviously. Probably the biggest reason why they're here. But we have to continue to try to make it tough on him, and I think we're doing a pretty good job at that. He's played well despite that."
If the Spurs are going to give themselves a chance in this series, they need to be the clutch team — and find a way to limit Brunson in those moments.
That's a big ask for a game in Madison Square Garden.
6/7 Gamethread: Giants @ Cubs
It’s series finale time, and it’s getaway day … in the evening? Odd. Yes, the scheduling deities have blessed the San Francisco Giants by placing their 10th of 13 straight games in the evening, ahead of a flight back to the Bay Area. So it goes.
Taking the mound for the Giants is right-hander Trevor McDonald, who makes his seventh start of the season. The 25-year old is 2-3 on the year, with a 4.50 ERA, a 3.66 FIP, and 31 strikeouts to nine walks in 34 innings. In his last start, McDonald, who is trying to hang onto a rotation spot that he’s halfway through stealing from Tyler Mahle, gave up three runs in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Pitching for the Chicago Cubs is veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon. The 34-year old, who is in his fourth season with the Cubs, has made 12 starts this year, and is 2-5 with a 5.13 ERA, a 6.33 FIP, and 57 strikeouts to 21 walks in 66.2 innings. He’s also allowed an MLB-worst 20 home runs, which opens the door for a Giants team that has been putting the ball over the fence a lot lately. In Taillon’s last start, he gave up two runs in 6.1 innings against the Athletics.
Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Giants!
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Game #66
Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
When: 5:30 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: n/a
National broadcast: NBC and Peacock
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
Dodgers blown out by Angels in unplanned bullpen game
Emmet Sheehan’s failure to complete the second inning Sunday resulted in an unexpected bullpen game for the Dodgers, who were forced to use six relievers in a 13-5 loss to the Angels.
Talk about an unpleasant surprise.
Outside of a game last season in which he was used as an opener, the start was the shortest in the career of the 26-year-old Sheehan.
Pitching against the worst team in baseball, Sheehan lasted only 1 ⅓ innings.
Sheehan’s implosion came after spectacular performances by Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first two games of the series.
Sasaki pitched seven scoreless innings Friday. Yamamoto held the Angels to one run over eight innings Saturday.
There were no such heroics for Sheehan.
With one out in the second inning, he gave up a single to Jo Adell, which was followed by walks to Nick Madrigal and Jose Siri. A two-run single by Sebastian Rivero resulted in Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removing Sheehan, who had thrown 36 pitches in the inning, including 15 to Madrigal.
Blake Treinen gave up two runs in the fourth inning, and Alex Vesia was charged with two in the fifth to put the Dodgers at a 6-1 deficit.
But for however briefly, the Dodgers made a game of it, as back-to-back homers by Dalton Rushing and Ryan Ward in the bottom of the sixth reduced the deficit to 6-5.
The Angels blew open the game in the next inning.
Jonathan Hernandez had a nightmare of a seventh inning, giving up six runs on a walk and five hits, including home runs by Adell and Zach Neto.
What it means
The Dodgers have won six of their last seven series, and they split the other. They are 16-6 over that span.
On May 13, they trailed the Padres by a half-game, but they now have a commanding lead over the Padres and Diamondbacks in the National League West.
Who’s hot
Rushing matched his career high in hits with a 4-for-4 performance that included a three-run home run and double.
Rushing is now 7-for-14 in his last four games.
Freddie Freeman also maintained his steady form.
In the three games against the Angels, Freeman was 5-for-10, including 2-for-5 in the series finale.
Freeman’s third-inning single contributed to the Dodgers’ first run, as it advanced Shohei Ohtani to third base and positioned the two-way player to score on a dribbler by Kyle Tucker.
Freeman has hit well over the last couple of weeks, batting .362 over his last 12 games.
Who’s not
Will Smith didn’t make his anticipated return to the lineup after being held out Saturday night with a stiff neck. Rushing started at catcher for the second consecutive game.
Up next
The Dodgers have a day off Monday. They resume play Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where left-hander Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.74 ERA) will make his third start for LA against Paul Skenes (6-5, 3.09) of the Pirates.
Emmet Sheehan struggles early as Angels prevent a Dodgers season series sweep
The Angels flipped the script on the Dodgers, preventing a Freeway Series season sweep with a 13-5 win Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Emmet Sheehan’s start only lasted 1 ⅓ innings, as he struggled to keep his pitch count low. He threw 35 of his 49 pitches in the second inning alone. Many of those went to Nick Madrigal, who battled Sheehan in a 14-pitch at-bat in which Madrigal won two ABS challenges.
“I thought the stuff was good coming in,” said manager Dave Roberts about Sheehan. “After the first inning, I just didn’t feel comfortable getting him past the 40-pitch mark in one inning. I’m not going to put this guy in harm’s way.”
The Angels third baseman drew a walk, marking the beginning of the end for Sheehan, who already allowed a single. The 26-year-old pitcher loaded the bases with another walk. Angels catcher Sebastián Rivero drove in two runs with a center-field single.
Read more:Swanson: Dodgers show courage by permanently honoring LGBTQ+ pioneers Glenn Burke and Billy Bean
“Frustrating,” Sheehan called his outing. “Couldn’t put guys away, not efficient.”
The game shifted into an unexpected bullpen game, and the Dodgers shuffled through seven pitchers. Edgardo Henriquez retired five consecutive batters. But the Dodgers’ spiral continued. Jo Adell reached first after a ball deflected off the glove of Miguel Rojas. Adell then moved to second on a passed ball by catcher Dalton Rushing. Reliever Blake Treinen then gave up a walk and before Rivero hit another two-run single.
Madrigal beat the Dodgers (42-24) in another double-digit pitch plate appearance in the fifth. Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called a third strike, but Madrigal argued with the umpire, emphatically slapping his head. After an ABS review, the pitch was determined to be a ball. Rushing, seemingly not pleased with a borderline check-swing call, argued with Iassogna. In the end, a 12-pitch at-bat resulted in another walk.
Coupled with a missed call for a walk on a foul-tip earlier in the game, the check-swing call added to a frustrating afternoon for the Dodgers.
“It should be reviewable,” Roberts said of the foul tip. “That changed the game, and obviously the Madrigal check-swing. I felt that he went. That did impact the game.”
Roberts replaced Alex Vesia with Jonathan Hernández, who gave up a two-run single to Jose Siri. Miguel Rojas threw out Madrigal at home on the hit to limit the damage.
In the third inning, Kyle Tucker drove in a run on a groundout that landed a foot away from home plate, but it gave Shohei Ohtani just enough time to sprint home after Rivero threw to first.
Still, the Dodgers, who had outscored the Angels 41-5 in games this season before Sunday, struggled. Twice, Rushing hit singles. Twice, Ryan Ward, the next batter, grounded into a double play, dashing any momentum. Rushing and Ward hit back-to-back home runs to right field in the sixth, but the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize on the momentum.
Rushing received more playing time than predicted this series, but he said he embraced the opportunity. He matched his career-high with four hits on Sunday. His home run was his first since April 20.
“This year, my whole goal was make sure if there’s an opportunity that I can pick a day that Will [Smith] needs rest, make sure that I can provide just as much as he does with the bat as well as behind the plate,” Rushing said Saturday. “He knows I’ll catch every game if he can’t go back there.”
Read more:Dodgers go on scoring spree before Yoshinobu Yamamoto shuts down Angels
Catcher Will Smith did not play Sunday because of neck stiffness, despite Roberts predicting the catcher would return for the series finale. Imaging on Smith’s neck came back negative, though it’s unclear if he’ll play Tuesday against Pittsburgh.
“It’s not anything serious, but it’s something that is preventing him from playing,” Roberts said. “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”
Rushing’s and Ward’s home runs were quickly negated when Adell hit a two-run homer to left-center field. Zach Neto also hammered a seventh-inning, three-run home run. By the time the game concluded, the bottom of the Angels lineup batted 13 for 15, walking four times. The Angels (25-41) could’ve scored more if not for Neto and Mike Trout, who hit a combined one for 12.
“The bottom half of the order, they were fouling off a lot of balls, we couldn’t put those guys out,” Roberts said. “But, yeah, the Madrigal at-bat really was a difference today.”
Glasnow talks about his injury
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (back spasms), who was put on the 60-day injured list Saturday, attributed his slow recovery to trying to come back too soon. He plans to rest a few days before building back up.
“It’s uncomfortable,” Glasnow said. “When I get into my load, something feels weird. The more I go, the more it starts to aggravate it. Generally, before I start to throw, as long as it’s completely gone, it gets over the hump, it’s gone, and then I can get back to full speed. I just feel like I haven’t gotten there yet.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.