21-22: Chart

May 12, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) hits an RBI double during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Mariners 10, Astros 2

Funshine Bear: Randy Arozarena, +0.27 WPA

Grumpy Bear: Julio Rodríguez, -0.10 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day:

At Least It Was Close

May 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) is unable to catch a fly ball against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Rays 7 Jays 6 (10 innings)

The nice part about that game was the come back. The Jays were down 5-0. We were continuously told they would never score again. And then they got five runs in the seven to tie things up.

It was a fun game to watch.

In the seventh:

  • Andrés Giménez, pinch hitting, flied out.
  • Ernie Clement singled to left.
  • Daulton Varsho struck out.
  • Jesús Sánchez doubled off the left field wall, scoring one.
  • Brandon Valenzuela walked on a full count.
  • George Springer single in one.
  • Yohendrick Piñango doubled bringing in two more.
  • Vladimir Guerrero reached on an error by third baseman Junior Caminero, bringing in the tying run. He had a couple of well hit foul balls earlier in the at bat. Then Vlad stole second.
  • But Kazuma Okamoto struck out to end the fun.

Patrick Corbin wasn’t good. He gave up 9 hits, and a walk, but just 3 earned. Fairly lucky to have just given up 3.

Tommy Nance game up another run in 1.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts..

Jeff Hoffman gave up a solo home in his inning, with 2 strikeouts.

Ty Rogers pitched a scoreless inning, in a very non-Rogers way. Walk, line out to right, caught stealing (great throw Valenzuela) and a strikeout.

Louis Varland fought his way through a scoreless ninth.

Braydon Fisher had a tough time in the 10th. with the runner on second, he gave up a deep fly to left that Piñango took a strange route on, but he made the catch. Runner to third. Taylor Walls singled one home. Yandy Díaz walked. A wild pitch moved them to second and third. A sac fly to the wall in center (an amazing catch by Varsho, running into the wall) scored a second run. A ground out (that Clement bobbled) ended the inning.

We got one back in the bottom of the inning. Piñango ground out moving Springer to third. Vlad (after two hard hit foul balls, I’m hoping that is a good sign) hit a sac fly. Okamoto walked, but Giménez ground out on the first pitch, against a lefty.


Our defense has been suspect this year and today in particular. Varsho misread a fly ball. Clement misplayed a couple of grounders. Okamoto had a misplay.


We had just six hits, two doubles. Springer and Clement had two each. Piñango and Sánchez had the others.

Jays of the Day: Piñango (0.21 WPA), Varland (0.14), Rogers (0.11) and Vlad (0.12).

Other Award: Fisher (-0.41), Corbin (-0.17), Giménez (-0.15), and Valenzuela (-0.12).

Tomorrow we have our last game with the Rays (for awhile). Dylan Cease (3-1, 2.58) vs. Griffin Jax (1-2, 5.00). It would be nice to win one.

Calder Cup Playoffs: Bill Zonnon Scores First AHL Goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 2-0 Win

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins got off to a great start in their Atlantic Division Final series against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Tuesday.

WBS won Game 1 2-0, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series against Springfield. The game was scoreless heading into the second period before Penguins prospect Bill Zonnon scored his first AHL goal in his first AHL game. 

Zonnon got the puck right by the left circle and cut to the net with a beautiful backhand move to make it 1-0 almost halfway through the second period. 

The move showcased his net-front ability, which I think is the most underrated aspect of his game. 

WBS took a 1-0 lead into the third period and got a huge insurance goal from Tanner Howe with 12:41 left in the final frame. Howe came in on a breakaway and fired the puck top shelf, making it a 2-0 game. 

WBS was able to defend very well for the rest of the period, and goaltender Sergei Murashov also stood tall to record his first shutout of the playoffs. Murashov is locked in right now and is seeing the puck really well, while also doing a great job with his rebound control. His confidence is very high. 

Defenseman Harrison Brunicke had another stellar game and was a force in all three zones. He continues to drive play offensively and defend his own zone really well. 

Game 2 between WBS and Springfield is set for a 7:05 p.m. ET puck drop on Thursday. 


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San Antonio vs. Minnesota, Final Score: Spurs put the squeeze on the Timberwolves, 126-97

May 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the first half of game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Three down and one more to go until the Western Conference Finals.

Victor Wembanyama made amends for getting ejected two nights earlier with his rampage in the pivotal fifth game of the series against Minnesota.  The team’s 3-point shooting also helped them race out to an early lead and control of the boards assisted in keeping it. 

The Timberwolves didn’t roll over for as long as they could, but their half-court offense was derailed and an inability to score on second chances never let them take control from the Spurs. 

Observations

  • Efficiency is not the gold standard in the playoffs because defenses are at a much higher level than the regular season and referees are allowing more contact. Still, Randle has been awful in major part due to San Antonio‘s pressure and half of his baskets came in garbage time. The sagging off gets his head, and he still tries to take highly contested shots. After this game, he’s now made 26 shots against 18 turnovers in this series. 
  • The Spurs had an answer for Minnesota’s big runs because their offense had more layers and they were mentally tougher. On top of that, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper deserve credit for being critical in the takeover going into the fourth.
  • The Wolves didn’t get the memo that you don’t bait great players. They tried to get physical, and even tried bush league tactics with Wemby, and that played right into his hands because he took it out on the rim, and his massive tentacles were the main reason the Wolves were ineffective in the lane. 
  • Naz Reid told the press before the game that the Timberwolves wanted the Spurs at full strength. That resulted in the Spurs outscoring them by 32 in the lane. 
  • The Timberwolves’ three-big lineup usually features Jaden McDaniels with one ball handler, which limits playmaking, but the defense is sharp. This lineup is supposed to be a big advantage, and was one that Reid mentioned before the game, but it was getting run off the floor in the third quarter without McDaniels.
  • Anthony Edwards has been the leading scorer in this series (24.5 before Game 5), shooting decently in the lane, yet has been a marksman from outside. The Spurs held him this time to a good game, not a great one. He’s been the only one who has been consistently able to bend San Antonio‘s defense, yet their team looks ordinary when he’s not going wild.
  • The Spurs’ eyes light up whenever Mike Conley is in the game because he can’t guard like he used to. Coach Chris Finch doesn’t have someone like Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney in his ear to tell him to play one of his younger, more athletic players (Jaylen Clark).
  • There’s an old saying about coach Dean Smith being the only person who could shut down Michael Jordan, and some of that may be true to a degree for Mitch Johnson. Wembanyama had 18 points through 12 minutes in the second quarter before taking a brief rest when keeping him on the floor could’ve sent the Wolves deep into the depths of Tartarus earlier. In fairness to Luke Kornet, he was sharp in this spurt.
  • Teams that win Game 5 after being tied 2-2 advance 81.5 percent of the time.

More of the Same: Dbacks 4, Rangers 7

May 12, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) heads to the dugout after striking out three during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Zac Gallen getting lit up, the Dbacks offense allowing an opposing pitcher to cruise through 8 innings needing only 95 pitches. I feel like I have typed this exact game recap multiple times already this season. So I will make this quick as there is not much that came from this game that is going to surprise anyone.

This was a worse game then the final score will show as if it wasn’t for the Rangers reliver losing all control for the strike zone in the 9th inning and walking the bases loaded, this would’ve been a 7-1 loss. I put the late game runs on the Rangers reliever more so than I do on the Dbacks offense.

After the starting rotation had been rolling, leave it to Zac Gallen to break the streak of 6+ inning games and solid run prevention performance. Gallen allowed 7 runs in just 4.2 innings tonight while just being entirely to hittable. Gallen gave his team no chance tonight as he gave up a HR to the leadoff hitter old friend Joc Pederson on a center cut fastball at 93 mph. Once again, it was the fastball that bit Gallen as the pitch was down in velocity a full tick from his season average and he was able to generate just 1 whiff on the pitch. His once trademark knuckle-curveball was also ineffective today as that pitch also generated just 1 whiff as it was not fooling anyone.

It is sad for me to see Gallen fall so far when he is still just 30 years old and he was really betting on himself this year to get that big contract. However, the big payday just doesn’t appear to be in the cards anymore for the once top of the rotation star as his season ERA is now up to 5.65 after turning in another clunker. I feel as though he is not just one small tweak away from being competitive again either. Looks more like a reinvention is in store. Here is another thing to think about, if Corbin Burnes was ready to come back tomorrow, it would likely Gallen’s rotation spot that would be lost if decisions were made on performance.

The offense once again was unable to make an adjustment to their ultra-aggressive approach that has plagued them most of the season. They were only able to walk 1 time through the first 8 innings against a starting pitcher that has really struggled with the free pass all season.  The number of pitches outside of the zone that the Dbacks hitters are swinging at is staggering. Of people that look particularly lost is Gabi Moreno who popped out on a pitch a foot below the zone, and then struck out in the 8th on a ball that literally bounced. No plate discipline whatsoever. Jose Fernandez also had some pretty bad at bats as it looks like the inconsistent playing time he’s been having as of late may be getting to him a little bit. Although the book on him is clearly out, spin away and Fernandez will chase.

I also want to note that there was a pivotal play in the 5th inning where with 2 outs Geraldo Perdomo stumbled trying to field a ground ball allowing the inning to go on and allowing what would be the decisive 5th run of the game to score. The Rangers would go on to score 2 more runs in the inning. Just another example of how critical defense can be as rather than Gallen getting through 5 innings of 4 run ball, he got pulled and didnt make it through the 5th inning and got charged with the additional 3 runs. Not saying it would’ve been an easy play for Perdomo and I’m certainly not making excuses for Gallen, however we have seen noticeably more booted balls from our SS this season as it looks like he may be trying to rush.

One of the few positives from this game from an offensive perspective was Ryan Waldschmidt continuing his advanced hitting approach taking a pitch low and away 101 mph to the right centerfield gap. To me, this swing really shows me something. Not just because his bat speed has been consistently registering in the 80 mph range producing 100+ mph rockets, but also because he didn’t get pull happy like so many of the Dbacks hitters and he took the ball where it was pitched from the other way using the big part of the field. He has really impressed me thus far. He also made another super catch in CF. I haven’t noticed any drop off at all not having Alek Thomas in CF.

Another positive that should be noted was a great game by Ildemaro Vargas as he hit a HR and had a big 9th inning RBI. It cant be understated how big he has been for this team.

The Dbacks will look to win their second straight series tomorrow in an uncharacteristic get-away evening game. This team will need Ryne Nelson to keep his momentum going and for the love of Pete, this offense needs to make an adjustment. See more pitches and take some walks and get some base traffic. Not every batter needs to be the hero. Pass the batton to the next guy.

20-22 – Rangers blow the roof off in 7-4 win over D-Backs

May 12, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Joc Pederson (3) hits a home run during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers scored seven runs while the Arizona Diamondbacks scored four runs.

The roof was open allowing for a breath of fresh air at The Shed tonight. One night after going nine innings without a run, the Rangers scored one batter into tonight’s game when surprise leadoff hitter Joc Pederson took Zac Gallen deep for his third dong of the year.

After the Diamondbacks tied the game in the top of the second, the Rangers immediately retook the lead in the bottom of the inning via a Jake Burger RBI single. Two innings after that, they scored another run on an Ezequiel Duran solo home run. In the fifth, the Rangers finally produced a crooked number with four more runs crossing the plate and before you knew it, it was 7-1 and the Rangers were on their way to evening this series.

With a rare banquet of runs as a buffer, tonight’s starter MacKenzie Gore was able to work effectively and efficiently after a handful of less-than-stellar outings over the last month or so. Tonight, with the bullpen taxed from having to pitch the whole game last evening, Gore went eight innings for his longest outing with Texas as the lefty allowed just one run on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in his 95 pitches.

The only negatives on the night were Brandon Nimmo getting replaced in the top of the seventh a half inning after twisting his ankle beating out an infield single and Gavin Collyer finally earning himself a big league ERA by walking the bases loaded in the ninth to force Jacob Latz to come in and clean up.

Otherwise, the Rangers cruised to their 20th win of the season with the wind blowing in their hair.

Player of the Game: The Rangers had Burger sit for a few games over the weekend after a rough season thus far and though he didn’t do much in his return to the lineup last night, tonight Burger went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs batting in the No. 8 spot.

Up Next: The Rangers and Diamondbacks close out this series with a rubber match featuring RHP Kumar Rocker for Texas opposite RHP Ryne Nelson for Arizona.

The Wednesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

Rookie A.J. Ewing sparks offense in impressive debut as Mets crush Tigers

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing high-fives teammates in the dugout, Image 2 shows New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing triples in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers, Image 3 shows New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacting after ending the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers

A.J. Ewing was summoned from Triple-A to provide a much-needed spark to a moribund Mets team in Queens. 

If his debut in a 10-2 win over the Tigers at Citi Field was any indication, the speedy outfielder may be up to the task. 

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The 21-year-old did a little bit of everything, as he reached base four times, drew three walks, scored twice, drove in a pair of runs, picked up his first hit — a triple — and stole a base. 

His lone out of the night came on a 102 mph laser to the warning track in center. 

“I think that’s part of my identity as a hitter: I’m patient and make pitchers work hard,’’ Ewing said of his ability to work counts consistently. 

The Mets will take all of it. 

“There’s gonna be playing time for him,’’ Carlos Mendoza said before the game of Ewing, who spent just 12 games with Triple-A Syracuse before his promotion. 

A.J. Ewing rips an RBI triple during the seventh inning of the Mets’ 10-2 blowout win over the
Tigers on May 12, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Freddy Peralta celebrates after getting out of the sixth inning in the Mets’ blowout win over the Tigers. Robert Sabo for NY Post

By the end of the night, the small crowd remaining was chanting his name. 

“I’m confident in my ability to play,’’ Ewing said beforehand. “I’ll play the same game I’ve been playing.” 

His arrival was a boost for a team running out of time to show it’s capable of turning around the season. 

As Mendoza noted, “It’s not early anymore. We’ve got to go out there and do it.” 



After dropping three of the last four games on their recent road trip, the Mets got some life from what’s been a dead lineup, as well as a fourth straight solid start from Freddy Peralta. 

The right-hander allowed just a pair of runs in six innings against Detroit, which has lost six of seven. 

It was just the second time in the past 12 games they scored more than five runs. 

A.J. Ewing is all smiles and celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in the seventh inning of the Mets’ win over the Tigers. Robert Sabo for NY Post
New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) gets doused after his debut. Robert Sabo for NY Post

After Peralta and the Mets fell behind in the second, they came back and went ahead in the fourth and took advantage of plenty of mistakes by the Tigers to improve to 16-25. 

Even in victory, though, the Mets found trouble, as Francisco Alvarez left the game with a right knee injury. 

It was Alvarez who started the go-ahead rally with a one-out double to left-center in the fourth. He came in when Benge followed with a hit to left to make it 3-2. 

The Mets had fallen behind in the top of the second, as Dillon Dingler took Peralta deep to open the inning. Wenceel Pérez followed with a single and moved to third on a double by Gage Workman before Spencer Torkelson’s sacrifice fly. 

But Jack Flaherty, who’d allowed 16 earned runs in just 14 innings over his previous four starts, couldn’t hold the lead for Detroit. 

Francisco Alvarez walks back to the dugout after tagging out Colt Keith at the plate to end the fifth inning in the Mets’ win over the Tigers. Robert Sabo for New York Post

In the bottom of the inning, after Ewing walked to load the bases in his first plate appearance in the majors, Alvarez just beat out a throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play, which allowed Melendez to score. 

They tied the score in the bottom of the third with three straight singles by Bo Bichette, Juan Soto and Mark Vientos. 

The Mets stayed ahead in bizarre fashion in the fifth. 

After Colt Keith singled with two outs, Riley Greene followed with a base hit to right. 

Benge’s throw got by Brett Baty at third and ricocheted off the railing in front of the Tigers dugout, where Peralta picked it up and fired home. 

Keith, after sliding safely into third, got up and immediately ran into third base umpire Rob Drake

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He continued home and was tagged out by Alvarez. 

The Mets got some insurance in the sixth, courtesy of more shoddy play by the Tigers around third base, as Workman’s throwing error led to a pair of runs, and the Mets put the game away late. 

With the Mets looking to put the first 40 games of the season behind them, perhaps Ewing can help revive the season. 

“He was pretty much perfect at the plate,’’ Mendoza said. 

And the manager added: “We’re gonna need him and everyone in that room.”

Twins 3, Marlins 0: Ober tosses a 2-hit Maddux

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 12: Bailey Ober #17 of the Minnesota Twins receives an ice bath celebration after pitching a complete game shutout against the Miami Marlins at Target Field on May 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Marlins 3-0. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

I don’t even know what to say about this game. We just witnessed Bailey Ober, 88 MPH fastball and all, toss an 89 pitch complete game shutout. He did it using mostly changeups and fastballs, picking up 4 strikeouts and a 43% whiff percentage with the changeup. The only blemishes on his day were singles to Jakob Marsee in the 2nd, and Kyle Stowers in the 4th. Ober retired the final 16 batters of the game after the Stowers single. In conclusion, he spun the ball real good and got a Maddux (a complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches). The last Twin to throw a Maddux was Ervin Santana in 2017. The last time a Twin threw a Maddux with fewer than 90 pitches was Bill Krueger in 1992.

On the other side, Eury Perez for the Marlins was in the middle of a no-hitter through 5 and 2/3 innings. Then, after walking Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach singled and Buxton moved to 3rd. With Ryan Jeffers batting, Larnach broke for 2nd, the catcher tried to throw him out, but that allowed Buxton to steal home and Larnach to steal 2nd. It was a cool play, but the Marlins probably shouldn’t have thrown to 2nd. Ryan Jeffers followed that up by launching a homer to the 2nd deck in left field to make it a 3-0 game. That seems like an easier way to score runs.

With that, the Twins have now won 3 in a row for the first time since the Boston series back on April 14th, and move to 19-23 on the season. Tomorrow we will see Simeon Woods Richardson take on Minnesota native and former Golden Gopher Max Meyer.

Studs:

Bailey Ober: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 7 K, 0 BB

Ryan Jeffers: 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI

Trevor Larnach: 1-2, 2 BB, SB

Byron Buxton: 0-3, BB, Stealing home is cool.

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!

OG Anunoby’s return likely makes one Knicks guard odd man out in playoff minutes crunch

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Knicks' Landry Shamet dunks past Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey during an NBA playoff game, Image 2 shows OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against Adem Bona #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter in Game Two of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs

There are only so many minutes to go around. 

OG Anunoby’s absence due to a right hamstring strain in Games 3 and 4 of the second round meant Miles McBride moved to the starting lineup, opening up his minutes for someone off the bench. After being buried in the rotation, Landry Shamet was the beneficiary. 

He played 37 minutes between the two games and scored 27 points.

Landry Shamet slams home a dunk past Tyrese Maxey during the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the 76ers. AP

“Landry hadn’t played a drop all playoffs,” coach Mike Brown said. “I think the first game [of the first round], he was in the rotation and then the second game a little bit, then he was out. That’s six, seven games that he hadn’t seen significant minutes on the court. … He was huge on both ends of the floor.”

With Anunoby expected to return for Game 1 of the conference finals, it is likely those minutes will again disappear. 

McBride will move back to his bench role. He, Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado have consistently been Brown’s primary bench pieces. Shamet was originally above Alvarado in the pecking order, but Brown flipped that because he wanted to have a more natural point guard on the floor when Brunson is on the bench. 

It is unlikely that Brown will expand to a 10-man rotation to include Shamet. 

Brown has proven that he is not afraid to shake up his rotation at any given moment. With everyone healthy, it’s hard to see how Shamet finds his way on the court. 


Mark Cuban, the Mavericks owner when Jalen Brunson began his career with the franchise, was critical of one of Brunson’s recent endorsement deals. 

“Time to tell your agent to get you deals with the good guys,” Cuban posted to X while tagging Brunson. “CAA did you wrong.” 

Cuban included a link to Brunson’s advertisement with Evernorth Health Services. Cuban notably owns Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, which offers low-cost generic drugs and attempts to disrupt major pharmaceutical companies. 


Karl-Anthony Towns, an avid card collector, revealed that he was outbid for a one-of-one Randy Orton WrestleMania 41 patch autograph. The winning bid came in at $42,100 on eBay. 



“This has us SICK,” Towns wrote on his Instagram account “bigbodegascards,” which is dedicated to his card collecting. “Thought it was ours for the taking, until a last-minute NUCLEAR bid snuck in! Who has this card now!? We have to know!”

Is LeBron James retiring? Here's what could factor into his decision

The billion-dollar question that everyone is asking is whether or not LeBron James will retire from basketball.

Has the 41-year-old James played his last basketball game in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform? Has he played his last basketball game ever?

James and the Lakers were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs in the Western conference semifinals by the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, four games to none. Immediately following the game, James provided some insight to reporters regarding the decision on his next chapter.

The short answer: nobody knows, not even James himself.

"I don't know. It's obviously still fresh from losing, you know, I don't know. I mean, I don't know what the future holds for me," James said on May 11 after the Lakers were swept by the Thunder. "Obviously, as it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I'll sit back, like I think I said last year, after we lost, I think to Minnesota there, go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do."

James is a four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP who has broken a number of NBA records — most seasons played (23), most games played (1,622), most career points scored in the regular season (43,440) and playoffs (8,521), most All-Star appearances (22), among many others.

His longest consecutive stint with one team has come with the Lakers, having finished his eighth season in Los Angeles. He arrived in LA as a free agent in 2018. His goal was to bring the Lakers back to relevancy, he told reporters.

Since James became a Laker, they have been among the league's better teams, winning an NBA championship in 2020 with another conference finals appearance in 2023. They've made the playoffs in all but two seasons.

During the 2025-26 season, James took on a role he's never played in his life: the third option behind the Lakers' backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

James proved that he could be dominant in any position he was placed in. He still averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in 60 games, while shooting 51.5% from the field.

James still had his moments to be the No. 1 option, none more than when both Reaves and Doncic went down with late-season injuries. James led the Lakers to a first-round upset against the Houston Rockets in the 2026 NBA playoffs.

Looking back at the ups and downs of the 2026 season, James said he will take time to decide what's best for his future. One of the contingencies is whether he still is in love with the preparation process and the steps it takes for him to perform at a high level of sustained greatness.

"I don't know. I think for me, it's about the process," James told reporters after their playoff elimination. "If I can commit to still being in love with the process, of showing (up) to the arena 5½ hours before a game to start preparing for a game. You know, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls, and, you know, doing everything that it takes to go out and play."

He added: "Showing up to practice, 11:00 practice. I'm here at 8:00, preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I've always been in love with the process, and not the aftermath of, like, we won that game, or won a championship. Like, I've always enjoyed the process and not more than outcome, so then that will be a big factor."

One of the things impacting James' future plans is his family. James called them a "big factor."

"I'll then also, you know, have a conversation with my 12-year-old daughter, you know, that's a big factor," James said. "And my 19-year-old son is entering his second year at Arizona, you know? And my wife as well, they're (a) huge factor in any decision I've made. So they'll be a big part of it as well."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James retirement decision: Did Lakers star play his final game?

Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb ejected for hit that injured Ducks' Ryan Poehling

The Vegas Golden Knights will be without one of their longtime cornerstones for the bulk of Tuesday night's Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks.

Defenseman Brayden McNabb was tossed from the May 12 game, 9 minutes into the first period, when he was slapped with a 5-minute major and game misconduct for a hit that left the Ducks' Ryan Poehling seemingly in a daze.

McNabb, who has been on the Golden Knights since their inaugural 2017-18 season, was called for interference after he slammed Poehling into the boards shortly after the puck had exited his vicinity. Poehling struggled to get up, eventually rolling onto his back as he was attended to by a trainer. He eventually got to his feet and skated off the ice with considerable assistance from defensemen John Carlson and Jacob Trouba.

The Ducks will be without Poehling for the rest of the game. He's been ruled out with an "upper-body injury." The Golden Knights will have to play the rest of Game 5 with five defensemen.

Beckett Sennecke scored during the 5-minute power play to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

This story was updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brayden McNabb ejected for hit that left Ryan Poehling injured

Mets blow out Tigers as A.J. Ewing impresses

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 12: A.J. Ewing #9 of the New York Mets celebrates with teammates in the dugout after crossing home plate in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on May 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mets returned home after their west coast road trip to face the Tigers. Freddy Peralta was taking the mound for the Mets, looking to try and get back on the right foot after losing the final two games (and the series) against the Diamondbacks. Jack Flaherty was starting for the Tigers, struggling so far in 2026 with an ERA north of 5.50 and just 34 innings pitched across eight starts. And it was a very special day for Mets top prospect A.J. Ewing, who was getting his first start as a major leaguer, playing in center field and batting eighth.

The first inning was quiet for both sides, with each team having one base runner and both teams stranding that runner. Dillon Dingler hit a solo home run to lead off the second inning for the Tigers, putting the first run of the game on the board. A single and a double put runners on second and third with no outs, and Spencer Torkelson hit a sacrifice to score the Tigers’ second run of the game. Peralta was able to work his way out of the jam to stop the scoring there. In the bottom of the inning the Mets immediately threatened to come back, loading the bases with only one out. Francisco Alvarez drove in the Mets first run on a force out, but that was all the Mets could do in the inning.

In the bottom of the third Mark Vientos hit an RBI single to drive in Bo Bichette and tie the game, and in the bottom of the fourth Carson Benge hit an RBI single to drive in Alvarez and take the lead. The Mets were able to drive Flaherty from the game with two outs in the fourth after he gave up three runs on six hits and three walks. 

In the bottom of the sixth, facing Burch Smith, the Mets loaded the bases with one out. In the midst of it, Alvarez hurt himself while at bat and had to be removed from the game, with Luis Torrens coming in to replace him. Bo Bichette came up and hit what should’ve been an inning ending double play. But when Gage Workman threw the ball into right field instead of to second base, two runs scored to give the Mets a three run lead with still just one out. Smith was then pulled in favor of Emmanuel De Jesus. Juan Soto hit a dribbler back to Torkelson at first whose only play was to get the out at first allowing Benge to score as the Mets third and final run of the inning before De Jesus finally got out of it.

Brooks Raley came in to relieve Freddy Peralta, who recorded a quality start giving up just two runs in six innings, with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Raley dealt with a little trouble, ending up with runners on second and third with just one out. But he got through it without allowing a run to score and keeping the Mets lead intact. In the bottom of the seventh, De Jesus was still in the game, and he had given up a single to Brett Baty bookended by outs to put him one out away from a clean inning. But A.J. Ewing, who had already walked twice and gotten his first stolen base earlier in the game, got his first major league hit (and RBI) and made it count, hitting a triple that drove in Baty. Ricky Vanasco came in to try and get the Tigers out of it without any further damage. Luis Torrens hit an RBI single to drive in Ewing as the Mets’ eighth run of the game, but that was the end of the Mets seventh inning outburst.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Mets continued to pile on. Two singles led to runners on the corners with just one out. Austin Slater (who was brought in to pinch hit for MJ Melendez earlier in the game) hit a dribbler up the first base line, and Vanasco fielded the ball but lost it on the transfer to his hand, allowing Slater to reach safely and Soto to score. An infield single for Semien loaded the bases, and Ewing walked to drive in yet another run for the Mets, his third walk and second RBI of the game. That drove Vanasco from the game in favor of Jake Rogers, a position player taking the mound. He was able to get the final out of the inning and get the Tigers up for their last chance, with eight runs distancing them from just coming even with the Mets.

Austin Warren pitched both the eighth and ninth innings, and he went scoreless in both, delivering the Mets the first win of the homestand and helping to keep the rest of the bullpen rested. They started the homestand off on the right foot and saw a burgeoning young star potentially emerge in A.J. Ewing’s first major league game. Next, they have to face Framber Valdez behind Christian Scott, who’s looking to build on his last performance and put his shaky first start behind him.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, +15% WPA
Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -14% WPA
Mets pitchers: +16% WPA
Mets hitters: +34% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s third inning single, +11.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Dillon Dingler’s second inning home run, -11% WPA

Benson breaks tie on birthday, Sabres beat Canadiens 3-2 in Game 4 to even series

Buffalo Sabres v Montreal Canadiens - Game Four

MONTREAL, CANADA- MAY 12: Zach Benson #6 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of Game Four of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre on May 12, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL — Zach Benson broke a tie on a third-period power play on his 21st birthday and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Tuesday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Benson took a pass in the slot from Josh Doan, kicked the puck to his stick and put a backhander past goalie Jakub Dobes at 4:41 of the third. The goal came with Jake Evans off for holding Peyton Krebs.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Buffalo, with Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday night. The series winner will face Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. The Hurricanes swept both of their series.

Tage Thompson tied it for Buffalo in the second period with a fluke goal and also had an assist. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring and Doan had two assists.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon in goal after the Sabres dropped Games 2 and 3, making 28 saves in his first action since being pulled in the third period of a Game 2 loss to Boston in the first round.

Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal. Dobes stopped 19 shots.

Thompson tied it at 2 on four-minute power play seven minutes into the second when his dump-in from just over center ice deflected off the glass in the left corner to the crease and bounced in off Dobes’ right leg. Montreal’s Alexandre Carrier was called for the double minor after high-sticking and cutting Rasmus Dahlin.

The Canadiens failed to take advantage of a four-minute power play of their own after Bowen Byram was sent off for high-sticking Alexandre Texier late in the second period. Montreal was 1 for 7 on the power play.

Buffalo opened the scoring on Samuelsson’s goal at 6:32 of the first period, and appeared it make it 2-0 1:30 later when a video review confirmed Jack Quinn’s shot crossed the goal line inside Dobes’ glove, However, Montreal successfully challenged for goalie interference on Konsta Helenius.

Newhook then tied it at 1 with 9:52 left in the first with his fifth goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs. Caufield gave the Canadiens the lead with 13 seconds to go in the period, beating Luukkonen from close range on a power play.

A.J. Ewing’s dad couldn’t contain his excitement in rookie’s Mets debut to remember

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) triples during the seventh inning when the New York Mets played the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY, Image 2 shows Joe Ewing, A.J. Ewing's father, pumps his fist and celebrates with family after his son ripped an RBI triple for his first major-league hit in the seventh inning of the Mets' 10-2 blowout win over the Tigers on May 12, 2026 at Citi Field
Aj Ewing

Mets prospect A.J. Ewing showed off his blazing speed when he belted an RBI triple in the seventh inning of his major league debut on Tuesday night in Citi Field.

But it was the reaction of his joyous family that stole the show. His dad, Joe, and his other family members were pumping fists, high-fiving and going crazy after Ewing’s big hit in a Mets 10-2 win.

In the second inning, Joe talked to SNY’s Steve Gelbs after the rookie worked the first of his three walks, saying he was built for this moment.

But Joe admitted he was a “nervous wreck watching him.”

Joe, who said he was a high school pitcher who couldn’t hit, did say he was the one who started his son on the path to becoming a left-handed hitter at 3 years old.

Joe, who had six messages on his phone before finding out, was surprised his 21-year-old son was called up so soon.

“He’s definitely grown as a player,” Joe said. “I think when he first realized, ‘Hey, I have a shot to be a major league player,’ he went after that dream really, really hard.”

New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) triples during the seventh inning when the New York Mets played the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) triples during the seventh inning when the New York Mets played the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Joe said others saw more of his son’s potential than he originally did.

“I knew he was good baseball player, but I knew how hard it was to get to this level,” Joe said. “I think being his Dad, I … didn’t think he was as good as he really was, maybe.

“The first time I was having a conversation with an agent talking to me about my son, I remember I looked at him and said, ‘You think my kid is going to get drafted?’

“He stopped and he paused as calm as can be and said, ‘I know you’re kid is going to get drafted.’

“I said, ‘What!’ Then it kind of hit me, ‘Alright, here we go.’ ”

Ewing filled up a lot of the stat box in the win.

Besides becoming the first Met to hit a triple for his first big league hit, he also walked three times, stole a base and had two RBIs.

Wednesday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Wednesday, May 13

MLB

N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m.

L.A. Angels at Cleveland, 1:10 p.m.

Washington at Cincinnati, 6:40 p.m.

Colorado at Pittsburgh, 6:40 p.m.

Philadelphia at Boston, 6:45 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:07 p.m.

Detroit at N.Y. Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Atlanta, 7:15 p.m.

San Diego at Milwaukee, 7:40 p.m.

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 7:40 p.m.

Miami at Minnesota, 7:40 p.m.

Arizona at Texas, 8:05 p.m.

Seattle at Houston, 8:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Athletics, 9:40 p.m.

San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

NBA - Playoffs

Eastern Conference Semifinal - Game 5

Cleveland at Detroit, 8 p.m.

NHL - Playoffs

Western Conference Second Round - Game 5

Minnesota at Colorado, 8 p.m.

WNBA

Seattle at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Las Vegas at Connecticut, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Golden State, 10 p.m.

Indiana at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

MLS

New York City FC at Charlotte FC, 7 p.m.

Miami at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.

Chicago at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

Portland at CF Montréal, 7:30 p.m.

Nashville at New England, 7:30 p.m.

Columbus at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

LA Galaxy at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.

Colorado at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

Los Angeles FC at St Louis City, 8:30 p.m.

Houston at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.

Austin FC at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

San Jose at Seattle, 9:30 p.m.

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