Former Senators Head Coach Signs Up For Another Tour Of Duty With 67s

Former Senators head coach Dave Cameron will be back for another OHL tour of duty.

After signing a two-year extension this week, Cameron, who's 67, will continue to be the 67's head coach for a 6th and 7th season, which will surely give some of our readers an excuse to resurrect the nonsensical "6-7" internet meme for a day or two. 

Under Cameron this season, Ottawa had a fine year with 47 wins and 100 points but they ran into an equally good Barrie Colts team in the second round, losing in five games.

Cameron told TSN 1200 radio this week that coming back was a pretty easy decision.

"Your best chance for success is the people you work for," Cameron said. "I can't say enough about the organization here in Ottawa and the staff with Jan, Norm and Paul (GM Jan Egert, and assistant coaches Norm Milley and Paul Stoykewych). It's just been a real pleasure to work (here). And throw on top of that, knock on wood, I've been blessed with good health and energy."

Cameron was asked by 67's play-by-play man Kenny Walls how long he wants to keep coaching for.

"Yeah, obviously, when you've been at it as long as I have, the discussion about when you're going to retire is something you do annually," Cameron said. "So, for me, your challenge when you're coaching at the OHL level is your energy level.

"Because I'm at the point where I'm not ready to do anything half-heartedly. And the big thing in that is you have to have good energy, and I love getting up in the mornings. I love going to the rink. I love hockey."

Those are three pretty solid reasons to return.

That love of hockey goes back to his playing days, growing up in PEI, where Cameron won a spot on his hometown University of PEI hockey team. There, he caught the attention of the New York Islanders, who took him in the 8th round of the 1978 draft. 

In 1981, the Islanders traded Cameron and Bob Lorimer to the Colorado Rockies for the Rockies' first-round pick in 1983, and the Islanders used it to select some guy named Pat Lafontaine. Cameron spent the 1981-82 season with the Rockies and then two more after they moved to New Jersey and became the Devils.

As for Cameron's coaching path, it's taken him from PEI Junior B to the Colonial Hockey League, the OHL, AHL, NHL, and a two-year stop in Austria.

His NHL coaching experience lies primarily with the Senators, and that connection began all the way back in 2001. 

That was the year Eugene Melnyk bought the team Cameron was coaching, the OHL's Toronto St. Michael's Majors. Cameron stayed in the role for another three seasons.

A year after Melnyk bought the Senators in 2003, Cameron shifted to Binghamton to run the Sens AHL bench for three seasons. In 2007, he moved back to Melnyk's OHL team, now called the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, and spent four seasons there.

When the Sens hired Paul MacLean as their head coach, Cameron got his first NHL coaching work as MacLean's assistant in 2011-12, which was also the season Melnyk sold his OHL team.

When MacLean was fired mid-season, three and a half years later, Cameron got the job and guided the Senators to the playoffs that season via the famous Hamburglar Run.

Apr 7, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Cameron speaks with his players leading into the last minute of play in the third period against the Florida Panthers at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Panthers 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Cameron speaks with his players leading into the last minute of play in the third period against the Florida Panthers at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Panthers 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

As he did with so many good people in this town, Melnyk then threw a grenade on his relationship with Cameron the following year.

The volatile owner didn't just fire Cameron in 2016; he told the media a few weeks before that one of Cameron's opening night lineup decisions was "stupid." Cameron's firing was the first official act of Pierre Dorion, who had taken over as GM a few days earlier.

"It was hurtful," Cameron said about Melnyk's comments. "I didn't think there was any need for it. I felt like I was fired for three weeks, every day,"

But that was ten years ago, now water under the bridge. And as Dave Cameron begins to think about a 16th season as a coach in the league, life in the OHL today suits him just fine. 

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:

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Oilers Fans Left Wondering ‘What If’ Former Prospect Shines Again at Memorial Cup

For the third straight year, Sam O’Reilly has made his mark on the Memorial Cup stage. The former Edmonton Oilers prospect scored a highlight-reel backhand goal as his Kitchener Rangers cruised to a 5-0 shutout victory over host Kelowna on Saturday, improving to 4-0 in the tournament.

O’Reilly, now a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, continues to thrive after being traded by Edmonton in a deal that saw the Oilers acquire Isaac (Ike) Howard. The gritty two-way center was named OHL MVP and OHL Playoffs MVP this season, cementing his reputation as a big-game performer who excels in the dirty areas, wins battles along the wall, and contributes offensively in key moments.

Meanwhile, Howard hasn't been able to cement a role in the NHL, which is what the Oilers were hoping might happen when they acquire him. 

For Oilers fans, the performance comes with a familiar 'what might have been' feeling.

Edmonton traded O’Reilly last summer, and at the time, many viewed it as a reasonable futures exchange. However, watching O’Reilly dominate the Memorial Cup once again has some supporters second-guessing the decision.

The 20-year-old has now tallied a goal in three consecutive Memorial Cup appearances, showcasing the compete level and clutch ability that made him a prospect many thought had a bright future in the Oilers system. Projecting as a reliable middle-six center with top-six upside, O’Reilly’s development path now belongs to the Lightning, and games like this remind fans that Edmonton might have lost another key part of their future. 

While Howard remains a promising piece with high-end skill, O’Reilly’s continued success at junior hockey’s premier event serves as a reminder of the difficult choices NHL teams must make when trying to get better more quickly.

Oilers fans are left to wonder: could O’Reilly have been part of Edmonton’s future core?

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Pirates vs Blue Jays Prediction, Odds & Home Run Pick for Today's MLB Game

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Jesus Sanchez has been quietly heating up this month, and I expect him to continue swinging a hot bat this afternoon. 

Read on to see why with my Pirates vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 23. 

Pirates vs Blue Jays predictions

Pirates vs Blue Jays best bet: Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits (+100)

Jesus Sanchez has been quietly consistent recently, currently sporting a five-game hitting streak, while going Over his 0.5 hits total in nine of his last 10 outings. 

Sanchez owns a .333 average against the four-seam fastball and a .294 average against the sinker, the two pitches that Paul Skenes uses the most. 

Additionally, Sanchez is just one of three batters in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup to have a hit against Skenes in their career, going 1-for-3 with a double.

Covers COVERS INTEL: Sanchez has a .283 xBA, which ranks him in the 87th percentile in all of baseball. 

Pirates vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Another Blue Jay swinging a hot bat is Daulton Varsho. I’ll take Over 0.5 hits for the Jays outfielder, who has eclipsed this total in eight of his last 10 outings with a .324 batting average in that stretch.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 21st in OPS vs. lefties this year, so Patrick Corbin could get through most of his start unscathed. He'll eventually give way to a Blue Jays bullpen ranked seventh in xFIP this month.

Pirates vs Blue Jays SGP

  • Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits
  • Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
  • Pirates team total Under 4.5
img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"
Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.

Pirates vs Blue Jays home run pick: Jesus Sanchez (+725)

Lets continue with the Sanchez train and bet a quarter unit on him hitting a home run tonight. 

Homering off Skenes isn’t easy, but Sanchez has been a consistent hitter for the Blue Jays and has some pop in his bat, ranking in the 69th percentile in average exit-velocity. 

He also owns a 46% hard-hit rate and a .467 xSLG against the four seamer, Skenes’ most used pitch.

2026 Transparency record
  • Best bets: 23-27, -0.55 units
  • SGPs: 10-40, +0.60 units
  • HR picks: 8-42, +2.15 units

Pirates vs Blue Jays odds

  • Moneyline: Pittsburgh -155 | Toronto +130
  • Run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 | Toronto +1.5
  • Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Pirates vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the F5 run line in seven of their last eight games (+5.90 Units / 63% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Pirates vs Blue Jays and game info

LocationRogers Centre, Toronto, ON
DateSaturday, May 23, 2026
First pitch3:07 p.m. ET
TVSportsnet, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Pirates starting pitcherPaul Skenes
(6-3, 2.62 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcherPatrick Corbin
(1-1, 4.23 ERA)

Pirates vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Pirates vs Blue Jays weather

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros preview, Saturday 5/23, 1:20 CT

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes…

  • SEVEN WOULD NOT BE HEAVEN: The Cubs have not lost a seventh consecutive game since July 14, 2022, when they were beaten at home by the Mets, 8-0. They have played 610 games since then, winning 327, for a percentage of .536. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: In their six straight losses, the Cubs have held only two leads, both last Sunday at the White Sox. A 4-1 cushion lasted from the middle of the fourth inning until the bottom of the fifth. An 8-7 lead in the middle of the 10th ended on a one-out homer in the bottom. They have not led in their last four games and in 16 of all 22 losses. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • WHERE ARE THE RUNS?: Since the last game of their 10-game winning streak, a 7-1 win at Texas on May 8, the Cubs have scored 31 runs in 12 games. Eighteen came in two games and 13 in the remaining 10, with no more than three in any of the 10. They scored 0-2 runs in the first five of the 12 games and have scored 0-3 in the last four. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs and Cardinals went scoreless through nine in St. Louis. In the 10th, Javier Baéz hit a two-run homer. The Cardinals came back with a run in the bottom of the inning but Craig Kimbrel struck out their last two hitters and the Cubs won 2-1. It happened five years ago today, Sunday, May 23, 2021.

Cubs lineup:

Astros lineup:

Colin Rea, RHP vs. Kai-Wei Teng, RHP

Colin Rea’s last start was pretty bad, so let’s try to ignore it. (Yes, I know you can’t really do that.)

In fact, over his last five starts Rea has posted a 7.04 ERA and 1.913 WHIP and has allowed four home runs in 23 innings. Yikes, do better, Colin.

Last year against the Astros, June 28, 2025 in Houston, he allowed two runs in five innings. That would be an improvement over recent outings.

Kai-Wei Teng, a native of Taiwan, originally signed with the Twins back in 2017 and was traded to the Giants two years later. He made 12 appearances (seven starts) with the Giants in 2024-25 and the results were pretty bad (7.30 ERA, 1.697 WHIP).

He was traded to the Astros for a minor leaguer last offseason and had thrown mostly in relief before recently being added to Houston’s rotation. Last time out, May 16 vs. the Rangers, he threw five shutout innings and 76 pitches.

He has never faced the Cubs. The only Cub who’s ever seen him is Michael Conforto (0-for-1).

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Astros site The Crawfish Boxes. If you do go there to interact with Astros fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

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.

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Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges on Knicks needing to continue 'playing desperate' ahead of ECF Game 3 vs. Cavaliers

Ahead of Saturday's pivotal Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 between the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges said team's mindset is to continue "playing desperate" despite their 2-0 lead in the series.

"We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta," Towns said. "We just got to, obviously, shoot the ball well."

"We just got to keep playing desperate," Bridges added. "I know it's easier for the team that's down 0-2 to play more desperate, but that can't be us. Keep doing what we've been doing. All playoffs, just staying desperate no matter what the situation is. To us, it's 0-0."

While New York has won the first two games of the Conference Finals by a combined margin of 27 points, the contests have been closer than meets the eye. The Knicks trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before Jalen Brunson went on a scoring tear to force OT and steal the win, and they were down again after the first quarter of Game 2, but dominated the second and third quarters to earn the 16-point victory.

One of the keys to the Knicks' first-round and semifinal series wins over the Hawks and 76ers was Towns quarterbacking the offense. After going down 2-1 in the first-round matchup against Atlanta, Towns averaged 8.6 assists and posted two triple-doubles over the final three games. His assist numbers continued to guide the team against the Sixers, averaging 7.5 assists per night in the four-game sweep. 

With Cleveland having a bit more size to match up better defensively against Towns, New York's style of play has changed. Brunson is back in charge of the offense, dishing out six assists in Games 1 and another 14 dimes in Game 2. Luckily that change in playing style does not bother Towns, as the former No. 1 overall pick made it clear he'll do "whatever it takes" to help New York win.

"I've always said I'm willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win," Towns said. "That's the blessing of our group. We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. And I've been happy because we continue to win, so there's nothing to be sad about." 

Towns was asked if he thinks that lack of selfishness helps makes the Knicks' offense more dangerous, saying it shows the team's character and allows for them to be great.

"I think that the guys in the locker room, the characters, they speak so highly on the court and off the court, is what makes us special," Towns said.

For New York to continue its pursuit of reaching the NBA Finals, Towns said the team needs to keep trusting each other and displaying their "cohesiveness." 

"At the end of the day, regardless if we're home or away, it's about us executing and being disciplined in our gameplan. So that's the most important thing," Towns said. 

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Avalanche Need To Flip The Script If They Want To Come Back Against Golden Knights

For the entire playoffs and even the regular season, the third period has been the Colorado Avalanche period. This season, the Avalanche are +49 in the third period when it comes to scoring, and it has translated into the playoffs as well.

In a tight Los Angeles Kings series that saw the Kings try their best to slow the Avalanche down, they finished +4 in scoring in the third period. In the series against the Minnesota Wild, a series many thought would be a back-and-forth shootout to seven games, the Avalanche prevailed in five games, and were +8 in the third period, helping with many late comebacks, including the infamous Game 5, when they were down 3-1 heading into the third.

It’s clear that if the Avalanche dig themselves into a grave early on, they have shown they have the resources capable to mounting a comeback in attempt to either force the game into overtime or flat out win it in regulation, but against the Golden Knights, its clearly shown that the comeback antics shown in the previous series, can't and shouldn't be relied on if they want to comeback in this series down 0-2.

Showed Flashes In Game 1

Opening the Western Conference Finals didn’t go the way many Avalanche fans wanted. Despite a strong first period that saw both teams really testing each other, it was still scoreless heading into period two, then disaster struck. Knights pushed with a 4-on-3 that saw Dylan Coghlan rifle a shot past Scott Wedgewood five-hole, and Pavel Dorofeyev scored on the power play by a miraculous pass by Marner to make it 2-0 entering the third period.

Only down two goals entering the third? That sounds like no sweat compared to what the Avalanche faced before. Well, it wouldn’t take long before Brett Howden continued to score in the playoffs when he got a lucky bounce to make it 3-0. Now they're in a deeper hole than they would want, but there is the rest of the period to go.

Well, the Avalanche starts the comeback like usual. Valeri Nichushkin opens the scoring six minutes in with a nice redirect through the legs, 3-1. The Avalanche, throughout the period, maintains the pressure and makes it 3-2 late with a nice passing play from Nathan MacKinnon to Gabriel Landeskog, with time still left.

Avalanche Let Game 1 Slip Away In Execution Breakdown Against VegasAvalanche Let Game 1 Slip Away In Execution Breakdown Against VegasColorado generated chances throughout Game 1 but unraveled in execution at key moments, allowing the Vegas Golden Knights to capitalize on mistakes and seize control of the Western Conference Final opener.

Though they can’t tie it and they lose 4-2, it sucks, but there was a lot to learn from the game. You can’t win every game with a late-period comeback, but it showed they still have that switch in the third, and that's good, right?

Script Is Flipped In Game 2

Still no Cale Makar for Game 2, but as the periods go, the Avalanche show more fight than they did in Game 1. Ross Colton buries a loose puck rebound to open the scoring at 1-0 in the first period and leads it into the second, which remains scoreless but still a one-goal lead entering the third, their best period.

Then they take their foot off the pedal and get a taste of their own medicine, of what it's like for a team to take the lead in the third period. Just about halfway through the period, Devon Toews makes a bad defensive read and lets Jack Eichel with too much room and rifles a shot past Wedgewood to make it 1-1.

Decisive Factors in the Avalanche–Golden Knights Western Conference Final ShowdownDecisive Factors in the Avalanche–Golden Knights Western Conference Final ShowdownThe Colorado Avalanche last met the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs in 2021. How are things different this year, and what are going to be the major keys to this Western Conference Finals

Two minutes later, Toews again makes a bad play by failing to clear the puck, turns it over to Eichel, who passes it to Ivan Barbashev and rips it home to make it 2-1. The Avalanche would try to mount a late comeback, but an empty-net goal by Barbashev would end the game and the home stand, down 0-2.

This is a game where, when the Avalanche had the lead, they played as if they wanted to keep it rather than extend it. We have seen this team take leads and continue to pile on goals any which way they can to ensure they have a level of comfort. The box score shows that something has to change heading into Vegas, now down 0-2.

Excuses And Expectations

There is a lot of online talk about the Avalanche so far in these two games, and many agree on some topics and argue about others, but I believe some things are true. 

Yes, not having Cale Makar is an absolute disaster for the Avalanche, and it showed. Vegas is changing its approach to the penalty kill now that Makar isn’t quarterbacking it, and guys like Toews and Malinski just don’t put enough pressure on Vegas to make those changes. They'd rather guys like Toews, Malinski, or Brent Burns beat them on a play so they can put more pressure on Martin Necas and MacKinnon, leaving them no room to operate.

REPORT: Cale Makar OUT For Game 2 Against Golden Knights In Western Conference FinalsREPORT: Cale Makar OUT For Game 2 Against Golden Knights In Western Conference FinalsCale Makar will be OUT for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights

But it's just not on him that the team is losing puck battles across the board, making sure that they're more physical than Vegas when it comes to forechecking, putting bodies in front of Carter Hart to take away his vision. Most importantly, not Makar's fault that many of his teammates have just flipped a switch since the Wild series.

Necas has been a shell of himself, MacKinnon just can’t seem to hit the net off a clean look since sniping the game-tying goal against the Wild in Game 5. Toews, despite just the defensive mistakes, can hit the net when he's in the slot. Nichushkin, who did have that great deflection when he was crashing the net, just can't hit the net on the rush when he's taking a shot. Brock Nelson, like Necas, has just been a shell of himself, just not being able to really do anything on the ice.

MacKinnon, Nelson, Lehkonen, and Nichushkin combined for 3 shots on goal at 5-on-5 in Game 2; that's not acceptable. We have been blessed this regular season and past two rounds with great depth that can, and this is the big word here, SUPPORT, the top lines with goal scoring. 

Vegas has won the two games because their stars are leading them to victories, while their depth is supporting them both offensively and defensively. Marner, Eichel, Dorofeyev, and Barbashev are leading the team in points, but they're also getting production from guys like Ben Hutton, Colton Sissons, and Brandon Saad. The Avalanche isn’t getting that from their stars so far this series.

Avalanche Defense Must Prove Their Worth In Cale Makar AbsenceAvalanche Defense Must Prove Their Worth In Cale Makar AbsenceWith superstar defenseman Cale Makar sidelined against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche needs to rely on their depth and their veterans to elevate their game to prevent a 2-0 series deficit.

MacKinnon hasn’t been selfish enough with the puck, looking to make more shots on goal. Necas needs to do the same if there isn’t a passing lane. Nelson’s two-way game has just vanished, offensively even more, with him only having two goals all playoffs. Nazem Kadri needs to generate more offense, go infront of the net, and be a menace.

It's good to see Burns and Colton, and the depth guys, contributing to the offense. When push comes to shove, the Avalanche top-six is either going to be the reason this team comes back from 0-2 and advances to the Stanley Cup Finals, or is eliminated from the playoffs, and the excuse won’t just be “well, they didn’t have Cale Makar”.

Avalanche Collapse Late As Golden Knights Flip Western Final In MinutesAvalanche Collapse Late As Golden Knights Flip Western Final In MinutesJack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored just 2:07 apart in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights erased a late deficit and stunned the Colorado Avalanche 3–1 in Game 2 to take a commanding 2–0 series lead.

Where to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Saturday, May 23

The Los Angeles Dodgers, ranked first in the NL West with a 31-20 record, face the Milwaukee Brewers, who are first in the NL Central with a 30-18 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -120 moneyline compared to the Milwaukee Brewers' +100. Starting pitchers are Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles, with a 5.09 ERA, and Robert Gasser for Milwaukee, with a 4.50 ERA.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers: 31-20 (first in NL West)

  • Milwaukee Brewers: 30-18 (first in NL Central)

  • Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

  • Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers +100 / Los Angeles Dodgers -120

  • Over/Under: 9.0

Los Angeles Dodgers: Roki Sasaki (2-3, ERA: 5.09, K: 39, WHIP: 1.45)

Milwaukee Brewers: Robert Gasser (0-0, ERA: 4.50, K: 3, WHIP: 1.25)

Weather: 56°F at first pitch

Minor league update for 5/22/26

PILA - GRESSAN, ITALY - MAY 23: Jan Hirt of Czech Republic and Team NSN Cycling competes in the breakaway during the 109th Giro d'Italia 2026, Stage 14 a 133km stage from Aosta to Pila - Gressan 1789m / #UCIWT / on May 23, 2026 in Pila - Gressan, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry allowed two runs in 4.1 IP, strking out six, walking one and giving up a homer. Michael Trausch struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning.

Hector Osorio doubled, walked twice, and stole a base. Yolfran Castillo had a walk and two stolen bases. Paulino Santana had a double and a walk.

Hickory box score

Hub City was rained out.

Frisco starter Winston Santos struck out five and walked three in five innings, giving up three runs. Wilian Bormie struck out two in a shutout inning.

Dylan Dreiling had a single and a double. Keith Jones II was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Cody Freeman continued his rehab assignment, and was 0 for 3 while playing third base before being lifted late in the game.

Frisco box score

Josh Stephan started for Round Rock and it didn’t go well, as he allowed 11 runs in 4.1 IP, including three home runs, walking three and striking out two. Veteran Joe Ross, the brother of former Ranger Tyson Ross, was just signed to a minor league deal by the Rangers, and gave up three runs in 1.2 IP, including a home run by Nick Solak, walking one and striking out one. Thomas Ireland walked one and struck out one in two shutout innings.

Round Rock box score

Caden Scarborough continued his rehab assignment with the ACL Rangers, striking out two in 2.1 IP while allowing two runs.

ACL Rangers box score

Giro d’Italia: Jonas Vingegaard grabs pink jersey with solo summit stage win

  • Dane earns third stage win of this year’s race in Alps

  • Visma-Lease a Bike rider set to win Giro at first attempt

Jonas Vingegaard took the Giro d’Italia leader’s pink jersey for the first time after completing a hat-trick of stage wins, the race favourite soloed to the summit to take stage 14, proving too strong for his rivals in the Alps.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, already successful on the summit finishes on stages seven and nine and, aiming to become the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours, attacked with less than 5km left of the gruelling 133km ride from Aosta to Pila. The Dane looks set to win the Giro at his first attempt.

Continue reading...

Snake Bytes 5/23: Start a New Streak

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 22: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks to the on deck circle during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on May 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 3-2. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks Have Win Streak Snapped
Of course it would be the lowly Rockies that gave the Diamondbacks fits on Friday.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Exits Game with Hamstring Tightness
The veteran suffered a torn right ACL on Sept. 1, 2025, having to be carted off at Chase Field to end his campaign. Gurriel worked tirelessly to come back sooner than expected, and he made his 2026 debut on April 18.

Without Whiffs, Gallen Needs to Evolve
Can Gallen find renewed effectiveness despite a less effective fastball?

Diamondbacks’ Win Streak Comes to Unfortunate End
Michael Soroka deserved better than he got on Friday.

Other Baseball News

The Angels Need to Face Reality
It’s time for the Angels to overhaul the roster. That overhaul should start today, not in August.

Cole Tosses Six Shutout Innings in Return to Mound
The last time Gerrit Cole threw a competitive inning was October 30, 2024 – Game 5 of that season’s World Series.

Miguel Andújar’s Contract Has Been a Major Win for the Padres
The 31-year-old veteran is quietly putting together an impressive, consistent offensive season for the Padres as they seek to challenge the Dodgers for the NL West crown.

What We Learned from the Spurs Game 3 loss to the Thunder

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 22: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Three of the Western Conference Finals on May 22, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In an effort to calm my nerves before the game on Friday, I went to an art museum.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for other than a distraction. Anything to stop myself from listening to one more increasingly obscure basketball podcast.

The exhibit on display was titled “International Surrealism: 50 Years of Dreams,” something I was passingly familiar with in the sense that if someone asked me if I know what surrealism was I’d say, “sure” and then if they pressed me on it, I’d probably go on to say, “It’s like, when something is surreal.”

Now, as I learned during this rainy afternoon stroll through the Frist Museum in Nashville, the artistic movement grew out of Paris in the 1920s, and its practitioners were super into the teachings of Freud, obsessed with the unconscious mind. However, where Freud was interested in this concept for therapeutic purposes, the surrealists were more like, “sure man, whatever, but what if we actually just used it to unlock the mysteries of the universe? Or at the very least, maybe paint some cool stuff?”

I passed through the galleries, nodding along, armed with my newfound knowledge and ready to be enlightened or inspired. I saw shapes. I saw colors. I saw sculptures. I then turned a corner and was, all of a sudden, alone in a room with Salvador Dalí’s Autumnal Cannibalism.

Like most things with Dalí, it was weird.

This painting…it’s somehow bright and yet muted, vivid and yet enshrouded in this deep grey darkness that pulls everything in the landscape towards it. Two figures, front and center, are locked together in some kind of unholy embrace, consuming each other. It’s somehow violent and peaceful at the same time. They’re melting into each other. I still don’t even know what I was really looking at, but it held me there for a long time, locked in that same embrace.


As the Spurs raced out to that 15-0 lead in the first quarter, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. It was exactly what I wanted. I’d spent two days obsessing with how the Spurs were going to respond to that Game 2 loss and this was the stuff dreams were made of. Our guys were everywhere. The Thunder looked like they couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t a shot that wouldn’t fall. A pass we couldn’t steal. Every single person in the crowd seemed like they were about to exit the physical realm and spend the rest of the game having to astral project into the AT&T Center.

The furthest reaches of my DNA felt like they were on fire. Flames were shooting out of my ears. I could feel my body shaking. I think I’ll remember that stretch of basketball for the rest of my life. I’ve never seen anything like it. When Hartenstein finally hit a floater, I thought to myself, surely, the game has got to be wrapping up soon considering I’ve lived a thousand different lifetimes since tipoff. I’d been to the molten core of the earth. I’d travelled to the outer reaches of the cosmos. I’d traversed through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Surely, Mike Tirico was moments away from telling us, “So long, from San Antonio.”

It had been 4 minutes.

Four. Minutes.

I just wasn’t sure what to do with that information. My brain couldn’t process it. The Spurs had done it, you know? They’d figured out how to beat the Thunder and they’d gone out there and done it. Who cares if they’d taken care of the job in only four minutes? Stop the count. This was over. It had to be.

I spent the rest of the game, as I’m sure most of you did, melting into the floor, the euphoria slowly draining from my body as the cold realization came into focus that this thing was unraveling in front of us. It wasn’t even some kind of spectacular blow up, just a mundane, systematic dismantling of everything we’d built. The Thunder had grabbed ahold of the thread, and walked away.

Lying on the floor, lying on the floor, we’d come undone.


Surrealism, at its core, is the belief that two contradictory things can be simultaneously, uncomfortably true.

Something can be beautiful and horrible at the same time, occupying the same space. Terrifying and comforting. Completely fictional and utterly real.

It can be a pipe, even when it’s not.

I keep thinking about those two figures in the Dalí painting. Huge. Looming over everything. The act of destroying each other is grotesque in nature, but feels at home in their warped reality. Like they were meant to be here all along. The closer you look at it though, the more you realize the endgame. This isn’t a fair exchange between equals, not really. They take from each other, sure, but the darkness is overwhelming the light, threatening to consume it all.

The Spurs and Thunder are devouring each other in these games. It was a fight that, two days ago, felt like it was on equal ground. Today it’s starting to feel like the Thunder are absorbing everything the Spurs have to offer and the Spurs are simply trying to hold their shape.

It doesn’t feel like this can be the end. It doesn’t feel like it should be. Not yet.

Then again, none of this was the way it was supposed to go in the first place. The Spurs weren’t supposed to be this good, this fast. They weren’t supposed to get the 2 seed. They weren’t supposed to be able to challenge the Thunder. They weren’t supposed to be ready for any of this.

The Spurs are as good as we think they are. The Spurs are not as good as we thought.
The Spurs are flawed.
The Spurs are perfect.

I watched the Spurs go up 15-0 and then I watched them lose 123-108. I’m being asked to tell you which one was real.

The answer, as best I can tell, is both.


Takeaways
  • It feels pretty simple really. Guys just didn’t have their legs. I know that’s just my uneducated, guy on the couch analysis but like, were any of you seeing something else going on out there? Shots that normally drop were coming up short. Drives that usually end at the rim were stalling out. Things I’ve seen the Spurs execute all season long, including against this very same Thunder team, just weren’t working. I don’t think there’s an issue with our schemes or our talent or our heart. Like, we’re good on those fronts. We’re just out of gas. Again, it feels pretty simple.
  • The Thunder are really good. (barf). They remind me of watching Novak Djokovic play tennis. (barf). Making them bleed only seems to steel their resolve. You can take a set off them, sure, but they have these wells of energy fueled by spite that seem to endlessly spring forth whenever they need them. They are mechanical and brutal and technically perfect. They are taking something beautiful, tearing it down to the studs, and showing us how it works. I hate it. I’m offended to my very core. Congrats to them on the enormity of their success.
  • Alex Caruso makes me want to throw rotting fruit at passing cars just so that someone else in the world can experience my pain. That’s right. Every time Caruso hits a three it feels like a moldy peach just slammed into my windshield while I was trying to change lanes on the interstate. If this series goes 7 I might have to go take a walk every time he checks into the game.
  • I really wish I had something more substantive to give you from an analysis perspective, but if we’re being real, I do not want to think critically about this thing any more than I have to. I don’t want to see the stats. I don’t want to see the highlights. I don’t want to see the tweets or the pods or the shows. Nothing. In fact, as soon as I hit publish on this thing I’m going to endeavor to never think about this game again for as long as I live. Cheers.

WWL Post Game Press Conference

What goes into the decision to start a recap like this with a total non sequitur?

Well. See. What happened was that the game ended and I immediately sat down at my computer and started typing in an effort to avoid having to sit, think, and process what I had just watched.

So you sat down and started typing your piece, a piece that is, by nature, designed to help Spurs fans process their feelings about the game, in an effort to avoid processing your own feelings about the game?

That’s right.

So it wasn’t intentional to spend 400 words recapping your field trip to the museum instead of the Spurs game, it’s just what came out?

That’s right. Look, I knew I would have to talk about the Spurs eventually, but I also knew I wasn’t ready to do that yet so I decided to let my subconscious take a little walk before we got there. See what that turned up.

Honestly, that feels like it’s pretty in line with something the surrealists would approve of.

Their approval means the world to me.

Speaking of looking for approval, some guy in the comments of your last piece called your writing “middle school girl sludge.” How did that make you feel?

Hey, if I could actually ever write something with half the ethos, pathos, or logos of a middle school girl I’d basically pack up shop and call it a career.

So, really, he paid you a compliment?

It can be both.

Cavaliers vs Knicks — Game 3 ECF — predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends, best bets on May 23

The Knicks took Game 2 in commanding fashion, 109-93. New York is up 2-0 as the series heads to Cleveland. The Cavaliers are 6-1 in their seven home playoff games, but lost the last one in Detroit (Game 6).

New York has won nine straight games in the playoffs and eight of those have come by double digits. The Knicks are 4-1 on the road and won four straight. Josh Hart scored a game-high 26 points in Game 2, while all five Knicks scored in double figures. Both teams had a combined 14 turnovers, but the biggest difference was 32 assists for the Knicks to 15 for the Cavaliers. The Knicks will look for that pass-first well-balanced offense in Game 3 to extend their winning streak to 10 straight and five consecutive on the road.

Cleveland will rely on home cooking if they want to extend this series past Monday. The Cavaliers are posting a 117.6 offensive rating at home to go along with 114.6 points per game versus 107.3 on the road and 104.4 points per game. Donovan Mitchell scored 29 and 26 points in Games 1 and 2 of the series, while James Harden dropped 15 and 18 on 35.5% from the field. The rest of the Cavaliers offense will be taxed with stepping up at home alongside Mitchell and Harden.

Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. 

Game Details and How to Watch Live: Cavaliers vs. Knicks

  • Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
  • Time: 8:10 PM EST
  • Site: Rocket Arena
  • City: Cleveland, OH
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game Odds: Cavaliers vs. Knicks

The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: New York Knicks (+110), Cleveland Cavaliers (-130)
  • Spread: Cavaliers -2.5
  • Total: 214.5 points

This game opened Cavaliers -1.5 with the Total set at 213.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers vs. Knicks

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • PG James Harden
  • SG Donovan Mitchell
  • SF Dean Wade
  • PF Evan Mobley
  • Jarrett Allen

New York Knicks

  • PG Jalen Brunson
  • SG Josh Hart
  • SF Mikal Bridges
  • PF OG Anunoby
  • Karl-Anthony Towns

Injury Report: Knicks vs. Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

New York Knicks

  • None

Important stats, trends and insights: Cavaliers vs. Knicks

  • New York is 53-42 ATS
  • New York is 51-44 to the Under
  • New York is 7-8 ATS as a road underdog and 6-9 on the ML
  • New York is an NBA-best 11-4 to the Under as a road underdog
  • Cleveland has the second worst ATS record at 39-58
  • Cleveland is 49-49 to the Under on the season
  • Cleveland is 21-27 ATS at home, ranking second-worst
  • Cleveland is 26-22 to the Under at home

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Cavaliers and Knicks’ game:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Cavaliers’ Moneyline
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Cavaliers -2.5 ATS
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 214.5

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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Knicks Bulletin: ‘We gotta keep playing desperate. Keep doing what we doing’

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 21: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against Sam Merrill #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter 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 Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images

First road game of the Eastern Conference Finals for your New York Knickerbockers.

Will the Cavs just bend, or will they molly-break?

Here’s the latest from a wide variety of Knicks-related personalities.

Mike Brown

On the overall Game 2 performance:

“A lot of of guys stepped up; Jalen [Brunson] had a double-double. They’re sending double teams at him, and he has 14 assists. And again, he did what he was supposed to do. KAT with a double-double, 18 points, very efficient shooting and 13 rebounds. Mikal [Bridges] was huge: 19 points, especially catching the ball in the pocket versus their double teams or their tilts. OG was awesome, too. And then, Josh — we had 32 assists on 44 buckets. Josh had seven assists, one turnover, and 33 plus minutes.”

Mikal Bridges

On entering Game 3 with a 2-0 lead:

“We gotta keep playing desperate. Keep doing what we doing, keep playing desperate no matter what the situation is. To us, it’s 0-0.”

On his mental toughness amid his early postseason struggles:

“I know it’s tough, but you gotta be great at whatever you gotta do. A lot of toughness comes from the mental part, and I think I’ve been raised the right way, been coached by a lot of great coaches who talked a lot about mental toughness.”

On his big-game experience having played those in college and past NBA seasons:

“Especially being here last year, just know what it takes, learning from that—you got to be real grateful for be in these moments, and don’t take it for granted. Take every possession by possession, don’t skip a possession, don’t skip a play. Go out there and give all you got, because it’s not easy to get here and you’re not guaranteed to be here all the time.”

On Josh Hart’s toughness:

“Josh is always tough on himself, cause he wants to be great, he really does. That’s gonna be tough sometimes when you struggle. He’s been like that ever since I’ve known him, so I don’t think there’s been a change that he started to change himself if he got upset or anything. I think he’s always been mentally tough and he’s showing it.”

Jalen Brunson

On how defense sparked a sublime transition offense in Game 2:

“I think we were able to get stops and run and get easy baskets. So our offense is definitely — the way we were able to play in transition was a credit to our defense.”

On the Knicks’ growth during the playoff run:

“I think the most important thing is that we’re growing and learning together. No matter what the situation is, whatever the series is or whatever, we’re open to learning, we’re open to getting better, open to figuring out how to win games, trusting each other. So it’s a lot of different things, but I think the most important thing no matter what is that we’re sticking together.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On what the Knicks need to do in Game 3:
“We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta. We just gotta shoot the ball well.”

On Jalen Brunson’s leadership:

“He’s our cap. He knows when we need to be told something and when we don’t need to be told something and let the game play itself out. He’s done a great job, and we have a tremendous belief in him.”

On Mikal Bridges’ role within the Knicks:

“There is little worry in the locker room about Mikal. He does a lot of things that don’t end up on the stat sheet, that he doesn’t get credit for. Right now, the stat sheet’s giving him the credit for it, but we always know the impact he has on our team.”

On staying grounded even being up 2-0:

“We don’t feel any closer than we did last game or any game. In our minds, it’s back to 0-0. We gotta win the next game, it’s the most important game of the year. That’s how we treat it. We’re hungry to go out there and play basketball at the highest level. But we also understand that you can never be satisfied in these positions in the playoffs. The mindset is gonna continue to be 0-0 every single time we step on that court.”

Kenny Atkinson

On praising Donovan Mitchell’s leadership:

“Not just your on court, but your leadership. Your positivity when things were really not going great. Whether we won or lost tonight, we never celebrate you in these things – you don’t want that, you don’t want the praise – but tonight you deserve the praise.”

On leaning heavily on Mitchell:

“I know I leaned on him. That’s the first place to go when you’re struggling, to your leader. We had a lot of conversations, just talking through things, how we can get this thing back on track. And again, he never kind of swayed towards the negative.”

Donovan Mitchell

On staying calm being down 0-2 to New York:

“I’m not sitting here like, oh man, scrambling and trying to figure things out. At the end of the day, we make some shots, we’ll be in good shape. … We’ll make our adjustments. We’ll be at home and protect home court.”

On avoiding discouragement:

“No need to get discouraged. We just got to go to Cleveland and handle business.”

On Cleveland’s experience falling behind in other postseasonseries:

“I think it helps, from a mentality standpoint, this isn’t our first time at it. This isn’t our first time facing adversity, we’ve been to two Game 7s. So being down 2-0, it’s not the biggest challenge. It’s right here, so let’s go ahead and take advantage of it. I understand that they’re gonna make adjustments, we are as well. … It’s really as simple as we have to protect home court, that’s really it.”

On the foundation built through work:

“It’s the work you put in. In tough moments, in anything, life or the game, if you don’t have anything to pull from, if you don’t have a foundation or something that you work hard at – Kenny was stressing that throughout the whole playoffs, it’s like, ‘This is why we work harder. This is why we’ve did the extra sprints. These are all the things that we’ve done.’ This is why you do those things. So you don’t waver.”

Evan Mobley

On the Cavaliers having dealt with adversity before:

“We’ve been here before. We know what it takes.”

Jarrett Allen

On Cleveland’s gamble leaving Josh Hart open:

“Sometimes the plan doesn’t go to plan. He got hot, not even at the three-point line. He did everything on offense for them. Kudos to him for changing the game and having an impact in a different way.”

Dan Gilbert

On rallying Cavaliers fans after going down 0-2:

“OK Cavs fans, feel familiar? Clearly it’s not ideal, but we have done this twice already. We go home, win 2 and then it’s a 3-game series and we win it in 6 or 7. Keep believing. Let Em **C**** Know?”

Jeremy Lin

On supporting Karl-Anthony Towns during the Knicks’ playoff run:

“I haven’t been back to the Garden since Linsanity…Finally could make a game…but Knicks swept Sixers so I didn’t get to go to Game 5…My outfit was gonna be a KAT jersey…I’m a big supporter of KAT.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

On Josh Hart’s Game 2 performance:

“I don’t think anyone in sports in general doesn’t have respect for that guy — even if they aren’t in New York. To be able to come back at a time like this, in the playoffs, and do what he did? That’s kind of legendary.”

On his friendship with Hart in New York:

“We’re just two athletes who understand New York and are trying to learn a little bit more about New York: the excitement of it, the way the city moves and the way the city works. When he has a good game, I’ll hit him up. I was supposed to call him today to see how he’s feeling but I’m late.”

On the possibility of a Knicks-Yankees title year:

“For the city, it would be cool to have a Knicks-Yankees NBA Finals-World Series thing in the same year.”

On bonding with Knicks players:

“Those are my guys over there. It’s pretty cool to have a friendship in the same city.”

Metta World Peace

On predicting a Knicks championship:

“They’re going to win it. I think this is going to be the time. I knew I wanted to see it in my lifetime, and it feels like Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs right now even though [San Antonio’s Victor] Wembanyama is really good. But right now, Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs.”

On his loyalty to the Indiana Pacers:

“With the Pacers, when somebody hold you and your family down, you’re always going to be in debt. So it’s the Pacers, for sure. Because people were trying to really harm me physically, and the city and the coaches and the players, they had my back. So that’s just like Queensbridge-type s–t.”

On what a Knicks title would mean for New York:

“S–t, you already know what it’s going to be. The city is about to be all turned up. It’s about to be turned upside down. Just be ready to pay that big bill, New York City. The energy — it’s time. We’ve been waiting for this.”

On Jalen Brunson’s potential legacy with a title:

“He’d get a statue. He’d be the best Knicks player ever. … If he wins the title in this era, with these players, players playing against him right now like SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] and Wembanyama — it’s never been this difficult.”

On missing his chance to lead the Knicks to a title:

“I wanted to be the one to bring the Knicks back and be a real core piece in my prime. Being the Defensive Player of the Year in the Garden, I just felt like that would’ve been a helluva — if you would’ve come to the Garden with me on the other side in my prime, good luck to you. I’m always going to go back to me, personally. But for the Knicks to win the championship now, you can’t take it away from nobody. You can’t take it away from anybody from New York. You can’t take it away from the players. You can’t take it away from the coaches. You can’t take it away from the owners. You can’t take it away from the fans. We want to see that because we’re from New York.”

Walt Frazier

On James Harden’s legacy in this series:

“This is where Harden is now. He’s come to the fork in the road. Which way is he going to go? His legacy is on the line. If he gets torched again, he’s done. His career is over. This is all people are going to remember, this series. Not what he did in the regular season, but what he did in the playoffs.”

On how Kenny Atkinson should handle Harden:

“So if I’m Kenny Atkinson, I put Harden back in the game [in crunch time]. I don’t punish him, I encourage him. When we were in the playoffs and we were playing the Bullets, Red Holzman pulled me in the corner [and said], ‘Hey, Clyde, forget about offense, just focus on defense on Earl [Monroe]. Forget about offense. Don’t think about offense.’ Explore More If I’m Kenny Atkinson, I go to Harden, and say, ‘Hey, man, I’m putting you back in there. This is why we acquired you. Look at your career. I know what you’ve done, you can do it.’ I leave it all up to him. This is what coach [Mike] Brown did to [Mikal] Bridges. Remember when Bridges was floundering? Everybody said take him out of the lineup. He didn’t take him out; [he] put him out there and now look at what Bridges is doing.”

Rick Brunson

On Jalen being around him daily when coaching began:

“It was new because my dad was there all the time now. He’s here every day with me, and we’re starting to actually work on my game.”

On Jalen’s early seriousness about basketball:

“This was a job for him, this is what he wanted. I didn’t know where it would go from there, but I knew he was serious about it. Most kids play, go home and enjoy the rest of the day. He cared about winning and losing. Losing bothered him. He wanted to be perfect, he wanted to play well, he wanted to win.”

On pushing Jalen in workouts:

“I wanted to see if he would fold or if he would keep coming back. Are you going to give in? Are you going to talk back? Or are you just going to work and keep showing that you can do it? I would always tell him, ‘This is what a college coach is going to do — the difference is I love you, he doesn’t.’”

On Jalen responding to pressure:

“He kept coming back. He wanted to prove me wrong.”

On Jalen’s physical limitations and mental edge:

“He didn’t have the athleticism. He didn’t have the size. So what gets you over? Mental toughness, hard work and being very, very skilled.”

On wanting Jalen under the radar in New York:

“I didn’t want him to be great, just solid. Go under-the-radar but be respected. Maybe he didn’t get credit for the winning, but he wasn’t going to get blamed for the losing. Remember, I’m a father first, coach second.”

On soaking in the Garden atmosphere:

“I want to be around it and embrace it. I want to smell it. I want to be a part of it.”

On watching Jalen’s introductions:

“I take time to look around the arena, and it’s a surreal feeling. That he’s here on this stage, (the fan reaction) never gets old.”

On advising Jalen during a slump in Utah:

“I said, ‘Hey man, everything’s good. You’re playing well, you’re playing a good floor game. You’re just missing your shots, so now you’ve got to concentrate on why you’re missing. You’ve got to do more of everything — exaggerate your follow-through, exaggerate how high you jump, exaggerate the ball coming off your finger. You’ve got to walk that ball to the hole. You’ve got to visualize it. You’ve got to come out in the second half and just get back to who you are. I’ve seen you go 6-for-6, 7-for-7 in a half. You’ve got to block out what happened in the first half.’”

On challenging Jalen during a game in Toronto:

“He starts yelling back and I said, ‘You need to shut the f–k up and let me coach you. Don’t get too good to let me coach you. Because if you don’t want me to coach you, I won’t say s–t. You’ve got to play harder, you’re bulls–ting.’”

On Jalen’s response afterward:

“Afterward he said, ‘You’re right. I needed that,’”

On what matters most:

“It’s about winning. That’s all I care about. One of my closest friends is the (team) president — I want to win for him; I want to win for myself; I want to win for my son.”

Stephen A. Smith

On being worried about the Knicks’ chances against both Western Conference contenders:

“Because when I look at Oklahoma City and San Antonio, I see the two best teams in basketball. Now, there some that believe that Knicks would lose to OKC. I’m one of those people. But that they would beat San Antonio. I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure and it ain’t because of Wemby. If you got all your ducks in order, if De’Aaron Fox can play… San Antonio and OKC are probably the two best teams in basketball.”

On San Antonio’s guard depth:

“It’s because of Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper and [Julian] Champagnie and Sixth Man of the Year, Keldon Johnson. I mean San Antonio’s got weapons all over the place at the guard spot, maybe not the point guard spot because of De’Aaron Fox being out, Stephon Castle has on-ball responsibilities and he’s had 20 turnovers in the first two games.”

Jaxson Dart

On dreaming of similar success for the Giants:

“I mean, I’ve been dreaming about that since the day I got drafted here. Those are conversations I even had with Coach Harbaugh before he even took the job here. I think everybody in the facility wants that. We’re all supporting the Knicks right now and what they’re doing. It’s been really cool to see. We want that for ourselves as well.”

On New York as the best place to win:

“It was very prevalent last year as well … but this year I think they’re on a whole ’nother level. This is the best place to be to win.”

On attending playoff games at the Garden:

“I would like to … only thing is some of those games are really late.”

Astros Prospect Report: May 22nd

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 21: Josh Wakefield, Mason Lytle, and Tyler Whitaker of the Houston Astros celebrate in the outfield after the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (21-28) won 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the 3rd inning scoring a run on error. The offense would rally for a huge inning scoring 6 runs in the 5th inning on a Biggio RBI single, Whitcomb RBI single, 2 runs scoring on an error, Strahm RBI single and a Thomas sac fly. Hendrickson got the start and pitched really well allowing 1 run over 6 innings of work. The pen allowed a few runs late but Murray held on for the save as Sugar Land won 7-6.

Note: Hendrickson has a 2.70 ERA this season.


AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (19-24) lost 5-2 (BOX SCORE)

Swanson got the start and went 3.2 innings allowing 1 run, though he walked 5. The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Sullivan solo home run. In the 4th, the Hooks took the lead on an Encarnacion RBI double. McLoughlin allowed a 3 run home run and the Hooks offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 5-2.

Note: Sullivan has 9 HR, 12 SB this season.


A+: Asheville Tourists (9-33) POSTPONED

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (19-24) won 7-5 (BOX SCORE

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring a run on a Wakefield RBI single. Weber got the start and went 4.1 innings allowing 3 runs, though just one earned, while striking out 6 batters. The offense rallied for 2 runs in the 6th on a disengagement violation and Moss RBI single. They scored 3 more runs in the 7th on a Sierra RBI single and Moss 2 run single. Alvarez added a sac fly in the 8th. Serrano went the final 4.2 allowing 2 run, none earned, as he closed out the 7-5 win.

Note: Wakefield has 19 SB this season.


Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 8:37 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 7:05 CT

AV: TBD – 6:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

Addi Drury: The Future of Stock Contracting

One of the most important parts of the bull riding industry is the stock contractors who raise, maintain, and supply the bucking bulls to the arena. The PBR works with many different contractors, each one supplying its own unique bulls. Recently, there has been a new stock contractor to enter the business who has simply left the rodeo community in awe. Her name is Addi Drury.

This 16-year-old has taken over her dad’s ranch, Nothin But try Ranch, and taken the world by storm. Not only is she supplying the PBR with some of the best bucking bulls in the world, she is doing so while re-writing the narrative for what stock contractors will look like. A major part of this impact is her deep love and affection for the bulls, and how she has been able to showcase the sweeter, tamer side of these rank athletes, showing the world that even the toughest bucking bulls are still gentle in nature.

This love for her bulls started at a very young age, as Addi grew up around bulls and the rodeo community. She would always help her dad around the ranch, especially with the bulls. One bull in particular, however, stands out to the pages of Addi’s history: Hard Labor. As a calf, this bull had issues nursing, so Addi would spend hours caring for him. She quickly began to call this bull her best friend, and their bond was undeniable. This sweet, gentle bull, however, was one of PBR’s best bucking bulls. This contrast in personality from home to the arena is one that rodeo fans rarely get to see. However, as Addi began to take on a more present role in the stock contracting, she brought with her a very open display of her level of care for these bulls.

Furthermore, Addi has caught the eye of the rodeo community because, at such a young age, she has already made a prominent name for herself in the arena as a “bull-whisperer”. Her deep love for the animals she raises has opened the eyes of many, allowing them to see the true gentle nature of these bulls when they are outside of the arena. This reinforces the fact that the bulls are not simply animals, but athletes. Just like the riders, they have a job to do, and they love doing it.

Addi does her job extremely well, raising her bulls to be strong-performing athletes. But she does this without removing her caring nature and love for her friends (the bulls) in the process. As she continues her career as a stock contractor, Addi Drury is undeniably laying the foundations for the future of stock contracting. Her openness with her process and level of care has shown the world a new side of the rodeo industry that won’t simply fade away. As new stock contractors move into the arena, we are sure to see a lot more who chose to live and work like Addi: with love and care for her bulls.