The Bell Centre was just as loud for game 4 as it was for game 3 of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Washington Capitals, when poor Michel Lacroix tried to announce the anthems, he was drowned out by a very loud “Ole, ole, ole” chant, and you could feel the electricity in the air. To everyone’s surprise, goaltender Logan Thompson was back in the net, while Jakub Dobes was defending the Habs’ cage.
Asked about what happened in game three, Thompson explained:
I kind of got my bell rung a bit there. It was scary; it definitely could have been a lot worse, but coming back from injury and doing some protocol, I lost my balance getting up. Luckily, things were ok, and I was able to play.
- Thompson on Friday night's injury.
There was no mention of what looked like a knee injury on the play, whether that’s just playoff secrecy or if it was just a big scare, we’ll never know.
After the NHL warned both teams to watch themselves with the extracurricular activities, the referees seemed to want to play a bigger part in the game and establish limits early, calling three penalties in the first frame alone. They added another five in the second, including three against the Canadiens that did not go down well in the Bell Center.
Defending Ovechkin On The Power Play
The Canadiens had a new way to defend against Alexander Ovechkin tonight on the power play. Often, they isolated the Caps’ captain. The Russian sniper stands around waiting for the puck, making it easy to stand right before him to cut off any potential pass.
Montreal decided to do it very closely, almost forcing him out of the play. They sacrificed a player and had to defend four-on-three on the rest of the ice, but it worked well. It would have been a different story had it not been for Dobes’ heroics; the young netminder stole at least three goals on the penalty kill.
Twice, his side-to-side displacement was perfect to stop one-timers, and once, he made a glove save low nearside that looked like a definite goal. The Habs had three penalties in the second frame, but they still came out of the period with two goals on four shots.
The Future Is Now
With Patrik Laine still out of action, the newly formed first power play unit got more ice time, and it became evident that Ivan Demidov could be a key cog of the Canadiens’ man advantage.
The first unit scored the Canadiens two goals tonight, and Demidov shone brightly on each. The youngster has excellent hands and repeatedly dazzled the Bell Centre crowd. On the first goal, he evaded his coverage with a couple of nifty moves, got behind the net, saw Juraj Slafkovsky on the doorstep, and just like that, the puck was behind Tompson.
On the second goal, he got the secondary assist, but it was his puck possession skills that allowed the Canadiens to keep possession and set up properly, allowing Cole Caufield to give Montreal a 2-1 lead.
Hitting The Wall
The Canadiens were less than 17 minutes away from tying the series at two a piece when Tom Wilson rocked Alex Carrier with a big hit and gained puck possession for the Caps. Seconds later, after the puck went up in the air and dropped in front of Dobes, Brandon Duhaime tapped it to tie up the score.
Asked if the Canadiens tried to talk to him after his hit on Carrier and if he just skated away, Wilson explained:
It’s a loud building, there’s a lot of emotion, the last game was really chaotic, and speaking to the coaches and a lot of people that I trust over the last couple of days, it’s good for me to be on the ice. I can’t be sitting in the box for 14 minutes. In the first game, I get coincidental, and I’m in the box for eight to nine minutes, so I want to be on the ice and control my emotions. It’s a tough building to do that, it’s one of the best building in the NHL for a reason, it’s loud, the fans are passionate, it’s one of those buildings you love to play in as a player, it’s stuff you’ll remember when your career is done, but you want to keep your emotions in check.
- Tom Wilson on why he skated away.
From then on, it was a different game. The Canadiens looked somewhat shaken up, and with under four minutes to go, Andrew Mangiapane unleashed a heavy wrister from the high slot that beat Dobes glove side.
Martin St-Louis pulled his goalie early on an offensive zone faceoff, and the Canadiens lost possession. This led to Duhaime getting his second in an empty net. Wilson added another one later, still in an empty cage, to give the Caps a 3-1 series lead.
The coach looked somewhat dejected after the game:
I feel bad for the group a bit; I don’t really know what to tell them. If you have some answers for me, let me know.
-
St-Louis looked more like a player than a coach for the first time this season when providing that answer. Asked why he didn’t know what to say to his players, he answered:
I don’t know…It’s hard…I’ll be careful with my words but, it’s hard to watch some of these calls. Tonight, the mandate was about embellishing.
-
Every morning, the GM meets with the person in charge of the referees and is told what the zebras will be trying to crack down on during the game. On Sunday morning, Kent Hughes was told the zebras would be trying to eradicate embellishment. Listening to the coach, he clearly felt like that wasn’t accomplished. One can imagine he was referring to the high-sticking call on Christian Dvorak, which infuriated the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens now have a few days to lick off their wounds before heading to Washington for game five which will be held on Wednesday night.
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As a pending restricted free agent, Helge Grans has done about as much as he possibly can to force his name onto the Philadelphia Flyers roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Grans, 22, made his NHL debut for the Flyers in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 18, filling in for the then-injured Jamie Drysdale for six games.
Next season, Grans will have an opportunity to reprise his role as the injury understudy with Rasmus Ristolainen set to miss roughly six months following his surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon in his right arm.
The first step for Grans, of course, is earning a new contract with the Flyers, who concluded the season with just six healthy defensemen on their roster.
Cam York and Travis Sanheim, two left-shots, played most of the season together on the Flyers' top defense pair. Youngsters Emil Andrae and Egor Zamula ended the season on a pair together. As a result of Ristolainen's latest injury, the Flyers have had a difficult time striking some balance on the back end.
The same was true last season, too. Ristolainen was limited to just 31 games and Sean Walker was traded to Colorado, leaving Philadelphia with Erik Johnson and Drysdale as their only two right-shot options.
At the time, Grans was not even being considered for a role in the NHL and was even benched by Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs a few weeks later.
The 22-year-old Swede managed just one goal, seven assists, and eight points in 56 games with the Phantoms last year, but the difference a year makes is front and center.
On top of making his NHL debut and scoring his first NHL point for the Flyers, Grans exploded for eight goals, 15 assists, and 23 points in 66 games. He's showing the potential he flashed in the 2021-22 season, when he scored seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in 56 games with the Ontario Reign in his first full season in North America.
It's been a long road for the 6-foot-3 blueliner, who needed to become meaner, more assertive, and more reliable in his own end of the ice. Grans is finally doing that, and he proved to himself that he didn't have to sacrifice his offensive gifts to do it.
Grans scored his first career Calder Cup playoffs goal on Friday, just under a year after watching the Phantoms' last two games of the year from the press box.
Grans used his elite skating to enter the zone, dropping the puck off to Jett Luchanko at the blueline before stick-checking a defender and rotating to set a screen in front of the net.
While Luchanko's pass to Anthony Richard was rebuffed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' goaltender, Grans was in the right place at the right time to swat the rebound into the goal from the ground, scoring the game-winning goal and powering the Phantoms to a 3-2 Game 2 win to sweep the Penguins in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
"He’s a young guy still, but he’s played a number of years because L.A. put him in the American League as a young player. Over the years, from L.A.’s program to now, he’s steadily getting better,” Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr said of Grans in September. “Now he has to find a niche for himself. He’s a tall, rangy guy. He can skate. He can move the puck. He just has to find a way to beat out another player.”
With Ristolainen set to miss all of training camp, Grans might not have to beat out another player to make the Flyers. Keeping his spot from there will be up to him and his play, especially if the Flyers continue to evaluate trade packages for Ristolainen as they have in the past.
Grans's sustained elevated level of performance indicates a motivated player who knows he doesn't have a contract next year and wants to take his talents to the NHL. The ball is now in the Flyers' court.
Zafar Gohar’s half-century helped Middlesex secure a draw against Derbyshire in the only County Championship match in this round to make it to the fourth day
And now Eskinazi slips through the Derbyshire fingers, gloved behind – the ball seems to fly off the gloves of Guest and loop just short of the sprawling close fielders. Derbys 94-1.
“There might be a fight break out or something,” Brown said Friday night. “Because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball, and the refs are not controlling the environment. So, it is what it is.
“If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
While the Magic ended their flagrant foul streak in Sunday’s Game 4, they continued their physical style of play — but this time it cost them. Orlando committed 24 personal fouls, resulting in the Celtics making a season-high 30 free throws on 32 attempts en route to a 107-98 win.
After the game, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley decided to play his own officiating card.
“We were attacking the basket the exact same way,” Mosley told reporters. “Now, we didn’t knock them down when we got there. We had to understand that the calls, the whistle was going to head in that direction after what’s been said. So we have to continue to just be smart there, hold our ground, get positioning earlier and make sure we show our hands.”
Mosley apparently feels that Brown’s comments influenced the officiating in Game 4 and led to Sunday’s discrepancy in free throws (Orlando made just 14 of 20 free throw attempts). So, this appeared to be Mosley’s attempt to lobby the refs ahead of Tuesday’s Game 5 and swing the foul margin closer to the Magic’s favor.
“I always look at our ability to attack the rim. … Them shooting, let’s just say, 26 free throws before the back stretch; you look at those margins and they’re very similar attacks, but it’s not the same foul count,” Mosley said. “Whether that’s the physicality part of it or not, it’s just something we look at.”
Campaigning for calls is par for the course in the NBA playoffs, so Mosley’s comments aren’t too surprising. But they are a validation of Boston’s response to Orlando’s physicality.
After multiple hard fouls by the Magic in the first three games, the Celtics easily could have responded with some message-sending fouls of their own. Instead, they maintained their composure and struck the balance of matching Orlando’s physicality without racking up fouls — especially down the stretch.
The Celtics committed just two personal fouls in the fourth quarter, playing aggressive defense without fouling with the game in the balance. The Magic, meanwhile, racked up eight fouls, leading to 14 free throw attempts for Boston, which made all 14 to ice Game 4.
Jayson Tatum was the primary beneficiary, repeatedly getting to the basket late in the game to make 9 of 9 free throw attempts in the fourth. He finished the night 14-for-14 from the charity stripe with 37 points and a spot in the NBA history books.
“Just poise. Poise. Having an understanding of your environment,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Tatum after the game. “Obviously, some shot-making there, but at the same time, physical drives and getting to the free-throw line.”
The Magic are a very physical team, but Boston’s ability to maintain its poise is a big reason why it owns a 3-1 series lead, and could be moving on to Round 2 as soon as Tuesday. Tip-off for Game 5 at TD Garden is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
SAN FRANCISCO — There was a hell of a reward waiting for the Giants after they finished a stretch of 17 games in 17 days. They flew to San Diego on Sunday evening instead of Monday, giving players, coaches and former Padres manager Bob Melvin a full off day in one of this country’s best cities.
“They’ve really earned it with the way they’ve played baseball during this stretch,” Mike Krukow said on the broadcast Sunday.
As grueling as this stretch was, it’s actually kind of normal for MLB teams this season. The Giants are one of 12 to have a stretch of 17 consecutive games this season, although only them and the Kansas City Royals have had to do it in April. While that would seem to be more difficult given how much time it takes to fully build up starters these days, the Giants actually might have benefited from the timing.
They left camp remarkably healthy, and they have lost just one player — backup infielder Casey Schmitt — to the IL this season. They made their first roster move during the stretch of 17 consecutive games, but that’s still the only one they’ve needed all year.
At some point, the injuries will hit. They always do. But at the moment, the Giants are healthy, happy, and ready to find some good tacos in San Diego. As they head for a well-deserved day off, here are 17 notes from the impressive 17-day stretch, which ended with a 10-7 record and the Giants in first place:
RBI Guy
Wilmer Flores went 4-for-35 on the road trip, but still managed to drive in nine runs in 10 games. The overall production was much better once he returned home, and with a bases-loaded walk Sunday, he finished with 14 RBI over the 17 games. Flores, who missed much of last year with a knee injury, also appeared in every game.
“It’s amazing, especially after last year,” Melvin said of the run production. “It shows you, it doesn’t take ultimate bat speed, it doesn’t take 110 (mph) off the bat to impact the game. His track record of being up there in big situations kind of speaks for itself.”
Flores heads into the off day leading the majors with 28 RBI. He’s one ahead of some guy named Aaron Judge and two ahead of Pete Alonso.
The Little Things
The biggest difference for the Giants early on might be the fact that they’re finally — after years of talking about it — playing fundamentally-sound baseball. They’re ranked seventh in FanGraphs’ all-encompassing baserunning metric and they have made just 10 errors all year, tied for the least in baseball.
The advanced metrics haven’t been as kind, with Outs Above Average ranking them 27th and Defensive Runs Saved also having them in the bottom third, a lot of which is because of a slow start at short. Willy Adames has been worth negative six DRS and negative five OAA.
But overall, the Giants aren’t kicking the ball around nearly as often as they did in previous seasons, and that’s a big step in the right direction. They’re reminded of that every time they watch a team do what the Rangers did Sunday.
2021 Vibes
For 162 games — and 107 wins — four years ago, just about everything went right. It’s hard not to feel like some of that magic has returned. Here’s Exhibit A:
There have been a lot of positives early on, but there are also a few key Giants who can’t wait for the calendar to turn to May.
Adames is hitting .202 and has one homer a year after crushing 32 of them. Patrick Bailey is hitting .164, slugging .247, and still looking for his first homer. Somehow, neither has the lowest OPS of the regulars; LaMonte Wade Jr. is at .460. There are struggles on the bench, too, most notably with Luis Matos, who has two hits in his last 28 at-bats and was 1-for-21 with no walks in six starts during this 17-game stretch.
The Giants are hopeful the off day will clear some heads, and they need it to happen. Winning games with late walk-offs is fun, but at some point the lack of production from key spots is going to catch up to them.
Who’s On First?
With the bases loaded in the first inning Sunday, Wade jumped on a sinker and hit one into the arcade — but it was foul by about 20 feet. Three pitches later, he missed a two-run double by a few feet. Two pitches after that, he smoked a 107 mph liner — right at second baseman Marcus Semien.
When you’re cold, you’re cold, and nobody has had a rougher month than Wade, who lost the leadoff job and is hitting just .110. The Giants will stick with him, in part because there’s simply been a lot of bad luck. Wade’s walk rate is in line with previous years and he has struck out just once in his last eight games after some early concerns. He’s sitting on a .135 BABIP, about 140 points below his career average.
The Giants also will be patient because there are no clear solutions. Schmitt is on the IL, joining Jerar Encarnacion, who will start taking swings this week but isn’t eligible to return until May 23. Veteran Jake Lamb is struggling in Triple-A. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge hit a homer in his first at-bat of the year, but then missed two games with an illness. He’s 2-for-13 so far in Double-A and the Giants plan to be extremely patient with his development.
The starts will continue to be there for Wade, who could use a little luck as he tries to come out of this.
Stressful Job
In New York, two-time All-Star Devin Williams has temporarily been removed from the closer role. In Cleveland, Emmanuel Clase — who finished third in Cy Young voting last year — has a 7.15 ERA.
It’s extremely difficult to find a closer who churns out one strong season after the next, and when those guys falter, there’s no safety net. It often costs you a game, and Ryan Walker lived that at the end of the road trip. Walker gave up four runs in Anaheim and then was pulled after nearly blowing another save against the Brewers, but he looked much better over the weekend, and the Giants are hopeful this will just be a two-game blip.
“I know it’s been a few rough outings in a row but the stuff has been there all year,” Bailey said Saturday. “It happens, it happens to the best of them — and he is one of the best of them.”
Walker’s fastball velocity is right in line with 2024 and his slider has been just about as effective, but hitters are batting .348 against his fastball. He made some mechanical adjustments last week and felt his command got much better, and it seems the Giants avoided any additional questions about their closer.
A Helping Hand
The Giants have the luxury of having a former All-Star closer who wants to return to the ninth at some point, and he shined when Walker needed some backup. Camilo Doval had three saves in the series against the Brewers and picked up the win on Sunday after a clean ninth.
During the 17-game stretch, Doval threw 7 2/3 shutout innings over eight appearances, allowing just one hit with two walks and eight strikeouts. Prior to that, he had allowed runs in three straight appearances.
Walk This Way
Matt Chapman has reached base in 25 of 29 games, including 16 of 17 during this stretch. He drew 18 walks in the 17 games and is tied for the lead in the Majors with Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna with 26.
This is all somewhat new for Chapman, who is 32 and in his ninth big-league season. He is just about doubling his previous best walk rate in the majors and he’s more than double last year’s rate of 9.9 percent.
A Red Flag
The 2025 Giants have a .311 on-base percentage and are slugging .377. The 2024 Giants had a .305 OBP and slugged .396. The 2023 Giants had a .312 OBP and slugged .383.
The Giants averaged 4.6 runs over the 17 games, but their OPS actually was lower than their season-ending mark in each of their last two campaigns. In a lot of ways, this offense isn’t any better than the one that was an issue under the previous regime, but they’ve been good with runners in scoring position and their bullpen has been outstanding, which allowed them to win five one-run games over the past 17 days.
Right now, this is a top-heavy lineup that is leaning very, very heavily on Jung Hoo Lee, Mike Yastrzemski, Chapman and Flores’ ability to drive in runs in key spots. If there’s anything that keeps team officials up at night, even at 19-10, it’s probably this. They’re one or two injuries to key starters away from having one of the worst offenses in the league.
The Long Man
The Giants haven’t made a single move with their pitching staff this season, which is remarkable given how the previous five years looked. Buster Posey wants continuity, and it certainly helped that several starters — especially in Philadelphia — avoided blowups that would have led to a fresh arm being added.
It also helped that Spencer Bivens took on such a heavy workload over these 17 games. The right-hander threw 8 1/3 innings over five outings, and on three occasions he gave Melvin at least six outs. After allowing a run in each of his first three appearances this season, Bivens has given up just two hits over his last five, all of which have been scoreless.
Birds Flying High
While he waits for a rotation spot to open up, Hayden Birdsong is helping to win a lot of games as a high-leverage reliever who is giving Melvin length. Birdsong pitched twice on the homestand, throwing three shutout innings each time and striking out nine. He has 18 strikeouts in 16 innings this year and is sitting on a 1.13 ERA.
As a reliever, Birdsong is averaging 96.5 mph with his fastball and holding opposing hitters to a .130 average. They’re even worse (.111) against his new changeup.
Eventually, Birdsong will return to starting, likely for good, but right now he’s a heck of a weapon in close games. He entered in the sixth or seventh inning four times during this 17-game stretch and helped the Giants close out three wins.
Keeping The Door Closed
When a Giants starter struggles, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Birdsong is literally right there. Thus far, the Giants haven’t seemed at all close to making a move, including with Jordan Hicks, who pitched four times during the 17 days and allowed 20 runs. Just two of those came Sunday, though, and it looks like Hicks might have found something.
Hicks’ velocity was down across the board Sunday, including 3.4 mph on his sinker, which was sitting at 99 mph on the road trip. But he changed it up Sunday and went slider-heavy, getting eight swinging strikes on the pitch. There are some within the organization who also believe it wouldn’t be the worst thing if he dialed it back on the velocity; he found a lot of success early last season while focusing on having good command and getting plenty of movement on his sinker.
Sunday seemed to be a step in the right direction for Hicks, who needed the break in the schedule as much as anybody.
No Production Loss With Koss
Christian Koss stepped in over the weekend after Tyler Fitzgerald bruised his chest on a dive and the rookie contributed in both of his starts. His single on Sunday tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, and he had a hit in all five starts during the 17 games. One of the reasons the Giants put him on their bench was their belief that his simple swing and approach would allow him to contribute even if he had to sit four or five days in a row, and that’s been the case.
“I’m just trying to have consistent, quality at-bats and put good swings on balls,” Koss said Sunday.
Koss also became the first position player to take the mound for the Giants this year and threw a scoreless inning. He joined Brandon Crawford and Pablo Sandoval atop the franchise’s ERA leaderboard.
Rising Randy
Randy Rodriguez went a week without pitching recently, but it had nothing to do with his performance or any minor ailment. Melvin wants to use him as the bullpen’s “fireman” and Rodriguez got up several times, only to see a starting pitcher get himself out of a jam.
This is similar to the role Walker had before getting elevated to the ninth, and Rodriguez looks capable of following that path down the road. He has started his season with 11 straight appearances without allowing a run or a walk, the longest season-opening streak ever by a Giants pitcher. Rodriguez is the first MLB pitcher to do it since Baltimore’s Yennier Cano in 2023. Cano went 17 straight scoreless/walkless appearances to start that year and ended up making the All-Star team.
Hey Now, You’re …
Speaking of All-Stars, if the team were picked today, Tyler Rogers would have one of the strongest cases in the clubhouse. His 0.63 ERA is the best among pitchers with at least 14 innings pitched this season and he has held the opponent scoreless in 14 of 15 outings.
Rogers pitched eight times over the 17 games and is tied for the National League lead in appearances. Opponents are hitting just .156 against his fastball, which averages 82.7 mph.
Playoffs? Playoffs?
Per FanGraphs, the Giants’ odds of making the postseason currently are 58.6 percent, although that’s not a monumental jump from their last off day. After winning nine of their first 12 games, they were at 48.9 percent. The lack of major movement is in part because they’re in a division with four teams that are currently above the 40 percent mark.
The NL West is where the Giants have seen some real changes, though. They entered the year with a 2.3 percent chance of winning the division and were at 6.1 percent on their last off day. Currently, they’re at 10 percent, which is well ahead of what anyone projected during the spring, but also still well behind the Dodgers’ 75.7 percent.
The NL Best
Before you finish this, take a moment and send some kind thoughts Colorado’s way. The Rockies are 4-23, and they have five more months to go in the best division in baseball.
The Giants are 19-10, and they would be smart to keep pushing while some of their division rivals are trying to get right. The Padres have been one of the best teams in baseball all year, but they have 11 players on the IL, including Jackson Merrill, Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth, and that started to show in recent days. They’ve lost seven of nine as the Giants come to town.
Since the start of this 17-game stretch for the Giants, the Dodgers have gone 8-6. Both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are dealing with shoulder discomfort, and the heavy, heavy favorites certainly look more vulnerable than anyone expected.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are without star Ketel Marte and their vaunted rotation is underperforming. They’re 15-13 and in fourth place.
The West is very likely to be the best division in baseball for 162 games, but last week was a rough one. As the Giants start seeing some division rivals, this is the time to keep banking wins.
While praising longtime teammate Stephen Curry’s marvelous finish in the Warriors’ Game 3 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday, Draymond Green also sprinkled a bit of criticism upon himself.
Curry, Green explained, excelled as the team’s emotional accelerant, a role customarily filled by him.
“You know, oftentimes I try to bring that energy, and I didn’t have it,” Green said. “And he found it, and then I followed him, and we all followed him.”
Green “didn’t have it,” and didn’t hide from his self-awareness. Truth is, he hasn’t been his usual hyperkinetic self in the first three games of his first-round Western Conference playoff series. It’s always erroneous to measure his impact by individual statistics, and those have been relatively ordinary. What’s more noticeable, though, is that of his inconsistent energy. It waxes and wanes, moments of his famous “fire” interspersed with moments of relative lethargy.
Draymond is, particularly on offense, blending into the scenery much more often than generating action with blowtorch intensity.
It was enough to wonder if, at age 35, he still could summon the vitality that made him such a game-changer.
“They’re trying to take away Draymond’s playmaking and take him out of our offensive scheme as best they can,” coach Steve Kerr conceded on Sunday. “So, this is not an easy series for Dray.”
Green typically lives for the postseason. His pulse quickens, his focus narrows, his voice adds a few decibels, and his raging spirit can spread throughout the locker room. It’s seen. Felt. Off and on the court.
“This is a very difficult series in a lot of ways,” Kerr said, citing the junkyard-dog defense of Houston’s Fred VanVleet. “And they’re doing a good job of trying to get him out of places where he can usually impact the game on the offensive end. The big challenge for Dray is to embrace that, accept the fact that we’re going to generate offense elsewhere, and he can still control the game defensively, regardless of what happens at the offensive end. And I think that’s that was the case (Saturday) night.”
A more familiar Draymond was seen in the second half of Game 3. After a low-impact first half – three points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, three turnovers, minus-3 over 17 minutes – Draymond blasted off after intermission. He contributed four points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, one steal, two turnovers, plus-15 over 17 minutes. They tell part of the story.
His spirit was visible. He scored the first bucket of the fourth quarter. He committed three fouls in an 81-second span. Hyped up, he took his four fouls to the bench to cool off for a couple minutes. Upon returning, he played the last five minutes as if on a rescue mission. A block on Dillon Brooks. An assist to Brandin Podziemski. A block on Alperen Şengün. A swipe of a VanVleet pass.
“His fourth quarter defense was incredible,” Kerr said. “But he has to maintain that, that poise and that edge even through the physicality and the offensive stuff that they’re taking away from him.”
“I thought it was beautiful,” Green said of Curry supplying what he usually does. “He realized that it wasn’t there (for me), and he took it upon himself to bring that type of force to the game, and we all fell in line and followed.”
Maybe, too, Draymond sniffed the savory scent of victory. Winning would give the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. They would be in position to silence the nettlesome young Rockets and advance to the conference semifinals.
If that Draymond shows up for Game 4 on Monday night, there might not be a Game 6.
If that Draymond doesn’t show up for Game 4, the Rockets might find an avenue to even the series at 2-2 and regain homecourt advantage upon returning to Houston for Game 5.
Yes, Green still is that important. Has been since 2014. Still is in 2025.
The Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (right) is a six-time NBA All-Star [Getty Images]
Defending champions the Boston Celtics held off the Orlando Magic 107-98 to win game four of the first round of the NBA play-offs.
Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and claimed 14 rebounds, making all 14 of his free-throw attempts, including four in the final minute.
The Magic levelled the game at 91-91 in the fourth quarter but the Celtics took control by scoring 10 of the next 11 points at Kia Center in Orlando.
Boston, who are seeded second, are 3-1 ahead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers also took 3-1 leads in the East.
The Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-103, with the Bucks losing point guard Damian Lillard to a non-contact injury.
The 34-year-old, who has recently returned from a blood clot in his right calf, hurt his left leg in the first quarter and will have an MRI scan on Monday.
The Knicks edged out the Detroit Pistons 94-93, but there was controversy at the end when the Pistons' Tim Hardaway Jr missed what would have been a winning shot at the buzzer with no foul called as he was knocked by Josh Hart.
In the Western Conference first-round series the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 113-116 defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Luka Doncic scored 38 points and LeBron James 27 for the Lakers, but they will have to rally from 3-1 down when they host game five on Wednesday.
Manager elated at semi-final win against Aston Villa but keen to ensure players keep their eye on league form
Oliver Glasner is not the kind of manager who makes bold predictions, although it seems to be a different story behind the scenes. A few hours after Crystal Palace’s epic 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals, a video of the Austrian’s post-match team talk was released on social media, where he had outlined his expectations of his players during a training camp in Marbella in March.
“I told you guys, this is because I know you guys and I know your talent, especially I know your character, that we can achieve outstanding things this year,” Glasner said. “I felt it, guys, that we are able to achieve, to write history for Crystal Palace. We fully deserve a place in the final, but it’s not the final.”
Turki al-Sheikh had booked a second date before Saturday’s dramatic slugfest although loser’s promoter fears for fighter
“I want my revenge, man,” Conor Benn said quietly in the early hours of Sunday morning as his bruised face reflected his emotional pain after he lost against Chris Eubank Jr in a wild brawl at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “I want my revenge.”
Those typical boxing words echoed the misguided clamour for a rematch with Eubank Jr. Eddie Hearn admitted that he would prefer Benn to move back down two divisions to welterweight but the promoter grinned helplessly: “The public, His Excellency, everybody’s going to want the rematch.”
Palace’s best-paid player shows his class, Ipswich meet their fate and Mateo Kovacic sounds a warning
In April 1964 a side from north London came to Anfield with Liverpool one good result from winning the league, and conceded five. “Arsenal did little to allay the general suspicion that they were there just to be sacrificed,” Eric Todd wrote in his report for the Guardian. This time it was Tottenham but otherwise, for anyone whose memory stretches back 61 years it was a familiar story. Time and again Spurs meekly surrendered possession in dangerous areas, and while they defended in numbers – which suggests willing – they did so with terrifying inefficiency, which suggests poor organisation. Their focus is now fully on the Europa League, but if Liverpool had been a little more ruthless this would have been truly another real embarrassment in a season full of them. In April 1988 it was Spurs themselves who came to Anfield with Liverpool needing one point to guarantee the title. It had been a terrible season for Tottenham, and they were only just outside the bottom three. They lost 1-0. “Tottenham remain in the relegation penumbra,” wrote Stephen Bierley in his Guardian report. “Strange it seems that nobody much under the age of 30 will remember them being champions. Who would have thought it?” Simon Burnton
Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) take a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the second quarter during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Indiana Pacers scored at will while the Milwaukee Bucks couldn't recover from the loss of one of their two superstar players.
Now the Pacers are on the verge of ending the Bucks' season for a second straight year.
Myles Turner scored 23 points and the Pacers shot 60.2% on Sunday night while winning 129-103 over the Bucks, who lost Damian Lillard to a lower left leg injury midway through the first quarter.
The preliminary examination of Lillard indicated a possible Achilles tendon injury, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not immediately reveal those details.
“Once he kind of looked back, I think we all kind of knew what it was,” Turner said. “It's a weird feeling to describe because you have to still compete, you have to get out there, but you just never want to see that happen to another athlete who puts in as much time as he does to his craft and to his game, like we all do.
"It's very disheartening, but it happens fast. It's the playoffs. You have to be able to move on.”
The Pacers, who beat Milwaukee 4-2 in the first round last year, can eliminate the Bucks again by winning Game 5 on Tuesday in Indianapolis. The Bucks have lost eight straight road playoff games and the last five of those defeats have come at Indiana.
Milwaukee might have to try ending that streak without Lillard, who was helped off the court and into the locker room after suffering a non-contact injury midway through the first quarter.
“They’re going to do an image tomorrow,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, it’s lower leg. And, just being honest, it’s not very promising.”
The Pacers led 15-12 at the time of Lillard’s departure and seized control without him, as eight Pacers scored in double figures.
Aaron Nembhard had 20 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and 15 assists. T.J. McConnell had 15 points, Aaron Nesmith 14 and Obi Toppin 13. Pascal Siakam and Jarace Walker added 12 points each.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists before leaving with 4:44 left and the Bucks trailing 120-98. Kevin Porter Jr. added 23 points for the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo was the only Bucks starter to score more than six points. Kyle Kuzma continued his tough series by scoring three points and shooting 1 of 6.
“I've seen injuries deflate teams, but tonight, that one hurt," Rivers said. “I thought our guys tried, but it was tough. ... My job over the next 48 hours or whatever we have is to get us upright again, try to win one game in Indiana and get it back here.
"But my brain right now is at the same place as our players are, and that's thinking about Dame."
Two nights after blowing a 10-point halftime lead in a 117-101 loss at Milwaukee, the Pacers bounced back. They won convincingly despite missing Bennedict Mathurin, who was out with an abdominal bruise.
“I feel like we kind of let our foot off the gas pedal (in Game 3),” Haliburton said. “I thought we responded the right way today."
Turner, who had scored six points while shooting 1 of 9 from the floor in Game 3, had nine points in the first 4½ minutes Sunday as the Pacers never trailed.
The Pacers went on a 10-3 run immediately after Lillard's exit to extend its lead to double digits. Indiana led 63-52 at halftime and stayed in control by shooting 69.2% over the final two quarters.
Denver, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche stamped their mark on Game 4 with a resounding 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars to tie the series at 2. Samuel Girard put on one of his best performances of the season, capped off with the fourth goal of the game in the third period. Mackenzie Blackwood earned his first ever postseason shutout in just his fourth ever postseason performance.
And who wasn't a little emotional when Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal since June 20th, 2022? In just his second NHL game since returning from an injury that kept him away from professional hockey for three seasons, he worked with his teammates on the second line to score the game's third goal.
I've envisioned scoring again for a long time. and then there were obviously days where I didn't know if I was ever going to get the score again. So obviously feels good. It's a tight playoff series and a big game here at home, get to do it in front of our fans. Obviously means a lot. So super exciting. Hopefully more to come."
- Landeskog on scoring his first NHL goal since returning.
How the Game Shook Out
The Avalanche played a dominant game after dropping Wednesday's home match 2-1 in overtime.
The first period saw Logan O'Connor rise to the occasion while his team was on the penalty kill, creating a turnover at the Avalanche blue line and carrying it up the ice. He found himself one-on-one with Jake Oettinger and snapped the puck over Oettinger's blocker on the near side and scored, putting Colorado up 1-0.
Nathan MacKinnon didn't want to miss out on the fun, though, showing that both special teams came to dominate. He finds himself all alone in the left faceoff circle, receives a pass from Jonathan Drouin, and his shot, somehow, sneaks through Oettinger's pad and into the net. The period ended shortly after that, making it 2-0 heading into the second period.
While the scoring may not show it, the game only became more dangerous thanks to the Avalanche.
While the first period statistics seemed a little even with shots at 12-11 and high-danger chances 3-2, both in favor of the Avalanche, the second period saw Colorado keep Dallas at just 5 shots-for while they nailed 8 high-danger chances on Oettinger.
Among those high-danger chances, surprisingly, was not Landeskog's one-timer from the slot to make it 3-0. The pass from linemate Brock Nelson was swift and clean, and Landeskog found himself open in the slot to slap it past Oettinger in his first goal in 1,041 days.
Going into the third period, the Stars decided to sit Oettinger in favor of getting some game time in for backup goaltender Casey DeSmith.
The Avalanche played half a period before Girard found the team's fourth goal. Landeskog battled in front of the net with Stars' Lian Bichsel, a 6-foot-7 defenseman, creating a bit of turmoil in front of DeSmith, making it a little easier for Girard's shot from the blue line to make it through.
The night ended 4-0 in favor of Colorado, who also led shots 48-23 and high-danger chances 17-6.
A Lot to Be Happy With, A Lot to Improve
Saturday's win forces a Game 6, which will bring the series back to Denver on May 1st. This gives Colorado an opportunity to win on home ice to bring the team into round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Head Coach Jared Bednar was pleased with the game, going as far as to say, "I can't find a player on our roster I didn't like tonight."
We were just on our toes. It was highly competitive. Puck decisions were all good. Guys were willing to skate with the puck and force them to defend -- some of the things we've been talking about for a few games now, and it came together there for a while tonight, which was good to see. I thought it continued in the third period a little bit too.
- Coach Bednar on the team's performance on Saturday
Earlier in the series, Bednar talked about not getting enough out of his top guys, which included the second line, and when asked, seemed like the second line he reworked for Wednesday's game also worked in their favor on Saturday, too.
That's two good home games from those guys. [Nichushkin], [Nelson], [Landeskog] on there, that's been a good line for us, in the last two home games, and on both sides of the puck. It's not just about production. Certainly, we need production spread out through our lineup. You got to come up with enough chances to be able to put some by these guys. And we did that tonight. The other night we had a little bit of a tough time. But on the defensive side of it, they've been really good too.
- Coach Bednar on the second line.
Dallas Head Coach Pete DeBoer also seemed a little disappointed following Saturday's game, but during media availability before their flight back to Dallas, seems to have a good view on the series so far:
If you had told me at Christmas we were going to go into the first round of the playoffs against Colorado, and we were going to be without [Miro] Heiskanen and [Jason] Robertson, and we'd be 2-2 coming home with home ice advantage, I think I would have been pretty happy. Sometimes you have to have that perspective that this group has battled pretty hard under some serious adversity, and we're in a pretty good spot.
- Coach DeBoer on surprises during the series so far.
What's Next?
Game 5 will be played in Dallas on Monday, 4/28, at 7:30 pm MT/8:30 pm CT.
Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, May 1st, at Ball Arena in Denver. A start time has not been released yet.
If necessary, Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. No start time will be released until the game becomes necessary.
A reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2025.
That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season.
1. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 23 G, .313/.451/.588, 5 HR, 2 SB, 21 BB, 21 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
Anthony continues to hit for average, hit for power and get on base at an exceptional clip with the Triple-A Red Sox. The outfielder has been especially good over the last week-plus, and he’s hitting .353/.465/.706 over his last 10 games with three homers and eight free passes. He isn’t running, but that’s not a big part of Anthony’s game, and it doesn’t need to be if he’s maxing out in those other categories. The Red Sox have no room at the inn, but that’s not going to matter soon if Anthony keeps hitting like this. He should be rostered now, because it’s going to be very hard to get him later if you don’t.
2. Jordan Lawlar, INF, Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 stats: 26 G, .356/.451/.644, 5 HR, 12 SB, 16 BB, 29 SO at Triple-A Reno.
Lawlar, as the kids once said, is “on one” right now. He’s picked up multiple hits in five of his last six games, and over that same 10-game sample as Anthony he’s slashing .382/.482/.647 and he’s added eight stolen bases for good measure. It’s easy to forget how talented Lawlar is because he played so little in 2024, but what he’s done in 2025 -- even in a small sample size of a month -- cannot be ignored. Whenever the Diamondbacks decide to make him part of their roster, fantasy managers should do the same if they can.
3. Coby Mayo, 3B/1B, Baltimore Orioles
2025 stats: 19 G, .256/.361/.500, 4 HR, 1 SB, 15 BB, 25 SO at Triple-A Norfolk.
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Mayo hasn’t homered since April 15, but he’s shown that he’s capable of being more than a one-category player in that timeframe. He’s picked up two hits in three of his last four contests, and he’s seen his batting average raise 31 points since Tax Day. The reason Mayo is considered one of the top prospects in baseball is largely based on his impressive power from the right side, but also because that power has a chance to play since there are other tools that will allow it too. Mayo needs to either change organizations or for Baltimore to make some significant roster changes -- be it via injury or trade -- but even with his ugly line with the team in 2024, fantasy managers should pounce on adding him when Baltimore gives him a shot.
4. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
2025 stats: 5 G, 20.1 IP, 1.33 ERA, .106 BAA, 6 BB, 27 SO at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Chandler was once again impressive in his latest start with five scoreless innings, one hit allowed and four strikeouts against Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. The right-hander has not allowed more than two runs in any outing thus far this year, and while he’s not missing bats at an exceptional rate, there’s more than enough punchouts to go with weak contact and a lack of self-inflicted damage to be excited about what he’s doing in the International League. Chandler should be up soon, and while the Pirates may not provide a ton of win chances, his stuff is good enough to roster him and adding him to lineups against all but the best teams in the sport.
5. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 19 G, .280/.324/.548, 7 HR, 1 SB, 7 BB, 20 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
We need a new name with Nick Kurtz already in the majors, and while there are a few decent candidates, I’m adding another Boston prospect in Mayer. The former fourth-overall pick has the tools to hit for both average and power from the left side, and he’s done just that -- particularly the latter -- to begin the 2025 season with Worcester. The reason Mayer ranks this ‘low’ is because Boston just doesn’t seem to have an open spot for him, but it’s the same thing with Anthony; when the Red Sox feel he’s ready to help, they’re going to find a place for him to play. It’s not quite the upside of the names above, but there’s still a lot to like about his chances of making a fantasy impact when he gets that call.
Around the minors:
There are a plethora of quality shortstop prospects at the lower levels, but Leo De Vries might be the best of them from a fantasy perspective. Despite being just 18 until October, the Padres gave him an assignment with High-A Fort Wayne and he’s picked up nine extra-base hits, three homers and forged an .854 OPS over his 17 games with the TinCaps. A switch-hitter, De Vries has the potential for plus power from both sides of the plate, but it’s his pitch-recognition skills and smooth swing that make his hit tool the best in his skill set. He also has plus speed, and shouldn’t have an issue sticking at shortstop. De Vries is a couple years away, but there’s a great chance he’s a five-category player when he’s ready to roll in the latter part of the decade.
Bryce Eldridge was finally able to make his season debut after missing the first few weeks of the campaign with a wrist injury, and he homered in his first at-bat back. He’s gone just 1-for-12 since that, but the most important thing is the 20-year-old first baseman is back on the field for Double-A Richmond. A 6-foot-7 left-handed hitter that was considered a two-way prospect in high school, Eldridge has enormous power from his enormous frame, and he makes enough hard contact to suggest that he’ll hit for a decent average even with strikeouts basically a guarantee. He’s limited to first base so the bat is going to have to max out, but if it does, we’re talking about a 35-plus homer hitter who gets on base at a high clip and registers an average that won’t kill you. That’s obviously a very valuable fantasy prospect, and it’s one that could make his debut in the majors this summer.
George Lombard Jr. was the Yankees first-round pick back in 2023, and his first season didn’t go very well as seen in a .672 OPS over 110 games at the Low- and High-A levels. He was assigned to High-A Hudson Valley to begin 2025, and at least over the first month, things have gone better. Much better, in fact, with a slash of .306/.494/.452 over 62 at-bats with nine stolen bases in his first 19 games. The son of former top prospect George Lombard, Lombard Jr. has outstanding athleticism, but also a strong baseball acumen with the willingness to draw walks and put his speed into play. The power is still a work in progress, but both that tool and his hit project to be average; with a chance for plus in the latter. He’s a very strong defensive player, and there’s plenty of time for his skills to develop as a player who doesn’t turn 20 until June. Lombard Jr. needs to be on the roster radar in dynasty leagues as a player who could help in multiple categories in a few years.
Moises Ballesteros is one of the top catching prospects in baseball, and to say he’s playing like it right now is the understatement of understatements. After reaching four times against Louisville on Sunday with two hits and two walks, he’s now slashing an unrealistic .414/.475/.586 over 22 games with two homers and 10 extra-base hits. Ballesteros has exceptional bat-to-ball skills, and the 21-year-old has enough power to turn on mistakes for 15-to-20 homer seasons with plenty of doubles. He’s considered a below-average defender, but not so bad that he has no chance of sticking at the position. The Cubs have gotten quality production out of Carson Kelly so far, but when Kelly starts playing like, well, Carson Kelly, the Cubs should turn to Ballesteros. Fantasy managers might want to do the same when that occurs at some point in 2025.
