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(Game 1) Wild Vs Golden Knights: Game Preview, Line Combinations

Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.

The Minnesota Wild is in action tonight for Game 1 of its Round One matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights for a 9:00 P.M Central start. 

Minnesota played Vegas three times during the regular season and lost all three times.  They were outscored 12-4 in those three games as well. The Wild are 2-8-3 in their last 13 games vs the Golden Knights. 

For the first time in a long time, the Wild are finally healthy. And to be healthy come playoff time is a huge plus for this team that hasn't been healthy for playoffs the last few years. 

Minnesota has not won a playoff series in ten years but have made the playoffs 11 times in its last 13 season. The Wild missed the playoffs last year. 

Zeev Buium will make his NHL debut tonight for Minnesota. He will become the first player in Wild history to make his debut in the playoffs and could become the second ever player to score his first NHL goal in the playoffs. 

Here are tonight's projected lines (subject to change). 

Wild Projected Lines

Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy

Marcus Johansson - Freddy Gaudreau - Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Foligno - Marco Rossi - Gustav Nyquist

Yakov Trenin - Ryan Hartman - Justin Brazeau

Defense:

Jonas Brodin - Brock Faber

Jake Middleton - Jared Spurgeon

Zeev Buium - Zach Bogosian

Starting Goaltender: Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: Declan Chisholm, Devin Shore, Jon Merrill, Jesper Wallstedt, Vinnie Hinostroza. 

Injured: None

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone

Brandon Saad - Tomas Hertl - Pavel Dorofeyev

Victor Olofsson - William Karlsson - Reilly Smith

Brett Howden - Nicolas Roy - Keegan Kolesar

Defense:

Nicolas Hague - Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin - Zach Whitecloud

Starting Goaltender: Adin Hill

Scratched: Alexander Holtz, Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak, Tanner Pearson, Akira Schmid, Cole Schwindt.

Injured: None

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Steph Curry hilariously corrects Charles Barkley's Jimmy Butler description

Steph Curry hilariously corrects Charles Barkley's Jimmy Butler description originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors star Steph Curry made sure TNT analyst Charles Barkley properly respects Jimmy Butler’s talent.

Following the Warriors’ thrilling 95-85 Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Toyota Center, Barkley asked Curry a question about Butler’s role with the team, to which the two-time NBA MVP had a quick rebuttal.

“Obviously, he’s a heck of a player,” Barkley said. “He’s giving you the ability to rest more. He’s not as great as you but he’s a really nice second closer to have on the team, correct?”

“Jimmy’s nice. Don’t get that twisted,” Curry retorted. “He’s carried teams to the Finals. The idea of what he brings to us is another guy who is just comfortable with the ball in his hands to create for himself and others, no matter what the situation is. You saw plenty times, he kind of made something out of nothing. He is a legitimate ballhandler, where we can give it to him in space, on the post, at the elbow, wherever and teams have to respect him. So if I can space and give him room and keep the defense honest, that helps. And we’ve had a really good chemistry since he’s been here.”

While the Warriors essentially have been playing playoff games for the last few weeks, they got their first official glimpse of Playoff Jimmy on Sunday night.

Butler scored 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting while adding seven rebounds, six assists and five steals, complementing Curry’s 31 points.

Curry and the Warriors know they added another true No. 1 superstar in Butler, even if Barkley doesn’t want to admit it.

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What Stackhouse told Draymond in tense Warriors sideline exchange

What Stackhouse told Draymond in tense Warriors sideline exchange originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Physicality was a primary storyline entering the Warriors’ playoff series against the Houston Rockets.

And while the Rockets dominated the offensive boards, Golden State held on for a gritty 95-85 Game 1 win on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

Still, Houston’s aggressive tactics — paired with some controversial refereeing — clearly frustrated the Warriors, especially forward Draymond Green.

During a timeout in the second quarter, assistant Jerry Stackhouse had to calm down a visibly irritated Green following a 6-0 Rockets run.

After the game, Green explained what Stackhouse — a former 18-year NBA veteran — said to help the Warriors’ defensive leader get his mind right.

“Stackhouse, he just told me to keep doing what I was doing,” Green told reporters.

“He said, ‘You’re doing a great job. We’re not worried about what’s going on out there, so don’t get so caught up in your emotions during that time — stay locked in.’ So he was great for me.”

Green’s statline of four points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals doesn’t jump off the page, but the Defensive Player of the Year finalist helped Golden State limit the Rockets to under 40 percent shooting from the field and a season-low 85 points.

Now, the key for Green and the rest of the Warriors is to keep doing what they’re doing, as Stackhouse said, even if star guard Steph Currycontinues to get a questionable whistle during the remainder of the series.

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NBA announces award finalists: Antetokounmpo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic top three for MVP

Will Nikola Jokic join Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan as the only players to win four NBA MVPs, or will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win his first?

We know those two are among the three finalists for the MVP award (and will finish 1-2 in some order), as the league announced the top three for each of the end-of-season individual awards (voted on by a select group of media members, here is my ballot). The winners of the various awards will be announced during the next couple of weeks.

There are no surprises on the list, although some players certainly will feel snubbed. Here is a list of all the finalists (the players are listed in alphabetical order):

Most Valuable Player

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)
Nikola Jokic (Denver)

Rookie of the Year

Stephon Castle (San Antonio)
Zacharie Risacher (Atlanta)
Jaylen Wells (Memphis)

Defensive Player of the Year

Dyson Daniels (Atlanta)
Draymond Green (Golden State)
Evan Mobley (Cleveland)

Coach of the Year

Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland)
J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit)
Ime Udoka (Houston)

Sixth Man of the Year

Malik Beasley (Detroit)
Ty Jerome (Cleveland)
Payton Pritchard (Boston)

Most Improved Player

Cade Cunningham (Detroit)
Dyson Daniels (Atlanta)
Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers)

Clutch Player Of the Year

Jalen Brunson (New York)
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota)
Nikola Jokic (Denver)

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James Dolan Reportedly Considering Taking A More Active Role In Rangers' Exit Meetings With Players

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After the disastrous season the New York Rangers just went through, team owner James Dolan may be ready to take a more hands on approach. 

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, Dolan is considering taking a more active role in exit meetings with players, which he also did with the New York Knicks last year and found productive.

This comes after the Rangers failed to make it into the playoffs and are in desperate need of change and a culture shift.

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury fired head coach Peter Laviolette and emphasized that the statuesque is simply unacceptable. 

“Quite simply, we fell short across the board,” Drury said. “Nobody here takes it lightly. We know our fans are frustrated and they deserve a better season than this. It starts with me, I need to do a better job and give the staff and players the opportunity to succeed. 

“While ultimately I made a decision a new voice was needed behind the bench, everyone here, players, management staff, need to take ownership of the season, and we'll be having direct, honest conversations during exit meetings on Monday. What are expectations for the summer and moving forward, getting ready for next season.”

Exit meetings are set to take place on Monday as the fallout from this season continues to pile up.

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Derrick White scores 30, Tatum stays in game after fall and Celtics beat Magic 103-86 in Game 1

BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White scored 30 points, Jayson Tatum had 17 points and finished the game after a scary late fall, and the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 103-86 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.

Payton Pritchard added 19 points off the bench for Boston, which hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night. Jaylen Brown played 31 minutes and had 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting after missing the final three games of the regular season due to a lingering knee issue.

With Boston leading 89-73 with 8:28 remaining, Tatum went up for a dunk and was hit hard by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he tried to block it. Tatum landed awkwardly on his right side.

He stayed down briefly before eventually rising to his feet, clenching his right hand. After a video review by referees, Caldwell-Pope’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Tatum subsequently missed the two ensuing free throws but remained in the game.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 36 points and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 23 points for Orlando, which has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since the 2009-10 season.

Orlando led by a point at halftime, limiting a Boston team that set an NBA record for 3-pointers this season to 7 of 15 from beyond the arc in the opening 24 minutes and 16 of 37 for the game.

But the Magic turned the ball over six times in the third quarter and were outscored 30-18 as the Celtics took a 78-65 lead into the fourth. The Celtics’ lead grew as high as 19 in the final period.

For the game, Orlando finished with 15 turnovers which led to 24 Boston points.

Brown, who received injections in his knee last week, didn’t show any noticeable effects of the issue at the outset Sunday. He had an early turnover, but followed that up by stripping Banchero, which White picked up and dropped in for a transition floater. Brown later showed some offensive explosiveness, bursting past Banchero and finishing with a left-handed layup.

Brown had four points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist during the initial seven-minute stretch to begin the game before taking his first rest.

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Devils begin playoffs with 4-1 loss to Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Logan Stankoven scored two second-period goals in his first playoff game with Carolina as the Hurricanes beat the Devils 4-1 on Sunday to open their first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jalen Chatfield scored a first-period goal for the Hurricanes, who carried a 3-0 lead late into the second period and kept consistent pressure on Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net clincher late in the third.

Frederik Andersen finished with 23 saves for Carolina, including a key stop on Timo Meier near the crease midway through the third. The Hurricanes also turned away a Devils power play with about eight minutes left to stay in firm control.

Nico Hischier got New Jersey on the board by taking Jesper Bratt’s cross-ice pass and blasting the puck past Andersen during a 4-on-4 chance.

Markstrom finished with 41 saves on what turned out to be a rough afternoon physically for the Devils, who saw defenseman Brenden Dillon skating to the tunnel in the second period, then fellow blue-liner Luke Hughes and forward Cody Glass skating off after a single chaotic sequence in the third.

It was a quality start for Carolina, which had lost seven of its last eight regular-season games since clinching its seventh straight playoff trip on April 3. In that sense, it had been a long wait to get to the playoffs — and be healthy, at that — for the Hurricanes.

Carolina finished with a 45-24 shot advantage.

Chatfield got the Hurricanes off to a quick start with a goal just 2:24 into the game. Then it was a big day for Stankoven, who was the primary return in a trade-deadline deal that allowed Carolina to pivot out of its big-swing January addition of scoring winger Mikko Rantanen.

Stankoven first zipped the puck past Markstrom off a feed from Jordan Martinook, who had forced Hischier into a turnover along the boards at 6:37 of the second. He struck again on the power play, with Stankoven blasting a shot past Markstrom and off the inside of the left post for the 3-0 edge.

Game 2 of the series is Tuesday.

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Clay Holmes feels ‘really good’ about where things are trending after completing six innings for first time

Clay Holmes, the starting pitcher, is settling into a groove. 

The right-hander had a bit of an up-and-down beginning in his transition to the rotation, but he’s been spectacular for the Mets over his past two starts -- the last of which came in Sunday’s series finale victory over the Cardinals. 

Holmes pitched well enough to qualify for a win, but he settled for the no decision. 

He had to work around traffic right away -- as a leadoff walk and a Willson Contreras single put two on with two outs in the top of the first, but he was able to get lefty Alec Burleson swinging to end the inning. 

He retired the next six batters in order before facing more trouble in the fourth, as the Cardinals put two runners on with just one out this time, but he used a punch out and fly out to again dance out of danger. 

St. Louis was finally able to get to Holmes in the sixth, as the red-hot Brendan Donovan led off the inning with a double and came in to score a few batters later after advancing to third on a wild pitch. 

It looked like his day was going to come to a tough ending two batters later as Jordan Walker crushed a high fly to left, but Brandon Nimmo made a terrific leaping catch in front of the fence -- helping Holmes get through six innings for the first time as a Met.

He allowed just the one run on four hits while walking two and striking out six.  

“On a day it was windy and the two-seam was moving, he had to use all his weapons,” Carlos Mendoza said. “The changeup, the four-seam, the cutter, the sweep and slider, and did not shy away from the two-seam when he needed to -- that’s what you call pitching.

“For a guy who is starting to make that transition and when you see it this early, that’s pretty impressive. Just to have the feel for it and his ability to trust the pitches that are kind of new for him -- now that he’s going out there and giving us depth, it’s pretty impressive.”

With each turn through the rotation, Holmes just continues improving. 

The former Yankees closer has now struck out six or more batters in four of his five outings to begin the season -- and he's allowed just one earned run in each of his past two starts, bringing his ERA down to 3.16 on the year.

He’s starting to look more and more like the pitcher the Mets saw during his terrific spring training -- but he also knows there’s still more work to be done. 

“There’s been a lot of growth and a lot of learning on the fly,” Holmes said. “I still feel like I’m hitting my stride a little bit -- you can feel the improvements. I’m starting to get a feel for my stuff and how to use it in this role. 

“I’m starting to bounce back better in between starts, and I just feel like with each time out I’m getting better -- it’s nice to see the work paying off a little bit, but still feel like there’s room to grow here.”

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Rockets fan's disrespectful Steph prediction ages horribly in Game 1

Rockets fan's disrespectful Steph prediction ages horribly in Game 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Never doubt the NBA’s greatest shooter of all time.

One Houston Rockets fan learned that the hard way during the Warriors’ 95-85 Game 1 win in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Sunday, when Steph Curry proved their pregame prediction wrong with 31 points and a wild barrage of 3-pointers at Toyota Center.

The Rockets fan likely thought Amen Thompson would lock Curry up again like he did in Golden State’s loss to Houston on April 6 — but playoff Steph is a different beast, no matter how he looks in warmups.

“Curry bricking shots [pregame],” the fan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, before Sunday’s game with a video of Curry missing shots — from half court. “He’s scoring 10 points max tonight.”

Not so fast.

The Warriors’ superstar put on a game-high scoring performance with shots from deep that had to be seen to be believed.

In the Warriors’ last regular-season loss to the Rockets, Curry scored just three points on 1-of-10 shooting. While Rockets fans certainly hoped Sunday would be a repeat, Curry’s rookie teammate Quinten Post knew that wouldn’t be the case.

“I’ve played with Steph now throughout the season and I think I’ve never seen a guy being guarded like that by everybody,” Post said Friday. “But what I do think [the Rockets] have is the size and athleticism to back up that aggressive play. But what I do know is that they’re not going to hold Steph to three points again. I know that for a fact. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before, and he’ll be up for the challenge.”

Curry did just that with a bounce-back performance in Houston on Sunday to give Golden State a 1-0 advantage in the first-round series.

As expected, Warriors fans flocked to the pregame prediction after the game, asking for an update.

Because while playoff wins are sweet, sometimes a ratio is just as good of a victory. And sadly for the Rockets, Curry so far remains their playoff kryptonite.

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After Years Of Disappointment, Maple Leafs Look Ready To Rewrite Their Playoff Story

Mitch Marner and Shane Pinto (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

As the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare to kick off their 2025 Stanley Cup playoff run, there’s no question that they have the most to prove – and the most to lose.

The Maple Leafs aren’t just playing to get to the second round of the post-seson – they’re playing to keep the team together beyond this season. And they’re playing to keep Buds management intact. 

If they fail and lose in Round 1 to the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs’ core of talent will likely be broken apart and sold to the highest bidder. That’s the potential bad news. But the good news for Maple Leafs fans is that they’re not the same team that has disappointed so often in recent years.

This year’s Leafs are a far better team, and they’re very likely to follow the evolutionary competitive path that other elite teams have followed en route to a long playoff run.

You don’t have to go back far in the annals of NHL history to see teams that have struggled for years in the post-season, only to finally figure out how to thrive. For instance, the Colorado Avalanche began their Nathan MacKinnon era back in 2013-14, but it took them nine seasons to win a Cup. And in the two seasons that followed their 2021-22 Cup win, the Avs once again have failed to get out of the second round.

Colorado didn't make it out of the second round through 10 post-seasons between 2002-03 and 2020-21 before they won the franchise's second Cup. The Leafs, meanwhile, are at 11 straight post-seasons without a Conference final appearance. The Leafs are right around that threshold.

Similarly, the current defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers also had a long and bumpy road that preceded last season’s championship run. The Panthers failed to get out of the first round from 1997-2021. Mind you, they only made it to the playoffs five times during those years. And even when Florida did get into and beyond the first round, they needed another two seasons, including getting to the Cup final and losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23, before finally winning it all last season.

It’s clear, then, that the Leafs are aiming to follow the same pattern we’ve seen from the Avalanche and Panthers. Toronto has systematically remade much of their roster – from their goalie tandem to their defense corps to their depth on the wing and their bottom-six group of forwards – and they now have the talent, grit and determination to knock off the Senators and get at least to the second round of this year’s playoffs.

The Buds are tough, patient and resilient in a way Toronto wasn’t in previous years, and they’re going to give the Senators all they can handle and then some.

This isn’t to say that Ottawa is guaranteed to lose to the Leafs in Round 1. The Sens have an up-and-coming core of talent, and they may shock people and upset the Leafs in this looming series.

The Senators were projected to make the playoffs the past few seasons, and failed in the years leading up to this playoff series. Thus, if the Senators do lose to the Maple Leafs, Sens fans are not going to be happy. That said, the Senators are like every other team – Toronto included – in that they probably have to learn how to lose in the playoffs before they learn how to win. And that’s why we’re picking Ottawa to lose to the Leafs this year.

The Maple Leafs may have only one playoff series win since 2005, but that doesn’t mean they can’t and won’t go on a long playoff run this spring. Toronto management has built a Leafs roster that is resilient, speedy and super-skilled, and the Sens are likely to learn the hard way how different this Buds team really is.

A team’s recent history isn’t always likely to repeat itself. Sometimes, a team can evolve for the better and shake off the shackles of the past as it finally gets to experience the glory of a long playoff run. And for that reason, we’re of the opinion that the Maple Leafs are finally going to give their fans a memorable and lengthy playoff experience. And that process will begin with Toronto sending the Senators home in the first round.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Juan Soto appreciative of Mets fans' support: 'It means a lot'

Struggling a bit to start his career with the Mets after signing the highest-paid contract in MLB history over the offseason, Juan Soto received a standing ovation from the fans at Citi Field on Friday night in an attempt to show their support for the outfielder and help lift him from the doldrums.

Since then, Soto is 5-for-10 with five RBI, including a big 2-for-3 day in Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. The recent hot streak has raised Soto's batting average to .256 and he's shown no signs of slowing down.

"It’s a great feeling when you have the fanbase supporting you when you’re doing bad, when you’re doing good -- it’s just great," Soto said after the game. "I really appreciate what they did. I feel like they don't know how meaningful that is. It means a lot to the players when they do that. It’s really special."

Soto's biggest hit during the four-game series was a two-run double in the eighth inning off reliever Ryan Fernandez that helped secure New York's 7-4 win against St. Louis. The double (which came with two strikes) split the gap in left-center field and had an exit velocity of 106.9 mph, showing off the 26-year-old's opposite field power.

"In the beginning I was trying to go yard, but when he put me in the [two-strike] hole I just tried to put the ball in play. He made a good pitch and I made a better swing," Soto said.

It's a swing that Soto has been working on since the start of the season and it's finally begun to pay off.

In fact, on Saturday manager Carlos Mendoza saw something in the outfielder's swing on a foul ball to left field that he really liked and thought "that's what it is right there."

After talking about it with Soto after the game, both agreed that "something clicked" during that at-bat which has resulted in his recent performance.

"When you see him driving the ball the other way with authority the way he did with that double in the gap, that’s a good sign," Mendoza said. "When he’s going good, that’s the A swing there."

The timing of the standing ovation and Soto's improved production at the plate could just be a coincidence. After all, he wasn't going to struggle all season long.

However, it's true that Mets fans packed Citi Field during the four games over the weekend and have been creating an incredible atmosphere for the players, especially with the calendar still saying April.

And with a 9-1 record at home, it must be working.

"It's been great, this crowd has been unbelievable day in and day out," Soto said. "I really love the support. They've been great since day one, so thank you."

The next challenge awaiting New York will be the Philadelphia Phillies who are set to begin a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Monday. It will be the first time the Mets' division rivals are back in New York since getting eliminated from the playoffs in the NLDS last season.

Even with the Phillies -- who will enter Monday two games back of the Mets in the NL East standings -- potentially extra motivated to avenge their season-ending loss this series, the Mets aren't getting caught up in any of the hoopla that might lie ahead.

"We just gotta focus on what we wanna do," Soto said. "We’re not looking at the standings or anything right now, it’s way too early. We’re just trying to win series. That’s the mindset."

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Devils Lose Multiple Players In Game 1 Loss To Hurricanes

The New Jersey Devils did not get out of Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes unscathed. 

Apr 20, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) controls the puck against Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) during the second period of game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

In the club's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes, the Devils lost three players to injury, with one returning in the final minutes of the game. 

Defenseman Brenden Dillon

Defenseman Brenden Dillon left the game with an injury in the second period after colliding with an opposing player and falling awkwardly to the ice. The veteran did not return. 

After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters in Raleigh that his defenseman was eager to get back out there, but the team doctors held him off the ice for precautionary reasons. 

Dillon played 8:53 and led all defensemen with four hits. Entering this series, the 34-year-old had 83 games of postseason experience with the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, and Winnipeg Jets. 

Defenseman Luke Hughes 

Midway through the third period, New Jersey's youngest defenseman collided with Jesper Kotkaniemi and slid into Markstrom's net. In visible pain, he was holding his arm as he skated off.

Luke Hughes returned to the ice in the final few minutes of the third period and finished the game with the third-most ice time (22:20). 

The Devils have three defensemen on their roster: Seamus Casey, Dennis Cholowski, and Simon Nemec. It is worth noting that none of them have appeared in a postseason game. 

Center Cody Glass

On the same shift that Hughes was injured, Cody Glass was caught in the leg by goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who was attempting to clear his crease. He was immediately helped off the ice by a trainer.

Keefe said there is no update on Glass at this time. 

The 26-year-old played 9:04 and had a face-off win percentage of 81.8%, winning nine of 11 draws. Glass had two hits, one blocked shot, and one shot on goal. 

If Glass is unavailable, the Devils have Nolan Foote, Curtis Lazar, Kurtis MacDermid, and Tomas Tatar as options for the next matchup. 

Game 2 will be at the Lenovo Center in North Carolina on Tuesday night. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Steph Curry will be reason Warriors win it all, Jimmy Butler confidently states

Steph Curry will be reason Warriors win it all, Jimmy Butler confidently states originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler quickly has learned how important Steph Curry is to the Warriors’ NBA title chances.

Moments after the Warriors stole Game 1 against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, Butler spoke to TNT’s Allie LaForce about Curry’s showstopping 31-point performance.

“Like I always say, Batman comes out of nowhere,” Butler said. “You never see him coming. Then he just falls from the sky, from a building, behind a door and does some incredible things. He’s going to be the reason that we do win it all. We all know that. But we got to protect him at all costs.”

Butler’s acquisition before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline was the jolt Curry and the Warriors needed.

And over the last few games, Butler has been leaning into the “Batman” moniker for Curry, even dubbing himself “Robin.”

Butler will have a lot to say regarding the Warriors making a deep playoff run, but the six-time NBA All-Star is well aware Golden State only will go as far as Curry carries it.

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Brandon Nimmo comes through for Mets with glove, bat in series finale win over Cardinals

Brandon Nimmo’s had a bit of a rough start this season -- but he played a key role in helping the Mets secure their four-game series sweep over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. 

His first big moment came with the glove. 

With the Mets leading by two in the sixth, St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker stepped to the plate and crushed a deep fly to left. Nimmo ranged back and made a leaping catch in front of the fence to rob him of a solo homer.

“I thought maybe I had a shot, I just needed to time it up right,” Nimmo said. 

“It was huge for us,” manager Carlos Mendoza added. “I think that ball was gonna be out, I didn’t see the replay but it’s just another good defensive play this year -- that’s what it’s going to take. Really, really huge play from him there.” 

Nimmo then came through again in the later innings -- this time with the bat. 

After the Cardinals rallied to even things up on a Thomas Saggese double in the top of the seventh, the Mets were threatening to answer right back as Francisco Lindor roped a single and Juan Soto drew a five-pitch walk. 

Pete Alonso was unable to come through for what felt like the first time all season, but Nimmo picked him up. 

The sweet-swinging left-hander has been aggressive early in the count to this point in the year -- but with Cardinals reliever Phil Maton pounding the zone with heat, he waited for a breaking ball to pounce. 

Nimmo took two cutters right down the middle before lining a 1-2 curveball back through the box and into center for a go-ahead run scoring single. 

“He always has a good plan, more times than not he’s going to execute,” Mendoza said. 

“Those are big moments and you’re always playing a cat and mouse game,” Nimmo added. “He got ahead quickly and that was good for him, but you just try and never give up on an at-bat and know that you’re just one swing away and try and find the barrel.”

It certainly was a much-needed big hit for Nimmo, who has struggled with RISP to this point. 

Mainly batting in the cleanup spot behind Lindor, Soto and Alonso, he’s driven in just 10 runs thus far with four homers and three doubles -- but, he’s been here before and knows he’s just one swing away.

“It’s no secret I’ve been struggling, but that’s baseball,” Nimmo said. “I saw some video from April of last year against the Cardinals and I was hitting like .200 with two homers and 15 ribeyes at the end of April -- it’s not the first or the last time that I’ll be struggling. 

“You’re just trying to find ways that you can try and help. You never give up, you always go up there with confidence knowing that this next at-bat things can change for you -- you go up there with that mentality and just try and help the team win however you can.”