HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 01: Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at Toyota Center on April 01, 2026 in Houston, 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. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks will look to put together their first win streak of the year as they host the Houston Rockets tonight. The Bucks notched their first win of the Taylor Jenkins era on Monday against bitter rivals, the Indiana Pacers, 110-102, and beyond that win, the Bucks continued to show promising signs of growth. Tyler Herro continues to look comfortable as the lead guard, while Kel’el Ware has settled more into his role. The Bucks will aim to keep growing and finding ways to compete as the red-hot Houston Rockets come to town.
The Task Ahead
The Houston Rockets haven’t lost yet this season; they are 4-0 and playing like they took all the off-season criticism personally after getting blown out in the playoffs. Kevin Durant leads the team in scoring at 23.5 PPG on 47% shooting from deep, while Alperen Sengun leads the team in rebounds (8.9) and assists (6.2), though the Rockets are expected to rest Sengun with back soreness. With Steven Adams also still sidelined, the Rockets will likely start Clint Capela at the five.
The Rockets will lean on their defence to make up for Sengun’s absence, turning primarily to Amen Thompson, who averages 1.5 steals per contest. Despite being a top-10 team in points allowed per 100 possessions so far (108.8, 9th on Cleaning the Glass), the Rockets are an okay team at best when defending at the rim, in the mid-range, and most 3s taken (except in the corner, where they defend fairly well). Therefore, the Bucks will need to push the pace and beat the Rockets at their own game: getting rebounds and scoring second-chance points. If the Bucks can impose their will in the paint without Sengun or Adams, they have a chance to stay in the game and steal it at the end.
Injury Report
Bucks:
Clean injury report.
Rockets:
Alperen Sengun: out (back)
Steven Adams: out (calf)
Marcus Smart: questionable (forearm)
Player to Watch
After extending with the Rockets over the summer, Tari Eason has gotten off to a fast start this season. Eason is currently at over 60% in true shooting, and while the sample size is small, it suggests he’s getting in the right spots and taking high-quality shots. The five-year pro has also been one of Houston’s best paint defenders this season, so expect him to get serious minutes trying to contain the Bucks’ front court (especially with Sengun and Adams sidelined). This will be a good test for Kel’el Ware, in particular, to see if he can continue building on the positive progress of the last two games.
Nate Ament has been ramping up, showing real tenacity against the Pacers. Look for Ament to post his first double-digit scoring line of the season, with 12 points off the bench.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -OCTOBER 27: Julian Champagne #30 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after making a three-point shot against Sacramento Kings in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 27, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs were shooting just 31.2% from the three-point line before their game against the Sacramento Kings. That percentage will increase after the Spurs shot 17-for-37 from three in a dominant 130-103 win over the Kings.
The Spurs were led by their sharpshooting wing, Julian Champagnie, who had 26 points, hitting 8 of his 13 threes.
Champagnie hit all eight of his threes in the first half. The Kings continued to leave him wide open even after he hit a few easy shots. This play happened because the Kings’ zone defense broke down after Stephon Castle was able to occupy the middle of the court. Champagnie was wide open for a weak-side three-pointer.
Once Champagnie got going, he started to hit some high-difficulty shots. This one was particularly impressive, as he faded into the corner and hit the shot over Domantas Sabonis.
The Spurs also got quite a few good looks at the rim. Victor Wembanyama had 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the field. Most of those makes were dunks, and a lot of those slams came off lobs. The Spurs went to Wembanyama in the pick-and-roll early and often to get him easy dunks.
It was fairly obvious from the start of the game that the Kings were not defensively up to the task. They just lose the 7-foot-5 guy here as two defenders chase Castle on the drive, leading to an easy dunk for Wembanyama.
Wembanyama didn’t just do it on lobs. He had several drives to the rim that led to dunks, like this pump fake and Statue of Liberty slam in the first quarter.
Devin Vassell got in on the scoring fun, too. He had 14 points and hit four of his seven three-pointers. His shots came within the flow of the offense, like this kick-ahead three-pointer in transition.
The Kings were constantly sending two defenders at the ball, leaving players wide-open all over the floor. It’s probably why the Spurs were able to shoot 54% from the field in the win.
As Rui Hachimura walked into Crypto.com Arena on Friday night for a basketball game for the first time in five months, many familiar faces and sights awaited him.
There was Hachimura on the Lakers’ home court, joking around with franchise superstar Luka Dončić while both were going through their pregame warmups.
There was the 6-foot-8 forward embracing star guard Austin Reaves and greeting multiple Lakers assistant coaches as he walked around the court.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura was all smiles before his first game against his former team. London Entertainment
Austin Reaves said Hachimura was one of his favorite teammates. NBAE via Getty Images
And he’ll be reminded of the change again when the Lakers visit the Intuit Dome on Wednesday, though he won’t play due to quad soreness sidelining him for the matchup.
“It was tough,” Hachimura told The Post about his free agency. “That’s my second free agency. Of course I was trying to get the extension from [the Lakers]. It didn’t work out, but it is what it is. We have to move on at some point.”
Hachimura wanted to return to the Lakers, but that didn’t come to fruition. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers were interested in retaining Hachimura. And he would’ve liked to return to the franchise.
“That was the point,” he responded to The Post when asked whether he wanted to stay with the Lakers.
But that didn’t come to fruition.
“It’s my agent and those guys who [were] in the talks,” Hachimura told The Post. “I don’t know what the [talks were], but I’m happy that I’m here.”
The Lakers made a slew of additions within the first few days of free agency: The Kessler acquisition opened the floodgates for the initial signings of Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million, Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million).
Hachimura was one of several players the Lakers didn’t re-sign in order to complete their roster reconstruction. NBAE via Getty Images
But to make those additions with their $50 million-plus in cap space, the Lakers had to relinquish the cap holds for most of their free agents, including Hachimura, making it unlikely they’d return to the franchise.
Hachimura said he didn’t know whether the Lakers offered him a new contract during the summer after the three-year, $51 million deal he signed with the franchise during the 2023 offseason expired in late June.
“It’s on them,” he responded to The Post when asked what led to his departure from the Lakers. “It wasn’t me. It was them.”
Hachimura reiterated the reporting from the summer that he and the Clippers had reached an agreement during the early stages of free agency.
Hachimura came to an agreement with the Clippers early in free agency. NBAE via Getty Images
A potential sign-and-trade between the Lakers and Clippers was pursued by Hachimura’s camp, which would’ve led Hachimura signing a longer contract with his new team, but the Lakers didn’t participate and Hachimura signed with the Clippers outright.
“It was already done,” he told The Post. “I just didn’t do it right away.”
Hachimura remains beloved in the Lakers’ locker room. NBAE via Getty Images
“He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had,” Reaves said. “I made a joke the other day that I didn’t know if he spoke English for the first two weeks. We sat by each other on the plane his first year and I would say ‘hey’ to him. He kind of just looked at me and [nodded].
“And then after that I couldn’t get him to shut up. Always in a good mood, happy to be here, puts the work in, and it’s just good to see him be happy and successful and enjoying his life.”
Los Angeles, and the Lakers specifically, is where he developed into “an unbelievable shooter,” according to Lakers coach JJ Redick.
He shot 41.5% from beyond the arc in his 3 ½ seasons with the Lakers, including 50.7% in the playoffs.
Hachimura developed into a sharpshooter with the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
His 51.6% career 3-point shooting accuracy in the postseason is an NBA record.
“Rui in terms of just his offensive packaging and becoming one of the best shooters in the NBA, we got him at a good point in his career,” Redick added. “Just one of my favorite players I’ve ever been around in the NBA and one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. And it’s because of just the consistency of joy and personality that he brings every day.”
Redick credited Lakers assistant coach Beau Levesque for helping Hachimura develop his “laser mentality.”
Hachimura will be able to showcase more of his offensive skillset with the Clippers. NBAE via Getty Images
“Beau is my guy,” Hachimura told The Post. “Since he got there, he was the guy [who] helped me elevate my game.”
Hachimura hopes to continue to elevate his game with the Clippers.
He’s no longer playing off star players such as Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Dončić and Reaves.
He’s a more significant part of the Clippers’ offense, which is reflected in him taking a career-high 12.7 field-goal attempts entering Wednesday after averaging a career-low 8.8 shots last season.
“I miss them, it was a good time — was a great time with them,” Hachimura told The Post about his time with the Lakers. “I can still continue my career in LA, too, so I’m happy [about] that.”
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ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On one hand, I’m never truly ready for baseball season to end, but in the case of this World Series, I have a particular rooting interest who could’ve ended the season on Tuesday night. Having crushed the Rays in Game 3, the Brewers went into Game 4 a win away from a sweep and the franchise’s first ever World Series championship.
In the end, they came mightily close, but not close enough. Having taken a lead in the 12th inning, the Brewers couldn’t quite hold on. With five consecutive batters reaching base, the Rays came storming back in the bottom of the 12th, ensuring that we’ll have at least one more game this season.
Tampa Bay Rays 4, Milwaukee Brewers 3 — 12 innings (Brewers lead series 3-1)
The two teams traded runs back and forth throughout the first half of the game.
Having been part of some defensive miscues that helped doom the Rays in Game 3, Chandler Simpson helped get Tampa Bay off to a better start in Game 4. His second inning double scored Jonny DeLuca to get Tampa Bay on the board and open the scoring.
Milwaukee got on the board themselves in the top of the fourth. Cooper Pratt hit a two-out double to score Sal Frelick and even things up. However, the Rays answered back in the bottom of the inning. With Junior Caminero on second, DeLuca hit a grounder to Brewers’ third baseman David Hamilton. Hamilton’s reaching attempt to tag out an advancing Caminero missed and his throw to first was then wide of the mark. The error allowed Caminero to score.
However, it didn’t take long for Hamilton to atone for that. He was due to lead off the top of the fifth and took Griffin Jax deep to tie the score once again.
After that, the game became a battle of the bullpens, and quite a battle it was. After tying it up in the fifth, the Brewers had just three runners reach base in regulation innings, and none of them advanced into scoring position. Meanwhile after taking the lead in the fourth, the Rays had just two runners reach base, and similarly they didn’t get close to scoring. Eventually the game headed into extra innings.
Both teams traded opportunities in extras, but it wasn’t until the 12th inning when things went haywire. With one out in the top half of the inning, Cooper Pratt went deep, giving the Brewers their first lead of the game and putting them on the cusp of a championship.
However, a fairly big issue arose after that in that the Brewers didn’t have an obvious option to try and close out the win, having used most of their big pieces to get the game to extras to begin with. That includes Aaron Ashby, who went 2.1 innings in this game, setting a record in the process. They tried sticking with Antonio Senzatela, who had finished off the 11th, until Camerino reached on an error to lead off the inning, leading to Pat Murphy going back to the bullpen.
Shane Drohan was the call, but things didn’t improve from there. Liam Hicks singled to put runners at the corners. DeLuca then punched through a single of his own, tying the game back up. Following a Simpson single to load the bases, Ben Williamson capped off the comeback with yet another single. His walk-off scored pinch runner Nick Fortes as the Rays had won the game to stay alive.
Milwaukee will now have to try again tomorrow night, when they’ll likely send Jacob Misiorowski to the mound. Meanwhile, the Rays used their Game 1 starter, Nick Martinez, for two innings out of the bullpen in this one, so it’s unclear exactly where they’ll go.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning. Especially since we’re getting a Game Five tonight. Apologies to Jack Buck in the Great Beyond for today’s title. And we’ll see you tonight from when you’re reading this.
The Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 in Game Four after falling behind 3-2 in the top of the 12th inning and then scoring twice in the bottom of the inning.
Game three will be remembered for the eight-run fifth inning that seems to have clinched the title for the Brewers (although the Rays aren’t dead yet). Julian McWilliams goes over that pivotal point in the Series that broke the Rays’ back.
None of this matters to commissioner Rob Manfred, who argued that two small market teams in the World Series means even more that baseball needs a salary cap. Mike Axisa reports.
Charlotte Barnes has a look at the “organized chaos” as the wives, fiancées and girlfriends of major leaguers in the World Series plan what they’re going to wear to support their significant others. (The Athletic sub. req.) There’s a lot of planning and custom orders.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, left, talks to vice president and assistant general manager Ryan Garko as they watch practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Tigers had some housekeeping to do before the real offseason begins, and they made progress on Tuesday by inking veteran catcher Carlos Perez and several of their better minor league relief prospects to new minor league deals.
Pérez took the place of Tomás Nido as their Triple-A depth catcher de jeur back in July, with Nido eventually signing on with the Boston Red Sox. Pérez was red hot with the bat in Toledo until an ankle injury in August ended his season. The 36-year-old backstop has some major league experience and is regarded as a good game caller with solid defensive skills.
The three relievers signed to new minor league contracts were some of their top relievers at the Double-A level last year. Sinkerballer Moises Rodriguez leads the way with a high 90’s sinker that touches triple digits and a solid breaking ball. He was our 28th ranked prospect, and really the only notable upper level relief prospect on our preseason prospect rankings. The 24-year-old rarely allows hard contact in the air and posted a 2.57 ERA in 2026, but inconsistent command and two good pitches that don’t really pair together that well by shape and appearance out of hand have kept him from breaking through. He signed a one-year deal to stay in the Tigers farm system, though he’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason.
Veteran right-hander Marco Jimenez also re-signed with the Tigers. The 26-year-old throws hard and has a quality breaking ball, but the fastball shape plays down a bit from the 97-98 mph typically seen from Jimenez. He has hit triple digits for various stretches in the past, though injuries have also slowed his progress. He only threw 16.2 innings in 2026, but his strikeout rate was decent and his walk rate was excellent. The home runs were a problem though that’s obviously a small sample and Jimenez hasn’t had much trouble with giving up home runs in the past.
Finally, 30-year-old right-hander Wandisson Charles also re-upped with the Tigers. After several years in the Baltimore Orioles system without breaking through to the major leagues, Wandisson didn’t pitch in 2025 and the Tigers brought him in on a minor league deal last winter. He was the key cog in the Erie SeaWolves bullpen this year, striking out 31.2 percent of hitters faced over 63.2 innings of work. Charles is another who throws hard and keeps the ball on the ground. The heater is good enough that he could probably hang in middle relief, but his breaking stuff needs to be more consistent.
The Tigers other minor league free agents not yet re-signed includes outfielder Roberto Campos, utilityman Trei Cruz, and right handed relievers Yoniel Curet, who is young enough and has power stuff worth keeping, and veteran reliever Jack Little. Campos is far and away the most notable name as he received a $2.85 million bonus as a teenager who flew Cuba to the Dominican Republic. Now 24, Campos’ progress has been slow, but it has remained steady as well and he handled the jump to Double-A reasonably well this year. At this point his upside is more of a fourth outfielder type, but the Tigers would probably like to hang onto him one more year to see if he improving selectivity helps him finally tap into more of his raw power.
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 10: A general view of the stage prior to the Draft Lottery at the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings at Hilton Anatole on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The offseason is almost upon us, which means it’s time to pull out your calendars and see when certain offseason events occur. November is sure to be busy, but things get a little more uncertain once we turn to December and the expected lockout begins. During that time, some events will be postponed if not cancelled outright.
Today, be on the lookout for my Rockpile covering the 40-man roster.
Either way, here is the calendar of notable dates for the offseason.
Day after the World Series ends
Free Agents file – 7 am MT
November 1
Gold Glove Awards announced – 7 pm MT (ESPN)
November 2
HOF eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires
Silver Slugger Award finalists announced – 12 pm MT
The Rockies are looking to continue shaping their pitching philosophy this offseason and as part of that, they have promoted Owen Cuffe to assistant director of pitching. Cuffe was hired last January to work as a pitching and rehab coach in the Arizona Complex League. The team seems to have liked him enough in that role to now expand his talents to all facets of the organization.
Jim Bowden end up listing Taylor Ward as a free agent option for the Rockies. Ward’s right-handed bat and potential for power could be a nice fit for the Rockies. Ward didn’t have a good season between the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, so a one-year prove-it deal on a cheaper deal could be a steal for the Rockies if he rebounded.
Ben Fisher highlights how bullpens have been a focal point of the World Series teams and the Rockies should take note of how important late-game relievers are for a winning team.
Kevin Henry catches up with prospect Stu Flesland III who could be at Coors Field sooner rather than later. He’s currently in the Arizona Fall League and continuing to look for more velocity.
On this episode of Mile High Territory, Ryan Spilborghs and Troy Renck talked about the Milwaukee Brewers being on the brink of a title and then talked about Jack O’Dowd as well as some stories with former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd.
The Milwaukee Brewers came three outs shy of securing their first World Series title as the Tampa Bay Rays managed to pull off a 4-3 walk-off victory in the 12th inning. Former Rockie Antonio Senzatela finished the 11th inning and started the 12th, but left after an error allowed the lead off runner to reach. Shane Drohan then entered, and the Rays tied the game and managed to load the bases before a chopped single to right field won the game. So, they’ll play at least one more tonight in Tampa Bay with the series now 3-1 in favor of the Brewers.
The AFL is at its midpoint, so Jim Callis breaks down some of the Statcast leaders to this point in the season. Jack O’Dowd comes in with the fourth-longest home run.
The Houston Astros are in search of a new general manager and former Washington Nationals leader Mike Rizzo interviewed for the position. Our Astros affiliate breaks down the fit of Rizzo.
The Phillies lineup is sure to look different next year and the team has hired a new hitting coach and assistant to hopefully provide a new path forward.
The offseason has arrived, but there’s no rule against watching a few White Sox highlights to get us through it. Each week, I’ll pick a player and revisit five plays worth another look. No homework, no deep dive. Just a little baseball to fill the void.
First up: Chase Meidroth, who apparently took it personally whenever a baseball tried to sneak through the infield. With a Gold Glove potentially headed his way, it feels like a good time to revisit some of the leatherwork that put him in the conversation.
Grab your morning coffee and enjoy five reasons opposing hitters might prefer to send the ball somewhere else.
Here are five favorites listed in chronological order:
1. No hits for you April 17 vs. Athletics
Nick Kurtz sent one toward right field. Chase Meidroth had other plans. A diving stop and a throw to first later, Kurtz had himself a ground out, and we had ourselves a replay.
2. Balance is overrated May 6 at Angels
Feet set? Optional. Out at first? Required. Chase gets the throw off from an awkward angle and sends Travis d’Arnaud back to the dugout.
3. Chase it down, call it a night June 10 vs. Braves
A one-run lead in the ninth is no time for a bloop to get any bright ideas. Chase’s running catch sealed a 2-1 win. Exhale, Sox fans.
4. Up by 21? Still diving June 26 vs. Royals
Apparently, a 22-1 lead wasn’t enough to convince Chase to take it easy. He punctuated the blowout with a diving play for the final out. The Royals couldn’t even leave town with a little ground-ball consolation prize.
5. A little early for a highlight reel?No, absolutely not August 7 vs. Guardians
Chase needed all of one inning to give us something worth replaying. A backhand throw retired Brayan Rocchio to end the first. Might as well get Cleveland acquainted with the glove right away.
Those are my five, but Chase gave us plenty to choose from. Which play was your favorite? Did I leave out a gem? Drop yours in the comments, and let me know which players should get the highlight treatment next.
How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
In USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series, the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are on much more even footing, with each team winning twice on the other's home field. Game 5, in this sense, is more pivotal than it is a potential endpoint.
Also in our version of the series, the Rays have ace Drew Rasmussen available to pitch on full rest after starting him in Game 1. The result was a classic pitcher's duel against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, with both pitchers putting up goose eggs ... until Tampa Bay broke through in the eighth for a 3-0 win.
Rays vs Brewers World Series Game 5 simulation
The stage was set for a classic pitching matchup, with Rasmussen and Misiorowski fully rested − and with fresh bullpens behind them thanks to a blowout Brewers win in Game 4.
For seven innings, the bullpens remained quiet as the two aces carved up hitters with ease.
The Rays got two runners on base in the first, but Jonny DeLuca was no match for the Miz and grounded out.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen was super-sharp. He pitched around an error and a stolen base in the Milwaukee fourth when the Rays retired lead runner Jackson Chourio at third base on a poor bunt by Brice Turang.
The Brewers didn't get a hit off the Rays right-hander until the sixth inning, when Sal Frelick roped a one-out single to right field. But he was cut down by Fortes trying to steal second. Rasmussen got out of a jam later in the inning after David Hamilton singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Nick Fortes' throwing error. Chourio grounded out to end the threat.
The Rays finally cracked the ice in the eighth against lefty reliever Aaron Ashby, who had just entered the game for Misiorowski. Second baseman Nick Madrigal led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Walls. After Yandy Diaz walked, Jonathan Aranda grouned a left-on-left single to right, but Madrigal was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from Sal Frelick for the second out.
With runners on the corners, pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade plated the game's first run with a clean single to center. And Junior Caminero provided the exclamation point with a two-run double off Trevor Megill for a 3-0 lead.
The Rays wouldn't even need closer Bryan Baker to finish things out. Rasmussen remained in the game for the ninth inning to retire the Brewers in order and complete the shutout.
▶ Misiorowski obliterates lefty hitters. Expected NL Cy Young award winner Jacob Misiorowski had a historically dominant season in 2026, allowing the fewest baserunners per nine innings since Pedro Martinez in 2000. One of the most eye-popping stats is his overpowering success against left-handed batters. He held them to a .114/.189/.189 slash line in 366 plate appearances.
There's not much the Rays can do about that, except maybe sit first baseman Jonathan Aranda or left fielder Chandler Simpson. In Sim Series Game 5, both of those lefty hitters started with the only lineup change from Game 1 being Ben Williamson starting at second base over switch-hitter Richie Palacios.
▶ Ashby finally falters. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby has emerged as one of the stars of this postseason, tossing a record 17⅔ scoreless innings. His overpowering presence has helped the Brewers lock down any lead, no matter how small, in the late innings.
In Sim Series Game 5, the Brewers turned to Ashby with the score 0-0 in the eighth. He'd been perfect so far in this series as well, allowing no hits and no runs over three appearances and 3⅓ innings. But this time, the Rays cracked the code. An unlikely leadoff single from backup infielder Nick Madrigal (who didn't even make the Rays actual World Series roster) started the winning rally. Yandy Diaz walked. And even more stunning, Jonathan Aranda pulled a single to right field. (Ashby yielded just a .215 batting average to left-handed hitters during the regular season.)
Ryan Vilade, the Rays' best weapon off the bench against leftt-handed pitchers (.272/.341/.477), had the big hit here with an RBI single that scored Diaz and ended Ashby's outing. Should the Brewers have brought in right-hander Trevor Megill to counter Vilade? Perhaps so in hindsight.
Megill did come in one batter later to face Junior Caminero, who sealed the deal with a two-run double.
▶ Rasmussen's availability. Although Rays ace Drew Rasmussen wasn't at his best in the real Game 2, a second chance for redemption would be welcome. He was outstanding once again here in the Sim Series, going the distance and only allowing three hits and two walks, while striking out seven for his second win. (He tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the opener.)
In real life, the Rays still need to win three in a row, so there isn't much difference in Rasmussen pitching Game 5 or Game 6. But after they used Game 1 starter Nick Martinez in relief and will likely need to go to a bullpen game, they might be wishing they had their ace on the mound − and an extra day of rest to refresh the bullpen.
▶ Baserunning blunders. In an attempt to break through against Rasmussen, the Brewers ran themselves out of a couple innings, with Chourio getting caught trying to advance to third base on Turang's bunt in the fourth. Turang was also caught in a rundown on a steal attempt immediately after that.
Also in the sixth, Sal Frelick was cut down trying to steal second with one out.
Rays catcher Nick Fortes was almost exactly average in throwing out runners during the regular season with 15 outs in 75 attempts (20%). The Brewers' William Contreras was much better, going 15-for-54 (28%). Dynasty League Baseball accounts for the proficiency of each catcher in throwing runners out. Fortes has a zero arm rating (average), while Contreras is a -2, which is above average. (The ratings range from +4 to -4.)
Through the first five games of the Sim Series, the Rays have not attempted a stolen base on Contreras, while the Brewers are 6-for-9 on their attempts vs. Fortes.
Australia enjoyed a fruitful day with the bat as half-centuries from Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey put the tourists ahead of the game in the deciding third Test in Cape Town.
Most will focus on the game-winning mid-range jumper that Jayson Tatum delivered at the final buzzer of Boston’s gritty-but-not-always-pretty 125-124 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
But we think it was what he did over the previous 42 minutes, 19 seconds of floor time that might have been even more noteworthy.
With the Celtics operating on the second night of a back-to-back for the first time this season, it was fair to wonder just how much Tatum, still working his way back to full health after the Achilles surgery 18 months ago, might play. But instead of treading cautiously, Tatum logged six more minutes than any other Boston player (and that was 36-year-old Paul George racking up an impressive 36 minutes of his own).
Tatum piled up a team-high 88 touches and delivered 56 total passes but didn’t commit a single turnover in his floor time for a Boston team that has struggled with ball security through the early portion of the season. Tatum handed out eight assists leading to a game-high 17 assist points, meaning his fingerprints were on 45.6 percent of Boston’s 125-point output.
And, if we’re being honest, the dime he threw Derrick White for an and-1 dunk in the final moments of the fourth quarter *probably* should have been enough to salt away the win. The Celtics did everything they could to allow the Nets to generate overtime and nearly steal the victory, but Tatum’s late-game heroics ensured Boston emerged with the win.
Through four games, Tatum is tied for fifth in the NBA in assist points created (83). Only Trae Young (101), Tyrese Haliburton (90), Jalen Johnson (88), and Luka Doncic (85) have created more scoring for teammates.
What’s more, Tatum ranks ninth in potential assists (56) and is tied for fifth in total assists with Cade Cunningham (32 apiece).
Typically, all the attention Tatum draws leads to multiple 3-point makes from wide open teammates on the perimeter. On Tuesday night, seven of Tatum’s eight assists led to 2-point baskets and showcased his vision.
Yes, Nets rookie Mikel Brown lost White on the key sequence late in the fourth quarter, but Tatum delivered the ball through traffic to a spot leading White to the rim, which was key in allowing him to finish before Noah Clowney fouled White on the play.
Tatum is simply giving the game what it needs. After limited free throw attempts through Boston’s first three games, Tatum generated an NBA-best 22 free-throw attempts on Tuesday night (connecting on 18 of them).
But the attention that opponents commit to him is going to repeatedly create opportunities for teammates. It’s on Boston players to knock down shots when Tatum generates those open shots for them.
And that big fist pump that Tatum delivered after assisting on White’s fourth-quarter layup shows his own appreciation for making the right play. The Celtics need Tatum to continue to give the game what it needs.
SEATTLE — John Chayka was busy this summer. The Toronto Maple Leafs GM was reshaping a club that had missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Landing some of the bigger names was going to command a ticket with some years attached. But what was a bit surprising was how many depth players were signed to multi-year deals. Outside of Vinnie Lettieri, Bo Groulx and Dakota Mermis, no other Maple Leaf is on an expiring deal who has played a game this season.
The Leafs were up against a permitted threshold where you are only allowed to be at 10 percent above the existing salary cap in future years. ‘Tagging’ as it’s known in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, pertains to the amount of room a club has to add to its future-year commitments. It prevents teams from overloading contracts in future years so that they don’t get stuck in a situation where they are unable to become salary cap compliant in the following year. That number right now is $114.4 million and that includes all of your signed standard player contracts on one-way deals, buyouts, retention and pro-rated two-way deals that extend into the next season.
Getting rid of Knies’ $7.75 million cap hit for Marchenko’s $3.85 million cap hit in 2026-27 had short-term savings, but that $12.5 million AAV extension Marchenko inked that begins in 2027-28 carried a $4.75 million increase on what Knies occupied, complicating the deal from a central registry standpoint. That’s why the Leafs took on the injured Elvis Merzlikins and his $4.428 million cap hit (even though he’s on long-term injured reserve) because it expires this year. It’s also why the Leafs had to part with young defenseman Emil Andrae, who was acquired by Toronto earlier in the summer and signed to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.55 million (although they absorbed a higher cap hit in Miles Wood based on Columbus’ ask).
Based on all the calculations, they currently only have approximately $625K in tagging room left, which means any player who is projected to make more than that at the NHL level and isn’t on a one-way deal can’t be squeezed onto the Leafs active roster without some sort of corresponding move to remove the commitment.
That’s where not being able to call up Ben Danford comes into the equation.
Danford can't be called up right now even if the Leafs wanted to do it.
Because Danford is on an entry-level contract (which is two-way), the Leafs can’t call him up right now if they wanted to because his $936,056 AAV in 2027-28 exceeds Toronto’s tagging room of $625k. It doesn’t sound like the Leafs have the desire to call him up right now anyway, but the reality is they can’t.
And if the Leafs do want to make another big swing elsewhere, they’d have to find a way to get rid of players with a financial commitment through 2027-28 to get it done.
The Leafs signed a bunch of depth forwards to two and three-year deals on July 1, eating away at their tagging room. They have the least amount of it off any NHL franchise as a result. It didn’t really become a problem until they acquired Marchenko and now it might be an issue again if the Leafs want to call up a Danford or make another bigger swing with term at the deadline.
Otherwise, they may have to settle on rental players as a means of clearing out the tagging room.
It’s not clear why this happened. But one thing is interesting to point out. This was really the first time NHL GMs had three years’ worth of projections to work with. The NHL never used to give those kinds of numbers out. But they wanted to flex the growth of the business and when you know you have $113.5 million projected for 2027-28 more than one year out, it’s kind of understandable to see how tagging may have been missed.
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Although the Philadelphia Flyers seemed as though they might have been turning the corner, winning three straight after starting the season winless through nine games, their last six periods of hockey have told a different story.
After leading 2-0 and 3-2 against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the Flyers blew the game and lost 5-4 in regulation, then followed that up with an awful first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Taking full advantage, the Blue Jackets quickly piled on a 3-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes while out-shooting the Flyers 7-2.
In the locker room after the game, the Flyers unanimously agreed that the dismal first period doomed them in what ended up being a 4-3 loss in overtime.
"It just felt like a weird start to the game, energy-wise, and didn't seem like really any guys had jump, which is unusual," Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim said. "Usually, you have a few guys going, and credit to the guys to find our legs and get going after a while, but it's nice to start on time."
The Flyers mounted a furious comeback over the final 40 minutes, out-shooting the Blue Jackets by a whopping 28-6 margin.
Noah Cates hounded down a leaky rebound in the blue paint behind Blue Jackets goalie Cam Talbot to get the Flyers on the board in the second period, and late in the third period, Trevor Zegras banked a shot off Talbot's midsection to pull the Flyers within one amid their late surge.
Tying the game at 3-3 in dramatic fashion, Jamie Drysdale steered in a Tyson Foerster pass with 11 seconds left on the clock and goalie Dan Vladar pulled for the extra attacker.
Momentum certainly seemed to have shifted in the Flyers' favor heading into overtime, until overtime actually happened.
The Flyers ceded a 2-on-0 breakaway early in the overtime period, with Matvei Michkov getting stripped behind when attempting to posture for a shot in the offensive zone.
Vladar made a phenomenal pad save to keep the game going for Philadelphia, and Michkov stayed on the ice in an attempt to remedy his error.
However, the late shift ended up punishing Michkov and the Flyers, as defenseman Cam York, in his first game back from injury, attempted to drive to the net for a scoring chance.
Michkov had been covering up high for York, but decided to crash the net for a rebound.
Unfortunately for him and the Flyers, York's move was stymied and the puck never made it to a dangerous area, instead springing Blue Jackets forwards Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson the other way with nobody back defending.
That time, Vladar wasn't able to play hero, and the Flyers' heroic comeback died where it stood.
A point is a point, but the Flyers lost 4-3, and have lost 11 of their first 14 games this season.
Maturity is still an issue for the Flyers; Michkov didn't need to extend his shift in overtime, and York, who has struggled all year, tried to make a low-percentage play in an overtime period with little margin for error.
"I can't keep coming here to the mic saying 'learning lesson, learning lesson'. I mean, it's a broken record. I'm just disappointed," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said after the loss. "The first, and then this overtime. Some the guys, I don't know what they're doing. We had a meeting about it. We sent a video on it. It's all puck possession. It's being smart. We give up two 2-on-0s. That's unacceptable."
You are what your record says you are, and right now, the 3-7-4 Flyers are the fourth-worst team in the NHL, with the third-worst points percentage.
The nine-game hole they started the season in already looked insurmountable, and foolish mistakes prevented a three-game win streak from becoming a five-game win streak. So, instead, they added two more losses to the record, wasting rare decent offensive performances from the collective group.
On Wednesday night, the Flyers will play their second leg of this back-to-back against the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m., and the outcome of that game will complete the picture being painted, one way or another.
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 26: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 26, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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 (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Hawks are 2-2. It’s a slightly disappointing turn of events after dismantling the Charlotte Hornets to a franchise-best game margin two games in.
The hope is that the Houston Rockets turn out to be a great team this season to make the recent sweep at their hands look less dispiriting in time.
But there are still 78 games left to go even if not. It’s way too early to press the alarm button.
It’s also difficult draw any real conclusions for this Hawks team, but I’ll try anyway from a statistical point of view. Let’s touch on a few points of emphasis I noticed four games in.
Pace and three-point rate check-in
What kind of team are the Atlanta Hawks, really?
Well, some things are hard to tease out with such a small sample size of the season. However, pace and three-point rate are two things that stabilize quite early on from year-to-year.
The Hawks pace over the past two seasons has been juiced by their high turnover rates on defense, giving them plenty opportunities to score in transition. As of the end of play Tuesday, their defensive turnover rate (TOV%) is 17.9, good for second in the association. Or in other words, out of every 100 defensive possessions, they are forcing around 18 turnovers.
This has led them to being a top 10 team in pace (102.5 possessions per 48 minutes) so far this season — wholly unsurprising considering their quick-paced teams of late.
A lot of this is driven by the Great Barrier Thief, Dyson Daniels, who has 14 steals (!) in four games which leads the NBA. He’s also leading the NBA in total deflections (26) and deflections per game (6.5). Those opportunities quite often lead to Alexander-Walker flaring to the wing for open threes or Jalen Johnson run out dunks.
As for the three-point rate, the Hawks are putting up 44.6% of their field goal attempts from behind the arc, slightly up from last season’s 42.9% rate. Both marks had them 11th in the NBA respectively.
The offense is built to move the ball and seek high value shots like catch-and-shoot threes — but oddly those attempts aren’t coming from the corner to this point. The Hawks have the 27th corner three-point rate with 18.3% of threes from that location — the most efficient three-point area due to its slightly shorter distance.
That might help explain their poor shooting so far this season, hitting just 33.1% long range of total attempts, down from their top five finish in 2025-26 (37.1%).
But in reality, this is likely noise and a touch of bad luck. Three-point shooting is one of the last major metrics to statistically stabilize, so there’s no reason to worry yet (including with respect to the center pairing discussed below).
Dyson Daniels, still indispensable — on both ends of the floor
We know Quin Snyder likes to spread the ball handling duties on offense in the post-Trae Young pivot they made over roughly the past calendar year.
A big key to this is getting the other guards to screen and cut off the ball. It helps to have good perimeter size and physicality at all the backcourt spots when possible, and one guy above all accentuates this aim.
Dyson Daniels is an all-world defender, and his tape over the past four games looks just as good as it did during his runner-up finish in the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year campaign.
But let’s talk about the other side of the floor for a bit.
Daniels is often a lightning rod for discussion, largely over his inability to stretch the floor despite (ostensibly) being a guard. But he’s among the best guards in the entire NBA at screening and cutting, often getting the ball around the free throw line giving him the option to shoot his patented floater or kick to corner shooters.
I call him a false center on offense because his role resembles that of your standard pick-and-roll big man, just in a 6’7” package. The threat of a pass out of the short roll is usually all he needs to get his flip floater shot over defenders.
Also, he’s dished out 14 assists this season against just three turnovers — efficient but notably playing less on the ball with Aaron Wiggins and Kingston Flemings joining the fold.
In this manner, he’s incredibly valuable to threatening the rim and giving a bit more space to shooters like a traditional above-the-rim center would be. Just like last season, the offense is better with him on the floor than off (albeit a drop from around seven to two points per 100 possessions from last season to this one).
So while it sure would be nice for him to hit more than one three in four games, the offense is far from reliant on it.
The shooting centers need to keep shooting
Related to Dyson Daniels’ shooting woes, with the Hawks running the inverted offense where Daniels is screening and cutting, it’s important to get floor spacing from the other positions.
The two centers (Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale) spacing the floor is rather key to allow these actions to flourish.
However, through four games, Okongwu and Landale are a combined 4-for-28 (14%) from three — including a 1-for-15 (8%) mark across the two-game Rockets sweep.
I don’t have a lot to add for this one other than the shooters need to keep shooting. It’s as simple as that. Turning down open threes will just junk of the Hawks offense even more.
Okongwu and Landale are fairly limited in other areas, including defensive rebounding (see below), so their value as a stretch center is paramount to let Daniels play his funky offensive game.
Shots will fall. Okongwu shot 38% from three last year, including hitting the most threes by a Hawks center in franchise history. Landale shot 38% from there last season as well.
There’s no reason to change boats midstream.
The Hawks might have a defensive rebounding problem
There was a possession in the Saturday home game against the Rockets when the Hawks had three chances to secure a defensive rebound. They failed all three times, giving Houston points on their fourth shot of the possession.
I mean, they let 6’2” Reed Sheppard outwork them. Not a good scene.
Through four games, the Hawks are securing 68.3% of available defensive rebounds — a mark good for just 27th in the NBA.
Some of it was going against an elite rebounding team twice in the Rockets. But they’ve also had to downsize a bit in the wake of the Mouhamed Gueye injury. 6’4” Luguentz Dort has been a primary backup at power forward when Jalen Johnson sits.
Dort is a very solid rebounder for his size, but that’s a huge caveat. Okongwu gets heat for his size as well as a starting center, but again he’s a solid rebounder regardless of size — although not elite.
Okongwu had a healthy 20.3% defensive rebound rate last season (8.7 defensive rebounds per 100 possessions). The team has been slightly better at pulling down defensive rebounds when Okongwu was on the floor the last two seasons. In that aspect, he pairs well with elite defensive rebounder Jalen Johnson.
This is something of a worrying trend for the early reversal of fortunes this season, unlike poor three-point shooting that will certainly come around in time.
The team needs a bit of time to incorporate Dort and reincorporate Landale into their collective glass crashing pursuit. The effort can be a bit better after some film review. But it’s possible that there’s a personnel issue at play.
If this continues, there may be a growing fan push for a center upgrade towards the trade deadline.
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 27: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after making the game-winning shot against the Brooklyn Nets on October 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics were 38-15 under head coach Joe Mazzulla. And thanks to Jayson Tatum’s game winner in overtime to beat the Nets 125-124, that’s now 39 wins. Mazzulla would later say after the game that when the team hits the film room tomorrow, they’ll treat it as a loss after another turnover-plagued game with multiple mental mistakes. But hey, you can’t win-lose them all.
Why the Celtics won
Not unlike Monday night’s Bulls, the 0-3 Nets are also a rebuilding team trying to define themselves. After selecting four first round draft picks in 2025 and another this summer, nearly half of their roster are rookies and sophomores.
Brooklyn does however have two capable scorers in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Before the game, Joe Mazzulla spoke with NBC Sports Boston’s Drew Carter about Brooklyn’s vets. “Their off-ball movement is huge,” Mazzulla said. “Porter is one of the best reading body position, whether it’s back cuts, whether it’s creating separation coming off screens and dribble handoffs. We’ve had our difficulties guarding him over the last couple of years. Obviously, Randle’s ability to get to the free throw line.”
Mazzulla’s scouting report couldn’t have been more prophetic, particularly concerning MPJ. The former champion was 4-for-7 from behind the arc, curling off down screens and coming off of dribble hand offs. It didn’t matter who was guarding him. He finished with a team-high 27 points hitting half of his dozen triples.
Fortunately for the Celtics, they got hot from three, too. After making just 2-of-16 and falling behind by five points in the first half, they caught fire in the third quarter. Five consecutive makes from Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Tatum gave Boston the lead heading into the final frame.
In the end, they shot well under their league-leading efficiency from 3 (42.4%) by making just eleven of their 41 attempts, but when they needed it most, they dialed up their calling card to put them over the top.
Numbers game: 22
That’s how many free throw attempts Jayson Tatum had in the overtime win. That’s the highest total of trips (22) and makes (18) of his career.
Love them or hate them, FTs are the mark of the NBA elite because on a night where he was mortal from the field (10-of-20 and 2-of-7 from 3), those points from the charity stripe padded a 40-ball. He also had eight assists and zero turnovers with maybe his biggest dime below.
Must C’s
In a win like last night’s, let’s allow for two plays of the game courtesy of Jayson Tatum.
In what should have ultimately been the game winner, Tatum hit Derrick White on a back cut for an and-1 dunk.
That should have sealed the game in regulation, but some missed free throws — including one from Tatum and two from Mitchell Robinson — pushed the game to OT.
After playing 42 minutes — the most he’s played in the regular season since returning from his Achilles tear — Tatum put the cherry on top of another near triple-double. If his PR team is trying to make an MVP case, this was Exhibit 1.
Who said what
“Throughout the game, I thought he was playing the right way. I thought he trusted both ends of the floor. He was patient. He was getting downhill. Some of the shots he missed, I thought they were great shots. Defensively, he was active getting rebounds.
I thought he gave the game exactly what it needed and stayed present in the moment and you got to see his greatness.” — Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum
After raising their record to 3-1, the Celtics are now in a four-way tie atop the Eastern Conference with the Pistons, Hornets, and 76ers. They’ll next host the Bulls again on Friday in the first contest of the NBA Cup before heading out on the road for another back-to-back in Orlando and Houston starting on Sunday.
