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Fear not, Sixers fans: This is not a ‘2-player draft'

Fear not, Sixers fans: This is not a ‘2-player draft'  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers pick third in the 2025 NBA draft, so you may be dismayed to read numerous sources declaring that superstar Duke forward Cooper Flagg and outstanding Rutgers guard Dylan Harper are the only two sure things in this draft. 

But fear not, Sixers fans. Because I promise you there will be more stars in this draft than Flagg and Harper. 

We’re watching an NBA Finals right now where both teams’ franchise players were drafted outside the top 10 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was 11th in 2018, Tyrese Haliburton was 12th in 2020). While we’re at it, Finals MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard were both picked 15th.  Eight of the 15 players who made the three All-NBA teams this season were drafted outside the top 10.

It’s Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and the front office’s job to evaluate Ace Bailey,VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel and everyone else and find the future star. Of course, that’s the hard part and smart front offices get these picks wrong repeatedly. That’s the nature of evaluating human beings and the intangibles you can’t measure at a combine. But it is the task at hand. 

The secret sauce in getting the draft right is to separate players thought to be in similar tiers and find the star. Just ask the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had two shots at Stephen Curry in the 2009 draft and took Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn instead.

Someone who gets drafted after No. 2 this season will blossom into a star player. The Sixers just have to find him. And history proves it could be a player outside the top 5 in every mock draft you’ll read. 

So, broaden your horizons a bit and watch some of the players outside that consensus top 5, because chances are that “consensus” won’t look remotely the same in a couple of years.

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The NHL's No-Tax Team Advantage Is Not A 'Ridiculous Issue,' But Bettman Has Won The Argument

For a few years now, the issue of NHL teams and their tax situation has been debated by pundits and NHL executives.

As the Florida Panthers are two wins away from defending their Stanley Cup championship, it’s been hard to ignore that they, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Vegas Golden Knights and even the Colorado Avalanche have won it all in recent years while having some of the lowest taxes of any NHL team.

In January, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier said he saw both sides of the tax issue, but that he also would hypothetically support a tax equalization plan. 

Another proponent of such a plan is TNT analyst and former NHL player Paul Bissonnette, who has repeatedly said he wants the league to address the issue. 

This week, Bissonnette took his grumbling to the NHL commissioner himself, Gary Bettman, in an NHL on TNT interview at the Stanley Cup final. But Bettman deftly counterargued, and if we’re being honest, we have to say he did a solid job of speaking against any type of plan to deal with tax inequalities from team to team.

“It’s a ridiculous issue,” Bettman said. “When the Florida teams weren’t good, which was for about 17 years, nobody said anything about it. For those of you who played, were you sitting there at the tax table? No, you wanted to go to a good organization in a place where you wanted to live, where you wanted to raise your kids and send them to school. You wanted to play in a first-class arena with a first-class training facility, with an owner, an organization, a GM, and a coach that you were comfortable with. And you wanted to have good teammates so you would have a shot at winning. That’s what motivates it.

“Could it be a little bit of a factor if everything else were equal? I suppose, but that is not it. By the way, state taxes are high in Los Angeles, high in New York. What are we going to do? Subsidize those teams?”

Gary Bettman (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)

Now, let’s be clear – we do see the no-tax states having an advantage, so we’re not prepared to agree with Bettman that this issue is “ridiculous.” But after interviewing NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh in November, and after hearing Bettman’s response to Bissonnette, our position has evolved. 

In this instance, we have to give Bettman credit. Part of his job as commissioner is making good arguments for the league’s decisions. And in this case, he did just that. And as Walsh said, finding the type of mechanism to level out the league’s tax situations is next to impossible.

If No-Tax Teams Have An Advantage, It's That They're Run By Very Smart PeopleIf No-Tax Teams Have An Advantage, It's That They're Run By Very Smart PeopleFunny, no one really heard about the tax advantage that the Florida Panthers supposedly have when they plucked Gustav Forsling off waivers five years ago because nobody else wanted him.

But here’s where our philosophy has evolved: there are other scenarios where some teams would have an advantage, and you don’t see teams crying out for new labor deal elements to address them. 

For instance, the weak Canadian dollar might be seen as an issue to Canadian team owners, but if you really think about it, it might be spun as a selling point to free agents and players considering being dealt to Canada. 

After all, if you’re making American money as all players do, and you’re playing in a Canadian market, your cost of living is far better than it would be if you were in an American market. Let’s say you’re getting $1.33 Cdn. for every American dollar – wouldn’t that be a huge win for you as a player? Your money would be improved by one-third if you’re in a Canadian market. So why aren’t Canadian teams selling that angle?

We want the playing field to be as level as possible while also being fair to teams that are more successful than others. That’s why we still believe a luxury tax would be a great solution for the NHL, the same way it is in the NBA. But clearly, the league prefers its hard salary cap, and that’s not likely to change, even with a new collective bargaining agreement coming up in the next year. That’s just the reality of the situation.

Hockey & Taxes: What An NHL Player Pays In Taxes Depending On Their TeamHockey & Taxes: What An NHL Player Pays In Taxes Depending On Their TeamNHL players must deal with two certainties: the eventual death of their career and the taxes they will pay during it. We calculated the taxes they will pay.

As Walsh told THN.com, there are many variables at play with taxes, and as Bettman noted, the bigger factors in players’ decisions on where to play probably have more to do with how well teams are managed and how competitive their rosters are. So you can see why there’s consensus between the league and players in this regard.

Bissonnette was within his rights to raise the topic in front of Bettman, but the commissioner held his own on this front and more or less ended the debate for now. It may come up again down the road, but anyone holding their breath for a change anytime soon need all the luck they can get.

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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MLS teams enter Club World Cup with a chance to make an impression, good or bad

The league will relish the long-awaited chance to go toe-to-toe with the world, but they may not love the result

The beach clubs of Dubai and Ibiza may be a little quieter this summer, at least when it comes to their headcount of European soccer stars. The off-season has been intruded upon by the Club World Cup with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Inter in the United States for this summer’s expanded tournament, which kicks off this weekend. Wayne Lineker and Salt Bae may get lonely.

European enthusiasm for Gianni Infantino’s latest harebrained scheme is low. The $131m bounty for winning the tournament has incentivised clubs at boardroom level (see Real Madrid spending many millions extra to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in time to play), but players may not be as driven on the pitch. European fans may not even watch – the tournament is being broadcast in the UK on Channel 5, a network known more for daytime reality TV repeats than live soccer. It’s being streamed worldwide on DAZN, a platform with wildly varying adoption levels across the globe.

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Haliburton used Steph film to prepare for physical Game 3 vs. Thunder

Haliburton used Steph film to prepare for physical Game 3 vs. Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is a lot Steph Curry can teach young NBA players, both directly and indirectly.

The four-time NBA champion has seen it all. He’s done it all. He’s gone up against just about every type of defensive matchup.

And yet, at age 37, other teams still struggled to contain the Warriors superstar.

Which is why Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, per Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, turned to Curry, or his film, to prepare for another physical matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“After two games of wrestling with Oklahoma City’s defense, of battling waves of defenders that just kept coming, Tyrese Haliburton cracked open his laptop to study someone familiar with it,” Mannix wrote. “Few players in NBA history are as adept at shedding a physical defense as Stephen Curry, the Warriors superstar who has powered Golden State to four championships … and counting.

“Early in the week, Haliburton’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, fired off a file of a decade’s worth of Curry’s postseason field goals, a highlight reel of Curry torching defenders from San Antonio to Houston, Cleveland to Boston. A generation of shooters have been inspired by Curry. In his first NBA Finals, perhaps Haliburton could be, too.”

The result? A near-triple-double, as Haliburton scored 22 points with nine rebounds and 11 assists on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 4 of 8 from 3-point range in Indiana’s 116-107 Game 3 win.

The Pacers now lead the Thunder two games to one in the best-of-seven series and are two wins away from capping off their storybook 2024-25 NBA season with the franchise’s first-ever championship.

Curry knows a thing or two about closing teams out in the Finals, perhaps Haliburton should continue to take a page out of his playbook.

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Warriors guard Podziemski underwent second surgery of offseason

Warriors guard Podziemski underwent second surgery of offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s been an eventful offseason for second-year Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski.

Golden State announced Wednesday that Podziemski had another surgery on Tuesday, this time to repair a core muscle injury, two weeks after the 22-year-old underwent surgery on his left shooting wrist on May 27.

As the Warriors mentioned in their statement, the surgery was successful and Podziemski is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of training camp in the fall.

Podziemski dealt with abdominal, back and facial injuries throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, and after his pair of offseason surgeries, appears to be addressing any lingering ailments in order to be fully healthy for his third season with the Warriors.

In his second year with Golden State, Podziemski averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game on 44.5-percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range in 64 games (33 starts).

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Jarome Luai called up by NSW Blues to replace injured Mitch Moses for State of Origin Game 2

  • Wests Tigers five-eighth to rekindle partnership with Nathan Cleary

  • Moses sent for scans after injuring calf in training session

Jarome Luai will replace Mitch Moses as NSW’s five-eighth for the second State of Origin match after a calf strain dashed Moses’s hopes of playing. Moses pulled up sore while running the ball during a training session at NSW’s Blue Mountains camp on Thursday, injuring the same calf that troubled him earlier this year.

The Blues have sent Moses for scans on the injury that delivers a blow to their hopes of sealing a series victory by winning Origin II in Perth on Wednesday.

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Mets prospect Jett Williams hits two home runs with Binghamton, Drew Gilbert goes yard for Syracuse

Mets prospect Jett Williams continues to excel with Double-A Binghamton and he showed off his power on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Flying Squirrels, Williams took Richmond pitching deep twice. The first came in the fourth inning with the score knotted a 0-0. Williams launched a Manuel Mercedes pitch deep over the center field wall to give the Rumble Ponies a 1-0 lead. The Mets' No. 1 prospect would give the Rumble Ponies the lead again in the sixth after launching another solo shot.

Off of Mercedes again, Williams took the fifth pitch of the at-bat to left-center field for his second homer of the game.

It was the first multi-homer game of the season for Williams and he finished 2-for-3 with a walk.

Although Binghamton would drop the game to Richmond, 5-2, Williams was able to boost his stats with his performance. His batting average rose to .288 and he now has six homers this season.

After 51 games in Double-A this season, Williams is slashing .288/.397/.497 with a .894 OPS.

It wasn't an offensive outburst from Binghamton, which had just four hits total. Williams had two of them, but Ryan Clifford went 1-for-4, driving his 10th double of the season on Wednesday.

Drew Gilbert goes yard for Syracuse

Up in Triple-A, Gilbert continues to show his potential power with his fourth homer since returning to Syracuse.

Gilbert finished 1-for-4 with a walk in Syracuse's 7-5 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but has now reached base in four of his last five games. In 45 games with Triple-A, Gilbert is slashing .210/.332/.347 with an oPS of .679, but has had bursts of power.

Gilbert's two-run homer in the third came after Travis Janikowski, playing with Syracuse for the first time since signing a minor league deal this week after spending this season with the Rays and White Sox.

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Panthers host Oilers in Game 4 looking to take control of Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers have won two straight games in the Stanley Cup Final.

A third straight win on Thursday night, when they host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, would give Florida a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

While Florida comes in with a fully healthy roster and plenty of confidence, things are a bit more fluid on the Edmonton side.

Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said on Wednesday that there would probably be a lineup change for Game 4, but did not elaborate on who he was considering taking out.

That potential move apparently did not include forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury that had him a game-time decision for Game 3.

Nugent-Hopkins will carry the same GTD label into Thursday, where he'll be evaluated prior to the game before Knoblauch and his staff make a final judgement.

Knoblauch also said that there had not been a decision yet on who would start in goal for Edmonton.

Stuart Skinner struggled in Game 3, allowing five goals on 23 shots before being pulled 3:27 into the third period.

So far during the Stanley Cup Final, Skinner has given up 13 goals on 97 shots, good for an underwhelming save percentage of .866. and a goals against average of 4.22.

If Skinner doesn't start, Calvin Pickard would get the nod.

Pickard replaced Skinner back in round one against the Los Angeles Kings after the latter 11 goals on 58 shots during the first two games of the playoffs, both losses by Edmonton.

Pickard came in and won his next six starts for the Oilers before he was injured and Skinner was summoned back into the crease.

To be fair, while Pickard holds a 6-0 record for Edmonton this postseason, his corresponding statistics are underwhelming to say the least, with a goals against average of 2.87 and save percentage at .888.

Skinner's play significantly improved after he became the starter again, so we'll see if Knoblauch sticks with the guy who got the Oilers through the second and third rounds against Vegas and Dallas, respectively.

As for Florida, it’s likely Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice will roll with the same lineup that ww saw play pretty well in Game 3.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 4 against the Oilers.

Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov

Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis, Jesper Boqvist, Nico Sturm, Jaycob Megna

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Photo caption: Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Mets' Brandon Nimmo provided cushion for David Peterson's shutout with pair of homers

While the spotlight and laurels belonged to David Peterson on Wednesday night -- and deservedly so -- his complete-game shutout against the division-rival Nationals wouldn't have been possible without a comfortable lead.

So, one of the few Mets teammates Peterson can thank for his gem is Brandon Nimmo. He provided the needed cushion.

The summer wind came blowing into Citi Field, but the ball was fortunately blowing out for Nimmo. The veteran outfielder delivered a pair of homers in the Mets' 5-0 win, and it was the first time that he smacked two long balls in one game since doing so against the same Nationals, back in late April. That day, he tied the Mets' club record with nine RBI.

Nimmo's first dinger of the night came in the fifth inning, as he took a changeup from Nationals starter Jake Irvin deep to left-center to push the Mets' lead to 4-0. Then, in the seventh, he crushed a solo shot to right field off reliever Jackson Rutledge to make the score 5-0.

Peterson only needed one run -- the first came on an upper-body strength RBI double from Pete Alonso -- but the insurance was welcomed and appreciated. Nimmo finished 2-for-3 with a walk and raised his average to .236.

"It's crazy how this field just flips a switch, but I'll take it," Nimmo said when asked about the humid weather. "I'll take every single one of [the homers]. The funny part is, the ball I hit the hardest was an out. So, that's the irony of baseball. But it's fun. I'll take it. I'm so glad I was able to help contribute tonight."

The warmer temperatures are playing to Nimmo's advantage. He's slashing .310/.385/.569 with four homers and nine RBI over his last 15 games (58 at-bats), and the month of June has produced the second-most long balls and second-highest OPS of his career. Signs of good things to come.

"Sometimes you're just going to go through some bad luck, and you should just stay the course," Nimmo said. "A lot of the stuff we go by now is expected numbers. If all of that stuff is pointing to having success, then we kind of lean on that to play out over the course of seven months. You have to understand you go through different seasons, and the weather's going to heat and cool down."

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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Bednar putting early struggles in rear view, D-Backs closer shelved again

In this week's Closer Report, Atlanta is searching for answers in the ninth inning amid Raisel Iglesias' struggles. The Diamondbacks lose Justin Martinez to the injured list again. And David Bednar is putting his early season troubles behind him with better performance on the mound. All that and more as we run down the last week in saves.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1: At the Top

Josh Hader - Houston Astros

Hader keeps on rolling as the top closer in baseball. He picked up a save and a win in two scoreless outings this week. He's struck out multiple batters in each of his last six appearances. The 31-year-old left-hander is up to 17 saves with a 1.29 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 43/7 K/BB ratio across 28 innings.

Tier 2: The Elite

Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Edwin Díaz - New York Mets
Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Mason Miller - Athletics

Muñoz bounced back after blowing back-to-back save chances. He struck out two batters in a scoreless inning for a save against the Angels on Sunday, then tossed a clean frame in a non-save situation against the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Suarez has now fired off 11 consecutive scoreless appearances since giving up five runs on May 12. He converted two more saves this week and leads baseball with 21.

Díaz tossed two clean innings and recorded one save this week. He's at 14 this season with a 2.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 42/11 K/BB ratio across 27 1/3 innings. While not producing the same strikeout rate as his peak in 2022, his 39.3% strikeout rate ranks among the top five relievers in baseball.

Duran gave up a run in a non-save situation against the Blue Jays on Saturday, then bounced back with a clean inning and a save on Sunday. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted an outstanding 1.15 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 37/11 K/BB ratio across 31 1/3 innings.

Clase pitched back-to-back games against the Astros over the weekend and converted his 14th save of the season. After struggling to start the season, he's allowed just one run over his last 15 outings since the start of May. Meanwhile, Miller is getting back on track with five straight scoreless outings, including a five-out save with three strikeouts against the Orioles on Friday.

Tier 3: The Solid Options

Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Camilo Doval - San Francisco Giants
Will Vest/Tommy Kahnle - Detroit Tigers
Devin Williams - New York Yankees
Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays
Félix Bautista - Baltimore Orioles
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Emilio Pagan - Cincinnati Reds
Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals

Scott starts this large tier of closers that have had some volatility but have mostly gotten the job done. Scott made three appearances this week, adding two saves for a total of 12. The Dodgers got Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech back from the injured list this week, both of which can factor into the ninth inning based on matchups.

Chapman's strong season continues with another good week on the mound. The 37-year-old left-hander locked down three more saves to give him 12 to go with a 1.59 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 39/9 K/BB ratio across 28 1/3 innings. With Justin Slaten on the injured list with a shoulder injury, Garrett Whitlock figures to step in as the next in line for saves.

Megill surrendered two runs to blow a save chance against the Padres on Saturday before falling in line for a win. He then bounced back with a clean inning on Tuesday against the Braves, striking out two for his 13th save.

After snapping a 21-game scoreless streak in a blown save last week, Doval came back with three saves. The 27-year-old right-hander is up to 10 saves with a 1.69 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 30/15 K/BB ratio across 32 innings. Behind Doval, Randy Rodríguez has been one of the best middle relievers in baseball and has solidified himself as a top setup man and next in line for saves in San Francisco. As many close games as the Giants play, Rodriguez wouldn't be a bad streamer in deep leagues.

It's a similar situation in Detroit, with the team generating plenty of save chances. Vest locked down two more saves this week and is up to 11, with Kahnle behind him at eight. And in New York, Williams struck out one batter in a scoreless inning for a save against the Red Sox on Friday before cleaning up the ninth with two outs for the save Wednesday against the Royals.

Hoffman had one of his better weeks, converting four saves in five days despite giving up a pair of home runs. He's had home run issues this season with eight, passing last season's total of six. Still, he's continued to collect strikeouts and saves.

Bautista struck out the side, working around a walk in a scoreless inning against the Athletics on Saturday for his 12th save. The 29-year-old right-hander has had an overall effective season coming back from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 28/16 K/BB ratio across 21 2/3 innings.

Bednar has been lights out since returning from a brief minor-league stint on April 19, with a 2.49 ERA and a 30/3 K/BB ratio across his last 21 2/3 innings. He added two saves and a win over the last week.

Helsley gave up a run in each of his last three outings, blowing three straight save chances. The 30-year-old right-hander has had an up-and-down season, posting a 3.75 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 28/12 K/BB ratio across 24 innings while converting 13 of 18 save opportunities.

Fairbanks logged a save with a clean inning against the Marlins, then blew a save chance against the Red Sox on Monday, giving up two runs. Meanwhile in Chicago, Palencia had a rare bad outing, giving up a run on two hits and a walk to take the loss against the Phillies on Monday.

Finnegan converted a save against the Rangers on Friday, then was charged with a blown save as he failed to strand the inherited runners in the eighth against the Mets on Tuesday.

Pagán struck out two batters in each of his two scoreless outings this week, adding a save against the Guardians on Monday. The 34-year-old right-hander has converted 16-of-18 save chances with a 3.45 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and a 35/8 K/BB ratio across 28 2/3 innings.

Estévez pitched in both games of a doubleheader against the Cardinals last Thursday, taking a loss with two runs allowed in the first game before locking down a save in the second. He then worked around a hit and a walk to record his 19th save against the White Sox on Sunday.

Tier 4: Here for the Saves

Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels
Shelby Miller - Arizona Diamondbacks
Raisel Iglesias/Pierce Johnson - Atlanta Braves
Jordan Romano - Philadelphia Phillies
Robert Garcia - Texas Rangers

Jansen pitched four times in five days this week, adding two saves to his total, bringing him to 14 with a 4.37 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 19/9 K/BB ratio across 22 2/3 innings. With Jansen unavailable Wednesday, Reid Detmers stepped in for the save against the Athletics.

For a second time, the Diamondbacks lost closer Justin Martinez to the injured list. The 23-year-old right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain in his right elbow and could be facing a lengthy absence. This puts Miller back in line for regular save chances in Arizona. He struck out two in a scoreless inning for the save against the Mariners on Wednesday.

The Braves are searching for answers at the closer role with Iglesias taking a step back. The team will likely go with a committee approach. Both Iglesias and Johnson blew save chances in the last week. Dylan Lee could be a speculative pickup for saves as the team has fellow left-hander Aaron Bummer pitching effectively.

No saves for the Phillies this week. Romano was charged with a loss against the Pirates on Friday while Matt Strahm and Taijuan Walker were each charged with a blown save. The Phillies could be a team looking to add to their late-inning mix via trade. In Texas, Garcia surrendered three runs in a blown save against the Rays last Thursday, then converted a save against the Nationals on Sunday.

Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel

Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins
Zach Agnos - Colorado Rockies
Brandon Eisert/Steven Wilson - Chicago White Sox

Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates

The White Sox closer situation has not been one to go chasing for quite a while, but the team did call up an intriguing young reliever from Double-A Birmingham, skipping the Triple-A level. Twenty-three-year-old Grant Taylor logged 26 2/3 innings in Double-A, posting an impressive 1.01 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 37/11 K/BB ratio while generating a 17.1% swinging-strike rate. If he can translate similar production at the MLB level, Taylor can quickly work his way into the saves mix in Chicago, few as they may come.

Reid Detmers has quietly been on an impressive run with the Angels. He's made 11 consecutive scoreless appearances, striking out 18 batters to just four walks in that span. The 25-year-old left-hander has struggled to realize the upside he's displayed at times throughout his young career. However, he just might be figuring it out in this new role as a reliever. Detmers converted a save on Wednesday with Kenley Jansen getting the day off. On Thursday, manager Ron Washington hinted at Detmers possibly being stretched out as a starter again at some point, but he seems to be thriving in the late innings.

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Pressure defense, bench sparking runs, Pacers turn tables on Thunder, take Game 3 and 2-1 series lead

INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time these Finals, the Thunder looked shook.

Indiana brought the defensive pressure — like Oklahoma City has done to so many teams this season — and the result was Thunder players trying to do too much on their own and coughing up 19 turnovers. Indiana leaned into its depth, as the Thunder have done all season, and the result was Bennedict Mathurin scoring 27 and the bench as a whole scoring 49, including Obi Toppin doing this.

Indiana turned the tables on Oklahoma City and gave them a taste of what it was like to play themselves.

The result was a 116-107 Indiana win — its first Finals win in 25 years — in front of a raucous home crowd. The Pacers now have a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 on Friday night in Indianapolis.

After a couple of rough games for the Pacers' bench, things turned back home.

The spark was T.J. McConnell, whose scrappy, hustle plays changed the dynamic in the second quarter. His steals ignited the crowd and a 15-4 Pacers run that put them in the lead for the first time in the game.

Indiana found its offensive groove thanks to the bench and scored 40 points in the second quarter on just 26 possessions. This from a team that scored 41 and 45 in the first halves of Games 1 and 2.

At the heart of the Pacers' bench play was Mathurin, who shot 9-of-12 on his way to those 27 points, including hitting a couple of 3-pointers on a night the Pacers as a whole struggled from beyond the arc (9-of-27).

In the face of the tempo and pressure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was gassed in the fourth quarter and couldn't lead the Thunder to the win. The MVP finished with 24 points but on 9-of-20 shooting, with eight rebounds and just four assists. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points. The Thunder shot 10-of-22 from 3, keeping them within striking distance for much of the night.

However, what won the 68 games and got them to the Finals was their defense, and the Pacers torched that for a long stretch of Game 3. Indiana took better shots and capitalized on them, finishing with a 116 offensive rating (9.5 points higher than the Thunder allowed on average during the playoffs coming into the game).

For Oklahoma City, Game 4 on Friday becomes the season. If they go down 3-1 against a Pacers team that is rising to the moment like this, they will not climb out of that hole.