For most of the regular season, Mikal Bridges was maligned for his sheepish style of play, and production unbefitting of a player that took five first-round picks to acquire. That carried over into first few games of the Knicks' first-round series with the Hawks, but what a difference a month makes.
Bridges has become one of the Knicks' most reliable players on both ends of the floor and came up big again in New York's 121-108 win over the Cavaliers to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks guard filled up the statsheet, scoring 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting, coming down with six rebounds, while dishing two assists, coming away with three steals and two blocks in 39 minutes.
"Mikal got to his spots all night," head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the win. "He hit big shot after big shot and on top of that, he had six rebounds and then trying to defend James [Harden], a Hall of Famer, without fouling him. Just a really good ballgame from Mikal."
Down 0-2 at home, the Cavaliers were playing aggressive and didn't let the Knicks run away with this one. Although the Knicks ultimately had a wire-to-wire victory, Cleveland stuck around and had multiple second-half runs where they cut the deficit to single digits.
But whenever they'd make their run, Bridges seemingly was in the midst of the Knicks' punch-back. Whether it was his defense leading to transition buckets or as Brown said, making a key bucket, especially on leak outs for easy layups. New York dominated on the fastbreak, 17-4, thanks to those leakouts and defense-to-offense buckets.
Brown was asked about Bridges' ability to be in the right place for a leakout while not sacrificing his defense, and the first-year Knicks coach chalked it up to the guard's "feel."
"His feel is unbelievable. He’s got a good feel," Brown explained. "He’s doing that on his own, picking and choosing when to go, just like he’s picking and choosing when to look for his shot when we call his number. I told him and OG [Anunoby], because I don’t call a ton of play-calls, you guys got to find ways to impose your will on the game. And they are doing a great job imposing their will on the game."
"I just try to play hard every possession," Bridges said of his process. "See one of my guys in transition, have an advantage, split the floor, try to get a layup or cause confusion and try to get someone else an open shot. Just trying to play hard the whole game."
That effort has paid off for Bridges.
Just looking at the three games in this series, Bridges has shot tremendously. After shooting 64 percent in Game 1, he's shot 75 and 73 percent, respectively, in Games 2 and 3. Only six of his 38 shot attempts have come from three, so Bridges has moved well without the ball and getting to his spots. He's also been the second-highest scorer for the Knicks in all three games, giving New York that consistent second option alongside Jalen Brunson.
Oh, and he's also been a combined plus-51 in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is more than even Anunoby (+48).
Bridges will look to have his do-it-all game on Monday, when the Knicks look to close out the series in Game 4.
CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Mikal Bridges added 22 and the New York Knicks moved within one game of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 with a121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.
OG Anunoby had 21 points as New York led the entire game. The Knicks were 43 of 77 from the field, including 11 of 28 on 3-pointers. They were also 24 of 27 from the foul line.
The Knicks can wrap up the Eastern Conference Finals and sweep their second straight series with a win on Monday night. New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run. The last team to do it was the Boston Celtics, who also went on a 10-game run on their way to the 2024 title.
All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and James Harden added 21 for Cleveland. The Cavaliers were 12 of 41 on 3-pointers and 12 of 19 from the foul line.
New York led 91-82 at the end of the third quarter but put it out reach in the fourth when Landry Shamet made three 3-pointers in a 99-second span to make it 105-94.
The Knicks made their first four shots en route to a 9-1 lead less than two minutes into the game. New York was 12 of 17 from the field in the quarter and was up 37-27 after 12 minutes.
Cleveland rallied and tied it at 50-all on a jumper by Harden before the Knicks countered with a 10-1 run. They went into halftime with a 60-54 advantage.
Brunson had six of his 12 points during an 8-1 run midway through the third quarter as the Knicks extended their lead to 83-70 with 3:41 remaining.
James Harden was yet again severely outplayed by Brunson.
He had six more turnovers, and not only went scoreless in the fourth quarter, but didn’t take a single shot.
On a night the Cavaliers needed The Beard’s best, he didn’t show up for most of the second half.
Mikal Bridges steals the ball from James Harden during the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Unsung hero
It feels like months ago that coach Mike Brown was considering benching Mikal Bridges.
The two-way wing is in the midst of his best stretch as a Knick.
He continued to shine Saturday night, scoring 22 points on 11-for-15 shooting.
Bridges is shooting an absurd 68.2 percent from the field over the past 10 games.
Key stat
29.3: The Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting percentage in this series.
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Quote
“I’m from New York, this doesn’t shock me. They do it in every arena. That’s how Knicks fans are. I was one back in the day,”
— Donovan Mitchell on Knicks fans invading Rocket Arena
The Braves lost a game 2-0 to the Nationals, which is unfortunate because the Nationals are very much the profile of team that you should beat if you hold them to 2 runs (though statistically that applies to every team, the Nationals are especially pitching-deficient. That said, the Braves still have a chance for a perfectly solid series win, with a win on Sunday, behind Martin Perez and facing the unimposing Foster Griffin. The Phillies won Saturday, bringing the division lead down to a still-large 9.5 games, while the Marlins beat the Mets, rounding out NL East play.
For the first time in 12 years, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins are headed to the the AHL Eastern Conference Final in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
And, to punch their ticket, they gave a statement performance on Saturday.
In a winner-take-all Game 5, the WBS Penguins dominated the Springfield Thunderbirds, putting up a final score of 8-1 after failing to clinch in a 2-0 loss on Thursday. Forwards Tristan Broz, Ville Koivunen, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard each had two goals for the Penguins, while netminder Sergei Murashov was impressive yet again, stopping 26 of 27 Springfield shots against to improve his Calder Cup Playoff save percentage to a whopping .943.
After failing to generate much of anything Thursday, WBS was ready from the jump. Broz kicked things off with his first goal of the contest a tick less than four minutes into the first period, driving the net and putting away a top-shelf backhand to make it 1-0. Then, less than four minutes later, Broz and Harrison Brunicke used their wheels to create a two-on-one opportunity. Broz slid a perfect pass over to Brunicke breaking through the middle then down the right side, and he also went top-shelf - hitting the water bottle in the process - to give WBS the early 2-0 lead.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
And the Penguins just kept piling on. During the game's first power play - awarded to WBS later in the first - Broz rifled one home from the slot to tack on, and Harvey-Pinard scored WBS's fourth goal with 21 seconds remaining in the first period to chase Springfield starting goaltender Georgii Romanov from the game.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
Atley Calvert registered the lone tally in the second period, and Ville Koivunen added on another power play goal almost three minutes into the third period to make it 6-0. Akil Thomas did score one for Springfield, but that was only four minutes before Harvey-Pinard scored on the empty net to make it 7-1.
They didn't just stop there, though. Koivunen pounced on a rebound around the goal crease for his second of the game and WBS's eighth of the game just past the midway point of the final frame, and the WBS Penguins were able to ride off into the sunset with the decisive 8-1 win.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 24, 2026
Here are three takeaways from this one:
1. Broz continues to prove he's a big-game player
Even if players like Bill Zonnon, Brunicke, and Murashov are commanding a lot of the attention from this year's run with WBS, Broz has quietly been, arguably, their best player.
He leads the team with three goals and nine points in the nine playoff contests they've played in, and he's been centering a third line with Mikhail Ilyin and Koivunen. He's logging tough minutes on the penalty kill and contributing to the first power play unit, and he's showing his prowess in all three zones.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
But, above all, he's still showing his knack for the clutch. Remember when he scored those two different overtime goals for the University of Denver in their 2024 National Championship run? Well, he certainly showed up in an important game Saturday, and his team reaped the benefits.
If not for injuries, he would have earned a more extended look at the NHL level next season. Broz is a legitimately good hockey player, and he should get that shot in 2026-27.
2. That said, let's not forget Murashov and Brunicke
Well, hey, what else can you say about two of those guys named before Broz?
Murashov, 21, has been dominant in these playoffs. Granted, he didn't need to exert himself super hard in this one, but he's made saves when it has mattered, and he's started every game for the Penguins. He has a 1.74 goals-against average to go along with that .943 save percentage.
This guy is quick, athletic, and knows how to slow down the moment, and it will be surprising if he's not at the NHL level next season.
As for Brunicke? Next to Broz, I think he's been the team's best player in this tournament, and it's not as if he's been with this team all season long. He stepped in after the Kamloops Blazers fell in their playoffs, and since then, he's logged top-pairing minutes with Alex Alexeyev, he's the quarterback of the first power play unit, and he's one of the first defensemen called up for the penalty kill and in key defensive situations.
He has grown substantially from his brief NHL stop early in the 2025-26 season, and at times, completely takes over the game. It may take some time for him to fully find his game at the NHL level, but the Penguins sure do have a talent in Brunicke.
Harrison Brunicke with the Superman celebration after putting #WBSPens up 2-0.
3. This team - like its NHL parent club - is riddled with depth
When your fourth line consists of Zonnon - who had three goals in this series in what was his professional debut - centering Aidan McDonough and Calvert, you're probably in pretty good shape. And that's not to mention the third line of Broz, Ilyin, and Koivunen again, which has probably been their strongest line through these Calder Cup Playoffs.
This is the deepest team WBS has had in years, and it's from top-to-bottom across positions. There is still a lot of work ahead if they want to reach the pinnacle of a Calder Cup Championship, but what they showed Saturday is that they're going to be a difficult problem to deal with for whoever between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters gets them in the Eastern Conference Final.
It takes everyone to get the job done in the NBA Playoffs.
We’ve been seeing that firsthand with the 2026 Knicks, and it was again the case Saturday night as they took complete control of the Eastern Conference Finals with a wire-to-wire Game 3 win in Cleveland.
Landry Shamet was huge for New York, playing 28 minutes off the bench, including big ones down the stretch.
Those closing minutes were where Shamet shined the most, as he knocked down three of his four threes on the night to put any hope of a late Cavs comeback to rest.
He also stepped up big time on the other end of the floor, guarding All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
“It’s just that next play mentality,” Shamet said. “The ball goes in, I’m already thinking about guarding an All-Star on the other end and my assignment or what we’re doing there defensively -- that’s the beauty of our team.
“We have five guys on the court who are constantly bought into that mentality -- the ball found me a few times and it went in, and we just moved on and made plays defensively and were able to close the game out.”
Shamet finished with all but nine of the team’s 22 bench points on the night.
He did so on 4 of 5 shooting from three, bringing him to an efficient 7-for-8 during the Eastern Conference Finals, with six of those makes coming during the fourth quarter or overtime.
“He’s been big-time,” Jalen Brunson said. “A true professional.”
“Just a heckuva player and we're going to need him down the stretch here, so we want to make sure that he has all of the opportunities that he can,” Josh Hart added.
All good things must come to an end. It had been 2 years and 2 days since Nebraska had last lost in Charles Schwab Field, and it continues that no team has ever won 3 Big Ten Tournaments in a row.
The usually potent Husker offense couldn’t come up with anything against one of their biggest nemesis of the season, Oregon starter Will Sanford had confounded Nebraska in Eugene and his rising fastball did the same tonight.
Oregon got things started quickly. Leadoff batter Ryan Cooney drove the second pitch of the game to the left-center gap. All Big Ten Defensive Team outfielder Mac Moyer read it perfectly and made a dive at the last minute but could just barely touch it with his glove. Cooney cruised into second for a double. Back to back groundouts behind him brought him in to score. Husker starting pitcher Gavin Blachowicz struck out the final batter to limit the damage to 1 run.
The Duck loaded the bases with one out in the 3rd on Blachowicz, with a couple of singles followed by a full count walk to All Big Ten 3B Drew Smith. Blachowicz got to an 0-2 count on the batter who slapped a ball right at a shifted Rhett Stokes playing up the middle. He stepped on 2nd and fired a strike to first base for a massive double play. The crowd roared to life trying to get some momentum on their side.
Will Sanford took the mound for Oregon. He struck out 12 Huskers in 6 innings the first time they faced each other and got off to a similar start in Omaha. Two strikeouts each of the first 4 innings, and 10 retired in a row.
Oregon added one in the 4th, a solo shot from Maddox Maloney. That doubled their lead to 2-0. Maloney is 3rd in career home runs at Oregon and was All Big Ten a season ago, but had been struggling to find consistency this year.
Nebraska finally reached base on Sanford in the 4th. Sanford lost control of his fastball for a time, walking Jeter Worthley and Dylan Carey with 1 out. Case Sanderson, who carried the team last night, just got under one for a fly out to deep center. Then Sanford bounced back with a strikeout on Drew Grego, and grabbed all the momentum back in the Oregon dugout.
Blachowicz had been having a great night, battling the potent Oregon offense. He looked to be controlling the 5th, getting to 2 outs quickly, but a solo shot that barely cleared the right field wall put Oregon up 3-0. Blachowicz exited after the 5th, striking out 9, and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, with only 1 walk. More than enough to keep Nebraska in the game.
The Huskers looked to have something working in the 6th. Jeter Worthley snuck one past the first baseman into no mans land and wound up on 2nd for a double. Then Dylan Carey smashed a ball 103 mph off the bat, but right at the Duck short stop who was shifted way towards third base. He caught the line drive and tossed the ball to the second baseman who with the shift was only a couple steps from the base, doubling off Worthley. Another strikeout looking on Sanderson ended the threat.
Oregon opened it up in the 7th. It looked like Nebraska might get out of the inning with no harm done, after a Cooper Katskee strikeout to lead off the inning. He hit a batter, but then induced a ground ball up the middle. Carey tossed to Stokes at second who bounced a ball to first that Sanderson couldn’t come up with. A walk was followed by a 2 run triple to the deepest part of the park. Katskee then threw a belt high fastball right over the middle of the plate, and that ball ended up in the Husker bullpen. 7-0 Oregon.
Oregon added another run in the 9th to bring us to the final score of 8-0.
For an offense that doesn’t strike out a lot, gets lead off batters on at a high rate, and is one of the best at batting with runners on, none of the Huskers’ weapons were working tonight. Nebraska struck out 12 times, got 2 of 9 leadoff runners on, and hit 1-9 with runners on base, hitting into 2 double plays. None of those are a recipe for success.
Oregon will face regular season champion UCLA for the Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday at 2pm CDT.
Nebraska should be firmly in place as a regional host, so waiting for the teams who are coming to Lincoln should be all that the Huskers are waiting on come the selection show on Monday at 11am CDT. Corn Nation will keep you posted and give you all the regional previews and recaps you need.
Los Angeles Angels fans in right field at Angel Stadium.
“Sell the team” chants have echoed across Angel Stadium this week, as Angels fans continue to be disgruntled by the state of the team.
On Saturday, Angels fans protested owner Arte Moreno before the game against the Rangers, imploring him to sell the team.
“Sell the team” chants have echoed across Angel Stadium this week, as Angels fans continue to be disgruntled by the state of the team. Reddit/KeyResolve3056On Saturday, Angels fans protested owner Arte Moreno before the game against the Rangers, imploring him to sell the team. Getty Images
With an hour and a half before first pitch, fans made their way down State College and stopped at the main entrance of the stadium on Gene Autry Way. Roughly 100 people were part of the group, with more piling in as they entered the stadium.
The movement originated when lifelong Angels fan Johnny Gonzalez created a flyer on his Instagram account, “Angelsboycott,” at the beginning of the month.
Gonzalez said the purpose of the protest was to get fans to unite and voice their opinions about Moreno as they want him to sell the team.
When Gonzalez created the graphic that enticed fans to protest the team, it quickly went viral, gaining more than 800,000 views and 22,000 likes on social media.
With an hour and a half before first pitch, fans made their way down State College and stopped at the main entrance of the stadium on Gene Autry Way. Roughly 100 people were part of the group, with more piling in as they entered the stadium. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Gaining such quick traction on the internet, Gonzalez said he heard from 500 people who were planning to attend the protest and show their support.
While the numbers initially weren’t what he was told, he said this was what he was expecting and called it the first event.
“This is the first time something like this has happened in Angels fan history,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve reached a boiling point, and you can see it. I’m just happy all the fans are here to support each other, make a message, and stand up for what’s right.”
Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno in attendance for an opening day game between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 5, 2024 in Anaheim, California. Getty Images
Gonzalez added that the goal of this protest is to either force him to sell the team or start investing money into the organization.
“We’re not gonna stop,” Gonzalez said. “We’re having too much fun across the street for the Anaheim Ducks, and we want the same energy over here.”
Before Saturday’s protest, Angels fans protested all week during home games by taking off their shirts and waving them around their heads. They chanted “sell the team” for the most part but Thursday’s game took a turn when fans yelled “f— you Arte.”
However, their biggest in-game protest of the week cam Friday night when they filled multiple sections of the stadium with fans chanting sell the team, Arte sucks, and winning matters.
Gonzalez said that their was over 500 fans that were in attendance participating in the chants during Friday’s game.
Angels going “tarps off” and the army keeps growing and growing. Plenty just walking there to take pics. pic.twitter.com/K2wF33D3hZ
When Moreno purchased the Angels in 2003 for $183.5 million, they were fresh off winning their first — and only — World Series in franchise history and were perennial winners, reaching the postseason six times over 11 years.
But in the second act of Moreno’s ownership, the Angels have failed to reach the playoffs over the last 11 years and have not had a winning record since 2015.
“He was handed a winning organization,” Angels season ticket holder Joseph Sterling said when asked about Moreno’s time as an owner. “They cared about their farm system. They had an excellent scouting team.”
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On top of losing, the Angels have also been in the public eye more often than they would like for all the wrong reasons.
On Dec. 9, 2025, the organization reached a settlement with former pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ family after he passed away from ingesting a fentanyl-laced pill given to him by ex-communications manager Eric Kay.
The Angels also are showing signs they will miss the playoffs again, entering Saturday night with MLB’s worst record at 18-34.
While the Angels haven’t won much recently, fans have continued to support the franchise. The Angels rank eighth in attendance, averaging 34,659, and have consistently stayed in the top 16 over the last six years. From 2015-2019, they were among the top five for attendance.
Kristin Galagher has been a fan since 1990 and has been going to games with her husband who’s been a fan since 1967. The two of them said they have seen the change of the Angels and are disappointed in what Moreno’s let it become.
“He doesn’t care about the fans, he doesn’t care about the club. He cares about his bottom line. He cares about calling himself a Major League Baseball owner,” Gallagher said. “But you know, how pathetic is it to completely change their operations to insulate Arte from exposure.”
The New York Knicks managed to get the best of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-108 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals at Rocket Arena on Saturday, May 23.
The Cavaliers have dropped the first three games in the series and find themselves in a must-win situation.
No NBA team has come back to win a series after falling in a 3-0 deficit. Only three teams have even rallied to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games in a series.
Nobody has come back against the Knicks, who have taken the commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
The Knicks produced an early 10-point lead, finishing the first quarter against the Cavaliers at 37-27.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed to the fast start with 11 points in 11 minutes of play in the opening quarter. He finished the game with 13 points.
The Cavs outscored the Knicks in the second quarter, 27-23, to make it a six-point game with both teams going back to the locker room.
Cleveland had managed to keep the game close throughout the opening minutes of the third before the Knicks went on another run to build up a 13-point lead late in the third.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 30 points and six assists in 41 minutes played. Mikal Bridges added 22 points by shooting 11-for-15 from the field.
Knicks remain hot
The Knicks have won 10 straight games, having not lost since suffering back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks in April.
It is the sixth time in the Knicks’ history that they’ve produced five or more double-digit victories in a postseason.
“Our mindset hasn’t changed,” Brunson said. “We are trying to get better every day. … We are always looking for ways to get better.”
Before Saturday’s game, the Knicks’ postseason stretch had come at the right time, having the best point differential (212 points) during any nine-game span in NBA history, including both the regular season and playoffs.
Cavaliers will have to regroup
The Cavaliers struggled to match the Knicks in Game 3 and never held a lead in the game.
The Cavs struggled from the 3-point line, shooting just 12 of 41 (29%) from long range on Saturday.
When do Knicks and Cavaliers play next?
The Cavaliers will host the Knicks for Game 4 of the series on Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 23: Slade Cecconi #44 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch in the bottom of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 23, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a pretty rough game for the Guardians offense as they were held to just three hits. We have faced two of the best pitchers in the league in back to back games so we shouldn’t be too upset about coming out of that 1-1.
As for the pitching staff it was a solid outing for Slade Cecconi. Limiting the damage to 3 runs in 5 innings is all you can really ask for in a #5 starter, which I think is what he is at this point. Festa and Pallette both struggled with their control in this one as they combined for 5 walks in just two innings pitched. Shawn Armstrong also tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
The Guardians will attempt to win the series tomorrow. It will be Parker Messick against Andrew Painter at 1:35 pm ET.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 23: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game wining goal on Jakub Dobes (not pictured) #75 of the Montreal Canadiens during overtime in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 23, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The fourth line for the Hurricanes were arguably the best on the ice, the team as a whole looked like the team that had gone 8-0 in the playoffs before Game One, and Nikolaj Ehlers put his stamp on the game with one of the most beautiful goals you’ll ever see and then one of the most important goals in franchise history as Carolina staved off Montreal to take Game Two 3-2 in Overtime.
The Hurricanes established from the beginning that they had learned their lessons from Thursday Night, as the team was on top of Montreal from the jump. It looked like the Hurricanes team we had seen all postseason with a tight forecheck, the opponent unable to really get settled into the zone, and multiple chances on net. The work was quickly rewarded as the fourth line produced the first score. The play started with Mark Jankowski digging the puck off the wall and feeding a pass to William Carrier. Carrier shot the puck on net and on its way, Eric Robinson stuck his stick out to change the path, deflecting it past Jakub Dobeš and putting Carolina up 1-0
Carolina continued to dominate play until a sequence changed the tenor of the period. Dobeš would push the net off its post, causing play to stop. No penalty was called but replays in the arena showed the only reason it came off was Dobeš. Montreal would get possesion of the ensuing face off, and while trying to set up in the zone Logan Stankoven would be called for interference on Kaiden Guhle. Carolina killed the penalty, but a few moments after Taylor Hall tried a poor outlet pass to the neutral zone. It was intercepted by Guhle, and Montreal had the opening to rush the net. Josh Anderson would get it past Frederick Andersen and the score was tied. Carolina would later get a power play that was ended early thanks to a boarding call on Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes were able to stand tall and got to the locker room tied 1-1.
The second period was mostly a back and forth affair, with both teams getting extended looks in the offensive zone and the defenses plus goalies coming up big. The Canes would get a power play when Dobeš was called for an interference, but it didn’t result in any really good looks. It appeared the period would end tied until Nikolaj Ehlers just pulled off one of the most amazing one-man goal moves to cause the Lenovo Center to explode and put the Canes up 2-1.
The period would end with Carolina almost giving up the lead again but Svechnikov made a great defensive play to break it up, and Andersen would move the puck out. In the process Alexandre Texier hit K’Andre Miller with his stick crumpling him to the ice. The officials called a major to look at it, but it was reduced to a two minute penalty on review, despite pretty universal agreement that Texier speared Miller and should have not only gotten the five minutes but a Game Misconduct.
Carolina was unable to convert on the two minute man advantage, and while they had several opportunities they weren’t able to finish around Dobeš. That work was enough to where Montreal started to take control in the back half of the period, leading to the tying goal on a scrum in front of Andersen. Several Hurricanes were in front of the net, but Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis were unable to clear the puck fully, and as Aho essentially knocked Andersen off balance, the puck ended up on Josh Andersen’s stick. He was able to push it by the goalie to knot the score at two with 7:09 left. Both teams would have other chances, but for the third straight series, the Hurricanes would go to overtime in Game 2.
That’s when Ehlers put in his second signature moment. The overtime basically started like the Philadelphia Game Four overtime where the Canes established control and Montreal just wasn’t able to get anything going. Then just a little over three minutes in, Jalen Chatfield intercepted an attempt by Kapanen to get into the zone. The puck had just passed the Hurricanes bench when Ehlers hopped on the ice, and Chatfield pushed the puck to center ice. Mark Jankowski completed a nice touch pass to the streaking Ehlers who saw what was happening. He easily beat Dobeš to blow the roof off of Lenovo Center and give the Canes the 3-2 win.
Thanks to Cory Lavalette for pointing out, it was Ehlers’ second ever overtime playoff goal. The first came against Edmonton in the 2021 First Round.
After the game, Ehlers was clearly still trying to soak in what he did and the weight of what had just been accomplished.
The play of the whole Ehlers line was key to the win, as they were paired up with the monster Suzuki line, and held them completely in check. Rod talked about that, as well as the work done by the rest of the team on the off day, and had some thoughts on the lack of a call at the end of the second when I asked him.
That is what I get for trying to be delicate in asking about a spear to the groin.
Carolina will practice at the Lenovo Center on Sunday before heading out to Montreal. Game three of the best of seven will be Monday Night at 8 PM.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 23: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Trying to match the star power of Madison Square Garden, Rocket Arena sat Taylor Swift and her dunce, Travis Kelce, courtside for Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals. Nice try, we say. In the stands and on the court, the Cavaliers are outmatched in this series. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Playoffs, which is exactly the dire situation Cleveland finds itself in. With 30 points from Jalen Brunson, more brilliance from Mikal Bridges, and more automatic shooting from Landry Shamet, New York never trailed in their tenth straight win. Final score: 121-108.
Smile, folks. Your New York Knicks are one win away from their first Finals appearance of the century.
Two minutes in, this tilt smelled like a romp. Mirroring Game Two, Bridges got a steal and New York took a 5-0 lead in the first minute. Like a well-oiled machine, the visitors grabbed defensive boards and made their shots while the home team missed theirs. Falling behind by eight, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson signaled a timeout.
The skipper reminded his crew to attack the paint, and five of their next eight buckets came at the cup. At the other end, the Knicks spread the wealth, with four starters scoring and assists on half their makes. The Ohio Players were determined not to give away an easy win, though. Knicks coach Mike Brown tried to deploy point-KAT, but yet again Cleveland applied better coverage than Atlanta or Philadelphia.
“No sweat,” said Karl. Although he had difficulty making the pass, he easily rose up over defenders for shots and reached double-digit points before double-digit minutes.
The Cavs had made about half their shots, which would have been a nice performance if New York hadn’t made three-quarters of theirs. Keeping with the theme, Shamet joined the game and canned a triple to make the lead ten with 3:30 left. Everything was falling for our heroes, who took a 37-27 lead into Q2.
To begin the second frame, Jose Alvarado assumed lead guard duties, playing alongside Miles McBride, Shamet, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Cleveland chipped a few points off its deficit before Jalen returned. Mitchell Robinson was in, too, and when Jaylon Tyson attacked him for a jam, Cleveland was on a 21-11 run that tied the game.
Despite the run, nobody with a rooting interest in the Knicks had anything to worry about. On the court, Brunson returned to Harden-hunting to score off the glass. Down the stretch, Donovan Mitchell returned and took turns with James Harden missing shots, and the Knicks regained a nine-point lead before securing a 60-54 halftime score.
For once, the Cavs were winning the paint (28-18) and the glass (18-16). They just sabotaged themselves everywhere else. They made just 21% from deep compared to New York’s 38%, and they produced no fast-break points despite forcing nine Knicks turnovers. (At one point, New York had outscored them 17-0 on fast-break points.) Harden led all scorers with 14 points, while OG Anunoby had 13. OG would finish the night with 21 points on 10 shots, plus seven boards and four dimes. Just another day at the office for one of the NBA’s best defenders.
After intermission, Cleveland had some success with Mitchell shooting at the perimeter and Evan Mobley inside, but the Knicks were dishing and swishing. Towns and Anunoby took turns feeding Bridges for layups. Hats off to Mikal: in the seven games since his rocky first-round series, he has shot 57-of-85 from the field and hit 44% from deep. Check out these numbers:
New York’s defense was tight in the third quarter, too, with Hart leading the way with three steals in about a minute. His shooting was less impressive than in Game Two, but he was a demon in his 34 minutes.
The Cavs had opportunities; they simply lacked the personnel to get back into the black. After two Mobley free throws cut the gap to three, New York outscored its foes by ten to reach its largest lead of the night. Harden did some vintage Beard things, scoring on a crafty drive or two, and Mobley and Sam Merrill made buckets, but six turnovers (Mobley had three, Harden two, and Mitchell one) erased their gains. Plus, Brunson was cooking. Even with defenders draped over his shoulders, Cap put up 12 points in the period and locked down a 91-82 lead by the break.
The home team needed to come out strong in the fourth. Instead, it missed three shots while the guests scored five unanswered points and went ahead by 14. Still, Cleveland had chances, but left a pile of points at the charity stripe. Mitchell converted just 2-of-6 from the line, adding to the misery of his -22 evening.
Shamet dropped three straight three-pointers, which were brutal counterpunches to every Cavalier swing. Amazingly, he has shot 7-of-8 from downtown in this series. Then, when Brunson went high off the glass at the six-minute mark, the lead touched 16 points. Anunoby hit from deep, and the lead hit 17.
Mitchell and Mobley cut it to a dozen, and the latter had a triple rattle out that would have made this game interesting again with 2:30 remaining. Instead, from their slumped shoulders and shuffling steps, you could see that their spirits were broken. Bridges hit a jumper, Brunson sailed in for a layup, and the Cavs were toast.
Max Strus, who spent much of the game complaining to the refs, was fouled by Hart while making a triple with a minute left. Tony Brothers upgraded it to a flagrant one, giving Strus a freebie and Cleveland possession. But Mobley missed on a close-range turnaround, New York got it back, and the funeral bells were clanging loudly.
As the Cleveland faithful trudged toward the exits, chants of “Let’s Go Knicks” reverberated through Rocket Arena. When Brunson put a bow on things at the line, he was serenaded with “MVP! MVP! MVP!” On the road. In an ECF game. It still seems impossible, but quoth PolyphonicSpreewell: “Well well well. It really is happening.”
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Get your broom ready again. The Knicks will play Game Four here on Monday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Weirdest home court advantage. Cavs have raised seats for themselves but not visiting team. Knicks should just throw some cushions on the floor at MSG for visiting team. pic.twitter.com/0gSdHzjnpr
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) beats a tag by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sánchez (99) to score on a single by catcher Will Smith during the eighth inning of their game Saturday, May 23, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers were following a familiar script on Saturday night, jumping all over the Dodgers starter for a crooked number in the first inning. The offense stagnated after that, but the Dodgers’ offense didn’t and scored 11 unanswered runs to win the game 11-3.
Milwaukee started the game with back-to-back doubles from Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang to very quickly grab the lead. Andrew Vaughn reached on an error that scored a run, Gary Sánchez walked, and then Sal Frelick singled, but Sánchez was thrown out heading to third to end the inning. An unforced mistake by Sánchez helped Roki Sasaki escape trouble, and after that, he buckled down.
The Brewers’ offense was only able to muster two hits after the first inning: A double by Jackson Chourio that just missed being a home run in the second inning and an infield single by Sánchez in the eighth.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ offense was able to get to Brewers starter Robert Gasser in the fourth inning as Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages had back-to-back doubles of their own. Kyle Tucker drew a walk, and it appeared Pages signaled the pitch grips that Gasser had to Teoscar Hernández from second base. Hernández promptly took an 0-2 slider deep to left field and off the foul pole for a three-run homer, propelling the Dodgers to a 4-3 lead.
“I think he got caught up and gave away some pitches that ended up hurting him. But you can’t give up 0-2 hits either way, you can’t throw 0-2 pitches down the middle,” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers’ offense, despite being down just one run, could not muster a rally together. The Dodgers then continued to pile on with three more runs in the eighth inning and four in the ninth.
It wasn’t even a ton of hard contact and damage that the Dodgers did. The Brewers’ pitching staff gave up six walks in the final two innings alone, and five of them came around to score. They mixed in a couple of singles, taking advantage of the struggles of DL Hall and Jake Woodford.
The Dodgers had nine batters head to the plate in each of the final two innings. Mookie Betts made the last out each time and ended the day 0-for-6. His season batting average has dropped to .169. He did miss five weeks with an oblique strain earlier this year, but his struggles are still unusual for him. He was the only Dodger not to reach base in tonight’s game.
Robert Gasser finished with a line of 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, and 4 Ks. He was doing pretty well up until the fourth inning, facing just two over the minimum. Then he gave up some hard contact, gave up some walks, and couldn’t get through the fifth.
“I’m not pleased with it. This is a winning ball club, and I came in and was a part of two losses. It’s not ideal, just gotta minimize free passes and keep attacking the strike zone,” Gasser said.
The Brewers will still have a chance to win the series against the Dodgers on Sunday in the rubber match. Brandon Sproat will be on the mound for the Crew, while the Dodgers will have Yoshinobu Yamamoto. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m.
Travis Kelce chugged a beer at the Cavaliers' game.
Travis Kelce tried to hype up the losing Cavaliers with a beer chug — in the end the Knicks wore down the Cavaliers and took the spirit of the energetic Kelce.
Shortly before the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night in Cleveland, the camera at Rocket Arena panned to Kelce downing a beer court side as the fans cheered him on.
Once finished with the beverage, Kelce, an Ohio native, pulled his coat to the side and revealed a Cavaliers shirt and flashed his corresponding team hat to the camera.
The camera then panned to his fiancee, pop superstar Taylor Swift, facepalming and shaking her head while her song “…Ready for it” played in the background.
“I don’t know if his girlfriend is going to like seeing him chugging beers like that,” commentator Richard Jefferson said during the ESPN on ABC broadcast.
Travis Kelce reacts during the Cavaliers’ loss to the Knicks on May 23. Getty Images
Kelce’s stunt did not prove to help Cleveland in any way, who immediately gave up five points to start the fourth quarter.
The Knicks wound up rolling past the Cavaliers to go up 3-0 in the series. Game 4 is Monday night.
Photos later emerged of Kelce with his eyes closed and hat pulled down looking deflated as Swift looked at him sadly.
The Chiefs tight end was spotted sitting courtside with Swift earlier in Saturday’s game, with the broadcast panning to them midway through the first quarter.
The two are expected to get married in New York City in the coming weeks, with Page Six previously reporting the wedding will take place on July 3.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce watch during the first half of the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. AP Photo/Tim Phillis
Despite buzz surrounding Kelce’s possible retirement from the NFL before this season, the 36-year-old confirmed in March that he will be suiting up for 2026, and later said how Swift served as a motivating factor for his return.
Travis Kelce reacts during the second half of the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the Cavaliers. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
“We share the same love for what we do. Fortunately, we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March.
“It’s amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and things like that, and on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does, and yeah, of course, that’s motivating.
“That’s motivating for anyone to see, let alone my fiancée, and knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me, something like that definitely motivates me to say, ‘You know what, I’m not done either,’” Kelce said.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 09: Jaren Jackson Jr. #20 of the Utah Jazz reacts against the Miami Heat during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on February 09, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New rumors about the upcoming lottery changes have leaked and were reported by Kevin O’Connor. In that reporting, some questions have been answered about changes to different pick streaks, namely: can teams pick 1st in the draft multiple times, and how often can teams pick in the top-5? Here’s what O’Connor reported:
“… there is also a rule stating that no team can land first in two consecutive drafts, or in the top five in three consecutive drafts.”
That obviously resolves a problem with a team like the San Antonio Spurs having three top-4 picks in three years. But in vintage Adam Silver fashion, by solving that problem, he’s created another unforeseen one. From O’Connor, Silver and the NBA have “decided to start the clock on these two-year and three-year streaks by looking back to the 2025 and 2026 drafts, according to league sources.” O’Connor goes on to explain:
In practice, this would mean if Washington wins the lottery again in 2027, it moves to second.
Makes sense, right? Yes ….
But what about teams that own the rights to picks from other teams? According to O’Connor:
The streak attaches to the original team, according to league sources. In other words, if Team A has Team B’s pick in the 2027 draft as a result of a trade and that Team B pick lands first, then Team B’s own pick in 2028 would not be eligible to land first, whether it’s retained by Team B or owned by a different team. But Team A, by virtue of selecting first using Team B’s pick in 2027, would still be eligible to pick first in 2028 with its own pick or any other team’s pick.
“In the event a team’s pick is drawn in the lottery in a position where it is not permitted to be, then such team’s pick would be moved down to the first permissible position,” the league wrote in its proposal sent to teams. Continuing the above example, this would mean that if Team B popped up first in the 2028 draft, that pick would automatically be moved to the second pick instead.
Additionally, the NBA has decided to start the clock on these two-year and three-year streaks by looking back to the 2025 and 2026 drafts, according to league sources. In practice, this would mean if Washington wins the lottery again in 2027, it moves to second.
O’Connor goes on to say the retroactive rules are not to give an advantage to a team like the Wizards, who just won the 1st pick, otherwise they’d be at an advantage other teams won’t have. (I guess they are just going to ignore the Spurs thing…).
But this rule has crazy ramifications for the Utah Jazz-Memphis Grizzlies trade that landed Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah. This new rule, because of the retroactive stipulation, means the pick that Utah traded to the Grizzlies can’t land in the top-5 of the draft. O’Connor explains it well, so I’m putting his explanation here:
The top-five pick rule will date back to 2025. The Utah Jazz picked fifth in 2025 and second in 2026. Under the new rule, they can’t land in the top five in 2027.
But the Jazz traded that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in February for Jaren Jackson Jr., which means Memphis won’t be able to receive it since streaks will be triggered by the original team, not the team holding the pick. Two issues here.
First, the framework. The NBA explains this rule under a section titled “Pick Restrictions For Repeat Lottery Winners.” Is landing the fifth pick really a winner? One year ago, the Jazz were distraught when their pick landed fifth, because the true franchise-changers that teams want to win are commonly landed with the first or second pick. In the future, if a team ends up fifth one year, then fourth the next, should they really be punished for landing first in the third year? Or even fifth again? I would argue no, that the top-five rule reaches too far.
I am understanding of wanting to prevent a team from picking first in consecutive years. But anything beyond that feels like a massive overreach that could cause more problems than intended when the goal is supposed to be to eliminate tanking.
Second, there’s the reality that the Jazz did trade that pick. Now the Grizzlies have it — through the rights of a pick-swap structure. But if this rule passes, Memphis wouldn’t be able to receive an unprotected pick. Grizzlies fans would obviously be crushed by the news. This pick was the most valuable of the assets Memphis got back for one of its stars, and it happened under a set of rules that didn’t include a three-year streak cap. That Jazz-to-Grizzlies pick is being retroactively devalued because of a league’s arbitrary decision to start the clock in 2025, but it also gives us an example of what could happen in future years to any team.
I agree with O’Connor that this is not fair for the Memphis Grizzlies, and doesn’t really do anything for Utah other than knowing that there’s no way they get burned by the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. It does help with optics if the Jazz look incredible next year. In reality, it’s hard to see the Jazz being anything other than a top team in the Western Conference and in the playoffs. The Grizzlies weren’t likely to get a lottery pick, anyway. It’s still frustrating if you’re a Grizzlies fan, I’m sure.
But it’s not all smooth sailing for Utah. Let’s say the Jazz want to make another trade this season or later. Having their last two picks in the top 5 means there may be teams reticent to trade with the Jazz.
Then again…
This also means Utah’s future-owned picks from the Cavs and Wolves remain safe from any issues, so that’s another positive for the Jazz.
All in all, this seems like a rule that could have bad outcomes for the Grizzlies, but those outcomes seem unlikely. For Utah, they get to draft either AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cam Boozer come draft night and there’s not much reason to worry about much else.
