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The other times the Giants have started 8-12

LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 2: Steve Finley #12 of the Los Angeles Dodgers drops his bat after hitting a ninth inning walk off grand slam home run against the San Francisco Giants on October 2, 2004 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers came from behind to win 7-3 and win the National League West. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In case you missed it, the San Francisco Giants won their 8th baseball game of the 2026 season last night and scored 10 runs in the process just to make us all feel even better about it. It was their 20th game of the season, though, so there’s the whole matter of their 8-12 record. Heading into the game, their 7-12 standing generated this comment from writer Wendy Thurm:

This is why there’s gnashing of teeth. The Giants have declared they are a “postseason or bust” team at all times, even when they hire a rookie manager who doesn’t know a lick about spit and needs months — maybe even a full season — to get accustomed to managing a major league team. The team demands we pay attention to the results, and right now, the team is underperforming to an extent that they’re running into a the weight of MLB history when it comes to teams that have a bad start.

Now, the three Wild Card setup has certainly changed the math on playoff odds for teams with this sort of start and I would expect to see this list rise in the coming years, but let’s keep with the historical theme and expand the look at the Giants franchise that I did after their 3-7 start. In that post, I looked at three teams in the Oracle Park era that were able to turn things around. No, I won’t be looking at the current team’s standings and comparing to history every 10 games, but given their early struggles, it seems worth putting them in context for one of the winningest franchises in professional sports.

The Giants franchise has started a season 8-12 seventeen times and had just five winning seasons afterwards.

Two things stand out with this list:

  1. The 100-loss 1985 team is not on it, which means the 2026 Giants might be winning their way out of that comparison finally — though, check back next week to see if they’re 10-15 or 11-16.
  2. Only twice in the Oracle Park era has the team overcome this start to have a winning record. I looked at the 2015 in some detail with the previous post about their 3-7 start, concluding:

If the 2026 Giants got to 84-78, they’d be in a great position for a Wild Card spot. All they need is a couple of MVP-type performances and a couple of All-Star caliber performances from the lineup, absent stellar pitching.

But what can I say about the 2004 team (which started 5-5)? Well, the only thing I firmly remember about that season is reading in the newspaper (people under 50 don’t look up what that is) that the Giants had acquired Wayne Franklin near the end of Spring Training. And then I remember sitting along the first base line at Dodger Stadium on the penultimate game of the season and watching in the 9th inning defensive replacement Cody Ransom commit a critical error after Dustin Hermanson got squeezed, the Giants blow a 3-0 lead and Wayne Franklin surrender a walk-off grand slam to Steve Finley to knock the Giants out of the playoff race.

So, personally, I hate the 2004 season and think any team that compares to it is haunted. But also…

That team had Barry Bonds on it.

Therefore, you can’t really make a comparison or say something like, “See, the Giants have been in this situation before and it has worked out just fine. Tony Vitello is going to figure out how to manage and the team is going to iron out all its mental lapses and the bullpen will be solid” just because the 2004 team started 8-12 and wound up 91-71, more than enough to clinch a Wild Card in this era of baseball. You can’t say that! It wouldn’t make sense!

That 2004 team scored 850 runs! The 2021 squad didn’t even score that many (804). They played stellar defense (+28.4 Defensive Runs Above Average, per FanGraphs). Their pitching was in the bottom third by fWAR (+12.7 — 21st) and 16th in ERA (4.34). The idea that the 2026 Giants will overcome mediocre pitching with top-5 hitting is a tough one to assert, just given the start. But even if people hit to their career averages, the front office’s plan was the opposite: middling offensive boosted by stellar pitching. At the end of the day, of course, if the Giants got to 91 wins somehow, we’d all be thrilled, and rightfully so, even if it meant a crushing loss to end the run.

By the way, the last three games of the 2026 season are at Oracle Park against the Dodgers.

The other Oracle Park era teams don’t offer a lot of hope. 2008 was Tim Lincecum’s first year, the first year without Barry Bonds, and with the team still trying to solidify its pitching and defense identity. 2018 was Bobby Evans’ attempt to build a quasi-contender while dancing under the luxury tax line, so, the team added Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria and wound up having the worst month in franchise history. With Bobby Evans back in the fold, don’t be surprised if he’s back to finish the job (advise in such a way that every month is the worst). 2019 saw Farhan Zaidi try to shake loose the championship era while also putting a somewhat entertaining team on the field. All that really happened was that Kevin Pillar revitalized his career. 2020 was ended by Trent Grisham hitting a walk-off grand slam for the Padres in Oracle Park.

Basically, the Giants will have to overcome the historical significance of the bad 8-12 start in a way that defies their present look. It’s a long season, of course, and it helps that the farm system might actually be able to supplement the major league roster with some legitimate league average help. That’s certainly a different situation than the one other teams on this list found themselves in when they started poorly and maybe Bryce Eldridge, Carson Seymour, and, like Gregory Santos will be key contributors this season to actually elevate the team’s performance. That’s hope worth holding onto, even if history only offers anxiety.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo wishes he'd shut down trade rumors at deadline earlier

At the February trade deadline, Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors were everywhere. It was the talk of the league — and its fans.

Looking back on it, Antetokounmpo wishes he had more forcefully shut the talk down, he said on Gogi’s Garage YouTube show.

"One is that this was the first time that it was real. Yeah. You know, it was a lot. And I'm not saying that it was real that I wanted a trade. It was just, bro, everywhere I went, in the street, people would tell me, 'Don't leave. Don't do this. Please stay.' It was real. Back in the day, when I was younger, 25, 24, they would always say this stuff. But then maybe, like, a week later, it will turn off. They would talk about a different story. This year, every day — social media, turn the TV on, First Take, ESPN, blah, blah, blah — it was, 'Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis'...

"If I'd ever been in that position, if I could change something, maybe I'd come out and shut it down, because I think people weren't listening to me. Like, 'Giannis, come out and ask for a trade. Giannis, come out and do this.' I'm like, first of all, people that I respect and people that I love, I would have conversations with them — my coach, my GM, people that matter [behind closed doors]."

"I kept saying, 'Guys, I'm here. I'm not going nowhere.' Oh yeah, whatever, whatever, blah, blah — Giannis is going to the Knicks. Okay. Two weeks later: 'I'm here, guys. I'm locked in. I got hurt, but I'm coming back to play here.' Oh, Giannis is going to Miami. They wasn't listening to what I was saying, right? So, if I could turn time back, I would maybe come out a little bit earlier and say, 'Hey, guys, this ends today. Look at me in the eyes. I'm staying with Milwaukee until further notice. It ends today. Stop making stories, and after stories, and after stories.'"

What played out in public was something everyone watching the saga feels — Antetokounmpo is torn between loyalty to the only NBA organization he has ever played for, a place he won a ring, a city he loves, and his competitve desire to win, something that is not happening with the Bucks (who finished 11 games out of the play-in and were just a .500 team when Antetokounmpo was healthy.

At the time, Antetokounmpo's agent, Alex Saratsis, reportedly had conversations with the Bucks about the star's future and if this was still the best fit for everyone. Antetokounmpo himself never asked for a trade, and said at the time of Saratsis, "He's his own person. He can have any conversation he wants." The Bucks tested the waters for an Antetokounmpo trade, but league sources told NBC Sports they didn't get the sense the Bucks were serious.

That's expected to change this summer. The drama at the end of the season about Antetokounmpo's return to play in meaningless games — he wanted to compete and play with his brothers, the Bucks both were thinking about their draft pick and didn't want to risk further injury to a player who had played just 36 games due to a variety of injuries — feels like it sealed the fate. Maybe not, maybe he tells the Bucks he will sign an extension with them when he can on Oct. 1, but that seems like a long shot at this point.

Which means the Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis rumors are about to start up again.

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LeBron James old reliable action becomes pivotal against Houston

An 82-game regular season packed with turbulence ended with 53 wins and the fourth seed in a brutal Western Conference race. Following a blowout of the tanking Utah Jazz, the Lakers playoff reward is home court advantage against the physically imposing Houston Rockets.

Very few pundits give them a chance to compete in the series, let alone win, due to the injuries to the backcourt of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The absence of their star guards returns LeBron James to his vintage self as the lead shot creator.

Right behind him, with the biggest difference in their previous roles, is Luke Kennard. The two-man game between them and an old reliable action for LeBron goes from a useful option to an offense-defining play for the purple and gold in this series.

LeBron and Kennard played 27 games together, posting a net rating of +8.7 in just over 300 minutes. ​LeBron is no stranger to initiating actions with marksmen, dating back to his Cleveland days with teammates such as Kyle Korver and JR Smith. Kennard steps right in as one of the best he’s ever played with, percentage-wise.  

LA added Kennard as their only deadline move in a swap for Gabe Vincent. He ingratiated himself as a key rotation player and expanded LA’s playbook with his gravity. Head coach J.J. Redick constantly highlights that Kennard is the only “movement shooter” on the team.

​What first makes this go is Kennard’s ability to make quick reads dependent on how the other team defends the action. Watch in the clip below as he operates in the middle of the floor. The Mavericks opt not to switch the screen, steering clear of having Max Christie defend the bigger, stronger LeBron.

Kennard gets downhill with nothing open. The Lakers adapt seamlessly.

The pair flip the screen and Kennard sets a ghost screen — a fake ball screen where the screener quickly moves away — and pops to the 3-point line. That second of indecision opens up the driving lane for the dunk.

“A Lot of it does depend on coverages, whether or not teams are in a shock (at the level of the screen) or they’re red-ing (switching) it,” Redick said. “I think Luke has as good an off-ball feel as anybody for when to set, when to go, when to change pace, create a little separation. When he gets separation like a number of great shooters, there’s an overreaction to that.”

​Without Luka and Reaves to create those overreactions, the team will rely on Kennard’s ability to do so.

When teams do decide to switch the duo’s pick-and-roll action, the Lakers instantly clear out to put LeBron in the post, as shown below. Watch as they run their “88” action, or empty-side screen and roll.

A post entry is thrown with two shooters on the opposite side and the center positioned to the other side of the key, allowing LeBron to drive and score against single coverage.

“We can also hunt mismatches if they are red-ing and get LeBron down at the post or get him at the nail where that’s advantageous basketball for us, and he’s just going to make the right decision,” Redick said. “ LeBron as a screener, we’ve seen it already.

“Against Dallas, it allowed Luke to touch the paint. It allowed Luke to create offense for us, and then LeBron catching the ball in the pocket is in a four-on-three situation.”

An underrated aspect of Kennard’s game is his added playmaking ability. The three games following the loss of their backcourt racked up 28 assists in his move up the playmaking hierarchy.

He showed good feel all year on making the extra pass to a teammate, whether that be to the three-point line or soft touch lobs to his bigs like he throws to Deandre Ayton in the clip below.

LA leverages the dual threat of LeBron and Kennard off-ball, getting Kennard to “touch the paint” and find his big man.

Many of the teams LA closed the season with are nowhere close to the defense Houston will present. They roster a host of physical defenders, including Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. LeBron and Kennard will be one and two in the pecking order of which ball handlers they look to frustrate with physicality and full-court pressure.  

This is the mountain the Lakers have in front of them, a steep one to climb. To have a chance, they need this two-man action, LeBron’s bread and butter, to be impactful.

You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu

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76ers vs Celtics Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Today's NBA Playoffs Game 1

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The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference Playoffs, and the two teams will face off again when the 2026 first-round series tips off at TD Garden this afternoon.

Jaylen Brown has delivered an MVP-caliber season, and my 76ers vs. Celtics predictions expect the 2024 Finals MVP to come through with a strong performance in Game 1.

Read on to find out why I expect Brown to stuff the stat sheet in a comfortable home victory in today's NBA picks.

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  • UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.

76ers vs Celtics prediction

Who will win 76ers vs Celtics Game 1?

Celtics:Boston’s tenacious defense and next-man-up mentality were essential in the team securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The C’s went 30-11 at home and 25-9 as the home favorite, getting the most from Jaylen Brown and a strong supporting cast. 

Philadelphia just isn’t the same team on either end of the floor with Joel Embiid out, and a Sixers team that went 8-15 as the road dog will struggle without its superstar. I’ll take Boston to win comfortably.

76ers vs Celtics best bet: Jaylen Brown Over 36.5 points + rebounds + assists (-112)

With Jayson Tatum sidelined for most of the season and key players from the Boston Celtics title run playing for new teams, Jaylen Brown asserted his dominance and delivered the best statistical campaign of his career. Brown averaged career highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.1).

Brown finished with 37 PRA in 52 of 71 games overall, including 27 of 38 games at TD Garden. His production didn’t slip much with Tatum back in action.

Brown averaged 41.2 PRA without Tatum and 31.4 in 13 games with Tatum in the lineup. He accumulated 37+ PRA in nine of 13 games played with his superstar teammate.

Brown found success against the Philadelphia 76ers this season, averaging 38.6 PRA across four matchups. He delivered 37+ PRA twice and finished with 35 twice more.

The 76ers will be without defensive anchor Joel Embiid yet again, making this a favorable matchup for Brown. Philadelphia’s 116.5 defensive rating without Embiid would rank ninth-worst in the Association.

After a disappointing exit in the 2025 playoffs, the Celtics look primed for a deep postseason run, and their success will depend heavily on Brown’s leadership and performance.

After proving that he can be “the guy” for a contending team in the regular season, I expect Brown to carry that momentum and mindset into the playoffs and set the tone early for him and his teammates.

76ers vs Celtics same-game parlay

Philly and Boston split the four-game season series at two games apiece, but the Sixers have had a difficult time playing at TD Garden without Embiid.

In the last three games played in Boston without the big man, the 76ers were outscored by 17.3 points per game. Boston sports a +8.3 net rating at home this season, and with the team close to full strength, I’ll back them to win this one by 13+.

No team hit the Under at a higher percentage than the Boston Celtics at 63.4%. The C’s kept the score low throughout the season thanks to a bottom-5 pace and top-5 defense.

Without Embiid, the Sixers’ offensive rating dipped from 118.5 to 112.9, good for eighth-worst. Philly will have trouble scoring, and I expect Boston to make this one a slow grind.

76ers vs Celtics SGP

  • Jaylen Brown Over 36.5 points + rebounds + assists
  • Celtics -12.5
  • Under 213.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Puncher's chance!

Re-united and it feels so good! Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are in line for big games against a vulnerable defense as they look to lead their team to another title.

Jaylen Brown finished with 26+ points in 50 of 71 games overall, including nine of 13 with Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Tatum went for 23+ points in nine of 16 games and 24+ in six of 16.

Brown’s career-best year as a facilitator should continue into the playoffs. He handed out 5+ assists in 35 of 71 appearances, and he reached that mark in eight of 13 games played with Tatum.

Tatum’s rebounding is through the roof this season, as he averaged 10 boards across 16 regular-season appearances. Tatum secured 10+ boards in 10 of 16 games and seven of nine at TD Garden. Without Embiid to patrol the paint, I expect Tatum to gobble up rebounds.

76ers vs Celtics SGP

  • Jaylen Brown Over 25.5 points
  • Jayson Tatum Over 23.5 points
  • Jaylen Brown Over 4.5 assists
  • Jayson Tatum Over 9.5 rebounds

76ers vs Celtics odds for Game 1

  • Spread: Philadelphia +12.5 (-110) | Boston -12.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Philadelphia +550 | Boston -800
  • Over/Under: Over 213.5 (-110) | Under 213.5 (-110)

76ers vs Celtics betting trend to know

The Celtics have cashed the Under in 35 of their last 50 games for +18.50 units and a 34% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Celtics.

How to watch 76ers vs Celtics Game 1

LocationTD Garden, Boston, MA
DateSunday, April 19, 2026
Tip-off1:00 p.m. ET
TVABC

76ers vs Celtics latest injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
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Knicks Bulletin: ‘That’s kind of what I’ve known. It’s kind of my DNA.’

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks speaks to his team during a timeout against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Madison Square Garden on December 03, 2025 in New York City. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Knicks.

Hawks.

Game 1.

Let’s go!

Mike Brown

On focusing on the Knicks’ strengths:
“Obviously, you respect what you’ve done all year. The neat part about it is we’ve faced a lot of different things. We’ve faced cross-matches, we’ve faced teams playing us the same, we’ve faced zone, we’ve faced box-and-1. So to be able to have those different looks throughout the course of the year has helped us work on us. You continue to understand what your strengths are and you try to go to your strengths more than anything else while focusing on some of the things they may possibly do.”

On preparing for Hack-A-Mitch:
“We’ve talked about it. We have different things in mind that we’ll do. A lot of them will come down to time and score and feel. But we understand that’s what teams may want to do, especially if our offense is clicking at that point in time.”

On expecting cross-matches from Atlanta:
“We’ve been cross-matched all year. We imagine they’ll go to that. We faced a lot of different defenses. They may try to cross-match and they may do some things — we’ve faced a box-and-1, we’ve faced a zone. We feel like we’re prepared for anything that they throw at us, so we’re looking forward to that challenge.”

On adjusting if Alexander-Walker gets hot:
“He hit some tough shots, some amazing shots that he’s more than capable of doing. If he hits those shots again, you tip your hat off to him and you say, ‘Great job.’ Now, obviously, you have to be ready to mix in more blitzes or some of this or some of that throughout the course of the series if he’s going like that. Which we will be ready for that stuff.”

Mikal Bridges

On the intensity of playoff basketball:
“Playoffs are fun and real amped up and a lot of aggression, a lot of thinking. It’s just fun being in those games. The crowd and everything just goes up another level. So it’s always fun playing playoff games. Just trying to do whatever it takes to win.”

On raising his game in the postseason:
“I would want to. I feel like every player would want to. I just try to be the best I can be and try to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”

On sacrificing within the offensive hierarchy:
“Sacrifice for your brothers. Putting your body on the line, doing whatever it takes to make the play to help your teammates out.”

On playoff experience being part of his DNA:
“That’s kind of what I’ve known. It’s kind of my DNA.”

On learning from last season’s loss:
“I think just everything is a learning experience. Obviously, you’re not happy when you lose, especially when you’re close. But you take everything as a learning experience and build from it and learn from it.”

On ignoring outside noise:
“I think what motivates us is just trying to be the best team we can be, honestly. Not really too worried what other teams have to do or what they do, we’re just so worried about ourselves and preparing for whoever we have to play, and it’s them. So we’re just worried about preparing and that’s really it, nothing else.”

On Brown vs. Thibodeau playoff prep:
“I think they both prepare great. That’s what I take from it.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On capitalizing on the playoff opportunity:
“It’s great that we put ourselves in this position to be in the playoffs in this position. At the end of the day, the season doesn’t mean anything if we don’t capitalize on this opportunity. You can’t look to the future, you can’t look past an opponent. You can’t do any of that. The present is the most important thing. As long as we take care of the present, the future will be taken care of.”

Josh Hart

On being judged in the playoffs:
“We made the playoffs. We had 50 wins, so that was good. We know we’re going to be judged by what we do starting now.”

Miles McBride

On the difference between Thibs’ and Brown’s coaching:
“It’s a lot more digital, I’d say.”

Tracy McGrady

On the key for the Knicks to reach the Finals:
“It starts on the defensive end. When they’re locked in and talking, they’re a different team. I’ve seen them have stretches where they look like a top five defense in the league, and that’s what it’s going to take. Good defense turns into better offense for this team. Offensively, they’ve got enough. It’s really just about balance. When Mikal gets going, it opens everything up because now you’ve got a few guys that can give you 20 any night. I like when they’ve got size on the floor too. Towns can space it, Mitch handles the paint, that’s tough to deal with.”

On what the Knicks need from Karl-Anthony Towns:
“They need discipline and presence from him in every possession. He’s too skilled to fade in and out of games. I want to see him be aggressive, not just shooting 3s, but putting pressure on the rim, making defenses react. And defensively, just be solid. Contest, rebound, and don’t put your team in tough spots with fouls.”

Kazeem Famuyide (HOT 97 Radio Host)

On boycotting Atlanta rap artists during the first-round series:
“We don’t want to hear no Atlanta artists right now. Time to show some New York solidarity.”

On New York bias vs. Atlanta bias:
“When people say I have a New York bias, it’s an issue, but if I say you have an Atlanta bias, a down south bias, that’s OK. Any time we can show love and spotlight our city, especially when we need to band tougher, why not have the same pride in New York others have (in their regions)? It’s not bias, it’s just pride.”

On not having Atlanta artists in rotation hurting the most:
“We could probably go 10 years without any Boston artists. I’d have an easier time not hearing artists from any of those cities than I would from any artists from Atlanta.”

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Game thread XXI – Royals at Yankees

Noah Cameron follows through after throwing a pitch
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 5: Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during game one of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium on June 5, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Royals have lost five in a row, including every game on this road trip. But today is a new day. And today could be the start of a long winning streak! It could happen! Manager Matt Quatraro seems to be feeling the pressure to shake his team out of their funk, if the lineup changes are any indication. But we’ll talk more about those at the end, as we usually do.

Noah Cameron takes the bump for KC today. In a lot of ways, he’s looked extremely similar to last season when he finished the year with a 2.99 ERA and came in fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. He hasn’t gotten as many groundballs or stranded as many runners, so his ERA is a full run higher through his first three starts, but he can work on improving that today against a lefty-heavy Yankees roster. Of course, his worst career start was last year against these same Yankees, so, ya know, it won’t be easy. But it could happen!

Will Warren will go for the Yankees. He throws five pitches, and four of them are graded out very highly. He throws a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a sweeper, a changeup, and a curveball, with the last pitch the only one that doesn’t break stuff-ranking charts. Yet, for all that, he doesn’t throw strikes at a particularly high rate and gets less chase and fewer whiffs than average. Hopefully, he won’t be able to dazzle the Royals too much. He’s made one start against the Royals, last June. He pitched 5.2 shutout innings while striking out 4, walking 1, and allowing 4 hits. If you’re searching for ill omens, Lucas Erceg allowed the only run in that contest in the eighth inning as the Yankees won it 1-0.

Lineups

Salvy gets his first full day off since August 18 and 19 last year, when he was dealing with an illness. Hopefully, he’s not sick today and is just getting some much-deserved rest. In the interim, the lineup gets a pretty massive shakeup. Jac Caglianone vaults up to the cleanup spot, and rookie Carter Jensen hits behind him in the five-spot. Isaac Collins is back in the lineup for the first time since Tuesday, but he’s going to just be the DH. Lane Thomas will bat eighth, playing left field. The much-maligned outfielder has slashed .333/.429/.333/.762 this week. It’s not a stunning line, but it absolutely represents getting on base, which is what he was brought to KC to do.

For those of you who hate alternating lefties and righties in your lineup, the Royals have four lefties in the middle of their order. That would seem vulnerable to the Yankees’ bullpen, but maybe they can score some runs so that the bullpen doesn’t factor in? And, honestly, it’s not like putting righties in between Cags and Carter has exactly stopped teams from sending out their left-handed relievers anyway. So maybe Q just realized it wasn’t helping as much as he’d hoped with the team built the way it is.

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New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals: Will Warren vs. Noah Cameron

After an overall annoying series against the Angels, last night’s game was trending towards being annoying too, with the Yankees tied with the Royals in the eighth inning. Enter Ryan McMahon of all people. The embattled third baseball hit his first home run of the season at the best possible time, as his late two-run shot gave the Yankees the cushion they needed to win. Now, the Yankees can sew up a series win if they can beat Kansas City again this afternoon.

To try and get that win, the Yankees will give the ball to Will Warren. For the season, Warren’s numbers are pretty good, although he has had some frustrating moments. We’ll see if he can get past those this afternoon against a struggling KC offense.

Despite his big homer, McMahon is not in the lineup today, as Amed Rosario will get the start against a lefty. Randal Grichuk is also in the lineup in left, with Cody Bellinger playing center in place of Trent Grisham.

Said lefty for the Royals will be Noah Cameron. Last year, Cameron finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and has been a very good pitcher in his young MLB career.

Here’s all the information you need to know to catch today’s game, and we hope you’ll come join us in the game thread!

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY

First pitch: 1:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES (NYY) | Royals.TV (KCR)

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network (KCR)

Streaming: MLB.tv, Gotham Sports App

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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A’s roster moves: Barnett recalled, Alvarado optioned

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Mason Barnett #63 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The A’s made a small roster move on Saturday morning, bringing up right-hander Mason Barnett from Triple-A while sending Elvis Alvarado down to make room:

Barnett has been in the starting rotation down in Las Vegas to start the season, making three starts and posting a solid 3.07 ERA in that time. He’s done well so far but walks have remained an issue for him as he’s issued eight free passes compared to just 10 strikeouts so far. He’s been pitching deep-ish into games too, going 5 1/3, 4, and 5 innings pitched, getting up to the low 80’s.

What his role will be with the club isn’t clear quite yet. The starting rotation seems fairly locked in at this point outside of Jacob Lopez, but if the team were planning on replacing him in the rotation with Barnett they would have done this move later when the timing lined up. Fellow right-hander Jack Perkins is considered the long man in the bullpen but Barnett would be another one of those for Mark Kotsay. Most teams don’t usually have two of those types of arms in their bullpen. Keep an eye out for updates regarding their plans with Barnett. How would you use him?

Meanwhile Alvarado will head to the minors to try to get himself back on track in a less stressful environment. The right-hander entered the year as one of the top options for late-game work but has seen some major struggles in the early going. Even before last night’s 4-run appearance Alvarado’s ERA was 5.87 and he began to see less high-leverage spots. It’s not sitting at an unsightly 8.38 through the first three weeks. We’ll surely be seeing the 27-year-old righty back with the club soon but for now he’ll head to Triple-A to try to find himself, and hopefully when he returns he can be the arm that the A’s hoped he would be for them this season.

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NHL Playoffs: teams who must win the Cup

Maybe someday we’ll have some meaningful time together. | Getty Images

Whenever the Islanders miss the postseason (which is a lot), on one level I’m able to enjoy the spectacle and intensity of the Stanley Cup playoffs in a different way, free of the exhausting emotional investment and baggage that comes with talking yourself into how they might go far while watching them ultimately get eliminated. Watching the playoffs without a rooting interest is like getting to watch the melodrama of Real Housewives of Whatever Shithole Plastic Surgery County instead of actually living it because you married poorly.

However, a postseason without the Islanders is not completely free of emotional investment. I’m never truly free until every team I hate is safely eliminated. This year, that’s a little easier since several franchises I loathe did not qualify.

But there are still teams to pull for, or root against. This post is mostly an excuse to ask the readership: Who are you pulling for in these playoffs? — so please let us know in comments, and feel free to skip the Player Haters Ball listing that follows, knowing that I just have to get it off my chest.

The Teams That Must Not Win (and won’t anyway)

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers made the playoffs?!? This really is humiliating. True, the Flyers’ Cup drought is even longer than…every other non-Leafs team that has ever won the Cup, but still…no.

Pittsburgh Penguins

They’ll never admit it, but the 1980s Penguins with Mario Lemieux were essentially seen the same way the 2009-12 Islanders with John Tavares were: “Oh, man, it’s such a shame that they’re so terrible and wasting his career for six seasons and counting.” In order to win a couple of Cups — but only two, because Al Arbour > Scotty Bowman, teehee — the Penguins needed to miss the playoffs for seven out of eight years, luck into Jaromir Jagr instead of Scott Scissons, and inadvertently fleece the Whalers in a John Cullen-for-Ron Francis swap because they sought Ulf Samuelsson’s dirtiness toughness.

So they have done virtually nothing brilliant as a franchise, other than luck into a shit-ton of great players in between lengthy tanks.

They did it all again a decade later when they tanked-and-bankrupted into Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby (lockout lottery fix), Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang. (Sorry Ryan Whitney, you insufferable windbag, you didn’t, and still do not, count.) There is nothing honorable about this franchise nor what it has “earned*” and no one outside of a very specific Pittsburgh-area subset should root for them.

*I use that term loosely, in the Chris Pronger AI book sense.

There appears to be some attempt at rallying behind the Penguins as Crosby’s Last Ride or something, but there is nothing feel-good in that. Crosby has had plenty of rides. Let someone else have something.

Los Angeles Kings

This team has 22 regulation wins. That’s seven fewer than the Islanders, who also were 10-0 in OT and do not deserve a postseason berth.

Simply, the Kings have zero business being here. The only possible reason they should win the Cup would be so the league finally trashes this stupid three-points-or-maybe-two-points, every-game-needs-a-winner, 3-on-3/shootout stupidity. But the Kings won’t, and even then the league surely wouldn’t.

MontrealCanadiens

The other tragedy of the Nordiques-Avalanche relocation is that French Canada lost its only potential check on Canadiens’ arrogance. After the Islanders dynasty unseated the final Canadiens one in 1980, this once-storied franchise somehow lucked into two more Cups by the grace of Patrick Roy. But as karmic penance, they are now cursed to never ever win a Cup since the Nordiques left Quebec.

Amusingly, their annoying fans probably think they would’ve won the pandemic Cup if only the Islanders had slipped by the Lightning, but they are wrong.

Also, remember when Martin St. Louis was so wounded by his Lightning GM not picking him for the Olympic team that he demanded a trade to the Rangers? Yeah, f- that guy.

Edmonton Oilers

Well well well, if it isn’t dynasty interruptus! It’s not our problem that the Oilers could never string more than two Cups in a row, keeping them from entering the Habs/Islanders dynasty echelon without an asterisk. I’m not sorry that Steve Smith scored an essential own goal off Grant Fuhr’s leg. And I’m not sorry that this franchise has yet to win another Cup despite Connor McDavid and their trio of first-overall picks in the Taylor Hall sequence.

Most of all, it’s important that McDavid not win a Cup in Edmonton so he can play in a 4 Nations or Olympics or World Cup or whatever with Matthew Schaefer in a couple years and decide he needs to join that kid on Long Island.

Vegas Golden Knights

No, just no.

Teams That Could Win and It’d Be…Okay

Dallas Stars

I’ve no feelings for this franchise or most of its players, but GM Jim Nill is a longtime hockey good guy who’s done everything right since taking over the Stars. Untimely injuries, self-inflicted coaching implosions — he’s navigated them all but each year there’s something that keeps them from the top.

They are starting to remind me of the 1980s Washington Capitals, a quietly really good team for several years that was always right up there yet always running into a stronger force like the Islanders, Flyers or Bruins.

The Stars seem to keep encountering that like the…

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have Brock Nelson, and that’s not nothing. He made an understandable decision that any of us would’ve made pre-Matthew Schaefer: Pretty sure my best Cup chance for the rest of my 30s is not on Long Island. If he’s able to lift the Cup it will be a spiritual boon for all of the Snow-era Islanders, except for any that he might’ve agitated to insanity=, which is not likely but definitely possible.

That said…the Avalanche is a spoiled franchise born of absolute privilege and timing. Before every college grad wanted to move there for the weed, Denver was a sleepy enough town that complaining about transplants wasn’t a daily topic. Sports-wise, before they built a giant airport that is basically as far as the Moon from downtown, they had the Broncos, a laughingstock basketball team, and a baseball team that stole its name from the defunct NHL team because when would they be big enough to get hockey again?

Alas, the mid-’90s Canadian small markets were a rocky place, where hockey revenue’s seed could find no purchase. So just as the Nordiques and their league-best uniforms finally got good after years of last-place finishes, their team became unaffordable, and Denver swooped in. They were almost named the Rocky Mountain Express.

The Avalanche have had plenty of fortune and deserve no sympathy nor rooting interest. But they have Brock Nelson, so if they win and he lifts the Cup, I will smile.

Carolina Hurricanes

Kinda like the Stars, the Hurricanes are always banging on the door, but rather than running into a juggernaut, they usually shoot themselves in the foot. Whatever, I’m indifferent.

Tampa Bay Lightning

I don’t think it would be okay if they won, but I’m resigned to them being perennially good in their John Cooper, Kuherov and Vasilevskiy era, so it’s not a big deal if they add another Cup, I guess.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild probably can’t get through the tough draw they have with the Central stalwarts of Dallas and Colorado, but if they did Bill Guerin would be hailed as the new face of NHL genius and all that.

They are exciting, and the franchise has never won, and the North Stars never won, so it wouldn’t be terrible if they somehow did it.

Teams That Are Also There

Utah Mammoth

It’s Utah, they have amazing national parks and nice skiing when there’s snow. They did us the favor of getting themselves a name (and not “Utah HC”) before they entered the postseason. There’s not much else to say about this team, but they did rescue the Coyotes and they somehow went the entire season without a shootout, so they are doing Bossy’s work here.

It would be funny if they went all the way, but of course they won’t.

Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks (of)

They overdid it on the orange, they have the dirty Little Ball of Hate as their GM and a “rehabilitated” Joel Quenneville as coach. But they have some fun young talent who Q might someday teach to play defense, too. There could be some high-octane offensive fun in their series with the Oilers before they’re eliminated.

Boston Bruins

Credit to them for not being terrible when everyone figured they’d be plummeting and tanking. But in addition to being inherently unlikeable, they’re also playing the Buffalo Sabres, who are a feel-good story. So if Boston knocks off the Sabres, everyone will hate them even more.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators have become really irritating as they’ve taken on Brady Tkachuk’s “Master of Hockey Cliches and Pantomime” personality. Not much to like in that way, but they’re coached by our beloved ol’ Gutless Puke Travis Green, whose middle name is Vernon according to Wikipedia.

Don’t want them to go far, and they shouldn’t with Carolina as their first-round draw. But anytime the Senators do well it’s fun for its effect on Leafs fans.

Universal Bandwagon Favorite

Buffalo Sabres

You have to really hate Buffalo or someone involved with them to not pull for the Sabres or their fans. They suffered so, so SO long. We’ve been waiting for years for their rebuild to finally turn a corner, and just when it looked like it was never going to happen, they flipped the switch midseason, coinciding with a change at GM a little after their turnaround began.

What a miraculous legend it would be if this team rode their turnaround all the way to the Cup.

Ah, but they will fall short, of course — Buffalo can’t have nice things — so it’s just a matter of learning if they get to have some fun first, or if the end will be particularly and classically cruel in the fashion of so many Buffalo sports stories.

But while they’re still alive, they have my full support.

Elsewhere

  • New Jersey boy-turned-analytics-guru Sunny Mehta gets the Devils GM job. [NHL]
  • In Vancouver, Jim Rutherford (or ownership, or whoever) fired his puppet, but he says the new GM will make all the hockey decisions. [Sportsnet]
  • 32 Thoughts: On Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets, and also candidates for the Leafs job (Ryan Bowness of the Islanders is one of many mentioned). [Sportsnet]
  • With the franchise at six years of tanking and counting, Connor Bedard says the Blackhawks need to finally start playing for something. [NHL]
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Stephen Curry was the assignment, Jordan Goodwin was the answer

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against Jordan Goodwin #23 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There was one assignment heading into Friday night against the Golden State Warriors that nobody really wants. Stephen Curry in an elimination game. That’s not a comfortable place to live.

And sure, this isn’t peak Curry. He’s banged up. He’s 38. But shooters don’t age out of danger. They find ways, and he was coming off a 35-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, with 27 of those in the second half. Along with Al Horford, he dragged his team into position for this game. That’s the reality with Curry. You can slow him for stretches. A few minutes, a quarter, maybe even a half. But shutting him down for a full game is rare. And when the Curry Flurry starts, you feel it, brace, and try to survive it.

It wasn’t a great defensive showing against Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday for Jordan Goodwin. He’s your point of attack defender, and he got targeted. Too often, Portland got downhill without much resistance. Some of that is on him. A lot of it is on the scheme behind him. He was left on an island with no lifeboat. There was no rim presence to clean it up. That’s a tough ask against a team committed to attacking the paint, and they took advantage.

His next assignment was Stephen Curry in an elimination game against the Golden State Warriors. High leverage, high pressure, no margin. And Goodwin delivered. He brought it defensively, stayed attached, and made things uncomfortable. On the other end, he found his moments. He knocked down open threes created by the gravity around him, impacted the game on the glass (especially with his work on the offensive boards), and was a menace generating turnovers.

The final stat line jumps off the page. What Jordan Goodwin did to Stephen Curry was a master class, and a big reason the Phoenix Suns are moving on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Curry ended scoring just 17 points on 4-of-16 from the field and 3-of-10 from deep. 16 shots to generate 17 points? You’ll take that every day of the week. In his 7:04 minutes as the primary defender, Goodwin held Curry to 1-of-6 shooting across 33.4 possessions. One made three. One assist. One turnover. That’s elite work against one of the greatest to ever do it.

Offensively, Goodwin became the guy the Suns needed. That tierary punch. Because this team isn’t built to survive on Devin Booker and Jalen Green alone. You need that third voice, an unexpected scorer. Too often this season, whether it’s Royce O’Neale, Collin Gillespie, or Grayson Allen, it hasn’t shown up consistently. But when it does, it changes everything. That’s what Goodwin was. 19 points, 7-of-11 from the field, 4-of-7 from deep.

Then there’s the rebounding. It’s wild to watch a guard that size impact the glass the way Jordan Goodwin does. But it’s been there all season. He finds angles, carves out space, and beats bigger players to the spot. He did it again Friday night, pulling down nine boards (four on the offensive end) even with size on the floor like Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis.

And his peskiness was on full display as well. Goodwin snagged 6 steals, which would put him in some interesting company if this game were classified as a playoff game. But it is not. It’s a Play-In game, which is like purgatory. The games don’t count towards your regular season totals, and they don’t count toward postseason. If it were a postseason stat, only 4 other Suns in the history of the franchise have had 6+ steals in a playoff game. Kyle Macy (6, 1984), Charles Barkley (7, 1993), Jason Kidd (6, 1998), and Shawn Marion (6, 2006).

“Massive at both ends. We can’t overstate his shot making, but to hold a guy like that (Stephen Curry), 3-of-10, 4-
of-16, and then we talked possession, possession, possessions, he had four offensive rebounds and six steals,” head coach Joran Ott said of Goodwin after the game. “Where he started the season to now speaks volumes about who he is and what he’s becoming as a basketball player, super excited and happy he’s on our team.”

“I think that when we are at our best is when we are being aggressive,” Goodwin stated in the post-game presser. “Just go out there and try to set the tone on the defensive end, I know we got the guys who will set it on the offensive end. I am just trying to get us going a bit, get the ball in transition, get them guys going. Definitely just hanging my hat on it, taking on whatever matchup I got, just trying to do my best to make it difficult out there.”

It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight. It’s about the size of the fight in the dog. Jordan Goodwin embodies that. He brings everything he has, every possession. He’s undersized, sure. But the impact is undeniable. What he did against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night went beyond the box score. It helped put an overachieving team into the postseason, which allows us to feel great about this season. Because of that effort, we get more time. More games. More chances to evaluate what this Phoenix Suns team can be.

It was a good night for Goodwin. It was a great night for Phoenix.

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Meet new Red Sox pitcher Jack Anderson

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 14: Jack Anderson #77 of the Boston Red Sox pitches to the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning of a game at Target Field on April 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Who is he and where did he come from?

He’s Jack Anderson. The Red Sox have had to go to the 40-man roster earlier in the season than they would have liked, to the tune of bringing four guys up from Worcester so far, three of whom have made their Major League debut (four total if you count Rule 5 pick Ryan Watson.) Anderson, a 26-year old Florida State Seminole, is the latest addition. He was drafted by the Tigers in 2021, and was acquired by the Red Sox in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft two years ago, arriving in Double-A Portland. He made his Major League debut to stop the bleeding after a shaky Sonny Grey start and looked damn good doing so for most of it. He struck out the side in his first inning of work, got one more strikeout for a total of four, and only suffered a hit given up by a home run, finishing out 3 innings solidly.

Is he any good?

The same answer I’ve given on every debut this season: he could be. At 6’3”, 197, Anderson doesn’t quite fit the archetype of huge lefty with velocity that Craig Breslow clamors over, and that’s okay. His fastball, albeit slow, topping out at 93 miles per hour, has 19 inches of vertical break, which means Andrew Bailey is no doubt drooling over it. Also interesting is that Anderson came up through the minors as a multi-inning reliever; out of 149 minor league appearances, he started just ten, and even all of those within the last 12 months.

I think it’s fitting for Anderson to be in that multi-inning, low-leverage relief role, as that’s what he was a majority of the time in Portland last year, his best season as a pro, where he logged 75 innings at the Double-A level, striking 90 out and walking 18. Upon his callup to Triple-A, he showed the same command of the strike zone but did get hit around a little more, but it seemed to vastly improve to start 2026. Knock on wood; he hasn’t hit a batter since 2024, when he was down in Double-A. In general, he tends to not give up many walks, period.

Tl;dr, just give me the stats.

In 2025, his first as a member of Boston’s organization, Anderson pitched 86 2/3 innings across 26 games in Portland and Worcester, striking 101 batters out while walking 22 for an ERA of 3.72 and a similar FIP of 3.80.

Show me a cool highlight.

It’s cheating, sure, but I call it recency bias. Him striking the side out with his family in attendance is pretty cool. It’s even cooler when you consider that this is the same lineup our ace and a guy with 12 years of MLB service time had a lot of trouble with.

View Link

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

Putting that pitch movement to work with a cool looking delivery.

What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?

You won’t see him in the rotation, nor will you see him on the Major League roster much… but he seems pretty entrenched in this relief role as long as Johan Oviedo is on the Injured List. I’ve been burned once this year with the team unceremoniously sending Tyler Uberstine back down within 24 hours of my last Meet The New Guy article, though, so I want to tread water carefully here.

There is also something to be said for keeping a few different guys that are already on an option year anyway refreshed, so it’s also totally possible Uberstine, Samaniego, Anderson and a few others split the same role in a way that splits that diplomatic difference between uhhh enhancing MLB service time and not getting in trouble with promotions rules. Still, Anderson may get pretty acquainted with the Mass Pike. But if any performance he puts in this weekend is as good as his last, he may stick around a little.

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Suns vs Thunder Same-Game Parlay for Sunday's NBA Playoffs Game 1

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After running the table in the NBA Play-In, the Phoenix Suns are back in the playoffs, but standing in their way is the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

My Suns vs. Thunder predictions expect OKC to dominate Sunday's series opener, fueled by another standout performance from their reigning MVP.

Read more in our NBA picks for April 19.

Our best Suns vs Thunder SGP for Game 1

Before resting their players for the final week of the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were clicking.

The Thunder had won seven straight contests, going 5-2 ATS before their skeleton crew dropped the last two regular-season contests. OKC is also 8-2 SU in its last 10 head-to-head matchups against the Phoenix Suns. 

Expect the Under to cash, as Phoenix won’t be trying to speed things up — they capped off the season ranked 24th in pace. Meanwhile, the Thunder turned up the defensive pressure in the postseason last year.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been an MVP performer against the Suns this season, averaging 30 points per game and hitting half of his 3-point attempts. SGA also shot 51% on 2-pointers, an area where the Suns were weak this season, allowing opponents to shoot 56% from inside the arc.

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Suns Planet Podcast: Suns make the playoffs!

Hey there, Planeteers, we are back and dove into the two play-in games for the Phoenix Suns that helped them secure the eight seed. We also looked into the matchup against OKC, but mainly discussed our appreciation for this team and some of its players who have really shone. We hope you are as excited as we are about having at least four more games of Suns basketball to break down!

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NHL Playoffs: Flyers vs. Penguins Series Prediction, Early Outlook

The anticipation is building as the Philadelphia Flyers gear up to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the nature of the rivalry makes it a unique matchup around the NHL this year.

The Flyers were 43-27-12 this season, and the Penguins 41-25-16, but despite the very similar overall record and identical total of 98 points, the Penguins appear to be slight favorites in the matchup.

After all, they do still have the star power of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson, complemented by the likes of Kris Letang, Egor Chinakhov, Rickard Rakell, Anthony Mantha, and Bryan Rust.

The Flyers' star power is a bit younger and far less experienced; players like Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and even Rasmus Ristolainen will all be seeing playoff hockey for what it is for the first time in their careers.

Four of 11 experts polled by the NHL Network picked the Flyers to win the series against the Penguins.

ESPN Predicts Flyers Will Get Swept By PenguinsESPN Predicts Flyers Will Get Swept By PenguinsAs they head into their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2020, it is becoming clear that the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> still don't have many believers out there.

I'll insert myself into the conversation here and make it five of 12; I predict the Flyers will survive and eliminate the aging Penguins in seven games.

Starting goalies Dan Vladar and Stuart Skinner can both be a bit boom-or-bust, and while Skinner has been here before with Edmonton, he wasn't particularly conducive to their success.

Vladar, meanwhile, went into this season preparing solely to be a No. 1 goalie to take advantage of opportunities like this one. We already know Skinner can and will come up short when needed.

Michkov and Martone ended the season for the Flyers on a tear, so as long as they can maintain that play to some degree, they can score against the Penguins' weaker matchups with no issue.

Sean Couturier's line will likely see the bulk of the defensive matchups, with Christian Dvorak, Martone, and Travis Konecny mixing in along the way.

Flyers' Travis Sanheim Deserves Credit for This Insane StatFlyers' Travis Sanheim Deserves Credit for This Insane StatThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> made the Stanley Cup playoffs largely through hard work and discipline, and one veteran leader took the discipline part literally.

Additionally, the Flyers have a stronger defense overall.

Jamie Drysdale has improved by leaps and bounds, and Emil Andrae has quietly been excellent this season.

Travis Sanheim can account for Karlsson, and Letang is out of his depth now at his advanced age.

This series between the Flyers and Penguins will ultimately be decided by the special teams, where the Flyers have struggled the most all season.

Philadelphia's penalty kill was ice-cold to finish the season, and the power play was its usual dreadful self aside from some promising moments sprinkled in here and there.

If the Flyers can simply stay out of the box, they won't have that issue, and the rest is up to them playing mistake-free hockey against vets who know very well how to punish them for errors.

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Lakers vs Rockets injury updates puts spotlight squarely on LeBron James

In an alternate universe, the first round NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets would be a star-studded affair, pitting some of the best in the game in an all-out slugfest. In reality, it now looks more like a triage center with most of the stars sidelined with injuries.

Late-season dings to hamstrings, obliques, and knees mean the opening salvo out west could be without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and the previously healthy Kevin Durant (questionable). That's potentially three stars watching Game 1 from the sidelines.

For the Lakers, that means being severely depleted in a series that now rests on the shoulders of the man who wears the crown. LeBron James (41) has been beating Father Time with Reaves and Doncic on the shelf, going 23 points and 9.2 assists over the last five games, helping the Lakers close out the season with three consecutive wins.

Here is what to know about the Lakers' injuries as they enter the series vs Houston:

Luka Doncic injury update

The Lakers have a huge hole in the lineup without Doncic, losing the 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game he was averaging.

Suffering a hamstring injury on April 2, the Lakers have merely stated that the star is out indefinitely, not committing to whether the 27-year-old might return later in the first round.

Lakers injuries: Is Luka Doncic playing for the Lakers in Game 1 vs. the Rockets?

Austin Reaves injury update

Reaves was injured in the same April 2 blowout loss to the Thunder that Doncic was, suffering a Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain.

As noted above, Reaves shares the same outlook as his LA counterpart. He is out indefinitely and will not suit up for Game 1.

Kevin Durant injury update

The Rockets are not without their own maladies, albeit none as severe as LA's injuries. Kevin Durant was banged up a bit in practice this week. Now he is officially questionable for Game 1 after sustaining a right knee contusion.

LeBron James stats

It goes without saying that the Lakers absolutely need James to play a significant amount for the series, but we will say it anyway.

Over the last four games, the team has gone 3-1 with its two stars out. In that time, James has averaged 26.8 points per game and the team enjoys a +/- of 20 when he is on the court. When he is off, that drops to -7.

Not many are giving the Lakers a shot this series. But whether the underdog is to pull off an upset will be determined by whether LeBron can continue to conjure his vintage form.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James is LA's only hope vs Rockets after Lakers injury updates