Wednesday night Orioles game thread: at Red Sox, 6:45

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 19: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles laughs prior to a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Blaze Alexander will bat ninth and play center field tonight as the Orioles look to secure a road series victory over the Red Sox. Alexander will be flanked by leadoff hitter Taylor Ward and Tyler O’Neill.

Samuel Basallo will bat sixth and serve as the DH against lefty starter Payton Tolle. Jackson Holliday will play second base, and Coby Mayo will bat fifth against the southpaw. Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Pete Alonso will round out the lineup.

Tolle will enter the game with a 2.61 through 41.1 innings. Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt’s ERA (5.06) sits at almost double, but the veteran has looked sharp of late. The Orioles would love to see another quality start from the 37-year-old.

  1. Taylor Ward LF
  2. Gunnar Henderson SS
  3. Adley Rutschman C
  4. Pete Alonso 1B
  5. Coby Mayo 3B
  6. Samuel Basallo DH
  7. Tyler O’Neill RF
  8. Jackson Holliday 2B
  9. Blaze Alexander CF

Royals vs. Reds, Wednesday 6/3

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 29: Stephen Kolek #32 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on May 29, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After yet another heartbreaking loss yesterday, the Royals will attempt to win the series against the Reds this evening. Getting the series would be a nice way to start this road trip for a team in desperate need of some positive momentum.

It will be Stephen Kolek taking the ball for Kansas City today. He has been a little uneven in his five big league starts this year but has been brilliant when he is pitching well. That extreme ground ball rate along with the Royals solid infield defense can really work wonders and is doubly helpful in a park as homerun friendly as Cincinnati’s.

Kolek will be facing Chase Burns, the Reds’ young fireballer. He is only 23 and his fastball sits near 99 and can touch the low triple digits. Burns was the second overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest and made it to the majors by June of 2025.

No Maikel Garcia in the lineup for the fourth game in a row, that means Carter Jensen is back in the leadoff spot versus a right-handed pitcher.

Looking for NBA Finals seats? The Knicks are making 2 in celebrity row available in an auction

Still looking for tickets to the NBA Finals? The New York Knicks are making available two of the best seats in the house — right by the likes of Ben Stiller and Spike Lee — to the highest bidder.

The Knicks are auctioning two celebrity row seats for Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, when the NBA Finals return to New York for the first time since 1999.

Ticket prices are skyrocketing with the league's biggest market finally back in the series, with tickets inside the Garden so hard to acquire that Knicks fans have instead bought up seats in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland as their team romped through the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The seats for the game Monday night are located in section VIP 10; row AA; seats 25 and 26, which the Knicks say is right off center court. It's impossible to know what they would usually cost, because the team doesn't sell them. Instead, they are given to the celebrity fans such as Tracy Morgan and Timothée Chalamet who are courtside fixtures.

The auction begins Thursday at noon at knicks.com/celebrityrowauction and proceeds benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the organization that works with MSG's companies to assist children at need in the tristate area. It runs through Sunday at 5 p.m.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

2025-26 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year revealed

Texas' high school baseball has as rich a history—arguably more than any other state—and on Wednesday, another chapter was added to that legacy.

Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills, TX) shortstop Grady Emerson has been named the 2025-26 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year following a standout senior season.

Emerson was surprised at school today by his teammates, friends and family who presented him with the award. He also received a surprise video call from MLB All-Star and World Series champion Eric Hosmer, who called and congratulated him on the honor.

An early first-round projection in the upcoming MLB Draft, Emerson originally committed to TCU. He flipped his commitment from the Horned Frogs to the Longhorns on November 25, 2024.

Emerson now joins an elite group of past winners, including Alex Rodriguez, Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Witt Jr., and countless others.

“Grady Emerson’s track record of performance is outstanding, including four stints with U.S. national teams and a dominant senior season at Fort Worth Christian,” Jim Callis, Senior Writer at MLB Pipeline, said in the release. “He’s the best high school prospect in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft and a strong candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick by the White Sox. Grady is also a fine student and coaches and scouts rave about his intelligence and character. He’s a deserving winner in the fine tradition of Gatorade National Baseball Players of the Year.” 

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Texas commitment led the Cardinals to a 32-7-1 record this season, batting .532 with 42 RBIs, nine doubles, four triples, and seven home runs. Emerson was a force on the base paths, recording 21 stolen bases, and was just as stout defensively, with 37 putouts, 17 double plays, and no errors on the year.

On top of his play on the field, Emerson is a stand-up person off the field and in the classroom. He maintained an A average in school while playing baseball and volunteering at The North Texas Food Bank and Mission Arlington.

Emerson has also donated his time to leading training sessions and defensive coaching camps for youth baseball. With his parents' company, Always Family Senior Home Care, during the holiday season Emerson will also deliver home care services.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gatorade announces 2024-25 National Baseball Player of the Year

Chicago Cubs vs. Athletics preview, Wednesday 6/3, 7:05 CT

Wednesday notes…

  • THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: From April 14-May 8, the Cubs won 20 of 23 games. Tonight’s game will be their 23rd since then. They have won five. A loss tonight would complete their first 5-18 span 2021, when they did it June 14-July 8, then nine overlapping times between July 21 and Aug. 29. They were 5-18 in at least six spans in 2012, four in 2010, 10 in 2006 and 13 in 2000. The Cubs’ last 6-17 spans were in 2022, when they two overlapping sets of two. They had 13 in 2021 and five in 2013. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • A WEIRD HOME/ROAD SPLIT: Cubs now are 7-6 at home vs. the Athletics — and 10-2 at Oakland (7-2) and Sacramento (3-0). The Cubs lost the opener of three games at home against the A’s twice before: the first two times they met at Wrigley Field, in 2004 and 2010. Each time, the Cubs won the next two games to take the series. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • SIGNS OF LIFE IN PCA: Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a seven-game hitting streak in which he is batting .367/.441/.567 (11-for-30) with three doubles, a home run and five runs scored. His OPS of .718 is at its highest level since May 8 (.721).
  • TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ken Holtzman throws the second no-hitter of his career as the Cubs defeat the Reds in Cincinnati 1-0. Holtzman also scores the only run of the game after reaching on an error. It happened 55 years ago today, Thursday, June 3, 1971.

Cubs lineup:

Athletics lineup:

Colin Rea, RHP vs. Jeffrey Springs, LHP

Colin Rea hit a bit of a rough patch early in May but his last two starts were at least decent. That’s what we expect from him, right?

Rea threw the last three innings of the Cubs’ 18-3 thrashing of the A’s March 31, 2025 in Sacramento, allowing four hits and no runs. In doing so he picked up a save, one of three he has in his career.

No A’s batter has more than five at-bats against him, and that’s Brent Rooker, who’s 3-for-5 with a home run. Stop Rooker and this could be a fine evening of pitching.

Jeffrey Springs is the A’s best starter so far this year… which isn’t saying much. He has a 4.07 ERA and 1.191 WHIP in 66.1 innings, with 12 home runs allowed. He can usually be counted on for giving his team six innings, though, as he’s gone that many or more six times in 12 starts.

Last year against the Cubs, April 2, 2025 in Sacramento, Springs allowed five runs (four earned) in three innings, including a home run by Seiya Suzuki.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Athletics site Athletics Nation. If you do go there to interact with A’s fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

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Mets' Kodai Senga grinds through five innings in latest rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse

Kodai Sengatook the mound for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday for his latest rehab start, and it wasn't much better than his last outing.

The Mets right-hander pitched five innings for the first time on his current rehab assignment, but allowed three runs on six hits, two walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while striking out five. Senga tossed 91 pitches (54 strikes) and topped out at 95.7 mph. His ERA is now 5.19 across his three rehab starts.

Earlier this week, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza expected Senga to throw around 85 pitches, but the team will need to see how he does and how he feels afterwards before they decide on what Senga's next step will be. 

In his previous start with Syracuse, Senga allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, two walks and one hit batter while striking out five. He tossed 80 pitches through his 3.2 innings, and while the workload has increased, the results have been less than encouraging. 

Senga was placed on the IL in late April with lumbar spin inflammation, and the Mets hoped the he could be inserted into a rotation that is in need of arms after Clay Holmes went down with injury. 

Return of the Pirates Lumber Company, but better??

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 02: Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a three run homer in the top of the fifth inning during the MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros on June 2, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a completely different offense than they were a year ago.

Calling it a night and day difference doesn’t do it justice. 

A year after falling in the bottom five of most offensive categories, the Pirates are a top-five offense in baseball.

The team is second best in baseball in on-base percentage (.338), tied for second in hits (8.8), fourth in batting average (.255), tied for fourth in OPS (.740), and fifth best in baseball in runs per game (5.1).

It’s not an opinion, but a fact.

The most drastic improvement? Power. 

Pittsburgh hit an MLB-low 117 home runs last season. The next closest team was the rival St. Louis Cardinals (148), who beat out the Bucs for last place by a jarring 31 homers. 

This season? The Pirates are on pace to top 117 by mid-July. 

Don Kelly’s team owns 71 home runs in 61 games, on pace for over 180 homers in 2026. 

The Bucs hit three longballs on Tuesday in Houston and are getting contributions up and down the lineup. Brandon Lowe hit his 15th of the season, and Oneil Cruz smacked his 14th, both three-run long balls, to power the Pirates to a 10-6 victory.

Endy Rodriguez started the scoring with a two-run shot. Initially ruled a triple, the call was overturned to a home run following a video review for his first of the season.

Cruz led the Pirates in home runs last season, but only amounted 20 in 135 games. He is on pace for a 30/30 season and the best year of his career. 

Lowe leads all Pirates with 15 and ranks tied for fourth in the National League, one year after hitting 31 with the Tampa Bay Rays in 134 games. 

Bryan Reynolds finished second on the team in 2025 with 16 round-trippers. Lowe is one away. It’s June 3. 

Five Pirates have hit six or more home runs, and Marcell Ozuna, who has been relegated to a part-time player, has hit five.

The Pirates offense is more balanced, and created lineup protection for veterans mainstays like Reynolds and Cruz.

Spencer Horwitz is having an eye-popping season with seven home runs and a .385 on-base percentage, eighth highest in the National League. 

The Pirates were one of four teams to score at least 300 runs through May. The others are all World Series contenders (Braves, Dodgers, Yankees).

This season marked the first time the Pirates won 30 games before the end of May since 2013.

The expectation was that the Pirates’ offense would be good, but not THIS good.

Could this be the best offense since the 1979 “Lumber Company” Pirates?

The last World Series championship team led the NL in runs (775) and hits (1,496). Led by 1979 MVP Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, and Bill Robinson, the Pirates only hit 148 home runs. 

This year’s club should well exceed it, albeit in a different era of baseball and how the game is played.

Lowe, Reynolds, Cruz, and even Ryan O’Hearn all have legitimate cases to make the All-Star Game.

Pittsburgh has an offense that has proven through the first third of the season that it can be sustained.

The club is +35 in run differential and sits in second place in the very difficult NL Central. 

It’s not an illusion. It’s no fantasy. It’s not a dream. The Pirates’ offense is good for the first time in a long time, and they’re not looking to wake up from this dream. 

Blackhawks Have Trade Target To Consider In Islanders Star Forward

One of the Chicago Blackhawks' biggest objectives this off-season should be to add a proven star forward to their top six. It is clear that Connor Bedard needs more help around him as the Blackhawks look to be more competitive in 2026-27.

Due to this, the Blackhawks should strongly consider targeting New York Islanders star forward Mathew Barzal this off-season. The Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch recently reported that the Islanders have been exploring Barzal's market. 

"A league executive told The Citizen that the New York Islanders are exploring the market for forward Mathew Barzal," Garrioch wrote.

While that does not mean the Islanders will automatically trade Barzal this summer, the Blackhawks should still consider making a push for him. He would have the potential to be an excellent addition to their top six due to his elite playmaking skill. This is especially so when noting that he can play both center and right wing. 

Barzal could thrive playing on a line with a superstar center like Bedard. The Islanders star forward would also give the Blackhawks another major weapon to work with on their power play. 

Barzal would be more than a rental for the Blackhawks if acquired, too. This is because he has a $9.15 million cap hit until the end of the 2030-31 season. 

In 81 games this season with the Islanders, Barzal recorded 19 goals, 53 assists, 72 points, and a plus-10 rating. 

Texas Rangers lineup for June 3, 2026

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 31: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammate Joc Pederson #3 following their team's win over the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Field on May 31, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Texas Rangers lineup for June 3, 2026 against the St. Louis Cardinals: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Andre Pallante for the Cards.

Texas is looking to sweep the Cardinals in St. Louis, as well as extend their winning streak to six games and get back to .500. Skip Schumaker is rolling with the same lineup as yesterday.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Osuna — LF

Carter — CF

Higashioka — C

Lopez — 2B

6:45 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.

Game 60: San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 02: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his two-run home run in the third inning with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 02, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

San Diego Padres (32-27) at Philadelphia Phillies (31-29), June 3, 2026, 3:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia, Penn.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan



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Knicks and Spurs look to recapture old glory in rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals that changed their histories

For many reasons, it's hard to think of many better NBA Finals pairings than the Knicks versus Spurs one we're about to be treated to.

The Spurs feature a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama, who might already be the best all-around player in the NBA. He's paired with a roster chock full of exciting, young players like Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De'Aaron Fox. But then you have a Knicks team that's riding an 11-game postseason winning streak, which only two other teams have ever done. They have an underdog point guard in Jalen Brunson, but a complementary core of players who have been stars on previous teams, like Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikail Bridges.

On top of that, you have the championship narratives. The Spurs had an over 15-year dynasty that saw them win five NBA titles behind a Hall of Fame corps, with a Hall of Fame coach, who helped popularize an entire style of play people called "The Beautiful Game." That dynastic run kicked off by beating the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals. It was the first championship in Spurs franchise history and their beginning as a basketball powerhouse.

However, after the 2016-17 NBA season ended, the Spurs never won more than 48 games, had made the playoffs only twice, and came into this season after six straight losing seasons.

Meanwhile, the Knicks came into that 1999 season on the tail-end of a tremendous run of success. Including that season, they had made the playoffs in 12 straight seasons, including advancing to at least the Eastern Conference semi-finals in eight straight years. They had won 50 games or more in six of those seasons and had finished first or second in their division for seven straight years. Yet, they had never won a title.

There was the 1997 team that won 57 games in the regular season but blew a 3-1 series lead to the Heat in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. There was the 1994 loss to the NBA Finals to the Rockets in a seven-game series. There was the 1993 loss to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals that is famously known as the Charles Smith series. In fact, the Knicks team that made the Finals in 1999 wasn't even one of their better teams. They were 27-23 in the lockout-shortened season and were an 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Still, they had a chance to claim the ultimate prize and came up short. It was the last time the Knicks advanced to the NBA title game until this season. Which means, in order to reach a height the franchise hasn't seen since 1973, they'll have to beat the team that ruined their last chance. A team that's trying to start a brand new dynasty against an opponent that helped them kickstart the old one.

So how do these two teams match up as we head into Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and is that anywhere close to how they matched up back in 1999?

Center

1999: David Robinson (Spurs) vs Marcus Camby (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

We have to start by saying that this should have been Robinson versus Patrick Ewing, but Ewing missed the entire finals with a severe Achilles tendon injury. He was no longer an elite player in 1999, but he had averaged 17.3 points and almost 10 rebounds per game in the regular season and would have given Robinson a bit of a tougher time. Many people think of Marcus Camby as simply a dominant college player at UMASS, but the 6'11" center, who was the number two pick in the 1996 NBA Draft was a better NBA player than many people give him credit for. Still, this was not particularly close. Even though David Robinson was 33 years old in the 1999 NBA Finals, he was still a force. In the five-game series against the Knicks, he averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. He physically dominated Camby, who was nine years younger but no match for Robinson's strength. Camby did average 2.0 blocks per game in that series, to go along with 9.6 points and 7.8 rebounds, but he couldn't hold a candle to Robinson.

2026: Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) vs Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

The Wembanyama and Towns battle would be a little closer to what we would have gotten from Robinson versus Ewing. However, instead of both big men being Hall of Fame centers at the tail end of their careers, this matchup features two centers who are in their prime and have changed the way the position is played. Towns is a perennial All-Star who spaces the floor and scores in ways most centers can’t. While Wembanyama is a 7'5" anomaly who does things on a basketball court we’ve never seen a player his size do before. Towns has been electric for the Knicks this off-season, operating as the hub of their offense, but Wembanyama is easily the more impactful player of the two by virtue of the fact that he is far and away the most impactful defender in the entire league and can score in a multitude of ways on the offensive end. How the Knicks defend him, or if they can, will be the biggest storyline in this NBA Finals matchup.

Power Forward

1999: Tim Duncan (Spurs) vs Larry Johnson (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

People forget what a force Grandmama, er, Larry Johnson was when he entered the league as the No. 1 pick out of UNLV. However, by this point in his career, Johnson was more of a solid NBA starter at the four, averaging 12 points and 5.8 boards per game — and in this series, he was playing through a knee sprain and was not himself. Johnson was no match for Duncan, who was only two years into his Hall of Fame career and was already third in MVP voting that season, scoring 21.7 points with 11.4 boards a game. Duncan dominated the series, averaging 27.4 points and 14 boards a game on his way to being named Finals MVP.

2026: Julian Champagnie (Spurs) vs OG Anunoby (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: KNICKS

Back in 1999, basketball fans might have scoffed at the idea that two 6'7" players would be the starting power forwards on the two NBA Finals teams, but this is a different game in the modern NBA. OG Anunoby has been critical to the Knicks' run to the Finals, and he will be huge in this series because he will spend time guarding Wembanyama at points (Anunoby is the kind of physical, strong, and quick forward who gives Wemby as much trouble as anyone). Anunoby's two-way play has been key to the Knicks' run, and they need him to continue at that level this series. Do not sleep on Brooklyn-born, St. John’s alumni Champagnie to impact the series — he has six 3-pointers and 20 points in Game 7 against the Thunder. He is fearless, an elite shooter, and a plus defender — New York can't just hide someone on him, and he defends up.

Small Forward

1999: Sean Elliott (Spurs) vs Latrell Sprewell (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: KNICKS

Sprewell may be most famous for trying to choke out his coach, but he was also a tremendous basketball player. He was a three-time All-Star with Golden State before coming to the Knicks in the 1998-99 season, and scored 16.4 points with 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the Knicks despite only starting in four of the 37 regular-season games he played for them. Yet, he was easily their best player in the postseason. In fact, he led all playoff scorers with 407 points that postseason. In the finals, he averaged 26 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He was also a solid defender, while Sean Elliott was more of a "glue guy." Elliot was 30 years old in this season and was a solid defender who could chip in across the board production for the Spurs. You can make an argument that his intangibles made him incredibly valuable to the Spurs, but Sprewell was one of the better players in the entire postseason, regardless of team.

2026: Devin Vassell (Spurs) vs Mikail Bridges (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: KNICKS

If you had asked anybody about this matchup three weeks ago, or in the early stages of the Hawks series when it seemed like Mikal Bridges was being pushed to the edges of the next rotation, the answer would have been entirely different. However, it’s impossible to ignore what Bridges has done in this 11-game winning streak. In that stretch, he has averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while being a historically efficient scorer. He became the first player in NBA playoff history to average 15 or more points on 60% shooting from the field, 40% shooting from beyond the arc, and 100% from the free-throw line. He’s been shooting 68.2% from the field overall and 45.8% from the three-point line, all while playing tremendous defense on the wing. He’s been playing with more aggression than we’ve ever seen him play with in a Knicks uniform before, and getting to the basket far more regularly. Vassell is a really strong player, and there’s a chance that, by the end of the series, he will be a more impactful player than Bridges, but that’s only if Bridges reverts to the player he was in the regular season. If we get any continuation of what we’ve seen from him over the last 11 games, he will be a major difference maker in this series.

Shooting Guard

1999: Mario Elie (Spurs) vs Allan Houston (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: KNICKS

Houston was a key part of the Knicks' scoring attack in this series — with Ewing out, everything fell to Sprewell and Houston on the wing. Houston dropped 34 in the Knicks Game 3 victory and averaged 21.6 points a game in the Finals. He did everything he could. Elie, along with Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson, gave Gregg Popovich solid veterans he could trust around the forces of nature that were Duncan and Robinson up front. Elie was solid all series and was third on the Spurs in scoring at 11.6 points a game, and he would pick up his third ring (he was a two-time champion with the Hakeem Olajuwon Rockets in 1994 and 1995).

2006: Stephon Castle (Spurs) vs Josh Hart (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

This will be one of the most telling matchups of the 2026 NBA Finals, even if these two are rarely matched up guarding one another. Hart's grit and defense matter to the Knicks style, but San Antonio is likely to try and "hide" Wemby on him, allowing their alien to patrol the paint — Hart has to knock down 3-pointers to pull him out to the arc. The Cavaliers tried the same thing with their bigs, and Hart hitting five 3-pointers in Game 2 with 26 points helped change the series.

Castle is going to be guarding Jalen Brunson a lot of the time, coming off doing as good a job as can be expected against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander last round. Castle's ability to drive and touch the paint, then score or find the open man, is going to matter in this series, too.

Point Guard

1999: Avery Johnson (Spurs) vs Charlie Ward (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

Younger readers might not know that Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy in 1993 as the quarterback for Florida State. Yet, despite that, he went undrafted in 1994 because he allegedly told teams he would only sign if he was a first-round pick. Instead, he wound up in the NBA and was a serviceable point guard for the Knicks. He started all 50 games for the Knicks that season and averaged 7.6 points, 5.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. He was arguably the Knicks' best defender in the Finals, but Avery Johnson was just a better player. The 33-year-old was also a solid defender and averaged 9.2 points, 7.6 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in the series. He had more assists than anybody else that postseason and was a tremendous floor general for this Spurs offense.

2026:De'Aaron Fox (Spurs) vs Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: KNICKS

This is a little bit like the center matchup, except with the advantage going to the Knicks. Fox is a strong player and has averaged 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals this postseason. He seems healed from his earlier ankle troubles and is a very capable passer and scorer. However, it’s impossible to say he wins in a matchup against Jalen Brunson. Brunson is averaging just under 27 points a game in the postseason with 6.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Of the players with at least 50 clutch field goal attempts in the postseason since 1997, Brunson has arguably been as good a scorer as Michael Jordan. He has the most points from the field per 36 minutes and has a higher effective field-goal percentage than Jordan in similar situations. He is the heartbeat of the Knicks and arguably the best player on the court in this series.

Bench

1999: Antonio Daniels, Steve Kerr, Jaren Jackson (Spurs) vs Chris Childs, Kurt Thomas, Chris Dudley (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

Some things never change, like the Spurs having elite depth. It was a much slower-paced game in 1999 — the pace for this series averaged out to 86.7 possessions per team per game — so coaches like Gregg Popovich could lean more heavily into their starters, who did not tire out as fast. Jackson led the Spurs reserves at 19.2 minutes and 6.6 points a game. Kerr would pick up his fourth ring as a player in this series, his first without Jordan on the team (Kerr would get another with the Spurs in 2003). Jeff VanGundy trusted his bench a little more; both Thomas and Childs averaged more than 20 minutes a night, and Thomas gave the Knicks 5.6 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. Still, this series was about the starters.

2025: Dylan Harper, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet (Spurs) vs Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado (Knicks)
ADVANTAGE: SPURS

The benches are going to matter a lot more in 2026 than they did in 1999. That starts with Knicks center Mitchel Robinson, who is expected to play just a week after surgery on his right hand (it wasn't exactly a pinkie finger injury) — New York needs his defense, his physicality, and his offensive rebounding (he had 10 offensive rebounds in the Knicks NBA Cup victory over the Spurs). Also, Shamet and the other Knicks shooters will need to remain red hot this series — he shot 11-of-12 from 3 against the Cavaliers.

Dylan Harper is a handful as a rookie (and Mitch Johnson isn't going to be able to keep him in a sixth man role much longer). He can get into the paint and finish at the rim, is very strong, can hit the three, and defend. Keldon Johnson is the emotional spark plug for this team and makes big plays. Part of what makes the Spurs so good is that there is not much of a bench drop-off, and the players' versatility lets Johnson mix and match with his starters depending on the matchups. If the Spurs bench outplays the Knicks' bench in this series, it is a huge step toward them winning it all

Knicks vs Spurs Same-Game Parlay for Tonight's NBA Playoffs Game 1

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Basketball bettors can party like it’s 1999 when the New York Knicks collide with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Game 1 finally gets going Wednesday night in Texas, and if everything is bigger in the Lone Star State, then I’m going big with my Knicks vs. Spurs same-game parlay.

I like New York to keep it closer than oddsmakers expect, leaning on their two biggest stars to make a stand in San Antonio.

Here are my best NBA picks and SGP predictions for Knicks vs. Spurs on June 3.

Our best Knicks vs Spurs SGP for Game 1

SGP leg #1: Knicks +4.5

The New York Knicks have been patiently waiting for 10 days for the NBA Finals. I’m buying into “rest” over “rust”, especially after the Knicks came out flat in Game 1 of the ECF following an extended break. Fool me twice, right?
 
New York has a solid defensive rotation to throw at San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in this series, utilizing OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson to keep the 7-footer out of rhythm. On top of that, the Knicks can knock it down from downtown – unlike OKC.

SGP leg #2: Jalen Brunson Over 2.5 threes

Jalen Brunson leads the 3-point barrage. The Spurs did a great job dulling an attacking SGA, but Brunson is a better outside threat, and if San Antonio plays passive perimeter defense again, he’ll make the most of the extra space. Brunson did shoot 10 for 24 from distance (42%) in three meetings with San Antonio this season.

The Spurs also lack size to throw at Brunson, who has had to shoot over longer defenders in past series. With Wembanyama packing the paint, New York has to hit from outside to create space, and Brunson’s projections lean toward three triples in Game 1.

SGP leg #3: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 4.5 assists

Karl-Anthony Towns has been a conduit for the Knicks’ offense in the postseason, thriving as a passer at the top of the key. He’s averaging double his regular-season assists and has dished out five or more dimes in nine of his last 11 postseason games. 

Projections top out at 3.5 assists from KAT, but with Wembanyama likely checking Josh Hart, in order to hang around the rim, Towns faces smaller defenders than what the Cavs threw at him, and can easily see open cutters in space over the top.


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Who is Mitch Johnson? What to know about Spurs' coach for NBA Finals

The San Antonio Spurs are back in the NBA Finals. It may not seem like it, but it's been over a decade since their last Finals appearance in 2014.

Back then, the team looked a lot different. Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were the names to know. Now, it's young guns like Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and, of course, Victor Wembanyama.

However, the players aren't the only thing that's changed in San Antonio. The coaching staff has also shifted. While legendary head coach Gregg Popovich is still involved with the organization as the team's President of Basketball Operations, sideline duties have been passed to Mitch Johnson, Popovich's 39-year-old former assistant.

Don't let his youthful age fool you. Johnson has learned from the best of the best and has clearly taken those lessons to heart. Here's what to know about the coach at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

When did Mitch Johnson take over for Popovich?

Johnson took over head coaching duties on November 2, 2024 last year, coaching 77 games for the team after Popovich suffered a mild stroke ahead of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Johnson has been with the team since 2016, working directly under Popovich since 2019 prior to his promotion to head coach.

He was not officially named head coach until after the 2024-25 season, once Popovich had been promoted to his current full-time position. Before being forced into interim coaching duties, Johnson was held in high regard around the NBA as one of the best young assistant coaches in the league.

His 77-game stint as interim head coach wasn't his first time taking over for Popovich. Johnson had taken over twice before for various reasons. Per USA TODAY's Lorenzo Reyes, Johnson coached the team during a contest in May 2021 when Popovich attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Spurs' legend Tim Duncan. The Spurs lost that game 140-103 to the Phoenix Suns.

Johnson earned his first win as a head coach in March 2023, when Popovich was forced to miss a game due to an illness. The Spurs would defeat the Indiana Pacers, 110-99.

Is Johnson a former basketball player?

Yes. Johnson played four seasons with Stanford University, averaging 5.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game during his collegiate career. Johnson also had a brief professional stint in the G League with the Tulsa 66ers. He never reached the NBA.

Johnson is also the son of two-time NBA All-Star John Johnson.

How has Johnson performed as head coach of the Spurs?

This is Johnson's first season as the official head coach of the team. He's obviously done very well. Taking into account the previous 79 games Johnson served as head coach for the organization without the official title, Johnson boasts a 95-66 regular season record with a 12-6 postseason record.

Has a rookie head coach ever reached the NBA Finals?

Many times, in fact. While some fans may not consider Johnson a true rookie head coach, he is still not the first to lead his team to an NBA Finals appearance.

Since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, six head coaches have led their teams to the NBA Finals in their first season:

  • 1980: Paul Westhead, Los Angeles Lakers
  • 1982: Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers
  • 2015: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
  • 2016: Tyronn Lue, Cleveland Cavaliers
  • 2019: Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors
  • 2022: Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics

Of those six, only Udoka has failed to win the title after reaching the NBA Finals.

Would Johnson be the youngest head coach to win an NBA Finals?

While very young, Johnson would not be the youngest in history. That honor belongs to Joe Mazzulla, who won a title with the 2024 Boston Celtics at just 35 years, 353 days old.

Johnson would be the fifth-youngest, though. Currently 39 years, 186 days old, Johnson would surpass Tom Heinsohn, who won his first title with the 1974 Celtics at 39 years, 259 days old, regardless of how many games it could potentially take the Spurs to win the 2026 NBA championship.

Here are the four coaches who won their first titles at a younger age than Mitch Johnson (age listed in parentheses; years-days):

  • Joe Mazzulla, 2024 Boston Celtics (35-353)
  • Pat Riley, 1982 Los Angeles Lakers (37-80)
  • Alvin Attles, 1957 Golden State Warriors (38-199)
  • Tyronn Lue, 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (39-47)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Spurs' head coach Mitch Johnson? What to know for NBA Finals

NHL Makes Changes To NHL All-Star Weekend, But Could That Lead To More Panthers Being Selected?

The NHL All-Star Game is going to look a little different next season.

On Tuesday, the league unveiled the format for the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend, which is set to take place Feb. 5 and 6 at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.

The All-Star Game itself will feature five different teams: the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden and what the league is calling a “world” team which will be comprised of international players from countries outside of the other four nations.

And yes, the league likely is making this transition based off the success of last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Each of the five teams will be made up of 11 players, with nine skaters and two goalies.

Based off comments from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly during a press conference ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, it does not sound like Russian players will be included with the “world” team, not until a time if/when the IIHF allows Russia to compete again.

The NHL will select 30 players from each of the five teams for fans to vote on in order to create the rosters, with the 2027 NHL All-Star Fan Vote officially opening in December.

Fans will select eight players for each of the five teams, leaving the NHL and NHLPA to jointly select one forward, one defenseman and one goaltender to fill out each squad.

All five teams will play four 5-minute games as part of a round-robin tournament, and then the top two teams will advance to a 10-minute final match. The tournament will follow a point system of two points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. There will only be overtime for the final match.

The winning team will take home a cool $2 million prize.

Additionally, the NHL All-Star Skills competition is undergoing some changes as well.

There will be eight total events and only ten players will participate.

All players will all be 25 years old or younger, with each participant selected jointly by the NHL and NHLPA.

The first six events are pretty traditional: Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Passing Challenge, One-Timers, Stick Handling and Accuracy Shooting.

After that, the top four players advance to a shootout, where they’ll have to face the All-Star goaltenders, and then the top two competitors will battle in the last event, which is called the Obstacle Course Finale.

The player crowned Skills Competition champion will be awarded a prize of $1 million.

So, in a nutshell, there’s your All-Star Weekend for next season.

Assuming the Florida Panthers aren’t decimated by injuries again, it’s reasonable to think that there could be some solid South Florida representation at the annual gathering of talent.

Interestingly, just as it was when the NHL held its 4 Nations Face-Off, the Panthers are likely to be represented by only those same four countries.

Looking at potential All-Star candidates from Florida’s current roster, Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones could easily get tapped by Team USA, and it’s not hard to imagine youngster Mackie Samoskevich making a case for himself to be a part of the 25-and-under Skills Competition.

The Panthers have several Canadians on their roster who could easily receive All-Star consideration with strong showings next season.

Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad have all participated at the NHL All-Star Game before, and we’ve seen what happens when Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe get going.

Florida has one of the deeper Finnish contingents in the NHL, as evidenced by their representation at both 4 Nations and this year’s Winter Olympics.

With the All-Star rosters being quite limited in size, though, it’s likely that only a fraction of Florida’s Finns receive consideration.

Obviously that includes Panthers captain and world class two-way center Sasha Barkov, who also captains the Finnish National Team. Fellow Florida centerman Anton Lundell continues to improve and impress year-over-year, and he could easily find himself on the short list of potential All-Stars should he continue on that path and have a strong start to his season.

Team Sweden will take a good look at Panthers blueliner Gus Forsling, as he has grown into one of the top two-way defensemen in the game.

Again, considering its an All-Star game with a limited roster, Forsling could end up an odd-man out among some very good Swedish defensemen such as Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson.

Now keep in mind that plenty of things could change between now and next season, though.

Florida’s roster could end up looking a bit different depending how things shake out between the NHL Draft at the end of the month, free agency opening on July 1 and the days and weeks that follow.

Let us know in the comments below which Panthers players you think will be heading to Long Island for next season’s All-Star festivities.

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Photo caption: Feb 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Team McDavid center Sam Reinhart (13) of the Florida Panthers skates during the warmup before the 2024 NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Erick Fedde, White Sox blank Twins to salvage series finale

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 03: Sam Antonacci #17 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates his double as Luke Keaschall #15 of the Minnesota Twins looks on in the eighth inning at Target Field on June 03, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The White Sox defeated the Twins 8-0. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Good Guys’ offense ran on Sam Antonacci energy, as the rookie spark plug went 4-for-4 in a dominant win over the Twins. | (David Berding/Getty Images)

After two frustrating losses to begin the series, the White Sox responded exactly how good teams are supposed to: They punched back.

Erick Fedde spun five shutout innings, the offense piled on 12 hits and eight walks, and the Sox steamrolled the Twins. Sure, they lost the series, but they leave Minnesota with a +11 run differential and at least a little dignity restored.

The Sox jumped all over Taj Bradley from pitch one. Sam Antonacci singled, Miguel Vargas walked, and Andrew Benintendi slapped a base hit, and suddenly the sacks were packed with nobody out. Colson Montgomery, who had a rough game, whiffed on three pitches, but Chase Meidroth worked an eight-pitch walk to push home the first run and keep his on-base streak alive at 17.

Rookie Jacob Gonzalez delivered the big blow of the frame, slapping a single the other way to plate two more.

The Twins then gift-wrapped another run on a soft Tristan Peters grounder and some classic Minnesota bumbling. The Good guys were up 4-0.

Fedde could have pitched in slippers with that early cushion. The righthander, finally in the win column, was on cruise control. He mowed down the first 11 Twinkies and breezed through three innings on just 30 pitches. Minnesota didn’t sniff a baserunner until he walked Trevor Larnach with two outs in the fourth, and didn’t surrender a base hit until Luke Keaschall finally broke up the party with two gone in the fifth. The veteran’s final line: five scoreless, two hits, a walk, two Ks. Efficient, effective, and with 61 pitches, he barely broke a sweat.

The Sox kept loading the bases and then leaving them there, stranding runners in the second, third, and fourth. Montgomery had a day to forget with four strikeouts, seven left in scoring position, and a golden sombrero for his troubles.

The South Siders finally broke it open in the sixth, thanks to some generous Twins defense. Rikuu Nishida reached on an error, took second on another, and Antonacci cashed him in with a double for 5-0.

The bullpen relieved Fedde after five frames and ensured there would be no drama. Grant Taylor took care of the sixth and seventh, mowing down six of seven and picking up three Ks. Chris Murphy cleaned up the last two, dodging a couple of late baserunners to lock down the shutout.

The bats added some finishing touches in the eighth. Antonacci doubled again, Vargas singled him home, and Benintendi put the cherry on top with a two-run Benny Bomb to right-center. 8-0, let’s go!

Antonacci, Vargas, and Benintendi did the heavy lifting at the top, combining to go 7-for-10 and reaching base 13 times. The offense also did exactly what was discussed in our game thread: they were patient and worked the free passes. Eight walks later, Minnesota’s pitchers were begging for mercy.

Despite the big lead, the Sox went just 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left a pile of runs on the table, but after the first two games, nobody in the clubhouse was about to gripe. The guys gets a breather on Thursday, then it’s off to Philly for the weekend.

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