Finn Azaz’s stunner threatened a Saints shock but Nico Gonzalez responded with an all-timer of his own to send City to their fourth consecutive final
1 min: City waste no time in establishing how they plan to go about this. A lot of patient possession. Saints yet to have a touch.
Manchester City get the ball rolling. April. Wembley. Sun. It’s that time of year. What’s not to love?
Continue reading...
The St. Louis Cardinals play game 2 of the 3-game series versus the Seattle Mariners Saturday as Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 3.67 ERA) gets the start for the Cardinals. The Mariners will send Bryan Woo (1-2 with a 2.25 ERA) to the mound for his 4th start of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time at Busch Stadium.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Sixers list Embiid as doubtful, Oubre as questionable for Game 4 vs. Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers added Kelly Oubre Jr. to their injury report Saturday night going into Game 4 of their first-round playoff series vs. the Celtics.
Along with Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery), who was again officially classified as doubtful, the Sixers listed Oubre as questionable with “right adductor soreness.”
Oubre’s carried a large load in the series, including a 40-minute outing Friday night as the Sixers lost to the Celtics and fell into a 2-1 series deficit. He’s guarded both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Following a career-best three-point shooting season, Oubre’s gone just 3 for 15 (20 percent) beyond the arc through three games.
“I’m just trying to be steady and solid,” he said after the Sixers’ film session Saturday. “And when my opportunity presents itself, I’m fully confident in what I can do. I’m going to continue to keep a positive mindset and just go out there and be myself. I have a pretty heavy load on defense but at the end of the day, I’m a two-way player. … I just want to bring myself to the game and help my team win.”
In the event Oubre is unable to play or can’t handle the same volume of minutes, Justin Edwards and Dominick Barlow would appear in line for increased playing time. Barlow was out of the Sixers’ Game 3 rotation.
Embiid’s status is certainly subject to change ahead of Sunday night’s Game 4.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse suggested that Sunday morning’s shootaround might be a significant step. Embiid participated in parts of the Sixers’ practice Thursday and has clearly been trending up in recent days. He underwent his appendectomy on April 9.
“He’s on court right now doing individual work,” Nurse said of Embiid. “Like I said before, he’s working as hard as he can to get back. We just need to see how it goes today and tomorrow morning, and then maybe we’ll know more toward the end of shootaround tomorrow.”
Though both Adem Bona and Andre Drummond have had good moments in the series, they haven’t come close to replicating Embiid’s presence. On top of Embiid’s diverse offensive game, the Sixers have missed his rim protection defensively.
“It’s a different ball game, having someone like that back in the series,” Bona said Friday. “It’s a huge advantage for us. I’m just excited to see him back on the floor again.”
The 2027 Discover NHL Winter Classic will feature the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Utah Mammoth on December 31, 2026, with puck drop set for late afternoon and a prime-time broadcast window in the Eastern time zone.
The Avalanche come in with a level of outdoor experience that few teams in the league can really match.
Over the past decade, Colorado has become a regular presence in these showcase games, including a 5–3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field in the 2016 Stadium Series, a 3–1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Falcon Stadium in 2020, and a 3–2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Lake Tahoe outdoor game in 2021, which was played without fans during the pandemic.
Different settings, different conditions, and a mix of results have all added up to a team that feels comfortable on hockey’s biggest outdoor stages.
Utah, by contrast, is still in the early chapters of its NHL story—but moving quickly.
In a short time, the organization has gone from expansion arrival to fully establishing its footprint in the market, acquiring the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes, setting up a temporary practice facility, and pushing through early renovations at the Delta Center.
That progress has already carried into a full identity shift with the unveiling of the Utah Mammoth, the opening of a permanent practice facility, and continued upgrades to the arena, which has quickly developed into a loud, consistently sold-out home fueled by a growing fan base that feels more invested in the game.
Now all of that growth meets hockey’s biggest outdoor stage.
The game will be played at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus, set against the backdrop of Salt Lake City and the surrounding mountains. It’s a setting that fits the occasion—large, open, and visually striking, with a natural atmosphere that makes outdoor hockey feel even bigger than the game itself.
Utah is expected to embrace the moment fully, turning the entire weekend into something that feels closer to a citywide winter celebration than a standalone event. With the game landing on New Year’s Eve, it naturally becomes the centerpiece of a longer stretch of festivities across Salt Lake City.
Instead of just a single night of hockey, the city will likely be buzzing for days—concerts, downtown events, and winter-themed activities building around the matchup. Ski resorts and mountain tourism will also play a part, giving visiting fans plenty of reasons to turn the trip into a full experience. And along the way, it’s the kind of stage where a few new fans of the sport might stick around long after the final horn.
The Winter Classic will also mark a league-wide milestone, as all 32 NHL franchises will have now taken part in an outdoor game. For Utah, it’s a first appearance on that stage—and another meaningful step in its rapid rise from expansion team to one of the most closely watched new markets in the NHL.
The Texas Rangers have traded catcher Willie MacIver to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations, the team announced yesterday.
MacIver was claimed on waivers by the Rangers from the A’s at the end of the 2025 season. The 29 year old had been originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies out of the University of Washington in the 9th round of the 2018 MLB Draft — 21 picks after the Detroit Tigers selected Tarik Skubal from Seattle University. Two college players from universities in Washington being taken in the 9th round of the same draft and ultimately making the majors! Though Skubal has had a bit of a better career than MacIver…
MacIver signed with the A’s after becoming a free agent following the 2024 season, and split the 2025 season between AAA and the majors, putting up a .186/.252/.324 slash line in 111 major league plate appearances. In 14 games for Round Rock this year, he has slashed .170/.333/.255. He was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a 40 man roster spot for Peyton Gray.
After a thrilling win against the New York Mets last night, the Colorado Rockies will have to wait for game two of the series. Rain across the Big Apple pushed today’s game to a Sunday doubleheader.
In lieu of a Rockies rematch, here’s what’s going on today for our minor league clubs! Check out the Pebble Report for more info on the Rockies’ prospects. (More details to be added about the later games as they become available.)
Like the Rockies will tomorrow, the Isotopes get a doubleheader today after their Tuesday matchup against Sacramento was postponed for weather. The ‘Topes will look to snap a losing streak after dropping Thursday’s game 12-10 and Friday’s 4-3. Valente Bellozo, recently optioned to the minors after some rough relief innings for the Rockies, will get the start in the first matchup of the evening.
Game 1 First Pitch: 5:30 p.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV
Radio: MiLB.TV
The Yard Goats look to add another win against Portland after taking three out of four in the series so far. Their latest came in a 5-1 win over the Sea Dogs yesterday. RHP Eiberson Castellano (1-1, 3.60 ERA) takes the ball for the Yard Goats. In his last outing, Castellano pitched five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with a home run, one hit batter, three walks and four strikeouts.
First Pitch: 11:00 a.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV
Radio: MiLB.TV
Lineups:
After last night’s 2-1 loss, the Indians will look to bounce back. Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) will get the start. In his last outing against the Vancouver Canadians, Brecht threw just three innings but put up a lot of zeroes — zero hits and zero runs, but also two walks and five strikeouts.
First Pitch: 8:05 MDT
TV: MiLB.TV
Radio: MiLB.TV
The Fresno Grizzlies beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 10-3 last night and will look to capitalize that on their “Halfway to Halloween” day. Lefty Brady Parker will be making his second start (fourth appearance) of the year. In his last outing, Parker threw 2.1 innings of relief against the Ontario Tower Buzzers in the 23-7 loss last Sunday.
First Pitch: 7:50 p.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV
Radio: MiLB.TV
Sign up for a user account and get:
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Boro thrash Watford 5-1, West Brom 0-0 Ipswich
Charlton’s 2-1 win and Baggies’ point relegates Oxford
Middlesbrough’s hopes of winning automatic promotion remain alive after they thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Riverside. With second-placed Ipswich drawing 0-0 at West Brom, Boro moved to within a point of the top-two positions with one game to play – although Ipswich still have a game in hand.
Boro’s 5-1 victory was their joint-biggest win of the season and came thanks to doubles from Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway plus a goal from David Strelec. Watford’s goal came at the start of the second half from James Abankwah, but while the visitors were a match for their opponents for most of the first period, they were comprehensively outplayed after the break.
Continue reading...Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
With the Cincinnati Reds entering the weekend as joint leaders of the NL Central and the Detroit Tigers rounding into form, today’s matchup is one of the standouts on the slate, especially after last night’s fireworks.
Nathaniel Lowe mashed a two-run walk-off dinger for Cincinnati yesterday to cap a barrage of homers either side of a rain delay, but my Tigers vs Reds predictions expect the visitors to get revenge here, giving starter Jack Flaherty enough run support to escape with a victory.
Read on for my free MLB picks for this April 25 battle.
The Detroit Tigers have found a nice rhythm since getting swept in Minnesota earlier this month, and that uptick in form has translated to a 10-4 mark in their last 14 games.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds have had erratic outings from tonight’s starter Brady Singer, who enters with a 5.32 ERA and could be vulnerable against a potent Detroit lineup.
Jack Flaherty racked up walks in Boston on Monday, but he’s only allowed two earned runs across his last 15 innings of work, so I’m riding with the Tigers, who’ve won six of the past nine meetings between these teams.
COVERS INTEL:At 17-9, the Reds have found ways to grind out wins, but a league-worst .210 batting average is a cause for concern against a veteran like Flaherty.These squads crushed eight homers last night, so look for the scoreboard to be busy again here. The Over is 5-1 in the Tigers’ last six games – and it has cashed easily in their past four matchups against the Reds.
The visitors rank 10th in the majors in hits, and they’ve scored 34 runs across their past six contests. Cincinnati is trending up at the plate too, with 6+ runs in four of its last five outings.
With both starting pitchers searching for their best stuff, we should see the batters on top after the lineups combined for 17 runs and 22 hits last night.
The Tigers have won seven of their past 10 matchups against the Reds in Cincinnati. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Reds.
| Location | Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH |
| Date | Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:15 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
| Tigers starting pitcher | Jack Flaherty (0-1, 3.47 ERA) |
| Reds starting pitcher | Brady Singer (1-1, 5.32 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Seattle looks to build on what, for the 2026 Mariners, counts as a formidible winning streak of two games into today’s mid-morning contest against the Cardinals. The M’s will hand the ball to Bryan Woo, who’s been his regular spectacular self for most of the year and is coming off a six-strikeout performance against the Rangers in his most recent start. The at-bats to watch will be when he faces Jordan Walker, who jumped into the center of the national baseball discourse with his hot start. But his hot start has cooled since opposing teams figured out that he’d finally learned to punish a fastball and consequently started throwing him more breaking balls. That’ll make for an interesting puzzle for the fastball-dominant Woo.
On the other side, the Mariners will face St. Louis’s Matthew Liberatore, who pronounces his name LIBB-er-uh-tore, but who I always say in my head like Super Mario would right before slamming some canolis—lib-er-uh-TORRE. Originally drafted by the Rays, Liberatore was the return when Tampa Bay acquired Randy Arozarena before the 2020 season. That reunited Liberatore with Cardinals’ third baseman Nolan Gorman, who started playing baseball with Liberatore when they were five years old. Fun story.
Liberatore has a kitchen sink approach befitting his career 18.5% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. But his slider and his changeup are his best pitches, which may well befuddle this Mariners lineup right now.
The Mariners will run out what’s become their standard attack against lefty starters, including having Mitch Garver catch and Cal Raleigh DH, though I still wish they’d shuffle the front three to be Julio-Refsnyder-Cal. The one change from their standard will be to have Will Wilson play third instead of Leo Rivas while Brendan Donovan continues his IL stint.
The Cardinals will mix things up significantly from last night, with the change wer’re most likely to notice being the addition of Victor Scott II in center field. Scott’s sprint speed really jumps off the screen, though it comes across more on defense since he’s not on base often enough to steal as many bases as you’d expect.
Bryce Miller fared well in his second rehab start last night, pitching three scoreless innings in Everett. He was up to 47 pitches and struck out six while surrendering one walk and one hit.
Colt Emerson was back in the lineup for Tacoma, having missed the midweek games after being hit by a pitch. He was 0 for 5 with a walk, but it’s nice to know the injury didn’t keep him off the field for long.
First pitch: 11:15 PDT
TV: Mariners TV
Radio: Old Reliable
Sign up for a user account and get:
After looking very comfortable in Low-A as a 17 year old last year, Eli Willits got off to a surprisingly slow start for the Fred Nats. The former first overall pick was only hitting .139 in his first nine games. It was great to see the rest of that Fred Nats team performing, but Willits struggling put a damper on that.
However, he has really turned things around lately, which is not much of a surprise. Willits is just too skilled and too talented to struggle for long. That slump was not going to last for long, and it has not. In his last 10 games, Willits is hitting .391 with an OPS of 1.101. He is hitting the ball with much more authority and settling into pro ball nicely.
For the season, Willits’ OPS is up to .799. That number should keep rising as he gets further removed from his cold streak. What we have seen the last couple weeks is the Willits we thought we would get from the jump. He is showcasing his combination of contact skills, a great eye, speed and defense.
When I saw Willits this spring, the thing that stood out to me the most was his plate discipline. He was casually spitting on borderline pitches from Liam Doyle, a top five pick, in the Spring Breakout game. Willits has shown his eagle eye so far in Low-A, posting an 18.1% walk rate.
The one thing I would like to see Willits improve on is his strikeout rate. Right now, he is striking out 21.3% of the time. That is higher than I want to see for a player of his profile. He is a hit over power guy, so hopefully he can get that K rate closer to 15%. Maybe the strikeouts are elevated because he is just working a lot of deep counts.
While Willits will never be a big power guy, he is showing more impact lately. He hit home runs in back to back games about a week ago, though one was an inside the park homer. However, he did hit one over the fence and it was a real nice opposite field shot. Willits becoming a 15-20 home run guy will be crucial if he wants to be a star player rather than just a solid starter.
Another part of Willits’ game I really like is his speed and instincts on the bases. He may not have Trea Turner speed, but Willits is a good runner who is very aggressive. The 18 year old already has 16 stolen bases on the season. Whenever you watch him play, you immediately notice the all out hustle he plays with. Sometimes he can be overly aggressive on the bases and get thrown out, but he will learn where he should pick his spots as he gets older.
Eli Willits’ polish extends to the defensive side of the ball as well. Most evaluators expect him to be an above average or even plus defender at short. He has all the requisite physical tools to play the position, but his instincts and internal clock are what really separate him.
Last season, his defense may have stood out even more than his offense, despite the fact he was hitting well. That has continued this year. The teenager has not made a single error in his 15 games at shortstop. That is a crazy stat for such a young player. He has also made some really nice plays as well.
After a shaky start, it is back to scheduled programming for the Nats number one prospect. I would like to see him make a bit more contact, but I think that will come as he starts to really establish himself in pro ball. It is important to remember that Willits just turned 18 in December. He should be in this upcoming draft, yet he is already performing in full season ball.
It just shows how refined he is and why the Nats took him first overall. He may not have the tools to be a Bobby Witt Jr. type mega star, but for an 18 year old Willits is a very safe bet to be a quality starter for a long time. If he taps into more power than expected, there is also star upside here.
Just look at what Geraldo Perdomo did last year if you want to see a peak of Willits’ ceiling. Eli Willits struggled out of the gate, but you can’t keep a talent like this down for long. There is a reason this kid went first overall.
The Detroit Pistons have dominated one quarter, won two others, and been on the wrong side of five quarters. That has allowed the Pistons to even up the series with the Orlando Magic at one game apiece, but by no means should the Pistons be happy with their performance so far. Cade Cunningham has been brilliant, the defense has mostly been good, but Detroit is leaving a lot on the table. Jalen Duren has noticeably struggled, the team has committed way too many turnovers, and secondary scorers aren’t doing enough scoring. The Pistons are looking to rectify that in hostile territory tonight in Orlando. Detroit has been playing tough on the road all year, so there is no reason they can’t submit a dominating performance and truly turn this series around. But we can’t just hand wave this team’s struggles. They are just as capable of surrendering a bunch of threes, not slowing down Paolo Banchero, and getting blown out in front of a raucous crowd. Which Detroit Pistons team is going to show up tonight? We’re about to find out.
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Odds: Pistons -2.5
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs will start in what is shaping up to be a sudden-death playoff elimination game for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins have dropped their first three games of their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers and could be eliminated with a loss tonight.
Šilovs has an extensive recent history of performing excellently when his teams need them most, which could ultimately make the difference tonight. In 2023, Šilovs registered a 7–3–0 record and .921 SV% at the IIHF World Championship to win Latvia their first-ever Bronze medal at the tournament.
The former Canucks goaltender’s history of clutch performances only continues from there. The goaltender backstopped the Canucks to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs back in 2024, even pulling off his first career playoff shutout in Vancouver’s series-clinching win against the Nashville Predators.
In the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, Šilovs recorded five shutouts and a 2.01 GAA to help the Abbotsford Canucks win their first AHL Championship in franchise history. The goaltender was named the AHL Playoff MVP for his performance in the post-season.
The Penguins have not showcased their best efforts since the post-season began. While they narrowly lost Game 1 by a score of 3–2, since then, each of their losses have been by three goals. Puck drop for Game 4 is scheduled for 5:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
One Canucks Player Featured In The Hockey News' Top 100 NHLers Of 2026
Canucks’ Hronek And Patera To Represent Czechia At 2026 Fortuna Hockey Games
Former Canucks Prospect Named 2026 AHL MVP
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Back in August, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. So what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else?
With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-April Birthday Yankee Team. Also, we haven’t always named a manager to go with these clubs, but April presents a perfect opportunity with Hall of Fame skipper Joe McCarthy.
Pitcher: Catfish Hunter (April 8th birthday post)
There are a couple of decent pitching options for April, including my No. 2 choice Phil Niekro. However, the pitcher for this team probably has to be Catfish. Other than his ridiculous 1975, Hunter’s Yankee tenure didn’t come during his prime, but everyone who played for the team in that era credits him for helping turn the team culture into a championship-winning one by the end of 1970s.
Catcher: Bob Watson (April 10th birthday post)
OK, so Watson only played 10 career MLB games at catcher, and all came well before his stint with the Yankees. However, there’s not a ton of other good option for backstops, and Team April can also rely on him for his front office expertice.
First Baseman: Don Mattingly (April 20th birthday post)
Between Watson and the guy who we’re putting at DH later on, first base for the April team has some pretty good depth. However, there’s only one choice for this team’s starter we can make: Donnie Baseball.
Second Baseman: Spike Owen
We didn’t profile Owen as part of the Birthday Series and he more played on the left side of the infield in his career, but middle infield depth for the April team is pretty shallow. He was a 13-year big-leaguer in the ’80s and ’90s, most notably with the Mariners, Red Sox, and Expos, and in 1993, he was one of the Yankees’ last regulars at shortstop before a guy named Derek came along.
Shortstop: Anthony Volpe
As frustrating as his MLB career has often been, he’s a pretty clear no-doubt pick for April’s shortstop, considering who we picked for second base.
Third Baseman: Wid Conroy (April 5th Birthday Post)
Conroy was a NL pennant-winning player with the 103-win 1902 Pirates, in the final year before the World Series came into existence. He then hopped over to the AL to play with the then New York Highlanders in their first year of existence in 1903.
Left Field: David Justice (April 14th birthday post)
The 2000 trade for Justice deservedly goes down as one of the best midseason deals in team history. He provided a much needed spark to the Yankees’ lineup, allowing them to complete a World Series three-peat.
Center Field: Carlos Beltrán (April 24th birthday post)
OK yes, Beltrán wasn’t much of a center fielder when he finally came to the Yankees, as his three years in the Bronx came in his age 37-39 years. However, he was an excellent center fielder in his prime, which helped him gain election into the Hall of Fame in this year’s class.
Right Field: Aaron Judge(you’ll never believe who the birthday post is for tomorrow – Ed.)
I’ve heard of that guy.
Designated Hitter: Mark Teixeira (April 11th birthday post)
“Tex” probably could’ve been the starting first baseman for a lot of the other month’s teams. However with Mattingly around, we’ll just stick Teixeira over at DH.
There’s my personal picks for April, but less us know how would line up a Yankees’ team with April birthdays.
Coming off a heartbreaking Game 2 loss this past Tuesday, the Spurs traveled to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers for Game 3. Victor Wembanyama was ruled out due to concussion protocol. After a back-and-forth first half, the Spurs found themselves down by six going into the third quarter. The Blazers looked to be in control and built a 17-point lead. However, Dylan Harper helped kickstart a 21-5 run to end the quarter, only down by one. In the fourth, Harper and Stephon Castle took over. Behind key stops from Carter Bryant and others, the Spurs began putting the pressure on Portland. Castle and Harper each traded buckets every time the Blazers failed to capitalize on offense. They were both simply unguardable. To close the game, Devin Vassell, Luke Kornet, and De’Aaron Fox sprinkled the finishing touches on a 120-108 victory to go up 2-1 in the series.
Stephon Castle led the way with 33 points (10-18 FG, 3-4 3PT, 10-11 FT), five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Steph delivered one of the quieter 30+ point playoff games of all time. 19 of his 33 came in the first half, and he complemented Dylan’s scoring in the second half. He was efficient from the field, from three-point land, and from the free-throw line. Steph continues to slash his way no matter who steps in front of him, and he is not afraid to attempt tough contested midrange jumpers. A performance like this is a great sign for the Spurs for not only for this series, but for the foreseeable future.
ALLEY-LUKE! Steph fights his way into the paint and finds a cutting Luke on the lob connection!
CASH. Steph knocks down his first of three three-pointers in the game!
Flying to the cup! After the CB block, Steph takes the pass from Keldon Johnson and sprints up the floor for the finish between two Blazers!
TOUGH BUCKET. Steph gets fouled while shooting a midrange jumper, and it swishes through the net for the and-one!
DAGGER! Steph finds Luke for another alley-oop late in the fourth!
Dylan Harper dropped 27 points (9-12 FG, 4-5 3PT, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. Here are a few records that Dylan broke with his performance: Dylan (age 20) is the second-youngest player to score 20+ points off the bench in a playoff game (youngest – Kobe Bryant, age 18). He is also the youngest player in NBA history to score 25+ points in a playoff game. Dylan was having himself a decent game until the third quarter, when a switch flipped. After Scoot Henderson scored on Dylan, Henderson talked trash to Dylan, which resulted in a technical foul. Dylan took that energy and fueled his team. He exploded in the fourth quarter and emerged as the young star this team drafted him to be. He was uber-efficient from the field with a true shooting percentage of 92%. While Spurs fans are excited about Steph, they should be even more excited about Dylan’s potential.
Smooth as silk. Dyl spins off of Jerami Grant and finishes with a scoop layup!
Don’t jump! Dyl fakes out Donovan Clingan with a pump fake and drives in with a layup by switching his hands in midair!
HARP3R! Dyl drains his fourth three by catching the pass from Fox in the corner while in front of the Blazers’ bench!
UNGUARDABLE! Dyl leads the charge by spinning off of Jrue Holiday and finishing off glass in front of Henderson!
POSTER ALERT! Dyl drives past Henderson and yams all over Robert Williams III!
Bonus highlight: Luke drained his first three of the season at the end of the first quarter! Luke finished with a double-double: 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two assists and two blocks.
All in all, this was a hard-fought and gutty victory for the Spurs. Fox pitched in 18, Dev pitched in 11, Julian pitched in 9, and CB made hustle plays on both ends with three blocks. The emergence of both Steph and Dylan powered this team to a victory, and the series outlook has shifted to a less stressful time for Spurs fans. Wemby will be questionable for Sunday, but even if he does not play, look for the young guards to continue putting the rest of the playoff field on notice. Oh, but if Wemby plays, the outlook becomes even less stressful for the silver and black.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
Game 4 is this Sunday at 2:30 P.M. (CST) on ESPN.
They couldn’t have announce this before I hit publish on the last post?
Trey Yesavage will make Tuesday’s start for the Jays, against the Red Sox. That doesn’t quite lineup with Max Scherzer’s next start, which would be Wednesday if the rotation stayed the same.
Whoops, now I see that Eric Lauer is being moved to the pen. I’d imagine they will try to hold him to piggy back with Scherzer, but I shouldn’t try to outguess them. Yesavage has been hit pretty hard in his 12 rehab innings, but is throwing as hard as ever.
Lauer, I’d imagine, won’t be pleased to be the one losing his spot in the rotation, but he has done well in the long relief role (or at least what the team considers a long relief role). They do need someone to go three or more innings out of the pen. If they had someone who could have gone three yesterday, it would have helped out.
Welcome back, Trey.