“One thing about James: I’ll just defend him,” the Cavaliers coach said Wednesday. “He’s a good isolation defender, always has been. He’s super smart. I said it [Tuesday] night, he has great hands.”
Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second quarter of the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In fact, Atkinson was far more disappointed with Cleveland’s team defense — or lack thereof. Time and again, the Knicks targeted Harden in the pick-and-roll to get him to switch on to Brunson, and the superstar guard torched the Cavaliers for 17 of his 38 points in the final 12:39 of regulation and overtime.
In the fourth quarter, the Knicks were able to get Harden to switch on to Brunson for nine isolations that averaged 1.9 points per action, according to the “All NBA Podcast.” In a stretch when Brunson scored 11 straight Knicks points to cap an 18-1 burst, Harden was the primary defender.
“[Brunson] hit two or three really tough shots on him, but the baseline drive [that tied the game with 19.3 seconds remaining in regulation] where our low guy didn’t come over and get a contest, that is team defense. At this level, it’s team defense,” Atkinson said. “Sure, everybody’s putting it on James. A lot of it’s on the team, our team defense. … Sure, some of it was him, there were a couple of blow-byes. But again, I’d argue it was the team defense, too.”
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On a few occasions, the Cavaliers blitzed Brunson to get the ball out of his hands, but it resulted in open shots for other Knicks, which was also a major part of the comeback.
It has been an inconsistent postseason for Harden. While he is averaging 19.7 points and six assists, he is only shooting 31.8 percent from 3-point range on 7.1 attempts. He has also accounted for more turnovers than field goals in six different playoff games, including the series opener.
But Atkinson has vehemently defended him throughout, speaking to Harden recently about his belief in him.
OG Anunoby past James Harden (1) during overtime of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the Cavaliers at the Garden. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“Without you, we’re knocked out in the first round,” the coach told him. “We’re in a great position, you’ve played great. Sometimes micro experiences get exaggerated. Keep being yourself.”
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson argues with an official at the end of regulation in the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The point: Heartbreak isn’t new to this group of Cavaliers. They are well-versed in adversity, having survived two elimination games to get to this point.
“We’ve been through it in the playoffs,” the Cavaliers coach said Wednesday after a walk-through inside the Garden. “I’m more like, ‘OK, here it is. This is what it’s about.’ You live between misery and awesomeness in the playoffs, and this is of course misery. But this is probably the fourth miserable game we’ve had in the playoffs. It’s like, ‘OK, get back on the horse.’ ”
Atkinson wasn’t trying to diminish the pain of the setback, and nor were his players.
The Cavaliers were in position to take home-court advantage, dominating the Knicks for three-plus quarters. MSG was quiet. The home team looked rusty.
Then, everything went wrong for the visitors.
Dennis Schröder goes up for a layup during the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. NBAE via Getty Images
“We gave them a game,” reserve guard Dennis Schröder said. “At the end of the day, we controlled the game — I think 90 percent of the game we controlled it. The last 10 percent, they did a great job. You have to give them credit, too, for not giving up and making shots at the end, and that was the game.”
There was a lot to like before the collapse at both ends of the floor. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting in the first three quarters. Big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were giving the Knicks fits. Cleveland didn’t look like such a big underdog.
“I want to lean on the positive,” Atkinson said. “We had three quarters of really good basketball — some of the best basketball we’ve honestly played in the playoffs, offensively and defensively.”
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The hope for the Cavaliers is their experiences throughout this postseason will help them Thursday and beyond. This is a team that shook off the Barrett shot, that rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take down the top-seeded Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals and win Game 7 in Detroit in emphatic fashion.
“Just understanding that we didn’t have the best effort last night, we didn’t have the best outcome,” Allen said, “and the resiliency is going to show [Thursday] how we come out.
“Just have confidence in yourself and the team, and know that we have to go get one [in Game 2].”
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 20: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against Ross Colton #20 and Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche during the first period in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are ready to get the Western Conference Final started tonight at Ball Arena in Downtown Denver!
The Golden Knights represent the Pacific Division after series victories over the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks.
The Avalanche have lost just one game so far these playoffs after sweeping the LA Kings and besting the Minnesota Wild in five games, but will go without Norris candidate Cale Makar in game one.
This is a heavy blow to Colorado’s backend and likely means that recently recalled Alex Gagne, Jack Achan, or Nick Blankenburg will see playoff action in the bottom pairing. If any other defenders are still hurt, two of them would play.
With that in mind, a commitment to structure and support will be crucial this evening, as the Golden Knights will absolutely look to find favorable matchups.
I have three keys to a Colorado Avalanche victory:
Play team-first hockey.
Stay out of the penalty box.
Thrive in the environment.
Whenever you have guys that haven’t played much NHL hockey, much less playoff hockey, slotted into your backend, a commitment to the process is vital. The process is the fail-safe when a talent advantage may not exist, and the Avalanche take pride in it. That will need to be shown for the Avalanche to win game one.
The Avs have made going to the sin-bin a far too common occurrence in the playoffs so far. Combine that with a clear and concise advantage at five-on-five against the competition so far, and you have plenty of reason to play things straight up. Vegas’ special teams aren’t to be tempted.
Ball Arena should be a madhouse tonight, as many fans still don’t like the Vegas Golden Knights after the 2021 playoff series, and, of course, the Avalanche appear plenty capable of winning it all. The Avs-friendly and raucous environment has the potential to deal a heavy blow to Vegas’ confidence.
It will be Scott Wedgewood back between the pipes for the Avalanche, which makes sense, seeing as he’s lost just one game these playoffs and came in and shut things down in Colorado’s game five comeback victory against Minny.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Knights have depth, particularly up the middle, and with the Avalanche missing Makar, expect Vegas’ head coach to be pretty active in getting his best skaters favorable matchups against Colorado’s bottom pair.
Torts has brought a lot of security to a team that couldn’t get consistent enough goaltending or results to take a strong hold of their division in the regular season. His arrival has ushered in another era of defensive focus in Vegas, similar to what we saw under Pete DeBoer.
The Golden Knights present as a team capable of shutting things down like the LA Kings, but while having the talent to cash in on limited opportunities.
Mitch Marner leads all point scorers in these playoffs and has been a consistent performer for the Knights. His matchup and the challenges he will face against this Avalanche team are a much taller task than what he saw in the first two rounds, however.
Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:
Weather the storm.
Establish an early lead.
Exploit matchups.
If the Avalanche have a key to victory that plays into the home crowd, the Golden Knights have to have the opposite as a key to their success. Quieting Avalanche fans and making things awkward in the building can frustrate a club.
Vegas has shown the ability to win both low-scoring games and high-scoring games, but they’d be smart to limit Colorado’s flow and chances. Tough to see a goal fest not shaking out in Colorado’s favor.
Carter Hart has been better in the postseason than he was in the regular season, but the gap between his floor and his ceiling is large compared to most starters. He could be one of Vegas best or worst players on any given night. Do with that what you will.
DENVER, CO - MAY 20: (L-R) Jacob Latz #67, Josh Jung #6, Joc Pederson #3 and Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers celebrate their 5-4 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 5, Rockies 4
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH, COLORADO!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH, COLORADO!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!
The Rangers won.
They shot the bb gun.
This is now two straight Wednesdays where the Rangers won due to a ninth inning comeback.
And this game didn’t even involved blowing a lead in the ninth inning first.
It did involve things going south for Jack Leiter relatively quickly in the middle innings.
But let’s focus on the positive aspect of things. The good things. Like Leiter’s first three innings, where he did give up a run in the first on a single, a stolen base and another single, but retired the other nine batters he faced, and struck out the side in the second.
Let’s not talk about the fourth inning, where, having just been given a 3-1 lead, he walked two consecutive batters with two outs, the second of which coming on a 3-2 pitch which was initially called a strike and then was overturned on an ABS challenge.
It seemed like there was a fair amount of ABS activity in the game. I could be wrong. It also felt like the strike zone wasn’t super well called. I could be wrong there, too, though.
Sometimes we are wrong about things. And that is, okay.
Two more runs scored in the fifth, but it could have been worse, as a 3-2 pitch to Mickey Moniak with no outs and a runner on third was initially called a ball, but was overturned on an ABS challenge and was called a strike. Basically the reverse of the bases loaded walk in the previous inning, except the bases weren’t loaded and there weren’t two outs.
But let’s move on.
Jakob Junis, Tyler Alexander and Jacob Latz each pitched a scoreless inning to get things to the ninth with the Rangers still down one.
It was a vexing down one because the Rangers had lots of opportunities, but were unable to convert.
Like in the fifth. The Rangers got back to back singles with two outs — the second by Brandon Nimmo, who was then lifted for pinch runner Alejandro Osuna due to a hamstring issue. As it has been all series, it was chilly and rainy, and not ideal weather for one with a muscle tweak.
A Josh Jung walk loaded the bases, but the bases were left stranded when Ezequiel Duran grounded out to end the inning.
No complaints about Duran, though, as he had a two run homer in that three run third inning to give the Rangers the lead. It was followed up by a Jake Burger homer. Burger, you might have noticed, is hitting kinda good lately.
(Spoiler alert — be sure to check him out in the exit velocity data towards the end of the post.)
In the sixth, the seventh and the eighth, the Rangers had a single in each inning, but nothing more.
Ninth inning rolls around, the Rockies have a lefty reliever on the mound, Danny Jansen pinch hits for Evan Carter and strikes out. The Rangers are now out of position players, and Joc Pederson is going to have to go from DH to the outfield to replace Carter if the Rangers tie the game or take the lead, which is looking unlikely at this point.
Pederson gets the rally started with a catcher’s interference, and really, isn’t that the best kind of way to get a rally started?
Justin Foscue had a hard hit single the other way, putting runners at first and second. Alejandro Osuna then reached on a not terribly hard hit chopper the other way that Ezequiel Tovar fielded but had to stick in his pocket, loading the bases.
Joc Pederson, who reached on catcher’s interference, then scored on a passed ball. Not a great inning for Rockies catcher Brett Sullivan.
Josh Jung then hit a grounder that snuck past the pulled in infield to give the Rangers the lead.
Osuna’s infield single had an xBA of .140. Jung’s go-ahead single had an xBA of .220. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
On the other hand, the Rangers had an xBA for the game of .313, while the Rockies had a .200 xBA, so the Rangers were actually good, and lucky, or maybe not that lucky. I’m not sure.
I think I confused myself.
This puts the Rangers at .500 on the road trip, and while they played two bad teams, its hard to say that going 3-3 on the road is not okay. Two of the wins were blowouts where the Rangers shut out the opposition, and one was this come-from-behind one run win. Two of the losses were close games where the offense took a powder, and one loss was a one run loss where weird bad things happened.
Texas is back to one game below .500. That’s still the wrong side of .500, but its better than being several games below .500. They will either be tied for the lead in the American League West or a game back, depending on what happens in the A’s/Angels game on the West Coast.
I would like to see this team get on a hot streak and rattle off a bunch of wins. The two weeks after this road trip, featuring four at home against Houston, three at home against Kansas City, three in St. Louis, then three back home against Cleveland would be a great time to do so.
But as of right now, they are hanging in there despite a very tough early schedule. They are currently, in fact, occupying the WC3 spot.
Things are trending the right direction.
Jack Leiter reached 97.4 mph on his fastball, averaging 95.4 mph. Jakob Junis hit 91.9 mph on his fastball. Tyler Alexander’s fastball touched 91.4 mph. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 96.6 mph.
Jake Burger had a 110.9 mph single, a 110.4 mph ground out, a 108.4 mph home run, and a 106.1 mph GIDP. Evan Carter had a 106.5 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a 106.2 mph home run. Josh Jung had a 102.8 mph ground out. Justin Foscue had a 100.7 mph single.
Let’s luxuriate in a win in a day game before an off day.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches a bullpen session prior to a Spring Training game against the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch on March 18, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers’ transition from a barebones front office to one as robust as the Dodgers is not something that can happen overnight.
On top of the sheer volume of hires, ensuring the right people are hired is just as important. It makes sense, then, to involve two of the main figures of that Dodgers front office in the process of filling out roles for the Lakers.
Pelinka recently told reporters the team will be hiring a pair of assistant general managers; one focused on personnel, the other on strategy and analytics. “We have started a wide search and begun interviews,” he said. That process is being led by Pelinka and longtime Lakers executive Kurt Rambis. But, according to league sources, Friedman and Zaidi have been involved in the process as well, with at least one of them typically sitting in on interviews.
The question here is how many Dodgers execs does it take to offset having Kurt Rambis involved? Hopefully, two smart minds like that can outweigh whatever decision he’s involved in.
Jokes aside, having these two involved is a big positive. While they may not have basketball minds, they are great team executives and can be part of the process. There are things that transfer across sports, like how they approach player development, for example.
This is also tangible evidence of what Friedman and Zaidi are doing with the team, too. As Weitzman further revealed, most of their work has been done in the background of everything else.
Since Walter took control of the Lakers, Friedman and Zaidi have operated in the background. Most of their energy, according to league sources, has gone toward behind-the-scenes work, where they are attempting to plug the organization’s biggest hole. The Dodgers, under Friedman, have turned their front office into one of baseball’s largest, with robust analytics and medical staffs and multiple experienced executives.
“[Friedman] knows that the Lakers are pretty antiquated in their ways,” said an associate of his from the baseball world. “What he’s said he really wants to do is layer on the stuff they do with the Dodgers so that they can better harness all the basketball IQ that’s in the building.”
Describing the Lakers as antiquated is both suboptimal and accurate. The team has badly needed bolstering in the front office for years and years.
It’s finally happening and while it might take some time to get there, hopefully the Lakers will be able to reap the same type of benefits the Dodgers are now down the road.
Jalen Williams left the game in the first quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday, May 20 and did not return due to a hamstring injury.
The Oklahoma City Thunder forward was in the starting lineup for the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs but only played seven minutes before he was sidelined. Cason Wallace took his place.
ESPN NBA reporter Tim MacMahon said on X that Williams was "getting treatment on his left hamstring." The NBC broadcast also reported the news and showed Williams walking into the locker room with his hamstring wrapped in ice.
Head coach Mark Daigneault spoke to the media after the Thunder's 122-113 win and addressed Williams' injury.
“He’s going to get checked out,” he said. “I don’t deal in hypotheticals, especially when doctors are involved. I just let them tell us what’s going on, so he’ll get checked out in the morning, we’ll see where he’s at, we’ll update accordingly.”
Williams had 4 points and 2 steals in the game, which evened the series.
Williams suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, where the Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns. He sat out six games before returning in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Spurs.
The Spurs also had a player dealing with an injury during Game 2. Rookie Dylan Harper left the competition in the third quarter with what the team called a "right leg" injury. He did not return.
David Peterson is going to start a game for the first time in nearly a month.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed after the team's 8-4 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday that the southpaw will begin the series finale in Washington D.C. on Thursday afternoon.
Peterson, who has been ineffective as a starter this season, pitched himself out of the rotation. In five starts this season, Peterson is 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA across 18.0 innings pitched. He made four consecutive starts to begin the season before he pitched out of the bullpen in his next two appearances. He made a start on April 29, against the Nationals, before being relegated to pitching behind an opener in his last three outings.
To Peterson's credit, the southpaw has been much more effective as a reliever. He's pitched to a 2.25 ERA and allowed only four earned runs over his last three appearances (13.0 IP).
In his last start, Peterson had his worst outing of the season when he was roughed up by the Nationals at Citi Field. Washington pushed across seven runs on five hits and three walks across 3.2 innings.
With the Mets heading to Miami for three this weekend, Freddy Peralta and Christian Scott are slated to make starts, but New York is leaving the option of calling up prospect Jonah Tong to make a spot start.
The loss of Clay Holmes to injury has put the Mets rotation in flux. If Peterson can succeed as a starter, it would go a long way toward stabilizing the pitching staff.
Castle drove the basket with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter and the Spurs trailed 43-39 as they were building momentum to climb back from a deficit.
The lane opened up. Castle took off before he posterized Hartenstein.
The NBA has announced the 2025-26 All-Rookie Team and it's headlined by former Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, the league's Rookie of the Year.
The accolade is reserved for the 10 best first-year players in the league during the 2025-26 regular season.
It's comprised of prospects who, in their first year, made an impact on the floor that was felt around the league. These players are projected to be the future of the league, whether as superstars or vital role players.
Flagg, Knueppel and Edgecombe each racked up 100 first-place votes.
Flagg was named the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, beating out Knueppel for the award. Flagg averaged 21 points (leading all rookies), 6.7 rebounds (fourth among rookies) and 4.5 assists per game (second among rookies) in 70 games played. He shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from the 3-point line.
Raynaud led the Second Team in first-place votes, reeling in 26 votes. Raynaud was the only selection for the All-Rookie Team that was not a top-15 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Raynaud was selected No. 42 overall by the Kings and turned out to be a gem for Sacramento.
WASHINGTON — The rookie pitcher debuting in the major leagues gave the Mets a chance Wednesday.
So too did the lineup that took hacks against the Nationals, but it hardly succeeded. This was a reversion to before the last homestand, when the Mets routinely underperformed offensively, regardless of the opposing pitcher.
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On an overall uninspiring night, the Mets sputtered to a second straight loss, 8-4 at Nationals Park.
Juan Soto kept the Mets in the game by blasting two homers, including a two-run shot in the eighth that brought hope of a comeback victory that never materialized. Soto has five homers in his past seven games.
Zach Thornton, selected from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) in the rotation, had a rough first inning, allowing a three-run homer, before getting on a roll following another run surrendered in the second. The left-hander retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced.
“I feel as though I belong here and my stuff is going to play,” Thornton said. “So, if I can just get in the zone, I will be all right.”
How nervous was the 24-year-old before the start?
Mets starting pitcher Zach Thornton (49) pitches in his major league debut against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park on May 20, 2026. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
“I am nervous before every game I pitch,” he said. “This was kind of nothing new.”
Thornton kept the Mets competitive by allowing four earned runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 ¹/₃ innings. He was removed at 80 pitches before he could face the Nationals a third time through the batting order.
“They ran his pitch count up, and the one thing that I liked, even after he got punched there in the first inning, he didn’t back down,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He kept going after them and his pitch count went up, but he competed though.”
It’s possible Thornton won’t stay long: The Mets may promote Jonah Tong to start this weekend in Miami, giving extra rest to the rotation, and Thornton could lose his roster spot in the transaction.
Thornton was welcomed to the major leagues by CJ Abrams’ three-run homer in the first inning. Curtis Mead singled and Andrés Chaparro walked before Abrams unloaded to right-center.
CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals tosses hit bat after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Nationals Park on May 20, 2026. Getty Images
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The Mets pulled to within 3-1 in the second on Brett Baty’s RBI single after Mark Vientos doubled leading off against Zack Littell. A.J. Ewing provided an additional single in the inning before Littell struck out Hayden Senger.
Nasim Nuñez walked in the second and stole second, reaching third when Senger’s throw sailed into the outfield. Keibert Ruiz’s ensuing RBI single extended the Nationals lead to 4-1. But Thornton was finished allowing runs for the night.
“It was just getting back to what I do best, which is getting two strikes before I get to one ball,” he said.
New York Mets’ Juan Soto (22) celebrates his two-run home run next to Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Nick Wass
But the Mets reclaimed the run in the third on Soto’s massive blast off the mezzanine in right.
Carson Benge’s arm helped save the Mets a run in the fifth. Luis García Jr. stroked a two-out single to right field, on which Benge threw a strike to Senger, who tagged Ruiz sliding into the plate for the final out. Ruiz doubled for the final Nationals base runner against Thornton.
Austin Warren surrendered a run in the sixth that extended the Nationals lead to 5-2. Abrams and Dylan Crews both singled before Daylen Lile hit a sacrifice fly.
Nuñez’s sacrifice bunt brought in the sixth Nationals run after Jacob Young’s double. Craig Kimbrel got the final two outs in the sixth.
Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez (26) steals second base as New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) attempts to catch a throw during the second inning at Nationals Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Young hit a two-run homer against Kimbrel in the eighth that completed the Nationals’ scoring after Soto had homered in the eighth.
Soto was asked to describe even the slight difference when he’s so locked in at the plate.
“I can do damage,” Soto said. “I can do a lot of damage that I can help the team be where it needs to be.”
DETROIT, MI - MAY 20: Cleveland Guardians Tanner Bibee (28) pitches in the ssecond inning during the game between Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers on May 20, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Funny game today. Bibee pitched 8 sterling innings of 1-run ball. The offense scored 0 runs behind him. In the 9th, both Schneemann and Bazzana singled to start the inning. Kwan bunted (which was… questionable) to move them over. Then Bailey came up. Not entirely sure why Kwan feels the need to bunt (especially with Bailey behind him) but it worked. Bailey grounded out, but Schneemann was able to score. For some reason, the Tigers didn’t seem to have the infield in (or at least in enough to be able to throw Schneemann out at home).
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 21, 2026
Sabrowski pitched the bottom of the 9th, facing McGonigle, Dingler, and Greene. This was (in my opinion) the correct move by Vogt, considering the two LHB in that threesome. Unfortunately, Erik didn’t have his best command. He walked McGonigle and Dingler, and somehow got Greene to put up one of the most embarrassing (in context) at-bats I’ve ever watched. After barely being able to throw a strike to the first two batters, Greene chased strike two and then watched a fastball down the middle for strike three. Vogt then pulled Sabrowski for Holderman.
Holderman came on and struck out BOTH Tigers hitters (Perez and Vierling) he faced. Extremely impressive performance from Holderman, who has been fantastic since being recalled from Triple-A.
In extras, the Guardians worked some of their close & late game magic, jumping on Tyler Holton. Martinez tripled and Jose doubled.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 21, 2026
Cade came on for the save in the bottom of the 10th, and did give up a run to the first batter, but got a strikeout on Lee and two pop-outs to Torkelson (pinch-hitting) and Keith.
The Guardians clinch the series in Detroit, and look to complete the 4-game sweep tomorrow afternoon.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder’s matchup in the 2026 Western Conference Finals is destined to go down as an all-timer. Game 1 was a double-overtime instant classic that saw the Spurs take control with an incredible performance from Victor Wembanyama, including a logo three-pointer to tie the game from Steph Curry range. How can Game 2 live up to its predecessor? Well, San Antonio guard Stephon Castle did his best by dropping one of the best dunks you will ever seen in the NBA Playoffs.
During the second quarter, Castle took a kickout pass from Wembanyama and attacked the paint with force. He sized up Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and ripped a vicious tomahawk slam on his head. Poster dunks don’t get any better than this. Watch the play here:
Castle doesn’t have a reliable jump shot, he’s battled turnover problems throughout his career (with 11 in Game 1), and his handle can be shaky. It doesn’t matter because he plays with so much damn force on both ends of the floor, and he put it all on display with this dunk.
Wembanyama isn’t the only young stud on the Spurs. Castle is a great young player, and he’s proving it in this series.
“That’s always difficult, watching it on the bench,” Hart said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, I want to be out there. I want to help my guys win, but at the end of the day, for me, I don’t have an ego to it. I approach this game with extreme humility.
“I’m here to serve these guys … [to] make sure they’re in the best position to be successful. I put the success of the team over the success of myself any day.”
Hart’s enthusiasm was evident as he stood alongside his teammates on the sideline, celebrating each of Shamet’s 3-pointers that allowed the Knicks to claim the historic victory.
Mike Brown had little choice but to emphasize shooting and spacing after Hart badly missed multiple 3-pointers (1-for-5) — and posted a team-worst minus-23 rating — while Cleveland left him open on the perimeter.
Josh Hart takes a jump shot during Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of a Game 2 matchup vs. the Cavaliers. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Shamet made each of his three 3-pointers, finishing with a team-best plus-20 rating. Hart, who shot a career-best 41.3 percent of 3-pointers this season, has only gone 26.7 percent in the playoffs, and anticipates the Cavaliers again daring him to beat them from deep.
“For them, this is the same game plan that put them up [22]. … So they’re probably gonna do the exact same thing,” Hart said. “I’m gonna shoot the exact same shots. I’m gonna shoot it with confidence, play my game.
Josh Hart talks with reporters during a Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of their Game 2 matchup against the Cavaliers at the Garden. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I shot good shots. I just didn’t make them … I’m gonna continue to shoot. I’m working incredibly hard on my shots.”
Hart was back at it during Wednesday’s practice, taking numerous corner 3-pointers in the brief window open to the media.
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At one point, he hit eight straight. Six touched nothing but net. The other two barely nudged iron before falling through.
Game 2 will be different from a day at the driving range, but Brown expects Hart’s impact to be felt again, just as Mikal Bridges’ benching in the first round led to him becoming one of the most impactful players in the postseason.
“When you are in the position that Josh was in or Mikal was in in the Atlanta series … they sacrificed their minutes willingly and they were great about it while keeping themselves ready,” Brown said. “Mikal was fantastic … and I don’t see anything different from Josh going forward.”
SAN DIEGO — Playing both ways in the same game for the first time in almost a month, Shohei Ohtani needed just one pitch to notch his latest bit of MLB history.
After being held out of the Dodgers’ lineup in each of his past three pitching appearances, the two-way star was back in as the Dodgers’ designated and leadoff hitter Wednesday night at Petco Park.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani watches his leadoff home run in the first inning Wednesday against the host Padres. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
That meant, toeing the rubber for the first time, he came up to the plate to begin the game.
On the first pitch he saw, he hit a home run of unprecedented proportions.
In Game 4 of last year’s National League Championship Series, Ohtani became the first pitcher to hit a leadoff home run in an MLB game — marking the start of what became an iconic three-homer, 10-strikeout performance.
By doing so again Wednesday, Ohtani recorded the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in regular-season MLB history.
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Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers against the host Padres on Wednesday night. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Not that there has ever been much competition for such a distinction, of course. In MLB’s modern era, according to league researcher Sarah Langs, only three other pitchers have ever occupied the leadoff spot in a batting order.
Starting pitchers to bat leadoff since 1900:
Shohei Ohtani 27x reg, 4x post 9/22/68 Cesar Tovar (played all 9 positions) 9/27/53 Al Dark (moved to 3B after the 1st, only career game pitched) 9/30/1901 Jim Jones (1 of 2 career pitching app)
And lately, he has started looking like himself once again at the plate.
While Wednesday’s blast, which came on an elevated fastball from Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, was only his eighth of the season (far off the 50-plus homer pace he has set the past two seasons), it marked his 13th hit and seventh extra-base knock in his last seven games offensively.
Before that stretch, Ohtani had been mired in a monthlong slump in which he batted only .200.
It was part of the reason the Dodgers had limited him to three consecutive pitching starts without hitting.
He made sure to make a statement in his return to two-way duties Wednesday.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 20: Matt Vierling #8 of the Detroit Tigers hits a sacrifice fly ball to drive-in Kevin McGonigle (not in the image) against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Comerica Park on May 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey, we’re back, still playing the Guardians. Let’s just roll right into the recap. The Tigers had a bullpen day going because they have no healthy pitchers left to use, so the starter was Drew Anderson, while the Guardians were leaning on Tanner Bibee. While Bibee hasn’t had a bad season, he also hasn’t recorded a win, so perhaps that bodes well for the Tigers? Guess we’ll see.
With two outs in the first, rookie Chase DeLauter got a single, but the Guardians left him stranded. The Tigers didn’t put much into getting an early lead, however, as they went 1-2-3 in the home half.
Steven Kwan got a two-out single in the second, so he’s been on base every game of this series so far. A pop-out from the Guardians’ newly acquired catcher Patrick Bailey ended the inning, though. The Tigers had another three-up, three-down inning to leave the game scoreless after two.
Anderson continued into the third inning and finally got the Guardians out in order. The Tigers finally got a baserunner in the third with a two-out single from Jake Rogers, and while he didn’t score, at least they got someone going.
Drew Anderson was totally dialled in by the fourth, getting the side out 1-2-3 again, and actually looking very good while doing it. The Tigers unfortunately did the same in the bottom of the inning.
David Fry took a leadoff walk in the fifth. Then, with two outs, Brayan Rocchio walked as well, and that was it for Anderson, who had a really decent start, going 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K on 63 pitches. He was replaced by Kyle Finnegan who got the final out of the inning. In the home half, the Tigers went down in order. Not really the best approach if you want to win a single game ever.
With one out in the sixth, DeLauter singled for the second time in the game. He then stole second with ease, his first steal in the majors. Rhys Hoskins singled down the third base line, and while Gage Workman got the ball across the infield in good time, it was well wide of first, forcing Colt Keith off the bag and allowing Hoskins to reach safely. After the second out of the inning, Finnegan’s night was done and he was replaced by Brant Hurter, taking on a pinch-hitting Travis Bazzana. Hurter got the final out of the inning and the game was still scoreless. In the home half Hao-Yu Lee singled, but tried to leg out a double and got caught at second. Two outs ended the inning without any real potential for a run.
Kwan walked to start the seventh, but was eliminated in a double play off the bat of Bailey. Another out ended the inning without any major threat. Kevin McGonigle got a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, then with one out, Riley Greene singled to put men on the corners. A sac fly from Matt Vierling did the impossible: finally scored a run in this game. They just got the one, but that feels impressive enough in this game.
Kenley Jansen was on for the Tigers in the eighth. With two outs, DeLauter walked. Kyle Manzardo then came in to pinch-hit. DeLauter stole second, but Jansen was tuned in and got the final out of the inning, keeping the Guardians scoreless. In the bottom of the eighth Zach McKinstry singled. Lee then reached on a fielder’s choice, which should have eliminated McKinstry, but thanks to an error by Bazzana, both runners found themselves safely on base. McKinstry ended up getting eliminated anyway as Jake Rogers showed bunt, McKinstry had a big lead off second, and then didn’t make it back in time when Bibee made the pickoff. Bibee got the next two outs as well, so the Tigers would need to defend their slim lead in the ninth.
Will Vest got the nod for the ninth. Daniel Schneeman and Travis Bazzana hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, which is an inauspicious start. A sac bunt by Kwan advanced the runners. A groundout by Bailey was placed just right to allow Schneeman to score, and just like that it was a tie game. While Vest did end up getting the final out of the inning, the Tigers were going to need to come up with a last-minute miracle to walk off the game as winners.
Bibee’s day was finally done and he was replaced by Erik Sabrowski. He gave up back-to-back walks to McGonigle and Dingler. Greene struck out, and that was it for Sabrowski who was replaced by Colin Holderman. The Tigers just couldn’t make it happen, even with two runners on, and the game was heading for extras.
Tyler Holton was the Tigers’ man for the moment in the tenth. The game didn’t stay tied for long. Angel Martinez tripled, scoring the ghost runner, then right on his heels, Jose Ramirez doubled to score Martinez. DeLauter then reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Ramirez tagged out at third. The Tigers did get the final two outs of the inning but the situation was pretty bad, let’s be honest. Cade Smith came out for the Guardians and he gave up a leadoff single to McKinstry, who scored the ghost runner, and suddenly it was a one-run game again. While the Tigers were able to make it close, it wasn’t enough, and they dropped the third game in the series. If you want any positives from this game, at least Tanner Bibee still has no wins.
