New York Knicks center and veteran Andre Drummond got off the bench with a perfect start to his 15th NBA season. He recorded the team’s third-fastest double-double since the 1996-97 season.

Drummond needed just 14 minutes to score 10 points and grab 11 rebounds.

Drummond heard chants from the New York faithful, even though it is just his first season with the team.

Unfortunately, the run stopped there. Drummond only scored two more points in the second half and ran out of gas as the Knicks began to leak oil and would end up losing to LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 106-100.

He still grabbed three more rebounds for a game-high 14 total. He had two blocks and one steal to cap his stat sheet.

“I thought that he was really, really, really good on both ends of the floor during the first half,” said head coach Mike Brown. Drummond came in relief of big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who has also been in the news recently with the pausing of his contract negotiations, which suggests a trade could end up coming. With Drummond in his 15th season, the Knicks probably won’t look to him as their number-one option regardless.

Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last year, but an even bigger average to look for is the minutes. He played 24 minutes last night and averaged 19.5 last year. Brown said that he still has to see how Drummond’s minutes will look.

Based on Brown’s comments, he likely won’t average 24 minutes this season, and his extended minutes last night came from earning them with his first-half performance.

Drummond and the Knicks return Friday in Boston to face the Celtics.

LeBron James was welcomed to the Philadelphia uniform on Wednesday against the New York Knicks in true New York fashion. The 76ers stole the Knicks’ championship night with a 106-100 win.

The banner-raising ceremony pre-game still wasn’t enough to keep the fans in a loving spirit, as the confrontations between James and fans started early in the second quarter, when he was shouting at people sitting at the baseline of Madison Square Garden.

Eventually, a more personal confrontation seemingly began with a fan saying something about his West Coast history related to his time in Los Angeles with the Lakers. James responded with plenty of foul language.

“You don’t know what the f— you talkin’ about; I’m not from the West Coast. I’m from Ohio, baby. F— you talkin’ about,” seemed to be James’ response.

The back-and-forth with the fans went on for a good chunk of the game, and it happened multiple times.

Apparently, Knicks superfan and celebrity Spike Lee tried to calm the tensions between James and the fans.

Eventually, James would end up dapping up the player he got into the confrontation with to ease the situation.

James has only had good things about New York, their arena, and their fans over the years. He even thought about playing for the Knicks when he said that he once dreamed of “finishing (his) career in the Garden.”

James had 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in his first game playing for the 76ers. He did not make one of his three attempts from beyond the arc.

The 76ers will only have to wait a little over a week to let their own fans have their pick at the defending champion Knicks. The two teams play in the NBA Cup Group Stage on October 30.

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey died in his home on Tuesday, October 20. His wife found him in the house.

The initial information suggests to the family that Bailey died due to natural causes. Bailey was 37.

>SPORTS LEGENDS WHO DIED IN 2026 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW!

Allen Bailey Cause Of Death

Former teammates of Bailey reacted on social media, showing love and support for the family as well as their own heartbreak.

“Lost a fellow brother today… Prayers to AB family! Love you Big Cuzzo!” said Colin McCarthy, Bailey’s former teammate while he played at the University of Miami.

Chiefs teammate and receiver Dwayne Bowe posted, “I’m (heartbroken) please pray for His Family @ar_bailey97 one of the Best teammate I’ve had a chance to be around…Thx 4 Errthang.”

Head coach Andy Reid also shared his support, saying, “Way too young, obviously. He was one of my favorite players, a great kid. I’m just sorry to see that happened to him.”

Bailey played eight years with the Chiefs. Teammate Patrick Mahomes told reporters that Bailey was the first person he saw after the draft in the locker room after he was drafted and thought, “This isn’t the Big 12 anymore.”

Bailey was drafted in 2011 and retired after the 2020 season. He finished his career with a short stint with the Atlanta Falcons. He accumulated 248 tackles in his career along with 22 sacks.

Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels left the game on Sunday against the Chicago Bears with a neck injury. He was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital.

Daniels’ injury looked scary at first glance and appeared serious. It took place halfway through the third quarter. He didn’t get up for a good amount of time, and his neck and body had to be stabilized when they carted him off.

He had full use of all his extremities and actually got out of the hospital and returned to the locker room after the game. He returned to the stadium surprisingly on his own and walked around the locker room.

Head Coach Kevin Stefanski gave an update on Daniels on Monday and was very optimistic. “All positive news on Kendal Daniels,” the coach said. “He’s here back in the building today. He got back from the hospital to the locker room after the game. So I feel very, very fortunate that he got the treatment that he got, but also we feel really good about where he is.”

Daniels has 22 tackles and 1.0 sacks so far this season. He was drafted out of Oklahoma, has been the starter since the beginning of the season, and also handled defensive play-calling duties before he left the game.

The Falcons’ next game is against the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday, and Josh Woods took over for Daniels after the injury. He would likely take his spot if Daniels misses any time after further evaluations. He is the next man on the depth chart. Daniels is currently listed as officially questionable.

The Falcons lost the game after he departed, 31-23, in Bears QB Caleb Williams’ return. It was 21-7 Bears when the Daniels injury occurred.

The Indianapolis Colts blew a 13-point lead on Sunday and lost 26-20 to the Tennessee Titans, who were winless before the comeback. The crowd chanted “fire Ballard” and booed, and the team listened.

GM Chris Ballard was in the final year of his contract before the team let him go after the game, and he needed something to go right this year to avoid that. The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, and haven’t reached double-digit wins either in the same span.

The Colts lost seven straight games last year to end the season after an 8-2 start. The downfall was solidified by QB Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury in Week 14. Jones was an early MVP contender with his quick start before slowing down as the losses began.

The organization has had to consider changes everywhere, and this is just the start if things don’t turn around. For now, the coaching staff hasn’t changed to match this. HC Shane Steichen will report to ownership while the owners look for a new general manager.

“I’m grateful for every day that I’m in this building, and I don’t take that for granted. And I’ve got to get these guys ready for the Vikings,” said the coach.

Steichen also said the responsibility doesn’t fall on Ballard alone, adding that he also has to be better. “It takes all of us.”

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon‘s ownership group released a statement that “our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.”

The statement also included that they appreciated how much Ballard put into the organization.

The Colts fell to 2-4 with that loss to Tennessee, now behind the eight ball again, a theme that has repeated over the last decade.

Scary, surprising news came out of Philadelphia last week after the Eagles game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. QB Jalen Hurts was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, also known as blood clots in the lungs.

The diagnosis initially ruled Hurts out indefinitely while doctors ran more tests and made decisions, and today they confirmed he will miss the rest of the season while he takes anticoagulation medication, blood thinners, to help him recover.

According to the team statement, he is expected to make a full recovery, and they seemed happy overall with the prognosis, expecting no long-term effects and him to return when he recovers.

Hurts has no short-term significant functional limitations, but the blood-thinning medication makes it dangerous for players to take big hits and do intense workout activities.

Athletes have a history of blood clots, and this is not unheard of. Some cases have been more serious than others, which is why the statement from the Eagles and his agent, Nicole Lynn, was seen as good news to Eagles fans.

Former NBA star Chris Bosh was forced to retire because of blood clots, and other cases have kept players out for long periods. Chris Olave dealt with blood clots last season, an instance that saw a much shorter recovery time.

For now, it seems like Hurts has escaped the threat of retirement. As for the Eagles season, this is a big blow to a team that is already 2-4. They’re lucky they’re in a division they can still escape with a good rest of the season from backup Tanner McKee. They also picked up Joe Milton if necessary as an emergency quarterback in the last week.

Hurts has never missed much time for the Eagles since becoming their starter in 2021. The hope is that he will be fully recovered by the end of this season and have a full offseason to reset while off the blood thinners.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday 22-6, but there was no lack of frustration on the sideline for DT Chris Jones, who got into a screaming match on the sideline with defensive line coach Joe Cullen.

The argument took place toward the end of the second quarter. The Chiefs were leading 9-3 at the time. It’s unclear what the argument was about, but Cullen put his hand on Jones, and Jones pulled it off, after which a lot of yelling followed.

Color commentator Trent Green, a former Kansas City player, said Cullen and Jones have worked together for years and have a “great relationship.” The sport’s tense atmosphere at such a critical point in the season likely contributed to the brief confrontation, and it probably wasn’t personally motivated at all.

It’s been five seasons since Cullen was hired in Kansas City, and Jones has been there the whole time.

Jones earned two All-Pro selections since Cullen was hired in 2022.

The frustration didn’t reflect the Chiefs’ defensive play on Sunday, which held the Chargers to six points and left them at 0-6.

The Chiefs sacked Justin Herbert six times and are now 5-0. Jones recorded a 0.5 sack to contribute to that. It was his first sack contribution of the year.

The interaction seemed to be a one-off, with no further disagreements seen. The Chiefs play the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football this week.

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed quarterback Joe Milton off of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.

The signing follows surprising news from Philadelphia: the team announced that QB Jalen Hurts was out indefinitely with a blood clot discovered via ultrasound.

Milton was on the Cowboys last year and played in four games, but the team placed him on waivers before adding him back to the practice squad.

Milton will likely serve as the emergency quarterback while Hurts is injured and probably won’t play.

Tanner McKee is expected to start this week and is excited for the opportunity. He said he is “ready to make the most” of his chance at the starting role and has strong support from his teammates. Linebacker Zack Baun even said he may have a “Tom Brady career arc,” praising his capabilities and potential.

Milton is known for his arm strength, which gives him high upside, but since his standout performance in his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills in 2024, he hasn’t done much and has served primarily as a backup throughout his career.

Granted, he hasn’t had many opportunities; Milton will probably be fighting just to be the backup for the near future on the Eagles.

The Eagles’ quarterback situation doesn’t help their already-struggling 2026 campaign. They’re 2-3, but thankfully the NFC East is still wide open, and they’re still tied for second with the Cowboys, sitting behind the 3-1-1 New York Giants.

The New York Knicks have decided to pause talks with Karl-Anthony Towns about a contract extension after their championship, and he hasn’t held back.

Towns said he is “very disappointed” after the pause in the discussions. He seems to enjoy it in New York, or at least feels entitled to the chance to discuss it.

“News to me,” he said, so he didn’t get notified before the public did.

He said he still intends to play hard for the Knicks next season, and he still has two years left on his current contract. 

“But even though there was no business done, there’s still business to be handled. After 53 years, we found a way to bring this trophy back to New York, and we intend for it to stay in New York.” 

Plenty of rumors circulate about potential destinations; however, the pause in contract extension talks means the Knicks could look to trade the big man for value.

The Golden State Warriors are among the top rumored landing spots if the Knicks do decide to trade. The team has lacked a consistent big man in a while to go alongside forward Draymond Green, who usually plays the five role. The Knicks traded for Kristaps Porzingis before he got injured, and a mysterious health issue has him out indefinitely.

There is no confirmation he will be traded; the Knicks could be waiting to see his performance this year or sticking to their original plan, which is to manage the salary cap.

Regardless of the negotiations, his past play has nothing to do with it. He helped the team win a championship and is still a top-end center in the NBA. His being the Knicks’ highest-paid player right now is likely why he’s holding out until the end of the season.

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson revealed in a Netflix docuseries, Tyson, that he almost overdosed and died after too much cocaine and alcohol.

He claimed that he has overdosed before, but nothing like this. It was a mix of cocaine and alcohol, and he was saved by a psychedelic that comes from the toxin of a toad called 5-MeO-DMT. 

The psychedelic, which he said he’d used over 100 times, brought him down from his high cocaine and alcohol levels and basically saved his life.

Tyson revealed how his bad addictions to drugs and alcohol almost killed him in general when telling this story. 

He has used the psychedelic since to help him overcome his addiction, even though he had abused it before and claims, “If you’re abusive with it, it will abuse you”.  

The substance is classified as highly abusive and controlled in the United States. It has no accepted medical use, even though there are reasons to believe it could help with depression and anxiety.

The documentary dived into Tyson’s struggles and also his professional career. 

It discussed his tough childhood in Brooklyn, which led him to box.  He was also involved in lawsuits for breach of contract, wire fraud and sexual assault.

Tyson has stayed away from cocaine and alcohol for over a decade, but still uses psychedelics and even admitted to abusing them before his boxing match with Jake Paul.

He said that it has helped him stay away from cocaine and alcohol over the years, but he still needs a reset.

His life has had many ups and downs, but since he left alcohol and cocaine in the past, he has gotten it on the right track for the most part. He has made his fatherhood and family a priority and lives a much more stable life.

Jake Bauers won the NLCS MVP last night after the Milwaukee Brewers stormed back from a 4-0 deficit to sweep the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-4.

Bauers went 4-for-14 in the series with some of the biggest moments to his name. His six RBIs were great, but his at-bats were even better. He had a 12-pitch at-bat that ended with a walk in Game 2, which helped knock previous MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto out of the game. In Game 3, his 11-pitch at-bat ended with a go-ahead home run, extending the Brewers’ series lead to 3-0.

In Game 4, he helped the Brewers get back into it with a two-run double, then walked with the bases loaded to drive in the go-ahead run and what would become the winning run.

Bauers was exceptional, but it wasn’t a guarantee he would win it after the game. The other guy who could have gotten it was relief pitcher Aaron Ashby, who threw 6.2 scoreless innings in the series and, going back past just the Dodgers series, 9 scoreless innings.

Ashby’s nine-out save in Game 4 shut down the Dodgers’ comeback hopes and sealed the sweep for the Brewers. He escaped a few jams. 

The Brewers’ sweep and upset of the Dodgers comes after the Dodgers swept them last year. They are off to the World Series and will get the advantage of some rest. They’ll play the winner of the Cleveland Guardians-Tampa Bay Rays series, and the Guardians still lead 2-1. 

The Brewers last appeared in a World Series in 1982, and they have never won one.

Pre-game videos surfaced before Monday Night Football between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills this weekend of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman standing near each other but not speaking while on the field.

This supported reports that Buck and Aikman argued in the booth over contract negotiations.

Buck recently agreed to a $108 million, six-year extension with ESPN, and Aikman has not received any offers.

With Aikman’s contract ending at the end of this year, his future next to Buck in the booth is in question, according to the report.

Buck reportedly mentioned the situation first after an awkward moment in the room, which led to the dispute.

The two worked together at Fox when Aikman was offered a move to ESPN before Buck, who followed shortly after the end of his Fox contract. They’ve worked together for 25 years, which is the longest-tenured crew in NFL history.

Aikman was asked on the radio about it and said: “There’s probably a time and a place for that… this probably isn’t that time.” He later added that he will play out the rest of the season, then be a “free agent” and “see what happens.” His comments suggest he isn’t expecting much at this point if it hasn’t already come.

This story gets really interesting with Tony Romo‘s recent termination after a DWI incident. CBS needs a new number one color commentator next to Jim Nantz. Currently, J.J. Watt has filled the role and could still be the choice next year after good reviews since taking over. However, Aikman is much more experienced and could push Watt out if CBS chose a bigger name, as Fox did when it moved Greg Olsen down after signing Tom Brady.

If Aikman leaves his role with ESPN, he would likely find another job easily. The dispute between the two suggests Aikman would likely want to keep working with Buck and ESPN if a contract allowed it and to extend their 25-year partnership.

In a high-tempered Monday Night Football contest, plenty of scrums occurred during and after the game, including one with Los Angeles Rams DE Aaron Donald and Buffalo Bills OL O’Cyrus Torrence.

Fans are reacting to the second-quarter scrum, where Donald tried to rip off Torrence’s helmet by grabbing his facemask while shoving him. Some fans claim Donald should have just “stayed retired” and that he “isn’t that scary anymore.”

No personal fouls were issued for the incident, and nothing really came of it, as teammates on both sides tried to get in the middle.

The Rams have been disappointing this year after being one of the league’s best teams last year and bringing back a defensive legend with high hopes. This probably contributed to the fans’ reaction, as well as Donald’s performance.

The game’s ending also likely fueled the fans’ harsh reaction, with the Rams losing after missing the game-winning kick following a Buffalo block in overtime.

Other fights broke out after the game at midfield as tensions remained high. Alaric Jackson received a two-game suspension for punching Bradley Chubb after the game. Chubb said the arguments that prompted the incident weren’t just between the two of them and that tempers were flaring between the teams.

In three games, Donald, 35, only has two solo tackles and zero sacks. He came out of retirement after two years out of the league.

Head coach Sean McVay had hopes for Donald, saying he was impressed with the workout that led to signing the defensive end.

Donald isn’t making nearly the impact McVay hoped for with that signing, and the Rams are now third in the NFC West at 2-3.

Los Angeles Rams LT Alaric Jackson threw a strike at Buffalo Bills LB Bradley Chubb after a hectic end to Monday Night Football that saw the Rams beat the Bills 37-34 in overtime.

The postgame scuffle happened at midfield after the game as the teams shook hands. An argument escalated into a tense face-to-face encounter that ended with Jackson punching Chubb, and his teammates pulling him back.

The NFL announced the suspension as an “act contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” which violates the league’s policy.

Jackson will appeal the suspension.

This unsportsmanlike conduct suspension is not Jackson’s first. In June 2024, he was suspended two games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after he was sued for videotaping sexual acts with a woman on his phone without her consent.

In another incident in June, Jackson was arrested for felony domestic violence, which the NFL has yet to punish him for but still can, depending on how the case plays out.

Jackson will miss this week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, and then Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

He will return to the team against the Los Angeles Chargers, where the Rams will serve as the home team even though they share the stadium with the Chargers.

Chubb called it an emotional game in his comments, chalking the incident up to tempers flaring.

“Just emotions, you know what I mean, emotional game. It was a close game, and you know, they always catch the second guy, so I let him swing, and then my teammates held me back, and I just chilled.”

Chubb also said it wasn’t a personal encounter with Jackson, noting that tempers flared with many players and that Jackson wasn’t the only one he was interacting with in the situation.

Chicago Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat will miss two games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He is suspended without pay.

He will miss this weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons and Week 7 against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football before being allowed to return to the team on October 23.

His first game back in Week 8 will be against the Seattle Seahawks.

Sweat has had a relatively down year compared to his other seasons, only recording seven tackles and two sacks.

He was a pro-bowler back in 2023 and is still a key part of the Bears’ defense given his experience and high ceiling. With the Bears’ defensive issues, this isn’t a loss that will do them any good, even with the slow start to the year. Sweat is the highest-paid player on the Bears.

The depth chart at the position is bleak, with injury concerns already for Dayo Odeyingbo, their starter on the right. The backup man for Sweat will be Austin Booker, who had a solid start to his season, having four sacks in just five games and leading the team in that category.

Because of the policy instituted by the NFL, the drug/substance that Sweat took is not disclosed, but since it is only a two-game suspension, it is likely not a steroid but instead a stimulant, or he was caught using a masking agent.

Despite winning a thriller against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, where the Buffalo Bills blocked a game-winning field goal attempt, head coach Joe Brady voiced concerns about James Cook’s fumbles, even though he has been producing in every other category.

“He’s doing so many good things running the football, and I don’t wanna lose sight of how great he’s running the ball right now, but we’re putting the ball on the ground, and it’s negating all the positive,” said the coach.

Cook had two fumbles on Monday and lost one at a crucial moment in overtime, but the special teams unit bailed him out with a block after it looked like the Rams were going to walk it off.

Brady said you “can’t confuse (that) because we won the game,” but he also said he had confidence in him and wanted him to get this figured out.

He then threatened to cut Cook’s carries if this continued. “At some point, there has to be consequences to when we’re putting negative stuff out there. … It’s gotta improve, or the carries are gonna decrease,” said the coach.

Cook is on pace for over 1,800 yards if he continues at this rate, averaging over 100 yards a game. He is also averaging a touchdown a game and had two on Monday against the Rams, which is why the coach stressed that Cook has plenty more good coming. The fact remains that Cook’s four fumbles in his first five games is an alarming statistic.

The Bills are 4-1, and a large part of that is thanks to Cook, but turnovers are how you lose big games, especially playoff games, and Brady felt he needed to say something before it cost them, as it almost did against the Rams.

Sean McVay was not having it after the Los Angeles Rams’ OT loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, saying that the kicking wasn’t good enough and that “it cost us the game tonight.”

On Tuesday, the Rams announced they would release kicker Harrison Mevis and sign Blake Grupe off the New York Jets’ practice squad.

After the game, Mevis said he believes in himself and has a “next game mentality” when speaking with reporters in the locker room. He won’t get the chance to prove that with the Rams and will have to wait to see if he gets another opportunity to play for another team.

Mevis missed a 50-yard attempt earlier in the game before a Bills block stopped a potential game-winner from 48 yards.

Mevis was five-for-nine for the Rams this season, and McVay said he needed better production than that and “we’re hoping to get (that) from Blake” after the signing.

McVay praised Grupe’s kicking with the Indianapolis Colts last year, when he made all 11 field-goal attempts.

McVay also made it clear that even though he said they would evaluate everything with the kicking unit, they would make no changes at the coordinator position, where special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone was hired in January.

McVay did take some responsibility, blaming his play call and saying, “That’s on me,” regarding the play on third down before the kick attempt. He added that he hasn’t been this pissed about a game in a while.

The Rams dropped to 2-3 with this loss, now 3rd in the competitive NFC West that has three Super Bowl hopefuls. At the bottom of the division sits the Arizona Cardinals, who the Rams have up next at home.

The hard-throwing right-hander Freddy Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays struck out six in six scoreless innings to even up the ALCS with the Cleveland Guardians, using his heat to get the job done.

“Fastball Freddy,” as they call him, relies heavily on his fastball. He threw 29 fastballs over 97 mph, according to MLB.com, and his placement matches his speed.

The Rays acquired Peralta from the New York Mets in August as part of their offseason moves, knowing his go-to pitch. The Guardians never got more than a single off Peralta in the outing, as the bats couldn’t catch up to the pitch, even though they knew it was coming in the big moments.

Peralta’s release angle, about halfway to sidearm, makes it harder to throw fast and promotes a more movement-heavy pitcher. Teammate Ian Seymour praised it, saying, “His ability to throw that fastball from that angle, I don’t know anyone who has that heater.”

Opponents also praised him, with Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan saying he has “an elite fastball.”

Even though Peralta was fantastic, the Rays needed a defensive error from José Ramírez in the fourth inning to extend the lead, and all three runs came in after that, which was crucial when the Guardians scored after Peralta was pulled.

Peralta was in a slump in New York, posting a 4.99 ERA before the Rays acquired him, and now looks like the Peralta we saw in Milwaukee.

Peralta would be good to go in the later stages of this series if it’s extended and would be an obvious choice after this outing.

The series heads back to Cleveland for Game 3.

The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped their first preseason game to the New Orleans Pelicans, 116-110, and the result was encouraging for Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who wasn’t even suited up.

Of course, wins and losses don’t matter in the preseason, which makes this an overall win for the team, because one of the Thunder’s biggest problems is that Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact is limited, even with the stats he puts up, because he’s always double-teamed.

The fix is to add good catch-and-shoot shooters off the ball to complement his game, so when he drives through the paint, someone has to be covered around the perimeter. This aspect of the new Thunder team was very encouraging against the Pelicans.

The Thunder shot 48.5% from three in the loss. Bennett Stirtz went 3-for-6, Kendrich Williams went 3-for-4, and Jared McCain went 4-for-8. If these shooters keep this up for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will become even more lethal, and defenses will have to address the perimeter threat.

The San Antonio Spurs and Thunder are both co-favorites to win the NBA Championship, with a rematch in the Western Conference Finals to be expected.

The pieces around Gilgeous-Alexander this year, compared to last year, could be the difference in whether they win or lose that matchup, their toughest opponent yet again on the way to another title.

Dustin May was named the starter for the Milwaukee Brewers after their Game 2 win, and he is excited to prove himself in the playoffs after a rough second half of the season.

In Game 3, the Brewers had a chance to sweep the San Diego Padres when May got the call to start.

After the All-Star Break, May went 2-3 with very short outings, averaging a 4.96 ERA in just 52.2 innings pitched.

“Everyone knows when the postseason starts that everything is kind of a blank slate,” he said about the opportunity.

May is a hard-throwing right-hander who pitches well against the Padres, with a 1.23 ERA this year against them and at least six innings in each appearance. Manager Pat Murphy said he trusted May’s experience when making the decision. However, May hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2020.

May hadn’t pitched a long outing since September 11, and when he stepped on the mound, he started well before giving up 2 earned runs in just three innings, facing 14 batters. Pitch count wasn’t an issue for May, but Murphy pulled him after just 3.0 innings pitched.

The idea is that the plan was for May to always have a short leash in Game 3, and utilize the bullpen for the majority of the game. If May had kept his strong start going, he might have been given the chance to go deeper into the game, but it’s very possible he wouldn’t have been given that chance anyway.

Regardless, the Brewers couldn’t take advantage of May’s experience and strong history against the Padres and will have to close out the series in Game 4 or Game 5 to return to the NLCS.