About every week and a half in the past, Anthony Edwards landed awkwardly throughout a recreation, his left knee buckling as his foot hit the bottom. Edwards needed to be helped off the court docket, and the official analysis was a bone bruise and hyperextension of the knee.
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Last night time, Edwards returned to motion ahead of anticipated, for the beginning of Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, and led the Minnesota Timberwolves to an upset over the San Antonio Spurs. Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down the sport beneath.
Also, the New York Mets are off to a nasty begin and a New York tabloid thinks they might be cursed. Could they’ve some extent? Our Tim Rohan investigates.
For extra NBA and MLB protection, as at all times, try the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
Hours earlier than Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, phrase got here that Edwards would give it a go for the Timberwolves. He’d come off the bench and be enjoying on a minutes restriction, however he needed to play towards the Spurs.
“I know for a fact, just me being out there, it calms everybody down,” Edwards stated.
In 25 minutes of motion, Edwards scored 18 factors, together with 11 within the fourth quarter, to assist the No. 6-seeded Minnesota upset No. 2 San Antonio on the highway, profitable 104-102.
After defeating the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in Round 1, the Timberwolves now must cope with Victor Wembanyama, the Defensive Player of the Year. Wembanyama recorded a triple-double final night time — 11 factors, 15 rebounds and 12 blocks — however he went 0-for-8 from 3-point vary. At instances, he appeared to wrestle offensively towards his French countryman, Minnesota middle Rudy Gobert.
Trailing 101-94 with 1:44 to go, the Spurs practically mounted a miraculous comeback within the closing 100 seconds, however Julian Champagnie’s potential game-winning 3 bounced off the rim as time expired.
“We have to be better,” a stoic Wembanyama stated.
Earlier within the night time, on the Eastern Conference facet of the bracket, the No. 3-seed New York Knicks dismantled the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers, profitable 137-98 to take Game 1.
Jalen Brunson scored 35 factors in solely 31 minutes for the Knicks, who took benefit of a torpid 76ers workforce coming off a seven-game first-round battle with Boston.
The actor Timothée Chalamet was additionally courtside cheering the Knicks on, as a substitute of attending the Met Gala, to which he was presumably invited.
seems on throughout the second quarter of a recreation between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 04, 2026 in New York City.Al Bello / Getty Images
‘Cursed Mets’
Baseball has at all times been a sport that believes within the occult — in juju and curses and superstitions. That sort of pondering may be traced to the sport’s origins, greater than a century in the past. To this present day, gamers and followers nonetheless imagine that outdoors forces can conspire for or towards them, that actions taken off the sector can by some means have an effect on the results of the sport.
None extra so than the New York Mets.
In early April, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Citi Field and, within the recesses of the stadium, shared a second with the workforce’s mascots, Mr. and Mrs. Met. A self-described informal Mets fan, Mamdani smiled broadly as he gave them large hugs. As the trio posed for pictures, Mr. Met positioned his outsized hat on the mayor’s head.
More than every week later, the Mets hadn’t gained a recreation since, a streak that might run to 12 video games. The New York Post ran that photograph on its cowl — Mamdani posing with the mascots — and blamed the mayor’s hugging Mr. Met for the workforce’s dropping skid.
“Curse of the Mambino,” the headline learn.
It seems, greater than 100 years in the past, gamers would rub the mascot’s head for good luck earlier than an at-bat. For the remainder of this deep dive into baseball’s relationship with superstitions, and why the Mets appear to be notably vulnerable to this type of pondering, read here.
What We’re Watching
Both No. 1 seeds stay alive within the NBA playoffs, they usually begin their Round 2 sequence tonight on Peacock.
In the East, the Detroit Pistons barely survived a seven-game sequence towards the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic. Fortunately for Detroit, the Cleveland Cavaliers additionally wanted seven video games to beat the Toronto Raptors. Both Detroit and Cleveland could be operating on fumes at first of this sequence.
Then within the nightcap, each Oklahoma City and Los Angeles are coping with accidents to star gamers. The Thunder’s Jalen Williams and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic have each been out with hamstring accidents, and each will miss Game 1 tonight.
Doncic’s harm seems to be extra severe, nevertheless it’s unclear when both participant will return. In the meantime, which workforce can maintain regular till the reinforcement arrives?
All instances are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, on Peacock
- 8:30 p.m.: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers, on NBC/Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be again tomorrow.