Evan Mobley is main key for Cavs in second-round battle with Pistons

Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a date with the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Both teams struggled mightily versus opponents they should have handled in five games in the first round. Cleveland now has a great shot to make the Eastern Conference Finals. That would be a first for both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.

To achieve that, Evan Mobley has to be fully unlocked. There were many games in the past series where Mobley was able to score over 20 points. Against the Detroit Pistons, there will be even more opportunities to thrive. Jarrett Allen and Jalen Duren will be duking it out in the paint, but the Pistons do not have an answer for what Mobley can provide. realschule-moosburg.de

I think Mobley will be able to get to his spots and eat on the glass, too. Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson are not the defenders that Scottie Barnes is, nor are the other players the Raptors had on the wing. The real defender the Pistons have is Ausar Thompson, and he will have his hands full with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

This is a match-up I see Evan Mobley finishing the series, averaging 20 points a game, and the Cavaliers frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Mobley dominating. Mobley will also have to put an end to Tobias Harris' hot scoring playoff start, which I think he is more than capable of doing as a former Defensive Player of the Year winner.

I think Cleveland will win this series, but how and when they close this series out directly depends on what version of Evan Mobley shows up in this series.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Cavs' Evan Mobley will try to dominate Pistons' frontcourt in Round 2

Jimmy Fallon got a taste of his own medicine Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Tonight Show host appeared courtside at Game 1 of the New York Knicks' second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Little did he know it'd turn into quite the immersive experience.

Few love pranks as much as Fallon, so one of the Knicks players decided to return the favor. The notoriously silly Josh Hart untied Fallon's shoes midgame, prompting a hilarious response from the comedian.

The Knicks rocked the 76ers, 137-98, so Hart and Co. had plenty of time for jokes. Here's a look at Hart's biggest one:

Josh Hart, the jokester 😂 pic.twitter.com/2Qn3o0eG78

— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2026

The 76ers bot blown out by the Boston Celtics before rallying back from a 3-1 deficit in Round 1, so New York can't afford to get too complacent.

Let's hope for a more competitive Game 2, which is slated for Wednesday at 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Knicks' Josh Hart unties Jimmy Fallon's shoes during playoff game

Just three days after being designated for assignment by the New York Yankees, Randal Grichuk has agreed to an MLB deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to reports. Chicago will need to make corresponding moves to clear space on both the active roster and 40-man roster. Adding the veteran makes sense for the White Sox, considering they have been playing competitive baseball this season.

MORE: John Sterling’s 5 most memorable Yankees home run calls

A Short Stint in New York

Grichuk’s time in the Bronx was brief. The 34-year-old made the team out of camp on a minor league deal and served primarily in a platoon role off the bench, seeing most of his opportunities against left-handed pitching. However, the production never followed.

In limited action, he hit:

• .194 batting average
• .212 on-base percentage
• 0 home runs
• 10 strikeouts in 33 plate appearances

That lack of impact ultimately led to his DFA.

A Specialist Looking to Rebound

While his recent numbers are underwhelming, Grichuk’s track record suggests there’s still value—especially in a matchup-specific role. From 2022–2024, he was one of the most productive hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching, posting:

• .317 average
• .367 OBP
• .573 slugging percentage

He also racked up:

• 25 home runs
• 34 doubles
• 4 triples

That’s the version of Grichuk the White Sox are betting on.

A Low-Risk Move for Chicago

For the White Sox, this is a classic low-risk, potential-reward signing. Grichuk brings veteran experience, power potential, and a clear role against left-handed pitching. If he regains his previous form, he could quickly become a valuable piece in the lineup.

If not, the commitment is minimal. Randal Grichuk didn’t find his footing in New York. But in Chicago, he gets another shot. And for a player with a proven ability to mash left-handed pitching, it might not take much for this move to pay off.

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Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher may have been team-mates for England - but there is clearly no love lost between the former centre-backs based on a social media spat.

At club level they were rivals in the early 2000s, with Ferdinand at Manchester United and Carragher at Liverpool, and both are vocal supporters of their former clubs across various media.

Before the sides' meeting on Sunday, Ferdinand wrote on Twitter 'caption this'.

The picture was of Ferdinand and United team-mates celebrating Mikael Silvestre's winner in a September 2004 meeting - in front of a dejected Carragher.

It was Ferdinand's first game back after an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test.

Carragher - on this seeing this post - replied saying: "Not like you to make sure you were in the picture of someone else's goal.

"You now carry on this ritual by hanging around mixed zones bothering star players & asking your lackeys to film it!"

Carragher was referring to former TNT pundit Ferdinand's YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents.

On said podcast later, Ferdinand recorded a video saying: "I thought it was really, really harsh.

"I just put a picture of us celebrating a goal. I've scored a couple of goals in these games against Liverpool, but I didn't put one I scored in."

Ferdinand netted twice for United against Liverpool, both in 2006 at Old Trafford.

"I put one I was celebrating," Ferdinand continued. "I love celebrating, and he tried to really hammer me. I don't understand why. I don't know what it is that's rubbed him up the wrong way.

"He spat his dummy out. He was spitting feathers."

Ferdinand then paused for a bit, leading some to suggest his wording there alluded to Carragher spitting from his car towards a girl in another vehicle after Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League loss at Manchester United in 2018, an incident which led to him being suspended by Sky Sports.

The ex-West Ham and Leeds player then carried on: "He used to be a team-mate of mine with England. He used to carry my wash bag. He used to carry my boots sometimes, like when he didn't get changed and was in the stands.

"But I thought we'd always got on. I've known him since we were schoolboys."

Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford in Sunday's game.

"He's going to be even more upset now, isn't he?" added Ferdinand.

"They've just been beaten. But this game affects people's emotions and makes people react differently."

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