Sports
Cade Cunningham takes huge superstar step by saving Pistons from first-round upset
This first-round series against the Orlando Magic was a major test in the rapidly ascending career of Cade Cunningham, and he passed it with flying colors. For the first time in his five NBA seasons, Cunningham is headed to the second round of the playoffs after the Pistons defeated Orlando, 116-94, in Game 7 on Sunday.
This was dicey for the Pistons, who were in pure survival mode in this series. When they went down 3-1, they looked all but finished in a particularly problematic matchup against one of the only teams that can match the Pistons’ defense and physicality. Only two factors provided real hope of a comeback: Orlando’s painfully poor offense and Cunningham. Both came through.
Outside of Paolo Banchero, Orlando’s offense was utterly inept in Game 7 and for most of the series overall. You could’ve pulled a fan out of the stands to shoot better than Jalen Suggs. Meanwhile, Cunningham was incredible, particularly when Detroit’s margin for error shrank to zero.
It goes way beyond the numbers, but that’s where we’ll start. With it all on the line, Cunningham became the first player in history to record at least 30 points, 10 assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers in a Game 7, and he cleared those filters comfortably with 32 points, 12 assists and four 3-pointers on Sunday.
Cade vs. elimination
|
Game 5 |
45 |
13-23 |
14-14 |
|
Game 6 |
32 |
10-23 |
10-12 |
|
Game 7 |
32 |
10-18 |
8-10 |
For the series, Cunningham averaged 32.4 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only other player who averaged 30 points through the first round). The Pistons won his minutes by 49 points, and lost his bench minutes by 16.
Over the final three elimination games, Cunningham scored 109 points. It’s tied for the most a player has ever scored in Games 5-7 of a series while overcoming a 3-1 deficit, along with LeBron James (109 points in the 2016 Finals vs. Golden State) and Jamal Murray (109 points in 2020 vs. Utah in the first round).
In Game 6, with the Magic leading by as many as 24 and appearing well on their way to becoming the seventh No. 8 seed in history to upset a No. 1 seed, Cunningham proceeded to outscore the Magic 24-19 by himself in the second half.
It’s easy for people to drop the “this is what superstars do” line in moments like this, but the truth is, very few superstars actually do what Cunningham just did. Last season the Pistons were playing with house money. In these playoffs, Detroit is expected to contend. That’s a different animal. And there isn’t a single player in these playoffs with more on his shoulders than Cunningham.
Give Tobias Harris his flowers (30 points with five 3-pointers in Game 7, and 22 and 8 for the series), but for all intents and purposes, the Pistons were pretty exposed as a one-man show in this series.
The Magic are a nasty, pressure defensive team, and the Pistons, devoid of any real shooting threat, did not force them to space out. As a result, Cunningham basically had 10 eyeballs, and multiple bodies, on him at every turn and still managed to pull 227 points and 50 assists out of these rugby-scrum possessions.
You largely excuse his 41 turnovers in this series because of how much he had to do and how much pressure he was under while doing it. It wasn’t always efficient for the same reasons, but in the end he finished with a true-shooting percentage north of 60 and was 40% from 3.
Even in the stretches when nothing was going right, he never lost his poise or compromised his pace; if anything, that is what superstars do. He kept attacking the paint. Kept working himself to the free-throw line, where he was 62 for 74 for the series. When it counted, his shot was pure. He finished 11 for his last 19 from deep.
“We built a lot of momentum going into these playoffs, and to lose in the first round would have really stung,” Cunningham said following Game 7. “It would have stung the city. The city has gotten more and more excited about this team, and we feel the love, so we wanted to perform.”
Suffice it to say, Cunningham performed. And he’ll have to continue to do so if the Pistons are going to get past Cleveland in the conference semifinals. Hopefully Jalen Duren rediscovers his offensive juice, and as a whole the Pistons are able to provide Cunningham with more proper support, but no matter what happens, from here on out Detroit will have the best player on the floor in Eastern Conference series it enters.
That counts for a lot.
Think of it this way: Cunningham has now seen by far the toughest defense in the Magic he’ll see the rest of the way through the East, so in that sense things get considerably easier from here. Don’t be surprised if the Pistons take off after escaping this upset. Again, Orlando was like playing their twin. Against Cleveland, and potentially New York or Philly, they can get back to winning bully-ball style.
This was a huge step for Detroit. And for Cunningham, as he continues to force his way into the top-tier of the superstar conversation. He isn’t a finalist for MVP, but he’s an MVP-caliber player. He proved that all season. And he definitely proved that in this series.
Sports
IPL 2026 | Reality check for SRH: Strong start goes in vain as KKR cruise to third win on the trot
HYDERABAD : It was as if Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins had a premonition of the seven–wicket defeat when he said, “it’s very unlikely we’re going to win every single game for the rest of the season,” at the toss.
For, the toss was the only thing that went right for the hosts, as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ spin twins Varun Chakravarthy (3/36) and Sunil Narine (2/31) did the rest on a very hot day when the players would have been excused if they wanted to be someplace else than the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium.
The raucous cheers of the Sunday crowd as the Sunrisers cruised to 71/1 in the powerplay — identical for both teams — was soon silenced as Chakravarthy, back in the side after being the impact player in the previous match, derailed the innings by dismissing Travis Head (61; 28b, 9×4, 3×6).
Chakravarthy, who conceded 29 in the first two overs, turned on the screws in his second spell of 2-0-7-2 as the Sunrisers lost eight wickets for 58 runs to collapse between overs 11 and 19 and be dismissed for 165. It was way below par — KKR replied with 169/3 — and bucked the trend of the last three matches between the teams since 2025, when the team batting first scored upwards of 200 and won by margins of 80, 110 and 65 runs.
The 61-run stand for the second wicket between Head and Ishan Kishan (42; 29b, 4×4, 2×6) was the sole bright spot for the Sunrisers and a reality check, if they needed after five consecutive wins, of a soft underbelly that their middle order is when Heinrich Klaasen fails to come good.
The South African mainstay of the SRH batting fell to a stunning onehanded catch by Rovman Powell, diving full length to his right at midwicket after Klaasen carted Cameron Green for 10 in the previous two deliveries, and with an indisposed Nitish Reddy missing, the back end of the innings lacked the drive that took them to 107/2 at the halfway stage.
The KKR batters complemented the excellent show of their bowlers on a strip tailormade for batting. Impact player Finn Allen, who replaced fellow New Zealander Tim Seifert in the XI, missed out after smashing Cummins for 27 runs in the fourth over but skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s calm presence was all that Kolkata needed as they chased down the target in 18.2 overs for their third straight victory.
Though the skipper fell for 43 (36b, 4×4, 1×6) on threshold of victory, his 84–run (66b) partnership for the second wicket with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (59; 47b, 5×4, 2×6) ensured there were no more hiccups.
Apr 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox were one win away Sunday from reaching a pivotal milestone in their long rebuild.
But the White Sox will get a chance to again get within a game of .500 on Monday night when they visit the skidding Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series.
Davis Martin (4-1, 1.95 ERA) is slated to start for the White Sox against Jose Soriano (5-1, 0.84) in a battle of right-handers enjoying breakout seasons.
Both teams suffered losses Sunday afternoon. The visiting White Sox missed a chance to complete a sweep of the San Diego Padres as they fell 4-3 in the finale of a three-game series.
The host Angels squandered an early lead and fell to the New York Mets 5-1 in the rubber game of a three-game set.
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the White Sox, who never trailed in the first two games of the series while outscoring the Padres 12-2. Chicago had a chance to extend its surge in the ninth inning Sunday when Tristan Peters singled off All-Star closer Mason Miller with two outs and stole second but Miller struck out Luisangel Acuna.
The loss cost the White Sox (16-18) a chance to move to .500 but did little to diminish the internal confidence that they’re ready to become contenders. Chicago, whose 178-342 record since the start of 2023 is the worst in the majors, has not been at .500 beyond the sixth game of a season since it ended the 2022 campaign at 81-81.
“They believe in each other, they believe in themselves,” White Sox manager Will Venable said, “We’ve just got to continue to battle and, as we continue to just play good baseball, we continue to develop that belief. So, a good series for us.” While the White Sox might finally be ready to turn a corner, the struggles continue for the Angels, whose 10 consecutive losing seasons and 11-season playoff drought are each the longest active streaks in baseball.
The Angels have lost 12 of 14 following an 11-10 start. The only team with a worse record is the Mets. Los Angeles has scored three runs or fewer in 11 of its last 14 games. The Angels didn’t get a runner beyond first Sunday after Jorge Soler’s first-inning RBI single.
“Offensively, we’ve all dialed in to what our approach is going to be,” said Jo Adell, who hit into an inning-ending double play immediately after Soler’s single. “We’re just going to continue to show up and do what we do.”
Martin and Soriano are opposing each other for the second straight start. Martin earned the victory last Tuesday night, when he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings as the White Sox began their winning streak by beating the Angels 5-2. He has given up two runs or fewer in each of his last five starts.
Soriano suffered his first loss of the season after giving up three runs over five innings. He entered Tuesday having allowed just one run over 37 2/3 innings in his first six starts.
Martin is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Angels. Soriano is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three games (two starts) against the White Sox.
–Field Level Media
Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara praised the all-round performance of Jason Holder after Gujarat Titans (GT) secured a four-wicket win over table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night. Speaking on Star Sports, Pujara highlighted Holder’s contributions with both bat and ball, underlining how the West Indies all-rounder had influenced the outcome of the high-pressure encounter.
“The way Jason Holder has made an impact on this team, both with the bat and the ball, has been impressive. He contributed to key wickets, including the important dismissal of Shreyas Iyer. Overall, his presence has taken the team to a different level,” JioStar expert Pujara said.
The former India batter further emphasised Holder’s value in the GT line-up, particularly in addressing concerns around the middle-order batting. Holder’s versatility to bat at number five, six, or seven was noted as a key factor in providing balance and stability to the side.
“GT had some concerns around the middle-order batting, and his flexibility to bat at No. 5, 6, or 7 adds great balance to the side,” Pujara added.
Coming to the contest, GT defeated table toppers PBKS by four wickets in a last-over thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium, powered by Jason Holder’s four-wicket haul and crucial knocks from Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar.
PBKS posted 163/9 after recovering from an early collapse through a 79-run stand between Suryansh Shedge (57) and Marcus Stoinis (40), but Holder’s 4/24 restricted them.
In reply, GT chased down 164 in 19.5 overs despite losing early wickets, with Sudharsan anchoring the innings with 57 and Sundar finishing unbeaten on 40, sealing the win with a six. The victory moved GT to sixth place with 12 points, while PBKS remained on top of the table with 13 points.
Holder won the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his match-defining bowling figures of 4/24 in 4 overs. Holder claimed the wickets of PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are expected to fight in a matter of months and now Joshua’s former trainer Robert Garcia has laid out his prediction for the clash, believing that a statement stoppage could be on the cards.
Joshua continued with amateur trainer Rob McCracken when he made the switch to the professional scene, but appointed Garcia as his lead cornerman for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, after suffering a second career defeat under McCracken’s tutelage in his first encounter with the Ukrainian.
Although, despite the trainer switch, ‘AJ’ came up short once again in his rematch with Usyk, leading the Londoner to switch to Derrick James for his fight with Jermaine Franklin and then to Ben Davison for four fights thereafter – until a devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois.
For his scrap with Jake Paul, Joshua teamed up with Iegor Golub, who also coaches Usyk, and it seems as though the two-time world champion will remain with Golub for his fights against Kristian Prenga and Fury during the second-half of the 2026 calendar.
Speaking with ESNEWS, Garcia looked ahead to the long-awaited fight and warned that Joshua will knock ‘The Gyspy King’ out cold if he is able to land the right-hand, anticipating a Joshua win, as long as he is mentally ready for a fight of such magnitude.
“If AJ is mentally ready, I think that AJ has the skills and the power to win. He has the right-hand to knock him out, but he has got to be mentally and physically 100%. Physically, I know that he is always ready, AJ is always in shape.
“He trains hard, he was dedicated when I was with him for a few months, but Fury is a street guy. He doesn’t give a f**k. He could come in heavy, fat, but he is still a going to give a good fight.”
“[With] that right-hand, if AJ lands, he will knock him out cold. And, he [Fury] gets hit with a lot of right-hand’s.”
Joshua fights Albania’s Prenga on Saturday, July 25, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will look to show further improvements following additional time training with Team Usyk.
The world’s top tennis players have expressed their “deep and collective disappointment” at the prize money on offer at this year’s Roland Garros.
While French Open organisers have announced an increase of 9.5 per cent in total prize money for this year’s tournament, rising to an overall pot of €61.7m (£53.7m), several leading players from the men’s and women’s top 10 continue to be frustrated.
The group of star players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, have long argued that they should receive a greater percentage of the revenues generated by the four grand slam tournaments and were similarly disappointment by the prize money at this year’s Australian Open.
According to the group, their share of the overall revenue generated by Roland Garros is projected to decline to 14.3 per cent this year. In recent years, the players have pushed for that figure to be closer to the 22 per cent received at mixed events on the ATP and WTA Tours with equal prize money, such as Indian Wells and this month’s Italian Open.
In response, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said a decision had been made to focus prize money increases on “players who exit the tournament in the early rounds of the main draw and the qualifying stages”. Figures released by Roland Garros reveal an increase of around 11 per cent for the first three rounds of the main draw, compared to a 9.8 per cent increase for the singles champions.
A statement from the players said: “As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create. More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year. There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within grand slam decision making.
“While other major international sports are modernising governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the grand slams remain resistant to change. The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.
“The players who were signatories to the initial campaign remain united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed. They will continue to advocate for constructive dialogue and for reforms that ensure the long-term health and integrity of professional tennis.”
*2025 US Open: £66.3m (champions: £3.74m) 2026 Australian Open: £55.5m (champions: £2.1m)
2026 Roland Garros: £53.7m (champions: £2.4m)
*2025 Wimbledon: £53.5m (champions: £3m)
Total prize money at the four grand slam tournaments
The players initially outlined their proposals in letters to the four grand slams in March last year, detailing their desire for the major tournament to start contributing to a player welfare fund, supporting pensions, healthcare and maternity leave, and for more consultation with tournaments around matters such as scheduling.
Last season, Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff were among the players to meet with the grand slams at Roland Garros but there was further frustration last autumn when further discussions were delayed. Ben Shelton, the world No 6 and top-ranked American man, told The Independent that players are “at the bottom” when prize money as a percentage of revenue was compared to other sports.
The FFT said the increase of prize money at this year’s French Open “reflects a sustained commitment to increasing player compensation over time”.
It added: “Beyond prize money, the Roland-Garros model is based on a specific economic framework. The FFT is a non-profit organization. All revenues generated by the tournament are reinvested into the Roland-Garros tournament, as well as the development of tennis in France and internationally.
“This includes direct support for the development of the sport at grassroot level, training and pathway programs, strong commitment to women’s tennis, inclusive tennis and wheelchair tennis, as well as significant contributions to international tennis development through the ITF.
“The FFT has also recently invested more than €400m in the Roland-Garros infrastructure, notably to significantly enhance player conditions and on-site services.
“Finally, the FFT remains fully committed to ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders in global tennis, including speaking directly with individual players. It will continue working to improve overall player conditions, in line with its responsibilities and its model.”
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is not getting carried away despite his side taking a major step towards Premier League safety with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
Spurs put in their best performance of the season to claim three crucial points at Villa Park, thanks to first-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison.
They look a different side under De Zerbi, registering back-to-back league victories for the first time since August, and are now favourites to beat the drop.
The north London club leapfrogged West Ham in the table and with a home game to come against Leeds, after the Hammers host Arsenal, their position could be even rosier next week.
But the Italian has called for balance, with three games to go.
“I am very happy for the performance, we won a great game against a great Aston Villa,” the Italian said.
“They had to play Thursday, a very important game for them, but this is always very tough playing against (Unai) Emery, against this Villa in this stadium.
“For that I am really pleased, it was a good performance with the ball, without the ball. Without the ball we showed great courage and we showed great qualities.
“I am happy for this type of performance more than three points. We are one point more than West Ham but the most important thing is to play a great game and believe more and more in ourselves and believe in our qualities.
“The crucial thing now is keeping our head of what was the situation before the Wolverhampton game. This is the most important memory to keep in our head.
“In football it is very easy to change, if you lose, you are stupid. If you win, you are a champion.
“No, you have to find a balance. We have to work this week because Leeds is a very tough game.
“We have to remember in ourselves what we have done in the past.”
Spurs were fortunate to come up against a Villa side who produced their worst display of the season, with their attention clearly on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
Indeed, Villa were so bad they scored in the sixth minute of time added on with their only effort on target, with Emiliano Buendia heading home.
Villa boss Emery defended his team selection, having made seven changes from the side that lost at Forest on Thursday.
“We lost on Thursday and we lost last week against Fulham, different players, different matches,” he said.
“We analysed a lot of things about the players playing in the starting XI. Maybe it is better to play with the same players but we lost (the last two matches).
“Before the match I knew my challenge, it was to win with some changes, but I believe in the players.
“If supporters or the media don’t believe in some of players…but (it) is not different when we are losing. I made changes against Sunderland but you were not asking, because we won.
“But I accept some criticism.”
Asked if he was disappointed with some of the performances of his players, Emery added: “No. Because those same players three months ago were winning a lot of matches in a row.
“Of course sometimes they don’t have the performance with individual quality. But I am so proud of them, so, so proud of them, how we are doing the season.”
Sports
Rohit Sharma: MI vs LSG IPL 2026: Will Rohit Sharma play today for Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants? | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: The two bottom-placed teams – Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants – will face off in an IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, both sides are desperate to turn things around and shift into top gear.Mumbai Indians, currently ninth on the table, have managed just two wins from nine matches. They head into the game after three consecutive defeats, including a heavy eight-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings.LSG, placed at the bottom, also have two wins but from eight matches. They are struggling with five straight losses, the latest being a Super Over defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders.Mumbai’s campaign has been hit by inconsistent performances from key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and captain Hardik Pandya, whose leadership has also come under scrutiny.The absence of Rohit Sharma due to a hamstring injury has further weakened the side, leaving them with little margin for error. Mumbai would ideally want Rohit back at the top of the order, but his availability for this crucial clash remains uncertain.
Will Rohit Sharma play against Lucknow Super Giants today?
Mumbai Indians have not provided any official update on Rohit’s return. The former skipper, who led the franchise to five IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020), has not played since suffering a hamstring injury nearly three weeks ago during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rohit retired hurt on 19 in that game and has since missed matches against Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.However, Rohit was seen batting in the nets ahead of the LSG clash in a video shared by Mumbai IndiansSquads:Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Keshav Maharaj, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan
Sens: Open a pathway for guys to play their way back on, with a point system that has some kind of reward for past performance. So that maybe the likes of Bryson and Rahm and Smith can compete in regular Tour events but not elevated events, which they’d still have to play their way into. The less relevant LIV guys would probably just retire rather than face that grind. And the younger guys would be left to try to earn their cards, which is what they’d probably be doing anyway.
Schrock: It’s going to have to be a case-by-case basis. As Rolapp and Jordan Spieth have noted, the PGA Tour extended an offer to Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith earlier this year and it wasn’t accepted. The next deal shouldn’t be as forgiving. Both Spieth and Rolapp also subtly mentioned the lawsuit that DeChambeau was a key plaintiff in after LIV launched in 2022. That’s a lawsuit that PGA Tour players had to pay to defend, and the road back for those who signed on to sue the Tour should be harsher than those who went to LIV quietly, like Brooks Koepka, and didn’t rock the boat. Rahm will be the interesting case. His exodus came at a time when LIV was floundering, and it gave the rebel league juice and calcified the two sides’ stances in golf’s civil conflict. That rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I’m not sure there’s an easy way to bring either of the big names back without upsetting a big portion of Tour membership, but the Tour would certainly benefit economically from reintegrating them quickly. As for the rest of LIV’s roster, some who resigned their membership, like Patrick Reed, can try to play their way back via the DP World Tour or KFT. Many will disappear with their millions and not even knock on the door at the global home. In all honesty, we’re probably talking about 15-20 players in total that decisions need to be made on.
Colgan: I’d give Bryson a path back. His presence would single-handedly change the PGA Tour’s economics, and he’s probably the only LIV player for whom that is true (Jon Rahm probably deserves consideration here as well). Everyone else would be subject to a lengthy (and expensive) return process through the Tour’s strategic partners at the DP World Tour and the KFT, or a short-term retirement.
;)
Even if LIV Golf receives alternative funding, with the substantial PIF coffers no longer available, does this end any sort of competition that was remaining with the PGA Tour?
Sens: I think so. If LIV taught us anything, it’s that the world does not need more professional golf. At least not for the money these guys think they deserve to be making. Ironically, the Tour’s real competition for eyeballs these days doesn’t come from LIV. It comes from a bunch of YouTube bros producing their own content.
The Minnesota Vikings’ roster changed a bit in the last couple of months, even if free agency wasn’t too eventful. The club let some notable veterans walk while onboarding a draft class nine men deep. And now, entering May, it’s time to rank the roster by position.
Free agency and the draft changed the depth chart. One position now stands above the rest.
From bottom to top, these are the Vikings’ stronger roster spots after the draft (No. 1 = best roster position per personnel).
Minnesota’s Best Position Group Has a New Combatant
A new position takes the crown.
11. RB
Main Commodities:
RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: Demond Claiborne
RB4: Zavier Scott
This group is not weak; it’s just the Vikings’ least promising position because Jones usually gets banged up, and the team opted not to draft a running back in the first few rounds. Unless Claiborne becomes a phenomenon, it’s “more of the same” for the Vikings at tailback.
10. TE
Main Commodities:
TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Ben Yurosek
TE4: Gavin Bartholomew
If Minnesota uses Hockenson as a pass-catcher — not a run blocker like last year — this group can be formidable again. But there’s no evidence that will actually happen.
9. iOL
Main Commodities:
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Blake Brandel
RG: Will Fries
Minnesota signed Fries a year ago — to a meaty contract — and if he had lived up to his end of the bargain in 2025, this group would rank higher. However, Fries did not do that, and fans will spend the next four months determining if he’s capable of a rebound season.
It’s worth noting, though, that this iOL group is much stronger than it was in the Mike Zimmer days. There’s that.
8. Safety
Main Commodities:
S1: Josh Metellus
S2: Jay Ward
S3: Theo Jackson
S4: Jakobe Thomas
This is four decent players — no superstars. Nobody is too scared about the safety spot, but in Brian Flores’s world, it’s a pretty milquetoast group.
It’s why mock-draft brains were so insistent on Dillon Thieneman to the Vikings for two months.
7. OLB
Main Commodities:
OLB1: Andrew Van Ginkel
OLB2: Dallas Turner
OLB3: Bo Richter
OLB4: Tyler Batty
OLB5: Chaz Chambliss
This would’ve been the deepest spot on the roster if the Vikings didn’t trade Jonathan Greenard during the draft. Tsk tsk.
Now, it’s all a matter of whether interim general manager Rob Brzezinski signs a player like Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Cameron Jordan, or Jadeveon Clowney. If so, this spot can return near the top of the list.
6. CB
Main Commodities:
CB1: Byron Murphy Jr.
CB2: Isaiah Rodgers
CB3: James Pierre
CB4: Charles Demmings
With Pierre and Demmings in the mix, the CB room is much better than last year, when the Vikings decided Jeff Okudah was a smart choice as the CB3.
Still, this section of the roster lacks a shutdown cornerback, ideally a young one like Mansoor Delane would’ve provided if he fell down the draftboard.
5. QB
Main Commodities:
QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Carson Wentz
Without Murray, this spot would rank last on the list. But that’s irrelevant because Murray is indeed the Vikings’ QB1.
This group can also become the deepest position on the roster if the summer and/or fall reveal that McCarthy has taken the next development step.
4. WR
Main Commodities:
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Tai Felton
WR4: Myles Price
If the Vikings lock Jauan Jennings in with a free-agent contract, even if it’s only for one year, this becomes the top position on the roster. Simple as that. He’s that good, and the roster needs a WR3 that much.
3. iDL
Main Commodities:
DT1: Jalen Redmond
DT2: Caleb Banks
DE3: Domonique Orange
DE4: Levi Drake Rodriguez
DE5: Tyrion-Ingram Dawkins
One could make an argument for this as the Vikings’ deepest roster spot. It would be believable. Nevertheless, for that to be completely true, we probably have to, you know, see Banks and Orange play NFL football first.
2. OT
Main Commodities:
LT1: Christian Darrisaw
RT1: Brian O’Neill
OT3: Ryan Van Demark
OT4: Caleb Tiernan
OT5: Walter Rouse
OT6: Blake Brandel
This group is utterly fantastic if you’re into the Vikings having offensive tackle depth. In years past, believe it or not, it wasn’t guaranteed.
Anytime an offensive line has Darrisaw and O’Neill as the starters, the unit is in great shape. The rest — Van Demark, Tiernan, Rouse, and Brandel — make this a phenomenal spot for the 2026 Vikings.
1. ILB
Main Commodities:
ILB1: Blake Cashman
ILB2: Eric Wilson
ILB3: Ivan Pace Jr.
ILB4: Jake Golday
This transformation of depth at this position in the last few months is remarkable. In mid-January, Wilson was scheduled for free agency; so was Pace Jr. Golday wasn’t a thing yet, and Minnesota — for some reason — had released rookies Kobe King and Austin Keys down the stretch of 2025.
In fact, the Vikings looked a bit foolish for roster management at ILB.
Now, if one assumes that Golday is not a bust, this roster spot is arguably the Vikings’ deepest. It does not have All-Pro talent, but the four main off-ball linebackers can be trusted to start in a pinch. That’s pretty rare for Vikings football — and the NFL on the whole.
May 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) handles the puck under pressure from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel (59) during the second period in game seven of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Alex Newhook broke a third-period tie with the game-winning goal to give the visiting Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Nick Suzuki also scored for the Canadiens, who were outshot 29-9 and outplayed for much of the deciding game, but now face the Buffalo Sabres, who finished atop the Atlantic Division, in a best-of-seven second-round series that begins Wednesday in Buffalo.
The Canadiens set a Stanley Cup playoff record for fewest shots on goal in a win, per Sportsnet.
Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves, standing especially tall while Tampa Bay peppered him with shots in the second period.
“I feel we are such a good team, no matter what the situation or circumstances, we’ll find a way to win,” Dobes said. “Now we’ve got to go to Buffalo. We cannot get satisfied, we have to keep going. I’m really excited about the second round.”
With overtime on the horizon, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped a point shot, sending the puck bounding to the end boards. But Newhook batted it out of the air toward the front of the cage, banking it off Vasilevskiy and into the cage for his first goal of this year’s playoffs with 8:53 remaining in regulation.
Montreal had last won a series in 2021, the year the Canadiens lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final.
“It feels amazing,” Suzuki said. “We had a lot of dark days after (going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021) and going into the rebuild. This moment definitely makes up for a lot of it and we want to keep this journey going.”
Dominic James scored for the Lightning, who were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.
“You don’t get any younger, that’s for sure,” Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel said. “Listen, I got one goal on my mind and one goal on my mind every single year … I just want to win.”
Vasilevskiy stopped seven of nine shots in the game.
The Canadiens opened the scoring on the game’s first big break. Suzuki netted his first goal of the series when he deflected Kaiden Guhle’s point shot off Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and into the net at 18:39 of the opening frame. James tied the game with a deflection tally of his own, tipping a Charle-Edouard D’Astous point shot for a power-play marker at 13:27 of the second period.
The Canadiens failed to register a shot on goal in the middle period, even with two power plays, while the Lightning fired 12 on the Montreal net in the period. It is the first time the Canadiens failed to net a shot on goal in a period during the playoffs since shots were counted in 1955-56.
The Canadiens finally put a puck on net more than five minutes into the third period, going nearly 27 minutes between shots. That sparked Montreal to gain some momentum and eventually Newhook’s winning goal.
The Lightning pushed, and even pulled the goalie for the extra attacker with more than two minutes remaining, but could not find the equalizer. “It’s not the movies,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s not something where you can retake it and get the scene right. It is live theater right there in front of you and you never know what is going to happen. That is why it’s unbelievable to be a part of, to be a part of something like this, but it damn well stings when you are on the wrong side of it.”
Montreal benefited from the return of defenseman Noah Dobson, who had been out since being hit in the left hand by a slap shot April 11. Dobson blocked a shot with his right hand in the waning minutes of regulation.
–Field Level Media
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