That was it for the Spurs. They all knew it. At a minimum, they needed a big Victor Wembanyama performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday. He delivered. They needed someone else to do so as well. Down 2-0 against the Knicks. At Madison Square Garden. Do or die. Stephon Castle did. The Spurs didn’t die.
You could point out any number of massive moments for Castle in what has been a series of endless pressure for both teams, but his big bucket and free throws late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 were the stuff that you’d expect from veterans, not a 21-year-old. He wasn’t fazed. If anything, Castle seemed to welcome the responsibility.
The Spurs were clinging to a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter and were desperate to find another bucket, to avoid blowing a lead yet again, as they had in the first two games. The shot clock was winding down. Wembanyama tried to take Karl-Anthony Towns off the dribble, then had second thoughts. Instead, Wemby threw an awkward, twisting pass to Castle and all but begged him to bail out the Spurs. Castle obliged.
That 3 alone would have been reason enough for his teammates to throw him a salute and thank him for his service. But with 6.8 seconds remaining and the Spurs lead cut to two points, Castle went to the line for two critical free throws. He shot 73.4% there this season, and he’s upped that to 81.1% in the playoffs. Pretty good. But improved numbers only get you so far. Imagine the weight of being that young and knowing that knocking down both gets you another game, and doing anything short of that might very well end your season with the way the Spurs have struggled to close out the first two games. If Castle was thinking about any of that, he didn’t let the MSG crowd or anyone else see him sweat.
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Castle played it cool after the game, too. He went for 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. He committed just two turnovers. He made 8 of his 14 shots, including two 3s, and drained 5 of 6 free throws. And then after all that he sat on the courtside set with the Inside the NBA guys — all of them legends — and calmly answered questions like he didn’t just make three of the biggest shots of his life when his storied franchise needed it most and all eyes everywhere were firmly fixed on him. The postgame poise alone was impressive.
Without Castle having the most important game of his young career at such a critical moment, the Spurs would be cooked. Maybe they still will fall short in this series, but, at the very least, they prevented the Knicks from feasting on them late for a third straight game. That’s not nothing. Here’s something else: however this series ultimately resolves itself, San Antonio knows that it has a killer young core that will make the Spurs a living nightmare for the rest of the league for the foreseeable future. Dylan Harper, at 20, is already so far ahead of the curve that it almost feels unfair. And Wembanyama is Wembanyama. But Castle emerging as a monster two-way force — a guy who has All-Defense-level talent in him along with a developing no-fear offensive game — is perhaps the secret sauce. What he’ll be two or three years from now boggles the mind. What he already is isn’t much easier to process.
When the Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox a little over a year ago, the idea was to pair him with Wemby and fast-track the San Antonio rebuild. But with respect to Fox — who hit the biggest shot of his career in the fourth quarter on Monday evening — he’s already been supplanted by his two young teammates. Maybe Harper ends up being the better of the two, and he’s certainly had plenty of big moments this postseason, but in Game 3 it was Castle who picked up as much weight as he could carry and helped Wembanyama lift the Spurs to a victory. Together, they became the first teammates in NBA history 22 years old or younger to both go for 20 or more points in the NBA Finals.
Castle played through contact to find Wemby several times. And he made some contact of his own when he steamrolled Jalen Brunson, much to the displeasure of Knicks fans. Through it all, throughout the game, he looked like a veteran in both body and mindset. And when it was all done, he shrugged it off the way you’d want from a professional who’s going about his business and knows the job is far from over. The Spurs had just won a massive game on the road to climb back into the series and make the Knicks think twice about their pending parade, and this kid who is barely out of college said he felt “like we haven’t done anything yet.” Castle was right. The Spurs still have plenty to do — but that’s only the case because Castle did plenty in Game 3.
Victor Wembanyama’s aggression on the court was once again called into question as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks played Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
During the first half, Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson was trying to guard Wembanyama near the free throw line when the 7-foot-4 center put his hand on the back of Brunson’s head and shoved him to the court.
However, Wembanyama was never called for the foul and play continued with the Knicks in possession of the ball.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks works against Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026.(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Brunson immediately got into Wembanyama’s face, and it appeared the Frenchman was smiling before the point guard got back to business.
The incident was similar to one that occurred in Game 2’s win for the Knicks on the road, when Brunson’s backup, Jose Alvarado, went to box out Wembanyama. Alvarado, who has comparable stature to Brunson, was wrapped up by Wembanyama and thrown away from the play.
The Spurs are known for their physicality, but many believed that Wemby should’ve been called for fouls in these cases.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoots a three-point basket over Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter of Game Three in the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026.(Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
San Antonio started this game red-hot, owning an 11-point lead after the first quarter, 33-22. But these Knicks have consistently shown their ability to come back no matter the deficit.
After a second quarter run, the Knicks ended the locker room with a seven-point lead at halftime.
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Brunson was a main reason why that was the case, going 5-of-11 from the field for 15 points with three assists and one rebound.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama looks on during the second quarter of game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
As for Wembanyama, he was an efficient 6-of-10 from the field for 15 points of his own, while hauling in four rebounds and dishing out three assists.
The Spurs are trying to avoid a brutal 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series, while the Knicks are hoping they can keep momentum in the second half to have the chance at a sweep in their own building on Wednesday night in Game 4.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacts during Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
NEW YORK — Knicks coach Mike Brown criticized the officiating in Game 3 of the NBA Finals after the San Antonio Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half to New York’s eight.
“I never thought I’d see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight,” Brown said.
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The Spurs won 115-111 on Monday night to cut the Knicks’ lead in the series to 2-1. It was New York’s first loss in 46 days, ending a 13-game postseason winning streak.
Brown credited the Spurs for their performance and listed some things the Knicks did poorly. But he said the officiating made a difference in the game.
“San Antonio is a great team. They are a great team, OK. It’s going to lower our odds big time, big time, if we play Game 4 and in the second half, they get 24 free-throw attempts to our eight. Maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.
“There were a lot of things that we didn’t do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2,” Brown added. “But to go 24 free-throw attempts in the second half, that’s 48 for the game, if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free-throw attempts.”
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Mikal Bridges had to go to the bench early after picking up two quick fouls and Jalen Brunson had to do the same in the third quarter when he picked up his fourth. The Spurs shot 14 free throws in the third quarter to the Knicks’ three.
“There are a lot of things we can do better and we are going to have to do better, but the same breath, like I said, hopefully they will see some more fouls called against them, so it’s not 24-8,” Brown said. “This is a four-point ballgame. Four-point ballgame. One-possession ballgame going down the stretch. It’s tough to overcome.”
The Spurs finished 25 for 32 for the game, while the Knicks were 18 for 22. Told about Brown’s comments, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said the referees weren’t the problem.
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“That didn’t cost us the game,” he said. “Turned the ball over. Didn’t execute. Didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins in a row. That’s how you lose a game.”
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The home team in the NBA Finals remained winless in their building, as the San Antonio Spurs took Game 3, 115-11, in much-needed fashion on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
New York still owns the lead, 2-1, in the series, but the Spurs closed out thanks to tremendous defense, timely buckets, and forcing the Knicks to go 2-of-12 from three-point territory in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Knicks’ 13-game playoff win streak has been snapped.
Victor Wembanyama, who had a chance to win Game 2 but missed his final shot, finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026.(Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
But it was Wembanyama’s teammates, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle putting in clutch baskets, to help the winning efforts.
The Spurs came out with a clear determination to set the tone on the road, and it’s what all basketball fans should’ve expected considering where the series stood at tip-off. San Antonio owned an 11-point lead after the first quarter, as Wembanyama scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Castle was a perfect 3-of-3 for seven points.
But if there’s anything we’ve learned about the Knicks, they will mount a comeback no matter the deficit. And it happened again before the end of the half.
New York started to get their rhythm, using the sold-out home crowd at Madison Square Garden to their advantage. They closed out the half with a seven-point lead, 64-57, as OG Anunoby dropped 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including two made threes and five free throws made.
Jalen Brunson also poured in 15 points, while Josh Hart, left wide open on purpose by the Spurs, was hitting his three pointers for 13 points.
The Knicks had all the momentum heading into the second half, but the Spurs started similarly to the beginning of this game. They forced turnovers and capitalized, erasing their seven-point deficit almost immediately.
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks works against Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026.(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Both teams traded buckets, with San Antonio taking a one-point lead into the fourth quarter that was bound to be a heavyweight bout at “The Mecca.”
This time, though, the Spurs were finally able to hang on to their fourth-quarter lead, as the Knicks quickly got into foul trouble and allowed San Antonio to get into the bonus right away. It was Wembanyama taking advantage of those, while the Knicks were cold to start the quarter.
San Antonio got the lead up to eight in the fourth quarter with 4:50 left to play after Wembanyama knocked in two more free throws, and that was leading to some key defensive plays for the Spurs. The epitome of that was the Knicks trying to move the ball around for a three-point attempt, swinging it along the arc. But the Spurs continued to close out, all to end with Wembanyama swatting away Landry Shamet’s layup attempt.
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The first clutch basket that the Spurs hit came from Castle with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter. San Antonio owned just a four-point lead and Wembanyama past the ball up with mere seconds left on the shot clock. With a good contest from the Knicks in Castle’s face, he buried a deep three-point on the wing to get the lead back to seven in a moment where the Knicks had momentum.
Then, after Brunson drained the Knicks’ first three-pointer of the quarter to cut the deficit to three, Fox drained a 15-foot stepback jumper that seemed like a dagger with 12.2 left in the game.
Anunoby, who finished with 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting, kept the Knicks’ hopes alive with a three of his own following a timeout to cut it to two with 9.4 left. But Castle buried both free throws in a much-needed situation to close the door on New York.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks defends Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter of Game 3 in the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026.(Al Bello/Getty Images)
In the end, Castle finished with 23 point of 8-of-14 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, while every Spurs starter finished the game with double-digit points. Dylan Harper, who has played tremendous bench minutes for San Antonio, also scored 13 on 18 shot attempts.
For the Knicks, one stat line that stands out is Shamet’s 1-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point land where he has thrived all throughout these playoffs.
The Spurs pulled off the win with President Donald Trump in attendance. He was seated with Knicks owner James Dolan in a suite. The president’s presence led to heightened security around the arena throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals will tip off from Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Coming into the NBA Finals, it was fair to assume the San Antonio Spurs would draw more whistles than the New York Knicks. In the 2025-26 regular season, the Spurs averaged 3.6 more free-throw attempts per game than their opponents, while the Knicks averaged 1.4 fewer than their opponents. New York has improved in the postseason, but San Antonio still has a better free-throw margin, and that has proven out through the first three games.
Despite the extended data, officiating has become one of the stories of these NBA Finals. In the first two games, the Spurs attempted 19 more free throws than the Knicks, excluding attempts taken by Mitchell Robinson upon being intentionally fouled. This discrepancy persisted into Game 3. While the Knicks attempted six more first-half free throws than the Spurs, the visitors had a 24-8 advantage at the charity stripe in the second half.
Knicks coach Mike Brown was not happy. While he acknowledged that his team has plenty to clean up on its own merits, he devoted the first three minutes or so of his post-game press conference to officiating.
“I will say this: I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight,” Brown said. “I don’t think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attempts. San Antonio is a great team. They are a great team, OK. It’s going to lower our odds big time, big time, if we play Game 4, and in the second half, they get 24 free throw attempts to our eight.
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“Maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.”
Brown continued: “[Karl-Anthony Towns] gets the ball off of a loose-ball rebound and he shoots it, and he gets whacked across the arm, and they hit the ball, and it goes out of bounds on the baseline. There’s no foul. There were opportunities for fouls to be called, to at least try to even the free throws out.
“Now, we didn’t play good. San Antonio played great. We could have played better. There was a lot of things that we didn’t do that we did in Game 1 and Game 2. But to go 24 free throw attempts in the second half, that’s 48 for the game if you think about the way they called that second half, compared to eight. All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free throw attempts.
“Again, I don’t complain much. I never thought I’d see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight. That’s tough to overcome when you’re playing against a great team. Having said that, again, San Antonio won the game. I’m giving their head coach and their players a lot of credit. [Victor Wembanyama] played great. Stephon Castle played great. I could go down the line. [De’Aaron] Fox hit a big shot late. But as a team, if you take away the fouls and the free throws that should have, in my opinion, been a little bit more even, again maybe we fouled that many times but they fouled, too. And it’s not shown at the end of the day on this box score.”
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Free-throw margin in 2026 NBA Finals
Excluding intentional fouls on Mitchell Robinson
Game 1
25
18
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Spurs +7
Game 2
27
15
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Spurs +12
Game 3
32
22
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Spurs +10
The specific play Brown mentioned involving KAT could refer to one of two shot attempts that came on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. With less than 3 minutes remaining, Towns picks up a loose ball off a Jalen Brunson shot that was blocked, but gets blocked out of bounds himself when he tries to score on a layup. When the Knicks next inbound the ball, Towns is again blocked at the rim and is visibly upset by the lack of whistle.
Though Brown did not directly reference it, there has been quite a bit of frustration among Knicks fans about what seems to be a different level of physicality the Spurs have been allowed to play with. Most notably, Wembanyama appears to have gotten away with several plays that should have been whistled for fouls … and possibly reviewed as flagrants.
On this Game 2 box out of Jose Alvarado, for instance, Wemby seemingly gets both arms around Alvarado’s neck before attempting to toss him out of the way. There was no whistle.
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And then, early in Game 3, Wembanyama got away with this strong shove to the head of Brunson.
Brunson has taken the brunt of San Antonio’s aggressive physicality. Take this play from Game 3. While pursuing a rebound, Brunson attempted to box out Castle, but Castle stuck out his elbow and ran straight through him. He was whistled for a foul, but upon review, it was only considered a common foul, not a flagrant.
As Brown noted, there was physicality on both sides. Still, there has been a feeling throughout the NBA Finals that the officials have been far quicker to whistle the Knicks than the Spurs.
Take this from Game 2 when Robinson was whistled for this soft technical foul that was later rescinded by the NBA. Remember: Game 2 was decided by a single point. There were entirely plausible scenarios in which that whistle could have swung the outcome, and undoing the call in the history books would not have changed the game’s outcome.
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Knicks players, to their credit, did not add fuel to the officiating fire. When asked about the shove from Wembanyama, Brunson merely replied, “Whatever you saw is what you saw.” When Towns was asked about the officiating, he left no doubt about his own stance. “That ain’t cost us the game,” he said.
The NBA releases a last 2-minute report on calls made late in close games, but otherwise, it only addresses calls made in the rest of the game if a flagrant or technical foul is retroactively applied or removed. NBA teams frequently send videos to the league office about calls they believe were missed or incorrectly officiated.
The Knicks will almost certainly do so after Game 3. The numbers suggested the Spurs would draw more free throws in this series than the Knicks, but at least in Brown’s mind, that margin got out of hand in the second half of Game 3.
The Athletics introduced themselves to their new home in one of the most epic games in baseball this season.
Unfortunately for fans in Las Vegas, the home team came out on the losing end.
The A’s lost 15-14 in a 12-inning instant classic to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.
The 29 combined runs were the most in an MLB game this season, as were the 11 home runs.
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The A’s led 8-3 after three innings and 10-7 after 7 but the Brewers forced extras with a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth. In the 10th inning, Milwaukee scored four times — including a three-run homer from William Contreras — and appeared to be in control but back-to-back home runs from Nick Kurtz and a pinch-hitting Jonah Heim tied the game at 14.
The Brewers ultimately scratched another run across in the 12th inning and held on for the win.
The game was the first of six games for the A’s this week in Vegas, three against the Brewers, followed by three against the Rockies. The A’s are expected to move into a new ballpark currently being built on the Las Vegas Strip for the 2028 season.
CBP confirmed on Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry.
Although the CBP statement on Monday did not explicitly name the individual, Artan is the sole World Cup referee representing Somalia.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in its statement.
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(AP)
“Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
CBP noted that all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. — including athletes, coaches and staff — are subject to CBP inspection and vetting.
“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said.
“CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”
Artan is the sole World Cup referee representing Somalia this summer (Getty)
The gold-colored pins, worn by players on their jackets upon arrival in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday, bore the number “168.”
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The number refers to the victims, predominantly children, who were killed in a February 28 strike on a school in Minab, southern Iran, an attack widely attributed to the U.S.
Iran’s embassy in Hungary on Monday acknowledged the pins in a social media post, specifically referencing Minab.
The gesture follows a similar tribute by the team in March, prior to a warmup game in Antalya, Turkey. On that occasion, players displayed pink and purple school backpacks during their national anthem, drawing attention to the same incident.
Jun 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Max Meyer (23) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The Miami Marlins have won five of their past six games. It’s their best stretch since going 5-1 to start the season.
After their initial 5-1 run, the Marlins dropped four of the next five. They hope to fare far better when they open a three-game series Tuesday night against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Miami is 20-16 at home as compared to Arizona’s 13-17 road mark. The Diamondbacks have lost seven of their last 10 overall.
All of that should give the Marlins some confidence, especially after they just took two of three games against the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Miami’s pitching staff should be in good shape because the bullpen was needed for just two innings on Sunday before Monday’s day of rest.
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The starter will be right-hander Max Meyer (6-0, 2.81 ERA), Miami’s first-round pick (third overall) in 2020. Meyer missed all of 2023 due to elbow surgery, but the 27-year-old finally is enjoying a breakthrough season. He owns a 1.045 WHIP and throws 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Marlins are 9-4 this year when starting Meyer, who is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his only appearance against Arizona.
As for the team as a whole, the metrics show the Marlins are better on the mound (ninth in the majors in WHIP) than they are in the batter’s box (21st in OPS).
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Marlins manager Clayton McCullough believes his team needs to scrap to win.
“That’s what’s required at this level,” he said. “You need to pitch well, play good defense … Offensively, you’re just looking to find whatever ways to score more runs than the other (team).”
Arizona has been struggling in that regard of late, in part due to an absence of power. The Diamondbacks have hit just 58 homers, which ranks 26th in the majors — one spot ahead of Miami.
In a sign that the Diamondbacks have diagnosed that weakness, they made a move on Sunday by signing outfielder Max Kepler. He hit 18 homers for the Phillies last year, but will be unavailable to Arizona until his MLB suspension ends on June 25. He was dinged for 80 games on Jan. 6 for testing positive for Epitrenbolone.
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While Kepler rounds into shape, Arizona comes off a 3-4 homestand that left manager Torey Lovullo with a bland feeling.
“Nothing overly alarming,” he said, “and nothing to get overly excited about.”
The Diamondbacks are just 5-8 when starting right-hander Zac Gallen (3-5, 5.32 ERA), who will get the ball on Tuesday. Arizona has lost six of Gallen’s past eight starts.
Gallen broke into the majors with Miami in 2019, going 1-3 with a 2.72 ERA. On the last day of the 2019 trade deadline, the Marlins sent Gallen to Arizona for Jazz Chisholm Jr. Since then, Gallen has gone 68-54 with a 3.72 ERA in 182 starts with Arizona.
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However, he has done some of his finest work against his former team — fashioning a 3-1 record and 2.00 ERA in four starts.
“I’m still very blurry. That’s the whole problem.”
That’s how Victor Wembanyama described himself in the immediate aftermath of Game 2, trying to get his head around the disastrous final few possessions that put the Spurs in an 0-2 hole. He said at the time he needed to slow his mind down and get some clarity.
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“The Playoffs, it’s like a — I don’t know how to say that word — a whirlwind. It’s hard to put your head out of the water,” Wembanyama said of his headspace. “Sometimes I don’t even go to watch the game back right away. I need some time off, let my brain cool down, recover. Recover as much for the body as for the mind.”
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Wembanyama took that time off before Game 3 and found his clarity sitting in Gramercy Park in New York on Sunday, sketching a picture of a statue (of Edwin Booth, legendary Shakespearean actor of the mid-1800s, although unfortunately for him, he is better remembered as the brother of John Wilkes Booth).
“I drew the statue in that park…” Wemby said.
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Was the drawing any good?
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“Not bad. Pretty good,” Wembanyama said with a smile.
His performance in Game 3 was more than pretty good.
A clear-headed Wembanyama went out and scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, had eight rebounds and six assists, plus three blocks. He was the best player on the court. Because of Wembanyama — and 23 from Stephon Castle on a bounce-back night for him, too — the Spurs have their first win in this Finals series, beating the Knicks 115-111 on Monday night. New York still leads the series 2-1, and Game 4 on Wednesday night becomes massive.
“Wemby played great,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He had probably seven lob dunks because we didn’t follow attention to detail and try to take that away.”
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Getting to the rim
Mental clarity was part of it, but for San Antonio, it was also something simple (but not always easy to do): Getting back to what they see as their style of basketball.
“I thought we made some strides in terms of the ball movement and playing with our teammates, setting screens, trusting the basketball would find the right guy for our shot,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought we showed better poise at times.”
San Antonio made a point of getting Wembanyama going at the rim early — his first four baskets came within four feet of the rim. However, it wasn’t just him — Castle, Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox all were touching paint on drives.
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“Just us playing to our strengths, not allowing [New York packing the paint] to stop our aggressiveness getting to the paint,” Johnson said. “Just understanding when we’re being aggressive and touching the paint, it’s not always for us to score. I feel like that opens up passing lanes and puts them in rotations. I feel like when we change sides and move the ball like that, especially after a paint touch, I feel like we’re pretty hard to stop.”
Where Wembanyama really took over was in the fourth quarter, when he scored 10 points and had a key block on Landry Shamet at the rim.
Jalen Brunson has dominated the court quarters in this series, and he had a dozen in the fourth in this one, but the difference in Game 3 was that Wemby had help, and Brunson did not. De’Aaron Fox had six points in the fourth quarter and hit the dagger jumper with 12.2 seconds left, while Dylan Harper scored five points and hit clutch free throws. For the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored six in the fourth quarter, but the rest of the team shot 1-of-15.
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With his clear head and big game, Wembanyama earned a vulgar chant from the Knicks faithful, one usually reserved for the Knicks’ biggest villains, including Reggie Miller and, more recently, Trae Young. Is that now becoming Wembanyama?
“I guess,” he said with a shrug, and then joked, “I’m nowhere near Trae Young level, though.”
Another clear-headed performance like this one and another win on Wednesday night and Wemby will reach Young’s lofty level, and more.
In the latest edition of WWE RAW, Rey Mysterio and Penta locked horns in an Intercontinental Championship match. The Hall of Famer failed to dethrone the masked man.
However, in the post-match, Rusev and Ethan Page attacked them. The Bulgarian Brute unmasked the Master of 619 on live television. Even in public appearances, Rey had rarely been spotted without a mask and always maintained his culture.
Thanks for the submission!
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Getting unmasked by Rusev on the red brand is indeed a big moment on the show. In this article, let’s discuss three possible reasons why the legendary star got unmasked on RAW this week.
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#3. WWE wants to put over Chad Gable
Since the Mask vs. Mask match, Chad Gable has been the talk of the town among the fans. During SmackDown last week, he appeared on the show and apologized to Rey Fenix for his actions.
On the latest episode of the Monday Night show, Gable confronted Penta, Rey Mysterio, and Dragon Lee backstage and apologized for disrespecting their culture.
When Rusev and Ethan Page launched the post-match assault, the former Alpha Academy member rescued the IC Champion, Mysterio, and Lee. Gable also grabbed Rey’s mask in his hand and handed it over to Penta and Dragon Lee.
In this segment, Gable got a massive pop from the live crowd, particularly when he saved the lucha stars. A major reason Mysterio got unmasked on RAW could be linked to Chad Gable.
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WWE may want to capitalize on the 40-year-old star buzz. By adding the unmasked angle, the company not only heated the entire segment but also added more relevance to Gable’s El Grande Americano gimmick and his apologies to the luchadores.
#2. To set the stage for a tag team match at WWE Night of Champions 2026
WWE Night of Champions 2026 is the next premium live event of the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. As of now, the company is building the PLE primarily around King & Queen of the Ring winners.
However, some more matches are expected to be part of the show. The reason Rey Mysterio got unmasked on the red brand could be connected to this. The Triple H-led creative regime likely wants to add tag team matches to the card.
As a result, they prefer to add this unmasked angle on RAW as it will instantly escalate the heat and set the stage for a tag team match at the Saudi Arabia show. The former El Grande Americano and Rey may pair as allies against Rusev and Ethan Page. If not Chad Gable, then Penta might team up with the Hall of Famer.
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#1. To add a significant moment on RAW
Rusev has unmasked Rey Mysterio.
Controversial angles on live television usually attract big numbers online. Rey Mysterio getting unmasked isn’t usual for the WWE Universe. Such an angle allows World Wrestling Entertainment to generate significant buzz.
Getting massive numbers online could explain the unmasked angle on the red brand. The rest remains to be seen; what plans WWE has in store for the Hall of Famer after what happened on Monday Night RAW.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores patrols the sideline during an international matchup against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Flores remained engaged throughout the contest, overseeing defensive adjustments and communication from the coaching area. On Oct. 6, 2024, Minnesota continued its strong early-season run while showcasing its aggressive defensive identity abroad. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
After trading Jonathan Greenard in late April to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings arguably need another outside linebacker for additional depth — and that man may already be in-house. A rookie from last year, defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, is flirting with a switch to OLB, or at least some form of hybrid duty.
If the experiment clicks, Minnesota won’t need any more free-agent power from the open market.
Vikings Defensive Depth Chart Gets a New Summer Experiment
Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins works through on-field testing at the NFL Combine, showcasing his athletic traits in front of league evaluators. On Feb. 27, 2025, Ingram-Dawkins participated in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as teams gathered information ahead of the NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Ingram-Dawkins on the Change
Ingram-Dawnkins filled an EDGE role at organized team activities, and KSTP’s Darren Wolfson asked him about it.
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“I just cleaned up my body a lot in the offseason. I mean, I’m still 280 pounds. Why was it important to clean up your body? You know, just trying to make a big, big jump from my last year. You know, I feel like that was one of the things that I could work on in my game. You know, developing a core and all that, that’ll help me in my techniques with all the versatile positions that I’m playing across the line,” he replied.
“The main focus was to just clean up my body. You know, I feel like that could only help me with how versatile I’m using, I’m being used across the line with all positions. You know, I just feel like I can play all around the line and wherever they wanna plug me and play me. That’s, I’m gonna just put my all into that.”
One of the perks of drafting Ingram-Dawkins was this very possibility — tweener capabilities between DT and OLB.
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Kevin O’Connell Breaks It Down
The Vikings skipper also commented on Ingram-Dawkins’ OLB snaps: “One of the things we really liked about him was his versatility. He did a lot of different things at Georgia, and he’s a really heavy presence on the edge. When we’re trying to run the ball out at that Christian Darrisaw gap out there, and then he’s out there setting the edge, that’s different.”
“And then his versatility to get kick inside, I don’t know if we’ll see him get much tighter than maybe a three, but from the 3T all the way out to the edge, that’s a really versatile player. And then you pair that with what Caleb Banks can be from a versatile standpoint, really being kind of from that 4i/5T on down; it’s exciting. And he’s had a really good sprint, and that kind of year to jump; we’re hoping that it’s happening right now.”
At least from a summer perspective, the plan is in motion.
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What the EDGEs Might Look Like
Examining Minnesota’s OLBs used to be the fun part of roster analysis — until Greenard was traded. Now, the group seems to be missing a link unless Turner erupts into a full-blown star.
Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins finishes a series of workouts and testing exercises during a pivotal pre-draft showcase. On Feb. 27, 2025, Ingram-Dawkins took part in combine activities at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, meeting with scouts and demonstrating his physical tools before the NFL Draft process intensified. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
But pretend momentarily that the Vikings convert Ingram-Dawkins. The EDGE room would look like this:
OLB1: Andrew Van Ginkel OLB2: Dallas Turner OLB3: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins OLB4: Bo Richter OLB5: Tyler Batty OLB6: Chaz Chambliss OLB7: Cam’Ron Stewart OLB8: Arden Walker
It’s unclear if Ingram-Dawkins can morph into a stud OLB3, but his versatility alleviates the depth concerns, if only a little bit.
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Richter, Batty, or a Free Agent? Jake Golday?
Now — pretend Ingram-Dawkings doesn’t play much at OLB in 2026, and in hindsight, that was just a summer theory that didn’t go far. Richter and Batty may be ready for expanded roles, and Jake Golday could emerge as an intriguing inside-outside linebacker.
But the speculation forms a shaky OLB foundation for a team aiming to win playoff games.
While Golday could impress at training camp, Richter could evolve beyond a special teams ace, Batty might quickly prove his capabilities, and Flores could deploy Ingram-Dawkins in a pressure package, much of this remains hypothetical. The Vikings shouldn’t equate such conjecture with genuine roster depth.
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Minnesota’s roster is otherwise solid, making the third outside linebacker spot arguably their biggest remaining question mark before the season. The starting positions are secure; the real concern is potential injuries or whether younger players need more development time.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Bo Richter tracks the football while dropping into coverage during preseason action against Philadelphia. On Aug. 24, 2024, Richter attempted to come away with an interception in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field, displaying versatility as Minnesota evaluated young defenders before roster decisions. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports.
If Richter, Batty, Ingram-Dawkins, and Golday are not the OLB3 answer, here’s the external list of options from free agency:
Cameron Jordan
Derek Barnett
Haason Reddick
Jadeveon Clowney
Joey Bosa
Kyle Van Noy
Leonard Floyd
Marcus Davenport
Von Miller
Yannick Ngakoue
The Vikings have about $13-14 million in cap space if they need an extra outside linebacker.
Ingram-Dawkins’s role will become clearer at training camp, which is seven weeks away.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
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