Sports
Spurs stare down 1-0 deficit, confident Timberwolves in Game 2
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Playoff experience is lived and learned, a concept the Spurs are tired of hearing about.
San Antonio is reaching for the mute button entering Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who landed the first punch to take a 1-0 lead on the Spurs’ home floor Monday.
“It’s on me,” Spurs MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama said after a dominant defensive performance in the 104-102 loss.
Minnesota won despite shooting 12 of 21 from the free-throw line because of a lackluster shooting night from the Spurs. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the top two scorers for San Antonio during the regular season, combined for 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting. The pair missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts; Wembanyama was 0-for-8. He had 15 rebounds and an NBA playoff single-game record 12 blocked shots but walked off the floor in disbelief as the Spurs lost at home for the second time in six games this postseason.
“I used too much energy (on defense) and things that didn’t really help our team,” he said. “So that’s on me. But first thing I have to start making some shots.”
Wembanyama played only 11 minutes, 41 seconds in the other playoff defeat at home — 106-103 to Portland in Game 2 of their first-round series — because of a concussion.
He wasn’t hurt Monday night, but the Timberwolves did enough to get San Antonio out of a comfort zone. Both teams played plenty of three-quarter court pressure defense and challenged the ball with tight defense for 48 minutes.
Minnesota’s playoff legs held up.
“We know it’s going to be a hard fought series,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That team has success in the playoffs in recent history. They just go through a hard-fought series. They obviously showed the mettle that they have. It’s going to be a fight.”
Anthony Edwards might not be fully healthy for Minnesota. He was a surprise game-time decision and scored 18 points off the bench in Game 1. Edwards is dealing with a knee injury and the Timberwolves were without Ayo Donsumu (calf). Donsumu had games of 25 and 43 points in Minnesota wins over Denver the first round.
The Spurs are shooting for a postseason run for the first time since 2019. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, San Antonio entered Game 1 and the series as the prevailing favorite.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his team to continue being the aggressors on the day off Tuesday, when he shared the opinion that the team’s film breakdown of Game 1 told a little bit different story about Wembanyama’s big night.
“Historic night. But when we looked at (Wembanyama’s 12 blocks), at least four of them were goaltending,” Finch said. “To me, it’s a little alarming that none of them were called. Here’s a generational shot blocker — 7-foot-6, goes after everything — and there’s no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goaltends? The third possession of the game is a goaltend. A clear, obvious one. So let’s just say there were four (violations), that’s eight points. You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It’s massive.”
Finch credited his guards, in particular, for getting downhill and not shying away from the swat threat. That plan is unchanged ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday before the series shifts to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4.
“He gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. I told him that when he said a little something,” Terrence Shannon Jr. said. “He gonna have to block it every time, man. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time. I’m gonna dunk on him.”
Shannon and Julius Randle, who scored 21 points with 10 rebounds, proved to be difficult one-on-one matchups for the Spurs.
“Just was kind of just reading the game,” Randle said of Monday’s win. “What’s going on, what’s working at certain points of the game, just just trying to be like, aware, present, reading what’s going on the game earlier.”
San Antonio had the ball, down two, with seven seconds left. Julian Champagnie’s 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded bounced off the front of the rim, allowing Minnesota to steal home court advantage.
“Felt like there were times we got a little in between, whether that was to shoot or not to drive or not to pass or not,” Johnson said. “Just in general, we were indecisive, and that hurt us. In the first half, we picked up the pace a little bit there. In the second half, we missed some good shots.”
Rookie Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 18 points off the bench, with many of his minutes coming with starting point guard Stephon Castle on the sidelines in foul trouble. Castle fouled out with 3:20 to play, marking the second straight game he’s been on the bench for the closing minutes.
“In a game like this, our goal is only to be better moving forward,” Harper said. “Every little thing matters. It’s a series (not just) one game. I mean, we’re gonna bounce back. We’re not gonna let this one dwell with us. Just gotta just tweak some things and limit, limit the mistakes.”
Minnesota has now won three of the four games played between the teams this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lakers report 'no change' in Luka Doncic's status for series vs. Thunder
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77, middle) reacts after a made basket against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Luka Doncic was back to taking jump shots, with Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick downplaying what the on-court activity means for his star’s availability in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tuesday marked 33 days since Doncic went down with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and his return is not expected for at least one more week. The Lakers’ second-round series against the defending NBA champions calls for games every other day through Game 5.
ESPN reported Doncic is not expected to play before Game 5 (Wednesday, May 13) in Oklahoma City.
“No update,” Redick said of any adjustment to the Lakers’ availability report on Doncic.
Doncic officially has been listed as out for Game 1 on Tuesday.
ESPN reported Doncic was “nowhere near” playing in a game despite reports he could begin playing 5-on-5 later this week to test his hamstring injury. Due to the risk or re-injury, the Lakers are expected to err on the side of caution while bringing Doncic back. Even if he returns in the series, he is expected to be on a minutes restriction.
“I don’t have any updates on Luka,” Redick reiterated when asked for more clarity.
Despite playing without Doncic, who averaged 33.5 points per game in the regular season, the fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) defeated the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets 4-2 in their first-round series.
Oklahoma City is the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and went 4-0 against the Lakers this season. Doncic was injured in a 139-96 blowout loss to the Thunder on April 2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LIV CEO: League's value rests in teams, optimistic on funding
Jun 28, 2025; Carrollton, Texas, USA; The LIV Golf logo near the first tee during the second round of the LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament at Maridoe Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil expressed optimism Tuesday in his first public comments since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed it will pull its financial support following the 2026 season.
O’Neil cited the value of the league’s 13 teams as a means to attract new investors in the wake of the PIF news.
“If you ask me where the value of this business is, it’s in the teams,” O’Neil said at his pre-tournament press conference ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Virginia event in Washington, D.C.
“If you’re looking for direction, we believe that teams will have extraordinary value,” O’Neil said. “We believe that once we set the business in the right direction with the right trajectory, with the right revenue base and cost base — which we’re well on our way to doing — that these teams will have extraordinary value. And that’s where, if you’re an investor and you’re listening to this or reading this, that’s where you’re going to get your value.”
His comments came one day after LIV Golf announced that New York-based Ducera Partners LLC will serve as an investment banking advisor as it seeks financial stability moving forward.
O’Neil also discussed sponsorships, ticket sales and television contracts on Tuesday as a means to drive up funding.
“The way the process will typically work — I may be getting ahead of myself — is that we’re going to create a business plan, we’re going to lock arms with the players, we will go to market and raise money on a top level, and then we will get investors in teams in that order,” he said. “The players on the team should be locked in.”
O’Neil also addressed whether the PIF had committed to honoring contracts past 2026.
“I mean, they own the majority of the business now, and they’ve agreed to fund through the season, as they said. Nothing there has changed,” he said.
O’Neil said later in his press conference that he has “confidence that this is a place players want to be.” That said, he also was asked about golfers pursuing other options.
“I have so much to say on this topic, and I’m going to keep this short because I’m under direction to,” he said. “I will tell you this, one of the beauties of LIV Golf, the beauties, the thing I enjoy most about it, is that we are for golf. We always have been and we always will be. Our players, we commit them to 14 weeks. They come and play. They know exactly the weeks they’re expected to play, they show up, and they play.
“If another Tour is open for them to play, that’s 14 weeks out of 52. That’s 38 weeks. So if you want to see the best players in the world playing together more often, no problem, let’s do it on the other 38 weeks. Like it’s such a special opportunity.
“I feel like the opportunity, the chance, the gift we’ve been given here at LIV Golf is that we have players who will travel the world, and that is a gift to the game.”
Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. Former LIV participant Brooks Koepka already has returned to the PGA Tour while Patrick Reed will return later this season.
PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league reportedly has lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects.
O’Neil replaced former league leader Greg Norman as CEO in January 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers LHP Angel Zerpa to have Tommy John surgery
Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Angel Zerpa (61) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Angel Zerpa will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next Monday, the team confirmed Tuesday.
The 26-year-old reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list last week after experiencing tightness in his left forearm. The general recovery timeline for elbow surgery and UCL reconstruction is between 12 and 18 months.
Zerpa, acquired in an offseason trade with Kansas City, was 0-2 with two saves, a 6.39 ERA, six walks and eight strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings over 12 appearances with Milwaukee.
He last pitched on April 25, giving up three runs, one hit and one walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning in taking a 6-3 loss in 10 innings to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
The native of Venezuela is 12-9 in his career with two saves, a 4.13 ERA, 59 walks and 158 strikeouts in 189 2/3 innings over 160 regular-season games (eight starts) with Kansas City (2021-25) and Milwaukee. He also was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five playoff appearances with the Royals in 2024.
–Field Level Media
Lakers report 'no change' in Luka Doncic's status for series vs. Thunder
LIV CEO: League's value rests in teams, optimistic on funding
