Sports
Reports: Victor Wembanyama won't get flagrant-1 for Game 3 shove
Jun 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) passes the ball to San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during game three of the 2026 NBA Finals in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images NEW YORK — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama won’t receive a retroactive flagrant foul for a play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, league officials told multiple media outlets Tuesday night.
Wembanyama shoved New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in the first quarter of the Spurs’ 115-111 win on Monday. The NBA admitted referees missed a foul call on the incident, but the league won’t step in to assess Wembanyama a flagrant-1 foul.
Without a whistle on Wembanyama, play continued with San Antonio on offense.
A replay review appeared to show Brunson, who was on defense and working through a screen on the play, making initial contact with his left hand and grabbing a fistful of Wembanyama’s jersey, prompting the retaliatory push. With his own left hand, Wembanyama aggressively shoved Brunson in the upper back and neck area, sending him toward the floor.
The NBA rulebook deems “unnecessary contact” a flagrant-1 foul, because it goes beyond the actions warranting a common foul.
Had Wembanyama been given a flagrant-1 for the play, he would not have been subject to a suspension. However, the Spurs big man would have been skating into Game 4 on thin ice.
Wembanyama has already received two penalty points for a flagrant-2 foul in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
All players can accumulate a total of three penalty points in the playoffs — one point for a flagrant-1, two for a flagrant-2. Four penalty points in the postseason prompt an automatic one-game suspension.
A flagrant-2, defined in the rulebook as “unnecessary and excessive or reckless contact … committed by a player against an opponent,” triggers an automatic ejection.
In the third quarter on Monday, Brunson was called for a flagrant-1 foul while closing out on a 3-pointer by Julian Champagnie. Officials said he did not provide ample landing space for the Spurs’ deep threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
In MLB debut, White Sox's Braden Montgomery hits walk-off HR vs. Braves
Jun 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery (24) takes the field during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Braden Montgomery belted a game-ending, two-run homer in the 10th inning in his major league debut to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 victory against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
Montgomery, the White Sox’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, connected against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias (0-1) in the bottom of the 10th after Atlanta’s Mauricio Dubon hit a go-ahead RBI single against Grant Taylor on the first pitch of the top half.
Called up from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, Montgomery went 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Chicago didn’t hold the lead until its final swing and picked up its fifth walk-off victory of the season.
Matt Olson homered twice for the Braves while Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II added three hits apiece.
Miguel Vargas hit a two-run shot and Jacob Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI for the White Sox.
Olson provided the early power with his first multihomer effort of the season. He delivered a two-run blast against White Sox opener Brandon Eisert in the first inning and added a solo shot against Erick Fedde in the third.
Atlanta raced to a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the third but Chicago chipped away with Vargas’ two-run home run in the bottom half. Montgomery brought the White Sox within 4-3 with an RBI single — his first career hit — against Braves starter Grant Holmes in the fourth.
Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left the game with left hamstring tightness in the fourth. Batting with one out, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP hit a ground ball to Vargas at third. The throw narrowly beat Acuna, who hobbled down the right field line after running through the bag.
Eli White replaced Acuna in right field. White preserved a one-run Braves lead in the sixth, erasing Derek Hill at the plate to end the inning after Sam Antonacci lined a single to right. The call was upheld on replay after a White Sox challenge.
Chicago tied the game at 4-all on a Gonzalez RBI single in the seventh.
Holmes took a no-decision, scattering three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Fedde yielded two runs (one earned) and six hits in five innings while striking out four.
Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Ronald, started at shortstop for Chicago as Colson Montgomery, no relation to Braden, missed the game due to back tightness.
Taylor (2-0) yielded an unearned run and two hits in two innings with one strikeout.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Behind Jordan Staal's 2 goals, Hurricanes level Stanley Cup Final 2-2
Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) carries the puck in front of Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) during the 1st period in game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Jordan Staal scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally in the third period, and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists as the Carolina Hurricanes evened the Stanley Cup Final at two wins apiece with a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.
It marked the fourth straight game that Staal scored a goal. He has five total in the finals after registering just two in Carolina’s first 13 playoff games this spring.
Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina. Brandon Bussi, making his first NHL playoff start after coming off the bench in Game 3, made 18 saves.
William Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Brett Howden and Mark Stone also found the net for the Golden Knights. Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 23 of 27 shots.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes led 3-1 after one period, but the Golden Knights leveled the contest 3-3 in the middle frame.
Staal put Carolina back in front at 6:32 of the third period, flicking in the rebound of Ehlers’ shot over Hart’s glove while diving to the ice near the right post. The score came after the Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis intercepted a clearing pass from Shea Theodore in the high slot, but Hart turned away Jarvis’ backhand try.
The Golden Knights pulled Hart for an extra attacker late in the game, and Ehlers sealed it with an empty-netter from behind his goal with 54.9 seconds remaining.
The Hurricanes needed only 66 seconds to take a 1-0 lead, and they did it with a goal similar to the one that beat them in double overtime on Saturday. Jalen Chatfield fired a point shot that, like Theodore’s winning tally in Game 3, bounced off the end boards. This one went to Stankoven, who beat Hart with a backhand shot.
Blake made it 2-0 at 3:28 of the first, firing in a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle off a Taylor Hall crossing pass.
Vegas halved the deficit at 7:22 of the opening period. Stone took a long stretch pass from Theodore and broke in, faked a shot in the slot and then wrapped a wrist shot around Bussi’s right pad.
The Hurricanes, taking advantage of a Vegas penalty for too many men on the ice, extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:48 of the first period. Staal, stationed in front of the crease, knocked in a rebound of a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot.
Vegas nearly scored at the end of the period on a Brayden McNabb shot from the right circle at the buzzer, but the goal was waived off when replays showed time had expired before the puck crossed the goal line.
The Golden Knights battled back to tie it 3-3 in the second period on goals by Karlsson, a one-timer through traffic from the left circle at 4:22, and Howden, who finished an odd-man rush with a wrist shot through the legs of defenseman K’Andre Miller and over Bussi’s right shoulder at 17:08.
It was Howden’s league-leading 14th goal of the playoffs, setting a franchise record for most goals in a postseason campaign.
–Steve Guiremand, Field Level Media
Sports
Early homers propel Rockies to skid-ending win over Cubs
Jun 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) reacts to his two run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar homered as the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 in Denver on Tuesday.
Edouard Julien had two hits and drove in three runs, Willi Castro finished with three hits and Kyle Karros had two hits for Colorado, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits in five-plus innings for the Rockies. He struck out three and walked two.
Michael Busch homered and Alex Bregman had two hits and an RBI for Chicago, which has lost six of its past eight games.
Colorado jumped on top in the first inning against Colin Rea. TJ Rumfield was hit by a pitch with two outs, and Goodman followed with his team-leading 18th home run of the season to make it 2-0.
Tovar expanded the Rockies’ lead when he led off the second with his fifth long ball of the season, and the hosts tacked on two more in the frame. Karros hit a one-out single, Julien drove him home with a double and Jake McCarthy followed with an RBI single.
Chicago got one back in the third against Sugano. Dansby Swanson led off with a double, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Busch walked to load the bases, and Swanson scored on Bregman’s sacrifice fly.
Colorado responded in the bottom of the inning. Goodman led off with a walk and went to third on Troy Johnston’s double. Rea fanned Tovar and Cole Carrigg before walking Karros. Julien then laced a two-run single to center to make it 7-1.
Rea (5-4) lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing season-high totals of seven runs and nine hits. He walked three and fanned two.
The Cubs cut into the lead in the sixth inning. Busch led off with his seventh homer of the season, and Bregman singled. Seth Halvorsen relieved Sugano and walked Ian Happ, then threw a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third with no outs.
Bregman scored on Seiya Suzuki’s groundout, but Halvorsen got out of the jam with two consecutive groundouts.
–Field Level Media
