The wait is finally over for Cornell. After nearly five decades, the Big Red are finally on top of the men’s lacrosse world once again.

Top-seeded Cornell (18-1) defeated No. 2 Maryland 13-10 in front of a Memorial Day crowd of 32,512 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to claim its fourth NCAA title and first since 1977. The Terrapins (14-5) won the title in 2022 but had to settle for a runner-up finish for the third time in the last five NCAA tournaments.

Two days after Cornell relied on its supporting cast to survive a semifinal challenge from Penn State, the Big Red’s biggest stars shined brightest in the final. CJ Kirst, who will likely be adding the Tewaaraton Award to his trophy case later this week, notched six goals and an assist, and his fellow attackman Ryan Goldstein found the net four times. Five of Kirst’s six tallies came after halftime as the Big Red asserted control of the game.

The teams traded goals for the first 20 minutes of clock time, with a marker from Maryland’s Eric Spanos knotting the game at 4-4 with 8:38 remaining in the second quarter. But Andrew Dalton gave the Big Red the lead 46 seconds later, and the Terrapins couldn’t draw even the rest of the way. Kirst, held off the score sheet for the first time in his college career in Saturday’s defeat of Penn State in the semifinals, finally got on the board with 1:49 left in the first half. That appeared to break the ice for him as he figured in six of the Big Red’s seven goals following intermission, putting an exclamation point on the day with an empty-net tally in the final minute to seal the victory.

With his six-goal outburst, Kirst brought his season total to 82, matching the Division I record for goals in a single campaign. He finishes his career with an NCAA record 247 career goals. With his 33rd assist, he stretched his already record points total to 115. Spanos paced the Terps with two goals and two assists, with Braden Erksa and Zach Whittier chipping in a pair of goals each. But Wyatt Knust recorded 12 saves behind a solid effort from the Big Red defense.

Marcus Ericsson, who finished second to Alex Palou in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, and Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood were penalized and moved to the back of the 33-car finishing order after post-race inspections revealed unapproved modifications to their vehicles.

Ericsson and Kirkwood, who finished sixth on Sunday, were each forced to forfeit both their prize money and championship points earned during Sunday’s race. Although each will receive the money and points for finishing in 31st (Ericsson) and 32nd (Kirkwood), respectively. Ericsson and Kirkwood’s teams were each fined $100,000, and the competition managers for both have been suspended for the upcoming race on the streets of Detroit.

These penalties come after IndyCar’s inspection process has faced a lot of backlash. The Team Penske Chevrolets of two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and 2018 winner Will Power were found to be using illegal modifications as well prior during qualifying last week. While both Newgarden and Power were still allowed to compete in Sunday’s race, they were forced to start in the rear of the pack.

Were Ericsson and Kirkwood’s cars the only ones penalized?

No. Callum Illott’s No. 90 car also failed post-race inspection. Prema Racing failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location, and thusly suffered the same penalties as Andretti Global. Illott finished 12th in the race, but will now be labeled as the last-place finisher.

Who is Marcus Ericsson?

Marcus Ericsson is a 34-year-old IndyCar driver from Kumla, Sweden. He won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 and finished runner-up in 2023 to Josef Newgarden.

Ericsson is currently in his seventh season in the NTT IndyCar Series and his second driving for Andretti Global. He spent his first season competing for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports before moving to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020, driving for the team for four seasons. He found great success with Ganassi, winning four races, including the 2022 Indy 500, and scoring nine podium finishes.

After being stripped of his runner-up finish in the 2025 Indy 500, his best finish this season is a sixth-place finish at the season-opening street-course race in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Prior to joining the IndyCar season in 2019, Ericsson spend five seasons in Formula One but raced for struggling teams. He raced in 2014 for Caterham F1 Team before moving to Sauber F1 Team for four seasons.

When is the next IndyCar series race?

The Detroit Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, June 1, at the Detroit Street Circuit. The 100-lap race is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.

The competition managers for both Andretti Global and Prema Racing have been suspended for this race.

John Haliburton, the father of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, can return to Indiana Pacers home games after being told to stay away from home and road games following an on-court incident with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first round of the NBA playoffs, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the team’s decision.

Haliburton will watch remaining games from a suite at the Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse and will not attend road games for the remainder of Indiana’s series against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers lead the series 2-1.

Last week, TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley said, ‘I want to reach out to (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver. It’s time to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building. Adam, I’m asking you. The man paid his dues. He did something really, really stupid, but he’s been punished. I’m asking you and the Indiana Pacers to let him back in the building for Games 3 and 4.’

John Haliburton had a courtside seat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 5 against the Bucks on April 29, and after Tyrese made the game-winning, series-clinching shot in the final seconds in Game 5 series, he ran onto the court and had a verbal altercation with Antetokounmpo.

Tyrese Haliburton admonished his dad’s actions, and John Haliburton apologized. The Pacers then told John Haliburton not to attend home and road games, and he missed Indiana’s next eight games.

‘I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,’ John Haliburton posted on social media. ‘This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.’

Game 4 of the Knicks-Pacers series is Tuesday in Indianapolis (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

Tyrese Haliburton’s father confronts Giannis

After Haliburton’s layup with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime gave Indiana a 119-118 victory and eliminated the Bucks, John Haliburton and other Pacers fans stormed onto the court.

Moments later, TV cameras captured an animated discussion between the two before Antetokounmpo was ushered away.

Antetokounmpo’s response to confrontation

Giannis was still a little upset when asked about the exchange in a postgame interview.

‘(A)t the moment I thought he was a fan,’ Antetokounmpo said. ‘But then I realize it was Tyrese’s (father). I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. (But) it was his dad … Coming in the floor and showing me his son, a towel with his face, (and saying), ‘This is what we do. This is what we F-ing do. This what the F we do.’ I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.

‘I’m happy for him, I’m happy for his son, and I’m happy that he’s happy for his son,’ Antetokounmpo later added. ‘That’s how you’re supposed to feel. But coming to me and disrespecting me and cursing at me I think is totally unacceptable, totally unacceptable.’

Antetokounmpo said their discussion on the floor ended amicably, as evidenced by a thumbs-up gesture he gave as they parted. ‘I talked with him at the end,’ Antetokounmpo said, ‘and I think we’re in a good place.’

Will Zalatoris announced he’s had another back surgery. In a social media post Monday, the big hitter said that after the PGA Championship he was told he ‘re-herniated two discs.’ His surgery was Friday.

Zalatoris has made nine of 11 cuts in 2025, but both his missed cuts were at majors, the Masters and the PGA Championship. He also has two withdrawals this season, once at the Farmers Insurance Open and again at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Both WDs came before those events started, so no reasons were given.

Full statement from Will Zalatoris about his recent back surgery

Hey everyone, sharing a health update. This spring, I started feeling some discomfort and instability in my back that progressively got worse. Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs. After discussing the options with my medical team, I underwent surgery this past Friday with Dr. Michael Duffy at the Texas Back Institute.I’m happy to say that I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term back health. Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it. Thank you to my team, friends, and family for being there for me throughout this journey. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!! 

While not specifying his recovery time, he seems to be targeting this fall for his return. He previously had a back injury and subsequent surgery in April of 2023, and that derailed his next 18 months. Ahead of the 2025 season, he said he put on 20 pounds and spoke positively about his outlook at the season-opening Sentry.

‘It’s nice to be in a really good spot and really good head space,’ Zalatoris said in January. ‘Body feels great. Put in a lot of great work over the last four months. Purposely didn’t play much because I wanted to get some work in.’

The Women’s College World Series will open on Thursday with a field led by four-time defending national champion Oklahoma and four other teams from the SEC.

In addition to the No. 2 Sooners, who rolled over No. 15 Alabama in the super regionals, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Florida, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Tennessee and Mississippi.

The Rebels are the only unseeded team still standing after winning two of three against No. 4 Arkansas, capped by Sunday’s 7-4 clincher, to reach the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.

Rounding out the final eight are No. 9 UCLA, No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 16 Oregon. The Red Raiders swept No. 5 Florida State behind another two outstanding starts from junior NiJaree Canady.

The Women’s College World Series kicks off with a quadrupleheader: Texas plays Florida, Tennessee plays Oklahoma, Ole Miss faces Texas Tech and Oregon takes on UCLA. The final eight teams will play a double-elimination bracket that gives way to a best-of-three championship series early next month.

The rest of the field will be chasing Oklahoma, which run-ruled the overmatched Crimson Tide in five innings in Saturday’s 13-2 win that advanced it to the Women’s College World Series for the ninth time in a row.

Led by the Sooners and the SEC, here are the biggest winners and losers from the super regionals:

Winners

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is the clear favorite to win yet another national championship after a relatively stressful regular season – compared only to the program’s recent standard – that saw the Sooners drop seven conference games as new members of the SEC. But they’ve been on fire this tournament: OU has scored in double figures three times and won all five games by a combined score of 47-5. The second win against Alabama included an eight-run third inning that started off with a two-run shot by shortstop Gabriella Garcia, who would homer again with a runner on in the fifth.

NiJaree Canady

One of college softball’s biggest stars has stepped up to carry her team to an unexpected Women’s College World Series berth. Texas Tech is not a national powerhouse, nor even a regional one: The program had made only six tournament appearances before this season, never advancing out of the regionals. The reigning national player of the year at Stanford who transferred after last season, Canady has changed everything for the Red Raiders. She was brilliant in Tallahassee, tossing a two-hit shutout in the opener and then going the distance in a 2-1 win to eliminate the Seminoles. The second win moved Canady to 30-5 on the year.

Texas

A rematch against rival OU in the championship series is still in play after Texas climbed out of a 1-0 hole in the series against Clemson. That took some work: After falling behind with Thursday’s 7-4 loss, the Longhorns needed extra innings to even the series and then had to hold off the Tigers’ late rally in Saturday’s 6-5 clincher. Junior shortstop Leighann Goode carried Texas to the WCWS by going 6 for 8 with four RBIs in the two wins.

Losers

Nebraska

The Cornhuskers took the first game of the series against Tennessee but went cold at the plate in losing 3-2 on Saturday and then 1-0 in Sunday’s finale. The Volunteers figured out Jordy Bahl at the plate, at least, holding the junior to one hit in six at-bats with three strikeouts in these final two games. Bahl also took both losses on the mound in matchups against SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens, who worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning of the clincher to send the Volunteers to the WCWS for the ninth time in program history. While a painful way to end a breakthrough season, the Cornhuskers are set to return most of this year’s team, led by Bahl, and should be back in the national mix next May.

Clemson

The disappointment of coming up short in Austin after taking the first game of the series isn’t new even for this young program: Clemson has now lost in the super regionals three times since playing its first game in 2020. While that marquee postseason moment has yet to arrive, the Tigers seem even more destined to eventually collide with the WCWS after pushing the defending national runner-up to the brink. Still, they’ll be kicking themselves until next spring after leaving a combined 17 runners on the bases and allowing four unearned runs in the two losses to the Longhorns.

Arkansas

Arkansas finished six spots higher than Ole Miss in the final SEC standings but never could quite figure out the Rebels, who took two of three against the Razorbacks to open league play in early March before dropping two of three over the weekend in Fayetteville. This dropped Arkansas to 0-4 in super regionals play, with all four appearances coming since hiring coach Courtney Deifel in 2016; it is one of two SEC programs, along with Mississippi State, to never reach the WCWS.

The Green Bay Packers selected Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, marking the first time in 23 years they spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver.

Already, the rookie wide-out has impressive Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who spoke about Golden for the first time at his charity softball game Friday.

‘He’s a great dude,’ Love said of Golden, per The Athletic. ‘I’m excited to see just his potential on the football field. But just the start we’ve had, doing routes on air and things like that, he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver, so I’m excited to see just how far he can take it.’

Golden played one season at Texas after transferring from Houston and quickly emerged as Quinn Ewers’ top target. He recorded career-high marks in receptions (58), receiving yards (987) and receiving touchdowns (9) while helping lead the Longhorns to a College Football Playoff appearance.

Love was impressed after watching Golden’s highlights from his time at Texas. The 26-year-old quarterback and noted the 5-11, 191-pound receiver will add a unique speed element to Green Bay’s offense.

‘The speed speaks for itself,’ Love said. ‘Running a 40-yard dash, any time you get a 4.2, that’s some blazing speed right there, so I’m excited to see how fast he is on the field. I’ve seen all the highlights, all the good stuff, so we’ll see once we get practice rolling and everything how good he is.’

Golden will face plenty of competition for targets in Green Bay’s receiver room. Veterans Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontavyion Wicks represent the most proven options on the active roster while rookie third-round pick Savion Williams will also look to carve out a role with the team.

Golden’s speed could give him a leg up in the competition. The Packers lost their primary downfield threat, Christian Watson, to a torn ACL in Week 18 last season. There is not yet a timetable for Watson to return, but he could miss at least the beginning of the 2025 NFL season.

Couple that with Golden’s draft position and he should get a chance to see the field early and often, provided he can accomplish his goal of clicking quickly with Love.

‘Just gain his trust, man,’ Golden said of his goal as he develops a relationship with Love. ‘That’s from me just being able to put my best foot forward every day. Just go out there and create that chemistry with him.’

It started to look, for a stretch in the second quarter, like it was going to be a wrap for the New York Knicks.

Facing a 20-point deficit in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday, with the threat of a 0-3 series hole looming, the Knicks nonetheless rallied in the second half, limiting the Pacers to just 42 points after intermission. In New York’s 106-100 victory, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns led all players with 24 points and 15 rebounds, though much of his production came in the final period.

And with the comeback, New York avoided a dubious scenario, as no team in NBA history has won a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0.

Here are the winners and losers from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks:

WINNERS

Thibs (finally) plays his bench

One of the most frequent criticisms of Tom Thibodeau as a coach is that he so rigidly sticks to his rotation, making the depth of his teams a relative concern. But, facing the prospect of an 0-3 series hole and the persistent speed and pace of Indiana, Thibodeau appeared to understand that he needed to tweak his lineup to incorporate a deeper rotation.

Landry Shamet and Delon Wright got their first meaningful minutes of the series and each responded. Backup point guard Miles McBride, who normally is in the rotation, bounced back after early foul trouble. The Knicks bench outscored Indiana’s by a margin of 15-4 in the second half.

“Foul trouble probably helped, but we were going to put them in the rotation just to get a different look,” Thibodeau said after the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns ignites in the fourth

Playing all but 36 seconds in the fourth, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns popped off, sparking New York’s comeback win. He shot 6-of-9 in the period, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, grabbed eight rebounds and scored 20 of his 24 points, aggressively seeking his shot and not settling for jumpers. It was quite the reversal, after Towns got into early foul trouble and appeared to be frustrated, missing layups at the rim. Thibodeau had benched him the final quarter of Game 2, and KAT responded.

The Knicks take advantage of the freebies

New York shot 27-of-30 (90%) from the line Sunday night, including a 15-of-16 (93.8%) showing in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers turn defense into offense (at least in the first three quarters)

Indiana outscored New York in points off turnovers, 22-8. The only issue: the Pacers failed to force the Knicks into turnovers in the fourth quarter, when New York committed only two.

Josh Hart gets some redemption

Thibodeau, again seeking to get different looks, started Mitchell Robinson ahead of forward Josh Hart, who had struggled to make an impact in the first two games of the series. Hart played the entire fourth, had a team-high +16 in the period and made winning plays time and time again, particularly on the glass; Hart collected five rebounds in the fourth, two of which were offensive, and made all four free throw attempts he took.

LOSERS

Indiana loses its identity in the second half

Yes, the Knicks ramped up their defensive intensity and pressure in the second half, but the Pacers played far too complacently after intermission, failing to respond to New York’s energy. Worse for Indiana, it completely abandoned its offensive identity of pushing the tempo and sprinting out in transition.

A lot of it was defense, with the Pacers failing to generate turnovers in the second half that often spark transition baskets. The Pacers scored 16 fastbreak points in this game; 14 of those came in the first half. It’s no surprise, then, that the Pacers, after scoring 58 points in the first half, scored just 42 in the second.

Pacers role players disappear in letdown

Indiana needed much more from Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, who combined to score 17 points on 4-of-17 shooting (23.5%). In particular, both players — though Nesmith had a reduced role with an ankle sprain suffered in the third quarter — struggled to contribute in the second half, scoring just four points on 1-of-8 shooting (12.5%) after intermission.

Benedict Mathurin, meanwhile, continues to be a liability in his minutes, which have been drastically reduced. In just 8:26 on the floor, Mathurin went 0-for-1 and scored just two points.

Pacers closing out quarters

New York won this game, in large part, because of the way it closed out quarters. Indiana allowed the Knicks to end the second on a 10-3 run, the third on a 7-2 run and the fourth on an 8-2 run.

That means the Pacers let the Knicks outscore them by a margin of 25-7 in the ends of the second, third and fourth quarters, combined. In a six-point loss, that — easily — was the difference.

PARIS — Rafael Nadal said the presence of his friends and rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray during a celebration of his glorious career at the French Open made an emotional Sunday evening all the more special.

Thousands of fans including defending men’s and women’s champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek wore brick-red ‘Merci Rafa’ shirts before 14-time Roland Garros champion Nadal was immortalized on Court Philippe Chatrier with a plaque.

The loudest cheers, however, came when Federer, Djokovic and Murray stepped onto the hallowed clay court to share a few words and laughs with Nadal after the Spaniard had welled up watching a video of his greatest moments.

‘I didn’t know, but I imagined they would come. The agendas of people sometimes are difficult. But of course, they knew that they were going to make the day very special,’ Nadal told a packed press conference.

‘Novak is playing here, so it’s easier. But Andy and Roger coming meant a lot to me because they represent a very important part of my tennis career. In some ways we pushed each other to the limits. That’s the truth.

‘We were four of the best rivals. In some way when you’re only two, you can lose a bit of the motivation because the other starts losing or gets injured. Here, you never had to imagine, because always one of the four was winning the tournament.

‘We achieved our dreams. And probably because of that kind of rivalry we raised the numbers of the history of tennis to the next level. That helps to the next generation to try to improve them. I’m sure that’s going to happen.’

Nadal, who ended his career after representing Spain in the Davis Cup in November, said he had ‘infinite gratitude’ for the people who ensured his name was permanently etched on the main showcourt at Roland Garros.

‘I never thought about becoming one of the best players of all time or winning Grand Slams. I just worried about trying to improve every single day,’ he added.

‘I felt that way during all my career. Probably step by step, that’s why I was able to build my career, this successful career. Because I always had doubts, and I never considered myself that good.

‘Of course numbers are amazing, but I never considered myself somebody special. I’m not trying to be humble. Of course my results were there, but every time I went on court, I had the feeling that I could lose. I never lost that feeling during all those years.

‘That probably helped me, that feeling, but overall in my long career, without a doubt, that was important.’

It’s only Memorial Day, but the National League East race has already been a roller-coaster.

The New York Mets stormed out to a five-game lead by the end of April, but the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies have taken control in recent weeks, entering the holiday with a two-game advantage – and baseball’s best record at 34-19.

Philadelphia just had a nine-game winning streak snapped – with the first seven coming against the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies and lowly Pittsburgh Pirates – and will face a big test this week welcoming the Atlanta Braves to Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set.

The Braves, who started the season 0-8, battled back to .500 and are primed to take off with the return of Ronald Acuña Jr., back in the Atlanta lineup a year after suffering a season-ending injury.

Here’s a look at this week’s rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

Shohei Ohtani touches 97 mph in his first live batting practice.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (+2)

Zack Wheeler gave up just two earned runs (0.68 ERA) in four May starts.

3. Detroit Tigers (-1)

Dropped three of four vs. Cleveland and have a tough week ahead with series against Giants and Royals.

4. New York Mets (-1)

Brett Baty playing himself into an everyday role? Infielder had five homers with 11 RBIs through 40 at-bats in May.

5 Chicago Cubs (+2)

Drew Pomeranz, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2021, yet to give up a run in 13 appearances.

6. New York Yankees (+2)

Devin Williams finding his footing in the Bronx with seven consecutive scoreless outings since May 7.

7. San Francisco Giants (-1)

Let’s talk about Robbie Ray being 7-0 with a 2.56 ERA.

8. San Diego Padres (-4)

Jake Cronenworth (.870 OPS in 83 AB) looking like the hitter he was back in 2020-21.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (+3)

Long Island native Steven Matz thriving in a hybrid role (1.99 ERA in 31⅔ innings) and could be a hot free agent commodity this winter – or summer if the Cardinals fall out of contention.

10. Cleveland Guardians (-)

Hunter Gaddis (0.86 ERA) tied for the MLB lead with 13 holds.

11. Seattle Mariners (-2)

George Kirby got hit hard in his first start of 2025.

12 Minnesota Twins (-1)

Cut loose by the Phillies after an 0-for-6 start, Kody Clemens has a 1.130 OPS in 47 at-bats for Minnesota.

13. Kansas City Royals (-)

Kansas City’s 3.22 bullpen ERA ranks third in the American League.

14. Houston Astros (+1)

Jeremy Peña quietly off to a stellar start with career-bests in average, slugging and OPS.

15. Tampa Bay Rays (+7)

Riding a five-game win streak into Memorial Day, the Rays racked up 38 steals in the first 22 games of May.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)

Zac Gallen (5.25 ERA, NL-worst 29 walks) isn’t doing himself any favors early in his contract year.

17 Cincinnati Reds (-)

Austin Hays just keeps hitting, now with a .951 OPS in 108 at-bats

18 Atlanta Braves (-)

Ronald Acuña Jr. back with a bang, homering in his first two games.

19. Milwaukee Brewers (+2)

Top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski has a 1.55 ERA in Class AAA and hit 103 mph in a start earlier in May.

20. Texas Rangers (-4)

Nathan Eovaldi lhas a 1.60 ERA in 11 starts and is on pace to set a career high for innings pitched.

21. Boston Red Sox (-2)

Alex Bregman will be out for a while with quad injury, opening the door for top prospect Marcelo Mayer.

22. Washington Nationals (+2)

Jackson Rutledge carving out a relief role with a 2.95 ERA in 16 appearances.

23. Toronto Blue Jays (-3)

George Springer is in a 2-for-29 slump entering Memorial Day.

24. Athletics (+1)

Yolo County has been kind to Rookie of the Year favorite Jacob Wilson, batting .375 at Sutter Health Park.

25. Los Angeles Angels (-)

Mike Trout could see more time as the designated hitter upon his return.

26 Miami Marlins (+1)

Connor Norby turning it on, hitting .370 with 9 RBI in his last 13 games.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)

Jared Jones’ elbow surgery will sideline him for the next year.

28. Baltimore Orioles (-2)

Things continue to get worse, losing six of their first nine after firing manager Brandon Hyde.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

Luis Robert, batting .190 with a .588 OPS, leads the majors with 20 steals.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

They won a game against the Yankees.

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Thunder probably didn’t need a film session for the realization. They scarfed the leftovers of Game 3 anyway, confirmation of what it felt like in real time.

Those who spoke on behalf of Oklahoma City on Sunday seemed to come to a common conclusion. The team that suited up against Minnesota in Saturday’s 143-101 loss wasn’t the team that won 68 regular-season games. 

“Yeah, I think we just played a little out of character,” guard Alex Caruso said. 

The expressions and look of the Thunder on Saturday night was unlike what they’ve shown before. The loss of the turnover battle, their first of this postseason. The loss of power in the paint, the first of its kind this series. 

“It was obvious that we didn’t play the way we usually play,” Cason Wallace said. “They got to the rim, they got passes, like they had whatever they wanted. They were the more aggressive team.

“We didn’t have the fight for it.”

The Timberwolves brought the fight, though. It was evident in the way forward Julius Randle shoved his way to position on box outs and on the wing. In the way star Anthony Edwards forced his way down to the lane, down the throats of the OKC defense. 

That his best game came in Minnesota’s best start was no coincidence.

That it happened at the expense of the Thunder’s will, with the Wolves being the aggressor, was the surprise. The turnovers that OKC forced through two games had driven the Wolves crazy. 

Turnovers, despite the Thunder not focusing on them, have been a catalyst. For the season and this series. Wallace didn’t seem convinced that Saturday was more than an anomaly. 

He also expressed confidence that, should OKC return to its identity, turnovers wouldn’t be the only way it could win.

“We haven’t been in that situation many times,” Wallace said. “But throughout the game, like (if) we’re playing to our standard and doing the things that we usually do, (if we) don’t win one section, we’ll win another. That wasn’t the case last night, though.”

Regardless of whether the Thunder feels Saturday could be replicated or not, that it happened still leaves a sour taste. 

The Thunder surely seem more confident than any team with a playoff loss of such magnitude.  

“It’s a loss, no matter how much we lose by,” Wallace said. “But watching film, seeing the way that we lost, definitely gives us an edge for tomorrow.”

Caruso added: “Looking forward to having the opportunity to go out there and be who we are, rather than let them dictate terms their way.”

Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. He can be reached at jlorenzi@oklahoman.com or on X at @joelxlorenzi.