As Major League Baseball celebrates its Memorial Day mile post marker this holiday weekend, the 2025 season, we’re about one-third of the way into the campaign.

From Aaron Judge’s onslaught to the Colorado Rockies’ historic struggles, it’s been a fascinating few months of baseball with summer approaching and plenty more to come.

Here’s a look at the best and worst of 2025 so far:

Most valuable player

Most valuable pitcher

Best manager

Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers – Is there any other manager who could have his team sitting atop the NL with 14 pitchers on the injured list, missing three of their starters (Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki) and three of their opening-day relievers (Evan Phillips, Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen)?

A year ago, he brilliantly managed an injury-ravaged rotation and exhausted bullpen in the playoffs. Now, he’s being forced to do it all summer with a pitching staff in shambles, surrendering its worst ERA (4.15) at this juncture since 2010.

Best rookie

Jacob Wilson, Athletics of Sacramento – Wilson leads all rookies in virtually every statistical category as the A’s shortstop. He’s hitting .342 with an .857 OPS, with five homers and 27 RBIs, striking out just 11 times. He’s the favorite to become the A’s first position player to win the AL Rookie of the Year award since shortstop Bobby Crosby in 2004.

Worst first impression

A year ago, Soto had a 1.143 OPS last season with runners in scoring position, ranking third in baseball.

This year, he’s hitting .136 with a .505 OPS – including a bases-loaded double in Saturday’s win over the Dodgers.

Worst trade rumor

The Pittsburgh Pirates will start listening to offers for ace Paul Skenes. Simply, this is not happening. Sure, it stinks that the Pirates are 4-7 in Skenes’ starts this year, but there’s a better chance of the Pirates abandoning gorgeous PNC Park and moving back into Three Rivers Stadium than trading Skenes. The Pirates fans have gone through enough heartache without dumping one of the most talented young pitchers in a generation. Besides, he’s still cheap, earning just $875,000 this season.

Biggest wasted performance

The Texas Rangers have stolen the identity of the Seattle Mariners. They have pitched brilliantly, with the best starting rotation in the American League (2.83), but simply can’t hit. Why, since April 19, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi have yielded a 1.37 ERA in their last 13 starts, striking out 89 batters while walking 12 in 79 innings. And the Rangers have managed to lose five of those games.

Best bit of empathy

The Chicago White Sox are on the same miserable pace as a year ago when they lost a record 121 games, but now are feeling downright sad for the Colorado Rockies, who are on pace to obliterate their record, and finish 73 games out of first place.

The Rockies currently are on pace to go 28-134, and considering they play in the powerful NL West, there’s not enough Coors Lite to guzzle for fans in Colorado to believe they can avoid the record.

“You feel for them because no one wants to lose a lot of games,’ White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi says. “Obviously, there’s in a pretty tough division. I’m just glad it’s not us again.’

Best family day

The Boone and Leiter families were at Yankee Stadium this week where manager Aaron Boone and Mark Leiter Jr. were in the Yankee dugout, hitting coach Bret Boone and Jack Leiter were in the Rangers dugout, and family members were in the stands.

They got group pictures, Bret and Aaron Boone exchanged lineup cards, and the memories that will last forever.

“It was cool as [anything],’ said Al Leiter, the father of Jack and the uncle of Mark. “You dream of this stuff. I get to the big leagues and then my brother [Mark] is in the big leagues, then his kid and now my kid.

“It’s great to have my son and my nephew in the big leagues at the same time.”

Says Mark Jr.: “It’s amazing. Getting to grow up with my dad and my uncle, and then having Jack and I having this crazy childhood and everything we experienced, and then have the same dreams while understanding what a long shot it really is, is amazing. To accomplish it, and have a chance to be in uniform on the same field where my dad and mu uncles get their start here, it’s pretty special. Hopefully soon, my uncle Kurt and my cousin Cam will also be with us.’

Yes, there could be another Leiter on the way with Cam, a 6-foot-5 pitcher for Florida State University. Cam’s dad, Kurt Leiter – Al and Mark’s older brother – pitched in the minor leagues for the Baltimore Orioles.

So, if these blue-blood baseball families got together for a fierce battle on “Family Feud,’ who would win?

“I think we are winning,’ Aaron Boone says. “I did not like facing Mark Leiter or Al Leiter, so that was not a favorable matchup for me in the box … But I’ll take a shot at Family Feud.’

Best sidekick

 Carlos Rodon, Yankees – Remember when the Yankees’ rotation was supposed to be in shambles when Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil went down, believing it couldn’t survive simply with ace Max Fried?

Well, look who’s pitching the best he has since putting on a Yankee uniform. Rodon is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his last seven starts, yielding a major-league low .161 batting average. The Yankees’ rotation, behind Fried (7-0, 1.29 ERA) and Rodon, is yielding a 2.68 ERA over the last 34 starts, second only to the Rangers.

“We feel good about what those guys are bringing to the table for us every day,” Aaron Boone says.

Worst excuse

Baltimore Orioles GM Mike Elias: He declined to speak publicly for four days after firing manager Brandon Hyde. The reason? He was busy.

Best pivot

New York Yankees – The Yankees offered $760 million to Juan Soto, and once he shunned them, they quickly turned around and used the money to land ace Max Fried ($218 million), former MVP outfielder Cody Bellinger ($25 million), former MVP first baseman Paul Goldschmidt ($12.5 million) and All-Star reliever Devin Williams ($8.6 million).

Biggest ruination of front office plans

Most dramatic return

Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta – Acuna, making his 2025 debut just three days shy of the one-year anniversary of tearing his ACL, swung at the first pitch he saw and sent it 467 feet into the left-field seats, coming 115.5-mph off his bat. It was his first home run in 364 days.

“He’s one of those players where you better not go get a beer or anything because you might miss something cool,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s that kind of force in the game. He’s going to energize everybody.”

Biggest change of plans

The Baltimore Orioles, who fully intended to be a buyer at the trade deadline, now will have no choice but to be a seller with the third-worst record in baseball.

They will have plenty of attractive pieces to trade: Zach Eflin, Felix Bautista, Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle, Seranthony Dominguez, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan O’Hearn.

Most awkward ring ceremony

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees – Yarbrough pitched for the Dodgers last season before being traded to Toronto on Aug. 1, and three months later the Dodgers beat the Yankees to win the World Series. This week, the Yankees will be at Dodger Stadium where the Dodgers plan to present Yarbrough a World Series championship ring.

Best self-reflection

Spencer Strider, Atlanta:

“I don’t enjoy failing, and certainly not at the expense of the team,” Strider said after his second start coming off the IL. “We sent a pretty good guy down (Bryce Elder) that was supposed to pitch in my spot. That’s not lost on me. It’s kind of the nature of the game. I think it’s important to have that perspective that the goal is to win. That takes 26 guys. The guy who’s starting on the mound is a big component in coming out and winning every day, so if I can’t be better, I don’t need to be out there. I certainly want to play, but I take no joy in not giving us a chance. If I don’t feel like I can’t provide for the team, then I don’t take much pleasure in losing games for us.”

Most pink-slipped player

Mariners 37-year-old pitcher Casey Lawrence has been designated for assignment five times already this season, including four times by the Seattle Mariners and one by the Toronto Blue Jays.

He can be found these days back at Class AAA Tacoma where he’s basically the 41st man on a 40-man roster.

Ugliest retro stat

The San Diego Padres. Just when they looked like a juggernaut in the NL, believing this could be the year they finally win a World Series, along came the horrid memories of their inaugural 1969 season.

The Padres managed to do something that only one team in history has done when they scored three runs, allowed more than 30 with at least 10 homers, while committing five errors in their five-game stretch.

Yes, the 1969 Padres.

Most powerful condemnation of social media

Liam Hendriks, Boston Red Sox:

“Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help. Leaving comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile. Maybe you should reevaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families. Whether you do it from your ‘fake accounts’ or are dumb enough to do it from your real account. I think I speak for all players who have had to deal with this in their career when I say enough is enough.”

Hendriks told reporters he sent out the message on his Instagram account to not only protect his family, but for all of his teammates and peers throughout the game.

“This is almost a daily occurrence for almost everyone in this clubhouse,” Hendriks said. ‘… With the rise of sports gambling, it’s gotten a lot worse. … There needs to be some sort of punishment so that people can think twice before they start doing this stuff.’

The Eastern Conference finals continue with the New York Knicks heading to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The Pacers currently lead the series 2-0.

The Pacers have taken a 2-0 lead in the series after defeating the Knicks 114-109 in Game 2. Pascal Siakam had a career-best playoff performance, leading the Pacers with 39 points and five rebounds, shooting 15 for 23 from the field. Myles Turner also contributed significantly to the victory with 16 points. Tyrese Haliburton stood out for the Pacers as well, recording 14 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds as they continue their playoff run.

Now, the series shifts back to Indianapolis where the Knicks hope to avoid a 3-0 deficit. The Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks is set for Sunday, May 25. Here is how to watch it.

What time is Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks?

Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks is set to start at 8 p.m. ET, on Sunday May 25.

How to watch Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: Sling TV, Fubo, YouTube TV, Max

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 3 on Fubo

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks predictions: Expert picks for Game 3

ESPN: Pacers have a 59/6% chance of winning

According to ESPN’s Matchup predictor, the Indiana Pacers have a 59.6% chance of beating the New York Knicks in Game 3.

Fox Sports: Pacers 116 – Knicks 113

Staff writes: ‘The Pacers have covered the spread in the same percentage of games at home as away games (46.3%). They have covered 19 times in 41 games at home and 19 times in 41 games on the road. At home, Indiana exceeds the over/under 53.7% of the time (22 of 41 games). It hits the over in the same percentage of road games (22 of 41 contests).’

Bleacher Nation: Pacers 116 – Knicks 113

Staff writes: ‘ The Pacers average 117.4 points per game (seventh in the league) while allowing 115.1 per outing (17th in the NBA). They have a +183 scoring differential overall and outscore opponents by 2.3 points per game. The Pacers pull down 41.8 rebounds per game (27th in the league) while allowing 45.0 per outing to their opponents. They are outrebounded by 3.2 boards per game.’

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 3 odds

The Indiana Pacers are favored to win Game 3, according to BetMGM.

Odds as of Saturday, May 24.

Spread: Pacers (-2)
Moneyline: Pacers (-130), Knicks (+110)
Over/under: 224

Few motorsports events in the world have the same draw as the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. The crown jewel of the F1 calendar sees some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment in attendance to see some of the best drivers in the world battle in close quarters.

It took until the final lap to secure it but McLaren’s Lando Norris crossed the to win his first Monaco Grand Prix.

The two-stop requirement for Sunday’s race saw a split in strategies but, as often happens at the Circuit de Monaco, the pole sitter came home first.

Norris broke the lap record in qualifying to take pole position ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris ceded the lead of the race to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with each of his pit stops. Verstappen held the lead until the last lap when he finally made his second pit stop.

Norris had held off Leclerc for the handful of laps leading up to Verstappen’s second stop. Once Verstappen cleared out, Norris pumped in the fastest lap of the race and brought home the win, McLaren’s first at the iconic track since 2008.

Here’s how it happened:

Lando Norris wins the Monaco Grand Prix

Norris sped away from Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri over the final lap to leave no doubt and win his first Monaco Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen dives into the pits

The Red Bull driver waited as long as he could to make is second stop but finally ducked into the pits with one lap left to go. Land Norris takes the lead from him as Verstappen drops to fourth.

Lando Norris pits from the lead again

The McLaren driver pitted from the lead once again on lap 50 to stay ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the effective lead. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen inherits the lead but still has one required stop left.

Fernando Alonso engine issues forces second DNF

The Aston Martin driver was set for his first points finish of the year around Monaco but the engine gave out on lap 38. The Spaniard parked the car safely off the track to avoid more than a local yellow flag and he becomes the second driver to retire from the race following Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Four drivers yet to stop

The new rules around Monaco for this season require at least two pit stops for every driver. On lap 33, only four drivers have yet to stop: both Williams drivers (Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz) and both Mercedes drivers (George Russell and Kimi Antonelli).

Five drivers have completed both of their mandatory pit stops: Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleo and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

Versappen pits, drops to fourth

The Red Bull driver waited 28 laps for his first pit stop. He comes out of the stop n fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Lando Norris retakes the lead with Verstappen’s stop and leads ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri as the race nears the halfway mark.

Max Verstappen takes the lead

Charles Leclerc pitted from the front of the field on lap 23, leaving Verstappen to inherit the lead. The Red Bull driver is the only runner in the top five yet to stop.

He leads ahead of Lando Norris. Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton round out the top five.

Lando Norris pits from the lead

It took until lap 20 but the polesitter and early leader took his first of two mandatory pit stops in today’s race. McLaren teammate Oscar PIastri pitted a lap later.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes over the lead ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Both are two of the few drivers remaining who have yet to stop.

How to watch the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix: TV, streaming

Here are the options for F1 viewers in the U.S.:

Date: Sunday, May 25
Time: 9 a.m. ET
Location: Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco
TV: ABC, ESPN3
Streaming: ESPN+, F1TV, Fubo

Watch the 2025 Formula 1 championship season with Fubo

Will it be double or nothing for ‘Hangman’ Adam Page this weekend?

The 2025 AEW ‘Double or Nothing’ card is stacked from top to bottom, but no match has greater stakes than the Page vs. Will Ospreay “shootout” in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final. The winner goes on to face AEW world champion Jon Moxley at ‘All In’ this July.

But in a match that’s billed as ‘Ascension vs. Redemption,’ there’s more on the line than a shot at gold for Page. ‘Hangman’ looks to put to bed the demons of two years of vengeance and violence in the showdown. He faces a tough challenger in Ospreay, one of the best wrestlers in the world, who is seeking his long-awaited AEW coronation.

Elsewhere on the card, anarchy will reign when the Death Riders and the Young Bucks take on Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega the Opps and others in an ‘Anarchy in the Arena’ match. Meanwhile, Toni Storm will look to remain ‘Timeless’ – and AEW women’s world champion – when she faces off against Mina Shirakawa.It’s the last stop before AEW goes ‘All In’ in Texas. Here’s what to know about ‘Double or Nothing’ this weekend:

When is AEW Double or Nothing?

The Double or Nothing show is set for Sunday, May 25, 2025.

How to watch AEW Double or Nothing

AEW Double or Nothing is a pay-per-view event, so fans hoping to watch the action unfold will be met with a $49.99 price of admission. That can be purchased through Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video PPV, TrillerTV PPV, PPV.com, YouTube PPV or Fubo PPV.

If buying isn’t an option, AEW noted that all Dave & Buster’s locations will air the event.

AEW Double or Nothing start time

AEW Double or Nothing gets underway at 8 p.m. ET. The event’s preshow begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Where is AEW Double or Nothing?

Double or Nothing will take place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Double or Nothing 2025 match card

Will Ospreay vs. Hangman Page, Owen Hart Foundation final
Mercedes Mone vs. Jamie Hayter, Owen Hart Foundation final
Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Powerhouse Hobbs, Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata and Willow Nightingale vs. Jon Moxley, Bucks, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Marina Shafir, Anarchy in the Arena match
Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa, AEW Women’s Championship match
Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin vs. Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara, AEW Tag Team Championship match
Kazuchika Okada vs. Mike Bailey, AEW Continental Championship match
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Nigel McGuinness and Daniel Garcia
Ricochet vs. Mark Briscoe, Stretcher match
The Paragon (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, and Josh Alexander) (with Don Callis)

Double or Nothing predictions

‘Hangman’ Adam Page defeats Will Ospreay in the Owen Hart Foundation final
Mercedes Mone downs Jamie Hayter in the Owen Hart Foundation final
Jon Moxley, Bucks, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Marina Shafir defeat Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Powerhouse Hobbs, Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata and Willow Nightingale in the Anarchy in the Arena match
Toni Storm retains the AEW Women’s Championship match vs. Mina Shirakawa
Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin make easy work of Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara
Kazuchika Okada stomps Mike Bailey to retain the AEW Continental championship
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler beat Nigel McGuinness and Daniel Garcia
Mark Briscoe gets his win over Ricochet in a stretcher match
The Paragon (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) defeat The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, and Josh Alexander) (with Don Callis)

The Chicago Sky are still in pursuit of their first win of the season. They will have to go through the Los Angeles Sparks to get it.

The Sky got off to a rough start this season following back-to-back losses to the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty. They lost by 35 points and 25 points, respectively.

Angel Reese has struggled to get going during her sophomore campaign and failed to make a field goal in the Sky’s 99-74 loss to the Liberty on Thursday, shooting 0-for-8 from the field. However, Reese’s defense looked solid with 12 rebounds and three steals.

The Sparks have fared slightly better and opened the season 1-3. Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Lynx and the Golden State Valkyries. Kelsey Plum, the Sparks’ newest addition, is averaging 24 points through four games.

What time is Sparks vs. Sky?

The matchup between the Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks tips off Sunday, May 25 at 6 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

How to watch Sparks vs. Sky game: TV, stream

Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Location: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
TV (national): WNBA League Pass
Stream: Fubo

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Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White reached a boiling point with officiating following her team’s 90-88 loss to the defending champion New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Fever had an opportunity to tie or win the contest in the closing seconds. Indiana had the ball with 2.2 seconds remaining in the game. Sophie Cunningham inbounded the ball to Caitlin Clark at half court, but Clark wasn’t able to get a shot off after the Liberty’s Natasha Cloud stripped the ball. Clark flailed her arms after the apparent contact and instantly turned to the referees in bewilderment as Breanna Stewart grabbed the ball as time expired. No foul was called on Cloud on the play, much to the Fever’s dismay.

“I thought she got fouled,” White said. “I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy — I might be able to understand that if we’re chucking 3s, but we’re not. We’re attacking the rim. The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways, but we can’t allow that to consume us.”

LIBERTY DOWNS FEVER: Score as Caitlin Clark, Indiana lose close game to NY

The Fever had a 12-point lead over the Liberty in the fourth quarter, but New York wen ton a 16-2 run over the course of four minutes to take the lead and eventually win. The Fever dropped to 2-2 on the season after the loss, while the Liberty remain undefeated and move to 3-0.

White called out the free throw disparity in the game, noting that the Fever only had 15 free throw attempts, compared to 32 for the Liberty. In the Fever’s win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, the Fever had 15 free throw attempts to the Dream’s 23.

“We’re not looking for a change. We’re just looking for consistency,’ White said. ‘You know, I felt like the second half of Atlanta, at least at our place (on Tuesday), was at least consistent, right, and that’s that’s the thing that we’re looking for.”

Indiana center Aliyah Boston said the Fever have no choice but to accept the non-call.

“When it comes to accepting (the calls), it’s like we don’t really have a choice, because they’re going to call what they want to call,” Boston said. “So for us, I mean, even for me, I missed some of those easy buckets around the rim. I think for me, I have to put them in the rim just post hoc, and we just have to finish through contact. If we don’t get it, we don’t get it, but we have to give ourselves the best opportunity to get that basket.”

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The celebration after the Indianapolis 500 is almost as famous as the race itself at this point, but the origin of one of racing’s great traditions is more happenstance than anything else.

The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 25, and the scene on victory lane at ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ will inevitably feature the winner driver drinking from a bottle of ice-cold milk. For decades, it has been the defining image to emerge from Victory Circle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s so ingrained in IndyCar’s premier event that the 33 drivers entered in the 2025 Indy 500 once again told race organizers their milk preference in advance.

Milk, however, wasn’t always part of the Indianapolis 500, despite the connection it now holds to this American racing institution. The customary milk chug began because of one three-time winner, nearly ended forever because of another and has now been done 75 times overall entering the 2025 edition of the Indy 500.

Why does Indianapolis 500 winner drink milk?

The origin story of milk being the drink of choice for the Indianapolis 500 winner dates back to the 1936 race, according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Louis Foster had become the first person to win the Indy 500 three times and celebrated with the crowd while holding a bottle of buttermilk. A Movietone News cameraman captured the moment and the footage eventually made its way to a dairy executive who requested milk be made available to the Indianapolis 500 winner every year.

The Indy 500 winner from 1938 through 1941 and in 1946 (after a hiatus for World War II) each drank milk in Victory Circle. Foster later explained buttermilk was what he grew up drinking to refresh himself on a hot day and he did so out of habit after winning in 1936. He also claimed to have had buttermilk after he won the 1933 Indianapolis 500.

Indianapolis 500: Why did milk tradition almost end?

An ownership change at the Indianapolis 500 led to three-time race winner Wilbur Shaw, who was also the Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and general manager at the time, creating his own Victory Circle tradition. From 1947 through 1954, the winning driver of the Indianapolis 500 would drink ‘Water from Wilbur’ out of an engraved chalice.

Milk returned to Victory Circle for the 1956 Indianapolis 500 following Shaw’s death. The winner, according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, received $400 for drinking milk and his chief mechanic was awarded an additional $50. Dairy has been part of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ every year since then.

Indianapolis 500 milk tradition in 2025

Sunday will mark the 69th year in a row, and 76th time overall, the Indy 500 winner drinks milk in Victory Circle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each driver specifies their milk preference ahead of the race and the winner will be handed a chilled bottle of milk by a representative from the American Dairy Association Indiana. Bottles of milk are also delivered to the chief mechanic and team owner. The driver typically drinks from the bottle, and then douses himself and teammates as well.

This year, 29 drivers have chosen whole milk as their post-win drink of choice. The other four drivers in the field ‒ Hélio Castroneves, Conor Daly, Graham Rahal and Alexander Rossi ‒ each picked 2% milk. Drivers are also allowed to drink skim milk. Two-time defending Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden drank whole milk after he won in 2023 and 2024.

Watch the Indy 500 with Fubo

Indy 500: TV, streaming and where to watch

Date: Sunday, May 25
TV time: 10 a.m. ET
Race time: 12:45 p.m. ET
TV channel: FOX
Live stream: Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Returning home and making shots were antidotes for the ills that had troubled the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first two games of the Western Conference finals.

The Timberwolves earned their first win of the series with a dominating 143-101 victory against the Thunder in Game 3 Saturday.  They set a franchise record for most points in a playoff game, shot 57.3% from the field and battered the Thunder in rebounding with a 50-31 edge.

Hopefully for the Timberwolves, they saved some scoring for the rest of the series. All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 30 points, and Julius Randle added 24 for the Timberwolves.

Game 4 is Monday in Minneapolis (8:30 p.m., ESPN). It’s either a 2-2 series going back to Oklahoma City or a 3-1 Thunder series lead with a chance of closing of the series at home and advancing to the NBA Finals.

Here are the winners and losers from Game 3 of Thunder-Timberwolves:

Thunder-Timberwolves Game 3 winners

Anthony Edwards

Edwards had a sub-standard Game 1, played a little better in Game 2 and had his best game of the series in Game 3 with 30 points on 12-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-8 on 3-pointers, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Not only is that the offensive production the Timberwolves need, Edwards’ efficiency was a bonus.

Timberwolves bench: Special shoutout Terrence Shannon Jr.

In the final tally, Minnesota’s bench outscored Oklahoma City’s 66-52. But in the first two quarters – when the game was decided and the Timberwolves led 72-41 at halftime – the Timberwolves had a 29-8 edge in bench points in the first half.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 12 points and Naz Reid added 10 points off the bench, but the biggest contribution came from rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., who hadn’t played more than seven minutes or scored more than two points in six playoff appearances before Game 3. He finished with 15 points, including nine in four minutes in the second quarter.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch knew he needed a boost to the rotation and found it in Shannon.

Minnesota’s 3-point shooting

In the first two games of the West finals, the Timberwolves shot 28.9% on 3-pointers. Reid was 0-for-12, Edwards 4-for-17, Donte DiVincenzo 5-for-18 and Mike Conley 2-for-9. Ouch.

In Game 3, the Timberwolves were 20-for-40 on 3s – one shy of matching a franchise record for most made 3s in a playoff game. Reid finally made one and was 2-for-3; DiVincenzo 2-for-2; Edwards 5-for-8; Conley 2-for-6; Randle 2-for-4; Alexander-Walker 2-for-4; and Jaden McDaniels 2-for-4.

The Timberwolves don’t need to shoot 50% to win but less than 30% won’t yield many victories at this stage of the playoffs.

Julius Randle

Randle scored 24 points after scoring just six while sitting out the fourth quarter of Game 2.

“Me and Finch, through all the ups and downs this season, he knows who I am, I know who he is. Obviously as a competitor, I want to play and do anything I can to help our team win. I know he trusts me to do that. I also know I trust him to do what’s best for the team at all times. I know he doesn’t have any ill-intent. … For me, its about how you come back the next game. I just wanted to come out aggressive.”

Randle has now scored at least 24 points in six of Minnesota’s past seven games.

Thunder-Timberwolves Game 3 losers

Thunder offense

The Thunder were 35-for-86 from the field and 14-for-44 on 3-pointers. They scored a season-low 14 first-quarter points, and no player scored more than 14 points.

Thunder defense

Oklahoma City allowed a season-high 143 points. They had given up 130 or more just three times season this season. The Thunder had the best defense during the regular season so Game 3 was likely an anomaly, and what matters most is how they respond in Game 4.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting

Gilgeous-Alexander, who earned the 2024-25 MVP earlier in the week, scored just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. He had scored 30 or more points in five consecutive playoff games, including 38 in Game 2 against Minnesota.

He averaged a career-high 32.7 points and shot 51.9% from the field this season. Again, Game 3 was an anomaly. But the Thunder are at their best when Gilgeous-Alexander is closer to 30 points and going to the free throw line more than four times in a game.