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All five New York starters hit double figures, led by 30 points from Karl-Anthony Towns, as the visiting Knicks shot lights-out on Saturday afternoon to rout the Atlanta Hawks 121-105.
Josh Hart finished a rebound shy of a triple-double for the Knicks with 16 points and 11 assists. OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 20.
Trae Young had 16 points and nine assists for the Hawks, who had six players in double figures. Terance Mann and Caris LeVert each scored 14 off the bench.
The win keeps the Knicks (49-28), who have won four of their last five, locked as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the Indiana Pacers. The Hawks (36-41), who have lost five of their last six, fell 1 1/2 games behind the idle Orlando Magic for the seventh spot.
The Knicks set a season high with 78 first-half points, shooting 68.8 percent (11 of 16) from 3-point range and 67.4 percent (29 of 43) from the floor in the half.
For the game, New York shot 53.6 percent (45 of 84) from the floor and 51.7 percent (15 of 29) from beyond the arc, while the Hawks finished at 46.6 percent (41 of 88) from the floor and 31.1 percent (14 of 45) from 3-point range.
Towns got the Knicks' offense rolling with a straight-on three, then Hart completed classic three-point play in the first quarter as New York took a 19-14 lead. New York went up 12 on a pair of free throws by Anunoby, but Atlanta closed the first half with a 7-2 run and trailed 38-31 after one.
In the second quarter, Towns appeared to jam a finger on his left hand and missed two minutes while getting it taped. Other than that, it was a nearly flawless 12 minutes for the Knicks as every shot they tried seemed to swish.
The Knicks went on a game-changing 15-0 run, with Cameron Payne starting things off with a three and Bridges and Anunoby knocking down threes to push the lead to 66-41 with 3:44 left in the half. The lead ballooned to 31 in the first half and was as much as 34 in the second. New York led 78-53 at the break.
New York is still not at full strength, but before the game coach Tom Thibodeau said that star guard Jalen Brunson was "very close" to returning and there were multiple media reports that he would play in Sunday's home game against the Phoenix Suns. He's 14 games due to a sprained right ankle.
Hawks star defender Dyson Daniels had two more steals, giving him a league-leading 219 for the season, the most for any NBA player since Allen Iverson had 225 in 2002-03.
More must-reads:
- Bulls sign HC Billy Donovan to multiyear extension
- Nikola Jokic’s agent sparks LeBron James to Denver speculation with Instagram post
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Magic In Danger Of Losing Key Contributor Amid Growing Costs
With almost every successful transaction the Orlando Magic have achieved this offseason, a sacrifice has been made. Now, the organization may be under pressure to make another one. The decision to trade for Desmond Bane and give Paolo Banchero a max extension was essentially non-negotiable for a team aiming to contend for a title. However, paying big money for big-time players is putting Orlando far enough into the tax to shed salary on other parts of the roster. Unfortunately for the Magic, it may mean parting ways with big man Goga Bitadze. Recently, Bleacher Report listed Bitadze as the next man out for Orlando. “The Orlando Magic are just far enough into the tax that they're almost assuredly going to shed salary to elude it. Now is not the time for them to start the repeater clock. It'll be unavoidable next season when Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner are making a combined $155 million.” “Goga Bitadze's $8.3 million salary will be a staple in tax-ducking hypotheticals. It can easily fit into the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception or a handful of traded-player exceptions, and he's serviceable enough that teams won't want compensation for taking on his contract.” There is a risk in parting ways with Bitadze. Last season, the 26-year-old played a key role in the rotation after Moritz Wagner tore his ACL. Bitadze appeared in 70 games while logging 42 starts. He also averaged 7.2 points and 1.4 blocks, all career highs. The idea of moving on from Bitadze makes financial sense, but poses a risk nonetheless. More Orlando Magic Stories Former Magic Player Passes Steph Curry in GOAT Debate Orlando Magic Hall Of Famer Lands On Elite List Ex-Orlando Magic Player Ahead Of Kevin Durant On Prestigious Top 25 List
Longtime Maple Leafs Defenseman in Serious Contract Dispute With His New Team
The longtime former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is in a serious contract dispute with his new team, the Buffalo Sabres. Nobody appears happy to stay with the Buffalo Sabres organization. Most of the talented players on the team were included in trade or free agency rumors, and now, Timmins doesn't appear too excited to sign with the team. Indeed, the Restricted Free Agent, who was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres earlier this offseason for Connor Clifton and a second-round pick, isn't close to reaching a deal in Buffalo. With arbitration hearings set to take place over the coming days, Timmins and the Sabres are likely to meet for that reason soon. Unless a deal is reached before then, the hearing will take place on August 2nd. The Ontario native is coming off a rocky season, where he played 51 games for the Leafs and 17 more in Pittsburgh after being traded. In those 68 games, the 26-year-old defenseman tallied 15 points, including three goals. After seeing three players around the NHL reach deals before their hearing date, some fans hoped to see the Sabres and Timmins sign a contract soon, but multiple reports confirmed that there hasn't been any 'traction' between both camps. As of now, five more players are scheduled to have salary hearings. Here's the full list, per PuckPedia: Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks) - July 28 Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders) - July 29 Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets) - July 30 Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres) - August 2 Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs) - August 3 Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens) - August 3 It'll be interesting to see what kind of contract Timmins would get in a hearing, or if a deal will be reached before the date. With the Sabres' reputation, it's not surprising to see that he appears reluctant to sign in Buffalo. Hopefully for their fans, massive changes will be done to the team to make sure they can attract top talent and convince them to stay with the team.
Top moments from 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
10 Overvalued or Undervalued players in fantasy football entering training camp
When prepping for a fantasy draft, you need to anticipate how the board will shift by the time your draft arrives—and what that means for your strategy. Here are 10 players I believe are currently overvalued or undervalued heading into training camp, along with where I expect their value to settle. Some players are going to see a major shift in ADP by late August for obvious reasons, such as QuinShon Judkins, so I focused on players who have a path to maintaining their overvalued or undervalued status until late August, when most fantasy drafts take place. Note: ADP is FantasyPros Consensus Half-PPR. Adjusted Line Yards are via FTN Fantasy. All other data via PFF unless otherwise noted. Use promo code BARK20 for $20 off your FantasyLabs fantasy football subscription! Overvalued RB Joe Mixon, Texans (ADP: RB19) When a running back declines in fantasy value, it's usually due to some combination of: (a) age/wear (b) injury (c) offensive line (d) role/job security. In Mixon’s case, it’s all the above. Age/Wear: Mixon is entering his age-29 season—two years past the typical RB peak at 27. Per Stathead, no player has more combined regular-season and playoff touches over the past four seasons than Mixon (1,372). Injury: Mixon begins training camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list with an ankle issue that sidelined him for all of OTAs and minicamp. While he may be ready for Week 1, this is concerning given his age, workload, and position. Offensive Line: Houston’s run-blocking unit ranked just 15th in PFF grade and 24th in Adjusted Line Yards last year—and could regress after trading away Laremy Tunsil, who earned an 89.1 PFF run-blocking grade (fourth among tackles). The Texans could have up to five new starters and are implementing a new blocking scheme under OC Nick Caley. Whether due to Mixon’s injury or unsettled roles, chemistry with the line may be lacking—bad news for a back who's averaged 4.1 YPC or worse in six straight seasons, including just 3.4 YPC over his final eight games of 2024. Role/Job Security: Mixon has long been pulled on third downs, a trend likely to continue after the Texans drafted Woody Marks to compete with Dare Ogunbowale for that role. Early-down work may also be at risk with the arrival of Nick Chubb. Mixon's ADP has started to slip in Best Ball following the injury news, but given that he was still being drafted well inside the top 20 in Best Ball after Chubb was acquired, I wouldn't be surprised to see his stock see an artificial bump back to previous levels if he’s removed from the NFI list before the end of camp. RB David Montgomery (ADP: RB22) Montgomery hasn’t taken a preseason snap as a Lion and isn’t injured—so his red flags may not surface until the regular season. Age/Wear: He turned 28 in June, entering his first year past the typical RB peak. He showed signs of decline in 2024, failing to produce a run longer than 21 yards on 185 carries. Offensive Line: Montgomery averaged a career-low 1.07 yards before contact per carry last season, despite running behind a Lions line that ranked No. 1 in Adjusted Line Yards (5.08). That unit could regress significantly in 2025 after losing top interior linemen Kevin Zeitler and Frank Ragnow. Role/Job Security: Montgomery has maintained RB2 value as the Lions primary early-down and goal-line back despite splitting time with Jahmyr Gibbs. But after Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards and led the NFL with 16 rushing TDs, it's difficult to justify Montgomery as the primary anything. In a worst-case scenario, Gibbs may simply be too good to keep off the field, and Montgomery gets 2019 Dion Lewis-ed. Turnover on the offensive coaching staff following the departures of Ben Johnson and Tanner Engstrand creates more uncertainty. A tougher 2025 schedule also means fewer favorable game scripts and touchdown chances than during last year’s 14-3 showing (12-2 with Montgomery active). Montgomery's re-draft overall ADP is in the 50s, but I think his true value is more in line with his Best-Ball ADP, which is in the 70s. If TD regression hits, Montgomery starts to look like the other early-down 1b types, such as Jordan Mason or (pre-eye-injury?) Najee Harris, who go in the 90s and 100s overall, respectively. Dominate your Best Ball and season-long fantasy football leagues with FantasyLabs’ brand-new app that's available in the Apple App Store and on Android! WR Cooper Kupp (ADP: WR41) Kupp hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2017, so his re-draft ADP may remain relatively static based on reputation alone. While WR41 seems reasonable at first glance—he finished WR43 in PPR and WR44 in half-PPR from Weeks 12–17—those numbers came in a Sean McVay offense with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Now he’s in a Klint Kubiak system quarterbacked by Sam Darnold. It's concerning that Kupp got worse the more he played, to the point McVay and Stafford could barely work him into the offense at all, and then unceremoniously dumped him for another only to throw dollars at another WR on the wrong side of 30 in Davante Adams. The Rams are the same team that was late to the party on Allen Robinson and DeSean Jackson and just beat last call on Odell Beckham Jr. -- if they think you're cooked, you're probably cooked. According to Matt Harmon's Reception Perception, Kupp posted career-low 3rd percentile scores against man and press coverage and a 30th percentile mark against zone despite getting a free release off the line of scrimmage 86% of the time. Without McVay, Stafford, and most of his explosiveness and separation ability at age 32, Kupp profiles as a low-ceiling, low-touchdown possession receiver who now comes with volume concerns. Nearly every WR ranked in the top 55 arguably has more upside—and most have higher floors as well. TE Evan Engram (ADP TE8) Engram has all the makings of a better addition in real life than in fantasy. The first red flag is that the Broncos used a three-way committee at tight end last season. Pass-catching specialist Lucas Krull led the way with a 44% route rate, but Adam Trautman (29%) and Nate Adkins (20%) still combined to run a route on nearly half of the team’s dropbacks. I’m not saying Engram will be anywhere near Krull territory, but what I am saying is Sean Payton has a sick, sick fetish of subbing in 3-4 new skill guys before every play. In all seriousness, Engram will turn 31 in September and has never been a great blocker, so he will likely come off the field more than other starting tight ends, especially those being drafted at his ADP range. In fact, Payton in March may have already alluded to more of a situational role than expected for Engram, mentioning third downs and the red zone when discussing where Engram would help. The red zone comment should raise eyebrows, because Engram hasn’t caught more than four TDs in a season since catching six in his 2017 rookie campaign. At 6-foot-3, Engram is shorter than average for a TE, and he will be flanked by one of the tallest WR units in the NFL: Courtland Sutton is 6-foot-4, Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant are 6-foot-3, and DeVaughn Vele, should he make the team, is 6-foot-5. Engram was added in March to give Payton his long-sought-after “Joker,” but they’ve since added another potential Joker option in RB RJ Harvey in Round 2. Drafting a potential starting WR in Bryant in Round 3 could also free up Marvin Mims Jr. from some of his traditional WR duties and allow him to play more of the Joker role as well. Engram was a great get for a team that previously had “Lucas Krull” cosplaying as a lead tight end. That said, he finds himself in an offense that also upgraded at every other skill position and seems intent to spread the ball around to a suddenly crowded group of potential Joker options and big-bodied pass catchers. I have Engram at TE12. With no assurances that Engram will continue to be a volume guy, I can’t justify the opportunity cost of passing up a WR or RB in his range. Use promo code BARK20 for $20 off your FantasyLabs fantasy football subscription! Undervalued RB Bhayshul Tuten (ADP: RB46) Tuten still goes in the mid-40s RB range behind Travis Etienne (RB37) and in the same range as Tank Bigsby (RB44), but the rookie could easily emerge as Jacksonville’s top runner before camp is all said and done, in which case he would close with an ADP higher than Etienne’s currently. Even if uncertainty remains about usage, Tuten’s 4.27 speed makes him the type of player who could send his value surging with one snap. Given the team’s limited draft capital after trading up for Travis Hunter and new head coach Liam Coen’s track record of rookie usage as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator last season – Day 3 pick Bucky Irving was a double-digit touch guy right off the bat, and Jalen McMillan an 80% snap guy – it’s difficult to envision him starting the season as any worse than the RB2. If comparing this year’s Jags backfield to last season's Bucs backfield, Etienne is Rachaad White, Tuten is Bucky Irving, and Bigsby is Sean Tucker, though there is still a chance Etienne or Bigsby gets moved. The longer both Etienne and Bigsby both remain on the roster, the more likely it is that Tuten's ADP stays depressed until draft season. If one is moved, his ADP will potentially skyrocket into the 20s, but it would be deserved given the question marks in this year's Frozen Pond Tier. RB Dylan Sampson (ADP: RB57) With second-round pick QuinShon Judkins still unsigned amid legal issues that have put his early season availability in doubt, Jerome Ford is the favorite to open the season as the Browns RB1 (and could be undervalued in his own right as RB49), but Sampson is the higher-upside option, especially at ADP. While Ford is a known quantity who the Browns have given every indication they see as more of a role player than a true workhorse, Sampson is a better bet to assume a role similar to that initially expected for Judkins. Sampson is also a threat to overtake Ford prior to Judkins’ return even if Ford opens the year as the RB1, so I’d have less interest in Ford as a bench stash/rental if he were named the Week 1 starter. It’s also possible that Judkins ends up missing so much time that he never earns a meaningful role, in which case Sampson could post the full-season RB2 value that Judkins was expected to produce. Sampson enters camp behind Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. which could actually work in his favor, as it could delay Sampson's potential ascension just enough to limit the time his ADP has the chance to catch up before draft season. WR Stefon Diggs, NE (ADP: WR41) If I’m betting on a 30-plus WR as a high-upside WR4, I'm going to bet that the guy hanging out with Cardi B and pink contraband is the one with more young blood left in him. While Diggs has an obvious downside coming off a torn ACL, he has been fully cleared for camp and was still an effective coverage-beater and viable perimeter receiver the last time we saw him on the field, which can’t be said for Cooper Kupp. In Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception charting, Diggs posted 67th percentile success rates against both man and press coverage and a 51st percentile success rate against zone coverage while with a near-50/50 split between the slot and out wide. (Kupp, as mentioned previously, charted near the bottom of the league versus all coverages.) Unlike Kupp, Diggs was signed to be his team's No. 1 receiver. Given the drop-off from Diggs to New England's other pass catchers, he could be an absolute target monster and still get home on pure volume at his current ADP. It’s not quite the same situation, but it’s worth noting that Davante Adams in 2022 saw a career-high 180 targets at age 30 in his first year in a Josh McDaniels offense. WR Jayden Reed (ADP: WR44) There is a chance Reed’s ADP becomes more bearish due to reports of him continuing to sit out 2WR sets, but that’s always been his role, and he’s produced back-to-back top-30 seasons to start his career. While I’m high on Matthew Golden, I think Reed benefits from Golden’s arrival because Golden (plus a healthy Jordan Love) should restore Matt LaFleur confidence in dialing up more passing plays after Love dipped from 34.2 attempts per game in 2023 to 28.3 last season. Love quietly posted top-five marks in yards per attempt (8.0) and QBR (69.3) last season, so I’m not expecting LaFleur to have any hang-ups in regard to passing volume this season. After posting top-25 finishes in 9 of 16 (56.3%) games as a rookie on 5.9 targets per game, Reed saw his receiving volume dip along with the rest of the team, posting a top-25 finish in only 6 of 17 games on 4.4 targets per game. However, a large chunk of Reed’s underperformance came in two games Love missed and two others in which he was knocked out early. In Jordan Love’s 13 healthy starts, Reed finished as a top-25 WR at a 46.2% clip, a top-36 WR at a 61.5% clip, and a top-41 WR at a 76.9% clip on a modest 4.8 targets per game. Reed’s stellar underlying metrics in each of his first two seasons – 2.05 yards per route run (22nd among WRs) in 2023, 2.20 (17th) in 2024 – coupled with a likely increase in passing volume for one of the most efficient passers in the league make Reed a high-upside, low-risk proposition at ADP, regardless of whether or not Golden breaks out in Year 1. WR Matthew Golden (ADP: WR46) Golden’s ADP will likely creep up as reports have come out of camp that Golden started alongside Romeo Doubs in 2WR sets. In that setup, Golden would be the favorite for targets, as rookie first-round WRs have averaged 19.8% targets per route over the past 10 seasons, which eclipses the career rates of Doubs (19.2%), RB Josh Jacobs (18.9%), TE Tucker Kraft (14.0%), and TE Luke Musgrave (14.0%). When the Packers go three-wide, Golden would still be the best bet to be the No. 2 target behind Jayden Reed (21.3%). The Packers never seemed intent on making D'Ontavion Wicks anything more than a rotational WR4 when Christian Watson was healthy, but as per usual, Watson (ACL) is not healthy, and Golden is a player they deemed worth more draft capital than Watson and every other WR on their roster. Golden was initially thought to be in a crowded WR depth chart, but if he continues to run as a starter in 2 WR sets, he’d likely be the favorite to edge Reed for the team lead in targets overall. Jordan Love finished fifth in YPA (8.0) and sixth in TD rate (5.9%) in an injury-marred season and sits at 7.5 YPA and a 5.5% TD rate for his career. He shouldn't have his entire WR corps going outside the top 40. Golden's ADP is more likely to overcorrect if he breaks a big play in preseason, but I'd still want him anywhere I can get him as my WR4. TE Colston Loveland (ADP: TE13) Loveland’s ADP became depressed with news of him undergoing offseason shoulder surgery in January, but he was cleared just before camp. Given that Loveland was drafted over Tyler Warren, it’s clear that new head coach Ben Johnson was in search of a full-time tight end. When the Lions drafted Sam LaPorta 34th overall in 2023, Johnson utilized him on 83% of offensive snaps in Year 1, and he went on to post a then-rookie-record 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 TDs. The fact that Johnson spent the 10th overall pick on Loveland with Cole Kmet already on the roster signals that Kmet is viewed as nothing more than Johnson’s version of Brock Wright, and that there probably was something to Caleb Williams hitting the mute button on Kmet to the tune of just eight of 195 routes over the final six weeks of the season. Kmet is likely a bigger threat to fellow rookie Luther Burden III at slot receiver in the form of more 2TE sets. Loveland has top-three overall upside as a rookie. Given the question marks in the ba
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