Former Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins came extremely close to re-creating the “Malice at the Palace” on Monday. Cousins tried to fight fans after a wild ejection during a Puerto Rico basketball league game.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the contest. Cousins — a member of the Guaynabo Mets — appeared to get into a verbal altercation with a fan on the side of the court. Cousins grabbed his crotch in front of the fan, who responded by flipping off Cousins. The center then touched the man multiple times before teammates stepped in.

Cousins was ejected from the contest, but the incident wasn’t over. As Cousins was being led back through the tunnel, he took a swipe at an angry fan and stuck up his middle finger at the crowd. At that point, multiple fans threw drinks at Cousins, who then attempted to go after the fans. 

Cousins was held back by multiple security members, who prevented what could have been a much nastier incident. 

Cousins, 34, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. A former first-round pick, Cousins emerged as a future superstar early in his career before injuries slowed him. 

Since leaving the NBA, Cousins has continued his professional basketball career in various leagues around the world. He initially joined the Guaynabo Mets in 2023, but he also played in Taiwan and Mongolia before re-joining the Mets for the 2025 season. 

As punishment for the incident, Cousins was suspended for the rest of the season. He was also fined $4,250 for his actions, which drew comparisons to the “Malice at the Palace.” Cousins could face an even bigger fine from the league given the serious nature of the incident. 

During an NBA game in 2004, Metta World Peace — then known as Ron Artest — went into the stands and fought fans at The Palace at Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons used to play. Multiple players got involved in the scuffle, leading to multiple suspensions and charges from law enforcement. 

The Cousins incident didn’t rise to that level Monday, but it’s tough to see him getting another shot in the league considering how bad the situation looked. 

Sure, the NBA Finals are in full swing, but fans of the 28 other NBA teams have one thing on their minds: the offseason. Known for big trades and drama, the NBA offseason has found ways to dominate the sports news cycle in times when basketball should be the last thing on anyone’s mind.

This offseason promises to be similar. Future Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are expected to be available on the trade market, and one of the league’s premier franchises — the New York Knicks — are searching for a new coach. 

Where do all those stories stand with the Finals underway? Yahoo Sports has you covered with all the biggest NBA rumors below.

Knicks, Jason Kidd still in limbo

The Knicks may have narrowed down their coaching search to their top candidate, but there’s a problem: He’s already taken.

The Knicks were reportedly interested in Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, but needed permission from Dallas to speak with the coach. The Knicks liked the idea of bringing back Kidd for a few reasons, per Marc Stein. The franchise is familiar with Kidd after he spent the final year of his playing career with the Knicks. The team also believes Kidd could handle the media pressure and spotlight that comes with being in New York. Kidd also has familiarity with Knicks star Jalen Brunson. 

But in order to hire Kidd, the team needed to formally ask the Mavericks to speak with the coach. 

The Knicks did make the ask, Stein reported Wednesday, but the Mavericks denied it.

New York finds itself in a strange spot after the surprising firing of Tom Thibodeau last week. Thibodeau posted a .565 winning percentage in five seasons with the Knicks and just took the team to the Eastern Conference finals. 

Given the strong personalities in the Knicks’ front office, the team could have multiple ideas on how to replace Thibodeau, per Stein, so losing out on Kidd might not be a huge barrier for the franchise.

Kevin Durant to the Knicks?

The Knicks could have an easy time bringing in a new coach, especially if the club acquires Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. The Suns are expected to deal Durant after the team struggled despite bringing in elite talent last offseason.

The Knicks are among the main teams expected to be in the running for Durant, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday. Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, are sorting through trade scenarios, and five teams have emerged as primary suitors for Durant. 

Those teams are the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Knicks, per Charania.

Most, if not all, of those teams have been mentioned in rumors for Durant since the Suns’ season ended. Charania first mentioned those teams as possible destinations for Durant in April. His colleague, Brian Windhorst, mentioned the Knicks as a suitor for Durant on Tuesday.

The Suns may have struggled last season, but it wasn’t due to Durant. The 36-year-old showed little sign of decline, averaging 26.6 points and six rebounds over 62 games in Phoenix.

That should make Durant a popular trade target for a number of teams. It certainly sounds like the Knicks want to remain in that mix. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be traded?

There is apparently no trade market for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo right now, per Windhorst. 

Antetokounmpo has not asked the team for a trade, and the Bucks reportedly aren’t looking to deal their star.

Given how quickly the NBA offseason shifts, that could change. The Bucks have plenty of incentive to deal their superstar now. Milwaukee was once again eliminated early in the playoffs, and the Bucks are in rough shape following Damian Lillard’s injury and the team’s lack of control over its future first-round picks. 

Antetokounmpo should bring in quite the haul if he gets dealt. The 30-year-old averaged 30.4 points and 11.9 rebounds for Milwaukee last season, and is under contract through the 2027-28 NBA season.

Expect a lot of NBA offseason action soon

While rumors are quiet at the moment, things could pick up relatively soon. Windhorst teased the NBA offseason could move faster than normal during an appearance on “First Take” on Tuesday.

Windhorst mentioned Charania has “cleared his calendar” ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, which will take place June 25. Windhorst teased, “You’re gonna get your action very soon.”

That action should come once the NBA Finals conclude. If the series goes a full seven games, that would happen June 22, just days before the NBA Draft. It could make for a hectic draft season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder evened up the 2025 NBA Finals at one game apiece on Sunday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 123-107 and covering the 11.5-point spread. The game crept over the total of 228 on a layup by James Johnson on Indiana’s final possession.

The Thunder opened as 4.5-point road favorites in Indiana for Game 3, before the line was pushed out to 5.5 by respected money coming in on Oklahoma City. The total is 227.5 at BetMGM. The public is backing Oklahoma City and the over, with 54% of the wagers on the Thunder to cover and 67% of bets on the over. Oklahoma City is 0-7 against the spread on the road this postseason.

“We’re as balanced as it can really be on the spread at the moment,” BetMGM trader Halvor Egeland told Yahoo Sports. “Less than 1% difference in total bet money. A little bit more on the Thunder moneyline than the Pacers, but only slightly. Thunder winning would actually be the better result for us. Pretty one-sided on the total so far. Bettors are liking the over.”

Yahoo Sports asked handicappers Michael Fiddle, Jason Logan and Jon Metler for their thoughts on some best bets for Game 3 of the finals:

Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder (-5.5, 227.5) at Indiana Pacers

Fiddle: “I love Oklahoma City in Game 3. If we understand the value of home-court advantage, it decreases as the rounds go on in the postseason. There’s less of a shock factor and players are more used to it. 

“In the conference finals, we saw the Thunder -8 in Oklahoma City and then when the series shifted to Minnesota, it was OKC -3, so a five-point difference. I have every outcome tracked for the last three seasons, and 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are the most important numbers against the spread in the postseason. The key-number scale slides up a little in the postseason because there are more blowouts. 

“A six-point move [OKC -11.5 at home to -5.5 on the road] is still too much for me, especially through numbers that have a lot of value. I don’t have as big a move up on Indiana’s power rating this postseason.

“I understand OKC is 0-7 against the spread on the road in the playoffs, but some of those are huge spreads like -15 in a closeout Game 4 in Memphis. I think this closes 6 or 6.5. Death, taxes and late money on OKC. We saw this in Game 1 and Game 2, and I think we see it again here.”

Best bet: Oklahoma City -5.5

Logan: “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been fantastic in the first two games of the NBA Finals and taking the under on scoring with any superstar is an uncomfortable wager to sit through — but let’s squirm a little in Game 3. The series shifts to Indiana, so OKC is expect to take a step back offensively as we’ve seen in the postseason so far. SGA’s scoring clip has also been dampened by the road environment. He was more passive in Game 2 of the finals, shooting far less and opting to distribute more. That’s not to say Shai can’t score 30 or more and still go under, as he did in Game 2. Projections sit short of this total, so get ready to hold your breath every time SGA’s ready to take a shot.”

Best bet: SGA under 34.5 points (-115)

Metler: “This number feels too low for Turner, and I believe you’re getting a discounted price on this prop due to his minutes being lower than usual over the last four games. Turner has played under 30 minutes in four straight games, but context matters: three were blowouts, and Game 1 saw the Thunder go small. In Game 2, OKC leaned into a double-big lineup, and I expect Turner to see 30-plus minutes as a response. Turner has a favorable matchup against the wiry Chet Holmgren, and he’s getting plenty of clean looks with his jumper thanks to the Thunder selling out to stop Haliburton in the pick-and-roll. Turner should benefit again, and this line should be closer to -175. At -125, I’m gladly pulling the trigger.”

Best bet: Myles Turner Over 13.5 points (-125)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in their first NBA Finals since 2012. A win this year would give the Thunder their first-ever franchise trophy under their current name (they do have a championship title when they were the Seattle Supersonics), but MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his crew face serious competition against the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers have proven they’ve got the determination; They’re chasing their first-ever championship title, too. 

Every game of the series will air live on ABC, which is available as part of a subscription to Hulu + Live TV. Hulu + Live TV is $82.99 per month without ads, but if you want to test it out, you can get a free 3-day trial before committing. 

Here’s a full rundown of the game schedule and how to get complete access to every game with a Hulu + Live TV subscription.

How to watch the Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 3:

Date: June 11

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 1)

TV channel: ABC

Streaming: Hulu + Live TV

Where to watch the Pacers vs. Thunder:

You can tune in to every game of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the OKC Thunder on ABC, which is available with a subscription to Hulu + Live TV.

NBA Finals channel:

All games in the NBA Finals series between the Pacers and Thunder will air on ABC.

How to watch the NBA Finals without cable:

Who is playing in the NBA Finals?

This year, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will play each other in the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals TV schedule:

All times Eastern, winners in bold.

• June 5 — Game 1, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m (ABC)

• June 8 — Game 2, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. (ABC)

• June 11 — Game 3, Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)

• June 13 — Game 4, Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)

• June 16 — Game 5, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m* (ABC)

• June 19 — Game 6, Oklahoma City at Indiana 8:30 p.m.* (ABC)

• June 22 — Game 7, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.* (ABC)

*if necessary

What games can you watch with Hulu + Live TV?

With a subscription to Hulu + Live TV, you can watch every game of the NBA finals – ABC is one of over 95 channels included with a regular subscription.

What other channels can you watch on Hulu + Live TV?

Live network television is just one perk of Hulu + Live TV. You can also access 95+ live channels like Fox, NBC, Bravo, FX, PBS, Nickelodeon, Lifetime and USA, too. Browse the options using the intuitive guide and even record live TV to unlimited DVR storage to watch any shows or sports events or your own time. Stream at home or on the go using the mobile app.

And if you change your mind, you can cancel any time before your next billing cycle.

It wasn’t the longest home run of Aaron Judge’s career, but it sure looked like it.

The New York Yankees’ star obliterated a ball that nearly made it out of Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday in Kansas City. Judge, in the first inning of the Yankees’ matchup with the Royals, smashed a home run that traveled 469 feet and almost cleared the Hall of Fame wall out in left field.

Judge, with his team suddenly up 2-0, trotted around the bases like it was nothing.

While he has hit plenty like it in his career, Tuesday’s shot was a rare one for the stadium. It was the sixth-farthest homer hit at the stadium since tracking began nearly a decade ago, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The home run was the seventh-longest of Judge’s career and his 12th that has traveled at least 465 feet, the league announced. The longest home run of Judge’s career came back in 2017, when he hit a ball that went 496 feet against the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s tied for the fifth-longest in the Statcast Era, which dates to 2015.

Judge’s home run on Tuesday was also the third-longest hit across Major League Baseball this season. Only Mike Trout, at 484 feet, and Logan O’Hoppe, at 470 feet, have beaten him.

Judge entered the game with a .396 batting average and a 1.264 OPS, both of which lead the league. The home run was his 24th of the season, which trails only Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh. Judge also has a league-high 97 hits, two of which came on Tuesday.

After the Yankees jumped out to a nine-run lead, third baseman Jazz Chisholm left the game following a strikeout in the seventh inning. He got into it briefly with Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia in the inning right before that after he successfully stole third.

Officially, the Yankees called it “neck tightness.” Further specifics are not yet known.

Judge’s home run kicked off what ended up being a blowout win for the Yankees. They cruised to the 10-2 win over the Royals to kick off the three-game series. Judge also had an RBI single in the sixth, which was part of a five-run inning for the Yankees, and Austin Wells hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

The win pushed the Yankees to 40-25 on the season. The Royals, on the other hand, have now lost four of their past six games and sit at 34-33 — which has them in third in the AL Central standings.

Roman Anthony’s second MLB game went better than his first. And it helped lead the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Anthony went 0-for-4 with an RBI and an error in his MLB debut on Monday, just hours after the Red Sox called up the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The Red Sox lost to the Rays 10-8.

On Tuesday, Anthony got to work in his first at-bat. With runners on second and third in the bottom of the first inning, he faced an outside changeup from Rays starter Ryan Pepiot on a 1-2 count. 

Anthony swung and sent a line drive down the left-field line that rolled to the outfield wall.

Two runs scored, and Anthony reached second for a go-ahead double on his first MLB hit. Not a bad way to start the career highlight reel. 

The runs off of Anthony’s bat turned out to be all the Red Sox needed to secure the 3-1 win. Anthony finished 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and a strikeout.

Can Anthony help Sox compete in AL East?

A Red Sox team sitting near the bottom of the AL East standings (32-36 before Tuesday’s game) and in need of an offensive injection called Anthony up from Triple-A Worcester following an injury to right fielder Wilyer Abreu. A 21-year-old outfielder, Anthony is filling in for Abreu in right and batting fifth in the Red Sox’s lineup.

Just two nights prior to his call-up, Anthony showed off part of what makes him such a tantalizing prospect with a 497-foot grand slam for Worcester that was longer than any MLB home run this season. 

The Red Sox are certainly hoping he can build off Tuesday’s breakthrough and provide a boost in the AL playoff race. 

Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound Tuesday as he ramps up his return to pitching in an MLB game. 

By most accounts, he looked pretty good. That includes the opinion of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who didn’t rule out Ohtani returning to the mound before the All-Star break. 

Ohtani pitched three simulated innings against live minor-league batters on Tuesday at Petco Park prior to the NL West tilt between his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. He threw 44 pitches. 

Per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani allowed one hit and one walk and threw a wild pitch. He recorded six of his nine outs via strikeout.

Here’s video of a swinging strike to record the final out of his session:

It was another encouraging sign for the Dodgers and their fans eager to see the two-way superstar pitch in Dodger blue for the first time.

Tuesday’s simulated innings were Ohtani’s first on the mound since a May 31 session that went two innings. It was his third time overall throwing a live batting practice session and the first time he has exceeded two innings.

Ohtani’s pitching work was previously limited to bullpen sessions that didn’t involve batters.

So when will Ohtani actually pitch?

Roberts spoke with reporters after Ohtani’s session and offered a positive assessment of his performance. 

“I thought he was good,” Roberts said. “I thought he was really good. I thought the fastball had life. I thought the sweeper was really good. … A really good day, three innings.”

Roberts faced questions about a timeline for when Ohtani might return to the mound for an MLB game. He expressed optimism while noting that the decision will ultimately lie with Ohtani, Dodgers athletic trainers and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Ohtani’s surgery.

“I think that it certainly doesn’t have to be a full build-up,” Roberts continued. “Because anything that he can give us is certainly going to be additive. But I still stand by him and Dr. ElAttrache and the training staff. They’re gonna drive this.”

Could Ohtani return early for short work?

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez noted that Ohtani’s official designation as a “two-way player” could motivate the Dodgers to bring him back before he’s ready to work a full allotment of starter’s innings. Because he’s a two-way player, Ohtani would be allowed to pitch without counting toward his team’s 13-pitcher roster limit.

If Ohtani were ready to pitch, say, three innings, instead of six or seven, the Dodgers could bring him back for shorter outings to help the team without him counting against the roster limit. Hence Roberts’ note that “anything that he can give us is certainly going to be additive.”

Roberts reiterated that the Dodgers would not rush Ohtani back.

“I’m sure Shohei is tempted to kind of just rip the band-aid off and get into a big-league game,” Roberts continued. “I think we’re doing a good job of trying to be patient. And, truth be told, I don’t know anyone knows the right time to get him in a big-league game. We’re still being very careful, I guess.”

When pressed about the chance that Ohtani makes his pitching debut before the All-Star break, Roberts said that it’s “definitely not non-zero. It’s north of zero.”

Take that as you will.

Ohtani’s long layoff from the mound

Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. A month later, he underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow for the second time. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018.

Ohtani signed with the Dodgers the following offseason and earned his third MVP after a historic 50-50 season at the plate. The Dodgers went on to a World Series championship, Ohtani’s first. 

Ohtani’s off to another sensational start at the plate that includes an NL-best 23 home runs through Monday. But his return to the mound is still unclear as his absence approaches the two-year mark. 

A 40-27 Dodgers team leading a tight race in the NL West could certainly use the pitching services of Ohtani, who’s at an All-Star level at his best. Still, don’t expect them to throw caution to the wind. 

They won’t put Ohtani on the mound until the team and their medical staff are fully convinced that he’s ready. In the meantime, the Dodgers and their fans can take solace in Ohtani’s quest for a fourth MVP at the plate.

There have been only eight practices this offseason with the final one of minicamp Thursday, but Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III has been receiving rave notices from teammates and coaches.

Also important is that Nolen signed his rookie contract this week, a four-year deal, with a fifth-year option worth $19,367,550 guaranteed and includes a signing bonus of $10,725,492. His salary-cap charge in 2025 is $3,521,373.

The contract includes minimum base salaries each year ($840,000 this year; $1.005 million in 2026, $1.12 million in 2027 and $1.235 million in 2028.

However, his pay in those final three years will be larger because of roster bonuses payable on the fifth day of training camp. That money for first-round picks has often been included in the base salary, but the bonus gets it in their hands earlier than it being prorated over the 18-week season.

Those bonuses are $715,343 in 2026; $1,480,686 in 2027 and $2,246,029 in 2028.

Now, about those accolades for the player selected with the 16th pick of the draft.

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis reflected on coaches watching a big screen in defensive backs coach Patrick Toney’s office on draft night and how he was “just hoping that we would be able to get Walt. Obviously super excited about the player that he is, the guy that he is.”

As for what he’s seen in the brief work so far, Rallis said, “I knew he was gonna be the talent that we saw on tape. I would say he’s very coachable, great to work with. You see him take those coaching points immediately to the field, whether that’s in individual or when going against the offense. And I can tell he studies hard outside the building because he’s got things down pretty fast. So pretty impressive so far.”

Fellow lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, signed as a 31-year-old free agent this offseason, said Tuesday, “I love his quickness, his pass rush. I saw him in some drills and stuff today in our team period. He’s just fluid like it comes natural to him and as we progress in training camp with pads on, he’s just a natural good defensive tackle. It’s just like the sky is the limit for him. And I’m happy I’m part of the process to help him continue to improve.”

Last year, the Cardinals selected defensive lineman Darius Robinson in the first round at 27 overall. Both are from the SEC with Robinson playing for Missouri and Nolen for Mississippi.

“I love it,” Robinson said after the first OTA practice on May 28 about the addition of Nolen. “He was on the other side of the SEC, so I never played against Walt. But I know he’s going be a great player, great teammate. Like last week he brought everybody Epsom salts, the Dr. Teal’s bag. So it just shows you he’s a high-character young man and he’s a really good teammate. So I’m excited to make some plays with him.”

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Walter Nolen contract details and comments from coaches, players

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the ninth of 13 players who wore the No. 14 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State guard alum Paul Hoffman. After ending his college career at Purdue, Hoffman was picked up with the 48th overall selection of the 1947 BAA draft by the (defunct) Toronto Huskies.

The Jasper, Indiana native would play the first six seasons of his pro career with the (defunct) Baltimore Bullets. He would also play for the New York Knicks before being dealt to the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors in 1955 for the final 11 games of his NBA career.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Hoffman wore only jersey No. 14 and put up 1.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 14 – Paul Hoffman (1955)