Mickey Togs

The deeper and tougher Knicks had little trouble overpowering and vanquishing the Cavaliers in the end, even with negligible contributions  for most of the first round from their lone All-Star.

One game after Julius Randle had been benched for the entire fourth quarter of Sunday’s win at Madison Square Garden, he re-injured his left ankle late in the second quarter and didn’t play in the second half.

And Tom Thibodeau’s gritty squad absorbed every punch once more and prevailed yet again.

Jalen Brunson finished with a team-high 23 points and Obi Toppin filled in ably for Randle in the second half as the Knicks dispatched the Cavs in five games, finishing them off without their leading scorer for the final two quarters of a series-sealing 106-95 victory Wednesday night at a silenced Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Thibodeau and the Knicks deservedly will make the franchise’s first trip to the second round of the playoffs since 2013 and only their second since 2000. 

All-new Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger and Garlic Fries are bringing bold and savory innovation to Wendy’s.

Wendy’s Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich brings all the familiar flavors of a homemade Italian dinner in one delicious sandwich. The juicy, lightly breaded crispy chicken breast is topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and naturally aged Asiago cheese, served in a toasted garlic bun. 

The Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger includes a quarter-pound of fresh beef, topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and Asiago cheese all sandwiched between a toasted garlic bun.

And last but not least, coated in a flavorful garlic herb sauce, are Wendy’s Garlic Fries, made with natural-cut, hot & crispy french fries. 

Pete Alonso took it personally last October when the Mets were eliminated from the postseason with a loss to the Padres in the NL wild-card series.

Alonso says he took a “deep dive” during the offseason into examining where he could improve. The results have followed through the first three weeks of the regular season.

Alonso entered Friday night’s game against the Giants tied for the major league lead with nine homers.

“I just feel really good and in control right now, which is a really good feeling,” Alonso said. “I feel like I am more of a complete player. I feel like I am playing well on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively and I feel like I am running the bases well.”

The Mets had six victories in seven games to open this West Coast trip  as they arrived at Oracle Park on Friday, and Alonso’s hot bat ranked high on the list of reasons the team has succeeded in overcoming injuries within the starting rotation.

The New York Knicks completed the MSG-sweep of Cleveland with a stout 102-93 win on Sunday.

Tom Thibodeau made an incredible decision that could very well be credited as the deciding and game-changing choice that lifted New York above the Cavs to wrap up the weekend: he benched Julius Randle for the whole fourth quarter.

Randle played 77 regular-season games this year. He sat through a fourth quarter just eight times, once because of his season-ending ankle injury against the Heat on March 29. Obi Toppin, his replacement on Sunday, played only 14 minutes in Games 1 and 2, 15 in G2, and, finally, 20 in G4 to send Cleveland home packing.

“We were searching, and we knew this game was going to be a challenge because of the late game on Friday, short turnaround, early start today, and have to find a way to win,” Thibodeau said. “That group got going, so at some point, you make a decision—probably around the five-minute mark, six-minute mark—and rode that out.”

The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have agreed to trade longtime Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Big Apple, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

The two sides are working out the details, but he expects the trade to be completed soon.

The long-awaited trade will see the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player sent to the Jets along with the Packers’ 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network.

The Packers will receive the Jets’ 13th overall pick in this month’s draft, as well as one of the Jets’ second-round picks and their 2024 first-round draft pick if Rodgers plays at least 65% of the Jets’ offensive plays this season.

Rodgers, 39, has spent his entire 18-season NFL career with the Packers, where he led the team to a 31-25 victory in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.   

Applebee’s adds three new chicken sandwiches to the menu with the introduction of the new Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich and new Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

The Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich features crispy chicken breast topped with two strips of applewood-smoked bacon, drizzled with house-made ranch dressing, plus pickles and shredded lettuce on a brioche bun.

The Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich comes with a grilled chicken breast, two strips of applewood-smoked bacon and house-made ranch dressing, all served on a brioche bun with pickles and shredded lettuce.

The Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a crispy breaded chicken breast smothered in sweet Asian chile sauce and signature coleslaw on a brioche bun.

All three chicken sandwiches come with a side of classic fries.

Fast food restaurants like Chick-fil-A, Arby’s, and Wendy’s have been serving up fresh-squeezed lemonade for years, allowing customers to grab a sweet, slightly sour, refreshing drink, perfect for summertime. It seems that McDonald’s is catching up to its competitors, and will soon begin offering lemonade on its menu.

According to the Mcdonald’s website, the all-new lemonade will be made from lemon juice and real cane sugar for the perfect blend of sour and sweet. The drink will also have bits of lemon pulp mixed in among the ice for an extra burst of citrusy, fruit flavor. Though the fast food chain previously sold Minute Maid Lemonade from its soft drink dispensers, this new lemonade might offer a fresher taste than its soft drink counterpart.

Some McDonald’s locations have already begun serving up the lemonade to customers, and fans who have been able to try the early release are excited about the new beverage.

Gerrit Cole’s command of his pitches has him in total command of his opponents.

The Yankees ace continued his domination this season, firing a shutout with 10 strikeouts on the way to a 2-0 win over the Twins in The Bronx.

Cole allowed just three base runners all day — on two harmless singles and a walk — and recorded 27 outs on 109 pitches for his fourth career complete-game shutout.

“It’s just old school,” Cole said. “But we had our work cut out for us today. We were facing a great team and a great pitcher, so just more satisfied with the win.”

Cole shut down a Twins lineup that had exploded for 11 runs just three days earlier, allowing the Yankees (10-6) to earn a series split. He did so with a sharp fastball, spotting it just about wherever he wanted to and using it for seven of his strikeouts while mixing in a quality curveball, slider and changeup.

“When he’s able to do that, throw the fastball in all locations, it definitely opens up a lot of stuff,” catcher Jose Trevino said.

2K announced the Icon Edition and Deluxe Edition of WWE 2K23, the newest installment of the flagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, are available now worldwide for PlayStation® 5 (PS5™), PlayStation®4 (PS4™), Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. All editions feature different images of 16-time World Champion, WWE 2K23 Executive Soundtrack Producer, John Cena.

“With each iteration of the WWE 2K franchise, our team strives to add and improve features that players will love,” said a Visual Concepts rep. “We’re very proud of the work that we’ve done on WWE 2K23 and the enhancements to existing modes, and general look and feel of the game.” 

WWE 2K23 features an array of new features and improvements on existing fan-favorites.

WWE 2K23 features a roster of 201 new and returning Superstars, including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Queen Zelina, Undertaker, Bron Breakker, Chyna, Roxanne Perez, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Cora Jade, Bianca Belair, Carmelo Hayes and many more.