The 23-year-old phenom has decided the finalists for his services are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays making him the latest Japanese star to tell the Bombers, no.

“He is really gifted and very young,” Aaron Boone said of Sasaki, who has a 2.02 ERA over four NPB seasons, earlier this offseason. “Obviously he’s already done quite a bit in Japan. So we know it’s a unique and special talent, a guy with top of the rotation qualities.

“This is a really, really special talent that’s going to be coming over to Major League Baseball next year.”

And he will be wearing not be wearing a Yankee uniform.

Sasaki continued a troubling trend for the Yanks. The allure of the pinstripes and legacy of the Bronx Bombers has not only fallen on deaf ears in the United States but has now traveled across seas to Japan.

The Yanks were arguably the biggest draw for players in Japan in previous years — despite their seemingly undesirable location on the East Coast for nearly every star from the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

Hideki Irabu, Hideki Matsui, Masahiro Tanaka and others chose the Yankees immediately out of Japan, however, no player of significance coming across the Pacific Ocean has chosen the pinstripes since Tanaka in 2014.

The three latest stars to make the move from NPB to MLB have rejected the Bronx. Shohei Ohtani didn’t even give the Yanks a seat at the table in 2017 — despite reporting indicating that he was the Yankees player to lose prior to making the jump — or in 2024 as he inked his famously deferred 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto reportedly considered the Bombers as they were the runner-ups for his services last offseason before inking a deal with — you guessed it — the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now Saskai is seemingly heading west and while the Blue Jays are unsurprisingly finalists — as they have been for virtually every free agent on the market before being told no — it would be a massive upset should they be victorious over the Dodgers and Padres.

The preference of the West Coast has seemingly grown larger for Japanese players and the Yanks are no longer the only show in MLB that can provide consistent winning or money. The Dodgers have built a well-oiled machine and a massive brand in Japan making them the clear-cut desired destination.

Sasaki continuing the trend of rejection is troublesome moving forward, especially next season. Slugging corner infielder Munetaka Murakami is expected to make the jump to MLB next offseason and he would fit the Bombers like a glove. The left-handed hitter has a career .938 OPS in NPB with 241 homers in seven seasons.

The 24-year-old will be a normal free agent, so he will be able to earn a legitimate contract unlike Sasaki who came over as an International Free Agent and is only limited to signing bonus money and a standard rookie-scale contract. Not to mention, the Yankees will have a clear hole at first base as Paul Goldschmidt was signed as a stop-gap on a one-year deal for whatever long-term plans they have for first.

Murakami’s swing in Yankee Stadium is what dreams are made of for Brian Cashman and company. However, they will have to buck the trend of rejection and pony up the most cash.

If Juan Soto taught the Bombers one thing, it’s few people truly care about the allure of pinstripes and the legacy of the Yankees. It’s merely become a soundbite for players at press conferences who decided to sign the dotted lines with the Bombers because they were the highest bidder.

Sasaki confirmed that sentiment when he became the latest to reject the Bronx.

The Mets reintroduced the popular left-hander Monday afternoon in a Zoom conference, officially announcing his three-year, $75 million contract. Though he had other teams that reached out to him, since the last day of the season when he fought back tears in the Dodger Stadium visitor’s clubhouse, the reunion with the Mets felt destined.

“Based off last year with the coaching staff and everything, I thought it was a perfect fit,” Manea said. “My wife, she loved it on the family side as well. Just organizationally, I thought they did a lot of great things and I learned a lot from [pitching coach Jeremy Hefner] and the rest of the staff. Just overall, I was very, very happy with my time there, and when [the Mets] reached out and said that they wanted to reunite, I knew that was kind of a top priority.”

Manaea, who will be 33 on Feb. 1, went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and a 3.83 FIP over 32 starts with the Mets last season. The lefty received Cy Young Award votes for his efforts, finishing 11th in the NL race, finding success with a refined sweeper and a fastball thrown from a lower arm slot. The sweeper was his own addition, something he taught himself after looking at grips on YouTube one night during his time with the San Francisco Giants.

Lowering the release point of his fastball was something he worked on with Hefner. Manaea loves nothing more than experimenting with various pitches and grips in the bullpen and in Hefner, he found a coach that supported the experimentation and helped turn some of the tinkering into viable pitches.

“He kind of allowed me to be like myself and kind of experiment with some things,” Manaea said. “Just kind of bouncing ideas off of him, and he’s very easy to talk to as far as pitching and pitch design. All these different things that, you know, have to do with pitching, he just made everything feel super easy.”

Manaea also felt at ease immediately in a new market. The Indiana native had spent his entire career in California until last season and his laid-back, yet curious demeanor seemed to be a perfect fit for the West Coast. But in New York, Manaea and his wife enjoyed the vibrant culture in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. He found enjoyment in his daily subway commute, listening to music on the 7 train to get geared up for games. Though he has yet to find one of the infamous subway platform chess games, he’s still hoping to join one someday.

In the clubhouse, his veteran voice was respected. The Mets excelled last season in part because of a clubhouse culture that not only allows players to show their personalities but encourages them to as well. Manaea doesn’t like to take credit as a leader, respecting Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo as unofficial captains, but he encouraged the starting pitching group to support one another late in the season and during the postseason. He started wearing the number of the game’s starter in eye black and dancing with the pitchers in the dugout after they came out of games.

The culture was one that allowed him to thrive, factoring heavily into his decision to return to the Mets.

“I’m not going to say I’m like the leader or anything like that, I think it’s kind of like a collective,” Manaea said “That’s kind of like the strength that we had going on. It wasn’t like one singular guy was the leader of the group. I feel like, when it was our start date, that was the day, and you know, just passed the torch onto the next guy. And last year, that’s what happened.”

Coming back to the Mets also reunites Manaea with right-hander Frankie Montas, his close friend and former teammate in Oakland.

Manaea sees someone who can add to that clubhouse culture.

“He is a funny guy and he’s definitely very passionate about pitching and competitiveness,” Manaea said. “He just goes out there and is a dog, so I’m looking forward to that. And, I mean, his stuff is incredible too, so he brings all that stuff to the table, and he’s just a great human being and a great friend, so you’ve got that going as well.

“I’m just very happy that he’s on our team now.”

More than anything Manaea seems to be happy that he can put down roots with his new wife in a place they enjoy with a three-year contract. He’s continuing to work with Driveline at their Florida location and rejoins a group headlined by Kodai Senga and left-hander David Peterson. He’s also worked out with free agent first baseman Pete Alonso and would like to see the Polar Bear return to Queens as well.

The starting rotation is set, and with Manaea, the culture is too.

Jeff Ulbrich, who served as the Jets interim coach for the final 12 games, was interviewed for the permanent coaching position.

On Oct. 8, after Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh following a 2-3 start, Ulbrich, who was the defensive coordinator, became the team’s interim coach. Johnson hoped Ulbrich would ignite a spark and lead Gang Green to the playoffs. However, Saleh’s firing had the opposite effect.

Under Ulbrich, 47, the Jets went 3-9, finishing 5-12 and in third place in the AFC East for the second consecutive season. Gang Green was the preseason favorite to win the AFC East.

“First of all, wanted to thank the Johnson family for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Jets even though it was an interim basis,” Ulbrich said last week. “It was a great honor. One of the great honors of my football career.

“I want to thank this fanbase. It’s one of the great fanbases in this game; passionate, all in, and wish I could have done more for them. I want to thank the coaching staff in this building, the support staff, unbelievable in a very trying year, stayed the course and unwavering support at all times, and then finally want to thank these players because, amazing locker room in the face of real football adversity, they stayed together, they stayed the course. They finished in a way that they should all be proud of and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

Ulbrich became the Jets defensive coordinator in 2021 after Saleh was hired. Before that, Ulbrich was a 10-year linebacker for the 49ers and an assistant coach for the Seahawks, UCLA, and the Falcons.

After Ulbrich was made interim coach, he also maintained his duties as defensive coordinator. However, it appeared that wearing dual hats was too much for Ulbrich, and the Jets’ defense suffered because of it.

Prior to becoming the Jets interim coach, Ulbrich had no head coaching experience at any level. Although the Jets defense finished third overall in yards allowed (313.8) this season, it finished 20th in points allowed (23.8), which was worse than the previous season (20.9).

After the 40-14 loss to the Bills on Dec. 29, Ulbrich was asked to evaluate Aaron Rodgers‘ performance, and his response was jaw-dropping.

“Honestly, I didn’t get to see a whole lot of the offense,” Ulbrich said. “I was doing a lot of defensive adjustments, especially that first half and a good part of that third quarter. So, we’ll see when I get a good look at the tape.

In addition to that and his questionable game management decisions, the Jets lost six games in which they were leading in the fourth quarter. Gang Green also committed 137 penalties in 2024, which led the league.

In hindsight, Ulbrich said if he could do it over again, he would not be both the defensive coordinator and coach.

“I would much rather have the ability to go from offense to defense to special teams,” Ulbrich said. “There’s moments, especially on gameday, where I’m busy being a defensive coordinator where my resources might be better equipped at being the head coach, just at certain times within games, and there’s times definitely where being a head coach can get in the way of prepping for defense for me, and vice versa.”

The Jets began interviewing candidates during the final few games of the season. Ulbrich said having other candidates in the building wasn’t uncomfortable while the Jets were preparing to win games.

“There’s things that I need to improve on, and there’s things that I got to take a critical look at myself and find the spaces where I can improve those,” Ulbrich said. “I’m far from perfect, and I’m excited about that opportunity to really, with a fine-tooth comb evaluate every decision.”

Ulbrich is the ninth known candidate to interview for the Jets coaching job. Ron Rivera, Mike Vrabel, Rex Ryan, Mike Locksley, Aaron Glenn, Matt Nagy, Darren Rizzi, and Steve Spagnuolo were all previously interviewed for the position.

Johnson hired The 33rd Team in November to help identify candidates for both the general manager and coaching positions. This was after Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas after five-plus seasons.

The Jets have interviewed 13 candidates for their general manager vacancy.

The Kansas City power couple named the baby girl Golden Raye Mahomes, they announced together Monday on Instagram.

Patrick and Brittany, both 29, were already parents to Sterling, 3, and Bronze, 2. They previously said their third baby would be their last.

“I’m done. I’ll say that,” Patrick said in July when asked about balancing his busy life with the couple’s children. “I said three and I’m done.”

The Mahomes family announced Brittany’s third pregnancy in July. While Patrick would normally be busy on Sundays, he led the Kansas City Chiefs to a bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs, so he and Brittany could focus fully on the baby.

After the Chiefs clinched the bye on Christmas Day with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brittany applauded her husband for “always keeping his promises” in a social media post.

In fact, Patrick hasn’t suited up for the Chiefs since the win in Pittsburgh. He rested during the final regular season game in preparation for the playoffs but will be back on the field Saturday as the Chiefs face the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Sasaki’s camp informed the Yankees that the Japanese phenom will not be signing with them, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported Monday.

Soon afterward, reports from SNY’s Andy Martino and others stated the Mets were not expected to sign the 23-year-old Sasaki, either.

The Yankees and Mets were among the teams that met with the hard-throwing right-hander, who was posted last month by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

The San Francisco Giants confirmed Monday that they had been eliminated, while reports said the Texas Rangers were out, too. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have been considered the favorites to land Sasaki.

Because Sasaki is not yet 25, he is considered an international amateur and is therefore not eligible for an MLB contract.

Sasaki will be to sign with an MLB team between Wednesday and Jan. 23, with clubs able to bid only from their international bonus pools. Those allotments range from about $5.1 million to $7.5 million.

He is likely to become one of baseball’s best bargains.

Armed with a 100-mph fastball and nasty splitter, Sasaki pitched to a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings over four Nippon Professional Baseball seasons. He also stood out as a starter for Team Japan during its run to the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship.

“He’s obviously a tremendous talent,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last month.

“I saw him pitch in person, but he was coming back from a rehab. I’ve seen, obviously, his videos over the course of time. I’ve seen his scouting reports come across over the course of time. He’s extremely talented, no doubt about it. He has a chance to be one of the world’s great pitchers.”

Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, suggested at last month’s Winter Meetings that his client might benefit from being in a small or mid-level market after having negative experiences with the media in Japan.

But later in December, Wolfe told SNY that market size would not be a factor.

Even without Sasaki, the Yankees boast one of baseball’s better rotations. Last month, they signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, adding the left-handed ace to a starting staff already featuring Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. Marcus Stroman, who made 29 starts for the Yankees last season, is also under contract but has been the subject of trade rumors.

The Mets, meanwhile, recently re-signed Sean Manaea and added Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to a rotation also comprising Kodai Senga and David Peterson.

This is the second winter in a row that the Yankees and Mets missed out on a Japanese ace. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was 25 at the time, spurned both a little over a year ago for a record-setting 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers also employ another Japanese superstar in Shohei Ohtani, while the Padres have right-hander Yu Darvish, who is considered a mentor to Sasaki.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, meanwhile, now faces the task of replacing a veteran head coach who got MVP-level play out of quarterback Dak Prescott in 2023, despite a disappointing past 13 months that fell short of expectations.

What dominoes will fall due to McCarthy’s availability? It could have a ripple effect on a lot of franchises:

The Cowboys: Presumably Dallas believes it can either land Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, or it has a chance to acquire a general like the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin via trade. Jones could view Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as his next Jason Garrett, but that would be a mistake. Moore’s questionable, pass-heavy play-calling in key spots of Sunday’s Eagles playoff win was the latest reason why. Bill Belichick was long rumored as a fit in Dallas post-McCarthy, but he carries a $10 million buyout at North Carolina until June. It’s also hard to imagine Cowboys players not getting whiplash if Belichick instilled no-nonsense accountability.

The Jets and Giants: If the Giants were able to, they should hire McCarthy tomorrow. His pedigree with quarterbacks, his consistent ability to score points, and his experience running a team all would be immediate upgrades for their program. Co-owner John Mara already recommitted to GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, so this is probably a moot point. Still, the Giants interviewed McCarthy for their head coaching vacancy back in 2020, and McCarthy just went 8-1 against them head-to-head as Dallas’ head coach. It’s worth putting out strong feelers to gauge his interest through back-channels. Frankly, Cowboys GM Will McClay and McCarthy would be a home run duo to hire for any franchise in need of a shift.

The Bears: It’s not crazy to think Chicago’s Williams could immediately flash his No. 1 overall pick pedigree in year two with a quarterback whisperer like McCarthy in his ear, compared to this past season’s learning experience with fired coach Matt Eberflus and fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The NFC North is the toughest division in football, and the Bears have a president in former Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren who wields a lot of power for a non-football executive. But this would be a better job for McCarthy than New Orleans, Jacksonville or either New York team, it would seem, given that the QB is already in place.

The Raiders: The Lions’ Johnson seems like the clear frontrunner to take over in Las Vegas, where minority owner Tom Brady is trying to help owner Marc Davis build a winner. If Dallas swoops in to court Johnson, however, McCarthy could enter the Las Vegas sweepstakes as a trusted veteran coach who may be able to steady the Raiders’ sunken ship. That could take some convincing of McCarthy, because he’d be more likely to inherit a program that he believes is closer to competing than Vegas. Still, opportunity and money might make a strong enough case.

COMMANDERS NOT A BLUEPRINT

Magic Johnson found the cameras on Sunday night and then told the media not to make Washington’s Wild Card playoff win about him. But it was good timing for the minority Commanders owner to grandstand in the spotlight.

Because it was a good reminder that Washington’s immediate turnaround is about way more even than drafting a new star quarterback in No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. And that is exactly what Daniels is: a star.

The harsh reality for franchises like the Titans, Giants and Raiders – who are selling hope of a single quarterback draft pick like Daniels turning their own operation around – is that Washington improved because it changed everything.

Everything. From the top-down. Owner, general manager, head coach, quarterback and offensive and defensive coordinators.

Owner Josh Harris, GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn, Daniels, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. are wall-to-wall improvements on predecessors Dan Snyder, Martin Mayhew, Ron Rivera, Sam Howell, Eric Bieniemy and Jack Del Rio, respectively.

Peters and Quinn also inherited some talent like wide receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Finding the quarterback ties it all together, no doubt. But the Houston Texans are another example of why an immediate turnaround – even with a promising young QB – isn’t necessarily replicable.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, is a superstar. Still, he hasn’t done this alone.

Texans GM Nick Caserio used a motherload of draft picks from his trade of former quarterback Deshaun Watson to restock his roster and surround Stroud with pieces once he arrived.

Caserio has drafted wide receiver Nico Collins (third round), edge rusher Will Anderson (first round), corners Derek Stingley Jr. (first round) and Kamari Lassiter (second round), safeties Calen Bullock (third round) and Jalen Pitre (second round) and other key pieces since taking over in 2021.

Getting the quarterback is imperative, but it also takes special circumstances and making the right hires or draft picks to pull a franchise out of the depths and into the light.

AROUND THE PLAYOFFS

Go figure that the recently underwhelming Texans (32) would score the most points of any team on Wild Card weekend. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw more interceptions in L.A’s playoff loss (four) than he had all regular season (three) … Lamar Jackson’s Ravens against Buffalo’s Josh Allen in the upcoming Divisional Round might end up being the game of the year. Neither offense is showing any signs of slowing down. Jackson and Allen are the top two MVP frontrunners, and both quarterbacks are under pressure to finally win in the playoffs. The loser of this game will dwell for a long time on a missed opportunity after an explosive regular season … The Eagles should beat the winner of Monday night’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game. But if Moore, their offensive coordinator, keeps abandoning Saquon Barkley and the running game – especially in the red zone – they will be eliminated at home … No coordinator has had a bigger impact on his team this season than Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Three interceptions and only 10 points allowed against a solid Packers team, led by first-team All-Pro linebacker Zach Baun, a former special teamer signed and moved inside just this past offseason. … Fangio’s continued success is a reminder of why Michigan DC Wink Martindale could make a return to the NFL in this cycle. Fangrio’s experience, attitude and scheme has transformed and strengthened the Eagles, and Martindale has that effect wherever he goes, too. … The Giants seem to want it both ways with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen: no blood on their hands if he leaves, and full confidence in him if he stays. Regardless, no one is spending more time on how Bowen’s status looks to the outside world than they are, that’s for sure.

The 2024 Olympian was testing new camera equipment off the coast of Sao Luis on Friday when he heard a woman calling for help, he wrote on Instagram. He swam over to investigate, and with the cameras still running, he caught the dramatic rescue on video.

It was cloudy at around 5:40 p.m. on Friday when he decided to use the newly arrived equipment, despite wind conditions that were “not the best,” he recounted.

“After sailing a few meters, I heard a cry for help” and followed the cry to see a young woman flailing in the open water.

“I quickly approached her with the kite,” he wrote. “I tried to calm her down and asked her to climb on my back. She was quite tired and powerless. I used the equipment to bring her safely to the sand where the lifeguards performed first aid at the seaside, and thanks to God everything went well.”

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A post shared by Bruno Lobo (@brunolobo31)

Lobo started out on a note of gratitude for “the day that God used me as an instrument to save this young woman, all honor and glory to Him” and admonished swimmers to “stay alert about the danger of the sea, rivers and anywhere you don’t know because the current in some places is usually very strong!”

Though lauded as a hero, the 31-year-old orthopedic doctor was humble.

“Thank you for all the messages,” Lobo wrote. “I only did what needed to be done and what was within my reach!”

The video showed him making his way over to the woman, whose head was barely above the water, and steadying himself with his kite and board while she climbed onto his back. He then let the wind pull them both to shore.

The clip ended with a shot of the exhausted swimmer being carried into shallow waters and greeted by her mates and lifeguards, then giving Lobo a quick hug before they all walk away and Lobo heads the other way. The rescued woman expressed her gratitude on his Instagram post.

“Words can’t describe my gratitude!” wrote the woman in a comment, according to the Olympic Games, which also shared the moment. “It was the salvation that God and my guides sent to me. I really could not handle it if I spent five minutes on the high sea, even knowing how to swim and using anti-drowning techniques. I wish you showers of blessings in your life!”

Lobo has had his share of blessings, at least in the athletics department, as a gold medal winner in the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru, a title he defended at the 2023 games in Chile, according to World Sailing, the sport’s governing body. In Paris in 2024 he finished seventh in the Olympic Games’ Men’s Kite Event.

“We’re going to have to be systematic with some of the decisions we make,” Marks said.” And they may not always be in line with winning the next game or putting the most talent out there.”

After a surprising 9-10 start under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez, the Nets have gone 4-16 since and dropped their fifth straight game following Sunday’s 112-111 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz at Delta Center.

Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton have been traded. Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons continue to miss extended stretches as the team has been overly cautions with any injury reported.

And the Nets could make additional moves ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. No one is same, and Johnson, Thomas, Ben Simmons or Nic Claxton could be sent to new teams. All of it is in service of securing a Top 4 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“I think, like we always do, we’re always going to be listening, we’re always going to be canvassing the league, and when there’s opportunities for us to build that that sort of fit our long term approach here and how we will build and, you know, again, acquiring draft assets and so forth is going to be important for us, but at the same time, it’s establishing a culture,” Marks said after Schroder was traded in December.

According to Tankathon’s latest projections, the Nets would pick at No. 6, No. 17, No. 26 and No. 27 if the season ended today. They have a 37.2% chance of landing a Top 4 pick and a 9.0% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick.

Utah (10-28), Charlotte (8-28), Toronto (8-31), New Orleans (8-32) and Washington (6-31), have the five best lottery odds entering Monday’s games. Portland has the seventh-best lottery odds behind Brooklyn.

The Top 3 positions have a 52.1% chance at landing a Top 4 pick and a 14.0 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

“To be frank, you’ve still got to get a little lucky,” Marks said. “We all know that. The hot-button topic has always been the draft. We all know we’ve still got to get lucky. At the end of the day, the Ping-Pong balls are going to drop a certain way.”

The Nets and Jazz both had 11 active players for Sunday’s game because of injuries. Brooklyn visits Portland on Tuesday while Utah hosts Charlotte.

Brunson now boasts 17 games with at least 40 points as a Knick, tying him with Carmelo Anthony for the third most in franchise history.

Patrick Ewing, who achieved the feat 30 times, and Bernard King, who did so 23 times, are the only players in Knicks history with more 40-point games.

“When you start getting mentioned in those categories, it’s a credit to him,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson. “He’s such a self-made guy, and his talent speaks for itself. You can’t do those things without great talent, but to also have the humility that he has. For him, he just wants to win.”

Sunday’s 140-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden marked Brunson’s 183rd game with the Knicks. Anthony played 412 games with the Knicks, while Ewing played 1,039 and King played 206.

Ewing was in attendance Sunday for Brunson’s latest 40-point explosion. It was Brunson’s second 40-point game of the season.

Brunson scored 23 points in the first quarter, beginning the game in attack mode as the Knicks sought to bounce back from a sobering 25-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Garden two days earlier.

It could have been an even bigger game for Brunson, had he not missed about six minutes in the third quarter after a collision left him with what Thibodeau described as a shoulder stinger.

Brunson scored 12 points after returning from the locker room and said after the game that he felt “great.”

“It was just important for us to go out there and play as best we can,” Brunson, 28, said. “The defense, the way we saw it, I was able to get into the paint and make plays.”

The Knicks had lost four of five games going into Sunday’s. Brunson shot 16-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and went 7-of-8 on free throws.

Brunson has often operated as a distributor this season, but the point guard has also taken over offensively when the Knicks need him to. He scored 19 points in the first quarter of a Dec. 6 win over the Charlotte Hornets and exploded for 55 points in an overtime victory at Washington on Dec. 28.

“If Jalen scores two points and we win, he’s as happy as if he scores 44 and we win,” Thibodeau said. “That’s the beauty of his game. He’ll adjust to whatever is needed.”

Ewing and King are both Hall of Famers, while Anthony, who ranks 10th in scoring in NBA history, is eligible for induction next year.

This is not the first time Brunson has found himself in elite company. Last year, Brunson became the fourth NBA player with four consecutive 40-point playoff performances, joining King, Michael Jordan and Jerry West.

Brunson is in his third season with the Knicks, whom he signed a four-year, $104 million contract with in 2022 after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

Over the summer, the Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $156.5 million extension and named him the 36th captain in team history.

Brunson began Monday averaging 25.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, both of which led the Knicks, and appears poised for his second consecutive All-Star selection. In the latest All-Star update, Brunson ranked fourth among guards in fan voting.

“He’s going to be an All-Star,” teammate Josh Hart said after Sunday’s win. “I think he should be a starter. I think he should garner that level of respect.”

However, Steeler fans and even former players have been frustrated by the lack of Tomlin’s postseason success, especially after they were defeated by the  Ravens 28-14 in the wild-card game.

Despite speculation from NFL pundits and media members, the Steelers are not expected to move on from Tomlin, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Nor should the Steelers fire or trade Tomlin, who has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any possible move to another team.

During his 18 years as Steelers coach, Tomlin has a record of 183-107-2, including a Super Bowl title in 2008. Since he became the team’s head coach in 2007, the Steelers have never had a losing record.

Tomlin, 52, has an 8-11 postseason record and one Super Bowl championship in 2008. Saturday was the sixth consecutive playoff game the Steelers lost under Tomlin’s watch.

The Steelers defense looked lifeless during most of Saturday’s loss to the Ravens, allowing 299 rushing yards on 50 carries. Baltimore beat Pittsburgh in its own game and out-physical the team at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

Pittsburgh’s defense was among the best during the first half of the season. The Steelers allowed 14.8 points and 306 yards per game during their first eight games. However, they allowed 25.6 points and 353.6 yards in their final 10 games, including the playoff loss against the Ravens.

“The defense was horrible, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t stop the pass, couldn’t do anything right last night,” Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw said during the Fox NFL Sunday pregame. “This doesn’t look anything like the Steeler teams we’ve seen.”

Changes are expected to be made to the Steelers’ coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Former Jets coach Robert Saleh, who was fired during the season, will interview for both coaching and defensive coordinator jobs this offseason.

If the Steelers move on from Austin, Saleh should receive a call from Tomlin for a defensive coordinator interview. It’s probably not the move Pittsburgh fans want to hear, but the grass is not always greener on the other side.

“There were times we weren’t in our games, there were times we didn’t tackle well,” Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward said via the team’s website. “Props to them. Between 22 [Henry] and 8 [Jackson], they had a lot of success.

“I wish we had a better outcome. Guys fought, but you start the game 21-0, didn’t really do ourselves any favors.”

Tomlin has gotten the most from some lackluster rosters during the last few seasons. In 2023, in what many thought would be a down season, Tomlin guided the Steelers to a 10-7 record and a wild-card berth. However, Buffalo quickly extinguished Pittsburgh from postseason play.

Many expected the Steelers to miss the playoffs in 2024, as they were in a division with the Ravens and Browns, who both made the playoffs the previous season and a Bengals team that got Joe Burrow back from injury. But in typical Tomlin fashion, Pittsburgh finished second in the AFC North and made the playoffs, finishing 10-7 once again.

The Steelers did lose five straight games (including the playoffs) to end the season. However, context is essential when discussing whether a team should move on from a coach.

As previously mentioned, Pittsburgh wasn’t considered a contender. Some analysts predicted the Steelers would miss the playoffs and have their first losing record since 2003, when they finished 6-10 under previous coach Bill Cowher. Two years later, Cowher led the Steelers to a championship in Super Bowl XL in 2005.

The reality in the AFC is this: If you do not have a top quarterback, it’s nearly impossible to beat the Chiefs, Bills, or Ravens because all three have elite signal callers (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson). Pittsburgh went to the playoffs the last two years with Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and an aging Russell Wilson under center. That’s the equivalent of going into a gunfight at the O.K. Corral with just a water pistol.

Wilson passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens. However, both touchdowns came in the third quarter, when Pittsburgh was down by two scores or more.

During the Steelers’ final four regular-season games, Wilson averaged 174.5 passing yards per game, threw four touchdowns, and committed four turnovers.

Considering the upcoming free-agent class, there is no reason to be optimistic unless the Steelers can sign the best quarterback available.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold will be a free agent in March. In 17 games, Darnold passed for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions after leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a wild-card berth this season.

Darnold is likely the only opportunity for the Steelers to truly upgrade the quarterback in 2025. Aaron Rodgers could be available if the Jets decide to release him with a new regime and likely significant roster changes coming to Florham Park.

Pittsburgh could also use a top receiver option for whoever will be under center next season. If they were to acquire Rodgers, his friend and Jets teammate Davante Adams would also come to the Steelers.

Adams is under contract with the Jets for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, but his $76.7 million is non-guaranteed, and he will have to renegotiate his contract if he stays. On locker clean-out day last week, Adams told reporters he could consider staying with the Jets if Rodgers didn’t return. However, Adams will wait to see what happens with Rodgers before determining whether he wants to return.

This season, Adams registered 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns for both the Raiders and Jets.

“I don’t know what his plans are yet and where that’s headed,” Adams said. “But I would imagine that would have something to do with it.”

Tomlin has a famous catchphrase, “The standard is the standard.” If the Steelers want to regain that standard of competing for championships, they must make both roster and coaching changes.

However, those changes should not include Tomlin, who, year after year, finds a way to get the most out of the Steelers roster.