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Good morning! Don’t fight a gorilla today.
‘Tis the Postseason: Big names, big losses
The first rounds of the NBA and NHL playoffs are waning. Only one series is over, but yesterday’s scoreboard was most consequential. It was also brutal on some of both sports’ biggest names.
Quickly:
- In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks went down 3-1 to the Pacers, but that wasn’t the worst news of their night: Damian Lillard — just days after a miraculous recovery from blood clots — crumpled to the floor in the first quarter, grabbing his left leg, and didn’t return. We expect to hear more official news on the 34-year-old’s status today. It could be a brutal end to the season for Lillard and the Bucks. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said the prognosis is not promising.
- In Minnesota, a new superstar — Anthony Edwards — is one game from dethroning two more established scions, LeBron James and Luka Dončić. The Timberwolves are up 3-1 over the Lakers, which is sort of shocking considering the seeding disparity. L.A. will tell you the series should at least be tied. Edwards (43 points yesterday) is the difference.
Elsewhere in hoops: The Knicks are up 3-1 thanks in part to a bad call late in their win over the Pistons, while the Celtics skated past the Magic to go up 3-1 in that series. Full NBA takeaways are here.
On to the ice:
- Saving face for the superstar class? Connor McDavid and the Oilers, who won a 4-3 overtime thriller against the Kings at home to keep their realistic hopes alive. Down two goals in the third period, Evan Bouchard tied the game with 29 seconds left in regulation and Leon Draisatl won it with 1:43 left in overtime. An incredible game that wrapped up around 1 a.m. ET. Oilers and Kings are tied 2-2.
- Also of particular interest is the plight of Winnipeg, the NHL’s best team this season, which is suddenly in trouble against St. Louis after a second straight bad loss put this series at 2-2. Yes, the Blues were the hottest team in the NHL down the stretch … but this is the Jets. They need Connor Hellebuyck at his best again.
We have two other 3-1 series (Capitals-Canadiens and Hurricanes-Devils) after last night’s action, too. Tune in to Red Light, our new hockey newsletter, for more later this morning.
Let’s keep moving:
Awkward: Here’s some Monday cringe for you
Two moments yesterday, both from the world of football, made me wince harder than I have in months. Cringe with me:
1. The truth behind the Shedeur prank
Amid all the coverage of Shedeur Sanders’ draft slide, you may have missed the story of two college kids prank-calling Sanders during the second round of the draft, pretending to be Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. Sanders, however, purchased that phone for use during the draft only and sent the number to NFL teams. Yesterday, we found out the prank was made possible by 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich, son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who apparently cribbed the number from his father’s tablet.
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Everyone does stupid stuff at 21, but man, that was brutal, especially to someone in a vulnerable spot as the entire sporting world talks about why teams don’t like him. Just … woof.
2. Bill Belichick’s bizarre PR flop
Have you ever watched “CBS Sunday Morning”? It’s a delightful program, full of uplifting stories meant to make you smile the day before a new week begins. Yesterday, the program aired an interview with North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, 73, whose 24-year-old girlfriend was a “constant presence” in the interview, according to CBS, and notably nixed a question about how she and Belichick met.
The clip caused a firestorm across social media yesterday, naturally, and while someone’s private relationship is their own business, this one has a way of entering the spotlight over and over. If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading Matt Baker’s story on Hudson’s role at UNC.
Cringe over. Moving on.
News to Know
Nick Cammett / Getty Images
Guardians apologize to Duran
The Cleveland Guardians issued an apology to Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran after a fan taunted Duran yesterday. Duran had to be held back by teammates and coaches in an ensuing shouting match. It comes just weeks after Duran opened up about a suicide attempt, which was incredibly brave and impactful. Read more on the fan incident here.
Liverpool caps dream year with blowout
We’ve known the result for a while now, but the moment was spectacular nonetheless. Liverpool are Premier League champions after a 5-1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, winning a title a year after legendary coach Jurgen Klopp left. New manager Arne Slot navigated those waters, a personnel mess with Mohamed Salah’s contract quagmire and a brutal EPL schedule to clinch first with four games left. Scenes, as they say.
More news
- Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman was ejected after a 53-pitch first inning. I’m sure he’s mad, but the sequence is pretty funny.
- Duke freshman Khaman Maluach officially declared for the NBA Draft. He’s a projected lottery pick.
- Mao Saigo is a major champion after winning the Chevron Championship in a five-person playoff. Yes, five.
- Andrew Novak, the PGA Tour’s rising star this year, finally broke through here in New Orleans yesterday for his first victory. Fun story.
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What to Watch
📺 NHL: Lightning at Panthers
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Both games tonight are excellent (Avs at Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN), but this one lines up better with our night. Behind Jake Guentzel, Tampa is back in this series. Let’s see how the defending champs respond.
📺 NBA: Rockets at Warriors
10 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
I remain stunned that the Warriors played so well without Jimmy Butler in Game 3, but then I remember Steph Curry was playing and it all makes sense. Butler should be back for this one. Huge, huge game.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Tonight, the Marlins are in Los Angeles to play the Dodgers — the lowest payroll in baseball ($69 million) plays its highest ($476 million). Andy McCullough traveled to Miami to help explain one of the sport’s biggest problems. Worth your time today.
We have plenty more NFL Draft to discuss. First: Dane Brugler ranked all classes from No. 1-32. We’ll have more on this tomorrow.
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Bruce Feldman detailed his favorite and least favorite picks, while also going deeper into the Shedeur Sanders fall.
Also, Scott Dochterman broke down all 257 picks by college conference and team. See the tabulations here.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Once again, Jeff Howe’s breakdown of why Sanders slid so far in the draft.
Most-read on the website yesterday: NFL Draft winners and losers, according to Zak Keefer.
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(Top photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
