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While You Were Sleeping: It’s a 3-1 party
Across the NBA and NHL playoffs, four teams had the opportunity to tie their respective series at 2-2. All four failed. On the victors, quickly:
- In the NBA, the Knicks disputed any notion that the Celtics would take back control of their matchup with a gnarly 121-113 win. Jalen Brunson (39 points) was spectacular. Jayson Tatum left with what looked like a serious lower-leg injury. In the late matchup, the Wolves again outclassed the Steph Curry-less Warriors in a 117-110 win. Both Minnesota and New York have a chance to clinch tomorrow.
- On the ice, Edmonton reclaimed its dominance with a 3-0 win over Las Vegas, and this series could be over already if not for that stunning last-second Golden Knights goal over the weekend. Similarly, Carolina is up 3-1 after a 5-2 rout of the Capitals, who look gassed. The Oilers can clinch tomorrow, while the Hurricanes have to wait until Thursday.
Let’s keep moving:
RIGGED: Dallas’ unbelievable karmic luck
I thought today would only bring one story about godly powers (more on that in a second), and then the NBA Draft Lottery happened. The winner: not the lowly Jazz, Wizards or Hornets, who all entered with the best odds to win the No. 1 pick, also known in this draft as Cooper Flagg. Not the Pelicans, Sixers or Nets, either.
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No, it was the Mavericks, the franchise with a 1.8 percent chance to land the top pick, whose ping pong ball got lucky. The same organization that executed possibly the worst trade in NBA history just three months ago. What??
Two things to process here:
- It is understandable for any neutral observer to be both outraged and overjoyed by this. Did the Mavericks front office, after committing malpractice with a superstar, deserve to get bailed out by fate? No. Did the fans, bereft of that beloved superstar who never wanted to leave in the first place, deserve this fortune? Yes, emphatically.
- It’s easy to shout “RIGGED!” here, but I’m not sure the claim holds up to scrutiny. I just don’t see the league reasoning to reward the Mavericks in any way. It does continue a trend of teams receiving the No. 1 pick after trading a superstar — New Orleans picking Anthony Davis after trading Chris Paul, New Orleans again picking Zion Williamson after trading Davis and now the Mavs getting Flagg after sending Luka Dončić to Los Angeles. Hm.
Reactions leaguewide were understandably slack-jawed. If the Mavericks stay healthy this season and Flagg impresses enough, I can only hope we get a Lakers-Mavericks playoff series next summer. Please? Flagg, 18, has to be thrilled with this result, by the way.
Oh, and other teams will make draft picks, too. See our updated mock draft with the entire order. And make sure to subscribe to The Bounce, where Zach Harper will break down why San Antonio also won this lottery later this morning.
News to Know
Eisen, MJ headline big TV moves
Rich Eisen is returning to ESPN, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports, as the network gears up for its forthcoming direct-to-consumer service launch. Eisen, a face of ESPN during my childhood and many others’, initially left in 2003. He returns with his radio show, “The Rich Eisen Show,” on a licensing deal similar to Pat McAfee’s. Also making news in the media world yesterday: Michael Jordan will contribute to NBC’s coverage of the NBA next season.
Ancelotti officially takes Brazil job
Carlo Ancelotti will start as head coach of the Brazil men’s national team later this month, according to an official release, in a move that’s been anticipated for weeks. Ancelotti will serve out the remainder of the La Liga season at Real Madrid, whose hopes of a title fell at Barcelona over the weekend. The 65-year-old is objectively one of the best managers in the history of soccer. Next up for Madrid: Xabi Alonso?
More news
- The Yankees are getting infielder DJ LeMahieu back today, which is unfortunately good timing after a brutal injury to Oswaldo Cabrera last night.
- The infamous Chiefs superfan who goes by “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced to 32 years in prison for a bank robbery. More details here.
- Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson says extension talks have stalled. Gulp.
- Argentina sent the U.S. a list of 15,000 violent fans it wants banned from the upcoming Club World Cup. Yikes.
- One of the referees selected for the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United was once suspended for match-fixing. Full report here.
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Divine Bettor-vention: Yes, people are betting on the pope
I’m not exactly a religious person, but I cannot remember any pope in my lifetime causing such fervor in the sports world. Maybe that’s because Pope Leo XIV, nee Robert Francis Prevost, is the first one to have any sort of tangible fandom for Americans to glom on to, which is a glorious thing.
Three things I want to highlight:
- It feels wild to me that we have a pope — the pope! — who has attended a World Series game (the White Sox’s 2005 title win over the Astros). This is just a dude in Chicago! And now he’s one of the most influential people in the world.
- The world of sports betting can feel spiritual at times, and bettors have taken that literally when it comes to Leo, who is a Chicago native and Villanova graduate. Max Meyer reports that futures bets on the Cubs, Bears and Wildcats all surged in the hours after Leo became pope.
- Not to be outdone, the trading card crew got in on the divine action, too. Leo’s first Topps card set a sales record among the brand’s instant-release non-sports cards with over 133,000 copies sold. His print run exceeds the number for recent LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama entries. More on that here.
File these away for when one of the above teams wins a title in the near future. Almost done:
What to Watch
📺 NHL: Jets at Stars
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Stars up 2-1, at home, against the elite, but streaky, Jets. Here’s a fork in the road.
📺 NBA: Nuggets at Thunder
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Same situation here, just on a different floor material. The home crowd will be humming with a chance for Oklahoma City to go up 3-2. Bookmark this one.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Sam Blum did something more interesting than anything the Angels are doing this season: He allowed manager Ron Washington to put him through infield drills. They did not go well.
In Boston, Ken Rosenthal argues, the Red Sox should just let Rafael Devers be the DH and figure out the rest for themselves.
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Could NHL goalies make it as skaters? Fluto Shinzawa asked them, and their answers were great.
On the verge of his retirement, meet Howard Katz, the wizard behind the NFL schedule. Great read.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Steve Buckley’s dispatch from the Miss Maine contest, where Bill Belichick’s girlfriend participated.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The NBA Draft Lottery live blog, of course.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: David Banks / Imagn Images)
