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🏀 5 things you need to know about Friday
- Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Saturday’s showdown will decide whether the Thunder or Spurs will head to the NBA Finals. San Antonio leveled the series at three games apiece with a 118-91 victory last night. Victor Wenbanyama. young superstar answered emphatically In Game 5, he struggled to make two 3-pointers in the first 90 seconds in the rebounding game the Spurs needed from him. The burden is now on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander To reverse fortunes after a cold night. in fact, his legacy depends on it. of knicks Wait for a winner, but there may be no winner mitchell robinson After breaking my right little finger.
- Jannik Sinner suffered an unfathomable upset at the French Open. Despite entering this week as the favorite to win the tournament and complete a career Grand Slam, Sinner was out after just two rounds. The world No. 1 blew a two-set lead against the unseeded. Juan Manuel CerundroWith a stunning victory, he advanced to the third round of a major for the first time in his career. Sinner was one game away from defeating Cerundolo in straight sets, but suffered from cramps and surprisingly lost 18 of his last 20 matches, dropping his first match since February. Could this pave the way for American men to break their Grand Slam drought?
- MLB has formally proposed the introduction of a salary cap to the MLBPA. It has long been expected that the league would push for a salary cap and salary cap, and that finally happened yesterday in collective bargaining. Just one day after the MLBPA made its initial proposal, the league responded with one of its own. Approval of the $245.3 million salary cap would mark a paradigm shift in baseball, but it’s not the only important demand MLB is raising in early negotiations.
- Tomorrow, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain will face off in the UEFA Champions League final. The most prestigious trophy in European club soccer is at stake. PSG aims for first consecutive victory after the war real madrid The Gunners won three consecutive titles from 2016 to 2018, and the Gunners are aiming to win the UCL for the first time in the club’s history. Fresh off winning the Premier League title, Arsenal could very well be the team of destiny this year, but PSG’s experience in these big spots gives them an edge in our predictions. The match will be a star-studded affair featuring more than 30 World Cup players between the two teams and will be available to watch on CBS and Paramount+.
- The hockey world is mourning the loss of Claude Lemieux. The NHL Alumni Association announced Lemieux’s death on Thursday. He was 60 years old. News of his death came as a surprise to the hockey world, especially since he appeared in Montreal earlier this week to carry the torch to the Canadians ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Lemieux will be remembered for winning four Stanley Cups during his 21-year career. Two of those times were devil and one each avalanche and canadian — and won the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP.
🎰 Don’t Miss: Winners and Losers of NBA Draft Lottery Reform
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Tanking is now a thing of the past, or so the NBA hopes. The league announced major changes to the draft lottery in an effort to curb intentional losses. Although this measure appears to have some certainty in that respect, it also comes with some undesirable side effects. There’s a reason. grizzlies They were the only team against the near-unanimous vote.
The so-called “3-2-1” model awards two lottery balls to the NBA’s worst three teams. The next seven worst franchises receive three lottery balls. The No. 9 and 10 seeds in each conference will get two, and the losers of the play-in games for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds will get one. Effectively, the lottery will also benefit teams that miss the playoffs, but the worst of the worst will be punished a little more than other teams.
Other changes include a ban on teams holding the No. 1 pick in consecutive drafts. Teams also cannot select in the top five in three consecutive drafts.
Returning to the Grizzlies, Sam Quinn detailed why the Grizzlies are the big losers in this shakeup on that last point.
- Quinn: “When they traded jaren jackson jr. One of the picks they received in February was the most lucrative of the 2027 picks. Utah, minnesota and cleveland. Well, the Jazz have the No. 5 pick in 2025 and the No. 2 pick in 2026. As such, the Jazz’s pick will no longer qualify as a top-five pick in next year’s draft. The Grizzlies are essentially being punished for Utah’s tanking behavior. ”
There will be no changes to the 2026 draft order as the lottery changes will not take effect until next season. Speaking of next month’s draft, here’s the latest big board nearing the withdrawal deadline.
⚾ The National League offers a fun surprise
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As we noted in yesterday’s newsletter, if the story of the American League over the past two months has been overwhelming performances by players who are considered championship favorites, the opposite is true in the National League. Yes, there were some disappointments (cough, metscough), but what’s talked about in the National League is how teams like to play their games. Braves They defied modest expectations and bounced back from a sluggish year to take the lead in the National League East.
When baseball writers compiled the National League report card, only four teams warranted an “A” or “A-” rating, and Atlanta was top of the list. Mike Axisa explains.
- shaft: “The offense has bounced back from a few disappointing seasons; Robert Suarez/Raisel Iglesias The one-two bullpen punch at the end of the match was suffocating. Last year’s injury-plagued 76-86 season seemed like a flash in the pan. ”
Also, what about that? cardinals?What was supposed to be a rebuilding year suddenly turned into a season in which St. Louis was batting over .500 and competing for a spot in the postseason. Also, they did not join the Cardinals in that “A” tier; nationals We received high praise as a fun start to the year. behind the bat CJ Abrams and james woodthey have one of the highest scoring offenses in baseball.
Matt Snyder also shared his early predictions for the National League’s Cy Young. Christopher Sanchez While he is the most likely candidate due to his record-setting shutout streak, a more compelling pick is the pitcher who currently leads the league in strikeouts.
👍👎 The best (and not the best) of the rest
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📺 Highlights this weekend
Friday
⚾ NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament, all day on ESPN Network
🎾French Open 3rd round, 5am on TNT
⛳ Charles Schwab Challenge, Round 2; 4pm on Golf Channel
⚾ Reds Braves, 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Pirate twins, 6:45pm on Apple TV
🥎 WCWS: Mississippi State vs. No. 2 Texas; 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Blue Jays vs. Orioles, Peacock 7:05 p.m.
⚾ Marlins vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 Sparks from Mystics, or Lynx from Sky, or Mercury from Liberty, 7:30pm at Aeon
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Canadiens vs. Hurricanes, Game 5; 8pm on TNT
⚽Summit in Louisville, 8pm on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8pm on USA Network
🥎 WCWS: No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 5 Arkansas; 9:30pm on ESPN
⚾ Yankees in Athletics, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Dream of fire, 10pm at Aeon
⚾ Phillies vs. Dodgers, 10:15pm on Apple TV
Saturday
⚾ NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament, all day on ESPN Network
🎾French Open 3rd round, 5am on TNT
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo, 7 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League Final: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal, CBS/Paramount+Noon
⚽ Current legacy, 1:30pm at Aeon
⚾ White Sox Tigers, 2:10pm on ESPN Unlimited
🥎 WCWS: No. 11 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Tennessee 3pm on ABC
⛳ Charles Schwab Challenge, Round 3 3:30pm on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Royals at Thorns, 4pm at Aeon
⚾ Rangers Royals, 4:05pm on FS1
⚽ Rule the spirit, 6:30pm at Aeon
🥎 WCWS: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Nebraska; 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Braves to Reds or Cubs to Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏀 NBA Playoffs: Spurs vs. Thunder, Game 7; 8pm on NBC
🏀 The heat of the fire, 8 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🥊 He vs. Holm, 9pm on ESPN
⚾ Yankees in Athletics, 10:05pm Peacock
⚾ Phillies vs. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network
Sunday
⚾ NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament, all day on ESPN Network
🎾French Open 4th round, 5am on TNT
⚾ Blue Jays vs. Orioles, 12:15pm Peacock
⚽Wave your hands to the stars, 1 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🤼 WWE Clash in Italy, 2pm on ESPN Unlimited
🥎 WCWS: TBD vs. TBD, 3pm on ABC
⛳ Charles Schwab Challenge, final round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Dash to Gotham, 3pm on Victory+
🏀 Ace of Valkyrie, 3:30pm on NBC
⚽ Men’s international friendly match: USA vs. Senegal, TBS from 3:30pm
⚾ Yankees in Athletics, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Diamondbacks vs. Mariners, Peacock 4:10 p.m.
⚾ Phillies vs. Dodgers, 4:10pm on ESPN Unlimited
🥎 WCWS: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏁 NASCAR in Nashville, 7pm on Prime Video
⚽ Courage of Angel City, 7pm on Victory+
⚾ Cardinals Cubs, 7:20pm on NBC
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Canadiens vs. Hurricanes, Game 6 (if needed); 8pm on TNT
