4. HEAT: Miami season ends valiantly, in controversy … and too soon: Heat\u2019s disappointing season ended in 127-126 OT play-in loss in Charlotte, a valiant effort considering Miami played about three quarters without star Bam Adebayo after his back injury caused by what was later (not in game) called a flagrant foul by LaMelo Ball. It\u2019s Heat\u2019s first time not in playoffs since 2019. Good news? Improved though still-small shot at a top-four draft pick via the May 10 lottery and a bump up in draft position overall. What\u2019s next after four straight play-in years? A summer getting better, we can hope. Maybe another run at Giannis?<\/p>\n
5. PANTHERS: Champs end hard-fall season, but won\u2019t be down long: The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions finished out of the playoffs for first time since 2019 at 40-42 with bottom-top points, owing largely to key injuries leading to diminished depth led by the season-long absence of star Aleksander Barkov. Bright aide? Better health and a big bounceback expected next season, an a guaranteed top010 pick on May 5 NHL Draft. Meantime the Cats lost assistant general manager Sunny Mehta, who\u2019s headed to main GM job with New Jersey.<\/p>\n
6. NBA: OKC a solid pick for title-repeat with playoffs underway: The 16-team NBA playoffs tipped off with four games Saturday — Lakers beating Houston the only upset– and four more today including the top three betting picks to win it all on the court in reigning champion Oklahoma City at +110 per DraftKings, San Antonio +500 and Boston +550. Postseason continues through NBA Finals starting June 3, which the NBA Draft then June 23-24. (And kudos to NBA for granting Cade Cunningham and Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s \u201cExtraordinary Circumstance Challenge\u201d to league\u2019s dumb 65-game awards rule, allowing both to be on ballots.)<\/p>\n
7. NHL: Colorado the Cup fave in bunched field as playoffs begin: Reigning double-Cup champ Florida Panthers were watching on the telly as the 16-team NHL playoffs dropped puck with three games first-round games Saturday and four more best-of-7 openers today\/Sunday. They\u2019ll play through the Stanley Cup Final that begins in early June. Bunched title favorites going in (per FanDuel) are Colorado at +340, Carolina (which won Saturday) +460 and Tampa Bay +480.<\/p>\n
8: GOLF: PGA Tour returns to Miami after 10 years away … but will McIlroy play?: The Cadillac Championship on April 30-May 3 will mark the PGA Tour\u2019s return to Miami and Doral\u2019s Blue Monster for the first time since 2016. Expected is a strong field led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, but the presence of Masters champ Rory McIlroy remains unconfirmed as of this writing, though fingers-crossed-expected Club owner Donald Trump says he\u2019s hopeful so stay tuned. Meantime the future beyond this year of Tour rival LIV Golf is in jeopardy as doubts arise whether the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will continue bankrolling the league. (If not, good-riddance, LIV Golf.)<\/p>\n
9. MARLINS: Budget-ball Fish continue sobering (and predictable) slide: With Saturday\u2019s 5-2 home loss to Milwaukee the \u201cFightin\u2019 Fish\u201d are now the Fizzlin\u2019 Fish. The Marlins are now 9-12 with four straight losses and 7 of 8, and Miami is 4-11 since a 5-1 start. Perhaps worse, ace Sandy Alcantara, whom the budget ball Fish are expected to trade, has sagged a bit after two great starts to open. Team plays Brewers again today then hosts three vs. St. Louis.<\/p>\n
10. RUNNING: Lots of major marathons, but here comes the King: New York, Miami … you see major 26.2-mile runs all over the country, but only one is King Daddy. The 130th Boston Marathon is tomorrow\/Monday with more than 30,000 runners from 129 countries and all 50 states. ESPN will present live, multiplatform coverage, which is funny because I think the only folks who want to watch a marathon are the runners themselves. As for who\u2019ll win? Wild guess … a guy from Kenya?<\/p>\n
THE LIST: DOLPHINS DRAFT HISTORY WITH PICKS AROUND NO. 11: Miami has 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft Thursday night. Here\u2019s how Dolphins have fared all-time with their dozen selections nearest that vicinity (within two spots either way; 9 through 13). List is ranked by games played with Dolphins (GWD):<\/p>\n
GWD \/ Player, Pos., School \/ Draft pos. & Year<\/p>\n
164 \/ Richmond Webb, OT, Texas A&M \/ #9 1990<\/p>\n
109 \/ Bill Stanfill, DE, Georgia \/ #11 1969<\/p>\n
108 \/ A.J. Duhe, LB, LSU \/ #13 1977<\/p>\n
86 \/ Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson \/ #13 2019<\/p>\n
63 \/ Marc Coleman, DE, Georgia Tech \/ #12 1992<\/p>\n
Others: 56 games LB Frank Emanuel 1966; 48 WR Ted Ginn Jr. 2007; 44 OT Laremy Tunsil 2016; 41 RB Sammie Smith 1989; 32 S Minkah Fitzpatrick 2018; 17 DT Kenneth Grant 2025 (still on team); and 14 RB David Overstreet 1981.<\/p>\n
Note: The only two Dolphins previously drafted exactly No. 11 were Stanfill in 1969 and Fitzpatrick in 2018.<\/p>\n
Other select most recent stuff from me: Poll Dance: How much NFL Draft will you watch?<\/a> \/\/ Power of Lionel Messi shows in Inter Miami\u2019s latest coaching change<\/a> \/\/ Heat end season valiantly, but effort and almost are not enough<\/a> \/\/ Sorry, Lamar, but Super Bowl win is the harsh reality for elite QBs<\/a> \/\/ Latest GCS podcast: Masters banquet, Lamar, Catchphrases<\/a> \/\/ Previous HB10<\/a> \/\/ No Tiger, no Phil at Masters and why it\u2019s so hard in sports to let go<\/a> \/\/ State of Miami Sports; Grading Fins, Heat, Cats, Fish, Inter Miami & more<\/a> \/\/ It was a grand opening night — finally — for Inter Miami in Miami<\/a> \/\/ U.S. team struggles, doubts grow as men\u2019s World Cup nears<\/a> \/\/ NFL\u2019s Rooney Rule needs protecting in face of Florida\u2019s dumb attack<\/a> \/\/ Sandy shines, Marlins win to launch latest season of budget-ball<\/a> \/\/ Sister Jean gone. High Point out. Cinderella dead. But NCAA Tournament bigger than ever<\/a> \/\/ Baseball, politics, emotion lift Venezuela past U.S. to WBC championship<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins got good haul, but blame Curse of Tua for trading Waddle at al<\/a>l \/ Dolphins\u2019 epic failure at drafting Hurricanes is poised to end<\/a> \/\/ 46 years later and on top of world, USA hockey owns Canada\u2019s sport<\/a> \/\/ 4 reasons why Dolphins and Malik Willis a perfect fit<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins\u2019 major rebuild is on — and it\u2019s about damned time<\/a> \/\/ No Giannis (yet), but for Heat it\u2019s a dream deferred, not dead<\/a> \/\/ Belichick\u2019s stunning Hall snub is a shame on sanctimonious voters<\/a> \/\/ Dolphins\u2019 new coach, GM take on 25 years of franchise torpor and a QB mess<\/a> \/\/ Canes title-game loss does not erase success of watershed season<\/a> \/\/ Step aside, other cities: Why 2026 in sports belongs to Miami<\/a> \/\/ Stugotz signs major iHeart Media deal, but says not done with LeBatard Show<\/a> \/\/ Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup, crown 50 years of SoFla soccer<\/a> \/\/ And my latest podcast:<\/p>\n
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