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🏀 NBA Playoffs: Comeback kids
(Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA’s opening round ended in style, featuring three do-or-die Game 7s (most in the first round since 2014) and multiple 3-1 comebacks (76ers and Pistons), the first time that’s ever happened in any round.
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Game 7s:
76ers 109, Celtics 100: The Sixers upset the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics on Saturday night in Boston behind big games from Joel Embiid (34 pts, 12 reb) and Tyrese Maxey (30-11-7).
Cavaliers 114, Raptors 102: When these two teams entered halftime of Game 7 tied 49-49, they had each put up exactly 718 points in the series. Then, finally, Cleveland made its move and pulled away in the second half.
Here’s the East…
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
And here’s the West…
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
Playoff predictions: Who wins every second-round series?
🏒 NHL Playoffs: The final eight
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
The Canadiens beat the Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday in a Game 7 like none other, punching the eighth and final ticket to the second round — and keeping Canada’s title hopes alive for at least another week.
Survive and advance: It’s been 33 long years since a Canadian franchise hoisted the Stanley Cup. That drought could have easily been extended on Sunday when Montreal managed just nine shots on goal against Tampa Bay, the fewest ever (by any team) in a postseason victory. The Lightning, by comparison, had 29.
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With Edmonton and Ottawa eliminated, Montreal entered the weekend as Canada’s lone survivor. A one-goal loss in Game 6 was followed by a one-goal win in Game 7 — a fitting end to a series that knew nothing else.
This was the ultimate see-saw affair: Seven one-goal games, with each team alternating wins and losses. A few different bounces of the puck, and it could have been The Sunshine State in yet another final eight.*
Where it stands: Round 2 began over the weekend, with the top-seeded Hurricanes blanking the Flyers, 3-0, and the top-seeded Avalanche overpowering the Wild, 9-6, in one of the highest-scoring playoff games in NHL history.
Title odds (via BetMGM):
*End of an era: For the first time since 2019, the Panthers and Lightning will both miss the Stanley Cup Final. This snaps a six-year run of at least one Florida team making it to the final two.
🐎 In photos: Derby Day
(Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Louisville — Long shot Golden Tempo made a stretch run for the ages on Saturday at Churchill Downs, coming from dead last to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby, which was the most-watched on record, averaging 19.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
First female champion: Prior to Saturday, only 17 female trainers had ever had a horse reach the Derby, and until Saturday, none had ever won. Cherie DeVaux, 44, became the first, bettering Shelley Riley’s runner-up finish with Casual Lies in 1992.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
A family affair: Brothers Jose Ortiz (Golden Tempo) and Irad Ortiz Jr. (Renegade) crossed the finish line 1-2. You probably don’t need us to tell you that’s a first in Kentucky Derby history.
(Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images)
Who wore what: While the Thoroughbreds deservedly took center stage at the Run for the Roses, the hats and fashion at Churchill Downs ran a close second.
🔥 Korda and Sinner: Dueling hot streaks
(Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Nelly Korda and Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 players in their respective sports, both notched victories on Sunday to continue their historically hot starts to the season.
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Nelly Korda (-17) ran away with the title at the Riviera Maya Open, beating the field in Mexico by four strokes to win her second straight tournament and third of the season.
(Nearly) impossible to beat: Korda has yet to finish worse than second this season, joining Annika Sorenstam (2001) as the only women since 1980 to open an LPGA campaign with six consecutive top-two finishes. Only two women have bested her all year: world No. 3 Hyo Joo Kim (twice) and No. 12 Lauren Coughlin.
Looking ahead: Despite being just 27 years old, Korda could earn induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame as soon as this year. It takes 27 points to qualify, and she currently sits at 23. A standard tournament win is worth one point, while a major is worth two. Being named Player of the Year or having the low scoring average for the season are also worth one point each.
(Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Jannik Sinner annihilated Alexander Zverev, 6-1, 6-2, in the Madrid Open final to become the first player ever to win five straight Masters 1000 titles.
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By the numbers: Sinner’s victory took just 57 minutes, making it the fastest match of his career. Against the No. 3 player in the world! The Italian is now 30-2 on the season, winning 23 straight matches and four straight titles while dropping just two sets during that streak.
Looking ahead: If Sinner wins the Rome Open (May 4-17), he’ll join Novak Djokovic as the only men to complete the Career Golden Masters, with titles in all nine ATP 1000 events. If he wins the French Open (May 24-June 7), he’ll achieve the Career Grand Slam. And with Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) out indefinitely, who’s gonna stop him?
💯 Big Numbers
(Peter Fox/Getty Images)
🏎️ 100 points
Kimi Antonelli picked up right where he left off before the break, winning Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix for his third consecutive victory. The 19-year-old Italian sits atop the F1 standings with 100 points through four races, ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell (80) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (63).
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The prides of Italy: Antonelli’s three victories have come on March 15 (Chinese GP), March 29 (Japanese GP) and May 3 (Miami GP) — the exact same days that fellow countryman Jannik Sinner won at Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.
⛳️ $10.5 million
Cameron Young (-19) ran away with the Cadillac Championship on Sunday, lapping the field in a six-stroke victory at Trump National Doral for his second win — and fourth top-three finish — in his last five starts. His total winnings during that two-month span? $10.5 million. Not bad.
Runner-up (again): You’ll never guess who finished second. That, of course, would be Scottie Scheffler, who still hasn’t won since his season-opening victory at the American Express, but now has three consecutive runner-up finishes.
(Savannah Bananas)
🍌 102,000 fans
They say everything’s bigger in Texas. That was certainly true on Saturday when 102,000 fans descended on Texas A&M’s Kyle Field to watch the Savannah Bananas, making it the largest crowd in Banana Ball history.
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Biggest venues: Kyle Field (102,733 capacity) is the fourth-largest college football stadium, trailing only Michigan Stadium (107,601), Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (106,572) and Ohio Stadium (102,780). Later this month, the Bananas will travel to Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, which is the sixth-largest (101,821).
🥍 24 years
Maryland men’s lacrosse did not hear its name called on Selection Sunday, marking the first time since 2002 that they will miss the NCAA tournament. The Terrapins were the preseason No. 1 team but finished a disappointing 7-6, their fewest wins in a season since 1994.
Who’s in? Princeton, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, Syracuse, Cornell and Penn State earned the top eight seeds in the 18-team tournament. The other 10 spots went to Duke, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Georgetown, Albany, Army, Jacksonville, Robert Morris, Marist and Stony Brook.
📺 Watchlist: Monday, May 4
(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
🏀 NBA Playoffs
Welcome to Round 2. The Knicks and 76ers kick things off at Madison Square Garden (8pm ET, NBC) before the Spurs host the Timberwolves in the nightcap (9:30pm, NBCSN).
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Head-to-head: This will be the 11th playoff series between the Knicks and Sixers, but just the second since 1989 after New York won in the first round two years ago. The Spurs and Wolves have met just twice in the postseason, with San Antonio winning in both 1999 and 2001.
🏒 NHL Playoffs
Tonight’s action begins in Raleigh, where the top-seeded Hurricanes will look to go up 2-0 on the Flyers (7pm, ESPN). Then it’s off to Las Vegas for Game 1 between the Golden Knights and Ducks (9:30pm, ESPN).
Historic dominance: The Hurricanes are the first team to not trail for a single second in their first five postseason games since the Capitals in 1986.
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More to watch:
⚾️ MLB: Brewers at Cardinals (7:45pm, FS1); Braves at Mariners (9:40pm, MLB) … Atlanta (25-10) is the first team to 25 wins and is off to its best 35-game start in the Modern Era (since 1900).
⚽️ EPL: Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest (10am, USA); Everton vs. Manchester City (3pm, USA) … Second-place City (70 points) must win to keep pace with Arsenal (76).
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
⚾ MLB trivia
(Rod Mar/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Mariners retired Randy Johnson’s jersey on Saturday, making him the second No. 51 (Ichiro) to be retired by Seattle.
Question: The Mariners were one of six teams that Johnson played for during his MLB career. Can you name the other five?
Hint: Four NL (at that time), one AL.
Answer at the bottom.
🍿 Top plays of the weekend
Trivia answer: Diamondbacks, Expos, Yankees, Giants, Astros
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