The Sportsletter - Sky-Walking in Memphis 🤯

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 27, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

The NBA playoff grind rolls on, but Ja Morant is keeping things interesting. The league’s next electric superstar just had his postseason coming-of-age moment. When the Ja-dropping highlights come, they come in bunches.

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BREAKING NEWS 🚨

NCAA President Mark Emmert has stepped down with a delayed exit after 12 years leading college athletics. Read More

NBA

Sky-Walking in Memphis 🤯

Photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images

Ja Morant’s Dunk of the Year, 18-Point 4th Quarter & Acrobatic Game-Winner Steals Game 5 for Grizzlies (111-109); MEM Leads Series (3-2)

Memphis star Ja Morant won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award on Monday. Twenty-four hours later, he stamped his young playoff resume with a signature moment. The 2-seed Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter of Game 5 in a double-digit hole to the 7-seeded Timberwolves. The Grizz could’ve seen the series slip away. Instead, Morant’s heroics flipped the switch. He ended the third quarter with the dunk of the year — a demoralizing poster of Malik Beasley that will live in playoff infamy — then scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and capped the night with a sky-walking, game-winning layup in the final second. The league’s Most Improved Player might be proving he’s the most clutch, too.

Morant’s Stat Line: 30 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists

Watch: Grizzlies Rally to Beat T-Wolves (111-109) Behind Ja Morant’s Heroic Night

Other NBA Highlights

Gm 5: Suns def. Pelicans (112-97)

The Pelicans put the NBA’s top overall seed on the ropes after four games in the opening series, but the Suns are back in control. The injury to Devin Booker spelled trouble for Phoenix, but Mikal Bridges’ big night (31 points) lifted them in Game 5. Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists, and Phoenix can take a deep breath after an early-round scare. The series is far from over as it heads back to New Orleans for Game 6. The Pelicans have built a fierce underdog mentality that won’t go quietly, and NOLA will be anything but quiet on Thursday. PHX Leads Series (3-2)

Gm 5: Heat def. Hawks (97-94)

Moving on in Miami! The Heat slammed the door on the Hawks Tuesday night with a Game 5 win in South Beach. Atlanta clawed back in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The story of the series was the Heat defense that held Trae Young to another ice-cold shooting night with 11 points (2-for-12, FG / 0-for-5, 3PT). Young averaged just 15.4 points in the series, including three losses with 8, 9 and 11. Miami’s team effort was on display once again as Bam Adebayo — the defensive anchor — had a 20-point, 11-rebound night before securing the series-clinching steal. The Heat await the winner of the 76ers-Raptors series. MIA Wins Series (4-1)

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 5: Bulls at Bucks (7:30 pm ET)

Gm 5: Nuggets at Warriors (10:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

B/R: Ja Morant Makes Case as NBA’s Most Exciting Star in Grizzlies’ Game 5 Comeback

Clutch Points: Crazy Trae Young Stat Explains Hawks’ 4-1 Disaster vs. Heat

NBC Sports: Bulls’ Zach LaVine Enters COVID-19 Protocol Before Game 5

NHL

Hockey Playoffs (Almost) Set

Photo: Harry How / Getty Images

15 of 16 Playoff Spots Determined With Two Days Left in Regular Season

A whopping 13 games took the ice on Tuesday night to iron out the playoff picture. Clinching scenarios and seeding implications were aplenty. And with the inability to dissect all of it, we’ll simply reveal the playoff picture as it stands. All but one playoff spot is secure, but there are still some possible moves up or down in the seeding within divisions. Tuesday’s action saw the Kings and Predators clinch spots. Only the Golden Knights and Canucks are on the bubble with two games to play.

NHL Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference

1. Panthers (120 points)

2. Hurricanes (114 points)

3. Maple Leafs (113 points)

4. Rangers (108 points)

5. Lightning (108 points)

6. Bruins (105 points)

7. Penguins (101 points)

8. Capitals (100 points)

Western Conference

1. Avalanche (118 points)

2. Flames (110 points)

3. Wild (109 points)

4. Blues (109 points)

5. Oilers (100 points)

6. Kings (96 points)

7. Predators (95 points)

8. Stars (95 points)

In the Hunt: Golden Knights (91 points)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Maple Leafs Auston Matthews Continues ‘Unreal’ Season, Becomes First U.S.-Born Player to Score 60 Goals

NHL: Flames Matthew Tkatchuk Scores Game-Tying Goal With 0.1 Seconds Left

SOCCER

City In Stride

Photo: Marc Atkins / Getty Images

Manchester City Beats Real Madrid (4-3) to Take Early Lead in Leg 1 of UCL Semifinals

The Champions League crown is down to four teams with just a few matches left to play, and Tuesday’s clash saw Manchester City take the early advantage against Real Madrid. City struck quickly with Kevin De Bruyne (2’) and Gabriel Jesus (11’) wasting little time. Los Blancos answered back with a pair of goals from Karim Benzema to keep the aggregate scoreline in check despite City dominating possession (60-40). Bernardo Silva struck a wicked upper-90 shot to put the match out of reach, but Real Madrid are anything but out heading back to the Bernabeu for Leg 2 next week.

Watch: Manchester City def. Real Madrid (4-3)

Today’s Schedule

Liverpool vs. Villarreal (3:00 pm ET)

Leg 2 Schedule

Villarreal vs. Liverpool (Tues. May 3, 3:00 pm ET)

Real Madrid vs. Man. City (Wed. May 4, 3:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Guardiola’s Men Win 7-Goal Thriller, But Benzema Keeps Real Madrid Alive

The Athletic: How Man. City Beat Real Madrid in the Champions League Semi-Final 1st Leg

MLB

MLB Quick-Hitters

Rizzo Rocks 3: Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo had the bat of the night with three home runs in New York’s 12-8 victory against the Orioles.

The Twins’ Walk-Off Pickle: The Twins were down to their final two outs when a chaotic set of fielding errors allowed them to score the go-ahead run to beat the Tigers (5-4).

Tapia’s Sac-Fly for Toronto: The Blue Jays rallied from behind against the Red Sox with three runs in the 9th inning to force extras before Raimel Tapia’s sacrifice fly in the 10th to plate Bo Bichette.

McCutchen’s 200x200: Brewers star Andrew McCutchen notched his 200th career stolen base on Tuesday to join Mike Trout as the only active players with 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases. The Crew beat Cutch’s former team (Pirates) 12-8.

THE STORYLINES

🏈 Top-10 Teams With the Most Draft Capital

With an unprecedented eight teams armed with multiple first-round picks in this month’s draft, some believe the trade frenzy has only just begun. Which clubs are best positioned to make waves? Here are the ten teams with the most draft capital. (FOX Sports)

🏀 The Nets Were Not Who We Thought They Were

Title favorites? Contenders? The team no one wants to play? In the end, Brooklyn’s ballyhooed group was none of these things. Instead, it proved to be a disjointed, discombobulated debacle that always had more excuses than answers. (The Ringer)

⚾️ MLB Stats You Can Believe In

It's still early in the 2022 season, but there are some statistics that will prove to have staying power. So we asked each of our 30 beat writers to highlight one specific stat they feel is one to believe in for each team, even at this early stage of the season. (MLB.com)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• 49ers Looking for Two 1st-Round Picks in Exchange for WR Deebo Samuel (CBS Sports)
• Retired Villanova Coach Jay Wright Leaves Door Open for Jump to NBA (ESPN)
• Details of Tom Brady’s Buccaneers Contract Revealed (Bleacher Report)
• Bears WR Byron Pringle Arrested for Allegedly Doing Donuts With Child in the Car (Yahoo! Sports)
• Philadelphia Eagles Making Calls About Moving Up in 1st Round of NFL Draft (NBC Sports)

• Ex-Suns Staffer Pleads Guilty to Illicitly Selling Tickets for 3 Years (SI)

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