The Sportsletter - Scream Team 📣

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 13, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

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Mornin' Team,

Play-in drama gave us, not one, but two 10-seeds pulling upsets on the road last night. And one of those road fans stole the spotlight. DeMar DeRozan’s daughter screaming during free throws might’ve won the game for the Bulls.

Plus, more Champions League action, the NHL postseason finds its final team and the ridiculous Rays are still undefeated (12-0).

Letter Rip!

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NBA PLAYOFFS

Play-In Comebacks

Photo: Andrew Lahodynsky / Getty Images

10-Seeds Bulls & Thunder Advance on the Road With Comeback Wins

We’ve got drama! The second set of NBA play-in games took the court on Wednesday, and both games came down to the wire before the lower seeds pulled the upsets. The Bulls and Thunder are moving on to the next round of play-in games with a shot at the 8-seed on Friday. The Raptors and Pelicans are heading home for the offseason.

Bulls def. Raptors (109-105)

Don’t let the scoreline fool you. The East’s 9-10 play-in was all Raptors in the first half and change. Toronto cooked up a 19-point lead in the third quarter before Zach LaVine caught fire. LaVine scored 30 of his game-high 39 points in the second half, and the Raptors struggled at the free-throw line to let Chicago back in it. The Bulls still trailed by 10 with 10 minutes to play, but LaVine and a few big plays from DeMar DeRozan (23 points) down the stretch made the difference. Pascal Siakam (32-9-6) and Fred VanVleet (26-12-8) were lights out for the Raptors, but Toronto finished 18-for-36 (50%) from the line. The Raptors are going home and the Bulls are heading to Miami on Friday.

Thunder def. Pelicans (123-118)

A wild one in New Orleans saw the Pelicans’ season come to a close at the hands of the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32), Josh Giddey (31-10-9) and Luguentz Dort (27) combined for 90 points. The Pelicans actually out-rebounded (48-38) and out-shot (48.3%-45.7%) the Thunder, but OKC’s 39-24 third-quarter stretch flipped the script. Brandon Ingram (30-7-6) hit a 3 to make things interesting in the final seconds, but the Pelicans turned it over on their final possession and the Thunder knocked down their free throws. The Pels are done for the year, but the Thunder travel to Minnesota for a shot at the 8-seed.

Final Play-In Games (8-Seeds)

Bulls at Heat (Friday, 7:00 pm ET)

Thunder at Timberwolves (Friday, 9:30 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Bulls Laud ‘Extraordinary’ LaVine After Key Play-In Game Performance

B/R: Zion Williamson’s Absence in Play-In Loss to Thunder Draws Blame From Fans

Yahoo! Sports: DeMar DeRozan’s Daughter Screams Through Raptors Free Throws, And It Pays Off in Bulls Win

SOCCER

Champs In Charge

Photo: Pedro Castillo / Getty Images

Champions League Holders Real Madrid Hand Chelsea Shutout (2-0) While Milan Take Edge Over Napoli (1-0)

Another day in Leg 1 of the Champions League quarterfinals, and another pair of shutouts on the board. The reigning champs from Real Madrid look poised to continue after delivering a 2-0 blow to Chelsea in a dominating performance. Karim Benzema (21’) and Marco Asensio (74’) found the net in a match controlled by Los Blancos. The Blues had just three attempts on frame, but no success. Elsewhere, Milan got a first-half strike from Ismael Bennacer (40’) to sneak one past Napoli in the all-Italy matchup. Napoli had more possession and more shots 16-12), but couldn’t get it done at San Siro. Leg 2 shakes out the semifinals next week.

Champions League Highlights

Real Madrid def. Chelsea (2-0)

Milan def. Napoli (1-0)

Champions League QFs (Leg 2)

Tuesday & Wednesday (April 18-19)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Chelsea’s Season on Brink of Collapse as Real Madrid Take Control

EuroSport: Benzema & Asensio Put Defending Champs in Control Against Toothless Blues

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🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL: Islanders Clinch Final Playoff Spot

The final Wild Card spot in the East belongs to New York. The Islanders beat the Canadiens (4-2) thanks to two goals from Brock Nelson. New York’s clinch means all 16 playoff spots are accounted for, although there’s still some possible movement in the coming days. Only three days remain in the regular season with the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning next week.

⚾️ MLB: Rays Streak Hits A Dozen

Another night, another Rays’ win. Tampa Bay (12-0) continued their scorching-hot start to the 2023 season with a 9-7 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday. Randy Arozarena smashed a three-run shot to set the tone in the 1st inning, but Boston made things interesting down the stretch. The Rays are now one win away from tying the MLB record 13-0 start (’82 Braves & ’87 Brewers).

THE STORYLINES

⚽️ 100 Days to Women’s World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will kick off in 100 days with New Zealand's group stage opener against Norway on July 20. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this year's tournament in Australia and New Zealand, but we narrowed our list down to 25. (FOX Sports)

🏒 NHL Postseason Power Rankings

There are just a couple of days left in the NHL's regular season, and before we look ahead to the playoffs, let's take a look back at our preseason expectations for each team to see how far we’ve come. (CBS Sports)

⚾️ How Real Are The Rays?

The Rays are still perfect in 2023. To make sense of it all, ESPN MLB experts attempt to answer one of these three questions: Why do the Rays believe this team is special? What do the numbers show us so far? How real are the Rays? (ESPN)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Jake Paul & Nate Diaz Boxing Match Scheduled for August 5 (ESPN)
• Giants RB Saquon Barkley Does Not Plan to Sign Franchise Tag (SI)
• MLB Teams Extend Beer Sales Into 8th Inning Due to Shorter Games (CBS Sports)
• NFL Draft Prospect WR Michael Jefferson Seriously Injured in Fatal Car Accident (Yahoo! Sports)

• Cubs Sign OF Ian Happ to 3-Year, $61 Million Extension (NBC Sports)

• Utah Group Pursues MLB Expansion Team (B/R)

• Penguins’ 16-Year NHL Playoff Streak, Longest Active in American Pro Sports, Comes to End (USA Today)

• Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Ejected in 1st Inning After Puzzling Review by Umps (SI)

📊 READER POLL

Question of the Day

Our team spends most of the day listening to sports talk shows in the background. That got us thinking: Which daytime sports debate show do you think is better?

Skip Bayless & Shannon Sharpe

Stephen A. Smith & Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo

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