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The GIST: While the Larry O’Brien Trophy continues its bucket list tour, the Final Four squads are leaving it all on the floor in pursuit of a chance to compete for the coveted prize. Nothing quite like playoff basketball.

Western Conference Final: Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets bested LeBron James and the LA Lakers 108–103 at home last night to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Equally as impressive, The Joker notched his fourth straight triple-double, bringing his Nugs within two wins of reaching their first-ever NBA Final.

• But you can never count out the Lakers, especially with this series shifting to the City of Stars for Game 3 tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET. Just getting started.

Eastern Conference Final: The unstoppable Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat used a massive 46-point third quarter (and a boatload of Boston turnovers) to stun the Celtics 123–116 in Wednesday’s Game 1.

• The Cs have a chance to even things up in Beantown tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET before the red-hot series flies south to Miami for Game 3 on Sunday. Caliente.

The GIST: Sixty-four teams, 16 regionals, and a potential 112 games packed into three days — NCAA softball’s natty tournament is here. Starting today at 12 p.m. ET, the 16 seeded squads will each host a four-team double-elimination regional to determine which 16 teams will advance to next weekend’s best-of-three Super Regionals.

• From there, those eight victors will score the ultimate prize: a ticket to June’s Women’s College World Series. OKC or bust, baby.

Regionals to watch: Austin and Baton Rouge feature some spicy intrastate matchups, but all eyes will be on Salt Lake City, where inaugural Pac-12 tourney champs No. 15 Utah will host arguably the toughest regional. Both Ole Miss and Baylor — the only team to defeat defending champs No. 1 Oklahoma this season — could usurp the Utes.

• Further east, the best way to describe the wildly tough Tallahassee regional is a pitchers’ duel. With UCF junior Sarah Willis, South Carolina star Donnie Gobourne, and No. 3 Florida State ace Kat Sandercock, this weekend will be won in the circle.

• Out in LA, the No. 2 UCLA Bruins should take care of business, but this series is also a zesty reunion: UCLA’s associate head coach (HC) Lisa Fernandez, Liberty HC Dot Richardson, and San Diego State HC Stacey Nuveman are all Bruin alums and Olympic gold–winning teammates.

P.S. For more NCAA news, including coverage of the other ongoing spring championships, subscribe to our three-times weekly college sports newsletter.

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🏒 The Florida Panthers topped the Carolina Hurricanes 3–2 in quadruple overtime last night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, dropping the puck on a weekend full of playoff hockey.

⛳ LIV golfers are making the most of their PGA Championship appearance: the always controversial Bryson DeChambeau is currently second on the leaderboard after yesterday’s first round was suspended due to darkness.

🏎️ F1 will not hold the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend due to extreme weather and flooding in the region. Safety first.

🎓🥍 The NCAA women’s lacrosse national tournament semifinals are set, with No. 1 Northwestern, No. 2 Syracuse, No. 3 Boston College, and No. 5 Denver (who upset defending champs No. 4 UNC) advancing to next weekend’s semis.

⚾ On Wednesday, MLB issued NY Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s foreign substances rules, with one umpire saying Germán had “the stickiest hand [he’s] ever felt.” Ick.

🏇 With questions still lingering about horse deaths at the Kentucky Derby, eight horses will take the track for tomorrow’s Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

⚽ MLS announced yesterday that San Diego will be home to an expansion franchise beginning in the 2025 season, making the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in pro soccer in the U.S.

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