The Sportsletter - Mile-High Momentum 🏔️

BY JEFF YODER

JUNE 2, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

The Nuggets took Game 1 and a lot of momentum to tip-off the NBA Finals. The Stanley Cup Finals drop the puck tomorrow, and it’s a short-and-sweep intro to the weekend as the French Open rolls on. Be sure to share The Sportsletter with friends and family for exclusive content. If you recruit three new team members, you’ll be added to our exclusive list for this Sunday’s special feature.

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  NBA FINALS   🏆 

Mile-High Momentum 🏔️

Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz / Getty Images

Jokic & Murray Combine for 53 Points as Nuggets Take Game 1 (104-93)

Picking up right where they left off… The Nuggets have one hand on Larry O’Brien Trophy, but it’s a seven-game series for a reason. Denver blazed past Miami in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night in a series-opener that left little in question. The Nuggets jumped out to a double-digit lead early in the second half, and aside from a late push by the Heat, they never faltered. Nikola Jokic (27-14-10) had one of the most efficient triple-doubles in memory while Jamal Murray (26) took over in stretches. Jokic shot 75 percent (8-for-12) with 10 free throws (10-for-12). On Miami’s end, Bam Adebayo was spectacular alongside a hot-shooting night from Gabe Vincent that kept the Heat breathing through rough spells, but Jimmy Butler (13-7-7) never got going.

Heat’s Historic FT Catastrophe: Miami set the NBA Finals record for fewest free-throw attempts (2). Haywood Highsmith was 2-for-2. The Heat rarely took the ball to the rim with aggression. Instead, they settled for 39 3-point attempts and shot just 33.3 percent.

Denver’s Depth Shines: Even though Murray and Jokic combiend for 53 points, the supporting cast all played great. Aaron Gordon (16), Michael Porter Jr. (14) and Bruce Brown (10) all took turns getting hot.

Game 1 Top Performers

N. Jokic (DEN): 27 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists

J. Murray (DEN): 26 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists

B. Adebayo (MIA): 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists

G. Vincent (MIA): 19 points (5-for-10, 3pt)

Watch: Nuggets Throttle Heat in Game 1 (104-93)

Game 2: Heat at Nuggets (Sun. 8:00 pm ET)

It’s 1-0 to the favorites. And if Game 1 was any indication, it’s an uphill battle for the Heat.

Read More

ESPN: Nikola Jokic’s Triple-Double Powers Nuggets Past Heat in Game 1

CBS Sports: Miami Comes Out Flat in NBA Finals Opener, But Hope Should Not Be Lost

Poll Results

Yesterday, we asked who you were picking in the NBA Finals. We knew the Nuggets would get the nod, but the margin is bigger than we thought.

Nuggets — 71%

Heat — 29%

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

⚾️ MLB: Scherzer Ks 9 as Mets Sweep Phillies

Max Scherzer pulled out a vintage performance on the mound, striking out nine over seven frames in a 4-2 win to help the Mets sweep the Phillies.

🎾 TENNIS: Sinner Gets Upset in 5-Hour 5-Setter

The next top-10 upset victim in Round 2 at Roland-Garros was #8 Janik Sinner. Challenger Daniel Altmaier took down Sinner in a five-set stunner that featured three tiebreakers and lasted over five hours (6-7, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5).

⛳️ PGA: Riley Leads Early at The Memorial

Golf’s next test is underway at Muirfield Village. Davis Riley (-5) leads the field at The Memorial Tournament after Day 1 with Matt Wallace (-4) and eight marquee golfers in the hunt at 3-under.

🏀 WNBA: Sun Overcome Lynx En Route to 5-1 Start

The lone WNBA matchup on Thursday saw the Connecticut Sun win a back-and-forth battle with the Lynx (89-84) despite 30 points from Napheesa Collier. The Sun (5-1) are the first team in the ‘W’ to five wins.

  NEWS   📰 

• Longtime NFL Punter Brett Kern Retires After 15 Seasons (USA Today)
• PSG Manager Confirms Saturday is Lionel Messi’s Last in Paris (CBS Sports)
• NBA Referee Under Investigation for Twitter Posts Won’t Work Finals (SI)
• Penguins Hire Ex-Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as President (ESPN)

• Gervonta Davis to Serve Rest of 90-Day Sentence From 2020 Hit-and-Run (B/R)

• Florida 8th-Grader Dev Shah Wins 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee (USA Today)

• Shannon Sharpe Reportedly Leaving FOX’s ‘Undisputed’ With Skip Bayless After 7 Years (Yahoo! Sports)
• Tom Brady Confirms He’s Staying Retired Amid Raiders Rumors (B/R)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️ 

Weekend Must-Watch List

NBA Finals

Gm 2: Heat at Nuggets (Sun. 8:00 pm)

Stanley Cup Finals

Gm 1: Panthers at Golden Knights (Sat. 8:00 pm)

French Open (Friday)

M: #3 N. Djokovic vs. #29 A. Davidovich (Fri. 8:15 am)

M: #5 S. Tsitsipas vs. D. Schwartzman (Fri. 9:30 am)

M: #1 C. Alcaraz vs. #26 D. Shapovalov (Fri. 2:15 pm)

W: #3 J. Pegula vs. #28 E. Mertens (Fri. 5:45 am)

W: #2 A. Sabalenka vs. K. Rakhimova (Fri. 7:00 am)

Saturday-Sunday Schedules TBD

MLB

Blue Jays-Mets Series

Yankees-Dodgers Series

Angels-Astros Series

Rays-Red Sox Series

Full MLB Weekend Schedule

Soccer

FA Cup Final: Man. City vs. Man. United (Sat. 10:00 am)

Messi’s Last Game: PSG vs. Clermont Foot (Sat. 3:00 pm)

Concacaf Champions: LAFC vs. Leon (Sun. 9:00 pm)

MLS Schedule

NWSL Schedule

PGA Tour

The Memorial Tournament (All Weekend)

WNBA

Sparks at Mercury (Fri. 10:00 pm)

Sky at Liberty (Sun. 2:00 pm)

Full WNBA Schedule

College Softball World Series

*All Times ET

Download The Sportsletter's Must-Watch Calendar

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

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