The Sportsletter - LeBron Returns to the Playoffs

BY AARON YORKE

APR. 17, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Jeff is practicing load management this week (during the NBA Play-In Tournament? Really?!), so I am writing the newsletter for the rest of the week. Think of me like the dog from the meme where the dog has no idea what he's doing. Or the dog from the other meme where the house is on fire. It's going to be a great week.

Letter Rip!

NBA

NBA Play-Insanity Night One

Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

Lakers Advance to Playoffs and Warriors are Sent Packing

Believe it or not, we've already been doing this Play-In madness for four years, and despite the randomness that could be expected from having six games decide the fates of four teams, the initial regular season seedings have done a great job of predicting the final playoff seedings. Before this season, all six of the teams to hold the seven seed have advanced to the NBA Playoffs, with five of those doing so by beating the eight seed in the first game. The one regular season seven seed to fall to the eight seed was last year's Miami Heat, who ended up winning the Eastern Conference. That's pretty wild.

On the other end of the brackets, the 10 seed has never advanced to the NBA Playoffs, and only twice has a 10 seed won its initial Play-In game. So while critics of the Play-In Tournament say that its goal is to reward mediocrity, it has not once rewarded the 10th-place team in a conference with a playoff spot.

The "curse" of the 10 seed continued on Tuesday night with Stephen Curry and the Warriors falling to the Sacramento Kings. Golden State was playing from behind for most of the night, but it pulled within one point at 56-55 early in the third quarter. The Kings responded with a run that would put them ahead by double digits for most of the second half. Sacramento shot 46 percent from three-point range with Keegan Murray going 8-for-13 from beyond the arc with 32 points and nine rebounds. Curry scored 22 points for the Warriors, but Klay Thompson was shut out on 10 field goal attempts.

The Kings see their Play-In journey continue with a trip to New Orleans for a Friday night do-or-die clash, while the Warriors have to be thinking that major changes are on the horizon.

Highlights: Kings def. Warriors 118-94

ESPN: Kings oust Warriors from play-in, advance to face Pelicans

The early game was more competitive, with the Lakers surviving a late New Orleans rally to defeat the Pelicans 110-106. Zion Williamson put on quite the performance with 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, but he left the game due to injury in the final two minutes. With Williamson sidelined, D'Angelo Russell hit a huge corner three for Los Angeles to put the Lakers ahead 104-100 with 51 seconds left. Thanks to a huge offensive rebound by Anthony Davis on the Lakers' next possession, the Pelicans would not get another chance to draw even.

The Lakers are now the second regular season eight seed to advance to the NBA Playoffs with a victory over the seven seed.

Highlights: Lakers def. Pelicans 110-106

ESPN: Lakers survive Pelicans' rally, advance to matchup vs. Nuggets

NHL

Capitals Win Wild Card Rumble

Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Washington Clinches the Eastern Conference's Final Playoff Berth

Jeff did a great job yesterday writing about the race for the last Wild Card spot in the East and the complicated scenarios that are attached to it. I'm happy to report that all of that is now moot thanks to the Washington Capitals defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 and punching their ticket to the NHL Playoffs. How Washington scored the game-winning goal was quite bizarre, though.

Philadelphia head coach John Tortorella pulled his goalie late in the third period of a tie game because the Flyers were two points back of Washington and needed to win in regulation to have a shot at the playoffs. A win in overtime would only move them up one point relative to the Capitals. The strategy resulted in T.J. Oshie putting the game-winner into an empty net.

What Tortorella did not realize was that his team had been eliminated from the playoffs moments before and that pulling his goalie in a tie game was quite unnecessary. Up in Montreal, the Red Wings -- another Wild Card contender -- had just forced overtime in the final seconds of regulation play to earn at least a point vs. the Canadiens. That point was all Detroit needed to eliminate Philadelphia from playoff contention.

The Red Wings figured that they had scored just in time, but it was really too late, because the Flyers pulling the goalie and surrendering a goal ended up eliminating Detroit, who needed a Washington loss. The timing of everything worked out beautifully for the Capitals.

Highlights: Capitals def. Flyers 2-1

Highlights: Red Wings def. Canadiens 5-4 (SO)

NHL: Red Wings eliminated from playoff race despite comeback victory against Canadiens

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Champions League Comebacks

Photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images

PSG and Dortmund Stun Their Opponents with Second-Leg Outbursts

Both Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund entered Tuesday needing to make up a goal in aggregate scoring, and both succeeded in advancing to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. For PSG, the job had to get done on the road at Barcelona. The Spanish side started strong and gained a 4-2 aggregate advantage with a 12th-minute goal by Raphinha, but a red card on Barcelona's Ronald Araujo in the 29th minute turned the tide in the visitors' favor.

PSG got on the board before halftime when Ousmane Dembele scored to make it 4-3 Barcelona on aggregate, but the floodgates really opened in the second half. PSG scored three times, including two goals from global superstar Kylian Mbappe, to win the leg 4-1 and secure a 6-4 aggregate victory.

Highlights: PSG 4, Barcelona 1

Meanwhile, in Dortmund, the home side came from behind not once, but twice against visiting Atletico Madrid. Dortmund started out down 2-1 on aggregate, but gained the lead with two scoring strikes in the first half by Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen. After the break, Atletico stormed back by getting an own goal off of Dortmund's Mats Hummels and a volley into the net by Angel Correa.

Just seven minutes after Correa's score that put Atletico ahead 4-3 on aggregate, Dortmund netted another pair just three minutes apart from each other with Niclas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer both finding paydirt. When the dust settled, Dortmund had won the leg 4-2 and advanced 5-4 on aggregate.

Highlights: Borussia Dortmund 4, Atletico Madrid 2

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

⚾️MLB

Blue Jays def. Yankees (5-4)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reaches base four times with two RBI

Guardians def. Red Sox (10-7, 11 innings)

Cleveland ties the game in the 9th before winning in extra innings

Phillies def. Rockies (5-0)

Ranger Suarez complete game shutout

🏒NHL

Panthers def. Maple Leafs (5-2)

Florida clinches Atlantic Division

Canucks def. Flames (4-1)

Vancouver clinches Pacific Division

Golden Knights def. Blackhawks (3-1)

Vegas moves to third place in Pacific

STORYLINES

🏀 Gap between Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary and her male counterparts' draws outrage

Clark will pocket $338,056 over four years under her contract with the Indiana Fever. In contrast, last year's No. 1 NBA draft pick secured a $55 million four-year contract. (NBC)

🏀 Bucks preparing to be without Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing to be without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the start of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers but are hopeful treatment on his left calf strain will allow him to return sometime later in the series. (ESPN)

⚾️ Horrific White Sox start hasn’t been seen in MLB since 1907

The White Sox are having a season to forget. But right now, at least, it’s living in infamy. (New York Post)