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Good Morning 👋
We’re mixing it up in this mid-week edition. It’s hockey and soccer atop the letter. Last night’s NHL games both needed extra ice time, and the underdogs from Dortmund (the Dortmund Dogs) are into the UEFA Champions League final for just the third time ever. Not to be confused with the Diamond Dogs... Love me some Ted Lasso.
Not a fan of soccer or hockey? Stay tuned. There’s more golf, WNBA, racing, and tennis coming soon. Letter Rip! |
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Pulse Check: 2 Games, 3 Overtimes, 1 Epic Night 😵 |
Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images |
Avs Rally to Stun Stars (4-3, OT) While Rangers Escape Hurricanes (4-3, 2OT) in Night of Extra-Ice Excitement
Say what you will about the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Round 2 has been a rip-current of entertainment — pullin’ me right in. Two games on Tuesday night both went to overtime. The Rangers needed two OTs (4-3, 2OT) to go up 2-0 on the ‘Canes. Vincent Trocheck was the Rangers’ hero with a power-play winner. Out west, the Avalanche rallied from down 3-0 to stun the Stars (4-3, OT). Miles Wood gave the Avs their game-winner with a back-hander on a breakaway in OT. If you tuned in on Tuesday, you got your money’s worth.
Stanley Cup Playoff Highlights (Round 2)
Gm 1: Avalanche def. Stars (4-3, OT) COL Leads Series (1-0)
Gm 2: Rangers def. Hurricanes (4-3, 2OT) NYR Leads Series (2-0)
Tonight’s Schedule Gm 2: Bruins at Panthers (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) Gm 1: Oilers at Canucks (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) Read More NHL: Wood You Believe It? Avs Rally From 3 Goals Down to Defeat Stars in OT SI: ESPN Cut Away From Rangers-Hurricanes in Final Minute & Fans Were Furious |
🎟️ NHL Draft Lottery
The San Jose Sharks won the NHL Draft Lottery and the rights to the No. 1 pick on Tuesday night. The Chicago Blackhawks have the No. 2 pick, and the Anaheim Ducks will pick third. The Sharks’ pick is expected to be Boston University center Macklin Celebrini. |
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Humm-Believable: Dortmund Does It |
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / Getty Images |
Mats Hummels, With a Touch of the Past, Pushes Underdog Borussia Dortmund Over PSG (1-0) & Into 1st Champions League Final in 11 Years
The last time Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Champions League was 1997. The club’s last appearance in the final was in 2013, and it was against their domestic rivals Bayern Munich. No one expected Dortmund to make it far this season. Only one player on the current roster played for that 2013 team. His name is Mats Hummels. The 35-year-old Dortmund defender delivered the team’s semifinal-sealing header in the 50th minute to beat PSG (1-0) yesterday — in Paris, no less — and advance on aggregate (2-0). Paris Saint-Germain frantically searched for a comeback in the final 15 minutes, striking the post on multiple attempts as Kylian Mbappe scoured the field for answers, but the Bundesliga bad boys couldn't be beat. Borussia Dortmund, with a Champions League history of “almosts,” is back in the finale 11 years later.
Watch: Dortmund def. PSG (1-0)
Dortmund Advance on Aggregate (2-0) A 2013 Rematch?
Only one match remains to determine the final pairing, and a 2013 rematch between Bundesliga powers could be in the cards. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid enter Leg 2 tied at 2-2 on aggregate. Los Blancos look to be as strong as ever, but Bayern and Harry Kane's right boot could have a word. We'll find out this afternoon who meets Dortmund at Wembley for Europe's crown. Today’s Schedule (Semifinal) Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (3:00 pm ET, CBS/Par+)
Read More CBS Sports: Dortmund Join Ajax, Monaco & More as Most Unlikely Champions League Finalists
The Athletic: Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Final? It’s a Great Story That Nobody Saw Coming |
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Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images |
Both NBA 1-Seeds — Celtics (East) & Thunder (West) — Win by 20-Plus to Tip-Off Round 2
We always believe anything can happen in the postseason, but the 1-seeds in the NBA are making miracles difficult. Both Boston and Oklahoma City took Game 1s in their second-round series against Cleveland and Dallas, respectively, and it wasn’t even close. The Celtics handed the Cavs a 25-point beatdown thanks to Jaylen Brown (32 pts) and another sharpshooting performance from Derrick White (25 pts, seven 3s). The nightcap saw the Thunder lock down Luka Doncic (19 pts) while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29-9-9) did SGA things. The Dallas-OKC game was just a 10-point differential before the fourth, but the Mavs went ice cold. Round 2 rolls on tonight.
NBA Playoff Highlights (Round 2)
Gm 1: Celtics def. Cavaliers (120-95) BOS Leads Series (1-0)
Gm 1: Thunder def. Mavericks (117-95) OKC Leads Series (1-0)
Tonight’s Schedule Gm 2: Pacers at Knicks (8:00 pm ET, TNT) Read More ESPN: Biggest Factors That Will Decide Thunder-Mavericks Series
NBA: 5 Takeaways From Celtics-Cavs as Boston Shows No Signs of Rust Without Porzingis |
🏆 NBA Awards Week
Timberwolves’ center Rudy Gobert won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday. Minnesota had the best defensive rating in the league thanks in large part to Gobert being top-5 in defensive rebounds and blocked shots. He garnered 72 of the 99 first-place votes. Spurs’ rookie Victor Wembanyama finished second. Gobert becomes the third player in NBA history to win the award four times (Ben Wallace & Dikembe Mutombo).
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Phillies on Fire: Bryce Harper continued his heater for the Phillies last night, going 3-for-3 with a grand slam in the 4th to spark a 10-1 blowout over the Blue Jays. Philadelphia has won seven straight, and they officially own the best record in the majors at 26-11.
Yanks Tee Off on ‘Stros: It’s always fun when the Yankees and Astros get together. It wasn’t fun for Houston on Tuesday. New York won a laugher (10-3) with blasts from Alex Verdugo, Anthony Volpe, and Giancarlo Stanton.
Imanaga Still Dealing: Shota Imanaga’s amazing start for the Cubs continued on Tuesday against the Padres at Wrigley Field. He tossed a shutout through seven innings before giving up a two-run blast. Imanaga (7IP, 8Ks, 7 Hits, 2 Runs) still boasts a 1.08 ERA and a 5-0 record. The Cubs saved the win on Michael Busch’s walk-off homer (3-2).
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⛳️ The PGA Champ Field
The field is out for next week’s PGA Championship, and as expected the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are all on the list for Valhalla. That includes seven LIV Golf players, plus the No. 801 player, Tiger Woods. (Sports Illustrated)
🏁 IndyCar’s Cheating Scandal
The cheating scandal that’s rocked IndyCar ahead of the Indy 500 just yielded four suspensions for Team Penske, including President Tim Cindric. Penske cars reportedly used a software error that granted horsepower boosts on starts and restarts. (AP News)
💃 Athletes at the Met Gala
The stars were out at the Met Gala on Monday night in New York. Tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, and NBA legend Dwyane Wade were just a few of the sports names in the building. (B/R) |
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⚽️ Champions League (Semis, Leg 2) Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (3:00 pm ET, CBS/Par+)
🏀 NBA Playoffs Gm 2: Pacers at Knicks (8:00 pm ET, TNT)
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs Gm 2: Bruins at Panthers (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) Gm 1: Oilers at Canucks (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB Padres at Cubs (3:10 pm ET, MLBTV) Orioles at Nationals (6:45 pm ET, MLBTV) Astros at Yankees (7:05 pm ET, MLBTV) Red Sox at Braves (7:20 pm ET, MLBTV) |
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Yesterday, we asked readers to vote on topics for our upcoming summer series. Franchises Changing Cities topped the list by almost 2-1, so we’ll run some summer stories around recent city-jumping teams (and soon-to-be movers). Thanks for voting! |
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