The Sportsletter - Game 7s & The NYC Spark 🔥

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

MAY 17, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

The weekender is here, and the two best words in sports are coming: “Game Seven.” We'll have at least one Game 7 this weekend, but we could see as many as four. Yesterday's barrage of sports was unrelenting, and it's a great time to be a New York sports fan. From blowouts to record-setters, we've got it all.

The Underdog: Scroll to the bottom of today’s edition for a special Underdog feature on the Knicks’ fire-starter. 🔥

Letter Rip!

  NBA PLAYOFFS  

'Sota Pop: T-Wolves Force Game 7

Photo: David Berding / Getty Images

Timberwolves Explode, Thrash Nuggets by 45 (115-70) in Devastating Game 6 Blowout

The two best words in sports: “Game Seven.” Minnesota popped off on Thursday night in the biggest blowout of the postseason. Minnesota went on a 20-0 run in the first quarter to open up a massive lead and never look back. Anthony Edwards (27 pts) had a highlight reel of high-flying dunks, and the Wolves held the Nuggets to just 26-for-86 shooting (30.2%). Their 60 missed shots were the most by any team in this year’s postseason. The Nuggets scored just nine points in the 4th quarter, and Jamal Murray (10 pts, 4-for-18 FG) was completely MIA. Denver now hosts Game 7 on Sunday, and it might not be the only Game 7 this weekend.

Watch: T-Wolves Thrash Nuggets by 45 (115-70) to Force Game 7

Game 7 Watch: Two more Game 6s tonight (Pacers-Knicks) and tomorrow (Thunder-Mavericks) could bring us three Game 7s in the coming days.

Read More

Athlon Sports: Jamal Murray Says Timberwolves ‘Punked Us’ in Game 6 Blowout Loss

ESPN: Stephen A. Smith & Big Perk Get Into It Over Jamal Murray’s Poor Performance (Video)

  STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS  

Kreid-or-Die: A Ranger Rescue

Photo: Josh Lavailee / Getty Images

Chris Kreider’s 3rd-Period Hat Trick Rallies Rangers; J.T. Miller Scores Game-Winner With 33 Seconds Left for Canucks

What did we just witness?! The Stanley Cup Playoffs delivered a pair of show-stopping finishes last night. Rangers’ captain Chris Kreider scored a natural hat trick in the third period to flip a 3-1 deficit against the Hurricanes. Igor Shesterkin made 16 saves in the third, and the Rangers added an empty-netter in the final minute for a 5-3 series-clinching win. Kreider became just the third Rangers player in history with a postseason hat trick in one period (Wayne Gretzky & Mark Messier). Up North, the Canucks and Oilers were deadlocked 2-2 on the scoreboard — and 2-2 in the series — before J.T. Miller slapped a rebound game-winner with 33 seconds left to give Vancouver the win (3-2). There’s a possibility of two Game 7s on ice this weekend.

Stanley Cup Playoffs (Round 2)

Gm 6: Rangers def. Hurricanes (5-3)

NYR Win Series (4-2)

Gm 5: Canucks def. Oilers (3-2)

VAN Leads Series (3-2)

Read More

NY Post: Chris Kreider Gave Teammates Third-Period Guarantee Before Hat Trick

NHL: Miller Scores Late in 3rd as Canucks Push Oilers to the Brink

  GOLF  

X-Factor: Schauffele Strikes First

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Xander Schauffele (-9) Breaks PGA Championship Record With Opening-Round 62 at Valhalla (By Marissa Kasch)

Another blistering opening round from Xander Schauffele took the PGA Championship by storm in Round 1. “It’s just Thursday,” Schauffele said after carding a record-setting 9-under 62. Sure, there’s work to be done, but Schauffele is up three strokes heading into Friday. It was also Schauffele's second round of 62 in a major. Of the four 62s ever carded in major championship history, Schauffele accounts for half. Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, and Mark Hubbard are right on his heels in a three-way tie for second. Rory McIlroy is also making his presence known at 5-under. And one of the best moments of Round 1 was Scottie Scheffler’s hole-out for eagle in his first hole since becoming a father. Welcome back, Scottie.

Leaderboard (Round 1)

1. X. Schauffele (-9)

T2. T. Finau (-6)

T2. S. Theegala (-6)

T2. M. Hubbard (-6)

T5. R. McIlroy (-5)

T5. C. Morikawa (-5)

Notable Scorecards: B. Koepka (-4), S. Scheffler (-4), M. Kaymer (-3), C. Smith (-3), V. Hovland (-3), M. Homa (-3), B. DeChambeau (-3), J. Thomas (-2), J. Spieth (-2), H. Matsuyama (-1), J. Rahm (-1), P. Cantlay (-1), T. Woods (+1) | Full Leaderboard

Watch: PGA Championship Round 1 Highlights

Read More 

ESPN: Tiger Woods Falters Late, Cards 1-Over 72 at PGA Championship

Yahoo! Sports: PGA Championship Live Updates: Xander Schauffele Sets Course Record, Grabs Early Lead

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

⚾️ MLB

Mets Escape Phillies (6-5, 11 Innings)

Alonso HR, Martinez RBI End Skid Against Phillies

Yankees Blank Twins (5-0)

NYY Sweep, Extend Scoreless Streak to 26 Innings

Reds Crush Dodgers (7-2)

Elly De La Cruz (4 Hits, 4 SBs) Up to 30 Steals

🏀 WNBA

Liberty Obliterate Fever (102-66)

Caitlin Clark Held to 9 Points as Fever Fall to 0-2

  STORYLINES  

🏇 Guide to the Preakness Stakes

The second leg of the Triple Crown got a little more interesting when the morning-line favorite Muth was forced to withdraw. Here’s what you need to know. (CBS Sports)

🥊 Fury-Usyk: Undisputed Heavyweight

The boxing world awakens on Saturday night when Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk meet for the first undisputed heavyweight title fight since 1999. (DAZN)

🏈 Giants Get ‘Hard Knocks’ Spotlight

The Hard Knocks universe is set to expand again. The NFL and HBO are partnering to produce the first offseason edition featuring the New York Giants. (Sports Illustrated)

  NEWS   📰 

🎮 Travis Hunter, Quinn Ewers & Donovan Edwards Share Cover of EA College Football 25 Video Game (ESPN)

🏈 Taylor Swift Tour Dates Forced NFL to Adapt 2024 Schedule (CBS Sports)

📺 Travis Kelce Details Feeling ‘Like an Amateur’ During First TV Acting Gig (SI)

⛳️ Netflix Announces Sequel to Iconic Adam Sandler Golf Movie ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (Sporting News)

⚾️ Bad Bunny’s Sports Agency Claims MLBPA Issued ‘Death Penalty’ for Sanctions (ESPN)

⚽️ Manchester City’s Ederson to Miss Premier League Climax & FA Cup Final (Yahoo! Sports)

  WEEKEND SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

⛳️ PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club (All Weekend, ESPN/CBS)

🏀 NBA Playoffs

Gm 6: Knicks at Pacers (Fri. 8:30 pm, ESPN)

Gm 6: Thunder at Mavericks (Sat. 8:00 pm, ESPN)

Gm 7: T-Wolves at Nuggets (Sun. TBD)

*Gm 7: Pacers at Knicks (Sun. *If Necessary)

🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Gm 6: Panthers at Bruins (Fri. 7:00 pm, TNT)

Gm 6: Stars at Avalanche (Fri. 10:00 pm, TNT)

Gm 6: Canucks at Oilers (Sat. 8:00 pm, ESPN)
*Gm 7: Bruins at Panthers (Sun. *If Necessary)

*Gm 7: Avalanche at Stars (Sun. *If Necessary)

⚾️ MLB

Cubs-Pirates Series

Twins-Guardians Series

Full MLB Schedule

⚽️ Soccer

MLS: NY Red Bulls vs. NYCFC (Sat. 7:00 pm, Apple)

EPL: Championship Sunday (Sun. 11:00 am, NBC)

🥊 Boxing (Heavyweight Title)

Fury vs. Usyk (Sat. 6:00 pm, DAZN)

🏀 WNBA

Fever at Liberty (Sat. 1:00 pm, ABC)
Sparks at Aces (Sat. 3:00 pm, ABC)

🏇 Horse Racing

The Preakness Stakes (Sat. 7:00 pm, NBC)

*All Times ET

  THE UNDERDOG  

The Brunson Burner 🔥

Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images

With Injuries & History Working Against the Knicks, Jalen Brunson Has Lit a Fire in New York

Do you remember those 7th-grade science experiments? “Light your Bunsen Burner,” the teacher says. You need a source of heat to create a chemical reaction, and the smallest spark ignites a gas-powered flame. Welcome to the Knicks’ 2024 playoff run…

New York basketball fans have a lot of built-up “gas” over the past quarter-century. It’s been 24 years since the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals (over 50 years since they’ve won a title). There’s always room for optimism in NYC, but it’s usually followed by disappointment. With injuries to Julius Randle (shoulder surgery), Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery), Bojan Bogdanovic (foot surgery), and OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks’ season should’ve unraveled. It hasn’t. Knicks fans are bringing the gas, and Jalen Brunson (the Brunson Burner) has lit the spark.

The Brunson Burner 🔥

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Brunson is The Little Engine That Could take the Knicks all the way. He’s terrorizing opponents in these playoffs at a record clip (33.9 ppg), and he has the short-handed Knicks on the doorstep of their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. Remember that team? They had Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, and Marcus Camby — a combined 19 all-star appearances. This year’s medically-rendered ‘24 roster has Brunson (1x All-Star) and a bunch of Villanova guards doing more than expected. They shouldn’t be here, but they are.

Stat of the Story: Brunson’s 33.9 ppg average in the playoffs is the highest for a player of his size (6’2”) — more than the best postseasons of Allen Iverson (32.9 ppg) and Steph Curry (30.5 ppg).

Brunson’s 40-Point Tracker

What Brunson’s done through two series, particularly in clutch moments and pivotal swing games, is remarkable. He recorded his fifth 40-point game in Tuesday’s Game 5 must-win (44 pts). That gave him five 40-pieces in 11 playoff games, and it puts him in elite company with (potentially) one or two series left.

Players With 5+ 40-Point Games in a Playoff Run

8: LeBron James (2018)

7: Michael Jordan (1989)

6: Michael Jordan (1990 & 1993)

6: Allen Iverson (2001)

6: Bernard King (1984)

5: Jalen Brunson (2024)

5: Shaquille O’Neal (2000)

5: Hakeem Olajuwon (1995)

The Knicks go for the Game 6 kill-shot against the Pacers in Indy tonight. Should they fail, Game 7 Sunday at Madison Square Garden will be a raucous affair. New York can feel it. The chemicals are reacting. The spark has been lit. And Jalen Brunson lit it.

Read More

MSN: Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Approaching MJ, LeBron With 5th 40-Point Game

CBS Sports: ‘Nova Knicks’: Brunson, Hart & DiVincenzo Are on a Historic Playoff Run

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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