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Good Morning 👋
Celtics fans breathed a sigh of relief last night. Pacers fans probably shattered the TV. Sports are equal parts pain and bliss, sometimes separated by a corner-3 and a “bang!” from Mike Breen. We’re kicking off the Conference Finals with an overtime thriller in today’s edition. Plus, an unprecedented NIL lawsuit makes waves, and another MLB pitcher breaks records.
Tomorrow, we kick the tires for race weekend. Readers, start your engines. Letter Rip! |
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C's Salvage Game 1 Barn-Burner 🍀 |
Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images |
Jaylen Brown’s Clutch 3 Rescues Celtics in Game 1 Track Meet With Pacers (133-128, OT)
The NBA Conference Finals started with a Mike Breen bang (bang!) last night in a Boston barn-burner. The two highest-scoring teams in the league are squaring off in the East Finals, and it took the Celtics every bit of 53 minutes to wrestle Game 1 from the hands of the Pacers. Boston jumped out to a 12-0 lead, but Indiana's sharp shooting carried over from last series (53.5% in Game 1). They tied the game by half (64-64) and took the lead late in the 4th. A slew of Pacer turnovers left the door open late, and Jaylen Brown’s game-tying 3 with 5 seconds left forced overtime (117-117). He earned a double “bang!” from Mike Breen. Simply iconic. Both teams swapped the lead in OT, but Jayson Tatum (36 pts) scored 10 of his 36 in the extra period to put the C’s over the top. This game was full of swings and sloppy play (35 total turnovers), but it should be a fun series.
Stat of the Game: TOs & FTs
Boston out-shot Indiana at the free-throw line (30-10). The Pacers took just three FTs in regulation, too. More complaint letters from head coach Rick Carlisle? Indiana also turned the ball over 21 times, including three lackluster turnovers in the final two minutes of regulation.
Celtics Top Scorers J. Tatum: 36 pts, 12 rebs, 4 asts, 3 stls J. Holiday: 28 pts, 7 rebs, 8 asts
J. Brown: 26 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls Pacers Top Scorers T. Haliburton: 25 pts, 10 asts, 3 stls
P. Siakam: 24 pts, 12 rebs, 7 asts M. Turner: 23 pts, 10 rebs, 4 asts, 2 blks
Watch: Brown’s Clutch 3 Rescues Celtics in Game 1 Thriller (133-128, OT) Tonight’s Schedule (WCF) Gm 1: Mavericks at T-Wolves (8:30 pm ET, TNT) Read More
B/R: Kristaps Porzingis Could Return for Celtics by Game 4 of East Finals
Yahoo! Sports: Jaylen Brown’s Clutch 3 Stuns Indiana, Celtics Rip Game 1 From Pacers in OT |
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Photo: Bruce Yeung / Getty Images |
Latest NIL Firestorm Hits Florida After QB Jaden Rashada Sues Team, Coach for $14 Million NIL Bait-and-Switch
The NIL era’s murky waters got muddier this week, and the latest unprecedented event will only serve to warn players and coaches of the dangers lurking under the surface. But enough swampy Gator puns from us. Former Florida QB Jaden Rashada sued Florida head coach Billy Napier this week, among others, over a reneged $13.85 million NIL offer that, Rashada says, the team had no intention of delivering. Rashada ultimately chose to play at Arizona State and has since transferred to Georgia, making the UGA-Florida rivalry game on Nov. 2 extra spicy.
A Notable NIL Moment: Just to reiterate, this is an active SEC quarterback suing a rival head coach, and it’s one of the most notable NIL lawsuits to date. It could be one that’s talked about for years to come as we look back on the power of boosters to lure recruits away from rival schools with shiny promises. So what happened, exactly?
Bait & Switch in the Swamp: Rashada’s suit alleges that Florida’s staff offered him — a top-50 QB recruit at the time — a $13.85 million NIL deal that included $1 million and a job offer for his father. Rashada was initially committed to Miami with a $9.5 million NIL promise. Then, he chose Florida, but the Gators never delivered. Rashada retracted his letter of intent to play for Florida and lost out on both offers before ending up at Arizona State. He played three games last season for the Sun Devils.
"Jaden's miserable experience reveals, in stark and dramatic detail, what can happen to young student-athletes when wealthy, win-at-all-cost alumni insert themselves into college football's recruiting process.” (Rashada’s Lawyers) More to come… Read More
WSJ: He was the $13 Million Recruit. Now He’s Suing the Boosters Who Never Paid Up.
ESPN: Jaden Rashada's Florida NIL Lawsuit: What to Know, What Comes Next |
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Ranger vs. Rangers? Suarez is Sizzlin' |
Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images |
Phillies’ Lefty Ranger Suarez Fires 10-K, 1-Run Gem to Beat Rangers (5-2) & Improve to Incredible 9-0 Start
Baseball’s spring trends have given us ample storyline firepower, and one of the big streaks we’ve yet to touch is the most untouchable pitcher of the moment — Ranger Suarez. The Phillies’ lefty took the mound yesterday against (who else?) the Rangers and put his perfect 8-0 start on the line. A bit ironic, if you ask us. Suarez delivered another dominant outing, posting a career-high 10 Ks over seven innings of one-run ball for a 5-2 win. The Phillies are hot with the best record in the majors, and Suarez is one of the reasons why. He’s now 9-0 through two months of baseball with a 1.36 ERA in 10 starts. That’s historic...
Suarez's Record Start: Per MLB.com, Suarez is the first pitcher to start 9-0 with a sub-1.50 ERA through 10 starts since Hall of Famer Juan Marichal in 1966 (58 years). Simply incredible. Only Cubs' ace Shota Imanaga (5-0, 0.84 ERA) has a lower ERA. Watch: Phillies’ Ranger Suarez (10 Ks, 1 Run) Stays Perfect (9-0) |
Witt Hits 2 HRs: The Royals are still rolling. Kansas City extended their win streak to five games with a blowout against Detroit last night (10-3) thanks to a pair of dingers from budding superstar Bobby Witt Jr. His two moonshots covered more than 900 feet.
Walk-Off in Wrigley: The Cubs walked off the Braves last night (4-3) on a Nico Hoerner single that plated Cody Bellinger. Atlanta has lost five of their last six. They’ve also suffered four losses this season via walk-off fashion. Bummer.
Tucker, ‘Stros Back in Orbit: After a sluggish April, the Astros are kicking into high orbit. Houston is 10-3 in their last 13 after Jeremy Pena’s walk-off single beat the Angels last night (6-5). Kyle Tucker hit two HRs — his 16th and 17th of the year — and he now leads the majors. |
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🏀 NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA announced the All-Defensive Teams on Tuesday. Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, and Herb Jones headline the 1st Team. (CBS Sports)
⚾️ Most Depressed MLB Fanbases
Getting to watch MLB for six-to-seven months is awesome if you root for a team that’s winning. For everyone else, it can be mighty depressing during a painfully long season. (B/R)
⚽️ Emma Hayes’ 1st USWNT Roster
The USWNT’s new coach has named her first roster as the U.S. prepares for a doubleheader of friendlies against Korea in early June. So who made the squad? (FOX Sports) |
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🏀 NBA Playoffs Gm 1: Mavericks at T-Wolves (8:30 pm ET, TNT) 🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Gm 1: Panthers at Rangers (8:00 pm ET, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB
Mets at Guardians (1:10 pm ET, MLBTV) Rangers at Phillies (6:40 pm ET, MLBTV) Braves at Cubs (7:40 pm ET, MLBTV)
🏀 WNBA Fever at Storm (10:00 pm ET, PRIME)
⚽️ Europa Cup (Final) Atalanta vs. Leverkusen (3:00 pm ET, Par+) |
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The holiday weekend of speed is almost here! We'll have more racing stories and coverage as the week progresses. The Indy 500 (1911), Monaco GP (1929) and Coke 600 (1960) are some of the oldest and most iconic races in the world. Which Memorial Day Weekend race are you most likely to watch on Sunday? 🏁 (click to vote) Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar)
Coca-Cola 600 (NASCAR)
Monaco Grand Prix (Formula 1)
All of the Above 🙌
None of the Above 👎 |
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