Good morning to everybody however particularly to…
THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
For the primary time since 2007 — when Stephen Curry was a little-known Davidson freshman and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green had been excessive schoolers — the Warriors trailed a playoff collection 2-0. For removed from the primary time, the Warriors confirmed the resiliency and confidence of a champion — which, after all, this present core is 4 instances over.
Golden State crushed Sacramento, 114-97 — regardless of Green’s absence — and minimize the Kings‘ collection result in 2-1. Curry poured in 36 factors, together with six 3-pointers. He additionally had one turnover after 5 in every of the primary two video games. The supporting forged stepped up crucially, too. Kevon Looney had one of many stranger stat strains you may see — an astonishing 20 rebounds (9 offensive), 9 assists and 4 factors — and was of important significance, writes our Brad Botkin.
Looney wasn’t the one one who had a fantastic night time:
Andrew Wiggins had 20 factors and 7 rebounds and appeared the perfect he has since coming back from his extended absence.Moses Moody added a playoff career-high 13 factors off the bench.Perhaps most necessary, everybody was extra cautious with the basketball: The Kings had simply seven factors off turnovers after 41 throughout Games 1 and a couple of.Golden State additionally gained the second-chance factors battle, 24-12.
Honorable mentions
And not such morning for…
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THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
After Kawhi Leonard dropped 38 factors in a shocking Game 1 win, coach Tyronn Lue mentioned, “That’s what we have been saving up for,” concerning Leonard’s load administration. Unfortunately for LA, you may’t save up for every part, particularly with regards to well being.
After Leonard was abruptly dominated out with a knee sprain, the Clippers battled valiantly however finally fell, 129-124, to the Suns and right into a 2-1 collection gap.
Devin Booker was unimaginable once more with 45 factors. It’s his fifth playoff 40-pointer, tying Charles Barkley for many in franchise historical past. Booker has scored 83 factors within the final two video games, most in Suns historical past over any two-game playoff span.Kevin Durant added 28 as all 5 Phoenix starters scored in double figures.For the Clippers, Norman Powell dropped 42 factors and Russell Westbrook had 30 factors and 11 assists.
Listen, Booker was glorious. I do not wish to take away from that. The Clippers have loads of high-level defenders past Leonard and the also-injured Paul George. Booker torched all of them. This was a wonderful recreation. I do not wish to scale back it to 1 damage.
But it is exhausting to not really feel for the Clippers and for Leonard, who Clippers president Lawrence Frank mentioned was “extraordinarily upset” to not play. Leonard did not play in any respect final yr, recovering from the ACL tear he suffered within the 2021 playoffs. In 2020, the Clippers collapsed within the bubble.
Seemingly ever since Leonard and George arrived in Los Angeles, the Clippers have been an enormous “what if” concerning their well being. Thursday night time, that rang true once more.
Not so honorable mentions
Harden, Claxton ejected, Embiid will get flagrant as 76ers high Nets, lead 3-0 🏀
USATSI
Two ejections, one Flagrant 1 that simply might have been one other ejection and, most necessary for the 76ers, a 3-0 collection lead.
Philadelphia’s 102-97 win over the Nets really had all of it.
The 76ers prevented catastrophe, although, because of Tyrese Maxey. The third-year guard scored 10 straight for the 76ers late, and outscored Brooklyn by himself, 10-5, over the ultimate 3:08. Philadelphia then obtained defensive stands with an Embiid block and a De’Anthony Melton steal-and-score to safe the win.
A timeline of the Athletics’ demise in Oakland ⚾
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Oakland is dropping one other sports activities workforce. The Athletics have bought land for a stadium in Las Vegas and plan to maneuver there. It will not be in a single day, however the workforce intends to have a stadium prepared for 2027.
However, they might relocate earlier than then and play at Las Vegas Ballpark, present house of their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators. The lease on their present stadium, Oakland-Alameda Stadium, expires after the 2024 season. Afterwards, they may add a short-term renewal and even play video games on the Giants‘ Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The Athletics’ efforts to get a brand new stadium in Oakland dated again to 2009, and there seemed to be progress as just lately as final summer season.The Athletics can be simply the second MLB workforce to relocate within the final 50 years, becoming a member of the Montreal Expos, who turned the Washington Nationals in 2005.This is nothing new for Oakland, although. In the previous half-decade alone, Raiders moved to Oakland and the Warriors left for San Francisco’s Chase Center.
This, after all, is a bummer for Oakland followers. The Athletics had been as soon as the beloved “moneyball” franchise that did extra with much less. But finally “much less” merely turned too little. The Athletics are an MLB-worst 3-16 this season after going 60-102 final season and opened this season with an MLB-low $60-million payroll. Our R.J. Anderson has an in depth timeline on how they obtained right here, and the latest teardown is wild:
“March 2022: Once MLB’s owner-imposed lockout is lifted, the A’s go into firesale mode. Within per week, they commerce away beginning pitcher Chris Bassitt, first baseman Matt Olson, and third baseman Matt Chapman. They would later commerce away starters Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.”
“December 2022: Catcher Sean Murphy… is traded to the Atlanta Braves as a part of a three-team take care of the Milwaukee Brewers. Oakland’s portion of the commerce is extensively panned each inside and out of doors of the business.”
How Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia got here to be 🥊
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One of probably the most anticipated fights in latest reminiscence is sort of right here: Gervonta Davis faces Ryan Garcia in the headliner of a loaded card tomorrow.
This battle has been years within the making, and our Brian Campbell has an exquisite, in-depth characteristic on the way it got here collectively.
Campbell: “The pursuit of legacy is the precise cause why each fighters finally mentioned sure. It’s a refreshing and old-school high quality that many hope, ought to the battle stay as much as its expectations each commercially and by way of pleasure, results in a ripple impact throughout the game. … ‘I feel it is actually a testomony to the place my coronary heart really is,’ Garcia mentioned. ‘There have been loads of perceptions of who I’m as a fighter or if I’m severe about it. I used to be uninterested in the misunderstanding about myself. I mentioned to myself, ‘I’ll do every part I’ve to do to make this battle occur.””
Our Brent Brookhouse, in the meantime, broke down strengths and weaknesses of each fighters.
Brookhouse: “Davis has a few of the greatest pound-for-pound energy within the sport. In 28 skilled bouts, Davis has solely didn’t knock out two males, and solely a kind of fights was a scheduled 12-rounder. … He has knocked out males with each fingers, with hooks, with straight photographs and with brutal uppercuts. That form of energy is uncommon and it permits Davis to get away with a few of his larger flaws, although extra on that later.”
You can even see high storylines right here, together with the elephant within the room: Could Davis-Garcia create a ripple impact throughout the game? Brian has solutions.
What we’re watching this weekend 📺
🏀 We’re watching the NBA playoffs. Here’s how.
🏒 We’re additionally watching the NHL playoffs. Here’s how.
⚽ We’re additionally watching the NWSL and Serie A on Paramount+.
Friday
⚾ Dodgers at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
Saturday
⚾ Mets at Giants OR White Sox at Rays, 4:05 p.m. on FOX
⚾ Tigers at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. on FS1
Sunday
⚾ Mets at Giants, 7 p.m. on ESPN
