🏒 Working Overtime

Happy Humpday! We got two periods of free hockey at Madison Square Garden and an extra one out in Dallas for some incredible NHL Playoff action. Turning to the NBA, are the Celtics going to just walk into the NBA Finals? The No. 1 seed out West took care of business. Bryce Harper won’t stop hitting bombs. There was a walk-off in Chicago. Let’s have some fun…

WTF Stat: This player won Defensive Rookie of the Year (winner in Daily Headlines below):

• 0.7 steals per game

• 2.1 blocks per game

• 104.4 defensive rating

This player was a rookie (Victor Wembanyama):

• 1.2 steals per game

• 3.9 blocks per game

• 105.8 defensive rating

🏀 Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert ties an NBA record with his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award - Hall of Fame centers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace are the only others to accomplish this feat

🏀 WNBA will be giving teams private charter flights for the first time committing $50M to the project over the next two seasons

🏒 San Jose Sharks have won the NHL Draft lottery giving them the first pick followed by the Blackhawks (No. 2) and Ducks (No. 3) - 17-year-old Macklin Celebrini from BU is almost guaranteed to be the first overall pick, his highlights are unreal

🏈 Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is a suspect in an alleged assault at nightclub - he was also arrested earlier this offseason for his involvement in a car crash that left at least seven people injured

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Eastern Conference - Semifinals

• New York Rangers 4, Carolina Hurricanes 3 / 2OT (NYR leads series 2-0): MSG was buzzing on back-to-back evenings and this time it was the Rangers with the late game heroics as youngster Alexis Lafreniere was one who started them off with two early goals. A Chris Kreider third period goal forced OT, but the game went 20 minutes without a score thanks to goalie Igor Shesterkin (54 saves) holding down the fort and we needed double OT where Vincent Trocheck netted the game-winner - his fifth straight game with a goal, tying a franchise record

Western Conference - Semifinals

• Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 3 OT (COL leads series 1-0): After an emotional Game 7 win just two days ago in Dallas, they got the American Airlines Center buzzing again with three first period goals but then Colorado responded with three unanswered goals to tie it. This game also needed overtime and it was Myles Wood finishing off the comeback - Wyatt Johnston scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and the 20-year-old is slowly becoming a star, here is my interview with Wyatt from last season

Tonight’s Games

• East Semis - Game 2 | Boston Bruins @ Florida Panthers (BOS leads series 1-0) 7:30pm ET, ESPN

• West Semis - Game 1 | Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers 10:00pm ET, ESPN

See the full playoff bracket here.

NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference - Semifinals

• Boston Celtics 120, Cleveland Cavaliers 95 (BOS leads series 1-0): The C’s offense was on fire at home to start this series led by Jaylen Brown (32 PTS, 6 REB) as Derrick White (25 PTS, 5 AST) continues to show the NBA world he’s capable of being a star draining seven threes - Porzingis did not play and the Cavs will need a miracle to win this best-of-7

Western Conference - Semifinals

• Oklahoma City Thunder 117, Dallas Mavericks 95 (OKC leads series 1-0): The team with the best record in the Western Conference has not lost a game in the playoffs and are still somehow being overlooked with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29 PTS, 9 AST) leading the way past a poor shooting night for Luka (19 PTS, 6-19 FG, 9 AST) - all season several players of the OKC team stand around the player being interviewed on TV after the game to show unity, team chemistry is top-notch over there and they are the youngest team (avg. age) in NBA history to win a second round game

Tonight’s Games

• East Semis - Game 2 | Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks (NYK leads series 1-0) 8:00pm ET, TNT

See the full playoff bracket here.

MLB - Top Games

• Chicago Cubs 3, San Diego Padres 2: The Cubs tied the ballgame on sac fly in the bottom of the 8th and then Michael Busch sent Wrigley Field into a frenzy with a walk-off HR in the bottom of 9th off the first pitch of the inning

• Philadelphia Phillies 10, Toronto Maple Leafs 1: We commented on Bryce Harper’s power in yesterday’s letter, and he earned a mention again this time for a grand slam marking his third straight game going yard

• Texas Rangers 15, Oakland A’s 8: The defending World Series champs had a slow start to the year but have won nine of their last 11 games scoring 10 runs in the second inning yesterday to best a very bad A’s squad

On May 8, 2022, 1970 the New York Knicks won their first NBA Finals title beating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Game 7 was a 113-91 win at Madison Square Garden. Willis Reed won Finals MVP taking down the legendary trio of Wilt Chamberlian, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. The Knicks won their second championship in 1973 but have not won the title since - is this the year?!?!

NBA Playoffs

• East Semis - Game 2 | Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks 8:00pm ET, TNT

NHL Playoffs

• East Semis - Game 2 | Boston Bruins @ Florida Panthers 7:30pm ET, ESPN

• West Semis - Game 1 | Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers 10:00pm ET, ESPN

MLB

• Arizona Diamondbacks @ Cincinatti Reds 6:40pm ET, FS1

• Full Schedule

Trivia Time Answer

A. Jalen Brunson. The Knicks guard has scored 40+ points in four straight games averaging 36 points over the Knicks postseason stretch. That’s 3 ahead of Joel Embiid, who Brunson eliminated.

Yesterday’s trivia answer was Andrew Luck for most passing yards in a rookie season. I mistakenly kept Monday’s answer with Michael Jordan, I bet he would’ve been a tremendous football player, or at least Austin Rivers thinks so.

Prime Lock of the Day

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If you make it to the bottom of the letter, you have a special place in my heart. See you tomorrow morning!