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Good morning! Watch out for the Orioles.
survivors
Boston’s Sensible Road to History
To find out what lies ahead for the Celtics comeback, we’ll have to look back:
- 150 teams have faced a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history. Nobody has been beat.
- Only three of those teams – 2003 Blazers, 1994 Nuggets and 1951 Knicks – They came back to force a Game 7. All three lost.
The Celtics aren’t quite there in 2023 yet, but after last night’s 110-97 win over the Heat, it looked like they could see a way. They may be most qualified to do so, too. All three of these aforementioned teams were seeded lower and played objectively better teams. Not true here.
By most measures, Boston is the better team. They are the higher seed and have recorded two losses since going down 3-0. Last night’s match was never in question; Even the Heat initially rested the fourth quarter because it was out of control.
Jason Tatum looks like himself again. Jaylen Brown finally found his stroke. Derrick White scored 24 points on 6 of 8 of 3. These are the dreaded Celtics team who should be favorites for the title.
Game 6 takes place tomorrow in Miami at 8:30 PM ET on TNT. According to BetMGM, the Celtics are favored by 2.5 points on the road. If they win, they will definitely be favored at home in Game 7.
That’s the good stuff, and it comes just days after we tried to convince ourselves four scans were a good result. This is better.
screenshots
Orioles!
We had a feeling about Baltimore pre-season, but not like this.
With a 3-1 win over the Yankees last night, The ragtag Orioles range in age from 33 to 17, which is the second best record in baseball. …behind rival in the Tampa Bay area. We saw flashes of this last year, too, as the roster of talented youngsters beat expectations en route to an 83-79 record, just one year after losing 110 games in 2021.
- They are not scammers, at least not yet. Baltimore is slightly better on the road (18-9) than it is at home (15-8). They’re 11-7 against the AL East – the toughest team in baseball – and have a +45 run differential. Both the fieldwork and offense were above average.
- Look no further than dwelling Yinir Kano To see evidence of good magic in Baltimore. At the age of 29, Cano entered the season with only 18 runs scored. This year, he might be the best in baseball.
The O’s are just a really good team. Don’t sleep on them.
Summary / s
The stars avoid the sweep
Extra Sweepmass was overturned last night, when Joe Pavelski slammed a shot into the net in overtime to give the Stars a massive Game 4 win. The victory was even more impressive when I realized Dallas was missing captains Jimmy Bean and Evgeny Dadonov. The Stars are hanging on to life at 3-1, hoping to channel the Celtics’ inner core and win Game 5 in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Megafight reservation
Yesterday the two boxers announced a fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terrence Crawford, cementing the biggest match possible in the sport right now. Both middleweight fighters are undefeated, but have been unable to come to an agreement in previous years due to management issues and other politics that plague boxing. Spence and Crawford will fight July 29 in Las Vegas.
Bats punishes
The NFL has docked OTA workouts in New England and fined head coach Bill Belichick $50,000 for this offseason rule violation, which seems like a harsh punishment when you realize the “violation” was a posted hours schedule in the locker room. The Patriots self-reported the violation after learning it indicated voluntary practices were mandatory.
break
Simply look at Aaron Judge
It’s Friday. You can use a palate cleaner. Look no further than Gus Judge, a young dachshund who belongs to MLB giant and MLB superstar Aaron Judge:
Gus Judge had a great time at Yankee Stadium. 🐶 pic.twitter.com/vKTgFpR1dK
– MLB (MLB) May 26, 2023
Not many dogs can play fetch at Yankee Stadium. good dog.
serious matters
Inside the Fall of Mike Boone
A week ago, Mike Boone resigned as athletic director for the University of Southern California, somewhat surprising news that raised some eyebrows but didn’t cause a national stir. The story is boiling now.
Justin Williams led a stunning report, published yesterday, that paints a troubling picture of Bohn at both USC and Cincinnati, the job he held before leaving for Los Angeles. Among the highlights:
- At both schools, Bohn promoted a toxic work environmentAccording to sources, including inappropriate comments about female colleagues and inconsistent management style, to clarify the matter.
- At USC, Boone was unable to step in, which worried some on the university. According to the story, he fails to establish relationships with most of the coaches and players, instead playing the role of the detached character. He did not attend any of the five events in which USC won national championships during his tenure – including one that was played in Los Angeles. All five occasions were also female.
The full story is worth a read, and you’ll be surprised how a man with so many wins on his resume–including hiring Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma–can stumble so hard.
It has been a chaotic decade for one of the premier sports divisions in America. Nicole Auerbach and Bruce Feldman have a list of candidates to replace Boone here.
Pulse options
Make time for today: The Liam Hendriks Experience – full of profanity, entertainment, and perseverance – is about to return after Hendriks beat cancer.
Jayson Stark has a fun workout Friday: Who are the active MLB players on the track for Cooperstown?
The legend of Matthew Tkachuk continues to grow.
Eno Sarris pens a witty column on the sticky stuff problem in MLB. For a data-driven sport, we now decide a pitcher’s eligibility in the most subjective way possible.
New Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo underwent foot surgery after signing in Las Vegas, and it appears he’s still recovering. swallowing.
Evander Kane is close to clearing all his gambling debts after a court ruling yesterday.
What is the impediment in the SEC’s scheduling decision? More money from ESPN, maybe.
Michael Chang won the French Open at the age of 17. More than three decades later, he reflects on his time at Roland Garros, where his name still resonates.
(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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