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Good morning! I hope you win a photo finish today.
Game 7, buddy: The catharsis of two Game 7s
There is no better sporting moment than a Game 7, even if it is only in the first round of the playoffs. It has all the tantalizing elements of a win-win game, plus the depth of a long prequel series. I wish I could bottle it.
We had two magnificent Game 7s yesterday, one in the NHL, one in the NBA:
- In Dallas, the Stars officially overcame a 2-0 deficit to win Game 7. against the defending champions Golden Knights, 2-1, in a game that was played until the last seconds. Dallas entered the playoffs as Stanley Cup favorites, immediately looked like toast and now moves on to face the Avalanche. Stars coach Peter DeBoer is 8-0 in Game 7.
- In Cleveland, the Cavaliers really looked finished for almost three quarters, as the 2-0 series lead continues to evaporate before the eyes of the home crowd. Then Donovan Mitchell decided he’d had enough. He scored 24 of his 39 points in the second half. Cavs win 106-94what saved the team from elimination and I avoided some tough questions during the offseason for at least one additional turn. Next stop: Boston. Good luck!
Somewhere else: New York Rangers continued magical playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in the first game of their second round series. Rangers entered this event as favorites according to the data, and the vibrations are okay.
Roasts? The Unexpected Tenacity of Tom Brady’s Roast
It wasn’t long ago that Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft led the NFL’s most successful dynasty. These days, Brady is trying to become a media star, Belichick can’t find a coaching job, and Kraft just oversaw a watershed moment for the once-proud Patriots.
You could feel that tension last night in Netflix’s live roast of Tom Brady, which was not the milquetoast affair this writer expected. Some jokes I wanted to highlight:
- Belichick: βPeople have said it β Tom and I clashed a lot. And in a way, it was true. But it was difficult to confront Tom – because he was so far away Alex GuerreroIt’s ass. Youza.
- Kraft paper : βAs with many family gatherings, there are certain people here I desperately try to avoid β Coach Belichick, good to see you.β
- Brady had some good jokes, including that the NFL could have saved the $20 million it spent investigating Deflategate because βI would have just told you I did it.β Additionally, he says he’s interested in buying the Raiders because “I’m tired of only owning the Colts and Bills.”
Read our full summary of the roast hereincluding the weird moment when Brady Will Smith is almost full on an actor.
News to know
Another photo finish
In NASCAR, Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher by .001 seconds during last night’s race at Kansas Speedway, marking the second day in a row that we’ve had a photo finish at a big race. It is the closest finish in 76 years of big league stock car history. Afterward, Larson told the Kentucky Derby to hold your beer. More please.
A new F1 winner
Big day to race here in the Pulse: Lando Norris, the fan favorite not notably named Max Verstappen, won the Miami Grand Prix yesterday, the first F1 victory of Norris’ career. This is only the fifth time in the last 29 races that Verstappen has failed to win. As Luke Smith wrote from Miami, this is a big step for βLando No Winsβ.
No more news
Oh no: goodbye, ball
Before we begin, I’d like to apologize to Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed, who probably doesn’t deserve this. But his attempt to throw on a routine ground ball during a 5-4 loss to the Phillies yesterday is too good to ignore:
This juuuuuuuust throw escaped Nick Ahmed. pic.twitter.com/G4nLt7VVkW
β The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 5, 2024
Ahmed clearly stumbled, making the ball a caricatured first goal by plane. I’m still laughing about it a day later. Some say the ball keeps traveling.
Watch this match
NHL: Bruins vs. Panthers
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Congratulations to Boston for escaping Game 7 of the first round this year. Next up: the team that beat them last year in the first round, except the Panthers are now a better team and have home ice advantage.
NBA: the Timberwolves against the Nuggets
10 p.m. ET on TNT
This is the simplest sale. I’m still excitedly watching the Minnesota Timberwolves β a franchise that, before this season, collapsed under every playoff pressure for almost its entire history β become an unstoppable force. Can they go 2-0 up against the defending champions on the road? As Sam Amick wrote this weekend, the Timberwolves were literally built for this. And yes, Anthony Edwards he looks like MJ these days.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse selection
This year, Victor Wembanyama has somehow surpassed its astronomical preseason hype. But, as Mike Malone details, this is only Chapter 1. Wemby has Gregg Popovitch speaking as if he had seen the Messiah. Make time for this today.
Crazy but true: the Clippers championship window is officially closedas Law Murray wrote.
Dan Pompei has a charming yet heartbreaking story about Hall of Famer Steve McMichael, told through the eyes of the friends and family who visit him. McMichael suffers from ALS and, despite the limiting effects of the disease, it still manages to leave lasting impacts.
I loved this story from Saturday on Shohei Ohtani purchase Dodgers director Dave Roberts a toy car after breaking one of Roberts’ records.
THE Detroit Tigers I found an asset in Pull Skubal. This guy is a staple of television.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal wonders if that of Miami return package for Luis Arraez it will make sense in the end.
Most clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Kentucky Derby results. I still can’t believe this ending.
Most read on the site yesterday: Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was ejected Saturday for the first time in his career. he claims to have βsaid much worseβ.
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(Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)