Prior to Sunday, Chris Paul had started all 1,365 games of his NBA career. But with Draymond Green back, Paul came off the bench against the Rockets and played a pivotal role in helping the Warriors escape with a 106-95 victory.
Paul finished with eight points, seven assists and five rebounds. The most important number: one turnover. The Warriors, dating back to their glory days, have long been plagued by two main problems: holding onto the ball, and surviving the non-Stephen Curry minutes. Paul effectively addresses both.
On Sunday, Curry came out of the game for the first time at the 4:10 mark of the first quarter, The Warriors were trailing by three. At the 7:42 mark of the second quarter, when Curry re-entered, the Warriors were up by 13.
Do the math, and the Warriors didn’t just survive the non-Curry minutes; they outscored the Rockets by 16 points in the eight and a half minutes he was off the floor. Who was on the floor during those minutes? Paul.
For the game, the Warriors outscored the Rockets by a team-high 22 points during Paul’s minutes. It’s a familiar number. When they defeated the Kings on Friday, they also won Paul’s minutes by 22 points. He posted 10 points and 12 assists (4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio) in that one.
Trying to quantify what Paul clearly brings to the Warriors?
The word you’re looking for is stability.
Paul is clearly diminished in terms of his ability to create shots for himself, and really even for others. He looks relatively slow and has shown little pop on his patented mid-range shot. Sometimes you wonder if he can even get it off; when he does, it has been short more often than not.
But what you’re seeing is the value of an offensive organizer, and how much more that can mean to a team like the Warriors than, say, another erratically electric scorer like Jordan Poole, who exacerbated all of Golden State’s worst collective habits.
As the Warriors’ system spits out open shooters, Paul isn’t doing anything fancy; he’s just passing the ball where it needs to be passed. Notably, not to the other team.
Paul, who is yet to make a 3-point shot this season (I hate to say it, but it looks almost out of his range at this point), hit a couple of big mid-range shots down the stretch on Sunday. If he can get that going with the way he’s passing and protecting the ball, his value will go up even more.
The Sacramento Kings left LeBron Jamesa sentimental gift at his locker on Sunday: a bottle of wine and a photograph from a game that was played on Oct. 29, 2003. The picture is so old that James, then just 18 years old, legally couldn’t have drank the wine when it was taken. But the night holds a special place in the story of his career. That game, a 14-point Kings victory, was the first James ever played in the NBA. Sunday was the 20th anniversary of that illustrious debut.
Sadly, it ended as the original did: a Kings victory. This one was a bit more difficult, as Sacramento needed overtime to overcome James and the Lakers, but there were a few more positive similarities that James will be able to look back on a bit more fondly.
James notched 25 points in 42 minutes and 50 seconds on that night in 2003. He scored a few more points (27) with slightly less playing time (39 minutes and five seconds) this time around. There’s no easy way to track the list of players who have played over 39 minutes per game in the same city 20 years apart, but you can rest assured that it’s brief.
James looked back on that first night in the NBA ahead of Sunday’s battle with the Kings in a video with the Lakers social media team. Within it, he detailed the sequence that led to his first NBA basket.
20 years ago in Sacramento, @KingJames made his first career bucket.
“Coming off a floppy action. Our coach at the time, Paul Silas, we used to run floppy and that’s like one of the most basic foundation plays,” James explained. “It’s two guards starting underneath, you got the two bigs on the block and you decide which side you want to come off of. So I was able to come off a pin down from our big. So I faded to the corner, took one bounce, and was able to just shoot over the top. I was nervous as hell, I’m not even going to hold y’all. It was my first game in the NBA, something I always dreamed about.”
Whatever dreams James brought with him into the NBA have now long-since been achieved. In 21 NBA seasons, he’s won four championships and four MVP awards. He is the league’s all-time leading scorer and perhaps its greatest player. It all started with that night in Sacramento 20 years ago. Two decades later, he’s still going strong.
If there’s any silver lining, he may not have won these two especially notable games against the Kings, but he’s beaten them plenty throughout the years. In 39 attempts, James has a 25-14 record against Sacramento. If he needs slightly fonder memories to look back on as he sips that wine, he’s got plenty to choose from.
Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer has entered into an agreement to purchase 90%of the Ottawa Senators, the team announced Tuesday, while Anna and Olivia Melnyk will retain a 10% interest. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Senators will be sold for a price of $950 million.
The deal is subject to approval from the NHL along with the finalization of the sale process.
“My family and I are very excited to be a part of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club,” Andlauer said in a statement. “I believe that the Senators’ fanbase is one of the most passionate in the league and I’m excited to take the franchise’s success both on and off the ice to the next level.
“The short and long-term future of the team is incredibly bright, and I look forward to getting to know the team, the fanbase and the community.”
The Senators were originally put up for sale in November 2022 after the team’s owner Eugene Melnyk died in March 2022. Melnyk had owned the team for almost 20 years at the time of his death.
Andlauer has been involved with the sport of hockey for multiple decades. The businessman has been connected to the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs since 2003, where he first served as a co-owner before becoming the franchise’s majority owner in 2004. During the 2006-07 season, the Bulldogs won the Calder Cup as league champions.
In March 2015, Andlauer sold Hamilton to the Montreal Canadiens and purchased the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls. He then relocated the Bulls to Hamilton, where they won the OHL Championship in 2018 and 2022.
In addition, Andlauer purchased a share of the Canadiens in 2009 and has served as the team’s alternate governor since that purchase.
Andlauer also has 35 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry and is currently the CEO of Andlauer Healthcare Group Inc. He also founded Bulldog Capital Partners Inc., which is a Toronto-based merchant bank that focus on private equity investments.
The New York Rangers have named Peter Laviolette as the team’s next head coach, according to an official announcement. Laviolette will become the 37th head coach in team history and will replace Gerard Gallant, who was fired following the 2022-23 season.
“We are thrilled that Peter will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said in a press release. “With Peter’s extensive experience as a Head Coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team.”
Laviolette is familiar with the Rangers organization as he played 12 career games with the team during the 1988-89 season.
Over the course of his career, Laviolette has accumulated a 752-503-150 record in 1,430 games as a head coach. Laviolette, 58, has served as the head coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He spent the past three seasons as the Capitals head coach before his contract ran out with the franchise following the 2022-23 campaign.
Laviolette currently ranks eighth all-time in NHL coaching wins (752) while ranking first among United States-born head coaches. The veteran bench boss also ranks 11th all-time in terms of games coached.
Laviolette has led his teams to the postseason in 12 of his 21 seasons as an NHL head coach. He has also taken his teams to the Stanley Cup Final in three different seasons, including winning a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.
The Rangers parted with Gallant after just two seasons as head coach. Gallant led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of those seasons, but New York was eliminated in the opening round of the postseason by the New Jersey Devils in 2023.
Good afternoon gamblers, it’s Chris Bengel back with you on this Tuesday.
Let’s shed a tear: the 2022-23 NBA season is officially over. The Nuggets captured their first NBA title in franchise history after they defeated the Heat in Game 5 on Monday. As a surprise to absolutely no one, Nikola Jokic took home NBA Finals MVP honors for his performance in the series. During the series, Jokic averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from three. It was truly a postseason for the ages for Jokic.
The sports world could see a championship crowned for the second consecutive night. The Golden Knights have a chance to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Let’s dive into Tuesday’s picks.
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket Panthers at Panthers, 8 p.m. | TV: TNT
The Pick: Golden Knights (-190) Key Trend: The Panthers are 0-7 in the last seven meetings in Vegas. As I predicted prior to the Stanley Cup Final getting underway, the Golden Knights are the superior team, and they’ve shown that throughout the majority of the series. With a chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup on their home ice, I’m not hesitating to back Vegas in this spot.
The Panthers climbed back into the series after forward Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Panthers past the Golden Knights in overtime of Game 3. However, the Golden Knights raced out to a 3-0 lead and ultimately won Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Vegas has continued to get stellar production from star forward Jonathan Marchessault, who helped set up William Karlsson’s game-winning goal in the second period.
Marchessault has tallied points in nine consecutive games while racking up four goals and three assists throughout the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final. If the Golden Knights end up wrapping up the series in Game 5, it’s quite likely that Marchessault will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s playoff MVP. Count on Marchessault and the Golden Knights to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and get it done in Game 5.
💰 More Picks patrickcorbinnationalscbs.jpg USATSI Nationals at Astros, 8:10 p.m. | TV: MLB.TV
The Pick: Over 8.5 (-105) — Tuesday’s matchup features two teams that are both struggling in a big way right now. Still, the over is definitely the play when it comes to the Astros and Nationals.
The defending champion Astros have lost five of their last six games, including dropping two out of three against the Guardians over the weekend. The Astros have caught a bad break when star outfielder Yordan Alvarez suffered an oblique strain and had to be placed on the injured list. Even without Alvarez, the Astros have more than enough firepower to put several runs on the board against the Nationals.
National starting pitcher Patrick Corbin has certainly had his fair share of struggles throughout the 2023 season. Corbin enters Tuesday’s start with a 4-6 record and a 4.89 ERA. The left-hander has been brutal on the road this season as he’s accumulated a staggering 5.72 ERA in five road starts on the year. Corbin has also yielded 12 earned runs across his last three starts and should continue to struggle against the Astros.
Key Trend: The over is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings.
White Sox at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. | TV: MLB Network The Pick: Lance Lynn Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-131) — It’s been a season to forget for White Sox starter Lance Lynn. Entering Tuesday’s outing, the veteran left-hander has a mind-boggling 6.72 ERA and has allowed 13 earned runs in just his last two starts. Unfortunately for Lynn, things aren’t going to get any easier as he’ll face the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Lynn has yielded at least four earned runs in eight of his 13 starts so far this season. He’s also been a victim of the long ball, as he’s surrendered four home runs over his last two starts. Short outings have been a trend for Lynn on the year, and facing a lethal Dodgers offense is a tall task. I’m not predicting many strikeouts in this one.
The Stanley Cup Final is still going on, but the coaching carousel is almost done spinning. For all intents and purposes, every NHL head coaching vacancy has been filled this offseason with the New York Rangers hiring Peter Laviolette on Tuesday.
Six NHL teams changed coaches this offseason, and the first team to name its new coach was the Washington Capitals, who hired former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant to replace Laviolette. The Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets will also have new head coaches in the 2023-24 season.
The Blue Jackets have reportedly reached an agreement with Mike Babcock to become their next head coach, but that is not official. Columbus will wait until Babcock’s contract with the Maple Leafs expires on June 30 to announce the move, per a report from The Athletic.
Let’s take a look at how the NHL coaching carousel has played out this offseason.
Rangers hire Peter Laviolette The New York Rangers have officially announced the hiring of Peter Laviolette, who has been behind the bench in every NHL season since 2001-02. He replaces Gerard Gallant and becomes the 37th head coach in Rangers history.
“We are thrilled that Peter will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said in a press release. “With Peter’s extensive experience as a Head Coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team.”
In his 21 seasons as an NHL head coach, Laviolette has compiled a record of 752-503-25-150. Laviolette won a Stanley Cup as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, and he has taken two other teams, the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators to the Stanley Cup Final. Most recently, Laviolette spent three years with the Washington Capitals, and he was fired after missing the postseason in 2023.
Ryan Huska hired by Flames Ryan Huska has officially been hired by the Calgary Flames as the 24th head coach in franchise history. Huska will replace former Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, who parted the team fired following the 2022-23 season.
“I’m honored to have earned the trust of Flames ownership, of Craig and the entire management group to coach this team,” Huska said in a statement. “My position coming into this is a little different than most as I know our players very well. We have good people in our dressing room, excellent hockey players who want to win. My job is to inspire them every single day to help get our team to the next level.”
Huska has served as a coach in the Flames organization since the 2014-15 season. At that time, he was named as the head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Flames. The team later became the Stockton Heat and Huska accumulated a 135-118-7 record in four AHL seasons. In 2018, Huska became an assistant coach for the Flames and held that position until he was named the franchise’s head coach on Monday.
Ducks hire Greg Cronin The Anaheim Ducks named Greg Cronin as the team’s next head coach on Monday. This comes after the franchise elected not to renew the contract of previous head coach Dallas Eakins, who produced a 100-147-44 record in four seasons with the Ducks.
“While we did cast a wide net in searching for the next head coach, it became clear to me that Greg would be the ideal fit for the position,” Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “Being a young team, I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players. Greg has done all that and more, and we are excited to name him head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.”
Cronin, 60, brings an abundance of experience as he has 36 years of coaching and player development experience. He has spent 12 years as an NHL assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and two different stints with the New York Islanders.
Cronin has served as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles since 2018 and also previously spent six seasons as the head coach at Northeastern University. He has led the Eagles to a 164-104-30 record during his tenure with the team and they have been to the Calder Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons.
Blue Jackets will reportedly hire Mike Babcock when contract expires According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to hire veteran head coach Mike Babcock. The deal is expected to become official when Babcock’s contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires on June 30. Babcock hasn’t coached in the NHL since the 2018-19 season, when he spent 23 games behind the Maple Leafs bench.
Babcock will replace former Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen, who put together a 62-85-16 record in two seasons with the team.
Babcock has spent time as the head coach of the Ducks, Red Wings and Maple Leafs over the years. The 60-year-old bench boss had the most success with the Red Wings, as he led Detroit to a 458-223-105 record with the team. Babcock won the Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Red Wings. Prior to the beginning of the 2015-16 season, Babcock was hired by the Maple Leafs as their next head coach. The Maple Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons, but never made it out of the first round. Babcock was fired in Nov. 2019 after he faced multiple accusations of mistreating some of his players. Former Red Wings star Johan Franzen accused Babcock of being verbally abusive and Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios supported Franzen’s claims. Andrew Brunette lands with Predators The Nashville Predators parted ways with head coach John Hynes and announced that Andrew Brunette has been hired as the franchise’s next head coach.
Hynes tallied a 134-96-18 record in four seasons as the Predators head coach, but never could lead the team past the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 48-year old had one year remaining on his contract with Nashville.
Brunette spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils. He was named the associate head coach of the Florida Panthers in October 2021 after Joel Quenneville resigned as the team’s head coach. Following the 2021-22 season, the Panthers hired Paul Maurice as their next head coach. Florida did offer Brunette a significant assistant coach position with the franchise, but he chose to join the Devils’ coaching staff instead for the 2022-23 season.
During his time as the Panthers head coach, Brunette accumulated a 51-18-6 record and led the team to a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division.The Panthers ended up being eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that season.
Capitals tab Spencer Carbery as next head coach The Washington Capitals have tabbed Spencer Carbery as their next head coach, the team announced on May 30. Carbery spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs after rising up through the minor leagues through the Capitals organization.
Prior to hiring Carbery, the Capitals elected to part ways with previous head coach Peter Laviolette following the 2022-23 campaign. Laviolette’s contract expired with Washington, so technically he wasn’t fired.
Carbery, 41, has made waves as a coach in the Capitals farm system in the past. He served as the head coach of the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears for three season and took them from a last-place team to the Calder Cup Playoffs. During the 2020-21 campaign, Carbery was named the AHL Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to a first-place finish. In addition to his success in the AHL, Carbery also won ECHL Coach of the Year honors in 2014 during his time with the South Carolina Stingrays. During his time in the minor leagues, Carbery only had a team finish below .500 in one season. The Capitals expressed interest in keeping Carbery within the organization following the 2021-22 season, but he accepted the assistant coach job with the Maple Leafs. Carbery was in charge of the Maple Leafs’ power-play this past season and Toronto ended up thriving, as they converted 26% of their power-play opportunities — good for second in the NHL behind the Edmonton Oilers.
The Florida Panthers hope to begin their second major series comeback this postseason when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 5 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday. After edging Pittsburgh and Buffalo by one point for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Florida trailed Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston 3-1 in their first-round matchup before rallying to shock the hockey world. The Panthers find themselves in an identical situation against Vegas, which looks to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only teams to squander a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.
Opening faceoff at T-Mobile Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. Vegas is the -190 favorite (risk $190 to win $100) in the latest Golden Knights vs. Panthers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Golden Knights picks, be sure to check out the NHL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, taking into account factors like current form, individual matchups, injuries and short- and long-term trends when making NHL picks. The model seeks the best values on the money line, puck line and total.
Now, the model has its sights on Golden Knights vs. Panthers and just locked in its picks and Stanley Cup Final predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NHL odds from Caesars Sportsbook and trends for Panthers vs. Golden Knights:
Golden Knights vs. Panthers money line: Vegas -190, Florida +158 Golden Knights vs. Panthers over/under: 5.5 goals Golden Knights vs. Panthers puck line: Vegas -1.5 (+143) VGK: The Golden Knights are 15-0 this postseason when scoring at least three goals FLA: The Panthers are 7-8 all-time when facing elimination in the playoffs Golden Knights vs. Panthers picks: See picks at SportsLine Featured Game Why the Golden Knights can win Vegas has been an offensive juggernaut of late as it has outscored its opponents 23-9 over its last five games. The team has produced at least three goals in each of its 15 wins thus far this postseason, and is 35-0 when doing so in the playoffs since losing 5-4 in overtime to San Jose in Game 7 of its first-round series in 2019. Converting power-play opportunities also has been key for the Golden Knights as they are 9-1 when cashing in with the man advantage this postseason.
Jack Eichel, who did not appear in the playoffs in his first seven NHL seasons, is fourth in the league with 23 points. The 26-year-old center has gone 11 games without a goal but has notched five assists over the first four contests of this series. Jonathan Marchessault shares the postseason lead with 24 points and is riding a nine-game streak during which he has collected eight goals and six assists. The 32-year-old right wing has netted four tallies and set up three others in the Stanley Cup Final. See which team to pick here.
Why the Panthers can win Florida should not be lacking confidence after the feat it pulled off against the mighty Bruins in the first round. Keeping Vegas’ offense at bay will be key as the Golden Knights are 15-0 this postseason when scoring three or more goals and 0-6 when recording fewer than three. The Panthers also have excelled in tight playoff contests, going 10-2 in one-goal games – including 7-0 in overtime.
Having Matthew Tkachuk, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, in the lineup is imperative as the 25-year-old left wing is tied for the postseason lead with 24 points and shares third place with 11 goals. Florida also needs its other top offensive players to get going in order to become the fifth team in history to win multiple series in one postseason when facing multi-game deficits. Sam Reinhart has yet to land on the scoresheet in the Stanley Cup Final. Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov (one goal, one assist apiece) have been blanked in three of the four games and Sam Bennett has notched only two assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Golden Knights vs. Panthers picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, as the simulations have the teams combining for 6.2 goals. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after quite a wild ride, are over. The Vegas Golden Knights made relatively quick work of the Florida Panthers in the Final, ending the series with a 9-3 Game 5 win on Tuesday.
It caps what a postseason that was full of surprises.
The Boston Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy and entered the playoffs after setting new NHL records for wins (64) and points (135). Boston couldn’t even make it out of the first round though, as the Panthers pulled off a historic upset in Game 7 to knock them out.
In the West, the Colorado Avalanche looked ready to defend their title as champions, but that didn’t last long. Instead, Vegas was the final team standing in the West and eventually the league.
Jonathan Marchessault, one of the six remaining original Vegas Golden Knights, has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 2023 NHL playoff MVP. Marchessault was tied for the playoff lead in goals (13), and he finished second to teammate Jack Eichel in points with 25.
With two assists through the first seven playoff games, Marchessault was nowhere near the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation. Then, he started piling up points like it was going out of style. Over the last 15 games, Marchessault scored 13 goals and added 10 assists.
In the Stanley Cup Final alone, Marchessault totaled four goals and four assists. He torched the Panthers and put an exclamation point on his bid for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The moment was even more incredible because Marchessault, who went undrafted out of junior hockey, won it after defeating his former team in the Stanley Cup Final. Marchessault played for the Panthers in 2016-17 and posted 51 points in 75 games.
After that season, the Panthers exposed Marchessault in the expansion draft and allowed the Golden Knights to select him. Just six years later, Marchessault got his revenge with an exceptional performance throughout the playoffs, and especially in the Stanley Cup Final.
Golden Knights Stanley Cup championship gear released The Golden Knights are Stanley Cup champions for the first time ever. You can now buy Golden Knights championship shirts, hats, hoodies, autographed jerseys, and more to celebrate the historic win. Get Las Vegas NHL championship gear here now.
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Good morning to everyone but especially to… THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Golden Knights are adding some silver to their trophy case. After blasting the Panthers, 9-3, in Game 5 and tying the Stanley Cup Final single-game goal record in the process, Vegas is your Stanley Cup champion.
Mark Stone scored once in each period to become just the third player with a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final-clinching game. Nicolas Roy (twice), Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith, Michael Amadio and Ivan Barbashev also scored for Vegas. The Golden Knights’ offense was clearly dominant, but so was their defense — especially the penalty kill. The Panthers went 0-14 on the power play this series, becoming the first team to fail to score a power play goal in the Stanley Cup Final since the 1948 Red Wings. Overall, the Golden Knights outscored the Panthers by 14 in the series, the second-best margin in the Final ever. Those numbers really do tell the entire story. This was complete domination, devastation, mastery — you name it. It speaks volumes that of all of the scorers listed above, none of them won the Conn Smythe Trophy. That honor went to Jonathan Marchessault, who led the team with 25 postseason points.
This Vegas team was simply overwhelming, writes our Austin Nivison.
Nivison: “After a long run of playoff brilliance from both players, Stone and Jack Eichel saved their best performances for last. Eichel was all over the ice, making plays on the backcheck and the forecheck. He was rewarded with three assists and finished the playoffs with 20, which led the league. All Stone did was seal a Stanley Cup victory with three goals. His hat trick was the first in a Stanley Cup Final since Colorado Avalanche legend Petr Forsber pulled it off in Game 2 of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, which was also against the Panthers.” Honorable mentions The Giants and Cardinals will play in the 2024 Field of Dreams Game. The Rangers named Peter Laviolette head coach. Michael Andlauer is the new owner of the Senators. Georgia’s top-ranked 2024 class got another boost in defensive lineman Jordan Thomas. And not such a good morning for… USATSI STEFON DIGGS AND THE BUFFALO BILLS
Star Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was not at Buffalo’s mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday, an absence that has head coach Sean McDermott “very concerned.”
Late Tuesday morning, McDermott announced everyone except Diggs was in attendance. Shortly thereafter, Diggs’ agent, Adisa Bakari, said Diggs was in Buffalo (and had been since Monday), had spoken with McDermott and GM Brandon Beane, and would be in attendance for all of minicamp. The truth, though, is that Diggs was in Buffalo on Monday and Tuesday… but left before Tuesday’s practice. The absence is not contract-related — Diggs got a huge extension last offseason — nor is it football-related, quarterback Josh Allen explained after practice. This obviously isn’t Buffalo’s ideal start to the summer. After making the AFC Championship Game in 2020, the Bills have lost in the Divisional Round in two straight seasons. Last season, Diggs was visibly frustrated with Allen and left the locker room in a hurry after losing to the Bengals in the playoffs, a loss Diggs was still taking hard months later.
Tuesday, Allen indicated he and Diggs have a strong relationship, something that has played out on the field. Since arriving in Buffalo in 2020, Diggs is tied with Davante Adams for most receptions in the NFL.
Not so honorable mentions Mets reliever Drew Smith was ejected after a sticky stuff check… and his team lost, 7-6, to the Yankees. Chiefs star Chris Jones is also skipping minicamp. NBA mock draft, plus previewing free agency 🏀 Getty Images Unlike the NFL, which gets months between the end of the season and the beginning of the next one, the NBA moves right into the thick of things with the draft and the opening of free agency later this month. Let’s start with the draft, which is just eight days away.
The Spurs won the lottery, and there’s no drama there. Victor Wembanyama is a generational prospect and should be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. After that, things get interesting. The Hornets have the second pick and a massive decision to make: Scoot Henderson, an insanely athletic, talented guard from G League Ignite who has teams interested in trading up or Brandon Miller, a 6’9″ forward with unlimited range from Alabama.
Our Colin Ward-Henninger released his first mock draft of the year, and he has Charlotte taking…
Ward-Henninger: “Hornets: Scott Henderson — Given the positional redundancy with LaMelo Ball, I understand why many experts expect Charlotte to go with the better-fitting Brandon Miller here. I just think Henderson is a significantly better prospect, and the Hornets are in no position to be picky about fit at this point. Henderson is as dynamic of a guard prospect as we’ve seen…” Here’s more to know about the draft:
Top prospect scouting reports How Amen Thompson’s shooting mechanics will impact his draft stock Pro-ready prospects Better-Than Team Two days after the draft, free agency starts, and it will be a wild one. We already have rumors connecting Kyrie Irving to…
LeBron James (probably not) The Rockets (more intriguing) The Heat (Miami could go star-hunting) Our James Herbert has listed 50 top possible free agents, and Irving is among seven headliners, alongside James Harden, Draymond Green and others.
Ranking the U.S. Open field, identifying sleepers 🏌 Claire Komarek, CBS Sports The U.S. Open starts tomorrow, and I could not be more excited. The course — Los Angeles Country Club — is awesome. The field is loaded. The stars should shine.
Our Kyle Porter ranked the top 23 contenders in the field, and if you paid attention to yesterday’s newsletter, you won’t be surprised to see PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka at No. 1. He’s followed by the top two players in the Official World Golf Ranking: Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
Things start to get fun at No. 4.
Porter: “4. Viktor Hovland — Hovland has quietly become a monster at the majors. Since The Open last summer, nobody has been even close to as good as him, and he’s coming off a run where he finished T2 at the PGA Championship, T16 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and won the Memorial Tournament. His iron play has been, at times this year, up and down, and this place will demand it. But I trust his game plan and the level he’s playing at perhaps more than anyone other than the three guys above him right now.” I’m really intrigued by Hovland as well as plenty of other names on Kyle’s rankings.
But what about the 133 golfers not on Kyle’s list? Our Patrick McDonald has sleepers, including…
McDonald: “Si Woo Kim — Kim’s play this year is not being appreciated. The South Korean continues to milk the most out of his game and entered the final round of the Memorial Tournament with a share of the lead alongside Rory McIlroy. Kim ultimately finished solo fourth at Jack’s Place and added to a season that includes a runner-up finish at the Byron Nelson and a victory at the Sony Open in January. He ranks second in driving accuracy (minimum 15 rounds) over the last three months and isn’t afraid of the spotlight. Odds: 125-1” Athletics fans pull off reverse boycott; Nevada Senate approves funding bill for team’s new stadium ⚾ USATSI For most MLB teams, it was just another night in a long regular season. For Oakland Athletics fans, it was an opportunity to make a statement.
A season-high 27,759 fans showed up as part of a reverse boycott to protest team ownership and the organization’s impending move to Las Vegas.
To make matters even better, the Athletics beat the MLB-best Rays, 2-1, to extend their winning streak to seven games. To put that in perspective, before this winning streak, Oakland was 12-50. The game featured thousands of fans in green t-shirts that read “SELL” and plenty of chants (featuring words I can’t type here) directed at owner John Fisher. The boycott was also partially in response to commissioner Rob Manfred’s previous comments regarding the team’s poor attendance, which he used to defend the franchise’s incoming move out of Oakland. Earlier in the day, the Nevada Senate approved a $380-million public-funding bill to build the Athletics’ prospective home on the Las Vegas Strip. The bill is expected to pass through the next steps: the Nevada Assembly and then governor Joe Lombardo.
After that, Athletics ownership must secure funding for the rest of the $1.2-million project and get the other 29 MLB owners’ approval, which is expected to happen unanimously.
