Was the NBA title decided last night? Also, the best MCWS performance … ever
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In the fourth quarter of Oklahoma City's massive Game 5 win over the Pacers last night, we saw poetry. A screenwriter might get chastised for writing such a cliche moment as the Thunder's turnaround, but to watch it live was awe-inspiring.
It felt familiar:
I won't dismiss this Pacers team until the trophy presentation proves differently, but it feels like the Thunder may have won the title last night. Conquering the Pacer comeback wave feels like the final breakthrough.
Read our full recap of the game here. Oklahoma City can win this on the road in Game 6 on Thursday.
Turns out, if we're talking about PR outcomes, yesterday was a bizarre day for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. Consider:
Still in awe at the strange timing. Anyway, I think Ohtani has shown he can still be a two-way superstar, even if he did just pitch one inning. I also raised my eyebrows at this notion: Ohtani could really break Barry Bonds' record for most MVPs.
Let's keep going:
The best MCWS outing ever?
There are gutsy performances, and then there's what Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood did yesterday in an elimination game against Murray State: nine innings, no hits, 19 strikeouts and one lousy walk. The Razorbacks won 3-0, extending their season at least one more day, while Wood produced arguably the best pitching performance in the history of this tournament. It's just the third no-hitter in MCWS history and the first since 1960. Read more jaw-dropping stats about the outing here.
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Durant wants Spurs
Kevin Durant has three teams he prefers to play for next, according to a report late last night from The Athletic: Houston, San Antonio and Miami. Furthermore, our report states that Durant is partial to the Spurs out of those options. Minnesota, despite being more successful than those three, appears to be out of the running for Durant for now. The full report is worth a read with plenty more details.
Hot dog king returns
Joey Chestnut will once again demolish Nathan's hot dogs on Coney Island on July 4, he announced yesterday, after missing last year's contest due to a marketing snafu. Chestnut, a 16-time champion of the Nathan's contest, was barred last year after promoting plant-based hot dogs in an advertisement for Impossible Foods. Full report inside.
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📺 MCWS: Arkansas vs. TBD
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
The 'TBD' is not a typo here, as LSU and UCLA got postponed until this morning thanks to rain last night. The loser of that game gets Arkansas in the nightcap in an elimination game. Lively.
📺 NHL: Oilers at Panthers
8 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Florida can win its second straight Stanley Cup title here … or this series can head back to Edmonton for Game 7 and be in the conversation for best Stanley Cup Final ever. Hm.
Get tickets to games like these here.
We're going to have a lot of musing in this section today. First up: Brody Miller on U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, whose incredible winning putt turned competitors into fans. Make time for this today.
Also from Oakmont: Brendan Quinn on Adam Scott, the beloved golfer who opened up about his career path in the parking lot after a bad final round. His reflections are worth a read.
Jen McCaffrey has a great look inside the final hours of Rafael Devers' time in Boston. Still shocked over this.
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Oh, and the Red Sox better make the playoffs this year, as Steve Buckley writes.
The NBA Finals have been electric … on the court. On TV, it's been a lackluster production, as Mike Vorkunov explored yesterday. Interesting view, and supported by the league's late decision to have player intros last night.
NBA stars don't want just a shoe anymore. They want ownership of it.
Extremely interesting: Former Giants star Osi Umenyiora, who has roots in Nigeria, is trying to inspire the entire continent of Africa to play football. It's working.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Devers trade grades.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Spaun story from above.
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