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Good morning! Eat all the spaghetti you please today.
While You Were Sleeping: Playoff pictures take shape
The record books might not remember these NBA Play-In games, which exist in a weird void between the regular season and playoffs, but we’ll be thinking about the late game last night for a while:
- The Warriors’ captivating 121-116 win over the Grizzlies had everything: tension, comebacks, cheeky highlights, blunders and, ultimately, demons vanquished for Golden State, which was previously 0-3 on this stage.
- Jimmy Butler, brought in for exactly this moment, delivered with a 38/7/6 performance. Playoff Jimmy 🤝 Play-In Jimmy.
So now the No. 7 seeds are set: The Warriors will face Houston in the first round, while Orlando, after a blowout vs. the Hawks, will match up with the Celtics. Memphis and Atlanta will get another shot to advance Friday. Whew. Also: Marcus Thompson joined NBA Daily live to break it all down. Watch.
Over in the NHL, only one spot remains undecided in the Stanley Cup playoffs race after the Wild and Blues clinched berths last night. The Canadiens currently sit in the final wild-card spot in the East, but only lead the Blue Jackets by two points with one game each left to play. Buckle up!
Cram Session: One week out, NFL Draft shifting
The NFL feels so constant and universal that its biggest events can actually sneak up on you. It’s draft season? Of course it’s draft season. It’s always draft season. It’s already next year’s draft season, and half of the upcoming football season will be about it.
Oh wait, it’s actually draft season now, like for real. The first round in Green Bay is next Thursday.
With one week of final mock drafts and workouts and trade buzz still to go, we huddled with Jacob Robinson, author of our free NFL newsletter, for three quick questions. A few recent headlines might be tea leaves, smoke screens or some other metaphor entirely.
Cam Ward at No. 1 to Tennessee feels locked in, pending a big trade. After that, which teams are likeliest to set the tone for everyone else?
💬 Zac Jackson’s recent reporting from Cleveland suggests to me that the Browns seem likely to pass on a quarterback at No. 2, though he doesn’t rule out a trade up to No. 1. 👀 The other team to watch? The Giants, who hold the No. 3 pick and recently scheduled a private workout with Shedeur Sanders and other QBs. If he goes third, the entire draft board shifts.
This draft looks light on top QBs, yet a run still feels possible. Which is more likely: Sanders falls out of the top 10 … or at least four QBs go in the first round?
💬 That’s a tough one! Given the Saints’ developing need at QB and No. 9 positioning, plus the success of last year’s QB class (remember Bo Nix had been graded as a second-round talent by many evaluators), I’d say it’s more likely four quarterbacks go in the first round, especially with prospects like Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe attending the draft in person, which could be a signal that they’ve heard favorable evaluations.
If this QB crop is lacking, though, which positions are especially strong in this class?
💬 This draft is defined by three positions:
- Running back, led by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, is deep with starting potential.
- There are multiple tight ends who will be starters from a group led by Penn State’s Tyler Warren.
- But the biggest strength is along the defensive line, led by Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Michigan’s Mason Graham. There are 28 edge rushers and defensive tackles in Dane Brugler’s top 100 players, 40 percent more than last year’s class.
Dane’s full seven-round mock draft, just published today, envisions a first round light on QBs (as does Nick Baumgardner’s mock from a few days ago). And let’s link once again to The Beast, a tab you might as well just keep open for the next two weeks or so.
News to Know
Dallas GM has no regrets
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said he has “no regrets” about trading Luka Dončić, and that Dallas targeted Anthony Davis because of its philosophy that “defense wins championships.” Harrison — in his first media availability since the day after the trade — also said he thinks the Mavericks are still a “championship-caliber” team when healthy, noting that fans got to see his vision come to life for “2 1/2 quarters” after the trade before Davis got hurt. Woof.
More news
- Heisman winner Travis Hunter said he would quit football if the team that drafts him doesn’t let him play on both offense and defense. More on this in Scoop City later this morning.
- Motions to dismiss several charges against the man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were denied yesterday. More details here.
- ESPN will broadcast Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa for the Indiana Fever’s exhibition game against Brazil’s national team on May 4, sources said yesterday. The network also announced it will air 10 Savannah Bananas games this summer. Neat.
- British tennis player Harriet Dart apologized for asking an umpire to tell her opponent at the Rouen Open to wear deodorant after claiming “she smells really bad.”
- Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed the team is looking to move on from cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but said Miami is not pursuing a trade of wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Read our full report.
- Time to feel old: German tennis player Diego Dedura-Palomero became the first player born in 2008 to win an ATP Tour main-draw match.
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What to Watch
📺 UCL: Arsenal at Real Madrid
3 p.m. ET on Paramount+
Real Madrid trails Arsenal 3-0 heading into the second leg of this Champions League quarterfinal. The defending champs will need a miraculous comeback against the unexpected tournament favorites.
📺 NBA: Mavericks at Kings
10 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Bulls and Heat begin today’s Play-In action at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, but this one is where the intrigue lies. The Mavs are 0-3 against the Kings this year, with the most recent edition ending Kyrie Irving’s season. Do Dallas fans even want this season to go on any longer?
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
What’s it like playing the waiting game during the NFL Draft? Jayna Bardahl details how prospects cope with the anxiety.
Will Rory McIlroy follow up his Masters win with another major this year? The oddsmakers don’t think so.
Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks refuses to let a terminal cancer diagnosis diminish his spirit. A truly inspiring story worth your time today. (Reminder: Free to read.)
Keith Law ranks his top 50 MLB Draft prospects, headlined by 2022 No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday’s brother.
JD Vance isn’t the first to publicly fumble a trophy. Lauren Merola takes a look back at other, equally hilarious, trophy mishaps.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on how sportsbooks took an L on Rory’s Masters win.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Matt Baker’s glimpse at how involved Bill Belichick’s girlfriend is at UNC.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Cary Edmondson / Imagn Images)
