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Good morning! Who wants to play quarterback for Iowa?
While You Were Sleeping: Hooray for 1-1 series
Before the NBA postseason began, the Mavericks-Clippers series looked like our best of the first round. These two teams have playoff history, filled with intensity and legacy-defining shots. But Game 1 was a dud — a Clippers blowout win without Kawhi Leonard. Was it already over?
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No, said Luka Dončić, who reverted back to his killer ways for 32 points in last night’s 96-93 win in Los Angeles with Leonard in the lineup, too. This series goes back to Dallas 1-1, and delightfully, I have no idea who should be favored going forward.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
- The Timberwolves look like our biggest challenger to Denver right now (sorry, OKC) after another rousing win against the Suns to take a 2-0 series lead.
- And we don’t know what to do with Milwaukee, who lost (sans Giannis Antetokounmpo) against the Pacers to make that series 1-1. Let’s wait until he returns before we judge that matchup too harshly.
See a full recap of yesterday’s hoops action here.
On the ice, both Nashville and Colorado evened up their series with huge road wins against Vancouver and Winnipeg, respectively. The Predators could be a real problem, though the Canucks were missing their starting goalie.
- The bigger headliner of last night’s NHL results: the New York Rangers, who look prepped for a charmed playoff run after a 4-3 win over the Capitals to take a 2-0 lead in that series. Both the Rangers and Knicks are undefeated at Madison Square Garden this postseason.
Make sure to keep up with our NHL Stanley Cup projections, which are a.) invaluable and b.) updated nightly.
Draft Whispers: Caleb Williams’ final anonymous scout check-in
The first round of the NFL Draft is just over 36 hours away, and our long journey ends with the final boss of draft subterfuge: questioning the clear No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams.
Three things from a weird day of discussion:
In Bruce Feldman’s annual NFL Draft confidential file, multiple coaches and scouts questioned Williams’ NFL readiness as a person, not a player. Some choice quotes, each from a different coach/scout (emphasis mine):
- “I think Caleb has a chance to be very good, but I’m not sure about the wiring. For me, it’s how motivated he is to just win.”
- “He gives off a Russell Wilson vibe with this lack of self-awareness. ‘I’m kind of above everybody.’”
- “I like Caleb as a player, but the locker room part of it concerns me … he’s going to have to understand the difference in where he’s at and how he’s been treated to being the quarterback in an NFL locker room.”
And then there was an interview on the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, in which an NFL scout is quoted worrying about Williams crying after a loss last year. The direct quote:
- “Raw emotion is great, but Caleb’s thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. … I will tell you, he scares the sh—t out of a lot of NFL teams too.”
I find all of this just a little ridiculous. Was Williams not motivated to just win, or was he crying because he … wanted to just win too much? We can’t do this both ways. Sure, he’s already made a lot of money, and OK, he paints his nails, but I don’t really care if it doesn’t impact his play on the field. And neither should you.
Two things are very, very true:
- Williams is the best QB prospect in this draft.
- He will go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night.
There’s plenty of NFL Draft to discuss: Scoop City will have more later this morning, including some exclusive reporting from Dianna Russini about the latest rumors.
News to Know
A G5-only playoff?
Group of 5 conference leaders are discussing a potential G5-only college football playoff, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini reports, a concept that frankly makes a little too much sense. As college football’s elite coalesces power at the top, FBS’ dozens of other schools represent a talented middle class being more and more left out with every new conference realignment update. I am for the G5 playoff. Read the full scoop here.
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Refs erred in Sixers-Knicks
NBA officials admitted to multiple mistakes in the final sequence of that wild Knicks win over the Sixers on Monday, saying Tyrese Maxey was fouled twice in the game-deciding possession, and also said Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse did try to call timeout at the same time, but was ignored. Nice, I guess, but it doesn’t change the game’s outcome. The Knicks are still up 2-0.
More news
- Strahinja Jokić, brother of Nikola Jokić, is under investigation for allegedly punching a fellow fan during the Nuggets’ win over the Lakers on Monday.
- Colts owner Jim Irsay denied a December story that he had a drug overdose. He claims it was a leg injury.
- Larry Nassar’s victims reached a $139 million settlement with the FBI over the mishandling of their cases.
- Red Sox injuries are piling up. Next in line: first baseman Triston Casas, who has a fractured rib cage. Ouch.
- Iowa is looking for a new quarterback after Deacon Hill entered the transfer portal.
Watch This Game
NHL: Bruins at Maple Leafs
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
This series is tied 1-1, and I will watch any Toronto playoff game, for better or worse. Tensions are high.
NBA: Pelicans at Thunder
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
New Orleans came really, really close to stealing Game 1. If this is a blowout, the series might be a wrap. If not: 👀.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Paragraph after paragraph, I was stunned by reading this story on how badly Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo botched his entire operation. Katie Strang did a ton of reporting on this. Worth your time this morning.
Anonymous polls may sound scandalous, but they often unearth the most truth. The Athletic interviewed more than 40 baseball executives for our inaugural ranking of the top 10 front offices in Major League Baseball. There was one clear winner, and some major teams left off the list.
Brody Miller and Gabby Herzig compiled a list of absurd stats on how well Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda are playing. Golf is really fun right now.
Who do NBA players think is the GOAT: Michael Jordan or LeBron James? Sam Amick and Josh Robbins conducted some fresh canvassing.
I thought Michael-Shawn Dugar’s column on why this NFL Draft will shape Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s legacy was astute. We don’t talk enough about how pivotal a year this is in Seattle.
The Orioles’ latest scouting triumph? A 34-year-old reliever. Allow Ken Rosenthal to explain.
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Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The wild sequence at the end of Sixers-Knicks. Unsurprising.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our live blog from Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Chelsea. So, so funny that Kai Havertz scored two.
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(Photo: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
