What another amazing week in sports! Check out everything that happened last week. In addition to the NBA and NHL Playoffs, the PGA Championship took place, and three-year-olds ran in the Preakness Stakes. Also, see what happened in the NBA Draft Lottery!
Warriors Dominate NBA Western Conference Finals
Kevin Durant? Who’s that again? That might be the question Golden State Warriors fans are asking. After Durant went down with a calf injury during the series against Houston, many Warriors fans groaned with disappointment. They saw a situation where their beloved team might not even make it to the Conference Finals.
Not only did Golden State dominate Houston, they’ve dominated Portland. The Warriors came back down 13 points at halftime in Game 3 to beat the Trail Blazers 110-99. Heading into Monday’s Game 4, the question isn’t whether Golden State will make it to their fifth straight NBA Finals, it’s a matter of when.
Golden State’s thriving off the play of their original Big 3: Steph Curry, Kyle Thompson, and Draymond Green. Right now, The City looks unstoppable.
Buck-Raptors in Competitive NBA Eastern Conference Finals
It took the Raptors two overtimes, but they finally beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Down 2 games to 0, Game 3 this past Sunday night was a must win for Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. Toronto didn’t disappoint. Kawhi dropped 36 to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
He took over in the second overtime after Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled out. Without Giannis, the Bucks are a good, but not great basketball team. Once Giannis took a seat, Kawhi appeared to find another gear. He didn’t have to worry about Giannis’ long reach batting away his shots.
Although Toronto won, a couple of Raptors under performed. Danny Green only scored 3 points. Kyle Lowry got his sixth foul with only 11 points and 5 assists. If every Raptor in the starting 5 steps it up, Toronto could even the series on Tuesday night. If not, Milwaukee will take a 3-1 series lead.
Boston Bruins Sweep the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
It’s hard to like the Boston Bruins unless you’re from Boston. Even if you hate them, you have to appreciate the majestic domination they’ve displayed on the ice. Finding themselves down 1 game to 2 versus Columbus in the NHL Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals, the Bruins won 3 in a row.
They didn’t take a backward step in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston destroyed the then hot Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 0. They outscored Carolina a combined 17 goals to 5 in the 4-game sweep.
Boston must now sit back and wait for the Sharks-Blues series winner. That could work against them. Even if it does, the Bean Town team appears capable of flipping the switch whenever they feel like it.
Blues Take the Lead in the Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals
San Jose used an non-call illegal hand pass to beat St. Louis in overtime in Game 3. Since then, St. Louis has dominated. The Blues beat San Jose 2-1 at the Enterprise Center in Game 4. That was nothing compared to what they did to the Sharks in Game 5 on Sunday night.
St. Louis dominated San Jose 5-0 on San Jose’s ice. The Sharks could be shell-shocked. Back at the Enterprise Center on Tuesday night, the Blues should close out San Jose. It’s not a given, though, because the Sharks have a tendency to rise from the ashes every time we’re ready to say they’re cooked. So, don’t bet the farm as the saying goes that St. Louis beats San Jose on May 21.
War of Will Wins the Preakness Stakes
Trainer Mark Casse believes that if Maximum Security hadn’t interfered with his horse, he might have won the Kentucky Derby. It’s impossible to argue against Casse now that War of Will won the Preakness Stakes.
War of Will’s performance had to impress. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione put War of Will into a great position from the outset. Gaffalione saved ground while some of the other jockeys on contenders had to make key decisions around the turn. War of Will glided to the lead and then waltzed home the easiest of winners.
If Casse decides the horse is in good order, he might run him in the Belmont Stakes. Even though War of Will could win the Belmont Stakes, there could be a much bigger prize down the road.
Maximum Security Owner Offers $5 million to Beat His Horse
Gary West believes so much in his disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security that he’s challenging the owners of Country House, Long Range Toddy, War of Will, and Bodexpress to essentially a $5 million bet against each.
West is willing to bet $5 million, $20 million total, that his horse will finish ahead of those four horses in any race from now until the end of 2019. West asks that any of the four owners who wish to take him up on his wager also put up $5 million.
If I’m Gary Barber, War of Will’s owner, I’m seriously considering this wager. How often do you get a chance to win $5 million as a horse owner by only having to beat a single opponent? Barber should say he’ll take the bet if he can pick the race. What races should he pick? War of Will excelled at the Fair Grounds. So, why not run in the $50,000 Magic City Classic at a mile on Dec. 7? Or, how about the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes at a mile and 70 yards on Dec. 22? Gary Barber or Gary West could put themselves into a position to get $5 million richer in a less than $100,000 race.
Brooks Koepka Takes the PGA Championship while Tiger Misses the Cut
Brooks Koepka shot a 74 Round 4. That wasn’t bad enough for Dustin Johnson to catch him. Koepka won back-to-back PGA Championships on Sunday after a final -8. That was two strokes ahead of Dustin Johnson. Johnson was four strokes ahead of Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, and Matt Wallace in third place. That means Koepka and Johnson dominated.
One player that didn’t dominate was Tiger Woods. Tiger didn’t make the cut at Bethpage. Not to worry. He’ll make the necessary adjustments and be ready for the U.S. Open in mid-June. We can’t expect the early 2000’s version of Tiger just yet. Baby steps, people.
New Orleans Pelicans Win the NBA Draft Lottery
The final piece of big news that happened last week concerned the race for Zion Williamson. The most talked about player to head to the NBA since LeBron James should be a New Orleans Pelican after the Big Easy team won the NBA Draft Lottery.
Zion gets the chance to play with the amazing Anthony Davis. Davis grumbled during the season, stating that he wished to be traded. Not anymore. With Zion in the fold, AD should be happy again.
If the Pelicans keep Julius Randle, they’ll have the best front court in the NBA if Zion isn’t a bust. Randle, AD, and Williamson should dominate. They can all step back and hit the three, handle the basketball, rebound, and dish. That’s scary.
Have a great week!
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