It’s the middle of June, and just like the hot summer heat, the sports world will be on fire this weekend! We’re in the middle of the NBA Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Major League Baseball regular season. Oh, and how can we forget that this is US Open Weekend on the PGA Tour. Let’s take a look at some of the top sporting events of the upcoming weekend.
Top Sports Events for This Weekend – June 19 – June 20
NBA Playoffs
We’re going to hear the two best words in sports this weekend, Game Seven.
After Kevin Durant’s heroic effort in Game 5 to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 3-2 series lead, the Milwaukee Bucks took Game Six to even the series at three games apiece. This leads us to a Game Seven on Saturday night in Brooklyn. A hobbled James Harden has returned to the Nets lineup, but he is far from 100%. We’ll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo can move on to the next round or if Kevin Durant can solidify his status as the best player on the planet and lead his Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Depending on the outcomes of Friday night’s games, we could see two more Game Sevens in the NBA Playoffs. If the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz can win on Friday night, we’ll see two more epic games on Sunday. The Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers have been in a back-and-forth battle throughout the playoffs. Philadelphia blew a 26-point lead in Game Five to let the Hawks take a 3-2 lead in their series. We’ll see if we get some more epic playoff basketball on Sunday.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
In the NHL, we’ll see some great playoff action as on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take on the New York Islanders on Saturday, and on Sunday, the Las Vegas Golden Knights will battle the Montreal Canadiens. Tampa Bay leads their series 2-1, and on Sunday, either the Knights or Canadiens will hold a 2-1 lead in their series. The winners of each of these series will meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. A Tampa Bay vs. Las Vegas Stanley Cup Final would make for some of the best hockey of the season, as these two offensive juggernauts would put on a great show.
PGA Tour
The US Open at Torrey Pines will be a highlight of the sports weekend. Play was suspended due to darkness on Thursday, but Russell Henley and Louis Oosthuizen were on top of the leaderboard when play was halted. Brooks Koepka was hovering around the top of the board, as was Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, and Adam Scott. Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau were among the favorites heading into the US Open. We’ll see if the long, narrow fairways will give players fits this weekend. The weather could also play a huge role, as if the wind picks up, it could wreak havoc on the course. We’re hoping that some of the big names are sitting at or near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday, as it will make for some great viewing!