What a weekend we’re going to have in the sports world! The first round of the NBA playoffs will start on Saturday, as 16 teams will start their journey towards the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Not only do we have the NBA playoffs, but we also have the Stanley Cup Playoffs going full bore. On top of these, we have the second major of the season on the PGA Tour, as the PGA Championship will start the third round on Saturday and the final round on Sunday. We also have a ton of Major League Baseball action, along with a weekend full of NASCAR events. Let’s take a look at some of the top events happening in the sports world this weekend.
Top Sports Events for This Weekend – May 22 – May 23
NBA Playoffs
With the play-in tournament completed, the first round of the NBA Playoffs is ready to start. We’ll see some great matchups in the Eastern Conference, as the Miami Heat will travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks, Boston will travel to Brooklyn, the Atlanta Hawks will clash with the New York Knicks, and the Philadelphia 76ers will either play the Indiana Pacers or the Washington Wizards in the 1 vs. 8 matchup.
Out West, after the Lakers defeated the Warriors in the play-in tournament, the Lakers earned the #7 seed and a first-round series with the second-seeded Phoenix Suns. In other first-round action in the West, the Dallas Mavericks will head to Los Angeles to play the Clippers, Portland will clash with the Denver Nuggets, and the top-seeded Utah Jazz will await the winner of Golden State and Memphis.
NHL Playoffs
With the NHL regular season having a different format this season, the playoffs have followed suit. Divisional teams are meeting in the playoffs, and we’re seeing teams that are very familiar with each other squaring off in their quest to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. These first-round series have been very highly contested, and we see some hard-hitting hockey action. The playoffs will only get better after this, but for now, the action has been fun to watch.
PGA Championship
Kiawah Island, South Carolina, is the host for the PGA Championship this weekend. The Kiawah Island Golf Resort is one of the top courses in the country, and it will provide a tough challenge for the world’s top players. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, and Viktor Hovland are among the favorites to win this weekend. Any of them would love to add a major championship to their resume.
NASCAR
The NASCAR Circuit heads to Texas this weekend for a weekend full of events. On Saturday, the Xfinity Series will hit the track for the Pit Boss 250. On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers will take their maiden drives around the Circuit of Americas in Austin for the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix. This will be NASCAR’s first-ever event at this facility, so the drivers are really looking forward to racing at a new venue. We should see some great racing action this weekend!