The Champs are Out
Last night, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, after losing to the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of Round 1.
The Suns are the No. 2 seed in the West but were considered underdogs to the seventh-seeded Lakers. Not so much. They won Game 5 by 30 and took care of LA behind Devin Booker’s 47 points last night.
Lakers’ star Anthony Davis came back after being cleared from a strained groin injury, but he didn’t make it very long, leaving the game in the first quarter after aggravating it. LeBron James had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but it wasn’t enough.
If Tinseltown wants to stay Titletown, it’s up to Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers to keep that going on the NBA side. They play the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 tonight at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT at the American Airlines Center. Dallas leads the series, 3-2. The winner of this series will face the Utah Jazz in the semifinals.
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Next up for the Suns are the Denver Nuggets, who ousted the Portland Trail Blazers in six. Nikola Jokic did Nikola Jokic things in Game 6, leading Denver to a 126-115 victory behind his 36 points (20 of which came in the third quarter), eight rebounds and six assists. The Nuggets are on to Phoenix for the West Semis on Monday at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks took care of the New York Knicks pretty quickly. Trae Young literally took a bow after his performance of 36 points, four rebounds and nine assists in the Hawks’ 103-89 Game 5 victory that sealed the deal. With that, Atlanta heads to Philadelphia for Game 1 of their East Semifinals matchup against the 76ers.
The Milwaukee Bucks begin their East Semifinals series tomorrow as they head to Barclays Center to take on the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT.
Don’t you just love the smell of playoff basketball in June?
Cam Newton
Earlier today, at New England Patriots’ OTAs, Cam Newton did something to his right throwing hand that prevented him from finishing practice, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Newton did stay at the practice, as Patriots’ first-round draft pick Mac Jones, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer continued QB drills. Reiss reported that the medical and athletic training staff checked Newton’s right hand, while Newton “was seen flexing” the hand.
Heart Donor Found for Greg Olsen’s Son
Retired Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen shared today on social media that a heart donor has been found for his 8-year-old son, TJ, who was placed on the transplant list eight days ago.
TJ was born with a congenital heart defect that has required the young boy to have four surgeries – three open-heart surgeries and he had a pacemaker installed.
On Instagram, Olsen wrote: “Today is a day of mixed emotions. A day we have prayed for has arrived. We were alerted last night that there was a donor match for TJ to receive his heart transplant. Walking our little boy, with tears of hope and fear in our eyes, was one of the toughest moments of our lives. We ask for everyone’s prayers for TJ and his amazing team of doctors and nurses. TJ has a long road ahead of him but today is a huge step forward. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the outpouring of support through this entire journey.”
Serena in Paris
Earlier today, Serena Williams beat Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the 2021 French Open. Williams was down 4-1 in the second set but came back to win.
Williams hit five aces in the match, won a total of 64 points and won 12 games. There is a reason she’s won 23 Grand Slams.