Never much love when they go OT

The GIST: The excitement never stops during the most-watched WNBA Playoffs of all time, and the hype continued as the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx took last night’s Game 1 vs. the No. 1 NY Liberty in dramatic overtime (OT) fashion.

Lynx claw back from 18-point deficit, tie record for largest comeback in Finals history: Though the Libs came out hot, the Lynx shook off any fatigue worries by the second half, making a tremendous fourth-quarter run and taking their first lead of the game with just five seconds to go, courtesy of a showstopping four-point play from Courtney Williams. Making dad proud.

• But the chaos had only just begun. NY’s Breanna Stewart was fouled (amid confusing officiating) but made only one of her two foul shots, tying it at 84 and sending the game to OT. That’s where Minnesota surged ahead, leaning on their signature defense to win Game 1 95–93 on the Libs’ home court.

• While Williams led the Lynx with 23 points, this season’s Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier was undeniable on D, recording six blocks while guarding her college-teammate-turned-business-partner Breanna Stewart.

Up next — Game 2, Sunday 3 p.m. ET: Now with their backs unexpectedly against the wall, the Liberty will be determined to overcome their late-game mistakes and nab a home-court Game 2 win to keep their inaugural title hopes alive before the five-game series shifts to Minnesota for next week’s Game 3. The hoops fun has only just begun.

The GIST: Chaos also abounds in the best-of-five Division Series and it’ll only intensify with two decisive Game 5s on deck over the next 48 hours. Batter up.

NY Yankees clinch American League (AL) Championship Series showing, Cleveland Guardians extend series: One half of the ALCS is set after the Yanks eliminated the Kansas City Royals in last night’s benches-clearing 3–1 Game 4 win behind another dazzling outing from Pinstripers ace Gerrit Cole, giving the Bronx Bombers their third ALCS appearance in the last five seasons.

• Their opponent? Either the Guardians or Detroit Tigers, after Cleveland claimed Game 4 5–4 yesterday to send this AL Central series back to the Land for Game 5 tomorrow at 4:38 p.m. ET.

• The Guardians have home-field advantage and third baseman José Ramírez finding his swing, but the Tigers have their best player — top pitcher Tarik Skubal — on the mound. Shaping up to be another instant classic.

NY Mets advance to National League (NL) Championship Series, waiting on opponent: OMG is right — the scrappy Grimace–powered Mets used a shortstop Francisco Lindor grand slam to eliminate their NL East foe Philadelphia Phillies in a 4–1 Wednesday Game 4 win, punching a ticket to their first NLCS since 2015.

• The Kings of Queens now await the victor of tonight’s 8:08 p.m. ET winner-take-all Game 5 between the San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers, who’ve been trading statement games all series long.

• LA rolled 8–0 in Game 4 thanks to the explosive bats of superstars Shohei Ohtani and outfielder Mookie Betts, but the Padres will send ace Yu Darvish, who silenced the Dodgers in Game 2, to the hill tonight. Can’t-miss is an understatement.

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The GIST: Grab your toque and a cozy bevvy because it’s only a matter of time before the Leafs leaves start falling as the hockey season begins in earnest. Here are the biggest opening week storylines for the NHL’s Canadian contingent:

Ottawa Senators extend goalie Linus Ullmark: The Sens’ new netminder will remain in the nation’s capital through 2028 after inking a four-year, $33M extension even before taking the ice in last night’s home opener. When you know you know.

• And the long-term signing is already paying off as the Sens logged a 3–1 win over the defending champ Florida Panthers, a promising sign heading into tomorrow’s 7 p.m. ET game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks suffer upsets on opening night: This season’s Stanley Cup fave Oilers were blanked 6–0 by the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, a rinse-and-repeat of their abysmal start to last season. Meanwhile, the Canucks blew a three-goal lead, surrendering three third-period goals in their 6–5 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. Oof.

Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs split opening games: Forget the rebuild, the Canadiens opened the season with a 1–0 win over their archrival Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, courtesy of an NHL–record 48 saves from goalie Sam Montembeault (and a little help from the iron).

• But the script was flipped last night: The Leafs rebounded to secure a 4–2 dub over the New Jersey Devils while the Habs’ high-scoring affair with the Boston Bruins ended in a 6–4 loss.

• Both squads are back in action tomorrow — Montreal hosts the Sens and the Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins, both at 7 p.m. ET. All hockey, all the time.

⛳ LPGA: Buick LPGA Shanghai — Ongoing through Sunday — Golf Channel

• World No. 47 South Korean Sei Young Kim carded nine birdies and one eagle to jump out to the lead after one day of play in China. See if the 12-time LPGA Tour winner can add to her trophy case by Sunday’s final round. Fore!

🏈🦃 CFL: Toronto Argonauts vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET — TSN1/5

• Before you dig into your Thanksgiving dinner, feast on this 2022 Grey Cup rematch where the Argos will aim to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot with only three weeks left in the regular season — no small task against the scorching Blue Bombers.

⚽ NWSL: Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET — Prime Video

• On the heels of news that Thorns general manager and former CanWNT goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc will step down at the end of the season, Christine Sinclair’s squad welcomes Marta and the unbeaten Pride to town. A legendary showdown.

🏈 NFL: Buffalo Bills vs. NY Jets — Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET — TSN

• After the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears battle it out in London amid other Week 6 action on Sunday, all eyes will shift to this AFC East clash between quarterback Josh Allen’s Bills and Aaron Rodgers’ beleaguered Jets. Buckle up.