What the helly
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy Wednesday!
And, more importantly, happy PWHL playoffs to all who celebrate. Keep an eye out for our special edition preview skating into your inbox later today. Ice, ice, baby.
- P.S. We’ll be discussing Mother’s Day in this week’s edition of The Group Chat — if you’d rather not receive that newsletter, simply click here. It won’t impact your regular GIST subscription. Now without further ado, let’s dive in.
— Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers, speaking out in support of the Black women of the WNBA while acknowledging her privilege as a white woman in a predominantly Black league — as she’s done before. Now that’s allyship.
NBA Playoffs
🏀 Life moves pretty fast
The GIST: Turns out home is where the heartbreak is after all four second-round hosts lost their respective Game 1s for the first time in NBA history. It’s not easy being green the favorite.
🧡 NY Knicks steal Game 1 from defending champ Boston Celtics: NY’s Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby netted 29 points apiece to erase a 20-point second-half deficit, but it was a clutch Mikal Bridges steal that sealed the Knicks’ 108–105 overtime win on Monday. Unlike Ferris Bueller, this ironman doesn’t take days off — Game 2 tips off in Boston tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
⛏️ Denver Nugget Aaron Gordon hits second playoff game-winner: The soul of Denver hoops did it again, knocking down a three-pointer to sink the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121–119 on Monday, the perfect ending to Nikola Jokić’s 42-point, 22-rebound masterpiece. But there’s no rest for the weary: Game 2 goes tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET.
💛 Golden State Warriors stay hot with Game 1 win: Even without their head chef, the Warriors found plenty of other ways to cook — namely Buddy Hield’s 24 points — in last night’s 99–88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. If the Wolves want to compete in tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2, they’ll need more than one measly first-half point from superstar Anthony Edwards.
👟 Indiana Pacers stun shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2: The Cavs’ homecourt woes continued last night as the Pacers’ ferocious fourth-quarter comeback, capped off with a game-clinching three from Tyrese Haliburton, secured Indy the 120–119 W. What the helly, indeed.
- The series shifts to Indiana for Friday’s Game 3, and while the Cavs have some serious work ahead, getting healthy is at the top of the to-do list: Cleveland was without Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and two other key pieces last night.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
🏒 Heart of glass
The GIST: And just like that, the spicy NHL Playoffs second round is officially underway. Here’s what you need to know about the four remaining series as the quest to hoist Lord Stanley continues.
😱 Carolina Hurricanes snatch Game 1 from top-seeded Washington Capitals: The Canes silenced D.C.’s Capital One Arena last night, mounting a third-period comeback to force overtime, where a goal from defenseman Jaccob Slavin clinched the 2–1 Carolina victory. The storm’s a-brewin’ — see which way the wind blows in Game 2 tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.
💨 Edmonton Oilers surge ahead of Vegas Golden Knights: Coming in hot on a four-game win streak, the reigning runner-up Oilers took an early series lead with last night’s 4–2 victory, powered by a three-goal third period. The feisty fun continues from Sin City tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. ET.
❤️🩹 Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz day-to-day: Stolarz left early after taking a hard hit to the head in the Leafs’ 5–4 Game 1 win over the defending champion Florida Panthers on Monday. But there’s no bad blood between former teammates — Stolie could see the ice come puck drop for Game 2 tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
👀 And there’s still one Game 1 to go: After both teams endured their respective seven-game series in the first round, the surely exhausted (but NHL–best) Winnipeg Jets host the equally tired Dallas Stars tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. Can Stars hero Mikko Rantanen overpower Jets Hart Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck? There’s only one way to find out.
❌ The Baltimore Ravens released controversial kicker Justin Tucker on Monday, months after sexual misconduct allegations against him made headlines. It’s not a fall from grace — it’s a nosedive.
🏔️⚽ Acclaimed American skier and Colorado legend Mikaela Shiffrin joined the NWSL Denver ownership group, the team announced yesterday. This one’s for the girls.
🏀 Hall of Famer Sue Bird is making moves with USA Basketball: the org named her as the first-ever Managing Director of the senior women’s national team yesterday. An apt choice, considering her international résumé includes five Olympic golds and four FIBA World Cup titles.
- Speaking of gold, former Team USA head coach (HC) Nell Fortner (who led the Americans to Olympic glory in 2000) wears red and white now. That’s right, Fortner is the new Canadian women’s national team HC as of Monday’s announcement.
🏇 There won’t be a Triple Crown winner this year — Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty will sit out May 17th’s Preakness Stakes, the second of three events that make up the pinnacle of horse racing.
🏒 Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury isn’t hanging up his skates just yet: The Canadian netminder will make his IIHF World Championship debut and reunite with his old Pittsburgh Penguins pal, Sidney Crosby.
1️⃣ For the first time since 2009, the NY Islanders hold the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft after winning the Draft Lottery on Monday. Guess the odds were in their favor.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
🌶️ Where to find spicy PWHL postseason predictions
On the latest episode of The GIST of It, sponsored by our friends at SharkNinja, who are supporting our coverage of the Walter Cup Playoffs until the final whistle. Puck yeah.*
🏀 Who to give credit to
NBA equipment teams, the unsung heroes of the league. Buckets on buckets.
🐘 Who’s partnering up (again)
Ellie the Elephant and Essie. New nails, who dis? The viral NY Liberty mascot slays this fresh collab.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. It's go time.Question of the Day
Amid all the chaos taking place in the NBA and NHL playoffs, we want to know: Does home-court or home-ice advantage even matter anymore? Choose below and if you have more to say, reply to this email or call into our podcast, The GIST of It, by dialing 1-437-564-5579 or holding down on this link. Chat soon.
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.