David vs. Goliath

The GIST: With a glass ceiling smashed in the broadcast booth, the on-court action was lop-sidedly historic as the Boston Celtics defended the parquet, taking last night’s Game 1 vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

Celtics dominate from the opening tip: After accumulating the third-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals Game 1 history, the Cs cruised to a 107–89 win. Eastern Conference (EC) Finals MVP Jaylen Brown was a force on both ends of the floor while Kristaps Porziņģis was back like he never left, dropping 18 first-half points in his first game action since late April.

• And it wasn’t just the Cs superstars making it rain — an NBA Finals-record seven Boston hoopers hit multiple three-pointers. Teamwork always makes the dream work.

Game 2 preview: All went according to plan for the EC–best Celtics, who will look for a repeat performance in Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET Game 2 back at The Garden. A place for improvement? All-NBA First Teamer Jayson Tatum only netted 16 points last night. Perhaps he’s saving his best stuff for later.

• As for the Mavs, there’s a lot of work to be done. Luka Dončic managed a 30-point double-double, but his partner-in-buckets Kyrie Irving and the rest of the squad were uncharacteristically quiet — a testament to the Cs tough defense, but also the Mavs’ inability to hit their shots. It’s back to the drawing board if they want to even this thing up on Sunday.

The GIST: After nearly two months of electric postseason play, the Stanley Cup Final has arrived with the Eastern Conference champ Florida Panthers battling the Western Conference–winning Edmonton Oilers in pursuit of Lord Stanley.

• As players pack their neck pillows for an NHL-record 2,541 mile (4,089 km) commute, here’s what you need to know before tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 1 puck drop.

Florida Panthers: Back in the final for the second straight season, Florida’s finest are hoping to hoist the trophy for the first time in franchise history after coming up short last year. The Cats have it all — an elite goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, a stout defense, scoring prowess, and, perhaps most importantly, a cat–sized appetite for revenge. Me-ow.

Edmonton Oilers: Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is a man on a mission, amassing a league-leading 31 points this postseason and doing it with serious style. As good as McDavid is (spoiler alert: very), Edmonton also boasts the second and third postseason point scorers in Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard.

The matchup: The Panthers and Oilers met twice this season, with the Cats coming out on top both times, 5–3 in November and 5–1 a month later. Yes, the 10 goals scored should instill confidence for Florida faithful, but Edmonton’s had an, ahem, Oil change since then, highlighted by a new starting tendy in Stuart Skinner. Buckle up, this series has slick written all over it.

The GIST rang in the start of the NBA Finals in style last night, celebrating female basketball fans at Get in the Game, an event hosted by the NBA and PROLINE+ dedicated to increasing women’s voices in the sports betting industry.

• As the exclusive sports betting partner of the NBA in Canada, PROLINE+ is all about celebrating female basketball fans. That’s why they awarded one lucky attendee a free trip for two to Las Vegas to watch the NBA Summer League.

And get this — one lucky Ontario GISTer could win that same free Vegas getaway by entering this contest today. A true slam dunk.

The GIST: Roland-Garros championship weekend is on deck, with a David vs. Goliath women’s final showdown, while the final four men standing signal a changing of the guard in the game.

Men’s singles semifinal: First up today at 8:30 a.m. ET, a clash between youngsters No. 2 Jannik Sinner and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz. These two have already battled eight times in their pro careers, with 2024 Australian Open–winning Sinner and two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz each winning four matches. The stakes are higher than ever with a trip to Sunday’s final on the line.

• On the other side of the draw, No. 4 Alexander Zverev is into his fourth straight French Open semis and will be hoping to finally break through to the championship match, but third time might be the charm for his opponent, 2022 and 2023 Roland-Garros finalist No. 7 Casper Ruud. First serve is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET.

Women’s singles final: After dismantling American No. 3 Coco Gauff in straight sets during yesterday’s semis, the ever-dominant world No. 1 Iga Świątek extended her Roland-Garros win streak to 20 matches and clinched a chance to win her third straight French Open title.

• Standing in her way? Italy’s No. 12 Jasmine Paolini, who stunned the competition and herself en route to her first career Grand Slam final. See if it’s the favorite or the underdog calling game, set, and match tomorrow.

⛳ PGA: the Memorial Tournament — Today to Sunday — The Golf Channel

• Canadian Adam Hadwin sank eight birdies in yesterday’s opening round and leads the field in Ohio, but world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits just one stroke back, setting up an exciting weekend on the fairways.

• Over in the LPGA, the Shoprite Classic begins today with Canadian world No. 14 Brooke Henderson looking to turn the clock back to 2022 in pursuit of her first title of the season.

⚾ MLB: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Oakland Athletics — Tonight at 9:40 p.m. ET — Sportsnet+

• Coming off an American League East series split with the Baltimore Orioles thanks to first baseman Vladdy Guerrero Jr.’s clutch home run yesterday, the Jays are off to California to collect more wins against the As.

🏀 WNBA: Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET — WNBA League Pass

• The Commissioner’s Cup schedule is jam-packed this weekend, highlighted by this matchup between league-leading scorer A’ja Wilson’s Aces and Jewell Loyd’s Storm, winners of five in a row. Straight fire.

🏎️ F1: Canadian Grand Prix — Sunday at 2 p.m. ET — TSN1/4/5

• Lights out and away we go to Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to see if Aston Martin’s (and Canada’s own) Lance Stroll can reach the podium in his home race. Vroom vroom.

The college sports calendar may be winding down, but The Night Shift is keeping our NCAA fantasies alive.

This campus love story is perfect for long-time romance readers who love dissecting tropes. It’s self-aware, conversational, and super easy to read.

• We give this title a solid 2.8 GPA. Not a perfect score, but a solid pass.

June’s book club pick is Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates by Katie Barnes. Read along on Fable, and join our book club list to stay up-to-date.