100% beef

The GIST: Two squads boast dominant 2-0 leads in the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final, but outside forces are threatening the action on both the hardwood and the ice. May the most resilient teams win…

Injuries threaten NBA Finals Game 3: The injury bug is plaguing the Boston Celtics (up 2-0) and the Dallas Mavericks ahead of tonight’s 8:30 p.m. ET showdown. Cs big man Kristaps Porziņģis is dealing with an extremely rare leg injury, while the Mavs’ fearless leader, Luka Dončić, will likely receive another painkilling injection for a chest injury ahead of tip-off.

• Dončić, the Western Conference Finals MVP, is crucial to the Mavs’ success, but his Game 2 triple-double still wasn’t enough to top Boston. He’ll need some support, namely from Kyrie Irving, to dig Dallas out of this two-game hole.

• Irving hasn’t hit a three this series, but if his previous NBA Finals performance is any indication, the best is yet to come. Stay tuned.

Florida Panthers closer than ever to first Stanley Cup: The Panthers are putting on their best-ever Final performance, topping the Edmonton Oilers 4–1 in Monday’s Game 2 to extend their series lead to 2-0. After allowing an early goal, Florida’s defense pounced back in their seventh postseason comeback of the year, holding Edmonton to just 19 shots.

• But now a shared enemy stands to impact both teams: travel time. The Florida vs. Edmonton series marks the farthest distance between two squads competing in a Stanley Cup Final, with a six-hour flight between cities.

• Edmonton already flew back north for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 yesterday, but Florida isn’t taking off until today, opting for an extra day of rest at home. Will it pay off? The odds to win are in their favor, but only time will tell.

The GIST: The 124th men’s U.S. Open — the third of men’s golf’s four majors — tees off from Pinehurst, North Carolina, tomorrow. And, as the final tourney in the Olympic qualifying window, there’s even more to play for than a piece of the $20M purse.

Scottie Scheffler: The No. 1 player in the world has mathematically clinched his Olympic spot and now has his sights set on adding a non-Masters victory to his majors trophy case. Scheffler has been virtually unstoppable this year with five wins on the season, but with world No. 2 Xander Schauffele and world No. 3 Rory McIlroy in his 1:14 p.m. ET tee time tomorrow, anything can happen.

More players to know: World No. 4 Wyndham Clark will be swinging to defend his title as he seeks his second tour win of 2024. Meanwhile, three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods is back (with a new coach, his son, Charlie). However, Woods’ health will be a big question mark after he missed the cut at last month’s PGA Championship.

• Speaking of, the 2021 U.S. Open winner (and current LIV golfer), Jon Rahm, will not play due to a foot infection and will instead leave it up to his 12 fellow LIV golfers, including four previous tournament champions in Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau. Popcorn at the ready.

Guess who’s shaking up the old boys club? You guessed it: golf. The women’s game is growing across the country, so let's debunk some myths about the sport.

Myth #1: Golf is boring. Contrary to popular belief, golf is a blast. Time spent in the sunshine? On a beautiful course with friends? Featuring smash therapy on the driving range? Sounds like the perfect summer day.

Myth #2: Golf is for old men. Women of all ages have been crushing it on the course for decades — the LPGA, launched in 1950, is the oldest pro women’s sports organization in North America.

• Plus, tons of young women (and men!) of all backgrounds have picked up the game since the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s more accessible than ever. The future fairway is female.

Myth #3: Golf is hard to learn. There are thousands of PGA–certified coaches, aka “pros,” at courses across the country — odds are you can find one at your local club. These pros are passionate about bringing beginners into the game. Just ask The GIST’s co-founder Ellen Hyslop, who started her summer with some lessons.

• Ellen’s time with pro Emma de Groot took her from “winging it” to “slinging it” thanks to Emma’s hands-on, judgment-free, personalized advice. A how-to YouTube video could never.

⚾ MLB: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Milwaukee Brewers — Today at 2:10 p.m. ET — Sportsnet

• Following last night’s 3–0 victory over the Brew Crew, the rubber (match) meets the road for the Bluebirds, who send Chris Bassitt to the mound in hopes of earning their second straight series victory.

⛳ LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel

• After pulling off a historic comeback to win the Shoprite LPGA Classic earlier this week, can Sweden’s Linnea Ström once again shock the star-studded field? Wouldn’t putt it past her.

🥎 AUX Softball: Tomorrow at 6 and 8:30 p.m. ET — TSN+

• Series 1 (aka Week 1) of the exhilarating three-week action concludes with tomorrow’s doubleheader. Jocelyn Alo sits atop the leaderboard as of now — can anyone overtake her before the final out of the week is recorded?

🏀 WNBA: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury — Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET — Prime Video

• As the league celebrates record attendance and viewership numbers, the defending champ Aces are trying to sort through the confetti after dropping three in a row. And with Brittney Griner back in the mix for the Merc, this star-powered matchup is a must-see.

Ready to enter your winning era? We thought you might be. Turo, Canada’s leading car sharing marketplace, teamed up with Canada Basketball to giveaway two all-expenses-paid trips for you and a friend to Las Vegas to watch Canada’s senior men’s national team battle Team USA on July 10th.

• To enter, play this basketball-themed “Hoop Heroes” game. Entries are unlimited and even if you don’t score a grand prize getaway, you could win one of 10 secondary prizes, courtesy of Canada Basketball and Turo, their newest official partner. Vroom vroom.