2 weeks Ago
The Pulse Newsletter đŁ | This is The Athleticâ s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Eat all the spaghetti you please today.
The record books might not remember these NBA Play-In games, which exist in a weird void between the regular season and playoffs, but weâll be thinking about the late game last night for a while: So now the No. 7 seeds are set : The Warriors will face Houston in the first round, while Orlando, after a blowout vs. the Hawks, will match up with the Celtics .
Memphis and Atlanta will get another shot to advance Friday. Whew. Also: Marcus Thompson joined NBA Daily live to break it all down.
Watch . Over in the NHL, only one spot remains undecided in the Stanley Cup playoffs race after the Wild and Blues clinched berths last night. The Canadiens currently sit in the final wild-card spot in the East, but only lead the Blue Jackets by two points with one game each left to play.
Buckle up! The NFL feels so constant and universal that its biggest events can actually sneak up on you. Itâs draft season? Of course itâs draft season. Itâs always draft season.
Itâs already next yearâs draft season, and half of the upcoming football season will be about it. Oh wait, itâs actually draft season now, like for real. The first round in Green Bay is next Thursday.
Advertisement With one week of final mock drafts and workouts and trade buzz still to go, we huddled with Jacob Robinson, author of our free NFL newsletter , for three quick questions. A few recent headlines might be tea leaves, smoke screens or some other metaphor entirely. Cam Ward at No.
1 to Tennessee feels locked in, pending a big trade. After that, which teams are likeliest to set the tone for everyone else? đŹ Zac Jacksonâs recent reporting from Cleveland suggests to me that the Browns seem likely to pass on a quarterback at No. 2, though he doesnât rule out a trade up to No.
1 . đ The other team to watch? The Giants, who hold the No. 3 pick and recently scheduled a private workout with Shedeur Sanders and other QBs .
If he goes third, the entire draft board shifts. This draft looks light on top QBs, yet a run still feels possible. Which is more likely: Sanders falls out of the top 10 .
.. or at least four QBs go in the first round? đŹ Thatâs a tough one! Given the Saintsâ developing need at QB and No.
9 positioning, plus the success of last yearâs QB class (remember Bo Nix had been graded as a second-round talent by many evaluators), Iâd say itâs more likely four quarterbacks go in the first round, especially with prospects like Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe attending the draft in person , which could be a signal that theyâve heard favorable evaluations. If this QB crop is lacking, though, which positions are especially strong in this class? đŹ This draft is defined by three positions: Daneâs full seven-round mock draft , just published today, envisions a first round light on QBs (as does Nick Baumgardnerâs mock from a few days ago ). And letâs link once again to The Beast , a tab you might as well just keep open for the next two weeks or so.
Dallas GM has no regrets Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said he has âno regretsâ about trading Luka DoncÌicÌ, and that Dallas targeted Anthony Davis because of its philosophy that âdefense wins championships.â Harrison â in his first media availability since the day after the trade â also said he thinks the Mavericks are still a âchampionship-caliberâ team when healthy, noting that fans got to see his vision come to life for â2 1/2 quartersâ after the trade before Davis got hurt. Woof.
More news đ« Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters . đș UCL: Arsenal at Real Madrid 3 p.m.
ET on Paramount+ Real Madrid trails Arsenal 3-0 heading into the second leg of this Champions League quarterfinal. The defending champs will need a miraculous comeback against the unexpected tournament favorites . đș NBA: Mavericks at Kings 10 p.
m. ET on ESPN The Bulls and Heat begin todayâs Play-In action at 7:30 p.m.
ET on ESPN, but this one is where the intrigue lies. The Mavs are 0-3 against the Kings this year , with the most recent edition ending Kyrie Irvingâs season. Do Dallas fans even want this season to go on any longer? Get tickets to games like these here .
Whatâs it like playing the waiting game during the NFL Draft ? Jayna Bardahl details how prospects cope with the anxiety . Will Rory McIlroy follow up his Masters win with another major this year? The oddsmakers donât think so . Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks refuses to let a terminal cancer diagnosis diminish his spirit.
A truly inspiring story worth your time today . (Reminder: Free to read.) Advertisement Keith Law ranks his top 50 MLB Draft prospects , headlined by 2022 No.
1 pick Jackson Holliday âs brother. JD Vance isnât the first to publicly fumble a trophy. Lauren Merola takes a look back at other, equally hilarious, trophy mishaps .
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday : Our story on how sportsbooks took an L on Roryâs Masters win. Most-read on the website yesterday : Matt Bakerâs glimpse at how involved Bill Belichickâs girlfriend is at UNC. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic.
Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Cary Edmondson / Imagn Images).
