BASKETBALL

The Golden State Warriors uncharacteristically fell apart in the 4th quarter Monday night, blowing a 31-point in the second half to lose 131-135 to the LA Clippers in game 2 of the playoffs. When the Warriors were up in the 3rd quarter, they had a .01 percent loss probability. As Steph Curry said after the game, “The wheels fell off.” The Warriors and Clippers are now tied 1-1 with game 3 in LA on Thursday.  In other bad news for the Warriors, center DeMarcus Cousins could potentially have a season-ending injury after he tore his left quad during the game Monday night. He’ll have an MRI to determine the severity of the non-contact injury.

In game 2 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets series, the Sixers only led by 1 at the half, but then, thanks to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, added 51 points in the third quarter to tie a playoff record. With the games split at 1-1, the Sixers travel to Brooklyn for Thursday’s game 3. Philadelphia 145, Brooklyn 123

To no one’s surprise, Duke freshman Zion Williamson officially declared for the NBA draft. Williamson will almost assuredly go #1 in the draft in June. The lottery to determine the teams’ drafting order takes place on May 14th.

FOOTBALL

The Seattle Seahawk five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Russell Wilson, agreed to a contract extension making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. At 30 years old, Wilson signed a 4-year extension worth $140 million including a $65 million signing bonus.

GOLF

The biggest story in the sports world is 43-year-old Tiger Woods victory at Augusta National on Sunday. Tiger’s comeback after years of back injuries and personal issues will go down as one of the greatest moments in sports. Woods has now won 15 majors (second only to Jack Nicklaus with 18) and 5 Masters. ESPN’s Ian O’Connor wrote it best, “Nobody who was here on this surreal Sunday will ever forget the way the earth moved or the way the roars rose above the towering pines. Nobody will ever forget the scene of Woods’ son, Charlie, falling into his father’s arms like Tiger fell into his father’s arms after his record-shattering, barrier-blasting victory as a 21-year-old in 1997.” Social media went crazy with testimonials of excitement. Serena Williams said, “I am literally in tears watching @TigerWoods this is Greatness like no other. Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today? Wow Congrats a million times! I am so inspired thank you buddy.”

BASKETBALL

The first game of the first round of the NBA playoffs is over. A few highlights:

The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry posted 38 points against the LA Clippers, setting an all-time postseason 3’s mark. Warriors 121, Clippers 104

The Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid was not 100% on Saturday in the team’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid has soreness in his knee and is listed as questionable for game 2.  The Sixers’ Amir Johnson caused a bit of drama during the game when he pulled out his cellphone to look at a text (and Joel Embiid was caught glancing at the phone). According to Embiid, Johnson was checking his phone because his daughter was ill. The Sixers fined Johnson, as it’s against NBA rules to have a cell phone at a game. Nets 111, Sixers 102

Houston’s James Harden only had to play 33 minutes to post 29 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds in an easily won game against the Utah Jazz. Rockets 122, Jazz 90

In Portland, the Trailblazers snapped a 10-game postseason losing streak with a 104-99 win over the OKC Thunder.

Rounding out the scores:

Bucks 121, Pistons 86

Magic 104, Raptors 101

Celtics 84, Pacers 74

Spurs 101, Nuggets 96

In other NBA news, the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Luke Walton, and are rumored to be considering veterans such as Tyronn Lue and Monty Williams for the spot. Walton wasn’t out of a job for long though, as the Sacramento Kings swooped in quickly and hired Walton to a multi-year head coaching deal.

GOLF

The Masters is underway and after the first round, 25-year old Bryson DeChambeau (ranked #6 in World Golf) and 28-year old Brooks Koepka (ranked #4 in World Golf) lead the pack. It’s the first time two players in their 20’s, and ranked in the top 6, share the leaderboard after any round in one of the Majors. In other Masters news, at 48 years old, Phil Mickelson shot his best first round since 2010 when he won the tournament for the third time, and Tiger Woods shot a steady 70, which is the same score he shot after the first round all three times he won the tournament.

The one thing you won’t see at the Masters is a cell phone. Fans caught with a cell phone will receive a lifetime ban from the event. That means no tweeting, no selfies, just quiet time to walk around and have conversations with other golf enthusiasts (think, opposite of Happy Gilmore).

BASKETBALL

Duke freshman Cam Reddish officially announced he will enter the 2019 NBA draft. Reddish and teammate R.J. Barrett (who also announced he was entering the draft) are both considered top picks. Duke’s superstar, Zion Williamson, hasn’t officially declared he’ll enter the draft yet, but he’s widely expected to be the #1 pick.

BASKETBALL

The NBA regular season wrapped on Wednesday night, and the playoff matchups are set. The Golden State Warriors are the reigning champs and will be looking to win their third consecutive championship (and fourth in five years). Playoff action begins this weekend. Here are the pairings, dates and times:

Eastern Conference

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Detroit Pistons

• Sunday: Pistons at Bucks, 7 (TNT)
• Wednesday: Pistons at Bucks, 8 (NBATV)
• April 20: Bucks at Pistons, 8 (ESPN)
• April 22: Bucks at Pistons, 8 (TNT)
• April 24: Pistons at Bucks*
• April 26: Bucks at Pistons*
• April 28: Pistons at Bucks*

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Orlando Magic

• Saturday: Magic at Raptors, 5 (ESPN)
• Tuesday: Magic at Raptors, 8 (TNT)
• April 19: Raptors at Magic, 7 (ESPN)
• April 21: Raptors at Magic, 7 (TNT)
• April 23: Magic at Raptors*
• April 25: Raptors at Magic*
• April 27: Magic at Raptors*

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

• Saturday: Nets at 76ers, 2:30 (ESPN)
• Monday: Nets at 76ers, 8 (TNT)
• April 18: 76ers at Nets, 8 (TNT)
• April 20: 76ers at Nets, 3 (TNT)
• April 23: Nets at 76ers*
• April 25: 76ers at Nets*
• April 27: Nets at 76ers*

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Indiana Pacers

• Sunday: Pacers at Celtics, 1 (TNT)
• Wednesday: Pacers at Celtics, 7 (TNT)
• April 19: Celtics at Pacers, 8:30 (ABC)
• April 21: Celtics at Pacers, 1 (ABC)
• April 24: Pacers at Celtics*
• April 26: Celtics at Pacers*
• April 28: Pacers at Celtics*

Dwayne Wade played his final game in the NBA on Wednesday night scoring an impressive 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Best buds, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul (nicknamed the Banana Boat crew after a photo surfaced of them on vacation) came to cheer on the future Hall of Famer.

Magic Johnson shocked the sports world when he announced he is stepping down as the Lakers President of Basketball Operations. In announcing his decision, Johnson told reporters he had “more fun” when he was “able to be the big brother and ambassador”. Johnson didn’t tell Lakers owner Jeanie Buss before telling the media. He explained, “Somebody’s going to have to tell my boss because I knew I couldn’t be face-to-face and tell her,” Everyone is wondering how Magic’s resignation affects LeBron James and what it means for coach Luke Walton’s future.

After the Lakers loss to the Portland Trailblazers, and while the team was trying to piece together Magic’s announcement, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine took to the court at 11:00 pm at Staples Center for a pickup game celebrating his 40th birthday.

In other NBA news, Dallas Mavericks future Hall of Famer, Dirk Nowitzki officially announced he is retiring. After Tuesday’s home game Dirk said, “As you guys might expect, this is my last home game. This is obviously super, super emotional, there’s just too many people to really thank… I put you guys on a hell of a ride, with a lot of ups and downs, and you guys always stuck with me and supported me so I appreciate it.”

BASKETBALL

With an 85-77 overtime win over Texas Tech, Virginia becomes the NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion. The win marks a year of redemption for the Cavaliers after last seasons embarrassing loss to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (the first time a #1 seed lost to a #16 seed). After last season’s loss, the team received death threats, and according to UVA’s Kyle Guy, “It was humiliation, embarrassment for ourselves and our families and the program. To be able to redeem all that and get this program something that’s never happened before is all that I could ever want.” Monday’s final started off slowly, but then the teams came alive and battled it out forcing overtime where Virginia surged ahead for the win. Congrats to Virginia for winning their first national championship in school history.

BASEBALL

The Trump administration is rescinding a deal made during the Obama administration allowing Major League Baseball to sign Cuban players without having them defect first (which made them targets for human traffickers). The deal had separated Cuba’s baseball league from the Cuban government, making an agreement with MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation much easier. According to the Treasury Department, “A payment to the Cuban Baseball Federation is a payment to the Cuban government.”

BASKETBALL

It was an exciting weekend of college basketball with Baylor beating Notre Dame to win its third NCAA women’s basketball championship under current coach Kim Mulkey. With the win, Mulkey joins UConn’s Geno Auriemma (with 11 wins) and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt (with 8 wins) to become the third head coach to win more than two national titles. Baylor 82, Notre Dame 81.

In the men’s division, March Madness is almost over with Monday night featuring Virginia vs Texas Tech in the finals. There was a big controversy over the weekend, however, with Virginia’s win over Auburn. With .6 seconds left in the game and Auburn up by 2, the refs called a foul on Auburn’s Samir Doughty. Kyle Guy went to the line and, under immense pressure, made three free throws to win the game 63-62. In addition to the controversial last-second foul, there was also a missed double-dribble violation on Virginia’s Ty Jerome in the last few seconds which would have prevented Guy from going to the foul line. After the game, Guy reflected on the pressure he felt to make the shots and said, “I just literally told myself that we dream of these moments, and to be able to make one happen was special.” He went on to say, “This is the stuff that kids dream of, and I’m just very thankful to be here.”

Virginia will compete with Texas Tech Monday night at 9:20 pm for the National Championship. Neither team has ever won a National Championship, so Monday’s winner will make history.

In other Auburn news, former head coach Tommy Tuberville tweeted he will be running for the US Senate in Alabama against Democratic Senator Doug Jones. Jones won a special election in 2017 and will be running for a full term next year.

BASKETBALL

In a hard fought game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team to victory with an impressive 45 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks (four of which were on the Sixers big man Joel Embiid) and 0 turnover performance. With the win, the Bucks clinch the best record, (59-20), in the NBA for the third time in franchise history. Bucks 128, Sixers 122

In a 108-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the mighty Steph Curry put on a show at Staples Center with his acrobatic behind the back pass to Kevin Durant. The most intriguing part of the game, occurred at the end of the second quarter when Durant and LeBron huddled together whispering behind towels so no one could lip read what they were saying. Many were wondering if LeBron was trying to convince KD to opt out of his contract and join the Lakers at the end of the season. Durant told reporters, “Everybody wants to know what we’re talking about. It wasn’t even that serious. Just laughing and joking and catching up.”

Enjoy the weekend of NCAA Final Four games

In the women’s bracket, watch Baylor vs Oregon at 7:00 pm and Notre Dame vs UConn at 9:00 pm, Friday, April 5th, with the winners playing for the championship on Sunday, April 7th at 6:00 pm.  And, in the men’s bracket, watch Auburn vs Virginia at 6:09 pm and Texas Tech vs Michigan State at 8:49 pm on Saturday, April 6th. The winners will play for the National Championship on Monday, April 8th at 9:00 pm.

WRESTLING

After the Alliance of American Football disbanded this week, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced they would offer tryouts to AAF players for spots in wrestling. WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon intends to launch another alternative football league (XFL) in the spring of 2020, but the tryout offer was only for his wrestling company not for the XFL.

NASCAR

If you tune in to the race at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, you’ll notice a very different looking paint job on driver Tyler Reddick’s Chevy. The defending Xfinity Series champion, Reddick, has a new sponsor; nine-time Grammy Award winner Dolly Parton. Reddick was effusive in speaking about the iconic Parton’s sponsorship. He said, “Dolly is an icon and has had a lot of success in her career, which is something I admire while trying to build my own success in NASCAR. Hopefully, we can take Dolly and the No. 2 Camaro to Victory Lane this weekend in her home state of Tennessee. I think that would be really special for everyone who is a fan of hers.”

BASKETBALL

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected from the court for the second time this week. Wednesday’s ejection was surprising in that it came at just 1:03 minutes into the game against the Denver Nuggets. Popovich is likely feeling the pressure as he’s intent on his team securing the #7 seed vs #8 seed in the playoffs in order to avoid playing the Golden State Warriors. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, “Popovich is the first coach to be ejected within the first two minutes of a game since the late Flip Saunders was excused early in a 2012 game (1:46 in) while head coach of the Washington Wizards.” Nuggets 113, Spurs 85

BASEBALL

Bryce Harper had a memorable return to Washington on Tuesday night. Harper played for the Washington Nationals his whole career (selected in 2010) until he signed a whopping $330 million 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. The Nationals fans booed him throughout the game, but after two early strikeouts, he came back with vengeance. After a couple of hits beginning in the 5th inning, Harper made his big statement in the 8th with a massive 458 ft home-run (and cool looking bat flip). After the game, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said, “It was pretty powerful, for him to do what he did tonight. In the dugout, (the booing) made us all want to step up and support Bryce.” Phillies 8, Nationals 2