The Celtics and Thunder collapsed in stunning fashion
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🏀 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE NEW YORK KNICKS AND THE DENVER NUGGETS
Underestimate the underdogs at your own risk. The Knicks rallied from 20 points down to stun the Celtics, 108-105, in overtime, and Aaron Gordon made a 3-pointer with less than three seconds left as the Nuggets finished on a 15-4 run to shock the Thunder, 121-119.
The Knicks’ blockbuster offseason moves were made with the Celtics in mind, and through one game, it’s so far, so good.
- OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson scored 29 apiece with 23 and 20, respectively, after halftime. Brunson, the Clutch Player of the Year, lived up to that honor with eight points in a 72-second span late in the fourth quarter.
- It was Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, though, who stole the show in overtime. Anunoby had an and-one dunk on Jayson Tatum to give New York the lead in the extra session, and Bridges followed that up with a 3. Bridges also ripped the ball away from Jaylen Brown on the game’s final possession.
- New York’s other two starters — Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart — finished with double-doubles, and Miles McBride had 11 points off the bench.
- Boston shot 15 for 60 (25%) from 3, the 45 misses an NBA playoff record.
We’ll get to Boston in a bit, but what a comeback from New York. Anunoby and Bridges were the long, athletic wings acquired to lock down Tatum and Brown, and they did just that. Both Celtics stars scored 23, but they combined to shoot just 14 for 43 (33%). Towns battled foul trouble but had a huge overtime tip-in and was crucial on the boards. And Brunson … well, we all know about his late-game mastery.
The late-game mastery in Oklahoma City belonged to Gordon, who now has two game-winning shots this postseason, the other a buzzer-beating dunk against the Clippers. Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and I thought the last possession was a perfect encapsulation of Denver’s progress from two key players. Russell Westbrook, who has found his stride as a role player, made the pass, and Gordon, a career 32% 3-point shooter entering this season before making 44% this year, nailed the shot.
Oh yeah, it helps when Nikola Jokić posts 42 points, 22 rebounds and six assists, just the fifth 40/20/5 postseason game ever.
The Nuggets were left for dead when they fired their coach and GM days before the playoffs and then again facing Oklahoma City in the second round and playing Game 1 on one day’s rest. They’ve immediately proved those notions misconceived.
😁 Honorable mentions
🏀 And not such a good morning for …
THE BOSTON CELTICS AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
I’d bet good money we won’t see the Celtics miss 45 3-pointers again. Again, it had never happened before in the playoffs.
But it’s not the misses. It’s how they missed, their misfires a product of static, lackadaisical offense, Brad Botkin writes.
It’s also not just the misses but the breakdowns on both ends, James Herbert writes.
- Herbert: “If Game 1 was indeed a test of discipline, then Boston failed it spectacularly. … The Celtics could have survived the historically terrible shooting performance, though, if they’d simply gotten out of their own way. … Joe Mazzulla lamented that they’d ‘left some of their good shooters open’ and allowed the Knicks to find easy baskets in transition and after offensive rebounds. He told reporters that they had to be better at the ‘detail stuff.'”
As for Oklahoma City, everyone will question Mark Daigneault‘s late-game fouling strategy, but the Thunder also simply need better games from Jalen Williams (16 points on 5 for 20 shooting) and Chet Holmgren.
Not so honorable mentions
- LeBron James couldn’t attend the Met Gala due to his knee injury. He was this year’s Honorary Chair.
- Is a “Tush Push” ban coming soon?
- Could this be the Celtics’ last run together?
- Michigan suspended coach Sherrone Moore two games for his involvement in the Connor Stalions scandal. He’ll miss the Wolverines’ Week 3 game against Central Michigan and Week 4 game against Nebraska. And with this, Tom Fornelli says it’s time to move on.
- Three Cavaliers — Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter and Darius Garland — are questionable for tonight. Atkinson said Mobley and Hunter’s injuries are due to “excessive” physicality by the Pacers.
- Devin Bush was arrested for alleged assault but denied physical wrongdoing.
🏈 Ravens release Justin Tucker, cite ‘football decisions’
Sunday, John Harbaugh said any decision regarding Justin Tucker would be “based on football.” Monday, the Ravens released their longtime star kicker, with GM Eric DeCosta indeed citing “football decisions” based on “our current roster.”
- Sixteen massage therapists from eight different Baltimore-area spas accused Tucker of sexually inappropriate behavior early in 2025.
- Initially, six women came forward Jan. 30. Three more came forward Feb. 1, and seven more came forward in mid-February. Their allegations include Tucker exposing his genitals and making inappropriate contact with the therapists. The incidents reportedly occurred between 2012 and 2016
- Tucker, 35, denied the claims, calling them “unequivocally false” and “desperate tabloid fodder.”
- An undrafted free agent in 2012, Tucker had spent his entire career with Baltimore, making seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro first teams and the 2010 All-Decade team. He struggled in 2024, though, making just 22 of 30 (73%) of his field goals.
Baltimore drafted kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round picks, stars so far
After a thrilling first round, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are into the second round without skipping a beat: The Maple Leafs beat the Panthers 5-4 in Game 1 of their series, with two early William Nylander goals helping Toronto get off to a strong start and a late Matthew Knies tally helping hold of Florida’s rally.
Two more series — Capitals-Hurricanes and Golden Knights-Oilers — start tonight, and Jets-Stars begins tomorrow. Our hockey experts Chris Bengel and Austin Nivison made their picks for all four series, and both have Las Vegas-Edmonton going the distance.
- Bengel: “Whenever a team has superstar forwards like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, scoring opportunities are always going to be quite plentiful. Still, the Oilers’ Achilles heel has always seemed to be the goaltending position. Pick — Golden Knights def. Oilers 4-3“
- Nivison: “On paper, the Golden Knights should be up to the challenge, but Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin had some very uneven performances against the Wild. If that trend continues, McDavid and Draisaitl will feast again. … This could turn into a surprisingly high-scoring series. If it does, it’s tough to bet against McDavid and the Oilers. Pick — Oilers def. Golden Knights 4-3“
Chris also selected his three stars of the first round.
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Who goes through in Inter-Barcelona?
After an epic 3-3 first leg last week, Barcelona and Inter battle for a spot in the UEFA Champions League final today in Milan, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
There are plenty of storylines, potentially none bigger than who will actually be available, with injuries to Inter’s Lauturo Martinez and Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski looming large. Here’s the latest news as well as Francesco Porzio’s projected starting XIs.
After a blistering first leg, Lamine Yamal has another chance to add to his burgeoning megastardom. Francesco named the 17-year-old the one player who must step up for the Catalonians.
- Porzio: “He scored a stunning goal, bringing his team back after the two goals scored by the guests. With Lewandowski still in doubt to make it in the starting lineup, the pressure will be on Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. With 15 goals scored and 24 assists provided up to now during the season, this FC Barcelona side can’t make it without their most talented player on the roster.”
So, who’s headed to the final at the end of the month? Our expert predictions and best bets are in, and they’re nearly evenly split.
🏈 College football top 25, post-spring ball edition
College football rosters are ever-changing, but with spring ball mostly in the rearview and top transfers off the market, Brandon Marcello has sorted through the carnage and produced his post-spring top 25. Here’s the top five:
- Ohio State
- Texas
- Penn State
- Clemson
- Georgia
If you’re still trying to figure out which players ended up where, Chip Patterson reviewed the top moves of the transfer portal.
📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
⚽ Inter vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Pacers at Cavaliers (Pacers lead 1-0), 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Hurricanes at Capitals Game 1, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Padres at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Warriors at Timberwolves Game 1, 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Oilers at Golden Knights Game 1, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
