This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thank you so much for rocking with us. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time today. I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
I certainly did. This was legitimately one of the most entertaining weekends in sports I can remember.
- The NBA had two epic Game 7s: The Knicks ran out of gas and bodies to play. The Nuggets ran out of championship mettle. While you were sleeping, Denver had one of the most epic collapses we’ve ever seen, blowing a 20-point lead on its home court to send the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.
- The Panthers are rolling: Speaking of championship mettle, it feels like the Panthers might have something cooking here. Florida knocked off Boston to move on to the Conference Finals where they’ll see the Rangers, who have looked incredible this postseason. We’re about to get an amazing series, folks.
- NASCAR had a brawl: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch got into an old-fashioned slobber knocker after the two got wrecked on Lap 2 of Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Series race. No, I can’t believe it either.
- The Preakness happened: Sieze the Grey (9-1 odds) completely stole the show at the Preakness Stakes from Mystik Dan, who seemed so close to continuing that elusive Triple Crown journey that no horse has accomplished since Justify in 2018.
- Xander Schauffele played the best major ever: It’s Schauffele’s first major win ever and, boy, did he grab it by the horns. His 21-under score held off Bryson DeChambeau, who might’ve had the best performance of his career at the tournament, too. All this happened and Scottie Scheffler getting arrested is still probably the lead story of the tourney.
What a weekend, folks. I was legitimately on the edge of my seat for all of it.
And they say the sports calendar dies after March Madness. TUH. I hope you didn’t miss out.
The rise of the Timberwolves
I’ve struggled to categorize yesterday’s Game 7 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.
Yes, it feels like an epic collapse from the former champions. Denver had a 20-point lead in the 3rd quarter on its home floor in an elimination game with the best player in the world on its team. That’s a game you should win 12 times out of 10.
But, yo. The Timberwolves snatched that game from Denver’s hands. Minnesota never gave up. It fought until it made its epic 54-24 run to end Denver’s season and break Michael Malone. The Wolves took that win from the Nuggets just as much as Denver gave it away.
Minnesota hasn’t won anything yet, obviously — and I’m not saying it will! — but that’s what championship mettle looks like. This team just…isn’t supposed to have it. That’s what’s so confounding.
The Wolves haven’t made it beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2004. To go from that to making the Conference Finals is unfounded in the NBA. Usually there’s a process. We’re used to seeing teams take steps, as Yahoo! Sports’ Vincent Goodwill writes here.
Not this one. Minnesota is here now and ready to win it all.
Drake has to be having the worst month ever
Getting sonned by Kendrick Lamar is one thing. Blowing $565,000 on Tyson Fury is another. Drake is taking all sorts of Ls.
“Kendrick Lamar might have won his high-profile rap battle with Drake thanks to the timing of his release of meet the grahams, which completely stepped on Drake’s release of Family Matters mere hours earlier.
But some of the lyrics of that song are appearing to be just as true as they are searing.
After Lamar twice claimed Drake had a gambling addiction in the song, a $565,000 bet the Canadian rapper just lost on Sunday’s heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk didn’t help to prove Lamar wrong.”
Maybe Kendrick was right. Keep the family away. The Drake curse is back.
Quick hits: Poor Spike Lee … Reggie Miller hates NYK … and more
— The Pacers are flexing on Spike Lee and the Knicks with this video of him being absolutely miserable after the loss. Here’s Andrew Joseph with more.
— Speaking of trolling the Knicks, Reggie Miller is in on the fun, too. Here’s Mary Clarke with more.
— Max Homa teasing Scottie Scheffler on getting arrested is hilarious. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— I still can’t get over this foul that ended the Thunder’s season. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.
— Caitlin Clark’s first 3 WNBA games probably aren’t as bad as you think.
— Kelsey Plum’s reaction to this Kate Martin block is the best. Mitch Northam has more.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Check back in tomorrow for more. Peace. We out.
-Sykes ✌️