Just when you think you have it figured out, the sports world can be full of surprises. Horse racing, the hockey and basketball playoffs, and even the Billboard Music Awards had some unexpected outcomes, leaving us saying not so fast…
Kesha, still embroiled in a legal dispute, told Sony and Dr. Luke not so fast to shutting her down as she covered Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” at the Billboard Awards on Sunday. Madonna paid tribute to Prince, who was not only a musical legend, but also a pretty good athlete according to Charlie Murphy.
National Basketball Association (NBA)
The Eastern Conference Finals looked like a complete mismatch as the Cleveland Cavaliers destroyed the Toronto Raptors in the first two games of their series, leading many to predict a sweep.
Not so fast, though. The Raptors displayed Canadian pride, and like Britney Spears, showed they still have some game, beating back the Cavs on Saturday. The Raptors, kept up the momentum Monday night winning 105-99 behind 67 points from their All Star backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. The series is tied 2-2 and returns to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Amazingly, if the Cavs win the series, LeBron James will advance to his sixth straight NBA finals (four with the Miami Heat and the last two with the Cavs).
In the West Finals, the competition is fierce, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors are in a dogfight. The Warriors split the first two games at home versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder then embarrassed the Warriors 133-105 on Sunday, displaying impressive, Pink-like acrobatics.
The Thunder were led by their two mega-stars Kevin Durant (33 points and eight rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (30 points and 12 assists). OKC leads the series 2-1, with the next game Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. Don’t write the Warriors off just yet as they set the NBA regular season record with 73 wins and haven’t lost back-to-back games all season.
National Hockey League (NHL)
The NHL Finals (aka the Stanley Cup Finals) are right around the corner.
In the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning scored just 53 seconds into overtime on Sunday to win 4-3 and now lead their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. The Lightning are just one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals, despite playing without their starting goalie, Ben Bishop and captain, Steven Stamkos.
No ordinary Joes…In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks beat the St Louis Blues 6-3 on Monday and are one game away from their first Stanley Cup Finals leading the series 3-2. A pair of Super Joes spearhead the Sharks attack: Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton.
Tennis
Tennis, s’il vous plait. The French Open, the second of the four tennis Grand Slams, and the only one played on clay, began in Paris Sunday.
Men’s #1 ranked player, Novak Djokovic, is dominating tennis like The Weeknd dominated the Billboard awards (with 8 trophies). The Djoker has won four of the last five Slams, but a title at Roland Garros has eluded him. Ironman and former world #1 ranked player Roger Federer withdrew because of a lingering back injury. The last time Feds, 34, missed a Grand Slam was in August 1999, when Cher’s “Believe” was topping the Billboard charts.
In the Women’s draw Serena Williams is the #1 seed and seeking her third French Open title in six years.
Major League Baseball (MLB)
Turnaround time. The baseball season is roughly one-quarter over and there have been several surprises, led by the Philadelphia Phillies at 25-20. The Phillies had the worst record in baseball last season (63-99) but this year are competing with the powerhouse Washington Nationals and New York Mets for first place in the National League East.
Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Cano is starring in one of the best comeback stories of the season. With Jay-Z as his agent, Cano left the New York Yankees to sign a 10-year $240 million contract in Seattle a couple years ago, and has since disappointed in the Northwest. Was something fishy for Cano in Seattle? Possibly, but all of a sudden he’s come out on fire in 2016 and is among the America League leaders in home runs and runs batted in.
Horse Racing
No Exaggeration…The second leg of the horse racing Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, was run in the mud Saturday and Exaggerator won the race. The horse was 0-4 leading up to the Preakness versus Nyquist, the favorite and Kentucky Derby winner. The rematch will take place in three weeks at the Belmont Stakes in New York.
Golf
Not welcome here…The British Open (aka The Open) organizers last week announced that the tournament would no longer be held at Muirfield, a course that has hosted the event 16 times. Why you ask? Because the club voted to keep women out. Yes, in 2016. While 64% of members voted to admit women, they did not meet the required two-thirds majority needed to modify the policy. #TakingMyTournamentElsewhere
Also This Week
In a Memorial Day weekend tradition, the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place Sunday. You can watch live with 300,000 friends at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or catch the race on ABC.
Remember at TINK Sports we watch the games so you don’t have to.
See you next time…
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