May 27, 2022

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Automotive racing is gearing up for a massive Sunday [[link removed]]: F1’s Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 will all run on the same day.

Warriors’ Run of Finals Appearances Rivals Jordan’s Bulls [[link removed]]

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a few rocky, injury-riddled seasons, the Warriors’ NBA dynasty never really died — a testament to the superior organization behind Steve Kerr’s squad.

On Thursday, Golden State clinched its sixth NBA Finals in the last eight years, the first team to do so since Michael Jordan’s invincible ‘90s Bulls.

Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have formed the core for each Finals run, but injuries have sidelined or hampered them in crucial moments, and Kevin Durant didn’t last long. But the front office compensated with a mini-reboot of the NBA’s highest payroll ($179M) until the core trio were intact.

GS traded Durant for D’Angelo Russell — then flipped Russell for 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins ($31.6M).The Dubs accumulated a ton of picks, none more crucial than Jordan Poole (18.4 PPG), who should earn a big extension [[link removed]] this summer.Wiggins and Poole both broke out while Thompson — whose absences were fatal in two Finals — recovered from ACL and Achilles injuries.

Now, with their original trio back and the supporting cast still clicking, the Warriors could be unbeatable.

Curry ($45.8M) won [[link removed]] the inaugural Western Conference Finals MVP behind 25.9 PPG in the postseason, Green ($24M) is [[link removed]] forcing opponents to 38.3% shooting, and Thompson ($38M) has three 30-point postseason games for the first time since 2016.

Led by Kerr ($8.7M), who has won 21 of his 23 playoff series in the Bay, the Warriors are back where they belong — four wins away from a fourth title in eight years.

Liverpool Are No Longer Europe’s Underdogs [[link removed]]

UEFA Champions League

Attempting to win their second Champions League title in four years Saturday, Liverpool are clearly one of Europe’s elite clubs — but it still feels like the Reds are playing with a chip on their shoulder.

The reason could be a pair of recent setbacks at the hands of Premier League rivals Manchester City [[link removed]].

The Sky Blues won the EPL title on the final day of the season — denying Liverpool an ultra-rare English quadruple. Then, City’s Kevin de Bruyne won Player of the Season over Mohamed Salah, despite the latter co-leading in goals with Tottenham’s Son Hyung-Min (23) and being first in assists (13).

But with their foreseeable future secured, the Reds won’t feel inferior in the final against Spanish titans Real Madrid.

Salah recently [[link removed]] committed to play next season in the final year of his approximately $252,000/week contract, amid ongoing extension talks.Manager Jurgen Klopp [[link removed]] recently extended through 2026.Liverpool’s defensive core — Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson Becker — are locked in with multiyear deals.

There’s at least one question mark this offseason: Forward Sadio Mane, who said [[link removed]] he’ll reveal his future plans after the final, has been linked to Bayern Munich.

But for American owners Fenway Sports Group, a second European Cup with Liverpool (+105 favorites) would be just the latest proof of the firm’s reputation for revitalizing legendary franchises.

The holding company, led by John Henry, famously took the Boston Red Sox to a long-awaited World Series title in 2004 — and will now attempt to work its magic on the Pittsburgh Penguins [[link removed]] and a potential NBA team [[link removed]].

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From buttery soft t-shirts and polos to stretch-fit joggers, everything [[link removed]] CUTS creates delivers a blend of performance, comfort, and work-appropriate style that you can’t find anywhere else.

Even Giannis and Rob Gronkowski trust CUTS for their game-day outfits. Not too shabby.

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Leon Draisaitl Big Reason Oilers Back in Western Final [[link removed]]

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

While Oilers captain Connor McDavid dominates highlight reels as the NHL postseason’s most dynamic player, teammate Leon Draisaitl is quietly racking up points right beside him.

Draisaitl notched four assists Thursday — including the lone helper on McDavid’s OT winner — in a 5-4 victory over the Flames that put the Oilers in their first Western Conference Finals since 2006.

The dynamic duo lead the playoffs with seven goals and 19 assists each — the kind of next-level production Edmonton envisioned when it locked in the young stars through 2024-25.

McDavid (25) inked an eight-year, $100M extension in 2017, with Draisaitl (26) re-upping for six years, $68M shortly after.Draisaitl is the seventh player to record 26-plus points through the first 12 games of a postseason, joining McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, and Rick Middleton.Draisaitl’s 17 second-round points equal Middleton for most through five games of an NHL playoff series.The German is the fourth-fastest to reach 50 career postseason points (32 games) behind Gretzky (23), Barry Pederson (28), and Lemieux (29).

With the Battle of Alberta behind them, the Oilers await the winner of the Avalanche-Blues series — Colorado leads 3-2 with Game 6 on Friday (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

But despite co-leading in postseason scoring, Draisaitl is only T-14 (+4000) to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (+330) is first, with McDavid (+500) right behind.

Edmonton has the fourth-best odds (+500) to capture its first Stanley Cup in 32 years.

Making Headlines

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

MLB: The Yankees signed infielder Matt Carpenter and immediately played him in Thursday’s 7-2 win over the Rays; the veteran will be paid $1 million while in the majors and $200,000 while in the minors.

NBA: Nikola Jokic reportedly [[link removed]] told the Nuggets he’s committed to the organization long-term; the MVP is eligible for a $260 million max extension this summer. Also: Warriors guard Gary Payton II could return as soon as Game 1 of the NBA Finals, per Shams Charania [[link removed]]; Payton hasn’t played since fracturing his elbow in Game 2 of the second round.

NCAAB: Five-star forward Elijah Fisher committed to Texas Tech; Fisher chose the Red Raiders over Kentucky, Louisville, and Memphis.

NHL: The Hurricanes became the first [[link removed]] team in league history to open the postseason with 12 consecutive contests where the home team won; Carolina beat the Rangers 3-1 on Thursday for a 3-2 series lead.

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Written by Anthony Puccio [[link removed]], Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Chris Kuc [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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