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Good morning! Avoid overtime today.
Beautiful Stress: 1.6 seconds and a dream
I’ve always believed that, mentally, the road team in a Game 7 is actually the favorite. Unless we’re in the finals, a home team should theoretically never see a Game 7; it’s the whole purpose of home-field/court/ice advantage. The pressure is on the favorite to not screw it up.
We had two Game 7s yesterday across both hockey and hoops, and though we had a split result — one home win, one away win — I still think my theory holds true. Let’s start on the ice, which was the better game by far:
- In Winnipeg, it was the NHL-best Jets with backs nearly through the wall in a Game 7 against the wily Blues. St. Louis literally led in the final seconds, then this happened:
🚨 TIE GAME 🚨
WINNIPEG SCORES WITH 1.6 LEFT.
🎥 @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/0zVWu5KDFA
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 5, 2025
- Take note of that time on the clock there: 1.6 seconds left in the game when Cole Perfetti ricocheted a shot into the net. The entire season rode on that, and then nearly two full overtimes later — double-OT playoff hockey, arguably the most nerve-wracking reality in all of sports — Adam Lowry’s deflection pushed the Jets through to the next round. (Lowry is a St. Louis native, too. Ouch.)
It was an unbelievable game that had me standing four feet in front of my TV with my hands on my head, with no rooting interest on either side. Winnipeg moves on to play Dallas, which used some home Game 7 magic of its own in the first round. And less than two seconds away from an away Game 7 win. Fun series.
Troy Taormina / Imagn Images
Proving the road Game 7 theory? Steph Curry and the Warriors, who pushed past the Rockets in Houston, 103-89. Curry scored 19 second-half points after a bad first half. Buddy Hield poured in 33.
This felt like a real vets-vs.-rookies moment, where a young, talented Rockets team simply wasn’t ready for the Game 7 moment. Curry’s been doing this for a decade. The Warriors now get one whole day of rest before playing the Timberwolves in Minnesota in what should be a fantastic second-round matchup.
- We also had a minor shock elsewhere: The Pacers upended the top-seeded Cavaliers in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, as the Cavs fell prey to the whims of Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard. Cleveland had no answer for a 3-point barrage, and it’s easy to wonder if the Cavs are in real trouble.
Let’s keep it on the basketball court:
News to Know
Clark’s ear-shattering return
A very cool thing the WNBA is doing right now: having its teams play preseason games in select college arenas, largely where its star players already have an adoring fan base. Yesterday’s event was top billing: Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa, where the Fever trounced the Brazilian national team by 64 points. More important were the decibels, 117 of them, roared by the home fans for the 23-year-old who already has her Hawkeye jersey retired. Scott Dochterman has more from a wild scene.
Scottie shot what?
Scottie Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson yesterday, a feat that’s not surprising on its own. Scheffler is the world’s best golfer right now who won seven times last year. No, it was him finishing at 31-under par in a wire-to-wire victory, and his four-day total of 253 tied the record for the lowest ever on the PGA Tour. He won by eight strokes. Gabby Herzig further explained the “video game” performance. I’m not even that good on PGA2K25.
In London, an outlier
The London City Lionesses are headed to the Women’s Super League after securing a promotion yesterday, making it the lone independent club set to play in the WSL next season — all others are attached to a Premier League team. London City is owned by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, who bought the club two years ago with the express intent of making the WSL. Read more on the historic day.
More news
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What to Watch
📺 NBA: Knicks at Celtics
7 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Our flashiest playoff matchup so far, though I’m curious how close this series will actually be. Boston is an extreme matchup problem for New York, which admirably survived a physical series against the Pistons. Can’t fall too far behind last year’s champ, Knicks. More on this game in a scroll.
📺 NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Toronto did well enough surviving the Battle of Ontario in six games, but the real challenge is here. The defending champs head north, full of vim and vigor, intent on making a team with playoff trouble its prey. This will be fun.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
It’s easy to forget about Brad Stevens, who left his role as Celtics coach four years ago to instead run the entire organization. He has helped build a dynastic operation in his image. Jay King found out how his Butler blueprint guided an NBA juggernaut.
Our NFL beat writers pinpointed each team’s best value pick in the draft. Yes, Shedeur Sanders is on the list.
David Ubben read Bill Belichick’s new book and has a full report. Insightful, fun … but not exactly a tell-all.
Dan Mullen will tell you he could’ve worked at ESPN for another 20 years. So why did he leave for UNLV of all places? Christopher Kamrani paid him a visit.
Is European soccer ready for championship rings? The shift is starting.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut hasn’t been exactly smooth, which was ever-present as he sassed his team over the radio yesterday.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Gregg Popovich’s four lessons on leadership.
Most-read on the website yesterday: USMNT legend Carli Lloyd was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame yesterday and … took the opportunity to apologize to her teammates.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)