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🏀 Good morning to everybody however particularly to …

DAMIAN LILLARD AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a strained calf, the buck stopped with Damian Lillard in Milwaukee because the 2024 NBA playoffs started. On Sunday, Lillard set the tone within the Bucks‘ 109-94 Recreation 1 win over the Pacers.

Upset-minded Indiana got here into Fiserv Discussion board hoping to catch the host Bucks with out their two-time MVP within the lineup. Nevertheless, Lillard made positive these desires had been dashed relatively shortly. Lillard exploded for 35 factors within the first half and helped Milwaukee take a 17-point lead into the locker room at intermission.

After scoring 19 factors within the first body, Lillard walked off the courtroom telling the group, “That is what y’all introduced me right here for.” Certainly. Lillard would finish the primary half with 35 factors, setting a franchise playoff document, however he went scoreless within the second half. Nevertheless it did not matter — the Bucks nursed their 69-42 halftime result in the straightforward win.

The Bucks are hopeful that Antetokounmpo can return sooner or later within the playoffs, but when Lillard retains throwing up practically three dozen factors within the first half, the 2021 Finals MVP can take his time.

👍 Honorable mentions

🏀 🏒 And never such morning for …

ROAD PLAYOFF TEAMS

They are saying house is the place the guts is, and it is apparently the place all of the wins are too. This weekend’s sequence openers within the NBA and NHL playoffs led to a 0-14 mark for the highway groups.

Within the NBA, highway groups went 0-8 and suffered a median margin of defeat of 13.3 factors. With an opportunity to take a 1-0 sequence lead over the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers, the Mavericks laid an egg in a 109-97 loss. Oddly, the closest NBA recreation of the weekend noticed the No. 8 seed Pelicans, with out Zion Williamson, take the top-seeded Thunder right down to the wire. CJ McCollum missed a three-pointer on the buzzer that might have given New Orleans a surprising Recreation 1 win.

Within the NHL, the highway groups had been typically extra aggressive, however the outcomes had been the identical. Visiting golf equipment scored a mixed 13 objectives on the weekend, and 6 of these got here in a shedding effort by the Avalanche. However maybe probably the most discouraging efficiency was that of the good Alex Ovechkin, who did not register a lot as a shot on aim in opposition to the Rangers within the Captials‘ 4-1 loss.

All these highway groups have now dug themselves an early postseason gap, and so they could need to contemplate asking the lodge for some new sheets or softer pillows.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏎 Reddick wins amid chaotic end at Talladega

NASCAR was in Talladega for the GEICO 500 on Sunday, and the marquee race did not disappoint. Your complete race was turned on its head on the ultimate lap, and Tyler Reddick was in a position to steal the sixth win of his Cup profession with mayhem unfolding round him.

On the ultimate lap, race chief Michael McDowell was going through some severe strain from Brad Keselowski, and he was determined to stay in entrance of the pack. Sadly, that desperation value these two drivers and some others who had been jockeying for place down the stretch.

McDowell went from excessive to low as he tried to dam Keselowski and hold him in his rearview mirror when Keselowski’s No. 6 automotive clipped the again of McDowell’s No. 34. McDowell went spinning out, chaos ensued and Reddick capitalized. With vehicles flailing throughout him, Reddick’s No. 45 automotive emerged from the pack unscatched. Reddick hit the accelerator and blew by Keselowski on the final second to choose up an enormous win for himself and 23XI racing.

• Reddick was among the many 23 completely different drivers to carry a lead sooner or later in the course of the GEICO 500.
• Reddick’s late push represented the 72nd and last lead change of the day.
• That is the second consecutive Talladega race by which there have been 70 or extra lead modifications.

The legend himself, Michael Jordan, was in attendance for one in every of his staff’s wins for the primary time.

As for McDowell, it was a irritating end for him after main extra laps than every other driver (36). His six factors within the Cup standings are little comfort for a devastating final lap.

⚾ Ohtani passes Matsui in MLB document books

Because it seems, Shohei Ohtani is fairly good at hitting the baseball a good distance. On Sunday, Ohtani turned the most prolific Japanese slugger in MLB historical past, passing former Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui within the course of.

Within the third inning of the Dodgers‘ 10-0 drubbing of the Mets, Ohtani hammered his fifth residence run of the season off Adrian Houser into the suitable subject bleachers at Dodger Stadium.

That was the 176th residence run of Ohtani’s MLB profession, and that set the document for probably the most homers hit by a Japanese-born participant in MLB historical past. That pushed him previous Matsui, who smacked 175 dingers in his 10-year profession.

To make Ohtani’s historic feat much more spectacular, he wanted roughly 60% of the plate appearances as Matsui to hit 176 homers. Matsui hit 175 round-trippers in 5,066 plate appearances. Ohtani wanted simply 2,979 plate appearances to move him.

Oddly sufficient, Ohtani’s 5 residence runs this season put him second all-time amongst Japanese-born Dodgers. The individual he is chasing down? His supervisor, Dave Roberts, who hit seven profession residence runs in 302 video games with the Dodgers.

⚾ Separating contenders from pretenders in MLB

The MLB season continues to be younger, and everybody continues to be attempting to separate the pretenders from the contenders. That is the case with the Guardians, a staff that has some skeptics regardless of its 16-6 document.

In his newest CBS Sports activities MLB Energy Rankings, Matt Snyder reluctantly positioned the Guardians within the prime 5, regardless of his doubts about their personnel. Snyder explains his questions on Cleveland’s resume, which does not precisely embrace many wins in opposition to assassin’s row.

• Snyder: “First off, they’re 6-1 in opposition to the A’s. I do know the A’s aren’t as atrocious as final yr, however they are not baseball staff, both. The Guardians are additionally 2-1 in opposition to the hapless White Sox, which means half of their wins are in opposition to two of the worst groups in baseball.”

With 140 video games left this season, there may be nonetheless loads of time for the Guardians to point out that they actually do belong on this listing. However, for now, their sizzling begin has given them a spot in our weekly prime 5:

1. Atlanta Braves (14-6)
2. Baltimore Orioles (15-7)
3. New York Yankees (15-7)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (14-8)
5. Cleveland Guardians (16-6)

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏀 Recreation 2: Magic at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏒 Recreation 2: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Recreation 2: 76ers at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏒 Recreation 2: Islanders at Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Recreation 1: Golden Knights at Stars, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾️ Mets at Giants, 9:45 p.m. on ESPN+
🏀 Recreation 2: Lakers at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏒 Recreation 1: Kings at Oilers, 10 p.m. on ESPN2