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🏀 Five things to know Wednesday
- The NBA Finals tip off tonight. We made it to the final series of the season. The Spurs and Knicks open the Finals tonight in San Antonio, and we identified the 10 most important storylines that will determine which squad takes home the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Taking things further than the X’s and O’s, we also took a deep dive into how both teams were built — and why their roster construction might be impossible to replicate. Will history repeat itself and see the Spurs take down New York like they did in 1999? Or will the surprisingly likeable Knicks snap a championship drought that dates back to 1973? We’ll find out starting tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.
- The Golden Knights hold a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. It took just 25 seconds for the Hurricanes to draw first blood when Nikolaj Ehlers netted the fastest goal in a Game 1 since 1976. Carolina even extended its lead to as large as 3-1. But Vegas flipped the contest on its head with three straight scores, and with 3:24 to play, Tomas Hertl scored what proved to be a crowd-silencing game-winner. The 5-4 victory puts the Golden Knights in the driver’s seat and flips home-ice advantage. Here’s the remaining schedule.
- Drake London and Nick Herbig agreed to massive contract extensions. Two teams are about to lock up key assets for the long haul. London and the Falcons came to terms on a deal that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers, while Herbig is in line to earn $100 million and likely surge into a full-time starting role with the Steelers. Atlanta might not be done, by the way, with Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts awaiting lucrative extensions of their own.
- FIFA confirmed the 48 World Cup rosters. The roster submission deadline passed on June 1, and FIFA confirmed every squad yesterday to set the stage for kickoff. Now that we know everyone who will take the field later this month, here are some quick facts. First, this will be the oldest World Cup on record with Cristiano Ronaldo headlining the players aged 40 or older. There is also a record number of MLS players in the field this year, and none are more notable than Lionel Messi. Take a look at some other superlatives as we break down the squads by the numbers. And lastly, our World Cup power rankings feature a couple of changes following the roster announcements and recent tune-up results.
- Texas and Texas Tech begin their battle for a softball title tonight. Only two teams remain alive in the Women’s College World Series, and both hail from the Lone Star State. They are also the exact two teams that squared off in the finals last year. It is a rivalry showdown in the championship series, which opens tonight at 8 p.m. ET and pits the reigning champion Longhorns against NiJaree Canady and the contending Red Raiders.
⛳ Do not miss this: 2026 Memorial Tournament picks, predictions
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Only two signature events remain on the PGA Tour calendar this year. The first of those is just hours away as play begins tomorrow morning at the 50th Memorial Tournament. Scottie Scheffler is the two-time reigning champion and seeks to become the 17th player in tour history to complete a three-peat, and you can watch him push for history when the third and fourth rounds air Saturday and Sunday on CBS and Paramount+.
Scheffler boasts the shortest odds to win the Memorial. Our Patrick McDonald is not overthinking things. He’s taking the world No. 1 to win for the third straight year.
- McDonald: “Oftentimes with Scheffler, if it feels like a win is coming, then it is most definitely arriving. He comes in following a third-place finish at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson where he putted beautifully in what was his fourth podium result in his last five tournaments. Muirfield Village is a happy hunting ground for the world No. 1 and a Scheffler-like iron performance should give him a good chance to shake Nicklaus’ hand for the third straight year.”
Find out who McDonald thinks is the biggest challenger to Scheffler, and check out his sleeper pick, who enters the tournament with 60-1 odds to win.
⚾ Winners, losers from NCAA baseball regionals
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The college baseball postseason is one of my favorite times of year. The unpredictability of the NCAA Tournament is unmatched, and the 2026 version is already off to a historically chaotic start. If you like upsets, college baseball is the sport for you. Over the first four days of the tournament, we saw the No. 1 and No. 2 overall seeds tumble out of the bracket, while Little Rock and St. John’s pulled off two all-time great stunners.
I tabbed UCLA as the biggest loser from the regional round after the Bruins became the fifth No. 1 overall seed since tournament expansion in 1999 to fail to reach the super regionals. On the other hand, let me explain why lower-seeded teams were clear winners.
- Multiple No. 4 seeds won their regionals for the first time in tournament history.
- No. 3 and No. 4 seeds combined for 14 wins on Friday, good for the second-most on a tournament’s opening day.
- The four No. 4 seeds to reach regional finals matched the most since 1999.
Super regionals begin on Friday, and I’ll release my picks for every series tomorrow.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
🎾 French Open, quarterfinals, 5 a.m. on TNT
⚾ Marlins at Nationals or Tigers at Rays, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ White Sox at Twins, 1:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Mets at Mariners, 3:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Orioles at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Rangers at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup: Tempo at Liberty, 8 p.m. on USA Network
🥎 WCWS Final: Texas Tech vs. Texas, Game 1, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 NBA Finals: Knicks at Spurs, Game 1, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup: Mercury at Storm, 10 p.m. on USA Network
Article Originally Posted Here.