Good Morning, Stumpers!

Two words for you: WOW! The Knicks shocked the Basketball world last night with a 20-point comeback on the road in their OT win against the Celtics, we’re in for a helluva series! On top of that, we have more basketball to review, some baseball, and a story from the NFL. A lot to talk about today! Let’s roll!

[ 12:30 AM: OH. MY. GOD. Not mentioning what the Nuggets just did to end that game would not be right! WILD GAME-WINNER FROM AARON GORDON! WOW! ]

Today’s Rundown

What’s in today’s edition?

• 🏀 Knicks Shock Boston! Nuggets Say Hold My Beer!

• ⚾️ News After Scary Fall at PNC Park

• 🏈 Ravens Cut Ties With Tucker Amidst Allegations

• 💡 A Quote From None Other Than…Buddha!

On This Day

On This Day…

🍩 Doughnutgate In the NHL

In a world of coaches and players getting after the referees, I don’t think I’ve heard one as good as this.

On this day in 1988, NJ Devils head coach Jim Schoenfeld tells referee Don Koharski to ‘eat another doughnut you fat pig” in the NHL Playoffs, he in turn is suspended. I know that it isn’t the best thing in the world to handle situations like this, but I mean c’mon, this is a pretty next level one-liner.

Today’s Trivia

🧠 Test your sports knowledge…

Yesterday’s Trivia Answer: E. Giannis! The Bucks star scored 33 points per game in the first round of the the playoffs despite the loss.

Before We Dive In…

👀 Yesterday’s Must See’s

• 🤯 OH MY GOD! AARON GORDON! GAME WINNER!!!!!!

• 🏀 Knicks-Celtics Highlights! All-time GAME!

• ⚾️ Gone. Absolute gone. Shohei!

• 🏒 An excuse to share this again! Unreal!

• 💥 Aaron Gordon OH MY GOODNESS!

🔍️ Stump Spotlight

NBA

🏀 Recapping the INSANITY!

Game 1 between the Knicks and Celtics can only be described as an INSTANT-CLASSIC. If you saw that game you saw one of the best games so far this season! Here’s why….(Sorry Boston fans)

The first 2 and a half quarters went exactly how you would have thought. The game was back and forth for a while (including 14 EARLY lead-changes), and then the Celtics went on a second quarter barrage, taking a 16 point lead into the half. It was the story of what had happened in this series all season. The Celtics had won all four matchups and it happened just like this, it was close early and then they went on one of their patented runs.

“Not this game. Not tonight. Tonight. WE SKATE WITH THEM.”

Sorry, had to get out a little Herb Brooks there.

The lead went up to 20 in the third. What happened after that was unfathomable, inexplicable, (insert other big word here)! The GLUE YORK KNICKS started to scratch, they started to claw. And they willed it to a 9 point lead after 3! Jalen Brunson was the Clutch Player OTY this season, and what he did in the fourth was see-it-to-believe-it material. WATCH THIS (from 7:13).

Takeover mode. He got help from OG, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges. This combined with the Celtics going ice cold led to a TIE BALL GAME! Brunson missed maybe his easiest shot of the quarter with one second to go to win the game.

OT. Or should I say….OG! Just kidding, it was everybody, but man is OG so glue for this team! The Knicks continues to play ferocious defense and it ended with a GAME-CLINCHING steal from Bridges. The Knicks had no business winning this game last night and they did it on heart and glue alone! Knicks def. Celtics in OT, 108-105 (NYK lead series 1-0)

If the night of basketball gotten get any better. What the hell did I just watch?

Nuggets def. Thunder, 121-119 (DEN lead series 1-0): This game was all OKC for 47 minutes and 55 seconds. After that Chet Holmgren missed two free throws, Russell Westbrook threw a dime, and Aaron Gordon hit the greatest shot of his life (since literally 10 days ago). Unbelievable.

The Thunder were up 10 the entire game, but in crunch time, the Nuggets started to chip away. On an emotional high right now over here. I’ll leave it at that. Long series, ways to go, but LFG.

Nikola Jokic had 42, 22, and 6 🤯!

The Hot Stove

🤕 Man Takes First Steps After PNC Park Fall

If you were following any breaking news coming out of the MLB last week, you would’ve heard about the terrifying moment at PNC Park when a 20-year-old fell 21 feet over a ledge at the Pirates stadium.

The man, Kavan Markwood, had to be stretchered off the field after he went over a railing in deep right field above the scoreboard and landed on his head. Markwood is dealing with a broken neck, clavicle, and back. The owner of his GoFundMe, which has raided nearly $41,000 of the $45,000 goal, said yesterday that the young man had taken his first steps since the accident early yesterday, “(his recovery) is a slow, slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits”. All our best wishes to Kavan!

⚾️ Cole Speaks Out on Tommy John Recovery

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard from New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, so it was nice to at least see his name in the news.

I really loved how candid Cole was during this interview, as he discussed the “darkness” that comes with a season-ending injury and a 14-month road to recovery: “It starts out really dark… and then you work your way closer to the end of the tunnel”. Cole’s ultimate goal is to, obviously, pitch in the big leagues again, but that doesn’t mean he has a date circled on his calendar. He goes into detail on how he isn’t really thinking about a comeback in 2026, he’s more worried about the process, and nailing his rehab. Which, to me, sounds like a really smart idea. Cole saw the same surgeon that fellow Yankee starters Max Fried and Carlos Rodon did for their Tommy John, so their are already strong resources nearby. For the game of baseball, I hope Cole makes a comeback and performs at a high level once again.

✂️ Ravens Cut Ties With Tucker, Cite “Football Related Reason”

Two months ago, 35-year-old longtime Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was accused of misconduct by 16 massage therapist from eight high-end spas in the Baltimore area. All of which reportedly occurred between 2012 and 2016, his first five years in the NFL.

Yesterday, the Ravens decided to cut Tucker, and cited “football related reasons" as for why they decided to move on. Which, to me, feels a little fishy. It feels… slimy. I mean, if you’re going to cut him, say it with your chest. I get it, nothings been proven, I totally understand. But, this is not the way DeShaun Watson was treated. I’m just saying. I’m not trying to STEP on any toes here. I’m just saying DeShaun didn’t get a news conference from the Texans saying how good he was and how much the franchise appreciates his time there. Maybe the situations are too different, maybe. Or maybe they aren’t. But it’s not like the Ravens would’ve dreamed of cutting him before any of this came out. I mean, the guy had three years left on his contract. At the end of the season, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta gave him a huge vote of confidence, “if not the best kick of all time, one of the best. I have every expectation that Justin’s going to be a great kicker for us next year and moving forward.” I rest my case.

⬇️ Quick Links

• 🏒 Islanders win the draft lottery for 1st time since 2009

• 👌 Celtics miss playoff record 45 three-pointers

• ⚾️ Reds left fielder suffers broken forearm

• 🏀 Atkinson wins Coach of the Year for Cavs

What To Watch

🏀 NBA Playoffs

• TNT: Pacers @ Cavs (7:00 PM), Warriors @ Timberwolves (9:30 PM)

⚾️ Major League Baseball

• Tuesday TBS: Padres @ Yankees (7:05 PM)

• More to Watch: Rangers @ Red Sox (6:45 PM), Astros @ Brewers (7:40 PM), Giants @ Cubs (7:40 PM), Mets @ DBacks (9:40 PM), Mariners @ Athletics (10:05 PM), full schedule

🏒 NHL Playoffs

• ESPN: Hurricanes @ Capitals (7:00 PM), Oilers @ Golden Knights (9:30 PM)

⚽️ Soccer

• UEFA Champions League: Inter Milan vs Barcelona (3:00 PM)

The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For

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