Knicks set NBA records in eliminating Hawks; 76ers take Celtics to Game 7; Kentucky Derby preview

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🏀 Five things to know Friday

Knicks take largest halftime lead in NBA history en route to roasting, ousting Hawks. New York’s 47-point halftime lead pretty much says everything you need to know about this one. Yes, Knicks 83, Hawks 36 … at the half. At one point, it seemed like the Hawks were making more turnovers than a Georgia farm stand, and the Knicks made them pay at the other end. A good chunk of the second half was spent just dissecting where Atlanta goes from here. No Knicks team had ever scored as many points in a single playoff game as this team did, and with the final 140-89 drubbing, New York gets a chance to rest and wait on the winner of Saturday’s Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers because the latter defeated the former in Philadelphia last night. And in the West, the Anthony Edwards-less Timberwolves sent Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets on their summer vacation to take that series 4-2. And as our internal NBA team has been doing throughout the postseason, here’s our analysis on last night’s winners and losers.
Kevin Durant will not play in Game 6 versus Lakers. The conventional wisdom was that the Rockets wouldn’t stand a chance against the Lakers without their best player, yet here we are, entering a Game 6 after Houston won the last two contests without the superstar. Should Houston manage to pull another W without KD, it would only be the fifth time in NBA history that a team has dropped the first three games of a playoff series only to come back and force a Game 7. For their part, the Lakers appear to be doing their best to make this happen, as our Sam Quinn writes about how their offense has stalled.
Storm’s Lexie Brown has been getting death threats. Seattle guard Lexie Brown mentioned she has gotten death threats and other statements of harm over rumors involving her and NBA star Klay Thompson following the Mavericks’ breakup with Grammy-winning rap star Megan Thee Stallion. “I was getting threats on my life,” Brown mentioned. “I was getting threats on my health.” Brown mentioned that while she knows Thompson, the rumors are “100% false.”
Get ready for Saturday’s 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Ah, the first Saturday in May, and that can only mean one thing: What’s actually in a Mint Julep? I’m kidding, of course. About two minutes after the 6:57 p.m. post time, we’ll find out which horse has a shot at the 2026 Triple Crown. A little further down, we’ll get into who our staff likes in this year’s Run for the Roses.
It appears to be the end of an era in Pittsburgh. With the Penguins’ season crashing to a halt after being upended by the in-state rival Flyers, it certainly feels like a bow was put on one of the greatest runs in that franchise’s history. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were behind the team’s success at every turn, but the end of this season just feels different, writes Austin Nivison.

🏈 Do not miss this: NFL Draft grades are ridiculous and often wrong. And here’s why they’re still useful

The NFL Draft has been over for (only) six days, and in that time we’ve seen pronouncements of every shape and size regarding the future of those who were drafted last weekend. Days removed from the fog of all of the instant analysis Ryan Wilson shares a new thought. He suggests — to a degree — that the exercise of assigning a draft day grade to a collegiate player and then connecting that mark to the future worth of that player as a pro might be, as he says, “a little silly.” It’s a nuanced take, to be sure, but one worth discussing.

Wilson: “Put another way: Draft grades aren’t meaningless, but maybe we’re collectively misusing them. They don’t tell you what will happen; for me, my post-draft grades reflect what I believed should happen based on the information available in that moment.
“At their core, these grades are snapshots, not forecasts.
“Before we get going, and because I think showing my work can be instructive, here are my days-after-draft grades from 2021-2025, which form the basis of this retrospective analysis: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. If you’re looking for how your team graded out in 2026, you can find my full 2026 draft grades here.”

There’s a lot of great stuff here, and for the hardcore fan, I’d suggest spending some quality time with it as NFL news slows a bit over the coming weeks before camps convene.

🏇 Renegade is still the Kentucky Derby consensus, but he’s not everyone’s favorite

Before you go betting the farm on Renegade, a 4-1 favorite at Churchill Downs, you may want to consider the advice of Jody Demling, someone who nailed a $1,682 Kentucky Derby superfecta last year, writes Ross Kelly.

Kelly: “One of Demling’s surprising 2026 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Renegade, the morning-line favorite at 4-1. Demling has Renegade finishing off the board altogether, saying he barely finishes inside the top 10 in this 20-horse 2026 Kentucky Derby field. He’s come on strong late in the spring, but recent Kentucky Derby trends have gone against horses breaking from the rail position and against favorites in general.”

Demling has more on Renegade and other horses that he likes, along with other suggestions. Good luck!

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

Five-star tight end in 2027 class Jaxon Dollar commits to Georgia.
Cameron Young shoots 8-under 64 Round 1 at Cadillac Championship, leads Jordan Spieth by one stroke.
Royals make serious noise in NWSL Power Rankings while Current are far from where they need to be.
These seven underrated transfer portal QBs could shape the 2026 college football season.
Arsenal lost control of their Champions League semifinal versus Atletico, but they can course-correct.
Mike Trout is among the 10 most pleasant surprises of the 2026 MLB season.
Ravens DL Calais Campbell signs for 19th NFL season as he approaches age 40.
UC Irvine adds world’s tallest basketball player in 7-9 Florida transfer Olivier Rioux.
Carlos Prates promises violent finish of Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Fight Night.
Duke will play UConn, Michigan and Gonzaga next season on Amazon in groundbreaking TV deal.
“I’m not looking for safe,” says David Benavidez who’s embarking on an ambitious attempt to conquer a third weight class.
Here are possible landing spots for Aaron Rodgers given that the Steelers seem worried the four-time MVP could sign elsewhere.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

⚾ Diamondbacks at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Burnley at Leeds United, 3 p.m. on TBD
⛳ Cadillac Championship, second round, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Reds at Pirates, 6:45 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Pistons at Magic, Game 6, 7 p.m. on Prime
🏒 Lightning at Canadiens, Game 6, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Orioles at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Astros at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Giants at Rays, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Cavaliers at Raptors, Game 6, 7:30 p.m. on Prime
🏒 Sabres at Bruins, Game 6, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Reign at Dash, 8 p.m. on Victory+
🏀 Lakers at Rockets, Game 6, 9:30 p.m. on Prime
⚾ Mets at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Royals at Mariners, 9:45 p.m. on Apple TV
🏒 Golden Knights at Mammoth, Game 6, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🤼 UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates, 7 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League, semifinal: Arsenal at OL Lyonnes, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Brighton & Hove Albion at Newcastle United, 10 a.m. on Peacock
⚽ Fulham at Arsenal, 12:30 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ Earthquakes at Toronto, 1 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Orioles at Yankees, 1:35 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Diamondbacks at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Sounders at Kansas City, 2:30 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Genoa at Atalanta, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⛳ Cadillac Championship, third round, 3 p.m. on CBS
⚽ Spirit at Pride, 4 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Reds at Pirates, 4:05 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Timbers at Salt Lake, 4:30 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Current at Courage, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏇 Kentucky Derby, 6:57 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Orlando at Miami, 7 p.m. on FS1
🏀 76ers at Celtics, Game 7, 7:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock
⚾ Dodgers at Cardinals or Rangers at Tigers, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Charlotte at Revolution, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏒 Flyers at Hurricanes, Game 1, 8 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Rapids at Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Royals at Angel City, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚽ LAFC at San Diego, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Mets at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Royals at Mariners, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Whitecaps at Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV

Sunday

(Note: Sunday’s NBA and NHL schedule will be determined Friday night.)
🏀 Rockets at Lakers, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)
🏀 Magic at Pistons, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)
🏀 Raptors at Cavaliers, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)
🏒 Bruins at Sabres, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)
🏒 Canadiens at Lightning, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)
🏒 Mammoth at Golden Knights, Game 7, if necessary (Time, channel TBD)

⚽ Cagliari at Bologna, 6:30 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ AC Milan at Sassuolo, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Liverpool at Manchester United, 10:30 a.m. on Peacock
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions Leaguel: Bayern Munich at Barcelona, 10:30 a.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Blue Jays at Twins, 12:45 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ Thorns at Stars, 1 p.m. on ESPN2
⚽ Parma at Inter Milan, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⛳ Cadillac Championship, final round, 3 p.m. on CBS
⚽ DC at NYCFC, 3 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Summit at Legacy, 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏁 NASCAR at Texas, 3:30 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Guardians at Athletics, 4:05 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ White Sox at Padres, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Royals at Mariners, 4:10 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Preseason: Liberty at Sun, 5 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Louisville at Gotham, 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚽ St. Louis at Austin, 5:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Preseason: Aces vs. Wings, 7 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Bay at Wave, 7 p.m. on Victory+
⚾ Rangers at Tigers, 7:20 p.m. on Peacock