Warriors top Rockets in thriller, lead 3-1; Cavaliers sweep Heat; Way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft
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π Good morning to all, but especially to ...THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS ...
Stephen Curry carried the Warriors on his back in Game 3. With Jimmy Butler back in the lineup, Curry got plenty of help from his friends -- both the stars and the supporting cast -- in a 109-106 Game 4 win that gives Golden State a 3-1 series lead.
- Butler scored five points in the final minute -- all via free throws -- after Fred VanVleet tied the game at 104. Butler went a perfect 12 for 12 from the line, and Golden State as a team went 20 for 22. Houston was 19 for 31.
- After three Butler free throws with 58 seconds left, Alperen Sengun scored to make it 107-106, and Butler missed a jumper. The Rockets called a timeout, and Sengun drove at Draymond Green, who didn't yield an inch and perfectly challenged Sengun's shot, which never had a chance.
- Butler made two more free throws, and VanVleet's shot at the buzzer -- though on line -- came up short.
Butler and Green stepping up late with Curry (17 points) quiet is the main headline, but Brandin Podziemski was absolutely terrific with 26 points. He's blossoming into the player the Warriors envisioned when they made him off-limits on so many hypothetical trades, Sam Quinn writes.
- Quinn: "The Warriors were just patient enough to set themselves up for what now looks like a very promising playoff run. The lesson here is that sometimes, the best trade is the one you don't make. That's a lesson that can apply to a lot of teams right now, but it's one that especially should be heeded by Golden State's first-round opponent: the Rockets."
... AND THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers didn't just sweep the Heat, but they did so in historic fashion. Their 138-83 win the largest in closeout game history. That came on the heels of a 124-87 Game 3 win Saturday. Those two games represent the two largest playoff losses in Heat history. (To say it another way, Miami was outscored 262 to 170 over two home playoff games. Ouch!)
Cleveland had the second-best offensive rating in NBA history this season, and it absolutely picked the Heat defense apart. Overall, Cleveland outscored Miami by 122 points in the series, the largest difference in any playoff series ever. The numbers are stunning, and the Cavaliers will hope it carries over to the second round, where they'll face the Pacers-Bucks winner.
On the other side, "Heat Culture" is showing major cracks, Sam Quinn writes.
π Honorable mentions π And not such a good morning for ...DAMIAN LILLARD, GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Damian Lillard did indeed tear his Achilles in the Bucks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers. He will miss the rest of this season -- which may come very soon considering Milwaukee is down 3-1 -- and at least a significant amount of next season.
We talked yesterday about how it's a brutal end to a very disappointing prime for one of the league's premier stars. Lillard, who turns 35 this summer, remained loyal (perhaps to a fault) to the Trail Blazers. They made just one conference finals -- and got swept there -- in his 11 years in Portland.
Then when he wanted out, he only wanted one destination: Miami. That made it awkward when he ended up in Milwaukee, and the fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo never really developed.
Now, with Lillard on the mend for the foreseeable future and Milwaukee on the brink of another hapless early exit, this is the offseason to trade Antetokounmpo, Sam writes.
- Quinn: "Antetokounmpo has basically been shown what post-Lillard life in Milwaukee will look like in this series. He has 135 points in the first four games of the Indiana series. His highest-scoring teammate, Gary Trent Jr., doesn't even half of that at 61. Spending any more time on a roster this depleted would be a waste of his talents. ... Teams want to trade for a 30-year-old Giannis, not the 33-year-old version. They'll pay significantly more for the privilege, and there's quite a bit of incentive for them to do so."
So, which teams come to mind? Sam has that answer as well.
π Not so honorable mentions π 2026 NFL mock draft: Quarterbacks back to prominence?For just the third time in the last 20 years, the NFL Draft featured only one first-round quarterback: Cam Ward first overall to the Titans.
The last two times it happened, there were multiple first-round quarterbacks the following year. Will that trend continue into 2026? In his way-too-early (never too early in my book) 2026 mock draft, Josh Edwards has five first-round quarterbacks:
- 1. Saints: QB Arch Manning, Texas
- 2. Browns: QB Drew Allar, Penn State
- 6. Raiders: QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
- 12. Rams: QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
- 16. Steelers: QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Yes, that's Manning -- he of one career college start currently -- going to his grandfather Archie's former team. Of course, this is only a projection. In fact, Blake Brockermeyer's mock draft doesn't even have Manning in the first round, much less first overall.
There's also the question of whether Manning will even come out, Will Backus notes.
- Backus: "His uncle, Peyton, elected to return for his senior campaign at Tennessee in 1997 in spite of the fact that he had already been a starter for two seasons and many saw him as a top-10 pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. ... Arch's other (quite) notable uncle, Eli, spent five years in college at Ole Miss. ... Neither Peyton nor Eli benefitted from name, image and likeness in college. The younger Manning already has."
If you think five first-round quarterbacks is a lot, Cameron Salerno says there are several more who could rise into the top 32.
Finally, we have plenty more to put a bow on the 2025 draft:
β½ Arsenal-PSG UEFA Champions League semifinal previewIt doesn't get much better than this. Arsenal and PSG face off in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal matchup today, a true battle of two European giants playing terrific soccer.
There are so many angles to this one, from the battle of the midfields to the potential lineup choices to the stakes: This is Arsenal's only chance for a trophy this season, while PSG is still in the hunt for a treble (domestic league, domestic cup and continental competition titles).
Our experts are split in their predictions and best bets, but here's why Pardeep Cattry favors PSG:
- Cattry: "Arsenal 1, Paris Saint-Germain 2 -- Arsenal may have picked up a straightforward 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase, but this version of Luis Enrique's side is very different from the one that was last in North London in October. The French champions have slowly but surely become Europe's most exciting team, uniquely managed by Enrique in a way that makes them hard to beat. Expect a competitive game at the Emirates Stadium but one that eventually swings PSG's way thanks to an attacking might that is better than Arsenal's, and potentially with the help of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after his strong showing at Aston Villa two weeks ago."
β½ Arsenal vs. PSG, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ π Bucks at Pacers (Pacers lead 3-1), 6 p.m. on NBA TV π Senators at Maple Leafs (Maple Leafs led 3-1), 7 p.m. on ESPN π Pistons at Knicks (Knicks lead 3-1), 7:30 p.m. on TNT π Devils at Hurricanes (Hurricanes lead 3-1), 7:30 p.m. on TBS π Magic at Celtics (Celtics lead 3-1), 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV π Wild at Golden Knights (Series tied 2-2), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN π Clippers at Nuggets (Series tied 2-2), 10 p.m. on TNT π Oilers at Kings (Series tied 2-2), 10 p.m. on TBS
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