Monday already? Time flies when its NHL and NBA playoff season.
Good luck to the Boston Marathon runners today, we’ll be there right beside you for support. And by beside you, we mean cheering you on while watching it on TV. In our running shoes of course.
Same same but different,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Boston Marathon
Boston strong. The Boston Marathon turns 120-years-young today. It all started in 1897 when a group of guys, fueled by steak and whiskey, went on a 24.5 mile run. (Clearly they didn’t have Uber). This year organizers are expecting 30,000 runners and 1 million spectators.
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
Flipping out. In the Food City 500 at Bristol, a track where the fastest lap is a little over 15 seconds, Carl Edwards took home the checkered flag. Edwards is known for his gymnastics skills – he does a backflip off of his car after he wins a race.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- I got bad ankles. NBA superstar Steph Curry left the playoff game vs. Houston Rockets with a sprained ankle (if you remember his ankles are the only glitch in his armor). He didn’t practice with the team on Sunday and is questionable for game tonight.
- To tweet or not to tweet. There was speculation that LeBron James would break his trend of a social media blackout dubbed “Zero Dark - 23” during this year’s playoffs. LeBron kept up the tradition that has been alive since 2012 by tweeting out “Zero Dark Thirty -23 activated. #striveforgreatness” hours before the Cavs first playoff game. Expect LeBron to be off the grid until they win the championship (or are knocked out).
- Blowout games in the playoffs. These teams beat their opponents in game one by more than 20 points – San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. For all the round one playoff scores and standings, click here.
NHL (National Hockey League)
- It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. New York Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist was injured in their playoff game vs. Pittsburgh Penguins when a hockey stick went through his mask and hit him in the eye. Despite the multitude of sticks-to-the-face injuries in the league this year, goalies still agree that better eye protection is not the way to go, getting a better look at the puck is. Even though one goalie said his injury “felt like his eyeball was falling out.” Seems logical.
- On the road to the Stanley Cup. We’re still in the best-of-seven games in the first round of the NHL playoffs for the next week and a half (if necessary). For all the scores, schedules and the standings, click here.
Overtime
- For USC long snapper Jake Olson playing in the spring football game this weekend was a big deal. Not simply because he received a standing ovation from the crowd but because he is legally blind. Olson was born with a rare form of cancer that rendered him legally blind by age 12. He is currently a redshirt freshman at USC and happy to be part of the Trojans team.
Sideline stat
Soccer powerhouse and Barcelona star Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal on Sunday. The Argentinian has scored 406 of those goals with his left foot, 71 right foot, 21 with his head and two with “other.” Not bad for a less than 11-year career that began with a contract sketched out on a paper napkin.
Coaches’ Corner
- Detroit Pistons lost to Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Frustrated Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said the referees were showing favoritism to Cavs’ star LeBron James stating, “He (LeBron) gets to do whatever he wants. (Pistons) got to understand that.” Later he backtracked saying that’s not the reason they lost. Mama told us it’s not nice to point.
