In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points in the fourth quarter last night with under eight minutes to play. Did you turn off the game? Well, Jalen Brunson led New York to a comeback win in overtime that had Madison Square Garden rocking. What year is it? 2026 or 1999?
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Also, we check in on the NHL playoffs as the puck drops on the conference finals tonight, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah is our World Cup spotlight for the day.
Something for everyone in today’s jam-packed newsletter. For more coverage, check out the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
After a thriller to start the Western Conference finals, the Eastern Conference finals delivered one of its own. In the fourth quarter, as the Knicks fell behind by 22 points, their win probability dipped as low as 0.1% before they stormed back to beat the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime.
Brunson was spectacular, scoring 38 points, including 15 in the fourth. He took over the game in the last 10 minutes of regulation, repeatedly attacking James Harden in isolation and generating bucket after bucket. He also kept his teammates’ hopes alive.
“Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession,” Brunson said he told his team during a fourth-quarter timeout. “Most importantly, sticking together. No matter how that game finished, habits translate, translates to the next game. We’re just doing, we’re not giving up.”
Cleveland now has to go back to the drawing board after nearly stealing Game 1. The Cavs will have to figure out how to deal with their Harden problem, as he struggled offensively and his defensive woes sparked the New York comeback. Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said after he didn’t consider benching his star guard.
Harden and Donovan Mitchell ended up with 15 and 29 points, respectively, combining for only 21 in the second half and overtime.
“It’s one loss,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had some tough ones, but it’s one loss. It’s not like that loss gives them two or three games, right? It’s one. So we have an opportunity to come back here in two days and steal one here, and that’s really all it is.”
NHL Playoffs
Hockey’s conference finals open tonight and, psst, someone might want to tell Carolina. The Hurricanes have been so dominant to this point that they’ve spent nearly two weeks resting up, having last played May 9.
The Hurricanes are one half of an Eastern Conference finals that has seen its teams take very different paths to the cusp of reaching the Stanley Cup final. Carolina needed only eight games, all wins, to glide through its first two series. Since the NHL playoffs expanded to four best-of-seven rounds in 1987, no team had swept its first two rounds until these Hurricanes.
Contrast that with their opponent, Montreal, which had to survive a pair of Game 7s to slip past Tampa Bay and Buffalo. A Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993.
In the West, it’s down to Las Vegas and Colorado. The Avalanche have lived up to their overpowering name. After finishing the regular season in first, they’ve gone 8-1 in their first two rounds while scoring a playoff-high 4.1 goals per game.
But don’t count out Las Vegas, which has been comfortable facing tough situations before. The Golden Knights fired coach Bruce Cassidy in late March, only to finish the regular season 7-0-1. In the playoffs, they boast the league’s top scorer in Mitch Marner and have already scored four short-handed goals.
World Cup Countdown
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.
It’s undeniable that Salah has had a tough year. The 33-year-old announced his departure from Liverpool, a team he was once credited for bringing back to life, as the club spent the majority of this season fighting to get out of the mud and adapting under new leadership.
Born in the small village of Nagrig, Egypt, Salah used to travel hours by bus to practice with his first professional team as a teenager. He was one of the few at the time who managed to transition from the Egyptian leagues into the Premier League and it took seven years into his career before he became a household name.
Fans dubbed Salah the “Egyptian King” in his debut year at Anfield, securing his first of four Premier League Golden Boot wins. Salah has achieved nearly every honor possible during his time with Liverpool, from UEFA titles to the FA Cup. His leadership secured Liverpool its first Premier League title in 30 years and its first-ever FIFA Club World Cup.
Salah is a symbol of excellence well beyond the grounds of Anfield as he is one of the most successful players to ever come out of the Middle East and North African region. Though his career has not been quite as prolific with the Egyptian national team, Salah is a beloved figure in Egypt and much of the Arab world.
The Egyptian King returns to the World Cup this summer for the first time since 2018, as they failed to qualify last go-around. Salah is the team’s linchpin; he’s the heart behind the Pharaohs’ drive to make history by advancing past the group stage for the first time in 92 years.
Yesterday’s entry was Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior. Read about him here.
What We’re Reading
Arsenal won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, and celebrations erupted in North London.
Jason Kidd is out as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
Rashee Rice, a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail after testing positive for marijuana in violation of probation.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the former college football coach, won the Republican primary for governor of Alabama.
Roger Goodell says the NFL is cooperating after getting a subpoena from the Florida attorney general over the Rooney Rule.
What We’re Watching
Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference finals was an instant classic. Now: What will San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama do as an encore, after his historic 40-point, 20-rebound night? How will MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City respond to their deflating double-overtime loss? We’ll be glued to Peacock for this one, all series long.
Also, the NHL’s Western Conference finals start with a pair of top seeds facing off, and the PWHL finals continue tonight with Game 4 in the best-of-five series. Montreal can clinch the title with a win. Or will Ottawa force Game 5?
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: Montreal Victoire vs. Ottawa Charge, on ION/YouTube streaming
- 8 p.m.: No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 1 Colorado Avalanche, on ESPN
- 8:30 p.m.: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 2 San Antonio Spurs, on NBC/Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.