Stealing the moon
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Earth Day!
Our world currently revolves around playoff sports and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce references on Taylor Swift’s new album. Who are we to fight the alchemy, after all?
— PWHL Montréal captain and hockey legend Marie-Philip Poulin, on the world record–setting 21,105-person crowd at Saturday’s game at the Bell Centre. Beyond magnifique.
NBA Playoffs
🏀 Call an ambulance…for everyone
The GIST: The Play-In Tournament is done and dusted, and the first round Game 1s are already in the books, but superstar injuries are taking center stage as the high-stakes hoopla continues.
Milwaukee Bucks dominate as Giannis watches: No Antetokounmpo (pronounced ah-det-oh-KOON-boh), no problem — the Eastern Conference (EC) No. 3 seed was just fine without him yesterday, dominating the No. 6 Indiana Pacers 109–94 while he nursed a calf strain. It’s still TBD if Antetokounmpo suits up for Game 2 tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Embiid injury scare in Philadelphia 76ers loss: Joel Embiid (pronounced jo-ELL em-BEAD) tweaked his surgically repaired left knee in his EC No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers’ 111–104 loss to the No. 2 NY Knicks on Saturday. Though the reigning MVP returned to the game and finished with 29 points, the Philly faithful are holding their breath ahead of tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET Game 2.
Jimmy Butler–less Miami Heat scorched by Boston Celtics: With their feisty superstar sidelined, No. 8 Miami looked ice cold in yesterday’s 114–94 loss to the No. 1 Celtics. And the Heat aren’t just missing Butler’s offense — Miami needs to find a way to slow down Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, who tallied his first postseason triple-double in the dub.
Zion Williamson out as New Orleans Pelicans fall: Bad luck abounds for Williamson, whose hamstring injury kept him in street clothes for yesterday’s 94–92 loss to the Western Conference (WC) No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder. The No. 8 Pels’ postseason hopes hinge on one left hammy, but the notoriously pesky injury is expected to keep oft-injured Williamson sidelined until at least May 1st.
LA Clippers prevail without Kawhi Leonard: The Clips were without two-time Finals MVP Leonard because of a knee injury, but that didn’t stop the WC No. 4 from dismantling the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 109–97 yesterday.
- The oldest team in the NBA let their experience shine with seasoned veterans James Harden and Paul George netting 28 and 22 points, respectively. Still got it.
⛳ World No. 1 Nelly Korda swings to Chevron Championship victory
Whoa, Nelly! The American won her second career major championship yesterday, finishing two strokes ahead of the field at the first major of the season. But that’s not all — the win also marked Korda’s fifth straight victory on the tour, tying the LPGA record for consecutive wins.
- Compatriot Lauren Coughlin enjoyed a tee-rific weekend of her own, finishing just three strokes behind Korda and tied for third, her best-ever showing at a major.
🎓🤸 LSU women win first-ever NCAA gymnastics title
Who knew Tigers could flip? No. 2 LSU took home their first national championship in program history on Saturday, beating out No. 3 Cal, No. 4 Florida, and No. 5 Utah with a score of 198.225. LSU even trailed entering the final event of the day, but posted the highest-ever beam score in NCAA championship history to land the title.
🏒 NHL drops the puck on first-round playoff action
The quest for Lord Stanley is officially on. This weekend’s Game 1s saw the better seeds dominate, a trend the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers hope continues when their first-round series begin tonight against the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights and LA Kings, respectively. All hockey, all the time.
🏎️ Another race, another 25 points for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished first in yesterday’s Chinese Grand Prix with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez rounding out the podium. No running and hiding here.
👟 Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir raced to a women’s-only marathon record (2:16:16) and Alexander Mutiso Munyao won his first marathon major title (2:04:01), giving Kenya a sweep at yesterday’s London Marathon.
🎾 Two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30. Happy trails.
⚽ After inking forward María Sánchez to a then record-setting contract in December, the struggling Houston Dash traded her to the San Diego Wave ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
Together With Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix
Start your engines, because the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix — the biggest Formula 1 party of the year — begins on May 5th. The best news? There’s still plenty of time to lock in your tickets.
- For a limited time, you can snag a three-day Campus Pass that includes race access with designated track view area, the F1 Fanzone, and the Porsche Carrera Cup — access for the entire weekend for $435 (under $150 per day).
Make like Formula 1 superfan David Beckham and treat yourself to a once-in-a-lifetime weekend as customizable as Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Mercedes. Loyalties may waver, but fan-first experiences are forever.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🪄 How to make “me time” magical
With a magic wand, of course: LELO’s Sona 2 Cruise. This fan-favorite vibrator offers a luxurious feel, sonic pulses for a whole new sensation, and wide range of intensities for a truly spellbinding sensation. You could even win a free one when you sign up for their mailing list.*
🎾 Who’s killing it
Law Roach. Zendaya’s stylist is the mastermind behind her iconic looks during the Challengers press tour. Serving is an understatement.
☀️ Where to find optimism
With Positive DONUT. They always look for the bright side by delivering feel-good stories and finding gratitude in every moment. Join the fun today.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Automatic supersonic.Question of the Day
Tonight’s 10 p.m. ET Game 2 tip-off between the WC No. 2 Denver Nuggets and No. 7 LA Lakers features two stars that constantly shine on and off the court. LA’s LeBron James starred in Space Jam 2 while Denver’s Nikola Jokić is cosplaying as a member of Despicable Me. So the question is, which film do you like best?
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