All this, just to get swept?

Happy Payday! We hope you’re ready to spend that check in a very irresponsible way.

But before you do, let’s check out a bunch of sports stories to take you into the weekend, like a possible sweep in the NBA and NHL Finals.

Let’s go.

Headlines

🏀 The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 on Wednesday night and now Boston has a 3-0 lead in the Finals with game 4 going down tonight.

🏒 The Florida Panthers have a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers after beating them 4-3 last night.

🏈 The Big 12 conference is considering selling its naming rights to a sponsor in what could generate hundreds of millions of dollars. Allstate could be the first company to buy the rights, so the conference could be called “The Big Allstate Conference” or “The Allstate 12 Conference”. That’s a little funky, but hell, why not do this?

🌭 Netflix is saving the day. No Joey Chestnut at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest on the 4th? No problem. On September 2nd, Netflix is showing a live contest between Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi. Kobayashi was basically the Joey Chestnut of the early 2000s and they are fierce rivals. The contest is titled “Chestnut vs Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef”

🎾 Rafael Nadal will not be playing at Wimbledon. Nadal has been dealing with some hip and abdominal injuries over the past year, and he wants to be ready for the Olympics this summer. He doesn’t think he can make the switch to grass for Wimbledon in early July and then turn around and get back on the clay for the Olympics at the end of July. Watch out, people; Nadal is looking for gold.

🏒 The transition from Phoenix to Salt Lake City for the Arizona Coyotes Utah Hockey Club is complete. The NHL signed the deal that makes the team in Utah an actual NHL franchise, and while a team name is coming, the unis have been released. AND WE FREAKING LOVE THESE COLORS.

Now, let’s move on to the major news and then we’ll finish up with some NFL headlines.

NBA Finals aka No Porzingis, No Problem!

The Boston Celtics took down the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday in Game 3. Dallas had this one in their hands after going into halftime with a 1 point lead. Boston wasn’t hitting every shot, Kyrie was on fire, and there were no 7-foot Porzingis on the court to get in the way.

And then Boston came out hot in the third and destroyed Dallas 35-19 in the quarter. Luka fouled out in the fourth for Dallas, and now the Mavs have to do the impossible.

We’ve got game 4 tonight at 8:30 pm on ABC, but this thing is a done deal. No team has ever won the title after being down 0-3 in the Finals and it’s not going to happen to Boston this year. Boston hasn’t even lost 3 straight games this season. What makes you think they’ll lose 4 straight?

So, congrats to Boston and congrats to Jaylen Brown for being the MVP.

The Mavs are favored by 1.5 points tonight and the O/U is 211.5. I guess i’ll still take the Mavs and the under again? I like the pain.

Florida Panthers Dominating the Stanley Cup Finals

Aside from Canadian air traffic control trying to divert the Florida Panther’s team plane from the Edmonton Airport, the Panthers have full control in these Stanley Cup Finals.

Game 3 was tied 1-1 heading into the second period, and the Florida Panthers dismantled the Oilers in the second. In actuality, the dismantling only took 6 minutes and 19 seconds for Vladimir Tarasenko, Sam Bennett, and Aleksander Barkov to all score and make the game 4-1.

Edmonton would score two goals in the 3rd, but you know what we like to say here. TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.

Game 4 is tomorrow at 8pm on ABC

US Open

Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay are the co-leaders after the opening round at Pinehurst No.2. Both players carded a 65, which is 5 under par. McIlroy played bogey-free golf and had five birdies, while Cantlay had six birdies and one bogey. Ludvig Aberg (4 under) in third and Matthieu Pavon and Bryson DeChambeau are T4.

We’ve got lots more action this weekend as the world’s best try to make the cut.

p.s. screw NBC for putting this on Peacock.

NFL Headlines

🏈 The Jacksonville Jaguars are signing quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275-million extension that includes $200 million guaranteed

🏈 The Kansas City Chiefs had the Chiefs players, coaches, and staff receive their Super Bowl LVIII championship rings Thursday night at a private ceremony at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Here’s a closer look at the bling bling. Do people still say that?

🏈 The Atlanta Falcons were docked a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and fined $250,000 by the NFL for violating the league's anti-tampering policy. The league found that there were "logistical violations" related to the Falcons' signings of quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and tight end Charlier Woerner.

🏈Alvin Kamara practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday and then walked out of Saints headquarters and drove off right before the last practice of minicamp began yesterday. His agent, Brad Cicala, told the NFL Network that Kamara's sudden departure was contract-related.

mmmm, that little taste of football is pretty sweet!

That’s all for today people. Enjoy your Friday, and enjoy all the championships this weekend.

-The DB