Misery Loves Company

June 18, 2021

By: Carlos Alvarez

Happy Friday

Not for yours truly. I rarely bet on sports, but I was one pick away from hitting a massive parlay last night. “Almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. There’s a reason we’ve ignored numerous requests for more gambling tips in The Sportsletter. That reason is me.

Hold your wallets and enjoy another booming sports weekend ahead, or email me for the details of my misery bet. C’mon Islanders…

Letter Rip!

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PGA ️

U.S. Open: Round 1 Recap

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Henley & Oosthuizen Lead After Darkness-Shortened Round 1 at Torrey Pines

A fog delay cut into Round 1 of the U.S. Open before play was eventually suspended for the evening due to darkness. But with only 36 players needing to complete a few more holes this morning, we have a good idea of how the 121st U.S. Open is shaping up. A surprise front-runner, Russell Henley, holds a share of the lead with Louis Oosthuizen at 4-under. Oosthuizen was one of the players with a shortened round, needing two more holes complete his opening 18 holes.

Among the leaderboard challengers were Brooks Koepka (-2) and Matthew Wolff (-1). Both led outright after a string of early birdies before back-nine bogey sprees. Wolff had eight opening-round birdies but only carded a 1-under score on Thursday. The favorite, Jon Rahm (-2), and The Masters champion, Hideki Matsuyama (-2), also climbed the leaderboard late in the day.

Leaderboard

R. Henley (-4)

L. Oosthuizen (-4)

F. Molinari (-3)

R. Cabrera Bello (-3)

B. Koepka (-2)

X. Schauffele (-2)

H. Matsuyama (-2)

J. Rahm (-2)

Other Notable Scorecards: P. Cantlay (-1), M. Wolff (-1), D. Johnson (E), R. McIlroy (E), P. Reed (+1), J. Thomas (+2), B. DeChambeau (+2), T. Finau (+3), C. Morikawa (+4), P. Mickelson (+4), J. Spieth (+6)

Round 1 Highlights | Round 2 Tee Times

Additional Storylines

Golf Week: Why is Brooks Koepka Better in Majors? Check These Stats

PGA: Matthew Wolff Rides Rollercoaster on Return to Golf at U.S. Open

Golf Channel: No Shades of 2014 in Russell Henley’s Torrey Pines Return

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NBA PLAYOFFS

Bucks Bully Nets to Force Game 7

Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Middleton & Antetokounmpo Combine for 68 Points as Bucks Overpower Nets in Game 6 (104-89)

With their backs against the wall, the Milwaukee Bucks’ tour de force overwhelmed the Brooklyn Nets in Game 6. Khris Middleton (38 points) tallied a playoff career-high that included 10 boards, five assists and five steals while Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 17 rebounds) was playing bully-ball in the paint. He scored 22 of his 30 in the lane (11-for-12). Meanwhile, the Nets’ storyline remains the absence of Kyrie Irving and the less-than-100-percent James Harden (16 points). Kevin Durant dropped 32, but the Nets were minus-25 with KD on the floor. The Bucks just bounced back to force the two best words in sports — Game 7. Two more elimination games hit the court tonight.

Watch: Bucks Blast Nets to Force Game 7 in Eastern Conference Semis

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 6: 76ers at Hawks (7:30 pm ET)

ATL Leads Series (3-2)

Gm 6: Jazz at Clippers (10:00 pm ET)

LAC Leads Series (3-2)

*Both 4-seeds host Game 6s tonight with a chance to eliminate the 1-seeds. The Clippers and Hawks both trailed earlier in the series.

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Remains Sidelined for Game 6 With Knee Injury

B/R: NBA Unveils All-Rookie Teams Headlined by LaMelo Ball & Anthony Edwards

Yahoo! Sports: Rick Carlisle Resigns as Head Coach of Dallas Mavericks

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NHL PLAYOFFS

Lightning Retake the Series

Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images

Brayden Point Scores Go-Ahead Goal to Lift Lightning Over Islanders in Game 3 (2-1)

The Islander fans were rocking Thursday night at Nassau Coliseum for one of the venue’s last few games, but the away team stole a crucial swing game in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The Islanders and Lightning entered Thursday with the series tied 1-1 and a trip to the Cup Finals just three wins away. They were all square at 1-1 after 37 minutes, too, until Brayden Point smashed a put-back tiebreaker from his knees. It was Point’s 11th goal of the postseason — the most by a player in this year’s playoffs — and his sixth straight game with a goal. The Islanders scrambled for the equalizer but Andrei Vasilevskiy (27 saves) was remarkable. The defending champs turned a 2-1 win into a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 on the way this weekend. And it could be the last for Nassau Coliseum…

Watch: Point Adds to Goal Streak, Lifts Lightning to 2-1 Series Lead

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 3: Golden Knights at Canadiens (8:00 pm ET)

Series Tied (1-1)

Additional Storylines

NBC Sports: Brayden Point Continues Playoff Dominance as Lightning Take Series Lead

NHL: Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach of the New York Rangers

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

️ MLB: A Triple Play Unlike Any Other

The Yankees got out of the 1st inning against the Blue Jays on Thursday with the MLB’s first-ever 1-3-6-2-5-6 triple play. Yes, the first ever. Five different infielders were involved in the historic moment, and the Pinstripes got the win (8-4).

️ EURO: Belgium & Denmark Give Eriksen Tribute

The match of the day in the Euros was an emotional one for Denmark in their first appearance since the shocking collapse of midfielder Christian Eriksen last weekend. The teams paid tribute to Eriksen with a 10th-minute pause, but it was Belgium who struck twice in the second half to get the win (2-1).

WNBA: Storm Surge to 5th Straight Win

The Seattle Storm won their fifth straight game on Thursday — all five by double digits — over the Indiana Fever (79-69). Seattle got 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds from Breanna Stewart. They’ve also won 11 of their last 12 to lead the WNBA standings.

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THE STORYLINES

️ Who Will Win the College World Series?

The College World Series gets underway Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska. The eight-team field is packed with MLB-level talent and some big bashing bats. Top-seeded Arkansas got knocked off in the super regional. Here’s who has a shot to win it all… (USA Today)

The Last Barn in the Land

When the New York Islanders’ postseason run ends, so too will the NHL’s connection to the storied Nassau Coliseum. It’s the last ‘Big Barn’ venue in major American professional sports, and it’s time to say goodbye. (FOX Sports)

️ How Ronaldo Rocked Coca-Cola

Cristiano Ronaldo removed a Coca-Cola bottle from his post-game press conference following Portugal’s latest match of the Euro 2020 Tournament. The health-conscious athlete held up a bottle of water and said “agua,” and Coca-Cola’s market value fell $4 billion. (CBS News)

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THE HEADLINES

World No. 2 Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Wimbledon

(NBC News)

Rick Carlisle Resigns as Head Coach of Dallas Mavericks

(Yahoo! Sports)

Diamondbacks Break MLB Road Futility Record With 23rd Consecutive Road Loss

(SI)

Rafael Nadal Won’t Play at Wimbledon or Olympics Due to Body Recovery

(ESPN)

‘Madden 2022’ Video Game Cover Features Co-Stars Patrick Mahomes & Tom Brady

(USA Today)

Zion Williamson’s Family Members (Not Zion) Unhappy With Pelicans, Want New Team

(Bleacher Report)

Yankees Trade 1B Mike Ford to Rays in Rare AL East Rival Deal

(CBS Sports)

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️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

It’s another loaded weekend of non-stop sports, no matter what you sport you follow. The U.S. Open continues from Torrey Pines. The NBA Playoffs eliminate three more teams by Monday morning, and the chase for the Stanley Cup inches closer. An endless supply of baseball and soccer is also on deck. As always, we’ll run it back on Monday. Enjoy!

The 121st U.S. Open

Rounds 2-4 (Today—Sunday)

View TV Schedule

NBA Playoffs

Gm 6: 76ers at Hawks (Fri. 7:30 pm)

Gm 6: Jazz at Clippers (Fri. 10:00 pm)

Gm 7: Bucks at Nets (Sat. 8:30 pm)

*Gm 7: Hawks at 76ers (Sun. TBD)

*Gm 7: Clippers at Jazz (Sun. TBD)

*Game 7s if necessary

NHL Playoffs

Gm 3: Golden Knights at Canadiens (Fri. 8:00 pm)