Sky-Walking in Memphis

04/27/2022

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning,

The NBA playoff grind rolls on, but Ja Morant is keeping things interesting. The league’s next electric superstar just had his postseason coming-of-age moment. When the Ja-dropping highlights come, they come in bunches.

Letter Rip!

 

BREAKING NEWS

NCAA President Mark Emmert has stepped down with a delayed exit after 12 years leading college athletics. Read More

 

NBA

Sky-Walking in Memphis

Ja Morant’s Dunk of the Year, 18-Point 4th Quarter & Acrobatic Game-Winner Steals Game 5 for Grizzlies (111-109); MEM Leads Series (3-2)

 

Memphis star Ja Morant won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award on Monday. Twenty-four hours later, he stamped his young playoff resume with a signature moment. The 2-seed Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter of Game 5 in a double-digit hole to the 7-seeded Timberwolves. The Grizz could’ve seen the series slip away. Instead, Morant’s heroics flipped the switch. He ended the third quarter with the dunk of the year — a demoralizing poster of Malik Beasley that will live in playoff infamy — then scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and capped the night with a sky-walking, game-winning layup in the final second. The league’s Most Improved Player might be proving he’s the most clutch, too.

 

Morant’s Stat Line: 30 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists

Watch: Grizzlies Rally to Beat T-Wolves (111-109) Behind Ja Morant’s Heroic Night

 

Other NBA Highlights

 

Gm 5: Suns def. Pelicans (112-97)

The Pelicans put the NBA’s top overall seed on the ropes after four games in the opening series, but the Suns are back in control. The injury to Devin Booker spelled trouble for Phoenix, but Mikal Bridges’ big night (31 points) lifted them in Game 5. Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists, and Phoenix can take a deep breath after an early-round scare. The series is far from over as it heads back to New Orleans for Game 6. The Pelicans have built a fierce underdog mentality that won’t go quietly, and NOLA will be anything but quiet on Thursday. PHX Leads Series (3-2)

 

Gm 5: Heat def. Hawks (97-94)

Moving on in Miami! The Heat slammed the door on the Hawks Tuesday night with a Game 5 win in South Beach. Atlanta clawed back in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The story of the series was the Heat defense that held Trae Young to another ice-cold shooting night with 11 points (2-for-12, FG / 0-for-5, 3PT). Young averaged just 15.4 points in the series, including three losses with 8, 9 and 11. Miami’s team effort was on display once again as Bam Adebayo — the defensive anchor — had a 20-point, 11-rebound night before securing the series-clinching steal. The Heat await the winner of the 76ers-Raptors series. MIA Wins Series (4-1)

 

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 5: Bulls at Bucks (7:30 pm ET)

Gm 5: Nuggets at Warriors (10:00 pm ET)

 

Additional Storylines

B/R: Ja Morant Makes Case as NBA’s Most Exciting Star in Grizzlies’ Game 5 Comeback

Clutch Points: Crazy Trae Young Stat Explains Hawks’ 4-1 Disaster vs. Heat

NBC Sports: Bulls’ Zach LaVine Enters COVID-19 Protocol Before Game 5

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NHL

Hockey Playoffs (Almost) Set

15 of 16 Playoff Spots Determined With Two Days Left in Regular Season

 

A whopping 13 games took the ice on Tuesday night to iron out the playoff picture. Clinching scenarios and seeding implications were aplenty. And with the inability to dissect all of it, we’ll simply reveal the playoff picture as it stands. All but one playoff spot is secure, but there are still some possible moves up or down in the seeding within divisions. Tuesday’s action saw the Kings and Predators clinch spots. Only the Golden Knights and Canucks are on the bubble with two games to play.

 

NHL Playoff Picture

 

Eastern Conference

1. Panthers (120 points)

2. Hurricanes (114 points)

3. Maple Leafs (113 points)

4. Rangers (108 points)

5. Lightning (108 points)

6. Bruins (105 points)

7. Penguins (101 points)

8. Capitals (100 points)

 

Western Conference

1. Avalanche (118 points)

2. Flames (110 points)

3. Wild (109 points)

4. Blues (109 points)

5. Oilers (100 points)

6. Kings (96 points)

7. Predators (95 points)

8. Stars (95 points)

In the Hunt: Golden Knights (91 points)

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Maple Leafs Auston Matthews Continues ‘Unreal’ Season, Becomes First U.S.-Born Player to Score 60 Goals

NHL: Flames Matthew Tkatchuk Scores Game-Tying Goal With 0.1 Seconds Left

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SOCCER

City In Stride