Chiefs vs. Ravens booked to open 2024 NFL season; Nuggets, Pacers battle back; Hawks win NBA Draft Lottery

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM newsletter, the definitive guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to receive it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

Breaking news to start the morning: The Crows will visit the Bosses to open the season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes? I’m even more excited for the season than I was before.

Good morning everyone, but especially…

THE DENVER NUGGETS

During two games, the Nuggets had no answer to the Timber Wolves‘ swarming defense, skilled attack and general athleticism.

Two games later, it is the Timberwolves who have no answer for Nikola Jokic It is Jamal Murray. Denver’s elite offense is on fire once again, and the Nuggets’ 115-107 victory effectively turned this series into a best-of-three series.

• Jokic shouldered the load offensively, scoring 35 points and making 26 shots – both personal bests this postseason. Murray, who had 19 points, is finally back after a difficult start to the series.
• Aaron Gordon was magnificent with 27 points on 11-of-12 shooting, scoring on many dunks, two 3-pointers and even difficult mid-range shots.
• Denver’s much-improved defense frustrated everyone unnamed Antonio Eduardo (44 points). Minnesota’s other four starters were 17-for-43 (40%).
• It also helped that Denver had one of the craziest sequences we’ve ever seenpresenting eight points in 20 seconds and highlighted by Murray’s 55-foot lift to close the first half.

The current champions, after appearing deceived and defeated, turned the game around. What a series this is turning out to be.

Honorable mentions

And it’s not such a good day for…

THE NEW YORK KNICKS

O Knicks it was never easy. Now, they are facing their toughest challenge: themselves. O Pacemakers demolished a hapless and underdog New York team 121-89 to tie the series at 2-2. Indiana led by 28 points at halftime — its largest lead ever at a postseason break — and by as many as 43 (!) in the fourth quarter after both teams pulled their starters.

Speaking of starters, New York has always relied heavily on them, even before Julio Randlein season-ending shoulder injury in January. Now, they’re running out of reliable players, period:

• Since the playoffs started, Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) It is Mitchell Robinson (ankle) saw their seasons end.
• In Game 2 against Indiana, both Jalen Brunson (foot) It is OG Anunoby (hamstring) got hurt. Brunson returned; Not Anunoby.
• Including the playoffs, the Knicks are 26-5 with Anunoby and 13-16 without him since his midseason acquisition.

In Game 3, Brunson more Donte DiVincenzoThe red-hot gunfire almost got the job done. In Game 4, DiVincenzo and Brunson combined to shoot 9 of 30, and so the Knicks had no chance because they simply don’t have any more offensive firepower elsewhere. In fact, they may not have enough anything in another place. James Herbert explains how a deep Indiana team overwhelmed the fading Knicks.

• Herbert: “During the regular season, and especially when the Pacers advanced to the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship game, it became clear that Indiana was the kind of team that could beat anyone. The Pacers run hard, run hard, and attack in the middle of the game. court. Mike BreenThey showed that they’re also the last team you want to face if you’re drained and exhausted.”

I’m not giving up on the Knicks. Led by Brunson and Tom Thibodeau, they are as difficult as they look. But they are losing the battle of attrition, with no let up in sight.

Not-so-honorable mentions

Hawks win NBA Draft Lottery, Pistons fall again

How’s that for beating the odds? O Falcons – which had just a 3% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery – did just that, becoming the fourth least likely team to win the No. 1 pick in the event’s history. Here are the top five:

1. Falcons
2. Wizards
3. Rockets (via networks)
4. Spurs
5. Pistons

You’ll notice that the last team on this list was also last place in the NBA this season. The Pistons had the league’s worst record for the second year in a row. And for the third consecutive year, however, they fell to fifth in the draft. Detroit was the biggest lottery loserwrites Colin Ward-Henninger, but not everything is lost.

• Ward-Henninger: “With last year’s No. 5 pick, the Pistons were selected Ausar Thompson, who… has already shown enormous potential as a defender and transition scorer. Plus, if there’s any draft that missed the No. 1 pick, this is it. There is no consensus franchise-changing prospect in this class, so there is a good chance the player you select at No. 5 is even better than the top four.”

Speaking of that uncertain top of the class, Kyle Boone has a new mock draft:

1. Hawks: C. Alex Sarr – “Atlanta has a chance to add a difference-maker at center who can serve as an anchor on defense and help eliminate deficiencies on a Hawks team that lacks star power in the front court.”
2. Wizards: Castle G Stephon
3. Rockets: PG Rob Dillingham
4. Spurs: Topic PG Nikola
5. Pistons: SF Zaccharie Risacher

Rory McIlroy wins the Wells Fargo Championship before the PGA Championship

On Sunday, Rory McIlroy turned a top-10 showdown into a laugh. Now he hopes that continues. McIlroy cruised to a five-stroke victory over Xander Schauffele to win his fourth Wells Fargo Championship and now turns his focus to the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

• Scheffele hit No. 7 to go up two strokes. McIlroy then went birdie-birdie-eagle to take the lead back. He added two more birdies and another eagle and shot 32 on the back nine, even with a double bogey on 18.
• McIlroy’s victory came a week after he and Shane Lowry came together to win the Zurich Classic.
• McIlroy’s 26 career PGA Tour victories Henry Picard for 22nd all time. McIlroy too earned an incredible $3.6 million with victory. Not bad!

Although McIlroy has no problem winning (especially at Quail Hollow), he is still chasing his fifth major. In fact, he’s been pursuing it since 2014, coincidentally at the PGA Championship… coincidentally at Valhalla. Will he celebrate his 10-year anniversary with another Wanamaker Trophy? As Kyle Porter points out in his PGA Championship Storieshe’s not the only one who arrives with a heater.

• Concierge: “Brooks Koepka is once again the center of attention. Scottie Scheffler You’re looking for something historic. Rory McIlroy joins the two men as a trio of golfers entering the PGA, each having won their last two matches. And then there’s this young man – perhaps you’ve heard of him, Ludvig Åberg. Turns out he’s also really good at major championship golf.”

MLB Power Rankings, weekend recap