Carson Anderson
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.
Please check the acceptance box to confirm that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
An error occurred while processing your subscription.
Good morning everyone, but especially…
THE BOSTON CELTICS
They don’t ask how. They ask how many, and the Boston Celts are now just seven wins away from their 18th NBA title after a 133-128 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and it seemed like a blowout was inevitable. That’s when the Pacers launched a counterattack and managed to tie the game at 64 before halftime.
Indiana led by five points in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics managed to make some important plays in the final stretch and take the game to overtime. None were greater than Jaylen BrownThe 3-pointer with six seconds left to even the score at 117.
- That 3-point shot was the only one Brown made as he finished with 26 points on the night.
- Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 36 points and also recorded a game-high 12 rebounds.
- Jrue Vacation had great success for Boston, shooting 50% from beyond the arc and totaling 28 points.
Our own Brad Botkin has key takeaways from the Celtics win and follows all the NBA postseason results with our updated playoff bracket/tracker here.
Honorable mentions
And it’s not such a good day for…
Getty Images
THE INDIAN PACERS
On the other side of the court, the Pacers missed a golden opportunity in Game 1 and may end up regretting it.
In the final 30 seconds of regulation, Indiana saw its three-point lead disappear due to some critical mistakes. Tyrese Haliburton It is Andrew Nembhard both committed brutal turnovers, and the Pacers let Jaylen Brown open for a 3-pointer on an inbounds play.
Overall, the Pacers committed 22 turnovers, and the Celtics scored 21 points off those turnovers. Our own Sam Quinn put together a plan for how the Pacers can pull off the upset in this series – and spoiler alert – coughing up the ball at key moments wasn’t there.
- Quinn: “When the Pacers knocked the Celtics out of the season’s tournament, they did so by winning the turnover battle by a +13 margin. Turnovers help the Pacers maintain their own fast pace and get the kind of easy shots they can’t always generate in midfield.”
If the Pacers are looking for a silver lining here, it could be that they have a minus-7 turnover margin and still managed to get overtime. Well, that and the fact that the Celtics lost Game 2 at home in the previous two rounds.
Not-so-honorable mentions
Jets giving Rodgers a chance to stay standing this fall
Getty Images
If the New York Jets will compete for the Super Bowl next season, their offensive line needs to keep up Aaron Rodgers on your feet.
GM Joe Douglas made this position a priority in the offseason, and he used every means possible to ensure the 40-year-old Rodgers stayed out of the training room. Here’s a summary of his moves so far this offseason:
- exchanged for Crows TR Morgan Moses
- Signed Ravens G John Simpson
- Signed Cowboys LT Tyron Smith
- Elaborate Penn State Old testment Olu Fashanu in 11th place overall
Keeping Rodgers away from the heat is not only important for his health, but it should also positively impact his performance. Our own Douglas Clawson explains Rodgers’ transformation when facing pressure.
- Clawson: “It’s key as Rodgers is obviously no longer an agile chicken and his declining numbers against pressure in recent years show that. From 2021-22, he ranked third in EPA per play when NOT pressured, but 25th when pressured. Jekyll and Hyde act similar to turning Josh Allen into Mac Jones in terms of quality of play.”
Regardless of what happens with the offensive line, the Jets should feel happy that Rodgers is back in 2024. According to Rodgers, he was weighing a career change from football to politics this offseason.
2024 NBA Combine risers, fallers
Getty Images
The NBA’s next crop of stars spent the last week in Chicago showing offices what they’ve got in store. NBA combine. Let’s just say it was better for some players than others.
As usually happens, some players stood in front of the scouts and jumped. This was the case with Providence point guard Devin Carter. He surpassed ours List of Kyle Boone’s ancestors and descendants after showing some elite explosiveness.
- Boone: “If there had been an award for the most cocky player in attendance, he would have been the unanimous winner. He tied for first in maximum standing vertical jump at 42 inches, broke an NBA Draft Combine record in the ¾ court sprint, and showed drive competitiveness and dazzle that marked his Big East Player of the Year season in Providence in front of NBA decision makers.
In his junior season with the Friars, Carter averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He is now ranked 9th on Boone’s Big Board.
Not all players made the same positive impression as Carter. Kentucky stand out Kenny Dillingham fell out of Boone’s top 10 after he measured in at 6-foot-3 and 164.2 pounds — not ideal for a top NBA Draft prospect.
Also, there were mixed reviews about Bronny James in Chicago, but came out ahead. The son of LeBron JamesBronny has now cracked Boone’s top 60 rankings, making him a second-round option.
NHL Conference Finals Previews, Expert Picks
Getty Images
There are only four teams left in the battle for the Stanley Cup. O New York Rangers It is Florida Panthers will fight in the East, and the Dallas Stars It is Edmonton Oilers will face the West.
The Rangers and Panthers are expected to produce a long and highly competitive series. That’s certainly how our experts see things, with both predicting a Game 7 …and the Panthers doing it. As Chris Bengel explains, Florida has already demonstrated a lot of perseverance.
- Bengel: “This will likely be a very physical and tight series that will feature a lot of offensive outbursts. When push comes to shove, the Panthers are the team that I think has the courage to persevere after being pushed to their limits against the Lightning and Bruins in both first rounds.”
In the West, the matchup between the Stars and Oilers could come down to Dallas’ goaltending advantage, which I note in my preview.
- Nivison: “The Stars have a bona fide No. 1 goalie in Jake Oettinger, and the Oilers had to split minutes in their previous series between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Oettinger has a .918 save percentage in the playoffs. Skinner and Pickard have combined to a save percentage of .888. If these trends continue, the Oilers will be in trouble.
The Rangers and Panthers start tonight. Game 1 between the Stars and Oilers is scheduled for Thursday. Follow the complete program with our complete NHL playoff bracket.
What will we watch on Wednesday
Sailors in the Yankees7:05 pm on ESPN+
Game 1: Panthers vs. Rangers8pm on ESPN
Game 1: Mavericks x Timberwolves8:30 pm on TNT
