Jalen Brunson, Nikola Jokic power Knicks, Nuggets; Caitlin Clark struggles in WNBA debut

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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

THE NEW YORK KNICKS AND THE DENVER NUGGETS

The Knicks had been alleged to be too exhausted, alleged to be too injured, alleged to be … no matter.

Hassle is, Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein and the remainder of the orange and blue crew did not get that memo, apparently. New York responded from a Recreation 4 blowout loss with a romp of their very own in Recreation 5, thumping the Pacers, 121-91, to take a 3-2 sequence lead.

• After two mediocre video games in Indiana, Brunson was magnificent with 44 factors. It was his fifth 40-point recreation this postseason, essentially the most in a single playoffs since LeBron James had eight in 2018.
• Hartenstein tied a Knicks playoff file with 12 offensive rebounds. Total, the Knicks had 20 offensive rebounds, which they turned in 27 second-chance factors. New York had 101 shot makes an attempt; Indiana had 72.
• New York is the primary workforce within the league to lose a playoff recreation by at the very least 30 factors after which reply with a victory by at the very least 30 factors for the reason that 2016 NBA Finals, when the James-led Cavaliers did it.

I really like Brunson’s recreation. He is removed from the largest, strongest or quickest. However he continually beats larger (Aaron Nesmith), stronger (Andrew Nembhard) and faster (T.J. McConnell) defenders. He performs at his personal tempo, spinning and contorting and faking and creating. He did not win MVP, however he deserves each “MVP” chant that echos inside Madison Sq. Backyard.

The Pacers don’t have any excuses.

• Tyrese Haliburton scored a paltry 13 factors and tried solely 9 pictures.
• Their 17 turnovers had been a mixture of miscommunications, miscues and lack of focus.
• Indiana confirmed an lack of ability/unwillingness to field out, usually making no effort as Knicks parachuted in unimpeded.
• The bench, which was supposed to offer a transparent benefit, was clearly atrocious. Indiana was outscored by 25 in 21 Obi Toppin minutes and by 19 in 19 McConnell minutes.
• Postgame, Donte DiVincenzo stated the Pacers aren’t powerful. Guess what? He is proper.

Within the nightcap, Nikola Jokic obtained his third MVP trophy … after which confirmed why he isn’t solely the MVP, however one of many recreation’s nice offensive forces of all-time. Jokic scored 40 factors (on 15-for-22 taking pictures) and racked up 13 assists and 7 rebounds — all whereas committing zero turnovers — within the Nuggets‘ 112-97 win over the Timberwolves. Denver has gained three straight to utterly flip this sequence and transfer to a win away from going to back-to-back convention finals for the primary time in franchise historical past.

• Jokic joins Chris Paul as the one gamers with 40+ factors, 10+ assists and no turnovers in a playoff recreation.
• It is “solely” Jokic’s fifth profession 40-point playoff recreation, but it surely’s his ninth profession playoff recreation with 30+ factors, 10+ assists and seven+ rebounds. Solely James has extra.
• He is doing it towards the league’s finest protection and infrequently towards the Defensive Participant of the 12 months, Rudy Gobert. However no, this does not invalidate Gobert’s award, Brad Botkin writes. We’re merely watching a legend.

Credit score Denver’s protection, too. Anthony Edwards and Jamal Murray obtained into issues after Recreation 4, and Edwards responded with simply 18 factors on 5-for-15 taking pictures.

Groups that win Recreation 5 in a best-of-seven sequence that is tied 2-2 go on to advance 82% of the time. New York and Denver are within the driver’s seat.

😁 Honorable mentions

😩 And never such a great morning for …

CAITLIN CLARK AND THE INDIANA FEVER

Caitlin Clark rewrote the school file books. One recreation into her WNBA profession, she made the incorrect historical past: Clark had 10 turnovers — essentially the most ever in a WNBA debut and simply the thirteenth double-digit turnover recreation in league historical past — because the Fever obtained blown out by the Solar, 92-71.

A veteran Connecticut squad was well-prepared for Clark’s tendencies, utilizing size and physicality to make Clark uncomfortable all evening. Clark finally completed with 20 factors however shot simply 5 for 15.

The passes that had been open at Iowa — the throw-aheads, the lobs excessive, the pick-and-roll pocket passes — had been usually disrupted. When Clark turned the nook in faculty, she usually obtained straightforward layups. Tuesday, she bumped into assist defenders forcing awkward shot makes an attempt or wayward passes.

Hear, Clark will probably be simply high quality. The earlier “file” holder for turnovers in a debut was Cynthia Cooper with eight. And he or she went on to win the primary 4 WNBA championships, a bunch of MVP Awards and turn into a Corridor of Famer. But it surely’s clear Clark will face massive changes — maybe larger than we anticipated given her historic faculty profession. Erica Ayala has extra on Clark’s “Welcome to the W” second.

As for Connecticut, Alyssa Thomas (13 factors, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) registered her ninth profession triple-double, extending her WNBA file, and DeWanna Bonner scored 20 to maneuver into fifth on the league’s all-time leaderboard. DiJonai Carrington led the defensive effort towards Clark.

Here is extra:

😓 Not so honorable mentions

🏌 PGA Championship picks, rating the sector, sleepers, extra

By the point you learn tomorrow’s publication, the PGA Championship will probably be underway. So this is methods to watch, and listed here are the tee instances, highlighted by …

• 7:53 a.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
• 8:04 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley
• 8:15 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose
• 8:26 a.m. — Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Viktor Hovland
• 8:37 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth
• 1:51 p.m. — Collin Morikawa, Phil Mickelson, Matthew Fitzpatrick
• 2:02 p.m. — Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Cameron Younger
• 2:13 p.m. — Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Scottie Scheffler

However who’s elevating the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday? Listed below are our professional picks. Kyle Porter likes …

• Porter: “Winner: Scottie Scheffler (4-1): I am simply going to maintain selecting Scottie till he loses, which he hasn’t executed a lot over the previous few months. Since March 1, Scheffler has misplaced to at least one golfer: Stephan Jaegar on the Houston Open. That is it. It most likely hurts him a bit of bit that that is much less of a method golf course and extra of an execution golf course, however he is been firing on all cylinders in each of these areas for a very long time now.”

Kyle and Patrick McDonald additionally picked stars who will not win, Scottie vs. Rory vs. Brooks, Tiger vs. Phil and far more.

Patrick additionally has 5 sleepers who may shock. I really like this choose:

• McDonald: “Sahith Theegala: There is a case to be made that Theegala is taking part in like a top-10 golfer on the planet, however the value doesn’t mirror that. The Californian has but to contend in a significant, however Theegala has but to enter one with the shape he presently possesses. Theegala ranks sixth in whole strokes gained, twentieth in driving distance and twelfth in strokes gained placing during the last three months. … Odds: 75-1″

⚾ MLB first-quarter grades: 10 ‘A’s, seven ‘F’s

The MLB season is chugging alongside, and R.J. Anderson has first-quarter grades for all 30 groups. Truthful warning: He didn’t maintain again, good or dangerous. 9 groups landed an “A,” and a whopping seven obtained an “F.”

For all of the considerations getting into the season, the Yankees are rolling to an “A” begin.

• Anderson: “The Yankees must be happy that they are proper within the mixture of the American League East regardless of not but receiving a begin from Gerrit Cole. Juan Soto has been as good as desired, and nearer Clay Holmes has begun his stroll 12 months with 17 consecutive scoreless innings. The Yankees nonetheless have some areas of concern to handle — it might be good if Gleyber Torres remembered he was a free agent this winter, too — however general it is exhausting to nitpick given the circumstances.”

Soto, coincidentally, made some historical past final evening.

Listed below are the entire grades.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

🏀 Recreation 5: Cavaliers at Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT
🏈 NFL Schedule Launch, 8 p.m. on ESPN2 and NFL Community
🏒 Recreation 5: Avalanche at Stars, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Recreation 5: Mavericks at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT