Winners Club: The Grizzlies Are on The Brink of Elimination
Good morning! Thanks for starting your day with Winners Club.
The drama of the weekend made Tuesday’s lopsided NBA results feel even more dull. Fans could be in more excitement when only series that’s still knotted up—Bucks vs. Celtics—picks back up tonight. And the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is heating up with one series already wrapped up and five other teams on the verge of victory.
Catch up on what’s going on in the playoffs in both leagues and get ready for the NFL’s schedule release.
Warriors Could Reach Conference Finals Tonight
Two series that became surprisingly interesting over the weekend lost some of their intrigue Tuesday night.
The Heat easily handled the 76ers on their home court, winning 120-85. Jimmy Butler got the help he needed, Miami’s three-point shooting improved, and James Harden and Joel Embiid could not replicate their Game 4 performances. Now the series heads back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Thursday.
Out west, the Suns similarly blew out the Mavericks, 110-80. Dallas cooled off considerably from three while Phoenix got enough from its role players to more than make up for another lackluster Chris Paul game. The Suns now take a 3-2 lead to Texas, looking to get back to the Western Conference Finals.
And tonight, the Bucks and Celtics meet for a pivotal Game 5 in a series where each team has already stolen a game. Boston’s defense is making life difficult for Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo included, and the C’s have received important contributions from surprising places, like Al Horford’s Game 4 explosion.
Tony Avelar/AP
The other Game 5 going on tonight is between the Warriors and the Grizzlies, a series that could have been the most exciting semifinal matchup of them all. Without Ja Morant, who is expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs, Memphis couldn’t get over the hump against Golden State in Game 4 and now faces elimination at home.
Wednesday
7 p.m. ET (TNT): Bucks vs. Celtics (-5.5) | Series tied, 2-2
9:30 p.m. ET (TNT): Warriors (-2.5) vs. Grizzlies | Golden State leads series, 3-1
Thursday
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): Heat vs. 76ers (-2.5) | Miami leads series, 3-2
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): Suns (-1.5) vs. Mavericks | Phoenix leads series, 3-2
Updated NBA title odds via SI Sportsbook
Warriors +210
Suns +250
Celtics +450
Heat +550
Bucks +850
76ers +3000
Mavericks +4500
Grizzlies +8000
And for the fans of teams that are more concerned with ping pong balls and prospects than title odds, we’ve got a few possible outcomes of how next week’s draft lottery could unfold and how the order would affect the top 14 picks.
The Rockets, Magic and Pistons all have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. Would those franchises go with the No. 1 player on Jeremy Woo’s big board, Jabari Smith?
NHL Playoffs Round 1 Drawing to a Close
Only one team has advanced to the second round so far in a competitive opening round of postseason play.
The Avalanche swept the Predators on Monday and now await their opponent: the winner of Wild-Blues. The Penguins can also wrap up their series with the Rangers if they score a road win in New York, where they’ve already won once in this series. The home teams are all favored in tonight and Thursday’s games, save for the Oilers, who need a win to extend their series with the Kings.
Wednesday
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): Penguins vs. Rangers (-133) | Pittsburgh leads series, 3-1
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): Capitals vs. Panthers (-213) | Series tied, 2-2
9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN): Stars vs. Flames (-225) | Series tied, 2-2
Gene J. Puskar/AP
Thursday
7 p.m. ET (TNT): Hurricanes vs. Bruins (-125) | Carolina leads series, 3-2
7:30 p.m. ET (TBS): Maple Leafs vs. Lightning (-125) | Toronto leads series, 3-2
9:30 p.m. ET (TNT): Wild vs. Blues (-110) | St. Louis leads series, 3-2
10 p.m. ET (TBS): Oilers (-150) vs. Kings | Los Angeles leads series, 3-2
NFL Schedule Release
If you thought it funny that the NFL makes such a big production out of the draft, just wait for when the 2022 schedule is released tomorrow. Keep in mind, we already know each team’s opponents for the coming season. This is just the announcement of when those games will happen—and we already know when a handful of games will be played!
That doesn’t mean it’s not a big deal. The schedule order can potentially impact players’ fantasy outlooks, teams’ projected win totals and more.
With that in mind, Michael Fabiano charted the players facing the easiest and most difficult schedules for the 2022 season at each skill position.
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback: NFC East QBs draw favorable matchups
Running Back: Javonte Williams due for a breakout
Wide Receiver: The rich get richer—Adams, Chase face easy schedules
Tight End: Dalton Schultz’s stock pointing upward
And if you’re interested in a post-draft 32-team power ranking, Conor Orr has you covered. Some familiar faces are at the top: Chiefs, Buccaneers, Rams, Packers. See how each team’s draft and offseason improved their outlook for 2022.
In Other News
Call-Ups Worth Adding to Your Fantasy Team: Injuries have opened the door for young contributors to step in right away from minor league play and impact their team and yours. Carlos Correa is headed to the injured list, can Royce Lewis step up in his place?
Brady to Join Fox as a Broadcaster Upon Retirement: Whenever future hall of fame quarterback Tom Brady does retire (for real this time), he has his next job lined up. His contract is reportedly for 10 years and worth $375 million, which is more than he earned playing in the NFL.
Arch Manning Confirms Top Choices: Georgia, Alabama and Texas reportedly have the inside track to landing the 2023 No. 1 quarterback. He’s set to begin visits in the summer to those three schools and in-state LSU and Florida.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! I’ll be back on Friday.
