The Lineup: Tuesday, June 18

Author:
Mike Bebernes
Publish date:
Jun 18, 2013

Greg Nelson / Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

All the tube that's fit to watch. (All Times Eastern)

Starter

NBA Finals, Game 6: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat, 9:00p.m. (ABC & ESPN3) Finals MVPs since '94: Olajuwon, Jordan, O'Neal, Billups, Duncan, Wade, Parker, Pierce, Bryant, Nowitzki, James ... Danny Green? If Green—who would have to miss 21 straight threes for his percentage in the Finals to match that of the regular season—has another big night he could end up being the first specialist, ala Desmond Howard in the NFL, to win the MVP.

Reserves

Soccer World Cup Qualifier: Honduras vs. USA, 8:30p.m. (ESPN) The USMNT's previous matchup against Panama had the second highest ratings ever for a qualifier. LeBron et. al. will cut into the televised draw, but hopefully the in-person audience in Utah's Rio Tinto Stadium will find a way to match the stunning showing of the crowd in Seattle.

Soccer UEFA U21 European Championship: Italy vs. Spain, 11:45a.m. (ESPNU & ESPN3) It is simply unfair for Spain to be as good as it is on the top level and still dominate the youth ranks. Get used to seeing a bunch of handsome guys with greasy hair celebrate by flapping their arms around, because they're not going anywhere.

NCAA Baseball College World Series: North Carolina vs. LSU, 3:00p.m. (ESPN & ESPN3) The Tarheels are the tournament's number one seed and the Tigers were a popular pick to win it all, but one of these teams will exit Omaha without tallying a single win. Bummer.

NCAA Baseball College World Series: UCLA vs. North Carolina State 8:00p.m. (ESPN2) Both teams unseated favorites in their first game, but neither can expect to keep winning in the same fashion: The Bruins scored both of their runs on errors, and The Wolfpack won't be trotting out ace Carlos Rodon on one day's rest.

MLBL.A. Dodgers vs. New York Yankees, 7:00p.m. (MLB Network) Interleague play brings Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly back to the Bronx for only the second time since he followed Joe Torre out West. The reception for Donnie Baseball is sure to be warm, but safe money is on at least one Yankee fan calling him a douchebag.

Deep Bench

TV Live With Kelly and Michael: Guest, Mark Cuban, 9:00a.m. (ABC) So that happened this morning. Loosely related: All free agency negotiations should take place on Cuban's prime time show Shark Tank.

I picture Chris Paul and Dwight Howard sitting in leather chairs listening as Mark Cuban tries to sell them on coming to the Mavericks.

Dwight: "Tell me about your cap space."

CP3: "Mmhmm and Dirk, how is his health these days?"