SI:AM | Golden Knights Win Back-and-Forth Game 1

Vegas dug out of an early hole and came back to steal the first game of the Stanley Cup Final on the road.

Tomas Hertl had the winning goal for the Golden Knights in Game 1. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m fully obsessed with this new online game called 82–0 where you attempt to assemble the best five-man NBA lineup possible. 

In today’s SI:AM: 
🏒 Vegas strikes first
🏀 NBA Finals on deck
🤠 Texas Tech’s big week

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Vegas cashes in

The first game of the Stanley Cup Final was a good one. 

The Golden Knights took Game 1, 5–4, on the road against the Hurricanes to continue their impressive hot streak. Vegas has now won seven games in a row, dating back to Game 5 of their second-round series against the Ducks. 

Carolina struck first just 25 seconds into the game on an impressively accurate shot by Nikolaj Ehlers in transition. Ehlers scored again later in the period to make it 2–0. 

The Knights bounced back, though, by scoring three straight goals to take a 3–2 lead early in the second period, but the two teams went into the second intermission tied after a goal by Carolina captain Jordan Staal. Brett Howden scored for Vegas early in the third, before Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game with 8:41 left to play following an icing call that the Knights disagreed with. Tomas Hertl scored the decisive goal (thanks to a beautiful backhand assist by Colton Sissons) with 3:24 on the clock. 

Hertl has been a major reason why Vegas has been winning lately. He has four goals and four assists in his last eight games after going 29 straight games (from March 6 to May 10) without finding the back of the net. None of those goals was bigger than the one he had last night, though.

Latest on Mitchell Robinson

The Knicks are in trouble if Mitchell Robinson can’t play. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

With the NBA Finals set to begin tonight in San Antonio, all eyes are on Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. 

Robinson’s status for the series is up in the air after he suffered a mysterious finger injury. He had surgery last week to repair a broken right pinky, an injury that the team says did not occur in a game or practice.

Robinson did practice on Tuesday, though, with the injured finger heavily wrapped. He wasn’t made available to the media, so information about his status for Game 1 is limited. He’s officially listed as questionable, although he’s reportedly pushing the Knicks to let him play. 

It might seem a little weird to focus so much on a backup center, but New York needs all the help it can get in defending Victor Wembanyama. If Robinson is unable to play, the Knicks would be severely lacking size on the interior. Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns (both 7-footers) are the only Knicks rotation players taller than 6'7". Without Robinson, the Knicks would be forced to have 7-foot third-string center Ariel Hukporti play meaningful minutes. Hukporti has seen limited action this postseason, almost exclusively in New York’s numerous blowout wins. 

Robinson is a better defensive player than Towns and is certainly the more physical of the two New York big men. He played a significant role in the Knicks’ NBA Cup win over the Spurs in December, collecting 15 rebounds (including 10 offensive boards) in 18 minutes. If he’s not able to play, the already difficult task of containing Wemby will be that much harder. 

The best of Sports Illustrated

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will open the NBA Finals against the Knicks on Wednesday night. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

• Chris Mannix reports from NBA Finals media day in San Antonio, where Victor Wembanyama spoke about a potential conference finals hangover effect. 
• Mannix also asked coaches around the NBA how they would defend Wemby and Jalen Brunson. 
• Ahead of Game 1, Ryan Phillips looks at how the Knicks and Spurs match up position-by-position. 
• Here are all our experts’ picks for the series.
• Texas Tech is at the center of the college sports universe this week. Pat Forde examines all the different storylines involving the Red Raiders and why they love being in this position. 
• Gilberto Manzano argues that it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Rams after trading for Myles Garrett. 

The top five…

… things I saw last night: 
5. This stylish assist by Chelsea Gray. 
4. Will Benson’s game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth for the Reds. Cincinnati won in the 10th when Blake Dunn’s soft single allowed Spencer Steer to hustle home from second. 
3. An absolute laser of a throw by Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn. 
2. Colt Emerson’s sliding catch in foul territory for the final out of the Mariners’ win over the Mets. 
1. Jo Adell’s hilarious blooper in the outfield. The ball glanced off his glove, bounced off his head and bounded over the fence for a homer, just like that infamous Jose Canseco lowlight. What makes this even more unbelievable is that Adell is the same guy who robbed three homers in a single game earlier this season.