The Winner’s Circle
05/28/2024By: Jeff Yoder
Welcome Back!
What. A. Weekend. With three full days of recaps and more than a dozen different sports leagues, today is a rapid-fire rundown. We’ll recap the Memorial Day races, update the playoffs, and check in on the French Open’s first round. We’ll also remember some sports figures who were lost this weekend (at the bottom of today’s edition). Lots to rewind. Not enough time…
Letter Rip!
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The Winner’s Circle
3 Stars of Race Weekend: Josef Newgarden Repeats (Indy 500), Christopher Bell Dominates (Coke 600) & Charles Leclerc Makes History (Monaco GP)
We dubbed it the “Race Weekend Trifecta.” And although rain delayed and shortened much of the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on Sunday, three champs found themselves basking in the glory of the winner’s circle. All three achieved some semblance of history and meaningful victory in a Sunday full of race drama. Let’s recap all three with speed:
Indianapolis 500: Josef Newgarden
Newgarden Repeats With Last-Lap Magic
The main event on Sunday was rain-delayed for hours before The Greatest Spectacle in Racing finally fired up the engines. Despite the rain, Indianapolis Motor Speedway looked full with nearly 400,000 in attendance for the largest one-day sporting event on planet Earth. The race featured 49 lead changes — the fourth-highest in the Indy 500’s 108-year history — and 18 different race leaders (the most ever). It needed one final lead swap for a dramatic finish on the last lap. The 2023 winner, Josef Newgarden, made a last-lap pass to the top of Pato O’Ward to steal the repeat win. It was a heartbreaker for O’Ward who finished runner-up for the second time in three years. Newgarden went to victory lane for the second straight year and joined a list of only 11 two-time Indy 500 champs. Indy 500 in Photos
Coca-Cola 600: Christopher Bell
Bell Rings Early in Rain-Shortened Charlotte
The rain delay in Indy meant no Indy-Charlotte double for Kyle Larson. That left the door open for Christopher Bell. Bell led the most laps (90) in a dominant performance before the Coke 600 was called after 249 laps (of 400). He out-raced Brad Keselowski on a late restart that turned out to be the last sprint before lightning called it. It was Bell’s second win of the season.
Monaco GP: Charles Leclerc
Leclerc ‘Finally’ Gets Homecoming Victory
You couldn’t write it any better. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc earned a start-to-finish victory at the Monaco Grand Prix. He grew up on the streets of Monaco and failed to win at home throughout his career, until Sunday. The usual suspect, Max Verstappen, had a rough weekend from qualifiers to race day, finishing sixth in a rare non-top-5 outing. Oscar Piastri (2nd) and Carlos Sainz (3rd) rounded out the top-3, but it was a special “homecoming” moment for Leclerc. It was the first time in 93 years the Monaco GP was won by a Monegasque driver. Remarkable.
*All Links to Race Highlights
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TENNIS
Au Revoir, Rafa?
Rafael Nadal, 14-Time French Open Champion, Exits via 1st-Round Sweep to Alexander Zverev in Likely Paris Send-Off
It’s impossible to capture Rafael Nadal’s greatness in a short blurb. He hasn’t officially retired, but the 37-year-old (soon-to-be 38) has been plagued with injuries for the past few seasons and appears to be running on fumes. His tennis legacy is more than solidified as one of the best ever. On clay? It’s unmatched. The 14-time French Open champ appeared in (likely) his last match at Roland-Garros this weekend. His unfavorable draw landed 4-seed Alexander Zverev in the opening round. Cheers of “Vamos, Rafa!” started before the match, but they quickly turned to sadness in an undeniable sweep (6-3, 7-6, 6-3). Zverev, a decade younger and in his prime, was just too much. It was Nadal’s first career loss in the first round at Roland-Garros.
Watch: #4 A. Zverev def. R. Nadal (Straight Sets)
King of Clay: 14x French Open Champ
They’re known as the ‘Big 3’ in men’s singles — Novak Djokovic (24 Slams), Rafael Nadal (22 Slams), and Roger Federer (20 Slams) — but Nadal’s legacy in this legendary list begins and ends in Paris. He won the 2005 French Open and proceeded to capture almost every title at Roland-Garros, when healthy, over the past two decades. Nadal won four straight (2005-2008), five straight (2010-2014), and another four straight (2017-2020) French Open crowns before adding another in 2022.
“If this is the last time that I played here, I am at peace with myself.” — Rafael Nadal
Read More
AP: Rafael Nadal’s Possible French Open Farewell Draws Fans From All Over the World
ESPN: Despite 1st-Round Loss, Nadal’s Legacy at the French Open is Unparalleled
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NBA PLAYOFFS
Closers Unite in Conference Finals
Celtics Sweep Pacers With Another Late Run in Game 4 (105-102); Mavericks on the Doorstep of NBA Finals (Lead 3-0) After Late Luka/Kyrie Magic
The stage is almost set for a Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals after both teams showed their incredible close-out ability this weekend. Boston completed the sweep over Indiana with a 7-0 run to end Game 4 last night. Jaylen Brown earned the ECF MVP Award. The Pacers held the lead in the fourth quarter in Games 1, 3, and 4, and folded down the stretch in all of them. Out West, the Mavericks won two over the T-Wolves thanks to Luka Doncic’s game-winner in Game 2 and a fourth-quarter spurt in Game 3. Both Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been clutch closers in late-game moments (same as Boston). Barring a never-before-seen 3-0 comeback by Minnesota, we’ll be treated to a Boston-Dallas series for all the marbles.
Eastern Conference Finals
Gm 3: Celtics def. Pacers (114-111)
Gm 4: Celtics def. Pacers (105-102)
BOS Wins Series (4-0)
Western Conference Finals
Gm 2: Mavericks def. T-Wolves (109-108)
Gm 3: Mavericks def. T-Wolves (116-107)
DAL Leads Series (3-0)
Must-See: Anthony Edwards Submits Another Dunk-of-the-Year Nominee
Read More
Yahoo! Sports: Celtics Rally Again Past Pacers to Secure Sweep & Finals Spot
SI: Stan Van Gundy Says Doncic & Irving Are Best Backcourt in NBA History
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HIGHLIGHTS
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Gm 3: Stars def. Oilers (5-3)
DAL Leads Series (2-1)
Jason Robertson (3G), Stars Rally From 2 Down
Gm 3: Rangers def. Panthers (5-4, OT)
NYR Lead Series (2-1)
Alex Wennberg Scores OT Winner
French Open (First Round)
W: #1 I. Swiatek def. L. Jeanjean (6-1, 6-2)
W: #3 C. Gauff def. J. Avdeeva (6-1, 6-1)
W: N. Osaka def. L. Bronzetti (6-1, 4-6, 7-5)
M: #2 J. Sinner def. C. Eubanks (6-3, 6-3, 6-4)
M: #3 C. Alcaraz def. J. Wolf (6-1, 6-2, 6-1)
M: S. Wawrinka def. A. Murray (6-4, 6-4, 6-2)
Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. Suffers Torn ACL
Brewers Spoil Craig Counsell’s Return (5-1)
O’s Hammer Red Sox (11-3) for 5th Straight
Soccer
Man-U Beats Man. City (2-1) to Win FA Cup
FC Cincinnati Earns Wild 4-3 Win Over Toronto
*6 of 7 Goals in 2nd Half, 3G in Final 15 Minutes
WNBA
Kayla McBride (31 pts)
Arike Ogunbowale Drops 40 Points
Connecticut Stays Perfect (5-0)
Golf
Davis Riley (-14) Captures Charles Schwab Challenge
Defeats Field by 5 Strokes, Scottie Scheffler T-2nd (-9)
Lacrosse
M: Notre Dame Wins Men’s Lacrosse Title
Fighting Irish Crush Maryland (15-5)
W: Boston College Wins Women’s Lacrosse Title
Eagles Rally From Down 6-0 to Beat Northwestern (14-13)
Softball
8-Team Bracket Set for Softball World Series
#1 Texas, #2 Oklahoma, #5 Oklahoma State, #6 UCLA, #8 Stanford, #10 Duke, #14 Alabama & Florida
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NEWS
Braves’ Star Ronald Acuna Jr. Placed on IL With Season-Ending ACL Tear (FOX Sports)
Mike Tyson ‘Doing Great’ After Health Scare on Flight (ESPN)
Brewers Fans Drown Out Craig Counsell Tribute Video With Boos in Return to Milwaukee (SI)
NFL Considering International Games in Middle East in Addition to Australia (CBS Sports)
Tennessee Earns No. 1 Seed in NCAA Baseball Tournament After SEC Sweep (AP)
Teen Sprinter Who Set U20 World Record Banned 4 Years for ‘Recovery Gummies’ (ESPN)
Seattle Kraken to Hire Dan Bylsma as Next Head Coach (B/R)
Controversial MLB Umpire Angel Hernandez Retires From Baseball After 3 Decades (Yahoo! Sports)
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SCHEDULE
Today’s Must-Watch List
NBA Playoffs
Gm 4: T-Wolves at Mavericks (8:30 pm ET, TNT)
DAL Leads Series (3-0)
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Gm 4: Rangers at Panthers (8:00 pm ET, ESPN)
NYR Leads Series (2-1)
French Open
W: #14 M. Keys vs. R. Zarazua (9:00 am ET)
W: #2 A. Sabalenka vs. E. Andreeva (9:15 am ET)
M: #1 N. Djokovic vs. P. Herbert (2:15 pm ET)
*French Open Coverage on NBC Sports
MLB
Dodgers—Mets DH (4:10/7:10 pm ET, TBS)
D-Backs at Rangers (8:05 pm ET, MLBTV)
Phillies at Giants (9:45 pm ET, MLBTV)
WNBA
Mercury at Sun (7:00 pm ET, CBS)
Sparks at Fever (7:00 pm ET, NBATV)
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IN REMEMBRANCE
Some Tough Goodbyes
NBA Legend Bill Walton (71) Dies From Cancer Battle, Golfer Grayson Murray (30) Found Dead After PGA Withdrawal
Memorial Day Weekend also brought sports fans some sad news. The golf community mourned the loss of Grayson Murray (Friday) before the basketball world paid tribute to Bill Walton (Monday). Here are some notes:
Bill Walton (71) was a two-time NCAA champion and two-time NBA champion. The Hall of Famer helped redefine the center position in the 70s before an iconic broadcasting career. He was an energetic and colorful personality with some of the funniest off-the-wall moments while covering West Coast college hoops. Walton died on Monday after a long battle with cancer.
Golfer Grayson Murray (30) was found dead after withdrawing from Round 2 of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday. Murray often spoke about his challenges with alcohol and depression early in his career, but he returned to the PGA Tour and won the Hawaii Sony Open in January. That was a special moment earlier this season. His family confirmed that Murray committed suicide.
Tell a friend something nice today. You never know who’s struggling…
Cheers,
The Sportsletter Team