Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Tuesday, May 13.

NBA

The top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference has officially been eliminated. Tyrese Haliburton continued his electric postseason run with 31 points and the Indiana Pacers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-105. Indy’s fast-pace game was simply executed at too high a level for the Cavs to overcome. “The winning team writes the script,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after the game, “This was one of the best teams in the league... They had the perfect season, and we came along and were hot at the right time.”

Over in the west, the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets looks like an NBA Finals matchup, although there’s now a chance the team that emerges will be too exhausted at the end to continue their playoff run. Game five was another incredible affair between the two sides. Here’s the story of the game:

• Nikola Jokic was magnificent with 15 rebounds and a game-high 44 points on 17-25 shooting. The rest of the Nuggets, however, scored 61 points and went just 23-72 from the field.

• OKC used an impressive three-point barrage to overcome an 86-78 Denver lead late in the fourth quarter. The Thunder outscored their opponents 34-19 in the final frame.

• With a 112-105 victory, Oklahoma City now holds a 3-2 lead as the series heads back to Denver for a pivotal game six. The Thunder have to feel pretty good about winning the game despite the best player in the world pulling off one of the most remarkable shots we’ve seen all postseason:

NHL

Just one game on the ice last night and it was fairly one-sided. In fact, you could say it was one-playered. Mikael Granlund scored his first career playoff hat trick and the Dallas Stars beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1, earning them a 3-1 series lead. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a finalist for MVP this season, has now lost nine consecutive road playoff games.

MLB

Yes, you read that correctly. That’s a real summary! The Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres all won with walk-off hits last night. Plus the Tampa Bay Rays hit a game-winning grand-slam in the top of the ninth! Not to mention two up-and-coming stars, Jacob Wilson and Josh Jung, who led their teams to victories with two-homer nights. An incredible evening of baseball, and yet it was overshadowed by an announcement from Commissioner Rob Manfred…

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and 15 other individuals have been removed from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list. All 17 have passed away, which means the decision’s greatest and maybe only impact is each of them are now eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Outside of Rose and Jackson, it’s unlikely any of the others will be seriously considered, and while Jackson (banned due to his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal) has a case for enshrinement, I don’t think people are as passionate about his candidacy. No, this is a story about the Hit King, the one and only Pete Rose. However, it’s not a guarantee that Rose will actually be elected when he is first on the ballot in 2027. While his statistics and legendary career on the field merits inclusion among baseball’s finest, there’s still the very real fact that Rose bet on baseball. This decision by Rob Manfred does not erase Rose’s past, whether it’s his gambling, his criminal history, or the other facets of his incredibly fascinating but often controversial life in the spotlight. Personally, I’m not sure what to think. Is it really a Hall of Fame if the all-time hits leader, home run leader, single-season home run leader, and pitcher with the most Cy Young awards aren’t included? In the same breath, cheating and deteriorating the integrity of the game should never be honored or completely forgiven. Plus in Rose’s case, what’s really the point of enshrining him now? After spending the last thirty years campaigning to be elected, he won’t be there to celebrate the accomplishment. Perhaps the true point of the Hall of Fame is not to recognize legends or preserve the history of the game, but to stir up passionate arguments about who gets a little bronze plaque. Regardless, if anyone wants to join me in Cooperstown for the induction ceremony in 2028, I’ll be sitting in the front row cheering for Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

It’s official– Jayson Tatum will miss the remainder of this postseason and likely all of next season with a ruptured Achilles. A brutal injury for one of the game’s top talents on one of the league’s top teams. Wishing Tatum all the best and a speedy recovery.

Paul Skenes announced he will be join Team USA for next spring’s World Baseball Classic. A huge get for the Americans, who have struggled to attract top pitching talent for the WBC due to injury concerns.

Speaking of teams with injured starters, the Dodgers los yet another arm yesterday, placing Roki Sasaki on the injured list with a shoulder impingement. Luckily for LA, one of the greatest Dodgers of all-time is set to take Sasaki’s place. Clayton Kershaw will make his season debut on Saturday.

Remember yesterday when no one followed up on my pitch to buy the Connecticut Sun? Well, I’ve got another opportunity for you– let’s buy the Portland Trail Blazers! The NBA team announced they are officially exploring a sale.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NBA:

• Knicks @ Celtics, 7 PM on TNT/Max

  • New York leads 3-1

• Warriors @ Timberwolves, 9:30 PM on TNT/Max

  • Minnesota leads 3-1

NHL:

• Panthers @ Maple Leafs, 7 PM on ESPN

  • Series tied 2-2

• Oilers @ Golden Knights, 9:30 PM on ESPN

  • Edmonton leads 3-1

TENNIS:

• Coco Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva, 7 AM on Tennis Channel

• Jack Draper @ Carlos Alcaraz, 9 AM on Tennis Channel

“That’s really off to the side, it’s a personal relationship and she doesn’t have anything to do with UNC football,” –Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick, when asked if his girlfriend Jordon Hudson had any impact on his ability to coach