Good Morning! Today is Monday, April 14. Here’s what happened over the weekend in the world of sports.

THE MASTERS

With a birdie on the first playoff hole, Rory McIlory won his first Masters and became the sixth golfer all-time to complete the career Grand Slam. A weekend filled with ups and downs and wild swings ended with one of the greatest golfers of his generation achieving a lifelong dream. This was a spectacular Masters tournament, with an incredible second-place performance by Justin Rose, top-ten finishes by Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, and a multitude of golf shots that will go down in history. While there were many characters in this weekend’s drama, Rory’s rollercoaster journey to the green jacket was the story. There were the six consecutive threes to begin Saturday, the disastrous double-bogeys to begin Sunday and to throw away the lead halfway through, the spectacular shot through the pines on number seven, the missed putt to win it on the 72nd hole, and then, finally, the incredible second shot on the playoff that ultimately set-up the win.

But the lasting image of this Masters was the final one. The putt went in and we witnessed a great athlete fall to his knees, the enormous weight of expectations and missed opportunities finally lifted from his shoulders. Rory McIlory had entered ten April weekends in Augusta with the goal of completing the career Grand Slam. And on his 11th try, despite all the mistakes and missed chances and the worry you could sometimes see etched into his face, Rory got it done. As McIlroy left the green, tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, Jim Nantz and the CBS broadcast went silent for minutes, letting the noise of the crowd and the emotion from Rory wash over the patrons at home– it was beautiful. No matter who you were rooting for, no matter if you even like golf, nothing compares to the raw joy and relief of a hardworking individual achieving their goal. Congratulations to Rory McIlroy… what a fantastic weekend of golf.

NBA

After a hectic final weekend, the NBA regular season is over! We’ll get to the playoff matchups in a moment, but first a few notable stats from the 2024-25 season:

• Nikola Jokic became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double, joining Oscar Robertson and Jokic’s teammate Russell Westbrook.

• For the first time since 2008-09, three teams won at least 60 games: the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder.

• LeBron James has been really good for a long time… unfortunately, one of his impressive streaks has ended. For the first time since his rookie season, LeBron averaged less than 25 points per game. He finished this year at 24.2.

• And how about Chris Paul? The veteran point guard, playing in his 20th season, became the oldest player to play in all 82 games.

And now for those playoff matchups! The play-in games, or as they should be known, the Jonas Valanciunas games (he’s been in them all six seasons!) kick-off the action tomorrow night:

EAST:

• (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs winner of Hawks/Magic vs Heat/Bulls

• (2) Boston Celtics vs winner of Hawks/Magic

• (3) New York Knicks vs (6) Detroit Pistons

• (4) Indiana Pacers vs (5) Milwaukee Bucks

WEST:

• (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs winner of Grizzlies/Warriors vs Mavericks/Kings

• (2) Houston Rockets vs winner of Grizzlies/Warriors

• (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

• (4) Denver Nuggets vs (5) Los Angeles Clippers

MLB

A couple fun notes from the baseball world:

• Jose Quintana became the fifth active pitcher and the 24th all-time to record a win against all 30 current MLB teams. “That means a lot for me. Dreams come true, and I want to keep going,” said the Brewers starter.

• Garrett Crochet was dominant, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against his former team yesterday. The Red Sox defeated the White Sox 3-1… although Boston lost two out of three to Chicago.

• The Rockies didn’t score a single run this weekend against the Padres, who lead the majors with 13 wins this year. Next up for Colorado? A trip to LA to take on the Dodgers… it might be a long season.

NHL

For the first time in NHL history, the Penguins, Rangers, and Bruins have all missed the playoffs. As we enter the last few days of the season, let’s check on what teams are still contending for those final postseason spots:

EAST: one Wild Card

• Montreal Canadiens: 88 points (vs Blackhawks, vs Hurricanes)

• Columbus Blue Jackets: 85 points (@ Flyers, vs Islanders)

WEST: two Wild Cards

• Minnesota Wild: 95 points (vs Ducks)

• St. Louis Blues: 94 points (vs Utah)

• Calgary Flames: 92 points (vs Golden Knights, @ Kings)

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a-leaving Knoxville after a dispute regarding NIL compensation. The former five-star recruit did not attend practice on Friday, and negotiations with the university ultimately ended in Nico entering his name into the transfer portal. It’s been rumored that he will end up in USC, although nothing is official. This may end up a landmark moment in the new age of college athletics, but for now the defining quote of this strange saga comes from UT head coach Josh Heupel: "At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program.”

Chicago Cubs starter Justin Steele will miss the remainder of this season due to an elbow injury. It’s a big loss for the Cubs, as Steele is one of the brightest young pitchers in the game following his breakout season in 2024.

Congratulations to Western Michigan, who won their first-ever Frozen Four over the weekend in St. Louis. The Broncos defeated Boston University 6-2 in the finals.

And finally, Kylian Mbappe got a very unnecessary red card during yesterday’s 1-0 Real Madrid win against Alavés, the 17th-ranked team in La Liga. Mbappe will be suspended for at least one game, which is a disappointing development for any fans traveling to Madrid and attending a game next week.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

WNBA DRAFT: 7:30 PM on ESPN

“I gotta go get a Green Jacket,” –Rory McIlroy