What you may have missed this weekend: 5/2-5/5

It’s been another week of exciting sports news and games. Now that we can officially put the first fourth months of the year behind us, we are looking at what the next step is for several of the sports.

For the NFL, it’s about continuing to add and resign the best players available to help them get ready for training camp and the 2019 NFL season. Both the NBA and NHL are continuing with their playoff races as they look to crown a new champ this year. The MLB is swinging for history will all the record-breaking moments it’s already had this early in the season.

But there’s more than just these three sports that we may have missed this weekend. We also got to know the grouping of the 2019 Women’s FIFA World Cup and see where the reigning champions, USA, will be placed. But hold your horses, there’s more that you might have missed, so let me tell you.

“Horses in the First Turn of the Kentucky Derby” by Diana Robinson is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Are you still holding your horses? Okay, you can stop now because your horse isn’t the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby unless you put the money on the right one. How about the Boxing match from Saturday night between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs for the Middlewieight Championship. Alvarez defeated Jacobs by unanimous decision as the two went back and forth for all 12 rounds. But let me ask you this, “Are you ready to Rumbleeeeeee?” Cause now it’s time to get down to the all that you really missed this weekend.

Kentucky Derby:

I hope you have maximum security when you collect your money because the results may surprise you if you’re into Derby races enough to put money on it.

Although the favorite, Maximun Security, didn’t get to winning prize, he did win the race. However, due to the jockey not staying in the lane and having the horse splash mud in the face of all the other jockey’s faces as they were racing, the steward made the decision to disqualify Maximum Security as they deemed it as interference. This would make Country House the winner. This disqualification is the first in the history of the Derby.

NBA:

NBA Playoffs:

• James Harden and the Houston Rockets battled through a tough game 3 win that went into overtime as they watch the Golden State Warriors take a lead late. Rockets Chris Paul and the chance to win the game on the final possession of the game with seconds left. That was until Warriors’ Klay Thompson played great defense and forced a jump ball with 1.5 seconds left in the game. The game was tied at 114 a piece and the Rockets won the ball, but there wasn’t enough time left to take a shoot and win. So they went to overtime and Harden took continue as the Rockets got their first win of the series. Can the Rockets tie the series Monday night?
• Another team looking to tie the series Monday is the Boston Celtics who are looking to take back home court after losing Friday night to the Milwaukee Bucks and their “Bench Mob” as George Hill lead the bench with 21 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Celtics Kyrie Irving led the team with 28 points, but the “Greek Freak” was too much for Celtics in game 3 as the Bucks took a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 will be Monday night, so let’s see if the Celtics can tie up the series.
• The Toronto Raptors tied the series with the Philadelphia 76ers after a big 39 point, 14 rebound performance for Kawhi Leonard. It was a much needed win for the Raptors who were down 2-1 after Sixers’ Joel Embiid’s 33 point performance Friday night. The series shifts back to Toronto on Tuesday and the Raptors look to take control back.
• Denver Nuggets and Portland Blazers has been one of the more exciting series this playoff. With the series tied at one game a piece, the teams battled back and forth through regulation and four overtimes until it was Dame Time and the Blazers took the game. With the Blazers having a 2-1 led and playing game four at home, the pressure was on fire the Nuggets who were led by Nikola Jokic. Jokic recorded a triple-double as he showed the Blazers and this Nuggets team is no joke. Game 5 will be back in Denver and the Nuggets will look to take a 3-2 series led, but will Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum allow it.

NBA Coaching Rumors:

• It seems likely that Tyrone Lue will be the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. When and how much is the real question that everyone is waiting to find out!
• Phoenix Suns hire 76ers assistant Williams as the new head coach after Philadelphia’s season is over of course.

NHL

NHL Playoffs:

• The Carolina Hurricanes make quick work out of the New York Islanders. Last weekend, the Hurricanes were up 2-0 in the series and they didn’t look back. The Hurricanes won game 4 of the second round of the playoffs 5-2 and they showed that world that they are ready to be the Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 2006. The Islanders tried everything to keep themselves alive, but a goalie switch was not the answer for them as they got sweep 4-0 on Friday Night.
• The St. Louis Blues beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 to force a game 7 and a chance to advance to the conference finals. That game will be played on Tuesday as we know it’s going to be an epic one as they have both shown in previous playoff series against each other.
• The Boston Bruins look to close out the series against the Columbus Blue Jackets as their rely on their stars. Down 2-1 in the series, the Bruins were looking to get back on track as they did in the last two wins to take a 3-2 series led. Monday night could mark the end of the series if the Blue Jackets can’t figure out a way to slow down the Bruins.
• The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks continue to battle for their chance to advance to the next round. The Sharks have a 3-2 a series led, but that literally means nothing when both teams have taken turns winning games. The first team to win two games in a row will be the winner she’s the Sharks have that chance Monday night as they look to close out the Avalanche. If the Avalanche win game six, they will they to win consecutive games in six and seven to advance on. Game seven will be played Wednesday night necessary.

MLB:

Texas Rangers’ rookie catcher had career night on win over Toronto Blue Jays.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa helped lift the Rangers to an 8-5 win with a career-high 4 RBIs. He came up in the second inning with the bases loaded and hit a triple to drive in the of his four RBIs. The Rangers scored eight quick runs in the first three innings to ended a three-game skid.

Braves young stars continuing to shine.

The Atlanta Braves young stars, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. tied a career high during their series with the Miami Marlins. Both of these guys got contract extension this offseason and their play thus far proves why that’s a great decision. Albies tied a career high with 5 RBIs in a game. Four of those five came off a Grand Slam in the sixth on Saturday nights 9-2 win. It was Albies’ second five-RBI game, the other one came nearly a year ago against the Marlins. Acuna tied a career high with four hits.

Nationals pitcher fastest to 1,500 Strikeouts

It’s not every day we get to talk about Pitchers making history, but this week we have two different highlights. First, let’s congratulate New York Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia on reaching 3000 strikeouts for his career.

And now, we could talk about Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg’s record-setting night. Strasburg reached 1,500 strikeouts in fewer innings than any pitcher in major league history, and he picked up the 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Strasburg went 6 2/3 innings, giving up a run on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts, it was the eighth strikeout on Cardinals pitcher Dakota Hudson in the fifth inning that got him to 1,500th of his career.

He did it in 1,272 1/3 innings, beating Red Sox’ pitcher Chris Sale who reached the 1,500 Ks in 2017 after 1,290 innings. Although Strasburg did it in the fastest total of innings pitch, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson holds the record for fewest games needed to reach 1,500 strikeouts with 206 games. Strasburg needed seven more games to do so, but he still has a lot more pitching left and we could see him do more in the record books.