If you’ve been with us for the long haul, you may remember the “What Happened Last Night” daily column I ran for a few months. While it has since been discontinued, this newsletter will essentially be a rebrand of that in a “Morning Brew” type style. Every Day. Every Morning. Direct from the best part of the stadium.

Playoffs???

The NBA Playoffs tipped off on Saturday – and to everybody’s surprise – the best players in the world decided to play some defense. Things started fairly bland with the East’s No. 4 seeded Cavaliers plodding past the 5-seed Magic. Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell was the best player on the floor in Saturday’s matinee.

The 27-year-old made the young Magic look juvenile with a game high 30 points in the 15-point victory. It was the 21st time Mitchell has reached the 30-point plateu in his career. He now sits 7th on the all-time playoff points per game list behind only Devin Booker (6), Lebron James (5), Jerry West (4), Kevin Durant (3), Allen Iverson (2), and Michael Jordan (1). Jordan is the only player on this list to average over 30 points per contest.

The script flipped completely in the West opener, where 22-year old Anthony Edwards dropped in 33 points to best a 31-point performance from 35-year-old Kevin Durant in the Timberwolves win over the Suns. 6-seeded Phoenix was a very popular pick to claim a first-round upset. It will have to be better than what it showed in a 120-95 smackdown in Game 1 if Phoenix hopes to avoid an early exit.

Back in the East, 2-seeded New York took care of business against 7-seeded Philadelphia. Knicks star Jalen Brunson wasn’t his dominant self (8/26 from the field), but Josh Hart (22 points) and Miles McBride (21 points) were able to help hold off 62 combined points from the 76ers star duo of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. McBrides 21 points were tied for the fifth most the 23-year-old has scored in his career. It’s the first time he’s gone for more than 20 without playing over 30 minutes.

Saturday’s nightcap took us across the country – and up a few hundred miles in elevation – to Denver where Lebron James and the In-Season Champion Lakers opened their series against the defending non-Mickey Mouse Champion Nuggets. As expected, the true defending champions pulled away in a double-digit win. Lebron James (27/6/8) and Anthony Davis (32/14/5) left it all on the floor, but the Lakers depth proved too scarce against a scorching-hot Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. complimenting 32 points from Nikola Jokic.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Like I mentioned earlier, the NHL playoffs began with a couple of games on Saturday. All five Carolina Hurricanes fans in attendance went home happy after their team defeated the New York Islanders 3-1 to snag Game 1. For some context on that cheap shot the Hurricanes faithful, we determined Charlotte was the worst sports city on our podcast earlier this week. 

My Maple Leafs were in action for the nightcap against the Boston Bruins. It was a bit unsettling. I’m sure the Boston faithful treated the Tim Hortons-loving visiting fans with the utmost integrity and respect during the course of a 5-1 thrashing. I’m slightly rattled for my Toronto future pick, but then again, I should have been rattled after I chose one of the biggest frauds in sports to begin with.

On the Diamond.

My Mets are absolutely sizzling after picking up their 6th straight victory to claim the series against the Dodgers. The win streak marks a rare occasion where I’ve actually been able to smile regarding my sports teams since we started Views from 400 a half-year ago. Three of New York’s six victories came against the team in the inferior Pennsylvania city, the Pirates, who have now dropped five in a row to fall to 11-10 after a 9-3 start to the season. Rumors of star prospect Paul Skenes debuting have been floating along the Allegheny River. We can only hope his arrival doesn’t lead to the media delivering off-putting, and borderline creepy, questions and comments to girlfriend Livvy Dune like we’ve already seen with the Indiana media’s treatment of Caitlin Clark.

In the AL, Houston officially has a problem after dropping yet another game to an NL East opponent. The Astros are now just 7-15 to begin the season, although ace Justin Verlander did return to the mound this week. Luckily for Houston, AL West leader Texas is just 11-10 as it deals with it’s own injury concerns. Across the country Orioles phenom and No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday has gotten off to a 1-27 start to start his career. The 20-year-old’s confidence hasn’t wavered according to manager Brandon Hyde, and as long as Baltimore keeps winning, he should stay in the big leagues.

What else is happening in the nosebleeds?

• Former Auburn 5-star recruit Aden Holloway is moving across the state to transfer to Alabama in a sickening move.
• Pelicans star Zion Williamson will not return for New Orleans’s first-round series against the Thunder, although he could suit up if the Pels advance.
• Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made sure he won’t ever forget Michigan’s 2023 perfect season.
• You’ll never guess which Los Angeles Angel is injured again.
• Clippers star Kawhi Leonard’s status remains “up in the air” for the first-round against Dallas.

Trivia

Who was the last MLB team to start the season 0-5 and make the postseason?

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