Sports
‘Leave no crumbs’: Stefon Diggs rebounded from injury and found a fit with Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — On Sunday evening, Stefon Diggs entered the New England Patriots auditorium and stepped up to the podium with an energetic hop.
“Everyone looks so comfortable,” he said, greeting the media with a smile.
The Patriots had just cruised to a 42-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers, in which the wide receiver, too, looked comfortable. For the first time in 22 games, he crossed the 100-receiving yard threshold. He called it a “turn the corner” day.
“I’m just super excited and want to keep building,” Diggs said.
When the Patriots signed the four-time Pro Bowler to a three-year, $69 million contract in March, there were many uncertainties.
It was unknown if Diggs, who sustained a torn right ACL last October, would be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. If he was, there was no guarantee he could once again deliver as a No. 1 receiver in his 11th NFL season. Or how he would fit into the new Patriots regime led by coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Those questions percolated in the spring when Diggs was in and out of the team’s voluntary workout program which had an otherwise high attendance rate. He made headlines by appearing in a video on a boat that went viral, forcing Vrabel to address it.
Behind the scenes, though, Diggs was working hard to rehab his ACL injury in Florida and to get back on the field as quickly as possible. He was ready by training camp, with his personal athletic trainer calling it a “historically fast” recovery.
Now four weeks into the 2025 season, Diggs, 31, is emerging as an ideal fit with the Patriots.
“Putting in that time, putting in that grind throughout camp, I feel like you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the season is here. That’s when the pedal hits the metal and you get your confidence from growing within the system and getting used to a system and a quarterback — and all these things are brand new to me,” Diggs said Sunday.
“My focus has always been grinding and I’m going to figure it out. I’m probably going to work a little harder now, because when things are going right, you can’t relax and get complacent.”
Diggs now has momentum heading into a game he said he has been looking forward to, returning to face his former team, the Buffalo Bills, on Sunday at Highmark Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) — a contest marking the first time Diggs will play in Western New York, where he was once quarterback Josh Allen’s go-to target, since the Bills traded him to the Houston Texans in April 2024.
The 2015 fifth-round pick ranks sixth in receiving yards (10,704) and touchdowns (70) since entering the NFL a decade ago.
While his on-field performances continue to evolve with the Patriots, Diggs has also emerged as a leader in the locker room. Since joining the team, Diggs has inspired teammates with pregame speeches. He has also developed a rapport with second-year quarterback Drake Maye, similar to what he did with Allen (then in his third season) when the Bills acquired him from the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.
“[Diggs is] a great teammate. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Maye said. “He’s fire on game day. You see him even in practice, he wants to bring it. He thinks a lot of the guys around him. He wants to be a great teammate, he wants to bring the energy, and he wants the ball.”
WHEN DIGGS SPRINTED onto the field before kickoff of the 2025 season opener, he made his way to the back left pylon of the far end zone, dropping to his knee to reflect. There was a lot going through his mind before his first game back after the injury.
“I took a little moment to be grateful and kind of bask in the ambiance of where I was, back doing what I love,” he explained.
Scene-setter: Stefon Diggs takes a moment of reflection at the back pylon upon taking the field.
Long road back from injury.
Diggs then got up and pumped his arm in excitement. pic.twitter.com/XPyi2Ldbea
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 7, 2025
His torn ACL, his first major injury in the NFL, had challenged him in ways he never had been before. He acknowledged it was one of the hardest things he has ever experienced.
“I was in, like, a real, real dark space for a little while. I had to pull myself out of it. I still kind of go through it here and there,” he said. “Probably just because where I’m at in my career right now, it was rough for me. I went through a lot in the offseason.”
Diggs credits his rehab with Dr. Sharif Tabbah, of Florida-based Alkemē Sports Rx, for getting him back on the field quickly. The typical timeframe for receivers recovering from a torn ACL is 9-12 months, according to Tabbah. Diggs passed his physical with the Patriots July 19, just 8½ months after tearing his ACL, which Vrabel noted was a credit to how hard Diggs worked.
Tabbah, who trains NFL receivers Jerry Jeudy (Cleveland Browns), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) and Rashee Rice (Kansas City Chiefs), among others, recalled seeing a social media post from Diggs immediately after surgery in which he was in a hospital bed with his head in his hands.
“Anyone could tell from the post he was going through it mentally, as many athletes do, especially when they haven’t had a major injury in their careers,” Tabbah said. “I kind of teased him and said, ‘Man, you look like your life is over in these photos. Don’t worry. We’re going to bounce back. My goal for you is not to get back to 100%. It’s to get you to 110%. I want you leaving here better than before the injury.'”
There was standard early progress in the rehab work, with Diggs’ dedication reflected in bringing Tabbah to New York with him when plans called for him to be away from Florida. Then Tabbah said Diggs’ recovery took off about four months in, when physical testing numbers indicated he could begin to work on cutting.
“As we started doing that, and he was doing so well so quickly, that’s when it started to get really impressive,” Tabbah said. “We were doing top-of-the-route stuff at four and half, five months, which is crazy. It was clean and smooth.”
Among the methods Tabbah integrated into Diggs’ rehab included traditional manual therapy, special electrical stimulation machines to help recruit more muscle fibers to get his strength back faster, an anti-gravity treadmill to progress to running and pool work for jumping, cutting and running. That all led up to Diggs returning to the field and focusing on football-type movements and footwork.
Along the way, Diggs also leaned on teammates and others around him, such as his girlfriend Cardi B, who recently announced they are expecting a child.
“Coming off injury isn’t easy, but when you’re around the right guys it makes it easier,” he said to reporters earlier this season.
“My life could be a lot worse,” Diggs added. “I’m blessed. I have a lot to look forward to each day. I have some beautiful kids. Got a beautiful support system. My life ain’t that hard. There are a lot of people in the world who go through way worse things on a daily basis. Just roll with the punches, know what I’m saying?”
The Patriots were cautious with Diggs in the preseason, holding him out of games, and sometimes limiting his practice reps. So taking hits was on Diggs’ mind entering the 2025 season. After a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, Diggs said he sought out contact to help him take the next step in his return.
After the team’s Week 2 win over the Dolphins in South Florida, in which Tabbah attended as Diggs’ guest, the two connected to evaluate how the knee responded to increased demand and the load of the season. Tabbah was once again encouraged by what he saw and heard from Diggs.
They then gave the knee manual therapy and recovery work, followed by activation and corrective exercises, as well as balance drills.
“It was a tuneup, a check-in on how everything looked, and he looked great. I was pleased to see how well he continues to hold up despite such a historically fast return,” Tabbah said. “He had maintained everything we worked on and was very confident. He told me he hasn’t thought about his knee in any way on the field.”
Diggs echoed those thoughts to reporters soon after.
“I feel great,” he said in the Patriots’ locker room. “I’m trying to stay feeling great. Now it’s turning a key and being out there consistently, it’s getting back to the feel of the game.”
AGAINST THE PITTSBURGH Steelers in Week 3, Diggs made a play that Vrabel loved.
Running a shallow route across the middle, Diggs tied up two defenders, which allowed running back Rhamondre Stevenson to catch a short pass and run 23 yards. Vrabel pointed out Diggs had a similar play the week before that wasn’t executed, so it showed his progress and also unselfishness.
For Diggs, this is what he has consistently referred to this season as “eating what’s on my plate.”
“Whatever they give you, take it, handle it with grace, and continue to push teammates,” he explained. “That’s where I am at this point [in my career].
“I’m here for whatever they need. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’m a veteran, I’m healthy. Shout out to God. I’m not going to bite off more than I can chew, or I’m not going to ask [for] anything. I’m just going to handle what’s in front of me.”
Through four games, Diggs has been on the field for 55.5% of the offensive snaps, the third most among receivers behind Kayshon Boutte (75.2%) and Mack Hollins (57.9%). He ranks first on the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (213) and is looking for his first touchdown.
Vrabel left open the possibility that Diggs’ playing time increases, noting that some of it is tied to what packages have been utilized most (e.g. more two tight ends) and “trying to find a role for each and every [receiver].”
Meanwhile, Diggs insists his sole focus is on maximizing whatever he does get.
“Comparison is the thief of joy. I can’t really think about what’s going on around me. I’ll be cheering for my guys — always clap for everybody around me, I pretty much always have been that way,” he said. “Even if you do want more, whatever is on your plate, you have to eat it. But I never want to fall into the trap of focusing on something else and not eating the food in front of me. I want to make sure I scrape the plate. Leave no crumbs.”
Such an approach has positioned Diggs as a commanding presence within the team, even though he isn’t one of the team’s six captains.
“One of the cool things is watching his maturity as a leader and hearing him kind of be a champion of the cause for coach Vrabel, coach McDaniels and myself,” said wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who was on the Vikings’ coaching staff in 2018 when Diggs was in his fourth NFL season. “If there is something that we emphasize, he’s going to have our backs with the young guys. Or if he sees somebody on the field not doing it, he’ll hold them accountable.
“He’s always had a relentless work ethic. He’s been working diligently mentally to be able to handle everything we throw at him.”
McDaniels, whose brother Ben serves as the Texans wide receivers coach and raved about Diggs last year, noted Diggs’ intelligence in adapting to the Patriots’ system.
“He has a lot of game experience and savvy. It doesn’t take long to have a conversation with him about something you want to do, or if you have an idea or vision of how you want it to play out, and Stef can go out there and he’s following you when you’re speaking to him or we’re watching film,” Josh McDaniels said.
“[He’s] very competitive, and in the right way. His leadership is intense, but it’s the right type of intensity because he wants to win. Unselfish. He’s been a very good teammate. Love working with him. Brings an excitement to it every day.”
A win Sunday against one of Diggs’ former teams would be surprising, as the Patriots enter as 7.5-point underdogs according to ESPN BET. Nonetheless, Bills fans might be surprised at what they see from Diggs and hear from him in the days leading up to the game.
“It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere. Obviously, I spent a lot of years there. They have one of the best fan bases in the game, if not the best fan base. So, shout out to them,” Diggs said. “In the division, they say it’s one game, but it damn near counts as two. I’m excited for the challenge.”
Just under a month ago, Maryland Terrapins guard Oluchi Okanawa went viral for an intense moment with her coach Brenda Frese in their 74-66 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament.
Now, she is headlining what appears to be a rebuild of the Nigeria women’s basketball program.
Okananwa, the Terrapins star player, was having a dreadful third quarter where she turned the ball over multiple times, missed three free throws and missed a layup before getting yanked by Frese.
What followed turned out to be one of the most viral moments of March Madness. Frese went forehead-to-forehead with the guard in an intense coaching moment, telling her star Terrapin “I believe in you, but you got to want this moment!”
Oluchi went back into the game, immediately scored, got a steal and ended up with 21 points in a remarkable turnaround. She said after the game that she welcomed the intensity of the coaching moment.
“Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart,” she said. “I’ve told her this before, and I’ll keep on telling her this forever. I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day.”
Less than four weeks later, Okananwa is now top of the list on the Nigeria women’s basketball team, as they named a 21-player training camp roster ahead of a series of friendlies against WNBA opposition, part of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.
Far from routine, the squad named by head coach Rena Wakama, appears to be a clear indication that D’Tigress are fully in refresh season, with a wave of NCAA-based players called up, led by Okananwa and Texas Tech’s Stephanie Okechukwu, the tallest player in the history of NCAA women’s basketball at 7 feet 1 inch.
Both players are part of a total of 15 players on that roster picked from fourteen different US programs. Of those, Okananwa and Okechukwu are the undisputed picks of a bunch spanning Power Four programs, the Ivy League and the junior college ranks.
It is the most concentrated draw on the NCAA pipeline in D’Tigress history and comes in the wake of the departure of former captain Sarah Ogoke, as the NBBF looks to lower the age of the team with players like Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Victoria Macaulay the other side of 30.
Okananwa, a junior, earned AP and WBCA All-America honorable mention honors this season after averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and a Big Ten-leading 74 steals in 33 starts for the Terrapins. She led Maryland in scoring in 28 of 33 games and reached 20 points or more in 14 outings.
With her talent, Okananwa could well be the face and future of Nigeria women’s basketball.
Okechukwu, the 7-foot-1 center from Umunneochi, Nigeria, who attended high school in Japan, signed with Texas Tech in January as the tallest player in the history of NCAA women’s basketball.
She did not play during the 2025-26 season due to NCAA eligibility complications related to her academic transcripts, but remains enrolled at Texas Tech and is expected to compete beginning next season.
Stanford are the only program to contribute more than one player. They are Shay Ijiwoye, a sophomore guard from Phoenix, Arizona, who appeared in 32 games for the Cardinals last season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Her teammate Nora Ezike, a freshman forward from La Grange, Illinois, made her Nigeria debut at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Brno, Czechia, last July, where she opened with 25 points on 8-for-8 shooting in Nigeria’s first-ever U19 World Cup victory against China. She played in nine games off the Stanford bench in 2025-26.
Another addition is Uche Izoje, who may be college basketball’s most compelling origin story. The 6-foot-3 center from Asaba, Delta State, left Nigeria at age 13 to play basketball in Japan, spent two seasons with Chanson V-Magic in the Women’s Japan Basketball League as a two-time All-Star and 2024 Rookie of the Year, then arrived in the United States for the first time to play at Syracuse.
In her debut college season she averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and a conference-leading 2.6 blocks per game, capping a standout debut season by winning ACC Rookie of the Year and going on to score 23 points in 25 minutes against Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma called her “the best player we’ve seen this year.”
Miami freshman forward Danielle Osho, a four-star recruit from Dacula, Georgia and a two-time Georgia state high school champion, also earns a call-up. Osho averaged 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in her first college season with the Hurricanes.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming number of NCAA-related rookies, the squad is held together by an experienced core of vets that include Kalu, Amukamara, Macaulay, Nicole Enabosi and Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah.
But they are also missing just as much experience, including the leadership of captain Amy Okonkwo, who signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings after averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals across eight appearances in her WNBA debut with the franchise in 2025.
Elizabeth Balogun is in a similar position with the Toronto Tempo. Murjanatu Musa is also absent, competing instead with Basket Landes at the EuroLeague Women’s Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain, where she is in the running for the MVP in only her first season in that competition.
Despite this influx of largely young and untested players, Kunayi-Akpanah says the objective for those three games in the States is clear.
“These aren’t just exhibition games,” she said. “These are games for us to test our plays, our systems and how we communicate under pressure. Basically, everything we’ve been building. All is to arrive in our best shape for the World Cup in September.”
D’Tigress face the Los Angeles Sparks on April 25, the Minnesota Lynx on April 27, and the Indiana Fever on May 2 as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIBA World Cup, which begins September 4 in Berlin, Germany.
Nigeria qualified as AfroBasket champions, but were still required to take part in World Cup qualifying tournament where they went 2-3.
Still, those results were sufficient to maintain their eighth-place standing in the FIBA Women’s World Rankings with 700.3 points and D’Tigress remain the only African nation ranked inside the global top 10.
Full training camp roster:
Promise Amukamara, Shay Ijiwoye, Donanu Regina, Jerni Kiaku, Ezinne Kalu, Oluchi Okananwa, Gabby White, Nora Ezike, Victoria Macaulay, Vivian Iwuchukwu, Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, Suzie Rafiu, Danielle Osho, Nicole Enabosi, Maryam Dauda, Rita Igbokwe, Stephanie Okechukwu, Uche Izoje, Vera Ojenuwa, Favour Nwaedozi and Blessing Ejiofor.
D’Tigress College Future:
Shay Ijiwoye – Stanford
Donanu Regina – Barton Community College
Jerni Kiaku – Indiana University Hoosiers
Oluchi Okananwa – Maryland
Gabby White – UVA transferring to UNC
Nora Ezike – Stanford
Vivian Iwuchukwu – USC Trojans
Suzie Rafiu – Columbia University
Danielle Osho – Miami Hurricanes
Maryam Dauda – U South Carolina Gamecocks
Rita Igbokwe – Ole Miss
Stephanie Okechukwu – Texas
Uche Izoje – Syracuse
Vera Ojenuwa – UGA
Favour Nwaedozi – Mississippi State
Notre Dame and Villanova will play a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader Nov. 1 in Rome to open the season.
The universities are promoting the matchups as a chance to celebrate their shared mission and heritage as Catholic schools. The jointly hosted event will include “special programming that brings together academics, athletics and spirituality,” Villanova said in its announcement.
“From academic engagement and cultural immersion to shared worship and athletics, this journey offers a profound opportunity to grow in mind, body and spirit,” said the Rev. Peter Donohue, Villanova’s school president.
The schools said the election of Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar and Villanova alumnus, was the inspiration for scheduling the game.
Those attending the Italian excursion will have the opportunity for a shared Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a planned papal audience with Pope Leo XIV before the games and private tours of the Vatican Museums.
College teams playing overseas is expected to become more common amid a growing influx of international talent. Twenty-three of the 62 players on Final Four rosters listed their hometown as being in another country, and NCAA data shows the number of international players on Division I rosters (888) has more than doubled since 2010.
Games in Croatia and Serbia are in the works and planned for November as part of a new College Basketball International Series launched by Intersport and Rochelle Management Group.
The 2026 NBA playoffs began Saturday, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.
The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves kicked things off for the Western Conference on Saturday. Jamal Murray, who was a first-time All-Star this season, led all players with 30 points to help the Nuggets take a 1-0 lead. Nikola Jokic added 25 points despite a slow first half. Anthony Edwards kept the Wolves in the game with 22 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-98 in the day’s final game. The Lakers have had to turn to LeBron James at the end of the regular season after losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves indefinitely to injuries, but the Rockets were also without a star. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 because of a knee contusion, and his availability for Game 2 is uncertain.
On Sunday, the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns 119-84 despite an off-game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 25 points but shot just 5 for 18 in 29 minutes. The San Antonio Spurs also opened the playoffs with an impressive performance in their 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
More coverage:
East takeaways | Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: San Antonio showed up at Frost Bank Center outfitted for the occasion, eschewing its usual casual dress code and opting for all-black suits. The Spurs took a business approach into their Game 1 demolition, led by Victor Wembanyama, who enhanced his jaw-dropping physical skill set by deploying it in an intelligent and efficient manner.
Wembanyama, who was making his postseason debut, poured in 21 points in the first half, the highest scoring output in a player’s first career playoff opening half in the play-by-play era, according to ESPN Research. Before halftime, he scored or assisted on 24 points and held Portland’s shooters scoreless (0-of-6) as the contesting defender, helping San Antonio build a 10-point lead at the break that it would never relinquish.
Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history to have at least 30 points and hit five 3-pointers in his postseason debut, joining Kyrie Irving (2015) and Jordan Poole (2022), according to ESPN Research. — Michael C. Wright
Game 2: Trail Blazers at Spurs (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch in Game 2: Portland is the underdog, but its chances to make a mark in this series would increase if the Trail Blazers can supplement Deni Avdija‘s offensive production. Through the first three quarters, Portland had just two scorers in double figures other than Avdija (Scoot Henderson and Robert Williams III), while the Spurs had five players with at least 10 points.
Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan and Jrue Holiday shot a combined 4-of-23 over the first three quarters. So, with San Antonio loading up to slow down Avdija, his teammates should be able to capitalize if they can knock down some of their solid looks.
San Antonio, meanwhile, will look to apply more pressure if it gains a sizable lead in Game 2 after nearly letting Portland back into this contest. The Spurs built a 10-point halftime lead, and the Blazers cut it to two points by scoring the first eight points of the second half. — Wright
Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: A series-opening Sunday afternoon tip in Oklahoma City isn’t a fair fight for a No. 8 seed that had to fight to punch its playoff ticket Friday night.
For the second straight year, the Thunder had all but sealed the victory by halftime of Game 1 in the first round. Oklahoma City, which was a 14.5-point favorite, led by 21 at the half, fueled by scoring 21 points off 10 Phoenix turnovers. It was the largest halftime lead of any playoff game this weekend, but it’s familiar territory for Oklahoma City, which led by at least 20 at the half three times during its title run last postseason.
To their credit, the Suns had a much more respectable showing than the Memphis Grizzlies did a year ago, when the Thunder rolled to a 51-point victory in Game 1. — Tim MacMahon
Game 2: Suns at Thunder (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch in Game 2: The Suns need to find a solution to slow down Jalen Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander’s sidekick who is as healthy as he has been all season after coming off summer wrist surgery and dealing with recurring hamstring issues.
Williams finished with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and six assists in 29 minutes. It didn’t help Phoenix that guard Jordan Goodwin, who took the defensive assignment on Gilgeous-Alexander to start the game, got into early foul trouble. That forced the Suns to switch Dillon Brooks onto Gilgeous-Alexander and use lesser defenders on Williams, whose penetration into the paint created all kinds of problems.
The game got out of reach during Gilgeous-Alexander’s seven-minute rest to start the second quarter, a span in which Williams had four points and four assists. — MacMahon
Game 1: Lakers 107, Rockets 98
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: The Lakers were dealt a terrible hand when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered injuries a couple of weeks before the playoffs began. On Saturday, Los Angeles caught a break when Rockets star Kevin Durant was a late scratch because of a right knee injury. And the Lakers seized the opportunity.
Other than the final four minutes of the second quarter, when the Lakers struggled and turned the ball over five times to allow Houston to cut the lead from eight to two points, L.A. played a brilliant offensive game. LeBron James (19 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) ignited the action with eight assists in the first quarter — the most assists in any quarter of his playoff career, according to ESPN Research — and the ball flowed the rest of the night, with all five starters scoring in double digits.
Luke Kennard, who scored a career-playoff-high 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting, was a favorite target of James, but Deandre Ayton (18 points on 8-of-10 shooting) and Rui Hachimura (14 points on 6-of-10 shooting) also made the most of their touches. The Lakers said all week they had rediscovered their belief after their backcourt went down. That belief will only grow going into Game 2. — Dave McMenamin
Game 2: Rockets at Lakers (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch in Game 2: The obvious question for Houston is whether Durant will be available. Without the fifth-leading scorer in league history, the Rockets’ offense was rudderless. Houston shot just 37.6%, with Alperen Sengun missing 13 of his 19 shots, Reed Sheppard missing 14 of his 20, Amen Thompson missing 11 of his 18 and Jabari Smith Jr. missing nine of his 14.
The Lakers had the final five games of the regular season and all week during the play-in tournament to tinker with their game plan to survive without Doncic and Reaves, but the Rockets had to adjust to Durant’s injury on the fly. How Durant heals in the next 48 hours, or how the Rockets game plan for Tuesday if he isn’t available, could well decide the series. — McMenamin
Game 1: Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105
What we learned from Game 1: Playoff Jamal Murray launched early this year. In years past, Murray came up with big games or big shots when the Nuggets had fallen into a hole or needed some heroics. This year, Murray came out of the gate in peak form, propelling Denver with 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds on a remarkable 16-for-16 from the free throw line. Denver needed every one of those points as Aaron Gordon got into early foul trouble and Nikola Jokic started slow with just six points in the first half. Jokic got on track in the second half, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his 22nd postseason triple-double, third most in NBA history behind Magic Johnson (30) and LeBron James (28).
Denver broke open the game with a 14-0 run in the third quarter, during which Minnesota missed nine straight field goal attempts. Anthony Edwards was on the bench for the end of that run as Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch tried to get him some rest before the fourth quarter. Edwards is still managing pain in his right knee and will be doing so for as long as the season continues. He finished with a pedestrian-for-him 22 points in 37 minutes. — Ramona Shelburne
Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets (Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
What to watch for Game 2: These two teams have played more times than any two teams in the league the past three seasons. With the win in Game 1, the Nuggets now have a 15-14 advantage. That past is prologue to everything that happens in this series, and it is a fascinating chess match to behold.
Minnesota has to use its length and athleticism to do a better job of containing Murray on the perimeter — without fouling. His 16 free throws is a Denver postseason record (the entire Minnesota team shot 19 free throws), which is a reflection of his aggressiveness and the way the game was officiated. That dynamic has been a major point of contention throughout this rivalry, and it noticeably affects the results each game. It’ll be interesting to see whether that changes in Game 2, because the Timberwolves did well in virtually all the other facets of the game in which they usually thrive — finishing with 54 points in the paint. — Shelburne
‘Saturday Night Live’ alum Tina Fey admits past jokes missed the mark
There’s New Evidence for How Loneliness Affects Memory in Old Age
Prince William’s ally Robert Irwin rejects Prince Harry, Meghan offer
-
Fashion4 days agoFrance’s LVMH Q1 revenue falls 6%, shows resilience amid Iran war
-
Sports7 days agoThe case for Man United’s Fernandes as Premier League’s best
-
Entertainment1 week agoPalace left in shock as Prince William cancels grand ceremony
-
Business1 week agoUK could adopt EU single market rules under new legislation
-
Entertainment5 days agoIs Claude down? Here’s why users are seeing errors
-
Sports1 week agoLamar Jackson hits back at critics with faithful message on social media
-
Fashion1 week agoEnergy emerges as biggest cost driver in textile margins
-
Business1 week agoRoad accidents: a massive economic challenge | The Express Tribune