🏀 Y! Sports AM: Game 3 at the Garden

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🏆 ALL EYES ON MSG

With the NBA Finals returning to Madison Square Garden tonight (8:30pm ET, ABC) for the first time in 27 years — and the president in attendance at the World’s Most Famous Arena — the Knicks and Spurs will attempt to do the unattainable: pretend it’s just another game.

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Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports:

Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals might be Josh Hart’s thirtieth house playoff sport as a member of the Knicks — the thirtieth time he is seen followers fill the stands at MSG for a contest meaning greater than most. He’s received a fairly good concept of what to anticipate.

“The Garden is going to be rocking,” Hart stated Sunday at the Knicks’ follow session. “Obviously, in this city we love our Knicks. So we’re going to come out, show love, support. The energy is going to be electric.”

There might be two main variations to the frequently scheduled raucous and rambunctious ambiance, although. For one factor, Monday will mark the first NBA Finals sport at Madison Square Garden since June 25, 1999 — only a few weeks after the eldest Knick on this yr’s roster, guard Jordan Clarkson, turned 7 years outdated.

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For one other, President Donald Trump plans to attend at the invitation of Knicks proprietor James L. Dolan, a longtime donor to Republican events and candidates, together with the president. This will mark the first time a sitting U.S. president has ever attended an NBA Finals sport.

What they’re saying: News of Trump’s attendance has generated sturdy reactions from some politicians and pundits. But inside the Garden, as each groups ready for Game 3, gamers emphasised the significance of remaining laser-focused and tuning out the noise.

“For me personally, [Villanova] Coach [Jay] Wright always talked about [how] we play for the guys in the locker room, and we don’t really play to the crowd,” Hart stated. “So I feel like I’m able to kind of tune that out pretty well.”

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“I think it could be [more difficult given all the attention], but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” stated Spurs famous person Victor Wembanyama. “I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem. This is similar to something media-wise like the Olympics.”

Game notes:

• Heightened safety: MSG will make use of a strict no-bag coverage and “TSA-style screening” in anticipation of Trump’s arrival, and followers have been inspired to reach at least two hours early. Due to safety issues, the watch party outside the arena has been canceled.

• Ticket costs: The get-in value for Game 3 was approaching $10,000 on Saturday earlier than settling around $6,000 on Sunday, in line with Gametime. NBA commissioner Adam Silver admitted it was “frustrating” that extra folks cannot afford to attend.

• Going streaking: With an exhilarating 105-104 victory in Game 2 on Friday night time, the Knicks logged their 13th consecutive victory. That now stands by itself as the second-longest profitable streak in playoff historical past, trailing solely the 2017 Warriors (15 straight).

• Backs in opposition to the wall: The Spurs are the thirty eighth group to fall behind 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Five of the earlier 37 groups got here again to win the title (2021 Bucks, 2016 Cavaliers, 2006 Heat, 1977 Trail Blazers, 1969 Celtics), however none of them misplaced the first two video games at house.

Pregame studying: Wemby stopper? How Karl-Anthony Towns has bested Victor Wembanyama (Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports)

🇺🇸 PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA

Los Angeles, California — Nelly Korda’s sensational season continued on Sunday at Riviera Country Club, the place the world No. 1 won the U.S. Women’s Open by a stroke due to a clutch birdie on the seventeenth and a par putt at the final that circled the entire cup earlier than dropping.

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By the numbers: Korda, who’s received 4 of her eight begins this yr, is simply the third LPGA golfer in the final three many years to win the season’s first two majors (2005 Annika Sorenstam, 2013 Inbee Park). She’s additionally the first lady to win 4 majors in the 2020s, and is now simply two factors shy of incomes her spot in the Hall of Fame (related: a significant is value two factors).

Chicago, Illinois — The USMNT lost to Germany, 2-1, on Saturday of their closing World Cup tuneup — one final actuality test for the Americans that offered mixed clues as to how they may fare on soccer’s greatest stage. They flew to California after the sport, and can practice there forward of Friday’s opener in opposition to Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Goal of the yr? The Americans’ lone purpose got here in the thirty seventh minute when Antonee Robinson ripped a volley high shelf with considered one of the purest left-footed strikes you may ever see. Unreal.

Saratoga Springs, New York — Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo replicated his success at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, surging into the lead down the stretch to win the 158th Test of the Champion.

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What may have been: No horse has received the Triple Crown since Justify in 2018, and this marked the second straight yr that the Derby winner skipped the Preakness after which received the Belmont. It’s a pattern that may possible proceed except the Triple Crown changes its three-races-in-five-weeks schedule.

🌍 PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD

🇫🇷 Paris, France — At lengthy final, Alexander Zverev is a Grand Slam champion, taking down Flavio Cobolli in 5 units to win the French Open. His maiden main victory got here in his forty first main look, the second-most makes an attempt wanted by a person in the Open Era to win his first main (Goran Ivanišević, 48).

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Women’s champ: 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva beat qualifier Maja Chwalińska in straight units for her first Grand Slam title, changing into the youngest lady to win the French Open since 1992 (Monica Seles), and the third-youngest lady to win a significant this century (Maria Sharapova, 2004 Wimbledon; Emma Raducanu, 2021 U.S. Open).

🇲🇨 Monte-Carlo, Monaco — It’s early in the season, however Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli seems to be operating away with the F1 title, winning Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix for his fifth consecutive victory. With 156 points, the younger Italian’s lead over second-place Lewis Hamilton (90) is bigger than Hamilton’s lead over tenth place Pierre Gasly (26).

So good, so younger: Antonelli (19 years, 9 months) grew to become the youngest driver ever to win at Monaco, smashing Hamilton’s document from 2008 (23 years, 4 months). He additionally grew to become the youngest in F1 historical past to document a Grand Slam (pole, led each lap, quickest lap, received race).

🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico — Thousands of individuals flooded the sprawling Paseo de la Reforma on Saturday in an try to set the Guinness World Record for the largest wave outside a stadium. The occasion was organized to assist Mexico’s soccer group, which performs South Africa on Thursday at Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup.

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Did you recognize? While the wave is believed to have been invented in Colorado in 1979 by a cheerleader named Krazy George Henderson, it was popularized through broadcasts of the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico. In truth, outdoors of North America it is known as “the Mexican wave.”

💯 BIG NUMBERS

🏒 25 targets

The Golden Knights and Hurricanes have mixed to attain 25 targets to date in the Stanley Cup Final, the most by means of the first three video games of a Cup Final since 1981.

ICYMI: The Knights almost suffered a historic collapse on Saturday when the Canes erased a 4-0 third-period deficit — together with three goals in 39 seconds!!! — to drive additional time. But Vegas ultimately got the job done, profitable 5-4 (2OT) to take a 2-1 collection lead.

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🏈 4-point area targets

The UFL made headlines this spring when it launched 4-point area targets, awarding an additional level on profitable kicks from 60+ yards. After simply 4 have been made all common season, Sunday’s semifinals featured three: two by Louisville Kings kicker Tanner Brown (60 and 63 yards) and one by DC Defenders kicker Matt McCrane (61 yards).

United Bowl-bound: The Kings beat the St. Louis Battlehawks, 29-20, to advance to the title sport of their inaugural season. They’ll face the reigning champion Defenders, who’re again in the United Bowl after upsetting the top-seeded Orlando Storm, 28-22.

⚾️ 103.7 mph

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Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski threw a 103.7 mph pitch in opposition to the Rockies on Saturday, topping his earlier mark (103.6 mph) for the quickest by a starter since monitoring started in 2008. Altogether, 45 of his 98 pitches have been clocked at 101+ mph, setting one other MLB document.

Good luck, hitters: Misiorowski (7-2, 1.50 ERA) has been nearly untouchable since the begin of May, compiling a minuscule 0.20 ERA over his final seven begins (1 ER in 45.1 IP). That’s the lowest ERA over a seven-start span (min. 30 IP) since Bob Gibson in 1968 (0.14 ERA).

⛳️ 36 holes

The street to the 126th U.S. Open concludes at the moment with “Golf’s Longest Day,” as 10 sites conduct 36-hole qualifiers to fill the remaining spots for subsequent week’s championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Past U.S. Open champions Webb Simpson (2012), Lucas Glover (2009) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006) are amongst the notable names hoping to qualify.

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Notably absent: J.T. Poston was scheduled to play in a qualifier at the moment. Instead, he (*3*) (whereas enjoying 33 holes on Sunday!) to safe his U.S. Open spot, earn himself a $4 million payday, and get out of enjoying one other 36 holes at the moment.

⚽️ WORLD CUP TRIVIA

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will crown the seventh males’s world champion of the twenty first century.

Question: Can you identify the six international locations that received the earlier six editions?

Years: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022.

Answer at the backside.

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Trivia reply: Brazil (2002), Italy (2006), Spain (2010), Germany (2014), France (2018), Argentina (2022)

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