We’ve reached one of the best days of the week. Work winds down, we get to go home, crack open a cold one and reach for the remote. Tonight, my TV will be locked on three different NBA games that will all be closeout games.

There are two Eastern Conference matchups and one Western Conference battle. It starts with the Pistons looking to force Game 7 in Detroit.

The Pistons won the most games in the Eastern Conference this season. While that is a fact, they haven’t really looked like a dominating team in the first round of the playoffs. That isn’t to say that Detroit has been terrible, but they do look like some of the flaws that didn’t hurt them playing a team once and moving on, have been exposed in a seven-game set.

They are down, but they aren’t out yet, and if they win tonight, they get to bring the series back to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.

I do feel like we need to take a moment to appreciate just how good Cade Cunningham has been in this series. He was drafted first overall in the 2021 draft, so it isn’t like anyone should be shocked that he is good at basketball.

His first year in the league was decent, probably about in line with a No. 1 pick. His second year was derailed by injury. In year three, there were still injuries, and the team was a disaster. Last year, he took a big leap and scored 26.1 points per game. His Pistons team was fearless against the Knicks. This year, he led them to 60 wins and has averaged 32.6 points per game in the playoffs.

This is not the first time that an eighth seed has a chance to upset the first seed.  The Magic are on the verge of adding their name to the list of teams to accomplish the feat. They only need to win one of the next two games in order to do it.

Technically, they will have had three chances to close out the series. The big issue with the Magic is that the team relies on everyone being available. It sounds obvious that if you lose one of your best players, like Franz Wagner, you’re going to struggle. But, the Magic are built around Wagern’s isolation, physicality and overall ability of Paolo Banchero, shooting from Desmond Bane and defense from Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.

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If you remove one of those players, the team certainly suffers. All teams would if you removed their second-best player, but Wagner being absent hurts quite a bit.

I expect him to be out in this game, and if he does go, I would be skeptical to see him play as much or with his normal level of production. He had 19 points in 24 minutes before he was done for the game in Game 4. The good news for Orlando is that this one is at home, so the role players may step up a bit.

In Game 5, the Pistons took advantage of Wagner’s absence. Banchero was great, putting up 45 points, but Cunningham matched that output and was more efficient. Jamal Cain, who looked amazing in Game 5, started for the Magic, but he played just 25 minutes. Anthony Black got almost 40 minutes and was decent in his role.

The Pistons still only beat the Magic by seven points in that game. Orlando outscored the Pistons in two of the four quarters, and outside a bad first quarter, the Magic looked like the better team.

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I’m a bit surprised the Pistons are favored. The Magic have looked good at home and haven’t lost yet. Both teams are filled with role players and a superstar. The problem is, role players aren’t good on the road. Give me the Magic to cover, and I will sprinkle the moneyline as I think they win on their home floor.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024 

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark exited Thursday night’s preseason game against the Dallas Wings after colliding with one of their players.  

Clark was seen hobbling on the court after taking a step-back three-point shot and landing on Wings star defender Alanna Smith’s foot in the third quarter of the matchup. Upon landing, Clark told reporters after the 95-80 loss that she hit her knee hard when she went down after the foul by Smith.  

Clark rolled over on the court and tried to walk it off as she went toward the Fever bench. Officials ended up reviewing the play and gave Smith, the reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year in the WNBA, a Flagrant 1 foul for not giving Clark a safe amount of room to land after shooting.

Clark exited the game with fewer than eight minutes left in the third quarter.

She finished with a team-high 21 points despite missing most of the second half. Clark hit two of her three attempted three-pointers, while knocking down 11 of 13 from the free throw line. She also had two rebounds, four assists and one steal in the contest.

Being this was a preseason matchup, Fever fans were holding their collective breath watching Clark in the moment, especially considering the tumultuous season she had in 2025.

CAITLIN CLARK RETURNS TO WNBA COMPETITION AFTER 2025 INJURY IN FEVER PRESEASON GAME

Clark played just 13 games in her sophomore campaign, far from what she had hoped after winning WNBA Rookie of the Year and setting the single-season assists record in 2024.

But it appeared Clark avoided a serious injury that could’ve come in that situation. Being in someone’s landing zone after a shot can lead to severe injuries, especially ankles turning.

Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t seem to want to push Clark, and sat her the rest of the way.

The Fever still have one more preseason game remaining on the schedule, as they face the Nigerian national team on Saturday. Then, it’s regular-season basketball, with the Fever’s first game that counts on the record against these same Wings in Dallas on May 9.

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The Wings are an intriguing team to watch, with Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, reuniting with fellow UConn teammate Paige Bueckers to begin her pro journey. Bueckers led the Wings with 20 points on Thursday night, while Fudd finished with four points.

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The Zion Phelps story is going to be told over and over at Loyola High to show students what can happen when someone discovers potential and decides to take a chance to bring it out.

In his first year running track after bragging during the football season that he was the fastest student at Loyola, Phelps proved on Thursday he’s also the fastest 100-meter runner in the Mission League by winning in a school-record time of 10.49 seconds at the Mission League finals at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

“I’m beyond grateful,” he said after embracing Loyola coach Sharaud Moore.

A junior defensive back, Phelps let Moore bring out his track talent, and now he has options in track and football.

Another Loyola athlete stepping forward in preparation for next weekend’s Southern Section Division 1 prelims was Ejam Yohannes. He ran anchor leg for the 4×100-meter relay team that beat Notre Dame for the first time in three years with a time of 40.75. At the finish, he put a finger over his lips and gave a “shoosh” sign. He also won the 400 meters in 47.05 and the 200 meters in 20.85, the fourth-best wind legal time in the state this year.

Notre Dame’s JJ Harel qualified in three events — going 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump, 22-5¼ in the long jump and also qualifying in the triple jump.

The strangest moment of the day came in the Mission League 100 girls’ final. Nalia Keyes of Chaminade and Maya Rios of Bishop Alemany tied for first place, each finishing with a time of 12.46.

“It’s weird,” Rios said of her first ever race tie.

In the Marmonte League final, Demare Dezeurn of Westlake ran the 100 meters in 10.39 seconds to outduel Jaden Griffin of Newbury Park (10.50) and Kingston Celifie of Calabasas (10.56). Dezeurn played football for Palisades in the fall after transferring from Bishop Alemany last season.

Baseball

Sylmar 10, Kennedy 0: Rickee Luevano hit a grand slam for Sylmar.

Westlake 10, Newbury Park 3: Dylan Lee homered and Holden Backus had two hits and three RBIs.

Bishop Amat 3, La Serna 2: Ray Castro threw six innings and also had an RBI single.

Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 1: Grayson Martin gave up one hit and struck out seven in six innings.

Oaks Christian 17, Calabasas 8: Ryan Sheffer hit two home runs and finished with four RBIs.

Softball

Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Cypress 1: Jenna Valladares had an RBI triple and Shay Kletke threw a complete game.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 16, Louisville 0: Jackie Morales had three hits and six RBIs.

Harvard-Westlake 14, Chaminade 11: It was a wild Mission League game that ended on a walk-off grand slam by Kale’a Tindal in the bottom of the ninth inning. Chaminade scored five runs in the seventh to tie the score 9-9. Both teams scored runs in the eighth to make it 10-10. Chaminade took an 11-10 lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Siena Greenlinger. Tindal finished with four hits and four RBIs. Dylan Fischer had a home run, two doubles, a single and four RBIs.

Murrieta Mesa 8, Great Oak 0: Tatum Wolff threw six innings, striking out 10 and walking none. She also hit a home run.