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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
Happy NFL Draft day and happy Thursday, everyone! Let’s get right to it.
🏀 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE HOUSTON ROCKETS
Houston, we have a series … and physical, testy one at that. The Rockets tied their series with the Warriors at one game apiece with a 109-94 win ahead of the series shifting to Golden State.
- After scoring just seven points on 3 for 15 shooting in Game 1, Jalen Green poured in 38 points, including a franchise playoff record-tying eight 3-pointers.
- The 38 points are also the second-most in franchise playoff history by a player 23 or younger, only behind Hakeem Olajuwon‘s 40 in 1986.
- Green also committed a flagrant-1 foul late for a forearm/elbow to Draymond Green‘s face. Tempers have boiled over a few times.
- The Warriors lost Jimmy Butler to a pelvic contusion after a hard fall in the first quarter after Amen Thompson inadvertently undercut him jostling for a rebound. It was not dirty, and Steve Kerr said as much. More on that injury in a bit.
This was Houston at (close to) its finest, with Green’s immense offensive skill set on full display, Alperen Sengun dominating inside to the tune of 17 points, 16 rebounds (six offensive) and seven assists, and a relentless, athletic defense holding Golden State to its fewest points in a playoff game since 2019. Houston never trailed.
Over in the East, the top two teams are up 2-0. The Cavaliers outlasted the Heat, 121-112, behind 30 points — including 17 in the fourth quarter — from Donovan Mitchell, and the Celtics topped the Magic, 109-100. With Jayson Tatum (wrist) out, Jaylen Brown carried the load with 36 points.
😃 Honorable mentions
🏀 And not such a good morning for …
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JIMMY BUTLER AND THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
It would have been OK — not ideal, of course, but OK — if the Warriors had lost Game 2 and returned home healthy for Game 3.
But Butler suffering an injury in a loss? That’s concerning to say the least. After all, following Golden State’s Game 1 win, Brad Botkin posited that Butler and Stephen Curry had become the NBA’s best duo. But after Game 2, Brad notes that the Rockets are bringing an old-school physicality to the floor for 48 minutes — and that spells big trouble for the Warriors.
- Botkin: “It looks like the 90s out there, damn near every possession threatening to spill over into a fight. And for a team like the Rockets that can really score on the right night but probably ultimately has to win this series on the defensive end, this could not be setting up any better.”
Butler will undergo an MRI today, and the results will be crucial for this series, which is showing Houston’s defensive might. Golden State’s 189 points through two playoff games represent its fewest since 1987. That’s a long time ago.
If Butler misses time, the Warriors could turn to Jonathan Kuminga, who would go from the outside looking in to a crucial player, Sam Quinn writes.
- Quinn: “Kuminga was almost certain to exit in some fashion, leaving the Warriors to keep playing like the Warriors so long as Curry enabled it. Kuminga would go play normal basketball for a normal team and see what he could be outside of the dynasty’s shadow. A frustrating ending to a once-promising partnership.”
😕 Not so honorable mentions
- The Saints don’t have much insight into Derek Carr‘s shoulder injury.
- Nico Iamaleava‘s NIL frustration at Tennessee came from Carson Beck and Darian Mensah getting bigger deals. Comparison is the thief of joy!
- Blake Snell (shoulder inflammation) was shut down.
🏈 NFL Draft: Final mocks, latest rumors
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It’s here. The NFL Draft begins tonight, and months (really years) of scouting, rumors and analysis will finally give way to actual results.
There are plenty of surprises every year, and perhaps the earliest one will come at the No. 5 pick: The odds are swinging wildly regarding the Jaguars‘ selection there, and in his final mock draft, Kyle Stackpole even has a team trading up to No. 5.
Trades, of course, are a huge part of what makes the first round (and the draft as a whole) so unpredictable. We’ve been keeping tabs on every team rumored to be interested in swapping picks, and one team picking in the top 10 might even offer a discount.
Those trades can include NFL players, too. John Breech came up with five trades that could impact the draft, including …
- Breech: “Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey to the 49ers — Dolphins general manager Chris Grier recently admitted that the team is looking to trade him even though the star corner didn’t technically even request a trade. … The 49ers are going into the draft with 11 picks, which is tied for the most in the NFL, so they definitely have some draft capital that they could used in a potential trade. … The 49ers coaching staff is familiar with Ramsey.”
Ramsey is far from the only big name who could be moved — Micah Parsons, Tyreek Hill or Trey Hendrickson, anyone? — and we have potential landing spots for George Pickens (here) and Will Levis (here), too.
For better or for worse, Shedeur Sanders will be a major talking point tonight, whether he’s selected or not. We’ve seen mock drafts with him going in the top 10. We’ve seen mock drafts with him falling out of the first round entirely, including that of NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Even with one day to go, the stories keep coming.
Listen, the NFL Draft is an exercise in imperfection. No prospect is perfect. No team will get every player it wants. But there can be ideal drafts, and Garrett Podell has the ideal first-round pick for every team. Here are some of my favorites:
- 49ers: CB Will Johnson at No. 11
- Cowboys: WR Tetairoa McMillan at No. 12
- Chargers: TE Colston Loveland at No. 22
- Ravens: OL Tyler Booker at No. 27
Here’s more:
Steve McMichael dies after battle with ALS
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Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael died Wednesday at 67 following a long battle with ALS. He had entered hospice care earlier in the day.
- McMichael played interior defensive lineman for 15 years in the NFL, 13 of which were spent with the Bears. He made two All-Pro first teams and two Pro Bowls.
- Nicknamed “Mongo” by his teammates, McMichael was a key member of the iconic, Super Bowl-winning 1985 Bears defense alongside fellow Hall of Famers Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary.
- McMichael, who announced his ALS diagnosis in 2021, found out he made the Hall of Fame in 2024 alongside former teammates, and though he couldn’t attend the induction ceremony, he watched it alongside former teammates as well.
⚾ MLB winners, losers through one month
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The MLB season is nearly a month old, and Dayn Perry has winners and losers so far.
Let’s start with the winners, with Aaron Judge being among the biggest. He’s slashing a hilariously good .415/.513/.734 (yes, that’s a .415 batting average) with seven home runs and 26 RBI and is the early frontrunner for AL MVP — it’s not particularly close — again.
The other New York team, meanwhile, is getting a great start from a more unexpected source.
- Perry: “Winner: Mets rotation — The Mets’ rotation coming into the season looked like a dubious and ace-less corps, and that was before the injuries took hold. Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn are all on the injured list at this writing, and they haven’t yet pitched a single inning in 2025. … Right now, Mets starting pitchers lead the majors with an ERA of 2.29 (!), and they also lead the majors in FIP with a mark of 2.71. That’s more than just a pleasant surprise; that’s dominance, and it’s the leading reason the Mets right now are in first place.”
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⚾ White Sox at Twins or Mariners at Red Sox, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 Panthers at Lightning (Panthers lead 1-0), 6:30 p.m. on TBS/truTV
⚾ Orioles at Nationals, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Knicks at Pistons (Series tied 1-1), 7 p.m. on TNT
🏒 Maple Leafs at Senators (Maple Leafs lead 2-0), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏈 NFL Draft, 8 p.m. on ESPN/ABC/NFL Network
🏒 Golden Knights at Wild (Series tied 1-1), 9 p.m. on TBS/truTV
🏀 Thunder at Grizzlies (Thunder lead 2-0), 9:30 p.m. on TNT
🏒 Jets at Blues (Jets lead 2-0), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Nuggets at Clippers (Series tied 1-1), 10 p.m. on NBA TV
