NBA

• Heat 102, Bulls 91
  • I’m not too surprised the Heat found a way to get through the play-in tournament. The hill to climb in order to beat the Bucks, though, will be steep, as Miami simply lacks the firepower to take Milwaukee further than five games. In this contest, Jimmy Butler proved why he was the best player on the floor by taking matters into his own hands, scoring 31 points and grabbing five rebounds. Max Strus’ 31 points didn’t hurt, either.
  • The Bulls may need to retool, at the very least. DeMar DeRozan turns 34 this summer. Nikola Vucevic is 32. It might also be time for a Zach LaVine trade, as the wing hasn’t been able to put Chicago anywhere close to over the top, and shot just 6-21 last night with boneheaded play after boneheaded play. Next season, Ayo Dosunmu deserves more playing time. The second-year guard played just five minutes yesterday.
• Timberwolves 120, Thunder 95
  • It would have been a complete disaster if the Timberwolves, after going all-in with a Rudy Gobert trade this past summer, lost this game. Thankfully for Minnesota, that wasn’t the case, as Gobert played well, recording a double-double. To defeat Denver, Minnesota needs Anthony Edwards to rediscover his regular season form. Edwards was better in this contest than he was against the Lakers, but he still had his struggles, shooting 8-19 with 19 points. Nuggets in five over the Timberwolves.
  • The Thunder was due to hit a wall. So much for Josh Giddey taking the next step, too. The 20-year-old was 2-13 last night with just six points. With internal growth, Chet Holmgren’s return, and plenty of draft capital, Oklahoma City is practically a sure bet to improve in 2024. This season was massive success.

MLB

• Giants sign SP Logan Webb to five-year, $90 million contract extension
  • Webb, 26, hasn’t been good in 2023, but it’s been just three starts for the righty. The past two seasons, though, Webb was excellent, and that’s the version of the starter in which the Giants are probably expecting to get over the duration of this deal.
    Grade: B
• Marlins 5, Diamondbacks 1
  • I thought Alek Thomas would be in for a leap in year two. That hasn’t been the case through 14 games. Thomas went 0-3 with two strikeouts yesterday, lowering his slash line to .184/.262/.289.
• Phillies 8, Reds 3
  • Nick Senzel returned to the Reds’ lineup on Thursday, but it hasn’t been an ideal start (0-8) for the former top prospect. This is basically a make or break year for Senzel, as it’s probably his last chance to make an impact in Cincinnati.
• Twins 4, Yankees 3
  • The Yankees are 8-6 and in third place in the AL East, but New York is much better than its record. Sporting a +18 run differential, the Yankees have gotten good production out of their top-four position players: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and Gleyber Torres. Also, Nestor Cortes pitched well in this contest and is off to a nice start this season. New York will make it to the postseason again.
• Blue Jays 6, Rays 3
  • Bo Bichette is an incredible young player. After going 5-5 in this affair, the shortstop holds a 1.059 OPS.
  • As I mentioned yesterday, Tampa Bay was essentially bound to lose a game in this series to the talented Blue Jays.
• Red Sox 5, Angels 3
  • Brandon Drury may need to find his way back to Great American Ballpark. The utility man was good for the Reds last season, posting 2.2 WAR, and then was decent after being traded to the Padres, but it’s been tough sledding for Drury with the Angels this year. The 30-year-old is batting just .200.