Draisaitl assist: Oilers just one win short of NHL playoffs
Assist provider Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers are only missing one more win in the NHL playoffs on the way to the Stanley Cup to reach the second round. The ice hockey team from Canada defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Sunday evening (local time) and now leads the best-of-seven series with 3-1 wins. The decision can be made as early as Thursday night at the next game in Edmonton.
After 27 goals in the first three games, both teams' defenses hardly allowed anything in game four. Edmonton's lead came from the first majority phase of the game. The puck came to Evan Bouchard via stars Connor McDavid and Draisaitl, who shot it into the net from a distance.
The New York Rangers had previously won the fourth duel with the Washington Capitals and became the first NHL team to reach the second round of the playoffs. The Rangers won 4-2 in Washington. The Vancouver Canucks won 4-3 after overtime against the Nashville Predators and now lead 3-1 in the series. The Colorado Avalanche also only need one more win to advance to the second round. In front of their own fans in Denver there was a 5-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets.
Basketball: Dallas misses record comeback and loses
The Dallas Mavericks narrowly missed out on a historic comeback in the NBA playoffs, conceding a 2-2 draw in the series against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Texans around superstar Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber lost in game four of the best-of-seven series in their own hall with 111:116 and made up a temporary 31-point deficit – only to lose in the end.
40 points from Kyrie Irving and 33 points from Doncic were not enough for success. In a disastrous first half, the Mavericks were hopelessly behind in the second quarter, but the Clippers, who were without the injured Kawhi Leonard, allowed the hosts to get back into the game. 31 points had only been scored once in the history of the NBA playoffs, in 2019 by the Clippers against the Golden State Warriors.
In crunch time, the Californians, led by James Harden and Paul George (33 points each), had the longer stamina. World champion Daniel Theis did not play for the Clippers, Kleber scored three points. Game five of the exciting round of 16 series takes place on Thursday night in LA.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers earned a match point in their duel with the Milwaukee Bucks, who sorely missed their injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. After the 126:113 win in Indianapolis, the Pacers lead the series 3-1.
Basketball great Candace Parker ends career
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker has announced her retirement from professional basketball and will not play another season in the WNBA. “The competitor in me always wants one more, but my heart and body tell me the time has come,” wrote the 38-year-old, who is one of the most influential people in her sport, on Instagram on Sunday.
Parker is the only woman to win the U.S. Championship with three different teams. The Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and most recently the Las Vegas Aces were the only WNBA teams she played for in her 16-year career. Due to a foot injury, she played her last game on July 7th last year.
Parker came into the league in 2008 and was named “Rookie of the Year” and “Most Valuable Player” in his first year. During her active time, she already worked as a TV expert for US television. A million people follow her on the Instagram platform alone.
NFL professional Tank Dell was injured in a shooting incident. His team, the Houston Texans, announced this on Sunday. Dell was slightly injured on Sunday night (local time) in Sanford in the US state of Florida and has already been released from the hospital. According to US media, the 24-year-old had been in a nightclub. A 16-year-old reportedly injured ten people and was arrested. According to the information, Dell is said to have been affected as a bystander. Dell has played one NFL season for the Texans so far, scoring seven touchdowns during that time.
“We are in contact with him and his family and will provide more details when appropriate,” the Texans wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “But we ask that you respect their privacy at this time.”
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