Giving main character energy

The GIST: It all comes down to this…no, seriously. Fifteen of the NBA’s 20 postseason spots are undetermined with the regular-season finale looming on Sunday, including eight of 10 in the hotly contested Western Conference (WC). Let’s ball.

Top seeds locked in: The playoff picture may be in flux, but the top dogs are crystal clear: The Oklahoma City Thunder punched the WC’s first postseason ticket last month, clinching the No. 1 spot for the second straight year, while the Cleveland Cavaliers fended off the defending champ Boston Celtics to lock in their first Eastern Conference (EC) No. 1 seed since 2016.

What’s up for grabs this weekend: All 20 postseason teams are confirmed, but seeding is still on the line. And where a team finishes the regular season can make a big difference in a postseason run, potentially providing a more favorable matchup, home-court advantage, or the gift of avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

• For context, the top six teams in both the EC and WC snag official playoff spots, but the seventh- through 10th-placed squads must play their way in to the playoffs via the aptly named and always spicy Play-In Tournament.

Chaos reigns supreme in the WC: Though there’s definitely drama in the EC, the WC has been giving main character energy. Just how close is it? The LA Lakers currently own the conference’s No. 3 spot but are just two games ahead of the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

• Every team has two games left, one on Friday and one on Sunday, and nearly every single matchup has massive implications. Pump up the jam, indeed.

The GIST: For the first time in Olympic history, there will be more women athletes than men athletes at the Games, an LA 2028 parity win made possible by a concerted International Olympic Committee (IOC) effort to close the gender gap. Here’s a look at how organizers will flip the script, by the numbers.

16: Sixteen teams will compete in the LA 2028 women’s soccer tournament, up from 12 at the 2024 Paris Games. What’s more, the 2028 Games will see full parity in all team sports — not just footy. LFG.

12: Speaking of, women’s water polo and women’s 3x3 basketball will also see their fields expand, with each surging sport featuring 12 competing teams, in alignment with their male counterparts.

5,655: Thanks to the changes outlined above (among others), there will be 5,655 quota spots available for female athletes, compared to 5,543 for men.

6: And that’s not all. LA organizers are further shaking things up, adding six new mixed events across various sports, including a mixed team competition in artistic gymnastics and a mixed 4x100m relay in track and field. Can’t wait.

Hate when traveling is more stressful than a sudden-death playoff at the Masters? Delta Air Lines gets it. As a Tournament Partner of the greatest tournament in men’s golf, they want fans to arrive in Augusta, GA energized, not drained from a harrowing journey.

• The solution? Expanded flight offerings to Augusta Regional Airport for Masters weekend. Gone are the days of waiting in tournament traffic on the road from Atlanta — just sit back, relax, and let Delta deliver you directly to a sports lover’s dream.

Long drives belong on the par-5 second hole, not the road to Augusta, and Delta ensures your elite experience starts before take-off. And if you’re not lucky enough to land a Masters ticket via the lottery in June, Delta can also get you to the country’s most beautiful courses to take in another tourney IRL. The perfect approach, on and off the course.

⛳ PGA: The Masters — Today through Sunday — ESPN/CBS

• The quest for the most prestigious jacket in pro sports is underway, with Englishman and World No. 39 Justin Rose topping the leaderboard after yesterday’s opening round at Augusta National. But there’s still plenty of golf to be played — and reigning champ No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is bogey-free and heating up.

🏒 IIHF Women’s World Championship — No. 2 USA vs. No. 4 Czechia — Today at 1 p.m. ET — NHL Network

• The Red, White, and Blue crushed No. 3 Finland 7–1 in their group stage opener on Wednesday but have a tougher test ahead in host Czechia, who opened their tourney with a 3–0 takedown of No. 5 Switzerland. Time for spice on ice.

🏐 LOVB: Semifinals — Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET and 9:30 p.m. ET — ESPN2

• LOVB championship weekend is the hottest ticket in Louisville, and tonight’s matches are no exception. After two tough quarter-final showdowns last night, Austin and Omaha are through to the semis and will face Atlanta and Houston, respectively. Bumpin’ that.

🏒 NCAA men’s hockey: Frozen Four Championship — Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN2

• Losing isn’t in Western Michigan’s vocabulary after the Broncos secured their ninth straight dub (in double overtime, no less) to punch their first-ever championship ticket. But BU’s riding a wave, finally getting over the hump to reach their first title game since 2015. Ice, ice, baby.

🏎️ F1: Bahrain Grand Prix — Sunday at 11 a.m. ET — ESPN

• We’re only three Grands Prix in, but the chase for the World Driver’s Championship is already scorching: There’s been four different race winners to start the 2025 campaign, including a sprint race dub from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Will the first night race of the season buck the trend?

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