Prepare for a cinematic masterpiece

The GIST: Two weeks, a million fuzzy balls, and endless viral sandwiches later, the Australian Open finals are here, with the women’s showdown scheduled for the wee hours of tomorrow morning, and the men following suit on Sunday. Crikey — here’s who’s serving for a trophy.

No. 2 Alexander Zverev advances after No. 7 Novak Djokovic retires: The controversial German will compete for his first Grand Slam title on Sunday after a hobbled Joker shockingly called it quits when Zverev won the opening set in a 7–6 tiebreaker. That leaves Djokovic still tied with Margaret Court for most major wins ever, stuck at 24 since 2023.

• Zverev’s fellow Gen Z finals opponent? None other than the defending Australian Open champ, No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who outlasted American No. 21 Ben Shelton overnight. Zverev has topped Sinner four times before, but the young Italian owned the most recent match in August 2024. Crikey.

No. 19 Madison Keys reaches first Australian Open final: Major key(s) alert — the American shocked No. 2 Iga Świątek in yesterday’s semi, forging a dramatic comeback after losing the first set to reach her second Grand Slam final. While Keys has made deep runs at majors before, she’s playing especially strong tennis as of late, attributed to a recent racket switch. Whatever works.

• But in order to hoist the trophy tomorrow, Keys will need to beat two-time reigning Australian Open champion No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who’s only dropped one set the entire tourney and already pushed past her bestie, No. 11 Paula Badosa, in the semis.

• Sabalenka has won four of five career matches against Keys and has never lost to the American at a major, but with Keys in upset mode, anything’s possible.

The GIST: And then there were four. With just two weeks until Super Bowl LIX (59), it’s almost time to find out which teams will be ballin’ in the Bayou on February 9th. No matter what people are rooting for, Super Bowl berths are earned on the gridiron — let’s dig into Sunday’s Conference Championship matchups.

No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles, No. 6 Washington Commanders clash in NFC East rematch: The Birds’ stacked roster — even with a potentially limited quarterback (QB) in Jalen Hurts — will be playing in their second NFC Championship game in three years on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

• And this time, they have a not-so-secret weapon: MVP candidate running back Saquon Barkley, who’s been extra dominant against Washington in his career, averaging 137 yards per game.

• But the upstart Commanders shouldn’t be underestimated. They toppled the NFC’s top dogs cats, the Detroit Lions, last weekend, forcing five turnovers that led to 21 points. Add in rookie QB Jayden Daniels’ poise under pressure, and we’re telling you there’s a chance.

No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Buffalo Bills headline heavyweight AFC showdown: Two-time defending champs KC haven’t been the best version of themselves this season, but with one of the most successful trios in NFL history — QB Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and head coach Andy Reid — somehow, some way, this squad always finds the late-game magic to win when it matters.

• For the Bills, Sunday’s 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff is about more than football: It’s an opportunity for redemption, and Buffalo’s dressing for revenge.

• QB Josh Allen is 0-3 vs. Mahomes in the playoffs — and while there have been thrillers, the one that likely hurts the most is the 2020 AFC Championship game where a second-half Allen interception proved costly. All to say, prepare for a cinematic masterpiece.

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🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 2 South Carolina — Tonight at 5 p.m. ET — ESPN

• Good things come to those who wait, including this rescheduled top-five tilt. Will the Gamecocks continue to dominate the SEC, or will the dynamic Tigers duo of senior Aneesah Morrow and junior Flau’Jae Johnson keep LSU undefeated?

🏒 NHL: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars — Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN

• These teams have a history of meeting in the postseason, meaning there’s plenty of bad blood heading into this regular-season matchup. Vegas beat the Stars 3–2 last month, but it’s anyone’s guess which squad will have the upper hand this time around. Drop that puck.

🏐 LOVB: Madison vs. Omaha — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — ESPN+

• LOVB volleyball serves into action from Omaha tonight, but it’s not like the local squad needs home-court advantage: They’re undefeated in two games this season, and while it’s not flashy, they’re all about the fundamentals, posting league-leading numbers in anything efficiency related.

🏀 Unrivaled: Laces BC vs. Vinyl BC — Tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET — TNT

• Last weekend’s debut was absolute fire, and now the innovative 3v3 league’s second weekend of action is tipping off with a bang: Both Alyssa Thomas’ Laces and Rhyne Howard’s Vinyl are 2-0 — something has to give.

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