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The GIST: Two squads boast dominant 2-0 leads in the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final, but outside forces are threatening the action on both the hardwood and the ice. May the most resilient teams win…

Injuries threaten NBA Finals Game 3: The injury bug is plaguing the Boston Celtics (up 2-0) and the Dallas Mavericks ahead of tonight’s 8:30 p.m. ET showdown. Cs big man Kristaps Porziņģis is dealing with an extremely rare leg injury, while the Mavs’ fearless leader, Luka Dončić, will likely receive another painkilling injection for a chest injury ahead of tip-off.

• Dončić, the Western Conference Finals MVP, is crucial to the Mavs’ success, but his Game 2 triple-double still wasn’t enough to top Boston. He’ll need some support, namely from Kyrie Irving, to dig Dallas out of this two-game hole.

• Irving hasn’t hit a three this series, but if his previous NBA Finals performance is any indication, the best is yet to come. Stay tuned.

Florida Panthers closer than ever to first Stanley Cup: The Panthers are putting on their best-ever Final performance, topping the Edmonton Oilers 4–1 in Monday’s Game 2 to extend their series lead to 2-0. After allowing an early goal, Florida’s defense pounced back in their seventh postseason comeback of the year, holding Edmonton to just 19 shots.

• But now a shared enemy stands to impact both teams: travel time. The Florida vs. Edmonton series marks the farthest distance between two squads competing in a Stanley Cup Final, with a six-hour flight between cities.

• Edmonton already flew back north for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 yesterday, but Florida isn’t taking off until today, opting for an extra day of rest at home. Will it pay off? The odds to win are in their favor, but only time will tell.

The GIST: The 124th men’s U.S. Open — the third of men’s golf’s four majors — tees off from Pinehurst, North Carolina, tomorrow. And, as the final tourney in the Olympic qualifying window, there’s even more to play for than a piece of the $20M purse.

Scottie Scheffler: The No. 1 player in the world has mathematically clinched his Olympic spot and now has his sights set on adding a non-Masters victory to his majors trophy case. Scheffler has been virtually unstoppable this year with five wins on the season, but with world No. 2 Xander Schauffele and world No. 3 Rory McIlroy in his 1:14 p.m. ET tee time tomorrow, anything can happen.

More players to know: World No. 4 Wyndham Clark will be swinging to defend his title as he seeks his second tour win of 2024. Meanwhile, three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods is back (with a new coach, his son, Charlie). However, Woods’ health will be a big question mark after he missed the cut at last month’s PGA Championship.

• Speaking of, the 2021 U.S. Open winner (and current LIV golfer), Jon Rahm, will not play due to a foot infection and will instead leave it up to his 12 fellow LIV golfers, including four previous tournament champions in Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau. Popcorn at the ready.

⚽ USMNT: Friendly vs. Brazil — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — TNT

• On the heels of suffering their worst loss in quite a while over the weekend, the No. 11 red, white, and blue have one more chance to find their footing before Copa América kicks off next week. Trouble is, it’s against the No. 5 team in the world. *gulps*

⛳ LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel and Peacock

• After pulling off a historic comeback to win the Shoprite LPGA Classic earlier this week, can Sweden’s Linnea Ström once again shock the star-studded field? Wouldn’t putt it past her.

🥎 AUX Softball: Tomorrow at 6 and 8:30 p.m. ET — ESPNU

• Series 1 (aka Week 1) of the exhilarating three-week action concludes with tomorrow’s doubleheader. Jocelyn Alo sits atop the leaderboard as of now — can anyone overtake her before the final out of the week is recorded?

🏀 WNBA: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury — Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET — Prime Video

• As the league celebrates record attendance and viewership numbers, the defending champ Aces are trying to sort through the confetti after dropping three in a row. And with Brittney Griner back in the mix for the Merc, this star-powered matchup is a must-see.

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