Thunder roll past Timberwolves in Game 1; picks for Knicks vs. Pacers; NFL players approved for 2028 Olympics

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏀 Good morning to all, but especially to …

THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

The star power. The depth. The defense. The versatility. You want it, the Thunder have it, and there may be no greater display than the second half of Game 1. Oklahoma City outscored Minnesota 70-40 in the second half, turning an uneasy 48-44 halftime deficit into a resounding 114-88 win.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points on 8 for 14 shooting in the second half and finished with 31 points and nine assists.
• Similarly, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren both came alive in the second half with 13 points apiece.
• Overall, the Thunder outscored the Timberwolves 54-20 in the paint and shot 52% (12 for 21) from 3.
• It’s Oklahoma City’s fourth victory by 25+ points in these playoffs, and that trails only the five postseason wins by both the Cavaliers and Warriors in 2016.

The stars stepped up when they needed to, sure, but would you believe if I said the game swung on … Kenrich Williams? After playing nary a meaningful minute against the Nuggets, Williams entered with the Thunder down 60-58 halfway through the third quarter and proceeded to hit two shots (including two 3s) and grab two rebounds. When he exited late in the quarter, Oklahoma City led 76-65, a 18-5 run having unfolded with him on the court.

It’s just another example of Oklahoma City’s absurd depth, but back to the man who just makes this team go … to the line. Gilgeous-Alexander took 14 foul shots — more than double than anyone on the Wolves — and he then he knocked down 11 of them, Sam Quinn writes.

Also absurd? The defense. Minnesota shot 15 for 51 (29%) from 3, scored zero fast-break points and committed 19 turnovers, including nine from Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined. (The Thunder turned those 19 turnovers into 31 points, by the way.)

There’s length, athleticism, high effort and high IQ everywhere, and it hounded Minnesota all night, Brad Botkin writes.

• Botkin: “From Alex Caruso to Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams and SGA, the Thunder are uniquely equipped to harass ball handlers and shooters with equal and connective tenacity. Minnesota had nowhere to go. The Wolves didn’t jack up 51 3s by design. They did so out of desperation.”

😁 Honorable mentions

• The Panthers beat the Hurricanes, 5-2, in their Eastern Conference Final opener, and tempers are flaring already.
• The Bears extended offensive lineman Joe Thuney. It’s another sign they’re serious about supporting Caleb Williams, who has no more excuses, Jared Dubin writes.
• Derrick Henry should continue to dominate, even into his 30s, Garrett Podell writes.
• These second-year NFL players are poised to break out.
• Here are the NBA All-Rookie teams, and here’s what’s next for the lottery picks who didn’t make it.
• Kyle Boone updated his 2025 NBA Draft Big Board.
• Caitlin Clark had another historic night … but it came in a loss.
• Sky vs. Fever was the most-watched WNBA regular-season game of the past quarter-century.
• Florida landed prized transfer Boogie Fland, the latest add in a huge offseason for the reigning champs.
• Here’s the USMNT roster for friendlies against China and Jamaica.
• In men’s college basketball recruiting, Kentucky added Braydon Hawthorne, and Ole Miss nabbed Niko Bundalo.
• Notre Dame hired Pat Garrity as GM for men’s and women’s basketball.
• Nick Saban won a Sports Emmy.

😕 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Knicks-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals expert picks

They’ve produced some all-time playoff moments, and again, the Knicks meet the Pacers with an NBA Finals trip on the line.

The Knicks are the slight betting favorites, but our expert picks are nearly split. Brad Botkin is going with the underdogs.

• Botkin: “Pacers in 6. Indiana’s pace will eventually wear down a far thinner New York team, which will find itself in more and more compromised cross-matches as it struggles to balance the rewards of offensive rebounding vs. the protective measures of getting back with enough time to settle into the proper matchups. Indiana relentlessly hunts, and kills, the most vulnerable matchups, and it will get New York into too many of them to survive.”

Sam Quinn, meanwhile, likes the Knicks.

• Quinn: “Knicks in 7. The Pacers have never been able to slow down Jalen Brunson all that much. This one is going to be a back-and-forth series that could go either way. In the end, I’m leaning on home-court advantage and the best closer left in the playoff field. I’m expecting Brunson to finish this thing off for New York in what should be one of the more fun Eastern Conference finals matchups we’ve seen in years.”

I’m super excited to see the point guard battle between Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, who rank first and second, respectively, in clutch points per game this season among players still vying for a title. The Knicks did a swell job slowing down the Celtics, but Indiana’s historically good passing presents a very different challenge than Boston’s iso-centric approach. Can Mikal Bridges and O.G. Anunoby continue to excel as versatile defensive anchors? Will the Pacers keep shooting the lights out? We’re about to find out.

🏈 NFL owners unanimously approve players playing Olympic flag football, but will it happen?

The NFL’s shiftiest players are often described as “impossible to tackle.” Now, they might just be coming to a version of football where there is no tackling. NFL owners unanimously approved players participating in flag football when it debuts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Here are the top things to know:

Still, it’s hard not to think about which NFL stars could be Olympians. Jayden Daniels throwing darts to Justin Jefferson (who expressed plenty of excitement) and Ja’Marr Chase and gliding past defenders? Travis Hunter playing both sides of the ball? Micah Parsons terrorizing opposing quarterbacks? Cody Benjamin proposed the best Olympic flag football team made up entirely of NFL players.

The Olympics are still over three years away, which means several current college players could be in the running by 2028, Shehan Jeyarajah notes. Jeremiah Smith, anyone?! How about Arch Manning?!

Now that one big hurdle has been cleared, Jonathan Jones details what’s next.

• Jones: “The NFL stated in its resolution that ‘one or more League-wide insurance policies’ would provide the appropriate injury protection, though details of such policies remain unclear or undecided. Furthermore, a ‘schedule for flag football games and related events in such a way that does not unreasonably conflict with an NFL player’s league and club commitments’ must also be considered. … There would need to be a qualification process for NFL players to participate, and that could begin more than a year before the 2028 Olympics. How much practicing would or could be done will depend on what’s negotiated with the NFL.”

This is one of several matters owners are discussing this week. Decisions on the “Tush Push,” playoff seeding and the onside kick could come today.

⚽ Tottenham-Manchester United Europa League final preview

Sitting near the bottom of the Premier League table, Manchester United and Tottenham look to salvage otherwise-lost seasons today — and earn a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League — in today’s Europa League final, streaming on Paramount+ and airing on CBS Sports Network.

Tottenham, which hasn’t won a trophy since 2008, has the edge in most departments in Pardeep Cattry’s estimation, but not everywhere.

Here are three big questions for the match from Francesco Porzio.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚾ Tigers at Cardinals, 1:15 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Tottenham vs. Manchester United, 3 p.m. on Paramount+/CBS Sports Network
⚾ Mets at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Pacers at Knicks, Game 1, 8 p.m. on TNT
🏒 Oilers at Stars, Game 1, 8 p.m. on ESPN