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Nick Nurse is back on the sideline, and the reason he had to step away makes his return that much more meaningful. The Philadelphia seventy-sixers head coach rejoined the team after attending his brother Steve's funeral, saying Wednesday that Steve was a fan who would have wanted him right there coaching Game Two of the Eastern Conference semifinals. That kind of resolve is hard to put into words.
Shifting to the ice, the NHL is opening up the checkbook in a big way. The league's salary cap jumps to one hundred four million dollars next season, an eight-point-five million dollar increase. Commissioner Gary Bettman framed it simply — this is about the quality of the hockey, not the size of the markets. For players heading into free agency, that number means everything.
And out in Los Angeles, Austin Reaves isn't hiding from the film after the Lakers dropped Game One to Oklahoma City. Reaves went on the record about what needs to improve before the series shifts, showing the kind of accountability that separates teams that bounce back from teams that spiral. The Thunder aren't going to slow down, so the Lakers have to find answers fast.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
