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The Eastern Conference Finals got off to a wild one last night, and Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson is answering for it. The Cavaliers let a twenty-two point lead evaporate against the Knicks in the fourth quarter, and Atkinson sat on his timeouts the whole way down. He's defending the decision, but when you're watching a collapse that significant in real time, you have to wonder what it takes to call a stoppage. The Cavs now face a serious momentum problem heading into game two.
Speaking of the Knicks, Coach Mike Brown is pointing to Landry Shamet as the real X-factor in that game one victory, not Jalen Brunson. Brunson was brilliant, no question, but Brown believes Shamet's contributions flew under the radar and changed the complexion of the game. If Shamet can replicate that kind of output, New York's ceiling in this series gets a whole lot higher.
And in the world of mixed martial arts, the numbers are in from last Saturday's Netflix event, and the Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano main event exceeded every expectation for Most Valuable Promotions. Rousey returning after nearly a decade away, Carano back after seventeen years, and the audience showed up in a massive way. Combat sports on streaming just got a serious proof of concept.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
