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The Houston Rockets are staring down elimination tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, trailing three games to none in a series that has gone exactly as most expected. No team in league history has ever come back from three-nothing to win a playoff series, and Ime Udoka's group faces a Lakers squad that has been the more composed team throughout. The math is brutal, but someone has to show up and play the game.
Across the Atlantic, Chelsea are headed to another FA Cup final, but the story behind the story is what's turning heads. The Blues effectively pushed Liam Rosenior out the door after their players stopped performing for him, then immediately rediscovered their form. It's messy, it's uncomfortable, and it absolutely worked. Player power at Stamford Bridge is nothing new, but this particular episode lays it bare in a way that's hard to ignore.
And in Boston, the Red Sox are beginning their search for a new manager following the departure of Alex Cora, with names like David Ross and Rocco Baldelli already surfacing as candidates. Both bring big-league experience and credibility, and Boston's front office will want to move deliberately given the weight that job carries in that market.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
