Sports Update 6-13-2023

>>Nuggets Defeat Heat To Win First NBA Title

 

(Denver, CO)  — The Denver Nuggets are the 2023 NBA Champions.  The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game Five of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena to win their first title in franchise history.  Nikola Jokic [[ yo-kitch ]] led the way with 28 points and 16 rebounds to close out the series.  Jokic was named the Finals MVP following his historic performance.  Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. contributed 16 points and 13 boards in the win.  Jimmy Butler paced Miami with 21 points in the losing effort.  The Heat have now lost in the NBA Finals in two of the last four seasons.

 

>>Golden Knights Go For Stanley Cup Win Tonight

 

(Las Vegas, NV)  — The Golden Knights are knocking on the door of Lord Stanley’s Cup.  Las Vegas will try to beat the Panthers at T-Mobile Arena in Game Five of the Cup Final tonight.  The Knights took a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series following a Game Four victory from Sunrise.  Chandler Stephenson scored a pair of goals to give Vegas an early lead as the team held on for a 3-2 victory.  Meanwhile, Florida could be without its star player.  Matthew Tkachuk [[ kuh-CHUCK ]] was limited to 16 minutes of ice time and is dealing with an undisclosed injury.  He leads the team in playoff scoring with 11 goals and 24 points.

 

>>Two Horses Euthanized At NY’s Belmont Park Racetrack Over Weekend

 

(Elmont, NY)  — Some are outraged after two racehorses had to be euthanized over the weekend at New York’s Belmont Park.  Mashnee Girl suffered a catastrophic leg injury Sunday in the first race at Belmont Park on Long Island and had to be put down.  On Saturday, Excursionniste broke her ankle in the 13th race and was euthanized, right after Arcangelo won the Belmont Stakes.  Both horses had the same trainer and now PETA is blaming the racetrack and says racing should be suspended at Belmont.  Churchill Downs in Louisville was shut down ten days ago after seven horses died in a ten-day stretch that included the Kentucky Derby.

 

>>College World Series Field Set

 

(Omaha, NE)  — The field for the 2023 College World Series is set.  Stanford and Tennessee advanced to Omaha with Monday night wins in the Super Regionals.  The Volunteers shutout Southern Miss 5-0 in Hattiesburg, while Stanford earned a thrilling 7-6 walk-off win over Texas.  Five of the top eight seeds in the tournament are remaining heading into the Elite Eight.  The action in Omaha begins on Friday with TCU battling Oral Roberts and two-seed Florida taking on seven-seed Virginia.  On Saturday, top-seed Wake Forest will face eight-seed Stanford before five-seed LSU challenges SEC rival Tennessee.

 

>>Senate Looks Into PGA-LIV Merger

 

(Washington, DC)  — A Senate committee is asking for details on the PGA Tour’s merger with LIV Golf. PGA and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf made a controversial merger to form a bigger organization in what lawmakers call a “drastic reversal” in its position. Democrat Richard Blumenthal is requesting details of the agreement. He said it raises “serious questions regarding the reasons for and terms behind the announced agreement” in a letter to PGA Tour’s commissioner. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also sent a version of the letter to LIV Golf’s CEO.