Slow and steady wins the race

The GIST: Believe it or not, it’s nearly time for the conference finals with two tickets already punched by the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. That said, there are still some lingering questions keeping us up at night. Forget counting sheep — let’s dig in.

👀 Who are the Boston Celtics without Jayson Tatum? Coming back from a 3-1 series deficit is hard enough, but doing it without your best player? Unimaginable. That’s why Boston’s 127–102 Wednesday win over the NY Knicks was so astonishing.

• Tatum’s injury impacts Boston right now, seriously dampening the defending champs’ chances of becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles since 2018, but the long-term picture is equally concerning for the C’s.

• Achilles ruptures are a notoriously difficult injury, with a recovery timeline of eight to 12 months. By then, fellow starters Al Horford and Jrue Holiday will be 39 and 35 respectively. Tatum’s injury will likely force the team to reimagine their future, years earlier than expected.

• But for now, it’s all about the present, namely tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 6 in the Big Apple. Down 3-2, Boston will try to extend their battle with the Knicks to a series-deciding Game 7 on Monday, but it’ll take a full team effort. Everybody has to eat.

🏆 Take your pick: Denver’s Nikola Jokić or OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? The MVP race may be a regular-season award, but the NBA script writers couldn’t have drafted a better screenplay as the Denver Nuggets protected home court last night, earning a hardfought 119–107 Game 6 win over the Thunder. Naturally, Jokić and SGA both balled out, tallying 29 and 32 points, respectively.

• Now, the back-and-forth battle will come down to the best two words in sports: a series-deciding 3:30 p.m. ET Game 7 on Sunday. Just what the doctor ordered (as well as a hefty dose of electrolytes for Nugget Jamal Murray).

The GIST: You already know making a pro hockey playoff bracket can be hard and unpredictable, but some playoff trends are starting to resurface, like the Toronto Maple Leafs’ postseason struggles and the Presidents’ Trophy curse.

😬 Toronto on brink of elimination: Here’s your annual reminder to check on the Leafs fans in your life after the squad fell 6–1 to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, the Leafs have now lost three straight after opening up a 2-0 series lead and are on the verge of yet another earlier-than-expected playoff exit heading into tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 6.

💪 Edmonton Oilers earn second straight Conference Finals berth: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl aren't the only Oilers who can light the lamp. Wednesday's 1–0 series-clinching overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights showcased Edmonton’s newfound depth: The game’s lone goal scorer, forward Kasperi Kapanen, wasn’t even in the lineup until Monday. Teamwork, dream work.

⚡ Carolina Hurricanes unseat top-seeded Washington Capitals: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, the Canes are skating for a ring of their own this year, eliminating the Caps in a gentleman’s sweep with last night’s 3–1 Game 5 dub. The Canes have made the Conference Finals in two of the last three years but haven’t hoisted Lord Stanley since 2006.

❌ Winnipeg Jets stave off Presidents’ Trophy curse…for now: Across the 38 seasons the NHL’s top regular-season team has been awarded the Presidents’ Trophy, only eight of those squads have gone on to win the Cup. But the Jets’ hopes to make it nine stayed alive last night after they topped the Dallas Stars (up 3-2) 4–0 to force tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 6.

🏒 It’s playoff season for men’s pro hockey and The GIST. In collaboration with Truly Hard Seltzer, the Official Hard Seltzer of the NHL® in Canada, we’ve chosen three finalists in our search for Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator, a contest held to uplift underrepresented voices in the hockey community. Here’s who made the cut:

➡️ Joe Fornasier from Burlington

➡️ Hien Pham, hailing from Calgary

➡️ And Lyss Houde, straight out of St. François Xavier

Support the three finalists and their efforts to level the playing field ice by checking out the pages linked above before we select a winner later this month.

• Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator will receive $10K, a trip to the 2025 Stanley Cup® Final, and of course, lots and lots of Truly. Show their pages some love today.

👊 Call your favorite frenemy — it’s MLS Rivalry Week. In case you didn’t know, BMO sponsors not one, but four (!!!) MLS squads, including the three Canadian teams: Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

• While Canadian loyalty will be tested when Toronto takes on Montréal tomorrow, some things, like BMO’s 20-year-long commitment to growing soccer in North America, are unwavering.

• Check out our Soccer Help Desk, powered by BMO, for answers to all your burning soccer questions and to learn more about the bank’s support of the beautiful game.