Screen Shots: May 8th-14th, 2025

Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what sporting events you should watch on TV every week! Make sure you subscribe so it comes straight to your inbox! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

No episode this week, but a lot of sports! Let’s get to them!

Thursday, May 8th, 2025

• NBA Playoffs: Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 pm (ET) on TNT

Look at this play from the Warriors’ 1st title run of the Steph era. Mike Conley Jr., playing for the Grizzlies and wearing a protective mask for a broken face sustained in the series before, takes a shot to the face from you-know-who. Except this was before Draymond built his reputation, so the announcers didn’t know who. They even sounded a little shocked when they discovered it was Draymond. And look at these comments underneath the video!

The second one was obviously sarcasm, but that quite literally became Draymond’s MO! Well, outside of the Hitler stuff. But can you imagine living in this world? A world before every team had multiple players maimed by Dray? See if he circles back for round 2 with Conley Jr., who plays for Minnesota now, or round 114 with Rudy Gobert.

Friday, May 9th, 2025

• NBA Playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

Their last game summed up how wild this year’s NBA Playoffs have been. The 1-seed Cavs badly needed a win after the Pacers stole game 1. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be an especially daunting task, but they’d have to do it without DPOY Evan Mobley, all-star Darius Garland, and 6th man De’Andre Hunter, who were all injured.

Incredibly, Playoff Donovan Mitchell showed up, dropping 48 points, and the Cavs took a 14-point lead into the 4th quarter. Then, well, I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I watched it, but I still can’t explain what in the world happened. All I know is Tyrese Haliburton was doing the Sam Cassell big balls dance at halfcourt, which I can only assume is 94% less vulgar than whatever his dad was doing at home. Injuries or not, that loss was inexcusable, and this one is now a must-win for Cleveland.

Saturday, May 10th, 2025

• UFL: Michigan Panthers @ Arlington Renegades at 1:00 pm (ET) on Fox

The offenses are finally starting to come alive in the UFL, and no offense has been as lively as the Panthers', led by QB Bryce Perkins. The former Virginia QB is at the top of the league’s MVP race after throwing for 2 TDs and running for another in Michigan’s blowout win against DC. Can he keep it up against the 2nd-best scoring defense in the league?

• NWSL: Portland Thorns FC @ San Diego Wave FC at 10:00 pm (ET) on ION

The Thorns are fresh off an upset of the defending champion Orlando Pride. They will try to stop San Diego’s 3-match winning streak. The Wave are led by rookie defender Trinity Armstrong. In December, she capped off her only collegiate season by leading UNC to its 23rd national title. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that she’s 17 years old. Yes, right now. 17. She was born like 2 weeks after Plies released Shawty.

Sunday, May 11th, 2025

• Spanish La Liga: Real Madrid @ FC Barcelona at 10:15 am (ET) on ESPN

It’s time for El Clásico! As I understand it, this is the Yankees-Red Sox of the soccer world. They just faced off a couple of weeks ago in the Copa del Rey final, and Barcelona won in extra time. They’ll be looking to bounce back from their own wild extra-time loss to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semis. And by now, you know I’m legally obligated to mention that Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé is the most exciting player I’ve ever seen. Even if soccer isn’t your thing, give this a shot!

• NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets at 3:30 pm (ET) on ABC

Every lower seed won the opening game of their series to start the second round. That’s nuts! The Nuggets shocked OKC in game 1 thanks to another Aaron Gordon game-winner. They were powered by yet another insane Nikola Jokic performance, where he dropped 42 points, 22 rebounds, and 1 impassioned huddle speech.

The Thunder did not look like a team that was the 1-seed for a second year in a row. They were plagued by sloppy play, questionable coaching decisions, and some quintessential lemon booty at the very end. Then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams proceeded to have the most unserious post-game press conference I’ve seen by a losing team in quite some time. We will come back to this if they lose this series, so I guess they should probably try to win it instead.

• MLB: Philadelphia Phillies @ Cleveland Guardians at 7:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

A road game for the Phillies, which means they will be without Prince Bailey. During Philadelphia’s wild April 29th win against the Nationals, NBC Sports Philadelphia cameras found 12-year-old Bailey in the crowd imitating closer Jose Alvarado’s setup and delivery. Whatever Bailey and Alvarado were doing worked, because Jose became the first Phillies pitcher to strike out three consecutive batters with the bases loaded in the 8th inning or later since 1968.

It was Bailey’s first Phillies game, but it wasn’t his last, as the Phillies brought him back to meet Alvarado on the field. Just one of those sports moments that reminds you what sports should be all about. According to his grandfather, Prince’s imitations are nothing new, and he does them with other sports as well! You know this story is heartwarming when I can’t even bring myself to make a joke about imitating Paul George.

Monday, May 12th, 2025

• NBA:  Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

Probably not a great sign that people are already speculating on the ways that the Celtics could blow up their roster this offseason. They could very well end up repeating, but it’s hard to believe in a team that shoots 60 3-pointers in a game and only makes 25% of them. But then again, it’s hard to believe in the Knicks, who are the Knicks.

Tuesday, May 13th, 2025

• On This Day In Sports History: In 1914, boxer Joe Louis was born.

Joe Louis was such a good boxer that we probably don’t have Tiger Woods without him. Louis is generally considered to be America’s first Black sports hero. He earned this status by defeating German Max Schmeling. In his first matchup with Schmeling in 1936, Louis lost after spending much of the lead-up to the bout golfing rather than training. It was Joe’s first professional loss.

Their 1939 rematch is one of the world’s most famous and important sporting events ever. After his victory, Schmeling was used in Nazi propaganda as proof of their belief that the Aryan race was superior (Note: Max Schmeling long maintained that he was not a Nazi). With World War II on the horizon, the Nazis issued a statement that a Black man couldn’t beat an Aryan and they would use Max’s prize money to build more tanks.

Well, hopefully they didn’t start building them before the fight, because Louis knocked him out in the first round. This was back when white Americans hated Nazism too, so many openly cheered for Louis, the first time this happened for a Black athlete. Louis had not given up golf despite the first Schmeling bout, and later used his fame from the second match to force the PGA to remove a bylaw that stated “Caucasians Only,” which paved the way for golfers of all races, even Cablinasians, to play in tour events.

Woods has used his fame as a golfer to become friends with President Donald Trump, even announcing a relationship with the mother of 5 of Trump’s grandchildren, Vanessa. The same Donald Trump who has allowed neo-Nazism to thrive under his administration. Way to go, Tiger! Dumbass.

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025

• MLS: Sporting Kansas City @ St. Louis CITY SC at 8:45 pm (ET) on FS1

The El Clásico of Missouri!

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