Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum joined an elite group of active players in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, tying Paul George for having 6 career postseason games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, according to NBA.com. George has endorsed Tatum for the MVP race with admiration for his game, and referring to Tatum as “incredible.” At only 25, Tatum has already become one of the best players in the NBA, and he still has room to grow. As the playoffs continue, Tatum is poised to climb even further up the impressive playoff list. In Game 1 against the 76ers, the Celtics collapsed over the final few minutes, losing to the Sixers 102-104, and Tatum found himself the victim of a non-basketball act by Philadelphia’s PJ Tucker. A wild swing by Tucker caught Tatum below the belt, but to the Celtics’ dismay, the officiating crew failed to call a foul. Nevertheless, the Celtics will look to bounce back and Tatum will continue to prove his worth as one of the most elite players in the association.

James Harden, NBA star and player for the Philadelphia 76ers, has invited shooting survivor John Hao to attend Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Hao was one of the victims of the mass shooting incident at Michigan State University in February of this year. Previously paralyzed from the waist down, Hao has made a remarkable recovery and can now attend the game to watch his favorite player in action. Harden had promised Hao that he would invite him to a game as soon as he was able to attend. The star player had previously sent Hao a pair of game-worn shoes, among other memorabilia, and offered words of encouragement via Facetime. With the series tied at 1-1, Game 3 proves crucial for the 76ers who seek a win against the Celtics.

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 season, after a scattering start to his career. He underwent foot surgery and then had to be benched again due to a knee injury. But doubts about his ability to fully recover from these injuries were laid to rest as he led the NBA in scoring for a second straight year. This is also a boost to what the Sixers called The Process, which was initiated in the 2010s and was seen as a way to lose numerous games so that they could land young prospects like Embiid. The move was met with criticism and the term 'tanking' was coined afterwards. In the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, the 76ers was undefeated. Embiid is the fifth 76er ever to win the NBA MVP, following in the footsteps of legends Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Allen Iverson.

Jalen Hurts has indeed accomplished another feat this year by receiving his master's degree in human relations from Oklahoma. Despite only spending one year with the Oklahoma Sooners and being picked in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts managed to complete his graduate studies while playing in the NFL. According to reports, Hurts was inspired by his mother, who worked and studied for her master's degree while raising him, and wanted to follow in her footsteps. During the graduation ceremony, Hurts received a nice ovation when he walked across the stage in his cap and gown to receive his degree. Despite his recent accomplishments, including leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and signing a five-year, $255 million contract extension, Hurts continues to excel both on and off the field.

After a long hiatus from SmackDown, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is set to appear on next week's post-Backlash edition of the show. While not much is known about Reigns' appearance, he could address The Bloodline's future on SmackDown or their potential plans for WWE Night of Champions. It is also possible that Reigns will make an appearance on the current WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament. Additionally, Cameron Grimes will make his official SmackDown debut as he goes up against Baron Corbin. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will defend their WWE Women's Tag Team Titles against Damage CTRL's Bayley and Dakota Kai. The title match was made due to the non-title win by Bayley and Kai on this week's RAW.

Furthermore, Reigns made his return to SmackDown in a segment with The Bloodline where he revealed that he and Solo Sikoa would challenge Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the Tag Team Titles at WWE Night of Champions. Reigns had confronted Jimmy and Jey Uso, who had previously lost a match dedicated to Roman. Reigns voiced his displeasure at their performance and asked for an apology. While Jimmy refused, Jey made the apology, and The Wild Samoans were declared the 'greatest tag team of all time.'

Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury star, returned to the WNBA court on Friday night after being detained in Russia for drug charges in February last year. This was her first competitive basketball game in the league after a gap of 572 days. Although Griner's team, Mercury, lost to Los Angeles Sparks 90-71, Griner scored 10 points and added three rebounds. According to the Associated Press, Griner conceded she had a lot of work to do to get back to her old self. Griner had to spend almost ten months in detention in Russia before the United States negotiated her release alongside its other detained citizens. Since then, Griner has been working on a memoir that covers her arrest and imprisonment. The 6-foot-9 Griner quickly got on the scoreboard in the opening minutes with a two-point shot and went on to have a solid game overall. Her WNBA career performances have been impressive, with an average of 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in nine seasons.

The Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken were expected to have a heated rivalry, given their close proximity and border-sharing status. However, the rivalry has not quite materialized as the Canucks need to get into the playoffs and build a rivalry based on repeated fierce competition. It turns out that many Canucks fans are instead lending support to the Kraken in the playoffs. An informal Twitter poll of Canucks fans shows that 44% are rooting for the Kraken in their playoff games, perhaps because there's a long-standing relationship between Vancouver and Seattle fans. Many Vancouver sports fans cheer for Seattle teams in sports where Vancouver has no teams. Additionally, many hockey fans in Seattle supported the Canucks before the debut of the Kraken. With Vancouver being out of playoff action, their fans have some extra time on their hands and are rooting for the underdog Kraken to see how far they can go in the playoffs.

The Seattle Sounders have a chance to make MLS history when they face Sporting Kansas City on Sunday. The team has yet to concede a goal at home this season, a string of five consecutive shutouts, and could tie the Columbus Crew’s record of six home matches without conceding a goal. However, with several key players missing, including defender Nouhou and winger Cristian Roldan, the Sounders' defense is more vulnerable than usual. Sporting Kansas City has yet to win a game this season, but the Sounders cannot afford to underestimate them. Midfielder Albert Rusnak warned against complacency: "It's dangerous...sometimes when you play freely, you can be very good. I'm expecting a very tough game." To cover the gaps, the Sounders are likely to call up Cody Baker or Reed Baker-Whiting to the defensive line, and midfielder Obed Vargas will partner with Rusnak. Despite the challenges, the Sounders will be determined to put on another strong defensive performance to secure a new record and further strengthen their position at the top of the Western Conference.

The NHL playoffs have shown a new side of Kraken's Philipp Grubauer, who has been playing a significant role in the team's recent success. Grubauer has been the only goaltender for Seattle with a strong .918 save percentage, making crucial saves during the postseason games. Coach Dave Hakstol was impressed with Grubauer's quick reaction during Game 3 against the Dallas Stars, swatting a potential goal out of the air with his goalie stick. The game ended with a massive 5-2 victory for the Kraken, giving them a 2-1 series lead.

On the other hand, Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, who had a sparkling .933 save percentage and two shutouts in 18 career playoff appearances, has been unexpectedly struggling in the second round. Despite his outstanding regular-season performance, he has given up three-plus goals in a matter of minutes in both Games 1 and 3 against Seattle. During Game 3, he was taken out before the third period after allowing five goals on eight shots. With Grubauer's strong performances, he is currently outdueling Oettinger, whose playoff statistics of 2.37 goals-against average and .919 save percentage were very commendable during the regular season.