Stephen Curry injured in Warriors’ win; Pacers stun Cavaliers; Inter into Champions League final

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏀 Good morning to all, but especially to …

THE INDIANA PACERS

Tyrese Haliburton has ice in his veins, and the Pacers‘ late-game magic knows no bounds. Indiana took a stunning 2-0 series lead over the Cavaliers with an unbelievable 120-119 win on Haliburton’s stepback 3 with 1.1 seconds left.

Indiana finished the game on an 8-0 run over the final 47.2 seconds.

• Down 119-112, Aaron Nesmith came flying in for a massive dunk off a missed free throw. Two seconds later, he drew an offensive foul on Donovan Mitchell.
• Pascal Siakam got another layup, and the Cavaliers struggled to get the ball in and had to call timeout. Even after the timeout, Max Strus threw the ball away.
• With 12.1 seconds left, Haliburton drew a foul and made the first free throw. He missed the second, but Myles Turner batted the ball out to Haliburton, who crossed over Ty Jerome and then nailed the stepback, his second game-winner this postseason.
• The other one was in the Pacers’ crazy Game 5 comeback against the Bucks.

Since 1998, there have only been three playoff games in which a team trailed by seven or more in the final minute and won. Indiana has two of them … in its last three games!

😁 Honorable mentions

• In NHL second-round Game 1 action, the Hurricanes beat the Capitals, 2-1, in overtime, and the Oilers beat the Golden Knights, 4-2, and these were our 3 Stars of the Night.
• Luka Dončić is reportedly “fully committed” to the Lakers.
• Mikal Bridges explained his Game 1-sealing steal.
• Sam Presti won NBA Executive of the Year.
• Could the Cowboys reunite with this former Pro Bowler?
• Tom Brady was once a sixth-round quarterback. Now, he’s endorsing this sixth-round quarterback.
• Five NFL teams are getting new alternate helmets.
• Here are the Calder Trophy finalists.
• Florida and Todd Golden agreed to an extension.
• Notre Dame and Clemson scheduled a 12-year football series from 2027-38, and while the football will be fun, it’s yet another reason for Notre Dame to remain independent, Chip Patterson notes.
• The Big 12 extended commissioner Brett Yormack.
• Sue Bird will become the managing director of Team USA women’s basketball.

🏀 And not such a good morning for …

THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

It’s falling apart slowly then all at once for the Cavaliers. Before Game 2, they announced Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter were out with injury.

No matter, they still had Mitchell, whose Herculean 48-point effort looked to be enough.

Then, they fell apart on the court. Sam Quinn counted six different mistakes in that disastrous final minute. Yes, the lack of Garland’s ball handling and Mobley and Hunter’s defense hurt … a lot. But several of these mistakes were the basic ones: not rebounding missed free throws, missing free throws, not being able to inbound the ball, etc. Any NBA player should be able to execute that.

And so Mitchell’s remarkable outing goes by the wayside, and the Cavaliers might soon follow, down 2-0 heading to Indiana and having wasted a “heroic” — and now exhausted — Mitchell, James Herbert writes.

😥 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Stephen Curry hurt as Warriors beat Timberwolves in Game 1

The Warriors upset the Timberwolves, 99-88, in Game 1 in Minnesota, but they lost Stephen Curry in the process. The Golden State superstar left in the second quarter with a hamstring strain, and coach Steve Kerr says it’s unlikely Curry plays in Game 2 tomorrow.

• Curry appeared to injure his hamstring while defending. He scored on the ensuing possession — part of a hot start (13 points) — but asked to come out and went straight to the locker room.
• The Warriors got another big effort from Buddy Hield (24 points) and a 20-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist game from Jimmy Butler, who needs to get more aggressive in Curry’s potential absence, Brad Botkin writes. Draymond Green added 18 points, including four 3s.
• This is the fourth time in eight playoff games the Warriors have held their opponent under 100 points. Minnesota was a putrid 5 for 29 (17%) from 3.

The Warriors’ win also means all four road teams won their second-round opener, the first time that’s ever happened. Road teams are 5-0 overall this round. I know I say “expect the unexpected” often, but this is beyond anyone’s anticipation. 

⚽ Inter beats Barcelona in epic UEFA Champions League semifinal; preview today’s PSG-Arsenal match

It was everything any neutral observer could have hoped for and more, an epic match with legendary moments that will live on forever. Inter is heading to the UEFA Champions League final after a rollicking 4-3 second-leg victory (7-6 on aggregate) over Barcelona.

• Lauturo Martinez put the hosts ahead after a Barcelona turnover and a Denzel Dumfries assist, and Hakan Calhanoglou doubled the lead with a penalty kick.
• Just like in the first leg, though, Barcelona stormed back. Eric Garcia scored on a wonderful volley early in the second half, and Dani Olmi headed home six minutes later to tie it.
• Raphinha scored in the 87th minute off an incisive Pedri pass to give Barcelona a 3-2 lead, but Francesco Acerbi knocked home a wonderful finish off another Dumfries assist in the third minute of added time.
• In extra time, Davide Frattesi netted a 99th-minute winner. Yann Sommer made some big saves, including a full-stretch stop of a Lamine Yamal strike, to see things through.
• Honestly, do yourself a favor and watch the highlights. Words can’t do this game justice. Here are the top 10 moments from the two legs.

This was one of the best sporting events in recent memory. As CBS commentator Thierry Henry said, “This is why we love football.”

Inter heads to its second UEFA Champions League final in three years, and Francesco Porzio explains why this could be the squad to finish the job. It starts with their top player.

• Porzio: “Martinez was named as the new club captain after the departure of Samir Handanovic in the summer 2023. The Argentinian striker is the face of this team, and the fact he did the impossible to recover in time for the second leg at San Siro after suffering a muscular injury in Barcelona, it tells why he wants to win the Champions League more than anyone else. After winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, and the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, winning the Champions League would probably be the last dream he has as a soccer player.”

Inter will face the winner of PSG-Arsenal, with Les Parisiens carrying a 1-0 lead into today’s second leg (preview | projected lineups) airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Here are our expert predictions and best bets.

🏈 Reasons for optimism, biggest questions for every NFL team

The offseason is a time for optimism: health, breakouts, roster improvements. It’s also a time for questioning: depth, player acquisition, maybe even *gasp* decline.

It should be time for a reasonable dose of both. And lucky for you, we have reasons for optimism from Tyler Sullivan and biggest questions from Cody Benjamin for every team.

With just five draft picks, the Vikings have mostly been in the background the last few weeks, but I’m really excited by their reason for optimism.

• Sullivan: “Perfect roster to usher in young QB — As J.J. McCarthy now takes the keys to the offense, there may be some level of concern/wonder about how he will fare. … Minnesota spent the offseason bolstering the interior of the offensive line, further providing McCarthy with protection. Meanwhile, his skill position group is headlined by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. That’s not mentioning an offensive guru, head coach Kevin O’Connell, in his ear.”

Of course, he’s also the biggest question. That’s the beauty of it all, isn’t it?

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚽ PSG vs. Arsenal, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ 
🏀 Knicks at Celtics (Knicks lead 1-0), 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Panthers at Maple Leafs (Maple Leafs lead 1-0), 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Padres at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Nuggets at Thunder (Nuggets lead 1-0), 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Stars at Wings Game 1, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN