Sometimes sports can be beautiful…whether you root for them or against them, the ball movement that San Antonio Spurs put on display in Oklahoma City was (at times) flawless. This play to start the game by Kawhi Leonard was just AWESOME.

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NBA

Basketball is really fun, y’all. Saturday night featured one of the most fun games of the playoffs so far as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 in OKC.  The game featured mini-leads and comebacks, injuries, turnovers and heroic plays. Despite playing without Tony Parker for the entire second half, San Antonio led the way for most of the game and even a strong push from Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder wasn’t enough to counter the amazing team play of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and the Spurs. So what’s next? Well, the San Antonio Spurs are your Western Conference champs and will rest up before taking on the other big winner of the weekend, the Miami Heat.

Speaking of the Miami Heat, the Eastern Conference came down to the Heat and the Indiana Pacers but this Game 6 wasn’t nearly as close as the Spurs’ overtime win. Once the ball was tipped, the Pacers really had no chance — The Heat dominated the game Friday night and came out on top with a strong win. LeBron James and Co. brought their  “A” game, and looked more than ready to attempt to win their third straight NBA Championship title. What stands in their way? Naturally, the San Antonio Spurs, who are looking for revenge after losing to the Heat in heartbreaking fashion during last year’s NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City’s Derek Fisher is a popular man. Both the LA Lakers (where Fisher won several championships) and the New York Knicks (where his former Coach Phil Jackson works) are rumored to be interested in interviewing him for the head coaching position. A couple things to note about this: 1) Fisher has yet to retire as a basketball player so that’s step one. 2) if he does retire, then will he want to jump right into coaching? and 3) Does his lack of coaching experience matter? Maybe, maybe not.

What’s our prediction for the NBA Finals? It’s a tough call, and that’s what SQ Primers are for, so stay tuned… But, in the meantime, mark your calendar for Game 1 of the Finals, which kicks off June 5th. The rematch is on!

NHL

The New York Rangers are officially your Eastern Conference champs! After a big Game 6 win against the Montreal Canadiens, the Rangers are moving onward to the Stanley Cup Finals. There’s good reason to believe they’ve got a shot at winning it all with the strong play of goalie Henrik Lundqvist, but there’s no doubt that the Western Conference champion will be ready for them.

And just who will represent the West? The LA Kings! After 7 thrilling games, the series between the LA Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks came down to an amazing winner-takes-all Game 7 that went into overtime on Sunday night where the LA Kings won the chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. Seriously the game had an insane game-winner by Alec Martinez. The West has been viewed as the better conference all season, but who knows what will happen when the puck hits the ice.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals begins on June 4th, get ready!

Other

The French Open sure has been interesting so far. For the first time in a decade, Roger Federer will not be in the quarterfinals, as he lost to Ernests Gulbis over the weekend. Other big losses so far in the French Open include Serena Williams’ loss to Garbiñe Muguruza, and Li Na’s loss to Kristina Mladenovic.

The World Cup is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited. In a friendly on Sunday in New York City, the United States National Team defeated the Turkish National Team 2-1. The US has a long road ahead, but the second win of their three friendlies is something… you gotta start somewhere.

Is 2014 the year of Jimmie Johnson? One thing’s for sure — he is on a roll, as he grabbed another big NASCAR win in the Sprint Cup series at Dover yesterday.

JUST FOR FUN

Headed to Miami!
Actor and prankster Simon Brodkin tries to board a plane to Miami with England’s World Cup Team

 

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Going once, Going twice… SOLD
…For a whopping TWO BILLION dollars
The NBA has approved former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s bid to buy the LA Clippers from Donald Sterling

A Match Made in Heaven
Spurs’ player Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich are headed to another championship
It’s a great time to look back on their relationship

Gamechanger
A proposed settlement to pay college players featured in NCAA-branded videogames
Featured basketball and football players will be compensated for their likenesses

Heard enough about Johnny Manziel?
It sounds like Johnny Manziel has had enough of the publicity, too
At the final day of the NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere, he wasn’t participating in interviews

Are you missing college football?
Check out Sports Illustrated’s guide to the rest of the offseason
If you’re a fan of college football, look no further — all of the important dates, events, and info you need ’til the season starts up again!