Rory's emotions win Masters Sunday, plus the NBA playoff picture

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Good morning! Try vulnerability today.

For the second time in five days, we saw a superhero weep.

Last week, it was Luka Doncic, lip quivering, shedding tears as he returned to Dallas as a Laker.

Yesterday, it was Rory McIlroy collapsing onto the 18th green after a playoff at Augusta National, finally a Masters champion .

Just look at this: HISTORICAL.

@TheMasters pic.twitter.com/6Eaj9VtHhZ The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 13, 2025 Try not to feel anything while watching that.

If you dont, I pray for you.

McIlroy ended an 11-year majors drought and captured a hallowed career grand slam yesterday.

This comes after what felt like endless opportunities at other major wins during that drought, only to falter time after time.

You could physically see the weight lifted as his final putt found the cup, and to be clear, I love it.

To have these titans of sport show such emotion is incredibly vulnerable and relatable.

These guys care a lot which makes me all the more invested in watching them perform.

McIlroy, 35, got reciprocal roars from the crowd, too , as the emotion was palpable all day.

Advertisement Just ...

cool.

More of this, please.

Two quick thoughts on the actual round: Lets keep going: Bueckers signs with Unrivaled Fresh off a national title, former UConn superstar Paige Bueckers will be the No.

1 pick in todays WNBA Draft and a new member of Unrivaled, the startup 33 league that just completed its first season with a bang.

Its a three-year deal for Bueckers, and a source told The Athletic s Ben Pickman that her first-year salary will exceed what she can earn in all four years of her WNBA deal.

Find out more in our report .

Also, No Offseason has the draft teed up here: Watch .

Ex-LSU WR Lacy dead Kyren Lacy, the 24-year-old former LSU wide receiver and NFL Draft prospect, died late Saturday night of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police chase, Texas police said.

Lacy was one of LSUs best wideouts last season, but was not invited to the combine after being involved in a December car crash that left a man dead.

Saturdays police chase began after a family member said Lacy shot a gun into the ground.

Read more on the tragedy here .

Davis stays with ESPN after Fox dalliance Rece Davis is sticking with ESPNs iconic College GameDay after what The Athletic s Andrew Marchand termed an all-out effort by Fox to lure Davis to its flagship college football show Big Noon Kickoff.

Davis signed a seven-year deal worth tens of millions to stick with the worldwide leader.

Sounds like the rivalry is legit now .

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The NBA regular season is over, which means we can all relax for an entire day.

Before the Play-In begins tomorrow, lets take quick stock of where we are.

Heres how the playoff picture looks: The stage is set The NBA Play-In Tournament starts Tuesday.

pic.twitter.com/9Gedy8ONic The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 14, 2025 Two quick takeaways here: On the other side, we also got clarity on lottery odds.

The Jazz, Wizards and Hornets all have the best odds to win the No.

1 pick, though Washingtons buzzer-beater win yesterday pushed their guaranteed lowest spot back from No.

5 to No.

6.

We have a full dossier on yesterdays ripple effects.

Read up before the playoffs begin.

NHL: Blackhawks at Canadiens 7 p.m.

ET on ESPN+ Montreal has a 98 percent chance to make the playoffs, per our data , but with two games left its time to clinch.

See some intrigue here.

MLB: Royals at Yankees 7:05 p.m.

ET on MLB Network Its a light night on national TV, and if you can find the Nationals-Pirates games Paul Skenes is starting do that.

In the Bronx, two teams with big hopes entering the season have struggled out the gate.

Im curious to see Kansas City most, to be honest.

Get tickets to games like these here .

What do we do 10 days before the NFL Draft? Redraft last years first round, starting with the existential question: Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams? See all the picks .

How much is a Masters jacket worth? Could be millions ...

or $5.

Larry Holder explored a great rabbit hole for this story .

What will Nico Iamaleavas market be in the transfer portal? Sam Khan Jr.

and Antonio Morales have some ideas .

I still cant believe this all happened.

Advertisement What do agents think of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.s contract extension? People are shocked, apparently .

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday : Our story on Mike Trout meeting with that Astros fan who interfered with his catch.

Actually cool .

Most-read on the website yesterday : The Masters live blog did crazy numbers.

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(Top photo: Kyle Terada / Imagn Images).

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