Fast Breaks and Fast Laps 🏎🏃♂️
From Indy to Boulder to Minneapolis, here are 3 big things you need to know from a Memorial Day Weekend full of speed and spirit. 👇
1️⃣ Pacers and Racers 🏎
Up 2–0 in the series, Indiana came out flying, building several big leads. But every time they started to pull away, the Knicks clawed back with a burst.
This game was definitely coming down to the final minute…
Final: Knicks 106, Pacers 100. And now a competitive 2–1 series in the East, too.
Just days after being benched for the entire 4th quarter of Game 2, KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) roared back with 20 points in the 4th quarter of Game 3.
🧮 Smallball math break: If KAT scored 20 points in every quarter… how many would that be over a full game? 20 points × 4 quarters = ???
(Psst… remember that number. A few legends have gotten there in a single game.)
🏎 By the way… basketball wasn't the only high-speed action in Indianapolis yesterday.
Every Memorial Day weekend, one of the wildest, fastest, and most famous races in the world zooms into town: the Indianapolis 500.
Imagine 33 of the world’s best drivers launching off the line like a real-life version of Mario Kart
🏁 Let’s take a lap.
The Indy 500 is a 500-mile car race held at a giant oval track called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That means 200 laps around a 2.5-mile circuit… and drivers zooming at over 220 miles per hour!
It’s been going for over 100 years, with traditions like 300,000 fans packing the stands, drivers drinking milk in Victory Lane (yep, they actually choose what kind of milk they want ahead of time!), and engines roaring so loud you feel them in your chest.
Winning the Indy 500 is like winning the Super Bowl of racing!
✨ And this year? History was made.
🎥 Want to see what it looks, sounds, and feels like?
Before the race even started, Blackhawk helicopters flew low over the track to help kick off the day. Yep, helicopters leading race cars…
And the ending? Álex Palou became the first Spanish driver ever to win the Indy 500.
Keep your eyes on the yellow and red car. That’s our leader on his final lap! (Those two cars in front? They’re actually a lap behind… so don’t let them fool you!)
This was only the fourth time in history the Indy 500 took place on the same day as a Pacers home playoff game. Tough news for Pacers fans? They’ve now lost all four of those games…
But it’s special enough the locals gave it a name: Pacers and racers.
Did someone say racers? Because today something a little more foot-powered is happening in Boulder, Colorado…
2️⃣ A Race for Everyone (and We Mean Everyone) 🏃♀️
Every Memorial Day, Boulder hosts one of the biggest running events in the world: the BOLDERBoulder 10K.
👟 Let’s jog through it.
A 10K is a 10 kilometer race… about 6.2 miles. This one loops through the streets of Boulder, finishing in front of thousands of cheering fans at the University of Colorado’s football stadium.
It even ends with a Memorial Day tribute featuring skydivers and a stadium flyover… a reminder that sports can be both fun and meaningful.
It’s not just for pros (though many compete!). The BOLDERBoulder brings together over 50,000 people… from elite athletes to everyday families in wacky costumes.
✨ Wait… running is a pro sport?
Yep!
Olympic marathons and track races are just the start. There’s a whole world of distance running, from road races like this one, to trail ultras (that’s running really far on dirt paths and mountains!).
Here’s what to watch in the pro race:
On the men’s side, Conner Mantz is aiming for his third consecutive BOLDERBoulder victory. He'll be challenged every step of the way by Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena, who recently edged out Mantz in a thrilling photo finish at the Houston Half Marathon.
On the women’s side, defending champion Grace Loibach Nawowuna of Kenya returns after dominating last year's race in 32:45.
🏆 Keep these numbers in mind:
The men's course record stands at 27:52, set by Josephat Machuka in 1995.
The women's record is 32:13, set by Delilah Asiago in the same year.
🎤 Think any of today’s runners can chase down those record times?
Check back tomorrow to see what 50,000 runners and a stadium sprint to the finish looks like!
3️⃣ Momentum Shift or Mirage? 🎢
Last week, the Timberwolves were in a deep hole. They were down 0–2 in the series, and history said only 7% of teams ever climb back to win from there.
Then came Game 3.
Minnesota didn’t just win… they dominated 143–101. The kind of blowout that can reset a series. Now down 2–1? Their odds jump to around 20% to win the series. Still underdogs, but now with a shot.
📚 What changed?
In Games 1 and 2, SGA sliced through Minnesota’s defense. Nearly 35 points per game, nearly unstoppable.
But in Game 3? The Wolves went back to basics on D… SGA scored just 14 points. Here’s what Wolves coach Chris Finch said:
“Sometimes you’ve just got to throw your fastball. We were trying to do too much other junk out there at times.”
✨ So what now?
Game 4 is tonight. And the Thunder? Here’s how SGA is thinking about it:
It happens. You’re never going to be perfect in life, in a long season. You get punched, it's about getting back up and responding. That’s what the next challenge is. We got punched in the mouth, and next game we’re either going to get back up or not. We have a decision to make for sure.
🎯 And what do the experts say?
63% chance Thunder win.
Whether it’s a driver chasing history, a city running for joy, or a team finding its fight…
Momentum moves fast.
See you tomorrow, Smallball-ers.
And until then? Stay ready.