Sunday Skills, Stumpers, and Silliness (#1)
We’ve been chasing highlights all week...So today we’re flipping the script with a special mix of skills, stumpers, and silliness!
First, we’ve got a quick scoreboard check to kick things off. Ready, set, go!
📅 Sunday Snapshot
Yesterday’s main event? A Rocky Mountain double feature: two Game 7s, both starring teams from Colorado. Let’s see how the drama unfolded...
🌀 Colorado Avalanche at 🌟 Dallas Stars
In a stunning comeback, the Stars rallied from a 2–0 deficit in the 3rd period to win 4–2
It was a busy 3rd period for the Stars’ Mikko Rantanen, who had a hat trick (3 goals) and an assist
We’ll check back on the Stanley Cup playoffs when they are further along!
⛵️ LA Clippers at 🏔️ Denver Nuggets
Nuggets dominated the Clippers 120–101 with a balanced offensive attack, including 6 players with 15+ points (Aaron Gordon led with 22 points)
Look at the score by quarter! This was the first time in NBA history a team outscored its opponent by 15+ points in multiple quarters of a Game 7 😲
We get to watch the 2 MVP finalists match up in Round 2! SGA vs. Jokić starts Monday night in OKC
And the biggest game today is another NBA Game 7:
🌉 Golden State Warriors at 🚀 Houston Rockets
Steph and the Warriors head to Houston for a win-or-go-home Game 7
Experts say 54% chance Rockets win (remember: home teams win ~80% of NBA playoff Game 7s)
Winner gets to play the Timberwolves in Round 2
Now that you’re caught up, let’s take a breath (literally!) and dive into this week’s skill.
🧠 Skills: Breathe Like a Pro
Remember when we talked about Denver’s altitude and how players run out of breath faster at mile-high altitude?
Well, it turns out there’s a lot more to breathing than you might think. Elite athletes like Steph Curry use deep breathing to calm their nerves, focus their minds, and help their bodies recover faster. Here’s Steph:
Scientists have proven that short bursts of slow breathing can improve your energy and help you feel more in control before a big play.
Try this: Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold for 4 seconds. Out through your mouth for 4 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Feels good, right?
Whether you’re about to take the basketball court, shoot a penalty kick, or even do something challenging at school, deep breathing is a small skill that brings big results.
❓ Stumpers: Shoot Like Steph
We’ve been talking a lot about Steph Curry, the greatest shooter in NBA history. Here’s your challenge:
Need a hint? Her team name is warmer than any of the other choices…
😂 Silliness: Rocky Road
Smallball-ers know sports aren’t just serious…they’re seriously funny too! Check out this clip of Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot, trying so hard to give a fan a teddy bear.
Now it’s your turn to create the next great sports mascot. Maybe it’s a goalie giraffe who eats pucks? A dribbling dragon with fireproof sneakers? A moonwalking moose who dances after every basket?
Think of:
📛 A name
🏀 A sport
🦸♂️ A silly superpower
🎨 Draw it and have a grown-up snap a picture and send it to readsmallball@gmail.com so we can share it in a future post!
See you Monday, Smallball-ers!
The 4-4-4 breathing technique also helps me go to sleep at night!
Rocky was like yes I got her in the video - Rowan