Sports Daily: The sports gods taketh away

Welcome to another week, y’all.

Lots to get to today, so what do you say we jump right in?

Carefully, of course. We don’t need anymore injuries around here.

Quick links: Cunningham’s weekend reflections | Chris Sale fallout | Man City shows off | Dream bounces back

TOUGH BREAKS

Credit: Daniel Varnado for the AJC

Credit: Daniel Varnado for the AJC

Tyrese Haliburton fell to the floor in Oklahoma City last night and knew instantly his night — his NBA Finals, his shot at glory — was over.

Shortly thereafter, I scrolled past a social media post saying, more or less, that you have to be mentally ill to be a sports fan.

And I think that’s true. Fandom can be it’s own sort of psychosis, an investment of time and money and hope that almost always ends in some version of disappointment — whether that’s your team failing to make the postseason at all or its star player going down for the count in Game 7.

But perhaps you’ve got be even crazier to be an athlete.

Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers star, was trying to play through a calf strain to get his team a title. He was rewarded with an Achilles injury (seemingly the worst kind) instead.

These kinds of cruel twists happen all the time.

Braves ace Chris Sale is especially experienced in the field.

Fired up and gunning for a complete game against the rival Mets last week, he returned to the mound for the ninth inning — and promptly made an incredible diving play to get Juan Soto at first.

Thank you, the sports gods replied. Here’s a cracked left rib cage and (at least) a few weeks on the injured list.

“It’s tough losing him,” catcher Drake Baldwin said Saturday, after the announcement. “He’s almost irreplaceable.”

That he is. Especially for a rotation that’s already endured so much (see: Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shawver and Spencer Strider’s delayed recovery) — and a team that was maybe, possibly, finally turning a corner.

Sale himself has been bitten over and over again, first in Boston and now in Atlanta. Remember last season, when he made it through a full Cy Young-winning campaign unscathed — only to have his back spasm-up just in time for the playoffs?

I’m not suggesting we throw a pity party for well-compensated athletes.

But sometimes, sports just ain’t fair.

ANOTHER SHOT AT THE METS

The Braves, meanwhile, spent the rest of their weekend losing a series to the lowly Marlins.

Perhaps that was predictable, coming off the high of sweeping the Mets at home last week. And perhaps another shot at New York — this time up in Flushing — will help Atlanta get things going again.

The Mets dropped their weekend series with the Phillies, falling out of first place in the National League East.

⚾ Tonight’s first pitch: 7:10 p.m. on FanDuel Sports. Spencer Schwellenbach gets the start for the Braves.

SPEAKING OF THE NBA …

Credit: Julio Cortez/AP

Credit: Julio Cortez/AP

Are the Hawks in any position to mimic Oklahoma City’s path to the title?

Not really.

😬 As columnist Michael Cunningham writes in his latest weekend observations piece: “The Hawks tanked before and hit on Trae Young but missed on three other lottery picks. Now, the Hawks don’t control their own first-round pick until 2029. Tanking again isn’t an option, unless they could get a similar haul for Young as OKC did for Paul George (they wouldn’t) and hit on some of the multiple draft picks they got in return.”

More insight here.

WEEKEND WONDERPERSON

Credit: Colin Hubbard/AP

Credit: Colin Hubbard/AP

The Atlanta Dream bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Liberty with a winning weekend at home, besting Washington on Friday and Chicago on Sunday.

They’re now 10-4, just a half-game back of first place in the Eastern Conference.

So who gets our Wonderperson award? The always fabulous Allisha Gray? Personal favorite Rhyne Howard (she’s tough, man)? Nope.

Today we’re going with rookie sharpshooter Te-Hina Paopao — who hit five 3-pointers Sunday and has now scored a career-high 16 points in three of her past four games.

“I think that Pao just brings a level of focus and intensity and just like excitement to the game,” teammate Naz Hillmon said. “She comes in off the bench and just is always ready.”

🏀 Up next: The Dream visit Dallas and recent No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Watch on Peachtree TV.

ON CAMPUS

👑 LSU baseball won the College World Series for the second time in three years, besting a Coastal Carolina team that hadn’t lost consecutive games since March. (Their head coach getting tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the first inning didn’t help.)

🏈 Georgia football flipped four-star linebacker prospect Shadarius Toodle (great name) away from Auburn. Another four-star, edge rusher Khamari Brooks, is set to choose between the Bulldogs and Alabama later today.

👀 Georgia Tech picked up a two-sport star from Marist. Jack Richerson — a tight end, defensive lineman, pitcher and infielder — plans to play both football and baseball for the Jackets.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Check out that perspective on one of Manchester City’s six goals during their Sunday evening romp over Al Ain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Please read Ken Sugiura’s column on the once-miserable Man City squad.)

The announced attendance hit 40,392, another improvement over the first two Club World Cup matches in Atlanta.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.