Manu Ginobili Spurs block

Playoff action was in full swing in the NBA and NHL last night, even though there was only one game in each sport. Both matchups turned into thrillers that came down to the final minute, and that’s where we’ll start for Wednesday’s Cheat Sheet.

Manu Ginobili’s last-second block gave the Spurs a 3-2 lead over the Rockets

Spurs Rockets Game 5

The Spurs and the Rockets played an awesome, back-and-forth affair in Game 5. San Antonio had its back against the wall down 99-94 with under three minutes left in regulation. And loss for the Spurs would have sent them back to Houston facing elimination.

Instead, the Spurs came back to force overtime on a bucket by Manu Ginobili, who turned back the clock with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

San Antonio actually had a chance to win in regulation, but Patty Mills’ banked-in three came after the buzzer.

Ginobili played the hero again in overtime. San Antonio led 110-107, but Houston had a chance to tie at the buzzer. Rockets MVP candidate James Harden appeared to get around Ginobili up for a decent look at a three, but then Ginobili recovered to fly in for a block from behind.

Here’s another great look where you can see how great Manu’s recovery was.

Who’s the biggest winner in all this? The Warriors.

While Golden State may prefer San Antonio slightly over Houston, the Rockets should be the favorite at home in Game 6. If they capitalize, the series will continue to Game 7 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Warriors already advanced to the Western Conference Finals by sweeping the Jazz this past Monday.

The conference finals begin next Tuesday. So while the Warriors get over a week off to rest up and prepare for either opponent, that opponent could wind up with a quick turnaround. If the Rockets had pulled out the win yesterday, they would have had a good chance to end the series Thursday in Houston and get a few days to recoup.

The Senators robbed us of another Game 7

Senators Rangers Game 6

Two of the four conference semifinal matchups have reached Game 7, and both of those are Wednesday night. (You can check our NHL page later this morning for more on that.) The NHL playoffs have been so fun thus far that even NBA analyst Charles Barkley has been paying more attention to them than his own sport.

Some people thought we might get a third Game 7 as the Rangers, trailing 3-2 in the series, got to host the Senators last night in Game 6. New York came close to a third period comeback after trailing 3-1.

But Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s empty-netter with 6.2 seconds left clinched a 4-2 victory for Ottawa.

So the Senators are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years, and they will face the winner of Wednesday’s Game 7 between the Capitals and the Penguins. On the other side, the Predators have already advanced to the Western Conference Finals, and they await either the Ducks or the Oilers.

Quick Hits

—Whoopsie. Good thing farts are always funny.

—Matt Harvey was out drinking until 4 a.m. before his no-show for the Mets game on Saturday. He then apologized on Tuesday in a very awkward press conference.

—Bucs draftee Stevie Tu’ikolovatu and his wife lived in his car at USC because of an NCAA rule.

—Shaq says he’s running for sheriff in 2020.

—Remember those huge ESPN layoffs from two weeks ago? Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks that wasn’t actually such a big deal.

—Do you also remember that Wendy’s guy who wanted free nuggets? Well, he set a record for retweets, so Wendy’s gave him what he asked for.

—According to a former teammate, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are talking again.

—Retired quarterback Tony Romo realizes he’s going to “stink” at broadcasting. At least at first.

Fireworks Oreos? Um, okay.

—The Patriots are favored in every game next season. The Browns are favored in none.

One last moment of procrastination

Get yourself one of these if everyday tasks are bogging you down.

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About Jesse Kramer

Jesse is a writer and editor for The Comeback. He has also worked for SI.com and runs The Catch and Shoot, a college basketball website based in Chicago. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow Jesse on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer.