‘The Michael Jordan of Delaware’ | Sports Daily Newsletter

Like them or not (and we know how some of our Sports Daily readers feel), the ‘Nova Knicks are one win away from the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals. New York could finish off the Indiana Pacers tonight.

The Villanova connection of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo has been lighting up the Pacers as if they were the Sixers. DiVincenzo’s rise has been especially notable as he has quickly become a three-point weapon for the Knicks.

Wildcats coach Jay Wright once dubbed DiVincenzo “the Michael Jordan of Delaware,” but it was far from instant stardom for him. In fact, his old coaches from high school and AAU say they never saw this kind of success coming. DiVincenzo has a four-year, $50 million contract and his NBA stock keeps rising, but “no one could say they saw this,” his AAU coach says.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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In the third installment of our series celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Flyers’ first Stanley Cup, Jackie Spiegel profiles perhaps the toughest Broad Street Bully: Barry Ashbee. A horrific injury ended Ashbee’s career and leukemia took his life at age 37, but the defenseman left a legacy that lives on today. Many of the Broad Street Bullies paid tribute to Ashbee, and their recollections are funny, sometimes raw, and touching.

The Phillies are playing at a historical pace, and that has columnist David Murphy struggling with what to write. Normally in the middle of May he would be writing that Dave Dombrowski needs to trade all of his earthly possessions for a bat and some pitching. Not this year. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try fixing the Phillies. Or fortifying them. Reinforcing them. Whatever you want to call it. Here’s Murphy’s look at their trade deadline approach.

Chase Utley sees similarities between current Phillies and his 2011 team: “We all had the same goal.”

The Phillies sent Thursday night’s game to extras with a ninth inning rally, but dropped their final game against the New York Mets in a one-run loss.

Next: The Phillies open a series against Washington at 6:40 tonight (NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (4-3, 2.53 ERA) will start against Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.55).

The 2024 Eagles schedule has been unveiled and the pundits have weighed in on how the Birds will fare. Never mind that organized team activities have not even started yet, the predictions are in. It is the most foolish of fool’s errands to provide any serious analysis in May, but Mike Sielski will try. OK, maybe not serious analysis …

Julián Carranza is not a big talker, but he surprised Jim Curtin by speaking up in the locker room at halftime of the Union’s 2-1 loss to New York City FC on Wednesday.

“I was really impressed by what he had to say, because it was all, actually, right — accurate, the truth,” Curtin said. “And it was long. So it’s good to see from a young striker, a kid that plays with passion that wants to win everything.” Carranza backed up the talk by scoring his team’s only goal.

The MLS Players Association released its player salary data, and the Union’s rundown is here.

Next: The Union visit the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Apple TV+, free).

Tyrese Maxey’s whirlwind year has continued into the 76ers’ offseason, as he added yet another award to a growing list of honors. Maxey won the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award, presented with the trophy by his parents, Denyse and Tyrone.

But while Maxey is known for a jovial nature that extends to teammates and opponents alike, the Sixers star also is a fierce competitor who received high marks across the board for his fourth season, which ended with averages of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. That performance earned All-Star honors for Maxey, who was named Most Improved Player last month.

“Y’all taught me a lot, too,” Maxey said, gesturing toward his parents. “Taught me how to play the game I love with a lot of passion, but win, lose, or draw you always have to respect your competitors and the guys that you’re playing against.”

We asked you: Which Eagles game are you most looking forward to and why? Among your responses:

Many good games will come and go, but it’s very hard to predict which one will be an interesting-enough one to make the “most looking forward to it” cut. Opening Day has some permanent value, but that’s more a league-wide thing. But for me, if they went 17-0 or 2-15 or anything in-between in the season, and two of the wins were against the CowGirls, I’d consider it a successful season! — Marty M.

I can’t wait for the game in Dallas. Seeing them tear apart Dallas in Dallas will be the highlight of the season regardless of their final record or standing. — Ray G.

I don’t care about the Brazil game unless Sports Daily is going to send me there to cover the game for them. I think the Oct. 20 game at the Giants should be interesting to see Saquon return against his old team, but for me there are only two most crucial games per year and they are of course against the hated Cowboys. November 10 at Dallas, and then December 29 Cowboys at the Linc. And I always like it when we play there first and then have the second meeting at home. So many outstanding Eagle vs. Cowboy memories. — Everett S.

The first game always. I wish it was at the Linc but exciting anyway. A new beginning and a fresh start to bring hope to this Eagles fan. — Kathy T.

In this week’s gripping episode of unCovering the Birds, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane delves into the chilling moment when Stewart Bradley collapsed on the field, a pivotal incident highlighting the NFL’s concussion crisis.

Through detailed recounts and interviews with Bradley and his former teammates, the episode explores the immediate decision to let Bradley return to play, the long-term effects of concussions, and their profound impact on players’ lives beyond football, marking a significant moment in Eagles history and the broader conversation on head trauma in sports. Listen now.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from David Murphy, Mike Sielski, Jeff Neiburg, Alex Coffey, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Isabella DiAmore, Lochlahn March, and Ed Barkowitz.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s all after another busy week in Sports Daily. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you on Monday. — Jim