Atlanta is set to face Philadelphia at 6:30 CT.

Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

Former Oklahoma Sooners point guard Trae Young has been balling out throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and on Wednesday night he rallied his Atlanta Hawks from a 26-point deficit to stun the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, 109-106 and take the series lead, 3-2.

Young was absolutely sensational during this historic comeback as he racked up a postseason career-high 39 points on 10-23 shooting from the floor and 17-19 from the line. ‘Ice’ Trae also added seven assists, three steals and a rebound while coughing up just two turnovers on the night.

Game Six between the Hawks and Sixers is set to tip-off in Atlanta on Friday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Now for today’s Hot Links! Sooner Softball is up for an ESPY, Baker Mayfield is focused on winning over contract extensions, the latest Madden cover features the last two Super Bowl winning QBs and more!

OU Links

• Sooner Scoop has confirmed that former LSU Tigers RB Kevontre Bradford has officially finalized his enrollment at OU as a transfer and is set to join the team this weekend.

• The national championship winning, record breaking Oklahoma Softball squad has been nominated for the 2021 ESPY Award for Best Team. You can help the Sooners win by casting your vote through the link provided in the tweet below!

• OU is expecting to host an unprecedented collection of prospective talent this weekend during the annual ChampU BBQ. Recently, 2022 four-star LB commit Kobie McKinzie shed some light on what originally drew him to Oklahoma. SI Sooners’ John Hoover has more.
• As is stands right now, redshirt senior H-back Jeremiah Hall is the top rated player at his position according to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy. That’s some high yet well-deserved praise for one of the hardest working Sooners in the Lincoln Riley era.

• Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently offered his take on the best defensive line units in each conference, and he feels Oklahoma has the Big 12’s best D-line. It’s tough to argue against considering the amount of depth and talent at virtually every spot.
• The Cleveland Browns still have not yet signed Baker Mayfield to a long-term contract, but the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner and 2018 No. 1 overall pick isn’t worried about any possible extensions as much as he is about winning football games. If he handles business on the field, the rest will take care of itself. ESPN’s Jake Trotter has more.

Around the Sports World

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady and Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes are both set to grace the cover of EA Sports’ Madden NFL ‘22. I dig the concept, but the design could use some slight altering.

• Tennis great Rafael Nadal is reportedly choosing to sit out this year’s Wimbledon and Olympics competitions, citing wear and tear on his physical health.
• After losing to the San Francisco Giants, 13-7 on Wednesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks have tied the MLB record with 22 consecutive road losses. Even for bad teams trying to tank, that’s hard to do.
• The Arizona State Sun Devils football program is currently being investigated for possible recruiting violations during the lengthy dead period that lasted throughout the majority of the pandemic.
• In other college football news, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is set to be the title sponsor of the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Not going to lie, I am pumped for this if for nothing else the lame gags throughout the broadcast. Tune in Dec. 18 on ABC to see who will win this prestigious championship event.

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