Just like that, the Portland Trail Blazers and Pittsburgh Penguins are one game away from hitting the golf course. Speaking of the links, Jordan Spieth has been oh so close to at least one career-defining win this spring. Perhaps the Blazers and Penguins, though, can take heart from Manchester City, which roared back from the brink of defeat in the final few weeks of the English Premier League season to break the hearts of Liverpool.

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Portland Trail Blazers . What a difference a series makes. Round one featured an epic, six-game battle between Portland and Houston that culminated in fitting fashion-with a Damian Lillard buzzer-beater. It felt like the Blazers would have enough momentum and confidence to compete with anyone after that, but to say they have met their match in San Antonio would be an understatement. The Spurs won the first three games of the Western Conference semifinal series all by comfortable double-digits, and they can close it out on Monday night in Portland. San Antonio is a -4 favorite in Game 4 and it is a +200 second choice behind Miami to win the NBA Championship.

Pittsburgh Penguins . If the Trail Blazers have experienced quite a turn of events between series, the Penguins have endured a drastic shift in momentum within this particular series against the Rangers. After losing the opener at home, Pittsburgh won three in a row-all by at least two goals, including two on the road-to seemingly seize control of the Eastern Conference semifinal showdown. Suddenly, however, New York has evened the score with a pair of victories by a combined margin of 8-2. The Rangers blasted the home team 5-1 last Friday then forced a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh with a 3-1 win on Sunday in New York. The Pens are -165 favorites in the decider and they are +250 to win the East.

C.C. Sabathia . It's a good thing for the Yankees that Masahiro Tanaka (5-0, 2.57 ERA) is looking like the real deal, because Sabathia has been a shadow of his former self so far this season. The big guy is 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA through eight starts and he now finds himself on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right knee. It's the same knee that was operated on for a meniscus tear following the 2010 campaign, but for now there appears to be nothing more than some fluid buildup. The Yankees (Kuroda) are -152 home favorites over the Mets (Colon) on Monday night.

Miami tweets . Last season was a bad one to be in the Dolphins' locker room. Last week was a bad one to be a Dolphin on Twitter. Mike Pouncey responded to a first-round pick of fellow offensive lineman Ja'Wuan James by posting, ""Great pick! I can't wait for our gifts he's getting us lol." That may not be the standard for controversial tweets, but it's not what you want to be tweeting after last season's Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito scandal. After Michael Sam was drafted by St. Louis on Saturday, Miami linebacker Don Jones tweeted "OMG" and "horrible." He later deleted those comments, but deleting tweets is about as effective as if the Dolphins had tried to delete their last two games of what had been a promising 2013 season. Miami is a +3 home underdog against New England in Week 1 and it is +1000 to win the AFC East.

Jordan Spieth . Spieth is playing some darn good golf-arguably the most consistent on the PGA Tour. But a near-miss at the Masters and now another setback while playing in the final group on Sunday, this time at The Players Championship, has to be weighing on him. The 20-year-old was bogey free for the first 58 holes at Sawgrass, but he made a flurry of them to drop out of contention. Spieth bogeyed the fifth, eighth, 10th, 14th, and 15th before making a relatively meaningless birdie on the par-5 16th. He finished tied for fourth at 10-under, three strokes back of playing partner and champion Martin Kaymer. Spieth is +2200 to win next month's U.S. Open.

Liverpool . Last weekend's season-ending proceedings were a mere formality, as Manchester City was never going to lose to West Ham United-which is what Liverpool needed to win the Premier League title. And the Sky Blues certainly did not lose, instead cruising to a 2-0 victory at Etihad Stadium for their second EPL trophy in the last three years. Still, it has to hurt for Liverpool. The Reds were in the driver's seat on top of the table after beating Man City 3-2 on April 13, but they lost to Chelsea 2-0 on April 27 and blew a three-goal lead in a crushing, basically season-ending 3-3 tie against Crystal Palace last Monday. City is already a +187 favorite to win next year's Premier League title. Rival Arsenal, meanwhile, is a -200 favorite to beat Hull City in Saturday's FA Cup final.

Kevin Harvick . Harvick's Chevrolet was almost undoubtedly the best car on the track last weekend in Kansas City, but it ran out of gas on the final pit stop and lost too much time to eventual winner Jeff Gordon. Harvick at least, however, made one last push and challenged Gordon on the final lap before finishing runner-up. Of course, Harvick already has plenty of results in his back pocket to help him get over this one. The No. 4 has two wins, is in second in the Sprint Cup standings, and is a lock to make the chase. Harvick and Jimmie Johnson are +400 co-favorites to win the Sprint Cup.

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