Cavaliers one win away from East finals; PGA Championship begins

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏀 Five things to know Thursday

1. The Cavaliers picked up their first road win in a Game 5 overtime battle with the Pistons, and are a win away from facing the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, but the Pistons were deprived of a chance to win the game at the free-throw line with mere seconds remaining.
2. Max Fried exits start just as the Yankees’ rotation starts to get healthy. Fried said that he’s “not too worried” about the situation after exiting Wednesday’s game against the Orioles, but it’s certainly concerning for the Yankees to see continued injuries to their pitchers.
3. The ball for a 24-team CFP expansion is now firmly in the SEC’s court. The ACC joined with the Big 12 and Big Ten in pushing for a 24-team College Football Playoff. With those three conferences aligned, the ball is now in the SEC’s court to push the expansion over the finish line.
4. Ohio State sits atop the CBS Sports 138. After spring football practice, CBS Sports set our latest rankings of every team in college football. In these rankings, Ohio State slightly edged out Texas for the No. 1 spot.
5. Nebraska lands $5 million NIL deal with Matt Rhule. The Nebraska coach secured a NIL landmark deal with the school. The deal allows the university’s athletic department to profit from his “House Rhules” podcast and any apparel-related merchandise featuring his likeness.

⛳ Do not miss: It’s Day 1 of the PGA Championship

The PGA Championship kicks off today at noon, and CBS Sports has you covered with every angle you need to know before the start of the tournament. Rory McIlroy is well-positioned to go on a run after successfully defending the green jacket at the Masters. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is looking to end his bittersweet runner-up streak and charge to another championship.

Patrick McDonald took a look at the nine players most well-positioned to take down the PGA Championship, and it’s Scheffler who sits in the top spot.

• McDonald: “Don’t overthink this. The world No. 1 comes in with an off week under his belt following a stretch of play that produced not one, not two, but three runner-up results. The iron play is getting better every time he tees it up as he has sured up his driving following a Florida Swing that brought questions with the big stick in hand. His short game remains top of class, and a good start may be all that is required to see a second Wanamaker fall into his hands. Scheffler has broken 70 in Round 1 just two times in 2026; those starts have produced a win in Palm Springs and a playoff loss on Hilton Head Island. Odds: 4-1”

Read more:

🏈 Get ready for the full NFL schedule release

The full NFL schedule will be released today, and fans can finally start speculating on how this season will break for their teams. One thing we do know is that the 49ers are set to break an NFL record with over 38,000 miles traveled, which includes trips to Australia and Mexico City. We also know that the first NFL Thanksgiving Eve game will take place this season, with the Rams hosting the Packers on Netflix.

While some players don’t like the idea of heading overseas for games and the disruption it can cause to the typical “business-as-usual” approach favored by NFL teams, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been disappointed that his team hasn’t been selected for an international game. That changes this year, with the Bengals heading to Spain to face the Falcons. It took one year, but the NFL heard Burrow and gave him his international opportunity.

🏀 Is AJ Dybantsa-to-Washington a lock for the NBA Draft?

When Washington was handed the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the lottery gods, it seemed a foregone conclusion that AJ Dybantsa would spend his foreseeable future with the Wizards. CBS Sports basketball expert Adam Finkelstein is saying “not so fast” on that line of thought.

While it’s still likely Dybantsa ends up in Washington, chatter suggests the Jazz could pull off a trade to move up from No. 2 and grab the BYU star, keeping him in Utah. Sam Quinn took a look at what it would take for the Jazz to move up to the No. 1 spot with a trade.

• Quinn: “If Utah calls first, that signals to Washington that the Jazz want Dybantsa badly enough to make a real offer. If Washington calls first, that signals to Utah that the Wizards may not have Dybantsa No. 1 overall on their board. In that scenario, the Jazz could essentially dare the Wizards to either take a player they don’t want at No. 1 and reconvene negotiations afterward from a position of weakness, or to take the player they actually prefer, leaving Dybantsa for them at No. 2 without having to sacrifice another asset.

  “It’s an enormously high-leverage staring contest between two front offices making franchise-altering moves, but Ainge’s history suggests he’s not going to blink. Remember, when he traded down for Tatum, he left himself somewhat vulnerable. He knew Philadelphia wanted Fultz, but the Lakers sat in front of him at No. 2 and could have ruined everything by taking Tatum themselves. Now, granted, the Lakers didn’t exactly have a strong poker face when it came to their interest in Lonzo Ball, but Ainge nonetheless took a pretty significant risk when he didn’t simply select Tatum at No. 1.”

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

🎾 Italian Open quarterfinal, No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 12 Andrey Rublev (M), 7 a.m. on Tennis Channel
🎾 Italian Open semifinal, No. 3 Coco Gauff vs. No. 26 Sorana Cirstea (W), 9 a.m. on Tennis Channel
🏌 PGA Championship, noon on ESPN
🎾 Italian Open quarterfinal, Martin Landaluce vs. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev (M), 1 p.m. on Tennis Channel
🎾 Italian Open semifinal, No. 4 Iga Swiatek vs. No. 7 Elina Svitolina (W), 2:30 p.m. on Tennis Channel
🏒 Canadiens at Sabres, Game 5, 7 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Lynx at Wings, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
⚾ No. 4 Georgia at No. 5 Auburn, 8 p.m. on SEC Network
🏒 Golden Knights at Ducks, Game 5, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Liberty at Fire, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
⚾ Giants at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network