Playoffs, WNBA, Derby on May sports calendar
The playoffs continue in the NBA and NHL, the regular season begins for the WNBA, and horse racing’s big events start hitting the track. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the May sports calendar.
NBA Postseason (May 1-31)
The first round of the NBA playoffs wrap up in early May, and if any of the eight opening series require a Game 7 those will be played on Saturday, May 4 or Sunday, May 5. The NBA’s second round then gets underway the following week as the league winds its way to the NBA Finals in June.
NHL Postseason (May 1-31)
The first round of the NHL playoffs match the first round of the NBA playoffs, with the first round coming to an end in early May and Game 7s set for Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 as required. The league’s second-round series start the following week, with the Stanley Cup final set for June.
MLB Regular Season (May 1-31)
Major League Baseball’s regular season hits its stride in May with another full-month’s slate of action, with the first Sunday Night Baseball matchup of the month seeing the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the San Francisco Giants on May 5. The Mets host the Braves the following Sunday night.
Kentucky Derby (May 4)
The first jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby, with the 2024 edition of the race – the 150th overall – set for Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs. Mage won the Kentucky Derby last year in a time of 2:01.57. Rich Strike was the 2022 Kentucky Derby champion in a time of 2:02.61.
UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg (May 4)
The numbered UFC event for the month of May is UFC 301 at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The headline fight is a matchup between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg for the flyweight championship. Jonathan Martinez is set to take on Jose Aldo in a bantamweight bout on the card.
WNBA Regular Season (May 14-31)
The WNBA regular season gets underway on Tuesday, May 14 with a four-game slate, including Caitlin Clark making her debut for the Indiana Fever as they play at the Connecticut Sun. The other games on tap May 14 are New York at Washington, Phoenix at Las Vegas, and Minnesota at Seattle.
PGA Championship (May 16-19)
The PGA Tour stages its second major tournament of the season from May 16-19 as the PGA Championship takes place at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Brooks Koepka is the defending champion, beating Scottie Sheffler by two strokes to win the tournament last year.
Preakness Stakes (May 18)
The second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, comes two weeks after the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 18 at Pimlico Race Course. National Treasure was the winner of the Preakness Stakes last year in a time of 1:55.12. Early Voting was the 2022 champion at 1:54.54.
Indianapolis 500 (May 26)
It will be the 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26 as the drivers of IndyCar hit the track for the famous 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Josef Newgarden won the Indy 500 last year, with Marcus Ericsson (2022) and Helio Castroneves (2021) the two previous winners.
Coca-Cola 600 (May 26)
May 26 is a big day for racing fans as the Indy 500, F1’s Monaco Grand Prix, and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 all take place – with the 400-lap Coca-Cola 600 being contested starting at 6pm ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ryan Blaney won this race in 2023. Denny Hamlin was the 2022 champ.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
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