The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are getting ready for Game 5 of their playoff series, with the winner facing the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. The Heat are up three games to one, but the Celtics are favored by two and a half points. Will Jayson Tatum step up to keep the Celtics alive to get to Game 7, or do his disappearing act? If Miami wins the series, Jimmy Butler says the six-day breather until the Finals is a good time for the team to relax and have fun. Is that the secret to their success, following the beat of their own drummer? Does the nine-day wait put Denver at a disadvantage, or will it ensure that the Nuggets are fresh and ready to meet whoever is left standing?

Now that the Lakers are out of the picture for the finals, will LeBron James stay next season? Did the team finally come together by the end of the season, and could they be a force to be reckoned with if he stays? Is he looking to bring Kyrie Irving over to the Lakers? Could he leave and try his luck elsewhere, or will he decide to retire after all of his injuries?

With a third of the baseball season already over, what is the outlook for the Dodgers? They’ve only had 31 wins so far, fewer than at this same time last year. Is the Dodger pitching staff still having difficulty adjusting to the new pitch clock, especially the relievers? Does the focus on analytics get in the way of the fine art of pitching? Can Noah Syndergaard live up to his $13M paycheck and overcome his recent struggles on the mound to contribute to some wins, or is he done for the season?

Email Fred, Art, and Mark (and Laura) with questions and comments at sportsfred@aol.com