5 THINGS TO KNOW

1. Stellar matchup in NBA playoffs

It’s a clash of presumptive MVP front-runners. The NBA playoffs open this weekend with the Oklahoma City Houston series featuring Russell Westbrook and James Harden going head to head. Westbrook averaged a triple-double this season; Harden wasn’t far behind.

2. Belichick calls rally ‘miracle’

Patriots coach Bill Belichick called New England’s 19-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Falcons somewhat of a miracle. On CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Thursday, Belichick was asked what the Super Bowl comeback felt like. “Close to a miracle, I mean we had one of those great catches go in our favor and we’ve seen them go another way in other games, so that was kind of a miracle,” Belichick said.

3. Dodgers to honor Robinson

Jackie Robinson is to be honored today as a statue is unveiled at Dodger Stadium on the 70th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. All major leaguers wear No. 42 today in honor of the man who broke baseball’s color barrier.

4. Dream pick Syracuse guard

The Atlanta Dream selected Syracuse guard Brittney Sykes with the No. 7 overall selection in the WNBA draft Thursday. Besides Sykes, the team selected Tennessee guard Jordan Reynolds with the No. 19 overall pick and Duke forward Oderah Chidom at No. 3. Local connection: UConn selected Ohio State’s Shayla Cooper, who played at Norcross High.

5. Grasshoppers a hit in Seattle

The Seattle Mariners’ offering of toasted grasshoppers has been a hit, ESPN reports. After surprisingly selling out for the first three games of the season, the Mariners have called in an emergency order for this weekend. The team is also imposing a per-game order limit for the rest of the season. The grasshoppers, meant as a taco topping, are toasted in a chili lime salt and come in a four-ounce cup for $4.