After being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, quarterback Ty Simpson downplayed his pre-draft interaction with the team, calling it “really brief.”

The ex-Alabama signal-caller admitted Monday that the communication was far more extensive, as he had a private meeting with Rams coach Sean McVay.

The Rams already have Matthew Stafford, 38, as their starting QB, but they chose Simpson for a long-term view.

Simpson said Monday on ESPN Radio’s “Amber & Ian” of his pre-draft communication with McVay, “We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could. It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn’t want people to know that they were interested.

“So, I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay, and I just was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody.”

The discussion lasted “hours and hours,” according to Simpson, “and it was just football. It was just straight football. And it was like a kid in a candy store. Me and him are sitting there, and we’re just going back and forth. You can tell the obsession he has for the game, and you can tell the love he has for quarterback play.

“It’s something that I appreciate, and it’s something that I enjoy because I really enjoy playing the position and value the position. So, being with him and then getting to know him and then just seeing a little bit of how I would get coached if I was fortunate enough to go there was something that I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”

McVay was viewed by some analysts as portraying a negative vibe in interviews after the Rams chose Simpson with the No. 13 overall selection. He said, “Let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team.”

The next day, though he said he “couldn’t be more excited about being able to add (Simpson).”

On Saturday, McVay added about the team’s quarterback situation, “Whenever that time comes for (Simpson) to get an opportunity to be Matthew’s successor will be on Matthew’s terms.”

Simpson said Thursday of the pairing with Stafford, “It’s something that I cherish, being in the same room as a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a guy who is so smart like (McVay). We watched his film all the time when I was at ‘Bama, all the stuff they did. … So the fact that I get to be in a room and soak up all that knowledge, I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

–Field Level Media

The Denver Nuggets will be looking to avoid elimination in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves without key contributor Aaron Gordon due to his injured calf.

The team ruled Gordon out Monday evening ahead of the game in Denver. Minnesota leads the first-round NBA playoff series three games to one, following Saturday’s 112-96 win. In that game, Gordon played but was visibly limited in his movement. He finished 4-of-11 shooting from the field, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range in scoring 9 points.

The 12-year veteran sustained the injury in Game 2 of the series and did not play in Game 3.

Gordon had season averages of 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Neither team will be at full strength Monday, as the Timberwolves will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 as well as All-Star Anthony Edwards, who sustained a hyperextended knee and bone bruise in that same contest.

Edwards will be week-to-week should Minnesota advance.

–Field Level Media

Desmond Bane scored 22 points and made one of his five 3-pointers with 1:16 left as the Orlando Magic beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 94-88 on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Detroit tied the game at 85-all with 5:24 remaining on Ausar Thompson’s layup before Bane’s 3-pointer capped a 7-1 run and put the Magic ahead 92-86.

Thompson missed two free throws with 28 seconds left and Detroit’s Caris LeVert was off target on a 3-point attempt before Jalen Suggs sealed the victory with two foul shots.

The top-seeded Pistons were held without a field goal in the final five minutes before Isaiah Stewart scored at the buzzer.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Wednesday in Detroit.

Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 19 points before exiting late in the third period due to right calf soreness. Paolo Banchero scored 18 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The eighth-seeded Magic forced 20 turnovers and improved to 6-1 in their past seven home playoff games.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers. Tobias Harris scored 20 points, and Jalen Duren contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.

Orlando jumped to a 17-7 lead before Detroit closed the opening period on a 20-9 run to go up by one.

After Cunningham’s layup put the Pistons ahead 40-30 with 7:14 left in the second quarter, Orlando battled back to take a 54-52 lead into halftime.

Wagner had 17 points in the first half to lead all scorers. Cunningham put up 16 for Detroit before the break.

Bane closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Orlando a 75-69 lead.

Jamal Cain ignited the home crowd with a thunderous one-handed dunk over Duren to put the Magic ahead 80-76 with 8:34 left.

Cain provided a spark for Orlando after Wagner left the game and finished with eight points and nine rebounds in nearly 24 minutes off the bench.

–Field Level Media