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Nike Pays Tribute To New York City With A Glowing SB Dunk

The weather is heating up and these days we’re spending more time outside and with each other, which means summer streetball season is about to explode in full force. No city goes HAM on the courts like NYC so it’s fitting that Nike chose the Big Apple as the source of inspiration for what is becoming one of the most hyped Dunks of the summer season.

Also, these babies sort of glow in the dark and that’s always a win.

Dubbed NY vs. NY (after the New York summer streetball league), this Nike Dunk Low colorway features a leather upper in Sage Green, with white tumbled leather paneling, and orange accents on the swoosh and tongue tag, and sits atop an icy translucent midsole that lists some scheduled tournament dates at famous New York street parks. Other details include the “NY vs NY” branding on the lateral heel, which glows along with the sneaker’s seams when exposed to black light.

You’re never going to find black light on the street courts, which means aside from a basketball sneaker, this design doubles as a dope nightclub or bar pair. When has a sneaker ever been able to do both? That’s the power of the SB Dunk.

As of right now, a firm release date has not been set but the Nike Dunk Low NY vs. NY is scheduled for a summer drop at a retail price of $100. To see the NY vs. NY at every angle, head to YankeeKicks for a more in-depth look.

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John Boyega Praises ‘The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’ For How It Treated Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson

After publicly calling out Lucasfilm for failing its POC Star Wars character, John Boyega has been an advocate for better representation on screen that goes beyond the standard practice of just putting diverse characters on the posters then failing to give them meaningful moments. So it’s notable that Boyega felt the need to express his admiration for the great job Marvel did elevating Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

In a new interview, Boyega dives into how the problem with representation is that “the characters are only as good as the moments that you give them.” In his experience with Star Wars, those moments were repeatedly missing, so he was happy to see Disney get things right with Falcon. Via NPR:

When we talk about, you know, Captain America and him kind of facing off Thanos and his army, when you talk about these moments that are given to characters, it’s only because these moments are written by somebody. These moments are put in there on purpose to elevate characters.

We’ve got people now watching “Falcon And The Winter Soldier,” and a lot of people have been commenting about the elevation of Falcon’s character – right? – in the series and how they’ve really done well with bringing him up, which I also agree as well. You know, and we can see there is – that’s because you give characters these special moments, you know.

As Boyega told British GQ back in September 2020, Star Wars characters like Finn and Rose were short-changed while all of the “nuance” went to the white leads. “[You] knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver, you knew what to do with these other people,” Boyega said. “But when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f*ck all.”

(Via NPR)

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‘Of The Night’ Is Teaming With Actress Kimmy Shields To Deliver Party Packages In Support Of An LGBTQ+ Non Profit

As we head into summer and more and more Americans become fully vaccinated, it’s looking like we’re about to hit the first post-Covid party season. While it’ll be fun to go out to bars, clubs, and concerts again, we’re also pretty psyched to throw our own epic house parties. Think about all those skills you picked up during quarantine — you can make your own edibles now, maybe you started your own garage-based microbrewery, not to mention the fact that you’ve been working on those DJ moves for months (something you keep mentioning, we get it already George! Just play the hits!).

We have all the tools we need to bring everything the club has to offer into our living rooms, right? Maybe not.

If you didn’t pick up any new skills, you can turn to Of The Night, from the founders of the famed Disco Dining Club. Of the Night started during quarantine and went national early this month — setting up thematic party packages that are mailed to your home. Better still, they funnel some of that your cash to philanthropic organizations. That’s a win-win which certainly helps to ease the pain of not being able to throw your own party.

This spring season, Of The Night has teamed up with Kimmy Shields (of Big Little Lies, and Insatiable fame) to help deliver party packages in support of wayOUT, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower LGBTQ+ youth to be who they are, without hesitation.

When friends Courtney Nichols and Blakeshine started the themed party package service in July of last year, the former event producers — accustomed to throwing and attending big parties pre-pandemic — were just looking for a way to kill their extreme boredom while addressing the existential crisis they were having as a result of being unemployed and in isolation.

“Of the Night was born of necessity,” says Nichols. “We started delivering packaged parties to our friends in Los Angeles out of a desperate need to stay entertained and connected. Soon we were getting requests from friends of friends and it snowballed from there.”

Josh Schaedel

In less than a year, Nichols and Blakeshine have delivered 300 party packages and aligned themselves with a number of different philanthropic organizations, donating $5,000 to progressive non-profits so far, with no intention to stop. Now, with the nationwide expansion, Of The Night is shifting to a subscription model, and wants to supply you with all your themed-house party needs on a monthly basis — a good way to make up for a year of lost time.

Of The Night

According to Nichols, would-be-partiers can expect a curated set of food, drinks, decor, costumes, actives, and music all centered around specific themes that celebrate the parties of the past, present, and future. Upcoming themes include May’s cottagecore-themed “Crazy Cat Lady” and “Strawberry Social,” a package that seeks to embody drag classic Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar for this year’s Pride.

“Now that we are seeing the light at the end of the ‘pandemic tunnel,’ there will obviously be a rush to get out of the house,” says Nichols, “We can’t wait to get out to our fave bars and restaurants, but we also feel that at-home entertaining will always be something that people want and need… and Of The Night is here to take it to the next level.”

The fact that donating to nonprofits is a key component of the project core elevates it from a fun idea to something truly noteworthy.

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Travis Scott And Kylie Jenner Are Reportedly Back Together — And In An Open Relationship

TMZ reports that after a year off from their relationship, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have apparently gotten back together, with one big change in their relationship status. According to TMZ’s sources, the couple is dating again but not exclusively. This is apparently a result of Travis wanting to keep the core of their family — the two have been co-parenting their daughter Stormi since the breakup, but Travis wants to offer her a “strong family unit.”

The duo originally declared they were “taking a break” back in 2019 after a little over two years of dating, beginning in spring of 2017. Kylie addressed the breakup shortly after the news broke, saying that “Travis and I are on great terms and our main focus right now is Stormi! Our friendship and our daughter is priority.”

That seemed to be the case for the past year as the former couple was able to successfully co-parent despite the split, even hosting a holiday toy drive in Houston together. All the time they’ve spent together must have rekindled their old flame; TMZ noted that the couple has been spending a lot more time together of late without their daughter as the focus, such as a triple date with Kyle’s sister Kendall, Kendall’s NBA beau Devin Booker, and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Per TMZ, it looks like they’ll be spending a lot more time together in the future — just not exclusively.

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Bruno Mars Reacts To Making History As The First And Only Artist With Five Diamond Songs

It could be easily argued that Bruno Mars was the biggest pop star of the 2010s. His massively popular singles can be heard just about everywhere and he has carried that momentum over to the current decade, as his Anderson .Paak collaboration (as Silk Sonic) “Leave The Door Open” just returned to the top of the charts this week. Now, Mars has made history: The Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) has announced that Mars is now the first and only artist with five Diamond-certified singles.

To achieve Diamond certification, a song has to sell at least 10 million units. Today, two Mars classics, “That’s What I Like” and “When I Was Your Man,” reached Diamond status, giving him five total Diamond songs. His other three are “Just The Way You Are,” “Grenade,” and Mark Ronson’s Mars-featuring “Uptown Funk.”

Mars responded to the news by addressing his fans, writing on Twitter, “Love you Hooligans. Thanks for rockin with me throughout this incredible journey. We’ve only just begun.”

Mitch Glazier — Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association Of America — also offered a statement, in which he notes that nearly 10 percent of all Diamond-certified singles now belong to Mars. He said, “Congratulations to Bruno Mars — the first artist with five Diamond Single Awards in the history of RIAA’s Gold and Platinum Program! This milestone is a testament to Bruno’s unstoppable creative genius and the incredible partnership he has built with the team at Atlantic Records. What Bruno has accomplished is just extraordinary. Fewer than 60 Diamond Single Awards have ever been awarded — and Bruno now has five of them!”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Ziwe And Patti Harrison’s ‘Stop Being Poor’ Music Video Is An Income Inequality Anthem

If you spend enough time on the internet (five minutes), you have likely seen the photo of Paris Hilton wearing a tank-top that reads “STOP BEING POOR.” The picture was taken in 2005, at the height of her famous-for-being-famous fame, but as the “Stars Are Blind” singer recently revealed, the shirt was Photoshopped. It actually reads “STOP BEING DESPERATE,” but Ziwe still believes in the power of “STOP BEING POOR.”

Ahead of a new episode of her eponymous variety series on Showtime, comedian Ziwe dropped the music video for the income inequality anthem, “Stop Being Poor,” with help from I Think You Should Leave legend and Together Together star Patti Harrison.

A sample verse: “If you are a poor person then just go out and find a job / If you can’t secure a job, then go to college, don’t be a blob / If you can’t afford the tuition then try to get employed again / And if you still can’t get a job, go work for your rich uncle then.”

Ziwe told Rolling Stone that “Stop Being Poor” is the “song of the summer. I co-wrote this satirical anthem with the writer Jordan Mendoza after watching millions of Americans struggle to pay their bills during the Covid shutdown at a time when stimulus checks were few and far between.” She also called Patti Harrison “Baddie Harrison,” which is a solid nickname. You can watch it above — and watch Ziwe on Showtime on Sundays.

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Netflix Is Reportedly Hiring An Executive To Oversee A Push To Go Big On Video Games

At this point, the question isn’t if Netflix recognizes the potential of video games, but how far it’s willing to invest in them — and it looks like the studio might be investing a lot in a pretty major way. According to reports, Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee the streaming service expansion into game development. Whether that means Netflix is creating its own studio, offering a platform for third-party titles, or packaging streaming bundles (similar to Xbox’s Game Pass or Apple Arcade) is yet to be determined.

What is clear though, is that Netflix has always seen games as a major money-maker. The streaming service has seemingly gone all in on game-based television series and movies after seeing massive success with shows such as The Witcher and Castlevania. As of right now, at least six new, original series — all based on popular games like Assassin’s Creed and Cyberpunk 2077 — are in the works over at Netflix.

Another thing we know is Netflix has historically seen game developers as competition. Back in 2019, Netflix told its investors the studio “compete[s] with (and lose[s] to) ‘Fortnite’ more than HBO.” While Netflix later expressed little interest in being a part of the game industry, a lot has changed since 2019. While many industries took massive hits in 2020 due to COVID-19, the games industry raked in more than sports and movies combined. However, this does not mean games are a surefire, stress-free money-grab. Netflix wouldn’t be the first big name to venture into game development, and wouldn’t be the first to lose big if things should fail.

While we still aren’t fully clued in on what is happening over at Netflix, let’s just cross our fingers and hope it’s not another battle royale or console.

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Talking ‘Whitecaps,’ The Season 4 Finale Of The Sopranos On Pod Yourself A Gun, With David Roth


Click to download here.

On the newest edition of Pod Yourself A Gun, David J. Roth from Defector Media and The Distraction podcast joins Matt and Vince to talk about The Sopranos season four episode thirteen, “Whitecaps.”
The season four finale is widely regarded as one of the series’ best, and will ask you, if you can, to imagine where you are on the pecking order.

A call from Irina leaves Carmela feeling low, and tears the Sopranos family away from each other and from the beach house from which the episode gets its title. Even with Tony’s breathing sounding, as David points out, like a pug on a hot day, the episode has Edie Falco and James Gandolfini turning in two of the finest performances ever seen on television. They both won Emmys for this.

If there were awards for great single-serving Sopranos jerkass characters, I would definitely give one to the episode’s other star, Alan Sapinsly, or as he calls himself, “A.S.” He owns the house Tony wants to buy and boy does he want you to know he’s a lawyer and that he knows what “tort” means. What a perfect Sundance swag hat-wearing a*hole.

We’re taking a short break in between seasons, so tell us how much you miss us in a five star review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun on Apple Podcasts
Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030
Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast to get more bonus content than you could ever want, AND if you sign up for the Pod Yourself a Shoutout tier, you can bask in the glory of hearing your name on the podcast like this week’s newest members: The Matrix and Fat Bobby

-Description by Brent Flyberg

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Here’s Who Our Big Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey Blind Taste Test

Barrel proof bourbons can be really hit and miss. Simply put, more ABVs do not always mean “better.” Sure, you’re getting more alcohol for your dollar. But if that alcohol blows out the taste of the bourbon in the bottle, what are you actually getting (besides drunk faster)?

This week, I decided to blind taste test some classic barrel proof bourbons to see which stood out. I picked eight bottles and tasters that I had on hand, with one thing in mind: flavor. But as all Uproxx blind taste tests reveal, we all have unique palates and that means unique results. Speaking personally, I’m not a huge fan of overly high ABVs. Usually, 40 to 50 percent alcohol is fine for me. I do love plenty of whiskeys that inch into the high 50s percentages. But when things get into the 60 percent territory, it gets a little squirrely.

Absinthe is 65 percent ABV. That’s a lot and gets you very drunk very fast which isn’t really the point of high-end bourbon.

Going into this, I feel like the lower barrel proofs are going to win the day but… we’ll see. I’ve also thrown in a “high proof” bourbon from Pinhook as a ringer, to see if adding water to bourbon (even a tiny bit) stands out that much. I specifically chose Pinhook’s Bohemia Bourbon High Proof because, even though it’s cut with water, it’s still a little higher proof than some of the barrel proof bourbons I’m tasting — meaning it’s got a great shot at confusing the hell out of me.

Okay, let’s get into it!

Part 1: The Taste

Zach Johnston

Taste 1:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

Bah! This is bold. There’s a rush of holiday spice that’s warm — but not hot — that leads towards a mellow vanilla ice cream. The taste is cherry tobacco with a hint of BBQ smoke and a touch of worn leather. It’s slightly woody but not in a distinct way.

It leaves you with a serious and long buzz that heats up your senses and really sticks with you.

Taste 2:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this dances between notes of apple tobacco, stewed pears, cacao beans, and soft leather. The taste mingles between dried mint, freshly peeled squash, hints of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, and dried furniture reeds. There’s a dark chocolate and herbal edge with an old woody leather feel that ends on a dried almond nuttiness.

Taste 3:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a lemon curd vibe with a buttered bread — nearly croissant — feel next to a mild dose of spiced fruits. The taste is toffee sweet but is countered by a powdered dark chocolate bitterness and marzipan smoothness. The sip ends fairly thin and fades quickly.

This might be the Pinhook. It just doesn’t have the staying power of the last two. Very nice though.

Taste 4:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

This has this matrix of dark berries next to cedar boxes full of orange-scented tobacco and soft tanned leather. The palate dips ripe raspberries into creamy dark chocolate while butter toffee mixes with bitter coffee and a hint of that soft cedar-infused tobacco.

Taste 5:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

There’s a vanilla and floral honey vibe on the nose with a touch of almost burnt toffee. Espresso beans mix with a dab of smoky bacon fat that leads towards a slightly bitter black peppercorn. It’s very subtle and nuanced between the bitter, spicy, and sweet.

Taste 6:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

This takes you back to eating vanilla cookies dipped in spicy cider while the smell of an old leather pouch full of rich tobacco floats by. There’s this choco-orange vibe that leads towards light mint ice cream all wrapped in a subtle cedar home. There’s also a late touch of dry straw that dries out this very silky sip.

Taste 7:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

This almost has a pumpkin pie feel to it but without the crust. The spice goes full Red Hots but is tempered by soft vanilla cream and a drizzling of fresh maple syrup. The end amps up the warm tobacco buzz but keeps it tethered to a semi-sweet and fruity vibe.

Taste 8:

Zach Johnston

Tasting Notes:

Woah… There’s soft bourbon vanilla that leads towards almond-encrusted toffees inside a pine box with a dark chocolate bonbon hidden somewhere inside all that nutty toffee. The sip leans into a cherry and dark chocolate bespeckled ice cream with a solid vanilla bean base and a dusting of crushed-up walnuts and maybe even peanut. The end is slightly dry and leans more towards cedar and straw with spicy cherry tobacco buzz.

Actual note I wrote in my book: This is really f*cking nice.

Part 2: The Ranking

Zach Johnston

8. 2020 Antique Collection George T. Stagg — Taste 1

Sazerac Company

ABV: 65.2%

Average Price: $550

The Whiskey:

We started off with one of the biggest whiskeys of the line-up. This juice is distilled from Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and a touch of malted barley from North Dakota. The whiskey then spent 15 years and four months in oak in three different warehouses on three different floors at Buffalo Trace’s old campus. Over that time, 59 percent of the whiskey is lost to the angels.

Bottom Line:

This was just a bit much. I had to eat some celery to reset my palate after this. There were some very nice bourbon notes but they were hard to find under all that heat. It needed water or a rock to let it cool down and bloom.

In the end, this is the bottle I’d go back to the least out of this group.

7. Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon High Proof — Taste 3

Pinhook

ABV: 57.25%

Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

Pinhook’s contract distilled bourbon is all about refinement. The expression is made from 100 barrels that are matured for 34 months before being small-batched by Pinhook’s Master Taster Sean Josephs. The juice is barely touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water to take the edge off.

Bottom Line:

This was, again, very nice. But it was also kind of thin. It felt more like a really solid cocktail bourbon than a sipping one.

And, hey! I got it right. There just wasn’t the oomph in this dram to meet the energy of the other bottles (looking back, that was kind of a good thing).

6. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A121 — Taste 7

Heaven Hill

ABV: 57.4%

Average Price: $72

The Whiskey:

This is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after wheated bourbons on the market. The mash amps up the wheat with 68 percent corn supported by 20 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley. The juice then spends six to eight years maturing in Heaven Hill’s vast warehouses. It’s then small-batch blended and bottled with zero fussing at barrel proof.

Bottom Line:

I dig this. But there’s just something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Every time I taste this, it’s either too candy hot or too savory. I like both of those notes in whiskey. But they kind of butt heads here.

I am going to try this in some cocktails to check my palate one more time.

5. Redemption Aged 10 Years Barrel Proof Bourbon — Taste 5

Redemption Bourbon

ABV: 57.2%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

Redemption has a knack for sourcing some of the best barrels from MGP Indiana. This multi-award-winning bourbon is a marriage of minimum of ten-year-old barrels that come together to make a highly sippable bourbon experience.

Bottom Line:

This was subtle and nice. In fact, I’ve dipped into this one quite a bit over the months. That being said, it didn’t quite hit the heights I thought it would against this line-up. Which is fine — it still tasted pretty damn great.

4. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A121 — Taste 4

Heaven Hill

ABV: 61.8%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

This Heaven Hill expression is released three times a year (generally) and has been winning award after award. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever. This expression is all about finding the best barrels in the Heaven Hill warehouses and letting that whiskey shine on its own.

Bottom Line:

I honestly thought this would rank a little lower. It’s a bold ABV and whiskey. But that fruit note really takes it to another level.

This dram also brings us squarely into splitting hairs territory. From here on out, everything is sort of a push.

3. Barrell Bourbon Batch# 024 — Taste 2

Barrell Spirits Company

ABV: 56.95%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This much-loved expression from Barrell marries bourbon from Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. The juice is pulled from nine to 15-year-old barrels. Those whiskeys are vatted and then go into the bottle with no cutting or fussing.

Bottom Line:

This was nuanced, subtle, and unique in all the best ways. It stood out from the pack while still being engaging and very easy to drink.

2. Wild Turkey Rare Breed — Taste 6

Campari Group

ABV: 58.4%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This is the mountaintop of what Wild Turkey can achieve. This is a blend of the best barrels that are married and bottled untouched. That means no filtering and no cutting with water. This is a classic bourbon with nowhere to hide.

Bottom Line:

I would have put serious money on me picking this as the number one seed. I love this expression and highlight it often. Even in this ranking, I have nothing bad to say. This was so well-rounded, had beautiful bourbon notes, and felt classic while also being a dream to sip.

1. 2020 Antique Collection William Larue Weller — Taste 8

Sazerac Company

ABV: 67.25%

Average Price: $800

The Whiskey:

This wheated whiskey from 2008 eschews the more common rye and adds in North Dakota wheat. The juice is then barreled and stored in two warehouses where 73 percent of the whiskey is lost to the air in those Buffalo Trace warehouses. The juice is then bottled untouched and unfiltered.

Bottom Line:

I’m honestly a little shocked that I picked the bourbon with the highest ABVs. It really didn’t feel like this is 134.5 proof. That’s more than freakin’ absinthe, folks.

All of that aside, this really is just a fine dram of whiskey. It’s classically bourbon while feeling refined and elevated. But it’s also accessible and almost … nostalgia inducing. It’s just delicious and makes it abundantly clear why Weller is so damned beloved (and expensive).

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Zach Johnston

Again, I kind of can’t believe the highest ABV won the day. Still, that Weller would be my everyday dram if I could get my hand on a bottle at MSRP and not the ludicrous markup at retail. Oh, how I wish…

Overall, this was less varied than I thought it’d be. There was a lot of deep and dark cedar, toffee, choco-coffee bitterness, and spicy fruit. I think that helped the Pinhook really stand out, even though it was barely touched by water. Still, that drop of water in the bottle was undeniable.

Now, I need to give my palate a rest. It’s still buzzing from all those ABVs. Time for more celery.


As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

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These Five Questions Could Determine If The Grizzlies Or Warriors Make The Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies will face off in San Francisco on Friday night with the winner getting the No. 8 seed out West and a first round matchup with the Jazz. To get here, Memphis took down the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday at home, while the Warriors lost to the Lakers in a thriller later that night in Los Angeles.

Now, the two teams face off in a win-or-go-home tilt that looks — on paper, at least — more compelling than the Wizards-Pacers 8-seed battle in the Eastern Conference. To preview the game, our own Sharon Brown and Chris Manning looked at five questions that could decide who ends up taking on Utah.

Given the pieces that the Warriors are missing and the fact that most didn’t expect the Grizzlies to be where they are at this point, which team getting the No. 8 seed is a better story?

Sharon Brown: Both are great stories but I will go with Memphis. They were expected to be at the bottom of the West and have exceeded expectations for the second straight year with a very young team.

It’s the first winning season the team’s had since 2017. They’re in the second year of a rebuild and have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. It’s a true Hollywood story. Win or lose, this season will be a success for the Grizzlies.

Chris Manning: It might be a hot take but I think it’s the Grizzlies. A Ja Morant-led team beating the Warriors would be a very cool arrival on the scene. It probably leads to them getting obliterated in the first round by the Jazz, but who cares? It gets them a step beyond where they got last year while Morant would pick up the biggest win of his career. That’s a cool story.

What should Memphis do to at least try to slow down Stephen Curry?

Brown: Pray. In all seriousness, Dillon Brooks did a good job of limiting him on Sunday, but once Brooks fouled out, it was all over. The Grizzlies should take a page out of the Lakers’ playbook by double teaming Curry and hoping they can force him into some turnovers. Also, run him off the three-point line and put the onus on the others to defeat them.

Manning: The thing with Curry is that you cannot defend him at all. It’s impossible. I think the move is to have guys — Dillon Brooks, De’Anthony Melton, Desmond Bane, whomever else — draped on him as much as possible while also throwing different looks at him during the game. Mixing in blitzes, try trapping, pull a Nick Nurse and go to a box-and-one if you need to. Curry might drop 50 regardless, but the Grizzlies have to try whatever they can.

Which bench will make a bigger difference?

SB: Simply put, Memphis cannot and will not win this game if there’s not a good performance from its bench. In the regular season, the Grizzlies’ bench was top-10 in the league in scoring among second units. However, at this point, there seems like there are no defined roles in regards to the bench outside of rookie Desmond Bane. In an elimination game, the second unit must step up.

CM: It has to be the Warriors. They have an actual bench whereas the Grizzlies lack a real punch off of theirs. It would not shock me, for instance, if someone like Jordan Poole had a 20-point game and that was the difference in a close game. Memphis has bench pieces I like, but not a scoring punch a la the Warriors.

Given Ja Morant had a poor performance (at least by his standards) during Sunday’s season final against the Warriors, will he bounce back on Wednesday?

SB: Morant must be aggressive from the start and have a better outing against the Warriors. The team can’t afford to wait for him to get going. Memphis needs a breakout performance like last season’s play-in game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

CM: I say yes. There’s nothing in Morant’s track record to me that indicates he’s not up for games like this. It’ll also help that, unlike having to go against Dejounte Murray in the play-in, he’ll be guarded by Curry and other less physically imposing guards. After defeating the Spurs on Wednesday, Morant said the team planned to pack for a three-game road trip. Those are bold words, will he be able to back it up?

Who will be the x-factor for each team?

SB: Andrew Wiggins already dropped 40 on Memphis in March and then had 21 points in the season finale. He seems to love to play against this team. If the Grizzlies can slow down Curry at all, Wiggins must provide a scoring punch for the Warriors to make the playoffs.

For Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. is about due for a gigantic game. He is very much capable of doing that. On Wednesday against the Spurs, he started off great but only took six shots in 30 mins of play. Jackson needs more touches and has to be aggressive on both ends of the floor. Taylor Jenkins and company need to get him involved more offensively, because he’ll take advantage of the chances he gets.

CM: It’s obvious, but for the Warriors, it’s Draymond Green. If he dominates on defense, and has success against bigger Memphis lineups, it’ll be a big key in the Warriors favor. It probably means, frankly, that Golden State wins here if Green wins minutes he’s playing at the five.

For Memphis: The answer is De’Anthony Melton. He’s having a really interesting year and he’s probably the best option to defend Curry all over the floor after Dillon Brooks. I want to at least see him try it. Keep an eye on Desmond Bane, too. He was on the floor late against the Spurs and had a key putback late to help win that game.