Month: June 2021

The Los Angeles Clippers will face the prospect of elimination from the 2021 NBA Playoffs on Friday evening. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers will travel to Dallas to face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in Game 6, with Los Angeles trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The road game has emerged victorious in each of the five games, with Dallas pulling off a 105-100 upset on Wednesday at Staples Center.

After an offensively charged environment in the first four games, Game 5 took on the feel of a rock fight for large portions of the contest. However, Doncic was incredible once again, scoring 17 points in the first quarter and finishing with 42 points and 14 assists in the highly entertaining victory. For the series, Doncic is averaging 35.0 points, 9.4 assists and 8.0 rebounds, acting as the unquestioned centerpiece of a top-flight offense and causing myriad problems for a normally strong Clippers defense.

On the Clippers side, Leonard has been excellent in the series, averaging 30.4 points per game, but he struggled by his lofty standards in Game 5, culminating in a tense moment with Rajon Rondo after a late miss. As such, Los Angeles will need a top-tier effort from their No. 1 option, and George must also step up with the Clippers having issues slowing Doncic and the Mavericks. Positively, the Clippers are scoring more than 1.19 points per possession in the series and, if they can replicate their level of defensive resistance from Game 5, there is a path to send the series back to Los Angeles.

From a betting standpoint, Game 5 went Under the total of 217.5 points and Dallas covered the closing point spread of 7.5 points as an underdog by winning outright.

Game 6 TV Info

Tip Time: Friday, June 4; 9:00 p.m. ET
TV Network: ESPN

Game 6 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Mavericks (-167), Clippers (+135)
Spread: Clippers -2.5 (-112), Mavericks +2.5 (-109)
Total: Over 216.5 (-112), Under 216.5 (-109)
Money Line: Clippers (-136), Mavericks (+114)

Game 6 Player Scoring Props (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Nicolas Batum O/U 8.5 Points (Over +100/Under -127)
Marcus Morris O/U 12.5 (-113/-113)
Reggie Jackson O/U 13.5 (+100/-127)
Luka Doncic O/U 29.5 (-134/+105)
Kawhi Leonard O/U 29.5 (-110/-115)
Dorian Finney-Smith O/U 8.5 (-127/+100)
Paul George O/U 24.5 (-110/-115)
Kristaps Porziņģis O/U 15.5 (-122/-105)
Tim Hardaway Jr O/U 17.5 (-108/-118)

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers saw their season come to an end in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, this time getting bounced in six games by the Denver Nuggets. That Portland led by as many as 14 in Game 6 at home before seeing the Nuggets make a massive run in the second half to take control of the game only made the end result more painful, and the mood was unsurprisingly dark afterwards in the Portland locker room.

Lillard was brutally honest in his assessment of the team when asked if changes were needed in the offseason, saying that they “obviously” weren’t good enough having come up short against a Denver team down three of their best guards. That, coupled with Jusuf Nurkic saying that he didn’t feel that the situation in Portland, as it stands now, was “right” for him, led to a less than ideal evening for the Blazers faithful who know this is going to be a stressful offseason.

Adding to that stress was Dame’s postgame Instagram post, in which he has a tunnel walk photo and a pic of him congratulating Jokic after the game with a caption of a Nipsey Hussle lyric: “How long should I stay dedicated? How long til opportunity meet preparation?”

It isn’t hard to read into this as Lillard questioning whether his fiercely loyal dedication to Portland up to this point has been reciprocated appropriately by the organization in terms of putting a winner around him. There is going to be obvious pressure on the Blazers to retool this roster to maximize Lillard in the prime of his career, or risk him becoming further disgruntled by his situation.

For those who look at this as the precursor to a trade request this offseason, that seems highly unlikely given literally everything Lillard has ever done. Instead, this feels more like some not so subtle pressure being applied to the front office to get the job done this summer to build a more competitive roster around him, which might mean making some tough decisions on players who have been in Portland for some time. There is nothing NBA players love more than a good, cryptic social media post with a song lyric to get people riled up, and Lillard has certainly succeeded here. He’s also made it just unclear enough to give himself an out if he wants by saying he was just trying to motivate himself to keep working hard to better himself and his game on the court and it has nothing to do with the team — although, few would buy that reasoning.

Shaq loves to tell a good story and sometimes good storytellers have to embellish the truth a little bit to make things more interesting. On Thursday night, the Inside the NBA crew took a trip down memory lane for a “On This Day” segment involving their analysts in the playoffs, and on June 4, 2000, Shaq caught his legendary lob from Kobe Bryant in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against Portland.

As they watched the highlight, Shaq was quiet, needing a prod from Ernie to talk about the clip and Kenny wanted to know who he was pointing at. From there, Shaq told a story that had the entire crew doubled over in laughter in total disbelief as Shaq tried convincing them he was pointing at a two-year-old Shareef, who had said “Daddy win” before the game when Shaq “didn’t know he could talk.”

Kenny calling Shaq a liar, prompting Shaq to come around the desk to shove him, with Ernie siding with Kenny saying, “I’m not sure I’m buying any of this” is sensational. The reaction to Shaq saying he didn’t know his two-year-old could talk is absolutely incredible as Ernie is barely able to keep it together and Kenny can’t stop poking holes in Shaq’s story.

What makes it even funnier is that Shareef would’ve been not quite six months old at the time as he was born in January of that year, not two years old as Shaq said, which further points to Kenny and Ernie being correct in calling BS on this story. I fully believe Shaq was pointing to his family, but I don’t think anyone’s buying the “Daddy win” portion of this one.

Jae Crowder and LeBron James do not like each other in the slightest, as they have long found themselves going up against each other in the playoffs, from Crowder’s time in Boston, Miami, and now Phoenix. Crowder is often tasked with guarding James, which often goes about as well as anyone else guarding LeBron in the playoffs, but he takes his role as LeBron Irritant very seriously.

Sometimes this goes poorly for Crowder and his teams, as his antics push James to try and dominate him which he is often capable of doing. We saw that come to life in Game 3, as James laughed as he posted and toasted Crowder as the Lakers bench looked on in glee, mocking Crowder.

But on occasion, Crowder will win a battle here and there and it delights him like nothing else. On Thursday night, Crowder finally won a war with James, as the Suns took down the Lakers in Game 6 to send the defending champs packing. As the clock ticked towards zero and the Suns were ahead by 15, Crowder unleashed his final act, trolling James and the Lakers by salsa dancing in the paint — making fun of LeBron’s recent commercial where he’s a salsa instructor — which earned him his second technical of the night and got him ejected.

Crowder was happy to accept his ejection, sprinting off the court in glee as he had finally had a team best James and got to revel in it in the only way a professional instigator can. It also helped that Crowder had his best night of the series on the court in the closeout situation, as he piled in six three-pointers for 18 points, serving as the second-highest scorer on the Suns behind Devin Booker’s outrageous 47-point effort.

The Phoenix Suns followed up their blowout win over the Lakers in Game 5 with a nearly identical first half performance in Game 6, jumping all over the Lakers from the opening tip in L.A. and holding on for a 113-100 win to close out a 4-2 series win and send the defending champs packing.

Leading the way or Phoenix was Devin Booker, who had 22 points in the first quarter to outscore the Lakers by eight points by himself, as L.A. had no answers for the Suns’ superstar and no answers for the Phoenix defense early.

Contributing to L.A.’s problems was Anthony Davis being unable to do much of anything in his five minutes of playing time before he checked out with too much pain from his groin strain to continue. That he even played at all became a hot topic of conversation given how immobile he looked on the court during his time out there. Given the stakes of the closeout game, the Lakers looked lifeless in the first half, trailing by as many as 29 and 21 going into the halftime break. Booker finished the first half with 33 points, as he hit shot after shot to put the Lakers in a massive hole, and got some big help from Jae Crowder, who hit six three-pointers on the night for 18 points as he finally came to life.

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers and LeBron James made a move in the third quarter, reeling the Suns in to trail by just 13 going into the fourth quarter as they tightened up defensively and finally got going downhill, led by James putting his head down and getting to the rim.

In the fourth quarter, they got the Suns lead down to as few as 10, but for every run the Lakers made, the Suns had an answer, whether from Booker, a timely three from one of their role players, or the steady hand of Chris Paul who had just eight points but dished out 12 assists and hit this big bucket to push the Phoenix lead back out to 17.

Booker closed things out to end the night with a new playoff career-high 47 points on 15-of-22 shooting and 8-of-10 from three (the eight threes a new career high in any game for Booker) to go along with 11 rebounds and three assists. It was an outstanding, star-confirming performance from Booker in his first closeout game experience, showing his killer instinct to jump on the listless Lakers early to bury them to a point they simply couldn’t come back from.

For the Lakers, it’s a disappointing end to a disappointing season, marred by injuries including the one that ultimately proved too costly to overcome in Davis’ groin. Still, the Suns deserve full credit for their play in the series, as many lesser teams have failed to put away LeBron James-led squads, no matter how banged up, in the past. Phoenix now advances to play Denver in what should be an exciting second round series between the presumptive MVP in Nikola Jokic and a young superstar in Devin Booker who is showing just how good he can be in the postseason.

At the beginning of 2021, all signs pointed to the new year being an exciting one for Ohio native Jasiah. The prospering act has grown thanks to pushing his limits in a number of genres and seemingly staying focused on remaining true to himself and refusing to conform at any extent. Jasiah’s latest song, “Art Of War,” finds him side by side with a pair of energetic and sharp-cutting rappers: Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty. The trio combines their high-octane energies for an absolute head-banging track, one that should be perfect for the mosh pits that are set to return at festivals later this year.

The track arrives after Jasian dropped War back in April. The 7-track effort came equipped with features from Rico Nasty, Nascar Aloe, and Pouya. However, it’s not only Jasiah that’s been busy lately. Curry reunited with Kenny Beats to drop Unlocked 1.5 earlier this year, a collaborative edition of their Unlocked project, which this time came with contributions from Arlo Parks, Benny The Butcher, Charlie Heat, Kenny Mason, Jay Versace, Sango, and more.

Rico Nasty, on the other hand, is preparing a project to release this summer, or so it seems. She recently shared an image of two prescription bottles with the caption “Rx . This summer .” Perhaps this means the DMV rapper will grace us with new tunes in the coming months.

You can rock out to the trio’s new song in the video above.

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

For the past few months, hip-hop fans have been patiently waiting for the arrival of Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s joint project, Voice Of The Heroes. It’s an effort that the duo began teasing back in February and now, nearly four months later, the album is finally in the hands of listeners. Its 18 songs are currently being enjoyed by supporters all over the world, and from the looks of it, the duo’s collaboration with Travis Scott is getting the most votes for an early favorite from the album.

The motivational track sees Durk and Baby tipping their hats to those who kept it real and stayed loyal around them. Travis takes the anchor position and closes out the track with vague anecdotes about those in his past who never did him wrong. Lil Baby also offers a brief explanation for the album’s title on the track, rapping, “Durk the voice ’cause he know just what to say / I’m the hero, I come through, save the day.”

Along with Travis, listeners can expect appearances from Meek Mill, Young Thug, and Rod Wave on the Voice Of The Heroes. The project was initially set to arrive on May 28, but Durk and Baby opted to push it back a week out of respect for DMX as his posthumous album, Exodus arrived on that day.

You can listen to “Hats Off” here.

Voice Of The Heroes is out now via Quality Control Music/Wolfpack Global Music/Motown Records/Alamo Records. Get it here.

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

A blockbuster franchise installment, a dystopian fairytale with heart, a feminist-punk-rock comedy series, and so much more. Do you want to know where you’ll find the best bang for your buck among the streaming services? There’s simply no way to easily sort out all of the endless options, so we are here to make your decision process as painless as possible. Fortunately, this week is pretty clear cut with a first and second place finish, a few services churning out other options, and a few with some holdovers until next week (get ready for Disney+ to make a strong showing when Loki arrives).

This week, the top prize goes to HBO Max for bringing us more of The Conjuring franchise in our homes, so that theatergoing isn’t mandatory to get the bejesus scared out of you, and the WarnerMedia streaming service also has followup doses of Hacks and the Friends reunion if you missed it. Netflix brings up the next slot with the Team Downey-produced Sweet Tooth and comedian Bo Burnham’s latest (and very relevant) special, along with several other options. Peacock has a girl-power show, Amazon has a new crime drama, and Hulu has the latest documentary episode from the series that caused all that Britney Spears fuss a few months ago. Here’s everything that you should consider putting in your queues this weekend.

HBO Max

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — The Devil’s simultaneously coming to a living room or theater near you for this third The Conjuring movie, as the second-highest-grossing franchise (James Wan can’t stop) roars back. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as paranormal dream-team Lorraine and Ed Warren, and this time, the story’s ripped from the headlines. As the film’s title indicates, this case revolves around a 1980s murder case, in which a defendant claimed that the Devil, you know, made him kill and other unspeakable things.

Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max feature-length special) — The whole O.G. gang is back in one place, which means that Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Ross (David Schwimmer), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) are all here. Sadly, Paul Rudd is not on the scene, but there’s a buffay (get it?) of guest stars here to reinforce why this pop-culture phenomenon remains popular to this day, and why, oftentimes, friends can become your family.

Hacks (HBO Max series premiere) — Jean Smart’s not-so-quiet domination of recent prestige TV shows (Fargo, Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, Legion) and other popular shows of late (Big Mouth, Dirty John) has finally culminated with this leading-lady turn in a role she was arguably meant to play. Hacks hails from executive producer Michael Schur and has three Broad City alums in the writers’ room, so get ready for a (Las Vegas) buffet of complex female characters. Smart portrays a legendary comedian who forges a “dark mentorship” to a 20-something newcomer in town. Don’t miss this one.

Netflix

Sweet Tooth: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Team Downey (Robert Jr. and Susan) brings us this awe-inspiring story based upon a comic-book by creator Jeff Lemire, who whipped up a post-apocalyptic fairytale about what happens when a great sickness (which is poorly dealt with by humans) ends with a miracle. In this case, this would be the appearance of “hybrids,” babies who are born half-human and half-animal, and we’ll meet a young deer-boy, Gus, (Christian Convery), who teams up with a reluctant protector, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), for a cross-country quest. The comic has been described as “Mad Max Meets Bambi,” and Will Forte also plays a pivotal role. You’re in for a real (sweet) treat if you surrender to this adventure.

Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix stand-up special) — Bo Burnham set out to do the nearly impossible: to be funny during a very unfunny time. As such, he’s offering up his general brand of existentialism but with much more rawness. We’ve all felt isolated over the past year or so, but Burnham feels it deeply, and it shows. As such, this special feels bittersweet while nailing the reality that we’ve all experienced, while mixing tragedy and comedy and everything in between. In addition, this episode was largely (and now, relatably) filmed in one room within his home, which only adds to how his audience is ready to embrace everything that Burnham is selling.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie (Netflix film) — This double-dose anime film takes place with the scattered Sailor Guardians attempting to bring light back after a total solar eclipse gives way to a dark power. All of this takes place when Tokyo’s seeing the annual cherry blossom bloom, so the visuals should be extra magical.

Breaking Boundaries: The Science Of Our Planet (Netflix film) — Sir David Attenborough apparently hasn’t narrated enough new projects over the past year, so here he is with the latest from the team who made the Our Planet series and David Attenborough – A Life On Our Planet. The film takes us through the journey to achieve humanity’s greatest scientific discovery, and how we must preserve and not exceed planetary thresholds to secure humanity’s future.

Dancing Queens (Netflix film) — This follows a 20-something young woman (with dancing aspirations) who begins cleaning a drag club called Queens. There, her talent is discovered, and as the synopsis teases, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I think we can guess where the story goes from there.

Peacock

We Are Lady Parts: Season 1 (Peacock series) — A Muslim female post-punk band called Lady Parts looks for a lead guitarist in this subversive series, which follows the ups and downs of the group as they seek a real gig. A geeky, hard-sciences Ph.D. recruit named Amina Hussain ends up being the unlikely lucky lady to pick up the ax, and she’s soon swept up into the group’s anarchic energy. Naturally, Amina’s caught between two worlds, that of her conservative friends and the irresistible lure of the band’s joyful spirit. Together, they’re fearless, rowdy, and sexual and every ultra-religious family’s nightmare. As a show, it’s silly and irreverent and inspiring; for sure, you’ve never seen women like quite this on your TV screen.

Apple TV+

Lisey’s Story (Apple TV+ limited series) — There seemingly cannot be enough Stephen King TV adaptations out there, and this project presents the story of a widow, once married to a legendary novelist, and who is rediscovering repressed memories while cleaning out his desk. Because she needs even more nightmarish curveballs thrown her way, Lisey must also fend off a stalker fan of her husband, and there are (naturally) going to be some otherworldly shenanigans afoot.

The Mosquito Coast (Apple TV+ series) — It’s season finale time for Justin Theroux in this adaptation of Paul Theroux (yes, Paul is Justin’s actual uncle) novel previously brought to life in the mid-1980s with Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and River Phoenix. The series itself doesn’t match up to the book or film’s tackling of consumerism as much as it wants to be like Breaking Bad (yet forgot the most important ingredient). Also, Justin Theroux’s character, Allie Fox, is an eccentric, overbearing, and eventually psychotic patriarch who drags his family to Mexico, so get ready for plenty of tense moments.

The Me You Can’t See (Apple TV+ series) — On the heels of *that* interview, Prince Harry and Oprah are teaming up as co-creators and executive producers of this series that will dig into stories that revolve around mental health and emotional well-being. Expect a variety of guests, including Lady Gaga, the NBA’s DeMar DeRozan and Langston Galloway, plus a popular chef, and more.

Hulu

The New York Times Presents: Who Gets To Be an Influencer? (FX documentary film series on Hulu) — Hot on the heels of the controversial Britney Spears installment, the New York Times continues bringing essential stories to the forefront. This week, the publication chronicles a pioneering mainstream Black “creator mansion,” Collab Crib, which seeks to reach social media stardom. All the while, they’re working against the grain, and they tackle their plight in a profound manner.

Plan B (Hulu film) — Oh boy, does this story ever hit home for countless ladies who find themselves driving from drug store to drugstore. That’s exactly what happens in this film, after a regrettable sexual encounter sends a high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her best friend (Victoria Moroles) on a bit of a road trip with the clock ticking to find Plan B in America’s heartland. As miserable as this potentially sounds, it’s actually a twist on the teen sex comedy, and it arrives by way of Cobra Kai and Harold & Kumar producers.

Amazon Prime

Dom: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — This crime drama hails from Brazil with subtitles, but there’s a lot of Ozark and Sons of Anarchy vibes on display to make a non-dubbed effort worth the watch. Dom revolves around a middle-class Rio de Janeiro boy, Pedro, who falls into the lucrative realm of cocaine and eventually rises toward the top (or sinks toward the bottom, depending on one’s perspective) of the criminal underworld. It’s all based on a true story of the gang-related exploits that dominated the country’s aughts tabloids, given the juicy reality of Pedro’s father working for police intelligence, and yes, one should expect the lines of morality to go grey here. Dom‘s also a high-adrenaline adventure, so don’t watch this one while hoping to relax.

Panic: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — This show’s a bit like The Purge in concept, only it revolves around a dangerous game that takes place over the course of a summer for graduating seniors in a tiny Texas town. They compete for a pot of money (while hoping to escape their tiny-town lives, of course), but the stakes are high and risky as players must confront their deepest fears. The story, which is based upon the bestselling novel by Lauren Oliver, will likely hook you, so be ready to binge.

Disney+

Cruella (Disney movie on Disney+) — Yes, Cruella de Vil is finally getting her origin story. Even if you don’t agree that she needed one, no one can argue that Emma Stone is the actress who could deliver a damn good time in this role. Granted, the film starts out slow (the runtime’s over two hours) with a protracted childhood era that doesn’t illustrate much about why she villained out and murdered puppies. Yet it does speed up, with lots of mayhem and a cackling Emma hanging off a truck in a billowing dress. Fashion can be evil! Also, the soundtrack feels like a character in its own right.

Launchpad: Season 1: Discover (Disney+ series) — This group of live-action shorts arrive from newcomer directors, often from minority backgrounds, all of whom want to spread their experiences of family and culture in uplifting ways. Each short this season revolves around the “discover theme,” and all directors worked under mentors from Disney+, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Episode 6 (Disney+ series) — You might prefer to think of this show as the Star Wars franchise’s version of D.C.’s Suicide Squad, but fear no Leto-Joker intrusion. Instead, this The Clone Wars spinoff follows the conclusion of its flagship series that recently wound down on Disney+. The show focuses on a mercenary squad of elite soldiers, who stand apart from standard clones due to their unique physical capabilities like super strength, super eyesight, and so on.

Paramount+

From Cradle To Stage (Paramount+ series) — This Dave Grohl-directed series follows Dave and his mom, Virginia, meeting up with another artist and their mom each week. This week, Dave and Virginia travel to Toronto, where they meet up with Geddy Lee, frontman of Rush, and his mother, Mary Weinrib, who survived the Holocaust.

Rugrats: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — The 2021 revival of this series brings the babies back into action mode, which means that Tommy Pickles is leading his gang on a whole new set of adventures, this time in full-on three-dimensional CGI rendering. In the debut episode, dinosaurs are on the scene while Tommy helps Chuckie after his intent to appear brave does not go as planned.

It was almost a decade ago that Tinashe started to gain the attention of the industry as an underground singer. After a string of consistent mixtapes that turned heads, she later inked a deal with RCA and released her 2015 debut album, Aquarius, which is home to her most successful single to date, “2 On.”

However, label issues would halt the singer’s growth and she would eventually leave RCA and begin her path as an independent artist. This decision led to her 2019 album, Songs For You, a project that was praised from all around. Two years later, Tinashe is ready to start the latest chapter in her independence. However, she did bring a souvenir of her time at RCA: The connections she forged with some of her former labelmates.

The singer returns with her latest single, “Pasadena.” The uplifting track also features a verse from RCA-signed Compton rapper Buddy, whom she previously worked with on “Glitch” in 2020. On their newest collaboration, both acts are in high spirits on the summer-ready bop that finds them relishing in the sunlight and warmth that the upcoming months will surely deliver to them. In a press release, Tinashe spoke about the new track.

“After the past year we have all had, I felt a very strong calling to release music that feels like joy, excitement, and freedom – to contribute positive energy to the universe,” she said. “I wrote and recorded the song ‘Pasadena’ in my home in Los Angeles with a bold, bouncing tempo that makes me want to dance. The song is about growth, family, and the feelings I get when I visit the area I grew up in — energetic and nostalgic, but hopeful.”

You can press play on the song in the video above.

Anthony Davis played the first 5:25 of Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns before he had to exit the game with the groin strain that kept him out of Game 5. Davis was clearly not moving well and in pain, and after trying to grit through it to help his team in a win or go home situation, he had to exit for the locker room where he got his leg wrapped and, eventually, the Lakers ruled him out for good.

At halftime, the Lakers trailed the Suns by 21, as Devin Booker lit them up for 33 points in the first half, but much of the conversation on the Inside the NBA halftime show was about the decision to let Davis play. Charles Barkley took issue with them letting him give it a go when he clearly wasn’t moving right, something that should’ve been noticeable in warmups as well.

“Well first of all, the doctors who let him go out like that, they need to have a serious talk with him. He looked bad from the beginning — he never even got past the top of the key except that one time. I can’t believe they let this kid warm up and go out there like that. This is ridiculous, man. Seriously.”

Later, Kenny Smith and Barkley discussed the situation further, taking issue with the notion that Davis couldn’t injure himself further by being out there.

“I agree with Chuck, he should’ve never even played,” Smith said. “If you watch a guy in the first two minutes, both Chuck and I were like ‘what’s he doing out there?’ You don’t have to be a doctor to see that he shouldn’t be out there.”

“I’m really pissed about that,” Barkley added. “And then Kenny had a point, they said ‘you can’t make it any worse.’ Yes you can. Yes you can. Any time you got something wrong with your leg you’re going to hurt another part of your body. They said the doctors cleared him to play? They’re going to need some better doctors.”

It’s a point many, including Grant Hill on the game broadcast, made but given Barkley’s jab at Davis from Game 5 where he said his nickname should be “Street Clothes” because of all the games he missed, his critique of the Lakers training staff just made people more upset with him. Many called out Barkley for being part of the reason Davis may have felt pressure to try playing without being 100 percent, including Kendrick Perkins who lit into Chuck on Twitter.

It’s a fair point to make, although Barkley’s commentary should not come into play for the Lakers training staff in clearing Davis. Barkley making light of Davis’ injury issues and then ripping the Lakers for letting him try to play does seem odd. Still, his most recent point is right and the Lakers seem to have erred in putting Davis in the lineup when he clearly wasn’t right.