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NBA Power Rankings Week 14: The Thunder Are Here To Stay

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in year three of what many expected to be an extended rebuild. Sam Presti and Oklahoma City’s front office have amassed an unmatched stable of future draft picks and, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already on board via the trade that sent Paul George to Los Angeles, the Thunder had a leg up in the rebuilding process.

Still, Oklahoma City entered the 2022-23 campaign with very modest expectations, especially after word broke in late August that No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren would miss his rookie season with a foot injury. In fact, the Thunder closed with a 22.5-win over/under in the betting market, and that came on the heels after 46 combined wins in the last two seasons. Then, Oklahoma City opened the season with an 11-18 record that was well ahead of pace but also relatively anonymous in nature. In recent days, though, the Thunder have been rolling to the point where Oklahoma City has already exceeded its over/under with more than 30 games remaining.

Oklahoma City is 7-2 in the last nine games, and the two losses came by only six points combined. The Thunder have a sparkling +9.8 net rating in that sample, including the No. 1 defense in the league, and even with opponent shooting luck baked in, Oklahoma City’s fundamentals are strong. The centerpiece is Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 30.7 points per game with a 62.4 percent true shooting mark this season. He is a lock to reach the All-Star team. In addition to his counting stats, Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in drives, maintains a sterling 10.8 percent turnover rate by the standards of a lead creator, and has scored at least 21 points in 27 of the last 28 games. The Thunder are above-average (114.4 points per 100) with Gilgeous-Alexander on the court, and that feels like a small miracle given the nature of a roster still in flux.

Elsewhere, 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey is enjoying the best stretch of his young career. Giddey is averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the last 13 games, shooting 53.2 percent from the field, and he is finding a new level of consistency and partnership with Gilgeous-Alexander that is wildly encouraging. From there, Oklahoma City is legitimately frisky on defense, and not only in the recent sample. The Thunder are in the top ten of the NBA in defensive rating this season, giving up 111.7 points per 100 possessions. Playing without a dominant rim protector, Oklahoma City is vulnerable in certain areas, headlined by defensive rebounding, but the Thunder make up for that with fantastic positioning, a top-five turnover rate, and the consistency to contest shots at a high level.

On Wednesday, the Thunder will host the Atlanta Hawks with a chance to reach the .500 mark and to match the season-long win total (24) from last season. That is far from a lock, but Oklahoma City is firmly in the play-in race as of late January, and that is already a win for an organization that still has plenty of firepower to build for the future.

Where do the Thunder rank in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s assess.

1. Denver Nuggets (34-14, Last week — 3rd)

Denver ascends to the top spot despite a home loss to OKC this week but, given that the Thunder are rolling, that result isn’t so bad. The Nuggets are an outstanding 20-4 since early December, and Denver has been virtually unstoppable on the offensive end.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (30-16, Last week — 4th)

Philadelphia only played two games this week, but the Sixers went 2-0 on the road in Portland and Sacramento. The Sixers may not be the second-best team in the league, but they are a long way from the 12-12 start and now in sole possession of the No. 2 seed in the East.

3. Boston Celtics (35-14, Last week — 2nd)

Road losses happen, and the Celtics just had two in a row in the state of Florida. Would it surprise me if Boston won the next four games at home to vault back to the top? No, it certainly wouldn’t.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (30-17, Last week — 5th)

The biggest thing for Milwaukee is the return of Khris Middleton on Monday. Amusingly, the Bucks scored 150 (!) points in his first game back but, broadly speaking, the Bucks just can’t be the same on offense without Middleton. He unlocks everything.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (31-16, Last week — 1st)

The DIME curse continues. Memphis was atop the rankings and our focus team last week. The Grizzlies just lost three in a row. Water is wet, but there is no need for panic for a very good basketball team.

6. Brooklyn Nets (29-17, Last week — 7th)

Everyone understands the Nets aren’t the sixth-best team in the league without Kevin Durant, so let’s get that out of the way. Still, Brooklyn’s season-long profile is strong and a pair of road wins over the Jazz and Warriors were encouraging to end the week.

7. Sacramento Kings (27-19, Last week — 8th)

Sacramento is the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. It is January 25. That is borderline unbelievable for thorough NBA observers over a long sample, but having the best offense (117.9 points per 100) in the league goes a long way.

8. Miami Heat (27-22, Last week — 10th)

The Heat have a top-five record (11-5) in baseball since Christmas. That’s an arbitrary endpoint, but the Heat just beat the Pelicans and Celtics at home over a three-day period and the next two games are against Orlando and Charlotte.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-20, Last week — 6th)

Cleveland has leveled off lately, but it’s not terribly shocking when you consider the team’s losses. The Cavs don’t have a “bad” loss in the bunch, losing on the road to the Nuggets, Jazz, Wolves, Grizzlies, and Knicks with a home loss to the Warriors. It isn’t great, but Donovan Mitchell missed part of that run. The Cavs are fine.

10. L.A. Clippers (26-24, Last week — 17th)

The Clippers just swept a three-game road trip. Non-coincidentally, there were no back-to-backs in that stretch. L.A. is now 16-9 with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup this season, and the Clippers host the lowly Spurs on Thursday with another day of rest in between games.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (23-24, Last week — 15th)

OKC might be able to build on the success discussed above. The Thunder have four of the next five at home and FiveThirtyEight’s ELO model (which is results-based) gives them a 70 percent chance to make the playoffs. That dips considerably when the RAPTOR player projections are incorporated, but the actual results are very, very intriguing.

12. New Orleans Pelicans (26-22, Last week — 9th)

The Pelicans are 3-10 in the last 13 games. Obviously, there are caveats with neither Zion Williamson nor Brandon Ingram on the court for an extended period, but the recent results are not great.

13. New York Knicks (26-23, Last week — 11th)

Alarm bells were going off after four straight losses, but they were quieted when the Knicks beat the Cavs on Tuesday. New York has a very interesting test in Boston on Thursday, but until then, the Knicks can take some solace in sole possession of the No. 7 spot.

14. Phoenix Suns (25-24, Last week — 24th)

The Suns recently went through a stretch with nine losses in ten games, cratering both in the standings and in these rankings. Devin Booker hasn’t played since Christmas and, in short, that caps Phoenix’s ceiling without any other context. Quietly, though, the Suns just opened a homestand with four straight wins. None were necessarily landmark victories, but they all count.

15. Golden State Warriors (23-24, Last week — 12th)

If the Warriors weren’t the Warriors, it would be hard to get terribly excited. Golden State is below .500 in late January with a comical 6-18 road record and six losses in the last nine games overall. You can find positives, like a +7.0 net rating with Steph Curry and Draymond Green on the floor together, but the overall product hasn’t been good during the team’s title defense.

16. Utah Jazz (25-25, Last week — 18th)

Utah’s 10-3 start feels like a lifetime ago, but the Jazz have found something again in recent days. That manifests with five wins in the last seven games, and the two losses came to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. In taking a big-picture look, Utah is the No. 8 seed in late January, and no one expected that.

17. Atlanta Hawks (24-24, Last week — 13th)

The best stretch of Atlanta’s season happened in the middle of January with five straight wins against solid competition. Seemingly on cue, the Hawks gave away a 19-point lead at home to the Hornets and struggled on offense in a loss to Chicago just two days later. Atlanta is still in a better spot than it was a few weeks ago, but it isn’t as if every problem is solved.

18. Dallas Mavericks (25-24, Last week — 14th)

Oof. The Mavericks had a rough home loss on Tuesday, wasting a 41-point, 15-rebound showing from Luka Doncic against the Wizards. Dallas is just 2-7 in the last nine games, and the defense is yielding more than 1.22 points per possession. It’s hard to stay afloat, much less win, with that defensive resistance.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves (24-25, Last week — 16th)

Minnesota has an incredible knack for laying eggs. The Wolves lost to the Rockets on Monday and, before that, Minnesota racked up losses to Detroit (twice), Charlotte, San Antonio (twice), and other flops. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s not, it’s really not.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (22-26, Last week — 20th)

The Lakers lost to the Clippers on Tuesday, which never goes over well. Before the end of the night, though, word broke that Anthony Davis could return on Wednesday, and that should give Los Angeles a jolt. If Davis does come back against the Spurs, it will be rather amazing that the Lakers managed to go 10-10 without him.

21. Washington Wizards (21-26, Last week — 25th)

It was a very good week for the Washington Professional Basketball Club. The Wizards won all three games, including road victories over the Mavericks and Knicks. Washington still seems to be stuck in a burning desire for the play-in, but the Wizards are back within one game of the No. 10 spot.

22. Chicago Bulls (22-25, Last week — 22nd)

DeMar DeRozan and company would be higher on this list if not for a blown lead in Indiana on Tuesday. Even with that loss, the Bulls are still a frisky 11-7 in the last 18 games, ranking in the top ten of the NBA in net-rating since mid-December. Is that going to be enough to satisfy a team with real expectations? Probably not, but it’s something.

23. Portland Trail Blazers (22-25, Last week — 21st)

A 5-12 mark in the last 17 games paints a pretty dire picture for the Blazers. Then, a closer look shows you that three of those wins came against the Hornets, Pistons, and Spurs. It’s really rough, and frustration appears to be boiling over as the Blazers now sit outside the top ten of the West.

24. Toronto Raptors (21-27, Last week — 23rd)

Toronto’s upcoming schedule gauntlet could be pivotal. The Raptors play the next seven games on the road against Western Conference opponents, and that is the last thing the team needs as they sit in the No. 12 spot in the East.

25. Orlando Magic (18-29, Last week — 26th)

Orlando beat the Boston Celtics by a wide margin on Monday, furthering the reality that the Celtics can’t seem to win in Florida. That was preceded by a blowout loss to Washington (not great), but the Magic are a few steps above the dregs at the bottom of this list.

26. Indiana Pacers (24-25, Last week — 19th)

Yes, the Pacers won on Tuesday, and this might be too low. But it’s been gross lately. Tyrese Haliburton’s absence has cratered Indiana’s offense to the tune of a league-worst 107.7 offensive rating during a 1-7 stretch. Indiana’s comeback win over Chicago did ease the pain a bit, but that came against a Bulls team on the second night of a back-to-back with travel, which probably contributed.

27. Charlotte Hornets (13-36, Last week — 29th)

The biggest impetus for Charlotte’s rise this week was a nice road win in Atlanta. The Hornets trailed by 19 points in the second half of that game, only to ride Atlanta’s collapse and some late heroics from Terry Rozier to victory. Of course, the Hornets then lost the next two games by very lopsided margins, but a 2-2 week isn’t so bad given the state of the roster.

28. Detroit Pistons (12-37, Last week — 27th)

The Pistons are 1-7 in the last eight games, and the defense is just gross. Detroit allowed more than 1.2 points per possession in that sample, and that included a 150-point drubbing at the hands of the Bucks on Monday.

29. San Antonio Spurs (14-33, Last week — 28th)

It was a very light week for the Spurs with only two games, both of which were losses. San Antonio has lost five of the last six games and, in each loss, the Spurs have given up at least 131 points. That’s the recipe for a league-worst 119.9 defensive rating for the season.

30. Houston Rockets (11-36, Last week — 30th)

Houston did win its last game, beating the Wolves at home on Monday behind 42 points from Jalen Green. It’s tough to ignore the long-term, though, and the Rockets are 2-18 in the last 10 games with a gross -11.0 net rating.

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‘The Late Show’ Made A Skit About Taylor Swift And The Ticketmaster Hearings That’s Equal Parts Enraging And Hilarious

The Ticketmaster hate train on social media may seem like a classic case of monkey see, monkey do to some, but to others, this disdain has been brewing for years. From quietly changing their refund policy, accusations of inflating ticket prices, and allegations of colluding with ticket scalpers, the live event ticket conglomerate has justifiably earned itself a few hundred thousand angry patrons.

While other entertainers have remained quiet or even sided with the company (see Bruce Springsteen), pop superstar Taylor Swift, her longtime producer Jack Antonoff, and country singer Zach Bryan have vocalized their displeasure. As one of the highest-selling and most followed musicians, Swift and her millions of fans’ (Swifties) anger sparked enough of a response online to cause the United States Senate Committee to hold a formal hearing about the monopoly Ticketmaster owns over live events and whether or not it was time to do something about it legally.

Other countries like Mexico (thanks to a Bad Bunny ticketing debacle) and Canada have already hit the company with fines and a class-action lawsuit, so all eyes are on the United States to see what legal punishment they implement. But while we wait for the decision, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert decided to turn the hearing into a mock commercial on behalf of the company that is equal part enraging (because, you know, capitalism) and hilarious.

Watch the video above.

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TWICE’s Momo, Sana, And Mina Unveiled Their Subunit Single ‘Bouquet’ For A Japanese TV Drama

If you haven’t been on “TWICE Twitter” in the past 24 hours, fans have been up in arms (in a good way) after the reveal of the group’s first subunit project, on top of last week’s release of “Moonlight Sunrise.” It may not be an actual single or EP fans have been waiting for, but it’s still something worth celebrating.

Following the leak of JYP Entertainment registering and trademarking “MISAMO” late last year, fans have been speculating and anticipating the announcement of TWICE’s first subunit. Given the name, it would be composed of the group’s three Japanese members Momo, Sana, and Mina.

Yesterday (January 24, or midnight of January 25), in the midst of all the “Moonlight Sunrise” hype, it was revealed that the MoSaMi subunit – or MiSaMo, or even better, MiMoSa – took part in singing the soundtrack to a Japanese drama. Titled “Bouquet,” the OST (an abbreviation for “original soundtrack”) will be featured on Liason-Children’s Heart Clinic on TV Asahi.

The Japanese trio shared a short behind-the-scenes clip that shows a glimpse of the group’s recording session, with some cameos from Momo’s dogs Boo and Dobby.

Hours after following the subunit’s project, TWICE surprised fans by dropping a couple of remixes to their English single “Moonlight Sunrise.” The remixes include a house, club, and R&B mix, as well as an instrumental.

TWICE is a Warner Music Japan artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Bad Bunny, Lizzo, And Steve Lacy Join The First Round Of 2023 Grammys Performers

The first round of performers for the 2023 Grammy Awards has been announced.

The performers for the Sunday, February 5 show will include Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlile, Kim Petras, Lizzo, Luke Combs, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and Steve Lacy. The show will again be hosted by Trevor Noah.

The full list of Grammys nominees was published in November and includes many of those billed to perform. Bad Bunny is up for three awards, including Best Pop Solo Performance for “Moscow Mule,” Best Música Urbana Album for Un Verano Sin Ti, and the big one, Album Of The Year.

Meanwhile, Lizzo is also up for Album Of The Year for Special, as well as Best Pop Solo Performance for “About Damn Time,” Best Pop Vocal Album, Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Best Remixed Recording for the Purple Disco Machine Remix of “About Damn Time.”

Beyoncé is the most-nominated artist of the year with nine including Record Of The Year, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance, Song Of The Year, Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Album Of The Year for Renaissance.

First-time nominees for awards include GloRilla, Kim Petras, Latto, and Tobe Nwigwe.

The Grammys will air live on 2/5 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS, Paramount+, and Grammy.com.

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

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Slowthai Announced His Third Album, ‘UGLY,’ And Shared A Grungy New Song Called ‘Selfish’

Slowthai is set to return with his third studio album this spring. His latest, UGLY, a backronym for U Gotta Love Yourself, will arrive in March. On the album, Slowthai will deliver his signature searing, politically charged raps, but will also experiment with more melodic sounds.

He said in a statement:

“The first album was the sound of where I’m from and everything I thought I knew. The second album is what was relevant to me at that moment in time, the present. And this album is completely me — about how I feel and what I want to be… it’s everything I’ve been leading up to… This album was me trying to emulate the spirit of the brotherhood ethos that bands have. Music is about the feeling and emotion that goes into it. Like an artist making a painting, it’s the expression of that moment in time. I really felt like I didn’t want to rap, whereas before, rap was the only way I could express myself with the tools I had. Now that I have more freedom to create and do more, why wouldn’t we change it up?”

Ahead of UGLY, Slowthai has shared “Selfish,” a new, grungy rock-influenced track, on which he lets go of the expectations of others, in favor of a better life for himself.

Check out “Selfish” above and the album artwork and tracklist below.

ugly slowthai
Method Records

1. “Yum”
2. “Selfish”
3. “Sooner”
4. “Feel Good”
5. “Never Again”
6. “F*ck It Puppet”
7. “HAPPY”
8. “UGLY”
9. “Falling”
10. “Wotz Funny”
11. “Tourniquet”
12. “25% Club”

UGLY is out 3/3 via Method Records. Pre-save it here.

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‘GoldenEye 007’ Gets A Surprise January Release Date For The Switch

People love GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. A legend in dorm rooms and sleepovers across the world, GoldenEye is still in many people’s minds one of the best multiplayer experiences ever made. Not only is it one of the many reasons the Nintendo 64 is famous for its multiplayer, but it also is credited with being one of the first console first-person shooters to take off — before GoldenEye, that genre was largely considered a PC only experience.

So when it was announced that GoldenEye would be coming to the Switch, people were understandably excited, but they didn’t still have a release date to work with. On Wednesday, to surprisingly little fanfare, Nintendo announced that GoldenEye would finally be hitting the N64 collection on the Nintendo Switch Online service on Friday, January 27.

Friday is the perfect day to release a game famous for its multiplayer. It’s when everyone has nostalgic memories of getting home from school, rushing to their friends’ house, and playing into the early hours of the morning while screaming at whoever decided to choose Oddjob. While the Switch won’t be able to replicate that experience perfectly, its online multiplayer and portability will give us the closest experience you can get without breaking out the old N64.

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Steven Spielberg Remains Very Mad That ‘The Dark Knight’ Was Shut Out Of Big Oscar Categories

It’s that time of year again when everybody who has ever seen a movie decides to give their two cents about which one deserves to win an award and which acclaimed movie darling ends up with nothing for some weird reason. But awards season also gives us a chance to reflect on all of the past mistakes that the Academy has made, and that’s what awards season is all about — holding grudges over past losses.

One pretty famous director who goes by the name of Steven Spielberg seems to still be mad about a certain movie being shut out at the award shows over a decade ago, when there were still just five nominees in the Best Picture category. The director applauded the decision to open the category to 10 nominees, which opens up the pool for more fan-favorite blockbusters to earn a nomination, like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water did this year.

“I’m really encouraged by that,” the director told Deadline, adding that it should have happened a long time ago. “It came late for the film that should have been nominated a number of years ago, Christopher Nolan’s, The Dark Knight. That movie would have definitely garnered a Best Picture Nomination today, so having these two blockbusters solidly presented on the top 10 list is something we should all be celebrating.”

Spielberg probably wasn’t expecting his 2008 feature Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull to secure a nomination (sorry, maybe next year) but he did think that The Dark Knight should have been recognized. Heath Ledger did win a posthumous Academy Award for his portrayal of the Joker that same year.

As for this year’s ceremony, Spielberg secured his first-ever screenplay nomination…along with his ninth directing nom for The Fabelmans. The man has been around for a while, after all. Michelle Williams did receive a nomination for her role in the drama, along with Judd Hirsch.

Even though we can’t retrospectively award movies with honors, Oscar’s season is always the best time to bring up the famous snubs and rally around everyone who agrees with you. There are so many people out there who also believe Laura Dern deserved an Oscar. You are not alone!

(Via Deadline)

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Netflix Is Denying Reports Of ‘Serious Injury’ And Frostbite On The Set Of The ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ Reality Series

Squid Game: The Challenge is still in production, and already, Netflix has been forced to defend the controversial reality series. According to reports from British tabloid, The Sun, the set has allegedly been plagued with medical issues and frostbite after contestants recreated the show’s “Red Light, Green Light” game where they have to remain motionless for hours on end. The streaming giant as well as Squid Game: The Challenge‘s production company quickly denied reports of unsafe conditions.

Via Deadline:

In amidst UK temperatures that have dropped below freezing during the day, Netflix and producers Studio Lambert and The Garden said “while it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue.”

“We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures,” added the statement.

The Squid Game reality series has been getting side-eyed after since it was announced. For starters, in the original Squid Game show, contestants play to the death, so right off the bat, the concept was on shaky ground even if the reality show contestants are supposedly just fine. However, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk gave the competition his blessing and met with the production team to make sure it carries on the message of the hit series.

“I think that even though our show does carry quite a heavy message — and I know that there are some concerns on taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize. I feel like when you take things too seriously, that’s really not the best way to go for the entertainment industry,” Dong-hyuk said via TVLine. “It doesn’t really set a great precedent.”

(Via Deadline)

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An Annoyingly Catchy Commercial Is Driving Everyone Nuts During The NFL Playoffs

WHOPPER WHOPPER WHOPPER WHOPPER WHOPPER.

If that’s not ringing any bells, you have not been watching the NFL playoffs. It’s the one time a year people actually watch live TV, which means it’s the one time a year people are subjected to commercials. The new “Fish McBites” — an annoying and annoyingly catchy earworm that you’ll be humming on your death bed — is a jingle for Burger King in which a singer repeats the word “Whopper” approximately 47 times before informing viewers that at BK, you can have it your way. YOU RULE. (Yes, there’s a Genius page.)

The song is part of a larger campaign that Burger King spent $400 million on, “$150 million on advertising and digital channels, and $250 million on technology and physical restaurant upgrades,” according to QSR magazine. In a a statement, Tom O’Keefe, the CEO of advertising agency OKRP, said, “Let’s face it, the song is irresistible, whether or not you remember the old jingle — we’re hoping it’ll be the earworm you can’t shake off.”

Keep Taylor Swift out of it, buddy.

In one way, the Burger King ad is a success: people are talking about it. In another way, though, those same people are being slowly driven insane.

The jazz version is nice, though.

As is the Daft Punk remix.

It’s unclear who sings the song, but it’s not Sam Richardson.

You know what the worst part of all this is? I’m suddenly craving an Impossible WHOPPER WHOPPER WHOPPER. Don Draper would be proud.

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Lil Peep’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit Is ‘Hopefully’ Close To Reaching An Official Settlement

Lil Peep’s wrongful death lawsuit is “hopefully” close to being settled without a trial, according to a new report from Rolling Stone.

His mom, Liza Womack, hired a lawyer Paul A. Matiasic, who spoke about the status of the case.

Womack initially filed a lawsuit against her son’s label, “First Access Entertainment (FAE), and subsequent cross-complaints over money generated by Lil Peep’s music and likeness after his death,” per the publication.

Last October, the two sides announced they had reached a deal “in principle.” However, there is still a trial date currently scheduled for March 8.

“Have you wrapped up the settlement here,” Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Teresa Beaudet asked at the first hearing since that October statement.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have that type of news to report at this juncture,” Matiasic answered. “The parties are still working very hard going through their paces. There are a number of complexities associated with what’s being discussed. It’s taking a little bit longer than we all anticipated.”

He also asked for a 30-day delay, to which Judge Beaudet said she wouldn’t move the trial date.

Both sides are required to turn in their trial binders by February 17 unless they reach an official settlement before then.