Month: May 2023

Game 4 between the Sixers and Celtics in Philadelphia became an overtime thriller that saw James Harden (who brought a special guest to the game) and Jayson Tatum taking turns knocking down big shots, with Harden’s Sixers escaping with a 116-115 win to tie up the series at 2-2 going back to Boston.

The Sixers offense was dreadful for most of the fourth quarter, as they scored four points in the first eight minutes to allow Boston to claw their way back from nine down to move in front by two with just under four minutes to go in the game. Philadelphia stalled offensively, as they stopped playing with pace and allowed Boston to set its defense, which stymied both Harden and Joel Embiid, with the MVP in particular struggling with Al Horford who blocked him three times in the fourth quarter.

After the unlikeliest of heroes, PJ Tucker, got an and-1 to tie the game, Boston went back in front with a pair of Marcus Smart free throws, setting up a situation where Philly would need to manufacture a bucket in the halfcourt. Harden, who had been their only real offensive threat all game, was able to do just that, tying the game at 107-107 with a floater in the lane to give him 39 points in regulation.

A Smart three went begging at the end of regulation, sending the game to overtime where a very similar script played out. Boston pushed in front as the Sixers struggled to create offense, but Embiid was finally able to break the seal off the basket with a fading shot to cut the deficit to one.

A pair of Embiid free throws pushed the Sixers back in front by one (after his first go-ahead bucket was negated by a questionable charge the possession prior), but that was short-lived as Tatum got away with a discard to free himself for a go-ahead three.

On the next possession, Embiid drove the lane and the Celtics defense collapsed on him, leaving Harden wide open in the corner for what became the game-winning three.

Boston, as they did to end regulation, decided to play it out rather than call timeout to set up a play, but ran too much time off the clock before getting into their action. By the time Tatum started the offense, there were just five seconds on the clock and when Philly crashed on his drive, he kicked out to Smart who this time hit his open look from three — but didn’t get the shot off in time.

It was a rather fitting end to the game given how both offenses really slowed down in the closing stretch, with neither team able to create easy offense down the stretch of the fourth or in overtime. Still, Boston will have to feel like they let a golden opportunity to take full control of this series, as they had multiple looks to win in a game they played pretty terribly for most of three quarters. Jaylen Brown had 23, but 12 of that came in the first quarter as he kept Boston afloat early but faded to the periphery down the stretch. Tatum, who had just two in the first half after an 0-for-8 start, finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists, but the Celtics were just not quite able to ever fully take control of the game when they had opportunities to.

On the other side, Embiid finished with 34 points and 13 rebounds, finding just enough offense in overtime to give Harden the assistance he needed to close out the game after a rough fourth quarter from the MVP. Harden, after two no-shows in Games 2 and 3, once again dusted off a vintage performance, scoring 42 with nine assists, eight rebounds, and four steals, as he was sensational for the second time in this series — which have coincided with both Philly wins. The Sixers late-game offense was concerning, but it’s not a particularly new issue for them, as when they slow down and defenses set in front of them, they have a tendency to take a lot of difficult shots. Still, gutting out this win will give them plenty of belief they can win this series, but they’ll need Harden to be close to his best as he was on Sunday to pull off the upset.

Lizzo feels Nickelback gets “way too much sh*t” from the public regarding their music. However, according to the band, one person can attest to the less-than-ideal conditions they’ve had to power through. Frontman Chad Kroeger and guitarist Ryan Peake caught up with journalist Narduwar to share the hilarious story.

During their chat, the musicians discussed their humble beginnings as budding musicians. As the group hit the road, hoping to grow their name, their first drummer quit for a relatively simple yet understandable reason. Brandon Kroeger, Chad’s cousin, initially filled the post; however, after seeing how Chad gauged Stabbing Westward’s “pinnacle of comfort” tour bus in 1996, Brandon knew he wasn’t cut out for the band life.

“They were on tour opening up for KISS, and they came to town on this brand-new, huge tour bus… And we we had never been on a tour bus before. We were a van band,” Chad recounted.

The singer continued, “We’d gone back and forth across Canada a ton of times in a van pulling a trailer. We were talking to one of the guys, and they were super nice, and I was like, ‘Dude, we’re a van band. Would you be at all into showing us what the inside of the tour bus looks like?’”

“And Brandon was drumming for us at the time — my cousin [Brandon] stepped foot on Stabbing Westward’s tour bus — and this thing was gorgeous. All I kept thinking was, ‘This is where I want to be. I want to get into a tour bus. Brandon looked at it and thought, ‘I don’t want to live like this.’ That was the catalyst right there,” confessed the musician.

Watch the full video above.

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

Doja Cat often speaks about her desire to quit music. Whether the “Women” rapper is joking or not is unknown. However, over the past few weeks, Doja Cat has taken to Twitter to share updates on the new music she’s working on. In March, the musician revealed the working title for her forthcoming album, Hellmouth. Shortly after, she shared the project’s direction, proclaiming, “No more pop,” letting fans know it is solely a rap project.

Now, fans believe that her Hellmouth is moving along quickly after Doja Cat was spotted filming a music video in downtown Los Angeles. In the clip, Doja Cat is recorded fiercely walking down South Broadway as a team of videographers films her.

Although fan pages have claimed the footage is from late April, no further information is known about the filming. As for Doja Cat’s forthcoming album, the entertainer has shared snippets of tracks set to make the final project. The Grammy Award-winner even shared the album’s tracklist.

“I also agree with everyone who said the majority of my rap verses are mid and corny. I know they are. I wasn’t trying to prove anything. I just enjoy making music, but I’m getting tired of hearing yall say that I can’t, so I will,” said Doja on social media, referring to the pending project.

Tom Cruise turned 60 last summer, but he’s doing things in his AARP years that he never did when he was a third his current age. One of his favorite activities these days involves planes: flying them, hanging off them while recording videos for conventions, leaping from them to advertise his next movie, in which he performs even deadlier daredevil stunts. So when he agreed to congratulate King Charles III for his historic coronation, you know he went big.

As per Deadline, the guy who saved Hollywood was one of a number of celebrities who recorded videos for the United Kingdom’s 13th monarch. They played not during the ceremony itself, but during the star-studded concert held Sunday night. Cruise’s contribution finds him mid-air, piloting his own plane while speaking to Charles over radio.

“Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” Cruise says, while flying an actual plane, which bears his name. He then soars off into the clouds.

Other celebrities who recorded similar videos for the coronation include Pierce Brosnan and another fearless risk-taker, Bear Grylls.

While Cruise was not at the concert (or the coronation) in-person — he was probably busy riding a skateboard off a waterfall or piloting a helicopter into an active volcano — those that were include Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Bette Midler, Andrea Bocelli, and Take That.

(Via Deadline)

Mozzy, membe of Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group, was once approaching mainstream notoriety after years of domination in California’s underground scene. However, after securing collaborations with Eminem, Saweetie, 2Chainz, YG, and more, the “Straight To The 4th” rapper’s growing buzz came to a screeching halt when he was sentenced to one year in prison for a federal gun charge.

Before turning himself in, Mozzy (real name Timothy Patterson) rushed to record as much music and behind-the-scenes content to hold fans over. One of his verses ended on the song “Been A While,” featured on DJ Drama’s latest album, I’m Really Like That.

After 1o months behind bars, AllHipHop reports that Mozzy was released from prison just a few days ago, on Thursday, May 4. Back in 2021, Mozzy was formally indicted. The following year, he pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to his sentence, Mozzy was hit with a $55,000 fine. He was initially expected to be released in July 2023, but apparently he was released early.

Mozzy and his team have not yet released a statement on social media regarding his rumored release.

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

In February, 20-year-old John Hao was paralyzed from the chest down as he was among five survivors of a shooting at Michigan State that killed three students. Hao’s favorite basketball player is Sixers star James Harden, who donated to Hao’s GoFundMe and FaceTimed him in the hospital to try and raise the young man’s spirits after the tragic event.

“I love when you’re smiling,” Harden said. “I love when you’re smiling, all right? I’m with you. I know it’s tough right now, but you have to stay physically strong, you know what I mean? You just got to think positive things and keep pushing and fighting. I got you. I got some guys for you, too. I got some things coming your way, hopefully give you some encouragement and make you smile a little bit, you know what I mean? Let me know if you need anything else.”

In that call, Harden pledged his continued support, as Hao was set for a lengthy recovery, and also said he wanted to bring him to a game. On Sunday, as the Philadelphia 76ers got set to host the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Hao was courtside as a guest of Harden’s while the star guard went through warmups, with James running over to greet Hao behind the basket and thanking him for coming to the game — and making sure to note he liked that Hao was wearing a pair of Harden’s shoes.

It’s a touching moment and good on Harden to follow through on his promise to try and get Hao to a game and continue supporting him as he navigates life after the tragedy.

The rumor mill is stuck on the idea that Matty Healy and Taylor Swift are supposedly dating. However, the musician’s recent appearance at her The Eras Tour stop in Nashville could be explained away by work obligations. Swift and her featured opening act Phoebe Bridgers’ performance of “Nothing New” had fans jumping for joy. But that wasn’t the only memorable moment the rocker’s set had to offer.

Earlier in the evening, Matty Healy stepped in to play in Bridgers’ band for her The Eras Tour set. Dressed in Bridgers’ signature skeleton outfit, concertgoers were shocked to see Healy onstage.

Bridgers and Healy’s musical relationship has been well documented, having shared the stage several times in the past. But fans were confused to see the two musicians playfully kiss after their performance, especially considering Healy and Swift’s rumored budding romance. Oddly enough, this can also be explained. Last year, Healy uploaded a photo on Instagram of him kissing Bridgers regardless of her being engaged to actor Paul Mescal. Apparently, it is pretty normal behavior for them. Like Swift, Healy doesn’t hold back from lip-locking with fans at his shows either.

Swift’s The Eras Tour will return to Nashville’s Nissan Stadium tonight.

When King Charles III was crowned on Saturday, it was a historic occasion: the United Kingdom’s first coronation in 70 years. The oldest son of Queen Elizabeth is only the kingdom’s 13th monarch, and the event drew big crowds. It also drew Monty Python jokes, thanks to one of the funkier ornaments given to the erstwhile Prince of Wales. But that wasn’t the only coronation joke to take over parts of social media.

Perhaps the biggest scandal of the coronation was whether or not Prince Harry would attend. Charles’ younger son cut partial ties with the Royal Family, and has supported his wife, Meghan Markle, as she’s made numerous shocking revelations about how they treated her before she and her husband decamped for California. Harry did attend, though he was not seen on the balcony with the rest of his family after the ceremony.

Markle, meanwhile, did not attend, although upon seeing one of the attendees, people started a jokey conspiracy that perhaps she was secretly there in disguise.

Alas, it was not to be. As per The New York Post, the images of a scruffy older fellow with giant glassed and an epic mustache was not someone incognito. It was Sir Karl Jenkins, an esteemed Welsh composer and multi-instrumentalist who’s performed with Soft Machine, Mike Oldfield, and Elton John. (He plays the oboe on the Tumbleweed Connection track “Come Down in Time.”

But print the legend, even when it’s been easily disproven! There were general disguise jokes.

Some thought it might be the late Queen Elizabeth, who’s perhaps not quite dead.

Or Tilda Swinton.

There were Harry Potter jokes.

And jokes about people planning a heist.

While some were joking about Sir Karl Jenkins really being Meghan Markle — while sitting next to Andrew Lloyd Webber, no less — others were busy cracking wise about the antics of one Katy Perry.

(Via NY Post)

Cardi B fans might have another reason to celebrate. Last month, the “Money” rapper boasted about how her Grammy Award-winning debut album Invasion Of Privacy continues to rack in millions of dollars despite its age. Those comments led supporters to believe that she wasn’t rushing to drop an entire new album. However, those assumptions were put to bed in her latest Instagram Live.

During the stream, Cardi B promised fans that her “new album is coming” sooner than they might expect. This isn’t the first time she’s promised fans new music, but Cardi gleamed with confidence in the video as she chatted with fans.

Since her debut album’s release, Cardi has put out a string of singles, including “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, “Up,” and “Hot Sh*t” featuring Lil Durk and Kanye West. She’s also been a featured guest on several other musicians’ songs, most recently “Tomorrow 2” by GloRilla. However, it’s been five years since Cardi released a full-length project.

According to Cardi, the delay is due to ongoing personal issues. “I’ve been having a lot of anxiety because I know right after I drop my album, I have to go out on tour, and I have bad separation anxiety from my kids,” Cardi said. “When it comes to music and everything, I just be feeling like I don’t be liking anything,” she said. “I feel like I got so many songs, and I don’t like anything. I feel like nothing is good enough… And I got so much money saved up I just be like, ‘Yeah, whatever the f*ck.’”

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Good news: Fox News shocked the world by firing Tucker Carlson. Bad news: That doesn’t mean Balrog is done for. Though the news network could very well keep their former biggest star off any airwaves until January 2025, reports are that Carlson is “preparing for war” to get back his “freedom.” He’s even allegedly met up with another disruptor who’s made it his business to relentlessly and tirelessly/tiresomely make news.

A new report from Axios details Carlson’s attempts to strike back at his old bosses and get back in the game. One option: teaming up with Twitter’s current honcho. Buried in the report (as caught by The Daily Beast) is word that Tucker met up with Elon Musk about potentially working together. No details are known about what they discussed, if they planned to take further steps, etc. But given Musk’s love of trolling and his ever-rightward turn, it’s not exactly promising news.

In the report, a “close Carlson friend” said that while the ex-Fox News star was initially planning a “quiet and clean” revenge, he’s now going “from peacetime to Defcon 1.” What that means exactly is anyone’s guess, though if he takes the advice of Megyn Kelly, it may involve dragging their butts to court. But then, Fox News should be used to lawsuits by now.

(Via Axios and The Daily Beast)