Month: June 2023

After back-to-back wins at Kaseya Center in Miami, the Denver Nuggets returned home for Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals with a chance to close out the Miami Heat on Monday evening. In fitting fashion, Miami led for long periods of the evening, scratching and clawing in a way the Heat have throughout the playoffs. Denver entered the halftime break with a seven-point deficit as a result, but the Nuggets held the Heat to only 38 points in the second half and, when the final buzzer sounded, Nikola Jokic and company earned the Larry O’Brien Trophy and the first NBA title in franchise history.

Led by Bam Adebayo’s 18 points and nine rebounds, Miami controlled the pace in the first half. The action was sloppy and scattered throughout the game, but the Heat executed at a superior level prior to the half, with the Nuggets shooting only 1-of-15 (!) from three-point range and 3-of-8 at the free throw line.

Denver began to awaken in the second half, at least from an overall execution standpoint, and eventually found the bottom of the net on a few occasions.

Denver eventually built its lead to 86-79 with approximately four minutes remaining, and the Nuggets seemed to be garnering control. Still, it was anything but easy for Michael Malone’s team. For one thing, Heat star Jimmy Butler awakened from a lengthy slumber, engineering an 8-0 run that featured strong shooting and a (very) controversial foul call and failed challenge.

Following that controversy, the teams continued to trade haymakers with the tension at an immense level. Jokic gave the Nuggets the lead before Butler took it back with free throws. Then, Bruce Brown produced a second-chance bucket with 1:31 remaining to put Denver in front, and that ended up being a lead the Nuggets would not relinquish. After empty trips by both teams, Butler nearly traveled before throwing the ball away and, when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stole the ball and drew a foul, he made both to give Denver a three-point edge.

Butler missed a game-tying effort with 17 seconds remaining, with Denver snatching the rebound and Bruce Brown heading to the free throw line after Miami was forced to foul to extend the game. Brown, like Caldwell-Pope, calmly buried both attempts, and that was the cushion Denver needed to ultimately secure a five-point victory.

While Denver earning the title is, of course, the primary takeaway of the evening, this particular game will also be remembered for its overall mania. The Nuggets won despite 5-of-28 shooting from three-point range and 13-of-23 at the free throw line, with Denver also committing 15 uncharacteristic turnovers that led to 21 points for Miami. On the other side, the Heat shot only 34 percent from the field and 9-of-35 from three-point range, even with the late barrage from Butler and four triples from Kyle Lowry.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance from a team that played otherwise beautiful basketball on the way to 16 postseason wins. However, Jokic was the best player in the world over the last several weeks, finishing with 28 points and 16 rebounds in the clincher, and Denver’s much-doubted defense performed at a tremendous level throughout what became a dominant playoff push. With the win, the Nuggets finish 16-4 in the postseason, and it was a dominant run befitting of a champion.

At the end of this week, Afrobeats rising star Asake will release his second album Work Of Art. It’s a project that’ll come less than a year after his monster debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe. That project grew to be one of the best afrobeats projects of 2022 and helped to skyrocket Asake’s name to the top of the genre thanks to records like “Terminator,” “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY),” and “Sungba (Remix).” Expectations are high for Asake for his second album, especially with its second single “Amapiano” alongside Olamide. With a few days left until the release of Work Of Art, here’s what you need to know about it.

Release Date

Work Of Art will be released on June 16, 2023 through YBNL Nation and EMPIRE. It comes nine months after Asake released his debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe.

Tracklist

The tracklist for Work Of Art delivers tk songs and it can be found below.

1. “Olorun”
2. “Awodi”
3. “2:30”
4. “Sunshine”
5. “Mogbe”
6. “Basquiat”
7. “Amapiano” Feat. Olamide
8. “What’s Up My G”
9. “I Believe”
10. “Introduction”
11. “Remember”
12. “Lonely At The Top”
13. “Great Guy”
14. “Yoga”

Features

At the moment, the only listed feature on Work Of Art is Olamide as he appears on “Amapiano.” More features could be announced as the album approaches its release date of June 16.

Singles

Asake has only released two singles for Work Of Art. The first was the spiritual “Yoga” and the second was the lively “Amapiano” with Olamide.

Tour

According to a press release, Asake will embark on a North American tour this fall. The full list of dates for the tour has yet to be announced by we do know that it begins with a show in Los Angeles on September 4 and continues with another at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on September 8. That show will join other performances in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Washington, D.C. This tour will also follow other performances from Asake that include Broccoli Festival in July and The O2 in London on August 20.

Work Of Art is out 6/16 from YBNL Nation/EMPIRE. Find out more information here.

Ordinarily the star of the latest comic book movie extravaganza does loads of press, tells outlandish stories to Jimmy Kimmel, and generally is very seen. Most people aren’t Ezra Miller. Last year the star of The Flash was busy — not making movies but getting in trouble. They ran amok in Hawaii. They were busted for burglary. They allegedly started a cult. Last summer they announced they were finally seeking help and laying low so as not to further damage their big tentpole DC series. Indeed, it was a surprise when Miller showed up, however briefly, at the new film’s premiere.

As per Deadline, The Flash held its swanky debut at Ovation Hollywood and spotted on the red carpet alongside folks like Sasha Calle, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Maribel Verdú, and Jessica Chastain was no less than Miller, sporting a bun and a white jacket. They didn’t speak to the press but did pose for pictures.

Miller’s troubles cast doubt on whether they’d be asked to return as Barry Allen, the superhero who can run real fast. But director Andy Muschietti shot that idea down.

“I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did,” he said late last month. “The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. And, as you said, the two Barrys — it feels like a character that was made for them.”

The Flash hits theaters on June 16.

(Via Deadline)

The Denver Nuggets had a slow start to Game 5, as they looked to close out their first championship as a franchise, but by the fourth quarter they had taken control of the game, leading by seven with four minutes to play.

However, from there, Jimmy Butler, who had been quiet and passive all night, finally got going with a pair of threes that pulled the Heat within four.

From there, Butler went for a heat-check three in the corner and, while it went begging, got bailed out by a foul call that looked dubious at best and got immediately challenged by Michael Malone.

Despite the ESPN broadcast booth and just about every non-Heat fan watching at home being in agreement on it being a non-foul at best and an offensive foul on Butler at worst, the call somehow stood upon review and Butler was given three free throws. He naturally knocked them all down, ultimately scoring 13 consecutive points for the Heat to get them into their first lead of the fourth quarter.

It was wild to hear Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mike Breen talking about the review as if it were a mere formality that it’d be overturned, given how rarely they find themselves in total agreement, only for the verdict to come back as the call stands.

First, SZA’s unreleased “Calling My Phone” verse was leaked to social media. Then, a provocative scrapped guest verse from Lil Durk was posted online. Now Doja Cat has also been impacted by a music leak.

As the “Vegas” musician works out the final touches on her forthcoming album, fans were excited at news that her new single, titled “Attention,” would be uploaded to streaming platforms on Friday. In the marketing campaign, listeners were urged to pre-save the track on either Spotify or Apple Music to be notified when the song went live.

However, that announcement was accidentally released prematurely. Shortly after the link went live, the webpage began to gain traction. The link was quickly deactivated. When the URL is entered into any internet browser, an error message appears on the screen: “We’re sorry, but this page no longer exists.”

Doja Cat has shared numerous updates regarding the upcoming album’s direction, including the title, the sound, the tracklist, and more. But over time, she has walked back a lot of her public comments. At one point, the project was tentatively titled Hellmouth. Doja Cat herself has even leaked parts of the album via snippets of different tracks during a live stream.

Beyoncé’s Beyhive runs deep. As A-list celebrities like Selena Gomez turn out in droves to her Renaissance World Tour, others like musician Doechii pledged her allegiance from within the confines of a recording studio: The TDE signee has dropped a buzz-worthy freestyle over Beyoncé’s song “America Has A Problem.”

Doechii initially teased the track on TikTok back in March, leading fans to believe she would appear on the song’s official remix. However, the slot went to her former label mate Kendrick Lamar. Either way, after weeks of waiting for the complete version of the track, she surprised fans by uploading it onto her official YouTube channel. Tthe track contained witty bars and flairs of her hard-to-hide confidence. But one section in particular caught listeners’ attention.

Fans are speculating that the final few bars are a direct shot at Lola Brooke. In it, Doechii raps, “How you turn a 100 fans into a 100 bands? / How you turn a 100 bands into a 100 M’s.” That latter is a reference to the Brooklyn native’s breakout song “Don’t Play Wit It” featuring Billy B.

The stanza continues, “How you from the North and claimin’ you a croc b*tch,” as one of Lola Brooke’s nicknames is “Big Gator.” Doechii closed the verse by rapping, “How you bitin’ on the one and only swamp bitch? / I see a lotta b*tches, I don’t see a lotta stars / I hear a lot of rappers, I don’t hear a lot of bars / I see a lot of plastic, I don’t see a lot of barbz / I see a lot of digits, I don’t care about the charge.”

Listen to the whole track above.

Mad Men wasn’t a comedy, but it was one funny drama. Creator Matthew Weiner and his writing staff were whizzes at razor sharp dialogue and devastating bob mots. Few TV characters, then and now, are as consistently witty as John Slattery’s Roger Sterling. It also got surreal. Remember that time John Hamm’s Don Draper got so mad at Roger that he orchestrated an elaborate revenge that ended with him puking his guts out at the original Sterling Cooper office? That was awesome.

Still, it’s not as funny as I Think You Should Leave, Tim Robinson’s beloved Netflix sketch show, which frequently skewers modern office politics. Many sketches feature Robinson or one of his guest stars blowing up over next-to-nothing — which could happen in the stressful confines depicted on Mad Men.

Someone else noticed some unexpected connections between the shows, namely that if you put I Think You Should Leave’s soul song-heavy between-sketch bumpers in front of certain Mad Men scenes, they could almost seem legit.

It all began when writer Ben Crew noticed Don seemed an awful lot like Tim Robinson in the Season 5 episode in which he blows up on Jessica Paré’s Megan at a Howard Johnson’s. He posted about it on Twitter.

Crew then kept making videos in which Mad Men scenes played like I Think You Should Leave sketches. Like the one where the Season 3 one involving the runaway lawnmower.

Or the time Ben Feldman’s Michael Ginsberg — Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s first and nearly only Jewish employee — professed his love to Elisabeth Moss’ Peggy Olsen in a decidedly unromantic fashion.

Crew thought William Mapother’s Randall Walsh could be a character played by ITYSL repeat guest star Will Forte.

And Pete Campbell? In Season 6, Crew argued, his every appearance is an ITYSL sketch, especially the famous “Not great, Bob!” bit, which is so much more than just “Not great, Bob!”

And the time Bert Cooper’s longtime secretary Miss Blankenship died? Definitely could come from the mind of Tim Robinson.

Crew’s mash-ups resonated with many, some of whom thought they could be real.

Anyway, good job, Ben Crew! You’ve revealed out unusual aspects of both Mad Men and I Think You Should Leave, two shows that unexpectedly go great together.

Kelis doesn’t hold back when it comes to addressing rumors, always going toe-to-toe with super fandoms. However, when it comes to confronting the whispers surrounding her dating life, that’s where she draws the line.

Last week, the internet was set ablaze over a rumor that she was dating actor Bill Murray hit social media. Many found the alleged romance humorous. Now, despite telling one fan that’d she remain tightlipped, the musician is opening up.

One person asked Kelis, “Ma’am would you care to address these Bill Murray allegations?!? Cuz damn! What is he doing with all that?!?” With 171 likes on the fan’s post, Kelis replied, “LOL no, babe. I wouldn’t bother at all.”

However, the remarks didn’t stop there. Further down in the comment section, Kelis liked other users’ postings and even replied to a few. Her most interesting response was one implying that she and the actor were doing fine. “Everyone’s dumb and will believe anything, but the best part is we are both blessed, rich, and happy,” wrote Kelis.

Although Kelis did not flat-out deny the rumors, there is something about it that makes it incredibly insensitive: Kelis lost her husband, Mike Mora, with whom she shared a child, with just one year ago to stage 4 stomach cancer.

Wheel of Fortune has never had the same cred as Jeopardy!, the early evening game show with which it’s long shared an hour time slot. Nor does it make news quite as often. But it’s still an institution. (And it definitely makes the news every now and then.) Indeed, when it was announced that Pat Sajak, its longtime host, announced he was leaving after next season, many on social media felt like it was the end of an era.

“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak wrote on Twitter. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”

Sajak, 76, has been overseen the big wheel for over four decades. He joined the show, which launched in 1975, in 1981, replacing its original host, Chuck Woolery. He was joined by his oft-silent co-host Vanna White the following year, a position she’s held ever since.

To many it seemed like Pat Sajak leaving Wheel of Fortune was the end of an era.

Others bid him a fond farewell.

Sajak did not say who would replace him, but some had a strong suggestion.

Others threw their own hat into the ring.

There’s still another season with Sajak at the helm, so don’t say your goodbyes just yet. That means there’s plenty more chances for him to remain cucumber cool as contestants flub big time.

(Via NBC News)

Ed Sheeran is working himself to the bone. In support of his latest album — (Subtract), the “Bad Habits” singer has embarked on two simultaneous tours, The Mathematics Tour and The Subtract Tour. Based on the latest attendance roundups, it seems to have been worth it.

Based on reports from NJ.com, Sheeran’s recent The Mathematics Tour stop at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey broke an attendance record previously held by rockers U2. The outlet shared that the final attendee count for the show on Saturday, June 10, came in at just above 89,000 fans. U2’s 360° World Tour previously held the record at the venue, bringing in 88,491 fans on July 20, 2011. Overall, the venue’s standard seated capacity is 82,500. Both tours allowed standing-only tickets.

When discussing why he decided to coordinate two separate tours, Sheeran wrote on Instagram, “I’m playing some smaller theatre shows in the US this summer, so I can play Subtract the entire way through with full band in an intimate setting.”

For The Mathematics Tour, Sheeran is playing his bigger hits, including “Shape Of You,” “Bad Habits,” and “Thinking Out Loud,” with support from rotating openers Khalid, Russ, Dylan, Rosa Linn, Cat Burns, and Maisie Peters as the openers. Check out the setlist for The Mathmatics Tour here.

View the remaining tour dates below.

06/17 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
06/18 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
06/24 — Landover, MD @ FedExField
06/30 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium
07/01 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium
07/08 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Acrisure Stadium
07/15 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
07/22 — Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium
07/29 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
08/05 — Kansas City, MO @ GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
08/12 — Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium
08/19 — Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High
08/26 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
09/02 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
09/09 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
09/16 — Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s Stadium
09/23 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium

— (Subtract) is out now via Asylum and Atlantic. Find more information here.

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