Month: April 2024

The first round series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks is all squared at one game each. After the Clippers picked up an emphatic win in Game 1 in which they absolutely dominated in the first half, the Mavs were able to bounce back on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Thanks to a good performance by the Dallas defense, the team was able to pick up a 96-93 win to even the series at 1-1.

The game was tight for the first three quarters, but in the fourth, it looked like Dallas was going to pull away. After an Ivica Zubac basket gave the Clippers a 6-point lead — their largest of the night — the Mavs came to life on both ends of the floor, ripping off a 17-3 run to go up by eight. And even when Los Angeles started to chip away at that, Luka Doncic hit one of the best shots of his career, a stepback jumper over James Harden that put Dallas up by nine with 86 seconds remaining.

While the Clippers attempted to play the score and foul game from this point on, Dallas was able to keep them at arm’s length from the free throw line. And by the time Paul George’s three at the very end of the game went in with 0.1 seconds left to make it a 3-point game, things were already decided.

As is usually the case when the Mavericks win a basketball game, the team got some major contributions from both Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The former looked like an MVP, as he had 32 points on 11-for-26 shooting with nine assists and six rebounds. The latter, meanwhile, did what he does, scoring 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. P.J. Washington made a positive contribution as well, going for 18 points and six boards.

The Clippers got Kawhi Leonard back from a stint on the sideline due to knee inflammation, but unfortunately, he looked like someone who hadn’t played since the end of March. While Leonard had 17 points, seven rebounds, and four steals, he clearly had some rust that he still needs to knock off if Los Angeles is going to advance to the second round. As for the other two stars in Los Angeles, Harden had 22 points with eight assists and six rebounds, while George had 22 points. As a team, the Clippers only shot 32-for-87 (36.8 percent) from the field and 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from three.

The series will now head to Dallas, where the Mavs will hope to take care of business and move one win away from advancing to the conference semifinals. Game 3 will take place on Friday night at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN.

There’s no love lost between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers. After the upstart Pacers embarrassed the Bucks during the regular season — they won four of their five matchups this year, including a performance in the In-Season Tournament semifinals that happened under a pretty big spotlight — Milwaukee was able to get them back by winning Game 1 of their first round playoff series.

On Tuesday night, Indiana struck back, as the team’s high-flying offense responded to its Game 1 stinker by exploding in Game 2 en route to a win. There were a few moments during the game where things got chippy between the two teams, and after the game, one of the more vocal member of Milwaukee’s roster had some things to say about the other squad. While speaking to the media, Bobby Portis gave his thoughts on the Pacers, and expressed his belief that they’re a group of “frontrunners.”

The Pacers certainly looked a whole lot more comfortable on Tuesday night, as a huge game from Pascal Siakam let them tie the series up and made them the first road team to pick up a win during the 2024 playoffs. At the very least, Portis’ comments fans the flames a bit ahead of what should be an electric atmosphere in Indianapolis during Game 3.

The Indiana Pacers looked like a team that was new to playoff basketball in Game 1 of their series against the Milwaukee Bucks, as the league’s most dynamic offense was stuck in the mud en route to a 109-94 loss. That wasn’t the case in Game 2, as the Pacers rode a huge night from Pascal Siakam to a 125-108 win over the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks to even things up in their series.

For the second game in a row, Siakam was nothing short of brilliant. The team’s high-profile midseason acquisition had his second consecutive 30-point double-double as he went for 37 points on 16-for-23 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes of work.

In particular, Siakam’s big night was buoyed by Myles Turner’s 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting and a 20-point night by Andrew Nembhard, who went 8-for-11 from the field. As a team, Indiana’s offense was able to get into a rhythm that it just could not find in Game 1. While Tyrese Haliburton once again was more of a distributor than a scorer — he has 12 points on 4-for-10 shooting with 12 assists — the Pacers as a team shot 50-for-90 (55.6 percent) from the field and 16-for-36 (44.4 percent) from three, which served as a reminder of the many regular season meetings between these two teams where Indiana frequently got good look after good look against the Bucks defense.

Milwaukee, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with Indiana — while the Bucks certainly looked more comfortable in the half court, the Pacers were lethal when they were able to get out and run. The defense, which Doc Rivers was hired to fix, got carved up, and while Milwaukee scored one more point than it did in Game 1, the inability to get stops was too much to overcome without Antetokounmpo. If there was a silver lining, it’s that for the second game in a row, Damian Lillard had a big night, with 34 points on 10-for-21 shooting from the field and 6-for-13 from three. The Bucks also got a big night from Brook Lopez, who scored 22 points and hit six of his seven triples.

As the saying goes, a series doesn’t start until a road team wins a game, and now, the Pacers get to hold their heads up high knowing that things are all evened up as things shift to Indianapolis. While we’ll have to wait and see if Antetokounmpo is able to play in either game that will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Game 3 will take place on Friday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Ohana means “family” in Hawaiian, and as we learned in Lilo And Stitch, family means “nobody gets left behind.” And music fans certainly aren’t going to want to get left behind for the Ohana Festival. Ohana returns to Dana Point, California over the course of three days (September 27-29) this coming fall. Across three stages, fans can look forward to performances by Alanis Morissette, Garbage, Idles, and more.

Tickets for the festival go on sale this week, and we’ve put together a nifty guide on how to purchase them.

How to buy tickets for Ohana Festival 2024

Fans can register for a presale code and purchase tickets here. The presale begins Thursday (April 25) at 10 a.m. EST.

General admission tickets for Ohana Festival begin at $196 for 1-day passes. Three-day general admissions start at $530.

Super fans can get a one-day VIP pass starting at $624. This VIP pass will get allow fans access to the festival via a dedicated entrance, commemorative memorabilia, and access to the VIP lounge. The three day VIP pass goes for $1,589.

The ultimate VIP package, which goes for $10,255, will give fans a four-night stay at the the Laguna Cliffs Resort & Spa, as well as access to the resorts amenities. These ticketholders will also be given food and beverage credits.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are two wins away from winning a round in the playoffs for only the third time in franchise history. On Tuesday night, the Wolves hosted the Phoenix Suns at the Target Center in Game 2 of their first round series, and thanks to a dominant second half and one of the best games of an unlikely hero’s career, Minnesota was able to pick up a 105-93 win to go up 2-0 in the series.

The Suns led the game at halftime and midway through the third quarter behind foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns and an off night for Anthony Edwards. But a switch flipped for the Wolves, which went on a 12-0 run in the frame that was powered by Edwards and the hero on the night, Jaden McDaniels. It put Minnesota up by double-figures, and while Phoenix was eventually able to get the lead within six, they were never able to get past that, as the Wolves’ defense managed to put out fires whenever they popped up.

The surprise of the night was McDaniels, as the lengthy wing was able to mix his usually stellar defense with a new playoff career-high in scoring. McDaniels went for a game-high 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting with eight rebounds, and provided a much-needed spark on the offensive end of the floor.

The effort for McDaniels was necessary as Edwards struggled from the field — he scored 15 points on 3-for-12 shooting — and Towns struggled to get into any sort of rhythm due to three fouls in the first quarter that limited him to 24 minutes of action on the night. But both Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert were able to provide 18 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided 10 points off the bench.

This ended up being more than enough because Phoenix’s trio of stars weren’t able to really get going, while the rest of their teammates didn’t provide enough of a lift. Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant combined to score 52 points on 18-for-45 shooting (40 percent) and three combined made threes. While Eric Gordon (15 points, 3-for-5 from three) was able to provide a little offense off of the bench, the team lost a major contributor due to injury, with Grayson Allen leaving after 17 minutes of work after hurting his ankle.

Now, the series will head to Phoenix, where the Suns will hope they can get back on even footing against a Minnesota team that is just clicking right now. Game 3 between the Suns and the Timberwolves will take place on Friday night on ESPN, and is scheduled to tip off at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Ohana Festival is returning to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA this coming fall. Over the course of three days (September 27-29), music lovers can look forward to an eclectic lineup of artists, including Pearl Jam, Maren Morris, Ryan Beatty, Alanis Morissette, Garbage, Idles, and more.

Additionally, Ohana Festival will also offer a curated art gallery, as well as environmental and sustainability programming. Tickets for the festival go on sale starting this week, and music lovers aren’t going to want to miss this.

How much are tickets to Ohana Festival?

General admission tickets for Ohana Festival begin at $196 for 1-day passes. Three-day general admissions start at $530.

Super fans can get a one-day VIP pass starting at $624. This VIP pass will get allow fans access to the festival via a dedicated entrance, commemorative memorabilia, and access to the VIP lounge. The three day VIP pass goes for $1,589.

The ultimate VIP package, which goes for $10,255, will give fans a four-night stay at the the Laguna Cliffs Resort & Spa, as well as access to the resorts amenities. These ticketholders will also be given food and beverage credits.

The presale begins Thursday (April 25) at 10 a.m. EST. Fans can register for a presale code and purchase tickets here.

The official website promises fans no hidden fees.

You can see the full Ohana Festival 2024 line-up below.

Rick Ross isn’t wasting any time in his ongoing feud with Drake. Over the past two weeks, Rozay shared his Drake diss “Champagne Moments” online and officially dropped it on streaming platforms.

“Champagne Moments” arrived just hours after Drake dropped “Push Ups,” dissing Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin’, and Ross himself.

Drake has since posted Instagram stories taunting Ross for exaggerating his wealthy lifestyle, and accusing him of being “racist” for calling him a “white boy.” Drake, however, has not responded to Ross’ diss reply in the form of a song. Ross, however, is doubling down.

Tonight (April 23), Ross shared the music video for “Champagne Moments.”

The video is fairly simple. In the clip, Ross is seen in his garage, sipping Luc Belaire champagne, next to a luxury vehicle. Unbothered, he also smokes a cigar, while laughing about the whole ongoing matter.

During the part of the song where Ross implies that Drake had cosmetic surgery — “Yeah, you had that surgery, that six-pack gone. That’s why you wearin’ that funny sh*t at your show, you can’t hide it” — Ross lifts up his shirt, and laughs into the camera.

We’ll see how long it takes Drake to respond to this.

You can see the “Champagne Moments” video above.

Sabrina Benaim’s “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is pretty powerful on its own.

But, in it, her mother exhibits some of the most common misconceptions about depression, and I’d like to point out three of them here.

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Misconception #1: Depression is triggered by a single event or series of traumatic events.

Most people think depression is triggered by a traumatic event: a loved one dying, a job loss, a national tragedy, some THING. The truth is that depression sometimes just appears out of nowhere. So when you think that a friend or loved one is just in an extended bad mood, reconsider. They could be suffering from depression.

Misconception #2: People with depression are only sad.

Most people who have never experienced depression think depression is just an overwhelming sadness. In reality, depression is a complex set of feelings and physical changes in the body. People who suffer from depression are sad, yes, but they can also be anxious, worried, apathetic, and tense, among other things.

Misconception #3: You can snap out of it.

The thing with depression is that it’s a medical condition that affects your brain chemistry. It has to do with environmental or biological factors first and foremost. Sabrina’s mother seems to think that if her daughter would only go through the motions of being happy that then she would become happy. But that’s not the case. Depression is a biological illness that leaks into your state of being.

Think of it this way: If you had a cold, could you just “snap out of it”?

No? Exactly.

These are only three of the misconceptions about depression. If you know somebody suffering from depression, you should take a look at this video here below to learn the best way to talk to them:

This article originally appeared on 11.24.15

Even though I don’t wear very much makeup, every few days or so SOMEONE…

(friends, family, internet strangers)

…will weigh in on why I “don’t need makeup.”

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Now, I realize this is meant as a compliment, but this comic offers a hilariously truthful (and slightly weird) explanation of the “too much makeup” conundrum.

Not everyone is able to turn into a badass lizard when someone asks about their face-painting hobbies. Don’t you kinda wish you could? Just to drive this hilarious comic all the way home, here are four reasons why some women* wear makeup:

*Important side note: Anyone can wear makeup. Not just women. True story.

Four reasons some women* wear makeup:

1. Her cat-eye game is on point.

2. She has acne or acne scars.

3. Pink lipstick.

4. She likes wearing makeup.

While some people may think putting on makeup is a chore, it can be really fun! For some, makeup is an outlet for creativity and self-expression. For others, it’s just a way to feel good about themselves and/or enhance their favorite features.

That’s why it feels kinda icky when someone says something along the lines of “You don’t need so much makeup!” Now, it’s arguable that no one “needs” makeup, but everyone deserves to feel good about the way they look.

For some people, feeling good about their appearance includes wearing makeup. And that’s totally OK.

This article originally appeared on 05.28.15

If you’ve never seen a Maori haka performed, you’re missing out.

The Maori are the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, and their language and customs are an integral part of the island nation. One of the most recognizable Maori traditions outside of New Zealand is the haka, a ceremonial dance or challenge usually performed in a group. The haka represents the pride, strength, and unity of a tribe and is characterized by foot-stamping, body slapping, tongue protrusions, and rhythmic chanting.

Haka is performed at weddings as a sign of reverence and respect for the bride and groom and are also frequently seen before sports competitions, such as rugby matches.

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The intensity of the haka is the point. It is meant to be a show of strength and elicit a strong response—which makes seeing a tiny toddler learning to do it all the more adorable.

Here’s an example of a rugby haka:

Danny Heke, who goes by @focuswithdan on TikTok, shared a video of a baby learning haka and omigosh it is seriously the most adorable thing. When you see most haka, the dancers aren’t smiling—their faces are fierce—so this wee one starting off with an infectious grin is just too much. You can see that he’s already getting the moves down, facial expressions and all, though.

@focuswithdan When you grow up learning haka! #haka #teachthemyoung #maori #māori #focuswithdan #fyp #foryou #kapahaka ♬ original sound – 𝕱𝖔𝖈𝖚𝖘𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍𝕯𝖆𝖓

As cute as this video is, it’s part of a larger effort by Heke to use his TikTok channel to share and promote Maori culture. His videos cover everything from the Te Reo Maori language to traditional practices to issues of prejudice Maori people face.

Here he briefly goes over the different body parts that make up haka:

@focuswithdan

♬ Ngati – Just2maori

This video explains the purerehua, or bullroarer, which is a Maori instrument that is sometimes used to call rains during a drought.

@focuswithdan Reply to @illumi.is.naughty Some tribes used this to call the rains during drought 🌧 ⛈ #maori #māori #focuswithdan #fyp ♬ Pūrerehua – 𝕱𝖔𝖈𝖚𝖘𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍𝕯𝖆𝖓

This one shares a demonstration and explanation of the taiaha, a traditional Maori weapon.

@focuswithdan Reply to @shauncalvert Taiaha, one of the most formidable of the Māori Weaponry #taiaha #maori #māori #focuswithdan #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – 𝕱𝖔𝖈𝖚𝖘𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍𝕯𝖆𝖓

For another taste of haka, check out this video from a school graduation:

@focuswithdan When your little cuzzy graduates and her school honours her with a haka #maori #māori #haka #focuswithdan #fyp #graduation @its_keshamarley ♬ Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Ruanui – 𝕱𝖔𝖈𝖚𝖘𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍𝕯𝖆𝖓

Heke even has some fun with the trolls and racists in the comments who try to tell him his culture is dead (what?).

@focuswithdan Credit to you all my AMAZING FOLLOWERS! #focuswithdan #maori #māori #followers #fyp #trolls ♬ original sound – sounds for slomo_bro!

Unfortunately, it’s not just ignorant commenters who spew racist bile. A radio interview clip that aired recently called Maori people “genetically predisposed to crime, alcohol, and underperformance,” among other terrible things. (The host, a former mayor of Auckland, has been let go for going along with and contributing to the caller’s racist narrative.)

@focuswithdan #newzealand radio in 2021 delivering racist commentaries 🤦🏽‍♂️ #māori #maori #focuswithdan #racism DC: @call.me.lettie2.0 ♬ original sound – luna the unicow

That clip highlights why what Heke is sharing is so important. The whole world is enriched when Indigenous people like the Maori have their voices heard and their culture celebrated. The more we learn from each other and our diverse ways of life, the more enjoyable life on Earth will be and the better we’ll get at collaborating to confront the challenges we all share.

This article originally appeared on 01.28.21