Category: News

Jon Landau has produced two of the most successful movies of all time, Titanic and Avatar, both, of course, directed by James Cameron. As you might expect, he’s hoping for a third with this month’s sequel, 13 years after the release of the original, Avatar: The Way of Water. Though, Landau claims it’s not really a sequel since it’s a standalone film on its own. Which led to a healthy debate about what a sequel is (For the record: I do think it’s a sequel.)

Also, Landau gives his opinion on the whole thing about Avatar not having a cultural footprint. Look, that’s obviously not true. The recent re-release of the first film made $76 million. (In this interview, when I threw out “$70 million,” Landau was quick to correct me.) A movie that no one cares about isn’t going to make that much money. And with the Avatar: The Way of Water marketing hitting full stride, it sure does feel like it has a cultural footprint right now. But there is something about Avatar specifically that makes people feel that way (I have a theory) and we dive into that.

Also, Landau has known the The Way of Water title for nine years now. And he knows the titles for all the other Avatar movies. And he knows the plots for all of them. Ahead, he gives us his tip on how he never slips up and reveals something he shouldn’t.

Over the last 13 years since Avatar came out, was there ever even one day you thought a second one wouldn’t come out?

No.

Not one minute? Not one doubt in your head?

No, no, no. Look, this is something that both Jim and I had a passion for doing. But we didn’t have a rush to do it. I think that’s where people would get confused. It’s like, Well, they didn’t rush to do it.

Right, but there are human lifespans that we have to deal with here.

No, but also there’s human life. Right? We had just come off of finishing Avatar. We had other things that we wanted to do in our life. Jim wanted to explore the Mariana Trench. There were other things we wanted to do. And then we said, Okay. Now, let’s tackle Avatar. And once we really started doing that, it became obvious, especially in the end of 2012, when Jim had 1,500 pages of story notes. And they were all worthwhile notes doing. It wasn’t like, Okay, that’s a jumbled mess. What do we do with it? And then, it was just a question of let’s do it right. Let’s take our time. If you really think about it, there was how many years between Titanic and Avatar?

Right, but that’s not a sequel to Titanic.

But it doesn’t matter. We’re not looking at this as a sequel.

Well, most people are. I mean, it is a follow-up to another story.

It’s a follow-up. Yes. So was Maverick. How long did that take?

Well, that’s also a sequel.

But I mean, why Maverick works? Because it’s a standalone movie. You don’t need to have seen the first one.

I’ve seen Maverick quite a few times now, but I think you do need to see the first one to fully understand the relationships in the second one.

I would argue differently.

You need to know the relationship between Ice and Maverick for that scene to really hit the way it does.

No, it just hits you differently than it does. My son, who had never seen it, and loved Maverick.

I agree with you it does work as its own movie, but I think it’s enhanced by watching the first one.

And I will agree with, for you, it was.

Okay, well, speaking of Top Gun: Maverick, James Cameron said the box office is only maybe 80 percent of what it was pre-pandemic and he knows things have changed since 2009. But then do you look at what Maverick did and think, well this can still be done?

Absolutely. And Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Black Panther. I think that people want this. We just, as an industry, need to deliver them product that justifies it. And I think Avatar: The Way of Water is the ultimate cinema going experience in terms of cinema. And I’m not taking anything away from any of those other movies. So, I think that it’s going to remind people of why they go to cinema to do it.

And that actually reminds me of something else. The whole “does Avatar have a cultural footprint” thing. First, you just re-released it and it made $70 million…

$76 million, but that’s okay.

Yes, $76 million. I am wondering though, I think Avatar is very specific to this. Like, I can watch Kramer vs. Kramer at home, and I can have a pretty good experience with that. I don’t think we can watch Avatar at home and get the same experience we did in the theater. It’s like going to a Broadway show. You have to go. And I think that plays into why people think it doesn’t have cultural significance, even though it does.

Yeah, I’m going to argue with you again on this one.

Okay.

Do you know what the most successful home entertainment title of all time is?

I’m guessing it’s Avatar.

Yep. You know what the most pirated movie of all time is?

Well, that’s Ordinary People.

Avatar.

Oh, it’s Avatar? I get what you’re saying, but I’d never seen anything like it when I saw it in 2009, and I can’t recreate that at home.

That’s my point. But you still get something different. But there’s still something in it that people do it. If you look at how it’s done on Disney+. It’s not the same experience. And that’s what we’re trying to get people to understand. And I think when you get to see the new film, I think that you too will go, “Wow, they went beyond what they did on the first movie in terms of the cinema experience.”

When did you have the title, The Way of Water?

I didn’t. Jim did. That is something that he landed on, and that was something that he already had in mind for it several years ago, I think when he really wrote the four scripts. That was a title he came up with.

When did he tell you?

I want to probably say 2013.

Oh wow, you’ve known that long? And you have to just keep that in your head and not tell anyone?

Yeah. Absolutely.

Do you know the title of the next one? I know you’re not going to tell me, but do you know what they are?

Yes.

And in situations like this you have to just be careful to not say it instead of “Avatar 3.”

Not only do I know the title, I know what happens in those stories. And that’s more important to keep a secret. That’s why I don’t drink. Because I’m afraid I’ll slip on something.

James Cameron said he has six more movies in him. But he’s made two movies the last 25 years, which you were a part of both of those. I hope that’s true, but do you understand the skepticism when there’s been that much of a gap?

I understand the skepticism. Also, Jim also made Alita: Battle Angel. He made it as a producer, not as a director…

Well, you know what I mean. We love it when he directs.

I understand. But I’m just saying that I think that what Jim is saying and representing by this is that Avatar as an IP is something that can fulfill him creatively for what he wants to do. It does that by telling new stories, advancing how he does his filmmaking art as a craft, and it’s something that allows him to deal with themes that are important to him outside of movies. That are important to him that he sees are real world issues.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Today (December 7) brought some major Lana Del Rey news: She has a new album coming out on March 10, 2023, and it has a very Lana Del Rey title: Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Naturally, that begs the question: Is there really a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard like Del Rey claims?

It seems the answer is yes, assuming Del Rey is talking about the Ocean Boulevard street in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to a 2019 story from The Sun News, there’s an underground tunnel that was built in the ’80s, which has openings on either side of Ocean Boulevard and 13th Avenue South.

The tunnel is maintained by Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort and amenities director Jody Ammons said it was created as an alternative for pedestrians to use instead of crossing the street. She also noted of how people react to the tunnel, “It’s a nice little surprise. A lot of people appreciate it if the traffic is really bad.”

The passageway usually has a fresh look, too, as the tunnel’s walls are typically painted once a year with images of sea creatures.

Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is out 3/10/2023 via Polydor. Pre-order it here.

Rauw Alejandro is ready to bring his Saturno album on the road. Last night (December 6), the Puerto Rican superstar revealed the dates for his Saturno World Tour that’s touching down in the US early next year.

After breaking through with last year’s Vice Versa album, Alejandro upped the ante with Saturno, which dropped in November. The accomplished dancer and singer translated his love of choreography into the club-ready LP. He also pushed reggaeton into the future with hits like “Punto 40” featuring Baby Rasta and “Lokera” alongside Lyanno and Brray. Now Alejandro is getting ready to support the galactic album on a world tour next year.

Alejandro’s otherworldly performance with the Jabbawockeez at last month’s Latin Grammy Awards was a sign of things to come. In a video announcement, he revealed that the acclaimed dance troupe will join him on the Saturno World Tour. In February, the tour kicks off in the Dominican Republic. The US leg of the tour starts on March 5 in Tampa, Florida. Though the tour dates are available, the venues haven’t been announced yet.

Fans can sign-up now at discoversaturno.com for information on when tickets will be released. Alejandro is nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards. His EP Trap Cake, Vol. 2 is up for Best Música Urbana Album against Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Maluma, and Farruko.

3/5/2023 – Tampa, FL
3/8/2023 – Orlando, FL
3/10/2023 – Miami, FL
3/11/2023 – Miami, FL
3/13/2023 – Atlanta, GA
3/15/2023 – Reading, PA
3/16/2023 – Boston, MA
3/18/2023 – Charlotte, NC
3/19/2023 – Washington, DC
3/21/2023 – Toronto, CA
3/23/2023 – Newark, NJ
3/24/2023 – Brooklyn, NY
3/25/2023 – Brooklyn, NY
3/31/2023 – Puerto Rico
4/1/2023 – Puerto Rico
4/5/2023 – Chicago, IL
4/7/2023 – Denver, CO
4/8/2023 – Salt Lake City, UT
4/12/2023 – Edinburg, TX
4/14/2023 – Houston, TX
4/16/2023 – Austin, TX
4/20/2023 – Dallas, TX
4/22/2023 – El Paso, TX
4/24/2023 – Sacramento, CA
4/26/2023 – San Jose, CA
4/28/2023 – Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2023 – Los Angeles, CA
5/1/2023 – San Diego, CA
5/2/2023 – Palm Springs, CA
5/5/2023 – Portland, OR
5/6/2023 – Seattle, WA

Lana Del Rey is back with a brand new song, “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” which doubles as the title for her newly-announced ninth studio album. After fans had speculated the star was ushering in a new era from clues on her website and public teasers, the theories paid off. In typical Lana fashion, the track is a dreamy ode to the West Coast, with references to The Eagles’ “Hotel California.”

“When’s it gonna be my turn?” Del Rey repeats the somber sentiment. “Don’t forget me.”

As for her upcoming album, which arrives on March 10 of next year, it will feature production from Mike Hermosa, Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, Zach Dawes, and Benji.

While the tracklist isn’t officially revealed yet, fans can also expect collaborations with Antonoff’s band Bleachers (who Lana previously worked with on their 2021 song, “Secret Life”), Grammy winner Jon Batiste, Father John Misty, Judah Smith, Tommy Genesis, and SYML. Del Rey co-wrote the title track with Hermosa. The other writing credits for the record are still TBD.

For now, Del Rey has dropped alternative cover white vinyl pressings for fans.

Listen to Lana Del Rey’s new song above.

Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is out 3/10/2023 via Polydor. Pre-order it here.

The Phoenix Suns have navigated the last month of the regular season without the services of Chris Paul. During a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 7, Paul had to leave with the injury, and while the veteran guard initially expressed optimism that he wouldn’t be out too long, he’s been sidelined for the last 14 games.

The team has done pretty well without him — they’ve gone 9-5 over that stretch and currently sit in first place in the Western Conference with a 16-8 record — but of course, Paul has been a major reason for the success the team has had ever since his arrival in Phoenix. And according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, it seems like Paul’s return is imminent.

Phoenix will play host to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night in a showdown of the top teams in each conference, and per Haynes, the plan is for Paul to make his return to action unless something unforeseen happens.

Paul, who is 37 and in the midst of his 18th season as a professional, got off to a bit of a slow start prior to getting hurt. The 12-time All-Star selection is averaging 9.5 points, 9.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 30.2 minutes per game while connecting on 36.8 percent of his field goal attempts.

From the hijab protest in Iran to the overturning of Roe v. Wade here in the United States, this year has been a challenging year for so many minority groups around the world but especially women. Serving as a beacon of hope, Forbes‘ annual The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list could not have come at a better time.

In the number-one slot is European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. As this year was a widely political year, that comes as no surprise, however, the list starts to get interesting once musicians are introduced. This year’s highest-ranked musician is “Lift Me Up” singer Rihanna at number 73.

Before making her musical return by way of the Wakanda Forever Soundtrack, the entrepreneur kept herself busy with her company Savage X Fenty’s line expansion and annual fashion show. This year also marked a few firsts for her. Rihanna celebrated her first National Heroes Day as an honoree in her home country of Barbados, in addition to becoming a first-time mother. Now, Rihanna is planning her true return to music space in the biggest way possible, with a performance at the Superbowl Halftime show.

The second highest-ranked musician was Taylor Swift in the number 79 spot. The “Anti-Hero” singer flexed her impact with an impressive run on Billboard‘s Hot 100 charts and a site-crashing tour general ticket sale.

“Break My Soul” singer Beyoncé is the last musician to make the cut coming in at number 80. With a monumental return to music, Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance, broke a plethora of records at the upcoming Grammy Awards. Although Beyoncé is currently tied with her husband, Jay-Z, as the most-nominated artist of all time, she only needs four wins to become the highest-awarded artist by the Recording Academy of all time.

Other media and entertainment professionals that made the list include Oprah Winfrey, at number 24, the chairwoman of Disney General Entertainment Content, Dana Walden, at number 41, the Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, at number 58, chairwoman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley at number 61, FOX News CEO Suzanne Scott at number 65, actress Reese Witherspoon at number 86, television producer Shonda Rhimes at number 93, and Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu at number 99.

To view the complete list, click here.

Burgeoning Memphis star Key Glock has had an eventful 2022, touring to promote his Yellow Tape 2 project and appearing alongside Megan Thee Stallion on “Ungrateful” from her new album Traumazine. The PRE rapper, who has been “maintaining” since the death of his mentor Young Dolph, looks to keep that momentum going in 2023, announcing the dates for his upcoming Glockoma Tour presented by SiriusXM and produced by Live Nation.

The run will include 31 dates with support from fellow Memphian Big Scarr. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 9 and 10 am local time. You can find more information here. See below for the dates and venues.

3/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
3/9 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
3/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
3/11 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
3/12 – Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall
3/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
3/16 – Washington, DC @ Echostage
3/18 – Queens, NY @ The Knockdown Center
3/19 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
3/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
3/23 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
3/24 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
3/25 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
3/26 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
3/29 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
3/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
3/31 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis
4/2 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
4/4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
4/6 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo*
4/8 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
4/11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
4/14 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
4/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
4/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
4/21 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
4/22 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
4/23 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
4/26 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
4/27 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
4/28 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
*Not A Live Nation Date

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

Move over, Annabelle, there’s a new creepy doll — and she’s got sick dance moves.

The first trailer for M3GAN, the upcoming Blumhouse horror movie about a mom who gives her daughter a life-like doll that will do anything to protect her, went viral for its Taylor Swift remix and TikTok-inspired dancing from M3GAN (which stands for Model 3 Generative Android). She’s a meme, and an icon. Honestly? Good for her. Murder dolls are — get ready for a hot take — bad… unless they look like yassified Elizabeth Olsen.

You can watch the new trailer above. Here’s the official plot synopsis:

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady, Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.

The James Wan-produced M3GAN, which stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng and Brian Jordan Alvarez, opens on January 6, 2023.

The New Orleans Pelicans entered the 2022-23 season with lofty expectations on the heels of an encouraging stretch run last year. New Orleans pushed Phoenix in a six-game playoff defeat in late April, and that showing came after a regular season success story to even make the play-in tournament. Still, in mid-November, New Orleans was just 6-6. Despite positive overall metrics, the results weren’t quite arriving for the Pelicans. That all changed on Nov. 12 with an 11-game run that has the Pelicans turning heads around the league.

New Orleans is now 15-8 overall and No. 2 in the Western Conference with an active, four-game winning streak. Over that 11-game sample since mid-November, the Pelicans are 9-2 with eight double-digit wins and the NBA’s best statistical profile. The Pelicans lead the league in defensive rating (104.8) and net rating (+11.7) over that sample, with a top-tier offensive rating (116.6) and true shooting percentage (60.7 percent) to boot. A deeper look at the defense (including a 32.2 percent mark allowed from three-point range) indicates that, unsurprisingly, this level of dominance isn’t quite sustainable, but the Pelicans are creating havoc with 17.5 turnovers per game and generating impact with sound play on both ends.

New Orleans hasn’t been the picture of health either, with CJ McCollum recently missing four straight games and the Pelicans only having their full complement of top-tier options for a handful of games all year. On-off splits for the standout players are highly encouraging and, in 241 minutes, the Pelicans are dominating with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson on the floor together, outscoring opponents by more than 15 points per 100 possessions. Beyond the stars, New Orleans is getting high-end contributions from role players, headlined by the continuing defensive excellence of Herb Jones and Sunday’s wild breakout showing (38 points in 27 minutes!) from Jose Alvarado.

Broadly speaking, it is probably too early to flat-out assume the Pelicans will continue on a 53-win pace but, if anything, New Orleans might be underperforming. The folks at Cleaning The Glass indicate the Pelicans have won 1.2 games fewer than expected by the numbers, and the Pelicans’ profile projects for 57.8 victories. That would be a wildly impressive showing, of course, but the Pelicans have already announced that they are here as a real threat in the West, with the opportunity to continue rolling this week with three straight home games.

How high will the Pelicans climb in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s explore.

1. Boston Celtics (20-5, Last week — 1st)

Boston did lose a game this week, but it came against Miami right after beating that same Miami team in the previous game. The Celtics have the best record, the best net rating, and the best offense in the league. This is also a showcase stretch in the next week or so, with Boston playing on national television three times, starting with a showdown against Phoenix on Wednesday.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (17-6, Last week — 3rd)

After a bit of a fallow period, the Bucks are 5-1 in the last six games. The defense continues to be fantastic and, with Khris Middleton back, there is room for optimism on offense. The Bucks are scoring 1.16 points per possession in that six-game span, and all of the bones are in place for a potential title contender.

3. New Orleans Pelicans (15-8, Last week — 8th)

As referenced above, the Pelicans have three home games to begin this week. However, New Orleans has a very interesting six-game run coming from Dec. 9-19, with three games against Phoenix, two games against Utah, and a home tilt against Milwaukee.

4. Phoenix Suns (16-8, Last week — 2nd)

Phoenix drops after losing two of the last three games, including a 19-point loss to Dallas on Monday. The Suns can boost their stock again with a win over Boston on Wednesday but, regardless, Phoenix has the best on-paper profile of any team in the West right now.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (15-9, Last week — 7th)

The Grizzlies are just plugging along. Memphis is No. 3 in the West and 5-1 in the last six games. The defense is hovering around league-average in the early going, with Memphis posting a top-eight offense and generally vibing. Considering Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have combined for only 20 games played, this is a good spot for Memphis.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (16-9, Last week — 6th)

Cleveland turned on the jets to beat the Lakers by 14 points on Tuesday, bouncing back from a loss at MSG over the weekend. The Cavs actually nudged ahead of the Bucks for the No. 1 defense in the league, and Cleveland’s offense is solidly above-average. They should be taken seriously.

7. Sacramento Kings (13-9, Last week — 15th)

Light the beam, again? The Kings bounced back from a three-game losing streak with three straight wins, and Sacramento is 10-3 in the last 13 games. The Kings are, surprisingly, in the top eight of the league in net rating (+3.8) and even better since a relatively middling start.

8. Golden State Warriors (13-12, Last week — 9th)

The Warriors did lose at home to the Pacers on Monday, which wasn’t fantastic, but Golden State is 10-5 in the last 15 games. The start was rough, but the bench is now stabilized, Steph Curry is playing at an MVP level, and there is inherent trust with Golden State at this stage.

9. L.A. Clippers (14-11, Last week — 10th)

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returned on Monday. The Clippers have won four straight with Leonard on the floor and they are 8-3 in the last 11 when George plays. The overall profile isn’t befitting of this ranking, but if Kawhi and PG are there, everything is different.

10. Brooklyn Nets (13-12, Last week — 12th)

Brooklyn lost its last game, but it came at the hands of the No. 1 team on this list. Prior to that, the Nets won four games in a row, and Brooklyn is 12-7 since a pretty disastrous start. It helps to have Kevin Durant playing at a sky-high level, and the Nets are No. 4 in the NBA in true shooting at nearly 60 percent.

11. Dallas Mavericks (13-11, Last week — 15th)

Dallas bumps up this week after three straight wins. The Mavericks pulled off an impressive back-to-back sweep over Phoenix and Denver on Tuesday, including a back-and-forth win over the Nuggets. Dallas had nudged into the top eight of the league in net rating with above-average offensive and defensive metrics.

12. Denver Nuggets (14-10, Last week — 4th)

The Nuggets just lost three in a row, including the aforementioned defeat at the hands of Dallas. Denver’s baseline seems to be totally fine, but the Nuggets’ depth hasn’t been tremendous and Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t played since Nov. 22.

13. Philadelphia 76ers (12-12, Last week — 5th)

Going 0-3 on a road trip in the first half of the season isn’t the end of the world, but the Sixers have to slip. Philadelphia lost to Houston, albeit in double-overtime, on Monday, and the Sixers had trouble scoring all week. The cure could be a seven-game homestand that begins with a game against the Lakers on Friday.

14. Toronto Raptors (12-12, Last week — 11th)

It’s hard to make sweeping judgments about the Raptors based on the last seven days. Toronto lost three times, but those defeats came against New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Boston. The Raptors were underdogs in all three of those games, and Toronto won comfortably against Orlando. Steady as it goes.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (10-13, Last week — 23rd)

The Lakers make a big jump this week, and they earned it. Los Angeles is 8-3 in the last 11 games, and that includes a Tuesday night loss to Cleveland in which Anthony Davis was forced to leave with illness. Davis is in a total groove right now, so his absence hurt, and a loss to Cleveland isn’t exactly an indictment right now.

16. Portland Trail Blazers (13-11, Last week — 22nd)

Portland will come off a three-day break with home games against Denver and Minnesota (twice) this week. The Blazers did have a lopsided loss in Los Angeles last week, but Portland did take care of business with a weekend sweep of Indiana and Utah. Saturday’s win was an explosion from Anfernee Simons and Damian Lillard came back on Sunday. Not a bad stretch.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-13, Last week — 25th)

The Thunder are really playing well. Oklahoma City has a star (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), an effective 5-out style, and impressive resilience. All were on display in road wins over Minnesota and Atlanta to close the week, and OKC is threatening the .500 mark.

18. Indiana Pacers (13-11, Last week — 14th)

The Pacers would’ve fallen further if not for the Andrew Nembhard experience on Sunday. The rookie guard led Indiana to a relatively stunning win over Golden State, and that paused a 1-4 downturn. Overall, it seems like the Pacers are basically just leveling off, but that was a nice win.

19. Utah Jazz (14-12, Last week — 21st)

Utah stays steady here after a couple of wins to stabilize things this week. The Jazz did lose to Portland (at home) on Saturday, and Utah has a gauntlet coming. The next seven games are against Golden State, Minnesota, Denver, New Orleans (twice), Milwaukee, and Cleveland.

20. New York Knicks (11-13, Last week — 17th)

The Knicks are just 3-6 in the last nine and only a 30-point thrashing over Detroit saves the team’s statistical profile. New York did pick up a nice win over Cleveland on Sunday to stop the slide, but the Knicks are just kind of hanging around the middle.

21. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-12, Last week — 20th)

We touched on Minnesota in-depth a week ago and not much has changed. The Wolves only had two games this week, and Minnesota beat Memphis (nice) and lost to OKC (not so nice). It continues to be a roller coaster.

22. Atlanta Hawks (13-11, Last week — 24th)

The Hawks are better than this ranking, but it’s not going super well in Atlanta right now. There was a well-publicized dust-up between Trae Young and Nate McMillan over the weekend and, while that doesn’t necessarily signal total combustion, the Hawks promptly blew a 14-point second half lead in a home loss to Oklahoma City on Monday. The Hawks are 2-4 in the last six games and have blown a double-digit lead in each of the four losses. Not great.

23. Miami Heat (11-14, Last week — 13th)

It was the second night of a back-to-back and Jimmy Butler didn’t play … but the Heat shouldn’t be losing by 20 points to the Pistons at home. That happened on Tuesday, and it was jarring to see. It’s “only” 25 games, but it’s not as if Miami is inspiring a great deal of confidence outside of organizational history.

24. Washington Wizards (11-13, Last week — 16th)

There were positive vibes around D.C. just a couple of weeks ago, but things have shifted a bit since then. Washington is now 11-13 after six losses in seven games, and the Wizards are on the road for eight of the next ten games. It seems like reality is here for a relatively limited roster.

25. Chicago Bulls (9-14, Last week — 18th)

A week ago, it seemed like the Bulls took a step forward. Chicago promptly lost three in a row to finish a five-game road trip. Granted, none of the losses were of the inexcusable variety, but a team with the Bulls’ internal expectations probably can’t be 9-14 without some uneasiness.

26. Houston Rockets (7-17, Last week — 27th)

Quietly, the Rockets are 4-3 in the last seven games. The three losses all came in lopsided fashion, so it’s not as if things are perfect, but Houston is scoring almost 1.15 points per possession in that run. Baby steps.

27. Charlotte Hornets (7-17, Last week — 26th)

All things considered, it wasn’t a bad week for the Hornets. Charlotte beat Washington, which was a nice home win, and the Hornets were highly competitive in single-digit losses to the Bucks and Clippers. That’s a step forward from previous results, as modest as it sounds.

28. Detroit Pistons (7-19, Last week — 28th)

The season-long sample is what it is, but Detroit had a good week. The Pistons, as noted above, blasted the Heat on Tuesday. Before that, Detroit had a nice home win over Dallas and a competitive defeat against a quality Memphis team.

29. Orlando Magic (5-20, Last week — 29th)

Orlando hasn’t won since Nov. 18, and that tells you why the Magic are in this slot. On a more positive note, it’s been a nice ride for Bol Bol, who is averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the floor this season. Defense is still an adventure for Bol, but he’s carved out a role after a couple years in the NBA wilderness.

30. San Antonio Spurs (6-18, Last week — 30th)

It is quite ugly in San Antonio right now. The Spurs have lost 11 straight and 16 of the last 17 games. That speaks for itself, but San Antonio’s -19.4 net rating during the losing skid paints an even more dire picture. Yikes.

Candice Cameron recently caught heat for declaring that, as the Great American Family network’s Chief Creative Officer, she would only make movies depicting “traditional marriage.” In other news from the same family, big brother Kirk Cameron can’t be thrilled after his publisher, Brave Books, wasn’t able to book him in “50-plus public libraries” (according to Fox News) so that he could do story hours to promote As You Grow, his children’s book that “defends family, faith and God.”

Here’s a Brave Books tweet that features photos from Brad Schwartzrock:

Fox News now reports that Kirk’s publisher has dealt with the dozens of denials (or flat-out instances of ignoring) from library representatives, one of which declared, “I don’t think that’s something that we would do.” Another library employee offered, “Because of how diverse our community is, I don’t know how many people you would get.” Fox News pointed out that some of these locations do offer the “drag queen story hours” that rile up the far-right:

Many of the same libraries that won’t give Cameron a slot, however, are actively offering “drag queen” story hours or similar programs for kids and young people, according to Cameron’s book publisher and according to a review of the libraries’ websites and current program listings.

As you can imagine, this has caused a stir on social media, where conservatives are defending Kirk, but many are accusing him of waving the “seasonal victim card.” It’s getting messy out there in America.

Yes, it must be holiday season.

(Via Fox News)