Category: News

The first season of Hulu’s PEN15 felt like the Cliff Notes version of a TV comedy.

Fans knew what the joke was from the beginning: two thirty-something actresses playing the 13-year-old versions of themselves against other pre-teen actors. That exaggerated surrealism was the set-up and the punchline, the lens through which every interaction could be viewed. It made universal coming-of-age woes like bad haircuts and puberty painfully relatable, even if it allowed audiences to distance themselves from those traumatic memories with visuals of Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle sporting Care Bear hoodies and playing with Sylvanian doll sets.

The show’s humor rested in its understanding of nostalgia, in how well-attuned its leads were to the age of dial-up, chatrooms, gel pens, and the almost otherworldly bliss of being the first in your friend group to blackout from huffing a permanent marker. The gift of hindsight, and the show’s running gimmick, made its first season an addictive, if a bit shallow, binge-watch. But we’ve all grown up since then, and the latest installment of PEN15 reflects that maturity — not just in how comfortable both Erskine and Konkle seem to be in their characters, but in the storylines they’re willing to sacrifice laughs for.

We’re not saying PEN15 isn’t funny anymore. It’s a f*cking riot, one filled with more middle school theatrics, cringe-worthy pool parties, twisted sleepovers, and witchcraft, but we’re not sure it fits the “feel-good” label its first season so clearly boasted. Maybe it’s a product of just living within this world that the women have created, maybe its some actual sorcery they’ve employed, but at some point, you stop paying attention to the gag, and you start becoming genuinely invested in these girls’ lives.

It’s like watching Sandra Bullock try to survive a threatening cloud of space debris in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. There are moments when the silence of the movie theater weighs down rational thought when you forget that Bullock is not actually in space, that she can’t use a fire extinguisher as a makeshift thruster to reach a foreign space station and return safely home. The CGI plays a good enough trick on the mind, the wires disappear, and you’re left leaving the theater with a ringing in your ears and the illusion-shattering realization you’re still on Earth, walking down a busy Upper West Side block, disoriented and sill high on adrenaline.

PEN15 season two is like Gravity, but with more comedy and fewer space-walks. It makes you believe so intently that Maya and Anna are actual preteens, suffering through crushes and debilitating social awkwardness and parental neglect that you forget to laugh when they don mouthguards and best friend necklaces and chunky hairclips. The show’s better for it, exploring some thematically darker issues this time around, like the divorce of Anna’s parents. The tension hinted at in season one becomes a full-on civil war as both adults decide to share the house while they begin the process of separating, putting Anna in the middle and straining her relationship with her mother.

And while Anna reconciles with her changing family dynamic, Maya caves to an unhealthy obsession with a boy at school, joining the wrestling team to impress him, leaving locks of her hair in his locker, and fielding nasty rumors about her promiscuity and sexual desperation. It all builds to an end of the year middle school play that pits the friends against one another, the arrival of a new girl who inserts herself in their relationship, and a sleepover party that turns into a Lord of the Flies moment when a maxi-pad clogs a toilet.

Some of these moments are laugh-out-loud funny, but most are accompanied by a bit of introspection, not just from Konkle and Erskine but from us, the fans, who are watching and are bound to have some long-buried memory dredged up to fixate on all over again. Maybe its chanting spells in the school greenhouse or having your first sip of liquor behind the auditorium or leaving your mom alone at a restaurant because your dad’s having a mid-life crisis in his new convertible. It’s funny to look back on now, but it was painful then, and that’s what the show does even better its second time around: it reminds us that both can be true.

Hulu’s ‘PEN15’ returns for Season 2 on September 18.

Not to be the bearer of (more) bad news, but the carefree (yeah, right), sun-filled days of summer are almost behind us. Fall and its brisk mornings are coming down the track. That means evenings will now be paired with a light jacket or sweatshirt and (hopefully) a glass of whisk(e)y.

While we’re all about dark beers during the autumnal months, there’s nothing quite like a mellow, warming dram of Scotch, bourbon, rye, or Irish whiskey on a cool evening. Especially if you’re still intrepid enough to get a little fire going and sip your drink while the crickets chirp. Since we want to get the most out of our fall drinking experience, we decided to ask some well-known bartenders to tell us their picks for the best whiskeys to warm you up on a chilly fall eve.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple

Reniel Garcia, bar director at Havana 1957 in Miami

Knob Creek Smoked Maple is my fall go-to. As the name suggests, it has a smoky flavor and a perfect touch of maple on the palate. It’s ideal for a cool fall evening.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

Crystal Chasse, beverage director at Talk Story Rooftop in Brooklyn

Scotch is usually my go-to and on a cool night, I’d opt for a smooth drinking Scotch like Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie.

Made in Islay where most Scotches are peated heavily (including many from Bruichladdich), Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie is unpeated, with a silky body and notes of dried fruits and baking spices. It’s the perfect mix for a breezy fall evening.

Johnnie Walker Blue

Marla White, lead bartender at Lona Cocina & Tequilera in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Johnnie Walker, with your choice between the red, black, green, or blue. This whiskey is best served neat and is meant to be sipped — never to be rushed so that you can experience the evolving flavors.

Suntory Toki

Frantjesko Laonora, lead bartender at Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort in Curaçao

Japanese Whisky brand Suntory Toki is a whisky with simple fruity notes and hints of vanilla custard, toasted cereal, and wood spice that will inspire you to come back for more because of the light, refreshing and clean taste.

Kessler Whiskey

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Kessler may not always live up to its “smooth as silk” tagline for every drinker but to me, it’s a throwback. Autumn sweaters and nostalgia can only be complemented by a bottle tied to memories — pick yours and reminisce.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Molly Safuto, bartender at Mila Rooftop Bar in Glendale, California

Jameson Irish Whiskey will always be my favorite. From mixing it with ginger ale, to have it on the rocks it reminds me of holidays with my family and warming up by the fireplace.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

Mitchell Cochran, bar manager at Shades Bar & Grill in South Walton, Florida

Woodford Reserve Double Oak. It has flavors of caramel, honey, and vanilla it gives a very creamy finish. Great for sipping in cooler weather.

David Nicholson Reserve

Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

The best whiskey for those cool fall evenings has to be David Nicholson Reserve. Originally an old “store” brand, this is a great high rye bourbon that Lux Row distillers have brought back to life. Punching much softer than the 100 proof on the label would suggest, this features tons of pecan and gingerbread up front and finishes with dry lumber and vanilla.

It’s very light and gently complex, this one is best served neat or just a bit of ice.

Bunnahabhain 18

Brendan Bartley, head bartender and beverage director at Bathtub Gin in New York City

I can recommend one of my guilty pleasures in whisky. Bunnahabhain 18 Year is my poison of choice. Islay is known for making smoky whiskies and very good ones at that. This is one of the best to come out of there, in my opinion. Natural color, no-chill filtration, aged in mainly sherry. It’s a whisky that, given the right environment, will whisper sweet nothings to your soul. Has a load of fruit flavors and baking spice, but also some lighter fruits you might not expect, like pineapple and pomegranate.

It may not be for everyone, but those who like it will love it.

Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye

Max Stampa-Brown, beverage director at Borrachito in New York City

Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye from New York Distilling Company is sweet and comforting. Lots of tobacco and husk cherry going on. I would gladly cozy up with a Manhattan made with this juice. A Manhattan with Mister Katz’s tastes like a damn sunset.

Sazerac Rye

Gavin Humes, bartender at Scratch | Bar & Restaurant in Encino, California

My favorite cocktail in the world is a beautifully made Sazerac. When I’m sipping one of those on one of the few cool fall evenings we have here in California, I’m reaching for the Sazerac Rye. It’s a fantastic pairing with the Peychaud’s bitters, and just makes an excellent Sazerac. It’s delicious neat as well.

LeBron James and the Lakers cruised to victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, sending a clear message that they are fully rested and ready to assert their dominance along the next leg of their quest for an NBA championship.

Anthony Davis led the way for L.A. with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but LeBron did a little bit of everything to help his team establish an early lead on his way to 15 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds on the night. It’s hard to properly quantify the impact he made on the game, which is at least partially at the heart of a major gripe he addressed when speaking to reporters afterward.

As it turns out, LeBron feels a certain way after all about how the MVP voting turned out, specifically voicing his displeasure that he only received 16 first-place votes in the final tally that was released on Friday.

Lakers’ LeBron James on finishing second in 2020 NBA MVP voting: “It pissed me off.” pic.twitter.com/TCiRHjujmn

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 19, 2020

Lebron was careful to make clear that he had no issue with Giannis Antetokounmpo winning his second straight MVP trophy. His issue apparently had more to do with the fact that he didn’t get more first-place votes in the process. LeBron finished with 16 first-place votes to Giannis’ 85 and was the only other player to receive first-place votes.

Giannis, to be fair, had better numbers across the board than LeBron and a better team record throughout the regular season. Jalen Rose made a key argument on Friday that announcing the winner during the postseason dilutes the impact of the award because of recency bias.

Regardless, it’s clear that LeBron feels somewhat snubbed by the outcome. Whether real or imagined on his part, it’s obviously giving him extra motivation as he and the Lakers continue their postseason run.

We didn’t get the Western Conference Finals many people were anticipating, but in certain ways, we got something much more nourishing for our basketball souls. There’s a Rolling Stones lyric that feels applicable here. Denver may have spoiled the ballyhooed Battle for L.A., but they earned their spot in the conference finals, and then some.

Little did they know they were in for such a rude awakening in Game 1 as they ran into a Lakers juggernaut that is well-rested and operating at the peak of their powers. LeBron and company came out in full attack mode from the opening tip, throwing the Nuggets’ defense into disarray and bulldozing their way to an easy 126-114 win and 1-0 series lead.

Alas, there would be no signature second-half comeback for the Nuggets, who are now left searching for answers as to how to climb their way back into this series after being categorically dismantled in Game 1 on Friday night. Here’s what we learned from the Lakers’ dominant wire-to-wire victory.

The Lakers’ Matchup Adjustments Are Working

The Lakers did exactly as Frank Vogel said they would and deployed a much bigger lineup against Denver to start the series. This initially featured JaVale McGee starting at center in an effort counter Nikola Jokic, but it was Dwight Howard who entered the game in the second quarter and made a huge impact for Los Angeles.

Howard was everywhere in the first half, coming up with massive highlight-reel blocks on Jokic and Gary Harris and just acting as an all-around nuisance to the Nuggets in his minutes off the bench after sitting the entirety of the previous series against the Rockets.

Dwight is bringing it on the defensive side

(: TNT) pic.twitter.com/F43XMnt5F2

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 19, 2020

Dwight Howard infiltrating the Nuggets huddle pic.twitter.com/NkpFJsZ8Bx

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) September 19, 2020

Howard continued his solid play in the second half, finishing the game with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and getting to the line eight times, an outcome that was a particular sore spot for the Nuggets.

Dwight with some extra emphasis!

(: TNT) pic.twitter.com/lwIZJT7zpb

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 19, 2020

Foul Trouble Was A Major Factor

Jokic, Paul Millsap, and Jamal Murray all picked up their third personal fouls midway through the second quarter, and Jerami Grant, Gary Harris, Monte Morris, and Michael Porter Jr. all had two apiece by that point as well. The Lakers scored 22 points from the line on 32 free-throw attempts in the opening half, helping them build a lead the Nuggets never recovered from.

Much of this was a direct result of the Lakers’ aforementioned size, with Howard, Davis, and LeBron all goading the Nuggets into costly fouls with their physicality and aggressiveness at attacking the basket. Jokic picked up his fourth foul in the opening minute of the third quarter and his fifth by the start of the fourth and was a non-factor from there on out, despite putting up 21 points and six rebounds.

LeBron and Anthony Davis Were Too Much For Denver (With Shouts To Playoff Rondo)

Anthony Davis was virtually unstoppable, leading all scorers with 37 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, exerting his dominance on a hapless Nuggets team that had no answers for him all night.

LeBron’s stat line wasn’t quite as eye-popping (15 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds), but as usual, he was masterful at controlling the tempo and orchestrating the offense for the Lakers, while committing just three total turnovers.

Year 17, etc.

(:@NBA)pic.twitter.com/5Fm2n2nqNd

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) September 19, 2020

The Lakers used a 12-2 run late in the third quarter to push the lead to 20, the largest of the contest, and they did a lot of that damage with LeBron on the bench and Rondo and Davis just eviscerating Denver’s defense. Davis had 13 of his 30 in the third quarter and nine straight points to finish the period, several of those off gorgeous assists from Rondo.

JR’s reaction to Rondo’s dime pic.twitter.com/rguD0dE3HG

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) September 19, 2020

JR SMITH! pic.twitter.com/gVEqeNQQ3z

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 19, 2020

If there was any doubt, Rondo reminded us that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Never was that more evident than on this silly floater from behind the backboard midway through the fourth quarter.

Rondo floater over the backboard pic.twitter.com/k6UXzRfSzo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 19, 2020

Rondo finished with seven points and nine assists, in the process passing Michael Jordan for 10th all-time in postseason dimes. Denver will try to even the series when Game 2 tips off on 7:30 ET on TNT.

Draymond Green once again joined the Inside the NBA crew for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Nuggets on Friday night, and as usual, he didn’t disappoint. Green is threatening to become a regular fixture on the mega-popular NBA show with his unfiltered approach, which matches the show’s off-the-cuff vibe.

Green’s previous appearance ended up resulting in a hefty fine for his comments about Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, which the league said amounted to tampering as Green publicly called for Booker to leave the organization. And on Friday, the crew didn’t waste any time before the fireworks started up once again.

Charles Barkley was the one to tee things off this time around, pointedly asking Green whether his 2015 championship with the Warriors, i.e. the one before Kevin Durant arrived, means more to him than the titles they won together in 2017 and 2018. Here’s Green’s response.

Charles Barkley puts Draymond Green on the spot and asks him if the championship the Warriors won in 2015 was “better” than the two they won with Kevin Durant.

Draymond’s answer pic.twitter.com/Pj12OOUyAj

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 19, 2020

In the end, Green readily admits that the Warriors’ first title was indeed the most gratifying, but it was still a mostly diplomatic response, as he explained that the first title is always the most difficult and therefore the most meaningful.

Of course, the subtext of the question has more to do with Green and Durant’s fraying relationship over the course of their run together. The two had some high-profile dust-ups that many believe led to their breakup last summer. Still, Green stopped short of diminishing the championships they won together and managed to preserve the integrity of those titles and avoid any further bad blood.

Aside from the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets have been arguably the most pleasant surprise of the postseason in Orlando. They’ve overcome historic odds, coming back from a 3-1 deficit in each of their last two series to earn a spot in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers,

Along the way, their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have been phenomenal. Murray has averaged 27.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and five assists, while shooting 50/49/91 and logging four 40-plus point games. Those are tremendous numbers for the 23-year-old sensation.

His superstar turn now pits him against the Lakers and LeBron James, who has long been his idol and who he is eager to face off against when Game 1 tips off on Friday night in the Bubble. Here’s what he told Shams Charania of Stadium. [Skip to the 5:45 mark of the video]

Denver star Jamal Murray sits down on @Stadium: Naysayers after $170M max deal (“I stopped listening. It’s what you allow in your head”) — Rise of Nuggets — Leadership (“Chris Paul can give you 15 extra points just by leading”) — facing his idol LeBron in WCF. pic.twitter.com/U7l82pSlHz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 18, 2020

Murray and the Nuggets certainly have their work cut out for them, but if we’ve learned anything so far, it’s a fool’s folly to count Denver out of anything. Much of this series will depend on matchups, but one thing’s for certain: Murray will have to continue is stellar play to give his team a chance to make the NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics squandered an opportunity in Game 2 against the Heat on Thursday, blowing a 17-point first-half lead and in the process digging themselves a 2-0 hole in their Eastern Conference Finals series. Boston was haunted by poor execution all night, committing 19 turnovers in the contest, several of which came down the stretch with the game on the line.

The loss reportedly set off a firestorm inside the Celtics locker room after the game, including a heated confrontation between Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, during which the two had to be separated. Brad Stevens would later sit them down, along with Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, to talk things over after everyone had simmered down.

But there might be good news on the horizon. After missing most of the postseason with an ankle injury, it appears Gordon Hayward is getting closer to a return. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Hayward has been upgraded from “doubtful” to “questionable” for Game 3 on Saturday.

The Celtics forward has been out since spraining his ankle in Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Sixers. While Hayward isn’t going to solve all the issues that have plagued them through the first two games against Miami, he brings more firepower for a Boston team that could use all the help it can get at this point.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an equality icon and groundbreaking member of the Supreme Court, died at 87 on Friday after a battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Multiple reports spread on Friday evening that the Supreme Court justice had died after a series of medical scares and what was officially reported as complications from cancer.

According to an NPR report on Friday, Ginsburg asked not to be replaced on the court until after the election in November.

Reaction to the news was immediate, with “no no no” trending on Twitter immediately after news of her death spread. The site’s “What’s Happening” tab actually connected the phrase with news of Ginsburg’s death. The court itself also shared a statement about her passing on Friday.

From the New York Times:

“Our nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said in a statement. “We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

The development will give President Trump the opportunity to name her replacement, and Senate Republicans have promised to try to fill the vacancy even in the waning days of his first term. The confirmation battle, in the midst of a pandemic and a presidential election, is sure to be titanic.

Ginsburg’s death, while yet to be properly processed by the legal community and nation as a whole, sets up a situation similar to Barack Obama’s final year in office where he nominated Merrick Garland for a spot on the court. Congress, led by Mitch McConnell, refused to consider the nomination until after the election. That was won by Donald Trump, who nominated conservative judge Neil Gorsuch, further swinging the court to the right later in his term with the controversial appointment of Brett Kavanaugh.

If you’d like to learn more about the remarkable life of the late Supreme Court justice, we highly suggest the 2015 biography by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the outstanding documentary, RBG, which can be currently streamed via Hulu.

Over the Denver Nuggets’ first two series this postseason, Nikola Jokic went from merely an interesting basketball weapon to one of the scariest matchups in the NBA. After falling down 3-1 in both series, Jokic sliced through the Jazz and Clippers’ defenses as if they were hardly there. In order to beat Denver, the Lakers will have to keep Jokic in check in a way nobody has since the postseason began.

Los Angeles, understandably, got a lot of credit in the second round for seamlessly sizing down to match the small-ball Rockets, but they will have to make an equally big adjustment in the opposite direction to slow down Jokic. The Serbian big man has earned that. Without the size to stop him one-on-one, the Clippers had to get creative — or at least in theory they should have. Instead, Jokic was masterful against Montrezl Harrell, Ivica Zubac, and everyone who got switched onto him.

With even less size top to bottom than the Clippers, Frank Vogel and the Lakers will have to rely — as they have all year — on the individual intelligence and defensive skill. Still, it bears walking through just how little of a fight the Lakers put up against Jokic in the regular season. Though the Nuggets lost two of three to Los Angeles in the regular season, they actually outscored LA in those matchups by 15, and one of the losses came in a closely-contested overtime battle.

In something that likely won’t come as a surprise, after hardly playing JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard against the Rockets, Vogel said this week he expects his team to “return to form” against Denver. Judging from the regular season and the teams’ matchup in the seeding games, however, that plan may be discarded quickly.

Howard, in particular, struggled to cover ground like he used to when he was competing for MVP and DPOY awards. The vet got shredded in the pick-and-roll time and again trying to account for Jokic’s shooting, as well as his mobility and play-making with the ball in his hands. These mistakes may look familiar to those who watched Jokic go to work against the Clippers. Opponents look downright demoralized when Jokic outsmarts them, and the typical length and mobility that have always served Howard well just stood no chance against a 7-foot battering ram with the handle and mind of a Hall of Fame point guard.

Even with Anthony Davis on the weak side rotating over, Denver’s passing is so crisp and proactive that they could beat Davis’ rotations. That’s why you see Davis swatting at Jokic a beat too late in nearly every clip above. When the point-of-attack defense spouts a hole, even an incredible athlete like Davis can’t make up for the mistake.

That brings us to McGee. The two-time champ is quicker than Howard but still ended up out of position all too often. When McGee dropped into the paint, it forced the Lakers (in this case Danny Green) into a scramble to rotate. That — as the Clippers learned — spells doom against Jokic, who can drill a three or put the ball on the ground to beat a broken defense.

Inevitably, Jokic is going to figure out a way to get into isolation situations against his defender. More often than not, he’ll find a way to beat them. The Lakers can’t just let that happen and watch McGee and Howard get cooked. Though the Lakers’ identity all year stemmed from elite size and rim protection, they may have to look more like the group from the five games against Houston than the 73 prior to that if they’re going to beat the Nuggets.

Jokic’s appearance is deceiving for many reasons. The jokes are all accurate about getting suckered by a guy like this in the local gym, but his bruising interior style also forces teams to think they need to play big. Fortunately for L.A., they have a star who accomplishes both goals and who just put on a defensive masterclass in the second round.

The main problem with the Lakers’ bigs is that they lack the functional strength to move Jokic off his spots in the post or as a screener and facilitator outside. That meant they had to rely on getting a hand in his face or sending double-teams to stop him. But rarely did Davis check Jokic in the regular season or the seeding game. For the Lakers to stifle the Nuggets’ offense (especially in crunch time, where Jokic is unstoppable), Davis will need to accept this matchup and win it.

This reality even prompted Lakers reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic to promote the idea of potentially starting Markieff Morris in this series as a way to masquerade Davis as a center while keeping another pseudo-big in the lineup. That idea could benefit the Lakers, especially if Morris keeps hitting the wide-open shots Davis and LeBron James create for him. Another possibility that Stan Van Gundy introduced on The Lowe Post this week was, at least late in games, for James to defend Jamal Murray while Davis checks Jokic. That way, when the two Nuggets unleash their lethal two-man game, the Lakers can switch without sacrificing size or quickness. While he didn’t make the expected impact in the Rockets series (L.A. didn’t need him to), Kyle Kuzma is another option in this two-man defense that would allow the Lakers to switch and guard the action with just two guys.

Too often, the slow-footedness of the Lakers’ bigs put the team in a bad situation defensively, either by having to send more help or by forcing wonky rotations. By putting Davis at center and getting creative with matchups, the Lakers stand a chance against Jokic’s screen game with just two guys and force the adjustment back on the Nuggets.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing about Jokic, though, is how he elevates his teammates. The idea of stopping Jokic is inextricable from containing the Nuggets’ entire offensive system. It may feel like the Utah series was Murray’s, and the Clippers series was Jokic’s, but the sum of their talents and chemistry together has become one of the hardest things to guard in the league.

Denver doesn’t have the shot distribution of an elite offense. They’ve generated the fourth-worst expected shooting efficiency in the playoffs, according to PBP Stats, as well as the fourth-lowest proportion of total shots to come from behind the arc or at the rim. But they were second only to Dallas in generating offense off cuts this season, according to Synergy Sports play type data, and between Murray and Jokic, they have two incredible shot-makers from all three levels in the half court.

The whole team also has a sense for how to find one another in their spots. Jokic fills the highlight reels, but both he and Murray are great and confident passers. Playing with Jokic has made every Nugget ready for a pass at any time (see Torrey Craig’s mid-cut assist to Jokic above), and this team can beat even the smartest defenses. Check out how even as James and Avery Bradley switch places to get a body in Jokic’s way at the free throw line, the big man beats the switch with a laser pass.

What this all means for the Lakers is that they can’t wait for Denver to force the issue when it comes to the rotation. The idea of Morris (and Rajon Rondo) makes sense for the Lakers, but as with the team’s traditional centers, Vogel can’t afford to play inconsistent veterans too many minutes if they can’t stay on the court against the Nuggets.

Los Angeles will miss Bradley as an option on Murray, but a few things are in their favor that weren’t before. Alex Caruso is even better defensively and more consistent than he was earlier in the year; the same is true for Kuzma. And they aren’t facing the type of killer wing player that could have posed a big issue for this roster. The Lakers have a few options to switch the Jokic-Murray pick-and-roll and can also use Davis to stop Jokic one-on-one.

Keeping Jokic all the way in check is a tall order, but there are reasonable pathways to doing it for this Lakers team that may prove more tolerable than the matchup problems the Clippers would have posed. Still, the most likely outcome is that Jokic is going to get his. Whether L.A. can limit the damage could be the difference between an early return to California or a trip to the NBA Finals.

Jeopardy! is a game show about order and following the rules. Answers in the form of a question. Run categories from top to bottom. Come up with a good story to tell Alex Trebek or he’ll roast you into oblivion. It’s as close to baseball as far as unwritten rules and decorum as you’ll find in the game show world. And short of Wheel of Fortune creating some disasters when people pronounce things wrong, there’s no other game show that is more closely tied to its rules.

So when an answer in Final Jeopardy was deemed incorrect earlier in the week that seemed to go against the game’s storied rules, fans freaked out. And days later, they’re still buzzing about the fate of Betsy, a contestant whose appearance ended with what was ruled an incorrect answer on a Final Jeopardy question about “The Music Biz.”

Here’s the question: In 2019 at a 60th anniversary event in Detroit, this producer announced his retirement saying he had “come full circle.”

Everyone got the question wrong, but Betsy was ruled incorrect after writing down “Barry Gordy,” which is a slightly different spelling than the actual answer, Berry Gordy. Betsy would not have won, as she had just $2,000 and the eventual champion, Cory, was well above that and did not wager any money on the question.

Still, Twitter lit up with people talking about the differences between “Barry” and “Berry” on Tuesday night, with former show contestants and many popular fan accounts taking exception to the ruling and questioning whether the judges had made a mistake in the moment.

Many fans brought up similar instances in the show’s past where contestants were not penalized for similar misspellings or words largely pronounced the same way.

Many highlighted the show’s rules, the fifth of which states that Jeopardy! is “not a spelling test” unless a category specifically makes it such.

Days later, fans were still talking about it. It’s sparked memes online, and many are still discussing it on Twitter, where the show’s official Twitter account has taken to responding with a form reply that’s a bit revisionist in its ruling: the claim is that the answer Betsy put down was a different name that added “incorrect information to an otherwise correct response.”

That answer didn’t cut it for most fans, who continued to talk about it on basically every tweet the Jeopardy! account has sent out since. And fans keep coming up with different reasons why Betsy should have been given a different ruling. We even got a Teen Wolf reference in discussing the incorrect answer.

It’s certainly not the news the show wanted to make in its return to air, but it does mean big Jeopardy! fans will be talking about Betsy and Berry Gordy for years to come.