Category: Viral

The bubble is working! The NBA announced that after two weeks in the bubble there have been zero positive tests for COVID-19. What players HAVE tested positive for are good times, great attitudes, fun, sun, sippin’ vino, and fishing. Sorry if you only read the first part of that sentence. The point is, through total and necessary caution and severity, the NBA’s restart plan remains sound and players are healthy. What can’t happen now is for things to loosen up.

Players can loosen up, but due the highly regimented operations of the bubble, no. Well actually, this week saw some of the first team scrimmages, and with the season officially restarting on July 30, the official opinion here at NBA BW is that shotgunning Coors Lights may soon be seeing a decline, and all those fish Ben Simmons accidentally whipped down onto the dock while trying to throw them back in the water can take a deep breath and rest easy that the angling ratio will also probably slow.

Meantime, let’s see what this week reeled in.

Justise Winslow

Let’s start with the most painful thing for you, rip it right off while giving it the acknowledgement it deserves. Justise Winslow experienced a contact injury to his hip during a scrimmage this week. The restart would have given him his first minutes with the Grizzlies, but he’ll now be out for the remainder of the season. Take some solace in the fact that he got to spend some time by the pool before it happened and experience, in his words, some truly “Nemo Shit.”

Rating: I hope Disney sees this and sends him all the Nemo-related merch his heart desires.

Jimmy Butler

I know this is spon con but can I say that I care? Not in the slightest. Would that stop me from admitting that I choked up? NO. And does it matter why Jimmy was singing, or what song, when we now know as a result that he sounds like an angel? Get out of here!

Rating: Willing to bet this is how he packs for every game and that there’s a pair of dusty old boots ready to hit the trails nestled under his occupationally appropriate shoes.

Luka Doncic

Doncic played some tennis and lounged by the pool, but the other thing Doncic has been doing is geotagging his photos to remote and far-flung locations like Tahiti and Bora Bora. Is he yearning for an escape? Are these just locations that come up because they are related to pavilions in the park?

Rating: Help me answer this Disney-related riddle, Lopez brothers.

Mike Scott (thank you Tobias Harris!)

It was Scott’s bubble birthday this week and he celebrated with a tasty breakfast stack. Tobias Harris was his dude all day, the two went fishing and either Scott didn’t catch a thing or it was just a little guy, because Harris slapped an overlarge emoji on it.

Rating: May we all have a Tobias Harris when we need one in this life.

Paul Millsap

The Nuggets went to the driving range in, I really hope, a convoy of golf carts like this. Have you ever laid eyes on something that fills you with so much terror and joy all at once? Paul Millsap hadn’t, either.

The budding magician took a supporting role to his teammates, cheering them on as he filmed their swings. Jamal Murray twacked a few before hitting a real dinger? Swinger? Blaster? Birdie? Then turned to flex and walk toward Millsap in a pretty good personification of the snorting mad emoji.

Rating: Then they all went back to the hotel with the giant, smiling, disembodied head of Mickey leading the way.

P.J. Tucker

Tucker really treated himself right this week! An in-room manicure and an in-room ice bath.

You know who else loves pancakes? I mean, you ought to, it’s P.J. Tucker! Tucker hadn’t had a stack yet but remedies that this week. He did his stuff.

Rating: Damn did he ever do his stuff.

Paul George

As the fixation on fishing eventually wears off for the league’s more amateur anglers, there is one man who has been patiently waiting them out, with the patience of the very sun. Paul George cannot and will not ever stop fishing. First he went on a night fish, and caught this clunker.

Then, he took (or was likely taken, safety first) out at first light. The best thing about Paul George is when he takes a picture of a body of water and captions it “Y’all know what time it is.” You absolutely do! There’s just no question.

Rating: Fish time.

Jusuf Nurkic

Nurk alert. The Bosnian Beast enjoyed one of the Blazers many relaxing kiddie pools full of ice beside the bigger, probably heated despite it being Florida, pool. They draped a towel gently over his shoulders to keep him warm, but if you quietly said “Brrr” to yourself while looking at this, you’d be right.

Rating: Are the kiddie pools single use in the bubble, like the playing cards?

Tobias Harris

Great friend Tobias Harris took some quiet time out for himself one evening this week, which — let’s take another lesson from Tobi here folks — is important! A pretty deec looking bottle of wine (a 2017 vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape, one reviewer wrote “Vibrant and silky, offering a juicy, lithe and attractive feel and a focused, fresh finish. Drink or hold.”) and Monopoly made for a nice night in.

Rating: You gotta freakin’ recharge sometimes.

Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell got a big bubble delivery this week, real big. Ten packages visible and just wondering if one of them contains custom Spider-Man sheets?

Rating: Spider-Man sleeping mask?

Rudy Gay

YES Rudy smudge the hell out of that room. Blast all your cares and anxieties away on the slow rolling back of some thick and cascading sage smoke.

Rating: I can smell the curses melting from here.

Myles Turner

First, Turner received some spices. What I genuinely wonder here is does he keep these on his person, dashing a little here and there on his meals as needed, or does he send them down to the kitchen and tactfully and politely tell them that the eggs really need a little something?

Second, Turner is a big puzzle guy. He’s a jigsaw dynamo. But tragedy struck this week. While 99.9 percent done this 1,000 piecer, Turner discovered the final piece was missing. He was not happy!

And why would he be? All that effort, all that time, and no soothing reward of plonking the final piece down into its waiting, weird-shaped cradle. What did he do? He threw the whole thing out!

Rating: Slid it right into the damn trash. What do you want to bet he finds the missing piece in a few weeks time? That’s gonna suck but he’ll have a laugh about it.

Hassan Whiteside

I’m so sincerely sorry if you missed this gorgeous moment in the history of modern music this week! But how lucky for you to experience it now, for the first time. Whiteside seems to have discovered the sanguine voice and rich lyricism of Rick Springfield, and damn, does he ever love it. He went howling through his hotel tunnels, singing the chorus to “Jessie’s Girl” all the way. When he arrived in his room he threw open the balcony door and began to sing the same chorus out to the world, to triumphantly echo through the swamps. Just as Rick would’ve wanted it.

Rating: Sure it’s a little proprietorial but the song slaps.

Ben Simmons

Never one to let himself be put off by something that may not come to him so naturally, Simmons received approximately 800 lures to use in the well-stocked Disney ponds where just the one kind of fish lives. Will the Banger or Klutch models of lure help him secure an aquatic dynasty of his own? Maybe. Will they help his aim when it comes to throwing fish back in the water? Absolutely not.

It was also Ben’s bubble birthday this week, and he celebrated with this terrifying cake.

Rating: How long til lures are being used as secret bubble currency?

Dwight Powell (thank you Boban!)

Dwight Powell also had a bubble birthday! And thank god Boban was there to take one of the most heartening pictures I’ve ever seen.

Rating: Feel all the stress draining from your shoulders, shh, shh, feel it.

Boban Marjanovic

Best friend to all, Boban Marjanovic, hunkered down and played Ms. Pac-Man and/or Galaga with all the seriousness it requires. But please, if Gordon Hayward brought his gaming bed to the bubble (unconfirmed), can’t we get Boban a better chair?

Rating: They must have the machines with the coin slot blocked out, right?

Buddy Hield

Best Buddy to all, Buddy Hield, hit the damn fish ponds. Judging by that coy smile and the triumphant hoist of his catch, he looks like he’s feeling better!

Rating: A toque in Florida in July? I must respect what I don’t understand.

Toronto Raptors/Drake

Acknowledging that these guys’ rooms are going to get pretty stagnant, over the course of the bubble, Drake sent each and every Toronto Raptor — along with Jamal Murray — custom candles marked with scrawled gold personalized messages. Most put them by the family photos the Raptors organization had framed and put in each player’s room before they got there.

Rating: We know nothing of top notes for each of these scents yet but we are working on it.

C.J. McCollum

McCollum FaceTimed with the biggest puppy in the world, Fiona, and lamented that he had missed bath night.

Rating: Bath night looks pretty cute.

J.R. Smith

Got no clue the context of this but does it matter? Nope.

Rating: This is the new You’re doing amazing, sweetie.

Anthony Toliver (thank you C.J. McCollum!)

Tolliver was sent some wine by notorious wine guy C.J. McCollum. Here’s hoping a more formalized Vino Swap night is organized soon.

Rating: Coors Light Swap can take place on another night.

Marco Belinelli

Beli watched Batman, the Bane one.

Rating: Picturing him in practice the next day sneaking up behind his teammates asking if darkness is their ally, and them asking him to please, shoot the ball.

Kyle Guy

The Kings guard caught a lot of fish this week! Like a lot, a lot, and in various locations. He also perfected the move that is giving some dudes trouble, flipping their lanyard behind their back when dealing with fish so as not to have it slapping against their slimy bodies.

Rating: Fishing friendly lanyards are no doubt on the way as far as bubble innovation.

NBA Wine Guys

Welcome to NBA Wine Guys starring Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard, and C.J. McCollum (who filmed). The three met at what will hopefully become their regular haunt to enjoy some of McCollum’s wine. Note Lillard’s handle on that glass — precise, light, confident. And Melo, thoughtfully toasting to the Wine Guys good health. Salut!

It’s been a tough year for most, but Grimes and Elon Musk have had it good. The couple gave birth to their first child, who they originally named X Æ A-12 Musk before changing it to X Æ A-Xii Musk. But on Friday night it appeared there was trouble in paradise after the couple had a public disagreement on Twitter.

It began when Elon Musk sent out a tweet that read, “Pronouns suck.” While it’s unclear what sparked Musk’s tweet, some saw it as insensitive, perhaps referring to transgender individuals who struggle have to their desired pronouns accepted by society. Grimes seemed to be one of them. In a now-deleted tweet, she took umbrage with her husband’s tweet, writing, “I love you but please turn off ur phone or give me a call. I cannot support hate. Please stop this. I know this isn’t your heart.”

As of this writing, Musk has yet to publicly respond to his wife, or to remove the offending tweet, which is still live on his feed. In other news, Grimes recently announced she would be selling her soul for an upcoming online art exhibition.

You can view Musk and Grimes’ interaction in the tweet posted above.

A lot of movies and show have been affected by the pandemic, and one of them was H. Jon Benjamin‘s other beloved cartoon, Archer, FXX’s long-running spy comedy. Once upon a time its 11th season was to bow on May 6. But once the nation and industry went into lockdown, that had to change, due, the network said, to “production challenges and scheduling issues.” But it’s still happening, in September, and the show released its action- and gag-packed trailer as proof.

The ad was dropped on Friday night, during the show’s Comic Con panel. It finds our functioning alkie spy hero awakening from a coma, unsure of who he is. But he evidently snaps back into place quickly. One reason Archer has kept its quality control highover its decade-plus existence is by reinventing itself, taking big risks and refusing to give fans the same-old. But it looks like the show is returning to its roots, with some changes. (Cyrill has abs now, for one.)

During the Virtual Comic Con panel, Team Archer revealed that the first two episodes will premiere on the same night, on September 16. There will also be at least two big guest appearances, from Jamie Lee Curtis and Simon Pegg.

You can watch the trailer in the video above. Archer returns on Sept. 16.

(Via EW)

Rick and Morty fans know they have to be patient. The show is (in)famous for the huge gaps between seasons, or even breaking the fourth and most recent one in two. It will surely take a good long while for Justin Roiland and team to fulfill their promise of 70 more episodes, 10 of which they’ve made good on so far. So if you’re already aching for Season 5, then here’s something at least: a crude, very rough draft version of a scene from an episode we’ll be seeing at some point.

The scene was dropped online during a virtual panel Friday night that wasn’t part of the ongoing at-home Comic Con; in fact, the Rick and Morty session went head-to-head with the one for Archer. The panel included co-creator Dan Harmon and cast members Sarah Chalke, Spencer Grammer, and Chris Parnell, and they mentioned Team Rick and Morty is laboring over Season 6 from remotely during the pandemic, and assured fans that Season 5 is already in the can.

Speaking of which, the scene they shared offers a glimpse at some of the hijinks en route in the forthcoming season. It opens with Rick seemingly fatally wounded on some faraway planet, and having some deep thoughts. “I can see the end,” he tells Morty. “Oh god there’ nothing. I know I’ve always said that but my god there’s really nothing.” He’s not quite dead, though, and in the 2 ½-minute clip we get a tentacled beastie, an ocean god, and yet another romantic plea from Morty to his beloved Jessica. The scene is fully drawn and mapped out — it just needs, well, more colors, detail, etc.

There’s no release date for Season 5 as of yet, but hopefully this should tide you over. Also of note: Harmon said there was one animated show he’d consider doing a Rick and Morty crossover episode with, namely BoJack Horseman. Two angry alcoholic cartoon characters in a room might be too much existential dread for one show.

You can watch the clip in the video above.

(Via EW)

For the most part, the bubble situation in Orlando has gone well. There were a few minor hiccups at the start, with a couple of players breaking quarantine protocols for food delivery, but otherwise, the safety precautions put in place to protect the players and other league personnel seem to be working.

Several players, however, have been forced to leave the bubble recently to attend to personal matters. Clippers teammates Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell both left Orlando abruptly last week, and on Friday Lou Williams became the latest to make a sudden departure that was being described as an “excused absence.” All are expected to return.

Rookie sensation Zion Williamson left more than a week due to attend to an “urgent family medical emergency,” and as recently as Wednesday of this week, there was still no clear timetable for his return. However, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweeted on Friday night that Zion has returned to Orlando and is back on campus.

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson has returned to Orlando NBA Campus tonight.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 24, 2020

The Pelicans Twitter account later confirmed that, along with a statement from Zion thanking the fans for their support.

Statement from Zion:

“My family and I appreciate the love and respect that everyone showed us while we dealt with a private family matter. I‘m excited to rejoin my team in Orlando and look forward to getting back on the court with my teammates after quarantine.” https://t.co/LRrHfLnIgX

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 24, 2020

Zion was reportedly undergoing daily COVID testing during his absence, which would shorten the amount of quarantine time he would have to undergo once he returned to the bubble. The Pelicans are slated to scrimmage against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, but even with his daily testing, it’s unlikely Zion would be cleared to play by then. Regardless, it’s good news for Pelicans fans who, up to now, faced uncertainty about his return for the restart.

Colin Jost has admitted at least one episode of Saturday Night Live hasn’t stood the test of time. Predictably, Donald Trump is very much involved. Jost was interviewed on MSNBC while promoting his new memoir A Very Punchable Face and was asked about a line from the book where he addressed Trump’s infamous 2015 appearance hosting SNL, where he danced to a parody of Hotline Bling while running for president.

In the book, Jost compared the appearance in SNL history to a Confederate statue and elaborated on that sentiment in the interview.

“There have been some hosts over the years who are real “confederate statues” of entertainment,” Jost wrote. “And that episode of SNL has not aged well, politically or comedically.”

Asked about that line by Andrea Mitchell, Jost called the appearance “surreal” and detailed how he feels Trump used ‘SNL’ on his way to the White House.

“I write about it in the book because I wanted people to have a sense of what that was like behind the scenes. Just look at this clip that’s playing,” Jost says as Trump’s Hotline Bling video played in a box alongside his face. “All these clips are so surreal when you look back. I think it also speaks to what he’s done and how he can feel charming or even manipulative sometimes with people.”

Jost joked about other people who have also written about Trump in recent months and how they share a similar experience with Trump manipulating them and then moving on.

“Think about it with all the people in his administration that he’s gone through and people that have learned that lesson and are now writing books about it,” he said. “I wanted people to be able to understand what was going on while he hosted and what that week was like because it was a pretty weird week for us on a lot of levels.”

Jost pointed out that Trump was not a passive host at all, and was at every rehearsal the show had even while he was running a national campaign that would eventually get him elected president.

“I think most people assumed in America that he would be burned out by that point and that campaign would have been over,” he said. “Instead he was fully in the middle of the campaign and somehow was also hosting our show every day.”

SNL alum Taran Killam has publicly spoken about the episode as well, saying how much the cast and writers “hated” the experience. So at the very least it’s a re-confirmation from the show’s co-head writer that those involved ultimately regret what happened. In a slightly related story, Jost has said in other promotional interviews that he’s “definitely” returning to the sketch comedy show despite admitting earlier in the month he wasn’t sure what his future holds.

[h/t Deadline]

Twitter exploded this morning over chatter that the New York Times essentially confirmed the existence of UFOs in an article about the Pentagon’s secret official UFO unit. They didn’t, but we’ll get to that in a second. The article in question confirms that despite the Pentagon’s earlier statements that it had disbanded a once-covert program charged with investigating UFOs, the program was actually still operational and had been renamed the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force and transferred into the Office of Naval Intelligence, where officials continue to study “mystifying encounters” between military pilots and unexplained aerial phenomenon.

A UFO task force part of Naval Intelligence? Sounds like a job for Space Force to us.

The program appeared most recently in a Senate Committee Report that outlined 2021 National Intelligence Agency spending and listed that the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force’s responsibility was “to standardize collection and reporting” on sightings of unexplained aerial vehicles, with a requirement to report some of its findings to the public within 180 days after the passage of the Intelligence Authorization Act, according to The New York Times.

That news and a quote from astrophysicist, Eric W. Davis, who previously worked as a subcontractor and a consultant for the Pentagon’s former UFO program, which stated that he had given a classified briefing to a Defense Department agency this March about the retrieval of materials from “off-world vehicles not made on this earth.” has left many a Twitter-user hoping that within a few months we might finally see some evidence of UFOs. Unfortunately, that’s probably not the case.

As credible a source as Davis is, the article mentions that his inability to determine the source of materials that had examined in the past led him to conclude that “we couldn’t’ make it ourselves,” whether that actually means the materials are in fact from an off-world vehicle, remains to be revealed. Additionally, an earlier version of the New York Times article inaccurately reported remarks from retired Senate majority leader Harry Reid that seemed to suggest that crashes of UFO had previously occurred and that retrieved material had been studied secretly in the past. However, the New York Times has sent corrected those statements.

The correction reads:

Correction: July 24, 2020

An earlier version of this article inaccurately rendered remarks attributed to Harry Reid, the retired Senate majority leader from Nevada. Mr. Reid said he believed that crashes of objects of unknown origin may have occurred and that retrieved materials should be studied; he did not say that crashes had occurred and that retrieved materials had been studied secretly for decades.

Admittedly, saying crashes “had occurred” sounds a whole lot more definitive than saying he “believed” that crashes had occurred, but unfortunately, this mistake is on the New York Times, not former Senate majority Harry Reid. Instead, the program’s main focus is on discovering whether potential adversaries might be using aviation technology that could possibly threaten the safety of the United States. So while the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force is set to reveal something soon, the chances of it being an alien aircraft look a little slim… even though that’s what we really want it to be.

A Marvel show is coming to Hulu. Yes, that’s correct and quite a development, but while Helstrom technically sits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s currently intended to be a standalone story that was co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Signature Studios (part of Disney TV Studios). Oh, this is a dark one, all fiery and brimstone-y, for as this Comic-Con teaser trailer shows, it includes what’s possibly the worst family reunion ever. And a slight spelling modification.

In the comics, Daimon Hellstrom is the Son of Satan, although the TV show has notably gone with a single “l” for his last name, we’ll have to wait and see how many other changes are coming for the TV adaptation, but first, take a (frightened) look at what Hulu is presenting as Helstrom’s family portrait. Yikes.

The show’s protagonist, of course, will be Daimon (Tom Austen). He’s an exorcist and an ethics professor; he and his sister, Ana/Santana (Sydney Lemmon in a The Crying Game-esque wig), will reckon with their status as children of a serial killer. Their dynamic is a fraught one, and their mom, Victoria (Elizabeth Marvel — her real name), is a real (institutionalized) piece of work and apparently of no assistance. This should be one of Hulu’s bigger shows for fall, and the streaming service announced today that a full 10-episode season will be ready to roll accordingly.

Helstrom‘s first season comes to Hulu on October 16.

In a historically frenzied offseason for the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury were determined not to be left out of the action. The team signed star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith from the Dallas Wings in a blockbuster move, slotting her in alongside Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner to establish a new “Big Three” in the league. Last season, Phoenix advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but fell short in first round. Taurasi struggled to make it onto the floor after undergoing back surgery for a disc protrusion in April and then suffering a hamstring injury, and only made six appearances for the Mercury in 2019.

The team couldn’t adequately make up for the loss of their point guard and other injuries whittled the active roster down, but there were some bright spots in Phoenix. Griner continued to put up strong numbers, Leilani Mitchell stepped up in Taurasi’s absence to win Most Improved Player for the second time in her career, and DeWanna Bonner was a reliable force for the Mercury. The latter two are no longer with the Mercury, however, as Mitchell was picked up by the Mystics in February and Bonner has since departed to Connecticut.

Heading into the 2020 WNBA season, the Mercury have freshened their roster added Bria Hartley and Shatori Kimbrough-Walker, two experienced guards who can create scoring opportunities. Forward Jessica Breland was deemed medically exempt and will not play this year, so the team brought in center Kia Vaughn to help shore things up in the frontcourt with Griner. With the possibility that this could be 38-year-old Taurasi’s final year in the league, the Mercury will be pushing hard for a chance at the championship in Florida.

The Mercury look like one of the most formidable teams in the league with a deep and experienced roster, and are early favorites for a title run.

WUBBLE ROSTER

Nia Coffey
Sophie Cunningham
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Brittney Griner
Bria Hartley
Alanna Smith
Diana Taurasi
Brianna Turner
Kia Vaughn
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brittney Griner: One of the few consistent performers for the injury-riddled Mercury last season, Griner averaged a league-leading 20.7 points and two blocks as well as 7.2 rebounds per game while having the highest usage rate. In her seventh year in the league, the 6’9 center was named a WNBA All-Star for the sixth time in her career and received a spot on the All-WNBA first team for the second time. She has continued to improve year-over-year, and last season, Griner became one of the most dominant post players in the league, averaging a league-best 14.1 points in the paint. The biggest of the big three, Griner is set to have a big year and will be expected to once again be in the MVP conversation.

Skylar Diggins-Smith: Diggins-Smith missed the 2019 season after giving birth to her son in April. But in 2018, she did it all for Dallas, averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per contest. She also suited up for Team USA during its college tour in the fall. The star guard is a very energetic player, and is excellent at running the point while also being a nuisance on defense. At 29 years old, she will definitely upgrade this Mercury team, both as a leader and as someone who can give Taurasi chances to rest.

EXPECTATIONS

Injuries, suspensions, and and overall lack of consistency made it hard for the Mercury to build chemistry and succeed last season. Losing Bonner and Mitchell, who really helped carry the team into the playoffs last year, will hurt, but with a healthy Taurasi and the addition of Diggins-Smith, Phoenix can compete for the title. With those two on-the-ball guards, Phoenix will have to work hard to make sure both players get their touches and run plays that ensure the two can perform at their best levels for the team.

The Mercury will also need Alanna Smith, Brianna Turner, and Sophie Cunningham to grow into more reliable players so that the scoring workload does not fall solely onto the big three. Talented as Taurasi, Griner, and Diggins-Smith are, they cannot expect to contend without a full team effort from the players around them.

X-FACTOR

Bria Hartley: The former New York Liberty guard describes herself as “the perfect combo guard,” someone who can hold the rock and run the offense but also knows when to use her speed to get out and up the floor. She is a solid shooter, averaging 9.8 points on 38 percent shooting and with a 33 percent clip from beyond the arc. Her addition to the fold should certainly help the team spread the floor and she can help get others looks as well; last season, she averaged 3.2 assists per game.

BIGGEST ON-COURT QUESTION

How strong is the Mercury’s depth and chemistry? Last season saw the Mercury’s roster tested to the limits as players fell left and right with injuries. Taurasi’s injury was the biggest one of all, and the team certainly needs her to be back at full strength if they have any real hope of winning their fourth championship. The addition of Diggins-Smith will certainly help take the load off the Mercury legend, but Phoenix needs to ensure that when the pair are on the floor together they get enough touches and have enough space.

The Indiana Pacers got a boost before their Orlando bubble schedule began when All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who was not expected to take the floor as he continued to work his way back to 100 percent from the quad tear that delayed his 2020 debut until January, reversed course and decided to play. But while that’s excellent news, a separate Pacers star has been dealing with an injury issue in recent days that has now caused him to leave the bubble altogether.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis has to leave the bubble in the hopes of finding treatment for a foot injury that has left him hampered recently.

Earlier this week, Sabonis discussed the injury, which had been described as plantar fasciitis. The former Gonzaga standout explained that he’s taking a wait-and-see approach with the situation.

“With this kind of injury, you can’t really circle (a date),” Sabonis said, per Ethan Sears of the Indianapolis Star. “Every person is different how long it heals, how long it doesn’t. We’re just trying to do the best we can with everything we have here.”

It goes without saying, but losing Sabonis — who is averaging career-highs in scoring (18.5 points per game) and rebounding (12.4 boards per game) — would be an absolutely brutal blow for the Pacers, especially following such optimistic news about Oladipo. Indiana’s bubble slate kicks off next Saturday when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers in a game with major seeding implications ahead of the Eastern Conference playoffs.