Category: Worldwide

The Phoenix Suns may be without the services of star point guard Chris Paul for the start of the Western Conference Finals, and it’s not because of the pesky shoulder injury that has lingered throughout this offseason. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Paul has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and he’ll be out for an indefinite period of time, although Charania noted that if Paul is vaccinated, his isolation period would not be as long.

Paul has been magnificent for the Suns this postseason, serving as the leader of a generally pretty young bunch that took down the Lakers in the first round and blitzed the Nuggets in the conference semifinals. He’s averaging 15.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while putting up remarkably efficient shooting splits — 50.9 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from three, and 91.2 percent from the free throw line. While he was an All-Star and finished in fifth place in MVP voting due to his regular season performance, the veteran guard has taken his game up a notch during the playoffs.

Now, all eyes turn to the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. Currently tied at two games each, a potential Game 7 would take place this upcoming Sunday, giving Paul a little extra time to get out of isolation and back onto the floor.

Having a clown at a birthday party is an old-school—albeit slightly terrifying—rite of passage that kids have been forced to endure for decades now. But having a birthday party full of mostly clowns is goddamn nightmare fuel. Yet that’s the best way to describe the guest list at the little soirée that someone decided to throw together for Donald Trump on Monday night in celebration of his 75th birthday—except Melania Trump, the former president’s wife of 16 years, was not among them. And Jimmy Kimmel noticed!

On Tuesday night, Kimmel shared a quick clip of a video that Donald Trump Jr. (a.k.a. DJ TJ, a.k.a. Fredo) posted to his Instagram of a group of well-wishers singing a poorly orchestrated version of “Happy Birthday” to his dad at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And to borrow a phrase from the former president himself, it all looked rather sad. But Kimmel was quick to point out that Melania seemed to be MIA.

“What a party! All the best people were there. Although I couldn’t help but notice his wife wasn’t. It’s his 75th birthday. This is a big birthday. Where’s Melania? Wouldn’t it be great if she ran off with Hunter Biden? ‘Where’s Melania? Wait, where’s Hunter?’”

The political fan fiction is practically writing itself.

You can watch the full clip above, starting around the 5:27 mark.

One of the most highly anticipated games to this point in the 2021 NBA Playoffs arrives on Wednesday with Game 5 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz. The series sits at 2-2, with the Jazz winning the first two games at home and the Clippers answering with back-to-back wins in Los Angeles. Now, the best-of-seven matchup swings back to Salt Lake City with all eyes on what could be a pivotal contest.

Los Angeles absolutely cruised to a win in Game 4, leading by as many as 28 points in the first half before coasting to the finish line. The Clippers boast an incredible offensive rating of 133.5 points per 100 possessions in the last two games, lifting their overall mark for the series to 124.7 points per 100 possessions. That is a stellar figure under any circumstances, and they rode an impressive 65.9 percent true shooting mark in Games 3 and 4. Individually, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 31 points in Game 4, and both are averaging 27.3 points per game in the series while leading the team’s offensive attack.

On the Utah side, the status of Mike Conley (hamstring) could be critical. Conley has not appeared to this point in the series but, if available, he would provide the Jazz with another ball-handler and shot creator that can space the floor and defend adequately. With Conley sidelined, Donovan Mitchell has stepped up in a big way, averaging 37.3 points per game in the series. Still, the Jazz scuffled in Los Angeles, and they will look to regain the form that keyed them to No. 1 marks in win-loss record and net rating (+9.0) with top-five units on both offense and defense this season.

From a betting standpoint, Game 4 went Under the total of 224 points and Los Angeles covered the closing point spread of 5 points as a favorite.

Game 5 TV Info

Tip Time: Wednesday, June 16; 10 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT

Game 5 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Jazz (-125), Clippers (+103)
Spread: Jazz -3 (-107), Clippers +3 (-114)
Total: Over 222 (-110), Under 222 (-110)
Money Line: Jazz (-143), Clippers (+120)

Wells Fargo Center hosts a pivotal Game 5 matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday evening. The series is tied at 2-2 after a memorable win by the Hawks in Game 4, though the 76ers hold the advantage with two of the final three games scheduled to be held in Philadelphia.

Atlanta erased an 18-point deficit in Game 4, and they did it without shooting the lights out. Nate McMillan’s team actually overcame a poor overall shooting night by winning on the margins, as they turned the ball over only four times in the game. Beyond the ball security, the Hawks grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, turning them into 21 second-chance points, and Atlanta can also take solace in their shot quality. Trae Young was masterful as a passer, producing 18 assists, and he was able to set up high-quality looks for his teammates, both beyond the three-point arc and at the rim.

On the other side, Philadelphia has to be kicking themselves after Game 4. The game seemed to be in total control, but the 76ers scored only 38 points after halftime, failing to put the game away and leaving an opportunity on the table. Part of the struggles came from Joel Embiid, with the All-NBA center missing all 12 of his shots after halftime on the way to a 4-of-20 shooting night. Embiid is listed as questionable with a well-chronicled knee issue, and he did not seem to be moving as well in Game 4. If nothing else, that is a storyline to closely monitor in Game 5 and beyond.

Overall, the top-seeded Sixers can be seen as the better team, particularly with a +11.2 net rating in the postseason. Embiid’s status could swing things, however, and Philadelphia may need to lean on a raucous home crowd. The Sixers finished 29-7 at home in the regular season and they are 4-1 in their own building during the playoffs.

From a betting standpoint, Game 4 went Under the total of 226.5 points and Atlanta covered the closing point spread of 3 points as an underdog.

Game 5 TV Info

Tip Time: Wednesday, June 16; 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT

Game 5 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: 76ers (-315), Hawks (+240)
Spread: 76ers -6 (-114), Hawks +6 (-107)
Total: Over 224 (-112), Under 224 (-109)
Money Line: 76ers (-240), Hawks (+195)

A few days ago Bruce Springsteen let the cat out of the bag — he’s collaborating with The Killers. Longtime listeners of Brandon Flowers and his crew are very aware of just how big an influence The Boss is on their sound, so this is incredible news, both for the band and for fans. Oh and for anyone who grew up with parents so obsessed with Springsteen they made mixtapes of his best songs for the van. What you might not know is that Bruce is mutually a fan of Flowers and the band! What a blessing for indie and classic rock lovers after a year of severe guitar solos drought.

Anyway, the collaboration is now here and it’s a reimagining of a song off The Killers’ 2008 album Day & Age, “A Dustland Fairytale.” According to a press release, this is Bruce’s favorite Killers song (!) and that’s why it was selected. Shortened down to just “Dustland” for the Bruce version, he and the band will be performing their new version of the song live on The Today Show tomorrow. Listen to the new track above, get it right here, and check out the full story of how the collaboration came to be via Brandon’s story told on the band’s socials and copied below.

“February 29, 2020
JFK terminal 2
Destination: Salt Lake City, Utah

I’m a little more anxious than usual about tonight’s flight. Universal just sent out an umbrella email to all artists: “Continue promotion AT YOUR OWN RISK.” There’s a new virus going around, and it’s shutting down the promotional run for our latest and greatest — Imploding the Mirage. We’re dead proud of the record and can’t wait for the world to get a load of it. But what was meant to be a rocket launch, stadium shaking, saliva-inducing tour run was about to come to a screeching halt. There’s plenty of time before boarding, so I get a burger at Wendy’s and call Tana. She’s excited to get her husband home early. And I have to be honest, I’m a little relieved to be getting home early myself.

Around the time I find my gate, I start getting some texts from a number I don’t have marked in my phone. “Watching Glastonbury. You guys have become one hellacious live band my brother! Love the gold suit! We gotta do Dustland one day.” Signed off with: “Bruce.”

Now I’ve got 3 options here:
1. Some cold-blooded monster is playing a cruel trick on me.
2. It’s Bruce Hornsby. But I haven’t talked with him since 2015ish.
Or
3. It really is Bruce Springsteen (I forgot to put both Bruce’s numbers in that phone).

So I google the area code. It’s from Freehold, New Jersey, and I’m still not convinced. So I text Evan (Bruce and Patti’s son who has become a buddy of mine) and get verification that the number really is coming from his old man.

And then, Covid Happened. We were sorry that we didn’t get to tour it, but genuinely happy that we were able to release Imploding the Mirage as some sort of consolation. This is what we do, and this is what we have to offer. A joyful record about unity and perseverance. Our interpretation of that promised light that lives just beyond the boundary of sorrow.

I have always sought to find and reflect that elusive light in my songs. It’s a trait I inherited from my mother Jean. She died from a brain tumor back in 2010 at the age of 64… Sixty Four! I’m turning 40 next week and I’m starting to realize just how young that is. Too young. She was married to my father Terry for 44 of those years. Dustland was written in the middle of her battle with cancer. It was an attempt to better understand my dad, who is sometimes a mystery to me. To grieve for my mother. To acknowledge their sacrifices and maybe even catch a glimpse of just how strong love needs to be to make it in this world. It was my therapy. It was cathartic.

That’s where Bruce comes in. Before I really became a fan of his, I was in the business of stadium-size everything. Larger than life EVERYTHING. Certainly larger than the lives of Jeannie and Terry Flowers. But Bruce has written a lot about people like my parents and found a whole lot of beauty in otherwise invisible people’s hopes and dreams. Their struggles, and their losses.

I’m grateful to him for opening this door for me. I’m grateful to my parents for their example to me. Now go find something new out about your dad, give your mom a big hug, and for god’s sake listen to Bruce Springsteen.”

Megan Thee Stallion always holds it down for her supporters. Whether it be through her music or comments that stand up for the ladies and their rights, the Houston rapper has never shied away from returning the love and support her fans give her. Another example of this came through an interaction Megan had with a user on Twitter who told the rapper that a friend of hers, who was also a fan of Megan, recently died.

“Meg we lost a hottie [crying emoji] our best friend passed away unexpectedly,” the fan wrote. “They absolutely loved you, listening to ur songs was something we did every time we were together. We’re helping their family w funeral costs. We started a gofundme & are halfway there. @theestallion.” They replied to this tweet with a link to a GoFundMe that looked to raise $16,000 in funeral costs for the late fan.

The rapper caught wind of the tweet and responded, “How much do y’all need?” The fan answered back and said $8,000 was needed to meet the goal. Megan then replied with a screenshot that showed she donated $8,155 to the fan to meet the funeral costs.

The rapper’s random act of kindness comes after she made her return from hiatus with her newest single, “Thot Sh*t.”

You can read the interaction between the fan and the Houston rapper in the tweets above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Brooklyn Nets overcame a 17-point deficit in Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday evening, taking control of the best-of-seven clash with a 3-2 series lead. While the work of Jeff Green (7-for-8 from three) was impressive and the gutty effort of James Harden (46 minutes) was notable, Brooklyn’s explosive comeback was keyed by an all-time performance from Kevin Durant. Durant scored 49 points, including 31 in the second half, and he added 17 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and two blocks to push the Nets over the top.

While there was some justified focus on Milwaukee’s shortcomings in what was a maddening performance from the Bucks, Durant rightfully took center stage as many active players weighed in on his brilliance.

Current and former teammates also shared their praise, ranging from injured Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie to Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.

Legends of the game also couldn’t help but laud Durant’s incredible showing, with Allen Iverson and Vince Carter showing love.

Steve Nash, Durant’s coach and a Hall of Famer in his own right, did his best to describe the effort.

Finally, LeBron James checked in to encourage observers to appreciate what they had seen.

Durant’s 49 points are the second-most in a triple-double in NBA Playoff history, and he is the first player in postseason history to exceed 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single game. Beyond the numbers, though, Durant’s effort in playing all 48 minutes is borderline unbelievable, and the praise will undoubtedly continue as many reflect on what was a performance for the ages.

A little more than two years ago, then-Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured achilles during an NBA Finals matchup against the Toronto Raptors. An injury that has taken careers from players far too soon, Durant spent all of the 2019-20 season rehabbing the injury and returned to the floor this year as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

There have been plenty of moments this season where Durant has reminded us that he’s one of the best players of his generation, and on Tuesday night, we saw the former league MVP put forth a game for the ages. Durant, through sheer force of will, led the Nets to a thrilling 114-108 comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclays Center, putting Brooklyn ahead in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series, 3-2. He played every single second, going for 49 points on 16-for-23 shooting with 17 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and two blocks, making him the first player to ever go for at least 45, 15, and 10 in a playoff game.

A completely different Nets team took the floor before and after halftime. Brooklyn scored 15 points in the first quarter and entered the locker room trailing by 16. Durant, Jeff Green, and Blake Griffin did everything they could, but it appeared James Harden’s hamstring injury was going to put a limit on what they could accomplish.

And then, Durant happened, taking total control of the game after the break. In one of the greatest individual playoff performances that we have ever seen, Durant caught fire during the game’s second half, hitting seemingly every shot, initiating the Nets’ offense, and playing swarming defense that played a role in the Bucks getting stuck in the mud. While we have seen Durant do some incredible things over the course of his NBA career, nothing has been quite like this.

Every single thing Milwaukee tried to do seemed hopeless against Durant, who put on a shot making clinic. And with less than a minute remaining in the game, he put things to bed, pulling up over Khris Middleton for a jumper at the end of the shot clock that made the Barclays Center roar.

While Harden obviously was not himself and Kyrie Irving was sidelined with an ankle injury, Green and Griffin came up big. The latter gave the Nets 17 points, while the former was out of his mind, scoring 27 off the bench and hitting seven of his eight attempts from three.

Both dudes competed like hell on defense, too, something that really flummoxed the Bucks in the second half. Antetokounmpo did what he could, going for 34 with 12 rebounds, but just was not able to keep up with the furious output from Durant.

Beyond Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton gave the Bucks 25 points with five assists and four rebounds, while Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez combined for 34. But once the Nets got cooking, it looked like every attempt at stemming the tide by Milwaukee was for naught — as a team, they were outscored 33-21 in the fourth quarter and just could not find any sort of rhythm.

Game 6 between the Bucks and the Nets will take place on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

HER has been a big deal since 2016, when she released her debut EP, HER Vol. 1. Over the years, the California-born artist has won a Grammy and an Oscar. Through it all, one of the only things HER hadn’t accomplished was release a full-length album, but that will change in just a few days.

Back Of My Mind, HER’s long-awaited long-player debut, will drop on June 18. After revealing its title and cover art earlier this month, the singer shared its tracklist with just three days until the album arrives. According to the Apple Music pre-save page, it’s comprised of 21 songs with contributions from Ty Dolla Sign, Hit-Boy, Cordae, Lil Baby, Kaytranada, Thundercat, Chris Brown, Yung Bleu, DJ Khaled, Bryson Tiller, and YG. Previously-released singles, “We Made It,” “Damage,” “Come Through,” “Hold On,” and “Slide.”

You can check out the full tracklist for the album below.

1. “We Made It”
2. “Back Of My Mind” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
3. “Trauma” Feat. Cordae & Hit-Boy
4. “Damage”
5. “Find A Way” Feat. Lil Baby
6. “Bloody Waters” Feat. Kaytranada & Thundercat
7. “Closer To Me
8. “Come Through” Feat. Chris Brown
9. “My Own”
10. “Lucky”
11. “Cheat Code”
12. “Mean It”
13. “Paradise” Feat. Yung Bleu
14. “Process”
15. “Hold On”
16. “Don’t”
17. “Exhausted”
18. “Hard To Love”
19. “For Anyone”
20. “I Can Have It” Feat. DJ Khaled & Bryson Tiller
21. “Slide” feat. YG

Back Of My Mind is out 6/18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

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

Since the deadly MAGA insurrection of Jan. 6, the rightwing has done one of two things: downplay it, hoping it goes away, or hatching deranged conspiracy theories that take the blame off of the Trump supporters who perpetrated it. Tucker Carlson has done both. In April he tried to gaslight America, claiming they hadn’t seen a violent assault on Democracy and the lawmakers who help it run. On Tuesday he switched, admitting that it was bad, but it wasn’t Trump folks’ fault. No, he claimed, it was a false flag operation done by…the FBI.

Carlson’s comments came in the wake of Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement of a plan to combat domestic terrorism, such as those that stormed the Capitol, hoping to overturn a free and fair election. According to The Daily Beast, the Fox News host claimed that was just another example of the Biden administration’s attempt to “crush anyone who leads opposition to” the current president.

He then got more specific in his conspiracy theorizing. He said that “some of the key people who participated on January 6 have not been charged,” adding, “Look at the documents, the government calls those people unindicted coconspirators. What does that mean? Well, it means that potentially every single case they were FBI operatives. Really? In the Capitol on January 6?”

Is that what it means? But Carlson was just getting started. He pointed out that Oath Keeper member Thomas Caldwell had been indicted, but that two others listed in documents have not (yet) been charged. Carlson had a tinfoil theory for that.

“The government knows who they are, but they have not charged them. Why is that? You know why,” Carlson said, throwing in a dramatic nod. “They were all certainly working for the FBI. So FBI operatives were organizing the attack on the Capitol, on Jan. 6, according to government documents!”

Carlson went on to claim the FBI were also behind the extremist plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer. He then twisted the knife, showing that he was far more worried about baseless conspiracies that make his fanbase look good than violent Americans run amok.

“If you empower the government to violate civil liberties in pursuit of a foreign terror organization, it’s just a matter of time before ambitious politicians use those same mechanisms to suppress political dissent,” he said. “And that is what we are seeing now.”

What inventive nonsense will Tucker spin next? Whatever it is, a large portion of the country will see, and maybe believe it.

(Via The Daily Beast)