The Phoenix Suns followed up their blowout win over the Lakers in Game 5 with a nearly identical first half performance in Game 6, jumping all over the Lakers from the opening tip in L.A. and holding on for a 113-100 win to close out a 4-2 series win and send the defending champs packing.
Leading the way or Phoenix was Devin Booker, who had 22 points in the first quarter to outscore the Lakers by eight points by himself, as L.A. had no answers for the Suns’ superstar and no answers for the Phoenix defense early.
Devin Booker (22 PTS, 8-9 FGM) ties the postseason record for threes made in a quarter with 6 treys in the 1st! #NBAPlayoffs on TNT pic.twitter.com/gzKg3zagBp
Contributing to L.A.’s problems was Anthony Davis being unable to do much of anything in his five minutes of playing time before he checked out with too much pain from his groin strain to continue. That he even played at all became a hot topic of conversation given how immobile he looked on the court during his time out there. Given the stakes of the closeout game, the Lakers looked lifeless in the first half, trailing by as many as 29 and 21 going into the halftime break. Booker finished the first half with 33 points, as he hit shot after shot to put the Lakers in a massive hole, and got some big help from Jae Crowder, who hit six three-pointers on the night for 18 points as he finally came to life.
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers and LeBron James made a move in the third quarter, reeling the Suns in to trail by just 13 going into the fourth quarter as they tightened up defensively and finally got going downhill, led by James putting his head down and getting to the rim.
In the fourth quarter, they got the Suns lead down to as few as 10, but for every run the Lakers made, the Suns had an answer, whether from Booker, a timely three from one of their role players, or the steady hand of Chris Paul who had just eight points but dished out 12 assists and hit this big bucket to push the Phoenix lead back out to 17.
Booker closed things out to end the night with a new playoff career-high 47 points on 15-of-22 shooting and 8-of-10 from three (the eight threes a new career high in any game for Booker) to go along with 11 rebounds and three assists. It was an outstanding, star-confirming performance from Booker in his first closeout game experience, showing his killer instinct to jump on the listless Lakers early to bury them to a point they simply couldn’t come back from.
For the Lakers, it’s a disappointing end to a disappointing season, marred by injuries including the one that ultimately proved too costly to overcome in Davis’ groin. Still, the Suns deserve full credit for their play in the series, as many lesser teams have failed to put away LeBron James-led squads, no matter how banged up, in the past. Phoenix now advances to play Denver in what should be an exciting second round series between the presumptive MVP in Nikola Jokic and a young superstar in Devin Booker who is showing just how good he can be in the postseason.
At the beginning of 2021, all signs pointed to the new year being an exciting one for Ohio native Jasiah. The prospering act has grown thanks to pushing his limits in a number of genres and seemingly staying focused on remaining true to himself and refusing to conform at any extent. Jasiah’s latest song, “Art Of War,” finds him side by side with a pair of energetic and sharp-cutting rappers: Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty. The trio combines their high-octane energies for an absolute head-banging track, one that should be perfect for the mosh pits that are set to return at festivals later this year.
The track arrives after Jasian dropped War back in April. The 7-track effort came equipped with features from Rico Nasty, Nascar Aloe, and Pouya. However, it’s not only Jasiah that’s been busy lately. Curry reunited with Kenny Beats to drop Unlocked 1.5 earlier this year, a collaborative edition of their Unlocked project, which this time came with contributions from Arlo Parks, Benny The Butcher, Charlie Heat, Kenny Mason, Jay Versace, Sango, and more.
Rico Nasty, on the other hand, is preparing a project to release this summer, or so it seems. She recently shared an image of two prescription bottles with the caption “Rx . This summer .” Perhaps this means the DMV rapper will grace us with new tunes in the coming months.
You can rock out to the trio’s new song in the video above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For the past few months, hip-hop fans have been patiently waiting for the arrival of Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s joint project, Voice Of The Heroes. It’s an effort that the duo began teasing back in February and now, nearly four months later, the album is finally in the hands of listeners. Its 18 songs are currently being enjoyed by supporters all over the world, and from the looks of it, the duo’s collaboration with Travis Scott is getting the most votes for an early favorite from the album.
The motivational track sees Durk and Baby tipping their hats to those who kept it real and stayed loyal around them. Travis takes the anchor position and closes out the track with vague anecdotes about those in his past who never did him wrong. Lil Baby also offers a brief explanation for the album’s title on the track, rapping, “Durk the voice ’cause he know just what to say / I’m the hero, I come through, save the day.”
Along with Travis, listeners can expect appearances from Meek Mill, Young Thug, and Rod Wave on the Voice Of The Heroes. The project was initially set to arrive on May 28, but Durk and Baby opted to push it back a week out of respect for DMX as his posthumous album, Exodus arrived on that day.
A blockbuster franchise installment, a dystopian fairytale with heart, a feminist-punk-rock comedy series, and so much more. Do you want to know where you’ll find the best bang for your buck among the streaming services? There’s simply no way to easily sort out all of the endless options, so we are here to make your decision process as painless as possible. Fortunately, this week is pretty clear cut with a first and second place finish, a few services churning out other options, and a few with some holdovers until next week (get ready for Disney+ to make a strong showing when Loki arrives).
This week, the top prize goes to HBO Max for bringing us more of The Conjuring franchise in our homes, so that theatergoing isn’t mandatory to get the bejesus scared out of you, and the WarnerMedia streaming service also has followup doses of Hacks and the Friends reunion if you missed it. Netflix brings up the next slot with the Team Downey-produced Sweet Tooth and comedian Bo Burnham’s latest (and very relevant) special, along with several other options. Peacock has a girl-power show, Amazon has a new crime drama, and Hulu has the latest documentary episode from the series that caused all that Britney Spears fuss a few months ago. Here’s everything that you should consider putting in your queues this weekend.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — The Devil’s simultaneously coming to a living room or theater near you for this third The Conjuring movie, as the second-highest-grossing franchise (James Wan can’t stop) roars back. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as paranormal dream-team Lorraine and Ed Warren, and this time, the story’s ripped from the headlines. As the film’s title indicates, this case revolves around a 1980s murder case, in which a defendant claimed that the Devil, you know, made him kill and other unspeakable things.
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max feature-length special) — The whole O.G. gang is back in one place, which means that Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Ross (David Schwimmer), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) are all here. Sadly, Paul Rudd is not on the scene, but there’s a buffay (get it?) of guest stars here to reinforce why this pop-culture phenomenon remains popular to this day, and why, oftentimes, friends can become your family.
Hacks (HBO Max series premiere) — Jean Smart’s not-so-quiet domination of recent prestige TV shows (Fargo, Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, Legion) and other popular shows of late (Big Mouth, Dirty John) has finally culminated with this leading-lady turn in a role she was arguably meant to play. Hacks hails from executive producer Michael Schur and has three Broad City alums in the writers’ room, so get ready for a (Las Vegas) buffet of complex female characters. Smart portrays a legendary comedian who forges a “dark mentorship” to a 20-something newcomer in town. Don’t miss this one.
Netflix
Netflix
Sweet Tooth: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Team Downey (Robert Jr. and Susan) brings us this awe-inspiring story based upon a comic-book by creator Jeff Lemire, who whipped up a post-apocalyptic fairytale about what happens when a great sickness (which is poorly dealt with by humans) ends with a miracle. In this case, this would be the appearance of “hybrids,” babies who are born half-human and half-animal, and we’ll meet a young deer-boy, Gus, (Christian Convery), who teams up with a reluctant protector, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), for a cross-country quest. The comic has been described as “Mad Max Meets Bambi,” and Will Forte also plays a pivotal role. You’re in for a real (sweet) treat if you surrender to this adventure.
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix stand-up special) — Bo Burnham set out to do the nearly impossible: to be funny during a very unfunny time. As such, he’s offering up his general brand of existentialism but with much more rawness. We’ve all felt isolated over the past year or so, but Burnham feels it deeply, and it shows. As such, this special feels bittersweet while nailing the reality that we’ve all experienced, while mixing tragedy and comedy and everything in between. In addition, this episode was largely (and now, relatably) filmed in one room within his home, which only adds to how his audience is ready to embrace everything that Burnham is selling.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie (Netflix film) — This double-dose anime film takes place with the scattered Sailor Guardians attempting to bring light back after a total solar eclipse gives way to a dark power. All of this takes place when Tokyo’s seeing the annual cherry blossom bloom, so the visuals should be extra magical.
Breaking Boundaries: The Science Of Our Planet (Netflix film) — Sir David Attenborough apparently hasn’t narrated enough new projects over the past year, so here he is with the latest from the team who made the Our Planet series and David Attenborough – A Life On Our Planet. The film takes us through the journey to achieve humanity’s greatest scientific discovery, and how we must preserve and not exceed planetary thresholds to secure humanity’s future.
Dancing Queens (Netflix film) — This follows a 20-something young woman (with dancing aspirations) who begins cleaning a drag club called Queens. There, her talent is discovered, and as the synopsis teases, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I think we can guess where the story goes from there.
Peacock
Peacock
We Are Lady Parts: Season 1 (Peacock series) — A Muslim female post-punk band called Lady Parts looks for a lead guitarist in this subversive series, which follows the ups and downs of the group as they seek a real gig. A geeky, hard-sciences Ph.D. recruit named Amina Hussain ends up being the unlikely lucky lady to pick up the ax, and she’s soon swept up into the group’s anarchic energy. Naturally, Amina’s caught between two worlds, that of her conservative friends and the irresistible lure of the band’s joyful spirit. Together, they’re fearless, rowdy, and sexual and every ultra-religious family’s nightmare. As a show, it’s silly and irreverent and inspiring; for sure, you’ve never seen women like quite this on your TV screen.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+
Lisey’s Story (Apple TV+ limited series) — There seemingly cannot be enough Stephen King TV adaptations out there, and this project presents the story of a widow, once married to a legendary novelist, and who is rediscovering repressed memories while cleaning out his desk. Because she needs even more nightmarish curveballs thrown her way, Lisey must also fend off a stalker fan of her husband, and there are (naturally) going to be some otherworldly shenanigans afoot.
The Mosquito Coast (Apple TV+ series) — It’s season finale time for Justin Theroux in this adaptation of Paul Theroux (yes, Paul is Justin’s actual uncle) novel previously brought to life in the mid-1980s with Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and River Phoenix. The series itself doesn’t match up to the book or film’s tackling of consumerism as much as it wants to be like Breaking Bad (yet forgot the most important ingredient). Also, Justin Theroux’s character, Allie Fox, is an eccentric, overbearing, and eventually psychotic patriarch who drags his family to Mexico, so get ready for plenty of tense moments.
The Me You Can’t See (Apple TV+ series) — On the heels of *that* interview, Prince Harry and Oprah are teaming up as co-creators and executive producers of this series that will dig into stories that revolve around mental health and emotional well-being. Expect a variety of guests, including Lady Gaga, the NBA’s DeMar DeRozan and Langston Galloway, plus a popular chef, and more.
Hulu
FX
The New York Times Presents: Who Gets To Be an Influencer? (FX documentary film series on Hulu) — Hot on the heels of the controversial Britney Spears installment, the New York Times continues bringing essential stories to the forefront. This week, the publication chronicles a pioneering mainstream Black “creator mansion,” Collab Crib, which seeks to reach social media stardom. All the while, they’re working against the grain, and they tackle their plight in a profound manner.
Plan B (Hulu film) — Oh boy, does this story ever hit home for countless ladies who find themselves driving from drug store to drugstore. That’s exactly what happens in this film, after a regrettable sexual encounter sends a high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her best friend (Victoria Moroles) on a bit of a road trip with the clock ticking to find Plan B in America’s heartland. As miserable as this potentially sounds, it’s actually a twist on the teen sex comedy, and it arrives by way of Cobra Kai and Harold & Kumar producers.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Dom: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — This crime drama hails from Brazil with subtitles, but there’s a lot of Ozark and Sons of Anarchy vibes on display to make a non-dubbed effort worth the watch. Dom revolves around a middle-class Rio de Janeiro boy, Pedro, who falls into the lucrative realm of cocaine and eventually rises toward the top (or sinks toward the bottom, depending on one’s perspective) of the criminal underworld. It’s all based on a true story of the gang-related exploits that dominated the country’s aughts tabloids, given the juicy reality of Pedro’s father working for police intelligence, and yes, one should expect the lines of morality to go grey here. Dom‘s also a high-adrenaline adventure, so don’t watch this one while hoping to relax.
Panic: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — This show’s a bit like The Purge in concept, only it revolves around a dangerous game that takes place over the course of a summer for graduating seniors in a tiny Texas town. They compete for a pot of money (while hoping to escape their tiny-town lives, of course), but the stakes are high and risky as players must confront their deepest fears. The story, which is based upon the bestselling novel by Lauren Oliver, will likely hook you, so be ready to binge.
Disney+
Disney
Cruella (Disney movie on Disney+) — Yes, Cruella de Vil is finally getting her origin story. Even if you don’t agree that she needed one, no one can argue that Emma Stone is the actress who could deliver a damn good time in this role. Granted, the film starts out slow (the runtime’s over two hours) with a protracted childhood era that doesn’t illustrate much about why she villained out and murdered puppies. Yet it does speed up, with lots of mayhem and a cackling Emma hanging off a truck in a billowing dress. Fashion can be evil! Also, the soundtrack feels like a character in its own right.
Launchpad: Season 1: Discover (Disney+ series) — This group of live-action shorts arrive from newcomer directors, often from minority backgrounds, all of whom want to spread their experiences of family and culture in uplifting ways. Each short this season revolves around the “discover theme,” and all directors worked under mentors from Disney+, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Episode 6 (Disney+ series) — You might prefer to think of this show as the Star Wars franchise’s version of D.C.’s Suicide Squad, but fear no Leto-Joker intrusion. Instead, this The Clone Wars spinoff follows the conclusion of its flagship series that recently wound down on Disney+. The show focuses on a mercenary squad of elite soldiers, who stand apart from standard clones due to their unique physical capabilities like super strength, super eyesight, and so on.
Paramount+
Seal Press
From Cradle To Stage (Paramount+ series) — This Dave Grohl-directed series follows Dave and his mom, Virginia, meeting up with another artist and their mom each week. This week, Dave and Virginia travel to Toronto, where they meet up with Geddy Lee, frontman of Rush, and his mother, Mary Weinrib, who survived the Holocaust.
Rugrats: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — The 2021 revival of this series brings the babies back into action mode, which means that Tommy Pickles is leading his gang on a whole new set of adventures, this time in full-on three-dimensional CGI rendering. In the debut episode, dinosaurs are on the scene while Tommy helps Chuckie after his intent to appear brave does not go as planned.
It was almost a decade ago that Tinashe started to gain the attention of the industry as an underground singer. After a string of consistent mixtapes that turned heads, she later inked a deal with RCA and released her 2015 debut album, Aquarius, which is home to her most successful single to date, “2 On.”
However, label issues would halt the singer’s growth and she would eventually leave RCA and begin her path as an independent artist. This decision led to her 2019 album, Songs For You, a project that was praised from all around. Two years later, Tinashe is ready to start the latest chapter in her independence. However, she did bring a souvenir of her time at RCA: The connections she forged with some of her former labelmates.
The singer returns with her latest single, “Pasadena.” The uplifting track also features a verse from RCA-signed Compton rapper Buddy, whom she previously worked with on “Glitch” in 2020. On their newest collaboration, both acts are in high spirits on the summer-ready bop that finds them relishing in the sunlight and warmth that the upcoming months will surely deliver to them. In a press release, Tinashe spoke about the new track.
“After the past year we have all had, I felt a very strong calling to release music that feels like joy, excitement, and freedom – to contribute positive energy to the universe,” she said. “I wrote and recorded the song ‘Pasadena’ in my home in Los Angeles with a bold, bouncing tempo that makes me want to dance. The song is about growth, family, and the feelings I get when I visit the area I grew up in — energetic and nostalgic, but hopeful.”
You can press play on the song in the video above.
Anthony Davis played the first 5:25 of Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns before he had to exit the game with the groin strain that kept him out of Game 5. Davis was clearly not moving well and in pain, and after trying to grit through it to help his team in a win or go home situation, he had to exit for the locker room where he got his leg wrapped and, eventually, the Lakers ruled him out for good.
At halftime, the Lakers trailed the Suns by 21, as Devin Booker lit them up for 33 points in the first half, but much of the conversation on the Inside the NBA halftime show was about the decision to let Davis play. Charles Barkley took issue with them letting him give it a go when he clearly wasn’t moving right, something that should’ve been noticeable in warmups as well.
“Well first of all, the doctors who let him go out like that, they need to have a serious talk with him. He looked bad from the beginning — he never even got past the top of the key except that one time. I can’t believe they let this kid warm up and go out there like that. This is ridiculous, man. Seriously.”
Later, Kenny Smith and Barkley discussed the situation further, taking issue with the notion that Davis couldn’t injure himself further by being out there.
“I agree with Chuck, he should’ve never even played,” Smith said. “If you watch a guy in the first two minutes, both Chuck and I were like ‘what’s he doing out there?’ You don’t have to be a doctor to see that he shouldn’t be out there.”
“I’m really pissed about that,” Barkley added. “And then Kenny had a point, they said ‘you can’t make it any worse.’ Yes you can. Yes you can. Any time you got something wrong with your leg you’re going to hurt another part of your body. They said the doctors cleared him to play? They’re going to need some better doctors.”
It’s a point many, including Grant Hill on the game broadcast, made but given Barkley’s jab at Davis from Game 5 where he said his nickname should be “Street Clothes” because of all the games he missed, his critique of the Lakers training staff just made people more upset with him. Many called out Barkley for being part of the reason Davis may have felt pressure to try playing without being 100 percent, including Kendrick Perkins who lit into Chuck on Twitter.
Somebody tell Charles Barkley to pick a damn side. He’s “Street Clothes” Davis when he sits out and he’s ridiculing the medical team for letting him play when he tries to play through it!
Damn if you do, damn if you don’t!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) June 4, 2021
It’s a fair point to make, although Barkley’s commentary should not come into play for the Lakers training staff in clearing Davis. Barkley making light of Davis’ injury issues and then ripping the Lakers for letting him try to play does seem odd. Still, his most recent point is right and the Lakers seem to have erred in putting Davis in the lineup when he clearly wasn’t right.
Bad Bunny’s 2020 is hard to match when you look at what the Latin singer did through its twelve months. He dropped three projects, YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban A Salir, and El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo, which became the first all-Spanish album to top the Billboard album charts. Even outside of the music world, Bad Bunny thrived. He joined the WWE’s Royal Rumble where he took out The Miz from the top rope and he later became a WWE champion by winning the 24/7 Championship belt. While some might’ve thought a break would be up next for Bad Bunny, the singer is pushing full-steam ahead as he returns with a new single.
His latest effort, titled “Yonaguni,” arrives as his own song of the summer entry. Named after a Japanese island, the track carries the rhythms of reggaeton that serve as the foundation of Bad Bunny’s artistry, but it also boasts a relaxing melody that makes “Yonaguni” a song anyone can listen to and enjoy. Bad Bunny also gives fans a visual for the song, one that captures him enjoying normal human activities like making breakfast, practicing karate, walking his dogs, playing video games, partying, and more.
The singer’s latest drop comes after he announced a 2022 North American tour in support of El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo. In less than a week, he sold 480,000 tickets making for the quickest-selling tour since 2018, and one of the fastest-selling in the entirety of Ticketmaster’s history. Shortly after this feat, Bad Bunny brought his talents to the Billboard Music Awards to perform “Te Deseo Lo Mejor.”
Roddy Ricch released his debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial at the end of 2019, and the year that followed from the Compton rapper proved that the project’s title was a real-life sentiment for him. Roddy’s appearances in the public were limited, and unlike the crop of trap artists he calls contemporaries, he opted to keep his musical releases limited as well. Since Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, we’ve only received a handful of features from the Compton native. The dry spell ends tonight as Roddy returns with his latest single, “Late At Night.”
The new song finds Roddy extending his and Mustard’s list of strong rapper-producer collaborations. “Late At Night” fits in the laid-back and uniquely romantic side of the rapper’s catalog, a section that also features fan favorites from Roddy like “High Fashion” and “Bacc Seat,” the former which was also produced by Mustard. “Late At Night” arrives with a video that sees Roddy return home in hopes of recording new music, but he’s quickly distracted by a mysterious Ferris wheel that appears in his backyard. He boards the carnival ride and ends up at a throwback party that leads to a “Thriller”-esque ending.
Back in August, Roddy told fans during an Instagram livestream that his sophomore album would arrive “soon as f*ck.” While ten months is pushing the limits of the word “soon,” even the way the music industry uses it, that time frame seems more appropriate now than it did back in August. As for a name, Roddy’s next project is reportedly titled Love Is Barely Real Anymore, which appears to be the rapper’s own acronym for L.I.B.R.A., his astrology sign.
You can listen to “Late At Night” in the video above.
Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Miami will be overrun with cryptocurrency fans this weekend, as the sunny Florida city will host a Bitcoin conference for those eager to see the currency take over the world. And if Elon Musk and Dogecoin enthusiasts can make it happen, perhaps their preferred cryptocurrency will have its own conference with Elon Musk picking the playlist.
Dogecoin has been a focus of Musk in recent months, including an SNL appearance where he quite literally explained cryptocurrency and danced like Wario, among other things. That very public splash with Dogecoin didn’t send it to the moon as he’d hoped, but the crypto faithful still have high hopes for the coin, which is why many are eyeing their own conference in the future. And apparently Musk is interested in making it happen, too.
Musk was mentioned in a tweet about a potential Dogecoin conference, which said that he would DJ at the hypothetical event where Dogecoin could be used “as payment for everything.” And the billionaire with more than 56 million followers on Twitter responded, saying it would be “fun.”
That’s far from saying things are officially in the works, but Musk is a man who once jokingly tweeted about tunnel boring and turned that into a real, flamethrower-selling company. So we’ll see if Musk ends up on a turntable at a Dogecon after all.
The Portland Trail Blazers season has come to an end after they blew a 14-point lead at home in Game 6 of their series against the Denver Nuggets, as Nikola Jokic took over late and Damian Lillard’s run of heroic efforts finally ran out of gas.
After a second straight first-round exit, and this one without the injury issues they faced in the Bubble a year ago, the expectation is for Portland to look to make some major moves this offseason. They gave this core group from their 2019 trip to the West Finals a chance to run it back and make one more playoff run, but they just weren’t able to provide Damian Lillard with enough support, something many have complained about for some time.
Lillard was asked about what he wants to see Portland do this offseason and whether he believes changes are necessary and he offered an honest response, noting that if the Blazers couldn’t beat a Nuggets team without three of their best guards in Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and PJ Dozier, then they are clearly not good enough to compete for championships and something’s got to change.
Damian Lillard on if the Blazers need changes this offseason: “Obviously where we are isn’t good enough to win a championship if it’s not good enough to get out of a first round series with two of their best three or four players not on the floor.” pic.twitter.com/gbXkqDko0s
It’s a fair assessment from Dame, but will certainly raise some eyebrows. Portland has a lot of decisions to make, starting with Jusuf Nurkic who was the Blazers second best player in the series rather consistently. As for Nurkic’s future, he wasn’t exactly certain about whether he’ll be back, noting he’s not pleased with the situation as it stands right now and that he’ll let Rich Paul take care of handling possible negotiations with the Blazers as he is on a non-guaranteed deal for next season.
Asked by @mikegrich if he wants to be back, Nurkic said: “In the right situation, yes.” Asked what the right situation is: “We’ll see, because this is not it.”
Jusuf Nurkic: “My contract is non-guaranteed so I don’t know if I’ll be back. I’ll let Rich Paul my agent figure that out. I don’t know if I’ll be back. I don’t know what the direction of the team will be.”
It’s obvious that the way this season ended has left a bitter taste in the collective mouths of the Blazers, and there is an expectation that next year will feature a number of new faces — including at head coach, although Terry Stotts shrugged off questions about his future noting he’s got two years left on his deal. Nurkic showed his value to the Blazers in this series, but still could be moved, and it feels like Portland’s front office will pretty much listen to overtures from other teams for anyone not named Lillard. We’re a few months away from reaching the point where the Blazers can act on a rebuilding plan, but that won’t stop speculation from swirling about what moves the Blazers will make because as Dame noted, some change is going to be necessary.
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