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On Wednesday, the House did the right thing: It passed a bill to investigate the MAGA insurrection of January 6. It did so without much Republican help; 175 GOP representatives voted against it, a number of them having gone on record saying they wouldn’t participate in an inquiry into a deadly siege that left five dead. In the lead-up, those lawmakers received their own form of pushback. Democratic representative Tim Ryan scorched colleagues across the aisle who refuse to support it. And so did the officers whose lives were put in danger that fateful day.

On Wednesday, a letter was sent to the House chiefs calling out Republican lawmakers for their reluctance. Though no names were attached, it was printed on United States Capitol Police letterhead and, according to The Huffington Post, it represents some 40 to 50 officers. And it did not mince words, expressing “profound disappointment” that the likes of Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell have tried to stall the investigation.

The letter goes onto discuss how Capitol officers “were subjected to hours and hours of physical trauma which has led to months of mental anguish.” Indeed, of the five people who died on Jan. 6, one was a police officiers, Brian Sicknick. Two other officers died by suicide in the days following.

It goes on:

“It is inconceivable that some of the Members we protect, would downplay the events of January 6. Member safety was dependent upon the heroic actions of USCP. It is a privileged assumption for Members to have the point of view that ‘it wasn’t that bad. That privilege exists because the brave men and women of the USCP protected you, the Members.”

“Unfortunately this letter comes to you anonymously, because as U.S. Capitol Police Officers, we are expected to remain neutral and do our jobs with honor and integrity,” it reads. “It’s unfortunate that our ‘bosses’ [in Congress] are not held to the same standard that we, the USCP, are.”

After the letter went viral, USCP top brass formally distanced themselves from the letter, underlining the fact that the organization “does NOT take positions on legislation” and claiming they weren’t even sure which officers wrote the letter.

Nevertheless, as per HuffPo, Rep. Jamie Raskin confirmed that the letter’s authors were indeed members of Capitol Police.

Did the letter arrive in time to change any hearts and minds? We may never know. But there’s still a vote in the Senate, and we’ll see what Republicans there think about the men and women in blue who protect them.

(Via HuffPo)

A new bill passed in Tennessee and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on Monday may be less blatantly anti-transgender than bathroom bills attempting to ban transgender people from using the restroom that most closely aligns with their gender, but that doesn’t mean it actually makes sense.

House Bill 1182 requires businesses that welcome transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice to post a sign warning people of their policy. The details of the sign are very specific: It must be at least eight inches high and six inches wide. The top one-third of the sign must read “NOTICE” in yellow text over a red background. And in the other two-thirds it must read, in boldface, block letters, the following statement: “THIS FACILITY MAINTAINS A POLICY OF ALLOWING THE USE OF RESTROOMS BY EITHER BIOLOGICAL SEX, REGARDLESS OF THE DESIGNATION ON THE RESTROOM.”

“We want a look that evokes both the moral panic of the present and the legacy of institutionalized prejudice many… https://t.co/P7Ap8vKqCX

— Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter)
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Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement that Tennessee’s bill rolls back the clock on equality and is harmful to transgender Tennesseans.

“Denying transgender people the ability to access a bathroom consistent with their gender identity is degrading and dehumanizing — and can have real health and safety consequences,” wrote David.

Here’s the thing: Transgender people have been using the bathroom that aligns with their gender without most of us even noticing. This is simply a solution in search of a problem.

Bathroom bills are purportedly designed to protect people from predators (presumably male predators who could pretend to be trans to use the women’s room) but there are two big problems with that:

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1) States that have laws protecting trans people’s rights to using the bathroom of their choice have not seen any kind of increase in bathroom predator issues. A 2014 report from Media Matters found that experts from 12 states with anti-discrimination laws protecting transgender people’s right to use gender-aligned bathrooms—some of those laws more than a decade old at the time—found no issues stemming from transgender people peeing where they want. These experts include law enforcement officials, government employees, and advocates for victims of sexual assault, and they overwhelmingly concurred that there is no basis for the fear behind anti-trans bathroom bills.

2) If predatory behavior in a bathroom is truly the concern, making transgender people use the restroom that aligns with their genitals at birth would actually make it easier, not harder, for male predators to sneak into women’s bathrooms. The logic some people seem to be missing in their push to make people use the bathroom of their assigned sex at birth is that most transgender people’s appearance more closely aligns with their gender identity, not their sex at birth. Most trans men present as men. Most trans women present as women. Forcing a trans man to use the women’s bathroom and vice versa means making people who are visually the opposite sex into male and female bathrooms.

To illustrate this point, here are some transgender individuals who some people think should have to use the restroom opposite of the gender they appear.

This is fitness coach Cody Harmon, who is a trans man. Anyone who thinks he should be forced to use a women’s bathroom is not thinking this through.

Aryan Pasha is a bodybuilder and also a trans man. Should he have to use the women’s bathroom because his biological sex at birth was female?

And on the flip side, do you want to tell this woman she has to use the men’s room?

How about her? If you walked into the men’s room and saw her there, wouldn’t you assume she was in the “wrong” bathroom?

People who want trans folks to use the bathroom of their assigned/biological sex at birth are the same people who would throw a fit if they saw trans people actually use those bathrooms. Because what they’re wanting is for trans men to use women’s bathrooms and vice versa, thereby putting men in women’s bathrooms. Because the bathroom use complaints simply don’t make logical sense.

Not all transgender people fully transition, of course, and trans people may be in various stages of transition, but the fact remains that most trans people do present as their gender and feel more comfortable (and safe) using the restroom accordingly. (There are also non-binary trans people who may present as male one day and female another, or who may appear totally androgynous. The point being is you can’t judge a transgender person based on their appearance.)

The idea that someone might pretend to be trans to be able to enter a women’s restroom as a man isn’t backed up by reality, and even if someone did do that, it wouldn’t be transgender people’s fault. There’s no reason to punish transgender people for what a predator might try to do.

Bills like the Tennessee bathroom sign one are designed to make transgender people feel like they shouldn’t exist. But they do exist. They always have, and they’ve been using the same bathrooms as cisgender people this whole time. They are also designed to arouse suspicion about trans people, which is patently unfair. People just want to pee and poo in peace. Truly. When you know transgender people personally, it’s easier to understand how utterly ridiculous these bathroom laws are.

You don’t have to understand someone’s identity to accept them for who they are. You don’t have to personally relate to someone’s story to show them basic respect. These kinds of laws are unnecessary and hurtful, and if your lawmakers are pushing for such legislation, ask them to stop. Urge your Senators to pass the Equality Act already passed by the House. And contact your state representatives and ask them to support trans people’s right to be themselves.

Everyone deserves at least that much.

The art of being in a band is a difficult one to master, and even plenty of the best groups come to an end way before fans want them to do so. One such excellent band was LVL Up, who opted to go their separate ways back in 2018, much to the disappointment of fans and the industry at large. After eight years together, their last official album was Return To Love, released in 2016.

Nowadays, one of the band’s former members, guitarist and vocalist Mike Caridi has his own project called The Glow, which features former LVL Up drummer Greg Rutkin as well. The Glow, however, was not invited to play at this year’s Lollapalooza festival. But who was instead?? A LVL UP imposter, maybe! The new band, who opted to spell their name with vowels, as Level Up, appear in the lower lines of the festival poster, a coincidence (or not) that immediately caught the attention of eagle-eyed LVL UP fans — and the band itself.

The band jokingly posted the lineup on Twitter earlier today after the festival was announced, calling on the highest powers of the law to execute a cease and desist for them. “Cease & desist @lawandordertv @JudgeJudy,” they tweeted, tagging both the formidable judge, known for settling small claims disputes, and the team at Law And Order. Just a little indie music humor for you on a Wednesday night! In the meantime, check out the The Glow’s newest singles “Love Only” and “Heavy Glow” below.

More than three years have passed since Migos shared their last album, Culture II, and since then the trio have delivered solo albums plus a string of singles as a group, their most recent being “Straightenin.” Shortly after that song arrived, Migos revealed their next album, Culture III, would arrive on June 11. With three weeks left until its arrival, the group returned to announce plans to celebrate the album’s release later this year.

Migos will take their talents to Las Vegas for a three-night festival dedicated to the album. The show, which will take place during the weekend of October 14-17, was put together with help from experienced curator Pollen Presents and it features a “packed itinerary of events including a star-studded lineup, [and] pool parties and club takeovers,” according to a press release. The event also promises a stacked lineup filled with some of the trio’s favorite hip-hop performers.

Migos recently joined DJ Khaled and HER for the track “We Going Crazy,” off the former’s chart-topping album Khaled Khaled.

For more information about the upcoming festival, click here.

Culture III is out 6/11 via Quality Control Music and Motown Records.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here at Uproxx, we take our whiskey very seriously. And when a musical heavyweight like Bob Dylan gets in the game, launching his Heaven’s Door whiskey distillery back in 2018 with liquor entrepreneur Marc Bushala, the next step was trying a flight of the distillery’s offerings.

That session tasting might be officially outdated today though, because the brand announced a new addition to their portfolio: A limited-edition 10-year aged bourbon, The Master Blenders’ Edition, that is sure to please high-end whiskey lovers. The aged spirit is a collaboration between both Heaven’s Door Whiskey and Redbreast Irish Whiskey, and Dylan is said to have had a hand in determining the final blend. He also created and chose the gate design on the bottle’s label, below.

Debuting at a suggested price point around $100, with pre-order available via Reserve Bar, the announcement comes just a few days before Bob’s 80th birthday. Joining a slate of Heaven’s Door’s other existing offerings, a Tennessee straight bourbon, a double barrel whiskey and a straight rye, this new blend takes the brand’s own traditional 10-year aged low rye bourbon and finishes it for 15 months in Redbreast’s signature 12-year-old Irish whiskey casks.

It’s the perfect pairing for perusing another celebration of Dylan’s life: Our ranking of every single one of his studio albums. Grab a glass, pour a nip, and settle in.

This past Saturday (May 15) was the 20th anniversary of the release of Missy Elliott‘s groundbreaking third album, Miss E… So Addictive. Back in 2001, the album’s singles, “Get Ur Freak On” and “One Minute Man,” turned the rap game upside down with their innovative videos and inescapable beats produced by Timbaland. To celebrate the milestone, Missy has shared her performance of both songs from the 2001 MTV VMAs along with guest rappers Ludacris and Trina, as well as pop star Nelly Furtado.

While the original event was one of the “you had to be there” moments of the early 2000s, the remarkably well-preserved video gives fans a glimpse into the high-energy performances that made Missy Elliott an icon worthy of receiving a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2019. A massive chandelier, a giant Missy head idol statue, and a fleet of backup dancers all contribute to a surreal experience, which admirably reproduces the likewise Dali-esque feel of Missy’s generation-inspiring music videos.

Although there are no currently announced plans for an anniversary edition of Miss E… So Addictive, I’d stay tuned. With an artist as unpredictable as Missy, you never know what you might get.

Watch Missy Elliott’s 2001 MTV VMAs performance of “Get Ur Freak On” above.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Seinfeld remains one of the ’90s most popular shows, but it would be very different were it around today. Indeed, multiple Twitter accounts have been dedicated to imagining what the series would be like in the modern age. But one thing’s for sure: Michael Richards’ Kramer wouldn’t just be some carefree eccentric, as he was in the Clinton era. In fact, even one of the show’s key writers admits the decade’s most lovable weirdo would probably be really into QAnon.

That person is Larry Charles, who has writing credits on over a dozen Seinfeld episodes, among them “The Library,” “The Bubble Boy,” and “The Bris.” (He also directed, among other things, the first Borat movie as well as Brüno.) On an episode of the Daily Beast podcast Fever Dreams, Charles weighed in on how each character would fit into our brave new world.

“When I thought about how Seinfeld would survive in this kind of environment and this television environment, and I look around, I think about bringing those characters to the 21st century, and… wouldn’t Kramer be… a believer in QAnon?” Charles said. He did, however, offer another alternative. “But he might also be in antifa at the same time to cover his bets.”

He didn’t discuss what Jerry would be up to; perhaps he has a podcast. But he had thoughts on the other half of the quartet. “Elaine might’ve been married a couple of times, she’s probably developed a pill habit of some sort, she’s been in and out of rehab,” Charles said. “And George might have committed suicide by now, quite frankly.”

That, of course, is quite a bit grimmer than some of the other ideas of what a modern day Seinfeld would be like, which tend to be lighter, more in keeping with the farcical world of one of the ’90s enduring TV faves. Still, what Charles said sounds about right.

(Via The Daily Beast)

It’s been four-and-a-half months since a large and violent mob stormed the Capitol, endangering the lives of all inside, resulting in five deaths and a nation rattled. Though their motives have always been clear — they were hopped up on lies spread by Trump and others about the 2020 general election — many details remain unclear. Luckily, a federal investigation was recently proposed…which, of course, is being blocked by the vast majority of congressional Republicans, for reasons that aren’t hard to imagine.

It’s yet another case of a party trying to gum up the works, despite no longer having any real power. And some, at least, have had enough. One is Tim Ryan, Democratic representative to Ohio, who earned huzzahs in March for screaming at his colleagues across the aisle, begging them to “stop talking about Dr. Seuss” and actually do their jobs to help Americans in need.

On Wednesday Ryan tried once more to talk some sense into the GOP. He started by thanking the too few Republicans who were trying to make the investigation technically bipartisan. As for the rest, well…

“To the other 90% of our friends on the other side of the aisle, holy cow!” Ryan began. He tried to remind them that they care about such matters when it’s Democrats. “Benghazi — you chased the former secretary of state all over the country, spent millions of dollars.” And he excoriated them to not doing the same for something with a higher body count and the potential for even more harm to the nation:

“We have people scaling the Capitol, hitting the Capitol police with lead pipes across the head, and we can’t get bipartisanship. What else has to happen in this country? Cops: this is a slap in the face to every rank-and-file cop in the United States. If we’re going to take on China, if we’re going to rebuild the country, if we’re to reverse climate change, we need two political parties in this country who are both living in reality, and you ain’t one of them.”

Will this work? Or will the party continue to be in thrall to a disgraced septuagenarian former president-turned-blogger who now lives in resorts amongst strangers?

Welcome to SNX DLX, our weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. We’re going to take this opportunity to once again remind you that the fire A Ma Maniére Jordan III Raised By Women joints are dropping once again at European and APAC retailers, so if you didn’t get a chance to catch the stateside release you’ve still got another good shot — though you’ll sadly have to pay higher shipping rates.

This week we’ve got Nike back dominating the list with some dope Jordan and Dunk drops, as well as the debut of a brand new Air Max silhouette. Elsewhere New Balance and Adidas are holding things down representing strongly for those other swoosh-less brands by bringing new Casablanca and Yeezy collaborations. Take a look at this week’s best below and be sure to hit our weekly apparel roundup to complete the fit.

Paris Saint-Germain x Air Jordan 7 Paname

Football fans rejoice, Paris’ Saint-Germain football club is getting a special celebratory Air Jordan 7. A basketball sneaker for a soccer team? Try not to think too much about it — this collaborative sneaker features a white tumbled leather upper with contrasting black accents on the midsole and tongue and mesh-swapped transparent paneling which gives an inside look at the sneaker, and a Paname (a common nickname for Paris) tag on the forefoot.

We’ll take mesh paneling over the more bulky leather any day, it’s an interesting way to update the Jordan 7 design without screwing up the sneaker in the process. On the shoe’s heel, a styled adaptation of the Paris Saint-Germain logo takes the place of the Nike branding.

The Paris Saint-Germain x Air Jordan 7 Paname is set to drop on May 22nd for a retail price of $215. Pick up a pair at GOAT or Flight Club.

Nike WMNS Dunk Low Barley Green

For the entire spring season now Nike has been dropping WMNS-size exclusive Dunks in soft pastel colors but this week’s low-top Barley Green has got to be the best. Featuring a leather upper with shades of mint, pistachio, and peach, the Barley Green sits atop a rubber cup sole with outsole treading that matches the Air Jordan 1.

It’s not the Grateful Dead, but this colorway is definitely worthy of inclusion on our Best Dunk colorways of all-time list.

The Nike WMNS Dunk Low Barley is set to drop on May 21st for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Air Jordan 1 Low Ghost Green

How do you make a Jordan 1 not look like a Jordan 1?

Drop a low-top pastel colorway, apparently. You just don’t see Jordan 1s in this colorway and we have to admit, it’s kind of dope. Sure the checkerboard print on the tongue and that California-inspired soft green makes this kind of look like — brace yourself — a pair of Vans, but Vans would never go for an exposed foam tongue or think to combine a contrasting metallic heel on a pastel upper, or use multiple panels of leather or do any of the other things you need to tell yourself in order to convince your brain that Jordans are far superior to Vans.

The Air Jordan 1 Low Ghost Green is set to drop on May 21st for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Yeezy QNTM Flash Orange

Yeezy is having a fire year. Aside from dropping a whole load of bold colorways we never thought we’d see the brand dip into, Ye has kept up a steady stream of Yeezy drops this year and the new stuff always feels like an improvement over the last drop. This week’s Flash Orange QNTM takes the bright colorway of last week’s Tactile Orange 500 High and infuses it with some streaks of white, grey, and black, giving an almost Zebra-like design that hovers over a milky translucent white midsole.

The Yeezy QNTM Flash Orange is set to drop on May 22nd for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Adidas confirmed app or via Yeezy Supply.

Casablanca x New Balance 237 / 327 Red Monogram Pack

Casablanca and New Balance have as fruitful a collaboration as Union LA and Jordan, dropping a steady stream of must-cop drops. For the two brand’s fourth collaboration, Casablanca is double-dipping on the Monogram print introduced in their last New Balance, but darkening the color using a mix of red and green over a white leather upper, matching midsole accents, and an oversized “N” logo.

The 237 and 327 share this colorway, differing only in shape, which makes it incredibly hard to choose between the two. So we won’t, we’re going with both!

The Casablanca x New Balance 237 and 327 are set to drop on May 21st at the Casablanca webstore for a retail price of $170 and $195, respectively.

Nike Air Max Pre-Day Pure Platinum

A new silhouette from Nike is always cause for celebration, even if the name is incredibly stupid like “Air Max Pre-Day” but hey, we’ll take any new additions to the Air Max family. Featuring an oval-shaped silhouette that pulls inspiration from classic track sneakers, the Air Max Pre-Day features an aerodynamic design with an exposed Air unit that allows some added compression between your foot and the ground, which should result in a bouncier step off the heel and is made from 20% recycled content by weight.

It’s a nice way to add a little sustainability into the shoe, which we hope Nike keeps doing moving forward on any future silhouettes.

The Nike Air Max Pre-Day Pure Platinum is set to drop on May 20th for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike SB Dunk What the Paul?

Paul Rodriguez has 10 different signature Nikes, they’re all great, and they’re all insane reinterpretations of classics. This week Rodriguez takes a stab at the SB Dunk and there is a hell of a lot going on here. It’s pretty much a turducken in sneaker form, you’ve got ornate embroidery, cheetah, cement, and panel prints, colorful gradients, weave and knit style construction, leather, canvas, and honestly, who the hell knows what else is on this thing?!

Eyes alone could not identify what the hell is going on here — the midsoles don’t even match — so you might as well go ahead and send us a pair Nike (they read these, right?) so that we can get an up-close look.

The Nike SB Dunk What The Paul? is set to drop on May 22nd exclusively at skate shops like Berrics Canteen and May 24th via the Nike SNKRS app for a retail price of $150.

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Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

For the second straight year, the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat will meet in the NBA Playoffs, this time in a first round series that figures to be among the most anticipated of the opening slate.

Last year, Miami took down the Bucks in five games after running out to a 3-0 series lead. The games were almost all close, just one was decided by more than nine points, but as Miami did to opponents throughout the Bubble playoffs, they created a number of problems for the Bucks offense and were able to pick apart their defense to the point that people began questioning whether Giannis Antetokounmpo needed to be trying to guard Jimmy Butler.

This year, the two teams feature a lot of familiar faces but do have some key differences to the teams that met a year ago. The Heat, like last year in the Bubble, are peaking at the right time, going 7-2 in May and finding their form with a fully healthy squad as they locked up the 6-seed in the East. The Bucks, meanwhile, weren’t the regular season juggernaut that they’ve been the past two years, but added Jrue Holiday as their third star, in large part to make up for their playoff shortcomings.

How will this year’s series go? Well, there are a few things that will decide if Miami can pull off the upset in back-to-back years, or if Milwaukee will finally show its teeth in the postseason.

Matchup To Watch

The focal point of this series will, once again, be on Giannis Antetokounmpo going up against Bam Adebayo, who is as uniquely qualified as any defender in the NBA to create problems for the two-time MVP. We saw last year how Adebayo’s combination of size, length, and quickness allows him to matchup about as one can with Giannis. The difference this year is that Giannis seems to have, once again, taken a step forward as an offensive player thanks to a shift in offensive philosophy in Milwaukee.

You can read in depth (and watch videos) all about that change here, but the basic gist is they are getting him the ball in a variety of places and running action with him in a number of ways that take advantage of the typical defensive deployments against him, namely how teams sag off of him. Adebayo is as well-equipped to press up higher on Giannis than most bigs and help contain some of the new dribble hand-off actions the Bucks run this year, but it will present some new challenges for the Heat defense as a whole and Bam in particular.

While Adebayo gets significant credit, it really is a team effort to slow Giannis down, forming the wall in transition to keep him from getting into the paint and sending timely help when able. Giannis’ apparent newfound patience has helped he and the Bucks exploit those doubles more this season, and he’s added more counters to his game to allow him to score even better at and near the rim. Still, this is a Heat team that is a nightmare to deal with defensively, headlined by Adebayo and Butler, who hound opponents and make life miserable.

This year, much more than last, the Bucks are reliant on an elite offense to carry them to wins. Whether they can impose their will and do that to beat the Heat, who would much prefer a slugfest like a year ago, will be heavily determined by Giannis outplaying Adebayo this time around.

Series X-Factor

I had a really hard time picking just one here, but I’m going to go with Holiday. He’s the biggest new face in this matchup and the Bucks brought him in precisely for this moment. Holiday is the guy that’s supposed to bring them what Eric Bledsoe and George Hill couldn’t, which is consistent, All-Star caliber contributions in the postseason.

Last year, Bledsoe’s playoff woes reared their ugly head once again as he shot just 33.3 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from three against Miami, getting thoroughly outplayed by Goran Dragic. This time around, Holiday is expected to get the better of that matchup and that will be vital for Milwaukee, as he provides another outlet beyond Khris Middleton for the Bucks to run some offense through when teams load up on Giannis.

On the other end of the floor, Holiday gives Milwaukee a lot more versatility defensively for switching and attacking opposing guards and wings, and one would anticipate he’ll see the Jimmy Butler assignment for much of the series, particularly in the fourth quarter.

Stat To Know

The question the Bucks have faced for the past three years is what will they do to adjust when an opponent starts knocking down threes. The answer has often been nothing, and the result has been getting bounced unceremoniously. Last year the Heat had a 60.5 true shooting percentage in the series, including a 37.5 percent mark from three-point range as a team. Whether they can replicate that type of shooting performance without the likes of Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder, who each shot over 43 percent from deep against Milwaukee with Crowder going a ridiculous 22-for-51 in the series, may just be the biggest question of them all. Milwaukee, meanwhile, shot just 32.7 percent from distance on the series and that difference proved pivotal in the series.

It is the truth of basketball today that winning is so often tied to hitting threes, and only the Charlotte Hornets allowed more three-point attempts per game than the Heat (39.1) and the Bucks (38.6). They are two teams that pride themselves on being excellent defensive squads, particularly at the rim, and each of their top stars are at their best going downhill. As such the defensive priority from both is going to remain taking away the paint and to force guys to hit shots from deep. Last year, the Heat did that to an extraordinary degree that the Bucks couldn’t keep up with. This year, we’ll see if Milwaukee can crack the code of this Miami defense, which is in the most simple terms, to hit the threes they give you.