GoneTrending

The Pacers-Heat series promised to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the opening round, if only for all the chippiness and bad blood between Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren, the latter of whom has been on a blistering streak for Indiana since the season resumed in Orlando last month.

And Game 1 didn’t disappoint, as the Pacers gave the Heat everything they could handle, but ultimately came up short as Miami got the 113-101 win to take a 1-0 series lead. Butler won the head-to-head battle, leading all scorers with 28 points, four assists, three rebounds, four steals, and a pair of blocks. But Warren was outstanding in his postseason debut, finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds and three of his four attempts from outside the arc.

Butler didn’t waste any time getting on the board, showing his aggressiveness in the opening minutes and taking it strong to the rack on the break.

We’d like to introduce you to playoff Jimmy Butler pic.twitter.com/OgKdbzbEpW

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

And Warren wasn’t shy getting started in his postseason debut on the other end, putting points on the board in a variety of ways.

T.J. Warren heating up already in his playoff debut #IndianaStyle x @TonyWarrenJr pic.twitter.com/lU0sAON2fe

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

.@TonyWarrenJr with the backdoor cut.

Watch now on @FSIndiana or FOX Sports Go https://t.co/pyurutVLmK pic.twitter.com/XE1KrM6jQM

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

straight to the rack #IndianaStyle x @TonyWarrenJr pic.twitter.com/tFK6Rpy3Jc

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

The Pacers took a 33-27 lead into the second quarter, but there was a scary moment for Victor Oladipo, who appeared to get poked in the eye and was forced to leave the game and was unable to return. There’s been no official word about the nature or severity of his injury, but Oladipo’s absence could be a huge turning point in this series if he has to miss significant time.

Justin Holiday was heating up for the Pacers in the first half, hitting all three of his attempts from three-point range and finished a perfect 4-of-4 from the field for 11 points on the night.

.@JustHolla7 on the mark #IndianaStyle x #PacersGameNight pic.twitter.com/FCpLm8vbM2

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

Indiana also got quality contributions from JaKarr Sampson, who put up six points and three rebounds in seven minutes of action in the first half and played solid defense.

BIG MINUTES FROM JAKARR #IndianaStyle x #BeatTheHeat pic.twitter.com/hZSoY82cPL

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

Butler led the way for Miami in the early going with 14 points, including this two-handed jam off a nice little out-of-bounds play. Bam Adebayo added 12 points as Miami took at 56-52 lead into the half.

1⃣2⃣ points & counting for @JimmyButler#MIAvsIND: up 50-48 with 2:34 left in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/dgYiqbktkd

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

Your All-stars led the way in the 1st half.

. . . combining for 2⃣6⃣ pts pic.twitter.com/ceChzuffXq

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

Goran Dragic got it going in the second half, scoring seven points to start third quarter to help Miami build an eight-point lead.

7⃣ points to start the 2nd half for #MIAvsIND: up 70-62 with 6:41 to play in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/HhbZ0iFUge

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

But Warren continued his hot shooting in the third quarter, and Malcolm Brogdon helped keep the Pacers within striking distance, scoring eight points in the quarter and leading a 9-1 run to pull within one, 81-80, going into the final quarter.

keep firing away @TonyWarrenJr #IndianaStyle x #BeatTheHeat pic.twitter.com/yVKpwKQZUs

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

.@MalcolmBrogdon7 with the 𝒹𝒾𝓂𝑒 to @Original_Turner #IndianaStyle pic.twitter.com/PkSftEqrCe

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 18, 2020

Dragic caught fire in the fourth quarter, hitting several big shots and scoring 14 points in the final frame to give the Heat an eight-point lead with five minutes remaining.

Up 6⃣#MIAvsIND: 101-93 with 3:41 left to play. Dragic is ridiculous, he has 22pts. pic.twitter.com/aZ6wQQ76hI

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

But it was Butler who helped put the game away, hitting back-to-back three-pointers, despite being near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting all season. It capped a 22-10 run and gave the Heat their largest lead of the night, from which Indiana would not recover.

COLD BLOODED pic.twitter.com/XVXxODykQs

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 18, 2020

Game 2 tips off on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET on TNT, as Indiana will look to close much better and Miami will be seeking a stranglehold on the series with back-to-back wins.

There’s a post that conservatives are sharing on Facebook that aims to make it seem like they are tolerant people, but they’ve been pushed to the point where they’ve decided to become a bigot.

Who pushed them too far? The LGBT community, people of color, liberals, and immigrants.

The post is clearly a total “Sorry, not sorry,” post that attempts to have things both ways. It essentially says, “I was tolerant of those who aren’t white, straight, and conservative, but I’ve become intolerant of them because they are destroying my way of life.”

---

via Reddit

[Note: There are different versions of this post that say: “I have never cared if you were well off, or poor, because I’ve been both, until you started calling me names for working hard and bettering myself” and “I’ve never cared if you don’t like guns until you tried to take my guns away.”]

Who in the world is calling people names for working hard? Also, it’s a little self-aggrandizing for someone to pat their own back by bragging about working hard and bettering themselves. But, hey, puffing yourself up is what Facebook is for.

Whoever shares the post is also looking to be praised for their toughness, “my patience and tolerance are gone.” Congratulations on being so thin-skinned.

The post is also inadvertently funny because it says, “I never cared you were gay until you started shoving it down my throat.” Now, what exactly was shoved down this person’s throat and did they enjoy it or not? That reveal would make for a much more entertaining post.

So, what happened now grandpa?

The post also assumes that the LGBT community, people of color, liberals, and immigrants are all fighting against straight, white conservatives in an attempt to ruin their lives. When, in reality, most of the activists are simply fighting for equality.

There are extremists in all movements, so to paint each group with such broad-strokes shows a real lack of experience.

via Netflix

via Netflix

LGBT people aren’t trying to turn straight people into drag queens. Protesting against systemic inequality isn’t about blaming others people for your problems, it’s about highlighting inequity and attempting to correct it.

And where does the original poster get the idea that immigrants are trying to erase anyone’s history?

Someone came up with the perfect response to the “I don’t care” post by pointing out the fact that the person who wrote the manifesto probably has supported Republican policies that have oppressed immigrants, people of color, and the LGBT community.

Naturally, these policies have encouraged liberals to fight back.

via Reddit

The poster does a great job of explaining how the person who “never cared” really does care about the rights of people who aren’t like him or her.

People on the right love to talk about freedom, but it’s more like, “freedom for me but not for thee.” They are vocal about the freedom to own a gun, run a business without interference, and pay less in taxes to the state.

But they conveniently neglect the freedom for people to love who they choose, live where they want, and do what they wish with their bodies.

People who truly value liberty want it for those they disagree with as well.

In today’s politically divided America, tolerance is a value that we need a lot more and more of, regardless of one’s political affiliation. So, how about an “I never cared” post that goes something like this?

“You know folks, I never cared you were gay until I saw that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide, compared to heterosexual youth. So I stood up for your rights.

I never cared what color you were until I learned that Black people are up to six times more likely to be killed by police, so I marched alongside you.

I never cared about your political affiliation, until I realized it is a reflection of your values, so I listened. I also appreciated it when you listened to me when I shared my views.

I didn’t care where you were from until I learned you were a refugee that came to America to provide your family with safety and opportunity.

I am not alone in feeling like this, there are millions more of us who feel like this, and we are going to change the world so it’s a more tolerant, safe, and free place for all of us.”

I know some people use the term “work like a dog” to describe the effort they have put forth. Perhaps out of respect they should be more careful with their words. Some dogs do not stop until they reach the top. Meet Tuscan Prime: canine, and Hyundai Prime’s newest employee, as in badge and everything (although it is still unclear whether he has filled out the equivalent of a W-4 form).

According to Bored Panda, it all started when the employees of the Brazilian car dealership took notice of a stray dog spending some time around the building. At first everyone thought he was just passing through, but the pup soon to be known as Tuscan Prime had other ideas. On one fateful rainy night, showroom manager Emerson Mariano ushered the poor guy in from the wet conditions and offered him food, water and shelter. The bond between the two was instantaneous. It was then that Mariano had the idea to make him their mascot.

---

“After all, the company has always been pet friendly, so now, we decided to embrace this idea in practice too, having our own pet precisely at a more complicated time like this with so many abandoned animals,” he said. They named him Tuscan Prime. The fact that his name sounds like a Transformer might not be coincidence, because he was clearly ready to turn into something else.

Upon given the title of mascot, Tuscan immediately seized the opportunity to show them how much more he could be. He took the initiative to start greeting customers with his warm and charming character. You can almost hear him saying, “Listen Emerson, I appreciate the opportunity, and all. But limiting me to just being a mascot is like driving Ferrari in a school zone. If you guys need to get people into your dealership, I am the George Clooney of greeters. Put me in, coach.”

It was not long before Mariano made him the official greeter, complete with an employee badge. Tuscan’s customer service has not just had an incredibly positive effect on the customers, but his charm has greatly improved the workplace atmosphere, as well. According to Mariano, the dogs “very caring and docile nature” has improved the environment of the entire organization.

At this point, I am sure that everyone is thinking Tuscan’s rise from being a stray to mascot to greeter puts a nice bow on the story. Not for this dog. His drive has put him in a position where he is expected to star in a national marketing campaign for Hyundai. Perhaps he is thinking, “Maybe you guys should go home and watch The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith, because if you think I am done, you are mistaken. I am just getting warmed up.”

Tuscan went from being homeless to starring in a national add for a major car company. It is important to note that he did this without speaking a human language, no opposable thumbs and a life expectancy about seven times shorter than ours. We go to school for six hours a day for almost 20 years or more, and this is for human stuff. Tuscan rose through the ranks with none of those advantages. This inspires me to put my nose to the grindstone and step up my game. I am going to get to work—like a dog.

It’s been nearly nine months since “Megxit,” when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle formally stepped back in their role as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, seeking to make their own way in the world, independent from their ties to the English crown. Heck, they won’t even be portrayed on The Crown. Well, wouldn’t you know the two, who relocated to Los Angeles, have already found their footing: As per Variety, the two semi-royals have been “quietly” shopping some secret television project about Hollywood.

What is it? Is it a reality program about their fish-out-of-water antics on the American West Coast? Is it a fiction about former royals who reinvent themselves as crime fighters? Who knows? In fact, the not-quite-former Duke and Duchess’ project is so hush-hush that the two took meetings with numerous networks back in June, hoping to be joint producers on whatever this mystery project turns out to be.

One company they approached was NBCUniversal, which is where Markle spent 108 episodes making the drama Suits before ditching acting to become a member of the Royal Family. Despite this, a source claims that this will not mark Markle’s return to acting.

It’s clear Harry and Meghan are modeling their post-Royalty career after another power couple: They signed up with the Harry Walker Agency, the speaking agency that also reps the Obamas. And like the former President and First Lady, the pair have focused their public life on social issues, including environmental and mental health concerns. So kudos to Harry and Meghan, who are committed to doing plenty to help our ailing world.

(Via Variety)

You couldn’t have scripted this any better. When the Western Conference playoffs tip off on Tuesday, it’ll feature a grudge match between the Rockets and Thunder that might prove to be one of the more compelling series of the opening round. James Harden and Chris Paul will square off as former teammates who never quite reached the promised land together, and Russell Westbrook — who was traded for Paul — will face the team where he spent more than a decade of his career.

Even if the bitterness or bad blood is overstated, some form of self-fulfilling prophecy will play itself out once they take the court, given what’s at stake for both teams. In each case, there are a number of variables at play, but we’ve identified the single biggest x-factors for both, which could be the difference between a long postseason run in Orlando or an early exit from the Bubble.

Houston Rockets: Russell Westbrook’s Health

For the Rockets, it’s a test of whether their two main stars can anchor a true contender, not to mention Mike D’Antoni’s basketball disruptor philosophy, a frequent and familiar point of contention among fans and pundits alike.

The criticism surrounding Westbrook, in particular, has only increased in volume in recent years. OKC got bounced out of the first round in each of the past two seasons, despite a superstar tandem the featured Paul George before he was traded to the Clippers last summer. But the biggest question now is just how much Westbrook we’re actually going to see this series.

On Thursday, Houston announced that he could miss at least the first few games of the opening round with a strained quadriceps tendon that forced him to sit out the final seeding game against the Sixers on Friday. There is no clear time table for his return, but a prolonged absence could be hazardous against a scrappy OKC team with something to prove.

And then there’s no telling how productive or efficient he’ll be when he returns. So much of his game is predicated on his athleticism and his ability to run roughshod over opposing defenses and create opportunities for himself and others. If he isn’t able to attack with the same reckless abandon that is his signature style, there is, unfortunately, no good alternative. He hasn’t had a reliable outside shot to fall back on for years.

Even without the injury, Westbrook’s story line was already going to figure heavily into the narrative. The Rockets are a top five offense, led by one of the greatest scorers of all time in James Harden, and their switch-everything, small-ball onslaught that often features the likes of P.J. Tucker penciled in at the center position puts opposing defenses in a bind.

But Westbrook is major catalyst in that scheme, and his absence will put its efficacy to the test. Westbrook is averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and seven assists per game this season, and combined with Harden’s production has once again made Houston one of the league’s more fearsome scoring machines.

And yet, that also belies the fact that lineups featuring Harden without Westbrook have often played just as well, if not better, this season. The problem is that Houston has come to rely on those staggered Westbrook minutes to ease Harden’s offensive burden. Without him, Harden will be forced to generate a tremendous amount of offense on his own.

That’s not something that’s proved sustainable in the past when it comes to deep playoff runs for the Rockets. Houston can probably stay afloat for a little while without him, but they’ll need a healthy Westbrook back in the lineup if they want any chance of challenging for the Western Conference crown.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Chris Paul’s Quest For Sweet, Sweet Revenge

The Rockets clearly thought they were putting Chris Paul out to pasture when they sent him to OKC for Russell Westbrook. In their minds, they were trading in an aging star with an injury history who hadn’t been able to get them over the hump, for a younger, turbocharged backcourt mate to pair alongside Harden and juice an offense that was already among the most high-octane attacks in the league. And to make this work, they traded a whole lot of future draft picks, signaling they thought Paul’s stock wasn’t particularly high.

But throughout the season before the shutdown, and now on into the seeding games, Paul has proven that he’s far from finished. The Thunder have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this season, and Paul is playing some of his best basketball in years.

OKC secured the No. 5 seed in the West and thus a first-round date with the Rockets, and you can bet Paul and company feel like they have something to prove. It’s just a shame that this series has to be played in a bubble and that we’ll be deprived of hostile home crowds in both cities and all the added animosity that would bring to the equation.

The bizarro lineups on both sides will present some interesting conundrums. Houston’s small-ball lineup featuring Robert Covington and Danuel House as its tallest players, each coming in at a whopping 6’7 (but with considerable reach), could potentially render Steven Adams unplayable if he isn’t able to keep up out on the perimeter, or turn him into an absolute beast on the boards.

It could also spell trouble for the Thunder’s three-guard assault, comprised of Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder. When those three played together this season, they outscored opponents by nearly 29 points per 100 possessions. The problem is that none of those three are really equipped to guard Harden for any significant stretch, meaning they’ll have to deploy that lineup more methodically to squeeze maximum results out of it.

The Thunder have been an NBA best in the clutch this season, going 30-14 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. If OKC can keep the games close, they’ll have an advantage in that department over a team that was just 19-13 in those scenarios this season.

The bottom line, though, is that the Thunder will need Chris Paul playing at a superstar level. As good as Gilgeous-Alexander and other members of the supporting cast have been this season, they’ll only go as far as Paul can lead them, and he definitely has an extra chip on his shoulder as he prepares to face off against the team that decided he was all washed up last summer.

Where it used to be a major achievement for a movie to make $100 million at the box office, many films are now considered a “bust” if they don’t cross the billion-dollar mark. The pre-Snyder Cut Justice League, for instance, out-grossed mega-hits The Empire Strikes Back and The Incredibles and Fast Five, but because it “only” earned $682 million and reportedly cost $300 million to make, it inspired headlines like, “How Justice League Became a Box Office Disaster.” No movie released in 2020 has gotten near $1 billion, for obvious reasons (Bad Boys For Life is the closest with $424.6 million), but a movie released nearly two decades has just joined the billion dollar club.

Variety reports that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film in the Harry Potter movie series, has “surpassed $1 billion at the global box office after [landing in] the top spot on box office charts in China last weekend, amassing $13.6 million from 16,000 screens,” mostly in 3D and IMAX. It’s the second Harry Potter movie to generate $1 billion to date, after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and the 47th film overall to achieve the feat. In 48th place, with $989.2 million? Deathly Hallows: Part 1:

Sorcerer’s Stone didn’t hit Chinese cinemas until January 2002 — well before China became the second-biggest moviegoing market in the world. It collected more money from its rerelease in the last three days than it did during its entire stint in theaters 19 years ago.

Not all fans will be thrilled to see She Who Must Not Be Named profiting from all this.

(Via Variety)

It’s been a rough year for hoops. The NBA suffered through a four-month hiatus, and even though the season has successfully resumed in Orlando and the postseason is underway, the circumstances are wildly different from what we’re all accustomed to, and that could be the case for the foreseeable future.

Still, the basketball goods have seen fit to bless us with a first-round matchup that pits the Rockets against the Thunder, a series loaded with intrigue and juggling so many storylines that it’s hard to keep track of all the narrative threads. We’ll get our first taste of it when Game 1 tips off on Tuesday afternoon.

But as far as the interpersonal drama is concerned, James Harden, for his part, claims that he isn’t subscribing to the notion that there’s lingering animosity between him and former teammate Chris Paul, who the Rockets traded to the Thunder last summer for Russell Westbrook.

Via Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire:

“I don’t ever take anything personal. I’m trying to win games, and I’m trying to win a playoff series. I take it one possession at a time, one game at a time.

My role on this team is to go out and perform at a high level, but also to be a leader and make sure that guys that are around me all have that same mindset. If I can do that, then I can give us a chance to win, especially with Russell [Westbrook] being out.”

Paul also tried to downplay in a recent interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, admitting that the two don’t communicate with each other but also saying that it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have beef with one another.

During their tenure in Houston, the Rockets came close to ending the Warriors’ run but ultimately fell short, in part because of untimely injuries. Game 1 of the Rockets-Thunder series in Orlando kicks off at 6:30 ET on TNT.

(Rockets Wire)

f nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Looney Tunes (HBO Max) — If you need some comfort food tonight (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) the good news is that one of HBO Max’s most anticipated offerings is adding a new batch of classic episodes to the collection tonight. Take a left turn at Albuquerque and meet us there.

The Democratic National Convention (Everywhere, all night) — The largely remote political event continues with the presidential roll call vote, along with speakers including Stacey Abrams and Conor Lamb, as well as Bill Clinton, Jill Biden, Chuck Schumer, Sally Yates, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

If you’re looking for comedy as a distraction, Netflix has several new-ish stand-up specials that you may have missed:

Eric Andre: Legalize Everything — This New Orleans-filmed special shows Eric Andre once again busting through comedic boundaries while taking on the wars on sex, drugs, and… fart jokes? Alright. Seriously though, It’s the best comedy special of the year and highly relevant to the U.S. police-related discussion today.

Jim Jefferies: Intolerant — The Aussie comedian (who remains notorious for his gun-control opinion) pulls a 180 from where he was five years ago. He’s less focused on issues these days and grows incredibly banal at times, but he’s still uproariously funny. While reflecting upon the state of comedy today, he manages to dole out some hefty insight on life while telling an epic tale of the pursuit of lactose at all costs.

Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids (Netflix stand-up special) — After all these years (and Adam Sandler movies), Rob Schneider’s first Netflix special has arrived to take on adulthood. Did you know that his daughter is Elle King? She shows up for an ending diet with dad.

Pete Davidson: Alive From New York — From SNL to a ton of upcoming movies, Pete Davidson’s doing everything, and now, he’s got his very first Netflix original comedy special. Yes, he’s dropping all kinds of unfiltered anecdotes on everything from his SNL-related discomfort to his Louis C.K. beef and Ariana Grande relationship.

Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything — The Emmy and Grammy winning comedian brings his newest comedy special to the streaming giant. Look forward to anecdotes involving a full-scale Millennium Falcon replica and how home buying gets tied to the term “suicide squad.” Stick around for the post-credits bonus, in which Patton introduces another one-hour comedy special, Bob Rubin: Oddities & Rarities.

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill — The legendary Jerry Seinfeld has dropped his second Netflix special. Expect him to keep mining everyday life to unveil comedy in the commonplace. Although the title of this special feels Bond-esque, Seinfeld doesn’t disappoint those expecting his trademarked sharp perceptions about everyday life.

Sam Jay: 3 In The Morning (Netflix standup special) — For her first hour-long comedy special with the streaming giant, SNL writer Sam Jay headed to Atlanta, Georgia to get witty, candid, and raw at The Masquerade club.

Marc Maron: End Times Fun — The long-time standup comic, GLOW star, and prolific podcaster unleashes his latest comedy special. Expect Maron’s thoughts on cell phones, vaccinations, and Tumeric. Oh, and he’s definitely talking about his ongoing beef with Marvel movie fans.

George Lopez: We’ll Do It For Half (Netflix stand-up special, Tuesday) — Somehow, this is Lopez’s first Netflix comedy special despite his storied stand-up roots. In one hour, Lopez dives into lessons that he’s learned from the Latino community, along with issues related to emotional support animals, gender reveal parties, and elevator etiquette.

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (Netflix stand-up special) — The newest Netflix comedy special arrives today with Hannah Gadsby following up on Nanette with a second turn named after one of her dogs. Gadsby’s hope was that Douglas would “inspire comedy disobedience,” according to Netflix, and this LA-filmed special promises to upend all expectations.

The Bucks hadn’t looked especially good in the Disney Bubble restart, but the expectation was that when the playoffs started and they squared off with the 8-seeded Magic, who limped home with a 1-5 record in their final six games of the seeding round, they would get back to their dominant ways.

Orlando, however, had different ideas, and much like last year’s first round when they took Game 1 off of the eventual champion Toronto Raptors, the Magic looked terrific in the opener against Milwaukee, stunning the Bucks in a 122-110 win.

Despite being without Aaron Gordon, Orlando jumped on the Bucks after falling to an early deficit thanks to an 18-2 run that saw Milwaukee sloppily turning the ball over and unable to prevent the Magic from getting open looks, as the likes Markelle Fultz and Gary Clark, both of whom had 15 points on the night, hit big shots early.

The one player the Magic know they can count on for production any given night is Nikola Vucevic, and he stepped up in a big way, scoring 35 points (a playoff career-high) to go along with 14 rebounds as he lit up the Bucks defense to the tune of a 15-for-24 shooting night and hitting 5-of-8 from three-point range.

The Magic took a 10-point lead into the break and, as expected, the Bucks came out hot to start the third quarter, erasing that deficit fairly quickly, but Orlando refused to fold, building back a 13-point lead entering the fourth quarter. In the final period, seemingly every time the Bucks got a couple buckets to inch closer to Orlando, someone on the Magic, from D.J. Augustin (11 points) to Terrance Ross (18 points), hit a big shot to keep Milwaukee at arms length.

For the Bucks, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo doing a little of everything with 31 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists, but he got little in the way of support from the rest of his teammates. Khris Middleton struggled mightily to the tune of just 14 points on 4-of-12 shooting, showing visible frustration late as he was just unable to find his rhythm. As a team, Milwaukee shot just 14-of-42 (31.7%) from three-point range, with Giannis leading the way at a 3-of-7 clip. It was a woeful performance from just about everyone else on the Bucks, which they obviously need to clean up along the way.

The dagger, as it were, came in the form of back-to-back threes Evan Fournier, who was quiet much of the night before scoring all nine of his points in the fourth, buried two straight threes to extend the Magic lead to 118-102.

The question now is how do the Bucks respond to a rather humiliating loss. This is a team that needs to exorcise some postseason demons of the past and this kind of loss can either serve as a wake up call to bring back the dominant team from the regular season or sow seeds of doubt and a “here we go again” feeling. There’s much to work on for Milwaukee on both ends, where their offense can get painfully stagnant and they have yet to find the defensive cohesion that made them the league’s best on that end in the regular season.

For Orlando, it’ll be all about keeping these vibes going into the next game. They shot 39 percent from three-point range and against a Bucks defense that is happy to provide second and third options with looks, continuing that is the recipe for winning. Despite Giannis’ productive night, they did well keeping Milwaukee out of transition and limited Giannis to just nine free throw attempts, as Steve Clifford had a masterful gameplan in place for the Bucks and their MVP.

Rich Brian follows up his quarantine hit “Bali” with a defiant new single, “Don’t Care.” The song, produced by Brian himself, features a percolating, synth-heavy beat, over which Brian ruminates about haters and the like, brushing them off with the confidence and swagger he’s developed since making his way into the rap game all the way from Jakarta, Indonesia.

While the song’s hook acknowledges the troubles that pester him, Brian’s warbling chorus declares his freedom from stressing over them. “I don’t really care what they say,” he croons. “It’s just another day.” The uplifting track also features a music video that finds Brian wandering California’s Zuma Ridge Trail at dusk, getting lost in his thoughts and distancing himself from the anxieties of fast-paced modern life.

“Don’t Care,” along with “Bali,” “Changes,” and “Love In My Pocket,” is presumed to appear on Brian’s upcoming EP, 1999. It’ll be his first project since 2019’s The Sailor and is set for release August 25. Brian also made waves this summer with his “Tokyo Drift Freestyle” video, borrowing the beat from the theme song of the popular film franchises’ third installment and filming himself around his house as he isolated himself during the early days of the US outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian was also a critical part of 88Rising’s fifth anniversary livestream and its accompanying film.

Watch to Rich Brian’s “Don’t Care” video above.

1999 is due 8/25 via 88rising. Pre-save it here.