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Twitter Loved Suns-Clippers Game 3

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The first-round NBA matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers has been one of the highlights of the playoffs so far. Despite the absence of stars like Paul George, the series has been pure basketball. This has set it apart from the foul trouble seen in other matchups. However, the matchup has faded slightly as injury woes have prevented fans from seeing the teams battle at full strength.

Heading into Game 3, the series was tied at 1-1. The Clippers have persevered without George to steal Game 1 in Phoenix. However, a massive Game 2 performance from the Suns’ superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker helped tie the series. As the series shifted to LA for Game 3, both sides were looking to take that crucial lead. However, the Clippers would have to do it without Kawhi Leonard, who was ruled out through injury.

Suns Edge Clippers In High-Scoring Thriller

Both teams came to play from the opening tip-off, with the lead see-sawing throughout the first half. Tied at 27 after the first quarter, the Suns took a three-point lead into the half. They were able to push the lead to nine by the end of the three before fending off a Clippers-led fourth to take the game 129-124. The Suns now hold a 2-1 series lead heading into Saturday’s Game 4. Game 4 will once again be held in LA, with the Suns looking to sweep the road games of the series. Leonard has been designated as a “day-to-day” ahead of that crucial weekend game. George will also likely miss the matchup.

There were monster performances for both sides which contributed to the thrilling back-and-forth. With George and Leonard out, Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell stepped up. Powell, who had a combined 26 points through the first two games, put up a career-high 42 in Game 3. Westbrook also contributed 30 points and 12 assists. However, the other Clippers starters struggled, combining for just 13 points. Meanwhile, Durant and Booker put on another clinic for the Suns. Booker led all scorers with 45 points, while Durant added 28. All Suns starters reached double digits points, negating a weak bench showing of 18 combined.

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Harden Gets Ejected For Groin Punch

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“Flagrant foul” appears to be the NBA’s word of the week. Draymond Green received a “flagrant 2” for stomping on Domantas Sabonis earlier in the week. Then last night, Joel Embiid got a “flagrant 1” for kicking Nic Claxton while James Harden got a “flagrant 2” for sack-tapping Royce O’Neale. But what even is a “flagrant foul”?

Flagrant fouls are the highest form of in-game penalty in basketball. A “flagrant 1” is defined as “unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent.” Meanwhile, a “flagrant 2” is “unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.” Additionally, both calls carry a standard two-free-throw penalty. However, getting two flagrant 1s or one flagrant 2 in a game also carries an immediate ejection.

Harden Allegedly Goes Below The Belt

Game 3 of the 76ers-Nets series was weird. The Sixers were 2-0 on the series and looking to put the penultimate nail in Brooklyn’s coffin. But less than four minutes into the game, Joel Embiid was called for a flagrant 1 after kicking Nic Claxton. Claxton had just postered Embiid with a heavy alley-oop dunk and Embiid kicked him as Claxton stepped over the MVP front-runner. Furthermore, at the time of the foul, the Nets led 6-4. However, the Sixers found themselves up 11 at the half. The game then swung back and forth until the end of the third, with the Nets up four. The Sixers get Harden the ball off an offensive rebound, hoping he can sink a three.

Royce O’Neale closes in on Harden before Harden begins to drive closer to the three line. Harden appears to make light contact with O’Neale’s groin and O’Neale goes down like he’s been shot. Harden was called for a flagrant 2 and tossed from the game. But we’re not done as Claxton, from the Embiid thing earlier, would also be ejected before game’s end. After dunking on Embiid again in the fourth, Claxton was tossed for flexing on Embiid and being called for a second technical foul. Previously, he had picked up his first tech for stepping over Embiid in the first. Eventually, the Sixers pulled off a 102-97 win, taking a 3-0 series lead into Saturday’s Game 4.

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Twitter Gets Fired Up For Fiesty Lakers-Grizzlies Game 2

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You should never count out the Lakers. Former Laker Kyle Kuzma said they were a Finals team. Prior to the NBA playoffs, LeBron dismissed their seventh-seed status because “everyone’s 0-0 now.” And then the Lakers proceeded to the second-seed Grizzlies by 16. Sure, the Grizzlies didn’t have Ja Morant but still, it wasn’t pretty.

Things needed to change, especially with starter Xavier Tillman’s awful 2-3-3 stat line in 22 minutes of action. With Morant a game-time decision, everyone would need to bring their best game to avoid dropping to 0-2 and staring down the barrel of embarrassment. The last time a seed that high went down 0-2 was the 2017 one-seed Celtics. While the Celtics rallied in that series, just 32 teams in the history of the NBA playoffs have come back from 0-2 down.

Grizzlies’ Defense Dominates Game 2

Let’s start with Xavier Tillman. The 2020 second-round pick out of Michigan State absolutely showed up after his dismal game one. In 32 minutes, Tillman put up 22 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 10-for-13. Meanwhile, Jaren Jackson Jr. showcased why he was Defensive Player of the Year with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Also laying down dominant defense was Dillon Brooks, who helped hold LeBron to just 1-for-8 three-point shooting. Also helping the Grizzlies were poor nights from D’Angelo Russell and James Vanderbilt. Both were Lakers starters who played at least 20 minutes and put up less than 10 points. However, Rui Hachimura put up 20 from the bench. In comparison, the Grizzlies’ bench scored a combined 24.

The Grizzlies led by 14 at the half and weathered a Lakers comeback attempt down the stretch to win by 10. Tillman led the Grizzlies with 22 points, while LeBron led all scorers with 28. However, despite posting a double-double with 12 rebounds, LeBron was a cold shooter thanks to the stifling Grizzlies D. LeBron went 12-for-23 and 1-for-8 from three. Additionally, he shot just four free throws as Memphis made sure to keep him away from the line. With Morant’s return uncertain, the Grizzlies did what they needed to do in order to mitigate his absence. However, the big question is that if they can do without Morant, what heights can they reach with him present? The teams will meet again on Saturday for a pivotal Game 3.

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“The Mandalorian” Wraps Up Season 3 With Wholesome Finale

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Season 3 of The Mandalorian has been fairly divisive. Showrunner Jon Favreau inadvertently set the tone when he said that he had no endgame in mind for the Star Wars spinoff. As a result, Season 3 has felt like something of a set-up season – Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) must do a variety of side quests to be reaccepted by his people, the Mandalorians. He does this so that bigger things can happen in future seasons. Meanwhile, the Mandalorians are trying to restore their home planet to its former glory despite the challenges faced by external sources.

The season saw Djarin undergo the trials to be accepted into Mandalorian society, while also focusing on Bo-Katan’s (Katie Sachoff) struggle to once again be named Mandalore’s ruler. Their adventures take them around the local system, including a meeting with Lizzo, before once again returning to Mandalore. There, Bo-Katan is able to unite the desperate tribes and clans ahead of a final confrontation with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).

Mandalore Is Made Whole But The Story Continues

The season finale of The Mandalorian feels like a video game. Djarin and Grogu (Baby Yoda) must fight through increasingly difficult enemies before they can have a showdown with Moff Gideon. Gideon, who essentially wants to be the new Space Emporer, monologues a little bit like a video game boss. Then he proceeds to kick the asses of Djarin and Bo-Katan. However, before he can commit violence against the internet’s favorite puppet, a whole-ass spaceship falls onto the building they are fighting in. Gideon is killed by Grogu is able to protect Djarin and Bo-Katan with his force powers.

Then things get very…show-ending-y. Mandalore is restored, Djarin is reaccepted by his people and then formally adopts Grogu. And then the father-son pair retired to a peaceful homestead while undertaking legal contract work for the New Republic. The direction is a strange one as while it feels like the show is wrapping up, a fourth season is already in development. However, for the time being, Djarin and Grogu finally get a little bit of peace and quiet. How did you feel about the finale of The Mandalorian Season 3?

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Marques Houston Slammed For Dating Comments

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Marques Houston may be better known for his dating exploitations than his storied musical career. In 2019, Houston became engaged to Miya Dickey, and the couple was married in August 2020. However, Dickey was just 18 when the couple met, a full 19 years younger than Houston. The relationship sparked a wave of backlash against the couple. It is still a much-talked-about issue, with Houston speaking out about it as recently as earlier this month.

However, Houston is now in the news for a different reason concerning his dating life. Speaking with Page Six, Houston said that women his own age (41) came with too much “baggage.” Furthermore, the father of one went on to say, “A red flag to me [was] always with a woman that had a kid,” he said. “Nothing against single women, but single mothers with children are a red flag for me.” Already in a hole, Houston kept on digging, saying, “So that was always my red flag… and a woman with an attitude. I don’t like women with funky attitudes.”

Backlash Against Houston Swift and Fierce

Safe to say, the internet didn’t love Houston’s comments. The responses broke down into two specific camps. First, there were the people who objected to Houston calling single mothers a “red flag” when he is best known for dating an 18-year-old. There were plenty of tweets that simply called Houston a “predator” in a similar vein. Other people pointed to the allegations that prior to being taken in by Houston’s friend Chris Strokes, Miya Dickey was a runaway teen. If these allegations are true, Dickey was just three years removed from being a missing person when she met Houston. Detractors also pointed to a recent TMZ clip where Houston says his wife “keeps him young and fresh.”

Meanwhile, other replies largely questioned why people give Houston the opportunity to defend himself and give public statements like this. One tweet simply read “Can we stop asking Marques Houston questions?” Defending his marriage to a 19-year-old is really the only topic of conversation for Houston in recent media appearances. This is why there is an understandable objection to giving him a platform, as he primarily uses what he is given to defend his marriage. However, Houston does have his supporters. One tweet argues that Houston “made a 19-year-old an honest woman through the institution of marriage”. Regardless, Marques Houston is once again in the news for marrying a 19-year-old. However, this time it comes with the added layer of bashing women his own age.

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Clippers-Suns Game 2 Had Twitter Losing It

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The first-round NBA playoff matchup between the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns may be one of the most intriguing. It’s a rematch of the 2021 Western Conference Finals, although with a few key differences. For one, the Suns now have Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, the Clippers have Russell Westbrook. Furthermore, a 4 v 5 matchup is something of a shock for two teams expected to be Western Conference contenders. However, the Suns ended the season as the fourth seed while the Clippers took the fifth seed.

Despite missing Paul George, the Clippers took Game 1 in a 115-110 shootout. Kawhi Leonard and Eric Gordon combined for 57 points, managing to overcome three 25+ point starters for the Suns. A deciding factor was the Clippers’ defensive prowess, which included holding the Suns to just 18 first-quarter points. Another key element was a poor showing from the Suns’ bench, who combined for just 10 points. That meant it was all to play for in Game 2, with the Suns eager to not fall behind 0-2.

Suns Tie Series With Massive Game 2

In response, the Suns dominated Game 2. Despite a tie game at the half, the Suns played better down the stretch to cap a 123-109 victory. Despite another weak showing from their bench, Durant and Devin Booker combined for 63 points in the win. Booker alone posted 38 points and nine assists. This was combined with no Suns starter dropping less than 14 (though De’Andre Ayton’s 14 was also complimented by 13 rebounds). Furthermore, they almost doubled the Clippers’ assists. This spoke to the Suns’ depth of shooters on a cold night for the Clippers.

The Clippers never let the Suns fully run away with the game, however. Westbrook shook off a 9-point Game 1 to put up 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Leonard was once again the team leader with 31 points. However, no Clippers starter finished the game with a positive +/- score. It’s clear that the Clippers are missing Paul George. Nicolas Batum is no replacement in the starting five and played just 19 minutes in Game 2. However, there is no immediate timetable for George’s return. Even though they took Game 1, will that cost the Clippers down the stretch?

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Draymond Green Suspension Backed By Twitter

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It’s been a busy few weeks for Warriors forward Draymond Green. As the NBA regular season wound down, he reignited his beef with Rudy Gobert. Then he put the league on notice by calling his shot on a Warriors title run. And if that wasn’t enough, he went and stomped on Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 of the Warriors-Kings series.

It was the stomp heard around the league. With 7:06 left in the fourth quarter and the Kings up four, Steph Curry grabbed a defensive rebound off a missed Malik Monk jumper. Green and Sabonis collided while contesting the rebound and Sabonis went to the ground. As the Warriors transitioned up the court, Green was explicitly seen deliberately stomping on Sabonis’ abdomen. Sabonis had reportedly grabbed Green’s ankle while on the ground. This led to Green being called for a flagrant foul and subsequently ejected. The Kings would hold onto their lead and eventually win 114-108.

Green Suspended For One Game

Despite initial speculation that Green wouldn’t receive additional punishment for the stomp, the NBA handed down a one-game suspension. It’s the second suspension Green has received this season. In March, he earned an automatic one-game suspension after accruing 16 technical fouls on the season. However, aside from his long-standing history of being a “dirty player”, it’s not the first time he’s been handed a playoff suspension. In 2016, Green missed Game 5 of the NBA Finals after hitting LeBron in the groin. Famously, the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in that series to mark a Cavs championship.

Furthermore, Green’s suspension couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Warriors. They are 0-2 in the playoffs for the first time under Steve Kerr. Additionally, playing against a white-hot Kings team, they will need to find a replacement for Green’s assists and rebounds. This is not an easy task, especially given a lack of options at his position on the roster. While the Warriors still have the scoring powerhouse of the Splash Brothers, Jonathan Kuminga and Jamychal Green are not exactly Draymond 2.0. Could Green’s suspension have cost the Warriors yet another playoff run? The Kings look to go up 3-0 in Green’s absence on Thursday.

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Frank Ocean’s Coachella Live Stream Seemingly Cancelled, Twitter Reacts

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The final hours of Coachella weekend one are winding down. Patrons are certainly eager to catch the most highly anticipated headliner of the weekend, Frank Ocean. The Blond artist’s set is due to begin at 10 PM PT. Many have been counting down the hours until showtime all weekend long. Thankfully for those who couldn’t make it to this year’s event, the festival has been streaming several performances live via YouTube. While fans of Ocean have been looking forward to watching his first concert in years from the comfort of their own homes, speculation began circulating online on Sunday (April 16) evening that Coachella won’t be giving us a glimpse into the final show of the night.

It’s worth noting that Friday and Saturday’s main events, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK, both made their sets available to audiences at home. Today, however, acts like Bjork and Ocean were notably missing from the streaming schedule, causing major concern to fly. “When is Frank Ocean gonna stop the anonymous game?” one Twitter user openly pondered upon hearing the news. “You’re not [an] underground artist. We all know what you look and smell like and know your favourite colour.”

Frank Ocean Headlines Coachella 2023

Several others chimed in with memes and videos depicting their reaction to the potential cancellation. Though undeniably dramatic, the outrage is understandable considering tonight marks Ocean’s first performance since 2017. He previously trended online last week as music lovers realized he likely wouldn’t be dropping a new album ahead of his Coachella set as many anticipated. Rather, the 35-year-old has kept quiet as of late, with his last official release coming in the form of 2020’s “Cayendo” and “Dear April.”

Prior to that, 2019 gave us singles such as “DHL” and “In My Room,” while 2018 saw the arrival of “Moon River.” He hasn’t delivered a full-length project since 2016, though we’ve got our fingers crossed that will change soon. Scroll on to read more reactions to Coachella reportedly cancelling Frank Ocean’s live stream, and check back later for more music news updates.

Twitter Reacts to Word of Cancelled Live Stream

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Disney Gets Backlash For “Lilo & Stitch” Casting

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Disney’s run of live-action adaptations for their animated classics has been mixed. 2017’s Beauty and the Beast? Totally forgettable. 2019’s Dumbo? I bet you forgot this movie happened. 2019’s The Lion King? Memed to hell and back because CGI animals can’t show emotion. 2020’s Mulan? Meh. 2021’s Cruella? Did surprisingly well.

But that hasn’t stopped Disney from making these films because they are the company with more money than God. The Little Mermaid, led by Halle Bailey, premieres later this year. Also reportedly in the works is The Princess And The Frog. But one project that may have slipped under the radar is a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, the charming movie about the Hawaiian girl who adopts an alien. That was until Disney announced who would be playing one of the main characters.

Disney Casts Light-Skinned Actress For Famously Non-White Role

Nani is a pivotal character in Lilo & Stitch. She is Lilio’s older sister, who is trying her best to care for their family after the death of their parents. The original film perfectly balances showing Nani as overbearing from Lilo’s perspective while also highlighting the sad reality of this twenty-something thrust into the role of both sister and mother. Nani does her best and eventually comes to finally realize her sister’s uniqueness and a better way to interact with her.

In an announcement made April 13, it was announced that Hawaiian-born actress Sydney Agudong had been cast Nani. There was just a small problem – Nani (and Lilo) are indigenous Hawaiians. They are some of the few prominent non-white characters in Disney’s animated films of that era. Adudong is very light-skinned, as countless side-by-side comparisons have shown. Safe to say that fans were less than impressed. There was widespread criticism of Disney “white-washing” the role, which uniquely represents contemporary Hawaii. Hawaii’s indigenous population have long asked for white tourists and families to not visit or move to the islands. This is due to the increasing displacement of the indigenous population to make room for tourism and housing for white relocators. The replacement of an indigenous character with a white-passing actress is in its own way a reflection of Hawaii’s problems.

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Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana (Remix)” With Nicki Minaj Has Twitter Singing The Rap Divas’ Praise

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It’s Ice Spice season. Since blowing up with “Munch (Feelin’ U)” last summer, the 23-year-old drill artist has been achieving one major career milestone after another. She earned a co-sign from Drake early on and now, she’s collaborating with one of the biggest names in hip-hop. Spice likely never saw this sort of success coming her way so quickly, though she’s obviously taking advantage of it. This New Music Friday (April 14), the famous redhead was joined by Nicki Minaj on the remix of “Princess Diana.” The song originally comes from her Like..? EP, which arrived earlier this year to great reviews.

The song begins with Isis Gaston reciting her famous bars from the chorus over production by RIOTUSA. “They be chattin’, I don’t give a damn and I’m still gettin’ money, I know who I am,” the Bronx-born lyricist reminds listeners. “And I just fell in love with a gangsta / So he put my name in a tat’,” she flirtatiously rhymes while beginning the first verse. “But I don’t let him come to the crib / So we get it on where we at.” Following that the Queen of Rap comes through with some heat, leaving the Barbz applauding her wit and flow.

Nicki Minaj Slides on the “Princess Diana (Remix)”

“Like grrah, keep it a stack / Bitches is ass if we keepin’ it crack,” she hilariously rhymes near the end of the remix’s second verse. “Bad little redhead, she ’bout to black / We come out, it’s a movie, but we don’t do BAP.” Since arriving at midnight, the song has garnered plenty of strong reactions from social media users. For the most part, they’ve been incredibly positive. “Twitter was praying that Nicki would start some kind of beef with Ice Spice only for Nicki to hop on the ‘Princess Diana’ remix and sign her under her new record label on a partnership deal,” one person proudly pointed out.

Another chimed in with, “The way Nicki bodied her ‘Princess Diana’ verse is insane, like the bars the metaphors, the energy. Mother slid! I’m not over this serve literally fkn still gagged.” Keep scrolling for more Twitter reactions to Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana (Remix).” After reading be sure to tell us your thoughts on the hot new collaboration in the comments.

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