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Dallas Mavericks defeat Minnesota Timberwolves 108-105 in Game 1 of Western Conference finals

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with a score of 108-105 on Wednesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Luka Dončić had 33 points, and Kyrie Irving added 30 more points to help the Mavericks take a 1-0 lead in the series. Dončić was 12-of-25 from the field with eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, while Irving was 12-of-23 with four assists.

Game 2 between the Mavericks and Timberwolves is set to take place on Friday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Target Center in Minneapolis.

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Florida Panthers shutout NY Rangers 3-0 in Game 1 of Eastern Conference final

The Florida Panthers beat the NY Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final in a shutout 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky registered 21 shots, while Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk scored a first-period goal, and later in the third period Carter Verhaeghe received credit after Alexis Lafrenière tipped the puck in his own goal, putting the Panthers up 3-0.

Game 2 is scheduled to take place on Friday at 8 p.m. back at MSG.

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Entertainment Daypop

Drew Barrymore to be featured in ‘Hollywood Squares’ reboot at CBS

Drew Barrymore will serve as the famed ‘center square’ on an updated, reimagined version of  the classic game show “Hollywood Squares,” set to air on CBS in January. Past “center square” celebrities have included Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers, Martin Mull and Paul Lynde, with the show dating back to 1965.

CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS president/CEO George Cheeks revealed the news at a news conference, with a press release stating: ‘Hollywood Squares’ involves two contestants who play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes, with the ‘board’ for the game is a vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants. The celebrities are asked questions and the contestants judge the legitimacy of their answers to win the game. Award-winning actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore will take her place as the famed ‘center square’ answering questions for the contestants.”

CBS president/CEO George Cheeks shared: “Drew’s already a part of our CBS family. She’s adorable, she’s engaging, she’s going to bring her friends under the squares. We think this is going to be a great 10 o’clock show for us. We now have a really solid Wednesday night of game shows to bridge the ‘Survivor’ seasons .. We’re reimagining ‘Hollywood Squares.’ We’re going to be true to to the the old school elements, but like having an anchor of somebody with that personality, those relationships, and just someone who actually is so such a diehard fan of that franchise. We’re super excited about her in the center square.”

Hollywood Squares will run on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET starting in January, paired with “The Price is Right at Night” (hosted by Drew Carey) at 8 p.m. and a new season of “Raid the Cage,” hosted by Damon Wayans, Jr. and co-host Jeannie Mai, at 9 p.m.

 

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Entertainment Daypop

Kristen Stewart, Oscar Isaac to star in the vampire thriller ‘Flesh of the Gods’

Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac are set to star in the vampire thriller Flesh of the Gods, directed by Panos Cosmatos, the filmmaker best known for his 2018 horror film, Mandy. Flesh of the Gods is written by Andrew Kevin Walker, best known as the screenwriter behind 1990s classic Se7en, and is based on a story by Cosmatos and Walker.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Flesh of the Gods is set in Los Angeles during the glittering 1980s. The story follows a married couple, Raoul (Isaac) and Alex (Stewart), who descend each evening from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into an electric nighttime realm of 80’s LA. When they cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic woman and her hard-partying cabal, Raoul and Alex are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills, and violence. Cosmatos in a statement: “Like Los Angeles itself Flesh of the Gods inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare. Both propulsive and hypnotic, Flesh will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”

Flesh of the Gods will begin filming later this year, and will be presented at the Cannes film market.

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Pop Daypop

Avril Lavigne to release ‘Greatest Hits’ album on June 21st

Avril Lavigne will release a greatest hits album on June 21, with the 39-year-old singer-songwriter sharing the news amid the kick-off of her ‘Greatest Hits’ tour. Lavigne wrote on Instagram: “Can’t do a greatest hits tour without a greatest hits album!!! Dropping June 21st 🩷💚🧡🖤 Pre-Order link in bio.”

Greatest Hits will feature the singles “Sk8er Boi,” “Complicated,” “I’m a Mess” featuring Yungblud, “Head Above Water” and 16 other tracks, with the project available on 12-inch vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The album will be available in 12-inch black vinyl and a Target-exclusive 12-inch vinyl neon green pressing. The album packaging includes new photos and a personal note to fans from Lavigne.

The Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits Tour kicked-off on May 22nd in Vancouver, British Columbia at Rogers Arena, and will make stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Toronto, Charlotte, Nashville, Chicago, and more before wrapping up on Wednesday, September 18th in Calgary. All Time Low and Simple Plan will join Avril on select dates throughout the tour as special guests and direct support, with Royal & the Serpent and Girlfriends joining select dates as opening acts.  For tickets, head here.

To pre-order Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits, head here.

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Pop Daypop

BTS’s RM drops ‘Come Back to Me’, shares tracklist for solo album, ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’

BTS member RM will release his sophomore solo album, titled ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’ on May 24th via BigHit Music. The news was revealed via an announcement from the global fandom platform Weverse and BTS’ official social media channels, BigHit Music. The label shared: “Right Place, Wrong Person embodies facets of RM as a solo artist, distinct from albums released under BTS, would appreciate the attention and support from many for this album that delves into RM’s authentic essence.”

RM said in a statement: “Working on this album set something off in me. I actually started working on new materials one or two weeks before releasing this album. Putting Indigo together was hard work, so I wanted to take some time off after releasing it. But once I released it, I found new inspirations and felt the desire to work on new music. I realized that I’m really not the type to take breaks.”

In addition, the K-pop star dropped the first single from the album, titled “Come Back to Me”, along with the official music video. The single is described as “‘an indie-pop genre song that explores thoughts about right and wrong, the main theme of the album, Right Place, Wrong Person.”   The music video is directed, produced and written by Lee Sung-jin, the Korean American director of the popular Netflix series, Beef.   You cam check out the video for “Come Back to Me” – here.

RM also just shared the tracklist for “Right Place, Wrong Person”, unveiling a puzzle for fans to solve. The finished puzzle depicts the album’s 11 tracks, including the single “Come Back to Me.”

 

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Entertainment Daypop

Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough files lawsuit to protect Graceland after it is sent to foreclosure

Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, is fighting the court-approved sale of Graceland, the late singer’s compound in Memphis, Tennessee.

Keough, identified in the court filing as Danielle Riley Keough, filed a claim in Tennessee civil court that alleges the creditor behind the foreclosure claim used forged signatures. According to an apparent foreclosure notice, Graceland had been set to be auctioned off at the Shelby County courthouse in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday this week, however court documents show that a Memphis judge blocked the sale after Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit.

The foreclosure allegedly occurred after Elvis’ daughter, the late Lisa Marie Presley, used Graceland as collateral to secure a $3.8 million loan from a company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending in 2018, but she failed to pay it off before she died last year.  Keough was granted virtual control of Graceland Mansion and much of Elvis’ estate after her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, died.  She alleges in the suit that the creditor’s paperwork on a $3.8 million loan to Graceland trustees, with a deed of trust on the compound pledged as collateral, is fraudulent. Keough claims in the lawsuit that Naussany Investments “appears to be a false entity created for the purpose” of defrauding her family. The lawsuit also says Keough’s mother “never borrowed money” from the company, or gave them a deed of trust to Graceland, and further alleges that documents claiming otherwise “are forgeries.” The suit alleges the foreclosure sale would thus be “non-judicial” and based on lien paperwork that violates Tennessee law.

In a statement, Elvis Presley Enterprises, the entity that runs Graceland and the assets of the Elvis Presley Trust, suggested the sale is a scheme: “Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud.”  According to CBS affiliate in Memphis WREG, an attorney for Keough says a temporary restraining order was granted Monday. A judge will consider Keough’s court filing in a hearing on Wednesday.

Built in 1939, Graceland Mansion was purchased by Elvis in 1957, where he lived until his death in 1977.  Five years later it was opened to the public as a music history theme park, where it currently attracts roughly 600,000 visitors a year, according to the venue.  Graceland was named to the American National Register of Historic Places in 1991; it is also the final resting place for Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie.

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Sports Daypop

Boston Celtics defeat Indiana Pacers in Game 1 overtime win, 133-128

The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, coming back in OT to win with a score of 133-128.

Jaylen Brown made a three-pointer with six seconds left to force the OT, and Jayson Tatum converted a three-point play to put Boston up 124-123 with a minute to play in OT. Tatum then had a three-pointer to give the Celtics the win. Tatum led Boston with 36 points, while Jrue Holiday added 28.

Game 2 is set to take place on Thursday at Boston’s TD Garden at 8pm.

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Georgia QB Jaden Rashada sues Florida coach Billy Napier, booster over NIL deal

According to documents obtained by The Athletic on Tuesday, former University of Florida recruit Jaden Rashada has sued Florida coach Billy Napier, a booster and others in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, alleging that they defrauded him out of millions of dollars during the University of Florida recruitment process. Napier, former Gators director of player engagement and name, image and likeness Marcus Castro-Walker, booster Hugh Hathcock and his former company, Velocity Automotive Solutions LLC., are named as defendants. Rashada is the first known college athlete to sue his coach or a booster due to a dispute of a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal.

Rashada, who is now the new quarterback for University of Georgia, states in the lawsuit that he signed his national letter of intent to Florida on Dec. 21, 2022, less than an hour after Napier promised the player’s father a $1 million “partial payment” that day upon signing. However the lawsuit says that Rashada never received the $1 million, and the boosters never fulfilled the deal.

The lawsuit also alleges that Rashada was persuaded to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida based on a $13.85 million NIL deal he signed with the Gator Collective, an independent organization that fundraises money and gives it to Gators athletes through NIL agreements: “But once Jaden committed to UF, rather than make Jaden ‘rich’ as promised, these people — with Hathcock leading the charge — changed their tune and went back on their word. The amount of UF-affiliated NIL money available for Jaden decreased drastically.”

The filing includes a series of text messages that Castro-Walker allegedly sent to Rashada’s NIL agents as during the Gators’ attempt to get him to sign; however, NCAA rules prohibit use of NIL deals to lure prospects to sign with specific schools and forbids booster involvement in the recruiting process, with the suit stating: “Sadly, unethical and illegal tactics like this are more and more commonplace in the Wild West that is today’s college football landscape.”

The Florida athletic department did not immediately respond when asked for comment. Rashada, who ultimately signed with Arizona State, completed 44 of 82 passes for 485 yards, four scores and three interceptions in three appearances last season for the Sun Devils. In April, he announced his transfer to Georgia.

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Entertainment Daypop

Jennifer Lopez and Simu Liu star in the trailer for ‘Atlas’, premiering May 24

Jennifer Lopez and Simu Liu star in the latest trailer for Netflix‘s upcoming sci-fi movie Atlas.

The trailer for Atlas, written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite and directed by Brad Peyton (San Andreas), sees Liu introduced as the AI character Harlan, whom counter-terrorism analyst Atlas Shepherd (Lopez) has long hunted. Harlan is shown to have nearly ended humanity after first being engineered to advance it.

Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla and Mark Strong also star in the film.

Atlas premieres May 24; take a look at the trailer – here.

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