Hey there, San Francisco. 

Happy Friday. And happy 4-15 day! 

The weekend awaits, so let’s get right into it… 

How to fake it: ⛹️‍♂️ Warriors playoff edition 

The NBA playoffs begin this weekend, and in case you haven’t been following the Warriors during the regular season, here’s some context to help you sound like a pro around friends and family. 

The Warriors head into the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Western Conference and will face the 6th seeded Denver Nuggets. 

• It’s the first playoff appearance for the Warriors since 2019 when they lost in the finals to the Toronto Raptors. That’s the series when Kevin Durant (remember him?) tore his achilles in game 5 and Klay Thompson tore his ACL in game 6. 

Most experts are picking the Warriors to beat the Nuggets in the series. 

• That could be because two of the Nuggets’ top players (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.) are likely out due to injury. 

• It could also have something to do with the return of Steph Curry, who IS expected to play after missing the last month with a foot injury. 

Yes, but: Don’t count the Nuggets out, especially when star center Nikola Jokić is on their team. 

• Jokić won the NBA’s MVP award last year, and he’s a favorite to win it again this year averaging 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. 

Crazy stat: This season, the Warriors’ big three (Steph, Draymond, and Klay) have only played a total of 11 minutes together! So, it could take a bit for them to find their rhythm. 

• Also, don’t be surprised if 22-year-old Jordan Poole outshines some of his veteran teammates. Poole was the third leading scorer on the Warriors this season, averaging 18.5 points per game. 

If things don’t go our way, maybe try changing the conversation to baseball? 

• The Colorado Rockies (based in Denver) have never won a World Series. Heck, they’ve never even finished first in the NL West. 

But, hopefully you won’t need to go there, and the Warriors will sweep the series! 🧹

• Game 1 is this Saturday at 530pm at the Chase Center. 

Quick bits: News to know

⚡️More charging stations for electric vehicles could start popping up across gas stations and parking lots throughout the city. On Thursday, the planning commission approved Mayor Breed’s proposal to create “a more robust EV charging network,” which she originally announced earlier this year. 

• The board of supervisors will need to approve the plan, though five supervisors have already publicly supported it. (SFist) 

🍕 Pandemic pizza pop-up Outta Sight, which operates out of Fig & Thistle Tuesday-Saturday from 5-9pm, has plans to open a brick-and-mortar shop in the Civic Center area in August. 

• Their idea is to sell pizza by the slice, rather than whole pies. 

• On Friday, the Outta Sight team launched a campaign to raise $100,000 to help with the opening. (Chronicle) 

😍 Another weekend, another incredible downhill race in the city. This Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of BYOBW (or, “Bring Your Own Big Wheel”), which takes place on the very crooked, Vermont Street in Potrero Hill. The race for kids 13 and under goes from 2-3pm, while the “adults” ride from 3-5pm. More info here. 

• And, if you’ve never seen footage of BYOBW, it’s worth a watch. 

What else I’m reading: Links to browse 

• Mayor Breed promised to bring tough love to the troubled Tenderloin. Did she deliver? (Chronicle) 

• Longtime Eyesore Theater Cursed by Kismet, COVID, and Now SF’s High Costs of Revival (Frisc) 

• Pinball bar Gestalt could close (Mission Local) 

And finally… 🌬 Photo of the week 

We’ve been all over the map weather-wise lately. Here’s what Ocean Beach (near Noriega) looked like after those crazy winds earlier in the week: 

I loved the caption on Reddit: “Looks like Ocean Beach is trying to take back The Great Highway.”

That’s all for today! Have a wonderful weekend y’all and I’ll see you back here on Monday. - Nick B. 🏀