World No 3 wins 7-6 (5), 7-5
Spaniard claims ninth 1000-level title of his career
Carlos Alcaraz avenged his loss to Ben Shelton in the US Open last eight as he edged the American 7-6 (5), 7-5 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday, clinching his ninth ATP 1000 title.
The world No 3 controlled the contest from the baseline to become the first Spaniard to win the tournament since David Ferrer in 2012, while Shelton was left frustrated by an erratic forehand.
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Oy my days! It’s raining now and Antonelli slides off the track as they go around to get into position! He’s able to adjust, but that’s a warning to all drivers.
That and Pulp Fiction are the only ones I’ve seen twice in the cinema on the same day. Rightly so.
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Coming off an opening NBA Cup win against the Sacramento Kings, the Spurs faced a SEGABABA against the Portland Trail Blazers. After a sluggish first quarter, the Spurs, behind by 42 points in the second quarter, built their two-point lead to 15 at halftime. In the third, the Spurs drove the nail in the coffin, outscoring the Blazers 45-27 and ballooning their lead to 33 heading into the fourth. The Blazers simply could not stop the ball movement and three-point barrage by the silver and black, as the Spurs ultimately won 125-103.
Victor Wembanyama continues his early MVP campaign with another efficient high-scoring game of 29 points (9-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal. Despite only playing 24 minutes and not being as big a focal point of the offense as he was against Dallas and Sacramento, Wemby once again demonstrated how unguardable he truly is. After starting the season shooting under 30% from three, Wemby is now shooting 7-12 (58%) from three in his last two games.
Since he’s shown he can shoot threes, Donovan Clingan steps out to guard him but immediately gets beat by Wemby on the drive to the basket. All Toumani Camara can do is go straight up, but against a seven-foot-four (he’s definitely taller) alien, it’s almost pointless.
The bulk of Wemby’s scoring comes from inside the paint. He is dunking the ball more than any other player in the league and is even leading other TEAMS in total dunks. Where do most of his dunks come from? Lobs, of course.
The most unguardable lob threat in the league, all his teammates have to do is just throw it up above the rim to where only Wemby can grab it. Sometimes, defenders are in the way. This time, Clingan was unfortunately one of his victims.
Devin Vassell dropped another solid game with 15 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. His defense somehow outshone his shooting from three. His agility and lateral movement allow him to stay in front of multiple guards and forwards. He also deflected multiple passes, and one of them turned into a steal and layup all by himself.
Stephon Castle dropped 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a block. Castle, like Vassell, played like a Swiss Army knife against the Blazers. He crashed the glass, dished out dimes, and had himself some highlight buckets. The hustle play of the game was him somehow tight-roping the sideline and dishing out to an open Vassell for the corner three.
Poor Clingan. De’Aaron Fox and Castle run a beautiful DHO that results in a posterizing alley-oop with Castle dunking on his former college teammate.
Although they didn’t shoot 50% from three this game, they still drained 17 compared to Portland’s nine. For most Spurs fans, that third-quarter explosion showed that when everyone is bought in and focused within the flow of the offense, this team can put teams away early. The communication also reached the defense, as they held the Blazers to 76 points after 36 minutes (before garbage time). Next week, the Spurs face the Suns, Bulls, Warriors, & Jazz.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs’ early road trip continues with a visit to the Mortgage Matchup Center, the home of the Phoenix Suns, this Monday at 8:00 P.M. (CST) on DAZN.
The Cavaliers beat the Knicks on Saturday, adding another win to their analytical spreadsheet.
Cleveland remains undefeated on that front, while New York keeps stacking dubs on the court.
Here’s some of the (very little) latest.
On giving Landry Shamet more leeway than younger reserves and keeping bench minutes competitive:
“Obviously, you looking at a guy like Landry, he may have a little bit more leash than Pac [Dadiet]. Landry’s as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us. Everybody else, they have to play and even the starters and Landry, they do, too.”
On Landry Shamet’s standing in the Knicks’ rotation:
“About as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us.”
On choosing Tyler Kolek over Jose Alvarado as the backup point guard:
“But you know, Jose had the first opportunity [against the Nets) and then I gave Tyler an opportunity in the second half and Tyler played well. So I go with Tyler and if I feel I need to make a change, Tyler’s not getting it done in my eyes, I’ll go back to Jose.”
On Josh Hart’s ability to contribute without having plays called for him:
“Josh is a connector. I don’t think we call a single play for him at any time, he just goes and gets it done.
“He rebounds. Our pick and roll defense has been bad, and he’s helped clean it up at times by putting him on the ball. So his versatility defensively is a bonus for us. So he’s definitely going to be missed.”
On facing Cleveland again after defeating the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals:
“I mean, they’re a great team. We saw them in the Eastern Conference finals. Obviously, they have another year under their belt with each other, more experience. And we saw what experience does for teams, especially like us.”
On acknowledging that he underestimated Taylor Swift’s history as a Knicks fan:
“Obviously with everything (going on), people have been going back and sending me all the stuff about her going to the games. And she was actually wearing a 13 jersey (in one picture). Probably Joakim Noah back in the day with Carmelo (Anthony). So, I wasn’t up to date on my Taylor Swift Knicks fandom, so that’s on me.”
On the reaction to his comments about Taylor Swift and admitting he answered the question poorly:
“(The video) was everywhere. Everybody saw it. But it is what it is. For me, it’s just a question that was asked to me that maybe I answered in the wrong way. I take that on the chin. But I love her music. We were just playing it five minutes ago and I’m singing every word to every song. Nothing against her at all.”
On being a Taylor Swift fan despite questioning her Knicks fandom:
“I love her music. I probably know more songs than anybody else in the locker room. I just misspoke.”
On returning to Cleveland and remembering the Knicks’ championship run:
“It’s human nature, you’re gonna revert back and think back to the last time you were in the building. I had a quick little firing of that walking in for shootaround, but I think the general sense was that was last year. That was great. You can have those memories and hang on to that as long as we want, but ultimately this year is a new year and a new endeavor.”
On the benefits of roster continuity and familiarity with Mike Brown:
“The biggest thing is just being comfortable with the guys on the floor, second year with [head coach] Mike [Brown]. I think that just breeds confidence. Familiarity breeds confidence. There’s no denying that. It allows you to get to the point of conversations quicker. It makes for a good formula to find success.”
On comparing his unpredictable Knicks role to that of a baseball relief pitcher:
“Especially with [my] role, I think I take a lot from my buddy Ashby, bullpen guy, you don’t know when you’re gonna get thrown in, what the situation’s gonna be. My job might look a little different from night to night. If I’m changing my approach every night, that’s not setting myself up for a good situation.
“I think in the past in my career when I was younger I would try to overcomplicate things and think I have to reinvent the wheel. I try to just keep it as simple as possible, reduce it down to my job, my impact and just play my game.”
On Cleveland’s Saturday loss to the Knicks:
“No excuse. These are games that we feel like we should win. We got another tough stretch coming up so there’s no reason to sit here and feel bad and nothing’s won in the first 10 games.”
On what went wrong for the Cavaliers:
“I think we just gave them too many second-chance opportunities. Then it’s too late, you’re down 20 trying to fight back, but it’s too late.”
On the Cavaliers failing to match the Knicks’ intensity:
“Got to bring your A game and we just didn’t do that tonight.”
On Cleveland continuing to compete despite trailing New York by 18 points:
“We could have folded down 18, could have packed it in on a back-to-back, tough week, but we kept at it.”
On acknowledging that the Knicks dominated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals and then won the championship:
“They dominated it, and they did it again against San Antonio [in the Finals]. Analytically … there’s an ‘expected score,’ and we’ve won two out of the three games.
“I think when you look back on it and take the context of the question, I’m not sure that was taken into account, which I know was a little bit of a lesson for me — like, you can just take a sound bite (and run with it).
“I would just say there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us. So you live and learn a little bit with those things. But like I said, 99 percent of my comments were how they dominated us. They were by far the better team. I answered the question, as it was taken, (which was) ‘And you’re down 3-0, what hope do you have of even giving to your guys?’
“We get a lot of information … and I wasn’t lying in that sense, but in no sense was it like, ‘Oh, man, we deserve to be winning.’ Like zero — zero — thought of that.”
On why analytics could not outweigh the Knicks’ physical and mental dominance:
“We get information that checks our process. All that being said, we were still dominated. It kind of doesn’t matter (what the analytics say) because there is more than that. There is the mental toughness, the physical toughness, the flow to the game, how aggressive you are. There are all these other intangibles that go with that.”
On recognizing that the Knicks earned their championship:
“They deserved it, and they did it again against San Antonio. Just an incredible, incredible run.”
The Knicks have bobbed over .500 for the first time this season, thanks to yesterday’s return to form against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over the upcoming week, our heroes will get a second whack at the Ohio Players, plus two beatable opponents. Let’s take a peek at the schedule, shall we?
The Bucks are in a funky funk. Sitting last in the east, they pull into town having lost five straight and seven of their eight games this season. This has not been an auspicious start for new coach Taylor Jenkins. Over the summer, they lost Giannis Antetokounmpo and got younger, which has resulted in struggles at both ends of the floor. Tuesday’s game will be their first meeting with the Knicks this season. The last time they tussled, back on February 27, was a 127-98 New York win in Milwaukee.
Our heroes should have many chances to run against Milwaukee and plenty of mismatches to pick on. The Bucks don’t necessarily lack talent—Tyler Herro (acquired in the Giannis trade) leads the team at 22.3 points per game—just hope.
The Cavs just got a good look at what New York does well, and boy did it make their eyes water. Four nights after beating the Cavs 109-97 in Cleveland, the two rivals square up again at the Garden. Brunson scored 31 in the first tilt, Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and 13 rebounds, and New York led by 19 in the third. Donovan Mitchell found his way to 37, fighting to the end; James Harden died of old age; and Evan Mobley melted into a sweaty puddle under the rim.
Cleveland might have been fatigued on Saturday (playing a SEGABABA), and coach Kenny Atkinson will surely try to mix things up in their rematch. We’re curious to see what adjustments are up his sleeve. Jarrett Allen might return from the injured list, so maybe he can keep up with KAT better than Mopey Mobs?
The Knicks finish the week in Indiana. The poor Pacers can make a mess of things if you give them the ball and a head start. The 3-7 club has had trouble getting stops and closing games, but you can chalk that up to their leader Tyrese Haliburton being injured again. If he returns for Friday’s game, this could be a different contest.
The Pacers can still score in a hurry, especially if you help them with turnovers and lost rebounds. Without Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard have carried the load. Rick Carlisle’s club can turn into layups at the other end, and for as inept as they’ve been at times this season, they can still hit the gas. According to my notes, you’ll watch this one on Prime Video.
Knicks in five.
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A disastrous goal for Ipswich! Chris Walton, the home side’s keeper, tries to take the ball past the onrushing Evanilson, fails, is dispossessed, and the rest is a formality!
A glimpse of goal for Palace, as Mitchell’s driven cross is met by Strand Larsen, but he can’t do much more than get a foot to it, and he deflects it limply wide of goal, from where it’s cleared for a throw-in.
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The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to halt a five-game slide as they take on Eastern Conference heavyweight Boston Celtics, who beat Milwaukee by seven points without Jayson Tatum on Wednesday. The Bucks and Celtics seem to be moving in entirely different directions. After a slow start to the season, Boston is surging at 7-2 and challenging the Sixers for the No. 1 spot in the conference. Meanwhile, the Bucks are 1-8 and face a daunting schedule that could easily extend their losing streak. On the plus side, Milwaukee’s youth looks strong—Brayden Burries looks great, and Nate Ament is taking exciting developmental steps—and despite the horrible record, we’ve been treated to some really exciting Tyler Herro performances. What else can we look forward to?
The Boston Celtics have been on a tear recently. They’ve won their last two—Wednesday’s back-and-forth win over Milwaukee and a blowout Friday win over the Charlotte Hornets—and have claimed five wins in their last six games. They’re second in the East, half a game behind the Sixers, and, with the addition of Paul George, look like an early title contender.
Moreover, aside from some glaring valleys—namely the season opener against the Detroit Pistons—Jayson Tatum has performed at an MVP level so far. His highlights include a 36-point near-triple-double against the Knicks, a 40-point outburst against the Nets (that included a game-winning shot), and a recent 34-point near-triple-double against the Hornets in just 29 minutes. But it hasn’t been all Tatum; Paul George has averaged just under 20 PPG on solid shooting, Derrick White remains the ultimate glue guy, and Neemias Queta anchors one of the league’s best defenses. In three words: Boston is back. In four words: Boston is really back. In five words… you get it.
Bucks:
Celtics:
Derrick White is always fun to watch, especially as he eases into a more offensively significant role in Boston. White is a connective guard with a high basketball IQ and solid playmaking, but he is also an elite defender who can shut down on the perimeter. Against Milwaukee on Wednesday, the veteran guard scored 24 points on 7/18 shooting and added seven assists. White scored 18 points on 6/10 shooting with five assists and four boards in Boston’s demolition of the Hornets. He’ll be a key point-of-attack defender who could frustrate a Milwaukee backcourt prone to turnovers. Watching Brayden Burries go up against one of his draft comparisons in White will also be interesting.
| Bucks | Position | Celtics |
| Brayden Burries | PG | Derrick White |
| Tyler Herro | SG | Hugo Gonzalez |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SF | Paul George |
| Kyle Kuzma | PF | Jayson Tatum |
| Myles Turner | C | Neemias Queta |
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (1-8) vs. Boston Celtics (7-2).
When: 7:00 pm CST.
Where: Fiserv Forum—Milwaukee, WI.
Watch: MY24.
Listen: Check local listings.
The Celtics lead by at least 15 points by the end of the first quarter. The Celtics led Milwaukee 28-14 by the end of the first frame in their last meeting, and that was without Tatum. Boston’s aggressive defense could give the streaky Bucks a tough time, and the C’s have the star power on offense to make this a one-sided affair.
The Houston Rockets hit their first losing streak of the season on Saturday night, as they let the Suns run all over them to start, battled back, but then couldn’t close out the game.
For their last loss against Minnesota, it was a ghost of last season — execution — that was a main culprit. This time, it was shooting. The Rockets couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn, and you have to credit the Phoenix defense. They looked like the fresher team in the fourth quarter, when they shot 11-for-22 from the field, while the Rockets were only 10-for-27. In fact, for the game, Houston shot just 38 percent from the field, while allowing the Suns to shoot 48 percent. You’re not gonna win many that way.
In fact, the only Rocket player with a semi-decent game was Jabari Smith Jr., who continues to break out this season offensively. Smith went for 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block, though he was just 1-for-4 from deep. Still, Smith was the only Rockets player who could hit some shots outside of Fred VanVleet. FVV went for 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 6-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-9 from deep. VanVleet mostly played a clean game with zero turnovers, however, you want to see greater assist numbers, and with the offense stuck in the mud most of the game, you also want to see a greater impact from a distribution standpoint. But when no one is hitting shots…
Kevin Durant led the Rockets in scoring with 21 points, and he also had 10 boards and 3 assists, but he shot just 5-for-14 for the game, including 1-for-5 in a decisive fourth quarter that the Rockets lost. Alperen Sengun had 15 points, but he was just 5-for-16 from the field. Houston’s bench also shot just 6-for-25 for the game, including a combined 3-for-16 from Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard. Reed played just 13 minutes in this one, and it is increasingly appearing he is the odd man out in the rotation, especially if the three isn’t falling — and it wasn’t on Saturday at just 2-for-6 from deep.
The Suns were led by Devin Booker’s 24 points, while former Rocket Jalen Green had 16 points and 6 assists, and other former Rocket Dillon Brooks had 11 points and 4 boards while hitting 3 triples.
Houston falls to 7-3 on the season, and after a fast start (just like last year), some warts are starting to appear (just like last year), including late-game execution, overall shooting, and rotation management, again many of the same issues as last season. Nevertheless, the team is currently on a 57-win pace, but with the Western Conference wide open this year, you’d like to see the Rockets looking a little tighter.
The team returns to action Monday night at home against the Denver Nuggets.
Jacob Fowler has faced plenty of oddities in his young NHL career, but tracking a green apple sailing toward his crease mid-play was a first.
During the second period of Saturday’s Original Six matchup at Scotiabank Arena, a fan launched a small green apple, later confirmed to be fake, from the stands, sending it skidding onto the ice right in front of the Montreal Canadiens goaltender while play was live. Referee T.J. Luxmore collected the object, pocketed it, and later produced it during a stoppage, holding it up near Fowler in a moment that left the broadcast booth and viewers doing double-takes.
“I was pretty dialled in but I saw an apple come on the ice right in front of me. I’m used to tracking a black puck not a green apple,” Fowler told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas afterward, laughing. “I saw that one and (Luxmore) told me he would have blown the play dead if they had gotten in the zone so thankfully they didn’t get one there.”
The 21-year-old American, who stopped 26 shots in Montreal’s 4-2 victory, confirmed to reporters that a fan had thrown it directly at him.
I hoped this was referee JT Luxmore's own apple from his pocket, but, unfortunately, that's not true.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 8, 2026
Was thrown on the ice https://t.co/p9gjiAESZx
“It’s the first time that’s happened to me. It was thrown right at me,” he told reporters in the visiting locker room.
Fowler, still relatively new to the league’s quirks, handled the moment with the same poise he’s shown throughout a strong start (8-1-1). He joked with the official about the hypothetical.
"It's so surreal. I still feel like a little kid every time I get to put on the gear. It's so special to play in this organization."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 8, 2026
Jacob Fowler joined @sportsnetkyle after a 26-save performance in the Canadiens' win over the Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/JVmDYENkbS
“As a young player, I try to stay in the good graces of the referees. I always ask them how it’s going. He showed me what it was. I asked him if the goal would have counted if they scored. He said, ‘We’ll see!’” Fowler recounted.
The incident occurred amid a game in which the Canadiens extended their point streak to 10 games. Alex Newhook scored twice, Chris Kreider and Zachary Bolduc added goals, and Fowler held firm after Toronto cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 early in the third. William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped four of five.
The incident didn’t help Toronto in any manner as they continue to struggle to find a way to play their game for a full 60 minutes.
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Last week, despite the losses, Bucks fans were happy—if not more—with Taylor Jenkins and his rotations. But something about that equation was worrisome. In fact, I pondered as much to end the week’sBucks Reacts Results:
With rotation contentment high but wins low, the question thus begs: how long can this relationship coexist? That is, how long will it be until the losing takes its toll? Here’s hoping that becomes a moot point.
This week, as the losses start to mount and the shine of a new season appears to be rubbing off, that point has not become moot. And, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last.
Yes, according to most fans—66% in fact—you’ll find these Milwaukee Bucks helping out at The Leftorium, reading to underprivileged kids, or helping your grandmother cross the street. They’re too nice. And their new mantra’s got nothin’ on ye olde one:
But it’s not really a question of demeanour, at least according to a swathe of commenters. From their perspective, the Bucks are simply not talented enough:
Yikes. Talk about glass all empty.
Perhaps, though, it’s not about whether the Bucks are too nice or not talented enough. Perhaps it’s an “intensity and urgency” matter.
Sounds awfully familiar to “energy and effort.” That you, Jason?
Finally, at least one fan hasn’t forgotten that time is a key part of the rebuild:
Thankfully, with Nate Ament (19), Kasparas Jakučionis (20), Brayden Burries (21), Kel’el Ware (22), Ousmane Dieng (23), and Ryan Rollins (24), these Bucks have plenty of time. And at least a few of ‘em are already ahead of the curve.
There you have it, BH fam. While these Bucks may be too nice, that’s not a bad position to start from. After all, as Laurell K. Hamilton wrote in her 2005 novel A Stroke of Midnight:
My father had taught me to be nice first, because you can always be mean later, but once you’ve been mean to someone, they won’t believe the nice anymore. So be nice, be nice, until it’s time to stop being nice, then destroy them.
That’s right, the Bucks might be in the trenches, but a fire brews.
For the second time this season, the Montreal Canadiens visited the Toronto Maple Leafs, but this time the Habs wore their Hometown Remix jersey, and they were without Josh Anderson (out for personal reasons). Owen Beck deservedly moved up in the lineup to replace the alternate captain, and Jacob Fowler returned to net, facing Toronto for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, the Leafs went back to Sergei Bobrovsky, who had three losses in his last three starts.
Beck slotted right along Jake Evans and Chris Kreider, taking over from Anderson while Alex Newhook remained on the fourth line with Kirby Dach and Oliver Kapanen. Toronto was getting John Tavares back after the center had missed nine games with a lower-body injury, and with Kirill Marchenko also injured, his comeback was more than welcome for the hosts.
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Newhook might have been demoted to the fourth line on Nick Suzuki’s return, but this fourth line doesn’t play like a fourth line. The Newfoundlander scored two goals in the first frame, allowing the Habs to go back to the room with the lead after 20 minutes, and Montreal never surrendered the lead.
As for Dach, he played with a lot of energy, and in a third-frame scrum, he helped Arber Xhekaj when he was surrounded by three Leafs. On that play, Xhekaj got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for face-washing Teddy Blueger, who had taken a few shots at a tied-up Dach. The Canadiens’ defenseman was the only player sent to the box on that sequence, which even puzzled Leafs fans. After the game, Martin St-Louis said:
I feel bad for Jacko; I don’t think that was a penalty.
As for Kapanen, he had an assist on the night, but he also won the four faceoffs he took. As Dach rightfully pointed out after the game, all three players on that line have played center over their careers, and it certainly helps them play on the defensive side of the puck.
Absolutely insane that they're only taking Xhekaj out of this. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/VbWnIxL7Ye
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 8, 2026
One of the key moments of the game tonight came in the second period, when the Leafs pinned the Canadiens down in their own zone for over two minutes. Phillip Danault, Zachary Bolduc, Alexandre Texier, Alexandre Carrier and Kaiden Guhle were all on the ice for 2:17 or more on that sequence. Normally, when a shift lasts that long, it ends in one of two ways: with a penalty or with a goal. Full marks to those five players for keeping it clean and not falling in the trap.
They finally got off the ice after Fowler made a save with the butt of his stick, which deflected off the crossbar and out of play. Some may say that was a stroke of luck, but as they say, you’ve got to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky.
If some were worried about Fowler being shaken up after the 5-4 OT loss on Tuesday night, he quickly put their minds at ease. In the first frame, he made a tremendous save on Auston Matthews, who was all alone in front of the net, and he even made it look easy. Once again tonight, the young netminder looked “Pricessque” out there; he’s calm, he’s collected, and he seems to embrace the pressure. He stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced, and when your netminder plays that well and is that calm, it certainly gives you some confidence.
Jacob Fowler with the great blocker save in the 1st period pic.twitter.com/YkpWPU8T7O
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 8, 2026
In the post-game scrum, it was mentioned to St-Louis that when the Canadiens were up 3-2 in the third, and there was a TV timeout, Fowler was at the bench telling his teammates they were fine and there was no need to worry. That’s a 21-year-old. It’s rare to see such a young player take it upon himself to do that. It says a lot about how confident he is and how much of a leader he is.
The Leafs got a power-play goal to come back into the game off a William Nylander one-timer, and less than a minute later, Gavin McKenna scored a second goal on a rebound. At that point, most people wondered if the Leafs were about to do what the Winnipeg Jets did to the Habs on Tuesday night, but they didn’t. Not only did the Canadiens stop the bleeding, but they also cauterized the wound, scoring a power-play goal five minutes later through Zachary Bolduc and ending the game with a big double-minor penalty kill on a Juraj Slafkovsky high-stick. The Canadiens have eight power-play goals this season, and three of them are Bolduc’s.
BOLDUC BLAST 💥 pic.twitter.com/MmXDscwNMC
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 8, 2026
In that sequence, two of the four penalty killers broke their sticks, including Kaiden Guhle (the new Mike Matheson, broken-stick-wise), but they still came out unscathed. That’s two wins in Toronto so far this season and two big points, which tie them with the Boston Bruins atop the Atlantic Division at 25. The Hometown Remix jerseys are not cursed, and the Habs can protect a lead.
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Oklahoma City Thunder broadcaster Michael Cage summed up this game perfectly: “In this game, sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield.” In this one, the Wizards were in the role of the bug.
Washington was no match for the Thunder. Oklahoma City took control early and the Wizards had no answer for their athleticism, execution, and swarming defensive presence.
The Wizards converted just 29.6% of their field goal attempts, including 7-43 from three-point range. That’s 16.3%. Which is bad. Very bad.
Positives for the Wizards were scarce. Among them — Alex Sarr grabbed 14 rebounds in 28 minutes. Bub Carrington shot 3-3 from deep. Bilal Coulibaly defended Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pretty well in the first quarter — SGA had two points on o-3 shooting when Coulibaly left the game. He immediately started scoring and finished the game with 30 points and 9 assists.
For Washington, it’s a third consecutive loss — their first three-game skid of the season. Before the game, head coach Brian Keefe talked with reporters about the team figuring out their formula for success. The team would be wise not to over-index on this game. It was a bad result, and the team looked awful.
Despite missing Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren (in some order, their second and third best players), OKC is a special case. It’s a championship-level team with something to prove. The Wizards need to learn to compete at that level, and the lesson of their last three games is that they’re still not close.
That’s not the end of world 10 games into the season. But they need to internalize that lesson and do the work to become competitive against high-level opponents.
What a ride Jeremy Sochan has had, and the new season is just getting underway. After nearly four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, he was waived and signed with the Knicks, picking up a championship ring when New York beat the Spurs in the 2026 Finals.
After New York, it appeared Sochan was spending the 2026-2027 season in Portland, but was waived after four preseason games. The Polish-American power forward declared for the G-League draft and one week later was chosen first overall by the Texas Legends.
Here he is earlier this week in his first press conference as a member of the Legends.
“I think the way I grew up, my family, my parents; it’s always been like that. I could look at it negatively (the Portland situation). But when I look back at that situation, I think the two months I was there, I grew a lot. I was healthy throughout the whole training camp, preseason and open gym. So I think that was a blessing. When we got into preseason games, the minutes I got I think I used them to the best of my ability. I had good games. So what would be the point of being negative and angry for getting waived? Of course, you can look at it as that’s the NBA and I have a contract. But at the same time I have good momentum. So, why would I hold weight on something that I can’t control? And instead, be in this moment and do what I can do and keep that momentum going.”
According to Marc Spears, Sochan originally found out he was being waived by the Spurs through another player:
“I thought I was going to be there for the rest of the season at least. And a few days after the trade deadline, it’s funny. I don’t want to be messy or anything, but I found out from one of my teammates that they wanted to waive me, and it definitely hit me in a way. But again, I kind of had the mentality of, ‘It is what it is.’ I heard it was pretty possible from someone else, and then officially found out through my agent. So, that was definitely new to me.“
Texas Legends season kicks off tonight in Mexico City against the Capitanes.
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Saturday night’s victory over the Houston Rockets was easily the Phoenix Suns’ best win of the season. Granted, they’ve only won three games through their first eight, but this one felt different. Phoenix continued its recent trend of putting together quality first quarters, something that has become increasingly important given how frequently this team has found itself playing from behind. When the Suns fall into an early deficit, players tend to press, forcing the issue offensively and abandoning the systems and schemes designed to put them in positions to succeed.
But Saturday night presented a different kind of adversity. After building a lead that reached as many as 19 points, the Suns completely unraveled in the second quarter. They managed a miserable 12 points, shot 3-of-11 from beyond the arc, and apparently decided to let amber be the color of their energy as Houston closed the half on a 22-3 run to erase the deficit entirely (that’s a 311 joke). What had been a commanding Phoenix advantage was suddenly a tie game heading into the locker room.
And that’s where things got interesting. Throughout the second half, we witnessed a collection of quality performances from different players on both ends of the floor. There were timely offensive contributions, defensive adjustments, and moments when individual effort helped stabilize a team that had every reason to start questioning itself. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Suns had earned a 102-99 victory over one of the NBA’s most potent offenses.
That’s right. For the first time this season, Phoenix held an opponent under 100 points. And that opponent happened to be the Houston Rockets.
That accomplishment alone makes this victory impressive, but what stands out even more is how the Suns responded after their complete second-quarter meltdown. When you surrender a 19-point advantage in such a short period of time, it’s easy to fold. It’s easy to begin doubting yourself, questioning whether you have the personnel, discipline, or defensive capability to stop the opponent standing across from you. We’ve seen that uncertainty creep into this team’s play far too often through the opening weeks of the season.
Saturday night, however, was the first time we truly witnessed the mental toughness and fortitude that defined this team a season ago. The Suns refused to let one disastrous quarter dictate the outcome of the game. They regrouped, stood tall, and collectively found a way to shut down a Houston offense that had been operating like a well-oiled machine. In doing so, they earned, in every sense of the word, their third victory of the season.
Booker is up to three BSB’s after his 30-point aggressive performance against the Magic.
Game 8 against the Rockets. Here are your nominees:
Devin Booker
24 points (10-of-24, 2-of-9 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, -7 +/-
Miles Bridges
13 points (5-of-12, 1-of-5 3PT), 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +4 +/-
Jalen Green
16 points (7-of-14, 0-of-1 3PT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, -12 +/-
Ryan Dunn
8 points (3-of-5, 2-of-2 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 0 turnovers, +25 +/-
Khaman Maluach
8 points (3-of-4, 0-of-1 3PT), 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, +11 +/-
Luke Kennard
11 points (4-of-7, 3-of-6 3PT), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +4 +/-
And the winner is…
Hello, friends.
There are 136 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game, Opening Day 2027. I cannot stress enough that there is no guarantee at this point of there being a game on that day.
The early days of the baseball offseason have not brought much in the way of big news for any team, and certainly not much in the way of news for the Orioles. With the owner-imposed lockout looming, I am curious when that will change, or if it will change. The month of November is usually not full of big moves.
Circumstances are different this time around, with this month probably being the only month where teams can plan for next year’s roster without having to rush around wildly in what will probably be a hectic short time between when negotiations are concluded and a potentially belated spring training starts up. Maybe this week’s GM meetings, usually a low-key affair that’s more about laying groundwork for later conversations and decisions, will spark more activity than usual. Or maybe not. I don’t know.
One thing I do know is that when Mike Elias has something big brewing, there is rarely a steady stream of rumors about it. The moves almost seem to come out of nowhere. If Elias is making an attempt to re-sign Trevor Rogers, we aren’t going to know about it until that’s what happens. It’s unlikely that we’ll know afterwards how close he came, if he even tried. If it’s not your job to sit around and react to Orioles news, I suggest that you don’t hold your breath waiting for anything.
We are well into the time of year where diligent daily Bird Droppings readers may see repeats. It’s almost certainly not getting better in December.
Could Holliday be an Orioles trade candidate this winter? (Orioles.com)
If you really like Blaze Alexander, really believe in Jordan Westburg’s return, really think Coby Mayo’s second half of the season development is for real, and really feel that Christian Encarnacion-Strand is the next Ryan O’Hearn-type success story by the Orioles… well, Jackson Holliday is the guy who gets left out of that picture, or perhaps should be left out. The question, of course, is what does Mike Elias believe about all of those things?
Posing three questions related to Orioles roster decisions (School of Roch)
Roch is thinking about whether the Orioles have any particular needs for left-handed pitchers or right-handed outfield bats.
Son of Orioles great brings “instant credibility” to Coppin State baseball (The Baltimore Sun)
Steven Bumbry, son of Al, and himself a former Orioles minor leaguer, has joined the Golden Eagles coaching staff.
Today in 1966, Frank Robinson was unanimously named the MVP of the American League, becoming the first player to ever win the award in both the AL and the NL. This was the season where Robinson won the batting Triple Crown, the only Orioles player to ever do so.
In 1991, Cal Ripken Jr. was named as the AL MVP for the second time in his career, winning 15 of 28 first place votes. With 11.5 bWAR that season, Cal completely out-classed the league, with no other player even within 3.5 bWAR of himself.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2000 hitter Carlos Casimiro, 1994 outfielder Dwight Smith, and 1955 outfielder Wally Westlake.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: astronomer Edmond Halley (1656), game maker Milton Bradley (1836), Dracula author Bram Stoker (1847), author Kazuo Ishiguro (1954), and actor Matthew Rhys (1974).
In 1602, Oxford’s Bodleian Library opened to the public. The largest library at the university remains open to the public today.
In 1889, Montana was admitted to the United States, becoming the 41st state.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on November 8. Have a safe Sunday.