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SAN FRANCISCO ― There's no love lost between Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks.

The two have a history of trash-talking and getting into shoving matches with one another. They kept that tension going during the Warriors-Suns matchup on Monday, Nov. 2.

Green committed a foul against Suns center Khaman Maluach, wrapping him up in an intentional foul before throwing him to the ground. Green was initially called for a foul and then an ensuing technical foul for shoving Maluach to the ground.

Things got spicy and Green got a visit from his old friend, or foe, Brooks. Brooks took exception to Green's push on his teammate and ran to the pile, pushing Green.

Green retaliated as teammates, coaches and game officials had to separate the two players. Both Green and Brooks received double-technical fouls for the dust up.

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It was Green's second technical, which resulted in an automatic disqualification. Green left the game at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter. He finished the game with four points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 17 minutes.

The Warriors went on to win the game, 116-113.

Warriors react to Draymond Green ejection

The Warriors were receptive to Green's ejection. It lit a fire under the team, teammate Stephen Curry said.

"We had to respond so I'm glad we did," Curry said. "It was a combination of that moment. We're going to have out brother's back when he defends us."

Head coach Steve Kerr said he doesn't want actual fights, but rather the team's competitive nature.

"I just want to see the competitive spirit, and I thought we saw that time," Kerr said. "They really punched us in the mouth. You know, that first quarter, they were ready. ... I was thrilled with our competitive spirit. And I know there were a couple dust-ups, but that's just, you know, the greatest NBA basketball players on Earth competing. This is what it is."

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said he loved Green's intensity.

"We didn't have the edge to us to start the game," Podziemski said. "Found it a little bit in the second quarter but then they came out in the third quarter pretty well and that kind of changed the game for us. Everybody's locked and came together for Dray. So I think it was needed."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors' Draymond Green ejected after shove match with Dillon Brooks

The Dallas Mavericks dropped an ugly, grueling game to the Sacramento Kings by a score of 115-110. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder why any of us spend any time watching sports at all. Dallas, fresh off their most emotional win of the season, laid a massive egg on their home floor and made the winless Kings look like the Harlem Globetrotters.

When such a horrific display of hoops takes place, everyone who steps on the floor is culpable. No one gets out unscathed. But Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ second-year wunderkind, had the worst game of his career, setting the tone for his supporting cast to follow. Flagg shot just 3-19 from the field and turned the ball over six times. It was an awful showing, the likes of which we won’t often see this season.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks compiled a lot of numbers throughout the box score tonight. None of them were good. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the courageous Mavs Moneyball staff and this beleaguered writer to let you know about some of those numbers and why they matter. Without further ado, here are the stats that tell this story of this Kafkaesque nightmare.

+12: Kings’ advantage in 3-pointers made

Dallas shot 7-of-33 from behind the line while Sacramento went 19—of-43. In the modern NBA, you’re not going to win any games when the other team outscores you by 36 from three. With Kyrie Irving resting, the Mavericks were without their best 3-point shooter and ball handler. As a result, space to operate and good looks from three were hard to come by.

As the game went on, the Mavericks got lazier and lazier on defense, too, letting the Kings swing the ball around and get up great looks from distance. The Dallas roster is already short on good shooting, and tonight was a sum-of-all-fears performance.

7: Mavericks’ fast-break points

The Mavericks came into tonight’s game fifth in the NBA in fast-break points per game at 18.7. Dusty May is known for pushing the pace in transition as often as possible, but that didn’t happen tonight.

Dallas was stuck in halfcourt hell, and things were a slog all night. This team is going to struggle when they can’t generate easy baskets.

33: Combined points for Maverick centers

Let’s end the stats rundown on a positive note. There were strong showings from both Daniel Gafford (20 points) and Morez Johnson Jr. (13) tonight, providing unlikely offense for a floundering squad. Gafford kept the Mavericks afloat in the first half and scored 11 points in the second quarter when nothing else was working.

Johnson had a really nice game on both ends of the floor; the Mavericks rookie posted a career-high in scoring while lifting the team defensively. It was a much-needed performance from the rookie big, who has struggled with playing through shin splints. Both Gafford and Johnson have done an admirable job holding down the center spot while Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama work their way back from surgeries.

When you have explosive personalities like Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks sharing the floor, there’s always the possibility that a spark will ignite a fire. And on Monday night, as the Warriors took on the Suns, we got exactly those fireworks.

In the third quarter, with the Suns up eight points, a technical foul was called on Draymond Green after he threw Khaman Maluach to the floor during an and-one opportunity for the second-year big man. Coming to the defense of his teammate, Dillon Brooks attempted to hold Green back, prompting Draymond to aggressively grab Brooks’ jersey near his throat.

Essentially, Green believed Maluach had boxed him out and flopped on the play, which led to him throwing the young center to the ground. Brooks appeared to step in and restrain Green from continuing to go after Maluach, who was still on the floor, but Green’s initial response was to escalate the confrontation.

The officials reviewed the altercation, ultimately assessing a double technical foul. Green was charged with two technical fouls during the incident, resulting in his ejection from the game.

For their second time in less than a week, the Knicks' bench picked up the slack for an inconsistent New York team Monday night. 

Led by Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Miles McBride, the reserves combined for 41 of the Knicks' 103 total points against the Nets, replicating a performance that saved New York against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 28. 

After not scoring a single point in Friday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Shamet, who played for Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season, posted a game-best 22 points, tacking on one rebound and one assist in 29 minutes of play. He also went 6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. 

Clarkson added seven points and a block in 11 minutes, and McBride shot 50 percent  both from field goal range and beyond the arc. Though he saw just five minutes of play time toward the end of the game, Tyler Kolek scored two, added one rebound and one assist, and finished the game plus-13.

"Our bench was fantastic," head coach Mike Brown said after the game. "I thought Landry came off and gave us a big lift on both ends of the floor. Jordan as well. And then Tyler — I thought Tyler's minutes were tremendous. He did a fantastic job running the team, getting us some easy looks, and then he was solid defensively."

In a back-and-forth game that saw the crosstown rivals trade leads the whole way through the first 36 minutes of play, the deep bench provided the boost the Knicks needed to get over their third-quarter slump that began before the half. In the 12 minutes after the break, New York allowed a 13-0 run from the Nets and got outscored 35-24. 

"When we went into a little funk was at the beginning of the second," Brown said. "Us not scoring gave [Brooklyn] a little hope because they were able to shrink that lead and tie it up, even take the lead. When you give a young team confidence, now it's hard to turn the water off ... So I just started searching at that point and went to Tyler, went to Landry, tried JC, and then we found a group that caught a little groove and helped us take the lead back and create separation."

Brown gave special praise to Clarkson, who recorded a season-high 18 points in 17 minutes, as well as two steals, three rebounds, and an assist against the Bulls. He finished that outing with a game high plus-15 plus/minus.

"You have a veteran that's been there, done that, and he's willing to accept a role that most guys wouldn't accept, even guys younger that haven't proved as much as he's proven in this league," Brown said. "... That's the ultimate team player. I will say this about JC — I've been around some good teammates. He's got to be the best. He's the definition of ultimate pro." 

Mikal Bridges again watched a comeback victory from the bench. 

For the second time in three games, the starting shooting guard was off the court for the vast majority of the second half and finished with just six points in 16 minutes. 

Head coach Mike Brown said Bridges should focus on the positives of his performance — specifically that he ran well in the 103-90 victory. 

“He’s just got to keep playing. Everybody goes through those ups and downs throughout the season,” Brown said. “And obviously, it’s the beginning of the season, so he has to find his way. With everybody, when you’re in a funk, you got to find one or two things to hold your hat on, and Mikal is one of the best runners in the game, in both directions, offensively and defensively. So he has to hold his hat on that as well as his cutting and trying to do that and other little things: rebounding, driving and touching the paint and spraying it. And his shot will come eventually.” 

Bridges was a focal point of the offense early and took his first free throws of the season. But his shot was still misfiring. He played the first three minutes of the third quarter and was benched for the remainder of the second half, with Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson eating up most of the minutes. 

It was a similar story in Friday’s victory over the Bulls, when Bridges logged just 13 minutes. He’s averaging a little over six points for the season. 

Tyler Kolek was back to third-stringer. Until he wasn’t. 

After missing four games with a sprained ankle, Jose Alvarado was activated Monday and took his previous position as Jalen Brunson’s first backup. 

But with New York’s offense stuck in the mud, Brown went to Kolek to start the fourth quarter, and it helped push the home team to victory. 

Before the game, Brown said it’s personal policy to not punish a player for getting hurt. 

“I try not to take a guy out [of his rotation spot] due to injury and the reality is Jose got hurt,” Brown said. 

Monday, Alvarado was scoreless in eight minutes with zero assists. Kolek had two points and an assist in five minutes. 

It wasn’t just another night. It wasn’t just another game. 

It was a chance to earn respect, to seize momentum, to build confidence. It was as close to a title fight as the Nets may find for some time. They would travel roughly 5 miles to take on the reigning champs, facing the team whose stranglehold on their shared city has never been stronger and whose dominance in an uninspired rivalry has been a constant reminder of the chasm between the boroughs. 

“We need to get a win,” Nets guard Nolan Traore said before Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won against the Knicks, so we’ve got to do it.” 

Incredibly, they almost did. 

Coming off their first win of the season the previous night in Indiana, the Nets looked unrecognizable from the punching bag that lost a pair of games at the Garden last season by a combined 90 points. For so much of Monday’s matchup, there was no discernible difference between one of the most celebrated champions in New York history and the team that spent the past two years chasing ping-pong balls. 

Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points, making four 3-pointers. Traore put up 17 points on eight shots, adding a chase-down block of Jalen Brunson. 

And the Nets led by four early in the fourth quarter. 

Then came the anvil — in the form of the Knicks’ 16-2 fourth-quarter run — that had been hanging from the pinwheel ceiling, crushing the coyote who somehow didn’t see it coming again. 

The Nets (1-6) made only three of 16 shots while scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter of their 103-90 loss, setting a season-low scoring mark while clinching a record-extending 15th straight loss in their 50-year series with the Knicks. 

“We played a championship team, and we competed,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernández said. “I’m not happy with the loss, but [with] how we started the season, these last two [games] there’s improvement on how hard we’ve played and how competitive we’ve been. So, next time we come here, my expectation is to be better as a group. 

“I’m proud of the group because they played hard. … If we keep playing as hard as we played in the last two games, there’s going to be a lot of good things and a lot of growth.” 

The Nets’ most recent win in the series came Jan. 28, 2023. 

Shortly before Brooklyn broke up the superteam led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets secured their ninth straight win over the Knicks — who were searching for their first playoff series win in a decade. 

Day’Ron Sharpe was there. So were Brunson and Deuce McBride, as well as Julius Randle, then with the Knicks. 

No other current player on either team was there. No one else could speak to the brief window when the Nets were the measuring stick, the team with its eye on the title. 

It was less than four years ago. It feels closer to 40.

After fighting for most of the game, the Milwaukee Bucks stalled late, letting the Minnesota Timberwolves ride a dominant final four minutes to a 112-100 win. The Bucks slump to 1-6 for only the fifth time in franchise history, extending their losing streak to three games. Tyler Herro led the Bucks in scoring, posting 21 points on 8/18 shooting. Jaime Jaquez scored 19 and added eight rebounds, while Myles Turner and AJ Green each added 13 points. LaMelo Ball led all players with a season-high 34 points on 12/21 shooting, while Ayo Dosunmu (19 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) had a near triple-double.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Taylor Jenkins tweaked his rotation on Monday, dropping Ryan Rollins from the starting lineup in favor of Brayden Burries. Kyle Kuzma fired a bullet to an open Jaime Jaquez in the paint, who easily rolled it in for a layup to start the scoring. However, led by back-to-back long threes from LaMelo Ball, the Wolves rattled off 10 unanswered points to take an eight-point lead inside the first three minutes. Ball connected on his third triple of the game with just four minutes elapsed, putting the Timberwolves up 15-4 and forcing a Bucks timeout. Milwaukee quickly worked their way back out of the break, going on a 9-0 run behind triples from Jaquez, Burries, and Myles Turner; Burries showed the hustle to compete with bigger Wolves defenders on the offensive glass and consistently found teammates on the perimeter. The Wolves responded with a run of their own (12-3), scoring ten points and feasting in transition to lead 29-18 after one.

Impressively, Milwaukee quickly cut the Timberwolves’ lead out of the break and even took the lead, with AJ Green connecting on a pair of threes, Rollins getting a driving layup to go, and Burries converting a pull-up. However, Ball caught fire once again, helping Minnesota take the lead right back; the Wolves’ star PG scored 11 second-quarter points on 4/7 shooting, and his presence created so many good looks. However, the Bucks did one thing well: they took away Ball’s passing game, with his first assist coming with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter. Anyway, Ball’s and-one gave Minnesota a 45-41 lead with 2:51 remaining, but Milwaukee kept it tight, with Herro cashing back-to-back threes in the final minute to cut the home side’s lead to one, 48-47, at the half.

Although Minnesota stayed in control for much of the third quarter, Milwaukee kept the game within arm’s reach. Myles Turner’s triple off a Kuzma kick-out gave Milwaukee a 50-48 lead to start, but Minnesota wrenched it back with an Ayo Dosumnu fast-break layup. Bones Hyland’s three gave Minnesota a 68-63 lead with just under five minutes left. Milwaukee and Minnesota kept trading the lead as the game wore on. Trey Lyles gave the home side a nice kick off the bench, knocking down a few bombs late in the third to give Minnesota a 76-71 edge. The Wolves stayed ahead going into the final frame, though a tough Kasparas Jakucionis finish through contact cut their lead to just four at 80-76.

Minnesota slowly built its advantage as the fourth quarter wore on, with Milwaukee struggling with turnovers as they tried to bridge the gap; Joan Beringer intercepted a bad Jakucionis pass, another Jakucionis pass went out of bounds, and Turner lost the ball while trying to draw a foul. These mistakes let the Wolves slowly build a double-digit lead, punctuated by Beringer’s put-back layup that forced a Jenkins timeout. Eventually, Milwaukee’s offense flatlined as Minnesota picked up steam: Kuzma airballed a three and Kel’el Ware missed a dunk, while a Ball dagger pushed the T-Wolves’ lead to 15, their largest of the game. Despite trying some interesting tactics to close the game—including hack-a-Rudy—the Bucks just didn’t have enough.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks shot 30.6% from three-point range, highlighted by an ugly first quarter where they went 3/18 and a fourth quarter where they shot 2/9. The Bucks finished second in three-point shooting percentage (38.9%) last year, and they don’t look close to matching that this year.

Obscene Overreaction

Brayden Burries needs to start from here on out. The rookie got his first start tonight over Ryan Rollins, who has struggled mightily this season (and was bad tonight, shooting 4/11 with three turnovers). And to be clear, Burries was far from perfect, managing just nine points on 4/15 shooting, but his physical defense and rebounding really stood out.

Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 3.5
Joel Embiid – 1
LeBron James – 1
Anfernee Simons – 1
Jaylen Brown – 0.5

The Philadelphia 76ers had all five starters score in double-digits and three score more than 20 points in a 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

The Sixers were almost completely healthy for this one, with the only absences being Dominick Barlow (back) and Ariel Hukporti, who is out for the season. Taking on a struggling Bulls squad that came into Monday 1-5 on the season, they had a golden opportunity to get a comfortable win and maybe even get the starters some rest if they could put it to bed early.

Of course, it can never be too easy. After letting Chicago hang close in the first half, the Sixers finally started to put a little distance between them going into the final frame leading by 11. Philadelphia couldn’t seem to fully shake loose until late in the fourth when they extended their lead to 20 with two minutes to play. It would have been nice to gain steadier footing early to get the starters some rest before that point, but I guess we can’t be too greedy talking about a now 7-1 team.

Next up, the Sixerswill hit the road for three games, the first of which will take them to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Wednesday night.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. It was a widespread effort, so we have a few options!

VJ Edgecombe: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

To anyone who says that VJ Edgecombe can’t thrive in this Sixers’ lineup, please watch the first quarter of tonight’s game. It was the perfect example of a simple but effective synergy between the sophomore and his new-look squad — VJ fully utilizing his speed in transition to get out ahead with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey getting their heads up to nail impressive passes to him in stride. Edgecombe took full advantage, shooting 5-for-5 from the floor (1-for-1 from long range) for a floor-leading 11 points in the first frame. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. LeBron hit another cross-court dime to a pushing Edgecombe to help the boy from Bimini to 15 points on 7-for-7 field goal shooting by halftime.

This is why I never worried about Edgecombe’s development in this lineup. Sure, there’s only one ball… but when you have passers like James (and Maxey, though to a lesser extent) around you, there will always be opportunities for a speedy, athletic player that is constantly in motion off the ball. Tonight was the perfect example of how he can become borderline uncoverable. And if you move (and finish) like Edgecombe did tonight, one can imagine those opportunities will only become more plentiful as the Sixers continue to solidify their chemistry offensively.

Edgecombe finished Monday night with 21 points on 9-for-12 field goal, 2-for-4 three-point shooting. He also had three rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.

LeBron James: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal

LeBron James hit not only one but several passes in this game that I watched on repeat. And he made them look easy. I’m talking multiple full-court bounce passes that hit blazing fast players like VJ Edgecombe perfectly in stride and a number of perfectly timed dimes in the half-court offense working off double (or even triple) teams. I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch LeBron play night in and night out before he came to Philadelphia… it is an absolute treat to watch the plays he makes for his teammates every single game, with the correct passes at the correct time to the correct players to make the most of each moment. By the time an opponent’s shot is in the air, James is already positioning himself to grab the rebound and to be able to make a quick, accurate pass ahead.

It sounds like I’m overstating things, but I genuinely don’t think it can be overstated what a facilitator he’s been to start this season.

In addition to his nine dimes, LeBron found the time to sink some buckets of his own, chipping in 15 on 6-for-13 field goal shooting. He also pulled in seven rebounds and had a steal. His first triple-double as a Sixer still eludes him for now, but something tells me it won’t be too long…

Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Philadelphia rained down MVP chants for Tyrese Maxey when he went to the line at one point tonight… and frankly, they’re not crazy. Well, maybe they are, but not for this! Maxey continues to be an absolute baller to start this season, and notably it’s coming in different ways and on both ends of the floor. Not only has Maxey’s defense been incredibly impressive these first eight games… and not only has he been an absolute scoring powerhouse at times… but he’s also taking some clear queues from LeBron James and hitting some monster passes as well.

With such a widespread scoring effort tonight, it didn’t have to be all on Maxey’s shoulders to chip in 40 points. But even without the overwhelming point total tonight (not that 26 is anything to be ashamed of), it’s amazing just how many of the Sixers’ points Maxey played a large part in, whether he scored them, assisted on them, or came up with the defensive play that led to them. First, he got his team going early. Then, he was scoring in bunches himself by the fourth.

Maybe the MVP chants are right…

Maxey finished Monday with a 26-point, 11-assist double-double. He shot 10-for-15 from the floor. He also had four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Jaylen Brown: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

It was another night of Jaylen Brown just being Jaylen Brown. I’m sounding like a broken record across these Bell Ringers, but it’s incredible how much Brown contributes each game in a somewhat quiet manner. It’s not the high-flying dunks of VJ Edgecombe or the cross-court passes of LeBron James. It’s not always one big spurt of scoring where Brown puts the Sixers on his back for a few minutes. It’s just simple, constant contribution when he’s on the floor, on both ends of the floor. You hear his name called by Matt Cord in the arena so often you almost stop hearing it. He just balls. Tonight, it was 25 points on stellar shooting, 9-for-15 field goal and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, spread out pretty evenly throughout the entirety of the game. This level of performance has seemingly already become the accepted, unceremonious norm from Brown on the Sixers… and that’s something worth taking note of.

Brown finished the night with a 25-points, 11-rebounds (5 offensive) double-double with 5 assists and 1 steal. He hit four triples, two of which game back-to-back late in the game which really felt like the dagger in this one (finally).

After a grueling week that included five games in seven nights and two back-to-backs, the Timberwolves got back to a normal scheduling rhythm as they kicked off the week against the Milwaukee Bucks. Minnesota took down Milwaukee in a preseason matchup as the Bucks have continued to try to find themselves in their post-Giannis era. They’ve had a lot of difficulty starting the season, including losing their last two games by 20+ points.

An already depleted Timberwolves roster was down another rotation player in Terrence Shannon Jr., due to a hip contusion, as the injury bug has found its way to the Twin Cities. The border battle clash always provides a little extra fuel, even when the teams are in opposing conferences.

LaMelo Ball, looking frustrated from his recent struggles, came out flame-throwing as the Bucks played drop and allowed him free rein to shoot behind physical Rudy Gobert screens. Ball drove the offense, hitting nothing but nylon on the majority of his shots. He drove the offense for the beginning of the game.

After a half-hearted defensive stretch led to some Bucks triples, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer came in and slammed the door. Minnesota kept the defensive intensity up but struggled to put the ball in the hoop after Ball went to the bench, but they maintained a 29-18 advantage after the first 12 minutes.

LaMelo Ball continued to drive the offense as he scored half of their first-half points while being aggressive in looking for his shot. Sloppy rebounding allowed Milwaukee to get back into the game as they closed the gap throughout the quarter.

There were a few stretches where Minnesota lost focus, and it allowed the Bucks to crawl their way back. The sloppiness persisted, and Tyler Herro hit back-to-back threes to close the second as the Bucks sliced into the double-digit Timberwolves advantage and cut the lead to one point.

The Bucks killed the Timberwolves on the glass and created second-chance points. They led that category 16 to 5 at the half.

LaMelo Ball scored 24 points while Jaden McDaniels trailed far behind as the next highest scorer with seven points. Dosunmu filled up the stat sheet in the other categories with seven rebounds and five assists.

Jaden McDaniels started the quarter off on the wrong foot as he got two fouls in the first 20 seconds of the third that sent him to the bench. Ayo Dosunmu took the baton from LaMelo Ball to start the quarter as he was bowling his way to the rim and finishing with feather-like touch. Tyler Herro matched that output as he stayed hot from his close to the second quarter, as the Timberwolves offense sputtered on the other end. The Bucks were getting too easy of looks as the game went back and forth during the period. Trey Lyles also left his mark, scoring 10 points in the third quarter.

It was a close start to the 4th quarter before Joan Beringer and Jaylen Clark gave the Timberwolves a shot in the arm. The Bucks were on a cold streak that Minnesota couldn’t seem to shake for much of the game before this point. Those two helped to get some separation and grew the lead to double digits.

Milwaukee decided that they couldn’t score with Rudy Gobert out there, nor were they able to stop the Timberwolves’ offense, so they deployed the hack-a-Rudy strategy. That somewhat worked for them, as they were able to get Gobert out of the game, but Minnesota battened down the hatches and knocked down a few triples to close out the game for a 112-100 victory.

LaMelo Ball’s Aggressiveness

The Timberwolves themselves were reeling after the Anthony Edwards injury as they did not know who was next up in the team’s hierarchy. There were multiple quotes that emphasized this sentiment, but it was always clear who would need to step up with their pack leader sidelined: LaMelo Ball.

Ball struggled initially taking the reins of the team that needed him to have his playmaking take a step back so his shooting could take the shine. He struck that balance in this one. He came out of the gates against the Bucks scorching hot, and kept the pedal down for the entire game.

LaMelo had half of the team’s points at halftime and found ways to get his shot off while also finding ways to beat his man off the dribble and take it all the way to the basket. He scored 34 points on 12/21 shooting while adding a 6/13 day from beyond the arc. The fouls almost caught up to him in the second half, but his shooting aggressiveness is exactly what this offense needed.

Ayo Dosunmu’s Utility Duties

Ayo Dosunmu is a jack of all trades while being a master at diving at the rim and finishing with a soft touch. While LaMelo was focused on putting the ball in the hoop in this one, Ayo took his role as a facilitator, setting up his fellow Wolves with easy looks all around.

He scored 19 points, added 12 rebounds and 8 assists in a stat-sheet-stuffing night. He is the king of scaling his game up and down to fit whatever the team needs, and did that in the third quarter tonight. When LaMelo was struggling to get going, and the Bucks were fighting back, he calmly took the ball and used his patented straight-line driving and love tapping off the glass to stem the Milwaukee tide.

He is a key part of the Ant-less Timberwolves, and more games where he finds himself all over the court will do the Timberwolves well in this stretch.

Up Next

The Timberwolves travel south for a matchup against the rugged Houston Rockets (6-1). That game can be streamed on DAZN at 7:30 pm CST.

Game Highlights

The Sacramento Kings are no longer winless. For the first time this season, Sacramento will light the beam.

The Kings earned their first victory of the 2026-27 regular-season after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 115-100, at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 2.

Sacramento entered the game against the Mavericks desperate for a win as panic was soon mounting for the team in California's capital.

Darius Acuff Jr. powers Kings to first win

Rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. continues to be their high-volume shot taker, and maker. Acuff tallied a game-high 25 points against Dallas, shooting 10-of-21 from the field with five rebounds and six assists. The rookie had five total turnovers in the game. Zach LaVine added 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

The difference in the game was the second unit led by Malik Monk, who had been working his way back from an ankle injury. Monk's ankle seemed OK in the win against the Mavericks. Monk scored 24 points and seven assists off the bench for Sacramento. He was a plus-27 in the game. A major standout though was Leaky Black with 12 points, going 4-of-6 on 3-point field goals, adding four steals.

The Kings were dialed in offensively connecting on 44% on 3-point attempts, while shooting 52% from the field. But defensively, the Kings had put a lid on the Phoenix's basket. The Suns were held to 21% from 3-point distance. They shot 41% as a team.

Sacramento was locked in on the Mavericks' second-year star Cooper Flagg, who scored 17 points on 3-of-19 from the field. Walter Clayton Jr. provided energy for Dallas scoring 20 points off the bench.

The Kings end their road trip on a high note as they get on a flight to get back to California. Sacramento hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento Kings get first win of the season, Darius Acuff Jr. scores 25