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Rockets break the white unis losing streak against Denver 110-100

HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 09: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets blocks Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets at the basket during the first half at Toyota Center on November 09, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This won’t be one of those 2,000 word recaps that I do at times. In fact, it will mark the season debut of Bullet Points – The Lazy Man’s Friend(tm)

  • The Rockets lost the two previous game, which were by no means twins, due to the same issue, essentially. That is to say, bad shooting. Against Phoenix, the Rockets shot it so badly they didn’t break 100 points. Not scoring 100 points in a modern NBA game usually spells defeat, but to the Rockets credit, they did hold the Suns to 102 points. The problem is they shot 36-94 overall, for 39%, and 10-35 from three point range, for 29%. They did make their freethrows at around 90%. The game before that, against the Timberwolves, it was much the same story. 43% overall, 35% from three. When the Rockets can’t shoot it from outside, they will typically lose. Why? Generally because there is one player who can get to the basket and do anything there regularly, Alperen Sengun. If he isn’t doubled, or he’s neutralized, it can be a long night of no one open for the Rockets.
  • Tonight featured the Rockets against a Denver team that just doesn’t strike the same fear into opponents they did a few years ago. Still, they were 5-3 coming into tonight, which doesn’t sound great, but would, if extrapolated to a full season, come to about 50 wins. 5 of 8 isn’t bad in the NBA. Would the Rockets be able to hold Denver on defense, which they couldn’t do against the TWolves. Could the Rockets score more than the paltry 99 they mustered against the Suns? Could they overcome the new, pinstriped, white jerseys they’d worn for all three losses.
  • In a word, yes, but it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy because the Rockets starting lineup more or less played the Nuggets even. Now, you might think that the Rockets would decide that despite the lack of success, they’d just keep doing the same thing. You’d only be partly right.
  • One of the Rockets big advantages over Denver seemed to be their depth. Denver just doesn’t have much compared to the Rockets, who are nonetheless down three centers at the moment. The heavier bench lineups seemed to pull away from the Nuggets. This allowed the Rockets to go into halftime with a 14 point lead, which grew to as much as 19 before the Rockets hit one of those dreaded scoring lulls from last season, where what most would think of as their best lineup just can’t score or defend.
  • So, did the Rockets keep at it, keep doing the things that cost them the lead? They did not. They went small, and pulled Alperen Sengun from the game. It’s not that Alpie was bad, he was 9-17 for 20 points, 12 rebounds, 8assists to 2 turnovers, with a steal and a block. But the mobility edge, especially on defense, and running off misses, was pronounced.
  • The bench did good work, especially around the beginning of the fourth quarter. Tari Eason, in my opinion, continues to build a good case for 6th man of the year.
  • The Rockets ended up shooting it well. They shot 41 of 91 overall, for 45%, and 14 of 38 from three point range, for 37%. They didn’t take a ton of freethrows, but made 14 of 17 for 82%. Denver shot 37 of 83 for 45% overall, but a woeful 8-29 from three point range (28%).
  • The Rockets absolutely crushed Denver on the offensive glass, 15 to 7, and that showed up in the Rockets attempting 8 more shots than the Nuggets. It wasn’t an especially high paced game by modern standards, but Denver plays currently at the slowest pace in the NBA, and if an opponent counters that with extra chances, they can get into trouble, as we say tonight.
  • It’s great to break the Curse of The New White Jerseys after so short a run. Now that’s been proven, we don’t need to see them again.
  • The Rockets are 8-3, which currently has them essentially in a tie for 3rd place in the “Why are you looking at the standings in early November?” stakes.
  • Until next time!
  • The picture with this article is Alpie rejecting Jokic, which means any comparisons are over. Alpie wins.

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Islanders Drop Fourth Straight Game, Fall To Sharks In Eight-Round Shootout

The New York Islanders failed to snap their three-game skid on Monday night, falling 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks in an eight-round shootout. 

The Islanders failed to score on their first seven shots, with rookie Ivar Stenberg winning it for San Jose.

Ilya Sorokin was brillaint denying 37 of 39 shots that came his way. Yaroslav Askarov was just as good if not better turning aside 30 of 32. 

Here's how it happened: 

Ben Hutton scored his first goal with the Islanders in his second game after Simon Holmstrom found him cutting to the net at 6:14 of the first period: 

The Sharks answered with ivar Stenberg deflecting a Tyler Toffoli wrist shot from the low slot past Sorokin's blocker at 16:41 of the first:

Victor Eklund, who had three hits in the first period, found the back of the net on the power play, finishing off a Brayden Schenn backhand feed from the slot at 1:11 of the second period:

But, at 12:12 of the second, Toffoli ripped a shot off Adam Pelech's visor and in to tie the game at 2-2:

Before the second period came to a close, Mitchell Chaffee fought Barclay Goodrow while Kyle MacLean fought Ty Dellandrea. 

Islanders while on double-minor PP took two penalties of their own giving San Jose a 2-minute 4-on-3 but the Islanders got the kill.

UP NEXT: The Islanders battle the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at 10 PM ET

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Canucks Losing Streak Hits Six After 3-1 Defeat To The Flyers

The Vancouver Canucks extended their losing streak to six games after falling 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. Jonathan Lekkerimäki scored the only goal for Vancouver, which came in the third period on the power play. As for Leevi Meriläinen, he stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced in the loss. 

Another night, another frustrating performance by the Canucks. Despite facing a tired Flyers team that blew a lead on Sunday before losing in overtime, Vancouver failed to generate any form of offence through the first two periods. By the second intermission, the Canucks had registered just six shots, which was the same total Philadelphia had in the second period alone. 

"I think the level of frustration is high," said Drew O'Connor post-game. "No one's happy with losing. No one's happy with how we're playing. I think over the last little stretch, there's probably been some games that we've played pretty well. And then, you know, look at Winnipeg. We were really bad in Winnipeg. We have a decent response. Played pretty good in Edmonton, and then kind of more the same tonight. Just not good enough."

Poor effort and lack of compete has been a common theme for Vancouver this year. For whatever reason, the team has struggled to put forth a full 60-minute effort, which has contributed to their losses in 16 of their last 17 games. Post-game, Head Coach Manny Malhotra once again sounded frustrated as he explained some of the problems from Monday's loss. 

"The most frustrating part was our start," said Malhotra. "When you know the topic of discussion for the game is you want to stress a team early that's coming in on a back to back, and the message is we have to have that same level of intensity that we played with the other night. And to come out as flat as we did, and make the same mistakes, and take dumb penalties, it's concerning. It's frustrating. It's becoming a problem." 

The Canucks deserve credit for how they played in the third. After allowing a goal that was called back for offside at the start of the period (shoutout Video Coaches Ian Beckenstein and Andrew Shaw), Vancouver controlled play the rest of the way and outshot the Flyers 13-2. Unfortunately, the Canucks could not find an equalizer on a late power play as instead, they surrounded an empty net goal late in the period. 

"There's a number of things that go into that," said Malhotra when asked about the third-period push. "Obviously, they did do a good job of pushing back. Yes, they were a tired team on the other side. Give our group some credit for applying that pressure, but again, the lesson being we wait so long. Those are the types of efforts and mentality we need out of the gate. And when we discuss it prior to going out on the ice, and we don't see it, it's extremely frustrating."

While long losing streaks during rebuilds are expected, Vancouver's nightly effort level is shocking. Everyone sounds frustrated, but as Malhotra mentioned in his post-game, the same mistakes are happening night after night. With just three wins through their first 20 games, the Canucks need to find a way to become a cohesive unit; otherwise, they could find themselves on the wrong side of NHL history. 

Stats and Facts:

  • Brock Boeser records point 499 of his NHL career
  • Filip Hronek logs a career-high 31:11 of ice time
  • Canucks have given up a power play goal against in 16 of their 20 games this season
  • Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn, Filip Hronek and Guillaume Brisebois all finished the night with three blocked shots

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

2:03- PHI: Michael Bunting (1) from Christian Dvorak and Nick Seeler

2nd Period: 

3:05- PHI: Travis Konecny (2) from Matvei Michkov and Christian Dvorak (PPG)

3rd Period: 

12:44- VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (7) from Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson (PPG)

19:01- PHI: Travis Sanheim (2) (ENG) (SHG)

Up Next: 

Vancouver Canucks vs New York Rangers, November 13, 2026, 7:00 pm PCT

Nov 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Drew O'Connor (18) and defenseman Jamieson Oleksiak (4) and forward Linus Karlsson (94) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates (27) watch goalie Leevi Merilainen (31) make a save in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Drew O'Connor (18) and defenseman Jamieson Oleksiak (4) and forward Linus Karlsson (94) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates (27) watch goalie Leevi Merilainen (31) make a save in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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Sharks 3*, Islanders 2 (SO*): After blood boils, settled with a shooting contest

Things got heated, then ended in a breakaway drill. | NHLI via Getty Images

The Islanders and Sharks were trading chances in a pond hockey Monday night when an old-time hockey game broke out. These are not very good teams, but they can be fun teams to watch, particularly with their recent top-of-the-draft picks (most of which, obviously, are on the persistently tanking Sharks side).

Fittingly, it ended in the longest shootout of the season thus far, where the first 15 attempts were stopped until Ivar Stenberg finally beat Ilya Sorokin for a Sharks shootout win, while Yaroslav Askarov stopped all eight Isles attempts.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

The teams took turns with power play goals — one coming off a terrible call against Kyle MacLean when Macklin Celebrini fell in the neutral zone — before the gloves came off at the end of the second period with the game knotted at 2-2.

Shoves were exchanged, threats were made, and then MacLean fought Ty Dellandrea and Mitchell Chaffee fought Barclay Goodrow. Chaffee had control over Goodrow, while Dellandrea cut MacLean’s cheek open.

That set the stage for an eventful third that ignited after Victor Eklund, who had a nice power play one-time goal in a great game for him, threw a check into Kiefer Sherwood’s body, then fell on top of the Shark. The irony is that Sherwood, who wears gloves within his gloves and so cannot legally fight, picked Eklund out of a scrum at the end of the second period to demonstrate his superiority over a teenager.

Anyway, Mason Marchment, demonstrating the hockey um, intelligence that is in his DNA, initiated a scrum and started throwing ungloved punches at Eklund while the Isles teenager was tied up by, among others, the linesman. The refs procedurally called a five-minute major on Eklund so that they could review his hit on Sherwood, then decided no penalty was warranted for him but Marchment received a double-minor.

But then after the Islanders power play returned to its normal level of incompetence, the second unit took one penalty — Ondrej Palat with the lazy hook after a turnover — and then received a second one on the same play, Anthony Duclair called for tripping after the play should’ve been blowed dead when he knocked away a Sharks pass in the slot.

With great work from Ilya Sorokin, J-G Pageau, Bo Horvat and Adam Pelech, the Islanders killed off the ensuing two-minute 4-on-3. The game was still stuck at 2-2 with under 10 minutes to go.

The teams each had some half-chances the rest of the way, including an uncomfortable rush and wraparound try by Ivar Stenberg right before the horn, but overtime and then a shootout was their shared destiny. Sorokin made some nice saves in OT, and Horvat had backhand chance all alone that he sent just wide, but nothing could prevent us from the breakaway drill.

Nobody could do a damn thing in the shootout, though we had the novelty of seeing Matthew Schaefer’s first career shootout attempt, and it wasn’t so good. Sorokin and Askarov were both in a zone, so it was somewhat interesting to see the shooters try to divine a new approach that would work.

Other notes

One of the frustrating things in this game was how often the Sharks defense simply pinched down the blueline to cut off Islanders breakout passes. Again, and again, and again, with no adjustment.

Kyle Palmieri had a ton of good chances, a few that he created on his own. Coming off ACL surgery, he’s got just one goal in his last 10 games, but at least tonight he looked like more goals are near. Ah, but the less said about his unconvincing shootout approach, the better.

Up Next

Now it’s south, for games in Anaheim and L.A. on Thursday and Saturday to complete the trip.

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Sharks Snap Losing Streak With 3-2 Win Over the Islanders

The San Jose Sharks returned home looking to snap a five-game losing streak against the struggling New York Islanders. Goals from Ivar Stenberg and Tyler Toffoli helped the Sharks push the game into a shootout, where Stenberg was able to net the game-winner off the back of a phenomenal performance by Yaroslav Askarov.

33-year-old defenseman Ben Hutton pinched at the right time, finding some open space alongside Yaroslav Askarov to slot the puck past him and give the Islanders a 1-0 lead just 6:14 into the game. Bo Horvat continued his track record strong play against the Sharks, recording his 34th point against the team in teal by picking up a secondary assist on the play

Ivar Stenberg tied things up with a deflection off of a Tyler Toffoli shot from the faceoff circle. The goal was the result of a nice forechecking play by Ty Dellandrea. Horvat then saved a goal for the Islanders with less than a minute remaining in the period, chipping the puck away from the goal line just milliseconds before it crossed the plane.

As the returning Alexander Wennberg sat in the penalty box for tripping Simon Holmstrom, Victor Eklund scored his first goal against the Sharks to make it 2-1 just over a minute into the middle frame of play.

Just as a power play opportunity expired, Tyler Toffoli scored his fifth of the season, with the puck bouncing off of Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, to once again tie the game at 12:11 in the second period. 

Seconds before the end of the second period, Barclay Goodrow dropped the gloves with Mitchell Chaffee after a major scrum at the end of the prior play. At the other end of the ice, Ty Dellandrea and Kyle MacLean had a scrap of their own.

A hit by Eklund on Kiefer Sherwood was reviewed for a five-minute major near the midway point of the final period, but the only player penalized was Mason Marchment who got a double-minor for roughing after numerous uppercuts to Eklund in the aftermath of the hit. 

Right before Marchment's first penalty expired, Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair each took a minor penalty, giving the Sharks' a full two-minute 4-on-3 power play but nothing came of it.

Once again, sixty minutes wouldn't be enough to decide a winner and the game went into overtime with both teams looking to leave their losing streak in the rearview mirror. Despite numerous chances by both teams, neither were able to beat the opposing goaltender and the game proceeded to a shootout.

After seven perfect rounds by the goaltenders, Ivar Stenberg not only broke the deadlock, but secured a 3-2 victory for the Sharks to snap their five-game losing streak.

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Draisaitl scores twice as Oilers beat Rangers 3-1 for a season-series sweep

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored twice, Connor McDavid also had a goal and the Edmonton Oilers held off the New York Rangers 3-1 on Monday night to sweep their season series.

Devon Levi made 28 saves in improving to 8-1-0 for the Oilers (13-3-3), who won 4-1 in New York on Nov. 1.

Jaroslav Chmelar scored a short-handed goal for the Rangers (10-8-1), who had won three straight games. Dylan Garand stopped 17 shots, but gave away the puck to McDavid for an easy, unassisted goal that opened the scoring 6:42 into the first period.

McDavid leads the NHL with 48 points (11 goals, 37 assists). The three-time MVP became the fourth player in league history with a 19-game point streak to begin a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Dany Heatley and Mats Sundin.

For the first time this season, however, McDavid failed to record an assist — ending his record-setting streak to start a season at 18 games.

Draisaitl scored on a snap shot at 2:59 of the second for a 2-0 lead.

Just more than two minutes later, the Rangers killed off a brief 5-on-3 Edmonton power play and Mika Zibanejad sprung Chmelar on a breakaway as he exited the penalty box. Chmelar beat Levi for his second goal of the season.

New York pulled Garand for an extra skater late in the third and drew a penalty that produced a 6-on-4 advantage. Draisaitl picked off a soft backpass and lofted the puck into an empty net from his own zone for his NHL-best 18th goal.

That extended his goal-scoring streak to four games and his point streak to six.

FLYERS 3, CANUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Michael Bunting and Travis Konecny scored in the first two periods to help Philadelphia beat Vancouver in a matchup of struggling teams.

Travis Sanheim added an empty-net goal for Philadelphia (5-10-5), and Christian Dvorak had two assists. Joseph Woll stopped 18 shots for the Flyers, who were coming off a 4-3 overtime loss Sunday night at Calgary. They had dropped three in a row (0-2-1) and six of seven (1-4-2).

Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored a power-play goal with 7:16 remaining for the Canucks (3-16-1), who have lost six consecutive games. They are 1-15-1 since a 2-1 start.

Vancouver continued to press after Lekkerimaki’s goal but couldn’t find the equalizer. Leevi Merilainen finished with 14 saves.

The Canucks came within inches of tying it on a power play with 5:52 left, but Lekkerimaki’s shot pinged off the crossbar.

Sanheim’s short-handed goal sealed it with 58.3 seconds to play. That was Philadelphia’s first shot on goal in the third period.

SHARKS 3, ISLANDERS 2, SO

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Ivar Stenberg scored the only goal in a shootout that lasted eight rounds, and San Jose beat New York to snap a five-game losing streak.

Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist, and Stenberg also scored in regulation for the Sharks (8-11-1). Stenberg has six goals and is tied for the scoring lead among NHL rookies.

Yaroslav Askarov made 30 saves for San Jose.

Ben Hutton and Victor Eklund scored for the Islanders (7-6-4), who have lost four straight games (0-2-2). Ilya Sorokin stopped 37 shots.

Stenberg put the Sharks on the board late in the first period after Toffoli sent a shot toward the net. Stenberg got a piece of the puck to redirect it past Sorokin and tie the game at 1.

San Jose again rallied from a goal down midway through the second when Toffoli’s shot deflected off Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech and into the net. It was Toffoli’s first goal in eight games.

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Flyers hold off the Canucks 3-1 in a matchup of struggling squads

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Michael Bunting and Travis Konecny scored in the first two periods to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Monday night in a matchup of struggling teams.

Travis Sanheim added an empty-net goal for Philadelphia (5-10-5), and Christian Dvorak had two assists. Joseph Woll stopped 18 shots for the Flyers, who were coming off a 4-3 overtime loss Sunday night at Calgary. They had dropped three in a row (0-2-1) and six of seven (1-4-2).

Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored a power-play goal with 7:16 remaining for the Canucks (3-16-1), who have lost six consecutive games. They are 1-15-1 since a 2-1 start.

Vancouver continued to press after Lekkerimaki's goal but couldn’t find the equalizer. Leevi Merilainen finished with 14 saves.

The Canucks came within inches of tying it on a power play with 5:52 left, but Lekkerimaki’s shot pinged off the crossbar.

Sanheim's short-handed goal sealed it with 58.3 seconds to play. That was Philadelphia's first shot on goal in the third period.

Bunting returned to the lineup after sitting out five games as a healthy scratch. He skated on the top line alongside Dvorak and Owen Tippett.

Up next

Flyers: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

Canucks: Host the New York Rangers on Friday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Jazz vs Heat Preview: The rise of Darryn Peterson is here

DALLAS, TX - NOVEMBER 6: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on November 6, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The situation in Utah has become pretty dire. After their 8th consecutive loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz will face the Miami Heat in Salt Lake City.

Utah’s injury report just keeps getting worse with the addition of Keyonte George. That leaves Darryn Peterson as the Jazz’s only hope to end the losing streak.

If we’re being honest, this has a chance to be epic.

If you had told me a year ago that the Jazz would have gotten lucky in the lottery and came away with the player many pegged as the number one pick, I would have lost my mind with excitement. If you had also told me that the price would be the entire starting roster around him would have injury problems, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. What’s exciting about Peterson? He has the talent to overcome those odds because he’s that good. Peterson’s last two games have been eye-opening. They’ve shown he has all the talent Jazz fans were excited about. Can he put it all together when all eyes are on him? The last two performances showed he has the juice to do it. We’ll find out soon.

Start Time and TV Schedule

Who: Utah Jazz vs Miami Heat

When: November 10, 7:00 MT

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT

How to watch: KJZZ, Jazz+

Injury Report

The Utah Jazz added Keyonte George to the injury report and have him as OUT. Lauri Markkanen is QUESTIONABLE.

Miami has listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as PROBABLE.

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Luka Doncic ruthlessly trolls Hawks fans over franchise’s biggest mistake: ‘You could have had me’

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers hug after a game, Image 2 shows Luka Doncic (77) of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against an Atlanta Hawks player, Image 3 shows Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a win over the Atlanta Hawks

Luka Dončić didn’t just beat the Hawks on Monday night. He reminded their fans of the biggest mistake in franchise history.

And he made sure to rub it in too. 

During the Lakers’ 124-114 victory, Dončić engaged in a hilarious courtside exchange with Hawks fans, reminding them that Atlanta once held the keys to his basketball future before foolishly trading them away.

“You all wish you would have had me. You all wish, huh?” Dončić taunted, according to a video shared on Threads by @RKessler23.

“We had you,” one fan fired back.

“No we don’t, I’ve never wanted you,” another insisted.

Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers hug after a game on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. NBAE via Getty Images
Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers hug after a game on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. NBAE via Getty Images

At least one Atlanta fan was willing to admit the painful truth.

“I wish we did, I do,” the fan responded.

“You know you could have had me,” Dončić reminded them.

“He’s right,” the person recording acknowledged through laughter.

The exchange reopened a wound from the 2018 NBA Draft, when Atlanta selected Dončić third overall before trading him to the Mavericks in a deal involving Trae Young.

Dončić eventually led Dallas to the NBA Finals, while Young has since landed in Washington alongside former Lakers star Anthony Davis.

Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a 124-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Getty Images

Monday’s performance only added insult to injury.

Dončić torched the Hawks for 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks, becoming the first Lakers player to record multiple games with at least 30 points, five assists, five steals and two blocks.

Not even Magic Johnson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished that twice.

With Dončić leading the NBA in scoring at 40.1 points per game and Los Angeles sitting atop the standings at 10-2, his argument was difficult to dispute.

Atlanta had its chance.

Now, eight years later and wearing a Lakers jersey, Dončić is still making the Hawks pay for their mistake.

Luka Doncic (77) of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. NBAE via Getty Images

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Warriors backcourt depth takes hit losing Brandon Williams, Will Richard

SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Warriors have taken a blow to the depth in their backcourt early in the 2026-27 season, despite an eight-game winning streak.

Warriors guard Brandon Williams made a brief appearance in the Warriors' dominant 138-87 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Nov. 9 at Chase Center.

Williams logged 1 minute, 39 seconds for Golden State and scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting, connecting on back-to-back layups before exiting the game with a hamstring injury.

Williams checked out of the game at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter and did not return. The organization said Williams suffered a left hamstring injury and missed the rest of the game against New Orleans. The Warriors guard is scheduled for an MRI.

"He's a huge part of our team, and he's given us such a lift, and it's a hamstring," Kerr told reporters after the game. "He is gonna get an MRI, so we'll see how bad it is.”

Warriors backcourt depth keeps dwindling

Golden State suffered a setback losing Williams. The hope is that his injury is not severe, otherwise the Warriors' backcourt depth is diminishing early.

In addition to Williams' early exit, reserve point guard Will Richard didn't play Monday against the Pelicans. Richard has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb and is ruled out indefinitely.

Richard told Joseph Dycus of the Mercury News that he suffered the injury on a boxout.

"We're trying to wait till the swelling goes down. I'll do a workout, catching and going full speed, and see if it's comfortable …. I want to play," Richard said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was bummed about the news because of how well Richard has been playing, at times even starting.

"It’s a shame. He’s playing at a really high level, a lot of confidence, filling an important role," Kerr told reporters before Monday night's game. "At times starting, at times coming off the bench. But able to really play good minutes for us and brings energy, a lot of defensive intensity, shooting the ball well. So we’re hopeful that he’s able to play through it and we’ll know more after a few days when the swelling goes down."

Golden State was also without Gary Payton II, who was out with an illness and left knee inflammation. The Warriors are still going without the likes of Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler III, who is progressing along.

The Warriors are bruised and battered, but unbeaten in the last eight games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors backcourt depth takes hit losing Brandon Williams, Will Richard

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Victor Wembanyama’s dominance continues as Spurs defeat Suns

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 9: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on November 9, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Cheers rained down from the Phoenix Suns crowd in the fourth quarter, but not for the home team. No, they were for Victor Wembanyama, who had just scored his 40th point and extended the San Antonio Spurs’ lead to 30+ points. It was the type of performance where you just have to throw your hands up if you’re the opponent.

Nothing the Suns did could stop the big man, who did everything in a 40-point, 11-rebound, 8-block performance that carried the Spurs to a 122-96 win, the team’s ninth straight. Wembanyama shot 15-for-19 from the field and 2-for-3 from the three-point line, making nearly every shot he took. He made game-breaking plays with the ball in his hands, hit turnaround jumpers in the post, and slammed home back-breaking dunks, leaving no chance for the Suns to keep pace. And he did it all in just 25 minutes.

“He’s allowing the game to unfold naturally,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson after the game. “He’s putting himself in position to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of him.”

Early on, it looked like Wembanyama wouldn’t even have the best performance in the game. Suns guard Devin Booker was on fire early, scoring 15 of Phoenix’s 25 first-quarter points. It didn’t matter how physical Stephon Castle defended him; Booker was able to snake around screens and make jumpers all night. Booker led the Suns in scoring with 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and made 3 of his 5 three-pointers.

It was Booker’s hot shooting that kept the Suns in the game in the first half, despite the rest of the team struggling to create any offense. A lot of that had to do with San Antonio’s smothering defense. The Spurs were on a string, getting into the passing lanes for steals, playing solid help defense, and funneling the Suns into Wembanyama, who erased their shots at the rim. Phoenix shot just 39% from the field, and the Spurs had 10 blocks and 6 steals.

From tip-off, it was clear that the Spurs wanted to get into the paint and score over the Suns’ soft interior defense. San Antonio got to the free-throw line 25 times and outscored Phoenix in the paint 62-48. The Spurs dominated the glass, outrebounding the Suns 55-35. Just about every stat around the paint swung in San Antonio’s favor.

After building a 61-46 lead at halftime, it looked like the Spurs would cruise to an easy victory. Phoenix made it a game in the third quarter thanks to some errant turnovers and shaky defense from the Spurs, allowing the Suns to cut the lead to 10 points. After a well-timed Johnson timeout, the Spurs responded; well, Dylan Harper responded.

The sophomore guard went nuclear in the third quarter, scoring 14 of his 17 points in the period. They were a loud 14 points, as Harper scored nearly every possession from the 8-minute mark to the 4-minute mark. He got his mid-range jumper working and attacked the Suns relentlessly in the half-court. Eventually, the Spurs started to clear out and let Harper work as he elevated their lead to 20 points.

A 25-point third-quarter lead quickly ballooned to 30 early in the fourth quarter, causing those aforementioned cheers from the Suns faithful for Wembanyama. With 9 minutes to go in the game, garbage time began, when Tarris Reed Jr., Carter Bryant, Jordan McLaughlin, and David Jones-Garcia got to shine.

The win was the Spurs’ ninth straight, improving their record to 9-2. It was one of the season’s most dominant performances, and it came without Devin Vassell and Tobias Harris. San Antonio’s 0-2 start is firmly in the rearview mirror at this point. And with how this team is playing, it may be quite a while until the sky falls again.

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Steph Curry, Warriors coast to 138-87 blowout victory over Pelicans

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry dribbles against the New Orleans Pelicans
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOVEMBER 9: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 9, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors dominated the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, coasting to a 138-87 victory. The Pelicans were playing the second half of a back-to-back and missing several key players, including Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. Nevertheless, the Warriors took care of business and improved to 8-3 on the season. They have now one eight consecutive games and went undefeated on their five-game homestand.

It truly took no time for the Warriors to get rolling. Steph Curry quickly found plenty of open space against the Pelicans defense. On the other end, New Orleans looked sluggish and simply lacked the firepower to generate any run of their own. Golden State led 35-20 by the end of the first quarter.

While the on-court results were fantastic for the Warriors, they did lose backup guard Brandon Williams who only played a couple of minutes before leaving the game with a left hamstring injury. He will undergo an MRI tomorrow. If Williams has to miss extended time, he would join Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis as Warriors who will be out for awhile. Will Richard could also be on that list soon if he undergoes surgery on his torn UCL in his left thumb. Gary Payton II was also ruled out with knee inflammation for Monday night’s game, although that is not expected to lead to a prolonged absence.

Two-way guard LJ Cryer got plenty of minutes in Williams’ place. Charles Bassey perhaps had the highlight of the night, blocking Derik Queen on a two-handed dunk attempt. Brandin Podziemski got the ball in transition and made a three on the other end. Queen, by the way, led the Pelicans with 16 points in the game.

By halftime, the Warriors led 72-43 with rookie Yaxel Lendeborg leading the team in scoring with 16 points on just 6 field-goal attempts (4-for-4 from three). Podziemski was right behind him with 15 points of his own. By the end of regulation, Lendeborg recorded 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers while shooting 8-for-10 from the field. Podz finished tied for a game-high 25 points.

Curry carried the offensive load in the third quarter, finishing the game with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists on 6-for-10 shooting from the field in under 21 minutes of action. De’Anthony Melton (16 points), Bassey (12), and Cryer (10) were the only other Warriors in double figures. However, 12 of the 13 Dubs who appeared in the game made at least one basket.

The Warriors will now head on the team’s first prolonged road trip of the season. While they have done an impressive job climbing the standings after an 0-3 start, Golden State’s schedule is about to get a lot more difficult. They will get the trip started on Wednesday when they face the Houston Rockets. Opening tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

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Player Grades: Lakers vs. Hawks

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 9: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 9, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

It’s been a while since the Lakers have had a team as fun as this one, even if it is only November.

No Luka Dončić? No problem. No Austin Reaves? No problem. No Luka OR Austin? No problem. No matter the circumstances, this team just keeps chugging away.

Everyone talks about a “next man up” mentality, but this team is showing it. When one guy goes down, everyone picks up the rope together and keeps on fighting. To see this in November while knowing there’s so much more room for this team to grow this season is such an exciting feeling.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Ziaire Williams

28 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 foul, 5-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, +5

It’s hard to believe the Lakers are paying Ziaire and Matisse less than $5 million combined this season. If it were a serious award, Ziaire would have a great case for Most Improved Player. He went from empty stats in Brooklyn to key role player on a contender.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

32 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5 fouls, 3 turnovers, 2-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, +0

I will forgive him for that missed dunk late because he’s always flying around the court doing things. Some of it is bad, evidenced by his five fouls, but most of it is good.

Grade: B

Walker Kessler

30 minutes, 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4 turnovers, 8-12 FG, 5-6 FT, -3

Kessler got to show off some of his playmaking chops in the last two games and has had some great passes out of the short roll lately. You can see the chemistry being built in those situations.

Grade: A

Matisse Thybulle

23 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2-5 FG, 2-5 3PT, -3

Early in the season, we were joking about Matisse only taking no-dip threes. Well, he’s started dipping on them and they aren’t going in. At least he made the most important one in the fourth tonight.

Grade: B

Luka Dončić

39 minutes, 32 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 2 fouls, 6 turnovers, 11-22 FG, 3-11 3PT, 7-7 FT, +4

It never felt like Luka got in a rhythm in this game and then you look at the stat sheet and he nearly has a triple-double. Still, it didn’t feel like he had the same impact on the game that he’s had recently, but if he can still give you this stat line on a night like that, then it’s another feather in the cap of him being the best player in the league.

Grade: A-

Sandro Mamukelashvili

32 minutes, 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 7-13 FG, 5-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, +20

Without question, this is his best game as a Laker. He was knocking down open threes and, perhaps more importantly, getting baskets when Luka sat. After a string of poor outings, he picked a good time to have his best one.

Grade: A+

Collin Sexton

26 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 6-11 FG, 3-4 3PT, 3-6 FT, +7

The sample size of bad Sexton games is still bigger than the one of good games. However, the Lakers don’t win either of these last two games without Sexton. He stepped up with arguably his two best showings of the season when the Lakers needed another ballhandler to come in and be a positive contributor.

This also was the first game you could really see the chemistry between Sexton and Kessler, too.

Grade: A

Jarred Vanderbilt

13 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 2-2 FG, +7

The last two games, Vando has had a couple of nice finishes around the rim. It’d be really cool if that was a sign of something moving forward, but I’ll just enjoy what we’ve seen instead of getting my hopes up.

Grade: B

Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero

It’s exciting to see the team’s possible future getting playing time this season. Thiero continues to impress in his few minutes while Carr didn’t look out of place in his two cameos, either. Both should continue getting minutes, though Carr is a bit lower on the depth chart right now.

JJ Redick

The Lakers just had arguably their two best wins of the season on a back-to-back while shorthanded in both, so Redick is getting a ton of credit. He’s picking the right lineups, keeping guys ready and helping the team continue to improve along the way.

Grade: A

Monday’s DNPs: Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, Kevon Looney, Lawson Lovering

Monday’s inactives: Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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Game Preview: Knicks vs. Bucks, November 10, 2026

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 28: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on October 28, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Originally, the Milwaukee Bucks weren’t even supposed to be the Milwaukee Bucks. “Robins” was the most popular suggestion in a statewide naming contest in 1968, but somehow the judges weren’t so sure about the less-than-fierce image of the little birds with their distinct orange-red breasts. So they opted for “Bucks,” a name that honored Wisconsin’s antlered-state animal, the white-tailed deer. Contest winner R.D. Trebilcox, who was awarded a brand-new AMC Javelin for his efforts, suggested the name because the animals are “spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile.”

Well, going by this year’s outfit, the front office might want to think about another contest.

You certainly wouldn’t blame any adult male deer for being upset about any sort of connection to Milwaukee’s basketball team these days. The current Bucks are hardly spirited, fast, agile, or, frankly, good at doing many things on a basketball court. At 1–9, they’re tied with Utah and Sacramento for the worst record in the NBA. During their current six-game losing streak, the Bucks have been outscored by 15.7 points per game. Autsch!

Knicks will face rebuilding Bucks team

New head coach Taylor Jenkins might already miss the days of coaching consummate professionals like Ja Morant in Memphis, but he should have expected these kinds of growing pains. Everybody and their grandmother knew that the start of the post-Giannis era would be painful in Milwaukee and that it would take time to rebuild a team bereft of picks, outlandish young talent, and meaningful numbers of serious basketball players.

Yes, the Bucks trot out a few solid names like Tyler Herro (21.4 points per game) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (15.2 points, over 42 percent from three). In theory, they also have some nice young pieces in rookies Brayden Burries (10.5 points) and Nate Ament (over 40 percent from three), along with former Heat hoopers Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis. But that’s already where the Buck stops (no pun intended), unless you want to count what’s left of Kyle Kuzma’s and Myles Turner’s careers as promising. In reality both of them, and probably a few others, have their agent on speed dial these days, hoping for a trade out of Wisconsin sooner rather than later (see the video of an obviously overweight Turner below).

The rebuilding reality is showing itself in some pretty awful numbers for the Bucks early on. Their offensive rating ranks 27th in the league, and their defensive rating ranks even worse at 28th. One thing they do plenty of is jack up triples (second most in the NBA). The only problem is they hit about a third of them. They play fairly fast, too, with the sixth-highest pace in the league. In the end, though, little in their statistical profile suggests that they actually know what they’re doing. Which, of course, is fine for a team this early in a full-blown rebuild.

Knicks looking to win 4th game in a row

What does all that misery mean for the Knicks tonight? It means they’ll have to concentrate on themselves and make sure the focus is on realizing their own potential, both in this contest and going forward. The world champions have looked a lot better lately as Jalen Brunson has rounded into form (32 points per game and 8 of 17 from three in his last two games) and their outside shooting has gotten less streaky (37.5 percent over the last three). Karl-Anthony Towns has been an Everest-sized rock so far this season, and most of the backups have conducted themselves fairly well in their minutes.

How many minutes some of those reserves see against Milwaukee will likely depend on the availability of Josh Hart, who missed Saturday’s game with right ankle soreness. A roster battle is brewing at backup point guard, with Tyler Kolek making the most of his opportunity while Jose Alvarado was briefly out with an injury last week. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few games and, frankly, over the rest of the season.

Looking over at the Bucks, it’s certainly a good problem to have. Milwaukee enjoyed some really good teams over the last decade and change and even has a mesmerizing championship to show for it. That makes the current state of the franchise at least somewhat bearable for the fans, I hope. We all know what hopelessness feels like in the NBA. But as bad as everything looks right now, better times will come. They’ll get their young stars to cheer for, and they’ll get a system in place that’s fun to watch.

And they might even be “spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile” again, just like Bucks are supposed to be.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (5-4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (1-9)
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

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Yankees news: Forecasting awards and the off-season

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 05: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 5, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

ESPN | Bradford Doolittle: It’s awards week! For Yankees fans, Wednesday is the night to pay attention as that’s when the AL and NY Cy Young Award winners will be announced. There shouldn’t really be much suspense for the Cy Young recipient in the American League. This should be Cam Schlittler’s hardware to take home. Doolittle agrees as he predicts who will win each award this week. “When you look at the progression of the AXE leaderboard, it was pretty much a wire-to-wire win for Schlittler, and I suspect he’ll be a near-unanimous choice when the AL Cy Young is announced.” You love to hear it.

MLB.com | Max Ralph: Closer David Bednar is a free agent. I suspect the club’s (and the fans’) prefered course of action is to re-sign Bednar and hand him the keys to the ninth inning again. But in the event that falls through, the Yankees will have to look elsewhere for a closer in 2027. For a look at free agent, trade, and in-house options, peruse Ralph’s article. Seriously though. Just bring back Bednar.

MLB.com: MLB.com took us around the hot stove Monday, looking at the latest rumors. For the Yankees, it’s that the club plans to upgrade third base. Pulling from Jon Heyman’s reporting for the New York Post, MLB notes that third base and the bullpen sit atop the Yanks’ needs as we head into a three-week offseason stretch before Major League Baseball inevitably locks the players out. I think it’s probably fair to say everyone was expecting third base to sit atop the Yankees’ pyramid of needs.