LOS ANGELES — After popping out to the 3-point line following a ballscreen, Sandro Mamukelashvili caught the ball at the top of the key. As Kings center Maxime Raynaud ran to close out, the 6-foot-10 Mamukelashvili dribbled to the right, then put the ball between his legs before making a step back 3-pointer.

On the very next possession, Bronny James drove by his man and swung the ball to Mamukelashvili in the corner for another 3-pointer.

Cash.

The sequence breathed some much-needed life into the Crypto.com Arena crowd, and the Georgian center introduced himself to the Lakers faithful. He finished the night with 19 points, three rebounds and four assists off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, helping the Lakers to a 114-110 win over Sacramento on Thursday.

Mamukelashvili signed a four-year, $52 million deal this offseason and brings a unique skillset the Lakers haven’t quite had at his position for a while. He’s the ultimate connector. A forward, traditionally, capable of scaling up and down on defense and dribbling, passing and shooting on offense.

“I’m a basketball player,” Mamukelashvili said after Thursday’s win. “To be honest, wherever you put me, I’ll try to do my best.”

That’s exactly what he’s done. Through three preseason games, and with Walker Kessler yet to make his debut, he’s had to play backup center, starting center and has spent some time at the four next to Kevon Looney. He’s averaged 14 points and 3.7 assists in 19.4 minutes per game on 57.1/57.1/100 shooting splits.

“I thought [Mamukelashvili] was great today,” said Austin Reaves, who made his preseason debut Thursday after missing the first two games due to a tweaked ankle. “We just got to keep giving him confidence to be himself. He’s really good offensively and communicates defensively, but we need him to be himself. He doesn’t need to try and fit in for anybody.

“Early in training camp he was trying too hard to not disappoint anybody instead of just playing basketball the way that he knows how to play basketball … Like I said, we want him to be him and if he does that, he’s going to be really, really big for us.”

Mamukelashvili admits he’s still learning. His versatility comes withthe need to be — well — versatile. Many of his responsibilities change depending on the lineup on the floor. Defensively, when he’s at the five, he’s got to know his coverages, make sure he’s not too far from the ball handler, but also not too close to the rim. When he’s at the four, he needs to be physical and vocal and make sure he’s sticking to his guy.

“It’s a learning curve for me, for sure,” he said. “[Assistant] coach Lindsey [Harding] is doing an amazing job just in explaining and we work on it after shootarounds and after practices. … staying vocal on the court helps me because it kind of keeps my mind going all the time, and you just can’t relax.”

His skillset fits seamlessly around anyone. His contract, though, means that skillset has to be conducive to winning, whether it be now or sometimes in the four years he’s under contract. But for now, Mamukelashvili is just focused on getting better:

“I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to be more physical. I’m trying to not get out-rebounded. But you know, third game, and I’m sure I’m just gonna keep getting better.”

You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.

How Warriors star Steph Curry manages delicate balancing act as dreamer, realist originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAIE, Hawaii – Social media still was at its infant stage when Steph Curry was drafted by the Warriors in 2009. 

The first iPhone was released two years prior in 2007, and Twitter came a year before that. Facebook was just passing MySpace in popularity as Curry made the move to the Bay Area. Podcasts were kind of around, but far from their eventual rise into everyday life, and Instagram hadn’t even been born.

Curry always has heard the noise, well before anybody could have an opinion on a myriad of platforms. He saw the headlines about being too small at little Davidson College, and he knew the doubts about his brittle ankles early in his Warriors career. Now that hot takes have become part of the air we breathe, Curry continues to be every bit in the know about the. 

Since Kevin Durant’s departure in 2019, and even more so since the Warriors’ last championship in 2022, the theme has been Curry being let down by the franchise’s decision makers. That they haven’t given him enough help as he ages and pushes his prime further than they could have guessed. He doesn’t ignore the talking points, nor does he allow them to affect him and his team. 

There are sprinkles Curry can understand, and others he shakes his head at. 

“I’m not an idiot,” Curry says to NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview after the Warriors’ fourth day of training camp in Hawaii. “I know what it means in the sense of that window we had. We were coming off of ‘22, there were opportunities to get better, add new talent, and some worked out, some didn’t, and the jury is still out on how we end this entire journey with a competitive mindset. 

“We knew there’s never really going to be a scenario where we’re going to be in the favorites conversation from a championship-contending perspective. … So, all I have to say, I’ve had a really amazing career and journey. I want to win. All the other chatter doesn’t necessarily matter to me in terms of how I grade our seasons.” 

The Warriors have lost in the second round of the NBA playoffs twice since their 2022 championship, and failed to reach the playoffs entirely twice. They’ve been an NBA play-in tournament team each of the last three years, hitting a new low of 37 wins last season. Curry missed 39 games to injury last season, and his new normal is life with runner’s knee. 

Jimmy Butler is rehabbing a torn right ACL he sustained in January, 11 days before Curry went down. Moses Moody is rehabbing a ruptured left patellar tendon, and Kristaps Porziņģis’ health status is a walking question mark. Dynasty is a word of the Warriors’ past. Expectations haven’t been lower in what feels like forever. 

Experts predicted the Warriors could win north of 50 games last season after the promise of Butler’s arrival at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Then came an awkward offseason, a slow start to the regular season and injuries no team can survive. The same 37 wins the Warriors ended last season with are about what’s being predicted of them for this upcoming season. 

Internally, the Warriors are cautiously optimistic of their outlook. Externally, an aging team welcomes doubts and more challenges. 

“We’re embracing all of it,” Curry says. “It’s just funny and more entertaining with the external conversations and chatter about us, because we want to be relevant, we want to be competitive. We all know that. And when we’re not, it’s loud, so we embrace it.”

Curry had his Jim Mora moment at media day. He was flabbergasted at the thought of the Warriors not even being a playoff team, but along with missing them in two of the previous four seasons, the Warriors have been without a playoff appearance in four the last seven seasons. 

Greatness and irrational confidence can be siblings on a basketball court. Curry’s still a dreamer who has climbed the NBA’s tallest mountains and at the top celebrated being a four-time champion. He’s also a realist who might need to squint through binoculars to get a glimpse at the start of his next hike. 

It didn’t go unnoticed when Curry, at the podium in Phoenix after the Warriors’ play-in tournament exit, said the Warriors don’t need to keep saying “championship, championship, championship” every day. He knew a shift in mindset, and maybe even philosophy, was needed. 

He has commended Steve Kerr’s ability to adapt and change, bringing a new offense that veterans like Curry and Draymond Green will have to be on board with, and adding a new voice with a wealth of knowledge in Frank Vogel to lead the defense. Curry isn’t blind to where the Warriors are, and the word “championship” still isn’t leaving his vocabulary going into Year 18. 

“Of course, we’re going to use the championship word. Of course, that’s the mentality,” Curry says. “It’s why we work as hard as we do, and you have to kind of have that in the back of your mind as a goal. But the last couple years, we’ve maybe talked about it too much, where you’re not really just honing in on the details of what it means to just play good basketball, and then the habits then produce a championship caliber team.” 

Further explaining himself, Curry takes a stroll down memory lane. Not to the dynasty years of five straight trips to the  NBA Finals from 2015 through 2019, but to the building blocks that stacked on top of one another and created a castle of dominance. 

“That’s kind of going back to ‘13, ‘14, and kind of reminding ourselves what it took to get to that level,” Curry continues. “It’s OK to take a step back and be honest about yourself that we didn’t play well enough to have the audacity to even say that word. We have to earn that back.” 

Looking in the mirror and taking the easy way out could have been Curry’s next course of direction. It’s not who he is, what he’s made of and how he’ll ever operate. He’s a Warrior through and through. He’s a Warrior for life. 

The lifespan of being in a Warriors jersey is shrinking, and that isn’t to say Curry will ever look elsewhere. Curry is 38 years old and under contract for two more years, plus a player option for a third. The Warriors aren’t rebuilding, nor are they reloading. Not yet, at least. 

Their greatest player ever is trusting a new process towards the end of his career and walking the tightrope that few, if any, have survived to the other side. 

Curry mocked reporters who said he wouldn’t win another championship by putting up a zero against his right eye at the podium in 2022, and screamed, “What are they gonna say now!?!” while soaked from champagne inside in the Warriors’ locker room. The final chapter is now here, and the competitor within remains. 

“That’s always been the case, and it never changes,” Curry says of still chasing one last title. “That’s why we work so hard. It’s why the energy of starting a new year is so fresh, because all 30 teams, within reason, feel like they can have a great year. And if that ends up being a chance for a championship, then you know everything that has to go into that. 

“You need good fortune health-wise. You need the team identity to kind of take shape quick, and all the ups and downs of an 82-game season. That’s why the NBA is in such a great place, because it’s a fresh opportunity every year.”

Opportunities for Curry and the Warriors are dwindling as each page turns. The book hasn’t been closed, and as Curry the realist soaks each day in, the dreamer inside him has created countless believers. He’s rearing to buckle up for one last ride, accepting the unknown of where the road will lead. 

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LeBron James said it's "going to take some time" for his new team-mates to gel after suffering defeat on his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in a pre-season game.

The 41-year-old American joined the 76ers in July for what he says will be his final contract in the NBA following a glittering career.

James is the highest points scorer in the history of the league and is entering a record-extending 24th NBA season.

James scored 10 points and added four rebounds, five assists and a steal in 18 first-half minutes as his side fell to a 114-108 defeat by the Brooklyn Nets.

"We're still trying to put each other in the position to be successful and complement each other the best way we can on the floor. But it's going to take some time," said James.

"Tonight was a good sample size for us to build on."

James played alongside new team-mates Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, with the latter leading the scoring with 18 points.

James has won titles with every NBA side he has played for, including two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and another with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He left the Lakers this summer after spending eight years with the franchise.

James has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player four times, all between 2009 and 2013, and has been an NBA All-Star the last 22 seasons running.

He is aiming to help the 76ers win their first NBA title in 43 years.

Jordi Fernández has constantly preached that he wants his Nets to play hard and disrupt defensively. It’s only preseason, but so far he has gotten just that.

And there was no clearer example than one picture worth a thousand words in Thursday night’s 114-108 win over Philadelphia, with Julius Randle hustling and pressing and diving on the floor for a loose ball.

That’s a soon-to-be 32-year-old veteran whose attitude was questioned in Minnesota.

One salary dumped by a contending Timberwolves squad to the rebuilding Nets. That Randle, the only All-Star on the roster diving for loose balls and picking up full court.

“I mean, you said it, three-time All-Star, has been in the playoffs multiple times, and he’s coming here and the first one to dive on the floor and to pick up full court,” Fernández said. “I couldn’t ask for a better leader and a better vet right there, or a grown-up — because obviously he’s not old. He’s a very young player.

“Very happy because we need that and that’s contagious. Those to me [are] what we call winning plays, right? You dive for a ball, you get it, and then we score. So that picks up the momentum and the energy in the building. So very, very happy with that play And there [were] other plays where we tried to do the same thing.”

Randle finished with a team-high 14 points and a team-high-tying six rebounds, along with two steals and two assists in 21:37.

The power forward said that he and Fernández have discussed his playing some small-ball center in five-out schemes.

Michael Porter Jr. (left wrist soreness), Day’Ron Sharpe (left shoulder soreness), Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle recovery) and Joshua Jefferson (lower back) were all out.

It’s unclear if any will play Monday in Washington.

“I don’t know,” Fernández said. “We’ll see how they feel. Mike was just sore. Mikel is doing a great job, getting close to get back. So we’ll assess them. … We have a day off [Friday], see how they feel coming back and making those decisions. But we’re happy with where everybody is right now health-wise.”

The Nets have signed guard Dion Brown.

Mo Wagner started in place of Sharpe.

He said he’s still getting used to Brookyn’s defense, but he notched a game-high four steals.

Chaney Johnson added two more steals, along with a couple of blocks.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense. That’s my calling card,” Johnson told The Post.

Johnson, on a two-way contract, played a lot of center Thursday at just 6-foot-8.

“Yeah, his versatility, multi-positional, really strong, can guard multiple positions,” Fernández said. “He can play on both sides of the floor [and] played multiple positions.”

The bond between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is as real as it gets.

And though it was just a preseason game Thursday night, Doncic and Reaves showed why they form one of the most dynamic offensive backcourts in the NBA.

The Lakers duo linked up on the very first play against the Sacramento Kings, with Reaves passing to Doncic as he cut to the basket before scoring while being fouled.

Both played 25 minutes, with Doncic finishing with 23 points on six-for-16 shooting during the Lakers’ 114-110 win over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Reaves had eight points on two-for-seven shooting, eight assists and five rebounds.

Read more:Adou Thiero aims for bigger Lakers role after injury-marred rookie season

Doncic, who picked up a technical foul with six minutes and 48 seconds left in the third quarter, and Reaves, who played in his first exhibition game after missing the first two, gave the fans something to be excited about.

Doncic’s moment came in the second quarter when he drilled a 31-foot, one-legged three-pointer off a pass from Sandro Mamukelashvili (19 points).

Reaves’ moment came late in the second quarter when he had a nice hesitation move that froze Emanuel Sharp, allowing him to waltz along the baseline for a layup.

Lakers coach JJ Redick explained why Doncic and Reaves have been so close in their time playing together.

“I think there’s good chemistry with each other,” Redick said. “I think it’s just the natural way they like each other. They like playing together. I think having them together means there’s automatically two ballhandlers on the court. I think that’s like an underrated part of the NBA now ... having two-to-three ballhandlers on the floor at all times.”

Injury update

Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton both missed their third straight preseason game and Ziaire Williams missed his second straight game. Cameron Carr, Dalton Knecht and Arthur Kaluma also didn’t play.

Kessler, the Lakers’ big acquisition at center from the Utah Jazz, has been nursing a finger injury he sustained after hitting the backboard during practice.

“We’ve got to check in tomorrow. ... It’s not concerning. He’ll play in the preseason,” Redick said.

Redick said Williams had “some soreness, but it’s not anything that we’re concerned about.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Bruce Brown had a solid season last year in Denver. He averaged eight points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 24 minutes per game. He played all 82 games for the Nuggets and was a fixture of their rotation. 

He's just 30 years old. Under previous collective bargaining agreements, a player of Brown’s archetype would get guaranteed money and probably a guaranteed spot in someone’s rotation.

But in the second apron era of today’s NBA, players of Brown's ilk aren't getting those opportunities.  

That’s why the nine-year vet agreed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Knicks. 

“I played every single game last year. I thought I played well enough to have a guaranteed spot on a team. That wasn’t the case, so now it’s time to just fight and get a job,” Brown said after a solid showing in New York’s preseason loss to Washington. 

“Hopefully play well in the preseason. Whatever you do on this stage, even if it doesn’t work out, just giving yourself an opportunity to showcase yourself to teams.”

Entering training camp, the Knicks signed a group of veteran centers and veteran wings to compete for roster spots. New York will not go into the second apron this season. So the club only has enough salary for one veteran. The Knicks would need to trade a player on an NBA deal if they wanted to keep both a wing and a center on their roster. 

New York doesn’t have a third center on a guaranteed deal. So it makes sense for the Knicks to keep a big man – whether it’s James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks or Tony Bradley. 

Brown, though, is putting together a strong case for a roster spot in New York. 

“Everything I’ve seen from (Brown from) afar and as a competitor, I’ve seen within these couple weeks here,” Jalen Brunson said after the Washington game. “He brings a lot to the table. Just him being in the league for a long time gives him an advantage mentally. Physically, I think the things that he can do for us can be very helpful.”

At the moment, no NBA team has surpassed the second apron in team salary. It is not a hard cap, so teams are voluntarily staying below the apron. But they lose several roster-building tools if they exceed the second apron. (ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains those restrictions here)

Brown is one of dozens of veterans getting squeezed by the apron rules. According to spotrac.com, the Nuggets are the only team with a salary above the second apron. And they will presumably make some moves to duck below the apron before the end of the NBA calendar year. 

“The new CBA is good for certain players, right? Max guys, top free agents and maybe rookie extension guys,” Brown said. “But other than that, like the middle guys, it kind of sucks for us. As you see, there’s not that many people getting that full midlevel (exception) anymore – or even the tax midlevel (exception). It’s tough, but that's just the way it is right now. So each time you're out there, you've just to play your best and hope for the best.”

IT WAS ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS

Hours before tipoff of the Knicks’ Game 5 win in San Antonio, a Jalen Brunson tweet from exactly 11 years prior resurfaced on Twitter. 

“One win away”

The Knicks would go on to win Game 5 and the NBA title on June 13, 2026. Eleven years to the day since Brunson’s tweet. 

No, Brunson wasn’t predicting an NBA Finals win that night. He said the tweet was a reference to the Chicago Blackhawks, who were one win away from winning the Stanley Cup. 

For Knicks fans who saw the tweet on the day of Game 5 in June, it probably felt like fate. 

It turned out to be one more remarkable element of the Knicks’ title run. 

With Austin Reaves back in the lineup, the Lakers picked up their second win over the Kings this preseason, winning 114-110 on Thursday.

LA built up a big lead with the starters and regular rotation members on the floor, then saw it dwindle away in garbage time to make the score look much closer than the game ever was.

What was consistent throughout was how sloppy the game was as the two teams combined for 50 turnovers. LA also struggled on the glass, allowing 20 offensive rebounds. They made up for it by getting to the line 38 times.

Luka opened the game with an and-one on the Lakers’ first possession before Austin found a soaring Adou Thiero for a dunk to open up the game in style for LA.

Sacramento did hold an early 10-7 lead, but an 8-0 run featuring threes from Luka and Jake LaRavia pushed LA ahead.

Still, it was a back-and-forth first quarter that saw neither team leading by more than five. Luka was up to his hot-starting ways with 10 points in the opening frame, but the rest of the team had 11 as the Lakers led 21-20 after one.

After falling behind 22-21 early in the second frame, the Lakers exploded for a 19-3 run to blow the game open.

Nearly all of the scoring in the run was done from beyond the arc with threes coming from LaRavia, Luka, Austin, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle.

Mamu was one of the stars of the second period with nine points while Austin really found his groove in the frame, scoring six points while dishing four dimes.

A 15-point Lakers lead was trimmed down to 10 points midway through the period, but LA responded with four points from Reaves and layups from Mamu and Kevon Looney to push it back to 16 points.

At the half, the Lakers led 57-43.

Adou Thiero continued his strong preseason by finishing at the rim off a nice dime from Austin earlier in the third.

After building up a 16-point lead again, the Lakers conceded an 8-0 run to halve the deficit. Much of LA’s scoring was coming at the line as they had five free throws and four field goals past the midway point in the quarter.

Luka was in midseason form by picking up a technical during a timeout while continuing to voice his displeasure with the officials throughout the third. Following a coming together at midcourt with Emanuel Sharp that had Luka particularly upset, he came out of the game for good.

Things got very sloppy between the two sides, with the Kings coming out on top, cutting the lead to five after consecutive buckets from Precious Achiuwa.

LaRavia and Mamu helped restore some order to push LA’s lead back to double digits following a fastbreak finish from the former. Mamu then buried a step-back 3-pointer before a spot-up 3-pointer off a nice pass from Bronny James to make it an 86-70 lead going into the fourth.

The Lakers went to an uber-small lineup in the fourth featuring Bronny, Adou, Grimes, LaRavia and Thybulle. Eventually, LA cycled in fresh faces, including Chris Mañon and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Things got a little haywire in the closing minutes as the Kings made it a contest, pulling within four points with 2:00 left. William Kyle and Vando each scored to push the lead back to eight before Hardy and Bronny helped close the game at the free throw line.

Key Player Stats

Luka tallied 23 points in 25 minutes to lead the Lakers. Austin finished with eight points but had eight assists and six rebounds.

Mamu finished with 19 points off the bench while LaRavia notched 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Adou Thiero had six points and Quentin Grimes finished with 12.

The Lakers will be back in action on Tuesday when they play the Warriors in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

CLEVELAND — It’s been an up-and-down couple of months for Celtics guard Devin Carter.

Carter, who drafted to the Sacramento Kings just two summers ago, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in June in a salary dump. Then, last month, Carter was waived.

Suddenly, a guy who was the 14th overall pick in 2024 found himself on the outskirts of the NBA.

“It was tough,” Carter said. “I got traded I want to say at the end of June, and then I didn’t get waived until right before training camp started. So it was tough, especially trying to find a home that fast.”

Carter signed an Exhibit-10, training camp deal with the Celtics shortly after he was waived, in hopes of ultimately fighting for a two-way contract (the Celtics have Dillon Mitchell and Amari Williams as their two two-ways, but have one two-way open).

“Everything’s top class,” Carter said of his Celtics. “Great players, great guys as off the court. That matters just as much as who they are on the court. But, the coaching staff’s great. Front office great. Everybody wants to work. Everybody shows up with the mindset ready to get better. So I think that’s a a big thing in a winning organization.”

Devin Carter was a standout in the Celtics’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers

On Thursday night, Carter laced up for his Celtics debut, and finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in the preseason matchup against the Cavaliers.

“I just wanted to go showcase how much I want to play and how much I deserve to be here,” Carter said. “So, I just think that I’m blessed. All glory to God for the opportunity, and I think I went out there and played as hard as I could. That was what my goal was.”

Carter’s impact was felt; the Celtics outscored the Cavaliers by 22 points in his 24 minutes on the floor; they were outscored by 11 in his 24 minutes sidelined. Perhaps most impactful was his ability to get to the line; he went 6-6 from the charity strip, attempting the second-most free throws in the game.

“I thought he did a really good job getting fouled,” said DJ MacLeay, the Celtics assistant coach who was tasked by Joe Mazzulla with coaching the second half of the game. “He got downhill, attacked, scored. I thought he really put pressure on their defense and got us to the free throw line.”

He finds himself in the same position Celtics players like Ron Harper Jr. and Luka Garza were once in; fighting for a two-way contract in training camp. Last fall, Harper Jr. was one of four players on an Exhibit-10 deal competing for a two-way; this fall, he’s on the first of a three-year deal with the Celtics.

Carter can also draw inspiration from Neemias Queta, who was cut by the Kings three years ago and picked up by the Celtics shortly after. Queta initially signed a two-way contract in the fall of 2024, which was later converted to a standard deal. In July, he signed a $54 million contract extension.

“I talked to Neemi a little bit, because we had kind of the same route, I guess you could say,” Carter said. “We went from Sac, to getting waived, to the Celtics.”

Joe Mazzulla said at training camp that Carter’s mindset and competitiveness has stood out.

“The humility to show up and the openness that he has, of where he’s been in the league and where he wants to get to — and how competitive he is,” said Mazzulla. “He’s very open about wanting to make it. So I’ve appreciated just his mindset, his mentality, the chip on the shoulder that he brings to the game.”

Luka Garza, who was once on an Exhibit-10 contract himself, said after the game that he’s been impressed by Carter’s ball pressure and energy.

“He’s another guy that’s relentless — brought a lot of energy to start,” Garza said. “Was super aggressive, pushed the ball in transition, and I think what stood out just from being in camp and pickup, defensively, is the instincts he has, the way he can guard. He understands that that’s what his superpower is, and then the rest of it, he showed offensively tonight how talented he is and the different things he can do.”

No lottery pick wants to be cut in the middle of their rookie contract. But, Carter doesn’t want to live in the past. He wants to focus on a potential future in Boston, a city an hour away from Providence College, where he starred.

The Celtics’ lone open two-way spot is not promised to Carter, though based on Thursday’s game, he seems like a frontrunner to get it.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I’m just thankful to Brad and the Celtics organization for giving the opportunity to me,” Carter said. “It’s just a blessing.”