Before we start with the preview, I want to thank Holly and Xiane for stepping in and handling the game previews while I was celebrating my brother’s marriage. As always, I’m worried that you guys liked them way more than me and will try to get rid of me. For now, you’re still stuck with me, but you should definitely continue enjoying their writing. They’re both great and deserve your attention.
The Houston Rockets finally won the second game of a back-to-back last week against a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team. Those had been an issue for Houston because back-to-backs mean no Steven Adams. Now, Houston will be without Adams for an indefinite amount of time and have to navigate all games without their big Kiwi.
Their next test takes them to Philadelphia, where the 76ers have absolutely surprised a lot of people with their start to the season. We all knew Joel Embiid and Paul George would miss some games, and both have missed 19 contests so far. Still, Philly has thrived thanks to an MVP-level campaign from Tyrese Maxey, solid play from Quentin Grimes, and potential Rookie of the Year frontrunner V.J. Edgecomb. Those three have been the backbone of the squad with veterans like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, the Sixers look to be in much better shape moving forward than they have at times in previous years.
And that doesn’t count Jared McCain, who was looking like the no-doubt Rookie of the Year last season before injuries ended his season early and then another one took him down right before this season started. He’s struggled so far this season and is with the G-League. If he figures things out, he adds another layer to Philly’s strategy and makes them even more difficult to defend.
New York's 120-66 win over the Nets on Wednesday night not only snapped a four-game losing streak, but showed the MSG crowd -- and themselves -- that the team that was one of the best in the NBA is still there.
And there was a lot to like from Wednesday's performance.
The offense, which entered ranked in the bottom five of the league for January, scored 120 points, their highest since a win in Portland back on Jan. 11 (six games). The defense, which was much-maligned all season, allowed an NBA season-low 66 points on 29 percent shooting. And the 54-point margin is the biggest in Knicks franchise history.
"Just seeing us play the way we’re capable of playing…the things that we did out on the floor, we talked about, we drilled, watch film on," coach Mike Brown said after the win. "And our guys are more than capable of. To go see them put it together for 48 minutes was a lot of fun."
Consistency, or the lack thereof, has been the key for the Knicks during this rough patch. Some nights they'll play inspired basketball on both ends of the floor, and others look like their loss to the lowly Mavericks this past Monday.
“A win. It’s the most important thing. Find a way to break the ice and put one in the left column," Karl-Anthony Towns said. "Good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of. Consistency is what makes champions. We've got to find that consistency of bringing this kind of intensity, energy and execution every single night."
Towns, unfairly or not, has been the face of the Knicks' struggles. Coach Brown has subtly called out Towns' need to "sacrifice" in his system, while the big man has acknowledged his struggles to adapt.
On Wednesday, Towns did it all. He scored 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting (2-for-3 from three) while coming down with eight rebounds, dishing three assists and getting one steal. He was a plus-21 on the court in his 20 minutes and his energy level was up and consistent throughout the game.
He was asked how the team can build on this win, and the second-year Knick said, with a grin, “Try to get two wins in a row, so sure. Execute plays with this aggression and have this kind of determination every single night.”
Amidst the Knicks' 2-9 stretch, there was a report that captain Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting. The All-Star starter had a team-high 20 points in 30 minutes and said on the MSG floor after the game that the Knicks did some "soul-searching" the last few days.
"We just had to refocus and get back to who we are," Brunson said. "This is a good step for us, but we've got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day."
Josh Hart, who had a near-double-double, downplayed the players-only meeting, saying the media "dragged" it and that the players just talked.
"We know what we have to do," Hart said. "We cleaned some up in film and practice and today in walkthrough. We know we haven’t been able to play up to our capabilities. We’re going to continue to build off this win."
"I think losing four in a row better get everyone on the same page. Glad tonight that everyone looked like they saw what was going on and what we needed to stop the bleeding," Towns said of the meeting. "I thought we did a good job of showing what we’re capable of tonight. Consistency is what’s going to make us great. And it’s going to make this season a successful season. We just go to build off of this."
New York's next game comes against the 76ers, a team they've lost twice to at home already this season. This time, they'll be in Philadelphia for a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday afternoon.
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks hadn’t won at all in more than a week. They had never won like this in 80 years.
The Knicks ended their four-game losing streak Wednesday night with the most lopsided victory in franchise history, beating the Brooklyn Nets 120-66.
Jalen Brunson and the starters were already done for the night after three quarters, with the Knicks ahead 88-56. But instead of coasting to the finish, the reserves poured it on, outscoring the Nets 16-0 to open the fourth as the lead ballooned to 104-56.
“We’ve been in the midst of a pretty rough stretch and it’s not about just one game right now. There’s got to be a continual pursuit for us getting better and growing,” swingman Landry Shamet said. “So, fourth-quarter blowout, cool, whatever. It’s an opportunity against a talented NBA team to build and grow on some of the things that we’re trying to grow on and get better at. So kudos to our guys continuing to carry the standard and finish out the right way.”
Brunson scored 20 points and Shamet had 18 in just 15 minutes, going 6 for 6 from 3-point range. The Knicks shot 57.5% from the field and led by as much as 59 points.
The Knicks had lost nine of their previous 11 games and were just two days removed from the low point of their season. They trailed by 30 points in the first half Monday at home against Dallas, booed repeatedly in their 114-97 loss.
The 54-point victory surpassed three 48-point wins that had stood as the previous franchise record. Karl-Anthony Towns, a target of some of the boos Monday, was asked what the Knicks needed Wednesday.
“A win. That was the most important thing, just finding a way to break the ice and get one in the left column,” Towns said. “So good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of, but consistency is what makes champions and we’ve got to find that consistency and bring this kind of intensity and energy and execution every single night.”
They certainly do it against the Nets. They have won the last 13 meetings in a three-year winning streak and have handed Brooklyn its two worst losses of this season. The Knicks won 134-98 on Nov. 9 at Madison Square Garden.
“Tonight was even worse and I’m the one responsible for it,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said.
The Knicks limited the Nets to 29% shooting, outscored them 12-0 in second-chance points and 29-4 on the fast break.
But New York is a team built to compete for a championship and the Nets are headed for the lottery. The Knicks know a more realistic test comes Saturday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers, who won both matchups this season in New York.
“This was a good step for us,” Brunson said, “but we’ve got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day.”
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Rashaun Agee had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists as Texas A&M cruised by Mississippi State 88-68 on Wednesday night.
The Aggies (15-4, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) have won eight of their last nine, their only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 24 Tennessee 87-82 in double overtime.
Agee was 7 of 14 from the field and 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. His nine double-doubles this season are second most in the SEC behind Florida's Rueben Chinyelu (10).
Rylan Griffen added 15 points, and Jacari Lane and Pop Isaacs each scored 10 for Texas A&M. Lane led the Aggies with six assists.
Texas A&M led for over 32 minutes of game time, last trailing just before the midway point of the first half. Agee made a layup to put the Aggies ahead 19-18, and they did not trail again, holding a 44-33 lead at the break.
Brandon Walker scored 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench for the Bulldogs (10-9, 2-4). King Grace had 13 points, Josh Hubbard 12 points and Jayden Epps scored 11. Achor Achor grabbed 10 rebounds to go with six points.
Mississippi State has lost four straight games.
Up next
Texas A&M: The Aggies host South Carolina on Saturday.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs host No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) — Boden Kapke scored 19 points and his 3-pointer with 22 seconds left was the game-winning basket as Boston College left Pittsburgh in the ACC cellar with a 65-62 win on Wednesday night.
Fred Payne also scored 19 points and Donald Hand Jr. added 18 points as the Eagles (9-10, 2-4) shot 45% (25 of 55) from the field despite 32% (7 for 22) from 3-point range.
Roman Siulepa and Cameron Cohren each scored 13 points, Brandin Cummings 11 and Barry Dunning Jr. and reserve Nojus Indrusaitis 10 each for Pittsburgh. Cohren and Siulepa grabbed 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
Following Kapke's 3, Cummings missed a deep 3 attempt with nine seconds left. After a Pitt (8-11, 1-5) intentional foul, Siulepa stole the inbounds pass and fed Cummings who missed another attempt from 3 as time expired.
Pitt, Notre Dame and Florida State sit at the bottom of the conference at 1-5, a game behind California, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and BC.
Up Next
Pitt: The Panthers host North Carolina State on Saturday.
Boston College: The Eagles visit Notre Dame on Saturday.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Treysen Eaglestaff hit six 3-pointers and finished with 23 points to help West Virginia beat Arizona State 75-63 on Wednesday night.
Brenen Lorient made 7 of 11 from the field and scored 15 points for West Virginia (13-6, 4-2 Big 12). Jasper Floyd had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Honor Huff, who went into the game averaging 17.1 points per game, scored eight on 2-of-9 shooting.
Maurice Odum had 17 points and eight assists, Massamba Diop scored 14 points, and Noah Meeusen added 11 points for Arizona State (10-9, 1-5). The Sun Devils have lost three straight and seven of their last eight.
Lorient hit a 3-pointer that gave the Mountaineers the lead for good with 11:55 to play, Chance Moore followed with a three-point play and Floyd made a layup to cap an 8-0 spurt in a 65-second span that made it 53-46.
Diop threw down a dunk and Anthony Johnson added a three-point play that made it a two-point game. Floyd then answered with a 3 and a layup before Eaglestaff made a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play that gave West Virginia a 64-54 lead with five minutes remaining.
The Mountaineers shot 51% (27 of 53) from the field and hit 11 3-pointers.
The Sun Devils won the only other matchup between the teams 65-57 a year ago to the day.
Up next
West Virginia: The Mountaineers visit No. 1 Arizona on Saturday.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils host Cincinnati on Saturday.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Olivia Hamlin scored 20 points, Delaney Gibb tallied 17, and BYU trailed for less than a minute of game time in a 73-61 win over No. 19 Texas Tech.
The Cougars (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) won their first game against a ranked team since a 68-64 win on Feb. 15, 2025 against then-No. 20 Oklahoma State. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games against ranked opponents, and 23-55 historically.
After Texas Tech hit a game-opening 3-pointer, BYU went on a 7-0 run that gave them the lead for good. A 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter extended their lead to double-digits, and they cruised to a comfortable victory.
Laura Rokohl added 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting for BYU and grabbed eight rebounds. Gibb dished a team-high six assists. Hamlin was 9-of-15 from the floor and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.
For the No. 19 Lady Raiders (19-2, 6-2), Snudda Collins scored 17 points and Jalynn Bristow came one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Raiders have lost two straight after their 19-0 start.
Texas Tech struggled shooting, managing 33% from the floor and 26% from beyond the arc. BYU was 47% and 44%, respectively.
SEATTLE (AP) — Sayvia Sellers scored 24 points, Avery Howell had a double-double, and No. 25 Washington dominated the second half in an 81-65 victory over Penn State on Wednesday night.
The Huskies led 38-37 at halftime before outscoring Penn State 43-28 in the second half.
Washington opened the third quarter on a 2-for-10 shooting slump but made 6 of 7 free throws in the first 4 1/2 minutes to lead 48-44. Sellers scored nine of the Huskies' 22 points in the quarter and they led 60-51 heading to the fourth.
Howell opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and the Huskies led by double digits for the final eight minutes. The lead reached 19 at 79-60 and again at 81-62 in the final minute.
Howell had 13 points and 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Brynn McGaughy had 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Washington (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten).
Gracie Merkle scored 19 points and Kiyomi McMiller had 11 for Penn State (7-13, 0-9).
McGaughy scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter and the Huskies took a 21-11 lead. The Nittany Lions scored 26 points in the second quarter to cut their deficit to a point.
The Huskies have won six of their last seven conference home games dating to last season.
Up next
Penn State: The Nittany Lions visit Oregon on Saturday.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jalen Duran scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Daniss Jenkins added 17 points and the Detroit Pistons never trailed while cruising to their fourth straight victory, 112-104 over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Duncan Robinson had 15 points while shooting 4 of 9 from 3-point range for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who have won seven of their last eight.
Saddiq Bey scored 20 points to lead the Western Conference-worst Pelicans, who have lost 14 of their last 16.
Zion Williamson, who started after being listed as questionable with an illness, went to the locker room early in the third quarter and didn't return. He had 4 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
Trey Murphy III shot just 6 of 19 from the floor and finished with 17 points, ending his streak of eight straight games with at least 20 points. Micah Peavy also had 17 points and added seven rebounds and four steals for New Orleans.
Duran's dunk 16 seconds into the game gave the Pistons a 2-0 lead and they built a lead as large as 13 points.
Peavy's 3-pointer with 5:41 left in the game cut the Pelicans' deficit to 5 points at 101-96, but that was as close as they would get before the Pistons closed it out.
Up next
Pistons: Host the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Pelicans: At the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
The Atlanta Hawks were in Memphis on Wednesday evening to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Hawks came in looking for anything to work as they were riding a four-game losing streak after suffering a tough defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks on MLK Day.
As for the Grizzlies, they’re coming off a win against the Orlando Magic in London, and they got Ja Morant back after he missed time with an injury.
For the Hawks, they were still without Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis, as they are set to be re-evaluated sometime next week.
It was not a good start for the Hawks, as they went down 12-1 early, and couldn’t get a bucket to fall. The shots eventually started to go down, and Onyeka Okongwu’s two three-pointers helped them get back into it.
It was a homecoming for Luke Kennard as he got to face his former team, and he made it worth his while in this one, knocking down shot after shot. Going into the second, the Hawks trailed 32-31.
Johnson turned into a quarterback in the second and threw a perfect pass down court to Vit Krejci for a layup. While he was making opportunities for others, he also got his own in transition.
The Hawks were able to grab the lead midway through the quarter and extended it late. After a rough start in the first half, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was able to finally get a shot to go from deep.
The Hawks did not start off the second half as they wanted to, and the Grizzlies tied the game early. The Hawks didn’t let it bother them, and Corey Kispert gave them the lead back.
The Grizzlies started to pull away just a little bit, but the Hawks kept it close by continuing to execute on offense. The Hawks were active on the boards on this play, and it got Okongwu the bucket plus the foul to cut down their deficit.
If the Hawks could find Kennard on every play, it would’ve done wonders, because he couldn’t miss through the third quarter. He even turned defense into offense with a steal, finding McCollum for a three-pointer.
Nobody could stop Johnson in his tracks on this transition play, and the only thing the Grizzlies could do was try to foul him. Unfortunately for them, he still made the dunk.
The Grizzlies took the lead after this, but not for long. Johnson turned defense into offense and found Alexander-Walker in the corner for a three-pointer, giving the Hawks a four-point lead.
With seconds remaining and the Hawks up two, Johnson missed the jumper to give them a four-point lead. The Grizzlies grabbed the rebound and didn’t call a timeout, so this was going to be the game. Morant took the ball and fumbled it for a minute, and had to chuck up a three-pointer at the buzzer that didn’t drop. With that, the Hawks were able to break their four-game winning streak and get back in the win column.
Johnson finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists; Kennard finished with 18 points, and Okongwu finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Friday against the Phoenix Suns.
The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night's game having lost four consecutive contests, but you would have never known it given the way they obliterated the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks won 120-66, their 54-point margin of victory a team record. It could have been even worse − at one point the Knicks led by 59.
The 54-point margin of victory easily shattered the Knicks' previous record of 48, achieved three times (in 1994, 1972 and 1968).
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 20 points, and five other Knicks scored in double figures. They shot 57% as a team, including 50% from 3 (16-for-32).
The Nets, by comparison, shot a grisly 29% from the field (23-for-79). They were also soundly beaten on the boards (56-27) and in the assist department (28-15).
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss pushed back on an ESPN report about the family drama that led to the sale of the Lakers, specifically the part that said she had grown frustrated with LeBron James and even floated the idea of trading him in the wake of the disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. Here is what Jeanie wrote to The Athletic's Sam Amick.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued this statement to @TheAthletic in response to today’s ESPN story, which includes reporting about her relationship with LeBron James.
“It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled…
"Who gives a s***. I don't, right? You don't know what's true, what's not true. But where there's smoke, there's fire. I seen some of the stuff that came out about it and obviously they talked about different scenarios in terms of power that we may have. Here's all I know. There's an appreciation for guys like Michael Irvin, there should be, our legends. And there damn sure should be appreciation for a guy like LeBron."
There has been some tension around LeBron and the Lakers in the last year, more tied to the franchise turning the page to Luka Doncic and the future — this is the first time in his career that LeBron was not the primary focal point of the organization he was a part of. Buss and Warriors owner Joe Lacob had some talk about a LeBron trade, although that didn't go anywhere it speaks to where the relationship is.
LeBron's relationship with the Buss family — and, to a degree, with Lakers fans — is very different than the ones that Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson had. That may be a function of the modern NBA and LeBron coming in with an established brand more than anything else, but things have not always been smooth. There has been frustration on both sides. How much that frustration impacted things is up for debate, maybe Buss floated a LeBron trade internally but ultimately he got his max contract extension and no trade clause. The Lakers and LeBron stayed in business together.
With new ownership and LeBron at the end of his career, all that may now be changing. And with that comes a new, and maybe increased, tension.
LeBron has yet to speak about this but likely will on Thursday when the Lakers travel across town to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
The Boston Celtics return home to TD Garden after a tough 4-game road trip. Boston led all game in a homecoming win by 15 points, 119-104. Newly minted All Star starter, Jaylen Brown led the team with 30 points in just 33 minutes, Hauser had 5 triples with 17 points on a hot shooting night in Boston.
Sam Hauser hit two early three-pointers to start the game for Boston. The sharp shooting Hauser has been hitting threes at a 39.5 percent clip on the season and has made 16 threes in his last 3 outings for Boston. The C’s had an early lead of 10-7 at the first TV timeout.
The trio of Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Anfernee Simons were first off the bench for the home team. Garza scored on his now patented deceleration cutting layup past a leaping Pacer big man. Payton Pritchard scored on a layup and was fouled by Jackson in the act of shooting, with the C’s starting PG hitting the bonus free throw.
Pascal Siakam was cooking early for the Pacers with a mix of jumpers and rim play, and he had 9 quick points in the first quarter to pace Indy. The power forward is staking his claim for All-Star reserve selection. Indiana beat Boston just over a week ago in a low-scoring game, and tonight was more of the same in the first quarter for the sluggish Pacers.
Scheierman’s corner triple gave the C’s an early seven-point lead, and Pritchard’s buzzer-beating three at the horn gave Boston a 30-20 lead at the end of the quarter.
Tony Bradley scored on the interior to start the 2nd quarter; the 6-foot-10 big was on his second 10-day contract with Indy following a string of injuries. Jordan Walsh was impacting things on both ends for Boston in his early minutes; he chased down 2 rebounds and nailed a triple on his first shot of the game in just 7 quick minutes of action. Sam Hauser swished home a three for Boston off a sweet JB assist; the Celtics were pushing the pace in the second quarter, up by 14 points, 38-24.
Hugo Gonzalez got his first run of the game at the midway point of the second quarter, and the rookie stuck a big three-pointer on his first shot of the game. Joe Mazzulla had Hugo matched up with 7-foot-1-inch center Jay Huff. Brown hit a sweet turnaround jumper, following that up with a wide-open transition layup.
Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) gets off a shot past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Boston went on a 15-0 run before Pascal Siakam finally snapped the scoring streak for the visiting Pacers, Boston stretching the lead out to 23 points, 57-34. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points for Boston in the second quarter a few days after he was named a starter in the All Star game.
Queta had back-to-back dunks for Boston, Derrick White chipped in his first three of the game in front of the commentary bench, Boston headed to the change rooms with a 20 point lead, 66-46.
Sam Hauser opened the second half with a sweet drive and one-handed flick pass to Queta on the rim-rattling jam. Hauser had his fourth triple of the game off a Derrick White assist. Siakam had 5 straight points for the Pacers, as they started to chip away at Boston’s lead, getting it back to 16 points at the 9 minute mark.
Brown scored on a tough driving layup, his 21st of the game with Johnny Furphy draped all over him. Brown took Jay Huff all the way to the cup on the next play but missed both free throw attempts from the stripe. Brown would take a seat with 5 minutes to go in the third quarter, logging 23 points.
Jordan Walsh had a huge block on a Ben Sheppard’s corner three attempt, the ball sailing into the stands. Walsh chased down Potter on the break for another block attempt, but the replay confirmed Walsh got a piece of arm on the play.
Indiana cut into Boston’s big lead with a 16-4 run, the Celtics retained a 15-point lead with Jaylen Brown on the bench. A Ben Sheppard triple gave Indiana a ray of hope, cutting it back to 9-points. Things were setting up for another close battle down the stretch at TD Garden with a quarter to go.
Brown lead the C’s in scoring after 3 quarters with 23 points, Siakam had 27 points for the visitors, the Celtics up by 13 points, 91-78 after three.
Jan 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Sam Hauser peeled off a neat Garza screen to hit his fifth three of the night, Simons playing the facilitator with a second assist on the night. Boston started of the fourth quarter hitting 7 points to Indy’s 4 points to start the fourth. Pritchard’s pull up two-pointer saw Boston hit the 100-point mark with seven minutes to go in the game.
With Indy down 15, it felt like they would run out of time to make a comeback as Boston had answers to every Pacer challenge. Brown had a steal and layup to stretch the lead back to 19 points. Brown was in complete control hitting 30 points for the 24th time of the year on a swooping two-footed layup across the key. Brown went to the bench with a 30-piece in the bag, both teams rolling with the bench squads to close things out, Boston sailing to victory.
Boston hit the road again to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
The Jimmy Butler injury has drastically altered the landscape for the Golden State Warriors in more ways than one.
For starters, it may have effectively dashed any hope for the Warriors to become frisky contenders this season, let alone for the rest of the Stephen Curry era. This has forced the organization to consolidate their assets and make choices before the February 6 trade deadline: trade or keep Butler’s contract that has two years left; trade or keep Jonathan Kuminga; attempt to acquire auxiliary role players that will further help the Warriors have an outside shot at contention.
But another choice looms over their heads, involving head coach Steve Kerr.
“But Kerr’s future is still up in the air. This is the final year of his contract, and as of Wednesday, he has yet to sign a new deal. Though Kerr has publicly been mum about his future, multiple assistant coaches have been operating under the premise that he will not return next season, according to team sources, with some surveying the league to secure jobs next season. Last month, longtime assistant Chris DeMarco left the staff to be the head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty.”
There could be indications that Kerr is treating this year as his last dance. The push and pull over the Kuminga situation has signaled a clear disconnect between the higher-ups of the organization and the coaching staff. The former seems to want to hold on to Kuminga for a while longer, while the latter has lost faith in Kuminga and his ability to fit into the Warriors’ intricate system.
Kerr seems ready to head into the proverbial sunset and close this chapter of his coaching career, in which he steered the Warriors to four championships in tandem with Curry. Time will tell if Kerr moves on to another team or outright retires from clipboard duties. Whichever the case, Kerr’s time will be remembered fondly for his role in transforming a beleaguered bottom-dwelling team into a dynastic powerhouse.
The first home game back after a long road trip can be difficult, as the Charlotte Hornets showed. They came out flat and couldn’t make outside shots as they scored just 32 points in the first half. The Cleveland Cavaliers took advantage of this as they took a 24-point advantage into the break.
The roles were reversed in the second half. The Cavs couldn’t make anything offensively over the final two quarters, which allowed Charlotte back into the game. The Hornets won the second half by 17, but the Cavs were still able to hang on to a less-than-inspiring 94-87 victory.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade would be an average performance for a particular player.
Donovan Mitchell
24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 8 turnovers
Mitchell struggled to take care of the ball, which is the last thing you want your starting point guard to do. He committed eight of the team’s 21 turnovers and was a large reason why the Cavs struggled in that area so much.
The scoring didn’t counterbalance the lack of ball security. Mitchell had an uncharacteristically inefficient night. He connected on just two of his eight three-point attempts and went 6-12 on shots inside the arc. Needing 20 shots to get to 24 points against a poor Charlotte defense isn’t what we’ve come to expect from Mitchell this season.
This was far from his best game.
Grade: D+
Jaylon Tyson
14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
This wasn’t Tyson’s most efficient scoring night, but he showed up when the Cavs needed him to. Seven of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was getting away from them. That’s incredibly helpful, even if this wasn’t his best night shooting as he went 1-9 from three and 6-17 from the floor.
Grade: C+
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Mobley absolutely dominated the first two quarters. He exposed nearly every offensive mismatch that came his way by aggressively driving to the basket. And even when he didn’t have a mismatch, he drove to the basket with ease against a smaller Hornets front court. This led to Mobley going 5-6 on shots in the restricted area in the first half.
That aggressiveness carried over to the defensive end as well. Mobley was disruptive in passing lanes and dominant on the glass as he grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half.
Then, that offensive effectiveness and aggression just went away. He scored only one point in the second half on just two attempts. And while Mobley was still great defensively, he wasn’t the All-NBA level player he was in the first half.
Games like this underline how frustrating the Mobley experience has been this season. Yes, the Hornets were packing the paint much more in the second half, but that isn’t an excuse for just disappearing on that end. Someone with his talent should be a helpful offensive player against a front line that is this inept defensively.
Grade: C
Tyrese Proctor
5 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists
Proctor just looks like an NBA player when he’s on the court. He competed well on the defensive end and isn’t afraid to take threes when he has an opportunity to do so. Both are things you want him to do, but the shot needs to be more consistent. Proctor went just 1-4 from beyond the arc on Wednesday. It’s easy to envision him becoming an incredibly useful player once his three-point shot becomes more consistent.
Grade: C
Craig Porter Jr.
7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has compared Porter to a power forward before. A game like this shows why it’s a good comparison, and why that might be a problem.
Porter had two blocks on seven-footers on Wednesday. It’s incredibly valuable to have ancillary rim protection from the point-guard position, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.
At the same time, you need your second-string point guard — and really the only point guard who saw minutes on Wednesday with the injury to Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball not playing this game — to do point guard things.
Porter hasn’t consistently done that. He hit two threes, but was mostly a non-factor on that end. He wasn’t able to create separation off-the-dribble, and had as many assists as turnovers (two).
Grade: C
De’Andre Hunter
4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
This was a weird game for Hunter. He came out aggressively by being an impactful rebounder and did a good job of getting into the chest of his opponent. However, this aggressiveness led to Hunter picking up three personal fouls in the first quarter.
Hunter then took his foot off the gas and was a complete non-factor for the rest of the game. He went 1-6 from the floor and had four turnovers. This led to him playing just a little over 13 minutes.
Allen had a solid game. He did a good job as an interior defender and provided some much-needed scoring inside.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Tomlin’s three-point shot is by far the worst part of his game. You want him to work on that skill and be comfortable taking that shot when he’s open. At the same time, you’d also prefer if he didn’t put himself in a position where he had to take three-pointers as often as he does. Maybe spotting up at the corner isn’t the best place to be.
That complaint aside, Tomlin was disruptive on the glass with seven offensive rebounds. He made an impact with his hustle and energy in that department, which is what he’s on the floor to do.
Grade: B
Larry Nance Jr.
5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Nance is good at a lot of little things that could help this team. His screening, effectiveness running dribble handoffs, disruption in passing lanes, offensive rebounding, and his passing ability are all examples of things Nance can do well that the Cavs could use more of at his position. There’s a reason he finished the game as a +14, which was the highest mark for a Cavalier reserve.
This game also showcased why he hasn’t been in the lineup often. Nance was hesitant to take open threes and couldn’t get inside and finish at the rim as effectively as he did in the past. If he’s going to be in the lineup more, he needs to showcase the outside shooting he did last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Still, this was a good and encouraging showing.
Grade: A-
Dean Wade
4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
This was a typical Wade game. He provided good defense, grabbed rebounds, and moved the ball on offense. That’s all you want him to do.
Additionally, I didn’t know Wade could finish a layup off a Euro step. That bumps his grade up half a letter.
