Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Utah Jazz are a mess.

At the start of the season, Jazz fans were hyped. With the #2 pick in Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George on a new contract, and Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy and ready to play, the season was extremely promising.

After tonight’s 119-97 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Jazz are now 1-6 and are in last place in the Western Conference.

Tonight was easily the worst showing from the Jazz all season, with the Jazz looking disjointed and chaotic on both ends of the floor for most of the game. As a team, Utah shot 35.4% from the field and 35.3% from three. Yes, the Jazz are young, and they’re missing Jaren Jackson Jr. to injury, but nothing looks easy with this offense. Credit goes to the Spurs for their excellent perimeter defense, but Utah never looked like it had an offensive rhythm. There are a lot of actions with the Jazz offense that come from a lot of movement, but those ended up in some pretty odd endings. Jaxson Hayes, for example, had 9 shots in this one but was just 4/9. Svi Mykhailiuk was 1/7 in this one as well. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but it feels like there are too many times when Utah’s offense doesn’t flow through the most important players: Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, and Ace Bailey. That’s not to say Utah didn’t get shots for those players. Markkanen led the team with 16 shots, Peterson was next with 13, Keyonte George 12, and Ace Bailey 11, but at times the offense feels like it has no clear order, and a lot of role players hijack possessions that turn into bad plays.

Now, you could argue those shots being spread around were justified, given the bad shooting from those core players on the Jazz. Keyonte George has now had two bad shooting games in a row (3/12), and Ace Bailey is still finding his stroke from three (1/5), for example. But something has to be done to improve shot quality. Are there offensive tweaks that could give them more opportunities for easier shots? Can they simplify things somehow? The reality is something has to improve because Utah is not a very good team right now.

Tonight’s game had some really weird energy. Could it have had something to do with the news that Isaiah Collier had the team option declined on his contract?

The Utah Jazz will decline their team option on Isaiah Collier worth $4.99 million for the 2027-28 season, sources told @hoopshype. Collier has averaged 9.9 points, 6.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in three seasons. He’ll be a coveted unrestricted free agent. pic.twitter.com/NDguwgdJVo

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 2, 2026

Maybe it was that? Or maybe it was a residual effect of Will Hardy’s decision to bench Darryn Peterson for Brice Sensabaugh and Isaiah Collier? Speaking of that, it’s not great that Peterson was benched for a player who won’t even be on the team next year. It’s not a great sign. There’s no way to know as an outside observer, but the team did not look happy. Now, winning cures all, and Utah could really stand to get some wins soon to turn the season around, but if they play like they did tonight, it’ll take some time.

That’s not to say there weren’t some bright spots. Utah apparently made it clear they were not playing Collier and had Darryn Peterson running the show with the second unit. Things weren’t perfect, but Peterson and the second unit clawed their way back into the game. Peterson was just a -4 in a blowout loss, and those minutes with the bench were a big reason why. It’s a great sign for the future and confirmation that Will Hardy force-feeding Isaiah Collier minutes wasn’t the best play.

The takeaway from this game, besides learning to compartmentalize the difficult things in life, is to remember the team is only going to get better. The Jazz are evolving game by game in how they are running, and eventually those moves will lead to winning. It also looks like this season will turn around as soon as Darryn Peterson takes off as a player. That may take time though, so Jazz fans might need to find some patience.

SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Warriors have rattled off five consecutive wins following their hard-fought 116-113 win against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Nov. 2 at Chase Center.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry led the way with 34 points and seven assists, while backcourt running mate Brandin Podziemski dropped 20 points on 50% shooting in the game.

There was no love lost between these two teams, which saw each other on Oct. 24 when the Suns got the upper hand. In the rematch, it was the Warriors who came with energy and fight.

Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected for the first time this season following a foul against Suns center Khaman Maluach when afterward Green committed a takedown on Maluach. Suns guard Dillon Brooks confronted Green about the push and the two began a shoving match before receiving double technical fouls.

Golden State trailed by 11 points at the time of the technical foul and proceeded to go on a run to fight back into the game before taking over, putting up 42 points in the third period to tie the game 93-93.

The Warriors received a major boost from Charles Bassey, who was effective off the bench scoring 17 points and pulling down 8 rebounds in 23 minutes. Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had 16 points on 3-of-10 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and five assists.

"Bass was great. What a big night for him," Kerr said after the game. "The rebounding, the scoring. You know he and Yaxel have a really good connection. The pick-and-roll game. He gives him a lot of threat. Yaxel sees the floor so well and he's so big that he finds him when he's behind the defense."

Golden State will host the Miami Heat on Thursday, Nov. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors on a roll, get fifth straight win behind Steph Curry's 34-point night

Mikal Bridges was 1-for-7 in the third quarter on Monday and the Knicks were struggling. Some NBA head coaches would stick with their veteran in that spot. It’s easier to keep a player like Bridges - one who is signed to a large contract and was obtained for significant trade capital - on the court. 

But in this respect, Mike Brown isn’t most coaches. He didn’t hesitate to bench Bridges in the second half of the Knicks’ win over the Nets. 

We’re seven games into the season. Brown has pulled Bridges in the third quarter of three of those seven games. 

“Yeah, he's just got to keep playing. Everybody goes through those ups and downs throughout the course of the season, and obviously, it's the beginning of the season right now, so he's got to find his way,” Brown said after New York’s win over Brooklyn. “Not just with him  but with everybody, when you're in a funk you gotta find one or two things to hold your hat on. Mikal is one of the best runners in the NBA. 

"In both directions - offensively and defensively. So he's just got to try to hang his hat on that as well as his cutting and trying to do the other little things - rebounding and driving and touching the paint and spraying it. Then this shot will come eventually.”

Bridges is shooting 30 percent from the floor so far this year. If you’ve watched the Knicks during Bridges’ tenure, you know that he can be up and down over the course of the regular season. And you also know he can deliver in big playoff situations. Brown believes Bridges will ultimately be fine. 

“It's a matter of time in my opinion, before Mikal gets going,” Brown said.

But if the Knicks head coach thinks someone else gives the team a better chance to win on a given night, he won’t hesitate to sit Bridges. 

SHAMET, CLARKSON SPARK KNICKS

After a sluggish three quarters, Brown turned to Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek to start the fourth quarter. Clarkson, Kolek, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns sparked the Knicks early in the fourth. 

It was the second time in the past three games that Clarkson helped turn things around. The veteran had 18 points in New York’s comeback win in Chicago. But he has also basically been out of the rotation in three of New York’s seven games. 

“I think it shows his character more than anything else. He's someone that if he was on a different team, he could play 20, 25 minutes every night. He could score double digits. He could be that spark, that microwave off the bench. And he's here,” Hart said. “He was willing to sacrifice and take a smaller role, be a part of something bigger than himself. So it shows its character. 

"It shows his professionalism. To be able to go out and do those things. And when he's not doing it, he's out there coaching, not on the court, he's coaching guys up, talking to them, letting them know what he sees. So he's the ultimate professional. He's someone that you want on your team. And whenever he's given an opportunity, he’ll go out and play well.”

Brown also had effusive praise for Clarkson. 

“You have a veteran that's been there, done that. and he's willing to accept the role that most guys wouldn't accept - even guys younger that haven't proved as much as he's proven in this league. And he's willing to accept it,” Brown said. “So, in my opinion, if he's willing to accept it, which is what he did last year, and still try to uplift everybody, connect everybody while he's going through what he's going through, then everybody else should. That's that's the ultimate team player, I will say this about JC. I've been around some good teammates. He's got to be the best. He is the definition of ultimate pro.”

Additionally, Landry Shamet led the team in scoring with 22 points off of the bench in 29 minutes. The veteran shot 4-for-6 from three, 6-for-8 from the field, and was a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors didn’t have Steph Curry or Draymond Green when they visited the Suns on the second half of a back-to-back last weekend.

Hosting the Suns, again coming off a game the previous night, Golden State set things up to make sure its two veteran stars would be available for the rematch.

The training staff’s best efforts ended up for naught.

After sitting out Sunday’s win over the Clippers, Green spent most of the second half Monday night in the locker room. Green was ejected two minutes into the second half.

And that was precisely when the game turned for the Warriors, who pulled out a 116-113 win after falling behind by as many as 17 points and not holding a lead until the fourth quarter.

The Warriors have won five straight since their 131-122 loss in Phoenix last Saturday.

When Green was tossed from the game, Golden State trailed 68-57. Immediately after play resumed, the Warriors’ energy changed and they went on a 16-5 run to tie the score at 73.

Curry didn’t exactly seem freshly rested as he struggled for nine points in the first half. But he exploded for 25 after halftime to lead the Warriors, finishing with 34.

After going off for 37 points without Curry the previous night and leading the Warriors with 26 the last time they faced Phoenix, Yaxel Lendeborg was contained to 16 on 3-of-10 shooting.

But the Warriors didn’t shy away from running their offense from the rookie with Curry off the floor, and his eight second-half free throws on nine attempts kept the Suns at bay. 

With 44 and 31 his past two games, Curry notched the 25th streak of his career of three straight games with 30 or more in the scoring column. In six games this season, Curry has scored at least 20 in all of them, averaging 30.0, trailing only Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic.

With Devin Booker pouring in 26 to lead the Suns and Mikal Bridges adding 21, Curry couldn’t do it by himself. He got an unlikely assist in the form of center Charles Bassey, who picked up many of Green’s second-half minutes to finish with a career-best 19 on 7-of-10 shooting.

Brandin Podziemski also contributed 20 points, including 14 after halftime. He tied the game at 93 on the Warriors’ final possession of the third quarter on a kickout from Lendeborg.

A cutting Bassey converted one of Curry’s team-high seven assists on the Warriors’ first possession of the fourth quarter that gave them their first lead of the game, 95-93, and the margin never got wider than seven in either direction the rest of the way.

The Warriors followed in Curry’s footsteps in the first half, knocking down just two of their first 17 attempts from 3. But the ball started falling for Curry and his teammates after halftime.

Golden State drained 11 of its final 25 attempts from 3, including five from Curry.

The Phoenix Suns fall to 1-4 on the season and have lost 3 straight games. There was progress overall, but the ultimate goal is to win games, and the Suns broke down late with key turnovers and missed free throws.

The Suns led by as many as 17 points, survived a Draymond Green ejection and a Stephen Curry heater, and still lost it at the free-throw line.

Golden State won 116-113, dropping Phoenix to 1-4. The Suns won the first half at the stripe 13-of-14 to 8-of-10, then watched the Warriors go 23-of-27 in the second half to their 9-of-16. Devin Booker fouled out with under a minute left and Phoenix down five.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 2-of-4 from three and 8-of-8 at the line, with 5 assists in 34:58 before fouling out.

Miles Bridges added 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 3-of-5 from three, with 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Dillon Brooks scored 18 on 5-of-8 shooting with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Oso Ighodaro was perfect at 6-of-6 for 14 points off the bench, and Jalen Green filled it up with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Luke Kennard finished +15 in 17:42.

Stephen Curry led all scorers with 34 points on 9-of-21 shooting, 5-of-13 from three and 11-of-12 at the line, with 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Brandin Podziemski added 20, Charles Bassey had 19 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 with 8-of-9 at the line.

Game Flow

First Half 

The Suns opened with Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, and Man Man, and the defense set the tone right away. Golden State’s starting five went a combined 3-of-14 from the floor for 8 points.

The Warriors lived behind the arc and paid for it. Golden State went 2-of-15 from three, including Stephen Curry at 1-of-4, while Phoenix hit 2 of its 5 attempts. The Suns shot 60% overall (12-of-20) and turned Warriors mistakes into 9 points off turnovers and 8 fast-break points, compared to 3 and 2 for Golden State.

The bench kept the pressure on. Oso Ighodaro went a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 at the line for 8 points, the most of anyone on the floor. Phoenix closed the quarter with Bridges, Luke Kennard, Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie and Ighodaro, and Kennard posted a +9 in under four minutes without scoring.

Suns closed quarter with Bridges along with Kennard, Goodwin, Gillespie and Ighodaro.

Suns 31, Warriors 19 after one

Second fewest points allowed in quarter (17 in 4th vs Blazers) this season, but fewest allowed in first quarter by far.

at Blazers: 43 pts allowed in 1st.
vs…

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2026

The only area Golden State matched Phoenix was inside, where both teams scored 20 points in the paint. Charles Bassey led the Warriors with 7 points off the bench, and the Warriors won second-chance points 6-5. Booker led the Suns at +10 with 5 points and 2 assists, and Brooks added 5 points on perfect shooting.

Miles has it going tonight

11 PTS & 5 REB in the first half on 4/6 FG pic.twitter.com/kxMwfJuvbr

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 3, 2026

Phoenix led after the first quarter, 31-19. A drastic first quarter improvement defensively from the opening 4 games.

Suns were giving up 33.3 points per first quarter coming into tonight. They have held the Warriors to 19 and lead by 12.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 3, 2026

After a 2-of-15 first quarter, the Warriors went 5-of-9 from three in the second and shot 50% overall (10-of-20). Yaxel Lendeborg hit both of his threes for 8 points in the quarter, and Brandin Podziemski added 6 on a pair of triples.

The Suns lost their grip on the paint. After winning the paint 16-12 in the first, Phoenix went 2-of-8 inside in the second for 4 points while Golden State scored 10 there. The Warriors also won the quarter on the boards 11-5.

Devin Booker kept Phoenix ahead. He scored 11 in the quarter on 3-of-4 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line, and the Suns went 8-of-8 at the stripe as a team. Luke Kennard knocked down two threes for 6 points off the bench, and Miles Bridges chipped in 7.

The Suns pushed the lead to 16 at 55-39 with 3:45 left in the half. Then the offense stalled. Golden State ripped off a 12-0 run over the next 2:42, cutting it to 55-51 at the 1:03 mark.

Golden State won the second quarter 32-26.

Phoenix led 57-51 at the break. Booker paced the Suns with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 5-of-5 at the line. Bridges added 11 points and 5 rebounds, and Jalen Green posted a team-best +10 with four boards.

Second Half

There was a huge blow to start the second half, as the Suns announced Jordan Goodwin would not return due to a calf injury.

Jordan Goodwin (left calf) OUT rest of game. #Suns

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2026

As you’d expect, Dillon Brooks and Draymond Green got into it.

Draymond threw Khaman Maluach to the ground to start the altercation, and Dillon Brooks went to pull him back from heading towards Khaman who was on the ground. Green grabbed Brooks by his neck before the situation de-escalated.

Green was assessed a double technical and ejected, and Brooks received a technical.

Draymond Green was ejected from the game after receiving two technical fouls on this sequence pic.twitter.com/u8IIgeTAGY

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 3, 2026

Green played just two minutes in the third before his exit. He finished with 4 points on 1-of-2 shooting, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 16:46.

Losing Green didn’t slow Golden State. Quite the opposite, actually. Phoenix did not have an answer for Charles Bassey, who had 6 points and 4 boards off the bench in the quarter. Stephen Curry took over with 18 points in the quarter on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-5 from three. Brandin Podziemski added 10, and the Warriors shot 59.1% in the period.

The free-throw line flipped on Phoenix. After going 13-of-14 in the first half, the Suns went 6-of-12 in the third. Jalen Green missed all four of his attempts.

Brooks kept the Suns afloat with 9 points on 3-of-3 shooting, and Man Man went 2-of-2 for 5 points. Jalen Green dished 5 assists in the quarter. Devin Booker scored 8 but went 2-of-7 and picked up four fouls in the period.

After three, it was tied at 93.

Tied at 93, the fourth turned into a grind. Golden State made just 5 field goals in the quarter on 5-of-17 shooting, and Stephen Curry went 1-of-5. It didn’t matter. The Warriors lived at the line, going 12-of-13 in the period while Phoenix went 3-of-4.

The Suns won the glass 13-8 and grabbed five offensive rebounds, but gave it right back with seven turnovers. Jalen Green battled for 7 points and 4 rebounds, three of them offensive, but had three of those turnovers. Phoenix went 1-of-7 from three in the quarter.

The final minutes came apart in a hurry.

Green missed 2nd FT.

Curry missed 2nd FT.

Gillespie missed deep 3 at buzzer.

Suns fall, 116-113, after leading by as many as 17 points in the first half. #Suns#DubNation

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2026

Booker fouled out on a flop from De’Anthony Melton, called for an offensive foul with under a minute left and Phoenix down 113-108. He finished with 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 8-of-8 at the line and 5 assists, but managed just 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting in the fourth.

Golden State won the fourth quarter 23-20 and the game 116-113.

---

Up Next

The Suns will host the Blazers team that destroyed them on Opening Night on Wednesday in Downtown Phoenix.

The clash between Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo received top billing Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic leads the league in scoring with 37.7 points per game for the Lakers, and Antetokounmpo is fifth at 28.2 for the Miami Heat.

But this matchup didn’t quite live up to the hype after Doncic continued his early season dominance in the Lakers’ 138-117 win.

Doncic was masterful, producing 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. He was 14 for 24 from the field and six for 15 from three-point range.

Read more:'Like a supernova.' Luka Doncic's 45 points only eclipsed by his defense in Lakers' win

“Feels good. Like I said, obviously when we win, it feels way better,” Doncic said. “And that’s the only important stuff. But obviously it feels good. You know, when you win by [21] against a team like Miami, it’s really awesome, especially on a back-to-back.”

Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, but he also had seven turnovers as he battled tight defensive coverage.

“I think we did OK. We did good enough to get the win,” said Ziaire Williams, who played after missing three games because of soreness in his left foot. “Wasn’t perfect. He’s a freak of nature, man. It takes three, four guys loading up to him. One-on-one, he’ll go through anybody in this league, and that’s just the truth.”

Doncic was better, but he had more help. Austin Reaves scored 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting and Walker Kessler finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double.

“Yeah, he’s a big piece for us,” Doncic said about Kessler. “I think when he plays good, he gives us a way better chance to win. So, he just needs to keep going like this. Like we told him, we have his back. ... But what he’s been doing, it’s helping us win.”

The Lakers (6-2) shot 57%, including 44% (19 for 43) from three-point range. They also notched 39 assists on 51 successful shots.

“The 39 assists, that’s the most assists we’ve had since I’ve been the [coach],” JJ Redick said. “So, it’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now. And a lot of that, of course, is Doncic and what he’s able to do and bend the defense. And his shot-making creates a lot of problems, and then he can make every pass.”

Doncic has been on a scoring tear for the Lakers.

In the third quarter, Doncic missed a three-pointer, but Jake LaRavia hustled to collect the rebound. He passed the ball to Doncic, who then made a three to give the Lakers a 93-74 lead. The play forced the Heat (2-5) to call a timeout as Doncic pointed at LaRavia in appreciation.

Doncic started strong like usual, with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 37-30 lead. Doncic, who was called for a technical foul late in the first half — his second of the season — had 24 points by halftime.

In his previous four games, Doncic had scored 45, 37, 41 and 52 points.

“Like the defensive mindset in me is always like, ‘Why are they not blitzing him or why are they not doubling? Or why are they just letting him just walk to his spot and just do whatever he wants out there?’ But they’re trying,” Williams said about defensive strategies Doncic faces. “He just is that good and he just makes it look that easy.

“He’s unbelievable, man. Even a better person. And yeah, I’m happy to be on his side for sure.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Dallas Mavericks (4-3) were riding high after beating two previously undefeated teams, but followed that up with a loss to a winless Kings (1-6) team, 115-100. No Kyrie Irving (rest) didn’t help the cause, but Cooper Flagg had a rough night, and the Mavericks simply could not connect from downtown as a team.

The silver lining? If the Mavs slept on arguably the worst team in the NBA, they’ve learned the lesson that you just can’t do that in this league.

Let’s get to the grades!

Cooper Flagg: C-

17 PTS / 4 REB / 6 AST / 2 STL / 40 MIN

The good news is that hopefully Flagg got his worst game of the season out of the way. He had a dreadful shooting night (3-of-19) from the floor, didn’t have much interest in taking available three-point shots and seemed frustrated to the point it threw his game off entirely. He chipped in little bits elsewhere and bolstered his scoring with excellent free throw shooting, but it wasn’t nearly enough with the overall messiness of the game.

Max Christie: N/A

0 PTS / 2 REB / 0 AST / 8 MIN

You never want to see a player get injured as happened to Christie (hip), but it’s the only thing that spared him from a solid “D” grade. He was 0-of-5 – all from downtown – before the injury and sadly has brought very little to the team this season inclusive of Monday night’s performance.

Caleb Martin: C

5 PTS / 6 REB / 21 MIN

Martin wasn’t on my starter Bingo card as the guy who would take Kyrie Irving’s place in the starting lineup, but keeping the bench unit of Zaccharie Risacher, Morez Johnson and Marcus Sasser made sense. He was fine, but didn’t play starter minutes and didn’t contribute all that much. So, while he didn’t necessarily hurt the team, he didn’t quite help it in any appreciable way either.

P.J. Washington: D

12 PTS / 5 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 38 MIN

Washington backslid a little from previous games, appearing a bit disengaged with a stat line to back that up. 2-of-9 shooting (with six misses from deep) and not nearly enough production for the amount of time he spent on the floor made for a bad night. This was a game Washington could have at least locked in on defense, but that is where the disengagement seemed to be apparent. Something was off in Dallas on Monday night, and it definitely got to Washington.

Daniel Gafford: A

20 PTS / 7 REB / 1 STL / 1 BLK / 26 MIN

If not for Gafford, it’s difficult to imagine how bad this game would have been. He was by far the best player on the floor for the Mavs. An offensive juggernaut hitting 9-of-10 shots and both of his free throw attempts. He made the absolute most of limited minutes and it’s a shame it was largely a wasted effort.

Walter Clayton, Jr.: A

20 PTS / 1 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN

Alongside Gafford, Clayton, Jr. was another bright spot. He was the only player on the team even remotely locked in from deep, hitting 4-of-5 three point attempts and 6-of-9 overall. In hindsight, he should have taken Irving’s place as a starter, but who could have predicted that from the outset? This was a very nice night for Clayton, Jr. and hopefully something to build off as he will likely have opportunities on night’s Irving rests.

Final Thoughts

This is simply a game you flush. Look around the NBA on any given night, and a team that has no business losing is getting waxed. Tonight it was the Mavs’ turn. Almost to a man, they were completely off their game and plainly could not get anything going outside of a few bright spots. Learn from it and get ready for the next one.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić has had himself a day.

Dončić, over a 24-hour stretch, dropped a staggering 87 points in consecutive Los Angeles Lakers victories, the latest Monday, Nov. 2 in a 138-117 domination over the Miami Heat. In the process, not only did Dončić outshine Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo, he’s proving that Los Angeles is close to unbeatable when he’s besieging opponents with buckets.

Case in point: entering the night, NBA teams were averaging 113.7 points per game; the Lakers, by the end of the third quarter, were already at 111. For reference, that was four points off from tying the most allowed by the Heat through three quarters in their history.

One night after he dropped 45 in a win over the Toronto Raptors, Dončić toasted the Heat to the tune of 42 points on 14-of-24 shooting, scooping 7 rebounds and dishing out 13 assists.

It didn’t matter who Miami sent at Dončić. Versatile defensive wing Andrew Wiggins started the game on Dončić, but Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell each got their turn. Later in the third, after Dončić was creeping toward 40 points, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra dug deep in the bench and deployed defensive-specialist guard Dru Smith. The Heat threw double-teams at Dončić, but that didn’t matter, either.

Dončić zipped and lofted passes to open teammates who had been left neglected because of those double-teams. By the end of the third, he had already posted double-digit assists.

This is the bewildering thing about defending Dončić: even when you try to rush him, he stubbornly plays at his pace, parries away the additional defensive attention – almost teasing blitzing defenders and daring them to get close – only to pinpoint passes right into his teammates’ shooting pockets.

This was an efficient Dončić. He did not need to strafe the rim with shots. He was under control. He was never flustered. And, at least on Monday night, he made his teammates better.

Antetokounmpo, by comparison, finished with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Lakers improved to 6-2 and Dončić is now averaging 38.3 points per game, which is a full 4 points greater than the next closest player. They wield one of the top 3 offenses in the NBA. And as injuries have plagued some of the top teams in the West, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, there could be an opening for the Lakers to blossom into a legitimate title threat with Dončić as the unquestioned anchor of the team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Dončić shows how unbeatable Lakers can be in rout of Heat

After pushing the San Antonio Spurs to overtime last Wednesday, the Utah Jazz tried to make a similar stand in Alamo City on Monday night. But the home team, spurred on by a raucous crowd, had other ideas, outmuscling the visitors 119-97. It was Utah’s second blow out loss in a row, leaving fans (and this fan in particular) scrambling to find a silver lining. I won’t say the dark clouds are lifting just yet, but there are a few glints of sun filtering through.

Lauri Markkanen A-: After a disappointing performance against Portland on Halloween, Lauri brushed off some of the cobwebs, finding his range from three and also setting up his teammates, delivering perfect lobs for both Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba. He was active around the basket, raking in a team high 8 rebounds, and led Utah’s spirited (but short lived) come back effort in the second quarter.

Josh Okogie A: Josh was excellent tonight, forcing turnovers and pressuring the Spurs’ guards into giving up the ball. He also showed some of his offensive skills, getting to the free throw line, where he was 6 of 6. The Jazz just have a different intensity when Okogie is on the floor, something they desperately needed on a tough shooting night.

Mo Bamba A: Another solid night from Mo, scoring 8 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and blocking two shots in just 18 minutes. He is finding ways to impact opponents’ shots without fouling, not an easy task when facing a physical team like the Spurs.

Ace Bailey C: A difficult night for Ace, who missed his first six shots from the floor. The Jazz could have really used his scoring, especially in the first and third quarters. On a positive note, he did find some other ways to impact the game, picking up 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

Keyonte George C: I think Keyonte has spoiled us with his consistent play to start the season. Tonight he struggled against the length and aggressiveness of the Spurs’ guards. He was only 25% from the field and 20% from three, and had no assists. He was active on the boards, pulling in 7 rebounds.

Darryn Peterson B: The rookie led the team with 6 assists and also showed some defensive grit with 3 steals and 3 blocks. He took care of the ball, which was in his hands a lot, committing only one turnover. His shooting is still a little streaky—he shot 0-5 in the first half—but once that becomes more consistent, then the sky is the limit.

Josh Green C: There is no denying the effort, but Josh’s impact on the game was minimal, hitting one three and grabbing one rebound in 15 minutes on the court.

Brice Sensabaugh D: Brice’s most notable play was a flagrant foul, pushing Harrison Barnes to the ground after catching an elbow in the nose. It showed some of the fight that I’m sure Coach Hardy would like to see more of. But Brice’s shooting at the Frost Bank Center was mainly ice cold, going 20% from the field and 1-6 from three.

Svi Mykhailiuk D: Svi, normally ready when called on, also had an off night, going 1-7 from the field and 1-4 from three.

Isaiah Collier B: We didn’t see Isaiah until the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. It would have been nice to see his speed and physicality earlier, as it brought an energy to the Jazz’s offense (albeit against largely bench players).

Kyle Filipowski C: Kyle has largely been the forgotten man this season, pushed further down the bench by the emergence of the two Joshes. He came in tonight for the last 8 minutes, getting 1 point from the free throw line and grabbing 2 rebounds.

Tony Bradley B: Tony also came in for the last few minutes of the game and was active, muscling in a bucket and grabbing 3 rebounds and a steal.

The Lakers had a red-hot offensive night against the Heat on Monday to pick up a second straight victory, downing Miami 136-115.

LA shot 56.8% from the field and hit 19 3-pointers at a 44.2% clip. They had 39 assists on 51 made shots and dominated the paint, outscoring Miami 58-38.

LA quickly took a 10-point lead on the shoulders of Luka Dončić, who was already in double figures with 12 points. The Heat cut the deficit to two with Davion Mitchell and Klay Thompson combining for 11 points.

Walker Kessler had six points for Los Angeles. 

Despite hot shooting from the field, the Lakers couldn’t build much of a cushion. Giannis Antetokounmpo now led the Heat with eight points. Sandro Mamukelashvili provided a nice spark off the bench with five points.

The purple and gold were up seven at the end of the first. 

Mamu has a real nice touch on these running floaters.

37-30 Lakers after one. pic.twitter.com/M06Nnr9R21

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) November 3, 2026

Miami started the second period with the first four points before Austin Reaves drained a triple. The shots from behind the arc started to fall for Los Angeles with Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams each knocking one down.

Miami cut the deficit all the way to one thanks to Giannis continuing to have a dominant first half as he was up to 17 points. As a team, the Heat were shooting 88% from the field. 

LA’s bench put in the work, combining for 27 points. Mamu led the way with nine. Much of the rest of the half remained a back-and-forth affair. The purple and gold went into the locker room up seven after shooting 67% from the field while Miami shot 59%.

Los Angeles also held a 36-24 advantage over the Heat in points in the paint.

Mamu beats the first quarter buzzer 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Z8Wz74nKiy

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 3, 2026

Luka and Austin led the second period early, scoring nine points combined and forcing a quick Miami timeout. Out of the break, the Heat turned the ball over, leading to a layup from Kessler on the other end. 

At the 10:18 mark, the Lakers led by 18. 

The star duo of Luka and Reaves continued to lead the way for LA, combining for 11 points, extending Los Angeles’ momentum throughout the quarter. Williams’s first game back from injury was stellar as he had nine points and two assists. 

Bam Adebayo remembered he could play basketball and entered double figures with 11 points, but it didn’t matter much as the Lakers still had all the momentum. They ended the third up 18. Luka had 37 points.

The best player in the league is in Los Angeles.

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) November 3, 2026

The final frame saw the Lakers start by scoring four in a row, but Tim Hardaway Jr. attempted to help Miami come back by draining two triples. It didn’t matter as LA continued to shoot at an excellent rate from behind the arc, with Luka, LaRavia, Reaves and Mamu all knocking down threes. 

Los Angeles subbed in its bench with 1:22 left, and they kept the lead this time without making it unnecessarily interesting. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 42 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists. Reaves ended with 27 points and five assists while shooting 10-15 from the field. Kessler notched 15 points with 15 rebounds. 

In his return from injury, Williams poured in nine points off the bench. Mamu pitched in with 13 points and four assists.

The rest of the role players all had positive impacts in small ways across the board. Thybulle scored six points with two assists, Grimes had seven points with four assists, Collin Sexton logged six points and LaRavia finished with seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. 

The Lakers’ next game will be against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Mikel Brown Jr. missed out on the Nets’ first win of the season Sunday in Indiana, sitting as part of the team’s plan to manage the back injury that forced him to miss 14 games during his lone season at Louisville. 

His return Monday — and his Madison Square Garden debut — didn’t go as he envisioned. 

After contributing 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting to give the Nets the lead entering the fourth quarter, the No. 6 overall pick fell apart in the final quarter of the 103-90 loss, missing each of the four 3-pointers he took while failing to attack the rim. 

“I think Mikel’s a rock star,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “He’s gonna keep taking steps. And right now, we always want him to be aggressive, but he has the responsibility to run the team, and that’s a big deal. And you have to communicate. … Every shot that is good, every shot that is not good, it falls a little bit on you, right?” 

Brown, who finished 1-for-8 on 3-pointers, is now shooting 31.6 percent from the field through his first five games with the Nets. 

“I’m still growing and developing and learning,” Brown said. “I’m doing what I love every single night, and to be able to play in this type of environment, I’m just extremely blessed.” 

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The Garden didn’t forget. 

Randle received cheers during the pregame introduction in his first game back in Manhattan since joining the Nets. Randle not only revived his career during his five seasons with the Knicks — earning two All-NBA selections and three All-Star Game selections during his tenure — he returned the Knicks to relevance by leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance in eight years, prior to Jalen Brunson’s arrival. 

Randle, who with the Timberwolves had made two trips to the Garden after they acquired him in the deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns here, finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 5-for-16 shooting. 

“[It was] amazing, man,” Randle said. “I got a lot of love for the city, for the fans, had a lot of great memories here with the team, with my family. It was a big part of my life and my career, and [I’m] super appreciative of it.” 

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Egor Dëmin missed his third straight game with a right leg bone bruise. 

Luka Dončić continues to etch his name in the Lakers history books with his start to the 2026-27 season. 

Dončić had 24 points at halftime of the Lakers’ home game against the Heat on Monday night. 

The showing made Dončić the first Lakers player to score at least 20 points in the first half in five straight games since Kobe Bryant in 2007.

“I don’t take it for granted,” coach JJ Redick said pregame. “A lot of times you can just be agog at his offensive prowess. Watching some of the tape [Sunday] night, and even during the game, I think our guys were like agog at his defense. And it was just awesome. It was inspiring. I really mean that.”

It’s the second time over the last week the Slovenian superstar had his name alongside the Lakers late icon in the franchise’s history books.

Dončić’s 21 points in the opening quarter of the Lakers’ Friday road game against the Warriors was his 33rd career 20-point quarter and 10th 20-point quarter as a Laker. 

He joined Bryant as the only two Lakers players to record at least 10 20-point quarters since 2000. 

Bryant recorded 36 20-point quarters between 2000 and his retirement in 2016. 

With Doncic entering Monday averaging a league-best 37.7 points per game, the highest scoring average in league history by a non-Wilt Chamberlain player, he’s bound to make more history this season.

Anything goes for LeBron James in his 24th NBA season.

Even mid-game alcohol drinking is on the table, after what happened on Monday night.

LeBron ran past a stanchion and into the stands to decelerate during the Philadelphia 76ers’ home win against the Chicago Bulls.

Before returning to the court, several cameras saw James (who finished with 15 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds in the 126-107 win) take a glass of wine from a 76ers fan (who has been identified as Troy Clemons), take a sip, and the get back to the action.

Several video angles of this have gone viral, with ESPN’s Kris Rhim posting a bird’s eye view of King James’ mid-game beer break on X.

“Here’s vid of LeBron taking a sip of a drink from a fan just now during tonight’s game,” the post was captioned.

Here’s vid of LeBron taking a sip of a drink from a fan just now during tonight’s game.

Year 24 pic.twitter.com/oQOUA7JD8u

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) November 3, 2026

James spoke with the media after Monday’s win and Rhim asked him about the exchange.

“I spilled some of his wine. I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine. So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was all right,” LeBron said, per an X post Rhim.

LeBron on sipping a fan’s wine mid-game tonight:

“I spilled some of his wine. I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine. So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was all right.” pic.twitter.com/9lDYtcI70X

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) November 3, 2026

Rhim caught up with Clemons after the game, who explained the exchange.

“LeBron crashed into me, he grabbed me, he said, ‘My bad.’ My drinks spilled everywhere, he took my drink from me, and he basically just took a sip of it,'” Clemons said, per an X post from Rhim.

He added that he threw the wine cup in the trash, and that he got a fresh drink afterwards.

Even if Clemons didn’t keep the cup, he now has one of the best cocktail — or wine — party stories in all of Philadelphia.

Seven games, one half and exactly two minutes of basketball is all it took for Draymond Green to earn his first ejection of his 12th NBA season.

The Warriors’ emotionally charged defensive leader was charged with two technicals on one play early in the second half Monday night against the Suns, sending him to the locker room.

After Phoenix center Khaman Maluach corralled an entry pass, the 7-footer went up for an attempt at the rim, and Green wrapped both arms around him, bringing him to the floor.

Things got heated from there between the two teams, with recurring enemy Dillon Brooks charging into the scrum beneath the basket to defend his teammate. Brooks got into Green’s face and the two players put their arms on each other.

Green was originally assessed a personal foul for his initial contact with Maluach. After a lengthy review, officials assessed him one technical for what they termed his “throwdown.” They also awarded a double technical to Green and Brooks for their scrap that followed.

It resulted in a pair of technical fouls for Green and his first ejection of the season — the 26th of his career. Green, who sat out the first half of the Warriors’ back-to-back the previous night, ended up logging 17 minutes, finishing with four points, four rebounds and two assists.

Golden State trailed Phoenix 68-57 at the time he was tossed from the game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warriors react to Draymond Green ejection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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