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Steve Kerr blasts ‘weak' Draymond Green ejection, compares it to Dillon Brooks

Steve Kerr blasts ‘weak' Draymond Green ejection, compares it to Dillon Brooks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr started slowly, then worked himself into a mini-lather when discussing Draymond Green’s ejection during the Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center.

Green’s first ejection of the season came about 48 hours after Suns guard Dillon Brooks jumped high to defend a shot by Stephen Curry, then deliberately and flagrantly hit the two-time NBA MVP in the stomach.

For anyone who has ever seen Brooks in the NBA, it wasn’t a complete surprise — but other than the Flagrant 1 foul he was assessed, he wasn’t ejected and no further penalties or discipline from the NBA came.

Fast forward to Saturday, when Green and Suns guard Collin Gillespie got into a lightly heated exchange after Green blocked one of Gillespie’s shots. The two men kept jawing at one another, with Green earning his second technical for arguing over the first. 

Kerr also picked up a technical for arguing the situation.

“I thought it was weak. I mean, [Green] was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he’s walking to the bench and he yells something, and the second technical … We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night, and premeditated punches him in the stomach,” Kerr said, referring to the Warriors’ loss in Phoenix on Thursday. “No ejection for that. Two nights later, refs got upset with some words from Draymond.

“I just I totally disagree, and that’s why I got my tech because I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily. This is a guy [Brooks] who broke [Gary Payton II’s] elbow in the playoffs, clothes-lining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not going to kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not ejected from that game and then suspended or fined. Nothing, nothing.

“So apparently you are now allowed, this is my team, you’re now allowed to premeditate a punch of a shooter who’s left defenseless … you can now take a swing at him. Maybe we’ll do that. Probably not.”

That was just one chapter in the Brooks saga Saturday.

Early in the game, the Warriors seemed bent on matching Brooks’ energy and did a lot to show that he wasn’t going to get under their skin as he has with them and so many other teams during his NBA career.

Jimmy Butler grabbed a loose ball and shoved it in Brooks’ chest. When a nearby official refused to call anything, Brooks waved his arms and clearly was upset.

Throughout the night, the Warriors seemed to be playing with a more physical edge to them, especially against Brooks, than they normally do. During the second half, Trayce Jackson-Davis picked up an offensive foul after leveling Brooks with a devastating screen.

Brooks definitely got his, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 from the floor and proved to be a good Robin to Devin Booker’s Batman.

Where the Warriors stood out, however, was limiting Brooks’ impact to the stat sheet and not their minds.

“He’s a very intense player,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Obviously he’s having a really good year this year, but at the same time you can’t be a bully in this league. We came out and we handled business.

“Things got chippy. We got chippy right back. We showed them that we’re not soft and we’re not going for any of the things that he does. It’s not easy to get under my skin in general. That’s just the type of player I am. I remember he cheap-shot me, hit me, and I’m just laughing. Like, ‘You’re going to be an idiot and do dumb stuff, that’s on you.’ At the same time, we’re just gonna go out there, play basketball, play hard.”

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Observations after Sixers flip switch in 4th quarter to beat Mavs

Observations after Sixers flip switch in 4th quarter to beat Mavs  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ backcourt played an outstanding back-to-back and helped the team polish off a 2-0 weekend Saturday night.

With a 121-114 win over the Mavericks at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Sixers moved to 16-11. Dallas dipped to 11-18. 

Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points and VJ Edgecombe added 26, posting his fourth straight 20-point outing.

Dominick Barlow tied his career high with 21 points.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg scored 24 points. Anthony Davis had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Naji Marshall put up 22 points and 10 boards.

The Sixers were without the following players on the second leg of their back-to-back:

  • Joel Embiid (right knee injury management, illness)
  • Paul George (left knee injury management) 
  • Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain)
  • Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) 

The team will host the Nets on Tuesday night. Here are observations on its win over Dallas:

Barlow, Edgecombe step up on offense 

The Sixers started Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Barlow and Andre Drummond.

Barlow began the evening on Flagg and turned an early steal into a fast-break slam. Barlow had a big first half offensively, scoring 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and missing just once inside the arc. He passed his previous season scoring high of 13 points against the Celtics on opening night. 

The Sixers missed a string of layups in the first quarter and went down 13-8 on a Flagg bucket. However, they stormed back late in the first.

Edgecombe was tremendous when Maxey subbed out, hitting two mid-range shots in a row, including an and-one hoop. He then one-upped himself with a four-point play.

With an Adem Bona put-back slam and Edgecombe dunk, the Sixers suddenly had a 33-21 lead. The Edgecombe-Maxey backcourt scored 25 of the Sixers’ 38 points in the first quarter. 

Sixers strong in the possession game

It took little time for the Sixers to gain a sizable advantage in the possession game.

They posted the night’s first 10 points off turnovers and also fared well on the glass. The Sixers pulled down eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter, including four from Bona. 

Edgecombe picked up his third foul with six minutes to go in the second quarter. Soon after Edgecombe exited, Flagg converted a coast-to-coast layup to put Dallas up 54-53.

Maxey made sure to stop the Mavs’ momentum right away.

He drove hard, kept Dallas’ defense on its heels and posed a constant threat. The 25-year-old led a 10-0 Sixers run by scoring three driving baskets and a transition layup. 

Sixers flip switch in the fourth

The Sixers’ third-quarter woes resurfaced.

The Mavs had greater energy coming out of the locker room and scored the first 10 points of the second half. They took a 70-68 lead when PJ Washington leaked out for a layup.

Entering Saturday night, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA with a minus-21.6 net rating in third quarters. That number worsened against the Mavs; they trailed by six points going into the fourth quarter.

The Sixers needed a good start to the fourth and they were excellent in the opening minutes.

Bona (10 points, eight rebounds) knocked down his second career three-pointer. Maxey scored his first points of the second half on a driving layup to pull the Sixers ahead.

The Sixers’ pace accelerated and they ran well off of their stops, pushing the ball down the heart of the court whenever possible. After Flagg missed a leaner, Edgecombe sliced through the defense for a layup that gave the Sixers a 112-104 edge. A Maxey triple extended the advantage to double digits.

The Mavs’ lack of three-point firepower meant their task was especially difficult from there. Dallas has been one of the league’s worst outside shooting teams so far this season and went 3 for 18 beyond the arc in Philadelphia.

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What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win

What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler made a clutch three-point play with 54.6 seconds remaining, and the Warriors bounced back from their heartbreaking loss in Phoenix two days ago and beat the Suns 119-116 on Saturday at Chase Center.

Butler scored 25 points, while Stephen Curry went deep into his bag of tricks with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Will Richard added 20 points and Brandin Podziemski scored 11 for the Warriors, who ended their three-game losing streak with their third win in their previous eight games.

Butler’s basket had the Chase Center crowd rocking but the Warriors still had to sweat out the final minute. Collin Gillespie’s desperation heave from just behind the arc pulled the Suns within 117-116 with 9.8 seconds left.

After Curry scored on a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining, the Suns had one final chance but couldn’t get a clean look off.

It was a much more enjoyable end to the evening for Dub Nation, 48 hours after the Warriors fell one point short, losing 99-98 in Phoenix on a late, controversial foul call.

This time around, the Warriors (14-15) made sure the game wasn’t decided in the final minutes nor did it come down to a foul call.

It wasn’t a complete beauty of a game but it was just enough to bring the positive vibes back to Chase Center.

This one had a little of everything. Curry making his patented step-back 3-pointer, Draymond Green earning two technical fouls and an ejection, and Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks continuing to prove himself to be the biggest antagonist in the NBA.

The two teams came out firing and combined for 76 points in the first quarter. The Warriors had respectable shooting numbers (13-for-23) while the Suns knocked down shots at a clip of nearly 71 percent.

Curry had 12 of his points in the second quarter as Golden State chipped away at the lead and got within 67-64 at the half.

The game flipped in the third quarter when Butler got aggressive and scored 12 points to give the Warriors a 93-87 edge heading into the final 12 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from the Warriors’ skid-busting win:

Richard pushes for more time

For a guy who hadn’t played in nearly two weeks, Richard looked fresh and crisp in his return to the rotation while providing a needed spark off the bench.

Richard made his first six shots, including a clutch putback off DeAnthony Melton’s missed free throw in the final seconds of the first half and a heat-check 3-pointer in the third quarter,

Richards had been a healthy DNP in the Warriors’ previous three games but was active all night and played like a man looking to earn a spot in the rotation against the Suns, snatching five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Richards’ extended minutes came at the expense of Buddy Hield, who was held out and did not play for the first time this season.

Bullying the bully

Brooks certainly won’t be getting any Christmas cards this year from the Warriors, and it’s not just because of the cheap shot he took on Curry a few days ago in Phoenix.

The NBA super-villian was booed heartily by the Chase Center crowd whenever he touched the ball, then early in the first quarter, the Warriors gave Brooks a little taste of his own medicine when Butler grabbed the ball during a timeout and purposely shoved it into Brooks’ chest.

A referee was standing nearby but declined to call an infraction on Butler, and Brooks tried to plead his case to deaf ears while the crowd chuckled.

In the third quarter, Trayce Jackson-Davis set a hard screen that sent Brooks sprawling onto the court as the crowd again cheered, though TJD was called for an offensive foul.

While Golden State won that part of the battle, Brooks gave the Warriors’ defense trouble all night. He went 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter and finished with 22 points and five rebounds.

Doing without Draymond

The Warriors had to play the final 34 minutes without their best defender when Green was slapped with a pair of technicals and ejected for the first time this season.

Green had blocked a shot by Gillespie, then bumped into Gillespie hard from behind as the two jogged to the other end of the court. The two men exchanged words and Green was hit with the first T.

Surprised by the call, Green continued to argue with an official, which ultimately got him the second tech and ejection. His final stat line of four points and three assists didn’t factor much into the final outcome but he’s the Warriors’ enforcer whose energy in many ways provides the heartbeat for this club.

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Mavericks not rushing new GM hire, reportedly will keep interim co-GMs through deadline

The Dallas Mavericks need to nail the hiring of their next general manager. Firing Nico Harrison was a fait accompli the moment he traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and while that played well with Dallas fans, the next GM hire needs to be someone who wins back their trust. More importantly, they have a franchise cornerstone in Cooper Flagg and can't blow that opportunity.

Which is why the Mavericks are taking their time and will not have a new full-time general manager in place before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, reports Christian Clark of The Athletic, adding that it will likely be "several" months before a hire is made.

That means Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will continue as the Mavs' co-interim GMs and make any big moves at the deadline. The Mavericks reportedly are listening to trade offers for Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and center Daniel Gafford (the most likely of the group to be traded before the deadline), as well as others.

Both Finley and Riccardi are in the mix for the job full-time, but Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is looking for someone with experience as the lead executive of a team, reports Clark. That group likely includes former Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey (now with the Pistons), someone backed by former owner Mark Cuban, but Dallas has cast a much wider net than that, seeking the right fit. Whoever is hired needs time before the June draft and the offseason to establish themselves and prepare for a big sumer for the team.

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Draymond Green ejected for shoving Suns' Collin Gillespie after blocking shot

Draymond Green ejected for shoving Suns' Collin Gillespie after blocking shot originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The last thing the struggling Warriors need is Draymond Green to have a short fuse.

But that’s what they got against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night at Chase Center.

Green was ejected early in the second quarter after he shoved Suns guard Collin Gillespie during a sequence in which the Warriors forward recorded a blocked shot that led to a Steph Curry 3-pointer.

After Green blocked Gillespie’s shot, he had some words for the young Suns guard and eventually pushed him as they ran down the court.

The referees quickly assessed a technical foul to Green, and when he mimicked giving the ref a technical foul, the 35-year-old was hit with a second tech, earning himself an early shower.

Green had to be restrained by several members of the Warriors’ security team before he finally went to the locker room.

The ejection is Green’s first of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Green finished the game with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one block in eight minutes.

The Warriors will have to try to snap their three-game losing streak without their defensive leader, which is no easy task.

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Kings' Domantas Sabonis to miss another 4-5 weeks with left knee meniscus issue

Domantas Sabonis has missed the last 13 Kings games due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, and he's going to miss a lot more games before his return.

Sabonis "continues to progress through the current phase of his rehabilitation for a partial meniscus tear in his left knee. He will be re-evaluated in approximately 4-5 weeks," the Kings announced.

The Kings announced just over a month ago that an MRI revealed the partial tear and he would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. This latest evaluation finding that he needs to miss at least another month is concerning.

Sabonis has drawn more interest around the league in a potential trade than the Kings' other big names (Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan), but this news makes a deal much more unlikely. Sabonis is going to have to return to the court and prove he is healthy before any deal is finalized. He will be re-evaluated in late January, and the trade deadline is Feb. 5.

Sabonis, a three-time All-NBA center, has played 11 games this season (he's been out since Nov. 16). When on the court, he averaged 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds a game (which was leading the league). He is a high-level offensive center but a liability on the other end of the court.

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Edgecombe lives up to ‘the lights' again, makes show-stopping Garden debut

Edgecombe lives up to ‘the lights' again, makes show-stopping Garden debut  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Nothing about VJ Edgecombe’s performance Friday night suggested he was awestruck or overwhelmed by playing at Madison Square Garden for the first time. 

If anything, perhaps Edgecombe thought his debut was a bit overdue. 

“It’s crazy,” he said the day prior when asked whether he’d ever played at the arena. “No, I haven’t. I was on the No. 1 team in New York and I didn’t get to play at MSG.”

The Long Island Lutheran high school product was everywhere you looked in the final minutes of the Sixers’ 116-107 win over the Knicks. His loud late-game contributions featured a pull-up jumper through contact, a fierce put-back dunk and extremely stingy defense on Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. 

“It was amazing, man,” Edgecombe said of his first Garden experience. “It was everything I expected it to be. The fans … it was great, man. It was a good first game at the Garden for sure.”

After starting 2 for 8 from the field, Edgecombe made 8 of his last 10 shots and tallied 23 points. The 20-year-old now has six 20-point outings in the NBA, including three in a row. He’s up to 39.3 percent from three-point range and is averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

Edgecombe was happy to have Tyrese Maxey on the floor with him again after his star teammate missed the last two games with an illness. 

Maxey’s past the point of being surprised by anything Edgecombe does in crunch time. 

“That’s just who he is,” Maxey said following a 30-point, nine-assist night. “We realized that Game 1. Yeah, you can do what you’re going to do in the preseason, practice and training camp, but when those lights come on, you just never know. And the lights came on and he came on with it.”

Time and again, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has praised Edgecombe’s anticipation, intelligence and ability to do “a little bit of everything.”

His instincts seem to be sharpening with more NBA reps. Unlike many rookies, Edgecombe hasn’t been inclined to stop and think lately. 

“I just try to play hard,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I want to win. I’m diving on the floor, diving in the crowd. Whatever it takes for me to win, to be honest. I think last. I just go and do it.”

Across the board, the 15-11 Sixers appeared well-rested against a 19-8 Knicks team playing its third game in four days. Even with Joel Embiid sidelined (illness, right knee injury management) and Paul George going 2 for 10 from the field, the Sixers never faced a serious deficit and surged into the lead early in the fourth quarter. 

Plenty of role players gave Maxey and Edgecombe handy support.

Andre Drummond drilled a career-high three long-distance jumpers and posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double. Jared McCain scored 12 points off the bench and deservedly closed out the game. Justin Edwards knocked down two timely three-pointers in the second quarter, building on a big game Tuesday for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats. 

“We were really debating over there,” Nurse said, “and that was one of the things I said: ‘I’m putting him in, man. He just scored 37 points the other night. He’s got to be feeling good. Let’s get him in there.’”

Ultimately, the youngest player on the court had a show-stopping Garden debut. 

He’s hungry for a lot for more of these nights, too. 

“I know I have a lot of work to do,” Edgecombe said. “I want to be the best player ever, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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Kings star center Domantas Sabonis out another 4 to 5 weeks with knee injury

Kings star center Domantas Sabonis out another 4 to 5 weeks with knee injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will be without their star center for even longer.

Domantas Sabonis, who has been out since Nov. 19 with a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, will be sidelined for another 4 to 5 weeks, the team announced Friday.

In the 13 games Sabonis already has missed with the injury, Sacramento has a 3-10 record.

The Kings are 6-21 on the season.

Sabonis, in limited action this season, is averaging 17.2 points on 51-percent shooting, with 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists through 11 games.

Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud has seen increased minutes on the floor with Sabonis sidelined, averaging 12 points on 54.8 percent shooting, with 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 22.8 minutes over the past 13 games.

Raynaud, the Kings’ 2025 second-round draft pick, has started the past five games, averaging 15.4 points on 53.4 percent shooting, with 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes in that span.

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Knicks head coach Mike Brown frustrated with officiating involving OG Anunoby

While Knicks head coach Mike Brown acknowledged that his team didn't play their crispest in Friday night's 116-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, in which they turned the ball over 18 times, he wasn't exactly pleased with the officiating either. 

Raising some questions regarding non-calls involving OG Anunoby when he drives to the rim, Brown made it clear that he thinks the 6-foot-7, 240-pounder gets officiated differently than other, smaller players around the league.

"It’s one of those, it’s a weird game and the officials they got a tough job, but I don’t know if I’ll ever understand what’s a foul and what’s not a foul because guys, especially quick guys they’ll put their head down and they'll drive the ball from point A to point B," Brown said. "And if you lead with your chest and they're able to flop or fall off you good enough it's a foul. 

"OG's a big, strong guy. When he drives, he doesn't do that. He's trying to attack the rim and he’s getting rerouted on his drive, but he can’t seem to get a call."

Anunoby had just two points in 32 minutes on a rough 1-for-9 shooting night -- way below his season average of 15.4 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent. He finished with a plus/minus of -11.

But after Anunoby's off-game, his head coach had his back and felt he should've benefitted from a lot more foul calls.

"I thought his aggression was there, he just couldn’t get to the free-throw line," Brown said. "I thought he had a couple of good looks from the three-point line and it just kinda got away from him, but I’m not sure what he can do right now to get a call on his drives.

"Not necessarily always at the rim, but I’m talking on the drive because he’s getting hit just like everybody else is, but he’s a little bit bigger than some of those other guards that are getting the calls."

Of course, the lack of calls wasn't the only reason Anunoby struggled as the normally 40 percent three-point shooter this season went 0-for-4 from three-point range. The Knicks as a team shot just 25 percent from downtown with Mikal Bridges (3-for-7) the only player to make more than one from deep.

When shots aren't falling, it makes sense to try and score in other ways, which is what Anunoby did by driving to the basket and looking for contact to go to the line where he's a career 76.1 percent shooter. But if the officials aren't calling fouls on those drives, there's not much that can be done.

"I thought OG had a couple of great looks from the three-point line and I thought he was aggressive on his drives and he didn’t get any calls," Brown said.

For what it's worth, the Sixers were called for 24 personal fouls compared to the Knicks' 21. However, the only players to shoot free throws for New York were Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.

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Knicks' Mitchell Robinson changed how he shoots free throws and it paid off against 76ers

Despite the Knicks' loss to the 76ers on Friday, there was one bright spot for New York.

Mitchell Robinson had his best offensive performance of the season in the team's 116-107 loss at MSG, and the big man has the free-throw line to thank for his offensive explosion.

Entering Friday's game, Robinson was 6-for-27 in the regular season from the charity stripe. He eclipsed that mark in one night, going 7-for-8 in his 21-point performance against Philadelphia.

"He’s been working hard at it. It’s a process," head coach Mike Brown said of Robinson's free throws after the game. "[Shooting coach] Peter Patton, Mark Bryant has done a great job with him, but more importantly, Mitch has bought into what they are trying to work with him on when it comes to free-throw shooting. 

"It’s good to see, anytime you can see positive results, it breeds confidence not just in the individual but also in the rest of the group. It’s good for him tonight to do that."

Robinson's teammates also acknowledged the work he's been putting in.

"He’s been working, going early, getting his shots up," Josh Hart said of his teammate. "His hard work is paying off."

"It was due, we seen him working hard with our shooting coach Peter Patton. He's in the gym everyday, shooting free throws, trying to get better," Tyler Kolek said. "He’s got all the touch on the offensive rebounds and stuff, so just a mindset to get his touch at the free-throw line." 

"He’s working, he’s concentrating, and he’s seeing the progress on his work," Jalen Brunson added. "Very happy for him, very proud of him. Just gotta have to continue it."

Robinson said the coaches have had him change his shot, specifically putting more arc on the ball instead of the line drives that fans are used to seeing. He got up at 10 a.m. Friday to get in some practice before the game, and, despite Robinson admitting it's too early for him, it paid off. Robinson says his early-morning shooting will be part of his gameday routine.  

"Feel way more comfortable, getting my elbow in the air a little more," Robinson explained. "It’s been great."

Robinson had never hit seven free throws in a game before. He even made 76ers head coach Nick Nurse pay for utilizing the hack-a-Mitch strategy in the third quarter. Robinson knocked down both free throws and even motioned toward the Sixers bench.

"I’m trying to stop everybody from hacking and s***. That's the main goal," Robinson said. "I want to play the fourth quarter. The longer I'm out there, the longer I can help my teammates." 

Robinson gave the Knicks all he had and they needed it. The grueling schedule this week took its toll on the Knicks. OG Anunoby and Hart scored a combined seven points and Brunson was off. Despite scoring 22 points, the Knicks guard was just 7-for-22 from the field and 1-for-7 from three. 

With the usual offensive pieces unable to score, Robinson's contributions were massive.

"Mitch is going to be impactful whether the ball’s going in for him or not. That’s who he is as a player and a teammate," Brunson said. "He’s going to find ways to impact the game. When that’s happening to us as well, we have to try and capitalize and try to win games." 

Not only did Robinson find paydirt at the line, but he also scored a season-high 21 points and had his first double-double of the year, after coming down with 16 rebounds. He also had two blocks, one steal, and an assist. 

"Just the energy, my teammates. They were penetrating and stuff like that and I was just trying to help there," Robinson said of his performance. "For me, it’s just help my team, help us have a better chance at winning."

And although Robinson feels good after his best game of the season, the win would have made it mean more. He'll have his chance to help the Knicks get back in the win column when they welcome the Heat to the Garden on Sunday.

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Knicks can't overcome turnover issues in 116-107 loss to 76ers

The Knicks were unable to overcome 18 turnovers as they lost to the 76ers, 116-107, on Friday night at MSG.

It was the second of a back-to-back for New York and their third game in four days after their NBA Cup win on Tuesday. The Knicks suffered just their second loss at home this season and their six-game winning streak ended. 

After Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson missed Thursday's game against the Pacers, all three returned to action on Friday and all contributed, but it just wasn't enough. Fatigue hit New York, especially Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, who both played against Indiana. 

Despite outrebounding the Sixers, 61-42, the team hit a wall.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Knicks had seven first-quarter turnovers against the Pacers, which led to their double-digit deficit. It was just a tad better on Friday, turning the ball over five times, as the Knicks and Sixers entered the second quarter tied at 29-29. The turnovers were negated by the Knicks shooting 57 percent from the field. And while Philly shot 41 percent, they had no answers for Tyrese Maxey, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games. Maxey scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting (2 of 4 from three) while Dominick Barlow added nine points to help lead the 76ers lead for most of the opening frame. 

-With Brunson and Hart on the bench for the first half of the second, the lineup of KAT, Mikal Bridges, Tyler Kolek, Anunoby and Robinson provided elite defense to help the Knicks take the lead. Robinson in particular had a pair of big blocks and went 3-for-4 at the free throw line to score seven of his nine points in the frame, setting his season-high for a game.

It was a back-and-forth quarter but an and-one three from Brunson in the final minutes helped the Knicks take a 59-57 lead into halftime. Philadelphia dominated from three, hitting 9 of 25 threes in the first half, while the Knicks were just 4-for-17 from downtown. However, without Joel Embiid (illness), the Knicks outrebounded the Sixers 35-19 through the first two quarters.

-Philly got out to a seven-point lead -- matching their game-high -- thanks to the three-point shot from everyone on the court and the Knicks lack of three-point makes. However, the Knicks would go on an 8-0 run thanks to a couple of threes and the Sixers missing their shots. It was back and forth from there even when Maxey took a seat for the final five minutes of the third. But rookie VJ Edgecombe took over offensively, making shots and facilitating. 

In the waning minutes, it was Robinson who brought the Knicks back. The Sixers tried to hack-a-Mitch and the big man made them pay. He scored five points, and made a career-high seven free throws (he finished 7 of 8 from the line). The Knicks could have taken a lead into the fourth, but mental lapses, turnovers and silly fouls allowed the Sixers to take an 88-87 lead, which could have been a bigger deficit if Philadelphia had capitalized on the Knicks' mistakes.

-The final frame was sloppy on both ends, but Philadelphia built a five-point lead with their efficient three-point shooting with eight minutes to go. Despite heroics from Robinson, fatigue hit the Knicks as the play of Maxey and Edgecombe overwhelmed New York.

The guards helped build a nine-point lead in the final minute as the Knicks fell 116-107.

-Kolek checked in to start the second quarter to a good ovation from the MSG crowd, but he picked up two quick fouls. Head coach Mike Brown stuck with the young guard and he settled down, but a couple of turnovers and a third foul put a damper on Kolek's night. He finished with two points on 1-for-3 shooting with two assists and two rebounds but turned the ball over four times and inflicted five personal fouls.

Anunoby had a rough shooting night. He went 1-for-9 (0-for-4 from three) for two points. He did provide elite defense and intangibles but the Knicks could have used his scoring in this one. 

Brunson and Towns both finished with 22 points but the Knicks guard went 7-for-22 and 1 of 7 from three. Bridges added 21 points while Robinson had a season-high 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting and an improbable 7-for-8 at the line. 

Game MVP: Tyrese Maxey

Maxey did it all for the Sixers. Whenever he was on the court, he was near-unguardable. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return to action on their home court for a Sunday night game against the Miami Heat. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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NBA lays out injury reporting policies, reviewing other 'sports betting policies,' tanking rules

Having an NBA player and active head coach — Miami's Terry Rozier, Portland's Chauncey Billups, respectively — arrested and appearing in court on federal illegal gambling charges shook the NBA. Soon after, the league's executives and lawyers were reviewing old cases and looking ahead, trying to close loopholes that fueled the gambling charges in the first place.

All of which has led to a change in the league's injury-reporting rules, something the league informed teams by memo on Friday, which was reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Teams currently only have to update their injury report every hour on game days. Both Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones have been charged in federal court with sharing inside information on injuries with bettors, who were able to profit by betting proposition unders.

Commissioner Adam Silver said this week that the league was thinking big-picture about how it can address loopholes such as the ones involving Rozier and Jones
.
"We're in the process, as I said right now, in working with our teams, thinking about anything else we can be doing, if there's any aspect of our system that needs to be shored up, and that includes working with the regulators on some, certain kinds of problematic betting," Silver said before the NBA Cup Final Tuesday night in Las Vegas. "For example, we know unders and prop bets are where we are most vulnerable. As I think you know, we don't control the bets that are placed on our own sport right now. We're left to lobby regulators or try to convince the legal sports betting companies that that's bad for them, as well."

The memo from the league told teams this (via The Athletic): "Core to the NBA's position is that sports leagues should have control over the types of bets offered on their games. Because leagues currently do not have such control, any changes will need to be pursued via negotiation with sports betting operations, requests to state gaming regulators, legislative action, or some combination of these avenues."
While the league might be able to influence its partners — such as DraftKings or FanDuel — to eliminate or significantly reduce the amount that can be wagered on prop bets, there are increasingly popular prediction markets that are much more like the Wild West and over which the league has no say. There is no easy answer here for the league, although better injury reporting would help.

All of this also has the league also undertaking "a renewed review of league policy changes concerning 'tanking' -- such as potential modifications to rules regarding Draft pick protections, revised Draft lottery rules, and other approaches," Charania reports. That news comes as we pass the 1/3 mark of the NBA season, and with some teams looking ahead to what is considered a talented, deep draft at the top, there will be a temptation to field nightly lineups with a lower chance of winning. The league already has a policy on resting star players — the Cleveland Cavaliers have been fined twice this season — but that is just part of the challenge.

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Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, Candace Parker headline list of Hall of Fame nominees

The list is stacked: Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Mike D'Antoni and Kelvin Sampson.

Those are just the first-time headliners on the list of eligible candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The list released on Friday includes a number of returning candidates eligible for the Hall, including Doc Rivers, Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion. The complete list released Friday will be narrowed down to Finalists selected on Feb. 9, with the 2026 class unveiled on April 4.

Jamal Crawford, a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, is now an analyst for NBC Sports and its broadcasts of NBA games on the network and Peacock.

At first glance, Griffin, Parker and Delle Donne seem locks to be voted into the Hall of Fame.

Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick of the Clippers in 2009, went on to help change the franchise's reputation. He was the 2011 Rookie of the Year and went on to be a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player, most famously one of the engines of the Lob City Clippers era. He is currently an analyst with Amazon Prime on their NBA broadcasts.

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Observations after Sixers snap Knicks' 7-game winning streak at the Garden

Observations after Sixers snap Knicks' 7-game winning streak at the Garden originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — The Sixers snapped the Knicks’ seven-game winning streak and earned a high-quality victory Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

They notched a 116-107 win to improve to 15-11 this season. New York fell to 19-8. 

Tyrese Maxey tallied 30 points and nine assists. VJ Edgecombe recorded 23 points and four assists.

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each posted 22 points. Mitchell Robinson added 21 points and 16 rebounds.

The Sixers were down Joel Embiid (illness, right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). 

Embiid was present at the team’s morning shootaround. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he does not believe the big man has had a recent setback.

Watford took pregame jumpers. Both he and Oubre have advanced to individual on-court workouts in their rehab processes.

The Sixers will travel home and face the Mavericks on Saturday night. Here are observations on their win over the Knicks:

Maxey’s return 

Maxey drew back into the lineup after missing the Sixers’ past two games with an illness.

He didn’t lose his scoring touch. The Sixers’ star guard made a floater on his first shot and then drained a pair of long-range jumpers to give his team a 16-10 lead. 

Meanwhile, two Sixers who shined in Maxey’s absence had rough shooting starts.

Coming off of a season-high 35-point outing last time out against the Hawks, Paul George opened 0 for 6 from the floor and didn’t score until the 4:59 mark of the second quarter. OG Anunoby defended him well, tightly contesting George’s jumpers and making him toil in search of openings. 

Edgecombe began 2 for 8 from the floor following his 26-point night in Atlanta. He had two first-quarter jumpers swatted by Robinson. 

Shots dropping for Edwards again 

Dominick Barlow wound up being the Sixers’ second-leading scorer in the first quarter. He posted nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in the period and also grabbed four offensive rebounds. 

The Sixers shifted to a bench-heavy lineup late in the first. On New York’s second unit, former Sixer Guerschon Yabusele sunk a three on his first touch.

Backup big man Adem Bona picked up his third foul early in the second quarter on a Towns and-one hoop. Bona subbed out and Barlow subbed in for a brief stint at center. The Sixers’ fouls started to pile up and their offense turned cold. The Knicks went up 40-34 on a Robinson put-back slam. 

Justin Edwards was the final player to check in of the Sixers’ 10-man rotation. The lefty wing made an immediate splash in his first game as a 22-year-old, hitting two straight catch-and-shoot threes from the left wing. 

Those jumpers were Edwards’ first made field goals in an NBA game since Dec. 4. He certainly looked like he’d gained confidence from his G League appearance Tuesday with Bona. Edwards poured in 37 points Tuesday for the Delaware Blue Coats. 

“Listen, I’m going to tell you again that I love Justin,” Nurse said Wednesday. “He’s still a very young player. … Both (him and Bona) went down there and embraced it, and they played great. I told them both, ‘Do your thing. Play hard. … Play to your strengths.’ … It was good to see them both have some fun.

“They’re young, man. I would imagine we’re going to use them this weekend in a back-to-back, right? And it was a good time for them to get some rhythm and go down there.” 

Edwards couldn’t stay hot through the end of the first half. He missed his next two jumpers, then fouled Brunson on a corner three. The Villanova product converted a four-point play and the Knicks entered halftime with a 59-57 edge. 

Sixers’ guards great down the stretch

The Sixers had a strong start to the third quarter.

Edgecombe scored a fast-break layup and played a fantastic period overall. Andre Drummond nailed his third corner three of the game.

Like all of the Sixers’ guards, Edgecombe played aggressively while avoiding costly turnovers. Late in the third quarter, the Sixers had a 12-0 advantage in points off turnovers. Their success in that department helped them mitigate New York’s superior offensive rebounding (21-10).

Robinson sparked the Knicks in the final few minutes of the third quarter, partly through improbable success at the foul line when the Sixers intentionally hacked him. Going into Friday, he was 6 for 27 (22.2 percent) this season on his free throws. He went 7 for 8 against the Sixers. Robinson’s put-back lay-in on the Knicks’ first possession of the fourth quarter lifted his team to an 89-88 lead.

The Sixers bounced back with threes from Jared McCain and Maxey that pushed them to a five-point edge. McCain gave the Sixers 12 useful points in 21 minutes off the bench.

Edgecombe was brilliant down the stretch. He made a mid-range jumper, a clutch three and a big-time dunk.

The rookie also dove on the floor to recover a crucial loose ball. Seconds later, Maxey buried a dagger three.

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NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: While Anthony Davis gets headlines, Mavericks to ‘explore’ Klay Thompson trade

Front office personnel from around the league gather in Orlando starting today (Dec. 19) for the G-League showcase. And while the GMs are keeping one eye on the prospects on the court, there is a lot more action off it as this is when trade deal-making really starts to get done.

Where do things stand? Here are the latest rumors on some of the biggest names (if you want the latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo, click here).

Anthony Davis

Davis is the biggest name and best player known to be available at the trade deadline — Antetokounmpo doesn't count until he actually asks for a trade and the Bucks start talking to teams — but the Dallas Mavericks are not looking just to dump Davis' contract. This was the main guy they got in return for Luka Doncic, and while Nico Harrison is gone, the Mavericks still want a lot in return for AD, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.

"Sources say Dallas, furthermore, is not at all interested in just shedding Davis' contract, which is essentially the same deal as Antetokounmpo's in Milwaukee. The Mavericks have maintained to date that they would only be willing to part with the centerpiece of their infamous [Luka] Doncić deal last February if the trade brings back a return of real consequence."

Dallas' problem? A market that brings "a return of real consequence" does not seem to exist right now. Davis, being 32 and having played in just a dozen games this season due to nagging injuries, and wanting a contract extension this offseason, has limited his market. That said, for optics reasons, Dallas has to get a big haul in any Davis trade.

Atlanta and Toronto are the teams most mentioned as teams interested in Davis — teams in the East who see themselves as close and one player away. Detroit gets brought up as a possibility, too, although its level of interest is up for debate.

Much like Antetokounmpo, a Davis trade is more likely to happen in the offseason than at the deadline. That said, the Mavericks are entertaining offers.

Klay Thompson

Another player Dallas will explore the trade market for is Klay Thompson, reports ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon.

The bigger question: How much of a market is there for Thompson right now? How much of a return could Dallas get?

Thompson, 35, is averaging 10.8 points a game, largely coming off the bench in Dallas. He can still hit big shots, but he's shooting 35.7% from 3-point range this season — although that has jumped to above 40% in his last 10 games — and he is not near the defender he used to be. He is making $16.7 million this season and is owed $17.5 million next season, complicating matters for teams that might have interest in him.

Lauri Markkanen

Despite interest from teams such as Detroit, Memphis, and maybe San Antonio (where he would be an upgrade in the Harrison Barnes spot), the Utah Jazz are signaling to teams so far that they plan to hold on to Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, reports Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.

At this point, however, Utah has signaled a desire to build with Markkanen despite constant trade interest in his services, HoopsHype has learned.

Utah owes its first-round pick to the Thunder, but it is top-eight-protected. Utah currently has the eighth-worst record in the league, which means that if the NBA Draft Lottery were held today, the Jazz would have a 60.7% chance of keeping their picks. Are those odds good enough for Utah, or will they look to trade Markkanen to improve them (Kessler is off the table)?

Ivica Zubac

With the Clippers struggling and looking more and more like a team in need of a pivot, a lot of other front offices are watching, waiting and checking in to see if LA becomes a seller at the trade deadline. Even if they are open to it, don't expect deals for high-priced veterans with baggage — such as James Harden or Kawhi Leonard — to come in February.

Ivica Zubac is another story. Teams are interested in the underrated big man, but the Clippers are not interested, The Ringer’s Zach Lowe said on the Bill Simmons podcast.

"The Clippers have shoved away people calling, because the vultures are circling with Zubac. And the Clippers are shoving people away."
While the Clippers have set themselves up for a pivot with the books cleared in 2027, there is just one rotation player with a contract that extends beyond that — Zubac. The Clippers see him as part of whatever comes next at the Intuit Dome. It would take a lot to pry him out of LA.

The Clippers' struggles on the perimeter have defenses collapsing on him and focusing more on Zubac, yet he is still averaging 16.2 points, 11.5 rebounds (third most in the league), and is shooting 61.3% this season.

Nick Richards

If Zubac isn't available, one of the big men eyed by a lot of teams is Phoenix big man Nick Richards, but the Suns are being patient, reports the tied in John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix.

The Suns and Raptors reportedly discussed a trade that would have sent Richards to Toronto in exchange for Ochai Agbaji and a second-round pick, but those talks are on hold.

• One team looking to trade for a big man is Indiana, which misses what Myles Turner brought to the table. They have called Utah about Walker Kessler and been shot down, and have engaged Dallas in talks about Daniel Gafford, who is available but the price will be steep.

Sacramento sellers

The Kings are open for business and there is some interest in Domantas Sabonis, but less so in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

However, it's not those big names that are drawing the most talk in league circles, it's Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray — and the Kings will not talk Murray trade. Here is how Marc Stein put it at The Stein Line.

The Kings have largely been open to fielding trade calls on pretty much anyone on the roster outside of Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford but have also been telling potential trade partners that they do not intend to attach draft capital to veteran contracts to try to move them … or use Keon Ellis' contract to try to sweeten deals. Ellis has been attracting trade feelers for some time given the leaguewide dearth of 3-and-D players currently available.

Expect Sabonis trade chatter to pick up, but if a team wants Ellis it's going to cost them.