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What we learned as Nuggets dominate fourth quarter in Kings' third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SACRAMENTO — Two hours after coach Doug Christie delivered a heated message to reporters gathered at Golden 1 Center, the Kings couldn’t match their coach’s passion on the court and were handled fairly easily 122-108 by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

Domantas Sabonis isn’t yet back to full strength but still was a force for Sacramento, with 19 points and eight rebounds despite being saddled in foul trouble much of the night. Drew Eubanks came off the bench with 19 points and seven rebounds in the Kings’ third consecutive loss.

Eubanks is a perfect 6 of 6 from the field 💯

pic.twitter.com/yoABzY7ndx

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 12, 2025

DeMar DeRozan added 18 points while Zach LaVine and Malik Monk had 12 points apiece.

The Nuggets got control of this one early, scoring 15 points in the first four minutes before many fans had even found their seats. The Kings weathered that storm and took the lead by the end of the first quarter but couldn’t sustain the momentum.

Led by another monster night from Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets didn’t face much resistance after halftime. Jokić had 35 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

The Nuggets led 60-56 at halftime before the Kings made a run and got within 85-82 heading into the fourth quarter.

Denver tried to pull away and got some breathing room that lasted momentarily, until Russell Westbrook made three free throws, Sabonis sank a 3-pointer and Monk scored on a layup to get the Kings within 110-99.

That was as good as it got down the stretch. Sabonis fouled out with 3:38 remaining, and the Nuggets (8-2) waltzed their way over the final seconds.

Here are the takeaways from Tuesday:

Battle of the Bigs

Anytime the Kings and Nuggets go at it, it’s must-see TV for fans of ridiculously talented big men.

Sabonis, still a little sore from his rib injury, carried the Kings’ offense early with 11 points in the first quarter when Sacramento flipped a 24-15 deficit into aa 34-33 lead.

Holy dime, Domas 🤌

pic.twitter.com/avsnncak6l

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 12, 2025

Sabonis finished with a respectable line on 8-of-12 shooting. Jokić, as always, was a one-man force for which the Kings had no formula to stop.

No Slowing Down for Russ

One day shy of his 37^th birthday, Westbrook showed without question he still can get down and get it done with the young guys.

The nine-time NBA All-Star guard repeatedly drove through the heart of the Nuggets’ defense, ending each time with an acrobatic score or dishing to an open man in the corner.

Vintage Russell Westbrook 🥹

pic.twitter.com/eDa07b3k8j

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 12, 2025

His shooting numbers for the night were nothing great (3 of 12), but Westbrook’s influence on the court went beyond scoring. As usual, Westbrook was in triple-double mode all night. He finished with 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Sacramento doesn’t necessarily need this type of offensive night from Westbrook on a daily basis. They brought him in mostly for depth and his veteran savvy. But if can get to the rack like this, the Kings definitely will take it.

Rough Road Ahead

The Kings had hoped to build some momentum on this homestand for team’s upcoming road trip. Instead, Sacramento has lost three straight at Golden 1 Center with another game to go before packing up to leave town for a few weeks.

After hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, the Kings head to the road for games at Minnesota, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Memphis and Denver, three of which are unbeaten at home this season.

The Kings are just 1-4 away from Sacramento, so the upcoming trip takes on added significance. They have to win three or more games on the trip to consider it a success. Anything else will make the climb back to respectability a lot more difficult.

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Observations after Edwards has monster night off bench in Sixers' win over Celtics  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers shook off another rough third quarter and beat the Celtics on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Justin Edwards played a giant role off the bench, scoring 22 vital points in a 102-100 win.

Ironically, the Sixers got their game-winning hoop immediately after Edwards’ one miss. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored the go-ahead put-back layup with 8.7 seconds left. 

Tyrese Maxey had 21 points and nine assists. Quentin Grimes posted 18 points. Andre Drummond tallied a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Jaylen Brown scored 24 points to lead the Celtics. Derrick White added 18.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right knee soreness), Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) and Johni Broome (right ankle sprain). 

Next up for the 7-4 Sixers is a trip to Detroit and a Friday night matchup with the Pistons. Here are observations on their victory over Boston:

Early shooting woes

The Sixers scored on their first three possessions and the Maxey-Trendon Watford duo continued to show off its chemistry. Maxey took a Watford handoff and canned an open three-pointer. Watford nailed an early catch-and-shoot jumper assisted by Maxey. 

Though the Sixers soon hit a dry spell, their defense was very successful in the early going against both Brown and White. Each missed several clean looks. Brown started 1 for 7 from the floor and White opened 1 for 8, including a three he air-balled wide left. Payton Pritchard began 0 for 5, too. 

The Sixers were not exactly on fire either and ended the first quarter up 23-22.

VJ Edgecombe defended well but remained cold as a shooter, starting 0 for 5. Edgecombe finished 2 for 11. Over his last five games, the rookie has gone 17 of 61 (27.9 percent) from the floor.

Edwards a big bright spot off bench

Jared McCain checked in late in the first quarter and shared the floor with fellow guards Edgecombe and Grimes.

In his third game of the season, McCain still did not look close to the player he was his rookie season. He missed a mid-range jumper and couldn’t convert a leaner through contact. The 21-year-old was called for a charge when he tried to drive and kick the ball out to Edgecombe on the wing. 

Overall, McCain again appeared to have trouble moving freely and trusting his instincts with the brace on his left knee. He had some shaky moments as a ball handler. Jordan Walsh poked the ball away from McCain a couple of times well behind the third-point line.

McCain logged seven minutes and did not play in the second half. He’s 0 for 9 from the floor so far.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used a five-man bench. Edwards was a big bright spot in the first half.

The lefty wing had two long-range jumpers, an and-one layup, two assists and two offensive rebounds. When Maxey checked back in with 5:18 to go in the second quarter, the Sixers held a nine-point lead. Grimes polished off an and-one to make it 41-31. 

Edwards kept rolling and truly caught fire in the fourth quarter (more on that below). He shot an incredible 8 for 9 from the field.

Sixers overcome more 3rd-quarter struggles

Boston managed a mere 41 points in the first half. The Celtics shot 28 percent from the field and 19 percent beyond the arc over the first two quarters. 

Again, the fate of the game seemed like it would largely came down to whether the Sixers could be better than their early-season norm in the third quarter. Going into Tuesday night, the Sixers had an NBA-worst net rating of minus-36.3 in third periods

They added another abysmal third quarter to the list vs. the Celtics.

After a Drummond missed three, Neemias Queta jammed in a dunk. Brown sunk a turnaround jumper. Oubre turned the ball over and White made a triple that lifted the Celtics to a 54-53 lead.

At that point, Maxey grew more aggressive, driving hard and drawing frequent contact. He drained a three to give the Sixers a 66-63 edge.

The Celtics had a lot left in the tank. Brown scored six straight points and White made threes on Boston’s final two possessions of the third. Grimes rather miraculously cut the Sixers’ deficit to 77-71 by hitting a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer. That shot meant the Sixers lost the third by 16 points.

After an Edwards steal and slam early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers trailed by three and Maxey subbed back in.

Instead of Maxey, it was Edwards who pushed the Sixers back in front. He believed he could make everything and was correct.

Edwards drained threes on three consecutive possessions to put the Sixers up 93-92.

The game stayed tight down the stretch. Edgecombe appeared to have missed a three long, but he got a high, generous bounce through the hoop to build the Sixers’ lead to 100-96.

They couldn’t extend that advantage. Maxey missed two tightly guarded shots in the paint. Brown got Oubre to bite on a pump fake and drew two free throws with 33.5 seconds left. He split them, knotting the game at 100-all.

Maxey then probed the Celtics’ defense and found Edwards open on the perimeter. He finally missed, but Oubre was there to grab the rebound and score the go-ahead bucket.

The Sixers disrupted the Celtics’ plans on their final play and White threw up a deep heave. Queta had a put-back chance just before the final buzzer, but he couldn’t convert and the Sixers celebrated a nervy win. 

NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The wait is over: The NBA on Tuesday announced the reveal of the U.S. vs. World All-Star Game format to be played in 2026.

In the game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (world) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

NBC and Peacock will broadcast the league’s annual midseason showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT at the new Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.

As previously done, 24 All-Stars will be selected (12 from each conference). But unlike previous years, players will be selected regardless of position. The process of assigning U.S. players across the two teams will be announced at a later date.

If All-Star voting doesn’t meet the exact quota of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select players to fit where needed. In such case, a team may have more than the eight-player amount.

The round-robin tournament will start with USA A vs. USA B in Game 1. Game 2 will be World vs. USA A followed by World vs. USA B in Game 3.

The two teams with the best record from the three games will face off in the championship match. If there is a 1-1 split between all three teams, the tiebreaker would be point differential.

Each of the four games will feature just one standard 12-minute period. The winner will be whichever team has the most points after 12 minutes.

It’s the latest format in a line of experiments by the NBA, which includes the classic West vs. East, followed by two team captains based on All-Star voting. A target score was also introduced, followed by a mini-tournament last season in which the then-“NBA on TNT” crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith drafted their rosters, along with a Rising Stars team comprised of rookies and sophomores.

But that format wasn’t well received in the end despite being a fresh tweak, leading the NBA to finally land on the U.S. vs. World idea that has proved intriguing in the past but never actually came to fruition — until now.

NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The wait is over: The NBA on Tuesday announced the reveal of the U.S. vs. World All-Star Game format to be played in 2026.

In the game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (world) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

NBC and Peacock will broadcast the league’s annual midseason showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT at the new Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.

As previously done, 24 All-Stars will be selected (12 from each conference). But unlike previous years, players will be selected regardless of position. The process of assigning U.S. players across the two teams will be announced at a later date.

If All-Star voting doesn’t meet the exact quota of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select players to fit where needed. In such case, a team may have more than the eight-player amount.

The round-robin tournament will start with USA A vs. USA B in Game 1. Game 2 will be World vs. USA A followed by World vs. USA B in Game 3.

The two teams with the best record from the three games will face off in the championship match. If there is a 1-1 split between all three teams, the tiebreaker would be point differential.

Each of the four games will feature just one standard 12-minute period. The winner will be whichever team has the most points after 12 minutes.

It’s the latest format in a line of experiments by the NBA, which includes the classic West vs. East, followed by two team captains based on All-Star voting. A target score was also introduced, followed by a mini-tournament last season in which the then-“NBA on TNT” crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith drafted their rosters, along with a Rising Stars team comprised of rookies and sophomores.

But that format wasn’t well received in the end despite being a fresh tweak, leading the NBA to finally land on the U.S. vs. World idea that has proved intriguing in the past but never actually came to fruition — until now.

Warriors receive a glimpse of the harsh truth during powerless loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors on Tuesday night got a microscopic view of the truth, seeing and feeling enough to know they are two levels below the NBA elite and perhaps three levels away from being they team they believe they can be.

Even with the return of Stephen Curry, after a three-game absence, the Warriors were so powerless against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder that a 126-102 loss tells only a fraction of the story of where the Warriors are three weeks into the 2025-26 season.

To see the Warriors now, by turns listless and ineffective, is to wonder if that 23-8 surge – the post-Jimmy Butler III bump – to close last season was a mirage, a short-term elixir rather than a lasting remedy.

“Everybody was committed to winning, and doing that any way possible,” Draymond Green told reporters at Paycom Center. “And right now, it doesn’t feel that that way.”

It doesn’t look that way, either.

“I think he’s partly correct,” Butler said of Green’s comments. “We’ve just got to get back to doing whatever it takes to win. Everybody is going to have to sacrifice something. I can’t tell you what that sacrifice might be for every individual. It may be different for every individual every single night.

“But we’re got to get back to winning is the main thing, the only thing. It’s going to be up to the collective, as a group, to figure out what is needed to win.”

Eight days into the season, the Warriors were 4-1, with wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and LA Clippers. There was a growing belief that they would be a force in the Western Conference.

In the 14 days since, the Warriors are 2-5. This is less a slump than a warning to themselves. 

“I could feel we weren’t in a great place coming back from Indiana and Milwaukee,” coach Steve Kerr said, referring to road losses against opponents with greatly diminished rosters. “You just feel that things aren’t quite clicking. We got a couple of wins [Phoenix and Indiana at Chase Center], but we’re not playing well, and we haven’t been playing well since the second week of the season.”

It’s rare that six minutes and 21 seconds in the first half can reveal so much about two teams, but that’s how long it took for the Thunder to prove in mid-November that they are playing in a different league than the Warriors.

And it revealed how much work the Warriors must do to rejoin that league.

After Buddy Hield drove and dropped a bucket off the glass to give Golden State a 23-21 lead with 3:22 left in the first quarter, OKC commenced to grab the Warriors by their heads and shove them onto the Paycom Center floor. Calling upon their top-ranked NBA defense, the Thunder went on a 23-5 run, taking a 16-point lead (44-28, with 9:01 left in the half) that never was threatened.

While the Thunder was forcing four turnovers and holding Golden State to 1-of-8 shooting from the field during that pivotal 6:21 span, they used 7-of-11 shooting to obliterate what little defense the Warriors offered.

By the time the third quarter rolled around, Kerr had seen enough bad basketball to capitulate. Looking ahead to Wednesday, when the Warriors face the Spurs in San Antonio, the coach pulled Curry, Butler and Green for the rest of the evening. The three veterans joined Al Horford, out with a sore toe, as witnesses to the rout.

The Thunder led by as much as 36, and one of the most vociferous crowds in the league enjoyed being spectators to a public spanking.

The Warriors aren’t bringing the kind of voracious energy that served them so well seven months ago. Furthermore, they look small and slow, which has been a lethal combination in any sport since the advent of competition. The front office isn’t panicking, but it is exploring its options before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
For now, it’s about making the most of what they have. It hasn’t been good enough, and it’s valid to wonder if it can be.

“You’ve got to fight your way out of it,” Green said. “Anytime you’re in a little rut in this league, it’ll never be easy, never be pretty getting out of it. You’ve got to claw your way out.

“And right now, that’s not the identity of this team.”

It surely wasn’t the identity on Tuesday – and not for the first time. If toughness and intellect don’t pull the Warriors from this pit of sub-mediocrity soon, this season could go off the rails in ways that seemed unimaginable only two weeks ago.

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What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors' offense struggle in loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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OKLAHOMA CITY – When the Western Conference semifinals began last season, there was a feeling behind the scenes that the Warriors were confident in their prospects against the Oklahoma City Thunder if the two were to meet in the next round with a chance of being in the NBA Finals.

That shot never happened. Steph Curry went down to injury, and the Thunder outlasted the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers in seven games each to be crowned champions. 

A decade ago, the Warriors were the young team coming up together that got past a Thunder team with similar ages to them on their way to a dynastic run. Now, the Thunder are the ones on that same path, proving so again Tuesday night. 

The Warriors and Thunder were on two different planets of basketball talents in their first matchup of the 2025-26 NBA season, a public spanking in a 126-102 blowout loss for Golden State at Paycom Center.

Curry returned after missing the previous three games because of an illness. Curry started strong but then quickly cooled off and found himself in foul trouble. He played 20 minutes and was a minus-23 with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, one rebound and no assists. Curry made his first 3-pointer and then missed his final four attempts.

All three of Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were on the bench with five minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Thunder led by 25 points at the time, ending the three veteran stars’ day right there on the first night of a back-to-back. 

Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points and 12 assists) and Chet Holmgren (23 points and 11 rebounds) dominated as a duo, and they received plenty of help from their Thunder teammates.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors starting their six-game road trip with a humbling 24-point defeat for their sixth consecutive road loss.

Steph’s Return 

Recovering from an illness didn’t slow Curry’s constant movement. His first three times touching the ball went as so: Cutting for a left-side layup, coming off a screen for a three at the top of the arc, and running around for a layup on the right side. These are sights Thunder fans are used to seeing for many years of torture from Curry in OKC. 

Welcome back, Steph 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9GVx87pLPK

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2025

Steph with the soft touch off the glass 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/SpCknnS11i

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2025

Curry scored seven first-quarter points in seven minutes, but also was called for two fouls, including a surprising Flagrant 1 upon review during an Isaiah Joe 3-point attempt. That marked the first flagrant foul of Curry’s 17-year NBA career after going 1,193 career games without being whistled for one.

But Curry was held scoreless in the second quarter after missing five shots in six minutes. He played 14 minutes in the first half and was a minus-17 with seven points and as many fouls (three) as made shots. 

Foul trouble followed him in the second half, too. Curry was called for two fouls in the first two-plus minutes of the third quarter, bringing him to five at the 9:41 mark. 

During his one game in OKC last season, Curry scored 36 points with five rebounds, seven assists and seven 3-pointers in a Warriors win. That wasn’t the player the Warriors got Tuesday night while the Thunder waxed them up and down the court.

Troubling Trend Continues

Turnovers once again doomed the Warriors. Again, and again, and again.

Trayce Jackson-Davis already had three in the first half, and a bad sequence when he entered in the third quarter gave him five in his first nine minutes. He wasn’t alone. 

Jonathan Kuminga also racked up five turnovers for the third time this season. He now has 17 turnovers and 16 assists in November, struggling with his handles and dribbling into traffic. 

His fellow forward, Green, also now has 17 turnovers in November in one fewer game after a three-turnover night against the Thunder. Green handed out four assists Tuesday night, giving him three more assists than turnovers. It was Green’s fifth straight game with at least three turnovers. 

As a team, the Warriors totaled 21 turnovers, two fewer than their number of assists. Those 21 turnovers became 27 points for the Thunder. The Warriors far too often are getting caught in the air, forcing passes and lack space offensively. 

An Embarrassment Of Riches 

Holmgren, standing one inch taller than Warriors 7-foot center Quinten Post, immediately showed what different skill sets the two young big men have. Over three straight trips down the court, Holmgren spun off Post for a layup, hit an 11-foot jumper on him and then extended his range for a 24-foot three from the left wing. He was in his bag and knew a long list of teammates would join the party. 

Holmgren is the Thunder’s second scoring option, and would be their third if two-way star Jalen Williams were healthy. He and Gilgeous-Alexander combined to score 26 points in the first half as the Thunder led by 19, with Holmgren scoring 11 and SGA leading with 15. They’re far from a two-man show. 

How deep are the Thunder with two-way players who can break you down offensively and defensively? Cason Wallace didn’t score a single point in the first half, missing three shots, yet still was a game-high plus-19 at the time.

They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re deep and they’re connected. This Thunder team can beat opponents to a pulp in every which way. The problems the Thunder present as a team aren’t going away anytime soon, and the Warriors only can hope lessons learned help for a better result when they play them three weeks from now at Chase Center.

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NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The wait is over: The NBA on Tuesday announced the reveal of the U.S. vs. World All-Star Game format to be played in 2026.

In the game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (world) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

NBC and Peacock will broadcast the league’s annual midseason showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT at the new Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.

As previously done, 24 All-Stars will be selected (12 from each conference). But unlike previous years, players will be selected regardless of position. The process of assigning U.S. players across the two teams will be announced at a later date.

If All-Star voting doesn’t meet the exact quota of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select players to fit where needed. In such case, a team may have more than the eight-player amount.

The round-robin tournament will start with USA A vs. USA B in Game 1. Game 2 will be World vs. USA A followed by World vs. USA B in Game 3.

The two teams with the best record from the three games will face off in the championship match. If there is a 1-1 split between all three teams, the tiebreaker would be point differential.

Each of the four games will feature just one standard 12-minute period. The winner will be whichever team has the most points after 12 minutes.

It’s the latest format in a line of experiments by the NBA, which includes the classic West vs. East, followed by two team captains based on All-Star voting. A target score was also introduced, followed by a mini-tournament last season in which the then-“NBA on TNT” crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith drafted their rosters, along with a Rising Stars team comprised of rookies and sophomores.

But that format wasn’t well received in the end despite being a fresh tweak, leading the NBA to finally land on the U.S. vs. World idea that has proved intriguing in the past but never actually came to fruition — until now.

How Steph Curry earned first flagrant foul of NBA career in Warriors vs. Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even in the 17^th season of Steph Curry’s NBA career, the superstar Warriors guard still is notching firsts. 

In the first quarter of Golden State’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Paycom Center, Curry committed his first career flagrant foul, per SportRadar. He had gone 1,193 career games without committing a flagrant foul. 

Steph received the first flagrant foul of his NBA career for this 😬 pic.twitter.com/o5K3msehQq

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 12, 2025

Thunder guard Isaiah Joe attempted a deep 3-point shot in the closing seconds of the first quarter, and Curry stepped into Joe’s shooting path while closing out to contest the shot. Joe landed on Curry’s foot on his follow-through. 

The play was called a foul on the floor and subsequently upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul after review. 

The criteria for a Flagrant 1 foul, as defined by the NBA, is “unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent.” 

It is the second flagrant foul committed by a Warriors player this season. Draymond Green committed the first in Golden State’s Oct. 27 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

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The chants never let up at American Airlines Arena.

"Fire Nico!"

They started in February after Dallas Mavericks general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison initiated a trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers and continued to occur at home games throughout the end of last season and into the 2025-26 campaign.

On Tuesday morning, those vocal fans got their wish, as Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont announced that Harrison had been let go weeks into his fifth season with the team. Dallas went 182-157 under the former Nike executive, including a 3-8 start to this season.

Assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were named co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations.

Read more:Luka Doncic underlines his 38-point night with monster dunk in Lakers' win

“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” Dumont said.

Harrison spent nearly two decades with Nike before being hired by the Mavericks in June 2021. The team made it to the Western Conference finals the following season and to the NBA Finals in 2024, with Doncic as its undisputed star.

Then came Feb. 1, when the Mavericks traded Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. Harrison reportedly approached Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about the possibility of the trade, and Dumont is said to have approved the deal before it was finalized.

The move shocked most people involved with the NBA, and Dallas fans felt blindsided. That's when "Fire Nico" started. The words appeared on signs and T-shirts in addition to being yelled during home games, including the Mavericks' 116-114 loss Monday to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Read more:L.A. native upset Luka Doncic is a Laker. He's raising money to protest trade with billboards in Dallas

During that game, Dumont was seen sitting courtside having a lengthy conversation with a fan in a Lakers jersey featuring Doncic's name and number. That person, 18-year-old Mavericks fan Nicholas Dickason, told The Athletic that he had initiated the conversation to apologize to the team governor for yelling curse words at him and giving him the finger at a game earlier this season.

According to Dickason, Dumont accepted his apology and added an admission of his own.

“Basically Patrick was like, he feels horrible for the trade. And wants to make it up to us,” Dickason said. “That’s basically what he said. He accepted my apology for it as well.”

The next day, Dumont explained his decision to fire Harrison in an open letter to Mavericks fans. He did not specifically mention the Doncic trade but acknowledged "the profound impact these difficult last several months have had" on the team's supporters.

"You have every right to demand a commitment to success from us," Dumont wrote. "No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season. You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don't meet expectations, it's my responsibility to act."

In April, after the Mavericks finished the 2024-25 season with a 39-43 record and missed the playoffs, Harrison admitted he underestimated the level of outrage the trade would cause.

“I did know that Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison said. “I didn’t quite know it to what level.”

He added: “When you have 20,000 people in the stadium chanting ‘Fire Nico,’ you really feel it. ... But my job is to make decisions I feel are in the best interest of this organization, and I gotta stand by the decisions, and some of them are going to be unpopular. This was clearly one that’s unpopular.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.