Winning his first two grand slams and leading the rankings should be cause for celebration, but the German benefited from a vacuum at the top
Alexander Zverev had plenty of thoughts in the miserable aftermath of his loss at the Paris Masters last week, a 7-6 (5), 6-2 second-round defeat by Lorenzo Musetti marking him as the first ATP No 1 to lose his first match as the top-ranked player in straight sets.
Rather than feeling any pressure surrounding his new status in the buildup to the final Masters 1000 tournament of the year, Zverev had simply been annoyed. “Achieving the world No 1 status is something every player dreams of, but I feel like I’m the only world No 1 in tennis history that has to explain why it’s OK for me to be world No 1. Which I find quite difficult, because I think I deserve to be where I am, even though I lost today.”
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 14: Tyrese Proctor #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 14, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Dallas Mavericks behind an awesome game from their young guards.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Player of the game
Tyrese Proctor
24 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists
Proctor is in full swing of a sophomore breakout right now. He’s put together a strong week of games, culminating in this prime opportunity to prove that he can scale his usage up into a larger role.
He impacted every facet of the game, lifting Cleveland’s offense with his shot creation and providing support on defense at the point of attack.
The Cavs have found something here. Proctor’s development isn’t something they can overlook.
Grade: A+++
Grades
Meleek Thomas
20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Thomas has been the winner of the young Cavs’ season. He’s stood out in almost every game he’s appeared in, and he did not disappoint tonight in his largest role to date. His shot-making, which includes an unstoppable-looking floater, was on full display as he helped energize the Cavs to a big win.
Grade: A-
Mario Hezonja
22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Hezonja hasn’t been able to earn many minutes in previous games but was given the green light tonight out of necessity. I’d say he made the most of that opportunity, complementing every lineup he was in and providing a sense of stability. He can still be a bit dicey when defending off-ball actions, but Hezonja would be getting more minutes if it were up to me.
Mario shot 9-of-12 from the floor and hit all of the key momentum shots for Cleveland.
Grade: A+
Jaylon Tyson
18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Tyson was given all the room he needed to get comfortable tonight. He didn’t have to worry about filling a role as he normally would. Instead, being granted the freedom to create for himself and serve as a dynamic offensive threat. That helped him turn in his best offensive game of the season.
Grade: A-
Thomas Bryant
19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Bryant, a veteran leader on this team, suited up in the starting lineup despite playing 16 minutes the night before in Miami. There was no rest for TB as he worked harder than anyone else on the court to make sure this team had a big man anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor.
Well done, Bryant.
Grade: A
Norchad Omier
13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
Omier was the definition of heart and hustle tonight as he used his bulky frame to bang in the paint and grab rebounds. I don’t know what the ceiling is for a player like Omier, but he’s certainly helpful in setting a tone on a night like tonight.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr.
9 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers
Porter threw some highly questionable passes in this game and turned it over more than you’d like. Other than that, he had some impressive finishes around the rim and was mostly a positive.
Grade: B
Riley Minix
2 points (1-6 shooting)
Minix is back to not fitting in with this Cavs team. He simply hasn’t been able to shoot the ball efficiently, and he’s not a good enough defender to make up for it.
Nov 14, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor (24) reacts in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers all but punted this game after not getting back from Miami until late this morning. They rested four of the five starters from last night’s game (Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, Peyton Watson) rather than risk injury on the second night of a back-to-back. Yet sometimes, the receiving team muffs the punt.
The Dallas Mavericks — who weren’t resting their starters — took their eye off the ball. Cleveland took advantage, led by a triple-double from Tyrese Proctor to ruin Kyrie Irving’s homecoming and defeat Dallas127-117.
Proctor has been a revelation over the last week. He backed up an impressive performance in Miami — albeit in a supporting role — with a dominant on-ball showing against the Mavericks.
This was a different outing than what we’ve seen from Proctor in the past. Instead of being mostly an off-ball shooter, he thrived at creating his own shots. Only one of his 10 field goals was assisted. This included going 5-for-8 on off-the-dribble jumpers.
Scoring wasn’t the only thing Proctor provided. He was the primary initiator of the offense, as evidenced by his 10 assists. Some of these led to direct baskets at the rim for Thomas Bryant (19 points and 11 rebounds) out of the pick-and-roll. Overall, six of his assists went to baskets at the rim. He also sprayed the ball to outside shooters and swung the ball on the perimeter, leading to three assists on triples.
Proctor also helped as a defender and rebounder. Kenny Atkinson often talks about how the guards need to be adequate rebounders as well. Proctor was that in a complete all-around performance.
This season, Proctor has been asked to fit into a very specific role. He’s done that well, but nights like this show that he’s capable of more.
Irving’s 20 second-quarter points got the Mavs back into this game. He still can be a one-man offense for extended stretches and completely take over games. This was another impressive scoring performance from someone who’s had more than his fair share in this building.
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Third star: Mario Hezonja
22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Hezonja made a strong argument for why he deserves more minutes than he’s been getting in recent games. He forced mismatches offensively, and then read how the defense was going to react and consistently made the right play out of it. Hozonja processes the game at such a high level. This elevates the basketball IQ for units he’s on the court with.
Back-to-backs are difficult, especially when travel plans are thrown off as drastically as they were around the country yesterday. It makes sense to err on the side of caution in a situation like this. What’s the point of risking an injury for a game that will matter very little in the spring? At the same time, saying that the game should be canceled because of an inconvenience like this is a bad look.
On top of that, the Cavs played some of their most inspiring basketball of the early season on Saturday night without six of the top eight players in their rotation. That is good for the guys who played, but a clear indictment on those who didn’t.
Atkinson was asked about rebounding before the game since it’s been a consistent issue with the starting group. He gave a long-winded answer that could’ve been summed up by saying there’s only so much coaching can do. “I always tell the coaches, it’s 50% on us. It’s got to transfer — the message has to get through.”
This message, and many others about how they want to play basketball on both ends, is getting through — just not to the guys who will ultimately determine wins and losses in the spring.
Cavalier who deserves a shoutout
Norchad Omier
13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Omier made the most of his first real rotation minutes for the Cavs. He was impactful offensively with his ability to finish inside and hit a corner three as well. Defensively, he used his wide frame to play backup five when Bryant wasn’t out there.
The Cavs won the minutes Omier played by 11. Getting quality play like this from a two-way big went a long way toward stealing the victory.
Play of the game
Kyrie Irving received his second loud ovation of the night after the Cavs played a tribute video celebrating the 2016 championship. pic.twitter.com/fqA6wFDv4K
Irving received a loud ovation when he was introduced as a starter, and an even louder one when they played a video tribute for his contribution to the 2016 championship team.
Quote of the day
“You know, 52 years is a long, long period of time waiting for a championship, and we did it. And I think that’s one of the hardest championships — I think. I’m not gonna say it is, I said I think personally it’s one of the hardest championships ever in NBA history that we got to accomplish.”
The Cavaliers who were available on Saturday showed that they’re capable of hearing the message from the coaching staff and applying it on the court.
Main takeaway from this game: The Cavs have some encouraging young players
I wrote about this in yesterday’s deep dive from the Miami Heat loss: The Cavs have quietly turned over their supporting cast. Their younger bench players are far more versatile than the specialists we’ve seen in previous seasons.
The trio of Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, and Jaylon Tyson have very defined roles when the starters are out there. They’ve mostly performed well in those situations and have shown glimpses of being able to do more. On Saturday, they proved that they can scale their games up when called upon.
Cleveland needed that trio to be the offensive initiators given who was out, and they did that. The ball was moving quickly around the perimeter, with each being able to attack off the dribble when needed. This resulted in the trio all scoring 18 points or more against a Mavs team actually playing their starters.
This performance on its own doesn’t necessarily mean much. It’s not uncommon to see NBA teams let up and lose when their opponent is missing half of their rotation. However, this game didn’t just come out of the blue; it was a continuation of what we’ve been seeing pretty consistently for the last week or so — specifically from Proctor and Thomas.
The Cavs are at a weird crossroads. How they’ve been playing with their star players has led to inconsistent results. We’ve seen some high highs, but some even lower lows. Something needs to change if they’re going to reach the heights they have the potential to.
Surrendering the reins to the young players isn’t the answer to their problems. But turning to the style of play that this group has embraced — and the one that all the Cavs did during the 2024-25 season — could be a solution. Just not one we’ve seen the veterans truly get on board with yet. Maybe this win changes some minds.
MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, some of the spectacular variety, and the Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons 137-117 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.
Klay Thompson scored 26 points in his return from a sprained ankle and Bam Adebayo added 20 for the Heat. Davion Mitchell had 15 points and nine rebounds for Miami.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and eight assists for Detroit, which got 20 points and seven assists from Kevin Huerter.
Miami had nine players record at least one block and finished with 14 as a team — one shy of the franchise record.
The NBA record for players on the same team having at least one block in a game is 10, done twice — both by Golden State, first in 1991 and then again in 2016. The Heat team record for players with at least one block was eight, done on five occasions.
Antetokounmpo finished a weekend where he scored 71 points in a two-day span, after finishing with 37 in Miami’s win over Cleveland on Friday night. He also had a through-the-legs assist to Thompson for a 3-pointer in the opening quarter.
It was one of six 3s on the night for Thompson, who is now 26 away from tying former Heat guard Ray Allen (2,973) for the third-most 3-pointers in NBA history.
Miami won for the seventh time in its last nine games and became the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to start 0-4 but rally to a winning record at the 13-game mark. Sacramento (7-6) did it in 2022-23, Oklahoma City (8-5) did it in 2018-19 and Dallas (9-4) did it in 2006-07.
It also matched the best nine-game stretch for the Heat since an 8-1 burst in November 2023.
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 10: Atlanta Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos speaks to the media during the 2026 MLB Awards week at ARIA Resort and Casino on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The clock keeps ticking on the impending lockout, as we are starting to see a few notable moves (including Atlanta’s acquisition of Evan Phillips), with a free agent frenzy expected before the lockout.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Sharife Cooper #13 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 2, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, we all called it. The Houston Rockets struggled to put away the 1-11 Utah Jazz. Who could have seen this coming? (All of us. All of us saw it coming.)
Thankfully, Houston picked up the win. Now they head to the nation’s capital to take on the new-look Washington Wizards and begin a four-game road trip. Xiane has mentioned that last season’s schedule really hurt Houston and the road-heavy start and middle was not made up for by the home-heavy end of the season, by which point the Rockets had already checked out and forgotten how to shoot.
The Wizards are 4-9 and coming off a tough 2OT loss to the Detroit Pistons. A Trae Young buzzer beater got them to OT, where they raced out to a quick 7-point lead. Then that was that. They’ve had two days off to recover and should not be taken lightly. Of course, this Houston team is likely to take them lightly.
It’s early in the season, so Anthony Davis is healthy. It’ll be more of a test than the Jazz were able to throw at Alperen Sengun. The rest of Atlanta’s starting lineup consists of Young, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, and #1 overall pick AJ Dybansta. To round out the rotation, they have Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, and Deandre Ayton.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks to a reporter before the Hall of Fame press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in New York. Hall Of Fame Presser | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: With the GM meetings coming to a close, Phillips highlights some of the lower-profile tidbits that came out of the meetings that may not have made the biggest headlines, but should still catch your eye. Among them, the fact that Jasson Dominguez will be playing winter ball in the Domininan Republic, with the 23-year-old’s future with the Yankees very uncertain at this point. Also noted is the Yankees’ interest in reuniting with Tim Hill, as well as Brian Cashman’s assertion that the Yankees still see prospect Carlos Lagrange as a starter going forward.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: In case you missed it, the Red Sox made the first free-agent splash of the offseason, inking Brewers playoff hero Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million deal. It’s a sizable commitment to a player who was essentially replacement level for his career prior to last year, but a 140 OPS+ from the 30-year-old convinced Boston to pony up. Bauers joins a roster that’s already pretty crowded at the 1B/DH spots, with Willson Contreras, Masataka Yoshida, and Tristian Casas on hand, though the latter certainly have lengthy injury histories.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees met this week with Shoki Oda, the 18-year-old Japanese phenom who has forgone signing with the Yomiuri Giants to explore coming to the United States out of high school. New York’s pitch promoted their ability to develop pitchers and featured Sam Briend, the club’s senior director of pitching development. New York appears keen on signing the teenager, who can hit 97 mph on the radar gun, though they face competition from, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Jake LaRavia #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers splits the defense of Dillon Brooks #3 and Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (11-2) conclude their road trip in Phoenix where they will take on the Suns (5-6) on Sunday. It’s the first head-to-head matchup of the season between Pacific Division foes.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
When: 1 p.m. PT, Nov. 15
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The first matchup between the Lakers and Suns will feature two teams coming in with lots of momentum. Los Angeles has won seven straight games while Phoenix caught fire last week by nabbing four of their last five.
The Suns also have their superstar firepower in Devin Booker, who is playing very well as of late and is averaging 25.5. points, 2.5 rebounds and five assists per game this season. His matchup against long-time rival Luka Dončić — who is obviously playing out of this world right now — will take center stage.
Unfortunately, Austin Reaves will not be able to join Dončić since he’s recovering from a heel bruise. This then presents another challenge for the Lakers in how to navigate without their second-best player for the time being.
For the Lakers to come away with a win, they’ll need to do a few things to keep the Suns in check.
Let Dončić cook Booker
There’s no doubt that Luka is the best player on either team in this matchup but the pressure on him increases with Austin out of the lineup. While Dončić will shoulder much of the offensive load, the Lakers’ defense will need to step up in containing Booker. That’s where Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes and even Colin Sexton come in. The goal is to make sure Booker doesn’t get into rhythm the way he has over the last few games.
Expose the Suns’ flaws
You’d think that there is no worse rebounding team than the Lakers, but the Suns rank dead last in the league in the category. One reason Phoenix struggles on the boards is its lack of frontcourt size, and that’s an area Walker Kessler needs to exploit. The Suns counter by attempting to win the 50-50 balls and forcing turnovers, which the Lakers need to do a better job of.
Note that Phoenix also has the 26th-best defense in the league, so it’ll be ideal for the Lakers’ offense to overwhelm the Suns right off the bat. Hopefully the Lakers’ supporting cast and bench can outplay the likes of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Luke Kennard, among others.
Don’t let the Suns get hot
Given their defensive shortcomings, the Suns’ best path to winning games is often to simply outshoot their opponents. While it’s difficult to account for an unusually hot shooting game, the Lakers’ defense must make sure the Suns don’t get comfortable and find their rhythm. The Lakers’ defense can’t be nonexistent in this one.
Hopefully, much like their victory over the Hawks without Reaves, the Lakers can control the pace and dictate the momentum throughout this game. It won’t be a walk in the park but the Lakers have shown that they’re a team that can overcome obstacles. Let’s see if they can do that and extend their winning streak to eight on Sunday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Reaves (left heel bruise) and Cameron Carr (illness) are out.
Bronny James (illness), Adou Thiero (left ankle sprain) and Colin Sexton (right orbital laceration) is questionable.
As for the Suns, Mark Williams (left shoulder surgery) is out.
DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to lead the Dallas Stars to a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, just two days after being pulled after allowing a season-high six goals.
It’s Oettinger’s fourth shutout this season and first since Oct. 17. Oettinger posted shutouts in three of Dallas’ first six games — including a 4-0 win against Buffalo on Oct. 8 — but had allowed 14 goals in his past three starts, including six in an 8-3 loss to Winnipeg on Thursday.
Stars captain Jamie Benn snapped a scoreless game late in the second period with a goal for the 1,000th point of his 18-year career to give Dallas a 1-0 lead.
Wyatt Johnston took an assist from Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz and scored on a power play with 40 seconds remaining for the final score.
Oettinger and the Stars’ defense held off the Sabres during a furious five-on-four power play midway through the third period. Moments later, Oettinger splayed his right leg out to stop a breakaway shot from point-blank range by Jack Quinn. Seconds later, Quinn had another chance to pull Buffalo even, but Oettinger was there for the save.
The Stars had three penalty kills in the first period, but still held a 10 to 6 shots-on-goal advantage in the opening frame. The Sabres killed two Stars power plays in the period. Dallas had five penalty kills in the game and outshot Buffalo 30-22.
Up next
The Stars host the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
The Sabres play the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 14: P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots against Tyrese Proctor #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Arena on November 14, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (7-6) turned in a second straight pitiful performance on Saturday, dropping a 127-117 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-7) at Rocket Arena.Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 34 points on seven made 3-pointers, but no one rode shotgun with him as the Mavericks gave away a winnable game with a putrid second quarter.
Four of the five Cavaliers’ regular starters sat with injuries on the second night of a back-to-back set, after travel difficulties related to the temporary ground stop at all U.S. airports beset the team coming back home from its game at the Miami Heat on Thursday. Various injuries were listed on the Cavs’ injury report, but the travel difficulties were what really tipped the scales of availability.
Saturday’s matchup appeared to offer Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving a get-right opportunity after an off night in Thursday’s 133-94 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves. But that’s not what happened, of course. Let’s see what the numbers tell us.
9: Caleb Martin first-quarter points
An unlikely early scoring leader emerged for the Mavericks against the Cavs on Saturday. Caleb Martin paced Dallas with nine points through the first quarter on 4-of-4 shooting, including his only 3-point attempt of the opening frame.
Martin got into the passing lane on a bad pass from Thomas Bryant with 2:25 left in the first, and ran ahead for a dunk to put the Mavs in front, 22-20. He scored his first seven points in the first 4:35 of the game.
But as you may suspect, Martin’s emergence as the team’s leading scorer early on was not necessarily a harbinger of good things to come for Dallas. After battling to a 33-33 tie at the end of one with an injury-riddled version of the Cavaliers, Dallas started to wobble even more in the second.
38-20: Cleveland’s second-quarter ass kicking
The Dallas defense was nonexistent in the second quarter, and things weren’t going much better on the offensive end either. The Mavericks surrendered 38 points to a beleaguered Cavaliers team featuring big performances from the likes of Bryant (14 points, six rebounds in first half), rookie second-rounder Meleek Thomas (13 first-half points, 3-of-6 from 3-point range) and Tyrese Proctor (13 and six).
Meanwhile, Flagg and Irving combined to shoot 4-of-18 in the first half, scoring just 14 points between them. That continued a disturbing trend from Thursday’s lopsided loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves, when the duo scored just 22 points between them.
The Cavs turned a 33-33 tie after one quarter into a rout by shooting better than 56% from the field in the first half and took a gaudy 71-53 lead into the halftime break.
4: Third-quarter 3-pointers from Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks needed someone to step up in the worst way if they were going to trim the Cleveland lead to somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 points going into the fourth quarter. Enter Irving, finally.
He made 7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point land out of halftime as the Mavericks made two separate runs at the Cavs’ lead in the third. His third of the third pulled the Mavs to within 95-83 with 2:46 left in the frame. He hit a 28-footer less than a minute later to make it 97-88, giving Irving 17 points in the quarter, but the no-name Cavs had an answer every time.
Mario Hezonja, apparently playing the role of Croatian Kobe Bryant, scored 12 of his own in the third on a pair of made 3-pointers for Cleveland. After the dust settled in a back-and-forth third quarter, the Mavs were still down by 14, 105-91 as the fourth quarter loomed.
What made the frame frustrating is how little the Mavericks’ role players did to help Irving out as he single-handedly tried to bring Dallas back. Martin, PJ Washington, Morez Johnson Jr., Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama all combined to score four points on a combined 2-of-7 from the field in the third. Irving scored 20 of his team-high XX in the third before the Mavericks faded into the Cleveland night down the stretch.
11-of-31: Cooper Flagg shooting in last two losses
Flagg was nonexistent on both ends of the floor against the Cavs, as he made just six field goals on offense, and got burned time and time again on defense while trying to stay in front of someone named Tyrese Proctor off ball screens. Flagg made just 5-of-12 from the field in limited action on Thursday in the blowout loss at Minnesota.
Proctor has, for most of the early part of the year, been a 20-minute-off-the-bench kind of guy. Against the Mavs on Saturday, he set career-high marks in points, rebounds, and assists on his way to the first triple-double of his career. Proctor burned everyone the Mavs sent at him on Saturday, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the unlikely Cleveland win.
After their 2-0 loss against the Dallas Stars Saturday night in Dallas, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves on a four-game losing streak after that includes a 3-2 loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, and an 8-3 blowout defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And Buffalo’s record after Saturday’s loss is a thoroughly-unimpressive 8-8-4.
The string of losses is putting the Sabres in the same troublingly-familiar position as the one they were in last season: By November 13 last year, Buffalo was in the midst of a five-game losing skid, and they had a record of 5-8-4. And it took the Sabres to get to the first week of December – when they had a record of 11-14-4 – before they suddenly changed their competitive trajectory and stunningly went 39-9-5 the rest of the way.
You never know what can happen with any team, but it doesn’t feel like this particular Sabres team has it in them to flip the script. And one of the reasons this writer feels that way is because Buffalo is getting sub-par performances from their goaltenders.
To be sure, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has a 5-4-3 record, an .867 save percentage (worst of any Sabres goalie this year), and a 3.51 goals-against average. Meanwhile, ostensible backup Colten Ellis has a 3-3-0 record, an .873 SP and a 3.39 GAA. And veteran Alex Lyon – who had missed the entire season thus far before he started against the Blackhawks – put up a 2.87 GAA and an .880 SP in his first game back. And Sabres management gave Lyon a second straight start against the Stars, but he allowed two goals on 30 Dallas shots – a solid performance, but the Sabres still lost after they couldn't produce a single goal.
Obviously, this can’t continue if Buffalo intends on being a Stanley Cup playoff team, let alone a true Cup frontrunner.
The Hawks loss in particular has to be a huge red flag for Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Although Buffalo sits sixth in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings, there’s plenty of cause for concern in Western New York. And that’s in part because the NHL schedule-maker has put many solid squads in front of them in approximately the next two weeks.
For instance, after their next game a tilt Tuesday against the brutal Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, but after that, the Sabres’ next opponent will be the Washington Capitals (who have already beaten Buffalo once this year), followed by the Florida Panthers, Lightning, and the surprisingly-solid New York Rangers. And on Dec. 1, they get a road game against the high-octane Edmonton Oilers. So it’s no exaggeration to say that the Sabres’ record by December could be exactly where it was last season.
Kekalainen can’t let that happen. He’s not likely to fire coach Lindy Ruff, but it says here that he should be doing whatever is necessary to improve his team’s chances of getting into the post-season and do some serious damage once they get there.
The Sabres have $3-million in salary cap space to work with right now, and that number balloons to $11 million by this year’s NHL trade deadline, which comes on March 1. But Kekalainen has all three of his first-round draft picks in the next three drafts, as well as two second-rounders and five third-rounders. Buffalo is long past the point where they have to keep all their first-rounders, and given how valuable first-rounders are these days, Kekalainen should be demanding a difference-making forward or goaltender if he’s going to give an opposing team one of his first-rounders.
Thus, you can see why Sabres fans are antsy to change up the chemistry with this Buffalo squad. Their goals-for average ranks 22nd thus far this season, and their goals-against average ranks 27th. If either of those rankings were on the right track, you could forgive the Sabres and put some stock in them turning things around.
However, this current stretch of the schedule is being squandered by Buffalo. Sure, there were tough opponents in the Vegas Golden Knights and Lightning, but they lost those games by a combined score of 12-4 – and in their current four-game losing skid, they’ve been outscored by a combined total of 16-6. That’s a very bad harbinger of what’s to come, and it’s now on Kekalainen to shake the trees in the GM community and find a player or players to provide the jolt this Sabres team Obviously needs.
If he can’t do that, Kekalainen is going to find himself on the hot seat, trying to justify his existence. And in the end, he may fail in that regard as well.
Reilly was the subject of several healthy scratches before being placed on waivers by the Hurricanes on Saturday. This is because his most recent appearance for Carolina was on Oct. 18. Thus, with this and Jordan Staal returning for the Hurricanes, it is understandable that the former Canadiens blueliner has been waived by Carolina.
Teams looking for more experienced blueline depth could consider claiming Reilly off waivers from the Hurricanes. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, the Hurricanes would then be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
Reilly has played in eight games this season with the Hurricanes, where he has recorded two assists, 15 hits, and a plus-4 rating.
Reilly played three seasons with the Canadiens from 2017-18 to 2019-20. In 90 games as a member of the Canadiens, the left-shot defenseman recorded three goals, 20 assists, 23 points, 77 hits, and 85 blocks.
Reilly's time with the Canadiens ended when he was traded to the Ottawa Seantors in January of the 2019-20 campaign.
MONTREAL, CANADA- NOVEMBER 14: Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche at the Bell Centre on November 14, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
To finish out their eastern Canadian swing, the Colorado Avalanche visited the Montreal Canadiens in what is always a spirited affair. News broke earlier in the day that they’d have to tackle this game shorthanded with both Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon out with injury. It was a classic win by committee through adversity as the Avalanche found themselves with a 4-1 victory.
Life sans superstars started off on a positive note as Fedor Svechkov got the scoring started and gave the Avalanche an early lead on a puck that was chipped over Montreal netminder Jakub Dobes. Brock Nelson doubled the score on a slick feed from Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal found the 10-5 shot advantage but Colorado had the 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.
In the second period the two teams traded a pair of power plays each but neither team could convert. Montreal did get on the board with a goal from Nick Suzuki after he took advantage of some very lax Avalanche defense. The score at the second intermission was 2-1 Colorado.
With the benefit of another power play to open the third period, Colorado added to their lead with Artturi Lehkonen’s 15th goal of the season doing what he does best cleaning up the garbage at the net front. At one point it seemed Montreal would make it a game again when Alex Newhook tipped a puck past Mackenzie Blackwood but after a lengthy review it was determined he touched the puck with a high stick and the goal was wiped out. Montreal pulled the goalie with several minutes left and in the dying seconds Nic Roy found the back of the net to give Colorado a 4-1-victory.
Takeaways
If Colorado is going to survive the era with MacKinnon and Makar on the shelf they are really going to need to accept help from the non-veteran players in their lineup. It was disappointing to see Fedor Svechkov score on the opening minutes of the game and yet finished with the team-low 10 minutes of ice time with a 82% share of the expected goals while he was on the ice. He will be wasted on the fourth line in a healthy lineup and with one aching for useful depth guys like Svechkov will be key to keeping this team afloat.
Rookie defenseman Alex Gagne made his NHL debut and played nearly 12 minutes. He did well enough in a third pair role with Brent Burns. It remains to be seen if Gagne gets the opportunity throughout Makar’s full absence or if there will be trading out players especially as Colorado has a very light schedule over the next couple of weeks.
Upcoming
A couple days rest and then a big Central division matchup at the Utah Mammoth to begin yet another back-to-back on Wednesday, November 18th at 8 p.m. MT.
MONTREAL (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist and the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Saturday night without injured stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
MacKinnon and Makar both sustained lower-body injuries Thursday night in a 4-3 overtime loss in Ottawa. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said MacKinnon will be out at least a month, while Makar is expected to miss two weeks.
Fedor Svechkov, Brock Nelson and Nicolas Roy also scored for Colorado (12-6-3). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots.
Nick Suzuki replied with a highlight-reel goal for Montreal (12-4-4), which had gone 12 consecutive games without losing in regulation (9-0-3).
Jakub Dobes made 22 saves in his first start in nine days.
Colorado defenseman Brent Burns became the 14th player in NHL history — and only active player — to play in 1,600 games. The 41-year-old defender has suited up in 1,028 consecutive contests dating to Nov. 21, 2013. Phil Kessel holds the NHL’s “Ironman” record at 1,064 straight games, a number Burns could pass Feb. 15.
Up next
Avalanche: At Utah on Wednesday night.
Canadiens: Host the New York Rangers on Monday night.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The name of the game in the NBA is adjustments.
It’s usually about adjusting to other teams. But for the Nets — and a host of others around the league over the past two days — it was adjusting their travel.
The Nets — who were en route to play the Grizzlies, an eventual 129-110 loss — got thrown into travel chaos Friday night and Saturday morning, just like the rest of the country. The Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground every flight nationwide for hours Friday left travelers scrambling, and the Nets were among them.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously it was something that we couldn’t control,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “And to be honest with you, it was not that bad. We had good rest and got here [Saturday] morning and did our walkthrough, and probably [would have] gone to the gym, but we were not able to. And I think we feel good and ready to go.”
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman
The ground stop lasted over four hours before the FAA finally let airplanes take off Friday night. The Nets were one of five NBA teams that had been slated to fly that day for games Saturday.
Brooklyn had been coming off a dominant 142-111 victory over the Pelicans on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Arena. They had stayed in New Orleans and practiced in the city Friday morning before heading to the airport to charter to Memphis.
The Nets had just boarded their team plane in New Orleans, but had their flight halted in place. They eventually had to deboard the plane, scramble and find a hotel and stay overnight in New Orleans.
Eventually, the Nets flew out at about 9 a.m. Saturday and arrived around 11 a.m., though the times blurred to Fernández.
“Every day feels the same day and I just know the team that I play against in the city that I’m in,” Fernández laughed. “I don’t know about time, sorry.”
The Nets had initially planned to have a morning shootaround in Memphis. But arriving that morning instead of the afternoon prior, their plans got changed.
They faced the Grizzlies later that night at FedExForum.
“Yeah, I mean, some of the guys we would have done some sort of shooting in the morning. It’s been the routine that they’ve had so far, whether it’s in a team setting or shooting times and walk-through and stuff like that. But we were not able to do it because of the time that we got here,” Fernández said. “So, like I said, it’s not ideal. We got here, everybody’s safe. It’s the most important thing.”
Nets play-by-play voice Chris Carrino and color analyst Tim Capstraw — Brooklyn’s radio announcers for WFAN — were flying commercial and also got caught by the travel chaos. With direct transit from New Orleans to Memphis already all but impossible, the duo had flown to Houston and planned to catch a connecting flight but got stranded in Texas. They stayed in the airport and flew into Memphis on a 7:20 a.m. flight.
Ironically, the Grizzlies had also been in New Orleans, and beat the Pelicans on Friday night.
JetBlue and American Airlines planes sit at gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the FAA lifted a ground stop in Washington, Nov. 14, 2026. REUTERS
Memphis had to fly home Saturday morning as well.
“Before the New Orleans game you could see a lot of chatter courtside and in the locker room about what was going to happen,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said.
“We departed at maybe 11:30 when our original time was about 10 o’clock … instead of doing a morning shootaround on back-to-backs, a lot of times what teams do is a jog through here at the area, so you don’t come back twice.”
The Detroit Pistons had already flown to Miami, with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies all having played Friday night and been expected to fly afterward, according to ESPN.
Friday saw a total of 9,132 cancellations and 7,030 delays. Saturday saw thousands more, with the numbers still growing.
Officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications issues at regional air traffic control centers for the stoppage.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to “old switches, old routers.”
The Nets had a jumbo lineup again Saturday, but not their leading scorer.
Michael Porter Jr. was out Saturday after being a late scratch due to personal reasons. But the backcourt was healthy, with Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr. both returning after having missed the win in New Orleans.
The Nets went with Egor Dëmin, Danny Wolf, Noah Clowney, Julius Randle and Day’Ron Sharpe, every starter at least 6-foot-9, as they had been against the Pelicans. The Nets are the first team to do so since the Lakers on April 21, 1990.
