Club grappling with cultural problem after off-season incident
Club CEO Matthew Pavlich ‘bitterly disappointed’ in Tom Papley
The Sydney Swans have engaged external advisers to review the embattled AFL club’s culture following the Melbourne hotel incident in August which led to the suspension of five players, and Tom Papley’s alleged positive roadside drug test this week.
The Swans CEO, Matthew Pavlich, on Thursday expressed the club’s disappointment at being dragged into another off-season scandal after Papley, one of the team’s most experienced players, allegedly returned a positive result for methylamphetamine when pulled over by police on Monday morning.
It was a legendary performance, even by Victor Wembanyama's unreasonably lofty standards: A career-high 52 points and 24 rebounds, plus eight blocked shots.
It's been 52 years since a player put up a stat line like that — and Wembanyama did that despite fighting off a virus and tweaking his ankle in the fourth quarter. The Spurs needed every bit of an epic Wemby game to beat Dallas, 112-111.
Wembanyama went 16-of-28 from the floor and did much of his damage at the free-throw line, where he was 19-of-23. The only knock on his night was that he shot 1-of-8 from 3, but he realized that and got downhill. Wemby finished 14-of-18 in the paint.
"I can still do more," Wembanyama said postgame, via the Associated Press. "I mean, my shots weren't falling tonight and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting. I can do it. I mean the proof is here. I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fall. I know it's just a matter of time."
Wemby's hot night started early, he had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the first half — the first player since the NBA's play-by-play era started in 1996 with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a half.
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Spurs have rattled off five straight wins and Wembanyama has inserted himself in the too-early MVP conversation next to Luka Doncic.
Decades of professionalism, investment and industrialised training methods have rendered the gulf between the sporting gods and mortals virtually unbridgeable
“She walked in here a hairdresser from Milton Keynes – and walks out £501,000 richer!” Gary Lineker announced at the conclusion of Netflix’s Beat Luke Littler on Friday night. Which, while strictly accurate as a description of the winner Fallon Sherrock, arguably fell some way short of providing the full picture. “She walked in wearing socks – and walks out £501,000 richer!” “She walked in here a vertebrate mammal – and walks out £501,000 richer!” I mean, if we’re just reciting facts without context here.
Because while Sherrock may still theoretically be qualified to cut hair, much of her past decade has been spent on darts: playing darts, practising darts, travelling to and from darts, promoting her darts career. Though she may never have held a Professional Darts Corporation tour card, she is – by any sane definition of the term – a professional darts player. Indeed, as a result of her historic run to the third round of the world championship at Alexandra Palace in late 2019, she may still be the second most famous darts player in the country, after Littler himself.
Klay Thompson, left, celebrates with Pelle Larsson after hitting a three-point basket to defeat the Clippers. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / AP)
Klay Thompson made the winning three-pointer with a second left in overtime and the Miami Heat rallied past the reeling Clippers 117-116 on Wednesday night.
Bam Adebayo set season highs with 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who have won three of four after losing their first four games. Thompson scored 30, going eight of 17 from three-point range, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 14 boards and six assists.
Miami trailed by 20 in the second quarter and was still down 10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the fourth before a 9-0 spurt set up the tight finish.
Darius Garland had 26 points and seven assists to pace the Clippers, who have lost seven games in a row since winning their season opener Oct. 21 against Sacramento.
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 03: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the New Jersey Devils looks on during a game between the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on November 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck says “very challenging circumstances” involving his family were among the reasons he requested a trade out of Winnipeg.
In a letter to Jets fans posted Wednesday on Instagram, Hellebuyck acknowledged his trade request disappointed those who had supported him throughout his career in Winnipeg.
“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family.
“We’ve chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that.”
Hellebuyck was traded Oct. 23 to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
The trade came a month after Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and the 2024-25 MVP, publicly demanded a move. The Jets later suspended him for failing to report to training camp.
While the relationship between the Jets and the one-time face of their franchise ended on a sour note, Hellebuyck stuck a conciliatory tone in his letter.
“I’m sincerely grateful to (co-owner) Mark Chipman, (GM) Kevin Cheveldayoff and the entire Jets organization for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me over the years,” he said.
“To my teammates, coaches, trainers, equipment staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for your friendships, support and memories that I will always carry with me.”
He saved some of his kindest words for Winnipeg’s fans, noting how he felt a connection to the city through his love of the outdoors.
“To the great Jets fans who supported me and my family, thank you,” he said. “I’ll never forget the pride I felt representing Winnipeg, and I wish the Jets and the entire community nothing but the best.”
It remains to be seen if Jets fans will reciprocate his feelings when the Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Hellebuyck is among several prominent American NHL players who have pushed for moves from Canadian teams to clubs south of the border.
Two of Hellebuyck’s U.S. Olympic gold-medal teammates have faced hostile receptions in their former NHL cities. Brady Tkachuk, the longtime Senators captain, was heavily jeered when his Florida Panthers recently visited Ottawa. Former Canucks captain and current Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes also heard boos upon his return to Vancouver.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe had a hat trick and an assist, Quinton Byfield scored two goals, and the Los Angeles Kings routed the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday night.
Erik Haula and Joel Armia also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves. Artemi Panarin had four assists.
It was the 37th multigoal game Kempe has had with the Kings, moving him past Dustin Brown for sole possession of ninth place in the history of the franchise. Kempe returned to the lineup after missing a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday because of an undisclosed injury.
Macklin Celebrini and Ivar Stenberg scored power-play goals and Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves for the Sharks, who have now lost three games in a row. Erik Gustafsson assisted on both goals.
Kempe scored his first goal just 1:23 into the game and added a second later in the first period as the Kings jumped to a 3-0 lead after one. Kempe completed the hat trick with a power-play goal with 4:09 left in the second period. The Kings were 3 for 5 on the power play in the game.
The game marked the NHL debut for San Jose defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, called up from the AHL before the game.
Up next
Sharks: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.
Kings: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic holds the ball while guarded by Kings forward Leaky Black in the first half Wednesday. (Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
On a night when Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team was “a little flat,” Luka Doncic flattened yet another opponent.
Even Doncic started slow compared to his usual first-quarter exploits, but he picked up his pace as the game progressed, dropping 40 points on the woeful Sacramento Kings to lead the Lakers to a 116-103 win Wednesday night at Golden1 Center.
Doncic has scored 40-plus points in three straight games and in five of his last six.
So, after he went 11-for-23 from the field and six-for-13 from three-point range and after he also notched nine rebounds and seven assists, Doncic was asked if he’s ever had a better offensive stretch over his eight-year NBA career.
“Maybe. I don’t know,” he said. “I had some good stretches in my career. But obviously this could be one of the highest ones. But there’s still some work to do.”
Doncic had 10 points in the first quarter, a slow start for him considering he averages 15 points per game in the first 12 minutes. He had 13 in the second, 12 in the third and five in the fourth.
He even made a 360-degree three-pointer in the third.
“He’s playing great right now and he’s doing a great job,” Redick said. “We talked about this after the game or before the game, but he’s doing a great job just playing off the ball. We’re trying to set off-ball screens for him. Other guys are handling (the ball). So, I think some of that workload from bringing the ball up against pressure every single possession. Like it’s just not there right now, and that’s very intentional on our part.”
In the middle of all of this, Doncic is making history.
He became the first player in NBA history to record six consecutive games with 35-plus points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and three-plus three-pointers.
The season is just two weeks old and Doncic is dominating in ways not seen very often.
When asked if he was in mid-season form, Doncic shrugged.
“I don’t know, honestly,” he said. “Too early to tell, you know,” Doncic said. “But as I go back, I had the whole summer to recover. A lot of stuff that I couldn’t do in the last maybe eight years. So that’s where the energy is coming from.”
Walker Kessler had a strong game with 15 points on six-for-eight shooting, eight rebounds and three blocks to aid Doncic.
Austin Reaves had 21 points to help Doncic out against a Kings team that is tied with four other teams with the worst record in the league at 1-7.
They give up 124.3 points per game, the second-most in the league and teams shoot 50.5% against them, a league-high.
So, the high-scoring Lakers just had to play to their usual effort.
They began the game second in scoring (122.5) in the league and first in field-goal percentage (52%).
But the first half was a choppy affair because of all the fouls being called.
Each team was called for 12 fouls in the first half. The Lakers were called for nine fouls in the second quarter and the Kings were called for eight.
Jake LaRavia picked up his fourth foul with eight minutes and two seconds left in the second quarter.
The Lakers had committed enough fouls to put the Kings in the penalty with 9:24 left in the second quarter.
That was the kind of first half the Lakers had to endure.
But when Doncic got going in the second quarter, the Lakers played a little better.
He scored 13 of their final 15 points in the second quarter and finished the first half with 23 points.
Still, Doncic took the blame for the Lakers’ lackadaisical start.
“Yeah, that was on me. I came out little sloppy. I take responsibility for that,” Doncic said. “I know that my first quarter wasn’t good. So I just came back in the game trying to be more aggressive, be more focused.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks go up for a rebound during the game on November 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (4-4) nearly pulled off a ridiculous comeback Wednesday night, but fell 112-111 to the San Antonio Spurs (6-2) after a strange final possession. Victor Wembanyama completely dominated the game, finishing with 52 points, 24 rebounds, and eight blocks while controlling everything Dallas tried to do around the rim. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 29 points, while Cooper Flagg recovered from a brutal first half to finish with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Naji Marshall was huge off the bench with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, helping Flagg lead a second-half comeback that gave Dallas a chance to win on the final possession.
The Mavericks had a rough opening quarter in San Antonio, mostly because Victor Wembanyama looked completely in control while Dallas’ two best players could not get anything going. Wembanyama had 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in just over eight minutes, while Cooper Flagg missed all seven of his shots and Kyrie Irving started 2-of-8. Morez Johnson Jr. gave Dallas some good energy off the bench, but the Mavericks shot just 31 percent and struggled to finish anything around the rim. San Antonio led 32-26 after one.
The second quarter made the matchup look even worse. Wembanyama completely erased the paint, forcing hesitations, kick-outs, and bad attempts while blocking Flagg, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford in the same stretch. By halftime, he already had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. Flagg was just 1-of-11 with four points and no assists; Kyrie had 17, and San Antonio dominated the glass 44-31 with 15 offensive rebounds. Dallas trailed 68-51 and looked completely overmatched.
The Mavericks finally showed some life in the third. They won the non-Wembanyama minutes, Flagg started to look more aggressive, and the small-ball approach gave San Antonio more problems. Kyrie helped push the comeback, Walter Clayton Jr. hit another three, and Dallas won the quarter 29-22 to cut the deficit to 90-80. Wembanyama was still everywhere and finished with 40 points, but Dallas had at least made the game competitive again.
The fourth quarter was easily Dallas’ best stretch. Naji Marshall and Flagg led the comeback, with Marshall hitting huge shots and Flagg finally getting downhill and creating offense. Dallas sped the game up, went small, and did about as good a job as possible neutralizing Wembanyama, though he still made several massive plays late. Marshall’s three with 1:41 left tied the game at 111, and after Wembanyama split a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left, Dallas had one final chance to win. The possession went nowhere, ending with a difficult Kyrie turnaround fadeaway with three seconds left, and the Mavericks fell 112-111.
A tale of two halves for Flagg
Cooper Flagg was awful in the first half, and aside from Victor Wembanyama completely taking over, he was probably the biggest reason Dallas got buried early. Flagg went just 1-of-11 before halftime, could not get to his spots, struggled badly against San Antonio’s length, and started passing up shots he normally takes. He also didn’t give Dallas enough defensively, which made the performance feel even worse. The second half was completely different. Flagg finally started attacking, got out in transition, made better reads, and became one of the main reasons Dallas even had a chance to win. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, and while the 7-of-19 shooting line still wasn’t pretty, most of the damage came after halftime. He and Naji Marshall led the comeback, and Flagg looked much more like the player Dallas needs him to be down the stretch. The first half was probably his worst stretch of the season, but the response mattered.
Final possession plan
Dallas had the ball down one with 24 seconds left and a chance to win the game, and the final possession was baffling. The Mavericks waited until roughly 10 seconds remained to really initiate anything, then basically just handed the ball to Kyrie Irving and asked him to make something happen. No screen, no dribble handoff, no action to force a switch, no attempt to get Flagg involved, just a Kyrie isolation that ended in a difficult turnaround fadeaway with three seconds left. It felt like one of those old Jason Kidd end-of-game possessions where the entire offense disappears, and the plan becomes “Kyrie, go save us.” That cannot be the best option. Kyrie is obviously one of the best isolation scorers in basketball, but when you have an entire timeout to draw something up, you have to make the defense work harder than that. Dusty May has been creative offensively in plenty of situations already, which made this even stranger. Dallas had a chance to steal a game after being down big, and the final possession did not give them nearly enough of a chance.
Wembanyama is ridiculous
There’s really no more complicated way to say it. Wembanyama was incredible.
He finished with 52 points, 24 rebounds, and eight blocks on 16-of-28 shooting, while also getting to the free-throw line 23 times. The numbers are absurd, but his impact on the game was even bigger. Dallas could not operate normally offensively because every paint touch became a problem. Drivers hesitated, bigs had shots erased, and the Mavericks were constantly forced into kick-outs or difficult attempts because Wembanyama was waiting around the rim.
Dallas did a much better job neutralizing him in the second half by playing smaller, speeding up the game, and making him defend in space, but he still found ways to dominate. He hit a huge three in the fourth, finished possessions on the glass, and scored the free throw that ultimately gave San Antonio the winning point. This was one of those games where you walk away understanding exactly why Wembanyama changes everything. Dallas nearly stole it anyway, but for most of the night, he completely dictated what the Mavericks were allowed to do.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 52 points, and the San Antonio Spurs needed every single one of them in a close game against the rival Dallas Mavericks. Despite blowing a 19-point lead, the Spurs were able to hold on in the fourth quarter to win 112-11.
Wembanyama dominated the game in every aspect. He added 24 points and 8 blocks to his 52 points. In the end, it was his final free throw (after missing four straight previous free throws) that won San Antonio the game.
Shortly after that free throw, Kyrie Irving had a chance to win the game, but missed a mid-range jump shot while guarded heavily by De’Aaron Fox. Irving led the charge for the Mavericks, scoring 29 points on 9-for-27 shooting from the field. Dallas got a spark off the bench from Naji Marshall, who went off in the second half for 22 points.
The win extends the Spurs’ winning streak to 6 games. Next, they’ll head to Sacramento for a rematch with the Kings on Friday.
Observations
The Spurs dominated the paint, outscoring the Mavs 62-40 in the paint and outrebounding Dallas 61-50. Both teams were hammering the offensive glass, as San Antonio grabbed 22 offensive boards, and Dallas had 18 offensive rebounds.
San Antonio needed to dominate the paint because they had one of the worst shooting nights they’ve had in a while. The Spurs shot just 39% from the field and went 5-for-36 from three, hitting just 14% of their deep shots.
There was a night-and-day difference when Wembanyama was on the court and when he was off it. He was +23 in the win, and Luke Kornet, the backup center, was -22 in his 14 minutes. That may be more indicative of how good Wembanyama was, but the team struggled mightily with the bench unit in the game.
Fox should get a lot of credit for his defense in that final possession against Irving. He kept pace with one of the shiftiest guards in the league and got a great contest on his mid-range jump shot.
It wasn’t Stephon Castle’s best shooting night, as he had 17 points on 6-of-20 shooting from the field. However, he responded late in the game, scoring back-to-back baskets when the Spurs needed them.
Dylan Harper’s athleticism was on full display on his way to 21 points. He had some incredible finishes over and around the Mavericks’ defenders, including a huge alley-oop dunk in the first half.
San Antonio’s offense has looked its best when it’s forcing switches in the pick-and-roll. When small guards get onto Wembanyama, the Spurs’ guards have gotten so good at finding him for lobs or easy post-up buckets. That was on full display against the Mavs.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 04: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on November 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
10,000ft Overview
As soon as the game tipped off, one thing was very clear: This was a completely different level of basketball compared to Monday night’s game. Unique matchups (LaMelo Ball on Jabari Smith!), shot-making, and game plan discipline meant that the first half was full of back-and-forth, high-quality hoops.
Ayo Dosunmu was such a blue tsunami in transition that even Steve Kornaki had to pause what he was doing and just say, “Wow”.
Dosunmu went a perfect 6/6 at the rim on his way to twelve first-half points. On the other side of the floor, Jonathan Kuminga was fantastic on Amen Thompson, playing a brand of athletic and physical basketball that the Wolves haven’t been able to do before against Thompson.
The physicality was of note, as he did get a flagrant one after Sengun’s face invaded his personal space. Ultimately, it may have been worth it for the repeated over-the-top crowd reaction to the replay, which was genuinely funny.
And finally, the first half story wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Jaylen Clark, the certified stuff doer. He had two steals, two offensive rebounds, and a drawn offensive foul. Luckily for the Rockets, the Wolves decided they wanted to keep the game close by shooting free throws with their opposite hands, hitting on just 5/10 as the teams went into halftime tied.
The good basketball continued into the second half, though the third quarter did leave me with a pressing existential question like: “What exactly is a moving screen?” and “Why don’t defensive players just run into the screener and fall down every time?”
Outside of that Marcus Smart-inspired existential crisis, both teams essentially played each other even as they headed into the final quarter with the Rockets up two.
As you can see, the start of the fourth quarter was something!
LaMelo Ball committed three fouls in about 30 seconds and put the Rockets in the bonus. But then goes out and totally redeems himself with eight straight points, part of his twelve-point fourth-quarter effort. The back-and-forth affair continued until Jonathan Kuminga drained two huge threes, which, paired with dive-on-the-floor defense and excellent ball movement on offense, would be enough to push the Wolves over the top for the 117-107 victory in Houston.
Two Stats that defined the game:
53%: Timberwolves Free Throw Precentage
Let’s just get this one out of the way. If the Wolves had lost this game, this would have been the lament in Timberwolves land. They went 10-for-19 from the line, and missing free throws has absolutely been an epidemic for this team. It didn’t cost them the game tonight, but they have way too many good shooters for these 1-2 trips to the line.
+14: Points Off Turnover Advantage for the Wolves
Hello defense! From the get-go, I loved the way the Wolves matched up with the Rockets by putting Ayo on Van Fleet, McDaniels on KD, Kuminga on Amen Thompson (more on this soon), and letting LaMelo guard Jabari Smith Jr, a matchup that would force them out of a lot of their offensive sets if they wanted to take advantage of it. This all led to eighteen turnovers for the Rockets and forced them into hitting a lot of tough shots all night.
Award Ceremony
HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 4: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on November 4, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Big Ticket Award: LaMelo Ball
Just when we are all ready to be mad at you for three fouls in thirty seconds, you go out there and totally redeem yourself! LaMelo takes home this award for being fantastic in the fourth quarter. He had the perfect balance of finding his own shot, creating offense for others, and forcing Houston to bring double teams that he broke, and helped lead the Wolves to their first clutch-time victory of the season.
The seven turnovers are a reminder it wasn’t perfect, but his +15 team high with 20 points, six assists, and four – count ‘em, four – stocks show a player that filled the stat sheet and played winning basketball.
The Straight to Jail Award: Jonathan Kuminga
One of the most encouraging aspects of the first nine games of the season for the Wolves has been Jonathan Kuminga’s defense. It’s one of those things that, if it stays at this level, could be a difference maker come April. In past seasons, Amen Thompson’s elite athleticism has been a matchup issue for the Wolves, but Kuminga was all over him tonight, forcing a 3-for-9 night from the field with three turnovers and a team-worst -11.
The And I Helped! Award: Ayo Dosunmo, Bones Hyland, Jaylen Clark
Too many good games tonight to not single out more than three players in the awards segment. If not for LaMelo’s big fourth quarter, the Big Ticket was Ayo’s. He was relentless in attacking downhill when he got the matchup he wanted, had a 6-0 AST/TO ratio, and was our main source of offense for most of the first half.
Bones Hyland is just a bucket. Scoring 19 points in just 16 minutes is a needed injection of life into an offense that is missing its high-volume scorer.
Already mentioned it earlier, but it deserves to be said again: Jaylen Clark is a certified stuff doer. He finishes the night with 10 points on 4/6 shooting (including two of three from deep!), three rebounds, two steals, and a drawn offensive foul. But the biggest sign of encouragement? He played 25 minutes!
Clearly, Chris Finch loved what he saw.
Empty the Notebook
Rudy Gobert had one of his better defensive games against Sengun, but my goodness he needs to finish better. It is not a good sign that my confidence needle in his ability to finish a contested layup has moved into the tossup range with his ability to make a three
Another solid outing from Joan Beringer! By my count, he’s now stacked four-to-give good performances in a row
Trey Lyles is the last player hasn’t been mentioned, but he was also solid too! He’s becoming a very valuable role player that knows what he does best and stays in that zone.
Game Highlights
Up Next
The second game in the group play round of the NBA Cup! On Friday, November 6th, the Minnesota Timberwolves will travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans. The game tips off at 7:00 PM CT on DAZN-MIN and KARE 11.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 4: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets drives around Collin Murray-Boyles #30 of the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Ball Arena on November 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Tyler Schank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Toronto Raptors continue an up-and-down start to the season without Kawhi Leonard after losing 128-109 to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
With the loss, Toronto falls to 4-4 on the season and 2-4 without Leonard.
Here are four takeaways from the game:
Signs of life from three
Toronto is a poor three-point shooting team. Entering the contest, the Raptors averaged 31.5 per cent from beyond the arc, which ranks 27th in the NBA.
While the perimeter shooting couldn’t sustain itself (Toronto finished at 35 per cent), the opening quarter featured a Raptors team that felt dangerous from three. Toronto went an impressive 6-for-12 from the arc. For context, the Raptors averaged 11.5 triples per game.
The opening 12 minutes were a breath of fresh air, especially after the team’s abysmal 8-for-29 performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. This season, the league average from three is currently at 34.8 per cent. Toronto has shot better than 34.8 per cent three times in eight games.
Unfortunately, the Raptors shot 6-for-22 the rest of the way.
Quick start, uneventful finish
It should be made clear: tonight’s loss was not on Immanuel Quickley.
But it was pointed out on the TSN broadcast that Quickley needs to have a consistent impact through all four quarters. Quickley was brilliant in the opening 12 minutes, finishing with 10 points and six assists while shooting 50 per cent from three. He also added two steals.
By the end of the game, Quickly finished with 13 points and seven assists. The point guard also shot 25 per cent from the perimeter and didn’t record another steal.
The Joker’s wild
While we suggested that the Raptors could overwhelm Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, specifically by leveraging their strengths on the offensive glass, it turns out that the game goes well beyond the battle of the boards. The future Hall of Famer finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists while pummelling the Raptors into submission.
Jokic emerged from halftime ready to shift into another gear. While in the Denver air, Toronto didn’t stand a chance. Jokic had already safely recorded his triple-double by the end of the third quarter. In the same period, he tied the entire Raptors team in points with 15.
Referencing the Colorado air might also be doing Jokic a disservice. The big man was ultimately responsible for 26 of the Nuggets’ 33 points in the first quarter.
What happens when the breaks aren’t there?
The Nuggets had limited the Raptors to seven fast-break points with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Stopping Toronto in transition was likely a focal point for Denver head coach David Adelman and his staff. The Raptors entered the game second in transition points at 19.7 per game.
For the Raptors to salvage their four-game road trip, they’ll need to either get back to what they do best on the breaks or find ways to score in the half-court. Their next opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, is 11th in fastbreak points allowed per game at 13.3
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - NOVEMBER 4: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 4, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It was another day in the office for the reigning back-to-back MVP. SGA got to his spots on the floor, no matter how many defenders they threw his way. This allowed him to score over 40 points for the second time this week against the Cavs.
There was simply nothing Cleveland could do to slow down Gilgeous-Alexander, or really, even make it challenging.
Second star: Ajay Mitchell
23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Ajay Mitchell provided timely baskets whenever it seemed like the Cavs were getting any kind of momentum. He served as the offensive engine when SGA was off the court, and as the counterpunch when he was.
Mitchell’s stat line is a little deceiving. He was an incredibly efficient scorer, but he didn’t make a constant impact throughout all four quarters.
The Cavs needed something to wake them up in the first half, but Mitchell couldn’t do it. He was a non-factor, as he had just six points in a half the Cavs only had 44.
Something flipped in the second half, particularly down the stretch. Mitchell put up 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four assists in the final frame alone. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that all came after the game was effectively decided.
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Thomas looked like a rookie for one of the first times this season. He struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard and was picked on defensively — particularly by the reigning MVP when he got an opportunity to do so. This led to Thomas fouling out in just 18 minutes.
Cavaliers who deserve shoutouts
Mario Hezonja
12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, 8 rebounds
The Cavs need someone to provide tertiary ball-handling, rebounding, and who thinks the game at a high level. Hezonja has consistently supplied that and did so again in Oklahoma City.
I’m not sure why Hezonja doesn’t get more minutes than he does, or see the floor in closing situations — especially in a game Jarrett Allen left with an injury. In this one, head coach Kenny Atkinson went with Tyrese Proctor (until he left with an injury) and then with Craig Porter Jr. Having a third guard makes sense for a team that struggles with ball pressure, but can’t Hezonja help with that in addition to supplying extra rebounding and shooting? I just don’t get it.
Tyrese Proctor
11 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Proctor performed well in his second career start. He provided some off-ball shooting and held his own defensively. That’s what you want to see from a second-year player who’s thrown into the starting lineup.
Tristan Enaruna
4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
An injury to Allen forced Enaruna into his first-ever rotation minutes, and he performed admirably. His size and energy on the defensive end were much needed on an evening the Cavs were severely lacking wing defenders due to injuries — even if he wasn’t necessarily perfect on that end.
The offensive numbers weren’t necessarily impressive. Enaruna went just 2-for-7 from the field, which included going 0-for-3 from distance. However, a couple of those threes went halfway down before popping back out.
Getting serviceable minutes from two-way players is more necessary than ever. Pace, offensive rebounding, and where defenders are picking up their offensive assignments are higher than ever. This has created more injuries. Throw in the second-apron restrictions, and it’s almost a necessity for teams to have two-way players (whose salaries don’t count against the cap) that can provide fill-in rotation minutes when needed.
This performance doesn’t mean Enaruna will be a mainstay in the rotation or anything like that, but it did show that he can provide playable minutes when called upon.
Mitchell was awesome down the stretch, it just came too little too late.
Quote of the day
“Dissapointed in our first quarter. Three quarers [were] really solid play, and you have one quarter where you’re not up to par. Like I said, the turnoves, the live-ball turnovers, they just get the other team going, and you know, it kind of snow balls.”
– Kenny Atkinson
The Cavs have struggled to stop the bleeding so far this year. There’s been one quarter, or extended stretch of play in each of their losses where they let go of the rope. That happened in the first quarter here, when they were beaten 37-20. Cleveland outscored Oklahoma City for each of the next three quarters, but that doesn’t matter much when you have a start like this.
Stat of the game
Only 20 of Cleveland’s 93 shots came at the rim (16th percentile).
The Cavs’ three-point volume and accuracy allowed them to have a slightly above league-average offensive output in this game. However, it’s nearly impossible to have a truly effective offense if you aren’t getting to the rim well. If you aren’t getting to the basket, you likely aren’t getting to the line either, which was an issue for the Cavs.
My takeaway from this game: The Cavs need the James Harden we saw in the second and third quarters
This game turned around when Harden did. There was a stretch from the end of the second quarter to the start of the third where Harden looked like the best version of himself for one of the few times this season.
Harden was up to his old tricks during that run. He was able to establish the three-point shot midway through the second quarter, which opened up the rest of his game. The threat of that shot caused defenders to bite too hard on step-backs and made them a step slow when he drove inside. This allowed Harden to be an effective playmaker at all three levels, which isn’t something he’s been able to do on command so far this campaign. He scored or assisted on 16 points during the Cavs’ 18-3 run at the start of the third quarter that allowed Cleveland to make this a moderately competitive game.
The Cavs’ success this year hinges on Harden’s, which is why things have been so rocky at the start. Harden has posted his career-worst free-throw rate and has struggled to hit anything inside 14 feet. This has handicapped his effectiveness and left him mostly an outside shooter.
Cleveland desperately needs the version of Harden we got a glimpse of here if they want to succeed against high-level teams. Or at the very least, they need that iteration if they’re going to be this isolation-heavy with both guards.
The entire offense is predicated on the guards drawing extra defenders to them. If they can do that, the kick-out threes open up, as do windows to get their bigs involved. Conversely, when they aren’t getting inside, the ball and player movement can stagnate. This leads to turnovers and settling for contested jump shots — as we’ve seen during Cleveland’s worst stretches.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: Manager Walt Weiss (22) of the Atlanta Braves and Tony Mansolino (r) watch the action from the dugout during the NLDS game 4 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on October 7, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Tate Southisene is rapidly becoming an extremely exciting prospect and it would not be a surprise if he was a consensus top 50 prospect in baseball to start 2027. That’s a fantastic return for what was a well-underslot pick in 2025 that enabled the team to go out and get prospects like Briggs McKenzie and Connor Essenberg in the later rounds, who are also looking extremely promising. Southisene becoming a top prospect in his own right while also enabling the acquisition of other top prospects is an absolute coup and seems to be the keystone to a very promising 2025 draft class for Atlanta.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 12: Austin Wynns #16 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the second inning of the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A serious bout of catcher injuries struck the Atlanta Braves during the first half of the season, and desperate times called for desperate measures. One of those measures, of the band-aid variety, ended up being Austin Wynns, who spent two weeks with the club in June and appeared in six games.
How Acquired
The Braves added Wynns in the middle of the season, while both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy were down with injuries. They sent cash considerations to the Angels in exchange for Wynns’ services, and designated longtime third-string catcher Chadwick Tromp in a corresponding move. The reasoning was a bit weird, though it was all meant to be a temporary fix anyway: Sandy Leon was getting the bulk of playing time anyway, so the Braves opted to acquire a backup-to-Leon instead of using Tromp in that role for whatever reason.
One silly thing about the Wynns acquisition is that the Braves kind of prompted it with their own DFA of Jonah Heim earlier in the season. The Athletics, who acquired Wynns in a midseason trade in 2025, DFAed him three days after trading for Heim. He was released and signed with the Angels, but didn’t get promoted to their big league team. Three weeks later, the Braves traded cash considerations (which is what they received for Heim) to Anaheim for Wynns.
What were the expectations?
There weren’t any real expectations, to be blunt.
Coming into 2026, the 35-year-old Wynns had a career 74 wRC+ that featured a pretty sizable xwOBA overperformance (.282 wOBA, .265 xwOBA) in 783 career PAs spanning parts of six major league seasons. He had never topped 180 PAs in a single season, nor 1.0 fWAR. He came kind of close in 2025 riding a massive xwOBA overperformance (.365 wOBA, .295 xwOBA), though. He also wasn’t highly regarded defensively, with just one good defensive year (2023) behind the plate and some substantially below-average performance in other seasons.
He wasn’t doing much of anything in 2026, either — a -47 wRC+ (yes, a negative sign) in 43 PAs in Sacramento before getting released. Basically, the Braves acquired a guy who had 0.6 career fWAR in 826 PAs at the big league level.
While it’s not entirely clear what the Braves were thinking in swapping Tromp for Wynns, it was a fairly inconsequential shuffle to try and survive until Baldwin and Murphy returned.
2026 results
Wynns was only with the Braves for two weeks, acquired on June 3, recalled on June 4, and granted free agency on June 16, the day after Baldwin returned from the Injured List.
During his time in Atlanta, he appeared in six games and was 1-for-14 at the plate. He had just one single and no walks, leaving him with a sad .071/.071/.071 slash line that was somehow even worse than his -47 wRC+ with the Athletics. In what would be his final game with the team, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Mets. It wasn’t much better behind the plate, where he allowed six stolen bases and didn’t throw a single runner out, and lost nearly a run of defensive value despite barely playing, even after accounting for the massive catcher positional adjustment. In total, he put up -0.3 fWAR in 14 PAs, which by far his worst stint-with-a-team-in-a-season of his career, small sample size and all.
At least the baseball gods threw him a bit of a bone: after he rejected the Braves’ outright assignment and became a free agent, he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, spent a month playing in their minor league system, and then got promoted for a month on the big league roster. In 32 PAs in Arlington, he somehow managed a .312 wOBA with a .195 xwOBA, and his defense improved-ish. All in all, Wynns finished 2026 with -0.7 fWAR in 89 PAs, but it would’ve been worse without that stint in the Lone Star State. The Rangers outrighted him in August, and he once again elected free agency, and spent the tail end of the season in the minors with the Cubs.
It wasn’t a fun season for Wynns, as he tied his career-worst in fWAR, had a sub-100 PA season for just the third time, and had a career-worst wRC+ (2).
What went right?
Per Statcast, his defense was commensurate with being in the 73rd percentile in blocks above average? That’s about the only good thing you can say for his season, and it’s largely negated by the fact that he was below average in caught stealing above average, framing and pop time.
In somewhat fitting fashion, Wynns’ “best” game as a Brave was the beginning of their downfall — that 6-5, extra-inning loss to the White Sox. Wynns’ hit was a one-out single that put runners on the corners on with one out while the Braves already had a one-run lead. They didn’t end up scoring in the frame, in part due to a fielder’s choice that threw the runner trying to go home out, and, well, you know how that game and the rest of June went for the Braves.
What went wrong?
Not to be harsh, but, pretty much everything. He wasn’t expected to be a plus bat but one could have at least hoped he could’ve improved on his -47 wRC+ from earlier in the year. That’s how you get a career-worst year.
If you had to pick a specific game from his six as a Brave, well, the day after that horrible loss to the White Sox, Wynns really faceplanted. He flew out with the bases loaded and two out in the second. Then he flew out with the go-ahead run on second and two out in the fourth. Then, after the leadoff man reached in the seventh and Wynns represented the tying run, he lined out. He didn’t get another chance in that game, as Eli White pinch-hit for him and drew a walk in the ninth, representing the tying run, but the Braves lost that game, 2-1.
2027 Outlook
With Wynns set to turn 36 in December, it seems quite possible this is the end of the road for his major league career. He may get another chance with a team if they pick up a rash of catcher injuries, but it’s hard to imagine that would be the Braves again. There are also enough catchers out there on the waiver wire that a guy who neither hits nor fields the catcher position particularly well doesn’t seem like anyone’s first choice, but… the Braves did deliberately acquire him last year, so you never know.
