Category: Basketball

Well, the Golden State Warriors wasted no time disappointing us all. After getting blown out in their season opener on Wednesday, the Dubs had their home opener on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies … and blew a 12-point lead with less than four minutes remaining, as they ceded a 17-0 run late in the fourth quarter en route to a 111-108 loss.

Ugly. No other word for it. Except maybe “inexcusable.”

And so, for the second time this year, it’s time to break out the red pen … and with it, a whole lot of negativity. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Last year, league-average TS was 58.1%.

Yaxel Lendeborg

38 minutes, 18 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 6 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-for-11 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 9-for-12 free throws, 55.3% TS, -9

At this point in a rookie season, performance is more about providing optimism for the future than judging one’s value provided in the present. Which plays in Lendeborg’s favor, because this was an extremely encouraging game for June’s No. 11 pick … but an up-and-down game in terms of current value.

You can see why Draymond Green anointed Lendeborg the next face of the franchise. It was an extremely Draymondian game: Yaxel played strong defense, dished out assists, violently attacked the glass, played with swagger and attitude, and attacked the hoop when the defense allowed it.

He also picked up another technical foul, giving him two in as many games to start his career. If Dray could design a player in the lab, it just might be Lendeborg.

This game was a sign of what to watch for this year. Are the Warriors going to be good? Unlikely. Are they going to be worth watching? Well, Lendeborg played 38 minutes, and he was a joy to watch. So there’s one reason to turn on the TV.

The turnovers and fouls were, I don’t want to say concerning, but a reminder of the learning curve that Lendeborg has to work with. But the rebounds and the craftiness with which he scored? Reasons to love the rookie already.

Grade: B+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds, tied for the team lead in assists.

Draymond Green

31 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 5 turnovers, 5 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 62.5% TS, -5

Green played well in the early going. He looked for his shot early and scored a few times, and did a phenomenal job initiating the offense.

But as the game wore on, it got ugly. After such a careful preseason, he was a turnover and foul machine in this game. The two-man game with Steph Curry was shocking ineffective. He picked up a technical foul in the second quarter, and then spent the rest of the game daring the officials to give him a second — and an accompanying ejection — and was beyond lucky that they didn’t follow through with it. And in the final seconds, with the ball in Curry’s hand and a chance to tie or take the lead, Green got called for a moving screen, effectively ending the game. And while Steve Kerr went ballistic over the call — and picked up a tech himself, which really did end any chances of winning the game — it was pretty clearly the right whistle.

Just an undisciplined game from someone who the Warriors rely on to be much better.

Grade: D+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.

Graham Ike

12 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 4-for-7 shooting, 2-for-2 threes, 71.4% TS, -16

In just his second career game, Ike — an undrafted rookie — got the start. He played pretty impressively, I thought. He wasn’t quick to shoot, as he was looking to set up teammates and run the system, but when he was left open he shot, and more often than not his shots went in. His passing was really impressive for a young center, and while he picked up a lot of fouls, as rookies are inclined to do, I liked what I saw from him on the defensive end.

It sure looks like Ike is going to end up playing a big role this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets converted to a standard contract at some point.

Grade: A-

Brandin Podziemski

33 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 7-for-17 shooting, 2-for-8 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.3% TS, 0 +/-

After playing all 82 games a year ago, Podziemski had to wait until the second game of the season to see the court. And while it was far from a flawless game, I thought he was a lot better than the box score suggests. It really looks to me like Podziemski is primed for a fourth-year breakout. He looked so balanced and patient on offense, as he waited for plays to develop. It really seems as though the game has slowed down for him.

Extra props to Podz for taking a huge hit to the face, heading to the locker room, and still returning to play the rest of the game.

Grade: B+

Steph Curry

30 minutes, 24 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 fouls, 5-for-15 shooting, 3-for-10 threes, 11-for-11 free throws, 60.5% TS, -4

Well … kind of just a game, for Curry. He’s one of the greatest players in NBA history, so his “just a games” are still pretty good. 24 points on above-average efficiency? Good! Four assists with no turnovers? Good!

But it still didn’t really feel like a true Curry game out there. He had a slow start, and while he exploded in the third quarter, he had nothing to offer in the fourth when the game was on the line. The Dubs did a lot to turn a deficit into a lead while Curry was on the pine, and then they did a lot to throw it all away when he came back in the game.

Was that his fault? No, but it wasn’t something he was able to stop, either. The Warriors were held scoreless for nearly four minutes to end the game — save for a pair of Lendeborg free throws with less than a second remaining, and the game decided — and they simply need more from Curry in those moments.

Grade: C+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Will Richard

3 minutes, 0 points, 1 steal, 0-for-1 shooting, 0.0% TS, +5

It appears that, for the time being, Richard is out of the rotation. He only played during the brief period where Podziemski had to be removed from the game due to injury. He played well in those minutes, but it was a short stint.

Grade: Incomplete

Georges Niang

13 minutes,4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-for-5 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 40.0% TS, +5

All I’ll say is that Niang deserves a better team than this. He can’t carry a bad team and make them good, but he makes the type of winning plays that show up huge for winning squads. So many little plays that just help the team. I loved what I saw from him out there in all phases of the game, even if the stats are pedestrian.

Grade: B+

Gary Payton II

11 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-for-6 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 58.3% TS, +6

Pretty solid minutes from GPII. Kind of similar to what I said about Niang: he makes winning plays that don’t necessarily get highlighted on a team struggling to win games, but really show up when on a quality team. He did a good job as the stopper on the red-hot Ty Jerome, which is a … a sentence.

Grade: B

Gui Santos

20 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-1 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 64.4% TS, +14

Kerr has been pretty open to the idea of Santos being a starter, but it sure feels like this is the role for him: coming off the bench, giving the team a boost of energy, and helping out all over the court, especially against the opposing team’s second unit. This was just a really good game for Gui: he played strong defense, made hustle plays throughout, kept the offense humming with passes and shots, and attacked the glass. Good stuff.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team

De’Anthony Melton

20 minutes, 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4-for-6 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 83.3% TS, -17

Melton played so much better in the second game of the season than he did in the first, but there were still some holes in his performance. His defense looks really rough right now, and he’s not really setting people up the way we’ve come to expect. His offense was a much-needed boost, and the Dubs will have to rely on that all year long, but the rest of his game still looks a little bit like it’s in preseason mode.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team

Brandon Williams

9 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-5 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 34.0% TS, +8

Williams didn’t play well, but I’m still a little confused as to why he played fewer than 10 minutes. He can be an offensive spark plug, though he’s not a good enough shooter to rely so heavily on his outside shot. He needs to be attacking the rim relentlessly.

Grade: C-

Al Horford

19 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 50.0% TS, -2

A solid, if not particularly noteworthy game for Horford. He protected the paint, with a nice amount of blocks and rebounds for his minutes total, while not making any mistakes, and dropping in a three. Just played solid basketball.

Grade: B-

Friday’s DNP-CDs: LJ Cryer, Malevy Leons

Friday’s inactives: Charles Bassey, Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porziņģis

LOS ANGELES — As Walker Kessler gazed up and down the box score at the podium in the middle of his postgame presserfollowing the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-117 win over the crosstown Clippers, something caught his attention and stopped him mid-answer.

“Oh geez,” he said, “we had a lot of steals, man. That’s crazy.”

Kessler has been everything the Lakers hoped so far, including anchoring a defense that nabbed 13 steals on Friday, three of those from him. It’s been two games and Kessler has already made his statistical mark on the storied Los Angeles franchise.

In his debut against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, he became the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 from the field in a game, making it the second-best shooting performance in franchise history. Two days later, he became the eighth Laker to ever record six blocks and three steals in a game, according to Stathead.

Of course, in his rim-protecting nature, he deflected the opportunity to recognize himself among some of the best players to ever play for the Lakers… by turning the compliment on them.

“I mean, it’s definitely an honor,” Kessler said of the stat. “It’s kind of crazy that there have been seven guys who have done it before. But, I know there’s some absolute legends in the Lakers franchise — definitely an honor.”

The presumed-lowly Clippers scored 64 points in the first half, matching the Lakers and holding onto the lead for much of it. There was potential for the game to get completely out of LAL’s hands if it weren’t for Kessler’s floor-raising defensive ability.

The Clippers were getting whatever they wanted in the non-Kessler minutes. Brook Lopez made eight of his first nine shots in the first half, feasting on the heavy-stepped Kevon Looney and undersized Sandro Mamukelashvili.

But out of the locker room, things changed, in part thanks to Kessler.

“That third quarter, I don’t know what his stats ended up being, it just felt like Walker was everywhere in that third,” JJ Redick said postgame. “[He] really was a huge spark for us getting this win. … There were multiple times [in the game] where it felt like they had a layup and he either came over and blocked the shot or created an altered shot.”

A pivotal moment in the third quarter came with 4:30 left and the Lakers up 86-76, amidst a 9-0 run, where Clippers guard Darius Garland drove by Luka Dončić and drew help from Quentin Grimes before dumping it off to Derrick Jones Jr. in the dunker spot. Jones Jr. elevated above Dončić and Grimes, sure he had an easy bucket, only to get his shot swatted off the glass by Kessler.

The Lakers corralled the rebound and Austin Reaves hit an above-the-break 3-pointer, adding to what was a stellar offensive night, totaling 28 points and nine assists on 10-for-13 shooting.

Kessler was just as dominant on the offensive end, his 22 points on 10-for-14 from the field — yes, he’s capable of missing shots — brings his two-game season total to 48 points on 84.6% shooting. Between the dunks he gets rolling to the basket, rim running in transition or following up a missed shot, the 25-year-old is getting some of the easiest buckets of his life.

And yet, his defense is what is lifting the Lakers in these games.

“He’s a fantastic basketball player,” Redick continued on Kessler, “And I think he’ll continue to get better. That was one of the reasons that we wanted him and he was so appealing to us, it was because of his age and feeling like the fit with our two stars was really good.

“Someone that can continue to grow and become just a fantastic player in the NBA.”

SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Warriors collapsed against the Memphis Grizzlies in the final three minutes Friday night. Memphis closed on a 17-2 run and won 111-108 at the Chase Center.

Coming off a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors looked like a team itching for home cooking. Golden State was welcomed by a sellout crowd in its home opener. The roaring crowd was ecstatic for the return of Warriors basketball, but instead they really got the return of former Warriors guard Ty Jerome, who finished with a game-high 28 points.

The game had a bizarre ending after Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer hit the go-ahead field goal with 19.7 seconds left. Warriors guard Stephen Curry answered right back with a fadeaway 3-pointer. However, it was waved off after an illegal screen was called on Draymond Green.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was furious with the call and was assessed a technical foul as the Grizzlies sealed the deal.

"I thought we had a couple of bad breaks," Kerr said. "We probably had six illegal screens tonight. Those were really tough because the flopping that was happening on every single one. It looked like guys were going down like they'd been hit by a car or something. It's difficult when you're setting a screen and you see that and the refs are calling it over and over."

A packed sports weekend in Austin tipped off Friday night with the San Antonio Spurs delivering a stronger overall performance but falling short in a 114–110 loss to the Houston Rockets at Moody Center. The gave the Spurs their second straight loss after they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their season opener on Tuesday.

“We haven’t been sharp, so I really commend the group tonight. I thought our competitiveness and our effort was A-plus,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. “It was good to see that our habits had improved since game one. But we have to keep putting the energy into that stuff.”

Victor Wembanyama rebounded from a poor outing on Tuesday to score 25 points on 9-21 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds, and two blocks. With San Antonio trailing by two, the Spurs called timeout to draw up the last play. De’Aaron Fox found Wemby inside, but as he turned to shoot, Amen Thompson made a game-sealing block to win the game for Houston.

De’Aaron Fox continues to look healthy as ever since arriving in San Antonio, finishing with 19 points, nine assists, and two steals. Dylan Harper turned it on in the second half as he scored 20 points on 53 percent shooting. Stephon Castle added 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

“I feel like we have a lot of lapses on defense. I raise my hand to that. I feel like I, and the team, we’ve all got to get better,” Harper said.

After the game, Wembanyama was asked if he would do anything different on that final shot.

“I would have dunked,” he replied.

San Antonio had no answer for Alperen Sengun, who finished with 29 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Coach Johnson threw everyone from Wemby to Luke Kornet, but the Turkish center was on a mission and could not be stopped. Kevin Durant and Thompson each added 20 for the Rockets, who improved to 2-0 to start the young season.

Still, despite the winless start to the season for the Spurs, they still remain confident.

“As the season goes on, we’re going to get more comfortable playing with different lineups that are out there. And I feel like when we get deeper in the season, I think we’re going to look like a completely different team,“ Harper said.

Game Notes

• Victor Wembanyama may have rebounded from a poor season opener, but there is something still off about his start to the season. He is shooting 10-for-34 through two games, including 2-for-10 (20%) from three-point range. After his postseason last season, I was expect better from him to begin the new campaign.
• While fans may question the three-guard lineup, it is proving to be successful. It was the biggest positive factor in Tuesday’s loss for the Spurs, and Friday saw Harper, Fox, and Castle combine for 54 points.
• Luke Kornet has had his struggles to start the season, which is a cause for some caution. He has not looked the same since the Western Conference Finals.
• No Cooper Flagg for the Mavericks tomorrow. This might be the best chance for San Antonio to get a win on the opening week.

It’s been a long, long time since the Lakers have had a defense like the one they appear to have this season. With the caveat of it just being the second game of the season, the 26 turnovers forced against the Clippers were more than they forced in any game last season.

Pair that with the 16 turnovers forced against the Warriors in the first game — nine of those coming in the third quarter — and the Lakers have a defense that can swarm teams and create chaos. That’s not been a quality of the Lakers’ defense in recent seasons, or for a long time, really.

It lets them not only disrupt the opponent’s offense but also get easy buckets. They scored 33 points on those 26 turnovers and took more shots in the first three quarters, even while shooting 61% from the field. If it’s a trend that continues, these Lakers will be able to get out and run and be a particularly fun team this season.

And for those wondering, yes, I did completely forget about these articles throughout the preseason and opening game of the year. But we’re back and you can yell at me all you want now.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Matisse Thybulle

23 minutes, 13 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-8 FG, 3-6 3PT, +13

Thybulle showed off a no-dip 3-pointer in the preseason and apparently fell in love with it because I’m not sure he dipped on any of his six 3-point attempts tonight.

Grade: B+

Ziaire Williams

30 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 fouls, 5-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-3 FT +9

It was a great showing on both ends from Williams. He gives the Lakers as athletic a wing as they’ve had in years. His ability to hound players defensively also is something the team hasn’t had from someone that size in a long time either.

Grade: A-

Walker Kessler

34 minutes, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 6 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 10-14 FG, 2-5 FT +18

A truly awful performance from Kessler as he only shoots 71.4% from the field and not a perfect 100%.

Jokes aside, he’s truly revolutionized this offense. It’s immediately clear why the team wanted him and, even then, he’s been in the 100th percentile of outcomes through two games. What a start to his Lakers career.

Grade: A

Austin Reaves

38 minutes, 28 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 4 fouls, 10-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, 5-6 FT, +14

A big second half from Reaves not only helped the Lakers create some cushion after being tied at halftime, but also was necessary with Luka struggling. Nearly half of his points came in that third quarter where LA went ahead by as many as 14. Then it was Austin who got the big basket late to calm things down late in the game.

Grade: A-

Luka Dončić

37 minutes, 23 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 11 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-21 FG, 2-8 3PT, 5-7 FT, +10

A bit of a deceptive scoreline from Luka as he never really had his rhythm in this one. He started the game 2-10 from the field and didn’t have Yaxel Lendeborg to fire him up. Then, in the fourth, he turned the ball over four times and while they weren’t all his fault, he was at the center of the Clippers comeback, and not in a good way.

Grade: C+

Quentin Grimes

30 minutes, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, +2

It’ll be interesting to see how much longer Grimes will stay out of the starting lineup. Perhaps head coach JJ Redick is committed to the starting lineup, which is fine so far. But Grimes did close the game on Friday, so he has a lot of trust, too.

Grade: B+

Sandro Mamukelashvili

23 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 3-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, -8

Mamu has taken a step back in the regular season after riding a high through the preseason. It’s still early, so there’s nothing to worry about yet.

On Friday, though, his defensive shortcomings were noticeable. The Lakers played him at the five and the Clippers spread the floor out and drove by him multiple times.

Grade: B-

Collin Sexton

16 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls 2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, -9

Sexton’s long-awaited debut was a mixed bag at best. Predictably, he looked rusty and like someone who missed the whole preseason. He had flashes of what could come, including a nice drive and drop-off to Kessler for a dunk.

Grade: C-

Kevon Looney

He only played four minutes, but it’s pretty clear that he’ll be unplayable most nights. Redick didn’t have him play a shift in the second half, opting for a Mamu-at-center lineup instead.

JJ Redick

A solid game from Redick, who did a good job of finding the right combinations. He quickly pulled out of playing Looney and went to Grimes to close after a solid game.

Grade: B+

Friday’s DNPs: Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, AK Okereke, Jarred Vanderbilt

Friday’s inactives: Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia, Chris Mañon

Surprise, surprise: the Golden State Warriors just blew another lead to lose another heartbreaker of a game, a disasterclass of epic proportions. Truth be told, however, with how they’ve been playing the past couple of seasons, we should all have seen this coming.

To add insult to injury, the Warriors will have to fly to Phoenix right away for their second night of a back-to-back slate against the Suns. The immediate question following that situation: Will the Warriors’ 38-year-old superstar play on that back end of the slate?

Steph Curry himself provided that answer — and it didn’t bring hopes up that the Warriors could rebound from the loss.

Steph Curry said he "probably" won’t play tomorrow in Phoenix in the Warriors’ first back-to-back of the season. Plans to talk to training staff, but clear they are easing him into the season.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2026

This decision was made with the intention of easing Curry into the season and hopefully prolonging his ability to play meaningful minutes as the season progresses. However, starting the season 0-2 — and in all likelihood, 0-3 after tomorrow night — means that anything of meaning from this season is quickly starting to slip from the team’s grasp.

Well, it sure didn’t take long for the Dallas Mavericks (1-1) to find their first back-to-back of the season, did it?

After a night game in Indianapolis against the Pacers (1-1) on Friday night, the Mavs head to Dallas for the home opener against the San Antonio Spurs (0-2). Dallas pulled off a 121-105 upset over Indiana on Friday night.

However, the scoreboard is secondary to the main news of the night, as Cooper Flagg left the game with a shoulder injury just before halftime. The injury, which was termed “shoulder soreness” by Mavs PR, figures to hold Flagg out of the home opener on Saturday night. Head coach Dusty May said after the game that Flagg, who had 17 points, five boards and six assists in just 17 minutes on Friday, will be evaluated over the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Spurs fell to 0-2 after a four-point loss to the Houston Rockets at the Moody Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. The schedule has seen them play two pre-season contenders in the West, but no one in San Antonio would’ve expected an 0-2 start after last year’s NBA Finals trip. Urgency to avoid a three-game skid will be high for the reigning Western Conference champs.

A complicating factor here is the travel. With both teams on the butt end of a back-to-back, and Dallas traveling quite a ways from Indiana, we could see a bit of rest and workload management by both squads. Dallas will certainly get a boost with this game being the home opener, but this Spurs team is still awfully tough to beat. As you get ready for tipoff, here’s a couple things you should be aware of.

Victor’s vengeance

After shooting an abysmal 1-for-13 against the Thunder on opening night, Wembanyama didn’t get much of a reprieve on the physicality and defensive intensity against the Rockets. Well, the Mavericks do not present near the level of physical or tactical defensive challenge that those two teams did.

Wemby has found success against Dallas in the past. Last year, Wembanyama went off for 40 points against Dallas twice, scoring 29 in another meeting. I expect the Frenchman to have a lot of success in this matchup.

Who joins the fray?

Flagg picked right back up where he left off last season in the opener, scoring 32 points on a very good Rockets defense. The issue for the Mavericks in that contest was a complete lack of help from everyone not named Marcus Sasser. In game two, Flagg was his usual self before getting knocked out of the game, but others stepped up enough to hold the fort down.

Now, seemingly without Flagg, where does Dallas go for production? Does Kyrie Irving play in this game, give it’s the second night of a back-to-back? Can some of the vets who have gotten off to slow starts get a bit of flow going at home? Will these Mavericks be able to guard anyone at all? It’ll be an interesting test for the depth that Dallas has accrued.

The Kyrie of it all

If Irving is indeed a go in this one, it should be a wonderful reception for now the longest tenured Maverick. Irving hasn’t seen the floor in a regular season game in Dallas since he tore his ACL against the Kings in March of 2025. Now 19 months later, he’ll make his return. Regardless of how he plays or how the Mavericks do, this will be a big moment for him and I expect that it will feel that way as well.

How to watch

Standard operating procedures are in place for this contest. KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV or NBA League Pass will have the coverage, depending on where you are viewing from. Tip between the Mavs and Spurs is slated for 7 p.m.

Put Wednesday night’s embarrassing 20 point drubbing in Memphis down to first night jitters, a team still finding its offensive and defensive chemistry, and an other worldly performance by Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome. Friday night’s home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans gave the Utah Jazz the chance to regroup in the friendly confines of the Delta Center. And regroup they did behind double doubles from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George, and the raucous roar of the home fans.

Ace Bailey got the start after an impactful 24 minutes off the bench on Wednesday night, especially on the defensive end. But it was Jaxson Hayes, entering the game after the Pelicans scored their first 12 points in the paint, who set the defensive tone in the first quarter. Keyonte George ran the point like an experienced floor general, getting both Markkanen and Jackson involved early, and firing a left hand heat seeking missile to Hayes for a dunk.

The Jazz led 31-28 after the first quarter and used their aggressive defense to stifle the Pelicans and extend their lead to 10 in the second. Jackson and Markkanen both had double figures by the break, Darren Peterson eclipsed his nine point outing in Memphis and Keyonte tallied 7 assists. Hayes in just 10 minutes off the bench hadn’t missed a shot, scoring 10 points and amassing 1 assist, 2 rebounds and a block as the Jazz took a 10 point lead into the locker room.

The Pelicans clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter, using a 19-5 run to tie the game at 73. The Jazz caught the turnover bug and struggled from the free throw line, going into the fourth quarter down 90-86.

The Jazz used scrappy defense and the Pelicans’ fouls to retake the lead with 7:24 left (101-100). Keyonte extended the lead to 5 with a three pointer. From that point on it was a back and forth affair, leading to Dejounte Murray’s last second shot, which careened off the rim to Jaren Jackson Jr.

The win certainly wasn’t perfect—the Jazz had 18 turnovers, many of them in the third quarter, and struggled at times from the free throw line—but the team’s defense and ball movement were greatly improved. And the fight the team showed when faced with adversity bodes well for the tough game on Sunday versus Walker Kessler and the Lakers.

Victor Wembanyama is listed at 7-foot-4. He is — unquestionably — one of the supremely gifted players, especially around the rim.

Amen Thompson is 6-foot-7, though — to be sure — a freak athlete.

Yet, with the game on the line with five seconds left to play and the San Antonio Spurs trailing by two, Wembanyama called for the ball in the post. He had the size advantage on Thompson, who was, at this point, holding his own. But Wembanyama received the ball and spun in one motion, extending the ball with his long arms toward the rim.

It looked, quite comfortably, that the game was about to be tied.

But Thompson leapt up and met Wembanyama’s sweeping layup attempt and swatted away the ball to preserve the Houston Rockets lead.

It’s not often Wembanyama gets blocked, but in this matchup between two of the game’s best defenders, it was the shorter Thompson who sealed Houston’s 114-110 victory.

🚨 AMEN THOMPSON GAME-SAVING BLOCK ON WEMBY 😳😤 pic.twitter.com/ML75CaYMhJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 24, 2026

The block lifted the Rockets to a perfect 2-0 record to start the season, while simultaneously sinking the Spurs to 0-2.

Thompson played a stellar game, scoring 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting, adding 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Wembanyama struggled from the floor, shooting 9-of-21, though he finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rockets' Amen Thompson blocks Victor Wembanyama at rim in final seconds as Spurs fall to 0-2

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum used most of his postgame press conference to clear the air Friday night. After knocking down three clutch shots in the final two minutes against the Knicks at TD Garden, Tatum addressed his former teammate Jaylen Brown.

On Thursday night, after Brown and the 76ers mounted a 29-point comeback against the Cavaliers, he took to Instagram to comment “cap” under a video clip from Tatum’s ‘Summer of Jayson’ docuseries. In the video, Tatum recalled being stunned by the news that Boston had traded Brown, his longtime teammate of nine seasons, to Philadelphia on July 1.

Brown seemingly wasn’t convinced, using the modern-day slang term, which means an exaggeration or lie.

Tatum, in response, wishes to bury the online speculation as soon as possible and move on.

“I understand we in the entertainment business,” Tatum said after Friday night’s 107-104 win over the Knicks. “Me personally, I’m not much of an off-the-court entertainment type of guy. For me, I don’t have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him.”

In the finale of Tatum’s docuseries, he claimed he was in Las Vegas during the time of the trade. Tatum explained how Celtics player development coach God Shammgod Jr. broke the news to him and that Philadelphia being the destination for Brown caught him “off guard,” as much as anyone else.

That leaves a lot on the table to be speculated.

Tatum shared a goodbye message to Brown on Instagram, two days after the blockbuster. Communication between the two stayed under wraps for months, opening the door for uninformed conclusions. Neither of the two spoke out about their split at length, with Brown keeping his answers vague on media day in Philadelphia, and Tatum briefly addressing it at the Auerbach Center during Boston’s media day.

When the Celtics hosted the Sixers in the preseason over a week ago in Boston, Tatum and Brown warmed up at the same time — on direct opposite ends of the court. When the two were done, they made no direct eye contact, didn’t greet each other, and headed to their respective players’ tunnels as if to avoid one another.

The two presumably have yet to speak since the trade, although Tatum claims he made several attempts shortly after Boston pulled the trigger to speak to Brown.

In fact, Tatum is still open to having that discussion with Brown whenever the 2024 NBA Finals MVP is ready.

“I reached out to him the day he got traded,” Tatum shared. “I called him. I texted him. And I understand people process things differently. So for me, at this point in our lives, we’re too old to be having our relationship discussed, X, Y, and Z, on the internet. There’s a conversation to be had. We can definitely have that conversation. I’m hoping that.”

In the meantime, Tatum looks forward to getting back to basketball as usual, minus the theatrics. That day is still a ways off, as Brown won’t return to Boston for his first regular-season matchup against Tatum and the Celtics until Jan. 21, 2027. The two will first cross paths in Philadelphia on Nov. 10, with three more matchups scheduled for later in the season: Jan. 21 in Boston, Feb. 7 in Philadelphia and March 7 in Boston.

“I see all these things about ‘Get your popcorn ready when they play,’” Tatum said. “Like, this ain’t no f*cking boxing match. We play basketball. Again, there’s no animosity. There’s no beef. I just hate the way that the conversation, the narrative around it, went.”

Using Tatum and Brown as segment and online topic fodder was a constant all summer long. On talk shows, online blogs, and endlessly on social media, jumping to conclusions without hearing from either Tatum or Brown directly became the most worn-out offseason subject.

Still, Tatum might not have a full scope of Brown’s feelings or perspective on the trade. But that’s for them to discuss both privately and on their time.

“I think a conversation would solve or put out a lot of fires,” Tatum said.

Tatum and Brown spent nearly a decade together, leading the Celtics to five Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals and a championship. Being the lone superstar in Boston now, Tatum would prefer those moments be what overrule the dialogue surrounding both him and Brown rather than rumored bad blood.

“All of y’all saw us grow up and all that we accomplished, and I don’t want that to be in the rearview mirror of what’s being talked about when it pertains to us two,” Tatum said. “It should be celebrated. You know how many people played in this league and never went to the Finals? We went twice and won a championship. So it should be more about that. This ain’t no f*cking Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef. It’s not about that.”

First off, I am working a music festival this weekend and missed last night’s game in Austin. Don’t spoil it for me. I hope to watch the game after this evening’s festivities.

In the meantime, there was an interesting post on social media. Got to give it up to the algorithm. This came across my daily feed recently.

Reminded me of Rick Berry’s underhand free throws:

Of course Spurs can’t forget Jeremy Sochan’s attempt to raise his free thorw shooting percentage:

No matter the style, every player has a distinct form to their shot. Well, almost every player.

Spurs are in Dallas tonight for their third rivalry match in a row. First OKC, then Houston, and finally their I-35 rival. I’ll miss this one too, so hopefully there will be lots of good to talk about tomorrow.

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The Lakers appeared to be on their way to almost being whole Friday night when guard Collin Sexton returned to play for the first time this season. Then word came that key role player Jake LaRavia was out because of an ankle injury.

Still, the Lakers pressed on in their second game, against the crosstown rival Clippers, a game with meaning for both teams.

Though the Lakers were sloppy with the ball in the fourth quarter, having six players score in double figures helped them pull out a 125-117 win over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

Austin Reaves led the way with 28 points and nine assists, but he had six turnovers. Luka Doncic had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but he had 11 of the Lakers’ 21 turnovers.

Walker Kessler was a force again, scoring 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking six shots.

The Lakers led by 15 points in the second half after the score was tied at halftime, but kept turning the ball over and saw the lead sliced to six with three minutes and 18 seconds left on a basket by Darius Garland, who finished with 26 points.

Read more:How the Lakers' Luka Doncic went from 'Wonder Boy' to 'The Man'

But Kessler played big in the final few minutes, making two free throws and blocking a shot late in the game.

Kessler opened the game with his defensive presence. He stole the basketball and took it the length of the court for a two-handed dunk in the first quarter.

Kessler blocked a shot by Derrick Jones Jr., leading to a three-pointer by Reaves for an 89-77 Lakers lead in the third quarter.

Kessler then went to work on the boards, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring on a reverse layup while being fouled by Brook Lopez. Kessler flexed and yelled. He missed the free throw, but his basket had given the Lakers a 91-77 in the third quarter and it kept their momentum going.

Kessler kept up his fantastic play in the fourth quarter, challenging a shot on defense by Rui Hachimura and then running on the fast break to catch a lob from Reaves for a two-handed dunk and a 15-point Lakers lead.

It was also the return of Hachimura, who spent 3 ½-seasons with the Lakers before joining the Clippers this summer on a two-year, $28-million deal. The well-liked Hachimura was shown just how much when the Lakers played highlights from when he played with them.

Hachimura had 12 points at the half, doing his part to help the Clippers stay at 64-64.

Before the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke glowingly of how Hachimura played during the preseason for the Clippers.

“They’re running a lot of the same stuff for Rui that they ran for PG [Paul George] and at times Kawhi [Leonard],” Redick said. “He’s playing free and he’s playing ultra-aggressive right now.”

With three minutes and 52 seconds left in the first quarter, Sexton checked into the game, and his first play was a steal.

Sexton missed the first regular-season game and five exhibition games because of lower leg injury. He played 16 minutes and had five points and three steals.

Etc.

LaRavia didn’t play because of a sprained right ankle. LaRavia played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his career. His goal was to play in all 82 this season, but he’s already missed his first game and might not be available to play until Sunday at Utah or Tuesday at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

“We talked last week and mentioned that was one of his goals for the season. He had the same goal last year and he was able to do that,” Redick said. “Play through some stuff at times last year. Wanted to play. We talked to him this morning before shootaround and I was going to try to give it a go and went to the treatment room and just it’s not there, but he’s hopeful he could be back Sunday, if not Tuesday.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

For a significant chunk of Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, it looked like ghosts of the Lakers’ past – in the form of Clippers forward Rui Hachimura and center Brook Lopez – were going to be the reasons for their first loss.

Especially with their superstar guard Luka Doncic struggling to find an offensive rhythm.

But fellow star guard Austin Reaves showed why the franchise invested the big bucks in him over the summer, providing his team with a spark en route to a 125-117 victory to put the Lakers at 2-0 early in the season.

With the game tied at 64 at halftime, and the Lakers struggling to create separation, taking a small 73-72 lead early in the third, Reaves took matters into his own hands, sparking a 16-4 run that was the difference in the game.

The run started with Reaves converting a tough, physical layup over Isaiah Jackson before assisting Walker Kessler for an alley-oop dunk and Matisse Thybulle on a corner 3-pointer. 

From there, Reaves took over, scoring the game’s next nine points to put the Lakers up 89-76 after a pull-up 3 for the team’s largest lead of the game at the time. 

Reaves scored 13 points in the third, in addition to 3 assists, for nearly half of his scoring total (28 points). 

The Lakers nearly squandered Reaves’ run, allowing the Clippers to cut their lead to 120-113 late in the fourthm but they never relinquished the lead.

Kessler had 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 3 steals and 3 steals. 

Doncic finished with 23 points (8-of-21 shooting), 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. 

Reaves was once again ultra-efficient, shooting 10 of 13 from the field (3 of 5 on 3s, 5 of 6 on free throws) to go with 9 assists for the game. 

Lopez had 22 points and 4 rebounds off the bench, while Hachimura had 16 points and 6 rebounds against his former team. 

Darius Garland led the Clippers with 26 points and 6 assists.

After leading by double digits for much of the second half, the Lakers had to hang on late for a win over the Clippers on Friday, 125-117.

The purple and gold took control of the game in the third period and looked set to cruise to a win before the other team in Los Angeles used its defense to make a run and get back into the contest.

Some timely points from Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves down the stretch helped fend off the visitors as the Lakers picked up their second win of the season.

Both teams got off to a slow start with turnovers and missed shots, until Reaves got the Lakers on the board first with a floater down the lane. Kessler had an impressive sequence in which he stole the ball and took it all the way for a dunk. 

Kris Dunn had five of the Clippers’ first seven points. 

Everyone in the starting lineup for the Lakers, except for Luka Dončić, scored in the opening minutes. Former Laker Rui Hachimura drained his first triple of the game. It was followed by Reaves knocking down one of his own. 

Luka was on the receiving end of an alley-oop and laid it in for his first points of the quarter, forcing a Clippers timeout. Collin Sexton checked in for his first minutes as a Laker. The Clippers ended the first on an 11-3 scoring run, to give them a four-point lead. 

Brook Lopez entered double figures with 15 points to start the second period. The Lakers had no answer for him as he scored eight easy points early in the quarter. Kessler was now also in double figures with 10 points.

At the 9:38 mark, the Clippers were up by eight. 

Quentin Grimes drained two triples, helping the Lakers erupt for an 11-2 scoring run. Ziaire Williams was fouled from behind the arc and converted on all three free throws. After a midrange jumper from Luka, the Lakers were up by one. 

Hachimura and Luka had a fun exchange of triples for their teams. The rest of the half was very evenly matched with their offense and turning the ball over. 

It was a tied game at halftime. 

Darius Garland converted on a jumper for the Clippers early in the third period. Matisse Thybulle responded with a layup on the other end for the Lakers. After Hachimura nailed another triple, the purple and gold exploded with seven straight points, putting them up five.

Reaves was up to 17 points and Kessler now had 14 points. Thybulle drained yet another 3-pointer, pushing his point total to 10 points. The entire Lakers starting lineup was in double figures. 

Reaves then proceeded to score four in a row, leading to a Clippers timeout. 

Out of the break, the Clippers turned the ball over. On the other end, Reaves scored on a midrange jumper. He also knocked down a triple, giving him 26 points to lead the team in scoring. 

Lopez once again helped make the game a close affair, adding to his big night of 22 points. The Lakers, though, still had the upper hand and were leading by 13 at the end of the third.

The final frame began with Gradey Dick scoring on a layup for the Clippers. The Lakers were turning the ball over and struggling to find shots until Sexton scored on a triple. Keaton Wagler started heating up for the Clippers, scoring five points.

Sexton and Kessler then scored a combined four points to put the Lakers up by 15 with 8:12 left. Garland cut into the deficit with five points. After a layup by Derrick Jones Jr., it was an 11-point game.

Both teams struggled with turnovers, the Clippers having 24 and the Lakers 17. The Clippers nearly had an opportunity to cut the deficit to single digits, but they turned the ball over.

At the 4:21 mark, the purple and gold were up by 10. 

The Lakers were suddenly in nervous time as the Clippers scored four in a row, inching ever so closer. With 2:36 left, it was a six-point game. The Lakers were on a two-minute scoring drought. 

Kessler was fouled and converted on both free throws, putting the team up by eight. Both teams fumbled two possessions before Reaves scored off the backboard for two to snap a long drought.

The Clippers then scored four in a row, making it a six-point game with 53 seconds left. Grimes was fouled and converted on both free throws. The Lakers were able to get enough stops to hold on for the win. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 23 points and seven assists. Reaves ended with 28 points and nine assists. Kessler pitched in with 22 points, eight rebounds, three steals and six blocks.

Williams had 14 points with five rebounds. Grimes logged 13 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Sandro Mamukelashvili notched seven points with five rebounds and two assists.

In his Lakers debut, Sexton scored five points, grabbed three steals and dished two dimes. Thybulle ended with 13 points. 

The Lakers’ next game will be against the Utah Jazz on Sunday at 2:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The Spurs looked better in their second game of the regular season than they did in the first, but it was still not good enough against a Houston Rockets club that is whole and healthy again. It was a physical game with a playoff atmosphere throughout. The Rockets led by as much as 11 while the Spurs stayed close but never could go on any kind of game-changing run or make their free throws. Despite only leading by one a few times and usually ceding it on the next possession on their way to a 110-114 loss, they still had a chance to tie or send it to overtime, but Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama’s game-tying attempt to end any hope.

Wemby had a decent bounce-back game with 25 points and 13 rebounds on 9-21 from the field, but he can still be much better. All four other staters scored in double figures for the Spurs, led by 20 points from Dylan Harper and 19 from De’Aaron Fox. Alperen Sengun was a force down low on his way to 29 points, and Kevin Durant and Thompson added 20 apiece.

Observations

• If you visited the Game Thread you saw this already, but I’m not a fan of one of the Austin games being against an in-state rival. It feels like lost revenue for a surefire sellout at home, a homecoming of sorts for Kevin Durant, and an invitation for something closer to a neutral crowd. Sure enough, when Sengun hit the first bucket of the game, the roar was relatively loud for the “away” team. Not as loud as the home crowd, obviously, but louder than it probably would have been in San Antonio.
• Another game, another scuffle involving Fox, although this time he did nothing to warrant it. In the first quarter, he went flying by and fouled Durant to prevent a lay-up. Durant held his face before getting up and angrily walking towards Fox, but replay showed nothing malicious. If anything touched Durant’s face, it was the ball as Fox blocked it. Ultimately nothing happened — no techs, no video review, just normal free throws — but Durant may look back and realize he overreacted.
• It didn’t take long for Wemby to double his total number of field goals from Game 1, hitting 2-3 in his first stint on the floor: an alley-oop from Stephon Castle and a tip-in dunk. He also hit two of his first four threes. He admitted after the season opener that he was thinking and trying too hard, and he looked looser in this game.
• The Spurs almost never led in the first half and appeared headed towards another second quarter meltdown when they quickly got down by 11 points with the Rockets owning all the momentum, but the defense kept them in it while the offense recomposed itself and gradually chipped away at the lead. A flurry from Wemby got them their first lead of the quarter on an and-one alley-oop with 23 seconds left, but a VanVleet buzzer-beater three gave it back to the Rockets at halftime, 61-59.
• The entire game was physical, but the Spurs started growing visibly frustrated with the officiating in the second and third quarters, as the refs seemed to be allowing a lot more contract from the Rockets defense than the Spurs’. But that wasn’t why the Spurs briefly found themselves down by double digits again in the third. Turnovers were a problem, especially for Fox, who had two of his five getting stripped at the top of the key for open Rockets lay-ups.
• The non-Wemby minutes were mostly rough, especially with Luke Kornet struggling to contain Sengun, but the Spurs still managed to go on a run with him resting midway through the fourth quarter to briefly retake the lead riding the momentum of Castle. Wemby re-entered with 4:30 left and the Rockets up 2, and by then Sengun had found a rhythm and was pounding inside for buckets and fouls no matter who was guarding him. He even managed to draw a foul on Wemby by heading him in the mouth (it’s always amusing when the bleeding player is the one who committed the foul, but the Spurs were out of challenges).
• The Spurs still had a chance to win or send it to overtime with the ball out of a timeout with 5 seconds left. Whether by design or otherwise, Fox faked the fadeaway three before heaving it Wemby near the basket, but with his momentum taking him low and away from the basket, his attempt was blocked by Thompson, and VanVleet hit two free throws to seal it for good with 0.6 sec left. Free throws were ultimately the Spurs’ downfall in this game, with the Rockets hitting 28-31 compared to their 18-25.
• The Spurs drop to 0-2 to start the season, but at least they’re joined by the defending champions. When was the last time the two finalists started the next season 0-2? (I tried asking Google, and it called it “rare”, which to me implies it has happened before, but it only gave 2026 as an example, and it’s too late for me to care enough to dig deeper.)

Up next: Saturday at Dallas Mavericks, 7:00 PM CT

(It doesn’t feel right having a back-to-back with travel with tip-off times less than 23 hours apart no matter how close the games technically are to each other.)