Category: Basketball

While rocketing toward the top of the league, the Lakers have been far from perfect. That’s good news to them.

“A big thing that we talk with our players about a lot is being able to learn and get better and try to correct things even when you are winning,” coach JJ Redick said.

The Lakers (11-2) have won seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. PST matinee against the Suns (5-6) in Phoenix.

Using a rare multiple-day break between games to audit their performances, coaches and analytics staffers showed slide presentations to players about both offensive and defensive flaws this week. The lectures left the team with one of the best records in the league feeling as if it was one of the worst, forward Ziaire Williams joked.

Already the top-ranked offense in the league, the Lakers should strive to match that by becoming a top-10 defense, Redick implored his team. Williams is not stopping there.

“Top 10 should be at least like our standard, if not better,” the forward said. “Our half-court defense has been great. Obviously, rebounding has been one of the biggest things for us, cleaning up transition as well. But the potential’s there. We have the size, the length, the athleticism. It’s just about going out there and executing.”

Read more:Lakers' Austin Reaves considered day-to-day with heel injury

The Lakers, ranked 18th in defensive efficiency, thrive on forcing turnovers and protecting the rim. Their 18.5 turnovers forced per game rank third in the league, and they average an NBA-best 11 steals per game. Center Walker Kessler’s 2.2 blocks per game rank third.

But they can’t finish the strong half-court possessions. The Lakers are ranked 28th in defensive rebounding and 25th in second-chance points given up.

The Lakers staff rewatched every offensive rebound given up this season. Lack of boxing out was the biggest fault. Then there were instances when players stood and watched.

“If I stand and watch and try and outjump someone else, I’m probably not going to get the rebound,” said forward Jake LaRavia, who has been an offensive rebounding revelation since entering the starting lineup, averaging 2.8 offensive rebounds in the last nine games. “So you have to go and be physical and hit bodies, and then just be able to dive on loose balls, finish possessions, it’s really just who’s going to work harder.”

Kessler is averaging 8.1 defensive rebounds during the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak — which is the second-longest in Redick’s coaching tenure — compared to 6.3 during the first six games.

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who did not play in the first four games, has made the most of his limited minutes off the bench, grabbing 7.9 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes, the second-best rate on the team among players who have played more than three minutes. Vanderbilt, averaging 3.8 rebounds per game in 11.9 minutes, had 10 rebounds in less than 14 minutes against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 8.

Transition defense also is sinking the Lakers’ defensive efforts. Opponents are scoring 20.2 points off turnovers per game, which put the Lakers 24th out of 30 teams. Redick blames some of that on the Lakers’ offensive flaws. Although they are the league’s most efficient offense, the Lakers turn the ball over 16.9 times per game, the fifth-most in the NBA.

Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer at 38.6 points per game, also averages an NBA-worst five turnovers. Austin Reaves, who is day-to-day because of a left heel bruise suffered Wednesday against Milwaukee, averages 24.7 points and 3.4 turnovers.

Doncic is expected to play Sunday despite tweaking his right ankle late in Wednesday’s win. Reaves didn’t participate in practice Saturday but Collin Sexton was a full participant. The guard wore a thick Band-Aid over his right eyebrow and had bruising around his right eye after bumping heads with Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins but said he doesn’t expect to wear a mask. He needs only to keep the cut covered to ensure it doesn’t open up again. The rugged guard is familiar with the protocols; Sexton said this was the 11th time in his career that he’s received stitches in his face.

The short break offered an important opportunity for players to rest after a grueling three-game Eastern Conference trip. They now enter a softer stretch in the schedule. After Sunday’s game in Phoenix, the Lakers play their next four at home against three teams — Charlotte, Sacramento and Utah, twice — that have a combined six wins.

Their next game against a team with a winning record isn’t until Nov. 27 at San Antonio. The 11-2 Spurs, who have won 11 consecutive games, are the only team with an active winning streak longer than the Lakers’.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It looks like we are back to the normal back-to-back staggering. The Sixers released their injury report for their upcoming contest against the Indiana Pacers, and have ruled out Joel Embiid with plantar fasciitis management in his right foot. LeBron James, who missed the most recent game against the Toronto Raptors, is not listed and will be good to go.

Nick Nurse said that the only reason James missed that win against the Raptors was the team’s long term load management, so nothing to be concerned about there. The Sixers will get a little bit more rest than your typical home-road back-to-back. They play the Pacers at 1 p.m. on Sunday before heading up to Brooklyn to take on the Nets Monday. Perhaps there’s a chance LeBron plays in both, but Embiid being ruled out for one of them suggests not.

The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow's game vs. Indiana:

Joel Embiid – foot management – OUT

Dominick Barlow – back – OUT

Adem Bona – neck – out

LeBron James not listed. This is the front end of a back-to-back.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) November 14, 2026

With Embiid out, LeBron may log a lot of minutes at center again. Adem Bona also remains out with the cervical spine sprain he suffered back in Detroit, as well as Dominick Barlow, who the team says they do not have a timeline for his return.

For Indiana, they’ll obviously be without Tyrese Haliburton who’s missed a significant amount of time with a hamstring strain. Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy are also on the shelf with knee injuries. T.J. McConnell is listed as probable with a hamstring strain and Aaron Nesmith is questionable with a hand sprain. Both played their cup win over the New York Knicks last Friday.

When you look at the Phoenix Suns and see a 5-6 record staring back at you, there are plenty of explanations for why they’ve stumbled out of the gate. One of the most obvious is the schedule. According to ESPN’s strength-of-schedule metrics, Phoenix has faced the third-toughest slate in the NBA through the first 11 games of the season. We can also point to the ongoing challenges surrounding Jalen Green and his inability to consistently find his place on this roster. We can discuss how Miles Bridges has yet to hit his stride as he continues adjusting to a new team, a new system, and new responsibilities.

But there’s one glaring deficiency that threatens to haunt the Suns throughout the entire season unless they fundamentally change their approach or somehow miraculously become a larger basketball team overnight. Their inability to impact the game at the rim. And the numbers are downright horrific.

Last season, Phoenix finished 29th in the NBA in field goal attempts within five feet of the basket, averaging 23.7 per game. This season? They’re averaging 23.5, the fifth fewest in the league. Think about that for a moment. The Suns have a healthy Jalen Green, a player whose athleticism and explosiveness theoretically provide the ability to get downhill and attack the basket. They also brought in Miles Bridges, another player expected to provide a more physical presence and generate opportunities around the rim. And through 11 games, neither addition has meaningfully moved the needle. Phoenix is attacking the basket at essentially the same rate as last season, despite investing significant resources in players who were supposed to address that very deficiency.

But the offensive struggles around the cylinder are only half the problem. The other half? Rebounding. And somehow, the numbers are even uglier.

The Suns rank dead last in the NBA in rebounds per game, averaging a miserable 38.9. That’s a full 10 rebounds fewer than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who lead the league at 48.9 per game. Phoenix also ranks 30th in rebounding percentage at 45.2%, meaning opponents are consistently winning the battle for available rebounds.

When you begin examining how that translates into actual points, the situation becomes even more alarming. The Suns surrender 18.1 second-chance points per game, the second most in the league. Meanwhile, they’re generating only 12.8 second-chance points themselves, the second fewest. So not only are opponents getting additional opportunities to score, but Phoenix is failing to create those same opportunities on the other end. That’s a pretty brutal combination.

If you need a recent example of how dire the situation has become, look no further than Thursday night’s victory over Charlotte. Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, two of the players Phoenix relies upon to provide some semblance of interior presence, combined for five rebounds. In a game where the Suns were outrebounded by 21.

Shall I go on?

No matter how you slice it, this is a five-alarm fire for a team attempting to establish itself as a legitimate competitor in the Western Conference. Much like speed, size can’t be taught. You can preach positioning, emphasize boxing out, and demand greater effort on the glass, but there’s only so much coaching can accomplish when your roster consistently finds itself at a physical disadvantage.

The most deflating aspect of this deficiency is how it impacts both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Suns can execute an entire possession correctly, rotate effectively, contest shots, and force opponents into difficult attempts. But if they can’t secure the rebound, all that work becomes meaningless. The possession continues, the defense has to scramble again, and another opportunity is handed to the opposition. You cannot consistently give NBA teams extra possessions and expect to win basketball games. It places an enormous burden on your defense, especially when you’re already asking players to compensate for a lack of size and interior physicality.

And offensively, the inability to consistently attack and finish around the basket creates an entirely different set of problems. When opposing defenses don’t have to respect your ability to penetrate and score at the rim, they can become more aggressive on the perimeter. They can close out harder, pressure ball handlers, and force you into difficult jump shots because they aren’t particularly concerned about what happens if you get past the initial defender. Perhaps that also helps explain why Phoenix is averaging the second-fewest free throw attempts per game in the NBA. They’re not getting to the rack.

It’s an unsustainable combination of deficiencies, particularly for a team that doesn’t possess the overwhelming offensive firepower to compensate for them. The Suns can survive a difficult schedule. They can work through the growing pains associated with integrating new players. They can experiment with rotations, redefine responsibilities, and hope that chemistry improves as the season progresses. But how exactly do you overcome being one of the worst teams in basketball at attacking the rim, rebounding the basketball, and preventing opponents from generating second-chance opportunities?

That’s a much more difficult question to answer. And right now, I’m not sure the Phoenix Suns have one.

I’m trying to find a little optimism in all of this. The Suns are 5-6, they’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the league, and they have plenty of areas that need improvement. But we’re still early enough in the season for adjustments to matter. Jalen Green can find his footing. Miles Bridges can become more comfortable in his role. The coaching staff can experiment with lineups and find better ways to generate opportunities around the basket.

None of that is guaranteed to solve the rebounding problem, and the lack of size remains a legitimate concern. But this team doesn’t need to become a dominant interior force overnight. It needs to become more competitive in the areas that are currently costing it possessions and points. If Phoenix can make even modest progress there, there’s still plenty of season left to build something worthwhile. The problems are real, but so is the opportunity to get better.

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We all know JJ Redick is a basketball sicko. 

You know, the type of guy who rewatches games in a dark basement to pore over what he and the Lakers could’ve done better. 

On Friday, we got a glimpse of what his staff is doing behind the scenes. 

Redick said his analytics team used the three-day break between games to prepare a 21-page presentation on the Lakers, who have won seven games in a row and have the NBA’s best record at 11-2. 

The coaches reviewed it for 1 ½ hours on Friday and presented it to the players. 

“Being first in the West, with the stuff that they showed us, you would think we were almost last, you know?” Ziaire Williams said, flashing a smile. “But gotta keep us honest.”

One of the main goals?

“We know we want to be a top-10 defense,” Redick said. “We know we are not going to be able to do that unless we become better than a bottom-10 transition team and better than a bottom-10 defensive rebounding team.”

While the Lakers are leading the league in steals per game (11), are third in blocks per game (6.2) and are second in total deflections (257), they’re greatly struggling in other areas defensively.

The Lakers are rated 18th defensively and 26th in rebounding (40.8).

Redick also identified a key area on transition defense he wants to tweak.

“Some of the transition stuff is live-ball turnovers,” Redick said. “We’re at a 10% live-ball turnover rate. So one out of every 10 possessions is a live-ball turnover that’s going to create a transition possession.”

As for offense?

Despite being the top-rated team in the league offensively, the Lakers have multiple areas in which they want to improve, including bolstering their third unit, which has notoriously squandered leads late in games.

Redick pointed out that Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are still playing catch-up after missing time due to various injuries.

Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks is trying to get them up to speed.

“He took those guys for a classroom setting [Friday],” Redick said. “We just need to coach them more. Not going to put it all on them. They need to be able to run offense, though. 

“I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s unacceptable to just consistently be calling offensive plays and then they come down and jack a 3 with 18 on the shot clock. We’re trying to use time and be organized.”

Redick, whom the Lakers hired to take over the helm in June 2024 despite having no prior coaching experience, has shined in his role. 

He led the Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since Phil Jackson in 2007-2011. 

He has a clear idea of what he wants the Lakers’ identity to be on both sides of the court. 

Offensively? 

“Organized, unselfish and advantage-based,” he said.

Defensively?

“Organized, physical as f–k and relentless,” he added.

Game Info

When: Sunday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. ET

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

Injury Report

Wizards: Jamir Watkins – Out (Knee), Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Hip), Reece Beekman – Out (Shoulder), Justin Champagnie – Out (Foot), Bub Carrington – Game Time Decision (Chest)

Pistons: Steven Adams- Game Time Decision (Calf), Clint Capella – Game Time Decision (Ankle), Marcus Smart – Out (Suspension)

Pregame notes

Washington has a new addition to its injury report ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the Rockets. Third-year guard Bub Carrington is listed as a game-time decision after suffering a chest contusion during Thursday’s double-overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Carrington recorded two points and two assists in 16 minutes before being ruled out for the second overtime period. He now joins Watkins, Vukcevic, Beekman and Champagnie on the injury report, adding another setback for a Wizards team riding a six-game losing streak.

Sunday’s matchup with Houston gives Washington another opportunity to earn its first win since Nov. 2, but it won’t come easy. The 10-3 Rockets enter the contest riding a three-game winning streak. To compete, the Wizards will need to build on Thursday’s performance, particularly from their two-big lineup featuring Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr, who each scored 30 points.

Davis controlled the paint, while Sarr turned in his best shooting performance of the season. He connected on 4-of-6 attempts from three-point range and went a perfect 12-for-12 inside the arc. Trae Young also delivered a strong performance, leading Washington with 37 points and 15 assists while hitting a clutch three-pointer to send the game to overtime at the end of regulation.

Washington also had one of its best nights from beyond the arc this season, knocking down a season-high 14 triples. Carrying that shooting success into Sunday’s matchup will be important if the Wizards hope to keep pace with one of the league’s top teams.

It was only the first quarter of the 13th game of the Sixers’ season, so there seemed to be no cause for alarm (and never mind the booing). Still, they were down 17 to a Toronto team on the second half of a back-to-back and playing without its two best players. There was at least the possibility Thursday that it was one of those nights every NBA team has on occasion, where the mood and the energy and the desire are just … off.

It would be easy to reach that conclusion, after Boston smacked the Sixers around Tuesday, in what was supposed to be the Jaylen Brown Revenge Game. Also, LeBron James sat out against the Raptors. The official reason was “low back/sciatica management,” though this seems comparable to that time years ago when the Spurs rested Tim Duncan and listed him this way in the boxscore: “DNP-OLD.”

When Nick Nurse called timeout with 2:40 left in the first and his team down 32-16, he said he was thinking in the simplest terms.

“I just want the players to play well,” he said, adding that everyone seemed to be searching for a rhythm, or seeking to “shake something off from the last game or whatever,” as he put it.

They fell 17 back moments later, but soon found their inspiration, soon manufactured their own energy. Reserves Anfernee Simons and Jabari Walker found it by looking back to their time on some wretched Portland teams. VJ Edgecombe found it by looking forward to a potential spot in the NBA slam-dunk contest.

And Tyrese Maxey found it by looking over to the sideline, to his infant daughter.

The end result was a 123-112 Sixers victory over the Scottie Barnes– and Kawhi Leonard-less Raptors. Maxey scored 27, and Joel Embiid, who limped off in the first quarter after bumping knees with a Raptor, returned and finished with 20. Edgecombe enjoyed a Swiss Army Knife kinda night – 15 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block – and the bench brigade of Simons, Walker and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 37 points, including 9-for-12 three-point sniping.

“You learn once you’re coming off the bench to kind of read the game before you get in there,” Simons said after going 5-for-6 from the arc and scoring 17. 

What he read before checking in at the aforementioned timeout was straight out of the Stephen King collection. So the idea, Simons said, was to “bring some energy and some life to the team.”

He provided the night’s first thunderbolt, nailing a three-ball at the first-period buzzer to cut the deficit to nine.

“Those are big momentum plays,” Nurse said, “that usually have some weight to them and carry you into the next moment.”

From that point forward, the Sixers, now 10-3, seemed inevitable. Edgecombe turned a second-quarter steal into a breakaway slam. Maxey threw an alley-oop to Brown from midcourt for a bucket late in the third, when Philadelphia went ahead for good. And with the Raptors hanging around late in the fourth, Simons and Caldwell-Pope (11 points) connected from three to put it away.

Re Simons: Now in his ninth NBA season, he is playing for his fourth team. He has been productive everywhere he’s been, but this year his minutes (21.7) and points (10.2) are down from their usual levels. He says he doesn’t care – not after playing on losing teams five of the seven seasons he spent in Portland, his first stop. The Blazers were 33-49, 21-61 and 36-46 the last three of those seasons, when Walker was a teammate. (Another Sixer, Rayan Rupert, was on two of those teams.)

“You learn a lot in those situations about yourself, the people around you, your teammates,” Simons said, adding that “you feel appreciative of the times where you go into a situation where your role might be a little bit less, but you’re winning. And so that’s something that you can’t take for granted for sure, because it’s hard to win in the NBA.”

Sometimes it’s hard to even get on the court, as Walker has learned. He is averaging 15 minutes a game over five seasons, but now looms as the best option to back up Embiid at center, despite standing 6-7. Not to worry, he said after contributing nine points and eight boards in just under 16 minutes Thursday; his dad, Samaki, had been a small-ball center himself while playing a decade in the Association. The younger Walker knows the assignment, knows what the job entails.

He’s also healthy this season, having undergone offseason knee surgery. And while it wasn’t clear where he might fit in the pecking order after the Sixers revamped their roster over the summer, he had high hopes.

“I don’t know if I was delusional,” he said, “but I always felt like I was going to play and I was going to be a part. I read some things, and they say it’s a surprise. But if you were around me this summer and saw the mindset I had, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. So this is expected, and I just want to continue to get better.”

There were also questions about Edgecombe’s role coming into the season. But his attitude is always exemplary, his approach relentless. Informed after Thursday’s game that the only guard in the league with more dunks than him was Houston’s Amen Thompson, he scoffed.

“Man, he don’t even count,” Edgecombe said.

He might have a point. Thompson stands 6-7. Edgecombe is listed at 6-4, but attacks the rim so regularly that he is musing about the dunk contest on All-Star Weekend, February in Phoenix. 

“Obviously I don’t want to sit here and give a yes, and I don’t want to give a no,” he said. “But that’s something I’m thinking about, for sure.”

Maxey couldn’t help but think about his daughter Marvel. Born May 14 to Tyrese and his girlfriend Myra Gordon, she attended her first game with her mom Thursday – “a really cool moment,” as Maxey said.

She might not be back for a while, though.

“It’s too late,” he said. “She was yawning and doing a whole bunch of stuff.”

So too were the Sixers for a while. They awakened from their slumber. They found their footing, manufactured their own energy. On many, many nights across the long season, that’s how it has to be.

SACRAMENTO ― The Sacramento Kings have dropped another game and if you think head coach Doug Christie is worried about being in some kind of hot seat, he's not. And he shouldn't be.

It's a familiar position for Christie, who's been dealt a bad hand since his head coaching tenure began. He inherited a then-Mike Brown team that was a season removed from the postseason before eventually trading its franchise player, De'Aaron Fox. They finished 40-42, Christie went 27-24 as interim, having taken over after a 13-18 start.

Last season, as an official first-year coach, without the interim tag, multiple players in his projected lineup, including Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray, missed large portions of the season, and the Kings finished with its worst record in franchise history since moving to Sacramento at 22-60.

And now, the Kings are having one of the worst starts in franchise history, dropping to 1-11 after their Friday night loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-107, on Nov. 13 during the NBA Cup. It's the worst start since the 1990-91 season, in which that team started 1-13.

"I think this seat is hot always, so it doesn't really matter," Christie told USA TODAY about potentially being in the hot seat. "Obviously, we want to win games. Nobody wants to win more than me, from the standpoint that the record doesn't go on the player's numbers. The record goes on coach's number."

When Scott Perry became Kings general manager in April 2025, one of his first moves was to sign Christie to a three-year deal, worth about $2 million per year with a team option in the final year, 2027-28. Christie remained leading the charge after coaching to the worst franchise record in team history since 2008-2009 (17-65), as Perry attributed that tumultuous season to injuries, according to The Athletic.

It's much of the same this season, with a season-ending injury to Ben Simmons and second-year center Maxime Raynaud missing the start of the season with a knee injury.

"We come in, continue to teach, continue to push," Christie said. "As we get all these guys back and get them healthy, and then we continue down the path of trying to put together what we thought we would be putting together when we started this process."

It's not Doug Christie's fault, Mike Bibby says

The Kings are reportedly hesitant to part ways with Christie, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick. Former Sacramento Kings legend and current Sacramento State head coach Mike Bibby sat front row to get a witness of the the beatdown handed to the Kings.

The former guard, who played in Sacramento from 2001-2008, showed support for his former teammate, saying he wasn't the one to blame during a postgame appearance with Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on NBC Sports California.

"I don't blame Doug (Christie)," Bibby said. "I don't think Doug is the problem. Doug's been there for a long time, I think Doug could help, but getting rid of Doug's not the problem."

However, Bibby did say it was "time for some changes". Although he wasn't sure where those changes needed to come from, he advised the team to trade guys like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk to put them in better positions while the Kings start over. It happened to Bibby in his day when the Kings were no longer winning and they traded him to the Atlanta Hawks in 2008.

"When I was here I didn't wanna leave, but it was time to go," Bibby said. "For those guys put them in good situations like Sabonis, LaVine, put them in situations that could help them and get some good stuff back. It's going to take a couple of years to get the Kings going again."

Kings: Darius Acuff Jr. is making history, but is losing taking a toll?

Kings' message to the fans

If there's one thing Christie knows, it's how hard the Sacramento fans go for the Kings. He's experienced it as a player, and as both assistant and head coach he's seen how they've stuck beside the team through multiple years of losing seasons and the breakthrough when they finally cracked the postseason after a 16-year drought.

Christie's message to the fans: "it won't always be like this."

"This is a process that we're going through to try to get to where we want to go, and their loyalty means everything," Christie told USA TODAY. "
When I see them around town, they're always (saying) 'coach keep going, keep pushing,' and that's what I do every day. I'll always be the first one in the building, working until we figure this thing out."

Kings forward Keegan Murray had a similar message to the fans to keep supporting, despite the shortcomings.

"I love our fans. They've been great to us... to me. I appreciate them coming out to support, we know that Rome's not built in a day but at the end of the day we're trying," Murray told USA TODAY. "With their support, it'll only get better."

Murray, Sabonis and Monk are the few Kings players that have been around for their lone playoff appearance in the last 15 years. Murray often tells the team, especially Acuff who was down in the dumps after a recent home loss, about how loud Golden 1 Center can get when their team is rolling.

"When we're really good, this place is better than any arena in the NBA," Murray said. "I feel like that's a big motivating factor in what we're trying to get to. ... I'm just hoping we can get back on track."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kings head coach Doug Christie gets brutally honest about job security

The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome 2016 champion Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks to town for their annual visit to Cleveland.

The Cavs have not had an easy last 24 hours. They weren’t able to leave Miami last night after their loss to the Heat as they wanted to, due to the issues that were grounding planes yesterday. They instead had to fly back home this morning, which is less than ideal.

The Mavs aren’t an easy matchup. They’re playing better basketball this season with their imposing front line and the emergence of Cooper Flagg as one of the best young players in the league. This would be a tough test for the Cavs even if it wasn’t the second night of a back-to-back.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (6-7) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7-5)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 PM

TV: DAZN, WOIO (Cleveland 19), NBA League Pass

Point spread: Mavs -5.5

Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell – OUT (knee), James Harden – OUT (calf), Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Evan Mobley – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (elbow), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)

Mavs injury report: Dereck Lively – OUT (foot), Max Christie – DOUBTFUL (ankle), Tarik Biberovic – OUT (heel), Sergio de Larrea – OUT (knee), Morez Johnson Jr. – PROBABLE (shin)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Meleek Thomas, Tyrese Proctor, Jaylon Tyson, Mario Hezonja, Thomas Bryant

Mavs expected starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, Caleb Martin, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford

Cavs jersey:Black Statement Edition uniform

Previous matchup: The Cavs lost Max Strus’s 24-point season debut on March 15.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.3 (8th)	115.5 (21st)	+1.7 (12th)
Mavs	113.8 (17th)	114.2 (15th)	-0.4 (16th)

Before Thursday night’s barnburner of a loss to the Pistons in double overtime, the vibes around the Wizards, and their offense in particular, were nearing a free fall. The Wiz have the league’s 26th-ranked offense, even after the onslaught against Detroit.

There were, to be sure, positive signals to glean. Alex Sarr played by far his best game of the season, knocking down four threes. Trae Young showed more scoring juice, shooting 17 free throws and hitting a buzzer-beater to force OT. Sarr and Anthony Davis connected on a rare lob in overtime. 

But the underlying issues behind the bricktastic 4-9 start will take longer to solve. The Wizards barely shoot any threes, and miss most of the ones they do try. Only the Bulls have shot a worse percentage from deep so far. With poor spacing and clumsy jumbo lineups, the offense has tilted concerningly toward true Trae Young heliocentrism; Young leads the league in seconds per touch. 

The Wizards use core actions that make a fair amount of sense for their personnel. They rely on side-to-side movement, hoping to launch Young downhill and create better angles for the pick and roll. Consider this frequent action, with Kyshawn George maneuvering to the wing (pending the much-awaited return of NBA.com’s video clips, I’m using screenshots for now):

That’s an Iverson cut, intended to distract the defense and free up a Young-AD pick and roll. When Young starts going downhill, Tre Johnson flies up in tandem from the opposite corner. But the Pacers easily box Young toward the wing and funnel the ball away from the middle:

Young makes the pass to AJ Dybantsa, but Pascal Siakam closes him down, and Dybantsa, with no advantage, throws the ball away. This is not an uncommon sight for the Wizards — a Young pick and roll in tight confines near the sideline, putting minimal pressure on the opposing center. 

The Wizards have to find a way to make plays like this impact the defense more. They’re simply not getting enough out of their secondary actions. Above, for example, Johnson sprinting up from the corner is a good idea in theory. But nobody is screening for Johnson here. What if AD had turned at speed and set a pindown for him, just as the defense expects a screen for Young? 

The best offenses pivot into second and third actions. These are built-in counters, depending on how the defense guards the initial one. Consider Sarr in this position, after running a pick and pop:

Bilal Coulibaly’s cut through the paint is a scripted thing many teams with shooting bigs do. It’s meant to drag away the help defender closest to Sarr — the guy whose job it would be to stunt toward Sarr and contest a three-pointer. But here, Sarr set the screen near half-court and barely made contact. Larry Nance Jr. recovered easily; no rotation needed. 

This first action didn’t yield much, which is normal. The next step for the Wiz is moving quickly and effectively into something else, and making the right reads from there. This is where the above play ended up:

Sarr dribbles into a hand-off with Johnson, who has sprinted into the space that Coulibaly vacated. This looks promising; George is spaced one pass away, and Johnson has his defender on his back. But Johnson doesn’t see the pass to George in time, and Jalen Slawson blows up his dribble for a dunk the other way.

They have the right idea here. They’re trying to use Sarr and Johnson in their optimal roles. But defenses see these kinds of actions every game. Without a higher level of precision — physical, well-timed screens, and snappy passing — these plays look ordinary and even aimless. 

There are ways to loosen this up. Step one, of course, is to make some shots. (Even Thursday was a mixed bag in this regard, with Johnson shooting 1-of-9 from three.) Getting more consistent offense from wings other than George, who is leveling up before our eyes, would be a godsend. Most of all, the Wizards need Young to find more success probing around and behind bigs, rather than ending up in these situations:

The Wizards have been focused on running these “angle” pick and rolls near the sideline. They are useful for generating pocket passes to the bigs, while spacing guys on the other side. But too often, with Young struggling to separate off the dribble, opposing teams are using aggressive coverages and pinning Young to the sideline. 

Tough games are looming against feisty, athletic Western Conference teams in Houston and Memphis. With a 4-9 record, they’ll need to find a way to create more advantages in short order.

The Brooklyn Nets saw what “worse” looked like on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Brooklyn certainly has its issues, but they pale in comparison to the nightmare New Orleans fans have to sit through right now. The Nets cruised to a 145-111 blowout victory. Yeesh.

Tonight’s opponent, however, has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026-27 NBA season. The Memphis Grizzlies enter Saturday at 8-4 and in great shape — though, much like Brooklyn, they just beat the stuffing out of those same Pelicans, rolling to a 142-111 win last night. My goodness.

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Game Info & Broadcast Details

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets (3-8) at Memphis Grizzlies (8-4)
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
• TV: YES Network
• Streaming: YES App, NBA League Pass
• Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM

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Nets vs. Grizzlies Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• PROBABLE — Nolan Traore (right calf soreness/tightness)
• QUESTIONABLE — Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons)
• OUT – Joshua Jefferson (G League Assignment)
• OUT – Ben Saraf (G League Assignment)
• OUT – Tyler Bilodeau (G League – Two-Way)
• OUT – Grant Nelson (G League – Two-Way)

Memphis Grizzlies

• OUT – Zach Edey (left ankle injury management)
• OUT – Scotty Pippen Jr (lumbar disc herniation)
• OUT – Quinten Post (concussion protocol)
• OUT – Richie Saunders (right knee surgery)

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The Game

This is night two of a back-to-back for the Grizzlies. However, nobody played over 30 minutes last night so theoretically everyone should be good to go. We’ll see.

Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo has this offense humming this season, and this breakdown by Adam Pike dives into some of his favorite actions. He’s earned complete buy-in from this young roster, and the early results have been promising so far.

Memphis’ most promising cornerstone is someone the franchise hopes carries them into the next generation. Rookie Cameron Boozer adjusted to the NBA seamlessly and somehow still has plenty of room to grow. He’s second among rookies in assists per game, a pretty impressive feat for a power forward, alongside 9.8 rebounds a night. And watching Boozer also makes me realize I watched his dad’s journey from college at Duke all the way to the pros and beyond. Time flies, man.

Boozer will draw plenty of Julius Randle. After Wednesday’s win, Randle praised the organization and structure of Brooklyn’s offense. It also helped that they only committed 15 turnovers as a team, their second lowest amount this season. When you actually get shots up at the rim, good things tend to happen.

Brooklyn will need a big night out of Day’ron Sharpe to steal a road win. Memphis is third in the NBA in rebounding (47.9 RPG) this season, and Sharpe is still Brooklyn’s best weapon on the glass. Sharpe has been steady this year and the Nets are going to need him to hold Boozer, Isaiah Stewart, and the rest of the Grizzlies’ frontcourt off the offensive boards.

Sounds like a tall task.

There are two schools of thought related to Egor Demin. One is to praise for maintaining good three-point percentages while taking a high volume of threes when he’s on the court. That success can carry him a long way and guarantee he’s always on the court. The other is to express worry that he hasn’t been getting to the rim at rates that make the defense worry about him inside the arc.

As of this writing, he’s averaging six drives to the rim per game and his frequency of shots at the rim is greater than what it was last year. However, it’s only seven shots at the rim so you can’t read that much into it.

Demin is going to have to add more to his game if he wants to reach that next level. And we’ll see if tonight’s the night Demin and Mikel Brown Jr get real minutes on the court tonight.

MBJ is listed as questionable, so we’ll see if he’s back out there. It’s been a frustrating experience for a lot of Nets fans, and it’s understandable. This team has to figure out what their future is and fast, and that comes with getting your youngsters real minutes together so you can properly evaluate what’s working and what’s not.

You gotta see what you actually got.

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Player to Watch: Ty Jerome

It’s always fun watching a player’s steady ascent pay off. Ty Jerome has been an analytics-crowd favorite for the past couple of seasons, and this year he’s putting it all together. He’s averaging a career high 25.4 points and 5.3 assists per game and is outpacing other franchise cornerstones such as Cade Cunningham and Nikola Jokic.

Even as the Griz kids gain more experience, Jerome will be essential to their growth remains the engine making it work. From Maxwell Ogden at Beale Street Bears:

“As a proven sharpshooter and shot creator, Jerome can play with just about any combination of his teammates. He’s just as lethal when working off of scorers and playmakers as he is when he creates his own shots. Furthermore, his mere presence on the court means defenses have to relax the attention they give to the less experienced Grizzlies players.”

I’m a sucker for rewarding career role players with All-Star appearances when they’re having career years, so I’m hoping Jerome gets the nod this winter.

From the Vault

Viva La Raza!

More reading: Beale Street Bears, Commercial Appeal, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter

Just a few years ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves made a deal for an enigmatic, polarizing point guard using a first-round pick and a franchise legend (do not disrespect Andrew Wiggins, that’s my guy), just as they did in this offseason. The Wolves were universally lambasted for this move, with their trade partner being praised for selling high.

D’Angelo Russell is one of the most reviled Wolves of recent history. Despite a few decent years (or months), his turnovers, early shot-clock off-the-dribble threes, and miserable defense led to a benching in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies for Jordan McLaughlin, and his reputation with the fanbase never really recovered. Maybe it’s partly that Russell was the outgoing piece on one of the best trades the Wolves franchise have ever pulled off that made him so infinitely laugh-at-able for fans.

Still, Russell’s first few months in a Wolves jersey ahead of the COVID lockdown were like lightning in a bottle. Those same fans who now laugh at him were celebrating what he brought to the team in a season that began with Treveon Graham in the starting lineup.

That feels a lot like Wolves fans clamoring for LaMelo Ball as a second star who brings joy instead of moodiness and moroseness.

LaMelo Ball has now amassed 223 points & 75 assists in his first 12 games w/the Wolves. He is just the 2nd player in @Timberwolves history to record 200+ points & 75+ assists in their first 12 games w/ the franchise (D'Angelo Russell: 260 points/79 assists; 2/10-3/10/2020). pic.twitter.com/ZcCIPIQgBW

— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) November 13, 2026

But the question then becomes a sad one of whether caution is necessary at a time that is so full of joy. Despite the absence of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are on a five-game win streak on the shoulders of Ball. After multiple years of joyless, winning basketball, the Wolves have their heart back. So is that question even worth asking? Is this piece worth writing?

The obvious answer is no. The big difference in LaMelo Ball and D’Angelo Russell’s first 12 games for the Wolves is that Minnesota has gone 9-3 with Ball at the helm, an equal reflection of Russell’s 3-9.

And yes, the team around these players was far worse in the 2019-20 season than it is now, but still, Minnesota is winning with one young star point guard leading the charge, when his apparent predecessor couldn’t do so.

To add to it, the view of the trade is so vastly different already this season. The Golden State Warriors traded Russell, Omari Spellman, and Jacob Evans III for Andrew Wiggins and a top-3 protected first-round pick, which eventually landed at seventh overall and became Jonathan Kuminga (hey, look at that!). Even within that lightning stretch from Russell, Wiggins was playing incredibly well next to Steph Curry. When the draft lottery arrived a few months later, the Wolves landed Anthony Edwards at first-overall, the Warriors took James Wiseman (which was always a bad choice), and the Charlotte Hornets took Ball.

The Warriors would go on to win a title with Wiggins taking his play to another level as the clear second option on offense and an absolutely rabid rebounder, while Russell was quickly downgraded to the third option for a team that was still bottom-10 in the NBA. That certainly played a part.

But now, Naz Reid is miserable in Charlotte, the first rounder the Wolves sent the Hornets is seven years out and completely out of mind, and Ball is playing his way into an All-Star – dare I say an All-NBA – nod.

The perception is entirely opposite, which means that any step back will hurt so much more. Wolves fans have bought in, they’ve signed up, they’ve gone to war for this player and this team in a way they hadn’t, because the night-to-night performances are consistent and fun. I mean, honestly, we went so hard at an online NBA analyst that he went on a Wolves podcast, got succinctly disproven, and was successfully converted into a believer.

Today's show w/ @HPbasketball

– How do we assess teams effectively this early in the season?
– Looking "under the hood" at the Wolves' defense and offense
– Running my Jonathan Kuminga-Aaron Gordon player comp by someone who watched Gordon's integration to Denver up close
– Me… pic.twitter.com/DfFLhKfk3h

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) November 11, 2026

So why can’t I shake the feeling of deja vu, that feeling that maybe the Wolves’ new star point guard has what it takes to take the Wolves out of the plateau they’ve been at, one that was eventually only half paid off with Russell.

Ball has been more than a dream outcome so far this season. Reid, as beloved as he was, was always a low price to pay for the guy who was bringing Moussa Diabate into Amare Stoudemire conversations in the context of the Hornets playing to the statistical level of the Run-and-Gun Phoenix Suns. Minnesota got a 6’7 orchestrator and offensive maestro for pennies on the dollar, which is not what they gave up for Russell.

I guess the answer is the same one that I came to in 2020, when Minnesota finished with one of the worst records in the league. While stuck in lockdown, longing for some Wolves basketball, I would hang around and watch the same “Track the Pack” episode welcoming Russell to Minnesota, followed by highlight after highlight of the Malik Beasley, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt Wolves.

I chose to enjoy it then. I choose to enjoy this now.

Hopefully, this version of Ball is more real than those first 12 games of Russell were. Hopefully, Minnesota keeps winning behind their point guard of the future. Hopefully, Anthony Edwards returns to an offensive ecosystem that has survived without him, but reaches a new level with him.

Hopefully, this team can win it all.

But, in the meantime, let’s enjoy the team that exists, and remember that comparisons and contrasts do not always come from a place of sad disrespect. Let’s enjoy this, Wolves fans. Fun doesn’t always last, but it’s certainly better now than it has been in years.

Maybe, just maybe, the most fun since that 12-game stretch where Minnesota and fans were sure they had found their joy in D’Angelo Russell.

After their first two-game losing streak of the season, where the Houston Rockets suffered losses to the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, the Rockets have quickly righted the ship, and after a suprisingly hard fought win over the Utah Jazz, the Rockets have now won three straight and are 10-3 on the season.

Alperen Sengun finished with the second-most points in a game in his career, carrying the Rockets with 43 points. The Rockets relinquished a 12-point lead early in the third quarter as the 1-11 Jazz actually took the lead at one point. The Rockets and Jazz traded blows for most of the third quarter, leading into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, Sengun continued his dominance, controlling the game. Of course, his play had a lot to do with the Rockets’ win, but another area that the Rockets have excelled at all season also played a big part. The Rockets entered the game as the league leaders in fourth-quarter three-point shooting.

Rockets three-point shooting has helped them put away games in the fourth quarter

The Rockets have been one of the best three-point shooting teams all season, coming into Friday’s game ranked seventh overall from downtown at 37.4 percent. Some games are over early when one team dominates the other, and the result is never in doubt, but a lot of games come down to the last few minutes and become back-and-forth contests.

That is why the Rockets’ league-leading fourth-quarter three-point shooting is so important. Several times this season, the Rockets have made multiple shots from downtown in a row in the final period, which completely shifts the momentum in a close game.

The Rockets have seen their fourth-quarter three-point shooting improve over the last three seasons. In the 2024-25 season, the Rockets were bottom five in this category; last season, they improved to tenth, and this season, they are the best in the league.

That happened again in Friday’s win, as Bogdan Bogdanović and Kevin Durant each hit a huge three-pointer, with the Jazz cutting the lead to one late in the fourth quarter. The Rockets’ fourth-quarter shooting matters in close regular-season games, but especially in high-pressure playoff games, and could be the difference between another first-round exit and the Rockets’ first deep playoff run since the 2017-18 season.

Need a little hope? Looking for something to give you those warm and fuzzies as you sip your morning coffee? The sugar and cream aren’t doing enough to brighten your day? Well, for all the ugly statistics we’ve been compiling about the Phoenix Suns lately, here’s one that might make that coffee taste a little sweeter.

Through the first six games of the regular season, Phoenix ranked dead last in the NBA in defensive rating, surrendering a staggering 124.5 points per 100 possessions. It was an atrocious start, one that had us questioning whether this team possessed the personnel, discipline, or defensive identity necessary to compete night in and night out.

But since then? Things have changed considerably. Over their last five games, the Suns have posted a defensive rating of 109.0, the sixth-best mark in the NBA during that stretch. Their net rating has climbed to +4.2, ranking ninth in the league, a significant improvement from the -10.3 net rating that placed them 25th during their first six games.

The Suns’ defensive turnaround is worth noting.

First 6 games:
124.5 DRTG (30th)
-10.3 NET (25th)

Since then:
109.0 DRTG (6th)
+4.2 NET (9th)

That’s a 15.5-point improvement in defensive rating. pic.twitter.com/7G5HGB6wrz

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) November 13, 2026

That’s a pretty substantial turnaround in a relatively short period of time.

And perhaps the most encouraging part is that those numbers include the absolute shellacking Phoenix suffered at the hands of the Spurs. Even with that disaster factored into the equation, the Suns have managed to establish themselves as one of the league’s more effective defensive teams over their last five outings.

Now, does that mean all their problems have magically disappeared? Of course not. The rebounding remains atrocious, the lack of size continues to create significant disadvantages, and the questions surrounding roster construction and player fit aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But there is something encouraging about watching this team begin to stabilize defensively.

Much like last season, Phoenix stumbled out of the gate, struggling to establish any semblance of consistency before gradually finding its footing. And while we’re still dealing with a relatively small sample size, the defensive improvement suggests that some of the early growing pains are beginning to subside.

The rotations are becoming more connected. The effort is more consistent. And the Suns are beginning to demonstrate they can make life difficult for opposing offenses, despite the physical limitations that continue to plague this roster.

There’s still plenty of work to be done, and nobody should be throwing a parade over five games of improved defensive efficiency. But considering where this team stood after six games, seeing Phoenix climb from the league’s worst defensive rating to the sixth-best over its next five is certainly worth acknowledging.

The defense is giving us something to feel good about. Perhaps it’s a reminder that sometimes these things take time. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m guilty of overreacting. I constantly find myself mining statistics, searching for numbers that either validate what I’m witnessing while watching these basketball games or challenge the conclusions I’ve already started forming. That’s always the fascinating part of analyzing sports. There’s the eye test, there’s the data test, and somewhere in between lies the reality of what’s actually happening on the court. And sometimes, multiple things can be true simultaneously.

The Phoenix Suns can be atrocious on the boards while still developing into a good defensive team. Those two realities aren’t mutually exclusive, and we’re beginning to see evidence of that as Phoenix demonstrates an improved ability to shut down opposing offenses for extended stretches, creating enough separation to secure victories.

The issues with rim deterrence remain, and opposing teams continue to exploit the Suns’ lack of size around the basket. But on the perimeter? Things are beginning to look considerably better. Through the first six games of the season, Phoenix was allowing opponents to shoot 40.3% from beyond the arc, the second-worst mark in the NBA. It was a troubling statistic that reflected a defense struggling with rotations, communication, and the ability to consistently contest shots. Since then, that number has dropped to 33.9%, the 10th-best mark in the league during a five-game stretch in which the Suns have gone 4-1.

Part of it can certainly be attributed to regression toward the mean. Opponents were unlikely to continue shooting above 40% from deep indefinitely. But dismissing the entire improvement as statistical normalization would overlook the tangible progress we’re witnessing from Phoenix defensively. The individual numbers help illustrate that improvement.

During the first six games, opponents were shooting 46.7% from three against Dillon Brooks. Over the last five, that number has dropped to 37.7%. Still not particularly impressive, but considerably better than what we witnessed during the opening stretch. Miles Bridges, who appeared lost on more than a few defensive rotations early in the season, has experienced a similar improvement. Opponents were shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc against him during the first six games. That number has since fallen to 34.7%.

These aren’t insignificant developments. They’re signs of players beginning to understand their responsibilities, recognize rotations, and operate with greater cohesion within Jordan Ott’s defensive system.

There’s another factor contributing to the increased defensive intensity. The bench. Jordan Goodwin has been fantastic over the last two games, bringing the kind of relentless energy and defensive aggression that can completely alter the complexion of a basketball game. Ryan Dunn has also begun making a more noticeable impact, using his length, athleticism, and defensive instincts to disrupt opposing offenses. Together, they’ve helped give Phoenix something that was desperately missing during the early portion of the season: a second unit capable of changing the momentum of a game through defensive effort.

The numbers reflect that impact. Through the first six games, the Suns’ bench posted a net rating of +1.5. Over the last five games, that number has improved to +5.3. That’s meaningful progress, particularly for a team whose starting lineup continues to struggle with consistency and finding the right combinations.

The bench has become a catalyst for much of the Suns’ recent success, providing the defensive intensity, cohesion, and energy that have helped stabilize a team that looked completely disjointed at the start of the season.

Does five games of improved defensive performance mean Phoenix has solved all its problems? Certainly not. The rebounding remains a disaster, the interior defense still needs significant attention, and the roster continues to present challenges that aren’t going to disappear overnight. But perhaps that’s the lesson here. As much as we want immediate answers, as much as we want the statistics to confirm our suspicions after every game, sometimes a team needs time to figure out how its pieces fit together. While the Suns are still a work in progress, the defensive numbers suggest that some of those pieces are finally beginning to fall into place.

So go ahead. Take another sip of that coffee.

INDIANAPOLIS — Josh Hart’s issues aren’t exclusive to his shot. The Knicks veteran said he’s mentally struggling to start a disappointing season, and he doesn’t know how to break out of it. 

“Wish I could tell you,” Hart said. “Don’t know. Right now I’m not in a good head space and I got to figure out how to improve that. And improve my play.”

Asked what that meant, Hart, who is shooting just 36 percent on the season, said, “Just mentally. Got to be better mentally. Got to figure stuff out.”

Hart finished scoreless Friday night and was benched for the entire fourth quarter of a 106-104 loss to the Pacers, among the low points of a season that has never been on track for the 31-year-old.

He’s up for an extension, but the Knicks put out a statement in October declaring they’re shutting down all negotiations, including Hart’s and Karl-Anthony Towns’.

Hart revealed Friday that he suffered a calf injury before training camp, which set back his conditioning. He then hurt his ankle and missed three games. 

Part of the issue is the roster.

The Knicks are stacked with wings and guards, creating congestion and sporadic playing time. Mikal Bridges has also been benched, as coach Mike Brown leaned on Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.

Brown acknowledged that finding time for Bridges and Hart could be difficult. 

“There are several different ways you can look at it,” Hart said. “You can look at it, if they have it going, cool. Good. You could look at it like, ‘OK, maybe something else has to change.’”

Hart didn’t specify the “change,” but logic indicates he meant a trade. Three years ago, Leon Rose faced a similar conundrum. Too many guards, not enough minutes. 

So Rose traded two — RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley — for a bigger forward in OG Anunoby.

Beginning Sunday, the Knicks face Barrett and Quickley twice in three days in Toronto, while Hart tries to find a better headspace.