The Sacramento Kings have agreed to trade guard Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for an unprotected 2028 second-round draft pick via Utah and an unprotected 2030 second-round draft pick via Minnesota, the team announced Sunday, Nov. 8.

Clifford, 24, is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard out of Colorado State that was originally selected by Oklahoma City with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. However, Clifford never logged a minute in a Thunder uniform following a trade to the Kings that sent Oklahoma City a protected 2027 first-round pick.

He appeared in 75 games for Sacramento during the 2025-26 season and started 28. Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in about 25.1 minutes during his rookie campaign with the Kings, while shooting 41.8% from the field and 33% on 3-pointers.

Clifford was being molded into a perennial "three-and-D" type of player for the Kings. He saw a lot of playing time in his rookie campaign, in part due to the numerous injuries Sacramento sustained to its roster that year.

He scored a career-high 30 points in a 132-126 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 8. Throughout the 2025-26 season, Clifford also spent some time down in the G-League, playing for the Stockton Kings, the Kings affiliate.

In his collegiate years, Clifford averaged 10.1 points and just under a steal. He shot 46.9% from the field and 36.4% on 3-pointers.

Nique Clifford contract

Clifford signed a four-year rookie contract with Kings worth up to $15.7 million with $6.3 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac. Clifford's average annual salary is about $3.9 million.

He'll earn another $3.2 million in base salary.

Kings open roster spot

Clifford appeared to be a contributing piece to the Kings' rebuild. The consummate professional, Clifford came into work, did what he was asked and pushed himself to be the best version of himself.

There was an expectation that Clifford would take a leap into his second-year but instead it came with setbacks. Clifford saw his minutes diminish early in the season. In his last game against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, Nov. 6, Clifford only logged 4 minutes, 30 seconds and scored five points on 2-of-2 from the field.

He only played more than 10 minutes once this season – against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 31. Clifford appeared in five of their nine games, earning four DNPs by coach's decision.

It appeared that Clifford was on the opposite end of head coach Doug Christie's rotations and a change was warranted. The Kings get to open a roster spot while picking up assets.

▶ Kings trade grade: C

Thunder add depth due to injuries

The Thunder have had misfortune early in the season, facing season-ending injuries to key rotation players, and additional injuries that will keep guys out long-term. Jalen Williams suffered a fractured left fibula and a dislocated ankle that required surgery. He's out for the year.

Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and he is also out indefinitely. Chet Holmgren was ruled out 8 to 10 weeks after a biological treatment for a small patellar tendon tear in his right knee.

Oklahoma City needs bodies. Clifford was being buried on the bench early this season, the Thunder believe there's a spark that he can bring to to the team.

The organization has built a reputation of maximizing reserves and role players getting the best out of them, the latest project will be Clifford.

▶ Thunder trade grade: B

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kings send Nique Clifford to Thunder for draft assets: Trade grades

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Coming off an opening NBA Cup win against the Sacramento Kings, the Spurs faced a SEGABABA against the Portland Trail Blazers. After a sluggish first quarter, the Spurs, behind by 42 points in the second quarter, built their two-point lead to 15 at halftime. In the third, the Spurs drove the nail in the coffin, outscoring the Blazers 45-27 and ballooning their lead to 33 heading into the fourth. The Blazers simply could not stop the ball movement and three-point barrage by the silver and black, as the Spurs ultimately won 125-103.

Victor Wembanyama continues his early MVP campaign with another efficient high-scoring game of 29 points (9-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal. Despite only playing 24 minutes and not being as big a focal point of the offense as he was against Dallas and Sacramento, Wemby once again demonstrated how unguardable he truly is. After starting the season shooting under 30% from three, Wemby is now shooting 7-12 (58%) from three in his last two games.

W3MBY 🏹

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/YOGy4hvVck

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

Since he’s shown he can shoot threes, Donovan Clingan steps out to guard him but immediately gets beat by Wemby on the drive to the basket. All Toumani Camara can do is go straight up, but against a seven-foot-four (he’s definitely taller) alien, it’s almost pointless.

got eeeeem 😮‍💨

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/JoKA47uEok

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

The bulk of Wemby’s scoring comes from inside the paint. He is dunking the ball more than any other player in the league and is even leading other TEAMS in total dunks. Where do most of his dunks come from? Lobs, of course.

AREA 5️⃣1️⃣

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/zdS7P8gbeV

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

The most unguardable lob threat in the league, all his teammates have to do is just throw it up above the rim to where only Wemby can grab it. Sometimes, defenders are in the way. This time, Clingan was unfortunately one of his victims.

COUNT THAT 😤

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/Dy5ao7WSjJ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

Devin Vassell dropped another solid game with 15 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. His defense somehow outshone his shooting from three. His agility and lateral movement allow him to stay in front of multiple guards and forwards. He also deflected multiple passes, and one of them turned into a steal and layup all by himself.

DEFENSE ➡️ OFFENSE

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/Rk8UIN4IKp

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

Stephon Castle dropped 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a block. Castle, like Vassell, played like a Swiss Army knife against the Blazers. He crashed the glass, dished out dimes, and had himself some highlight buckets. The hustle play of the game was him somehow tight-roping the sideline and dishing out to an open Vassell for the corner three.

HOW DID STEPH SAVE THAT ⁉️

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/IdGiNW9lfA

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

Poor Clingan. De’Aaron Fox and Castle run a beautiful DHO that results in a posterizing alley-oop with Castle dunking on his former college teammate.

OH MY CASTLE 🫣🏰

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/WI98xW6qfg

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 8, 2026

Although they didn’t shoot 50% from three this game, they still drained 17 compared to Portland’s nine. For most Spurs fans, that third-quarter explosion showed that when everyone is bought in and focused within the flow of the offense, this team can put teams away early. The communication also reached the defense, as they held the Blazers to 76 points after 36 minutes (before garbage time). Next week, the Spurs face the Suns, Bulls, Warriors, & Jazz.

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

The Spurs’ early road trip continues with a visit to the Mortgage Matchup Center, the home of the Phoenix Suns, this Monday at 8:00 P.M. (CST) on DAZN.

The Cavaliers beat the Knicks on Saturday, adding another win to their analytical spreadsheet.

Cleveland remains undefeated on that front, while New York keeps stacking dubs on the court.

Here’s some of the (very little) latest.

Mike Brown on Knicks 109-97 W vs Cavs: "Ugly game but good win…build some positive equity…taking care ball 1st half…important on road…great production bench…Miles, Mo, Andre, Jordan. Our DPOG was Andre Drummond, heckuva performance…Our guys buying into our ability to crash… pic.twitter.com/TBEg7I3HgS

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 8, 2026

Mike Brown

On giving Landry Shamet more leeway than younger reserves and keeping bench minutes competitive:

“Obviously, you looking at a guy like Landry, he may have a little bit more leash than Pac [Dadiet]. Landry’s as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us. Everybody else, they have to play and even the starters and Landry, they do, too.”

On Landry Shamet’s standing in the Knicks’ rotation:

“About as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us.”

On choosing Tyler Kolek over Jose Alvarado as the backup point guard:

“But you know, Jose had the first opportunity [against the Nets) and then I gave Tyler an opportunity in the second half and Tyler played well. So I go with Tyler and if I feel I need to make a change, Tyler’s not getting it done in my eyes, I’ll go back to Jose.”

On Josh Hart’s ability to contribute without having plays called for him:

“Josh is a connector. I don’t think we call a single play for him at any time, he just goes and gets it done.

“He rebounds. Our pick and roll defense has been bad, and he’s helped clean it up at times by putting him on the ball. So his versatility defensively is a bonus for us. So he’s definitely going to be missed.”

KAT: "It took time to learn how to win at this level…It's much different than college, HS, CYO, AAU…When you finally get to that point of stop trying to prove yourself to everyone, just bring best version of yourself to the court…that's how you prove…whether it's basketball,… pic.twitter.com/zRoOg7hwOW

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 8, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On facing Cleveland again after defeating the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals:

“I mean, they’re a great team. We saw them in the Eastern Conference finals. Obviously, they have another year under their belt with each other, more experience. And we saw what experience does for teams, especially like us.”

Tyler Kolek

On acknowledging that he underestimated Taylor Swift’s history as a Knicks fan:

“Obviously with everything (going on), people have been going back and sending me all the stuff about her going to the games. And she was actually wearing a 13 jersey (in one picture). Probably Joakim Noah back in the day with Carmelo (Anthony). So, I wasn’t up to date on my Taylor Swift Knicks fandom, so that’s on me.”

On the reaction to his comments about Taylor Swift and admitting he answered the question poorly:

“(The video) was everywhere. Everybody saw it. But it is what it is. For me, it’s just a question that was asked to me that maybe I answered in the wrong way. I take that on the chin. But I love her music. We were just playing it five minutes ago and I’m singing every word to every song. Nothing against her at all.”

On being a Taylor Swift fan despite questioning her Knicks fandom:

“I love her music. I probably know more songs than anybody else in the locker room. I just misspoke.”

"What Mike Brown did last year with this particular team was one of the best coaching jobs I've ever seen"

–– MIke Breen pic.twitter.com/MTD26BHVQ7

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 8, 2026

Landry Shamet

On returning to Cleveland and remembering the Knicks’ championship run:

“It’s human nature, you’re gonna revert back and think back to the last time you were in the building. I had a quick little firing of that walking in for shootaround, but I think the general sense was that was last year. That was great. You can have those memories and hang on to that as long as we want, but ultimately this year is a new year and a new endeavor.”

On the benefits of roster continuity and familiarity with Mike Brown:

“The biggest thing is just being comfortable with the guys on the floor, second year with [head coach] Mike [Brown]. I think that just breeds confidence. Familiarity breeds confidence. There’s no denying that. It allows you to get to the point of conversations quicker. It makes for a good formula to find success.”

On comparing his unpredictable Knicks role to that of a baseball relief pitcher:

“Especially with [my] role, I think I take a lot from my buddy Ashby, bullpen guy, you don’t know when you’re gonna get thrown in, what the situation’s gonna be. My job might look a little different from night to night. If I’m changing my approach every night, that’s not setting myself up for a good situation.

“I think in the past in my career when I was younger I would try to overcomplicate things and think I have to reinvent the wheel. I try to just keep it as simple as possible, reduce it down to my job, my impact and just play my game.”

👶🏆 https://t.co/oARr089I1Apic.twitter.com/sfndMbGu5z

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 8, 2026

Donovan Mitchell

On Cleveland’s Saturday loss to the Knicks:

“No excuse. These are games that we feel like we should win. We got another tough stretch coming up so there’s no reason to sit here and feel bad and nothing’s won in the first 10 games.”

On what went wrong for the Cavaliers:

“I think we just gave them too many second-chance opportunities. Then it’s too late, you’re down 20 trying to fight back, but it’s too late.”

Peyton Watson

On the Cavaliers failing to match the Knicks’ intensity:

“Got to bring your A game and we just didn’t do that tonight.”

"Rebounding…Rebounding…Rebounding…Rebounding…Rebound…Rebounds…Rebounds…Rebound"

–– Kenny Atkinson on the Knicks pic.twitter.com/klwvd52MNi

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 8, 2026

Kenny Atkinson

On Cleveland continuing to compete despite trailing New York by 18 points:

“We could have folded down 18, could have packed it in on a back-to-back, tough week, but we kept at it.”

On acknowledging that the Knicks dominated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals and then won the championship:

“They dominated it, and they did it again against San Antonio [in the Finals]. Analytically … there’s an ‘expected score,’ and we’ve won two out of the three games.

“I think when you look back on it and take the context of the question, I’m not sure that was taken into account, which I know was a little bit of a lesson for me — like, you can just take a sound bite (and run with it).

“I would just say there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us. So you live and learn a little bit with those things. But like I said, 99 percent of my comments were how they dominated us. They were by far the better team. I answered the question, as it was taken, (which was) ‘And you’re down 3-0, what hope do you have of even giving to your guys?’

“We get a lot of information … and I wasn’t lying in that sense, but in no sense was it like, ‘Oh, man, we deserve to be winning.’ Like zero — zero — thought of that.”

On why analytics could not outweigh the Knicks’ physical and mental dominance:

“We get information that checks our process. All that being said, we were still dominated. It kind of doesn’t matter (what the analytics say) because there is more than that. There is the mental toughness, the physical toughness, the flow to the game, how aggressive you are. There are all these other intangibles that go with that.”

On recognizing that the Knicks earned their championship:

“They deserved it, and they did it again against San Antonio. Just an incredible, incredible run.”

pic.twitter.com/McHRqCt0Bw

— Moonball (@moonball30) November 7, 2026

The Knicks have bobbed over .500 for the first time this season, thanks to yesterday’s return to form against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over the upcoming week, our heroes will get a second whack at the Ohio Players, plus two beatable opponents. Let’s take a peek at the schedule, shall we?

Tuesday, November 10 — Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 PM ET (MSG)

The Bucks are in a funky funk. Sitting last in the east, they pull into town having lost five straight and seven of their eight games this season. This has not been an auspicious start for new coach Taylor Jenkins. Over the summer, they lost Giannis Antetokounmpo and got younger, which has resulted in struggles at both ends of the floor. Tuesday’s game will be their first meeting with the Knicks this season. The last time they tussled, back on February 27, was a 127-98 New York win in Milwaukee.

Our heroes should have many chances to run against Milwaukee and plenty of mismatches to pick on. The Bucks don’t necessarily lack talent—Tyler Herro (acquired in the Giannis trade) leads the team at 22.3 points per game—just hope.

Wednesday, November 11 — Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00 PM ET (ESPN)

The Cavs just got a good look at what New York does well, and boy did it make their eyes water. Four nights after beating the Cavs 109-97 in Cleveland, the two rivals square up again at the Garden. Brunson scored 31 in the first tilt, Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and 13 rebounds, and New York led by 19 in the third. Donovan Mitchell found his way to 37, fighting to the end; James Harden died of old age; and Evan Mobley melted into a sweaty puddle under the rim.

Cleveland might have been fatigued on Saturday (playing a SEGABABA), and coach Kenny Atkinson will surely try to mix things up in their rematch. We’re curious to see what adjustments are up his sleeve. Jarrett Allen might return from the injured list, so maybe he can keep up with KAT better than Mopey Mobs?

Friday, November 13 — Knicks at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 PM ET (Prime Video)

The Knicks finish the week in Indiana. The poor Pacers can make a mess of things if you give them the ball and a head start. The 3-7 club has had trouble getting stops and closing games, but you can chalk that up to their leader Tyrese Haliburton being injured again. If he returns for Friday’s game, this could be a different contest.

The Pacers can still score in a hurry, especially if you help them with turnovers and lost rebounds. Without Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard have carried the load. Rick Carlisle’s club can turn into layups at the other end, and for as inept as they’ve been at times this season, they can still hit the gas. According to my notes, you’ll watch this one on Prime Video.

Knicks in five.

The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to halt a five-game slide as they take on Eastern Conference heavyweight Boston Celtics, who beat Milwaukee by seven points without Jayson Tatum on Wednesday. The Bucks and Celtics seem to be moving in entirely different directions. After a slow start to the season, Boston is surging at 7-2 and challenging the Sixers for the No. 1 spot in the conference. Meanwhile, the Bucks are 1-8 and face a daunting schedule that could easily extend their losing streak. On the plus side, Milwaukee’s youth looks strong—Brayden Burries looks great, and Nate Ament is taking exciting developmental steps—and despite the horrible record, we’ve been treated to some really exciting Tyler Herro performances. What else can we look forward to?

The Task Ahead

The Boston Celtics have been on a tear recently. They’ve won their last two—Wednesday’s back-and-forth win over Milwaukee and a blowout Friday win over the Charlotte Hornets—and have claimed five wins in their last six games. They’re second in the East, half a game behind the Sixers, and, with the addition of Paul George, look like an early title contender.

Moreover, aside from some glaring valleys—namely the season opener against the Detroit Pistons—Jayson Tatum has performed at an MVP level so far. His highlights include a 36-point near-triple-double against the Knicks, a 40-point outburst against the Nets (that included a game-winning shot), and a recent 34-point near-triple-double against the Hornets in just 29 minutes. But it hasn’t been all Tatum; Paul George has averaged just under 20 PPG on solid shooting, Derrick White remains the ultimate glue guy, and Neemias Queta anchors one of the league’s best defenses. In three words: Boston is back. In four words: Boston is really back. In five words… you get it.

Injury Report

Bucks:

• Bogoljub Markovic: Out (G League assignment)

Celtics:

• Chris Cenac Jr: Out (G League assignment)

Player to Watch

Derrick White is always fun to watch, especially as he eases into a more offensively significant role in Boston. White is a connective guard with a high basketball IQ and solid playmaking, but he is also an elite defender who can shut down on the perimeter. Against Milwaukee on Wednesday, the veteran guard scored 24 points on 7/18 shooting and added seven assists. White scored 18 points on 6/10 shooting with five assists and four boards in Boston’s demolition of the Hornets. He’ll be a key point-of-attack defender who could frustrate a Milwaukee backcourt prone to turnovers. Watching Brayden Burries go up against one of his draft comparisons in White will also be interesting.

Projected Starters

Bucks	Position	Celtics
Brayden Burries	PG	Derrick White
Tyler Herro	SG	Hugo Gonzalez
Jaime Jaquez Jr.	SF	Paul George
Kyle Kuzma	PF	Jayson Tatum
Myles Turner	C	Neemias Queta

Game Details

Who: Milwaukee Bucks (1-8) vs. Boston Celtics (7-2).

When: 7:00 pm CST.

Where: Fiserv Forum—Milwaukee, WI.

Watch: MY24.

Listen: Check local listings.

Prescient Prediction

The Celtics lead by at least 15 points by the end of the first quarter. The Celtics led Milwaukee 28-14 by the end of the first frame in their last meeting, and that was without Tatum. Boston’s aggressive defense could give the streaky Bucks a tough time, and the C’s have the star power on offense to make this a one-sided affair.

The Houston Rockets hit their first losing streak of the season on Saturday night, as they let the Suns run all over them to start, battled back, but then couldn’t close out the game.

For their last loss against Minnesota, it was a ghost of last season — execution — that was a main culprit. This time, it was shooting. The Rockets couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn, and you have to credit the Phoenix defense. They looked like the fresher team in the fourth quarter, when they shot 11-for-22 from the field, while the Rockets were only 10-for-27. In fact, for the game, Houston shot just 38 percent from the field, while allowing the Suns to shoot 48 percent. You’re not gonna win many that way.

In fact, the only Rocket player with a semi-decent game was Jabari Smith Jr., who continues to break out this season offensively. Smith went for 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block, though he was just 1-for-4 from deep. Still, Smith was the only Rockets player who could hit some shots outside of Fred VanVleet. FVV went for 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 6-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-9 from deep. VanVleet mostly played a clean game with zero turnovers, however, you want to see greater assist numbers, and with the offense stuck in the mud most of the game, you also want to see a greater impact from a distribution standpoint. But when no one is hitting shots…

Kevin Durant led the Rockets in scoring with 21 points, and he also had 10 boards and 3 assists, but he shot just 5-for-14 for the game, including 1-for-5 in a decisive fourth quarter that the Rockets lost. Alperen Sengun had 15 points, but he was just 5-for-16 from the field. Houston’s bench also shot just 6-for-25 for the game, including a combined 3-for-16 from Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard. Reed played just 13 minutes in this one, and it is increasingly appearing he is the odd man out in the rotation, especially if the three isn’t falling — and it wasn’t on Saturday at just 2-for-6 from deep.

The Suns were led by Devin Booker’s 24 points, while former Rocket Jalen Green had 16 points and 6 assists, and other former Rocket Dillon Brooks had 11 points and 4 boards while hitting 3 triples.

Houston falls to 7-3 on the season, and after a fast start (just like last year), some warts are starting to appear (just like last year), including late-game execution, overall shooting, and rotation management, again many of the same issues as last season. Nevertheless, the team is currently on a 57-win pace, but with the Western Conference wide open this year, you’d like to see the Rockets looking a little tighter.

The team returns to action Monday night at home against the Denver Nuggets.

Last week, despite the losses, Bucks fans were happy—if not more—with Taylor Jenkins and his rotations. But something about that equation was worrisome. In fact, I pondered as much to end the week’sBucks Reacts Results:

With rotation contentment high but wins low, the question thus begs: how long can this relationship coexist? That is, how long will it be until the losing takes its toll? Here’s hoping that becomes a moot point.

This week, as the losses start to mount and the shine of a new season appears to be rubbing off, that point has not become moot. And, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last.

Chivalry isn’t dead (but maybe it should be)

Yes, according to most fans—66% in fact—you’ll find these Milwaukee Bucks helping out at The Leftorium, reading to underprivileged kids, or helping your grandmother cross the street. They’re too nice. And their new mantra’s got nothin’ on ye olde one:

Naughty or nice, these Bucks suck

But it’s not really a question of demeanour, at least according to a swathe of commenters. From their perspective, the Bucks are simply not talented enough:

Yikes. Talk about glass all empty.

Contrary to the point

Perhaps, though, it’s not about whether the Bucks are too nice or not talented enough. Perhaps it’s an “intensity and urgency” matter.

Sounds awfully familiar to “energy and effort.” That you, Jason?

Finally, at least one fan hasn’t forgotten that time is a key part of the rebuild:

Thankfully, with Nate Ament (19), Kasparas Jakučionis (20), Brayden Burries (21), Kel’el Ware (22), Ousmane Dieng (23), and Ryan Rollins (24), these Bucks have plenty of time. And at least a few of ‘em are already ahead of the curve.

---

There you have it, BH fam. While these Bucks may be too nice, that’s not a bad position to start from. After all, as Laurell K. Hamilton wrote in her 2005 novel A Stroke of Midnight:

My father had taught me to be nice first, because you can always be mean later, but once you’ve been mean to someone, they won’t believe the nice anymore. So be nice, be nice, until it’s time to stop being nice, then destroy them.

That’s right, the Bucks might be in the trenches, but a fire brews.

Saturday night’s victory over the Houston Rockets was easily the Phoenix Suns’ best win of the season. Granted, they’ve only won three games through their first eight, but this one felt different. Phoenix continued its recent trend of putting together quality first quarters, something that has become increasingly important given how frequently this team has found itself playing from behind. When the Suns fall into an early deficit, players tend to press, forcing the issue offensively and abandoning the systems and schemes designed to put them in positions to succeed.

But Saturday night presented a different kind of adversity. After building a lead that reached as many as 19 points, the Suns completely unraveled in the second quarter. They managed a miserable 12 points, shot 3-of-11 from beyond the arc, and apparently decided to let amber be the color of their energy as Houston closed the half on a 22-3 run to erase the deficit entirely (that’s a 311 joke). What had been a commanding Phoenix advantage was suddenly a tie game heading into the locker room.

And that’s where things got interesting. Throughout the second half, we witnessed a collection of quality performances from different players on both ends of the floor. There were timely offensive contributions, defensive adjustments, and moments when individual effort helped stabilize a team that had every reason to start questioning itself. By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Suns had earned a 102-99 victory over one of the NBA’s most potent offenses.

That’s right. For the first time this season, Phoenix held an opponent under 100 points. And that opponent happened to be the Houston Rockets.

That accomplishment alone makes this victory impressive, but what stands out even more is how the Suns responded after their complete second-quarter meltdown. When you surrender a 19-point advantage in such a short period of time, it’s easy to fold. It’s easy to begin doubting yourself, questioning whether you have the personnel, discipline, or defensive capability to stop the opponent standing across from you. We’ve seen that uncertainty creep into this team’s play far too often through the opening weeks of the season.

Saturday night, however, was the first time we truly witnessed the mental toughness and fortitude that defined this team a season ago. The Suns refused to let one disastrous quarter dictate the outcome of the game. They regrouped, stood tall, and collectively found a way to shut down a Houston offense that had been operating like a well-oiled machine. In doing so, they earned, in every sense of the word, their third victory of the season.

Bright Side Baller Standings

Booker is up to three BSB’s after his 30-point aggressive performance against the Magic.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 8 against the Rockets. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
24 points (10-of-24, 2-of-9 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, -7 +/-

Miles Bridges
13 points (5-of-12, 1-of-5 3PT), 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +4 +/-

Jalen Green
16 points (7-of-14, 0-of-1 3PT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, -12 +/-

Ryan Dunn
8 points (3-of-5, 2-of-2 3PT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 0 turnovers, +25 +/-

Khaman Maluach
8 points (3-of-4, 0-of-1 3PT), 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, +11 +/-

Luke Kennard
11 points (4-of-7, 3-of-6 3PT), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +4 +/-

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And the winner is…

What a ride Jeremy Sochan has had, and the new season is just getting underway. After nearly four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, he was waived and signed with the Knicks, picking up a championship ring when New York beat the Spurs in the 2026 Finals.

After New York, it appeared Sochan was spending the 2026-2027 season in Portland, but was waived after four preseason games. The Polish-American power forward declared for the G-League draft and one week later was chosen first overall by the Texas Legends.

Here he is earlier this week in his first press conference as a member of the Legends.

Jeremy Sochan with the most humble and thoughtful response to his last 10 months or so, from NBA Champion (Knicks) to a standard G-League contract (Texas Legends).

– Drafted 9th overall by the Spurs in 2022, Sochan was a focal point of their early rebuild.
– 2025–26 season,… pic.twitter.com/n1ZUt3fkTI

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) November 3, 2026

“I think the way I grew up, my family, my parents; it’s always been like that. I could look at it negatively (the Portland situation). But when I look back at that situation, I think the two months I was there, I grew a lot. I was healthy throughout the whole training camp, preseason and open gym. So I think that was a blessing. When we got into preseason games, the minutes I got I think I used them to the best of my ability. I had good games. So what would be the point of being negative and angry for getting waived? Of course, you can look at it as that’s the NBA and I have a contract. But at the same time I have good momentum. So, why would I hold weight on something that I can’t control? And instead, be in this moment and do what I can do and keep that momentum going.”

According to Marc Spears, Sochan originally found out he was being waived by the Spurs through another player:

Ex-Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan says a teammate of his told him the Spurs wanted to waive him, and it bothered him that he found out that way:

“I thought I was going to be there for the rest of the season at least,” Sochan said of San Antonio. “And a few days after the trade… pic.twitter.com/z2vTe7T6qD

— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) November 5, 2026

“I thought I was going to be there for the rest of the season at least. And a few days after the trade deadline, it’s funny. I don’t want to be messy or anything, but I found out from one of my teammates that they wanted to waive me, and it definitely hit me in a way. But again, I kind of had the mentality of, ‘It is what it is.’ I heard it was pretty possible from someone else, and then officially found out through my agent. So, that was definitely new to me.“

Texas Legends season kicks off tonight in Mexico City against the Capitanes.

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Oklahoma City Thunder broadcaster Michael Cage summed up this game perfectly: “In this game, sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield.” In this one, the Wizards were in the role of the bug.

Washington was no match for the Thunder. Oklahoma City took control early and the Wizards had no answer for their athleticism, execution, and swarming defensive presence.

The Wizards converted just 29.6% of their field goal attempts, including 7-43 from three-point range. That’s 16.3%. Which is bad. Very bad.

Positives for the Wizards were scarce. Among them — Alex Sarr grabbed 14 rebounds in 28 minutes. Bub Carrington shot 3-3 from deep. Bilal Coulibaly defended Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pretty well in the first quarter — SGA had two points on o-3 shooting when Coulibaly left the game. He immediately started scoring and finished the game with 30 points and 9 assists.

For Washington, it’s a third consecutive loss — their first three-game skid of the season. Before the game, head coach Brian Keefe talked with reporters about the team figuring out their formula for success. The team would be wise not to over-index on this game. It was a bad result, and the team looked awful.

Despite missing Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren (in some order, their second and third best players), OKC is a special case. It’s a championship-level team with something to prove. The Wizards need to learn to compete at that level, and the lesson of their last three games is that they’re still not close.

That’s not the end of world 10 games into the season. But they need to internalize that lesson and do the work to become competitive against high-level opponents.

From the Notebook

• Kudos to the OKC stadium operations team — when the Wizards starters got introduced, they played Harry Potter theme music. Good job.
• The Wizards entered the game with the NBA’s second best “in the paint” field goal percentage (62.2%). The Thunder had the NBA’s second best defensive paint FG% (holding opponents to just 50.2%). Safe to say OKC won that battle.
• In the first quarter, the Wizards ran a pick-and-roll option out of a horns set for AJ Dybantsa. He had a choice of going left or right. It didn’t go great — he ended up battling his way into a mid-ranger, which he missed. The set was good, though.
• Tre Mann got real minutes for the first time this season. He looked pretty good — quick, aggressive, athletic. I’d like to see more.
• Jotted during the second quarter (could have been jotted anytime) — OKC defenders switch HARD.
• Another second quarter note — OKC was doubling Trae Young to get the ball out of his hands. The other Wizards weren’t able to take make plays, in part because OKC defenders hustled back to their matchups and rotated so perfectly.
• I thought maybe the Wizards had a chance of making things respectable — a thought that disappeared when I saw their possession of the second half. It was a pick-and-roll for Kyshawn George, who got caught in no-man’s land. The only teammate who cut was Coulibaly, who didn’t get free. That should have triggered a cascade of movement, but the other guys stood around until George was forced to take a difficult shot, which he missed.
• The Wizards tried a small-ball lineup in the second half. It got shredded by Aday Mara and the Thunder.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t keep up with a New York Knicks team that just has their number. They dropped Saturday’s game 109-97.

Three stars of the game

First star: Jalen Brunson

31 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds

Brunson is a certified Cavs killer. He picked up right where he left off last postseason by torching whatever defender Cleveland put in front of him. He got inside the paint and to his midrange floater with ease. And when he didn’t, the outside shot was working as well.

There really isn’t much that you can do when Brunson has it going as he did here. The Cavs sent some doubles at him and tried to shade their defense toward him. When they got too far, he made the easy pass to the open teammate, never forcing anything.

The Cavs’ strategy was fine. The defense also wasn’t necessarily horrible. Cleveland’s guards competed, but that didn’t matter. Brunson is just too good a shot and decision-maker.

Second star: Donovan Mitchell

37 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Mitchell is putting together an impressive season from a process standpoint. He’s doing a better job of looking for his teammates, while also finding avenues to score.

“I think the biggest thing is creating an opportunity,” Mitchell said. “I haven’t shot as many shots as I have in my career, so trying to balance that and figure out trying to make the right basketball play. Sometimes that is shooting. Sometimes that is passing. Sometimes that is running the blitz, and it’s going to help to make me better.”

Mitchell tried to will the Cavs back into this game, scoring 21 in the final quarter alone. But as impressive as he was, a one-man army wasn’t enough to take down a well-oiled machine like the Knicks. Especially when the rest of his co-stars struggled.

Third star: Karl-Anthony Towns

29 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Towns is such a difficult player to defend. His outside shot requires him to be guarded out on the perimeter, which opens up the lane for his teammates. If the defensive center leaves, Towns can make them pay with the outside shot. And, if his defender closes out too hard, Towns is quick enough off the dribble to make them pay inside.

This was on display on Saturday. He drew two quick fouls on Mobley in the first quarter by attacking the rim. This changed the complexion of the game. Without Jarrett Allen, the Cavs were forced to turn to third-string center Thomas Bryant for a longer stretch than they would’ve ideally liked.

Towns’s presence can completely change an offense as dynamic as New York’s. Cleveland found that out again the hard way.

Duds of the game

James Harden

7 points on 2-of-9 shooting, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks

The Cavs offense can look lifeless when Harden isn’t able to get downhill. On Saturday, he was a step slow and couldn’t create any separation off the dribble. That limited his effectiveness.

On the other end, the Knicks continually hunted him in mismatches. To his credit, Harden competed. But it wasn’t enough to keep this from being a winning strategy.

This has been less than an ideal start to the season for Harden.

Evan Mobley

12 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 turnovers

Mobley’s ability to win the matchup over Joel Embiid was a deciding factor in Cleveland’s runaway win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Likewise, his inability to do so against New York contributed to the loss.

The foul trouble made it difficult for Mobley to establish any kind of offense inside. This left him as mostly a jump shooter at the start of the game. And since the three-ball wasn’t falling (1-for-5 on the evening), there wasn’t much he was capable of offensively to help jumpstart an offense that needed it.

Cavalier who deserves a shoutout

Peyton Watson

12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Watson was useful in this game. He provided some much-needed offense and was helpful as a defender. That’s what you want to see from Watson in this matchup.

Play of the game

watch Don on the ground 😂

Made sure to find Knecht and shoot him with the spida webs pic.twitter.com/nkby46hYtE

— Mikey McNuggets (@MikeLucasTV) November 8, 2026

Quote of the day

“Not really. In Jauary we went 2-9. I’m not really into measuring stick games). … Let’s say we win by 15. Well, we might get hammered next week by whoever’s in last place by 20. Does that mean we suck? No. You just take it one game at a time and try to get a little bit better.”

– Knicks head coach Mike Brown before the game when asked if this was a measuring stick game

It’s tempting to use this difficult stretch of games as a test for where the Cavs are. And if you were going to use it as one, they wouldn’t necessarily pass.

The more concerning thing is the lack of discernible identity. When they’re playing well, the Cavs can beat anyone, as we saw against Philadelphia. But what does this group hang their hat on? What does better look like for them? And are they taking steps to get there? Those are the questions that matter, and we don’t have clear answers for any of them.

Stat of the game

The Knicks outscored the Cavs 26-8 in second-chance points.

New York retrieved 41.8% of their missed shots (94th percentile). And then they made the most of those opportunities by scoring a quarter’s worth of points on that alone.

“We have to rebound better collectively,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s no one pointing the finger. The guys got to do it collectively. We just got to be better.”

Main takeaway from this game: The Knicks have the Cavs number

I don’t necessarily think the Knicks present stylistic problems that the Cavs can’t solve. An offense that hunts out mismatches with their smaller, but electric, scoring guard isn’t something the Cavs should, on paper, be incapable of countering. Yet, the Cavs are consistently ending up on the wrong side of this matchup. The Knicks have their number, and there’s no way around that.

Atkinson and Mitchell were asked what makes this matchup so difficult afterward. Both pointed to the offensive rebounding as an obvious issue, and one that we all can see. They also both mentioned that the Knicks just understand how to play with each other and use that to seize the openings teams give them.

“They really have solutions,” Atkinson said. “I think their continuity…they just have great chemistry. They’re on a string on both ends.”

“They’ve been through stuff together as a group,” Mitchell said. “They do a good job os seizing mistakes.”

Brunson and Towns were tremendous once again tonight. Their shotmaking carried them in this matchup. But they also did a great job of accepting what the Cavs threw at them, and then having a plan of action for that. If you doubled Brunson, he moved the ball to the open teammate and made the Cavs’ defense scramble out.

Conversely, when they threw doubles at Mitchell, the Cavs weren’t quick to respond. Watson admitted afterward that he doesn’t know to help Mitchell in that situation and that there are “some questions” about their strategy that he would like to ask about. That isn’t the sign of a team that’s on a string and understands what they need to do to be the best version of themselves.

Little things like that are why the Knicks have been better. They understand what they need to do, and the pieces fit together perfectly to make that happen. The Cavs don’t have that right now. And until they do, they won’t be able to get through the roadblock the Knicks have become throughout this era of Cavs basketball.

ATLANTA — The Nets are going to be short-handed in the backcourt for Sunday’s game in Dallas, missing both Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr.

Dëmin will miss a sixth straight game, and after that, the young guard and his leg injury will be reevaluated by the Nets.

“Yeah, he’s progressing well,” coach Jordi Fernández said of Dëmin. “He’s on the court. He’s not going to play [Saturday] or [Sunday], and then we’ll go from there.”

Dëmin suffered a bone bruise in his right leg Oct. 27 in Boston during a 125-124 overtime loss to the Celtics. Two days later, the Nets announced he’d be reevaluated after one week.

The Russian missed a fifth straight tilt in Saturday’s loss at Atlanta. But with the Nets slated to practice Tuesday in Dallas, the team at least left open the possibility of Dëmin returning at some point on this four-game road trip.

Meanwhile, Brown is still not cleared for back-to-backs.

“It’s a plan that we have with professionals that know exactly about how your body is, how you feel after,” Fernández said. “Then we assess the player, and then once we assess the player, then we keep building him up. So right now he’s not gonna play back-to-backs.”

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Center Day’Ron Sharpe had his first career triple-double with 12 points, a career-high 13 assists and 10 boards.

“A lot of great players I’m playing with, Michael [Porter Jr.] has got a lot of gravity towards him. So they’re trying to stop him from playing for 3s, and then it leads to backdoor cuts. Then it also opens up for my other teammates as well, driving in, kicking or whatever. They’re trying to over help on Mike, so just making the right read every time,” Sharpe said.

“Yeah, I mean 13 assists, four turnovers, that’s elite numbers. And proud of him,” Fernández said. “We just gotta make sure that we keep rebounding as a group. It’s not just on him, but that’s probably a big reason why the game was lost right there.”

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Noah Clowney was available after being listed as questionable with an illness and after being forced out of the win over the Hornets in the third quarter with a sore knee.

Drake Powell was available after having been questionable on a G-League assignment, recalled from Long Island. Joshua Jefferson, Ben Saraf, Tyler Bilodeau and Grant Nelson were all out on assignment.