Category: NBA

LOS ANGELES – Off to the side, beyond the end of the bench, Heat players Bam Adebayo and Davion Mitchell were standing on the baseline, talking with their hands on their hips.

The sober looks on their faces, however, gave the impression that it was something else. It looked like more of a debrief. As in: how did it get like this?

Just to their right, one seat from the end of the bench, sat Giannis Antetokounmpo, who draped a towel over his shoulders. He was staring blankly ahead, his head resting on his hand.

Once again, an opposing team had bombarded the Miami Heat. This time, it was Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, Nov. 2 in a 138-117 torching. Miami jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes. It was the last time the Heat would be ahead.

And as these remade Heat seek to build a contender around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, it’s not the offense or perimeter shooting that has become the problem. It is – surprisingly – the team’s defense. All of which raises a question, and a significant one, even this early in the season.

Is this a fatal flaw that will prevent Miami from making the playoffs?

Realistically, it’s far too early for such sweeping pronouncements. The lack of cohesion, however, is significant enough to be a serious concern.

“We’re not playing hard enough,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to play hard, have some pride. Individual pride, first of all, and then we’ve got to keep one another accountable and trust one another defensively. Right now we don’t trust one another. We’re not giving that extra effort.

“Effort, individual pride and trust. We’ve got to have those three things.”

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The Heat have a collection of stellar individual defenders. Adebayo is an elite stopper, a six-time All-Defensive selection and a player who can guard any position. Antetokounmpo is six years removed from his Defensive Player of the Year award but remains a force in the paint. Mitchell, the starting point guard, has the nickname “Off Night” because convention goes that when he’s guarding a prominent offensive player, said player will have an off night. Andrew Wiggins is a defensive-minded wing with plenty of length.

Yet, the sum has not been greater than the parts, and it shows.

“A lot of times I feel like when fatigue sets in, we stop communicating, and that’s when mistakes happen,” Adebayo said. “That’s when bad habits set in. The lack of effort is there. We’ve got to figure it out.”

The Lakers made eight of their first nine shots. They dropped 79 points in the first half. Entering the night, NBA teams had been averaging 113.7 points per game; Los Angeles had already reached 111 by the end of the third quarter.

Dončić flamed the Heat to the tune of 42 points and fellow guard Austin Reaves dropped 27.

And after the Lakers converted on 19-of-43 (44.2%) attempts from beyond the arc, no team in the NBA is allowing more made 3-pointers per game (17.3) than the Heat. Making matters worse, Miami also ranks second-to-last in opposing 3-point percentage at 41%; by comparison, the last-place team, the Suns, are giving up 3s at a 41.1% clip.

It’s not just perimeter defense, either. Time after time Monday night, Lakers players blew past Heat defenders on closeouts, as L.A. outscored Miami in the paint by a margin of 60-40.

To a certain extent, this lack of trust does make some sense. The Heat traded four players to land Antetokounmpo and the group is still figuring out how to play together. So, in practical terms, what does this lack of trust actually look like on the floor?

“Like, when a guy beats you off the dribble, sometimes you don’t close out all the way to Luka, and that is because you don’t feel like somebody has your back,” Antetokounmpo said. “So then you give him air space to hit a stepback 3 or pull up for a 3. Same thing with Austin Reaves: you have to close out all the way, knowing that somebody has your back in the paint.

“Sometimes, when you don’t feel that trust, you kind of hesitate and you go half way. You don’t put yourself out there. That’s the trust I’m talking about; you’ve got to do your job. I got to do my job. When they shot goes up, I’ve got to box out and get the rebound. They’ve got to trust that I’m going to get them the possession. That’s the kind of trust that I’m talking about.”

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The Heat still have Erik Spoelstra roaming the sidelines. He’s a basketball lifer who is widely considered to be the best active coach in the NBA, a coach who does not shy away from in-season adjustments. After the game, he expressed optimism that his group would figure it out, though he acknowledged it would take time.

Losses like these, in their own way, help by showing Miami what it cannot afford to do. Lessons can come from victories, too. The paradox about trust is that, in a sense, you have to let go of individual insecurities for a greater good. You have to yield. That is, of course, easier said than done.

“If you don’t want to play defense as a team, you can’t do it by yourself,” Mitchell said after the game. “It’s not surprising. We’ve got to have a better sense of urgency. We’ve got to be intentional about our situation and our game plan, and we’ve got to stick to it.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat defense under scrutiny after Lakers rout

Steph Curry pinpoints Warriors players key to team's five-game winning streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors did not win five consecutive games at any point last season. Eight games into the 2026-27 NBA season, Golden State has done just that, rattling off five straight after an 0-3 start.

As always, Steph Curry has been the Warriors’ lifeline. The two-time MVP is averaging 30 points per game, second in the NBA to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić, on an absurd 68.2-percent true shooting.

Golden State’s struggles in recent memory have largely come from Curry’s supporting cast failing to make an impact, especially after Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL in January, but the Warriors’ youth has been instrumental to the team’s success through the first few weeks of the season.

After Golden State’s comeback 116-113 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, Curry recognized the players he believes have changed the Warriors’ dynamic.

“I mean, [Yaxel Lendeborg], [Brandin Podziemski] taking another step forward, [Brandon William]’s been great for us off the bench, giving us something different that we haven’t had in a while,” Curry said. “I think we had some individual production that’s been pretty cool, and some standout guys have made their presence felt night after night.”

Despite a rough shooting night, Lendeborg continued his phenomenal rookie campaign, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Podziemski added 20 points of his own.

Williams was sidelined with a quadriceps injury, but has put up double-digit points in four of his seven outings, operating as Golden State’s first real spark plug off the bench since Jordan Poole.

Veteran Draymond Green was ejected with two technical fouls, and opened the door for center Charles Bassey to make an impact with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Curry also harped on the team’s readiness before the games as reasons for the improvement.

“I think collectively, I’m sure Steve [Kerr] would say for him and his staff, we’re probably a little bit more prepared on the details of what we’re trying to do, and not just take it for granted that you can play like the Warriors of old, and just expect good things to happen,” Curry said. “So the idea of what we talked about going into the year, keep the bones of what we do, how we play, what me and Draymond can do out there, but then the next level of detail to help the younger guys find their way. But we do have some talent that’s been fun to watch.”

Curry and the Warriors hope to extend their win streak when they go up against formidable opponents in the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs later this week.

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January 28, 2023, was a day when Yuta Watanabe scored 9 points, Joe Harris was playing basketball and Nic Claxton still felt like a somewhat promising prospect. It was a day when Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were still donning the orange and blue Knicks jersey, Jericho Sims practiced for the dunk contest before the game and Evan Fournier, for some incomprehensible reason, got a DNP.

The day also marked the last time the Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knickerbockers.

Obviously, a lot of things have happened between the game almost four years ago and today. Kyrie Irving’s career path has considerably flattened since falsely inspiring the 27 fans of his former team, and the Knicks have changed almost their entire roster (luckily not the guy wearing number 11) and now have a shiny little ring to show for it. It’s hard to put the distance between the two franchises into words, but if you needed a reminder of it, last night’s game was a good illustration.

Sloppy Knicks still too much for naughty Nets

For long stretches, New York did not really deserve to win this game. They settled for three after three, sleepwalked through one pick and roll after another and were constantly late to the orange leather ball. They didn’t think it was necessary to feature Karl-Anthony Towns against a team that had no answer for him in the past; they didn’t think the opponent was dangerous enough to punish the experiments with their own lineup. And you know what? It all didn’t matter because the New York Knicks are a good basketball team and the Nets are not.

What they are, though, is a scrappy young bunch (actually the youngest there is in the league) with some decent players and an inspiring coach, a team that is hellbent on trying to get the most out of their limited resources—be it on the court or later at the trade deadline. For three quarters, that was plenty enough to give the Knicks some headaches, as Brooklyn actually led the contest going into the fourth quarter. But then the New York bench happened.

Just like a few nights ago in Chicago, Mike Brown found the right mix of guys from the pine, and Tyler Kolek, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson completely turned around a game that never felt like it was in danger yet still needed to be taken care of late. The bench boys did that and then some. Even Andre Drummond got into the mix and played some smart, efficient basketball while in there. For all the might New York’s starting lineup supposedly has, you could argue that they would have to answer a bunch of uncomfortable questions if it weren’t for their reserves early in the year.

No matter who you take, they all have shown the ability to completely change the dynamic of a game in an instant, which truly is one of the most important qualities a reserve has to possess. The Knicks’ offense is flowing visibly faster with Tyler Kolek at the point right now, Landry Shamet’s motor seems to be running longer and more reliably than Haile Gebrselassie ever did, and Clarkson is playing every game like an Olympic berth for the Philippines is on the line.

Bockers bench is brave and brilliant again

Now, make no mistake about it: they all need serious talent next to them to actually thrive, but that, in the end, is the epitome of a team—a group of individuals that all bring different strengths to the table. For the early part of the season, most of the Knicks’ reserves, more often than not, have held up their part of the equation and reminded us all that depth was a key component in New York’s championship run last year. The same can be said for the uncanny ability to have someone else step up on any given night.

The bench was also a big reason why TomRogerAstro’s seemingly simple headline from the Postgame Thread rang true. The Knicks have been a bit up and mostly down with their three-point shooting so far this season, and it was a welcome sight to see them find their range, especially late in the game. Brooklyn had no answer once the shots fell, the crowd got ignited and the already pretty solid defense completely locked in to secure the victory.

One Knick who is still waiting for things to turn around, though, is Mikal Bridges. Once again, he only “played” 16 minutes, in which he actually drove all the way to the rim once. If anything can tell you that he feels a little desperate right now, it should be that he actually did not settle for a midrange shot but tried to finish inside. That’s what 30 strong minutes from Landry Shamet time and again can do to you. It’s not a controversy yet; we’ve been there before. But as more and more people stream about it, this can get pretty dicey soon.

If games against the Nets will ever get dicey again, you ask? Well, they might, but not without a lot of things happening. And don’t worry, we haven’t heard about the Knicks giving Evan Fournier a call recently.

I want to believe.

The Wizards entered last night’s game at the Orlando Magic ranked 10th in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions). They then put the Magic into a figurative chokehold — limiting Orlando to 28.2% three-point shooting, 94 points in the game, and just nine points in a stifling third quarter.

It’s the second consecutive game that the Wizards opponent scored less than 100 points. Washington managed that feat just three times all of last season. And the Wizards did it without Alex Sarr (out with a sore knee) and Justin Champagnie (broken foot).

The Wizards’ record is now 4-3. The last time they had a winning record this deep in the season was 2021-22.

Comparisons with last season are for illustrative purpose only, by the way. Washington was trying to lose last year. This is a different squad with a different purpose, and it shows. And it’s fun to watch.

Against the Magic, Kyshawn George was excellent on both end all night. He took good shots except when the only shots were tough ones — and he shot well. He defended, rebounded, set up teammates while avoiding turnovers and fouls. He finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, a block and a turnover. That’s a helluva good game.

Anthony Davis dominated inside, scoring 27 points and grabbing 9 rebounds and 3 steals. He did get a bit sloppy at times, which showed in his five turnovers. Still, another strong game from the team’s best player.

In what might well be a sign, I thought AJ Dybantsa had a relatively rough outing. A few times in the second half, he had some trouble finishing through contact and managing against Orlando’s physicality. He shot just 7-17 from the floor. And yet, he finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. His PPA was 148, and the team was +10 in his minutes. Reminder: this is a 19-year-old rookie.

Bilal Coulibaly was disruptive on defense. Bub Carrington gave the team 19 productive minutes. Trae Young was kinda meh for him, and he still generated 9 assists and grifted free throws.

So why am I still at “want to believe” status? One big reason is the likelihood that they’re benefitting from opponent shooting luck. One of the lessons of statistical analysis is that defenses don’t have much effect on opponent three-point shooting. The fact that Washington’s opponents are shooting below 30% on threes is great. But over a small sample, it’s probably just luck. When opponent shooting regresses to the mean, so will Washington’s defense.

Probably.

I say “probably” because they’re doing a lot right on that end. Their effort is NBA level, which is something the franchise hasn’t had in a few years. They swarm, they pressure, they scrap, they chase and deflect and challenge shots. I see that and appreciate it while the analyst part of my brain keeps saying, “Tap the brakes. It’s not that hard to look good when opponents are shooting 28% from three-point range.”

From the Notebook

• The Magic targeted Young and had success, even on a bad offensive night. Young’s defensive effort is as good as it’s ever been across his entire career. My sense from watching him this season is that his (relative) defensive strength is as a help defender or jumping passing lanes. His point-of-attack defense is weak and will be a target as the Wizards play more meaningful games.
• I’m not sold on Dybantsa’s three-point shooting stroke. There’s something about his arms and the location of the ball as he’s shooting that’s not sitting right with me. It’s something like the ball spending too much time at eye level and a flat trajectory.
• The Wizards are huge and have a couple of elite athletes — Dybantsa and Coulibaly.
• Despite being tall, mobile, and athletic, Deandre Ayton has very little presence as a rim protector. In the second quarter, I jotted a note that Orlando guard Jase Richardson had found his ideal victims — Young at the point of attack and Ayton in the paint.
• Once again, Washington’s first offensive play was for Dybantsa. They set screens for him, and got him the ball on the move, which helped him drive to the room. He missed through contact that probably should have been called a foul.
• Once again, Young’s ability to threaten defenses with his passing set himself up for an open layup.
• Head coach Brian Keefe used essentially a nine-man rotation. Sarr and Champagnie were out with injuries, but Khris Middleton got a DNP-CD, and Will Riley played just four minutes.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median last season was 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

With Paul George sitting out the second night of a back-to-back and Boston playing their fifth game in eight nights, the Celtics snapped their five-game winning streak and lost to the Rockets 109-93. It was a demoralizing loss to a very good team, made only worse because of who was on the opposing team.

Why the Celtics lost

It’s bittersweet to say, but it’s all about Marcus Smart.

The former Celtic was everywhere on the floor. His stat line doesn’t tell the story. He was 2-for-10 from the field; Alperen Segun paced all scorers with 26 on 12-of-15 shooting. He was just a +5 off the bench with the Rockets starters doing much of the damage in the game. With the ninth stingiest defense backing up the league’s most efficient offense, the 6-1 Rockets have few weaknesses to take advantage of now that they have Fred Van Vleet and Smart at the point.

However, Boston was in this game. After Smart checked into the game at the 4:35 mark of the third quarter, the Celtics whittled down the lead to four. And then Smart happened.

During one stretch to start the fourth quarter, he was called for two consecutive dead ball defensive fouls that he followed up with back-to-back threes — the epitome of The Marcus Smart Experience that we know all so well. By the time he checked out midway through the final frame, Houston was up 100-82.

Since his departure in 2023, he’s bounced around from four different teams, including a stint with Lakers last season. However, hooking up with Ime Udoka in Houston seems to be the right fit. For more insight to the former Celtics reunion with the Rockets, check out The Athletic’s Will Guillory’s profile on Smart and Udoka. Here’s a snippet:

“There are some guys who have that defensive mentality, but it’s rare to have a guy who comes into the game and impacts it the way he does on that side of the ball,” Udoka said. “You saw it with Dillon, you saw it with Pat (Beverley). There are certain guys you have to prepare for because of what they do defensively. He’s one of them.”

“(Udoka’s) mentality matched mine,” Smart added. “He allowed me to be me without any persecution.”

For the Celtics, they have several candidates that have filled in for Smart’s Tommy Point contributions. Walsh’s on-ball defense made him a starter earlier in the year. Scheierman chips in with the occasional hustle play or heady pass. Gonzalez often has the flair for the dramatic. But nobody has yet to solely take the mantle away from Marcus since his departure.

Numbers game: 28.6%

Last season, the Celtics were 7-11 when they shot under 30% from behind the arc. Before last night, they had endured a miserable game against the Nets in an overtime thriller and Sunday’s brickfest over the Magic, but hitting just 12-of-42 in Houston just wasn’t enough against an elite Rockets team.

Tatum made just one of his 7 triples. Pritchard and Hauser missed all five of their attempts each. The only bright spot was Garza’s 4-for-7 clip.

Maybe it was a lack of legs in the second night of a back-to-back or missing Paul George’s catch-and-shoot prowess on the wing, but stinkers like this are going to happen every sixth game or so. As long as they’re figuring out other ways to win, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue.

Must C’s

Once a Celtic, always a Celtic. Love and trust, Smarty.

Who said what

“To be honest, I gotta figure it out soon. I don’t know.” — Mitchell Robinson on his impact on the offensive boards

After missing the previous game against the Magic, Robinson was replaced by Neemias Queta in the starting lineup. Soon after coming off the bench, he jammed his thumb and went to the locker room for a brief stint in the second quarter. He did make both of his looks from the field, but his one offensive board on the night was just his fifth in three games. That was supposed to be his calling card.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the loss that Robinson’s decreased impact is partly because they have him playmaking by setting screens further away from the rim, but after leading the league last season with 7.7 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, it’s been a disappointing start for the Celtics’ key free agent signing of the summer.

Just a reminder that today is Election Day and to stress the importance of voting, the league has cleared the calendar with no games scheduled for tonight. If you need help finding you ballot and polling station, the NBA is encouraging fans to Get In The Game and make your voice heard.

The team will return home to TD Garden to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday at 7:30 pm EST before heading back out on the road for four games in Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Toronto. It continues a road-heavy stretch in November where the team will be away from Boston for twelve out of 16 contests.

Late in last night’s Spurs game, frustrations began to get the better of the Utah Jazz. Lauri Markkanen was the team’s only player in double figures. Everyone else seemed to be struggling through the drubbing the Spurs handed them on the way to a 119-97 victory.

With just over nine minutes left in regulation, Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh and Harrison Barnes got tangled. When they broke free, Barnes found himself sliding across the floor. In what quickly went viral, Barnes stared down Sensabaugh. The moment was played back in slow motion while the play was reviewed for a Flagrant 1.

There were already over as hundred and forty thousand views in the little over an hour since the incident took place.

Sensabaugh was eventually assessed the Flagrant 1.

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You watch the Suns, and you feel like Bob Wiley following the guidance of Dr. Leo Marvin. Baby steps. Baby steps. If this team is going to get better, they have to start taking baby steps. And on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors, it felt like some of those steps were finally being taken.

After all, the Suns got off to their best start of the season, building a 17-point lead in the first half. It was easily the most impressive opening stretch we’ve seen from this team thus far. But as we’ve learned through the early portion of the season, Phoenix still has plenty of work to do. Nothing comes easy for this group. Everything has to be earned.

If they want to earn another victory this season, they’re going to have to clean up multiple aspects of their game. One thing we’ve been waiting to see is whether this team can actually close out a basketball game. On Monday night, that question remained unanswered. They simply couldn’t close.

Down one point with two minutes remaining, Devin Booker missed a wide-open 12-footer. On the next possession, Booker turned the ball over. The possession after that? A turnover by Jalen Green. And then, to complete the sequence, Booker was called for an offensive foul.

Was it a flop? Probably. When you have no room for error, it ultimately doesn’t matter. What does matter is execution, and that continues to evade this team, particularly when it matters most. They’ve yet to put together a complete game, and every time it feels like they’re ready to take a full stride forward, they stumble.

So we’re left with baby steps.

Those baby steps were certainly present on Monday night. At times, the defense looked locked in. At times, the offensive sets were functioning the way they’re supposed to. There were stretches when you could see what this team is trying to become. But in the NBA, when you have a roster that feels like it’s fighting against itself because of how poorly it’s constructed, when you can’t consistently rebound the basketball or prevent opposing teams from generating extra possessions seemingly at will, baby steps might be all you’re capable of taking.

Perhaps that’s the most frustrating part of watching this team right now. You can see the progress, recognize the improvements, and appreciate the effort, but none of it matters much when the same mistakes continue costing you games. The Suns are learning how to compete, yet they haven’t figured out how to win. And while Dr. Marvin might applaud the baby steps, the NBA standings certainly won’t. At some point, Phoenix has to learn how to walk.

Bright Side Baller Standings

Collin Gillespie’s double-double off the bench, where he went for 16 points and 10 assists, earned him his first Bright Side Baller of the season. 52% of the vote went his way, with Miles Bridges (38%) and Dillon Brooks (5%) getting some love as well.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 5 against the Warriors. Here are your nominees:

Miles Bridges
21 points (7-of-14, 3-of-5 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, +1 +/-

Devin Booker
26 points (8-of-18, 2-of-4 3PT), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, -18 +/-

Dillon Brooks
18 points (5-of-8, 2-of-2 3PT), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, -13 +/-

Jalen Green
11 points (5-of-14, 0-of-4 3PT), 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, +4 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
14 points (6-of-6, 0-of-0 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, -4 +/-

Luke Kennard
6 points (2-of-6, 2-of-6 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, +15 +/-

It’s Election Day in the United States. Before you hit the polls, drop a vote in here as well!

Joe Lacob claims Yaxel Lendeborg's development has changed Warriors' outlook originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Yaxel Lendeborg has exceeded just about everyone’s expectations. Including his own.

Does that change the Warriors’ outlook on the 2026-27 NBA season? Golden State owner Joe Lacob certainly believes so.

“I do,” Lacob told 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Monday when asked if Lendeborg’s immediate breakout has changed the team’s outlook on the season. “Look, we’ve made our mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and we didn’t get the draft exactly right, or maybe we didn’t get the development right on a couple other higher draft choices in the past. Fine, criticize us for that, but the draft is hard guys.

“It is hard, and not everybody gets it. Some teams never get it right, and we got this one right. I was 100 percent sold that this was the guy we wanted in the draft, we were, not just me, and there were some other really good players in this draft. The only question was ‘Would he get to No. 11?’ And I was confident, actually that he would, because the NBA, I’ve been doing this a long time now, the NBA GMs just love their 18- and 19-year-olds. We’ve all been guilty of looking at ‘There’s great upside to some of these guys,’ but this guy seemed like a champion, ready to play.”

In eight games this season, Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points, seven rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 50-percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

Not only has the rookie been an important piece to coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, but he is Golden State’s No. 2 scorer behind superstar Steph Curry. Lendeborg is putting up All-Star-caliber numbers early in his first NBA season for a team that is without its second scorer in Jimmy Butler, who still is working his way back from a torn ACL sustained last season and won’t return until midseason.

When he does return, the Warriors could have a very formidable Big Three with Curry, Lendeborg and Butler.

“The amazing thing is, everything we thought he could be, he’s come in and kind of exceeded that,” Lacob added. “I think Steve has stated that. He’s surprised Steve for sure. He doesn’t have any weaknesses is what I would say.”

Of course, it still is very early in the season, and Lendeborg almost certainly will experience plenty of highs and lows throughout the 82-game campaign. But the early returns on their first-round pick have Lacob and the Warriors very encouraged, and seemingly believing the team’s ceiling might be higher than they initially thought it was.

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Nothing sucks the vibes out of the room quite like a loss to the winless Sacramento Kings on your home court. The Dallas Mavericks’ (4-3) first win streak of the season is no more after Monday’s 115-100 loss to the Kings (1-6) at American Airlines Center.

Kyrie Irving sat out under the “injury management” heading, which means rest, which means the coaching staff likely thought they could get the win without the man who scored a game-high 35 points in 35 minutes in Friday’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets.

Twas not so. The Mavericks have zero other players on the roster who can do what Irving does for this team. Dribble the basketball, for one. Anyway, we move.

Here’s what Mavs head coach Dusty May, center Daniel Gafford and backup guard Walter Clayton Jr. had to say in the postgame press conference about the ugly loss that saw the Mavericks shoot just 7-of-33 (21.2%) from 3-point range.

Dusty May

Opening statement

I want to credit Sacramento — that they were the more determined team tonight, the more prepared team and they came in and earned it. I want to give a lot of credit to their bench, those guys, their backups. Three wings, made a combined 12 threes for 36 points. So on nights like that, you’ve got to find ways to overcome your lack of shooting, and them shooting well, and we just weren’t able to do that tonight.

What led to the team being out of rhythm all night?

A number of things. I thought once they got going, they were physical on the screens. We didn’t put much pressure on the paint or the rim, and we were on our heels.

What did Sacramento do to contribute to Cooper Flagg’s offensive struggles?

They loaded the paint, and there’s a cadence to it where he’s fanning out early, and we miss our first eight threes, and we thought several of them were good looks. And at that point, it fuels their fire to get to him even more in the paint, and they’re collapsing on him. They’re running second guy, third guy at him. I don’t think our spacing, our relocations, were great as a whole, and we just didn’t find any rhythm together.

Flagg grabbed his shoulder late in the fourth quarter — did that have anything to do with it?

I didn’t see that.

On the team shooting 7-of-33 from 3-point range:

Yeah, that’s basketball. When you take [Walter Clayton Jr.] out of it, who made four of those seven, we were three for 28. And so it’s tough to win basketball games like that. You have to have a lot of different areas, the steals, turnovers, getting to the line, which I thought we did a nice job getting to the line. You have to overcome that deficit in so many other areas, and we just weren’t able to do it.

On using the film from this loss to find something and capitalize on it for future games:

Win or a loss, we’re going to look back at our process and just see, did we prepare the right way? Did we have the right game plan? What would we do differently next time? We’ll have several learning experiences from this game. We do have a young team, and when it’s not going well, we just kept stressing that everything’s going poorly for us. But let’s just find a way to hang around and get it till the end. But their shot-making prevented us from doing that. Those guys, they found great connection, especially in the fourth quarter, and found some match-ups, and I thought they played unselfish basketball.

What did you see from the retooled starting five featuring Caleb Martin in the first half and Clayton in the second half?

I thought Caleb did a good job defensively. He made a shot. I don’t think the lineup combinations offhand are the reason that they won tonight. We didn’t do much well across the board, coaching, playing in any way. We just felt like he had a really good game last outing. His defense has been really, really sound for us.

On being without Kyrie Irving in the lineup:

He does so much for us, and making big shots, and calming us down. We haven’t been able to answer runs very well. That’s one area that he does. One of your guys is out, and another one just has an off night. You’ve got to have some other guys step up and making shots as part of that. They just didn’t drop tonight.

On Max Christie’s 3-point shooting to start the year:

He’s put in a lot of work. He deserves to have success. He had a great summer, and there’s ebbs and flows and ups and downs in any season. We always just stress that water is going to find its level, and just keep moving forward with whether things are going well or poorly. Just keep preparing the right way, and keep believing and having faith, and your time will come. So it’s an 82-game season. We’re confident that water is going to find its level on our shooters.

On Christie’s hip injury that kept him out of the second half — did you see it? Do you have any updates?

No, I just saw that he was hobbling a little bit. They just said we’ll evaluate him tomorrow, typically the night of, it’s tough to have a clear evaluation, but we’ll re-evaluate in the next couple days.

Three Sacramento guards scores 20 or more — what did they do to hurt you guys?

They spread us out, and they made tough shots. Those guys are good players. I thought LaVine was very sound. Obviously, Acuff is dynamic. I thought they picked their spots well, but Monk, every time we made a run, he came in with a step-back three, dagger after dagger. It wasn’t as if they didn’t make plays. Those guys went at us, and they made plays.

Daniel Gafford

How would you describe how the game went?

Shots weren’t falling, and it kind of got in our head, honestly. I think that was one of the main things. They played harder than us throughout the whole game.

How much did the team miss Irving?

We definitely missed his impact, 100%. He has a lot of gravity when he’s on the floor, and he makes everyone’s jobs a little bit easier. Whenever he’s not on the floor, everybody knows it’s the next man up. Everybody has to take that next step and find ways to just make an impact with our star players on the floor.

Have you noticed anything missing from the team’s preparation coming into this loss?

Not necessarily. I feel like just the energy was a little low. I feel like we started off good. Throughout the course of the game, we were having plays here and there where it’s like our energy wasn’t into it. P.J. said it a lot in locker room. We played their record tonight, 100%. They came in with the mindset to just, it doesn’t matter their record, they came in and they played like pros tonight.

How do you make sure low energy doesn’t continue to be an issue?

I mean, we let this hurt [until] midnight, and we focus on the next one. Keep it pushing. We got a big game coming up in two days. Playing a good Spurs team — can’t really dwell on this too much. We know the things that we need to do to get better. And I feel like our response to this one is going to dictate how this season is going to go for us, for sure.

Did the Kings play hungry after coming into the game without a win?

Yeah, we can’t let the record fool us at the end of the day. 0-6, they’re coming in with a fire lit up under their tail. So it’s like we have to be ready for anything. And that’s exactly, I feel like we kind of, you know, there was times where shots didn’t fall. Like we kind of let go of the rope in those situations. So it’s just, we just have to stick with it. Communication could have been better from probably me in certain areas, communicating to the guys that were feeling like, you know, shots weren’t falling. So it’s like, what else can I do? But, you know, talking to the guys when that stuff happens, it’s just ways we can find ways to keep making impacts for the game. If your shot’s not falling, we can get a stop on defense. Come down. You can make a layup or something. So it’s just, we just have to get over that slump. You know, I have the same thing. You know, a shot doesn’t fall for me. I mess up on a play when it comes to the offensive side, defensive side, and sometimes we get it in our own head. But self-doubt is one of the most contagious things when it comes to any team in the league. You know, one shot doesn’t fall. One guy has his head down, the next shot doesn’t fall, another guy does it. So it’s just like we have to find ways to get past that. And I feel like we’re going to, you know, we’ve responded the right way time and time again when it comes to games that we’ve lost. So I feel like we’re going to be okay.

How confident are you that [Flagg] bounces back on Wednesday against the Spurs?

I got all the confidence in the world. You know, I was trying to make sure I talked to him. Pretty much any guys, you know, throughout majority of the game, because I know they’ll do the same for me. You know, trying to build confidence and just speaking life into people. That’s one of the things that will help us down the stretch of the games that we have. You know, there’ll be games where shots don’t fall, but at the end of the day, we still got to play defense, too. So it’s like they get a rebound, get back in transition, you may get a blocked shot, you may make a play to where it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. And that’s making an impact for the game. Now, that should let you know, you know what I’m saying? It’s not the end of the world. You know, we have possessions further and further into the game. So we just got to keep playing.

What did Sacramento do to make it tough on [inaudible]?

I feel like, you know, the main thing the coach has said is they were comfortable. You know, we didn’t really make them do the things that we wanted them to do. They got the shots that they wanted. They were crashing the glass crazy. They kind of, you know, hit us in the mouth coming out in the second quarter and making us turn the ball over, honestly.

What do you think of Morez Johnson’s growth so far this season (13 points in 17 minutes)?

I feel like he’s developing into the player he wants to be. 100%. You know, he works every day. And as much as, you know, he has to, of course, pay attention to certain things when it comes to, I guess, his health. If I’m not mistaken, you know, he’s obviously really paying attention to details of what he can do to be successful in this league. You know, short roll, being a guy, you know, a threat on the offensive glass, defensive glass, and it’s been a threat defensively in general. So, you know, I’m proud of him. Sky’s the limit for him. He’s going to have a good career in this league.

With the team playing another up-and-coming 19-year-old in Darius Acuff, what do you think of the young talent in the NBA right now?

Man, I feel like they’re getting younger every year, you know. I feel like some of these days we’re going to have a 16-year-old in the league. So it’s just like, you know, props to everyone that’s around these younger guys because, you know, it’s like they have their head on their shoulders the right way, you know. And that’s no disrespect to any other generation when it comes to just coming into this league. But these guys are coming in hot. And it’s like, you know, they have the mentality of just going out and just making the best of their minutes. If they don’t make the best of those minutes, they find ways to make an impact on the floor, whether they’re on the sideline or not.

What has Clayton brought to the team so far?

I mean, from what I’ve seen, I’ve been a fan of Walter’s game ever since he was at Florida. And just seeing the things that he’s done in a couple of games that he’s actually had, you know, good stints. You know, he’s a good shooter. He attacks the basket. He facilitates. He communicates with us. He finds ways to, you know, show how he’s a true point guard. So it’s just, you know, sky’s the limit, like I said with Morez, sky’s a little bit for him too, because he’s just steady building. He’s producing and he’s progressing like how he wants to. And he got, you know, a great guard in his ear — Kyrie Irving — giving him, I’m pretty sure, tips and pointers on just how to be good in his game.

What did you see from the Sacramento backcourt that made them so productive?

Like I said, just they were comfortable. You know, they were getting pretty much whatever they wanted. They were getting downhill. You know, they were getting — our guards were getting killed on some of the screens. So some of the communication kind of fell on our shoulders, like the big shoulders, trying to get them over those screens. But they were just comfortable all in all. You know, they got whatever they wanted. They took the shots that they wanted. They got the matchups that they wanted. They put everybody in the action that they seemed to where they could go score on them.

What is Flagg’s reaction in the locker room when he has a down game like this?

I never really pay attention to the reaction because I know he’s going to bounce back. So I just, whenever it comes to just the conversation throughout the locker room, I always say our response is going to dictate how we feel the next day or just like the next game. So it’s more of just me. I try to, like I say, speak life into people. So whenever it comes to where I see anybody has their head down or, you know, one of the main things he said was [unclear]. I’m sorry for how I played tonight. It’s not on him. You know, this is a team game. So when I didn’t night out, if one person has a bad game or two people have a bad game, I mean, that’s still on the team because we played defense at the end of the day too. So it’s like, it’s not just on one person at the end of the day.

Walter Clayton Jr.

What do you want Mavericks fans to know about your game and what you offer?

Just I’m willing to adapt to kind of whatever the team needs me to be or whatever night it is, you know, whether that’s with the ball in my hands or without the ball in my hands. So just trying to be a team player to whatever the team needs to win games.

What are you learning from Irving?

Just a lot. Just from a day-to-day standpoint: how he takes care of himself, how he works, and then the mental aspect too. You know, I think he’s been giving me — he doesn’t want to throw everything at me at one time. So he’s just been giving me little bits and pieces, you know, day by day. So it’s definitely great having him and I’ve been learning a lot.

What did you see out there that helped you score 20 points in 24 minutes?

Just shots. You know, I think whenever we got paint touches and we was kicking the ball out, it was getting great shots. You know, for me, they fell tonight.

How did the team miss the opportunity for a win against a previously winless team?

Yeah, for sure. I think, just to be honest, I think they were more hungry than us tonight. You know, I think we kind of played to that record when we played up. It’s our abilities. It’s our abilities. Lost the rebounding battle. They beat us on a lot of 50-50s. They beat us a lot of 50-50. So I think, you know, we just got to come out with more energy.

On turning around the offensive struggles quickly:

I mean, we got good shots tonight. I don’t think we got bad ones. Like I said, whenever we got in the paint, we kicked out. We got great shots. It’s 82 games. Sometimes they just don’t fall. So I think tonight was one of those nights.

On his fit with the team:

I said it before in another interview. We just got a bunch of unselfish guys, man. It could be anybody’s night at any point in time. So we just got a bunch of unselfish guys, and you know, they’ve been finding me.

On his initial impressions of Dusty May:

Man, Dusty’s great. I think he cares about us, more like even like just being a person. So I think that’s big, going out there playing for a coach that cares about you as a person. And he’s just obviously a great basketball man, great dude. And he’s been just, adapting to this as well as his first year in the league. So he’s been great. I think. It’s only going to get better.

On Irving being a kind of coach on the floor:

Yeah, for sure. Just seeing the game — there might be a point where he feels like I could have rejected a screen. He’ll just get in my ear, let me know about that. And then the main thing really is just don’t get down on myself. Whenever something bad happens, move on to the next play. He’s big on next-play mentality. So that’s something he’s been preaching to me a lot.

How did the Kings “mix it up” on Flagg?

Yeah, for sure. I think they was just kind of timing his dribble whenever he was getting down there to the paint, playing him for his middy. Obviously, they was going under on the screens. … And obviously, it’s 82 games, like I said, man. Cooper’s going to be good. He’s going to bounce back next game. He’s going to. He’s been great for us, and he’s going to continue to be.

The Boston Celtics already had their hands full on Monday night. No Paul George. No reprieve on the second night of a back-to-back on the road. Then came Marcus Smart.

Former beloved friend of the program, Smart embraced his new Houston Rockets uniform. Like a gray wolf circling wounded prey, he watched his former team struggle through a miserable 38.6 percent shooting performance before sinking his teeth in at every opportunity. Whenever the Celtics tried to put out the fire, Smart poured kerosene on it, leading Houston to a 109-93 victory and bringing Boston’s Eastern Conference-best five-game winning streak to an end.

“He woke up everybody’s ass,” Rockets teammate Alperen Şengün told Ryan Hollins postgame.

It didn’t take long for Smart to make his presence felt.

After noticing Jayson Tatum expressing his frustration with referee Matt Kallio with 3:11 left until halftime, Smart immediately fled Houston’s bench and instigated, urging the official to issue Tatum a technical foul. He was all laughs, while Tatum — considerably less amused by the antics — remained visibly frustrated as he stared Smart down for a brief second and walked back to Boston’s bench.

Smart was still all smiles, as he put his arm around Mike Conley and began plotting his scheme.

In the third quarter, Smart got Tatum again. He drew a charge on Tatum, handing him his fourth personal foul. Seconds later, Tatum was whistled for a second straight offensive foul, bringing his total to five and forcing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to remove him with 1:39 remaining in the frame. Tatum, visibly frustrated once again, made another unhappy trip to Boston’s sideline.

Payton Pritchard also fell for Smart’s bait, earning a third-quarter offensive foul himself. Smart did his signature Shawn Michaels-inspired kip-up to get back on his feet.

By then, it was official. Smart’s plan was in full effect.

Much like the menace who wore No. 36 for nine seasons in Boston, Smart reminded the Celtics why it’s great to play alongside him and a pain in the ass to compete against him. He went scoreless in the first half and missed his first seven shots before finally making Boston pay.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka kept Smart on the floor to begin the fourth quarter, and the 13th-year veteran rewarded that decision with two timely shots.

Smart drained back-to-back 3-pointers, extending Houston’s lead to 90-79 with over eight minutes remaining. He raised both middle fingers in celebration, later claiming the gesture was directed at a select few seated on Boston’s bench.

“Just a lot of pent-up, I guess you can call it emotions,” Smart told reporters. “Plus, certain guys on the (Boston) bench was talking. Didn’t know who. I just heard them say something, so I let them hear it back.”

Smart finished with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in over 19 minutes.

“You always wanna do good against your former team,” Smart added, “and show them that you still can go out there and do what you do, right? So it definitely felt good. Energy was there. They know what I can do, and I reminded them again tonight.”

The energy Tatum once benefited from having alongside him had finally come back to haunt him. Smart’s swagger was contagious, and everyone in Houston fed off it.

The Rockets shot 40 percent from three and 54.4 percent overall, having their way with Boston.

Meanwhile, the Celtics couldn’t get anything to go.

Boston’s top outside-shooting threats — Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman — combined to go 4-for-21 from beyond the arc. Luka Garza, coming off the bench to play over 17 minutes, was the Celtics’ leader in 3-point makes (four), although that contribution was largely overshadowed by the rest of the team’s shooting woes.

They were a hair better from three (29 percent) than they were 24 hours earlier (27 percent) against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

Tatum went 1-for-7 from distance and 5-for-16 overall, finishing the night with 19 points and a season-high five turnovers in Houston.

It’s difficult enough to play two games in two nights, especially on the road, but Tatum believes the Celtics didn’t do themselves many favors either throughout the game.

“Everybody plays back-to-backs,” Tatum told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “We’re not the only team that’s gotta travel and play a back-to-back. Are they tough? Yeah. But a lot of us been doing this for a long time. There were moments where we cut it to six or seven (points) and couldn’t get a rebound, and they hit a three. It’s moments like that where we gotta dig deeper a little bit.”

It’s been three years since the Celtics traded Smart, originally sending him to the Memphis Grizzlies. In the years since, the 32-year-old has struggled to make his former team pay, whether because of his on-court performance or availability. But Monday night in Houston, Smart finally got his get-back, and Boston felt it.

In a push to get more people out to the ballot box, for the fourth time in five years, the entire NBA will go dark.

The league did not schedule any games Tuesday, Nov. 3, the day of the fiercely contested 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Because the first slate of polls close on the East Coast at 6 p.m. ET, with many more at 7 p.m. ET, holding games would severely interfere with the ability for people who choose to vote in person to do so.

It’s one of the three days that the NBA typically avoids scheduling games, joining Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

The NBA has also published a website with several resources for fans interested in voting to learn more about their polling sites, ballots, and the league even has a link to check voter registration status.

Although the entire league is off Tuesday, each team played Monday, Nov. 2. And at each of those 15 games, players wore T-shirts that said “VOTE” across the chest.

The Wizards are warming up in “Vote” shirts before tonight’s game pic.twitter.com/MBeMIuwMMs

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 3, 2026

“No games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) as the league will encourage fans and the broader NBA community to make a plan to vote and to participate in the civic process,” the NBA said in August when it issued its official release announcing the schedule.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke on the importance of voting before their game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Nov. 2.

“I hope everybody votes," Kerr said. "I voted today, dropped my ballot off in a ballot box near my house, and, you know, I always encourage everybody to get out there and vote. And sometimes there's a tendency to stay away in the midterms and only vote in the presidential elections, but there's a lot of really important issues here in California.

"I hope everybody gets out there and cast their ballot. 
That's what democracy's about.”

The NBA first began the initiative of not scheduling games on Election Day in Nov. 2022. At the time, the league also encouraged its teams to promote voting initiatives. The NBA also declined to schedule games on Election Day 2023 and 2024.

And since Tuesday will be an off night, the league will return to action in full force Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a slate packed with 14 games.

Contributing: Marcus Smith

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why are there no NBA games today? League promotes the midterm vote

One Possession: Marcus Smart does Marcus Smart things against Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Two 3s. Two steals. Two flops. Two middle fingers.

The Celtics got the full Marcus Smart experience on Monday night in Houston and — if we’re being honest — it made us a bit nostalgic.

Sure, it was a lot more fun when the uniforms were flipped back in December 2017. That night, Smart busted out his entire bag of Smart tricks, including baiting James Harden into a pair of offensive foul calls as the Celtics improbably rallied to take down the Rockets at TD Garden.

Being on the other side of Smart’s chaos-inducing playbook is decidedly less endearing.

Smart left his fingerprints all over Houston’s late-game takeover. It started in the final minutes of the third quarter when Smart sold a shove from former teammate Jayson Tatum, earning Tatum his fourth foul and sending him to the bench with 1:39 to play in the frame.

The Celtics were down just five at that point, but Boston trailed by 16 by the time Tatum returned to the floor with 7:02 to play in the final quarter.

Smart hit 3-pointers on consecutive trips early in the fourth frame to help build that lead. Then, somewhat inexplicably, he threw his middle fingers in the air running back up the court. He would later suggest to reporters in Houston that it was “pent-up” emotions and some feedback to a Boston bench that had been previously vocal about his shot selection.

Before that, he 1) Tried to encourage referees to give Jayson Tatum a first-half technical as he vented about a whistle, 2) Nearly drew a Payton Pritchard charge before the play was overturned on video review, and 3) Did one of his familiar kip-ups to celebrate after nearly drawing that charge on Pritchard.

That’s serious nostalgia for everyone who watched Smart in his nine seasons with Boston from 2014 to 2023. You might not always miss his shot selection, but no amount of analytics could quantify the Smart chaos quotient.

Every good team needs an agitator. The type of player that gets under your skin and never lets you get too comfortable. After tough stops in Memphis, Washington, and even with the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s gotta be refreshing for Smart to be back in a situation where he can aid winning with his antics.

This was only the third game Smart had played against Boston, and the other two were otherwise forgettable, with Smart tallying three points in 41 minutes during games with Memphis and Los Angeles.

But the Celtics got a reminder of Smart and his penchant for winning plays on Monday night. To quote the great modern philosopher Ric Flair, “You don’t have to like me, but you’ll never forget me.”

A Golden State Warriors season doesn’t truly begin until Draymond Green gets kicked out of a game. This year, they have Charles Bassey to pick up the slack.

Bassey scored a career-high 19 points and collected eight rebounds, holding down the fort inside as the Warriors erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns, 116-113. Golden State put up 42 points in the third quarter, Steph Curry exceeded 30 points for the third straight game, and De’Anthony Melton made two huge defensive plays late to lock down the victory.

Let’s get the ejection out of the way early. It’s become exhausting to write about Green losing control on the court, which coincidentally tends to happen when he’s playing badly or the Warriors are losing. Early in the third quarter, Green took exception to contact from second-year Suns center Khaman Maluach, which left him on the ground. To be honest, it looked like Green was flopping for a call.

Green jumped up, grabbed Maluach around the waist, and threw him to the ground. When his longtime nemesis Dillon Brooks ran in to defend his teammate, Green grabbed Brooks by the jersey and jammed a fist into the side of his neck. The result? One technical foul for Brooks, and two for Green, which meant his 23rd regular-season ejection (he’s been kicked out of two playoff games and suspended for two more). He finished with four points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Brooks claimed he was running in to de-escalate the situation, something Brooks is known for never, ever doing, but he really wasn’t in the wrong there. I’ve watched the replay multiple times and I strongly support anyone who would grab Draymond and yell, “What are you doing?” at him. There’s no word that Maluach was injured in the altercation, but he also didn’t really play afterward.

After the game, Curry said Green’s ejection “lit a fire beneath us,” but what lit up the Warriors right away was Bassey’s energy. They missed their first two shots after Green’s ejection, but Bassey tipped in a miss and drew a foul, then found Curry for one of his four third-quarter triples.

Bassey scored six points in the quarter and 10 after halftime, getting to the line for five free throws and making four. He was opportunistic, setting screens and rolling hard to the rim while also taking advantage of mismatches with smaller Suns defenders.

Of course, Steph Curry scoring 18 points in the quarter was a pretty big factor as well. He shot 6-for-9 in nine minutes, putting up double-digit points in the third quarter for the third time in his last four games (he had 8 in the other one). In the four games Curry played during the Warriors’ five-game winning streak, he’s scored 55 points in the third quarter, perhaps because he’s gone back to his old habit of reading critical tweets about his first-half performance during halftime.

Graham Ike played seven minutes and twenty-three seconds Monday night and did not record a single stat. That’s officially known as a “7 trillion,” with the seven referring to Ike’s minutes, followed by 12 consecutive zeroes in the other categories. He was -1 in those seven minutes, which means that while Ike did not have an individual moment statistically regarded for posterity, at least he didn’t foul, turn the ball over, or get in the way of better players. Plus, he had a sweet hockey assist on Curry’s corner three.

Curry finally missed a free throw in the final seconds of the game, one that could have iced the game, but it’s hard to judge him too harshly when he started the season 51-for-51. Curry is also averaging 8.7 free throw attempts per game, which is 37% more than his previous single-season high. Maybe the referees are finally showing some respect to the baby-faced assassin Dangerfield.

The Warriors got Green and Curry back after they sat out Sunday’s win over the L.A. Clippers, while Will Richard made his first start of the season in place of the injured Gui Santos and the too-slow-to-guard-Devin-Booker Georges Niang. Or Steve Kerr simply wanted The Minivan to run all over the Suns’ reserves, as he did by shooting 5-for-6 and putting up 13 points, finishing +20 in his 23 minutes.

It was a rough start, mainly because the Warriors kept settling for, and missing, three-pointers, finishing 2-for-15 from behind the arc in the quarter. A typical slow Warriors start involves a lot of turnovers, reckless fouling, or indifferent defense, but this one was simple: They could not buy a bucket, even with just two turnovers. It could have been worse, but Bassey drew some fouls and hustled his way to seven points.

Phoenix blocked the Warriors’ first three-point attempts of the second quarter, meaning they started the game going 2-for-17 from deep. After a Miles Bridges three, Phoenix led by 17 points with 8:29 to play. Even after Yaxel Lendeborg made two threes, Phoenix was still up by 16 points with 3:45 to go in the quarter. After Devin Booker (26 points) hit a short jumper, Kerr called timeout, Curry and Green came back in the game, and ESPN declared the Suns had a win probability of 88.6%. Do they do election predictions?

The Suns wouldn’t make a field goal the rest of the half, as Brandin Podziemski (20 points) led a 12-0 run that got the Warriors firmly back into the game (Suns win probability down to 62.3%). Kerr also won a challenge after Curry forced a turnover and the referees awarded Phoenix the ball, which was reversed and turned into a Curry bucket on the ensuing inbounds play.

Golden State finally tied the game in the third quarter on a Curry bucket, but didn’t take the lead until early in the 4th, on a bucket from (who else?) Bassey.

The game went back and forth throughout the final quarter. The Warriors led by as many as seven points, then lost their lead, and finally went ahead for good on a Niang three-pointer with under four minutes to go. The rest of the way, they did it with defense.

Curry stole the ball from Booker. Melton stole the ball from Jalen Green. Then, with the Warriors clinging to a five-point lead, Melton drew an offensive foul on Booker, his sixth. Not a great closing effort for Booker, who had the same number of turnovers as points in the 4th: Two.

The Warriors made it interesting, of course. After Booker’s ejection, Lendeborg blocked a Jalen Green layup out of bounds, but the Suns got a dunk after inbounding the ball. With 20 seconds left, Curry traveled, and the Suns, who were out of timeouts, cut the lead to a single point on Green’s dunk. But Curry made two free throws, Green missed the rim entirely trying to miss on purpose, and Collin Gillespie’s last-gasp 37-footer missed at the buzzer.

Curry is always the MVP of this team, but honorable mentions for Monday go to Bassey, Podz, and the security guy who dragged Draymond to the bench before he could start throttling Brooks’ windpipe.

Brooks had 18 points, with four turnovers. Jalen Green had eight assists, with four turnovers. Miles Bridges had 21 points and four steals and remains a domestic abuser who has no place in the NBA. However, he did only turn the ball over once.

It was a big win for the Warriors, who didn’t win five straight for all of last season. It was also a big win for Warriors assistant coach Frank Vogel, who has seen the Dubs defeat the two most recent NBA teams to fire him within four nights. You’re next, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers! They didn’t want you, Frank!

More accurately, the Miami Heat are next, coming to town on Thursday. I have a feeling Draymond Green won’t be in uniform for that one.

The Golden State Warriors won an odd game on Monday, beating the Phoenix Suns 116-113. They once again dug themselves a first-quarter hole, and this time it took them a bit longer to climb out of it. But a win is a win is a win, and the Warriors have now won five straight … something they didn’t do at any point last season.

It was a game that featured some great performances and some awful ones, so let’s grade them! As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that individual.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 57.2%.

Will Richard

28 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2-for-7 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, 42.9% TS, -17

Richard got the start in this one, for the second time this season. It was a play to get more perimeter defense on a team starting Jalen Green, Devin Booker, and Miles Bridges, and Richard took turns defending all three. As we’ve grown accustomed to, he played good defense, though it wasn’t the best he’s been on that side of the ball. There were definitely plenty of moments where he got beat, or was a little over eager and out of position.

He did some good things on offense, but not too much. He’s there for defense, though, and he played it.

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

Yaxel Lendeborg

29 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-for-10 shooting, 2-for-6 threes, 8-for-9 free throws, 57.3% TS, -11

Poor Yaxel. Sunday was the first time this season that I didn’t write a grades article and, fittingly, he had his best game of the season. Obviously that’s his biggest concern, so I’m sorry, Yaxel. Please know that you would have gotten an A with two plus signs had I penned some grades.

For this game the grade has to be a little bit lower, though. Lendeborg got off to a slow start (as did the entire team), and picked up two quick fouls while struggling to get anything going on offense.

As the game went on, though, the rookie picked things up considerably, and he ended up having a very strong second half. I remain in awe of his restraint: you just don’t see a lot of rookies who are so comfortable picking and choosing their shots, and not hoisting an unnecessary number of jumpers. Critically, even after his tough start, the team turned to him on multiple possessions down the stretch, and he very often delivered, while also having a glass-check block late in the game that was probably the defensive highlight of the contest.

I’m still struggling to grade him, though, because I’m struggling to figure out what my expectations should be. This guy genuinely might be the first rookie All-Star since Blake Griffin, so how do I grade him? With all respect to Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski, Lendeborg is far and away the second-best player on the team (until Jimmy Butler III returns, at least, and maybe after, too), and that makes grading difficult. But who cares, the show is a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

Grade: B

Draymond Green

17 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 1-for-2 shooting, 2-for-2 free throws, 69.4% TS, -6

Oh, Dray. We were doing so well!

The Warriors over the last week have had the best vibes they’ve possessed since the first round of the 2025 playoffs. And Green put that in jeapoardy. Two minutes into the third quarter, he got into it with Phoenix center Khaman Maluach. After being pushed to the floor, Green got up, committed a hard foul, and kind of threw Maluach to the floor. What followed was an altercation with Dillon Brooks, in which Green shoved Brooks around the neck area. He received a technical foul for each act, and was subsequently ejected for the first time this year.

Ejections come with the territory with Green, and I’m usually one to defend him more quickly than others. After all, these are grown adults playing a high-stakes contact sport … some pushing and shoving and yelling never hurt anyone. But this was too far, and, while not as bad as his incidents a few years back with Rudy Gobert, Domantas Sabonis, and Jusuf Nurkić, these started to cross over the line from “aggressive basketball” to “violence.”

Thankfully for Green, the team responded to his absence well, but it didn’t need to go that way. His absence didn’t end up costing the Warriors the win, but it could hurt them down the road, as it’s possible he’ll get a one-game suspension for his actions.

I’ve giving Green a harsh grade for taking himself out of the game and possibly the next one, and not playing particularly well before then, either. But it’s worth noting that the Warriors players spoke after the game about how Green’s ejection fired them up, so … take that for what it’s worth.

Grade: D for disappointing

Brandin Podziemski

33 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 7-for-15 shooting, 3-for-8 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 59.7% TS, -4

The Warriors, over the course of this nice winning streak, have developed a habit of starting slow and finishing strong. And Podziemski completely embodies that. Podz has really been struggling out of the gates lately, but as soon as he emerges from the locker room at halftime, he’s a completely different player.

That was again the case in this game. He couldn’t get anything going in the first half, and then he was bailing the Dubs out time and time again in the second. If he had paced his performance over the course of the game, I’d probably give him a “B” for a very solid, if not noteworthy performance. But because he had so many big plays on both ends of the court with the game on the line, we’ll bump him up a half grade.

Grade: B+

Steph Curry

33 minutes, 34 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 9-for-21 shooting, 5-for-13 threes, 11-for-12 free throws, 64.7% TS, +21

I’m sure that when the game ended and the Dubs retreated to the locker rooms, Green was waiting with a big hug for Curry. Golden State was losing when Green was ejected, and had the score held, the biggest story — maybe the only story — would have been Draymond’s transgressions. Instead, Curry went ballistic as soon as Green left the court, and scored 18 points in the third quarter alone as the Dubs rattled off 42 in the frame to tie things up.

Curry looks better this year than in the past few years, and this was his third consecutive game with at least 30 points and five made threes. He seems energized, and that’s a joy to behold, and a harbinger of how good this team can be.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points and assists; best plus/minus on the team.

Gary Payton II

20 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 33.3% TS, +3

Not surprisingly, GPII got a lot of run against a team with Booker, Green, and Bridges. And also not surprisingly, he handled those assignments really well. He hasn’t had one of his bursts of offense yet this season, and he had a few sloppy plays in this one, but overall, solid performance.

Grade: B-

Georges Niang

22 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul, 5-for-6 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 88.8% TS, +20

Well that was a damn fine performance. Niang showed everything the Warriors are looking for from him: he drained open shots, passed to the open man, played strong defense while guarding a variety of positions, crashed tho glass, made the smart play, and hustled. He’s very quickly building a strong rapport with Curry, which is huge; the result is that he’s a very trustworthy player to have on the court down the stretch.

It’s not always going to work this well, but when it does? Yeesh.

Grade: A+

De’Anthony Melton

28 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 fouls, 1-for-9 shooting, 0-for-5 threes, 0-for-1 free throws, 10.6% TS, 0 +/-

Remember when I said, just a few words ago, that it isn’t always going to work this well with Niang? Well, that’s the case for all players in that sort of role … and Melton is living proof. Melton has had some really good games lately but this one was a bit of a clunker … at least scoring the ball, as he could not get any shots to fall.

He did some other good things though. He took care of the rock, rebounded really well, and played decent enough defense. But it’s hard to impact the game when you shoot 1-for-9 from the field, and he just looked a step behind on a lot of plays.

Grade: C

Charles Bassey

23 minutes, 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 5-for-6 free throws, 75.2% TS, +10

What a performance by Bassey! His role has been very undefined this year, which makes sense. He’s still trying to carve out a role in the NBA, he’s recovering from a preseason injury, and the Warriors needs fluctuate based on who they’re playing, how Green and Lendeborg are performing, and whether or not Al Horford is playing.

But Bassey got a decent-sized role in this one, and then that role expanded because he was playing so damn well. He was crafty around the rim, finding ways to contort his body to score around and through contact, en route to a career-high 19 points. He not only grabbed a bunch of boards, but did so emphatically, patrolling the paint every time a shot went up.

He even had a great memeable moment, when the ball went out of bounds and he hugged a fan.

Re-signing him is just one of many fantastic moves that the Warriors made this offseason. Hindsight is 20/20, as no one was saying they made good moves a few months ago!

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.

Graham Ike

7 minutes, 0 points, -1

Ike somewhat surprisingly got some run in this game, especially after Green was ejected. He didn’t do anything statistically — he didn’t log a single stat — but I liked what we saw from him on defense.

Grade: B

LJ Cryer

39 seconds, 0 points, 0-for-1 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, 0 +/-

Cryer briefly got onto the court for an end-of-quarter offense situation, but that was all we saw of him.

Grade: Incomplete

Monday’s DNP-CDs: Malevy Leons

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porziņģis, Gui Santos, Brandon Williams

LOS ANGELES — If an 82-game season can guarantee a team one thing, it’s disruption. And the Lakers have already had their fair share in just eight games.

Los Angeles forward Ziaire Williams missed the last three games with left foot soreness before being made active ahead of their 138-117 win against the Miami Heat on Monday. Williams, who impressed in the starting lineup to open the season, came off the bench for Jake LaRavia.

It could have been injury management. It could have also been matchup-dependent against the ever-so-powerful Giannis Antetokounmpo. LaRavia started in Williams’s place during the three games he missed. Not only did the starting lineup with LaRavia hold up, it outperformed the opening night lineup.

Head coach JJ Redick is aware of what the numbers say, but assures that it’s more about the team’s overall balance rather than LaRavia simply being a better fit with the lineup than Williams.

“I just feel like there’s balance with those lineups,” Redick said pregame on Monday. “With Luka [Dončić] and [Austin Reaves] being the primary creators and [Walker Kessler]‘s rim rolling and running. The other guys being able to guard multiple positions. … It’s not surprising to me that Jake being in that lineup with those guys is good for us, because there’s intrinsic knowledge with what we’re trying to do. Just having another guy out there who knows our stuff has been helpful.”

It’s the balance Redick has been trying to manage since the Lakers turned over their roster this offseason: meshing the new with the old. It’s a process that will take patience and time, as he’s been lamenting so often this season.

But the results have been good nonetheless. In 51 minutes over four games when Williams shares the floor with the starters (Dončić, Reaves, Kessler and Matisse Thybulle), the Lakers have a 135.5 offensive rating and a 115.1 defensive rating for a 20.4 net rating. When LaRavia has been in Williams’ spot, those numbers surge to a 144.3 offensive rating, a 90.0 defensive rating and a 54.3 net rating in 37 minutes.

Folks, those numbers are ridiculous.

For all the talk of balance and lineup optionality, it really all just boils down to Dončić continuing to be the best player in the world. The “supernova” — as Redick called him on Sunday — added another 42 points and 13 assists to his season total on Monday, dicing up every look Miami gave him on offense.

Dončić is now averaging 38.8 points, 8.1 assists and 21.3 assist points created in seven games, meaning Dončić is responsible for 60.1 points per game.

Redick added on Dončić postgame, “It’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now, and a lot of that, of course, is Dončić and what he’s able to do. Bend the defense and his shot making creates a lot of problems, and then he can make every pass.”

Williams, who scored nine points in fifteen minutes against Miami, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Dončić’s galatctic playamking. In Brooklyn last season, without a player of Dončić‘s shot-creating ilk, Williams shot 34.3% from deep with an overall 3-point shot quality that ranked in the league’s 49th percentile, according to BBall Index.

In five games this season, Williams is shooting 47.6% from beyond the arc.

“Very easy looks. Way easier than in the past,” Williams said Monday. “They’re sending two to Luka, two to AR every time. So, it’s just swing, swing, one more, and I get to set my feet, get to square up the ball. And I put a lot of work in this summer. I trust my work. I’m confident in my shot, my shot feels great.”

It’s not just Williams. Kessler is averaging 14.4 points on 71.4% from the field, the best percentage since his rookie season. Thybulle is on pace for a career-best season from on 3-pointers (45.9%). Reaves is putting together the best shooting splits of his career (53.9/44.4/86.5), taking advantage of the pressure Dončić attracts.

Los Angeles’s offense is humming at a rate that rivals any other in the league. It’s spearheaded by perhaps the best player in the world and bolstered by a bevy of guards, wings and bigs that can shoot, pass and dribble.

Rob Pelinka and Redick’s had a clear plan this offseason, but even they may not have imagined it working this quickly and this effectively.

You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.