Category: NBA

The Lakers (4-1) will kick off their quest for another NBA Cup title on Friday against the Golden State Warriors (2-3). Both Pacific Division teams are in West Group C for the group stage.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 7 p.m. PT, Oct 30

Where: Chase Center

Watch: Prime Video

It’s been just a week since these two teams faced off in the season opener and now they’re back in the spotlight to headline the first day of the NBA Cup. After dominating the Warriors in the season opener, the Lakers have kept building momentum while the Warriors have been up and down.

And oh, Yaxel Lendeborg has not stopped talking about Luka Dončić. I mean, seriously, it’s like there’s a new quote from him about Luka that makes the rounds every single day.

How quickly things change.

Going from LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry headlining these Lakers-Warriors matchups to now it being Dončić vs. the rookie from Michigan. It’s an interesting shift for a matchup that has lost some of its juice over the past few seasons. Maybe this NBA Cup game will add more to the fire.

Speaking of the NBA Cup, the Lakers and Warriors are in the same group as the Spurs, Blazers and Kings. All these teams will face each other for the next month and the squad that’s on top of the Group C standing advances to the knockout round. They can also advance as the wild card team by having the best record among all second-place finishers in the conference.

Given how the Lakers have performed in the NBA Cup over the last two years, it would be nice to see them go far this season for a change. Perhaps it won’t be too hard to motivate them given the additional money that could come with winning these games. That’s why some of these NBA Cup games add much-needed juice this early in the regular season.

If the Lakers-Warriors season opener was any indication, Friday’s rematch should be even more thrilling. The purple and gold should expect a better Warriors team coming in with a two-game winning streak. Golden State has really benefited from Lendeborg’s early success and on top of that, Curry — who just scored 44 points in their recent victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves — is still one of the most dangerous players.

The Lakers’ defense will have to be prepared. It’ll be interesting to see if head coach JJ Redick continues to give Jared Vanderbilt playing time after he played 21 minutes in the victory against the Clippers. Vando was a has a plus-minus of +22 and had seven rebounds. The Lakers also nabbed a season-high 48 rebounds, which hopefully is a sign of improvement moving forward.

Beyond controlling the boards, the Lakers must once again capitalize on their advantages over the Warriors. LA has more offensive firepower, a better bench and, frankly, the best superstar on the floor and it has to look that way on Friday. The Lakers can’t let Lendeborg or Brandin Podziemski make a significant impact.

Golden State will be more comfortable knocking down those 3-pointers at home and playing loose. It’ll be up to the Lakers to control the game as they did so in the first matchup.

Let’s see if the Lakers can do that and start their NBA Cup campaign with a statement win on Friday.

Notes and Updates

• If you need a refresher course on the NBA Cup, here’s the perfect thread for it:

• In the season opener match between these two teams, Walker Kessler scored 26 points and was a perfect 12-12 from the field. It’ll be ideal if the Lakers can get a monster performance from their big man again.
• For the Lakers’ injury report, Ziaire Williams (left foot injury management) is questionable.
• Cameron Carr (right oblique strain) and Adou Thiero (left knee injury management) remain out.
• As for the Warriors, Gui Santos (left knee tendinitis) is doubtful while Kristaps Porzingis (not with team), Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair) and Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair) are out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The start of the NBA season is infamously known as “October basketball” by many.

With an 82-game regular season, the stakes feel low, players are getting legs under them, and new additions are still getting acclimated to their new teams. Although they have stakes, the first handful of games almost feel like dress rehearsals with exclusive members in the audience, rather than the packed Friday shows on Broadway that are about to begin, with 75+ games still on the schedule.

But the games aren’t just about stakes: they’re also a reminder of what teams don’t have anymore.

With the Phoenix Suns on a four-day break between games, I put my NBA League Pass on a team I seldom watch compared to the other 29 teams: the Charlotte Hornets. As Detroit was closing out the surprise darlings from a season ago in a 97-89 win, I could not stop thinking about the Phoenix Suns, not because Charlotte recently acquired the team’s unprotected 2033 first-round pick, but because of who was on the floor for them late in a close game.

Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen.

Both traded from the Suns this past offseason in return for Miles Bridges. The two played pivotal roles for the team last year, helping the Suns make the playoffs. No matter who was in the lineup alongside them, they provided toughness, experience, and continuity, most memorably in a late February game against Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers that helped the team get out of a rut with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out. Allen led the scoring attack, and O’Neale hit the game-winner.

And while Bridges, with his size and offensive versatility, is an upgrade over Allen and O’Neale on the court, with the Suns reportedly dealing with “growing frustration” in the locker room over the lack of a point guard, while neither plays point guard and both struggled in Charlotte’s loss last night, they were both key members helping resurrect Phoenix from disappointment to a surprise.

Yes, the team is three games into the season. Yes, the Suns resigned and extended many of their key players from a season ago, all in an attempt to build around Devin Booker, who’s tied for the second-most seasons in a Suns uniform, but when there are reports of discombobulation, it’s natural to remember the people who help combobulate, even if there’s continuity within the discombobulation.

Just something to think about as we wait for Suns basketball to return from this early-season 96-hour hiatus between games. The stakes for “October basketball” may remain low with teams so close to each other in the standings, but the reminders that arise shine brightly.

The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Thursday evening to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat last night, where not much went right for them on either side of the ball. The one bright spot was Kingston Flemings, who had his breakout game, finishing with 23 points.

As for the Cavaliers, they’re also coming off a back-to-back, as they defeated the Washington Wizards 121-111.

The Hawks struggled against the Heat due to the likes of their frontcourt, and the Cavaliers pose similar problems with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker got things started for the Hawks with a 3-pointer.

It was another slow offensive outing for the team in the first quarter, as they couldn’t get much to go at the rim. The 3-point numbers weren’t bad, but they didn’t take that many to make a big difference.

That led the Cavaliers to grab a double-digit lead toward the middle of the quarter, and the Hawks found themselves fighting back. Going into the second, the Hawks trailed the Cavaliers 28-16.

It was a slow start to the second for the Hawks, but the bench was able to find a little bit of a rhythm to cut down their deficit. It was Aaron Wiggins who brought the Hawks life as the quarter continued, knocking down a few 3-pointers to bring them within striking distance.

The starters fed off that energy, and they were able to get stops on defense that led to their offense. Onyeka Okongwu made a layup to tie the game at 37.

The Hawks were able to take the lead a few possessions later, and even extend it a little further. Okongwu was able to get a few 3-pointers to go in after struggling with his shot to start the season.

The Hawks led 46-44 going into halftime.

It was a strong start to the third for the Hawks, and Okongwu continued his hot shooting from the 3-point line. They were able to maintain their lead throughout the quarter, and Okongwu brought his scoring inside the paint.

Wiggins and Jalen Johnson were able to knock down 3-pointers.

Even when the Cavaliers made their run, the Hawks always had a response. To end the quarter, Flemings found Alexander-Walker on the break for a 3-pointer to give the Hawks an 89-82 lead going into the fourth.

The Hawks continued to stay afloat in the fourth, hitting timely shots and getting stops on defense. Wiggins was there when they needed him, and Johnson was also able to get some shots to go, including this dunk in transition.

The Cavaliers had one final run in them, and they made it close with less than a minute remaining. With 20.6 seconds left, the Hawks led by one point, and that’s when the free-throw game came in. Alexander-Walker was able to knock down both to give the Hawks a 3-point lead. From there, all the Hawks needed was a stop on the other end, and they got multiple stops to seal the game in the end.

Okongwu finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, Alexander-Walker finished with 25 points, and Wiggins finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.

A not quite fully healthy Washington Wizards squad are hosting a surprisingly strong Charlotte Hornets as they kick off the NBA Cup Group stage play on this Halloween weekend. Here’s the preview!

Game info

Gametime: 7 p.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 30

Where: Capital One Arena, D.C.

TV: LeaguePass, Monumental

Injuries:

Wizards: Tre Johnson, Justin Champagnie, Tristan Vukcevic, Jamir Watkins

Hornets: Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams, Kylan Boswell

What to look for

The Wizards have started the season with some good wins, but also a few more-or-less expected losses against the Cavaliers and Raptors. What was quite surprising is their loss to these same Hornets just a few days ago.

Can the Wizards flip the script for this game that actually means more, as it is part of the NBA Cup?

The biggest question is, of course, how will this new squad of onece All-Stars and young talent mesh. This will be a great game to gauge that.

Anthony Davis has shown some flashes of his former All-Star play. Tre Young, on the other hand, still needs more time it seems to be back in his full capacities. What still is missing is a cohesive defense though. But whatever it is right now, it’s a big improvement from last season.

Let us know in the comments your thoughts!

Here are some highlights from that recent game with the Hornets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLAQRSIIDkQ&themeRefresh=1

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to extend their win streak to four games, falling short to the Atlanta Hawks 111-114.

James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were able to find their spots to score 46 points combined, but it was not enough as the Hawks kept the Cavaliers at arm’s length throughout their many comeback attempts in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers came out efficient and were able to grab a 15-point lead in the second quarter. However, it never really felt like the Cavaliers were able to reclaim that same level of energy or shot-making once Atlanta’s shots started falling.

The Hawks outhustled the Cavaliers from the second quarter onward, including efforts from Onyeka Okongwu (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 points).

The Hawks, despite struggling to put the ball in the basket in the first quarter, finished shooting 44% from the field and 40% shooting from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, did not share such fortune (31% from three), it never really felt like they recaptured the groove seen early on.

The Cavaliers saw minimal shooting output from Evan Mobley, Peyton Watson, and Jaylon Tyson, who combined for a 6-for-24 effort from the field. It seemed as if the Cavaliers just ran out of gas and thought that they could simply shoot themselves out of the slump they found themselves in. Unfortunately, unlike their opponent, the Cavaliers never found that rhythm again for the rest of the contest.

Games like this happen, especially on the second end of a back-to-back. However, the Hawks were also coming off a back-to-back and were able to respond to the first punch thrown.

The Cavaliers once again have proved that an area of improvement for this team is holding onto the leads that they build, or at the least being able to react to a counterpunch from an opponent.

The Lakers, like every other NBA team, are operating under small sample sizes. 

And with the 2026-27 NBA season just 1 ½ weeks old, that’ll be the case for at least a few more weeks until teams get closer to Thanksgiving. 

But a team’s first few games are informative, and the Lakers have already provided enough information to show the type of team they’ll be – their areas of strengths and concerns after a 4-1 start. 

Here are five standout statistics from the Lakers’ first five games entering Friday’s NBA Cup Group Play matchup against the Warriors in San Francisco:

60.4 

That’s the combined amount of points the Lakers star backcourt of Luka Doncic (league-leading 36 points per game) and Austin Reaves (24.4 points) are averaging so far this season, making them the highest-scoring pair of teammates in the league. 

Factor in their passing (Doncic with 8.3 assists; Reaves with 5.4) and they’re not only two of the ten players in league who were averaging 24 points and 5 assists entering Thursday, but also the only pair of teammates in the league doing so. 

Doncic and Reaves working so well together, while also producing gaudy stat lines, isn’t surprising. 

They combined to average 62.7 points and 17.1 assists during the Lakers’ 10-4 start to last season while LeBron James was sidelined. 

The star guards also averaged 58.1 points and 13.1 assists during the Lakers’ 16-2 stretch in the late winter/early spring. 

It’s unlikely Doncic and Reaves will come even close to being the highest-scoring duo in a season. The record of 72.3 points, which is held by Wilt Chamberlain (50.4 points) and Paul Arizin (21.9 points), seems unbreakable. 

But being the highest-scoring duos in a season since the NBA-ABA merger (1976) isn’t out of the question. 

James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who combined for 61.5 points per game while with the Rockets in 2019-20, currently hold that distinction.

122.5

Considering the aforementioned combined offensive firepower of Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers entered the season with expectations of being an elite offensive team.

And they’ve been that. 

Their offensive rating entering Thursday ranked third in the league behind the Trail Blazers (126.8) and Rockets (122.5).

They were at the top or near the top in several offensive categories, including true shooting percentage (65.8%; No. 1), effective field goal percentage (61.7%; No. 1), 3-point percentage (39.2%; No. 2) and halfcourt offensive rating (106.6; No. 2). 

64.5

That’s the Lakers’ defensive rebounding percentage, which ranked as the third-worst mark in the league. 

It hasn’t been surprising to see the Lakers struggle on the defensive boards when starting center Walker Kessler hasn’t been on the court. 

What’s been the most surprising is that the Lakers have actually been a worst defensive rebounding team with Kessler on the court compared to the bench. 

They’ve collected 10.4% more defensive rebounds with Kessler off the court – a trend that likely won’t continue. 

“Where he can continue to grow with us, he was, like per 36 numbers, per minute numbers, he’s not rebounding at the rate [we expect],” coach JJ Redick said. “And obviously that’s an area of concern for us right now. So need to be him doing better, particularly on the defensive glass. That’s where I think he can give us the biggest boost right now defensively.”

7th 

That’s where the Lakers ranked in terms of offensive transition frequency and points per transitiion possession after being more middle of the pack last season.

This is despite losing LeBron James, one of the best transition players in league history.

“Doing a decent job of throwing the ball ahead,” Redick said. “And I think [we] have had some really good moments of sprinting for layups. The other thing I think we’ve done a decent job of and part of it is the throws aheads: By throwing the ball ahead and by running, you create early cross-matches. Those early cross-matches are a little more comfortable.”

65.2%

That’s the percentage opponents are shooting against the Lakers at the rim.

While it’s an average number compared to the rest of the league, it’s a significant improvement from last season’s mark of 71.5%, which was the second-worst mark among all 30 teams.

It hasn’t been the start to the season that the Utah Jazz were hoping for. Let that be my late submission for Understatement of the Year, as the upstart Jazz have not only lost four of their first five games (their lone victory a one-point stand against a New Orleans team that remains winless at the time I’m writing this article) but have seen three members of their starting unit go down with injury.

Most notable of all were veteran bigs Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. making early trips to the locker room during the same half of play against Memphis. The two players head coach Will Hardy described as Utah’s best will both miss time, and the reserves haven’t been able to keep their head above water in their absence.

To be fair, Utah’s schedule hasn’t exactly been favorable to this point in the year. They had two dates with the Grizzlies, who might be the biggest surprise of the early year, as they sit with an unblemished record of 4-0.

It doesn’t help morale that Walker Kessler, who Utah could have retained this offseason had they been willing to pay top dollar, has been excellent in Los Angeles. The Jazz were forced to dip to their fifth-string center, Tony Bradley (always good to see a familiar face), in their second loss to the Grizz.

A glimmer of hope, however, has been the outstanding play from fourth-year point guard Keyonte George. Utah’s front office raised their hands in an overwhelming vote of confidence in Key by extending his tenure for five more years and a sizable stack of cash. Their investment is already paying off early.

Taking charge and planting his rear end in the director’s chair, George shouted into the megaphone as he dropped a season-high 31 points against the NBA Finals runners-up. They leaned on him, and they leaned hard. Hard enough that Will Hardy felt inclined to give his young point guard a breather at the beginning of overtime.

Keyonte has been exceptional this year, but the team became far too reliant on his scoring ability late into the game, and the wheels fell off in the critical stretch of added time.

Perhaps rolling out Isaiah Collier over Darryn Peterson was a sound decision on paper — putting the ball in the hands of the more experienced player is logical — but the offense stalled as Collier pounded the air out of the ball, and costly turnovers saw Utah’s early three-point advantage give way to a rapid 12-0 run. It was miraculous to see what was essentially the Jazz’s second and third unit go wire-to-wire against a healthy San Antonio side, but it’s clear Utah’s sculpture has plenty more rough edges to carve away.

And they can start by taking down a frisky Portland team in the Delta Center.

The Blazers are unbeaten behind a core of players that fascinates and perplexes me. On the surface, it’s a roster that is well-balanced and carries some real firepower.

Deni Avdija was silently one of the best forwards in the NBA last season, a master of rim-pressure and free-throw trips. He’s running the show again this season, averaging a team-high in minutes, points, and steals.

But he’s not alone this year; Portland’s front office upgraded the backcourt significantly. Shifting the uneven Scoot Henderson to the second unit in favor of Damian Lillard, who’s picking up right where he left off before being traded to Milwaukee two seasons ago. Torching the net for nearly 43% from three-point land through three games, he’s averaging 21.4 points per game.

And he’s got a running mate in Ja Morant. Morant, who was dumped from the Grizzlies’ sinking ship (which is floating quite comfortably today, interestingly enough), has played very well with his new team and, shockingly, has been shooting the leather off the basketball at 44.4% from three.

Add Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara to the mix, and it’s no wonder why the Blazers opened the year 3-0 — this is a frisky, dangerous team.

So how will the Jazz fare against their Northwest Division rivals in Salt Lake City? The inertia doesn’t bode well.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk and a Utah Jazz columnist for the Standard-Examiner. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently writes from his desk in Japan.

Egor Dëmin will be sidelined for at least a week after being diagnosed with a right leg bone bruise, the Nets announced Thursday.

He’ll be reevaluated next week after leaving Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Celtics with the injury.

Jordi Fernández said after Thursday’s practice that Dëmin’s injury is not long-term.

But without the second-year player, another 2025 first-round pick, Nolan Traore, will likely be counted on more.

Traore, who played well against the Celtics in his first start of the season before leaving due to cramps, has impressed when he’s been able to stay on the court.

He’s been able to use his speed, which Day’Ron Sharpe called his “biggest threat.”

Dëmin and Traore were the two highest draft picks by the Nets a year ago and they had five in total.

On Thursday, the team announced it was picking up the third-year options on all of them, including Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.

“We brought them in for a reason,’’ Fernández said. “We believe every single one of them has a future in this league. Everyone has different paths to get there and that’s OK. I think it shows we believe in the process.”

Powell (G-League assignment) was listed as questionable for Friday’s game, while Saraf (G-League assignment) is out.

Mikel Brown Jr. accepted the blame Tuesday for making a pair of late mistakes in the loss to the Celtics.

His coach and teammates were quick to defend him and praise the rookie for taking accountability.

“Honestly, we’re not in that situation without Mikel hitting a couple big shots down the stretch,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said. “So people can look at the mistakes, but it doesn’t get to where we’re at [Tuesday] without him doing what he did.”

“That’s the type of person he is,” Fernández said of Brown. “He’s tough. He holds himself accountable. Other people have excuses. That’s not who he is. … He’s not down on himself. He likes big moments. I’m excited for him to keep giving us those moments.”

Through four games, Sharpe is averaging a career-high 21.5 minutes per game.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that he’s also averaging 3.8 fouls per game, significantly higher than the 2.4 fouls he put up a year ago.

“I just think you can’t be over-physical,’’ Sharpe said. “That has me in trouble with fouls. I’m not trying to foul. I’m so busy trying to be impactful. I’ve got to start playing harder, with purpose [and] control my physicality.”

The Warriors sent the “Inside the NBA” crew personalized jerseys — Charles Barkley’s was extra special.

Barkley went viral after an “Inside the NBA” segment of “Who He Play For?” because of the Hall of Famer’s inability to accurately pinpoint where players landed in the offseason. From Moe Wagner to Taurean Prince, Barkley went 0-for-5 in the game.

Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith allowed Barkley to try again. He failed a second time.

Then, the crew gave him a third chance. And thrice Barkley failed.

It was a hilarious segment and a prime example of why “Inside the NBA” continues to be one of the best studio shows in sports. A week later, the Warriors sent Barkley a personalized jersey with the name “I Don’t Know” printed on the back.

“Inside the NBA” has run for 37 seasons, originally debuting in 1989. Johnson, who has been a part of the show since its inception, announced this season would be his final year with the program.

Barkley, who has been a part of the show for more than two decades, paid tribute to Johnson earlier this week.

CHICAGO — The Knicks will start their secondary title defense like they began their primary — against LeBron and the 76ers. 

The group stage of the NBA Cup kicks off for the Knicks on Friday night in Philadelphia, a rematch of the regular-season opener from 10 days prior. 

The Knicks lost that matchup, 106-100, because Tyrese Maxey took off and LeBron finished. This time, the Knicks (2-3) are coming off consecutive victories — against the Pistons and Bulls — while Philadelphia (4-1) is still riding the pace and skill of Maxey, the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week. 

“We just need to obviously not do what we did [the last time we played them],” Jalen Brunson said. 

Brunson broke out of his shooting slump in Wednesday’s victory over the Bulls, reeling off 38 points with six treys. 

The Knicks are in the toughest NBA Cup group with the Sixers, Pacers (game on Nov. 13), Cavs (Nov. 25) and Heat (Nov. 27). The winner automatically advances to the quarterfinals, along with two wild cards from the six groups. 

Last year, the Knicks won the tournament, with the semifinals and finals held in Vegas. This year, if they advance, the semis are at the home team’s arena and the final is at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiana, the historic basketball site from “Hoosiers” and home of Butler University. 

Despite winning the NBA Cup, Knicks owner James Dolan declined to hang the banner until they won the NBA Finals. 

Pacôme Dadiet will hit free agency in the summer because the Knicks, as expected, are declining to pick up his $5.4 million team option for next season, a source confirmed. 

Dadiet, a 2024 first-round pick, has been out of the rotation again and is worth more to the Knicks as a trade chip on an expiring deal than on the books for over $5 million next season. 

The 21-year-old Frenchman has logged one minute this season. For his career, Dadiet is averaging 1.6 points on 33 percent shooting. He’s the lone Knicks first-round pick on the roster. 

ESPN first reported that the Knicks were declining Dadiet’s option. The deadline is Saturday. 

Sixers star Jaylen Brown is listed as questionable for Friday with knee soreness. Neither Joel Embiid nor LeBron James are on the injury report. 

The Nets came up just short of beating the Celtics in Boston in their last game, but the end result is they fell to 0-4. 

For a team that’s trying to change the direction of a franchise that knows tanking all too well — and lost its first seven games a year ago — they know the results have to change. 

And they believe they’re close. 

“We haven’t won yet, so obviously we want to get the zero out of that column and get a one right there,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said after practice in Brooklyn on Thursday. “It’s important. That’s why that loss the other day hurt. We felt we were in a position to win the game, but if we play like that and can continue to improve, then we’ll get there.” 

Their next chance comes Friday at Barclays Center against the Pistons, followed by games on the road versus Indiana and the Knicks, so it won’t come easily. 

Unlike the previous two seasons, when the Nets could have benefited from losing but did not fare well in the draft lottery, this year their first-round pick goes to the Rockets as a result of the trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn. 

So the time to start winning is now. 

“We’ve just got to get that first win,’’ Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Once we get that first win, we can use it as momentum.” 

And the lack of a victory is on the players’ minds. 

They entered Thursday as the only winless team remaining in the Eastern Conference and one of just three in the league. 

“For sure,’’ Sharpe said of whether the record was something the team thought about. “You don’t want to have a zero on the board. Last year, we started 0-7 and we’re not trying to do the same thing this year.” 

To prevent another round of Groundhog Day — without the silver lining of a potentially high pick — the Nets will have to play like they did in Boston — without the late-game miscues that ended up costing them. 

“We’re almost right there,’’ coach Jordi Fernández said. “It came down to late-game execution.” 

But he added, “I think games like this in the future will lead to more wins.” 

As Porter noted, the Nets are again playing with some key new players, from veterans like Julius Randle to rookie Mikel Brown Jr. 

“It’s gonna take some time to develop some chemistry and I think from Game 1 to the last game, there’s been some growth,” Porter said. “Teams that are brand-new like this, it takes a while. We understand that and I think we’re willing to be patient with the process and continue to stack days and it’ll turn around for us.” 

Fernández agreed and doesn’t want his team to press. 

“We want to play with an edge, not anxiety,’’ Fernández said. “I just want to see continuity from what we did in the game against Boston. There’s no doubt in my mind, the first [win] is gonna come … I believe in the process. Right now, I’m not anxious about a win. I want to play consistently the right way. That [Boston] game is a clear example of who we want to be.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking for their fourth straight win as they take on the Atlanta Hawks.

Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!

Halloween weekend is often synonymous with candy, costumes, scary movies and haunted houses. Well, this year the only thing that matters is THE MARCH TO THE NBA CUP BEGINNING. That’s right, the NBA’s convoluted, definitely not confusing Cup is once again up for grabs. The group stage begins in earnest on Friday evening, with the Mavericks and Rockets kicking off West Group A competition.

Looking at the group, it’s shaping up to be the West’s group of death. Houston is maybe the best team in the league. Denver still has Jokic and Murray. Utah has a lot of talent, although some injuries have taken their toll in Salt Lake City. Dallas has gotten off to a shockingly good 3-2 start, and Phoenix still has talent, even without a real point guard. It’s a tough draw, and Dallas getting off to a 1-0 start in group play would be very helpful towards getting them through into the knockout rounds.

Knowing what’s at stake, here are a few tricks or treats to know before Houston faces off against Dallas.

TRICK: The first game between these two teams

It was just last week when the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets last met. In case you selectively forgot the result of that one, Dallas found themselves down by as many as 37 points in an eventual 18-point loss. However, just because that result exists doesn’t mean the Mavericks are doomed against this Rockets squad.

Yes, the Rockets do present some unique challenges that Dallas will have to solve. The Mavericks had a challenge simply running any sort of offense against Houston in the opener, as the defensive intensity that the Rockets brought simply overwhelmed the Dallas guards. In the four games since then, Dallas has won three of four with tenth best offensive rating in the NBA. That’s not to say that all of their issues will be solved here, as Houston has a top five defense in the NBA in their four wins since the opener, but expect Dallas to be more comfortable in this one on that end.

Conversely, the Houston offense has only been held under 120 points once, a 114-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs last Friday. Dallas got absolutely shellacked in Houston during the opener, as Houston completely dominated transition play. Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense, and Dallas will need both to hang with Houston in this one.

Treat: Tournament Dusty May

When it comes to tournament play, Dusty May is the best coach in the business. In the last calendar year, Dusty May has won two basketball tournaments (2025 Players Era, 2026 NCAA Tournament). Ime Udoka hasn’t won a tournament as a head coach EVER. Only Mike Brown of the Knicks (2026 NBA Cup, 2026 NBA Finals) has a comparable resume to the incomparable Dusty May. To steal a line from the late, great Stacey King: Big time coaches win big time games!

Trick: Dealing with Amen Thompson

The Thompson twins are both unquestioned freaks, and what Amen has done to start the year should not be overlooked. At 18 points, over eight boards and nearly four assists per contest, the offensive counting stats are right near career bests. What’s scary is that the defensive impact on counting stats (one steal and just under a half block per game) are at career lows. You’ve got to assume that the counting stats will begin to increase at some point, and the Mavericks will have to be very good with the ball to ensure that Amen doesn’t wreck this contest.

Treat: The NBA Cup

It had to feel good for Adam Silver that last year’s cup featured the two teams who eventually played for the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. The regular season can be quite a grind, so even a contrived, convoluted and confusing tournament such as the Cup is a welcome change of pace. The outrageous courts, the group play, the insistence of separating every single thing by conference, it all adds to the nonsensical nature of it all. My interest in the Cup first started out as a bit, just because everyone else on the planet hated the idea. But honestly at this point, I do like the Cup, regardless of how ridiculous it is made by Adam Silver. It’s just good, clean, harmless fun.

How to watch

Tipoff is set for just after 7:00 p.m. at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. I hope to see many costumes in the arena for this Halloween special! If you’re tuning in for this one, KFAA Channel 29, Mavs TV or NBA League Pass will have you covered for the broadcast.

Anthony Edwards had successful surgery on his right knee, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced on Thursday, Oct. 29.

The arthroscopic procedure for debridement, which is to remove thickened or dead tissue, was performed on the same day by Dr. Craig Bennett at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The team said the four-time All-Star "is expected to make a full recovery."

Edwards, 25, was listed as questionable on NBA injury reports on Wednesday, Oct. 28 after becoming the second-leading scorer in the league through four games. Multiple reports said he would miss two months of action.

He is averaging 33.3 points per game as the Timberwolves went 3-1. They lost their matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, which Edwards did sit out, bringing their record to 3-2.

Only Luka Dončić on the Los Angeles Lakers is scoring more, averaging 36.0 points per game.