Category: NBA

@Amrmets15 -- Do you think the Knicks look to address the need for another rim protector at the deadline? Nick Richards maybe back in the fold? Kolek and Dadiet works theoretically 

If I’m making a guess today, I’m guessing that the Knicks look for veteran point guards on the trade market before they look for front-line help. Remember, the Knicks signed Malcolm Brogdon in September with the hope that he’d be their backup point guard. They’ve had to go to Plan B once Brogdon retired. 

So far, Plan B has been point guard by committee. Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek was in the mix early in the regular season, but he’s been out of Mike Brown’s rotation for the past three weeks. Kolek was a DNP-CD in the two games Jalen Brunson missed due to injury. The DNP-CDs during Brunson’s absence suggest Brown doesn’t see Kolek as a rotation player at this point. 

The Knicks are getting by with a point-guard-by-committee approach. But I think there is still a desire internally to add a backup point guard behind Brunson. 

Who is that player? I’m not sure. Sacramento seems like a team that will be open for business ahead of the trade deadline. Jevon Carter is in the final year of his contract in Chicago, but the Bulls clearly value the veteran point guard. I’m sure there will be other options on the trade market in the coming weeks. 

So if the Knicks are healthy, @amrmets15, I’d guess today that they prioritize point guard over front court in the trade market. This is stating the obvious, but I’m sure the Knicks would at least check in with Dallas if/when Anthony Davis becomes available. You may scoff at the idea, but the Knicks want to win a title this season. If Dallas is offering Davis at a below-market cost, I’m sure the Knicks will at least give the move some thought. But this, again, is stating the obvious. The Mavs will get calls from nearly all NBA teams if/when they make Davis available. 

Anyway, the trade market will materialize in earnest over the next 3-4 weeks. It will be interesting to see which teams sell and which players become available between now and early February. 

QUICK HITTERS 

@RobertWCross -- First time long time @IanBegley. Can the Knicks get enough out of the JB+KAT pairing offensively to cover up the defensive flaws? I’ve been skeptical since the jump. Your take? #53Wins

This is one of several macro questions that will determine this team’s ceiling. Great topic, @RobertWCross. 

Maybe I’m being naïve here, but I think the Knicks have enough defensive talent  - and offensive firepower - to neutralize Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive flaws. 

If Mitchell Robinson is on the floor with Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knick defense should improve. The numbers haven’t reflected that, yet. The Knicks are actually allowing 7.5 more points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor than when he’s off, per Cleaning The Glass.  But that number should change over the course of the regular season and postseason. 

Between Robinson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby and Miles McBride, I think the Knicks have enough talent on both sides of the ball to neutralize any shortcomings from Brunson or Towns. If I’m wrong and the Knicks don’t have the personnel to do this, it will reflect poorly on the front office.

@yaalreadyknow --  What’s the prognosis on OG’s injury and whether it would hamper his production for the season onward?

It seems like Anunoby will be out for at least the rest of the month. The Knicks said he will be re-evaluated on Nov. 27. Even if he’s healthy at that point, Anunoby would still need time to practice/scrimmage before he returns to the court. 

That said, I don’t think there is any reason to believe this injury will hamper his production once he returns.  

@doinkstarr -- Ian, can you talk about the relationship between (Knicks Vice President of Sports Medicine) Casey Smith and Mike Brown in regards to rotational decisions, player workload and recovery strategies?

I don’t have a ton of insight on this yet, but it seems like Smith and Brown are on the same page regarding player workload and recovery strategies. I say this because of the Knicks’ approach with Robinson. Brown has said consistently that Robinson’s workload/availability will be determined by Smith and his staff. The head coach has been complimentary of the medical/training staff for its work with Robinson. 

So, on the surface, it seems like Brown is very much in synch with Smith and his group. 

That said, I would be very surprised if Smith had any influence over rotational decisions. That usually is determined by the head coach and his staff (and maybe some influence from the front office with certain teams). 

Thanks for the questions, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. 

Draymond Green defends Nick Young after Kenyon Martin's 2018 NBA title critiques originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former NBA guard Nick Young was only on the Warriors for one season, but he helped Golden State win its third title in four years in 2018.

And though Young often gets some flak on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast for his role on that team, Draymond Green wants to make it clear that Young was a key contributor during the Warriors’ title run that year.

In Friday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Golden State forward issued a rebuttal to clips he’s seen featuring former NBA players Kenyon Martin and Rashad McCants, during which they antagonize Young. Green already had responded to Martin’s shots directed at Green himself earlier in the same podcast.

“But one thing I want to share with Kenyon Martin and Rashad McCants,” Green explained, “you know, a couple of guys who try to attack Nick Young about his NBA championship, is this. I know you guys don’t understand what it means to win an NBA championship. And because of that, you guys attack Nick Young because y’all don’t know what it takes. So, I’m going to share with you all non-champions what it takes to win an NBA championship.”

In his 15-year NBA career, Martin reached the NBA Finals twice with the New Jersey Nets but fell short in both attempts. McCants, meanwhile, failed to reach the playoffs during his four-year career.

“So, in an NBA championship, you have your guys who have to deliver on a roster,” Green continued. “Me, Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson], we had to deliver. You had to. And then you have all your guys who play a role. What role players do in the NBA playoffs en route to NBA championships … what I like to call them is swing players, as opposed to role players. I like to call them swing players.

“What do I mean by swing players? Your job as a role player throughout an NBA championship run is — it’s easier said than done, but the concept is simple. Your job is to swing one series. And what I mean by that is, you be the piece in one series that swings the series, because we know what Steph is going to do. We know what Klay is going to do. We know what Draymond is going to do. We know what they’re going to bring to the floor. We need one player that we’re not necessarily expecting to do X to swing the series.”

Green went on to highlight Young as the swing player who helped push Golden State over the top in a hard-fought Western Conference Finals that season; the Warriors needed seven games to defeat the Houston Rockets before sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

“And so when you go look at our championship run that Nick Young was a part of, Nick Young was the swing player in the Houston series,” Green said. “In Games 6 and 7, Nick Young was one of the primary defenders on James Harden. Nick Young hit big threes. He swung the series for us. Guess what? Job done. When you talk about winning a championship, he swung the series. That’s his job as a role player to swing one series. He did that.

“So when you guys try to say, ‘His championship doesn’t matter, he rode, he just got a ring.’ No, he didn’t. What he did was swing a series, but because you guys never won a championship, you don’t quite understand that concept.”

As expected, Green didn’t pull any punches in his comments defending his former teammate. But as a four-time NBA champion himself, it’s hard to argue with anything he said.

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In a year the Knicks desperately needed to see one of their depth pieces emerge as a legitimate contributor, it hasn’t been the returning prospects or all of the headline offseason acquisitions that impressed early on. 

Instead, it’s been Landry Shamet, the definition of an NBA vagabond that was on the cusp of not returning to New York this season.

He’s since gone from the end of the bench to starting five games, shooting 42.4 percent from three and coming up with key performances in meaningful wins. Let’s look back on his impressive journey and what he’s done to lift the Knicks this season.

Shamet originally joined the Knicks during last season’s training camp and got rave reviews, leading to a locked-in preseason rotation role that was unfortunately cut short due to a shoulder injury. New York, believing in the talent and work ethic, waived Shamet but allowed him to rehab with their G-League affiliate in Westchester. 

It took a few months and a couple appearances at the developmental level before the Knicks called Shamet back up around Christmas. His first games back were rough though, as he was still finding his rhythm back.

Shamet played 19 games through early February through sporadic minutes and a sub-30 percent stroke from three, but something changed that month. He rediscovered his stroke and defensive intensity, hitting 42.4 percent of his threes down the final 31 games of the season, earning over 18 minutes a night. 

Oddly, his minutes evaporated in the playoffs after a 10-minute stint in their opening game. He’d see decreasing spot minutes against the Pistons before racking up DNP’s all the way until the Conference Finals. 

With the Knicks down 0-2 going back to Indiana, Shamet found some burn and brought much-needed energy and shooting off the bench for the remainder of the series, including a 12-point outburst in the pivotal Game 6. His series performance earned him a lot of fans, and perhaps ultimately the final roster spot he secured with the team this summer.

That decision, along with new head coach Mike Brown’s strong trust in him, are paying major dividends now. Shamet’s averaging 9.9 points on 42.4 percent shooting from three, playing seven more minutes a night last year but only four more than his post-rust stretch.

Perhaps the biggest surprise statistically has been New York’s resilience defensively with him on the court. Opponents have worse efficiency when Shamet plays, and while he can struggle contesting one-on-one due to his size, his effort, low-risk approach and positioning are there.

Offensively, Shamet is rightfully known for his shooting, but he’s not just hitting a bunch of catch-and-shoots from the corner. 43.8 percent of his pull-up threes are dropping, some even off pick-and-roll, and he’s one of the team’s better shooters from outside the corners.

He’s given Jalen Brunson some reprieve as a ball-handler and has shown recent glimpses of his mid-range and finishing games as well, the highlight being a two-handed flush all over Miami’s Kel’el Ware. He was a monster in that Heat game, putting up a career-high 36 points (30 in the second half!) on 6 of 12 shooting from three.

A few nights later, Shamet would play heroic again, hitting two threes in the final minute of the game to give his team the lead before sealing the game in the final seconds with a drawn offensive foul. It’s tough not to credit Shamet heavily for two of New York’s nine wins this early season, a major payoff for Brown’s trust in him. 

Fans are hoping this continues. Most contenders get thin deeper into their bench, and New York is no exception. 

Having Shamet step up on his second veteran’s minimum deal for this team is not only crucial for their championship hunt, but a gritty and awesome New York story to get behind.

Jersey Bulls were beaten 1-0 at Hastings United in Isthmian League South East.

Hastings dominated much of the first half as Euan van der Vliet was forced to save well from Jordan Mase's 13th minute lob.

But the Bulls keeper flapped at a corner four minutes later and Eugene Asike was on hand to blast in on the line to put Hastings 1-0 up.

Bulls lost centre-back Luke Campbell to injury five minutes before half time as he tried to stop a James Stone attempt as the islanders struggled to deal with the resulting corner.

Bulls boss Elliot Powell made three changes at half time with one of those - James Sunley - having their first serious effort as his shot was cleared off the line 12 minutes after the restart.

Miguel Carvalho curled an effort over the home bar with 15 minutes left while James Carr forced a good save soon after, but the island side could not find a breakthrough.

The defeat keeps the islanders in mid-table while Hastings move away from the relegation places.

Related internet links

• Jersey Bulls

Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant drops blunt Nike opinion about Steph Curry's sneaker free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After a stunning, mutual split from his 12-year shoe partnership with Under Armour, Warriors star Steph Curry officially is a sneaker free agent.

Even in Year 17 of Curry’s illustrious NBA career, companies still are clamoring to join forces with the 3-point King — but Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant would like to see his former Warriors teammate land with the largest.

“That would be incredible. I hope that happens,” Durant told Kay Adams on Friday of Curry potentially joining athletic apparel giant Nike. “Yeah. No disrespect to Under Armour, [but] he should have always been a Nike athlete.

“But he built his brand, and this is an exciting time for him to be able to choose and to have people out there that want to still want your services at 37. You can just tell his legacy and his brand is intact, you know. He’s a free agent, and it feels like it’s still a rookie, you know what I’m saying?”

Durant became the third player in NBA history to sign a lifetime contract with Nike in April 2023, after a years-long relationship dating back to 2007 and featuring 15 different sets up shoes up to that point. Since signing his original $60 million rookie endorsement deal with the company — the second-largest at the time behind LeBron James — Durant has released 18 versions of his Nike KD shoes, with a 19th reportedly scheduled for release next summer.

Curry famously started his NBA career as a Nike athlete, but an uninspiring sales pitch to retain him caused the Warriors star to join forces with Under Armour in 2013, where he launched Curry Brand in 2020. But now what seemed to be a lifetime partnership there has ended, announced by Under Armour on Nov. 13, and Curry made his first post-split appearance wearing Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes during pregame warmups the next day.

“I know it’s just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes,” Curry acknowledged that night after dropping 49 points in the Warriors’ 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. “But just the idea of what he meant. I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself and what it means. Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. 

“I think it gave me some good energy tonight.” 

That wasn’t the only time Curry has been spotted in Nike shoes recently, either.

Could Nike give Curry more good energy moving forward? Durant certainly hopes so — but only time will tell.

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Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

BOSTON (AP) — Nic Claxton had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for his first NBA triple-double and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 113-105 on Friday night for their first victory in the NBA Cup in-season tournament.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 33 points, and Noah Clowney had 19 to help Brooklyn snap a nine-game losing streak against Boston. The Nets improved to 3-12 overall and 1-2 in NBA Cup play.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points but was limited to 32 minutes because of trouble. Neemias Queta had 16 points and 12 rebounds as Boston dropped to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in the tournament.

The Celtics’ comeback bid was dealt a tough blow when Brown picked up his fifth foul with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla challenged, but the call on the floor was upheld.

Brooklyn led 71-68 when Boston’s leading scorer took a seat. Brown’s absence was felt as the visitors regained the momentum behind a 17-4 run that helped Brooklyn widen its lead to 92-77 entering the fourth.

Up next

Nets: At Toronto on Sunday night.

Celtics: Host Orlando on Sunday night.

Different issue plagues Warriors after fixing turnover woes in loss to Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors coach Steve Kerr during his pregame news conference Friday identified the greatest threat to the success of the team this season: Turnovers. When they commit fewer, they win. When they commit more, they lose.

“That’s our No. 1 concern at this stage,” he said. “Seventeen games in, it’s pretty clear what we have to do. If we take care of the ball, we win. If we don’t, we lose.”

Four hours later, in Game 18, at Chase Center for the first time since Nov. 9, the Warriors committed fewer giveaways than the Portland Trail Blazers – and, for the first time this season, lost.

Lack of size and interior muscle is an issue that has surfaced all too often this season, and they were the primary cause of the Warriors walking off the Chase Center floor with a 127-123 lashing that killed their homecoming buzz and dropped them back to .500.

“We know we’re small out there at times, but we got to play bigger than we are,” said Stephen Curry, whose game-high 38 points went for naught. “There were a lot of breakdowns and missed box outs because they had five out most of the time, with a 7-footer in there. Those possessions matter.”

Glancing at their opening-night roster, the smallest in the NBA, the Warriors had to expect there would be nights like this. Nights when they would pay a price for being relatively miniature compared to their opponent. When rebounds would be gone before the ball could drop low enough to reach their outstretched hands.

Nights, like this one, when they would outshoot their opponent from the field, and from beyond the arc, while committing fewer turnovers, and still come up short. Literally and figuratively.

Portland won the offensive rebounding war 21-9, the total rebounding war 52-32 and was plus-18 (28-10) in second chance points. Four Blazers snagged at least seven rebounds, with Robert Williams III hauling in a game-high 11, while Jimmy Butler III, with eight, was the only Warrior with more than six.

“They are an athletic team,” Kerr said after losing to Portland for the second time this season. “A couple of their guys are super athletic. They crash. They put a lot of pressure on us. That was the difference.”

It is exceedingly difficult to win when taking such a beating on the glass, though Curry indicated there is a path.

“Pretty much perfect basketball on the other end,” Curry said.

“But it’s still crazy that we were in a one-possession game with whatever with minute and a half (remaining) with that type of discrepancy. It’s like you play as hard as you want to, fly around, but the best offense and the most demoralizing thing for defense is 20 seconds of good defense, and then an easy put back or second, third opportunity.”

Though rebounding was the most statistical failure, and the most decisive, the Warriors also did a poor job of defending, particularly at the point of attack and when spread out by Portland’s shooters. Rookie guard Caleb Love, on a two-way contract, came off the bench to score a career-high 26 points, in the process draining six 3-pointers, several of which were wide open.

“We’re just not guarding nobody, from what I can tell,” Butler said. “And I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here.”

“You’re not taking anything away. You’re not taking the paint away. You’re not taking away layups, free throws, lobs, 3s. So, we don’t know where they’re going to get a shot from, but tonight they were getting whatever shot they wanted.”

Brandin Podziemski, at times tasked with point-of-attack defense, conceded that it did not go well for him or any of his teammates when given that assignment.

“Just too many straight-line drives,” Podziemski said of Portland’s freeway to the rim. “Obviously, they are a bigger team than us. So, when our big has to rotate over so many times, it leaves (it open) for lobs and offensive rebounds.”

The Warriors entered the game ranked 29th in number of turnovers per game and 22nd in rebounding. They committed 14 turnovers, to 21 for Portland. They plugged that leak.

Only to have another one bite them in the backside.

It has been that kind of season for Golden State. And probably will be if the current roster is unable to overcome the areas, and there are several, in which it is deficient.

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What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors stall late in NBA Cup loss to Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Home is where the heart is. Pulses raced inside Chase Center on Friday night, racing up and down whichever way the game went. 

Warriors fans, for the first time this season, exited the building with broken hearts from a 127-123 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Warriors led 97-94 through three quarters, and then were outscored 33-26 by the Blazers in the fourth. 

Weaknesses were exposed for the Warriors, particularly in their lack of size and point of attack defense. They were beaten in rebounding 52-32, which included 21 offensive rebounds for the Blazers and a lowly nine for the Warriors. That kind of ownage led to 28 second-chance points by the Blazers, a whopping 18 more than the Warriors. 

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 38 points and nine 3-pointers, giving him his most points in a loss this season. The Warriors now are 3-3 when he scores 30 or more points. 

Jimmy Butler did a bit of everything with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Brandin Podziemski scored 20 points off the bench for the Warriors. 

Another first for the Warriors (9-9) was winning the turnover battle but losing the game. They never could pull away quite enough, and the Blazers (7-9) kept coming. 

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ first home loss of the season, extending their losing streak to three. 

Steph’s Sizzle Wasted

Drool began forming at the corner of Curry’s mouth whenever Blazers big man Donovan Clingan guarded him at the 3-point line. Clingan is essentially a foot taller than Curry at 7-foot-2. He sure isn’t as fleet of foot as him, though.

Somehow, Portland’s defense kept letting that matchup happen in the second quarter. Curry kept taking advantage of that decision, too. After a five-point first quarter, Curry made five 3-pointers in the second quarter while playing just six minutes. 

Back home and getting to enjoy a day off, Curry exploded for 18 points in the second quarter on a perfect 6 of 6 from the field, including making all five of his tries from deep. 

Curry came back down to earth in the third quarter, scoring four points. He then scored nine big-time points in the fourth quarter. Each one felt bigger, and it still couldn’t equal a win.

BP Brings Scoring Punch

For the second time this season, Podziemski reached 20 points Wednesday night in the Warriors’ short-handed loss against the Miami Heat. He also needed 19 shot attempts to get there, making only six shots. Podziemski was much more efficient and in control against the Blazers. 

With Curry up to 23 points at halftime, Podziemski was right there alongside him. Jimmy Butler wasn’t the Warriors’ second scoring option. Podziemski was, scoring 15 first-half points on just five shot attempts. 

Podziemski hit the 20-point mark with a minute and a half left in the third quarter. He had taken just seven shots at the time. 

Whether it was shooting threes in the flow of the offense or forcing his way to the free-throw line, Podziemski was much more decisive Friday. That’s everything for him. His 10 free-throw attempts were a season high, as were Podziemski’s eight made free throws.

Make The Whistle Your Friend

Defending without fouling always will be key to the Warriors’ two-way success. Within the first seven minutes of the game, however, the Warriors already had been called for seven fouls. The Blazers in the first quarter were whistled for four fewer fouls than the Warriors and took five more free throws than them. 

Lesson learned. 

Instead of watching the Blazers walk to the charity stripe, the Warriors were the ones enjoying their time there in the second quarter. A total of five Warriors shot free throws in the second quarter, going 11 of 14 as a team. They got the Blazers in the bonus early, giving the Warriors a halftime advantage of two more attempts than them and three more makes. 

It was a back-and-forth battle of fouls and free throws for the two teams. The Warriors were at 18 fouls and 24 free throw attempts through three quarters, and the Blazers, going into the fourt,h had been called for 21 fouls and taken 22 free throws. 

Both teams were called for 25 fouls. The Blazers, though, took two more free throws than the Warriors and made one more than them. The Warriors dropped to 3-7 when their opponent makes more free throws.

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San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama was the biggest story at the start of the NBA season, averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game. The NBA even flexed a Spurs game into a primetime slot so more fans could see the 21-year-old Frenchman play.

Then he strained his calf, sidelining him for several weeks.

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Injuries have been rampant to start the 2025-26 season, picking up right where last year left off. Per certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, who maintains a database of NBA injuries, players missed 10% more games last year than in any other season he’s tracked since 2005, aside from the pandemic years. Through four weeks this season, players are missing games at the exact same rate as last season’s record frequency.

Stars, in particular, have struggled to stay on the floor. The NBA defines a star as a player who has made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons. Nearly half (21 out of 45) of the league’s stars are currently injured. Others, such as LeBron James and De’Aaron Fox, are healthy now but started the campaign hurt.

Several stars—Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant and Anthony Davis—have suffered from calf injuries just like Wemby. Fourteen different players have already appeared on an official injury report for a calf-related issue, up from six in the first month of 2021-22 and seven in the first month of 2022-23. This is a broader trend—teams logged 64 players with calf injuries at some point during last season, a 68% jump from 38 players three seasons prior.
 
Other soft tissue injuries, such as hamstring strains, are also increasing in frequency. There were 22 hamstring injuries in the first month of this season, up from 15 in the first month of 2021-22.

It’s difficult to isolate a cause for all these injuries, but the speed of the modern game may play a factor. According to ESPN, players are running more miles per game and at a faster average speed than any season since the player-tracking era began in 2013-14. With the proliferation of 3-point shooting across all positions, defenders must cover more ground than ever before. The full-court press has also emerged as a semi-regular defensive strategy.

Teams are looking to push the tempo on offense as well. There have been more possessions per game this year than any NBA season since 1986-87.
 
“The wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage is factoring into these injuries,” Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a press conference this week.

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