That shouldn’t have happened. On a night the Brooklyn Nets out-rebounded the Atlanta Hawks by 13, it was their inability to grab rebounds in the final two minutes that lost them the game. Brooklyn wound up losing 124-121 Saturday night, letting a game slip away that was there for the taking.

The opponent tonight is in a pretty interesting spot.

The Mavericks are looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time in a few years, and they hope the talent on the roster is good enough to get it done. They picked up an NBA Cup tournament victory, 112-100, against the Utah Jazz at home on Friday night 112-100 NBA Cup win over the Utah Jazz at home Friday night.

Game Info

• WHO: Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks
• WHEN: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
• WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
• WATCH: YES Network, DAZN, NBA League Pass
• LISTEN: WFAN radio

Nets vs. Mavericks Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• OUT – Egor Dëmin (right bone bruise)
• OUT – Mikel Brown Jr. (back-t0-back)

Dallas Mavericks

• OUT – Tarik Biberovic (right heel bursitis)
• OUT – Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery)
• OUT – Sergio de Larrea (right knee sprain)

The Game

Back-to-backs are tough, and going from Atlanta to Dallas is especially challenging. We’ll see how the Nets do in this one.

If they want to win, they’ll need to slow down an old friend. Kyrie Irving is back after missing last year with an ACL tear. He’s averaging 21 points a night while his shooting numbers remain strong, the way he’s getting his buckets looks a little different than what we’re used to.

His field goal attempts share of field-goal attempts inside of three feet is at the lowest mark of his career, while his three-point rate is at a career high. Chances are that’ll change the further he gets away from the injury, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. Either way, Irving remains a magnetic scorer and a blast to watch when his game is on.

Speaking of being on, Nolan Traoré continues to shine. The sophomore guard had 19 points and a career-high five steals in just 22 minutes last night against Atlanta on Saturday. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter, and with Brown Jr. out tonight Sunday, Traoré should get all the minutes he can handle. When Brown Jr. returns, we’ll see if the coaching staff finally starts to give the young guards more playing time alongside each other. The Nets have little to lose by giving that pairing a longer look. Why not give it a shot?

We’ll see if the Nets can be great on the glass for all 48 minutes tonight. Brooklyn did great for most of the night, but gave away possessions late with their inability to secure the rebound. Day’ron Sharpe and the team will look to keep Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson, and the rest of the Mavs off the glass.

Speaking of Sharpe, the big guy collected the first triple-double of his career with 12 points, ten rebounds, and a career high 13 assists.

Player to watch: Cooper Flagg

I try not to fall for hyperbole, but I think I’m gonna make an exception here. Cooper Flagg is so damn good at such a young age and even in his second season as a professional, I think he’s comfortably one of the ten best players in the NBA. He’s so good and at just 19 years old, has a chance to lead the next generation of men’s basketball in the USA in the next decade and beyond.

Something that will come with time and experience is the ability to make an impact at the end of games. In a recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, Flagg was relatively uninvolved in the Mavs’ crunch time offense. It was a bit of a surprise considering how excellent Flagg is, and David Trink of Mavs Moneyball has more:

“This is not to say that Flagg is incapable. We have seen him take over fourth quarters multiple times this year. If Dallas wants to be a serious playoff contender, however, they can’t have weird nights from him like this. Even if his shots are not going in, he has to demand the ball, and he has to take them. It is his job to take the pressure off Irving late in games. He’s young, so it is entirely possible he was in his own head after a poor shooting game. But learning to be the guy on a nightly basis and flushing the bad performances will be the next step in his evolution.”

And that next step is gonna be a doozy. That said, he’s been terrific already and it’ll be exciting to watch him ball out tonight.

It’s a homecoming for Julius Randle. The Dallas native is back home and is hoping to put on a show in front of his friends and family. He’s had his good moments so far, but he’s got to cut down on the turnovers. Julius has turned it over at least four times in five out of the last six games and a season high six turnovers last night. The Nets aren’t good enough to withstand that and will need their All-Star to make the most out of possessions every time he has the ball in his hands.

From the Vault

It’s probably been a minute since you watched some Dirk Nowitzki footage. Let me help you with that

More reading: Mavs Moneyball, The Smoking Cuban, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter

Detroit Pistons big man will miss the next two weeks as he recovers from his hamstring strain, the team announced on Sunday. Duren has been limited to two games this season, after sustaining the injury Oct. 23 against the Miami Heat. He is averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds this season.

The Pistons are 4-2 without Duren this season, losing to two Eastern Conference powerhouses, the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Detroit has struggled on the boards without their big man. They rank 28th in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage in the six games without Duren. The team has also struggled with foul trouble in its depleted big-man lineup, with JB Bickerstaff constantly juggling minutes for starter Paul Reed, shifting starting power forward John Collins to play the five, and using Tolu Smith more often than he’d probably prefer.

The Pistons play six of nine games on the road over this stretch of games without Duren. That includes road tilts against the Spurs and Hawks. They will also face the Lakers, Wizards twice, Heat, Pelicans and Raptors. Their next game is today in an early evening matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Little Caesars Arena.

If you’ve been looking for a signature San Antonio Spurs win early in the 2026-27 season, look no further. On the second game of a back-to-back, the Spurs waltzed into enemy territory and blew out a team motivated to get revenge. It was one of the first times we’ve seen this year’s Spurs put it all together against a playoff-caliber team.

Defense was the name of the game in San Antonio’s 125-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams played incredibly physical (or just flopped a lot). But the Spurs were the enforcers overall. Stephon Castle set the tone on the perimeter with some suffocating defense on two of the Blazers’ best players, Deni Advija and Jrue Holiday. Advija was particularly frustrated by Castle’s defense, scoring just 15 points on 5-13 shooting.

The rest of the team forced turnovers. Portland coughed it up 18 times, leading to 23 easy points for the Spurs. The tape will show that the Spurs dominated this game with force and athleticism. The stat sheet shows they won a lot of the hustle stats, too. San Antonio won the rebounding battle by 13 and grabbed 14 offensive boards. The force they showed against Portland is the same as what they showed last season in their NBA Finals run, but more refined.

The Blazers just feel like a team the Spurs will have to beat in the Victor Wembanyama era. They are young (for the most part), tough, and skilled. Beating them down in such a dominant fashion after the playoff victory last season is a clear sign that San Antonio has not taken a step back, despite some bumps to start the season. It also showed a lot of grit and edge from the Spurs. It was exactly the type of victory this team needed early in the season.

Takeaways:

• I gave the second unit a tough time in the last WWL. They were MUCH better against Portland. Luke Kornet in particular had one of his best games of the season with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. There were fewer moments when Kornet needed to go one-on-one with a driver at the rim, as the perimeter defense made it harder for the Blazers to get clear drives to the basket. What was even more impressive about Kornet’s game is that he actually took a few shots when he was open. Typically, the backup center isn’t even thinking about shooting, but he hit a pop-a-shot early in the game and took a jumper from the free-throw line that didn’t fall. Just getting Kornet to take those kinds of shots when they are available will help the second-unit offense tremendously.
• It’s been a minute since we got a sub-25-minute elite performance from Wembanyama. Not because the performances haven’t been elite, but because he’s usually playing more than 25 minutes. He had 29 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including three triples. Portland had absolutely no answer for the early-season MVP candidate. In the last two games, he’s become more selective with his jump shots, and the results have been better looks that are going in more often.
• Carter Bryant got an opportunity to play early in the game and made the most of it. He hit a pair of three-pointers, got a deflection and a block, providing energy off the bench. Bryant still struggles with overaggressiveness on defense. He picked up 5 fouls in just 17 minutes on Saturday. Bryant has a lot of talent; it just needs to be harnessed with improved awareness and experience.
• The Blazers continued their strategy of guarding Castle with Donovan Clingan and putting Toumani Camara on Wembanyama. It’s safe to say the Spurs have figured out how to defeat that coverage. It helps that Castle made two of his five three-pointers, and Wembanyama is a game-breaker. Portland still needed to send doubles at Wembanyama, and when they did, the Spurs were able to get easy looks when the ball was passed out.

Does it get any better than the No. 1 offense versus the No. 1 defense? The Detroit Pistons find themselves in that matchup as the 122-point-per-game Los Angeles Lakers visit Motown tonight.

Luka Dončić and the Lakers put up plenty of buckets, but scoring on Detroit is still an impossible task. The Pistons only surrender 101 points a game. Smothering defense every night.

Detroit’s defense has its biggest test of the season if Dončić suits up this evening. He’s questionable with lower back tightness.

It would be a shame if we’re robbed of Cade Cunningham going head-to-head with another MVP candidate. The bigger shame would be if we miss out on Dončić versus Ausar Thompson. That matchup is like Jerry Rice versus Deion Sanders with how both are operating.  

GAME VITALS

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

When: 6 PM EST

Watch: TV20 Detroit/DAZN-DET

Odds: Pistons (-4.5)

Analysis

Detroit hasn’t played since Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. They’ve had plenty of time to rest up. They’ll need it if Dončić suits up.

Dončić is averaging 40 points. He’s shooting 42% on nearly 14 3s a game. He gets to the line more than anybody. It’s basically no stopping Dončić at the moment. This is a Wilt Chamberlain-like hot streak. Those two are the only players to average 40 nine games into the season. Whew, to say he’s balling is an understatement.

But tasks like this are why the Pistons employ Ausar Thompson. If *anybody* can slow Dončić down, it’s the best perimeter defender on the planet. Dončić usually has success against quick defenders with wiry strength, but Ausar is bigger and stronger this season. We’ll be keeping tabs on how Ausar takes Dončić’s bumps tonight. Ausar has the quick hands to disrupt things as well.

This might be a game where we see Paul Reed getting to the level and blitzing a bunch. J.B. Bickerstaff may decide to get the ball out of Dončić’s hands and force someone else to beat them. Reed is capable of coming to the level on screens and muddying things up.

I’m sure Dončić will see some Cade tonight too. Cade won’t make it easy with his sturdy frame. On the other end, the Lakers only have a few perimeter defenders to throw at Cade.

Matisse Thybulle is firmly in LA’s rotation as he’s started all 10 games. He’s still a defensive playmaking threat. Cade deals with defenders like this nightly, but Thybulle is a plus defender nonetheless. So is Ziaire Williams. The springy 25-year-old treats every possession as if he’ll never get in the game again if he doesn’t go hard.

Those two are solid defensively, and Jake LaRavia competes. Outside of that, Detroit will have plenty of favorable matchups (Walker Kessler is a great rim protector and is off to a good offensive start. He can make a difference).

Dončić displays effort and is trying to shake the terrible defender narrative on his name, but attacking him is still the best way to slow him down. Make him work and keep him involved in actions.

Austin Reaves falls into the same boat. He’s under Dončić on the Lakers’ best defenders on the team list. Anybody with that matchup should look to be aggressive.

Reaves spends most of his time covering shooting guards. Will JJ Redick make Reaves chase Duncan Robinson all night? That’s probably not ideal. Robinson runs even great defenders into the ground.

Robinson’s light-em-up stretch continues as he’s fourth in 3s made (35). Only Dončić, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Steph Curry have made more.

Detroit is letting it fly from deep as a team. According to Cleaning the Glass, 40 percent of their shots are coming from 3 (15th) compared to 31 percent last year (29th). Their rim rate has flipped the other way, but getting Jalen Duren back should rectify that.

The best offense versus the best defense is a mandatory viewing appointment. Can Ausar slow down the MVP-favorite? Do the Pistons show why they’re an elite defense and smother Dončić as a team? Does Cade deliver a masterclass against a guy he’ll be compared to for the foreseeable future if he’s in the MVP race? We’ll find out at 6 PM. Be there!

Projected starting lineup

Detroit Pistons (6-2): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed

Los Angeles Lakers (8-2): Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Jake LaRavia, Walker Kessler

Question of the day

What are your thoughts on Austin Reaves? He reportedly did not want to be drafted by Detroit. Does that still bother you?

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

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

W3MBY 🏹

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/YOGy4hvVck

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

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

got eeeeem 😮‍💨

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/JoKA47uEok

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

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

AREA 5️⃣1️⃣

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/zdS7P8gbeV

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

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

COUNT THAT 😤

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/Dy5ao7WSjJ

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

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

DEFENSE ➡️ OFFENSE

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/Rk8UIN4IKp

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

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

HOW DID STEPH SAVE THAT ⁉️

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/IdGiNW9lfA

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

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

OH MY CASTLE 🫣🏰

📺 @DAZNpic.twitter.com/WI98xW6qfg

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

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

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Karl-Anthony Towns

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

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

Tyler Kolek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–– MIke Breen pic.twitter.com/MTD26BHVQ7

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

Landry Shamet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Donovan Mitchell

On Cleveland’s Saturday loss to the Knicks:

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

On what went wrong for the Cavaliers:

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

Peyton Watson

On the Cavaliers failing to match the Knicks’ intensity:

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

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

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

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

Kenny Atkinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On recognizing that the Knicks earned their championship:

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

pic.twitter.com/McHRqCt0Bw

— Moonball (@moonball30) November 7, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knicks in five.

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

The Task Ahead

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

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

Injury Report

Bucks:

• Bogoljub Markovic: Out (G League assignment)

Celtics:

• Chris Cenac Jr: Out (G League assignment)

Player to Watch

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

Projected Starters

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

Game Details

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

When: 7:00 pm CST.

Where: Fiserv Forum—Milwaukee, WI.

Watch: MY24.

Listen: Check local listings.

Prescient Prediction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Naughty or nice, these Bucks suck

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

Yikes. Talk about glass all empty.

Contrary to the point

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warriors rule Will Richard out of game vs. Pelicans with UCL tear in left thumb originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Just when Dub Nation was starting to feel optimistic about the health of the Warriors, they have been dealt a tough blow to a key rotation player.

Guard Will Richard is listed as out for Golden State’s matchup Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans with a UCL tear in his left thumb, according to the official NBA injury report.

It currently is unclear how much time Richard will miss with the injury, which is on his non-shooting hand.

Richard is in his second season with the Warriors after he was selected No. 56 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Florida. He quickly inserted himself as a trusted member of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation in his rookie year, averaging 20.0 minutes per game across 69 games (21 starts).

This season, Golden State again was counting on Richard to step up in place of the injured Moses Moody, who isn’t likely to return from a torn patellar tendon until at least December. Through 10 games (three starts) in the ongoing 2026-27 NBA campaign, Richard is averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds on 52.6-percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range in 17.2 minutes.

Richard played 12 minutes in the Warriors’ 126-119 overtime win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday, recording four points, two rebounds and an assist.

Now, Dub Nation must hope for a speedy recovery for one of their most valuable perimeter players.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Kings trade Nique Clifford to Thunder for two future second-round draft picks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings are parting ways with one of their young players.

Sacramento is trading second-year guard Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two second-round NBA draft picks, the team announced Sunday.

The Kings are acquiring unprotected 2028 second-round draft pick via the Utah Jazz and an unprotected 2030 second-round draft pick via the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported news of the trade.

Clifford originally was selected by Oklahoma City with the No. 24 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before his draft rights were traded to Sacramento for a protected 2027 first-round pick.

In two seasons with the Kings, the 24-year-old Clifford averaged 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 41.6-percent shooting from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range in 83 total games (28 starts).

He now will provide guard depth for a Thunder team devastated by injuries early on this season.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bright Side Baller Standings

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

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 8 against the Rockets. Here are your nominees:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And the winner is…

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

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

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

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

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

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) November 3, 2026

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

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

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

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

— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) November 5, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the Notebook

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