Category: NBA

After a riveting second half comeback, the Knicks captured the NBA Cup with a 124-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs. A benefit of the cup is that it offers a glimpse into how teams react in high-leverage situations, how coaches figure out rotations and how the best players handle the bright lights.

New York's run in the NBA Cup was quick with three elimination games over the span of a full week, but it offered a chance to see how a future run in the playoffs could look in 2026. 

Let’s look at three things we learned about the team after the NBA Cup title win.

Consistent scorer

After a 25-point, eight-assist night against San Antonio, Jalen Brunson took home the NBA Cup MVP award. It was a pedestrian night for the Knick captain, who shot 11-for-27, but his overall Cup performance was impressive. 

Brunson averaged 33.3 points on 54.7 percent from the field and 6.7 assists through the three Cup elimination games. 

The two-time All-Star has already cemented himself as one of the top performers in franchise history in just three and a quarter seasons. He has guided New York to more playoff series wins (four) than the franchise had in 22 seasons prior to his arrival. 

And even with a new head coach in Mike Brown and an adjustment of having the ball in his hands less, Brunson has thrived.

Though there’s often talk about how hard it is to win with a diminutive point guard, Brunson has quieted doubters with clutch play. In high pressure situations, with elite defenses game-planning to short circuit the Knicks offense, Brunson has delivered constantly. 

New York has added the pieces around Brunson to form a contender, but the NBA Cup was a reminder that the Knicks point guard is the ultimate factor that gives this team a chance to make the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.

Third option

The Knicks' pecking order at the top has always been clear. Brunson is the team’s go-to scorer, and Karl-Anthony Towns is a clear number two option. Behind that, the Knicks have a committee of role players that are all capable of taking over the scoring on any given night.

One player making a case to break out into a larger role is OG Anunoby. 

New York’s resident “demon” proved to be the catalyst in the club’s cup run, scoring 52 points in the two Las Vegas games. Though his overall scoring (16.2 points) is down from last season, Anunoby’s mix of finishing ability around the rim with corner three-point shooting has been invaluable to New York’s second-ranked offense.

We’ve seen these types of offensive outbursts before with Anunoby. 

He emerged when Brunson was sidelined for 15 games with an ankle injury last year, averaging 23.2 points on 47.6 percent shooting. The question is can the defensive stalwart be a consistent source of offense for New York? 

Anunoby had a relatively quiet offensive showing in the playoffs last year, but under a new coach, he could be due for an offensive breakout.

Surprise contributor

The Cup does carry some similarities to the playoffs -- with the high stakes nature of the games, rotations get cut short and minutes for core players increase. 

Early in the season, the NBA Cup showcased who New York's new head coach trusts to be on the floor. As an example, Guerschon Yabusele saw just four total minutes in the final two games, including a DNP on Tuesday night.

As expected, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson earned minutes off the bench, but an unexpected ascender in New York’s rotation during these games was Tyler Kolek. 

The second year point guard scored 14 points in the title game and found himself on the floor in crunch time. Coach Brown went to two point guard lineups with Brunson and Kolek on the floor at the same time often. The decision paid off as Kolek gave the Knicks another ball-handler to ease the full-court pressure applied to Brunson and make plays.

Coming into the season, the Knicks needed one of their recent draft picks to step into a rotation spot. Kolek could use the tournament as a building block to gain consistent playing time. 

One concern is Kolek’s play adds to an already crowded backcourt. With Clarkson and the injured duo of Miles McBride and Landry Shamet part of the rotation, it will be tricky for all of them to see minutes, but that’s a good problem to have. 

The Knicks can trust Kolek to be on the floor in serious moments.

Steph Curry recalls cathartic dinner at Klay Thompson's house last season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite playing on different teams, the iconic trio of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson still make time to hang out together.

Even after Thompson’s departure from the Warriors.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon published a story Thursday about Thompson’s departure from Golden State and his relationships with his former teammates today and revealed that Curry, Green, Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco and some of Thompson’s friends all met up at the veteran guard’s Dallas home last season on Feb. 11 for a private dinner.

Curry, per ESPN, decided in advance that he would spend the night at Thompson’s house before the Warriors and Mavericks faced off the following day. The visit, perhaps, was needed after Thompson’s seemingly icy departure from Golden State last summer.

“I was like, I’m making sure I get over there,” Curry told ESPN.

“Man. I had to move to Texas to get this guy to come over to my house,” Thompson joked.

The mood throughout the evening, per ESPN, was light, and featured plenty of games, conversations and Thompson showing his former teammates around his new neighborhood.

“We didn’t need to address any feelings or his departure or anything like that,” Green told ESPN. “It was friends kicking it. He’s showing us, ‘Yeah, this is my life here.’

“But you could tell he’s trying to come to grips with it. It was odd for him.”

The dinner seemingly was a cathartic experience for Curry, who called it an “acknowledgement of the finality.”

“I didn’t go there for that,” Curry explained to ESPN. “But that’s what it turned into.”

“You don’t spend 12 years with your friends and then that just fades,” Thompson said. “That was a really fun moment of last season, [which] was pretty up and down.”

Thompson and the Mavericks then beat the Warriors 111-107 the following day before Golden State got its revenge 10 days later in a 126-102 win over Dallas at Chase Center to cap a four-game season series split.

Curry, Green and the Warriors will make the trip back to Dallas on Christmas Day this season, in the first of three games against the former Splash Brother.

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Steph Curry recalls cathartic dinner at Klay Thompson's house last season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite playing on different teams, the iconic trio of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson still make time to hang out together.

Even after Thompson’s departure from the Warriors.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon published a story on Thursday about Thompson’s departure from Golden State and his relationships with his former teammates today and revealed that Curry, Green, Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco and some of Thompson’s friends all met up at the veteran guard’s Dallas home last season on Feb. 11 for a private dinner.

Curry, according to ESPN, decided in advance that he would spend the night at Thompson’s house before the Warriors and Mavericks faced off the following day. The visit, perhaps, was needed after Thompson’s seemingly icy departure from Golden State last summer.

“I was like, I’m making sure I get over there,” Curry told ESPN.

“Man. I had to move to Texas to get this guy to come over to my house,” Thompson joked.

The mood throughout the evening, according to ESPN, was light, and featured plenty of games, conversations and Thompson showing his former teammates around his new neighborhood.

“We didn’t need to address any feelings or his departure or anything like that,” Green told ESPN. “It was friends kicking it. He’s showing us, ‘Yeah, this is my life here.’

“But you could tell he’s trying to come to grips with it. It was odd for him.”

The dinner seemingly was a cathartic experience for Curry, who called it an “acknowledgement of the finality.”

“I didn’t go there for that,” Curry explained to ESPN. “But that’s what it turned into.”

“You don’t spend 12 years with your friends and then that just fades,” Thompson said. “That was a really fun moment of last season, [which] was pretty up and down.”

Thompson and the Mavericks then beat the Warriors 111-107 the following day before Golden State got its revenge 10 days later in a 126-102 win over Dallas at Chase Center to cap a four-game season series split.

Curry, Green and the Warriors will make the trip back to Dallas on Christmas Day this season, in the first of three games against the former Splash Brother.

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Warriors' Steph Curry disliked viral, heated Klay Thompson-Ja Morant interaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Distance has separated the dynastic trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. 

But there still is a yearning to ride together. 

Curry, speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon in a recent story on Thompson, did not like seeing his old backcourt partner getting into an altercation with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant last month without his usual backup. 

Ja and Klay after the game 👀 pic.twitter.com/H3DazXqipG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 23, 2025

“The idea that he is carrying the Warrior success no matter what jersey he has on, I do like that part of it,” Curry told ESPN. “But I don’t like people taking shots at him when he doesn’t have that coverage and he doesn’t have his guys with him.” 

It’s not unusual – especially in recent years – to see Thompson take exception to personal slights. The proud four-time champion has found himself in a few chirping matches; one notably with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker while Thompson still was with the Warriors. 

Curry always had his teammate’s back, and it’s understandably tough to not be in a position to support him in a heated moment.  

Green, also speaking with ESPN, felt similar when Thompson got into it briefly with Miami Heat rookie Myron Gardner a few days after the Morant altercation. 

“That’s two instances in a row I saw him arguing by himself,” Green told ESPN. “What the f–k?” 

Green, known for not shying away from confrontation, very notably had Thompson’s back during a scuffle with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 NBA season. 

Now that the trio has dwindled to a duo, Curry and Green are feeling the helplessness that distance has caused. 

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A 7ft 9in (2.36m) teenager has become the tallest player to score a basket in the history of college basketball.

Olivier Rioux, of the Florida Gators, dunked late on as his side beat Saint Francis 102-61 on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his first appearance last month.

He was declared the tallest teenager by Guinness World Records in 2021 when he was then 7ft 5in (2.26m).

While the dunk was the centre's first, he had scored a free throw against Merrimack on 21 November.

Where would Rioux stand in NBA?

If he were to enter the game's top level, Rioux would be above any of its current players in terms of height.

The NBA lists 21-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama as its tallest, with the San Antonio Spurs star measuring 7ft 4in (2.24m).

Zach Edey, of the Memphis Grizzlies, is next - with the 23-year-old standing 7ft 3in (2.21m).

Three other players are 7ft 2in (2.18m), according to the NBA's website.

They are 23-year-old Donovan Clingan, of the Portland Trail Blazers, 24-year-old Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, and Kristaps Porzingis of the Atlanta Hawks.

The NBA's tallest-ever players are listed as Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were both 7ft 7in (2.31m).

Bol played between 1985 and 1997, while Muresan, who was nicknamed the Giant, was on court from 1991 to 2001.

Guinness World Records had previously listed China's Sun Mingming, who is 7ft 8.98in, as the tallest active basketball player in 2013 when he was playing in his home country. He retired a year later.

Why Jimmy Butler and mediocrity are a bad combination for the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are acutely aware that the buzz around the Warriors is becoming a roar. They know this has been a most exasperating season and they’ve won enough rings to know this is not it – and, at this rate, won’t be it.

Jimmy Butler III, aching for a ring, also knows this is not it. As the driving force of two underdog Miami teams that reached the NBA Finals, he knows of habits that ensure success and habits that prevent it.

From the instant Butler was acquired by the Warriors last February and signed his $111 million contract extension, he announced his goal. He wants to win. Not Player of the Week, or Player of the Month or votes for the All-Star team. And certainly not a mere 13 of 27 games, which is what the Warriors have done over the first two months.

He wants the ring that puts a crown on his Hall of Fame career.

As the Warriors stagger about, Butler is biting his tongue and trying to play the role of the good soldier. Witness the time and effort he puts into Jonathan Kuminga (only to see him sit on the bench the last three games). Jimmy wants no part of the reputation that followed him to the Bay; some of those left on the other side of bridges he burned insist he is fabulous during the “honeymoon” phase but ultimately will become discontented.

But as the Warriors and their dizzying variety of lineups and rotations go nowhere, with wins rarer than anyone accepts, no member of the Warriors – players, coaches, front office – is content. CEO Joe Lacob expressed his frustration in an email reply to a dissatisfied fan. Kerr, Curry and Green are not hiding their irritation. And they all own the kind of jewelry Butler seeks.

It is understandable if it is difficult for Butler, 36 years old and on his fifth NBA team, to ride the storm. Let’s be clear: Jimmy has not said so, at least not publicly. But his desire to win runs so deep that mediocrity gnaws at his ethos.

Consider the words of Butler during a “Dubs Talk” podcast recording on Dec. 1:

 “If it’s about winning — if it’s about winning it, the championship – I’m all for it. If it’s not, and there are any other agendas, y’all won’t like it. Because I don’t care. I’m literally just here to win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

Consider the phrase “y’all won’t like it” a euphemism for “Do not expect joy from me if losing becomes a habit.”

It is conceivable that Butler finding it difficult to stomach a team that can’t find its way out of the NBA swamp. To care about a team that has spent most of the past month in eighth place in the Western Conference. To care, dare we say, about the urges of a coach that, eight weeks into the season acknowledges he needs to be better at maximizing Jimmy’s best assets.

“I’ve got to find a way to get him more into the groove of the game,” Kerr conceded Sunday after Butler took 11 shots as Portland came back to hang a 136-131 loss on Golden State. “Eleven shots? I don’t really consider Jimmy’s game to be dependent on how many shots he gets. But we do need his scoring. We do need his playmaking.

“We did a better job last year of putting him in position to attack and create shots for people. We need to get back to that type of control of the game where we’re going to him in the half court, especially when Steph’s out. Going to him in the half court, taking care of the ball, turning the other team over, controlling the game. And we’re not there.

“We’ve had a few moments during the season, but we’re not able to consistently put the ball in Jimmy’s hands and let him control games like we did at the end of last year.”

Butler is playing well, but his impact is not up to his high standard. The standard that put his name on MVP ballots in three different seasons. The standard that made Jimmy “Himmy.”

The standard that would be a huge step toward lifting the Warriors out of the quagmire and, perhaps, into a top-six team in the West.

As a primary ballhandler, Green also takes some of the blame for games when Butler doesn’t routinely get the ball on offense – particularly when Curry is off the floor.

“I’ve got to do a better job of that,” Green said in Portland. “And then, as I do a better job with that, I also need Jimmy to be more aggressive and demonstrative and go take the ball or come get the ball or say exactly where he wants the ball.

“And he will. You know he doesn’t shy away from that. We’re putting it together. This is game 27. Nobody’s panicking.”

Plenty of fans are panicking, but that’s typical and they don’t dictate outcomes. Kerr, Curry and Green are not panicking, partly because they believe the best Jimmy is yet to come.

The best Jimmy ought to be a priority for Kerr, the Warriors and Butler. It’s essential for the current roster, clearly imperfect, to reach its potential. No one on the payroll wants that more than Butler.

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Even with Jimmy Butler, Warriors find themselves in similar spot as last year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s a strong argument that the most introspective player on the Warriors, a team centered on three NBA stars 35 years and older, is 23-year-old Moses Moody. 

He’s a reader and a poet. He spits meaningful bars at the podium that your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper wishes they could think of. He’s wise beyond his age and always worth listening to. He also took a long pause Tuesday when asked about the mood of a 13-14 Warriors team that already has gone through countless ups and downs in the 2025-26 NBA season. 

“Good question,” Moody began.

“I would say good, through and through,” he continued. “A lot of highs and lows. A lot of professionals on the team, so it’s not dealing with childish emotions or anything like that. It’s more so grown men trying to figure something out. And that’s from the coaching staff to the last player on the bench. 

“It’s not a bunch of emotions of, ‘Oh, you said this, you said that,’ rather than a group of men trying to figure something out, and that’s cool to see.” 

Moody chose his words carefully. Frustrations for the Warriors have been seen in numerous ways. This is a team that went 23-8 down the stretch last season after trading for Jimmy Butler, beat the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and felt like they were destined for the Western Conference finals until Steph Curry’s hamstring strain. 

There even was a contingent within the franchise that believed a healthy Warriors team could beat the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. This season’s team can’t keep leaning on that run. It’s done, it’s over. 

The Warriors, as the calendar year gets close to ending, feel much more like the pre-Butler team they were around the same time a year ago than the post-Butler one right now.

Even coach Steve Kerr sees the similarities. 

“Yeah, it feels a lot like last year, ironically,” Kerr said Tuesday. “At the trade deadline I think we were .500. We were very inconsistent. We traded for Dennis [Schröder] first, and then Jimmy obviously as we were searching for answers and we found it. And I’m very, very confident that this group will find it, because we already have Jimmy and when we’re healthy I think the lineup is very formidable. 

“I think we have depth, I think we have everything we need. So it’s on me to put it together and to help these guys find the rhythm and the confidence that I know they have inside.” 

Though Moody didn’t perfectly agree with the similarities of last year to this year, he does share the feelings of his coach in why belief is warranted. 

“It feels different,” Moody said. “I’m not exactly sure the situation last year at this time. But these last couple games – there have been so many games this year that we should have won coming down to the end like that. We’re not far off. One shot goes differently and it’s a whole different conversation. I think we’re able to realize that. Coach is able to realize that. So nobody is panicking, more so as we’re trying to figure it out. Just figure it out a little bit. 

“I think it happens a lot of times that you’ll be so close to what you want and you just need to change something, so you change something, and then you’re actually a lot further away than you’re actually trying to get to. I think it’s a delicate situation, as well as we just got to figure it out and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Needing a change became obvious enough to the Warriors last season that they traded for Schröder the first day they were able to make such a move on Dec. 15. The Warriors were 14-10 at the time. They were a game under .500 on Dec. 15 this season, and a move doesn’t seem imminent at the moment since Jonathan Kuminga can’t be traded until Jan. 15. 

From the offseason to the first third of the regular season, the Kuminga cloud has hovered over everything involving the Warriors. Kuminga has received three straight healthy DNPs, in which the Warriors won the first game against a reeling Chicago Bulls team and then dropped two straight against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves and Blazers are both teams Kuminga is meant for with his combination of size and athleticism, especially after averaging over 24 points in the final four games of the playoffs against the Timberwolves seven months ago. 

Then this week, a fan email to Joe Lacob received a response from the Warriors owner and went viral. In the response, Lacob alluded to “style of play,” “coaches desires regarding players,” and “league trends” for why the Warriors have been struggling. Kerr on Tuesday brushed off the email, calling it “no big deal,” but it undoubtedly pulled back the curtain to the public in areas the two disagree on.

After getting DNP’d in Chicago, Kuminga said that he and Kerr have a good relationship and the coach echoed those sentiments when the Warriors returned home. Sources also acknowledge there have been some moments of high intensity between the two of them this season.

Butler has gone two straight games without speaking to the media after two bad losses, getting out as fast as he could. He and Draymond Green, who recorded eight turnovers in his return Sunday, didn’t appear to be on the same page offensively and defensively more than once during that game in Portland. 

Though Kuminga can’t be traded for another five weeks, the upcoming G League Winter Showcase in Orlando from Dec. 19 through the 22nd will be four days of agents and front offices meeting, and words can turn to action from those conversations.

After using nine different starting lineups in as many games, Kerr on Tuesday said he’s going to give an extended look to the group that began the game against the Blazers. The next day, he said Kuminga has strung together multiple great practices while doing everything the team has asked, indicating he’ll be back in the rotation perhaps as soon as Thursday against the Suns in Phoenix. With health and availability being large factors, Kerr already has used 15 starting lineups in 27 games. 

Doing so also is an indication of the roster Kerr is working with. They’re a small team in a big man’s world, and an old team in a young man’s game. The Warriors needed all 95 of Curry’s points to beat the San Antonio Spurs in two consecutive games a little more than a month ago, yet 87 points and 18 threes over two games wasn’t enough to beat a Timberwolves team that didn’t have Anthony Edwards and a 10-win Blazers team that would have just seven wins if they never played the Warriors this season. 

Is this déjà vu from a year ago, something worse or a team that leads the NBA in blown fourth-quarter leads but still feels like they’re on the precipice of something special? 

“I know that we have the answer here,” Kerr said Wednesday. “Last year I felt like we had to make a move. This year I don’t think that’s the case. I think we have what we need here, but we need to develop more consistency in our play and that starts with me giving these guys more consistent roles, making sure we get Jimmy the ball, making sure we get to that style of play from last year when we had control of games. … We’re not in control of games right now. 

“We have that ability, and that’s our focus.”

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Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

"I just wanted to give everybody something," he said. "Everybody works hard, even the people you don't see in the back, so I want to do something for them too."

Said teammate Jake LaRavia: “Shout-out to Luka, man. What a guy.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

They saw how “contagious” it was when playing defense at a high level against the Suns and how Jarred Vanderbilt lit the fuse to ignite things for the Lakers in their last victory over Phoenix.

And for the Lakers to maintain that defensive mindset, stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James also have to be committed to that end of the court.

That was the message from Lakers coach JJ Redick to Doncic and James.

"Yeah, it was good," Doncic said. "We talked about a lot, not just that, but he was right. You got to get a little big more, especially from the star players. So that's on us. That's on me. And we just got to give more, especially at the start of the game. We got to start the game better. But I think in Phoenix, we did a pretty good job. The plan was focused on ourselves and [our] defensive mentality, so I think we did a pretty good job."

The Lakers will be tested again on defense by the Utah Jazz Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz have a developing star in Lauri Markkanen, a difficult matchup at 7-foot-1 who is ninth in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points per game, and a young talent in guard Keyonte George, who is averaging 23.5 points and 6.8 assists.

Read more:Luka Doncic gifts more than 100 e-bikes to Lakers players, staff

Utah is fourth in the league in pace (102.98), ninth in scoring (119.0), second in assists (29.8). The Jazz are fifth in rebounds (45.7), eighth in offensive rebounds (12.6), and 12th in field-goal percentage.

"The way we play, we got to approach every game the same," Doncic said. "In the NBA, every team is dangerous, so at some point somebody can go for 40. They have Markkanen, and then George. They can go for 40 on any night. So we just got to work on ourselves and approach the game, make everything the same."

The all-out energy and effort by Vanderbilt off the bench was the catalyst for the Lakers against the Suns.

In his 15 minutes of action, he had seven points, seven rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot.

Vanderbilt had played only three minutes and eight seconds over a 10-game stretch prior to that point.

“Vando's minutes were huge,” Gabe Vincent said. “He came in and does what we all know he's very capable of doing and being disruptive on the defensive end, crashing the glass, getting extra possessions for us, all of which we desperately needed. You know what I mean? So his spark off the bench was huge for us."

Read more:Lakers blow 20-point lead but survive when Dillon Brooks and Suns go supernova

Now it’s about sustaining that defensive intensity, the Lakers say. And about playing with that physicality, the Lakers say.

“Yeah, when you guys asked me this the last time, it’s effort,” Jake LaRavia said. “If we just go out there and we give that kind of effort every night…We got a lot of guys on the team. Some guys might not be having it and, like you said about that contagious word, that really helps out. [Marcus] Smart does it sometimes. Vando does it sometimes. I would say I do it just being a contagious type of person to help lead the team and just being extra physical.”

The Lakers are ranked near the bottom of the league in some defensive categories, which means there remains room for improvement.

They are ranked 17th in the league in points allowed (116.7), 24th in field-goal percentage (48.1%) allowed and 28th in three-point shooting (38.1%) allowed.

“You just got to go out there and do it,” LaRavia said. “It’s not anything a coach can say. It’s not anything a player can tell another player. Yeah, it’s like the individual player’s job to go out there and give effort on defense and that’s contagious. It just goes around.”

Deandre Ayton wins award

Lakers center Deandre Ayton on Wednesday was named by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Assn. as the winner of the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for November. Ayton was recognized for his philanthropic work across the Bahamas, which is his home country, Jamaica and Los Angeles through the Ayton Family Foundation. Ayton will miss the game at Utah on Thursday because of left elbow soreness.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In a moment that encapsulated how far Jalen Brunson’s development has taken him since joining the Knicks four summers ago, he was named NBA Cup MVP on Tuesday night following the team's thrilling 124-113 title win over the Spurs in Las Vegas. 

Brunson scored 25 points and dished eight assists -- an uncharacteristically pedestrian night in what’s been a career year for the star point guard.

Under new head coach Mike Brown, Brunson is having not only the best scoring year of his life, but maybe in the league. He’s averaging a career-high 28.8 points on 54.6 percent shooting from two and 37.6 percent from three -- notching career-best marks in efficiency despite the most volume he’s seen since the injury-riddled 2023-24 season.

This is due in part to Brunson’s growth, but also a diversification in his attack, courtesy of Brown’s offense. His emphasis on motion and pace principles has helped evolve Brunson’s scoring to a new level, and there are signs it’s only getting started.

One thing Brown identified early is that Brunson is one of the NBA's best shooters -- arguably the best on the roster -- yet wasn’t treated as such. Despite consistently converting in the high 30s and low 40s from deep, he hasn’t taken many as a Knick for various reasons over the years, but primarily due to having so much ball-handling responsibility and favor for the mid-range. 

In fact, this is the first year Brunson's led the Knicks in three-point attempts per game, and the first he’s cracked seven attempts per night in his career, a number Jaylen Brown eclipsed in 2021. The solution: getting Brunson off the ball and firing more.

Brunson’s taking 10.3 threes per 100 possessions this year, 1.7 more than last season with plenty of room to match the real high-volume guards. He’s generally had a greener light on stepbacks and triple-threat pull-ups, but is thriving off more catch-and-shoot looks in transition and the halfcourt.

Due to his embrace of Brown’s new schemes, Brunson is getting rid of the ball earlier and more often, opening him up as a scoring and screening threat, a la what he did in the back half of 2023-24. 

As a result, 40 percent of his three-point tries have come on catch-and-shoots, compared to one-third last season, and he’s knocking down an 46.4 percent of them.

His pull-up shooting started off slow but has picked up in recent games, so expect his numbers to look even better in due time. If he doubles down on shooting more threes, watch out.

Maximizing Brunson as an off-ball threat has been one way of diversifying his looks beyond traditional isolations, pick-and-rolls, and set plays. Brown’s motion schemes have Brunson attacking in the random flow of the offense, whether via high dribble hand-offs, backdoor cuts, or as an off-ball spacer.

As gifted an isolation scorer as Brunson is, endlessly pounding the rock has diminishing returns, individually and to team success. This year, 13.8 percent of his plays are ending in isolations, according got NBA.com play type data, down from 17.3 percent last season, and the lowest portion of his offense since his first campaign as a Knick.

This dynamic approach has lifted his efficiency despite some of the highest volume in his career. This is also due to Brunson getting to his spots and shooting quicker and easier than ever before.

The new offense has the Knicks looking for semi-transition and early shot clock opportunities after every defensive possession, and they’re getting into their halfcourt actions much quicker as well. This has led to more opportunities where the defense isn’t set or gets tripped up in an action, leading to an easy score.

Even when Brunson is breaking down a defender, like he’s done a thousand times before, New York’s new spacing and cutting give him more room to attack than he's ever had. He’s otherwise working far less to get his offense as a result of these changes, with his average seconds and dribbles per touch and shot materially down year over year.

This has led to one of Brunson’s highest usage rates, yet a career-low in turnover rate and a true-shooting clip that would be a new high if he took some more free throws. In some ways, Brown evalted Brunson from James Harden to Stephen Curry, and it has paid early dividends.

As Brunson’s shooting numbers rise, the Knicks will get some healthy pieces back and continue to build on their new system.

There’s no ceiling on the damage he can inflict on the league with his scoring -- we’ve seen it in the playoffs, and now the NBA Cup. If Brunson keeps this up, we’ll see it in the NBA Finals soon enough.

Laurene Powell Jobs, a prominent philanthropist and one of the country’s wealthiest people, is selling her stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment to private equity firm Arctos Partners and Qatar Investment Authority, a Qatari sovereign wealth fund, a source briefed on the matter confirmed on Wednesday.

Monumental Sports owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the G League’s Capital City Go-Go and Monumental Sports Network.

Powell Jobs, whose late husband was Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has owned a minority share of Monumental since 2017. She runs the Emerson Collective, which is known for its venture capital investments and philanthropic work.

It is not clear how much of her stake QIA and Arctos will each take. The deal is expected to be announced Wednesday.

Representatives for Monumental did not immediately respond to calls from The Athletic. An email to Emerson Collective, which is owned by Powell Jobs, was not immediately returned.

Sportico first reported the transaction.

QIA bought into Monumental Sports in 2023, taking a 5 percent stake. That deal came just months after the NBA changed its rules to allow sovereign wealth funds to buy into its teams.

Arctos is a leading sports private equity firm. It was one of the first to invest in NBA teams and has taken stakes in dozens of teams across professional sports. In the NBA, it holds ownership stakes in the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers.

Individual sovereign wealth funds and private equity companies can own a maximum of 20 percent of a team, and a team can sell no more than 30 percent to them in total. They can only be passive investors, with no governing ability.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, NHL, NBA, WNBA, Sports Business

2025 The Athletic Media Company

Forsberg: ‘No ceiling' for C's and more takeaways from Stevens' comments originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

On Wednesday, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed a variety of topics during an impromptu press conference.

Stevens touched on Jayson Tatum’s recovery from his Achilles injury, the Celtics’ trade deadline approach, Jordan Walsh’s development, and more. NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg shared his instant reaction to Stevens’ comments during the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast.

Here were Forsberg’s biggest takeaways…

No Disabled Player Exception after Jayson Tatum’s injury

Stevens stated that the Celtics didn’t apply for a DPE after Tatum’s injury. The DPE allows teams to replace a player who is deemed likely to be out for the season with another player via trade or free agency, providing financial flexibility.

“The way that Brad voiced it was to suggest that they never wanted to put a ceiling on what was possible with Jayson Tatum,” Forsberg said. “I thought it was interesting that Brad brought that up unprovoked. …

“But we’ve gone from talking about (Tatum) missing a year, to missing months — we’re almost at the point where Tatum is just gonna be weeks. Maybe it’s six weeks, maybe it’s eight weeks, whatever the number is.”

Will Celtics target a big man to help Neemias Queta?

Stevens said there will be no “ceiling” put on this Celtics team, meaning he’s willing to get aggressive ahead of the trade deadline to upgrade the roster if it makes sense to do so.

“Neemias Queta is the only pure 7-footer on this roster that is playing consistently,” Forsberg said. “It’s only natural as we sit here and look at the trade deadline that we’re laser-focused on that. … There’s gonna be a need at the center spot beyond this season, and the Celtics need to examine all possibilities about what the best path forward is with that. …

“I wonder if the success of the team, the potential return of Tatum, emboldens you a little bit to consider what’s out there and be maybe a little bit more willing.”

Jordan Walsh’s defensive impact

Stevens spoke on Walsh’s development since joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 2023. Forsberg shared his thoughts on Walsh enjoying an unexpectedly outstanding season — particularly on the defensive end.

“Jordan Walsh might be the biggest surprise in the entire NBA with the way that he has elevated not only to a starter, but he has become a player that opposing players like Austin Reaves are saying could be an elite defender in this league,” Forsberg said. “Joe (Mazzulla) has even given him his flowers.

“The big part of the reason the Celtics were able to turn the corner as quickly this season as they did was the way that Walsh infused energy, shored up a lot of what wasn’t working well.

Watch the full episode, which includes Stevens’ full press conference, on YouTube below:

Kings star Zach LaVine out at least one week after MRI clarifies ankle injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will be without sharpshooter Zach LaVine for at least four games, if not more, after the guard sustained an ankle injury in Sacramento’s 117-103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at Target Center.

An MRI showed LaVine suffered a moderate left ankle sprain, the Kings announced Wednesday, and he will be listed as “out” and reevaluated in one week. LaVine rolled his left ankle as he drove toward the basket with 5:20 remaining in the second quarter of the defeat, but still was able to make the shot before limping to the locker room shortly after.

Zach LaVine went to the locker room after rolling his left ankle on this play pic.twitter.com/CX9p9QUYZ9

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 15, 2025

LaVine is averaging 20.2 points on 48.7-percent shooting from the field, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season. He missed Sacramento’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 11 with right thumb soreness before his short-lived return against Minnesota.

Before LaVine’s reevaluation next Wednesday, the Kings are slated to face the Trail Blazers in Portland this Thursday and then again in Sacramento on Saturday. The Kings then will play the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, at Golden 1 Center.

With the current timeline provided by the team, LaVine could return for Sacramento’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 27.

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