Category: NBA

The Houston Rockets hosted the Boston Celtics on a second night of a back-to-back, Monday night. Boston kept things close in the first half, but eventually ran out of gas in Houston. Alperen Sengun led all scorers with 26 points, Jayson Tatum had 19 points and Neemias Queta 16 points for Boston. Boston moved to 5 and 2 on the season, and Houston led the Western Conference with seven wins.

Boston rested veteran Paul George for the night after a nice road win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez got the starting nod alongside Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta for Boston. The Houston Rockets started the game with Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr, and Alperen Sengun.

The full-strength Houston Rockets got off to a good start with five points to start the game. Amen Thompson was aggressive attacking the basket for six quick points. Kevin Durant had a pair of turn-around jumpers to start the game for the home team.

Jayson Tatum was looking to get others involved; fresh off his Eastern Conference player of the week award, he had 2 assists at the six-minute mark. Baylor Scheierman had five points to start the game before he took a seat on the bench.

Mitchell Robinson, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard were first off the bench for Boston. Robinson would go to the locker room late in the first quarter with a thumb sprain after only playing a few minutes. Tari Eason hit 2 threes off the bench for Houston as they took an early ten-point lead and looked in control.

Boston missed 32 of 44 3-pointers in Orlando last night, and they continued to struggle shooting the ball to start the game with just 1-9 from downtown. Luka Garza got into the game and had a big impact on the scoreboard, hitting two straight triples in just three minutes of play. Boston had tied the game after a quarter of play, 29-29.

Mike Conley started the second quarter in his second game of the year for his new team; he hit a three-pointer before going back to the bench in a very short stint of play.

The Houston Rockets outscored the Celtics by seven points in the second quarter as Jayson Tatum got a rest after playing the first 12 minutes of the game. Alperen Sengun paced the Rockets with twelve points in the half on 6 of 8 shooting from the field, doing most of his damage in the paint.

Luka Garza hit his third 3-pointer of the game from the corner on a wide open attempt, he had 9 points at the half in just eight minutes of play. Mitchell Robinson returned to the court halfway through the second quarter with a strapped hand. The big man peeled off a screen to dunk home a two-hander off a beautiful Jayson Tatum lob pass.

Payton Pritchard was scoreless for 14 minutes of the game before he finally scored from the foul line. The Celtics had 6 turnovers at the half; shooting just 42% from the field and going just 7 of 22 from three. Jayson Tatum led the C’s with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, all 11 players had scored for Boston at the half.

The Boston Celtics started the second half with a pair of big men, Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson against the taller Rockets squad. The lineup switch paid off, as Neemias Queta was rolling for Boston with 7 straight points; he hit a rare corner triple and got a pair of tip-ins to start the quarter.

Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson connected on a second thunderous lob of the night as Boston cut Houston’s lead back to one point. Hugo Gonzalez had a breakaway layup attempt blocked by Alperen Sengun on the chase down. Jabari Smith Jr. went down the other end and drilled a three-pointer as Houston went up by 7 points.

Payton Pritchard had a chance to cut Houston’s lead to 2 points, but he missed a wide-open three-pointer. The shooting woes continued for Boston; Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Pritchard were a combined 0-11 from three after 3 quarters of play. Houston took a 9-point lead into the fourth quarter, 73-82 at the end of three.

Marcus Smart flopped on two straight plays to start the fourth quarter, Payton Pritchard converted on just 1 of 2 free throws. Marcus Smart hit a pair of triples, Reed Shepard hit his first points of the game as Joe Mazzulla called a timeout to discuss things, Houston were up 93-79.

Derrick White finally connected on his first 3-pointer of the night, after 26 minutes of game time. Boston ran of legs in this one, Houston’s swarming defenders taking their toll on the second night of a back-to-back. Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell got into the game for the final two minutes as Joe Mazzulla waved the white flag in H-Town.

Boston have a day off before next hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday at 7:30 pm EST at TD Garden.

The Dallas Mavericks (4-3) fell to the Sacramento Kings (1-6), 115-100, in a Monday night matchup at the American Airlines Center. The game against the previously winless Kings followed the Mavericks’ Friday night win in Game 1 of NBA Cup group play. Dallas was unable to overcome night in the freezer on offense against a Kings team that was desperately seeking its first win on Monday.

Kyrie Irving was ruled out early Monday evening due to left knee injury management. Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, Sergio de Larrea, and Dereck Lively were also out for the Mavericks. Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell were the notable players absent from the Kings.

Walter Clayton Jr. and Daniel Gafford led the Mavericks with 20 points apiece. Darius Acuff led all scorers with 25 points for the Kings.

Mavericks head coach Dusty May decided to go with a no-guard starting lineup, inserting Caleb Martin into the first five with Irving’s absence. The game started slowly for both teams, with both squads struggling to get their offense going in the first quarter. Dallas played 10 of the first 12 minutes of the first quarter without a point guard in the lineup, and the offense struggled as a result. The Mavericks finished the first period down 19-18 in a game that was quickly devolving into a snooze fest.

The Mavericks entered the second quarter more inspired, finally getting shots to fall behind Daniel Gafford shots at the rim. Once Cooper Flagg got going, the Mavericks gave themselves a little breathing room from the Kings. Walter Clayton gave Dallas the offensive boost it needed in the second period, but the Mavericks were unable to string together enough stops to separate themselves from the Kings.

Morez Johnson Jr. was a bright spot in this quarter for the Mavericks, playing aggressively on the glass and imposing his strength, getting to the foul line on three occasions. Sacramento punched back behind a string of buckets from Malik Monk, and the Mavericks walked into the intermission with the same deficit they faced after the first quarter, down 54-53.

Clayton started the second half for the Mavericks after it was announced that Max Christie would not be returning to the game due to a hip injury. Dallas entered the third quarter as slowly as they played the first half, struggling to get the offense going in any capacity. The Mavericks continued to try to claw their way out of the hole they found themselves in, but entered the final quarter down 81-74.

Dallas continued to struggle throughout the fourth quarter, with Clayton being the only Maverick to see shots fall late. Darius Acuff and Malik Monk continued to take advantage of the Mavericks’ defensive missteps, completely shifting the momentum in the Kings’ favor. The Mavericks were ultimately unable to dig themselves out of the deficit they faced all game, falling 115-100.

Here are three takeaways from tonight’s loss.

Dallas’ offensive woes

When it was announced that Irving would be out for tonight’s matchup, concerns arose regarding how the Mavericks offense would operate in his absence. Naji Marshall struggled in his return tonight after missing the last three games due to an illness. Christie continued to make no impact before leaving the game with that hip injury. The Mavs tried to shoot themselves out of their offensive struggles, to no success, finishing 7-of-33 from behind the arc.

The Mavericks are going to need more from guys like Marshall and PJ Washington when Irving is out, or they will continue to struggle in games where Dallas decides to rest Irving. Clayton stepped up when the Mavericks needed offensive contributions, but the Mavericks cannot depend on a two-way player every night.

“Shots weren’t falling, and it kind of got in our head,” Gafford said in a televised portion of his postgame press conference. “They wanted it more than we did. The energy was a little low.”

Morez Johnson Jr.

Morez Johnson Jr. set a career-high in points tonight, with 13 points, and added two rebounds. Johnson was a bright spot in tonight’s game, holding his own against Domantas Sabonis and Precious Achiuwa. He played physically, grabbing two offensive rebounds to lead to extra possessions for the Mavericks. He was also able to exert his strength to get to the foul line, though he shot 3-of-6 from the charity stripe. The ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft played more comfortably tonight and kept his foul count low again tonight, a pain point for him in the first several games for the Mavericks. Coach May gave insight into how he has coached Johnson before tonight’s game.

Johnson highlighted this tonight, fighting on the glass and playing physically in the paint. Johnson will grow as a player if he continues to do the little things like he did tonight.

Not a Cooper Flagg performance to remember

Cooper Flagg struggled against the Kings following his 33-point performance against the Rockets on Friday. He finished with 17 points on 3-of-19 from the field. Flagg struggled to take over offensively in Irving’s absence. He was able to get to the free-throw line at a high volume, but failed to see his shots fall all night long. Luckily, this will be one of the worst performances we see from him. Dallas was unable to provide any contributions behind Flagg, putting this one out of reach for the Mavericks.

Up next

The Mavericks are back in action Wednesday night as they travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. Catch the action at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

The Atlanta Hawks escaped with a 108–104 victory over an Indiana Pacers team with just six available players Monday, surviving a late rally behind Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 34 points.

Alexander-Walker connected on nine of his 15 three-point attempts. CJ McCollum finished one rebound shy of a triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, while Onyeka Okongwu contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta made 15 three-pointers before halftime, tying the franchise record for any half. However, its hot shooting gave way to a stagnant offense after the break, allowing the depleted Pacers to fight their way back.

The Hawks were also missing key players, with Jalen Johnson sidelined by a left ankle sprain and Kingston Flemings serving a one-game suspension. Still, against an Indiana team operating with such limited personnel, Atlanta made the finish considerably harder than it needed to be.

The opening quarter offered little indication of those later struggles. Atlanta shot 60 percent from the field and 70 percent from three-point range, establishing an early offensive rhythm.

Rookie Zuby Ejiofor also made his regular-season debut, connecting from beyond the arc for his first NBA basket.

The Hawks maintained control through the second quarter, although Indiana showed the persistence that kept it competitive throughout the night. An 11–2 Pacers run cut the deficit to single digits, but Atlanta continued making perimeter shots to finish its record-tying half.

After halftime, those shots stopped falling as consistently. Atlanta led by as many as 15 points, but Indiana put together a 7–0 third-quarter run to help trim the deficit to five.

The Hawks’ ball movement stalled, leaving them with stagnant possessions against a more active Pacers defense. Indiana outscored Atlanta 23–19 in the quarter, setting up a competitive finish.

Atlanta continued leaving the door open in the fourth. Fouls gave the Pacers opportunities at the free-throw line, while a late 9–0 Indiana run made it a one-possession game.

The Hawks ultimately held on, but the result did little to erase concerns about their second-half execution. Alexander-Walker’s shooting and McCollum’s playmaking helped secure the victory, yet Atlanta struggled to sustain the offensive flow needed to put away its opponent.

Indiana deserves credit for its effort. Despite having only six players available, the Pacers continued competing, increased their defensive pressure and gave themselves a chance to win late.

For Atlanta, the victory was welcome, but the performance left plenty to address. A record-tying shooting half should have provided the foundation for a more controlled finish. Instead, the Hawks needed to survive a final push from a severely shorthanded opponent.

The Hawks next face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, hoping to have Jalen Johnson and Jock Landale back in the lineup.

The Cleveland Cavaliers missed an opportunity against an injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder in their 117-112 loss.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Player of the game

Evan Mobley

16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Kenny Atkinson said before the game that OKC’s defense would swarm the paint and make it difficult to feed the Cleveland bigs. He was right, as Mobley was forced out of the paint for the first three quarters and took roughly half of his shots from the perimeter.

It wasn’t until the fourth that Mobley was able to consistently assert himself in the paint. The Cavs found him on the roll multiple times, as he either converted at the rim or earned trips to the free-throw line. It wasn’t enough, but it was a quality adjustment that’s worth noting.

Grade: B

Grades

Donovan Mitchell

17 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers

Mitchell struggled with his shot but worked his way to 11 assists by zipping the ball around the floor and being a willing passer. He looked particularly spry in the first quarter, wheeling and dealing without the threat of OKC’s usual perimeter defense.

The added playmaking was great and deserves to be mentioned. But, at the end of the day, the Cavs needed more than just 17 points on 17 shots.

Grade: B

James Harden

14 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover

Harden has settled into a groove in recent games. His turnovers are down, and his efficiency is on the rise. He shot 5-for-10 from the floor and generated advantages for his teammates throughout the night.

However, Harden’s off-ball defense continues to be a weak point for Cleveland. And, the Cavs would like to see him score at a higher rate, especially when most of the team is struggling to shoot from downtown.

Grade: C+

Meleek Thomas

17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Thomas started tonight for Peyton Watson, marking the rookie’s first-ever start. He was beat on a handful of backdoor cuts, but held his own in isolation and was a positive influence on Cleveland’s offense. Thomas never stops running around the perimeter, and that activity, when packaged with his three-point shooting, helps to grease the wheels of any given possession.

I have to knock Thomas half a grade for smoking an open layup in crunch time. Sorry, Rook.

Grade: B

Jarrett Allen

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Allen had one of the best blocks he’ll have all season when he rejected Aday Mara at the rim to end the third quarter.

Other than that, Allen faced issues similar to Mobley. The Thunder defense loaded up in the paint and played drop coverage throughout the night. This made it hard to keep the bigs involved, but — Allen did take and make an elbow jumper in the fourth quarter to help alleviate this.

Allen was not featured in Cleveland’s closing lineup. A decision that continues to feel self-defeating, especially when the team is looking for key stops on the defensive end.

Grade: B–

Mario Hezonja

12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

The Cavs are still working out the best way to use Hezonja, but tonight might be the blueprint they’ve been looking for.

Hezonja was immensely helpful off the bench, grabbing boards and smacking three-pointers. His tanky build makes him a unique role player who can do a little bit of everything. That fluidity has made it hard for Cleveland to define. But maybe, that’s a strength.

Grade: A-

Sam Merrill

8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Merrill is going through a cold spell to start the season as he shot 2-for-8 from downtown tonight and missed a chance to tie the game with under a minute to play.

Grade: D

Tyrese Proctor

10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Proctor finally looked like the player we expected to see this season. His point-of-attack defense helped keep the Thunder from running away with a lead during the first half, and his three-point shooting was just as helpful.

This is a player who should plug-and-play in any lineup the Cavs run. That makes him a versatile 3-and-D guard who can deliver timely performances in a pinch like tonight.

Grade: B+

For three quarters, the Knicks were playing down to their opponent. They were, in a word, terrible. Knicks-Nets was so ugly it should’ve been blurred out for indecency. 

But then the defending champs woke up. OG Anunoby caught fire, Josh Hart provided a spark, Jordan Clarkson took advantage, and the Knicks ultimately cakewalked to a 103-90 victory Monday at MSG. 

“We finally played fast, got stops,” said Hart, who had eight points and seven assists in 27 minutes. “We’ve been playing very slow, very stagnant. We finally got out, we ran and we got good looks.” 

With Jalen Brunson on the bench at the start of the final period, the Knicks (3-4) went from a four-point deficit to a 10-point advantage in about four minutes. It spurred the Knicks’ 15th straight victory over the Nets (1-6), a streak that began in 2023 — right after the Durant-Kyrie era in Brooklyn. 

But Monday was in doubt for the majority of the night. 

“The issues are still there,” Hart said. “I think defensively, we were solid. I think this year, for the most part, our defense has been pretty good. Obviously there have been some lapses. … But our offense has to get in a better flow, and that’s kind of what’s holding us back right now. So a win doesn’t erase the problem or erase the issues. We got to figure those out and get better.” 

The first half was a slopfest from both sides, an absolute eyesore. The Knicks shot 36 percent but still held a seven-point advantage at the break because of their abundance of free throws. 

Brunson and Landry Shamet were the lone bright spots. The Nets were a misfiring mess but found a rhythm after the break — particularly Michael Porter Jr. — and won the third quarter 35-24. 

Mike Brown responded with a new lineup — with Tyler Kolek and Clarkson in the backcourt — and the Nets folded with just 11 total points in the fourth quarter. 

Anunoby scored eight of his 18 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 rebounds and 11 points. Brunson had 19 points but was again inefficient on 6-for-16 shooting. Shamet scored all 20 of his points in the first three quarters. Clarkson took over in the fourth. Mikal Bridges, meanwhile, pulled another Houdini and was benched for all but three minutes of the second half. He had six points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field. 

For the Nets, Julius Randle, the former Knicks All-Star, forced the issue and often missed — shooting 5-for-16 with a team-high 21 points. 

The interborough matchup, once touted as a powerful rivalry when the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn, now carries the juice of a steamrolled grape. The Knicks have always dominated the attention of New York City, and it’s never been more lopsided than in 2026 — the year of James Dolan’s first title. 

The Nets have become an afterthought under the stewardship of GM Sean Marks, who is second to only Brian Cashman as the longest-tenured top sports executive in town. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2021, and there’s little hope Marks’ latest incarnation will break the streak. 

They have two win-now veterans in Randle and Porter, who are surrounded by the young and unproven, operating a great distance from contending basketball. 

Still, the Knicks were in trouble and playing ugly ball until the fourth quarter began. They’re still not where they want to be. 

“We definitely played until June last season and I think everyone still feels it,” Anunoby said. 

The Detroit Pistons played great basketball throughout the night, but the Charlotte Hornets just kept hanging around. The Pistons were shooting better than 60% from the floor and 50% from three, and yet a Dennis Schroder layup made it a two-possession game with just under five minutes left in the second quarter. Then Cade Cunningham took over, then the Detroit Pistons took over, and suddenly a squeaker turned into a 124-91 Detroit win.

In that decisive 45-16 run, Cade Cunningham scored 14 points, and he did it in under three and a half minutes of game time. One of the league’s best players finally had his first superstar quarter of the season, scoring 17 points and notching three assists in total in that decisive third frame. He finished the night with 33 points, seven assists, and five steals. In those magical few minutes, he was everywhere in his bag. Patient mid-range pull-ups, slicing through the D for layups, catch-and-shoot threes. He went to the bench with 1:17 left in the third quarter, and you were left thinking he might hit 50 in the fourth. But he never needed to come back in the game again.

He saw the game was getting too close, and he decided to do something about it. He put the team on his back and said, “We’re playing too well to not blow these guys out.”

But the true blowout wouldn’t have happened without all the other contributions up and down the lineup. The Pistons really have something on offense this season, and while the range of ball handlers and actions can lead to some self-inflicted wounds, it is designed to open up this offense and let it breathe. And, boy, did they take a big gulping breath versus the Hornets.

The Pistons shot 57% from the floor and 48% from deep, and that was dragged down a bit as a consequence of some extended garbage time. The Pistons also kept their defense in top form. They forced 25 Charlotte turnovers, and that led to 27 fast-break points.

Detroit was led by Cade, but Duncan Robinson continues to be lights out this season. He shot 6-of-9 from deep on his way to 24 points. His stroke was immediate and effortless. He’s truly in the zone. Some of that shooting magic might be rubbing off on Kevin Huerter. The one-time bucket has struggled from deep for a few seasons now, including his short stint after a mid-season trade to Detroit last season. But he hit three threes tonight and is now shooting 38% from deep for the season. Even Ron Holland canned three threes tonight. Not to be overlooked is Ausar Thompson’s expanded role in the offense.

It’s not always perfect, but Thompson is getting more comfortable making decisions with the ball in his hands, and he’s understanding how to make defense pay by using his strength and burst to get something close to the basket. Thompson was 5-of-7 from the floor for 14 points, and he added six rebounds and four assists.

The Pistons had plenty of lopsided runs last season in their sprint to 60 wins. But those were driven by a defense that would suffocate you and an offense that could do just enough. Last year, the Pistons could go on a 27-2 run over the course of 17 minutes of game action. Tonight, they went on the same run in just over eight minutes.

Detroit’s defense remains the best in the league. Its offense is starting to catch up. That’s bad news for everyone else in the NBA.

The Brooklyn Nets came into Madison Square Garden looking up from the bottom of the conference with a 1–5 record. They’re the league’s youngest team, and it shows on the court. And they’d played yesterday in Indiana. Their game against the Knicks (3–4) was either going to be a gimme or a trap. For much of the night, it smelled like the latter.

The home team decided to hurl a ton of three-pointers (44 of their 75 shots came from deep), sleepwalk through three quarters, and let Landry Shamet carry them for much of the night. Meanwhile, Brooklyn got inspired play from rookie Mikel Brown Jr. and won the third quarter 35–24 to take a four-point lead into the fourth. In the final frame, the Knicks came alive (with a special appearances by Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson), outscored the visitors 28–11, and pulled out a 103–90 win.

In the first quarter, the Nets took a four-point lead, which the Knicks deleted and flipped into a nine-point advantage. So far this season, OG Anunoby (18 PTS, 3-7 3PT, 2 STL, 38 MIN) has been up and down, and perhaps Mike Brown was hoping to inject some excitement into his wing by calling his number early. Anunoby attempted two three-pointers (making one) and converted a cutting layup (dimed by Karl-Anthony Towns) to get New York on the scoreboard.

The game featured a fair amount of jostling, but the refs let it go. Midway through the frame, Landry Shamet (22 PTS, 6-8 FG, 29 MIN), Andre Drummond (9 RBS, 4 PTS, 13 MIN), and Miles McBride (6 PTS, 16 MIN) subbed in. Jalen Brunson (19 PTS, 4-11 3PT, 6 AST, 33 MIN) made three of his first four attempts from the yard before Jose Alvarado (back from a sprained ankle) relieved him at the three-minute mark. Cap and Deuce combined for five treys in the first.

Brooklyn shot so poorly that the rims seemed magnetically opposed to their attempts. Twice or thrice, the ball rolled around the cylinder before flying off to become a defensive rebound. Julius Randle (21 PTS, 10 RBS) and Michael Porter, Jr. (18 PTS, 4-11 3PT) are Brooklyn’s marquee players, but neither did much in the first frame. The former missed all three of his shot attempts, and the latter scored five points on five attempts. On the whole, the Nets missed 13 shots and turned the ball over four times. At the break, they trailed New York, 27–21.

Mercury is in retrograde, and the second quarter proved it with a few rarities. Mikal Bridges (6 PTS, 1-of-7 FG, 16 MIN) attempted his first free throws, six whole games into the campaign. Towns (11 PTS, 16 RBS) played 13 minutes before taking his second shot, but grabbed his tenth rebound of the night with six minutes left in the half. And Mohamed “Free Mo” Diawara (0 PTS, 6 MIN) appeared after playing just one minute so far this season. The sophomore grabbed a rebound.

While the Nets don’t excel at any conventional basketball skills, they do have teeth. Brooklyn played yesterday (beating the Hoosiers of Indiana), but your lyin’ eyes would convince you that New York had the more fatigued fellas. Even the Garden crowd seemed mid-yawn for most of the second period. This borough buddy has a rotten record, but they took Boston into overtime this season, and the Knicks watched them score nine unanswered points early in the frame. A late-quarter bomb from Brunson steadied the boat but failed to ignite the team. Only when the half had nearly closed did Josh Hart (8 PTS, 7 AST, 6 RBS, +22) and Shamet—14 flippin points and counting!—connect from deep to give New York an eight-point lead. Then, after Randle made two free throws, he fouled Brunson on a foot-on-the-line jumper with 0.5 seconds left. Oh, Julius, I remember ye well. Intermission score: 51–44.

Rookie Mikel Brown, Jr. was having quite a MSG debut:

The score was a lot closer than the game felt. Our heroes had been outshot 40% to 36% from the field. They’d survived on threes and free throws while barely making any hay inside the arc. Ten of their 13 buckets came from downtown (shooting 40% there), and they’d taken 16 freebies to Brooklyn’s six. Rebounds and turnovers were even at 21 and seven, respectively. Shamet led all first-half scorers with 14 points, while Nolan Traore had 11 for the villains. No points for KAT yet, and don’t look now, but Bridges was having another bad shooting night.

The third quarter brought more of the same. Bridges missed again (1-of-7 thus far), but he wasn’t alone. Brunson missed a long shot, and Day’Ron Sharpe and Traore blocked Towns and Brunson, respectively. With the offense a pasty, anemic color, Mike Brown sent in Jordan Clarkson (7 PTS, 11 MIN, +17) at around the 8:45 mark. Clarkson guarded Porter tenaciously and made a contested shot despite being hacked (no whistle), but he got dinged for two quick personal fouls and picked up a tech for complaining about that absent whistle. It’s a bummer, because the fouls got him a quick hook just when some of us were starting to wonder if he, Shamet, or Towns might resurrect this lifeless game.

Meanwhile, Towns was taking the ball straight down the painted boulevard on repeated drives. He collected his first nine points of the night, going 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 at the line. After two driving layups, he buried a three off Brunson’s dime at 5:58. During that stretch, Cap added five points on two buckets and a free throw, but missed a three and had a layup blocked.

(For those watching the third quarter at home, Clyde dropped a “Posting and Toasting” at the 7:42 mark AND at 6:30. We hear you, GOAT!)

Mikel Brown scored on consecutive drives down Broadway, and a flummoxed Mike Brown called an exasperated timeout around 4:30. Those hoops cut Brooklyn’s deficit to five. Porter hit from deep after the timeout to make it two, and Mo Wagner swished a triple for a one-point lead. When Porter dropped another bomb, that made 13 straight points for the bad guys. Whatever Mike said in the timeout didn’t motivate.

Diawara was back in the game, but Shamet was the one whose three-pointer gave us some hope for salvation (which the misses by Drummond and Brunson that bookended his shot did not). Another bomb by Shamet on an inbounds play gave him a season high and narrowed the gap with a minute left. But Randle made shots at the stripe, Anunoby and Brunson were both blocked on drives, and Brooklyn’s 19–6 run gave them a 79–75 lead at the break.

Needing a spark, it was another bench player to the rescue. Tyler Kolek checked in to start the fourth quarter and hit the ground running. He dished to Hart for a triple, then Hart found a trailing Anunoby for another bomb, and the game took a more favorable turn. The crowd rejoiced when OG swished another three, and although Randle bucketed on a drive, Hart returned the favor to Kolek by finding him wide-open under the rim.

Brooklyn’s coach Jordi Fernández needed a timeout to get his young troops back in line. Out of the break, Randle coughed up the ball twice and Hart made good on a fast-break layup. When Clarkson hit from the corner, he capped a 16-2 run and goosed the lead to 10. Randle blew a layup and Fernández yanked him with seven minutes left, and Mike Brown swapped Kolek for Brunson. The Nets had scored just five points by the five-minute mark, and New York had stretched their advantage to 12.

The Knicks’ energized defense had forced six turnovers (and counting), while Bridges continued to sit after getting pulled with 8:44 left in the third quarter. With three minutes left, Mike Brown sent in all his starters—except Bridges, electing instead to ride with Shamet. Fernandez kept his starters in, too, but the outcome was decided. The home team had won the frame 28-11 and that was the ballgame.

Up Next

Chicago will visit on Wednesday, hoping to avenge last week’s loss to New York. Mo’s got a recap in the chamber for you. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Tbe Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic on Monday night, 103-94. The win pushes Washington to a 4-3 record and past .500.

Anthony Davis led the Wizards with 27 points, while Kyshawn George added 22 points and AJ Dybantsa scored 21. It’s a career high for the rookie. Of all the baskets, I think this one was the best exclamation point for the night

Washington’s third quarter was also an X-Factor. They held Orlando to just 9 point and a sub 20 percent shooting performance ater the second half began. After the game, Davis also broke down why that third quarter was a major turning point.

For the Magic, Franz Wagner led with 24 points. Orlando fell to a 2-5 record after the contest.

The Wizards’ next game is on Wednesday when they host the Atlanta Hawks. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then for the next match in what appears to be the most exciting season this decade!

The Brooklyn Nets broke one losing streak yesterday. They couldn’t break another at Madison Square Garden this evening, losing to the New York Knicks for a 15th straight time.

For whatever it’s worth, which can’t be much, the Nets did flirt with their first win over their crosstown rivals in nearly four years. In a way, they were close, as Brooklyn led late and never trailed by more than nine entering the fourth. But in another, they looked as far off as ever, completely unraveling and playing their worst basketball when it mattered most.

You don’t need me to tell you this, but the latter is what separates the winners from the losers in this league.

The Nets began tonight with the same five they fielded in their win last night against Indiana. And, Nolan Traoré picked up right where he left off, splashing a deep triple and assisting on a Day’Ron Sharpe jam during Brooklyn’s third and fourth possessions of the game to help Brooklyn establish and early lead. By the end of the game, he’d finish with 17 points and four assists while shooting 5-of-6 from deep. He turned it over twice, but also grabbed a steal and blocked a shot.

The defense, however, wasn’t so easily copy and pasted over from the prior game. Whether it was miscommunication on switches or doubling in the gap and living with the result, the Nets gave up several corner threes early in the contest. Shooting 6-of-14 from deep in the first, New York caught and overtook Brooklyn quickly, going up 27-21 after one.

“I think that when you buy into playing as hard as you can, there’s always breakdowns, and it’s about giving your second and third, especially your your third effort,” Fernández said. “It’s easy to give one or two, but we always say we want three or more.”

While Julius Randle received a warm welcome in the Garden tonight after being introduced with Brooklyn’s starting five, he looked rather uncomfortable on the floor early on, beginning the game 0-3 from the field with a turnover. He did, however, assist on a Mikel Brown Jr. ATO triple in the opening frame.

Oddly enough, it was the 20-year-old rookie in MSG for the first time, not the old fan favorite, who looked at ease early on, moving well around New York’s defensive pressure both on and off ball. After sitting out the last game for back injury management, Brown Jr. put up five first quarter points on 2-3 shooting. With five seconds left in the frame, he also dished an assist after blowing past Landry Shamet and Duece McBride to find Mo Wagner in front of the cylinder for an and-one.

“I think Mikel is a rock star,” Fernández said. “He’s gonna keep taking steps. And right now, we always want him to be aggressive, but he has the responsibility to run the team, and that’s a big deal.”

But with 150+ career games on that floor, you knew Julius Randle would find his footing already. And in the subsequent quarter’s first four minutes, he did, as Julius pitched in four points to help the Nets start the period with a 9-0 run.

Playing the Knicks as a Net for the first time, Randle downplayed the rivalry, saying that he didn’t feel any different now coming into it from Brooklyn’s side.

“No, not really,” he said. “Honestly, not really. I try to keep the game the same and stay levelheaded, so it’s fun, always fun competing, but not really.”

The Nets even retook the lead for a moment until a wayward Traoré pass found its way to Mikal Bridges, who took it all the way down the other way for an uncontested jam. For the fans still salty over his exit, it’s worth noting that Bridges did little else worth mentioning beyond that point tonight. He finished just 1-7 from the field and played only 16 minutes.

Still, the Knicks controlled things for much of the second. Despite beginning the quarter 1-of-8 from the field while the Nets opened 6-of-13, New York benefitted from five extra free throws to stay afloat, even as Traoré made up for that turnover with another fine period. Nolan hit another triple in the second to stay perfect, adding 11 points and two assists in the first half…

However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Brooklyn’s woeful perimeter defense and the free throw discrepancy. Michael Porter Jr. had little-to-no interest closing out hard as the Nets gave up another bushel of corner threes in the second. The Knicks, despite having just 13 made field goals at halftime, went 15-of-16 from the line, while the Nets were just 4-of-6.

While the fan in you might want to pound your fist and chalk that up to an unfair “champ-friendly” whistle, the Nets weren’t wise, even if innocent defenders, often fouling late in the shot clock and even the game clock, as Randle left his feet to give Brunson an extra pair right before the second quarter buzzer sounded. The Nets also fouled New York on three 3-point attempts.

So, Brooklyn trailed at the break by a 51-44 score. And early in the third quarter, they continued to lurk, as both teams traded buckets early on to keep the deficit intact.

The Knicks did piece together a 7-0 run at the heart of the frame, threatening to turn this into the blowout the 14.5 point spread advertised. That was, until Brown Jr. got back on the attack. He bolted through the New York defense for two quick finishes at the rim to ignite a 13-0 burst from Brooklyn, capped off by triples from Porter Jr. and Wagner, which gave them a small lead.

Brooklyn maintained that advantage, up 79-75 ahead the final frame. It was Brooklyn’s first lead against the Knicks going into the fourth quarter since January of 2024.

It then evaporated in a flash, and became difficult to believe it had ever been there at all even quicker.

The Knicks began the fourth with a 9-0 jolt after the Nets missed two long threes and Wagner smoked a layup, which allowed New York to rebound, run, and shoot with space. Then, after a string of Brooklyn turnovers, it boiled into an extend 16-2 run. Like they had last summer, the Knicks looked like they owned the fourth quarter. The Nets looked like they were just renting space.

“I feel like we just wasn’t connected as a group down the stretch,” Brown Jr. said. “National champs, they played together for a long time, so we knew at some point they were going to make a run. That’s just what great teams do. We didn’t do our part on sustaining the level of connectiveness and just playing together on both ends of the floor.”

Traoré hit his fourth triple to pump the brakes and make it a 91-84 game with 6:31 to go, but rather than swinging it, that shot got swallowed up by the New York momentum. The Nets kept missing shots around the rim and started losing all the 50/50 balls. With 3:50 to go, the Knicks had outscored Brooklyn in the period 23-5, and led on the scoreboard 98-84.

Shellshocked, the Nets could only let time trickle away by that point. Randle finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but went 1-3 from the field with four turnovers in the fourth. Porter Jr. finished with 18 points while shooting 4-11 from deep, but went 0-2 with zero points in nine fourth quarter minutes. Brown Jr. finished with 13 points, three assists, and two rebounds, but went 0-4 in the fourth with a turnovers. The team collectively shot 3-16 from the field in the final quarter.

While acknowledging the disappointment that comes with losing, Fernández opted to stay positive postgame.

“We played great for 39 minutes, and then the last nine were not good enough,” he said. “I’m asking these guys to play as hard as they can, and the last two games, they’ve done it. There’s a lot to learn from being organized and dealing with the lead, and obviously that’s my responsibility to help them to be better right there.

“There’s a lot of positive in this game to just throw everything out of the window think that we didn’t do good things. It hurts because you wanted to win the game, and we’re all competitive, but as we all know, if we keep playing as hard as we played in the last two games, there’s going to be a lot of good things, and a lot of growth, because remember that it’s not just a new group, but also a young group, and right now we want to see these steps. I think if you put too much negative energy into the group and into the young kids, then that that affects the growth. So, I’m proud of the group.”

Final: New York Knicks 103, Brooklyn Nets 90

Milestone Watch

• Julius Randle recorded his first double-double of the season tonight vs. NYK with 21 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. It is his first regular-season double-double in 23 outings, last recording one on 3/3/26 (MIN vs MEM).
• With his 17th point tonight vs. NYK, Michael Porter Jr. reached 7,000 points in his NBA career. He is one of six players since his debut in 2019-20 to total 7,000 PTS, 2,500 REB and 1,000 3PM, joining Luka Dončić, James Harden, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Lauri Markkanen.

Next Up

Brooklyn gets a day off before going back home to host the Charlotte Hornets yet again, tipping off on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST. After a brutal stretch to open the season, minus their first game, which of course came against Charlotte, this begins a winnable stretch of games for the Nets, with contests against Atlanta, Dallas, and New Orleans to follow.

• Boxscore: New York Knicks 103, Brooklyn Nets 90 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: New York Knicks 103, Brooklyn Nets 90 (Video) – NBA.com
• Jordi Fernández Postgame Press Conference vs. New York Knicks (Video) – YES Network
• Mikel Brown Jr. scores 13 off the bench vs. NYK (Video) – YES Network
• Julius Randle scores team-high 21 points vs. Knicks (Video) – YES Network
• Knicks break away in fourth quarter and beat the Nets for the 15th straight time, 103-90 – Brian Mahoney – AP
• Mikel Brown Jr.’s shot eludes him late another rough Nets loss – Howie Kussoy – New York Post
• Nets push Knicks before fourth-quarter collapse in missed chance to earn respect – Howie Kussoy – New York Post
• Slow-starting Mikal Bridges benched during Knicks fourth-quarter comeback ($) – Stefan Bondy – New York Post
• Knicks turn it up in fourth for convincing win to continue domination of Nets ($) – Stefan Bondy – New York Post
• Another game, another big deficit to be erased – Steve Popper – Newsday
• Even after ending Knicks title drought, Jalen Brunson gets cut little slack ($) – Steve Popper – Newsday
• Josh Hart sparks Knicks as Nets unravel in fourth for 15th straight rivalry loss ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• For Nets’ Julius Randle, coming home goes beyond the Garden ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Knicks rout of Nets only masks larger issues ($) – Kristian Winfield – New York Daily News
• Nets player grades after 103-90 loss to Jalen Brunson, Knicks – Shareef Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

The Knicks beat the Nets at Madison Square Garden Monday night, 103-90, extending their winning streak over their crosstown rivals to 15.

Here are the takeaways...

-- While the Nets entered the game riding the high of their first win of the season, the Knicks were hoping to bounce back after their second loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The last time Brooklyn beat New York was Jan. 28, 2023, just over one week before superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were traded away.

-- The Nets jumped ahead early, finding their way to a 7-5 lead in the first three minutes of play. Despite working to overcome their turnover troubles early in the season, the Knicks committed their first of the game just 94 seconds in, which allowed for a three from Nets sophomore point guard Nolan Traore. OG Anunoby was the only Knick to score through the first three minutes until Mikal Bridges landed two free throws, tying the game at seven-all. 

After that, the Knicks tightened their defense and found their way to the basket, scoring 10 straight points punctuated by back-to-back Jalen Brunson threes. Brooklyn was quick to tie it back up, but two shots from beyond the arc by Deuce McBride and a trio of free throws from Landry Shamet sent New York into the break up 27-21.

-- The back-and-forth play continued through the second frame. While the Knicks struggled to find the basket for the first three-and-a-half minutes, the Nets climbed to a three-point edge. Four uninterrupted points from Bridges — two free throws and a dunk — put the Knicks back out in front, and they maintained the lead through the end of the quarter, but Brooklyn kept the deficit low until Shamet landed back-to-back threes. 

Brunson attempted to add three at the buzzer but was fouled by former Knick Julius Randle, earning two free throws. He missed the first, but his second shot gave the Knicks a 51-44 as the half came to a close.

-- Both teams found themselves in turnover trouble through the first 24 minutes of play, coughing it up a combined 15 times (Knicks had seven). Despite only shooting 36 percent — compared to Brooklyn's 40 — New York found game-changing success at the free throw line, going 15-for-16.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded five double-doubles in the first six games of the season, headed to the locker room without a single point, though he recorded 10 rebounds and three assists in his 17 first-half minutes.

-- New York's energy quickly evaporated in the third. Towns finally got on the board, landing two driving layups and two of his three free throws through the first four minutes, but the Nets responded with a 13-0 run through the middle of the frame spearheaded by Randle, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Michael Porter Jr. Shamet finally broke the streak with a three, adding a second 90 seconds later to keep the Knicks in the game, but it wasn't enough. After outscoring New York 35-24 in the third, Brooklyn ended the quarter ahead by four, 79-75. 

Shamet's 20 points through the first three quarters led all players at that point.

-- Then, as they often do in the fourth, the Knicks reappeared. Josh Hart drove New York to a 10-point lead in the five-and-a-half minutes of the frame, scoring a 25-foot three-pointer, assisting two Anunoby threes and a layup from Tyler Kolek, and adding a running layup as the Knicks outscored Brooklyn 16-2 to start the frame. Traore kept cut into New York's 10-point lead with a 24-foot jumper, but Anunoby and Towns responded quickly with two free throws and a field goal, respectively, to open up a 9-0 run. 

As the Knicks continued to gain momentum, the Nets crumpled, turning the ball over six times through the first 8:30 and scoring just five points in the same span before Randle got the Nets moving again on two free throws with 2:23 left to play. Another foul shot from Randle and a three from Traore cut the Knicks' lead to 13, but the deficit proved too much to overcome, and the Knicks walked away with the 103-90 victory.

-- Overall, the Knicks shot 41 percent from the field, 39 percent from three, and 83 percent from the free throw line, compared to Brooklyn's 38 percent, 34 percent, and 70 percent, respectively.

-- Despite the rocky start, Towns finished with yet another double-double, scoring 11 points and adding 16 rebounds. He also had five assists and four turnovers.

-- In his first game against his former team since joining Brooklyn's squad in July,Randle recorded his first double-double as a Net, notching 21 points and 11 rebounds. He was the only player on Brooklyn's roster to break 20 points against the Knicks.

Game MVP: Landry Shamet

Shamet, who played for Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season, posted a game-leading 22 points, tacking on one rebound and one assist in 29 minutes of play. He also went 6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.  

Highlights

The offensive rebound leads to the Brunson triple 👌 https://t.co/haV2KO97BS

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 3, 2026

Traore to Sharpe for the slam! https://t.co/6yMMl33XBt

— SNY Nets (@SNYNets) November 3, 2026

The offensive rebound leads to the Brunson triple 👌 https://t.co/haV2KO97BS

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 3, 2026

Mikel finds Moe for the and-one https://t.co/Jz2oSygsSD

— SNY Nets (@SNYNets) November 3, 2026

OG 👌 https://t.co/fdYwUyEucW

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 3, 2026

Nolan Traore blocks Jalen Brunson https://t.co/3IGL0xvWXI

— SNY Nets (@SNYNets) November 3, 2026

Mikel Brown Jr. smooth with it https://t.co/GIxUQRrwzb

— SNY Nets (@SNYNets) November 3, 2026

CLARKSON 👌 https://t.co/8MUkptuaex

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) November 3, 2026

What's next

The Knicks are set to host the Chicago Bulls Wednesday. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Across the river at the Barclays Center, the Nets will take on the Charlotte Hornets that same night, when they'll look to avenge their 110-103 season-opening loss. 

And there’s a blowout, for those that were still asking for one.

The Sixers picked up their fourth win in a row, handling the Chicago Bulls 126-107 Monday night to improve to 7-1 on the season.

VJ Edgecombe was everywhere from the start of this one, shooting 9-of-12 from the field for a season-high 21 points along with five assists and three rebounds.

Tyrese Maxey had his best night as a passer, putting up 11 assists while still leading the Sixers with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. LeBron James had another splendid all-around night, going for 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists shooting 6-of-13 from the floor.

Jaylen Brown quietly shot the ball well on the night to put up 25 points and 11 rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting. Joel Embiid meandered his way to 15 points and eight boards while Caleb Wilson led the Bulls with 24.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• A pedestrian start for both teams, but one the Sixers used to get out and run early. After Edgecombe threw a hit-ahead pass, he ran up the floor a couple of times for two transition buckets of his own to prompt an early Bulls timeout.
• The Bulls, or rather center Jalen Smith to be more specific, took advantage of a laid back Sixers defense coming out of the timeout, picking up two cutting baskets and drawing a foul on the second. A Brown three was a nice response, but their defense kept biting on Josh Giddey’s drives, opening Smith up for another layup at the basket.
• The pick-and-roll between Embiid and Lebron has yielded good looks so far, which is exciting because you can see them refining it as they get more minutes together. James hit Embiid with a very late drop pass, setting the big fella up for a layup he was also able to draw a foul on. As Edgecombe continued to run out after misses for transition baskets the Sixers pushed their lead back up to a comfortable margin.

• The Sixers did put Isaac Okoro at the line and let up an open three coming out of a timeout of their own, but Maxey got right to the basket to prevent any sort of run. On the next possession Maxey found Brown wide open in the paint for his fifth assist of the quarter. The Sixers assisted on 12 of their 13 made field goals and led by seven after the first.

Second Quarter

• Anfernee Simons came around a screen and buried a three for his first points of the game. Brown hit a three from the coach’s stripe a couple possessions later, but the Bulls started walking into some open baskets that kept them hanging around. They gave up a pair of threes being slow to close out and gave up two more baskets on open cutters which kept Chicago within a possession or two.
• This was far from Adem Bona’s worst shift of the season but there were some struggles. It took two possessions for him to complete a rolling dunk off a pocket pass. On top of letting up an offensive rebound by being out of position, the Bulls scored five of their first seven field goals of the quarter at the rim. Embiid and LeBron checked back into a two-point lead that was overtaken by a Buddy Hield three.
• Embiid getting stripped on one end led to a Zach Collins layup that capped off a 14-3 run for Chicago. After going without one his last three games, Dean Wade hit a corner three off a LeBron kickout to stop the bleeding.
• Of all the Sixers not phoning this one in, Edgecombe was at the top of the list. His insistence on running down the floor continued to create easy baskets. After he got another much needed transition dunk, he found a cutting Wade with a beautiful bounce pass. The Sixers forced a travel on the ensuing possession, prompting a Bulls timeout.

• For the first time all night, the Sixers came out energized out of a timeout. Edgecombe used the screens to get open at the basket on the ATO. LeBron threw another nice kickout to Wade for a corner three and bounce pass to Maxey for a dunk before Chicago’s defense got back. As they had all night, the Bulls had a response. The rookie Wilson got open on a cut before drilling a three at the buzzer to keep Chicago within five at the break.

Third Quarter

• No one should complain about soft coverage on Giddey on the perimeter, but he walked into a three to cut it to a one-possession game to make the arena uneasy. The Sixers responded well with Brown and James both getting right to the basket. Brown threw a nice lob to James that got smoked, but Maxey getting to the basket for an and-1 layup was a much needed basket to calm things down. The Sixers ran out on a blocked shot to set up a fast break layup for James to force a Bulls timeout.
• The effort in doing the little things has been what Edgecombe has excelled at this year, so it was nice to see him fill up the box score for a night. Coming out of the timeout he helped Embiid get out of a post-up with another cut for a basket at the hoop. The Sixers locked in a bit defensively after this, getting stops on five of their next six possessions including a turnover.
• After making most of his impact as a passer, LeBron started to impose his will as a scorer with a couple more drives to the basket. His increase of energy may be due to the sip of a fan’s drink he took after chasing a loose ball into the stands. Thanks to the reporting of ESPN’s Khris Rhrim, we know the drink he took a sip of was indeed wine.

• Edgecombe had a brilliant sequence that summed out how great he was in this one, getting all the way back to block a transition layup by Wilson, then getting back down the floor to get the ball in the paint and find Brown to get two more points the other way. Edgecombe tried to put Noa Essengue on a poster a few minutes later but had to settle for a trip to the free throw line. The one thing he wasn’t able to do was hit the grenade swung to him as the quarter ended, so the Sixers had to settle for an 11-point lead after the third.

Fourth Quarter

• Maxey didn’t really have to shoot a ton, so it was cool that the baskets he did make were impressively silly. He started the quarter by hitting his second highlight floater of the game. Brown followed that up with a midrange jumper and a trip to the line as he slowly put up a solid scoring night.
• The Sixers struggled to come up with the killing blow, which was a little frustrating because when they did things well, it looked really good. Brown had a drive that the Bulls stopped by stepping up in the lane, but he spun and hit Maxey for an open stepback three. A minute later James drew a foul on a jumper that spun all the way around the rim before falling in and danced in celebration, but they weren’t able to put themselves ahead by more than 15.

• It seemed like the Sixers wanted to play Embiid as little as possible, which was fitting given their opponent and Embiid coming into this game questionable with a foot issue. Bona continued to make that difficult, picking up his fifth foul with over five minutes to go. Nick Nurse subbed in Wade at the five which was fine, but it did beg the question as to why Jabari Walker didn’t see the floor at all.
• The killing blow the Sixers were looking for came in the form of Brown’s shotmaking. He came off a screen to hit corner three that forced another Bulls timeout, then hit another on the Sixers next possession that prompted a second timeout from Chicago within 30 seconds. The Sixers finally pushed their lead to 20 which led them to coast to victory.

On a night when both teams were missing key rotational pieces, it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who found a way to win, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 32 seconds to go to clinch the game. Donovan Mitchell and Maleek Thomas, who was starting for Peyton Watson, led the Cavs with 17 points apiece.

Cleveland was without Watson (hamstring) and Jaylon Tyson (ankle), depleting an already thin wing room. Oklahoma City was without stars Jalen Williams (ankle) and Chet Holmgren (knee).

The Cavs had an exceptionally well-rounded effort with seven players in double-figures, but the Thunder had the better star down the stretch. All of Cleveland’s starters had at least 14 points, and Mario Hezonja and Tyrese Proctor had 12 and 10 points off the bench respectively. But while the box score looks good, the Cavs’ inability to finish defensive possessions ended up dooming them. In a tightly-contested game, the little things reared their ugly heads.

As has been the case to start the season, the Cavs’ inability to close out games in high-pressure situations continues to be a glaring issue. Cleveland briefly held the lead, but then gave up key buckets to Ajay Mitchell — who himself was thrust into a bigger role — and Gilgeous-Alexander. After Sam Merrill’s three-pointer tied things up with 91 seconds to go, the Cavs never scored again.

The Cavs trailed the Thunder by 11 at the break, but fought back hard in the third quarter and made it a game. But the difference ended up being determined by the the Thunder’s star point guard. James Harden’s last bucket came with 8:51 left in the third quarter, and his last points scored period were on free throws with eight minutes left in the game. The rookie Thomas attempted six more shots than Harden on a night the Cavs could have used boost.

Players like Gilgeous-Alexander are going to get their buckets, that’s why he is an MVP candidate and one of the best in the league. But the Cleveland fought back hard, had a solid team effort, and came up short at home because its stars were not able to get them over the hump in crunch time.

Sound familiar?

The Golden State Warriors seem to have found something special with Yaxel Lendeborg.

The rookie has been extremely impressive in his brief Warriors tenure, averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, and produced a career-high 37 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Lendeborg also appears to have found something special with his girlfriend, Tacarra.

These two met in the summer of 2025 and are still going strong. She has been a mainstay at Warriors games this season, and the two look to be collaborating with Dub5 apparel together, as they are constantly being posted together by the company.

The apparel brand posted another Instagram video of Yaxel and Tacarra over the weekend that showed they aren’t afraid to show public displays of affection.

The video showed Lendeborg holding his girlfriend beneath her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him and they look into each other’s eyes.

Then the couple leans in for a kiss moments later.

View this post on Instagram

The caption (which doesn’t really fit the moment) is captioned, “bro came into the league and made it fun to watch ”.

Lendeborg has a quick turnaround from his career-best performance, as the Warriors face the Phoenix Suns at home on Monday.

Mitchell Robinson exited in the first half of the Celtics game against the Houston Rockets with a left thumb sprain, but returned late in the second quarter after a stint in the locker room.

Robinson, who missed Sunday’s game to rest on the front end of a back-to-back, returned to the game off the bench for the first time this season. The team said he was probable to return shortly before he checked back in.

But Robinson scored on an alley-oop immediately after re-entering the game, off a feed from Jayson Tatum.

So far this season, Robinson is averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He started the first 5 games of the season, and the Celtics went 4-1 in those games.

Aside from Robinson’s seemingly minor injury, the Celtics have had a healthy start to the season; Devin Carter missed the first 6 games due to illness, but no one else has missed time for anything other than rest. Robinson missed Sunday’s game, while Paul George sat on Monday on the second night of the back-to-back.

This story will be updated as more information is available.

LeBron James is having fun in Philly and one fan's wine can prove it originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James is one of kind in so many ways. What he did Monday night might be the cherry on top.

In the third quarter of the Sixers’ 126-107 victory over the Bulls, James decided he’d take fan interaction to a whole new level.

He helped himself to a fan’s red wine.

James looked for a transition pass from Tyrese Maxey, who snagged a rebound. James was behind the pass and his momentum took him into the stands, where he disappeared for a few moments.

It wasn’t until another angle was shown on replay that we could see what actually went down in the darkness of the seats. James didn’t hold back giving reporters a play-by-play.

“I spilled some of his wine,” he said postgame. “I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine. So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was alright.”

Troy Clemons – the Sixers fan whose drink spilled – explained his perspective on the interaction with James to Kris Rhim of ESPN.

“[I was] walking to my seat … LeBron crashed into me, he grabbed me, he said ‘My bad,’ my drink spilled everywhere. He took my drink from me and he basically just took a sip of it, gave it back and ran back on the [court].”

Did he keep the cup?

“At the end of the day he’s another man like me,” Clemons said. “I mean he’s LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash. And it’s nothing up with him, I just got a fresh drink though.”

It should be noted that players are not supposed to drink from fans’ cups, but it’s rare for the NBA to fine someone for a spontaneous interaction such as this. In 2019, a similar thing happened when Mike Scott tumbled into the Bucks’ court-side seats. The Sixers star jokingly took a sip of a fan’s beverage and the NBA opted not to fine him. Time will tell if James has the same fate.

If nothing else, an interaction like this just shows how much fun James seems to be having.

The 24-year veteran noted the importance of finding joy in the game as he grinds through the season.

“It’s a long marathon. And if you don’t find ways to have fun throughout it, even though you’re working and even though you’re locked in, then it could wear on you. So for me, especially at this point in my career, being able to just appreciate the moments, the small moments, these fans are great to us. We try to be great to them as well. By playing the game the right way, playing the game hard and then also just being showmen as well, it was a great game for us.”

Head coach Nick Nurse also weighed in on the 41-year-old’s mindset coming into the season.

“This summer I think he probably stated publicly that he wanted to go some place and have some fun playing. He loves the game, [it’s his] 24th year. It’s a group of guys, like I keep saying, that have been super focused in the intent of playing the right way. I think he’s a big part of that.”

The vibes are high. It’s difficult for them not to be.

With Monday’s win against the Bulls, the Sixers are 7-1 and lead the Eastern Conference. They’ve won four in a row and the only team they’ve lost to is the Pistons. The Sixers will face them on Wednesday to start a three-game road trip.