Category: NBA

The Lakers (2-0) head to Salt Lake City where they will face the Utah Jazz (1-1) on Sunday afternoon.

The purple and gold will take on a Jazz team that’s coming off a thrilling one-point over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

When: 2 p.m. PT, Oct 25

Where: Delta Center

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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Over the past few seasons, the Lakers and Jazz have built a strong working relationship on the trade market.

The trend started in 2022, when Los Angeles sought a point-of-attack defender and acquired Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. That season — which was Westbrook’s second year with the Lakers — was such a disaster that, at the trade deadline in 2023, the Jazz stepped in to facilitate a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The trade sent Westbrook to Utah and brought D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles.

Importantly, the Jazz also played an instrumental role in bringing Luka Dončić to Los Angeles by being the third team that acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino and draft assets to help give the Lakers flexibility to do the trade. Apparently, current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge had no idea he was helping the Lakers acquire Dončić was which was incredibly hilarious.

It doesn’t stop there. In the offseason, the Jazz also helped the Lakers land their biggest offseason signing by trading Walker Kessler.

Suffice it to say, both teams have helped shape each other into what they are today.

Thank you for Walker, Utah!

Two games into the season, Kessler is showing why Dončić wanted to play with him. Not only has he quickly become the team’s defensive anchor but also the perfect big alongside Dončić and Austin offensively. While it’s too early to draw any firm conclusions, the Lakers’ willingness to give up a substantial package for the 25-year-old center is already looking more justified.

WALKER KESSLER DOES IT AGAIN 🚨

After going 12-12 from the field with 10 dunks (most by a Laker since Shaq) in his debut, @WalkerKessler13 delivered a dominant all-around performance to push LA to 2-0!

22 PTS | 10-14 FGM | 8 REB | 3 STL | 6 BLK pic.twitter.com/3wGnS6oG6V

— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2026

On Sunday, Kessler returns to the city he called home for four years. There’s no doubt that Jazz head coach Will Hardy will know how to game plan against him best, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that goes.

Kessler’s return will for sure be the headline of the afternoon.

Utah will be L.A.’s toughest opponent yet

There’s something about a 2 p.m. tip-off in Utah that screams trap game. While it’s only right to expect this Lakers team to avoid the trap, they’ll still be presented with a challenge. Facing a Jazz team this early in the season — when they’re not exactly motivated to tank yet — will be tougher than facing the Golden State Warriors and L.A. Clippers.

Aside from George and Collier, the Jazz have this year’s second overall pick in Darryn Peterson and last year’s fifth overall pick in Ace Bailey. In the frontcourt, former Defensive Player of the Year awardee Jaren Jackson Jr. is off to a productive start this season. This Jazz team has promising young talent and a frontcourt that can create matchup problems for opponents.

That said, while the Jazz have plenty of offensive firepower, their defense remains a concern. They surrendered 123 points in their season opener against the Grizzlies, including 23 in transition alone. In their win over the Pelicans, they blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead. There are clear weaknesses the Lakers can exploit, and that’s where their superior talent should give them the edge.

Ideally, the Lakers enter this match with the same sense of urgency that they’ve had over the last two games. Dončić should be in line for a bounce-back outing while hopefully Reaves and Kessler carry their momentum into this matchup. L.A.‘s role players also have the talent advantage so that should be the case in this match.

Let’s see if the Lakers can secure their first road win of the season and make Kessler’s return to Utah a special one on Sunday.

Notes and Updates

• On Dončić and Reaves, both had a total of 17 turnovers in the win against the Clippers. Look for both team to improve on that versus the Jazz.
• For the Lakers’ injury report, Cameron Carr (right Oblique strain) and Adou Thiero (left knee effusion) remain out.
• Jake LaRavia, who was out last game due to a right ankle sprain, is no longer in it which means he’s cleared to play on Sunday.
• As for the Jazz, Jusuf Nurkic (right second plantar plate tear) is out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

CLEVELAND — Surrendering a 29-point lead in the season opener to a conference rival wasn’t exactly how the Cleveland Cavaliers drew up the start of their season.

“It sucks, it’s frustrating,” Mario Hezonja said two days after the loss.

As maddening as that loss was for the Cavs — especially after how last season ended against the New York Knicks — being able to play with leads is a skill. And it’s a skill that is becoming more important to learn in a league that large comebacks are seemingly more common than ever. The Detroit Pistons erased a 22-point deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics on opening day. And the Knicks and Indiana Pacers had incredible success the last two postseasons due in part to their ability to overcome large deficits.

Practically speaking, there’s two reasons why we’re seeing teams surrender leads.

“Live-ball turnovers are up, and three-point variance,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked why we’re seeing more comebacks.

“That’s the NBA. People shoot so many threes, so you got a lot of variance. You got the turnovers, and you got the rebounding. It all equals a possession game.”

Atkinson used Thursday’s game as an example of that. In the first half, the Philadelphia 76ers had eight more turnovers than the Cavs. In the second half, the Cavs had 13 more giveaways than the Sixers. “You lose the possession game, now they got more opportunities. Now a big lead can evaporate.”

There’s also a mental component to playing with a lead that the Cavs need to master.

“There’s a ton of a particular mental training that you have to have for that,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked about playing with a lead. “I think when people look at leads, they automatically think you are the sole reason why a team is up big when in reality the other team is just as much a culprit of why they’re down 22 as to why you’re up 22. So I think it’s a dual relationship to a lead.”

The Cavs are trying to change how they view leads like this.

“Just because you have a 30, 20 point lead doesn’t mean anything really,” Hezonja said. “You got to treat it as a 10-point lead or no lead at all mentally.”

Another theory for why we’re seeing more blown leads could be tied to the stakes of the game as well. Playoff games and opening night mean more than your run-of-the-mill January game.

“I think when they’re meaningful games, you have to focus and really execute, and it’s just not an easy thing,” Brooklyn Nets head coach Fernández said.

Poor execution in the second half is to blame for the lost lead to the 76ers. Particularly when the Sixers increased pressure on the ball handler. The Cavs went away from what was working.

“They changed the matchups a little bit, and we should have exposed it and used it against them,” Hezonja said. “But it turned out that they slowed us down and we kind of went away from Evan [Mobley] and Jarett [Alen] paint touches.”

Atkinson summed up this problem in one sentence: “Pass to the open man.”

“Don’t fight pressure, go away from pressure,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes going away from pressure means throwing it to your buddy who’s wide open, and then you gain the advantage that way. But if you try to fight pressure, you can turn it over. So that was a big part of our film session — pass to the open man.”

The Cavs are hoping to use the frustrating opening-night loss as something they can grow from. This isn’t the only time they will have a big lead against a strong opponent in a high-leverage game. And they might not be able to afford a loss in that game like they were on Thursday.

“I’m glad that we got that out of the way because there’s things that we implemented in practice in the 36 hours since,” Peyton Watson said, “and we’re going to be better.”

Warriors find three reasons to smile despite short-handed defeat to Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Somewhere in the gravel of defeat Saturday night, the Warriors found a few nuggets of gold. 

Seeking any indications of promise after losing their first two games of the season, the Warriors received three such signs during an entirely predictable 131-122 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

De’Anthony Melton’s wayward shot appears to be making its way home, and the team’s center rotation might not be as problematic many fear it will be.

Golden State’s loss was predictable because it was a 9.5-point underdog after coach Steve Kerr rested Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford – all of whom for one night joined the longtime inactive legion of Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Yet the performances of Melton and young centers Charles Bassey and Graham Ike allowed the deeply diminished Warriors to find value on an evening when they walked out of Mortgage Matchup Center with a 0-3 record. 

“All 17 roster guys, or 16, or whatever it is should feel like they have a stake in this thing,” Kerr told reporters in Phoenix. “Nights like tonight, that’s proof that they do. And that they’re going to get their opportunity.”

It was reasonable to be skeptical about the team’s big-man rotation when it became clear that the 7-foot-3 Porziņģis, projected as the starter, might not be joining the Warriors. His absence left advanced veterans Green (6-foot-6, 36 years old) and Horford (6-foot-8, 40 years old), both of whom require rest nights. The 6-foot-9 Bassey and the 6-foot-10 Ike were relative unknowns.

The youngsters combined for 22 points, 17 rebounds, two blocks and a steal over a cumulative 39 minutes.

Ike, an undrafted rookie from Gonzaga on a two-way contract, was summoned for his second NBA start and acquitted himself well. He was a presence in the paint while producing 12 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.

“The name of the game is to stay ready when your name is called,” Ike said. “Ultimately, I just wanted to be prepared for when my opportunity hit. I didn’t expect it to happen this early, but I didn’t have any expectations coming into a new league, a new environment and a new situation like this.”

Charles Bassey on BOTH ends 😤 pic.twitter.com/zFvfcr8oMr

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 25, 2026

Bassey, who made a cameo appearance with Golden State in the final week of last season, made the most of his 13 minutes, coming off the bench to contribute 10 points and seven rebounds.

“They’re both fearless,” Kerr said. “I think they’re confident, they’re excited about the opportunity, and they showed that in camp and preseason, and they showed it tonight. Two talented young big guys were really excited about.”

Melton, who struggled with his shot down the stretch last season, is coming off his first healthy summer in three years. The expectation is that he’s able to play an important role as a two-way perimeter – if his shot is there.

Melton experienced a hallelujah moment Friday night. Coming off a scoreless game in the season-opener, he scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including 2 of 3 from distance. He more than doubled that against the Suns, pouring in 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 4 of 8 from deep.

“It was great to see Melt out there finding his rhythm the last couple of nights,” Kerr said.

De'Anthony is so hot, he's Melton 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KXKRFkblAv

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 25, 2026

Behind the work of Melton, Bassey, Ike and, of course, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors were able to stay in the game – there were 14 lead changes – until the Phoenix regulars built their first double-digit lead late in the third quarter.

Lendeborg was terrific on offense, scoring a team-high 26 points while adding nine rebounds, five assists and finishing plus-5 over 36 minutes.

Those efforts were not enough to offset another high-turnover game, this time giving the Suns 26 points off 17 giveaways.

“You’re going to have nights like tonight at times this season when guys aren’t available,” Kerr said. “This is just a process. Let’s keep putting in the work. Let’s keep watching the film, and as long as they are connected and together like you saw out there tonight, whoever is available is going to play. We’re going to compete like crazy, and that will get us better.”

When the coaches and players gather to review video of this game, they will see rights and wrongs, while hoping the rights continue and the wrongs begin to fade.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to rebound as they host the Brooklyn Nets for their home opener.

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Only 22 1/2 hours after tipping off in Austin against the Houston Rockets, the Spurs have headed up IH-35 to face their other in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, while still in search of their elusive first win of the season. They won’t have any excuse not to get it tonight, with the Mavericks also coming off the second night of a back-to-back and sending out an extensive injury report that includes Cooper Flagg, Derek Lively and Santi Aldama as out and Spurs-killer Kyrie Irving and Zaccharie Risacher as questionable.

No new injuries were added for the Spurs, who should be hungry for win number 1 after getting embarrassed on opening night against the Thunder and suffering a heartbreaker at the buzzer last night when Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama’s game-tying attempt. The Spurs showed plenty of improvement in that game from game 1 but still ultimately shot themselves in the foot with poor free throw shooting.

Regardless of the two losses, it hasn’t felt like there has been any reason to panic since we already know what this team is capable of. Against the Thunder, it was a case of the Spurs just being extremely cold from three while the OKC could hardly have been hotter, while they simply needed to make the free throws to beat Houston and didn’t. A banged-up Mavs squad feels like the perfect opponent to get right and then go from there.

Game Prediction

De’Aaron Fox does NOT get in any kind of squirmish for the first time this season.

San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
October 24, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks

October 24th, 2026

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta GA

Time: 7:30 PM CST

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Probable Starters

Rockets: Reed Sheppard? Tari Eason? Bruce Thornton? Bog Bog?, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Hwaks: CJ “Gollum” McCollum, Nikeil Alexander-Crawler-Walker-Runner, Dyson “Sphere” Daniels, Jalen Jalenson, Onyeka Okongwuxia

UPDATE: Varun Shankar of the Chronicle reports that Marcus Smart is out tonight, Reed Sheppard is playing, and no one knows who will start at PG.

The Hawks aim to kickstart their home schedule with a win over the Houston Rockets.

Hawks starting lineup:

G CJ McCollum

G Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F Dyson Daniels

F Jalen Johnson

C Onyeka Okongwu

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 8:30 PM EDT

TV: Peachtree TV (WPCH), Atlanta News First (WANF)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming:Amazon Prime, NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) play host to the somehow winless 2026 Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs (0-2) on Saturday night. Dallas is coming home after thumping the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. The Spurs are visiting Dallas after a painful loss to the Houston Rockets. Both teams are playing on the second end of a back-to-back. Here’s what else you need to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs
• WHAT: The home opener for the 2026-27 season
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA

The injury report is one very familiar to Dallas fans who suffered through last season. Cooper Flagg is likely to miss the next 4 games or more, including this one, after suffering an AC joint sprain when he was fouled from behind on Friday night. Kyrie Irving is also missing this one, likely part of planned rest as he’s returning from his 2024 ACL tear. Then on top of that, they’re missing Santi Aldama and Dereck Lively, but you probably could’ve assumed at least the first guy. Caleb Martin is out as is Tarik Biberovic. That leaves head coach Dusty May witha short bench. The Spurs are giving Tobias Harris the night off, but that’s all.

This one might be ugly. The Spurs lost last night in kind of embarassing fashion and the Mavericks are in front of San Antonio next. Look for Victor Wembanyama to go off. But on the flip side, this means we should get a long look at all the newer Mavericks, including Marcus Sasser, Sergio De Larrea, and Morez Johnson. Don’t let this one get you down and who knows, maybe Dallas will surprise us!

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SAN FRANCISCO ― Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is not backing down from anyone and he's letting everyone know it.

He takes matchups personally. That's just him. Lendeborg plays with a chip on his shoulder and the Warriors need another guy like that.

His name made the rounds for his interaction with Lakers star Luka Doncic in his NBA debut. Maybe you don't like that it's coming from a rookie, but Lendeborg is playing whatever role Golden State needs him to play.

"I’m not supposed to talk to him, something like that," Lendeborg said about the backlash. "Like, I ain’t never been a (expletive). Come on now. He gonna say what he gonna say, I’ma say what I wanna say. I’m not afraid to talk to nobody, man. He’s not Michael Jordan. Come on now. So, I mean, it’s fun trash talk. I feel like I did kinda take it overboard in the media, but I mean, it is what it is."

If he welcomed the Doncic matchup, other rookies should expect the same treatment. Lendeborg looks forward to matchups with members of his draft class. His first one was against the Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer.

Boozer got the better of Lendeborg Friday, as his Grizzlies got the win. Boozer even hit the go-ahead field goal with 19.7 seconds left to give Memphis a 108-106 lead. He filled the stat sheet with 25 points and 13 rebounds for consecutive double-doubles to begin his career.

Boozer shot 6-for-13 and was a perfect 9-for-9 on free throws. He went 4-for-7 on 3-point field goals.

Lendeborg, for his part, had a better follow to his debut against the Lakers. The Warriors rookie put up 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Lendeborg, like Boozer, also had six turnovers. He shot 4-for-11, including 1-for-3 from deep. Lendeborg was aggressive in the paint and got to the line frequently, shooting 9-for-12.

"(Boozer) played a great game today," Lendeborg said Friday. "We were both on the bad end with the turnovers but, I mean, we both ended up with double-doubles. It was a fun matchup. We didn't really get to guard each other too much, but he did take advantage of the matchup when I was on him and did a great job."

Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo knew going into the game that Lendeborg would be a matchup problem.

"He seems like a very NBA-ready rookie. He's got the body. He's got the athleticism. He has the game and seems like a confident enough guy to start playing right away in a major role for them," Iisalo said.

Iisalo isn't necessarily telling Boozer to embrace the matchup, but he knows his rookie is going to show up.

"We're not telling him anything," Iisalo told USA TODAY Sports about the Lendeborg-Boozer rookie matchup. "It's more of the narrative that you guys create. I think the players are here to play team against teams, so whatever individual battles take place there, that's normal. But I think both players are both trying to win."

Lendeborg looks forward to those matchups, though − really to any time he's on the floor competing.

"I always want to have a good game against anybody in my draft class or try to outperform them. (Friday), I didn't," Lendeborg said. "Every game I'm gonna definitely try to take that personal and try to win my matchup, ultimately just win the game for the team."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew the Boozer-Lendeborg matchup would be a good one, going back to their summer league meeting. Lendeborg got the better of Boozer and the Grizzlies over the summer, leading a fourth-quarter comeback with 21 points and 10 rebounds in July. Boozer had 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

"Great matchup. Two big, talented young guys, multi-skilled players. Obviously, a good matchup between them in Vegas," Kerr said. "Boozer's a really impressive young guy."

Kerr raved about his rookie and all that Lendeborg brings. His coaching critique is that he wants Lendeborg to run the floor harder on fastbreaks and transition opportunities.

"I love the young guy. I mean, he's really talented. 
I love his competitiveness," Kerr said. "I guess I didn't mind, you know, that stuff the other day, but as Steph (Curry) said, you got to back it up, you know? And that's the thing. We play the Lakers again next week.
So, OK, you know, here you go."

Kerr isn't concerned too much with his rookie taking matchups personally, as much as he is with the overall team performance − especially on the defensive end of things. That was something he couldn't stress enough in a passionate response.

"For us as a staff, it's really more about the small things that most people aren't going to be looking at," Kerr said. "Help-side defense. He did a good job on Luka, one on one, but we got torched by Luka as a team.
I don't care, you know, all those stats that the NBA puts up, like, 'hey, when (Lendeborg) guarded him would he guard him? Who the F cares? Right?"

He continued: "It's like they scored 128 on us, you know? That stuff's all (expletive). It's our defense, and he knows that. I talked to him about that yesterday. And our defense was not good, regardless of him individually when he guarded the ball, you know, that stuff doesn't matter."

It's all a learning experience for Lendeborg in his first year.

He's got all the tools to make a difference for the Warriors. And he's got pride. You can't teach that.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg put the NBA on notice: He's not backing down from anyone

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg didn’t hold the trash talk back in his NBA debut.

Lendeborg was tasked with defending Lakers superstar Luka Doncic on Opening Night and the matchup did not disappoint. The Warriors rookie started chirping at Doncic, which continued with back-and-forth banter throughout the game.

“I’m not afraid to talk to nobody. He’s not Michael Jordan,” Lendeborg said.

While Lendeborg wasn’t ashamed by his actions, he added: “I feel like I did kinda take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is.”

Here is some Yaxel Lendeborg postgame

On the backlash to Luka comments: “I’m not afraid to talk to nobody. He’s not Michael Jordan.”

He did admit: “I feel like I did kinda take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is.”

On the Boozer matchup: “I always want to have a… pic.twitter.com/sPvnUt5eX5

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2026

Lendeborg’s trash talk extended off the court as the forward ranted about Doncic to the media after the Warriors’ season-opening loss.

“Being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man,” Lendeborg said.

“Like, me getting frustrated, it’s not about the foul getting called. It’s about him complaining the entire game,” Lendeborg added. “Then you get the foul called — congratulations, bro — and you talk to me like you did something great? That’s just weak. It kind of threw me off for a while. Because like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone, man.”

Lendeborg certainly had his welcome to the NBA moment as Doncic scored a game-high 28 points, seven assists and eight rebounds to give the Lakers a commanding win over Golden State.

But the Warriors rookie is seemingly unfazed by the results.

CLEVELAND — Mario Hezonja doesn’t lack confidence. He showed that in his first NBA game in six years when he waived off Donovan Mitchell and backed his opponent down from the three-point line for a much-needed basket at the end of the third quarter.

On the surface, a bench player waiving off the superstar for an isolation might seem outlandish, but that is exactly what Hezonja was brought to do in Cleveland.

“I told him [Mitchell] you’re not supposed to bring the ball up under pressure because we need you in the last quarter,” Hezonja said on Saturday. “We need you in the playoffs. We need you in game 80, game 60. Having somebody like me that can help. As I said on the first day, I’m here to help you. … As much pressure that I can take off of him, and James [Harden], Evan [Mobley], and Jarrett [Allen], players we need a lot, is just going to be so beneficial for the group.”

There’s incredible value in having a veteran that can recognize what the situation needs, and isn’t afraid to call his own number if that’s what the defense is daring him to do.

“I waived JT (Jaylon Tyson) so he creates space for me to go one-on-one against my mismatch,” Hezonja said. “I spoke to James [Harden] and Donovan; there’s five of us on the court, and you need to read those mismatch situations.”

Reading mismatches and exploiting them has been an issue at times for the Cavs. In high-leverage situations, teams have been able to get away with putting smaller defenders on bigs like Mobley and Allen. Sometimes the Cavs have exploited that — like Game 7 of last year’s first-round series against the Toronto Raptors — and sometimes they haven’t.

Hezonja is only one game into his return to the NBA after a six-year hiatus, but the early results have been encouraging. His game fits into exactly what you want to see from a supporting player. It’s why head coach Kenny Atkinson called Hezonja’s play “one of the positives” from Thursday’s loss.

Hezonja thought he’d be nervous for his first NBA game after spending the last six years in Europe. And maybe he would’ve, if it wasn’t for how welcoming his new team has been. They’re putting him in a position to be the best version of himself.

“It’s much easier than I thought, thanks to my teammates, to the staff, and pretty much everybody in the organization, from the top to the last person, really since day one, they embraced me with open arms,” Hezonja said when asked about his return.

“They know the basketball player that I am, but they also got to know the person that I am, so it’s definitely been super great, very welcoming. I hope that the comfort zone I’m feeling, people can see it’s thanks to them.”

It has been half a decade since the Wolves won their first two regular season games to start the season. That was Chris Finch’s first full season as Minnesota’s coach. He led that team through the play-in and into a spirited six game series against the number two seeded Memphis Grizzlies. Since then, the Timberwolves have had their best stretch of basketball of their existence while also wrestling with their identity through its myriad iterations.

Thus far, there has been little wrestling. The Wolves have stepped into the season knowing who they are, and what they are, is fun.

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Game Info

• Who:Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0) vs. Toronto Raptors (2-0)
• When: Sunday, October 25 at 6:00 PM CT
• Where: Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
• Local TV: NBA TV | DAZN-MIN
• Radio: 830 WCCO

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Some Numbers

SSS (small sample size) Alert, but these undefeated teams are incredibly similar in what they’ve done well and where they’ve let up. They are both rebounding the ball well. They are both limiting their opponents to just under 100 points per game. They are both averaging north of 120 points a game. And both teams generate the same amount of turnovers. Minnesota forces turnovers less with steals, and more with consistent pressure that forces their opponents into mistakes. Toronto gets more takeaways with traditional box score stats.

That said, the Raptors wins have come against the rebuilding Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards (who are going in a direction, I am not sure what direction, but they are not standing still). The Wolves made mincemeat of the Heat and the Magic, both teams I would rank higher than the slate of Eastern Conference teams the Raptors have dispatched.

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What to Watch For

Kawhi and the Wings

The Toronto Raptors were reunited with their 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in the off-season after a drawn out process. Essentially, Clippers learned from from the Timberwolves as they took over the crown for Worst Instance of Cap Circumvention. In each of the two games the Wolves ran into Leonard last season, he scored over 40 points. He is quite simply, a problem. The Raptors will rely heavily on the Klaw’s self-creation if the Wolves force them into a halfcourt offense. As Leonard is working into game shape and yet to play over 28 minutes this season, Toronto has All-Defensive forward Scottie Barnes to pair alongside Kawhi. Barnes has grown into a two-way force himself.

Toronto may choose to put neither wing on the Wolves backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, but that doesn’t mean they are any less effective. The passing lanes that the Wolves have used so effectively in the past two wins might look free, almost serene, like an open field of grass. When suddenly the ball is swiped from the air.

The Wolves will need to take care of the ball and not let the Raptors find a rhythm in transition.

Protecting the Paint

The Raptors don’t shoot a lot of threes. The ones that they do shoot, they tend not to make. Toronto has made just 11 of their 70 attempts thus far (15.7%). Instead the Raptors get theirs in the midrange and at the rim. Whoever guards Kawhi, be it Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, or Terrance Shannon Jr. will need to need be patient, weathering his physicality and cleanly contesting. Like with Paolo Banchero and Giannis Antetokounmpo, it will not be about shutting the star down, it will be about making them work for their shots and preventing anyone else from getting going. Conversely, the Wolves have lost the points in the paint battle, but made up for it with gang rebounding on the misses they do force to generate second chance looks.

Rudy Gobert should match up well against Jakob Poeltl and this might be a game for the Wolves to attack the basket more with a traditional pick-and-roll attack. The Wolves most protected passes will likely be lobs, and with 14-feet of French center to put them in the hoop, they can limit the defensive disruption of RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Barnes, and Leonard.

Energy Off The Bench

The Wolves bench will need to bring the same pop that they did in Orlando. The matchup between Joan Beringer and Murray-Boyles will be one I am specifically watching. It could be a battle of energizer bunnies looking to make plays for their team through sheer effort. Super Sixth Man Ayo Dosunmu is head and shoulders better than the Toronto’s bench guards in Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter, and if Terrance Shannon Jr.‘s three-ball continues to fall, he should be able to break down any Raptor defense when only one of Leonard, Barnes, or CMB is on the court.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković has balanced his starters minutes which is much easier to do when blowing Chicago out by 40. Like they have done thus far, Minnesota needs to push off of rebounds, turnovers, and especially after Toronto makes. Should the Wolves turn this game into a track meet against the older Raptors, they will find a recipe for success.

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Prediction

The first quarter will be a back-and-forth affair as both starting lineups will trade buckets. The Wolves from outside as Melo and Rudy chip away at the defense with pick-and-rolls, while the Raptors rely on Kawhi’s lethal jumper. As the teams go to the bench, Toronto’s high effort style that kept them in games last year will have a Spider-Man meme moment, as the Wolves match the effort with more talented players.

The Raptors will take small bites into the Wolves lead, but never be able to finish the whole meal as Minnesota serves up an all you can eat buffet of three-pointers.

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Our blogging buddies are Raptors HQ. Be kind to our Canadian neighbors!

The Washington Wizards hit the road to play the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. The game starts at 8:00 p.m. tonight. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Go Wizards!

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell once likened speaking with a then-teenage Mikel Brown Jr. to talking hoops with James Harden, marveling at his protege’s maturity and basketball IQ. 

Saturday night, Brown got his first chance to suit up for real against both Mitchell and Harden. The Nets rookie finally got to play against his mentor in a game that mattered — and got to face the future Hall of Famer Harden for good measure in the Nets game at Cleveland. 

“Shoot, it’s great,” Brown, 20, said beforehand. “They’re obviously coming off a loss as well, just as we are, so they’re going to come in hungry. But to be able to play against Don was kind of crazy. The time went by. Three years ago I literally just met him in high school, and to be able to share the same court as him now and compete against him is great.” 

The Nets overtly tanked the last two seasons to get back-to-back lottery picks that became first Egor Dëmin and now Brown. 

While they had the joint-best odds of landing the top overall pick, they slid all the way to sixth. But the silver lining is that in a deep class they still ended up with Brown, whom Mitchell has said is hardly a consolation prize. 

“Not many high school kids pay attention to the details. I’m having conversations with [Brown] like I’m talking to James Harden,” Mitchell said recently. “He’s going to do amazing things in Brooklyn. Nets fans should be really excited, because they got one.” 

Years ago, when they were on a different timeline, the Nets eyed Mitchell. A local who was born in Elmsford — and played AAU basketball for both the Riverside Hawks and The City — he would’ve made an All-Star centerpiece in Brooklyn. 

Now they can only hope that Brown can someday become that. 

Brown was one-and-done at Louisville, where Mitchell was All-ACC in 2017. The latter took him under his wing, and is helping him right up until today. 

“Yeah, really just use what he [taught] … I get to use against him now, so it’s great. I’m just ready to compete at a high level,” Brown said. “I’ve been talking to him saying I’m gonna see him soon. So, the time is now. So, it’s gonna be good to compete out there. 

“He talked to me after my first game about some stuff. We talked about some things. But other than that, we both know what it is.” 

Brown had 15 points with three assists, two steals and just one turnover in his debut, a season-opening loss to Charlotte. This despite a recent ankle injury that had him limited to under 20 minutes and could see him rested Sunday vs. the Pacers. 

Following the debut performance, Mitchell checked in on his protege with some advice. 

“Just the things that I’ve already kind of fixed on my own. Going back and watching the film, there’s definitely a lot of things that I could have fixed. And me and him are basically on the same page on what I need to do better. So, yeah, that’s great,” said Brown, who was prepared to be trash-talked by his mentor Saturday. 

“A little bit. A little bit. You know, not too much, but I know he’s gonna say something tonight. So I’m ready to bump. … I might [trash-talk back] a little bit. I know he’s probably gonna do it, so I’m up for it.” 

Brown rolled his ankle the week before camp and missed the first three preseason games before debuting in the finale. He also missed the second half of his lone Louisville campaign with a back injury. Both may factor into the minutes limit. 

He was coy about whether the performance team has ruled him out for the tail end of this back-to-back at home Sunday vs. visiting Indiana. 

“As of right now, I don’t know. I’m just kind of just going with the flow at this point,” Brown said. “I’m ready to hoop regardless. If they call my name, I’m ready to hoop.”