Category: NBA

The Washington Wizards’ 2026-27 regular season is young. And though AJ Dybantsa has still yet to make his season (and NBA) debut, the Wizards’ two established All-Stars, guard Trae Young and forward Anthony Davis, are producing the numbers fans expect.

Both Young and Davis are averaging 22 points a game each, both in the top 30 for the NBA. It should also be no surprise that Young and Davis are also taking the most shots per game. That said, Davis is making only y 44 percent of his shots so far this season, well below his career rate of 52.2 percent. That said, Davis has only played four games so this percentage should move up over time.

Young has started off on a hot streak with assists where he leads the NBA with 11.0 per game. Though he averaged just 8.0 assists per game last season though it was in just 15 total appearances with the Wizards and Atlanta Hawks. From the 2022-23 through 2024-25 seasons, Young averaged at least 10 assists per game though it also came with him averaging over 4 turnovers per game. This season, Young is only averaging 2.3 turnovers though four games is a small sample size.

If Young and Davis stay consistent, the Wizards should be a significantly improved team this season, even if they can’t carry Washington to a Top-4 finish in the Eastern Conference. Now, we’re just waiting on when Dybantsa to get cleared for his professional debut.

Kawhi Leonard will undergo a treatment and rehabilitation program due to left knee swelling, according to the Toronto Raptors. Leonard will be reevaluated in one week.

Toronto also revealed that medical imaging revealed no acute injury.

The longest stretch of games Leonard missed during his lone campaign with the Raptors in 2019 was four games over nearly a week. At the time, he wasn’t listed with an official acute injury and his absence was described as load management. The Raptors went 3-1 during this stretch.

If he’s cleared in one week (Nov. 4), he’ll miss a total of four games, including matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

Leonard missed the first 34 games of the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers due to chronic inflammation and right knee swelling. While Raptors fans can breathe a sigh of relief that it’s not the same knee, it’s impossible to ignore the dread this news brings.

In Leonard’s defence, the superstar made up for his absence by playing 37 of the final 48 games of the season. In the following year, Leonard appeared in 65 contests, the second most games he’s played in since 2016-17. During that year with the San Antonio Spurs, he played a career-high 74 games and was an All-Star.

The start of the 2026-2027 season has been polar opposites for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. For the Pistons, they are 3-0 with three impressive wins over expected playoff teams in the East. For the Knicks, they have also faced three likely playoff teams in the East, but have lost all three games.

Championship hangovers are a thing and the New York Knicks could be suffering from one. But, they also have a Championship core of players that are locked in, so their only goal is to get into the playoffs healthy and regular season results don’t matter as much. But, starting off 0-3 and only averaging 102 points per game could be viewed as a bit concerning.

Luckily for the Knicks, they will be facing a short-handed Pistons team that will for sure be without Jalen Duren but could also be without Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Joe. That didn’t matter on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the 76ers were also short-handed. Everything points to the Knicks being fully healthy for this game, so it will be a challenge as the Knicks try to avoid an 0-4 start and put a stop to the only remaining unbeaten team in the East.

Game Vitals

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
When: Tuesday, October 27 at 8 pm EST
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Odds: Knicks (-3.5)

Analysis

The Pistons put together an impressive game defensively with their rag tag group of bench players against the 76ers on Sunday. They held the Sixers to 93 points and shut down pretty much everybody except for Tyrese Maxey in the 4th quarter.

However, it was a bit of a struggle on offense with Cade Cunningham being the only offensive threat. The Pistons made a season-low 14 three pointers and also scored a season-low 106 points. Three-point shooting has been a huge part of the Pistons’ success this season and they could be without one of the players who helps a lot in that department, Isaiah Joe, who suffered a hip injury after a scary fall on a dunk.

Joe is listed as questionable today, but if I had to guess, he probably does not play since I am sure his hip hurts after the adrenaline wore off. Ausar Thompson is another Pistons player with the questionable tag, but there is probably a better chance of him playing since his injury was suffered against the Miami Heat on Friday and he is kind of a bit freaky when it comes to injury recovery.

The craziest thing for the Pistons 3-0 start is that they have done it withouot Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson for basically half of it. Duren suffered his injury in the 2nd quarter of Friday’s game against the Heat and Ausar Thompson suffered his in the 3rd quarter of the same game.

It just shows how impressive the Pistons depth is and how well put together their defensive infrastructure is. It doesn’t matter who is or is not playing, they are going to play lockdown defense. There is a noticeable drop-off on the offensive end, but you can win a lot of regular season games with a good defense.

There isn’t much to say about the Knicks as their formula is one that led them to a Championship last season. They have their wing defenders in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart and then their offensive hubs of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Brunson is one of the most clutch players in the league who comes through in the biggest moments.

So far, they haven’t gotten the clutch baskets they need from Brunson, which explains the 0-3 start, but a slow start after a Championship is a pretty common occurrence. You play into late-June the previous season and then have an abbreviated offseason once the celebration concludes. For the Knicks, they have had to start this season playing the 76ers and Celtics, two teams that are expected to be near the top of the East, and then a Magic team that was also a playoff team last season.

The Knicks haven’t looked great in any of their games so far this season, but I still wouldn’t be waving the panic flag yet given the level of opponents they have played.

A short-handed Pistons team could be exactly what they need to get their first win of the season, but as the Pistons proved on Sunday, it won’t be a gimme.

Whether or not Ausar Thompson plays, the Pistons are going to have to grit out another win through the sheer force of their defense. It worked against the 76ers and the Knicks could suffer the same face given their offensive struggles this season. But, the Knicks are equipped with the wing defenders they need to slow down Cade Cunningham, who has to shoulder a huge offensive load without Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson.

If Thompson does play, he can at least take away some of the ball handling pressure that Cade Cunnigham has to take on and allow him to attack off-ball more. It also would help quite a bit on defense as well, as it would give them another player to throw at Jalen Brunson.

This could end up being a very ugly game on National TV.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (3-0): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed

New York Knicks (0-3): Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns

Question of the Day

What has impressed you most about the Pistons so far this season?

Dusty May said it best in his postgame comments following the Dallas Mavericks’ (2-2) 113-109 win at the Miami Heat on Monday. Cooper Flagg is “a bad dude.”

Flagg filled the stat sheet like few players can, finishing with a game-high 29 points to match Giannis Antetokounmpo’s point total for Miami, 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots. He scored 12 of his 29 in the decisive fourth quarter.

But it wasn’t just Flagg. It was PJ Washington. It was Kyrie Irving hitting some big early shots. It was two-way find Walter Clayton Jr., who finished with 15 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Here are the notable quotes from Monday’s postgame press conference.

Head Coach Dusty May

Opening statement

I want to congratulate our guys on a very hard-fought road [win]. 31 assists on 43 made baskets. I thought the hustle plays by Risacher, the last possession by P.J. coming up with that, Gaff, I thought we played extremely hard, we were quick to the ball and when Miami would go on a run, we’d find a way to hang around and hang around, and then our guys simply made big, big plays and big shots at the end. It’s a lot of fun when your two superstars are as unselfish as they are, and they show as much grace as they bring along these younger players. It’s been fun to be a part of and see it so far. Obviously a long way to go, but this is a very, very good win for our team.

On the Mavs’ defensive tenacity and physicality:

Yeah, Zacc is finding himself now. He’s still so young. We really,really value and appreciate those plays. However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls and blocks and steals and rebounds, and the ones that don’t show up where he just gets a hand on it, where it’s maybe coming to Bam or Giannis, he just gets a fingertip and then our guards dig it out. There’s no stat for that, but those are valued in our program and within our team. Just to see how connected our group is, to see how they’re all so much for each other is fun, and the guys, they earned this.

What did you do in the fourth quarter that made it hard on Giannis [Antetokounmpo]?

We brought bodies to him, I think probably the wear and tear of him having to do so much, and I thought he made a couple nice kickouts and the shots didn’t drop. I thought early on we were playing better than the score indicated in the second quarter because a couple shots weren’t dropping, and late in the game, to be honest, I thought they played better than the scoreboard would indicate. I thought they generated some great looks late, and they just didn’t drop, and so that’s part of the game as well.

How did you see Flagg taking over in the fourth quarter?

Well, we were struggling to find different ways to just get him in some space, and I thought our guys had good off-ball movement and spacing, and he just needed a crease. I mean, that’s a bad dude to get in a paint like that and finish. I think there were three guys trying to block it late. That’s one thing when you do get an angle and get to the rim on their, I mean, they had their perimeter defenders in, and you have Bam and Giannis coming over to block it, just to have the creativity to get it up off the rim. He had a couple that, they brought the third defender and drew the charge on him, but he was making the right pass as he was fanning out. He was starting closeouts. That’s one thing about Cooper, the ball comes out of his hands at the right time. If we get to where we’re really finding a rhythm offensively, he’s going to have even, he’ll have some 15-20 assist games. There’s no question.

How did you see Walter Clayton take advantage of his opportunity?

Yeah, Walt played in the stay-ready game called the Hunt Club earlier today, so he basically did a double-header. Obviously, it was an abbreviated one this morning, but that’s Walt. I mean, he’s a gamer. If anyone, obviously, this state, they’ve seen him a lot. He’s got ice water in his veins. He’s unfazed. Even when he doesn’t play up to his best, he’s the same way. I thought he dug deep, tried to defend. They were trying to go at him. I thought he held his own on the defensive end, and offensively, he just gives us so much because he can get wherever he needs to with the ball. He can create advantages. He can finish in the paint. I thought his shot fakes, obviously, have been such a great 3-point shooter. I thought he used his shot fakes well and just played really, really good ball.

Any concern for Sergio there?

Yeah, I don’t know what it is. He’ll have some imaging tomorrow, but obviously concerned because he’s such a tough kid. Whatever it is, we’ll be here to support him and get through it. Very unfortunate, like all these injuries, you look around the NBA, the first thing you think of is when there’s an injury, just how much time these guys spend to get their bodies right and how much time they’re going to have to spend just to get back to playing the game that they love to play. Hopefully, it’s minor, but we’ll know sooner than later.

What stands out to you about when PJ Washington is playing small-ball five?

I think PJ’s been great in stretches every game. For him to play 41 minutes tonight, and I haven’t reviewed the film, but I would say 39 of them were really intentional, focused, determined to do whatever it takes to win. Sometimes from my seat, it looks like he can just be in the game and not completely engaged. I thought he was engaged for almost the full 41 minutes. The last loose ball he came up with, there was five or 10 of those throughout the game that he just found a way to go get and then obviously made a huge three. He’s a weapon because he can stretch the defense, he gets in the paint, he’s physical with his bump-offs and little short shots, and then he’s got a nose for the ball too. He’s quick to loose basketballs.

On coaching in Florida and against Heat coach Erik Spoelstra:

Yeah, I feel better with the Mavericks going head-to-head against the Heat than the matchup of the head coaches. I had a lot of help tonight from the staff and also from our players, but obviously a lot of respect. They’re going to figure it out like I said earlier today. It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. You think there’s 78 more regular season games, and you bring these new teams that all come from different defensive philosophies and offensive philosophies. It’s tough to get your guys on the same page and connected on both sides of the ball but we’re going to look up at whatever the amount of time is and they’re going to be playing great basketball and this will be a real quality road win.

On the closeout blocked shot by Flagg against Andrew Wiggins in the game’s final minute:

The thing with Coop, he’s trying to win. He’s never not — last year’s the first year of his life that he hasn’t won big, and he’s determined to get us back to where we’re playing extremely meaningful games at the right time of year, and each game matters a lot because the guy’s a winner. I mean, you see the plays he makes. He has a different gear. He has a different level of focus and attention; when he needs it, it’s there. But to see the plays he made, in the last biggest possession of the game, we just put it in his hands and knew he would make a great decision because of how unselfish he can play above the defense but also just his ability to get by people and finishing in the paint is incredible.

Do you appreciate your team’s next shot mentality, and is it important for a young squad like that to be able to keep shooting and not lose that confidence?

Yeah, absolutely and that’s something that over the course of my and our career that I’ve probably been a little bit loose with shot selection where some coaches how well you shoot it you earn the shots and with us if you’re playing the right way and the ball finds you then we trust you based on your work and practice and also the developmental plan of taking the right shots. Like I said, I wanted Zacc to keep shooting when he’s open, and most importantly, his teammates did too. I heard a couple of them say actually, I heard Kyrie say he’s playing so hard; I want him to keep shooting it and it wasn’t he’s doing this; he’s making 500 and not this he’s playing so hard. We appreciate that so much that we’re never going to tell him to stop shooting it and he made a big floater he made a huge three, and he’s a good shooter that’s the crazy part. Like, he’s a very good shooter that’s just not making them now but he’s finding so many other ways to impact the game and it looks like he’s having fun even though it’s not his best.

Collectively, what can a team learn from getting a road win against a talented Heat team early in the season to build on?

Each game is so different I think more than anything else just the belief that we can. You know, we won a game in Indiana where we had a little bit of margin and they came storming back and we held on. This one was back and forth, and we got a little bit of separation midway through the fourth, but it was a one-possession game and so it I think it gives our guys confidence that we don’t know what it’s going to look like. Maybe it’s a big time basket by someone, or maybe it’s a couple stops, but we have enough, and we got different ways to figure out a way to close the games, and so I think it just gives you confidence for later on when you’re in so many of these.

Cooper Flagg

What were you seeing in the fourth quarter that allowed you to get to the rim consistently?

Cooper Flagg DELIVERED in the clutch for Dallas 💪

He blocked the 3-pointer with 31.1 secs left, then raced to the rim for the layup to extend the lead to 4 with 10 secs left to help the Mavs seal the road W! pic.twitter.com/LNX27E3inq

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2026

I think just we did a better job at that late in the game just spreading the floor, getting into different actions and shifting the defense. You know, allowing for better driving lanes, angles and opening up the court a little bit.

You finished with 11 assists. What were some of the things you were seeing to be able to hit your teammates?

I mean they were mucking the game up. You know, being in the gaps heavy and trying to slow us down — make us just play through the pass and hit the easy one. So to start out early, just making the right play, and guys were knocking down shots.

Evaluating Walter Clayton Jr.’s night:

It was great. Walt was great. You know, obviously he hasn’t been with us for very long, but you know for him to just step up tonight and 6-for-7 from the field, but you know, I thought this is intensity and the way I mean — plus-22 — like for him to go out there and just play really really hard and unselfish basketball and just really give to the team in every single way, I thought it was a really big step for our team. Huge shout-out to Walt for just staying ready. I think honestly after shoot-around today he was playing — like he was in there playing with the guys in the stay-ready game, so a little double header for him. To be able to stay ready and come out tonight and just play and contribute like he did — it was it was really cool to see.

Did it mean anything additional playing in front of Spoelstra, who will be coaching the 2028 Team USA Olympic Team?

I mean I hadn’t really thought about that. Obviously for me, I’ve played for the country before, you know when I was younger um playing for Under-17 teams, stuff like that. For me you know it’s obviously a pleasure to be able to play for my country, any chance I get. I have no idea what it’s going to look like. It’s a good ways down the road so um obviously, you know, if I was ever asked to to be able to play for my country, that’s something I would love to do, and that’d be amazing.

How did you expect Wiggins to play you on that last drive for your last bucket of the game?

Like I said, just getting set. Once I had everybody set and everybody was in good positions, just taking advantage of the space that we had, being able to get downhill and challenge them at the rim. I was confident in my ability to get by him, create an advantage for our team and make the right play.

Does seeing Risacher and Washington playing hard on defense make the game more fun and also motivate you to play harder?

For sure, yeah, I mean I think just setting the tone early, being physical. Guys like PJ and Zacc you know those are things that they’re going to bring to our team every single night, so for them to just you know continue to step up these last couple nights and really just [show] how much they can provide us without even having to put the ball in the basket — that’s what I’m telling Zacc. I think obviously, nobody’s happy missing shots and stuff like that, but you know he makes us 15-20 points better when he’s being active and getting steals and playing his defense, so I have no doubt that his shots are going to start to fall, and there’s nothing to worry about there. So, with him contributing like he has been, it makes us so much better.

How valuable is it for Washington to be able to take on tough defensive assignments like guarding Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Like I said same with Zach I mean super valuable. PJ has been doing a lot for us on the defensive end. He’s been asked to take on some pretty tall tasks. I think he’s done an incredible job you know just you know doing whatever he can to help our team win and I mean PJ’s been knocking his shots doing what he does on the offensive end, but I mean defensively, he’s he’s been our anchor. With him and [Gafford] — they’ve been holding down the fort, so it’s been really big for him stepping up, Zacc stepping up, Gaff has been stepping up um on the defensive side of the ball. I think that’s that’s what’s making us better.

On affecting the outcome of the game on both sides of the ball, in multiple stat categories:

It’s just kind of always how I played — just making the right plays and whether it was scoring, passing, rebounding, getting in the lane, steals, blocks — just trying to impact the game and impact winning and competing at a high level.

On his veteran teammates, namely Washington, Gafford and Irving:

It’s been great. Those are two guys Gaff, PJ, and then obviously Ky — just great vets who set the set the tone, set the example and I think it’s been great for for me and for all the other young guys just to learn from. They set a really good example. They’re great leaders, with their communication, and they really show up and do it every single day, so it’s been great just to learn from those guys.

Walter Clayton Jr.

On the stay-ready mentality:

Walter Clayton Jr. scores the And-1 in the second half last night, he looked different pic.twitter.com/vCL66ToJ15

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 27, 2026

As simple as that — stay ready. Just trying to stay engaged during the timeouts so I know what the game plan is before and then just — a big factor — just the guys trusting me to go out there and shoot the ball and play my game.

Do you feel there is an expectation for a guy like you to play at a certain level to have synergy with guys like Irving and Flagg?

For sure, I mean, just being here for about a week now — Ky, the way he prepares, man — it kind of forces everybody to be on their P’s and their Q’s and prepare the same way. So just being locked in, just watching them, and, you know, these guys got a good system going on here, so I feel like I’m just kind of blending in seamlessly.

What allowed you to make that impact right when you came in to the game?

Just space. I feel like we got a good amount of paint touches tonight. We [were] relocating off the ball well. We felt like they were a team that collapses a lot, so just finding that space to get those shots off.

What stood out to you about the way the team played in the fourth quarter to pull out the win?

We just locked in during the timeouts, so talking to each other, I feel like we rebounded the ball great, and we were just physical. I think we came out and played our brand of basketball, and it worked for us.

How much did they start to change on you defensively after you made a couple of 3-pointers?

They were definitely probably a little quicker to get out on the closeouts, but, you know, that’s a great team. I don’t think they were changing too much for me. Tt was probably more so for Coop and Ky.

Has the chip on your shoulder grown as a result of this being your third team in two NBA seasons?

Definitely. My last year in college I was a big fish in uh in a little pond, and then you come to a new level. I’m a little fish in a big pond, so just got to work my way back up, and I feel like this is gonna be a great spot to be able to do that.

What did you make of Flagg’s fourth-quarter performance?

How many minutes did he play tonight? 40? Yeah, I mean, that’s a lot of minutes to be able to do that in the fourth. Just having him persevere for us. Coop is great. He’s a great player, and he’s gonna continue to be that for us.

What did the team try to do defensively against Antetokounmpo?

Just tried to meet him early — force them tough ones at the rim. Giannis is Giannis. He’s gonna get there, but we just tried to make it as tough as possible, and I think we did a pretty good job tonight.

What are some of the ways Washington affects winning?

Main thing is he be hitting people. I think people don’t understand how big those little hits [are] as the game goes on — how important they are, and PJ’s done that every game. He’s just been constantly doing that, so PJ’s great for us, obviously shooting the ball well and a great rebounder, so he’s been great for us.

How would you describe May as a coach and as a tactician?

Dusty is great. He’s won everywhere he’s been. I think he’s planning on doing the same here, and just as a tactician, he sees the game well, and he’s willing to listen to our point of view as players on the court. If [Irving] sees something, Dusty’s willing to take it into account. Dusty’s been great, and I think he’s gonna be a great coach at this level.

Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine got himself into some hot water in Boston.

In a stumbling live TV conversation, the Celtics’ color analyst struggled to explain comments he made earlier in the day claiming Brown demanded a trade — the first such claim from someone inside the Celtics’ orbit since Brown was shockingly dealt to the 76ers in the offseason. 

“After the 48 calls I got today, and I listened, he technically didn’t demand to be traded,” Scalabrine said on the Celtics pregame show Monday. “I just summed it all up, and I summed up the word salad and kept it simple, but I think that’s what kind of got me in trouble there.”

Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine taking about Scal’s comments on the radio today https://t.co/VyfjTPuiiHpic.twitter.com/Ldad81lQHO

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) October 26, 2026

Scalabrine was a bit more boisterous on his “The Starting Lineup” SiriusXM Radio show alongside Frank Isola just hours before his walkback.

“My understanding of this thing is he demanded to be traded,” Scalabrine said on the show earlier on Monday. “Not into the media, but to the organization.”

Scalabrine then got himself into even more hot water — likely with some within the organization, considering he’s a broadcaster for the Celtics with significantly more access than anyone on the outside — by alleging that Brown was recruiting players to join him at his next destination.

“But my understanding is Jaylen Brown went to the organization and had a list of demands,” Scalabrine said. “And it was like, ‘You either do this, or you trade me.’ And he was rooting to get traded to Milwaukee, including calling some other teammates about, ‘Hey man, what do you think of Milwaukee? We should go there.’”

Brown was rumored to be traded to the Bucks along with other draft picks or potential assets for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the trade did not happen, as the Heat acquired the former MVP. 

Scalabrine attempted to walk all of that back now that he’s making headlines.

“I have no idea [what his demands were],” Scalabrine says while fumbling through his explanation. “Technically, he didn’t demand a trade; it was ‘do these things right here or else.’”

Brown was later traded to the 76ers for Paul George and draft compensation. 

The Celtics broadcaster works for NBC Sports Boston, a channel the Celtics own a 20 percent stake in. 

Scalabrine did not specify whether one of those 48 calls that he “fended off” came from his bosses at NBC Sports Boston or Celtics team owners. 

“I didn’t even know that this was going to be a thing,” Scalabrine said of the media blowback. “It was one of those things that lived in my mind for months. I finally used it because we were talking about the weirdest stuff, and now it’s out there.”

“I don’t understand the full reality of it,” Scalabrine attempted to explain. 

Brown and his former co-star, Jayson Tatum, have had a strange back-and-forth in the media in recent weeks, with the 76ers guard taking the latest shots. 

Tatum had told reporters that his beef with Brown was “no f–king Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef.”

But Brown appears to have stronger feelings than that.

Brown agreed, saying there is “no beef,” but added that there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy,” with a cryptic “he should stay ready at all times.”

The 76ers play the Celtics on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia in the first meeting between the two stars since what has been viewed as an ugly breakup.

It’s been rough for the Brooklyn Nets. Following a loss at Cleveland on Saturday night, they came home for a Sunday evening matchup against the Indiana Pacers and lost 136-109. Mikel Brown Jr. sat out (injury management) as things only got uglier.

The Boston Celtics look different this season after a busy offseason, but their early results have been encouraging. They enter Tuesday’s matchup coming off a 134-99 blowout against the Chicago Bulls.

Game Info & Broadcast Details

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics
• Time: 7:30 PM EDT (6:30 PM CDT)
• Venue: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
• TV/Streaming: YES Network/DAZN

Nets vs. Celtics: Who’s Out?

Brooklyn Nets

• Joshua Jefferson: OUT – G League Assignment
• Drake Powell: OUT – G League Assignment
• Ben Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment
• Tyler Bilodeau: OUT – G League (Two-Way)
• Grant Nelson: OUT – G League (Two-Way)

Boston Celtics: TBD

This is the second night of a back-to-back for Boston so we’ll find out a few hours before tip-off.

The Game

Jordi Fernandez’s message after Sunday was simple: “The performance that we put on after the first quarter was just unacceptable. 112 points in three quarters — you’re not winning basketball games.”

Indeed.

As we noted in our season preview roundtable, bad defense is a killer and things have gotten pretty ugly already. Erik Slater of ClutchPoints discussed the amount of open threes the Nets have been allowing through the first week of the season, and teams have punished those mistakes early and often. The Celtics have been top-four in three-pointers attempted per game dating back to 2022.

If Brooklyn’s defense continues to spring leaks, this game could get ugly quick.

One of Boston’s newest faces has been around a lot longer than you’d think. This is Year 17 for Paul George and he’s been a solid hand for Joe Mazzulla’s squad. George is a versatile vet with lower usage compared to what we remember — he doesn’t need to do the heavy lifting on most nights.

The downside to being in the game this long is you’re gonna get got every so often.

Mikel Brown Jr is back against Boston and that should be a welcome sight for Nets fans.

The 20-year-old will be one of several guards chasing Payton Pritchard around tonight. Pritchard hit for 28 points and seven three-pointers last night as he had the Bulls in a blender. PP has been one of the best reserve guards in recent years and is someone Mazzulla and the team can count on to deliver no matter what the role is on a given night. His ascension allows for more flexibility and makes things easier across the board for his teammates.

For Brown Jr, Pritchard offers a great test against on the defensive side of the ball, while playing against elite competition overall. It should be fun to see how he shapes out against one of the most prepared teams in the NBA.

Player to Watch: Jayson Tatum

“He should stay ready at all times,” said former teammate Jaylen Brown.

As the face of the franchise, Jayson Tatum has a lot to think about it. He’s the lead option on a championship contender and faces all pressure to keep the team afloat in a treacherous Eastern Conference. And these days, he’s awfully busy discussing his former All-Star teammate.

Either way, it’s a lot to handle for one superstar to handle.

On the court, Tatum continues to be one of the best around. After shooting 0-for-7 night from three on opening night, he’s starting to regain his rhythm. Tatum can hurt teams in more ways than scoring. Even when his outside shot isn’t falling, he contributes as a playmaker and rebounder while still applying pressure on the defense. Brooklyn needs to make him work for his looks and avoid giving him easy opportunities to get going.

As for the Nets: When a team is going through an early rut like this, it takes a lot to turn things around. Losses pile up if you aren’t careful and three losses can turn into five, five turn into eight — you get the rest. The schedule doesn’t help either. Neither does playing against someone like Jayson Tatum.

From the Vault

My dear friend and colleague Lucas Kaplan is leaving NetsDaily to work for the Los Angeles Sparks. Lucas is the best of us and while I’m sad he’s no longer working with us, I can speak for everyone when I say I’m beyond thrilled he gets to begin such an exciting new adventure!

With that in mind, I wanna revisit the best, most fun night of basketball we ever got to cover together.

More reading: CelticsBlog, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, SNY, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Boston Celtics Game Notes – Boston Celtics
• Jordi Fernandez doesn’t hold back after ‘unacceptable’ performance drops Nets to 0-3 – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

The ongoing war of words between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum took an unexpected turn Monday courtesy of Celtics television analyst and SiriusXM radio host Brian Scalabrine.

To briefly recap: Last Thursday, Brown posted a cap emoji on an Instagram video where Tatum talked about his reaction to the Celtics trading Brown to the Sixers. The next night, Tatum told reporters, “This ain’t no f–king Shaq and Kobe, there’s no beef.” Brown concurred Saturday, telling reporters, “There’s no beef, but there might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.” (He also added that Tatum had “hell of a PR team,” which is a phenomenal dig. 10/10, no notes.)

That brings us to Monday. On his SiriusXM radio show, Scalabrine said Brown “demanded to be traded” from the Celtics, “not through the media, but to the organization.”

Pretty explosive stuff here from Brian Scalabrine:

"My understanding of this thing is that (Jaylen Brown) demanded to be traded. Not through the media, but to the organization." …

"My understanding is that Jaylen Brown went to the organization and had a list of demands, and… https://t.co/GC7fpjc7qh

— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) October 26, 2026

“If you’re actually doing that, and you’re going to say Tatum is the one that’s lying, your whole basis of this thing is a lie,” he concluded.

As it turns out, Scalabrine might need to look in a mirror before calling someone else a liar. On the NBC Sports Boston broadcast prior to Monday’s game against the Celtics and Chicago Bulls, Scalabrine cleared up his report by essentially rebutting everything he said earlier in the day.

Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine taking about Scal’s comments on the radio today https://t.co/VyfjTPuiiHpic.twitter.com/Ldad81lQHO

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) October 26, 2026

“He technically didn’t demand to be traded,” Scalabrine said. “I just summed it all up, I just summed up the entire word salad and kept it simple, but I think that’s what got me in trouble there.”

When asked what Brown’s demand was, Scalabrine replied, “I have no idea. I don’t know what the ultimatum was or the demand or whatever it was, but he technically did not demand to be traded. It was ‘Do these things right here or else.'”

A representative from Brown’s team told ESPN’s Kris Rhim that Scalabrine’s report was “10000% a lie.” The representative added that once the Celtics informed Brown that they planned to trade him, his “only request was to have input on his destination,” which Chris Hine of the Philadelphia Inquireralso reported.

Journalism is currently in a state of disrepair for countless reasons. The rise of AI will only make things exponentially worse. (It already has.) But one of the fundamental tenets of journalism—at least back in its heyday—was that you double-check what you’re reporting before you actually report it. Once upon a time, they had these things called “editors” and “fact-checkers” who were an extra layer of review to ensure that journalists weren’t reporting inaccurate information. (Most of them have now been laid off because they didn’t make their company’s Line Go Up quickly enough.)

Of course, the live, off-the-cuff nature of radio and TV make it far more difficult to vet information in real time. That’s why you do that work beforehand before spouting it to a national audience. We’ve all been on the internet long enough at this point to know that aggregators will pounce on any juicy material and disseminate it widely. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what happened to Scalabrine on Monday.

Jaylen Brown was reportedly the one who demanded a trade from Boston and was pushing for a move to Milwaukee, per @Scalabrine

“I think Jaylen Brown lives in his own reality. But because it wasn’t being documented that he demanded to be traded, then I don’t think that anybody,… pic.twitter.com/mnZGpK6LfQ

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 26, 2026

As the father of two young boys, teaching accountability has been one of the biggest parenting challenges to date. It’s hard to own up to your mistakes and admit that you screwed up; it’s far easier to blame someone else or deflect responsibility. But is that the world we want to live in?

Scalabrine shouldn’t necessarily lose his job over a mistake like this, but he should feel compelled to apologize and own it. No hedging, no wishy-washy, “Well, there’s nuance, but…” The only words out of his mouth should be, “I screwed up, I deeply regret the error, and I will not report anything unless I am 100 percent sure it is accurate moving forward.”

But given the state of everything these days, this faux pas will probably put him in line to be the next White House press secretary by next week.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

An eventful offseason for the Detroit Pistons made the last few months feel short. After the dust settled, suddenly, we had games! And with them came plenty of early impressions.

The overarching impression? Detroit looks really good again.

The Pistons have not only won their first three games, but they’ve looked like the big boys against the teams everyone expected to be among the conference’s big boys. All the talk about Detroit regressing this season may have played right into the hands of a team that needed an edge after a 60-win campaign last year.

Both Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson missed the most recent game against Philadelphia with injuries, yet the team arguably played its most complete game of the young season. The last time we saw Detroit, its weaknesses were exposed. But it’s easy to forget just how dominant the Pistons can look when opponents aren’t ready to match their level of intensity.

Let’s get into three thoughts from Detroit’s opening stretch of wins.

1. Spacing!

Outside of contract situations that dominated the offseason, plenty of noise came from doubters (like myself) who felt the front office hadn’t done enough to add scoring to a team that desperately needed it in the postseason. While I still believe there will eventually be a need, for now, that noise has quieted.

It was evident in the season opener against Boston that there has been a shift toward prioritizing spacing around Cade Cunningham. Duncan Robinson has been excellent through the first three games and clearly has the green light to let it fly, averaging 19.7 points and 5.0 made threes per game. The team as a whole ranks third in the NBA in three-point percentage and fourth in made threes per game.

We may look back at the end of the season and realize that prioritizing depth and shooting this offseason made a lot more sense than going all in on a superstar. On the flip side, teams will start to game-plan differently and try to limit what Detroit has done so well early on. There will likely be some regression to the mean, but for the Pistons to shoot this well against three teams with legitimate championship aspirations is a huge boost.

2. No Stew, no problem?

Isaiah Stewart’s impact on the identity of this new iteration of the “Bad Boy” Pistons has been well documented over the years. A fantastic defensive player, Stewart became a fan favorite during his six seasons in Detroit, making it easy to understand why many took issue with his offseason departure in a trade to Memphis.

His exit also raised questions about whether the team’s defensive identity would take a step back without him. So far, it hasn’t.

Through the first week, Detroit hasn’t skipped a beat defensively compared to what we saw last season. The Pistons rank fifth in points allowed per game, fourth in blocks and second in loose balls recovered. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but these are the kinds of numbers many might have expected to regress immediately without Stewart in the rotation.

That was evident in some games last year when Detroit was without its top players, but it’s increasingly clear that this team’s identity is rooted in collective defensive pride, not just a few standout defenders.

Daniss Jenkins said after the win over Philadelphia, “We feel like we’re the baddest dudes in the world.” That’s exactly what you feel watching this team compete for every possession, especially on the defensive end.

3. Ebuka Okorie’s role

When a top-20 draft pick has a hard time finding minutes on his new team, it’s usually a sign of one of two things: the team is loaded with talent, or the rookie is struggling to earn a role. Detroit likely falls into the former category, as its depth of experienced guards has made it difficult for Stanford rookie Ebuka Okorie to see much playing time through the first few games. Still, I don’t expect that to be a season-long theme.

Okorie got on the floor for a brief stint against Philadelphia and scored his first NBA points at the free-throw line after drawing a foul on a back cut. That short appearance could be a soft launch toward a larger role for a rookie who likely deserves the opportunity after a strong preseason.

Okorie was an immediate spark plug during the preseason, playing well down the stretch of games and, at times, willed the team to victory. Whether it’s because of injuries or his own development, I expect the rookie to find his way onto the floor more consistently at some point.

DENVER — In his first four games, Yaxel Lendeborg has already gone head-to-head against Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. How’s that for a welcome to the NBA?

The way the 24-year-old rookie has responded to the test, the more pertinent question might be: How’s that for an introduction to Yaxel Lendeborg? And maybe another: How much better can this dude get?

After Lendeborg’s most impressive showing yet, leading the Warriors to their first road win over Jokic and the Nuggets since 2022, Draymond Green offered an answer: Eons.

“I don’t care what age you are, it’s the NBA. If you don’t know the NBA game, you’re already at a deficit. He don’t know the game,” Green said. “Not that he don’t know the game of basketball — he don’t know the NBA. And to be able to have the ability to go out there and still do that, not knowing what the NBA really, truly brings on a nightly basis is special. 

“It’s no different than what I’ve been saying for weeks now. I think he’s a special player.”

In other words, Lendeborg still has lots of room to grow, especially considering the fact that he only started playing the sport seriously after high school. Now, think about that and take a look at his stat line from the Warriors’ 134-114 win — his fourth career game: 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists. Plus-27 in 31 minutes.

“Basically, at all the critical moments of the game, we just put the ball in his hands,” coach Steve Kerr said. “For a rookie to be that advanced already, it’s extremely rare. But it’s exciting because I think he’s gonna get a lot better, too.”

Two rookies in Warriors history have ever had a game like Lendeborg’s: Rick Barry and Wilt Chamberlain. Pretty good company. Tally it up with his first three games and it gets even better.

In the lottery era, only four rookies in the entire NBA have ever totaled 85 points and 35 rebounds in their first four games, according to OptaStats research: Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal — and Lendeborg.

Stephen Curry called him “kind of the full package” after the game on Peacock.

“He’s just got composure and feel, obviously his size on the court, he’s a matchup problem,” Curry said. “But he’s never really in a hurry and he’s starting to see the pictures really well. Distributing, being aggressive, getting to the free throw line, offensive rebounds.”

Steph on Yaxel:

"He's just got composure and feel. He's a matchup problem, but he's never really in a hurry. Kind of the full package" pic.twitter.com/qa9Hk3X50Y

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) October 27, 2026

Green said that he “impose[d] his will on the game.”

Besides a Curry flurry in the third quarter, the Warriors more or less ran their offense through Lendeborg, who used his 6-foot-9, 241-pound frame to steamroll into the lane. 

He chased down a block in transition and got back for a bucket on the other end. He made it to the foul line 13 times, only missing once. And as an exclamation point, he slammed home a lob from De’Anthony Melton with 4:36 left. Amid it all, he made just one of his eight attempts from downtown.

“On the night that I can’t make a 3 for nothing, it’s crazy that it’s my best game so far,” Lendeborg said. “Because it was very frustrating for me. I’m just glad that we got our first win. I would have cried if we lost again.”

Another bucket and Lendeborg would have tied or surpassed Darius Acuff Jr. (33 vs. Portland) for the most points by a rookie so far this season. But, he said, “I’ve never been a stat-padder.”

Imagine the numbers he’d be putting up if he was.

For the past six months, the Detroit Pistons have heard it all about their playoff failure.

A wave of roster changes and blockbuster trades in the Eastern Conference has all but relegated J.B. Bickerstaff’s crew to an afterthought in championship oddsmakers' minds. But have the pundits gotten it wrong, so far? Maybe, but based on Detroit’s early vacation from the postseason, it wasn’t a stretch to question their realistic title aspirations.

The team with the conference’s best regular-season record in 2025-26 needed seven games to beat the Orlando Magic in the first round after falling behind 2-0, then was bounced in the semifinals by the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing by 31 at home in Game 7.

An offseason of reflection revealed two obvious things: averaging 117 points a game in the regular season means nothing without a competent outside shooter, and an extra ball handler would take the load off star Cade Cunningham, who doesn’t have to facilitate the offense on every possession.

The drama didn’t stop there, as Jalen Duren, who earned third-team All-NBA honors, was in a standoff with his contract before finally signing a five-year, $200 million extension before the season.

Detroit will have to do without the services of Duren for at least the next two weeks after he injured his hamstring, and forward Ausar Thompson, who led the league in steals and was an All-NBA First-Team All-Defensive pick, is nursing an ankle injury.

Despite that, the word fluke hasn’t been used this season, as Detroit has dispatched three teams considered their closest competition in the East with victories over the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, the last two on the road, while also vastly improving their 3-point shooting so far.

Last season, the Pistons hit only 36% of their shots from downtown, and in the first three games, that percentage has jumped to 42%. That kind of deadly accuracy isn’t sustainable over an 82-game season, but it will force teams to play the perimeter and respect any player who hovers around the 3-point line, especially when defending Duncan Robinson, who can fight off screens and bury long-range shots against uninterested, lazy defenders.

More: Thunder's NBA title odds drop after Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace injuries

Cunningham, a first-team All-NBA selection, leads the team in scoring, assists, steals and blocks, all the while playing most possessions off the ball, but has been aided by the 32-year-old Robinson and John Collins, who signed a 3-year, $51 million deal in the offseason and brings another veteran presence who can hold down the fort should Thompson and Duren miss extended time. In the season's first three games, three different players have led the team in scoring.

"We're just staying steady. We're not getting ahead of ourselves,” Cunningham said after the 76ers victory. “The togetherness is there. We got a great system, we got the best coach in the league."

The early three-game road trip ends at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, who are still seeking their first victory and are looking to avoid becoming the first defending champion to start the season 0-4 since the Boston Celtics in 1969, their first season without legend Bill Russell. 

Detroit beat the Knicks in all three meetings last season, and it will be interesting to see if the Pistons can maintain their shooting touch and defensive intensity against a desperate New York squad that is back as an Eastern Conference favorite.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pistons out to prove No. 1 seed was no fluke as they face champion Knicks