Category: NBA

The Washington Wizards’ clash with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday was arguably one of the greatest preseason contests in franchise history. The Wizards’ 114-108 overtime win at Capital One Arena had everything fans could have asked for.

The first quarter was virtually every Wizards supporter’s wet dream for the upcoming season. Trae Young and AJ Dybantsa were throwing endless lobs to Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. DC’s defense turned into offense at every opportunity, with outlet passes leading to 19 fastbreak points in the opening period alone.

Tre Johnson also caught fire to close the first with three triples to help build a 40-20 lead after the first 12 minutes of action.

The Washington Express lost some steam in the second quarter as the Wizards went nearly four full minutes without scoring. The first bucket of the quarter was emphatic: Dybantsa served up another lob dunk to Sarr.

Dybantsa also showed off some transition wizardry with a behind-the-back move to get past three Pistons defenders for an And-1. Dybantsa and Johnson each had 12, while Davis and Kyshawn George had 10 apiece as Washington led 56-50 at the half.

Trae Young scored his first and only field goal of the game to start the third quarter, then got ejected minutes later following an altercation with Daniss Jenkins. He left the game with 2 points, 8 assists, and 5 turnovers as the Wizards’ lead shrank to 80-78 through three quarters.

Brian Keefe rode the third-stringers in the fourth quarter as the Pistons took a 94-87 lead with five minutes to go, in what was shaping up to be a loss. That’s when Will Riley, Justin Champagnie, and Felix Okpara shined.

Okpara hit a three-pointer, then put a Piston on a poster in back-to-back possessions. The game went into overtime, where the Wizards came out on top 114-108.

Riley and Johnson led the Wizards with 15 points. Dybantsa, shaky jumper aside, showed flashes of greatness throughout his 14-point, 7-rebound outing.

It’s only preseason, but this Washington team already has fans buzzing in anticipation of opening night.

Jaylen Brown made his return to Boston Saturday, but we’ll have to wait until the regular season to see him face off against his former team.

Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all out as the Sixers took on Paul George, making his preseason debut, and the Celtics Saturday night. With Boston using its regular rotation, the shorthanded Sixers got crushed 144-106.

VJ Edgecombe was sensational, dropping 19 points (6-of-11 from the field, 2-of-5 from three) and recording four assists and four steals. Tyrese Maxey struggled from the field as he found himself in early foul trouble and saw a lot of bodies throughout the night. He was 2-of-10 for eight points. Jabari Walker, who continued his impressive preseason, pitched in 14 points and five rebounds. Rookie Labaron Philon, Jr. impressed with 14 points (4-of-8 from three) and seven assists.

Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Dominick Barlow (back), Adem Bona (foot) and Tacko Fall (hip) all remained out for the Sixers.

Only one more of these next Friday back at the crib before they start counting.

Here are some takeaways from the night.

First quarter

• Edgecombe pulled up confidently from three in transition, but missed. Maxey found him in the corner and Edgecombe finally buried his first triple of the preseason. Sandwiched in between was a gorgeous up-and-under, and-one lefty finish.

• I loved the Dean Wade signing when they made it. I love it even more watching Wade through three preseason games. Some guys just know how to play … and too often those guys haven’t been members of the Sixers.
• Jabari Walker is having a terrific preseason. It’s no small task to go up against a true bruising center like Mitchell Robinson. Walker acquitted himself quite well. He’s playing himself into a role.
• Another game with an early scare. Edgecombe was flying down the floor in transition. As he left the ground in the paint and passed it to the corner to Rayan Rupert, he went down hard. He stayed down for a moment, but eventually got up — and looked mad he didn’t get a whistle. He exited the game briefly, but was back in before the period ended.
• With so many guys out, Labaron Philon, Rayan Rupert and Dillon Jones all got first-quarter minutes.
• Philon made yet another beautiful move into the paint and saw a floater go in and out, a theme for the rookie so far this preseason. His miss was rebounded and kicked back out to him and he buried a three. Like the moxie from the kid.
• Turnovers were a big issue in Brooklyn. The Sixers had seven in the first quarter Saturday. Maxey was just 1-of-6 from the field to start as he was aggressively trapped (because Joe Mazzulla is a crazy person). Edgecombe led the team with six points, going 2-of-5. Neither team shot the ball well, but the Celtics took a 24-20 lead after one

Second quarter

• Edgecombe kicked off the quarter with a beautiful drive and finish. His improved handle and finishing have been on full display. This is a star in the making.
• Wade started the period playing as the five against Robinson. Wade held his own when they dumped it down to Robinson in the post, forcing a miss.
• Justin Edwards got the start tonight. Unfortunately, his rough preseason continued. He looks indecisive and is struggling to contain anyone defensively.
• Don’t like to make officiating a thing (especially in the preseason), but my goodness, the Sixers are not getting a kind whistle.
• The Sixers are playing multiple Exhibit 10 signees and a two-way player against Boston’s rotation guys, so the score got ugly, but it also gave Edgecombe a chance to cook — and boy, did he cook. He’s been incredibly impressive in the preseason.

• Philon with a middie fadeaway in Derrick White’s eye. Fearless. He then made a beautiful read and found Rupert in the opposite corner. Rupert bricked the three. Rupert is another guy having a rough preseason.
• Maxey just blocked the shit out of George, who’s having a brutal night. Really great help defense by Saint Thomas. Thomas has actually looked decent in limited minutes.

• Another brutal turnover from Edwards, then one by Edgecombe. The Sixers had 12 in the first half. That paired with the Celtics starting to hit shots and the score got ugly.
• The Sixers had a couple beautiful possessions that led to two threes — both with assists from Wade. This guy is such good connector.
• Again, it was Boston’s regulars against a thin Sixers lineup. The Celtics took a 63-42 lead into the half. Edgecombe was the bright spot, leading the Sixers with 14 points, three assists and four steals.

Third quarter

• Unsurprisingly, no Maxey to start the second half. Wade also sat after halftime.
• Walker picked up his fifth foul 15 seconds into the half. Suboptimal considering where the Sixers are with the center position right now.
• Philon made an absolutely filthy bounce pass to Walker in transition for an and-one. Walker buried another three on the next offensive possession. He’s hoopin’.
• Looks like Edgecombe’s night is done midway through third. Can’t say enough about how he played Saturday and how he’s looked overall in the preseason.
• And another beauty of a dime from Philon to Walker. This kid is fun to watch.

• Yeah, this is a bloodbath. Sixers are playing two two-way guys, two Exhibit 10 guys and a rookie. The Celtics still have a lineup full of rotation guys.

Fourth quarter

• Four straight threes for the Sixers — two each from Philon and Edwards. Again, the Celtics still have regulars out there, so Philon is doing this against legit NBA competition. He looks like he can play right away — and he might need to depending on Simons’ health.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.

Bad news people. The Spurs started their season on Thursday night with a loss. But, in preseason, the scores don’t count, so was it really a loss? The Spurs starters looked really good for about a quarter and then they took the rest of the game off, even though some of them were still on the court for part of the rest of the game. David Jones Garcia looked really interesting in the second half, and Tarris Reed had a pretty good outing, although he’s probably going to have a bit of adjustment learning to play against NBA bigs. Not exactly unexpected for a rookie. There were some guys who saw the court in against Atlanta who aren’t expected to make the team, and their minutes made it fairly obvious the reasons why that is so. Players like Taelon Peter and Jon Elmore are guy who are supremely talented basketball players, but not elite enough to look good against NBA talent. It’s a rough business.

Tonight they face a Phoenix squad with NBA super villain Dillon Brooks who is shooting 60% on three-point shots in the preseason (on a small sample size). If he actually becomes a good shooter, that’s going to be a reason to hate him even more. But with all of the shooters on the Suns, this is a team that should be interesting this year, and they could be in the playoff mix in the west. It will be an interesting matchup for the preseason Spurs, at least for a quarter or so, until the G-League players take over and make it hard to watch. It’s a late tipoff, so you may want to watch this game on delay and skip over the boring parts. Sorry, I’m not doing a good job of selling this, am I?

This game is on DAZN, so hook up your apps, or log in on your Smart TV. Let’s GO Spurs!!! For at least most of the first half.

Game Prediction:

Victor Wembanyama reads a book on the bench during the second half.

San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (Preseason)
October 10, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT
Streaming: DAZN, League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

A good old-fashioned San Antonio vs. Phoenix (preseason) showdown. Let’s do this!

If you don’t have the SB Nation app, it comes in real handy for Game Threads. Just sayin’!

Lakers coach JJ Redick raised eyebrows ahead of media day when he said the Lakers could become a championship-level team this season.

Well, the franchise’s superstar echoes that sentiment.

When did Luka Doncic begin thinking that?

“Since the first day,” Doncic said at Lakers practice Saturday. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia — except Cam [Carr] couldn’t make [it] — I believed that we can win a championship.”

Doncic should feel that way. He had his fingerprints all over the team’s roster moves last summer.

The 26-year-old Doncic wanted to play alongside Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million contract. the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted.

Doncic wanted Walker Kessler to be his franchise center. The Lakers went on to acquire him in a sign-and-trade deal from Utah, giving up two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, signing him to a four-year, $130 million contract.

The Lakers added nine new players this offseason, completely overhauling their roster after they were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Thunder in May.

Doncic was sidelined all of last postseason because of a strained left hamstring he suffered during a regular-season game against the Thunder on April 2.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Doncic recently acknowledged he regretted playing through the injury when it first began to bother him in the second quarter of that game. After all, he thought the soaring Lakers who had gone on a 16-2 run had a chance to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy back then, too.

“Obviously, I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship, so it was kind of disappointed, kind of let the team down,” Doncic said. “So it’s definitely motivating for this season.”

Doncic wants to win his first championship and catapult the 17-time championship Lakers back atop the league after they failed to get past the second round of the playoffs the last three years. They’ve gotten younger. They’ve gotten faster.

And after LeBron James left for the 76ers in free agency last summer, the Lakers unequivocally became his team.

He has taken that responsibility very seriously. For the first time in his career, Doncic hosted a minicamp in Slovenia in August, paying for the entire team to come to his home country so it could build chemistry ahead of the season.

Apparently, his investment paid off.

When they arrived and began scrimmaging, Doncic immediately began believing the Lakers could be special.

So special, that he believes they have a chance to hang their 18th banner.

Lights. Camera. Action.

After nearly six months, the Phoenix Suns are set to play their first game tonight at the Mortgage Matchup Center since their Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs last season. At 7:30 Arizona Time, they’ll tango against the San Antonio Spurs in their preseason home opener.

For at least 43 times over the next six-plus months, there will be Suns basketball played in Arizona. Two preseason and 41 regular season games.

While the last game they played at home ended their season, the team had many unforgettable victories on their home court.

25-16 in Phoenix a season ago, many of the team’s most memorable moments came at the Mortgage Matchup Center during the 2025-2026 campaign, including Jalen Green’s buzzer beater, Devin Booker’s game-winner against the NBA’s best regular-season team, Grayson Allen’s franchise-record 10-three contest and many other exciting comebacks and game-winners.

The Suns also clinched their spot in the Western Conference Playoff bracket in Phoenix last year, beating the Golden State Warriors in the 8/9 Play-In game, returning to the playoffs after a year’s absence, officially surprising the many who didn’t expect them to be in the top-eight of the conference.

Whether it’s getting to watch Devin Booker and the squad, saying hi to The Gorilla, or munching down on any of the items from the $2 menu, what is your favorite part of going to Suns games?

Observations after Sixers get blown out by Celtics in preseason  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ third preseason contest was a blowout affair.

The Celtics cruised to a 144-106 exhibition victory Saturday night over the Sixers at TD Garden. The Sixers fell to 1-2 in preseason play.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum scored 23 points and Payton Pritchard poured in 25. VJ Edgecombe had 19 points, four assists and four steals for the Sixers.

After using their full starting five Thursday in a loss to the Nets, the Sixers’ absences included LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. Adem Bona (left foot sprain), Dominick Barlow (back) and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) were among the other players on the sidelines. 

The Sixers’ fourth and final preseason game will also be against the Celtics. They’ll host Boston next Friday night.

Here are observations on their loss Saturday:

Walker starts at center 

The Sixers started Tyrese Maxey, Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Dean Wade and Jabari Walker.

Edgecombe had a bright first few minutes, scoring a reverse and-one layup and canning a three-pointer to give the Sixers an 8-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Celtics missed their first seven field goals. 

The 6-foot-7 Walker played center and faced a pair of 7-footers in Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta. 

Walker had some nice early moments, including a put-back layup, although he accumulated three fouls in his first 10 minutes. He posted 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and five rebounds. Walker swished a corner three-pointer in the second quarter and continued to fire away from long range. He’s now 5 for 13 (38.5 percent) beyond the arc in the preseason. 

The 6-9 Wade moved to center after Walker took a seat. Robinson beat Wade to an offensive rebound in the second quarter and then converted an and-one lay-in. 

Not every team has multiple 7-footers in its rotation like the Celtics and Robinson is a tremendous offensive rebounder who habitually wins individual battles against centers of all sizes. Still, the Sixers are simply small at backup center currently with the injuries to Bona and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear).

Not the finest night for Sixers’ offense 

Maxey had an uncharacteristically rough preseason start. 

He began 0 for 4 from the floor. Maxey committed his second foul of the first quarter when he made contact with Paul George on his former teammate’s fadeaway jumper attempt. In his first game since being traded to Boston, George had 13 points on 3-for-10 shooting, five steals, five rebounds and four assists.

Maxey wasn’t the only cold Sixer. The team dropped to 4 for 21 from three-point range on an Edwards air ball.

Outside of all the misses, the Sixers’ offense was sloppy and lacked fluidity. Following a 21-turnover game against the Nets, the team had 13 giveaways in Saturday’s first half. The Celtics’ advantage swelled over 20 points before halftime.

Naturally, the Sixers will expect much better from their offense once they’re closer to full strength and the games count. 

More useful reps for Philon

Labaron Philon Jr. featured for the Sixers’ young second unit. 

As he had in Brooklyn, Philon hit a three soon after checking in. For any rookie coming off the bench, being locked in immediately after entering games is much easier said than done. Philon comes across as a player who has no issues with confidence and focus once his name is called. 

The Alabama product started the second half and got useful on-ball reps in Maxey’s place. He logged 25 minutes and had 14 points and seven assists.

Philon’s efficiency had been subpar through two and a half preseason games, but he knocked down two long-range jumpers early in the fourth quarter and is clearly capable of getting hot. The 22nd overall pick has shot 9 for 30 (30 percent) from the field and 5 for 15 (33.3 percent) from three-point territory so far in his first NBA preseason.

Steph Curry appeared on a wedding’s dance floor before appearing on the Golden State Warriors’ court for the upcoming season.

On Friday, Curry’s mom, Sonya, shared an Instagram post revealing that she recently got remarried, just five years after she filed for divorce from NBA great Dell Curry after three decades of marriage.

If the Warriors star has any qualms with his mother getting remarried, it certainly didn’t show on his face while he was at the wedding.

One photo Sonya shared on her Instagram post showed Steph grinning from ear to ear on the dance floor while one of his daughters was busting out dance moves.

Sonya’s post also included a group of Polaroid photos from the wedding. Steph and his wife, Ayesha, can be seen posing together in the Polaroid at the very top.

View this post on Instagram

Steph’s happiness in the photo says it all about how he was enjoying himself at the wedding and appears to be happy for his mother as she embarks on this new phase of her life.

The marriage took place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort and was planned in just nine weeks, according to Sonya’s Instagram post.

Sonya Curry’s new husband hasn’t been publicly identified, and his face doesn’t appear in any of the wedding photos she posted.

But she still frequents Warriors games, and so it seems like she’ll show up with her husband at some game this season.

The Detroit Pistons were able to showcase their depth in a preseason debut win over the Phoenix Suns, but their starters had their fair share of struggles. Ausar Thompson was attempting to handle the ball much more than usual, John Collins was trying to integrate himself into the lineup while also trying not to murder Dillon Brooks, and Paul Reed was stepping in for Jalen Duren. Then some key bench players were also a little erratic — plenty of shots for Ron Holland, and plenty of fouls and turnovers for… everyone. It’s fine. It’s the preseason. That’s what it’s for. But now the Pistons have a chance to sharpen up against the Washington Wizards. Jalen Duren might suit up today, and we will get a better sense of what a lot of these new ingredients and further simmering talents are able to do for the Pistons.

GAME VITALS

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN-DET
Odds: Pistons -4.5

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren

Washington Wizards

Trae Young, Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Alex Sarr, Anthony Davis

Entering the final week of preseason games, Lakers coach JJ Redick still is unsure when he’ll get a full look at his new-look team.

Lingering injuries to center Walker Kessler (finger) and guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) are casting doubt on their availability for the Lakers’ fourth preseason game Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors.

Both offseason additions have yet to make their preseason debuts. While Kessler participated in practice Saturday after hitting his finger on the backboard, he was not in live drills. Redick said he was “not committed” to having Kessler available Tuesday against the Warriors.

The Lakers invested four first-round picks and a four-year, $130-million contract to get the star center from the Utah Jazz. They’re relying on him to anchor their defense and add a much-desired lob threat for guard Luka Doncic. For now, the Lakers are getting a preview of what their team would look like in the minutes without Kessler.

“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” said Redick, who said Kessler’s finger injury is minor enough for him to play through if this was the regular season. “That was a concern, I think, coming into the year ... trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? And I think in film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding.”

The Lakers are 28th in the preseason with 37.7 rebounds per game and gave up 20 offensive rebounds to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in their third game of the preseason.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves show why they click in Lakers' preseason win

Wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams started the Lakers’ preseason opener and the defensive-minded players flashed their potential by hounding opponents the full length of the court. After starring in the opener with 13 points and a steal against the Warriors, Williams missed the last two games because of a foot contusion.

Second-year forward Adou Thiero started instead and has a team-high 11 defensive rebounds in three games. The high-flying wing’s growth this offseason caught the attention of his teammates, who are eager to throw him lobs for dunks and see him sky for rebounds.

Doncic has been high on him since the Lakers star hosted a five-day minicamp for the team in his home country of Slovenia in August.

“I told him that the second pickup game in Slovenia, what I saw from him, just understanding the game better, reading the game, I think he improved a lot in the summer,” Doncic said.

With Kessler sidelined, the Lakers have alternated Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center. Looney leads the team with 17 rebounds in the preseason. Mamukelashvili, who plays both power forward and center, has 11 assists in the preseason, showing the type of versatility that has Redick excited to install the team’s “Mamu package” of plays and after-timeout sets.

The lack of depth at center could be a concern during the season, but they’re confident in their perimeter players to set the tone on defense.

“It makes my job a lot easier,” Looney said of the Lakers’ rotation of wings. “As long as I talk early, they’re going to get over the screen. I don’t have to be caught playing two. Those guys are able to recover, they’re able to block shots, they’re able to pop back and get rebounds. As a big, when your guards and wings are hustling like that, it makes your job a lot easier.”

Sexton is “probably a little bit further behind” when it comes to returning compared to Kessler, Redick said. The Lakers signed the 27-year-old guard for extra scoring punch and have missed him as a third ballhandling option to supplement Doncic and Austin Reaves. With the way teams pressure, Redick said he is aiming to have multiple ballhandlers on the court at all times.

With coaches still tinkering with lineups in the preseason, turnovers became a problem when the ballhandling options dwindled. The Lakers average the fourth-most turnovers per game (23.7) in the preseason.

Although the Lakers have yet to have all their players available, they aren’t lacking confidence. Doncic said he knew the team, which welcomed nine new players during a busy offseason, had championship potential well before training camp started.

“Since the first day,” Doncic said. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Watch on Monumental Sports Network. Read the preview here. Let’s get to 2-0 in this young preseason!

It remains to be seen whether Walker Kessler (jammed finger) will make his preseason debut for the Lakers on Tuesday.

“I would say we’re not committed to that,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said at Lakers practice on Saturday.

The Lakers’ new franchise center has missed all three exhibition games after jamming his finger against the backboard during training camp.

Redick said Kessler at first fully participated in Saturday’s practice, but then his injury started bothering him.

“He was a live participant initially, and then we were doing a drill and he hit his finger,” said Redick, who added that Kessler went on to do everything else Saturday except for the live action drills.

“… So, [he] was in for about half the practice,” Redick said. “We’ll see [Sunday] if he can do live.”

The Lakers play the Warriors on Tuesday in their penultimate exhibition game.

So, the team has two more chances to try to get Kessler on the floor to get a glimpse of what their Big 3 will look like ahead of their season opener on Oct. 21.

Redick emphasized that Kessler’s injury is of no concern.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Redick said.

Redick added that Collin Sexton (lower leg) is “a little bit further behind” Kessler in terms of making his preseason debut. He said Arthur Kaluma participated in Saturday’s practice, but Ziaire Williams is still dealing with a foot contusion.

“Again, it’s not a concern,” Redick said of Williams.

Luka Doncic is looking forward to see how things shape up when everyone becomes available, especially Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired in a sign-and-trade from Utah, giving up two unprotected first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.

“I’m very excited,” Doncic said Saturday. “Obviously, kind of involved, not signing him. but there was a lot of communication with [Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and JJ about him, so I’m very excited to just share the floor with him.”

The Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in their home preseason opener. The 76ers have played 2 games so far, winning the first and losing the second. They sat their starters in the first game and won and played all of their starters in the second game and lost. Philly has one preseason game left after this one, at home against the Celtics. The Celtics have 2 more preseason games, one at home against Charlotte and the final game on the road at Philadelphia.

Jaylen Brown’s play with the 76ers will be a point of interest for Celtics fans all season. He was the only regular starter to play in both games. Nick Nurse has said that he will play his starters in one of the 2 games against Boston and it will likely be their home game. Since the Celtics starters sat out the first game. I expect them to play at least the first half in this one. But, with Joe, you never know.

The 76ers made one of the biggest moves of the off season, trading Paul George to get Jaylen Brown. They also signed LeBron James, Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti and Anfernee Simons as free agents. They drafted Labaron Philon, Jr with the 22nd pick in the draft. Along with Paul George, they lost Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Jr and Andre Drummond.

I’m not going to post possible starters for this game. Both coaches are unpredictable and I’m sure whatever lineups I pick, the coaches will start someone else. Philadelphia started Caldwell-Pope, Edgecombe, Brown, Wade and Hukporti in their first game. They started Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid in their second game. The Celtics started Conley, Scheierman, Walsh, Gonzalez and Garza. He may go with the starters in this game or possibly even all the end of the bench guys.

The Celtics have just one player on the injury list and that is Ron Harper, Jr who is a game time decision with a shoulder injury. The 76ers have 5 players listed as out including Taco Fall (hip), Dminick Barlow (back), Adem Bona (foot), Ariel Hukporti (Achilles), and Anfernee Simons (hamstring). I’m sure there will be at least a few players out for rest as well. With Hukporti out for the season and Bona nursing a sore foot, they are weak at the center.

Boston Celtics Roster
Chris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley
Luka Garza
Paul George
Hugo Gonzalez
Ron Harper, Jr
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Mitchell Robinson
Baylor Scheierman
Jayson Tatum
Jordan Walsh
Derrick White

2-Way Players
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams

Exhibit 10 Players
Devin Carter
Tucker DeVries
Hayden Gray
Gabe MccGlothan
Milos Uzan

Injuries
Ron Harper, Jr  (shoulder) game time decision

Players to Watch

Jayson Tatum and Paul George

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Philadelphia 76ers Roster
Jaylen Brown
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
VJ Edgecombe
Justin Edwards
Joel Embiid
LeBron James
Tyrese Maxey
Labaron Philon, Jr
Dean Wade
Jabari Walker

2-Way Players
Caleb Love
Rayan Rupert

Exhibit 10 Players
Taco Fall
Dillon Jones
Duke Miles
Jameer Nelson, Jr
Saint Thomas

Injuries
Taco Fall (hip) out
Dominick Barlow (back)  out
Adem Bona (foot) out
Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) out
Anfernee Simons (hamstring) out

Players to Watch

VJ Edgecombe and Jabari Walker

Head Coach
Nick Nurse

What to Watch
How Jayson Tatum Plays – Jayson Tatum played in just 16 games last season, plus 6 playoff games.  He looked good and averaged almost 22 points and 10 rebounds, however, he didn’t seem to have the same explosion that he did before the injury.  He also played along side of Jaylen Brown for the past 10 years and will be playing as the Alpha without him for the first time in his career.  We didn’t get to see him in the first game, so hopefully he will play in this game. 

How About the New Guys– Conley looked good in the start on Thursday and may or may not play in this one.  How will Paul George’s game fit with Jayson Tatum and how will he play in the Celtics’ system.  Does he still have a lot in the tank and can he still play at a high level?  Will Mitchell Robinson start or come off the bench and how will his game fit with Mazzulla Ball?  Can he hit his free throws?   Chris Cenac, Jr,   Dillon Mitchell and Devin Carter all impressed in game 1.  Can they do it again in this game?

Offensive Rebounding – The Celtics dominated the boards on Thursday against the Cavaliers.  They had 21 offensive rebounds to just 6 for the Cavs.  Can the starters do just as well?  Rebounding will be a key for the Celtics this season.  The 76ers had 10 offensive rebounds in their first game and 6 in their second.  The Celtics need to once again dominate the boards in this game.

3 Point Shooting – The Celtics picked up where they left off last season, shooting 47 three pointers and hitting 36.2% of them   The 76ers reserves shot 46 threes in the first game against New York and hit 34.8% of them.  In their second game against Brooklynwith the starters in, they shot just 27 threes and hit just 29.6% of them. 

X-Factor
It’s the Preseason – The preseason is a time for the coaches to get a look at players who may or may not make the team, to experiment with lineups and different plays.  Wins and losses are not as important as learning things about the players and the team.  We certainly won’t see the regular rotation for either team and that’s ok. 

The Houston looked pretty good on Friday morning in their 135-117 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Fred VanVleet’s return to the lineup was triumphant and Alperen Sengun snagged a triple double in just 22 minutes. Were the Rockets perfect? Of course not. 21 turnovers leap off the stat sheet and defense was optional in the second half, but in a preseason overseas, you have to expect some issues.

For Dallas, Dusty May has stated that he expects Kyrie Irving to play one of the two games. Since Irving didn’t play on Friday, well the process of elimination sort of does the work for us. Kevin Durant is also listed as a game-time decision. Again, the league wants the stars to play and the teams know that, so we’ll see how May and Ime Udoka play this.

Houston’s next (and final) preseason game is on Thursday in Houston against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then there’s no basketball until the following Wednesday (October 21) when Houston takes on these same Dallas Mavericks to open the season.

Tip-off

5am CT

How To Watch

NBA TV and Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Kevin Durant: GTD

Mavericks

Do you really care?

The Line (as of this post)

I can’t find one and honestly, if you really need this line, please get some help.

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Thursday evening against the Oklahoma City Thunder

What we learned as Yaxel Lendeborg shines again in Warriors' win over Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Playing their fourth game of the preseason, the Warriors had their regulars back on the floor Saturday night at Chase Center against the Sacramento Kings. 

Steve Kerr again opened the game with a starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green. A tight contest all game concluded with a 111-106 Warriors win.

Less is more for Curry in the preseason, and he continued to only play the first half. Curry in 14 minutes scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting and made two of his four 3-point attempts. 

Golden State’s biggest story wasn’t two quarters of Curry. Lendeborg opened more eyes by displaying an array of skills that have Warriors fans already dreaming of a Rookie of the Year campaign. Lendeborg put up 23 points in 23 minutes on 10-of-14 shooting and also had 10 rebounds and six assists.

Kings top pick Darius Acuff Jr. was a problem for the Warriors and exposed their point of attack weakness. Acuff dropped 25 points in 27 minutes and blew past a list of Warriors. 

Ben Simmons made his Kings preseason debut and scored seven points in eight minutes. 

Here are three takeaways from a Warriors win that improved their preseason record to 2-2.

Follow Yaxel’s Lead 

He’s 24 years old, spent six years in college – including three in junior college – and hasn’t played a regular-season game in the NBA. Yet Lendeborg continues to play like a seasoned veteran. The game just looks easy to him, especially on the offensive end. 

Lendeborg scored eight of the Warriors’ first 12 points and finished the first quarter with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and six rebounds. The Warriors’ first two possessions were a two-man game of Green and Lendeborg. Green first found him cutting behind the defense for an easy layup and then hit him in the right corner for a three after getting to the middle of the paint.

But the most interesting part was how the second possession began. Lendeborg brought the ball up the court before relocating and knocking down a three. Kerr already feels comfortable using Lendeborg as a ball-handler and is giving him the freedom to learn on the fly. 

At Lendeborg’s size, he’s an automatic mismatch initiating offense as a playmaker, and using his length around the rim. He went coast to coast multiple times and couldn’t be stopped. Lendeborg in the first half scored an easy 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and also had eight rebounds, three assists and no turnovers.

The end of the third quarter was another perfect example of what Lendeborg can do. He came with eight seconds remaining, grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw, took it the other way and found Brandon Williams for a three at the buzzer. 

Don’t Forget Gui

Even when they aren’t being seen as championship contenders, there still are so many talking points about the Warriors. Curry and Green always will garner headlines. So will Lendeborg’s rise throughout his rookie year, and Jimmy Butler’s rehab. 

Santos can still get lost in the spotlight shuffle, despite coming off a breakout season. Saturday night was a reminder why he can’t be forgotten. 

The forward started off slow in the first quarter and found his groove in the second. After taking just one shot and scoring two points off two free throws in his first seven minutes, Santos was a perfect 5 of 5 from the field in the second quarter for 10 points. All his work was done around the rim, with the furthest shot he made being eight feet away. 

It was a display of fancy footwork for Santos. A patient approach of rip-throughs and euro steps was his ticket to scoring and the Kings’ defense didn’t have an answer.

Santos ended with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and six rebounds, but his five turnovers are a number Kerr will want to see cut in half.

Money Man 

The morning began for Podziemski by reportedly signing a new five-year, $110 million extension. The night ended with him doing what he does and stuffing the stat sheet. 

Podziemski scored a modest 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range and 3 of 4 at the free-throw line. He cut to the rim and found his way to the free-throw line early. He also hit back-to-back threes in the third quarter. 

Plus, Podziemski’s seven rebounds were second to Lendeborg’s 10. 

It won’t get talked about much but Podziemski’s ability to draw fouls is huge in his growth. Podziemski shot 63.3 percent from the free-throw line as a rookie and has improved ever since. He was up to 75.8 percent in his second season and 79.7 percent last season. 

If Podziemski can be 80 percent or above, he can average north of 15 points per game and stack 20-point performances.

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