Category: NBA

Paul George flips the script — and the bird — in Philadelphia return originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PG-13 was rated R in his return to Philadelphia.

The middle finger Paul George directed toward one baseline fan only reinforced that rating.

Tuesday night was expected to revolve around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum sharing an NBA court as opponents for the first time. Instead, the other headliner in the summer’s blockbuster trade stole the show.

George scored a game-high 36 points in Boston’s 123-101 win over the Sixers. He shot 14 for 22 from the floor, made six of his 11 three-point attempts and scored 14 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 79 with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter. Boston outscored Philadelphia 44-22 from that point forward.

The Celtics went nine minutes and 20 seconds without making a two-point field goal during the second half. Instead, they made nine consecutive field goals from three, the second-longest such streak by a Sixers opponent over the last 30 seasons.

Payton Pritchard opened the fourth with consecutive threes. George followed with eight straight points, helping the Celtics begin the quarter on a 14-0 run that turned a competitive game into a rout.

George’s return carried a complicated history. His two seasons with the Sixers were repeatedly interrupted by injuries, but he also played a significant role in their most memorable playoff run in years.

Last spring, George helped the Sixers overcome a 3-1 deficit to eliminate Boston in seven games. He averaged 17.4 points and shot 55 percent from three during the series.

Tyrese Maxey was happy to see his former teammate Tuesday, even if he disliked what followed.

“It was good to see Paul,” Maxey said. “I love him, love his family. … He gave us everything he had while he was here. We know what he did in the playoffs last year. Great person, great family, and we’ll see him again.”

Maxey then added one important qualifier.

“I wanted him to score zero points.”

George instead scored from nearly everywhere.

“He had some open threes. He had some pull-up threes. He had some middies,” Maxey said. “He played within the game, too. That’s what Paul does. He plays within the game. He takes what the defense gives him, and we gave him too many open looks tonight.

“PG, we know what PG does. We shouldn’t even be allowing him to get up 11 threes, and that’s on us.”

Nick Nurse watched George attack the Sixers in several ways.

“He really had it going,” Nurse said. “He’d post up, and-one, fallaways. He went down the lane, high archer off the glass, and-one. He scored in about every way he could tonight.”

George heard boos during his return and said the arena carried the atmosphere, though not quite the intensity, of a playoff game.

“This building can be very electric as well,” George said. “It was fun. It was fun to play in this environment.”

One interaction extended beyond the usual reception for a returning player.

During a stoppage, the ball rolled toward a fan seated along the baseline. George said the fan looked directly at him before dropping the ball instead of returning it.

“There was a fan being an a–,” George said. “The ball rolled to him. He looked me dead in my eyes, dropped the ball on the ground as if I’m a dog to go fetch or go get it, instead of passing the ball to me like a normal fan would do.

“And so, yeah, then I rolled him a middle finger in return.”

Game Info

When: Wednesday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m. ET

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Injury Report

Wizards:  Jamir Watkins – Out (Knee), Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Hip), Reece Beekman – Out (Shoulder), Justin Champagnie – Out (Foot)

Pacers: TJ McConnell – Questionable (Hamstring), Tyrese Haliburton – Out (Hamstring), Johnny Furphy – Out (Knee), Ben Sheppard – Out (Knee)

Pregame notes

The Wizards wrap up this early season 4-game road trip with a visit to Indiana to face the Pacers. Washington is currently on a 4-game losing streak. After holding the Orlando Magic to 94 points last week, the Wizards have given up at least 114 points to each of the past four opponents. This is one of the main reasons why the team has struggled on this road trip thus far.

On the flip side, Indiana has also struggled lately, especially without their superstar point guard, Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton started the season strong, making his return from a torn Achilles suffered during the NBA Finals, just over a season ago, only to get a hamstring injury that has put him on the shelf for the past few games. Without their star, Indiana’s strength of sharing the ball will surely be on full display. They currently rank 5th in the NBA in assists per game as a team. Under Rick Carlisle, the Pacers have made their mark getting everyone involved on offense and valuing good shot selection.

For the Wizards to win this game, they will have to shoot the 3 point shot, much better to keep pace with the Pacers’ offense. Currently the Wizards are 29th in the league in 3 point percentage. Washington will also need to find their way on defense.

On paper this is a winnable game for the Wizards, but Indiana is a formidable opponent that plays an efficient offensive style that has torched the Wizards over the past week. Let’s see how the Wizards adjust and clean up their defensive woes.

Landry Shamet has become Mike Brown’s plug-and-play starter. If a wing player is injured or resting, Shamet is the man. 

After years of accumulating spot starts as a reserve guard, Shamet said he learned how best to adjust to the bigger role: 

Be himself. 

“I try to keep things as consistent as possible,” he said . “In the past in my career, if it was a spot start or a stretch of them, I think I made the mistake of trying to change too much. Or think I had to change a lot. Or do something differently. Or be something different. Just because I’m starting the reality is it’s the same basketball game. You can create different reasons as to why it’s different. But for me, and I think the whole goal for anybody, is setting yourself up for success and for me that just looks like keeping things as standard and concise as possible.” 

Shamet started for the third straight game in the Knicks’ 117-85 rout over the Bucks in which he scored 10 points in 28 minutes. He replaced Josh Hart, who was ill Tuesday after missing the previous two games with ankle soreness. 

If Hart hadn’t been sick, he would’ve played against the Bucks, according to Mike Brown. His ankle was better. Either way, Brown feels confident in the replacement and agrees with Shamet’s assessment. 

“With the way our team is built we don’t need anybody to do anything extraordinary. Just go, like Landry said, be yourself, play hard,” Brown said. “It’s not necessarily always how you start games. It’s how you finish. Landry is phenomenal to have as a starter because he’s a two-way player. He has to be guarded and he plays with pace, a lot of other things that we believe in.” 

Shamet entered Tuesday averaging 9.3 points on 43 percent from the field — including 42 percent on treys. His production has made up for a rough start from Mikal Bridges, who was at 33 percent from the field ahead of the Bucks game. 

Shamet was also closing over Bridges. He had 52 fourth-quarter minutes over the opening nine games, while Bridges had just 41. The Knicks were outscored by 33 points when Bridges was on the floor in fourth quarters. 

Still, Brown most appreciates Shamet’s defense. Based on the team’s tracking data, the coach said Shamet has been the team’s best front-end pick-and-roll defender this season. 

Not coincidentally, the Knicks defense took off last season when Shamet returned from his shoulder injury in January. 

To that point, Brown experimented with different starters when injuries cropped up. Miles McBride started 15 games. Mohamed Diawara started seven. 

But now Shamet is the clear choice. 

“Like we’ve always said with this team, that it’s kind of a special attribute of our group that everything can change from night to night, from person to person,” Shamet said. “There might be something required of me differently, tonight versus tomorrow night, might be taking more shots, might be guarding this guy. It might be being a great teammate on the bench and picking up somebody who’s struggling or whatever the case may be. All these roles are constantly evolving and rotating. And it’s all of our jobs collectively to just fill the voids that need filling when needed.”

Their first interaction as opponents was very brief — if not entirely cold or indifferent.

In Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown’s first game against the Boston Celtics, he seemingly ignored a quick greeting from former teammate Jayson Tatum, with whom he played for nine seasons.

The relationship between Brown and Tatum has cooled after the Celtics opted to move on from Brown, culminating in the July trade that sent Brown to the Sixers.

The two have talked publicly about their relationship and have indicated that they have not communicated since the deal.

During the moments right before tip-off Tuesday, Nov. 10, Tatum approached Brown and tapped Brown once on the right arm and twice on his chest as he walked past him. Brown, who was spinning the basketball on his finger, barely acknowledged Tatum and did not reciprocate the greeting.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum before tipoff.

(📺 NBC) pic.twitter.com/gs8XPSPQZT

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026

As soon as the game tipped off, Brown was matched up guarding Tatum, and Tatum eventually forced Brown into a turnover on the other end when he swatted the ball off Brown’s leg; there was significant contact on the play, but Tatum was not called for a foul.

Seconds later, after Brown had argued with officials, he committed a foul on Tatum.

After the game, which the Celtics won 123-101, Brown greeted many of his former teammates, but was not seen on the broadcast exchanging any pleasantries with Tatum.

“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team,” Brown told reporters after the game. “Everything else was just, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention, but credit to Jayson; he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics; they executed, shot the hell out of the ball. They were the better team tonight.”

Tatum, for his part, also downplayed the entire narrative.

“Listen, it’s not about that,” he said, when asked about the pregame interaction. “Tonight was a good team win. (Paul George) was incredible. That’s all there really is to talk about.”

George scored a game-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting.

Brown, who got into early foul trouble, scored just 13 points and Tatum dropped 21.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Brown appears to blow off Jayson Tatum's greeting before Celtics-76ers

We cannot fall to 3-7. Need this one!

Things can change quickly in the NBA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a rough start to the season, which was capped by a disastrous loss to a bad Charlotte Hornets team without multiple key contributors. But for as bad as things have been, a win over the New York Knicks would go a long way toward turning things around.

Cleveland has lost five straight to New York. This includes a frustrating loss last Saturday night, when the Cavs couldn’t grab rebounds when they needed them and had no answer for Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks will be on the second night of a back-to-back. They host the reeling Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday evening.

We’ll see if the Cavs can right the ship on Wednesday.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6) at New York Knicks (5-4)

Where: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

When: Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 PM

TV: ESPN

Point spread: Not yet set

Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill – OUT (elbow) , Jaylon Tyson – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)

Knicks injury report vs. Bucks: Josh Hart – DOUBTFUL (illness)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Knicks expected starting lineup: Jalen Brunson, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns

Cavs jersey:Black Statement Edition uniform

Previous matchup: The Cavs lost 109-97 to the Knicks this past Saturday.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	115.9 (10th)	113.4 (12th)	+2.4 (14th)
Knicks	115.2 (13th)	107.9 (6th)	+7.3 (29th)

The Lakers have the NBA’s best record at 10-2. They’ve won six games in a row. They have the highest-rated offense (121.5). They’re considered real championship contenders.

Their biggest hole?

They’re rated 19th defensively. Lakers superstar Luka Doncic believes they can claw their way up those rankings.

“I think we can be [good defensively], but honestly I think we just kind of relax a little bit a couple minutes in the game,” Doncic said after the Lakers’ 124-114 win over the Hawks on Monday. “So that allows the team [to] make the run. I think we just gotta figure that out. I think we can be way better than [19th]. I think we have the potential for that.”

Doncic, who has been dragged through the mud throughout his career for his defense, has made marked improvements in that area this season, including finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and two blocked shots against the Hawks.

Doncic, who leads the league in scoring at 39.3 points per game and is having an MVP-caliber start to the season, has shown much more effort on the less glamorous side of the court through his first 10 games.

He leads the NBA in defensive loose balls recovered (nine) and is tied for second in charges drawn (four).

As a team, the Lakers really falter defensively when Walker Kessler is off the court. And they’re tied for second-to-last in the league in rebounding with 40.3 per game.

But they’re showing a lot of signs that they’re putting in the effort to become a good defensive team.

The Lakers rank second in the NBA in steals per game (10.8), second in total deflections (240) and third in blocks per game (6.4).

Kessler, their defensive anchor, leads the league in contested shots (140), and Matisse Thybulle is second in deflections (50).

If there’s one thing that gets my blood boiling and sends me rushing to my keyboard, furiously typing away while using this space as a personal therapy session, it’s NBA officiating. And once again, we witnessed not only inconsistency during last night’s matchup between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, but inconsistency in how the league ultimately assessed the consequences.

Let me set the stage for you. It’s the third quarter, and the Suns are trailing by 20 points. Keldon Johnson grabs an offensive rebound and goes up for a shot from about three feet away. In the process, he kicks his leg out, making forceful contact with Devin Booker’s junk. That’s right. Right in the family jewels.

Booker immediately collapses to the floor, writhing in pain, and the officials? Play on. Nothing to see here. Apparently, a man getting kicked squarely in the equipment isn’t enough to warrant a second look, let alone a review for a potential flagrant foul.

Isn't this what got Dillon chucked from a game against the Nuggets? pic.twitter.com/uIoonbEfpo

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) November 10, 2026

Now, when you watch the replay, you can make the argument that Johnson’s leg movement was part of his natural shooting motion. Perhaps he was extending his leg to maintain balance while attempting the shot. I’ll entertain that explanation because we witnessed something remarkably similar last week when Dillon Brooks attempted a jump shot with Jamal Murray defending him.

Did it appear that Brooks extended his leg a little farther than necessary? Absolutely. But anyone who watches Brooks regularly knows that he frequently kicks his leg out when shooting. It’s part of how he stabilizes himself in the air. Perhaps it’s also a technique designed to draw contact, but it’s hardly an unusual movement for him.

Want a fun little officiating stat? Of all 30 NBA teams, none have been whistled for more fouls per game by referee Tyler Ford than the Phoenix Suns.

In 44 games he's officiated involving Phoenix, the Suns have averaged 21.9 fouls per game. pic.twitter.com/QspTTS3ECs

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) October 31, 2026

Regardless, Brooks was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. Meanwhile, against a San Antonio Spurs franchise with a long and storied history of kicking the Suns in the nuts, Johnson wasn’t even assessed a common foul. There’s your first inconsistency.

Then, today, the NBA reviewed the incident and retroactively assessed Johnson a Flagrant 1 foul. So apparently, what wasn’t even worthy of a whistle during the game was serious enough to warrant a flagrant penalty after the fact. Wonderful. Thanks for clearing that up.

SAS’s Keldon Johnson was assessed a postgame flagrant foul penalty 1 upon league office review for https://t.co/zuRgxyyPp2 at 2:01 in Q2 on Nov. 9 vs. PHX

— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) November 10, 2026

We’ve been down this road before. The league acknowledges an officiating mistake after the game, but that acknowledgment does absolutely nothing for the team that was denied the call in real time. Granted, Phoenix was trailing by 20 points when the incident occurred. I’m certainly not suggesting that a whistle would have changed the outcome of the game.

But that’s not the point. The point is consistency.

Johnson receives a retroactive Flagrant 1, while Brooks was assessed a Flagrant 2 and immediately ejected for a play that, when you compare the footage, appears remarkably similar. So what exactly separates the two incidents? Was Brooks being assessed a reputation tax? Is his history as a physical, occasionally antagonistic defender influencing how officials interpret his actions? Or are we witnessing another example of inconsistent officiating from referees whose judgment deserves scrutiny?

And that brings me to Justin Van Duyne.

Because I’m beginning to wonder whether there’s a bias at play when he officiates Suns games. Much like Tyler Ford, the official who ejected Brooks, Van Duyne has developed a history of calls involving Phoenix that have left me questioning his judgment. The officiating statistics surrounding both referees only add to that frustration, particularly when examining how frequently they’ve whistled the Suns for fouls.

Here’s an interesting officiating stat:

Justin Van Duyne has officiated 60 Phoenix Suns games, whistling them for an average of 21.4 personal fouls per game. That’s the highest foul average he’s called against any of the NBA’s 30 teams.

Make of that what you will. https://t.co/L7jC0igAhh

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) November 10, 2026

And these two have history together. Remember when Devin Booker was ejected during a nationally televised matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers a few years ago? Ford and Van Duyne were both involved in the sequence that resulted in Booker receiving technical fouls and being tossed from the game. It’s one of those moments that remains lodged in my basketball memory, and incidents like last night’s do little to improve my confidence in the officiating.

Devin Booker ejected after bouncing ball to ref, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/m8FoBU8Mnc

— Jimmy O'Brien (@Jomboy_) March 4, 2021

This is the kind of stuff that really ticks my bombs. If the NBA wants to hold players accountable for excessive or dangerous contact, I’m all for it. Protect the players. Enforce the rules. Assess flagrant fouls when the situation warrants them. But for the love of God, establish some consistency in how those rules are applied.

While we’re at it, how about a little accountability for the officials themselves? If the league can review a play the following day and determine that Johnson committed a Flagrant 1 foul, shouldn’t there be some acknowledgment that the officiating crew, including Van Duyne, failed to recognize it when it actually mattered?

Because retroactively assigning a penalty might correct the league’s paperwork, but it does absolutely nothing to correct what happened on the basketball court. And until there’s greater consistency and accountability, I’ll continue finding myself right here, furiously typing away, wondering how the same league can look at two remarkably similar plays and somehow arrive at three different conclusions.

---

The Lakers are continuing to make moves on the margin while trying to find a potential center solution. After signing Lawson Lovering to a two-way deal roughly two weeks ago, the Lakers are waiving the big man in place of…another big man.

Carson Cooper, a 6’10” center, will take Lovering’s place on a two-way deal, all according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving two-way center Lawson Lovering, league sources told @hoopshype. The 7-foot center averaged 7.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 10, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to sign center Carson Cooper to a two-way deal, league sources told @hoopshype. Cooper was with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season. pic.twitter.com/bJDk7edDRW

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 10, 2026

Cooper appeared in one game with the Grizzlies this year, playing for just three minutes. He signed a two-way deal with Memphis after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.

In Summer League, Cooper averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in nine games between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. He attempted four 3-pointers, making two of them.

At Michigan State, Cooper averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 58.4% from the field. He only averaged one block per game and attempted five threes all season.

Lovering only had some brief cameos with the Lakers, all coming in garbage time, during his stint with the Lakers. He was with the parent team at the start of the G League season, so he did not play with Coachella Valley.

Given how the Lakers are currently playing and how little real NBA experience he has, it’s unlikely to expect much from Cooper. The team is shuffling through options, but none of them appear all that intriguing on paper. For now, these are all makeshift, break-in-case-of-emergency solutions that likely won’t play.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Easy pickings? We shall see. The 5-4 Knicks, winners of three straight, will host the free-falling Milwaukee Bucks (1-9) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are heavy favorites and have a chance to climb in the standings, while the Bucks have the league’s worst net rating and no road wins. This is Milwaukee’s first season without Giannis Antetokounmpo since 2012-13, and it’s fair to say . . .  not going great. Tyler Herro is questionable for Milwaukee with a right contusion. As of this writing, Josh Hart is questionable for the Knicks with ankle soreness.

Beware the trap game! Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Brew Hoop. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Mind your manners. And go Knicks!

The Golden State Warriors had a poignant reunion on Monday night, when they welcomed the New Orleans Pelicans to town, and proceeded to crush them by 51 points. There are a lot of former Warriors around the league, but some feel different when they face the Warriors, and that was the case when Jordan Poole checked into the game.

It’s no secret that it’s been a rough few years for Poole, whom the Warriors took with the 28th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft out of Michigan. After showing some signs in his first two seasons, Poole burst onto the scene during the 2021-22 campaign, when he became a starter, played 30 minutes a night, averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 assists, led the NBA in free throw percentage, had a highlight every game, and was at times the second option on a Warriors team that would eventually defeat the Boston Celtics to win an NBA championship.

But things went sideways for there. The next year was bittersweet, as Poole parlayed his performance into a massive extension, but was also on the receiving end of a punch from teammate Draymond Green, which led to uncomfortable vibes and thick tension for the entire year. The next offseason, the Warriors traded Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul, and, away from the confines of Steph Curry and Steve Kerr’s offense, Poole struggled, putting up big numbers but on very low efficiency.

He bounced back with a strong offensive showing in 2024-25, but prior to last season was traded to the Pelicans. His first year in the bayou did not go according to plan, as he averaged just 13.4 points and shot a lowly 37.2% from the field.

This year has been even worse. Poole started the season slow, coming off the bench in the first four games of the season and having lackluster numbers. That earned him a benching, and when New Orleans came to town on Monday, Poole had gone six straight games without getting on the court.

That playing drought ended on Monday. With the Pelicans down a handful of key players — including Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Yves Missi — and with the game a blowout from the start, Jamahl Mosley gave Poole his largest run of the season, playing him for 34 minutes. Poole didn’t play well — he scored seven points on 1-for-5 shooting, with two assists and two turnovers — but it was still nice seeing him out there. And it was hard not to wonder: what could have been?

Maybe we’ll get something of an answer someday. While Poole has been reluctant to discuss the situation with Green, Monday was the first time that he really spoke about his time in Golden State. And he didn’t hide his feelings: he misses it.

Asked by reporters if he missed Golden State, Poole made his thoughts emphatically clear, saying, “Hell yeah! Obviously. They play the right way, bro. They play good basketball. They play team basketball … Do I miss it? Hell yeah.”

Poole then spoke very openly about the difficulties of the current season, where he’s struggling to find minutes on a team that is likely headed for the lottery. He didn’t make excuses or cast blame anywhere, but repeated twice that the season — only a few weeks old — has been “pretty f*****g difficult.”

His answer led to an obvious follow-up: would Poole, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, be amenable to a return to the Bay Area? Again, he left no doubt with his response, saying, “Yes. Yes. It just feels like home though, you know? Driving into the f*****g arena, crossing the Bay Bridge or wherever you’re coming from, it definitely feels natural. And I think it’s pretty evident, the way that I play is very fitting to how I used to play here. Nothing’s changed, other than the systems that I’m in. We won a championship, you know, so it works … so to answer your question: definitely.”

Poole elaborated, all but saying that he would jump at the opportunity to sign with the Dubs in free agency, should he be offered a contract. “I’m a free agent at the end of this season,” the 27-year old explained. “If there’s any place where I’m comfortable, it’s probably where I started. So I just got to find ways to keep learning and try to make the best decisions for my future.”

Barring something unexpected, the Warriors should have no problems finding the money to sign Poole next offseason, since his current play has tanked his value. A reunion would likely come down to whether or not the team felt they had a need for his services, and whether they believed he could bounce back following a few down years. He certainly seems like the ideal change-of-scenery candidate, and the Warriors are very familiar with his game and his work habits. They’re always on the lookout for bench scorers, and especially could end up needing him if Brandon Williams departs next summer.

That’s a long ways from now. But who knows: maybe this time next year, Poole will be back in a Warriors jersey. It sure sounds like he’d like that.

Last night, Brandon Williams lasted just 99 seconds before sustaining an injury that kept him out the rest of the game. This afternoon, following an MRI, we’ve learned that it’s a mild left hamstring strain that will keep him out for at least a week, which will be when he’s next evaluated by the Golden State Warriors medical staff. It’s a big blow for both the fifth-year vet and the team as this next 5-game stretch, already figuring to be the end of this historic winning streak at some point, could be a real setback.

As Brady mentioned last night, Williams joins Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II among the actively injured with Will Richard out indefinitely and Kristaps Porziņģis all but retired. That’s 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 16 minutes a night that they’ll have to make up in the near-term. It’s not like solid backup point guards are easy to find, and the Dubs are already without a true center on top of all these injured forwards.

So, it gets harder.

Still, it’s worth wondering to what extent the team expected this. He had a bout of quad tightness a little over a week ago and was ruled out against the Suns; and as Anthony Slater noted earlier:

But left hamstring issues have followed Williams early in his NBA career. He strained it in the 2025 preseason while with Dallas and subsequently missed time last March while dealing with tightness.

The Warriors will need him back ASAP, but it’s also early enough in the season where there’s probably some incentive to let him take extra time to recover. All that to say that 7 days is probably the most optimistic recovery period. They’re one of the trickiest injuries to deal with and it’s probably easier to envision a far longer recovery period, especially since he had to come out of the game so suddenly.

So, the backup PG situation (non-Podziemski division) looks like this: De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, and LJ Cryer. Williams was a perfect change of pace. Like a shot of espresso off the bench. He provided such a jolt that that alone might be the hardest aspect of his game to reproduce in the aggregate.

Darius Acuff Jr.‘s frustration level reaches new high after Kings' 1-10 start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO — The start of Darius Acuff’s NBA career hasn’t necessarily gone as he had hoped.

The Kings fell to 1-10 after losing to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night and still search for their first home win of the season.

It took seven games for Acuff to get a taste of his first NBA victory when the Kings defeated the Dallas Mavericks over a week ago. The Kings had a chance to carry over the momentum as they returned to Sacramento to open a seven-game homestand at Golden 1 Center.

But they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and, most recently, the Magic, to begin this home stretch 0-4.

The Lakers and Spurs games were scheduled losses, but it seems like the Kings had every opportunity to walk away with wins against a struggling Heat team and a lowly Magic squad, or at the very least go 1-3 in that stretch.

Instead, the Kings are one of the three teams in the NBA already with 10 losses on the season.

“1-10 just don’t sound right,” Acuff said postgame.

Acuff, who is known for his even-keeled, cool, calm and collected persona, visibly was frustrated after Tuesday’s loss.

So much so that he couldn’t even find the words to explain what’s gone wrong for the Kings so far this season. The 19-year-old was asked to identify the most frustrating part of these losses.

“When the clock says zero and we lost,” he responded. “I don’t understand. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do, man. I feel like we’re trying. Everybody as a whole. We’re just not coming out with the win. It’s just, I don’t know, man.”

The emotions stem from Acuff’s character and what he’s used to. And that doesn’t, and never has, included losing.

So this is foreign territory for a competitor like Acuff, who is making NBA history seemingly every night and joining the record books with basketball legends such as LeBron James and Michael Jordan, yet his only goal is to win games.

Eleven games into the season, all the losses already are taking a toll on the young point guard.

“A lot,” he said when asked how much of a toll the 1-10 start is taking on him. “I’m not a loser, so it’s not fun. But like I said, it’s an 82-game season, so hopefully something will shake.”

"I'm not a loser."

Darius Acuff finds himself frustrated as the Kings begin their season 1-10 for the first time since 1990 pic.twitter.com/rvbFN5PYAe

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 11, 2026

Acuff finished Tuesday’s loss with 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, with four rebounds, six assists, four turnovers and two steals in 40 minutes.

So far this season, Acuff is averaging 26.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists in a league-high 37-plus minutes played per game.

It is early in the season, and the wins, although maybe not many, eventually will come for Acuff and the Kings. But after Tuesday’s loss, the rookie seemed to be on the verge of tired of hearing that without anything changing.

“I mean, yeah, we’ve been saying that for five games now, so it’s kind of hard to keep saying that without actually doing it,” Acuff said. “We just got to go out there and actually do it. We’re on the court playing. There’s nobody playing but ourselves. Like I said, we just got to get better as a team. And to answer your question, it’s just kind of the second half, it’s kind of frustrating. It’s like the first half we come out with energy, and then in the third quarter sometimes we don’t, and then we do. And then the fourth quarter, the last five minutes of a game, we just can’t put it together as a team.

“I think we’re trying. We’re talking as a staff, as a team. But like I said, when the clock hits zero, we just lose, and that’s the most frustrating part.”

The melancholy mood was the same when Zach LaVine approached the postgame podium. LaVine, who had five turnovers in Tuesday’s loss, said he’s “been in the league too damn long” to turn the ball over like he did.

But while LaVine also might have been disappointed with his team’s start to the season, the 13-year veteran guard offered his own perspective on the current state of the struggling Kings.

“I mean, there’s going to be outside people saying things. There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing,” LaVine said. “I think, for us, we got to try to stay together from the front office down. We all have the same record right now, and it’s us versus everybody else. So that’s how we have to look at it. We have to try to figure out as a unit how are we going to, you know, start putting together more games where we can give ourselves a chance to win. We’re trending in the right area.

“It feels a lot better out there. We’ve done a lot of better things, but we just got to clean up the small mistakes, myself included, to where we put together a full 48. I think then we get that satisfaction to where we win a game, and maybe we can start getting a couple more and more. The situation is what it is, but this is our job, and we have to figure out, at least as a vet myself, to keep guys uplifted, bring it each and every day, bring it in practice, regardless how you’re feeling, I think that’s just part of it. So I’m going to.”

The irritation was apparent in the locker room, too, as most players already had left the arena by the time the media was let in.

De’Andre Hunter did speak in the locker room postgame, and his words immediately matched his demeanor when asked where the frustration level is at right now.

“Very high,” he said, firmly.

He also didn’t sugarcoat his response when asked what the Kings need to clean up in order to turn a corner on the season.

“Everything,” he said. “Just not good enough.”

It isn’t necessarily a surprise that the Kings aren’t one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but this 1-10 start still feels worse than anyone could have imagined.

And judging by the players’ mood postgame Tuesday, the frustration level has reached an all-time high.

There is the possibility that these built-up emotions turn into motivation that the Kings could use to start winning games. And at this point, that really is all they can lean on.

“That’s all we have is motivation,” Hunter said. “With losing, you can’t really build any chemistry. No team camaraderie. But we just got motivation about the next game.”

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Boston Celtics (8-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (9-2)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
8:00 PM ET
Game #11  Road #6
TV: Peacock/NBC
Radio:  98.5 The Sports Hub, 97.5 The Fanatic, Sirius XM
Xfinity Mobile Arena 

The Celtics visit the Philadelphia 76ers for the first of 4 games between them this season. They will meet in Philadelphia again on February 7. They will meet twice in Boston on January 21 and March 7. This is likely the most anticipated matchup of the season so far as there are many stories to watch in this game.

First, there is the beef, or the lamb chops and gravy, or whatever you want to call what has been going on between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown since the trade. In the preseason, as they were both warming up, they didn’t even acknowledge each other. There has been a back and forth of words between them ever since. Also there is the story of Paul George returning to Philly for the first time and of Jaylen Brown and PG13 facing their former teams. There is also the story of the long time rivalry between the Celtics and 76ers and the teams who faced each other in the 2nd round of the playoffs last season.

There is also the story of the top 2 teams in the East facing off. The 8-2 Celtics are 2nd in the East with only Philadelphia (9-2) half a game ahead of them in the standings. The Celtics have won their last 3 games and the 76ers are looking for their 2nd straight win. The Celtics are 2-2 on the road while the 76ers are 4-2 at home. The Celtics won both games in the preseason. Both teams are 2-0 in games against division rivals.

The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games. This is their 3rd back to back set this season already. They won the first game in both of their back to back sets this season. One win was at home while the other was on the road. The Celtics are 275-200 overall all time against the 76ers. They are 94-130 in games played in Philly. They tied the series 2-2 last season, with each team winning one at home and one on the road.

The 76ers made one of the biggest moves of the off season, trading Paul George to the Celtics 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. Mike Gansey also replaced Daryl Morey as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations.

After this game, the Celtics will complete their 4 game road trip with a game in Toronto in back to back games Wednesday. Then they play Dallas and Orlando at home before a West coast trip that takes them through Denver, Sacramento, Golden State, and Washington. They then play one game at home against Atlanta before playing at San Antonio and Dallas. Then it’s home against Charlotte before a game at Brooklyn.

The 76ers will host Toronto and Indiana before road games at Brooklyn and Orlando. Then they host Milwaukee, Portland and Miami before games at Indiana and Houston. Then they have a 3 game home stand against Memphis, Denver and Orlando before playing at Orlando. Next they host Dallas and play at Charlotte. They will host Houston before a 5 game Western road trip.

The Celtics have been changing their starting lineup with Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Neemias Queta getting starts along with Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson. The starting lineup is a work in progress for the Celtics, especially the shooting guard spot that has changed pretty much from game to game. Mike Conley got the start against the Bucks, but I’m guessing that White, Walsh, George, Tatum and Queta get the start in this one. The 76ers should start Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid.

The Celtics have no one on the injury report as of this time. Chris Cenac, Jr and the Celtics 3 two way players will likely be with Maine. The 76ers have 3 players out as of now. Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow are both out due to back injuries. Ariel Hukporti is out for the season due to a torn Achilles. Joel Embiid has been struggling with plantar faciitis but is expected to play in this game.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey

SG: Jordan Walsh vs VJ Edgecombe

SF: Paul George vs Jaylen Brown

PF: Jayson Tatum vs Lebron James

C: Neemias Queta vs Joel Embiid

Celtics Reserves
Chris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley, Jr
Luka Garza
Jordan Walsh
Ron Harper, Jr
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Mitchell Robinson
Baylor Scheierman

Two Way Players
Devin Carter
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams

Injuries/Out
None Listed

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

76ers Reserves
Anfernee Simons
Dean Wade
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Jabari Walker
Justin Edwards
Lebaron Philon, Jr,

2-Way Players
Taco Fall
Rayan Rupert
Caleb Love

Injuries/Out
Adem Bona (back) out
Dominick Barlow (back) out
Ariel Hukporti (Achilles)  out

Head Coach
Nick Nurse

Key Matchups
Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
Maxey is averaging 26.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 48.1% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc. His 26.9 ppg ranks 3rd in the East. He is quick and so the Celtics will need to work hard to stay in front of him. They will need Derrick White’s defense to be sharp in this one.

Paul George vs Jaylen Brown
This should be an incredible matchup to watch.  Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals.   He is shooting 47.7% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc.  I expect Brown to come in with a chip on his shoulder to prove that he is the better player among Paul George, Jayson Tatum and himself.  Paul George just needs to focus on playing team ball and being his best self.   

Honorable Mention
Neemias Queta vs Joel Embiid
Embiid is averaging 17.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.  He is shooting 38% from the field and 10% from beyond the arc.  The Celtics need to keep Embiid out of the paint and off the boards.   Queta needs to find a way to stay out of foul trouble and to counter Embiid on defense.

Keys to the Game
Defense – As always, defense is absolutely the key to winning this, and every, game.   It is very true that defense wins championships.   Shots don’t always fall but players can always play hard on defense.  The Celtics are 3rd with an offensive rating of 117.9 while the 76ers are 20th with an offensive rating of 110.3.  The Celtics are 4th with a defensive rating of 106.3.  The 76ers aren’t far behind with a defensive rating of 107.6.  The Celtics must give full out effort on defense for every minute of this game if they hope to beat the loaded 76ers team.

Rebound – Next to defense, rebounding is always a big key to winning.  The key to rebounding is effort and focus.   The 76ers are 19th with 43.4 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 10th with 45.0 rebounds per game.  The Celtics have to fight as a team to try to grab every rebound to avoid the 76ers getting 2nd chance points because the 76ers average 14.7 second chance points per game.  In order to win the possession battle, the Celtics must crash the boards and fight for every rebound. 

Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes – The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters.  They have to stay focused on playing basketball the right way as a team.  They have to avoid getting wound up in the Tatum vs Brown and Brown vs George narratives. They have to play team ball and give all out effort to get to the basket, to defend, to rebound, to hustle after loose balls and to play hard on every possession.   

Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics play the best when they move the ball and find the best shot.  They struggle when they try to do too much individually.  But, they have to be careful handling the ball and making passes.  The 76ers are best in the league at taking care of the ball with just 12.9 turnovers per game.  The Celtics are 12th with 14.9 turnovers per game.  They have to stay focused and avoid turning the ball over. 

X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics will be on the road once again for the 3rd straight game and they will be facing a very hostile crowd.  Philly fans hate the Celtics because they have pretty much owned them in recent years.  They hate Jayson Tatum because the Celtics took him with Philly’s pick after the 76ers traded up to take Markelle Fultz.  They now have another reason to hate the Celtics and that is to back up Jaylen Brown who has been very bitter against the Celtics and his former running mate.  There will likely be a lot of boos and the Celtics need to play through them. They have to shake off the distractions of playing on the road and stay focused on playing Celtics basketball.. They can use the boos as motivation to play even harder. 

Coaching – Joe Mazzulla is in his 5th season as Celtics’ head coach.  He won a title in 2024 with a very talented team that was packed with shooting stars.  Now he has to win in a different way since his personnel has changed and so far he is doing a good job.  Nick Nurse is in his 9th season as a head coach overall and his 4th as the 76ers head coach.  He won a title with the Raptors in 2019.  Nurse came out ahead in the playoffs last season.  Can Mazzulla win this round? 

Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game.  The Celtics also have to be aware of the new points of emphasis for this season and try to avoid flopping, off‑arm push‑offs, reckless closeouts, delays before free throws, and illegal screens. They have been especially calling flops and push offs and so the Celtics need to make an effort to avoid doing both. 

The Lakers’ Austin Reaves is having a breakout season, even though that story has been overshadowed by Luka Doncic’s brilliance.

Only four players have scored more points than Reaves (278) this season, including Doncic (393), Victor Wembanyama (331), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (299), and Tyrese Maxey (296).

Reaves is averaging career highs in points (25.3) and 3-point percentage (41.3) while also shooting an extremely efficient 50.8% from the field.

Reaves is 15th in the league in points per game.

Of those players, only Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Wembanyama have higher field-goal percentages than Reaves. Only Jamal Murray and Steph Curry have higher 3-point percentages.

Reaves is earning every penny of his four-year, $180 million deal he signed with the Lakers over the summer, the richest contract ever for a player who went undrafted.

When Doncic, who’s averaging a league-leading 39.3 points per game, was sidelined against the Pistons on Sunday because of lower back tightness, Reaves poured in a season-high 43 points against a team with the third-highest defensive rating in the league to lead the Lakers to a 121-116 win.

The Lakers have won six games in a row and have the NBA’s best record at 10-2.