Category: NBA

Steph Curry explains Under Armour split, next moves in sneaker free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – Steph Curry, for the second straight game in the Warriors’ second consecutive road win, scored more than 40 points Friday night in a 109-108 victory against the San Antonio Spurs. 

But there was something different about Curry’s pregame look Friday night at Frost Bank Center. Much different.

It was announced Thursday that Curry and Under Armour were parting ways in a move that shocked the basketball and sneaker world. Curry always has all eyes on his famous pregame warmup routine. On Friday, all eyes were on his feet. 

Curry wore black and white Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes before his first game as a sneaker free agent since 2013.

Take a look at Steph's shoes during warmups 👀 pic.twitter.com/QPXzdQwun9

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

“I’m a free agent out here. New beginnings,” Curry said after the win. “I was blessed to have an unbelievable experience, take a chance on something that meant a lot to me over the last 13 years and I’m extremely proud of myself, my team, everybody that was able to touch that business for that long. We all should be proud of what we were able to accomplish in taking a basketball brand and category that wasn’t really a thing to where we did. But I’m excited about the future.” 

Originally a Nike athlete, Curry made the move to Under Armour in 2013, where he became the face of their basketball brand. 

He then launched Curry Brand through Under Armour in 2020. The assumption was that the Warriors superstar would be locked in with Under Armour for life. That isn’t so anymore. 

The Curry Brand will move forward independently. Under Armour still will release the Curry 13 shoes in February 2026. After that, their marriage is over. Starting now, he is a sneaker free agent, explaining that a change right now is best for all.

“Just in the best interest of both parties,” Curry said. “The sneaker industry is difficult, and like I said, things change over time, and to the point of you give your best effort to create something sustainable.

“A little disappointing, though, knowing how it turned out, based on where Curry Brand has been the last five years and the announcement we had two years ago. But I think it’s the right thing for everybody. For me to take the opportunity with Curry Brand and what we’ve done in the community, what we’ve done standing for something. ‘Change The Game For Good’ is our tagline and hopefully having something to show for it down the road, I’m excited for that.” 

Curry always has spoken highly about the late Kobe Bryant, and how he paved a path for women athletes in basketball. His Curry Camp now hosts the same amount of girls prep starts as boys. Wearing the specific pair of Kobes he did in San Antonio was intentional.

Even knowing how odd it looked to see him wear different shoes for the first time in more than a decade.

“I know it’s just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes,” Curry acknowledged. “But just the idea of what he meant. I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself and what it means. Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. 

“I think it gave me some good energy tonight.” 

Once the game started, Curry was back to wearing a white colorway of his current Curry Brand Under Armour shoes. There was then a switch. Curry in the second quarter put on a pair of his Curry Series 7 shoes that feature blue, red and yellow colors. 

Keep your eyes peeled to what shoes Curry has on his feet as this continues and he seeks new partnership deals. Curry will keep wearing other brands, possibly trying multiple versions from different companies. 

“The good thing about this situation is, I love my own shoes when I’m out there hooping. That’s why I put those back on, and why I’ve designed the kicks that I have for as long as I have,” Curry said. “But yeah, I’m going to have some fun with this in terms of whatever opportunities are the right fit. 

“I’ll try everything out.”

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Steph Curry's heroics in wins vs. Spurs sends message to Warriors teammates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As Stephen Curry’s teammates were celebrating him for being the blessing that he is and surely was this week in San Antonio, his performance over those two games stands as an unspoken message for the Warriors.

To his teammates: Even at age 37, I can do enough to lift us to great heights. But I’m going to need more help, as it is essential for us to reach our goal of being a serious contender.

Curry realizes none of the Warriors possess his deep box of offensive skills. There is a reason he is the only unanimous MVP award winner in league history. There is a reason he is widely considered one of the 10 best players to step onto an NBA court. It is safely assumed that he is the most influential player of his era.

But Curry also knows everyone wearing a Warriors jersey can be as committed as he is to do whatever it takes to win. Is that too much to ask?

After playing 34 minutes and scoring 46 points to lead Golden State to a 125-120 win over the Spurs on Wednesday, Curry came back on Friday to play 36 minutes, his highest total this season in a regulation game. His response was to blast the Spurs with 49 points – 31 in the second half, the last two being the clinching free throws in a 109-108 victory.

This is a man who missed three games last week with an illness.

“I think he’s fully healthy now,” Gary Payton II told reporters at Frost Bank Center. “I don’t think he’s sick anymore. It’s just good to see him out there getting his normal runs. his normal jogs, normal bounce, normal rhythm. Once he gets going, we just try to find him, try to get him open, make it easy for us.”
When Curry goes nuclear, it does make the game easier for his teammates. Their priority becomes, as Payton said, getting the ball to Steph and letting him destroy the opposing defense.

But 95 points over two games is 47.5 per, a totally unsustainable number for anybody who ever graced the NBA, aside from Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. As great as Curry is, that absurd level of production is bound to dip. And when it does, he does not want to see his teammates inspecting their fingernails.

And all he wants is for them to lend a more reliable helping hand. Because that’s what it’s going to take.

For a while on Friday, there wasn’t much aid. Curry accounted for 10 of the 18 points the Warriors scored in the first quarter and 18 of the 47 they totaled in the first half. Jimmy Butler III and Will Richard rode shotgun, each putting in 10 points. The other seven Warriors contributed seven points.

So, coach Steve Kerr turned to Curry and extended his minutes beyond what he would have liked.

“We just couldn’t really get our offense going and it felt like we were going to have to ride him a few extra minutes,” Kerr said. “We didn’t plan on playing him the whole third. I tried to take him out with about two minutes left, but there was no stoppage in play, and he played the last eight.”

Kerr had spent part of the morning addressing the team. He talked about the components of success, using the various elements of a music band as an example.

“He was in his bag in terms of the speech he gave in our pregame meeting this morning,” Curry said. “And you could tell like he still has that fastball if he needs it.”

Kerr explained how bands thrive best when every member of the touring party knows their role, accepts it and commits to it, from lead singer to guitarists to drummer to stagehands. If any member of the group isn’t focused and on point, the whole show suffers.

“But it speaks to how it all matters,” Curry said. “There’s value in all of that when a band is going on a tour. I think Phil Jackson instilled that in (Kerr), and he used that as a reference for how we need to play and how we need to approach our identity.

“It’s going to take a long time to get through this year in terms of doing that but it’s great to have a reference.”

For the Warriors to become the team they think they are, Buddy Hield, averaging 5.4 points over his last 12 games, shooting 30 percent from deep this season, will have to rejoin the band. Brandin Podziemski must be quicker at moving the ball and more careful with his decisions. Jonathan Kuminga, once healthy, will need to become the player he was in the first two weeks of the season. Al Horford must knock down triples at 37-to-40 percent.

Once they were humbled by a blowout in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, the Warriors did some soul-searching. They then landed in San Antonio late Tuesday night and spent Wednesday and Friday following Curry. He gave them what they needed.

If his teammates were watching him closely, they saw someone setting an example of a total commitment to victory. Which seems worthy of following.

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Pelicans fire coach, ex-Warriors assistant Willie Green after rough 2-10 start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former Golden State Warriors assistant Willie Green has been dismissed by the New Orleans Pelicans just 12 games into his fifth season as head coach.

Green was part of Steve Kerr’s staff during the Warriors dynasty, helping Golden State capture back‑to‑back championships in 2017 and 2018 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After years of observing the greatness of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, Green transitioned into a head coaching role in New Orleans.

In 2021, he brought stability to the Pelicans, guiding them to their first playoff berth since 2017‑18 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers in the play‑in tournament. They went on to fall to the Phoenix Suns in the opening round. His time with the Pelicans was marked by flashes of promise, including a 49‑win season in 2023‑24, but also by challenges with injuries to stars like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Green finished his tenure in New Orleans with a record of 150‑190 over more than four seasons.

Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars has named assistant James Borrego as interim coach. The Pelicans are set to host the Warriors on Sunday night.

Green played in the NBA from 2003 to 2015, spending most of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers (2003–2010) before stints with the New Orleans Hornets (2010–11), Atlanta Hawks (2011–12), Los Angeles Clippers (2012–14), and Orlando Magic (2014–15). He appeared in 731 games and averaged 8.3 points per contest.

After retiring, he joined the Warriors as an assistant in 2016, later helping the Suns reach the 2021 Finals before becoming head coach of the Pelicans.

Facing the Miami Heat for the second time in the season’s first 12 games, Knicks head coach Mike Brown knew what he was going to get from Erik Spoelstra’s team Friday night at Madison Square Garden. And he knew what his team had to do to weather the storm in their first game without Jalen Brunson.

“We have to do a better job of guarding the basketball,” Brown said ahead of the NBA Cup matchup. “A lot of the quote-unquote top teams in the league, if you look at it, give up the most threes per game because they’re shifting and protecting the paint because it’s easier to score in the paint than outside the paint, so we’re no different. 

“When you play a team like Miami, they really put a premium on you guarding the ball first and then your shifts being in the right position and making sure you’re able to get out to shooters to be the second jumper. We’re getting better in that area, but tonight’s another test for us to see where we’re at because of the uniqueness of how they play in that regard.”

“And more importantly than that: Their transition is unbelievable. They just keep coming at ya, keep coming at ya, keep coming at ya, whether it’s a make or a miss. And so we have to do a fantastic job with our transition defense for 48 minutes because they’re capable of putting up 150 points in the blink of an eye.”

After 48 minutes on Friday, the Heat poured in 132 points, with 48 points coming in the paint, and Miami connecting on 19 of 44 (43.2 percent) of shots from behind the arc in a game with a blistering pace, with seemingly a majority of the Heat possessions resulting in a shot in under eight seconds. But it was Brown’s team that came out victorious, thanks to 39 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 36 points from Landry Shamet off the bench, and on an off-shooting night, seven steals from Mikal Bridges.

“Fun game for the fans, probably,” Brown said after the 140-132 final. “It was almost like a glorified pick-up game with good spacing… on both ends of the floor, and both teams were just hooping.

“They’re so hard to guard, they just catch the ball, they snap drive, they put their head down, and as soon as they feel contact, they almost explode into you.”

Brown then took his glasses off to examine the stat sheet more closely, “This is the first time we won a game where a team shot 30+ free throws. It was extremely hard to keep them off the line.”

“Wasn’t great tonight defensively. None of us were,” Shamet said after his career-high scoring night. “We didn’t guard like we are accustomed to, but that’s a credit to them, too. They drive the ball at you every single possession; it’s hard to guard. Credit to them. We definitely gotta be better, I gotta be better on that front. 

“Taking pride on that end of the floor, shots aren’t always gonna go in, can’t control that all the time. So we gotta be a team that’s gonna win games defensively… so, that’s gotta be the constant.”

Josh Hart, who added a triple-double (his first of the season) with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, was the team's player of the game on defense, Brown said, in part because he went 4-for-4 on 50/50 balls.

"We won the possession game barely, and we needed every one of those 50-50 balls that he came up with," the head coach said. "So heckuva job by Josh, getting a triple-double tonight."

A new wrinkle on the night saw New York go to a zone defense, something they went to after losing defensive stopper OG Anunoby for the night to a hamstring injury midway through the first quarter. Brown said that was done without total preparation.

"We were having trouble guarding them off the dribble, and so we just wanted to try and junk up the game, give them a different look, see if we could get them out of rhythm a little bit," he said. "You think that it worked, but I don't know, it's a good team, and Spo is a great coach. They missed a few out of it. We gotta do a better job rebounding it.

"But the reality is, we worked on the zone one day, and it wasn't the zone that we used tonight. We kinda just threw that together, and our guys did, not a great job, a helluva job of responding and reacting to the zone that we called on the fly."

A quirk in the schedule means the Knicks won’t have to wait long for their next matchup: they play the Heat in their next game on Monday night in Miami. Brown’s plan will be similar. 

“We gotta keep trying to guard the ball better by showing our hands and hopefully they don’t get these calls the next time we play ‘em,” he said. 

The Knicks went into Friday's NBA Cup game against the Miami Heat short-handed after Jalen Brunson (ankle) was ruled out for the game. New York was down another starter when OG Anunoby left early with a hamstring injury, putting the bulk of the offensive pressure on Karl-Anthony Towns.

But while KAT did his thing -- scoring a game-high 39 points -- it was the bench, especially Landry Shamet, that stepped up to help the Knicks beat Miami, 140-132.

"It’s about the next man up. Who that next man is going to be, I don’t know," head coach Mike Brown said after the win. "There’s no way I could have told you these guys were going to score the ball the way they did, or Josh [Hart]get a triple-double. A lot of things I couldn’t tell you. We have a standard that we all bought into and all embraced and a way we play offensively and defensively, and if we stay within that, good things will happen most times."

New York's bench outscored Miami, 75-39, led by Shamet's 36 points, a new career high for the guard. 

The 28-year-old guard credited Brown's system for the team's success on offense on Friday -- and, really, all season -- saying it brings out a connectivity between the players that makes scoring easier.

"It could be any one of us any night, we were just playing within our system," Shamet said of his performance. "Sometimes shots find you, we all play aggressive and benefits everyone. It helps when KAT has a massive quarter like he does, and that makes a lot more opportunities when so much attention in the second half is on him. Just playing off one another, and it found me."

Shamet's previous career-high was 31 points, which he's done twice, but on Friday, he showed his full arsenal of offensive tools.  He was incredibly efficient, shooting 12-for-19 from the field, including 6 of 12 from deep. He made all six of his free-throw attempts, grabbed two rebounds and had three assists. He cut to the basket and even posterized one of Miami's big men to get the MSG crowd on their feet, and chanting his name.

"These fans know I love them," Shamet said of the crowd and the chanting. "I’ll say that till I’m blue in the face, love it. Love the energy every night. Cup game on a Friday, it’s as good as it gets. It was very fun."

Interestingly enough, Brown admitted that it was his coaching staff that pushed him to keep Shamet on the floor in the second half. When the Heat clamped down on Towns, who scored just eight points in the second half, Shamet and the others took advantage. Shamet scored 30 of his points in the final two quarters to help put the Heat away.

But Brown wasn't surprised by Shamet's performance on Friday. He saw Shamet's tape from last year and was impressed with his shooting, defense and ability to cut to the basket. 

"People can sleep on him if they want, but if you think of him at Wichita State, he was a point guard then and was extremely athletic," Brown said of Shamet. "He will dunk on you in a heartbeat. It’s not just about his shooting, and he’s making great decisions." 

It was a magical night for Shamet, who has provided Brown with much-needed depth off the bench so far this season. And now with the availability of Brunson and Anunoby up in the air, Shamet and the rest of the bench's contributions will matter more than ever. 

But Shamet stays prepared. Knowing he may potentially get more minutes with Brunson out didn't change his approach and, in fact, he didn't even know he was having a 30-point half while it was happening. It's a part of the mentality that Shamet says this Knicks locker room instills and will continue to have as the year goes on.

"That’s what makes this group special, have a lot of guys that care about winning. Whatever it takes," he said. "We had Jalen out, lose OG early there and we got contributions from across the board from everyone. It’s the mentality we have to have and will continue to have. It’s next man up. A lot of teams talk about this, but this group really embodies it and will continue to."

LeBron James is making progress in his return from injury and trending toward a return to the lineup, and that's a good sign for a Lakers team in search of something positive while on a five-game trip that has had mixed results.

James has been working all week back in L.A. trying to get healthy from sciatica on his right side that has sidelined him all season.

Before the Lakers' 118-104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers coach JJ Redick said James took part in an individual workout on Friday following consecutive days of five-on-five practice with the South Bay Lakers.

The Lakers finish their trip against Milwaukee on Saturday night. James will then practice with the Lakers on Monday. If all goes well, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer could make his season debut and start his league-record 23rd season Tuesday against Utah at Crypto.com Arena.

Read more:Lakers can't keep up with Oklahoma City and are routed

When he does return, how will James, who turns 41 next month, adjust to the chemistry the Lakers have established with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves at the center of the offense?

“I've certainly thought about it,” Redick said about how James' return will affect the team. “The reality is, next week will be a great week for all of us to assess where we're at and figure out what we want to work on. It's rare that you have one game over the course of a week, so probably will think about it more then. But typically when you're playing every other day, you're using your time until 3 a.m. to review the game that you just played and then using the time the next day until 3 a.m. to get ready for the next game.”

Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season, while shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.

Lakers players don't think James' return will cause any issues.

Jarred Vanderbilt said James “can bring an element that we need, essentially, knowing that he can provide that.”

“I know it’s probably tough,” Vanderbilt said. “But even just the integration, trying to integrate himself as a player, as a team midseason is kind of tough. But we’re excited for his return, whenever he comes back, and I know he can provide exactly what we need for this team.”

Reaves (31 points, seven assists) gave the Lakers what they needed to improve to 2-2 on this trip.

“I think we just played harder (and with) a little more attention to detail,” Reaves said. “We executed our game plan a lot better.”

Read more:How one aspect of Rui Hachimura's game reminds JJ Redick of Michael Jordan

Doncic (24 points, 12 assists, six rebounds) gave the Lakers what they needed in a game that gave them a 2-0 record in NBA Cup games. He had 20 points and nine assists at the half. It was the second time Doncic has recorded at least those two stats in a half this season, making him and Reaves (once) the first Lakers to accomplish that feat since the 1996-97 season.

Deandre Ayton was a force for the Lakers inside with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans (2-10) with 35 points and six rebounds.

His teammates lauded his play, but Ayton was more concerned about the Lakers getting a win in Milwaukee to finish the five-game trip with a winning record and to take the sting out of the loss at Atlanta to open the trip and the blowout loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

“This has been a hell of a road trip,” Ayton said. “The best way to do it is to finish off these two road games strong as hell and get back to L.A. and regroup. But we have unfinished business and, yeah, we’re trying to wash away those two Ls, man, with a good win tomorrow.”

Etc.

Lakers rookie Adou Thiero, who has been out all season recovering from left knee surgery, was activated but did not play against Pelicans. Redick said he hopes to give Thiero some playing time against the Bucks.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Tristan da Silva added 22 points and nine rebounds and the Orlando Magic held Brooklyn scoreless over the final two-and-a-half minutes for a 105-98 victory over the Nets on Friday night.

The win was Orlando’s second in NBA Cup Group play and dropped Brooklyn to 0-2.

Michael Porter Jr. had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who led 98-94 after a basket by Nic Claxton with 2:37 remaining. But, Wagner hit two three-pointers, da Silva made one and Brooklyn never scored again.

Desmond Bane scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter for Orlando and Jalen Suggs finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Ziaire Williams had 15 points and a steal late in the fourth quarter — off Orlando’s 19th turnover — that put the Nets up 96-92. Noah Clowney had 12 points before fouling out with 1:58 remaining.

Da Silva got his first start of the season in place of Paolo Banchero, who is out with a strained left groin.

The Nets had a 53-37 lead midway through the second quarter, helped by 3-pointers, 59 percent overall shooting and 10 Magic turnovers. Three-pointers by da Silva and Bane, and Goga Bitadze’s block of an attempted dunk by Terrance Mann, turned the game around quickly. Orlando outscored the Nets 25-5 over the next eight minutes and led by as many as seven in the third quarter.

After making six of their first 11 3-point shots, the Nets made only four of 29 and lost for the 11th time in 12 games.

Up next

Nets: At Washington on Sunday.

Magic: At Houston on Sunday.

Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 39 points and the Knicks’ bench added 75 to beat the Miami Heat 140-132, in NBA Cup action on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

The pace, as expected, was blistering, and the shooting was pure as Towns set the tone early with 31 in the first half as he connected on 13 of 26 attempts from the floor (6-for-14 from deep) and added 11 rebounds, four assists, and a block, and was a plus-13 in 38 minutes on the night.

Playing without Jalen Brunson after he sustained a Grade 1 ankle sprain in Wednesday’s loss, New York lost OG Anunoby midway through the first quarter with a left hamstring injury. The bench erased that disadvantage, with their best game of the season, including going 24-for-41 from the floor and 11-for-20 from beyond the arc.

Landry Shamet scored 15 points in the third and 15 more in the fourth to give him 36 in the game. Jordan Clarkson had 13 of his 24 in the first half, and Josh Hart had a vintage game with his first triple-double of the year: 12 points (5-for-8 shooting) with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Heat went cold in the fourth and couldn’t keep the Knicks off the offensive glass (nine in the period), allowing them to keep possessions alive and turn a six-point lead into a 14-point edge with 4:20 to play. Miami cut the game to eight with a minute left, but New York kept them at an arm's length as both teams played out the final Cup minutes harder than normal.  

Norman Powell had 38 points on 12-for-22 shooting (8-for-15 from deep) as all five Heat starters had double-digits and Jaime Jaquez added 23 off the bench. But the Knicks had just enough against one of the league's highest-scoring offenses, making 21 threes on 53 attempts (39.6 percent) and coralling 51 rebounds (20 offensive).

“Fun game for the fans, probably,” head coach Mike Brown said after the win. “It was almost like a glorified pick-up game with good spacing. 

“... Both teams were just hooping.”

Here are the takeaways...

- With Brunson out due to his right ankle sprain, it was expected that Towns was going to have to carry the load. After the Knicks missed their first eight shots, with a turnover, Towns knocked down back-to-back threes to finally get the offense going. A Towns old-fashioned three-point lead put the home side ahead by one, erasing the early 7-0 deficit thanks in part to six early offensive rebounds, four from Robinson and two from Anunoby. Later in the first, an 8-0 run by the Knicks' big man put New York back up by one again, giving him 18 in the quarter on 7-for-10 shooting (3-for-6 from deep). 

After five early points in the second, Towns was quiet before exploding again for back-to-back threes before adding two more at the line to give him 31 for the game with his individual 8-0 run for a 69-62 lead with two minutes left in the half. The pace didn't slow a bit in the second with the Knicks going for 46 points (15-for-23 from the floor), grabbing a 78-68 halftime lead, holding the Heat to 11-for-23 from the floor in the period.

Miami changed its strategy after the half, sending more doubles the big man's way, and after a quiet third (four points on 2-for-7 from the floor), Towns entered with New York up a dozen in the fourth and had an equally quiet quarter with just four more points, all from the line, as he went 0-for-3 from the floor.

- Already down Brunson, the bench was going to be asked to pick up the load. And losing Anunoby after a few minutes didn’t help matters. At the half, the bench had 31 points, with Clarkson stepping up for 13 (2-for-3 from deep and 5-for-7 from the line), Hart adding 9 (4-for-5 from floor) with five rebounds and four assists, Shamet had six (2-for-5 shooting) but with three fouls, and Guerschon Yabusele three on his lone shot in four minutes of first-half action as he continues to see little time in the rotation.

As the Knicks looked to weather a storm that saw the 10-point halftime lead shrink to two, Shamet had 15 points in the third on 6-for-9 from the floor, including two threes and a dunk over the seven-foot-tall Kel'el Ware. He kept it up in the fourth, too, with 15 more, always popping up when the Knicks needed him, getting his name chanted by the MSG faithful.

Clarkson finished 6-for-13 from the floor (3-for-6 from deep and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line), he had five rebounds (four offensive) and three assists, and was a plus-4 in 33 minutes.

- It wasn’t all gravy early: Mitchell Robinson picked up a pair of illegal screen fouls and then, 13 seconds after the second bad pick, was whistled on the defensive end, sending him to the bench with 3:29 left in the first quarter. And Anunoby was seen on the bench holding the back of his left leg and went back to the locker room a few moments later. (He was then ruled out after the period.) Combined with a blistering pace and Miami shooting 55 percent (11-for-20) compared to New York's 43.3 percent (13-30) and the visitors had a 35-32 edge after 12 minutes.

Robinson saw some time in the second and grabbed two more offensive rebounds, but picked up his fourth foul under two minutes into the third quarter and was back on the bench. He picked up his fifth as the Heat cut the deficit to two with 2:06 left in the third. After two more offensive rebounds in the fourth, Robinson's final line was no points (0-for-2) with 10 rebounds (eight offensive), two assists, two turnovers, and was a minus-5 in 14 minutes.

Anunoby finished with two points (1-for-4 shooting), three rebounds, and a foul in 5 minutes; he was a plus-1.

- Mikal Bridges got off to a slow start, including blowing a breakaway dunk after a steal, and he had four points on 2-for-6 shooting early but walked into a three after grabbing his fourth steal of the first half to give him nine points in the half. After Bridges hit a three to open the third, he missed his next three from deep in the quarter to go 1-for-5 in the frame, but added two more steals, two rebounds, two blocks, and a turnover.

Bridges got a three to go (after a Hart steal and an extra pass by Shamet) to give the Knicks a 14-point edge, their largest of the game, and force a Heat timeout 2.5 minutes into the fourth in the hopes of stalling the 10-0 New York run.

He finished with 15 points on 6-for-21 shooting (3-for-12 from three) with seven steals, five rebounds, five assists, and was a plus-7 in 42 minutes.

- Miles McBride, getting the start for Brunson, started slow, 2-for-6 from the floor (1-for-4 from deep), for five points with two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes. He finished with nine on 4-for-10 shooting (1-for-6 from deep) with four assists, three rebounds, and was a plus-1 in 30 minutes.

Game MVP: Landry Shamet

It will be known as the Landry Shamet game as he went 12-for-19 from the floor (6-for-12 from deep) with three assists and two rebounds and was a plus-11 in 38 minutes off the bench. 

Highlights

KAT 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/imtE0FkX9e

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

18 in Q1 for KAT! pic.twitter.com/1weEuiLVCJ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS IS ON FIRE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SO3NRM8WyA

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

LANDRY SHAMET. pic.twitter.com/cID6vn9Zg7

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

Josh Hart. Stop. Drop. 💧 pic.twitter.com/Jg94a6S8wT

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

Swinging it around for the Mikal triple! pic.twitter.com/f1uM1ntwyz

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

What's next

The Knicks hit the road after the productive 6-1 home stand hit the road for five games, starting off Monday night in South Beach against the Miami Heat. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Knicks are already short-handed with the loss of Jalen Brunson, but they will also be without OG Anunoby for their NBA Cup game against the Heat on Friday.

New York's forward injured his left hamstring on a fastbreak when he missed a layup and grabbed at his left leg. He was in visible discomfort on the Knicks bench during a timeout and went into the locker room with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter. The team ruled him out after the first quarter was completed.

Anunoby played just five minutes, scoring two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-1 from three) to go along with three rebounds. 

While not having Anunoby for Friday's game is a blow to the Knicks, losing him for an extended period of time would, obviously, be worse, especially the way he's played this season. The 28-year-old is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game through the first 11 games of the season. 

Those numbers and his play have caused first-year coach Mike Brown to declare that his forward is playing like an All-Star and that he deserves to be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. 

This story is still developing....

Steph Curry, Warriors show Spurs, NBA they still can climb the tallest mountains originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – Anything and everything a basketball fan could ever want from two regular-season games in November was cinematic greatness, attuned to Oscar winners on IMAX between the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in a three-day span. 

The superstar highlights. The intensity. The record books being rewritten. 

They had it all, including two comeback Warriors wins after beating the Spurs by five points Wednesday night and then outlasting them 109-108 off two Steph Curry free throws with six seconds left that gave him his 48th and 49th points of the game, one game after dropping 46. 

While Curry walked to the free-throw line, Victor Wembanyama, who now has witnessed Steph rip his heart out in his home country of France in the Paris Summer Olympics and his NBA home of San Antonio, tried all he could to rile Spurs fans enough to distract him. It didn’t work. 

Curry swished his first free throw, walked towards the Spurs crowd and mockingly did similar gestures back at them as he talked his talk. 

“I’m aware of everything,” Curry said. “It’s pretty fun. You have to find something to take the nerves out, and for me that’s just embracing the moment, smiling and having a good time.” 

A week before the Warriors’ win against the Spurs on Wednesday night, an illness kept Curry out for three straight games, in which his team went 1-2. He returned Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder but only scored 11 points in 20 minutes in an ugly blowout loss as the cold still lingered. He could have sat out the second night of a back-to-back in San Antonio, but that wasn’t an option after being embarrassed by the defending champions. 

The showman showed out in historic fashion. Curry’s 46 points on Wednesday gave him 43 games of 40 or more points after turning 30 years old, putting him one behind Michael Jordan. The 37-year-old then one-upped himself, knowing exactly when he had tied MJ. 

Dribbling the ball between his legs and pulling up from 29 feet away, Curry swished a three with six and a half minutes remaining to give him 41 points, cutting the Warriors’ deficit from 10 points to seven. 

The player then became the performer. Curry made a ‘2’ and a ‘3’ with his hands across his chest to the crowd running back to the other side of the court. He knew the moment in the heat of the game, and still could be the entertainer everybody comes to see. 

“Very aware,” Curry said. “I did it backwards, though. It’s the second time I’ve done that. But yeah, I was aware of it for sure. 

“I didn’t know I was one away until last game and then obviously was asked about it, and then when I got over that number – that’s pretty cool, just from an individual accomplishment perspective. To be able to be in that company and longevity is something that I pride myself on. So that was pretty cool.”

Steph was "very aware" that he had tied Michael Jordan's record, though he accidentally threw up a backwards 23 🤣 pic.twitter.com/i5ZEKeSPQO

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

He also joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only players aged 37 years or older with back-to-back 40-point games. 

And he’s now the oldest player in NBA history to have back-to-back games of at least 46 points. 

Curry in a two-game span scored 95 points, made 29 shots, including 14 threes, and went 23 of 24 at the free-throw line.

Steph is ON ONE right now 😱pic.twitter.com/lbhUe16oR4

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

On the other side was Wembanyama doing out-of-this-world things at 7-foot-7, with a pitbull a foot shorter than him barking up his tree. Draymond Green doesn’t back down. Never has, never will.

“Draymond is always going to battle,” Steve Kerr said. “He’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around. Obviously, he was getting pretty emotional out there.” 

When Wembanyama, on an out-of-bounds play, caught a pass with his left hand and hammered home a dunk on the heads of Green and Jimmy Butler, the Frenchman bumped Green and yelled right in his face. But this is Draymond. Saginaw’s own looked straight up with the top of his head meeting Wembanyama’s chin. 

He frustrated him to no end on Wednesday, and the ball didn’t touch Wembanyama’s hands on the final play with Green guarding him.

The fire only grew from there. An irate Kerr poured more gasoline on it shortly after, letting the referees know his expletive-laden feelings for a technical foul. 

“That tech right there probably got us going more than anything,” Gary Payton II said. “Steve fights for us. We’ll run through a wall for him. We love to see that fire from him.” 

Kerr’s technical foul gave Wembanyama three free throws, including the two from a loose-ball foul on Butler that put him over the edge, giving the Spurs a 10-point lead at the 7:25 mark of the fourth quarter. The Warriors then outscored the Spurs 27-16 the rest of the game. 

In a one-minute and eight-second stretch late in the fourth quarter, Payton and Brandin Podziemski made three 3-pointers on three straight Warriors offensive possessions. The Warriors went from trailing 100-95 to leading 101-100. Podziemski assisted Payton’s first three, then blocked a shot from De’Aaron Fox. It was Payton who assisted Podziemski’s three, and a Podziemski defensive rebound led to Payton’s triple that gave Golden State the lead.

GP2 for the LEAD 🤑pic.twitter.com/adFXa5af47

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

Those two were the epitome of clutch after coming through in several ways Wednesday night, too. All small parts of the game that make Podziemski a critical piece shone, and Payton’s lockdown defense on Fox sealed the deal on the final shot of the game.

This baseball series of adjustments and deep intentions brought out the best of both teams, creating a playoff atmosphere just three and a half weeks into the season. 

“It did feel like a playoff game, especially tonight,” Kerr said. “The other night, it was a little different. A little looser, a little freer. Tonight felt more like the physicality of the playoffs.” 

Some might say the Warriors are the past. They’ll tell you they’re the present, showing the future what it takes to climb the NBA’s mountain. The climb itself can feel as exhausting as ever for the Warriors. The extra gear to get them to the top is still there.

The greatness. The drama. The passion. These games had it all, begging for more on an even bigger stage down the road.

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How Steve Kerr's passionate pregame speech fueled Warriors' wild win over Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr has seen a lot in his three-plus decades in the NBA, so the Warriors coach is no stranger to instilling the needed motivation when his team finds itself in a rut.

Sometimes it’s a pep talk; other times it’s a fiery display on the sideline, with the latter proving invaluable in the Warriors’ thrilling 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at Frost Bank Center.

Kerr received a technical foul in the fourth quarter after vehemently disagreeing with a loose-ball foul called on Jimmy Butler with 7:25 remaining in the game. Kerr’s animated display sparked something within the Warriors, who went on a 27-19 run to snatch a one-point victory in the final seconds.

After the game, Warriors star Steph Curry — the star of the night with 49 points — explained how much of an impact Kerr’s energy has on him and his teammates.

“We love it, he has broken clipboards along the way, he has gotten technicals — he gets fiery,” Curry told reporters after Friday’s win. “This morning, he was in his bag in terms of his speech he gave in our pregame meeting this morning. You can tell he still has that fastball if he needs it. It’s important for us to have that energy over the course of 82. We’re all in this together. He talked about that this morning, he showed it out there, and whether you win or lose, you just want to have a unit and a team that’s together. Coaches included.”

So what exactly stood out about this morning’s motivational speech from Kerr? Drawing back to his days with the Chicago Bulls, where he won three NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan in the late 90s.

Kerr used a compelling comparison to fire up his players, likening their assignments to that of a big-time band on tour, emphasizing the importance of all the moving pieces needed to complete the puzzle.

“He rarely talks about his Chicago days, and he gave some references to how they approached their team and their identity by comparisons to how a band comes together and everyone is playing a role,” Curry said. “You got your lead singers, you got your bass, your acoustic, your electric whatever. You got your stage hands, you got the guy who’s plugging in the speakers. He said he was just above plugging in the speakers guy.

“It speaks to it all matters, there’s value in all of that when a band is going on tour. I think Phil Jackson instilled that in him, and he used that as a reference for how we need to play and how we need to approach our identity. It’s going to take a long time to get through this year in terms of doing that, but it’s great to have a reference.”

While Curry’s historic scoring outburst led the way, it took a collective effort to get across the finish line against a tough Spurs team. Plays like Gary Payton II’s go-ahead three in the final minutes of the fourth quarter proved to be the difference on a night when Golden State needed every contribution possible for its thrilling victory.

GP2 for the LEAD 🤑pic.twitter.com/adFXa5af47

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

It remains to be seen which band the Warriors most closely resemble, but it’s clear this group is capable of making sweet music together when the rhythm is right. And Friday night’s win is the kind of performance that will leave Dub Nation calling for an encore.

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Mike Brown has been a part of some crazy comebacks during his time in the NBA, and he wasn’t going to let Wednesday night’s chance for one go by without a fight. 

But with the Knicks down 16 with just under two minutes to play against Orlando, Jalen Brunson suffered a right ankle injury, which raises questions about the new head coach’s late-game strategy.

“I’m trying to win the game,” Brown said ahead of Friday night’s matchup with the Miami Heat. “A couple minutes left, stop and two threes, and it's a two-possession game. And that’s all I was trying to do, is win the game.

On the night, the Knicks, struggling all night, entered the fourth quarter down 18 and cut the lead to nine with six minutes to play. At the 4:18 mark, Brown took a timeout after the Magic hit a three-pointer to push the lead back to 15. In the flow of the game, pulling the starters at that point would have seemed like a premature waving of the white flag. While his side was having an off night and playing on the back-end of a back-to-back, sneaking up and overtaking Orlando in the closing moments wasn’t out of the question.

Out of the timeout, with his starters still in the game, Brunson hit a layup and then the Knicks got a pair of stops. However, Karl-Anthony Towns and then Brunson both missed floaters with a chance to cut the deficit closer and turn up the heat on Orlando. But they got no closer.  

And in Brown's defense, there wasn't another stoppage of play to send in the reserves between his timeout and Brunson's injury, which was sustained when the guard stepped on a defender’s foot driving to he basket with 1:54 to play.

“If I feel like our guys are still being competitive and still trying to play the right way and win the game, and I feel like there’s a chance, then I’m gonna try and win the game,” the head coach said. 

But Brown said there is no set strategy for making this determination.

“It could change,” he said. “Sometimes it may be four minutes left in the game, depending on the flow of the game. Sometimes it may be right down to the second.”

Additional testing on Brunson’s ankle revealed he sustained a Grade 1 ankle sprain, league sources tell SNY's Ian Begley, meaning he would miss Friday's game and the guard would be evaluated daily.

Steph Curry was ‘very aware' of tying Michael Jordan record in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry always knows.

Granted, he didn’t know until Wednesday that he was one game away from tying Michael Jordan for most games with 40-plus points after turning 30. But once he was informed of the stat, he wasted no time, matching Jordan’s mark with a 49-point outburst during the Warriors’ 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at Frost Bank Center.

After the game, Curry made it clear he knew exactly what he’d done once he reached 40 points in the fourth quarter.

“Very aware. I threw up the [23],” Curry told reporters. “I did it backwards, though. It’s the second time I’ve done that. But, yeah, I was aware of it, for sure. I didn’t know I was one away until last game, and then obviously I was asked about it.

“Then, when I got over that number — that’s pretty cool, just from an individual accomplishment perspective, just to be able to be in that type of company. The longevity is something I pride myself on, so that was pretty cool.”

Steph was "very aware" that he had tied Michael Jordan's record, though he accidentally threw up a backwards 23 🤣 pic.twitter.com/i5ZEKeSPQO

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

Two GOATs 🐐 🐐 pic.twitter.com/hCaYKFix36

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2025

It’s not the first time Curry has joined the same company as Jordan, and it probably won’t be the last time, either. After all, they are two of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, and Curry clearly has a lot of respect for Jordan as well.

Perhaps when Curry scores 40 points again to eclipse Jordan’s record, he will throw up a 23 as intended, instead of an unintentional 32.

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