Category: NBA

Kings' compete level answers Doug Christie's plea in OT thriller vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The 2025-26 Kings are not a playoff team.

But Doug Christie still would like to see some fight from his guys after losing 22 games before January and plummeting to dead last in the Western Conference.

Over the past three games, the Kings have shown that competitive edge that Christie was known for as a player and preaches now as a coach. The last two have resulted in losses to the Trail Blazers, with the first in Portland ending in overtime controversy and the second in Sacramento being a back-and-forth battle.

After Saturday’s 98-93 loss to Portland, the first question Christie responded to was whether the competitive level his team had displayed was what he’s been looking for with this roster, given its rocky start to the season and its realistic future.  

“Yeah. Ultimately, defensively, I thought we were better,” Christie said. “We’re in a hunt. The competition level was higher. That’s what we need. You have to be in the hunt, and then once you get there, you have to execute down the stretch. [Us] missing 10 free throws, those are the things that are going to get us over the [hump]. 

“But first and foremost, you got to compete at a high level and be in the hunt. We did a pretty good job in Portland as well [on Thursday]. That’s the biggest thing. We have to compete at a high level. And then, in this league, you have to learn how to win games. And that’s where we’re at right now.”

Well, Sunday’s showing was a promising start.

In Sacramento’s second overtime game in four days, the Kings once again displayed resilience and, yes, that competition level Christie has been begging for from his squad. This time, though, it didn’t end in heartbreak or controversy; it ended with a win against one of the top Western Conference teams, the Houston Rockets, that snapped a five-game skid.

It was a true collective effort.

A late surge led by Keegan Murray erased Houston’s 14-point lead and kept the Kings alive in crunch time. Murray, who has been struggling offensively really since returning from a UCL injury this season, got going when the Kings needed him to most.

Over a two-minute-and-30-second span, Murray couldn’t miss. He scored 10 points in that time, including two big 3-pointers that pulled the Kings within two points with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. 

Then it was a cat-and-mouse game from then on.

And even when Houston took a 5-point lead with 2:17 remaining, Sacramento never wavered. In fact, the Rockets never scored again in the fourth quarter, and the Kings went on a 5-0 run to force overtime after Russell Westbrook’s corner triple hit nothing but net to force overtime.

The Kings have been notorious for their inability to close out games, even when starting them off strong. But their competitive spirit never died, not even on the second night of a back-to-back.

The back-and-forth scoring continued literally until the final seconds of the extra period.

Just when it appeared to be over for the Kings when Westbrook fouled Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line, and Smith Jr. made two of his three free-throw attempts to give Houston a 2-point lead with 10 seconds remaining, it was another Kings veteran guard who stepped up and came up clutch.

Schroder knocked down a trey with 3.1 seconds remaining, and Kevin Durant’s missed jumper on the other end sealed the deal in Sacramento.

After the game, Westbrook stated that it all comes down to putting your best foot forward and competing. He added that Sunday’s win embodied the Kings finally “getting over the hump” and closing a game out.

Christie, too, was impressed with his team’s fight from start to finish.

“To come out and compete like that, for our guys, after some of the heartbreaks that we’ve had lately, says a lot about their character as individuals and collectively,” Christie said.

Christie also took a moment to shout out who he called two of the “best competitors” in the game in Sacramento in Westbrook and Schroder.

This win doesn’t solve everything for the plethora of issues in Sacramento, but it’s without a doubt a step in the right direction.

And right now, that’s all Christie can ask for.

“We haven’t particularly played at the level that we want to at home. Oddly enough, we’ve done it on the road quite a few times, where we competed really well. But these fans, this is what they deserve, and this is what we will give them. Ultimately, can win them all? No, but they want to know that you are pouring your heart and soul out on the floor when they walk out of the building. And they got that tonight.”

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 What we learned as Kings' late rally powers huge overtime win against Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO — Their record might not indicate it, but Doug Christie has emphasized competitiveness for his Kings as they continue to figure out a solution to their now 7-22 record.

In the last three games, at least, including Sunday’s win, they’ve shown that.

Sacramento overcame a 14-point deficit thanks to a late fourth-quarter surge fueled by Keegan Murray and a clutch corner 3-pointer by Russell Westbrook with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

But that wasn’t the only clutch 3 of the night.

Dennis Schröder sank a 26-foot 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining in overtime to secure the victory.

The Rockets still had time to steal the lead — and win — but Kevin Durant’s missed jumpshot ended those hopes.

The Kings snapped a five-game losing streak, and it was a true team effort.

DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points led the way for the Kings, with Keegan Murray contributing 26 and Schröder adding 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds off the bench.

Rockets young star center Alperen Şengün dominated Sacramento for most of the game, finishing with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s win:

Extra basketball

The Kings got rolling at the right time, with Westbrook’s corner triple sending the game to overtime.

The action-packed thriller in Sacramento continued for five more minutes, as the game ended with a game-winning triple from Schroder.

In the extra period, Westbrook fouled Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line with 10 seconds remaining, and Smith Jr. knocked down two of his three attempts from the charity stripe.

But it was Schroder who called game in the end.

Malik returns

Malik Monk recorded two consecutive DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in a road and home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday and Saturday.

Before Sunday’s game, Kings coach Doug Christie was swarmed with questions about the bizarre situation, and he hinted that Monk could see the floor against the Rockets.

He kept his word, although it took a while.

Monk entered Sunday’s game for the first time of the night toward the end of the third quarter. And as expected, he was welcomed with a loud and warm welcome from the Golden 1 Center crowd.

Oh, he also instantly drove to the basket and made a layup within seconds of being on the court.

While being repeatedly asked about the decision to bench Monk in the past two games, Christie maintained it solely was based on it being a “logjam” at the guard position and simply a “numbers game.” He also stated that Monk was the “odd man out” since the Kings decided to emphasize defense and insert Keon Ellis into the rotation over Monk.

Ellis played just nine minutes in Sunday’s game, and has been struggling as of late. It could be possible that Ellis is back to being the “odd man out,” while Monk resumes his role.

Keegan’s resurgence

Keegan Murray has struggled to find a consistent offensive flow since returning from a UCL injury.

But his confidence never wavered, and neither did his coaches’ or teammates’ in him.

He showed just why on Sunday.

Murray missed all six of his 3-point attempts in Saturday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Sunday, his first attempt from downtown — a 30-point trey — was a make. He finished the first quarter with 10 points and scored just two points in the second quarter.

But he got going when it mattered most, helping fuel a late rally to keep Sacramento alive in the fourth quarter. Murray finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 3 of 4 from downtown.

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Warriors see their warts, but still believe in their lofty NBA potential originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Two months into a season that has delivered more losses than wins, the Warriors still believe that between Monday night and April 12 they will secure an automatic berth in the Western Conference playoffs.

When the Orlando Magic come to Chase Center on Monday, the Warriors will be sitting in eighth place, 4.5 games away from the guaranteed playoff berth that comes with finishing sixth and six games away from the home-court advantage that comes with finishing among the top four.

Are the Warriors dreaming? Maybe.

They realize 53 games remain for them to make the steep climb toward their goal, they scan the standings and, still, they believe.

“I look (at the standings) every day; I looked this morning,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We all know where we are.”

“Our goal coming into the season was to be a top-four seed, and I still think it’s well within our reach. It can be daunting if you look and you go, ‘Man, we’re five, six games back.’ But we know how fast things can flip if we can take care of our business and find some momentum. Because everybody else is going to go through tough stretches too.”

Taking care of business has been difficult and momentum has been elusive. And the Warriors would like to believe their “toughest stretches” are behind them after burying a three-game losing streak Saturday with a win over the Phoenix Suns.

Even in victory, however, they saw there are many miles to go to achieve their quest.

“We watched the last three minutes of the game,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said, referring to a late 14-8 run by Phoenix that nearly erased Golden State’s seven-point lead.

“I wanted the guys to see it,” Kerr said. “There were a couple of just mindless plays where we score and we’re all standing there, instead of having urgency to get back. And the (Suns) race the ball up the floor, we’re trailing the play. There’s no way that can happen. We just have to be sharper and more on edge.”

Golden State is 6-6 against the seven teams above them, beating the Lakers, the Nuggets, the Spurs twice the Suns twice. Yet the Warriors are 0-3 against the 10th-place Trail Blazers and 0-1 against the last-place Kings.

Who are the Warriors?

They are a team still seeking rhythm for an offense that too often collapses under the weight of its turnovers and searching for consistency on defense – with both issues on display over the last four games. They stumbled and fell against Minnesota, at Portland and at Phoenix but stayed upright against the Suns at home.

“We already know what the problem is (or) was,” Jimmy Butler III said, taking scant contentment from beating the Suns. “It’s just on us to go out there and do what we say that we’re going to do to win these games. We’re capable of it. We all know that.”

Butler’s expression of belief suggests the best is yet to come. That they have the capability to move beyond the nights of blowing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter to teams that, on paper, are inferior. Seven of Golden State’s 15 losses have come against sub.-500 teams.

The road to recovery begins with an offense that takes care of the ball and makes open shots, particularly from deep. The Warriors are shooting 32.6 percent on “open” shots (closest defender between four and six feet away), ranking 19th in the league.

This is a team, folks, that has the greatest deep shooter of all time on the roster. Stephen Curry’s gravitational effect opposing defenses often create open looks for teammates. In a league where the 3-point shooting average is 35.8 percent, the Warriors have seven players that qualify as below average, including stretch-5 Quinten Post, at 33.8 percent and 3-point specialist Buddy Hield at 32 percent.

Unless Golden State’s offense drains open triples at a higher rate and its defense learns lessons administered during video study on Sunday, an automatic berth will be out of reach.

Curry believes but tempers his faith with the evidence already gathered. At 14-15, the Warriors are not close to being among the top six in the West, much less the top four.

“We don’t want to look too far ahead,” he said. “Just focus on Orlando and what we need to do to beat that team. I like that idea of just taking it one game at a time, because we don’t have any other choice with the way we’ve been playing.”

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The only thing left for JJ Redick to do was joke about it. What else could be said after the Lakers made just six of 38 three-pointers in a 103-88 loss to the Clippers on Saturday?

“I was proud that we improved from three 4-for-33,” the coach deadpanned. “So we got better as the game progressed.”

With four regular starters limited by injuries, the Lakers’ ice cold shooting night doomed them to a season-low in points. Star guard Luka Doncic left the game with 12 points at halftime after a left leg contusion sustained in the first half. Redick noticed the NBA’s leading scorer limping on the court during the second quarter. Starters Austin Reaves (calf), Deandre Ayton (elbow) and Rui Hachimura (groin) were all sidelined for the game, as well as key reserve Gabe Vincent (back).

It left just LeBron James, who had 36 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Lakers (19-8) fell behind by 22 but cut the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter before fading again.

“We just didn’t make shots,” said James, who was three for seven from three-point range and made half of the team’s threes. “It happens over the course of a season. We had some great looks. We just didn’t make shots. But we still gave ourselves a chance to be in the game with how well we defended, our competitive spirit, our competitive nature.”

Here are three takeaways from the game: 

Lakers pleas toward referees falling flat

The Lakers have been assessed five technical fouls in the last two games because of conduct with officials as frustration over inconsistent calls is starting to boil over. After Doncic, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart were all given technical fouls in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Utah, Doncic and Smart were T’ed up again Saturday in the first and third quarters, respectively.

“I think if any coach, any player, what we ask for is consistency,” Redick said. “And that's not to single any official out or any crew out, it's not about that. We need to know what it is night to night.”

Smart also drew a technical foul against Utah after attempting to talk to an official at halftime. When Smart walked away frustrated, he raised his middle finger toward the official, a gesture that got him fined $35,000 Saturday, the NBA announced.

“Sometimes you got to take the hit to get your point across,” Smart said Saturday.

Read more:Lakers lose Luka Doncic to injury, then fall to Clippers despite LeBron James' 36 points

Redick expressed additional frustration with the lack of transparency in the replay system and murky communication with officials. He said he has not received any feedback when he requests it and the distinction between plays that can and can’t be challenged appears to change every night.

The lack of communication has been frustrating for players as well, Smart said, who met with referees before the Utah game as a team captain, but still had his questions dismissed.

“The captain should be able to come talk to them,” Smart said. “They still don't want to hear it. So control what you can control. They don't want to talk, you know, you try and you move on. But it definitely is frustrating when you pour your heart out to this game and the feedback is literally waving you off, telling you to get out your face, and then giving you a tech because you're asking a simple question.”

Way off the mark

The Lakers had their worst shooting night of the season by far, making just 34 of 88 shots (38.6%). The team that was second in the NBA in shooting percentage hadn’t shot worse than 40.3% from the field in a game this season. Even their shaky three-point shooting that was 23rd in the league (34.5%) found a new low: the 15.8% (six for 38) shooting from three-point range is the worst for the team since Jan. 3, 2024 when the Lakers made four of 30 threes in a 110-96 loss to Miami.

Smart, who had made 14 of 28 threes in his last three games, missed on all of his nine long-range shots Saturday and finished with five points on one-of-12 shooting. Jake LaRavia, who was acquired as a free agent in part for his three-point shooting, was 0 for four from beyond the arc. The 24-year-old is shooting a career-low 32.1% from three-point range this season despite his eight-for-15 start in the first five games of the year.

“I know I'm a good shooter, everyone on the staff knows I'm a good shooter, everyone on the team knows I'm a good shooter,” LaRavia said. “At some point, I have to make shots. Obviously, been in a slump pretty much this entire season outside of that first stretch of games where I was making some. But they'll drop."

LeBron James carries the load alone

Once Doncic left the game, the Lakers’ best chance at scoring points became “effort offense,” LaRavia said. Hustling, grabbing offensive rebounds and cherry-picking points in transition was almost enough as the Lakers pieced together a 15-0 run to cut a 22-point Clippers lead to seven with 7:56 remaining in the fourth.

Redick praised the team’s “incredible spirit,” noting that James led the charge in that aspect. In addition to making 15 of 28 shots from the field for his season-high in points, James had two steals and a block. After he drove aggressively to the basket for a layup through contact and finished a three-point play to cut the lead to nine, he was the first to dive on the floor for a loose ball on the next defensive possession when he poked the ball away from Kawhi Leonard.

With the Clippers (7-21) playing most of the game without center Ivica Zubak, who rolled his ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return, James took advantage of the smaller lineup by aggressively getting into the paint.

“He did a terrific job of driving the basketball,” Redick said. “Anytime he had [Brook] Lopez on him, he'd beat him up from the perimeter. Great game from him.”

James, who turns 41 on Dec. 30, has passed his unofficial “training camp” phase after he missed the first 14 games of the season because of right sciatica. He has averaged 30 points in the last three games while shooting 50% from the field.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When Luka Doncic sustained a left leg contusion and sat out the entire second half of a 103-88 loss to the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Saturday night, he became the latest in a growing list of ailing Lakers.

Doncic played 19 minutes in the first half but didn’t return for the third quarter. He had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists at the break. But Doncic struggled with his shooting, going four for 13 from the field and one for six from three-point range.

Doncic entered as the leading scorer in the NBA, averaging 35.2 points per game, and was third in assists, averaging 9.1. He had torched the Clippers for 43 points in a win last month.

“He told me at halftime he couldn’t go," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "I don’t have any other information.”

Read more:Lakers' Marcus Smart fined $35,000 for making obscene gesture at official

Rui Hachimura missed his first start of the season because of a sore groin that is expected to keep him out three to five days. Austin Reaves (left calf), Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Gabe Vincent (lower back tightness) also are out.

The Clippers also lost a key player Saturday when center Ivica Zubac sustained a left ankle injury in the first quarter. Zubac, who has played every game this season and leads the team in rebounds and blocks, logged just 11 minutes.

The Clippers (7-21) entered the game tied for the worst record in the Western Conference. They had lost five games in a row, eight straight at home and 10 of their last 11 overall.

They got off to a good start Saturday, building a 22-point lead over the Lakers (19-8), who cut their deficit to seven points in the fourth quarter before fading. It was the Lakers' season low in points.

“No matter what the circumstance is, it’s still next man up,” said LeBron James, who led the Lakers with 36 points. “We’re all professionals. We all got to stay ready. So, obviously very challenging circumstances for our ballclub tonight. But I think we played extremely hard. We followed our keys. We just came up short.”

Kawhi Leonard had 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers and James Harden had 21 points and 10 assists.

Before the game, Redick wanted the Lakers to "just manage the game and play with the right spirit."

But the Lakers fell into a 17-point deficit in the first quarter and couldn't recover.

Redick said Hachimura sat out after he felt hip pain against Utah on Thursday night. Reaves was “continuing to push himself” to return soon, Redick said, and Ayton had “swelling” in his elbow but had a “brisk, intense individual workout.”

Redick said it’s possible Reaves and Ayton could return Tuesday at Phoenix.

After the game, Redick lauded how the Lakers put up a good fight despite their rash of injuries.

Jake LaRavia, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Smith Jr, who had nine points off the bench, helped the Lakers stay within striking distance.

But the Lakers struggled to make shots. They shot 39% (34 for 88) from the field, 16% (six for 38) from three-point range and 61% (14 for 23) at the line.

“I thought all the guys, about 90% of them, they brought it,” Redick said. “And we defended at a high level. Made it tough on their stars. ... Yes, just highly, highly competitive group today and really proud of them.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Why Draymond Green's second-quarter ejection woke up Warriors in win over Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s dubious, perhaps even silly, to conclude that the Warriors are a better team without Draymond Green.

But they surely were Saturday night – because Green’s absence left them no choice.

Trailing by 11 when Green was ejected early in the second quarter, the Warriors shook off their atrocious start, reacquainted themselves with defense in the middle quarters and then hung on for a 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns before a sellout crowd (18,064) at Chase Center.

The victory was a tonic for the Warriors, snapping their three-game losing streak and alleviating some of the internal frustration, allowing the twitchiest activists within Dub Nation to get at least one night of peaceful sleep.

All because of their response to Green’s ejection with 10:39 left in the first half.

“Sometimes we take advantage of Draymond, what he does for us, and we count on him to clean up everything,” Gary Payton II said. “But once he’s out of there, we know we all got to come together and do it collectively. I think everybody felt that. And when we’re doing that as a unit, we can be pretty damn good.”

Green was assessed his first technical foul for shoving Suns guard Collin Gillespie in transition, and the second came moments later, when Draymond taunted lead official Pat Fraher and received the automatic ejection.

The Warriors were trailing 48-37 when Green was tossed. They had given up 44 points in the first quarter, with the Suns torching the nets, shooting 70.8 percent from the field, including 60 percent from beyond the arc.

“We were giving up straight line drives, straight bullet passes to the weak side, and they’re just teeing off on 3s, or they were just walking from the 3-point line to the basket getting a layup,” Stephen Curry said.

Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks scored 12 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the field in the first quarter, and All-Star guard Devin Booker put in another 11. The Warriors gave up five dunks in the first 12 minutes. Their Golden defense was asleep.

The sight of Draymond stalking off the floor for the rest of the evening got the Warriors’ attention.

“I think it woke us up,” Curry said. “Because we knew without him, we’re going to have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert and trying to have his back.”

The Warriors turned ferocious, limiting the Suns to 31.8-percent shooting from the field, including 17.6 percent from deep in the second and third quarters. Golden State took a six-point (93-87) lead into the fourth quarter and pushed to 11 before Phoenix staged a comeback, cutting the margin to one in the final seconds before Curry dropped in a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining to secure the win.

“The game settled down for us after the first quarter,” coach Steve Kerr said. “(The Suns) came out lights out, shooting. We made a few mistakes, and then we buckled down defensively. The middle quarters were fantastic defense. They broke free a little bit at the end.”

The result was the Warriors crashing through a barrier that seemed to be getting sturdier each game. After three consecutive clutch-game losses, they found success. They have played 16 clutch games and now are 6-10.

But watching the Suns go on an 11-5 run inside the final two minutes frayed a few nerves inside Chase and did not go unnoticed by Kerr.

“We know we have to execute better down the stretch,” the coach said. “We didn’t execute well, especially defensively. We gave up some open looks, and the 3-point play by (Booker) with about a minute to go . . . we can’t have had the full-court press on and let him move freely and go right to the rim. So, we have a lot to look at and learn from.”

Draymond did a lot of looking on Saturday. And he learned something, too. That his teammates did a splendid job covering for him. They applied defense because he could not, and it won the game.

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Hugo Gonzalez ‘brings the energy' in huge night vs. Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Hugo Gonzalez is making the most of his increased opportunity with the Boston Celtics.

The 19-year-old rookie followed his 10-point, eight-rebound performance in Friday’s win over Miami with another gem Saturday in Toronto. He was an incredible +37 while notching 10 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals in the Celtics’ 112-96 victory.

Gonzalez played 28 minutes after logging 29 against the Heat. After Saturday’s win, NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin asked the Spaniard how he still had the energy to come up big for Boston.

“It’s what everyone told me, like, you can’t be tired because you’re 19,” Gonzalez said. “So I tried to bring the energy. … It’s easy to me to have great energy when the team is also helping and everyone is engaged on the game, and everyone wants the guy next to them to be successful.”

Gonzalez’s 10 rebounds marked a career high. He also tallied two steals in a performance that showcased his exciting potential.

“I just try to (do) whatever I can for the team, whatever they ask me to do,” Gonzalez added. “Obviously, sometimes it’s going to be good, sometimes it’s going to be worse, but you have to be mentally prepared to make a play, to be useful for the team.”

The youngster’s huge night came at a perfect time for the C’s with star Jaylen Brown (illness) sidelined. Payton Pritchard also stepped up, erupting for a game-high 33 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds.

At only 19 years old and just 22 games into his NBA career, Gonzalez already looks outstanding on the defensive end. His offensive game continues to improve as well, as he’s shot 62.5 percent from the floor so far in December.

Gonzalez will look to continue his hot streak when the Celtics (17-11) host the Indiana Pacers (6-22) Monday night.

Surprising Warriors rotation change paves way for Will Richard's big night  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Warriors needed a spark on the heels of three consecutive gut-wrenching defeats, Golden State turned to a player who was a healthy scratch in each of those contests — Will Richard.

The 22-year-old rookie proved to be the difference in Golden State’s 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center, dropping 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting including a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the 3-point line. Richard was a perfect 6 of 6 to begin the game and didn’t record his lone miss until well into the fourth quarter.

“Unbelievable performance, coming off an extended time not being in the rotation,” Steph Curry said of Richard’s efforts in Saturday’s win. “The way he played, not just his scoring, but just his presence all over the floor.”

However, Richard’s impact on the Warriors’ bounce-back victory wouldn’t have been possible without ending a different streak. Buddy Hield had suited up and played in every possible game since joining Golden State before the 2024-25 NBA season (110 consecutive games) and had an even larger consecutive-game streak that extended well beyond his time in the Bay.

That streak would come to an end Saturday, as Hield was the only Warriors player to be a healthy scratch in their gritty win over the Suns.

“I replaced [Hield] in the rotation with Will,” Kerr said. “I told him beforehand, I feel terrible, he had a streak of 199 games in a row, it was one of the longest streaks in the league and one of the things I love about Buddy is he’s there for you every single night.

“He’s the greatest teammate ever and just an amazing spirit and a key part of our team, and it felt terrible not to play him, but I sat Will the last five or six games and we needed to get him back out there and you can see why. Buddy’s time will come back around, it always does. He has got the right attitude, he’s going to keep working and getting shots up and I know things will work out for him.”

Beyond the spacing and gravitational pull Hield offers as one of the NBA’s most respected 3-point shooters, it’s clear how much his personality impacts the Warriors’ morale as they navigate the marathon that is an 82-game regular season.

While Hield surely was disappointed with the news he would be bumped for the rotation in favor of the rookie, Richard revealed how the veteran sharpshooter admirably handled the change, maintaining his positive energy and demeanor while supporting his young teammate’s return to action at the cost of his own playing time.

“Buddy is the same every day. He’s always going to be the guy bringing energy to the team,” Richard said. “Always supporting me no matter what. He definitely handled it well and he has been doing a great job of being the same guy every day bringing the energy and just being a guy everyone knows they can look to for support.”

Richard hadn’t played a single minute in nearly two weeks, with his last appearance coming on Dec. 7 in the Warriors’ blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, where he finished the game as a plus-36 in 24:11 minutes of action.

So how exactly did Richard remain prepared to come out firing on all cylinders despite a prolonged absence from the court?

“Working out a lot. Afternoon shootaround, I was at every one of those,” Richard said. “I knew my time was going to be called so I had to be ready when my time.”

After hitting a big 3-pointer during Golden State’s second-half comeback, Richard took a moment to face the rabid Chase Center crowd and share a special moment with the raucous fanbase that was in the process of erupting in response to his heroic efforts.

Going from three consecutive DNPs to having a sellout crowd of 18,064 losing their minds over your contributions would be a roller coaster of emotions for even the most seasoned NBA veterans. How does the 22-year-old rookie compartmentalize that? What are you supposed to think as you’re stamping your impact on a game after not even getting the chance to see the court in two weeks?

For Richard, it’s all about keeping it simple and focusing on what matters most.

“Just trying to win,” Richard said. “I don’t really think a lot when I’m out there, I’m just trying to win games.”

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Lakers guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture toward a game official during halftime of the game Thursday against the Utah Jazz, the NBA announced Saturday.

Smart was assessed a technical foul for his action as walked off the court for intermission after exchanging words with an official.

The Lakers pulled out a 143-135 victory in Salt Lake City when the 31-year-old defensive specialist scored nine of his 17 points by making three of four three-point shots in the fourth quarter.

Smart, who is averaging 10.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 17 games this season, will again be in the starting lineup Saturday night in place of injured Austin Reaves when the Lakers take on the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Steve Kerr blasts ‘weak' Draymond Green ejection, compares it to Dillon Brooks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr started slowly, then worked himself into a mini-lather when discussing Draymond Green’s ejection during the Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center.

Green’s first ejection of the season came about 48 hours after Suns guard Dillon Brooks jumped high to defend a shot by Stephen Curry, then deliberately and flagrantly hit the two-time NBA MVP in the stomach.

For anyone who has ever seen Brooks in the NBA, it wasn’t a complete surprise — but other than the Flagrant 1 foul he was assessed, he wasn’t ejected and no further penalties or discipline from the NBA came.

Fast forward to Saturday, when Green and Suns guard Collin Gillespie got into a lightly heated exchange after Green blocked one of Gillespie’s shots. The two men kept jawing at one another, with Green earning his second technical for arguing over the first. 

Kerr also picked up a technical for arguing the situation.

“I thought it was weak. I mean, [Green] was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he’s walking to the bench and he yells something, and the second technical … We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night, and premeditated punches him in the stomach,” Kerr said, referring to the Warriors’ loss in Phoenix on Thursday. “No ejection for that. Two nights later, refs got upset with some words from Draymond.

“I just I totally disagree, and that’s why I got my tech because I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily. This is a guy [Brooks] who broke [Gary Payton II’s] elbow in the playoffs, clothes-lining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not going to kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not ejected from that game and then suspended or fined. Nothing, nothing.

“So apparently you are now allowed, this is my team, you’re now allowed to premeditate a punch of a shooter who’s left defenseless … you can now take a swing at him. Maybe we’ll do that. Probably not.”

That was just one chapter in the Brooks saga Saturday.

Early in the game, the Warriors seemed bent on matching Brooks’ energy and did a lot to show that he wasn’t going to get under their skin as he has with them and so many other teams during his NBA career.

Jimmy Butler grabbed a loose ball and shoved it in Brooks’ chest. When a nearby official refused to call anything, Brooks waved his arms and clearly was upset.

Throughout the night, the Warriors seemed to be playing with a more physical edge to them, especially against Brooks, than they normally do. During the second half, Trayce Jackson-Davis picked up an offensive foul after leveling Brooks with a devastating screen.

Brooks definitely got his, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 from the floor and proved to be a good Robin to Devin Booker’s Batman.

Where the Warriors stood out, however, was limiting Brooks’ impact to the stat sheet and not their minds.

“He’s a very intense player,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Obviously he’s having a really good year this year, but at the same time you can’t be a bully in this league. We came out and we handled business.

“Things got chippy. We got chippy right back. We showed them that we’re not soft and we’re not going for any of the things that he does. It’s not easy to get under my skin in general. That’s just the type of player I am. I remember he cheap-shot me, hit me, and I’m just laughing. Like, ‘You’re going to be an idiot and do dumb stuff, that’s on you.’ At the same time, we’re just gonna go out there, play basketball, play hard.”

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Observations after Sixers flip switch in 4th quarter to beat Mavs  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ backcourt played an outstanding back-to-back and helped the team polish off a 2-0 weekend Saturday night.

With a 121-114 win over the Mavericks at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Sixers moved to 16-11. Dallas dipped to 11-18. 

Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points and VJ Edgecombe added 26, posting his fourth straight 20-point outing.

Dominick Barlow tied his career high with 21 points.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg scored 24 points. Anthony Davis had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Naji Marshall put up 22 points and 10 boards.

The Sixers were without the following players on the second leg of their back-to-back:

• Joel Embiid (right knee injury management, illness)
• Paul George (left knee injury management) 
• Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain)
• Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) 

The team will host the Nets on Tuesday night. Here are observations on its win over Dallas:

Barlow, Edgecombe step up on offense 

The Sixers started Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Barlow and Andre Drummond.

Barlow began the evening on Flagg and turned an early steal into a fast-break slam. Barlow had a big first half offensively, scoring 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and missing just once inside the arc. He passed his previous season scoring high of 13 points against the Celtics on opening night. 

The Sixers missed a string of layups in the first quarter and went down 13-8 on a Flagg bucket. However, they stormed back late in the first.

Edgecombe was tremendous when Maxey subbed out, hitting two mid-range shots in a row, including an and-one hoop. He then one-upped himself with a four-point play.

With an Adem Bona put-back slam and Edgecombe dunk, the Sixers suddenly had a 33-21 lead. The Edgecombe-Maxey backcourt scored 25 of the Sixers’ 38 points in the first quarter. 

Sixers strong in the possession game

It took little time for the Sixers to gain a sizable advantage in the possession game.

They posted the night’s first 10 points off turnovers and also fared well on the glass. The Sixers pulled down eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter, including four from Bona. 

Edgecombe picked up his third foul with six minutes to go in the second quarter. Soon after Edgecombe exited, Flagg converted a coast-to-coast layup to put Dallas up 54-53.

Maxey made sure to stop the Mavs’ momentum right away.

He drove hard, kept Dallas’ defense on its heels and posed a constant threat. The 25-year-old led a 10-0 Sixers run by scoring three driving baskets and a transition layup. 

Sixers flip switch in the fourth

The Sixers’ third-quarter woes resurfaced.

The Mavs had greater energy coming out of the locker room and scored the first 10 points of the second half. They took a 70-68 lead when PJ Washington leaked out for a layup.

Entering Saturday night, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA with a minus-21.6 net rating in third quarters. That number worsened against the Mavs; they trailed by six points going into the fourth quarter.

The Sixers needed a good start to the fourth and they were excellent in the opening minutes.

Bona (10 points, eight rebounds) knocked down his second career three-pointer. Maxey scored his first points of the second half on a driving layup to pull the Sixers ahead.

The Sixers’ pace accelerated and they ran well off of their stops, pushing the ball down the heart of the court whenever possible. After Flagg missed a leaner, Edgecombe sliced through the defense for a layup that gave the Sixers a 112-104 edge. A Maxey triple extended the advantage to double digits.

The Mavs’ lack of three-point firepower meant their task was especially difficult from there. Dallas has been one of the league’s worst outside shooting teams so far this season and went 3 for 18 beyond the arc in Philadelphia.

What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler made a clutch three-point play with 54.6 seconds remaining, and the Warriors bounced back from their heartbreaking loss in Phoenix two days ago and beat the Suns 119-116 on Saturday at Chase Center.

Butler scored 25 points, while Stephen Curry went deep into his bag of tricks with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Will Richard added 20 points and Brandin Podziemski scored 11 for the Warriors, who ended their three-game losing streak with their third win in their previous eight games.

Butler’s basket had the Chase Center crowd rocking but the Warriors still had to sweat out the final minute. Collin Gillespie’s desperation heave from just behind the arc pulled the Suns within 117-116 with 9.8 seconds left.

After Curry scored on a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining, the Suns had one final chance but couldn’t get a clean look off.

It was a much more enjoyable end to the evening for Dub Nation, 48 hours after the Warriors fell one point short, losing 99-98 in Phoenix on a late, controversial foul call.

This time around, the Warriors (14-15) made sure the game wasn’t decided in the final minutes nor did it come down to a foul call.

It wasn’t a complete beauty of a game but it was just enough to bring the positive vibes back to Chase Center.

This one had a little of everything. Curry making his patented step-back 3-pointer, Draymond Green earning two technical fouls and an ejection, and Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks continuing to prove himself to be the biggest antagonist in the NBA.

The two teams came out firing and combined for 76 points in the first quarter. The Warriors had respectable shooting numbers (13-for-23) while the Suns knocked down shots at a clip of nearly 71 percent.

Curry had 12 of his points in the second quarter as Golden State chipped away at the lead and got within 67-64 at the half.

The game flipped in the third quarter when Butler got aggressive and scored 12 points to give the Warriors a 93-87 edge heading into the final 12 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from the Warriors’ skid-busting win:

Richard pushes for more time

For a guy who hadn’t played in nearly two weeks, Richard looked fresh and crisp in his return to the rotation while providing a needed spark off the bench.

Richard made his first six shots, including a clutch putback off DeAnthony Melton’s missed free throw in the final seconds of the first half and a heat-check 3-pointer in the third quarter,

Richards had been a healthy DNP in the Warriors’ previous three games but was active all night and played like a man looking to earn a spot in the rotation against the Suns, snatching five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Richards’ extended minutes came at the expense of Buddy Hield, who was held out and did not play for the first time this season.

Bullying the bully

Brooks certainly won’t be getting any Christmas cards this year from the Warriors, and it’s not just because of the cheap shot he took on Curry a few days ago in Phoenix.

The NBA super-villian was booed heartily by the Chase Center crowd whenever he touched the ball, then early in the first quarter, the Warriors gave Brooks a little taste of his own medicine when Butler grabbed the ball during a timeout and purposely shoved it into Brooks’ chest.

A referee was standing nearby but declined to call an infraction on Butler, and Brooks tried to plead his case to deaf ears while the crowd chuckled.

In the third quarter, Trayce Jackson-Davis set a hard screen that sent Brooks sprawling onto the court as the crowd again cheered, though TJD was called for an offensive foul.

While Golden State won that part of the battle, Brooks gave the Warriors’ defense trouble all night. He went 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter and finished with 22 points and five rebounds.

Doing without Draymond

The Warriors had to play the final 34 minutes without their best defender when Green was slapped with a pair of technicals and ejected for the first time this season.

Green had blocked a shot by Gillespie, then bumped into Gillespie hard from behind as the two jogged to the other end of the court. The two men exchanged words and Green was hit with the first T.

Surprised by the call, Green continued to argue with an official, which ultimately got him the second tech and ejection. His final stat line of four points and three assists didn’t factor much into the final outcome but he’s the Warriors’ enforcer whose energy in many ways provides the heartbeat for this club.

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