INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers battles Baba Miller #18 of the LA Clippers for position during the second half of a game at Intuit Dome on October 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Across the first four games of the regular season, Jarred Vanderbilt found himself entirely outside of the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation, with head coach JJ Redick opting for Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney as his backup big men behind Walker Kessler. But Looney struggled mightily in those appearances. His insufficient scoring and passing were stunting the offense while his lack of size and declining mobility rendered him an issue defensively.
So, Redick gave Looney’s rotation spot to Vanderbilt against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night and the veteran forward, in his first minutes of the season, delivered. His motor, range and quickness defensively caused problems and the Lakers outscored the Clippers by 22 points during his 21 minutes. In particular, Redick cited Vanderbilt’s ability to front the post against Brook Lopez as a crucial contribution.
Following the victory, Collin Sexton — who previously spent half a season alongside Vanderbilt with the Utah Jazz in 2022-23 before Vanderbilt was dealt to Los Angeles — praised Vanderbilt’s even-keeled mentality while he rode the bench early on and how his approach benefits the whole team.
“Vando is somebody that is always going to stay ready … You never see any bad days for Vando. He’s always going to be a leader,” Sexton told reporters. “He’s always going to come in and be that vet and be that good person whether he plays no minutes or he plays 48 minutes. He’s always going to be the same person and I feel like that’s one of the things that helps in the locker room is we’re all for the team and tonight, he was definitely for the team. He came in and he brought that juice right away and I feel like he was a huge, huge impact in us winning.”
Given Vanderbilt’s impressive 2026-27 debut and Looney’s poor showing through four games, it seems pretty likely Vanderbilt will continue garnering rotation minutes for the time being. His next chance comes Friday on the road when the Lakers kick off their NBA Cup Group Play against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 7: Trayce Jackson-Davis #32, Jakob Poeltl #19 and Head Coach Darko Rajakovic of the Toronto Raptors participates in an all access practice on March 7 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“Yak is our starter. We’re number one defence in the league at this time, and he, Yak, has a lot to do with that.”
This is the stance of Raptors coach Darko Rajaković after the Toronto team’s first four games in the season. In them, Jakob Poeltl, that Raptors’ starting centre, has averaged three points, four and a half rebounds, and less than one block per game, in just under 20 minutes a game.
This is a far cry from Yak’s near 15-10 season back in ‘24-’25, and the injuries that have plagued Poeltl in the years since have contributed heavily to two seasons (thus far) of very limited production from the big man. Nevertheless, Rajaković refuses to publicly condemn his player.
“Yak does so many things on defensive end of the ball that it helps us tremendously,” the coach said at today’s presser. “And lot of those things, they will not show up in the box-score you know, and the way he’s presenting himself in the paint, the way he’s controlling screener, the way he rotates and helps our guys… Offensively, I think his rhythm is gonna come.”
While overreacting to a small sample size is unhelpful, it is clear as day that some type of issues are present. Whether lingering injuries remain a concern, or something else is keeping Poeltl at bay, something needs to change for the Raptors if they want to win games in the modern NBA. And, while Rajaković remains steadfast, standing by the Austrian big man, he has also insinuated that he is not burying his head in the sand, and may be choosing to address this issue from a rotational perspective at this juncture.
the raps can keep starting jak if they want to, i don't care too much about that. but the minutes distribution at centre is gonna have to change. soon.
Journalist Joe Wolfond seems to have cleanly summed up the direction the Raptors may be taking the team, as the coach indicated that the Raptors’ current arrangement of centre minutes was not set in stone.
“Everything is on the table, you know?” Rajaković said when asked about Trayce Jackson-Davis getting more minutes at the 5. “Obviously, I love to have as many players as possible to be ready to help us and to step on the floor. It’s just finding those right moments, right minutes and the right rotations to maximize that.”
While relatively non-committal, this statement suggests that Rajaković may be exploring what having the 6’9” centre play a bigger part in the Raps’ rotation could look like. And if last night is any indication, that looks good. In a game where both Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray Boyles got into f0ul trouble, Jackson-Davis stepped up to grab 11 rebounds, and looked like a ray of hope for the Raptors.
TORONTO, CANADA – OCTOBER 21: Caleb Wilson #8 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Trayce Jackson-Davis #32 of the Toronto Raptors in the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 21, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jackson-Davis is two inches taller than Collin Murray-Boyles, and the two of them off the bench may combine to give the Raptors that extra support at the 5 that is so necessary, but cannot be sustained at this juncture by Poeltl and Boyles alone.
With the Raptors facing off against the Orlando Magic again this Friday, the team will have another opportunity, both to give Jakob Poeltl time to demonstrate that he is a starting-calibre centre, and for Trayce Jackson-Davis to show both the organization and the fans that he needs more minutes.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 27: The shoes of Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on October 27, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Reaves acknowledged he didn’t even think they would become friends.
“I wasn’t joking,” Reaves told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “There were times when the trade first happened where we would walk by each other in the locker room and not say anything to each other because I didn’t know what to say to him. That was the first reaction: ‘What is this guy going to be like?'”
It’s hard to believe that was just a year and a half ago.
Nowadays they often spend their afternoons together on golf courses. They jokingly take shots at each other during interviews. And they have each other’s backs.
Their chemistry has translated onto the court, where they’re the NBA’s best offensive duo.
Dončić leads the league in scoring (36 points per game). Reaves is 16th (24.4 points per game). Dončić and Reaves are the highest-scoring duo in the league (60.4 points per game) by a landslide, averaging nine points more than Steph Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg (51.4 points per game) who are second.
They’re averaging more combined points per game than the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal duo ever did, including when they averaged a combined-high of 57.5 points in 2001-2002 en route to leading the Lakers to three straight championships.
Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves (15) of the Los Angeles Lakers high-five during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
When Dončić was dealt to the Lakers, he was shellshocked.
He was coming off a 2023-2024 campaign in which he led the Mavericks to the Finals and finished third in MVP voting before Dallas ripped the rug out from under him. Dončić had wanted to spend his entire career with the Mavericks. Instead he was left feeling betrayed and mortified as the only NBA superstar of his caliber to be jettisoned against his will in his prime in the modern era.
When he first arrived in Los Angeles, his head was spinning.
“For me, it’s hard to speak when I come to a new team, new people,” Dončić told The Post. “It’s kind of hard for me to speak. I had some people I knew from before, so I kind of hung out with them. But after that, in [next season’s] training camp, [Austin and I] got really close. That’s when it probably started.”
***
It was obvious everything had changed between Dončić and Reaves last season.
Their awkward silence had morphed into brotherly teasing.
Dončić joked that Reaves wanted to be his friend, but he’s “not allowing it.” Reaves pointed out that he had more dunks than Dončić. Dončić lovingly called Reaves “a hater.” Reaves tenderly called his teammate an “A-hole.”
Dončić was happy.
He needed the summer to wrap his mind around the trade. After having some space, his hurt transformed into determination. He realized he had an opportunity of a lifetime ahead of him: He was the face of the 17-time champion Lakers, a globally celebrated brand. As soon as Dončić fully bought in, his personality began to show.
Reaves saw who he really was.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Draymond Green are seen at the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors season opener at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. London Entertainment
“Once we came back for the next year, right off the bat we had similar interests,” Reaves told The Post. “We kind of act the same, which is kind of sad to say for me. But we both love joking around, having a good time.”
Reaves and Dončić are both funny. They’re understated. They’re humble. They prefer spending time with their loved ones over the LA scene. Golf is their meditation.
As soon as they developed a bond, their chemistry started bleeding onto the court.
When LeBron James was out at the top of last season because of sciatica, Dončić and Reaves led the Lakers to a 15-4 start. Then last March, when James was struggling with multiple ailments and sidelined for three games, the duo led the Lakers to wins over the Pacers, Knicks and Timberwolves, sparking a 15-2 run.
There was a synergistic dance between the guards. They reacted off one another as though they were musical instruments in an orchestra.
“Having him come out of his shell and just be himself is the best thing that can happen, not just for the organization, but for him, for us, for everybody,” Reaves told The Post.
***
Last season was challenging for both stars, who tried to support each other through their speedbumps.
Dončić was in a custody battle with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, over their two daughters who were living with her in Slovenia.
Reaves knew he was going to turn down his $14.9 million player option in June to become a free agent, and he hoped he could return to the Lakers.
In a bit of poetic cruelty, Dončić and Reaves both suffered injuries in a game against the Thunder on April 2 that derailed the Lakers’ playoff hopes.
Dončić suffered a strained hamstring that sidelined him the entire postseason. Reaves sustained a strained oblique, an injury that would keep him out the first four games of the team’s first-round series against the Rockets.
They were there for each other through everything.
“It’s very interesting how life works, and there’s certain things that happen in people’s life where you kind of create a bond over things,” Reaves told The Post. “We’re all around each other 95 percent of the time throughout the year, especially when [basketball is] in season. We might get an off-day every week or two weeks.
“But you travel together and you know the things people are going through. And you just want to be there for him. And there were a couple of things on both sides where we were both going through things and having each other’s company was the best thing that could’ve happened. And it’s grown into a real relationship after that.”
***
Dončić and Reaves banter like brothers, but they also have each other’s backs as though they were family.
Last summer, Dončić made it clear to Lakers brass that a few things were very important to him. He wanted a franchise center. And he wanted Reaves to remain his teammate.
The Lakers were Doncic’s team after James left in free agency for the 76ers in July, and the franchise’s top priority was to make its superstar happy.
In Reaves’ first public comments after agreeing to the deal, he let it be known how much Dončić meant to him.
“Luka,” Reaves said in Las Vegas in July, “I mean, he’s one of my best friends on this planet. Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better, and I tell him I’m not a coach.”
Austin Reaves, left, and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day on Monday, September 28, 2026, at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves went from viewing Dončić as a shy enigma with whom he didn’t know if he could relate, to letting him into his inner circle.
And Dončić went from feeling devastated that he was traded to the Lakers, to wanting to spend his entire career in a purple-and-gold jersey — and wanting Reaves in one alongside him.
“Hopefully, yeah,” Doncic told The Post when asked if he wants to retire as a Laker.
Doncic and Reaves won each other over.
They have one of the most amusing bromances in the league, which has led to them becoming the NBA’s most potent offensive duo.
Just a year and a half ago, this seemed far-fetched.
The Sixers added Jaylen Brown to their injury report Thursday night ahead of a second matchup with the defending champion Knicks.
The team listed Brown as questionable with left knee soreness for Friday night’s contest at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The game will be the Sixers’ first of four in East Group B of the 2026 NBA Cup.
Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Jabari Walker (left knee patellar tendinopathy), Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) were all still listed as out.
For the first leg of the Sixers’ back-to-back, neither Joel Embiid nor LeBron James appeared on the team’s injury report. The two stars had split injury management nights on the Sixers’ back-to-back last weekend. The Sixers will head to Charlotte on Saturday to play the Hornets.
The Sixers earned their first victory of the season by beating the Knicks on opening night. New York started 0-3 but has won its last two games, topping the Pistons and Bulls.
Charlotte Hornets forward Naz Reid talking with head coach Charles Lee during the second quarter of an eventual 97-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee said star forward Naz Reid was benched in the second half of a 97-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday because he “didn’t meet our standard” of play.
Reid is currently in the second season of a five-year, $125 million contract he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2025 before being traded to the Hornets in June.
“Unfortunately, Naz didn’t meet our standards in the first half and at halftime we made the decision that he wouldn’t play in the second half,” Lee said after the game. “But I look forward to him meeting those standards come next game.”
Charlotte Hornets’ Naz Reid shoots a free throw during an NBA game against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Hornets led 51-44 at the half, but were outscored 53-38 in the second half without Reid.
With less than five minutes in the first half, Reid looked confused when Lee appeared to communicate play signals.
Reid, who was talking with Hornets center Moussa Diabaté before Lee chimed in, seemed lost on the next possession.
He finished with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes. Reid also had one block.
Naz Reid Benching: Watch the full clip below.
At 4:49 in the 2nd quarter, Naz appears to be explaining something to Moussa before Charles Lee steps in and shows Reid two different play signals. Was Naz explaining it incorrectly?
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee watches the game against the Washington Wizards on Monday, October 26, 2026, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. NBAE via Getty Images
In five games played for Charlotte, Reid is averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, was a part of the trade that sent NBA All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves.
Charlotte Hornets center Naz Reid drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in Detroit. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In addition to Reid, the Hornets received a 2033 unprotected first-round pick and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), as well as first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 28: Kingston Flemings #4 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a dunk past Dru Smith #12 of the Miami Heat during fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on October 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night, the Hawks were looking to end their back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and extend the offensive funk for the Miami Heat, who hadn’t won a game heading into the matchup. Rather than reclaiming a winning record however, the Hawks became the Heat’s first win of the season and fell to 2-3, with all three losses coming one after another.
This game also officially concluded the first week of the season for the Hawks. While a season is certainly not won or lost in the first week, there are several positives and negatives for the Hawks to take away from their first week of action.
Positive: Turning steals into points
Thanks in large part to the expected defensive brilliance of Dyson Daniels, the Hawks rank fourth in the league in total steals. Not only are the Hawks ending possessions, but they are converting forced turnovers to points on the other end. The team ranks fourth in points off turnovers as well.
A large part of the scoring is their ability to push in transition and convert, ranking in the top five in fastbreak points. The Hawks are composed of tenacious defenders and talented ball handlers, which are ingredients in the perfect recipe for pushing the envelope in transition. This trend being a part of their identity will make them a dangerous team going forward.
Negative: Interior Play
If you’ve watched any of the three losses for the Hawks this season, you’ve probably noticed they are putting on their best matador impression in the painted area. In the three losses, they’ve been significantly outrebounded (147-117) and outscored in the paint (172 versus 164). At one point, in the second matchup against the Rockets, the Hawks were being outrebounded 14-4.
The Heat scored 70 points in the paint, which was more than half of their total scoring output. Averaging the third fewest blocks in the league, the Hawks offer defensive resistance down low that is similar to using a piece of scotch tape to prevent a truck from driving through your house. If this trend continues throughout the season, the Hawks will put a heavy burden on their offense that may not be sustainable.
Positive: Emergence of Kingston Flemings
After losing Trae Young last season, the Hawks greatly needed another point guard. That need led to drafting Kingston Flemings with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Coming off the bench, Flemings struggled in his first game, going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting.
Despite the early woes, his performance against the Heat was just the beginning of what the former five-star is capable of. Flemings scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting, which included shooting 3-of-5 from deep. Along with the scoring output, Flemings grabbed five boards, dished five assists, along with a steal and a block.
He had a sequence of back-to-back buckets, which included an “and-one” finish, a block on a much taller Giannis Antetokounmpo, and an even more impressive finish over the future first-ballot hall of gamer. Flemings also found himself in the game down the stretch as the Hawks tried to rally a fourth quarter comeback before the effort eventually flamed out.
Though it’s early in the season, it seems that Flemings could be the point guard of the future for Atlanta.
Negative: Slow start for Jalen Johnson
If you looked at only points, rebounds, and assists for Jalen Johnson, it would be fair to assume he was continuing his dominance from last season. In their first matchup against Houston, Johnson channeled his inner John Stockton and tallied a staggering 16 assists along with 26 points and nine boards. However, the averages have not translated to impacting winning in the same way.
The biggest detractor for the former Duke Blue Devil is his less-than-ideal shooting percentages. He is shooting 42.8% from the field, which is well below the area a team’s number one option should be. Johnson has only posted a field goal percentage above 45% once, which was his 19 points on 9-for-16 shooting in their huge win over Charlotte. His past two outings featured shooting 35.7% and 33.3%. Despite these poor numbers, his three-point efficiency is the most frightening part. Johnson’s career high in assists against mentioned above is higher than his three-point percentage, which currently sits at 15.8%.
If the Hawks want to make another playoff push, Johnson has put the ball in the basket at a more efficient clip.
Positive: Productive scoring back court
Despite Jalen Johnson’s slow start, the Hawks are still receiving great support from their back court. Nickiel Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum once again are proving to be the Hawks’ go to options for offense. ‘NAW’ is the team’s only guy to score 30 so far, which was in the opening game against the Magic. He’s also shooting 38% from three, proving to be a reliable option from behind the arc and seems to convert when his team needs it most.
McCollum is the Hawks’ undisputed microwave scorer, seeming to get hot quickly and put up points in a hurry. The 14-year veteran is shooting an impressive 53% from the field and 44% from three. There are times when it seems like McCollum simply cannot miss, which provides a huge boost to the Hawks. The duo averages a combined 36.1 points per game, which is more than ideal for second and third scoring options.
Aaron Wiggins has also been critical off the bench. Whether it be catch-and-shoot opportunities or creating his own shot off the dribble, Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points per game on 53.5%/48% shooting splits, which is the perfect spark of the bench for Atlanta.
Negative: Three-point shooting
In today’s NBA, three-point shooting is undoubtedly a team’s biggest weapon. For the Hawks, the three-point shot is one of their biggest deficiencies. In their last games, which again, are all losses, they have the second lowest three-point percentage in the entire league.
In the second Houston matchup, the Hawks shot 28% as a team, which included their bench only shooting 3-for-15 for the game. One of the most startling revelations of their three-performance comes from the center position. Ideally, teams with bigs shooting at a high frequency spread out a defense and open up opportunities for an offense to execute at all levels of the floor.
However, when your centers are shooting 4-for-32 on the season from behind the arc, that vision is difficult to achieve. With their defensive and rebounding issues, the Hawks will have to counter with big scoring outputs, which can only be achieved with improved three-point shooting.
An hour and a half before the Lakers started their win over the Clippers at Intuit Dome, the team officially added a player to its roster to hopefully address its glaring big-man problem.
And it sounds like JJ Redick will have some homework to do coming out of the back-to-back set on the latest addition.
Lakers coach JJ Redick had a quick response when asked about the team’s latest addition. Getty Images
When asked for a scouting report on the Lakers’ newest addition and how the 7-footer can help the team’s frontcourt in light of the Lakers having a desperate need of another big man behind starter Walker Kessler, Redick had a comical seven-word response.
The Lakers were in need of another big man as Kevon Looney’s role diminishes. NBAE via Getty Images
“I know his name is Lawson Lovering,” Redick said before laughing, adding that he found out about the team adding the big man when reporters did.
Lovering spent 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, playing for the organization’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, and NBA team.
He averaged 7.7 points (59.2% shooting), 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocked shots in the G League last season.
Lovering played in two NBA games for the Grizzlies last season.
The Lakers added more depth behind Walker Kessler. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
He went undrafted in 2025 after spending his collegiate career at Colorado (2021–2023) and Utah (2023–2025).
A front office member of another NBA team described the big man to the California Post as a center with good size, a really good screener, an underrated passer and a player who knows their role.
“To me,” the front office member said, “he’s one of the better G League bigs that’s two-way eligible.”
For Redick and the Lakers’ sake, hopefully that’s the first impression Lovering makes.
INGLEWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 28: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 and Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for the rebound during the game against the LA Clippers on October 28, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Playing the second night of a back-to-back following a narrow loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Luka Dončić-less Los Angeles Lakers were going to need some unsung heroes to help them topple the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night. That became even more apparent as Austin Reaves struggled through his worst outing of the season, going 6-of-16 from the floor, scoring 16 points and committing eight turnovers — the first time in five games he’d shot worse than 54.5% or tallied fewer than 23 points.
Reaves and the shorthanded Lakers found reinforcements from their bench trio, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt, all of whom helped Los Angeles handle the Clippers, 103-87, for a fourth win in five tries this season.
Sexton recorded a season-high 21 points (6-of-11 shooting, 4-of-7 from deep), four rebounds and two assists. Mamukelashvili filled up the box score with 13 points (6-of-15 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Vanderbilt made his regular season debut, chipping in seven rebounds and two assists; although he did not score, his motor and range defensively helped stymie the Clippers’ frontline.
“I think the guys, Vando, Sexton, Mamu, those guys, you can’t always read into like the single-game plus-minus, but very apparent in our good stretches of the game, just the impact that those guys had,” head coach JJ Redick told reporters postgame. “They ended up with [a plus-minus of] +21, + 23 + 22, those three guys off the bench. They were great. They helped us win.
In particular, the Mamukelashvili-Vanderbilt tandem produced good results for the Lakers, which outscored the Clippers by 27 points (51-24) across the 20 minutes those two played together. Redick acknowledged their complementary skill-sets — Vanderbilt’s defensive signature and Mamukelashvili’s offensive versatility — as the driving force behind that success.
“It was good. We had Vando on Lopez. He did a great job. We showed a clip at halftime of fronting him in the post and not allowing him to get the basketball,” Redick said. “Vando’s always going to play hard. He’s always going to impact the game with just his effort and I thought he did that tonight. The pairing with Mamu, it’s probably the best pairing in terms of having another big out there that can space and shoot and playmake.”
Collin Sexton comes across as polite and understated.
… Until you watch him play.
The 27-year-old guard transforms from someone who speaks in hushed tones and politely nods in the locker room into someone who more closely resembles a rabid animal when he’s on the court.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Cam Christie, left, tries to get past Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
In a viral video of him guarding Cam Christie in the Lakers’ 103-87 win over the Clippers on Wednesday, Sexton’s eyes were bulging. His jaw was clenched, except for his tongue poking out. It almost appears as though he was roaring.
When his on-court vs. off-court dichotomy was brought to Sexton’s attention after the game, he chuckled.
“Honestly, I would say when I step between those lines, it’s us against them,” said Sexton, who had 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four rebounds and two assists as the Lakers improved to 4-1.
“I’m going to do whatever my team needs for me. I feel like I turn into a different person when it’s time to go. And I think my teammates know that, so they try to talk to me a little bit, but they know I’m in the zone and ready to go to war. And that’s how I look at it. Whenever I step between those lines, it’s war time. So, that’s how I look at it, for sure.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
On a night when the Lakers were missing two starters in Luka Doncic (back tightness) and Ziaire Williams (left foot soreness), Sexton had the highest plus-minus of anyone on the court (+23).
The Lakers acquired Sexton on a two-year, $19 million deal in July, hoping the veteran could be a secondary ball-handler and give the Lakers a scoring punch off the bench. He has career averages of 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists over eight seasons with the Cavaliers, Jazz, Hornets and Bulls.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
So far, the Lakers have appreciated what he’s bringing to the team on both ends of the court. Austin Reaves has described him as a “pest” defensively. Lakers coach JJ Redick called him “intense.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention, you know, because he gets locked in, he gets in the zone,” Redick said. “I love the competitive fire.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 19: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers talk after the game on January 19, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Barely one week into the 2026-27 NBA season, a handful of teams are dealing with season-altering injuries.
Those are the major ones, although other teams throughout the league are dealing with various bumps and bruises as well. The Pacers, whom the Sixers faced on Wednesday, were without both Haliburton and starting center Ivica Zubac (ankle), which helped the Sixers escape with a 114-109 road win.
The Sixers are dealing with a handful of injuries as well, although all five of their starters are healthy for now. As long as that remains the case, they’re poised to take advantage of these other absences throughout the league.
The Sixers don’t play the Thunder, Jazz or Timberwolves until the calendar flips to 2027, so Edwards and Jackson might be back by then. (J-Dub and Wallace likely won’t be back for either of the two Sixers-Thunder games in January and February.) However, the Sixers will host the Raptors on Nov. 12 and head to Orlando six days later, which means they could avoid Leonard and Banchero in those games. They also host the Pacers on Nov. 15 and face them again on the first night of a back-to-back in late November, so they might dodge Haliburton in at least one of those games if not both.
Head-to-head results aside, those injuries could prove costly to their respective teams in terms of their win-loss record. And with the East looking especially cutthroat this year, an early-season slide from the Magic and/or Raptors might leave the Sixers with fewer competitors for a top playoff seed. That would be a welcome development, particularly given how much the Sixers might need to load-manage Joel Embiid and LeBron James throughout the regular season.
However, the leaguewide wave of injuries could have one notable long-term consequence for the Sixers.
After this season, Tyrese Maxey will have seven years of NBA experience and will have two years left on his contract. If he doesn’t make an All-NBA team this year, he’ll be eligible to sign a three-year extension next summer starting at 30 percent of the 2029-30 salary cap. If he does make an All-NBA team, he’ll be eligible to sign a four-year extension starting at 35 percent of the 2029-30 salary cap. Those back-to-back All-NBA nods would also automatically qualify him for a five-year supermax extension in 2028, too.
Maxey made the All-NBA third team last year, in part because stars like Edwards, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo weren’t eligible for end-of-season awards since they played in fewer than 65 games. Edwards will likely be ineligible again this season, and Leonard and Haliburton are already in danger of losing their eligibility as well. And again, it’s only the first week of the season. More All-NBA candidates are bound to miss time moving forward.
Heading into the season, it was fair to wonder whether the Sixers’ new star-studded starting five would all cannibalize one another’s production, jeopardizing their chances at All-Star and All-NBA nods. However, through the first five games of the season, Maxey is averaging 28.4 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.He’s doing all of that while shooting only 32.4 percent from deep, a figure which is bound to come up in the near future.
Maxey was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first week of the season. He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 25 points, two steals and one block per game over that span, according to the Sixers. If he maintains anywhere near that level of production moving forward and plays in the requisite 65 games, he’ll be in strong contention for an All-NBA nod, if not an outright lock.
Luckily, Maxey is already on a guaranteed contract through 2028-29, so his supermax eligibility wouldn’t impact the Sixers until 2029 at the earliest. However, both Embiid and Jaylen Brown’s contracts are set to expire after the 2028-29 campaign as well—provided, of course, that Embiid picks up his $67.3 million player option for 2028-29—while VJ Edgecombe will become a restricted free agent in 2029 if the Sixers don’t sign him to an extension by the rookie-scale extension deadline in October 2028. That’s a lot of overlapping pieces to juggle.
Again, none of that is a concern this season. All the Sixers need to focus on this year is coalescing and getting 1 percent better every day, as Maxey is fond of saying. But if this early-season wave of injuries does increase Maxey’s probability of earning his second straight All-NBA nod, it could create some long-term financial consequences for the Sixers as early as next summer. How they navigate those will help shape the next era of Sixers basketball after LeBron either leaves or retires.
Relatives watch over their dead in the cemeteries of the Nahuatl community of San Isidro Buensuceso, in the town of San Pablo del Monte, to continue the tradition of the Dia de Muertos. They gather in the graves of their dead where they are put on candles, food and they sing all night until the dawn of November 2 to welcome their loved ones. on November 2, 2019 in Tlaxcala, Mexico (Photo by Eyepix/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It’s not even Halloween, the NBA season is barely a week old, but the injury report already looks like something you’d expect to read in April.
Here in Mexico City, I can relate. You can feel Día de Muertos in the air, both figuratively and literally. We’re just days — hours, if you push it — away from one of the biggest festivities in the country to take place this weekend. No need to explain what we celebrate, trying to bring back those who left us in the past to start just another chapter away from the land. If only for a little ratito.
Meanwhile, in the NBA, it looks like stars are playing a very solid role in a performance mimicking this weekend’s celebrations. It’s not a few, but muchos, who have already undergone surgery and be placed on the shelves for months on end, if not the whole year, outright.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are doing something that is starting to feel illegal, some sort of subterfuge competitive advantage in itself.
Being healthy. Vivito y coleando.
Keerthika Uthayakumar’s little research went viral yesterday. Yet according to ESPN’s injury report from early Thursday, the Knicks had just one player listed: my man José, who missed the game against the Chicago Bulls with an ankle injury. Maldito tobillo.
Now compare that with the rest of the league, where approximately 15 percent of players (s/o Keerthika!) were dealing with injuries or illnesses yesterday afternoon. Eleven former All-Stars were already expected to miss several weeks or longer just eight days into the season.
79 players are listed with an injury or illness on today's 2:30 PM injury report, for games that are on tonight's schedule.
Obviously, the most concerning situation might be in Oklahoma City, where Jalen Williams underwent surgery to repair a fractured left fibula and reconstruct ankle ligaments following a fracture-dislocation and will only be reevaluated by the team when the regular season ends. Gone for good, in other words. Descanse en paz, bendito. His teammate Cason Wallace also needs surgery after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder, and both will miss a hellaciously long time.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and could miss two months. Utah’s Jaren Jackson Jr. tore the MCL in his right knee and faces a six-to-eight-week absence. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, already coming off a season lost to an Achilles injury, will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero faces four to six weeks out with a high ankle sprain, while Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss multiple weeks because of swelling in his left knee. Elsewhere, Golden State is without Jimmy Butler III until potentially January or February, while Kristaps Porzingis remains away indefinitely with ongoing health concerns. Sacramento’s Ben Simmons and former Knickerbocker Ariel Hukporti suffered Achilles ruptures, and Washington’s Jamir Watkins is recovering from ACL surgery.
Hay más almas que cempasúchil en el sendero.
Somehow, the Knicks have avoided all of this
As Stefan Bondy of the New York Post noted, every member of the Knicks’ starting five reached the 65-game threshold in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns have provided a level of continuity that most teams can only dream about. ¡Quién pudiera!
Bridges hasn’t missed an NBA game in his career even though seemingly everybody wants him hitting the pine for a start, with his streak reaching 643 consecutive appearances on Wednesday. Towns and Anunoby, meanwhile, arrived in New York with considerable injury histories but have remained remarkably durable.
Per Bondy, the Knicks’ starting five led the NBA with 940 minutes together in 2024-25, finished second with 541 last season, and ranked first again through four games this year.
Around the NBA: Oct. 29 injury report
ESPN listed 99 players across 29 teams on its injury report, with the Memphis Grizzlies, de algún modo, escaping the Santa Muerte.
Here’s the list. Sigue rezando, mijo.
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): Underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Expected to miss up to two months, with ESPN listing December 21 as his estimated return.
Jalen Williams (Thunder): Underwent surgery to repair a fractured left fibula and reconstruct ankle ligaments following a fracture-dislocation. Will be reevaluated before the end of the regular season. His season could be over.
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers): Suffered a left hamstring strain. Expected to miss at least two weeks, with November 13 listed as his estimated return.
Kawhi Leonard (Raptors): Dealing with swelling in his left knee. Expected to miss multiple weeks, with an estimated November 23 return.
Paolo Banchero (Magic): Suffered a right high ankle sprain. Expected to miss four to six weeks, with November 22 listed as his estimated return.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Jazz): Diagnosed with a torn MCL in his right knee. Expected to miss six to eight weeks, with an estimated December 14 return.
Luka Doncic (Lakers): Dealing with a back injury. Ruled out against the Clippers on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Sidelined by a knee injury. Ruled out against Dallas on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
Alperen Sengun (Rockets): Dealing with a back injury. Ruled out against Milwaukee on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
Jimmy Butler III (Warriors): Recovering from a torn right ACL. Could return between January and February.
Kristaps Porzingis (Warriors): Away from the team indefinitely because of ongoing health concerns. ESPN reported that Golden State is exploring potential trades involving him.
Lauri Markkanen (Jazz): Sidelined by a wrist injury. Ruled out against San Antonio on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
Brandon Ingram (Clippers): Recovering from an Achilles injury. Expected to miss at least another week, with November 8 listed as his estimated return.
Cason Wallace (Thunder): Diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and requires surgery. Could miss the remainder of the season.
Donte DiVincenzo (Timberwolves): Recovering from an Achilles injury. Remains hopeful of returning during the 2026-27 season, although ESPN lists April 2 as his estimated return.
Ben Simmons (Kings): Underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. Expected to miss the season.
Jalen Duren (Pistons): Suffered a right hamstring strain. Scheduled for reevaluation after two weeks, with November 9 listed as his estimated return.
Coby White (Hornets): Sidelined by a calf injury. No confirmed return timetable.
Nic Claxton (Bulls): Recovering from a hamstring injury. Participating in individual drills and hoping to return to team practices the following week.
Dereck Lively II (Mavericks): Sidelined by a foot injury. ESPN lists November 2 as his estimated return.
Jalen Suggs (Magic): Diagnosed with a mild bone bruise in his right knee. Scheduled for reevaluation after two weeks.
Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers): Suffered a torn meniscus. Expected to miss approximately six months, with March 2 listed as his estimated return.
Moses Moody (Warriors): Recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon. Targeting a potential return between December and January.
Mark Williams (Suns): Underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Expected to miss an extended period, with February 3 listed as his estimated return.
Bradley Beal (Clippers): Sidelined by a knee injury. Wasn’t ready for the start of the regular season, with November 8 listed as his estimated return.
Keegan Murray (Kings): Recovering from an ankle injury. Expected to be reevaluated within 10 to 14 days of October 26.
Marcus Smart (Rockets): Dealing with a forearm injury. Ruled out against Milwaukee on October 28.
Ivica Zubac (Pacers): Sidelined by an ankle injury. Ruled out against Philadelphia on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz): Recovering from a partial plantar plate tear in his right foot. Expected to miss at least four weeks from his October 7 injury update.
Max Strus (Clippers): Recovering from a foot injury. Expected to miss at least another week.
Kon Knueppel (Hornets): Sidelined by a hamstring injury. No confirmed return timetable.
Ariel Hukporti (76ers): Suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Ruled out for the season.
Johnny Furphy (Pacers): Diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Listed with a January 2 estimated return, although the supplied ESPN report describes his injury as season-ending.
Henri Veesaar (Hawks): Diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season.
Jamir Watkins (Wizards): Underwent surgery for a torn ACL. ESPN lists April 2 as his estimated return.
Ben Sheppard (Pacers): Underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Expected to miss multiple months.
Jordan Miller (Clippers): Underwent surgery to repair a torn left rotator cuff. Expected to be reevaluated after six months.
Justin Champagnie (Wizards): Sidelined by a foot injury. Expected to miss several months.
Other banged-up players across the Association:Mouhamed Gueye, Devin Carter, Egor Demin, Tyler Bilodeau, Grant Williams, Kylan Boswell, Tobe Awaka, Patrick Williams, Sergio de Larrea, Naji Marshall, Tarik Biberovic, Santi Aldama, Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo, Julian Strawther, Isaiah Joe, Gui Santos, Steven Adams, T.J. McConnell, Rui Hachimura, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Ziaire Williams, Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Simone Fontecchio, Jordan Poole, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Alex Caruso, Thomas Sorber, Nikola Topic, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, Izaiyah Nelson, Jabari Walker, Tacko Fall, Dominick Barlow, Oso Ighodaro, Chris Youngblood, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, Tobias Harris, Jayden Quaintance, Nate Bittle, Trey Alexander, Tre Johnson, and Tristan Vukcevic.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 26: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Arena on October 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Timberwolves 127-125 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have waited for a significant offensive leap from Evan Mobley. Subtle improvements over the years have refined him into being an elite two-way player. But that next step was always a question mark.
Would it be developing a mid-range game, or a go-to move around the basket? Or would Mobley step outside the three-point line and become a good enough shooter to open the floor for Cleveland?
Right now, it sounds like the third option.
Mobley has opened the season shooting 12-for-18 from downtown (66%). This is a blistering number that won’t be sustainable throughout 82 games — but it could mark the start of a career-best year.
“I felt it in preseason, leading up to preseason,” said Kenny Atkinson. “There’s a shift in his demeanor… He put in the work. There’s a confidence to him now. It’s raised.”
Mobley took six three-pointers on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards and nailed five of them. He had similar success in Cleveland’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week, canning 4-of-5 attempts with three of his triples coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Evan Mobley: 9 3PM in his last 7.5 quarters.
Shooting with confidence. Very little hesitation. One fluid motion. Small sample size, but very encouraging early on #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/MePFrfzcWc
It’s one thing to take a three-pointer as a last resort. It’s another to launch them confidently even when the game is on the line. This is something Mobley began flashing in last season’s playoffs, but has taken to another level to start the year.
“I think last year he’d kind of make 3s with time and space. I feel like this year he’s getting it off quicker. He’s making them with harder contests,” said Atkinson. “We saw it last year in the playoffs too, right? Detroit series, hit some big ones. Toronto series, hit some big ones. When a guy’s in a groove like this, we’ve got to find him a little more.”
Mobley, always nonchalant, says his hot-shooting is simply a result of his work ethic.
“Just confidence,” said Mobley. “The first few went in, so I just kept shooting them. Been working on them for years now. I feel confident in it, and I’m gonna keep shooting them.”
The three-point shot is arguably the most valuable offensive tool a player can add to their game. Especially in the frontcourt. Cleveland has managed for years to navigate the lack of shooting in their frontcourt — but that awkward spacing might not be such a thorn in their side if Mobley can step outside and make defenses pay.
“He’s just putting it all together,” said Jarrett Allen. “It opens the floor up to me. There’s not a lot of people in there, so I can do my work in there.”
Nearly all of Mobley’s three-point attempts have been products of the defense sagging off him. In each of his last two games, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis made a deliberate choice to ignore Mobley in favor of packing the paint. It was on Mobley to punish them for this decision, and he did.
“If they keep playing like that, I’m gonna keep shooting it,” said Mobley. “So, until they close out really hard, I’m gonna just keep letting it fly.”
Still, there’s pressure on Mobley to stick to his greatest strengths as a play-finisher around the basket. He’s spent more time on the perimeter than we’ve grown accustomed to. The increased shooting is great, but the Cavs don’t want Mobley to rely too heavily on it.
“I still want him at the paint, at the rim, just finding that balance,” said Atkinson. “I think [his shooting] opens things up for us. He’s taking timely ones. He’s taking good ones. If he can hit 3s and still be the great defender he is and should be, that could be our next jump.”
There’s a lot of season left and plenty of time for Mobley’s shooting to regress. That said, Mobley has given himself a strong foundation to build on. A full season of Mobley taking and making threes could change everything.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 28: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs drives past Josh Green #5 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on October 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Are they going to put Wemby back in?”
It was an excellent question, and one that I had myself.
It was, in a way, the question of the season so far when it comes to a Spurs team that has scuffled quite a bit coming out of the gate.
The starting unit, forced into a new configuration by the ascension of the prodigious Dylan Harper, has looked disjointed and seems to do its scoring in fits and starts.
The bench, on the other hand, seems almost lost — unmoored without the steady hand of the rookie who led it for most of last season.
The one player holding everything together has been, somewhat predictably, Wembanyama, and the better part of almost every game has seemed to hinge on his presence and the antigravity of his occasional absence.
But, to paraphrase an episode of Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack, even the gods must rest, and for all his gifts, Wemby is not a god.
With nine minutes left in a game that the shorthanded Utah Jazz had spent clawing for every point, Mitch Johnson had made the call to give Wemby a quick breather.
That seemed reasonable. Wemby would catch his breath and then jump right back in, right? Right?
The Spurs were clinging to a six point lead when Wemby headed for the sideline, and Spurs Twitter was awash with (understandable) anxiety.
The Spurs had trailed for most of the first half and had finally clawed their way to a lead, but it was a tenuous bargain with a scoreboard that seemed determined to forsake its oath to the Silver and Black. In fact, I was beginning to doubt its fealty altogether.
With every Wemby exit, betrayal was in the air, and San Antonio’s 2nd unit (and Luke Kornet in particular) were bearing the brunt of the Jazz’s unholy pact with the jumbotron.
Utah had shot nearly 60% from the field in the 3rd quarter, and it felt like they were heating up again.
Everything seemed to be going in. The post was a turnstile. The rim was actively thwarting San Antonio’s short-armed stabs at conversion. It was getting dramatic. Catastrophic, even.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the atmosphere more closely resembled that of a postseason contest rather than game 5 of 82, on a Wednesday night in late October.
I’m not ashamed to say that I got caught up in it a little myself.
When you’re an avid fan of a sports team, there’s this bizarre and inexplicable fusion that occurs. It’s not quite empathy per se, but an identification that spans the gap between the professionals on the court and the plebeians on the couch.
You get to feel an echo of their joy and the spectre of their pain. Their wins make you hopeful for your own, but their losses can do the inverse.
It’s silly, and strange, and wonderfully human.
And somehow, it allows for a communion between disparate individuals that feels like alchemy — a group connection that pulls you into a maelstrom of emotion and connection.
It’s damn near irresistible, which is probably why I found myself loudly bemoaning the appearance of Kornet as Wemby trotted off, in spite of my long-standing fondness for The Big Elote.
And to be fair, Kornet’s been a shadow of his 2025-26 self, carrying with him the play that (unfortunately) defined San Antonio’s big-man deficit in the NBA Finals.
I’m not sure it’s a playoff hangover, or a crisis of confidence, or a small nagging injury of some sort, but the Kornet of the Western Conference Finals has yet to be seen, and, as a fellow Spurs fan pointed out, the Spurs have been hemorrhaging points during his limited stints.
Within a minute, the game was tied again.
Devin Vassell (who had been cold most of the night) and Stephon Castle were doing their best to keep things from getting ugly on the offensive end, keeping pace with a Jazz team that clearly smelled blood.
With six-and-a-half minutes left in the game, Will Hardy called a timeout.
Finally, a break! Mitch could substitute Wemby in without using a valuable timeout of his own.
And without hesitation, he subbed Keldon Johnson in for Julian Champagnie, the Spurs’ best three-point shooter.
What?? The confusion was widespread. What about Wemby? What about the lead?
“Are they going to put Wemby back in?” my daughter inquired from her end of the couch.
She really only recognizes three players: Devin (my name), Fox (a favorite animal), and Wemby, but having retired from her coloring book for the evening, she was now peppering me with questions as she crawled over to lean against my knees.
“Yeah, they’re gonna put Wemby in real soon.”
Ten seconds later San Antonio’s skipper called a timeout of his own.
Oh. I guess it was just a mistake. Not ideal, but not costly, I guess.
No substitution at all? I could hear the consternation as if I were within the confines of a fan section at the Frost Bank Center.
I had to bottle up any profanity for the sake of the five-year-old lounging against my knees, but I was silently livid.
And my daughter, attuned to adult emotion in that way that we don’t give children enough credit for, cheerily reassured me.
“It’s okay, I see Devin,” she said as she patted my leg consolingly.
Almost as if on cue, Vassell sunk a 20-footer in the face of the defense.
About time, I thought to myself. But Vassell had been shooting better for most of the quarter, even if I had failed to notice.
“See!” she said elatedly, displaying the kind of childlike credulity that gospels allude to.
Little did either of us know that her three favorite players were about to take us on a magic carpet ride out of danger and into the win column.
Vassell hit two more shots on passes from Wemby, which proved (along with a tip-in from Keldon and a buzzer-beating miss from Fox) to be just enough to get the Spurs to overtime.
And it was there that Vassell and Co. picked up right where they left off, with all but two of San Antonio’s points scored or assisted on by Devin, Fox, and Wemby.
The icing on the cake was a steal and a racing dunk from Fox with less than a minute left. Its parallel as an opposite to his endlessly replayed hesitation in the Finals wasn’t lost on me.
“I told you it would be okay.”
“You were right. I guess I should listen to you more.”
“Yeah, you should.”
I think Billy Joel has a song about women always being women at every phase of life, or something like that.
No argument here, though. I’ve got a lot of childlike believing to do if I want to enter the kingdom of heaven. How much do I have to have for another Finals win, though?
I guess we’ll find out.
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a Nina Simone song.
I think I’ll take the win while I can.
Takeaways
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both Kornet and Keldon have had such a rough/inconsistent start to the season, with Harper spending so much time with the starters. Yes, Mitch has made sure to keep at least one of the star guards on when the bench takes their turn, but that’s not the same thing as the consistency that the 2nd unit experienced with Harper running it. Hopefully, Harper will get more time with the bench once Tobias Harris returns from injury (though the starting unit will then have to adapt to that), as both Keldon and Kornet benefited greatly from his presence; if not, I think it would be ideal to at least use one of the guards consistently with the 2nd unit, so that they can build a rhythm and rapport.
Last year Kornet was the only real option as a backup for Wemby, but the San Antonio braintrust might want to consider giving Tarris Reed some run on nights that Kornet doesn’t seem to have it. Of course, it’s possible that the bench will continue having issues until the guard issue is somewhat resolved. But hey, why not give it the old college try? He might be a rookie, but Reed has a serious motor, and some considerable heft. If nothing else, the change of pace might come in handy when a team is making easy work of Kornet’s defensive efforts.
It’s early yet, but two things are beginning to stick out as minor trends: 1. The Spurs have really cracked down on sloppy mistakes, as they’re leading the league in fewest turnovers per game right now. 2. They just can’t seem to get to the line, as they’re the 4th-lowest team in free-throw attempts and have the 3rd-lowest free-throw rate. The first thing is really good, and evidence that the offensive flow feels a bit worse than it is. But the second thing might serve as proof that the lack of spacing is really hurting San Antonio’s ability to drive to the hoop, something that served as a meal ticket last season when shots weren’t falling. The three-guard experiment is a bit of a mixed bag so far, so let’s hope they either figure it out soon or make a change to loosen things up.
However, in spite of those issues, it’s important to note that the Spurs are still 5th in the NBA in points scored in the paint. That’s because, for the past two games (and most of the season), Wemby has been shoving the ball down the throats of anyone bold enough to meet him around the rim. And when his outside shot is on, as it was last night, he’s nigh unstoppable. Poor Jaxson Hayes looked like he didn’t know whether he was coming or going after two quarters of that. It seems like Wemby’s really dedicated himself to interior scoring this year, and frankly, it’s terrifying.
Los Angeles Clippers in-arena host Hannah Cormier reacting to a mishap during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. (X/@MattWallace888).
Hannah Cormier is entering her 11th season with the Clippers organization and her seventh as the in-arena host and MC. She was on camera during one point in the game, appearing to not realize they were rolling.
She seemed to notice a few seconds later, which sparked a terrified look on her face.
Los Angeles Clippers in-arena host Hannah Cormier reacting to a mishap during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. (X/@MattWallace888).
She gathered herself quickly before saying, “Clipper Nation, the ladies are back performing to ‘Gemstone’. Give it up for our Clippers spirit!”
As Cormier walked away, the microphone caught a sound that sounded conspicuously like a fart.
An X user posted a video of this entire debacle with the caption, “NBA reporter farts, stumbles over her words, walks off”. The clip has gone viral, amassing over 390,000 views in about 10 hours.
Baba Miller #18 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
There is some debate about what the sound actually was. Some believe it was truly Cormier passing gas that was caught on the microphone, while others are claiming is was either microphone static or something else the microphone inadvertently picked up.
