Category: NBA

NEW ORLEANS — The Nets came to New Orleans desperate for a bounce-back win. And they made it look easy in the Big Easy.

What Brooklyn got was a bounce-back beating, pounding the pitiful Pelicans 145-111 before 15,043 at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night.

In a matchup of slumping teams coming off humbling losses, the Nets were the ones who showed some steel.

They lost to the Mavericks by 37, while the Pelicans were stinging from the worst regular-season defeat in their history, a 51-point humiliation to Golden State.

On Wednesday, a Brooklyn team that looked in disarray in Dallas put up their highest-scoring first half in years, led by as many as 41 points and welcomed back Egor Dëmin with a resounding rout.

It was a rare laugher for the Nets (3-8), a complete team victory. Even without point guards Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr., the Nets handed out 30 assists to just 15 turnovers. They shot 57 percent and 20 of 41 from deep.

And Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle looked like the veteran leaders they’re being paid to be. Not because they were good, but because they made others better.

The former had a team-high tying 22 points, while the latter was a plus-38, tying Stephon Marbury for the best in franchise history for a road game.

“I just told Ju, me and him [are] going to have to take it on ourselves to get us organized and be in the right place, be involved in the offense,” Porter said. “So we were just trying to communicate more, make quicker decisions and get into things quicker.”

“We’ve got a lot of capable guys. I don’t know how many people are in double figures. It seemed like a lot, though. So we got capable dudes. And when we share the ball like that, everyone gets to have fun, feel like they’re in a rhythm. We can be pretty good offensively.”

It was eight in double figures, but six with at least 15 points — Dëmin, Porter Jr., Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe and backups Moritz Wagner and Noah Clowney — to tie a franchise record.

For a bench that has struggled, that kind of balance was key.

Brooklyn came out of the blocks quickly, with Danny Wolf — who had another double-double — giving them a 12-5 lead.

It was 39-25 by the end of the opening period, their second-highest scoring first quarter of the last two years. It got better in the second half.

For much of the early part of this season, the Nets bench has struggled. On Wednesday night, they didn’t just hold their own, but were additive. And that’s even without their pair of 20-year-old point guards.

Wagner had seven points in the first quarter and 13 by the break.

He had a ferocious dunk on Jordan Poole for an and-one that put the Nets up 31-19, and followed with a nice drive and a flex afterward.

Brooklyn took an 83-66 cushion into intermission when Randle found Terance Mann for a last-second 3. It was their highest-scoring half since Dec. 21, 2022 (when they had 91 against Golden State).

“We executed really well offensively in the first half, and when everybody touches the ball, everybody sees the ball go through the net, it’s a lot more fun. You play with a lot of effort,” Wagner said. “We’ve got to find a way to do it in games where the ball doesn’t go through the rim as much, but of course that was an 80-point half and I think that was a lot of fun for everybody.”

It became an outright laugher in the second.

A putback dunk by Noah Clowney (who had a bounce-back 16-point night) padded it to 104-77 with 3:36 left in the third.

And unlike Atlanta to start this trip — when they blew a 17-point lead and fell to the Hawks — this time the Nets actually built on it, padding it to 41.

“We’ve got to bring the same energy, same focus to every game,” Sharpe said. “No matter the score, no matter what’s happening, no matter who’s out, we all got to approach the game the same way.”

For one night, the Cleveland Cavaliers exorcised their demons at Madison Square Garden. They came away with an impressive 115-107 win over the defending champion New York Knicks.

Three stars of the game

First star: James Harden

32 points on 9-for-14 shooting, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Few players in NBA history have been able to single-handedly raise an offense’s floor and ceiling like Harden. His ability to score from anywhere, manipulate defenders with his body, and make every pass made him nearly unguardable in his prime — while also allowing him to remain effective into his late 30s. However, that offensive consistency hasn’t been there yet for the Cavs at the start of the season.

Harden needs his scoring and playmaking to work in concert with each other if he’s going to elevate an offense. When he’s scoring well, he draws the attention of the entire defense, which leaves teammates open for easy shots. But when he isn’t able to create space off the dribble or connect on the outside shot, defenders can stay home with their assignments. And when they are staying home, those openings for Harden to set up teammates just aren’t there. Everything is based on his scoring.

Over the last handful of games, we saw just how bad things can look when Harden isn’t scoring. Defenses don’t have to respect him and send multiple players his way. Things then become stagnant, and the entire offense suffers because of it. Against the Knicks, we witnessed the inverse.

The difference in this one was shotmaking. Harden found a scoring rhythm in the second quarter with his outside shot. This caused his defender to guard him much closer on the perimeter, making it easier for him to get inside the paint. The Knicks chose not to send multiple defenders his way, which allowed him to continue his effective scoring and close this game out with nine clutch fourth-quarter points.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that the success of the entire team depends on Harden. Everything offensively rises and falls with his play. The Cavs need to see this version of Harden much more often than they have.

Second star: Karl-Anthony Towns

21 points on 7-of-11 shoooting, 11 rebounds, 8 assists

Towns is playing the best basketball of his career. His unique skill set allows him to affect the game in so many different ways. He proved that again here with his outside shooting, playmaking, and rebounding.

The Cavs bigs tried to contain Towns — his offense was just better than their defense.

Third star: Donovan Mitchell

23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

Mitchell provided timely scoring while also being a good decision-maker. He correctly got the ball out of his hands and to his teammates when New York threw doubles at him. And his teammates rewarded him for doing so with the win.

Cleveland also did much better at controlling the glass. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has talked about rebounding being something everyone on the court needs to be involved in. Mitchell chipping in went a long way in making sure rebounding wasn’t an issue.

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Duds of the game

New York’s wings: OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart

Combined stats: 22 points on 7-of-20 shooting, 10 rebounds, 7 assists

The Knicks’ incredible championship run was partially fueled by phenomenal play from their three starting wings. Likewise, their inability to show up to this game is a big reason why the Cavs were able to come away with a win.

Anunoby was helpful defensively, but couldn’t find the range from the field, going 3-for-9. Bridges played just 17 minutes and was benched down the stretch due to being a complete non-factor. And Hart couldn’t find his shot and wasn’t an impactful rebounder.

Swing players often decide games against two high-powered teams like this. In this contest, New York’s supporting pieces just didn’t show up.

Cavaliers who deserve shoutouts

Meleek Thomas

14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist

We’ve yet to encounter a moment that was too big for Thomas. He played with a confidence that’s rare to see in a rookie making his debut at MSG against the defending champions.

Thomas is first and foremost a scorer. We saw that again as he was able to create off the dribble and knock down open threes when the ball swung to him on the perimeter.

Atkinson has been able to continue putting Thomas in the rotation because of how he can positively influence the game in areas besides scoring. Defensively, he did a good job of guarding his man, didn’t get lost off-ball, and forced two steals. Thomas was also effective at attacking the offensive glass as he came away with three offensive rebounds.

Thomas is scoring, but he’s also doing a lot of the little things right that you need to in order to be a rotation player. This was another good outing for a rookie who has made nights like this feel routine.

Tyrese Proctor

15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Proctor showed the wide array of skills that he has. He initiated the offense as a secondary ball-handler, knocked down outside shots when the ball swung to him, and was helpful defensively.

This was exactly what you want to see from someone who’s trying to prove that he should stay in the rotation when Sam Merril and Nae’Qwan Tomlin return from injury.

Peyton Watson

7 points on 2-of-12 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists

Watson’s defensive effort made up for his poor shooting. He was seemingly everywhere on defense and secured the victory with a chase-down block on Deuce McBride.

Play of the game

Stat of the game

The Knicks only got 24.4% of their missed shots (21st percentile) while the Cavs grabbed 32.6% of available offensive rebounds (65th percentile).

The Cavs controlled the glass, won the possession battle, and ultimately won the game.

Main takeaway from this game: Talent isn’t the issue for the Cavs

This game doesn’t fix all that has been wrong with the Cavaliers at the start of the season. Nor does it show that they’re going to put the pieces together and become the team they have the potential to be. It does, however, demonstrate that the Cavs have the talent to beat anyone.

The Cavs were impressive on both ends of the floor. Offensively, their two elite guards controlled the game while still making way for role players like Proctor and Thomas to make meaningful contributions.

Defensively, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley made it difficult to score inside and kept the Knicks off the free-throw line. Watson also made a sizeable impact as a point-of-attack defender and weak-side rim protector. This resulted in New York becoming more of an outside-shooting team than they would’ve liked.

In short, this was a complete performance.

The Cavs have had other impressive wins this season, but they haven’t been able to back any of them up with anything substantive. At this point, we don’t know what team we’ll see on a nightly basis, and there’s no evidence that they’re creating sustainable habits that will help them in the postseason. This win will only be different if they can actually build off it from a process and results standpoint.

There are three guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and Devin Booker trade rumors, and we’ve got another rumor today. Amid an underwhelming 4-6 start for the Phoenix Suns that saw Booker have one of the worst games of his career, talks about the franchise’s all-time leading scorer’s future once again arose, and NBA Insider Mike Scotto put a nip in the bud about him going anywhere.

With stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard getting traded from the organizations that they spent the first decade-plus with, many start to question players in similar spots’ futures, especially when they don’t appear to be title contenders like the Suns don’t project to be anytime soon.

But the Suns or Booker have left no tea leaves to indicate a split is on the rise. In fact, they’ve stayed loyal to each other.

Signing an extension last offseason, Booker and the organization have expressed their admiration and commitment towards each other numerous times, and team owner Mat Ishbia has been on record multiple times in 2026 saying he’s staying in Phoenix.

Leading the team in scoring and assists, Booker’s efficiency and scoring are up since the start of November, and the team has won three of their last four, including their first win over the Houston Rockets in nearly 1400 days, but if the team doesn’t climb up the standings amid a wounded Western Conference and heightened expectations after a surprising playoff berth a season ago, the noise will get noisier about the star’s long-term future.

While the Lakers took care of business in fairly convincing fashion against the Bucks on Wednesday, the one sour note that came out of it was Austin Reaves suffering an injury.

During the third quarter, Reaves went up for a dunk and landed awkwardly. After trying to run it out for a few minutes, Reaves eventually asked for a sub and went to the locker room. He was eventually ruled out for the game.

After the game, head coach JJ Redick shared a minor update, noting that X-rays were negative and they’d get imaging on his heel Thursday. Redick also said that there was no worry of an Achilles injury.

The Lakers will be off until Sunday when they take on the Suns and it’s a break that couldn’t come at a better time. Not only did Reaves leave with an injury in the second half, but both Collin Sexton and Luka Dončić did too, though with more minor ailments.

Sexton took a blow to the face and received sutures. Luka twisted his ankle on the foot of Kyle Kuzma while shooting a 3-pointer. He stayed in the game to shoot the free throw before leaving.

Redick did not seem particularly concerned about any of the injuries and said Austin was the typical Austin postgame, so early signs are positive. Fortunately, the Lakers now have their longest break so far this season to rest and heal back up.

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Charles Barkley admits he loves Austin Reaves, but made it clear to never again compare him to NBA legend, Larry Bird.

On Wednesday night, the Hall of Famer went off on an expletive-filled rant after he saw a clip from the Pistons broadcast team, comparing Reaves to Bird after he made an impressive shot during the Lakers’ 121-116 victory on Sunday night.

“I was watching the Detroit Pistons against the Lakers the other night, and some idiot, or some fool, or jackass, thought it would be appropriate to compare Austin Reaves to Larry Bird,” Barkley said. “Y’all put together a team and said, ‘Who does Austin Reaves remind me of?’ and y’all put together a video clip of Austin Reaves.”

“I love Austin Reaves. Don’t compare him to Larry Bird ever. Under no damn circumstances.”

Barkley doubled down on his take and said he loves Reaves, but “Do not ever do that again.”

“Yeah, they’re both white. That’s it. That’s the only thing they have in common. Nothing else,” Barkley said.

While Barkley revealed his true feelings for Reaves, the Lakers guard was the star on Sunday.

The team has grown accustomed to Luka Dončić scoring 40+ points in a game, but as the Lakers were without the early MVP candidate, Reaves stole the spotlight.

Aside from yelling at a Pistons fan’s face, Reaves put together a 43-point performance, where he was 4-for-6 from the three-point line, shot 51.9% from the field, and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Aside from scoring in abundance, Reaves also had five rebounds and four assists.

Reaves is starting to develop into the player the Lakers knew he could become, and is starting to look like he was worth every penny the team gave him after he signed a four-year, $185 million contract during the offseason.

After their hardest hitting loss of the season, the Big Easy was the perfect place for the Brooklyn Nets to go next on their road trip. The Nets obliterated the New Orleans Pelicans this evening at the Smoothie King Center. Few wins have been more necessary, and even fewer more deserved.

However, the contest wasn’t advertised as the breakaway layup it turned into.

The Pelicans were at home, and with a Zion Williamson coming off three days of rest. Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s young guards had just taken a spin on the injury carousel. Before the game, the Nets announced that Egor Dëmin, who hasn’t played in two weeks due to a bone bruise, would return tonight. However, the team also said that Nolan Traoré, who hadn’t missed a game yet, would sit with right calf soreness. They also ruled out Mikel Brown Jr. due to an illness.

So, ball-handling was at a premium in the bayou. Dëmin and Danny Wolf made up the starting back court, with usual suspects Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe filling in behind them. Call it big ball. Indeed, it may have the first starting line-up ever featuring five players 6’9” or taller.

With the aforementioned injuries, Jordi Fernández didn’t have many choices when putting together his starting five, but still made the right ones. With the Pelicans giving up more opponent points in the paint than anyone so far this year, beginning with the jumbo lineup made sense, and it showed on the court, with the Nets outscoring New Orleans 24-10 inside during the first period. The most they had in an opening frame all season before that was 18.

Evidenced by the above, Brooklyn’s reserves got in on the action all the same. Noah Clowney, fresh off a game where he fouled out in just over seven minutes of play, knew he had to take advantage and acted accordingly, putting up six points with a block and a steal in the opening period. Wagner also added seven points, Wolf had five, and Porter Jr. led with nine. The Nets also led after one, up 39-25, giving them their largest advantage after a first quarter since April 2024.

Effective and easy-to-follow, Brooklyn had no reason to abandon its game plan in the subsequent period. The Nets got eight of their first 11 points in the second inside, and after MPJ topped that off with a three from the top of the key, Brooklyn had gone up by 17 with 7:29 to go in the second.

Holding it down from deep while everyone else went to work inside, that wasn’t even Porter Jr.’ best hit from downtown. With a little under four to go in the first, he also dethroned Derik Queen with this diagonal step-back…

And, knowing full well how harmful poor paint defense can be, the Nets were careful not to give up what their opponents had so frivolously surrendered. Sharpe was especially quick tonight fading back to provide extra defense around the rim, even as Zion Williamson continued to try and rummage his way in. New Orleans scored only twice inside in the second.

Saddiq Bey did threaten Brooklyn with another ugly end to a quarter. Hustling down after a Porter Jr. turnover offered up spacing in transition, Bey netted a triple that quickly brought it back to an 11 point game with roughly two and a half minutes left in the half.

The Nets didn’t take it lightly. They responded with a 13-7 jolt that involved two threes from Terance Mann, one as a direct response to Bey’s and another just before the horn. Brooklyn ended up going into the half up 83-66. It was the most points the Nets had scored a first half since putting up 91 on the Golden State Warriors in 2022. It’s the third most points they’ve ever put up in a first half in team history.

By that point, Brooklyn’s paint scoring advantage had swelled 40-24. They also carried a +9 advantage on the boards, along with five rejections.

So, after a period of complete interior dominance, that meant one thing one: it was time for Day’Ron Sharpe to begin shooting threes. No, I’m not kidding. And no, it didn’t cost them the game. In fact, it had an opposite effect.

The Brooklyn big man hit two triples in the third’s opening five minutes to give his team’s lead a quick buff once play resumed. Sharpe also dished one to Egor Dëmin, who was only starting to find his groove at that point, but more on that later.

The Nets weren’t just scoring from inside anymore. They were scoring from everywhere, and the Pelicans couldn’t do so from anywhere, everywhere, all at once. Not before long, the home team had a look on their face Brooklyn knows all too well: one of discouragement. They stopped boxing out, closing out, and just seemed like they wanted out. The Pelicans only put up 15 points in the period.

And the Nets? Like Bill Murray in the mid 2000s, they were eager to play a new, more serious role. After Noah Clowney scooped and slammed a missed three from Mann, Brooklyn earned their largest lead of the game, going up 104-77 with about three and a half left in the third.

“He impacted the game,” Fernández said of Clowney, who he said had things to “figure out” after the Dallas game. “You have size in him. He can guard multiple positions. He’s switchable. He’s been rebounding very well. And the efficiency, the taking good shots to get to the free throw line. Very happy with him, and we just got to keep taking positive steps here.”

In the fourth, it got to a point where you almost wanted the Nets to cut it out, irrationally afraid they were burning through all their makes before the end of the road trip. Keon Ellis and Wagner added back-to-back threes to begin the final frame, getting the team to a 16-34 mark from deep by that point. They’d finish 20-41 from beyond the arc.

The Nets have long used fourth quarter blowouts to give their young players real game reps. Tonight, they got to do so from the other side of the scoreboard. Not long after the Ellis and Wagner threes, Dëmin added his own pair of triples, looking more comfortable on the floor than he has all season. The Nets seemed to run a number of the actions they normally reserve for MPJ, asking him to duck and dive around screens off ball before rising up for a catch-and-shoot three. Like his mentor, he did so each time with confidence…

Coming in like Mariano Rivera in a game where the Yankees were already up seven or eight runs, Dëmin added 12 points in the fourth to bring his total for the game to 22 on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from deep.

“What impressed me? Nothing,” Dëmin said of the team’s overall performance. “I think that’s what we’re working on every day, and it’s not a surprise for me how you we could sustain the energy and effort throughout the whole game, which we really need to do from night to night. Obviously it’s hard to do, but it’s nothing new about what we’re trying to accomplish every single game.”

Porter Jr. also finished with 22 points while shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 4-10 from three. He also dished three assists, grabbed a steal, and garnered six rebounds. Randle had 17 points, five assists, and four rebounds after shooting 6-of-16 from the field. Sharpe had 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, and four blocks, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep.

Off the bench, both Wagner and Clowney had 16 points each. Wagner added four assists while shooting 6-of=8 from the field. Clowney shot 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from three, also grabbing two steals, a block, and three rebounds. Ellis had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Wolf reached 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

“We’ve been practicing very well and working very well, and it’s good to see that you play how you practice,” Fernández said. “So, happy for the group, proud of the guys. I mean, you see everybody. Mike was composed the whole time and talked to his teammates. Julius is +38 in 29 minutes. Egor huge minutes. Mo scoring. Terrence two huge winning plays. Everybody was a big part of the win.”

“Just getting into our actions, getting organized, and just having some structure,” Randle added. “We were all on the same page, and we’ve been working at it, so it’s good to see.”

It sure is.

Final: Brooklyn Nets 145, New Orleans Pelicans 111

Milestone Watch

• Day’Ron Sharpe scored 15 points with four rebounds, five assists and a career-high-tying four blocks tonight in New Orleans. It is his fourth consecutive game with at least five assists, which establishes a franchise-record streak of games with 5+ AST by a center.
• Julius Randle recorded a +38 plus/minus tonight in New Orleans, which tied Stephon Marbury (4/16/99 at Seattle) as the highest plus/minus by a Net in a road game in franchise history. It tied the seventh-highest in any game by a Net.
• Danny Wolf recorded a career-high 11 rebounds tonight in New Orleans to go with 10 points, four assists and two blocks. It is his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career.
• Six Nets scored 15+ PTS tonight at NOP: Porter Jr., Randle, Sharpe, Dëmin, Wagner and Clowney. It ties the franchise record (15th instance) and is their second such game of the season (10/27 at BOS). This is the fourth season in franchise history with multiple such games.
• Brooklyn’s 83 first-half points tonight vs. New Orleans were the team’s most in a first half since scoring 91 on 12/21/2022 vs. Golden State. Their 39 points in the first quarter tonight at New Orleans were their most in an opening frame this season and second most in the last two seasons, trailing only their 46 points on 2/7/26 vs. Washington.

Bonus Reading

This morning, veteran NBA writer James Herbert published a story for The Ringer on our very own Net Income. In it, you can hear from Pooch, Lucas, Sean Marks, and the countless others who’ve gotten close with the man behind Nets Daily over the years. I encourage all of you to check it out, and throw James a follow, who is as talented of a story teller as you’ll find.

Next Up

Brooklyn concludes its roadtrip on Saturday evening with a bout against the Memphis Grizzlies in Grind City. At the time of writing, the Grizz are 7-3. Isn’t it cool when the lottery decides to bless you instead flip you upside down, tar and feather you? This one tips off at 8:00 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 145, New Orleans Pelicans 111 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 145, New Orleans Pelicans 111 (Video) – NBA.com
• Jordi Fernández comments on win vs. Pelicans (Video) – YES Network
• Egor Dëmin on returning from injury (Video) – YES Network
• Day’Ron Sharpe on energy vs. Pelicans (Video) – YES Network
• Egor Demin scores 22 in his return as the Nets rout the Pelicans 145-111 – AP
• Nets pound Pelicans for much-needed bounceback win – Brian Lewis = New York Post
• Nets frustrate & embarrass Pelicans in 145-111 victory for 1st win of road trip ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets beat down Pelicans 145-111 to end 2-game road losing streak – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
• Nets Stand Tall In Blowout Win – Steve Lichtenstein – Steve’s Newsletter

The Lakers won their seventh straight game. They could lose something bigger.

Star guard Austin Reaves left Wednesday’s 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks with a left heel injury and did not return.

Reaves, who scored 18 points with five assists and three steals, landed awkwardly on a blocked dunk attempt during the third quarter but stayed in the game despite appearing to be in discomfort on the bench during an ensuing timeout. He remained in the game for three minutes before appearing to aggravate the injury on a drive toward the basket. He asked to sub himself out on the next possession.

Reaves’ initial X-rays were negative, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, and the guard, averaging a career-best 23.5 points on 50.8% shooting, will undergo further imaging. Initial tests have ruled out any potential Achilles injury, Redick said.

The Lakers finished their first extended trip of the season unscathed in the standings, improving to 11-2 and still the best record in the league, but had to limp across the finish line Wednesday after injuries struck.

Guard Collin Sexton received an eyebrow’s worth of stitches over his right eye after knocking heads with Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins with 6:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. Sexton’s sudden departure forced Luka Doncic to re-enter a 20-point game.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Doncic turned his ankle while getting fouled by Kyle Kuzma on a long two-point jumper.

Doncic, who led the Lakers with 32 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals, grabbed at his right ankle immediately. Lakers staff members tended to him while Kuzma’s foul was reviewed for a potential flagrant, but Doncic stayed in the game to shoot the free throw. He got subbed out right after.

Doncic said after the game he felt fine. Now he just has to wait for news on his backcourt running mate.

Read more:'It's forever': Lakers rookie Cameron Carr cherishing first NBA points

“We just gotta have next-man-up mentality,” Doncic said of the potential of playing without Reaves. “Obviously we lose a very, very good player. Hopefully ... it’s nothing. We gotta have next-man-up mentality.”

Reaves just signed a maximum contract extension this summer and was off to a career year. He is the 15th-leading scorer in the NBA, and he and Doncic (38.6 points per game) form the highest-scoring pair of teammates in the league. Reaves is also averaging 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting a career-best 41.3% from three-point range.

Reaves, who played almost an entire game on what turned into a Grade 2 oblique strain suffered last April against Oklahoma City, had missed the Lakers’ previous game against the Atlanta Hawks because of illness.

Guard Quentin Grimes missed his second consecutive game Wednesday with a sprained finger on his right hand. Grimes was questionable for Wednesday’s game, but still had swelling, Redick said, which could have affected the right-handed guard’s shooting.

Read more:What we’ve learned about the first-place Lakers

Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili delivered for the shorthanded Lakers both nights, scoring 23 points of the bench for the second consecutive game Wednesday. The Georgian forward went 11 for 35 from three-point range during the first 11 games of the season and suddenly found his shooting stroke with consecutive five-of-eight nights against the Hawks and Bucks.

Mamukelashvili helped lift the Lakers through a five-day stretch that Redick said felt more like three weeks. Last Friday, the Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers at home in an NBA Cup game and have since climbed to the top of the NBA standings, won two games against teams in the top half of the Eastern Conference and watched both of their star guards leave a game with injuries.

“We’re all ready to go home,” said center Walker Kessler, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double in eight games. “I’ll just say that.”

Battered and bruised from a tiring rip, the Lakers return home for a brief respite. The Lakers will have multiple days of rest before their next game Sunday at Phoenix. They don’t face a team with a winning record until Nov. 27. The road game in San Antonio figures to be a marquee showdown between Western Conference title contenders.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers used a big run in the third quarter to blow out the Bucks on Wednesday, 123-112.

LA led for most of the game, but the Bucks remained feisty for much of the contest. It wasn’t until the third quarter when the Lakers blew the game open and fully took control. 

Milwaukee showed how woeful they are, turning the ball over 19 times, leading to 28 points. LA’s bench was strong again, scoring 55 points.

The concern coming out of the game was a variety of injuries. Austin Reaves left in the third quarter with a heel injury and Collin Sexton took a blow to the face. Luka Dončić twisted his ankle after a hard closeout and left the game after shooting the subsequent free throw.

Brayden Burries gave the Bucks an early lead, but Luka and Austin started to cook, scoring a combined 14 points to put Los Angeles ahead. The Lakers were on a 12-0 scoring run. 

Luka continued his dominant play and, as we are used to seeing every game, was already in double figures with 14 points.

Kyle Kuzma and Tyler Herro added 12 points to help keep Milwaukee close. The Lakers were up six with 3:27 left.

LA allowed Jaime Jacquez Jr. to start heating up. He scored eight points that cut Los Angeles’ lead down to two at the end of the first.

Walker Kessler got on the board early in the second period with a layup for LA. Sandro Mamukelashvili picked up right where he left off last game, providing an excellent spark off the bench with five points. Collin Sexton also pitched in with four points. 

The Bucks were sticking around, though, cutting a 10-point Lakers lead to four, led by Jacquez Jr and Herro. 

Milwaukee was playing scrappy and keeping pace with LA. The Bucks were shooting 50% from the field and Los Angeles was at 42%. 

The Lakers offense woke back up as they went on a quick 7-0 run on the shoulders of Sexton and Luka. 

Milwaukee was on a three-minute scoring drought until Herro scored. It seemed the Bucks were inching closer again, but Mamu and Reaves combined for nine points to help give the purple and gold an 11-point lead at halftime. 

Reaves drained a triple to start the third period for Los Angeles. Luka also knocked down one of his own. Burries scored on a triple for the Bucks. LA kept their double-digit lead, despite shooting 3-9 in the quarter. 

Los Angeles then blew the game open, extending its lead to 17 as Thybulle and Kessler combined for five points.

The concerning moment came in the middle of the middle of the quarter when Austin suffered his heel injury on his landing after attempting a dunk. He left shortly after and did not return.

The rest of the quarter was Mamu continuing his incredible play off the bench, pushing his point total to 21 for the night. Luka ended the third by converting on a three-point play that gave the purple and gold a 21-point lead.

LA maintained their big lead well into the final frame. Mamu, Kessler, Williams and Sexton each contributed offensively. Herro and Jacquez hadn’t scored a field goal, but converted on six free throws.

Sexton suffered his injury in the final frame, taking a shot to the face while on defense and being forced to leave with an apparent cut.

At the 5:30 mark, Los Angeles was up 22.

Luka had scored six points before being subbed out after appearing to injure his ankle. The Lakers then subbed in their bench at the 4:25 mark.

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 32 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Reaves ended with 18 points and five assists before leaving with an injury. Kessler logged 10 points with 11 rebounds and three assists.

Mamu pitched in with 23 points off the bench. Sexton had 10 points. Thybulle scored eight points with five rebounds. Ziaire Williams and Jarred Vanderbilt combined for 13 points and six assists.

The Lakers’ next game will be against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at 1:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The Los Angeles Lakers' blowout over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Nov. 11 may have come at a steep cost.

Austin Reaves exited the game in the third quarter and did not return with a left heel injury. Collin Sexton later went into the locker room himself after taking a headbutt in the fourth, and then Luka Dončić appeared to roll his right ankle with just over four minutes to go.

Dončić hit a stepback 3 (later overturned to a long 2-pointer) over Kyle Kuzma, but his ankle twisted as soon as it landed on the ground and sent the two-time scoring champion crashing to the floor, where he grabbed at his leg and scooted over to the scorer's table to take a minute.

Dončić was able to get up and walk around, and made a free throw to convert the and-1 before head coach JJ Redick mass subbed the entire lineup with the Lakers up 24 points at the 4:25 mark. He finished the game with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists, continuing his red-hot start to the season.

Luka Doncic appeared to injure his ankle on this and-one bucket after a foul by Kyle Kuzma.

He stayed in to attempt the free throw before heading to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/VeXqGryrEw

— ESPN (@espn) November 12, 2026

Redick told reporters postgame that he believes Dončić appears to be fine. Dončić echoed those sentiments after the game.

"I'm good, obviously it's painful a little bit but I'll be fine," Dončić said.

He wouldn't have even been in the game at that point, Redick added, had Sexton not bumped his head. Sexton received stitches in his temple area and X-Rays on Reaves came back negative, though he will undergo further testing on Thursday.

They'll all have more time to recover than they've been used to; the Lakers have three days off for the first time this season before finishing their four-game road trip on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.

"It does feel long, I got to be honest with you," Redick told reporters. "It's three games in four nights, and we played Portland on Friday in the Cup game at home, and that feels like it was three weeks ago."

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update: What we know after Lakers star rolls ankle late in win vs Bucks

The Lakers’ Walker Kessler grabbed his 2,000th rebound against the Bucks on Wednesday, becoming the 11th-fastest player in NBA history to reach 2,000-plus points, 2,000-plus rebounds and 500-plus blocks.

Kessler is the third-fastest active player to reach that line, trailing only Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis.

Kessler is averaging 14.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks for the Lakers, who entered Wednesday’s game with the league’s best record (10-2).

The Lakers acquired Kessler in July in a sign-and-trade from the Jazz for two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps on top of a four-year, $130 million deal.

The 25-year-old Kessler only played five games last season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder that required surgery.

Kessler has made an immediate impact for the Lakers, who have won six games in a row.

He entered Wednesday’s game leading the NBA in contested shots (140) and has been their defensive anchor, finishing with a double-double in six of his last seven contests.

This story will be updated.

The Bulls were ready to start tonight’s game, and they took advantage of the Spurs lackadaisical defense in the first half to lead by as much as 22 points late in the second quarter. The Spurs made a little surge just before the half to cut the lead to 14, and came out in the second half en fuego after what had to be a torrid tongue lashing from Coach Mitch Johnson. The Bulls lost Caleb Wilson in the second half and their shooting fell to Earth after the unreal first half marksmanship, and the Spurs pulled out a tough win to finish out their four game road trip undefeated and win their 10th game in a row. Victor Wembanyama was great as usual, but they got some good contributions for De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, and some nice bench contributions from Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant.

They return to the Frost Bank Center on Friday to face the Golden State Warriors in a battle to take control of their group and make a step toward the knockout rounds and a possible trip to the Hinkle Field House for the Cup finals.

Observations:

• I like the road black uniforms. The visiting team wearing light colored jerseys is an abomination.
• Jalen Smith hit his first two three-point shots which was unexpected, but Fox matched him by hitting a pair. De’Aaron had 11 of the Spurs’ first 19, and Smith had 10 or the Bulls’ first 17.
• The Bulls didn’t know that they were supposed to be an easy out and took a 13 point lead late in the first quarter as they got to all of the loose balls and played sharper than the visitors, leading 41-29 after the first quarter, shooting an impossibly hot 85%. The Spurs’ slow rotations on defense definitely helped that stat to happen.
• The Bulls run continued into the second quarter as they extended the lead to 18. The Spurs came back in the second quarter with better offense, but it was blunted a bit by the Bulls continuing to shoot bullseye after bullseye. The Spurs couldn’t get rebounds, because if there are no missed shot, it reduces your opportunities for a carom.
• The Silver and Black got up off the canvas a little towards the end of the second quarter, cutting the Chicago lead to 14 and trailing 56 to 70 at the half. A missed triple from Harper could have cut it to 11 at the buzzer, but it missed.
• There’s this whole narrative about ‘TRAP’² games, but I don’t think that’s fair to a team like the Bulls who put in the work and put together one of their best efforts of the season, in the first half at least. The Spurs are expected to win, but they should also know that wherever they go, they are going to see a team’s best effort, and there are no games that you can take for granted.
• The Spurs started off the second half on fire, scoring the first seven to cut the home lead in half in the first two minutes, leading to an early Splitter timeout. It didn’t help, as the Spurs tied up the game four minutes into the quarter.
• Josh Giddey made a business decision at least twice when he was defending a fast break, just ducking out of the way as the Spurs had the numerical advantage.
• Missed free throws are getting to be a problem for San Antonio, and it could cost them some games later in the season if they don’t clean it up.
• Caleb Wilson had to leave in the second half with an apparent hand injury, really bad news for Chicago.
• The Spurs led 90-89 after three quarters, getting all the way back from the first half deficit, but still not creating a comfortable margin.
• The Spurs had a quick 11-2 start to the fourth quarter, getting their first double digit lead of the game 101-91 with just under 10 minutes left in the game.
• Keldon Johnson had himself a game tonight. He only scored 10 points, but he was key in the third quarter comeback as his energy brought the Spurs back into the game.
• Carter Bryant had one of his better games of the season, making some key plays in the fourth quarter to ice the win.
• The Spurs put in their garbage time squad a little early and the Bulls made it slightly interesting as time ran out but were always two scores away from tying it up as the Spurs won 124-119.

1. Perhaps Mitch Johnson lit the match.
2. Insert Admiral Ackbar GIF here.

The Spurs are headed back home tonight and will play the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in their second NBA Cup game of the season. The Warriors are enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately, with the ageless Steph Curry being joined by super rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, and they should be the toughest test for the Silver and Black since the first two games of the season against OKC and Houston. The winner of Friday’s contest will take sole possession of first place in West Group C, since all of the other teams will have at least one loss, which gives them an inside track to winning the group and advancing to the knockout rounds in December. The players are on record of wanting to get the prestige and extra money of a Cup championship this season after losing in the NBA Cup finals to an upstart team called the Knicks, and a win on Friday would be a big step in the right direction.

The Washington Wizards continued their slide Wednesday in a 114-101 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday. Despite having an overwhelming talent advantage on paper, the Wizards looked inferior to a Pacers team that knew how to execute even without Tyrese Haliburton on the floor.

The Wizards started the game positively enough, with a renewed focus on crashing the glass. They won the rebounding battle 16-11 in the first quarter and had 6 offensive boards, leading to 8 second-chance points.

Anthony Davis had six points in the period, while AJ Dybantsa showed a little sauce with a sweet reverse in transition. Washington trailed 26-25 after one.

Tre Johnson had the hot hand before halftime. He scored 8 of his 13 first-half points in the opening minutes of the second quarter to give the Wizards a 37-31 edge.

But Washington quite literally gave that lead away to close out the half. Dybantsa and Kyshawn George combined for 7 early turnovers, including a trio of live-ball miscues in the final minutes that led to easy Indiana points. The visiting Wizards trailed 55-50 at the break.

Trae Young was virtually a non-factor in the first half. He had just 3 points and 2 assists, and didn’t even take a shot in the second quarter. Johnson led the way with 13 off the bench.

The Pacers tried to pull away in the third quarter. A Pascal Siakam triple gave Indiana a 69-59 lead midway through the period. Anthony Davis responded with a personal 7-0 run, which keyed an 18-8 Wizards spurt to end the third. The two teams were tied at 77 entering the fourth.

The Wizards were simply outclassed in the final 12 minutes. The Pacers started the fourth quarter on a 14-0 run that mercifully ended with a Dybantsa dunk at the 8:45 mark. Indiana’s veterans generated open looks seemingly at will while also pummeling Washington inside on Siakam drives and Ivica Zubac post-ups.

The difference in offensive execution between the two teams was stark in Wednesday’s game. The Pacers tallied 29 assists even without Haliburton on the floor. Andrew Nembhard nearly had more assists (10) than the entire Wizards team (12). The small silver lining is that Washington won the rebounding battle 58-52.

George led the Wizards with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists on 9-of-20 shooting. However, his 6 turnovers made it hard to feel good about his performance. Dybantsa scored 13 points on a 6-of-15 clip and missed all four of his three-point attempts. Davis had another 20-10 night, while Young had an unimpactful 15 points and 4 assists.

The Wizards get right back on the court tomorrow for the second night of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons at Capital One Arena.

James Harden flipped the script on the Knicks.

It was trending in the direction this matchup has so often taken, with the Knicks looking like they would steal another win over the Cavs with a late-game comeback.

Trailing most of the night, the Knicks cut their deficit to seven points with a layup from Karl-Anthony Towns with 7:33 left in the game. Kenny Atkinson called a Cavs timeout.

The Knicks then went on a 9-2 run and tied the game with 5:35 left, as the Cavs took another timeout. It felt like another moment in which the Cavs were melting with the game on the line.

But Harden drilled a jumper to reestablish a two-point Cavs lead with 5:22 left. A minute later, he hit a 3-pointer to put the Cavs up by three with 4:22 left.

This time, it was the Knicks who wilted in crunch time, as they fell 115-107 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to snap their four-game winning streak.

“We were in it,” Jalen Brunson said. “But just timely stops and timely buckets were needed.”

Harden took over late and finished with 32 points, while Donovan Mitchell hurt the Knicks with 23 points.

“MVP, scoring champ,” Miles McBride said of Harden. “He’s a tough matchup for anybody in this league. You gotta tip your hat to him.”

Brunson and Towns’ own two-man effort couldn’t overcome a three-way disappearing act around them. They combined for 48 points, while the three other starters — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — combined for just 22 points on 7-for-20 shooting.

And that’s with Anunoby padding those numbers with a big fourth quarter. Through three quarters, Bridges, Anunoby and Hart had just nine points on 4-for-16 shooting.

It’s hard to win when Anunoby and Hart offer so little, and Bridges offers almost nothing.

Bridges’ waning playing time continued as a result, as he finished with just 17 minutes of action — fewer than both Landry Shamet (28) and McBride (27), who were far more effective. Bridges did not play at all during the fourth quarter. It was McBride — who finished with 19 points — on the court instead down the stretch.

Hart looked rusty in his return from a three-game absence and also took a backseat in the fourth quarter, with Shamet largely taking his place.

“It’s gonna be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal,” Brown said. “And maybe even at times for Josh. Because those two guys [McBride and Shamet] are playing at a pretty high level.”

Interestingly, Brown kept Brunson on the bench in favor of Tyler Kolek until 4:20 left in the fourth quarter, with the Knicks trailing by three.

And when Brunson reentered the game, Towns went to the bench for Andre Drummond for the next two minutes.

It continued Brown’s early-season experimenting, but was perhaps a factor in the Knicks’ late-game struggles.

Mitchell provided the final dagger with an assist, setting up a wide-open Jarrett Allen with a layup that put the Cavs up seven with 1:41 left in the game. The Knicks, as they had all night, double-teamed Mitchell on the play — something Brown later regretted.

“I kept us in the blitz a little too long,” Brown said. “I should have taken us out of the blitz. So that part is on me and I gotta be better helping our group in that area.”

Brown also rued the free-throw discrepancy — the Cavs took 25 compared to the Knicks’ 11.

Starting with last year’s Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks had won five straight against the Cavs before Wednesday. But on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Knicks took a momentary step back after winning six of their past seven games.

“We’ll learn from this game,” Brown said, “and keep it moving.”

The Golden State Warriors have dealt with their fair share of injuries early in the 2026-27 season, and it hasn’t stopped them from winning. But there’s one injury they can’t afford to have, and unfortunately, they got a scare on that front on Wednesday.

Just a few minutes into their game against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets — a game that kicks off a five-game road trip — Warriors superstar Steph Curry started to look a little uncomfortable, and was seen grabbing at his side and hip area. About halfway through the quarter he left the game, and headed straight to the locker room with trainer Drew Yoder, while visibly in discomfort.

Curry took a few hard falls and collisions in the opening minutes of the game before exiting.

At the start of the second quarter, the Warriors announced that Curry had been ruled out for the rest of the game with a right abdominal soreness. His status going forward is not yet known.

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a feel-good win over the New York Knicks.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Player of the game

James Harden

32 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Harden delivered his best half of the season by ripping off 17 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting in the opening quarters. The Cavs have missed this production from their starting point guard. But if he can generate clean offense like this on a consistent basis, then there’s a real runway for them moving forward.

The Cavs’ offense was steady all night in large part due to Harden’s isolation scoring. Few players have been able to create one-on-one like Harden, and even at 37 years old, he’s proven he can still turn up the heat and take over games.

Grade: A+

Grades

Donovan Mitchell

23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

Last week, after the Cavs lost to New York, Mitchell told me he feels he’s taken strides as a playmaker. That manifested itself tonight in a way that’s bigger than his 6 assists.

Mitchell showed maturity in the fourth quarter. After scoring steadily throughout the game, he allowed the Knicks to take him off the board by trapping him. By accepting the double team and then passing the ball to one of his release valves, the Cavs were able to consistently create advantages at the end of the game.

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

11 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Allen made the most of his opportunities tonight. He shot 4-of-7 from the floor and hammered (literally) the nail in the coffin with his and-one dunk.

More importantly, Allen gobbled 14 boards and helped the Cavs win 40-34 on the glass.

Grade: A-

Evan Mobley

10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

This was a quiet night from Mobley. In some ways, his lack of aggression, particularly when drawing a mismatch against a smaller defender, was frustrating.

That said, I do think there’s value in pointing out that the flow of this game never channeled his direction. This was a perimeter-oriented game with Mitchell, Harden, Proctor, and Thomas attempting 52 shots (out of 85 total attempts from the team).

I wish Mobley were capable of dictating that flow for himself more often. But I’m starting to wonder if we all need to just accept that as something that doesn’t come included.

His grade skews positive for his mostly impactful defensive effort.

Grade: C+

Peyton Watson

7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks

Watson did not find his shot at any point tonight. He finished 2-for-12 from the field. However, he made a gigantic impact on defense, swatting multiple three-point attempts and blocking Deuce McBride in transition to help Cleveland close the door.

The Cavs still need to figure out where he fits offensively, but the vision for his defense is coming into focus.

Grade: B

Mario Hezonja

0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7 minutes

Hezonja couldn’t hang tonight as New York’s off-ball movement left him stuck in the mud. He’s too slow for either of the Knicks’ wings, and Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t your usual five. This will be a difficult matchup for Hezonja to establish himself.

Grade: F

Jaylon Tyson

3 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Tyson played his first game since October after missing the previous six with an ankle injury. There’s not much to take from this, other than Tyson needs to find his jumper and become a more helpful defender. All of this could come as he gets his feet back under him.

Grade: D+

Tyrese Proctor

15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Proctor was everything the Cavs needed tonight. He had it going offensively (6-for-12 shooting) and was one of their best perimeter defenders. He stayed attached on screens and kept the Knicks from getting loose away from the ball. This was the best game of his young career and another sign that the Cavs have a nose for finding talent on the margins.

Grade: A

Meleek Thomas

14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Thomas nailed a half-spin fallaway jumper during his first stint of this game. The type of stuff that only an immensely confident rookie could pull off. But that confidence has made Thomas a difference-maker for Cleveland, and his ability to create for himself was a big help tonight.

Grade: A-