Category: NBA

The Nets will be without starting shooting guard Cam Thomas for at least the next three to four weeks due to a left hamstring strain, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Brooklyn had ruled Thomas out earlier in the day for Friday night's NBA Cup opener against the Detroit Pistons, but now it appears he'll miss more time.

Thomas suffered the hamstring injury during Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers. He played just six minutes before leaving the court and not returning.

Hamstring injuries have become a recurring problem for the 24-year-old, who missed 57 games last season after injuring it three times, limiting him to just 25 games played.

After agreeing to a one-year qualifying offer before the start of the season, Thomas is averaging 21.4 points on 40.2 percent shooting (35.6 percent from three) over eight games and 28.3 minutes of action per night.

With Thomas sidelined, Brooklyn will need Michael Porter Jr. to continue leading the team in scoring (22.4 points per game). Porter dropped a season-high 32-points (his second 32-point game) to help the Nets earn their first win of the season on Wednesday after a rough 0-7 start.

Additionally, the Nets upgraded rookie wing Drake Powell (right ankle sprain) to available for Friday's contest. The UNC product has played in just two games (11 minutes combined) so far this year. Three other of the Nets five first-round picks -- Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, and Nolan Traore -- remain on G-League assignment with the Long Island Nets.

Meanwhile, wing Terance Mann, who was previously listed as probable due to left shoulder soreness, is available on Friday. Mann has started and played in all eight games, averaging 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

Sixers waiting on George and Barlow's green lights, tweaking back-to-backs mindset originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Sixers continue to wait for Paul George and Dominick Barlow’s green lights.

Neither George (left knee surgery recovery) nor Barlow (right elbow laceration) have been cleared yet for a return. Both were at the Sixers’ practice facility Friday. George ran through a post-practice shooting session with Jared McCain. Barlow sat on the sidelines with a multi-part brace on his right arm.

According to a team official, George will meet with doctors over the weekend to assess his recovery and determine next steps. Barlow will miss the Sixers’ weekend back-to-back vs. the Raptors and Pistons. He’s set for a follow-up visit with his surgeon on Monday. 

George has been a regular practice participant for weeks. 

“I think the last hurdle is he’s seeing the doctors this weekend,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that’s the hurdle of them clearing him to play … the main thing. That’s it.”

The 5-3 Sixers rank 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating. They expect George to make them a better team on that end of the floor. 

“He’s looked good,” Nurse said. “I think he’s moving very well, he’s shooting very well. … I’m like everybody out there in Sixers nation: I’m hoping the doc gives him the clearance so we can get him out there, even if it’s just to get him back in the flow of things. He’s going to help us. To me, he looks really good on defense. He’s just got such an instinctual feel for that end of the floor. And he’s got the size at 6-9, and there’s deflections and all that stuff. 

“He’s really kind of a captain-type guy there. He knows what he’s doing and he helps other guys. … That would be useful as well.”

After starting the Sixers’ first two games, Barlow has been out since their Oct. 25 win vs. the Hornets.

His recovery has evidently not been simple. 

“He still has that splint or partial cast, whatever it is, that’s making him keep his arm straight-ish,” Nurse said. “Again, the (laceration) was right on where it bends and that’s what’s causing the problems. He does have a follow-up on I believe Monday. Hopefully, he gets out of that thing and it’s healed. I’m going to be optimistic: I don’t see that being a super-long rehab. I think it just needs to get healed up and he should be good to go.”

Safe to say it’s not a typical injury. 

“I’ve never seen that one,” Nurse said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, he cut himself.’ I’m like, ‘All right, patch him up and let’s get him back in there.’ That was like three weeks ago when I said that during the game. … So it falls under bizarre, yes.”

McCain returned to action Tuesday in the Sixers’ loss to the Bulls, although he’s still limited in several ways. He played 15 scoreless minutes in Chicago and then sat the next night against the Cavs with a “left knee injury recovery” designation. 

The 21-year-old guard suffered a left knee lateral meniscus tear on Dec. 13 and a right thumb UCL tear on Sept. 25. On top of restricted minutes and new teammates, he’s adjusting to wearing a bulky brace on his knee. 

“It feels unbalanced and it just feels like it’s super heavy, like you’re just lugging a whole leg. … And it’s just hard to move,” McCain said. “I said to family it’s like my mind wants to do something but my body’s not letting me. So it just takes getting used to. That’s what (Joel Embiid) said: It’ll take some time.”

McCain said he believes he’ll be re-evaluated in about a month and hopes to have the brace off “as soon as possible.” 

For now, Nurse has to make do with restrictions for McCain and Embiid and the absences of George and Barlow. His key players are accumulating tons of early-season minutes; Tyrese Maxey’s 41.3 per game easily lead the NBA.

Will the Sixers change anything about how they approach back-to-backs moving forward? 

“There’s a couple of things I think we’ve learned that we need to tweak,” Nurse said. “I wish I could tell you what they are, but I can’t, really. But there are some things. Mostly, I just want to try not to make such a big deal out of it being a back-to-back.

“I think that’s a good place to start mentally, a mindset of, ‘Let’s just play the game.’ It is talked about and there’s a million things going on because it’s a back-to-back, but I want to get us a little bit more into, ‘Let’s just play it like another game.’”

Where Celtics stand in 2025 NBA Cup as Group B play heats up originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics currently sit 10th in the NBA’s Eastern Conference at 4-5 after an up-and-down start to the 2025-26 season. But if they defeat the Orlando Magic on Friday night, they can lay claim to first place in Group B of the 2025 NBA Cup.

The league’s third annual in-season tournament continues Friday with more group play action, as Celtics-Magic is one of 11 games around the league that will count toward the NBA Cup standings. The C’s — who are in Group B of the NBA Cup along with the Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets — are 1-0 in the group stage after edging the Sixers 109-108 last Friday in their NBA Cup opener.

That Celtics-Sixers game has been the only Group B game to date, as the Magic, Pistons and Nets have yet to begin their NBA Cup slates. All three teams are in action Friday, however — Detroit and Brooklyn play at 7:30 p.m. ET — so we’ll see more movement in the standings by the end of the night.

As a reminder, point differential is a key tiebreaker in the NBA Cup, so expect both the Celtics and Magic to play hard until the final whistle, even if the game is already in hand for either side.

How will it all play out? Below is a brief refresher on the NBA Cup format, followed by the Celtics’ schedule and the Group B standings, which we’ll update at the conclusion Friday’s games.

How does the NBA Cup work?

The tournament begins with the group stage. All 30 teams will compete in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games (two at home and two on the road).

Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild card team in each conference that’s awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record.

If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:

• Head-to-head record in group play
• Point differential in group play
• Total points scored in group play
• Record from the 2024-25 NBA regular season
• Random drawing

The knockout rounds begin with quarterfinal games on Dec. 9 and 10 hosted by the higher seed, and then the semifinals and finals, which will be held in Las Vegas.

All Group Stage games count toward teams’ regular-season records. Teams enter the season with only 80 scheduled games, and the 22 teams that don’t advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 11/12 and Dec. 14/15.

Celtics’ Group B schedule

The Celtics’ four Group Stage games will be played across a 27-day span from Halloween until the day before Thanksgiving.

• Friday, Oct. 31: Celtics 109, Sixers 108
• Friday, Nov. 7: Celtics vs. Magic, 7 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
• Friday, Nov. 21: Nets vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
• Wednesday, Nov. 26: Pistons vs. Celtics, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Group B Standings

Each team in Group B will play each other once during Group Stage play. If two teams have the same record in group play, the first two tiebreakers are head-to-head record and point differential. 

Here are the Group B standings, which we’ll update throughout group play:

Steve Kerr reveals Warriors' lofty playoff seed goal for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Nearing the end of Steph Curry’s career, the Warriors have nothing but winning an NBA championship on their minds.

Getting there, of course, is the challenge. And while Golden State, which once dominated the West for several consecutive seasons, might not be seeking the No. 1 playoff seed the way it used to, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed the team’s target seed it is chasing.

“I mean, unless you’re OKC, everybody in the West is thinking, ‘Let’s make sure we’re in the top six.’ I told our team before the season, let’s finish in the top four,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Let’s have our homecourt advantage in the first round. And so, top six is obviously where everybody wants to end up. Nobody wants to be in the Play-In. I think we’re good enough where we should be thinking top four. Home court. But we haven’t gotten there yet.

“The schedule’s been tough. We haven’t settled our rotation yet. We haven’t allowed for guys to get comfortable yet in their roles because lineups have changed. We’re a little scattered right now. But nothing we can’t fix and get on track. Like I said, I can’t be more excited about our team and talent level and ability to be good. But we have some work to do.”

Golden State currently holds a 5-4 record and is sitting seventh in the West in the early part of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Warriors have the sixth-most difficult schedule remaining, per Tankathon, with four matchups against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, three against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, respectively, and two against the red-hot Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

But experience is on Golden State’s side, even if the schedule isn’t.

And the confidence level is high for the Warriors, especially after acquiring six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, who is in the midst of his first full season with the team.

Now, as Kerr attested to, it’ll be on the players to execute if they want to reach their lofty goals of homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

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Steve Kerr has ‘zero concern' about Al Horford's early struggles with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Al Horford appeared to be the perfect fit for the Warriors, but his recent shooting struggles have raised some eyebrows.

Horford went scoreless in Golden State’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, shooting 0-for-8 from the field and missing all of his seven 3-point attempts.

Still, Warriors coach Steve Kerr isn’t worried about the veteran center’s early slump.

“Zero concern,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Because what I’m watching is the way he’s moving. I said this after the game and I’m sure people laughed, but it was real. It was honest. I thought he played a really good game [Wednesday] night, the ball just didn’t go in. All of his shots looked good, I thought every single one of them was going, and none of them went. So he’s at one of those stages right now, and it happens in every sport. A baseball player who, the ball, it’s coming off his bat hard, but it’s going right to people.

“Nothing is going Al’s way right now. It doesn’t shock me because it is really hard to go to a new team. But I’m watching the way he’s moving, his decision-making, how smart this guy is. He’s going to be just fine. I wouldn’t worry about Al.”

Horford is 1 of 16 from beyond the arc over his last four games, and 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) on the season.

Over the course of his nearly two-decade career, Horford has shot 50.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance as he’s established himself as one of the best shooting bigs in the game.

That is why Kerr won’t hit the panic button just yet, as he is certain Horford will find a rhythm with time.

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Ex-NBA player Damon Jones pleads not guilty to selling injury secrets, profiting from rigged poker originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he profited from rigged poker games and provided sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jones, a onetime teammate of James, said little during back-to-back arraignments in federal court in Brooklyn, letting his court-appointed lawyer enter not guilty pleas in a pair of cases stemming from last month’s federal takedown of sprawling gambling operations.

Jones, 49, acknowledged he read both indictments and that he understood the charges and his bail conditions, which include his mother and stepfather putting up their Texas home as collateral for a $200,000 bond that will allow him to remain free pending trial.

Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told a judge that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.” He is due back in court for a preliminary conference with other defendants on Nov. 24.

Jones was among more than 30 people arrested in the gambling sweep. The others included reputed mobsters and prominent basketball figures, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

Sports bettor Marves Fairley also pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging he cashed in on information about injuries to NBA players, including some that prosecutors say Jones provided to him.

Jones, an NBA journeyman, earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and he served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.

According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be playing in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was later ruled out of the game because of a lower body jury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.

On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, Fairley paid Jones approximately $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward and center at the time, would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.

Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and collected 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors said.

Jones, a native of Galveston, Texas, who played college basketball at the University of Houston, is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. As part of his bail agreement, his travel is restricted to parts of Texas and New York City. He was allowed to keep his passport to use as identification for flying until he obtains a REAL ID, which his lawyer said should happen soon.

A hot hand from outside the three-point arc, Jones once proclaimed himself in an interview with insidehoops.com as “the best shooter in the world.” He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.

After his playing days, he worked as a “shooting consultant” for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team, led by James, won the NBA championship in 2016.

In the poker scheme, according to prosecutors, Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.

According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. His instructor likened those people to James and NBA All-Star Steph Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.

In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

The poker scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.

Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

Steve Kerr sends stern warning to Warriors after Will Richard's career game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Will Richard’s career performance in the Warriors’ loss Wednesday night not only put the league on notice, but it also sent a message within Golden State’s very own walls.

In his first NBA start against the Sacramento Kings, the rookie guard dropped 30 points on 66.7-percent shooting from the field and 62.5 percent from 3-point range, with seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 35 minutes.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained how Richard’s big night — and convincing start to his NBA career — could impact the organization’s plans for the former second-round draft pick.

“Will fits in perfectly with everything I’m discussing right now,” Kerr said Thurday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “The turnovers, the decision-making, the spacing, the ability to dribble, pass and shoot — those four things lead to good decision-making as a team, as a group. I can draw a play out of a timeout and put Will in any one of the five positions. So when you get guys like this that provide really solid play and stability, this is what has made our team go around Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green].

“I’ve said this to you guys a million times. Who are those stabilizers in our run over the last decade? It’s Andre Iguodala. It’s Shaun Livingston. It’s David West. You need them at different positions because Steph and Dray need stability around them to get them organized and to help them navigate the game and to get Steph the ball.

“So Will Richard checks all those boxes. The whole team, the whole organization, recognizes this — which means everybody’s on notice. Take care of the ball, because we’ve got people who will do that. And they’re ready to step in.”

Sounds like a message to others on the team to step up, or others, such as Richard, will.

Golden State acquired the draft rights to the Florida guard, who was selected No. 56 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Richard averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the 2025 National Champions, and finished with a game-high 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range in the Gators’ championship win over Houston.

He looked like a steal early in camp for the Warriors, and that remains to be the case to Kerr.

“You don’t really expect to see this from the [56th] pick,” Kerr said. “But what we’ve seen since the start of camp. What a steal. What an incredible pick by Mike Dunleavy and the scouting department.”

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A Florida home owned by Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received a call around 4:30 a.m. about a fire at a residence in Coral Gables. More than 20 units were dispatched and "found fire that was as tall as the trees," according to MDFR battalion chief Victoria Byrd.

“On arrival, units found a fully engulfed house on fire, including a partial collapse of the roof," Byrd said in a video released by the fire department. "Units were able to quickly extinguish the fire; however, the fire took over control [of] most of the house. There were no reported injuries, no fatalities, and the fire is under investigation.”

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 35 points as Lakers win foul-filled game over Spurs

Byrd told reporters on the scene that no other structures in the area were affected by the fire.

According to the fire department, no one was home during the fire. Spoelstra had coached the Heat in Denver on Wednesday night. The team's charter flight to Miami landed at 5:11 a.m. Thursday and Spoelstra arrived at the home soon after.

Video footage shows Spoelstra walking around outside the property, at times holding his head in his hands in disbelief, as firefighters worked to contain the flames. Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn is said to have arrived on the scene at some point as well.

Spoelstra bought the five-bedroom home in December 2023, according to property records, and later did extensive work on the property. WPLG-TV in Miami reported that a neighbor said the home had been under renovation for more than a year and that Spoelstra had recently hosted a large party in the backyard.

"We used multiple aerial apparatuses, fire engines and rescues to help combat this incident," Byrd said. "Due to the privacy wall and a lot of the tree cover, it was very difficult to access, with only one point of entry. The men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were able to extinguish this fire and do the best job that they could."

Spoelstra, 55, has coached the Heat since 2008, taking the team to the NBA Finals five times and winning championships in 2012 and 2013, both times with the superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Spoelstra signed an eight-year, $120-million contract extension with the Heat last year and recently was named as coach of the U.S. men's basketball team for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Injuries are already impacting the fantasy basketball landscape in Week 4. Finding the right waiver wire pickups is crucial for success. We're targeting players capitalizing on new opportunities, like Jaime Jaquez and Jusuf Nurkic, who are seeing more minutes. This article breaks down the top 5 fantasy basketball adds, all rostered in fewer than 40% of leagues, who can provide immediate value as streaming targets or high-upside stashes. Let's find your next league-winner.

NBA Fantasy Waiver Wire Adds

Jaime Jaquez, Miami Heat (39% rostered)

With Tyler Herro continuing to work his way back after a preseason injury, Miami is being forced to hand certain players additional minutes. Following a strong rookie campaign, Jaquez scaled back his production last season and was not really on the standard league radar heading into the 2025-26 campaign. However, as fate would have it, he has been the biggest beneficiary when it comes to both playing time and production. He has scored at least 20 points in three of the past five games, playing close to starter's minutes despite coming off the bench. Through eight games, he is averaging 17.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 29.1 minutes per contest, good enough for top 90 value in standard formats. The shooting is likely unsustainable, and Herro will return at some point. For now, however, he should be rostered in just about every league.

Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz (29% rostered)

Speaking of unforeseen opportunities, Nurkic might be the poster child for that discussion following a season-ending shoulder injury to Walker Kessler. Kessler lasted just five games before being forced to go under the knife, meaning Nurkic is the next cab off the rank, so to speak. He has now started the past three games, having played at least 30 minutes in each of the past two. While his scoring is likely to be inconsistent, he can be an elite source of rebounds, while also providing out-of-position assists and a smattering of defensive stats. In three games as a starter, he is averaging 6.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals. His value could certainly have a shelf life, especially if the Jazz opt to lean into Kyle Filipowski at some point. For now, Nurkic simply needs to be rostered in all leagues, in what can only be described as an act now, think later situation.

Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons (27% rostered)

We will almost certainly reach a point where Stewart is nothing more than a possible streaming candidate. However, that point is not now. Despite playing as the primary backup behind Jalen Duren, Stewart has found a way to be a consistent producer, especially on the defensive end. In eight games played, he is averaging 11.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers. While his overall numbers have been inflated by the fact that he has started the past two games, it's fair to say that Stewart has been a pleasant surprise thus far. Tobias Harris is currently sidelined due to an ankle injury, resulting in the short-term promotion for Stewart. That will obviously come to an end at some point in the near future, but for now, Stewart shouldn't really be floating around on too many waiver wires.

Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers (18% rostered)

Seen as a potential breakout candidate coming into the season, Jackson was a popular target late in drafts. Despite being handed the starting role, Jackson's role was largely underwhelming to begin the campaign, playing no more than 15 minutes in each of the first four games. This resulted in him being dropped in a number of leagues, and rightfully so. However, things have taken a turn in recent times, having now played at least 20 minutes in four straight games. During that span, he has averaged 12.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 combined steals and blocks, highlighted by a 21-and-10 performance in a loss to the Bucks. While there are certainly no guarantees when it comes to the center rotation in Indiana, now might be the time to take a chance on Jackson, just in case he can distance himself from the competition.

Josh Minott, Boston Celtics (16% rostered)

Minott has provided managers with plenty of headaches already, likely having been on and off waivers across most leagues. Following a strong preseason, the hope was that Minott would finally get an opportunity to prove himself on the big stage. However, those hopes were dashed early in the piece, averaging 4.0 points and 1.0 steals in 9.3 minutes per game over the first three contests. The Celtics lost all three of those games, forcing a change in the starting lineup. Enter Minott. He has since started in six straight games, averaging 10.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in 22.25 minutes per game. Although his playing time remains inconsistent, he has proven to be somewhat of a measuring stick when it comes to Boston's overall energy. Assuming you can absorb the lows, Minott should be picked up everywhere.

Drop Candidates

• Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
• CJ McCollum, Washington Wizards
• Kevin Porter Jr, Milwaukee Bucks
• Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets

The only way that game could have ended was with a free throw.

Thanks to two missed free throws from San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie with 0.2 seconds remaining, the Lakerssurvived 118-116 Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs in a disjointed game that dragged on for nearly three hours and included 66 total fouls and 84 free throws.

The Lakers (7-2) won their fifth consecutive game, fighting through exhaustion from playing in their third game in four days and a short rotation without guard Austin Reaves. At halftime, players and coaches acknowledged how tired they felt. Coach JJ Redick said when he woke up at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday “it was like a bus had hit me.”

But the team that still hasn’t approached its fully healthy form rallied in a way that continued to impress its coach.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 35 points as Lakers win foul-filled game over Spurs

“Our group is so connected right now,” Redick said. “We were able to get back together and there was no quitting, there was no splintering.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Defense wins championships 

Marcus Smart couldn’t believe the stat line. Five steals and two blocks for who?

“Lukaaaaa,” Smart said, elongating Luka Doncic’s name while smiling toward his star teammate who was sitting with his feet in an ice bucket with ice bags wrapped around his knees.

Doncic matched his career high for steals in a regular-season game Wednesday. The guard averaging 40 points per game claimed his defense was the only thing he did well on a night when he finished one rebound short of a triple-double. While collecting 35 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, he was an inefficient nine for 27 from the field and four for 11 from three. He missed four free throws, turned the ball over four times and, after picking up his fifth foul with 7:58 remaining in the fourth, nearly fouled out.

The last fact took Rui Hachimura by surprise.

“I've never seen him like that,” Hachimura said. “But you know, he's trying to be more aggressive [on defense] and that's what we need from him, too.”

Read more:No Big 3, no problem: Nick Smith Jr. helps lead Lakers to fourth consecutive win

Redick said Doncic had a few games when he started slow defensively in terms of physicality and engagement, but has been overall “really good” this season. Even when he was switched on to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama or point guard Stephon Castle, Doncic still competed well.

“There wasn't matador defense,” Redick said. “He still guarded. And that was huge. The reason we won the game is because we guarded in the fourth quarter. Our fourth-quarter defense was the No. 1 reason we won the game."

The Lakers limited the Spurs to 36.8% shooting from the field during the fourth quarter while forcing six turnovers. Wembanyama was held to 19 points on labored five-for-14 shooting with eight rebounds. He was nine for 11 on free throws and fouled out with 1:40 remaining when he bowled over Hachimura.

Hachimura delivers the plays of the game 

Redick credited Hachimura with the two biggest plays of the game. Besides drawing Wembanyama’s sixth foul, Hachimura also hit a three-pointer off a Doncic assist that put the Lakers up by two with 5:15 remaining. Redick said it exemplified Hachimura’s unique ability to go long stretches seemingly without even touching the ball but still making key shots.

“Somehow mentally, I have to be kind of ready for the moment,” Hachimura said. “... But I think that comes with patience and my mindset to be ready for the moment.”

Hachimura is one of just three Lakers players who have played in all nine games this season as the Lakers have rolled out seven different starting lineups. He finished with 15 points, including two made three-pointers that came in critical situations. He put the Lakers up by one with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter as the team erased a 10-point first-half deficit. A double team pinned Doncic close to the baseline and the guard nearly hopped out of bounds while slinging a one-handed pass over his head to Hachimura, who splashed the shot.

The Spurs called a timeout. Doncic approached Hachimura and bowed to him in appreciation.

"He told me I didn't pass him the ball today, so I got to do that more," Doncic said jokingly. "No, jokes aside, I think he's been amazing. Just staying ready in the moment. And he's a great guy, too. So that kind of people you want to have on your team and the start he's having, it's very underrated and we need him to keep going."

LeBron James progressing, Lakers play it safe with Austin Reaves

Reaves missed his second consecutive game with right groin soreness, but the Lakers got positive news on LeBron James, who has progressed to contact basketball activity, the team announced Thursday.

Four weeks after being diagnosed with sciatica in his right side, James will be re-evaluated by team physicians in one to two weeks, the team added. The 40-year-old superstar hasn’t played this season and was limited to only individual work during training camp.

The timeline for James’ potential return could have him out for at least six more games, including an upcoming five-game trip beginning in Atlanta on Saturday.

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Redick hopes Reaves can return to play the Hawks, which would be six days since he was injured during the first quarter against the Miami Heat.

But “we’re not going to put him at risk,” Redick emphasized.

“It was the right decision, both from him and from performance, to hold him out tonight,” Redick said. “Those injuries, or a further injury on that, is hard. I've had 'em. I've had surgery, we're trying to be safe with him.”

Reaves participated fully in shootaround on Wednesday before the game and even got an extra workout after the morning session to test his injury, but was held out after consultation from staff and trainers.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.