Everything you need to know about how Austin Reaves' season is going happened on the last play of the game in Toronto just over a week ago when the Lakers faced the Raptors. With Luka Doncic out and the game tied with under 10 seconds to go, coach J.J. Redick put the ball in the hands of Austin Reaves and asked him to create a shot. The Raptors chose to double Reaves — and double off LeBron James, one of the greatest playmakers the game has ever seen. Reaves got the ball to LeBron, who drove to the nail, then kicked it out to the corner to a wide-open Rui Hachimura, and the Lakers got the win.
That is the trust the Lakers have in Reaves and the respect other teams have for him, and why he will be missed for the next few games as he is out with a mild calf strain, the team announced Friday. Reaves will be re-evaluated in one week and will miss at least two games (on the road at Phoenix and Utah).
Reaves has made a huge leap this season and established himself as the true No. 2 option for the Lakers next to Doncic, and a guy who can run the offense on nights Doncic is not on the court. Reaves is playing at an All-Star level and averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.
"There's a there's a cadence right now to his game," Redick said recently of Reaves. "He's got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup. He's got a great understanding of how to play with Luka [Doncic]. And so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for. He's just in that right now."
Reaves is also a free agent next summer and is widely expected to re-sign with the Lakers, but it's going to cost the team — Reaves is on a steal of a deal at $14.9 million this season and that salary is going to more than double next season.
Expect Gabe Vincent to get the start in Reaves' absence and Marcus Smart will get more run, while more playmaking duties will fall to LeBron.
Curry played his first game in 16 days after missing the Warriors’ previous five because of a left quad contusion. He played 32 minutes and scored a game-high 39 points, including 23 in the second half and 14 in the fourth quarter. The result still was a Warriors loss, falling 127-120 against a Timberwolves team that was without its own superstar in Anthony Edwards.
The loss dropped the Warriors back to .500 again with a 13-13 record this season. Curry has now scored 30-plus points in eight games this season, and the Warriors also are a .500 team when he does so, going 4-4 thus far.
“I mean, he was Steph,” Quinten Post said after the loss. “He really got going in that second half, and then as a team it sucks that we couldn’t help him to a win.”
A healed Curry was back on the court after watching the final two games of the Warriors’ previous homestand from the bench and then staying back during their three-game road trip to rehab at the team facilities. But he apparently lost his starting spot at point guard.
Of course, that’s only semi-true and semi-sarcastic.
Curry started in his first game since Nov. 26, though he had a new backcourt mate. Curry previously had started alongside Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody as the Warriors’ two guards in a season that has seen little semblance and consistency in the first five on the floor. Steve Kerr, on Friday night, opted to go with the hot hand next to Curry.
What’s the perfect complement to a Splash Brother? Perhaps a legendary Lax Bro who has become a Warriors fan-favorite. Pat Spencer started his third straight game to follow his head-turning road trip. Improvements as a shooter and the willingness to shoot behind the 3-point line made Kerr comfortable starting two smaller guards together.
“Yeah, it’s a big deal. It’s the biggest thing,” Kerr said in his pregame press conference. “If he’s willing to take the shot, then it sets up the rest of his game and sets up our game. We want to get good shots, we want to get open threes so we can crash. We want the ball to move. For five-out spacing you’ve got to have a number of guys who can knock down that shot. Pat has proven that this year. It has changed him.”
The Warriors led 19-18 when Kerr first subbed Spencer out in the first quarter and broke up his new backcourt. Curry (10 points) and Spencer (five points) had combined for 15 of the Warriors’ first 19 points. The two of them were 3 of 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter while the rest of the Warriors missed all six of their threes. By halftime with the Warriors having a two-point lead, Curry was up to 16 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Spencer was at nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
“It’s reminiscent for me, like Jarrett Jack back in the day,” Curry said. “A guy that can just handle the ball. I was off the ball a lot in the first quarter, and on purpose with full confidence he can initiate the offense. I can get some off-ball actions and he knows how to move the ball. Yeah, it was different.
“Obviously we hadn’t played much this year, but anybody with high IQ I can play next to.”
Spencer struggled in the second half. He was a minus-19 in a little under 13 minutes, scoring just three points on 1-of-6 shooting. De’Anthony Melton was the closing guard next to Curry, a pairing Kerr envisions using often at the end of games.
“I think Melt will be in our closing lineup quite a bit this year,” Kerr said.
The Warriors entered the fourth quarter with a three-point lead and then found themselves in a 12-point hole with under six minutes remaining from a 17-0 Timberwolves run. A furious comeback put the Warriors back up by three, 117-114 at the 1:58 mark, only for the Timberwolves to reel off an 11-1 run to put the game away.
In a game where the Timberwolves didn’t have Edwards, they still had three players score at least 20 points. Curry was the only Warrior to reach the mark. Another two Timberwolves scored at least 17 points. The Warriors’ second-leading scorer, Quinten Post, wound up with 16.
Jonathan Kuminga was a healthy DNP for the second straight game after averaging 24 points against the Timberwolves without Curry in the final four games of the second round of the playoffs last season.
The scoring discrepancy was so bad that Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert scored 12 points in the fourth quarter while Warriors not named Curry scored 15.
“Just a tough way to end,” Curry said of the fourth quarter.
On a night where Curry continued to defy age and had his 94th career game of 35-plus points since turning 30 years old to pass Michael Jordan for the most all time, the Warriors still couldn’t earn a win to maintain the momentum they created on the road. The Warriors now have lost five games where the opposition has been without their star player, and Curry played in each one.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent says the team's defensive woes are a matter of "urgency" and doing "all the little things" necessary to be successful. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The film tells the truth. The Lakers are not a good defensive team, evidenced by the sight of the NBA’s top guards blowing past Lakers defenders into the paint during a 10-game defensive swoon that ranks among the league’s worst.
Yet when coach JJ Redick shows his team the tape and then backs it up with the numbers, there’s still cautious optimism that the Lakers can improve.
“I don't think there's anybody in that meeting room that thinks we're a good defensive team right now,” Redick said, “but I also don't think there's anybody in that meeting room who thinks we can't be a good defensive team. We've got to get better.”
In the 10 games since LeBron James returned to the lineup, the Lakers have scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions, a significant increase in their offensive rating of 115.4 during the first 14 games of the season. While their offensive rating ranks fifth in the league during the last 10 games, their 120.9 defensive rating ranks 27th. It’s a dramatic increase from their previous 113.7-point defensive rating.
The most glaring issues are the team’s defense in transition and early in the opponent's offense, Redick said. The Lakers give up 1.19 points per possession in transition, fifth-worst in the league.
Sunday’s game in Phoenix against the Suns, who scored 28 fast-break points against the Lakers on Dec. 1, will be a significant test as the Lakers (17-7) try to avoid their first losing streak this season.
Led by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves — who is out for at least a week because of a left calf strain, the team announced Friday — and the 40-year-old James, the Lakers are not destined to be a fast team on either side of the court. They were outmatched against San Antonio’s dynamic backcourt led by the speedy De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, who combined for 50 points Wednesday as the Spurs scored 27 fast-break points and knocked the Lakers out of NBA Cup contention.
Losses like that exposed the Lakers’ lack of speed on the perimeter, but the team also has shown flashes of excellence against the best guards. The Lakers held 76ers star Tyrese Maxey to five points on two-for-six shooting in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ four-point win at Philadelphia on Dec. 7.
“It’s less of scheme stuff. A little more of urgency,” guard Gabe Vincent said. “A little more of doing all the little things. If you don’t do them, like I said, there are some great players in this league that will expose you.”
One of the team’s top defensive options is on the bench. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt has played only three minutes in the last 10 games. He entered the game against Philadelphia only after Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.
Vanderbilt, an athletic forward, has been a consistent force on defense during his career but struggles to contribute on offense. While he impressed coaches with how hard he worked in the offseason to improve his shooting and ballhandling, Vanderbilt made only four of 14 three-point shots in the first 14 games. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game before James returned to the lineup Nov. 18, pushing Vanderbilt to the bench.
Before the Lakers’ last game against the Suns, Redick said part of it was a numbers game with James’ return and felt the team would settle on a nine-man rotation. Vanderbilt had tasks he “needed to be able to do consistently to play” even before James returned, Redick said.
Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox, scoring against Lakers guard Luka Doncic, and teammates continually drove past their defenders during an NBA Cup game Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But making changes at that time was difficult, the coach acknowledged. The Lakers were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. But they're 2-3 in the last five games, which have laid their defensive struggles bare, and coaches are “looking at everything.”
“If this continues,” Redick said Friday, “he'll definitely get his opportunities."
After practice Friday, Vanderbilt stayed on the court shooting extra three-pointers with staff members.
Meanwhile, Reaves will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the Lakers said after practice.
The guard averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds has led the Lakers in total minutes played as the team weathered stretches without James and Doncic. Reaves responded with a career-best start. He is ninth in the NBA in scoring and could be on track to earn his first All-Star nod as he enters a critical contract decision this offseason.
Reaves will miss at least Sunday's game at Phoenix, Thursday's game at Utah and a Dec. 20 game at the Clippers. After another game at Phoenix on Dec. 23, the Lakers begin a stretch of five consecutive home games, starting with a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets.
Etc.
The Lakers assigned guard Bronny James to the G League on Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO – Missing their best defender and their 258-pound center, the results were fairly predictable for the Warriors as they squared off against the team that knocked them out of the NBA playoffs last season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, who also were shorthanded and without their best overall player in Anthony Edwards, stormed into Chase Center and dealt Golden State a 127-120 loss to ruin Stephen Curry’s return to the lineup after a five-game absence.
While Edwards was nursing a sore foot, the rest of the Wolves were busy feasting on the Warriors, using their blend of size and strength to completely dominate Golden State in the paint while maintaining a steady and effective presence in the paint.
That wasn’t a complete surprise considering Golden State was without Draymond Green and Al Horford. Green is a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, while Horford is a five-time All-Star who was selected to the 2017-18 All-Defensive Second Team.
The two have been very effective at clogging the middle for Golden State this season but neither suited up Friday, leaving the interior of the Warriors’ defense exposed.
Minnesota wisely took full advantage.
Wolves center Rudy Gobert went off for 24 points and 14 rebounds. Naz Reid came off the bench to back up Gobert and dropped a cool 18 points with seven assists.
“I thought our defense let us down tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We had several plays in transition in both halves where we lost sight of Naz Reid and a couple other shooters. I just thought our transition defense was poor.”
The Warriors somehow managed to make it close at the end but the breakdowns on defense eventually caught up to them.
Golden State had a 96-91 lead with 10 and a half minutes left before Reid got open for a 3-pointer. Gobert later scored three consecutive buckets on an alley-oop, a dunk and a tip-in while DiVincenzo sank a pair of wide-open 3s in the final 108 seconds.
“(Gobert) made his presence felt, obviously driving lanes,” Stephen Curry said. “He was getting offensive rebounds. He was getting those little drop-down passes and everything at the rim. Draymond and Al understand how to make the impact, make their presence felt against him, but we didn’t have them. We had to figure out a way to get it done, but we just didn’t.”
Quentin Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis did a serviceable job for much of the game but neither was a match for Gobert, who had 12 points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter.
Overall, Minnesota held a 66-44 scoring advantage in the paint.
“They played with a lot of size on the floor, and they made it hard on us rebounding and playing without fouling,” said Post, who had 16 points and six rebounds. “I thought we put them on the line way too much. It was a tough challenge for sure.”
SAN FRANCISCO – For a full three quarters Friday night, the Warriors gave themselves a chance to exploit a Minnesota Timberwolves squad that took the floor at Chase Center without star guard Anthony Edwards.
That quest expired in the fourth quarter, though, and the Warriors walked out of Chase Center with a 127-120 loss that vanquished their good vibes and returned them to a zone they would prefer to avoid. They’re back at .500, with a 13-13 record.
The loss spoiled a spectacular return by Stephen Curry, who poured in a game-high 39 points – 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. Quinten Post finished with 16 points, Jimmy Butler III had 15, Pat Spencer 12 and Moses Moody 11.
The teams stayed within six points of each other until Minnesota rallied late, taking a double-digit lead and holding on.
Here are three observations from a second consecutive game in which Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, though healthy, never left the bench:
The Return of Steph
After missing five games over two weeks with what he described as a left quad contusion and muscle strain, Curry’s return was the subject of considerable curiosity. It was natural to wonder how good he would be.
Quite good, in fact.
Curry put Golden State on the scoreboard with a floater 44 seconds after tipoff, and followed up with back-to-back triples to score eight of the Warriors’ first 12 points.
He tested his agility several times, most notably with a dribbling exhibition during a shuttle drill that led to a circus layup that somehow found its way through the elongated arms of 6-foot-9 Jaden McDaniels.
Curry’s 39 points come on 14-of-28 shooting from the field, including 6-of-15 from deep. He added five assists and five rebounds over 32 minutes.
The franchise player seems to be OK, much to the delight of the Warriors.
Fourth quarter non-Steph minutes were painful and costly
The Warriors opened the fourth quarter with a 91-88 lead and Curry in his usual spot, seated on the bench for the first few minutes.
After a Moses Moody bucket gave the Warriors a 96-91 lead with 10:34 left, the Timberwolves seized the moment, going on a 17-0 run, taking a 12-point lead (108-96) with 5:50 remaining.
With Curry observing, Minnesota outscored Golden State 14-5 to take a lead and generate enough momentum that never quite went away. The Warriors rallied behind Curry – who scored 14 points in the quarter – and even took a 115-114 lead on a Curry triple with 2:09 remaining. A Moody layup off a turnover pushed the margin to three with 1:58 to go.
The Warriors scored only three points down the stretch, while the Timberwolves piled up 13 over the final 1:48, with Donte DiVincenzo dropping in a pair of devastating 3-pointers.
The Warriors were outscored by 10 in the quarter but by one (25-24) after Curry reentered.
Size matters . . . kind of
The Warriors’ lack of size – they are the shortest team in the league – sometimes is a defensive liability, and such was the case on this night.
With Edwards sidelined with right foot soreness, the Timberwolves turned their offense over to the big boys up front: Starters Rudy Gobert (7-foot-1), Julius Randle (6-foot-9) and McDaniels, along with 6-foot-9 Sixth Man Naz Reid. For context, 6-foot-5 Moody spent most of his 23 minutes at power forward.
That foursome represented Minnesota’s top four scorers, as they combined for 86 points and were responsible for the Timberwolves’ whopping 66-44 advantage in points in the paint. Randle finished with 27 points, Gobert with 24, Reid with 18 and McDaniels with 17.
It wasn’t that the Warriors lacked effort. Oh, they tried, as indicated by the tenacity on display to come away finished only minus-2 (44-42) in rebounding.
It wasn’t at all easy, but the Sixers moved to 1-0 this season without Tyrese Maxey on Friday night.
They earned a 115-105 win over the Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena with Maxey out because of an illness and now sit at 14-10 overall. Indiana fell to 6-19.
Joel Embiid starred with a season-best 39 points, nine rebounds and three assists. He played a season-high 32 minutes.
VJ Edgecombe posted his fourth 20-point game in the NBA, tallying 22 points, five assists and four rebounds. Paul George had 23 points, six boards and five assists.
Pascal Siakam (20 points) and Andrew Nembhard (18 points) were the Pacers’ top scorers.
In addition to Maxey, the Sixers were down Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain), Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) and Hunter Sallis (right shoulder sprain).
The Sixers will visit the Hawks on Sunday night. Here are observations on their win over the Pacers:
Edgecombe steps up at the start
The Sixers used a starting lineup of Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, George, Dominick Barlow and Embiid. Grimes’ start was his fifth of the season.
George hit a mid-range jumper on the Sixers’ first possession and chipped in eight points on 3-for-5 shooting, three rebounds and two assists in his opening stint. Edgecombe and George began the night as the Sixers’ primary ball handlers.
Edgecombe had a very strong, attack-minded start.
He canned an early pull-up jumper, slammed in a fast-break dunk, and buried a corner three-pointer to give the Sixers a 19-10 lead. The rookie continued playing sharp, decisive basketball and doing damage as a downhill driver. He stayed on the floor the whole first quarter and racked up 14 points in the period on only six field goal attempts.
Embiid breaks out of shooting slump
The Sixers played Edgecombe and four bench players for the final few minutes of the first quarter.
On the Indiana side, T.J. McConnell ran the second-unit show and caused tons of problems for his former team. He reached 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting with a three early in the second quarter. McConnell then took a charge on Jabari Walker and Jay Huff followed with at triple that pulled the Pacers ahead.
Momentum shifted back toward the Sixers after Embiid checked back in. Embiid, who was coming off of a 4-for-21 shooting game in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, amped up his aggression in the second quarter and found a scoring rhythm against Pacers big man Jay Huff. He worked for post position, sank mid-range jumpers and drew regular free throws.
Embiid also snapped a prolonged long-range dry spell. He’d gone 0 for 14 for three-point territory over his last three games and missed his first three attempts Friday. Finally, with 1.6 seconds left in the second quarter, Embiid brought the ball forward and swished a three to send the Sixers into halftime with a 63-58 edge.
Sixers shake off more 3rd-quarter trouble
Embiid didn’t stop shooting open jumpers. Threes from Embiid and Grimes pushed the Sixers’ lead to double digits early in the third quarter.
When the Pacers moved to a zone defense, the Sixers fed Embiid often in the high post. His decision-making wasn’t flawless, but he kept producing and making frequent trips to the foul line. Embiid shot a season-high 18 free throws and made 13.
Yet again, the Sixers couldn’t manage a smooth third quarter and the Pacers put together a run.
Isaiah Jackson stripped the ball from Embiid on the perimeter and then drew a loose-ball foul on him. Embiid subbed out and Jackson made his second foul shot to tie the game at 82-all. A few possessions later, Nembhard leaked out for a layup that pushed Indiana in front.
The Sixers didn’t have much offensive support for Embiid, Edgecombe and George.
Jared McCain had five points on 2-for-6 shooting in 14 minutes. Justin Edwards went 0 for 5 from the floor and played 19 scoreless minutes. The Sixers remained behind when Embiid came back for his final stint with a little over seven minutes to go.
The Sixers played good team defense down the stretch, limiting the Pacers’ clean looks and avoiding cheap fouls. Their stars came through, too.
Embiid scored a big put-back bucket, scrapping to grab a Grimes miss and converting an and-one layup that gave the Sixers a 108-102 lead. George made a driving lay-in with just under two minutes to play.
Embiid added one more mid-range hoop in the final minute and wound up exceeding his prior season best in scoring by 10 points.
Steph Curry‘s second personal foul of the Warriors’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday might be one of the worst calls of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Curry was defending Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels midway through the third quarter, and as they fought for positioning, the Warriors’ star was yanked to the court.
As Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said was likely, Victor Wembanyama has been listed as probable and is expected to make his return from a calf strain on Saturday in an NBA Cup semifinals matchup against Oklahoma City.
After the Spurs advanced to Las Vegas and the NBA Cup semifinals, Johnson said, "(Wemby) had a really good day today. He had a very intense day this morning, and we have to see how he responds and reacts tomorrow." It was a positive sign that after a hard workout earlier in the day, Wembanyama warmed up before the Spurs/Lakers game, moving well and not wearing a wrap or support on his calf.
Wembanyama has been out since before Thanksgiving due to a calf strain, missing a 12. The Spurs put the ball in the hands of their three attacking guards — De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper — and went 9-3 in those games, including beating the Lakers Wednesday to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals. Wemby averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots a game before his injury, looking like an All-NBA player and someone who could even end up on a lot of MVP ballots. His return to the starting five will move Luke Kornet back to the bench.
Facing the 24-1 Thunder, with Chet Holmgren, is not exactly easing back into things for Wembanyama, but they will need him to have a chance in this game.
Domantas Sabonis appears unlikely to be on the move anytime soon.
The 29-year-old center is prepared to remain with the Kings for the foreseeable future, even as teams continue to gauge Sacramento’s interest ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Friday, citing league sources.
Signed through 2027-28 and owed about $94 million over the next two seasons, Sabonis carries a sizable financial commitment that narrows his trade market.
The Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls previously have shown “significant interest” in the All-Star center, per Amick, and still are believed to be on Sabonis’ short list of potential destinations. But with first-year general manager Scott Perry preaching patience as the organization attempts to reset its direction, a major move involving Sacramento’s starting big man does not appear imminent.
Sabonis has been sidelined since Nov. 19 with a partial tear of his left meniscus and is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week. Before the injury, he averaged 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game as one of the central pieces of the Kings’ veteran core. His absence has only added to Sacramento’s challenge as the team continues searching for stability.
With Sacramento sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and Perry intent on protecting future draft capital, the path to a Sabonis trade remains complicated. For now, all signs point to him staying in a Kings uniform beyond the Feb. 5 deadline.
The Warriors’ superstar nailed his signature tunnel shot attempt before Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Chase Center.
Curry made the tunnel shot famous at Oracle Arena in Oakland, but when the Warriors moved to Chase Center in 2019, he had to adapt the trick shot to the new arena and he turned it into a full-court heave.
The 37-year-old missed the last five games because of a quad contusion and muscle sprain, but after two weeks off, he’s ready to roll.
If there was any doubt that Curry is ready to go, check out his sprint speed after making the shot.
"A source with knowledge of the Hornets' thinking said this week that they are not expected to pursue the 40-year-old, but Paul is said to be open-minded about destinations now to go somewhere he can assemble a final chapter with a far happier ending than his second stint as a Clipper featured." Paul is eligible to be traded on Monday, Dec. 15 and reportedly his agent is working with the Clippers to find him a new team. However, league sources told NBC Sports that even teams with some interest in bringing Paul in as a backup would rather wait until the Clippers release him and then sign him as a free agent.
In his 21st NBA season, Paul played a limited role off the bench for the Clippers, which is part of the challenge with his voice in the locker room.
"When you are in your prime, everyone is going to follow you. But when you are the 10th man of the team... you have to kind of follow suit."
Brian Scalabrine and Tracy McGrady discuss Chris Paul and the Clippers parting ways. pic.twitter.com/avcb9Pup6w
The bruised and battered Warriors quickly are getting healthy, and Draymond Green‘s return could be right around the corner.
Green will miss his third consecutive game when the Warriors host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Chase Center, but coach Steve Kerr indicated that the star forward could play against the Trail Blazers on Sunday in the Pacific Northwest.
“He should be in Portland,” Kerr told reporters before Friday’s game. “Whether he plays or not, we’ll see. It will have been about 10 days between games. He’s been working, he’s been training. The injury has healed. So, he’s ready to go. It’s just a question of whether [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] feels comfortable putting him out there. So, he’ll meet us in Portland and we’ll assess him there.”
Green sustained a right midfoot sprain in the Warriors’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 4 and missed their next two games — both wins — against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
But in an odd scheduling quirk, the Warriors had four days off between Sunday’s game against the Bulls and Friday’s game against the Timberwolves.
As Kerr mentioned, Green’s foot injury has healed, but the 35-year-old is away from the team for personal reasons.
The Warriors practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, and Green was excused on both days. He also was excused from Friday’s game.
In 20 games this season, Green is averaging 8.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 28.2 minutes.
While Green attends to the personal matter, his longtime running mate, Steph Curry, returns to the lineup on Friday night after missing the last five games due to a quad contusion.
Barring another unforeseen injury, veteran center Al Horford (right sciatic nerve) would be the only player on the Warriors’ injury report if Green returns Sunday.
In short order, Kerr could have a fully healthy roster at his disposal.
Tyrese Maxey won’t play the full 82 games for the 2025-26 Sixers.
The Sixers ruled Maxey out Friday night for their matchup with the Pacers because of an illness. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that the sixth-year guard hadn’t been able to participate in the team’s activities during their mini-break the past several days.
Maxey was the only Sixer to play in all of the team’s first 23 games. He entered Friday averaging an NBA-high 39.9 minutes and ranked third in points per game with 31.5. Maxey’s also posted 7.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest.
“He’s handled it great,” Paul George said Wednesday of Maxey’s giant minutes load. “He comes in, he gets his work in, he takes care of his body, he does his recovery stuff.
“And just mentally, he’s in a great place. So you don’t really have to worry about him. He’s going to do what he has to do. I call him a warrior, man. He’s a warrior, so he’s going to figure it out.”
The other Sixers sidelined vs. Indiana were Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain), Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) and Hunter Sallis (right shoulder sprain).
As of an hour before tip-off, Joel Embiid was listed as probable with a “left knee injury recovery” designation.
I have Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. It came on incredibly fast...
What makes glioblastoma so dangerous is that it grows within a very finite, contained space -- the skull -- and it's very aggressive and can expand. What makes it so difficult to treat in my case is that it's surrounded by the brain and is encroaching upon the frontal lobe -- which is what makes you, "you."
Collins describes how he and his husband, Brunson Green, were packing to head to the US Open tennis tournament in August when the symptoms came on quickly, most noticeable to others when he could not focus enough to finish packing for the trip. Not long after, his "mental clarity, short-term memory and comprehension disappeared," turning him into someone who was not really himself. Fortunately, with aggressive treatments of a new drug and radiation therapy, Collins has "come out of the fog" and is more himself again.
Collins also talks about fighting the disease, and he is currently in Singapore receiving specialized treatment (which he details in the must-read story).
We aren't going to sit back and let this cancer kill me without giving it a hell of a fight. We're going to try to hit it first, in ways it's never been hit: with radiation and chemotherapy and immunotherapy that's still being studied but offers the most promising frontier of cancer treatment for this type of cancer.
Collins, 46, and his twin brother Jarron Collins both went from dominating the Southern California high-school basketball scene to attending Stanford together. There, Collins helped lead the Cardinal to the Elite Eight one season and the Final Four the next.
Collins was selected by the Houston Rockets with the No. 18 pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, then was traded on draft night, along with Richard Jefferson, to the New Jersey Nets. Collins quickly became a key part of the Nets and was the starting center on the Jason Kidd-led 2003 team that reached the NBA Finals. Collins was a physical, rock-solid defensive center who played 13 NBA seasons for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics, and Wizards.
After retiring from playing, Collins became an ambassador for the league, serving in that role at a number of events.
The Kings are headed toward a full-on rebuild, which might include parting ways with several of their big-name stars.
One of the players includes sharpshooting guard Zach LaVine, who is in his first full season with Sacramento since being shipped to California’s capital from the Chicago Bulls at last year’s trade deadline.
Now, LaVine could be bracing to pack his bags once again.
The Milwaukee Bucks, who have shown interest in LaVine in the past, have done “recent due diligence” on the 30-year-old guard, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column Friday, citing sources.
LaVine currently is sidelined with an injury, missing Thursday’s game with a thumb injury. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto first reported back in November that the Bucks had “conducted background due diligence on LaVine.”
LaVine has a $47.5 million cap hit this season, with a player option worth just under $49 million for 2026-27, which makes it “nearly impossible to move him” without attaching draft assets in return, Amick noted.
In 22 games with the Kings this season, LaVine is averaging 20.6 points on 48.6-percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from 3-point range, with 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
