Category: NBA

DeMar DeRozan reportedly drawing trade interest from Western Conference rival originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From now until February, trade speculation will hover over the Kings after their rough start to the 2025-26 NBA season.

Just one month into the season, one of Sacramento’s star players already is drawing trade interest from a Western Conference rival.

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly have shown “some interest” in 36-year-old forward DeMar DeRozan, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Monday, citing league sources.

Sacramento acquired DeRozan during the 2024 offseason via a sign-and-trade deal with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. After a “difficult” debut season with the Kings in 2024-25, DeRozan was committed to bouncing back and competing in his second season with the team.

But so far, not so good.

The Kings currently are 4-13, just one spot ahead of the last-place New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference standings. DeRozan recently didn’t hold back on the state of the team, stating the Kings are in a “s—-y place” and that “everything right now for us is just s—-y” after the Kings dropped their eighth game in a row.

In his 17th NBA season, DeRozan is averaging 17.9 points on 49.5 percent shooting, with 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32.8 minutes.

The Clippers are seeking another scorer capable of lifting the burden from James Harden, who has been doing his best to keep the franchise afloat in the Western Conference after the season-ending injury to Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard’s inconsistent availability. Los Angeles (5-12) has gotten off to an underwhelming start to the season after initially being widely considered a contender in the West.

DeRozan has a partial guarantee on his deal for the 2026-27 season for nearly $10 million of his $25.7 million salary.

A Compton, Calif. native, DeRozan could return close to his hometown this season.

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DeMar DeRozan reportedly drawing trade interest from Western Conference rival originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From now until February, trade speculation will hover over the Kings after their rough start to the 2025-26 NBA season.

Just one month into the season, one of Sacramento’s star players already is drawing trade interest from a Western Conference rival.

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly have shown “some interest” in 36-year-old forward DeMar DeRozan, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Monday, citing league sources.

Sacramento acquired DeRozan during the 2024 offseason via a sign-and-trade deal with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. After a “difficult” debut season with the Kings in 2024-25, DeRozan was committed to bouncing back and competing in his second season with the team.

But so far, not so good.

The Kings currently are 4-13, just one spot ahead of the last-place New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference standings. DeRozan recently didn’t hold back on the state of the team, stating the Kings are in a “s—-y place” and that “everything right now for us is just s—-y” after the Kings dropped their eighth game in a row.

In his 17th NBA season, DeRozan is averaging 17.9 points on 49.5 percent shooting, with 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32.8 minutes.

The Clippers are seeking another scorer capable of lifting the burden from James Harden, who has been doing his best to keep the franchise afloat in the Western Conference after the season-ending injury to Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard’s inconsistent availability. Los Angeles (5-12) has gotten off to an underwhelming start to the season after initially being widely considered a contender in the West.

DeRozan has a partial guarantee on his deal for the 2026-27 season for nearly $10 million of his $25.7 million salary.

A Compton, Calif. native, DeRozan could return close to his hometown this season.

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Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Portland Trail Blazers coach and basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he profited from rigged poker games involving several Mafia figures and at least one other former NBA player.

The five-time All Star, who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was arraigned in a federal court in New York City on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, both of which carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. Some of Billups’ co-defendants are also charged with running an illegal gambling business and engaging in an extortion conspiracy.

Chris Heywood, his attorney, has said Billups is a “man of integrity” and denies the charges.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” Heywood said after Billups appeared in federal court in Portland, Oregon, when prosecutors first announced the indictment on Oct. 23.

Billups wore a dark gray suit during the brief arraignment and spoke only to answer the judge’s yes or no questions. He has been free on bond since his initial court appearance in Oregon.

Billups was arguably the most prominent name among more than 30 charged in last month’s sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports. The other defendants were also expected to appear in the Brooklyn court for Monday’s proceedings, in which the judge, prosecutors and defense lawyers will likely discuss next steps in the case.

Prosecutors say the 49-year-old Denver native, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year, was involved in a scheme to rig Mafia-backed illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons.

Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also nabbed in that alleged scheme, which prosecutors say utilized a range of sophisticated technology that allowed the gambling to be rigged, such as altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read cards.

Jones was also charged along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in a separate scheme at the same time that allowed gamblers to exploit insider information about players to win bets on NBA games.

Prosecutors say the poker scheme Billups was involved in defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million starting in at least 2019.

They say he served as a celebrity “face card” that could draw wealthy, unsuspecting players to the games. Prosecutors said during one game, the scheme’s organizers exchanged messages saying one of the victims “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck.”

Prosecutors say Billups, who earned about $106 million from his playing days, received a portion of the ill-gotten gains. After one rigged game in October 2020, for example, they say he was directly wired $50,000.

The scheme organizers also had to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno mob families for operating within the illegal poker games run by the New York criminal enterprises, prosecutors said.

Mafia members, in turn, helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, they said.

Billups was selected as the third overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics after starring in college for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played 17 years in the NBA, with stints with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

But he is perhaps most beloved in the Motor City, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his knack of making clutch shots.

Billups was named the NBA Finals MVP during the Pistons’ title run in 2004 and had his No. 1 jersey retired by the team.

After retiring in 2014, Billups embarked on a career as a TV analyst before pivoting to coaching.

He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multiyear extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team missed out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach on the Clippers.

After his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter as interim coach.

TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 17 points, Ja’Kobe Walter added a season-high 16 and the Toronto Raptors won for the 11th time in 12 games, beating the Brooklyn Nets 119-109 on Sunday night.

Brandon Ingram had 14 points and Immanuel Quickley scored eight of his 13 in the fourth quarter to help Toronto extend its winning streak to seven.

Toronto’s RJ Barrett scored 16 points before leaving midway through the third because of a sprained right knee. Barrett landed awkwardly after his steal led to a fast break dunk.

Brooklyn’s Tyrese Martin scored a season-high 26 points. Michael Porter Jr. had 25 and Noah Clowney added 22.

Nic Claxton had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets. Claxton had his first career triple-double in Friday night in a win at Boston.

Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 points in his first start of the season, Gradey Dick also scored 12 points and Jamal Shead had 11.

Porter’s layup with 4:24 left in the fourth tied it at 104, but Quickley made two 3-pointers as Toronto replied with a 10-0 run over the next 2 1/2 minutes.

Ingram reached 10,000 career points with a 3 in the second, his only basket of the period. Toronto led 65-58 at the intermission.

Mamukelashvili started for center Jakob Poeltl, who sat because of a sore lower back. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles returned after missing two games because of a sore right knee.

Up next

Nets: Host New York on Monday night.

Raptors: Host Cleveland on Monday night.

Warriors' Steve Kerr unsure about Jonathan Kuminga's rehab from knee tendinitis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jonathan Kuminga already has missed the Warriors’ last five games due to bilateral patellar tendinitis, and it doesn’t seem like a return to action is imminent.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr shared an uncertain update on Sunday, failing to provide much of a timeline for the young forward’s recovery from what is effectively soreness in both knees.

“He’s got to tell you where he is,” Kerr told reporters when asked about Kuminga’s activity on Sunday [h/t ClutchPoints’ Kenzo Fukuda. “He didn’t do anything. We didn’t do scrimmages, but we did live drill work, and he barely did any of that. So, [he’s] not moving well, so training staff [is] working with him. I have no idea what he’s doing.”

Steve Kerr did not have a timeline on when Jonathan Kuminga will return from bilateral patellar tendinitis:

“I don’t know where [he’s at], he’s got to tell you where he is. He didn’t do anything. Training staff, working with them, I have no idea what he’s doing.” pic.twitter.com/vmEjVsaJJd

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) November 23, 2025

Still, Kerr asserted Kuminga’s status remains day to day.

“Honestly, I just talked to the training staff. They tell me it’s day to day,” Kerr explained. “So, talking to JK, and he said he’s not moving that well, so I can’t tell you what the outlook is.

“JK can tell you that better than I could, so he needs to feel better and be able to move better before we can put him out there. Maybe we’ll get imaging done on the knee, but yeah, we got to figure it out. We missed him. We played in Miami, when we were missing all our guys. The other night, we were tired. We need him, but he’s got to get right before he can play.”

Communication between the Warriors’ staff and Kuminga already has been a hot topic in recent days, and there appears to be some disconnect between Kerr and the promising 23-year-old regarding this ongoing injury.

“I didn’t talk to him today, but I was hoping that he was going to scrimmage today,” Kerr continued after a follow-up question about the exact nature of the ailment. “But he didn’t do that, so it’s obviously worse than we thought.”

Kuminga is averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 27.7 minutes across 13 games during the 2025-26 NBA season. He started in the Warriors’ first 12 regular-season games before coming off the bench in Golden State’s win over the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 12.

However, Kuminga reportedly felt like the “scapegoat” as a result of that change in his role, and he hasn’t played in any games since then. Golden State has gone 2-3 in his recent absence with three straight losses as the team tries to get back to winning ways after a hot start to the season.

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Observations after Sixers lose to Heat in 1st game without Edgecombe  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers had a slow start to their Sunday afternoon and never managed to earn a lead against the Heat.

They fell to a wire-to-wire 127-117 defeat at Xfinity Mobile Arena, dipping to 9-7 on the season. Miami moved to 11-6 with its fourth consecutive win. 

Tyrese Maxey posted 27 points and six assists. Andre Drummond scored 14 points and grabbed 23 rebounds.

Norman Powell poured in 32 points. Kel’el Ware had 20 points and 16 rebounds.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe missed his first game with left calf tightness. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called Edgecombe’s absence “precautionary.” 

The Sixers remained without Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Adem Bona (right ankle sprain). 

Bona has returned to on-court work but will stay out Tuesday night vs. the Magic, a team official said Saturday. Embiid is still classified as “day-to-day.” Though he’s continued to experience “some soreness,” doctors say he’s progressing, per the official. 

Here are observations on the Sixers’ loss Sunday:

Subpar start without Edgecombe 

Quentin Grimes started for the first time this season and began the day with Maxey, Justin Edwards, Paul George and Drummond. 

The Sixers’ starters struggled. Powell sunk a transition three-pointer to put Miami up 12-5 and scored eight quick points.

Fresh off of his career-high 54-point night against the Bucks, Maxey posted seven of the Sixers’ first nine. Outside of Maxey, however, the Sixers began 0 for 5 from the floor.

The Sixers didn’t have much pace or movement offensively in the first quarter. One reason was the Heat hardly ever handed the Sixers a free opportunity to attack in the open floor. Miami scored the game’s first 13 points off turnovers. Meanwhile, Grimes tallied just two points in the first period. 

Handy 2nd-unit scoring 

Especially when Drummond sat, the Sixers’ lack of size emerged as a big problem early on. 

Second-year center Ware had six offensive rebounds in the first quarter and Jaime Jaquez Jr. got rolling in the post. Miami scored 37 first-quarter points, 22 in the paint, and had a 10-point advantage through 12 minutes. 

The Sixers fell behind by 16 points early in the second … and then surged back with a 16-0 run. 

Trendon Watford had a productive stint, including an and-one layup, and was much better overall than he’d been in Milwaukee with an 19-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist outing. Grimes made a driving layup that evened the game at 49-all. 

Jared McCain also chipped in useful offense off the Sixers’ bench. He scored a season-best 15 points Sunday on 5-for-11 shooting and played a season-high 26 minutes.

The Sixers couldn’t quite grab a first lead of the afternoon. They fouled Powell twice on three-point attempts in the final minute of the second quarter and trailed by four at intermission. 

Heat fend off every run  

The Sixers’ third quarter opened poorly — not an unfamiliar storyline early this season — and Grimes’ foul trouble became a major issue. 

After Grimes picked up his fourth personal with 10:15 left in the third quarter, Nurse kept him in. The 25-year-old guard then fouled Powell yet again on a long-range jumper. He exited with five fouls and a little under nine minutes to play in the third. McCain subbed in. 

The Sixers appeared to be in serious trouble when they went down 85-71 on a put-back Bam Adebayo dunk. Again, they answered right away and prevented the game from getting out of hand.

McCain and Maxey each hit threes during a 10-0 run. A Drummond triple on the Sixers’ last possession of the third quarter cut the Heat’s lead to 99-93.

Grimes checked back in to begin the fourth and scored a couple of layups to trim the Sixers’ deficit to three points. Watford made a coast-to-coast lay-in to bring the Heat’s advantage down to 105-103.

Miami scored the next seven points and soon restored a double-digit lead. While the Sixers kept the game interesting, Miami never trailed and did solid work to capitalize on a strong start, fending off the Sixers’ comeback efforts.

Untimely injuries could impact inconsistent Warriors' hopes of recovery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Coming off three consecutive losses, the Warriors went back to school on Sunday. They spent two hours watching video displaying highlights and lowlights. They studied. They scrimmaged. 

These are things that any NBA team sensing slippage yet still aspiring for a championship ought to do when it’s sitting on a 9-9 record nearly a quarter into the season.

But the Warriors, in addition to the Jonathan Kuminga being on the sideline, also are nursing new wounds. Draymond Green has a foot sprain and could miss the game against Utah on Monday, and Al Horford is coping with sciatica and will miss at least a week.

Asked if the Warriors might assemble their eighth starting lineup of the season Monday, coach Steve Kerr left open the possibility.

“Well, just depends on Draymond’s availability,” he said. 

One week removed from a three-game win streak and hoping to build momentum, the Warriors since have lost the final two games of a six-game road trip, at Orlando and Miami, before coming home Friday seeking recovery, only to get smacked by the sub-.500 Portland Trail Blazers for the second time this season.

The Warriors, eighth in the Western Conference, analyzed all three games, watching “about 40 clips,” according to Kerr, who came away believing the failures are fixable.

“Rebounding killed us,” Kerr said, referring to Portland’s 52-32 advantage on the glass. “But probably five or six egregious defensive errors in communication and scheme, just getting back cut. Basic stuff.

“If you look at the three games as a whole, there were different things each game. In Orlando, the turnovers killed us. In Miami, obviously, we played without a lot of our (starters). We missed shots, but for three quarters, we were solid. And then the turnovers killed us. With Portland, we took care of the ball but had major defensive breakdowns.”

Jimmy Butler III, speaking after the game, implored everyone to be more prideful in their defense. To take matchups personally.

Seems that approach should reduce the number of open 3-pointers and layups Golden State is allowing lately.

“There’s some of that, and activity level often just covers up a blown coverage if you’re flying around,” Kerr said. “There were a lot of clips from the other night where the activity level wasn’t there. There were several missed, back cuts, behind us that shouldn’t happen. Is that fatigue? Is that lack of focus? Is that ‘Hey, let’s take it upon ourselves?’ It could be any of those. I don’t care which one we categorize it as.

“What I care is that we don’t give up a damn back cut with the game on the line, and we gave up several.”

So, where do the Warriors go from here? Depends. Recognizing the need for greater size, Kerr has more frequently turned to lineups featuring two players capable of playing center. He acknowledged Horford’s absence could force the staff to “rethink” that plan.

If Green and Horford, a generally effective duo, are out on Monday, that would leave only Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis. It’s a young combo but worth a look. Post’s 3-point shooting provides needed spacing, and Jackson-Davis can work the paint, focusing on rebounding and rim protection.

It is evident that the Warriors, ranked 22nd in rebounding, will have a difficult time chasing a championship if they remain in the league’s bottom 10.

It is evident that the Warriors, who rank 26th in number of turnovers committed at 16.9 per game, also must remain focused on limiting the giveaways.

It is evident, too, that Golden State’s season will remain a war on mediocrity unless its weaknesses on defense, particularly at the point of attack and the untimely lapses in concentration, aren’t addressed and corrected.

The cold fact is that with injuries to crucial players being a factor, meeting these challenges becomes increasingly difficult.

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Kevin Durant reportedly will miss Warriors-Rockets NBA Cup game on Wednesday originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are set for a rematch of their 2025 NBA playoffs first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Chase Center.

However, it appears the visiting Rockets will be without their key offseason addition, who happens to be an old friend of Golden State.

Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant will miss Wednesday’s NBA Cup game due to a family matter, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing sources.

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant will miss Monday's game in Phoenix and Wednesday's contest in Golden State tending to a family matter, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2025

Durant was a major part of two Golden State championship runs in 2017 and 2018 — he led all scorers during the infamous seven-game battle between the Warriors and Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.

But now, Durant apparently won’t be active for his first opportunity to face his former squad since joining the Warriors’ rival this past offseason. Of course, that move came after these teams squared off in last season’s memorable playoff series, in which Golden State also prevailed in seven games.

According to Charania, the star forward also will miss the Rockets’ matchup on Monday against the Phoenix Suns — another one of Durant’s former teams.

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In the starting lineup, coming off the bench or even on the pickleball court, Marcus Smart knows he can deliver what the Lakers need. So LeBron James’ return and the question of how it could affect his role isn’t slowing down Smart.

“I like to [think of] myself as a Swiss Army knife,” Smart said Saturday as the Lakers prepared for a game at Utah on Sunday. “It's not one thing I do great, but I do everything very well. … People come back, people get hurt. People have great games, have bad games. You have to adjust to whatever the game is calling for at that moment."

With four days to regroup after James made his long-awaited season debut, the Lakers (11-4) want to continue their strong start. Smart had started nine times in a row before James’ return. Smart then played a season-low 17 minutes in Tuesday's 140-126 win against the Jazz at home, scoring five points with three rebounds. He made just two shots, but coach JJ Redick commended Smart’s play off the bench along with the performances of Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent.

Vincent returned from a sprained ankle that cost him 11 games to score six points on two-for-three shooting from three-point range. LaRavia led the bench group with 16 points and four rebounds. He was six for 10 from the field, including two three-pointers.

Signing as a free agent this offseason, LaRavia knew getting to play with James was part of the deal. He had to wait through training camp, the preseason and 14 games to get his wish, but it was worth it. The 24-year-old LaRavia, who was five days shy of his second birthday when James made his NBA debut, knocked down a first-quarter shot off a James assist.

“It was dope to finally get on the court with him,” LaRavia said. “He brings something to this team that I don't think we really had. It's another level of passing ability that he's able to do, and just the force he is on offense in transition and just when he has the ball in his hands.”

Read more:Hernández: LeBron James' 'very unselfish' play shows he can fit in. Will it continue?

The Lakers are tied for the second-fewest transition possessions per game but they've been picking up the pace. Through the first nine games the team was scoring 9.5% of its points in transition. That mark ticked up to 13.4% in the last five games.

Utah (5-10) is one of the fastest teams, averaging 102.6 possessions per game. With pace increasing over the years, the heavier workloads have made minor soft-tissue injuries unfortunate realities in the NBA. They also make extended breaks between games, like the four-day reprieve the Lakers had last week, a major luxury.

In between much-needed rest and efficient practice sessions for a team that has been fully healthy for only a week, the Lakers also used the time for team bonding in the form of a trash-talk-filled pickleball tournament.

Smart and Redick and a third teammate, head video coordinator Michael Wexler — whom Redick anonymously accused of eating during the entire tournament — went to the semifinals. They lost to Luka Doncic and player development coach Ty Abbott. LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque won the championship. Redick raised questions about the fairness of the team pairings.

As with everything involving ultracompetitive athletes, even the innocent pickleball games got heated. Smart was trying to be mindful to not push his limits too much.

“The last thing I need to get out and do is roll my ankle trying to play pickleball,” said Smart, who said he would rather play tennis.

It was still a welcome break from the monotony of the season, Redick said. He graded the experience an A.

“We got through this week without wanting to kill each other,” Redick said with a smirk.

Etc.

Center Deandre Ayton missed practice Saturday because of an illness. He was expected to join the team on the trip to Utah.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Klay Thompson blasts Ja Morant, invokes Gary Payton II 2022 playoffs injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Dallas Mavericks might have lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, but in the case of Klay Thompson vs. Ja Morant, the four-time NBA champion got the last laugh.

First, Thompson actually played in Memphis’ 102-96 win over Dallas at American Airlines Center, and played well, scoring a team-high 22 points.

However, after the final buzzer, Thompson and Morant were seen jarring at each other under the basket before they had to be separated.

Here’s what led to Klay Thompson getting upset at Ja Morant, he point his finger in Klay’s face pic.twitter.com/qwEO1U9ZsE

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) November 23, 2025

It’s unclear exactly what was said, but some online might have deciphered Morant’s message to Thompson.

Ja Morant to Klay Thompson:

“YOU A BUM NOW.” 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/eVtpRLvyzU

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 23, 2025

Thompson, speaking to reporters after the game, was asked what Morant, out with a right calf strain, told him. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)

“Nothing of intelligent depth,” Thompson said. “It was really just him running his mouth and he’s been running his mouth for a long time. It’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. Kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more. We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that.

“We need that in the NBA, we need our best players out there, and when you’re a star it comes with a great responsibility and I hate to see that go to waste.”

Thompson has a point, as evidenced by this wild stat:

Since Klay Thompson tore his Achilles (after tearing his ACL), he has played in more NBA games than Ja Morant. https://t.co/kuvKZUdlwB

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) November 23, 2025

The 35-year-old Thompson has played in 269 games since making his return to the court on Jan. 9, 2022, while the 26-year-old Morant has played in 139 games.

Memphis’ star guard has missed a lot of time, for a variety of reasons. But we don’t have time to get into all of that.

Morant’s trash talk didn’t stop after his on-court incident with Thompson, and the Grizzlies star had one final message when he crashed teammate Cam Spencer’s postgame interview.

Ja Morant crashes Cam Spencer's postgame interview to hype him up…and take a dig at Klay Thompson, who was jawing at the Grizzlies all game.

"Tell 'em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn't bro from Golden State."

💀💀 pic.twitter.com/4LNWpeYwzY

— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) November 23, 2025

“Tell ’em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn’t bro from Golden State,” Morant said in the background, referencing Thompson.

Spencer scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

Thompson scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.

But who’s counting?

Well, Morant is.

The incident between Thompson and Morant appeared to spark after Thompson expressed his frustration with Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, who appeared to grab Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s lower left leg on a play under the basket.

That play, or the dirty nature of it, reminded Thompson of a play involving former teammate Gary Payton II in the Western Conference semifinals series between the Warriors and Grizzlies in 2022. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)

Aldama tried taking out Cooper Flagg 💀 pic.twitter.com/y0BIKfQ21G

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 23, 2025

“Well, with the tall guy, that’s just not cool,” Thompson said of Aldama’s grab of Flagg. “I’ve seen them do dirty stuff before. I remember in the playoffs 2022, they broke my teammate’s elbow, a dirty hit. That made me think of that. I don’t like seeing that done to a rookie, that’s not cool. I’ll compete with you all day on the basketball court, but don’t be dirty. That’s not it.”

Thompson then re-focused his comments back on Morant.

“And then with Ja, he’s a funny guy,” Thompson added. “He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes accountability. But you know what, that’s for another day.”

Mic drop.

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James Harden set a Los Angeles Clippers record with 55 points in the team's 131-116 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

The 36-year-old guard surpassed the previous Clippers record of 52 points in a game, which had been jointly held by Bob McAdoo and Charles Smith.

Harden's efforts helped the Clippers improve their record to five wins and 11 losses this season, and he said: "The work I put in individually, I do it for the entire team. I'm just trying to find ways to win games."

Elsewhere in the NBA on Saturday, Nikola Jokic put in a fine individual performance of his own, but the Serb's 44 points could not prevent the Denver Nuggets losing 128-123 to the Sacramento Kings - who ended their eight-game losing streak.

Detroit Pistons remain top of the Eastern Conference, having extended their winning run to 12 games - their best sequence since 2004 - with a 129-116 victory against Milwaukee Bucks.

But the Washington Wizards slipped to a 14th consecutive defeat, losing 121-120 to the Chicago Bulls.

NBA results in full

The Knicks were in a back-and-forth bout against the Magic on Saturday until the fourth quarter started.

New York entered the final frame down just five points and cut it to three in the opening minutes of the fourth when the Magic put an end to the comeback with an offensive explosion. Orlando picked apart the Knicks defense, cutting to the basket for easy buckets and hitting their threes. At the same time, the Knicks' offense became stagnant, allowing the Magic to build a lead as large as 18 points.

Even though Jalen Brunson tried to will a comeback, cutting the deficit to 12, it was too little too late as the Knicks waved the white flag and took a 133-121 loss.

Digging deeper into the numbers of the game, the Knicks' defense allowed 64 points in the paint as the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from three for the game. And the Magic made it look easy.

"We got to do a better job of taking care of the paint," head coach Mike Brown said after the loss. "We didn't do a great job of taking care of the paint tonight, 64 points in the paint, that's what they do. Thirty free throw attempts. That's what they do, so we have to do a better job in that area while trying to take care of the ball, but give those guys a lot of credit for stepping up and creating some separation late in the ball game."

The Magic are known for their physical style on offense and defense. It was that physicality that dominated the Knicks the first time they played each other this season, that time at MSG. Brown made his disappointment in his players known after that loss, saying the Magic "kicked our a--", but this time was different for the first-year Knicks coach.

Brown pointed out how it was just a one-possession game in the fourth quarter when he took out Jordan Clarkson and Magic forward Franz Wagner went on a heater. 

"As a group, we got a little deflated, and like I said, you got to give Orlando credit, they pounced on us," Brown said. "We needed to do a better job of playing through their run during that time."

Wagner put up a game-high 37 points, which was also his season-high. On Saturday, the Magic scored a season-high in points while three players had their individual season highs. Wagner's 37 to go along with Desmond Bane's 27 and Jalen Suggs' 26 points. 

"For us, we gotta be better," Brunson said of the run that put the game out of reach. "They were getting offensive rebounds, kickout threes. We didn't close that third quarter well. They just went on their run, and then it was too late until we kind of adjusted to it. We gotta start quarters better, we gotta end quarters better. Just not a good showing for us in the second half."

Although the teams matched each other in total rebounds, the Magic had a slight lead on the offensive glass, 11-9, but the players kept going back to the disparity in paint points.

"That’s just a bad job on us," Josh Hart said. "Obviously, there's guys who are out there that we probably could have played off a little bit, and we didn’t do that and we let guys drive across the paint... We gotta watch the film and get better."

Brunson said the team has to do a better job of keeping the ball in front of them on defense, and that starts with him. However, he says the Knicks have to be better at helping each other on defense.

Despite the bad defensive performance, the Knicks remain 9-6 but fall to 1-5 on the road. Brown was asked if he's confident the Knicks' defense can be better, and the coach believes it's possible.

"I'm confident we can be where we need to defensively," Brown said. "We played well in some instances, and we haven't played well, and that's what you kind of go through, especially during this part of the year. So, I do think we can be a really good defensive team. But again, no matter who we throw out there, we gotta have a feel and understanding what we're trying to do on that end of the floor to get things done."

What makes him so confident? Brown says he's seen the defense they want in the two prior games.

In Wednesday's win against the Mavericks, the Knicks held Dallas to 41 percent shooting and held them to 111 points. Against the Heat -- a loss -- Miami shot 45 percent and scored 113 points.

"We're going to be fine at the end of the day because our guys want it, and they have been better," Brown said.

The Knicks will look to improve their defense and get back in the win column when they travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Monday.