The Warriors are open for business, but they won’t rush into trading Kristaps Porziņģis.
While the veteran center remains away from the team indefinitely with an illness, ESPN reported last week that Golden State has started exploring trade routes for the 7-foot-2 big man.
And while the Warriors likely are open to most moves that allow them to shed Porziņģis’ $20 million salary for the 2026-27 NBA season, they are willing to remain patient and let the market materialize, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in a story published Wednesday, citing league sources.
“Right now, the Warriors are showing a willingness to remain patient with the Porziņģis contract and let the market materialize, league sources said. If Porziņģis proves willing to give back a large chunk of money in a buyout, his expiring $20 million deal could become even more financially appealing for an eventual trade partner attempting to gain some financial benefit.”
Porziņģis, if healthy, would have been the Warriors’ starting center this season. Without him, Golden State has relied heavily on Draymond Green, Al Horford, Graham Ike and Charles Bassey at the 5.
The former No. 4 overall pick also has averaged 19.5 points per game over his 10-year NBA career, and would have been a large piece of Golden State’s offense alongside superstar Steph Curry.
Now it appears the Warriors are hoping to flip Porziņģis in a deal that could land them a player that can help fill the void at the position.
There are games where Steph Curry drops 50 and the building shakes, and then there are games like Monday night in Denver, where he barely shot in the first half and still walked out of Ball Arena with the cleanest stat line of his career.
Curry made all eight of his field-goal attempts, went a perfect 3-of-3 from deep, and knocked down all five of his free throws. That’s 24 points with zero misses and zero hope for the Nuggets. And the 134-114 win in Denver was Golden State’s first of the season, which means the first W of 2026-27 came with a bow on it. Did you know that the Warriors are officially undefeated in franchise history when Steph doesn’t miss a shot from the field?
If you tuned in early and saw Curry’s box score at the break, you’d have assumed something was wrong with his back. He took exactly one shot in 14 first-half minutes. The man has lapped the entire history of the sport in three-pointers and he spent the first two quarters with his shooting hand holstered.
He wasn’t hiding, though. He was setting the table, throwing a long outlet to Podziemski for an easy bucket after Podz beat everybody down the floor, and letting Denver get comfortable guarding everyone else. With Steph taking just one shot, the Warriors still went into halftime up 60-56.
Then the third quarter happened, and Curry went Unanimous MVP mode.
Last night, Stephen Curry scored 24 points in 26 minutes in Denver.
8-8 FG · 3-3 3P · 5-5 FT
He became the first player in NBA history to score 20+ points without missing a shot on that many attempts.
Curry scored 17 of his 24 in the third period, and most of that came in a burst over just 7:30 of game clock, the kind of stretch where you stop watching the ball and start watching the Denver bench just to see who’s going to be the first guy to put a towel over his head. And he did all of this in 26 minutes and change, which is the part that should make every Western Conference coach a little nervous heading into his 18th season.
For a guy who’s made more insane shots than basically anyone who’s ever picked up a basketball, perfect nights have been almost nonexistent. This game was only his second time accomplishing the feat. The first came back in 2011, when sophomore Steph went 5-of-5 (3-of-3 from three) for 14 points in a 102-89 win over the New Orleans Hornets. So Monday’s 24 is the most he’s ever scored without missing, which is a very different thing from his career high, and also a very funny thing to be able to say about the greatest shooter alive.
Stephen Curry tonight vs. the Nuggets:
24 points 8-of-8 FG 3-of-3 3PT 5-of-5 FT
2nd time in his career he finishes a game shooting 100% from the field.
The New Orleans Hornets?! That’s how long ago it was, folks. Monta Ellis was still the guy in the backcourt and Steph was still the skinny kid people wondered about with the ankles. We’re talking witnessing two perfect shooting games in fifteen years that have led to two Warriors wins.
How long can that last? Through the season’s first three games, Curry is averaging 23.7 points on 52.6 percent from the field, and Monday was the loudest possible proof that the gas tank isn’t anywhere near empty.
But the thing worth remembering about this night in Denver is what happened before the perfect part kicked in. Steph Curry went 8-for-8, and somehow he still wasn’t the only reason the Warriors won. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg poured in a career-high 31 points with 12 rebounds, while Podziemski added 18, Gui Santos chipped in 13 and Al Horford had 11.
If Golden State can keep giving him that kind of help, maaaaybe the 38-year-old won’t have to be perfect every night.
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 26: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a free throw during the game against the Denver Nuggets on October 26, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Yaxelmania is beginning Dub Nation. The rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is fresh off of winning a national championship at Michigan, taking Summer League MVP in Vegas, and stealing the show in Denver on a night he shared the court with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Stephen Curry.
His 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists helped the Golden State Warriors get their first win of the season after dropping their first three games. It also got him a primetime audience with legends turned commentators Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter in the postgame TV show. What struck me the most about his interview was the way he openly beamed with gratitude on the chance to speak with those greats, asking for advice live on national television.
Yaxel: "Do you guys have any advice?"
T-Mac: "Lean on your vets." Vince: "Continue to play with joy." Melo: "Get ahead of the film game."@Yaxel_Lendeborg (31p, 12r, 6a) asked the @NBAonNBC crew for ways to keep improving after his career night! pic.twitter.com/yvsctxQdE5
That’s what balling will do: get you noticed by Hall-of-Famers. The superlatives are rolling in: he’s got a nice jump shot, the physicality to get to where he wants to go, a smooth handle with passing feel, and an indomitable will. Just ask Luka Doncic. Speaking of Hall-of-Famers, Yax has been receiving great praise from his legendary teammates, starting with Stephen Curry:
“His composure. I mean, he just came off of an NCAA championship run,” Curry noted. “He’s just got composure, feel. His size on the court; he’s a matchup problem. He’s never really in a hurry and he’s starting to see the pictures really well. Distributing, being aggressive, getting to the free-throw line, offensive rebounding. Kind of the full package. So, we want him to continue to play aggressive.”
His Coach Steve Kerr pontificated on Big Yax’s play as well:
“He’s strong as an ox and skilled,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The way the game’s played, he’s going to be able to get to the line a ton. You saw it tonight. Basically in all the critical moments of the game, we just put the ball in his hands. And for a rookie to be that advanced already, it’s extremely rare.”
Draymond Green speaks on Yaxel Lendeborg’s upside and development:
“He’s definitely getting better each and every day. It’s extremely exciting because there’s so much he don’t know. He don’t know A LOT.
Then you open the stat sheet, and Yaxelmania starts evolving from a fan base on a desperate sugar high into legitimate data. Through four games, Yax is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and according to Real App he’s the first player since 1960 to post those numbers through his first four career games. He’s doing it on 45/35/77 shooting, and he’s leading all rookies in scoring in a draft class that was supposed to belong to Boozer, Dybantsa and Peterson.
The company he’s keeping is getting ridiculous. Per OptaSTATS, his 87 points and 37 rebounds make him one of four players since 1985-86 with at least 85 points and 35 rebounds through his first four games. The other three are Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal, so a No. 11 pick who came up through junior college is now sharing a list with three Hall of Fame centers and Shaq’s size-22 sneakers. In franchise history, the only Warriors rookie who scored more in his first four games was Wilt Chamberlain in 1959. If your only competition is a guy who averaged 37.6 as a rookie, you can sleep just fine.
Denver is where the history books really started paying attention. Per Stathead, his 31, 12 and 6 in about 31 minutes made him only the second rookie ever to post 30, 12 and 6 in 31 minutes or less, and the other one is Victor Wembanyama. He’s the first Warriors rookie since Rick Barry in 1966 with 30 points and 12 rebounds in a game, and the first since Steph Curry in February 2010 with 30, 10 and 5 in a road win. Take the rookie label off and it’s still rare air. According to AP’s Josh Dubow, Yax is only the fifth Warriors player in the last 50 seasons with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in a game, joining Kevin Durant, Jason Richardson, Ralph Sampson and Joe Barry Carroll.
And let’s not forget the action at the free throw line. Rookies usually have to wait a couple of years before the refs give them that whistle, but Yax has already taken 31 free throws through four games, seventh-most in the league, and he went 12-of-13 in Denver. “Strong as an ox” is a cute quote until you’re the guy trying to keep him out of the paint in the fourth quarter.
Four games is a sample you could fit on an index card so trust me, I know it doesn’t mean he’s the next LeBron James. But every list he’s landing on is full of names that ended up in Springfield, and the Warriors only have so many Steph years left to find out whether he’s headed there too. Also Bill Simmons said he was looking like the next LeBron James against Denver.
NO, seriously!
Bill Simmons says Yaxel Lendeborg has saved the Steph era in GS and compares his game to 2010s LeBron
“Yaxel looked like mid-2010's LeBron in this game. I don't say that lightly because mid-2010's LeBron was awesome.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 27: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots a three point basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 27, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Blazers have personnel that can match Los Angeles’ scoring output on any night. The first time an opponent required the Lakers’ defense to win them a game, trouble arose.
The Lakers kept pace with the Blazers through the first three quarters, until a 3-point barrage, spearheaded by Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija in the final quarter, lifted Portland overtop. Avdija and Ja Morant finished with 23 points apiece, Jrue Holiday added 22 off the bench and Lillard ended the night with 21.
“We just got broken down a lot,” head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “I thought the game plan discipline, [Know Your Personnel], personnel discipline, wasn’t where it needs to be. Sometimes, early in the season, these are good learning lessons that we can all apply, both as coaches and as players.”
The four Portland ball handlers scored in varying ways all night: Avdija at all three levels, Morant slicing through the defense and finishing in the paint, Holiday as the off-ball savant he is and Lillard in high pick-and-roll actions either burying a moving three or drawing a foul on the shot.
Adding to the Lakers’ woes,guys like Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan shot 6-for-7 combined from beyond the arc.
“It was also an incredible shot-making game,” Redick added. “You have to also factor that in. … We have to be able to rely on our defense every night. And if we score 129 points at home, we should be able to get enough stops to win.”
Kessler, the Lakers’ defensive anchor, was not able to affect the game as he had in the previous three, mostly because much of Portland’s actions came at the perimeter. Even then, he admitted that he still needs to be held accountable as the “linebacker” of the Lakers’ defense.
“Personally, I’ve got to do a better job at pursuing the ball,” he said. “Being more aggressive to attack the ball. We kind of got it back a little bit in the second half … I’ve got to start that way, being more aggressive. But we’ll figure it out.”
This team’s detractors knew a night like this would come. They talked about it all offseason. The Lakers would have to outscore their opponents every night. For a few moments through the first three games, Los Angeles was able to put up at least a quarter of competent, momentum-shifting defense.
But on a night where the opposing team was able to keep pace with Dončić’s 41 points and nine assists, Reaves’ uber-efficient 26 points and Sandro Mamukelashvili’s 16 off the bench, the defense just wasn’t there.
Early in the season, it’s still seen as a problem that can be solved. But the Lakers saw firsthand what will happen in the most important games if a solution isn’t found.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers react during a 136-129 Portland Trail Blazers win at Crypto.com Arena on October 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
And just like that, the Lakers’ attempt to go 82-0 flies out the window.
It was always going to be tough for LA to go undefeated this season, particularly with a defense as porous as the one they showed on Tuesday. In a game where they shot 56.3% from the field and 39.5% from three, the Lakers allowed Portland to hit 59% of its shots and half of their 36 threes.
Not ideal!
But, at the same time, not a surprise. Jokes aside, a loss was going to come and likely soon. The Lakers can learn from this. It’s still just the fourth game for a mostly new roster. They still have plenty to figure out.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
On the flip side, this was a really good Williams game. He was active on both ends and had a couple of nifty moves on fastbreaks to set up teammates for easier finishes.
It was a pretty underwhelming first half followed by a decent second half. There’s going to be a greater emphasis placed on his production with Kevon Looney struggling so much, which isn’t entirely fair to him.
Another consistent, strong game from Reaves, who has made a habit of that so far. It goes a bit under the radar because of Luka’s recent explosions, but Austin is now averaging 26.5 points per game on 63.3% shooting.
The defense wasn’t great, though, which will knock him a bit.
Another fantastic Luka game that wasn’t enough. His shotmaking remains unmatched in the league. The Blazers resorted to faceguarding him down the stretch the moment he crossed half court and it still didn’t matter.
If there was a night for him to have a strong game, this would have been the one. With Thybulle struggling, a big Grimes showing would have increased the noise for him to start.
Instead, he struggled and was turning down open shots at the end of the game. Finding the best role for him off the bench will be one of the challenges in the coming weeks.
This was easily the best Mamu game of the season. He hit a pair of big threes at the end of the second and then was at the center of a big run in the second half. He justly closed the game in this one.
As good as his season started, this was an outlier. Truly, this was a woeful game.
His four fouls were all of the frustrating variety. One was on a Deni Avdija drive to give him two free throws, one was 94 feet from the basket with the player falling out of bounds and with the Blazers in the bonus and the last two were on 3-pointers.
Ten free throws on four fouls. Efficiency, but in the worst possible way.
A weird stat line that doesn’t really tell the whole story. A pair of backdoor cuts where Luka found him for layups saved his stat line from looking much worse.
I’m not going to be too harsh on Sexton yet because he didn’t have a preseason that everyone else had.
Grade: C
Kevon Looney
Unplayable. Next.
JJ Redick
I originally wanted to give him credit for going to Mamu to close the game, but as I wrote out these grades, I realized everyone else on the bench had pretty rough nights.
He at least won his first challenge in this one, even if it was very obvious. But there wasn’t much else to break down. He only played Looney five minutes, but maybe it’s time to at least try something else.
Grade: B
Tuesday’s DNPs: Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, Jarred Vanderbilt
Tuesday’s inactives: Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, AK Okereke, Chris Mañon
"Pretty much every time he shoots, I think it's good," Ja Morant said. "So I'm pretty much bracing for a celebration every time he shoots — but in the fourth quarter, I'm for sure doing it."
"I just lived for those opportunities, you know," Lillard said. "Especially knowing I didn't shoot the ball well (he was 5-of-12), I just loved the opportunity to still be able to do it."
Morant, Lillard and the rest of an athletic, entertaining Portland team can celebrate a 136-129 win over the Lakers that improves the Trail Blazers to 3-0 on the season. This loss was the Lakers' first of the young season.
In a game with a plethora of 3s — the teams combined for 79 attempts — and nearly as many free throws (71), Portland's attack earned them the win. Four Trail Blazers scored more than 20 points: Morant (23), Lillard (21), Deni Avdija (23) and Jrue Holiday enjoyed some home cooking and scored 22 off the bench.
Luka Doncic put up 41 points and had nine assists, while Austin Reaves had 26 points and seven dimes.
LUKA DONČIĆ IS IN HIS BAG! This insane stepback triple gave him 30 points.
These teams were mirror images of each other in some ways — high-powered offenses that attack the rim, and that rely on a big man dropping deep (Walker Kessler and Donovan Clingan) to protect the rim. That defense didn't work for either side in this one, as the Trail Blazers shot 59% on the night — and hit 18-of-36 from beyond the arc — while the Lakers shot 56.3%.
The offenses were firing from the opening tip — the Lakers started game 7-of-8 from the floor. The Trail Blazers shot 71.4% in the first quarter, while the Lakers shot 65%.
How much offense was there in the first half? The Lakers led 72-67 at the break. The Trail Blazers shot 69.7% from the floor and still trailed. The Lakers had a 144 offensive rating, while the Trail Blazers were "only" at 136.7.
That scoring never stopped, but Portland's depth was the one separator in this game. The Trail Blazers had 48 points off the bench, led by Holiday, but Robert Williams III added 14 points, 10 rebounds and some quality rim protection when it mattered.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 12 : Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz pressures Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking their lumps early, the San Antonio Spurs have responded with two blowout victories over sub-.500 teams. San Antonio will look to make it three in a row as the Spurs travel to Salt Lake City to face the struggling Utah Jazz in the second game of a back-to-back.
San Antonio has seemingly gotten its groove back, especially on defense, where they’ve increased their ball pressure and forced more turnovers. That’s allowed them to get out in transition and score easy fast-break buckets. They’ll face a Jazz team that has turned the ball over nearly 17 times per game in their first four contests.
The Jazz will be without key players like Jaren Jackson Jr., who was recently diagnosed with an MCL tear and is expected to miss several months. Utah’s front court is thinning fast, as Lauri Markkanen and Jaxson Hayes are questionable. The Spurs could be facing a Kyle Filipowski and Mo Bamba front line on Wednesday night. Utah will make up for that with some stellar guard play from Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson.
A win over the Jazz would put San Antonio above .500 for the first time this season. Another dominant victory, on the road, would be a signal that the Spurs have shaken off some early-season rust.
Jazz Injuries: Trey Alexander – Out (G League), Kobe Bufkin – Out (G League), Jaxson Hayes – Questionable (shoulder), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Jaren Jackson Jr. – Out (knee), Lauri Markkanen – Questionable (wrist), Jusuf Nurkic – Out (foot)
What to watch for:
Wembanyama to the rim
Victor Wembanyama had 29 points on 14-for-21 shooting in San Antonio’s 130-103 win over the Sacramento Kings. He did most of his damage as a roll man or by driving to the basket. Wembanyama is shooting just 25% from three this season. He’s been at his best when he gets to the rim and finishes over defenders. The Spurs have been doing a better job of finding him in the pick-and-roll, or getting him the ball on pick-and-pops inside the arc for easy mid-range looks. The Jazz are banged up on the interior, which means Wembanyama should thrive if he can continue to get to the rim.
Perimeter defense
One area where the Spurs have struggled at times is defending the perimeter. Teams have been able to get easy looks around the rim, particularly when Wembanyama isn’t in the game. They’ve also been prone to giving up open looks from deep. The perimeter defense is at its best when it is applying pressure at the point of attack. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper have done well creating turnovers and scoring on runouts. If San Antonio can apply that pressure consistently, they’ll be able to slow down Utah’s guards.
Pace of play
The Spurs offense has been at its best when it’s playing fast. Whether it be running off a turnover or a missed shot, the offense has worked more efficiently when they can get the ball up quickly. Utah has been one of the slower teams in the NBA to start the season (19th in pace). San Antonio must control the pace and speed up the Jazz to win on the road.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) goes up for a shot past Detroit Pistons forward John Collins (20) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.
Knicks coach Mike Brown called out Karl-Anthony Towns.
And Towns responded.
Pistons center Paul Reed, starting in place of the injured Jalen Duren, had 15 points and five rebounds at halftime of the Knicks’ 111-97 win over the Pistons on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. He was winning his matchup against Towns.
Brown let Towns know at halftime.
“I just told him the truth,” Brown said. “ ‘KAT, the guy is killing us on the glass and when he gets a rebound, he’s putting it back. Or anything he gets in the paint, he’s putting it back. If he catches it on the perimeter, guard him.’ And he did those things. I gotta tip my hat off to KAT because I thought his shift in his mindset was really big for us in the second half.”
Towns finished with a game-high 27 points and 20 rebounds. He recorded 19 of those points and 11 of those rebounds in the second half. Reed, on the other hand, was a nonfactor in the second half. And he clearly grew frustrated, earning a flagrant-1 foul for elbowing Towns in the head while fighting for a rebound in the third quarter.
“I challenged KAT and KAT had a tremendous second half,” Brown said. “Twenty-seven and 20, he’s more than capable of doing that night in and night out.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 27 points and 20 rebounds, goes up for a shot past John Collins (20) during the third quarter of the Knicks’ 111-97 win over the Pistons on Oct. 27, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brown experimented across the first three games with having both Jalen Brunson and Towns on the bench at the same time.
It delivered bad results, and Brown went away from that strategy on Tuesday.
“In Games 1 and 2, my big experimentation was playing KAT and Jalen in two stretches together,” Brown said. “And so the middle of [those games], I had both KAT and Jalen off the floor. We didn’t really do that last year. Watching it, I think we did it in the preseason some, but we didn’t play everybody all the time so it was a little harder, but watching it, I didn’t like it.”
Brown similarly experimented with having Josh Hart come off the bench to begin the season last year, alongside Mitchell Robinson. It wasn’t long until he reversed course, however.
“There’s some things that I’m looking at or messing with that may or may not stay the same,” Brown said. “That’s part of what you’re trying to do to figure out what’s best for your team long term. In the short term, it might not turn out good, like it didn’t turn out good not starting Josh, we took our lumps. But it was good to go through it last year. So, it’s something we’ll continue to try to figure out early on.”
Through the early parts of 2026-27, the Lakers had cobbled together enough strong defensive moments that allowed their league-best offense to carry them to three straight wins.
Those moments didn’t come often enough against the Trail Blazers Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, leading to the Lakers losing their first game of the season.
Despite Luka Doncic picking up where he left off after 52 points in Salt Lake City on Sunday, the Lakers didn’t have the defensive support behind another brilliant offensive performance, falling to the Blazers 136-129 to drop to 3-1 on the season.
Luka Doncic reacts to a Lakers foul during the first half of the Lakers’ 136-129 loss to the Trail Blazers on Oct. 27, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Getty Images
Doncic had 41 points on 12-for-22 shooting (6 of 15 on 3-pointers, 11 of 13 on free throws) to go with nine assists and five rebounds.
Austin Reaves was once again uber-efficient, recording 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting (4 of 8 on 3s), plus seven assists and four rebounds.
Deni Avdija drives to the basket while being guarded by Ziaire Williams (behind) during the first half of the Lakers’ loss to the Trail Blazers. AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
But the Blazers, who entered Tuesday with the league’s second-best offense, took advantage of the Lakers’ struggles with containing the ball.
The Blazers were led by Deni Avdija’s 23 points, nine assists and four rebounds.
Ja Morant (23 points, four assists), Damian Lillard (21 points, four assists) and Jrue Holiday (22 points, four rebounds) also scored at least 20 points for the Blazers.
Luka Doncic, who scored 41 points, shoots a long jumper over Sidy Cissoko during the Lakers’ loss to the Trail Blazers. NBAE via Getty Images
The Blazers scored on five straight possessions late in the fourth to prevent the Lakers from keeping pace.
The Lakers couldn’t stop Portland from anywhere on the court: The Blazers shot 59% from the field and 50% on 3s.
The Blazers would’ve won by more if they made the easiest shots: They made just 63% of their free throws (26 of 41).
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 23: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the LA Clippers on October 23, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (3-1) are back at it on Wednesday against the L.A. Clippers (1-2), whom they defeated just last week. This time, round two of the battle of Los Angeles will be held in the Clippers’ home base.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. L.A. Clippers
When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Oct 28
Where: Intuit Dome
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers’ first back-to-back will happen exactly a week into the season, the first of 14 this year.
If there’s also one thing about recently defeating an opponent the way the Lakers did with the Clippers, it’s knowing that the latter will have vengeance on their mind. That just means this game on Wednesday will be a tough one for the purple and gold, especially after the Clippers gave them a run for their money last time.
In that first meeting, the Clippers came out of the gates aggressively, courtesy of Brook Lopez and Darius Garland. They attacked the paint, scoring 48 points and 15 second-chance points on 11 offensive rebounds. Expect them to attack the paint and boards again, especially now that teams are aware that the Lakers have been a below-average rebounding team to start the season.
As always during back-to-backs, the key is to grind out the victory, especially when it’s on the road. Luka Dončić — who struggled against the Clippers last week — will have to carry as usual, as does Austin Reaves, who led the team with 28 points in the last meeting. It’ll be ideal to see another terrific Walker Kessler performance, but look out for the Clippers to contain him better, knowing full well that the big man was 10-14 from the field for 22 points last time.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season on Tuesday. Will they come into this game motivated or fatigued? Can they simply rebound better? And most importantly, will they be able to get production outside of Dončić and Reaves? That’ll say a lot about how this team is shaped this early in the season.
Let’s see if the Lakers can quickly get back on the winning column on Wednesday.
Notes and Updates
Since it’s the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers won’t release an injury report until a few hours before tipoff.
The Clippers list Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Rui Hachimura (left quad soreness), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Jordan Miller (left rotator culf surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right lisfranc surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia tear) as out.
This is another game against a Pacific Division opponent for the Lakers, with the Lakers currently 2-0 against them.
Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili scores between Portland's Sidy Cissoko and Donovan Clingan in the first half. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
They are the top-scoring teams in the NBA and have dynamic backcourts to make it all work.
So, when the Lakers came to work with their superb guard duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and the Portland Trail Blazers came to work with their exciting guard combo of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, it figured to be a high-scoring affair Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
It lived up to that billing, with the game going back and forth in the decisive fourth quarter, finally being settled after Lillard hit a big-time three-pointer off a pass from Deni Avdija for a six-point lead with 42.8 seconds left that the Lakers couldn’t overcome in a 136-129 loss.
Doncic, coming off a 52-point game at Utah on Sunday, had 41 points, nine assists and five rebounds and Reaves had 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Morant and Avdija had 23 points for the Trail Blazers and Lillard had 21. Jrue Holliday scored 22.
The Lakers dropped their first game of the season, falling to 3-1 after getting outscored 34-26 in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers entered the game averaging a league-best 128 points per game and the Trail Blazers were right behind them at 126 points per game.
Doncic (34.3 points per game) and Reaves (26.7) are the top scoring backcourt in the league.
Lillard, who sat out last season with a torn left Achilles tendon injury, and Morant, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season before being traded to the Trail Blazers, formed essentially for a new backcourt for Portland.
“You’re talking about a playoff team that essentially added [Damian] Lillard and Ja Morant so it’ll be a great test for us tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I think you know the biggest thing for us is being able to get back, set our defense, and try to get our first bumps outside the paint. They’re a heavy drive team, [with a] number of guys that can do it at a high level and Avdija obviously led the league last year in drives and got to be great with that tonight.”
Lakers center Walker Kessler gets hit in the head by Portland center Donovan Clingan (23) in the first half. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The two teams went at it in the first half, with the Lakers taking a 73-68 lead at intermission after a three-pointer at the buzzer by Sandro Mamukelashvili to end the second quarter.
He pumped his chest a few times, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr, who has been out with a right oblique strain, practiced with the Coachella Valley Lakers on Tuesday. Redick said Carr showed progress while at practice with their G-League team.
“We needed him to be able to get through a full practice,” Redick said. “So that’s probably a very important step. Obviously, he was able to do some level of conditioning because it was an upper body injury. But [we] want to make sure he’s able to take hits and able to be in shape.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 27: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 27, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A back-and-forth battle between the Lakers and Blazers saw a flurry of big shots down the stretch before a dagger from Damian Lillard gave Portland a 136-129 win, handing LA its first loss.
The Lakers struggled defensively, allowing Portland to make 59% of their shots, including 18 threes on 36 attempts. The game was marred by fouls throughout with 52 being called and 71 free throws attempted.
Austin Reaves drained a triple to get LA on the board. Matisse Thybulle followed it with a layup that put Los Angeles up by five. Ja Morant was the first Blazer to score, converting on a midrange jumper. Luka Dončić knocked down a three on the other end.
Damian Lillard knocked down a 3-pointer, but after four straight points from LA, Portland called a timeout. Out of the break, Morant was fouled and converted on a pair of free throws. Luka continued his great quarter, pushing his point total to 12.
Sandro Mamukelashvili came in and drained his first 3-point attempt. The Blazers, though, had cut the deficit to three. The Lakers answered by pushing their lead back to seven. Mamu had five off the bench for LA.
Neither team’s defense was particularly strong, making it an offensive affair. Los Angeles was up by six at the end of the first.
Donovan Clingan drained a triple to start the second period. Collin Sexton responded with a midrange jumper. Portland tied the game with a 16-6 scoring run.
Reaves scored four in a row to give LA the lead again.
Sexton connected with Ziaire Williams for an impressive alley-oop dunk. Deni Avdija then scored four straight to put the Blazers ahead. Morant scored again, pushing his point total to 15. After Jrue Holiday drained a triple, Los Angeles called a timeout.
Out of the break, Luka was fouled and completed the three-point play.
The rest of the half involved lots of free throws and the lead being exchanged. Mamu drained a three that put LA up by one with 35 seconds left. Holiday was assessed a flagrant foul penalty-1 for a foul on Walker Kessler, who split the free throws.
Mamu knocked down a clutch three at the buzzer to give Los Angeles a five-point halftime lead.
Reaves and Luka drained 3-pointers to start the third period. Toumani Camara got Portland on the board with a triple. It was a 3-pointer party as Luka and Camara each made one. Lillard was fouled from behind the arc and converted on only one of three free throws.
At the 8:33 mark, LA was up by five.
Kessler scored back-to-back buckets before Clingan and Luka exchanged triples. After four straight points from the Trail Blazers, the Lakers held a three-point lead in an offensive battle.
Thybulle knocked down his second three of the night.
Luka and Reaves quickly scored five points, leading to a Blazers timeout. Jake LaRavia fouled Vít Krejčí on a three out of the break, but he made just one of three free throws. Luka connected with Sexton twice on backdoor baseline cuts.
The quarter ended with chaos of sloppy turnovers and missed shots. Robert Williams III got a shot off right at the buzzer to make it a one-point deficit for Portland at the end of the third.
34-21 free throw advantage for Portland tonight so far.
The final frame started with Avdija tying the game with a free throw. It was the seventh tie of the game. Sexton connected with LaRavia for a dunk, putting Los Angeles up by two. The Trail Blazers started to take control, growing the lead to five with 8:29 left.
LA called a timeout and out of the break, Thybulle missed a three.
Los Angeles started 0-6 from behind the arc in the quarter. Avdija then nailed a three at the other end, extending the Blazers’ lead. The Lakers ignited for a 6-0 scoring run to make it a two-point game with 6:44 left.
The lead started to change hands again as both teams were cooking offensively. Williams and Holiday exchanged triples that had Portland up one, but Morant was given a flopping technical foul and Reaves converted on the free throw to tie the game.
Lillard then drained a triple and hit a free throw after Williams was assessed a flopping tech. Luka then drained a ridiculous clutch three with 3:24 left. Avdija answered with a 3-pointer on the other end.
Williams then responded for LA with a three as well. The Blazers were up by one with 2:17 left.
Morant converted on a midrange jumper, putting the Blazers up by three. Kessler was then fouled and missed both free throws. Morant then made another midrange jumper.
Luka converted on a middy with just over a minute left to make it a three-point game again.
It was Dame Time late as Lillard knocked down a clutch triple with 42.8 seconds left to put Portland up six. The Lakers had two opportunities to drain a three and missed.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 41 points and nine assists. Reaves ended with 26 points, four rebounds and seven assists. He also dished the 1,500th assist of his career. Kessler notched 13 points and eight rebounds.
Mamu pitched in with a stellar showing of 17 points off the bench. Williams logged 11 points with four assists and two steals. Sexton had nine points with four assists.
The Lakers’ next game will be against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at 7:30 PM PT.
The Nets guard downplayed any worries over the injury afterward.
“I’ll be good,” Dëmin said. “I mean, it’s nothing serious, so I’ll be ready to go.”
Dëmin left the game in the first half and didn’t return.
After appearing to knock legs with Paul George while defending the latter’s drive, the Russian guard came up hobbling on Brooklyn’s ensuing possession.
Dëmin checked out with 2:22 left in the half, limped into the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the night shortly thereafter.
“I just got kneed in the muscle/bone area … Now it feels better than it did right then. I think I’ll be ready in a couple of days,” Dëmin said. “It was when [George] was driving by me, we ended up hitting each other’s legs kind of, yeah.”
Egor Dëmin, who later left the game with a right leg contusion, slams home a dunk during the Nets’ 125-124 overtime loss to the Celtics on Oct. 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston. NBAE via Getty Images
After getting lit up from deep and having one of the worst defenses in the league entering Tuesday night, the Nets held Boston — the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team — to 11 of 41 from deep.
They lost, but it’s an encouraging sign.
“Yeah, it’s one game. I don’t know. Percentages come and go,” Jordi Fernández said. “I think that we were on point with our coverages and we played a pretty complete game. So other than that, I don’t see the numbers in a certain way because we’ve only played four games and even if it’s still the process of getting better and learning.
“So yeah, I’m happy that they shot 26 percent. I still think that we contested the 3s for the most part. I got to look at the numbers and teams that shoot that well, sometimes you contest them and they still make them. So to answer your question, I’m happy with the defense, but regardless of [whether] the shots went in or not.”
Through much of the first half of Tuesday night's contest against the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks found themselves still buried in the slump from the season's first three games: shoddy defense, missed baskets, and sluggish transitions. At one point in the first half, they fell 13 points behind.
Then came the third. New York outscored Detroit 60-47 in the final 24 minutes of play, holding its opponents to just 13 points in the third and eventually running away with a 111-97 lead by the time the clock wound down.
The effort was largely spearheaded by Karl-Anthony Towns. The 30-year-old center completely turned it around after the break, finishing with his fourth double-double in four games so far this season. His 57 percent shooting from the field was second on the team, only to Andre Drummond (5-for-7).
But it wasn't until a near-brawl with Pistons starting center Paul Reed midway through the third that Towns really stepped up; he finished the first half a minus-14.
Reed, who scored nearly one-third of Detroit's 50 first-half points (16) and finished with a team-leading 22 points and five offensive rebounds, got tangled with Towns as teammate Duncan Robinson cut New York's lead to 10 midway through the third quarter. The two instantly became heated, but the referees stepped in before things could escalate and dealt Reed a Flagrant 1.
Then came the shift. After making his two free throws from the flagrant — his only two free throws of the night — Towns exploded for 16 of his 27 total points and tacked on eight of his 20 rebounds, recording his fifth 20-20 as a Knick.
After the game, head coach Mike Brown commended Towns for the way he rebounded and said he had a very frank conversation with the center at halftime.
"KAT's a grown man. He's obviously a perennial All-Star. I just told him the truth: 'KAT, the guy is killing us on the glass, and when he gets a rebound, he's putting it back. Anything he gets in the paint, he's putting it back. If he catches on the perimeter, guard him,'" Brown said. "And he did those things. I've got to take my hat off to KAT because I thought his shift in his mindset was really big for us in the second half."
KAT gets tangled with Paul Reed https://t.co/A6NvVBwm2k
The clash between Towns and Reed ignited a fire inside the entire Knicks roster, serving as a catalyst for a more aggressive effort on both ends of the court.
It was just the boost New York needed to clinch their first win of the season after seemingly falling victim to a championship hangover.
"[Reed] played great in the first half. I think we were able to not let him loose on the offensive boards. He was really impacting the game," Jalen Brunson said after the game. "For [KAT] to step up as he did throughout the game was something that we needed."
Towns, however, credited the turnaround to the entire team.
"I thought we did a better job picking up our intensity and our physicality, and we just executed at a high level," he said. "... We've just got to worry about the controllables, which is us playing our best, executing at a high level, and bringing that physicality to the game."
He added that with one win under its belt, the team has to shift all of its energy toward a second one rather than dwelling on Tuesday's success.
"Gotta get the next one — that's the only thing on the mind," he said. "... All year, it's going to be us improving, going through the ups and downs of the season. We just got to stay steady, keep believing in each other, keep pushing each other to another level."
TYLER KOLEK BEHIND THE BACK PASS! https://t.co/fyBK8WVtQn
After three straight defeats to open their title defense, the Knicks were looking to put together something more of a complete game when they hosted the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
When New York fell behind by 13 after the game's opening quarter, things looked bleak. But then the home side flexed a muscle that had been dormant during the first week as they dominated the middle quarters, outscoring Detroit 63-25, which meant the lackluster final stanza could be overshadowed by the 111-97 win.
"We talk about trying to string a game together… 48 minutes of basketball the way we know how to play, and we like to play,” head coach Mike Brown said after the win. “And we had some lulls where we weren't as physical as we should have been throughout the course of the game, but we had some really good moments.
“We had more good moments in this game in totality than we did in the first three games, and that's why we got the win.”
Overall, it was a positive step for the Knicks, who still know much more needs to be done to regain the feel of last year’s unit.
"We can have some hiccups,” Brown said of the early struggles. “That's what the [regular] season's for. It’s trying to correct it, so come playoff time, you're ready to go do what you need to do. So is it fixed? No, it ain’t fixed. Nothing's really fixed.
“What tonight shows us is we're more than capable if we put our minds to it. And that’s what we gotta continue to try to build off. And then if we do slip up, that we don’t slip up for eight minutes or 10 minutes. Maybe for a minute and a half, two minutes, and then we get back, regroup, and get back heading in the right direction again."
Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a 27–point, 20-rebound explosion, said the Knicks “looked more like ourselves from last year, but we still have a lot of room to grow.”
“We got to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day,” Jalen Brunson, who scored 23 points on the night, said in his on-court interview after the game. “This is a new year, new team. Adversity started early, so we just gotta fight back.”
“We have a long way to go, but obviously we want to learn from wins as much as we do from losses. Excited we came up with the win today.”
It is a long season, as the head coach was sure to point out, but positive signs were abundant.
“I still believe we took some really good shots,” Brown said. “I believe if we keep taking the shots that we're taking, they're going to start going in sooner than later. But our guys played an overall good game. On the offensive glass, defensively physically, offensively physically.”
The defensive performance shouldn't be overlooked. Brown pointed to the “hot players” the Knicks had keyed in on in the previous game against the Magic, Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva,who shot a combined 9-for-18 from three, which “had a huge impact” in the 111-102 defeat.
“The guys that we labeled hot tonight, two of the guys were obviously Duncan Robinson and [Daniss] Jenkins, and they were combined 3-for-16,” Brown said. “So our awareness, our level of physicality, throughout the 48 minutes were a lot better on those two guys in the previous game.”
With no rest on the docket and a date Wednesday night in Chicago with the Bulls, the only thing on Towns’ mind after getting the first win of the season out of the way: “Gotta get the next one.”
“Build off of this game and continue to improve as a team,” Towns said. “All year it’s gonna be us improving, going through the ups and downs of a season. We just gotta stay steady, keep believing in each other, keep pushing each other to another level.”
