Category: NBA

Seven games, one half and exactly two minutes of basketball is all it took for Draymond Green to earn his first ejection of his 12th NBA season.

The Warriors’ emotionally charged defensive leader was charged with two technicals on one play early in the second half Monday night against the Suns, sending him to the locker room.

After Phoenix center Khaman Maluach corralled an entry pass, the 7-footer went up for an attempt at the rim, and Green wrapped both arms around him, bringing him to the floor.

Things got heated from there between the two teams, with recurring enemy Dillon Brooks charging into the scrum beneath the basket to defend his teammate. Brooks got into Green’s face and the two players put their arms on each other.

Green was originally assessed a personal foul for his initial contact with Maluach. After a lengthy review, officials assessed him one technical for what they termed his “throwdown.” They also awarded a double technical to Green and Brooks for their scrap that followed.

It resulted in a pair of technical fouls for Green and his first ejection of the season — the 26th of his career. Green, who sat out the first half of the Warriors’ back-to-back the previous night, ended up logging 17 minutes, finishing with four points, four rebounds and two assists.

Golden State trailed Phoenix 68-57 at the time he was tossed from the game.

SAN FRANCISCO ― There's no love lost between Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks.

The two have a history of trash-talking and getting into shoving matches with one another. They kept that tension going during the Warriors-Suns matchup on Monday, Nov. 2.

Green committed a foul against Suns center Khaman Maluach, wrapping him up in an intentional foul before throwing him to the ground. Green was initially called for a foul and then an ensuing technical foul for shoving Maluach to the ground.

Things got spicy and Green got a visit from his old friend, or foe, Brooks. Brooks took exception to Green's push on his teammate and ran to the pile, pushing Green.

Green retaliated as teammates, coaches and game officials had to separate the two players. Both Green and Brooks received double-technical fouls for the dust up.

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It was Green's second technical, which resulted in an automatic disqualification. Green left the game at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter. He finished the game with four points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 17 minutes.

The Warriors went on to win the game, 116-113.

Warriors react to Draymond Green ejection

The Warriors were receptive to Green's ejection. It lit a fire under the team, teammate Stephen Curry said.

"We had to respond so I'm glad we did," Curry said. "It was a combination of that moment. We're going to have out brother's back when he defends us."

Head coach Steve Kerr said he doesn't want actual fights, but rather the team's competitive nature.

"I just want to see the competitive spirit, and I thought we saw that time," Kerr said. "They really punched us in the mouth. You know, that first quarter, they were ready. ... I was thrilled with our competitive spirit. And I know there were a couple dust-ups, but that's just, you know, the greatest NBA basketball players on Earth competing. This is what it is."

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said he loved Green's intensity.

"We didn't have the edge to us to start the game," Podziemski said. "Found it a little bit in the second quarter but then they came out in the third quarter pretty well and that kind of changed the game for us. Everybody's locked and came together for Dray. So I think it was needed."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors' Draymond Green ejected after shove match with Dillon Brooks

The Dallas Mavericks dropped an ugly, grueling game to the Sacramento Kings by a score of 115-110. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder why any of us spend any time watching sports at all. Dallas, fresh off their most emotional win of the season, laid a massive egg on their home floor and made the winless Kings look like the Harlem Globetrotters.

When such a horrific display of hoops takes place, everyone who steps on the floor is culpable. No one gets out unscathed. But Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ second-year wunderkind, had the worst game of his career, setting the tone for his supporting cast to follow. Flagg shot just 3-19 from the field and turned the ball over six times. It was an awful showing, the likes of which we won’t often see this season.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks compiled a lot of numbers throughout the box score tonight. None of them were good. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the courageous Mavs Moneyball staff and this beleaguered writer to let you know about some of those numbers and why they matter. Without further ado, here are the stats that tell this story of this Kafkaesque nightmare.

+12: Kings’ advantage in 3-pointers made

Dallas shot 7-of-33 from behind the line while Sacramento went 19—of-43. In the modern NBA, you’re not going to win any games when the other team outscores you by 36 from three. With Kyrie Irving resting, the Mavericks were without their best 3-point shooter and ball handler. As a result, space to operate and good looks from three were hard to come by.

As the game went on, the Mavericks got lazier and lazier on defense, too, letting the Kings swing the ball around and get up great looks from distance. The Dallas roster is already short on good shooting, and tonight was a sum-of-all-fears performance.

7: Mavericks’ fast-break points

The Mavericks came into tonight’s game fifth in the NBA in fast-break points per game at 18.7. Dusty May is known for pushing the pace in transition as often as possible, but that didn’t happen tonight.

Dallas was stuck in halfcourt hell, and things were a slog all night. This team is going to struggle when they can’t generate easy baskets.

33: Combined points for Maverick centers

Let’s end the stats rundown on a positive note. There were strong showings from both Daniel Gafford (20 points) and Morez Johnson Jr. (13) tonight, providing unlikely offense for a floundering squad. Gafford kept the Mavericks afloat in the first half and scored 11 points in the second quarter when nothing else was working.

Johnson had a really nice game on both ends of the floor; the Mavericks rookie posted a career-high in scoring while lifting the team defensively. It was a much-needed performance from the rookie big, who has struggled with playing through shin splints. Both Gafford and Johnson have done an admirable job holding down the center spot while Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama work their way back from surgeries.

When you have explosive personalities like Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks sharing the floor, there’s always the possibility that a spark will ignite a fire. And on Monday night, as the Warriors took on the Suns, we got exactly those fireworks.

In the third quarter, with the Suns up eight points, a technical foul was called on Draymond Green after he threw Khaman Maluach to the floor during an and-one opportunity for the second-year big man. Coming to the defense of his teammate, Dillon Brooks attempted to hold Green back, prompting Draymond to aggressively grab Brooks’ jersey near his throat.

Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks were getting into it on this play 👀

Green sparked the altercation by throwing Khaman Maluach to the floor.

pic.twitter.com/gFgfeO4See

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 3, 2026

Essentially, Green believed Maluach had boxed him out and flopped on the play, which led to him throwing the young center to the ground. Brooks appeared to step in and restrain Green from continuing to go after Maluach, who was still on the floor, but Green’s initial response was to escalate the confrontation.

The officials reviewed the altercation, ultimately assessing a double technical foul. Green was charged with two technical fouls during the incident, resulting in his ejection from the game.

For their second time in less than a week, the Knicks' bench picked up the slack for an inconsistent New York team Monday night. 

Led by Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Miles McBride, the reserves combined for 41 of the Knicks' 103 total points against the Nets, replicating a performance that saved New York against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 28. 

After not scoring a single point in Friday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Shamet, who played for Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season, posted a game-best 22 points, tacking on one rebound and one assist in 29 minutes of play. He also went 6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. 

Clarkson added seven points and a block in 11 minutes, and McBride shot 50 percent  both from field goal range and beyond the arc. Though he saw just five minutes of play time toward the end of the game, Tyler Kolek scored two, added one rebound and one assist, and finished the game plus-13.

"Our bench was fantastic," head coach Mike Brown said after the game. "I thought Landry came off and gave us a big lift on both ends of the floor. Jordan as well. And then Tyler — I thought Tyler's minutes were tremendous. He did a fantastic job running the team, getting us some easy looks, and then he was solid defensively."

In a back-and-forth game that saw the crosstown rivals trade leads the whole way through the first 36 minutes of play, the deep bench provided the boost the Knicks needed to get over their third-quarter slump that began before the half. In the 12 minutes after the break, New York allowed a 13-0 run from the Nets and got outscored 35-24. 

"When we went into a little funk was at the beginning of the second," Brown said. "Us not scoring gave [Brooklyn] a little hope because they were able to shrink that lead and tie it up, even take the lead. When you give a young team confidence, now it's hard to turn the water off ... So I just started searching at that point and went to Tyler, went to Landry, tried JC, and then we found a group that caught a little groove and helped us take the lead back and create separation."

Brown gave special praise to Clarkson, who recorded a season-high 18 points in 17 minutes, as well as two steals, three rebounds, and an assist against the Bulls. He finished that outing with a game high plus-15 plus/minus.

"You have a veteran that's been there, done that, and he's willing to accept a role that most guys wouldn't accept, even guys younger that haven't proved as much as he's proven in this league," Brown said. "... That's the ultimate team player. I will say this about JC — I've been around some good teammates. He's got to be the best. He's the definition of ultimate pro." 

Mikal Bridges again watched a comeback victory from the bench. 

For the second time in three games, the starting shooting guard was off the court for the vast majority of the second half and finished with just six points in 16 minutes. 

Head coach Mike Brown said Bridges should focus on the positives of his performance — specifically that he ran well in the 103-90 victory. 

“He’s just got to keep playing. Everybody goes through those ups and downs throughout the season,” Brown said. “And obviously, it’s the beginning of the season, so he has to find his way. With everybody, when you’re in a funk, you got to find one or two things to hold your hat on, and Mikal is one of the best runners in the game, in both directions, offensively and defensively. So he has to hold his hat on that as well as his cutting and trying to do that and other little things: rebounding, driving and touching the paint and spraying it. And his shot will come eventually.” 

Bridges was a focal point of the offense early and took his first free throws of the season. But his shot was still misfiring. He played the first three minutes of the third quarter and was benched for the remainder of the second half, with Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson eating up most of the minutes. 

It was a similar story in Friday’s victory over the Bulls, when Bridges logged just 13 minutes. He’s averaging a little over six points for the season. 

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Tyler Kolek was back to third-stringer. Until he wasn’t. 

After missing four games with a sprained ankle, Jose Alvarado was activated Monday and took his previous position as Jalen Brunson’s first backup. 

But with New York’s offense stuck in the mud, Brown went to Kolek to start the fourth quarter, and it helped push the home team to victory. 

Before the game, Brown said it’s personal policy to not punish a player for getting hurt. 

“I try not to take a guy out [of his rotation spot] due to injury and the reality is Jose got hurt,” Brown said. 

Monday, Alvarado was scoreless in eight minutes with zero assists. Kolek had two points and an assist in five minutes. 

It wasn’t just another night. It wasn’t just another game. 

It was a chance to earn respect, to seize momentum, to build confidence. It was as close to a title fight as the Nets may find for some time. They would travel roughly 5 miles to take on the reigning champs, facing the team whose stranglehold on their shared city has never been stronger and whose dominance in an uninspired rivalry has been a constant reminder of the chasm between the boroughs. 

“We need to get a win,” Nets guard Nolan Traore said before Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won against the Knicks, so we’ve got to do it.” 

Incredibly, they almost did. 

Coming off their first win of the season the previous night in Indiana, the Nets looked unrecognizable from the punching bag that lost a pair of games at the Garden last season by a combined 90 points. For so much of Monday’s matchup, there was no discernible difference between one of the most celebrated champions in New York history and the team that spent the past two years chasing ping-pong balls. 

Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points, making four 3-pointers. Traore put up 17 points on eight shots, adding a chase-down block of Jalen Brunson. 

And the Nets led by four early in the fourth quarter. 

Then came the anvil — in the form of the Knicks’ 16-2 fourth-quarter run — that had been hanging from the pinwheel ceiling, crushing the coyote who somehow didn’t see it coming again. 

The Nets (1-6) made only three of 16 shots while scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter of their 103-90 loss, setting a season-low scoring mark while clinching a record-extending 15th straight loss in their 50-year series with the Knicks. 

“We played a championship team, and we competed,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernández said. “I’m not happy with the loss, but [with] how we started the season, these last two [games] there’s improvement on how hard we’ve played and how competitive we’ve been. So, next time we come here, my expectation is to be better as a group. 

“I’m proud of the group because they played hard. … If we keep playing as hard as we played in the last two games, there’s going to be a lot of good things and a lot of growth.” 

The Nets’ most recent win in the series came Jan. 28, 2023. 

Shortly before Brooklyn broke up the superteam led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets secured their ninth straight win over the Knicks — who were searching for their first playoff series win in a decade. 

Day’Ron Sharpe was there. So were Brunson and Deuce McBride, as well as Julius Randle, then with the Knicks. 

No other current player on either team was there. No one else could speak to the brief window when the Nets were the measuring stick, the team with its eye on the title. 

It was less than four years ago. It feels closer to 40.

After fighting for most of the game, the Milwaukee Bucks stalled late, letting the Minnesota Timberwolves ride a dominant final four minutes to a 112-100 win. The Bucks slump to 1-6 for only the fifth time in franchise history, extending their losing streak to three games. Tyler Herro led the Bucks in scoring, posting 21 points on 8/18 shooting. Jaime Jaquez scored 19 and added eight rebounds, while Myles Turner and AJ Green each added 13 points. LaMelo Ball led all players with a season-high 34 points on 12/21 shooting, while Ayo Dosunmu (19 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) had a near triple-double.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Taylor Jenkins tweaked his rotation on Monday, dropping Ryan Rollins from the starting lineup in favor of Brayden Burries. Kyle Kuzma fired a bullet to an open Jaime Jaquez in the paint, who easily rolled it in for a layup to start the scoring. However, led by back-to-back long threes from LaMelo Ball, the Wolves rattled off 10 unanswered points to take an eight-point lead inside the first three minutes. Ball connected on his third triple of the game with just four minutes elapsed, putting the Timberwolves up 15-4 and forcing a Bucks timeout. Milwaukee quickly worked their way back out of the break, going on a 9-0 run behind triples from Jaquez, Burries, and Myles Turner; Burries showed the hustle to compete with bigger Wolves defenders on the offensive glass and consistently found teammates on the perimeter. The Wolves responded with a run of their own (12-3), scoring ten points and feasting in transition to lead 29-18 after one.

Impressively, Milwaukee quickly cut the Timberwolves’ lead out of the break and even took the lead, with AJ Green connecting on a pair of threes, Rollins getting a driving layup to go, and Burries converting a pull-up. However, Ball caught fire once again, helping Minnesota take the lead right back; the Wolves’ star PG scored 11 second-quarter points on 4/7 shooting, and his presence created so many good looks. However, the Bucks did one thing well: they took away Ball’s passing game, with his first assist coming with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter. Anyway, Ball’s and-one gave Minnesota a 45-41 lead with 2:51 remaining, but Milwaukee kept it tight, with Herro cashing back-to-back threes in the final minute to cut the home side’s lead to one, 48-47, at the half.

Although Minnesota stayed in control for much of the third quarter, Milwaukee kept the game within arm’s reach. Myles Turner’s triple off a Kuzma kick-out gave Milwaukee a 50-48 lead to start, but Minnesota wrenched it back with an Ayo Dosumnu fast-break layup. Bones Hyland’s three gave Minnesota a 68-63 lead with just under five minutes left. Milwaukee and Minnesota kept trading the lead as the game wore on. Trey Lyles gave the home side a nice kick off the bench, knocking down a few bombs late in the third to give Minnesota a 76-71 edge. The Wolves stayed ahead going into the final frame, though a tough Kasparas Jakucionis finish through contact cut their lead to just four at 80-76.

Minnesota slowly built its advantage as the fourth quarter wore on, with Milwaukee struggling with turnovers as they tried to bridge the gap; Joan Beringer intercepted a bad Jakucionis pass, another Jakucionis pass went out of bounds, and Turner lost the ball while trying to draw a foul. These mistakes let the Wolves slowly build a double-digit lead, punctuated by Beringer’s put-back layup that forced a Jenkins timeout. Eventually, Milwaukee’s offense flatlined as Minnesota picked up steam: Kuzma airballed a three and Kel’el Ware missed a dunk, while a Ball dagger pushed the T-Wolves’ lead to 15, their largest of the game. Despite trying some interesting tactics to close the game—including hack-a-Rudy—the Bucks just didn’t have enough.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks shot 30.6% from three-point range, highlighted by an ugly first quarter where they went 3/18 and a fourth quarter where they shot 2/9. The Bucks finished second in three-point shooting percentage (38.9%) last year, and they don’t look close to matching that this year.

Obscene Overreaction

Brayden Burries needs to start from here on out. The rookie got his first start tonight over Ryan Rollins, who has struggled mightily this season (and was bad tonight, shooting 4/11 with three turnovers). And to be clear, Burries was far from perfect, managing just nine points on 4/15 shooting, but his physical defense and rebounding really stood out.

Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 3.5
Joel Embiid – 1
LeBron James – 1
Anfernee Simons – 1
Jaylen Brown – 0.5

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The Philadelphia 76ers had all five starters score in double-digits and three score more than 20 points in a 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

The Sixers were almost completely healthy for this one, with the only absences being Dominick Barlow (back) and Ariel Hukporti, who is out for the season. Taking on a struggling Bulls squad that came into Monday 1-5 on the season, they had a golden opportunity to get a comfortable win and maybe even get the starters some rest if they could put it to bed early.

Of course, it can never be too easy. After letting Chicago hang close in the first half, the Sixers finally started to put a little distance between them going into the final frame leading by 11. Philadelphia couldn’t seem to fully shake loose until late in the fourth when they extended their lead to 20 with two minutes to play. It would have been nice to gain steadier footing early to get the starters some rest before that point, but I guess we can’t be too greedy talking about a now 7-1 team.

Next up, the Sixerswill hit the road for three games, the first of which will take them to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Wednesday night.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. It was a widespread effort, so we have a few options!

VJ Edgecombe: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

To anyone who says that VJ Edgecombe can’t thrive in this Sixers’ lineup, please watch the first quarter of tonight’s game. It was the perfect example of a simple but effective synergy between the sophomore and his new-look squad — VJ fully utilizing his speed in transition to get out ahead with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey getting their heads up to nail impressive passes to him in stride. Edgecombe took full advantage, shooting 5-for-5 from the floor (1-for-1 from long range) for a floor-leading 11 points in the first frame. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. LeBron hit another cross-court dime to a pushing Edgecombe to help the boy from Bimini to 15 points on 7-for-7 field goal shooting by halftime.

This is why I never worried about Edgecombe’s development in this lineup. Sure, there’s only one ball… but when you have passers like James (and Maxey, though to a lesser extent) around you, there will always be opportunities for a speedy, athletic player that is constantly in motion off the ball. Tonight was the perfect example of how he can become borderline uncoverable. And if you move (and finish) like Edgecombe did tonight, one can imagine those opportunities will only become more plentiful as the Sixers continue to solidify their chemistry offensively.

Edgecombe finished Monday night with 21 points on 9-for-12 field goal, 2-for-4 three-point shooting. He also had three rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.

A stellar offensive night for VJ Edgecombe, who absolutely flourished utilizing what he does best: speedy, off-ball movement.

21 PTS (9-12 FG, 2-4 3PT), 3 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

Here's every bucket from VJ tonight 👇 pic.twitter.com/dFEwacWmjR

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 3, 2026

LeBron James: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal

LeBron James hit not only one but several passes in this game that I watched on repeat. And he made them look easy. I’m talking multiple full-court bounce passes that hit blazing fast players like VJ Edgecombe perfectly in stride and a number of perfectly timed dimes in the half-court offense working off double (or even triple) teams. I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch LeBron play night in and night out before he came to Philadelphia… it is an absolute treat to watch the plays he makes for his teammates every single game, with the correct passes at the correct time to the correct players to make the most of each moment. By the time an opponent’s shot is in the air, James is already positioning himself to grab the rebound and to be able to make a quick, accurate pass ahead.

It sounds like I’m overstating things, but I genuinely don’t think it can be overstated what a facilitator he’s been to start this season.

In addition to his nine dimes, LeBron found the time to sink some buckets of his own, chipping in 15 on 6-for-13 field goal shooting. He also pulled in seven rebounds and had a steal. His first triple-double as a Sixer still eludes him for now, but something tells me it won’t be too long…

I sound like a broken record tonight but watching the playmaking of LeBron James with the Sixers has been incredible. His first Philly triple-double still eludes him, but something tells me it won't be long.

15 PTS, 9 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL
Here's his best dishes of the night 🔽 pic.twitter.com/RKTBCtZYYF

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 3, 2026

Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Philadelphia rained down MVP chants for Tyrese Maxey when he went to the line at one point tonight… and frankly, they’re not crazy. Well, maybe they are, but not for this! Maxey continues to be an absolute baller to start this season, and notably it’s coming in different ways and on both ends of the floor. Not only has Maxey’s defense been incredibly impressive these first eight games… and not only has he been an absolute scoring powerhouse at times… but he’s also taking some clear queues from LeBron James and hitting some monster passes as well.

With such a widespread scoring effort tonight, it didn’t have to be all on Maxey’s shoulders to chip in 40 points. But even without the overwhelming point total tonight (not that 26 is anything to be ashamed of), it’s amazing just how many of the Sixers’ points Maxey played a large part in, whether he scored them, assisted on them, or came up with the defensive play that led to them. First, he got his team going early. Then, he was scoring in bunches himself by the fourth.

Maybe the MVP chants are right…

Maxey finished Monday with a 26-point, 11-assist double-double. He shot 10-for-15 from the floor. He also had four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Maxey is poetry in motion🕺 pic.twitter.com/uN17T7Kdxu

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 3, 2026

Jaylen Brown: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

It was another night of Jaylen Brown just being Jaylen Brown. I’m sounding like a broken record across these Bell Ringers, but it’s incredible how much Brown contributes each game in a somewhat quiet manner. It’s not the high-flying dunks of VJ Edgecombe or the cross-court passes of LeBron James. It’s not always one big spurt of scoring where Brown puts the Sixers on his back for a few minutes. It’s just simple, constant contribution when he’s on the floor, on both ends of the floor. You hear his name called by Matt Cord in the arena so often you almost stop hearing it. He just balls. Tonight, it was 25 points on stellar shooting, 9-for-15 field goal and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, spread out pretty evenly throughout the entirety of the game. This level of performance has seemingly already become the accepted, unceremonious norm from Brown on the Sixers… and that’s something worth taking note of.

Brown finished the night with a 25-points, 11-rebounds (5 offensive) double-double with 5 assists and 1 steal. He hit four triples, two of which game back-to-back late in the game which really felt like the dagger in this one (finally).

Jaylen Brown is up to 25 points following this beautiful handle and three over Buzelis pic.twitter.com/rG3uFJoPrJ

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 3, 2026

After a grueling week that included five games in seven nights and two back-to-backs, the Timberwolves got back to a normal scheduling rhythm as they kicked off the week against the Milwaukee Bucks. Minnesota took down Milwaukee in a preseason matchup as the Bucks have continued to try to find themselves in their post-Giannis era. They’ve had a lot of difficulty starting the season, including losing their last two games by 20+ points.

An already depleted Timberwolves roster was down another rotation player in Terrence Shannon Jr., due to a hip contusion, as the injury bug has found its way to the Twin Cities. The border battle clash always provides a little extra fuel, even when the teams are in opposing conferences.

LaMelo Ball, looking frustrated from his recent struggles, came out flame-throwing as the Bucks played drop and allowed him free rein to shoot behind physical Rudy Gobert screens. Ball drove the offense, hitting nothing but nylon on the majority of his shots. He drove the offense for the beginning of the game.

After a half-hearted defensive stretch led to some Bucks triples, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer came in and slammed the door. Minnesota kept the defensive intensity up but struggled to put the ball in the hoop after Ball went to the bench, but they maintained a 29-18 advantage after the first 12 minutes.

11 PTS in five minutes for Melo. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7CRuCOBJRq

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 3, 2026

LaMelo Ball continued to drive the offense as he scored half of their first-half points while being aggressive in looking for his shot. Sloppy rebounding allowed Milwaukee to get back into the game as they closed the gap throughout the quarter.

There were a few stretches where Minnesota lost focus, and it allowed the Bucks to crawl their way back. The sloppiness persisted, and Tyler Herro hit back-to-back threes to close the second as the Bucks sliced into the double-digit Timberwolves advantage and cut the lead to one point.

The Bucks killed the Timberwolves on the glass and created second-chance points. They led that category 16 to 5 at the half.

LaMelo Ball scored 24 points while Jaden McDaniels trailed far behind as the next highest scorer with seven points. Dosunmu filled up the stat sheet in the other categories with seven rebounds and five assists.

Halftime: Wolves 48, Bucks 47

LaMelo Ball is having his best shooting display in a Wolves uniform, and it is bailing out a horrid team performance for Minnesota. Ball has 24 points on 9 of 15 shooting. No other Wolf has more than 7 points. Minnesota loses the frame 29-19.

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) November 3, 2026

Jaden McDaniels started the quarter off on the wrong foot as he got two fouls in the first 20 seconds of the third that sent him to the bench. Ayo Dosunmu took the baton from LaMelo Ball to start the quarter as he was bowling his way to the rim and finishing with feather-like touch. Tyler Herro matched that output as he stayed hot from his close to the second quarter, as the Timberwolves offense sputtered on the other end. The Bucks were getting too easy of looks as the game went back and forth during the period. Trey Lyles also left his mark, scoring 10 points in the third quarter.

It was a close start to the 4th quarter before Joan Beringer and Jaylen Clark gave the Timberwolves a shot in the arm. The Bucks were on a cold streak that Minnesota couldn’t seem to shake for much of the game before this point. Those two helped to get some separation and grew the lead to double digits.

Milwaukee decided that they couldn’t score with Rudy Gobert out there, nor were they able to stop the Timberwolves’ offense, so they deployed the hack-a-Rudy strategy. That somewhat worked for them, as they were able to get Gobert out of the game, but Minnesota battened down the hatches and knocked down a few triples to close out the game for a 112-100 victory.

😱😱😱😱😱😱 https://t.co/JCEiuzsZGEpic.twitter.com/tbUbgGn7z2

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 3, 2026

LaMelo Ball’s Aggressiveness

The Timberwolves themselves were reeling after the Anthony Edwards injury as they did not know who was next up in the team’s hierarchy. There were multiple quotes that emphasized this sentiment, but it was always clear who would need to step up with their pack leader sidelined: LaMelo Ball.

Ball struggled initially taking the reins of the team that needed him to have his playmaking take a step back so his shooting could take the shine. He struck that balance in this one. He came out of the gates against the Bucks scorching hot, and kept the pedal down for the entire game.

LaMelo had half of the team’s points at halftime and found ways to get his shot off while also finding ways to beat his man off the dribble and take it all the way to the basket. He scored 34 points on 12/21 shooting while adding a 6/13 day from beyond the arc. The fouls almost caught up to him in the second half, but his shooting aggressiveness is exactly what this offense needed.

LAMELO HIT 3 TRIPLES IN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES 🔥

11 PTS (4-5 FGM) early in Q1! pic.twitter.com/uN46IydJH5

— NBA (@NBA) November 3, 2026

Ayo Dosunmu’s Utility Duties

Ayo Dosunmu is a jack of all trades while being a master at diving at the rim and finishing with a soft touch. While LaMelo was focused on putting the ball in the hoop in this one, Ayo took his role as a facilitator, setting up his fellow Wolves with easy looks all around.

He scored 19 points, added 12 rebounds and 8 assists in a stat-sheet-stuffing night. He is the king of scaling his game up and down to fit whatever the team needs, and did that in the third quarter tonight. When LaMelo was struggling to get going, and the Bucks were fighting back, he calmly took the ball and used his patented straight-line driving and love tapping off the glass to stem the Milwaukee tide.

He is a key part of the Ant-less Timberwolves, and more games where he finds himself all over the court will do the Timberwolves well in this stretch.

Ayo Dosunmu stares down Tyler Herro pic.twitter.com/FophIcb7sq

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) November 3, 2026

Up Next

The Timberwolves travel south for a matchup against the rugged Houston Rockets (6-1). That game can be streamed on DAZN at 7:30 pm CST.

Game Highlights

The Sacramento Kings are no longer winless. For the first time this season, Sacramento will light the beam.

The Kings earned their first victory of the 2026-27 regular-season after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 115-100, at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 2.

Sacramento entered the game against the Mavericks desperate for a win as panic was soon mounting for the team in California's capital.

Darius Acuff Jr. powers Kings to first win

Rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. continues to be their high-volume shot taker, and maker. Acuff tallied a game-high 25 points against Dallas, shooting 10-of-21 from the field with five rebounds and six assists. The rookie had five total turnovers in the game. Zach LaVine added 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

The difference in the game was the second unit led by Malik Monk, who had been working his way back from an ankle injury. Monk's ankle seemed OK in the win against the Mavericks. Monk scored 24 points and seven assists off the bench for Sacramento. He was a plus-27 in the game. A major standout though was Leaky Black with 12 points, going 4-of-6 on 3-point field goals, adding four steals.

The Kings were dialed in offensively connecting on 44% on 3-point attempts, while shooting 52% from the field. But defensively, the Kings had put a lid on the Phoenix's basket. The Suns were held to 21% from 3-point distance. They shot 41% as a team.

Sacramento was locked in on the Mavericks' second-year star Cooper Flagg, who scored 17 points on 3-of-19 from the field. Walter Clayton Jr. provided energy for Dallas scoring 20 points off the bench.

The Kings end their road trip on a high note as they get on a flight to get back to California. Sacramento hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento Kings get first win of the season, Darius Acuff Jr. scores 25

Behind its dogged dedication on both ends in the first and third periods, San Antonio ran its undefeated streak to five with a 119-97 win over Utah. After conducting a well-played first 12 minutes with balanced contributions, San Antonio held on to that advantage while fending off an extended Jazz run over much of the second quarter. The Spurs then left no doubt after that, as their starters ran the Jazz off the floor in a 35-20 third period.

Dylan Harper (17 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the way for San Antonio (5-2) with seven players (and all starters) getting into double figures. Western Conference Player of the Week Victor Wembanyama (12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks) seemed content to ride shotgun, as Devin Vassell (11 points) carried the offense over many of the team’s second quarter minutes, while newly 22-year-old Stephon Castle (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and De’Aaron Fox (12 points and 3 assists in foul-limited minutes) helped their fellow guards outshine their less experienced Jazz counterparts. Keldon Johnson (15 points and 7 rebounds) was forceful and effective off the bench.

Lauri Markkanen (22 points and 8 rebounds) carried the offense in comparison to Utah’s (1-6) callow execution throughout the evening. Jaxson Hayes (9 points and 5 rebounds) and Mo Bamba (8 points and 8 rebounds) provided moments of punch before the Jazz succumbed to the superior Spurs.

All five starters shared well in scoring the team’s first 14 points, and the Spurs collectively went up ten early on a sluggish Jazz squad. Utah scores came sparingly throughout the opening frame and their two recent rookie selections combined to go 0-for-8. The Spurs’ team defense proved adept both at guiding dribble-drives into the corners away from the rim and crowding the airspace around shooters. San Antonio got in its own way by missing a handful of free throws. All of the impressive two-way execution also was dragged out over a series of referee stoppages throughout the first and yet, the Spurs still left it up 11.

Markkanen found his shooting touch to start the second and helped bring Utah’s deficit into single digits. Despite their unrelenting effort to catch and surpass San Antonio, the hosts persevered through many tough minutes throughout the quarter. Vassell and Harper’s exploits kept the Spurs afloat, while well-traveled veterans Josh Okogie and Mo Bamba bolstered Markkenen’s production. After Wembanyama’s tip dunk midway through the second, the non-Wembanyamas fended off Utah 22-15 to make it a 59-49 game at the half.

San Antonio came out of the break intent to prevent any further Utah runs with its trio of Castle, Fox, and Harper doing the bulk of the damage to inflate its lead throughout the third as high as 22. The Spurs, in particular, negated any further support outside of Markkanen in a 35-20 quarter.

Observations

• “Momma There Go Those Young Men” Sequence: Putting the finishing touches on a San Antonio push over the middle part of the third, Harper nabbed a crosscourt pass, and looked destined to glide in for a lay-up before he lobbed a feather to Castle for a tomahawk jam.
• Tarris Reed, Jr. (lithe AND bruising big man) playing time: 3 points and SEVEN rebounds in SEVEN minutes of action!
• Wembanyama played nearly 15 feet off of Jaxson Hayes during the initial possession as the Utah center floated outside the paint.
• Utah was content to cede Wembanyama the free throw line extended for a good chunk of his first half shot diet to moderate success.
• San Antonio’s wings helped offset Utah’s frontline size in the first half by hitting the defensive boards in droves.
• Aside from a quick shooting stroke, there wasn’t much that stood out about Peterson. He looked like early-career Buddy Hield out there.
• A tussle between Brice Sensabaugh and Harrison Barnes (13 points) was likely not on anyone’s scorecard tonight.
• Kornet looks heavy-footed when he’s going from baseline-to-baseline, but he’s playing that dunker spot fairly well.
• Sequence of the Game #1: Three-plus minutes in, Wembanyama snagged an errant Jazz miss and, instead of bringing it up himself, floated a 60 foot pass gently into Fox’s ready hands for a transition lay-up.
• Sequence of the Game #2: Late in the first half, Luke Kornet altered a George three attempt and, moments later, Fox rewarded the center by feeding him for a reverse lay-up at the other end.
• Sequence of the Game #3: As part of an opening 10-4 to start the second half, Wembanyama swatted away a George floater, came to a jumpstop short of the paint, and found a streaking Harper for a soaring slam. On the next possession, Harper snared what seemed like a sure turnover on a Wembanyama pass, faked a pass back to his big man, and lofted a floater gently into the net.

Game Rundown

Peterson poorly closed out on a Vassell (pronounced by the crew chief as “VASS-ull”) corner three and was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul and the Spur guard netted three points from the line. Fox ‘s straightaway three and Wembanyama’s banker put the Spurs up six. Utah’s rookie again figured in a referee-involved situation as a shooting foul committed by Castle on Peterson was challenged and overruled. Harper converted a transition lay-up to make it 18-4, and the ensuing foul put Utah in the foul bonus halfway through the stanza. George’s second basket came 8+ minutes into the quarter. Will Hardy challenged a Utah foul on a Fox attempt and won it, and Markkanen got the Jazz into double digits 10 minutes in. San Antonio held Utah to its lowest quarterly output of the young season and led 27-16 after one.

Markkanen’s pair catch-and-shoot threes at the start of the second quickly brought the Jazz within five. Fox picked up his third foul 50 seconds in. Harper found Johnson crosscourt for an open three and followed that with a triple of his own. Vassell rescued a stalled-out sequence with a late clock jumper. A transition three from Bailey brought Utah within one and their increased aggression drew San Antonio into the foul bonus halfway through the second. Kornet got his first block on a George three, scored a reverse lay-up at the other end, and then set-up Castle for a three to prevent the Jazz from taking the lead. San Antonio built back up its cushion culminating with Johnson’s timely pair of lay-ups. Despite Utah’s opening push, the Spurs ended the half having lost only one point from their first quarter differential.

Harper and Fox dual-wielded their impressive scoring abilities deep in the paint to start the third, and San Antonio got the lead briefly back up to 16. Coach Johnson called a Pop-like timeout after George scored mere seconds after a Castle make. Markkanen’s fourth three stopped the Spurs’ momentum briefly. Julian Champagnie missed a straightaway three, secured the miss, and knocked down the next try to push the San Antonio lead to 17. A pair of tips from Markkanen was not nearly enough to dent San Antonio’s offensive onslaught. Wembanyama sandwiched a driving lay-up and a lob dunk around a block to make it 94-69 going into the fourth.

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For the Jazz fan’s perspective, please visit SLC Dunk.

San Antonio hosts Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night on ESPN at 8:30 PM CDT.

The Houston Rockets hosted the Boston Celtics on a second night of a back-to-back, Monday night. Boston kept things close in the first half, but eventually ran out of gas in Houston. Alperen Sengun led all scorers with 26 points, Jayson Tatum had 19 points and Neemias Queta 16 points for Boston. Boston moved to 5 and 2 on the season, and Houston led the Western Conference with seven wins.

Boston rested veteran Paul George for the night after a nice road win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez got the starting nod alongside Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta for Boston. The Houston Rockets started the game with Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr, and Alperen Sengun.

The full-strength Houston Rockets got off to a good start with five points to start the game. Amen Thompson was aggressive attacking the basket for six quick points. Kevin Durant had a pair of turn-around jumpers to start the game for the home team.

Jayson Tatum was looking to get others involved; fresh off his Eastern Conference player of the week award, he had 2 assists at the six-minute mark. Baylor Scheierman had five points to start the game before he took a seat on the bench.

Mitchell Robinson, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard were first off the bench for Boston. Robinson would go to the locker room late in the first quarter with a thumb sprain after only playing a few minutes. Tari Eason hit 2 threes off the bench for Houston as they took an early ten-point lead and looked in control.

Boston missed 32 of 44 3-pointers in Orlando last night, and they continued to struggle shooting the ball to start the game with just 1-9 from downtown. Luka Garza got into the game and had a big impact on the scoreboard, hitting two straight triples in just three minutes of play. Boston had tied the game after a quarter of play, 29-29.

Mike Conley started the second quarter in his second game of the year for his new team; he hit a three-pointer before going back to the bench in a very short stint of play.

The Houston Rockets outscored the Celtics by seven points in the second quarter as Jayson Tatum got a rest after playing the first 12 minutes of the game. Alperen Sengun paced the Rockets with twelve points in the half on 6 of 8 shooting from the field, doing most of his damage in the paint.

Luka Garza hit his third 3-pointer of the game from the corner on a wide open attempt, he had 9 points at the half in just eight minutes of play. Mitchell Robinson returned to the court halfway through the second quarter with a strapped hand. The big man peeled off a screen to dunk home a two-hander off a beautiful Jayson Tatum lob pass.

Payton Pritchard was scoreless for 14 minutes of the game before he finally scored from the foul line. The Celtics had 6 turnovers at the half; shooting just 42% from the field and going just 7 of 22 from three. Jayson Tatum led the C’s with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, all 11 players had scored for Boston at the half.

The Boston Celtics started the second half with a pair of big men, Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson against the taller Rockets squad. The lineup switch paid off, as Neemias Queta was rolling for Boston with 7 straight points; he hit a rare corner triple and got a pair of tip-ins to start the quarter.

Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson connected on a second thunderous lob of the night as Boston cut Houston’s lead back to one point. Hugo Gonzalez had a breakaway layup attempt blocked by Alperen Sengun on the chase down. Jabari Smith Jr. went down the other end and drilled a three-pointer as Houston went up by 7 points.

Payton Pritchard had a chance to cut Houston’s lead to 2 points, but he missed a wide-open three-pointer. The shooting woes continued for Boston; Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Pritchard were a combined 0-11 from three after 3 quarters of play. Houston took a 9-point lead into the fourth quarter, 73-82 at the end of three.

Marcus Smart flopped on two straight plays to start the fourth quarter, Payton Pritchard converted on just 1 of 2 free throws. Marcus Smart hit a pair of triples, Reed Shepard hit his first points of the game as Joe Mazzulla called a timeout to discuss things, Houston were up 93-79.

Derrick White finally connected on his first 3-pointer of the night, after 26 minutes of game time. Boston ran of legs in this one, Houston’s swarming defenders taking their toll on the second night of a back-to-back. Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell got into the game for the final two minutes as Joe Mazzulla waved the white flag in H-Town.

Boston have a day off before next hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday at 7:30 pm EST at TD Garden.

The Dallas Mavericks (4-3) fell to the Sacramento Kings (1-6), 115-100, in a Monday night matchup at the American Airlines Center. The game against the previously winless Kings followed the Mavericks’ Friday night win in Game 1 of NBA Cup group play. Dallas was unable to overcome night in the freezer on offense against a Kings team that was desperately seeking its first win on Monday.

Kyrie Irving was ruled out early Monday evening due to left knee injury management. Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, Sergio de Larrea, and Dereck Lively were also out for the Mavericks. Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell were the notable players absent from the Kings.

Walter Clayton Jr. and Daniel Gafford led the Mavericks with 20 points apiece. Darius Acuff led all scorers with 25 points for the Kings.

Mavericks head coach Dusty May decided to go with a no-guard starting lineup, inserting Caleb Martin into the first five with Irving’s absence. The game started slowly for both teams, with both squads struggling to get their offense going in the first quarter. Dallas played 10 of the first 12 minutes of the first quarter without a point guard in the lineup, and the offense struggled as a result. The Mavericks finished the first period down 19-18 in a game that was quickly devolving into a snooze fest.

The Mavericks entered the second quarter more inspired, finally getting shots to fall behind Daniel Gafford shots at the rim. Once Cooper Flagg got going, the Mavericks gave themselves a little breathing room from the Kings. Walter Clayton gave Dallas the offensive boost it needed in the second period, but the Mavericks were unable to string together enough stops to separate themselves from the Kings.

Morez Johnson Jr. was a bright spot in this quarter for the Mavericks, playing aggressively on the glass and imposing his strength, getting to the foul line on three occasions. Sacramento punched back behind a string of buckets from Malik Monk, and the Mavericks walked into the intermission with the same deficit they faced after the first quarter, down 54-53.

Clayton started the second half for the Mavericks after it was announced that Max Christie would not be returning to the game due to a hip injury. Dallas entered the third quarter as slowly as they played the first half, struggling to get the offense going in any capacity. The Mavericks continued to try to claw their way out of the hole they found themselves in, but entered the final quarter down 81-74.

Dallas continued to struggle throughout the fourth quarter, with Clayton being the only Maverick to see shots fall late. Darius Acuff and Malik Monk continued to take advantage of the Mavericks’ defensive missteps, completely shifting the momentum in the Kings’ favor. The Mavericks were ultimately unable to dig themselves out of the deficit they faced all game, falling 115-100.

Here are three takeaways from tonight’s loss.

Dallas’ offensive woes

When it was announced that Irving would be out for tonight’s matchup, concerns arose regarding how the Mavericks offense would operate in his absence. Naji Marshall struggled in his return tonight after missing the last three games due to an illness. Christie continued to make no impact before leaving the game with that hip injury. The Mavs tried to shoot themselves out of their offensive struggles, to no success, finishing 7-of-33 from behind the arc.

The Mavericks are going to need more from guys like Marshall and PJ Washington when Irving is out, or they will continue to struggle in games where Dallas decides to rest Irving. Clayton stepped up when the Mavericks needed offensive contributions, but the Mavericks cannot depend on a two-way player every night.

“Shots weren’t falling, and it kind of got in our head,” Gafford said in a televised portion of his postgame press conference. “They wanted it more than we did. The energy was a little low.”

Morez Johnson Jr.

Morez Johnson Jr. set a career-high in points tonight, with 13 points, and added two rebounds. Johnson was a bright spot in tonight’s game, holding his own against Domantas Sabonis and Precious Achiuwa. He played physically, grabbing two offensive rebounds to lead to extra possessions for the Mavericks. He was also able to exert his strength to get to the foul line, though he shot 3-of-6 from the charity stripe. The ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft played more comfortably tonight and kept his foul count low again tonight, a pain point for him in the first several games for the Mavericks. Coach May gave insight into how he has coached Johnson before tonight’s game.

Dusty May on how he’s coached Morez Johnson Jr early in his career:

“Just focus on what he needs to do to play better. Whether guys play in five minutes or 35 minutes, it's the same thing. How do you maximize each possession? How do you layer all of these experiences and stay…

— Ron Harrod Jr. (@RonKnowsSports) November 3, 2026

Johnson highlighted this tonight, fighting on the glass and playing physically in the paint. Johnson will grow as a player if he continues to do the little things like he did tonight.

Not a Cooper Flagg performance to remember

Cooper Flagg struggled against the Kings following his 33-point performance against the Rockets on Friday. He finished with 17 points on 3-of-19 from the field. Flagg struggled to take over offensively in Irving’s absence. He was able to get to the free-throw line at a high volume, but failed to see his shots fall all night long. Luckily, this will be one of the worst performances we see from him. Dallas was unable to provide any contributions behind Flagg, putting this one out of reach for the Mavericks.

Up next

The Mavericks are back in action Wednesday night as they travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. Catch the action at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

The Atlanta Hawks escaped with a 108–104 victory over an Indiana Pacers team with just six available players Monday, surviving a late rally behind Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 34 points.

Alexander-Walker connected on nine of his 15 three-point attempts. CJ McCollum finished one rebound shy of a triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, while Onyeka Okongwu contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta made 15 three-pointers before halftime, tying the franchise record for any half. However, its hot shooting gave way to a stagnant offense after the break, allowing the depleted Pacers to fight their way back.

The Hawks were also missing key players, with Jalen Johnson sidelined by a left ankle sprain and Kingston Flemings serving a one-game suspension. Still, against an Indiana team operating with such limited personnel, Atlanta made the finish considerably harder than it needed to be.

The opening quarter offered little indication of those later struggles. Atlanta shot 60 percent from the field and 70 percent from three-point range, establishing an early offensive rhythm.

Rookie Zuby Ejiofor also made his regular-season debut, connecting from beyond the arc for his first NBA basket.

The Hawks maintained control through the second quarter, although Indiana showed the persistence that kept it competitive throughout the night. An 11–2 Pacers run cut the deficit to single digits, but Atlanta continued making perimeter shots to finish its record-tying half.

After halftime, those shots stopped falling as consistently. Atlanta led by as many as 15 points, but Indiana put together a 7–0 third-quarter run to help trim the deficit to five.

The Hawks’ ball movement stalled, leaving them with stagnant possessions against a more active Pacers defense. Indiana outscored Atlanta 23–19 in the quarter, setting up a competitive finish.

Atlanta continued leaving the door open in the fourth. Fouls gave the Pacers opportunities at the free-throw line, while a late 9–0 Indiana run made it a one-possession game.

The Hawks ultimately held on, but the result did little to erase concerns about their second-half execution. Alexander-Walker’s shooting and McCollum’s playmaking helped secure the victory, yet Atlanta struggled to sustain the offensive flow needed to put away its opponent.

Indiana deserves credit for its effort. Despite having only six players available, the Pacers continued competing, increased their defensive pressure and gave themselves a chance to win late.

For Atlanta, the victory was welcome, but the performance left plenty to address. A record-tying shooting half should have provided the foundation for a more controlled finish. Instead, the Hawks needed to survive a final push from a severely shorthanded opponent.

The Hawks next face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, hoping to have Jalen Johnson and Jock Landale back in the lineup.