Category: NBA

CLEVELAND — It had been more than five months since the Knicks stepped inside Rocket Arena, where they conquered the East in a resounding sweep of the Cavaliers to clinch their first NBA Finals berth in 26 years.

It was in that Eastern Conference finals that Landry Shamet emerged as a folk hero, beginning with his instantly iconic game-tying 3-pointer that miraculously bounced in during the 22-point fourth quarter comeback in Game 1.

After being ousted from the rotation in the first round, Shamet went 11-for-12 on 3-pointers against the Cavaliers, setting a single-series postseason record.

When Shamet returned to the site of the team’s celebration Saturday morning, he was welcomed by some of the best memories of his career.

“It’s human nature, you’re gonna revert back and think back to the last time you were in the building,” Shamet said before scoring nine points in the Knicks’ 109-97 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday night. “I had a quick little firing of that walking in for shootaround, but I think the general sense was that was last year. That was great. You can have those memories and hang on to that as long as we want, but ultimately this year is a new year and a new endeavor.”

Shamet’s ninth season in the league is unlike any he’s experienced.

After spending his first six years with five teams, Shamet has started his third straight season with the same team for the first time.

After playing on nonguaranteed deals the past two seasons in New York — and claiming the final roster spot last fall — Shamet, 29, is now in the first year of a four-year, $24 million contract that he signed with the Knicks this summer.

“The biggest thing is just being comfortable with the guys on the floor, second year with [head coach] Mike [Brown],” said Shamet who started for the injured Josh Hart in Saturday night’s win. “I think that just breeds confidence. Familiarity breeds confidence. There’s no denying that. It allows you to get to the point of conversations quicker. It makes for a good formula to find success.”

Entering Saturday, Shamet was averaging 9.4 points — ranking fourth on the Knicks — while shooting 42.5 percent on 3-pointers and playing his most minutes (24.9) in seven seasons.

Shamet made his first start of the season — in place of the injured Josh Hart — in Wednesday’s blowout win over the Bulls. In the Knicks’ previous two wins, Shamet was on the floor for the closing stretch, as the struggling Mikal Bridges remained on the bench.

Shamet does not know when he will be needed. He does not need to, likening his spot on the team to that of his high school friend Aaron Ashby, who just delivered one of the greatest postseason runs by a reliever for the World Series champion Brewers.

“Especially with [my] role, I think I take a lot from my buddy Ashby, bullpen guy, you don’t know when you’re gonna get thrown in, what the situation’s gonna be,” Shamet said. “My job might look a little different from night to night. If I’m changing my approach every night, that’s not setting myself up for a good situation.

“I think in the past in my career when I was younger I would try to overcomplicate things and think I have to reinvent the wheel. I try to just keep it as simple as possible, reduce it down to my job, my impact and just play my game.”

Kevin McCullar Jr. is the newest addition to this Raptors’ roster, joining Toronto on a two-way deal earlier this week on November 5th. The former New York Knick is a 25 year old small forward, standing at 6’6” with a 6’9” wingspan.

After being waived from New York to make space to sign Dalton Knecht, McCullar Jr. joined the Raptors. The leader of the Big 12 in scoring in his senior year, he was an All-American on the Kansas Jayhawks before turning pro. In the NBA, his biggest role came in his sophomore year with the Knicks, where he played in 21 games, including a stretch of matchups when Josh Hart went down with an injury.

From our sister site Posting and Toasting, an idea begins to emerge about who he is beyond the stats. Writer Michael Zeno said that the forward exhibited “pure hustle” while being a threat from deep off the catch-and-shoot, with a penchant for picking up some unnecessary fouls.

From his highlights, you see a shooter with good form, someone who can knock it down past the arc while remaining competent closer to the basket. Having spent time in the G League, the Westchester Knicks made a video interviewing him about his personality, on and off the court. He called his stepback his “go-to move”, which he said was his main way of independent shot creation.

This offensive toolkit is certainly something that the Raptors require. Being able to play without the ball in your hands, to allow for the Raptors’ arsenal of creators to set the flow of the offence, while not freezing up when executive decisions need to be made, sounds like just what the doctor ordered for this Raptors team. Jamison Battle is the teammate comparison that comes immediately to mind; and while the forward has not yet developed the same reputation as a knock-down shooter, his development further him along in that direction.

In the G League, McCullar Jr. averaged nearly 17 points and six assists, along with three stocks per game, showing some two-way capabilities. He’ll likely spend a lot of time on the Raptors 905 developing further, and bolstering a team which just lost its first matchup to the College Park Skyhawks this week.

McCullar Jr. could be the next Raptors success story, developing well and making it out of the G-League to become a productive pro. In a situation where it feels like a roster shakeup is inevitable, the Raptors are taking this first step to bolster the team’s shooting.

The Lakers (8-2) embark on their first true road trip of the season on Sunday, starting with a stop in Detroit to take on the Pistons (6-2). This is the first contest of a four consecutive games away from home.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers at Detroit Pistons

When: 3 p.m. PT, Nov. 8

Where: Little Caesars Arena

Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet

After a home-heavy start to the season, the Lakers will hit the road for their first road trip of the season, starting with the stiffest test of the slate.

The red-hot start from the Lakers and Luka Dončić offensively has them ranked as the top offense in the league. The Pistons, meanwhile, enter the contest with the best defense in the league, pitting strength vs. strength.

Like Portland, Detroit plays a physical defensive style to try to overwhelm opponents. Offensively, that hasn’t deterred the Lakers in either matchup against the Blazers, but Detroit is arguably the best in the league at that style of play, so it’ll be a tough test for the purple and gold.

Like the Lakers, the Pistons excel at steals and blocks on the defensive end. However, they are simply average at rebounding, unlike the Lakers, which allows them to close out possessions and bolster their defensive rating.

Detroit allows the third-fewest wide-open 3-point attempts and teams have hit the fewest wide open threes against them in the league. That stat will be put to the test against Luka and Austin Reaves, depending on how they opt to scheme against them defensively.

One area the Lakers could find success is getting to the line. The Pistons put opponents on the line often, ranking 24th in the league in opponent free throw attempts. The Lakers are fourth in the league in free throw attempts per game.

After battling one of the Western Conference’s top teams on Friday, the Lakers will have another tough test on Sunday afternoon against one of the East’s elites.

It’ll be an interesting test for the purple and gold, and another chance to see how they respond to top competition.

Notes and Updates

• Detroit has been off since losing to the Sixers on Wednesday, so this will be a well-rested Pistons team.
• After playing in Friday’s G League opener for the Coachella Valley Lakers, both Cameron Carr and Bronny James are joining the parent team on the road trip
• Luka is a new addition to the injury report with back tightness as he’s listed as questionable. It’s the same injury that led to him missing a game against the Clippers earlier this season.
• Jalen Duran (hamstring strain) remains out for the Pistons while Isiah Joe is also out with a right hip contusion.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome the New York Knicks to town for the second end of a brutal back-to-back.

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Will the Suns shock the Rockets?

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Kenny Atkinson found himself trending for all the wrong reasons during the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup with the New York Knicks in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

In case you missed it, here’s what Atkinson told reporters after the Cavs were already trailing the series 0-3.

“I think analytically, I think we’ve won the — I said three out of three [games in the series], we’re two out of three in the expected wins, I don’t know if you guys follow that — the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.”

Yeah… Cavs fans weren’t happy about that.

Jokes have followed Atkinson into the current season. Every loss is followed with a sarcastic rendition of ‘analytically, we actually won.’

Atkinson finally had a chance to clear the air before Cleveland’s rematch with the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

“I answered the question of ‘you’re down 3-o, what hope do you guys have?’ and I wasn’t lying, but in no sense was it like ‘oh, we deserve to be winning’; there was zero thought of that,” said Atkinson.

It’s not easy to give an optimistic spin when your team is trailing 0-3 in a series. Atkinson learned that the hard way.

“I think when you look back on it and take the context of the question, I’m not sure that was taken into account, which was a little bit of a lesson for me,” said Atkinson. “I would just say, there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us.”

The Cavs were winning in some key expected margins during the series. Particularly in the first two games, where it felt like Cleveland was taking quality shots but just weren’t making them. All of that might help you sleep at night — but it doesn’t change the end result. Atkinson understands that.

“As coaches, we have to check our process, like, are we getting the right shots?” said Atkinson. “But it kind of doesn’t matter, right? Because there’s more than that. There is the mental toughness and physical toughness. The flow of the game, how aggressive you are, there’s all these other intangibles that go in with that.”

The 2026-27 NBA season may still be in its early stages, but Luka Dončić’s historic start is putting his name in the history books.

And while the Lakers still have 72 regular-season games left, the Slovenian superstar is on the trajectory to achieve a feat none of the league’s great scorers have accomplished over the last 64 years. 

Not even Michael Jordan.

Or James Harden.

Or Kobe Bryant.

With his season-high 53 points in Friday’s home win over the Trail Blazers, Dončić has scored 361 points through his first nine games of the season, which is the most by a player through their first nine games since Wilt Chamberlain (472 points) in 1962-63. Chamberlain also scored 455 points to open the 1961-62 season. 

Chamberlain ended those seasons with scoring averages of 50.4 (1961-62) and 44.8 (1962-63), which are the highest marks in NBA history.

Dončić enters Sunday’s road game against the Pistons, which he’s questionable for because of low back tightness, averaging a league-best 40.1 points. 

Chamberlain is the only player in league history to average at least 40 points for a season.

The closest anyone else has gotten was Jordan at 37.1 points in 1986-87. Harden (36.1 in 2018-19), Rick Barry (35.6 in 1966-67) and Bryant (35.4 in 2005-06) are the only other players in league history to average at least 35 points for a season.

Dončić’s career-high scoring average for a season is 33.9 points, which he set in 2023-24 while with the Mavericks. He averaged 33.5 points in 2025-26 in his first full season with the Lakers.

But with the start to the season he’s gotten off to, it begged the question: Could he join Chamberlain as the lone players to average at least 40 points for a season?

“It’s obviously a long season,” Dončić said. “We’re just 10 games in. We got 72 left. But as long as we win, I’m good. Hopefully it continues, but you never know.”

The answer to that question won’t be known until the season is over.

But with Dončić being one of the most prolific scorers in league history, the possibility can’t be ruled out. 

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without the services of sharpshooter Sam Merrill in their matchup against the defending champion New York Knicks on Saturday evening. Merrill suffered a right elbow injury that caused him to miss the second half of Friday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers. As of now, the severity of the injury is unknown.

“I noticed it (the injury) during the game last night, there’s something not right,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Saturday. “Of course, Sam said ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ and then he wasn’t fine.”

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This has been a difficult start to the season for Merrill. He’s struggled to find his three-point shot as he’s connecting on 32.6% from distance so far. How much of that slump is due to an injured shoulder is unknown. What the Cavs do know now, is that missing Merrill for an extended period would be an issue for the Cavs.

“Of course there’s a level of concern there,” Atkinson said. “He’s the ultimate connector for the Cavs. You know our record without him last year was not good. Him and J.A. (Jarrett Allen), those guys connect the game for us so hopefully it won’t be too long.”

Last season, the Cavs did struggle without Merrill. They were just 15-15 in games he didn’t play last season and 37-15 when he did play.

Saturday’s contest against the Knicks will be the first game Merrill has missed this season. Merrill has averaged 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on .386/.326/.917 shooting splits in nine games.

The New York Knicks (4-4) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-4) tomorrow at Rocket Arena. The Cavs are playing the second game of a back-to-back, after trouncing the Sixers last night. Josh Hart is out with right ankle soreness for the Knicks. Jarrett Allen is questionable with a knee contusion. 

Tip off is at 8 PM EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Fear the Sword. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Behave, you magnificent creatures. And go Knicks!

The Washington Wizards play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Watch on Monumental Sports Network. Go Wizards!

The Nets are coming off one of their best team performances of the season, a 114-104 win over Charlotte on Wednesday. Danny Wolf made the most of his first real rotation opportunity, Nolan Traoré continued to show improvements, and Terance Mann gave Jordi Fernández another option off the bench.

Now, Brooklyn takes that momentum on the road to Atlanta — their first of four away from home.

Game Information

• Who: Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks
• When: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
• TV: YES Network, DAZN
• Radio: WFAN

Injury Report:

Brooklyn Nets:

• OUT – Egor Demin (right bone bruise)

Atlanta Hawks:

• OUT – Jalen Johnson (left ankle sprain)
• OUT – Jock Landale (left hip strain)
• OUT – Mouhamed Gueye (left foot fracture)
• OUT – Keshon Gilbert (left knee inflammation)
• OUT – Asa Newell (left great toe hyperextension)
• OUT – Henri Veesaar (right ACL tear)

Preview

“It takes time to get used to someone in a new role. We’ve spent so much time with Nickeil Alexander-Walker being a solid bench role player that it’s still somewhat surprising to see him operate as a high(er) usage wing as a starter. Alexander-Walker won the Most Improved Player award last year and he’s carried that success over to this year. He’s averaging a career best 22.3 points per game, and most impressively is getting to the line over four times a game. When Johnson returns, we’ll see how the Hawks look to climb the standings.”

Read more | Brian Fleurantin

💬Discussion

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Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns

November 7, 2026

Location: Mortgage Matchup Center – Phoenix, Arizona

Time: 8:00 PM CST

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Probable starting lineups

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Suns: Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Oso Ighodaro

Kevin Durant, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in a reunion tonight! Tune in tonight and come chat with us at TDS on on the SB Nation App!

Luka Dončić has been the talk of the NBA following a strong start with the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

Dončić and the Lakers are currently in first place in the Western Conference with an 8-2 record and lead the league in points scored, averaging 122 per game through the first 10 games this season.

Dončić has positioned himself as the leading candidate for MVP early this season. He's averaged 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in nine games played.

The point guard's health will be something to monitor this weekend after appearing on the latest status report.

He was listed as questionable on Saturday, Nov. 7 for the Lakers' game against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The Pistons have allowed the fewest opponent points per game this season, giving up an average of 101.8 points per game through their first eight games. Detroit is third in the Eastern Conference.

The two-time NBA scoring champion is coming off a 53-point performance in a 124-118 win against the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA Cup action on Friday, Nov. 6.

Luka Dončić injury update

Dončić is listed as questionable with back tightness for the second time this season.

The six-time All-NBA player missed one game this season due to back tightness the day after playing against Portland in late October.

Luka Dončić injury history

Dončić does have a history of back injuries during his career. Before this season, he was most recently listed with a back injury in March 2025. He was also listed with back-related injuries during the 2019, 2021 and 2024 seasons.

Where does Luka Dončić rank among NBA's best?

Dončić enters his third season with the Lakers as the unquestioned star and leader. His accomplishments and achievements are why he was ranked No. 4 on USA TODAY Sports' top 100 player rankings ahead of the 2026-27 season.

MORE: Can Lakers' unquestioned star Luka Dončić step up to be face of NBA?

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will travel to play the Pistons on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. ET. It will be the first game of a back-to-back and the first of four straight road games for the Lakers. Los Angeles has won its last four games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic's injury update: Will Lakers star play against Detroit

The Minnesota Timberwolves return home to take on a Utah Jazz team in search of a rhythm. Minnesota is riding a three-game win streak and has found their cadence on defense while getting up the court quickly on offense. This marks the start of eight straight games in Minnesota after a grueling first two and a half weeks of the season. Hopefully, the fans at Target Center can match the Wolves’ tempo.

Game Info

• Who:Minnesota Timberwolves (7-3) vs. Utah Jazz (1-8)
• When: Sunday, November 8th at 7:00 PM CT
• Where: Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
• Local TV: DAZN-MN, KJZZ, Jazz+
• Radio: 830 WCCO

Take What’s Given

The promise of this Jazz team has yet to come to fruition. Utah has won only one game and is bad. They are 29th in offensive rating and 23rd in defensive rating. They are a very young team. The starting veterans they do have are injured.

They are sloppy with the basketball and give it away over 17 times a game on average. Meanwhile, the Wolves boast a top-three defense and are top-10 in generating turnovers.

Ayo Dosunmu has been living by his Jet Life mantra. He is also forcing the most steals of his career. When he pokes the ball away or sees any semblance of open floor, he is breaking the sound barrier on the way to the hoop.

The Wolves lost Joan Beringer for the latter half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans and reportedly suffered a nasal fracture. Trey Lyles did his admirable best to hold down the center spot as Rudy Gobert sat, but he doesn’t offer the same chaotic disruption on the boards.

There is potential for Joan to return against the Jazz wearing a protective mask. Should Beringer miss this game, even with the Jazz front court depleted, the Wolves will struggle to get necessary extra possessions.

Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and TJ Shannon Jr. are all still listed as out.

Continuing to lead the attack with all those absences is LaMelo Ball, who has found his shot and has scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games. He has hit shots from deep and at the rim. In the Wolves’ most recent bout, he turned around and took Zion Williamson to the cup again and again. He has the handle and the threat to score from anywhere, putting any of the Jazz defenders in compromising positions. His production will be key once again.

Off Key

The Jazz starting guards Keyonte George and second-overall-pick Darryn Peterson have yet to discover harmony and sound more like H. John Benjamin’s Jazz Daredevil album than anything you might find on Bourbon St, the Jazz’ original home (and where they should still be if we’re being honest).

Each guard takes turns looking for their own shot when sharing the court, often in the midrange. Seeing this, head coach Will Hardy has turned to splitting up the duo with a mix of starters and bench players.

The Jazz do rebound the ball well, at least on defense. Currently, they are top five in grabbing defensive boards but struggle mightily to recover their own misses. Going against a Wolves team hungry to finish plays or get another chance at a shot, they may find themselves in an early hole.

Minnesota has impressed with their second efforts for offensive rebounds and has managed to maintain the same aggression late into the game when their opponents look tired while the Wolves look ravenous.

In the years since trading Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rudy Gobert to the Wolves, the Jazz have worked, almost conspiratorially, to lose games and improve their lottery odds. Tanking can lead to selecting a franchise-altering star. It can also lead to a pernicious culture of bad habits, the sort of habits that produce gaudy stats and few wins.

Porous Perimeter

Utah’s guards and wings possess the ability to generate their own shot but offer little resistance on the other side of the ball. When a team does puncture their limited-effort defense, they offer even less resistance at the rim.

Both Jazz center options, former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkić, from last year’s team are injured. In their stead are journeymen bigs Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba.

Speaking of journeymen, Josh Okogie returns to Minnesota as Utah’s best point-of-attack defender. Alongside him, second-year forward Ace Bailey has held his own on defense as he waits for one of his point guards to include him on offense. If either Okogie or Ace gets pulled into help, Jonathan Kuminga and Jaden McDaniels will feast on open looks.

Prediction

The Timberwolves get out on the fast break and leave the Jazz chasing Minnesota’s tempo. The Target Center becomes more raucous as the home team continues to build their lead. Joan Beringer returns with a Phantom of the Opera mask and makes Mo Bamba look like Less Bamba. Isaiah Evans hits two threes in garbage time to balloon the lead back to 20+.

Our blogging buddies are over at SLC Dunk. Be welcoming to our friends with their own kind of funk!

The Golden State Warriors return to action Saturday night as they host the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM PT in San Francisco, with the game airing on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Previously with the Warriors:

Golden State extended its winning streak to six games with Thursday night’s 120-100 victory over the Miami Heat. Steph Curry and Draymond Green led the way in a matchup that featured a reunion with former teammate and Warriors legend Klay Thompson. The Curry-Green chemistry was on full display, with Curry scoring a team-high 29 points while Green orchestrated the offense with a season-high 11 assists. As for Thompson, he finished with 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting from the three-point line in his return to the Bay Area.

What to watch for tonight:

The Warriors will look to keep their winning streak alive Saturday night against the Magic. While Curry has understandably drawn much of the attention during Golden State’s recent surge, the team’s bench has also played a key role in its success, providing a consistent scoring boost alongside the starters.

Georges Niang was among the biggest contributors in Thursday’s win, finishing with 13 points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting from the field. His ability to space the floor, make quick decisions, and capitalize on open looks makes him a natural fit in head coach Steve Kerr’s offensive system.

And with Golden State beginning to find its rhythm on both ends of the floor, Niang and the rest of the second unit will have another opportunity to make their presence felt against an Orlando team that has struggled out of the gate with a 2-6 record and will be playing without All-Star big man Paolo Banchero.

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!

Projected Starters

Warriors: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green

Magic: Jase Richardson, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr.

How to watch Regular Season Game 10

Who: Golden State Warriors (6 – 3) vs. Orlando Magic (2 – 6)

When: Saturday, November 7th, at 5:30 p.m. PT

Where: Chase Center — San Francisco, California

TV and Streaming: NBC Sports Bay Area