Category: NBA

When Luka Doncic sustained a left leg contusion and sat out the entire second half of a 103-88 loss to the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Saturday night, he became the latest in a growing list of ailing Lakers.

Doncic played 19 minutes in the first half but didn’t return for the third quarter. He had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists at the break. But Doncic struggled with his shooting, going four for 13 from the field and one for six from three-point range.

Doncic entered as the leading scorer in the NBA, averaging 35.2 points per game, and was third in assists, averaging 9.1. He had torched the Clippers for 43 points in a win last month.

“He told me at halftime he couldn’t go," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "I don’t have any other information.”

Read more:Lakers' Marcus Smart fined $35,000 for making obscene gesture at official

Rui Hachimura missed his first start of the season because of a sore groin that is expected to keep him out three to five days. Austin Reaves (left calf), Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Gabe Vincent (lower back tightness) also are out.

The Clippers also lost a key player Saturday when center Ivica Zubac sustained a left ankle injury in the first quarter. Zubac, who has played every game this season and leads the team in rebounds and blocks, logged just 11 minutes.

The Clippers (7-21) entered the game tied for the worst record in the Western Conference. They had lost five games in a row, eight straight at home and 10 of their last 11 overall.

They got off to a good start Saturday, building a 22-point lead over the Lakers (19-8), who cut their deficit to seven points in the fourth quarter before fading. It was the Lakers' season low in points.

“No matter what the circumstance is, it’s still next man up,” said LeBron James, who led the Lakers with 36 points. “We’re all professionals. We all got to stay ready. So, obviously very challenging circumstances for our ballclub tonight. But I think we played extremely hard. We followed our keys. We just came up short.”

Kawhi Leonard had 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers and James Harden had 21 points and 10 assists.

Before the game, Redick wanted the Lakers to "just manage the game and play with the right spirit."

But the Lakers fell into a 17-point deficit in the first quarter and couldn't recover.

Redick said Hachimura sat out after he felt hip pain against Utah on Thursday night. Reaves was “continuing to push himself” to return soon, Redick said, and Ayton had “swelling” in his elbow but had a “brisk, intense individual workout.”

Redick said it’s possible Reaves and Ayton could return Tuesday at Phoenix.

After the game, Redick lauded how the Lakers put up a good fight despite their rash of injuries.

Jake LaRavia, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Smith Jr, who had nine points off the bench, helped the Lakers stay within striking distance.

But the Lakers struggled to make shots. They shot 39% (34 for 88) from the field, 16% (six for 38) from three-point range and 61% (14 for 23) at the line.

“I thought all the guys, about 90% of them, they brought it,” Redick said. “And we defended at a high level. Made it tough on their stars. ... Yes, just highly, highly competitive group today and really proud of them.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Why Draymond Green's second-quarter ejection woke up Warriors in win over Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s dubious, perhaps even silly, to conclude that the Warriors are a better team without Draymond Green.

But they surely were Saturday night – because Green’s absence left them no choice.

Trailing by 11 when Green was ejected early in the second quarter, the Warriors shook off their atrocious start, reacquainted themselves with defense in the middle quarters and then hung on for a 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns before a sellout crowd (18,064) at Chase Center.

The victory was a tonic for the Warriors, snapping their three-game losing streak and alleviating some of the internal frustration, allowing the twitchiest activists within Dub Nation to get at least one night of peaceful sleep.

All because of their response to Green’s ejection with 10:39 left in the first half.

“Sometimes we take advantage of Draymond, what he does for us, and we count on him to clean up everything,” Gary Payton II said. “But once he’s out of there, we know we all got to come together and do it collectively. I think everybody felt that. And when we’re doing that as a unit, we can be pretty damn good.”

Green was assessed his first technical foul for shoving Suns guard Collin Gillespie in transition, and the second came moments later, when Draymond taunted lead official Pat Fraher and received the automatic ejection.

The Warriors were trailing 48-37 when Green was tossed. They had given up 44 points in the first quarter, with the Suns torching the nets, shooting 70.8 percent from the field, including 60 percent from beyond the arc.

“We were giving up straight line drives, straight bullet passes to the weak side, and they’re just teeing off on 3s, or they were just walking from the 3-point line to the basket getting a layup,” Stephen Curry said.

Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks scored 12 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the field in the first quarter, and All-Star guard Devin Booker put in another 11. The Warriors gave up five dunks in the first 12 minutes. Their Golden defense was asleep.

The sight of Draymond stalking off the floor for the rest of the evening got the Warriors’ attention.

“I think it woke us up,” Curry said. “Because we knew without him, we’re going to have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert and trying to have his back.”

The Warriors turned ferocious, limiting the Suns to 31.8-percent shooting from the field, including 17.6 percent from deep in the second and third quarters. Golden State took a six-point (93-87) lead into the fourth quarter and pushed to 11 before Phoenix staged a comeback, cutting the margin to one in the final seconds before Curry dropped in a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining to secure the win.

“The game settled down for us after the first quarter,” coach Steve Kerr said. “(The Suns) came out lights out, shooting. We made a few mistakes, and then we buckled down defensively. The middle quarters were fantastic defense. They broke free a little bit at the end.”

The result was the Warriors crashing through a barrier that seemed to be getting sturdier each game. After three consecutive clutch-game losses, they found success. They have played 16 clutch games and now are 6-10.

But watching the Suns go on an 11-5 run inside the final two minutes frayed a few nerves inside Chase and did not go unnoticed by Kerr.

“We know we have to execute better down the stretch,” the coach said. “We didn’t execute well, especially defensively. We gave up some open looks, and the 3-point play by (Booker) with about a minute to go . . . we can’t have had the full-court press on and let him move freely and go right to the rim. So, we have a lot to look at and learn from.”

Draymond did a lot of looking on Saturday. And he learned something, too. That his teammates did a splendid job covering for him. They applied defense because he could not, and it won the game.

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Hugo Gonzalez ‘brings the energy' in huge night vs. Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Hugo Gonzalez is making the most of his increased opportunity with the Boston Celtics.

The 19-year-old rookie followed his 10-point, eight-rebound performance in Friday’s win over Miami with another gem Saturday in Toronto. He was an incredible +37 while notching 10 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals in the Celtics’ 112-96 victory.

Gonzalez played 28 minutes after logging 29 against the Heat. After Saturday’s win, NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin asked the Spaniard how he still had the energy to come up big for Boston.

“It’s what everyone told me, like, you can’t be tired because you’re 19,” Gonzalez said. “So I tried to bring the energy. … It’s easy to me to have great energy when the team is also helping and everyone is engaged on the game, and everyone wants the guy next to them to be successful.”

Gonzalez’s 10 rebounds marked a career high. He also tallied two steals in a performance that showcased his exciting potential.

“I just try to (do) whatever I can for the team, whatever they ask me to do,” Gonzalez added. “Obviously, sometimes it’s going to be good, sometimes it’s going to be worse, but you have to be mentally prepared to make a play, to be useful for the team.”

The youngster’s huge night came at a perfect time for the C’s with star Jaylen Brown (illness) sidelined. Payton Pritchard also stepped up, erupting for a game-high 33 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds.

At only 19 years old and just 22 games into his NBA career, Gonzalez already looks outstanding on the defensive end. His offensive game continues to improve as well, as he’s shot 62.5 percent from the floor so far in December.

Gonzalez will look to continue his hot streak when the Celtics (17-11) host the Indiana Pacers (6-22) Monday night.

Surprising Warriors rotation change paves way for Will Richard's big night  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Warriors needed a spark on the heels of three consecutive gut-wrenching defeats, Golden State turned to a player who was a healthy scratch in each of those contests — Will Richard.

The 22-year-old rookie proved to be the difference in Golden State’s 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center, dropping 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting including a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the 3-point line. Richard was a perfect 6 of 6 to begin the game and didn’t record his lone miss until well into the fourth quarter.

“Unbelievable performance, coming off an extended time not being in the rotation,” Steph Curry said of Richard’s efforts in Saturday’s win. “The way he played, not just his scoring, but just his presence all over the floor.”

However, Richard’s impact on the Warriors’ bounce-back victory wouldn’t have been possible without ending a different streak. Buddy Hield had suited up and played in every possible game since joining Golden State before the 2024-25 NBA season (110 consecutive games) and had an even larger consecutive-game streak that extended well beyond his time in the Bay.

That streak would come to an end Saturday, as Hield was the only Warriors player to be a healthy scratch in their gritty win over the Suns.

“I replaced [Hield] in the rotation with Will,” Kerr said. “I told him beforehand, I feel terrible, he had a streak of 199 games in a row, it was one of the longest streaks in the league and one of the things I love about Buddy is he’s there for you every single night.

“He’s the greatest teammate ever and just an amazing spirit and a key part of our team, and it felt terrible not to play him, but I sat Will the last five or six games and we needed to get him back out there and you can see why. Buddy’s time will come back around, it always does. He has got the right attitude, he’s going to keep working and getting shots up and I know things will work out for him.”

Beyond the spacing and gravitational pull Hield offers as one of the NBA’s most respected 3-point shooters, it’s clear how much his personality impacts the Warriors’ morale as they navigate the marathon that is an 82-game regular season.

While Hield surely was disappointed with the news he would be bumped for the rotation in favor of the rookie, Richard revealed how the veteran sharpshooter admirably handled the change, maintaining his positive energy and demeanor while supporting his young teammate’s return to action at the cost of his own playing time.

“Buddy is the same every day. He’s always going to be the guy bringing energy to the team,” Richard said. “Always supporting me no matter what. He definitely handled it well and he has been doing a great job of being the same guy every day bringing the energy and just being a guy everyone knows they can look to for support.”

Richard hadn’t played a single minute in nearly two weeks, with his last appearance coming on Dec. 7 in the Warriors’ blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, where he finished the game as a plus-36 in 24:11 minutes of action.

So how exactly did Richard remain prepared to come out firing on all cylinders despite a prolonged absence from the court?

“Working out a lot. Afternoon shootaround, I was at every one of those,” Richard said. “I knew my time was going to be called so I had to be ready when my time.”

After hitting a big 3-pointer during Golden State’s second-half comeback, Richard took a moment to face the rabid Chase Center crowd and share a special moment with the raucous fanbase that was in the process of erupting in response to his heroic efforts.

Going from three consecutive DNPs to having a sellout crowd of 18,064 losing their minds over your contributions would be a roller coaster of emotions for even the most seasoned NBA veterans. How does the 22-year-old rookie compartmentalize that? What are you supposed to think as you’re stamping your impact on a game after not even getting the chance to see the court in two weeks?

For Richard, it’s all about keeping it simple and focusing on what matters most.

“Just trying to win,” Richard said. “I don’t really think a lot when I’m out there, I’m just trying to win games.”

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Lakers guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture toward a game official during halftime of the game Thursday against the Utah Jazz, the NBA announced Saturday.

Smart was assessed a technical foul for his action as walked off the court for intermission after exchanging words with an official.

The Lakers pulled out a 143-135 victory in Salt Lake City when the 31-year-old defensive specialist scored nine of his 17 points by making three of four three-point shots in the fourth quarter.

Smart, who is averaging 10.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 17 games this season, will again be in the starting lineup Saturday night in place of injured Austin Reaves when the Lakers take on the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Steve Kerr blasts ‘weak' Draymond Green ejection, compares it to Dillon Brooks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr started slowly, then worked himself into a mini-lather when discussing Draymond Green’s ejection during the Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center.

Green’s first ejection of the season came about 48 hours after Suns guard Dillon Brooks jumped high to defend a shot by Stephen Curry, then deliberately and flagrantly hit the two-time NBA MVP in the stomach.

For anyone who has ever seen Brooks in the NBA, it wasn’t a complete surprise — but other than the Flagrant 1 foul he was assessed, he wasn’t ejected and no further penalties or discipline from the NBA came.

Fast forward to Saturday, when Green and Suns guard Collin Gillespie got into a lightly heated exchange after Green blocked one of Gillespie’s shots. The two men kept jawing at one another, with Green earning his second technical for arguing over the first. 

Kerr also picked up a technical for arguing the situation.

“I thought it was weak. I mean, [Green] was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he’s walking to the bench and he yells something, and the second technical … We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night, and premeditated punches him in the stomach,” Kerr said, referring to the Warriors’ loss in Phoenix on Thursday. “No ejection for that. Two nights later, refs got upset with some words from Draymond.

“I just I totally disagree, and that’s why I got my tech because I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily. This is a guy [Brooks] who broke [Gary Payton II’s] elbow in the playoffs, clothes-lining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not going to kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not ejected from that game and then suspended or fined. Nothing, nothing.

“So apparently you are now allowed, this is my team, you’re now allowed to premeditate a punch of a shooter who’s left defenseless … you can now take a swing at him. Maybe we’ll do that. Probably not.”

That was just one chapter in the Brooks saga Saturday.

Early in the game, the Warriors seemed bent on matching Brooks’ energy and did a lot to show that he wasn’t going to get under their skin as he has with them and so many other teams during his NBA career.

Jimmy Butler grabbed a loose ball and shoved it in Brooks’ chest. When a nearby official refused to call anything, Brooks waved his arms and clearly was upset.

Throughout the night, the Warriors seemed to be playing with a more physical edge to them, especially against Brooks, than they normally do. During the second half, Trayce Jackson-Davis picked up an offensive foul after leveling Brooks with a devastating screen.

Brooks definitely got his, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 from the floor and proved to be a good Robin to Devin Booker’s Batman.

Where the Warriors stood out, however, was limiting Brooks’ impact to the stat sheet and not their minds.

“He’s a very intense player,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Obviously he’s having a really good year this year, but at the same time you can’t be a bully in this league. We came out and we handled business.

“Things got chippy. We got chippy right back. We showed them that we’re not soft and we’re not going for any of the things that he does. It’s not easy to get under my skin in general. That’s just the type of player I am. I remember he cheap-shot me, hit me, and I’m just laughing. Like, ‘You’re going to be an idiot and do dumb stuff, that’s on you.’ At the same time, we’re just gonna go out there, play basketball, play hard.”

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Observations after Sixers flip switch in 4th quarter to beat Mavs  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ backcourt played an outstanding back-to-back and helped the team polish off a 2-0 weekend Saturday night.

With a 121-114 win over the Mavericks at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Sixers moved to 16-11. Dallas dipped to 11-18. 

Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points and VJ Edgecombe added 26, posting his fourth straight 20-point outing.

Dominick Barlow tied his career high with 21 points.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg scored 24 points. Anthony Davis had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Naji Marshall put up 22 points and 10 boards.

The Sixers were without the following players on the second leg of their back-to-back:

• Joel Embiid (right knee injury management, illness)
• Paul George (left knee injury management) 
• Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain)
• Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) 

The team will host the Nets on Tuesday night. Here are observations on its win over Dallas:

Barlow, Edgecombe step up on offense 

The Sixers started Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Barlow and Andre Drummond.

Barlow began the evening on Flagg and turned an early steal into a fast-break slam. Barlow had a big first half offensively, scoring 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and missing just once inside the arc. He passed his previous season scoring high of 13 points against the Celtics on opening night. 

The Sixers missed a string of layups in the first quarter and went down 13-8 on a Flagg bucket. However, they stormed back late in the first.

Edgecombe was tremendous when Maxey subbed out, hitting two mid-range shots in a row, including an and-one hoop. He then one-upped himself with a four-point play.

With an Adem Bona put-back slam and Edgecombe dunk, the Sixers suddenly had a 33-21 lead. The Edgecombe-Maxey backcourt scored 25 of the Sixers’ 38 points in the first quarter. 

Sixers strong in the possession game

It took little time for the Sixers to gain a sizable advantage in the possession game.

They posted the night’s first 10 points off turnovers and also fared well on the glass. The Sixers pulled down eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter, including four from Bona. 

Edgecombe picked up his third foul with six minutes to go in the second quarter. Soon after Edgecombe exited, Flagg converted a coast-to-coast layup to put Dallas up 54-53.

Maxey made sure to stop the Mavs’ momentum right away.

He drove hard, kept Dallas’ defense on its heels and posed a constant threat. The 25-year-old led a 10-0 Sixers run by scoring three driving baskets and a transition layup. 

Sixers flip switch in the fourth

The Sixers’ third-quarter woes resurfaced.

The Mavs had greater energy coming out of the locker room and scored the first 10 points of the second half. They took a 70-68 lead when PJ Washington leaked out for a layup.

Entering Saturday night, the Sixers ranked last in the NBA with a minus-21.6 net rating in third quarters. That number worsened against the Mavs; they trailed by six points going into the fourth quarter.

The Sixers needed a good start to the fourth and they were excellent in the opening minutes.

Bona (10 points, eight rebounds) knocked down his second career three-pointer. Maxey scored his first points of the second half on a driving layup to pull the Sixers ahead.

The Sixers’ pace accelerated and they ran well off of their stops, pushing the ball down the heart of the court whenever possible. After Flagg missed a leaner, Edgecombe sliced through the defense for a layup that gave the Sixers a 112-104 edge. A Maxey triple extended the advantage to double digits.

The Mavs’ lack of three-point firepower meant their task was especially difficult from there. Dallas has been one of the league’s worst outside shooting teams so far this season and went 3 for 18 beyond the arc in Philadelphia.

What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler burn Suns in Warriors' clutch win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler made a clutch three-point play with 54.6 seconds remaining, and the Warriors bounced back from their heartbreaking loss in Phoenix two days ago and beat the Suns 119-116 on Saturday at Chase Center.

Butler scored 25 points, while Stephen Curry went deep into his bag of tricks with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Will Richard added 20 points and Brandin Podziemski scored 11 for the Warriors, who ended their three-game losing streak with their third win in their previous eight games.

Butler’s basket had the Chase Center crowd rocking but the Warriors still had to sweat out the final minute. Collin Gillespie’s desperation heave from just behind the arc pulled the Suns within 117-116 with 9.8 seconds left.

After Curry scored on a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds remaining, the Suns had one final chance but couldn’t get a clean look off.

It was a much more enjoyable end to the evening for Dub Nation, 48 hours after the Warriors fell one point short, losing 99-98 in Phoenix on a late, controversial foul call.

This time around, the Warriors (14-15) made sure the game wasn’t decided in the final minutes nor did it come down to a foul call.

It wasn’t a complete beauty of a game but it was just enough to bring the positive vibes back to Chase Center.

This one had a little of everything. Curry making his patented step-back 3-pointer, Draymond Green earning two technical fouls and an ejection, and Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks continuing to prove himself to be the biggest antagonist in the NBA.

The two teams came out firing and combined for 76 points in the first quarter. The Warriors had respectable shooting numbers (13-for-23) while the Suns knocked down shots at a clip of nearly 71 percent.

Curry had 12 of his points in the second quarter as Golden State chipped away at the lead and got within 67-64 at the half.

The game flipped in the third quarter when Butler got aggressive and scored 12 points to give the Warriors a 93-87 edge heading into the final 12 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from the Warriors’ skid-busting win:

Richard pushes for more time

For a guy who hadn’t played in nearly two weeks, Richard looked fresh and crisp in his return to the rotation while providing a needed spark off the bench.

Richard made his first six shots, including a clutch putback off DeAnthony Melton’s missed free throw in the final seconds of the first half and a heat-check 3-pointer in the third quarter,

Richards had been a healthy DNP in the Warriors’ previous three games but was active all night and played like a man looking to earn a spot in the rotation against the Suns, snatching five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Richards’ extended minutes came at the expense of Buddy Hield, who was held out and did not play for the first time this season.

Bullying the bully

Brooks certainly won’t be getting any Christmas cards this year from the Warriors, and it’s not just because of the cheap shot he took on Curry a few days ago in Phoenix.

The NBA super-villian was booed heartily by the Chase Center crowd whenever he touched the ball, then early in the first quarter, the Warriors gave Brooks a little taste of his own medicine when Butler grabbed the ball during a timeout and purposely shoved it into Brooks’ chest.

A referee was standing nearby but declined to call an infraction on Butler, and Brooks tried to plead his case to deaf ears while the crowd chuckled.

In the third quarter, Trayce Jackson-Davis set a hard screen that sent Brooks sprawling onto the court as the crowd again cheered, though TJD was called for an offensive foul.

While Golden State won that part of the battle, Brooks gave the Warriors’ defense trouble all night. He went 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter and finished with 22 points and five rebounds.

Doing without Draymond

The Warriors had to play the final 34 minutes without their best defender when Green was slapped with a pair of technicals and ejected for the first time this season.

Green had blocked a shot by Gillespie, then bumped into Gillespie hard from behind as the two jogged to the other end of the court. The two men exchanged words and Green was hit with the first T.

Surprised by the call, Green continued to argue with an official, which ultimately got him the second tech and ejection. His final stat line of four points and three assists didn’t factor much into the final outcome but he’s the Warriors’ enforcer whose energy in many ways provides the heartbeat for this club.

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Draymond Green ejected for shoving Suns' Collin Gillespie after blocking shot originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The last thing the struggling Warriors need is Draymond Green to have a short fuse.

But that’s what they got against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night at Chase Center.

Green was ejected early in the second quarter after he shoved Suns guard Collin Gillespie during a sequence in which the Warriors forward recorded a blocked shot that led to a Steph Curry 3-pointer.

After Green blocked Gillespie’s shot, he had some words for the young Suns guard and eventually pushed him as they ran down the court.

The referees quickly assessed a technical foul to Green, and when he mimicked giving the ref a technical foul, the 35-year-old was hit with a second tech, earning himself an early shower.

Green had to be restrained by several members of the Warriors’ security team before he finally went to the locker room.

The ejection is Green’s first of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Green finished the game with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one block in eight minutes.

The Warriors will have to try to snap their three-game losing streak without their defensive leader, which is no easy task.

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Edgecombe lives up to ‘the lights' again, makes show-stopping Garden debut  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Nothing about VJ Edgecombe’s performance Friday night suggested he was awestruck or overwhelmed by playing at Madison Square Garden for the first time. 

If anything, perhaps Edgecombe thought his debut was a bit overdue. 

“It’s crazy,” he said the day prior when asked whether he’d ever played at the arena. “No, I haven’t. I was on the No. 1 team in New York and I didn’t get to play at MSG.”

The Long Island Lutheran high school product was everywhere you looked in the final minutes of the Sixers’ 116-107 win over the Knicks. His loud late-game contributions featured a pull-up jumper through contact, a fierce put-back dunk and extremely stingy defense on Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. 

“It was amazing, man,” Edgecombe said of his first Garden experience. “It was everything I expected it to be. The fans … it was great, man. It was a good first game at the Garden for sure.”

After starting 2 for 8 from the field, Edgecombe made 8 of his last 10 shots and tallied 23 points. The 20-year-old now has six 20-point outings in the NBA, including three in a row. He’s up to 39.3 percent from three-point range and is averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

Edgecombe was happy to have Tyrese Maxey on the floor with him again after his star teammate missed the last two games with an illness. 

Maxey’s past the point of being surprised by anything Edgecombe does in crunch time. 

“That’s just who he is,” Maxey said following a 30-point, nine-assist night. “We realized that Game 1. Yeah, you can do what you’re going to do in the preseason, practice and training camp, but when those lights come on, you just never know. And the lights came on and he came on with it.”

Time and again, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has praised Edgecombe’s anticipation, intelligence and ability to do “a little bit of everything.”

His instincts seem to be sharpening with more NBA reps. Unlike many rookies, Edgecombe hasn’t been inclined to stop and think lately. 

“I just try to play hard,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I want to win. I’m diving on the floor, diving in the crowd. Whatever it takes for me to win, to be honest. I think last. I just go and do it.”

Across the board, the 15-11 Sixers appeared well-rested against a 19-8 Knicks team playing its third game in four days. Even with Joel Embiid sidelined (illness, right knee injury management) and Paul George going 2 for 10 from the field, the Sixers never faced a serious deficit and surged into the lead early in the fourth quarter. 

Plenty of role players gave Maxey and Edgecombe handy support.

Andre Drummond drilled a career-high three long-distance jumpers and posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double. Jared McCain scored 12 points off the bench and deservedly closed out the game. Justin Edwards knocked down two timely three-pointers in the second quarter, building on a big game Tuesday for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats. 

“We were really debating over there,” Nurse said, “and that was one of the things I said: ‘I’m putting him in, man. He just scored 37 points the other night. He’s got to be feeling good. Let’s get him in there.’”

Ultimately, the youngest player on the court had a show-stopping Garden debut. 

He’s hungry for a lot for more of these nights, too. 

“I know I have a lot of work to do,” Edgecombe said. “I want to be the best player ever, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Kings star center Domantas Sabonis out another 4 to 5 weeks with knee injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will be without their star center for even longer.

Domantas Sabonis, who has been out since Nov. 19 with a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, will be sidelined for another 4 to 5 weeks, the team announced Friday.

In the 13 games Sabonis already has missed with the injury, Sacramento has a 3-10 record.

The Kings are 6-21 on the season.

Sabonis, in limited action this season, is averaging 17.2 points on 51-percent shooting, with 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists through 11 games.

Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud has seen increased minutes on the floor with Sabonis sidelined, averaging 12 points on 54.8 percent shooting, with 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 22.8 minutes over the past 13 games.

Raynaud, the Kings’ 2025 second-round draft pick, has started the past five games, averaging 15.4 points on 53.4 percent shooting, with 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes in that span.

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While Knicks head coach Mike Brown acknowledged that his team didn't play their crispest in Friday night's 116-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, in which they turned the ball over 18 times, he wasn't exactly pleased with the officiating either. 

Raising some questions regarding non-calls involving OG Anunoby when he drives to the rim, Brown made it clear that he thinks the 6-foot-7, 240-pounder gets officiated differently than other, smaller players around the league.

"It’s one of those, it’s a weird game and the officials they got a tough job, but I don’t know if I’ll ever understand what’s a foul and what’s not a foul because guys, especially quick guys they’ll put their head down and they'll drive the ball from point A to point B," Brown said. "And if you lead with your chest and they're able to flop or fall off you good enough it's a foul. 

"OG's a big, strong guy. When he drives, he doesn't do that. He's trying to attack the rim and he’s getting rerouted on his drive, but he can’t seem to get a call."

Anunoby had just two points in 32 minutes on a rough 1-for-9 shooting night -- way below his season average of 15.4 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent. He finished with a plus/minus of -11.

But after Anunoby's off-game, his head coach had his back and felt he should've benefitted from a lot more foul calls.

"I thought his aggression was there, he just couldn’t get to the free-throw line," Brown said. "I thought he had a couple of good looks from the three-point line and it just kinda got away from him, but I’m not sure what he can do right now to get a call on his drives.

"Not necessarily always at the rim, but I’m talking on the drive because he’s getting hit just like everybody else is, but he’s a little bit bigger than some of those other guards that are getting the calls."

Of course, the lack of calls wasn't the only reason Anunoby struggled as the normally 40 percent three-point shooter this season went 0-for-4 from three-point range. The Knicks as a team shot just 25 percent from downtown with Mikal Bridges (3-for-7) the only player to make more than one from deep.

When shots aren't falling, it makes sense to try and score in other ways, which is what Anunoby did by driving to the basket and looking for contact to go to the line where he's a career 76.1 percent shooter. But if the officials aren't calling fouls on those drives, there's not much that can be done.

"I thought OG had a couple of great looks from the three-point line and I thought he was aggressive on his drives and he didn’t get any calls," Brown said.

For what it's worth, the Sixers were called for 24 personal fouls compared to the Knicks' 21. However, the only players to shoot free throws for New York were Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.