Category: Basketball

On a night when both teams were missing key rotational pieces, it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who found a way to win, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 32 seconds to go to clinch the game. Donovan Mitchell and Maleek Thomas, who was starting for Peyton Watson, led the Cavs with 17 points apiece.

Cleveland was without Watson (hamstring) and Jaylon Tyson (ankle), depleting an already thin wing room. Oklahoma City was without stars Jalen Williams (ankle) and Chet Holmgren (knee).

The Cavs had an exceptionally well-rounded effort with seven players in double-figures, but the Thunder had the better star down the stretch. All of Cleveland’s starters had at least 14 points, and Mario Hezonja and Tyrese Proctor had 12 and 10 points off the bench respectively. But while the box score looks good, the Cavs’ inability to finish defensive possessions ended up dooming them. In a tightly-contested game, the little things reared their ugly heads.

As has been the case to start the season, the Cavs’ inability to close out games in high-pressure situations continues to be a glaring issue. Cleveland briefly held the lead, but then gave up key buckets to Ajay Mitchell — who himself was thrust into a bigger role — and Gilgeous-Alexander. After Sam Merrill’s three-pointer tied things up with 91 seconds to go, the Cavs never scored again.

The Cavs trailed the Thunder by 11 at the break, but fought back hard in the third quarter and made it a game. But the difference ended up being determined by the the Thunder’s star point guard. James Harden’s last bucket came with 8:51 left in the third quarter, and his last points scored period were on free throws with eight minutes left in the game. The rookie Thomas attempted six more shots than Harden on a night the Cavs could have used boost.

Players like Gilgeous-Alexander are going to get their buckets, that’s why he is an MVP candidate and one of the best in the league. But the Cleveland fought back hard, had a solid team effort, and came up short at home because its stars were not able to get them over the hump in crunch time.

Sound familiar?

The Golden State Warriors seem to have found something special with Yaxel Lendeborg.

The rookie has been extremely impressive in his brief Warriors tenure, averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, and produced a career-high 37 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Lendeborg also appears to have found something special with his girlfriend, Tacarra.

These two met in the summer of 2025 and are still going strong. She has been a mainstay at Warriors games this season, and the two look to be collaborating with Dub5 apparel together, as they are constantly being posted together by the company.

The apparel brand posted another Instagram video of Yaxel and Tacarra over the weekend that showed they aren’t afraid to show public displays of affection.

The video showed Lendeborg holding his girlfriend beneath her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him and they look into each other’s eyes.

Then the couple leans in for a kiss moments later.

View this post on Instagram

The caption (which doesn’t really fit the moment) is captioned, “bro came into the league and made it fun to watch ”.

Lendeborg has a quick turnaround from his career-best performance, as the Warriors face the Phoenix Suns at home on Monday.

Mitchell Robinson exited in the first half of the Celtics game against the Houston Rockets with a left thumb sprain, but returned late in the second quarter after a stint in the locker room.

Robinson, who missed Sunday’s game to rest on the front end of a back-to-back, returned to the game off the bench for the first time this season. The team said he was probable to return shortly before he checked back in.

But Robinson scored on an alley-oop immediately after re-entering the game, off a feed from Jayson Tatum.

So far this season, Robinson is averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He started the first 5 games of the season, and the Celtics went 4-1 in those games.

Aside from Robinson’s seemingly minor injury, the Celtics have had a healthy start to the season; Devin Carter missed the first 6 games due to illness, but no one else has missed time for anything other than rest. Robinson missed Sunday’s game, while Paul George sat on Monday on the second night of the back-to-back.

This story will be updated as more information is available.

LeBron James is having fun in Philly and one fan's wine can prove it originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James is one of kind in so many ways. What he did Monday night might be the cherry on top.

In the third quarter of the Sixers’ 126-107 victory over the Bulls, James decided he’d take fan interaction to a whole new level.

He helped himself to a fan’s red wine.

James looked for a transition pass from Tyrese Maxey, who snagged a rebound. James was behind the pass and his momentum took him into the stands, where he disappeared for a few moments.

It wasn’t until another angle was shown on replay that we could see what actually went down in the darkness of the seats. James didn’t hold back giving reporters a play-by-play.

“I spilled some of his wine,” he said postgame. “I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine. So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was alright.”

Troy Clemons – the Sixers fan whose drink spilled – explained his perspective on the interaction with James to Kris Rhim of ESPN.

“[I was] walking to my seat … LeBron crashed into me, he grabbed me, he said ‘My bad,’ my drink spilled everywhere. He took my drink from me and he basically just took a sip of it, gave it back and ran back on the [court].”

Did he keep the cup?

“At the end of the day he’s another man like me,” Clemons said. “I mean he’s LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash. And it’s nothing up with him, I just got a fresh drink though.”

It should be noted that players are not supposed to drink from fans’ cups, but it’s rare for the NBA to fine someone for a spontaneous interaction such as this. In 2019, a similar thing happened when Mike Scott tumbled into the Bucks’ court-side seats. The Sixers star jokingly took a sip of a fan’s beverage and the NBA opted not to fine him. Time will tell if James has the same fate.

If nothing else, an interaction like this just shows how much fun James seems to be having.

The 24-year veteran noted the importance of finding joy in the game as he grinds through the season.

“It’s a long marathon. And if you don’t find ways to have fun throughout it, even though you’re working and even though you’re locked in, then it could wear on you. So for me, especially at this point in my career, being able to just appreciate the moments, the small moments, these fans are great to us. We try to be great to them as well. By playing the game the right way, playing the game hard and then also just being showmen as well, it was a great game for us.”

Head coach Nick Nurse also weighed in on the 41-year-old’s mindset coming into the season.

“This summer I think he probably stated publicly that he wanted to go some place and have some fun playing. He loves the game, [it’s his] 24th year. It’s a group of guys, like I keep saying, that have been super focused in the intent of playing the right way. I think he’s a big part of that.”

The vibes are high. It’s difficult for them not to be.

With Monday’s win against the Bulls, the Sixers are 7-1 and lead the Eastern Conference. They’ve won four in a row and the only team they’ve lost to is the Pistons. The Sixers will face them on Wednesday to start a three-game road trip.

For the second time in this young season, the Suns will face the Golden State Warriors.

See you in the comment section!

The last time the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors met, the Suns got the Warriors’ backups. Steve Kerr rested Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford and Brandin Podziemski on the second night of a back-to-back, and Devin Booker went berserk. He dropped 43 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 131-122 Phoenix win that dropped Golden State to 0-3, its worst start in almost two decades. He set a Suns record for points in a home opener, a historic performance against a limping Warriors squad.

Let’s see what he does tonight. But for those who haven’t been following Suns basketball, here’s a quick refresher for you this season.

Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors
When: November 2nd, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Chase Center
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: 95.7 The Game

• Opening night was a disaster. Portland jumped out to a 21-0 lead and won 124-83, with Phoenix trailing by as many as 52. Damian Lillard scored 25 in his Blazers return. That’s the seventh-largest margin in opening-night history,.
• Then came the big game against GSW. After scoring 43, Booker said the bench had more chemistry than his own starting group.
• Since then, two more losses. Phoenix lost 125-114 in Oklahoma City and 127-120 at home to Denver. Through four games, the Suns rank dead last in defensive rating at 126.3 points allowed per 100 possessions. Their offense sits right in the middle at 15th. SI’s Suns site summed up the start in one word: consistency.
• How they play. Phoenix runs at the fourth-slowest pace in the league and ranks near the top in pull-up points. Translation: lots of Booker and Green creating their own shots late in the clock. When those shots fall, the Suns can beat anyone. When they don’t, you get Portland. That’s a tough formula against Golden State, which leads the league in threes made and passes per game. The Warriors will move the ball until Phoenix’s league-worst defense breaks somewhere, while Booker has to manufacture tough looks possession after possession.
• Who’s missing. Mark Williams is out after surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Oso Ighodaro, who missed the first meeting, is available this time.

On the other side, the Warriors (4-3) haven’t lost since Phoenix. Curry and Green sat Sunday’s 124-112 win over the Clippers and are expected back tonight. Curry scored 99 points over the three wins before that, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg dropped 37 on the Clippers. Golden State is still without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porziņģis and Gui Santos, but this group has proven it can win while shorthanded.

The Suns have real talent and a star who can win a game by himself. But let’s see if he can put the team on his back again against a Warriors lineup that will be more fortified than in these two teams’ last battle. Phoenix got its only win of the season against a Warriors team without Steph and Draymond. Tonight it has to earn one against both of them, plus a rookie who’s been playing like a headliner since the last time these teams met.

The Golden State Warriors are back in action tonight, as they host the Phoenix Suns. The Suns got the better of the matchup a week ago, but the Dubs were resting nearly all of their key players. That’s not the case in this game, though the Warriors are still missing some key players. Here’s the full injury report for both teams.

Warriors

Out — Brandon Williams (left quadriceps contusion)

A day after arguably his best game in a Warriors jersey, Williams will have to sit. The spark plug was electric in Sunday’s win over the LA Clippers, dropping in 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with three assists. But it came at a cost. Hopefully the back-to-back off days after this contest will allow Williams to be back on the court on Thursday.

Out — Gui Santos (left knee tendinitis)

Santos has been on the injury report for a few games now, and it seems like the Warriors are having him take a step back and focus on getting healthy. He was a game-time decision on Sunday, and played, but was compromised and didn’t finish the game. We’ll see if he’s available on Thursday, or if he needs a longer stint to fully get back to health.

Out — Al Horford (bilateral low back injury management)

Nothing surprising here. Horford doesn’t play in back-to-backs to preserve his health, and was on the court Sunday. So we knew he’d be out tonight.

Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair surgery)
Out — Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair surgery)
Out — Kristaps Porziņģis(not with team)

No new news to report with any of these three.

Suns

Out — Mark Williams (left shoulder surgery)

Williams was awesome in his first season with the Suns a year ago, but he had shoulder surgery in September and is a long ways away from returning. Phoenix is missing interior scoring and rebounding without Williams in the fold.

Enjoy the game, Dub Nation! It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT from the Chase Center, and you can watch it on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

It was just five days ago that the Spurs met up with the Jazz, defeating them 117-111 with a 36 point outburst from Victor Wembanyama and a good supporting effort from Devin Vassell and all of the guards. The short handed Jazz depended heavily on their youthful players with Keyonte George torching the Silver and Black defense for 31 points and Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey doing their parts. Multi-team retreads Mo Bamba and Jaxson Hayes actually looked like legit bigs in that game, and the Spurs had their hands full pulling out a win on the road in Salt Lake City.

Lauri Markkannen should be back in the lineup tonight, which should improve their big man rotation a lot, and this could be a tough game than it looks for San Antonio against the 1-6 Jazz. The Spurs offense looked much better at times against the Timberwolves on Saturday than it did against the Jazz, but also had some extended lapses where they took several minutes of game time off from scoring. Victor Wembanyama’s masterclass performance with 43 points and 6 blocks took over the game, but it would nice to have a game where the Silver and Black don’t need that kind of performance to win, and maybe let some of the younger players like Reed get in some work and game experience. Tonight could be the night if the Spurs can play with consistent effort and put the Jazz away early.

Let’s GOO Spurs!! Victor must dominate Lauri. If you’re eligible to vote in the US elections and you haven’t voted yet, get out and vote tomorrow.

Game Prediction:

Responding to the criticism of the three guard lineup, Mitch Johnson puts in a triple tower lineup of Wemby, Reed, and Kornet to start the game. They hold the Jazz to 6 points in the first quarter, but only score 16, all of them by Victor.

San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
November 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT
Streaming: DAZN, League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

After initially being listed as questionable for the Sixers tilt with Chicago Monday, the Sixers have upgraded Joel Embiid to available with plantar fasciitis management.

Philadelphia will have just about everyone available against the lowly Bulls. Dominick Barlow (back) and, of course, Ariel Hukporti are the only Sixers to appear on the injury report. Those aforementioned Bulls come into the night 29th in point differential.

They’re 24th in points scored per 100 possessions and 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. They also remain without their starting center Nic Claxton, yet to make his Bulls debut after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp. Claxton was initially listed as doubtful, making it possible, but he was eventually ruled out. The 6-1 Sixers should be able to easily dispatch of this team.

It’s not a good thing that Embiid is dealing with plantar fasciitis, but it’s a good thing that “management” is still in the designation.

“Well, plantars is a little bit of a come-and-go-type of thing,” Nick Nurse said pregame. “So they’re just trying to manage it. It’s very painful if you’ve ever had it. And it can kind of come and go out of nowhere. So we’re just trying to manage the pain with that and be as smart as you can.”

Nurse also provided a brief update on Barlow, who’s been getting in some individual work on the court.

“He’s seeing a specialist tomorrow,” Nurse said. “He’s been on court a little bit, not a ton yet, not a ton of moving around. I think they want to get to tomorrow’s appointment. Hopefully, it’ll be positive where he can get into his workouts a little bit.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to keep the momentum going from their recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks, as they take on the injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder.

Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!

There’s a lot for Nets fans to take in at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, whether they’re making the trip across the river or watching from home.

Brooklyn finally snapped its five-game losing streak to start the season, earning its first win Sunday evening. But there’s another unfriendly reminder waiting at the Garden: the Knicks’ 2025-26 championship banners hanging in the rafters. Adding insult to injury, the Nets haven’t beaten their crosstown rivals since January 2023, a streak that has now reached 14 games.

Julius Randle’s return adds another layer. The former Knick played a significant role in helping turn the franchise around, and he deserves credit for that. How the Garden crowd receives him, though, is another story. Particularly in the crosstown rivals colors.

The Knicks are off to a bit of a strange start that looks awfully familiar for hungover championship teams. Some of the little things go out the window when you’re the last team standing. Lost amid the triumph are tired legs. Still, Jalen Brunson is a bonafide superstar and the Nets will endure something they haven’t ever had to before: face the defending champion New York Knicks.

On their home floor.

Game Info & How to Watch

• Who: Brooklyn Nets (1-5) at New York Knicks (2-4)
• When: 7:30 PM ET
• Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• TV/Streaming: YES Network, MSG Network, DAZN
• Radio: ESPN Radio, WFAN

Nets vs. Knicks: Who’s Out?

Brooklyn Nets

• Egor Dëmin: OUT — Right leg bone bruise
• Joshua Jefferson: OUT – G League Assignment
• Ben Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment
• Tyler Bilodeau: OUT – G League (Two-Way)
• Grant Nelson: OUT – G League (Two-Way)

New York Knicks

• Jose Alvarado: QUESTIONABLE — (left ankle sprain)

To be updated.

💬 Discussion

Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversations. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics

November 2, 2026

Location: Toyota Center —Houston, Texas

Time: 7:30 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

Celtics: Derrick White, Payton Prichard, Jayson Tatum, Jordan Walsh, Mitchell Robinson

Can the Rockets start a new streak? Tune in tonight and come chat with us at TDS on on the SB Nation App!

It’s a cross-borough contest tonight at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks (2-4) host the Nets (1-5) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are stinging from another close loss, their second to the Sixers. Meanwhile, the Nets are celebrating their first W of the season, having beaten the Pacers yesterday. Tonight will be our first up close look at Julius Randle in a Brooklyn uni, and he’s expected to be motivated to score a 30-10 double-double. No stars appear on the injury report. Jose Alvarado is questionable for the Knicks with an ankle sprain. The Nets will be without Egor Demin (leg) and Mikel Brown Jr. (rest).

According to my sources, the Nets have not beaten the Knicks since January 2023. Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG and YES. This is your game thread. This is Nets Daily. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Practice good humanity. And go Knicks!

The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) play host to the winless Sacramento Kings (0-6) on Monday night. Dallas has had two full days off following a thrilling win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The Memphis Grizzlies thumped the Kings by nearly 30 points on Halloween. Here’s the main things to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings
• WHAT: Trying to extend the winstreak
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA and League Pass

The injury report is mixed for the Mavericks. Leading the way is Kyrie Irving, who was downgraded to doubtful on Monday afternoon. The internet is annoyed at this, he’s had two days off, so injury management doesn’t make a ton of sense. I suspect Dallas thinks they can win without him, so this is a risk. Santi Aldama is also doubtful; as he’s returning from knee surgery, I bet we see him this week. Dereck Lively, Sergio De Larrea, and Tarik Biberovic are all out.

The Kings will not have Maxine Raynaud, Keegan Murry, or Ben Simmons. Zach LaVine is listed as questionable as of this writing with elbow inflammation.

Dallas should have an easy time of this one but that’s based on what we’ve seen so far. I have a feeling the Mavericks may take the Kings lightly, at least to kick off the game. Whoever guards Acuff Jr. is in for a tall task, given his bright green light shooting the ball. If he gets hot from deep, that’s the only real way I see Dallas falling to the Kings tonight. If you want a deeper preview, head back out to the main page.

Since you’re here checking out this post, it’s for one of two reasons.

• Injury report news
• Discussion and comment thread

If you’re part of the former, please consider signing up for an account. You get way fewer ads, and you can comment! If you’re part of the latter group: GO GET THE APP. I’m serious. The app has some real-time features specifically for game threads like this one and you can comment and get notified really, really easily. It’s part of what’s keeping this whole series of sites going. So go do it for us and in doing so, you’ll see why the experience is simply better.

Consider joining me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube; I will be going live tonight, and I need y’all to join and participate!

Steph Curry shares how Draymond Green ejection ‘lit a fire' for Warriors in win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry says Draymond Green’s ejection did exactly what it looked like it did: it lit a fire under the Warriors.

Green was thrown out early in the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center, after he shoved Suns center Khaman Maluach to the ground beneath the rim and then scuffled with Dillon Brooks, earning two technical fouls. Golden State trailed 67-57 at the time. The Warriors then scored 42 points in the third quarter to tie the game, and Curry had 18 of them, on the way to a 116-113 win and a fifth straight victory.

Curry credited Green for setting the tone, even in his absence.

“We know what he brings, and he lit a fire underneath us to respond,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke on “Warriors Postgame Live” after the win. “Once he goes out, it’s on us to pick up the slack. Play competitive basketball with that same toughness.”

Curry had been quiet before that. He scored nine points on 2-of-7 shooting in the first half, then made a 3-pointer 15 seconds into the third quarter and scored 18 points in eight-plus minutes. He finished with a game-high 34 points, his third straight game with at least 31. Curry said the credit belongs to more than him.

“Obviously, like you said, I got it going, but it was [Charles] Bassey, [De’Anthony] Melton, [Brandin Podziemski], [Yaxel Lendeborg], everybody,” Curry added. “Will Richard, another game where he comes in and is just disruptive on defense, and by committee everybody showed up.”

The depth showed. Charles Bassey scored a career-high 19 points off the bench, Brandin Podziemski added 20, and Yaxel Lendeborg followed his 37-point game against the Clippers with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Curry also pointed to the circumstances. Curry and Green had rested the night before, but many of their teammates were playing the second night of a back-to-back, and Phoenix was coming in rested.

“It was a combination of that moment, we got to have our brother’s back when he defends us, but it was also understanding that this was one of those games where most of the guys were on a back-to-back and Phoenix had been off for a couple of days, they started 1-3, so we knew they were going to come out playing desperate,” Curry said. “They played unbelievable in the first half, so we just tried to, as they say, weather the storm, just execute.”

The Warriors erased a 17-point deficit and won without Green for most of the night. After an 0-3 start, they now have the five-game win streak they never had last season.

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