Category: Basketball

Draymond Green reveals what heckling Pelicans fan said to spark confrontation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green heard the trash talk from a New Orleans Pelicans fan on Sunday night, and he had something to say in response.

Following the Warriors’ 124-106 win over the Pelicans, Green addressed the odd scene that occurred at Smoothie King Center.

“He just kept calling me a woman,” Green told reporters in New Orleans (h/t The San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Gordon). “It was a good joke at first, but you can’t keep calling me a woman. I got four kids, one on the way. Can’t keep calling me a woman. Yeah, he got quiet, though. So it’s fine.”

Green explained how the fan’s tone changed once the Warriors forward approached him.

“Well, he was talking at first, and then you get a little closer. And he didn’t really say much else. But no, it’s fine, we’ll move on.

“Yeah, he just kept calling me a woman’s name and I am not … Do I look like a woman? Do I look like a woman? … Lisa Leslie was a good rebounder, too. She’s older than me, you know, but she don’t be disrespectful. It’s cool. We move on.”

Following a Warriors’ foul late in the second quarter, Green walked up to the fan along the baseline and exchanged words with him. Referee Courtney Kirkland quickly intervened and de-escalated the situation before it could get physical.

Green praised Kirkland’s actions.

“He just told me, ‘I got it. I’ve heard him over and over and over again. You’ve handled it well. Don’t get yourself in no trouble. I’ll take care of it.’ Courtney was great,” Green told reporters.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had no issue with how Green handled the situation.

“As long as it doesn’t escalate, it’s fine to go over and have a discussion,” Kerr told reporters. “I had no problem with it. It would have been nice if security had gotten there a little bit earlier … it’s hard to comment on it because I don’t know what was said.”

Arena security approached the fan and reportedly gave him a card indicating that he had been warned.

The Warriors picked up their third consecutive road win, beating a Pelicans team that didn’t have star forward Zion Williamson and former Golden State guard Jordan Poole, and just fired coach Willie Green on Saturday.

Even with Steph Curry in the building, the vibe from Pelicans fans was muted — aside from Green’s heckler.

But winning any road game makes Green happy.

“I love it,” Green told reporters. “I love disrespect on the road because, you know, we win a lot. Not this year, we haven’t won a lot, but we usually win a lot on the road. So quieting a home crowd is always fun. This crowd wasn’t too loud to begin with, so, yeah.”

Green wasn’t penalized in the moment for the incident and he likely won’t face any punishment from the league.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed before something really bad happened.

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George upgraded to questionable, Oubre and Bona sidelined for Sixers  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers had several pieces of significant injury news Sunday.

The first worth noting is that Paul George’s return appears imminent. George, who’s yet to play this season for the 7-5 Sixers, was listed as questionable for the team’s Monday night matchup vs. the Clippers.

George underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July. He’s been practicing for over a month and looked sharp in post-practice workouts. 

A Sixers official said Tuesday that “the final stage” of George’s return process involved “the continued strengthening of his left quadricep.” The 35-year-old forward seems very close to checking off that final box.

The Sixers listed Kelly Oubre Jr., Adem Bona and Joel Embiid as out.

On the injury report, Oubre’s injury is described as a “left knee sprain.” He suffered the injury Friday in the second quarter of the Sixers’ loss to the Pistons. A team official said Sunday afternoon that Oubre has a left knee LCL injury and is meeting with specialists. 

The Sixers will need to make major adjustments without Oubre, who averaged 34.8 minutes over the first 12 games and posted 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. 

“Hopefully, it won’t be too serious,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “But he’s really having a career year and he’s doing a lot of little things that don’t show up in the numbers as well. So we’ve got to take a good, strong look and see who’s plugging into all those little areas. He loves to play, loves to be out there. He’s super disappointed, obviously. … Let’s just hope it’s not too long. He’s been great this year.”

Justin Edwards is one obvious candidate to assume a larger role without Oubre. Dominick Barlow is another young player who looks set for plenty of minutes in the short term. He logged an impressive 29 against Detroit in his return from a nine-game absence with a right elbow laceration. Barlow said Sunday he’d only been able to do “a couple days of real cardio” while sidelined, but the 22-year-old forward’s conditioning wasn’t problematic in a 10-point, eight-rebound outing.

“That was about a full load for him right there,” Nurse said. “That was a lot for him the other night. I just think he’s a really important part of what we’re doing. He plays really hard, he transfers the ball (well), he’s got IQ. He just does a lot of really good things for us. As long as he keeps playing like that, he’s going to play a lot.”

Bona will miss at least the next three games because of a right ankle sprain. Andre Drummond will presumably remain the Sixers’ starting center for the time being.

Embiid will sit out his fourth straight game on Monday. He was a full practice participant Sunday, per a team official, and the Sixers have changed his injury designation from “right knee soreness” to “right knee injury management.” 

What we learned as Moses Moody drops career-high 32 points in Warriors' huge win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

Winning three consecutive games might not feel so special for the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, but it’s worthy of a small celebration for the Warriors.

Golden State’s 124-106 win over the Pelicans on Sunday in New Orleans represents its first sign of momentum this season, guarantees at least a .500 road trip and assures the Warriors (9-6) will have a winning record when they return to the Bay Area on Friday.

Moses Moody led the offense, dropping a career-high 32 points on high efficiency, while Jimmy Butler contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists, adding three rebounds. Brandin Podziemski continued his scoring uptick, putting in 19 points, while Buddy Hield chipped in 11.

The Warriors recorded 34 assists and drained a season-high 24 3-pointers, on 56 attempts, with Moody most responsible for showing the way.

Here are three observations from the fourth game of a six-game road trip:

Moody bounces back

If anyone on the Warriors needed a bounce-back game, it was Moody. Playing 30 minutes Friday night, he scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in the win over the Spurs in San Antonio.

Moody bounced back in one of the most fantastic ways possible. He tried to bury the Pelicans early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter on 7-of-8 shooting from deep. He was plus-17 for the quarter and accounted for nearly half of Golden State’s 44 points, its highest total for any quarter this season.

Moody’s 21 points and seven triples represent career-highs in a single quarter for both categories. The seven 3-pointers are a career high for a game and are the most treys made by any player in any quarter this season.

Moody’s initial blast immediately gave the offense a jolt before he cooled over the final three quarters. His 32 points came on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from the line. He was plus-22 over 32 minutes.

Bench brings a punch

Golden State’s bench, among the most offensively potent in the league, averaging 40.2 points per game before nosediving in the two previous games in San Antonio, returned to form at Smoothie King Center.

After scoring a total of 42 points in the two games against the Spurs, the bench crew produced 48 against the Pelicans.

Podziemski’s 19 points, on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 3-of-7 from distance, represent his highest total since he dropped 23 against the Grizzlies on Oct. 27.

Hield, in the deep freeze the past two weeks, averaging six points per game in November, tossed in 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. This is the second time this season he has made at least three triples.

Al Horford dropped in two 3-pointers for six points, while Quentin Post, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis combined for the other 12 points.

Quiet night for the Chef

New Orleans came with a game plan Golden State has seen many times, rolling out the Anybody-but-Steph defense.

And as bad as the Pelicans have been this season, it’s something in their bag. They have in 6-foot-8 Herbert Jones one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and 6-foot-8 Trey Murphy III provided plenty of supplemental assistance on the 6-foot-3 Curry.

The result was double- and triple-teams that never let Curry get any shooting rhythm – he even missed a free throw – and nudged him toward a decoy role. He didn’t sink his first goal until the third quarter, on his seventh attempt, a transition layup on a charity dime from Butler. His first 3-pointer came three minutes later.

Coming off successive performances of 46 and 49 points over his last two games, Curry finished with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting from the field, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. His gravity still was an asset, as he finished plus-18 over 28 minutes.

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Watch Warriors forward Draymond Green, Pelicans fan exchange words in odd scene originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is used to getting into on-court confrontations with other players, but on Sunday, he took exception with something a fan said.

In the second quarter of the Warriors’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center, Green walked over to a fan sitting along the baseline and they exchanged words.

Green approached the fan but didn’t appear to touch him, and the situation quickly was de-escalated.

As Pelicans forward Herb Jones went to the free-throw line, arena security was seen talking to the fan, and per Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, the fan was given a red warning card.

If the fan said something that crossed the line, Green very likely will have something strong to say after Sunday’s game.

Stay tuned…

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Russell Westbrook's scoring milestone overshadowed by Kings' loss to Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Historic NBA milestones, like star guard Russell Westbrook’s on Sunday, don’t come often for legendary players. They take time, effort and unparalleled consistency. 

Losses for the Kings, however, recently have come in bunches, like their 123-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center, which overshadowed Westbrook climbing the league’s all-time scoring list. 

The 37-year-old star, who currently sits at 26,406 NBA points, surpassed Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer John Havlicek (26,395) and Paul Pierce (26,397) after his 14-point performance against the Spurs. Westbrook now trails Spurs legend Tim Duncan only by 90 points for the 17th spot. 

Russell Westbrook passes Paul Pierce and John Havlicek on the NBA's all-time scoring list 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hJdILRmNXr

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 16, 2025

Westbrook’s achievements aren’t the talk of the town, though. 

Sacramento, with plenty of defensive and rotation issues to spare, dropped its sixth consecutive game Sunday and fell to 3-11 on the 2025-26 NBA season.

For Kings fans and onlookers around the league, it’s the elephant in the room. 

“ … Now, it’s just finding the ability to start well, play smart and finish the game,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “That’s where we are at because we’ve been in a lot of these games. 

“And tonight, it’s just one of those things where you’re one stop away from really getting over the hump. But those are the things when you get in a drought like this, they’re not going to fall in your way, you have to go get them. You got to grab them. You got to take them.” 

With star Spurs center Victor Wembanyama out with calf tightness and reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle unavailable in the second half, ex-King stars De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes powered San Antonio’s offense. Fox had a game-high 28 points, while Barnes added 20 on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.

Despite double-digit performances from five players, the Kings never led in the game and allowed the Spurs to shoot over 50 percent from the field. Dennis Schröder, coming off the bench, hit five 3-pointers.

Dennis sinks a corner triple 👌 pic.twitter.com/PCxHmcuwYK

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 16, 2025

On Sunday, Westbrook sent a subtle reminder of his all-time status, while the Kings sent another blaring reminder of what projects to be a long season.

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Watch red-hot Moses Moody make career-high seven 3-pointers in first quarter originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Moses Moody took the baton from Steph Curry and went on an incredible first-quarter barrage in the Warriors’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at Smoothie King Center.

The fifth-year pro made an incredible seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, finishing with 21 points in the frame, pacing the Warriors to a 44-28 lead after 12 minutes.

Moody’s previous career high for 3-pointers made in an entire game was six — he had done it twice, once as a rookie and once earlier this season.

Curry, coming off 46- and 49-point games in San Antonio, didn’t need to do much in the first quarter against the Pelicans. He only scored three points, all coming on free throws.

Moody’s season high in points is 28. His career high is 30 points, which came as a rookie. So far, he’s on pace to surpass both of those totals.

The Warriors have been leaning on Curry lately, but they need other players to step up, and Moody accepted the assignment Sunday.

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Just as the Knicks appeared to be finding their stride, Jalen Brunson went down with a right ankle injury and OG Anunobystrained his left hamstring. Injuries are par for the course in any NBA season, and it looks like the Knicks are facing their bug early in this one.

Brunson’s injury is only a Grade 1 sprain, and he’s being evaluated daily, so good news for the Knicks on a potential timeline there. He’s historically been able to grit through these types of injuries, and the daily cadence suggests that we’re looking at only a week or two of missed time if things break right.

Hamstrings can be trickier, and we don’t know the full extent of Anunoby’s injury yet. Assuming a low-severity strain -- which is fair, given his immediate reaction -- this should also be a two-week recovery.

These injuries come just in time for New York’s first extended road trip of the year as it bounces around from Miami to Dallas, Orlando, Brooklyn and Charlotte before wrapping up the month at home against Milwaukee and Toronto. Those are five winnable road games, especially if the team plays up to the standard that it did this past Friday night against the Heat.

Ultimately, the impact of these injuries to the win column may end up negligible. Three teams are already deep lottery favorites, and the Knicks have already shown that they’re capable of stepping up without key pieces.

New York’s offense skewered Miami to the tune of 140 points, getting separate 30-point halves out of Karl-Anthony Towns and Landry Shamet, plus enough stops down the stretch to secure the win. The Knicks can’t bank on repeated historic performances, and maybe they do drop some of these games, but we can still learn a lot about this team in Brunson and Anunoby’s absence.

One early question with this squad is where it’s getting secondary ball handling and creation from. We’ve seen this offensive system sputter against tougher, high-pressure defenses that clog and muck up the freelance motion it relies on -- and fall right back on Brunson’s shoulders.

This has led some fans to pointing to the team’s lack of secondary ball handlers, with their alternates being more traditional off-guards in Shamet, Miles McBride and Mikal Bridges, a sparkplug scorer in Jordan Clarkson and whatever you consider Josh Hart. In theory, you can get enough ball handling in pieces from all these guys to make up for not having another reliable guard, but we’re waiting for that to translate in practice.

The above names will get their chance to elevate their creation games in the coming games. Clarkson contributed season highs with 33 minutes and 24 points against the Heat and should get more burn going forward.

Shamet had a career night with 36 points and has one of the quicker first steps in the rotation. McBride has been relatively quiet to start the season so far, but being thrust into the starting lineup might be the push that he needs.

Hart had his first triple-double of the season following these injuries -- the type of energy and impact that New York will need from him down two starters. He can be the best or worst playmaker, depending on his wildness, with his strengths maximized in transition and breaking defenses with timely cuts, passes and offensive rebounds in the halfcourt.

Somebody outside the rotation -- like Tyler Kolek -- could get their chance. But there was no indication of that as of Friday’s game.

Bridges is having a career playmaking year, but most of his success has come against weaker foes and he still doesn’t feel like a reliable pick-and-roll threat. Eyes should be on him to have a big stretch here, especially on the defensive end with Anunoby missing.

There’s been a silver lining to Brunson missing time in the past -- the defense typically improves with one fewer weak point. It’s not so simple this time around without Anunoby and with the Knicks running smaller lineups that bigger teams have started picking on.

The good news for the Knicks is that prior to Friday’s game, they ranked 12th in the league with 112.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. If they can keep up that level without a Defensive Player of the Year-level talent, it would help cement their defensive foundation and championship aspirations.

It’s possible that they roll out some guys to make up for the lost defensive personnel. Guerschon Yabusele’s size may be welcome right now, and Mohamed Diawara is worth look as well.

Every season comes with its challenges. For the Knicks, learning a new offensive scheme just wasn’t enough to start this year. The Brunson and Anunoby injuries may not leave long-lasting scars, but they can have long-term benefits if the rest of the team elevates their games.

Knicks wingOG Anunoby has a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, a league source told SNY's Ian Begley.

Anunoby sustained the injury in this past Friday's 140-132 win over the Miami Heat.

He will not travel with the Knicks on their upcoming road trip, Begley added.

The Knicks (8-4) have a five-game stretch away from MSG, starting with Monday's 7:30 p.m. tipoff at the Heat (7-6).

Anunoby scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in five minutes of this past Friday's victory against Miami.

Through 12 games, Anunoby is averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 31.1 minutes.

Trayce Jackson-Davis describes lifelong impression Kevon Looney left on him originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – The text that eased Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis into the NBA came from the man who soon became a mentor and lifelong example to live by.

Kevon Looney, for the first time in his 11-year NBA career, will be the Warriors’ opponent instead of their teammate on Sunday when Golden State plays the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans signed Looney to a two-year, $16 million contract over the summer, agreeing to a deal a few hours into free agency. His free agency was short and to the point. The Warriors weren’t going to offer Looney close to the same amount of money as the Pelicans. They thanked him for everything he meant in the last decade and wished him luck.

What Looney meant to the Warriors will be heard from coach Steve Kerr’s pregame speech before hugs from him and other coaches, and every teammate who played with him, whether it was for one season or all 10. The impact he made on Jackson-Davis was instant.

“Loon is someone that – when I got drafted, he sent me a text message. He was like, ‘If you ever need anything, you let me know.’ And then just from there on, he’s always been a great vet,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area.

In a few words, Jackson-Davis knew he was in good hands. That he had been drafted by the right team, and that he already had someone who would look out for him.

“It was huge,” he remembers. “Literally had just got drafted, it was the next day, I didn’t even know BP [Brandin Podziemski] yet, and it just made me feel comfortable, like at least there’s someone out here where if I ever need anything, I’ll be good. Especially with how I was moving across the country.”

When the Warriors traded back into the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft to take Jackson-Davis, who is represented by general manager Mike Dunleavy’s brother, James, Looney could have looked at him as only his latest competition. The next person to try and take his job as the Warriors’ starting center. The next player the Warriors thought would do exactly that.

They had added to the position in the draft and free agency throughout Looney’s tenure. He just kept persisting. The man who might as well have brought a hard hat and metal lunch pail to work every day has seen all angles of the business side of basketball.

None of that was going to change who Looney is as a person. That’s a lesson for all young players to learn that he displayed. Jackson-Davis saw it in how both their roles fluctuated over the past two seasons.

Sometimes Looney was the starter. Other times, Jackson-Davis was. There were games where neither was, and even being in the rotation at all was a yes and a no, depending on the day. How Looney prepared and responded either way said everything to Jackson-Davis.

“Someone that has been in a similar position to me, especially the past few years, where he doesn’t know if he’s going to play, when he’s going to play,” Jackson-Davis said. “Learning those things from him, and just how he came to work every day, he’s just a true professional.

“And I miss him, and it’s going to be great to see him.”

Every day at practice and in games for two years, Jackson-Davis watched how Looney rebounded, set screens, understood the Warriors’ offense and defended out of the post. He saw how he absorbed film, and how he’s a leader in the locker room. Their lockers were a few down from each other, and like Looney, Jackson-Davis always is an upbeat presence inside.

The lasting impression Looney left on Jackson-Davis wasn’t words of advice. It was watching him every day.

“His best advice … man, it’s not even advice, but just who he is. On or off the court, he’s the same person,” Jackson-Davis says. “He’s a really, really, really good dude. He’s someone that you hang out with and he’s always in your corner. If you ever need something, he’ll be there. He’s a true friend.

“Obviously, it’s basketball and it’s our job, but at the same time, you can always tell that he’s genuine. That’s the type of person that I want to be.”

Jackson-Davis wished Looney good luck after learning the news of him going to New Orleans. They haven’t talked much since, but did text about the Indiana vs. UCLA football game, a bragging rights result of a 56-6 beatdown from Jackson-Davis’ Hoosiers on Looney’s Bruins. Jackson-Davis said he’d definitely hit Looney up when the Warriors landed in the Big Easy, and he can’t wait to see him.

The apprenticeship of Jackson-Davis under Looney hasn’t stopped him from remembering what he was taught. The two have a four-year age gap and birthdays 16 days apart. But Looney has played in the NBA eight more years than Jackson-Davis, truly seeing it all.

Not everything. Not yet.

Playing the Warriors will be emotional for Looney, even more so when he comes to Chase Center in two weeks. Those feelings are something Jackson-Davis can’t fathom, and he already knows what he’s going to do when he gets to see his friend again.

“It’s going to be good,” Jackson-Davis says. “It’s crazy, because some of my best friends are my college teammates and I spent two to three years with them. And then you get to the NBA and I spent two years with Loon. With some of these other guys, it’s crazy how long they did.

“I’m going to say what’s up, dap him up and then obviously we’re going to play them and it’s war. And he’s going to be the same way. He’s going to treat it like a professional. Off the court, he’s going to be cool, but I bet you he fouls the shit out of a lot of people.”

Just like brothers know best.

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The Lakers finished an uneven road trip on a high note with consecutive wins at New Orleans and Milwaukee, salvaging a 3-2 record on the trip after a 119-95 win over the Bucks on Saturday. The only thing that seemed to excite the players more than the victory was what waited for them after the nine-day journey.

“Let’s go homeee,” forward Jake LaRavia posted on his Instagram story.

Here are five takeaways after the five-game road trip:

Lakers recapture their magic

Deandre Ayton took credit for the postgame locker room’s Frank Sinatra soundtrack, but JJ Redick had Jay-Z on his mind. After wrapping up a grueling trip, one of Redick’s first thoughts was Jay-Z’s track “A Week Ago,” which begins with the lyric: “It was all good just a week ago.”

A week ago, the Lakers were 7-2. They were riding the high of a five-game winning streak heading into practice in Atlanta.

Then things turned sour.

The Lakers (10-4) were blown out against Atlanta and Oklahoma City on this trip. They played about one good half of basketball in their first three games. But during the most demanding part of the stretch, the Lakers rallied to find themselves again with critical wins against the Pelicans and Bucks.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 41 as Lakers rout Milwaukee Bucks to cap 3-2 trip

“This is the NBA,” Redick told reporters. “And you gotta find moments to recapture what makes you a good basketball team. And I think over the last 24 hours we've done that.”

Redick credited Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for continuing to lead the team through choppy waters Saturday. Despite the team arriving in Milwaukee at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning and Doncic playing 40 minutes the night before in New Orleans, the superstar guard was still diving on the floor for a loose ball in the second quarter. He pushed the ball ahead to Reaves, who found Ayton for a layup.

As Doncic becomes more comfortable with his teammates, his leadership has shown through not only his play but his sarcastic personality, which has helped develop a strong bond.

"It's great chemistry,” Doncic told reporters. “When I came, I was probably a little more quiet, trying to get to know people. But right now, I'm just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash-talking. So I think one of the biggest things for the team to win is have a great chemistry, and I think we have that."

Doncic’s MVP campaign rolls along

With 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Milwaukee, Doncic collected his fourth 40-point games this season, equaling his total for such games all of last year.

He leads the league with 34.4 points per game and officially became eligible for the leaderboard after playing in his 10th game Saturday. His points and 8.9 rebounds per game are close to his production in 2023-24 when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and finished third in most valuable player voting with 33.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He is doing it despite shooting a 32.7% from three-point range, his worst mark since his second season.

Reinforcements are on the way

LeBron James is expected to return to the practice court with the Lakers on Monday after a productive test stint with the South Bay Lakers. He could make his season debut as soon as Tuesday against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in the Lakers’ only game this week.

James is the only standard contract player still awaiting to make his debut after the Lakers got forwards Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero back on the court during the trip. Kleber, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain, has played in three games. He made his first shot of the season in the win over Milwaukee while playing 25 minutes with three points and three assists.

The rookie Thiero also made his debut against the Bucks, scoring four points and punctuating his first NBA appearance with an emphatic two-handed dunk in the final minute. It showed the type of athleticism and activity the Lakers were looking for when they drafted him in the second round. He also grabbed one offensive rebound during the first half that led to Kleber’s three-pointer.

Guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) is still out and is approaching three weeks since he turned his ankle against the Sacramento Kings. The original timetable for his return was two to four weeks.

Shooting slumps

Vincent's eventual return could help the Lakers with one of their most glaring offensive deficiencies: three-point shooting.

The Lakers rank 25th in three-point shooting at just 33.8%. Their 32.4 three-point attempts per game rank 26th in the league. It’s a far cry from the 40.4 threes they attempted in the games after Doncic joined the team last year.

Part of the shooting slump could be Reaves’ early struggles from three-point range. Outside of his six for 10 night that led to a career-high 51 points against Sacramento, Reaves, who missed three games with a groin injury, was shooting 26.4% from three this season.

He then caught fire in the second half against the Bucks, making five threes. While finishing with 25 points and eight assists, he made three consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter that Doncic called some of the most important shots of the game.

“It was good to get something to go down,” Reaves told reporters. “... Hopefully we continue to shoot the ball well.”

Pick up the pace

The Lakers are second-to-last in transition possessions per game and transition possession percentage. Redick was puzzled as to why the team played so slowly when asked about its pace before the Charlotte game. He said the pace was “literally the first thing we emphasize in every film session.”

But on the second night of a back-to-back, Redick acknowledged the team, considering its personnel, was simply not going to be a fast team. However, he still identified markers of success. Before Saturday’s game, Redick told the players the team was 9-1 when it scored 12 or more transition points and 8-0 with 24 or more assists.

“I think there's a formula here for throwing the ball ahead and sharing the basketball,” Redick said. “And they were good again with that tonight.”

The Lakers had 12 fast break points and 23 assists against the Bucks.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

13 for 13, Part 3: Early thoughts on Simons and other Celtics role players originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Editor’s Note: In a three-part series, Chris Forsberg is sharing 13 thoughts on the 13 Celtics players who have played in the team’s first 13 games. Part 1 focused on the “core four.”Part 2 focused on key role players.Here is Part 3.

For all the consternation about Boston’s depth after its offseason overhaul, there is still no lack of competition for minutes on this new-look Celtics roster.

Joe Mazzulla has leaned heavily into players who can bring energy and grit. We’re eager to see if the competition among the bench players can push the entire batch to expand their games.

For Part 3 of our “13 thoughts on 13 players after 13 games” series, we’re keeping the spotlight on Boston’s bench players: 

Sam Hauser

One number: 96.7

That’s how many points per 100 shot attempts that Hauser is averaging this season. It ranks in the bottom 3rd percentile among all forwards, per Cleaning the Glass data.

More jarring: That number is 31.5 points per 100 shots lower than Hauser’s average over the past three seasons, where he’s lingered in the 88th percentile or higher while averaging 128.2 points per 100 shot attempts in that span.

One thought

Hauser got first crack as a starter with the fellow holdovers from Boston’s last title team, but the Celtics’ rebounding woes forced the team to seek alternatives. Hauser’s shot has disappeared in November, too, with six straight games with one 3-pointer or less.

A wrist sprain likely hasn’t helped matters, but even Hauser looks exasperated whenever shots finally fall. Like we’ve often said with Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, this team could look a lot different when players who typically make shots find their groove.

Anfernee Simons

One number: 47.3

That’s Simons’ 3-point percentage on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. He’s taking 4.2 per game in that playtype. On the flip side, he’s shooting 30.8 percent on 3.0 pull-up 3-point attempts per game.

While Simons’ ability to create for himself is vital for a new-look bench group, the Celtics need to maximize his catch-and-shoot abilities by having others create for him.

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It’s insane how hot Simons can get shooting the ball in short stretches. He’s reached double figures in scoring in 10 of Boston’s 13 games. While we’d like to see the Celtics limit Simons’ ball-handling responsibilities, he has driven down his turnovers after a rough preseason, and his assist percentage is up over the last few games. Being a willing ball-mover can aid that second group.

Xavier Tillman

One number: 61

That’s the total number of minutes that Tillman has played this season, the fewest among Boston’s regulars. He’s reached double-figure minutes just three times and it hasn’t happened in November.

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Tillman’s minutes continue to be based heavily on matchups, but it’s still jarring how little he’s played given Boston’s frontcourt overhaul. Tillman had a great season debut while jousting with Joel Embiid on opening night but has played sparingly since.

Rebounding has always been an issue with Tillman given his size and that might be conspiring against him now. His defensive versatility is a luxury but one that Mazzulla just hasn’t consistently called on. 

Chris Boucher

One number: 57.1

That is Boston’s defensive rebound percentage during Boucher’s 76 minutes of floor time this season. That’s the worst mark on the team by more than 3 percent. The Celtics’ total rebound rate plummets to 43.8 percent, or nearly 6 percent below the team’s season mark of 49.4 percent.

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The Celtics leaned so heavily on Boucher in the preseason — including some double-big minutes as a starter — that it’s been a bit surprising he hasn’t played much in the regular season. Alas, Boucher has struggled to contribute offensively in his minutes (missing 10 of his 11 3-point attempts) and the team hasn’t rebounded the ball in his floor time.

We suspect the veteran will get more chances moving forward, but the Celtics have leaned into playing smaller to start the year.

Baylor Scheierman

One number: 53.8

That’s what Scheierman is shooting from beyond the arc this season, making seven of his first 13 3-point attempts. After misfiring on 15 of 19 triples in the preseason, it’s encouraging to see Scheierman find his stroke in limited regular-season minutes.

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Scheierman has seen limited reps as the team tends to lean into the energy and grit of younger wings like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.

Scheierman needs to stay ready for his opportunities, but the Celtics have posted good numbers in his floor time, including a +10.8 net rating in his 81 minutes. He just needs to find more ways to impact winning beyond shotmaking when he’s on the court.