Category: Basketball

The Boston Celtics have now crossed the halfway point of the preseason, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night and moving to 3-0 in their warmup games, claiming the win 114-93.

The Celtics opted to go with the same starting five for a second straight game, opening with Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George and Mitchell Robinson.

Tatum led the way in scoring for the starters with 19 points in 29 minutes, while Charlotte was paced by Brandon Miller and Tidjane Salaün with 16 points each.  White also added 19 points for the Celtics, and Robinson had 12 on perfect 5-for-5 shooting. Payton Pritchard led the team in playmaking with 11 assists and zero turnovers.

The Celtics took a 28-20 lead out of the first quarter. Robinson scored Boston’s first 6 points, starting with a putback and a lob finish on a pick-and-roll with Tatum. 

A lil traffic can't stop Big Country 💥 pic.twitter.com/vPuLPsjrZw

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 14, 2026

Tatum also got going early, scoring the first non-Robinson points with a mid-range bucket. He later capped off a 9-0 run with an open triple, and finished the quarter with 11 points and the half with 14. Pritchard also caught fire, checking in and scoring a quick 7 points. 

Coming out in the second quarter with Robinson and Neemias Queta sharing the floor, the experimental double-big lineup had a 9-0 run to start, all coming from Derrick White, who went into the half with 13 points. 

George, who missed his first six shots, got on the board with a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer set up by an offensive rebound from White. 

It's preseason btw 🤫 pic.twitter.com/oR9Q3GNvoU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 15, 2026

At halftime, the Celtics led 54-44. Boston’s defense shined in the half, helping them win the turnover battle, 13-4. White helped in the matter with four steals. 

Keeping the starters on the floor to start the second half, the Celtics opened on a 10-2 run, highlighted by a powerful alley-oop finish from Robinson that again came off a Tatum lob.

I’m grinning pic.twitter.com/t55QisNM1I

— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) October 15, 2026

Brandon Miller responded with a big third quarter, scoring 12 points and helping get the Charlotte deficit down to as low as 6. Tatum continued to make an all-around impact, scoring 5 points with 3 assists and 4 rebounds in the quarter. Pritchard also found Queta for two late buckets, one of which was an impressive late shot-clock find on a pump-fake step-through move that helped the Celtics carry an 85-77 lead into the fourth.

Neemias Queta back to back buckets, the first is another dunk off a gorgeous dime from Payton Pritchard. He is up to 14 points. pic.twitter.com/QMyP4kasJc

— Danielle H. (@DanielleHobeika) October 15, 2026

In the fourth quarter, Queta continued a productive day by calling his own number, faking a handoff and taking a drive from the perimeter to throw down a one-handed dunk. Queta finished with 16 points in 24 minutes.

Luka Garza and Hugo Gonzalez checked in early in the quarter, quickly making an impact with a 3-pointer each and a transition play where Gonzalez fed Garza for an easy layup and a 16-point lead.

Garza kept it going after a Hornets timeout, scoring off a nice find from Walsh, and hitting another 3-pointer at the top of the arc.

Halfway through the quarter, the Celtics brought in Ron Harper Jr., Chris Cenac and Dillon Mitchell, who helped keep Boston in front by double figures. In the final minute, both Cenac and Mitchell scored off their own steals.

Boston will wrap up the preseason in Philadelphia on Friday, October 16, taking on the 76ers for a second time at 7 p.m.

The Phoenix Suns took on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday evening in their fourth of five preseason games. After playing 14 minutes, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, and recording four points and three assists, newly acquired sharpshooter Luke Kennard exited the game with what appeared to be a lower left knee injury.

Kennard grabbed at his left knee after he jumped to take a floater. No contact with a defender on the jump. https://t.co/KUR89zmFPb

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) October 15, 2026

The injury occurred as Kennard drove to his left. It was difficult to determine whether it happened on his way up or upon landing, but he immediately made his way to the locker room.

Here is the play where Luke Kennard came up hobbling: pic.twitter.com/PiZO6fI6RFhttps://t.co/SaYNSpMqp6

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) October 15, 2026

The injury didn’t appear particularly drastic, but the fact that it occurred without contact certainly raises some concern. For a Suns team that will be desperate for consistent three-point shooting this upcoming season, any extended absence from one of its perimeter shooters could prove costly, especially when that player is somebody who has previously led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage.

Stay tuned to Bright Side of the Sun as we continue monitoring Kennard’s status in preparation for next Wednesday’s regular season opener.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We are officially a week away from the Los Angeles Lakers opening the season against the Golden State Warriors, and the final spot in the Lakers’ starting lineup still seems to be wide open.

Los Angeles hasn’t had the luxury of a fully healthy squad in its four preseason games, but the results have been impressive nonetheless. After the Lakers traded for Walker Kessler and, soon after, signed Quentin Grimes in free agency, it was clear they’d be starting alongside Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić. But the discussion surrounding who would slot into the fifth spot in the lineup has persisted ever since.

The debate has only picked up steam through the preseason. Players like Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jake LaRavia have each made a strong case to stake their claim.

For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we ask who you would name the Lakers’ fifth starter between that quartet.

Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Los Angeles entered the offseason with the intention of getting younger, more athletic players capable of defending and shooting around Luka, Austin and Kessler. Each of the four players vying for the fifth spot, interestingly enough, offers varying and unique skill sets to complement the team’s Big 3.

Based on the way head coach JJ Redick has managed the starters with players in and out of the lineup all preseason, Williams appears to be the favorite. His length, defensive acumen and shooting potential fill the prototypical starting power forward spot in L.A.’s lineup. In his only preseason game, Williams scored 13 points on 3-for-3 shooting from deep. His defensive activity jumped off the screen.

Thybulle has been a sobering presence in the Lakers’ defensive attack. The point-of-attack and off-ball defensive wizardry has been on full display. In the three games he’s played, the Lakers have posted a 97.0 defensive rating while he’s been on the floor.

LaRavia comes into the season with a brand new jump shot, and the results are looking great. He’s now shooting 53.8% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game. Couple that with his natural defensive instinct, and he makes a great case to start. LaRavia played all 82 games for Los Angeles last season; he started in 43 of them.

Lastly, Mamu is perhaps the biggest winner of the preseason. He’s been dubbed ‘The Connector” for his versatile playstyle and ability to share the court with seemingly everyone on the roster. However, with the Lakers’ lack of a serviceable backup center, it’s hard to see Redick doing anything other than a pseudo-stagger between Kessler and Mamu.

What are your thoughts? Who do you think is the best fit to slot into the fifth spot? Vote and share your opinion below!

You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.

LAS VEGAS — Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has received praise for his play during the preseason.

But it’s one of his friendships off of the court that drew attention during Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors.

As Mamukelashvili caught a pass from Quentin Grimes with just under two minutes left in the second quarter of the exhibition against the Warriors, the Georgian forward drove past Yaxel Lendeborg and flushed down a one-handed dunk over the rookie forward.

Not too far away from courtside at T-Mobile Arena was a man pumping his fast and cheering Mamukelashvili on after the highlight play: Flavor Flav.

Sandro Mamukelashvili‘s biggest fan, Flavor Flav! https://t.co/DBYFPUtmKZpic.twitter.com/WNomTAtrxz

— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2026

Not random at all.

Flav, whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr., and the 6-foot-9 Lakers forward have a friendship that dates back to when Mamukelashvili was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft.

Mamukelashvili’s financial advisor is friends with the Public Enemy founding member, with Flav going to one of Mamukelashvili’s summer league games after he was selected with the No. 54 pick in the 2021 draft.

They hit it off.

From there, the New York natives went to a Yankees game together and then had dinner, starting the friendship that’s spanned nearly half a decade and led to Flav being in attendance for Tuesday’s game. 

“It’s always cool to have him,” Mamukelashvili said. “He’s such a great energy giver. Such a great energy [guy]. He always has this positive impact and always, like [Monday], he was so hyped. We were talking for two hours and he was so hyped and he kind of pumped me up. And I knew he was coming to the game so I was really excited.”

Flav is equally as excited for Mamukelashvili.

“I’m so happy for him,” Flav said. “And I’m happy for the Lakers. I feel the Lakers are lucky to have him.”

When the Golden State Warriors converged in Hawaii to kick of training camp, coach Steve Kerr made three things clear: Steph Curry would be in the starting lineup; Draymond Green would be in the starting lineup; and the other three spots were up for grabs.

With an opening day showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers exactly one week away, Kerr still has not finalized a starting lineup, but things are coming into focus. Earlier this week, Kerr said that he was “leaning towards” a starting five of Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, and Yaxel Lendeborg alongside Curry and Green.

In past years, the team has tried to limit how often Green starts at center to help preserve him, as it’s a tougher physical ask. But the Dubs are limited in their options. Kristaps Porziņģis still has not made it onto the practice court, so he’s a long ways away from being a consideration. Al Horford doesn’t play back to backs, meaning that he can’t be a set starter. And Charles Bassey — who started in Green’s absence during Tuesday’s preseason win over the Lakers — is likely not viewed as deserving of a starting role at the moment.

That’s all three of the team’s centers, and leaves Green as the most sensible option. On the one hand, that makes for a small starting five; on the other hand, Lendeborg and Santos are both large enough to play power forward, so Golden State still has a chance to hold their own on the glass and defensively.

As for Podziemski, he always felt like a near-lock to start. The Dubs prefer to have De’Anthony Melton come off the bench, and Brandon Williams works best as a second-unit spark plug rather than a starter. Podziemski is by far the most well-rounded guard option that Golden State has, and his recently-signed five-year, $110 million extension suggests that the team is ready to start giving him a larger role. He’s also had an excellent training camp, and has more than earned his role in the starting five.

Lendeborg, the team’s first-round pick in June’s draft, is arguably the most exciting reveal. The rookie has been very impressive in his debut training camp, and looks like he could be a difference-maker from day one; clearly the Warriors agree.

Golden State has one more preseason game on Friday to finalize their starting five before kicking the season off on Wednesday, October 21.

The Detroit Pistons have been a fun, if frustrating, watch through two preseason games. The Pistons have played a bit loose as they try to integrate new players and incorporate new offensive elements to their games. There have been highs and some lows. The real fun has been when the Pistons’ reserves come in and strangle the life out of their opponents. It is Detroit Pistons basketball, and players 6-15 know how to play it. It’s also been a bit hard to understand what is real and what simply must be taken with a grain of salt. Jalen Duren, the team’s starting center, has yet to suit up so far. Cade Cunningham sat out the last game. Still, it’d be nice if the two worst players on the floor for Detroit didn’t also happen to be their two newest big-ticket additions. John Collins and Isaiah Joe are still … figuring it out. Hopefully the light clicks on soon. Collins seems to be struggling to understand that whole Pistons basketball thing. I think he wants to, especially after spending some wayward years with the Jazz and a kinda blah year with the competent and boring Clippers. He’s got some Pistons DNA in him, and he’s playing a little too wild as a result. Joe, meanwhile, just isn’t hitting his open shots. He will, though.

Game Vitals

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Watch: TV: My TV 20 | Streaming: DAZN
Odds: Timberwolves -2.5

Projected Lineups

DetroitPistons(1-1)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren

Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1)

LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert

The Toronto Raptors will look to carry their preseason momentum into Madison Square Garden when they face the New York Knicks on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET as Toronto continues preparing for the 2026-27 NBA season. The matchup comes two days after the teams met at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 13, with Toronto winning 148-98. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 21 points and five rebounds in his preseason return to Toronto, while Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles added 19 points apiece. The Raptors dominated from the opening quarter, building an 85-47 halftime lead and showcasing their offensive firepower.

The Raptors were also very strong defensively, showcasing that they have one of the best defensive units in the league. Raptors fans would expect this to remain the same this season.

When asked about defensive expectations, Scottie Barnes said there would be “more danger and activity, along with physicality. And then we will see what happens when the regular season comes.”

In their last contest, New York rested several key starters, making the result less indicative of how the teams will match up at full strength. The rematch gives both sides a quick turnaround and another opportunity to evaluate their rotations before the games start counting.

What can we expect from both teams?

For the Raptors, the focus is on building consistency, finding the right combinations and getting their core players comfortable playing together. After an uneven start to the preseason, Toronto has already shown signs of improvement, but there is still work to do before the regular season begins. It is important that Toronto takes lessons from each preseason game they play.

“I think it’s going really good, we’re trending upwards and every game we’re taking those things and coming into practice finding something we can work on,” said Barnes.

For the Knicks, The question is how quickly they can get its main rotation working together. The Knicks have the talent to put pressure on opposing defences, but Toronto will look to disrupt their rhythm by contesting shots, limiting second chances and forcing difficult possessions.

New York’s preseason results also make Thursday’s game another opportunity to build confidence before the games begin to count. With the regular season approaching, the Knicks will want to see their offence become more consistent while ensuring their defensive intensity is where it needs to be.

What to watch for

For Toronto, the biggest storyline will be how its core players continue to develop chemistry ahead of the regular season. Scottie Barnes’ versatility, RJ Barrett’s scoring ability and Immanuel Quickley’s playmaking will be important as the Raptors look to establish a consistent offensive rhythm. Toronto will also need contributions from its supporting cast to remain competitive on both ends of the floor.

Kawhi Leonard will be another player to watch after making his preseason debut against New York. He recorded 21 points, five rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes. His performance was an early indication of how he fits alongside Toronto’s core and what he could bring to the lineup moving forward.

“I think he [Kawhi] just fits in easily, the physicality, the active hands, him being able to switch with certain guys out there on the floor, I think it helps us all,” said Barnes.

New York will look to take advantage of its home-court setting at Madison Square Garden while continuing to refine its rotations. I don’t expect them to play another strong lineup with the regular season approaching, instead they will spread the minutes to players on the bench.

Prediction

Toronto will look to build momentum heading into Thursday’s matchup hoping to carry a same result from their performance on Tuesday into the rematch while continuing to build chemistry and establish a consistent offensive rhythm.

New York will have a similar opportunity to evaluate its progress after the first meeting, this time with home court advantage, but both teams will likely prioritize player development and lineup experimentation over the final result.

Raptors: 112 Knicks: 98

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. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.

Wait, didn’t we already do this? It seems like just a few days ago that the Spurs met the Suns in preseason. Well, guess what? They’re doing it again tonight, except this time it’s in San Antonio. You can hope for a better outcome than the 98-102 loss on Saturday. But it’s preseason, so I have a riddle for you: When is a loss not a loss? … When it happens in the preseason, where the games don’t count.

The Spurs have been piling up the non-losses this preseason, with an 0-3 record so far. They could make it 0-4 tonight, and 0-5 on Friday when they face the Kings. At least both games are in San Antonio, and the Spurs won’t have to travel before the season opener against the Thunder on October 20th in the Frost Bank Center. Coincidentally, the Thunder is also winless in the preseason, which goes to show that good teams are too smart to run players really hard in exhibition games that are glorified practices.

The last two preseason contests are on DAZN, with the season opener on NBC/Peacock. In a little bit of personal news, I will be marrying my long time partner this weekend, which means that I might be missing some Spurs games the first week of the season as we travel to a secret destination for a honeymoon. No worries, I will be all basketball all the time by Halloween. I’ll be pre-posting the game threads, so they might not be as detailed as usual for the first week of the season. GO SPURS GO!

Game Prediction:

Dillon Brooks will turn over a new leaf and show his nice side by giving all of the Spurs players teddy bears during shootaround. Later on, it will be discovered that the bears were stuffed with broken glass.

San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns (Preseason)
October 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: DAZN, League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

A couple of days ago, Hoopshype, perhaps tongue in cheek, perhaps not, posted a ranking of MVP candidates for the preseason…

Boston's Hugo Gonzalez is the preseason MVP so far, per HoopsHype's Global Rating. pic.twitter.com/VjFrT89ZNC

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) October 13, 2026

Hugo Gonzalez (the bete noir of those afflicted with Marks Derangement Syndrome) was listed at the top of the list despite only playing two games for the Celtics. But if scroll down a bit you’d find the names of three Nets, two of which were no surprise. After all, the Nets are 3-0. There was Julius Randle at No 7, Michael Porter Jr. at No. 14, and, ta-da, Noah Clowney at No. 15.

That’s got to be encouraging for the 22-year-old, 6’10” big. Full of potential, Clowney has yet to secure a long term commitment. Sean Marks & co. have until next Monday to decide on whether to offer him an extension or let him become a restricted free agent come July. In that case, the Nets would still hold his rights and be able to match any offer he gets elsewhere. Bottom line: it’s unlikely the Nets will make an offer.

And although preseason MVP rankings seem a fool’s errand, Clowney has played well, as Brian Lewis reports.

After an understated opener, Clowney has logged consecutive solid outings.

Starting in a victory over Jaylen Brown and the Sixers, Clowney had 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting and 2-for-3 from deep to finish plus-12. And in Monday’s win in Washington, he followed up with 15 points on 5-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-6 from behind the arc.

Clowney added four assists and a steal without a turnover.

Clowney who only turned 22 a few weeks back, has had his ups-and-downs with the Nets, once hitting seven 3-pointers in a game and once batting away seven shots in another (then following up with another 4 in the next game) over the course of his three years in Brooklyn. He has not been a bust. If fact, he wasn’t bad at all last season, averaging 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 66 games, all but six starts. He also went to the line an average of 3.4 times a game. But fans and the front office wanted more.

Things changed dramatically for him the night before the Draft when the Nets traded his front court mate Nic Claxton and a second rounder to Chicago for Julius Randle and a first. Randle has assumed the 4 spot meaning it will take some doing to average 27 minutes a game.

Jordi Ferandez, asked for an assessment of his game, had this to say.

“Just steady,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “He’s been consistent so far. The whole training camp, the whole, all these preseason games. Very proud of him. You see him with 15 points.

“[We] challenge him. We’re challenging him to rebound. But yet four assists to zero turnovers, that’s pretty impressive. He’s just been very good — not too high, not too low. He’s always ready. And that’s the Noah Clowney that we need, because we know that he makes a lot of winning plays.”

That’s got to encouraging too. He also has some supporters outside the Nets, specifically Coach Thorpe of True Hoop. In fact, he put him in some rarefied company even more so than whoever put together the Hoopshype rankings.

Coach Thorpe of TrueHoop on Noah Clowney:

“Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.”https://t.co/siJiwqUT4r

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) September 10, 2026

Indeed, Thorpe included Clowney in a list of “Ten guys who might make a difference”, noting ”His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.“ Hmmm.

Wednesday night in Miami is going to be a big game for Nets fans. It’s Mikel Brown Jr.‘s preseason debut, the highest Nets pick in 16 years since they played in New Jersey. But it’s also going to the last preseason game Clowney will play for the deadline for the Nets to extend him. Should be enough motivation.

• Noah Clowney making case for Nets minutes despite losing job to Julius Randle – Brian Lewis – New York Post

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly resolved their television broadcast debacle — for now — after firing play-by-play voice Braiden Bell for past tweets that included misogynistic and racist remarks about women and Asians.

Travis Demers, the Blazers’ radio play-by-play voice for the last seven seasons, will take over television duties on a trial basis, according to OregonLive, which citied league and team sources.

Demers will call games on a game-by-game basis alongside feature color analyst Lamar Hurd and courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam.

Demers, who previously filled in on the TV broadcast, reportedly impressed decision-makers when he called Portland’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors last week.

The Blazers reportedly are keeping their options open as they assess their television broadcast.

The shakeup comes after 29-year-old Bell was hired and fired in the same day due to resurfaced posts made as a teenager.

Bell reportedly beat out 10 different candidates, such as veteran play-by-play voice Kyle Draper, for the job, in part because the team felt he was a “rising star.”

The Blazers reportedly considered replacing Bell with Draper, and instead decided to go with Demers on a trial basis.

Demers has called games for the Hillsboro Hops and University of Portland as well as hosting radio programs for SiriusXM College Sports Nation and NBC Sports Northwest.

The Blazers also lost legendary television play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Calabro this offseason after 10 years.

Calabro wanted to return to Portland in a part-time role and decided to leave in July after receiving what he deemed a “subprime” contract offer from the Blazers and new owner Tom Dundon, The Oregonian previously reported.

Calabro reportedly was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a limited role in September.

BOSTON — The Celtics will use the same starting lineup for the second consecutive preseason game, giving Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Paul George, Jordan Walsh, and Mitchell Robinson the nod in their preseason matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

Tonight’s starters ⤵️@DraftKingspic.twitter.com/VFxaORk7aB

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 14, 2026

That’s the same group that started in the Saturday night 144-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

But in that one, the bench saw just as much of an opportunity as the starters: Jordan Walsh (11 minutes) and Mitchell Robinson (14 minutes) played fewer minutes than Payton Pritchard (24 minutes), Sam Hauser (21 minutes), Hugo Gonzalez (21 minutes), Baylor Scheierman (19 minutes), and Neemias Queta (19 minutes). So, whether this is the starting group on Opening Night against the Detroit Pistons next Tuesday remains to be seen.

In Saturday’s win, Payton Pritchard (25 points, 7 assists), Jayson Tatum (25 points, 4 assists), Hugo Gonzalez (17 points), and Derrick White (15 points) led the way. The Celtics racked up 15 steals, led by George and Scheierman, who each had 5.

The Hornets, meanwhile, will start Naz Reid, Royce O’Neale, Moussa Diabate, Brandon Miller, and Dennis Schroder. Reid, O’Neale, and Schroder are all offseason additions. This will be the Celtics’ first time facing the Hornets since they traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Celtics will play their final preseason game on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia. They’re 2-0 in preseason action so far.

The Dallas Mavericks host the New Orleans Pelicans in their third contest of the preseason. It’s the first game in the United States after playing the Houston Rockets twice in Macao last week. The Pelicans played the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat last week in their effort to tune up before the start of the regular season. Be aware of the new start time for home games that aren’t on national television. We all get to go to bed a little earlier (unless you’re not in the Western Hemisphere).

Here’s what you need to know before the game starts:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans
• WHAT: First home game of the preseason
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
• HOW: NBAtv or KFAA

While there is no official injury report yet, here’s what I’ve been able to deduce: Dereck Lively isn’t playing, as he’s still recovering from the surgery that ended his year last season. I don’t expect Santi Aldama to play either, though he’s been ramping up in practice due to his offseason knee procedure. Morez Johnson and Kyrie Irving each split games in Macao, but I expect both to at least see the floor tonight. Marcus Sasser is dealing with an abductor injury, so don’t expect to see him either.

UPDATE: EVERYONE I WANT TO WATCH ISN’T PLAYING. COOL COOL COOL

Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford (right shoulder stinger) will rest tonight, according to Dusty May. He said Morez Johnson Jr., who has right shin splints, will also miss tonight’s game.

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) October 14, 2026

Obviously, offseason isn’t about winning or losing; it’s about seeing what you have against different competition and not getting hurt. My recommendation for tonight is to watch the various two and three-man actions that happen on offense. The team has raved about head coach Dusty May’s offensive mind so far in preseason; let’s see who he has working together.

If you’re 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 on things! 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 experince is simply better.

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube; we will be going live tonight after the game.

Phoenix has the Spurs again tonight. What are you looking for?

If you haven’t downloaded the SB Nation app yet, now is the time.

Game Threads are so much better in the app, and with Suns basketball back, you’re going to want to be there with us!

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— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) October 5, 2026

The preseason has been an exciting time for the Lakers. 

Several players are exceeding expectations. Everyone is bragging that the defense will be better than anticipated. One practice was so physical that Lakers coach JJ Redick had to alter the drills. 

But there’s one player in particular who has quietly struggled amid the outpouring of yellow-and-purple-streaked optimism. 

Bronny James hasn’t played to his potential this preseason. 

He’s averaging only 2.8 points on 26.7% shooting and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game over four contests. 

He hasn’t been playing like the player who turned heads with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting (2-for-4 from beyond the arc), five assists and three rebounds against the Bulls when he was a rookie in March 2025. 

You know, the player whom Lakers coach JJ Redick said was a few tweaks away from becoming impactful.

“I think the next step is just becoming like an elite-conditioned athlete,” Redick said in March 2025. “Because when he does that, with his physical tools and just his burst and his handle, we think he’s going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter. He’s going to have a chance to really make an impact.” 

He definitely hasn’t been playing like the player who earned playoff minutes for the Lakers last season against the Rockets. 

Bronny will be entering his third season in the NBA. He’s the third-longest tenured Laker.  The Lakers need more from him.

So far this preseason, Bronny has more turnovers (12) than points (11).

It’s no secret that things have changed for Bronny since LeBron James left the Lakers for the 76ers in free agency.

Bronny is no longer sharing the locker room with his superstar father. The 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft has to stand on his own two feet. 

It’s something that excites him. 

“He’s got his own path and I got my own,” Bronny said at Lakers media day last month. “So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”

Bronny has had both a red-carpet-lined path to the NBA as well as the cards stacked against him. 

He has had the backing of his father who has been the face of the league for two decades and is arguably the greatest player of all-time. But he has also gotten an incredibly unfair amount of criticism for a guy who was selected near the bottom of the second round of the draft. 

Bronny has already made great strides to silence the accusations of nepotism. He has proven that he’s an NBA player. But he must take leaps this season or that noise white noise is going to come back with roaring ferocity. 

Bronny’s struggles in the preseason are both meaningful and meaningless. It’s not fair to read into them too much. But it’s also fair that Bronny needs to be on edge. 

The Lakers need Bronny to make an impact off the bench. They need him to deliver a scoring punch. They need him to be a reliable defender.

Redick acknowledged that Bronny hasn’t looked up to snuff, but he also partially blamed himself for that.  

“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us,” Redick said after the Lakers lost their exhibition game to the Warriors on Tuesday, 101-89. “I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices. Some of it is just rhythm, some of it’s who he’s playing with, right?

“He’s played a lot of minutes especially in the second half of games with with our two-way guys and tonight he played with Rafael [Castro] who’s been with us for three days. So, some of it is like the group he’s with I think is not necessarily setting him up for success.”

Redick’s comments upset many people across the internet who accused him of making excuses for Bronny. But obviously Bronny is going to have more turnovers alongside two-way players than stars. 

It’s hard not to root for Bronny here. 

James went from suffering a cardiac arrest at USC that could’ve threatened his life to playing meaningful NBA minutes. His teammates and coaches genuinely like him. He goes golfing with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Despite being the son of a billionaire, he’s humble. He’s understated. He works hard. 

But it’s no secret that his turnovers must decrease. He must shoot at a higher percentage. He needs to be more consistent. 

Not much can be gleaned from the preseason. Bronny has already proven that he belongs on an NBA roster. 

But the Lakers also are trying to win their 18th championship. Everyone needs to star in their role — or else. 

And his name has been conspicuously omitted when the team’s star name who has impressed them preseason, a list that often includes Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams,  Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jake LaRavia. 

The Lakers fully guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season, and he has a $2.5 million team option for 2027-28. 

Bronny needs to prove that he can be a difference maker.  

He needs to do the small things night after night that affect winning.  

He needs to play better. 

Or else his supporters are going to have a tough time trying to hold the door shut against his seemingly endless stampede of detractors. 

Get ready folks: Mikel Brown Jr. will make his Brooklyn Nets preseason debut against the Heat on Wednesday.

The No. 6 pick in the 2026 Draft has missed most of contact drills in training camp and the first three games of preseason due to a rolled ankle. GM Sean Marks told reporters the injury wouldn’t cost Brown Jr. serious time and his word is staying true.

Brown Jr. will be injected into a lineup that’s won all three of its games. They’re going for a perfect 4-0 with their lottery pick leading the way in the final preseason game — enjoy!

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Game Info & Broadcast Details

• Who: Brooklyn Nets (3-0) at Miami Heat (2-1)
• What: Preseason
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
• TV/Streaming: YES & DAZN
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

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Injury Report: Who’s Out?

Brooklyn Nets:

• Joshua Jefferson (back)

Miami Heat:

• Bam Adebayo: Groin
• Pelle Larsson: Illness
• Dru Smith: Calf
• Keshad Johnson: Hamstring (Two-Way)

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💬 Discussion

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