Category: Basketball

It was one of the first issues that Mike Brown mentioned. 

He had plenty to dissect after a 98-93 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia, but the head coach was frustrated by the Knicks allowing 26 points in the paint during the first half of their loss — and brought it up, along with turnovers, to reporters following the game. The Knicks, by comparison, managed just 14. And while they responded in the second half and limited the 76ers to just 10 points in the paint across the final 24 minutes, their early lapses contributed to an early deficit that haunted them throughout their loss to open NBA Cup play. 

“They were getting in our paint left and right, right and left, and it was really, really easy doing it,” Brown said. “… If it’s a post-up game or something like that, OK, maybe, I don’t know. But to continue to have that ball driven in the paint, especially in the first half when they shot 5 of 17 or whatever it is from the 3-point line, was not good.” 

This was new for the Knicks. Even after Friday, they were still only allowing 39.3 points per game in the paint, which ranked second in the NBA and trailed just the Celtics (38.0) for the league’s best mark. But Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with eight points in the paint during the first half, while LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe both added six. 

Less than two minutes into the game, James cut behind OG Anunoby, collected a pass from Joel Embiid and finished a layup. Early in the second quarter, when the Knicks had some reserves in, too, ball movement allowed Maxey to get the ball on the wing, and a pump fake allowed him to drive past Landry Shamet and finish a dunk. 

“It’s not just one thing,” Brown said, when asked about pick-and-roll communication leading to paint defense issues. “It’s a little thing here, little thing there, little thing there, and that’s why it adds up. We’re competitive when we need to be, and that’s why all our games that we’re in, we have a chance down the stretch. 

“But trying to make sure we continue to do the little things throughout the course of the game is gonna be huge for us because we’re not doing it right now.” 

Even without Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics in the offseason and is one of the league’s best offensive rebounders when healthy, the Knicks entered play Saturday ranked second in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage at 36.3 — trailing just the Warriors’ 37.5. In Philadelphia on Friday, the Knicks gathered 14 offensive rebounds compared to the 76ers’ five, with Andre Drummond and Miles McBride leading them with three each. 

Since the start of the 2024-25 season, the Knicks have only been limited to 93 points or fewer on three occasions during the regular season — and all of those occurred last season. They were also held to 93 and 91 points by the Celtics during the 2025 postseason. … Mikal Bridges, who finished third on the Knicks in scoring, tied his season high with 12 points, but he’s still just averaging 6.2 points per game to start the year.

Luka Dončić might never live down what Steph Curry did to him last night.

Curry broke Dončić’s ankles and sent him sprawling to the ground before draining a three-pointer during the Golden State Warriors’ 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Plenty of people have trolled Dončić about this. But an Instagram post Jimmy Butler made on Saturday takes the cake.

Butler posted an AI video where Curry’s likeness is Bruce Leroy (played by Taimak) in the 1985 martial arts film The Last Dragon.

Curry is then asked, “Alright Leroy, who’s the one-and-only Master?” and responds, “I am!”

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Then Dončić’s likeness shows up as a bystander watching the exchange, and said, “Holy s***!”

Then Curry’s likeness is shown whirling his arms in what’s supposed to be an exraordinary martial arts technique.

Butler’s post (which also includes the actual video clips of Curry breaking Dončić’s ankles was captioned, “6/82. W.”

The post has gone viral, tallying over 100,000 likes in a couple hours and being reposted many times on social media.

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Butler is confined to the sidelined while he rehabs a torn ACL he sustained in January. There’s no clear timeline when he’s expected to return.

At least he’s finding ways to entertain himself in the meantime.

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss accused her siblings of running a "cloak and dagger" smear campaign against her through the media and voting to sell the family's remaining shares in the team in court documents filed earlier this week.

The filing, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, alleges that Jeanie Buss' five siblings -- Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse -- orchestrated a "manipulative plot" in response to her previous court filing in August to halt the proposed sale of the family's remaining 17.8% share in the team following the record $12.5 billion sale between Mark Walter and Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, "secretly pursued unlawful action behind Jeanie's back" and allegedly leaking their "petty grievances" to ESPN's Shams Charania.

"Respondents respond casting themselves as victims," the filing says. "When in reality, the entire episode is their own false flag operation."

The filing is the latest development in the ongoing Succession-esque drama that has ensued over the years since Dr. Jerry Buss' death in 2013 and escalated when Jeanie Buss' siblings voted 5-0 to sell their stake in the Lakers to Kushner, which would effectively remove her as governor. That led to an injunction from Adam F. Streisand, Jeanie Buss' attorney, that contested the sale violated a 2017 court order that established Jeanie Buss as the controlling owner and was null and void.

The five siblings filed a formal opposition on Oct. 7, claiming Jeanie Buss' petition "is legally and factually baseless." A hearing is scheduled in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 8.

"Jeanie sought to address Respondents’ desire to cash out of the Buss/Lakers’ legacy," Streisand says in the filing. "However, Respondents refused to engage, because they not only want to cash out of that legacy but cannot abide that the team’s owners would still want Jeanie to be part of the Lakers’ future. Jeanie had no choice but to seek court intervention to enforce the clear terms of the Trust and this Court’s 2017 Order."

Per NBA rules, Jeanie Buss would need to hold at least a 15% ownership stake in the Lakers to continue serving as governor. The siblings have defended their sale as being within their rights by invoking a tag-along provision that was included in the original sale to Mark Walter that would allow the Buss family to sell their shares if he were to ever sell the team, but Jeanie Buss' attorneys responded in Wednesday's filing that the tag-along right is for less than all of the trust's shares.

The filing continues by alleging no notice of the tag-along right was given, nor was a notice of a "put right" that would have enabled the siblings to sell the family's entire stake in the team, and that there is no offer from Kushner and Iger to purchase the trust's shares.

"Consent to a hypothetical, partial sale is not the full and final sale required to trigger termination under Section 2.4(c)," the filing said. "Thus, the Purported Resolution is void on its face."

ESPN reported on Friday that Kushner and Walter agreed to final terms of the sale of the franchise and are expected to sign a formal agreement soon. The deal would then need to be reviewed by the NBA and approved by a majority vote of the league's 30 team owners.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeanie Buss alleges 'cloak and dagger' plot by siblings over Lakers sale

In each of the Knicks’ losses, it has been something new. A different sign that captures how they’re still — even six games and four defeats into the season — a step behind opponents at the start of their title defense, even with the same starting lineup and most of the same rotation intact from last year. 

There was the entire game opening night, when head coach Mike Brown said it looked like the Knicks were “running in mud.” There was the third quarter against the Celtics. The fourth-quarter collapse against the Magic, too. And then Friday night, it was the Knicks’ start, when they trailed by double digits in the first quarter en route to their 98-93 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia. 

It marked their fewest points in an opening frame this season. It served as the latest reminder of a potentially concerning trend in a start to the year already filled with them. And as they’re trying to recover conditioning and erase the step missing after the condensed offseason that followed their championship run, it marked the latest sample in 2026-27 of the Knicks slipping into an insurmountable place in a game because of a costly quarter. 

“We gotta find a way to be that magical team we were last year at a more consistent pace,” Karl-Anthony Towns said following Friday’s loss. “You don’t always want to just wait until the end to find that magic. Lightning don’t strike twice, so we gotta be that team right now and we gotta continue to build off of what we did last year.” 

The Knicks trailed by 13 after the opening 12 minutes against the Pistons on Tuesday, but they responded by limiting Detroit to just three field goals in a 12-point second quarter. They only managed 13 in the third quarter. And by the end of it all, the Knicks defense had powered them to their first win of the season. 

But poor first quarters like Tuesday and Friday nearly eliminate their margin for error. With under five minutes remaining in the frame against the 76ers, Jalen Brunson tried to thread a pass to a rolling Andre Drummond, but Joel Embiid knocked the pass away — allowing for a VJ Edgecombe layup in transition moments later to give Philadelphia a 20-11 lead. Then, after the Knicks started to trim into their deficit with 3-pointers from Josh Hart and Miles McBride, Anfernee Simons responded with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 10. The Knicks weren’t able to execute the same counter defensively, either. 

“It was almost like we were just gonna show up and go hoop and not doing the little things that we need to do to go get a win,” Brown said. 

The Knicks, Towns said, looked like a team at the end of a road trip. They didn’t find “that gear” — the one they needed to overpower opponents, the one that defined their sprint through May and June — until the fourth quarter. Double-digit comebacks are “taxing,” Hart said, and it’s not something they can rely on, even if improbable rallies were a defining part of their postseason run. 

“I think when that’s happened, we’re just coming in a little stagnant offensively,” Hart said of the Knicks’ deficits. “Forced into either bad shots or turnovers. And then, you know, stops are harder.” 

The Knicks will have chances — starting with the winless Nets and 1-5 Bulls over the next two games — to figure everything out. To fix their offensive rating that dipped to 20th in the league (109.6) entering play Saturday and solve their turnover woes that frustrated Brown on Friday. To improve their defensive rating that sits 13th (110.6) and a defensive unit that has ebbed and flowed throughout the early portion of the season. 

To eliminate the growing pains that have prevented the Knicks from looking the part of reigning champions and delivering the same magic that defined last season in the first place.

If all Cris Carter did was catch touchdowns, all VJ Edgecombe does is hit clutch shots.

Edgecombe’s late three was part of a 13-0 run for the Sixers which helped them stage a fourth-quarter comeback and steal a 109-104 win in the second half of a back-to-back on the road in Charlotte. They’re now 6-1.

Tyrese Maxey was brilliant from the start and finished with 38 points. Edgecombe struggled most of the night, but buried a triple when it mattered. He finished just 4-of-13 for 10 points. Jaylen Brown returned to the lineup. Though he was able to shake off a poor start, he wasn’t as impactful as he’s been this season. He was 6-of-15 for 16 points.

Anfernee Simons was great again off the bench with 19 points (including five triples). Dean Wade got the start and was excellent on both ends, dishing out 10 assists.

The Sixers were without LeBron James and Joel Embiid, both sitting out the backend of the back-to-back. Dominick Barlow (back) remains out. They’ll host the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Here are a few takeaways from the night.

First quarter

• It was funny to see Dean Wade pass up another shot on the first possession and pass VJ Edgecombe a grenade … only for Edgecombe to bury a three.
• The Sixers had a tall task keeping Moussa Diabate off the offensive glass. Not only did Adem Bona do a great job there, but Bona was impactful on the offensive glass himself. Diabate had just one defensive rebound in the first half.
• Holy moly, Tyrese Maxey. To quote a former Sixer, he is just stupidly locked in right now.
• Jabari Walker got the backup five minutes, so it appears no Tacko Fall tonight.
• It was a rough start for Jaylen Brown in his return. He missed his first five shots and had two turnovers. Whether it was a rhythm issue or the knee still bothering him, he looked off.
• Justin Edwards got early minutes, but his stint didn’t last long. It was a little surprising to see Edwards get in there before Labaron Philon.
• The Hornets came in as one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA this season — so, naturally, they couldn’t miss against the Sixers, going 6-of-11 from deep and 73.7% from the floor in the first. They held a 37-27 lead. Maxey posted 15.

Second quarter

• Walker gave the Sixers strong minutes at the five. He drew a foul fighting for position with Diabate, then had a tough finish off a Maxey pass, then drove from the corner and had a nice reverse finish. Brown finally got a bucket to go and cut the deficit to 37-33.
• Well, hello, Dean Wade! You wanted him to shoot and what a beauty of a move on Naz Reid for a bucket at the rim.
• A decent stint for Philon. He hit a three and had a great defensive rep against fellow Alabama alum Brandon Miller. He then drew a foul on Miller before making a pretty dropstep move on fellow rookie Christian Anderson for a bucket. He missed a pair of free throws, but overall, good stuff from the rook.
• Bona fumbled a pass from Brown and of course calmly collected it and finished at the rim over Ryan Kalkbrenner to tie the game at 44-44. Brown was much better in his second stint, finding Maxey for another bucket to put the Sixers in front.
• The Sixers’ defense picked up big time. Another trio of threes from Anfernee Simons and Maxey buried another. Maxey led all scorers with 19. Some tremendous ball movement at times here. Grayson Allen’s red-shot shooting was the only thing keeping the Hornets in it. The Sixers were up 57-54 at the half.

Third quarter

• Credit where it’s due, more good Bona minutes and another pretty make in the post from Wade. It appeared Bona’s activity was starting to frustrate Diabate, as the Hornets’ big man threw an elbow into Bona’s gut. Diabate was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.
• The Sixers’ offense and defense started sagging. The ball stuck too much and Charlotte got way too many good looks at the rim. The Hornets pulled back in front, 67-65.
• Brown and Walker seem to have a little chemistry. Look at that, preseason reps paying off! Overall, the game became a slog. It looked like two teams playing the second half of a back-to-back. Charlotte continued to get to the paint with ease, building the lead to 73-67.
• Brutal night for Edgecombe so far. He was just 3-of-10 from the field. As we’ve seen though, Edgecombe can have three rough quarters and show up for the fourth…
• On a positive note, Brown has looked much bouncier as the game has gone on. He powered past Allen for a dunk and then had another nice finish at the rim on a drive. He kept the Sixers in it. The offense got bogged down again when he took a breather.
• Yet another three for Simons, cutting the Hornets’ advantage to 79-77. Wade notched his seventh assist on the play. Unfortunately, that was the last basket the Sixers made in the period. Charlotte pushed the lead back up to 83-77 as a Maxey three missed everything. You have to wonder if tired legs are a factor.

Fourth quarter

• Bona sort of turned back into a pumpkin here. It’s hard to even fault him. They’re asking him to play starter minutes and he simply doesn’t seem capable.
• Walker checked back in, buried a three and scored off an offensive rebound. After a steal, Maxey missed a transition three, but Bona gathered the rebound, got it back to Maxey who made a short fadeaway. For as poorly as the Sixers played in the second half, they hung around. It was a one-possession game with plenty of time left.
• In a different spot, I don’t mind Bona taking a corner three. Down six midway through the fourth with time on the shot clock? Yeah, I’d like a better shot.
• Wade’s so freaking good defensively. Hell of a possession on Reid. He really can guard anyone. Then a slick floater from Maxey. He’s doing all he can do keep them in it, but Edgecombe’s tough night continued. He grabbed a big offensive rebound, but was stuffed by Miller at the rim. The Hornets then got a Diabate dunk in transition.
• Another Maxey floater and a short turnaround jumper from Brown cut it to 98-94, but the Sixers continued to lose Allen on the perimeter, who made them pay with another three.
• More big time stuff from Wade, who grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Simons for another three. After a stop, Maxey was fouled, but split his free throws, an issue throughout the night. The defense was finally able to generate turnovers, one leading to a tough finish by Simons in transition to make it 101-100.
• A monster block by Wade and then the Sixers are bailed out as Dennis Schroder undercut Maxey going for a loose ball. Maxey made both free throws and the Sixers took a 102-101 lead.
• What a tremendous sequence for Maxey. He stands tough against Miller, who missed a fadeaway, then fought Diabate for the ensuing rebound, which the big man knocked out of bounds.
• How does he do it?! VJ Edgecombe got the ball with the shot clock winding down and what does he do? He buries a triple right in Allen’s eye. That’s a 13-0 run for the Sixers.
• Sion James missed a layup, Maxey grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Wow. Miller made another three to make it 107-104, but Charlotte fouled Brown with 5.2 left and he made both to seal it. Sixers win 109-104.

INDIANAPOLIS — Right now, every time the young Nets hit adversity, they go awry like a rudderless ship. 

That means their stars are going to have to do a better job steering them. 

That means Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. 

“[We’ve] just got to be mentally tougher, understand what’s going on in the game, understand what we’re trying to accomplish, what we can take advantage of, stuff like that,” Randle admitted. 

“But we just have to have better recognition in-game of what’s going on and just be better from there. But we get adversity right now as a group, and it just deflates us as a team. So I have to find a way to keep the group together, and get us out of those ruts when we’re facing those types of situations.” 

As the only winless team in the East coming into Sunday’s tilt at Indiana, the Nets have faced those types of situations every game. The result has been slumped shoulders, bad body language and the team coming unraveled. 

Granted, they played well at Cleveland and Boston. But more often than not, they haven’t handled adversity well. 

And while Randle and Porter are a 1-2 scoring punch, neither is a defender. But for the Nets to compete, they’ll have to be leaders. On a team this green, it’s not enough that they play well. They have to help their young teammates play well — or at least play together. 

“It’s easier said than done,” Porter said after Friday’s loss to Detroit. “In the NBA when you lose five straight, it can be tough. 

“But we’ve got to continue to watch film, and do our best to stay connected as a group, do our best to stay positive, to come out next game and do better than we did [the last] game. We took a step forward [in] the Boston game, a couple steps backwards [against Detroit]. We’ve just got to watch it and go from there.” 

The Nets have glaring personnel issues that may limit their defensive ceiling, but they’ve underachieved offensively due to a lack of chemistry and cohesion. They’ll need better cutting and spacing. 

Granted, Randle has done his job as a floor raiser. The Nets’ plus-22.9 net rating swing with him on and off the floor is the best of any Net that has logged over 30 minutes. But against Detroit, he shot 4-of-13 with three assists, five turnovers and too much ball-pounding. Porter finished a minus-25. 

Randle admits it’s on the veterans like himself and Porter to help guide this young team through its growing pains. But how? 

“That’s a great question. I don’t know. We’ve just got to find ways to keep making improvements,” Randle said. “We did that, [though] we didn’t get the result we wanted in Boston, we did it. I felt like we were on the path to doing that to start the [Detroit] game, and then we took steps back. So, I won’t accept it, but I understand it. 

“Taking bumps and bruises with the season, just gaining experience. But we’ve got to find a way collectively to be better and not let adversity affect us so much as a group. We keep talking about it, but we gotta find a way to come together. And yeah, it probably is on the vets. We gotta bring guys together in the moments of adversity and recognize those situations quicker than what we are right now.” 

It’s a tough ask with Porter set for unrestricted free agency and expected by many around the league to be on the market at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Randle — soon to be 32 — can opt out as well. 

Head coach Jordi Fernández defended both, saying he can’t ask either to step outside their comfort zones leadership-wise. 

“I always want them to lead and it’s got to come out of an honest place. I cannot force them to be out of character,” Fernández said. “I think they’re both good people and they both mean well, so whatever they’re comfortable doing I’m very happy they’re trying their best to help the group. And they’ve done it from the beginning, so I’m not concerned about that.”

Guards Egor Dëmin (right leg bone bruise) and Mikel Brown Jr. (back, injury management) are both out for the Nets on Sunday in Indiana. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to get back on track as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

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When you find yourself struggling to win basketball games, every mistake is amplified and every possession is overanalyzed. Through four games to start the season, that’s certainly been the case for the Phoenix Suns, who sit at 1–3 and have struggled to play clean basketball.

While the offense has begun showing signs of life, along with some much-needed functionality and responsibility, and the team currently possesses the 10th-best offensive rating in the league, there’s still plenty that needs to be cleaned up. And defensively? The team is an absolute mess. Rotations are being missed, assignments are being blown, and quite frankly, it looks like a group of players who don’t fully trust one another yet.

Why do we consistently see weak-side defenders crashing into the paint whenever an opposing player drives to the basket? Because there’s a lack of trust that the primary defender can handle his assignment, leading teammates to abandon their own responsibilities to provide help. And what happens as a result? Wide-open shooters are left waiting on the perimeter. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the Suns are currently allowing (easily) the highest opposing three-point percentage in the league.

The most frustrating aspect of watching this team thus far has been the numerous mental lapses and situational mistakes that you can attribute to poor judgment. But when you start seeing them over and over again, it raises a bigger question about whether this team possesses a high basketball IQ. We witnessed it numerous times from numerous players against Denver, and it’s been a recurring theme throughout the early portion of the season.

Examples? But of course. I’d show the actual plays, but the NBA has decided to negate the ability to share play-by-play videos. Because screw the fans, right? As long as they get their Emerites money, they’re satisfied. 

The Suns are down nine points late in the third quarter and Devin Booker misses a wide-open layup. That should’ve been the easiest birthday gift he received yesterday, and somehow, he missed it. How does the team respond? By committing a senseless foul in transition. And of course, Denver is already in the bonus, so the Nuggets head directly to the free-throw line.

Then there’s the Jalen Green possession. After the Suns fight their way back to within five points, Green decides it’s time to put on his superhero cape and drive into the lane rather than surveying the floor and setting up a quality offensive possession. What happens? Marvin Bagley rejects him, Denver takes possession, and the Nuggets promptly knock down a three-pointer on the other end. That’s a five-point swing at a moment when Phoenix had finally generated some momentum.

Dillon Brooks was your primary offensive weapon in the first half, scoring 20 points before getting tossed from the game for a Flagrant 2 after kicking Jamal Murray in the nuts. Now, I don’t agree with the call. I think it was reputation-based (and Tyler Ford hates the Suns…which is factual), and as somebody who’s watched Brooks play for over a season now, I know he routinely kicks his legs out on those turnaround jumpers. I genuinely don’t believe there was any malicious intent.

But part of being a high basketball IQ player is recognizing when you can’t afford to push the envelope, especially when you’ve been as valuable to your team’s offense as Brooks was in that game. You have to understand the situation and the potential consequences of putting yourself in that position. Stupid call? Yes. Stupid to put yourself in that situation? Also yes.

The same goes for the silly delay of game after knocking the ball away from Nikola Jokic following a Devin Booker running layup with the Suns down 7 in the third.  You know Tyler Ford is an official who has a tendency to officiate the Suns ridiculously. There is no team in the NBA that he has assessed more personal fouls against per game in his officiating career than the Phoenix Suns. The team he calls the least amount of fouls against? Yeah. The Nuggets. Why give him another opportunity to blow the whistle? It’s an entirely unnecessary play that once again handed Denver another free throw.

These are the kinds of mistakes that make winning basketball games considerably more difficult than it needs to be. And we’re not cherry-picking a couple of isolated possessions to manufacture a narrative. We’ve seen these mental lapses repeatedly throughout the first four games of the season, which is precisely why they’re becoming a concern. Side note: stop fouling three-point shooters! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!

Every team makes mistakes. Every player has moments when their judgment fails them. That’s basketball. But when those mistakes become recurring behaviors rather than occasional lapses, you have to start asking some uncomfortable questions about this team’s decision-making and overall basketball IQ. That’s when the red flags start going up.

The Suns have put themselves in a situation where there’s plenty to clean up. This is a team that relies on hustle as its North Star, but that hustle has to be accompanied by responsibility and intelligent decision-making. They’re not going to overpower opponents physically, and they’re certainly not going to overwhelm anybody with their efficiency. That means they can’t afford to give away free points through careless mistakes and unnecessary fouls.

Playing smart basketball has to become a fundamental part of this team’s identity if the Suns ultimately want to start winning basketball games.

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’s an early Western Conference Semifinals rematch tonight in San Antonio, where the Spurs take on the Timberwolves, who will be missing Anthony Edwards for a good part of this season as he needed to get knee surgery shortly after scoring 133 points in his first four games of the season. The Timberwolves are still formidable without his 33 point average, with Lamelo Ball and and Jaden McDaniels picking up a lot of the scoring slack. That worked out well enough last night for the Wolves to rout the Clippers 127-101 and take a 1-0 lead in their NBA Cup group. None of that matters to the Spurs right now, since they’re in a different group and haven’t played a Cup game yet.

This will be the toughest game for the Silver and Black since the season-opening weekend of Thunder/Rockets, so it could be a good measuring stick to see if the team is rounding into shape after playing some desultory basketball in the first 5 games, with enough flashes of brilliance to sport a 3-2 winning record so far. The three guard lineup has gotten mixed reviews, but as some of the PTR writers discussed a few days ago, sometime it takes time for these kinds of things to gel. Tobias Harris still hasn’t made his Spurs debut, and that could end up changing the outlook a bit going forward. My opinion that any NBA game played while there are still pumpkins on the porch is to early to take much from, win or lose, because the teams aren’t anywhere near where they will be in the springtime.

For local viewers, this game is on DAZN only. I had some fun with the last game when my iPad quit showing the Jazz game, but luckily, I was able to get DAZN to load in a web browser and watch it on my computer. The lesson of that is to always have options, and maybe a newer iPad. Let’s GOO Spurs!!

Game Prediction:

After watching Victor Wembanyama hit a couple of three-point shots, Rudy Gobert becomes jealous and decides to match him shot-for-shot. It’s airball city for the big Frenchie (theirs, not ours), but a few of the errant shots fall into his teammates’ hands are are counted as assists.

San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves
October 31, 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.

Each week, the California Post will power rank the NBA’s 30 teams. Records are as of Saturday morning:

1. Houston Rockets (5-1)

The Rockets take the top spot despite suffering their first loss of the season Friday to the Mavericks. Statistically, they have the league’s best offense and are getting contributions from across the board. Seven Rockets are averaging double-digit scoring figures. (Last week, 5th)

2. Memphis Grizzlies (5-0)

The league’s last undefeated team continues to climb up the rankings after another perfect week. The Grizzlies were the fun preseason pick when asked which team would exceed expectations. And with Ty Jerome and Cameron Boozer leading the way, they’ve done that so far. (Last week, 13th)

3. Philadelphia 76ers (5-1)

Two wins in 10 days over the defending NBA champions? It’s fair to say LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are headed in the right direction and could lead the 76ers to being legitimate NBA title contenders. (Last week, 2nd)

4. Detroit Pistons (5-1)

The Pistons have hardly missed a beat since All-NBA center Jalen Duren suffered a right hamstring strain that’ll sideline him for at least another week. Superstar guard Cade Cunningham leads a Pistons roster that’s getting contributions from all over as they look to build off a 60-win season last year. (Last week, 9th)

5. Boston Celtics (4-1)

The Celtics have bounced back after dropping their season opener to the Pistons, rattling off four straight wins. Paul George has been a great fit, and Jayson Tatum is getting back to looking like his pre-Achilles injury self. (Last week, 10th)

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)

The week went from bad to worse for the 2025 NBA champions. Three starters (Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace) suffered injuries that’ll sideline them for various periods. And the Thunder lost their first game after opening the season with four straight victories. (Last week, 1st)

7. San Antonio Spurs (3-2)

The Spurs have bounced back from a slow start to the season with three straight wins. Victor Wembanyama is back to playing like the two-way force the Spurs need him to be to build off their 2026 NBA Finals appearance. (Last week, 4th)

8. Portland Trail Blazers (3-1)

The Trail Blazers started off hot, winning their first three games of the season before losing to the Grizzlies. But now, they face an uncertain immediate future with Ja Morant sidelined for at least the next month because of a strained left hamstring. (Last week, 12th)

9. Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)

The Lakers enter the weekend with the taste of their blown 25-point lead during the loss to the Warriors still fresh in their mouths. Luka Doncic (league-leading 36.2 points per game) is having an MVP-caliber start to the season, but this past week exposed some flaws. (Last week, 6th)

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2)

The Timberwolves were as hot as any team to start the season, but Anthony Edwards having a procedure on his right knee that could sideline him for a couple of months cooled them off. (Last week, 7th)

11. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

The Mavericks rattled off three straight wins this past week, and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg is looking like he’s taken a leap. Flagg is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. (Last week, 15th)

12. Toronto Raptors (3-2)

The Raptors only got two games from Kawhi Leonard before swelling in his left knee sidelined the star forward. Scottie Barnes is poised to lead the Raptors while Leonard is out. (Last week, 8th)

13. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2)

The Cavaliers’ losses came against teams expected to be in the playoff race. They’re performing at their expected level but need more from James Harden to be a true contender in the East. (Last week, 14th)

14. Golden State Warriors (3-3)

Three straight wins over potential playoff teams, including the epic comeback against the Lakers, have the Warriors climbing back up the rankings after a slow start. Steph Curry’s third in the league in scoring (29.2 points). (Last week, 26th)

15. Denver Nuggets (3-2)

You can only play the teams in front of you, but the Nuggets’ victories have come against the lowly Pelicans and a Suns team that came out of the gates slowly. They need Nikola Jokic to get back to his MVP form. (Last week, 11th)

16. Atlanta Hawks (3-3)

Nickeil Alexander-Walker is proving that last season’s breakout year wasn’t a fluke as the Hawks ended the week with a victory over the Cavaliers. (Last week, 18th)

17. New York Knicks (2-4)

The defending champions haven’t looked like it, with an 0-3 start turning into a disappointing October. There will be several opportunities to get back on track and stack wins throughout November. (Last week, 3rd)

18. Washington Wizards (3-3)

Anthony Davis (22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds) and Trae Young (20.7 points, 10.2 assists) have led the Wizards to a respectable record and standing throughout the league so far. (Last week, 23rd)

19. Charlotte Hornets (3-3)

It may not be the most efficient brand of basketball, but Brandon Miller is keeping the Hornets afloat as they wait for Coby White and Kon Knueppel to make their season debuts. (Last week, 19th)

20. Miami Heat (2-4)

Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to stuff the stat sheet (28.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists), and the Heat finally picked up their first wins of the season against the Hawks and Pacers to close out the week ahead of an early West Coast swing. (Last week, 17th)

21. Orlando Magic (2-3)

Road wins over the Knicks and Raptors this past week put the Magic in as good of a spot as possible despite an early-season ankle injury for Paolo Banchero. (Last week, 20th)

22. Indiana Pacers (2-4)

Tyrese Haliburton’s hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for two weeks, took the energy out of the start of the season. The Pacers entered the weekend having lost their previous three games. (Last week, 16th)

23. Phoenix Suns (1-3)

The Suns went from a gritty, tough style of play last season to having the league’s worst defense this year. They have to address the less glamorous end of the floor to get back on track. (Last week, 22nd)

24. Los Angeles Clippers (1-4)

The injuries continue to stack up for the Clippers, who signed Blake Wesley on a 10-day hardship deal in light of who they don’t have available. (Last week, 25th)

25. New Orleans Pelicans (1-4)

The Pelicans picked up their first win with their victory over the Kings on Thursday, but they still remain without a clear direction. (Last week, 27th)

26. Utah Jazz (1-4)

Injuries that’ve zapped their frontcourt depth (Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkić) have slowed down what could’ve been a promising start to the season. (Last week, 21st)

27. Chicago Bulls (1-5)

Prioritizing the development of young players typically comes at a cost, even when it’s the right direction for a franchise. The Bulls continue to learn this lesson. (Last week, 24th)

28. Milwaukee Bucks (1-4)

The Bucks are feeling the growing pains after trading Antetokounmpo. (Last week, 30th)

29. New Jersey Nets (0-5)

At least the Nets have been competitive in a couple of their games so far. (Last week, 29th)

30. Sacramento Kings (0-5)

Meanwhile, the Kings are getting blown out regularly. (Last week, 28th)

BOSTON — Mitchell Robinson is on the injury report ahead of the Celtics’ Sunday afternoon game against the Orlando Magic. Robinson, who hasn’t missed a game this season, is listed as questionable with rest. Outside of Robinson, the only other Celtic on the injury report is Devin Carter, who continues to recover from illness but has rejoined the team.

The Celtics are on the front end of a back-to-back, so Robinson could miss Sunday’s game but lace up on Monday against the Houston Rockets. When the Celtics had their first back-to-back of the season — a Monday game against the Chicago Bulls and a Tuesday game against the Brooklyn Nets — everyone played in both games, though Joe Mazzulla noted that might not always be the case.

“It just depends,” he said. “We trust the sports science team that we have; we trust the competition of those guys. At the same time, our locker room has built on 1-15, 16, or 17 being able to impact winning. It’s just a combination of all those things. At the end of the day, we have to do what gives us the best chance to win. At the same time, keep those guys healthy and validate the whole locker room by putting guys in situations where they gotta win games for us.”

Mitchell Robinson has had a slow start to the Celtics season

So far this season, Robinson has averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He’s started all five games for the Celtics, but has played as many minutes as Neemias Queta, the team’s backup center. But Robinson’s rebounding is substantially down from last season, when he averaged 8.8 rebounds in similar minutes. In Robinson’s minutes so far, the team has been outscored by 26 points. Conversely, in Queta’s minutes, the Celtics have outscored opponents by 52 points, the second-best mark on the team.

Robinson was hard on himself after the season opener, a loss to the Detroit Pistons.

“I played like ass,” he said.

And though his play has improved from that opening game, he’s yet to have quite the impact he had on the New York Knicks. Whether he continues to acclimate and improve his play remains to be seen.

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

October 31, 2026

Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas

Time: 7:30 PM CST

TV: NBA TV, Space City Home Network

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

Probable starting lineups

Rockets: Marcus Smart, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein

Can the Rockets rebound after the loss? Tune in tonight and come chat with us at TDS on on the SB Nation App!

This combined game thread is for all the marbles — at least for the Atlanta Dream.

The Atlanta Dream (3-3) and the Golden State Valkyries are knotted in the first ever WNBA finals to go seven games. A champion will be crowned tonight.

Just before that, however, the Hawks (3-3) travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans (1-4).

Hawks starting lineup:

G CJ McCollum

G Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F Dyson Daniels

F Jalen Johnson

C Onyeka Okongwu

Dream starting lineup:

G Jordin Canada

G Allisha Gray

G Rhyne Howard

F Naz Hillmon

F Angel Reese

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Hawks info:

Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT

TV: Peachtree TV (WPCH), Atlanta News First (WANF)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming:Amazon Prime, NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Dream info:

Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: NBC, USA

Radio: N/A

Streaming: Peacock

The Jazz desperately needed a shining light in the pit of darkness they’d fallen into. Sure, they went toe to toe with LA, Memphis and San Antonio, but they couldn’t capitalise on early leads they had no business having in the first place.

But on these Halloween festivities, the only ‘trick’ is Jazz fans having the hope of the team turning things around in just one year—at least through the first six games this season. The Jazz were completely overwhelmed in the Delta Center in a troubling 112-90 finish.

It took 2:10 minutes for the Jazz to take the lid off the basket by the way of a Darryn Peterson triple. Blazers missed their first three shots; the Jazz missed their first two, with both teams collecting a turnover each. Shooting woes continued, which the Blazers took advantage of to take a 17-0 run. Toumani Camara was able to terrorize whichever Jazz player was bringing the ball up, contributing to six turnovers at the end of the first quarter. Though there was some silver lining in seeing the Jazz close with their own mini 11-4 run on 100% shooting. Between Keyonte and Peterson, there was always at least one starter on the floor.

Then the Blazers regained a 16-point cushion after the Jazz gave away yet another 16-8 run on 3-for-3 shooting. There was no synergy at all; players were taking low-percentage shots and couldn’t recover on the defensive end. The Jazz made no effort to fight back; they didn’t push back on half-court defense, and Portland got what it wanted inside. After Utah crept within 12, Deni Avdija burst with a late seven points to restore a 17-point lead at the half; 19 points in total. For the Jazz, DP led all players with an 11-point double-digit performance. Hardy seemed to believe in his performance, considering he also led all Jazz players with 17 first-half minutes.

The lead just kept extending in the second half. Holiday and Avdja both hit consecutive three-pointers to help build a 25-point lead for Portland. There were yet another eight turnovers in the third quarter for the Jazz, who also shot 35% from the field. The fourth quarter was all the indicator of a blowout loss as soon as Will Hardy waved the white flag.

Ultimately, this was a game that showed how much the Jazz need to improve if they want to hang with the teams at a Playoff level. The lack of synergy, bench talent or even decent roster construction has been this team’s shortcoming.

Obviously, having Jusuf Nurkic back would help, unlocking pathways in the offense that currently can’t be run with Hayes, nor Bamba. But there are a million other little tidbits I notice from this team every night that have me in a cold sweat of peril.

Darryn Peterson’s usage was a perfect dose

The rook was active on both ends of the floor. Peterson was zipping back and forth through all of Utah’s shortcomings tonight. He ended up finishing with 16 points on 6-15 shooting.

Without the hot hand from The Jazz’s top two scorers, the youngest player on the roster lived up to the occasion. We’re hoping that’s a mainstay moving forward

Old habits die hard

The turnover margin for this team is a handicap that will never allow this team to get in the win column, at least with the way they’re playing right now. That issue persisted, with 19 turnovers tonight, resulting in 20points for the Blazers.

You can make excuses, like how a Toumani-Camara-led defense that consistently pesters opposing ball handlers is bound to result in unforced errors, but the Jazz are already a bottom-10 team when it comes to taking care of the ball. Just completing the first month of the basketball season, there’s little leeway for this group to give in to habits when they were tanking.

The woes of the Finnisher

This is certainly one of the worst starts for Lauri Markkanen, at least that I can remember. Even before the wrist sprain, Markkanen was shooting 39/35/88 shooting splits, barely able to get over the 16 PPG hump. Tonight, he was only able to record 13 points on 3-for-15 shooting and 2-for-11 from downtown.

Up Next

Utah drops to 1-5 with this loss, and lines up their next matchup in San Antonio on Monday night.