What former Michigan State center Paul Davis said "ticked me off," Izzo admitted to reporters after his team's blowout victory over USC on Monday night.
Nebraska basketball’s stunning rise: Huskers crack top 10 for first time since 1966
It seemed as though everybody in Nebraska was calling for Fred Hoiberg's job just a few years ago, when it also seemed as though the former Iowa State coach would be unable to replicate the success he had years earlier with the Cyclones. The Huskers won seven games his first season. Four more years down the road, Nebraska begins the week as one of six remaining unbeaten teams in Division I men's college basketball, and the Huskers barged into 10th in the AP Top 25 poll on Monday, the highest they've been since they were No. 9 on Feb. 28, 1966.
James Dolan's NBA Finals expectations being tested after Knicks' fourth straight defeat
Owner James Dolan said on Monday evening that the Knicks – as constituted – can win an NBA championship.
You think he changed his opinion a few hours later?
The Knicks were blown out by the Pistons on Monday night in arguably their worst loss of the season.
Detroit – the current No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference – was down two starters and playing the second game of a back-to-back, but led the visiting Knicks by double-digits for most of the game.
New York has now lost four straight – its longest losing streak since Dec. 2022.
Are they a competent team in the middle of a rough stretch of the schedule? Oklahoma City lost to Charlotte by 27 points at home on Monday; the defending champs are 6-6 in their last 12 games.
Good teams hit rough patches in an 82-game schedule. That could be the case for the Knicks. Or they could be showing the fatal flaws – bad point of attack/perimeter defense – of a team that will fail to meet expectations.
Dolan said earlier in the day in an interview on WFAN’s The Carton Show that anything less than an NBA Finals appearance will be a disappointment.
“We want to get to The Finals, and we should win The Finals,” Dolan told Craig Carton and his co-host, Chris McMonigle. “This is sports…anything can happen in sports. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely gotta do. Winning the Finals, we should win.”
The Knicks haven’t looked like a Finals team lately. They’ve trailed by at least 19 points in the third quarter of their last three losses. The poor stretch coincides with an injury to Josh Hart. The Knicks are 2-4 since Hart suffered an ankle injury. Fortunately, Hart is on the verge of returning from that injury. The Knicks could have both Hart and Landry Shamet back by the end of the week. Maybe both of those players can help stop the Knicks’ slide.
Dolan said in the WFAN interview that he doesn’t expect New York to make a significant trade at the deadline.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry; they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic. There’s a lot of energy in there,” Dolan said. “I don’t – (team president) Leon (Rose) could always overrule me – but I don’t see us making a big change. Because we don’t have – we’ve got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that.”
Dolan was answering a question from the hosts about the Knicks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He said he wasn’t aware of any trade talks between the Knicks and Bucks in the offseason. Later in the interview, he reiterated that he didn’t see the Knicks making any big changes before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
“That’s what I think our plan is, yes … I talk to Leon every day and look, nothing is impossible; I won’t rule anything out, but who do you want to lose (in a trade)?” Dolan said. “You don’t get something without giving something. Who do you want to lose?”
The owner was also asked about the decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau in the offseason and hire Mike Brown to replace him.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core," Dolan said. "We went as far as we did last year, so you really have to take your hat off to Tom and the job that he did. But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea of how we wanted to organize the team – actually, it goes for both teams – and that meant we needed to evolve, actually, beyond the old traditional coaching formulas.
"We tried to work that with Tom, it wasn’t really his thing."
It was suggested to Dolan that Thibodeau didn’t use his bench players often enough.
“No, that’s some of it. But it’s much more about style of leadership, collaboration versus (working alone),” Dolan said. “… because of the way, particularly basketball, but also hockey too – the way the sport’s evolving, how much more complicated it is – we’re very, very big on development in both clubs.
“Because you can’t – it’s not like the old days where you can get Reggie Jackson and this guy and this guy and put together a team. It’s almost impossible to do that in the NBA. You have to home-grow some of your talent,” he added. “That also builds up trade currency, etcetera. But it’s a development thing. And that’s a team of people. There’s literally 20 people who are specifically dedicated to developing the players, to getting their skill level up, develop the strategy on the court.
“And that’s important for the development of a franchise. Tom liked development, but he didn’t really…”
Dolan didn’t finish his thought here, but he seemed to be saying Thibodeau’s approach with player development didn’t align with the organization.
At other times in the interview, Dolan was complimentary of Thibodeau, who led the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons and coached them to their first conference final in 25 years.
“I won’t say you can’t win a title with Tom Thibodeau. I don’t necessarily know that’s true. It’s just that, if you want to build a long-term, competitive (team)... you need somebody who is much more of a collaborator than Tom was," he said. "But still, Tom is still a great coach. He should coach again in the NBA. If I had a franchise that I was just starting with, etc., he would be a gold mine to get. And he was like that for us.
"When we first started, and he first came in, he brought discipline, he brought strategy… he brought us all that way. But we really felt like we needed to make a change to go the rest of the way.”
Did the Knicks make the right call with Thibodeau and Brown? The Knicks had a better record at this point in the season last year under Thibodeau. But Brown has played the bench more often, something Dolan thinks will pay dividends in the postseason.
“Look how far we got with our group last year, and then take a look at who was playing and who wasn’t playing and then we had injuries,” the owner said. “We’re going into this season, into the second half of the season, Josh is still out and Landry is coming back soon. We’ve got depth, and if we stay healthy, we’ll go into the playoffs in much better condition than we went into the playoffs last year.”
Dolan has owned the Knicks for nearly 30 years. Most years of the first two decades of his ownership were filled with disappointment and dysfunction. Rose and Thibodeau helped change all of that.
“As an owner, you have to be patient. When I get impatient, is when we veer off the plan, reach for the shiny thing. And think we can win a championship or build a championship team in one fell swoop,” he said. “I’ve been at this now for almost 30 years, and I can tell you that it does happen once in a while, but I don’t think that’s how we’re going to win.”
Dolan was also asked if he enjoys being an owner.
“Let me tell you something about ownership. Ownership is not an achievement. If you own something – you have a beautiful car – you own it, that’s not an achievement. If you built it, OK, then when you drive it around, you can feel like you have an achievement. I always want to try and achieve something,” he said.
If the owner and his top executives were right about Thibodeau, they will all be celebrating a great achievement this June. If not, the decision to jettison Thibodeau and hire Brown will be second-guessed by a fan base desperate for a championship.
Carr and Kohler help No. 12 Michigan State rout USC, 80-51
The Spartans enjoyed a 25-5 advantage in fast-break points and a 21-9 edge in points off the bench.
Tariq Francis scores 30, Rutgers beats Oregon 88-85 in overtime
The 6-foot-1 Francis, a junior NJIT transfer, has scored 100 in the past four games — all coming off the bench.
No. 10 Nebraska holds off Ohio State’s late rally to remain unbeaten with 72-69 win
Braden Frager scored 15 points off the bench and No. 10 Nebraska held off a late rally by Ohio State to win.
Easy money. Watch Kevin Durant knock down game-winning 3-pointer as Rockets beat Suns.
Sunday night, Devin Booker drained a game-winning 3-pointer with under a second left on the clock to upset the Thunder.
One night later, the tables were turned — Kevin Durant drained a game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Rockets past his former team, the Suns, 100-97.
KEVIN DURANT HITS THE CLUTCH 3 TO WIN IT FOR HOUSTON pic.twitter.com/1lC1qjT0Ok
— NBA (@NBA) January 6, 2026
Easy money.
The Suns were down seven with five minutes to go in the game, but went on a 10-0 run that gave them the lead with 2:12 left, and a chance. The game was tied, but Booker's shot with 5.1 on the clock missed, opening the door for Durant and the Rockets.
Booker had 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Durant finished with 26 points, while Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 17. The Rockets have won 5-of-6.
It wasn't all good news for the Rockets, coach Ime Udoka said Alperen Sengun suffered a sprained right ankle and will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days.
No. 10 Nebraska holds off Ohio State’s late rally to remain unbeaten with 72-69 win
Braden Frager scored 15 points off the bench and No. Nebraska held off a late rally by Ohio State to win 72-69 on Monday night. Rienk Mast added 12 points while Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort each had 11 as the Cornhuskers (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) extended the best start in school history.
Carr and Kohler help No. 12 Michigan State rout USC, 80-51
Coen Carr scored 18 points and Jaxon Kohler added 16 on perfect shooting to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-51 blowout against Southern California on Monday night. Jeremy Fears Jr. had 15 points and seven assists for the Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who took control with a 27-6 run early in the game and led by at least 20 for much of the second half. Kohler made all six of his field goal attempts, including a trio of 3-pointers, and sank his only free throw.
No horsing around for Michigan State basketball bigs in rout of USC
Michigan State basketball score: Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler combined for 34 points in the Spartans' rout of USC at Breslin Center on Monday, Jan. 5.
Knicks flattened in 121-90 blowout loss to Pistons
The Knicks got their teeth kicked in throughout a 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons to extend their losing streak to four games.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York's lack of defense as of late persisted out of the gate against the top seed in the East, who entered the contest averaging 118.8 points per game, 11th-best in the league. Sure, Cade Cunningham made some shots (14 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first half), but it wasn't just Cunningham as the rest of the Pistons got involved early and often as well, shooting 63 percent from the field and 55 percent from deep as a team in the first 24 minutes.
-- Detroit's bench, led by players like Jaden Ivey and Daniss Jenkins, scored 22 points in the first half as they were helped out by Cunningham's excellent court vision and passing ability, which gave him seven assists at halftime. By contrast, the Knicks as a team had just nine assists at the break.
-- Regardless, New York shot the ball well in the first, going 54 percent from the field and 57 percent from downtown. A lot of that production came from Jalen Brunson, who had 17 points on 8-of-13 from the floor. The point guard actually scored eight of his team's first 11 points, though the Knicks were down for the majority of that run.
Still, possessing the ball so often led to three turnovers before the break by Brunson, and he was a minus-6 on the court entering the second half.
-- Like the Pistons, though, the Knicks got some key contributions off their bench, most notably from Miles McBride, who had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in the first half while going 2-for-2 from three. The sharpshooter made three more threes in the second half to go 5-for-6 and finished with 17 points. He's been on fire from beyond the arc lately, making 46 of his last 84 three-point attempts (55 percent).
-- Going up against the best shot-blocking team in the league (6.3 blocks per game entering play), New York was blocked six times in the first half and after keeping it close in the first quarter (down 30-29), the Knicks slipped further and further behind in the second quarter and entered halftime down 64-54.
-- New York's shooting plummeted out of the break, putting up just 15 points in the third quarter. Eight of those points came from Brunson, while the rest of the starters contributed next to nothing. Most disappointing was Karl-Anthony Towns, who needs to step up on both ends of the floor with Josh Hart still out with a sprained ankle.
Instead, KAT finished with six points, one rebound and six turnovers. He took four shots and just two from inside the arc despite being the tallest player on the court. In fact, Detroit completely overmatched the Knicks on the glass, outrebounding them 44 to 30, even though no Piston had more than nine. Only Mitchell Robinson finished with double-digit rebounds, securing 10 boards in 25 minutes.
-- After such a disheartening third quarter by New York and no change in the fourth, head coach Mike Brown had seen enough and waved the white flag by emptying his bench with half a quarter left to play.
-- The Knicks led only once in this game, the first lead of the night after OG Anunoby made one of two free throws to give them a 1-0 lead. 13 seconds later, Duncan Robinson hit a three (and the free throw after getting fouled) and Detroit was off and running.
-- The Pistons finished with 11 blocks and 12 steals, turning over New York 20 times.
Game MVP: Cade Cunningham
Cunningham was clearly the best player on the court and finished with a double-double (game-high 29 points, 13 assists).
Highlights
8 of the first 11 Knicks points from Jalen Brunson! pic.twitter.com/Z6PqUx2agc
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 6, 2026
What's next
The Knicks host the Los Angeles Clippers at MSG on Wednesday night with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Tariq Francis scores 30, Rutgers beats Oregon 88-85 in overtime
Tariq Francis made 10 of 16 from the field, hit 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, and scored 30 points to help Rutgers beat Oregon 88-85 in overtime on Monday night. Darren Buchanan Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer and threw down a two-hand dunk before Francis made a jumper that capped a 7-1 spurt and gave Rutgers (8-7, 1-3 Big Ten) an 87-82 lead with 1:09 to play. Buchanan, Jamichael Davis and Lino Mark each scored 13 points for the Scarlet Knights.
NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: Trae Young's agents working with Hawks to find trade for point guard
Here are some of the latest trade rumors from around the league, with most of the buzz being about an All-Star point guard in Atlanta.
Trae Young
The writing was on the wall when Atlanta didn't reach a contract extension with Trae Young last summer, but his exit from the ATL looks like it will come sooner rather than later.
Young's agents — Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown — are working with the Hawks to find a trade for the four-time All-Star before the Feb. 5 deadline, a deal that works for everyone, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Young has missed the last four games with a quad contusion and, while nothing is set in stone (it usually takes time to put a trade together), it is possible we have seen the last of Young in a Hawks uniform.
Atlanta started testing the trade waters last summer but ramped up efforts when Young was injured this season and the team went 13-9 without him. They then dropped the next four games when he returned (they are 2-8 in the games Young has played this season). The team's play while he was out showed a road map to the next evolution of this team, one without Young dominating the ball.
The challenge is that there is not much of a market for the 27-year-old former All-Star, league sources told NBC Sports. Ask yourself this: What serious playoff team would be better making a big trade for Young? Good luck finding one.
While Young an offense unto himself — a season ago, when largely healthy (he played in 76 games), he averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists a game — his lack of defense, size (listed as 6'2" but that feels generous), injury concerns, the fact he's not popular with other players in general, and that he has a $49 million player option for next season all combine to give teams pause. Fair or not, Young's reputation is that he's good, but not someone a franchise can build a contender around, which means teams don't want to pay him big dollars.
What team is interested?
Wizards eyeing Trae Young
The Washington Wizards might be his landing spot, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The Wizards have emerged as a legitimate potential trade destination for Atlanta's Trae Young, @TheSteinLine has learned, in a deal construction centered around CJ McCollum's expiring contract.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 5, 2026
More to come here: https://t.co/i9CobUR55Tpic.twitter.com/k9xOa2DZas
Why would Washington do this? It's a short-term play for a franchise that is seeking some level of relevance (and, in CJ McCollum, they don't give up a player who is part of their future). Young paired with a young core of Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and whoever they draft in June is at least interesting, should have a lot of firepower, and would give fans in Washington an entertaining product to watch. That kind of "let's prioritize making the postseason soon" thinking has long been rumored to come from Washington's ownership.
This doesn't have to be a long-term play by the Wizards, although you can be sure Young's agents are looking to get him to a team willing extend and pay him big money. We'll see if that's Washington or somewhere else.
In other trade news...
Lakers looking for two-way wing
That the Lakers are trying to reshape their roster to better fit around Luka Doncic, and that they need 3&D wings to do that, are not exactly state secrets.
Which is why the Lakers have been linked to every wing available at the trade deadline. As Marc Stein put it at The Stein Line: "The Lakers continue to scour the trade market in hopes of acquiring a two-way wing with size."
The problem is that 29 other teams are looking for players like that as well, and the supply of those players is limited. Ideally, the Lakers would like to get Herb Jones out of New Orleans (reportedly not available), Andrew Wiggins out of Miami, or even Dillon Brooks out of Phoenix (no way that last one is happening, Suns owner Matt Ishbia already shot it down).
Don't bother calling… Suns aren't interested. Dillon's not going anywhere https://t.co/Jqg6Nxx1D3
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) January 5, 2026
Even if those players become available, the Lakers may not have enough to get a deal done. That means Los Angeles may end up trying to land Keon Ellis from Sacramento or Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago, good young players with potential to fill that role.
The Lakers know what they need to do, but actually doing it is not so easy.
Mavericks not liking return for Davis
If you've been a regular reader of our trade rumors updates, this is not news to you, but here is another source echoing the same idea:
The market for Anthony Davis is limited and teams are not willing to give up much — especially the picks and young players the Mavericks are seeking — in any trade. Here is what Mavericks writer Christian Clark wrote at The Athletic.
Dallas' predicament is that dealing Davis isn't likely to bring back a combination of expiring money, young talent and draft capital needed to reorient around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Davis' age (he turns 33 in March), injury history and desire for a lucrative contract extension this summer have teams wary about surrendering too much to get him, based on conversations The Athletic had with three different NBA executives.
Chatter about an Anthony Davis trade continues to focus on the Atlanta Hawks, which has the big salaries to match Davis' deal as well as picks that would entice the Mavs. However, if Atlanta is going to move on from Trae Young, is Davis a good fit (the Mavericks have made it clear they don't want Young)? Also, league sources told NBC Sports they doubted Atlanta would give up the kind of pick package that Dallas would seek.
For his part, Anthony Davis would like to remain in Dallas and sign an extension with the Mavericks, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Of course, Davis would also have preferred to stay in Los Angeles playing next to LeBron James, but that's not the world we live in.
Don’t expect Adebayo trade
We live in a world where what was once thought impossible now happens with impunity. Combine that with the pressures of the NBA trade deadline and wild rumors start. In that vein…
No, the Miami Heat are not going to trade Bam Adebayo.
Don't even start, because Miami isn't. It would take something extraordinary for them to even consider it, and then they still likely would say no. Don't just take my word for it, here is what Zach Lowe of The Ringer said on his podcast.
"He is the standard-bearer, he is the culture-bearer. I don't think there's one part of them that wants to do it... Other teams I know have for sure asked about Bam and have been told 'Hell no' and the wild card you also have to consider as they sniff around at Giannis and other star players, all of those star players want to play with Bam."
Observations after Sixers fall back to earth with OT loss to Nuggets
Observations after Sixers fall back to earth with OT loss to Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers fell back to earth Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
They had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 125-124 overtime loss to the Nuggets.
Joel Embiid goaltended a Bruce Brown layup with 5.3 seconds left in overtime. Tyrese Maxey missed a game-winning floater attempt just before the final buzzer.
Embiid had 32 points and 10 rebounds. Maxey posted 28 points‚ 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Nuggets were heavily shorthanded. Nikola Jokic‚ Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon were among the many players out for Denver.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he expects Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left knee adductor strain) to be cleared to return “any day now.” The two did full-court 3-on-3 scrimmaging after the Sixers’ morning shootaround.
The 19-15 Sixers will host the Wizards on Wednesday. Here are observations on their loss to the Nuggets:
Slow start in return to Philly
The Sixers were not sharp out of the gates in their first game back home after a five-game road trip.
With three-pointers from Jalen Pickett and Spencer Jones‚ Denver went up 11-2. The Sixers’ offense was sloppy and the team missed its first six threes.
Embiid’s size was still a serious challenge for the Nuggets without their usual top centers. The Sixers had little trouble feeding him against Denver’s zone and he scored 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the first quarter.
A Maxey three late in the first gave the Sixers a 26-24 edge. The Maxey-Embiid pair had 19 of the Sixers’ 26 first-quarter points.
Edgecombe comes up empty in first half
Unlike Saturday in their win over the Knicks‚ the Sixers did not have a great start to the second quarter with Embiid and Maxey on the bench.
Much of that stemmed from a steep drop-off scoring-wise for VJ Edgecombe‚ who began 0 for 5 from the floor and was scoreless until he knocked down a jumper with 6:52 left in the third quarter. Edgecombe missed a couple of driving layups through contact and was off on open three-point tries.
On the other end‚ the Nuggets’ offense was three-point-centric. Pickett sunk four in the first half (7 in the game) on his way to a career-high 29 points. Denver continued to pose real problems for the Sixers despite its major manpower disadvantage. Quentin Grimes’ corner jumper with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter tied the game at 58-all.
Talent not everything
Even with his scoreless first half‚ Edgecombe still contributed in a bunch of areas‚ as he typically does. The rookie ended up with 17 points‚ 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
He helped the Sixers take a lead as large as nine points late in the third quarter. Maxey also had his foot on the gas and the talent disparity between the teams grew clearer.
However‚ talent isn’t everything.
The Sixers had a poor start to the fourth quarter with Embiid out. Grimes fouled Hunter Tyson on a four-point play that put the Nuggets up 104-100.
The Sixers’ situation looked bleak when Adem Bona fouled Brown on a corner three attempt and Brown made it 120-115 at the foul line. They weren’t out of it yet‚ though. Edgecombe canned a clutch three and Maxey hit a game-tying layup.
OT was chaotic. Ultimately‚ the Sixers couldn’t execute quite well enough and paid for their rough start.
Warriors' biggest area of need is evident as ever after loss to Clippers
Warriors' biggest area of need is evident as ever after loss to Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Losing by one point in a game where your coach was ejected after a blatant missed call that should have been two points for the Warriors off a goaltending call gives them every reason to be as incredulously irate as Steve Kerr was with the referees.
Emotions aside, a much larger problem couldn’t be more obvious after the Warriors’ 103-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Intuit Dome.
The Warriors finally flipped the script on their opponent and won the turnover battle seven to 20. They swiped a season-high 18 steals, which is their most in more than four years. They scored 27 points off turnovers while giving away just seven, and their seven turnovers also were a season best.
A loss still followed them back to the visitor’s locker room and onto their short flight back home. Why? Because the team with the greatest shooter of all time can’t shoot.
No team is going to win shooting 38 percent overall (35 of 92) with a 24.4 3-point percentage (10 of 41).
Steph Curry, to his standards, didn’t have the best shooting game. He went 9 of 23 from the field (39.1 percent) and 4 of 15 from 3-point range (26.7 percent), also making all five of his free throws. But his 27 points led all scorers from both teams, and the only reason the Warriors had a chance at the end was because of Curry’s back-to-back threes in the final minute and a half to bring them within one point before he fouled out at the 42.7-second mark for the first time since Dec. 17, 2021.
Even on an off night, Curry still was the only Warrior to make multiple threes. The Warriors lead the NBA in threes per game, but that’s because he’s responsible for 30 percent of them. Accuracy and shot making has been a serious problem for the Warriors this season and must be atop the priority list now that the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline is less than a month away.
“I thought we played well. We couldn’t hit shots,” Draymond Green told reporters in LA. “We missed a lot of shots. Lot of shots that we normally make, or can make, we missed. But we took care of the ball. We defended without fouling. I thought we did a lot of good things.
“We forced turnovers, we just didn’t capitalize enough. In a game where you force 20 turnovers and have seven turnovers, we should probably have 130, 140 [points]. It’s unfortunate.”
Green responded admirably one game after his latest ejection. As he put his body on the line and kept staying in the game, Green tied his season-high of 12 assists and did so with just one turnover, helping make him a game-high plus-15 in 32 minutes.
He also was one of many Warriors who couldn’t get the ball to go through the net. The Clippers were begging him to shoot, with the Warriors veteran accepting their invitations and leaving without any party favors. Green missed all six of his threes and converted two layups. That’s about how it went for any Warriors outside of Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Those two combined for 51 points, exactly half of the team’s total. The rest of the starting five – Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post – totaled 15 points on 17.6-percent shooting (5 of 17) and went 1 of 11 beyond the arc. Gary Payton II was the lone Warrior outside of Curry and Butler to score in double figures, finishing with 14 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting, making three dunks, two layups and one floater.
Ironically, the hottest shooter of the night was a rookie on a two-way contract the Warriors could have snagged in the second round of last June’s draft. Kobe Sanders scored a career-high 20 points and was more dynamic than any of the Warriors’ young players still trying to prove themselves. The San Diego native made nine of his 16 shot attempts as he showcased the skill that got him drafted in the first place.
Sanders worked out for the Warriors at Chase Center prior to the draft and would have been available for them if they didn’t trade back from 41 to take Alex Toohey two picks after the Clippers added Sanders at No. 50 overall. Toohey didn’t play a single game for the Warriors, or their G League affiliate this season and was waived by Golden State on Dec. 8.
All five Clippers starters scored in double figures. The Warriors attempted 15 more shots than the Clippers but made two fewer than them, too. For more than eight minutes of a 13-point third quarter, the Warriors didn’t make a single shot.
They now rank 27th in field-goal percentage (45.2 percent), 15th in 3-point percentage (36 percent) and 20th in offensive rating (113.6). Starting Jan. 15, Jonathan Kuminga becomes trade eligible. The trade deadline is exactly three weeks later.
Several areas of need stick out. The Warriors still are too small, and an extra ball-handler wouldn’t hurt. Consistently and confidently knowing somebody else outside of Curry and Butler will put points on the scoreboard and be a threat from 3-point distance somehow remains the biggest problem at the start of 2026.