HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 21: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks look on during the game on October 21, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
So…
Maybe the Rockets should trade for Kyrie Irving.
Joking- kind of. But the Rockets are no longer undefeated, and Irving was one of the primary reasons why.
He had 33 points on 12/19 shooting from the field in the Mavericks’ 114-111 victory over the Rockets. For parts of this game, Cooper Flagg was the Mavericks’ best player. He got them off on the right foot with 10 points on 5/5 shooting halfway through the first quarter. In the end, he finished with 32 points on 13/19 shooting from the field. The Rockets were unable to contend with Dallas’ dynamic duo:
Which, really, is nothing to worry about.
Rockets shorthanded vs. Mavericks
How many free throws does Kevin Durant miss in an average season? After missing four tonight, he’s on pace to comfortably exceed his quota.
Two missed freebies down the stretch may have sealed this one. The Mavericks pushed the pace off the rebound and got a momentum-changing basket. That was a fairly large variable in a close loss.
So were Clint Capela’s pair of goaltending violations. The mind remembers what the body forgets. Capela doesn’t have the same bounce that he’s accustomed to, and he’s going to have to remember that when timing his block attempts.
Kevin Durant (26 points, 9/20 from the field) was the Rockets’ best player, but shoutout to Jabari Smith Jr. He had 22 points on 7/15 shooting from the field and 3/7 shooting from downtown, but those points came in bunches. At times, it felt like Smith Jr. was taking over. He had a great game, but when this was your team’s best performance, there’s a strong chance you lost the game.
Above all else, the Rockets missed Sengun in this one. The offense felt far less dynamic without him. The Rockets had a hard time getting easy looks in the half-court.
That’s exactly why this game isn’t a major concern: Sengun will be back. He doesn’t have a major injury.
Moreover, the Mavericks have been playing well. This is a good team that the Rockets shouldn’t be expected to beat without one of their two or three best players.
But still, everything went wrong. Amen Thompson’s lane violation. I don’t wish to say anymore. The missed Durant free throws, the goaltending: It was an absurd game on the Rockets’ end.
If they were going to win, it was going to be on the back of their offensive rebounding. The Rockets got back to their 2025-26 ways on the glass with 20 offensive boards. It kept them in the game, but it wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier, as the Rockets play the Thunder tomorrow night:
SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic touched down in the Bay Area on a mission to demoralize the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Friday, Oct. 30.
Doncic put on a clinic, as he typically does when he's motivated by trash-talk.
The Lakers superstar was called out by Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg after their season opener on Oct. 21. The Warriors rookie and Doncic had been chirping back and forth throughout the game, primarily in the first quarter.
So how did Doncic respond Friday? In their Oct. 30 rematch, Doncic outscored the Lakers by himself with 21 points in the opening period. The Lakers led 38-15 after one but the Warriors stormed back to tie it 53-53 at halftime.
Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg displayed his Halloween spirit by arriving to Friday’s matchup wearing a Michael Myers costume, from the famed horror film "Halloween."
"I had no idea what I wanted to be," Lendeborg told reporters after the game. "I think I tried to get a Nick Cannon costume, from 'Love Don't Cost A Thing,' but it didn't come in time. So I went to the Spirit Halloween store yesterday. That was the only thing they had in my size."
In the teams' last matchup, the Warriors rookie was tasked with guarding Lakers MVP candidate Luka Doncic. Individually, he held him to 1-for-5 shooting, which included Dončić banking in a half court buzzer-beater going into halftime.
Although Dončić scored 28 in that game, Lendeborg said he lost all respect for the Lakers superstar.
"I had a lot of respect for him," Lendeborg said after the Oct. 21 matchup. "I didn't watch the NBA much. I just watched highlights, seeing him kill people all the time. But then being in there first hand, just watching him whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. Like, that was awful.
"I was letting him know because he was laughing and talking all this because of that one foul call,” he added. “His only bucket on me was a banker from half court."
Dončić said Lendeborg was talking crazy. It was his welcome to the NBA moment. It was a given that the two would have another moment on Friday night during their rematch. Here's how the Lendeborg-Dončić matchup went.
Dončić, when guarded by Lendeborg on Friday, Oct. 30, went 1-for-3 in the first quarter. Against everyone else, the Lakers superstar scored 21 points. The Lakers led 38-15 after the first 12 minutes. Dončić had 24 points at halftime.
Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis reacts during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Brooklyn.
Coming off their best effort of the season, the Nets cratered with their worst offensive showing of the year. Brooklyn got smothered 110-94 by the visiting Pistons before a sellout crowd of 17,548 at Barclays Center.
It came on the heels of a 125-124 overtime heartbreaker in Boston, when they led for much of the night in TD Garden and looked cohesive and competitive. They were neither Friday night against visiting Detroit.
The defeat didn’t just keep the Nets winless at 0-5. In their first NBA Cup tilt of the season — where point differential is the second tiebreaker, right after head-to-head — it put them behind the eight ball already in Group A, against Toronto, Orlando and Milwaukee.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez reacts on the baseline during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Brooklyn. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
And certainly against these Pistons, who gave them a caning.
“I think we’re in this stage of a group that when we hit adversity, it’s how we react to it,” admitted head coach Jordi Fernández. “And I think we started well, doing the right things. And then the other team responds, and then you see, like, dropping shoulders and not the same energy, something [like] that. We have to be [better]; we can control those things.”
The Nets weren’t any kind of better. Brooklyn shot just 40.3 percent overall and 11 of 37 from 3-point range, committing almost two dozen turnovers.
The Nets actually played feisty defense at times, holding the Pistons to 42.2 percent and 12-for-41 from 3. But they got outscored 27-11 in fast-break points, and the Pistons ran them off their own court in the second and third quarters, when Brooklyn combined for 13 turnovers and just nine baskets.
“I feel like we’re having trouble sustaining good basketball. Start off the first quarter great and then lose the second quarter on 14. And the majority of that came in the last two or three minutes of the second quarter. And then it just kind of spiraled,” said Julius Randle. “So we have to be better at just answering adversity. As well as the games we’re on, you’re gonna get punched in the face. But we have to be better at how we respond.”
Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle drives down court as Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham gives chase during a game on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham finished with a game-high 20 points. Moritz Wagner led the Nets with 16 points. Randle had 15, and Michael Porter Jr. finished with 13.
Brooklyn had their first double-digit lead of the young season when they went ahead 33-23 on Randle’s free throw with 10:44 left in the second quarter.
And they were still ahead 37-29 on his foul shot 1:17 later.
But that’s when their offense got smothered by Detroit’s dominant defense. The Nets coughed up a 27-12 Pistons run to close the half, flipping an eight-point cushion into a seven-point deficit that just grew in the third quarter.
Brooklyn Nets guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) loses the ball during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
Brooklyn missed 11 of their final 12 shots in the first half — including smoking a pair of layups — and committed four turnovers. By the time they fell asleep defensively and gave up Ausar Thompson’s driving reverse layup with less than a second left in the half, the Nets trailed 56-49 heading into the locker room.
Once they came back out, things just got worse.
After shooting just 3 of 14 in the second quarter, they gave away nine turnovers in the third.
Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis reacts during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Brooklyn. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
As bad as the missed shots were, the giveaways were far worse. Brooklyn got outscored 12-0 in points off turnovers in that third quarter, one that saw them blitzed 36-17.
The game was never close from there. The Nets trailed by as many as 30 on their home floor in the fourth, down 96-66 on a bucket by Paul Reed.
Detroit’s backup center was only starting because All-NBA star Jalen Duren was out with a hamstring strain. But the Nets couldn’t take advantage.
Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle shoots during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
What did they struggle with the most?
“Everything. Everything. I’m going to flush this one,” said Porter. “Tough shots, no flow to our offense. Defensively, it wasn’t our worst game; offensively, we were not playing how we needed to play.
“When you lose five games straight, it can be tough. But we got to continue to watch film and do our best to stay connected as a group, do our best to stay positive, do your best to come out next game and do better than we did this game. I think we took a step forward the Boston game, a couple steps backwards tonight.”
Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis watches his jump shot during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 30: Ronald Holland II #5 of the Detroit Pistons dunks the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons start the NBA Cup off with a bang. Detroit thumped the Brooklyn Nets 110-94. A plus-16 point differential is a solid start on their quest to win their first NBA Cup in franchise history.
Detroit’s defense got off to an uncharacteristic start. They got mixed up on several pick-and-roll possessions, but that didn’t last long. They figured out the Nets’ speedy guards. Nolan Traoré turns on the turbos when turning the corners. Detroit adjusted to his speed and Julius Randle’s bully ball style of play.
For the second straight game, Detroit held their opponents to a seemingly never-ending scoring drought. The Pistons hard-hedged, blitzed, and switched PnRs depending on their personnel on the floor. It’s a luxury to have so many versatile defenders.
The John Collins at the five lineups always present a different look. It’s a lot of speed out there when Detroit goes small. The lineups with Paul Reed aren’t technically small ball, but J.B. Bickerstaff can employ him so many different ways. Reed is not too much of a drop big, but he pressures guards coming off screens in every other way.
When Detroit did go small, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter got their hands dirty helping the team gang rebound. It didn’t register in the box score every time, but the fight was there. Huerter was scrappy and hit a pair of first-half triples. His explosion from trey is coming. I will remain patient and will take all the other little things he’s doing.
Robinson is off to a career-best start. The 3s were hit or miss, but he thrived in transition and baited Brooklyn into several turnovers. Robinson is such an educated cutter. Teams press up on him, sticking to him like gum under the desk, but he has no issue using their momentum against them, beelining to the rim.
Robinson and Ausar connected on some backdoor cuts. Their synergy is so evident. They burned another defense with their DHO link-up.
We got aggressive Ausar tonight. Right from the opening tap, he searched for his shot and was content to put his head down to get to the rim.
We got a middy pull-up in the second! Ausar was feeling it and took another jumper the following possession. Make or miss, that is the mentality that can change this team’s outlook.
Ausar’s all-around play was terrific. We’re watching a legit point forward in the making game by game. Ausar had six assists tonight. This one was gorgeous.
Ausar’s 9-to-5 defensive intensity clone, Ron Holland, had himself a ball game. He had a turnover and ill-advised fouls early on, but Holland turned it up a notch in the 3rd quarter.
The third-year wing was EVERYWHERE. His hound-em defense showed up, but Holland buried two 3-pointers during his energy blitz. He finished with 18 points, going 6-for-10 from the field, along with four steals.
It was another day in the office for Deuce. He might be the first player to get a foul called in their favor in real time. He did the classic Kobe/DWade up fake, then shoot while the defender is off their feet. It did not seem like the referee was going to reward Cade’s craftiness until he walked over there with wide-spread arms demanding an explanation. Nice to see Cade getting that superstar whistle these days. He dropped 20/5/4.
Brooklyn remains winless (0-5). Traoré is a blur, and Mikel Brown Jr. seems to process PnR coverages like a point guard who’s been around the block. That dude has promise. High process and deep-range shooting is always a dub in my book. Brooklyn fans won’t enjoy watching Randle go one-on-one with 10 eyes staring at him, waiting for his drive, but hey, it’s not all bad elsewhere. Focus on the young guards.
Ebuka Okorie probably gets more run in a typical blowout. Detroit aimed to run up the score for the cup point differential, so that might explain why Bickerstaff went with his proven horses until it was less than three minutes in the contest.
Detroit’s 2025 second-round pick Chaz Lanier got in on the action. He knocked down two deep balls with his quick trigger release. This was a monster performance from Detroit after their defense got back on a string. Brooklyn isn’t the 1996 Bulls but has competed in most of their games so far. Not tonight.
Detroit looks to beat up on the Charlotte Hornets again to kick off their November schedule on Monday. Maybe they get Charlotte so discombobulated that Charles Lee has to bench another starter.
(Daniss had another end-of-quarter buzzer-beater. Add this one to the highlight reel)
PHILADELPHIA — A night before Halloween, the Knicks couldn’t mask their problems.
They fell into another big deficit. They failed to recover. They’re still playing tired and clearly recovering their conditioning after a short and celebratory summer.
“We all feel the fatigue,” Josh Hart acknowledged. “So we’ve got to fight through it. Six games in, we have to find a way to make sure we get our bodies ready to play every day. I think mentally we’re there. We just gotta find it physically.”
There was a preseason belief the Knicks would steamroll at the start of their championship defense, utilizing their advantage of continuity and chemistry.
Instead, they’re 2-4 with a couple of defeats to the rival Sixers, who owned crunch time Friday night before leaving Xfinity Mobile Arena with a 98-93 win in the opener of their NBA Cup title defense.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during an NBA Cup game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks trailed by as many as 14 but still had a chance in the final moments. That was when LeBron James took over and Jalen Brunson fell short for the second time against the Sixers.
The Knicks point guard, who was coming off a 38-point masterpiece two nights prior in Chicago, shot 1-for-5 in the final six-plus minutes. He also missed a critical free throw with 32 seconds remaining, setting up an alley-oop from Tyrese Maxey to James to seal Philadelphia’s victory.
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after scoring against the New York Knicks on Oct. 30, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTyrese Maxey, right, of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Tyler Kolek of the New York Knicks during an NBA game in Philadelphia, Oct. 30, 2026. Getty Images
James was the hero with 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and the two biggest plays on the night. In addition to the alley-oop lay-in, James knocked down a fadeaway over OG Anunoby with 1:10 left to give Philly the lead for good.
He was aided by Maxey, who dropped a game-high 27 points in 38 minutes while Jaylen Brown (knee soreness) was in street clothes.
“[LeBron’s] a great player, and when you have a great player out there, with his ability, he’s gonna make plays, and he made big plays down the stretch,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “It’s the NBA, and it’s not surprising when a guy like Maxey or LeBron or Jalen makes a big play.
“You just hope that it doesn’t come down to that all the time.”
Brunson shot 8-for-22 with 24 points and six assists. Karl-Anthony Towns represented New York’s most productive option, scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds on 8-for-12 shooting from the field.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is guarded by LeBron James of the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
But the offense overall was “stagnant,” Hart said, and sloppy with 13 turnovers.
“We gotta find a way to execute better,” said Hart, who finished with seven points on 2-for-9 shooting in 30 minutes. “And do that continuously.”
The Knicks started slowly and inefficiently, managing just 21 points in the first quarter while shooting 41 percent with zero free throws.
They trailed by double digits after 10 minutes.
The second quarter wasn’t much better and the final play of the half encapsulated the offensive malaise: The Knicks failed to get off a shot in a 22-second possession, allowing the buzzer to go off with the ball in Brunson’s hands.
New York Knicks’ Josh Hart sits on the court as Karl-Anthony Towns, center, and Jalen Brunson, right, help him up, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
They hit the break with a 53-44 deficit and just four free-throw attempts. But then Brunson was activated in the third quarter, Towns went hot in the beginning of the fourth and the Knicks were down by only five points with six minutes remaining.
It was set up for a comeback. But the Knicks and their tired legs couldn’t make it happen.
“It’s a new year,” Hart said. “I think we’re trying to work our way into the season. But I think the flow’s tougher. Sometimes the ball is stagnant, I think that’s a little bit from fatigue and not a mental thing. You know what the other team is doing, and physically you’re trying to get your body to get to that point.
So I think that that’s part of it. We got to be more deliberate with cuts and movements. And taking care of the ball.”
The defeat means the Knicks will likely need to win the remaining three NBA Cup group games to advance.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last season, en route to a World Championship, the New York Knicks (2-4) took a pleasant detour in Las Vegas to collect the Emirates NBA Cup. The road to repeating the Cup win is rocky this season, with their Group B considered to be the toughest.
Tonight, they traveled to Pennsylvania to face the 76ers at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on a garish blue and gold cartoon court. This was their first Cup game of the season and the 482nd meeting between the two franchises. The Philadelphia 76ers (5-1) came in tied with Detroit for first place in the East. All night, the star-heavy squad showed the secret to their success so far this season—a stingy, sticky defense that limited New York to 32% perimeter shooting. Our heroes fell behind by double digits toward the end of the first quarter and stayed behind until the final two minutes of the game. Quoth Laurenpal, “Unfortunately it took us too long to show up tonight.” Despite a clutch bucket from Jalen Brunson (24 PTS, 8-22 FG) for the lead late in the fourth, Tyrese Maxey (27 PTS, 10-19 FG) and the Sixers were too strong to keep down. Your final: 98-93.
Through the first half of the first quarter, the home team had the edge, with Maxey, Joel Embiid (10 PTS, 7 RBS, 7 AST), LeBron James (20 PTS, 9 RBS, 8 AST), and VJ Edgecombe (13 PTS, 8 RBS) combining for 14 points. Across the floor, Karl-Anthony Towns (22 PTS, 12 RBS), OG Anunoby (9 PTS, 4-10 FG), Mikal Bridges (12 PTS, 3 STL, 5-8 FG), and Brunson had posted 11 for the visitors.
Part of the problem for our heroes was that Philly played an almost mistake-free opening frame, committing one foul and zero turnovers. And their defensive intensity—they’re top-five in the league—complicated every Knicks shot. When Tyler Kolek (2 PTS, 4 AST, 13 MIN) subbed in with about three minutes left, he was harassed into his first TO of the season. Further proof of that good D? The good guys shot just 27% in the first period.
On one sequence, Brunson dribbled against Maxey from 18 feet, left side, one-on-one. Maxey blocked him, but Cap retained the ball and swished a jumper on his second attempt. It was a rare instance of Maxey getting outplayed. He led all first-half scorers with 15 points. Brunson managed only seven points pre-intermission.
After a Philly timeout, Mike Brown sent in Landry Shamet (0 PTS, 0-3 FG, 16 MIN), Miles McBride (10 PTS, 4-8 FG, 24 MIN), and Andre Drummond (3 PTS, 6 RBS, 12 MIN). The guests missed five shots, during which time the hosts capitalized with interior scores. After surrendering eight unanswered points, the Knicks got relief when Josh Hart (7 PTS, 6 RBS, 31 MIN) delivered from deep. By the quarter break, the home team was up 29-21.
On to the second. Philly moved the ball well and was unafraid to drive the lane, as Maxey did with an emphatic throwdown. While Brunson rested—and Jose Alvarado sat out with a sprained ankle—Kolek continued to play. He gave up a second turnover. Cap checked back in around the seven-minute mark.
At the midway point, LeBron and Hart traded bombs from the perimeter. The differential reached 14 before the Knicks began to chisel it down.
McBride made some midrange shots from the elbow. It was nice to see a little more imagination in his usage, rather than just sticking him at the arc and waiting for a pass. He also grabbed a timely offensive board in the paint among Embiid and a couple of other big bodies.
Nevertheless, the Knicks couldn’t get a run going. A corner three by Bridges cut the gap to six, but Maxey chucked from deep for three of his own. In fitting fashion, Brunson couldn’t get open for a final shot, and the halftime buzzer buzzed without an attempt. Philly up, 53-44.
The Knicks had out-rebounded Philly (23-19) and shot slightly better from deep (32% to 29%), but Philly owned everything inside the arc. The Knicks took more than half their shots from deep and scored nothing on fast breaks, which is a tough way to keep pace while conceding so much inside. No Knick had reached double digits yet; KAT led the team with nine points.
Following intermission, Hart missed from deep, Bridges threw the ball to the front row, and Maxey scored five points. Philly went up by 14, matching its biggest advantage yet.
Finding the previous events intolerable, Brunson took the reins and commanded his squad on an 11-1 run. He scored seven straight during that burst, and Bridges redeemed his TO with a steal (ripping the ball out of Edgecombe’s mitts) and a longball. After that, Nurse needed a timeout for a breather and a regroup.
Whatever advice the coach imparted, it worked. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons (21 PTS, 5-8 3PT, 31 MIN) hit triples, Philly tightened its defense, and LeBron attacked the cup. Soon enough, the Knicks trailed by ten again and gave us great concern about their ability to rally for a lead. After a Mike Brown timeout, two consecutive Shamet turnovers and another Simons jumper further pushed the score in the wrong direction. Too many one-and-dones were a problem. The Knicks wouldn’t quit and swung back, with McBride and Brunson reducing the hole to six, but a Simons bomb with five seconds to go closed the quarter at 77-68.
Jordan Clarkson, a sparkplug in Chicago, made his first appearance to start the final frame. Alongside him: Kolek, McBride, Anunoby, and Towns. They manufactured buckets, but surrendered them, too. Simons continued to rain buckets.
One of the surprising strengths of Clarkson’s game has been his offensive rebounding. When he flew through traffic to tip in a missed McBride three, it wasn’t quite a Game Four highlight, but it sliced the differential to three. That was the closest the team had been since midway through the first. But they taketh, they giveth. Embiid drilled a jumper at the other end, and with six-ish minutes left, Mike Brown needed a timeout.
Out of the timeout, Brown’s lineup was Brunson, Clarkson, Bridges, Hart, and Towns. The choice to go with Clarkson’s offense over Anunoby’s defense was a curious gamble. Both teams were careening up and down the court at top speed, even that geezer LeBron, and when KAT rifled a bomb, a mere two points separated the two teams.
In crunch time, Brunson had a look but bricked from deep. The ball came back to him, but LeBron worked him into a jam, with Jalen having to throw the ball off him out of bounds. After the inbound, Jalen had another chance—and connected from deep for their first lead since the opening minutes!
BRUNSON FOR THE LEAD. LEBRON PUTS PHILLY AHEAD. VJ MAKES IT A 4-POINT GAME.
LeBron answered with a fadeaway at 1:10 to reclaim the lead. After Cap missed a floater, Edgecombe knocked down his first triple of the night. 94-90, 34 seconds remaining.
Cap got the ball again, iso-ing on Edgecombe, but slipped and turned his right ankle in a legitimately terrifying moment. Edgecombe was called for a ticky-tack foul (foot-to-foot contact). Brunson made one freebie. 94-91, 31 seconds. At the other end, Maxey hustled through traffic and missed on a contested layup, but ’Bron swept in for the putback. That put the score at 96-91 with 12 seconds on the clock. New York needed a miracle, but the gods were fresh out. Anunoby made a dunk, and Philly added two free throws. Ball game.
Up Next
Back to work on Monday, at home against the Nets. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
The Knicks opened NBA Cup group stage play by losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, 98-93.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- The reigning NBA Cup champions began this season’s group stage with a dud in the first half.
It was a rough night shooting the ball for New York, particularly from beyond the arc, as it couldn’t penetrate the 76ers’ defense down low, which led to poor shot selection. The Knicks also turned the ball over far too many times and struggled to get into any kind of rhythm.
-- In the first quarter, New York shot 40.9 percent from the field (27.3 percent from deep) and had four turnovers compared to Philadelphia, who shot 52.4 percent from the floor (33.3 percent from deep) and had zero turnovers.
-- Tyrese Maxey led the way for the 76ers with seven points in the opening frame, with Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe each adding six points. OG Anunoby led the Knicks after one with seven points, including a layup in the final seconds to cut New York’s deficit to 29-21 headed to the second.
-- Things stayed the same in the second quarter, with the Knicks relying too much on the three. They only scored 14 points in the paint at halftime while the Sixers had 26. Philadelphia also moved the ball around much better than New York did in the first half, totaling 17 assists to the Knicks’ 10.
-- New York’s starting five all had at least seven points at the break, but the Knicks’ bench was giving them no help other than seven points by Miles McBride. Landry Shamet was scoreless (0-for-3 from three) in 13 minutes and Tyler Kolek had two turnovers in his seven minutes.
-- Meanwhile, Maxey continued to cook New York’s shoddy defense and went into halftime with 18 points on 8-of-12 from the floor. LeBron James also had a big half with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists, and despite shooting 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, the 76ers led 53-44 at the half.
-- With how bad the Knicks played in the first half, they still weren’t completely out of it at any point and managed to pull within five points in the third quarter after a flurry of points by Jalen Brunson doubled his point total and made it 59-54.
-- Turnovers by the 76ers hurt them in an ugly third quarter, although they started to hit some threes, which neutralized any attempt by New York to make a run. Nevertheless, the Knicks’ offense did pick up thanks to Brunson’s 13 points in the quarter, but they entered the final quarter still down by nine points after Anfernee Simons drilled his third three-pointer of the frame to cap an impressive 13-point quarter for the 27-year-old.
-- Philadelphia’s lead reached double-digits once again in the early part of the fourth, but New York just kept sticking around as the 76ers weren’t able to deliver a knockout punch. Karl-Anthony Towns scored the team’s first eight points of the quarter before Jordan Clarkson, who hadn’t played at all in the first three quarters, helped out with four points of his own to get the Knicks to within three points.
-- In what became a defensive battle in the final minutes of the game with every possession being ever so crucial, New York was able to hold Philadelphia scoreless long enough to take its first lead since the first minute of the game on Brunson’s three-pointer with 1:32 left that put the Knicks ahead 90-89.
James responded with a fadeaway jumper to retake the lead before Edgecombe drilled a dagger three to go up by four with 34 seconds left.
-- Brunson went to the line for two three seconds later but missed the second shot to keep New York down by three. James made a layup on the other end to give him 20 points, his first 20-point game of the season, and after Anunoby dunked with eight seconds left, it was up to free throws. Maxey, who was held relatively in check following his dominant first half, made both from the line, which sealed the deal for the Sixers, who won without Jaylen Brown.
-- Brunson had 24, Towns finished with a double-double, but it wasn’t enough to knock out Philadelphia, who are now 2-0 against New York this season.
Game MVP: LeBron James
To go along with his first 20-point game with his new team, James also added nine rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block in 34 minutes.
Highlights
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association athlete of the year gets started https://t.co/a4Vcc99cgx
The Knicks get back to their regular season schedule on Monday night when they host the Nets in a Battle of the Boroughs. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates during the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Chet Holmgren will be out for roughly two months.
The star Thunder big man underwent a “biological treatment” for a small patellar tendon tear on Friday, sidelining him for 8-10 weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Holmgren has missed each of OKC’s last two games, having last played in Sunday’s bout against the Clippers, during which he is said to have “experienced mild discomfort” in his knee, per the outlet.
The injury adds to a growing list of setbacks for the Thunder, who are already facing the possibility of losing Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for the remainder of the season.
Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates during the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Getty Images
Williams underwent surgery after suffering a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula Sunday against the Clippers, while Wallace tore the labrum in his left shoulder during the same game.
Alex Caruso (ankle), Nikola Topic (back) and Thomas Sorber (knee) are also sidelined.
Oklahoma City is far from alone when it comes to bad injury luck in the early going of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Holmgren’s knee issue adds another chapter in a long list of injuries the Gonzaga product has dealt with since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2022.
He missed his entire rookie season in 2022-23 after suffering a foot injury and was sidelined for nearly three months during the 2024-25 campaign with a fractured pelvis.
In three appearances this season, Holmgren is scoring 12 points per game with 9.3 rebounds in 30 minutes per contest.
Despite injury troubles, the Thunder are 4-1 heading into Saturday’s game against the Rockets.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 20 points, Duncan Robinson added 17 and the Detroit Pistons routed the Brooklyn Nets 110-94 on Friday night in an NBA Cup opener.
Ron Holland II finished with 16 points off the bench and Paul Reed chipped in 12 for the Pistons, who have won five of their first six games to begin the season for the first time since 2015-16.
Detroit limited the winless Nets to 40% shooting from the field. No team has shot over 45.5% from the floor against the Pistons this season.
Julius Randle scored 15 and Michael Porter Jr. added 13 for the Nets, who fell to 0-5.
The Pistons got off to a slow start and trailed 28-21 after one quarter. Brooklyn took a 10-point lead – its largest of the season – after a pair of free throws from Randle with 10:44 to play in the second quarter.
But the Pistons began to chip away at the deficit and closed out the first half with an 18-7 spurt to take a 56-49 lead at the break.
Detroit did not let up in the third quarter and outscored the Nets 37-17 thanks to 12 consecutive points from Holland.
The Pistons held the Nets to 33% shooting from the field and forced nine turnovers during the third period.
Detroit outscored Brooklyn 48-36 in the paint and had a 27-11 advantage on the fast break.
SAN FRANCISCO — Cutting down on turnovers was such an emphasis for the Warriors entering this season that Steve Kerr decided to overhaul their entire offensive system.
Yet, four games in, they’re coughing up the ball even more than ever.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, right, looks to pass as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends, Oct. 26, 2026, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
“I would say he is just trying too hard to make plays right now and turning it over too often, just being too aggressive,” Kerr said of the 12th-year veteran. “He’s got to get more comfortable with these new concepts that we’re putting in and be more patient.”
Golden State turned the ball over 87 times while going 2-3 over its first five games, an average of 17.4 per contest, compared to 15.4 per game last season. Green has committed 17 of the turnovers in the four games he’s played, a career-worst 4.3 per game.
Green has turned the ball over more times than he’s directed it toward the basket, with only five buckets on 13 attempts from the field. However, he has still been a distributor, with 6.8 assists.
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It has also matched him up against far bigger players than his 6-foot-6 frame. In their win over the Timberwolves, for example, Green held 7-foot-2 Rudy Gobert to one point on four attempts.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watches his team play the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver. Getty Images
“I think he’s still brilliant defensively. I think he’s still doing a great job at that end of the floor,” Kerr said. “I think he’s really adapting to the things that we’re trying to get him to do. He’s crashing, getting more offensive boards.
“We talked a little about him shooting more 3s in the summer, but with Yaxel starting, Draymond is now our five again, almost fulltime. So he’s usually in the pick and roll, which is great for us.”
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors looks to pass against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at Target Center in Minneapolis. NBAE via Getty Images
Kerr said that Green has approached him multiple times during games to take accountability for his turnovers. But Kerr is giving Green — and the rest of his team — a long leash as they break in a new five-out system with more set plays, designed to reduce the chaos.
Kerr understands that it’s going to take some time for everyone to get on the same page.
“These things take time,” Kerr said. “Phil Jackson once told me the Triangle for a new team took a year to implement. Not that we’re implementing the Triangle, but we’re implementing new concepts.
“I think anytime you shift some schemes, some strategies and it’s new to players, especially older players, experienced players, I can look at all of our turnovers and I can say the vast majority of them are correctable. We just have to keep at it.”
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 30: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Chicago Bulls during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A Payton Pritchard 30-piece led the Boston Celtics to a 125-111 home win over the Chicago Bulls in the teams’ second matchup of the season and their first game of group play for the NBA Cup. The game caps off a four-game win streak for the C’s, who are now 4-1.
The Celtics and Bulls are in East Group C, which also includes the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards.
Group play will last 4 games, with each team playing each other once, before NBA Cup knockout rounds begin on Friday, Dec. 4. Five Eastern Conference teams will make it to the knockout rounds, including the winners of all three groups and two wild cards.
The Wizards started off a 10-game slate of group play games tonight with a 95-79 win over the Hornets, so the Wizards and Celtics are now tied for the lead of East Group C with a 1-0 record. Tiebreakers will be decided by point differential. The Celtics are at +14 while the Wizards are at +16.
Boston’s starting lineup tonight included Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Mitchell Robinson. Devin Carter, who has yet to play this season, remained out with mononucleosis.
The Bulls started John Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Jalen Smith. Chicago was missing Nic Claxton and Dailyn Swain.
The game got started off with a flurry of scoring. Both Boston and Chicago scored on their first three possessions, with all three Celtics buckets coming at the rim. In fact, the C’s first five made field goals came from the paint. Tatum uncapped the basket from distance with a three-pointer almost 4 minutes into the game to take an early 5-point lead.
While George made an early impact with his defense, the Bulls had a hard time stopping the Celtics’ offense, which came to play. Tatum led the way by hitting his first four shots for 9 quick points. By the time George snagged a bad pass from Giddey and threw down the open dunk, Boston was up 22-12.
The Bulls initially kept the lead from blowing up with 8 free throws, but Neemias Queta, Hugo Gonzalez, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard came off the bench with a gusto and added to Boston’s momentum. With 3 minutes to go in the opening frame, the Celtics were up 33-18, with 4 steals and 0 turnovers.
Pritchard — who appeared to be on a personal mission to crush the Bulls — added to the team’s steals total soon after the break, nailed a three-pointer a minute later, buried an and-1 right after, got another steal on the way back, and hit a layup with about a minute left in the quarter. JT smoked a layup during a final shot situation, but the C’s finished the frame with a 44-25 lead, the team’s best opening quarter of the young season. Boston shot 13-15 on two-point shot attempts during the quarter.
Boston kept its foot on the gas early in the second quarter. Robinson bullied the Bulls bigs down low for a couple well-fought offensive rebounds and putbacks, and Pritchard made Powell dance before knocking down a sweet step-back three-pointer to get to 13 points on the night.
The Pritchard show wasn’t over, though. George got in on the party with a deep three-pointer about halfway through the second quarter, then got a steal and put up another attempt from the perimeter. While he didn’t connect, Pritchard got the offensive layup and put it back up for an easy layup, then got the ball back following a White steal and knocked down a 26-footer, giving the Celtics a 63-35 lead with 6:41 to go in the half.
Boston’s lead reached 30 for the first time after Tatum hit a smooth turnaround jump shot with less than 5 minutes left, but the Bulls scored the next 5 points. Pritchard stopped the mini run by burying a couple free throws, and Tatum reinflated the lead with a finger roll layup and three-pointer on back-to-back possessions to put the C’s up 76-44 with less than 2 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Celtics had a chance to tie the Spurs with the highest-scoring half of the season, at 80 points, but finished just shy following a couple Tatum turnovers to end the quarter. Boston entered the half with a commanding 29-point lead, 78-49.
Pritchard led the C’s in scoring over the first half, with 20 points on 7-10 shooting from the field. He also racked up 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Tatum finished the half with 16 points on 7-11 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Buzelis and Powell led the way for the Bulls, with 11 points apiece.
Robinson opened the second half with the Celtics’ first block of the night, but the Bulls scored a couple buckets to cut the lead back down to 24, leading Head Coach Joe Mazzulla to call an early timeout. Coming out of the break, White scored a layup for Boston’s first points of the half and Tatum and Robinson connected soon after for an impressive alley-oop, but the team’s rhythm from the first half had been all but lost.
On the other hand, the Bulls kept attacking the C’s and hit four three-pointers by the halfway point of the third quarter, bringing the lead down to 86-66. While Boston had become complacent with such a lead, Chicago upped its energy and defensive effort, forcing the Celtics to keep up.
Luckily, the C’s got going again under that pressure and finished the quarter with a 25-point lead, 99-74. Nevertheless, it was the team’s worst quarter of the night, as it scored only 21 points.
Despite all the talk about running up the point differential, the Celtics allowed 6 quick points over the first 2 minutes of the fourth quarter and failed to score from the field until Tatum hit a tough step-back jump shot with 9:38 to go to put Boston up 102-80.
Tatum and George led the way for the C’s over the next few minutes, but the Bulls — especially Caleb Wilson, who couldn’t miss in the second half — remained feisty and refused to let Boston build its lead back up. Halfway through the final frame, the Celtics’ lead was down to 19, 111-92.
While Tatum went to the bench after receiving his 5th personal foul, as well as a technical foul, with 5 minutes to go in the contest, Boston didn’t let the game get out of hand in his absence. Pritchard stepped up and drew a couple shooting fouls, hitting all 4 free throws, to maintain a 20-point Celtics lead with about 2 minutes left to go.
At that point, the Bulls emptied their bench. Boston already had an all-bench lineup on the court, but sent out Chris Cenac Jr. and Ron Harper Jr. to finish the game.
Pritchard finished the game with 30 points on 52.9% shooting from the field, along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Tatum scored 26 points on 45% shooting from the field and racked up 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
George finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
Wilson finished the game with 23 points on 6 made three-pointers, both of which led the Bulls.
Powell and Buzelis finished with 16 and 14 points, respectfully.
Boston will face the Orlando Magic next, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Kia Center.
The Celtics’ next NBA Cup group play matchup will against the Hornets at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the Spectrum Center.
TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 30: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic during the Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Scotiabank Arena was a packed barn tonight, but when you blinked, and the fans yelled, it sounded like the arena was filled far past its 19,800 person capacity. It’s good for the fanbase to exorcise some demons by screaming their hearts out, and in tonight’s game, there were plenty of opportunities to do just that.
In the rematch of a game where the Raptors beat the Orlando Magic by 30 points, a loss is a difficult pill to swallow. Taking the medicine is made all the more painful when the Magic are shooting a blistering volume from three (in the first quarter alone, Desmond Bane shot four-for-four from the three point line), and the Raptors were getting called for fouls like they’re going out of style, picking up 33 to the Magic’s 21.
Fouls, the “Bane” of the Raptors
The Magic defended very physically tonight, to their credit, but it was hard to feel like the Raptors weren’t getting the short end of the stick, as well as some calls that looked arbitrary at best. Neither the Raptors players, or their fans were taking any of that lying down. Twice in the first half, echoing choruses of “Ref, you suck!” reverberated throughout the arena after some particularly unpopular calls.
Both teams combined for 40 personal fouls in the first three quarters alone, and the game was punctuated by a number of confrontations between players, notably between RJ Barrett and Desmond Bane early in the game.
Without Kawhi Leonard there as a primary offensive threat, Scottie Barnes took over to score a career high 41 points, and looked like he just couldn’t miss. That midrange in his arsenal has become a weapon deadlier than a pearl handled revolver, and looked twice as polished tonight.
Barnes has yet again proven himself to have grown as a creator; this is not rookie Scottie, or even Scottie of last year. Barnes looks like he’s grown into himself offensively this year, and the do-it-all label has swung towards offensive creation in a big way tonight. He looked great tonight, scoring from the low post and the midrange and from three, on fantastic efficiency.
Tonight was messy on the hardwood, however. Players tripped, shoved, pushed, and bumped, and for anyone who says they miss the old NBA, this was the game to tune into. Before the NBA became a league that made stars of its guards and forwards, it was a league for giants, and tonight, Jakob Poeltl seems to have awoken.
After a very rough start to the season, Poeltl notched his first double-double of the season tonight. Hopefully, this is an upwards trajectory that keeps moving in the right direction for the heavily scrutinized big man. Building confidence is important, and as Poeltl entered the season after a long period of recovery from injury, he seems to be needing plenty of time to ramp up his contribution. Tonight, from the start of the game, he looked faster, grabbed more rebounds, and the as quarters passed, looked all the more ready to fight for a Raptors win.
Big swings, big misses
From a defensive perspective, there were a few lapses where the Raptors just needed to get their hands up in front of defenders’ faces, but they were also dealing with an Orlando Magic team that had the hot hand to end all hot hands; sometimes, there’s only so much a team can do.
Offensively, the Raptors looked good, but passed up a few open threes, demonstrating that while a lot has been done to push outside shooting, a lot of the team’s important players just don’t take those shots naturally. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both had some rough shooting nights tonight, and fully activating all five of the Raptors’ starters in a single game is a dream that has yet to come true this season.
To say that it was Barrett and Quickley that sunk the Raptors tonight would be incorrect, but making sure that the Raptors have room for more than one big offensive night is important.
A gulf remained between the Raptors and Magic for much of the game, but in the fourth quarter, Barnes’ bombardment of buckets brought the Toronto Raptors some much needed space, as the game remained close going down into the wire.
TORONTO, CANADA – OCTOBER 30: Collin Murray-Boyles #30 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic during the Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Everybody seemed to be wearing multiple fouls into the end of the game like they were haute couture, and Collin Murray-Boyles looked deadly from the inside withs some massive slams. Coming down on a big attempted dunk, Barnes looked like he hurt his hand, but checked back into the game late. With two minutes remaining in the game, the Magic were up 117-112, and the Raptors needed a bucket to go, but just couldn’t buy one. In the last seconds of the game, Scottie Barnes fouled out, finishing the night with 41-5-5 on a monster night.
Desmond Bane finished with 28 points and shot six for 12 from three on the night, while Franz Wagner had 26 points and 11 assists of his own. The Magic held it down missing two of their starters against a Raptors team that had a lot going for it tonight. Toronto will be looking for revenge in their next matchup, as they’ll have to hold onto this 121-114 loss
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 30: Tyrese Maxey #0 and LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron, LeBron, LeBrooooooooooooooooooooooon.
The Sixers held off a second half comeback to beat the New York Knicks 98-93 Friday night, improving to 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in NBA Cup group play.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 25 points going 10-of-19 from the field with four assists. Joel Embiid struggled from the field in the second half going for 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting but had seven rebounds and seven assists.
LeBron James had his best offensive performance as a Sixer so far, shooting 8-of-15 from the floor for 20 points along with nine rebounds including the putback to seal the game. VJ Edgecombe had a great night at doing all the little things and also hit one of the biggest threes of the game, finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting.
Anfernee Simons had 21 while Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24.
Jaylen Brown was ruled out with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, along with Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, and Tacko Fall.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
The Sixers’ first possession saw Embiid get stripped on his first touch before Dean Wade was able to get into the scrum, save the loose ball, and get it back for a pair of free throws. The offense looked much prettier after that possession. Maxey hit a couple of jumpers, the first being a three off the catch and a second being a wide open midrange after cooking Mikal Bridges with a spin move. LeBron got to the basket for an open layup off a couple swing passes and also knocked down a three.
Brunson missed his first three shots of the game, the last being a pull-up attempt Maxey swatted before he could get it off. Maxey’s stout defense on the possession got the crowd on its feet as he wouldn’t let Brunson by him, but Brunson swished the jumper on his second attempt as New York tried to keep pace.
Embiid was doing a great job being the offense’s hub, and that was capped off by his second and third assists of the night. As he let the floor open up he found a cutting Edgecombe, who was doing a great job of being everywhere, for a jam. Embiid then drove towards the baseline and found KCP in the paint as he was falling out of bounds.
After missing six of their first seven threes, New York knocked down a pair of threes to halt the Sixers’ momentum briefly. The Sixers just continued to get good shots playing through Embiid on the other hand. He got four points himself before checking out with two mintues left to go. For as well as it went, Maxey dribbled out a couple possessions into some low-quality shots and prevented them from getting out to a big lead. A layup by OG Anunoby cut the Sixers’ lead to eight after one.
Second Quarter
It was good to see Labaron Philon Jr. in the shorthanded rotation. The only real minutes he’s gotten so far were in the loss to the Detroit, but he looked good in that game. His first shot of the night was a corner three that hit the rim short and got on the board with a floater in transiton.
Wade was doing a great job guarding Anunoby. He made him settle for jumpers and was even able to strip the ball away from him, leading to a fast break for the Sixers’ first points of the quarter. He also forced a couple steals deflecting passes in the middle of the paint. The defense as a unit looked really good as the Knicks took over three and a half minutes to score their first points of the quarter.
Maxey seemed to shake off those rough possessions that ended the first because he quickly was back in control of the game. The defensive plays Wade made let him run out and start possessions quickly. As much as the Knicks wanted to key in on him, he got the ball moving around the floor to create the leverages he wanted as he extended the lead with Embiid and LeBron on the bench.
LeBron has showed off a lot of his brilliant playmaking so far but he had yet to have a dominant scoring stretch so far with the Sixers. He checked back into the game and immediately hit another three before getting to the basket for a couple of layups, drawing a foul on the second. The arena DJ played the “LeBron, LeBron, LeBron” song as he went to the line.
LeBron James is up to 12 points following this strong finish inside against Bridges pic.twitter.com/J81t66sG4u
In an unfortunately familiar sight, Embiid took an inadvertent forearm from Josh Hart as the two went up for a rebound. He left the game, but stayed on the bench until the end of the half and was back out for the start of the second half.
Bridges knocked down an open three from the corner out of the ensuing timeout, but Maxey responded with another three of his own five feet behind the line. The Sixers finished the half with one last solid defensive possession, forcing a bad Brunson pass out of bounds as time expired. Philly held a nine-point lead at the break.
Third Quarter
The ease with which Maxey was burying not just threes, but threes several feet behind the arc was a sight to behold. Especially when it’s the first points of the half for the Sixers after a couple sloppy possessions. He got free again in the midrange to force a quick timeout from Mike Brown.
The Sixers caught some shooting luck coming out of the timeout with threes from both Bridges and Brunson going halfway down and out. Offensively the Sixers started to run into resistance in the middle of the floor. Embiid tried to force through a drive then a pass and turned the ball over on consecutive possessions. The Knicks were able to take advantage and cut the lead to five.
A LeBron kickout to KCP for a wide open corner three was just what the Sixers needed to stop the bleeding. They took advantage of Karl-Anthony Towns gambling for a steal on the inbounds to find Anfernee Simons wide open in the corner a few possessions later. The pair of Simons and KCP did bungle a fast break opportunity, but Simons drilled a three to make up for it. He also knocked down a midrange off the dribble coming out of the Knicks’ second timeout of the quarter, but his heatcheck on the following possession fell short.
Adem Bona’s first shift of the night was perfectly fine. He had a big block that he had to get back for and didn’t screw have any major screw ups. His second stint… did not go as well. He picked two fouls very quickly and very frustratingly. He had a slow bouncing rebound fall into his lap and still slipped, fell, and dropped the ball out of bounds. As Brusnon got to the line with 23 seconds left, Nurse pulled Bona for the last possession of the quarter. After Brunson made both, the Sixers found Simons again for his fourth three of the night, keeping the Sixers up nine.
Fourth Quarter
Bona was back in the game and continued to struggle. He jumped so early on a pumpfake his whole body landed on Towns, but Towns was able to still flip the layup up and in for the and-1. Towns also drilled a three a few possessions later. The Sixers got a couple buckets themselves, including another three from Simons, but as Bona was baited easily into an and-1 for Jordan Clarkson, Embiid and LeBron started to head to the scorer’s table.
The Sixers overpassed a little bit on a couple possessions which got them in trouble. They also completely missed Clarkson on a boxout, who was able to snag a putback and cut it to a three-point game. Embiid looked out of rhythm all second half. LeBron ran a pick-and-pop with him, helping him get a wide open jumper at the elbow for two much needed points going into a Knicks timeout.
They ran a very similar play after the timeout but Embiid’s attempt this time was no good. On their next trip down the floor, Maxey became the second Sixer of the quarter to get stuck at the top of the key with no dribble and the shotclock winding down. The possession after that James tried to sneak a tight pass into too small of a window. The Knicks steal led to a Towns three that once again made it a one possession game.
Finally playing under control, Maxey and Embiid were able to draw enough attention around the perimeter for LeBron to be left wide open in the dunker spot. They tried to follow that up with another Embiid midrange, but he wasn’t able to find that rhthym.
Embiid even pumpfaked a three and stepped in for a midrange, but he couldn’t get that one to go either. Despite Edgecombe being draped all over him, Brunson hit a three to give the Knicks the lead with a minute and a half to go.
LeBron put the Sixers back in front by one with a midrange jumper. Brunson drove but couldn’t get past Edgecombe, and his floater didn’t fall. On the ensuing possession Maxey continued to draw doubles past the perimeter, and he kicked to Edgecombe who buried the three at the top of the key to go back up four with 32 seconds left.
Despite a Sixers’ challenge, Brunson was able to draw Edgecombe’s fifth foul of the night as the two got tripped up on each other. Brunson split the pair at the line. The Sixers took their time, looking to get Maxey on Brunson. He drove all the way to the hoop and missed the layup, but LeBron was there to put it back and seal a crazy game of NBA Cup action.
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 30: Duncan Robinson #55 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets had no interest in celebrating the holiday tomorrow. No costumes. No masks. Tonight, they came as they were — a young team still trying to figure it out.
And, against an Eastern conference contender, that’s not enough to challenge for a win.
The Nets did change up their look in another sense, although it wasn’t by choice. With Egor Dëmin out for at least a week with a bone bruise in his right leg, Chaney Johnson started in his place. And no, it’s not like he played the four or five and everyone slid up a slot. Like a true two-guard, Johnson started possessions guarding Amen Thompson and Duncan Robinson at the top of the key tonight.
And guess what? It worked. The Nets led for the entire first period as their size and switching appeared to give Detroit fits. Johnson was a +3 with three points, a blocked shot, and a steal in six minutes.
“He did great,” Fernández said of Johnson postgame. “Chaney’s effort and purpose and everything he’s done so far, it’s been very good. I think he’s taking advantage of his minutes. We just need everybody to have the same intentions and intensity, and play as hard as he plays, and I think that we’ll be okay.”
Despite the Pistons coming into tonight with the seventh best 3-point percentage in the league, and the Nets allowing the seventh highest to their opponents, Detroit shot just 1-9 from deep in the first.
After his breakout turned blunderous night in Boston, Mikel Brown Jr. was Brooklyn’s ninth man off the bench this evening, not checking in until the 3:32 mark of the first. The offense continued to hum with him at the helm. Struggling from deep themselves following a 2-11 start, the Nets had to look elsewhere for offense. With Julius Randle having an easy time burrowing inside and Mo Wagner ready to eat out of the dunker’s spot, Brooklyn outscored Detroit in the paint 18-14 in the period.
While Wagner’s been an offensive bright spot of late, his game tonight had some shade cast down on it. After getting free for an uncontested dunk early in the second, Wagner couldn’t flush it all the way down, and the ball rattled out leading to an easy three on the break for Kevin Huerter. The five point swing introduced a 15-5 Pistons run that gave them the lead.
It’s not like it was all Wagner’s fault. The Nets shot just 3-14 from the field in the second, resorting to isolation possessions that ended in contested shot attempts on one too many occasions. Brooklyn also continued to look out of sync and downright slow with its off-ball defense tonight, over-helping in the gap at other points as well. As a result, the Pistons also rebounded to shoot 5-9 deep in the second, and carried a 56-49 lead into the break.
Julius Randle hit a triple and then found Johnson above the rim to help Brooklyn cut the lead back to six after Detroit had opened the period with a 9-3 jolt…
But then, after only committing eight turnovers in the entire first half, the Nets gave it up six times in the third’s first six minutes. For Detroit, it was fun and mesmerizing. For Brooklyn? Not so much…
“It’s just tough when you turn it over that many times,” Fernández said. “It’s a lot of damage, poor spacing, poor setups. Like I said, I think I said before the game, making the simple play, making the simple play when you run the floor, making the simple play when you get into the paint, and I don’t think we’re buying into that.”
Those turnovers, paired with another poor shooting period, made it a 20+ point lead entering the fourth for the Pistons. Through three, Randle shot 4-13, Traoré shot 3-10, and Brown Jr. shot 0-6. Michael Porter Jr. and Wagner were the only men with a field goal percentages north of 50% and with more than two field goals. That’s just not going to cut it.
“We’re not all on the same page with what we’re running or what we’re trying to do out there, and then it’s getting us in bad positions,” Randle said. “Like, we’re getting like stuck against a loaded defense, or our floor balance is off, or we’re not cutting when we’re supposed to cut. So, it feels like sometimes that’s happening, or we’re getting to one action, and there’s no flow and rhythm after the first action. It’s like we’re just kind of like stuck, and we’re just sitting there watching each other. We got to find a way to to get in a better flow and rhythm, and then just figure out what we’re trying to accomplish each possession.”
“This game especially, and with a team that pressures you, you need more cutting, and you need very good spacing and setups, otherwise, you just find bodies in front of you,” Fernández added. “I have to do a better job helping our guys to find those advantages.”
Both Fernández and his players noticed a drop in intensity as the offense became stagnant around the third period.
“I think just generally speaking, we when stuff doesn’t go our way, we kind of put our head down a little bit and lose our connectivity, and I think that’s one of our staples and we worked way too hard all summer, and probably set much higher standard than that for ourselves,“ Wagner said. ”So, it’s obviously a little disappointing, and we gotta get that done.”
So, in the fourth, we were treated to our first Terrance Mann minutes of the year. Danny Wolf joined him on the floor alongside Brown Jr. as we made that familiar shift from watching a competition to developmental minutes at the Barclays Center. Getting most of his points at the stripe, MBJ was able to grind his way into a more appealing stat line by the end of it, finishing with 10 points and four assists while shooting 2-9 from the field and 6-8 from the line.
But of all the end-of-game minute eaters, Wolf looked the most hungry out there, chipping in nine points, six rebounds and two assists in the fourth quarter. Drake Powell, who the team called up this afternoon and logged six minutes, assisted on two baskets but did not score himself.
The Nets are 0-5.
Final: Detroit Pistons 110, Brooklyn Nets 94
Next Up
Brooklyn will get another shot at the Indiana Pacers next, who they lost to at home last Sunday by 20+ points. This time, it’s on the road, and Tyrese Haliburton won’t be involved. Hali is set to miss at least two weeks with a left hamstring strain. The contest tips off at 5:00 p.m. EST.
