Category: Basketball

Boston Celtics (5-1) at Houston Rockets (6-1)
Monday,  November 2, 2026
8:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #7, Road Game #3
TV: NBCSB, Space City Home Network, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 790 AM, Sirius XM
Toyota Center

The Celtics look for their 6th straight win as they travel to Houston to take on the Rockets. This is the second of back to back games for the Celtics and the first back to back set on the road. The Celtics are 1-0 so far in the second of back to back games. This is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will play again on January 11 in Boston.

The Celtics were 1-1 last year against the Rockets, with each team winning on the road. The Celtics are 99-58 ovrerall all time against the Rockets. They are 43-34 when playing at Houston. This will be a tough game against a very good team. The Rockets have won 6 of their first 7 games, losing only at Dallas and beating Dallas, Atlanta and OKC at home and San Antonio, Atlanta and Milwaukee on the road.

The Rockets were a good team last season but have gotten better in the off season. Fred VanVleet has returned from a torn ACL that kept him out last season. They signed Marcus Smart, who will help to bolster their defense. They also signed Bogdan Bogdanovic, who will give them another 3 point shooter. They drafted Bruce Thornton with the 31st pick in the draft. They lost Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie.

After this game, the Celtics will return home to host Milwaukee before a road trip that will take them through Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto. They play Dallas and Orlando at home before a West coast trip that takes them through Denver, Sacramento, Golden State, and Washington. They then play one game at home against Atlanta before playing at San Antonio and Dallas.

After this game the Rockets will host Minnesota before playing at Phoenix. Next they have a 3 game home stand against Denver, Golden State, and Utah. Then they go on the road for 4 games through Washington, Miami , Indiana, and Denver. Next, they host the LA Clippers, Phoenix, Philadelphia, the LA Lakers, and Toronto.

The Celtics started Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson in the first 5 games. In their last game against the Magic, they started White, Gonzalez, George, Tatum and Queta. I’m guessing that Gonzalez once again starts and that Robinson will return to the starting lineup after a game off for rest. I’m guessing that Houston starts their regular lineup of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith, Jr, and Alperin Sengun.

For the Celtics, Devin Carter remains on the injury report due to illness. After missing the final 3 games of the preseason, Carter was diagnosed with mononucleosis and is without a timetable for a return. Mitchell Robinson missed Sunday’s game for rest and I expect him to return for this game. Joe may choose to sit out other players for rest in this game but at this time the injury report is not out. For Houston, Steven Adams is out with a calf injury. Reed Sheppard (back) and Clint Capela (ankle) are both questionable.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Fred VanVleet

SG: Hugo Gonzalez vs Amen Thompson

SF: Sam Hauser vs Kevin Durant

PF: Jayson Tatum vs Jabari Smith, Jr

C: Mitchell Robinson vs Alperen Sengun

Celtics Reserves
Chris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley, Jr
Luka Garza
Hugo Gonzalez
Ron Harper, Jr
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman

Two Way Players
Devin Carter
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams

Injuries/Out
Devin Carter (illness)  out
Paul George (rest) out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Houston Rockets Reserves
Bruce Thornton
Jae’Sean Tate
Tari Eason
Isaiah Crawford
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Marcus Smart

Two-Way Players
Julian Phillips
Oscar Tshiebwe
Quadir Copeland

Injuries/Out
Steven Adams (calf) out
Reed Sheppard (back) questionable
Clint Capela (ankle)  questionable

Head Coach
Ime Udoka

Key Matchups
Sam Hauser vs Kevin Durant
Durant is averaging 22.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. He is shooting 51.1% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. With Paul George out for rest, I’m guessing that Sam Hauser gets the start, but it could just as easily be Jordan Walsh for his defense on Durant. Whoever starts here, the Celtics need to Defend Durant very closely.

Mitchell Robinson vs  Alperen Sengun
Sengun is averaging 22.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 53.2% from the field and 54.5% on threes.  He is dangerous to score from both inside and on the perimeter.     The Celtics need to defend him well and box out on rebounds if they want to win this game. 

Honorable Mention
Jayson Tatum vs Jabari Smith, Jr
Smith has been playing very well.  He is averaging 19 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1 steal per game.  He is shooting 48.9% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc.  He is a very good 3 point shooter and so the Celtics need to defend him well on the perimeter.  Tatum needs to continue to play well for the Celtics to be at their best.

6th Man Matchup
Payton Pritchard vs Marcus Smart
Smart played for the Celtics for 9 seasons after being selected 6th in the 2014 draft.  He won Defensive Player of the Year with the Celtics in 2022 and remains a very good defensive player.  He is Houston’s 6th Man but starts when VanVleet sits out for rest.  He is averaging 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds,. 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 57.1% from the field and 47.4% from beyond the arc.  Payton Pritchard is the Celtics 6th Man, winning the  2024-25 6th Man of the Year.  He is averaging 16.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field and 43.3% from beyond the arc.   

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning.  Players struggle on offense in some games, but they can always play defense.  The Rockets have an offensive rating of 121.2 (1st).  The Celtics have an offensive rating of 118.0 (5th).  The Rockets are 9th with a defensive rating of 108.9 while the Celtics are 7th with a defensive rating of 108.1.  The Celtics have to stick to their defensive identity in this one because the Rockets play tough defense and the Celtics can’t depend on a shoot out to win since the Rockets are a very good offensive team.

Rebound –  In order to score, the Celtics need the ball and to get the ball, they will need to crash the boards as a team.   The Celtics average 43.6 rebounds per game (19th) while the Rockets average 45.3 rebounds per game (11th).  Much of rebounding is effort and when the Celtics put out extra effort on the boards, it usually carries over into the rest of their game.  The Rockets average 16.0 second chance points per game.  The Rockets are a very good rebounding team and so the Celtics must come into the game determined to put out extra effort and to hustle for every rebound to limit 2nd chance points for the Rockets.

Be Aggressive and Stay Focused – The Celtics have to be aggressive in taking the ball to the basket and not settling for 3 pointers on every possession, especially if the 3s aren’t falling.  They also have to be aggressive in hustling for rebounds and for loose balls.  And they have to be aggressive on defense.  They have to play harder than the Rockets and play like the team that wants this game more.  They also need to carry that aggressiveness through all 4 quarters with no let up. They also need to stay focused on taking good shots and making them.  They have to keep their focus on playing team ball. 

Depth – The Celtics need to lean on their depth for this game.  It is the second of back to back games and so they will need the reserves to play well to take some of the pressure off of the starters.  This will especially be true if Joe decides to sit any of the vets for rest.  Even if everyone plays, fatigue could be a problem down the stretch if the reserves can’t give them good minutes and keep the Celtics in the game while the starters rest. 

X-Factors
Back to Back Road Game –  The Celtics are on the road where they are 1-1 so far, losing to Detroit on opening night and beating the Magic on Monday.  The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games while the Rockets are at home and rested.  The Celtics had to travel, stay in a hotel, play in front of a hostile crowd and on an unfamiliar court while the Rockets should get a boost from being on their home court. They need to shake off the distractions of playing on the road and stay focused on playing team ball. 

Coaching – The Rockets are led by former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who left Boston under less than desirable circumstances.  He was suspended for violating team rules and assistant coach Joe Mazzulla was made interim coach.  Eventually, Udoka was officially released and Mazzulla was made head coach.  I am sure that Udoka would love nothing more than to once again beat the team that let him go after he led that team to the Finals.  And, Joe just wants to win every single game no matter who the opposing coach is. 

Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game.  The Celtics also have to be aware of the new points of emphasis for this season and try to avoid  off‑arm push‑offs, reckless closeouts, delays before free throws illegal screens and especially flopping.  Paul George was already fined for a flop in the first game and there have been several other flopping calls as well.

Observations after Sixers beat Bulls to reach East-leading 7-1  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers kept up their hot start to the season Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, reaching 7-1 with a 126-107 win against the Bulls. 

All five of the Sixers’ starters scored in double figures. Tyrese Maxey posted 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown tallied a season-best 25 points and 11 rebounds.

VJ Edgecombe’s 21 points were a new season high. LeBron James recorded 15 points, nine assists and seven boards.

Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson had 24 points and seven rebounds. 

Joel Embiid (15 points, eight rebounds) had been listed as questionable with an official designation of “right foot plantar fascia injury management.” He sat out Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back for the Sixers’ win over the Hornets.

“Plantar is a little bit of a come and go type of thing,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters pregame. “They’re just trying to manage it. It’s very painful, if you’ve ever had it. It can kind of come and go out of nowhere. So we’re just trying to manage the pain with that, be as smart as we can.”

Nurse told reporters that Dominick Barlow is set to see a specialist Tuesday about the back injury that’s sidelined him to start the season.

“He’s been on court a little bit … not a ton of moving around,” Nurse said. “I think they want to get to tomorrow’s appointment. Hopefully, it’ll be positive and we can get into his workouts a little bit.”

The Sixers will begin a three-game road trip Wednesday when they visit the Pistons. Here are observations on their victory Monday:

Edgecombe slamming away off the bat 

After Embiid blitzed a Bulls pick-and-roll, Maxey picked off Matas Buzelis’ hurried pass to get the Sixers rolling in transition and James jammed home the team’s first field goal. 

Edgecombe got a slam soon after James grabbed a defensive rebound and the Sixers again pushed the pace. The Sixers scored six quick fast-break points, leading the Bulls to burn an early timeout. 

Edgecombe had a dunk-heavy first quarter. He threw down his second when Dean Wade nabbed a steal and dropped off a typically selfless dish to the Sixers’ explosive second-year guard, whose slam put the team up 22-13. 

The Sixers have an abundance of dangerous options in the open floor, Edgecombe included. As he’s already shown with his continued clutch shotmaking, the 21-year-old won’t become anything resembling a non-factor offensively this year as a byproduct of the Sixers’ enhanced star power. 

Over the team’s first seven games, Edgecombe had averaged 11.3 points. He scored 11 in the first period on 5-for-5 shooting. 

More rough minutes for Bona  

Adem Bona missed a dunk early in the second quarter, which stung a bit more when Jalen Smith drilled a three-pointer seconds later.

Bona remained the Sixers’ main backup center. He had a poor first-half stint overall amid a largely negative start to his third season. The 23-year-old big man played well in the Sixers’ victory over the Bucks, posting six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Outside of that, his season has been sparse on bright moments so far. It’s reasonable to wonder when Nurse might turn to alternatives like Jabari Walker, who played a good game Saturday in Charlotte, or try James again at the five.

The Bulls outscored the Sixers by eight points in Bona’s first run, cutting their derficit to 40-38. Chicago went in front with a three by former Sixer Buddy Hield. 

The Sixers regained the advantage late in the second quarter. Maxey and James each were excellent as passers in the first half, combining for 14 assists and three turnovers. James fired the ball to Wade for a corner three that gave the Sixers a 60-52 lead. 

Sixers outclass Bulls

Following a third-quarter Embiid fadeaway jumper and two James lay-ins, the Sixers were up 17 points. 

The Bulls cut the Sixers’ lead down to 11 points by the start of the fourth quarter. With Bona still struggling and on four fouls, Wade began the fourth at center. Bona then briefly spelled Wade before being whistled for his fifth foul and taking a seat. Embiid ultimately wasn’t needed for any of the fourth period and only logged 25 minutes.

The Sixers’ lead got as low as eight points, but Chicago did not shoot well enough from three-point range (27 percent) or have sufficient firepower to sustain a meaningful comeback run. The bottom line is the Sixers are in a different class than the Bulls, who fell to 1-6.

As for the Sixers, they’ll wake up Tuesday morning at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Lakers are getting one of their starting wings back on Monday night.

Ziaire Williams was taken off the injury report for the Lakers’ home game against the Heat after being sidelined for three games because of left foot soreness/injury management.

The 6-foot-10 wing last played in the Oct. 27 loss to the Trail Blazers, recording 11 points, four assists and two steals in 29 minutes.

“The images have been clean,” coach JJ Redick said of Williams’ foot on Sunday. “I would describe it [as] a soreness that just pops up in the morning. He’s feeling a lot better. Just being cautious with the back-to-back.”

The Lakers are coming off beating the Raptors on Sunday night, the first night of the back-to-back set.

Williams started in the four regular-season games he’s played in so far, plus the two preseason games he suited up for.

He’s averaging 11.3 points on 57.1% shooting (46.7% on 3-pointers), three rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Adou Thiero (left knee injury management) was the lone player on the injury report, being listed as out.

Who: Phoenix Suns (1-3) @ Golden State Warriors (4-3)

When: 8:00 pm Arizona Time

Where: Chase Center — San Francisco, CA

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports

Listen: KMVP 98.7

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The Phoenix Suns have the worst defense in the NBA, and tonight they get Steph Curry and Draymond Green on the road.

Nine days ago this matchup felt like relief. Booker dropped 43 on a Warriors team missing its stars, the bench flipped the game, and we all exhaled after Portland. Since then? Phoenix lost in Oklahoma City, lost to Denver on Booker’s 30th birthday, and sat on a 1-3 record all weekend. Golden State went the other way and hasn’t lost since leaving Phoenix.

So here’s where the fanbase is at: nobody’s panicking about the offense anymore. We’re panicking about the other end. Every opponent has hung 120-plus on this team, and the Warriors just made 22 threes without Steph on the floor.

You do the math on what happens if Phoenix shows up with the same effort on the perimeter.

Tale of the Tape

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

• Mark Williams — OUT (Shoulder)
• Drew Timmie — OUT (G-League/Two-way)

Warriors

Golden State rested Curry and Draymond on the front end of the back-to-back against the Clippers, saving both for Phoenix.

• Moses Moody — OUT (Knee)
• Kristaps Porzingis — OUT (Illness)
• Jimmy Butler — OUT (Knee)

What to Watch For

Phoenix won the home opener 131-122… still, their only its first win of the season. Devin Booker went for 43 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists with only two made threes, didn’t miss a shot in the third quarter, and broke the franchise home-opener scoring record held by Eddie Johnson and Charles Barkley.

The real story was the bench. Ryan Dunn, Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie and Luke Kennard were a combined +56 in a 9-point win. Gillespie went scoreless in the first half, then rattled off 9 points in 3 minutes to swing the momentum. Kennard hit big shots in his Suns debut.

Now, the asterisk, and we have to be honest about it. That was Golden State’s C team on the second night of a back-to-back: no Curry, no Draymond, no Podziemski, no Horford. It was not an impressive win. And the Warriors will likely want to prove that tonight in front of their home crowd.

Even then, a depleted Warriors group put up 122. The first unit looked discombobulated with sloppy turnovers in the first half, and Booker himself said the second unit had better chemistry than the starters. Rebounding was the other red flag he flagged postgame. These are the two worst defensive rebounding teams in the NBA, with Phoenix at 30 and Golden State at 29 overall.

So now the question is: how does Phoenix stop Stephen Curry? A heavy dosage of Jordan Goodwin could be in order. Even then, good luck.

Key to a Suns Win

Stop the ball before it reaches the paint

Phoenix entered last week with a 124.5 defensive rating, dead last in the league, and opponents are now shooting nearly 44% from three against them. The sequence repeats every night: a guard gets beat off the dribble, nobody stops the ball, the forward helps late, and it’s a layup or a wide-open corner three. Against Denver, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun went 14-of-18 from deep, and Phoenix allowed 54% from three overall.

Braun was a 23% shooter coming in. Golden State’s role guys will get the same invitation if the help keeps collapsing.

Kill the self-inflicted wounds

Denver shot 30 free throws to Phoenix’s 11, and Murray alone took more than the entire Suns roster. Some calls were questionable. Plenty were dumb fouls, technicals, a delay of game, and the Brooks ejection. You can’t give Steph free points on top of open threes.

Start Gillespie, and maybe Oso too

Collin Gillespie had 16 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals against Denver and was +8 in a 7-point loss. Jalen Green had 2 points on 1-of-6 in 25 minutes. The Suns look their best with Gillespie on the floor, period. Against a small, switch-heavy Warriors team, this is also the perfect night to promote Oso. Gillespie said it himself: Oso plays like a point forward and makes the flow easy. Watch how early Jordan Ott staggers and who closes, because that tells you where his head is at.

This Collin Gillespie sequence earlier… 😮‍💨

Gets the steal.
Slips the ball between the defender’s legs.
Finds Luke Kennard for the transition 3.@Suns win their first game of 2026-27! pic.twitter.com/quNWfSodOQ

— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2026

Who will sacrifice? Who steps up?

Somebody has to sacrifice. Devin Booker scored 43 last time against a skeleton crew. He won’t get that runway with Draymond, Melton, Yaxel, and others loading up on him.

In that same vein, who steps up? Does Green bounce back off the bench or as a starter? Can Miles Bridges keep attacking downhill as he did in his 24-point, 10-rebound game against Denver instead of settling for threes? It takes a team to win. Hero ball needs to fade, and the hunt every possession should be to get the best possible shot. This is not on one guy. It’s on the entire team to buy in.

Prediction

While the Suns showed some progress in their loss to Denver, their defense is still a major concern. I do not see them winning this one, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Warriors 117, Suns 109

The Milwaukee Bucks will exercise their rookie-scale options on offseason acquisitions Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.

The Milwaukee Bucks will exercise their rookie scale team options on Kel'el Ware ($7.14 million) and Kasparas Jakucionis ($4.02 million) for the 2027-28 season, league sources told @hoopshype. pic.twitter.com/IeTqRBJXDb

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 2, 2026

Ware, a 22-year-old seven-footer acquired in the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, has played solely in a reserve role for the Bucks to begin the season, averaging a career-high 13.8 PPG to go along with 8.7 RPG and 1.5 stocks (steals plus blocks). But for all his talent and flashes of brilliance, Ware has continued to show the motor and decision-making issues that marred his first two years in the league, leading to career lows in shooting (46.8% overall, 26.1% from three) and minutes (19.7 MPG), despite Myles Turner’s struggles and the Bucks’ lack of size in the frontcourt. 

Jakučionis, also acquired in the Giannis trade—and by all accounts a must-have component of it—has arguably been one of Milwaukee’s brightest spots to start the season. Quickly emerging as a Taylor Jenkins favourite, the 6’5” Lithuanian point guard has become the team’s sixth man and earned enough trust to feature in many of the team’s closing lineups too. So far, the 20-year-old is averaging career highs across the board, including points (8.3 PPG), rebounds (2.8 RPG), assists (4.0 APG), and minutes (22.5 MPG). However, like many of his teammates, he’s struggled shooting from distance, hitting just 23.5% of his three-point attempts, down from 42.3% last season. 

On-court production aside, Ware and Jakučionis figure to be key parts of the Bucks’ present and future, so seeing their rookie-scale options picked up is a positive sign. As per Scotto’s reporting, Ware’s option for the 2027-28 season comes in at $7.14m while Jakučionis’ is for $4.02m. 

Here’s hoping the pair continue to grow as the season progresses.

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Spurs star Victor Wembanyama didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about San Antonio’s loss to the Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals.

The 7-foot-4 center recalled Game 4 specifically — in which his side blew a 29-point lead in a 107-106 loss at Madison Square Garden on June 10 — during an interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday.

“I think there’s two. I think… there’s three,” Wembanyama said. “I would say Game 1 [of the Western Conference Finals] in OKC, Game 7 [WCF] in OKC, and Game 4 in New York.”

"It's the most intense heartbreak moment in my career."

Wemby says the Spurs blowing a 29-point lead vs. the Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals is something he replays the most from last year's postseason run.

(via @60Minutes) pic.twitter.com/VG7RzpEMft

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 2, 2026

When asked about Game 4, Wembanyama said, “Because it’s the most intense heartbreak moment in my career.”

Despite being favored in the Finals, the Spurs lost in five games to the Knicks, culminating in a 94-90 Game 5 loss in San Antonio in which the Knicks secured their first championship in 53 years.

Wembanyama explained that it didn’t bother him that he was portrayed as a villain during the Finals — specifically after his viral shove of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in Game 3.

“Because I’m not paying attention to this during the Finals. And I don’t think any player on either team really is,” he said.

“It showed my limits more than anything else going out there, you need to play basketball. You don’t need to be beating the s–t out of people, if you want to win at least.”

Wembanyama was candid on a number of emotional topics, including his 2025 blood clot diagnosis in his shoulder, which shut down his second NBA season.

“It had a huge impact on this,” Wembanyama said regarding him being less afraid to say what he thinks. “After that, life is so short, I don’t even want to waste it being somebody else. Simple as that.”

Wembanyama added that he should win the NBA MVP this year.

In six games for the Spurs this season, he is averaging 28.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 4.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals.

Jayson Tatum is collecting hardware again, and we’re only two weeks into the NBA season.

The NBA announced Monday that Tatum has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 2 of the 2026-27 season, recognizing a four-game stretch in which he averaged 30.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists while leading the Celtics to a perfect 4-0 record.

It marks the 14th Player of the Week honor of Tatum’s career, bringing him within one of Larry Bird’s 15 for second-most in Celtics franchise history. Paul Pierce holds the record with 17. Pretty good company to keep before your 29th birthday.

San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 2 of the 2026-27 season (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1). pic.twitter.com/hN3A1bOuQe

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 2, 2026

Victor Wembanyama took home Western Conference Player of the Week honors after averaging 36.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks while leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 3-0 record.

Tatum’s award-winning week included a pair of blowouts, a dramatic overtime buzzer-beater against Brooklyn and plenty of evidence that his slow start from three hasn’t done much to limit his effectiveness.

Boston opened the week by demolishing Chicago 134-99 on October 26. Tatum finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists in just 28 minutes, getting to enjoy most of the fourth quarter from the bench.

The following night against Brooklyn was a very different experience.

Tatum erupted for 40 points, five rebounds and eight assists in Boston’s 125-124 overtime victory over the Nets, capped by his game-winning 17-foot jumper at the buzzer. He also went 18-for-22 from the free-throw line, played 42 minutes and helped the Celtics survive a game that looked like it might end in heartbreak more than once.

He also finished with zero turnovers, an impressive feat considering how much of Boston’s offense ran through him. Between his scoring and playmaking, Tatum managed to carry a heavy offensive workload without giving Brooklyn a single extra possession.

Against Chicago in Friday’s NBA Cup opener, Tatum added 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Celtics built a lead as large as 32 before eventually winning 125-111.

He capped the week Sunday in Orlando, finishing with 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists in a 108-97 win over the Magic. Boston has now won five straight games since dropping its season opener in Detroit.

Jayson Tatum joined Celtics royalty last night!

☘️ 32 PTS
☘️ 7 AST
☘️ 2 BLK@jaytatum0 became the 3rd player in franchise history (Larry Bird, 1987-88 and John Havlicek, 1970-71) to average 28+ PTS & 7+ AST through the first six games of a season! pic.twitter.com/EUZHoRSKNu

— NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2026

Beyond his scoring, Tatum’s playmaking has been a standout part of his early-season performance. He’s consistently found teammates cutting toward the basket and drawn additional defensive attention to create open looks elsewhere. His developing chemistry with Paul George has also given Boston another reliable way to initiate offense, with both players comfortable creating opportunities for each other and everyone else.

Tatum has been effective despite struggling with his outside shot, connecting on just 24.4 percent of his three-point attempts through six games. He’s compensated by attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line, where he made 46 of 55 attempts during his four award-winning games. That included 22 attempts against Brooklyn and another 17 against Orlando.

The strong start is particularly encouraging given Tatum’s recovery from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2025. After returning to the court last season, he’s quickly reestablished himself as Boston’s offensive centerpiece while continuing to develop his blossoming partnership with George.

In short, Jayson Tatum looks like Jayson Tatum again. And he’s apparently still getting warmed up.

After bouncing around the league for a few seasons and struggling to truly break out, Sandro Mamukelashvili made a name for himself last year with the Toronto Raptors. He played in 80 games, finished 10th in Sixth Man of the Year voting and averaged career highs in points (11.2), rebounds (4.9) and assists (1.9) per game while shooting 38.9% from deep and 64.2% inside the arc. Over the summer. the Los Angeles Lakers took note of that stellar campaign and inked him to a four-year, $52 million deal.

Although Mamukelashvili hasn’t been as efficient beyond the arc as last year yet (7-of-21, 33.3%), his versatile offensive game — rich with driving, passing and spacing abilities — is helping lather up the Lakers’ attack. According to databallr, their offensive rating is 4.4 points better with him on the floor thus far (122.0 points vs. 117.6 points per 100), whatever you deem that worth in a small sample through seven games.

“He’s a really rare offensive player because he’s an advantage creator in some ways. So if he’s guarded by a five and he can pick and pop into space, that’s an advantage creation,” head coach JJ Redick told reporters before Sunday’s win over the Raptors. “He’s really good at follows and touch rolls, roller behind, so that’s an advantage creation. So he’s an advantage creator and then his 0.5 [second] decision-making and his shooting ability and finishing ability, he’s an advantage finisher. And then on top of that, he’s also a connector. There’s very few offensive players that are all three of those things and he is.”

Mamukelashvili’s malleable skill-set enables the Lakers to deploy him in an array of beneficial ways. He can space or screen off of the ball. He can attack closeouts when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves compromise defenses. He can operate as a playmaking hub to ease Dončić and Reaves’ creation responsibilities. There’s plenty to like and that’s been on display to begin the year.

His next chance to showcase all that he provides is Monday night at 7 p.m. against the Miami Heat.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

The Celtics will be without Paul George when they face the Houston Rockets on Monday night. George will miss his first game of the season as he rests on the second night of a back-to-back. Mitchell Robinson sat out his first game of the season on Sunday night, the first night of a back-to-back against the Orlando Magic.

Injury Report for tonight at Houston:

Devin Carter – Illness – OUT
Paul George – Rest – OUT

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 2, 2026

George is averaging 20.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 46.2% from the field, and he played in both nights of the Celtics’ back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets last week.

George has routinely said he’s felt healthy this season, and so far, he’s averaged 31 minutes per game.

“This summer really was a chance to continue to work: strengthen my body, strengthen my knee,” he said on Media Day. “It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again — to be in a system, to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good. To be able to work, to be able to train again in the summers — my summers the last couple of years were dedicated to rehab.”

The Rockets will be without Steven Adams (right soleus strain) and Clint Capela (right ankle sprain). Reed Sheppard, who is dealing with a low back strain, is questionable.

Jordan Walsh, Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman could all start in place of George

The Celtics started Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta on Sunday night. With George sidelined, Jordan Walsh — who started the first five games of the season — could start in his place.

It remains to be seen whether Robinson will return to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s game. Queta recorded 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes in his first start of the season on Sunday.

Walsh came off the bench for the first time all year in the Celtics’ 108-97 win over the Magic.

Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser haven’t started this season, but both started games at times last year and could replace George in the lineup. Scheierman averages 4.5 points and 3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game, while Hauser averages 8 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Celtics-Rockets game tips off at 8:30pm ET.

The Dallas Mavericks’ three-game homestand concludes with a matchup against the winless Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Dallas has won their last three, and looked fantastic in those games. Cooper Flagg will be without his running mate, Kyrie Irving, so it will be interesting to see how the offense looks sans the former All-Star guard. The Kings are second-to-last in the league in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions), while the Mavericks rank 12th in offense, so the matchup certainly favors Dallas. The key will be limiting the scoring output from Sacramento’s guards. However, they’re going to need something from the limited amount of guards that they have available themselves to avoid handing the Kings their first victory. 

Game intangibles

Dallas Mavericks (4-2) vs Sacramento Kings (0-6)

Tipoff: 7:10p CT at the American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.

How to watch: The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29, or streaming on MavsTV+ for anyone in the Mavericks media market. For those outside of the viewing area, the game will be on NBA League Pass.

Odds via the Fanduel Sportsbook as of 2:00PM CST

Spread: Dallas -8.5 (-110)

Over/Under: 232.5 (-105/-115)

Moneyline: Dallas -335

Player props

Domantas Sabonis to get 14+ rebounds (-106)

Zaccharie Risacher to get 6+ rebounds (-128)

We are going to see bricks galore tonight. Dallas has the guys to defend Sacramento’s perimeter players, and the Mavericks’ offense may look stagnant at times without Kyrie Irving. Sabonis should kill Daniel Gafford on the offensive glass, and Risacher should grab a lot of the Kings’ misses. 

Game sides

Sacramento +8.5 (-110)

Under 232.5 points (-115)

This game will be low-scoring and close. As previously stated, this is a trap spot for Dallas. No Irving, coming off a huge win, with two days’ rest, and being favored for the first time this season. The Kings are desperate and have matchup advantages against Dallas’ big men. I still think Dallas wins, but expect the score to be something like 109-104. 

There's only one undefeated team left in the NBA, and few would have predicted it before the 2026-27 season began.

The Memphis Grizzlies are raising eyebrows across the league with a perfect 6-0 record after their front office spent the past 18 months recalibrating the team's roster by trading away Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. One more victory on Monday, Nov. 2, against the New Orleans Pelicans would set a record for the best start in franchise history.

A Grizzlies' nucleus featuring 2026 first-round pick Cameron Boozer, 2025 first-round pick Cedric Coward, 2024 first-round pick Zach Edey and guard Ty Jerome appears capable of exceeding expectations after they were the only team in the league to not have a player included in USA TODAY's top 100 player rankings prior to the season. Six games later, they could be the Western Conference playoff contender nobody expected.

During the past 20 seasons, the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA has failed to qualify for the playoffs just three times. No team since the 1998-99 Seattle Supersonics has started a season with at least six wins in a row and not made it to the NBA's postseason.

So how have the Grizzlies pulled off this early season surprise? Here are three reasons why Memphis is the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA before games played on Monday, Nov. 2:

NBA: Spike Lee hopes Knicks skip Trump White House visit despite Dolan's wishes

Cameron Boozer is Grizzlies' next star

Yaxel Lendeborg is suddenly the trendy pick to be the NBA's rookie of the year thanks to a batch of big early season performances, but Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer is the only rookie with a game-winner and a triple-double so far. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has quickly become a hub for the Memphis offense, distributing the ball on offense and forming a fearsome pairing inside with Edey.

Though his overall shooting numbers are lagging and he won't wow you with athletic feats, Boozer is still shooting nearly 37% from 3-point range and looks to be a potential cornerstone in the mold of Tim Duncan with his diverse skill set. Perhaps more importantly, his promising production in the first six games have helped shift the narrative after an offseason of uncertainty about the changing roster.

Cam Boozer starred in last night's Memphis win!

27 PTS (career-high, 17 in 3Q)
9 REB
26 MIN

The Grizzlies are 6-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 NBA season 🔥
pic.twitter.com/1GMWqHQyRp

— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2026

NBA misjudged Grizzlies' depth

The Grizzlies might not have a star with the commercial crossover potential Morant once had, but the roster was in much better shape than many NBA prognosticators expected after the team traded away Morant, Jackson, Bane and Santi Aldama in various deals. Memphis currently has 13 players averaging at least 12 minutes per game as coach Tuomas Iisalo often uses an 11-man rotation.

Jerome, who missed most of last season after being signed by the Grizzlies, was the league's leading scorer during the first week of the season. Coward and Jaylen Wells have shown growth as 3-point shooters and Edey, despite being on a minutes restriction, has been a dominating rebounder and defensive anchor based on advanced metrics. Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, acquired in trades this past offseason, have provided a veteran presence off a bench that seems to come in waves.

That approach might not work in the postseason, and it caused issues when Morant clashed with Iisalo last year. But it's proving effective during the first month of an NBA season that's been defined by the number of injuries impact players have already suffered.

Grizzlies' schedule has been soft

Memphis has shown undeniable signs that it was overlooked heading into the 2026-27 season and swept a four-game road trip as part of this hot start. But it also hasn't beaten a team expected to contend for either conference title.

The Grizzlies have beaten the NBA's only winless team twice (Sacramento Kings) and have two wins over a team with a 1-5 record heading into Monday (Utah Jazz). They'll be favored against the struggling Pelicans.

But Memphis also orchestrated a comeback over the Golden State Warriors and handed the Portland Trail Blazers their first loss of the season. Morant played against his former team for the first time in Portland and left with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least a month.

Six games don't validate a rebuild, and the schedule toughens in the coming weeks. But as Morant faces another extended absence and the Grizzlies keep piling up wins, the franchise's decision to dismantle the roster built around him looks less like a gamble and more like foresight.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grizzlies tore down their core. So how are they the NBA's last unbeaten team?

Yaxel Lendeborg details Warriors teammates' ‘peer pressure' to score 40 points originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The chance to score 40 points in an NBA game does not come around very often, but Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg earned that opportunity just seven games into his career.

With veterans Steph Curry and Draymond Green resting for the first leg of a back-to-back on Sunday, Lendeborg was the star of the show as the Warriors won their fourth consecutive game, 124-112, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center.

The rookie led both teams with 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field, including six made 3-pointers, which tied his output against the Phoenix Suns earlier this season.

Lendeborg returned to the game with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter with 29 points, and proceeded to score his final eight points over the next four minutes. Only three points away from his first 40-point game, Lendeborg told reporters after the game that his teammates urged him to reach that mark.

“I think [Brandin Podziemski] was shooting a free throw, and then [De’Anthony] Melton, it’s all Melton’s fault, guys, by the way,” Lendeborg said. “De’Anthony Melton went up to me and said, ‘Hey, man, you need to get 40. You’re three points away.’ And I’m like, ‘Nah, man, it’s all good.” And then he just peer pressured me into doing it.

“He said he’s going to give me the ball, and he literally was holding it just to give me the ball. And I’m like, ‘Fine, I’ll shoot it,’ and I missed but I try to tell him ‘No, no, no.’ And then now Will [Richard] came over here. ‘You got to do it. You got to do it.’ So everybody was egging me on, and I kind of just fell into it. But I know next time I’m just playing the flow of the game because they came at me like four threes in a row. We almost lost the game because of that. So next time I’m never doing that again.”

Lendeborg took three shots in his final four minutes on the court, missing all of his attempts, but Golden State was able to close out the Clippers before coach Steve Kerr eventually emptied the bench.

When asked if he was aware of how close he was to scoring 40, Lendeborg showcased his team-first mentality.

“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life,” Lendeborg said. “Falling into peer pressure like I did just now was pretty bad on my part. I’m a guy that loves ethical hoops. I’m a guy that loves efficient basketball, and I didn’t do that for the last two or three minutes. So it’s bad on my part. But I’ll know next time, I definitely won’t do that again. If it comes to me, it does. If I don’t get it, then I wasn’t meant to get it that day.”

The 24-year-old added six assists and four rebounds to his monstrous performance, displaying why he has been one of the most impressive rookies in the NBA this season.

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JJ Redick is seeing the Lakers create the kind of offensive advantages that come with having Luka Dončić on the team.

He’s also tired of those opportunities not being taken care of, making it clear there are consequences for players who don’t let it fly.

Dončić has reached another level of offensive rhythm to start the season, averaging a league-best 37.7 points on 48.2% shooting (43.2% on 3-pointers) to go with 8.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his first six games after the Lakers’ win over the Raptors on Sunday. 

With the roll he’s been on, defenses have been aggressive with blitzing, trapping and generally sending two defenders at the Slovenian guard when they can – creating 4-on-3 offensive opportunities. 

While Dončić is doing “a really good job of making plays” when two defenders are on, as Redick put it, the team results haven’t been there.

And Redick sees that as an issue with the decision-making after the superstar guard passes out of the double team, mentioning there were multiple opportunities during Sunday’s win over the Raptors in which the Lakers passed up good shots.

“I know in the second half I can think of four times that we turned down wide open threes, like I’ll take these guys out,” Redick said. “Like you gotta shoot the ball when you’re open.”

While Redick didn’t call out any player by name, he sees the indecision as a result of having so many new players not accustomed to what the Lakers want to do when those advantages are created. 

“And again it’s the new group thing,” Redick said. “These guys gotta understand what the purpose is of what we’re trying to do. And when you get an advantage, you gotta keep the advantage and shoot it.”

There’s also the factor of players not wanting to make mistakes early on with their new team, leading to overthinking. 

“Because I lived this as a player, it’s like, ‘Ahhh, I want to shoot well. I want the Lakers fans to like me. I want to score. I want to do this,’” Redick said. “You’re thinking too much. Just go play basketball and do our stuff and I promise you there’s going to be opportunities to score.”