Category: Basketball

SAN FRANCISCO – It might be too premature, but the Golden State Warriors look like one of the best teams in the Western Conference, let alone the NBA.

The early results indicate that at the very least, they are one of the hottest in the association. The Warriors have won eight straight games after blowing out the New Orleans Pelicans, 138-87, at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, Nov. 9. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each scored 25 points.

Golden State extended their win streak to eight games and advanced to 8-3 after an 0-3 start to the season which caused many to panic. Guard De'Anthony Melton told USA TODAY Sports for a split moment the team was in a "dark place" after the slow start.

"We knew we couldn't win games and stuff like that," Melton said after scoring 16 points in the win. "Nobody wants to see 0-3, but at the same time I think after we lost our third one, the next day the vibes were still high. Like we were 0-3 but we're still just enjoying being around, having fun, playing cards, stuff like that."

There was additional outside noise, chatter of where the Warriors might finish. They were already counted out to begin the year, projected to finish 41-41. When they got off to the 0-3 start, that's all they heard.

"It's hard not to hear it, but you don't ever play into it," Curry told USA TODAY Sports. "I know I've seen some memes with the towel over my head, staring into the distance, trying to figure out what, you know, we needed to do. 
People put an existential crisis on those looks. We hate losing. So you want to respond to all of that. 
You hear it, but, we've been around long enough to know, you gotta be able to block all that stuff out, just be who you are."

Everyone outside of the Bay Area might be surprised at the Warriors hot start. But within the team, they remained calm and poised. There was a needed regroup that contributed to their hot streak.

"We're doing all the things we need to to convince ourselves that we are the team we think we can (be)," Curry said. "You know, starting 0-3, like, nobody's panicking, but it's still a feeling that you don't like where you haven't been rewarded for the effort that you're putting in."

The jury is still out on whether the Warriors are turning the page to becoming a great team, but Curry likes the direction they're heading in.

"My take is that we're a very resilient team and that matters to become part of a good, maybe a great team down the stretch of the year," Curry said. "If you can withstand some rough nights, whether shooting the ball, turnovers, or whatever, still find a way to win... I'm proud of everything we're doing. We just gotta keep it going."

More: Warriors backcourt depth takes hit losing Brandon Williams, Will Richard

Early grade for the Golden State Warriors: "B"

There have been enough games to have a sample size of the Warriors' potential. Their first three games weren't enough to write them off, but they did display some fixable bad habits. One of their main concerns was taking care of the basketball. The Warriors turned the ball over 45 times in their first three games of the season.

Forward Draymond Green was asked to assess where the team is at through 10 games. Green told USA TODAY Sports he'd give them a "B" grade.

"I think we have a lot of things we can get better at. We're still not quite where we want to be, as far as turning the ball over," Green said. "We're executing better, but the execution isn't where we want it to be. Defensively, we've gotten a lot better since game one. That's been kind of our calling card right now and allowing us to win these games."

"A lot of room for growth, but yeah, no one's complaining, either," he added. "We're pretty… excited about where we are as a team, but it's equally as exciting (that) we have so much room to grow."

How Golden State turned things around early on

The Warriors don't look like the same team that began 0-3. They've since cleaned up their game and put attention into the small details of the game.

Defense. Grittiness. Connectivity.

Head coach Steve Kerr discussed the goal of being a top-10 team in both offense and defense. It's one of the traits that makes a championship team.

Golden State currently ranks 3rd in defensive rating (103.5) in the early 2026–27 NBA season, according to NBA Advanced Leaders.

"The whole thing is about our process," Kerr told USA TODAY Sports. "Can we take care of the ball? 
Can we execute offensively, get good shots for each other? And then defend like we have been in recent games, taking care of transition defense, taking away the easy stuff. So, it's not magic. We have a formula, and we're trying to get the guys to play to that formula, that standard night in and night out. We're on a good path, but this will be a great test for us on this road trip, so we'll see how we can do it."

Golden State has to lean into a team identity where there's a reliance upon every player, 1 through 15, to be ready when their name is called. The Warriors suffered losses to Brandon Williams and Will Richard, who will both seemingly be out for some time.

"We got guys that have been around the league, we always want to encourage them, if somebody's down, be ready to play," Melton said. "No matter what, it's the NBA, and we're trying to win games as a team because at the end of the day when we hold up the trophy, that's for everybody. So I think it's always going to be next man up."

Melton added that Curry, Green and Al Horford have breathed confidence into whoever is coming in the game to make an impact.

"(Curry) spoke to the team after the game (against the Magic) about the contributions of the bench," Kerr said. "He mentioned how much trust that he and the vets have in the young guys, and so we've got a good thing going. We've got a good vibe. Guys are all competing for each other. Playing really hard."

Offensively, the Warriors rank 5th in the NBA in offensive rating at 116.7 points per 100 possessions early in the season. They are led by Curry, their longtime superstar, but rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is making his imprint on the team as well, averaging 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.

"Our second best player right now is a rookie," Green said about Lendeborg. "He's gonna continue to get better. And as you can see, how good he's already made us, as he gets better, we'll continue to get better. But I think we got a lot of room for growth, and that's exciting."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors have won eight straight games after blowing out Pelicans

CLEVELAND — The G League matters more for team building than ever. Look no further than the Cleveland Cavaliers roster for proof.

Seven of the 14 players on standard deals for the Cavs have spent time in the G League. That number should jump to eight, with Khalifa Diop expecting to play with the Cleveland Charge some this year as well. Diop’s inclusion would mean that over half the roster has spent time in the G League.

This is a change from where things were over a decade ago. The reasons for that are layered. Investment in the league, along with changes to the salary cap and the style of play, has all contributed to this.

“In the world of aprons and salary cap and all this, what better way to cultivate the next wave of people that can help fit into [an NBA] environment than this?” Charge head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said.

The Cavs have invested in the Charge over the last several seasons. The move from Canton to Cleveland has allowed them to use the Cavs’ training facility. More recently, switching their home games to Cleveland Public Auditorium, along with refitting the building for basketball, speaks to the organization’s commitment to the G League.

“We want the development to be in-house,” Charge general manager Liron Fanan said. “The type of players that you now take on your G League team, you really take into consideration what Kenny [Atkinson] and his staff are looking for. What kind of player are they on and off the court? How can he fit our culture of the Cavs and what we’re looking for? It’s mainly guys that are willing to accept a role, willing to compete every day, work hard, put their head down, and be ready.”

The Charge are looking to identify and develop role players who can specifically fit alongside the Cavs’ core group. There are two skills that the Charge are looking to cultivate, knowing that they will translate to the next level.

“They’re going to have to be defensively minded, and also able to make shots when you stand in the corner because you’re not going to have the ball in your hands,” Fanan said. “You’re going to be that guy that comes off the bench for five minutes and tries to impact the game in those minutes. So, how ready are you? What’s your mentality? The toughness and the willingness to just take a role. Those are the skills that we look at.”

The Charge are trying to refine those skills with their two-way players. Riley Minix has proven to be a good shooter — Summer League notwithstanding — but shooting alone isn’t going to allow him to become a rotation player. “He needs to get better [defensively],” Fanan said. “Can he really defend and switch at the NBA level? We saw a little bit of that, and we’re seeing improvement. I think there needs to be a big jump this year.”

Rookie two-way center Ernest Udeh Jr. has the potential to develop into a useful backup center. The Cavs like the motor, but there’s a learning curve for bigs transitioning from college to the pros.

“He always plays hard, now for us, it’s to get him better at understanding spacing,” Fanan said. “Understanding guarding outside the perimeter, working with his hands better.”

Success in the G League is different than the NBA. The Charge want to win games, but their goal is to ensure they’re developing talent that can be used by the Cavs and other NBA teams. For them to continue doing that, they want to continue cultivating a culture that makes that possible.

“We’re in a league that is sometimes not about the right stuff,” Kell-Abrams said. “We want to be the group that relies on each other, that is about everybody else’s success. That passed the ball in a league that doesn’t.”

The Charge open their season at home on Tuesday night against the Motor City Cruise.

The Washington Wizards got 44 points and 13 rebounds from Anthony Davis, and very little from anyone else, and lost to the Detroit Pistons, 122-111.

It was Washington’s fourth straight loss as the team has struggled to generate effective offense or maintain stout defense.

Davis put on a show, especially in the first half, dominating the center-less Detroit lineup. He scored 30 points in the first half on 10-11 shooting from the floor. The Wizards headed to the locker room down 10 because the rest of the team shot 10-30.

For the game, Davis shot 16-21. The rest of the team: 25-68. Davis used 25 offensive possessions to generate 41 points. His teammates used 78 possessions to produce 70 points. As the great Fred Katz used to say, “Yikes guys.”

The other major redeeming feature of the game was the play of No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who had the most spectacular replacement level game I’ve ever seen. I can’t decide which plays impressed me the most:

• The lightning Euro-step drive in transition that froze John Collins and ended with a two-handed dunk
• The drive that included getting fouled by Cade Cunningham out top, and ended with a cuffed dunk on Collins
• The fake drive to attack a closeout that led to a relocation stepback three from the corner

That doesn’t include his relentless defensive effort and the constant pressure he put on the Detroit defense. Or his duel with Cunningham that was massively entertaining.

Or when he battled Ron Holland for a loose ball, inadvertently slapped him in the face, and then spent a chunk of the break while refs watched the replay reviewing the play on the arena screen with Detroit’s Daniss Jenkins.

The five turnovers and below average turnovers undermined his overall value for the game, but the highlights were big time plays, and the defensive impact was great from a 19-year-old rookie.

From the Notebook

• The Peacock broadcast format is great, and I hope it catches on around the league. Embedding the analysts on the benches is a genius innovation — especially when they share what the coaches are telling their players.
• Bilal Coulibaly missed the game with a left hand injury that I’m pretty sure happened a couple games ago.
• Will Riley entered the game in the first half, and almost immediately gave up one of the easiest drives in Cunningham’s career. Zero resistance. Not even turnstile level defense.
• Around 8:41 in the second quarter, Davis got an open three because Trae Young sprinted off screens, turned the corner and got into the paint. His effort on the play forced the help defender to commit (not coming over would have conceded a layup), which left Davis wide open at the three-point line. Young made the pass, and Davis converted.
• When I looked at my notes, I discovered one more Dybantsa play that I’d forgotten — in the second quarter, he threw a fake so fast and convincing that Kevin Huerter stepped in the wrong direction. Dybantsa went past him for a layup.
• Detroit opened the second half with Duncan Robinson getting a four-point play on what I thought was a bad call on Young. The Wizards started the period with a turnover, and then followed it up with an atrocious possession that ended with Dybantsa being forced to take a deep three with the shot clock running out. The team had tried — and failed — to feed Kyshawn George in the post against the diminutive Jenkins. They then ran multiple screens that finally got a switch that gave Dybantsa a mismatch…and not enough time to attack it.
• Peaccock’s Austin Rivers reported that during a third quarter timeout, Wizards coach Brian Keefe urged the team to improve their effort. His critique included Davis, who’d just given up a backcut dunk to Cunningham, which included an and-one free throw. “Let’s not wait until the next game,” Keefe said, according to Rivers. “Let’s do it now.”
• George needs to figure out to play on offense without turning it over so much. He had five more turnovers last night. On one in the fourth quarter, he drove into the paint, couldn’t get to the rim, and picked up his dribble. Stuck, and with the three-second count ticking, he attempted a ridiculous pass out with Ausar Thompson in the vicinity. The pass was stolen, of course.
• I wrote this in the fourth quarter, but I could have written it in any period: The Wizards cannot figure out how to initiate their offense. Dybantsa set a screen for George. George came up to set a ball screen for Davis. But, Davis went nowhere. George drifted a little and the possession just stalled. Davis finally tossed up a three, which missed. The offensive design was fine, though perhaps not with Davis as the ball handler.
• A few minutes later, the Wizards ran a similar set but with Davis screening for George. Davis rolled hard, George made a crisp pass, and Davis converted the layup.
• Thompson had an amazing block on Alex Sarr with around four minutes left in the game. He met Sarr at the rim, contested with with verticality, went up higher despite being several inches smaller, and swatted the dunk attempt.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median last season was 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

It wasn’t the smoothest win on Sunday, but the Sixers still held things together in the fourth quarter to beat the Bulls 127-121.

It takes Philadelphia to 9-2 on the season, and they’re in for more of a challenge on Tuesday. Next, as they return from their road trip, they’re taking on the team fighting them for the first spot in the East: the Boston Celtics.

As per usual, the Celtics are continuing their trend of being a top team on both ends of the floor. After ranking in the top four in both offensive and defensive rating last season, they’re top four in both areas yet again this season and first in net rating at +11.6.

Jayson Tatum, in his first full season back from his Achilles injury, has started strong. As the clear leader of the offense, he’s averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and a big jump in assists to a career-high 7.8 per game. His usage percentage is higher than ever at 33.3, he’s effectively creating more for others, and the Celtics are using him well by running him off screens and getting him attacking downhill.

Tatum’s shot selection will be something else to be mindful of for the Sixers’ defense. So far, he’s cut down his three-pointers from at least 49 percent of his total field goal attempts in the last two seasons to 38.1, while using more attacks at the rim and mid-rangers.

If the Sixers’ forwards can guard Tatum physically and Joel Embiid can stay spry with his interior rotations and rim protection, that will be key to building an advantage on Tuesday.

Of course, the personal storyline we have to focus on in this one is Jaylen Brown’s first regular season contest against his former team. He’s already had some choice words for his old team and running mate Tatum to keep things entertaining lately.

Brown is entering the game in a great rhythm as well. He was stellar yet again in the Sixers’ win on Sunday, finishing with 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. Not to mention some important plays down the stretch to help lead the offense on a night the Sixers’ defense looked tired.

On the flip side, this is also going to be Paul George’s first game in Philadelphia since being dealt to the Celtics. And to his credit, he’s playing great at both ends of the floor to start his tenure in Boston. Through nine games, George has averaged 20.4 points while shooting 42.5 percent from three on 8.1 attempts, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while playing excellent, versatile defense.

George will be another good matchup for Brown, LeBron James and Dean Wade as the Sixers’ forwards switch across him and Tatum, and contesting George’s three-point threat in particular will be key to complementing defense of Tatum inside.

With Adem Bona remaining out due to his back injury, we should continue seeing more of Jabari Walker as a smaller backup center. He played a season-high of 19 minutes and 13 seconds against the Bulls on Sunday, and played well again — just as he has since preseason. Walker finished with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds, including an impressive five offensive boards. He hustled hard, was an integral factor in the Sixers out rebounding the Bulls, and even hit a three-pointer for good measure.

The Celtics do have more size with two 7-footers in Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson as their top centers, though, so Walker is going to be stretched. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares and competes physically to try and keep them in check on dives to the rim and go to work as a rebounder.

This matchup should be a great test for the Sixers’ 20th-ranked offense overall. From Derrick White’s elite defense in the backcourt, to Tatum and George disrupting on the wings and Queta and Robinson’s rim protection. We’ve seen many flashes of just how dangerous the Sixers’ new offense can be and lots of individual brilliance, whether it’s LeBron’s passing or Tyrese Maxey’s electric scoring. But after a rough defeat against the Cavaliers on Friday and a shaky win against the Bulls, the Sixers are likely going to need a more consistent, balanced effort to beat the Celtics.

If the Sixers can handle Boston on Tuesday and the Raptors on Thursday, they’ll be in good shape to strengthen their hold on the No. 1 seed this month. Because after that, the Sixers’ schedule starts easing up with plenty of matchups against teams under .500 through the rest of November.

We’ve seen these Sixers take down several difficult opponents already. Let’s see if they can do it again the Celtics.

Game Details

When: Tuesday, November 10, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBCSP/PCK-PHI, NBC, Peacock
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

There were no illusions of grandeur entering the Suns’ matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. The game would serve as a litmus test, an opportunity to see where Phoenix stood against one of the best teams in the NBA, and it played out pretty much as you might have expected. The Spurs are one of those unique teams that have the advantage of youth on their side, and when you add the fact that they have an alien in Victor Wembanyama patrolling both ends of the floor, defeating them is going to be a difficult task for every team across the Association throughout the season.

Victor Wembanyama is a demigod, an unstoppable force who, at this point, is toying with the sport of basketball. His impact on both ends of the floor is unlike anything we’ve seen. He possesses the size of Shawn Bradley, whom many of us grew up watching, but his game extends far beyond simply being big. The way he defends, the way he deters anyone who ventures inside the three-point arc, and the constant threat of his mere existence manipulate the game in a manner that leaves you shrugging your shoulders and sighing.

As for the Suns? They did a good job taking care of the basketball, committing only seven turnovers. But they were outscored 62-48 in the paint, 20-10 in second-chance points, and 19-10 in fast-break points. They were also outrebounded by 20, with San Antonio holding a commanding 55-35 advantage on the glass.

The Suns have made progress over the past week, but there’s still a considerable gap between where they are and where the Western Conference’s elite reside. San Antonio exposed the same deficiencies we’ve been discussing all season, particularly Phoenix’s inability to control the glass and protect the paint. There’s no shame in losing to a team featuring a generational talent like Wembanyama. But the manner in which you lose can tell you plenty about how far you still have to go.

Bright Side Baller Standings

It’s not often the guy who scores under 10 points gets the Bright Side Baller, but the community here knows ball. The impact Ryan Dunn had in the victory over the Rockets was stellar, as he was a disruptor in every sense of the word.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 9 against the Spurs. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
32 points (10-of-17, 3-of-5 3PT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers, -8 +/-

Khaman Maluach
11 points (4-of-6, 1-of-1 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, -6 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
7 points (2-of-5), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, -19 +/-

Miles Bridges
7 points (3-of-9, 0-of-4 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, -18 +/-

Jalen Green
6 points (2-of-8, 0-of-1 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, -21 +/-

Collin Gillespie
6 points (2-of-6, 2-of-4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, -22 +/-

And the winner is…

For the first time since they spent nine prolific seasons together, while rising to the top of the NBA, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will face off as opponents in the regular season.

The Boston Celtics (8-2) head to Philadelphia Tuesday, Nov. 10 to battle the 76ers (9-2), the team that acquired Brown in a July blockbuster trade. And with that comes the next chapter in a relationship that has at times became tense and uncomfortable.

Despite that, as the game approaches, both sides have been sure to down play any drama.

“It’s nothing to talk about,” Brown told reporters Sunday, Nov. 8. “I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side. Just playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win, so it’s nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up.”

Yet, now that we’re three weeks into the 2026-27 season, it’s a fair time to pose a couple questions.

One: is there a clear winner in the trade? And, two: will either team come to regret their choice?

At first glance, it’s like a rare case where the move benefitted both sides; entering Monday night, these were the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were leading the NBA in net rating (+11.6), and the Sixers have been seamlessly sharing the ball and rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.01).

It’s necessary, however, to point out a few caveats here. The sample size remains rather small and, entering Monday night, the Celtics had played the NBA’s easiest strength of schedule (.396), according to ESPN; Philadelphia’s, by comparison, ranked 20th (.476).

To be clear, neither of these points are disqualifying, but both teams – Boston in particular – need to demonstrate that they can sustain these levels over time and against the league’s better competition.

The most positive sign for both teams is that the issues that originally forced the divorce in the first place don’t appear to have carried over.

Dating back to their first seasons as stars in Boston, the narrative surrounding Tatum and Brown was that they were not optimal fits. They both excel with the ball in their hands, and both can create their own shot with ease. That often led to a disjointed offense, where they often took turns scoring in isolation.

In Boston, Paul George, whom Philadelphia sent to Boston in the Brown trade, has been nothing but steady. He has acknowledged that his sole role is to be complementary to Tatum, and his 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game are more than sufficient.

In Philadelphia, Brown’s numbers are a little better (22.3/6.7/4.0), but he has directly addressed the dynamics of his new team, saying point guard Tyrese Maxey “has been leading the way for sure” and that the Sixers are “his team,” referring to Maxey.

Brown has been more provocative in his public comments about any feud between he and Tatum. He recently posted an emoji of a blue hat – which is another way to say cap, or slang that someone is being dishonest – to a video on social media in which Tatum said he was caught off guard by the July trade. Even in a recent comment that began with praise for Tatum, Brown snuck in a sly jab.

“I think he’s right,” Brown said Oct. 24. “There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We’ve accomplished some great things, he’s a hell of a basketball player, he got a great (public relations) team. There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy, and he should stay ready at all times.”

In their first meeting as opponents, a preseason game Oct. 16 in which Brown did not play, both players warmed up on opposite sides of the floor and did not acknowledge each other, at least not publicly.

“All of y’all kind of saw us grow up and everything that we accomplished,” Tatum said recently. “... Like, how many people play in this league and never went to the Finals? We went twice and won a championship. So it should be more about that. This ain’t no (expletive) Shaq and Kobe. It’s not about that.

“It should be more praise, and I understand that don’t necessarily sell. Drama gets clicks and views, but that’s not my thing.”

This all raises one last question, about whether it’s fair to criticize players on the same team for not being friends off the floor. Just because their work is televised and just because they’re paid handsomely does not mandate that they be forced into any sort of deeper bond we fans and media seemingly expect out of athletes. At the end of the day, they are – at least in professional terms – merely employees just like you and I. And just like you and I may have colleagues with whom we might not necessarily align, these players are entitled just the same.

This trade was not executed because of any perceived fractured friendship. The Celtics clearly prioritized one player’s skill set over another’s, and they made a difficult choice, one that does not come without some risk. They wanted to divest away from having two max contracts.

Tuesday night’s game is just the next logical step, nothing more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where's the beef? First Tatum vs. Brown showdown could provide early scorecard

Sports rivalries rule. I grew up during the early-2000s Red Sox-Yankees battles. I’ll never forget swinging from the absolute heartbreak of Aaron Boone’s home run in 2003 to complete euphoria the following October, when the Sox cowboyed up, erased a 3-0 deficit and finally broke the curse.

I also got to experience the Celtics-Lakers rivalry returning to the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, when the animosity between the teams and their fans felt almost as important as the basketball itself. Those games were appointment television, and I’m still fiending for another Celtics-Lakers Finals.

The NBA has produced some incredible rivalries throughout its history, but it feels like fewer of them have much staying power anymore. Players are constantly switching teams, contenders fall apart and yesterday’s bitter enemies become tomorrow’s podcast guests. Sometimes we’re told two teams are rivals simply because the league scheduled them on Christmas or they’re playing during Rivals Week, presented by Amazon Web Services. Because nothing screams genuine hatred like a comprehensive cloud computing platform.

Anyway, the Boston Celtics play the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.

In the lead-up, I’ve been thinking about what makes a great NBA rivalry and how many of those ingredients are present in the current relationship between Boston and Philadelphia. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that we’re watching one of the league’s oldest rivalries return to something resembling its best form.

Joel Embiid famously declared back in 2018 that Celtics-Sixers wasn’t much of a rivalry because Boston kept beating Philadelphia. Eight years and one particularly painful playoff series later, I think it’s worth revisiting his assessment.

I’ve settled on four criteria for evaluating a proper NBA rivalry, and Boston and Philadelphia are about to receive their entirely unofficial rivalry report card.

A history of hatred

You can’t manufacture decades of bad blood, and Boston and Philadelphia have enough to fill a small museum. Ideally one with separate entrances for fans of each team.

The Celtics and Sixers have met in 23 playoff series, more than any other pairing in NBA history. Boston holds a 15-8 advantage, with some of basketball’s greatest players participating in the ongoing effort to make the other franchise miserable.

It started with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, when Boston spent much of the 1960s blocking Wilt’s path to a championship. Philadelphia finally broke through in 1967, ending the Celtics’ run of eight consecutive titles.

Then came Larry Bird and Julius Erving, and an entirely new generation of reasons for the cities to dislike each other. The teams met in four Eastern Conference finals during the 1980s, splitting them 2-2. The 1981 series was particularly ridiculous, with Boston overcoming a 3-1 deficit and winning the final three games by a combined five points. Five!

And, of course, there was the infamous fight between Bird and Dr. J on November 9, 1984, which just celebrated its 42nd anniversary. Bird had already scored 42 points when things got ugly in the third quarter, with Moses Malone restraining him as Erving landed several punches.

Erving later explained his attitude toward playing Boston rather succinctly: “I don’t care if it’s your mother, you’re not supposed to get along.” I appreciate that level of commitment to the rivalry. Erving family dinners must have been interesting.

At that time, Philadelphia even had a player nicknamed the Boston Strangler. Andrew Toney earned the name by repeatedly torching the Celtics, including a 34-point performance in Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference finals that sent Boston home.

Imagine being so consistently good at ruining another team’s season that people start calling you the Boston Strangler. I’d have that printed on my business cards.

The beauty of this history is that it never really goes away. The players change, coaches come and go, and special-edition uniforms occasionally make us nauseous, but the relationship survives.

For a younger Celtics fan, tonight might be their first real introduction to the rivalry. Meanwhile, somewhere in Philadelphia, there’s probably a grandfather who still refuses to allow anyone named Larry into his house.

What a time to get involved. There’s nearly eighty years of basketball history waiting for you, and both teams have recently supplied plenty of new material.

Grade: A

Recent playoff scars

For a long time, Boston fans had a pretty comfortable relationship with Philadelphia.

Remember Embiid’s assessment from 2018? Following another loss to Boston, he famously said, “This is not a rivalry…they always kick our ass.”

He wasn’t wrong. Boston eliminated Philadelphia in six consecutive playoff meetings between 1985 and 2023.

The most memorable recent example came in 2023, when Jayson Tatum scored 51 points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, setting the NBA’s Game 7 scoring record at the time. Celtics fans celebrated while Sixers fans contemplated another year of trusting the process.

May 2026 changed things.

After Boston built a 3-1 series lead in the first round, Philadelphia won three straight games and completed the comeback with a 109-100 victory at TD Garden. Before that series, Boston had been 32-0 when leading a playoff series 3-1. Philadelphia had never overcome that deficit in 18 previous attempts.

Both streaks ended on the same night.

For Celtics fans, it was a miserable way to end a season already defined by uncertainty surrounding Tatum’s Achilles recovery. The Sixers, who’d spent years being reminded of their playoff failures against Boston, finally got to celebrate on the parquet.

And that’s precisely what this rivalry needed, however gut-wrenching it is to admit. A rivalry becomes a lot less interesting when one team wins every meaningful matchup. Eventually, the winning side starts treating the opponent like a routine trip to the barber shop.

Philadelphia’s comeback changed the dynamic.

Sixers fans now have a recent series in which their team delivered one of the most painful postseason defeats in Boston’s history. On the flip side, Celtics fans can point to decades of superiority, but that doesn’t make the most recent result any less irritating.

Both fan bases have something to bring up and something they’d desperately prefer the other forget.

Top-notch rivalry material.

I’m stopping short of an A because I’d like to see the teams trade a few more meaningful blows before declaring this an entirely balanced postseason feud. Preferably with Boston getting the next one.

Grade: A-

Personal history

We’ve spent an extraordinary amount of time discussing the relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown since Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia.

At this point, the alleged beef has been stirred, sautéed, broiled, slow-cooked and served with several unnecessary side dishes. I’m sure a script is in the works to turn the story into a limited series.

The latest round of questions came this week as the former teammates prepared to face each other for the first time. Brown told CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning that the two had nothing to discuss before tipoff, while Tatum has continued emphasizing that he’d rather focus on basketball.

I think I’m ready to join them.

Tatum and Brown spent nine seasons together in Boston. They became perennial All-Stars, reached two NBA Finals and won a championship together in 2024. Whatever their relationship looks like today, I’d rather celebrate what they accomplished than spend another afternoon interpreting Brown’s cryptic comments.

Besides, the actual basketball matchup is much more enjoyable to dream about.

Will they guard each other? If they do, how much does their familiarity help? They’ve spent almost a decade practicing together, studying film together and learning how to attack defenses alongside one another. They know each other’s habits, preferred spots and tendencies better than most opponents ever could.

Does that make defending each other easier, or do two players with that much shared experience become even more difficult to predict?

That’s the part I’m excited to watch.

And somehow LeBron James has managed to find his way into this episode, too. At this point, we’re approaching Avengers-level crossover territory.

LeBron spent years tormenting Boston during his Cleveland and Miami tenures. Now he’s wearing a Sixers jersey alongside Brown, Embiid and Maxey, as though Philadelphia deliberately assembled a collection of Boston’s greatest supervillains.

Meanwhile, Paul George is enjoying an excellent start in Boston after two difficult seasons with Philadelphia. His ability to operate alongside Tatum has been one of the Celtics’ most encouraging early developments, and he’ll have his own familiar faces waiting on the other side tonight.

There are enough connections here to keep the NBA’s broadcast crew occupied for several hours. I’m just hoping we spend most of that time discussing how these players might actually compete against each other.

Grade: A-

Actual competitive stakes

This might be the most important ingredient of all.

You can have decades of history and a roster full of former teammates, but the rivalry loses some appeal when one team is spending March counting down the days until its season ends.

The best NBA rivalries have stakes. Both teams need to be good enough that beating the other feels meaningful, preferably with a legitimate chance they’ll meet again when the games matter most.

Through the first few weeks of the 2026-27 season, Boston and Philadelphia have certainly held up their ends of that arrangement.

The Sixers enter tonight at 9-2, sitting atop the Eastern Conference. Boston is right behind them at 8-2, having won three straight games, including Sunday’s 117-97 victory over Milwaukee.

Philadelphia has quickly found success with its shiny new roster. Brown is averaging more than 22 points per game, while Maxey continues to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. Embiid remains an enormous problem whenever he’s healthy, and LeBron gives the Sixers an ageless playmaker who has spent a good chunk of his life learning how to beat Boston.

The Celtics have started impressively despite undergoing significant changes themselves.

Tatum has returned to playing at an All-NBA level following his Achilles injury. George has fit beautifully alongside him, and Boston’s supporting cast is beginning to settle into its new responsibilities. Joe Mazzulla has even started hugging people during games, a sign that either things are going well or the end times are near.

Tonight will be our first regular-season opportunity to see how these particular rosters match up.

Boston has to contend with Maxey’s speed and Embiid’s presence inside. Brown and George could find themselves defending one another, while Tatum’s developing partnership with George faces one of its toughest tests yet.

There’s plenty to examine beyond the inevitable pregame questions about who plans to shake whose hand.

And while I don’t want to get ahead of myself ten games into the season, it’s difficult to look at these rosters without imagining another playoff meeting in the near future.

If that happens, tonight could be the beginning of another particularly memorable chapter in a rivalry that already has a lot of unforgettable ones.

Grade: A

The final report card

• Historical hatred: A
• Recent playoff scars: A-
• Personal history: A-
• Actual competitive stakes: A
• Overall rivalry grade: A

The history is there, Philadelphia has finally given Boston a reason to seek revenge, and the player storylines have somehow become more complicated than the plot of an HBO drama.

What we haven’t seen is how all of that translates onto the court with these particular rosters.

Maybe tonight ends up being an ordinary basketball game. It’s certainly possible Tatum and Brown exchange a quick handshake, everybody behaves like responsible adults, and the teams play 48 minutes without providing a single controversial quote.

At this point, that would probably be healthy for everyone involved.

Personally, I’m hoping for an excellent game with a little competitive nastiness. I wouldn’t mind seeing Pritchard or Scheierman give Embiid a hard time after an inevitable flop. Maybe Anfernee Simons will have words for the Celtics coaching staff after burying a three in front of their bench.

After years of Boston getting the better of this rivalry, Philadelphia finally has something to brag about. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the rivalry back than having the two teams actually play each other.

Just preferably with the Celtics winning.

Drama takes center stage in Celtics-Sixers, but bigger story is what comes next originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA is fueled by drama the way New Englanders are fueled by Dunkin. So the hype surrounding Jaylen Brown’s first game against his former team was always going to be largely over-caffeinated. His comments in the ramp up to Tuesday’s showdown in Philadelphia only added a shot of espresso to the order.

But the last thing this drama needs is another food reference. Lamb chops, gravy, coffee or otherwise. 

The speculation and intrigue surrounding Brown’s relationship with former teammate Jayson Tatum isn’t new but got a jolt in the fallout from the jaw-dropping summer swap. It’s probably best the two have to share the same 94 feet of hardwood for a couple hours on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Celtics-Sixers will undeniably be must-see TV. But sure to be overshadowed by the breathless takes about Tatum and Brown’s working relationship — nearly a full decade of winning, mind you, that included two Finals appearance and one championship banner — and all their interactions — of maybe lack thereof — on Tuesday night will cloud the bigger question here.

Did the Celtics make the right decision in moving on from Brown?

That answer could take years to be truly revealed. And in this social-media era of bite-sized content consumption, we don’t have that sort of patience. The Celtics clearly believed that moving on from Brown offered the best pathway back to building a sustained title contender. Complicating matters, Brown’s new team became overstocked with the sort of top-end talent that immediately made the Sixers legitimate title contenders if they could handle all the personalities.

So far they’ve done just that. 

Tuesday night delivers an early season matchup between, to this point, the two top teams in the Eastern Conference. And yet maybe it’s merely a checkpoint in a bigger race between two rivals chasing the same lofty goal. 

Tatum and Brown, of course, are inextricably intertwined, especially now playing for rival franchises. Their legacies are unlikely to be altered by a single Tuesday in November, though certainly those 48 minutes of basketball will provide an elevated entertainment experience. 

Bragging rights will ultimately fall to the player who proves they can win without the other.

Early returns: A win for both sides

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

We yearn to firmly declare winners and losers from the very moment a Shams alert reaches our phones. Back in July, the Celtics lost, decidedly, in the court of public opinion when the world learned that Boston traded Brown to the Sixers for a package highlighted by 36-year-old Paul George and a pair of future first-round draft picks.

It’s still way too early to make any wholesale declarations, but both sides should feel pretty good about where they stand through 10 games of the 2026-27 season.

George has been better than most could have anticipated after two injury riddled seasons with the Sixers. He immediately declared this was Tatum’s team and suggested that he was here to maximize his talents. George has thrived on both sides of the court, looking like an All-Defense candidate while lingering among the league-leaders in deflections and steals. He’s even turned back the clock and showcased the offensive talents that made him a nine-time All-Star. His usage rate is lofty (27.4), but Tatum (35.6) is the clear-cut focal point when he’s on the court.

The Celtics lead the league in net rating (+11.6), aided by a softer schedule out of the gates. Boston needs to prove it can hang with the best teams in the league — fumbling away a big lead on opening night in Detroit and running in mud on the second night of a back-to-back in a loss to Houston. The Celtics might not be quite the 65-win team their point differential suggests, but their depth gives them a chance to stack regular-season wins.

Brown’s stat line with Philly looks very similar to Tatum’s last fully healthy season in Boston. Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in 10 appearances. His turnovers (2.1 per game) are at a career-best level since his All-Star ascension in 2021. He has topped the Sixers in scoring in each of their last three outings. Philadelphia has utilized its new collection of experienced talent to thrive in late-game situations, posting an 8-0 record in clutch games (score within 5 points, final 5 minutes). 

Is success sustainable for both sides? If George stays healthy, he’s been a rather ideal runningmate for Tatum. The Celtics have a +11.1 net rating in 162 minutes together this season, but the team’s net rating spikes to +24.7 in George’s 109 minutes without Tatum. The Sixers have stiff-armed any thoughts that they might endure growing pains with so much talent, though their season will ultimately be judged on postseason success given the amount of talent.

What’s the pathway back to title contention for Boston?

“Optionality” became a Boston buzzword after Stevens championed it in the aftermath of the team’s decision to trade Brown. Fans stung by Brown’s departure have gone so far as to wear jerseys with “Optionality” on the nameplate around TD Garden.

Stevens knows that even the goodwill built by delivering a title team in 2024 can erode quickly unless the Celtics use their newfound optionality to offer hope of securing Banner 19. 

It’s not an overstatement to suggest that Stevens must really hit with the two picks acquired in the Brown swap, including a 2028 first-round pick via the Clippers and a 2031 first-round pick via the Sixers. With Tatum and Brown, the Celtics were always in the contention conversation. Stevens must set up the next iteration of a contender with what was acquired for Brown. Because Boston’s status right now is a bit murkier.

The most likely scenario is Boston using those picks as trade assets while increasing the talent around Tatum in what is essentially the prime of his career. If the Celtics stay below the tax this season, they will reset pesky repeater penalties, which would allow the team to spend ambitiously next summer. It might not be the full-throttle splurge like the summer of 2023 that delivered Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and set into motion the quest for Banner 18 — but it could certainly increase Boston’s talent pool and decrease the margin for error that currently exists. 

George could be part of that future, maybe at a reduced rate if he were to opt out and extend this summer. Boston could also consider using his salary in any big swing. Again, the theme here is multiple options and pathways. 

It seems fair to suggest that, as currently constituted this season, the Celtics are longshots to contend for a title this year. A healthy Tatum, closer to the peak of his powers and further removed from the Achilles injury that sapped much of last season, could elevate that ceiling but the talent and depth across the best teams in the NBA might demand a bit more tinkering around him.

Green may run deep, but patience in these parts does not, and Stevens is well aware of the accelerator that fans will demand he press in the quest for the next banner.

Tough decisions still exist. What does the core of this team look like in that next iteration? Is Derrick White able to overcome the poor shooting of last season and thrive at age 32 and beyond? Can Payton Pritchard, fresh off inking his new big extension, find even a bit more consistency against the best teams? Which of the younger players are surefire pieces of the future roster?

That’s why the 2026-27 season still feels important in the information-gathering and development process. Stevens must evaluate his roster in the post-Brown era and decide how best to restock around Tatum. 

Was the Jays’ split inevitable?

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

From the very moment Jaylen Brown inked a 5-year, $304 million supermax extension, the biggest contract in NBA history to that point, and with Tatum set to sign his own 5-year, $314 million deal a year later, it felt inevitable the Celtics were heading towards a bit of a reckoning. The apron era ensured it. 

Boston got ahead of things and produced Banner 18. They’ve paid what we’ll call the parade tax with painful roster decisions the past two summers while getting their finances in order. 

The decision to trade Brown thrust his relationship with Tatum under a harsher microscope. Surely, there must be more than meets the eye, most wondered. It’s hardly a secret that they were two very different people but they undeniably motivated and pushed each other as teammates. No one can diminish the success they had, particularly after winning a title. You don’t have to be best friends with your co-workers.

Two players making 35% of the cap is simply a tough situation to navigate, at least without sacrificing talent among depth pieces. Two players commanding 35% of possessions might be even more difficult. Tatum’s injury added a layer to the decision-making, in part because Brown thrived in the solo role and might understandably yearn to be regarded as equals. Even the possession-maxing Celtics didn’t have enough shots and touches for two mega stars.

The Celtics ultimately decided that the best pathway back to competing at the highest level was Tatum using the majority of possessions and figuring out the rest around him. It’s fascinating to wonder, if Tatum never gets hurt and Brown never gets the season in the spotlight, would the Celtics have rode out the Jays era a bit longer, trying to squeeze every last drop from the pairing?

Everyone wants a smoking gun, a single moment that changed the relationship and can explain why the Celtics moved on from Brown when they did. The fact that it was Philly on the other end of the trade, and for a package that felt initially underwhelming, added even more layers of complexity for fans to digest. 

The business of basketball often forces executives to make uncomfortable decisions. The best general managers are the ones that don’t wait too long to rip the Band-Aid and keep their eye on the larger prize, without worrying about the court of public opinion. 

You don’t need to rewind too far in Celtics history to find the last reunion game that had a little extra drama to it. Kevin Garnett ignoring Ray Allen during Boston’s visit to Miami in the 2012 season opener was a rather surreal moment. It took another decade for things to get fully patched up between that Big Three.

Maybe it’ll take that long for the Jays to move past whatever feelings exist now. As Brown bluntly told reporters on Sunday: “He’s on his side; I’m on my side … Just check the ball up.”

Being under the same roof and forced to at least co-exist on the same 94 feet of hardwood might force the two to acknowledge each other. Maybe it starts the healing process, for fans and players alike.

But, ultimately, this is all going to take some time. Eventually everyone will sit back and remember the Jays era for all the winning, including Banner 18. Numbers 0 and 7 might eventually hang in the TD Garden rafters together. Forever. 

Tuesday night will be fun. There’s a long way to go to sort out the rest.

Well that was fun. The Golden State Warriors made NBA history on Monday night, by becoming the first team to start 0-3 and follow it up with an eight-game winning streak. And they certainly did it in emphatic style, as they positively crushed the New Orleans Pelicans, ending their home-stand with a 138-87 victory that was every bit as lopsided as the score would suggest.

Needless to say, the grades are going to be good for this one. As always, my grades are based on my personal expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing that player’s average performance.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 57.1%.

Gui Santos

21 minutes, 3 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 fouls, 0-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 31.5% TS, +21

You gotta love Gui. Even in a game where the Warriors were pouring in points faster than a bartender pours shots, Santos was content to just help out doing the little things. He attacked the glass and did a swell job of keeping the ball moving. He repeatedly found the open man and ended up with four dimes and zero turnovers. He was a big part of the strong defensive performance.

He just does all the little things, and even though it doesn’t always come with offense, you can happily live with that on this team.

Grade: B+

Yaxel Lendeborg

27 minutes, 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 8-for-10 shooting, 4-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 97.8% TS, +34

Yeah. I think we have a star on our hands, friends. I don’t think Lendeborg is good, or even really good, or even has the potential to be a star. I think he is a star, point blank. It’s only been 11 games but that’s abundantly clear.

There was some Steph Curry in Yax’s game on Monday, in that he seemed to relish the opportunity to rip a team’s soul out. So often you see rookies get sloppy when playing in a blowout. At best they hog the ball and put on their own show; at worst, they check out because the outcome is determined.

But stars like Curry lock in. They want the win to be as lopsided as possible. They want to crush the other team’s spirit and make it clear that they’re not in the same league (except, you know … in the literal sense). And they want to make sure that they’re the one who does the damage.

Lendeborg, it seems, has that gene. He didn’t try to do to much, even when the Dubs led by 20, or 30, or 40, or 50. There were no reckless heat checks or audacious dunk attempts. Instead, he just locked in like it was a tied game, and went after the Pelicans in every part of the game.

And he dominated them in the process.

Grade: A+

Draymond Green

21 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, 100.0% TS, +32

Shot check! Green is up to 27 field goal attempts in nine games. There was some offseason chatter that Steve Kerr wanted Green to shoot more (specifically threes), and then it turned out the Warriors offense was good enough that Dray could be super selective, and focus on the three things he does brilliantly on that end of the court: passing the ball, setting screens, and making sure that everything runs through Curry.

Green has really been an offensive asset this year, which is a testament to his patience and playmaking, but also to the players around him. Having four shooters on the court at almost all times certainly helps there as well.

Defensively, Dray played well, though we were robbed of getting to see him defend Zion Williamson, as the Pelicans’ star got the night off. Oh well; they’ll meet again in a week.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.

Brandin Podziemski

26 minutes, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 10-for-19 shooting, 5-for-11 threes, 65.8% TS, +36

Lest you get too caught up in the Yaxel hype, Podziemski is here to remind you that there’s more than one early-20s Warrior with a fun European name who just might be a star. This was Podz at his very best. He was all over the court in a blur of chaos, on both ends of the court. He attacked on offense, while also popping out time and time again, and hiding behind screens, to show off his jumper … which looks a lot better this year (he’s 25-for-62 from deep so far this year).

In a fast and frantic game in which Podziemski seemed to have the ball in his hands a lot, he went a whole game with nary a turnover nor a foul.

It really feels like his offense is far more in control this year. He’s always had creativity and unique explosiveness, but this year he’s harnessed it far better than in year’s past. Can you remember a single shot he’s taken this season that has made you scratch your head or yell at the TV (except in a positive way)? I can’t. He’s just unbelievably in control, and fully coming into his own.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in points; best plus/minus on the team.

Steph Curry

21 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 6-for-10 shooting, 4-for-7 threes, 9-for-9 free throws, 89.5% TS, +32

Here’s a fun question: who’s enjoying the Lendeborg and Podziemski breakouts more, Curry or Kerr? Steph is clearly having the time of his life playing with these invigorating youngsters. And more importantly, you can see the relief in not having to carry the team on his shoulders night in and night out, and possession in and possession out.

The way that Curry is picking his spots is honestly a little reminiscent of when Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were on the team. Curry knows he can step into his easier roles — playing the distributing point guard, or just using his gravity to space the defense out — and the offense will still function well. And then, when the time comes — if the team’s in trouble, or he wants to put a nail in the coffin, or he just wants to have a little fun — he goes into supersduperduperstar mode.

He’s averaging more than a point per minute with a true-shooting percentage well into the 70s. And it looks sustainable because he’s not having to kill himself out there. I should give him an A+ but i can’t justify a perfect grade for someone I know can — and will — pop off for 50.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in points.

De’Anthony Melton

26 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-for-11 shooting, 4-for-8 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 67.3% TS, +20

Melton had a little bit of a slow start to the season, but new he is absolutely picking it up. He’s firing on all cylinders right now, and just making everything work. He has so much veteran savvy and poise … he plays with a little bit of that old man game where everything is slow, but then he displays these little bursts when they’re needed, to turn a rebound into a transition opportunity, or cut to the hoop, or strip a driving opponent. There’s more than a little bit of Andre Iguodala in his game, that’s for sure.

Like Curry, Melton has really been excelling at picking his spots this year, and that goes for both offense and defense. In this one, he came in with the bench unit and helped turn a solid lead into a blowout, and he never took his foot off the gas.

Grade: A

Al Horford

15 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 2 fouls, 2-for-5 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 50.0% TS, +29

I’m just so happy that Horford is on this team. What a treat he is to watch. He never seems to make a poor play or be out of position, and sometimes he just goes on little flurries, such as what he did at the start of the second quarter to help ensure that this game would stay a blowout. He had five stocks in 15 minutes. He had six assists — as a center — in 15 minutes. It’s just comical how frequently he makes the right play.

I said when the Warriors signed him before last year that he was the perfect player for Kerr, and I think that dramatically undersold it.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.

Georges Niang

19 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 64.3% TS, +8

Just another quietly exceptional day at the office for Niang. He shows up, he stirs things up, he drains some threes, he makes some extra passes, he plays some defense, and he celebrates a win. Good life.

Grade: B

Brandon Williams

2 minutes, 4 points, 2-for-3 shooting, 66.7% TS, +4

Williams was only on the court for 99 seconds, but he changed the game in that brief time with the quickness with which he got down the court and attacked the basket. Unfortunately, he aggravated his hamstring in the first quarter, and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Hopefully he won’t be sidelined for too long.

Grade: P for Please get healthy soon
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Charles Bassey

18 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-for-8 shooting, 75.0% TS, +18

With every passing game, Bassey makes it easier and easier to forget that Kristaps Porziņģis was supposed to be a part of this team. He only needed 18 minutes to nab a double-double and have one of the nastiest blocks you’ll see all season. We knew he had skills, but the way he’s able to fully control the paint — in terms of scoring, defending, and rebounding — is shocking.

Grade: A+

LJ Cryer

20 minutes, 10 points, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 4-for-9 shooting, 2-for-6 threes, 55.6% TS, +13

Cryer was forced into duty early on, after Williams’ injury. And he responded quite well. He scores in a different way than Williams does, but he sure can be a lightning rod as well. His jump shot is so slick, and I love the way he works into the defense, and then retreats … it reminds me a little bit of Jameer Nelson, or honestly, even Chris Paul.

This team is deep enough that Cryer is probably only going to get opportunities in situations like this, but it was great seeing him make the most of it.

Grade: B+

Graham Ike

12 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 50.0% TS, +4

Cryer got the most minutes of the two-way players in this game due to Williams’ injury, but Ike remains the two-way contract most capable of helping the team on a nightly basis. There aren’t many minutes for him now — he was limited to extended garbage time in this game — but you can see why Kerr is so excited to get him out there, and believes he can help. He does so many good things on the court.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Malevy Leons

12 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0-for-1 shooting, 0.0% TS, +4

Nice to see Leons get some serious run. Like Ike, he played the entire fourth quarter since the Warriors were up by 47 points going into the final frame. He did some nice things out there.

Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kristaps Porziņģis, Will Richard

The Dallas Mavericks (7-4) won a 125-122 thriller over the Indiana Pacers (3-8) on Monday night. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg were dominant, combining for 78 points, while Caleb Martin made the defensive play of the game to seal the deal. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Mavericks found themselves trailing for much of the first half but worked their way back, determined to not have a letdown after a convincing win over the Brookly Nets just 24 hours prior. With the victory, the Mavericks extend their winning streak to three games.  

Let’s get to the grades!

Kyrie Irving: 10/10

35 PTS / 0 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 38 MIN

We try to be discerning with a perfect grade, especially for a Hall of Famer who has plenty of exceptional games on his resume. Tonight Irving gets the bump despite no rebounds, steals or blocks. He was simply too dominant offensively not to. He connected on 11-of-18 from the floor and 7-of-10 from downtown. He hit 6-of-7 free throws while he was at it. Helping get him over the top was a game-high +29 plus/minus. Even with a few goose eggs in the stat line, Irving was playing on another level Monday night and did a lot in the fact of tough on-ball defense to keep the Mavs connected and ultimately able to pull away.

Cooper Flagg: 10/10

43 PTS / 10 REB / 6 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 39 MIN

Little needs to be said when the box score reads as it does. Flagg hit 16-of-25 shots in a 40-point double-double and was absolutely huge down the stretch, hitting big shots in the fourth quarter in a refuse-to-lose performance. Just dominant while leaving a couple rough shooting nights as a distant memory.

Caleb Martin: 6/10

0 PTS / 3 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 19 MIN

The conundrum of Martin persists. A starter with limited minutes and little tangible production makes the defensive play of the night to seal the victory. We’ve yet to determine how best to grade him, but suffice it to say tipping the inbounds pass away from Paskal Siakam to prevent the Pacers from even attempting a shot on the final possession gives his grade a boost.

P.J. Washington: 5/10

13 PTS / 9 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 2 BLK – 35 MIN

Washington gets the “5” based on some intangibles. His 4-of-12 shooting left a bit to be desired (though one of his two made three-pointers came at a critical time) and he was only 3-of-6 from the charity stripe. Of the three misses, two of them came in the waning moments where even one make would have effectively ended the game. Worse still, he probably could have gotten the ball to Irving before he was fouled, allowing the better free throw shooter to get the opportunity at the line. He rebounded well and had a few defensive efforts that don’t hit the box score and the fact the outcome was a win finds us giving him a bit of a bump on his grade.

Daniel Gafford: 5/10

8 PTS / 2 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 20 MIN

Gafford was foul-happy, playing himself off the court early on. He showed better control during the latter part of the game, but having him on the floor consistently to match up with Ivica Zubac would have helped along the way. He was solid in the limited minutes and managed to show some passing ability but it was a somewhat mundane night.

Santi Aldama: 7/10

10 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 19 MIN

Aldama was 4-of-9 from the floor, but only 1-of-5 from downtown. Even with the longball not falling, he did a nice job maximizing his limited minutes. He had a soft touch around the rim and put himself in the right spots – especially impressive given he just returned from injury had had no prior reps with his teammates before just a couple games ago.

Final Thoughts

This was a hard-fought game that came down to the final possession. Dallas was on the second night of a back-to-back, yet got incredible offensive performances from both Flagg and Irving. The team plays together and fights hard on every possession. That isn’t to say every possession is pretty, but Dallas continues to stay disciplined and tied together. On Monday night, that cohesion resulted in a great clutch win.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

At this stage in the season, winning isn’t enough for the Knicks. 

The champions care more about how they win. 

“Obviously, we want to play well, we want to win, but we also want to continue to grow as a team and try not to plateau,” Jalen Brunson said after practice Monday. “I think the way we do that is to continue to try to see how we can win games differently.” 

That sentiment trickles down from head coach Mike Brown. Constant experimentation is a core staple to his philosophy. It feels like there’s a surprise in the box score every game. 

His players believe that brings the best out of them. 

“It’s kind of a freeing thing, playing that way, knowing that you don’t have to really be looking over your shoulder or thinking that one thing is gonna ruin whatever,” Landry Shamet said Monday. “And I think that he knows that we have that makeup as a group, too, that we’re all on the same page in wanting the best for each other — the next man up kind of mentality. It’s from top to bottom, and it’s a good environment to have.” 

Brown used an 11-man rotation for Saturday’s 109-97 win in Cleveland. That wasn’t the result of garbage-time minutes, as all 11 saw the court in the first half. It was clear Brown wanted to get guys involved who are usually out of the rotation, such as Mohamed Diawara and Dalton Knecht. 

It represents the biggest difference between Brown and predecessor Tom Thibodeau, who established a rotation and stuck strictly to it unless forced to change. Thibodeau prioritized maximizing his chances of winning every single night. Brown looks at the regular season more like a canvas to try new lineups, rotations and systems so that, by the end of the year, he has more available in his toolkit. 

That process might be ugly at times, but it’s designed to deliver long-term results. 

Brown credits it as a big reason for their championship last season. The likes of Shamet and Jordan Clarkson spent time in and out of the rotation all year but stepped up in the postseason when their number was called. The shift to an offense built around Karl-Anthony Towns as a hub was only possible because they toyed with it during the regular season. 

“It builds trust,” Brown said Monday, “because it’s like, ‘Hey, they trust me to go out there and play right now, even though I might not have played in two or three games.’ It helps with connectivity because guys feel more part of it, because they’re getting an opportunity. It helps with everybody’s readiness because the reality of it is, if a guy is sitting on the bench and he’s been there game after game after game, which happens sometimes — I’m not saying that will never happen because it’s gonna happen sometimes — then he may lose a little interest and relax a little bit because it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m not going in.’ But then, if you call their number every once in a while, throw them in a game, now they know, ‘Oh, I gotta be ready.’ ” 

Even Jaden Akins, signed to a two-way deal like Knecht, has seen a little action beyond garbage time. 

“If he can go in the game during some real moments,” Brown said, “anybody can.” 

It’s different from Thibodeau’s final season, when he inserted Shamet and Delon Wright into the rotation out of desperation in the Eastern Conference final, having hardly used them previously. 

Under Brown, there is a track record on which to fall back for everyone on the team, even if they go long stretches out of the rotation. 

“It builds a lot, when you’re talking about building a team,” Brown said. “And then at the end of the day, your guys get used to it, so come playoff time, if you try something new or different when it comes to the lineups, it’s not like, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on? We’ve never done this.’ Nah, we’ve done it.” 

There is the flip side, though. Playing time and roles constantly are changing. Jose Alvarado started the year as the backup point guard but now finds himself behind Tyler Kolek in the pecking order after missing time due to an ankle injury. There is constant fluctuation with the bench players in how much time each plays. That could cause problems. 

Not with these Knicks. 

“That’s just kind of the makeup of our group, and that’s special,” Shamet said. “Typically, you go to a lot of NBA locker rooms, there’s some ulterior motives and personal agendas — which is part of why we’re all here, is some ego, of course. Everybody is a good player at this level and is striving to get to something or be somewhere. But very rarely does that take a backseat to just truly buying into one another, wanting the best because, ultimately, good things come from that for everyone. It’s special. It’s really special.” 

It can perhaps deliver more special results. 

This won’t be one of those 2,000 word recaps that I do at times. In fact, it will mark the season debut of Bullet Points – The Lazy Man’s Friend(tm)

• The Rockets lost the two previous game, which were by no means twins, due to the same issue, essentially. That is to say, bad shooting. Against Phoenix, the Rockets shot it so badly they didn’t break 100 points. Not scoring 100 points in a modern NBA game usually spells defeat, but to the Rockets credit, they did hold the Suns to 102 points. The problem is they shot 36-94 overall, for 39%, and 10-35 from three point range, for 29%. They did make their freethrows at around 90%. The game before that, against the Timberwolves, it was much the same story. 43% overall, 35% from three. When the Rockets can’t shoot it from outside, they will typically lose. Why? Generally because there is one player who can get to the basket and do anything there regularly, Alperen Sengun. If he isn’t doubled, or he’s neutralized, it can be a long night of no one open for the Rockets.
• Tonight featured the Rockets against a Denver team that just doesn’t strike the same fear into opponents they did a few years ago. Still, they were 5-3 coming into tonight, which doesn’t sound great, but would, if extrapolated to a full season, come to about 50 wins. 5 of 8 isn’t bad in the NBA. Would the Rockets be able to hold Denver on defense, which they couldn’t do against the TWolves. Could the Rockets score more than the paltry 99 they mustered against the Suns? Could they overcome the new, pinstriped, white jerseys they’d worn for all three losses.
• In a word, yes, but it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy because the Rockets starting lineup more or less played the Nuggets even. Now, you might think that the Rockets would decide that despite the lack of success, they’d just keep doing the same thing. You’d only be partly right.
• One of the Rockets big advantages over Denver seemed to be their depth. Denver just doesn’t have much compared to the Rockets, who are nonetheless down three centers at the moment. The heavier bench lineups seemed to pull away from the Nuggets. This allowed the Rockets to go into halftime with a 14 point lead, which grew to as much as 19 before the Rockets hit one of those dreaded scoring lulls from last season, where what most would think of as their best lineup just can’t score or defend.
• So, did the Rockets keep at it, keep doing the things that cost them the lead? They did not. They went small, and pulled Alperen Sengun from the game. It’s not that Alpie was bad, he was 9-17 for 20 points, 12 rebounds, 8assists to 2 turnovers, with a steal and a block. But the mobility edge, especially on defense, and running off misses, was pronounced.
• The bench did good work, especially around the beginning of the fourth quarter. Tari Eason, in my opinion, continues to build a good case for 6th man of the year.
• The Rockets ended up shooting it well. They shot 41 of 91 overall, for 45%, and 14 of 38 from three point range, for 37%. They didn’t take a ton of freethrows, but made 14 of 17 for 82%. Denver shot 37 of 83 for 45% overall, but a woeful 8-29 from three point range (28%).
• The Rockets absolutely crushed Denver on the offensive glass, 15 to 7, and that showed up in the Rockets attempting 8 more shots than the Nuggets. It wasn’t an especially high paced game by modern standards, but Denver plays currently at the slowest pace in the NBA, and if an opponent counters that with extra chances, they can get into trouble, as we say tonight.
• It’s great to break the Curse of The New White Jerseys after so short a run. Now that’s been proven, we don’t need to see them again.
• The Rockets are 8-3, which currently has them essentially in a tie for 3rd place in the “Why are you looking at the standings in early November?” stakes.
• Until next time!
• The picture with this article is Alpie rejecting Jokic, which means any comparisons are over. Alpie wins.

The situation in Utah has become pretty dire. After their 8th consecutive loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz will face the Miami Heat in Salt Lake City.

Utah’s injury report just keeps getting worse with the addition of Keyonte George. That leaves Darryn Peterson as the Jazz’s only hope to end the losing streak.

If we’re being honest, this has a chance to be epic.

If you had told me a year ago that the Jazz would have gotten lucky in the lottery and came away with the player many pegged as the number one pick, I would have lost my mind with excitement. If you had also told me that the price would be the entire starting roster around him would have injury problems, I would have taken that in a heartbeat. What’s exciting about Peterson? He has the talent to overcome those odds because he’s that good. Peterson’s last two games have been eye-opening. They’ve shown he has all the talent Jazz fans were excited about. Can he put it all together when all eyes are on him? The last two performances showed he has the juice to do it. We’ll find out soon.

Start Time and TV Schedule

Who: Utah Jazz vs Miami Heat

When: November 10, 7:00 MT

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT

How to watch: KJZZ, Jazz+

Injury Report

The Utah Jazz added Keyonte George to the injury report and have him as OUT. Lauri Markkanen is QUESTIONABLE.

Miami has listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as PROBABLE.

Luka Dončić didn’t just beat the Hawks on Monday night. He reminded their fans of the biggest mistake in franchise history.

And he made sure to rub it in too. 

During the Lakers’ 124-114 victory, Dončić engaged in a hilarious courtside exchange with Hawks fans, reminding them that Atlanta once held the keys to his basketball future before foolishly trading them away.

“You all wish you would have had me. You all wish, huh?” Dončić taunted, according to a video shared on Threads by @RKessler23.

“We had you,” one fan fired back.

“No we don’t, I’ve never wanted you,” another insisted.

At least one Atlanta fan was willing to admit the painful truth.

“I wish we did, I do,” the fan responded.

“You know you could have had me,” Dončić reminded them.

“He’s right,” the person recording acknowledged through laughter.

The exchange reopened a wound from the 2018 NBA Draft, when Atlanta selected Dončić third overall before trading him to the Mavericks in a deal involving Trae Young.

Dončić eventually led Dallas to the NBA Finals, while Young has since landed in Washington alongside former Lakers star Anthony Davis.

Monday’s performance only added insult to injury.

Dončić torched the Hawks for 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks, becoming the first Lakers player to record multiple games with at least 30 points, five assists, five steals and two blocks.

Not even Magic Johnson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished that twice.

With Dončić leading the NBA in scoring at 40.1 points per game and Los Angeles sitting atop the standings at 10-2, his argument was difficult to dispute.

Atlanta had its chance.

Now, eight years later and wearing a Lakers jersey, Dončić is still making the Hawks pay for their mistake.

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SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Warriors have taken a blow to the depth in their backcourt early in the 2026-27 season, despite an eight-game winning streak.

Warriors guard Brandon Williams made a brief appearance in the Warriors' dominant 138-87 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Nov. 9 at Chase Center.

Williams logged 1 minute, 39 seconds for Golden State and scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting, connecting on back-to-back layups before exiting the game with a hamstring injury.

Williams checked out of the game at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter and did not return. The organization said Williams suffered a left hamstring injury and missed the rest of the game against New Orleans. The Warriors guard is scheduled for an MRI.

"He's a huge part of our team, and he's given us such a lift, and it's a hamstring," Kerr told reporters after the game. "He is gonna get an MRI, so we'll see how bad it is.”

Warriors backcourt depth keeps dwindling

Golden State suffered a setback losing Williams. The hope is that his injury is not severe, otherwise the Warriors' backcourt depth is diminishing early.

In addition to Williams' early exit, reserve point guard Will Richard didn't play Monday against the Pelicans. Richard has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb and is ruled out indefinitely.

Richard told Joseph Dycus of the Mercury News that he suffered the injury on a boxout.

"We're trying to wait till the swelling goes down. I'll do a workout, catching and going full speed, and see if it's comfortable …. I want to play," Richard said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was bummed about the news because of how well Richard has been playing, at times even starting.

"It’s a shame. He’s playing at a really high level, a lot of confidence, filling an important role," Kerr told reporters before Monday night's game. "At times starting, at times coming off the bench. But able to really play good minutes for us and brings energy, a lot of defensive intensity, shooting the ball well. So we’re hopeful that he’s able to play through it and we’ll know more after a few days when the swelling goes down."

Golden State was also without Gary Payton II, who was out with an illness and left knee inflammation. The Warriors are still going without the likes of Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler III, who is progressing along.

The Warriors are bruised and battered, but unbeaten in the last eight games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors backcourt depth takes hit losing Brandon Williams, Will Richard