Update, 5:15 p.m.: Jaylen Brown has been upgraded from questionable to available. With LeBron James and Joel Embiid out of the lineup, this is still a very winnable game for the Sixers. Tacko Fall is also active for the first time this season, while Jabari Walker will make his return to the lineup. We’ll see if Nick Nurse uses Fall and/or Walker in his center rotation.

It’s likely time for the first game driven by VJ Maxx of the season.

The Sixers released their injury report ahead of their Halloween showdown in Charlotte and have unsurprisingly ruled out Joel Embiid and LeBron James. Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall are all listed as questionable.

Brown missed Friday’s game against the New York Knicks with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee. Nick Nurse did not have any more information other than he wasn’t available. James and Embiid will get the second leg of the back-to-back off as expected. James is again listed with lower back/sciatica management, and Embiid again with plantar fasciitis management.

The end of the bench remains banged up as well. Walker could miss his fourth straight game, also with patellar tendinopathy or jumper’s knee, as it’s typically referred to. Dominick Barlow remains out with his spine injury, but we could get out first look at Fall who’s been nursing a quad injury.

For the Hornets, who are also playing the second half of a back-to-back, they’ve yet to see Kon Knueppel, Colby White or Grant Williams play this season thanks to preseason injuries. Knueppel appears close to a return, having been assigned to Charlotte’s G-League team to practice. The Hornets will be without them for this one, but will essentially trot out the same team that lost to the Washington Wizards Friday night in D.C.

It should an interesting game. If the trio of James, Embiid and Brown are unable to play, we should see a whole lot of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. That trio has been excellent coming off the bench so far this season. What Nick Nurse does at center is anyone’s guess and will largely be dictated by the availability of Walker and Fall.

SAN FRANCISCO — It took less than a minute Friday night for the chants to start.

Lu-ka sucks! Lu-ka sucks! Lu-ka sucks!

Anytime Luka Doncic touched the ball, boos rained down from the rafters inside Chase Center, a response to the villain created on Opening Night with his spat with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. 

Some 48 minutes later, however, it was Doncic’s newly minted archrival who felt like the boos should have been directed his way after, as he put it, “the worst game of my life.”

Hyperbole or not, the highly anticipated rematch with Doncic and the Lakers was without a doubt the worst game of Lendeborg’s young NBA career — six games into it.

A few days earlier, Lendeborg said he was “absolutely” looking forward to seeing Doncic again, after culminating their back-and-forth Oct. 21 by saying he “lost all respect” for him.

When it came time to back up those words, he got absolutely pulverized.

“He’s a really confident guy,” coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg. “Tonight just didn’t go his way. Everybody has nights like this. The key is to bounce back with aggression and confidence.”

While Doncic went off for a game-high 37, including more than a few when matched up against Lendeborg, the Warriors rookie was contained to single digits for the first time in his career.

In a 112-95 win, the Warriors were outscored by 20 in Lendeborg’s 24 minutes. He attempted only three shots, got to the foul line once and finished with six points. He didn’t dish out a single assist, turned the ball over five times and eventually fouled out with 2:45 left.

“We’re asking a lot of him,” said Steph Curry, who picked up the slack with 31 points on eight 3-pointers. “He has a lot of responsibility. He’s playing a ton of minutes. He’s got the ball in his hands a lot. So there are going to be highs and lows to it. … It’s a tough demand, but I think he’s built for it, and I’m pretty sure he’ll respond extremely well the next game.”

Going into it, Lendeborg said his goal was to remain poised and keep his cool.

Mission accomplished, maybe a little too much. Lendeborg let the crowd do the talking, but he was passive and out of sorts when it came to the actual game on the court.

“There were a lot of moments where I could have crashed out,” Lendeborg said. “But I stayed calm — a little too calm I feel like in order to get myself into a groove.

“I was just in my head the whole time.”

Every game is a lesson for a rookie still getting his feet wet in the NBA.

Lendeborg’s biggest takeaway from his worst night as a pro?

“Jesus,” Lendeborg said. “Man, honestly, I don’t even know. Try not to wet the bed as bad as I did. Or when you’re having moments like that, try to lean on your teammates a little more.”

While Lendeborg described himself as “pretty much the only Debbie Downer on the team,” Curry had a different perspective. 

“What I love is he’s really established an even-keel kind of presence and mentality that it helps on nights like tonight [that] don’t go his way because he doesn’t kill the energy on the team,” Curry said. “We have his back through all of that.”

Kerr’s best advice for the rookie was to flush this game as quickly as possible. They have another one Sunday against the Clippers, another Monday against the Suns and 74 more after that. The unrelenting pace of the NBA schedule is one of the biggest adjustments for a rookie.

“You can’t dwell on tough games,” Kerr said. “Young players tend to dwell on things a little bit. And then all of a sudden there’s another game and another game after that. You can’t let anything build up. You have to move forward.”

Informed of the words of wisdom Kerr had passed on at the podium a short while earlier, Lendeborg couldn’t help but flash that charismatic grin and let out a chuckle.

He had just admitted that he was “a big dweller on bad games.”

“I don’t know how long that’s gonna take to get out of that habit,” Lendeborg said. “But I’ll see what I can do.”

One of the main schools of thought stemming from the “there’s only one ball to go around” critique of this year’s Sixers team was that it would hinder the development of VJ Edgecombe, especially going into a crucial second season.

Five games into his sophomore season and that hasn’t been a problem at all for the guard from Baylor. The Sixers have won all five games he’s appeared in and he’s made big plays down the stretch in just about all of them.

As the New York Knicks looked prime to pull off a devastating comeback in Philadelphia, Edgecombe hit a three to extend the Sixers’ one-point lead to four with 32 seconds remaining. It’s the type of clutch shotmaking the coaching staff has come to expect from Edgecombe after he made a habit of it his rookie year.

“He just does that, it’s really who he is,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “We all know it.”

Nurse, nor any Sixer, had a problem with Edgecombe taking that shot despite missing his previous three attempts from deep on the night. He plays with a level of fearlessness and confidence that’s earned that trust from his teammates.

Even some of his newest teammates have picked on Edgecombe’s knack for big moments.

“He doesn’t shy away from the moment,“ LeBron James said. ”[He’s a] young, young kid, but thrives in the moment.“

It was a bit relieving that it was a three ball from Edgecombe that saved the day. For all his contributions this season, shooting the ball from deep has been one of his rare struggles. He’s shot just 29% from three through his first five games of the campaign.

“Early I haven’t been making a lot of threes, but they’re gonna fall, and I’m gonna keep shooting the ball,” Edgecombe said. “Tonight, even though I was 0-for-3 at the time, I still shot it. That’s just the confidence I have in myself.”

What Edgecombe has done a great job of this year is using the attention of his superstar teammates to cut into wide open lanes and scoop up easy baskets. He’s also become one of the best rebounders on the team while usually guarding the other team’s best player.

He’s done an especially good job cutting for Joel Embiid, a big reason Embiid is up to averaging 4.8 assists per game so far this season.

“When they go double him, obviously you know teams gonna rotate,” Edgecombe said, “and so I just try to find that gap where I can cut or just find a window for him.”

It’s the type of complementary basketball required to make a group with this much talent work together. Many worried before the season there wasn’t anywhere on the roster the Sixers would get those types of contributions from.

“It’s great to just have those guys, those complementary guys out there on the floor where we can all complement one another,” James said. “‘Rese getting double teamed, VJ has the confidence that Tyrese gonna give him the ball and he can knock down shots and vice versa.”

Edgecombe is clearly fifth in the pecking order in the healthy starting five when it comes to shot distribution, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of their most important players when he’s on the floor. Being vital to helping a team with championship expectations pick up wins on a nightly basis has been just fine for his development so far.

SAN FRANCISCO — It was deader than dead inside Chase Center after the first quarter Friday night, a fitting graveyard-like atmosphere on the eve of Halloween.

A motivated Luka Doncic exploded for 21 points and the Lakers built a 23-point lead by the time Steve Kerr gathered his team on the Warriors’ bench between periods.

They should have been spooked.

It was about the worst 12 minutes of basketball Golden State had played this season. It appeared Kerr’s squad was headed for a second rout in 10 days at the hands of the Lakers.

Then, everything flipped.

Austin Reaves got to the foul line on the Lakers’ first possession of the second quarter, extending their advantage to 25 points, 40-15, and that’s as wide as it would get.

De’Anthony Melton scored the next seven points, and Golden State went on to come all the way back — and then some — for a convincing 112-95 win over Doncic and the Lakers.

From the end of the first-quarter timeout on, the Warriors outscored Los Angeles 97-57.

“I don’t think I got too upset. I was trying to stay poised,” Kerr said. “We couldn’t have played any worse, and they knew it. I didn’t need to tell them. I just said it’s a long game.

“I don’t think I said anything about the modern NBA — I didn’t say anything to our players — but what I would [say] is 25, it’s the new 12. These games happen nightly in the league.”

They don’t usually happen quite like this, though. In fact, the Warriors’ Jekyll-and-Hyde act produced a kind of game that had never been seen in the NBA, at least not in recent history.

As poor as the opening period went for the Warriors, the second was just as bad for JJ Redick’s squad. By halftime, Golden State had erased the entire deficit to pull even at 53.

It was the first time since the NBA started tracking play-by-play (in 1996-97) that a team had trailed by 25 or more in the first half and come back to even the score at halftime.

The final 17-point margin of victory was the largest by any team that has trailed by 25 or more.

“These games are wild,” Kerr said. “With the pace and the 3-point shooting, there are just these wild swings. You just have to stay with it.”

While Kerr kept his cool after the disastrous first quarter, the assistants in the second row of the Warriors’ bench let the players have it. They committed 10 turnovers, double their number of made baskets, and seemed to be rattled by Doncic’s furor in his rematch with Yaxel Lendeborg.

Anthony Vereen was the “lead voice” in calling out the Warriors players, Steph Curry said.

“You need that kind of fire to see how we’re gonna respond,” Curry said.

And respond, they did.

After coughing up the ball 10 times in 12 minutes, they turned it over only six times over the remaining 36. Only one team ended up with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, and it wasn’t the one that jumped to the early 25-point lead.

The Lakers ended up turning the ball over five more times than Golden State (20-15) and assisting on 13 fewer buckets (31-18).

“Everything went wrong,” Kerr said of the first quarter. “It was just a weird quarter. It was not anything strategy related. We didn’t change anything after the first quarter.

“Sometimes when you come back off a weeklong road trip and you have a day off, no shootaround, that first few minutes can be a little rough. That would be my excuse for tonight.”

In addition to his 21 first-quarter points, Doncic looked unstoppable as a playmaker, dishing out five assists. He finished with 37 points to best Curry’s 31, but he didn’t set up another Lakers bucket for the rest of the game.

“Luka had an unbelievable first quarter,” Curry said. “He looked very determined coming into tonight. Our offense got stagnant. Turnovers the first four or five minutes were deflating. 

“We had a lot of chatter at the end of the first quarter, and it was kind of cool to see the second unit — just the overall execution on both ends in the second quarter.”

Coming into the season, the point of emphasis that drew the most attention was the added focus on push-offs by offensive players. However, through the opening week-and-a-half of the season, it’s been the theatrics on the other side of the ball that have been punished.

Flopping technical fouls have been the flavor of the week for the Lakers. Starting with a post-game fine levied on Ziaire Williams last weekend, the purple and gold have become very familiar with the new point of emphasis.

After being the victim of Scott Foster’s antics that featured a trio of flopping technicals in quick succession against the Blazers, Tony Brothers strolled into San Francisco and created his own drama, including the most erroneous flopping call yet.

Later on in the fourth quarter, another sequence drew the ire of the Lakers as Brandin Podziemski attempted to draw a foul with a particularly theatrical sequence. But not only was no common foul called, but neither was a technical foul for flopping.

It’s all added up to some head scratching for the Lakers and head coach JJ Redick, who spoke about the flopping technicals after Friday’s loss to the Warriors.

“We all recognize we want the offensive players to stop fouling,” Redick said, referencing himself and fellow coaches around the league. “All of our flopping fouls have been defensively. The reality for the officials, each crew is so different and what they interpret is so different. I think the consistency – the explanation I got for the Podziemski play was there was contact. But if you look at our flopping fouls that we’ve been called for defensively, there’s been contact. Whether or not there’s contact is irrelevant.

“We’re looking for something theatrical and extra. So if that’s not a foul and then throwing yourself back, I would assume that, to me that’s kind of the definition of flopping. Again, that was the explanation I got was there was contact. But, again, there was contact on a push off when Ziaire moves his hands back because they called it an offensive foul. So, there was contact but I guess the consistency, we’re still searching for it.”

The problem with these flopping technicals is that not only will different officials consider different things flopping, as Redick said, but it’s also never going to be called consistently. The Lakers went multiple games before a flopping technical was given to them, then saw it called in a flurry of games.

There is no standard flopping motion as there is with other violations. For example, you know when a player goes over the back or when a defender reaches in for a steal and hits a wrist or arm.

With flopping, though, it can take so many forms and, thus, some officials may view some movements as flops and others not as much.

In theory, it’d be great to get flopping out of the league. But right now, they’re not addressing the issue that existed but, instead, are creating a new one.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry dribbled through his legs and then jabbed hard to his left, sending Luka Doncic flying onto the ground. Curry stepped back, seemingly stunned that his closest defender was on his butt. He swished a 3-pointer.

Curry put both hands over his head. He shimmied his shoulders.

It was poetry. It was vintage Curry. It was the embodiment of joy.

“I didn’t expect it to get that nasty,” Curry said in his postgame interview with Amazon Prime Video after the Warriors’ 112-95 win over the Lakers. “It was one of those [moments] you kind of got to keep your composure. I remember James Harden used to do the shimmy to get himself open back in the day. I don’t know. I haven’t been that open in a long time.”

Doncic was still on the ground as Curry elevated midway through the third quarter. The league’s leading scorer was dropped by the greatest shooter of all time. Curry is still him.

The Warriors have now won three games in a row, including turning a 25-point deficit into a 17-point lead on Friday. They’re finding their groove. They’re fueled by Curry’s joy and a sprinkle of something new: his palpable acceptance that this isn’t going to last forever.

He’s engaging the crowd. He’s putting on a show. He’s savoring this.

“I just love this game,” Curry said. “All my mannerisms are all over the place because I’m just having fun. In those moments, especially at this stage of your career, you’re just appreciative of the ability to keep playing at this level. And I want that joy to continue until I’m done.”

We’re seeing glimmers of what Warriors basketball was at its peak. It comes in spurts, such as in last season’s play-in win over the Clippers when Curry went into a flow state, scoring 35 points, and Draymond Green transformed into a full-blown defensive beast, holding Kawhi Leonard to two points in the fourth quarter.

Curry breaking Doncic’s ankles was another example of that. It was a master at his craft making us all shake our heads and smile. It was the type of moment that will be memorialized.

When Curry is having fun, we’re having fun.

And when he’s having fun, the Warriors are dangerous.

They’ve turned things around following a sluggish 0-3 start to the season. Against the Lakers, Curry had 31 points, including going 8-for-14 from deep. That performance followed a 44-point, eight-rebound, six-assist stunner from Curry in the Warriors’ 119-114 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Curry is the master of the show. But the team is getting contributions from everywhere.

Yaxel Lendeborg is putting on a Rookie of the Year campaign, though he had a quiet six points and one rebound in his much-hyped showdown against Doncic following their trash talk in the teams’ season opener on Oct. 21. On a night in which Lendeborg was a nonfactor, the Warriors’ bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves, 50-7.

… Making things even more interesting: Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will return in a few months.

Could the Warriors actually be good?

Everyone had counted them out, something Curry rejected.

When a reporter asked Curry on Warriors media day about the team not being expected to make the playoffs, he balked. “That’s how bad? Not make the playoffs? It went from championship to —.” Curry then put his hands up and uttered a few lighthearted “damns” as he walked out of the room.

At the time, his reaction was funny. But, hey, maybe we erroneously overlooked the Warriors. Maybe we erroneously overlooked him.

The runner’s knee that caused the 38-year-old to miss 27 straight games last season is looking bionic. He’s shining. He’s refusing to accept the reality that he’s aging or the narrative that the league’s modern-day dynasty that won four championships in eight years from 2015-2022 is flailing.

When Curry is on, he’s still the best show in the league.

Lendeborg didn’t hesitate when asked to describe Curry’s play on Friday.

“The stuff he was shooting and making, it was just like what are you doing?” Lendeborg said. “How are you even doing that? The people on the bench call him a sicko. I don’t even know. It was astonishing. Dude doesn’t get tired. He dribbles like that all day and doesn’t get tired.”

Lendeborg — and everyone else who watches Curry — is regularly left stunned.

It has been that way for the last decade. And even though he’s about to turn 39, that hasn’t changed.

Curry dropping Doncic amid a 42-point swing was epic. It was instant basketball lore. It was the league’s legendary shooter teaching its current superstar a history lesson on national television.

It was Curry reminding everyone of his greatness.

SAN FRANCISCO — A lot went wrong for the Lakers to blow their 25-point lead to the Warriors on Friday night at Chase Center. 

Cold shooting from the Lakers. Steph Curry’s highlight-reel-worthy plays, including eight 3-pointers.

And turnovers. 

Lots of turnovers.

The Lakers committed a season-high 22 turnovers against the Warriors, sparking easier shots in transition against a defense that wasn’t set.

The biggest culprit of the Lakers’ lack of ball security was star guard Austin Reaves. He finished with eight turnovers against the Warriors, the same number of turnovers he had in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers.

Reaves didn’t hold back when it came to assessing his performance.

“I was terrible again,” he said postgame. “That’s it.”

Reaves entered Friday coming off his worst game of the season so far.

The sixth-year guard had 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go with eight turnovers in Wednesday’s road win over the Clippers.

Against the Warriors, he didn’t perform as poorly but came close.

Reaves had 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go with five assists and four rebounds, but he once again struggled with taking care of the ball.

Reaves struggled early with the Warriors’ defensive pressure and strategies, recording six of his turnovers in the first half. 

His three turnovers in the second quarter, which the Warriors won 38-15 to tie the game at 53 after the Lakers led 40-15, were especially costly. 

“Just bad — we were bad,” Reaves said. “That first group that started the second was bad. And like I said, it starts with me, so I’ll be better.”

For Reaves, getting better means handling the more defensive coverages with more poise.

And for the team, it looks like building chemistry over the regular season will help avoid situations they found themselves in that led to turnovers on Friday.

“I mean, it’s real, but it doesn’t give that second unit an excuse to be pretty terrible,” Reaves said. “And that starts with me. And I’ll watch the film, try to be better. You got to learn on the fly and pick up things quickly. But as I said, I have to be better to start that.”

One Possession: The secret to unlocking hugs from Joe Mazzulla originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s been a sometimes confusing week for the Boston Celtics. 

Derrick White looked baffled when he got MVP chants Tuesday night inside TD Garden while shooting free throws against the Brooklyn Nets. Payton Pritchard came to the sideline on Friday night after two dominating first-half stretches against the Chicago Bulls and found a smiling Joe Mazzulla waiting with a hug.

Smiles and hugs? From Mazzulla?

It turns out the secret is pretty simple. Respond to the coach’s challenges, and you might just get an in-game squeeze.

Pritchard grabbed only three rebounds, but one in particular jumped out to us during his first-quarter takeover. Pritchard tracked a long rebound and launched himself between both teammate Hugo Gonzalez and Chicago’s super springy Matas Buzelis to secure the ball.

Pritchard then broke out the other way in transition, accelerated past one Bulls defender, and took a bump from another while delivering an and-one layup that had Boston out front 40-21.

For the second time in a week, Pritchard had delivered a double-digit quarter against the Bulls. He finished the first quarter with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and added 2 steals on the defensive end. Pritchard went on to finish with a team-high 30 points on 9-of-17 shooting over 34:45.

“Joe challenged me and I feel like, in the first four games, my defensive activity and my rebounding has been poor,” said Pritchard. “So [Mazzulla was] challenging me to to step up in that area and I think the hug was for me to be like doing that and him being thankful I’m doing it … We’ve been through a lot together and so it’s just great to keep it going, and then I stepped up to the challenge in that area.”

Despite his size, Pritchard has routinely ranked as one of the best rebounders on the offensive glass for his position. He’s been a bit more middle of the pack among point guards on the defensive glass, but that rate has plummeted to a career-low 5.4 percent to start the 2026-27 season, or nearly half his career rate. 

That one tough rebound in traffic on Friday night was a reminder of how being active on the defensive glass can help fuel Pritchard’s overall output.

What’s more, Pritchard was credited with defending a team-high 14 shot attempts against the Bulls, who shot just 35.7 percent when he was the primary defender, or 7.9 percent below expected output.

“I think in tonight’s game you saw the absolute best version of him,” said Mazzulla. “Now, that takes a ton of energy — not going to be able to do that every single night. But the sky is the limit for him. And, as we continue to grow as a team and he continues to grow as a player, being able to be a complete player on both ends of the floor really helps us take it to a different level.”

While further gushing about Pritchard, Mazzulla added: “I like pushing him.”

For one night, all that pushing led to an embrace. 

There is never any rest for the weary in the NBA. After a thrilling 98-93 win over New York, their second over the defending champions on this young season, the Sixers are back in action less than 24 hours later on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s reasonable to expect a much different looking Sixers team for this game. After missing last night’s Knicks win with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, it’s hard to imagine Jaylen Brown will be available to play. Joel Embiid and LeBron James both played in the front end against the Knicks, so it feels likely neither of them will be available either.

Charlotte is still waiting on Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams to make their season debuts. They could also have more guys out of the lineup having also played Friday. They lost to the Wizards in Washington, falling to 3-3 on the season.

The Sixers went 2-1 against the Hornets last season but with the Sixers adding Brown and James and the Hornets trading Lamelo Ball, these teams are way too different to take anything from that. In a very small sample size and without one of their best players, the Hornets are currently profiling as a drastically different team.

At the time of writing, they are 30th in points scored per 100 possessions, a number skewed by their 79-point performance in Washington. They’re 10th in points allowed, according to Cleaning the Glass. They’ve won all three of their games by seven points or less. Two of their three losses have been by 15 points or more.

Fresh off a contract extension, Brandon Miller is averaging 25.6 points per game this season but is just shooting 39% from the field. Even potentially without LeBron and Brown, the Sixers seem as equipped to handle talented scoring wings as ever. Dean Wade is coming off a phenomenal night guarding OG Anunoby.

Assuming Embiid doesn’t play, Adem Bona and whoever else fills the center minutes could have their hands full with Naz Reid. As the starting center on his new team, Reid has averaged 17 points per game shooting 43% from the field and a scalding 42% from three on seven attempts so far this season. Ryan Kalkbrenner, their backup, could also give them problems just by being a long seven-foot-one.

This should be a fast paced one, with the Sixers also wanting to fly up and down the floor with their guards running the show. VJ Edgecombe should be in line for his first real high usage game of the season. He’s been great as a glue guy but has only scored over 15 points once this season. The only thing he hasn’t done well so far is shoot the ball. He’s shooting just 29% from three this season, but hit a massive triple from the top of the key to help seal that win against the Knicks.

Even against a team like Charlotte, the Sixers will need big games from both members of VJ Maxx, or potentially another heater from Anfernee Simons to sweep this back-to-back. It will take a village to fill center minutes for the time being, assuming Embiid isn’t available.

Game Details

When: Saturday, October 31, 6:00 pm ET
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Watch: NBCSP/PCK-PHI
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow:@LibertyBallers

Steph Curry, Draymond Green ruled out for front end of Warriors' back-to-back originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be short-handed for the front end of their home back-to-back against the LA Clippers on Sunday.

Guard Steph Curry and forward Draymond Green both have been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Chase Center as the Warriors manage injuries.

Curry will sit while managing his right knee injury, and Green will miss the game to rest a bilateral low back injury.

It will be the second game missed this season for both Curry and Green, as they sat out the Warriors’ loss to the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 24.

Curry missed two months at the end of last season with a right knee injury, and the Warriors are taking a cautious approach early this season by keeping the 38-year-old from playing in both games of a back-to-back.

Curry is averaging 29.2 points on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 44.0 percent shooting from 3-point range in five games this season.

Green is averaging 3.0 points, 7.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds in five games this season.

After facing the Clippers, the Warriors host the Suns on Monday night, with Curry and Green likely available.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

The Sixers beat the Knicks on Friday…

…meaning they are 2-0 in the head-to-head matchup. That’s it, that’s all it means. No parade down Broad Street.

Here’s what we heard coming out of Cheesesteak Arena.

Mike Brown

On losing to the 76ers in the NBA Cup:

“I don’t look it as a statement game. It’s the next game in front of us. Obviously, it’s a [NBA] Cup game and you always want to push yourself to have an opportunity to try and win something. This means taking a step toward that goal.

“But I just want to get a little better every time we play. These guys really hurt us in transition last game. Our transition defense right now stinks. But it’s gotten a little better. Tonight, it will be tested. Obviously Jaylen is not playing and he’s one of the best in transition. You look at little things and you hope to get better at the little things while getting a win.”

On the Knicks allowing Philadelphia to attack the paint too easily:

“They were getting in our paint left and right, right and left, and it was really, really easy doing it.”

On the Knicks forcing difficult plays instead of executing simple offense:

“It’s been going on all year. Like, we’re trying to hit a home run every time we get the ball. And we have to hit singles. We can’t hit a home run. We gotta hit singles offensively and then if our play breaks down, we have to move. There’s too many times where we have too many guys trying to iso and the other four guys sitting there and staring at the ball a whole possession.”

On the Knicks improving their turnover management in the second half:

“We did a better job with our turnovers (in the second half). But more importantly, we reacted better when we turned the ball over and we had five turnovers for six points (against).”

On the Knicks failing to maintain their focus throughout an entire game:

“Against a good team on the road, if you let go of those things in a half, you’re in trouble. And so somehow some way we have to be cognizant of doing this stuff for 48 minutes, which we’re not doing right now.

“Tonight it was the first half and it was almost like [we thought] we’re just gonna show up and go hoop and not do the little things that we need to do to go get a win.”

On the importance of executing the fundamentals consistently:

“It’s a little thing here, a little thing there, a little thing there. … We’re competitive when we need to be and that’s why all of our games that we’re in we have a chance down the stretch, but trying to make sure we continue to do the little things throughout the course of the game is gonna be huge for us because we’re not doing it right now.”

On LeBron James making decisive plays against the Knicks:

“[LeBron’s] a great player, and when you have a great player out there, with his ability, he’s gonna make plays, and he made big plays down the stretch. It’s the NBA, and it’s not surprising when a guy like Maxey or LeBron or Jalen makes a big play. You just hope that it doesn’t come down to that all the time.”

On Ernie Johnson’s retirement announcement and his impact on NBA coverage:

“I’d like to give a quick shoutout to Ernie Johnson. I don’t know him well. Obviously I know him from the TV. I try not to watch a lot of basketball shows because it gets me too high or gets me too low. But their show is one that I always get good laughs at.

“Just from afar, Ernie seems like he’s a big time human being. And the little bit I know about his story, it’s fascinating. He will be sorely missed, not only from the fans out there and other media members, but I know from a coaching standpoint too in keeping everything light and enjoyable and all that other stuff.

“So I hope you have a heck of a year, Ernie. We’re gonna all miss you, but thanks for doing what you do to make people smile everyday.”

Jalen Brunson

On the Knicks’ careless turnovers and hesitant decision-making:

“Just a little careless. And sometimes it can be us being hesitant as well, wanting to make the right play, but they’re also not trying to turn over, and then it’s just a little late to our decision-making. It could be a lot of things, but obviously, we got to clean it up.”

On Josh Hart’s fatigue excuse six games into the season:

“Josh said he feels the fatigue? Well, Josh is old as s–t, so.”

On the Knicks needing to learn from their losses and stop relying on comebacks:

“I’ve said in the past that it’s always important to learn from wins. Obviously, you learn from losses, as well. There have been plenty of times that we’ve learned from being down. In those same games, we’ve made adjustments to where we weren’t down anymore and came back and won the game. Obviously, we have to understand what we need to do. It’s starting the game that way. I think that has to be our biggest point of emphasis going forward.

“I thought we played decent in the second half, took care of the ball better, played better defense, but we have to put a full 48 minutes together.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the Knicks lacking energy against Philadelphia:

“Today we played like a team that was on the end of a road trip. We gotta find that gear. We gotta find that energy.

“We picked up the pace in the second half, but what makes this team special is doing it for 48 minutes. We didn’t do that tonight. We put ourselves in a bad spot, and give credit to the team over there. They hit the shots when they needed to. We just got to execute at a higher level.”

On escaping the Knicks’ offensive struggles too late against the 76ers:

“I thought we did a great job in that fourth quarter of finding that gear, like you said, just kind of getting out of the quicksand. To do that puts us in a position where you gotta make some magic happen, and we just didn’t have enough magic tonight.”

On the challenge of facing LeBron James and the 76ers:

“They’re a great team. Obviously, you have arguably the greatest player of all time. We’ve got to bring our best. We’ve got to execute at a high level. And we’ve got to continue to use these games as a learning experience.”

Josh Hart

On the Knicks’ stagnant offense and lack of movement:

“It’s a new year. I think we’re trying to work our way into the season. But I think the flow’s tougher. Sometimes the ball is stagnant, I think that’s a little bit from fatigue and not a mental thing. You know what the other team is doing, and physically you’re trying to get your body to get to that point. So I think that that’s part of it. We got to be more deliberate with cuts and movements. And taking care of the ball.”

On the Knicks feeling fatigued after playing three games in four nights:

“We all feel the fatigue. So we got to fight through it. Six games in. So we got to find a way to make sure we get our bodies ready to play every day. I think mentally we’re there. We just gotta find it physically.”

On the Knicks needing to execute more consistently:

“We gotta find a way to execute better. And do that continuously.”

On why the Knicks keep falling behind by double digits before attempting comebacks:

“I wish I could tell you that one. If I could tell you that one, and the reason why, then maybe it would stop happening. I think we all have a great will to win. I think sometimes it takes us a little longer to find a game, whether that’s the flow, fatigue, whatever it is.

“We have to do a better job of finding the game early, making it easy and then not relying on double-digit comebacks because it’s taxing.”

Nick Nurse

On LeBron James’ performance against the Knicks:

“He’s been good, but tonight, I thought that was his best game for sure. I thought he was good all the way through tonight. I thought he got some downhill stuff. He used his size and knocked them around a little bit for some layups. I thought he obviously pushed the ball and got us organized. I thought he was a little quicker to make some decisions to shoot the 3-ball as well. And then, he obviously made those couple of big plays down the stretch.”

Amar’e Stoudemire

On how New York’s off-court opportunities can distract players after winning a championship:

“When you win a championship, especially in New York, you have all these different opportunities off the court that take place. You’re filming commercials, you’re having these different shows, you’re doing these different things. All these events are happening.

“You’ve got to try to narrow it back down and lock in on basketball because playing in New York, you can get a little bit taken away from the sport with all the activities that go along with being in New York City. But you have to now try to narrow it down back to basketball. Key in, lock in on basketball. Make it the main priority and build out from there.”

On why the Knicks deserved to celebrate their championship throughout the offseason:

“That’s normal. That’s a part of human nature, man. You win a championship for the New York Knicks. You kidding me? After 53 years, you gotta enjoy that. You will never be the first one to win it after 53 years ever again.

“So that energy, you have to capitalize on it. It’s just a matter of now being able to kind of channel that and now focus on basketball and lock in a little bit more.”

On whether the Knicks’ slow start is concerning:

“I’m not concerned. When you are the champions, man, every target is at your back. Every team’s gunning for you, so it’s tough to kind of get off to a great start the following year. I’m not concerned. I think it’s a matter of just kind of locking in and focusing a little bit more, and they’ll be okay.”

Warriors make absurd NBA shot-clock era history in huge comeback win over Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Chase Center was one of the wildest rides in modern NBA history.

In their third consecutive win, the Warriors erased a 25-point first-half deficit and prevailed by 17, setting the NBA’s shot-clock era (1954) record for the largest margin of victory after trailing by 20-plus points in the first quarter (h/t to the Associated Press’ Josh Dubow).

The 1975-76 Warriors, led by Rick Barry, Phil Smith and Jamaal Wilkes, previously held the record with a 14-point win over the Chicago Bulls on March 4, 1976.

On Friday, Luka Doncic was on a mission to send a message to Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, and the Lakers star did that, dropping 21 first-quarter points to pace Los Angeles to a staggering 38-15 lead after the first 12 minutes.

But the Warriors flipped the script — literally — in the second quarter, responding with their own 38-15 quarter, sending the game to halftime tied at 53.

In the second half, Steph Curry and the Warriors clamped down on the Lakers, outscoring them 59-42 to run away with a blowout win, an outcome that seemed impossible after the first quarter.

“Luka had an unbelievable first quarter,” Curry told reporters after the game. “He looked very determined coming into the night. Our offense got stagnant, turnovers the first four or five minutes were just deflating. But we had a lot of chatter at the end of the first quarter about how we were supposed to respond, and it was kind of cool to see the second unit, and just the overall execution on both ends in the second quarter.

“We turned them over a good amount, got in transition, got better spacing so we could move the ball and get open threes, and a couple shots started to go to flip the score like we did at the half and hold them under 95 after a 38-point first quarter is pretty impressive from everybody.”

The Warriors look to keep the momentum going when they host the 1-4 LA Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center.

Dub Nation’s blood pressure might appreciate an easier path to victory.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Sixers down Embiid and James to end back-to-back in Charlotte originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers will be down at least two stars Saturday night when they finish their back-to-back.

The team listed both Joel Embiid (right foot plantar fascia injury management) and LeBron James (low back sciatica management) as out for its matchup with the Hornets at Spectrum Center. Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) are also sidelined. 

Both Embiid and James also sat out one leg of the 5-1 Sixers’ first back-to-back. Embiid has averaged 35.2 minutes through five games. The seven-time All-Star’s career high is 34.6 during his 2022-23 MVP season. James had his best performance so far as a Sixer in the team’s win Friday night over the Knicks, scoring 20 points and coming one rebound and two assists short of a triple-double.

The Sixers listed three players as questionable on their initial afternoon injury report in Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall.

Brown and Walker each have a knee injury officially classified as “left patellar tendinopathy.” Brown missed his first game as a Sixer on Friday. Fall has a left quadriceps injury. The big man on a two-way contract hasn’t yet been available in either the preseason or regular season, but he’s been nearing a green light to play.

The 3-3 Hornets won’t have Kon Knueppel (left hamstring strain), Coby White (left calf strain) and Grant Williams (right hamstring strain). 

The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) topped the previously undefeated Houston Rockets (5-1) on Friday, 116-111, at American Airlines Center, and, boy, was it a thing to watch. If this is what Mavericks fans are in for this season, buckle up — it’s going to be a thrill ride in 2026-27.

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving wrecked the Rockets in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 of their combined 68 points down the stretch as the Mavericks completed the comeback.

Here is what head coach Dusty May, as well as the dynamic duo had to say in their postgame press conference.

Dusty May

Opening statement

I don’t know the rest of the league well enough other than film, but I can’t imagine that there’s too many teams tougher than the Rockets. I thought, especially in the second half, when the shots are going in, and you’re in a rhythm, and things are going well, you can match the other team’s physicality and intensity. When they aren’t going in, some teams just can’t do it. I thought late, some guys that weren’t having their best game stepped up and grabbed big rebounds.

Obviously, our two guys, they just made play after play, but so many other possessions jump out. Gafford’s blocks at the rim were huge. P.J.’s rebounds in traffic late. I think he got three in the last three minutes, and we needed all of them. Obviously, Zacc in the second half. Caleb Martin, back the last couple games from injury, has shown what he is — a winning player. On to the next.

What has clicked since for the team since the season-opening blowout loss to the Rockets?

I thought our effort was good. There didn’t seem to be any leak-outs — guys that weren’t in the fight. I thought we were in the fight. We took care of the ball better. We had 17 [turnovers], and that’s still better than game one. But it seemed like most of our turnovers, other than a couple of just, we had numbers and we just kind of threw it to the wrong guy. A lot of them seem to be dead-ball turnovers, which is an improvement. This is Houston. They’re tough to play against.

On Kyrie Irving’s build-up back into form:

If you just saw how much he puts into this game, and that factors into being on a young team, and bringing it every day and helping the group find solutions to problems and doing it in the manner in which he does it, I mean, it’s incredible. That’s why his stat line, 35 [points], 9 [assists], and four [rebounds], that looks great. It’s obviously impressive, but his leadership and his grace with his teammates is even more impressive to me.

How rare is it for a 19-year-old to do the things that Cooper Flagg is doing, especially at the end of games?

What a problem, where you’re in a pickle where two guys like that just have it going, and you just got to kind of rotate between putting the ball in each other’s hands, and knowing that they’re going to make the plays. So obviously, what a luxury for us. And once again, they both trust their teammates. When Houston put two on the ball, and they were determined to take it out of their hands, they continued to trust and trust and trust. And then those reps and that experience, those guys handled it better. I think we hit more, Gaff more in the short roll than we have every, all the including preseason, the games we played Houston combined. And that’s a sign of finding, you know, having some answers, but also the trust factor that Coop and Kyrie have with their teammates.

What are you most proud of with this team?

We look like a team that, you know, obviously, when things weren’t going well, you know, when I watch these games just to see how our bench is about each other. And I want to shout out Dereck Lively. He’s a big part of that. His energy is contagious, and he’s got such a positive spirit to him. But yeah, just the fact that we look like a group trying to find a way to win together, no matter what it looks like. They’re playing the game in front of them, and they’re doing it as a unit.

How did Daniel Gafford rebound after getting hurt late?

I thought he was — early on — he was having his worst game of the year. And he’s been really good for us. And the second half was just another level. I mean, when you’re able to block those attempts at the rim, usually it starts a break going the other way, but those are energizing, momentum-changing plays. And off the top of my head, I can remember several. And then to step up and knock down the free throws at the biggest moment. Just made winning play after winning play.

On Irving’s big second half:

I mean, don’t overcomplicate it. Just get the right matchup on him and let him go to work. And like I said, when he’s playing that efficiently, shooting the ball, and he’s finding his teammates, and those are leading to hockey assists or regular assists, it’s just, you know, don’t overcomplicate it.

How much does Flagg factor into how to get Irving the space he needs to operate?

When you go back and look at it, one of them would screen the other one. One of them would cut to get some attention off the other one. And also, it’s just tough to go when you’re in a tight game with probably six minutes left of a one-possession game, for one guy to do it over and over and over and over and over. It’s taxing. And then the defense that they have to play and exert the energy they have to exert on the other end — for those guys to be able to share that load and have two guys who just are closers like they are — there’s several layers to it. But, you know, that makes you feel good, very confident going into close games.

On the moment team president Masai Ujiri and May shared in the tunnel after the game:

You know, obviously I have a ton of respect for Masai, and he’s been a great sounding board, and I’ve probably asked him too many questions just as I learned — as myself and staff were trying to learn this organization and whatnot. And so it was just a little joke that I made, but just very, very appreciative of the team that front office has put together. We’re deep, we’re young, we have great character more than anything else. I haven’t been around very many teams, but this group feels like a very, very special group of human beings first, and they’re working like crazy to get better at basketball.

What makes character so important, and how doe sit align with winning teams?

You know, I don’t want to go into all that, but the teams that, whether things are going well or whether they’re going poorly, simply get to the next thing, the next practice, the next game, the next possession, those are usually the teams that are standing longer than they probably should have otherwise.

What went into the decision of not activating Naji Marshall?

He hasn’t practiced. … It looks like he’s dropped weight, he hasn’t practiced yet and we thought if we can get through this one without Naji, then he’s got two days to get his body back right, get his conditioning and then be ready to play well Monday. We needed him tonight. I mean, it was a tough decision not to throw him out there, but we just thought for our team and for him, just give it until Monday. He was down with the illness.

Cooper Flagg

How much has your confidence grown in the 75 games you’ve now played in your NBA career?

It’s grown a ton. Just being confident, getting to my spots and living with the result. That’s something I talked about last year, and it’s going to continue to be a thing. All the great players are able to just get to their spots and raise up and knock them down. So that’s all I’m trying to do — just get to my spots, and we’ll live with outcome.

Have you talked to Irving about those moments where you just know the ball is going in when it leaves your hand?

I talked to him a lot about it last year. Trying to learn from him — the mental side, but I think more and more, as we’ve gone to this year, just being able to see it in person and on the court from him and being able to learn from the experience has been really cool, too.

How would you describe what you and Irving were able to accomplish on the floor together?

I thought, like I said, just playing off each other really well. He was able to go on runs and be a very vocal leader with the ball in his hands. I was able to come in, be able to contribute in a very similar way, and it kind of just made the game easier for each other, and I thought that was really, really good.

How comforting is it to have another co-star on the roster?

That was great. We have a lot of stars. Guys are being stars in their roles, and I think that’s what we’re seeing. We’ve started to get a couple wins here early. It’s just guys really just sacrificing and being a star in their role. Guys like Zacc, P.J., Gaff, those guys are all stars in their roles, and they’re vital to our success, but it’s felt great to have [Irving] out there, someone that puts the ball in the basket better than the best of them.

On teammates’ performances in the win:

Gaff … never backed down from the challenge. He’s always there protecting the paint, getting the rebounds. I mean, that’s a big team. So I think just down the stretch, him blocking out and helping us grab some rebounds was huge. PJ, same thing, just a physical defender. He’ll knock down his open shots, but I think just the work he did, rebounding the ball down the stretch for us was huge. Caleb, I thought, was really big tonight, and what he did defensively and just rebounding. Zacc has been really good all year — just getting into [passing] lanes, getting deflections, steals, blocks, being all over the place. So yeah, those guys, they’re vital to our success, for sure.

Where have you grown the most as a player since last season?

I just think the confidence is continuing to grow and grow, and I feel like I’m just more comfortable at this point. Having a year of learning all my peers, earning their respect is a big thing for me. And I feel like at this point, it feels comfortable. And I know where I want to get to and what I want to do get there.

What were you able to take from playing in so many clutch games a year ago?

Just being comfortable. You need those game experiences. There’s nothing like it. You know, the crowd loud, everybody excited, coming down. There’s a lot of mental things that you can do to affect a game like that down the stretch. So just learn from that last year, and try to put it to use.

What has Dereck Lively’s energy been like on the bench as he continues to recuperate?

It’s been great. Live has been one of the loudest people on the bench every single night. And you can tell he’s really just itching to get back out there. But just what he’s done from the sidelines and the energy and the positivity that he’s brought to our team has been incredible. And he’s definitely been a big part.

What about [Lively’s] game makes you excited for him to join the active roster?

I think in just the small time that I was able to play with Live last year — his defensive versatility. I mean, a lot like Gaff, just holding down the paint. Being a really big presence, shot blocker, and a lob threat. So that’s a really good screen. So he sees the game at a high level too. So I think a lot of people underrate that about Live. And I’m excited to get back out there with him eventually. And people will be able to see how he sees the game and can affect it.

What’s the key to you and [Irving] divvying things up? Is it based on the opposing defense?

I mean, it’s not a perfect formula. And obviously, I think we’re still working out a lot of the kinks and figuring out how we can help each other best. And there’s been a lot of moments where we realize that we can help each other more out there on the court together. So there’s been a lot of learning experiences. And it’s been a pleasure to be able to play alongside him and learn from him out there. But yeah, I think there’s still more and more that we can do to help each other, alleviate some pressure, and continue to just learn how to play together. And make it easier for one another.

Kyrie Irving

First question muffled:

Which part? The good stuff, or stuff at halftime where it looks like we probably didn’t give our best effort because of who was in the lineup? And it’s just art of war kind of thing. Just psychologically when Alperen Sengun’s out and then Reed’s out, we have a whole game plan for them. And then we kind of take our foot off the gas pedal a little bit. So we just had to readjust. It’s a human element of it. But when you’re in competition, you can’t do that. And I feel like we picked it up after halftime and just had a few conversations with some guys. And we all agreed. We weren’t playing our best basketball. And in order to be considered the best in this league, you got to bring the energy every single night. You got to bring the physicality. And you’re going against an undefeated team that’s very confident, playing well. They’ve had a few games down the stretch where they’ve been able to pull out some tough wins. And I think tonight was our time to prove that against them. Preseason went how it went. We’ve been talking about how we’re playing them eight times in the first 20 games. But I think it’s just a great learning experience for us. To be able to go down the stretch and just win.

What was the difference for you in scoring 26 of your 35 points in the second half?

I think my communication and also my aggression and just starting the third quarter off at a very high level. Especially pushing in transition and getting the ball above half court, over half court before 21 seconds or 20 seconds, whether it was a miss or a make. And just paying attention to the details on the defensive end. They’re always looking to catch you sleeping. Amen’s always looking to catch you sleeping on the offensive glass while he’s crashing. KD’s always looking to be around the basketball when they’re kind of going through their possessions where they haven’t scored in a minute. And Ime does a great job of letting Fred just free flow into the offense as well as Marcus Smart. And just learning throughout the minutes and possessions through the games. Just some of their cues that they’re mentioning to each other. Some of their nonverbal communication — their eyes, their eye fakes. They continue to press you and press you and press you and wear you down. I felt like we had to kind of take that energy and reverse it on them. And just make sure they played on their heels and they were trying to get up quick shots. And we were just playing with the offensive verve that we needed to.

What does tonight mean after the long injury absence?

It was incredibly special. I’m obviously, you know, it’s the in-season tournament. You know, depending on which team you play against, some teams are taking it serious, some teams aren’t. But I think there’s a good kind of pressure environment to have early in the season where it wasn’t just about me playing well or Cooper playing well. We really needed to have possessions where they mattered. And guys were, you know, making the right plays or weren’t making the right plays, and we just had to learn from it. So we’re going to be in a lot of games like this, you know, down the stretch throughout the year. I don’t know when, but hopefully we can get some 20-point wins where we don’t have to go into it. But when we’re going into some, you know, end-of-game things, we got to be able to be sharp, be focused. And I felt like we were able to do that. And the guys were really leaning on me for some emotional support, some verbal communication. And I feel like I offered that. And I also just was confident within the game. Like, we just had to break over that hump. We were within seven points, and it was five points, and it was 10, and it was nine. It’s just — we had to break that seal off. And I felt like we did it with our defense and also just having smart possessions on the offensive end.

On the chemistry between Flagg and himself down the stretch:

It’s beautiful to watch, you know, whether the ball’s in my hands or the ball’s in his hands. You know, it’s just in terms of our selection of shots. He’s going to get into the paint. I’m going to be an outside perimeter threat. He can be an outside perimeter threat. I can get in the paint. But I think overall, our teammates trusting us to be able to make the right plays. And then, you know, honestly, just in reality, since just having a teenager out there, you know, making these tough shots and getting and-ones and being as clutch as anyone I’ve seen, it’s just amazing to be a part of. And it does take some pressure off of me to be able to make plays down the stretch. And I think that’s what makes it beautiful to watch and experience. And we’re still growing. I think he said it best. You know, we still have a level that we want to get to, a higher level. And we’re going to continue to push each other to do so. And we obviously know the external chatter as well about the 15-year age gap and what we can accomplish and how we’re going to mesh. And I think we kind of throw that out the window and just really focus on what we can control, which is our effort and how we treat each other. You know, he’s a very diverse threat. I’m a very diverse threat. And we just play off each other well.

Evaluating Flagg’s development 75 games into his NBA career:

Yeah, I always speak on his competitive nature. It’s very rare. I mean, you obviously have guys that are very talented, do a lot of great things athletically. But that competitive nature and that drive to want to be the best, to want to win ball games, to want to do the little things — that has to come from and within. And I think he exudes it. Sometimes you look at him, he looks tired, and he makes an outstanding play, a block, or he hits a tough layup or he throws a lob. It just helps settle us win. And whenever we’re out there on the offensive perimeter, we’re able to identify what our match-ups are and be smart about it. So I think his IQ and his competitive nature has put him in this spot today. And I think the pressure really bothers him. He has a great supporting cast around him, including myself, a veteran, where he could look to me, and there hasn’t been too many concepts or too many things in games I haven’t seen. So I know he’s relatively new to us. He’s no longer a rookie, so we don’t have to treat him like that. But we give him his respect as he continues to earn it. And that’s what the NBA is about.

At what point in your career did the clutch shot become kind of an unconscious thing?

I mean, it probably for me started in fifth grade, to be honest with you. I think that my dad put the ball in my hands very young, and I had to earn my teammates’ trust. And I think on every team, obviously I play different roles, but when everybody’s looking at you to shoot the shots or looking to another teammate to shoot the shots, and you’ve earned it. And you got to earn it in practice. You got to earn it in the way you work on your game, and then you got to show it in the big-time moments. And you got to deal with the emotional up and down of making missing. That’s it. So the clutch gene can be developed, or it’s innate, or both.

On Risacher’s impact on the team:

Yeah. I mean, I think the practices that we’ve had, the preseason that we had, I can’t necessarily use the word surprised like everyone else in terms of his effort and what he’s been able to do. He’s right on track in terms of being a young player in this league and establishing himself and really proving himself. And it’s tough being a number one pick and having the franchise pressure on you, and then now being in a new environment and having to develop or accept a new role. And I think he’s done it fabulously. And when you’re around other talented players and high-level players, you’re going to have to adjust and you’re going to have to adapt. He started in the starting lineup in preseason, and he’s adjusted to coming off the bench, first guy off the bench at times, which helps us. So I think the selfless approach that he’s taken has been very mature of him. But we’re going to need him to do other things. And depending on health, God willing, we all stay healthy. But if we don’t, then there’s going to be times where he’s going to be in the starting lineup, and he’s going to be asked to do more. And I think he’ll be able to step up to the plate. But right now in his role, he’s superstar in it, just being able to get the stocks, be able to push and transition. He’s the fastest player on the court during every single game. It’s beautiful to watch somebody like that, just like a gazelle going up and down the court and beating bigs, beating wings. And it helps us a lot when we’re trying to make a push. And those little plays that don’t slip on the stats sheet is what he’s become great at.

On hitting shots over bigger defenders like Jabari Smith Jr.:

I mean, it’s a great feeling when you know the work translates into the games. It was the first four games, five games. I really felt like my body has been in a good place. But there’s more that I can get out of my instincts. There’s more that I can unlock in my game. There’s more of an attack mindset. There’ll be times I’m out in the perimeter. I’m not really cutting, or I’m not really active. And I just don’t want to be stagnant on those possessions. And even when the possessions change from offense to defense, I really want to be able to push myself. And that just comes with reps and comes with rhythm and also making the choice to get out and run despite just maybe some of the mental fatigue or physical fatigue. And just not thinking about like, hey, how do I feel right now? It just should be about playing tonight. And just playing the possessions out. And that’s probably the first game out of the last four where I felt like I was just playing out the basketball game by possessions, IQ, without thinking about like, all right, how does my leg feel, or how do I feel physically?

How do you feel after playing 35 minutes?

I feel great. It was great to build up to this moment. I think thinking about how we were talking about the minutes restriction in the first game versus Houston and how it was kind of controlling my internal frustration. But I trust our coaching staff. I trust our medical staff in being able to develop a great dialogue and getting to this point and just takes patience. And I’m going to enjoy it, but also give myself a lot of grace as I’m continuing to get better throughout the season.

On May’s coaching style:

Well, I’ll keep it short because I don’t want any of these other coaches around the league to get jealous. But he’s a great guy, in terms of, I’m not trying to give away all his sauce and stuff like that. He’s a great guy in terms of being able to identify what skill sets he has on his team. He’s done that very early. He’s very confrontational in terms of what he wants out of you. And I think it helps in terms of just establishing our concepts and what we need to do game-to-game and preparation-wise. He’s a big preparation guy, which I appreciate as well.

What does the NBA Cup mean to the team?

I mean, we have a chance to bring, or have an opportunity to bring home a trophy in the first part of the season. And we know who’s in our group. And we know what’s in front of us. And we just got taken one game at a time. But I think when I first answered this question a few years ago about the in-season tournament. I wasn’t that excited about it, just like other veterans or other guys in the league. But I think I understand the concept now in terms of what it means for a fandom of basketball and also for the franchise. And just getting your legs up underneath you. I think we saw the Knicks last year going against the San Antonio Spurs. And we saw that in the finals. So there is some correlation to playing well early in the season and picking it up and then being able to have some early success, and that lead to [big things] later down the line.