Category: Basketball

Maybe not the blowout people are looking for, but still a pretty decent win. The Sixers erased a 17-point first half deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 123-112 Thursday night.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 27 shooting 8-of-13 from the field along with eight assists. Joel Embiid didn’t quite break out of his shooting slump, but looked much better as he avoided an injury scare early in the game. He finished with 20 points going 7-of-17 from the floor along with four rebounds.

Jaylen Brown had an up-and-down night, going 8-of-15 from the field for 18 points and six rebounds. VJ Edgecombe had another great swiss army knife game, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. R.J. Barrett led all scorers with 31.

LeBron James was out for this one with lower back management, as well as Adem Bona (neck) and Dominick Barlow (back). Toronto was without Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• The Sixers opened the game generating good shots. Brown shook free of CMB for a pull-up jumper, Dean Wade and Edgecombe both stepped into open threes, and Embiid got a jumper from the free throw line, but none of these looks fell. Maxey finally got the Sixers their first field goal of the game getting the ball off a broken play and getting to the basket.
• Embiid set a screen for Maxey to help him get open on the three-point line and appeared to bang knees with Ja’Kobe Walter as Walter was trying to fight through the screen. Embiid went down in a heap of pain immediately and the Sixers stopped the game so he could head back to the locker room.
• The Sixers’ offense continued to struggle after the stoppage. Brown was trying attack off the dribble but was getting bottled up. They still couldn’t hit a three off the catch either — the rest of the team started the game 0-of-4 from deep. The Raptors ripped off a 12-0 run during this stretch.
• For the second game in a row, Edgecombe had a really nice spin move to split defenders and get to the basket. Darko Rajakovich called timeout after he did so, which allowed Embiid to emerge from the locker room and return to the game. Edgecombe did just about the same thing coming out of the timeout.

VJ spin cycle never gets old pic.twitter.com/y1YbmcCc7w

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 13, 2026

• Maxey ran quick off a miss to create a fast break layup, but Toronto was able to snuff out the momentum quickly. The Sixers went into a zone for a couple of possessions, but the Raptors shooters had gotten into a rhythm and they were able to get open pretty easily. Two threes from Barrett and another from Jamison Battle helped them score 13 more unanswered points.
• Embiid nearly passed up a wide open layup near the basket, but did eventually put it up once he realized the 6-foot-1 Jamal Shead was guarding him for his first field goal of the game. Maxey was able to hit a ridiculous layup in transition, and Anfernee Simons drilled a three at the buzzer to pull the Sixers to within nine.

Second Quarter

• Simons drilled a stepback three with a hand in his face to open the quarter. Embiid, looking a bit more comfortable, blocked a layup and got himself an easy bucket going to the paint. Brown wasn’t able to bury his three after making Kyle Anderson fall with a crossover, but he finally got a midrange to go that capped off a 15-0 Sixers run going back to the first.
• That seemed to do the trick as Brown drilled his next two pull-ups in the midrange. Edgecombe was the best Sixer on the floor for much of the first half. His intercepting of passes from the weak side was the best defense they had going for them, and it was creating plenty of transition opportunities. On top of a big fast break dunk, Edgecombe also hit a very nifty up-and-under layup.

VJ TIME! 🔨 pic.twitter.com/TJfnLZkAln

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2026

• It probably gave everyone a good scare, but Embiid was able to get by Jakob Poeltl and throw down a dunk, albeit one that did not look like the smoothest landing. The Sixers’ offense started scorching, but a lack of stops prevented them from building a lead. Nick Nurse called a timeout to regroup after they allowed two offensive rebounds on one possession, ending with a putback.

https://t.co/XvDsWg70xUpic.twitter.com/CpWofANa31

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 13, 2026

• That timeout also gave Nurse a chance to put Maxey back in the game, who immediately went straight to the basket and got fouled. After teams traded threes, Maxey got to the hoop again, but Embiid picked up his third foul of the night trying to grab a defensive rebound and had to sit for the last two and a half minutes of the half.
• Brown took up the mantle offensively, nailing another pull-up and driving for a layup. Jabari Walker, who didn’t have much of an impact in his first shift, picked up an offensive rebound and drew a foul pulling down another. His putback was answered with another three from Barrett. Wade missed another open three on the ensuing possession, keeping the game tied at 60 at the break.

Third Quarter

• Both teams stayed hot coming out of the break as Wade and Edgecombe each drilled a corner three. On the other end of the floor the Raptors drove right to the basket for three easy layups. Immanuel Quickley also drilled a very deep, very contested pull-up three. Embiid missed a fadeaway over Poeltl, but got himself another easy dunk playing high-low with Edgecombe.

Another Jo jam pic.twitter.com/kHljDVczQZ

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 13, 2026

• The Sixers were still giving up plenty of easy baskets off simple actions, but they were guarding one-on-one better when the Raptors isolated. Brown blocked a Barrett layup and jumped a passing lane for a pick-six. Screens ended up being risky plays on the night as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up favoring his shoulder trying to fight through one, but he didn’t have to leave the game.
• Despite throwing a post-entry pass for Brown a little too far, Embiid seemed to finding his comfort offensively. He was confident in his physical advantages over Poeltl and was aggressive because of that. It did seem like he was trying to dunk as much as he could, which did lead to him fumbling away an attempt at the basket.
• Embiid is still waiting on that midrange game to come back around as he was long on another free throw line jumper. It remained a hot Simons game, something the team desperately needed with how they’ve been shooting lately.
• Maxey was a consistent source of scoring to close the quarter, but stops on the other end continued to come at a premium. The Sixers were finally able to get some space after Quickley missed a pretty open layup after beating Maxey through the paint. Simons got it up the floor for a transition basket. The Raptors called a timeout to regroup, but CMB got called for a moving screen on the first play coming out of it. Maxey got to the line, which Barrett responded to by backing him down in the post for a layup, bringing the Sixers lead back down to nine after three.

Fourth Quarter

• Walker opened the quarter with a corner three and just missed a second a few possessions later. He did scoop up another putback after Edgecombe’s attempt to dunk on two Raptors came up empty, and Simons swiped the ball away from Barrett for a fast break bucket to start the quarter strong.
• At some point in the first half, the ball got stuck behind the backboard and the crowd let Poeltl hear it as he struggled to knock it free with a broom. When the ball got stuck again in the fourth, a referee brought the broom back to Poeltl on the bench for a chance at redemption. The crowd got a kick out of it, but Poeltl did not, and refused. The crowd shared a sarcastic celebration with KCP after it took him a few attempts to dislodge it. 
• The Sixers’ offense seemed to hit a bit of a lull midway through the fourth. Brown missed a pair of free throws and was blocked again at the rim by CMB. Edgecombe tried to hit Brown with a lob but that was broken up by CMB again, but Edgecombe was able to pick it back up and finish it himself. After giving up second chance points on the following possession, Nurse called a timeout to put Embiid and Maxey back in the game.
• The Raptors got another basket inside, a trip to the line, and a corner three to cut the lead down to six with plenty of time left. Simons hit a much needed three, as was the case for much of the night. Embiid finally knocked down a midrange after a couple of stops, but Quickley walked into an open three off a screen on the next trip down the floor.

that's 5 triples from @AnferneeSimons tonight 😤 pic.twitter.com/APrqYyxnSH

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2026

• Maxey got to the line again as the Raptors started to run out of time. Embiid got past a couple of defenders and nearly had another self lob off the backboard, but that was also broken up by CMB. Embiid was still able to secure the ball and get it to KCP, who buried a three right before the shot clock expired. Embiid hit a midrange on the following possession, wrapping up this game quite nicely for both himself and the team.
• The double-digit lead gave the fans enough confidence for loud “We Want Tacko” chants, and Nurse obliged, putting Tacko Fall in for the final 54 seconds of the game. Poor Jabari Walker got a round of boos when he went to the scorer’s table on account of not being Tacko Fall.

MILWAUKEE — The Lakers have been getting more from Sandro Mamukelashvili recently than simply his highest-scoring games since joining the franchise over the summer.

The 23 points he scored in Monday’s win over the Hawks and Wednesday’s victory over the Bucks were necessary during games they were either without or lost key players during the games. 

But what the Lakers hope can be taken from those games beyond Mamukelashvili’s scoring output was his offensive approach.

“High performance — a few of the key components to that is belief, focus and freedom,” coach JJ Redick said. “And I want him to understand how much his teammates, his coaches, myself, we believe in him.”

The sixth-year forward feels that belief from his current teammates during his first season with the Lakers.

It’s a catalyst of Mamukelashvili having the performance he’s had recently where he’s been active in looking for ways he can contribute offensively. 

“I want to be aggressive from the jump,” he said. “I know these guys trust me, I know Coach trusts me. He wants me to be me. He wants to just let me play how I’m used to playing. So, it just kind of like eases my mind, doesn’t make me think that much.”

That’s how the Lakers want him to operate. 

Redick referred to Mamukelashvili being an “over-thinker” during training camp — which the Lakers coach could relate to.

Which is why Redick’s made it an emphasis to help the 27-year-old realize they want him to play more freely.

“The big thing for him is understanding that he has a lot of freedom,” Redick said. “Luka [Doncic], [Austin Reaves] — that doesn’t need to be said — they have freedom within the structure of our offense. Mamu also has a lot of freedom.”

Mamukelashvili, who played for the Bucks, Spurs and Raptors before joining the Lakers, recognized how different this is compared with his former teams.

“It was a hard journey from a two-way [contract] and out of the rotation,” he said. “I feel like it mentally kind of drains you. It kind of sometimes makes you doubt yourself, makes you think about what you can do out there to help the team win and everywhere you have kind of a different challenge. 

“I feel like here, they just tell me, ‘We want you to be you. We want you to be a big part of this team. And just believe in yourself.’ I have never had a chance to have somebody who would tell me that. It started a little bit last year, but I feel like this year, I feel much more freedom.”

Mamukelashvili, who’s averaging 10.8 points this season, acknowledged it’s a process of realizing the trust he has. 

“I hope I’ll get better,” he said. “I hope I’ll start believing in myself as much as they do. I think I do. But as I said, sometimes going through all this up and down you’re like, ‘Do they really trust me?’ Like, you start questioning it. And once you start assuming what people think, how they want you to play, that’s when you lose your swagger. So I just got to be me and go out and keep playing with confidence.”

The Deuce has been loose. 

Miles McBride, after some early-season struggles, is playing some of his best basketball since sports hernia surgery disrupted his season last year. 

He was averaging just 6.4 points on a rough 35.7 percent shooting from the field across the Knicks’ first five games. But over the past six games, McBride averaged 9.2 points on 51.3 percent shooting from the field. He went 14-for-30 (46.7 percent) from 3-point range during that span as well. 

McBride drilled five treys in the Knicks’ 115-107 loss to the Cavs Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, helping them claw back within striking distance in the fourth quarter. 

His playing time has increased as a result, coinciding with Mikal Bridges’ struggles. Entering the year, McBride was a popular trade candidate because of his expiring contract and the likelihood the Knicks won’t be able to bring him back next year due to owner James Dolan’s mandate to stay under the second apron.

Their depth at guard — and lack of depth at center — presented the enticing possibility of flipping McBride for a big man rather than losing him for nothing in free agency, like what happened with Mitchell Robinson. 

McBride’s recent form, though, has made him pivotal to the Knicks’ chances of making another championship run. 

---

The Knicks will have to wait a bit longer to face nemesis Tyrese Haliburton, who is out for the team’s NBA Cup game against the Pacers on Friday night in Indiana. The star point guard has missed the past eight games with a hamstring injury, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday that he will miss at least 10 more days. 

The Knicks have not faced Haliburton since he became an MSG villain and eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025, as he missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the Finals that year. 

It is possible Haliburton will be back by the time the Knicks host the Pacers at MSG on Nov. 22.

Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart has been suspended for "throwing a punch that made contact with the face" of opponent Charles Bassey during Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors.

The NBA released a statement on Thursday, Nov. 12 announcing the Rockets guard is being suspended three games without pay for the incident.

The night before, Smart grazed the face of Bassey when he threw a punch with 21 seconds left in the third quarter after the whistle was blown for a separate foul. Their arms had been caught in each other during a play and, when game play was stopped, Smart seemingly snapped.

After the punch was thrown, players from both teams got in a scuffle and, as the scene was broken up, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year started walking to the locker room. It seemed as if he was sure he would be given a flagrant foul 2 and ejected from the game, which, after a review, he was.

Just before the incident, Smart and Bassey got tangled up under the rim when trying to box out during a Warriors possession. The two continued to jaw at each other up the floor. Then, when play halted, Smart squared up and threw a right-handed hook that nearly landed on Bassey’s cheek. Bassey had moved his head backward to avoid contact. Officials later said that Smart made contact to Bassey’s nose.

After the game, which the Rockets won 115-108, Bassey criticized Smart for his "fake toughness."

Houston head coach Ime Udoka also addressed the incident and shared Smart's side of the story.

"Marcus, I just talked to him, he said they got wrapped up and his elbow that he had hurt got bent up," the coach said. "And so he said something to him and Bassey said, 'What you going to do?' and he did it."

When will Marcus Smart return from suspension?

The former Oklahoma State standout will miss the Rockets' next three games due to his suspension. Houston faces the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat.

Smart's suspension will be lifted to play in the road game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Marcus Smart stats this season

Smart is averaging 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal per game this season, his first with the Rockets.

He had six points, two rebounds and an assist before being booted from the Warriors matchup.

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marcus Smart suspended for throwing punch that made contact with Warriors player's face

I know that sports fans have said, “This is our year,” at the beginning of every season for every sport since the dawn of man. Archaeologists only recently discovered cave drawings of ancient man calling his shot by prematurely tattooing the Larry O’Brien Trophy on his shoulder with the description: “Tigris River Valley Hunter-Gatherers 5,000 B.C. World Champions” (no need to fact-check me on this, just trust me).

But for the Utah Jazz, the 2026-27 season was actually supposed to be “their year”. No blind optimism, no baseless fantasies. Just grounded, reasonable, and logical projections for a team on the rise.

Through four painful seasons, the Jazz lost a grand total of 211 games in search of an elusive young superstar to lift their tragic franchise from an endless tank. As those four seasons came to a close, Utah finally claimed their prize: a star guard out of Kansas named Darryn Peterson. And he couldn’t have come at a better time, either.

Tired of witnessing one-third of the league actively trying to lose basketball games, the NBA enacted anti-tanking protocols and installed lottery reform intent on de-incentivizing the act of “tanking”.

Teams have far less incentive to tank this season, especially this early on, as the owners of the four worst records will have a statistically lower chance of getting the number-one overall pick than those who finish 5th-8th from the bottom.

That adjustment is one of two reasons why Utah is off to such a slow start. The other, in my view, is having a very injured roster at a time when most teams are still playing at or near full strength. Teams are fighting to win every game, and the Jazz are ill-equipped to fight back.

As a result, the Jazz are off to an even worse start this year through 11 games than any of their rebuilding seasons. They hold hands at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with an abysmal Sacramento team.

Utah Jazz record through 11 games (last five seasons):

2022-23: 8-3
2023-24: 4-7
2024-25: 3-8
2025-26: 4-7
2026-27: 1-11

The Jazz are not tanking. Not intentionally, anyway.

Utah has even less reason to minimize their competitive edge, being barred from a top-four pick after drafting second overall this summer, and owing their pick to Memphis even if it were to finish in a favorable position.

With three of their five starters out with prolonged injuries, things may get even worse before they get any better. But they can — and I believe Utah will — improve before a play-in spot is out of reach.

Assuming Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic all return according to current timetables, the Jazz are only a month or two away from full strength, barring further injury. This is a team still learning to play with each other. With several key pieces having arrived within the last year, chemistry will take time to develop.

A Play-In appearance is a reasonable goal this season, despite my own preseason projections anticipating a top-six finish. Should the Jazz rally and finish with a top-10 record in the Western Conference, Utah has hope of building on that success in the following season. This was never going to be “the year” for Utah. It was always destined to be a stepping stone. But so long as that stride carries the Jazz closer to a better place, there’s still reason for optimism.

This is a talented team. Time will tell if talent can translate to results.

---

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk and a Utah Jazz columnist for the Standard-Examiner. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently writes from his desk in Japan.

It’s no secret the Warriors need to acquire an impactful big man.

While it hasn’t been a month since the NBA season started, Golden State appears to be aware of its deficiencies and is looking into fixing them.

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, he’s heard rumors of the Warriors being interested in Norman Powell but isn’t buying into it. He mentioned two potential players.

ClutchPoints’ @BrettSiegelNBA says Wendell Carter Jr and Naz Reid could be potential trade targets for the Warriors:

“Right now, who are targets for the Warriors?… Wendell Carter Jr and Naz Reid… Those are the two guys I’m keeping an eye on for the Warriors if they are to add… pic.twitter.com/xsG6RQeiV6

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 12, 2026

“Wendell Carter Jr. … from the Orlando Magic, a possible guy [they] could look to salary dump, to free up some cap space on their end,” Siegel said.

“Then also, Naz Reid with the Charlotte Hornets. He was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Charlotte Hornets this past offseason,” Siegel said. “Obviously he’s had a ton of suitors between the Warriors, the Portland Trail Blazers. A few other teams mix out there.”

As the Warriors are expected to search for a big man, the irony is that last season the organization thought it solved its problem when it made a splash at the trade deadline and acquired Kristaps Porzingis. Golden State gave him a two-year, $40 million contract extension over the offseason.

Before this season began, Porzingis announced he would be out indefinitely due to a mystery illness.

Because Porzingis might never play in the NBA again, Golden State must pivot.

Last week, NBA insider Shams Charania reported the Warriors are not paying Porzingis because “he is not rendering services.”

With a little more financial flexibility, Golden State could pull off a deal to get Carter. He is making $18.1 million this season and will make $19.6 million next season, while having a team option for the 2028-2029 season.

Reid is in the second year of a five-year, $125 million contract he originally signed with the Timberwolves.

Reid will make $23.3 million next year, $25 million the following, $26.7 million for 2028-2029 and has a player option of $28.4 million for the 2029-2030 season.

The Dallas Mavericks (7-4) head out on the road to play the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves (8-3) on Thursday night in a big matchup on NBAtv. Dallas won three straight at home, most recently overcoming a tough Pacers team on Monday. The Wolves have won four straight, dismantling Utah at home on Sunday. Here are the main things to know before this one kicks off:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
• WHAT: Can Dallas keep the winning going against the Timberwolves?
• WHERE: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA or NBAtv

With two full days to rest prior to this contest, Dallas comes into this one as healthy as they’ve been at any point this year. Tarik Biberovic remains out with bursitis as does Sergio De Larrea with his knee sprain. Morez Johnson Jr. is probable after missing Monday with a shin injury. Dallas will need him against the Timberwolves big men.

Minnesota is without the services of All-Universe guard Anthony Edwards as he has a right knee issue. Donte DiVincenzo is still recovering from an Achilles tear. Joan Beringer is on the injury report but will play with a mask after a face injury. He’s a very valuable part of the Timberwolves rotation.

The concerns for Dallas in this one lie in the rebounding and defense. Dallas will be able to score, at times, against a tough Minnesota defense, but Dallas has not played great defense this season and give up way too many offensive rebounds. Rudy Gobert may eat in this one unless Dallas can summon the team rebounding they found on Monday.

Since you’re here checking out this post, it’s for one of two reasons.

• Injury report news
• Discussion and comment thread

If you’re part of the former, please consider signing up for an account. You get way fewer ads, and you can comment! If you’re part of the latter group: GO GET THE APP. I’m serious. The app has some real-time features specifically for game threads like this one and you can comment and get notified really, really easily. It’s part of what’s keeping this whole series of sites going. So go do it for us and in doing so, you’ll see why the experience is simply better.

Consider joining me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube; I will be going live tonight, and I need y’all to join and participate!

Yaxel Lendeborg has never lacked confidence. 

When the Warriors were in the running to acquire LeBron James, the rookie expressed excitement about potentially playing alongside one of the greatest players of all time but also told the California Post, “Hopefully he doesn’t take away my minutes.”

And after Lendeborg and Luka Doncic exchanged trash talk when the Lakers played the Warriors in their season opener, Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for one of the NBA’s biggest superstars, calling out his “whining” and “complaining.”

Well, Yaxel, here comes your real test. 

After Steph Curry suffered an oblique abdominal tear in the Warriors’ 115-108 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday, Lendeborg is now the team’s star. 

Curry will be reevaluated in two weeks and is expected to be sidelined close to a month, according to ESPN, meaning it’s now up to the 24-year-old to carry the franchise. 

Lendeborg talks the talk. 

And so far he has walked the walk, averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists while surging to the top of the Rookie of the Year race. 

But carrying the Warriors?

That’s a different challenge altogether. We’re really about to see what Lendeborg is capable of, especially considering Curry had opened the season playing out of his mind. 

The 38-year-old Curry was having an MVP-caliber campaign, entering Wednesday’s game averaging 30.6 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds for the Warriors, who had stunned the league by winning eight straight games. 

Overnight, Lendeborg has gone from being a sidekick to the main character. 

It’s an adjustment he must quickly make. 

Draymond Green said he already saw glimmers of that happening Wednesday. 

“It’s funny because the thing that he’s going to have to learn and understand is, all right, Steph wasn’t out there, KD (Kevin Durant) was off the court, you look around, you’re probably the best player on the floor,” Green told reporters. “Regardless of team.

“I think there was a point he realized, ding, ding, ding, and he started attacking, and the game flipped for us. I think that’s something that he’s going to have to realize really fast. There will be oftentimes where he can possibly be the best player on the floor regardless of the team. We need him to show that. He doesn’t have a problem doing it.”

Lendeborg has been one of the season’s biggest stories. 

The Warriors’ 11th pick in the draft breathed new life into Curry’s career during what was thought to be a lost season after Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody suffered injuries that would sideline them for the first few months and Kristaps Porzingis announced he was stepping away from basketball indefinitely. 

Lendeborg picked up the slack. Brandin Podziemski is making major contributions, averaging career highs in points (17.3), field-goal percentage (48.1) and 3-point shooting (39.7%). And Green is capable of bottling up anyone in the league on any given night.

But without Curry, everything changes. 

The person who’s going to feel that most is Lendeborg, who’s going to experience a different type of defensive pressure than he’s ever seen. 

Curry is a four-time MVP. He carried the Warriors to four championships in eight years from 2015-2022 before the dynasty began flailing, failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs the last four years. 

Lendeborg helped resuscitate Golden State. Now he’s going to have to put it on his shoulders.

Lendeborg wants that. He wants to be a star. But can he handle it now? 

Green made waves at the top of the season for saying the Warriors found the “next face of the franchise” in Lendeborg. That meant a lot coming from Green, who doesn’t give that type of praise easily, especially to a rookie. 

We’re going to get a preview of whether he was right. Whether Lendeborg is ready. Whether he’s able to handle the pressure.

Last season, the Warriors went 13-26 without Curry, who missed 27 straight games because of runner’s knee. 

They’re better equipped to deal with Curry’s absence this time around because of an outspoken and talented rookie who’s about to be thrust into a situation he was supposed to be eased into.

For however long Curry is out, Lendeborg is the face of the Warriors.

His confidence is going to be put to the ultimate test.

Warriors center Charles Bassey kept his hands down when Marcus Smart swung at him.

The Houston Rockets guard will now sit for three games after the NBA suspended him Thursday for throwing a punch that made contact with the Golden State Warriors center’s face.

The incident came with 21 seconds left in the third quarter of Houston’s 115-108 win over Golden State. Smart and Bassey got tangled up during a possession, then continued jawing as they ran back up the floor.

Smart turned and threw a punch that grazed Bassey’s nose. Officials assessed a Flagrant 2, and Smart walked off before they announced the ejection.

Bassey said afterward that Smart had been playing dirty throughout the game and dismissed the punch as “fake toughness.”

Rockets coach Ime Udoka offered Smart’s version: the guard said Bassey had bent an elbow he had injured earlier in the season. Udoka said Bassey then challenged Smart, who responded with the swing.

The league’s decision draws a line under the altercation, but it won’t change the result for Golden State. Bassey did not retaliate, and the confrontation ended without a larger fight or additional ejections.

Smart will miss Houston’s games against the Utah Jazz on Friday, the Washington Wizards on Sunday and the Miami Heat on Monday. He is averaging 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and two assists in nine games as a reserve for the Rockets.

It was already a costly night for the Warriors: Stephen Curry left in the first quarter with right abdominal soreness, and Golden State’s eight-game winning streak ended with the defeat.

Bassey’s composure kept the incident from compounding the loss in the moment; Smart’s suspension means he will watch Houston’s next three games from the sidelines.

Mikal Bridges is basically a starter in name only at the moment. 

His minutes and production both resemble a bench player so far this season. It’s really only his inclusion in the pregame introductions that represents his status as a starter. 

But Knicks coach Mike Brown is not yet ready to make a change. 

“Mikal is a starter, so it’s not a question of that,” Brown said. “Like a lot of players, they’ve had their good moments and their not-so-good moments. Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. So for me to make a quote-unquote panic decision and change it, right now we’re [11] games in or whatever we are, I’m not feeling it.” 

Bridges played just 17 minutes in the Knicks’ 115-107 loss to the Cavs Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden and only recorded two points. He was on the bench for the entirety of the fourth quarter. 

For the season, Bridges is averaging 24.4 minutes per game — notably fewer than Landry Shamet’s 25.9 minutes per game despite Shamet coming off the bench eight of the Knicks’ 11 games. 

Bridges’ offensive struggles to start the year have resulted in Brown increasingly opting to go with Shamet or Miles McBride on the court, particularly to close games. Shamet and McBride have played 69 and 43 fourth-quarter minutes this year, respectively, compared to Bridges’ 41. Bridges’ 5.9 points per game are eighth most on the team, and he is shooting a woeful 32.9 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from 3-point range. 

He has scored just four total points in fourth quarters this year — fewer than bench-warmers Pacôme Dadiet and James Wiseman, who usually only play in garbage time, have produced. It’s half of what Dalton Knecht, who has played in just three games this year, has delivered in fourth quarters. 

Brown’s changing sentiment is telling. He began the year saying that his starting five was entrenched and that everyone else on the roster was fighting for minutes. Then, last week, he said that Shamet is “about as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us.” And after Wednesday’s game, Brown admitted that he feels a need to make room for Shamet and McBride. 

Bridges can usually at least hang his hat on the defensive end, but that’s an area in which Shamet and McBride are thriving as well. Brown has praised their point-of-attack defense and said that their tracking data has shown that Shamet has been their best pick-and-roll defender this season. 

“We got two guys that are playing really well in Landry and Deuce,” Brown said. “So it’s hard. It’s gonna be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal. And maybe even at times for Josh [Hart], because those two guys are playing at a pretty high level. Not just on the offensive end of the floor, but defensively too. … Landry and Deuce have been a big part of what we’ve done defensively. They’re playing at a high level. I gotta keep trying to find ways to get those guys on the floor.” 

The Knicks have certainly been here before with Bridges. He went through significant slumps each of the past two regular seasons before coming up big in the postseason.

Last year, it reached a crescendo during the first round of the playoffs, when the Knicks fell to a 2-1 series deficit to the Hawks. Brown repeatedly sat Bridges in the second halves of those first three games and faced constant questions about replacing him in the starting lineup. 

But Brown held firm with Bridges, who rewarded him by playing a key role in the championship run. 

The Knicks are confident a similar bounce back is looming. 

“No matter what’s going on, with what people are saying or anything, the people in this room have his back night in and night out,” Jalen Brunson said. “We see the work he puts into his game. We see the time that he puts in. When you’re doing the right things day in and day out, things will eventually fall in your favor. So just giving him support, giving him confidence every single day, regardless of what the noise is on the outside. That’s our brother, we’re gonna keep it that way.”

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley will miss Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat due to a sprained big toe, according to the team’s official injury report. Mobley suffered the injury late in Wednesday’s game in New York when he went up for a block and took a hard fall.

While there is never an opportune time for an injury, losing a key piece of the front court ahead of a date with the Miami Heat will be difficult to overcome. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo make for a very formidable front court duo, and having Mobley would have helped counter them immensely. Jarrett Allen, who recently returned from an injury of his own, will be tasked with securing the interior on defense next to Mario Hezonja or Peyton Watson.

Mobley played 33 minutes on Wednesday, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block. He shot 4-of-8 from the floor, but had an overall quiet stat line.

Cleveland has multiple candidates that could fill in for Mobley on Friday.

The Cavs started Tyrese Proctor for a game with Allen out, and could opt to do the same with Mobley not available. Watson, who had a very nice game defensively against the Knicks, may slide over to power forward to make room for Proctor. Jaylon Tyson, who also returned from injury, is another candidate to start. Mario Hezonja’s size may make him a more ideal candidate for additional playing time, though he had a mostly forgettable game on Wednesday.

Mobley has generally fared well on defense against Antetokounmpo, relative to the rest of the league. Giannis will still dominate games and impact winning, but Mobley has been able to use his size and quickness to at least be a deterrent. The Cavs will not have that Friday night, making it an even more daunting task to slow down Antetokounmpo and the Heat.

Rarely have I been so interested in an immediate rematch as I am in tonight’s game, which sees the Detroit Pistons taking on the Washington Wizards for the second consecutive contest. The Pistons prevailed in Monday’s game 122-111. The game was also just dang weird. Anthony Davis played out of his mind, scoring 44 points in just 34 minutes. Rookie AJ Dybantsa also enjoyed the best game of his young pro career, scoring 21 and securing eight rebounds. Everyone else on the Wizards was pretty stinky.

Conversely, Cade Cunningham had one of the worst games of the season, and Detroit was really propelled by some excellent play from John Collins and Daniss Jenkins in a new-look starting lineup. Gone are the mismatched pair of Paul Reed and Collins sharing the floor. In is Collins as a center with room to operate and Jenkins as a secondary ball handler. It’ll be interesting to see if they build off that success or if it was temporary. If Detroit can get both Collins and Jenkins playing at a high level and a locked-in Cade, it could be a blowout. If instead the Wizards bounce back, it could get messy.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN-Det
Odds: Pistons -7.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (7-3)

Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins

Washington Wizards (4-8)

‘Trae Young, Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr

A scuffle between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night has now led to a multi-game suspension for a key role player on a top team in the Western Conference to start the 2026-27 season. The NBA announced it’s suspending Rockets guard Marcus Smart after he threw a punch at Warriors center Charles Bassey during a mid-game tussle that happened as Houston’s Amen Thompson was taking the ball to the basket on a fastbreak.

Smart was hit with a three-game suspension by the NBA for throwing the punch. He was assessed with a Flagrant-2 foul and was subsequently ejected from the game after the play. He’ll miss games against the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Miami Heat, with the last two being road games.

The Rockets beat the Warriors, 115-108, to keep pace at the top of the West. Watch Smart’s punch here:

MARCUS SMART VS BASSEY ITS SMOKEEEEE pic.twitter.com/5zg5i7Bjo7

— ˑ (@FunKneeBone) November 12, 2026

Smart has been one of the best value free agent signings in the league early in the season. He’s still bringing defense toughness, and he’s shooting 40% from three through the first 12 games of the season.

Here’s the official press release from the league on Smart’s suspension:

The Rockets are fortunate to have an easy schedule while Smart is out. Still: only a fool would punch another player on a basketball court, and the refs made the right decision in the moment with the Flagrant-2. A three-game suspension is a severe penalty, but Smart deserved it.

The Washington Wizards (4-8) are reeling amid a five-game losing streak that’s featured four double-digit losses, turnover issues and stagnant offensive sets.

Washington is on the second night of a back-to-back after losing 114-101 to an Indiana Pacers squad that didn’t have Tyrese Haliburton. The Wizards tallied 14 turnovers and allowed 14 offensive rebounds in an embarrassing defeat.

The Detroit Pistons (7-3) defeated Washington 122-111 on Monday at Little Caesar’s Arena. Washington totaled 19 turnovers as it struggled to score against Detroit’s stout perimeter defense.

Injury Report

WAS: Justin Champagnie (foot surgery), Tristan Vukcevic (hip impingement), Jamir Watkins (ACL tear) and Reece Beekman (AC joint) are OUT.

DET: Elijah Harkless (G League) and Isaac Jones (G league) are QUESTIONABLE. Jalen Duren (hamstring), Isaiah Joe (hip), Chaz Lanier (G League), Ebuka Okorie (G League) and Ugonna Onyenso (G League) are OUT.

Here are the Wizards’ projected starters:

PG: Trae Young

SG: AJ Dybantsa

SF: Kyshawn George

PF: Anthony Davis

C: Alex Sarr

Game information:

Opponent: Detroit Pistons

Tip-off: 7 p.m.

Location: Capital One Arena

TV: Monumental Sports Network

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

You can chat about the game in the comments below!

The Santa Cruz Warriors have reacquired wing Dalen Terry after he was released by the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Boardwalk Buckets. Terry will be available for the team’s home opener tomorrow. Terry signed a two-year non-guaranteed deal with the Thunder less than two weeks ago, but was waived after appearing in just two games following the Niq Clifford trade. Terry was slated to be a centerpiece of the Santa Cruz (the Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate) team prior to the Thunder move. He now will reprise that role after getting a brief pay raise from Oklahoma City.

Terry appeared in two games with the Thunder, recording 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers in 11 minutes. Terry’s deal with OKC was fully non-guaranteed so he will only receive a small pro-rated portion of the league minimum.

The Chicago Bulls drafted Terry with the 18th overall pick back in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arizona. He appeared in 218 games over his first four seasons, but was unable to show enough potential to convince a team to dedicate a rotation spot for him heading into this season. The Bulls had declined Terry’s fifth-year option, and dealt him to the 76ers at last year’s deadline. After failing to get an NBA deal in free agency, he joined the Warriors a series of deals over the summer.

A 6’6 wing who just turned 24, Terry remains an intriguing 3-and-D prospect. The fact that an organization as renowned for scouting and development as the Thunder was willing to give him a trial window further endorses that side of things. Nevertheless, he has averaged just 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 44.3%/31.4%/63.8% shooting in 11.2 minutes per game over his career.