The Cougars will take their 15-game road winning streak to Waco, Texas.
Anthony Davis reportedly suffers ligament damage in hand, may need surgery, likely out past trade deadline
Anthony Davis is getting a second opinion but appears to have sustained ligament damage in his left hand that could require surgery and will likely keep him out past the Feb. 5 NBA Trade deadline, a story first reported by Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN and since confirmed by other reports.
Those reports suggest Davis will miss "months," which would effectively end the idea he might get traded at the deadline. Concerns about his injury history are part of why there was a limited market for Davis to begin with.
The injury occurred on what appeared to be an innocent play late in Thursday's Utah win over Dallas. Lauri Markkanen drove baseline on Davis, and as Davis bodied him up, he got his hand caught up in Markkanen's jersey, and it bent or twisted on him. AD was clearly in considerable pain and left the game to go back to the locker room.
Anthony Davis walked off the court late in the fourth quarter vs. Utah after suffering an apparent left-hand injury.
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) January 9, 2026
This comes after only returning to the Mavericks 8 days ago following a groin injury.#NBApic.twitter.com/bQT8dF6hL3
Davis, who came to Dallas as the primary return in the Luka Dončić trade (an unfair burden for him), has played well when healthy this season, averaging 20.4 points on 50.6% shooting, grabbing 11.1 rebounds per game, and playing high-level defense in the paint. When healthy, Davis remains an All-Star, maybe an All-NBA level player. He has been the focus of trade rumors as the Mavericks look to pivot to building around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
One thing to watch is how Davis' injury affects a possible return by Kyrie Irving this season. If Davis is out for a significant period of time, do the Mavericks pull the plug on this season?
What we learned as Steph Curry's 27 points topple Kings in Warriors' blowout win
What we learned as Steph Curry's 27 points topple Kings in Warriors' blowout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – A little more than two months ago, the Warriors were responsible for granting the Sacramento Kings one of their eight wins on the season in a game where all three of their stars were out.
Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green suited up Friday night and made sure the Kings couldn’t reach their ninth win in a 137-103 victory at Chase Center. Those three did it all in a blowout win where the Warriors outscored the Kings 74-44 in the second half.
In a game where seven Warriors scored in double figures, Curry finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting and was 6 of 12 from 3-point range. He also had a season-high 10 assists and blocked two shots for the fourth time this season.
Butler was a plus-20 with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Green added 11 points, six rebounds, eight assists and made three 3-pointers.
All three received the kind of help that was expected against a team that had lost six straight. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Kings 66-38. As a team, they also outrebounded the Kings by 10, had 16 more assists than them and made 12 more threes.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors improving to 21-18 on the season:
No Stopping Steph
There’s one reason, and one reason only, Kings guard Keon Ellis started his fifth game of the season: To defend and disrupt Curry. Good luck with that.
Curry and the Warriors went right after Ellis to begin the game. Whether it was Curry crossing him up or Green setting a screen that had Ellis seeing stars, it wasn’t a fun night for the young Kings guard. He wasn’t alone in that regard, either.
While Ellis took the brunt of Curry’s 11-point first quarter, nobody had an answer for him. Fellow guards tried. So did wings and big men. It didn’t matter. Curry got to 18 points at halftime and reached 27 through three quarters.
While the Warriors scored 40 points in the fourth quarter, they didn’t need any from Curry. He again was extremely efficient in his first double-double of points and assists of the season. Curry now has scored 25 or more points in 11 of his last 13 games.
The Group That Created Separation
No matter the jersey he wears, Dennis Schroder always finds a way to be a pest against the Warriors. After his rocky tenure here last season that sparked yet another trade for him, Schroder surely wanted to remind the Warriors who he is.
With a little more than three minutes left in the third quarter, Schroder hit a jumper to tie the game at 84 points apiece and had some words for the Warriors’ bench. But Golden State had an answer.
And it was a group of Butler, surrounded by stingy bench players. Butler, along with Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford, went on a 13-0 run to close the quarter. Melton scored six straight points and had nine of the 13, followed by two each from Richard and Horford. Butler assisted three of the five made shots in that run.
After scoring 20 points for the first time in over two years, Melton wound up with 19 off the bench. The Warriors are now 5-0 when he makes multiple threes this season.
Earned Rest
When the Warriors led by 16 points entering the fourth quarter Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, they could have quickly put the game away and allowed their veteran Big Three of Curry, Butler and Green to take a seat the rest of the way. That didn’t happen in an eventual seven-point win.
Curry played a team-high 34 minutes against the Bucks. Butler was second with 32 and Green was third with 29. Thanks to the separation that was created at the end of the third quarter and continued into the fourth, the stars got the rest they earned.
Butler watched the entire fourth quarter against the Kings from the bench and played just 23 minutes. Curry played six-plus minutes in the fourth and was the only Warrior to play more than 30 minutes. Green spent a little more than five minutes on the floor in the fourth and ended at 27 minutes.
Though the Warriors don’t have a back-to-back until the last two games of their current eight-game homestand, they get little time for rest and recovery in between games. Against their Northern California rivals, the stars never needed to exhaust themselves.
Observations after Sixers grind out win over Magic, shrug off cold shooting
Observations after Sixers grind out win over Magic, shrug off cold shooting originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers outplayed the Magic in the second half and earned their fifth win in six games Friday night.
They picked up a 103-91 victory in Orlando and moved to 21-15 on the season. The Magic fell to 21-18.
Tyrese Maxey had 29 points and three steals.
Joel Embiid posted 22 points and nine rebounds. Paul George added 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Sixers had everyone available for the second consecutive game. Orlando’s Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Tristan da Silva were out with injuries.
The Magic’s leading scorers were Desmond Bane with 23 points and Anthony Black with 21. Paolo Banchero had 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The Sixers will play the Raptors on both Sunday and Monday nights in Toronto. Here are observations on their win over the Magic:
Brick-heavy first half
Orlando’s offensive rebounding was an early problem for the Sixers. Bane laid in his own miss and Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout with his team trailing 6-1.
The Sixers’ frigid shooting start wound up being a far larger issue. They began 4 for 18 from the floor and 0 for 12 from three-point range. Maxey missed his first six field goals, including several open long-distance shots.
The Magic’s shooting wasn’t much better and the game stayed close. Quentin Grimes finally hit the Sixers’ first triple early in the second quarter, which knotted the score at 31-all.
Outside shooting remained a giant weakness for both offenses throughout the evening. At halftime, the teams were a combined 3 for 33 beyond the arc. The numbers at the final buzzer were 8 for 57 (14 percent).
Sixers win in key areas
The Sixers used a 10-man rotation. Adem Bona received his first DNP since Dec. 14 and Andre Drummond played 17 minutes as Embiid’s backup.
Kelly Oubre Jr. came off the bench and shot 0 for 5 from the field in his second game after returning from a left knee LCL sprain. He couldn’t hit a couple of contested layups and lacked his typical decisiveness as a driver.
The Sixers did get plenty of multiple-shot possessions to compensate for their many misses. They had 15 offensive rebounds in the first half and a season high-tying 21 in the game.
To their credit, the Sixers didn’t appear too demoralized by how they were shooting. The team also earned advantages Friday in the turnovers column (19 to 13) and at the foul line (21 makes to the Magic’s 15). The Sixers have been a top-five team this season in free throw percentage. They went 21 for 25 (87.5 percent) at the charity stripe in Orlando.
Stars shine after halftime
Both Embiid and Maxey looked like their usual selves in the third quarter.
Embiid troubled the Magic with his physicality and foul drawing. Maxey found frequent success driving into the paint. His second three-pointer of the third quarter gave the Sixers an 80-72 lead and Orlando didn’t have the necessary firepower to respond.
George stepped up with important shotmaking early in the fourth quarter as Maxey and Embiid rested. The Sixers ran their offense through George and he scored a few 1-on-1 buckets. The veteran forward also assisted a short Drummond bank shot that put the Sixers up double digits for the first time.
Their first-half performance was obviously not the prettiest, but the Sixers played a good second half and will be satisfied with the win on a night they set new season lows in made threes (four) and three-point percentage (14.3).
What we learned as Kings' skid hits seven games with blowout loss to Warriors
What we learned as Kings' skid hits seven games with blowout loss to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Good thing the NBA doesn’t award style points, because this would have been a unanimous zero from all the judges. With few exceptions, it was that bad.
Facing a Warriors team that clearly was playing down to the competition, the Kings still managed to let this one slip through their fingers and came up on the bad end of a 137-103 thumping on Friday at Chase Center that extended Sacramento’s losing streak to seven games and 13 of 15.
The tough part is that the seven-game skid isn’t even the Kings’ longest of the 2025-26 NBA season. They’re first two cracks at ending the streak are at home against the Houston Rockets on Sunday then against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, also at Golden 1 Center.
That’s not a lot of time to lick their wounds, so the Kings have to flush this one as soon as possible.
DeMar DeRozan led the way against the Warriors with 24 points. Zach LaVine and Dennis Schröder scored 15 points apiece while Russell Westbrook added 13 points and seven assists.
LaVine and Maxime Raynaud helped the Kings get going early, combining for 13 points and five rebounds in the first quarter, although they didn’t get much defensive help as the Warriors piled up 34 points in the opening 12 minutes.
Sacramento cleaned things up a little in the second quarter but fell back into its old patterns in the third. DeRozan had 11 points, but the Kings as a team shot 9 of 20 (1 of 9 behind the arc) and fell behind by 13 heading into the fourth.
Here are the takeaways from Friday’s blowout loss:
Smoke and Mirrors
As ugly as this one was at the end, it could have been a whole lot worse all things considered, so credit Doug Christie for that.
Christie goes under the radar a lot of nights, but the Kings coach deserves a lot of credit for the way Sacramento was able to stick close against their Northern California rivals for most of the night before letting go of the rope in the fourth quarter.
The Kings were on the short end in just about every significant category, a formula that ends with an L more often than not. And that’s what happened at Chase Center, although Christie and the Kings somehow prevented this one from being an even more lopsided loss.
The Kings shot 25 percent from behind the arc, got outrebounded 41-32 and allowed 66 points to Golden State’s bench.
Give It To Me One More Time
The Kings shot the ball fairly well early on, but it was their work on the glass that really kept them close. Specifically, Sacramento’s offensive rebounding.
The Kings have been among the lower-third of NBA teams when it comes to snagging boards on the offensive end for most of the season but turned that trend around against the Warriors. Sacramento outscored Golden State 15-0 in second-chance points in the first quarter and finished the night with 10 offensive boards that led to 19 second-chance points.
Dylan Cardwell led the way with four offensive rebounds, while Raynaud and DeRozan each had two.
Take Care Of The Ball, Take Care Of Business
Across sports there is one axiom that generally rings true: The team that takes care of the ball the best tends to win.
While the Kings didn’t leave the Bay Area with a victory, they can at least hold their heads high for doing a great job of holding onto the ball and not cough it up carelessly.
Sacramento committed 13 turnovers that Golden State converted into 20 points, still too high for Christie’s liking but certainly better than his squad had been playing. The Kings also had 13 turnovers during Tuesday’s loss to Dallas.
NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: Now Atlanta can go hard after Anthony Davis, but should they?
We've had one big trade — Trae Young going to the Wizards — and now another big name is available at the deadline in Ja Morant (for the latest on him, click here). Let's break down the latest rumors.
Pelicans standing pat
There are a number of teams interested in Pelicans' wings Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, but not at a return that decision maker Joe Dumars and the Pelicans consider fair, so they are taking their ball and going home, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Sources: New Orleans Pelicans are disappointing the market in informing teams that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears will remain with the organization past Feb. 5 trade deadline.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 9, 2026
Two thoughts. First, this is a classic "we're walking away from the negotiating table" tactic to encourage better offers. Maybe those come, maybe they don't, but the Pelicans are not done talking. Second, there was zero chance that Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears are now or were ever available via trade.
Anthony Davis
In the wake of trading away Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves more financial flexibility to go after an Anthony Davis trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The Hawks didn't want the massive contracts of Young and Davis on the books at the same time, according to the report, but now Young is out the door for an expiring contract in CJ McCollum, giving the Hawks more flexibility.
Atlanta has been the most aggressive suitor for an Anthony Davis trade. Should they be? Should the Hawks go after Davis?
I just do not like the fit. Let's stipulate that, when healthy, Davis is a top-15-20 player in the league who impacts the game on both ends of the court. He just had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks last night and — again, when healthy — would boost the Hawks frontcourt.
But he is a 32-year-old with a lengthy injury history — he has played 65+ games once in the previous eight seasons and has missed 18 games already this season — who is owed $58 million next season, has a $62 million player option for the season after that, and is looking for a contract extension.
Atlanta is now what every team in the league is striving to be — long, athletic, young and versatile. And, they are going to end up with a very high draft pick next June in a very deep draft, courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans. The rest of the Hawks' core is young. Jalen Johnson should be an All-Star this season and is 24, Dyson Daniels is 22, Zaccharie Risacher is 20, and the "old man" of the group is Nickeil Alexander-Walker at 27.
Adding Davis, who will be 33 next season when the Hawks want to make a push and become a threat in the East, changes that dynamic — and how many wins does he really bring with him? Atlanta would need Davis to play the five, but he famously does not want to do that full-time and prefers to play at the four.
If Atlanta wants to make this trade, it cannot aggregate CJ McCollum or Corey Kispert into it under the terms of the CBA. That means the trade would have to center on returning Kristaps Porziņģis to Dallas, plus adding the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Risacher, and Luke Kennard. Atlanta has reportedly been adamant that it does not want to include Risacher in a trade for Davis.
Atlanta should get out of the Davis market, look for a point guard such as Coby White who might be available (or other players on the margins), and, this off-season, look for a star player on the timeline of their other talent. Trading away Young to bring in Davis feels like a lateral move.
Dallas may get to see what Davis, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving look like playing together after all, with any major roster changes on hold until the summer.
Jonathan Kuminga
Going back to last offseason, the Sacramento Kings have been the team most often linked to a Kuminga trade. It makes some sense, the Kings are simply in need of more young talent and taking a flier on Kuminga — hoping a new setting will help him thrive — is not a bad roll of the dice.
The challenge? Golden State doesn't like what Sacramento has to offer, reports Sam Amick at The Athletic.
Yet because the Warriors have shown no interest in the Kings' many available veterans, a third team likely will be required to get something done. There's this key development, too: While the Kings offered a protected 2030 first-round pick and Monk when they tried to land Kuminga via sign-and-trade in the summer, league sources say the first-round pick is no longer in play.
The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards also have "all have different levels of interest" in Kuminga, reports Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Kuminga can be traded as of Jan. 15, but don't expect an immediate deal once the restrictions are off. Nothing seems particularly close to happening at this point.
Domantas Sabonis
While we are talking about the Kings' trades, Domantas Sabonis continues to be linked to the Toronto Raptors, a team known to be looking for a center, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Just a reminder that the current Kings general manager, Scott Perry, drafted both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was with the Knicks.
New York Knicks
While the Knicks may have lost 4-of-5, don't expect that to push them toward a major trade or shaking up this roster. What owner James Dolan said in a rare interview reportedly is the thinking internally at Madison Square Garden — they like their team as it is and their chances of making the NBA Finals. Here is what James L. Edwards III wrote at The Athletic.
"Per league sources, before this skid, any move the Knicks made — if they made one at all — would be around the margins."
Don't expect that to change unless this slump — and the team's struggling defense — continues. Then all bets are off.
A Veteran Hockey Critic's Defense Of Rangers Owner James Dolan
Veteran sports analyst Steve Viuker of Brooklyn believes that James Dolan is getting a bit of a bum rap from his critics. Viuker makes points that command attention. To wit:
1. KNICKERBOCKERS: Dolan's baby, his Knicks, are a very exciting NBA contender.
2. RANGERS: Although they aren't exactly hotshots, Steve says "They Blueshirts are usually competitive."
3. OTHER OWNERS ARE WORSE: Viuker mentions the likes of sports bosses Don Sterling, Clippers, Woody Johnson of the Jets and – perhaps he has forgotten – the Maras of football Giants infamy.
"For better or worse," read Viuker concludes, "Jim Dolan is a hands-on owner. While he may be far from the best owner, there are many who are much worse!"
For first time, Grizzlies reportedly 'entertaining offers' to trade Ja Morant
The Atlanta Hawks just traded their star, in-his-prime point guard to Washington for an unimpressive return — no draft picks, no young players, mostly an expiring contract — because it was the only viable option. There was no meaningful trade market for Trae Young.
Now enter Ja Morant into the conversation.
The Memphis Grizzlies are, for the first time, "entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star," reports Shams Charania of ESPN. "Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return," is the spin from Charania.
That kind of trade will be difficult to find. While there are front offices that like the potential of a Morant comeback story, not many teams are looking for a point guard, let alone a ball-dominant one who is a minus defender and on a max contract. Much as it was with Young, some teams will expect Memphis to add draft picks as sweeteners to the deal to get them to take on Monrant and his contract.
Morant, 26, will miss his fourth straight game Friday night due to a calf contusion, and he has missed 19 games already this season due to injuries and a one-game suspension for an incident with coach Tuomas Iisalo. A combination of injuries and suspensions — Morant comes with a lot of baggage — have kept him from playing in more than 65 games in any of the last seven seasons.
More concerning, when he has played this season, he has not looked as explosive as he once did when he was an All-Star and one of the most dynamic players in the league, scouts have told NBC Sports. Any flashes of that old Morant have been just that, flashes (although his injuries could have something to do with that). This season, he has averaged 19 points a game on 40.1% shooting (20.8% from 3-point range) and is dishing out 7.6 assists a night. He is a drive-and-dish player, not one who has ever spaced the floor with his shooting. And the fact that he is a target on defense is a serious issue in the modern NBA.
The biggest concern for teams may be the money. Morant is making $39.5 million this season, the third year of a five-year, $197 million max contract. He is guaranteed $87.1 million in the two seasons after this one. In the tax apron era, teams know they cannot miss on max contracts, and Morant is not everyone's flavor of point guard — ball-dominant, someone others have to adjust to play around. Being a player who has to have the ball in his hands can work in today's NBA if a player is Luka Dončić- or Jalen Brunson-level, but is Morant that player anymore?
How much would a team be willing to give up in a trade to find out? Enough to get a deal done at the deadline? There are teams willing to take a chance on Morant's potential — a fresh start, get him healthy, and bet he can find his form again — but this is more about teams understanding the risk they are taking on, being willing to take a bit of a flier, not trading for a current star player. The return on that kind of trade may be less than the Grizzlies envision, much as it was with the Hawks when they dealt Young.
Morant joins Anthony Davis as the biggest names available at the trade deadline. Whether either of them finds a new home before Feb. 5 is up for debate, but they will generate a lot of headlines between now and then.
With trade to Washington official, Trae Young releases statement discussing change
It's official: Trae Young is a Washington Wizard.
The trade reported a couple of days ago — with Young going to Washington and CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert headed to Atlanta — became official on Friday morning. That is when Young released this statement on X.
…Another Opportunity❄️ pic.twitter.com/jDk09ZI8BZ
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 9, 2026
The key parts of that discuss his acceptance of change for the man who had been the face of the Atlanta Hawks for more than seven years, since the team traded for him on draft night in 2018.
"The last few years weren't how I wanted them to be, expectations that were created for ourselves, reaching heights that Atlanta has never reached before...However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn't make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential. The city that raised me and taught me so much will always be a chapter in this story. However, the pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change."
Young also showed off his new jersey in the Wizards locker room.
It’s official #TRA3@WashWizardspic.twitter.com/Aikewfkwjc
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 9, 2026
Young goes to Washington in what is essentially a trial run, but how much we see of Young the remainder of this season is in doubt. Washington brought Young in to be a floor raiser with their young core, but this is also a team that owes its first-round pick to the Knicks, top-eight protected. Currently, the Wizards have the fourth-worst winning percentage in the league, and if the NBA Draft Lottery were today, they would retain their pick regardless of how the ping-pong balls bounce. But if Young plays a lot this season and lifts the Wizards up the standings, that dynamic changes. Which is why most people around the league expect it will be next season before we see a lot of Young on the court in a Wizards uniform and the real test of his ability to be a leader and mentor to this team will begin.
Watch Anthony Edwards become third youngest player ever to reach 10,000 points
LeBron James. Kevin Durant.
Those two legends and future Hall of Famers are the only two players to reach 10,000 points in the NBA younger than Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves star reached that milestone Thursday night with a fourth-quarter step-back jumper along the baseline.
10,000 CAREER POINTS FOR ANT
— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2026
Joins LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony as the only players to reach 10K before turning 25! pic.twitter.com/o3gPoJPopf
"To be honest, it's cool, but I know I've got a lot more to go, so it's really nothing, for real," Edwards said postgame, via the Associated Press. "I'm kind of sick that I got in front of Kobe. I wished I would've waited like 100 days or something, but yeah, it's all good."
Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, reached the milestone in 412 games. Only two other Timberwolves — Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns — have reached this milestone with the team.
Edwards hit 10,000 on a night he scored 25 points with nine assists and seven rebounds as the Timberwolves picked up an impressive 131-122 win over the Cavaliers. The Timberwolves have won four in a row and 8-of-11.
Steve Kerr hilariously recalls his angriest career ejections as Warriors coach
Steve Kerr hilariously recalls his angriest career ejections as Warriors coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr can laugh about it now.
Speaking Thursday on 95.7 The Game, the Warriors coach recalled some of the angriest ejections of his coaching career — including Monday night’s highly visible outburst against the Los Angeles Clippers.
When asked where that ejection ranked on his personal “anger meter,” Kerr didn’t hesitate.
“I read that I’ve been ejected five times,” Kerr joked. “So I’m just going to say it was top five.”
As he looked back, Kerr began cycling through other moments that still stand out.
One came in a matchup with the Sacramento Kings, where the embarrassment only compounded as he made his way off the floor. At the time, the Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins — one of the league’s most fiery personalities, and no stranger to technical fouls or ejections himself.
“I remember getting ejected in Sacramento, and as I was being led off the floor, DeMarcus Cousins, who was playing for the Kings, was laughing at me,” Kerr said. “And so that’s never a good sign when DeMarcus is laughing at you because you got kicked out.”
Another flashpoint came years later in a game against the Portland Trailblazers, when a call involving Draymond Green pushed Kerr over the edge.
“I got mad at Kenny Mauer in Portland one year when he called a flagrant foul on Draymond [Green], and I went nuts and got tossed,” Kerr explained. “So, yeah, I mean, every once in a while, I snap, and it’s happened a handful of times. I can’t really rank them, because I lose my mind. And I don’t remember much. Sometimes I just feel like I have to back up the team. And sometimes it’s genuine anger and conviction.”
That same principle applied Monday night, Kerr explained, referencing the missed goaltending call that ultimately led to his ejection against the Clippers.
“You just cannot miss an obvious goaltend,” Kerr noted. “A lot of that was just principle.”
What made this ejection different, however, was everything surrounding it.
Kerr recalled that the game was played with his mother in attendance — and that his ejection was memorably narrated by Snoop Dogg on Peacock’s broadcast.
“This was the most memorable one, for sure, because I got the narration from Snoop, which gives me great street cred, and then I got completely shot down by my mom for my behavior,” Kerr said. “So, yeah, it was like the full, you know, I got praise, and I got mom’s glare. So I guess I’m back to square one.”
For Kerr, the memories now land less as moments of regret and more as reminders of why those eruptions happen in the first place — passion, principle, and a willingness to stand up for his team, even if it means hearing about it from his mom afterward.
Warriors trade interest Anthony Davis reportedly sidelined with hand injury
Warriors trade interest Anthony Davis reportedly sidelined with hand injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It appears one of the Warriors’ rumored trade interests will be sidelined for at least a little while.
Dallas Mavericks star center Anthony Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday, citing sources.
Pending advice from a second opinion and whether surgery will be required, Davis could be sidelined for months.
The 10-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s most prime trade targets could be out through the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, Charania added, and possibly even longer.
Golden State has longed for a true center for the past few years and its interest in Davis again circulated when The Athletic recently reported that the Warriors called the Mavericks about a potential trade for Davis.
Two league sources confirmed the Warriors’ interest in Davis to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, who noted that while the five-time All-NBA big man addresses several of the team’s needs, a deal coming to fruition still is more of a fantasy than reality.
Davis has dealt with several leg/lower-body injuries recently with the Mavericks, including missing 14 games earlier this season due to a calf strain.
In 20 games this season, Davis is averaging 20.4 points on 50.6-percent shooting, with 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes.
Checking in on four ex-Celtics ahead of Kornet's return to Boston
Checking in on four ex-Celtics ahead of Kornet's return to Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics lost a whole lot of experience, leadership and good vibes this offseason when they parted ways with Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
But how much did they really lose in on-court production?
It’s a fair question to ask, considering Boston hasn’t missed a beat in their absences. Even with superstar Jayson Tatum sidelined, the Celtics enter Friday night with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference (23-13) and the second-best offensive rating (122.2) in the entire NBA.
We’ve written plenty about how Boston has been able to thrive with its new-look roster. But with the first “reunion game” for that departed quartet set for Saturday night — when Kornet’s San Antonio Spurs visit TD Garden — it’s time for another check-in on these four former Celtics.
Luke Kornet, Spurs
- 2025-26 stats: 29 games, 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 blocks, 66.2 percent FG
- First game back in Boston: Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
What if we told you that, among this group, Kornet has made the biggest impact on his new team?
You might not be too surprised, given how much the versatile big man affected winning in Boston. But Kornet is certainly living up to the four-year, $41 million contract he received from San Antonio.
After missing seven games early in the season due to an ankle injury, Kornet has become a frontcourt stalwart for the Spurs, starting 21 of 29 games while Victor Wembanyama missed time due to injury. Kornet has already racked up three double-doubles and has scored 10 or more points in 10 games, including a 23-point, five-block outburst against Portland last week.
Kornet is on pace for career highs across the board while playing 24.9 minutes per game, and his ability to hold down the frontcourt while the Spurs manage Wembanyama’s minutes is a big reason why San Antonio has the second-best record in the Western Conference (26-11).
Jrue Holiday, Blazers
- 2025-26 stats: 12 games, 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 44.6 percent FG, 36.5 percent 3PT
- First game back in Boston: Monday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
Holiday got off to a hot start in Portland, logging more than 33 minutes per night as the Blazers’ starting point guard while ranking among the NBA’s assist leaders. He suffered a calf injury on Nov. 14, however, and hasn’t played since.
While Holiday could return soon (he was upgraded to doubtful for Portland’s next game), it’s possible the 35-year-old transitions to a smaller role, as Deni Advija is putting up career numbers as the Blazers’ primary ball-handler.
Portland (18-20) is actually still in the playoff picture as the No. 9 seed in the West, but whether it maintains that pace — and whether Holiday can stay on the court when he returns — remains to be seen.
Kristaps Porzingis, Hawks
- 2025-26 stats: 17 games, 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, 45.7 percent FG, 36.0 percent 3PT
- First game back in Boston: Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston
Porzingis has had a rough go of it so far in Atlanta.
Earlier this season, it was revealed that the “mystery illness” Porzingis dealt with in Boston was postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, an autonomic condition that can “dramatically increase a patient’s heart rate when standing up instead of spread horizontal,” per The Athletic.
Porzingis’ condition has limited him to 17 games this season, and he missed 14 of 15 games from late November to late December. The 7-foot-2 big man has played in four of Atlanta’s last five games but hasn’t played more than 22 minutes in any of those contests as the Hawks try to manage his minutes.
Porzingis is on an expiring contract making $30.7 million this season, so if Atlanta is looking to shed more salary after dealing Trae Young, he’d be a potential trade candidate.
Al Horford, Warriors
- 2025-26 stats: 19 games, 6.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 blocks, 37.3 percent FG, 34.9 percent 3PT
- First game back in Boston: Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
Remember when Horford said he chose Golden State over Boston in part because he wanted a better chance at a title? That hasn’t aged particularly well: Horford’s Warriors are 8th in the West at 20-18, while the Celtics own the East’s No. 3 seed at 23-13 entering Friday’s games.
As is the case with Holiday and Porzingis, Horford has missed a decent amount of time, including 11 games in a 12-game stretch last month. Since returning to action on Christmas Day, however, the 39-year-old has been fairly effective, averaging 9.2 points over a six-game span while making 44.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
The Warriors have been linked to a few big men (most notably Anthony Davis) on the trade market, but if Horford gives them decent enough production between now and the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, perhaps they’d be convinced to stand pat.
Warriors' Steve Kerr wants people to ‘settle down' with Draymond Green criticism
Warriors' Steve Kerr wants people to ‘settle down' with Draymond Green criticism originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors coach Steve Kerr pushed back on recent criticism of Draymond Green, urging fans and analysts to avoid overreacting to short-term analytics and small sample sizes.
Speaking Thursday on 95.7 The Game, Kerr defended Green’s ongoing impact — particularly on the defensive end — while cautioning against placing too much weight on recent plus-minus numbers.
“One of the big themes from the analytics department is, you know, be careful with small sample sizes,” Kerr said. “So when I hear people say, ‘Draymond has been a negative for, you know, the last 10 games.’ I’m like, ‘Well, he’s been positive for the last 12 years.’ So like, let’s, let’s settle down here. Let’s, let’s give it some time.”
Kerr’s comments came one day after Green logged a physical, high-energy defensive performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, serving as Golden State’s primary matchup against the two-time NBA MVP. While Antetokounmpo still finished with strong counting stats, Kerr emphasized that Green made nearly every possession difficult — and played a key role in the Warriors securing a 120-113 win.
“Draymond is probably the best possible matchup for Giannis that we could find,” Kerr noted. “His brain, his IQ, his strength, his length, physical strength — all that stuff just comes into play when you’re playing a guy like Giannis. I mean, you need everything, and Draymond has everything.”
Kerr acknowledged that Green’s on-court metrics — particularly his plus-minus — have not matched his usual standard this season, but emphasized that context matters when evaluating those numbers.
“I think you have to allow for all the circumstances that are involved — where the league is, how people are playing,” Kerr added. “I’m going to keep hammering home … that if we take care of the ball and we get offensive rebounds, then we’re going to be a really good team, and Draymond is going to be on the plus side.”
For Kerr, the bigger picture remains unchanged.
“I just think you can’t get too carried away with the numbers,” Kerr said. “You have to study them and take them with a grain of salt, too.”
Duke, Michigan headline college basketball weekend schedule of games to watch
Conference play in the men's college basketball season is in full swing entering this weekend. We break down the biggest matchups.