Category: Basketball

The Atlanta Hawks mounted a fourth-quarter rally but could not overcome Miami’s interior production, falling to the Heat 129–117 on Wednesday despite a career-high 23 points from rookie Kingston Flemings.

Flemings added five rebounds and five assists, providing a spark off the bench as Atlanta attempted to climb back into the game. Lu Dort also knocked down a pair of fourth-quarter three-pointers, helping the Hawks trim the deficit to five. Miami ultimately closed out the victory by continuing to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo combined for 48 points and 27 rebounds, anchoring an interior advantage Atlanta struggled to counter throughout the night.

The Hawks opened with little offensive rhythm. Their perimeter shots were not falling, and disjointed possessions made it difficult to establish a consistent attack. At the other end, Miami repeatedly found opportunities near the basket. Adebayo scored nine first-quarter points as the Heat shot 65 percent from the field in the period.

Atlanta’s bench helped change the offensive flow in the second quarter. Aaron Wiggins and Flemings supplied a lift, helping the Hawks cut the deficit to two points.

However, that progress was undermined by turnovers and defensive breakdowns. Miami found open looks beyond the arc and continued getting to the rim, while Atlanta struggled to draw Antetokounmpo and Adebayo away from the paint. The Hawks also had trouble on the boards at both ends, adding to the challenge of sustaining their comeback.

Atlanta entered halftime trailing by 13.

The Hawks showed more aggression on both ends to begin the third quarter, trimming eight points off the deficit. That momentum proved short-lived as fouls interrupted their progress and sent Miami to the line.

The fourth quarter brought another push, with Flemings’ offensive production and Dort’s perimeter shooting giving Atlanta a chance. The rookie’s performance was a bright spot, providing scoring and playmaking off the bench when the Hawks needed both.

Still, Atlanta could not consistently keep Miami out of the paint. The same problems that hurt the Hawks early resurfaced down the stretch, with the Heat generating opportunities inside and at the foul line to prevent the rally from becoming a comeback victory.

The Hawks return home Thursday to face the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 121-111 after trailing by double digits at halftime. It’s Cleveland’s third win in a row.

Evan Mobley led the Cavs in scoring with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Mobley, in particular, had it rolling from downtown with 5-of-6 three-point attempts going in. He fell one shy of his career-high (six versus Charlotte in the 2024-25 season).

This wasn’t exactly a defensive masterclass in the first half. Cleveland struggled to get back in transition or in the half-court matchup, with Washington hanging 42 points on them while shooting 13-for-18 inside of two-point range.

The Wizards scored 26 points in the paint during the first quarter. AJ Dybantsa, last summer’s No. 1 overall pick, scored 9 points and didn’t miss a shot in his first stint.

Cleveland eventually found a spark in the second quarter as Peyton Watson began scoring from all three levels. He buried a few jumpers from the mid-range before stepping out behind the arc and canning a three-pointer. Watson finished the half with 16 points on 7-11 shooting.

Still, the Cavs found themselves down by double digits heading into halftime for the second straight game. Their poor interior and transition defense was to blame.

There was a marginal increase in effort for the second half. Not enough to avoid another backdoor alley-oop, but the Cavs amped their intensity to the point where it was a tie game entering the fourth quarter. Half of the battle is giving yourself a chance to win in the end.

The Cavs carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, where timely shots from Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas put them in front. Thomas, who won over Cleveland in his debut on Monday, had another strong performance on the defensive end.

A win tonight makes the Cavs 3-1 on the season, with another game tomorrow on the road against the Atlanta Hawks. They’ll conclude the month of October with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Halloween night.

CHICAGO — Mike Brown said he’s waiting for the Knicks to get back “on track” before incorporating some of the younger players — specifically Mo Diawara and Pacôme Dadiet. 

“It’s tough because going into the season early on, one of [the] things I wanted to experiment with is playing 10 or 10 ½ guys [as my rotation],” Brown said. “And Mo is in that mix. Mo and Pac. Give them different opportunities at different times. And we experimented with different stuff and our players not getting it done caused us to start off a little slow. 

“So to get us on track, we’re going to hold the fort down with a veteran group of guys. Hopefully we get to the point sooner than later that I can start throwing those [young] guys out there.” 

The Knicks lost their first three games before blowing past the Pistons on Tuesday, a rough beginning for the defending champs. 

Brown, meanwhile, has warned in his news conferences, at least twice, that the bench rotation is fluid. 

Spots can be won or lost. The coach proved it already by benching Andre Drummond, a demotion that only lasted about a half against the Magic. Still, Brown’s nine- to 10-man rotation had been fairly consistent heading into Wednesday against the Bulls, with the one wrinkle being Tyler Kolek’s inclusion because Jose Alvarado missed three straight games with an ankle sprain. 

With everybody healthy, it looked like this: 

PG: Jalen Brunson, Alvarado 

SG: Mikal Bridges, Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson 

SF: Josh Hart, Landry Shamet 

PF: OG Anunoby 

C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Drummond 

Notably absent from virtually any playing time was Diawara, a rangy forward who was a bit of a revelation as a second-round pick last season but lost his rotation spot before the playoffs. Diawara earned a new contract — four years, $11.3 million (only half guaranteed) — but not more playing time. 

At least not yet. 

Diawara’s would-be minutes were going to Clarkson, the rotation’s 10th man. However, Brown only went with nine players in Tuesday’s victory over the Pistons — leaving Clarkson with his first DNP. 

“Our starting five is what it is,” Brown said. “But everybody else after that, until we find something that’s working consistently, I’m going to try to give different guys opportunities.” 

In the bigger picture, the rotation underscores how the Knicks weren’t created through the draft. Following Mitchell Robinson’s defection to Beantown, they’re down to just one homegrown pick as a rotation player — McBride. Kolek, who played a combined 26 minutes in the two games prior to Wednesday, might be the last hope of the 2024 draft class. 

Dadiet (the 25th pick that year) is out of the rotation and headed toward free agency if, as assumed, the Knicks don’t pick up next season’s contract by Saturday’s deadline. Kevin McCullar Jr. (56th pick) was waived last week. Ariel Hukporti (58th) left for the Sixers in free agency. 

Part of this is the product of the second apron. The Knicks traded out of the first round this year because it would’ve been more expensive to make the pick. In 2024, they drafted Dadiet in the first round because he was willing to sign for less money. 

A year ago, the main reason the Knicks inked Diawara to a standard contract was his low salary, just to stay under the apron. Then he unexpectedly cracked the rotation. Now Diawara has to wait for the Knicks to settle in comfortably before his next opportunity. 

Karl-Anthony Towns suffered an apparent wrist injury in the New York Knicks' matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

In the first quarter, Jalen Brunson brought the ball down the court for the defending champions. He passed the ball to Towns, who was just inside the arc. Noa Essengue was guarding Brunson and chased him around the perimeter, running into Towns and knocking Towns down. Towns laid on the hardwood for a small amount of time and writhed in pain.

Karl-Anthony Towns has gone back to the locker room of Bulls-Knicks after an apparent wrist injury. pic.twitter.com/xMAt7OP9XX

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 29, 2026

ESPN reported that Towns went to the locker room with a wrist injury after the incident.

The Knicks are up 34-33 at the end of the first quarter.

This story will be updated when new information is available.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns injury updates: Knicks star appears to hurt wrist vs. Bulls

MINNEAPOLIS — Six months since his falling out with the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga uttered the name of his former team only once in a stilted, five-minute media session before facing them for the first time as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The former lottery pick was asked about the matchup with his successor as the torch carrier of the next era of Warriors basketball, who also happens to wear No. 1, Yaxel Lendeborg.

“I haven’t really watched the Warriors,” he said, apparently not even in film sessions.

As far as his current team, Kuminga’s showdown with the organization that drafted him was overshadowed by bigger news: A knee injury that will require Anthony Edwards to get surgery.

That fit right in with Kuminga’s view on the matchup. He squared off against his former team once after he was traded to the Hawks in February for Kristaps Porzingis, coming off the bench and playing little role in handing the Warriors a 126-110 loss, shooting 1-of-9 from the field.

Kuminga signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Timberwolves over the offseason.

“It’s just another day. Just another game against any other team,” he said. “I’m sure there will be some familiar faces, people that I spent a lot of time with the last few years. But it’s just another day. It’s just another day in the NBA. Nothing more than that.”

Edwards’ absence, however, only increased the spotlight on Kuminga on the court. While he has adopted the role-player mentality the Warriors have always asked of him, he should get more of an opportunity to be featured offensively while they try to make up for Edwards’ loss.

In his first four games, Kuminga has averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 29.8 minutes. The biggest difference between his time with Golden State has been his active defense, his willingness to take a backseat offensively and a 3-point shot that has hit at a 46.7% rate.

“Like most young players, he’s learning and growing and getting better,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who had a strained relationship with Kuminga. “More power to him. I want him to have a great career. This seems like a great spot. He’s got a great coach, Chris [Finch], and he’s playing with some superstar players in the backcourt. … Yeah, wish him well.”

The path to the court from the Timberwolves locker room passes the visitors’ set up in the tunnels of Target Center, so Kuminga crossed paths with some of his former teammates and coaches before tipoff. That didn’t include Kerr, though he said he planned to say hello.

He was asked to compare and contrast Kuminga with Lendeborg, who is two months older and was drafted 11th overall this past June. Lendeborg has logged at least 30 minutes in all but his first NBA game, a threshold Kuminga only reached six times in his final season under Kerr.

“They’re very different players,” Kerr said. “This is a different era for us. We wish Jonathan well.”

Jaylen isn’t the only Brown who isn’t a fan of Jayson Tatum these days.

To paraphrase Frank Isola on the YES Network postgame show: Brooklyn Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. hit the biggest shot of the night, but he also made the biggest blunder. And Tatum made him pay.

The 125-124 overtime loss feels heavier because it drops the Nets to 0-4. Yet the big-picture implications of this performance are far more encouraging than the pain of another “moral victory.” At least that’s the hope.

Of course that doesn’t change Brooklyn’s reality — this was a game they could have stolen. Finding the first win won’t get any easier with a tough week ahead against the Pistons, Pacers, and Knicks. With all this, you’d think a 5-of-17 night in a loss would be a nightmare scenario for Brown Jr. and the Nets.

And why not? Because at least the signs were extremely encouraging. Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes. He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, where knocked down 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from three, to go along with three assists and two rebounds. He was everywhere.

Most importantly, he showed signs of the clutch gene, a player who wanted the ball with the game on the line and hit the shots. Not just one, multiple. Just ask Chris Paul.

This is a big deal for an organization who hasn’t had a homegrown All-Star since Brook Lopez.

Mikel Brown Jr.’s 4th Quarter & OT Highlights

In the fourth quarter, Brown Jr. shot 3-of-4 from three with three assists and two rebounds. The Nets trailed by three with Boston at the line for two free throws. There was a 3% chance they won the game with 13 seconds left.

Tough downhill drive in traffic with the game on the line:

Then, his defining moment — game-tying three with 0.2 left.

This was his final bucket in overtime which put the Nets up 124-119 with 1:57 remaining.

The desire to step in and step up without second thought. The caption says it all:

It happened, though. For all the good he did — for all the ice in his veins leading up to the final seconds — he barely missed a finger roll. Up by one with under 10 seconds left, the 20-year-old made a puzzling decision to force a shot rather than letting Boston commit the deliberate foul.

The definition of a rookie mistake.

Why did he take the layup?

“I did see the open lane, and I thought I had a layup, but the ball was kind of already slipping out of my hands, and PG was already coming towards my right side. So I felt like if I didn’t go up with it, I kind of was gonna fall out of bounds,” Brown Jr. said after the game.

Jayson Tatum made sure he iced this game — over Brown Jr. nonetheless.

The Nets weren’t supposed to switch on the pick. I Brown Jr. did.

What happened?

“It’s a broken play. I blame me. We weren’t supposed to switch that & I switched it. Made a couple of mistakes down the stretch that hurt us. So I’m gonna take the blame on it. Learn from it, get prepared for next game,” Brown Jr. said about the defensive lapse.

Michael Porter Jr. was there by the rookie’s side.

And… Brown Jr. took more accountability after the game.

In the aftermath, Brown’s father, Chris, and writer Kevin O’Connor got into a back-and-forth over re Brown’s up-and-down game…

Chris Brown has a history of defending his son. At Louisville, he also defended Mikel, but this was his first posting in defense of Mikel on the NBA stage.

Interestingly, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic came to Mikel’s defense…

Welcome to the NBA, everyone.

The Dallas Mavericks (2-2) hope to spoil the Oklahoma City Thunder’s (4-0) perfect record to date on a nationally televised game on ESPN. Dallas returns home after a one-game trip in which they dispatched the Miami Heat in the final moments. The Thunder are trying to hold on for dear life as their rotation players get injured, seemingly left and right. Here’s what you need to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder
• WHAT: Primetime national TV game at home
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 8:30 pm CST
• HOW: ESPN

The injury report is a long one for both teams, something that’s really annoying for the fifth game of the season. Kyrie Irving is questionable with injury management, but I expect he plays. Caleb Martin is also questionable with a thumb sprain. Dallas will be missing Sergio De Larrea with a sprained knee and Naji Marshall with an illness. Tarik Biberovic and Santi Aldama are missing as well, but the latter might be back Friday.

The Thunder are missing a host of players. Ajay Mitchell is questionable with an ankle sprain. Jalen Williams is out for the year following that terrible ankle injury. Cason Wallace will end up missing a huge chunk of the season with a shoulder tear. Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, Thomas Sorber, and Nikola Topic are out as well.

Dallas has a chance to notch a win over one of the best and deepest teams in the NBA. They are missing a ton of bodies and SGA is still a MVP-type player. There’s a deeper preview here as well as the gambling post as well.

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!

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

It’s the second night of a back-to-back for the Spurs, but they should be pretty well rested after last night’s easy blowout of the Kings, who didn’t seem too interested in playing a basketball game in San Antonio. I’ve seen a lot more enthusiasm at a Halloween apple bobbing contest than the Kings were putting out last night, who really didn’t have their heads or any other parts of their bodies in the game, except maybe Damontas Sabonis, who made some nice plays around the basket.

Tonight, they’re in Utah to face Will Hardy’s Jazz, who are a much better coached squad than the Doug Christie’s Kings. The Jazz have a rest advantage, but are missing the services of Jaren Jackson Jr., and Lauri Markkannen and Jaxson Hayes are questionable. Mo Bamba has been taking the place of Hayes, and playing well. Tobias Harris is still out for the Spurs, but they have a pretty clean injury sheet otherwise, with everyone who played last night available for tonight’s contest. The Jazz are 1-3 on the season, and this looks like a very winnable game for the Silver and Black tonight if they can play with the kind of poise and effort of last night’s blowout win. The talent gap is enormous, and should carry the Silver and Black to a win tonight.

For local viewers, this game is on DAZN only, which means that you needed to pay another bill just to watch these games. I salute your dedication to the cause. Let’s GOO Spurs!!

Game Prediction:

The Spurs bring Ja’Kobi Gillespie and David Jones Garcia on the trip so that Mitch can play a 5 guard lineup in crunch time.

San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz
October 28, 2026 | 8:00 PM CT
Streaming: DAZN, League Pass
TV: DAZN
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

The Nets saw their entire starting backcourt forced out of Tuesday’s game in Boston with physical ailments, but neither appears to be overly serious. 

Egor Dëmin left in the second quarter with a right leg contusion, while Nolan Traore asked out of his first start of the season with cramping. 

“I’ll be good,” Dëmin said. “It’s nothing serious, so I’ll be ready to go.” 

The Nets practice Thursday and don’t have to file an injury designation for either player until later that afternoon. They’ll host the Pistons on Friday. 

Dëmin was unsure if he’d require any further examination or suit up vs. Detroit. 

“I have no idea,” Dëmin said. “Right now I have no idea. Whatever is going to be needed to be checked or whatever it is, I have no idea. I’m just working here.” 

The young Russian was forced off the floor with two minutes left in the first half. He knocked legs while defending Paul George and came up gimpy on the Nets’ ensuing possession. Dëmin limped off the court and into the locker room. 

“Yeah, when he was driving by me, end up hitting each other’s legs,” Dëmin said. 

“I just got hit and I got kneed in a muscle bone area, a little funny, like an elbow, like a tiny spot. Yeah, I thought, I don’t know how many times I got hit in there before. So I was fine. But then obviously had to get out. Now it feels better than right [then], so I think I’ll be ready in a couple of days.” 

After losing Dëmin in the second quarter, the Nets lost the other half of their backcourt in the fourth. 

Traore had come off the bench for the first three games of the season. After a 17-point, five-assist performance against the Pacers, he got rewarded with the start in Boston. 

The French point guard burst out of the gate and spotted the Nets an early lead. He scored nine first-quarter points on 4-of-4 shooting, getting downhill and beating Jayson Tatum and Paul George on drives. 

But Traore eventually called for a sub die to cramping. It’s an issue he suffered from last season as a rookie. 

Traore left for good 1:23 into the fourth, finishing with 15 points and three assists on 6-of-9 shooting, 1-of-2 from deep. 

“Yeah, he was cramping; and then I felt like he was not moving well,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “And as you guys know, Nolan is a guy that has great energy, can touch the paint anytime. And just for that reason, I felt like I didn’t want to change anything. And I know he wanted to because he wanted to battle through it, but I almost just felt like I had to save him for myself.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Steve Kerr was happy to see the NBA’s crackdown this season on flopping, one of his many hobby horses. But its inconsistent implementation left him scratching his head. 

“It’s interesting,” the Warriors coach said Wednesday before they took on the Timberwolves. “I think everybody’s trying to figure out what’s a flop and what’s not.”

The new rules emphasis this season was the hot topic around the NBA after officials called three flops in the span of 90 seconds the previous night between the Lakers and Blazers.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have yet to have a flop called for or against them in their first four games of the season, despite Kerr’s consistent pleading with referees.

Golden State has been called for a handful of illegal screens that Kerr believed were a result of acting jobs. While the Warriors have been in communication with the league office, Kerr said he would keep those conversations private. 

But he wasn’t afraid to send a public message to the NBA.

“We should be the No Bulls–t Association,” Kerr said. “Like, every bit of bulls–t the players try to pull, we should just say no, no, we’re not doing that. It’s a better game when guys aren’t flopping into each other, hooking each other, running into screens looking like they got hit by a car.

“It’s just a better game when officials have the ability to say, ‘No, we’re not buying into that.’ I feel like we are constantly as a league behind the players. The players are grifting and we’re chasing them, and we’re never getting ahead of them. That’s my biggest issue with it.”

Kerr clarified that he wasn’t complaining about the referees.

“I’m always calculated in the things that I say because I want the best thing for the league,” Kerr said. “I think sometimes it’s good to make these things a talking point. Obviously the flopping stuff last night became a talking point, so I’m adding my two cents.

“But I have been really consistent in my time here that anything that is BS should just be banished.”

There is at least one tried and true method for eliminating flopping, according to Kerr. He said he was talking with another coach who had the players call their own fouls in training camp.

“When you have the players call their own fouls, they don’t flop,” Kerr said. “I’m not saying that’s the answer. I think our officials do a great job. … What I’m saying is we need to stay ahead of all the players grifting. Easier said than done.”

With Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin leading a pack of seven first-round draft picks the past two years, the Nets were always going to suffer growing pains. 

There was plenty of pain and suffering in Tuesday night’s heartbreaker in Boston. 

And the Nets hope for plenty of growth down the line. 

Brown, the No. 6 overall pick, had what should have been a breakout moment in a thrilling victory in Boston. He poured in 13 points in a fourth-quarter Nets comeback, including a clutch 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second left to force overtime. 

But it was in that dramatic extra stanza that Brown made a pair of typical rookie mistakes, mental gaffes on each end of the floor that will be galling today but growth opportunities for tomorrow. 

“[Jordi Fernández] obviously acknowledged, ‘This wasn’t just on you. It’s a team effort.’ But I set standards for myself when it comes to that stuff,” the 20-year-old Brown said. “As a guard, time management, blowing coverages on the defensive end, that I just can’t have. I’m gonna go watch that film with the coaches, go watch film with Jordi, break it down, learn from it and be better.” 

Much of the film won’t be fun. But it may end up being fruitful. 

It will show Brown’s 17 points, five assists and five boards in his best game yet. 

But it will show the time-management mistake, when Brown missed a pair of late layup attempts in overtime, the second of which was ill-advised. 

He should’ve pulled the ball out and bled the clock. But he drove and missed with 2.3 seconds left in overtime to give Boston one last chance. 

“It was discussed to just try to get it in, and try to kill time. That definitely was discussed,” Brown acknowledged. “But like I said, man, it’s just mistakes down the stretch that I just can’t make. I just can’t do that, so …” 

It proved a costly mistake. 

Though Dëmin pointed out it was not purely a rookie one, citing De’Aaron Fox’s similar NBA Finals Game 4 call to go for a layup rather than run the clock that cost the Spurs. 

“Listen, I don’t think it’s a good idea to refer to him being a rookie. That happens to anybody. We saw in the Finals something similar happened,” said Dëmin. “I don’t think anybody should be taking blame for that. It’s a team effort and team results. So, there’s so many things we can learn from not just this game, but any game. It’s a great, great experience to have games like this. As many games as we can play where it’s a close ending, that’s gonna be beneficial for us in the future.” 

Brown will be a huge part of that future. And he’ll take lessons from games like Tuesday, taking responsibility on X. 

After missing the layup, his gaffe on the other end set up the winner. 

The Nets weren’t supposed to switch, intent on using Noah Clowney’s length to defend Jayson Tatum. But when Brown got screened, the rookie switched and let the Celtics star end up on a smaller defender. 

The Nets paid, as Tatum hit a midrange winner that beat the buzzer. 

“We were supposed to stay home, especially on Tatum, keep Noah on Tatum. I got caught up because I didn’t know which way Payton [Pritchard] was gonna go, and we ended up switching,” said Brown. “So, completely put the blame on myself. I can’t just break the coverage like that. I just take full accountability of it. It’s gonna be hard watching the film, and I’m just gonna learn from it.” 

After Brown had just one point through three quarters — on 0-for-5 shooting — he erupted for 13 in the fourth on 4-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-4 from deep. 

Maybe fatigued from logging a career-high 27 minutes, Brown was 1-for-4 from behind the arc in overtime. Instinct says get to the rim. In this instance, tactics and discipline had to override instinct. 

It’s a lesson Brown will learn. And be better for. 

Ernie Johnson, the bow-tie-wearing, peace-keeping host of “Inside the NBA,” is leaving the show after 37 years.

“It’s just time,” the 70-year-old broadcaster said in a video posted Wednesday on social media.

“So why now? Total honesty here. I’ve always prided myself on my preparation, the hours I put in every day getting ready for the next show. I’ve always loved that part of my job, but I’ve always vowed that if that ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, then I’ll know it’s time to step away. And now, after 37 seasons, it’s time.”

Read more:No more 'Inside the NBA'? Here are some of Chuck, Shaq, Kenny and Ernie's top moments

“Inside the NBA” started on TNT in 1989, and Johnson became host the following season. Over the years, he was joined by analysts Kenny Smith (1998), Charles Barkley (2000) and Shaquille O’Neal (2011) in a lineup that has become beloved to generations of basketball fans — so much so that the show switched over to ESPN when TNT lost its NBA rights.

“Few people have shaped the way fans experience the NBA as profoundly as Ernie Johnson,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “His brilliance as a broadcaster is matched by his character, compassion and generosity, which have been evident throughout his 37 years as host of ‘Inside the NBA.’ We are grateful for Ernie’s extraordinary impact on our league and look forward to celebrating him during his final season.”

Johnson repeated his announcement to open the crew’s appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Tip-Off” on Wednesday, then asked a clearly emotional Barkley how he was doing.

Take a listen to Ernie Johnson speaking on stepping away from Inside the NBA after 37 years ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JTKIBHNRkm

— ESPN (@espn) October 28, 2026

“That was tough,” Barkley said. “We knew the day was coming — still tough. Been here for 26, 27 years, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you all this time, and Kenny and Shaq and the amazing people behind the scenes. ...

“It’s been an amazing journey. You’ve been our leader. Our unquestionable leader. The question I’m asked the most … is, is Ernie Johnson as good a person as he seems? And I say, man, he’s better than that. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being our leader for all these years. … All I can say, Ernie, is thank you.”

Smith gave Johnson a standing ovation, and O’Neal said Johnson was the reason he joined the crew.

The Inside The NBA crew reacts to Ernie Johnson announcing this will be his last season on the show ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kLF2foSLgl

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2026

“You are the controller of this thing people call the circus — the best circus in town, but without you, it’s going to be very, very difficult,” O’Neal said. “Chuck made a great point. All we can say is thank you, and we appreciate you. We’re gonna miss you, and we will see you around, but thanks for the great run.”

In a video posted on X, Golden State Warriors forward and frequent “Inside the NBA” guest Draymond Green perfectly summed up Johnson’s role on the show.

“He is the best point guard I’ve ever played with — that’s no disrespect to the great Steph Curry,” Green said in a video posted Wednesday on X. “Ernie Johnson on a set is as incredible as they come. He sees everything. He’s like, ‘Man, this guy hasn’t spoke for a while. Let me toss it to him. Man, this conversation is going off the rails a little bit’ — as it can on that show — ‘let me rein it back in.’ ... This guy is amazing.”

Read more:Did Deion Sanders really offer reporters $50,000 not to mention him? Yes, but 'that was a joke'

Johnson also shared that he’s been dealing with “heart issues” for almost two years, including undergoing bypass surgery two months ago, and that it was a “contributing factor” in his decision.

“Still trying to get this thing to beat exactly the way it should, and we’re getting it,” Johnson said. “I mean, I feel great. So this isn’t a case where my doctor said you need to stop working. It’s nothing like that. But here’s the deal: Going through that has made me treasure even more every second with my amazing wife of 44 years, Cheryl Ann, and being Poppy to our five grandchildren. So I just want to slow down a bit, spend more time enjoying that.

“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring; just cutting back. I’ll still do March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS, and I’ve just started a new production company called 32 Bowties, geared toward telling feel-good stories in sports. So this is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Ernie Johnson’s time as the host of the beloved “Inside the NBA” is coming to an end. But now all eyes are on the rest of the panel — and what Johnson’s departure means for the future of the show.

Johnson, 70, announced Wednesday that he’ll be leaving the show following this season, 37 years after joining the program in 1990. His exit will create a void on the panel of the long-running show that has aired on both TNT and ESPN. Whether the show lives on in the same shape or form remains to be seen, but, unless something changes, at least one talking head — Charles Barkley — will be leaving with Johnson after this season.

Barkley previously announced that the 2024-25 season would be his last on the NBA show, but has continued on as it shifted to the Worldwide Leader last year.

But during an appearance on The Ringer’s “The Bill Simmons Podcast” at the end of the summer, Barkley indicated that he’d not only be done as a panelist but that he and Johnson were a “package deal.”

“Me and Ernie are a package deal,” Barkley told Simmons. “So right now, unless Ernie changes his mind, next year is my last year, 100 percent.”

Barkley then recalled in his conversation with Simmons that the folks at TNT asked him to stay two more years — before the network would lose the rights to the NBA. ESPN has broadcast it now for the last two years, keeping Johnson, Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith together.

“The only reason I stayed is so everybody could keep their job behind the scenes,” Barkley explained.

Barkley got emotional addressing Johnson during the show on Wednesday night, thanking him for being their “unquestionable leader” and noting how tough the day was, even when they knew it was coming.

Barkley also joined “Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston” for a podcast episode that went up Wednesday, shortly before Johnson announced his imminent exit from the show.

“It’s been an honor to work with Ernie, Kenny and Shaq,” Barkley said. “We’ve got the best crew in the business. We’re all waiting on Ernie to make a decision — he’s the godfather. I’ll have nothing but love and admiration and respect for that guy.”

What the show will look like in the future beyond this season remains unclear. What is clear is that “Inside the NBA” is slated to air for Wednesday’s slate of games and will continue through the playoffs.

The Lakers are addressing their need for improved big man depth.

The team is signing Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract, and will waive AK Okereke to create a roster spot for the 7-footer.

The Lakers have been in desperate need of another big man behind starter Walker Kessler, and the start of the season only reiterated this.

Kevon Looney, the team’s lone true backup big man behind Kessler, had seen his playing time diminish throughout the season’s first week.

He played 15 minutes in the season-opening blowout win over the Warriors on Oct. 21, before playing five minutes in each of the next three games leading into Wednesday’s road game against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

The veteran big man entered Wednesday with the worst individual plus/minus among players who’ve appeared in at least three games.

The Lakers entered Wednesday having lost Loney’s 30 minutes played by 29 points.

They’ve used small-ball lineups when Kessler and Looney haven’t been on the floor, mostly including Sandro Mamukelashvili at the center spot. 

The signing of Lovering wasn’t official as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Lovering spent 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, playing for the organization’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, and NBA team.

He averaged 7.7 points (59.2% shooting), 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocked shots in the G League last season. 

Lovering played in two NBA games for the Grizzlies last season.

He went undrafted in 2025 after spending his collegiate career at Colorado (2021–2023) and Utah (2023–2025).

A front office member of another NBA team described Lovering to the California Post as a center with good size, a really good screener, an underrated passer and a player who knows their role.

“To me,” the front office member said, “he’s one of the better G League bigs that’s two-way eligible.”

While Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg was listed as questionable on the injury report for Wednesday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with left foot inflammation/soreness, Lendeborg will suit up for the Dubs. The team announced about an hour prior to scheduled tip-off in Minnesota that Lendeborg will play.

Lendeborg has been a revelation for Golden State through his first four games, including a signature 31-point performance in the team’s win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Following that game, however, Lendeborg was visibly limping and said he had landed awkwardly on his foot during the contest. Nevertheless, despite any potential discomfort, Yaxel will be giving it a go.

Through four games, Lendeborg is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 45.0%/34.6%/77.4% shooting in 33.3 minutes per game. While he is an older rookie (24), Lendeborg has already joined some impressive lists of quickest players to reach several early statistical thresholds. He’ll look to continue building on that trajectory tonight when the Dubs aim to get their second win of the season.