Category: Basketball

The Phoenix Suns lost their third game of the season to the Denver Nuggets by the final score of 127-120. The Suns’ chaotic style of play from last season returned, but the defense remained their Achilles’ heel in the loss. The Nuggets shot 52% from the field and were 20-for-38 from long distance. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 39 points, 28 coming after halftime, and Christian Braun scored 31 points. Both Murray and Braun each shot 7-of-9 from long range, and far too many came with little to no contest; Murray also went 12-for-15 from the free-throw line. 

Dillon Brooks was on track to put up at least 30 himself after scoring 20 points in the first half but was ejected on a turnaround fadeaway where he kicked Murray in the midsection midway through the third quarter. After reviewing the foul, it was upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2, and Brooks’ night was over. Miles Bridges did all he could on both ends, scoring 24 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and defending with a lot more intensity than he has this season. Collin Gillespie had one of his best performances in a Suns uniform, and the rest of the bench showed tonight that they can keep the Suns in games all season long because of their connected and frenetic style of play. He scored 16 points and had 10 assists, which is only going to make the bench Jalen Green crowd even louder. 

Speaking of Green, no one had a worse night than him. He finished with 2 points in 25 minutes. He was the one Sun tonight who almost always fell victim to ending possessions with just one or two passes before a shot or turnover. That just cannot be the case for the one who is entrusted to bring the ball up the floor so often. 

Booker added 20 points but was only 7-of-19 and had a few blunders in the third and fourth quarters that were head-scratching. In the third quarter, Booker missed a wide-open layup, and in the fourth quarter, he had multiple miscues where he fouled Murray on a 3, let a 6-for-8 from 3 Braun take an uncontested corner 3, and threw up a wild shot in transition against Gordon trying to draw a foul. 

Overall, the Suns lost because their defense could not contain a Nuggets offense that was in desperate need of a hot shooting night after a slow start to the season. The Nuggets had shooting luck on their side tonight, and the Suns could not force enough stops over the first three quarters (103 points) to keep up. Where the Suns did improve in this game was in the possession game. The Suns outrebounded the Nuggets 42-41, took 14 more shots (although the Nuggets took 19 more free throws), and outscored the Nuggets 28-to-16 in points off turnovers. They even out-assisted the Nuggets 34-to-30 and shot more 3s than the Nuggets and made 43% of their attempts, a respectable number most nights, but not when the other team goes 20-of-38. 

Was this step at least in the right direction towards getting back to who this team was last season despite the loss?

Absolutely.

Game Flow

First Half 

First Quarter

The Suns got off to a quick 10-5 start as Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges each knocked down a 3 and scored early in the shot clock, attacking the Nuggets’ defense that wasn’t completely set. The Suns’ defense was sound as well; they forced deflections, rebounded the ball, and even forced a shot clock violation. The Nuggets got going as Christian Braun connected on a triple and Nikola Jokic got two flat-footed floating shots to put the Nuggets up 18-15 halfway through the first quarter. Then the Suns bench came in and changed the flow of the game. The one-or-two-pass possessions disappeared when Bridges and Jalen Green left the floor, and the Suns started generating easy shots and crashed the offensive glass.

The Suns have missed having Ighodaro on the floor the last two and a half games because of how well he screens and moves the ball. In his return, he and Gillespie found success with their patented two-man game, and Gillespie scored 9 points on threes 3s in the first quarter. Kennard also immediately benefited as Ighodaro created two wide-open shots with his driving and screening, resulting in 5 points from Kennard to give the Suns a 37-32 lead after the first quarter. 

Second Quarter

The second quarter was an offensive onslaught by both teams, but especially from the Nuggets. Christian Braun torched the Suns again and hit three more 3s as the Nuggets finished the first half 13-of-20 from the 3-point line and shot 61% from the field overall in the first half. The Suns fell behind 59-54 after a couple of missed 3s and turnovers, but it was Brooks who pushed the Suns right back into the game to it up at 59-59 halfway through the second quarter. He finished the first half with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting to match Braun’s 6-of-6 shooting from 3. 

While it was not a perfect quarter, Booker showed a lot of aggression in the second quarter, taking shots quickly in the flow of the offense, and the Suns were running lots of actions to get Booker on the move in the midrange. He also knocked in two triples in the first half as he scored 10 points. And just as it was in the first quarter, it was the Suns bench players that were to thank for the great pace and rhythm offensively as Ighodaro and Gillespie each led the team with 5 assists each in the first half as well. But it was the Nuggets who scored 39 points in the second quarter and finished the half ahead 71-67.

Second Half

Third Quarter

The offensive avalanche from the Nuggets continued in the third quarter as the Suns offense struggled to hit open shots and had too many turnovers to keep pace. Jamal Murray had a quiet first half but exploded in this quarter to the tune of FOUR 3-point bombs on his way to 15 points in the period. He and Brooks were in the midst of a battle until Brooks turned on a fadeaway jump shot in the midrange, where his foot connected with the midsection of Murray. He was tossed from the game with a controversial Flagrant Foul Penalty 2 midway through the third quarter. 

Despite the Nuggets’ continued hot stretch and a 98-88 point lead, the Suns had an opportunity to close the quarter strong. The Suns finally started playing their unbelievably chaotic brand of basketball where the ball was bouncing everywhere, and there were turnovers galore. The Suns capitalized on a Jokic turnover that resulted in a Bridges layup on the other end. But after another stop, a Booker turnover trying to feed Ighodaro turned into a Nuggets transition opportunity until the Suns forced another turnover, which led to Booker getting the most open 4-foot shot of his entire life that bounced off the rim, leading to a Nuggets transition opportunity where the Suns had to foul. The entire end of the third quarter was chaotic with the Suns having golden opportunities that they couldn’t cash in on. Nuggets led 103-93 to finish after three quarters of high-octane hoops.

Fourth Quarter

The final quarter started off with a bang, as Gillespie did everything he could to will the Suns back in the game. He found Bridges for a dunk attempt that ended in a foul, then hit a 3 on the next possession to make it a 103-98 right away. Gillespie then drew an offensive foul on Gordon to get the Suns the ball back with a chance to make it a one-possession game. The Suns ran a double screen play for Green, who got to the rim and missed both chances from point-blank range. The Suns’ momentum stalled there as Murray hit another 3 for the Nuggets. 

The Suns continued to fight in the quarter, and even after a perfect defensive possession from Bridges locking up Gordon, it ended in a desperation 3-point chuck from Murray that went in; Booker answered right back with a 3 of his own to make it 111-105. After a timeout, the Suns forced a stop, and Green got the ball in transition with a full head of steam and just lost the ball to Murray, another momentum-stopping play. That was the last we would see of Green as he checked out with 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting in 25 minutes. Definitely a step backwards for him after the way he had played so far this season. 

Those two instances were the best opportunities to put pressure on the Nuggets but there were more. The Suns got stops but could not capitalize on the opportunities they were given, especially Booker. The birthday man fouled Murray on a 3-point attempt, threw up a wild shot in transition against Gordon that did not get called for a foul, and then allowed Braun to shoot another wide-open 3 with no attempt at a contest from the corner that, of course, went in. The Nuggets led 118-107 before the Suns made one final run in the last minute of the game to try to pull off a miracle, but the Suns ended up on the wrong side of a 127-120 loss.

---

Up Next

The Suns travel to the Bay to face the Golden State Warriors for the second time this season at 8:00 pm Arizona time. 

SAN FRANCISCO — The game couldn’t have started better for the Lakers, who were fueled by a signature Luka Doncic scoring early scoring flurry Friday night in Chase Center.

But once those flurries evaporated, so did the Lakers’ momentum, making the final result even more painful for them after the Warriors flipped the script.

The Warriors came back from down 25 points to beat the Lakers 112-95 to kick off NBA Cup group play on Friday night.

Warriors star Steph Curry led his team in their 42-point turnaround, recording 31 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Brandin Podziemski had 21 points and six assists.

De’Anthony Melton (16 points, five rebounds) was crucial in getting the Warriors’ offense going after the team’s 15-point first quarter.

He scored seven straight points early in the second to cut the Lakers’ lead to 18, and the Warriors didn’t look back from there. 

Melton (13 points) and Curry (eight) combined for 21 second-quarter points, outscoring the Lakers (15) by themselves in the quarter, which the Warriors won 38-15 to tie the game at 53 apiece going into halftime. 

The Lakers looked like they regained momentum coming out of the break, but it was short-lived.

The Warriors outscored the Lakers 59-42 in the second half, with the Lakers struggling offensively whenever Doncic wasn’t on the court.

The Lakers scored 15 points in the second and fourth quarters.

Doncic led the Lakers with a game-best 37 points, to go with seven rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots, after his 21-point first quarter. 

The Lakers led 38-15 after the opening quarter, and were up 40-15 early in the second.

Austin Reaves added 21 points and five assists, but also had five turnovers.

And the Lakers’ bench struggled to produce, which was costly during a game the Warriors’ bench was on fire. 

The Warriors’ reserves outscored the Lakers’ by 43 (50-7). 

PHILADELPHIA -- Six games in, the Knicks are still "working" their "way into the season," according to veteran Josh Hart. 

“I think the flow's tougher... the ball gets stagnant… I think that that's part of it. We got to be more deliberate with cuts and movements. And taking care of the ball,” Hart said after New York (2-4) fell to the Sixers on Friday night.

Static offense and untimely turnovers are two of the reasons New York lost to Philadelphia on Friday. Fatigue may have been another. 

Hart referenced fatigue when answering questions from reporters in Philadelphia – where the Knicks were playing their third game in four nights.

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

The Knicks certainly looked flat in the first half on Friday. They allowed 17 points off of turnovers in the first half. They coughed it up eight times. The Knicks also allowed Philadelphia to score 26 points in the paint.

Sure, the Knicks made it close late in the game, but they couldn’t come all the way back against a tough Sixers team.

Philadelphia and LeBron James have looked sharp in both games against New York this year. The Sixers have defended well against the Knicks and have leaned on Tyrese Maxey to lead the offense. It’s early, but Philadelphia is playing with the kind of cohesion that many thought would be missing at this point in the season.

Of course, it's way too early to make bold proclamations about anything you see in the NBA right now. We’re six games into an 82-game season. But while the Sixers (5-1) have gotten off to a strong start, the Knicks, as Hart said, are still finding their way.

TURN-ING POINT

One issue for the Knicks early on? Turning the ball over. New York has been a low-turnover team for most of the last two seasons. But they rank 16th in the league in turnovers per 100 possessions so far this season.

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

Head coach Mike Brown sees a correlation between his team’s turnovers/sloppy passing and poor offense.  

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

SAN FRANCISCO — Another night, another milestone for Steph Curry.

The Golden State Warriors superstar moved up the all-time scoring list, passing a Hall-of-Famer Dominque Wilkins, while leading the Warriors with 31 points Friday night in their 112-95 win over the Lakers.

Will Richard freed up Curry with a hard screen of Matisse Thybulle about four minutes into the fourth quarter, Curry received a pass from Draymond Green and buried a wide-open triple.

The bucket was Curry’s eighth 3-pointer of the night and was good for his 25th, 26th and 27th points. It turned into a four-point play when Thybulle was whistled for a technical foul.

With 26,674 career points in 17-plus seasons, Curry moved into 18th place on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard.

He entered the game 25 points behind Wilkins, who had 26,668 in 15 seasons.

Among active players, only Kevin Durant, James Harden and Demar DeRozan have poured in more points than Curry.

Next up on the all-time list: Oscar Roberston, with 26,710.

When LLuka Doncic started cooking in the first quarter, the Lakers followed his lead in opening a 25-point lead in the second quarter over the Golden State Warriors Friday night.

But then the Lakers started getting cooked.

Cooked by going down by 17 points in the fourth quarter. Cooked by turning the ball over too many times. Cooked by an offense nowhere to be found in the fourth quarter. Cooked in the first NBA Cup game for both teams.

When the game was over, the Lakers had been feasted upon by the Warriors, falling 112-95 at Chase Center.

“I thought as the game progressed the problem-solving and connectivity, we just didn’t have it tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And they got hot.”

Doncic had 37 points, but he shot only 12 for 27 from the field and six for 16 from three-point range. Austin Reaves had 21 points on nine-for-19 shooting, but only one for six from three-point range.

Read more:Mark Walter, Josh Kushner agree on outstanding terms linked to $12.5-billion Lakers sale

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had 31 points, shooting 11 for 23 from the field and eight for 14 from three-point range,

The Lakers scored only 15 points in the fourth quarter and gave up 27.

It took the Lakers four minutes and one second to finally score in the fourth and that came after Walker Kessler made just one free throw with 7:54 left in the game, leaving the Lakers down 96-81.

“Everybody gotta be better than this,” Doncic said. “You’re up 25, 23, first (half). Then I gotta be better and we just gotta win those together. We win together.”

The Lakers showed why they are one of the worst teams in the NBA when taking care of the basketball, turning it over 22 times. Reaves had eight turnovers. The Lakers are ranked 10th in the NBA in turnovers, averaging 16.6 per game.

“Got to figure the turnover thing out,” Redick said. “We’ll work with the guys to be better there.”

After Jake LaRavia was called for an offensive foul with 21.8 seconds left in the third quarter, Doncic was hit with his first technical foul of the season.

But Doncic wasn’t the only Laker to lose his cool. The Lakers turned the ball over five times in the third quarter and wound up down 85-80 entering the fourth quarter.

With 8:02 left in the fourth and the Lakers down 95-80, Matisse Thybulle was hit with a technical foul and Curry made the ensuing free throw.

The Lakers actually went to sleep in the second quarter after building their 25-point lead and started to get cooked by the Warriors, who tied the score 53-53 at the half.

The Lakers were outscored 38-15 in the second quarter. Interesting enough, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 38-15 in the first quarter.

It was game on from there.

“The start of the second quarter, it was a bad way to start the quarter just in terms of the turnovers,” Redick said.

Six games into the season, the Lakers are still in search of who they are.

They won their first three games, but have now lost two of three.

They have nine new players and are still figuring things out.

“Yeah, look, we want to become a great team. You don’t become a great team in six games,” Redick said. “We want to become a great team after 82 games and have a chance to go compete for a championship in April and May and June. It’s a process to get there. We know we are going to be patient.

“There’s also, along with patience, doing what you’re supposed to do and I think as we play more games together, we do more walk-throughs together, we do more film together, we do more practices together, that we’ll all get better.”

Williams injury update

Ziaire Williams missed his second straight game because of left foot soreness. The starting forward has been one of the team’s better defenders.

“He still has some soreness,” Redick said. “He’s going to have to continue to monitor it. He was in shoot-around this morning. Again, just being really cautious with the amount of games we have throughout the season.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s been five games and a painful two days since the latest loss for Utah, which has me perusing some of the team statistics in the NBA.

Are the Jazz a good rebounding team?

The first interesting stat that stands out is the Jazz’s defensive rebound percentage. Utah ranks sixth in the league so far this season at 73%. That means Utah’s defense grabs 73% of available defensive rebounds. Unsurprisingly, Utah is also doing a good job of not allowing offensive rebounds. Utah ranks 5th in the league, allowing just 9.8 offensive rebounds per game.

This is a nice sign for the Jazz and Utah’s coaching staff, who clearly worried about this issue before the season began.

Utah is the worst in the league at creating turnovers so far.

So far this season, no one is creating fewer turnovers than the Jazz. Right now they rank 30th in the league at 12.4 per game. For context, the best team in the league at creating turnovers is the Toronto Raptors at 20.9. It’s an interesting stat to watch moving forward and see if Utah can start creating more of these turnovers. Is it because the Jazz have started off playing teams that don’t turn the ball over? Or is it because Utah hasn’t been creating them? Either way, it’s something to watch and see if Utah can create more turnovers so they can get more buckets in transition.

Everything started at Lower Merion High School for Kobe Bryant.

On Friday, Sotheby’s reported that one of Bryant’s game-worn No. 33 jerseys sold for a record-breaking $2.2 million, making it the most expensive high school jersey ever sold at an auction.

“This Lower Merion jersey is where Kobe’s story starts, before the rings, the records, and the Mamba Mentality, when he was just a kid in a gym outworking everyone. This jersey symbolizes that greatness has a beginning, and this jersey was there for it,” reads the description from Sotheby’s.

This is not the first time the jersey has been moved, as it was sold in 2013 for $51,400.

The report of the jersey read that the item had 26 bids, with seven different bidders competing for the highly sought-after item.

Bryant’s jersey sale eclipsed LeBron James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary jersey, which was worn during his infamous 2002 Sports Illustrated “The Chosen One” cover and sold in 2024 for $1.3 million.

Sotheby’s reported that Bryant wore the sold jersey during his junior season, in a March 1995 matchup against Hazleton, Pa., Area.

The jersey goes into the long list of highly coveted memorabilia from Bryant. The most expensive piece was a 2007-2008 dual-autograph card from Upper Deck that features Bryant and Michael Jordan, which sold for $12.6 million in August 2022.

Bryant’s Lower Merion jersey is the only basketball uniform he’s worn that didn’t have the words “Lakers” or “Los Angeles” across the chest, as he entered the NBA draft immediately after finishing high school.

Bryant spent the entirety of his 20-year career with Los Angeles and is regarded as not only one of the greatest Lakers ever, but one of the best basketball players of all time.

His career finished with him having five NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one-time league MVP, and an 18-time All-Star selection.

In 2017, the Lakers retired both Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 jersey numbers, making him the only player in the NBA to have two numbers retired by a team.

A year after he tragically died in 2020, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

After sprinting out to a 25-point lead in the first half, the Lakers authored an ugly, ugly collapse across much of the next three periods, losing to the Warriors 112-95 on Friday.

Led by Luka Dončic, LA raced out to a 38-15 lead at the end of the first. A pair of Austin Reaves free throws to open the second made it a 25-point lead.

LA then gave up the entire lead by halftime, bounced back to lead by nine in the third, then collapsed again to trail by double digits for most of the fourth.

The bench had a woeful showing, to say the least, finishing with just seven points while shooting a combined 3-16 from the field. LA also turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 27 Warriors points.

Los Angeles jumped out to a hot start, with their big three of Luka, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler all scoring early. Jake LaRavia added a triple, forcing Golden State to call a quick timeout after falling behind by 10.

The Lakers had the momentum throughout the quarter, with Luka taking over with 14 points.

LA’s excellent defense helped with their impressive offense. Luka and Matisse Thybulle combined for four steals. With 3:01 left, Los Angeles was up by 14. Golden State ended the quarter shooting an abysmal 22% from the field.

The purple and gold were up by 23 at the end of the first. Every starter scored, led by Luka’s 21 points. 

All he needs is a little space 💥 pic.twitter.com/4g24PlVyN5

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 31, 2026

De’Anthony Melton scored a quick seven points off the bench early in the second period. Golden State were suddenly rolling with a 10-0 run. The Warriors continued to mount their comeback, cutting what was once a 25-point Laker lead to nine.

All this happened with Luka getting his usual second-quarter rest. 

Reaves had begun to heat up, scoring four points and helping keep the Lakers from completely erasing their lead. Still, it was a tale of two quarters, though, with Golden State closing the half on a 16-2 scoring run led by Steph Curry and Melton. 

The game was tied at halftime. 

Disaster quarter.

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) October 31, 2026

LA started the third period much better than the second, with Luka, Reaves and LaRavia scoring a combined 13 points. The team was on a 13-4 run, giving themselves a little cushion.

Draymond Green and Steph combined for four points for the Warriors.

Steph once again ignited, draining two triples that chipped away at Los Angeles’ lead but Luka and Kessler responded with eight points to help keep the team ahead. In true Golden State fashion, they once again tied it with a 12-4 run.

The third ended with the Warriors going up by five. The purple and gold shot 9-22 in the quarter. The Lakers’ bench continued to struggle with just five points. 

Gut check fourth quarter coming.

Would be a brutal loss with a Raptors/Heat b2b coming.

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) October 31, 2026

Things went from bad to worse for the Lakers as the Warriors started the final frame, extending their lead to 10 on the shoulders of Brandin Podziemski, who now had 17 points. 

It was a non-stop Steph flurry as he added another six points to up his total to 28. The Lakers looked defeated as Reaves and Luka tried to give some life, putting up a quick combined five, but the team was down by 15 with 6:16 left.

There was no run that would come from the Lakers, though, as they failed to string together stops and scores. With 1:21 left, LA waved the white flag and emptied their bench. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Reaves had a rough offensive game with 21 points on 9-19 shooting with eight turnovers. Walker Kessler pitched in with 10 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.

Thybulle scored 10 points with three steals. LaRavia logged 10 points while stepping into the starting lineup, shooting 3-7 from the field. 

The Lakers’ next game will be against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at 6:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA Cup group play game Friday, looking for revenge after their blunder of a season opener. 

It was a historical game for Golden State, which trailed by 23 points after the first quarter but clawed its way back by halftime and ended the game with a 112-95 win at the Chase Center on Oct. 30. 

The Warriors are the first team in the shot-clock era, since 1954-55, to trail by at least 23 points after the first quarter and tie the game by halftime. 

Golden State was led by longtime franchise star Stephen Curry, who did it all against the Lakers. 

Curry put up 31 points, shooting 11-for-23 and an explosive 8-for-14 on 3-point tries. He had the play of night − and maybe an early candidate for play of the year − with an ankle-shattering stepback to break free from Luka Doncic's defense, sending Doncic to the floor before raining a 3-pointer. 

STEPH 😱
LUKA 🤫

TWO SUPERSTARS GOING AT IT ON PRIME. pic.twitter.com/NIKRl1u96j

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2026

In defense of Doncic, he came right back and quieted the crowd with a 3-pointer of his own.

There was a lot of chatter concerning Doncic and the rematch with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The two were pitted against each other in the first matchup. Competitive juices were flowing, words were exchanged.

Doncic scored 37 in Friday's contest, but the Warriors got the win.

The Lakers drop to 4-2, while the Warriors get their third consecutive win, getting their record back to .500.

STEPH CURRY IS AN ABSOLUTE SHOWMAN 🚨

31 points.
8 threes.
1 unbelievable stepback.

Warriors come back from 25 POINTS DOWN to win a thrilling West Group C opener! pic.twitter.com/xGYAoIqqEU

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2026

Steph Curry stats tonight vs. Lakers

• Points: 31
• FG: 11-for-23
• 3PT: 8-for-14
• FT: 1-1
• Rebounds: 4
• Assists: 6
• Steals: 1
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 0
• Minutes: 31

Lakers vs. Warriors highlights

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steph Curry stats, highlights: Warriors star dazzles in comeback win vs. Lakers

Can the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Cup a second time?

LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers and captured the inaugural NBA Cup back in December 2023. The team went on a 7-0 run and defeated the Indiana Pacers in the final.

Those veteran players are no longer in Los Angeles, but Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are a promising duo that could prove to be a wild card in the 2026 tournament.

The Lakers hold a 13-4 record in the tournament’s history, which is second-best.

Here's what you need to know about the Lakers' chances in the 2026-27 NBA Cup tournament.

NBA Cup West Group C

The Lakers' group contains two other teams from the Pacific Division.

• San Antonio Spurs
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Golden State Warriors
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Sacramento Kings 

Will Lakers win West Group C in NBA Cup?

Entering Friday, the Lakers have put together a 4-1 start to the season with a 1-1 record against teams in their group.

The Lakers began tournament play with a 112-95 loss to the Warriors, a team Los Angeles had beaten 127-105 in the season opener.

Doncic and the Lakers lead the league in scoring through the early part of the season, averaging 123.2 points per game. Doncic was the 2025-26 scoring champion and is on pace to repeat, averaging 36 points per game. He’s already put together a 50-point performance.

Center Walker Kessler could prove to be a wild card for the Lakers. The big man will have to lead the way on the defensive side of the ball, but Los Angeles could also benefit from him putting together strong performances offensively.

Kessler produced strong back-to-back outings to start the season. He shot 12-for-12 from the field for 26 points and added another 22 points against the Clippers in the team's second game of the season.

While the scoring production will be there for the Lakers, it will be important for the defense to improve. The Warriors rallied from a 25-point deficit against the Lakers on the first night of the NBA Cup. Los Angeles must get more from its bench after being outscored 50-7.

What could prevent Lakers from a successful NBA Cup run?

The health of the Lakers could factor into just how successful the team will be throughout the tournament.

Doncic missed his first game earlier in the week with back tightness. Ziaire Williams has missed two games for the Lakers due to left foot soreness.

On the court, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs could pose the biggest threat to the Lakers. The Spurs are coming off an NBA Finals appearance, but are 3-2 to start the season.

The Trail Blazers could also pose a threat to the Lakers, having already beaten Los Angeles this season. Damian Lillard and the Blazers managed to overcome a high-scoring night from the Lakers' star duo and still managed to pull off a 136-129 win. Doncic finished with 41 points and nine assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points. The Lakers struggled to get stops throughout the game and were outscored 34-26 in the fourth quarter. Lillard was one of four players for Portland to score more than 20 points against Los Angeles.

Lakers' NBA Cup schedule

• Warriors 112, Lakers 95 (Oct. 30)
• Trail Blazers at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 6)
• Kings at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 20)
• Lakers at Spurs (Friday, Nov. 27)

More: How does the NBA Cup work? 2026 schedule, format, groups and more

What is the NBA Cup?

The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season tournament, which was started in 2023 to help drive interest in the early season schedule. The competition features group play and knockout rounds with players and teams competing for a prize pool of money that increases based on how far a team advances.

When does the NBA Cup start?

The first games of the 2026 NBA Cup will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, when group play begins. Subsequent games are scheduled every Friday through Nov. 27. There will also be NBA Cup games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25.

How does the NBA Cup work?

The league's 30 teams were separated into six groups featuring five teams in August. The NBA determined the groups using a draw system that placed each team in a pod based on their record during the 2025-26 season. The draw placed one team from each pot into each of the three groups in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Reporter Mark Giannotto contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Lakers win NBA Cup? Keys for Luka Doncic and Co.

PHILADELPHIA — Of course it was him. 

With the game on the line, of course it was LeBron James who made the difference. 

He made the biggest plays down the stretch as his 76ers handed the Knicks a 98-93 loss Friday night. 

“Obviously, when you add arguably the greatest player of all time,” Karl-Anthony Towns said, “obviously you’re gonna get a lot better.” 

The Knicks, trailing by three with 30.8 seconds left, needed a stop to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Tyrese Maxey got around both Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson on the perimeter and into the lane. Josh Hart, who was guarding James, stepped up to help on Maxey. 

Maxey missed his layup, but James was able to sky uncontested for a putback layup that extended the Knicks deficit to five points with 11.9 seconds left, all but sealing the Sixers’ win. 

A few moments earlier, Brunson had given the Knicks their first lead since early in the first quarter, hitting a 3-pointer to put them up by one with 1:32 left. But James answered on the other end with a vintage turnaround jumper to reestablish a 76ers lead. 

“The one was a tough turnaround fadeaway on OG [Anunoby],” Hart said. “And then the other one, I was guarding him, Tyrese turned the corner, got downhill, I stepped up on that. I’m not sure who was on the backside. There was a shooter on the backside, so there was a lot of space. He made a good play hitting the offensive glass.” 

James scored a team-high six points in the fourth quarter, taking over as Maxey had gone quiet. 

“I’m just trying to get more and more comfortable with what we’re running offensively,” James said. “I think every game and every week that I’m here, my body will continue to ramp up and ramp up and get better and better. That played a part. 

“As far as the two shots, just trying to be aggressive. I had a one-on-one against OG. I was able to get to my fadeaway and knock that down. And then [Maxey] draws so much attention, he went for the layup and kind of missed it a little bit and I was able to get the tip-in being in the right place at the right time.” 

Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are going head-to-head on the first day of NBA Cup action.

Doncic helped the Los Angeles Lakers pull ahead early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 38-15 lead against the Golden State Warriors.

Curry and the Warriors responded with a 38-15 run of their own in the second quarter to tie the game at 53 at halftime.

Golden State became the first team during the shot-clock era (since 1954-55) to trail by as many as 23 after the opening quarter and then tie the game by halftime.

In the third quarter, Curry produced the highlight of the night.

STEPH 😱
LUKA 🤫

TWO SUPERSTARS GOING AT IT ON PRIME. pic.twitter.com/NIKRl1u96j

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2026

Curry got the best of Doncic during a possession, with a series of dribble moves that sent the Lakers guard to the floor before the Warriors star drained a 3-pointer. The play helped the Warriors cut into the Lakers' lead with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

Doncic did not shy away from the moment, delivering a shot of his own down on the other end to quiet the crowd.

Stephen Curry reacts to shot over Doncic

"I didn't expect it to get that nasty, but it was one of those you gotta kind of keep your composure," Curry said on the Prime postgame show. "I remember James Harden had to do like the shimmy to get himself going back in the day. I don't know, I haven't been that open in a long time.

"... I'm just having fun. Those moments, especially at this stage of your career, you're just appreciative of the ability to keep playing at this level. And I want that joy to continue until I'm done."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steph Curry cooks Luka Doncic, who answers right back in Lakers-Warriors showdown

SAN FRANCISCO — Luka Dončić got off to another one of his signature hot-scoring starts Friday night at Chase Center. 

One that further cemented his spot in Lakers history.

Dončić’s 21 points in the opening quarter of the Lakers’ Friday road game against the Warriors was his 33rd career 20-point quarter and 10th 20-point quarter as a Laker. 

He joined Kobe Bryant as the only two Lakers players to record at least 10 20-point quarters since 2000. 

The late franchise icon recorded 36 20-point quarters between 2000 and his retirement in 2016. 

Dončić also passed James Harden for the third-most 20-point quarters in the NBA since 2000. 

Eighteen of the Slovenian superstar’s 20-point quarters have come in the first quarter, which is the most by any player in that span.

Dončić made five 3-pointers and also dished out five assists in the first quarter, leading the Lakers to a 38-15 lead going into the second.

But the Warriors took advantage starting the next quarter on the bench, cutting their deficit to nine (42-33) before Dončić subbed back in the game. 

The Warriors maintained momentum even after the Lakers’ star guard subbed back in, tying the game at 53 apiece going into halftime.

Luka Doncic was certainly feeling himself during his first-half spectacle against the Warriors on Friday night.

In the middle of his dominant first-half performance, where the Lakers star scored 24 points, Doncic sank a 3-pointer, turned around and looked at the Warriors crowd at Chase Center.

He then yelled out, “Yeah, f–k, bitch! What?”

Warning: graphic language

Luka to a Warriors fan after hitting a 3

"YEAH F*CK B*TCH! WHAT" pic.twitter.com/tbta6XS8dJ

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) October 31, 2026

Doncic taunting the crowd came after the Lakers superstar received a loud round of boos with less than a minute in the first quarter.

His heater in the first half got the Lakers off to an incredible 14-2 start, followed by a 40-15 lead by the 11:40 mark of the second quarter.

Facing a large deficit, Golden State fought its way back into the game and ended up tied at 53 with the Lakers, partially due to the usual suspect, Steph Curry, leading the charge as he finished the first half with 14 points.

Friday night’s game between the Lakers and Warriors came with plenty of anticipation, as it meant round two of Luka Doncic against Yaxel Lendeborg.

When the two teams opened their season against each other, both Doncic and Lendeborg were seen trash-talking one another — resulting in the Warriors rookie saying he “lost all respect” for the Lakers veteran.

Before Friday’s game started, Lendeborg made a statement by showing up dressed as horror movie icon, Michael Myers.

The intimidation attempt didn’t faze Doncic, as his first set of points was a 3-pointer that went right over Lendeborg’s head.

Stephen Curry is still one of the deadliest offensive players in the NBA. The 38-year-old Golden State Warriors superstar already has a 44-point performance on his game log this year, and he knew he needed to be at his best as his team took on the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Luka Doncic is one of the few players to have a higher scoring game this early into the 2026-27 season, when he put up 52 points vs. the Utah Jazz.

Doncic vs. Curry is already going to be epic, and it produced maybe the best highlight of the season so far.

Curry hunted Doncic with a switch early in the third quarter. Steph went left, penetrated, stopped on a dime, and hopped into a stepback three-pointer. Doncic fell over, and Curry ripped a three-pointer over his lifeless body. It doesn’t get any more disrespectful than this. Watch Steph make Luka touch Earth here:

A 3PT MASTERCLASS FROM STEPHEN

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/nIIyrtmuKM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 31, 2026

Here’s another angle. Curry’s ankle breaker dropped Luka like it was nothing.

Steph Curry Luka Doncic dropped pic.twitter.com/jvqUey1kEs

— Moonball (@moonball30) October 31, 2026

Curry has had so many great highlights over the year, but it’s incredible to see that he can still surprise himself.

These two images next to each other is absolute perfection. Everything about it perfect.

STEPH ANKLE BREAKER ON LUKA 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kxIIwgxoJe

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) October 31, 2026

There’s no living this down for most players. It probably doesn’t surprise you that Luka quickly redeemed himself with a ridiculous three-pointer on the next possession even if Curry wasn’t the defender on him.

There’s nothing like the NBA when two superstars are going at each other possession after possession. This round goes to Curry with a highlight that will live a long, long time.