Christian Anderson scored 29 points, including Texas Tech’s final 16 in the first half, and the 15th-ranked Red Raiders stretched their non-conference home winning streak to 46 games with an 87-57 victory over Winthrop.
Tessa Johnson, Madina Okot score 18 points each as No. 3 South Carolina beats Providence 96-55
Tessa Johnson and Madina Okot each scored 18 points to lead third-ranked South Carolina over Providence 96-55 on Sunday, but the Gamecocks also lost guard Ta’Niya Latson to injury.
Warriors' quest to escape mediocrity keeps slamming headfirst into iron ceiling
Warriors' quest to escape mediocrity keeps slamming headfirst into iron ceiling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors were warned late in the third quarter, smacked late in the fourth quarter, stomped into defeat in overtime and their long season of futility continues to slog forth.
They were demolished Sunday by the Toronto Raptors, who erased multiple double-digit deficits to pin them with a 141-127 overtime loss that flattened Golden State’s three-game win streak, halted any momentum that might have been built over the past week and, once again, put optimism on pause.
“It sucks,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at Scotiabank Arena. “We’re on a little bit of a run. We’ve got a chance for some momentum, we control the whole game, and we let it slip.”
“We did enough to win, gave ourselves up a good cushion,” Stephen Curry said. “Just couldn’t get a rebound in too many you know turnovers it turned up the pressure and we just didn’t have enough answers down the stretch.”
If this feels familiar, it should. The Warriors this season are 16-16, have lost 11 of 17 “clutch” games – within five points over the final five minutes – and this marks the seventh time their opponent fought through a double-digit deficit to claim victory.
The Warriors’ preseason vision of not only making the playoffs but establishing an extended postseason run keeps slamming into reality.
The repetitive win/lose pattern of this season has left the team’s coaches and players citing the same problems that are addressed and temporarily solved – turnovers, points in the paint, second- and third-chance shots – only to consistently relapse.
So, naturally, after the Warriors gave Toronto 35 points off 21 turnovers – and often looked as if they had no idea how to break a full-court press – Kerr responded in a way he has all too often this season. He held up his finger and pointed it directly at himself.
“It was just turnovers, end of the third and end of the fourth, we just got scattered,” he said. “I’ve got to get us better organized during those stretches. That’s on me. They turned up the pressure, we didn’t handle it well and they scored 35 points off our turnovers. That was the game.”
The final 54 seconds of the third quarter provided a warning, as the Warriors watched their lead shrink from 12 to four by giving the Raptors eight points off turnovers.
The final 92 seconds of regulation raised the specter of doom, as the Warriors committed three turnovers, wiping out their seven-point (120-113) lead, leaving the game tied and setting up OT.
Toronto owned OT, outscoring the Warriors 19-5 – make it 28-7 over the final six minutes, 32 seconds.
When the Raptors turned up their pressure defense, the Warriors collapsed like a toothpick tent. The seven turnovers that cost them the game were committed by veterans and youngsters alike: Jimmy Butler III, two; and one each by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski and rookie Will Richard.
“It was just our spacing,” Podziemski said. “We honestly haven’t worked on teams running and trapping like that, especially in the backcourt. I think we just got to fix our spacing when it comes to our alignment when there’s two people on the ball.”
This is the second time this season the Warriors took the floor chasing their fourth consecutive victory – and the second time a younger, bigger, quicker NBA team impolitely informed them that it will be difficult for their current roster to win with anything remotely resembling consistency.
Golden State’s athletically challenged roster – emphatically so with Jonathan Kuminga racking up DNP-CDs – once again revealed itself as likely to struggle against lengthy active, athletic teams.
Unfortunately, for the Warriors, that description applies to most NBA teams.
“It’s kind of the nature of the way the league is going,” Curry said. “You have a couple of guys who are on-ball defenders, using their length and athleticism. And then you have guys on the back end who are able to kind of shoot the passing lanes or again use that length to cut off angles.”
Golden State’s current roster has, and will continue to have, difficulty overcoming such defenses – particularly when opponents intensify down the stretch. It’s visible in the seven double-digit leads blown and clutch-game losses.
None of the Warriors are enjoying this. But their quest to escape mediocrity keeps hitting an iron ceiling that, with each ugly loss, becomes more difficult to imagine them cutting through.
Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half
Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers could not put together two competitive halves Sunday afternoon against the defending champions.
The Thunder pulled away at Paycom Center to earn a 129-104 win and improve to 27-5 on the season. The Sixers fell to 16-14.
Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and five assists.
OKC’s leading scorers were Chet Holmgren with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 27.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).
The third stop on the Sixers’ five-game road trip is Memphis, where they’ll play the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Thunder:
Thunder scorching from the start
Oklahoma City made its first nine field goals.
The Sixers’ defense was not at its finest and the Thunder’s offensive execution was razor-sharp after two straight losses to the Spurs. Jalen Williams beat Paul George on a backdoor cut and laid the ball in. Holmgren scored twice over Dominick Barlow in the post and jammed in an unguarded fast-break dunk.
In his first career game against the Thunder, VJ Edgecombe defended the reigning MVP. He had a solid start against Gilgeous-Alexander, ceding no cheap fouls, but OKC’s superstar guard is essentially impossible to shut down. Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored over 20 points in 103 consecutive games. The longest streak in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight games.
OKC did commit seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Sixers avoided any immediate blowout concerns. A Quentin Grimes three-pointer late in the first gave the Sixers their first lead at 25-24.
Maxey back on his A-game in first half
Maxey scored nine points in the first few minutes, including a soft scoop shot and a deep jumper.
He never cooled off in the first half and continued to drive effectively into the heart of the Thunder’s defense. Maxey began 6 for for 6 from the floor and posted 15 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the opening period. He only missed two field goals in the first half on his way to 23 points.
While there was nothing lucky about Maxey’s shotmaking in Oklahoma City, he was also due for some kind bounces. He’d had subpar shooting nights in the Sixers’ losses to the Nets and Bulls, going 31.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range over those two games.
The Sixers’ offense relied on Maxey, although the team’s bench did provide much better production than in Friday’s defeat to Chicago.
Adem Bona had eight points, two blocks and two rebounds in an extended first stint. Justin Edwards knocked down a three as soon as he touched the ball. Jared McCain leaked out ahead of the pack for a layup and Edwards then sunk his third triple of the second quarter to put the Sixers up 58-57. They trailed by two points at intermission.
Best vs. worst in third quarter
OKC’s defense focused more on bothering Maxey after halftime and he didn’t score in the second half until a technical free throw with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Unsurprisingly, Maxey’s lack of scoring coincided with the Thunder’s lead growing. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving layup capped an 11-0 run and built OKC’s advantage to 86-73.
Neither Edgecombe (10 points on 3-for-16 shooting) nor George (12 points on 4-for-11 shooting) had the sort of efficient performances necessary to pick up Maxey’s slack after halftime.
The Sixers moved to a zone defense late in the third quarter. They weren’t able to stick with it for long, since the Thunder dissected the zone very well. OKC passed 100 points before the end of the third and the NBA’s worst third-quarter team thus far (minus-21.4 net rating entering Sunday) lost the frame by 14 points.
It just so happens that Oklahoma City is the league’s best third-quarter team. For the Sixers, Sunday’s fourth quarter was soon a hopeless cause.
Steve Kerr drops humorous one-liner about Steph Curry for advice to younger self
Steve Kerr drops humorous one-liner about Steph Curry for advice to younger self originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr knows what advice he’d give his younger self when starting his Warriors coaching career in 2014.
The 60-year-old shared his hilarious answer with reporters on Sunday before Golden State’s 141-127 overtime loss against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
“Just coach Steph Curry if you get a chance,” Kerr said. “Stay with that guy. I followed my own advice on that one.”
There isn’t any better guidance than that.
Kerr has spent his entire 12-year coaching career with Curry and the Warriors, and has enjoyed working with the sharpshooter to form the team’s iconic dynasty, which won four NBA championships and reached six finals between 2014-15 and 2021-22.
The coach-guard duo also has dominated internationally, winning gold together at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for an iconic Team USA men’s basketball squad.
Kerr is grateful to have won a lot alongside Curry. He, too, has enjoyed shaping Golden State’s offensive identity around the 11-time NBA All-Star’s 3-point shooting prowess.
“It’s a good question,” Kerr said. “It’s funny because I came in that year (2014-15), and we played a little differently than a lot of teams and everybody said we were really innovative.
“It didn’t feel innovative to me because it was things I already learned with Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich. If anything, some of the stuff we were doing, I went back 30, 20 years to bring back. Today, we are sort of doing the opposite. We’re following other trends around the league.”
As he implied, Kerr carries several lessons he learned as a player who won five NBA titles over 15 seasons alongside other basketball legends into his coaching efforts with the Warriors.
While Kerr wisely would tell his younger self to stay attached to Curry — as he already has — the coach also would suggest being as adaptable as possible.
“I think what I’ve learned is that the league is constantly changing,” Kerr said. “And as a coach, you have to constantly be aware of what’s happening. Best example of that is two years ago, you wouldn’t have ever been able to convince me that we should crash on offensive rebounds. Now I know differently. It took our younger coaches to bring that suggestion to me. It took watching film. It took experimenting.
“So even having that conversation, 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have entertained it. So what I’ve learned 10 years into my coaching career, having been a part of championship teams, great teams, I’m learning something I never knew before. I think that’s just the case forever. Life’s always changing. Things are always changing. The game is always changing. You have to be a lifelong learner and you have to embrace everything that’s happening.”
Kerr’s journey with Curry isn’t over yet.
But even before knowing how the story ends, Kerr would tell his younger self to stay with the game’s greatest shooter of all time for the long haul.
What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in collapse to Raptors in overtime
What we learned as turnovers doom Warriors in collapse to Raptors in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With a chance at having their first four-game win streak of the season, the Warriors on Sunday gifted the Toronto Raptors a 141-127 overtime win three days after Christmas.
Steph Curry’s latest breathtaking show again couldn’t end in a Warriors win. Curry scored 39 points, giving himself 10 games of 30-plus points this season. The Warriors now are 4-6 when he scores at least 30 points this season.
The rest of the Warriors’ Big Three also did their part. Jimmy Butler tallied 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Draymond Green gave them 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
But the Raptors had three players who finished with more than 20 points, and seven in double figures, including their entire starting five.
A handful of issues undid the Warriors in a frustrating loss. The Warriors were outrebounded 55 to 42, and forward Scottie Barnes came down with 25 rebounds by himself. The Raptors scored 29 points off 18 offensive rebounds.
More than anything, though, the Warriors were bitten by their constant penchant for turnovers. In the end, the Warriors lost the turnover battle 21-15, turning into 35 points for the Raptors. The Warriors now are 4-13 when they have more turnovers than their opponent, while being 12-3 when having fewer or equal turnovers.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ three-game losing streak coming to an end.
Year 17 In The 6
There were two road games Curry circled before last season: Charlotte and Toronto. Curry matched how many seasons in the NBA his father, Dell, played last year and the two cities hold sentimental value for different family reasons. Charlotte is home to Curry, where Dell spent 10 of his 16 seasons in the league. But his final three, which Steph remembers best, were north of the border with the Raptors.
Now that Curry officially has passed his father’s time spent in the NBA, he gets to play two of his final three games of 2025 in those two special road arenas, starting with Sunday’s (loss or win) in Toronto. And Curry right away added to a never-ending highlight reel in the first quarter.
Curry’s shot-making ability and gravitational pull brought him to 15 points at halftime while going a perfect 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. The Warriors’ first points of the second half then came from a four-point play by Curry, putting them from down one to ahead by three.
The second half was more reason for all of North America to always watch Curry. After 15 first-half points, Curry exploded for 24 points in the second half – 14 in the third and 10 in the second. He made all 11 of his free throws on the night for his second game of 10 or more free throw attempts this season.
Draymond Brings The Boom Back
Through the first month of the season, Green gave Golden State another threat behind the 3-point line. He was shooting 35.7 percent on threes over 16 games, a number the Warriors will gladly take. Green even made multiple threes in half the games he played (eight) over that month’s long stretch.
But then his accuracy from deep began abandoning him. Green in his last month of nine games played came into Sunday having shot just 26.3 percent (10 of 38) beyond the arc, with teams begging him to let it fly. The Raptors used the same strategy, constantly sagging off him, and Green finally made them pay. He made two threes in the first half to bring him to 10 points, which gave Green just his third double-digit scoring game this month.
Another two threes in the third quarter brought Green up to four threes, his most in a game since making five on Nov. 7.
Green’s aggressiveness offensively was a major plus for the Warriors. He reached 20 points for the first time this season. But Green also was one of seven Warriors with multiple turnovers.
Troubled By Turnovers
Same story, different day. Another clutch game for the Warriors full of inexcusable turnovers.
The Warriors had a 12-point lead in the final minute of the third quarter when the Raptors then reeled off an 8-0 run behind two free throws and scoring off three straight Warriors turnovers. Right when the Warriors could have put the game away, they let the Raptors off the hook and paid severely for it.
In their final home game of the calendar year, the Warriors had a lowly 11 turnovers for six points against the Dallas Mavericks. Those same fortunes didn’t happen against the Raptors. The Warriors were completely undone by being careless with the ball.
Going into halftime, they were winning the turnover battle by one, six to seven, in which the Raptors had scored 10 points off turnovers. The second half was another story. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times, six more than Toronto’s seven, and the Raptors took advantage by scoring 23 points off them.
For the 17th time this season, the Warriors found themselves in a clutch game. They’re now 6-11 in such games. The Warriors turned the ball over five times in the clutch of the fourth quarter, and another two more in overtime. The Raptors in that time period didn’t have any turnovers while scoring 11 points off the Warriors’ seven turnovers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'I'm here… As long as I'm here, I'm going to give everything I have'
Giannis Antetokounmpo was exactly what Milwaukee needed on the court Saturday night, returning from missing eight games with a strained calf to score 29 points and lift the Bucks to a much-needed win over the Bulls. He even ended the game with a controversial windmill dunk that led to words with some of the Bulls players after the buzzer.
After the game, however, Antetokounmpo shot down any talk of controversy about him and his future in Milwaukee — he was not going to discuss it.
During his post-game media session, he was asked, "Do you want to be here if you guys are not going to be able to…" but Antetokounmpo cut the question off.
"I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. It's disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. It's disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say I don't want to be here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. I'm putting on the jersey. And as long as I'm here, I'm gonna give everything I have even in the last second of the game."
This echoes what Antetokounmpo has said going back to media day before the team's first practice: Antetokounmpo is all in on these Bucks and is fully committed, then will reassess the situation in the offseason. As he says he does every offseason (last offseason he pushed the Bucks to have conversations with the Knicks, but at a point late in the summer, after Mikal Bridges had been extended, when finding a trade was next to impossible).
The Bucks continue to shoot down teams checking in on Antetokounmpo's trade availability at the deadline, instead saying they are looking to add to the roster and want to build something that can better compete in an open Eastern Conference.
The only way that dynamic changes is if Antetokounmpo demands a trade, and as his statement above shows, that is unlikely. Antetokounmpo does not want to play the bad guy, he does not want to disrespect his teammates like that. Now, next summer, entering what can be the final year of his contract (he has a player option for 2027-28), he can tell the Bucks he is not going to sign an extension, and that will force Milwaukee to trade him or risk losing him for nothing.
But that is next summer. Until then, Antetokounmpo is all-in on trying to win with these Bucks, who are 10-8 when he suits up this season (but 3-11 when he is out). Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, averaging 28.9 points on 64.1% shooting, with 10 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
Tom Izzo blasts pros getting eligibility: ‘Shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too’
“I thought I’d seen the worst. Then Christmas came. It topped it. It just topped it." Tom Izzo said after NBA draft pick James Nnaji got eligibility.
Steph Curry rocks sentimental pair of Nike Kobe 11 shoes for Warriors-Raptors
Steph Curry rocks sentimental pair of Nike Kobe 11 shoes for Warriors-Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry’s sneaker free-agency tour continued Sunday in Toronto.
And the Warriors superstar’s choice of footwear for Sunday’s game against the Raptors was extra intentional and sentimental.
During pregame warmups, Curry rocked the “Northern Lights” Nike Kobe 11, the shoes that late NBA legend Kobe Bryant wore during his final All-Star Game in 2016 in Toronto.
He kept the sneakers on throughout the game, too.
It isn’t the first time Curry paid homage to Bryant.
In fact, during his first day of sneaker free agency after parting ways with Under Armour, Curry wore Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes while warming up before the Warriors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14.
After that game, Curry explained his decision.
“I know it’s weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes, but just the idea of what he meant — I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. That specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means,” Curry told reporters after the win. “Other than that, just something I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”
Earlier Sunday, Curry arrived to Scotiabank Arena wearing rapper Drake’s Nike NOCTA Glide.
It’s clear Curry is having fun with his free agency.
Antetokounmpo returns to lead Bucks past Bulls
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 29 points on his return from injury as the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 112-103 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo had missed eight games with a right calf strain, with the Bucks losing six of those matches.
The defeat for Chicago ended their five-game winning streak, but they still sit ninth and two places above Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama also made his return from injury, but his San Antonio Spurs fell to a 127-114 defeat by the Utah Jazz.
Wembanyama scored 32 points in his first start since 14 November, but 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and 28 from Keyonte George were enough for the Jazz to end Spurs' eight-game winning streak.
Anthony Black scored a career-high 38 points as the Orlando Magic beat the Denver Nuggets 127-126 despite another triple-double by Nikola Jokic.
With 21 rebounds and 12 assists, Jokic earned the 180th triple-double of his career, putting him just one behind Oscar Robertson for the second most in history.
The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125, while the Sacramento Kings secured just their second win in eight games with a 113-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Schedule Primer: Giannis Antetokounmpo is back!
With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the next major holiday on the calendar is New Year's Day. The good news for fantasy managers is that the five-game slate does not have a game that begins before 6 pm Eastern, so those who may have had a little too much fun the night prior will have time to set their rosters. However, there is a 1 pm Eastern game on New Year's Eve as part of a nine-game schedule, with the Warriors visiting the Hornets. That qualifies as the lone scheduling quirk for Week 11, so let's take a look at the schedule and some key storylines.
Week 11 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BNK, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS
3 Games: BOS, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, PHI, TOR, UTA
Week 11 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 10)-Monday: GSW, OKC, POR, TOR, WAS
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: BKN, SAC
Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, GSW, NYK, POR
Saturday-Sunday: MIA, MIN, SAS
Sunday-Monday (Week 12): DEN, DET, OKC, PHX
Week 11 Storylines of Note
- Tuesday and Thursday are the light game days.
Unlike Week 10, which included a Christmas Eve without games, there will be action on all seven days of Week 11. Tuesday and Thursday are the light days, with four games on the slate for Tuesday and five on Thursday. The Celtics, Pistons, Clippers, 76ers and Kings are among the teams that will be active on both days, with Sacramento being the only one that will have to navigate a back-to-back (Thursday/Friday).
In addition to the Kings, Brooklyn also has a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday, which will likely impact how Cam Thomas is used as he returns from a hamstring injury. Thomas made his return to action in Saturday's game against the Timberwolves, his first appearance since November 5. In the case of the 76ers, back-to-backs have not been the only determining factor regarding Joel Embiid's availability. Philadelphia plays three games without a back-to-back in Week 11, starting with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
- Miami and Minnesota finish Week 11 with Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs.
The Heat and Timberwolves are the only teams that will have to deal with a back-to-back to end Week 11, with the former playing three games over the final four days of Week 11. With Tyler Herro recently being joined on the injury report by Bam Adebayo, who's dealing with a lower back injury, the Heat have been left to rely on some low-rostered options. Pelle Larsson started Friday's win over the Hawks and scored 21 points, a reminder of what he's capable of when allowed to start. The absences also affect Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović, who boast higher fantasy ceilings.
Regarding the Timberwolves, Mike Conley may be the only rotation player affected by the back-to-back. However, his fantasy value this season has been relatively low, so there isn't much to be concerned about there. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have dealt with injuries recently and would be the players of note as Week 11 draws to a close.
- Golden State, Oklahoma City and Portland have two back-to-backs to navigate.
Interestingly, the Trail Blazers are the only one of these three teams that will play both games of one of its back-to-backs during Week 11 (Friday/Saturday). The Warriors and Thunder have two wraparound back-to-backs, with the first beginning on the final day of Week 10 and the second ending with the opening day of Week 12. Golden State's Stephen Curry was not available for either game of the Warriors' most recent back-to-back (December 6-7), and he sat out the second game of the team's November 18-19 back-to-back.
Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have also sat out games recently due to back-to-backs, but that hasn't been an issue for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams. Portland is an interesting case because the team is awaiting the returns of Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, while Robert Williams III has not yet reached the point where he can play both games of back-to-backs. However, the Time Lord has not been particularly impactful as a fantasy option when healthy, since Donovan Clingan is locked in as the starting center.
- How many games will fantasy managers get out of Giannis Antetokounmpo?
After a little over three weeks out with a strained calf, Antetokounmpo returned to action on Saturday against the Bulls. He played 25 minutes, finishing with 29 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The good news for fantasy managers and Bucks fans is that Milwaukee's four-game Week 11 schedule does not include a back-to-back. And if Giannis can play all four games, this could be a massive week for him, even if he isn't allowed to go past 30 minutes.
The Bucks play two games against the Hornets and one apiece against the Wizards and Kings. While Charlotte ranks 24th in defensive rating, the Kings (28th) and Wizards (30th) have been even worse. Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma are the players most impacted by the availability of Milwaukee's best player, but the usage rates of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins will also be affected. In the case of Rollins, Antetokounmpo's return meant that he was back in the starting lineup, raising his fantasy ceiling.
- Will Mark Williams managers have to account for a suspension?
The good news for the Suns center on Saturday was that he played both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season. Williams was used in a reserve role to help with the minutes restriction. Unfortunately, what also kept his minutes down was a third-quarter ejection after getting into a fight with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. Phoenix begins a four-game Week 11 in the nation's capital on Monday, and they end it with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Thunder and Rockets. If Williams has to miss time due to a suspension, the door opens for Oso Ighodaro (who started on Saturday) and Nick Richards.
- The Lakers will navigate a three-game week without Austin Reaves.
Reaves aggravated a prior calf injury during Thursday's loss to the Rockets and will be out for at least four weeks. Does that make Marcus Smart a player worth rolling the dice on, or should Reaves managers look elsewhere? Based on his production, Smart isn't a lock to provide reliable fantasy value during the Lakers' three-game Week 11. However, with the Lakers being among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, he'll be on the floor a lot.
Two other players to watch due to those defensive issues are Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt. Rui Hachimura does not offer much value as a rebounder, which may open the door for LaRavia or Vanderbilt to play more out of necessity.
Warriors' Seth Curry out at least 2 weeks with sciatic nerve-related injury
Warriors' Seth Curry out at least 2 weeks with sciatic nerve-related injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors will be without the newest Curry addition for a little while.
Seth Curry, who signed with Golden State this season, underwent MRIs on his lower back and pelvis that confirmed his injury is sciatic nerve-related, the team announced Sunday morning.
Curry will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The younger brother of Steph, Seth has missed the past three games with the sciatic nerve issue.
Curry rejoined the Warriors in early December, leading to anticipation and excitement about a Curry Bros NBA union.
But the brothers have hardly played together on the floor.
Seth has played just two games for Golden State, dropping 14 points in one game and going scoreless in the second.
It now will be a little while longer until Dub Nation sees Seth and Steph play alongside one another as the former fully recovers.
After punches were thrown, Suns' Mark Williams, Pelicans' Jose Alvarado were ejected
Que the suspensions from the league office.
New Orleans' Jose Alvarado and Phoenix's Mark Williams were ejected in the third quarter Saturday night. Everything started with the 6'0" Alvarado trying to get around a screen from the 7'1" Williams, which led to a little pushing, then quickly escalated into punches being thrown. After review both players were ejected.
FIGHT BREAKS OUT IN SUNS-PELICANS pic.twitter.com/yEjd0pha5z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 28, 2025
Alvarado was called for the initial foul for pushing Williams, but the Suns' big man shoved Alvarado in the back, and things escalated from there. There were legitimate punches thrown and both men were ejected. The punches mean there will be suspensions for the players.
This was the second night of a back-to-back between the two teams, and the familiarity may have escalated the situation. Phoenix went on to get the win 123-114, sweeping the two games.
Kevin McCullar Jr. latest Knicks youngster to shine with extended opportunity
The Knicks were playing shorthanded again on Saturday.
Landry Shamet and Miles McBride are progressing well but remain out, and now Josh Hart has joined them after suffering an ankle injury during the Christmas win over the Cavs.
Hart is still being evaluated, but he's expected to be out for New York’s entire road trip.
So with the dynamic forward missing, Mike Brown had an opportunity to dip even further into the Knicks’ depth.
We’ve seen unexpected contributors step up this season, and now it was Kevin McCullar Jr’s time to shine.
McCullar came into the night with just seven appearances in his pro career, but he was more than ready to go when Brown called on him as his first reserve off the bench.
“You just have to stay ready at all times,” he said. “Coach Brown trusts in one through 17 on the bench, and you just have to try to be ready when your number is called.”
McCullar picking up four rebounds (three offensive) and dished an assist in an active first five minutes.
The 24-year-old carried that into the second quarter, contributing one of the plays of the season, in which he dove after a loose ball he poked free then found some space and knocked down a corner three on the return pass.
It was those type of hustle plays that gave New York the energy they needed to end the first half strong.
McCullar kept the momentum going coming out of the locker room, knocking down his third triple of the night as part of a seven-point quarter, helping the Knicks barely weather Atlanta’s early second-half surge.
Then with the Hawks refusing to go away, Brown trusted him enough to give him minutes down the stretch.
The youngster ended up being named New York's Defensive Player of the Game, and he finished his most impressive NBA showing with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a career-high 23 minutes.
“I just wanted to give him a chance,” Brown said. “Threw him out there for a few minutes and he was fantastic, he earned even more minutes -- I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned them.”
With Hart sidelined, perhaps McCullar will be able to earn even more minutes over the next few games.
Nets extend winning streak to three with 123-107 win over Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cam Thomas scored 30 points in his return after missing 20 games with a left hamstring strain, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-107 on Saturday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who had six players score in double figures. Brooklyn (10-19) has won four of five and five of seven.
The Nets, who improved to 7-3 in December, are allowing an NBA-low 103.1 points per game this month.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota (20-12) with 28 points, but the Timberwolves dropped back-to-back games for the third time this season. Minnesota lost 142-138 in overtime Thursday at Denver.
Five players scored in double digits for Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels had 16 points, while Naz Reid and Julius Randle each added 13.
Thomas, who played just under 20 minutes, scored 12 straight Brooklyn points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, for an 89-82 lead. The Brooklyn guard is averaging 22.3 points on 42.2% shooting in nine games this season.
Day’Ron Sharpe scored six of the Nets’ final eight points of the quarter for a 98-86 advantage. A pull-up jumper by Thomas, followed by four points from Danny Wolf, made it 104-86 early in the fourth.
Porter’s 3 gave the Nets a 120-102 lead with 1:57 to play. In eight games this month, he is averaging 28.4 points on 51.1% shooting, including 46.7% from outside the arc. He’s also grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game.
An MRI on Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who exited Thursday’s loss to Denver, showed a left foot strain. Shannon will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Up next
Nets: Host the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Timberwolves: Start a four-game trip Monday in Chicago.