Category: Basketball

Well, that was not a fun game at all. The Golden State Warriors lost 123-85 against the San Antonio Spurs, in a game that was truly over before the Dubs even scored a point. They trailed 18-0 at the halfway mark of the first quarter, and with no Steph Curry to save them, there was never a chance on the road against a team that entered the night with a 10-game winning streak.

No one needs to spend much more time thinking about this game, so let’s run through the grades very, very quickly. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each individual player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Friday’s games, league-average TS was 57.4%.

De’Anthony Melton

18 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 3-for-11 shooting, 2-for-6 threes, 36.4% TS, -29

Melton got the start in Curry’s absence, as I’m guessing he’ll continue to do. He did some good things, but also some bad things. His inability to penetrate San Antonio’s defense made it hard for him to quarterback the offense, and while he had some nice defensive plays, he struggled with the Spurs’ speed and length.

Grade: C

Yaxel Lendeborg

24 minutes, 3 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-for-13 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 10.8% TS, -40

Well, there’s no way to sugarcoat this one, other than to say the obvious: these games happen to rookies, and they’re just part of the learning process. Lendeborg will get better because of this game, but he sure won’t have a fun time looking back through the film.

This was a double whammy for the Dubs’ first-round pick. It was his first game since he was handed the keys following Curry’s injury, and it was his first time facing a team like the Spurs. They don’t make players like Victor Wembanyama in the Big 10, and they don’t make defenses this long, fast, or rangy. Lendeborg was at a total loss when having to deal with those things, though credit to him for not slumping his shoulders, and still playing hard on defense and on the glass.

Grade: D-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds; worst plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

16 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 2-for-5 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 40.0% TS, -23

Green always feels like a barometer for whether or not the team can win. You can tell by his effort level whether it’s a winnable game for the Dubs. He came out energized on the first few possessions, while defending Wembanyama, and then it became clear that the Warriors had no chance and Green’s effort level waned with that. Can’t really blame him.

Grade: C

Brandin Podziemski

22 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 2-for-10 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 36.8% TS, -24

With Curry out for a few weeks at a minimum, the Warriors are going to turn to Lendeborg and Podziemski to be the first options on offense. Unfortunately, the first game post-Curry’s injury was a bit of a dud in that regard. Podz didn’t struggle as much as Lendeborg, but it was a very forgettable game for him, as he just couldn’t find any spacing against San Antonio’s length, and seemed uncomfortable all night. Props to him for not turning the ball over, though.

Grade: C-

Will Richard

30 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 71.7% TS, -27

You have to give Richard so much credit for being out there and playing heavy minutes despite his thumb injury. I thought he’d be out a few months, and instead he missed a single game. He also was not the problem for Golden State in this game, though perhaps he wasn’t the solution, either. He was competitive, which is more than some of his teammates could say, and he fought hard on defense while making a few things happen on offense. It was the kind of performance that stands out when you win, but showed some limitations because they lost.

Grade: B-

LJ Cryer

24 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 7-for-17 shooting, 6-for-11 threes, 58.8% TS, -11

Cryer was, without a doubt, the brightest part of the game for the Warriors. Maybe the only bright part of the game, for that matter. With Curry and Brandon Williams injured, Cryer — who is on a two-way contract — is going to get some run.

He looked the part in this game. He was part of the first group of subs, and immediately started doing what his teammates had been unable to do: penetrate the defense. Like all the Dubs, he struggled to score once he did that … despite shooting better than 50% from distance, he went just 1-for-6 inside the arc.

The 20 points was a career best for Cryer, and a reminder of what he’s capable of with the ball in his hands. The Warriors will need him over the next few weeks.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points and assists.

Al Horford

10 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, 0 +/-

Horford didn’t play much. Once it was clear that the Warriors were going to lose, there was no point in putting more miles on the odometer of the team’s oldest player. He was fine in his minutes, though.

Grade: B-

Georges Niang

15 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 2-for-4 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 62.5% TS, -15

Niang did some good things. He didn’t do any great things, but he did some good things, and he didn’t do any awful things, either. Just not quite athletic enough given San Antonio’s players, and I thought his defense had a rough go of it.

Grade: C+

Gui Santos

21 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-for-8 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 0-for-1 free throws, 41.5% TS, -7

It was kind of funny: the Warriors started the game 0-11 and didn’t score for the first six minutes of the game, until they finally broke the ice on a Santos bucket. The same Santos who hadn’t made a field goal in either of the last two games. Go figure!

All things considered, Gui played pretty decently. He was making plays happen through sheer effort, and didn’t seem quite as bothered by San Antonio’s length as some of his teammates, though he still didn’t have an efficient scoring night. He kept a lot of plays alive on the glass, and was fine on defense.

Grade: B-

Charles Bassey

20 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 5-for-7 shooting, 1-for-2 free throws, 69.8% TS, -13

Bassey’s impressive play continued. On a night where the Warriors shot just 33.3% from the field, Bassey was the only player on the team to make more than half of his shots. He had some impressive rebounds as well. It wasn’t all good, though, as San Antonio’s size really got the better of him on numerous occasions. He struggled to contain anyone on defense, and the three turnovers and four fouls in the box score pretty accurately reflect how he played. But still: an efficient 11-and-5 in 20 minutes from the center position is something the Warriors are happy about.

Grade: B

Gary Payton II

13 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 33.3% TS, +2

Single-game individual plus/minus is perhaps the noisiest stat in basketball, but it still feels noteworthy — if not meaningful — that Payton was the only Warriors player to have a positive plus/minus in a game that they lost by 38 points. That’s more a reflection of when he was on the court than of what he did on it, but still … worth noting!

GPII played some good defense though, which is more than most of his teammates can say. He wasn’t a factor on offense, but then again, other than Bassey and Cryer, no one was.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Graham Ike

13 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 35.7% TS, -3

San Antonio has so much length and athleticism that they were able to bother Ike with it, even though both teams had pulled their core players and put in the subs by the time Ike got on the court. Still, with the exception of a bunch of missed shots, Ike played fairly well. He passes really well for his position, and the game doesn’t move too quickly for him. Did some nice things on defense as well.

Grade: B

Malevy Leons

14 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 1-for-2 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 86.8% TS, 0 +/-

You know something has gone very well or very poorly when there are 14 minutes of garbage time to hand out to the back of the bench. Unfortunately, it was the latter in this case, though at least that meant some extensive play for Leons, who I thought looked pretty darn good.

Grade: B+

Friday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porziņģis, Brandon Williams

The Utah Jazz fall to the Houston Rockets 125-118 for their twelfth loss of the season, and second NBA Cup game loss.

The Jazz got off to a solid start in the first quarter with respectable defense and ball movement. Although no one could stop Alpren Sengun, who was getting everything he wanted all night long (including every foul call), Jaxon Hayes and Mo Bamba punished his poor drop coverage on the other end by catching lobs.

After the first quarter, the game was tied up at 27 a piece. Jaxon Hayes came out of the game with an injury (the Jazz can’t catch a break with the frontcourt injuries!). Like every other game this season, the bench came in and immediately started turning the ball over and giving up easy baskets, putting the Jazz in a 10-point deficit going into the second half.

Then it got exciting. Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George took over the game, attacking the rim, spraying out the 3-point shooters, and getting stops on the other end. Ace Bailey was hitting his 3s, Keyonte had an amazing 4-point play, and Darryn was controling the game and getting any shot he wanted. Before long, the 10-point deficit became a 10-point lead. Utah’s offense was looking as good as it had all season. Darryn Peterson scored 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter.

But apparently Will Hardy wanted to change things. Enter: Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh. Instead of going with what was clearly working, Isaiah Collier pounded the air out of the ball as the lead was erased almost as quickly as it was built.

It was about to get ugly again, but Keyonte George came alive, scoring 23 points in the second half. He was aggressive, attacking the basket and creating contact, but the refs decided only the Rockets were allowed to shoot free throws this game.

Bamba wasn’t doing anything to stop Sengun, who scored pretty much every time he touched the basketball within 15 feet of the rim. Tony Bradley also played 12 minutes, but didn’t do much to stop him either.

However, despite the bench, the refs, and Sengun, the Jazz were still in it. After a beautiful jumper at the elbow from Peterson, the Jazz were down one with 2:40 to go. Amen Thompson scored to put Houston up three, and Keyonte had a terrible turnover, trying to dump the ball down to Bamba. After George’s turnover, Sensabaugh bricked an offbalance lay, and Sengun scored on the other end.

With 11 seconds left in the game, the Jazz were down 5. Any reasonable person would have assumed a play would be drawn up for Darryn to score. But no. Not only did that not happen, but he was benched for none of than Svi Mykhailiuk.

Sensabaugh got the ball and did nothing other than jump out of bounds and try to get a foul call.

And that was the game.

Another heartbreaking loss in a very winnable game. The bench is horrendous and Will Hardy continues to make mind boggling decisions with the game on the line. Why did we tank all year for Peterson if we are just going to play Brice and Svi at the end of games!?!?

The young core of the Jazz played great, but it wasn’t enough. Keyonte, Ace, and Darryn have very bright futures.

THE JAZZ’S 3-HEADED MONSTER TONIGHT‼️

KEY:
27 PTS | 7 AST | 6 REB

ACE:
21 PTS | 1 AST | 3 REB

DARRYN:
28 PTS (new career-high!) | 2 AST | 7 REB pic.twitter.com/UKmw9eaEYc

— jordy🏔️ (@jordaline17) November 14, 2026

Alpren Sengun had 43 points and 12 rebounds.

Kevin Durant did what he does, scoring 22 points without hardly breaking a sweat.

Darryn Peterson finished with 28 points and 7 rebounds for his fifth straight 20-point game. This season has been rough, but at least we have Darryn Peterson.

The Utah Jazz fall to the Houston Rockets 125-118 for their twelfth loss of the season, and second NBA Cup game loss.

The Jazz got off to a solid start in the first quarter with respectable defense and ball movement. Although no one could stop Alpren Sengun, who was getting everything he wanted all night long (including every foul call), Jaxon Hayes and Mo Bamba punished his poor drop coverage on the other end by catching lobs.

After the first quarter, the game was tied up at 27 a piece. Jaxon Hayes came out of the game with an injury (the Jazz can’t catch a break with the frontcourt injuries!). Like every other game this season, the bench came in and immediately started turning the ball over and giving up easy baskets, putting the Jazz in a 10-point deficit going into the second half.

Then it got exciting. Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George took over the game, attacking the rim, spraying out the 3-point shooters, and getting stops on the other end. Ace Bailey was hitting his 3s, Keyonte had an amazing 4-point play, and Darryn was controling the game and getting any shot he wanted. Before long, the 10-point deficit became a 10-point lead. Utah’s offense was looking as good as it had all season. Darryn Peterson scored 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter.

But apparently Will Hardy wanted to change things. Enter: Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh. Instead of going with what was clearly working, Isaiah Collier pounded the air out of the ball as the lead was erased almost as quickly as it was built.

It was about to get ugly again, but Keyonte George came alive, scoring 23 points in the second half. He was aggressive, attacking the basket and creating contact, but the refs decided only the Rockets were allowed to shoot free throws this game.

Bamba wasn’t doing anything to stop Sengun, who scored pretty much every time he touched the basketball within 15 feet of the rim. Tony Bradley also played 12 minutes, but didn’t do much to stop him either.

However, despite the bench, the refs, and Sengun, the Jazz were still in it. After a beautiful jumper at the elbow from Peterson, the Jazz were down one with 2:40 to go. Amen Thompson scored to put Houston up three, and Keyonte had a terrible turnover, trying to dump the ball down to Bamba. After George’s turnover, Sensabaugh bricked an offbalance lay, and Sengun scored on the other end.

With 11 seconds left in the game, the Jazz were down 5. Any reasonable person would have assumed a play would be drawn up for Darryn to score. But no. Not only did that not happen, but he was benched for none of than Svi Mykhailiuk.

Sensabaugh got the ball and did nothing other than jump out of bounds and try to get a foul call.

And that was the game.

Another heartbreaking loss in a very winnable game. The bench is horrendous and Will Hardy continues to make mind boggling decisions with the game on the line. Why did we tank all year for Peterson if we are just going to play Brice and Svi at the end of games!?!?

The young core of the Jazz played great, but it wasn’t enough. Keyonte, Ace, and Darryn have very bright futures.

THE JAZZ’S 3-HEADED MONSTER TONIGHT‼️

KEY:
27 PTS | 7 AST | 6 REB

ACE:
21 PTS | 1 AST | 3 REB

DARRYN:
28 PTS (new career-high!) | 2 AST | 7 REB pic.twitter.com/UKmw9eaEYc

— jordy🏔️ (@jordaline17) November 14, 2026

Alpren Sengun had 43 points and 12 rebounds.

Kevin Durant did what he does, scoring 22 points without hardly breaking a sweat.

Darryn Peterson finished with 28 points and 7 rebounds for his fifth straight 20-point game. This season has been rough, but at least we have Darryn Peterson.

The Miami Heat know a thing or two about dynamic duos.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo each scored 37 points in a 133-121 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Nov. 13. Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and Adebayo notched 14 boards for a double-double in the NBA Cup matchup at the Kaseya Center.

According to the NBA, the two stars join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as the only other duo in franchise history to score more than 35 points each in the same game.

James and Wade did so twice after James joined Wade on the Heat via "The Decision" in 2010. On March 14, 2012, Wade scored 36 points and James added 35 in a loss to the Chicago Bulls. They also reached the mark on Feb. 26, 2013 when James had 40 points and Wade tossed in 39 in a double-overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. The two won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

On Friday, Davion Mitchell added 22 points and 17 assists for Miami in the winning effort. Mitchell's 17 assists matched his career high.

DAVION MITCHELL TIED HIS CAREER-HIGH WITH 17 ASSISTS 🤯

🏀 22 PTS
🏀 17 AST
🏀 @MiamiHEAT East Group B win pic.twitter.com/skrptzMyxQ

— NBA (@NBA) November 14, 2026

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

This is Antetokounmpo's first season in Miami after a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks that included Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis. The No. 15 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft spent his entire career up to this point with the Bucks and decided he wanted a fresh start. He won two league MVPs, was named an All-Star 10 times and won the 2021 NBA Finals in Milwaukee, when he was named Finals MVP.

He will face his former team for the first time on Nov. 18 when the Heat host "A Night in Vice City" to promote the highly-anticipated "Grand Theft Auto 6" video game.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season. Adebayo, who is in his 10th NBA season, all with the Heat, is posting 17.8 points, 8.4 boards, 3.3 assists and a career-high 2.2 steals per outing so far this year. In March, he scored 83 points in a game, the second-most in NBA history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giannis, Bam join LeBron, Wade in exclusive Miami Heat club

Friday was always going to be an incredibly difficult game for the Golden State Warriors. They were on the road, taking on a San Antonio Spurs team that had won 10 consecutive games. Just on strength of opponent, it was the hardest game of the year for the Dubs.

And then “hard” turned into “impossible” when Steph Curry was injured during Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. With Curry sidelined, the Warriors were, essentially, without hope in this game.

Still, about once a year the Warriors — like most teams — are good for a shocking upset bid when undermanned. Could this be the night where they’re competitive against all odds?

It only took a few possessions for the answer to be an emphatic “no.” Steve Kerr opted for a small starting lineup — De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Draymond Green — hoping to outrun a team that they would be catastrophically undersized against, regardless of who they started.

And boy howdy, that — like everything the team tried — did not work. The opening possessions went exactly the way you would expect: the Warriors could not find an inch of space, while the Spurs broke them down. It felt like a team of seven-footers was playing a team of five-footers … it seemed like every Warriors pass was deflected, and every shot was blocked or contested. In the time it took you to figure out how to get this Prime Video game on your TV, San Antonio had taken a 7-0 lead.

They were getting everything they wanted on offense, using the gravity and playmaking of Victor Wembanyama to fully break down a helpless Warriors defense. Kerr called his first timeout less than three minutes into the game, with the Spurs leading 12-0. That timeout helped Golden State’s defense a tiny bit, but it did nothing for their offense. 12-0 became 14-0 became 16-0 became 18-0, the best start to a game in San Antonio’s history.

Finally, more than halfway through the quarter, the Warriors — who started the game 0-for-11 from the field — got on the board, when Gui Santos absorbed some contact for a tough and-one.

But even that play was emblematic of the struggles, as Santos missed the free throw, and just a few seconds later, the Spurs converted it into a three.

Santos’ bucket did not break any dam. Offense was still borderline impossible for the Dubs to come by, though they finally found a few buckets when Wembanyama took a rest. San Antonio’s offense, on the other hand, didn’t change at all with their superstar sidelined, as Stephon Castle took it upon him to thoroughly feast on Warriors defenders. That, combined with the Spurs making it rain from deep, led to a 38-14 San Antonio advantage after the first quarter. With no Curry, it was clear that the game was already over.

Golden State played much better defense in the second quarter, and the Spurs’ offense got a little discombobulated. But that did nothing for the Warriors’ offense, which was still stuck on life support. Every bucket was hard to come by — though LJ Cryer had some nice bursts to give fans something to cheer for — and Golden State could do nothing to cut into the deficit. A bad foul on a De’Aaron Fox three with less than a second remaining punctuated an awful half, and the Spurs went to the locker rooms leading 66-33.

The Warriors opened the third quarter with a pair of threes, and then, for all intents and purposes, they walked off the court and called it a night. San Antonio was taller, longer, stronger, more athletic, faster, and happy to flex all of those advantages in every area of the game. The second half was window dressing, and the Spurs weren’t even incentivized to take their foot off the gas, since it was an NBA Cup game, and thus, point differential mattered. The lead ballooned to 43 points for the Spurs, before coming back to an ever-so-slightly less-disrespectful 38 by the final buzzer, with San Antonio winning 123-85.

Cryer was the Warriors’ lone bright spot, as he scored a career-high 20 points with six assists (and no turnovers!), while shooting 6-for-11 from three-point range. Charles Bassey, who had 11 points and five rebounds, was the only other Golden State player in double figures.

With Curry out, the Dubs are going to rely on Lendeborg and Podziemski to carry the offense, but neither could do so against the ranginess of San Antonio’s excellent defense. Lendeborg had far and away the worst game of his young career, as he shot 1-for-13 from the field for three points, seven rebounds, one assist, and three turnovers. Podz wasn’t much better, as he had eight points on 2-for-10 shooting. As a team, the Warriors shot a paltry 33.3% (31-for-93) from the field. The Spurs’ length gave the Dubs fits, as they shot significantly worse inside the arc than beyond it … they shot 15-for-41 (36.6%) on threes, but just 16-for-52 (30.8%) on twos, while only earning 11 free throws.

Castle led San Antonio with a brilliant game, finishing with 32 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Wembanyama only played 21 minutes, but that was enough for him to have 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks.

The Dubs now get the weekend off, before facing the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Friday was always going to be an incredibly difficult game for the Golden State Warriors. They were on the road, taking on a San Antonio Spurs team that had won 10 consecutive games. Just on strength of opponent, it was the hardest game of the year for the Dubs.

And then “hard” turned into “impossible” when Steph Curry was injured during Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. With Curry sidelined, the Warriors were, essentially, without hope in this game.

Still, about once a year the Warriors — like most teams — are good for a shocking upset bid when undermanned. Could this be the night where they’re competitive against all odds?

It only took a few possessions for the answer to be an emphatic “no.” Steve Kerr opted for a small starting lineup — De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Draymond Green — hoping to outrun a team that they would be catastrophically undersized against, regardless of who they started.

And boy howdy, that — like everything the team tried — did not work. The opening possessions went exactly the way you would expect: the Warriors could not find an inch of space, while the Spurs broke them down. It felt like a team of seven-footers was playing a team of five-footers … it seemed like every Warriors pass was deflected, and every shot was blocked or contested. In the time it took you to figure out how to get this Prime Video game on your TV, San Antonio had taken a 7-0 lead.

They were getting everything they wanted on offense, using the gravity and playmaking of Victor Wembanyama to fully break down a helpless Warriors defense. Kerr called his first timeout less than three minutes into the game, with the Spurs leading 12-0. That timeout helped Golden State’s defense a tiny bit, but it did nothing for their offense. 12-0 became 14-0 became 16-0 became 18-0, the best start to a game in San Antonio’s history.

Finally, more than halfway through the quarter, the Warriors — who started the game 0-for-11 from the field — got on the board, when Gui Santos absorbed some contact for a tough and-one.

But even that play was emblematic of the struggles, as Santos missed the free throw, and just a few seconds later, the Spurs converted it into a three.

Santos’ bucket did not break any dam. Offense was still borderline impossible for the Dubs to come by, though they finally found a few buckets when Wembanyama took a rest. San Antonio’s offense, on the other hand, didn’t change at all with their superstar sidelined, as Stephon Castle took it upon him to thoroughly feast on Warriors defenders. That, combined with the Spurs making it rain from deep, led to a 38-14 San Antonio advantage after the first quarter. With no Curry, it was clear that the game was already over.

Golden State played much better defense in the second quarter, and the Spurs’ offense got a little discombobulated. But that did nothing for the Warriors’ offense, which was still stuck on life support. Every bucket was hard to come by — though LJ Cryer had some nice bursts to give fans something to cheer for — and Golden State could do nothing to cut into the deficit. A bad foul on a De’Aaron Fox three with less than a second remaining punctuated an awful half, and the Spurs went to the locker rooms leading 66-33.

The Warriors opened the third quarter with a pair of threes, and then, for all intents and purposes, they walked off the court and called it a night. San Antonio was taller, longer, stronger, more athletic, faster, and happy to flex all of those advantages in every area of the game. The second half was window dressing, and the Spurs weren’t even incentivized to take their foot off the gas, since it was an NBA Cup game, and thus, point differential mattered. The lead ballooned to 43 points for the Spurs, before coming back to an ever-so-slightly less-disrespectful 38 by the final buzzer, with San Antonio winning 123-85.

Cryer was the Warriors’ lone bright spot, as he scored a career-high 20 points with six assists (and no turnovers!), while shooting 6-for-11 from three-point range. Charles Bassey, who had 11 points and five rebounds, was the only other Golden State player in double figures.

With Curry out, the Dubs are going to rely on Lendeborg and Podziemski to carry the offense, but neither could do so against the ranginess of San Antonio’s excellent defense. Lendeborg had far and away the worst game of his young career, as he shot 1-for-13 from the field for three points, seven rebounds, one assist, and three turnovers. Podz wasn’t much better, as he had eight points on 2-for-10 shooting. As a team, the Warriors shot a paltry 33.3% (31-for-93) from the field. The Spurs’ length gave the Dubs fits, as they shot significantly worse inside the arc than beyond it … they shot 15-for-41 (36.6%) on threes, but just 16-for-52 (30.8%) on twos, while only earning 11 free throws.

Castle led San Antonio with a brilliant game, finishing with 32 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Wembanyama only played 21 minutes, but that was enough for him to have 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks.

The Dubs now get the weekend off, before facing the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Day’Ron Sharpe is making the jump from backup bruiser to full-time starter and complete player. 

And so far, the transition has been going well. 

Sharpe has an impressive plus-16.7 net rating swing for Brooklyn entering Saturday’s game in Memphis. Essentially meaning they are an aggregate 16.7 points per 100 possessions better — offensively and defensively — with the big man on the floor. 

That’s the fourth-best rating in the entire league among all qualified centers. 

“Yeah, he’s embracing the new role, and he’s adjusting,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said of Sharpe. “He’s adjusting with playing bigger minutes. … It comes with, its a lot. And I think he’s doing a great job. He is being very diligent with his routine, his body, taking care of himself, his treatment, what he eats. And right now, you can see that he can perform in longer stints and for more minutes. 

“So, very proud of him, and I think he’s impacting the group also. We’re playing well and, at times, very well because of him. And what he brings, like yesterday or two days ago, he had huge winning plays at the rim and verticalities and then his passing, rebounding so forth. So I’m very happy and he’s got to keep taking steps, keep working.” 

Over Sharpe’s last six games, he’s averaged 9.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists to just 2.2 turnovers — almost a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio — as he’s unlocked his playmaking in dribble handoffs DHOs with Michael Porter Jr. His four straight games with at least five assists are a Nets franchise record for a center. 

But more importantly, Sharpe — always a powerful rebounder in shorter stints — has provided rim protection, with his career-high tying four blocks in New Orleans giving him 10 over his last five games. 

“I’d just say for me, just trusting the work that I always preach, just being patient when I get the ball and just playing hard usual, just trying to make as many winning plays as I can,” said Sharpe. “Like I said before the season started, I feel like I’m trying to be one of the best when it comes to the small details of the game. Extra plays, saving plays, it’s all about the position game to me. So as many possessions as I can help our team win, that’s what matters.” 

---

Point guard Nolan Traore (right calf soreness) is listed as questionable for Saturday at the Grizzlies after missing the win in New Orleans. Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. is questionable with the illness that also cost him the last game. 

“Nolan just practiced with the group; see how he feels after,” said Fernández. “And then Mikel hasn’t practiced, he’s not here. See how he feels (Saturday).” 

Point guard Ben Saraf was not called up. He’s still on G-League assignment along with Joshua Jefferson, Tyler Bilodeau and Grant Nelson.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Day’Ron Sharpe is making the jump from backup bruiser to full-time starter and complete player. 

And so far, the transition has been going well. 

Sharpe has an impressive plus-16.7 net rating swing for Brooklyn entering Saturday’s game in Memphis. Essentially meaning they are an aggregate 16.7 points per 100 possessions better — offensively and defensively — with the big man on the floor. 

That’s the fourth-best rating in the entire league among all qualified centers. 

“Yeah, he’s embracing the new role, and he’s adjusting,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said of Sharpe. “He’s adjusting with playing bigger minutes. … It comes with, its a lot. And I think he’s doing a great job. He is being very diligent with his routine, his body, taking care of himself, his treatment, what he eats. And right now, you can see that he can perform in longer stints and for more minutes. 

“So, very proud of him, and I think he’s impacting the group also. We’re playing well and, at times, very well because of him. And what he brings, like yesterday or two days ago, he had huge winning plays at the rim and verticalities and then his passing, rebounding so forth. So I’m very happy and he’s got to keep taking steps, keep working.” 

Over Sharpe’s last six games, he’s averaged 9.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists to just 2.2 turnovers — almost a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio — as he’s unlocked his playmaking in dribble handoffs DHOs with Michael Porter Jr. His four straight games with at least five assists are a Nets franchise record for a center. 

But more importantly, Sharpe — always a powerful rebounder in shorter stints — has provided rim protection, with his career-high tying four blocks in New Orleans giving him 10 over his last five games. 

“I’d just say for me, just trusting the work that I always preach, just being patient when I get the ball and just playing hard usual, just trying to make as many winning plays as I can,” said Sharpe. “Like I said before the season started, I feel like I’m trying to be one of the best when it comes to the small details of the game. Extra plays, saving plays, it’s all about the position game to me. So as many possessions as I can help our team win, that’s what matters.” 

---

Point guard Nolan Traore (right calf soreness) is listed as questionable for Saturday at the Grizzlies after missing the win in New Orleans. Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. is questionable with the illness that also cost him the last game. 

“Nolan just practiced with the group; see how he feels after,” said Fernández. “And then Mikel hasn’t practiced, he’s not here. See how he feels (Saturday).” 

Point guard Ben Saraf was not called up. He’s still on G-League assignment along with Joshua Jefferson, Tyler Bilodeau and Grant Nelson.

The Spurs blew out the Warriors in the most lopsided game of the year. Without the services of Steph Curry, Golden State had to depend on super rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to provide firepower, and Spurs defense simply shut him down, holding him to 3 points on 1-13 shooting. Two way player LJ Cryer led the scoring for the visitors with 20.

The entire roster got into the action as Luke Kornet had one of his best defensive efforts of the season with a couple of blocks and most importantly, giving Victor Wembanyama plenty of comfortable minutes on the bench resting, playing 20 minutes. Stephon Castle broke out of his mini-slump with 32 points in 25 minutes. Carter Bryant continued his progression to becoming a rotation player with a solid effort on both ends of the court. Tarris Reed played almost the entire fourth quarter. I can’t find anything to complain about the Spurs’ performance in this game. It was just about perfect. And the team keeps getting better. It’s good to be a Spurs fan.

Observations:

• Blake Griffin really seemed kind of like a conceited jerk when he was a player, but as an announcer, he’s insightful and has a good connection to his colleagues in the studio and asks really good questions of the guests and players. I don’t know if I was wrong in my initial assessment of his character, but I kind of like this Blake.
• Draymond is the career leader for the NBA in technical fouls with 166. However many he’s had, he’s earned a lot more. He has a real talent for getting away with an incredible amount of complaining and questionable plays, and he only gets called for a small fraction of them.
• It annoys me when the announcers called the Warriors’ rookie Yaxel LendeNborg. Where did the extra ‘N’ come from? It’s Lendeborg, thank you.
• Congratulations to the Pacers who held off a furious last minute rally from the Knicks to win 106-104 in the lead-game on Prime. I thought that game was going to go to overtime.
• The Spurs started the game on a red-hot 12-0 run, causing an early Steve Kerr timeout. That didn’t help as the Silver and Black kept pouring it on and the Warriors were colder than interstellar space. They didn’t score a single point for the first half of the quarter, finally getting a bucket from Gui Santos just after the midpoint after the Spurs 18-0 start. Luke replaced Victor in the lineup, and the Spurs defense was just good instead of being impenetrable, and Golden State scored an impressive 14 points in the rest of the quarter, trailing 38-14 after one quarter, with two-way player LJ Cryer doing a lot of the damage.
• Lendeborg pretty much believes that he never commits a foul. I think that’s part of the Warriors’ character.
• Victor fell awkwardly early in the second quarter, and it was a little scary when he took some time to get up. Amazingly, he seemed fine after a minute or two. His resilience is unreal.
• Draymond threw Victor the floor a few plays after that, which was clearly not a basketball play, and it was called a flagrant 1 foul, but it should have been an ejection in my opinion. He pushed Vic so hard that he injured his elbow and had to go to the locker room, so there was some poetic justice in the incident. Draymond did return to the game in the third quarter, though.
• The Warriors were more physical in the second quarter, while the Spurs kept their foot on the gas, and led 63-33 going into the locker room. A 30 point lead seems pretty safe, except for that one time that they led by 29 and … it’s just too painful.
• Golden State had a little renaissance at the beginning of the third quarter, as their shot found the hoop and the Spurs went a little cold for a few minutes while the broadcast team of Tobey and Elliott was talking about fried chicken. The visitors were only able to shave the Spurs lead to 24 when they came back with a vengeance and Castle, Wembanyama, and Vassell ballooned the lead back to 33, 35, 40 and more. The Warriors renaissance was over in the blink of an eye.
• I’m happy for Charles Bassey. He’s found a home in Golden State, and he’s really blossoming as a player.
• Jordan McLaughlin entered the game with a couple of minutes left in the third, which is usually a good sign that Mitch is feeling comfortable that the game is under control.
• Tarris Reed got into the game with 11 minutes left, and played all 11 of them, looking like a monster on the boards. Or maybe some kind of bear.

---

For the opponents’ frame of mind, visit Golden State of Mind. I haven’t read them recently, but I expect to see a lot of Wemby isn’t fair comments on the game thread. I feel bad for them missing their best player, hopefully he won’t miss a lot of the season.

The Spurs play again on Sunday afternoon in Utah against the Jazz. The Jazz are one of three teams in the league who only have one win, and need I say TRAP GAME!?

The Spurs blew out the Warriors in the most lopsided game of the year. Without the services of Steph Curry, Golden State had to depend on super rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to provide firepower, and Spurs defense simply shut him down, holding him to 3 points on 1-13 shooting. Two way player LJ Cryer led the scoring for the visitors with 20.

The entire roster got into the action as Luke Kornet had one of his best defensive efforts of the season with a couple of blocks and most importantly, giving Victor Wembanyama plenty of comfortable minutes on the bench resting, playing 20 minutes. Stephon Castle broke out of his mini-slump with 32 points in 25 minutes. Carter Bryant continued his progression to becoming a rotation player with a solid effort on both ends of the court. Tarris Reed played almost the entire fourth quarter. I can’t find anything to complain about the Spurs’ performance in this game. It was just about perfect. And the team keeps getting better. It’s good to be a Spurs fan.

Observations:

• Blake Griffin really seemed kind of like a conceited jerk when he was a player, but as an announcer, he’s insightful and has a good connection to his colleagues in the studio and asks really good questions of the guests and players. I don’t know if I was wrong in my initial assessment of his character, but I kind of like this Blake.
• Draymond is the career leader for the NBA in technical fouls with 166. However many he’s had, he’s earned a lot more. He has a real talent for getting away with an incredible amount of complaining and questionable plays, and he only gets called for a small fraction of them.
• It annoys me when the announcers called the Warriors’ rookie Yaxel LendeNborg. Where did the extra ‘N’ come from? It’s Lendeborg, thank you.
• Congratulations to the Pacers who held off a furious last minute rally from the Knicks to win 106-104 in the lead-game on Prime. I thought that game was going to go to overtime.
• The Spurs started the game on a red-hot 12-0 run, causing an early Steve Kerr timeout. That didn’t help as the Silver and Black kept pouring it on and the Warriors were colder than interstellar space. They didn’t score a single point for the first half of the quarter, finally getting a bucket from Gui Santos just after the midpoint after the Spurs 18-0 start. Luke replaced Victor in the lineup, and the Spurs defense was just good instead of being impenetrable, and Golden State scored an impressive 14 points in the rest of the quarter, trailing 38-14 after one quarter, with two-way player LJ Cryer doing a lot of the damage.
• Lendeborg pretty much believes that he never commits a foul. I think that’s part of the Warriors’ character.
• Victor fell awkwardly early in the second quarter, and it was a little scary when he took some time to get up. Amazingly, he seemed fine after a minute or two. His resilience is unreal.
• Draymond threw Victor the floor a few plays after that, which was clearly not a basketball play, and it was called a flagrant 1 foul, but it should have been an ejection in my opinion. He pushed Vic so hard that he injured his elbow and had to go to the locker room, so there was some poetic justice in the incident. Draymond did return to the game in the third quarter, though.
• The Warriors were more physical in the second quarter, while the Spurs kept their foot on the gas, and led 63-33 going into the locker room. A 30 point lead seems pretty safe, except for that one time that they led by 29 and … it’s just too painful.
• Golden State had a little renaissance at the beginning of the third quarter, as their shot found the hoop and the Spurs went a little cold for a few minutes while the broadcast team of Tobey and Elliott was talking about fried chicken. The visitors were only able to shave the Spurs lead to 24 when they came back with a vengeance and Castle, Wembanyama, and Vassell ballooned the lead back to 33, 35, 40 and more. The Warriors renaissance was over in the blink of an eye.
• I’m happy for Charles Bassey. He’s found a home in Golden State, and he’s really blossoming as a player.
• Jordan McLaughlin entered the game with a couple of minutes left in the third, which is usually a good sign that Mitch is feeling comfortable that the game is under control.
• Tarris Reed got into the game with 11 minutes left, and played all 11 of them, looking like a monster on the boards. Or maybe some kind of bear.

---

For the opponents’ frame of mind, visit Golden State of Mind. I haven’t read them recently, but I expect to see a lot of Wemby isn’t fair comments on the game thread. I feel bad for them missing their best player, hopefully he won’t miss a lot of the season.

The Spurs play again on Sunday afternoon in Utah against the Jazz. The Jazz are one of three teams in the league who only have one win, and need I say TRAP GAME!?

Facing a front line of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo is a tall task for any team — especially one without the services of Evan Mobley (toe). The Miami Heat’s ability to attack the depleted frontcourt led to a 133-121 loss for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Three stars of the game

First star: Giannis Antetokounmpo

37 points on 15-of-20 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Typically, the Cavs use Jarrett Allen as the primary defender on Giannis, with Mobley shading in his direction to provide help at the rim. Without Mobley, Allen was left on an island guarding Giannis without much help behind him. Allen fought hard, but he could only do so much.

The Heat have struggled as a team this season, but those issues haven’t come at the expense of Giannis’s individual numbers. He’s still been playing at a superstar level.

Second star: Bam Adebayo

37 points on 13-0f-19 shooting, 14 rebounds, 3 assists

Peyton Watson drew the primary assignment on Adebayo with Mobley sidelined. Watson needed to help on Giannis drives and was giving up considerable strength in his individual matchup with Adebayo. These two factors allowed Adebayo to get whatever he wanted inside, as evidenced by shooting 9-of- 12 in the paint.

Third star: Donovan Mitchell

25 points on 9-of-21 shooting, 7 assists, 4 rebounds

This was a good game from a process perspective. Mitchell got rid of the ball when traps came his way, and trusted his teammates when he needed to. Miami’s defense was collapsing inside on any dribble penetration, leaving room for outside shots. Mitchell took advantage of this, going 8-for-17 on jump shots. The issue came on drives and floaters inside, where he was just 1-for-4.

Dud of the game

Peyton Watson

4 points on 2-of-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

This was a tough matchup for Watson. He was asked to guard a player he had no business defending due to injuries and, unsurprisingly, struggled. The issue was that he couldn’t take advantage of Miami’s propensity to shrink the floor on the other end.

Watson’s frustrations from the outside continued in Miami. He went 0-for-5 from three on a night when the Cavs desperately needed some additional floor spacing.

The process hasn’t been an issue for Watson. He’s taking the right shots and doing some encouraging things on the defensive end, but the results just haven’t consistently been there.

Cavalier who deserves a shoutout

Tyrese Proctor

22 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Proctor has been coming into his own over the past week. At the start of the season, he seemed hesitant to put the ball on the floor and attack as a scorer when given opportunities. That has gradually shifted in recent games, culminating in an impressive offensive performance in Miami.

On Friday, Proctor was hunting for his outside shot. He didn’t hesitate when the ball swung to him on the perimeter. That’s the confidence the Cavs need from someone who should get plenty of open looks given the attention the starting guards draw.

The version of Proctor we’ve seen over the past few games is indeed a rotation player. At this point, the question is whether he can still maintain that confidence in all aspects of his offensive game when he isn’t shooting as well as he has recently.

Play of the game

That is an *insane* pass from Donovan Mitchell, wow!

(Mr. Conwell, what are we looking at, here?) pic.twitter.com/XRh3CeZZdn

— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) November 14, 2026

Quote of the day

“Bam and Giannis kind of had their way with us.”

– Kenny Atkinson on what went wrong in this game

You’re just not winning a game like this when Miami’s front court combines for 74 points.

Stat of the game

The Miami Heat were in the 98th percentile for offensive rating this tgame (137.1).

Miami dominated inside. They retrieved 34.8% of their missed shots (73rd percentile), had a free-throw rate of 33 (85th percentile), and scored 56 points in the paint. Controlling the paint and forcing your way to the free-throw line is still the most effective way to generate a great offense.

As easy as it would be to blame the Cavs for these issues, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team. Miami had the personnel to take advantage of Cleveland’s injuries, and they did.

Main takeaway from this game: The Cavs’ supporting players are altering their identity

Zach Lowe made a good point on his most recent pod that I believe is worth expounding on: The Cavs have slowly been evolving their identity.

Cleveland found out in their 2025 series with the Indiana Pacers that they need more well-rounded players who can pass, dribble, and shoot.

Their initial effort in identifying those supporting pieces didn’t necessarily work out (Lonzo Ball), but their recent attempts have been much more encouraging. Guys like Peyton Watson, Mario Hezonja, Meleek Thomas, and Tyrese Proctor can fill multiple roles on the court and are more than just specialists. Jaylon Tyson also fits that box, although he was drafted before the Pacers series. This archetype stands in stark contrast with previous supporting players like Dean Wade, Georges Niang, De’Andre Hunter, and Keon Ellis, who were more specialized in one particular skill.

Quietly, the Cavs have shifted from a team with specialists around their core players to one where their core is insulated with more well-rounded skill sets.

It made sense to put specialists around the Cavs in 2023. That team desperately needed more shooting around the original core four after Mitchell’s first season in Cleveland. It’s nearly impossible to win playoff series if you can’t spread the floor in any meaningful way. Prioritizing shooting allowed them to advance in the playoffs in subsequent years, but if they intend to take the next step, they needed to diversify their rotation players.

Early injuries to Sam Merrill and Nae’Qwan Tomlin have given some of the newer supporting players more room to shine, and they’ve taken advantage of it. Against the New York Knicks, it was Thomas and Proctor who carried them through some of those bench lineups, and it was Watson who made the game-saving block. Here, it was Proctor who provided consistent scoring, Thomas (12 points) who supplied some shot-making at the end of the third to get them back into the game, and Tyson (16 points) who filled in well as a starter.

The Cavs are still figuring some things out, and are far from a finished product. But if you wanted something positive to hang your hat on early in the season, it’s the fact that the supporting pieces have the potential to change how this team plays.

Stars still matter. The Cavs will have a tough time winning playoff series this spring if Mitchell or Harden lay an egg. But the emergence of some of these supporting pieces has the potential to change what is asked of the stars during close postseason games. Maybe Thomas can carry some of the scoring load for stretches in the second and third quarters. Maybe Watson’s ability to recover defensively alters how the two-big front line operates defensively and further insulates the guards. Maybe Proctor can help bring the ball up against the press, alleviating that burden from the stars.

The Cavs didn’t get the win on Friday. Trying to defend a Giannis-led team without Mobley is a tall task. Results notwithstanding, we’ve seen some encouraging steps forward from some of the supporting cast the last week or so. That could make a huge difference if the stars can get healthy and more in sync than they have been.

INDIANAPOLIS — Mikal Bridges repeated it eight times in a three-minute interview Friday: “Be better.” 

The floundering shooting guard took ownership of his struggles before a rejuvenating performance in Friday’s 106-104 loss to the Pacers, saying he’s the lone problem and solution. 

“I just look in the mirror, I just got to be better,” said Bridges, who scored a season-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting Friday. “Nobody else to blame but me, and I just got to go out there and, whatever it is, just be better and go harder.” 

Bridges was light on specifics, but his shooting numbers were ugly. Before Friday, he was at 32.9 percent from the field overall and 26.5 percent on 3-pointers — despite many of his looks being wide open. 

Head coach Mike Brown responded by benching Bridges for long stretches, preferring to close games with reserve Landry Shamet. 

“When times are tough, you just gotta own up to it and just be better,” Bridges said. 

After Bridges played just 17 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers — the fourth time in 11 games that he’s logged 17 or fewer — Brown said it’d be “hard to find minutes” for Bridges and “even for times for Josh Hart.” 

Brown reasoned that reserves Shamet and Deuce McBride are playing well. 

But the Knicks also have $150 million tied up in Bridges, who said he’s not relying on flipping a switch to excellence in the playoffs like the past two seasons. 

“I try to be my best throughout the whole year. Obviously, struggles come, which obviously nobody wants, but like I said, in these moments, gotta look in the mirror, and you’re tested the most and just see what you’re made of,” Bridges said. “So, just gotta be better.” 

Bridges had a different tune last season during a slump, when he blamed a lack of opportunity for his performance decline. 

“Sometimes you try to get open, and sometimes it doesn’t find me. Just try to find ways to stay aggressive,” Bridges said in March, a little more than a month before he started a dominant playoff run. “That’s it.” 

This time, Bridges was self-scrutinizing. 

“I got to do everything better,” he said. 

Brown said he hasn’t thought about removing Bridges from the starting lineup because he’s a proven vet and it’d be a “panic decision” so early in the season. But there’s a minutes crunch at the wing with Bridges, Hart, Shamet and McBride. 

On Friday, Bridges played well, and Hart (zero points, 0-for-4 shooting) was benched. 

“There are several different ways you can look at it,” Hart said. “You can look at it, if [Shamet and McBride] have it going, cool. Good. You could you look at it like, ‘OK, maybe something else has to change [like a trade].’ 

“But there’s going to good days with that, bad days.” 

---

Free-throw discrepancy was a storyline in the first half. The Knicks took just five free throws in the opening two quarters; the Pacers quadrupled that amount with 20. Over the entire game, the Pacers shot 25 free throws to the Knicks’ 13. 

Frustrations boiled over late in the second quarter when Brown berated a referee over a non-call. Brown was irate and picked up a technical foul. The Knicks trailed at the break, 58-49. 

“I did get a tech. But the reality was the Pacers were playing harder than us. It was out of frustration,” Brown said. “Some of it because … we have a guy like Jalen who is an All-Star and an MVP candidate, and he takes zero free throws in the first half. … That, in itself, is frustrating to know that we’re getting beat that bad at the free-throw line and they’re missing some calls. Are we fouling them? Yes. And we have to do a better job earlier. But in the same breath, the discrepancy shouldn’t be that bad two games in a row.” 

Brown also lamented the free-throw discrepancy in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers.

INDIANAPOLIS — Mikal Bridges repeated it eight times in a three-minute interview Friday: “Be better.” 

The floundering shooting guard took ownership of his struggles before a rejuvenating performance in Friday’s 106-104 loss to the Pacers, saying he’s the lone problem and solution. 

“I just look in the mirror, I just got to be better,” said Bridges, who scored a season-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting Friday. “Nobody else to blame but me, and I just got to go out there and, whatever it is, just be better and go harder.” 

Bridges was light on specifics, but his shooting numbers were ugly. Before Friday, he was at 32.9 percent from the field overall and 26.5 percent on 3-pointers — despite many of his looks being wide open. 

Head coach Mike Brown responded by benching Bridges for long stretches, preferring to close games with reserve Landry Shamet. 

“When times are tough, you just gotta own up to it and just be better,” Bridges said. 

After Bridges played just 17 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers — the fourth time in 11 games that he’s logged 17 or fewer — Brown said it’d be “hard to find minutes” for Bridges and “even for times for Josh Hart.” 

Brown reasoned that reserves Shamet and Deuce McBride are playing well. 

But the Knicks also have $150 million tied up in Bridges, who said he’s not relying on flipping a switch to excellence in the playoffs like the past two seasons. 

“I try to be my best throughout the whole year. Obviously, struggles come, which obviously nobody wants, but like I said, in these moments, gotta look in the mirror, and you’re tested the most and just see what you’re made of,” Bridges said. “So, just gotta be better.” 

Bridges had a different tune last season during a slump, when he blamed a lack of opportunity for his performance decline. 

“Sometimes you try to get open, and sometimes it doesn’t find me. Just try to find ways to stay aggressive,” Bridges said in March, a little more than a month before he started a dominant playoff run. “That’s it.” 

This time, Bridges was self-scrutinizing. 

“I got to do everything better,” he said. 

Brown said he hasn’t thought about removing Bridges from the starting lineup because he’s a proven vet and it’d be a “panic decision” so early in the season. But there’s a minutes crunch at the wing with Bridges, Hart, Shamet and McBride. 

On Friday, Bridges played well, and Hart (zero points, 0-for-4 shooting) was benched. 

“There are several different ways you can look at it,” Hart said. “You can look at it, if [Shamet and McBride] have it going, cool. Good. You could you look at it like, ‘OK, maybe something else has to change [like a trade].’ 

“But there’s going to good days with that, bad days.” 

---

Free-throw discrepancy was a storyline in the first half. The Knicks took just five free throws in the opening two quarters; the Pacers quadrupled that amount with 20. Over the entire game, the Pacers shot 25 free throws to the Knicks’ 13. 

Frustrations boiled over late in the second quarter when Brown berated a referee over a non-call. Brown was irate and picked up a technical foul. The Knicks trailed at the break, 58-49. 

“I did get a tech. But the reality was the Pacers were playing harder than us. It was out of frustration,” Brown said. “Some of it because … we have a guy like Jalen who is an All-Star and an MVP candidate, and he takes zero free throws in the first half. … That, in itself, is frustrating to know that we’re getting beat that bad at the free-throw line and they’re missing some calls. Are we fouling them? Yes. And we have to do a better job earlier. But in the same breath, the discrepancy shouldn’t be that bad two games in a row.” 

Brown also lamented the free-throw discrepancy in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers.

The Lakers are among the NBA’s top teams this season.

But not everyone is convinced even with the team’s 11-2 start. Former NBA champion-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins doesn’t believe the Lakers have done enough to convince the public that they are legitimate title contenders.

“I don’t believe that they’re title contenders yet because they haven’t got a real signature win yet,” Perkins said on the “Road Trippin’ Show.”

“They haven’t beat OKC, although OKC is injured. They haven’t beat a Houston Rockets team or the Spurs or the Knicks. I need a real signature win-type moment.”

Thus far, the Lakers’ toughest matchups have been against the Blazers, Warriors and Pistons. LA’s schedule dictates when the team faces top-tier teams, but it appears that has kept Perkins at bay before embracing the Lakers as true title contenders.

Things were looking dim when Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic exited Wednesday night’s game with injuries. However, the Lakers revealed positive injury news about both stars at Friday’s practice.

The Lakers’ success is largely contingent on the health of Doncic, who escaped a major injury scare to his ankle. If the team can maintain its winning ways while keeping stars including Doncic and Reaves healthy, LA seems on track to make a deep playoff run in the post-LeBron James era.

The Lakers are among the NBA’s top teams this season.

But not everyone is convinced even with the team’s 11-2 start. Former NBA champion-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins doesn’t believe the Lakers have done enough to convince the public that they are legitimate title contenders.

“I don’t believe that they’re title contenders yet because they haven’t got a real signature win yet,” Perkins said on the “Road Trippin’ Show.”

“They haven’t beat OKC, although OKC is injured. They haven’t beat a Houston Rockets team or the Spurs or the Knicks. I need a real signature win-type moment.”

Thus far, the Lakers’ toughest matchups have been against the Blazers, Warriors and Pistons. LA’s schedule dictates when the team faces top-tier teams, but it appears that has kept Perkins at bay before embracing the Lakers as true title contenders.

Things were looking dim when Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic exited Wednesday night’s game with injuries. However, the Lakers revealed positive injury news about both stars at Friday’s practice.

The Lakers’ success is largely contingent on the health of Doncic, who escaped a major injury scare to his ankle. If the team can maintain its winning ways while keeping stars including Doncic and Reaves healthy, LA seems on track to make a deep playoff run in the post-LeBron James era.