Category: Basketball

The NBA Cup should carry a little extra significance for the Brooklyn Nets, perhaps more than it does for any other team in the league.

Why? Brooklyn has the NBA’s lowest team payroll, with eight players on rookie contracts and another three on two-way deals. For a young roster earning relatively modest salaries, the tournament offers an opportunity to bring home some meaningful extra money.

The payouts increase with each round of the NBA Cup. Players on teams eliminated in the quarterfinals receive $60,499 apiece, while those eliminated in the semifinals earn $120,997. Reaching the championship game guarantees $241,994 per player for the runner-up, and the winning team takes home $604,985 for every player on its roster.

Oh yeah, there’s also the matter of winning a basketball game. Brooklyn is 0-4, one of two winless teams remaining in the NBA. The Cup offers an added financial incentive, but getting that first win won’t be easy. Detroit has won four of its first five games.

Game Info & How to Watch

• Matchup: Detroit Pistons (4-1) at Brooklyn Nets (0-4)
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
• TV/Streaming: YES Network and DAZN

Nets-Pistons Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• OUT: Egor Dëmin (right leg bone bruise)
• OUT: Tyler Bilodeau (G League assignment)
• OUT: Joshua Jefferson (G League assignment)
• OUT: Grant Nelson (G League assignment)
• OUT: Ben Saraf (G League assignment)
• QUESTIONABLE: Drake Powell (G League assignment)

Detroit Pistons

• OUT: Jalen Duren (hamstring)
• OUT: Ugonna Onyenso (G League assignment)
• QUESTIONABLE: Elijah Harkless (G League assignment)
• QUESTIONABLE: Isaiah Joe (hip)
• QUESTIONABLE: Isaac Jones (G League assignment)

The Game

Brooklyn’s loss to Boston had its share of highs before ending in a familiar low.

Mikel Brown Jr. stepped up in the fourth quarter and scored 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three, including a game-tying three with .2 left. The Nets had reason to believe a win was within reach, but Brown Jr.’s fourth-quarter performance was encouraging in its own right. The sixth overall pick looked increasingly comfortable on the NBA stage.

Unfortunately for him and the Nets, the momentum ran out — Brown Jr. attempted an ill-advised layup when he could’ve dribbled the ball out or taken the intentional foul. Jayson Tatum won the game on the other end. Brown Jr.’s performance was encouraging, but Brooklyn is still searching for its first win as the losses continue to pile up.

Friday poses a new challenge against a 4-1 Detroit team who enters Brooklyn following a 97-89 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Cade Cunningham led the way with 30 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while Paul Reed contributed 16 points and four rebounds in place of the injured Jalen Duren (hamstring).

Others continue to step up for Detroit — more on that below.

Player to Watch: Daniss Jenkins

Daniss Jenkins continues to make a name for himself after going undrafted in 2024. The former college standout was a favorite of Rick Pitino’s at both Iona and St. John’s before working his way up from the G League during his rookie season. He’s since developed into an important two-way contributor for a Detroit team with championship aspirations.

Of course, scrappy players like Jenkins step up most when backs are against the wall. In this case, Jenkins has stepped up for the Pistons when they’ve needed him in the early portion of the 2026-27 season.

“He has never shied away from being who he is,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Wednesday. “And it doesn’t matter who the competition is, who the opponent is in front of him. DJ’s gonna be DJ. He’s gonna talk sh*t, he’s gonna bump, he’s going to grind, he’s going to go at you, he’s gonna compete at a high level. And you know he has no fear. That’s why he’s special and that’s why we love him.”

Jenkins has carried some of the scoring burden off Cunningham’s back since Duren got injured, averaging 14 points on 43% shooting from three in the three games Duren’s been out. Jenkins has been a steady force for Detroit, providing a versatile presence in the backcourt. He can crash the boards, create opportunities for teammates and push the pace in transition.

Expect Jenkins to draw some important assignments against a Nets backcourt that will rely on Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore to dictate the pace. His defensive pressure and physicality could make life difficult for Brooklyn’s young guards, particularly if they struggle to protect the basketball. They’ll be off and speeding to the races in Motor City if that’s the case.

Brooklyn averages the fifth-most turnovers in the NBA at 17.5 per game, while Detroit forces approximately 16 turnovers per contest, ranking 12th in the league. With Jenkins and Cunningham leading the Pistons’ backcourt, protecting the basketball will be especially important for Brooklyn.

From The Vault

The Nets aren’t playing on Halloween this year, but should we expect some spooky festivities in Brooklyn on Friday night? It wouldn’t be the first time. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane…

Let’s bring it back to 2013 — The Brooklyn Knightsighting!

Fast forward to 2015 with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jared Sullinger, Jarrett Jack, Brook Lopez and Markel Brown:

And of course, the Nets training staff dressed up as James Harden in 2021. Perfect.

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Detroit Pistons Game Notes – Detroit Pistons
• Nets’ Nolan Traore will see more action with Egor Demin out at least a week – Dan Martin – New York Post
• What the Knicks and Nets’ new streaming home on DAZN means for viewers ($) – Peter Sblendorio – New York Daily News

Bill Simmons isn’t the most reliable source regarding the Lakers.

On Thursday’s episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Simmons — a die-hard Celtics fan — claimed, “The Lakers guy doesn’t have the money yet.”

He was referring to Josh Kushner, who bought the Lakers’ franchise from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion in August.

Simmons added, “[Kushner is] still searching for about $5-6 billion of [the money he owes Walter]. Doesn’t have it… [Bob Iger] is putting in the minimum. The minimum is like $63 million. So Kushner has to find all this other money.

“I think they’re using the Buss family as scapegoats for why the deal’s dragging along, but he can’t find the money,” Simmons continued.

It turns out Simmons’ claim isn’t completely accurate.

Ben Horney of Front Office Sports reported on Friday, “Josh Kushner and Bob Iger have been offering Lakers minority stakes to investors starting at $250 million apiece as they build out their ownership group.”

Horney added that some investors will put in significantly higher amounts into the deal.

Most importantly, Horney refuted Simmons’ claim that Kushner “can’t find the money,” saying that there has been “massive demand” to get in on the Lakers deal.

Dan Woike of The Athletic confirmed Horney’s report, adding there aren’t any issues finding money for the $12.5 billion sale in an X post on Friday.

It seems Simmons spoke too soon regarding this Lakers deal being in jeopardy.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without one of their key role players in Friday night's NBA Cup opener against the Golden State Warriors.

Ziaire Williams is out for the second consecutive game with a left foot injury, the team announced Friday, Oct. 30. He's considered day-to-day and was questionable after missing the 103-87 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Oct. 28 before having his status downgraded.

Head coach JJ Redick told reporters before that game that both Williams and Luka Dončić woke up sore after Tuesday's loss to the Portland Trailblazers and that the team preferred to be cautious on the second night of a back-to-back with a stretch of five games in the next seven days ahead of them.

Dončić is not on the injury report and is expected to play against Golden State Friday night.

NBA CUP EXPLAINED: 2026 schedule, format, groups and more

Chicago Bulls (1-4) at Boston Celtics (3-1)
Friday, October 30, 2026
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #5, Home Game #4
NBA Emirates Cup Game #1
TV: NBCSB, CHSN, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 104.3 The Score, Sirius XM
TD Garden

The Celtics host the Chicago Bulls for the 2nd time in a week. This is the 2nd of 4 games between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first game 134-99 in the first game in Boston. They will meet two more times in Chicago on December 30 and March 9. The Celtics are 140-111 overall all time against the Bulls and they are 81-40 all times in games played in Boston.

This is the first NBA Emirates Cup game for both teams. They are part of East Group C, which also includes Charlotte, Atlanta and Washington. The Celtics will play at Charlotte on November 6 and at Washington on November 24. They will host Atlanta on November 27. If they win the group, they will advance to the quarterfinals on December 4 and 5. The Semifinals are December 8 and 9. The Championship is December 11. The Celtics have only made it out of the group stage once, back in 2023.

The Bulls have had a lot of change since last season. They replaced Billy Donovan with Tiago Splitter at head coach. They traded for Nic Claxton and Buddy Hield. They signed free agent Norman Powell and 2-way players Tobe Awaka and Jaylin Sellers. They signed Caleb Wilson (4th pick) and Dailyn Swain (15th pick). They lost Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, Nick Richards, Yuki Kawamura, MacMcClung, Guerschon Yabusele and Rob Dillingham.

After this game, the Celtics will play at Orlando and Houston and then home against Milwaukee before a road trip takes them through Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto. They play Dallas and Orlando at home before a West coast trip that takes them through Denver, Sacramento, Golden State, and Washington. They then play one game at home against Atlanta before playing at San Antonio and Dallas.

Next for the Bulls, they will play at Philadelphia and at New York. They then host Philadelphia, San Antonio and Atlanta before playing at Minnesota, Cleveland, and Brooklyn. They then host Washington, Denver and Cleveland before one road game at Charlotte and a 6 game home stand hosting Indiana, New York, Cleveland, Houston, Miami and Utah.

The Celtics have started Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson in every game so far and I have once again listed the same starters for this game. It’s also possible that Joe may change this at any given time. I’ve listed the Bulls regular starters from their last game, which are Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Jalen Smith.

The Celtics still have just Devin Carter on the injury report due to illness. After missing the final 3 games of the preseason, Carter was diagnosed with mononucleosis and is without a timetable for a return. The Bulls list starting center Nic Claxton out due to a hamstring injury. Patrick Williams (groin) and Noa Essengue (head) are both questionable for this game.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Josh Giddey

SG: Jordan Walsh vs Norman Powell

SF: Paul George vs Matas Buzelis

PF: Jayson Tatum vs Caleb Wilson

C: Mitchell Robinson vs Jalen Smith

Celtics Reserves
Chris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley, Jr
Luka Garza
Hugo Gonzalez
Ron Harper, Jr
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman

Two Way Players
Devin Carter
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams

Injuries/Out
Devin Carter (illness)  out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Bulls Reserves
Zach Collins
Buddy Hield
Tre Jones
Leonard Miller
Isaac Okoro
Dailyn Swain

Two-Way Players
Tobe Awaka
Jordan Hawkins
Jaylin Sellers

Injuries/Out
Nic Claxton (hamstring) out
Noa Essengue (head) questionable
Patrick Williams (groin) questionable

Head Coach
Tiago Splitter

Key Matchups
Jayson Tatum vs Caleb Wilson
Wilson was the 4th pick in the draft for the Bulls and is playing very well so far. He is averaging 20.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.9% from the field and 17.9% from beyond the arc. In Monday’s game against the Celtics, he finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Hopefully Jayson Tatum can continue to play at an MVP level.

Jordan Walsh  vs  Norman Powell
Powell is averaging 21.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.  He is shooting 36.5% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc.  On Monday, against the Celtics, he finished with 20 points, 1 rebound, 2.0 assists and 4 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc.  The Celtics need to defend him better in this game and also be aware of his presence on defense as he is a threat to steal the ball.

Honorable Mention
Paul George vs Matas Buzelis
Buzelis is averaging 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a per game while shooting 38.9% from the field and 21.1% from beyond the arc.   In Monday’s game against the Celtics, he finished with 11 points, 1 rebound, 2.0 assists and 1 steal, while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. 

Keys to the Game
Defense – As always, defense is the key to winning this, and every, game.  In the preseason, the Celtics were tops in the league with a defensive rating of 98.6. The Celtics are 10th in the league with a 108.5 defensive rating.  The Bulls are 20th with a defensive rating of 120.2.  The Celtics need to continue to make defense their priority. 

Rebound –  As with defense,  rebounding will always be a key to winning.  The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team and go after every rebound.  In the preseason, the Celtics were 1st with 55 rebounds per game and 3rd with 16.8 offensive rebounds per game. So far in the regular season, they are 16th in rebounding with 44.3 rebounds per game.  The Bulls are 10th with 46.3 rebounds per game.  In Monday’s game against the Bulls, the Celtics outrebounded the Bulls 54-40.   The Celtics need to have that same effort on the boards in this game. 

Move the Ball Carefully –  The Celtics need to move the ball to get the best shots.  The Celtics are much better when they move the ball and don’t lapse into iso ball.  But, they have to be careful with the ball and avoid turnovers.  In Monday’s game, the Celtics committed 24 turnovers.  The Bulls are averaging 17.3 points off turnovers per game.  The Celtics need to make the extra pass to find the best shot but they also need to stay focused and make careful passes.

3 Point Shooting – If the Bulls have one weakness, it is their 3 point shooting.  As a team, they are shooting 42 threes per game to 41.5 threes per game for the Celtics.  However, the Celtics are shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc (7th) while the Bulls are shooting just 23.8% from beyond the arc (30th).  The Celtics need to defend the perimeter and not allow them to get hot shooting the 3.   

X-Factors
Home Game –  The Celtics need to take advantage of home court and the boost their fans can give them.  The Bulls will face a hostile crowd and an unfamiliar arena along with travel which will hopefully give the Celtics the edge.  The Celtics need to play hard and protect home court and use the advantages it gives to get a win.   

Revenge – These two teams just played each other on Monday when the Celtics embarrassed the Bulls, winning 134-99.  The Bulls have had 3 days to let that simmer and to feel the embarrassment of the 35 point drubbing.  They are going to want to come out strong and get revenge on the Celtics for that loss.   The Celtics need to be ready for that and come out strong themselves to counter the extra effort from the Bulls. 

Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game.  The Celtics also have to be aware of the new points of emphasis for this season and try to avoid  off‑arm push‑offs, reckless closeouts, delays before free throws illegal screens and especially floppping.  Paul George was already fined for a flop in the first game and there were several flopping calls in the game against the Nets.

Just nine days after getting smoked on opening night, the Golden State Warriors are out for revenge against the Los Angeles Lakers. And there’s good news for fans of beef and smoke: Luka Dončić, who didn’t play in the Lakers game on Wednesday, is off the injury report, clearing him for a testy rematch with Yaxel Lendeborg.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams.

Warriors

Out — Kristaps Porziņģis(not with team)
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair surgery)
Out — Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair surgery)

Same old, same old for this trio. Nothing much to see here.

Doubtful — Gui Santos (left knee tendinitis)

Santos missed Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves after being a late scratch with a knee issue. Now it looks like it will cost him at least two games.

Lakers

Out — Cameron Carr (right oblique strain)

Carr, who was the No. 24 pick in June’s draft, still has not made his NBA debut. He’s considered day-to-day though, so it should be coming soon for the shooting guard from Baylor.

Out — Adou Thiero (left knee injury management)

Thiero, a second-round pick a year ago, also has yet to make his season debut, though he did get into 25 games last year. Like Carr, Thiero is considered day-to-day, so he should be on the court before long.

Questionable Out— Ziaire Williams (left foot/heel injury management)

Williams has been super solid in his first season with the Lakers but, like Dončić, he missed Wednesday’s victory over their crosstown rivals, the LA Clippers. He had nine points, three rebounds, and four assists in Los Angeles’ victory over Golden State nine days ago.

Note: Since the original publication of this article, Williams has been downgraded from questionable to out.

Available — Walker Kessler (left finger splint)

Like Williams and Dončić, Kessler — LA’s big offseason addition — didn’t play on Wednesday. But he couldn’t resist the opportunity to get back on the court against the Warriors after shooting a perfect 12-for-12 from the field against them on opening night.

Enjoy the game, everyone. It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video (don’t get me started!).

Heat legend Dwyane Wade said he heard the opinions about his statue outside the Kaseya Center in Miami and “whether it actually looked like me” loud and clear.

The Heat shared photos of Wade’s statue Friday and said it was “a closer look at the enhancements to his statue.”

The team did not elaborate on the adjustments, but the images showed a new head on Wade’s body .

Many criticized the first version of the statue, which was revealed in October 2024, saying it didn’t look like the three-time NBA champ.

“I heard the jokes. I saw the memes. I read the reactions,” Wade said Friday in a Substack post. “Everybody had an opinion about whether it actually looked like me.”

Wade, who previously said he was heavily involved in the making of the statue with artists Oscar León of Rotblatt Amrany Studio and Omri Amrany, chose an iconic moment from his Heat career that the statue commemorates.

It was his “This is my house!” celebration after he hit a one-legged game-winning three-pointer as time expired to break a 127-127 score against the Bulls in double overtime on March 9, 2009.

Wade, who finished that game with 48 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, four steals and three blocks, jumped on the scorer’s table and yelled, declaring Miami’s arena his home while pointing his both index fingers downward.

“So eventually, I had to ask myself a pretty simple question: If people don’t feel that connection when they look at the face, why wouldn’t we try to make it better?” Wade said on Substack.

“So we listened and had honest conversations with everyone involved, and we all agreed to make adjustments to the head. The process was different this time because we could focus on one specific part instead of recreating the entire statue. I enjoyed the original process, but I also appreciated the simplicity and focus of this one.

“It gave us a chance to make sure the face better connects with the person and the emotion the statue is meant to represent. This isn’t about erasing the work that was already done or disrespecting the artists who put their time and talent into creating it.

The new head was installed on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Miami Herald.

“It’s about being willing to listen. It’s about recognizing when something carries meaning for more people than just yourself and being open enough to revisit it,” León and Amrany told the outlet.

“We decided that the importance of Dwyane warranted making those refinements rather than accepting something we believed could be improved.”

Wade’s original statue was first made with clay before it was coated in bronze.

León said in 2024 that more than 800 hours went into creating the statue — and he spent 16 additional hours consulting with Wade.

At the time, Wade responded after a wave of attention from his statue.

“If I wanted it to look like me, I’d just stand outside the arena and y’all can take photos,” he said on Monday. “It don’t need to look like me. It’s the artistic version of a moment that happened that we’re trying to cement.”

Now the new-look statue will be on display when the Heat host the Pacers on Friday.

Wade was the fifth overall pick by the Heat in the 2003 NBA draft and went on to win three championships with Miami 2006, 2012 and 2013.

The Hall of Fame guard, whose No. 3 jersey was retired by the Heat in 2020, is Miami’s all-time leader in points, assists, steals and games played.

Who: Phoenix Suns (1-2) vs. Denver Nuggets (2-2)

When: 7:00 pm Arizona Time

Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports

Listen: KMVP 98.7

Just three games into the regular season and our Suns community is in disarray already. An ugly start to the season has us jumping to benching Jalen Green, trading for a point guard, and Chris Haynes is reporting on the “growing frustration” inside the locker room. It was good that the Suns had three entire days in between games before playing the Nuggets because they had a lot to clean up in practice this week; however, I am ready to watch Suns basketball again.

Much has been made about the poor start offensively and the issues the Suns are having, but it is defensively that the Suns have to turn around quickly to have a shot at winning games this season. The Suns are last in defensive rating very early into the season, and the identity this team had last season has not shown itself once. That is the biggest storyline going into this game: will the Suns’ gritty defensive identity show up in game one of the NBA Cup group play on Friday night?

Tale of the Tape

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

• Mark Williams — OUT (Shoulder)
• Drew Timmie — OUT (G-League/Two-way)
• Oso Ighodaro — QUESTIONABLE (Oblique)

Nuggets

• Cam Johnson — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
• Alpha Diallo — QUESTIONABLE (Personal)
• Spencer Jones — OUT (Hamstring)
• Julian Strawther — OUT (Left Knee Sprain)

What to Watch For

The entire NBA has a Nikola Jokic problem, but the Phoenix Suns really had a Jokic problem. In three games last season, Jokic was 21-of-31 from the field and had 42 total assists combined in three wins against the Suns. Here are his stat lines in those three wins:

• 23 points, 17 rebounds, 17 assists
• 26 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, and 7-of-7 from the field
• 14 points, 14 rebounds, 15 assists

And let’s not forget the 30-20-20 performance against the Suns in the 2024-25 season either. He is the best, or at least one of the best, players in the league and has completely diced up the Suns in recent memory. It is going to be a big test for Khaman Maluach and, hopefully, Oso Ighodaro at the Suns’ center position. If Ighodaro does not play, how the Suns defend Jokic without Maluach will be where this game is decided. Ideally, the Suns can let Maluach defend Jokic on an island and not send any help to limit his effectiveness as a playmaker. It will be the biggest test in Maluach’s young career, and there will be both good and bad flashes from the Suns sophomore.

The good news is that, like the Suns, the Nuggets have started slow and have yet to hit their stride on either end of the court. They are surprisingly behind the Suns in offensive rating to begin the season and are only shooting 32.8% from 3 so far. If the Suns can at least handle Jokic and force the ball out of his hands, they might have a chance to keep this Nuggets offense from getting back on track for another night. If former Sun Cam Johnson does play for the Nuggets, that is an added element of shooting they have not had so far this season.

Key to a Suns Win

To win this game, the Suns have to keep Jokic and the Nuggets from dominating in the paint and on the glass on both ends. Jokic will likely still get close to a triple-double because that is just who he is. But if the Suns can rebound the ball defensively and continue to pursue offensive rebounds, it will allow them to play with pace, and the concerns about the offense will at least die down for a night. The Suns should score in transition and at the rim against a Nuggets team that, while extremely long, is not super athletic or defensively minded.

Prediction

The Suns come close but fall short.

Nuggets 121, Suns 118

The NBA Cup tips off this Friday and the Celtics get their group play started with the second home game against the Chicago Bulls.

Boston’s NBA Cup schedule is:

vs Chicago, 10/30 at 7:30pm/EST at TD Garden

at Charlotte, 11/6 at 7:00pm/EST at Spectrum Center

at Washington, 11/24 at 8:00pm/EST at Capital One Arena, that game is on NBC

vs Atlanta, 11/26 at 8:00pm/EST at TD Garden

It is a pretty light group for the Celtics and one they should be favored to win. In fact, I will be upset if they don’t.

With that said, they still need to play the games and all 4 of the teams Boston will play presents challenges.

Bulls

We saw Chicago on Monday and they aren’t a very good team. However, they can be a dangerous team.

Nic Claxton has yet to debut for the Bulls, he is likely to miss this game as well. Norman Powell was Chicago’s other big veteran addition, he had 20 points in the Celtics 134-99 win over the Bulls on Monday.

It starts with rookie Caleb Wilson, who had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on Monday night. The athleticism is what jumps off the screen early in Wilson’s career and I am excited to see how his shot comes along.

To this point, the Bulls rank 27th in offense and 29th in defense, according to NBA.com.

One thing Boston will need to do in this one is limit the turnovers. They had 25 in Monday’s win and they will likely lose this game if they turn it over that many times again.

Hornets

The Hornets made some big changes this summer sending LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges out the door. They added Naz Reid, Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen in those trades while acquiring former Celtic Dennis Schroder in a deal with the Cavaliers.

The Hornets have been missing Coby White and Kon Knueppel to start the season so Brandon Miller has needed to play a big role, 24.3 points per game this season. His efficiency is down but the Hornets are winning games. They are 3-1 on the season.

Charlotte ranks 30th in offense and 11th in defense, though the offensive numbers will improve once they get Knueppel and White back, neither player has a timetable to return.

The Celtics will need to control the glass in this game as the Hornets are 6th in offensive rebounding percentage and 2nd in defensive rebounding percentage in the early part of the season according to Cleaning the Glass.

Wizards

The Wizards are a far better team than they were last year but it is still a flawed group.

Anthony Davis and Trae Young were brought in at the deadline last year and Massachusetts native AJ Dybantsa was selected with the first pick in the draft, he made in NBA debut on Wednesday night after missing the first four games of the season with a left ankle sprain.

Ranking 12th in offense and 21st in defense Washington has been up and down to start the season.

Keeping Washington off the foul line will be a key for the Celtics, to this point Washington has the 6th highest free throw rate in the NBA in the young season.

Hawks

The Hawks added Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Dorian Finney-Smith and Kingston Flemmings this offseason.

Atlanta was the only team to beat the Knicks twice in a single series in the playoffs last year. This is a good team to start the season. A 2-2 start is hampered by 2 games against the undefeated Houston Rockets. Atlanta is led by Jalen Johnson who was an All-Star and made the All-NBA third team last season.

So far this season, the Hawks rank 7th in offense and 14th in defense. They have shown to be the Celtics stiffest competition in this group, though any team can win it due to the small sample size.

Turnovers will be the key to this game. The Hawks have been a low turnover team ranking 5th in turnover percentage while turning teams over a lot on the other end, ranking 2nd in the NBA in that category.

I would pick the Celtics to win this group. They have shown to be a very good team early in this season and, outside of Atlanta, don’t have the stiffest competition. However, Boston has been prone to frustrating group play losses in the cup, losing to Brooklyn last year and these Atlanta Hawks in 2024.

I am the type of sicko who does genuinely want to win this tournament so it is up to the Celtics to take care of their business and win this group, or even advance as a wild card, and get to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup.

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It’s opening night of the 2026 NBA Cup.

The NBA’s regular-season tournament gets started tonight with the first games of the group stage, and the reigning NBA Cup champion New York Knicks are set to face their rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Just last week, the Knicks opened their 2026-27 season with a loss to this new-look 76ers squad that includes Lebron James and Jaylen Brown (who is listed as a game-time decision tonight).

After dropping their first three games of the season, the Knicks come into tonight’s tilt on a two-game winning streak following victories against Detroit and Chicago.

The Sixers are 4-1 after losing to the Pistons earlier this week.

After these two games in quick succession, the Knicks and Sixers won’t meet again until Feb. 11.

Knicks vs. 76ers start time tonight (Oct. 30)

Knicks vs. 76ers will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Knicks vs. 76ers for free

Tonight’s Knicks vs. 76ers matchup streams exclusively on Prime Video nationwide, so you’ll have to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to watch the game.

If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.

All 18- to 24-year-olds, regardless of student status, are eligible for a discounted Prime for Young Adults membership as well, with age verification. After a six-month free trial, you’ll pay 50% off the standard Prime monthly price of $14.99/month — just $7.49/month — for up to six yearsand get all the perks.

NBA on Prime: 2026-27 Knicks schedule

The Knicks have 9 more scheduled NBA on Prime games for the 2026-27 season, not including any potential NBA Cup knockout games.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

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The NBA M.A.S.H. unit has its next patient.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant will miss four weeks with a left hamstring strain, adding to the list of NBA stars who have gotten injured in the season's first month.

"Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant sustained a left hamstring injury during last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Imaging revealed a grade two left hamstring strain. Morant will be re-evaluated in four weeks," the team said in a statement.

Morant, who was traded from the Grizzlies to the Trail Blazers in the offseason, was injured Thursday, Oct. 29 during the fourth quarter of Portland's 124-103 loss in his first game against his former team.

NBA MVP RANKINGS: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's reign may be in peril

When Josh Kushner and Bob Iger agreed in principle to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion, they still had a lot of work to do.

For starters, they, obviously, did not have $12.5 billion simply lying around ready to transfer over to Walter. As is common practice in the modern world of franchise ownership, Iger and Kushner — and mainly the latter — would need to go around and add minority investors to reach that $12.5 billion figure.

Naturally, that’s going to all go on behind the scenes. But notorious Celtics fan Bill Simmons seemed to have pulled the curtain back on some potential drama in his latest podcast episode on Friday when he encouraged people to aggregate that Kushner was struggling to find the money to buy the Lakers.

“The Lakers’ guy doesn’t have the money yet. That $12.5 billion he has to pay to Mark Walter? He’s still searching for five, six billion of it and doesn’t have it yet … Here’s the other thing. Guess who’s not putting in really any money. Bob Iger. He’s putting in the minimum. The minimum is like $63 million. That’s what he’s putting in. So Kushner has to find all this other money but this is a lot of money and the deadline is coming and I think they’re using the Buss family as scapegoats for why the deal’s dragging along. But he can’t find the other money. He needs to find like four, five billion-dollar guys that will come in and buy whatever percentage of the team.”

Well, it turns out that’s likely not true. Shocker.

While Simmons does still have sources around the league that are more often right than wrong, his green-tinted glasses got in the way on this one. Also on Friday, Ben Horney of Front Office Sports reported that Kushner are offering up stakes in the Lakers starting at $25o million and, more specifically, they’re not having any trouble finding takers.

The idea that Kushner is having trouble raising money for the deal is not true, one source tells FOS. There has been massive demand to get in on the Lakers deal, according to two sources, although it’s not clear who has expressed interest in buying in. The transaction could be completed within the next few months, one source says. Once the deal closes, Kushner will be majority owner, while Iger will be a minority owner and will oversee day-to-day operations of the team, the same source says.

And if you needed more reporting from a Lakers source, Dan Woike of The Athletic backed up Horney’s reporting that Kushner has plenty of interested parties.

Who could have guessed that the most valuable and popular franchise in the NBA, and one of the most in the world, is not having any problems getting people to buy in.

The Lakers are not in any sort of dire straits or even in a position of worry. When Walter agreed to buy the Lakers in mid-June, it wasn’t until the end of October that the sale became official. A similar timeline on this deal would mean the sale wouldn’t become official until late December.

Perhaps Simmons should just stick to trying to fix the Celtics with a dinner or rewatching old movies.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Brown out with left knee injury for Sixers vs. Knicks  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers downgraded Jaylen Brown’s status to out Friday night before their NBA Cup game vs. the Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Initially listed as questionable, Brown was ruled out approximately two hours ahead of tip-off. The official designation for Brown’s injury was “left (knee) patellar tendinopathy.”

The other Sixers sidelined by injury were Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Ariel Hukporti and Tacko Fall. Friday’s game is the first of a back-to-back set; the Sixers will hit the road and play the Hornets on Saturday. 

Brown had a 20-point, 10-rebound night Wednesday in the Sixers’ win over the Pacers.

“He reported soreness after the game in Indy,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame Friday. “He wasn’t able to go through shootaround today and was ruled out.”

Nurse was asked about Brown and Walker each having the same “left patellar tendinopathy” listing. 

“I think it’s certainly different for each of them,” he said. “I think it’s a timetable of treatment, pain management and getting them feeling better. Hopefully, they’ll both be back soon.”

Brown’s durability and reliability were significant aspects that drew the Sixers to trade for him in the summer. The 30-year-old forward played 71 games last year in an All-NBA season and averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 34.4 minutes per contest. 

Nurse indicated Dean Wade would likely step into Brown’s starting lineup spot.

“I think we probably are going to do something like start Dean in place of him,” he said, “just because it feels like that will be better matchups once the subs start coming. We’ll be in a better flow for that.”

We’re now a week and a half into the NBA season. Most teams have played four to five games. One team, the Atlanta Hawks, has played six.

Only the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, both 5-0, remain undefeated. Only the Sacramento Kings (0-5) and Brooklyn Nets (0-4) are still winless. A wave of injuries — some short-term, some long-term — swept over the league to try and spoil some early-season excitement.

Here are a handful of the best stories from the past week as well as key news you may have missed.

Boston Celtics

• Paul Pierce wants relief from child support because he spends $7K a month at restaurants — SB Nation
• The Jaylen Brown situation is getting icky — Celtics Blog
• Hate it or love it, this has always been Jaylen Brown — Celtics Blog

Dallas Mavericks

• Kyrie Irving has found new purpose in Dallas alongside Cooper Flagg — ESPN
• The reinvention of Zaccharie Risacher and his quiet eye — Mavs Moneyball

Denver Nuggets

• The Nuggets’ Troubling Start — The Lowe Post Substack
• The case for letting the Nuggets burn — SB Nation

Houston Rockets

• Kevin Durant doesn’t need to be “The Guy” every night for Rockets to succeed — The Dream Shake
• Kevin Durant and the Rockets are 5-0. What’s working in Houston? — The Athletic

Indiana Pacers

• Tyrese Haliburton to miss at least two weeks with a strained hamstring — Shams Charania

Memphis Grizzlies

• Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer becomes second-youngest player in NBA history to record triple-double — Yahoo Sports
• How are the Memphis Grizzlies 5-0? Hustle, muscle … and Cameron Boozer — The Athletic

Miami Heat

• Heat’s pick-and-roll unlocks first win and a possible path forward — The Athletic

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards undergoes successful knee scope — ESPN

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Kevin Durant reflects on his eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder — ESPN
• Jalen Williams suffered a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, will be sidelined several months — Shams Charania
• Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will undergo surgery, will be sidelined several months — Shams Charania

Orlando Magic

• Paolo Banchero suffers low-grade right high ankle sprain, likely out 4-6 weeks — Shams Charania
• Jalen Suggs has a bone bruise in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks — Shams Charania

Philadelphia 76ers

• Early returns on LeBron James, Joel Embiid and the 76ers: How Philly is finding success — Yahoo Sports

Phoenix Suns

• The Suns’ new-look lineup is making life harder for Booker — Bright Side of the Sun

Portland Trail Blazers

• Film Study: The New-Look Blazers Are a Blast — The Lowe Post Substack
• Two Injuries Tell the Story of Portland’s First Loss — Blazer’s Edge

Toronto Raptors

• Kawhi Leonard will miss multiple weeks with swelling in his left knee — Shams Charania
• The Toronto Raptors need to fix the Jakob Poeltl problem — Raptors Republic
• The Raptors’ Kawhi-Less Survival Guide — Raptors in 7 Substack

Utah Jazz

• Jaren Jackson will miss 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL in his right knee — Shams Charania

Washington Wizards

• Evaluating AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut vs. the Cavaliers — Bullets Forever

General NBA

• Ernie Johnson announces this will be his last season hosting “Inside the NBA”
• NBA’s biggest surprises, most concerning starts and best teams of the early season — Yahoo Sports