The Warriors superstar and sportswear company Under Armour are ending their partnership after nearly 12 years, the brand announced in a press release on Thursday.
In the agreement, both Curry and his brand, “Curry Brand,” will become completely independent of Under Armour, with Curry’s latest shoe, the Curry 13, still releasing in Feb. 2026 as planned, with additional colorways and apparel collections available through October 2026.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to work with Stephen, who as President of Curry Brand has been much more than an ambassador – he’s become a thoughtful and strategic business leader,” Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank wrote. “Together with our teammates, he helped build something rare: a brand with credibility, community impact, and product that performs at the highest level.”
“Under Armour believed in me early in my career and gave me the space to build something much bigger and more impactful than a shoe. I’ll always be grateful for that.” Curry wrote. “Curry Brand was created to change the game for good and over the past five years, we successfully changed the game for kids, for communities, and for basketball.
“What Curry Brand stands for, what I stand for and my commitment to that mission will never change, it’s only growing stronger. I’m excited for a future that’s focused on aggressive growth with a continued commitment to keep showing up for the next generation.”
The 37-year-old Curry now becomes a sneaker free agent in his 17th NBA season.
After a humbling 126-102 loss Tuesday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors needed a fix in less than 24 hours to avoid another consecutive road loss.
“We weren’t exactly panicking, we were 6-6 and there’s 70 games left,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said to reporters Wednesday after the bounce-back win over the Spurs. “But we needed to rediscover our identity.”
The Warriors shot poorly out of the gate against San Antonio, but Kerr saw an immediate improvement from the prior night.
“Even though we scored 14 points in the first quarter, I liked the process. The ball was moving, everybody was sprinting into ball screens, sprinting the floor, getting to our spots in transition, competing defensively,” Kerr noted. “It just felt like our team out there.”
“When you lose, you got to assess what’s going on,” Curry said to reporters Wednesday after the win. “Don’t be afraid of changes and then that means everybody being ready to adapt to whatever you’re asked to do. Especially with a team with high expectations, we’re not going to sit in a situation and just think that things are going to change on their own.”
The Warriors did not seem complacent Wednesday. Their 16-point comeback was their largest of the young season, eclipsing the 14-point comeback against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 23.
“I just felt like we were connected. The guys were embarrassed [Tuesday] night. We were a little out of whack and this happens,” Kerr said. “…In the 82-game season, you’re going to have spells. But the important thing is to rediscover your identity and your competitive spirit, and that’s what I saw tonight.”
The rediscovery of that identity could have been a result of those extended meetings after Tuesday night’s reality check.
The Warriors look to maintain that identity in a Friday night rematch against the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
For the first time in the new campaign, the Celtics have multiple days off, and that feels like a good chance to take inventory on what we’ve seen as part of the team’s 6-7 seesaw start.
The good news: Boston has a +4.1 point differential that ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference and 11th overall in the NBA, even if it’s aided by a couple of blowouts inside TD Garden. The bad news: The Celtics have a league-worst minus-2.1 win differential, suggesting that they’ve coughed up a couple winnable games based on their efficiency, per Cleaning the Glass data.
Or maybe that’s actually good news. While Boston’s record is somewhat pedestrian — team sits 11th overall in the Eastern Conference after Wednesday’s games — the Celtics could just as easily be nestled in the logjam behind the streaking, conference-leading Pistons, if not their lackluster 2-5 record in crunch-time games.
The Celtics are figuring out this new-look roster on the fly. Coach Joe Mazzulla has tinkered with both his starting lineup and who he’s leaned on off the bench, searching for the right combination of energy and rebounding around the team’s returning core. Maybe we should have expected late-game growing pains for a team learning how to navigate life while Jayson Tatum rehabs from Achilles surgery.
But we’d suggest that there’s been more good than bad, and sometimes the losses have masked some of the big-picture progress that has occurred, including some encouraging early returns from a handful of young players trying to carve out bigger roles.
With this three-day break, we’re taking a step back and offering 13 thoughts and 13 notable stats from the 13 roster players who have touched the floor for Boston so far this season through 13 games.
In Part 1 of our three-part series, we’ll focus on Boston’s core four starters. Next up Friday will be the team’s key reserves.
1. Jaylen Brown
One number: 31.3
That’s the percentage of Brown’s shot attempts that have come in the long midrange (from 14 feet to the 3-point stripe) this season. It’s the highest output in the league, far ahead of even midrange-loving Kevin Durant (26.7 percent of shots in long mid-range).
But Brown has been thriving in that spot. He’s shooting 56 percent (44 of 79) from the long midrange and 51 percent on midrange shots overall. It feels like every midrange shot is going in as he hangs in the air above his defender.
Brown’s 3-point shot has been streaky, but he’s also showing off some nifty footwork while getting excellent looks in the midrange, and it’s a big-reason for his team-leading 27 points per game.
Brown has been fantastic while elevating into a harsher spotlight while Tatum is rehabbing. He’s putting up All-NBA numbers and on solid efficiency while shooting 51.6 percent on 19.8 shots per game.
His assist numbers (4.2 per game) should climb a bit when his teammates start knocking down shots, but even when Boston was stumbling through an 0-3 start, it felt like Brown was doing everything he could to put this team in position to win.
After a rare misstep in Philly on Tuesday, Brown took the blame for missing a box out in a key spot. He’s been a true leader with both his play and his voice.
2. Derrick White
One number: 29.2
That’s White’s 3-point percentage this season, down 9.2 percent from last season and 10.4 percent from Boston’s title campaign. His shot-making woes extend to other portions of the court — including at the rim (down 14 percent from last season) and in the short midrange (down 24 percent from last season).
One thought
Would it be oversimplifying things to suggest that much of Boston’s woes can be traced solely to White’s shot-making? It probably would.
White has still been elite at generating “Stocks” (steals plus blocks) and ranks eighth in the NBA with 2.85 Stocks per game. His assist percentage is up and his turnover percentage is way down. The Celtics still have a solid +4.2 net rating in his team-high 422 minutes of floor time.
Still, we can’t help but wonder if White making 3s more consistently would mask some of the team’s missteps. We don’t suspect those shooting woes will persist, and White should eventually thrive, even with additional attention this season.
3. Payton Pritchard
One number: 108.2
That’s the total number of points per 100 shot attempts that Pritchard is averaging this season, which is down 20.6 points per 100 shots from last season, per Cleaning the Glass data.
Like White, Pritchard’s 3-point shot has evaded him at times this season, but he’s also found other ways to make up for those misses.
One thought
Maybe a haircut is all Pritchard needed. Move over Jayson Tatum and his top-five designation after a fresh cut. Pritchard joked after Wednesday’s win over the Grizzlies — a game in which he was a team-best +42 in 30 minutes — that a haircut might have helped him play more like his usual self.
Like Brown, Pritchard has thrived in the midrange, shooting a staggering 61 percent on 59 attempts there. The Celtics have a +9.4 net rating in Pritchard’s 414 minutes of floor time.
Getting Pritchard and White back to playing like their more familiar selves would go a long way toward generating the consistency the Celtics are seeking. Pritchard is showing he can impact winning beyond the Sixth Man role.
That is Boston’s defensive rating in Queta’s 311 minutes of floor time, which is the second-best mark in the entire NBA among players with at least 10 games played, trailing only Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell (98.6).
Queta is third in the NBA with a +18.1 net rating, trailing only the Denver tandem of Nikola Jokic (+21) and Christian Braun (+18.2).
One thought
All eyes were on the frontcourt after Boston’s offseason changes and Queta has been an absolute rock there while logging the lion’s share of center minutes for Boston.
Queta is averaging 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. He’s shooting 64.9 percent from the floor. The Celtics have outscored opponents by double-digit points during Queta’s floor time in six of their 13 games, and he’s been a positive in nine of the 13 overall.
Yes, he missed a key box-out against Utah that really hurt. Otherwise, he’s been a screen-setting, rim-running machine who has made tremendous progress since his Boston arrival in 2023.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is making a big push to conquer Europe, both on and off the court.
But not everyone is happy with basketball's premier domestic competition's plans to make waves on the continent.
The 2025-26 NBA season got under way last month and featured a record number of European players - influencing the league's desire to do more in Europe.
A total of 71 European players are in the league, including players from the United Kingdom and France. Five of the NBA's last seven Most Valuable Player award winners have also been from Europe.
Basketball is also the continent's fastest growing and second-most popular sport, with Germany currently Fiba's World Cup champions.
Despite its popularity, though, basketball takes home less than 1% of Europe's $45bn (£33.7bn) sports media and sponsorship markets.
The NBA hopes to cash in on this growth, but the already existing EuroLeague questions the NBA's current proposals for a European league.
What are the NBA's Europe plans?
French forward Victor Wembanyama, who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs, is one of the league's most popular and talented players [Getty Images]
The NBA has proposed the launch of a semi-open European league in the next two years.
Initial plans for 'NBA Europe' are for 10 to 12 set franchises that would stay in the league on an annual basis.
A league of potentially 16 teams is being looked at, combining those set franchises with open spots that teams will be able to qualify for.
The nuances of how teams can qualify is still to be worked out. One option is through performance in the Basketball Champions League, effectively European basketball's second-tier competition at present.
There are other long-term plans from the NBA for the league, including the number of set franchises being doubled and the league being open for Europe-wide qualification.
Why is the NBA confident of success?
Al Ahly Tripoli won the most recent season of the Basketball Africa League [Getty Images]
The popularity of both basketball and the NBA is on the rise across Europe.
Basketball is the UK's second-biggest participation sport, behind football, according to Sport England.
The NBA has announced plans to hold six games across Europe in four different European cities across the next three seasons, with London, Manchester, Berlin and Paris all to host games between 2026 and 2028.
While basketball is popular across the continent, there is an agreed consensus from both the NBA and EuroLeague, its European counterparts, that there is further room for significant growth in the sport.
Talks for a proposed 'NBA Europe' with potential investors, stakeholders and teams are at a preliminary stage, but further talks are planned for the "near and immediate future".
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said that the coming months will give the NBA a "good sense of where we are in terms of level of interest".
JP Morgan and The Raine Group have been appointed as advisers for the league's plans, while the NBA is also currently running a similar competition in Africa - the Basketball Africa League.
Why is EuroLeague unhappy?
Real Madrid have one of basketball's most successful sides in Europe [Getty Images]
Last month, Tatum told BBC Sport that the NBA wanted to collaborate with EuroLeague over plans and that any NBA Europe plans would be to help the sport's overall growth.
However, EuroLeague chief executive Paulius Motiejunas said the NBA's proposals would only "hurt" the sport and that an additional league is "not necessary".
"I'm here to grow basketball in Europe, to make it better," Motiejunas told BBC Sport. "From time to time, you have these new projects or new ideas coming. They can either grow the status quo or make it much better or they can hurt.
"I truly believe that this will only hurt the status quo rather than make it better if it continues to be in a way that it has been presented."
As far as EuroLeague is concerned, the NBA's early plans are similar to its current structure of a semi-open league of core franchises, as well as associated clubs, with the EuroLeague currently having promoted spots available out of the EuroCup.
Part of the NBA's remit is to target major cities without permanently licensed franchises in major cities with permanent top-tier EuroLeague teams in the United Kingdom, Berlin and Rome.
This concept is not new for EuroLeague, which has been attempting to target similar markets for a number of years.
"We've built the business around basketball. We know the markets, [where] the basketball is really mature," Motiejunas explained.
"They are coming and they are creating business and using basketball to do it. It is a completely different approach because if you take the cities that they have announced, we've been looking at these cities for last 10 years.
"It is not easy to unlock them because of football, because of the different mentality and because of different sports that are there. We know how hard it is.
"That's why I say we wish they would tap into our know-how and work together."
EuroLeague remains open to discussions with the NBA over its plans, but it is not hopeful.
What could it mean for basketball in the United Kingdom?
The London Lions have been part of EuroCup since the 2022-23 season [Getty Images]
Both the NBA and EuroLeague agree that the UK is ripe for opportunities.
Speaking on NBA Europe plans, Tatum said: "The UK is going to play a significant role in the proposed European league. For the first time ever, [there will be] permanent franchises in the UK that will play top tier league basketball across Europe.
"I think that will continue to fuel the growth of basketball in the UK."
While the London Lions, who currently play in the EuroCup, are not a top-tier franchise, they remain a part of EuroLeague's long-term plans, with London also planned to be the home of one of two NBA Europe teams in its current plans.
Earlier this week, the first phase of a feasibility study was completed into the construction of a potential 15,000-capacity state-of-the-art arena that would serve as the Lions' home and has been backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
"We still believe in this market," said Motiejunas.
"We still all believe in unlocking the UK market because we know it's quite popular as a sport, maybe not a sport to come and watch, but the sport to come and participate.
"We're happy that they're there, we're still not giving up on this market and we think a lot of potential."
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SAN ANTONIO – The invaluable impact Gary Payton II has provided the Warriors for years returned Wednesday night in their best win of the 2025-26 NBA season, beating the San Antonio Spurs 125-120 at Paycom Center on the second night of a back-to-back.
Payton’s role at the start of the season has been as small as it ever has with the Warriors. A second-draft pick, Will Richard, quickly leapt him in the pecking order, keeping Payton’s view of games mostly from the bench. The defensive ace had looked a step slow and was prone to fouls, two things that can’t happen for someone who isn’t much of a threat offensively.
He played 15 minutes of garbage time Tuesday night when the Warriors were blown out in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, and it looked like his services weren’t going to be needed much the next night in San Antonio. Payton replaced Steph Curry for the final 23 seconds of the first half, his only run of the game up to that point.
The second half was a completely different story, for Payton and the Warriors collectively as a team.
Payton played 14-plus minutes in the second half and was a plus-9 as the Warriors outscored the Spurs by 12. Darting for the ball and being a nuisance defensively, Payton in that span had four points, six rebounds – four offensive – two assists and one steal. The stars were the show, and Payton was the special sauce behind the scenes that helped them thrive.
“I thought Gary was fantastic in the second half. And what a pro,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The guy hasn’t been in the rotation for two weeks, and you never hear anything from him. He stays upbeat, positive. Everybody loves him, and then he always stays ready.”
His game-changing ways began with seven and a half minutes left in the third quarter and the Warriors down by five. Payton’s first offensive rebound led to a Victor Wembanyama foul and two free throws for Curry. The next time down the floor, Payton grabbed a miss from Wemby, gave the ball up to Draymond Green, ran alongside Curry and set a good enough screen on his man that Devin Vassell fouled Steph for three more free throws. Payton on the Warriors’ next offensive possession assisted Moses Moody for a three.
Later in the third, he snuck behind the Spurs defense for a spinning layup, and his fourth and final rebound of the quarter became a foul on San Antonio and two free throws for Jimmy Butler.
Those who have been around Payton since he stuck with the Warriors in the 2021-22 championship season are used to this. Al Horford was on the other side of that as a member of the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals and poured praise on Payton while answering a question about Curry.
“Gary Payton just completely changed the game for us in the second half,” Horford said. “His offensive rebounding, defensively – just his impact. I was just very impressed with him, because you know, to be able to be called out like that and he just kept making winning play after winning play.
“There was a sequence there in the third quarter where he right away instinctively went to Steph on a screen to get him open, and Steph gets fouled for three shots. It’s one of those things that the guy, he just understands how to play. He knows how to play. He’s a winner. I was just impressed with Gary tonight.”
Payton played the final six and a half minutes of the fourth quarter and came down with two more offensive rebounds in one sequence. First, he found the angle from a missed three from Green and sprinted past Luke Kornet for his third offensive rebound of the game. In the same possession, Payton went from the right corner to the free-throw line to secure a short 3-point attempt by Curry, took one dribble and gave the ball back to a relocated Curry in the corner.
This time, Curry’s three went down and the Warriors’ lead increased from seven points to 10 with four and a half minutes left in the game.
The Warriors entered the day ranked 26th in offensive rebounds, a number that highlighted larger issues. All 6-foot-2 of Payton (on a good day) reminded everybody the importance of crashing the offensive glass and keeping possessions alive.
Look at all four of Gary Payton II's 4 offensive rebounds last night
“Just crash,” he said. “The league’s been changing a lot, so everybody’s crashing. Look at the ball and see where it might end up. Might be short, might be long. Run through the nail and just be in the right area where the ball usually comes from on threes. So, just crash.”
If you know how to play with Curry, finding him for open shots or freeing him with timely screens, you’re going to get minutes. Payton understands how to get the best out of the Warriors’ superstar as well as anybody.
He isn’t seen as a star. He isn’t part of the Warriors’ Big Three. But Curry appreciates Payton as much as any of his teammates.
“It’s huge. He’s a professional. He’s been through this where you got to stay ready,” Curry said. “Whether it’s been him being injured, coming in and out of the lineup or coach’s decision on who he’s putting out there. The way that he impacts the game defensively, we all know that, but he just seems to find himself in the right place at the right time offensively. He knows how to set screens, keep the ball moving and if he’s open shoot it.
“It’s simple, boring basketball, but it’s winning basketball. And he does a great job of being ready whenever he’s called to go out there and hoop.”
At the end of last season, it looked like Payton’s days with the Warriors could be numbered. Payton wanted otherwise, as did Curry. Payton had to wait and wait and wait like everybody else for Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency, eventually agreeing to terms before Kuminga did.
There was only one team Payton wanted to keep playing with, and his value that outnumbers stats turned to major impact once again in the biggest win thus far for the Warriors that they had to have.
“It’s the story of my career,” Payton said. “Don’t play, I play. Might not play, then I get thrown back into the fire. It’s another day at work. Staying ready, being ready, that’s it.
“Whatever I can do to help out the team. Just go in and make plays. Try to get the ball to certain guys, and just do the little things.”
Patience and perseverance paid off for Payton. Respect the game, and it rewards you in return.
Stephen Curry has won four NBA Championships [Getty Images]
Stephen Curry scored 46 points as the Golden State Warriors inflicted a first home NBA defeat of the season on the San Antonio Spurs.
The two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) helped the Warriors end a six-game losing streak on the road with a 125-120 victory at Frost Bank Center in Texas.
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle became the first Spurs players to record triple-doubles in the same game, but Curry scored 29 points in the second half as the Warriors outscored the Spurs 76-64.
"That third quarter is what we do - getting stops, pushing, creating easy offence. Thankfully I was able to knock a couple down," Curry said.
Jimmy Butler contributed 28 points and eight assists for the Warriors, while Moses Moody scored 19 points.
Thunder thrash Lakers
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 30 points, five rebounds and nine assists as defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder thrashed the Los Angeles Lakers 121-92.
The Thunder led by 37 points at one stage, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander and other starters to sit out the fourth quarter at Paycom Center.
Five-time All-Star pick Luka Doncic managed 19 points and seven assists for the Lakers, before being subbed when the result was all but confirmed by the final quarter.
Thunder are top of the Western Conference with a 12-1 record.
"We definitely got better the last two days and that's the main goal," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jokic downs Clippers
Nikola Jokic scored 55 points, including 25 in the first quarter, as the Denver Nuggets extended their winning run to six games with a 130-116 victory at the Los Angeles Clippers.
The three-time MVP also claimed 12 rebounds and six assists at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
It is the fourth time that Jokic has scored at least 50 points in a regular season game.
Jokic put up 25 points in the first quarter, took over in the third and finished with 55 points on the night — not to mention 12 rebounds and six assists — to help the Nuggets pull away in the second half and cruise to a 130-116 win over the Clippers on the road.
HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT NIKOLA JOKIĆ.
⚒️ 55 PTS (33 IN 1H) ⚒️ 12 REB ⚒️ 6 AST ⚒️ 18-23 FGM ⚒️ 5-6 3PM ⚒️ 34 MIN ⚒️ DEN W
That tied Jokic with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the most points scored in a single game this season. Jokic did it while playing just 2:30 in the fourth quarter because Denver had the game in hand.
These are two teams going in opposite directions — this was the sixth straight win for the Nuggets and the sixth straight loss for the Clippers. Los Angeles learned earlier in the day that it will be without Bradley Beal for the rest of the season due to hip surgery, while Kawhi Lenord remains out with a sprained ankle.
Aaron Gordon had 18 points and Jamal Murray added 15 for the Nuggets. James Harden scored 23 points with eight rebounds and five assists to lead the Clippers, while Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 points and Ivica Zubac scored 18.
Late Wednesday, Jalen Brunson was leaving the locker room in a protective boot and on crutches. A reporter from The Athletic saw Brunson leaving the locker room in the boot and crutches. A league source confirmed that Brunson did indeed leave The Garden on crutches with his right foot in a boot.
Brunson rolled his ankle with 1:52 to go in the game. We don’t know the specific injury or the severity of the injury, but the Knicks left MSG knowing that Brunson had suffered a legitimate injury.
Oftentimes, you don’t know the true severity of an injury until the player wakes up the next morning. Maybe Brunson wakes up on Thursday feeling great. But he left Wednesday’s game like a player who knew he was hurt. Shortly after Brunson turned his ankle, he intentionally fouled Jalen Suggs to stop the game. (The Knicks trailed Orlando by 15 at the time.) Rather than going back to the Knicks bench, Brunson went directly to the Knicks locker room.
KNICKS WITHOUT BRUNSON
If Brunson is out – and it’s safe to assume that he’ll miss Friday’s game against Miami, at a minimum – what do the Knicks do?
I assume they’d go with Miles McBride at point guard. Brown has been creative with his lineups/rotations early in the season. So maybe he goes in a different direction.
Regardless of who is in or out of the starting lineup, the Knicks have a lot to clean up ahead of their matchup with the Heat.
TOO MUCH TALKING TO REFS
Orlando neutralized the Knicks on the boards. They were the aggressor for much of the night, shooting ten more free throws than the Knicks. Brown didn’t seem to have an issue with how the game was called. He was instead disappointed in how his team engaged with the refs.
“In the first half, everything that happened on the court we blamed on the officials. And that was disappointing to see because we were the culprits of a lot of stuff that happened out on the floor,” Brown said. “Six of their first eight points came from the free throw line and we fouled them. I couldn’t even use a challenge because we were fouling. If one of our keys is to play physical without fouling, but our first six points, first three or four possessions that they had, start at the free throw line, then we’re not giving ourselves a chance and we’re letting them get comfortable with the way that they play.”
The Magic took 33 free throws; the Knicks had 23 attempts from the line. Brown felt the Knicks didn’t crash the offensive glass as well as they should have. Usually, if you don’t crash the offensive glass, you can get back and defend well in transition. That wasn’t the case for the Knicks on Wednesday.
“Shot went up and everybody just watched and then jogged back,” Brown said. “…. The way we chart it, they still scored 33 fast break points against us for the game.”
Brown obviously didn’t like his team’s approach on the board. But he was more bothered by the Knicks’ reaction to the refs.
“I personally think that it doesn’t matter how the game is being called. If we’re locked in and we’re playing like we’re capable of, we don’t need to rely not eh officials making this call or that call,” Brown said. “Our focus in that area was not where it should have been.”
Mikal Bridges agreed with Brown’s assessment.
“Got to leave the refs alone. Even if there’s fouls or something, everybody makes mistakes,” Bridges said. “Just got to, let it go and bring energy to the other end.”
BIG MINUTES FOR LANDRY
Landry Shamet was the first sub off the bench on Wednesday. He was also on the floor to close the game. In all, Shamet played 27 minutes – the most of any Knick reserve. Josh Hart played 18 minutes.
Brown went with Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup on Wednesday and had Miles McBride in over Bridges to close the game.
“Yeah, I was just trying to spark something defensively, offensively. Deuce hit a couple threes. I thought he was pretty good defensively. Same with Landry; I thought he was pretty good defensively; he hit a couple of shots,” Brown said. “So I was just trying to go with, find the combination that I thought could possibly get it done on both ends. Just searching.”
Brown clearly isn’t afraid to try different combinations of players as he feels things out with his team.
NO EXCUSES
Brown was asked after the game if the Knicks were tired on Wednesday because it was the second game of a back-to-back.
“Nah, we're a no-excuse team and if we're a no-excuse team, we've gotta go play the right way as best we can and not lay the blame any place else except square on us,” the coach said. “So it doesn't matter if we play three games in a row, we've gotta go figure it out, and if we can't, maybe I need to go deeper into the bench and play guys lesser minutes. Maybe that's where I can help them, but we can't sit here and say. ‘We played last night and they did this.’ No, go win the game, play the right way, leave it on the floor, and if you leave it on the floor the right way, you're not gonna win them all, then you'll take an L and move onto the next one. I just didn't think we did a great job doing what we're supposed to do to set the tone, especially at the beginning of the game.”
The coach also felt the Knicks didn’t handle the Magic’s attempts to get a bigger player matched up with a Knicks guard on their offensive possessions.
“When that happened, our smaller guys did not do their work early. What I mean by that is that they let the bigger guy walk them – or run them – all the way down to the charge line (near the basket) and then we tried to start fighting,” Brown said. “And one of our main rules is if you’re guarding a bigger guy, you’ve gotta stand him up; at least at the top of the key. We didn’t do that.”
The coach also felt the Knicks didn’t do enough to combat the mismatches when guarding Orlando’s pick-and-roll.
“We were getting cracked on the pick and roll – or the DHO (dribble hand off) because we weren’t up into the ball,” the coach said. “So our big ended up taking the ball and they ended up rolling us to the post and we didn’t do a good job recognizing it and trying to switch as they rolled a small down to the post.”
BRUNSON OFF THE BALL
Before the game, Brown was asked if he uses Steph Curry as a model in any way for how Brunson plays off the ball.
Brown, who coached Curry as an assistant in Golden State, said that he has used Curry as a template for his own point guards.
“I always felt that if I every had a team, I don’t care what my point guard is like, I’m going to try to get him off the ball so that he’s comfortable with it during the regular season and then come playoff time, teams can’t sit on it and say, he’s dominant in the pick-and-roll so let’s keeping it out of his hands,” the coach said. “Now you got to defend him in a lot of different ways. Not only that, it’ll be hard to just get up and deny him, bully him, because he’s not just going back to get the ball every time. If the defense wants to play you this way, go to the corner. The ball will find you if we’re moving and spacing the right way. That’s what I did with (De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento). He’s a pick-and-roll dominant guy, ball in his hands. And that’s what I’m trying to do with Jalen.”
Jackson Shelstad scored 22 points, Takai Simpkins added 20 and Oregon made 15 3-pointers in an 83-69 victory over South Dakota State on Wednesday night.
Austin Reaves looks to shoot over Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell in the second half. (Nate Billings / Associated Press)
Dalton Knecht soared through the air for an emphatic two-handed dunk. Luka Doncic, who fired the full-court assist on the basket, looked at the Lakers bench and clapped twice in encouragement. But nothing was going to help the Lakers crawl out of this.
Unlike the blowout loss in Atlanta last Saturday, it appeared the Lakers were at least mentally prepared to compete against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The problem in the 121-92 loss was that they simply could not keep up.
Reigning most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points on 10 for 18 shooting with nine assists. The Lakers’ own MVP hopeful Doncic had 19 points, making just seven of 20 shots with seven assists and four turnovers.
“We got our ass kicked,” said guard Marcus Smart, who was held to nine points with two turnovers. “And we got to bounce back.”
Crossing into the homestretch of their first extended road trip of the season, the Lakers (8-4) have two games remaining, playing in New Orleans and Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The five-game stretch, which started with a rout by Atlanta and a win in Charlotte, has provided mixed results. The team celebrated its connection and chemistry off the court, but is still trying to find solid footing after major offseason changes and early season injuries.
“I don't think it's been a great road trip for us, just in terms of how we played,” coach JJ Redick said. “Second half against Charlotte, I liked everything that I saw. But the Atlanta game [and] tonight, I don't think are reflective of who the group is going to be, but it clearly is who the group is right now."
The group could change again soon after LeBron James practiced with the G League South Bay Lakers on Wednesday. The 40-year-old working his way back from right sciatica participated in five-on-five in the halfcourt. Redick estimated that James got from 12 to 15 possessions of live contact during the workout.
“I think it was also an incredible opportunity for Zach [Guthrie, South Bay Lakers head coach] and his staff and all the guys that are with South Bay right now to have that experience,” Redick said before the game. “But the reports are that he looked good and was moving well.”
When Austin Reaves heard James would be assigned to South Bay, the guard joked the NBA’s all-time leading scorer should play in a game with the G League team.
Next week, when the Lakers have just one game against the Utah Jazz at home on Tuesday, could provide a window of opportunityfor James to returnat least to the practice court. But when asked if James would practice with the Lakers on Monday when the team returned to L.A., Redick deflected.
“That’s four days away,” Redick said. “So I have no idea on that.”
Even shorthanded themselves and playing their second game in as many nights, the Thunder (12-1) showed the desperation and intensity fitting of a champion.
Without top defender Luguentz Dort (right upper trap strain) and All-NBA guard Jalen Williams (right wrist), Oklahoma City still held the Lakers to just 37.5% from the field through three quarters while extending the lead to 36 points. The Lakers entered the game with the NBA’s highest shooting percentage at 51.2%.
The Thunder held the Lakers without a made field goal for almost eight minutes to start the second quarter. The lead ballooned to 32 as Oklahoma City doubled up the Lakers 64-32 with a three-pointer from Isaiah Joe with 2:10 remaining in the first half. The Lakers scored just 38 points in the first half.
“They're champions for a reason,” Doncic said. “So they showed that today."
Brunson, who turned his right ankle driving the lane late in the fourth quarter, was seen by SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley leaving the arena with a boot and using crutches.
After the 124-107 loss to Orlando, head coach MikeBrown said that the guard "turned his right ankle, but that's all I know."
Brunson, who led the Knicks with 31 points on 10-for-23 shooting, sustained the injury when he stepped on Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr.'s foot as he was driving the lane with 1:54 to play in the game.
He hobbled to the free-throw line and made one of two attempts, but then gingerly walked up to an Orlando player for an intentional foul to get himself out of the game. Brunson then immediately turned and walked to the Knicks locker room, having fouled out moments after Brown emptied the bench.
There was no further word on the possible severity of the injury.
