Category: Basketball

What's at stake for Celtics in NBA Cup standings entering Nets matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are down — but they’re not out.

We’re talking, of course, about the 2025 NBA Cup, the league’s third annual in-season tournament that began on Halloween and runs through mid-December. While the Celtics have played well of late — they’ve won three in a row to improve to 8-7 on the young season — they have a lot of work to do if they want to make up ground in Group B of the NBA Cup standings.

A quick refresher: Boston’s group consists of the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets. The C’s play each of those teams once in NBA Cup group stage play and currently have a 1-1 record with a negative-12 point differential, having edged the Sixers 109-108 and lost to the Magic 123-110.

On Friday, they’ll play their first NBA Cup game at TD Garden against the Nets (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston). And if they want any shot at advancing out of the group stage, they’ll need to beat Brooklyn by a lot.

Below is a brief explainer on the NBA Cup format, followed by the Celtics’ schedule, the current Group B standings and what’s at stake for Boston on Friday night.

How does the NBA Cup work?

The tournament begins with the group stage. All 30 teams are competing in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games (two at home and two on the road).

Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild card team in each conference that’s awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record.

If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:

• Head-to-head record in group play
• Point differential in group play
• Total points scored in group play
• Record from the 2024-25 NBA regular season
• Random drawing

The knockout rounds begin with quarterfinal games on Dec. 9 and 10 hosted by the higher seed, and then the semifinals and finals, which will be held in Las Vegas.

All Group Stage games count toward teams’ regular-season records. Teams enter the season with only 80 scheduled games, and the 22 teams that don’t advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 11/12 and Dec. 14/15.

Celtics’ Group B schedule

The Celtics’ four Group Stage games are being played across a 27-day span from Halloween until the day before Thanksgiving.

• Friday, Oct. 31: Celtics 109, Sixers 108
• Friday, Nov. 7: Magic 123, Celtics 110
• Friday, Nov. 21: Nets vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston)
• Wednesday, Nov. 26: Pistons vs. Celtics, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Group B Standings

Each team in Group B plays each other once during Group Stage play. If two teams have the same record in group play, the first two tiebreakers are head-to-head record and point differential. 

Here are the Group B standings, which we’ll update throughout group play:

What’s at stake for the Celtics

The Celtics trail the Pistons 39 points and the Magic by 32 points in the point differential department. So, they essentially need a 30-point blowout (or at least a win by 20-plus points) to close that gap. (Detroit and Orlando are both off Friday night.)

Orlando’s next NBA Cup game is next Tuesday in Philadelphia, while the C’s play their final Group B game Wednesday against Detroit. So, here’s what Boston fans should be rooting for:

• Celtics blow out the Nets on Friday.
• Magic lose to Sixers by a wide margin on Tuesday.

If both of those things happen, the Celtics might have a chance to sneak into the knockout round, but they’d need another lopsided win over the Pistons next Wednesday, as well.

So, yes, it’s a long shot. But a rout of Brooklyn on Friday would at least give Boston a puncher’s chance.

Why Warriors' upcoming homestand signals critical juncture in how season unfolds originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is no five-alarm fire surrounding the Warriors, but there are enough matches gathering that their upcoming five-game homestand, even in the first six weeks of the NBA season, can be a tipping point.

After playing 12 of 17 games on the road, the Warriors return to Chase Center on Friday to face the Portland Trail Blazers, whose ninth-place position in the Western Conference has them only one slot beneath eighth-place Golden State. Then come the 10th-place Utah Jazz, the third-place Houston Rockets, the last-place New Orleans Pelicans and the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder.

Houston and OKC present real challenges, but a loss to any of the other three would signal a troubling setback for the Warriors.

With perplexing chatter emanating from their semi-successful six-game road trip – comments regarding “agendas” and the usual agitation related to Jonathan Kuminga’s role and future – the Warriors surely know their work thus far invites legitimate skepticism. They are reeling, looking to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green to make all the necessary corrections that, perhaps, can deliver them from the fate of the play-in tournament.

That’s what awaits, and what a failure it would be, if the Warriors can’t pull themselves together and begin climbing up the standings.

Coach Steve Kerr, who bemoaned the lack of practice time during their six-game road trip, the upcoming schedule provides enough time for at least two, maybe three, practice sessions. There will be ample opportunity to roll out video and offer constructive criticism.

“The schedule does turn our way,” Kerr told reporters Wednesday night in Miami, after a 110-96 loss to the Heat concluded the six-game road trip. “But we need to take advantage of it. We’ve got to get better.”

Turnovers continue to be an issue. Despite frequent imploring from the likes of Kerr and Butler, the Warriors’ 17.1 giveaways per game are more than only the Dallas Mavericks 17.2. Golden State is dead last in turnover ratio at 16.8, roughly one of every six possessions.

For the league’s least physically imposing roster, one that struggles to rebound (22nd in the league) and gain extra possessions, taking care of the ball is essential for any chance of contending.

To be clear, these Warriors are not built as the great teams of yore, when they offset turnovers by pounding the glass, defending like a pack of wolves and drowning opponents in a torrent of 3-pointers.

“We just got to get back to giving a damn about every single possession, which is easy,” Butler, who uncharacteristically committed nine giveaways in his last two games, told reporters in Orlando after a 121-113 loss to the Magic on Wednesday. “But it’s definitely going to start with me not turning the ball over.”

Yet even a cursory glance at the Warriors is enough to know their problems go beyond turnovers. All three victories on the recent road trip required magnificent performances, with Curry scoring 46 points in one game and 49 in the next, followed by a career-high 32-point outburst from Moses Moody – the third time in four-plus seasons he topped 25 points.

Where is the balanced offense? Curry and Butler combined for a highly efficient 67 points in Orlando and walked off the floor with a bitter L, largely because the bench missed 15 of 23 shots and was outscored 35-22 by Magic reserves.

Brandin Podziemski over his last 10 games shot 40.2 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent from deep. Buddy Hield over his last 10 shot 39.5 percent, including 29.1 beyond the arc. Quentin Post is at 45.8 and 31.3 over his last five games. Kuminga has come off the bench only once this season, playing only 12 minutes before sore knees sent him to the bench.

There is a lot that needs repair before the Warriors can emerge from the fog they’ve been for three weeks, losing seven of 12 games. From Kerr to Curry to Butler and Green, there is belief that who they have been does not accurately represent who they are.

“We’re a connected team,” Kerr said Wednesday night. “We’ve got a good vibe, a good group. (But) we’ve got some improvement to make on the floor and that’s the main thing.”

Both De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry should arrive in the coming weeks. That should add a layer of proficiency to the roster.

If the Warriors can’t find their best, beginning with this homestand, they could slog into the same undesirable position they were in last February, when desperation forced a major trade in hopes a late surge could salvage the season.

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Observations after MVP-caliber Maxey scores career-high 54 points in Sixers' OT win  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Amid an MVP-caliber start to the season, Tyrese Maxey somehow raised his game again Thursday night.

On the second night of a home-road back-to-back, Maxey was special in Milwaukee, scoring a career-high 54 points in the Sixers’ 123-114 overtime win over the Bucks.

Maxey’s performance was far from one-dimensional. He also had nine assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Paul George added 21 points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. 

The Sixers had three players on the sidelines in Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Adem Bona (right ankle sprain). Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a left adductor strain. 

The 9-6 Sixers will host the Heat on Sunday afternoon. Here are observations on Thursday’s Maxey-centric thriller: 

George, Maxey key near-perfect start

George started his second game of the season with Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Justin Edwards and Andre Drummond. 

Just like in his debut Monday vs. the Clippers, George scored the Sixers’ first five points. This time he added six more. The nine-time All-Star converted a driving layup through contact and then drilled a trio of long-distance shots. In a little over two minutes, he already had more points than he’d posted all game Monday. 

Though George finally missed a heat-check jumper, he assisted the Sixers’ next hoop by tossing up a fast-break lob that Edgecombe flushed home. 

The Sixers’ defense was solid in the first quarter and fueled plenty of open-floor offense. After an Edwards steal, Maxey hit a three to give the Sixers an early double-figure lead. Maxey and George totaled 23 of the team’s 33 first-quarter points and the Sixers had a 13-point advantage after the opening period. 

Bucks storm back 

The Sixers flipped the turnovers story of Wednesday night’s loss to the Raptors in the early going. They forced regular Milwaukee giveaways and scored the evening’s first 12 points off turnovers. 

However, the Sixers’ lead shrunk once Maxey headed to the bench. 

The Bucks began the second quarter by making a 10-0 run. With Milwaukee turning to zone defense, the Sixers relied largely on jumpers and had little success. Stops were in short supply on the other end, too. 

Maxey continued playing tremendous, efficient basketball once he subbed back in. He ticked off his 15th consecutive 20-point performance to start the season when he buried a three late in the second quarter. The 25-year-old poured in 23 points in the first half on 13 field goal attempts. 

Maxey’s performance not in vain

Even with Maxey scoring freely, the Bucks edged in front. A Myles Turner dunk put Milwaukee up 53-52 and gave the Bucks their first lead of the night. 

Drummond’s foul trouble made the Sixers’ task tougher on the second game of a back-to-back (and with two big men unavailable in Embiid and Bona).

Drummond was whistled for his fourth foul in the first minute of the third quarter, but Sixers head coach Nick Nurse kept him in. He couldn’t manage an extended foul-free stretch, fouling Turner with 8:54 left in the third.

Out of necessity, both Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow played substantial minutes at center. Barlow had a couple of nice defensive moments in the third quarter, including a block on Gary Trent Jr.’s layup attempt. Maxey also had several impressive plays to snuff out Milwaukee attacks in the paint. Given his offensive output, his defensive energy was remarkable.

Nurse stuck with Barlow for the final 21 minutes of regulation. Drummond returned for overtime but fouled out with 2:49 left in the extra session.

The Sixers trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter. Maxey wiped out that deficit rather quickly, draining a mid-range jumper and then sinking a go-ahead step-back triple from 30 or so feet out.

He’s looked like he can score from just about anywhere this season and deep range has been a serious weapon. There were hardly any signs of fatigue from Maxey, who logged 47 minutes and still leads the NBA in minutes per game (by about three minutes). It’s not hyperbolic to say he very well may be the league’s best-conditioned player.

When Maxey finally missed a couple of shots, other Sixers chipped in timely baskets. Edgecombe (12 points, 10 rebounds) nailed a three and threw down a Maxey alley-oop. George and Quentin Grimes each made driving layups.

The closing minutes of regulation were full of twists and turns. Maxey stepped on the sideline and AJ Green then knocked down a three to knot the game up at 101-all. The Sixers promptly regained the lead when Maxey hit a cold-blooded corner three right in front of the Bucks’ bench.

Edwards had two big missed jumpers down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Following a Maxey turnover, Turner canned a three with 15.1 seconds left and the Bucks took a two-point lead. Maxey evened it up by driving into the paint, drawing a foul with 7.0 seconds to go, and hitting both of his free throws.

On Milwaukee’s final possession of the fourth, Ryan Rollins (32 points, 14 assists) air balled a three at the buzzer. Grimes contested it well.

Edwards scored five massive points in overtime, including a three to start the scoring. Grimes delivered a tightly guarded triple. Across the board, the Sixers made clutch plays to ensure Maxey’s effort wasn’t in vain.

Maxey set his new career high by making two inconsequential free throws with 12 seconds left. Everything else he did was essential for the Sixers, who are already well-accustomed to leaning on him late in games that go down to the wire.

The Lakers confirmed that Joey and Jesse Buss, who both had been executives with the team, are no longer with the franchise.

The announcement was made Thursday in a move many figured would come later with changes to the Lakers’ basketball operations department after Mark Walter became the majority owner. The sale was at a $10-billion valuation and was approved by the NBA board of governors in October.

According to a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, everything with the Lakers is being evaluated and that included firing scouts on Thursday.

It was felt that starting the process now was the best course of action to take, according to one person aware of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly, rather than wait.

Joey Buss was an alternate governor and vice president of research and development with the Lakers while Jesse was the team’s assistant general manager.

“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons," Joey and Jesse Buss said in a statement to ESPN, which first broke the story. “Thank you Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think of it all.”

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Their dad was Dr. Jerry Buss, who transformed the Lakers into a global franchise after buying the team, along with the Kings and the Forum, in 1979 for $67.5 million. Both Joey and Jesse worked alongside their sister, Jeanie Buss, who will continue to be the Lakers’ primary team governor for the foreseeable future.

Joey was team president and chief executive of the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Each, along with their siblings, are still minority owners of the franchise.

The two were given a lot of credit for helping the Lakers find and develop Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Max Christie.

The Lakers didn’t have a comment about the Buss brothers no longer being with the team.

“Yeah, I found out this morning that it was going to happen,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “But I don’t have any comment on personnel decisions as it relates to the organization.”

The Lakers signed general manager Rob Pelinka to a contract extension in April and extended Redick's contract in September.

The sale of the Lakers was finalized on Oct. 30.

Fresh off winning a World Series with the Dodgers, Walter, who had been a minority owner of the Lakers since he bought 27% of the franchise with Todd Boehly in 2021, promptly sat courtside for the next Lakers home game on Nov. 2. He looked on when the Lakers honored the world champion Dodgers at a home game on Nov. 5.

Walter was part of the group that purchased the Dodgers for $2 billion in 2012. Since then, the team has won three World Series titles in five appearances with 13 consecutive playoff berths.

The swift reorganization process with the Lakers differs from Walter’s history with L.A.’s other pro sports headliner. After Walter bought the Dodgers, general manager Ned Colletti stayed with the organization through the 2014 season.

In addition to becoming the highest-spending team in baseball under the new ownership group, the Dodgers also bolstered their analytics department, improved nutrition programs for major and minor league players, and expanded clubhouses with the latest physical therapy technologies.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

President Brad Stevens? Evan Turner identifies next job for Celtics boss originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Stevens is the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics. Evan Turner sees only one job that could possibly make sense for Stevens to leave Boston.

“He should leave and run for president,” Turner said on the Celtics Talk Podcast. “To be honest with you, that’s the only thing he should leave for.”

Turner — talking with Celtics insider Chris Forsberg — joked about Stevens’ future in politics because of how well Stevens has transitioned from being a coach to an executive in Boston.

“I’m glad the Celtics didn’t lose him and he went elsewhere. You would have been battling against a monster,” Turner said. “He’s going to kill it so much for this position. How do you ever go back to coaching? What’s the point of leaving that?”

Indeed, outside of an appointment to the White House, Stevens won’t be leaving the Celtics’ front office. And Turner, who played under Stevens the coach from 2014-16 and worked as an assistant on Stevens’ staff in 2020-21, shared some fond memories of his former boss.

“I remember when Brad came and saw me in Columbus when he was trying to sell (me on) the team,” Turner recalled of his free-agent meeting with Stevens in 2014. “I heard so much negativity towards my game and I was so down in the dumps. So it was really like the first time I got a flash of light, you feel me?

“So, you can be arrogant in a sense and be comfortable, but sometimes, you can’t take for granted acceptance and appreciation, and Brad showed me that in in like a really dark time. So, that was huge.”

Turner also recalled a moment early in his career in Boston, when he committed a careless turnover and shot a few four-letter words in the direction of Stevens after he had dome some coaching from the sidelines.

“So before you know it, I just get subbed out the game. And I’m like man, that was — damn, that was a big move,” Turner said. “And he’s chill, and like 35 seconds goes by. He walks up, he says, ‘Don’t ever talk to me like that again. Let’s be a professional. Go back in and go get him.’ And that was it.

“It’s just a respect thing. I think Brad knew and vice versa. … I just think that was a big moment in communication with the coach. So, I really appreciated that and I appreciated he didn’t scream and didn’t try to hold it against me. He just kept helping me.”

Also in this episode:

• Turner reflects on Philadelphia’s decision to “trust the process” and blow up a promising young roster.
• Turner assesses Jaylen Brown’s play during Jayson Tatum’s injury absence.
• Turner expresses a belief that Tatum can beat the timeline on his rehab.
• Turner shares stories of playing with Isaiah Thomas after introducing his former teammate at The Tradition.
• The crazy story of the time a truck crashed into Turner’s swimming pool.