Any team that rosters Luka Dončić is going to have to learn how to adjust to defenses blitzing ball screens.

Few players in the league, if any, are as dangerous in the pick and roll as Luka. The easiest way for opponents to keep him from doing damage is to stop him before it can really start. That typically manifests itself in blitzing Luka with two defenders on ball screens.

When things are clicking, the Lakers can quickly turn that into an advantageous 4-on-3 scenario. Things have not been clicking for them yet this season, though, and they certainly weren’t in the team’s loss to the Warriors.

While Luka had a huge night with 37 points, the rest of the Lakers struggled as they blew a big early lead and dropped their second game of the season. After the contest, Luka spoke about teams doubling him in the pick and roll and how the team needs to adjust.

“We just need to do better with that,” Luka said. “You create an advantage with two on the ball and you got to go score. It’s four on three so we have to be better there. …We have to be aggressive to score. It’s an advantage, four on three, and I think we have to be way better at this.”

At the beginning of that process is the chemistry with Luka and Walker Kessler. But nearly every aspect of the process is a work in progress, including making good on the opportunities they create when they have an advantage.

“I think the biggest thing is just shooting the shots that we get,” Jake LaRavia said postgame on Friday. “A lot of times when you pass up open shot opportunities, it turns into a disadvantage for us and it ends up into either a missed shot or a turnover and we’d much rather take the good shot over that. It’s just something that we’re going to learn more as the season goes on and as we see this more often.”

The irony of LaRavia being the one saying they can’t turn down shots considering how he ended last season. Even on Friday, there were multiple open looks he did not take from three. But, if nothing else, that just means he’s the one who has heard the most about the need to take advantage of those opportunities.

The good news is that it’s only just November and this isn’t a surprise that the team needs to build chemistry. But once they are able to get things to click out of the pick and roll, then it feels like things will really take off to another level.

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

I feel as if much of my focus lately has been doom and gloom as the Phoenix Suns have stumbled out of the gate to a 1–3 record, doing so in a manner that has been particularly frustrating. If there’s one thing I appreciate when watching any sport, and one of the primary reasons last year’s team resonated with the fan base as a whole, it’s defense. I value the ability to stop the opposition from executing its game plan.

Defense travels. Defense wins championships. Defense changes the outcomes of games. And thus far, the Suns’ defense has more holes than Swiss cheese. Yes, I spent about as much time putting together that analogy as the Suns have spent playing defense through their first four games.

As I sit here looking out my window at the literal gloom hanging over the Valley, I can’t remember a time in my life when we’ve experienced rain this consistently. And rather than allowing the weather to dictate my mood, I’ve decided to do what the motto of this very site encourages us to do. I’m going to look at the bright side. That’s right. Here are three things I’ve appreciated about the Phoenix Suns through the early portion of this season.

1. Three-Point Shooting

One of my biggest fears about this team entering the season was how they would perform from beyond the arc. When you ship off Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, who are currently shooting a combined 41% from deep with the Charlotte Hornets, there’s a legitimate concern that your team might end up sucking from three-point range.

When you look at it holistically, the Suns rank 17th in the NBA, shooting 34.8% from deep. They’re certainly maintaining their three-point volume, however, ranking seventh in the league with 40.3 attempts per game. But like so many things early in this season, those numbers are being dragged down by one particularly ugly game.

In the season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix shot 6-of-31 from beyond the arc, a miserable 19.4%. Since that game? The Suns are shooting 38.8%, connecting on 50-of-129 attempts. That 38.8% would rank fifth in the NBA. Damn you, Portland game. Damn you! It feels like we’re going to spend the next 15 games waiting for that statistical disaster to work its way out of the numbers.

Even when you include the Portland game, the Suns are doing something that shouldn’t surprise anybody. They’re getting quality three-point shooting from their bench. Phoenix’s reserves are shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc, the sixth-best mark in the league. Remove that Portland game from the equation, and the Suns possess the best shooting bench in the NBA at 45.9%.

Luke Kennard is shooting 53.8% from deep this season, Ryan Dunn is at 40%, Dillon Brooks is connecting at 42.9%, and Jordan Goodwin is shooting 39.1%. And if Collin Gillespie hadn’t gone 0-of-8 in that Portland game, he’d be sitting at 42.9% himself.

All of this bodes well for Phoenix moving forward. The Suns have demonstrated that they possess the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, and as the season progresses, those numbers should begin to better reflect what we’ve seen since opening night.

2. Miles Bridges

Yeah, Miles Bridges.

Don’t get me wrong, his defense has left plenty to be desired as he continues trying to understand where he needs to be positioned and how to properly support those around him. His missed assignments have been atrocious, and there’s no world in which I’m going to sit here and consistently defend his defensive performance throughout the early portion of this season. But holistically, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him thus far.

He’s third on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game, leads the Suns in blocks, and is their top rebounder. Yes, that 22.2% shooting from beyond the arc sucks, and it certainly doesn’t help the argument I made earlier about the team’s three-point shooting. My assumption, however, is that those numbers will begin to normalize with time.

What I’ve appreciated most about Miles Bridges is that he reminds me a little bit of Shawn Marion, somebody you don’t necessarily have to draw up offensive plays for. His offense is generated through effort, whether that’s putbacks, hustle points, or simply finding opportunities within the flow of the game. Every roster needs somebody like that. Somebody who can generate those junkyard points without demanding the basketball, yet still provide meaningful offensive production.

Think about it. Dillon Brooks is averaging 16.5 points per night, but he has to be incredibly ball dominant for those points to materialize. Those are proactive points, whereas much of what Bridges provides comes reactively, taking advantage of opportunities that develop around him. And through that lens, I can see the vision of what Miles Bridges is designed to be within the context of this Suns lineup.

The shooting absolutely needs to improve, as does the defense, but there’s something valuable about having a player who can contribute offensively without requiring the entire offense to revolve around him.

3. The Bench Unit

Without a doubt, the bench has been the bright spot for the Phoenix Suns. The connectivity that this group possesses is something the starting unit should envy, and a big part of that comes from the continuity the organization talked about throughout the offseason. Much of that continuity has manifested itself within the second unit, where the only new addition to the rotation has been Luke Kennard, who has stepped into the Grayson Allen role pretty seamlessly.

The Phoenix Suns’ bench ranks 10th in the league with a +2.2 net rating, third with a 72.5% assist percentage, and fourth with a 1.94 assist-to-turnover ratio. And that’s where, as a Suns fan, you begin to realize that this team might not be as far away from being successful as it feels after watching those first four games.

The starting unit certainly needs to pick up the slack, and those players need to learn how to play together. But with 40% of that group being new to the lineup, it’s going to take some time for that chemistry to develop. Meanwhile, the backbone of this team has been the bench and the way it operates.

So even as I sit here pounding the table for Collin Gillespie to become a starter, perhaps the stability he provides to the second unit is something that needs to be considered as part of that equation. Because if the starting unit can figure things out, the bench can continue delivering punch after punch after punch when it enters the game, beating the opposition into submission.

Of course, there are multiple issues with that starting unit, and we don’t know whether time will ultimately solve them. But you know it, and I know it, because we’ve seen it with our own eyes while watching these games. When the second unit checks in, you immediately feel a sense of responsibility entering the game.

The Suns have legitimate problems, particularly defensively, and those aren’t going to disappear because I decided to write something positive. But the shooting is encouraging, Bridges is finding ways to contribute, and the bench has established an identity worth building upon. There’s work to be done, plenty of it. But even with the clouds hanging over the Valley, there’s still a little sunshine breaking through.

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers both played in their ABA-inspired uniforms tonight. Their offensive performances looked like they were straight out of the 60s and 70s, but so was Brooklyn’s defense, and it got them their first win of the season.

So, if you ask us, old is gold.

The Nets were led by their two high-scoring vets, Michael Porter Jr. (23) and Julius Randle (20) as well two of the team’s younger set, Day’Ron Sharpe who finished with his first double double of the season (15 and 13) and the fast-developing Nolan Traore (16 points, four 3-pointers and six assists.)

Chaney Johnson started beside Nolan Traoré at the top of the key for a second straight game this evening, but the rotation was more fluid than what we’ve seen so far this year. The Nets went nine men deep in the first period. Terance Mann, who has only gotten burn during garbage time so far this year, even logged some first quarter minutes as the backup point guard with Mikel Brown Jr. sitting.

But with both teams looking to run early, and this being the first of a back-to-back for Brooklyn, those extra bodies were needed. There weren’t a lot of statistical fast break points, but both teams moved up the floor with a sense of urgency off misses in the first. Michael Porter Jr., who had a quiet night vs Detroit, was aggressive there and in the halfcourt, pitching in seven points while shooting 2-5 from deep in the opening frame. He ended up as our leading scorer by the end of the game with 23 points on 7-16 shooting from the field and 3-10 from deep. He also pulled down nine rebounds and dished three assists.

But outside of what MPJ provided early on, makes from beyond the arc came at a premium. When Indiana smoked Brooklyn last week, the triple was their primary weapon, as they shot 23-41 from downtown. But today, the Nets kept the safety on, limiting the Pacers to a 2-15 start from deep.

Nobody shot well from the other parts of the floor early either. In the first half, Brooklyn posted .385/.250 splits while Indiana put up .324/.200 marks. Both teams also combined to miss 10 free throws between the first two periods.

“We took good shots and they were not falling,” Fernández said. “A lot of times, the anxiety hits, but the team stayed together and won the first quarter, stayed together and won the second quarter, stayed together and won the third quarter, and I think that’s what matters the most.”

Indeed, even as eager participants in the rock fight, the Nets led after one. Despite their 0-5 record going into tonight, they’ve now won the first quarter in four straight games, and are 4-2 in the period on the season. They maintained that advantage heading into the break too, up by a 43-40 score. Porter Jr led the team offensively at that point with 13 points on 5-10 shooting, followed by Mo Wagner, who added 10 after a perfect 4-4 start.

“Just taking what the game gives me,” Wagner said at halftime. “I think we’re playing really hard. We really need one.”

Get one, they did. After another string of misses, Porter Jr. began the scoring for both teams in the second half with a four point play…

Then, Traoré hit his first triple of the game off a back-tapped offensive board from Day’Ron Sharpe. That gave Brooklyn their first double digit lead of the ball game. Day’Ron finished tonight with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Fernández called his effort tonight “unbelievable” postgame.

“I mean, he he was big on the boards,” Fernández said. “He did a little bit of everything. He made his three. He set screens. Very happy for him. We don’t win this game without him, and the reality is how much he cares about winning and impacting winning. And this game, 5-7, 13 rebounds, four assists, two turnovers? I think that line is impressive. So, all his energy and willingness to do the right things, it paid off.”

“Day’Ron’s a beast, for real,” Traoré added. “Like, he’s so strong, and when he’s playing like that he’s unstoppable. Me and him in the pick-and-roll is a really great thing for us, and if I keep finding him like that, he’s gonna be great like that every time.”

However, that make from MPJ seemed to open the floodgates for everyone. Sharpe buried his own three from the corner a few minutes later. He’s now shooting 3-7 from deep on the season. But the Pacers also nailed three triples in the third after making just four in the entire first half. That kept Indiana in striking distance, and with Porter Jr. picking up his fourth foul with 4:39 to go, Brooklyn’s lead, which already felt like something out of a dream, looked at risk of fading. It might’ve too if not for Traoré and Randle, who continued to hit shots with MPJ on the bench.

But while the Nets went into the fourth up nine, the Pacers wouldn’t go away. Triples from Andrew Nembhard and Larry Nance Jr. made it a three point game with 9:29 to go.

And, Randle and Traoré stiff armed Indiana again, closing out the game in the process as well.

After two made triples from Quenton Johnson, Julius Randle swung back with an isolation three from the top of the key before driving and assisting on two for Traoré during back-to-back possessions. That reestablished a 10-point lead for Brooklyn with about two and a half to play.

Traoré finished with 16 points and six assists while shooting 6-14 from the field and 4-8 from deep with just one turnover. Randle added 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds while shooting 5-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep. He was also a +17 for the game. Over the past four games, the 6’4” 20-year-old is averaging 14.3 points on 46/39/72 splits along with four assists and a steal in 26 minutes a game.

“Great spacing,” Traoré said. “I know they want to double Julius, so we take advantage of this and make shots. I’m happy and proud of my teammates.”

“I thought Nolan had great moments, especially in that second half,” Fernández added. “You know, he shot the three well, but those were very good threes. I think that all of them are like Julius spraying the ball, and I think that’s huge.”

They didn’t have the strongest competition with Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell out, but the Nets defense was stout all night, and it stayed that way down the stretch. After those makes from Traoré, the Nets forced Indiana to miss four of their next five shots. It was tough, disciplined, and a crafty effort, as Noah Clowney sold an offensive “push off” foul on Nembhard to get a final stop 52 seconds to go.

Already up seven, that gave the Nets a technical free throw, as Nembhard got hit with a technical with after arguing against the call, and eventually, their first win of the season.

Final: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90

Milestone Watch

• With 15 points and 13 rebounds in tonight’s win vs. Indiana, Day’Ron Sharpe recorded his fourth career game with 13+ PTS and 13+ REB, two of which have now come against the Pacers (16 PTS, 13 REB on 1/5/25 at home). It was also his 20th career double double, and his first since February 26th of last year.

Next Up

For the first time this season, the Nets will play the defending champs on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. New York’s title defense hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the team 2-4. The Nets have their unprotected first rounder this year, so a win here helps increase the value there. Also, it’s just good to win against the Knicks. The Nets haven’t done that since January 2023, a rivalry record of 14 straight.

“We need to get a win,” Traoré said of the matchup. “I think it’s been a long time since we’ve won against the Knicks, so we got to do it.”

This one tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 (Video) – NBA.com
• Day’Ron Sharpe records double-double in Indiana (Video) – Meghan Triplett – YES Network
• Jordi Fernandez on Nets 98-90 win over Indiana Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Nolan Traore records 16 points and 6 assists in win over Indiana (Video) – YES Network
• Michael Porter Jr. scores 23 points in win over Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Porter, Randle help Nets to 98-90 victory over Pacers – Marc Ambrogi – AP
• Nets get revenge on short-handed Pacers for first win of season – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets find first win in familiar place, ride second-half surge past Pacers ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ troubling start raises bigger questions about competitiveness, accountability and the future ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ win vs. Pacers leaves just 1 team winless in 2026-27 NBA season – Brad Taningo – Clutch Points

The Knicks could be getting a needed injury boost.

Jose Alvarado is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets at Madison Square Garden. He missed the last four games with an ankle sprain.

Alvarado was able to go through practice on Sunday, coach Mike Brown said, though he didn’t have much of an update otherwise.

Tyler Kolek has gotten a shot in the rotation in Alvarado’s place. After two DNPs to start the year, Kolek played 57 minutes the last four games, notably recording 25 assists to just two turnovers.

Now, if Alvarado returns, Brown will have a decision to make — whether to keep Kolek in the rotation at the expense of some of Alvarado’s minutes or not.

“Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out,” Brown said last week. “When he comes back, we’ll figure it out.”

Brown has been making analogies to other sports recently to explain the Knicks’ struggles.

This time around, he used football to explain why the Knicks haven’t shot well at the rim.

“If you think about it, if you’re shooting the way we’re shooting the ball at the perimeter, it’s like in football, if you’re not able to pass the ball, they’re gonna put eight guys in the box,” Brown said. “It’s the same thing. If we’re not making shots, they’re going to do this [collapse in the paint] and it’s gonna be harder to finish in the paint.

“And so eventually, at least the green [high-quality] 3s, we’re gonna have to continue generating green threes but we’re gonna have to make some green threes. But in the same breath, while we’re not doing that, we gotta be better in other areas to compensate for our ability to shoot the ball right now.” 

The Washington Wizards go on a brief one-game road trip, heading down south to Orlando, to face the Magic. After an impressive NBA Cup win over the Hornets, holding the opponent to only 79 (!) points, they now face arguably a hungry Orlando team that hasn’t had a great start to their season (2-3 record so far).

In fact, the Wizards are coming with a better record (3-3).

Here’s the preview!

Game info

When: : Monday, November 2, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

How to watch: LeaguePass

How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM

Wizards: Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie, and Tristan Vukcevic.

Injury Report

Magic: Izaiyah Nelson, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, and Paolo Banchero.

Pregame notes

The Wizards are at .500 — The Wizards are back, after a good number of years to being a league average team. You can see that in many of their stats (defensive and offensive) and you can also see it from their split record 3-3. This is a big improvement already, although obviously there is still a lot of room for progress.

This is a must win for the Magic — The Magic consider themselves as a borderline contender, and so given the lukewarm start to their season (for instance, a 30 point loss to the Raptors) they are definitely looking to win this one, and not enter into a 2-4 record hole. Their potential for explosiveness is there, as was on display in their relative easy win over the champions, the Knicks, last week.

Defense — The Wizards have dramatically improved their defense. This was on full display against the Hornets, that were not able to cross the 80 point line. Can they keep it up against the very dynamic Magic?

Let us know your thoughts!

When the Celtics shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range, as they did Sunday against the Magic, that is often an indicator that perhaps it simply isn’t their night.

In this particular game, though, those numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Boston made crucial hustle plays, extra passes and played excellent defense, leaning on intangibles and collective grit to outlast Orlando, 108-97, and move to 5-1 on the season.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 32 points (15 of 17 from the free-throw line) and seven assists. Paul George added 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

The Magic (2-4) jumped out to a 13-4 edge, as the Celtics looked a step slow in the opening minutes and Orlando burned Boston from the outside.

Hugo González and Tatum responded with conviction, with González contributing an and-one and a crafty lefty finish in traffic and Tatum doing damage all over. González finished with 7 points in first start of the season.

A Luka Garza and-one in the final minute gave the Celtics the lead, and they took that 24-23 edge into the second quarter despite shooting just 9 percent from 3-point range in the first. Orlando shot 50 percent from 3 but had eight turnovers, and Boston’s ability to turn defense into offense paid dividends.

Tatum took a hit to the head, started bleeding and briefly went to the locker room before returning.

The Celtics’ shooting woes continued into the second, as they started the game 1 for 15 from distance despite getting decent looks. But, they continued to make timely plays, as Payton Pritchard found Baylor Scheierman in the corner, Garza connected with Tatum for two more and Jordan Walsh sprayed it to Derrick White for a triple. Neemias Queta added a thunderous dunk, Pritchard kept Orlando off balance and Tatum was terrific defensively.

Boston shot 23 percent from 3 in the half, yet won the turnover battle, 9-3, and built a 55-50 halftime advantage behind 17 points from Tatum.

George helped Boston push the lead to double digits early in the third, stymying Orlando on one end feeding Queta (who got the start with Mitchell Robinson resting) for a lob on the other. George continues to mesh well stylistically with the Celtics and look like he has been in Boston all along.

White buried a 3 to extend the margin to 69-54, and a diving hustle play and silky side-step 3 from Sam Hauser kept the energy high late in the quarter.

The Magic, playing without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, answered with a 12-0 run behind shotmaking from Tristan da Silva (23 points). They tied it at 72 on an Anthony Black (23 points as well) corner 3, then Tatum hit two five free throws late to give Boston a 77-74 edge through three.

A Pritchard and-1 that Brian Scalabrine referred to as “Michael Jordan vibes,” and Garza 3 gave Boston an 85-79 advantage with 9:48 remaining. George extended it to 90-83 with a corner triple of his own two-plus minutes later.

Scheierman splashed another 3 to push it back to double digits. Orlando answered with an 8-0 flurry, then Tatum calmly canned back-to-back jumpers to create a bit of breathing room. A timely Queta swat and George dagger 3 helped seal it.

The Celtics (29 assists Sunday) have racked up 25-plus assists in all six of their games so far, which is the longest streak to start a season in franchise history.

This was Boston’s first of 12 road games in November. Next up is a matchup at Houston on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The early-season success might’ve masked the reality of where the Lakers are at in their team-building journey. 

But they returned to Southern California for their back-to-back set against the Raptors and Heat with a renewed perspective on what needs to happen for them to grow into the championship-caliber team they’re hoping to become.

And how the process isn’t as easy or linear as they made it look early on.

“We want to become a great team,” coach JJ Redick said. “You don’t become a great team in six games. We want to become a great team after 82 games and have a chance to go compete for a championship in April, May and June. It’s a process to get there.”

There was a hitch in the process during Friday’s blowout loss to the Warriors at Chase Center. 

The Lakers went from looking like worldbeaters when they took a 25-point lead early in the second quarter to unrecognizable by the time the Warriors completed the 42-point turnaround.

Their offense fell off a cliff when the Warriors blitzed or put two on the ball against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers star guards created the types of advantages teams strive for.

But they didn’t cash in on the openings, with it being clear that the role players are still learning how to operate when playing four-on-three basketball.

“We just need to do better with that,” Doncic said. “You create [an] advantage, you put two on the ball. And you got to go score. It’s a four on three, so we gotta be better at that.”

It sounds easy.

But the small sample the Lakers have when playing against teams deploying more aggressive defensive coverages makes it clear it isn’t as easy as it appears.

There’s a rhythm to playing advantage basketball. 

Spacing principles need to be mastered.

Decision-making needs to be quick and crisp before those advantages disappear and evaporate just as quickly as they were created. 

With so many new faces, the nuances haven’t set in yet.

“Obviously, it’s a new team, so a lot of guys have different roles,” Walker Kessler said. “It’s different because guys aren’t necessarily comfortable yet, like talking to each other during tough times or calling each other out or taking coaching or taking a response. That just builds with time. We have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of good players. Everyone has seen it. When we’re playing well, playing connected, so continue to build that.”

With the Lakers entering Week 3 of the season, there’s plenty of time for these intricacies to be learned. 

“We know we are going to be patient,” Redick said. “There’s also, along with patience, doing what you’re supposed to do. As we play more games together, we do more walk-throughs together, we do more film together, we do more practices together, that we’ll all get better.”

The Sacramento Kings have enjoyed watching Darius Acuff Jr. take off, but are facing an internal problem with their roster as Domantas Sabonis isn’t too keen on playing alongside him.

According to Sean Deveney, of Heavy.com, Sabonis doesn’t appear to enjoy Acuff Jr.’s play style and the Kings could be willing to part ways with Sabonis via trade this season or during the summer.

“Sabonis has some hope, because teams always need size, and if he is not traded this season, he should be dealt off next summer. The Kings have no interest in keeping him there, and he is not enthused about playing with a ball-dominant guard like Acuff,” Deveney reported.

Deveney added that while teams could be looking to acquire Sabonis, the likelihood of Sacramento receiving a first-round pick for him is unlikely, and would be considered “a major score, and a long shot.”

Denevy added that due to Sacramento’s 0-6 start to the season, moving off from their star center could make it easier for them, as they could embrace tanking this season.

For the last five seasons, Sabonis has been a mainstay in the Kings lineup and is one of the last remaining players from the team’s 2022-2023 playoff appearance, which snapped a 16-year drought.

While the Kings ended up losing the opening series against the Warriors, they took the reigning NBA champions to the limit by going seven games.

Since then, the Kings have found themselves rebuilding from the ground up, yet again.

Acuff Jr. appears to be part of the Kings’ future, as he was taken with the No.7 pick of the NBA Draft this past summer and has had a promising start to the season, averaging 26 points through six games.

Yaxel Lendeborg bounces back to fuel Steph Curry-less Warriors' win vs. Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – If Yaxel Lendeborg continues to sing at this level, hit after hit after hit, his rookie season with the Warriors will fill a triple album.

Two nights after his self-described “wet the bed” performance, Lendeborg on Sunday dropped the kind of gem that has the Warriors raising their already lofty dreams.

Lendeborg’s season-high 37 points in a 124-112 win over the rebuilding Los Angeles Clippers was impressive enough, but his production delivered a showcase of various facets of his game. When he digs into his bag, you can’t predict what he’ll bring out.

“We knew he was a good shooter,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And when he came in for a workout, you could see the skill in terms of being able to put it on the floor and pull up and shoot. But I didn’t expect what I saw tonight when we when we worked him out in the summer.”

He entered the game shooting a respectable 36.4 percent beyond the arc and walked out shooting 40.9 percent from deep after draining 6 of 11. The variety of his triples – step-back, pull-up, catch and shoot in halfcourt and in transition – were like warning shots to the rest of the NBA.

Lendeborg’s 37 points came on 13-of-19 overall shooting – he missed his last three shots in a vain effort to score 40 – adding six assists and four rebounds.

“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life, so just falling into peer pressure like I did just now was pretty much bad on my part,” Lendeborg said. “I’m a guy that loves ethical hoops. I’m a guy that loves efficient basketball, and I didn’t do that for the last two, three minutes. It’s bad on my part, but I know next time I definitely won’t do that again.”

With Stephen Curry resting on the first night of a back-to-back set, Lendeborg seized the scoring load and carried it like a lower-case warrior.

“It changes everything,” Kerr said. “You see on a night like tonight without Steph and we score 124 points, and Yax is the main reason that we’re high-powered. You can play off him. I thought everybody did a really good job of spreading the floor and executing for the most part, and a lot of guys took advantage of the space out there.”

De’Anthony Melton, starting in place of Curry, finished with 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. Brandin Podziemski put in 17 points, and Brandon Williams matched that total coming off the bench.

But everything revolved around the 6-foot-9, 240-pound rookie from the University of Michigan. This was what he wanted. What he needed to satisfy his soul after posting such a poor representation of his game Friday night: Season-low six points, season-high six fouls and five turnovers in a 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He’ll sleep better after this one.

“One hundred percent,” Lendeborg said. “I wanted to switch that up. That’s not who I am, and last game I was playing like a Debbie Downer, so I just got to go back to playing the way I always play, with a lot of joy, a lot of smiles, dancing and all that other stuff.

“I’m going to try to steal some of the Steph’s dance moves eventually, but I’ve just got to get back to being me. That was an awful game.”

Lendeborg has had a 37-point game, a 13-rebound game and is displeased that his season-high assists total is six. It’s conceivable, even likely, he will post a game with 10 dimes.

What may be the most surprising development seven games into Lendeborg’s NBA career is his relative comfort, particularly on offense. Things seem to come naturally for someone who didn’t get serious about basketball until he was approaching adulthood. The 24-year-old is raising eyebrows on the court without realizing it.

“He just be going out there and playing,” Melton said. “That’s what we love about him; he don’t even know what he be doing sometimes.”

What Lendeborg is doing is laying down enough potent tracks to give the Warriors a strong present and allowing them to visualize a tantalizingly wonderful future.

He’s not the only one dancing.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg didn’t have a great game against the Lakers on Friday night, as he scored a career-low six points and had a -20 +/-.

Perhaps this was because Lendeborg used up all of his good hooping against his girlfriend before the game.

On Thursday, Dub5 Apparel, a clothing brand that Lendeborg and his girlfriend, Tacarra, are heavily affiliated with, posted an Instagram video of them seemingly playing a game of 1-on-1.

But it wasn’t much of a contest, which the 6-foot-9 forward quickly proved when he posterized his girlfriend then had several words to say to her about it afterward.

The two were obviously joking around, and the apparel brand has posted several clips of them hooping together while wearing Dub5 clothes.

This dunk was definitely the most merciless moment of all from the rookie.

View this post on Instagram

The Warriors did not need a good game from Lendeborg to beat the Lakers 112-95 on Friday night.

But they’re going to need the rookie if they’re going to make any noise in the Western Conference this season, as he has already proved to be one of most valuable members of their roster through the season’s first six games.

Because of his success, Yaxel and Tacarra can expect to stay in Golden State for quite a long time.

The Golden State Warriors will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. The game will be played at 5:30 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Previously with the Warriors:

After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Warriors have turned things around with three straight wins, most recently defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, 112-95.

Golden State found themselves in an early hole trailing by 23 points after the first quarter. However, a furious comeback led by superstar Steph Curry completely shifted the momentum, as the Warriors outscored Los Angeles 97-57 over the final three quarters to secure the victory. Curry led the team with 31 points while providing the home crowd with multiple highlights along the way, including this ankle-breaking move against Lakers star Luka Dončić.

What to watch for tonight:

The Warriors will have to keep their winning streak alive without two of their biggest stars on Sunday. Curry and Draymond Green have both been ruled out against the Clippers, with Golden State opting to rest their veteran duo on the first night of a back-to-back.

Look for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to have a bounce back game tonight. Lendeborg struggled to find his rhythm against the Lakers, finishing with a season-low six points Friday night. The rookie was critical of his performance afterward, acknowledging that he needed to be better.

Now, with two of Golden State’s stars unavailable, Lendeborg will have a chance to respond. The Warriors have already seen flashes of his versatility and offensive potential early this season, but Sunday’s matchup could provide an interesting opportunity to see how he responds to a poor performance.

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!

Projected Starters

Warriors: De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, Graham Ike

Clippers: Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Rui Hachimura, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson

How to watch Regular Season Game 7

Who: Golden State Warriors (3 – 3) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (1 – 4)

When: Saturday, November 1st, at 5:30 p.m. PT

Where: Chase Center — San Francisco, California

TV and Streaming: NBC Sports Bay Area

Halloween might be over, but that doesn’t rid the scare from Nets fans.

Brooklyn dropped to 0-5 on Friday night after letting another promising start slip away in a 110-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Nets came out with another solid start, but couldn’t sustain it over four quarters.

The road doesn’t get any easier tonight. The Nets won’t have Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr., leaving Nolan Traoré with an opportunity to take on a larger role at point guard. They’re back on the road at Indiana, who are also trying to find their footing after a 145-125 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday.

The Pacers enter at 2-4, but remain a dangerous opponent even without its franchise point guard, Tyrese Haliburton. The two-time All-Star will miss some time with a strained hamstring.

Indiana won the first meeting between these teams, 136-109, on Oct. 25.

Game Info & How to Watch

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets (0-5) at Indiana Pacers (2-4)
• Time: 5:00 PM ET (4:00 PM CT)
• Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
• TV/Streaming: YES Network/DAZN

Nets-Pacers Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• OUT: Egor Dëmin (right bone bruise)
• OUT: Mikel Brown Jr. (back injury management)
• OUT: Joshua Jefferson (G League assignment)
• OUT: Ben Saraf (G League assignment)
• OUT: Tyler Bilodeau (G League assignment, two-way)
• OUT: Grant Nelson (G League assignment, two-way)

Indiana Pacers

• QUESTIONABLE: Obi Toppin (low back soreness)
• OUT: Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring strain)
• OUT: Ben Sheppard (left meniscus surgery)
• OUT: Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain)
• OUT: Johnny Furphy (right ACL surgery)
• OUT: T.J. McConnell (right hamstring strain)
• PROBABLE: Aaron Nesmith (left hamstring strain)

Game Preview

“The Nets are off to their worst possible start, and Friday’s loss to Detroit didn’t do much to inspire confidence. People can accept losing, but they can’t accept poor effort. Brooklyn’s latest defeat left plenty of questions about the team’s effort and execution. This year was supposed to be different for the Nets, but it looks all too familiar.

Nolan Traore will get all the minutes he can handle tonight. With Demin and Brown Jr out, it’s on him to man the point. That’s a lot on his shoulders. He’ll need to dictate the offense and generate downhill pressure. If he does get to the rim, the Nets need him to turn those opportunities into points.” – Brian Fleurantin

💬 Discussion

Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversations. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Cameron Carr was taken off of the Lakers’ injury report ahead of their game against the Raptors on Sunday.

Carr, whom the Lakers acquired from the Knicks after New York selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2026 draft, has missed all six of the Lakers’ games this season because of a strained right oblique.

Carr’s potential debut could be well-timed for a Lakers’ bench that was outscored by the Warriors’ reserves, 50-7, in LA’s 112-95 loss to Golden State on Friday.

The 21-year-old shooting guard impressed in his first exhibition game with the Lakers, scoring 19 points in their win over the Kings on Oct. 5.

Last season for Baylor, Carr averaged a team-high 18.9 points on 49.4% shooting from the field, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Ziaire Williams (left foot injury) is questionable for the Lakers on Sunday and Adou Thiero (left knee injury management) remains out.

The Lakers (4-2) have back-to-back games against the Raptors on Sunday and the Heat on Monday.

Calendars have moved from pumpkins to turkeys. Retail stores already have trees and lots of red and green. Your friends and family will start, if they haven’t already, asking what you’d like to have this year. If you have kids or grandkids, they’re probably telling you all on their own. 

Your local NBA team is off to a rough start. But even if they lose Monday against the Warriors, at 1-4 they would match the “out of the gate” record last year from…eventual champion New York. Things had to happen to transform the Knicks’ start into the ultimate success. Which brings me back to the topic of wish lists. What do I want to see by December 25th from the Phoenix Suns to get the team back on a more positive trajectory?

For starters, how about starters? I’d like to see two changes in the starting five. One that has gained traction in recent days is a move to Collin Gillespie at point guard.

He plays smart, provides a shooting threat, and sets a tone from the effort perspective.

The second change would be to get Oso Ighodaro into the starting lineup. That one may not fully count as he was already there pre-injury. We are a much more cohesive unit with Oso and Collin joining Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, and Miles Bridges. Khaman Maluach is still developing, with some nice moments. His confidence can grow at a nice pace by getting significant minutes off the bench. He has done well in spurts, but has some breakdowns. Oso struggles at the line, and this would get him fewer minutes late in quarters when teams are often over the foul limit. Oso and/or Collin were in each of our top-6 best net rating duos last season, as shown in my article on the offseason.

This one might be a more difficult wish, like asking Santa for a new sports car. I’d like Jalen Green to accept, make that embrace, a move to Sixth Man. Think Leandro Barbosa, Jamal Crawford, or Lou Williams. He could play freely, with less competition for shots, playing more minutes with Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, and Maluach. Having more success this way could also showcase him, increasing stock value from its current state should the Suns want to trade him.

That brings me to my next wish. I hope the team identifies multiple target players for a deal ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. One target results in less leverage. Ideally, these players are a proven commodity with some length. Someone you could see being part of a contending team over the next couple of years. That could be a tricky one. Feel free to fire up the trade machine in the chat. My goal is that Phoenix is in a position by Christmas to start creating buzz through NBA sources and agents. Probably Jalen Green, possibly grouped with Rasher Fleming. Here’s a sample return that works after December 15, and would also clear $6 of cap space:

I ask for Devin Booker to turn it around. There are 24 games from now until then. He’s seemed out of sorts, frustrated, possibly less athletic, and we all see those gray hairs starting to pop. But he’s just 30, skilled, and I think in his own head right now. Most are still rooting hard for him to succeed, and perhaps the lineup change mentioned above will get him on the right track over that stretch of games.

Lastly, I want to see Jordan Ott take additional steps toward being a solid NBA coach. The lineup moves above would be a step in that direction.

What are the top criticisms in the Bright Side comments? Rotation rigidity, a disconnected defense, and too much small ball. I think of other great coaches and how they will ride a hot hand, pull players lacking effort or missing assignments, and match up with size when needed. He has the opportunity to adapt here. On a more connected defense, with the Suns giving up more than 120 points in every game so far, this may mean ratcheting up the pressure on assistant coaches and getting in the face of a few players. That style doesn’t work anymore when applied all the time, but could be effective in well-placed spurts. With Oso back, there is no reason we shouldn’t have him or Khaman on the court at all times. 

Much like the holidays, now we wait and see. Did we get what we asked for? Will it be that sweater you’ll never wear? Maybe, just maybe, these wishes come true, and it will be a season to remember.

Things got intense between veteran guards Jaylen Brown and Grayson Allen as a battle for a loose ball got scrappy during a Halloween clash.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the 76ers star drove to the basket but was swarmed by Hornets near the baseline.

He and Allen both ended up on the hardwood grabbing for the ball.

A scuffle then followed as the ball went out of bounds. Allen pushed away Brown’s arm as the Hornets offseason addition tried to get up. Brown took exception to the push and shoved Allen back down.

Players from each team got in between Brown and Allen before the incident escalated further. Both players were assessed technical fouls by the referees.

Grayson Allen is no stranger to conflict.

The 31-year-old sharpshooter from Duke has built a reputation for getting under opposing players’ skin since his college days. 

Allen always brings a competitive fire to each game that can appear to be excessive in certain moments, and has been behind a ton of instances where a ball handler was undercut while attempting a basket.

The nine-year pro previously got into a hectic situation with now-Thunder player Alex Caruso back in 2022 with the Chicago Bulls when Allen was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Allen got ejected after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for dragging down a mid-air Caruso while defending a Bulls fast break.

When Caruso was up in the air, Allen flew in and swatted at Caruso, sending the Bulls guard into a hard collision with the hardwood floor.

The Hornets led for most of Saturday’s game, but Brown and the 76ers rallied late to earn a 109-104 comeback win. Brown finished with a decent stat line of 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Allen led the Hornets with 27 points, including seven 3-pointers off the bench.