Category: Basketball

Michael Jordan’s contributions to the NBA coverage on NBC have been lacking.

The GOAT’s addition to the lineup for his “MJ: Insights to Excellence” segment has been one single long-form interview with Mike Tirico, with clips shown throughout the season — leaving fans who wanted to hear from the six-time NBA champion on the league’s current events unfulfilled.

“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not,” Tirico said on “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” this week. “Was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was. And if we get another shot at it, will I be more than excited to be a part of it? You betcha. In our world right now, all you want to do is make the final answer before you know everything. I love that Michael trusted us enough to sit and do something that he hasn’t done in a long, long, long time.”

The issue, however, is that Jordan was pitched to fans and viewers as a “special contributor,” a role that would seemingly include more than one two-hour interview filmed over two days months ago.

There is no doubt that basketball fans want to hear from Jordan, a six-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star and 10-time scoring champ.

He is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and his Jordan Brand remains a major part of the league’s culture.

“Every time one airs, people say, ‘Oh, this is from the same interview.’ But they also talk about what he said,” Tirico said. “It starts a topic of conversation. His voice still resonates.”

Tirico confirmed that there are no plans for a second interview with the 62-year-old at this point.

“Nothing scheduled as of now that I know of, but it is a possibility,” he said. “I hope there’s something else after it. Michael was awesome.”

Just when things looked like they couldn’t get any worse for the Milwaukee Bucks, they got absolutely embarrassed by the San Antonio Spurs last night. After winning six of nine, the Bucks have now dropped three in a row and sit at 17-24 on the season, two games behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Giannis Antetokounmpo

22 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 7/12 FG, 1/1 3PT, 6/9 FT, -31

Giannis looked primed for another epic performance against Victor Wembanyama in his first stint (more on that later), but with the his only help coming from a trigger-happy Kyle Kuzma, he too succumbed to the Spurs’ suffocating defence and was a non-factor thereafter. He was the Bucks’ best but it didn’t matter one bit.

Grade: D

Kevin Porter Jr.

23 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 0/9 FG, 0/4 3PT, -35

I’ve arguably been Porter’s biggest supporter around here, but tonight even I can’t find a silver lining. It was the kind of game that had you rethinking his role in the Bucks’ future. He was that awful.

Grade: F

Ryan Rollins

26 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, , 1 block, 2/8 FG, 1/5 3PT, 1/2 FT, -18

Rollins crashed the boards and found some assists. He even rose up for an impressive chase-down block. But he just couldn’t get any penetration agains the Spurs’ defence and, for the fifth time in six games, shot less than 37% from the field (25% on the night and 31% over that span).

Grade: D-

Myles Turner

23 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2/7 FG, 1/5 3PT, -23

Turner was again largely invisible, offering minimal resistance against penetration and hovering around the three-point line on offence. Even there, though, he was bad, clunking several of his five attempts. The contrast between Turner and Luke Kornet—the Spurs’ backup centre—was stark, and not in a good way for the Bucks centre, who often looked timid and lost.

Grade: F

AJ Green

15 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 2/4 FG, 2/4 3PT, -25

You could argue that Green was hindered by foul trouble that kept him off the court, limiting him to just 15 minutes of action. But defending without fouling is part of being a productive player and last night Green fell back into old habits. The fact that he recorded a -25 plus/minus in those 15 minutes of action is also telling.

Grade: F

Kyle Kuzma

22 minutes, 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 6/17 FG, 5/13 3PT, 1/1 FT, -5

Kuzma came out firing, hitting his first two threes—and five in the first half alone—in a bid to keep the Bucks afloat. It didn’t and by the time his night was over he had converted just 6/17 from the field. Overall, he was physical and made a few nice passes, but when Kuz is your leading shot taker, it’s usually a sign of bad times.

Grade:D

Bobby Portis

21 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5/8 FG, 3/5 3PT, 1/1 FT, -15

Close game or blowout, Portis is going to look to score and he did so efficiently, adding a half-dozen rebounds to his baker’s dozen point total in what was another productive box-score night for the Bucks’ sixth man. On offence, he was one of the few Bucks who didn’t look deterred by Wembanyama’s presence. Of course, with the worst plus/minus off the bench, it’s not as if he made much of a positive contribution either.

Grade:D

Gary Trent Jr.

14 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 1/5 FG, 1/5 3PT, -9

Last year’s playoff performance now feels like a distant dream, as Trent scored in single digits for the fifth consecutive game (and 10 out of his last 11). To paraphrase our very own Jack Trehearne, whatever deal Horst had lined up for Trent in the offseason has to be broken.

Grade:F

Gary Harris

21 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/1 FG, 1/1 3PT, -4

Gary Harris is just a pro, quietly having a very unexpectedly solid season for the Bucks. And it’s almost always on the defensive end where he stands out—at least twice in the first half alone he blew-up Spurs’ possessions. But if he’s playing this much for the Bucks, then maybe it’s time to start expecting more—or give those minutes to someone who might be able to win you a game rather than just stabilise it.

Grade: D

Doc Rivers

What do you say? For the second game in a row the Bucks were down in excess of 30 points. Granted, Rivers isn’t the one bricking shots or conceding threes and layups, but the buck stops with him—and the Bucks haven’t ever really started with him. If it wasn’t time before, it is now.

Grade: F (for “Fire”. As in he needs to be fired. Now. Get it?!).

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Jericho Sims, Pete Nance.

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Giannis gets up for Wemby and last night was no different—at least to start. He had 14 of the Bucks’ first 17 points, and drew two fouls on the Spurs’ unicorn, sending him to the medical room with donuts and one very sore knee.
• Unfortunately, the rest of the Bucks couldn’t follow Giannis’ lead, combining for a measly three points on 1/14 shooting up until a Kuzma three with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.
• The Bucks just couldn’t stop the Spurs getting to the line in the first half, conceding 23 attempts (and earning just 10 of their own). So much for that vaunted paint protection.
• Kuzma’s fivethrees in the first half tied his personal game-high total for the Bucks, a total he reached twice last season.
• By the 8:44 minute mark of the third quarter, Giannis’ early-game dominance was a distant memory. Stuck on 16 points, there was nothing he could do but watch as Wemby hit his fourth three to cap a 15-6 start to the quarter for the Spurs. Moments later, instead of taking Green down low, Wemby decided his fifth three would be of the turnaround fadeaway variety. He really is an alien.
• The Spurs won the third quarter 40-16. Yes, you read that correctly. And by the end of the quarter, the Bucks were down by 37 points, 106-69. You read that correctly too.
• Outside of Giannis, the Bucks’ next three best players—Turner, Rollins, and KPJ—combined to shoot just 4/24 from the field.
• Want more? While Rollins and KPJ combined for just six points on 2/17 shooting, their immediate opponents—Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox—combined for 37 points on 12/19 shooting.
• According to Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network analyst and Locked on Bucks host Justin Garcia, the combined 54-points the Bucks have lost by over the last two games is the largest two-game margin in franchise history. Yikes.
• Bonus crossword: Across 1. Inferno MD (4, 3).

Up Next

Following a three-day break, the Bucks head to Atlanta to take on the new-look Hawks where things have to be better, right? You can find all the action on Peacock—tip off is at 12:00 p.m. Central.

When Dirk Nowitzki first started playing basketball in Germany, he was a member of DJK Würzburg, a team in Germany’s second-tier division, behind the Bundesliga. It was there that his longtime trainer, Holger Geschwindner, noticed him for the first time.

“The first thing [I noticed] is you had no technical skills,” Geschwindner joked after being asked by Nowitzki during a video segment with Amazon Prime, prompting a laugh from the Mavericks legend as the two jested back and forth.

Nowitzki went on to be one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning league MVP in 2007, an NBA championship in 2011, and scoring over 31,000 points in his career, good for sixth on the all-time leaderboard. He retired after 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks in 2019 and took a job with Amazon Prime’s new NBA coverage team last year.

That job led him to this game, a Thursday matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic, taking place in Berlin, Germany. It’s the first regular-season game in NBA history to be played in Germany following numerous preseason and exhibition games in previous years.

Amazon Prime is covering the game and sent Nowitzki to Germany to cover the game and take a stroll down memory lane with his longtime friend and trainer. Nowitzki and Geschwindner shared memories of their first training sessions as they walked past courts in Germany. Nowitzki remembered having trouble shooting when he first started training with Geschwindner.

“The key is first of all, the ball has to be your friend,” his trainer said. “Shooting only on the fingertips, the most sensitive, and put some pressure at the end.”

Nowitzki told stories of the two sleeping on mattresses on the gym floor. Geschwindner said players often dream of NBA careers and 5-star hotels without doing the work first, so he wanted Nowitzki to start at the bottom and work his way to that level of success.

They discussed the 1998 Nike Hoop Summit where most NBA and college scouts saw Nowitzki for the first time in person.

“The hoop summit completely changed our lives,” Nowitzki said.

The 7-footer played well in the exhibition game and was selected 9th overall in the NBA Draft later that year, but struggled in his first season — a 50-game, shortened season due to a lockout earlier that summer. Nowitzki and his trainer remember all the harsh words that were shared about him during that season, including predictions he’d be back in Germany within a year’s time.

“All the things those top coaches told us, it was garbage,” Geschwindner said in the segment.

He often had Nowitzki doing abnormal drills that focused on balance and footwork. He wanted Nowitzki to be able to do all things on the court.

“Those days, all the big guys had been pretty clumsy,” he said. “The big guys usually had to be responsible for the rebound, but a good basketball team has to have five guys on the floor that can shoot. That’s the reason why we started the Institute for Applied Nonsense.”

Applied nonsense, Geschwinder explained, is the explanation for why they did these drills that most others saw as garbage or useless. They helped make Nowitzki the legend he was. His trainer was always there, every step of the way from the time Nowitzki was 14 on the streets of Germany to his final game in the NBA after 21 grueling seasons.

“Every time I needed you, one phone call and you were here helping me out,” Nowitzki said.

The gasps from the crowd at Crypto.com Arena — a mix of shock from Lakers fans and anticipation from fans rooting for the local hero — grew each time LaMelo Ball pulled up from seemingly more and more audacious spots on the court. The Charlotte Hornets star guard held three fingers to his bicep each time he splashed a shot through the net. He stared up into the packed stands to meet the eyes of his hometown crowd.

The former Chino Hills High star ignited the Hornets to a 135-117 win over the Lakers on Thursday with 30 points and 11 assists. After a quiet three points in the first half, Ball erupted for 27 points after halftime, including making eight three-pointers on 12 attempts in the second half that gave the L.A. crowd flashbacks of the brace-faced freshman on Chino Hills’ famous undefeated team.

“We all know LaMelo,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. “He’s been playing like that since he was in high school. To us, they’re some crazy shots, but to him, those are his shots.”

Read more:Lakers’ defensive issues once again prove costly in loss to Hornets

Ball, now 10 years removed from the 35-0, national championship season with the Huskies, still plays with the looseness of the freshman who was hooping with his older brothers. But the 24-year-old is now starting to own the maturity of a six-year NBA veteran.

“He's always been an explosive scorer, explosive passer, but now he knows how to win games when it comes down to, what, two possessions, one possession,” said Hornets guard Miles Bridges, who had 25 points, including five baskets assisted by Ball. “He knows how to make the right play and win the game.”

Ball, who is averaging 20.4 points, 7.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds, has a career-high plus-2.8 rating this season. Ball’s traditional stats are modest compared to some of his stat-stuffing early seasons when he averaged more than 30 points and eight rebounds in each of his first two years in the NBA, but he is playing more efficiently than ever in some ways. He has a 120.8 offensive rating and a 42.2% assist percentage, which estimates the percentage of a player’s teammates’ field goals they assist while on the court. His assist percentage trails only Denver superstar Nikola Jokic.

“We've always marveled at his shot making, but the thing that I think continues to just impress me, the thing that continues to help our team get better and better is that he's trusting the pass,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee, who called Ball the team’s emotional leader. “I think that he's really maximizing everyone around him. He's making them better. … And then he just does what Melo does: He's a shot-maker.”

Ball hit back-to-back three-pointers to start the third quarter. With his confidence growing, he started pulling up earlier in the shot clock. He danced with Lakers center Deandre Ayton, driving toward the lane on the 7-footer to only pivot back and drain another three. Fading away out of the corner of the court and almost into the laps of his teammates on the Hornets bench, Ball hit a rainbow three over Smart’s outstretched hand.

“I was really just playing for real,” Ball said.

Ball did not play in the Lakers’ first game against the Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., because of an ankle injury. In November, the Lakers held off a fourth-quarter surge from the Hornets, who showed how dangerous they can be. Young and athletic, with eager drivers and knock-down shooters, the Hornets can be one of the NBA’s most dangerous offensive teams. In the 15 games since Ball returned from a three-game absence because of an ankle injury, Charlotte has the top-ranked offense in the league. The Hornets hung 150 points against Utah. They blew out the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Our coaching staff and the guys in the locker room, we all knew that they got our full respect and attention pregame,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And I thought we fought. Just another team that has a hot-shooting night.”

The Lakers, who next play consecutive games at Portland on Saturday and at home against Toronto on Sunday, have lost four out of the last five. They are 25th in opponent three-point shooting, allowing teams to shoot 37.3% from deep.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Anferno: Five stats that highlight Simons' impact with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Anfernee Simons erupted for a season-high 39 points on Thursday night in Miami, fueling the Celtics as they erased a 19-point deficit and delivered a gritty 119-114 road triumph over the Heat. 

Simons, who has had a penchant for loud quarters and halves this season, put together maybe his most complete game of the season while shooting 13 of 28 from the field and 7 of 16 beyond the 3-point arc. Add in 10 assist points off four assists and Simons, accounted for nearly 41 percent of Boston’s scoring output in 34 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics are now 9-2 when Simons scores 17-plus points this season, and 14-15 when he doesn’t. On a night when the core trio of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard all struggled with offensive efficiency, Simons reaffirmed his value as a microwave scorer who piled up 18 fourth-quarter points as Boston surged to the finish line for a must-have win after dropping three of its last four. 

All this happened as trade rumors kick into overdrive three weeks before the trade deadline. Simons, operating in the final year of a contract paying him $27.7 million, is one of Boston’s few movable assets, but his recent output certainly has given president of basketball operations Brad Stevens even more to ponder as he charts a path forward.

On one hand, Thursday’s game is a loud reminder of how vital Simons’ offense can be for a Boston team that ranks second in the NBA in offensive rating. On the other, his value might never be higher than at this very moment, and the potential in-season return of Jayson Tatum will soon bite into everyone’s shot totals.

The Celtics could benefit from adding more size and depth at the center position, something Simons might be able to help fetch. His name will continue to float in the rumors, even if the Celtics ultimately decide the most prudent path forward is to simply carry him to the finish line of the season and then ponder future pathways. 

For now, let’s crunch the numbers on Simons’ 2025-26 impact:

Hot from downtown

Simons is now shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc over his last nine games. That’s up 13.2 percent over his first 30 games in green (36.8 percent).

Simons has connected on 37 of 74 3-pointers over those nine games and is a +61 in plus/minus in that span. Maybe most notable is that 88.8 percent of Simons’ 3s this season have come off non-corner attempts, and he’s making 40 percent of those shots (90 of 223).

His ability to generate quality pull-up looks, particularly when he’s in full Anferno mode, is a huge luxury for an offense that is prone to stagnation. 

Simons says: Gravity

The number-crunchers over at BBall-Index note that Simons ranks 8th out of 508 players in “overall gravity,” or the defensive attention a player draws even when they don’t have the basketball.

That’s accentuated by Simons’ assist numbers being way up lately, popping to 3.7 per game over the last nine outings (up from 2.3 over his first 30 games).

When teams send extra bodies to take away his shot, Simons has been good at creating for others. And the attention defenses must afford him has also opened up opportunities for the rest of Boston’s bench players.

Effort on both ends

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has gone out of his way to praise Simons’ defensive engagement since arriving in Boston. Trying hard to improve his reputation, Simons is staying attached to his matchups, and the effort is obvious.

Opponents are shooting 2 percent below expected output when Simons is the primary defender this season. Any negative number is excellent, and consider that All-Defense stalwart Derrick White is holding opponents to 2.2 percent below expected and Jordan Walsh is at 1.3 percent below expected.

To be fair, White and Walsh have far more difficult assignments most nights, and the Celtics have done a good job hiding Simons on lesser offensive players, but the effort is what matters here. And Simons is clearly trying to show he’s invested.

What’s more, Simons remains excellent at avoiding fouls when defending, committing infractions on a mere 2.9 percent of team plays. 

Fourth-quarter punch

When you think of Boston’s fourth-quarter scoring, you probably think of White and Jaylen Brown shouldering that load. But Simons has quietly been a fourth-quarter force.

With Thursday’s 18-point final-frame outburst, Simons is now third in the NBA in fourth-quarter bench points with 162, behind only Jaime Jaquez Jr. (169) and Naz Reid (163). Simons’ 28 fourth-quarter 3-pointers are second to only Cam Spencer (30). 

Sixth Man campaign brewing?

Simons ranks fourth in the NBA while averaging 14.1 points per game off the bench (minimum of 20 games off bench). He’s +169 in 970 bench minutes, which is the fourth-best total in the league (and second-best on the Celtics behind rookie Hugo Gonzalez, who is +190 in 491 minutes).

Simons is the first bench player in the league to reach triple digits in 3-pointers (106 for the season, next closest: Tim Hardaway, 99).

By Adam King, RotoWire.com

As momentum towards the NBA trade deadline continues to gain steam, injuries have quietly gone about their business, providing others with unexpected opportunities. We are also starting to see certain teams showing their cards when it comes to what the rotations could look like post-All Star break. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors (31% rostered)

The NBA has discussed its "vision" for a proposed European basketball league with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs, says commissioner Adam Silver.

Initial plans for 'NBA Europe', starting in 2027, are for 10 to 12 set franchises that would stay in the league on an annual basis.

Silver said the idea would be to mix established European teams with new ones, with the league initially being funded by the selected member clubs.

The 63-year-old was speaking before the NBA's first regular season game in Berlin, Germany on Thursday, which the Orlando Magic won 118-111 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The two sides face each again at The O2 arena in London on Sunday.

• Why do NBA's Europe plans divide opinion?

A league of potentially 16 teams is also being looked at, combining the regular 10 to 12 franchises with open spots that teams will be able to qualify for.

With the rise in popularity of basketball and the NBA in Europe, the American league is holding six games in four different European cities across the next three seasons, with London, Manchester, Berlin and Paris hosting games between 2026 and 2028.

Silver said talks with Real Madrid, who play in the EuroLeague and are regarded as one of the greatest basketball clubs in Europe, were "more in the category of fact-finding", but he confirmed discussions had taken place with another EuroLeague side, Alba Berlin, whose Uber Arena hosted the NBA game.

"We're trying to find the best combination of the old and the new; the tradition and the innovation," said Silver.

Alba Berlin, he said, was "the model of the type of club that we would like to see in a potential European league".

Reports say the existing EuroLeague has concerns about the new venture, threatening legal action against the NBA should clubs break existing agreements to take part in the new competition.

But Silver said he does not think the two leagues would clash, adding: "There's plenty of room for competition".

Steph Curry, Warriors stars adamant Jonathan Kuminga saga is ‘not a distraction' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Day 200 of the Jonathan Kuminga Chronicles is upon us, and it likely won’t be much different than the previous 199, except for the expansion of his bank account on Day 92 and the fact that Day 199 dragged him onto the trade market. The polarizing chatter will continue for the Warriors, their fans and anyone following this tediously extended epilogue.

The noise, however, will not have any effect on the Warriors. That’s what they say, emphatically so, and their statements are credible.

“It’s not a distraction at all,” Stephen Curry said Thursday night, after scoring 27 points in a win over the New York Knicks while Kuminga sat idle on the bench for the 13th consecutive game. “It’s a very unique situation, but our job is to just keep playing. Keep winning. It’ll resolve itself one way or the other.”

Curry believes that this will not shake the Warriors because of their history. As the longest-tenured player on the roster, he has seen potential distractions come and fade like waves at the ocean shore.

“(If) you’ve been around for the last three, four years, we’ve done it this whole time,” Curry continued. “We’re sort of very, very well trained in this area to just play basketball.”

Curry’s comments echoed those of coach Steve Kerr, said to be Kuminga’s most fervent antagonist. So much so that some outsiders suspect personal motives.

“There won’t be a distraction,” Kerr said two hours before tipoff against the Knicks. “Jonathan’s a great young guy. His teammates like him. He’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.”

Yet Curry’s words carry more weight. He was a Warrior before Kerr arrived. Curry had early-career obstacles, one being the presence of Monta Ellis and the other being the odd and brief belief among the coaching staff that Acie Law should start at point guard.

Steph has been there, done that, and seen it many times. He is several weeks removed from watching his closest teammate, Draymond Green, walk into the locker room amid a furious quarrel with coach Steve Kerr. There was the up-close deterioration of the relationship between Klay Thompson and the franchise. There were the indefinite absences of Andrew Wiggins, the shock of Draymond punching Jordan Poole during a practice and, oh yes, Kevin Durant’s gloomy final season as a Warrior.

Kuminga is neither Klay nor KD, established All-Stars and essential components in the daily operation of the team.

Kuminga is a young man with a good heart who is making $22.5 million to be a spectator. He is stuck on the Warriors, despite the obvious incompatibility; they drafted him and spent four years resisting thoughts of trading him.

Jimmy Butler III brushed aside any thought that Kuminga’s status – visible but isolated from the games – was a source of turbulence.

“Oh, hell no,” he said Thursday night. “Hell no. That has nothing to do with us. We love JK in this locker room, that’s not going to change. If he happens to not to be here, we still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. I don’t care. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here. I wish him the best forever. Doesn’t change.

“We don’t listen to the noise. I hope he don’t listen to the noise. He keeps coming in here with a smile, doing what he’s supposed to do, and being the ultimate pro.”

There is enough maturity in this locker room – Curry, Butler, Green and Al Horford – to repel any creeping dissension related to Kuminga’s ongoing disuse. The vets are built to keep the focus on the greater collective goal of lifting the Warriors from mediocrity, which through the first half of the season had a very stubborn grip.

There have been games when it appeared Kuminga could have been helpful on the floor. The last time he was slated to play, Jan. 2 against Oklahoma City, he was a late scratch due to very sudden “back soreness.”

Yet Kuminga, by all accounts, remains popular and has not been a frequent source of irritation – at all. There is a primary reason why Kuminga is not, and will not be, a distraction to the Warriors, according to Green.

“Because he’s not a distraction,” Green said, pointing toward Kuminga’s vacant cubicle. “How he handles it is everything. If he handled it a certain way, it becomes a distraction. But it doesn’t have to be. And the way he’s handled himself, the way he’s dealt with things not going his way, says a lot about his character.

“Everyone around here can confidently say it won’t be a distraction, because he’s not a distraction.”

Green and Butler have done their part to mentor Kuminga on the ways of life in the NBA. Nearly every young player entering the league has “a vet,” someone who assumes a big brotherly role. Kuminga has two.

They both wish Kuminga well, wherever he lands, as does everyone in the locker room. He senses that, which is one more reason, trade “demand” notwithstanding, that he won’t crater this squad.

JK is not built to do that. And, moreover, he hasn’t earned the status.

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In a back-and-forth high-scoring affair Thursday night, the Lakers led by 13 points in the second quarter before the Charlotte Hornets rallied to build a 15-point lead in the third quarter.

In the end, the Hornets kept the momentum they stole from the Lakers, rolling to a 135-117 win at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers’ defense couldn’t slow down LaMelo Ball in the second half and it was unable to stop the Hornets from scoring 20 three-pointers.

As a result, the Lakers (24-15) lost for the fourth time in five games.

Read more:Lakers' JJ Redick defends LeBron James amid 'unfortunate' criticism

“I mean, it doesn't matter who it is. Doesn’t matter the team, doesn't matter the player," Marcus Smart said. “If they were shooting 20% [before], they’re shooting 50%. And it's unfortunate, but that's part of the game. It's tough. We got to figure it out. We got to play with a little bit more urgency on that end, especially, and kind of impose our will.

“It's not easy. Especially when you play for the Lakers, you always are the hunted— no matter what."

The Hornets (15-26) shot 53% from the field 54% percent from three-point range in the second half. Ball had 27 of his 30 points in the second half. After the Lakers closed to within 10 points with 2 minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth, Ball's back-to-back three-pointers essentially closed out the game.

“He had some crazy shots, but that's what he do," said Luka Doncic, who scored 39 points. “He was shooting a lot of threes off the dribble ... so he got really hot. So it's kind of hard to stop."

Even with all of the Lakers’ starters scoring in double figures, it wasn't enough. LeBron James, who didn’t speak to reporters after the game, had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jake LaRavia had 18 points, Deandre Ayton scored 12 points and Smart had 10.

The start of the game was so different for the Lakers.

Doncic blew a kiss to the crowd and threw his hands in the air after drilling a first-quarter three. Doncic smiled at the Lakers’ bench after shooting another three-pointer a short time later.

During those moments, Doncic epitomized the kind of joy Lakers coach JJ Redick wants to see his team exhibit.

The rest of the Lakers followed Doncic’s lead as the team built a 48-55 lead in the second quarter.

Doncic led the Lakers in the first quarter, scoring 19 points on seven-for-12 shooting, which included a trio of threes. The Lakers had 14 three-pointers in the game, but it wasn’t enough to stop a more consistent Charlotte attack.

The Lakers were outscored 34-16 in the second quarter, 40-38 in the third and 31-24 in the fourth.

“We all knew that they got our full respect and attention pregame and I thought we fought,” Redick said. “Just another team that has a hot shooting night.”

Etc.

Redick said backup center Jaxson Hayes had an MRI scan that revealed hamstring tendinopathy in his left leg. Hayes, who is averaging 6.3 points per game, has missed two games because of the injury. "It's hopefully a short-term thing and hopefully he'll be back at some point this weekend,” Redick said. The Lakers play at Portland on Saturday before facing the Toronto Raptors at home on Sunday.

Read more:Luka Doncic plays and scores 27 points as the Lakers rout the Hawks

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks were defeated by the Golden State Warriors 126-113 on Thursday night at the Chase Center. 

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson due to an ankle injury, but they did receive a nice boost, as Landry Shamet was finally deemed ready to return after missing the last 25 games with a dislocated shoulder. Shamet didn't jump back into the starting lineup, though, as it was Miles McBride who slid in in Brunson's place. 

- New York was able to get off to a much better start coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the season on Wednesday in Sacramento. Every starter recorded a bucket and they knocked down six of their first seven shots from behind the arc to open a quick double-digit advantage (15-5). 

Shamet was the first man off the bench halfway through the first, and he immediately knocked down his first shot. 

- The Knicks pushed the lead out to as many as 17 points, but Karl-Anthony Towns was forced to the bench after picking up a pair of early fouls, and Golden State was able to flip the momentum. The home team used a 13-2 run to cut the deficit all the way back down to five at the end of the opening quarter (35-30). 

- Towns had five points and a game-high six rebounds in the first before being forced to the bench. The big man continued his domination into the second, picking up four more boards and a pair of putback buckets to help keep the slim lead midway through a back-and-forth middle quarter (46-44). 

- The Warriors took their first lead minutes later, and they were able to keep it at three heading into the break (62-59). Jimmy Butler led the way with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, KAT racked up a first-half double-double, and Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 12 points. 

- Steph Curry didn't make a three during the first half (0-for-5), but it didn't take long for him to snap that skid in the third. The All-Star sharpshooter knocked down his first two coming out of the break as part of a Golden State 13-2 barrage, helping them quickly push the lead out to 11 points (78-67).

Moses Moody added two more triples, giving him seven on the night and a season-high 21 points. 

- Each time it looked like the Knicks were ready to take back some of the momentum, the Warriors responded right back. New York simply could not get consecutive stops when they needed them the most, and they found themselves trailing by 12 points heading into the final frame. 

- Curry's big second half continued into the fourth, but the Knicks refused to go away, and they used a 10-2 run to get the deficit back down to nine points with just over four minutes remaining. Golden State's hot shooting couldn't be slowed down the stretch, though, and they held on for the victory. 

The Warriors shot 54 percent from the field and 44 percent from behind the arc in the game. 

- McBride took advantage of the start with 25 points, Anunoby had 25 as well, Bridges had 21, and Towns had 17 and 20 boards. Shamet knocked down just two of his seven shots in his return and Jordan Clarkson chipped in 11 points, but the rest of the bench combined for just one point. 

Butler led all scorers with 32 points, Curry had 27, Moody finished with 21 and Brandin Podziemski had 17 off the bench. 

Game MVP: Steph Curry

Curry got hot after a slow start, making big shots to put this one away late. 

Highlights

KAT 👌 pic.twitter.com/eQNzt8fXJE

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 16, 2026

Welcome back Landry Shamet! pic.twitter.com/6e05v7nXIi

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 16, 2026

What's next

The Knicks return home to MSG to host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Nets coach Jordi Fernàndez hinted that he is considering making rotation changes after his rebuilding team suffered its fifth straight defeat Wednesday night in New Orleans.

One significant alteration Fernàndez already had executed on Brooklyn’s road trip this week, however, was the insertion of rookie Drake Powell into the starting lineup in each of the past two games.

Powell — the third of the Nets’ league-record five first-round picks in 2025 (22nd overall) — has totaled 26 points over 49 minutes in the two starts, including 16 with five rebounds and two made 3-pointers in their 116-113 loss to the Pelicans.

“We have high expectations for him,” Fernàndez said after the game about Powell, whose rights were obtained from the Hawks on draft night. “We can see a player that not just can develop and play on both ends of the floor, but can be pretty good, so it’s time to see how he does in that situation.

“I’m very happy with the way he’s played. Does that mean he’s gonna be there the whole time? There’s no guarantees here. If he keeps playing hard, we want to see that growth, same as everybody else. That goes for the rookies, that goes for everybody. Keep working, keep getting better. The opportunity is there, and you gotta take advantage of it.”

Wednesday’s game marked the first time the North Carolina product started in the Brooklyn backcourt with No. 8 overall pick Egor Dëmin, who missed Monday’s loss in Dallas due to injury management.

The 20-year-old Powell got off to a slow start due to an ankle injury suffered on opening night in October, missing the following four games. The 6-foot-5 wing has averaged 5.8 points in 17.8 minutes per game over 25 appearances off the bench as a rookie, and 11.3 points in 25.0 minutes in three games as a starter, also including his first NBA start Jan. 1 against the Rockets.

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“Just want to stay aggressive on both ends of the floor,” Powell told YES Network after Monday’s game in Dallas. “That’s what Jordi told me to do leading up to the game, and I ultimately trust myself and trust my teammates.

“I think I have a great circle back home that keeps my head on straight, and, like I said, just trust my teammates, trust my coaches, and then just from there, at the end of the day, it’s just basketball.”

Powell is shooting just 31.3 percent from 3-point range, but he believes his defensive game has steadily improved, with just two personal fouls committed in the past two games.

“It’s a lot different from college, you gotta show your hands a lot, and that’s something I’ll continue to grow at, to be a good defender in this league,” Powell said. “With the more film that I watch and the more games that I play, it’ll just build over time.”

Dëmin has made the most starts among the Nets’ rookie crop with 27, followed by guard Ben Saraf (26th overall) with five and Powell and forward Danny Wolf (27th) with three apiece.

French guard Nolan Traore (19th) has made all of his 18 appearances off the bench entering Friday’s home game against the Bulls, including five points in 19 minutes in New Orleans.

Veteran guard Terance Mann moved into a reserve role Wednesday night, and Fernàndez indicated more rotation changes could be coming after the Nets (11-27) allowed 33 second-chance points and lost for the eighth time in nine games following an encouraging 7-3 stretch in December.

“I know our guys care about doing the right things,” Fernàndez said. “The problem is, right now our focus and our intentions are not there. And that’s something that I’ve got to help them better. And there’s different ways you can do it, obviously. So I’m going to try to do my best to find 10 guys in the rotation that care about rebounding, that care about ball pressure, that care about doing the right things.

“And then if you make mistakes, we can live with it. But the intentions and the effort, it’s a priority for us. I trust the group. They’ve always shown a reaction, and work. I trust the coaches, they always come back with answers and positive energy. And that’s how we’re gonna do it here.”

Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets
Date: January 16th, 2026
Time: 8:30 PM CST
Location: Toyota Center
Television Coverage: ESPN
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

Texas Two-Step: Wolves Hit Houston With the Season’s Biggest Weekend in Front of Them

The Minnesota Timberwolves are about to take a Texas two-step that could define the mid-point of their season.

Friday night in Houston.
Saturday night, a rematch with San Antonio.

Two games. Two Western Conference heavyweights. Two chances to either cement what the Wolves have been building since January 1, or remind everyone how thin the margin still is in a brutal West.

Minnesota storms into this weekend playing some of the best basketball this franchise has ever seen. The identity is clear now. Defense first. Physicality second. Relentless effort third. The Wolves are shutting down the paint, swarming ball handlers, closing out on shooters, and playing with an edge that simply did not exist during the December slog. Offensively, it hasn’t always been pretty, but when it clicks, it goes nuclear — the kind of avalanche offense that breaks teams before the fourth quarter even arrives.

The latest proof came in Milwaukee, where Minnesota walked into Giannis Antetokounmpo’s house without Rudy Gobert or Anthony Edwards and somehow delivered one of the most dominant road wins of the season. No Defensive Player of the Year candidate. No franchise superstar. No excuses. Just collective toughness. Julius Randle played dominant bully ball. Naz Reid produced highly efficient offense. Donte DiVincenzo was true from deep. Bones Hyland had a coming out party. Everyone stepped up.

That win mattered. It pushed Minnesota within a half-game of San Antonio and one game of Denver in the race for the two and three seeds. And now the Wolves get the opportunity every contender waits for: grab momentum and turn it into separation.

First obstacle? Houston.

Last season, Wolves-Rockets games were borderline cage matches. Physical. Emotional. Often decided in the final minutes. This year’s Rockets are different. Kevin Durant in a Houston uniform changes the equation entirely. For all the off-season smoke and mirrors, it appears that Minnesota never seriously pursued KD, and Durant never seriously considered Minnesota. Fine. Friday night offers a chance to make that decision sting just a little.

With a nationally televised game on ESPN and an even bigger showdown looming Saturday, the Wolves have to treat Houston like what they are: the gatekeeper to something real.

Keys to the Game

#1 – Come out on fire and test Houston’s legs early.
The Wolves smelled blood in Milwaukee and pounced. The Bucks looked like a team that wanted no part of the night, while Minnesota looked energized, aggressive, and prepared to dictate terms. Houston enters Friday coming off what should be a high-intensity game against Oklahoma City in the first leg of a back-to-back. That matters. NBA games are as much mental as physical, and tired legs usually mean slow rotations, late closeouts, and lazy decisions. Minnesota has to seize that advantage immediately. Push the pace. Crash the glass. Force Houston to work on every possession. If the Wolves bring that January intensity from the opening tip, they can put the Rockets in survival mode before halftime.

#2 – Win the battle of the bigs.
Houston has size, skill, and one of the league’s most quietly effective centers in Alperen Sengun. Last season, Sengun had moments where he got the better of Gobert, but this version of Rudy Gobert is different. He’s rested, reinvigorated, and playing like a Defensive Player of the Year again. Rudy has to own the paint, deny Sengun easy looks, control the glass, and set the tone defensively. Julius Randle must continue his physical play, and Naz Reid’s recent defensive uptick has to carry over. Minnesota cannot afford to lose the rebounding battle or allow Houston to feast inside. This game starts at the rim.

#3 – Don’t give up easy ones.
The Wolves’ defensive leap since January hasn’t been about highlights. It’s been about discipline. No straight-line drives. No lazy closeouts. No wide-open threes off broken rotations. Houston has scorers everywhere, but they become far more manageable when forced into contested looks. That responsibility falls heavily on Minnesota’s wings. If the Wolves stay connected, rotate with purpose, and take away Houston’s first and second options, the Rockets’ offense becomes far less dangerous.

#4 – Put Kevin Durant in a straightjacket — again.
Minnesota has a recent history of bothering Durant. The 2024 playoff sweep. The regular-season matchups with Phoenix last season. Jaden McDaniels has the length and discipline to match Durant physically, and Anthony Edwards has shown he relishes the challenge of guarding his former idol. With Fred VanVleet sidelined, Houston lacks the secondary offensive engine to consistently punish Minnesota if Durant is contained. KD will get his points — that’s inevitable — but the Wolves must make every bucket hard-earned. No rhythm. No comfort. No takeover stretch.

#5: Anthony Edwards has to elevate — again.
If Edwards plays, and all signs point toward him being ready, this is his stage. He loves these games. He loves playing Durant. He loves moments where the stakes are obvious. With fresh legs after resting his left foot, Ant has to set the tone offensively by attacking the rim, collapsing Houston’s defense, creating clean looks for teammates, and picking his spots from deep. His gravity is what unlocks Minnesota’s offense. As the season flips to its second half, this is the kind of performance that defines leadership and separates stars from superstars.

(UPDATE: Anthony Edwards will be out again with continued “Right foot injury management.”)

The Finish

The Wolves haven’t consitently shown up against the West’s elite this season. That’s been the knock. This weekend is a chance to flip that narrative in real time.

Friday in Houston is about setting the tone by grabbing the early series lead, creating real space in the standings, and sending a message that Minnesota is done hovering. Saturday against San Antonio is about something bigger, where the Wolves can find themselves potentially flipping positions with the Spurs and grabbing hold of the three seed.

These are not “nice wins.”
These are not “confidence builders.”

These are statement games.

If Minnesota handles its business over the next 48 hours, the conversation changes. Not about whether the Wolves belong, but about how high they can climb.

What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler carve up Knicks in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors knew what they were getting Thursday night when the New York Knicks came into Chase Center without their best player and following a loss to the lowly Kings in Sacramento 21 hours earlier.

The Knicks would be angry and surely knew they had to compensate for Jalen Brunson’s absence.

The Warriors shook off a slow start and a pesky outing by the Knicks by riding a superb game from Jimmy Butler III to come away with a 126-113 victory that put Golden State (23-19) four games over .500 for the first time this season.

Butler poured in a game-high 32 points, with Stephen Curry scoring 27, Moses Moody finishing with 21 and Brandin Podziemski adding 19. This was the eighth time this season that at least three Warriors scored at least 20 points.

Here are three observations from a win over the skidding Knicks:

The Jimmy-Steph tag team

When the Warriors endured another slow start, falling behind 33-19 with 3:33 left in the first quarter, Curry went to the bench a few seconds later, putting the non-Steph minutes under the microscope. 

When Curry exits, that means Butler enters. With his scoring and orchestration, the Warriors closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to pull within five.

That shifted the momentum ever so slightly, as Golden State won the second quarter by eight, taking a 62-59 lead into halftime. Butler scored 15 points in 15 first-half minutes.

When the Knicks opened the third quarter with a surge, it was Curry who lit a fire under the Warriors. After missing all five of his 3-point attempts in the first half, he drained back-to-back triples, pushing the lead to eight, and then snagged a steal that led to a Moody triple that pushed it to 11.

Curry scored 10 points in nine third-quarter minutes, shooting 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from distance.

The Knicks spent the fourth quarter chasing the Warriors in vain.

Batman and Robin, folks, combining for 59 points.

Mo Buckets 2.0 drills Knicks

When Moody shot 30.1 percent from deep over a 15-game span from Dec. 12 to Jan. 11, it was fair to wonder if his wayward stroke would cost him his place in the starting lineup.

Coach Steve Kerr stayed with him, and his patience appears to be paying off.

Moody scored 12 first-half points, all on triples, without a miss. His game total of 21 points came on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 7-of-9 from deep.

With this game following an encouraging performance Tuesday night against Portland, when Moody scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from distance, it seems he has at least temporarily fixed his shot.

The Warriors will take it. Moody’s role is to provide point-of-attack defense on one end and be the designated catch-and-shoot wing on the other. His defense has been mostly satisfactory, but the offense gains another dimension when his deep shot is falling.

Podz comes through

After his slow start to this season, Podziemski became a lightning rod for criticism from Dub Nation. Some of it was warranted, some of it was subjective.

But the third-year pro put together a strong December, averaging 12.7 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from deep.

Though Podziemski’s overall play has leveled off this month, he’s still productive and came off the bench to submit an excellent performance against the Knicks.

Podziemski’s 19 points came on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, playing 26 minutes and finishing a team-best plus-22.

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