A win is a win, and in the NBA, they can be hard to come by. You take them however you can get them, up to and including when the opposing team decides to sit the majority of its roster. That’s how the Phoenix Suns earned their first win of the season in their home opener, and it ended up being a pretty important one when you consider they have the Thunder and Nuggets on the schedule next week. Starting 0-2 and heading into those matchups would’ve added even more pressure to a team that’s still trying to figure out who it is.

Because that’s where we are right now, isn’t it? We knew who the Suns were last season. We don’t know who this version of the team is yet. While continuity remains, there’s still plenty of room for players to learn where their teammates are going to be and how they’re going to operate together on both ends of the floor. We witnessed that multiple times Saturday night against the Warriors.

Countless defensive rotations were missed, leading to wide-open shooters. Lackadaisical inbound passes resulted in turnovers. And rebounding? Oh boy, it appears that’s going to be a significant issue for this team throughout the season. When you’re surrendering 16 offensive rebounds to what essentially amounts to the Santa Cruz Warriors, that’s not a talent issue. That’s a size issue. The undersized Suns were getting owned on the glass by a team considered one of the smallest in the NBA. In fact, per Salary Swish, Golden State is the shortest team in the league, while Phoenix sits right in the middle at 17th. It certainly didn’t feel that way Saturday night.

They say you can’t truly know who and what a team is until 20 games into the season, and I believe that. But I also believe each game leading up to that 20-game mark serves as a little quiz, giving us another opportunity to understand the attitude and aptitude of a team.

The good news from Saturday night is that the Phoenix Suns won. Their star stepped up and performed like one, and the team shot the basketball well. Collectively, Phoenix shot 37.8% from beyond the arc and 58.1% from the field. For a team that was anemic offensively against the Portland Trail Blazers, that’s an encouraging sign and a step in the right direction. Defensively? Allowing 122 points to that version of the Warriors is concerning. Getting outrebounded 19–9 on the offensive glass is equally troubling, as is being outscored 26–9 in second-chance points.

So we’ll continue compiling the results of these little quizzes over the next 20 games until we have a clearer understanding of what this version of the Phoenix Suns looks like. Because we knew what last season looked like. And thus far this season? It ain’t that.

Bright Side Baller Standings

The season opener left us with but one real option as the Bright Side Baller. And true to form, the community stepped up and got the vote right. That winner? Mariah Carey. She has become our beacon when everything else is dark, for her 5-octave vocal range is that of a Hero. It’s no Fantasy that Anytime You Need a Friend, after dealing with a Heartbreaker like the Suns did against Portland, she’ll help with those Emotions.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 2 against the Warriors. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
43 points (17-of-25, 2-of-7 3PT), 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, +2 +/-

Miles Bridges
16 points (6-of-11, 2-of-5 3PT), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +1 +/-

Collin Gillespie
11 points (4-of-7, 2-of-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, +16 +/-

Dillon Brooks
15 points (6-of-12, 1-of-3 3PT), 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, -2 +/-

Khaman Maluach
9 points (2-of-3, 1-of-2 3PT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, +8 +/-

Luke Kennard
11 points (4-of-6, 3-of-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +15 +/-

It’s your turn now. Vote away!

In just the second game of the season for the Dallas Mavericks, former Duke star Cooper Flagg picked off a steal and headed downcourt for an easy basket. However, Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith was closing fast on Flagg, and caught up to him at the basket, where he dispatched a hard foul that sent the young Dallas star to the floor, holding his shoulder and grimacing.

Here’s the video of the play, which sparked a scrum that got pretty heated.

As it turned out, Flagg left the game and later got an MRI. It looks like he has a mild shoulder sprain, and will probably miss a few games.

Fortunately, it’s not all that serious, but he’ll join his former Duke roommate Kon Kneuppel on the sidelines. The runner-up to Flagg for last year’s Rookie of the Year Award, Knueppel is getting over a hamstring issue. He’s expected to return to the court fairly soon.

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost the two fourth quarters they’ve played this season by a combined 24 points. Their poor late-game execution kept them from delivering a statement win over the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night, and it almost cost them again two days later in their home opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

The culprit behind both collapses was the same.

“We lost the possession game by 16,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said after his team narrowly defeated the Nets. “We got to clean up the turnovers.”

Turnovers lead to bad offense. Bad offense leads to bad defense. You combine those together, and 22-point leads can evaporate in a heartbeat, even against an inexperienced Nets team.

“Good offense [is important] because it really helps you guard the ball,” Mario Hezonja said. “Our rhythm is imposed onto the opponent, so it’s much easier to go both ways. The moment you start to have bad turnovers or bad possessions or even bad shots…that impacts a lot of the mental aspect for a player, and it impacts a lot of the defensive side.”

It’s easy to look at the poor fourth quarter in Game 1 last postseason against the New York Knicks and the start of this season, and believe that there’s a mental barrier keeping the Cavs from closing out games. Maybe there is, but at least in these first two games, the Cavs’ issues are very much basketball-related. As was the case in Philadelphia, the Cavs once again struggled to handle ball pressure.

It’s a copycat league. Teams see what works, and then try to replicate it. One wave we’re seeing now is a drastic increase in blitzing defenses. Defenses are more aggressive in how they’re sending doubles and jumping passing lanes than before. That is especially true late in games, when opponents are trailing and are desperate to get back into games. Hence the reason the Cavs are struggling with this so much down the stretch.

“There’s an unpredictability to it,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think it’s random. The NBA has turned into that as a whole. Indiana really did a great job of it two years ago, and I think everybody followed suit. It was just like, just cause chaos and figure it out. … When you’re picking up full court and randomly trapping, there’s really no scheme for that. It’s like AAU basketball.”

Atkinson has emphasized the need to just “pass to the open man.” That sounds simple enough and is what needs to happen. The problems come when the team isn’t currently capable of doing that.

There are a couple of issues preventing the Cavs from doing so. First, their starting lineup only has two players they trust to operate in these situations with the ball in their hands. Second, there isn’t a good feel for where guys should be on the court when the traps come.

“It’s a different five,” Mitchell said. “[We’re] calling different plays.”

For as frustrating as these first two games have been, the sky isn’t falling — at least not yet. These are things that can be cleaned up.

“There’s no excuses, but we are working on it,” Hezonja said. “There are some new pieces that we added to the team, so this unfortunately takes a little bit of time, but we are working on it. Everything started to mesh better and better, and I hope [that] soon it’s going to look good.”

Time is on the Cavs’ side. The regular season is where you build habits and problem-solve for how teams are going to attack you.

Right now, the book is out on how to disrupt the Cavs: be physical with them at the point of attack and send random double teams at their guards. That is how teams will defend them until the Cavs show they can beat that kind of defense. And from a certain perspective, going through these struggles now instead of in April should benefit them.

“It’s not always going to be perfect,” Mitchell said, “but I think for us, having these first two games…similar but different ways, I think is definitely going to help us in the long run.”

The Atlanta Hawks took on the Houston Rockets in their first home game of the 2026-27 NBA season. Both teams entered the contest 2-0 and were on the second night of back-to-back. Both teams have done a great job of scoring, as Atlanta defeated Charlotte by 47 points, and Houston defeated the Spurs 114-110 the night prior. Fatigue was possibly going to be a factor, but both teams appeared fresh throughout the game. Here’s the breakdown:

Offensively: The Hawks had good looks for shots from the wing and deep, but they failed to be consistent. Shooting from three was a hindrance for them as they went 13/49 for 26.5%. They also went 15/21 from the free throw line, which isn’t bad, but not good enough to beat a team like Houston. Making the most out of offensive possessions is a key component and the Hawks didn’t quite do much of that.

Shooting was a struggle during the night, but they did well down in the post, getting the ball to open guys and capitalizing. Atlanta’s back court really kept them in the game with players such as Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexnader-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Aaron Wiggins in double figures. Johnson led the team in scoring with 26.

Defensively: The Rockets athleticism and size was an issue for the Hawks. Houston was able to get open looks from three, shooting 40 percent. Houston was also able to take advantage of matchups near the paint. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring with 22. Alperen Sengun was a problem as well, scoring 17 to go along with 10 rebounds.

Mainly the Hawks had issues with shooting from three, they had a few miscues that could have led to points. They struggled to defend the wing and get through screens.

Atanta will face the Houston Rockets again on Monday, October 26th.

After spending the greater part of four season with the San Antonio Spurs, Jeremy Sochan fell out of rotation and left the team that drafted him. Shortly thereafter, he joined the New York Knicks and won an NBA Championship.

Over the summer he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, but was waived just before the season tipped off. Coincidentally, he was released on the same day Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham, his draft mates.

But Sochan has bounced back. He went #1 overall in the G-League draft on Saturday.

While the G-League may be a step down for a lottery pick with less than five seasons, staying in America with an NBA affiliate keeps him closer to the action. No telling where his career could go as the twists and turns of an 82-game NBA season rolls on.

For now, the former Baylor Bear will stay in Texas.

Best wishes, Jeremy.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Joe Mazzulla has used 11 players in each of the Celtics’ first two games, which sounds democratic until you inspect the timecards.

Everybody has checked in, but that doesn’t mean everybody has a full-time job.

Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Paul George have predictably played the most. Payton Pritchard is fourth in total minutes despite coming off the bench. Sam Hauser has logged more minutes than Jordan Walsh and Mitchell Robinson, two members of the starting lineup. Hugo González has played just 13 minutes.

Two games are not enough to settle Boston’s rotation, but they do give us some clues about how Mazzulla is sorting it.

The same five players started against Detroit and New York: White, George, Tatum, Walsh and Mitchell Robinson. Everything after that has been more fluid. The first week has already exposed a few levels of trust. Pritchard’s bench designation looks increasingly cosmetic. Hauser may be the cleanest solution to Boston’s spacing issues. Among the young wings, meanwhile, the minutes have not been distributed equally.

Here are my biggest takeaways from Joe’s rotations through the first two games.

Pritchard is a bench player in name only

Pritchard explained his definition of a starter after practice last Sunday.

“To me, a starter is the amount of minutes you play,” he said. “Do you finish games? Are you playing 30-plus minutes? Then you are a starter.”

By his own math, Pritchard is starting.

He has played 57 minutes and 56 seconds through two games. Only Tatum, White and George have played more. Against the Knicks, Pritchard scored a measly four points on 1-for-6 shooting, but still remained on the floor for more than 30 minutes.

I’m not going to try and spin his four points as a secretly great performance. He missed five of his six shots and never found an offensive rhythm. But cold shooting nights can reveal more about a coach’s confidence than another three-point avalanche. Any reasonable person would leave Pritchard on the floor while he’s setting fire to the net. Mazzulla stayed with him even when he wasn’t.

Single-game plus-minus can tell lies with a straight face, but Boston still outscored New York by eight points during Pritchard’s 30 minutes. It wasn’t Pritchard’s night, but it wasn’t a problem large enough to lose a game, which is probably the distinction Mazzulla cares about most.

The Celtics opened the second quarter with Pritchard, White, George, Hauser and Luka Garza. Tatum rested while George carried the star responsibilities. Boston started the fourth with almost the same construction, swapping Robinson in for Garza.

Pritchard was the constant. He is becoming the connective tissue between Boston’s different versions of itself.

His closing role was more situational. Mazzulla initially went with Tatum, George, White, Hauser and Queta during crunch time. Pritchard returned for Hauser with 1:11 remaining, giving Boston another ball handler and free-throw shooter. He made one at the line, then was replaced by Queta for the final defensive possession.

That wasn’t one permanent closing five we saw Friday night. Mazzulla was changing the group possession by possession, which is probably how this roster should work.

Pritchard may not always be standing on the court when the game ends, but he’s made it clear that he’ll be plenty involved in getting Boston there.

Hauser keeps solving lineup problems

Hauser has played 40 minutes and 52 seconds, six seconds more than Robinson. That isn’t a meaningful statistical gap, but it’s a pretty useful reminder of how little the starting label matters to Mazzulla.

He has made five of his first 10 three-point attempts after shooting 39.3% from deep last season, the worst mark of his career and still a percentage most players would happily tell their grandkids about down the road. His shooting stretches the floor in ways Boston needs, particularly when Mazzulla uses Queta or Robinson at center.

Those big men provide vertical spacing, offensive rebounding and rim protection. Neither one is naturally dragging a defender away from the paint. Hauser gives those groups oxygen.

The best example came against Detroit. White, Hauser, Tatum, George and Queta turned a 39-39 game into a 57-43 Celtics lead in roughly five minutes. That lineup produced a 172.7 offensive rating and a 136.4 net rating, which are hilarious numbers that should not be treated as remotely sustainable. The part worth taking seriously was the fit. Four shooters surrounding Queta gave everyone room to operate.

Mazzulla returned to the same idea against New York.

Hauser opened the fourth quarter alongside Robinson, Pritchard, White and George. Later, with the Knicks threatening, Mazzulla used Hauser next to Queta in a lineup with Tatum, George and White.

The shooting explains why Hauser fits, but his defense might be why Mazzulla can keep turning to him.

Hauser still gets hunted occasionally because opposing stars see a white guy with a sensible haircut and make certain assumptions. Those assumptions have not produced easy baskets as often as expected. According to NBA tracking data from last season, opponents shot 0.7 percentage points below their expected field-goal percentage when Hauser was the closest defender.

He is sturdy enough to survive switches, rarely wanders away from the scheme and has become good at forcing scorers into shots the defense can live with. Nobody is asking him to turn into Scottie Pippen. He just can’t be the loose thread every offense tries to pull.

That combination of competent defense and elite shooting allows Mazzulla to place him almost anywhere without creating an obvious problem at either end.

Queta did make his only three-point attempt against New York, so Hauser should probably keep an eye on his job. Queta is currently shooting 100% from deep, and I refuse to entertain any small-sample-size arguments at this time.

Until Queta starts receiving the same treatment behind the arc, Hauser gives Mazzulla a proven shooter without handing opposing offenses an obvious place to attack.

The young wings are not receiving equal auditions

Walsh, Scheierman, González and Ron Harper Jr. entered the season as Boston’s collection of young wings. The first two games have not treated them as interchangeable.

Walsh has started both games and played 33 minutes and 45 seconds. His offense remains a work in progress, but Mazzulla has given him difficult defensive assignments, including Cade Cunningham in Detroit and Jalen Brunson against the Knicks, and allowed him to play through mistakes. He also rewarded that patience against New York, hitting a three and scoring on a nice cut during Boston’s third-quarter run.

Scheierman has played 29 minutes and 22 seconds. He scored eight points in the opener, made both of his threes and already looks more willing to make a quick decision when the ball finds him. Mazzulla has used him in both halves of both games, including alongside Tatum during the third quarter Friday.

González has played just 13 minutes and 18 seconds. Only Garza has played fewer. Harper has yet to see the floor at all.

González checked in midway through the first quarter against New York, stayed on the court for three minutes and 35 seconds and never returned. His 13 total minutes are less than half of Scheierman’s and well below Walsh’s.

That isn’t a verdict on a 20-year-old two games into his second NBA season. González had a really encouraging preseason, and his size, defensive instincts and fearlessness should get him onto the court plenty as the season wears on. Boston’s first back-to-back arrives Monday and Tuesday, which may create an opportunity almost immediately.

For now, Mazzulla appears more comfortable with Walsh’s defense and Scheierman’s…Scheiermanning. The gap is worth noticing without declaring it permanent. These first two games show Mazzulla’s initial preferences with a healthy roster. They don’t tell us what the rotation will look like after a difficult back-to-back, an injury or the first time somebody ahead of González stops giving the Celtics what they need.

Garza provided a useful reminder that the bottom of the rotation can still change quickly. He entered against New York, scored eight points in three and a half minutes, made two threes, drew a charge and returned to the bench like a man who had broken into the game, emptied the register and disappeared before anyone could identify him.

Garzilla behavior.

Mazzulla will need those little bursts over 82 games, but every player producing one doesn’t suddenly move into the permanent rotation.

Right now, Walsh and Scheierman have the longer runway. González is waiting for his next opening. Harper is waiting for his first.

Tatum and George are sharing the floor, and the workload

The Celtics did not acquire George so he and Tatum could alternate isolations while everyone else watched. Through two games, Mazzulla has started working on a more useful kind of staggering.

Against the Knicks, Tatum rested to begin the second quarter while George played with Pritchard, White, Hauser and Garza. Tatum played the entire third, with George sitting for the final four and a half minutes. George then opened the fourth while Tatum rested.

At the 6:53 mark, Tatum replaced George. Just over two minutes later, George returned and the two stars finished the game together.

The basic rhythm is beginning to emerge. Tatum and George overlap at the beginning and end of halves, then take turns anchoring the middle. Pritchard moves between both groups. White can run the offense with either. Hauser gives each of them another outlet when the defense loads up.

The arrangement should keep Boston from living through too many possessions without a high-level creator. It also gives George stretches where he can operate as the primary option instead of trying to fit his touches around Tatum’s.

There will be nights when the rotation gets smaller. Injuries, foul trouble and matchups will rearrange all of this. If we have learned anything about Mazzulla, it’s that he will happily abandon Tuesday’s rotation by Thursday and seem mildly irate that anyone expected otherwise.

Still, his first two games have given us a working hierarchy.

Tatum, White and George are the foundation. Pritchard is a starter, his words, not mine. Hauser and the two centers give Mazzulla different ways to build around them. Walsh and Scheierman have received meaningful auditions. González, Garza and Harper are waiting for the game that calls for them.

There are still 80 games left. Roles will change, new lineups will emerge and Mazzulla may render half of this article obsolete by Thanksgiving. For now, we get to study two games far more closely than any reasonable person should, because Celtics basketball is finally back.

A basketball game can span over 200 shots with over 600 passes thrown and eighteen miles ran over 48 minutes. There’s a beautiful randomness to it all. But if you dig down and zoom in on every 24-second possession, there may not be anything more important than the point of attack and how it’s defended.

Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP last summer as the champs’ point of the spear, the head of their offensive snake. And in the Celtics’ first matchup against the Knicks, Jayson Tatum’s clutch play and 36 points in the home opener will deservedly grab all the headlines in the 107-103 win at TD Garden.

Jordan Walsh wasn’t even on the parquet when Tatum hit shot-after-shot-after-three-point-shot down the stretch. His work was already done.

Brunson didn’t exactly have a bad game: 19 points (7-of-17 from the field) and four assists. But he had to grind for it and sometimes, being able to just blunt the steel and defang some of the bite is a good day’s work.

“I thought he was special. He set the tone,” Paul George said of Walsh’s defense on the All-NBA Second Team point guard. “Jalen is a handful and for a young guy, he can be a lot. Jordan took the challenge. He did a great job of navigating being physical and not being overly physical. He gave him some good looks defensively to frustrate him and get him out of rhythm.”

Heading into training camp, Walsh wasn’t on many people’s bingo card as a possible starter. Some thought that Payton Pritchard would get the promotion or more of an offensive connector like Baylor Scheirman might join Tatum, George, and Derrick White. Now, through three preseason games and now two regular season games against Brunson and Cade Cunningham, it’s easy to see how the four-year player fits into the opening five’s ecosystem as the designated stopper.

After the game, George also remarked that because of Walsh’s on-ball presence on Brunson, that freed him up to be a free safety behind Walsh; including the preseason, he’s grabbed 14 steals in four games.

Walsh signed a three-year, $15 million extension over the summer. His only mistake so far has been telling head coach Joe Mazzulla that he felt like a vet in training camp. Otherwise, it’s in games and matchups like the one last night against the defending champs and Brunson that Walsh has shined in.

“[Brunson]’s a guy that can keep his dribble, he can create separation with multiple moves. I thought Jordan’s second half was important for us,” Mazzulla said. “He had a layup in transition, he had a catch-and-shoot three, he had some great defensive possessions. Even when he fouled, we need that type of physicality. I thought tonight, we saw a version of him at his best and that’s what he’s gotta be for us and he’s gotta continue to get better.”

After the game, Brunson noted that the 0-2 Knicks failed to impose their physicality on offense. Or maybe, just maybe, that’s just the Walsh effect.

The Knicks are catching an injury break.BOSTON — The Knicks are catching an injury break.

Paolo Banchero, the leading scorer for the Magic, will miss Sunday’s game at MSG after being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.

Banchero, an All-Star power forward, sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves.

In an opening-night loss to the Hawks earlier in the week, Banchero dropped 35 points on an efficient 10-for-12 shooting.

The Magic, like the Knicks, are 0-2.

In fact, the Knicks, who fell to the Celtics on Friday, are the first defending champs to lose their first two games since the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

“We break the season into five-game segments,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said before New York’s comeback fell short in Boston. “There are marks that we like to hit in those five games and it kind of gives us a good feel of where you were, in a fair amount of games, and to see if you can make progress in the next five.

“Obviously you want to go 5-0, you’ll take 4-1, and then maybe you have to take 3-2. But if you’re doing anything less than that, you know that nobody is reaching their potential.”

Ringgate prompted another statement.

A day after the Knicks announced they were handing out 275 championship rings to employees at the cost of $3.7 million, an MSG spokesperson clarified Saturday that it was always the plan and not a response to the backlash of a report in The Athletic about empty ring boxes and callous cybersecurity tests.

As The Post reported Friday, the Knicks were always going to give out the rings — including to the entire assistant coaching staff.

“There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the championship rings,” Saturday’s statement read. “The plan has always been to distribute more than 275 rings and jewelry to the people in the organization who were part of last season’s success. As is common with many teams, the players were always supposed to get their rings as part of the opening-night ceremony and then everyone else will receive theirs in about four to six weeks.

“Regarding the phishing email, the process of securing and reminding our employees to protect our IP was not a mistake but the choice to use the ring to do so was a mistake and we apologize to our employees and the fans. Winning the championship was a great moment for all New Yorkers. Those who choose to focus on the negative are missing the joy that comes with the team’s accomplishment.”

CLEVELAND — This isn’t the first time the Nets looked to Julius Randle to be a floor raiser.

With their overt tanking over, Brooklyn traded for the soon-to-be-32-year-old forward this summer in hopes of being more competitive.

But sources told The Post that the Nets nearly brought Randle in years earlier, back in 2019.

Armed with an ocean of cap space that summer and intent on big-game hunting, general manager Sean Marks landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

But had Durant not been sold on becoming Brooklyn’s franchise player, sources told The Post that they would have invested in a still up-and-coming Randle.

In the end, Randle got traded from New Orleans to the Knicks, where he actually hit his prime. He spent five years in the Garden and making all three of his All-Star berths, turning them from a lottery team into a playoff contender.

Now years later, he’s trying to do the same thing on the Brooklyn side of the East River as a grizzled veteran instead of a young riser.

Randle had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in Saturday’s nail-biting loss at Cleveland. He joined James Harden as the only Nets with 20-5-5 in consecutive games to start the season.

“We just got to stay positive and connected as a group. Adversities are going to happen, there’s going to be bumps and bruises. But the last thing we can do as a team is separate,” Randle said. “So we just got stay connected, positive as a group. Find the positives in the game of how we can build on that. And just continue to go from there.”

Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. finally got on the floor together, logging four minutes in the fourth quarter. They were a plus-5 and sparked a 14-2 run.

Brown is on a minutes limit that has kept him from starting.

Asked if he had seen enough to at least deploy the together within the constraints of that minutes limit, coach Jordi Fernández was noncommittal.

“If you’re coaching thinking you want to play certain guys together, it’s when usually you’re doing it for the wrong reasons,” Fernández said. “A lot of times you have to coach the game feeling the game. Obviously you have a preparation — you look at their matchups, their sub patterns, yours, your lineups — and you have an ideal way of how you want the game to go. But then when the game goes, there’s fouls, there’s guys that play better or worse. Then you have to start coaching the game, and see who can guard this guy or all these things. Then the game flows.”

“Mikel had a good moment of making a couple of shots. He was vocal. He felt like he was giving his energy. I had the starting group on the bench, then that’s when I felt like it was a good moment to play together. Did I plan it? No. But a lot of times it’s how basketball is, right? We have all this preparation, the coaches do a great job putting all these pages and film and so forth. But then at the end of the day, you have to react to a lot of things that are not controllable in the game.”

Former Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both in agreement: there’s no beef, bad blood, or resentment to address.

On Friday night, most of Tatum’s nearly 13-minute-long postgame press conference was dedicated to responding to Brown’s “cap” emoji under an Instagram video clip from Tatum’s ‘Summer of Jayson’ docuseries — where he claimed he was caught off guard by Brown’s trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in July. He denied any existence of beef with Brown, noting several times it was beneath them.

Brown revealed he had heard all of Tatum’s comments after Philadelphia’s 127-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I didn’t see the full thing, but I saw that he said there’s no beef, and he’s right,” Brown told reporters on Saturday night, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We’ve accomplished some great things. He’s a hell of a basketball player. He’s got a great PR team. There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times.”

Unlike Tatum’s approach at the podium, Brown seemed much more subliminal, which isn’t new.

For years, Brown would use similar messaging to vent whether it’d be directed at the NBA, officials, or ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. But this time it’s not a referee with a whistle or a loudmouth media figure. Tatum was Brown’s right-hand man for nearly a decade, going through 121 playoff games, five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two to the NBA Finals. They won a championship in 2024, raising Boston’s long-awaited 18th banner and were poised to ride their careers into the sunset together as one of the Celtics’ all-time duos.

That all changed over the summer.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens tried to use Brown to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee to Boston, and when that failed, it became time for a backup plan. So instead, Stevens shipped Brown to the rival Sixers in exchange for 36-year-old Paul George plus four future draft selections, officially bringing the Tatum-Brown era to an end.

“Like I said, it’s no beef,” Brown reiterated. “The PR and all that type stuff, it is what it is, but I think we’re both focused on what’s in front of us.”

Rather than getting to follow up on his career-best season — a year in which he finished sixth in MVP voting — Brown was forced to take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love to join forces with LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Coughing up a 3-1 series lead in Game 7 at TD Garden was Brown’s final game in a Celtics uniform.

Tatum sat on the bench with left knee discomfort, and the thousands of Celtics fans in attendance fled TD Garden both disappointed and under the assumption the team would run in back with both Tatum and Brown in 2026-27. And based on Tatum’s reaction in his offseason YouTube docuseries, the 28-year-old foresaw that too.

During the preseason, Brown and Tatum didn’t greet each other during warmups. They went about their pregame routines on opposite sides of the court and didn’t acknowledge one another before going back into the players’ tunnels.

If Brown does accept Tatum’s open invitation for a conversation, he’ll have plenty of opportunities, including four upcoming Celtics-Sixers matchups scheduled this season. The first is set for Nov. 10 in Philadelphia.

“At the end of the day, we gotta do what you gotta do for his team,” Brown said. “I gotta do what I do for my team.”

The Golden State Warriors fell to 0-3 on Saturday, after losing 131-122 to the Phoenix Suns in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite the result, you can easily make the case that it was Golden State’s most impressive game of the short season, given that they kept it close despite playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, and Al Horford.

But it was still a loss, and it still needs to be graded. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Last year, league-average TS was 58.1%.

Yaxel Lendeborg

36 minutes, 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 9-for-19 shooting, 6-for-11 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 64.0% TS, +5

Was Lendeborg perfect? No. But should you be extremely excited that Golden State’s rookie dropped 26-9-5 with excellent efficiency in just his third career game? Absolutely.

With Curry and Podziemski out, Lendeborg was the team’s first option, and he handled the role brilliantly. He was both patient and aggressive on offense, and didn’t let the heavier workload on that end of the court impact his effort levels on defense or on the glass.

He’s really good. I think, after three games, we can conclude that. The question with Lendeborg — who, as has been discussed ad nauseam over the last few months, is already 24 — is how much better can he get?

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points, tied for the team lead in assists.

Gui Santos

23 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 1-for-4 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 4-for-8 free throws, 46.5% TS, -13

Not the best Gui performance. His energy and hustle are always welcome in these sort of shorthanded games, where outworking the opponent is the lone path to victory. But he was struggling to score, and often got caught out of position on defense.

Grade: C

Graham Ike

26 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 5-for-13 shooting, 2-for-2 free throws, 43.2% TS, -6

Ike had an exciting preseason, and it’s clear the Warriors are high on me. But had you told me that the undrafted rookie, who is signed to a two-way contract, would register a double-double in just his third career game, I’m still not sure I would have believed you.

He wasn’t nearly as efficient as you’d like a center to be, but that was really the only thing you can criticize with his game. He led both teams in rebounding, and played solid defense. He fits within the system so well, and makes quick decisions with and without the ball. It’s pretty clear that he’s going to be a big part of the rotation this year.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.

Will Richard

31 minutes, 11 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-for-9 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 61.1% TS, 0 +/-

Devin Booker had a true superstar game, scoring 43 points on 17-for-25 shooting. But he got off to a fairly slow start, in large part because of the great defense that Richard was playing on him. Eventually Booker found his rhythm and there was nothing that Richard — or anyone — could do to stop him, but still. Those early minutes were nice!

Richard also did some quality things on offense, with his usual great cutting, and it was nice to see him knock in some threes.

Grade: B

Brandon Williams

24 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 5-for-10 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 8-for-11 free throws, 67.4% TS, +5

Williams’ third game in a Golden State jersey was far and away his best. And while he was a starter in this game due to Curry and Podziemski not playing, it was the type of performance that showed you exactly why the Warriors brought him in to be a core member of the bench unit.

He can score. My goodness can he score. And he can score in a variety of ways, with a level of quickness and burst that is fairly foreign to the Dubs.

That was all on display in this game, as was a jump shot that he says he put a lot of work into this offseason; he entered this year having shot just 28.0% from deep in his career, so that’s been the one hole in his offensive game.

They’re gonna need this version of him in games they’re more equipped to win.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.

Georges Niang

23 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2-for-9 shooting, 0-for-5 threes, 22.2% TS, +6

Some solid veteran winning plays by Niang in this one, and I liked what he did on defense. But, for the role that he plays on this team, it’s hard to be productive when you shoot 0-for-5 from deep and turn the ball over three times.

Grade: C
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

De’Anthony Melton

27 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 4-for-8 threes, 5-for-5 free throws, 82.2% TS, -8

Melton was awful in the season opener and mediocre in the home opener. But he was absolutely magnificent in this game. He did a phenomenal job replacing the scoring that was lost in Curry’s absence, and while we shouldn’t expect that every time Steph sits, it’s certainly good to know it’s a possibility. Melton had struggled defensively in the first two games of the season, but looked much more like the defender we know in this one, and he controlled the offense with his quarterbacking. Just an awesome game from the veteran.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.

Charles Bassey

13 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 4-for-4 shooting, 2-for-3 free throws, 94.0% TS, +3

Bassey made his season debut and was absolutely excellent. I’m not sure what the Warriors would have done in this game had he not been able to play, because he was everything they needed. He patrolled the paint with rebounds and rim protection, used craftiness and strength to score, and made countless little winning plays. The first quarter completely shifted when Bassey entered the game, and it seemed to stay that way whenever he was on the court.

He’s going to play a big role this season.

Grade: A+

Gary Payton II

17 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 33.3% TS, -14

Just an entirely nondescript game from GPII. I can’t remember a single thing he did on the court, for better or for worse.

Grade: C-
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

LJ Cryer

14 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-for-5 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 30.0% TS, -13

Not the best game for Cryer, though it’s always nice to see him get some extended non-garbage time run. He always looks better when his shot is falling, which it wasn’t in this game, and his defense wasn’t too sharp either.

Grade: C

Malevy Leons

4 minutes, 2 points, 1 steal, 1 foul, 1-for-2 shooting, 50.0% TS, -10

Despite all the maladies of his teammates, Malevy was only able to get a little bit of run in this game. He’s a nice player to have around, but right now he’s pretty clearly behind the other two players on two-way contracts (Ike and Cryer) on the depth chart.

Grade: Incomplete

Saturday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Kristaps Porziņģis

The Utah Jazz had one of the most eventful offseasons, with twists and turns including winning the lottery, drafting Darryn Peterson, and trading Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was one of the more surprising moves considering how often we heard the Jazz were going to re-sign him. Looking back, it makes you wonder how much of that was to create leverage for an eventual trade. Based on what we know now, it seemed pretty clear Kessler didn’t want to be in Utah long term.

At this point, it’s all spilled milk, and it’s time to see who comes out on top. This matchup is the Jazz’s first chance to face their former center since the trade, and there’s no doubt the atmosphere in the arena will be interesting. With Luka Doncic, it could get contentious. One thing is for sure, Doncic and Kessler look like they’ve found some good chemistry. Will that chemistry hold up against the Jazz? For both the Jazz and the Lakers, this might be both teams’ toughest matchup of the season so far. Utah lost badly to the Grizzlies and turned it around against the Pelicans. The Lakers have beaten the Warriors and the Clippers. It’s a good test for both teams to see just how good they both are.

It’s also a chance for Utah to solidify their rotation. Utah has had two starting lineups this season, and we’ll see if they change again. Ace Bailey had his first start in the home opener for the Jazz and showed the flashes that make him so interesting, especially his defense and athleticism. The question for Bailey is whether he can consistently shoot and score. Once that happens, it’s not likely Bailey leaves the starting lineup for a long time.

Utah can also gain an advantage by starting Jaren Jackson Jr. at center again, because it can pull Walker Kessler out of the paint. Utah’s five-out lineup has huge potential; they just need more chemistry and consistency. We’ll see if they can find more of that against a Laker team with a pretty clear identity around Luka Doncic.

How to watch Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers

Who: Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers

When: 3:00 MT – 10/25/26

Where: Delta Center – Salt Lake City, Utah

How to watch: KJZZ, Jazz+

The Golden State Warriors were facing quite an uphill battle on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns. Not only were they playing on the road, but it was the second game of a back-to-back, and their third game in four nights in three cities. And worst of all? They were comically shorthanded. In addition to the expected absent trio (Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porziņģis), the Dubs were playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, and Al Horford.

And so the result of the game — a loss — was not at all surprising. But the manner in which it transpired — close for most of it, with the final score single digits (131-122) — was quite surprising, in addition to being encouraging and, if we’re being honest, very entertaining, especially relative to the first two games of the season.

Golden State was heavily outmatched on paper. Playing against a healthy team starring Devin Booker, the Warriors rolled out a starting lineup featuring two rookies (Yaxel Lendeborg and Graham Ike) and one second-year pro (Will Richard), alongside Gui Santos and Brandon Williams.

What followed was some inspired play. The Dubs had lockdown defense early (Richard was doing a stellar job on Booker), while the rookies scored Golden State’s first eight points. A Williams three gave Golden State an early 11-4 lead, and it was clear that it brought the team a whole lot of confidence. While they were playing very team-oriented basketball, it was clear that everyone on the court saw the game as an individual challenge, and a chance to prove that they deserve a large role on this team, even when the other players are healthy.

After their slow start, Phoenix started to figure things out, and went on a 12-4 run to take a 16-15 lead. Order was restored a bit when Charles Bassey entered the game for his season debut, and made so many little winning plays. Golden State was, quite obviously, lacking in the talent department, but they were using excellent hustle to turn broken plays into points, and staying afloat. They were narrowly escaping some ugly sequences — including to end the quarter — and managed to lead 25-22 after the first.

The second quarter started off very scattered for both teams. It somewhat resembled a preseason game, with both squads spinning their wheels and trying to make something happen. The Warriors struck first in the big play department, when Williams — who worked very hard on improving his long-distance jump shot this offseason — sunk a three, drew the contact, and complete the four-point play. But after that, the Dubs offense went stagnant, while Booker — who had a fairly quiet first quarter — started to heat up. Phoenix took the lead but couldn’t run away with it, and led 57-54 at the break. Booker led all scorers with 19 points at halftime, while Lendeborg, who was showing impressive patience on offense, had 13.

It was a very impressive first half considering the talent discrepancy and the differences on the injury report. And it was fair to wonder if the clock would strike midnight and the Warriors — despite not being the team wearing orange — would turn into a pumpkin in the third quarter.

The answer, unfortunately, was yes. And then it was no, and then it was yes again.

While energy and hustle had been enough to result in offense in the first half, it wasn’t the case in the second, They had a long offensive drought in the third quarter, and as they did, Phoenix pushed the lead to double digits. It seemed as though Golden State would not be able to recover from the first real blow of the night.

But they did! Behind easily the best stretch of the young season for De’Anthony Melton, and some stellar play in the paint by Ike and Bassey, the Warriors not only mounted a rally, and not only erased the deficit, but took the lead.

It was very short lived, however. Collin Gillespie sparked a run for the Suns and then Booker, who finished with 17 points in the quarter, took over. The Warriors kept responding, but it was never really enough; finally, Gillespie drained a corner three with 0.5 seconds remaining to cap a stellar third quarter, and Phoenix took a 102-92 lead into the fourth after what proved to quite a high-octane quarter (the Suns outscored the Dubs 45-38 in the third).

By that point, Golden State’s offense was running on empty. The defensive effort remained very admirable, but they couldn’t find offense anywhere. While the Warriors would end up scoring 30 points in the quarter, they couldn’t find offense when it mattered most, and trailed by 15 at the halfway mark. Behind a handful of threes, the Warriors managed to stay kind of in the game, but they were never able to get too close, and lost 131-122.

The biggest difference in the game ultimately was Phoenix’s ability to capitalize on opportunities. The Suns only forced one more turnover than the Warriors did (16-15), but more than doubled the Warriors in points scored off of turnovers (26-12).

Lendeborg was given the keys to the offense for the Warriors with Curry and Podziemski out, and it was a joy to watch. There are obviously still some growing pains, but the first-rounder finished with a team-high 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting (including 6-for-11 on threes), while also grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out five assists, and only turning the ball over twice.

Melton and Williams provided much of the rest of the offense, as they each had their best games of the year: Melton finished with 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting, with five rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while Williams netted 20 on 5-for-10 shooting, with three rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Ike, an undrafted free agent on a two-way contract, grabbed his first double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Bassey shot a perfect 4-for-4 en route to 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots.

But they were no match for Booker, who had a true superstar showing: the five-time All-Star shot 17-for-25 from the field, and finished with 43 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

The Warriors are now 0-3, and life doesn’t get easier anytime soon. They have two more games left on their current road trip: on Monday against the Denver Nuggets, and on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was the best of games, it was the relation, perhaps a 1st cousin, of the worst of games. It was a game of wisdom, it was a game of foolishness. It was part of a season of light (this season?), it called back to a season of darkness (last season). It was the spring of hope, and it was a win that was harder than it needed to be and brought to mind memories of a certain despair, but memories they remained.

In short, it was a Rockets game. But not as we have known them! It was definitely not the sort they won often last season. I will take the win on a SEGBABA after a tough game in Austin (very much Spurs Country) where the team didn’t make their Atlanta hotel until about 5am. They didn’t really salt away both games of road back to back games much at all last season. In fact, they were bad in that department.

You might say, well, Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet are back, plus the Rockets have Ime’s Spirit Animal: Marcus Smart. Ah, my friend, they did not have those players. All were out. If you know much about Marcus Smart, you know that frequent and nagging injuries have been hallmark of his career. Expect more of the same. As for Fred, he might play in B2Bs later in the season, or he might not. Fred was cagey about it in a post game interview last night, and Fred Jr stayed schtum. Steven Adams simply won’t.

So that left the Rockets starting Reed “Tough 1970s Cop Who Lives By His Own Code of Rough Justice, But Who Is Definitely Not A PG” Sheppard. This may seem a risky move to some, given the team’s 18-4 record in Reed’s starts, but it was a risk the Rockets were forced to take. A risk taken on a loose cannon detective guard who plays by his own set of rules, but gets results, even if they aren’t “By the book.”.

It left Amen Thompson, who had a season highlight block last night in San Antonio. The Rockets had Alperen Sengun, who broke down the Spurs big men late, to win it, including Weepy. It left us with Kevin Durant who just seems to be able to play 36ish minutes whenever, wherever, and even if he’s been shitposting on his burner all night (Who’s to say? Not me.). Finally there was Jabari “I’m Playing Like NBA 1st Team All Defense” Smith.

Would it be enough to match Atlanta, off to an undefeated start, also on a B2B, but at home, and having just summarily dispatched nearby Charlotte?

Reader, it would.

I’m thrilled with the start the team has had to the season. They’ve built leads, held leads, beaten a key rival on the road, and won a tough B2B against what I think is a good to very good Hawks team. Atlanta has players like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and also CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, that mirror the Rockets in certain ways, and pose problems. They shoot the three well (even if they didn’t tonight, despite a period of just not missing in the third quarter). The Hawks, like the Rockets, also have a good bench, and played the Rockets even in the rebounding battle. In short, not an easy opponent but the Rockets beat them, short handed, on the road in a B2B after a tough game in Austin.

I think we’re seeing the most talented Rockets team in nearly a decade. I’m happy for this win, but the specter of problems that plagued the team last season, if not loomed, definitely floated around the gym and moaned a bit in this game, especially late. Early days, but keep an eye on it.

The game started with both teams looking flat, and to an extent, uninterested. The Rockets went down 7-0 early, but after a time out took a lead they would not relinquish, despite some foolish, and all too familiar faffing around and losing much of their at one time 20pt lead late. It felt like Atlanta made a zillion threes, but that’s because they took 49 of them. Due to good defense from the Rockets (and possibly tired legs) they only made 13 threes to the Rockets 14, on 14 fewer attempts.

Atlanta rallied late, and made it tighter than it should have been. It was a familiar sinking sensation that diehards will remember, but the Rockets did not, in fact, sink into the loss column. That is something to celebrate.

Tonight saw some great play from the following Rockets: Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard.

Amen and Reed and Alpie seemed to alternate in the primary initiator spot, and you could see growth on the part of each.

Amen Thompson finished with a stat line 17pts on 4-12 shooting, but 9-9 free throws, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, and a steal. He played 39 minutes, and at times even the super human Amen seemed to struggle to find energy. One sign of this was missing close in shots he normally makes.

One thing I saw, as the Rockets have begun running recognizable offensive sets, is that Amen has an idea where to look for the pass, or the drive. If a player knows a play, he knows who will likely be open given what the action is meant to do, how the defense might react. This is how a structured offense with varied sets greatly benefits an inexperienced point guard. Fred VanVleet has played 17,000 minutes, almost all as a PG. Amen has played 6600, with probably 2400 as a PG. Fred doesn’t need the structure Amen does.

Alperen Sengun seems stronger, lighter and fitter this season. He threw down two monster dunks, and made several great moves down the lane, one that just rolled out, or it would have been a big time highlight. You could see that his legs were tired but he fought through, and dominated the Hawks inside. Alpie finished with 17pts on 6-12 shooting, 1-2 from 3pt range (hello 67% 3pt% in a teensy sample), had 10 rebounds, 7 assists to 3 turnovers, and a steal. It was a balanced effort, and his passing was generally solid.

Kevin Durant has been fairly deferential this season, but of course vital. Plugging in around 26 pointss every night is a great thing to have. That said, it could be even more helpful. The Rockets really could, and I think should, have some set actions for Kevin Durant late in games. Yes, he can get his own shot, but it’s often a very difficult one, and the fact that he often makes them still doesn’t make it an optimal approach. A few pet KD plays, that get the greatest all-around shooter who ever lived some easier looks, seems like a good plan. Durant went 22pts on 8-15FG, 3-7 3pt, 3-3FT, 4rbs, 2ast, 2to, 1blk in 37 minutes. Yes, KD played 37 minutes in a B2B, but who is going to tell him not to? You? Me? Ime? Maybe his mom.

Jabari Smith Jr continues to threaten a break out season in my view. The Rockets don’t really have anyone with high usage on offense, so it can be hard to see on offense, but on defense he’s simply been outstanding. He’s the player people imagined on defense when he was drafted. He can guard outside, and inside, he can stay with wings, and even some guards and centers. He’s become superb at difficult shot blocks. Not easy swats gained by targeting smaller guys, and striking. No, he’s been getting blocks close to the basket where it’s unclear how he did it at all. And he’s been doing it without much fouling.

Maybe his reputation will one day be such that refs won’t call anticipatory fouls on him, but actually look at the play more. Jabari had 14 points on 5-12 shooting, with tiredness showing in some of his shots, as well, particularly from 3pt range where he was 2-6. He added 4rbs, 2ast, 2to (late) and had one block. This doesn’t really do his game against big, mobile, Atlanta players justice though. He’s been quietly outstanding so far, in my view.

Reed Sheppard just wins when he starts. Tonight he had 19pts on 7-13FG, 5-113pt, 6rbs, 7ast, 3to, 1stl and was tied with Durant for team high +/- at 19. On a Rockets team where no one player dominates usage, what more do you want? I truly cannot comprehend anyone who can see this game and not think Reed is a point guard and capable of successful starters’ minutes. Some of his dimes were immaculate tonight, beyond what anyone but Alpie can do. He also caused havoc with his hands on defense. I’m honestly surprised he only had one official steal recorded.

The Rockets got into trouble late when Ime Udoka pulled Reed from the game late in favor of Bogdan Bogdanovich. I hope I’ll be believed when I say that the bad defender some of you think Reed Sheppard is, Bogdan actually is. This period provided much of Atlanta’s comeback impetus, and the absence of Sheppard was felt keenly. The Rockets still have problems with late game execution, team wide, and Reed was a part of that, but he was still much better than Bogdanovich despite being younger, and somewhat shorter.

Reed played 30 minutes, and Bogdanovich played 20. I think things would have looked far more solid late if Reed had played 36 minutes, and BogBog 14. Perhaps this was due to Sheppard having a bone bruise on his knee, but he did come back in to close the game.

Also, I’ll say again that I think Reed is miscast as a bench flamethrower. He’s not Jamal Crawford. I think the more he plays, the better he plays. His career stats bear this out (not including tonight). Usage is roughly the same, but percentages are all better. I’m not sure what is to be done about that right now, but I’m fairly sure it’s true.

Tari Eason was his usual Chaos Goblin self. He dropped in 19pts off the bench on 8-15 shooting, had some Dribblin’ Adventures, but also attacked the rim with force. On my favorite Tari play he finished with an NFL style drive through Lu “The Butcher” Dort, and knocked him down. Tari still makes baffling decisions, and sometimes gets tunnel vision with the ball, but this is mitigated by him actually making more close in shot. Sadly, he still hasn’t made at 3pt shot this season, as he seemed to make one, but then it was changed to 2pts.

Clint Capela had decent minutes off the bench, and probably could have played more in my estimation, except that Atlanta plays pretty small. He looks much quicker and more fluid this season, having clearly lost a considerable amount of weight. I hope we see more of him as the season progresses.

BogBog is a good catch and shoot guy, and not especially great at the rest of offense. He does surprise defenders that expect him to shoot immediately, enough to dribble past them. He was 4-8 overall and 3-5 from 3pt range. He’s still clearly getting used to playing with the team, and I think they’ll find him in better spots as the season rolls on. I would have thought he was no one’s idea of a crunch time defender, but I would have thought wrong.

This was a good win in what might have been a schedule loss. There are some things to keep an eye on, but there are also positive changes afoot, and it’s clear that the roster is deep and talented. Winning is fun! Not blowing leads is fun! This team, dare I say it, might be back to being…fun?

Devin Booker scored 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting, and the Suns took care of a short-handed Golden State team in the home opener, 131-122.

Was it pretty? No. Was it needed? Very much. You’ll take wins however you get them in the NBA, even if there is plenty to clean up.

Phoenix shot 58.1% from the field, assisted on 33 of its 50 made baskets and outscored the Warriors 27-7 in transition. Golden State, playing without Stephen Curry, Brandin Podzemski, Draymond Green, and others, hung around with 26 second-chance points and 17 threes.

Booker finished with 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting (2-of-7 from three, 7-of-8 at the line), 7 rebounds, 7 assists and a block in 36 minutes. Miles Bridges added 16 points on 6-of-11 and 7 rebounds. Dillon Brooks had 15 points and 5 assists. Collin Gillespie scored 11 with 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals, and led the team at +16. Luke Kennard went 3-of-5 from deep for 11 points and a +15. Man Man posted 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

De’Anthony Melton led Golden State with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 4-of-8 from three and 5-of-5 at the line, plus 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and went 5-of-10 from deep. Brandon Williams scored 20, 8 of them at the line, and Graham Ike added 12 points and 9 rebounds, five on the offensive glass.

Game Flow

First Half

The Warriors opened up with an 11-4 lead behind a pair of triples from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.

Devin Booker scored 6 of the first 8 points for Phoenix. Jordan Ott saw enough after a 13-8 Warriors lead and called the first timeout of the game at the 7:57 mark.

As soon as Jordan Goodwin checked in, good things happened. He stole the ball from De’Anthony Melton and dished it ahead to Devin Booker, leading to a wide-open bucket to make it 16-15, Phoenix. Timeout Warriors.

Golden State went on a 7-0 run immediately after that, with Phoenix’s second unit struggling to get an offensive flow.

The Suns shot 1-of-12 from three in the quarter. Luke Kennard hit the only one. Everyone else went 0-for-10 from deep, and Jalen Green opened 0-of-3 from the field.

The glass was the bigger problem. Golden State won the boards 19-12 and grabbed seven offensive rebounds. Phoenix had five defensive rebounds total. Santos, Ike, and Charles Bassey each pulled down two on the offensive end.

Devin Booker carried the offense with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting, all from inside the arc. Golden State led after the first quarter, 25-22.

Miles Bridges started the second quarter as the five, with the Suns going to small-ball early.

While he (Bridges) did initially provide some solid minutes, the Suns continued to get killed on the glass and struggled from deep. Miles Bridges led the push with 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three. Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 5 apiece, and Green got his first three of the night to drop after an 0-of-3 opening quarter.

Devin Booker added 9 more points on 3-of-5 shooting and got to the line for the first time, going 3-of-4. The bench delivered in short bursts. Ryan Dunn made his only shot, a three, and was a +6 in 5:45. Man Man was a +6 in under three minutes of second-quarter run.

Golden State hung around at the line and on the glass. The Warriors went 6-of-8 from the stripe in the quarter as the Suns were whistled for eight fouls.

Booker leads all scorers at the half with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Yaxel Lendeborg paces the Warriors with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and 3-of-5 from deep.

Phoenix led at halftime, 57-54.

Second Half

The second half started with much more energy from Phoenix, opening on a 14-7 push. And just as they pushed it to a 10-point lead, Golden State came fighting right back to tie it up.

Collin Gillespie started to get it going, pouring in 9 points in 3 minutes. After a scoreless first half, he went 3-of-3 with two threes for 9 points in the quarter and was a +8 in his stint.

Phoenix couldn’t miss. The Suns shot 16-of-20 (80%) from the field in the third quarter and 6-of-8 from three. Golden State hung around with their three-point shooting.

Devin Booker played all 12 minutes and didn’t miss a shot: 6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from deep and 3-of-3 at the line for 17 points. He had 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and 7 assists through three quarters.

After three, Phoenix led 102-92.

Luke Kennard did his damage from the corner of the bench. He hit 2-of-3 from three in the fourth for 6 points and finished 4-of-6 from the field.

Golden State won the quarter 30-29 by going back to the glass. The Warriors grabbed five offensive rebounds in the fourth, three by Lendeborg, and finished with a 26-9 edge in second-chance points.

Phoenix looked a bit more comfortable, with the ball zipping around as it should.

Golden State wouldn’t go away, but the Suns held firm control throughout the final 20 minutes of the game. Booker dropped 43, setting a franchise record in a home opener, and the Suns secured their first win of the season. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.

Up Next

The Suns head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder squad that swept them in the playoffs a season ago.