No team in Serie A have collected more points this year, so the Giallorossi remain upbeat in a stacked title battle
Gian Piero Gasperini was a victim of mistaken identity last week, after an Italian news story about a man who allegedly impersonated his dead mother to collect her pension was picked up by media outlets around the world. Roma’s manager has no connection to any of this, yet one Argentinian broadcaster included an old photo of him in their coverage.
The segment for Telefe Noticias showed Gasperini’s face between those of the accused and the deceased. A silly meme, circulated by football fans on social media to imply some (dubious) resemblance, confused as being authentic. The online version of the video was quickly taken down from YouTube, but not before it created a fresh set of headlines back in Italy.
San Jose’s prized 19-year-old responded to Curry’s heartfelt intel in a sit-down with NBC Sports California’s Alan Hoshida.
“Something to take to heart for sure,” Celebrini said. “Something to listen to. I mean, he’s one of the all-time greats.”
Curry extended a long message to Celebrini, the son of Golden State’s beloved director of sports medicine and performance, about the trials and tribulations of being an up-and-coming, local icon with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Bonta Hill on the latest edition of “Dubs Talk.”
“Patience is the hard thing for a young guy coming into a tough situation, where your team hasn’t won in a long time, [and it’s] trying to figure out the right identity, the right combination of guys that could get to that next level, become a playoff team and take the necessary steps,” Curry said.
“But don’t lose your joy though it all, because it’s tough in the beginning when all you want to do is win,” Curry added. “It’s kind of out of your control, but if you can keep getting better through it.”
Celebrini, whom the Sharks selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is the key piece in San Jose’s rebuilding phase. And while the Sharks definitely are one of the NHL’s more fun teams, the franchise still has a way to go before it can bring home the coveted Stanley Cup.
“I think it’s the way he is as a person,” Celebrini said. “You ask anyone how well he treats people. For him being who he is and accomplishing all that he’s done and just being a great person through it all, I think that’s the most important thing.
“And as an athlete, just his work ethic and his drive, even now, when he’s done all you can do in the game of basketball and he wants to just keep winning and keep driving the team.”
When Curry speaks, Celebrini listens, as the NBA sharpshooter knows what it takes to be part of both a rebuilding team and a dynasty.
Curry’s emphasis on maintaining a love for playing also stuck with Celebrini.
“Like anyone, you get frustrated,” Celebrini said. “The game’s not perfect, and you go through hard times and there’s ups and downs. But whenever I’m having fun and enjoying myself, that’s usually when I’m playing my best.”
The Sharks, led by Celebrini, are on a promising trajectory. And Curry, earlier in his 17-year NBA career, was in a similar position, which is why the pair of Bay Area stars greatly respect and admire each other.
Norris passed Mercedes driver near finish of Qatar GP
Red Bull had initially hinted at foul play in title fight
The Mercedes teenage driver Kimi Antonelli has been subjected to death threats after Red Bull suggested he deliberately moved out of Lando Norris’s way in the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris was elevated to fourth after Antonelli ran wide on the penultimate lap of Sunday’s race. Norris gained two points from Antonelli’s mistake which means he now can finish third, rather than runner-up at this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, to be assured of beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the title.
So, it’s only right that Warriors legend Steph Curry — one of the region’s greatest faces in sports history — passes down some nuggets about embracing local greatness to San Jose’s cornerstone.
Curry shared his advice for Celebrini in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Bonta Hill for the latest edition of “Dubs Talk.”
“Patience is the hard thing for a young guy coming into a tough situation, where your team hasn’t won in a long time, [and it’s] trying to figure out the right identity, the right combination of guys that could get to that next level, become a playoff team and take the necessary steps,” Curry told Poole and Hill.
“It’s really hard in the moment, when he works as hard as he does and you approach the game like he does.”
Curry believes the 19-year-old needs to have a big-picture vision, as the Sharks, despite their fun start to the 2025-26 NHL season, still have a way to go before they reach their peak of the Celebrini Era.
The sharpshooter would know.
Curry has won four NBA Finals throughout his 17-year career in the Bay. But at the start, the Warriors weren’t contenders, as it took three seasons for Curry to reach the playoffs for the first time and three more campaigns before Golden State hoisted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Fortunately for Curry, he has had the chance to talk to Macklin, in addition to routinely speaking with his father, Rick, who is the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance.
“I got to talk to [Macklin] a couple times,” Curry said. “I talk to Rick every day; when I’m on the table, I’m like, ‘How’s Mack doing?’ So, I’m getting all that intel. But it’s just hard to keep that tunnel vision on, continue to get better, continue to keep your joy for the game through all the ups and downs of a tough team situation early in your career.
“That’s one thing we both have in common, in the sense of what my first three years looked like with the Warriors. Good comes with good, and if he stays the course … hopefully he’s a lifer in San Jose, and they’re able to figure out the right roster that he can help elevate and get to that next level, and continue to adapt from there.”
It appears that Celebrini and the Sharks will be running the NHL sooner rather than later.
But before then, Curry hopes Celebrini understands that consistent winning will come with time — even if that’s a hard pill to swallow.
“But don’t lose your joy though it all, because it’s tough in the beginning when all you want to do is win,” Curry said. “It’s kind of out of your control, but if you can keep getting better through it …”
The Sharks believe Sam Dickinson can handle the rigors of the NHL. That’s why the 2024 No. 11 pick still is on the roster.
So what do they like about Dickinson in the NHL now? And how can the teenage blueliner get better and better this year?
The Sharks had the option, about a month ago, of sending the 19-year-old back to his junior club, which would have been advantageous for them, contractually. The beginning of Dickinson’s three-year entry-level contract would “slide” to next season, meaning Year 1 of three would not kick off until 2026-27. That, consequently, would keep the top defensive prospect at a bargain ELC rate for longer.
Instead, the Sharks started the clock on Dickinson’s contract this season.
Physically, there’s already a lot to like about Dickinson. He’s 6-foot-4, NHL-strong, skilled, and can skate like the wind.
Per Stathletes, he’s actually a top-20 defenseman in the league in these four key 5-on-5 per 60 rate stats, as of Nov. 30: High-danger chances, inner slot carries, offensive turnovers created, and puck recoveries.
Dickinson is fifth in high-danger chances and fourth in 5-on-5 inner slot carries, speaking to how confident that he is with his skating and skill to carry the puck into the best scoring areas.
Top defensemen Matthew Schaefer, Cale Makar, and Dougie Hamilton are among the leaders in these categories.
Here’s an example:
Smith (2) intercepts the pass, Celebrini (71) off to the races, Dickinson (6) joins the rush (11.26.25) pic.twitter.com/WhsGZi3XZJ
Will Smith (2) picks off the Sam Malinski (70) pass. Dickinson (6) recognizes that this is the time to attack, and simply beats Joel Kiviranta (94) up the ice. Macklin Celebrini (71) sees Dickinson, and draws Malinski to him, before laying a perfect backhand pass for Dickinson to skate into.
Dickinson has just a goal and an assist in 19 NHL games, but the production is coming.
He’s 16th in OZ turnovers created, in part because his size and quickness make him effective pinching along the wall, preventing his opposition from exiting the zone.
Zach Werenski, Lane Hutson, and Rasmus Dahlin are among the leaders in this category.
He’s 16th in puck recoveries, a tribute to his skating and instincts, to know where the puck is going and get to it first.
Mackenzie Weegar, Jake Sanderson, and Shea Theodore are among the leaders in this category.
But perhaps more important than his physical attributes coming to the forefront in the best league in the world?
“He definitely gets rattled around a little bit, and it doesn’t seem like it bothers him, which is a real positive for a young man,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said, after the Sharks’ decision to keep Dickinson.
To be a rookie defenseman in the NHL, you’ve got to be mentally tough. Your fault or not, it’s often the back of your jersey that fans see when a goal is allowed. It can be overwhelming for some youngsters.
Dickinson, to his credit, has bounced back from his worst games and plays this season.
Case in point, in October against the New York Islanders, when his turnover led to a Casey Cizikas goal:
Two shifts later though, an aggressive Dickinson read, which showcased his size and athleticism, led to an Adam Gaudette goal:
Air Dickinson!
Great keep in, Misa gets his first NHL point with a primary apple dunked home by Gaudette. 🍏🚨 Graf is having a hell of a game. #SJSharkspic.twitter.com/7L1CyrKeA7
But Dickinson, for all his prodigious talents, still has plenty to learn, especially on the defensive side of the puck.
There’s a reason why the Sharks have limited his ice time, 14:30 a night, which is last among San Jose blueliners.
Two things stand out to Warsofsky right now.
“Starting the game on time is important. I think he sometimes feels his way through the game, which I understand as a young 19-year-old defenseman,” Warsofsky said.
“It’s tough. You get a lot coming at you right away. There’s the energy in the building. It’s loud. There’s a lot of things that go on mentally to get ready for the game,” he noted. “Your routine and everything, the schedule, the travel, where we’re at, did we skate? Did we not skate? So getting your body to feel right and mentally to feel right.”
Ex-AHL assistant coach Jack Han added, “As a big-minutes player in juniors, it’s understandable that someone like Dickinson would ease into a game at maybe 60-70 percent intensity and then ramp up as he gets warmed up and into the flow of things. However, at the NHL level, as a rookie, on a team that’s not very good at carrying play, he needs to hit the ground running.”
“I’ve been getting better [at] first shift, just being right on the gas, just trying to get into the game right away, not take time to get into it, or anything like that,” Dickinson said. “So whether that’s changing things up pre-game, I’ve definitely tried things and I think [I’m going in the] right.”
The second observation from Warsofsky?
“Reading rushes at this level happens in a millisecond and being able to meet the right read with the right habit of where your stick should be,” he said, “where your body position should be, and then [being] ready to make the next play in a blink of an eye, which happens really fast, and getting more comfortable doing that.”
Han found an example that addresses both of Warsofsky’s criticisms, from Dickinson’s second shift of the game on Nov. 13 at the Calgary Flames.
“He overcommits to his partner’s side of the ice and gives up a shot off the rush,” Han noted. “Shortly thereafter, he makes a somewhat careless pass on a back wall retrieval that almost leads to a Calgary scoring chance.”
“Those are the two big areas that we kind of narrowed in on,” Warsofsky said. “The offensive stuff and the stuff he can do on the blueline and join the rush, he has that, we’re not worried about that.”
Dickinson (6) shakes forecheckers Landeskog (92) and Kelly (17), breaks out Sharks pic.twitter.com/NGmViO1AMI
According to Stathletes, Dickinson is NHL-worst among all blueliners in neutral zone giveaways at 5-on-5 per 60, and ninth-worst in DZ giveaways.
On a better team, Dickinson, frankly, probably isn’t ready for full-time NHL duty. He’s been a bundle of highs and lows, still working on becoming that reliable two-way blueliner that playoff-caliber teams depend on.
That’s not a shot at the 19-year-old: Teen defensemen who are ready to play regular minutes on a contender are few and far between.
That said, the Sharks didn’t necessarily keep Dickinson in the NHL for the player that he is now: They’re keeping him for the player that he will be by the end of this season, and in the coming years.
The NHL is a better place for Dickinson to develop than the OHL, and the Sharks believe he has the mental toughness to handle the best league in the world.
“Can we make this guy a guy we play 25, 26 minutes a night?” Warsofsky said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
As Barney Ronay has noted, Arsenal are facing a weekly renewal of the Game You Just Have to Win If You Want to Be Champions. Did this represent a Game You Just Have to Win Because Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo Was Sent Off? Yes and no. The hosts will naturally be more pleased with a point in the context of the first-half red card, while Arsenal perhaps looked a little jaded and below their best overall. But Enzo Maresca’s side were excellent throughout, despite having to play so much of the match with 10 men, and they deserved something from it. Compared with some Chelsea v Arsenal encounters from the olden days (when more overtly physical iterations of the Blues traditionally used to crush the fragile Gunners) there were no signs of weakness, mental or otherwise, from Arteta’s Premier League leaders in a fierce and physical derby. They will experience few harder tests than this, and a point was fair. Luke McLaughlin
The Atlanta Hawks are fifth in the Eastern Conference after their 13th win of the season [Getty Images]
Jalen Johnson scored a career-high 41 points as the Atlanta Hawks clinched a dramatic 142-134 double-overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The teams were tied at 115-115 at the end of the fourth quarter and 126-126 following the first five-minute period of overtime.
But, after Tyrese Maxey's driving lay-up brought the 76ers level at 132-132, Johnson responded with a pair of three-pointers to help Atlanta move clear.
Maxey led with 44 points for the 76ers, who welcomed back key man Joel Embiid from knee soreness following a nine-game absence.
Embiid scored 18 points in 30 minutes on his return to action.
Elsewhere, LeBron James missed the Los Angeles Lakers' 133-121 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in order to rest a lingering problem with his left foot.
"It is an injury he's had in the past," Lakers coach JJ Redick told ESPN.
"It's something we've had to manage in the past. [We're] just being cautious."
Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 34 points in the first quarter to help the Lakers on their way to a seventh straight victory, with Austin Reaves adding 33 points.
Defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder extended their winning streak to 12 matches with victory at the Portland Trail Blazers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points in a 123-115 win for the Western Conference leaders, who have won 20 of their 21 games this season.
Steph Curry still has an awkward relationship with his stardom.
Even as an 11-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA member, two-time scoring champ, four-time NBA champion, and two-time league MVP, the Warriors superstar still struggles to wrap his head around the fame.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Bonta Hill on “Dubs Talk,” Curry explained why he hasn’t allowed himself to settle into the fame just yet.
“It’s kind of interesting from my perspective because, and this sounds cheesy as hell, but it’s still surreal,” Curry said. “It doesn’t necessarily make sense what this journey has been like. And to your point, I can go back to different moments where you knew you were crossing a different threshold, but you didn’t really give yourself enough time to really settle into whatever was happening, because that just raised the expectations of like now what’re you going to do? From a fan perspective, fans showed up at road arenas, or wearing your All-Star jersey. Just the idea that we were raising the profile of the franchise in terms of individual success on top of team success.
“It’s kind of like a blur to me when I think about it. But when you brought up the question, I could vividly go back to that moment for sure. And I can go back to coming back to the hotel after the 54-piece at MSG. The TV was on SportsCenter and I got wrapped up in the vortex of watching the 60-minute loop, and it came back on and they were still talking about it. And we had lost that game. All those moments, you get a little taste of it. Like, alright, now what’re you going to do next? So for any competitor, it’s kind of hard to, until you’re really done, it’s hard to reminisce if you will because you’re never really comfortable in the success.”
But just because Curry hasn’t quite accepted the fame 100 percent, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t adjusted to how his life has looked for more than the last decade compared to how it was before.
Hill asked Curry when the last time was that he was able to go out to the grocery store or a local coffee shop without being noticed.
“That part’s a little different,” Curry said. “I remember telling the story of me and my wife going to eat in Walnut Creek. I can’t remember the restaurant but I got carded trying to get a beer. That’s one of the times I remember being incognito, if you will, and just going under the radar; nobody knew who I was. The ID part is just funny because I looked like I was 18 at the time, generously.
“It’s a different life now. Obviously, you’re blessed with everything you’ve been given, the platform, the notoriety, because so much good has come out in terms of things you want to do on and off the court. It is different, for sure. But I grew up in the league watching my dad in Charlotte, so I kind of knew what stardom and, I hate using the word, fame, is. But you never let it change who you are, but you got to appreciate the appreciation of others.”
The appreciation certainly is a two-way street for Curry and Dub Nation.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) controls the ball in front of New Orleans guard Jose Alvarado during the first half of the Lakers' win Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Harry How / Getty Images)
That proved to be the case yet again Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers rolled over the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans 133-121 with James out managing a left foot injury.
The Lakers (15-4) won their seventh straight game behind Doncic’s 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and Reaves’ 33 points and eight assists.
The Lakers have a game Monday against the visiting Phoenix Suns, but it's unclear if James will play.
James missed the first 14 games of this season with sciatica and has played in just four games. Left foot injury management also kept him out of some games last season.
"It's something we've had to manage,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Given the back-to-back and the fact that he's basically just coming off his training camp — this has been his training camp over the last 10 days or so — [we're] just being cautious."
With James in his 23rd NBA campaign at age 40, it remains to be seen how many back-to-back games he will play this season. The Lakers have 10 sets left after Monday.
"No, we're going to build him up, hopefully, to be able to play in back-to-backs,” Redick said. “That's the goal. But you are correct. Every back-to-back is a case-by-case. That's just the reality of the NBA right now. But we want him to be able to play in back-to-backs. So does he. So, we're going to work toward that.”
The 15-4 Lakers have 63 regular-season games left, meaning that James can miss only two more if he wants to reach the NBA minimum of 65 games that players need to appear in to earn postseason awards. James has made a league-record 21 straight All-NBA teams.
Redick said individual postseason awards have “never come up as something that’s important" in his discussions with James.
“I want all my guys to get whatever award they deserve,” Redick said. “Of course, I want, you know, Austin, Luka, LeBron, like whoever, I want them to get awards. That's great for them, but ... the list of things that you have to worry about and think about as a player and coach, it's so far down the list.”
The Lakers scored 77 points in the first half against New Orleans, tying the most points they have scored in any half this season, and they scored 46 points in the first quarter, the most they have scored in any frame this season.
It figured to be an easy night for the Lakers, who also got 22 points and 12 rebounds from Deandre Ayton, with the Pelicans (3-18) missing starters and key role players, including Zion Williamson, who was managing a left hamstring injury.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed his second straight game with back spasms.
