MONTREAL, QUEBEC - DECEMBER 20: Jacob Fowler #32 of the Montréal Canadiens makes a save against Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period of a game at Bell Centre on December 20, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Reuben Polansky-Shapiro/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (5-6-2, 12 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division) @ Montreal Canadiens (8-3-2, 18 points, 2nd place Atlantic Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Broadcast in Canada on SNE, SN1 and TVAS and locally on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back home next week for a Tuesday matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights and Thursday game against the Boston Bruins. The Pens then hit the road for a West Coast swing that starts next weekend with a back-to-back in Los Angeles and Anaheim.
Opponent Track: The Canadiens are riding a four-game win streak into Saturday despite losing captain Nick Suzuki to injury ahead of their recent road trip. The Habs have outscored opponents 13-4 over that away stretch, which was capped off Thursday by a 5-2 win at the Dallas Stars.
Season Series: The Penguins started out the season series earlier this month by blowing a four-goal lead before Tommy Novak scored in overtime to salvage a 6-5 win in Montreal. These two teams will meet for a final time this season Jan. 9 in Pittsburgh.
Hidden Stat: The Canadiens are on the longest win streak in the NHL thanks to their 4-0-0 run through their recent road trip.
Getting to know the Canadiens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Cole Caufield – Alex Newhook – Juraj Slafkovsky
Chris Kreider – Oliver Kapanen – Josh Anderson
Zack Bolduc – Phillip Danault – Alexandre Texier
Florian Xhekaj – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
DEFENSEMEN
Lane Hutson / Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle / Alexandre Carrier
Arber Xhekaj / Adam Engstrom
Goalies: Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler
Potential scratches: Mike Matheson (day to day)
Injured Reserve: Ivan Demidov, Sam Montembeault, Nick Suzuki
The Canadiens announced last week Suzuki would miss two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. Star winger Ivan Demidov is toward the latter end of his own two-to-four week injury timeline, while former Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson missed the Habs’ last game with a lower-body injury.
Jakub Dobes was the star of the Canadiens’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals last spring, but he struggled to start the season before bouncing back in Thursday’s win in Dallas. It’s been Jacob Fowler who has stepped up most for the Canadiens, and given that Dobes started against the Stars it could be Fowler back in net against the Pens.
Alex Newhook, who has replaced Suzuki as the Habs’ first-line center in the short term, is coming off his most productive game of the season following a two-goal outing in Dallas.
Cole Caufield is another player who’s stepped up amid the Canadiens’ current injury absences. The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn reported Caufield has gone from a 22.6 percent contested lose puck recovery rate, a number at which he’s spent most of his career, to ranking fifth in the NHL by recovering 44 percent of his contested loose puck battles so far.
One thing the Canadiens haven’t been able to figure out with Suzuki and Demidov is their power play, which has sunk to 31st in the league after converting on just 10.3 percent of opportunities so far this season. The Penguins will hope to take advantage of that as one of five teams with multiple shorthanded goals so far this season.
Habs keep leads, Pens blow them
The Penguins could learn something from how the Canadiens reacted to failing to close out games earlier this season.
The Habs were struggling with blown leads early this fall, most recently in an Oct. 20 loss during which the Canadiens gave up a two-goal third-period advantage in an overtime defeat by the San Jose Sharks.
The Canadiens responded by claiming four straight regulation wins and successfully weathering multiple late comeback attempts on their recent road trip.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Evgeni Malkin
Andrei Kuzmenko – Hendrix Lapierre – Ville Koivunen
The Penguins stuck with their same lines in Friday’s practice following Thursday’s late-game collapse against the Mammoth.
Erik Karlsson (949 career points) is one point away from tying Brent Burns for a spot on the NHL’s list top-10 list of most productive defensemen.
Sidney Crosby (1,111 career assists) is one assist away from passing the Boston Bruins’ Ray Bourque for the most helpers with a single team in NHL history.
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 30: Miles Bridges #22 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Basketball. Finally, we got some basketball on Friday night, and although the Suns walked away with a loss and their NBA Cup hopes are ultimately dashed (oh man!), we can appreciate some functional team progress and a little fight down the stretch.
This wasn’t a game I entered expecting Phoenix to win, despite Denver experiencing its fair share of bumps in the road to begin the season. You could see it on the court, too. This is a Nuggets team that looks a little older, with some wear and tear beginning to show. Ultimately, it turned into a variance game for Denver, as Jamal Murray and Christian Braun went 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.
For the first time this season, it felt like the Suns were functioning and flowing on both ends of the floor. No, it was far from perfect basketball. You don’t surrender 127 points playing perfect basketball. But what we’re looking for early in the season are signs of progress and connectivity, and we finally started to see aspects of both on Friday night.
I’ll get into what I saw in greater depth in another article, as I don’t want to sway any votes in the Bright Side Baller based on how I absorbed the game and my personal observations. But it was nice to experience a night in which the Suns showed some fight, some functionality, and a little intestinal fortitude, even if it ultimately came in a loss.
Bright Side Baller Standings
With all of the talk about point guards and lineups, Jalen Green is the guy who currently leads the BSB standings after his efficient 20-point performance against OKC back on Monday. He beat out Mariah by 10 votes!
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 4 against the Nuggets. Here are your nominees:
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 28: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 28, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves with a 3-2 record through the first five games of the NBA season, including wins over Eastern Conference playoff teams in the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors, while suffering an overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and falling short against the Golden State Warriors in their last contest due to a 44-point outburst from Stephen Curry. The Timberwolves are featuring a different look with a new roster featuring LaMelo Ball at point guard after shipping out Julius Randle in the off-season. With the early returns of the new roster still uncertain, the big question is: “Who are the Minnesota Timberwolves?”
It’s been a battle-tested season for the Wolves early. Facing the new-look Heat with Giannis Antetokounmpo to open the season was a performance for the ages, filled with optimism to see how Ball would impact an already dynamic offense. The Wolves did not disappoint as superstar guard Anthony Edwards dropped in a whopping 45 points on 55.2 percent shooting from the floor and a scorching 52.9 percent from beyond the arc on 17 attempts. He complemented that with 10 rebounds and two steals with the team’s second-best plus-minus at +25.
LaMelo Ball helped play spoiler against the Heat as well in his 28 minutes, pouring in an efficient 21 points while hitting five of his 13 attempts from deep alongside six assists to take down the Heat 131-106.
The next two games followed a similar path as the Wolves dominated the Magic on the road in Orlando, defeating them by 22 points, and then crushed the Raptors at home in Minneapolis (albeit without Kawhi) by 23 and handcuffed Scottie Barnes to an abysmal 0-12 shooting night.
They followed those performances with a disappointing overtime loss to the Cavs, largely in part due to a lackluster performance from Rudy Gobert, and a loss to the Golden State Warriors due to a slow start and Curry doing Curry things and Edwards being out due to a lingering right knee injury. The Timberwolves have shown they are capable of high-level offensive outbursts and stifling defensive performances. How have they gotten there?
According to NBA.com, the Wolves have the fourth-best offense in the league on a points-per-game basis, averaging 120.4 over the five contests. This places them behind the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Houston Rockets, who are first, second, and third in the league, respectively. They are also posting an offensive rating of 114.8 for the eighth-best mark in the league while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from distance.
A large reason for this top-10 offense has been the dominance from Anthony Edwards, notching 33 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting overall and 40 percent from three on 11.3 attempts per game. TJ Shannon Jr. has also been a positive mark this season as he’s gotten a longer leash, averaging 14.2 points per game on 40 percent from deep, while other staples such as Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels have continued to play well and keep building on impressive playoff runs from last season. Newcomer Jonathan Kuminga has also been a bright spot, shooting a blistering 47.6 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game. They’re all doing this collectively without marksman Donte DiVincenzo as he continues to rehab an Achilles tear he suffered against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last year.
The defense, which is anchored by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, is second best in the NBA according to defensive rating, posting a 102.5 mark, right behind the Raptors with a league-best 97.9. This puts together an impressive 12.4 net rating, which is the fourth-best mark in the league. They’re also limiting opponents to 45.3 percent overall and 33.6 percent from three-point range, which positions them in the upper half of the league.
Putting it all together, both through the eye test and the objective numbers, everyone should know who the Timberwolves are: a team that can dominate on both ends of the floor while maintaining both a very high floor and a championship-level ceiling, all while figuring out another roster that was shuffled yet again.
In a small sample size, the Wolves have shown they have what it takes. However, they will need to continue to tread water in a loaded Western Conference as Edwards will be out for at least the next two months after it was announced he underwent a successful right knee arthroscopic surgery to clear out some debris. It will be an interesting stretch without Ant for an extended period of time, and the Wolves will need to cement their identity and playstyle a lot quicker than imagined.
We know who the Wolves are through the first five games, but who will they be without Ant for now, and will they have the same dominance that’s been displayed when he returns?
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 16: Taylor Jenkins the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks gives instructions to Ryan Rollins #13 against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 16, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Roughly two weeks into the NBA season, Milwaukee Bucks fans are liking what they’re seeing, despite the team’s losing record. In fact, fans are more than just happy.
Jenkins jubilation
Overall, 72% of fans are full of praise for Jenkins, citing his boldness, his ability to assign roles, and his ad-lib cooking (that is, his ability to make the best out of what he’s got) as key qualities:
Punitive concerns
Despite the overall positivity, not all Bucks fans are smelling the roses, with 21% only somewhat happy with Jenkins’ rotations, 6% not happy, and 1% thinking they stink. Within these subsections, a prominent concern lingers regarding a certain Gary Trent Jr. and how not playing him might look to Adam Silver and the powers that be amidst the ongoing cap circumvention probe:
Showcasing “talent”
Finally, some sections of the fanbase feel Jenkins must be showcasing Myles Turner. After all, his play hasn’t warranted the starting gig—or all those “empty-calorie” minutes that have come with it:
Yes, after saying and doing all the right things off the court during the offseason, Turner has been bad on it to start the season—and not in the 1987 top-of-the-charts kind of way. For more on that, be sure to catch this week’s Winners & Sinners, coming soon.
With rotation contentment high but wins low, the question thus begs: how long can this relationship coexist? That is, how long will it be until the losing takes its toll? Here’s hoping that becomes a moot point.
Oh, there’s no news today about Daniel Palencia. But he IS a relief pitcher.
And so am I, in a sense. Today, I’m filling in on Cub Tracks for Jeff Brown, who’s away on vacation. Josh, Ashley and I will be taking care of Cub Tracks until Jeff returns on Nov. 12.
I picked Palencia because I felt that at the very end of the 2026 season, he had finally gotten back to the form he showed in 2025, before missing much of this year with injuries. A healthy and productive Palencia could be an anchor for an improved Cubs bullpen in 2027. Palencia turns 27 in February. He should be entering his best seasons. Fingers crossed.
As we head into the offseason, for now the news bin is somewhat empty. But here’s what we’ve got to begin your Saturday.
Roster notes:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd opt for free agency: “As for what the Cubs do with their suddenly barren rotation, well, that’s pretty much 90% of the question for the offseason. Bringing back either Holmes or Boyd is a plausible part of the answer, though even if the Cubs brought back both, they’d need another starter to join them.“
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Here’s what the Cubs are looking for in free agency. Jed Hoyer states the obvious: “From a Major League standpoint, their pitching has been exceptionally good,” Hoyer said at his season-ending press conference. “I think that’s the area that we have to double down and really focus on. Obviously, the position-playing group this year was exceptional, and I think [pitching] is the biggest area that we have to focus on.”
Other news:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Cubs retain John Mallee on the coaching staff. The Mets apparently had interest in Mallee, but “the Cubs were so keen to make sure they kept Mallee that they proactively went to him to rework his contract BEFORE he even spoke with the Mets.“
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Turns Out the Cubs Reportedly ARE the Mystery NL Central Team in on Taiwanese Righty Jyun-Yue Tseng: “In addition to trying to coax out some results (obviously), it would also be very cool to bring in an established star from Taiwan to see about building out a pipeline to the burgeoning talent there. Get Tseng in the system, work with him in Spring Training (even if there’s a lockout, minor league Spring Training will continue as normal), and perhaps see what he can do at Triple-A first.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): The Cubs have a big assignment if they want to catch up with the Brewers: “The Brewers are absolutely never stagnant. That’s the greatest lesson the Cubs can learn from their chief rivals, as they attempt to recover from a decade-long stretch of domination by Milwaukee that culminated in a championship Wednesday. Jed Hoyer’s greatest shortcoming as a team builder is an insufficient comfort with rapid change. His Milwaukee counterpart, Matt Arnold, never forgets to keep his roster moving.”
io9: Tributes pour in for the late Patrick Stewart, who passed away this week at age 86. The Shakespearean-trained actor’s greatest role was as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: Next Generation. One tribute is from actor Hugh Jackman: “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”
Lisandro Martínez was sent off as Manchester United lost again to keep Michael Carrick’s future uncertain
3 min: A rare old atmosphere at the Bridge. Saturday lunchtime pints! You see? We have photographic proof.
2 min: A fairly hectic and shapeless start. “The ghosts of managerial past are truly haunting this fixture,” writes Michael Coppejans. “Will there be an exorcism or just a sad departing at the end of this one? Chances are neither as I see in my crystal ball a draw. Let’s hope it as at least exciting for your MBM. Happy Halloween or Samhain if that is your preference!”
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 30: Isaac Okoro #35 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics’ defense is off to a very strong start this season, and they’re finding success from an unfamiliar place.
Against the Bulls, Boston forced 16 turnovers, 10 of which came directly from steals. They currently rank third in both opponent turnovers and deflections per game.
This is something that has hardly been in the team’s DNA in previous seasons. Last year, even with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league, they forced the second-fewest turnovers.
The bulk of their defensive identity revolved around dictating who shot and where the looks came from. It’s a fine strategy, but it has limits. It’s more predictable, and offenses can adjust to a defense that sits back in ways they can’t against a frenetic one.
Against Chicago, they were swarming, scrambling and recovering. Moving on a string, they looked like one connected entity. Six different players registered a steal, with Payton Pritchard, Derrick White and Paul George each recording multiple.
The biggest crowd pop of the night came after back-to-back interceptions turned into scores.
Aggressive nail help has been among the most noticeable playstyle shifts driving this. White, George, and Jayson Tatum were eating up space to lock down driving lanes. They made the Bulls uncomfortable getting downhill, and they weren’t successful capitalizing when the Celtics were in rotation.
The Bulls felt the squeeze from the start. When asked about Josh Giddey’s slow start, Tiago Splitter pointed right at Boston’s pressure.
“They do this trap when you go by the half court and they trap you,” Splitter said. “You just got to be ready. We talked about it before the game.”
Caleb Wilson was a bit more blunt about the first quarter. “I feel like we laid down,” he said. “I don’t know what else to say.”
It’s hard to argue against that. Boston had them in a 19-point hole heading into the second quarter. It was fueled by a deflection or steal on what felt like every other possession.
Pritchard helped set that tone. He came into the night unhappy with his defense through four games, and Joe Mazzulla had challenged him on it.
“I’ve been through some struggles early on this season, and honestly the defensive effort and rebounding has been poor,” Pritchard said. When asked what he had gotten away from, he said it was “being active and being back to being a pest, and creating opportunities for steals and ball pressure.”
He got back to it Friday. Neemias Queta noted that Pritchard “gets up full court defensively,” and Mazzulla said the Bulls game showed “the absolute best version of him.”
Boston has compiled a group of rangy athletes who can cover more ground and shrink the floor as a result. George is a big part of that. Mazzulla listed “his ball pressure, his activity, his deflections” among what George has brought, and Pritchard said George’s defense surprised him.
“I didn’t know how good it was until I’ve seen it up close,” Pritchard said. “He gets his hands on a lot of balls, is in passing lanes, and he wins at the margins.”
George’s ability to zone up between multiple players on the perimeter is giving Boston more variety in the types of coverages they can deploy. He’s helping them become a more versatile and forceful defensive team. One that causes offenses to adjust, settle, or break.
Mazzulla doesn’t view turnovers as something the defense can just take, considering them more as the result of executing the game plan.
“I think forcing a turnover is the same as making a shot,” Mazzulla said. “You can put yourself in a position to force one, but you can’t force the team into doing it if they handle it properly. So we just have to continue to impose our will, executing our defensive scheme, ball pressure.”
That’s also where Friday’s small warning sign came from. Boston forced just three turnovers in the second half, and Chicago chipped away at a big lead. The Bulls fired 53 threes and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.
“We only forced three turnovers in the second half,” Mazzulla said. “So we’ve got to maintain that ball pressure.”
He also didn’t hide from the rebounding trouble. “We can’t give up 20 offensive rebounds,” he said.
Those two things are connected. With the way they’re pressuring the ball and often getting themselves in rotation, they can be susceptible to rebounding breakdowns if they’re not boxing out. That’s a cost worth paying when it’s producing turnovers. In the second half, Boston was still scrambling but no longer getting rewarded for it.
That’s the trade-off worth watching. The pressure has to be maintained. When it is, Boston can bury a team the way it did in the first quarter.
Five games in, the Celtics have found a new way to win on defense. Continuing to impose their will, as Mazzulla described it, will allow them to really dictate the terms of their matchups. The early signs are very promising.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 23: Cooper Flagg #32 & Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 23, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) put on a great show and got a 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets (5-1) on Friday night. The victory is the second time in as many games that the Mavericks handed a previously undefeated team their first loss of the season. Led by Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs demonstrated a degree of fun that was difficult to come by last season. This team is proving to be a fun, competitive bunch that is buying into Dusty May’s system and playing for each other.
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: A+
35 PTS / 4 REB / 9 AST / 35 MIN
Irving, in only his fourth played game back from a lengthy injury, looked utterly elite. He drained 12-of-19 shots, including a smoking 5-of-8 from downtown. He led all players in assists (no one on either team closer than three assists of his total) and drained two free throws to ice the game. This is easily his best game since returning and it was coupled with an amazing performance from Cooper Flagg. Those two playing at this level is a scary proposition for the rest of the league.
Max Christie: D
2 PTS / 1 REB / 2 STL / 18 MIN
Irving and Flagg didn’t leave a lot on the table and Christie didn’t get an abundance of minutes, but there was almost nothing positive about his game Friday night. He was the only starter with a negative plus/minus and only hit 1-of-4 shots, missing both of his three-point attempts.
Cooper Flagg: A+
33 PTS / 9 REB / 6 AST / 2 STL / 1 BLK / 39 MIN
Let’s get the negatives out of the way first: Flagg had three turnovers and three fouls. Done. He shot 13-of-19 despite missing all four of his three-point attempts, hit 7-of-10 from the charity stripe and simply could not be denied all night. Particularly in the closing moments, Flagg showed he is a player well beyond his years. He put Dallas up three points after connecting on a free throw earned from an away from the ball foul, setting Irving up to hit two free throws of his own on the next possession to ice the game.
P.J. Washington: B-
3 PTS / 10 REB / 1 AST / 34 MIN
Washington is looking every bit the player he was when he was first traded to Dallas. That means he sometimes has a bad shooting night (1-of-8), yet rather than being a total negative, he remained locked in in other ways. He led the Mavs’ in rebounds as the only player with a double-digit total and affected the game in enough ways that don’t show up in the numbers, that Dusty May gave him a lot of playing time. This wasn’t Washington at his best, but this was him engaged in a way that we didn’t always consistently see last season.
Daniel Gafford: A+
18 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 2 BLK / 29 MIN
Gafford was close to top marks purely from his box score and his 6-of-7 shooting. If there was any doubt, he put it to rest in the final minutes of the game. After contesting a shot and landing on Kevin Durant’s foot and twisting his ankle, Gafford hobbled off the court and into the back. Minutes later, he was impossibly back on the court. Minutes after that, he calmly drilled two free throws to extend the Mavs’ lead to three points. Gafford may have been the last guy on the court Dallas wanted shooting those clutch free throws, but he was the one we got and he delivered in a big way.
Zaccharie Risacher: B+
12 PTS / 6 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK / 28 MIN
Risacher showed that his hot shooting from last game wasn’t a fluke, connecting on 4-of-9 shots overall. Better still, he hit 3-of-6 from deep. His newfound offense is not coming at the expense of his defensive effort. The “Cyborg” displayed his endless motor yet again, and his long reach netted him a team-high three steals.
Caleb Martin: Gold Star
8 PTS / 25 MIN
We’re giving Martin an honorable mention for Friday night’s performance. He did nothing but score and foul (five) according to the box score, but his 3-of-5 shooting (2-of-3 from beyond the arc) kept the offense flowing when he was in the game. This also gives us the opportunity to recognize how much better he is than last season. Whether that is due to health, Dusty May’s influence, or a combination of both, Martin is proving to be serviceable in a way he wasn’t in recent history, and it’s a welcome sight (and helpful addition) to what the Mavs are trying to accomplish.
Final Thoughts
Flagg and Irving were an insane duo. Combined, they shot 25-of-38 and score 68 points. They also combined for 13 rebounds and 15 assists. It was an unbelievable display – two players dominating within the flow of the game while still getting teammates involved. Gafford was so locked in that he returned to the court mere moments after being helped off it due to an ankle injury, then knocked down two absolutely clutch free throws. This is a fun team that is playing for each other and buying into a selfless team-first approach.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 30: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate during the 2026 World Series Milwaukee Brewers Victory Parade on October 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Montreal Canadiens will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time this season, and this time, they’ll hope to do it right. In the second game of the season, the Habs dug themselves into a 5-1 hole before mounting an impressive comeback, only to lose in overtime. The goal came on an odd-man rush sparked by a bad line change.
While the Canadiens are on a four-game winning streak, the Penguins are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games and are currently 14th in the Eastern Conference. Still, the Pens have won eight out of the last 10 games between the two teams, including the last two duels.
At the time of writing, it is unclear who will be in net for the Canadiens. Will Jakub Dobes get a chance to avenge his early-October loss, or will Jacob Fowler be back after a night off in Dallas? Dobes played very well on Thursday, but Fowler feels like he's earned the right to be in net Saturday night; he’s still hot and only sat to let the Czech netminder get some action. Fowler is 2-0-0 against the Pens with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Meanwhile, Dobes has a 0-0-2 against the visitors with a 4.35 GAA and an .852 SV.
As for the Penguins, Arturs Silovs has a 2-0-0 record against the Habs with a 3.79 GAA and a .840 SV, hardly impressive numbers, but he still won his two games. It’s a different story for Sergei Murashov; the 22-year-old has only nine NHL games to his name and has never faced the Canadiens.
Chris Kreider is the Canadiens’ highest scorer against Dan Muse’s men; he has put up 40 points against them in 48 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is a distant second with 17 points in 19 duels, but he’s still out of the lineup. Alternate captain Josh Anderson is next with 12 points in 30 tilts. It remains to be seen whether Mike Matheson (11 points in 23 games against the visitors) will be back in the lineup after missing Thursday night’s game with a mysterious lower-body injury; chances are he won’t, since he needed further evaluation. There are still no words on Samuel Montembeault and Ivan Demidov. The former should be back by now, according to the initial timeframe, while the latter should be nearing a return.
Unsurprisingly, Crosby is the Pens’ most productive player against the Habs with 73 points in 56 games, followed by Evgeny Malkin, who’s on 67 points in 53 games. Erik Karlsson comes in third with 46 points in 56 games, just ahead of Kris Letang, who has 43 points in 51 games. The Pens are still without Bryan Rusk, Elmer Soderblom, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, who are all injured.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on TVA Sports in French and Sportsnet in English. Kendrick Nicholson and Pierre Lambert will ref the game, while Andrew Smith and Jeremy Faucher will be the linesmen. If you are heading to the Bell Centre, don't forget to dress up; that's the only way to enjoy Halloween in the Mecca of hockey.
The Chicago Blackhawks (4-9-0) are in a bad way. They are 0-5-0 on the road, and they face another tough test against the Boston Bruins (9-4-1) at TD Garden. This will be the second of two straight road games before they return home for a game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Right now, the Blackhawks face multiple issues. For one, they can’t score goals. They are dead last in the league with 27. Connor McDavid has more assists than the Blackhawks have goals. Under no circumstances should that stat ever be true, but it is.
Chicago also struggles defensively. They have allowed 48 goals this season, which gives them a -21 goal differential. When they don’t have the puck, they spend significant portions of the time hemmed in their own defensive zone. They mostly find it very hard to gain possession back, and when they do, it can be a major struggle to break out.
Sometimes things are better when they are against a lesser opponent, but the Bruins are one of those top teams capable of making things very difficult. Their forecheck is as relentless as anyone that the Blackhawks have played so far.
Scouting Boston
The Boston Bruins had mixed expectations coming into 2026-27. Some thought they could build on their rebound season a year ago, and some predicted regression. Well, those who were on the side of the Bruins having a good year are off to a good start. The Bruins roll 4 lines that all contribute and matter to the overall attack. However, they also have a superstar scorer to be that “game breaker,” in David Pastrnak.
Peterka-Zacha-Pastrnak
Khusnutdinov-Minten-Geekie
Mittelstadt-Lindholm-Hagens
Jeannot-Poitras-Kastelic
Lindholm-McAvoy
Zadorov-Borgen
Lohrei-Clifton
Swayman
DiPietro
The Bruins have a few other good, established forwards in JJ Peterka, Pavel Zacha, and Morgan Geekie, among others, but they also have their fair share of young players who have hit the ground running. Examples include Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, James Hagens, and Matthew Poitras.
On defense, Charlie McAvoy is their Olympic-caliber number one who contributes to their success at even strength and on special teams. Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov lead the depth from there. When they’re at their best, it’s a goalie-friendly team, so both Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro are in a good situation.
In the case of Swayman, however, we are talking about a Vezina-caliber superstar. He can steal games if the Bruins have a weaker day. For the Blackhawks, who have a hard time scoring as is, beating either netminder would be a tremendous challenge.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL, but they also allow goals at a high clip. Is it the lineups or is it the systems? One way or another, we will find out this season.
On offense, everything they do goes through Connor Bedard. He is their best player, and he brings a high level of play regardless of what his teammates are doing. It won’t be until some of his peers start to break out that their overall attack is good enough to win.
Kantserov-Bedard-Teräväinen
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Donato
Moore-Nazar-Kane
Smith-Greene-Greenway
Vlasic-Cole
Kaiser-Levshunov
Korchinski-Rinzel
Soderblom
There is a chance that Bowen Byram returns from injury. If that were the case, expect Kevin Korchinski to come out. Even if Byram can’t go, it would not be a surprise if Jeff Blashill goes to Ethan Del Mastro for a game, either.
If the Blackhawks don’t start Arvid Soderblom, it would be very surprising. It’s been over 20 days since his last appearance, and Spencer Knight has started for 8 straight games. Even with it being the excellent Boston Bruins, it’s time for Soderblom to get a look.
These lines and defense pairs are from their last time out in Detroit. We won’t know any more details until warmups. When the lineup and how they strategize their lines are revealed, an update will be posted here.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can stream it on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 12:00 PM CT.
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Hitting Coach Peter Fatse #62 of the Boston Red Sox carries a speaker during a spring training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 16, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today is Halloween and you wonder if the Phillies have been playing a trick on us all. Maybe they have allowed the Dodgers to go on their dynastic run, the Brewers to ascend to the top of the mountain all as a trick on us to pretend like there are issues preventing them from winning a World Series.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 13: Hall of Famer Robin Yount shakes hands with Ryan Braun after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch Game One of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In 1969, Major League Baseball expanded from 20 to 24 teams, adding franchises in Montreal, San Diego, Kansas City, and Seattle. The Seattle Pilots went 64-98 that year and finished last in the American League West. They were also poorly run by a man, Dewey Soriano, who barely had the cash to purchase the team in the first place. They played in a poorly maintained stadium and struggled at the gate. After just a year, the plug was pulled, and Soriano got in touch with a car salesman in Milwaukee. His name was Allan H. “Bud” Selig.
The Milwaukee Brewers played their first season in 1970 and went 65-97. The team’s star was its 29-year-old third baseman, Tommy Harper. A year earlier, he’d stolen 73 bases for the Pilots, a mark that still stands as a franchise record. In 1970, he hit .296 with 31 homers, 35 doubles, and 38 steals. 56 years later, it’s probably the best season ever by a Brewer third baseman. He became the first Brewer ever to make it to an MVP ballot.
A few days into the 1971 season, Milwaukee traded for a slugger named John Briggs, who was the team’s most reliable source of offense over the next four-and-a-half years. Also that season, a journeyman reliever named Ken Sanders operated as the team’s relief ace for the second straight season, and led the majors in appearances and saves.
After the season, the team made a trade that brought back the first real star of the franchise. George Scott was a good player in Boston; by the end of the 1971 season, he’d already won three Gold Gloves and had received MVP votes twice. But Boston jumped at a package headlined by Harper, and “Boomer” became the new Milwaukee first baseman. From 1972-76, Scott played virtually every game the Brewers played; he won five straight Gold Gloves, and he finished as high as eighth in MVP voting when, in 1975, he led the AL in homers, RBI, and total bases.
In 1973, the Brewers acquired a new guy at the hot corner. Don Money had been dreadful at the plate in 1971 and 1972, and the Phillies packaged him in a deal that got them, among others, Sanders. In 1976 he became the franchise’s first multi-time All-Star, and when he retired after his 11-year run with the Brewers, he’d made four All-Star games and compiled almost 1,200 hits.
During the 1974 season, a new player joined Money and Scott in the infield, an impossibly young shortstop from Southern California. He was a little aloof and didn’t always seem to like playing baseball. He was talented, but it would take a while for the kid to figure out how to channel those talents. His name was Robin Yount. For a little while, he’d get to play with another Milwaukee baseball legend when Henry Aaron returned to the city and hit his 755th and final home run in 1976 as a member of the Brewers.
A couple of years later, another talented infielder debuted alongside Yount, a hitting savant and ultra-speedster who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1978. Paul Molitor ended up playing in Milwaukee for 15 years in a career that ended with well over 3,000 hits and a ticket to Cooperstown.
The same year that Molitor debuted, the Brewers, for the first time, won more games than they lost. It was the 10th year of the franchise.
That young team kept acquiring talent. In 1976, in an echo of the trade they’d made years earlier, Scott was sent back to Boston for another young first baseman. Cecil Cooper spent the next 11 years in Milwaukee, won a couple of Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, had three top-five MVP finishes, and hit almost 350 doubles and over 200 homers as a Brewer. Sal Bando, a veteran of the dynastic Oakland Athletics of the early 1970s, joined up in 1977 as the franchise’s first major free agent splash. A gruff center fielder named Gorman Thomas was nearly given away but miraculously reacquired just before his breakout. A young Puerto Rican outfielder named Sixto Lezcano had a three-year run that stands with just about any such stretch in team history. A year after leading the AL in RBI with the Twins, Larry Hisle had one last hurrah as a Brewer in 1978, when he finished third in MVP voting. That same year, the Brewers traded for Ben Oglivie, a scrawny outfielder with surprising pop.
The 1979 Brewers won 95 games, but something was missing, and in 1980 the team took a step back. After the season, the Brewers were involved in one of the most momentous trades in team history: they sent Lezcano and others to the Cardinals and acquired a mustachioed reliever named Rollie Fingers, a star catcher named Ted Simmons, and a blue-collar righty (and future movie star), Pete Vuckovich. In the next two seasons, two of them would win Cy Youngs, and though it took some time, two of them would end up in the Hall of Fame.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, the Brewers broke into the postseason for the first time on the back of a historic relief season for Fingers, who won not just the Cy Young but the MVP. They took the Yankees to a decisive Game 5, but couldn’t get past Reggie Jackson and the Bronx Bombers.
Then, 1982. The Brewers had one of the great offenses in the history of baseball. Yount, the guy who took some time to figure things out in the ’70s, ascended and had one of the best seasons ever by a shortstop. He received 27 of 28 MVP votes. Four players hit at least 29 home runs. The team won its first playoff series when, in the bottom of the seventh inning of the decisive Game 5 of the ALCS, Cooper knocked in Charlie Moore and Fond du Lac native Jim Ganter to flip a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Milwaukee won the pennant.
In the World Series, they faced the Cardinals, the same team they’d gotten Fingers, Simmons, and Vuckovich from a little over a year earlier. They took a 3-2 lead to St. Louis, but it wasn’t meant to be.
It would be 44 years before the Brewers made it back.
Fans watched Yount and Molitor build Hall-of-Fame careers. They watched Juan Nieves throw a no-hitter. They watched Rob Deer and Dale Sveum hit dramatic home runs. They watched an exciting young team of upstarts win 92 games in 1992, led by rookies Pat Listach and Cal Eldred.
They watched in sadness when Molitor left as a free agent after that season, feeling undervalued, and then had to watch him win World Series MVP with a different team. They watched with elation as Yount, still with the Brewers 20 years after his debut, hit a soft liner into right field for his 3,000th hit.
There were lean years. 12 straight losing seasons, when fans were left to find silver linings with players like Greg Vaughn, Jeff Cirillo, John Jaha, Dave Nilsson, Fernando Viña, Jeromy Burnitz, Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Richie Sexson — the totemic players of my youth. Fans were left to pin their hopes on guys like Marc Newfield, Jeff D’Amico, and José Capellan. The Brewers were represented at the All-Star Game by Ricky Bones, Kevin Seitzer, Bob Wickman, José Hernández, and Dan Kolb. Fans found amusement in quirky relievers like Mike Fetters and Derrick Turnbow, and in rare individual triumphs like Chad Moeller’s cycle. The team switched leagues and built a new stadium.
Finally, in the new millennium, reasons for optimism became more frequent. An affable kid from Mississippi, fresh off a triumph in the Olympics, made the All-Star Game as a 22-year-old rookie. Three years later, Ben Sheets had what was the best season anyone had ever seen from a Brewer starting pitcher.
A new scouting director, Jack Zduriencik, was having success behind the scenes. He snagged a tall, under-the-radar outfielder in 2000. The next year, his second-round selection was used on a handsome shortstop. In 2002, Zduriencik used his first pick on the burly son of a two-time MVP runner-up. A year later, he used the No. 2 overall pick on a dynamic infielder with an impossibly quick bat. Two years later, the first-round selection was a smooth Florida kid who seemed to make good contact on everything.
By 2005, the results were starting to show on the field. For the first time since 1992, the Brewers didn’t have a losing record. Two years later, they won more games than they lost for the first time in 14 years. In 2008, the team — built around the aforementioned draft picks Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Ryan Braun, respectively — found itself with an opportunity to reach the postseason for the first time in a generation. To shore up their chances, they made a bold move at the trade deadline for a reigning Cy Young winner. In just a few months with the team, CC Sabathia etched his name into Brewers lore and led the team back to the playoffs, with an assist from a Braun home run that made this writer kick a full cup of soda across my college house’s living room.
Three years later, after the addition of another former Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, that core (with Hardy swapped out for team legend Yuniesky Betancourt) coalesced into a potent, dangerous team. Braun won the MVP. Fielder finished third. Milwaukee won its division, and a postseason series, for the first time since 1982. The eccentric Nyjer Morgan and his alter-ego, Tony Plush, gave a new generation of Brewers fans a core postseason memory.
But those same Cardinals who’d dashed Milwaukee’s hopes in 1982 stood in the way again, and the 2011 team’s run ended in the NLCS.
The next few years weren’t easy. The Greinke trade didn’t really work out. Braun fell from grace. Fielder left as a free agent. And while there were bright moments, competent teams, and outstanding individual performances by players like Carlos Gómez, Jonathan Lucroy, and even Jonathan Villar, the franchise needed another jolt to get itself to the next step in its journey.
The jolt came on January 25, 2018, a day I remember well. First, the Brewers sent four prospects to Miami for a 26-year-old outfielder who’d had a solid four-year run with the Marlins as a slick-fielding doubles hitter who could steal bases and pop a few homers. Later that same day, they handed the largest free-agent contract in team history to one of the players they’d sent out for Greinke years earlier. With Lorenzo Cain playing league-best-level defense in center field and Christian Yelich ascending to best-player-in-the-league status, the 2018 Brewers won 96 games, a team record, and made it all the way to Game 7 of the NLCS.
But, in an ending that would repeat itself multiple times over the next decade, the Brewers could not get past the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the next seven years, the Brewers played excellent baseball. Led by players who’ve already moved on like Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Josh Hader, Willy Adames, and Devin Williams, Milwaukee became a regular-season machine, with five division titles and seven postseason appearances in eight years from 2018-2025. It was a sustained run of success that had never been seen in the history of the franchise, but they just couldn’t seem to get over the hump in the postseason. A bad bounce. A tough catch. A bad inning from a star closer. The greatest player of all time. Something always stood in their way.
In 2026, things changed. The Brewers didn’t just beat their old wins record; they demolished it, with six more wins (103) than their previous record, set just a year earlier. The man who started it all became captain. A lanky young pitcher created a new understanding of what it meant to be a flamethrower. A slick-fielding second baseman became one of the best all-around players in the league. A pitbull of a catcher led on the field and flipped a switch when he needed to. A journeyman former top prospect found his zen. A whole group of young position players, led by the winning smile of a 22-year-old Venezuelan superstar, took the Brewers to heights the franchise had not previously seen.
Now, names like Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, and William Contreras, Jake Bauers and Cooper Pratt and Aaron Ashby, Brice Turang and Trevor Megill and Robert Gasser and everyone else have etched their names into the history of this franchise in the same way that guys like George Scott, Jim Gantner, Cecil Cooper, Jim Slaton, and Geoff Jenkins did before them. Yes, this team did something that no Brewers team has ever done, and for that they’ll be remembered forever. But this journey was 57 years in the making, years of joy and heartbreak, of angst and elation.
It’s a fun exercise to ask a die-hard Brewers fan who their favorite player was when they were a kid. Yes, you’ll get a lot of Robin Younts, a lot of Ryan Brauns. But you’ll also get Yovani Gallardo, or John Axford, or Ellie Rodriguez, or Davey May, or Casey McGehee, or Brady Clark. They’re all part of the same fabric, part of what makes this game, and fandom in general, beautiful.
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 30: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates during the game against the Chicago Bulls during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Is this the year the Celtics take the Cup seriously?
Boston certainly looked interested Friday night, opening their first group-stage game with a 44-point first quarter, a 29-point halftime lead and Payton Pritchard briefly transforming into that cyborg version of himself who keeps showing up in NBC Sports Boston broadcasts.
Then the Bulls started making things interesting. Chicago won the second half 62-47, whittling what had once been a 32-point Celtics lead down to 14 by the final buzzer.
Boston still walked away with a 125-111 win and a 1-0 record in East Group C, though Washington holds the early advantage in point differential. The Celtics gave us plenty to get excited about in the first half, and Joe Mazzulla plenty to get annoyed about in the second.
1. The Celtics want the Cup
Earlier this week inside TD Garden, my Australian brethren Jake and Ben from First to the Floor asked whether the Celtics would take the NBA Cup seriously this year. The first half looked like a defiant “you betcha.”
Boston’s first five baskets came in the paint. The Celtics scored 44 in the first quarter, shot 63 percent in the first half and went into the break up 78-49. Pritchard already had 20 points.
Payton Pritchard in the first half: 20 points on 70% shooting in 15 minutes. Celtics scored 78 as a team. Hoping we see a 150 point outing. pic.twitter.com/nVcNaSbB8S
The Bulls made the game, and the Cup standings, less comfortable after halftime. They won the second half by 15 and cut Boston’s final margin to 14. Washington also won its opener, leaving both teams 1-0 in East Group C, with the Wizards two points ahead on point differential.
Boston led by as many as 32 and won by 14. That’s a heck of a way to start the Cup, but those 18 points that disappeared along the way could come back to haunt them.
2. Paul George was meant to be a Celtic
I keep trying to find a less obvious way to say this, but Paul George looks like he was meant to be a Celtic.
His connection with Tatum looks instant and incredible. Whether Tatum or George starts the action, they seem to know how to turn it into a good look for the other. George can run the offense himself, but he’s just as happy to make the extra pass, cut behind a defender or do the work that makes somebody else’s life easier. You know, Celtic stuff.
Joe Mazzulla on Paul George:
“His impact goes beyond what’s happening on the offensive end. I think his impact in the locker room, his coachability, his open-mindedness, his humility, his willingness to do whatever it takes, taking care of his body to be on the floor for us, his… pic.twitter.com/IDAkB3knDZ
George got his hands on everything and finished with 18 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals. That stat line still doesn’t capture how often he seemed to be in the right place. He had a great steal and dunk in the first quarter, and spent the rest of the night making the Bulls think twice about where they pass the ball.
He’s been the biggest pleasant surprise of Boston’s start. I didn’t expect his fit to look this natural this quickly, but I’m thrilled to have been wrong.
3. Tatum is playing like an MVP, and his three is still catching up
Tatum finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He shot 9-for-20 overall and 2-for-7 from three.
A quiet 26 from Jayson Tatum is still a statement 😤☘️
His vision was every bit as impressive as his scoring. He kept finding teammates on cuts, drawing defenders toward him before slipping passes into openings that barely seemed to exist. His three-point shot is still finding its rhythm (only shooting 25% from three on the season), but he’s already getting downhill with ease, and the way he’s seeing the floor makes him that much harder to defend.
One of my favorite Tatum moments came after Mitchell Robinson made a free throw. Tatum went over to give him a fist bump, looking every bit as pleased with Mitch’s one point as he did with any of his own 26. You love to see it.
4. The Celtics made room for something bigger than basketball
More than 100 Boston Children’s Hospital patients and their families were at the game versus the Bulls. The day before, the Celtics announced a gift of more than $200 million to the hospital, the largest in its history. Patients lined the court during the national anthem, and the team wore special shooting shirts signed by four former patients who had visited practice the day before.
The Celtics are hosting a few patients from Boston Children’s Hospital today at practice.
A young fan held up a sign that read, “Boston’s children saved my life.” I don’t know that fan’s story, and the sign can’t tell it. But seeing that sign during the broadcast stuck with me long after it disappeared from the screen.
I spent much of the night watching Boston dominate, calculating Cup math and getting frustrated as the Bulls chipped away at the lead. But that sign was a good reminder to keep some perspective. I’m lucky to spend my evenings watching the Celtics play basketball and writing about something I love, and even luckier for all the things in life that make those evenings possible. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of that.
5. Mitch hasn’t looked like the Knicks version yet
If Paul George has been the biggest pleasant surprise of Boston’s start, Mitchell Robinson might be the biggest disappointment. He opened the third quarter with a block and went 4-for-4 from the field, finishing with 11 points. But he had just four rebounds in 19 minutes, and he still looks slower than the Robinson who made life miserable for opponents in New York.
Queta played 20 minutes and finished with 13 points, six rebounds, a steal and a block. The Celtics were plus-16 with him on the floor and minus-3 with Robinson. That’s one game’s plus-minus, not a final ruling, but it matched what I saw: Queta brought more pace and seemed more in sync with the rest of the group.
Robinson has the size Boston will inevitably need at points throughout the season. So far, though, he hasn’t looked comfortable in this version of the Celtics. Maybe that changes with time. For now, Queta looks like the center who better fits the team’s rhythm.
Payton Pritchard, jazz pianist. Norman Powell, reluctant dance partner. No analysis needed, simply enjoy the soulful improvisation of Smooth PP.
7. Hugo got the first young-wing look, but Baylor still has Joe’s trust
Hugo González checked in before Baylor Scheierman against Chicago, which caught my attention after Baylor had gotten the nod in Boston’s earlier games. Maybe Joe wanted Hugo’s defensive energy in that first shift, or maybe he’s still figuring out what he has in his young wings. Either way, it was interesting to see Hugo get the call first.
Baylor wasn’t exactly banished to the bench, though. He played 23 minutes and finished with two points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Hugo went scoreless in 15 minutes, adding two rebounds and a steal. Neither lit up the box score, but they can help Boston in different ways. Hugo brings a little chaos defensively, while Baylor has a knack for moving the ball and finding ways to contribute without needing shots.
Baylor Scheierman walked up to Joe Mazzulla, told him to challenge. Looked like Mazzulla asked him something like, 'Are you sure?' and Scheierman just said yes and walked to the bench.
I wouldn’t read too much into one game’s substitution pattern, especially with Joe Mazzulla involved. But it’ll be interesting to see whether Hugo keeps getting that first opportunity or whether the two continue trading places as Joe tinkers with his rotation.
8. Hauser is the kitchen knife you always reach for
Sam Hauser is the knife you grab because you know it works. There might be a newer one in the drawer, maybe with a nicer handle, but when you need to cut something, you reach for Hauser.
He made two threes and finished with six points against Chicago. Neither basket required much fuss. Hauser knows exactly what he’s there to do, and he’s been doing it long enough that the Celtics know what to expect when they put him on the floor.
With Tatum and George drawing so much defensive attention, there’s always going to be a need for someone who can stand in the corner and punish a defense for forgetting about him. Hauser has made a career out of being that guy.
He might not be the flashiest thing in Boston’s kitchen, but there’s a reason Joe keeps reaching for him.
9. The parquet is probably cold and alone in the bowels of TD Garden, and that’s not okay
I kept expecting the Celtics to be in white. They were at home, after all. Instead, Boston was in black, Chicago was in white, and the parquet I associate with the Garden was nowhere to be seen. More than once in the first quarter, I had to remind myself which team I was watching.
I know the Celtics have worn plenty of colors besides white, but this still threw me. The uniforms and the Cup court scrambled my internal compass before I’d even had time to settle in.
Those parquet squares are probably somewhere in the bowels of the Garden right now, cold and scared and wondering what they did wrong. Is that what you want, Adam Silver?
10. The Celtics won while getting crushed on the glass
Chicago grabbed 51 rebounds to Boston’s 41, including 20 offensive rebounds. That is a lot of second chances to hand a team, especially one that was already chipping away at a 32-point lead.
Boston made up ground elsewhere. The Celtics scored 58 points in the paint to Chicago’s 40, had 10 steals to the Bulls’ seven and scored 21 points off turnovers. They shot 51.2 percent from the field; Chicago shot 38 percent.
The win was comfortable by the final score, but the rebounding was anything but. Joe has a pretty clear place to start when he gets to the film.
For all the talk about whether the Celtics would take the NBA Cup seriously, their first 24 minutes offered a pretty convincing answer. There’s plenty to clean up, and those 18 points they let slip away could matter down the road, but Boston has its first Cup win in the books. Now please, someone go check on the parquet and give it a space blanket and a warm glass of milk.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 17: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This has been a difficult start to the season for Milwaukee. They’re a roster in flux after trading away Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat this summer. Now, they’re a team that features some useful players, but not enough to really be considered a playoff contender.
The early season has shown this. Milwaukee has dropped four of their first five games, which includes losses to the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls.
We’ll see if Cleveland can take advantage of a reeling opponent on Halloween.
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