Category: Sports News

These are not the same Detroit Pistons. Off the back of their let it fly by any means offense, Detroit ran through the Miami Heat 128-111. Detroit ranked 29th in 3-point attempts last season, shooting 31 a game. They shot 40 against Boston and 38 tonight. The offseason buzz about upgraded shooting is coming to fruition. They shot a sizzling 47 percent from range tonight.

Jalen Duren could not be a part of the offensive success as he went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter. Duren was on his way to another complete game. He did more than hold his own in matchups with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Duren pinned Giannis’ shot like a piñata and beat him to the punch to swipe the ball away right before he went down.

Paul Reed filled the Duren void as only Bball Paul could. He sank a trey ball with Giannis sagging, forcing Giannis to look at the Heat’s bench like, “that wasn’t on the scouting report, coach.” Reed needs an update on the know your personal reports. He’s flat-out one of the most impactful role players. Reed had 19 points and 11 boards. Hoopers love his game because of his sneaky craft. Stat heads love his impact numbers. Everybody loves Reed because of his heart and hustle.

Ausar Thompson had Bad Boys sequences before he exited the game with a lower body injury. He rejected Giannis at the cup and threw an on-target lob to Cade Cunningham on the break. He gave Pelle Larsson a get-out-of-here shove after arguing why he was fouled (he was). And Ausar had a mean corkscrew lob finish. Watching him contort his body 3,000 feet in the air never gets old. He went down, but others kept their foot on the gas.

Hello John Collins, nice of you to join the party. Collins rained triples, ragdolled smalls, drew charges, and had his hard hat on the glass. His Pistons coming-out party took place in the Miami streets.

Collins finished with 23 points and seven boards. He was nearly perfect from deep, going 5-for-6. Collins was a great addition to the Pistons’ shooting, but an old shooter reminded the Heat what they are missing. Duncan Robinson got his string music going early in a building he once called home. Robinson scorched Miami shooting 5-for-10 from way downtown.

Detroit’s bench did Miami the same way, outscoring the Heat’s bench 64-39. Everybody got in on the action. Ron Holland made top-of-his-class decisions, Kevin Huerter continues to be an underrated defender, and Isaiah Joe’s shot creation is the two-eyes emoji. He’s going to get going as he gets more comfortable.

I got this far without mentioning Cade on an individual level, as he was impactful too. Consistently drawing two and shooting efficiently works. The seven turnovers aren’t ideal, but you know he’s doing everything in his power to chase those turnovers down like 2009 LeBron.

Giannis is the Heat’s first year-in, year-out superstar since LeBron played in South Beach. Giannis rim ran for 36 points, shooting 15-for-26. He was a one-man army again.

Miami needs way more from Bam Adebayo offensively, but the Heat’s defense has been super disappointing. Daniss Jenkins waltzed to the rim a few times (he was solid all around, honestly). For a defense that’s supposed to be top-fiveish, Miami has a ways to go before they sniff that level. They get another chance to get in the win column tomorrow night versus the Charlotte Hornets.

The Pistons get a look at the radio talk show leading Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night. LeBron. Cade. The Pistons’ blend of clamps and shooting. Philly’s star power. Sunday will be a fun one.

The Knicks' championship defense has gotten off to a slow start, dropping their first two games after Friday's loss to the Celtics, but not as slow as the play of Mikal Bridges.

After scoring just four points on 2 of 8 shooting in 33 minutes during New York's series opener against the 76ers, Bridges was held scoreless in 22 minutes on 0 of 8 shooting -- including 0-for-5 from three -- versus Boston. 

"For the most part, most of his looks... I mean, he had three or four wide open threes. And we want them to make half of them if they're open," head coach Mike Brown said of Bridges after the loss. "But he's got to keep shooting them. And hopefully, they'll eventually go in sooner than later, but he's getting the looks that he needs to get. He's just gotta knock them down now."

Bridges' offensive ups and downs date back as long as he's been a Knick. Last season, he averaged 14.4 points per game, his lowest since the the 2021-22 season when he was with the Suns. 

While the offensive inconsistencies Brown can manage, he can't go too long without Bridges' defense. 

Searching for offense against the Celtics, Brown rolled with Miles McBride, who scored 20 points in 30 minutes off the bench. That left Josh Hart in charge of guarding Jayson Tatum, a task that even Hart had trouble with. Tatum finished with a game-high 36 points and made some clutch buckets down the stretch when the Knicks threatened to steal the win in the final moments.

Perhaps the game result could have been different with Bridges guarding Tatum. But Brown won't put it all on missing Bridges, as the Knicks head coach pointed to how Boston was more physical than the Knicks.

"He's got to make sure that he's physical on the defensive end," Brown continued on Bridges. "And he, as well as everybody else because it was all of us, are laying on screens when we get hit, and that when we do switch, there's a level of physicality to the switch so that they're not able to take advantage of us."

The Knicks will look to get their first victory of the season when they return home to host the Magic on Sunday. Perhaps Bridges' offense and defense will be a factor in that one.

The Detroit Pistons are on their way to a 2-0 start this season, but may be contending with an injury to one of their All-Stars.

Center Jalen Duren, who is fresh off of a $200 million contract extension signed earlier this month, suffered a right thigh injury Friday, Oct. 23 in a game against the Miami Heat. The Pistons won 128-111.

The injury occurred midway through the second quarter. Duren attempted a spin move past Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Duren appeared to tweak something, as he abruptly pulled up and grabbed his leg in apparent discomfort. Duren immediately went to the locker room.

The Pistons declared him questionable to return, but Duren did not play the remainder of the game, which Detroit dominated from the opening tip.

In his place, backup Paul Reed filled in admirably, perhaps allowing coach J.B. Bickerstaff to exercise caution with Duren’s injury. Reed scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and 4 assists.

Duren played just 10 minutes and scored 4 points on 2-of-4 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.

Duren wasn’t the only Pistons player to suffer an injury Friday night, as forward Ausar Thompson, a first-team All-Defense selection, fell awkwardly on his back, forcing him to the locker room. Thompson played just 19 minutes, recording 4 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.

After the game, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he did not have any updates on either injury.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pistons lose starters Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson to injuries in win over Heat

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandin Podziemski gave the Warriors a scare early in his season debut.

Less than four minutes into the Warriors’ home opener Friday night, their most durable player from a season ago was in visible pain, laying prone on the hardwood beneath the Grizzlies’ basket.

Podziemski, who missed the Warriors’ season opener with a sore back, took a hard fall — and a blow to the face from Memphis center Zach Edey — on a drive into the lane and remained on the floor while the game continued at the other end.

Brandin Podziemski went to the locker room after Zach Edey appeared to hit him on the head pic.twitter.com/uunqOyl0C4

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 24, 2026

Podziemski immediately retreated to the Warriors’ locker room at the next stoppage of play and re-emerged a short while later with a heating pad wrapped around his lower back.

However, it didn’t take long for the fourth-year guard to assuage any concerns about his health.

Podziemski re-entered the game, to relieved cheers from the sold-out Chase Center crowd, with 1:06 left in the quarter, intercepted a pass from former teammate Quinten Post and scored the Warriors’ final two buckets of the period.

He finished with 18 points, including a team-high nine in the opening quarter despite his brief detour to the locker room. However, he missed 11 of his final 14 shots from the field after starting 4-for-4.

Needless to say, it hasn’t exactly been an auspicious start to the season for one of 18 players around the NBA to appear in all 82 games last season. Podziemski said afterward that he would also sit out Saturday night against the Suns in the second half of the Warriors’ first of 15 back-to-backs.

The Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics on Friday night, 107-103.

Here are the takeaways...

-- In search of their first win of the season, the Knicks went down 4-0 and didn’t hit their first shot until Karl-Anthony Towns hit a deep three to get New York on the board. Towns finished the opening quarter with eight points while going 3-for-3 from the floor.

-- OG Anunoby had five points and Jalen Brunson added four in the first 12 minutes, but the rest of the starters were held in check so the Knicks went to their bench looking for a spark. 

-- They got it in the form of Miles McBride who checked into the game with 6:21 left in the quarter and immediately went to work by draining two threes and drilling two free throws and matching Towns’ eight points. 

-- McBride’s second three-pointer gave the Knicks a five-point lead with just under three minutes left in the quarter, but from there New York was outscored 7-3 and the Celtics cut their deficit to one point and entered the second quarter down 27-26.

-- Boston opened the second quarter by outscoring the Knicks 13-4 to take an eight-point advantage. Anunoby’s made three put an end to the ambush and eventually New York tied the game at 41-41 thanks to Josh Hart’s first points of the game following a two-minute stretch of misses and turnovers by both teams.

-- Hart tied the game again with a three with 56 seconds left in the half before giving the Knicks their first lead since midway through the first quarter on a driving hook shot. 

-- However, Paul George nailed a three-pointer as time expired and sent the Celtics into the locker room with a 50-49 halftime lead.

-- Both teams traded baskets to kick off the second half as Anunoby and Brunson got more involved offensively and each hit a three. Towns also made a triple later in the frame, but New York wouldn’t hit another shot for over two minutes before Brunson’s second three-pointer of the quarter. 

-- The Celtics weren’t able to take advantage during the Knicks’ scoring drought, scoring just four points themselves. 

-- After abandoning McBride following his hot start, New York went back to him late in the third and he stayed hot by making back-to-back threes to pull his team to within one.

-- Once again, though, Boston ended the quarter on a 13-4 run, spearheaded by Jayson Tatum, to go into the fourth quarter up by 10. Tatum had a monster third quarter, leading all scorers with 16 points.

-- The Knicks, down by as many as 12 points, did their best to climb back. Landry Shamet hit a couple of key threes off the bench to get back within striking distance which got New York going in the right direction. 

-- They hung around for as long as they could, going shot for shot with Tatum and George, but in the end Tatum’s 36 points was too much and the Knicks lost for the second straight time to begin their season.

-- McBride had a great game, scoring 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field (6-for-8 from three). Mikal Bridges, on the other hand, was held scoreless (0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-5 from three) and only played 22 minutes – far less than any other starter.

-- Anunoby, Towns and Hart all finished with a double-double and Anunoby led the team with eight assists. Still, the trio of Anunoby, Towns and Brunson combined for 10 turnovers as the Knicks gave it away 16 times compared to Boston’s 10 turnovers – the difference in the game.

-- In his first game against his former team, Mitchell Robinson was a non-factor with four points, four rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. He also picked up five fouls.

Game MVP: Jayson Tatum

Tatum led all scorers with 36 points and took over whenever the Celtics needed him to.

Highlights

KAT from deep! https://t.co/Us06WVZwY3

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2026

Deuce from the corner! 👌 https://t.co/SnM0M3NikT

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2026

KAT throws it down! https://t.co/9MfjRH7Efm

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2026

DEUCE. DEEP. https://t.co/aSQmKTMwQG

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2026

Andre Drummond 💪 https://t.co/LtW2R6A4ge

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2026

What's next

The Knicks return home to take on the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) gifted first-year head coach Dusty May with his first NBA win on Friday, outlasting the Indiana Pacers (1-1), 121-105, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But at what cost?

Cooper Flagg left the game with a shoulder injury late in the second quarter, but the Mavericks had already built a soft fluffy cushion in the form of what was at one point a 37-point lead. They had enough in the tank to hang on, behind 24 points on 5-of-10 3-point shooting from Kyrie Irving and 20 points and 13 rebounds from PJ Washington. Max Christie and Naji Marshall chipped in 16 and 15, respectively, in the win as well.

The Pacers got 23 points on three made 3-pointers from Pascal Siakam, and 18 points and seven assists from Tyrese Haliburton in the loss. Here are five more stats that stood out from Friday’s win at the Pacers, a team a lot of people thought was one to be dealt with in a deeper Eastern Conference this year.

22-6: Mavericks’ first-quarter run

Marcus Sasser’s hot hand from 3-point range carried over from Wednesday’s season-opening loss at the Houston Rockets and fueled an inspiring early 22-6run that saw the Mavs grow their lead to 33-19 late in the first quarter. Both of his first-quarter triples came as part of the run, which started with 4:55 left in the first. Flagg found him with his third assist of the opening frame on the break for a pull-up look that made it a 23-17 ballgame. Two minutes later, Irving found Sasser in the left corner for another long ball, this time extending the Dallas lead to 33-19.

Both Flagg and Irving also hit 3-pointers during the run. Dallas scored an outlandish 44 points in the first quarter on the strength of that late run. Flagg, Irving, Sasser and Naji Marshall combined to shoot 11-of-14 from the field and 6-of-8 from 3-point land in the first. They were out of their minds, and the Mavericks led 44-27 after one.

15-0: Another Mavs’ second-quarter run

The Mavericks kept getting in passing lanes for deflections, Indiana kept turning the ball over and Dallas continued to pour it on in the second quarter. The Pacers turned the ball over seven times in the first 7:15 of the period, including on four straight possessions at one point midway through the frame. It created fast-break opportunity after fast-break opportunity for the Mavericks. They were out and running.

Zaccharie Risacher, who had a less-than-inspiring debut for the Mavs on Wednesday, was the primary beneficiary of all the easy buckets. He scored three easy ones as the Mavericks pushed the advantage to 30 points during a 15-0 run in the middle of the second. He also rose up and blocked a shot attempt inside from Pascal Siakam, which created another fast-break chance earlier in the run. Risacher’s efforts on both ends helped the Mavs increase what was a 46-31 lead two minutes into the second to 61-31 just a little more than four minutes later.

Risacher racked up 11 points, five rebounds and two stocks in the first half. The Mavs’ bench outscored the Pacers’ reserve unit 28-6 in the first half. Dallas led 77-43 at the break.

19-2: Third-quarter bench scoring reversal

There were moments after Aaron Nesmith’s flagrant foul on Cooper Flagg with a minute left in the first half when it looked like the Pacers would climb back into the game, but the Mavericks held serve for the most part in the third.

Indiana’s bench finally woke up in the third, though, to help them creep to within 22 by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. The Pacers’ bench outscored the Dallas reserves 19-2 in the third after getting dragged, 28-6 in the first half. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin combined to score 11 in the third, as Indiana outscored the Mavs 33-21 in the frame.

Still, Dallas carried a 98-76 lead into the decisive fourth quarter. Irving and PJ Washington combined for 17 points, and Washington pulled down five boards in the third to keep Indiana at arm’s length.

5: Kyrie Irving made 3-pointers

Kyrie HITS THE BIG 3! pic.twitter.com/nrTftLsiCT

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) October 24, 2026

Irving continued his hot hand from the outside after Flagg exited the game with “shoulder soreness” as a result of Nesmith’s hard flagrant foul in transition late in the first half. Irving refused to let the Pacers back within shouting distance of the lead, hitting three big 3-pointers, all from near the top of the key, in a stretch from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth.

His fifth of the game came with 9:43 left to play and put the Mavericks ahead 103-82. It gave him five points in the first two minutes and change of the fourth quarter, and 24 points for the game. But on the other end of the floor, Irving committed his fifth personal foul of the game with 9:33 remaining, committing the mortal sin of fouling Nesmith in the act of shooting a 3-pointer.

Irving, who is also still presumably on a minutes restriction, came out of the game immediately for one or both of those reasons. He would foul out with 4:23 left in the game after logging 25 minutes.

He called his minutes restriction to start the year “difficult mentally” in his televised postgame interview, but also said, “It’s a team game. We’ve got to build these habits now. All of the components, all the players we have, we’re interchangeable.”

6: Kyrie Irving fouls

According to Mavs TV. This was Kyrie Irving’s first career foul-out: 781 regular-season games.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) October 24, 2026

If the number five was notable for Irving in the win, the number six was one little notch more notable, at least from a statistical perspective. It was the first foul-out of Irving’s 781 regular-season game career.

The Mavericks broadcast crew first brought the statistical oddity up before May confirmed it in his postgame press conference. His last two fouls in the fourth quarter were not particularly good ones. He fouled Nesmith on a 3-point attempt early in the fourth, forcing himself out of the game with 9:33 remaining. That left Dallas without either of the bona fide stars on the roster for a long, precarious stretch of the fourth.

He came back in with 4:55 left to play, but fouled out of the game 30 seconds later, trying to prevent the Pacers from starting a fast break with the Mavericks nursing a 112-99 lead.

But hey, the Mavs were able to bring it home, so no harm, no foul. Except for the six he was whistled for.

21: Mavericks stocks

Even after Flagg left the game, the Mavericks continued to play well on the defensive end for most of the game. Dallas ended the night with 11 blocked shots and 10 steals.

Washington blocked three shots to go along with 20 points and 13 boards — really a huge night for the veteran who’s gotten a lot of flak for the perception of not fitting in with a revamped roster. Risacher blocked three more, finishing with a very respectable 11 points and six rebounds. Gafford blocked a pair as well.

Naji Marshall pilfered three steals, to match Flagg for the team-high mark in the win over the Pacers.

"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" pic.twitter.com/1yXdfzPMZ1

— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) October 24, 2026

BOSTON — The Knicks were still stuck in the mud. Especially a scoreless and benched Mikal Bridges. 

And after the Knicks climbed out of their mud hole, Jayson Tatum sent them right back down Friday night. 

Tatum scored nine of his 36 points in the final six minutes of Boston’s 107-103 victory over the Knicks, who fell to 0-2 as the reigning champs. 

The Celtics star pulled off several high-difficulty shots, and the Knicks couldn’t keep up after clawing back from a double-digit deficit midway through the fourth. 

“I think we took a stride, just not big enough strides,” Jalen Brunson said. “There’s positives and negatives to take from this game. We know what we have to do, and the things I think are glaring to us are controllable. So that’s a positive we can take from this.” 

Tatum certainly outdueled Brunson, who missed 10 of his 17 shots in 37 minutes and finished with 19 points. It followed the point guard’s disappointing opening night in the loss to the Sixers on Tuesday. 

Bridges, meanwhile, disappeared again. He went 0-for-8 and was benched for the last 8 ½ minutes in favor of Deuce McBride, who was a bright spot with 20 points off the bench. Over the opening two games, Bridges has shot 2-for-16. 

He played just 22 minutes in Boston. 

“Mikal had three or four wide-open 3s. And obviously we want him to make half of them if they’re open. But he’s got to keep shooting,” coach Mike Brown said. “And hopefully they’ll eventually go in — sooner than later. But he’s getting the looks that he needs to get. He just has to knock them down now. And he’s got to make sure he’s physical on the defensive end.” 

Brown harped on his team’s lack of “physicality” as the biggest factor in the defeat, which included a deficit for the final 22 minutes. 

Still, the Knicks cut it to one on Brunson’s pull-up with 1:41 remaining, and it looked like the visitors would pull off another comeback in Beantown. 

This time, Tatum squashed it. He scored seven straight Celtics points in the final 100 seconds, which sealed the home team’s win because, among other Knicks miscues, Karl-Anthony Towns committed a costly turnover on a moving screen. 

Two of Tatum’s clutch shots occurred with defender Josh Hart draped all over him. 

“You just take your hat off and say, ‘Good D, better O,’ ” Brown said. “But that’s not why we lost the game. We lost the game because we didn’t handle their physicality on both ends of the floor for too many stretches that were too long.” 

Friday night represented just the fourth Celtics win over the Knicks in the past 11 matchups, counting the postseason. 

A couple of years prior, the Celtics were New York’s nearly impossible bar. They were the better team, the reigning champs, the frequent destroyer of the Knicks in the regular season. In the season opener two years ago — when the Celtics were celebrating ring night for their 2024 championship — they barraged the Knicks with 3-pointers for a 23-point victory. 

It was in the middle of a stretch of eight wins over nine games for the Celtics against their division rival, and not long after the Knicks acquired OG Anunoby and Bridges to combat Tatum and then-Celtic Jaylen Brown. 

But then the 2025 playoffs happened. The Knicks completed a couple of impossible comebacks, toppled the Celtics in six games of the second round as Tatum tore his Achilles and the dynasty in Boston was finished before it really started. 

On Friday night at TD Garden, the roles were reversed. The Knicks were the hunted champs, and the Celtics were the team on the bubble of contention. Brunson understood Boston’s role in developing his championship. 

“The way they were playing, and I guess how they’re still playing, kind of helped shape our team,” Brunson said. “They were obviously a dynamic force. And obviously the past couple years with injuries and personnel changes and stuff like that, things are different. We were trying to figure out how we can beat those guys.” 

The Knicks figured it out the past year-plus. But not Friday. Tatum became their unsolvable problem. 

The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) picked up their first win of the season on Friday night, surviving a sloppy second half to beat the Indiana Pacers (1-1) 121-105. Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 5-of-10 from three before fouling out late, while also passing Mavericks legend Mark Aguirre on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. P.J. Washington added 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks; Max Christie scored 16, and Cooper Flagg had 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals before leaving with an injury late in the first half.

Dallas came out flying. The Mavericks scored 44 points in the first quarter, moved the ball, dominated the glass and hit 8-of-13 from three. Flagg was at the center of everything, scoring 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting while adding four assists, and Kyrie looked much more comfortable than he did Wednesday in Houston.

Zaccharie Risacher and the Dallas defense dominated the second quarter. Risacher was everywhere, defending, rebounding, running the floor, and keeping the ball moving offensively while Indiana repeatedly turned it over and struggled to create anything clean. The Pacers made only one basket through roughly the first five minutes of the quarter, and Dallas carried a 77-43 lead into halftime.

Things got much shakier after halftime. The offense stalled in the third, and Kyrie kept the Mavericks afloat with difficult shot-making while Indiana slowly worked its way back into the game. Dallas still led by 22 entering the fourth, but the final period nearly turned into a collapse. Kyrie’s foul trouble opened the door, and when he returned late, he turned the ball over and fouled out almost immediately. Indiana kept coming, but missed both free throws on Kyrie’s sixth foul, and Dallas finally responded. Naji Marshall and Christie hit huge shots, the defense tightened, and the Mavericks did enough to close it out.

Flagg’s injury changes everything

The biggest concern coming out of the win was Flagg’s health. He was injured with about a minute remaining in the first half after taking a hard flagrant foul from Aaron Nesmith and never returned. He was officially ruled out late in the third quarter after finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block in just 17 minutes.

He had been excellent before the injury, pushing the pace, creating for teammates, and making defensive plays. With Dallas playing its home opener against San Antonio tomorrow, it would be surprising to see him back that quickly. Even if the injury is minor, there is little reason to rush him back this early.

The timing still hurts. Dallas has a difficult stretch to close October, and through two games Flagg already looks like one of the players this team can least afford to lose.

Mavericks head coach Dusty May said in his postgame press conference that Flagg “will be evaluated the next couple of days.” That particular quote does not portend well for Flagg’s availability in the second half of the first back-to-back set of the season on Saturday in the Mavs’ home opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

Irving looked like Irving again

"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" pic.twitter.com/1yXdfzPMZ1

— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) October 24, 2026

Irving looked far more like himself than he did in Houston.

He finished with 24 points, three assists, and five made threes on 8-of-15 shooting. The foul trouble eventually became a major problem, but the actual performance was encouraging. He looked comfortable creating his own shot, got to his spots, and hit difficult jumpers when Dallas desperately needed offense.

That mattered most in the third quarter. The Mavericks couldn’t make much of anything, Indiana started chipping away at the lead, and Kyrie repeatedly stopped the bleeding with tough buckets. Dallas didn’t need him to take over; it just needed someone to keep the offense from dying, and he did.

He also passed Mark Aguirre on the Mavericks’ all-time scoring list, adding another milestone to his time in Dallas.

P.J. Washington looked like his old self

This was the P.J. Washington Dallas needs.

Washington finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-4 from three. More importantly, he played with the physicality and confidence that made him so valuable during his best stretches in Dallas.

His rebounding was especially important as Indiana pushed in the second half. Washington consistently finished possessions, created extra chances on the offensive glass, and made important defensive plays around the rim. He also provided timely offense when Dallas started to stall.

The Mavericks do not need Washington to score 20 every night, but they do need this version of him. When he defends, rebounds, and confidently takes open shots, he gives Dallas exactly what it needs from that spot.

Daniel Gafford’s 14 minutes are worth watching

Of the Mavericks who played real minutes, starting center Daniel Gafford finished with a team-low 14:36 and didn’t play in the closing stretch.

Gafford finished with four points, three rebounds, five assists, and two blocks on 2-of-4 shooting. Those numbers aren’t bad, and he made a few useful plays as a passer and rim protector, but his limited minutes stand out.

Dallas leaned more heavily on smaller lineups and gave Morez Johnson Jr. minutes at center, especially as the game became more perimeter-oriented. Gafford also looked a little out of rhythm, missed a few finishes, and never really established himself as a major part of the offense.

One game isn’t enough to draw major conclusions, but a starting center playing fewer than 15 minutes and sitting during the game’s most important stretch is notable. It’s worth watching as Dusty May continues figuring out his rotation.

The one player the Dallas Mavericks didn’t want injured, Cooper Flagg, got hurt. But initial comments from coach Dusty May signaled some optimism that Flagg may have avoided a serious injury.

Flagg, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, suffered a left shoulder injury Friday, Oct. 23 in a game against the Indiana Pacers, after a flagrant foul by Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith on a breakaway dunk attempt sent Flagg tumbling to the court. The Mavericks officially designated the injury as left shoulder soreness, which may be a positive sign that Flagg avoided a serious ailment.

May said Flagg would be evaluated “in the next couple of days” and added that Flagg was in “good spirits” when he saw him in the locker room. Though imaging results will provide the official diagnosis, the timeline May put forward suggests that Flagg will miss Dallas’ next game, which is Saturday, Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.

25 UNDER 25: Flagg among USA TODAY's ranking of NBA's young stars

During the play, Flagg was streaking toward the basket on a fast break before he was fouled. Nesmith swiped at Flagg’s right shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. Flagg tried to brace his fall but landed awkwardly on his left shoulder, near where camera operators sit along the baseline.

Flagg immediately favored his left shoulder as he writhed on the floor in apparent discomfort. Trainers hustled over to tend to him for several moments. The foul incensed Mavericks players, as forward Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith and shoved him.

This led to a brief altercation as multiple players from both sides started shoving each other. Assistant coaches eventually separated the players.

PACERS-MAVS GET CHIPPY AFTER
A FLAGRANT FOUL ON COOPER FLAGG 😳

Flagg went to the locker room after the hard foul pic.twitter.com/pQjg9P61KK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 24, 2026

The foul was eventually reviewed and elevated to a flagrant 1. Flagg would step up to the line and convert both his free throw attempts, though he was immediately subbed out.

Shortly afterward, the Mavericks ruled Flagg out for the rest of the game.

Flagg played just 17 minutes and scored 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He also collected 5 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and recorded 3 steals.

The Mavericks beat the Pacers, 121-105, in May’s first career NBA victory.

Flagg is the franchise player and No. 1 selection from the 2025 NBA Draft. Dallas is undergoing something of a rebuild, as the team builds around the 19 year old Flagg.

“Look, Nesmith is a great guy – heck of a player,” May said. “I’ve known him since he was in high school. Obviously, an unfortunate play. Hopefully Coop is fine, but obviously it’s something we wished wouldn’t have happened.”

Flagg injured the same shoulder in his rookie season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg injury update: Mavs star hurts shoulder as he's fouled on breakaway

The Washington Wizards went to war with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, losing a contentious 112-102 clash at Capital One Arena.

The game was played with playoff intensity from start to finish. The Wizards got a taste of the Raptors’ defense, which limited the Chicago Bulls to 92 points in their season opener.

Washington was ice-cold in the first quarter, shooting just 4-for-21 from the field and committing 7 turnovers. Free throws kept the Wiz in the game — a theme throughout the contest — as they trailed 34-21 after one.

Toronto threatened to pull away in the second quarter. The Raptors opened the period with two quick buckets to increase their lead to 17. The Wizards countered with a 13-2 run of their own, keyed by back-to-back triples from Trae Young. Deandre Ayton also stepped up in the interior with several strong rebounds leading to second-chance opportunities.

Take your time, Trae 🤟 pic.twitter.com/XKU4ixZ63L

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 23, 2026

Midway through the third, it didn’t feel like Washington had played all that well. The team missed several open threes and coughed up some sloppy turnovers. Kyshawn George was also out of rhythm due to foul trouble.

In years past, the Wiz kids would probably have been down by 20 in such a scenario. But a Justin Champagnie putback got the good guys within 78-75 with under two minutes left in the quarter. Washington hung tough with Toronto through defense and a favorable whistle.

Champagnie made three straight layups, with the final two off lobs from Young. Toronto led 81-77 after three.

The Raptors kept the Wizards at arm’s length for most of the fourth quarter. Tre Johnson scored 10 of his 20 points in the final period, keeping Washington in it with some timely shot-making. But it wasn’t enough as Toronto held on for the 10-point victory.

Paint touch ➡️ Relocate ➡️ Knock it down pic.twitter.com/65jIl3w1Oo

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 24, 2026

The Wizards’ second game was not pretty by any means. However, the team showed it could at least compete with a potential contender in the East.

The Raptors’ defense and active hands stifled the Wizards at times. The home team also missed several open three-pointers that could have swung the game. Washington shot just 38.0% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc and still felt very much in the contest.

The Wizards could look like a different team when the threes start falling and when AJ Dybantsa is there to help draw more defensive attention.

Young led the way with 22 points and 12 assists. Johnson showed no hesitation off the bench, scoring 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four triples.

The Wizards have an immediate opportunity to get over .500 again with a game against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night.

The Knicks (0-2) traveled to Boston to face the Celtics (1-1) at TD Garden tonight. Each team was fighting for their first win of the season, and clearly pride was on the line. Through the first half, the game teetered to and fro, but the home team gained momentum in the third quarter. After falling behind by 12 in the fourth, New York fought back to a one-point deficit, but, in what felt like a postseason game, Jayson Tatum went on a heater and carried his team to victory, 107-103.

What else is there to say about Mitchell Robinson (4 PTS, 4 RBS, 22 MIN) in a green jersey? It’s a bummer. We keep it moving. Mitch had a lackluster first outing with his new team and started mediocre tonight, too. He managed to put back his own miss over OG Anunoby (20 PTS, 10 RBS, 8 AST), but two fouls sat him after three minutes.

Mitchell Robinson gets it going early against his former team ☘️

Watch Knicks vs. Celtics on @primevideo 🍿 pic.twitter.com/TAQvuFY5ln

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) October 23, 2026

Tatum (36 PTS, 9 RBS, 7 AST) and Paul George (15 PTS, 7 RBS) got the C’s on the board to start, Karl-Anthony Towns (22 PTS, 10 RBS) and Jalen Brunson (19 PTS, 4 AST, 3 TO) scored, and we were off. Neither team impressed from deep, combining to make two of their first seven attempts, a trend that continued through the half. Unlike opening night, the whistles were fairly quiet, and the game had a better pace. The villains were pests on the glass, out-rebounding our heroes and turning five O-boards into five extra shots.

After trailing early, the guests used the free throw line to climb into the lead, and the score stayed closed from there. The ‘Bockers goosed their lead to five, and Boston clawed their way back. The bench contributed positive minutes yet again. Landry Shamet (8 PTS) checked in early to relieve a foul-carrying, blank-shooting Mikal Bridges. Also off the bench, Miles McBride (20 PTS, 6-of-8 3pt) took the floor around the six-minute mark. When he fired from the corner, TD Garden let loose a loud “Deeeuuuccceee” and were rewarded with a swish.

Deuce McBride laces the three.🎯 pic.twitter.com/ehwWSfuycB

— J💥S Sports (@JordanOnSports1) October 23, 2026

Late in the quarter, Anunoby was the only starter on the court, playing alongside Jose Alvarado, McBride, Shamet, and Andre Drummond. Twice we saw Alvarado wrestling a Celtic for the ball on the floor. His dogged defense helped to preserve a 27-26 lead a the break.

New York gave up five points to Luka Garza to start the second and Mike Brown needed a timeout before two minutes had passed. He replaced Andre Drummond with Karl-Anthony Towns. New York fell behind by eight before restoring their composure. At 7:30, Brunson returned to the fray and led Towns, Hart, and Jordan Clarkson led a comeback to tie the score, which was undone by buckets by Tatum and Neemiias Queta.

Robinson returned and continued to putter ineffectively for about six minutes. New Knicks reserve center, James Wiseman, made his season debut for New York with two minutes left in the half and promptly collected a loose ball foul. Fortunately, Josh Hart connected on his first triple of the night (after four tries) and followed that with an off-balance hook, but George knocked down a buzzer-beater for a 50-49 lead.

the pass… the finish 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/YURW4q0JLY

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 24, 2026

In the first half, the Knicks made just 30% from deep; Boston was a shade better at 35%. The orange-and-blue crew had taken 12 free throws to their opponent’s four, and each team had 21 boards at the break. In fact, the teams were nearly identical up and down the board. Towns topped all scorers with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Tatum had 11 points on 11 shots.

Anunoby was a bricklayer in the season opener (3-of-12 FG, 1-of-9 3PT), but his second dinger tonight, plus a cutting layup, got New York humming out of halftime. Jordan Walsh, Tatum, and Derrick White went on an 8-0 run before Brunson laced one from deep. In this game of runs, though, it seemed only a matter of time before one team hit the gas and began packing on a significant lead.

Weirdly, through two-and-a-half quarters, Queta was the only Celtic to take free throws—and just six at that. Clean defense so far by Gotham’s greatest!

Spoke too soon. Drummond gave Towns a breather at the five-minute mark and collected two infractions. After McBride picked off Queta and converted back-to-back treys, the Knicks trailed 70-69. Queta seemed hell-bent to prove his value as the Celtics’ center, hitting more free throws and a corner three to reach 12 points and pad his team’s lead. Shamet fouled on a screen, Drummond picked up a technical foul, Hart mishandled a Brunson pass, and the third frame ended with the Knicks down, 83-73.

1⁰ TRIPLO DA ÉPOCA PARA NEEMIAS QUETA! pic.twitter.com/Ng52s9aoSm

— HoopsPortugal 🇵🇹🏀 (@HoopsPortugal) October 24, 2026

Robinson punched back in to start the final period. He bodied Anunoby, blocked Towns, and slammed an alley-oop. The crowd went Mitch Crazy—and then the big fella committed foul number five. Back to the bench with eight-and-a-half to go. Many watching the Amazon Prime stream at home felt a shiver of déjà vu.

While the deficit reached 12, Bridges provided no offensive support. He shot 2-of-8 in the season opener and whiffed on all eight shots in Boston. He has yet to attempt a free throw this year. With production like that, we weren’t surprised when his night finished at 8:25. Meanwhile, McBride had netted 5-of-7 from deep for 23 points and counting with seven minutes remaining. That’ll bring up the team’s overall percentage!

KAT led the league with 56 double-doubles last season. With four minutes left, he grabbed his tenth board for his second double-double of the new campaign, flushed a Brunson miss, and brought the hole to three.

Hart was a shady shooter from downtown, missing five and making two—but that second one was clutch. Then KAT picked Queta’s pocket and Brunson pulled-up to make the score 99-98.

This might have been game two of the season, but it felt like Game 2 of the ECF. Tatum scored on back-to-back jumpers. OG made two freebies. The deficit was three when Tatum— who was on a heater—connected from deep with 30 seconds left. McBride hit his sixth triple at 14 seconds, but the Knicks were forced to foul and pray. Pritchard made one and missed one, and in the resulting fracas, George fouled Brunson. Cap missed a free throw with four seconds left, intentionally bricked the second, and OG missed a futile, final heave. Ballgame.

JAYSON MF TATUM

CLUTCH. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/haUoDWTobF

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 24, 2026

Up Next

Quoth Good names all taken, “I took the over at 58. Still alive.” The season is young, the sky is not falling. After a short offseason and the usual rust, the Knicks have lost two close contests against playoff teams. Our heroes head home to host the O’Magic on Sunday, which should have a more favorable outcome. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.