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What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors' offense struggle in loss to Thunder

What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors' offense struggle in loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

OKLAHOMA CITY – When the Western Conference semifinals began last season, there was a feeling behind the scenes that the Warriors were confident in their prospects against the Oklahoma City Thunder if the two were to meet in the next round with a chance of being in the NBA Finals.

That shot never happened. Steph Curry went down to injury, and the Thunder outlasted the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers in seven games each to be crowned champions. 

A decade ago, the Warriors were the young team coming up together that got past a Thunder team with similar ages to them on their way to a dynastic run. Now, the Thunder are the ones on that same path, proving so again Tuesday night. 

The Warriors and Thunder were on two different planets of basketball talents in their first matchup of the 2025-26 NBA season, a public spanking in a 126-102 blowout loss for Golden State at Paycom Center.

Curry returned after missing the previous three games because of an illness. Curry started strong but then quickly cooled off and found himself in foul trouble. He played 20 minutes and was a minus-23 with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, one rebound and no assists. Curry made his first 3-pointer and then missed his final four attempts.

All three of Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were on the bench with five minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Thunder led by 25 points at the time, ending the three veteran stars’ day right there on the first night of a back-to-back. 

Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points and 12 assists) and Chet Holmgren (23 points and 11 rebounds) dominated as a duo, and they received plenty of help from their Thunder teammates.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors starting their six-game road trip with a humbling 24-point defeat for their sixth consecutive road loss.

Steph’s Return 

Recovering from an illness didn’t slow Curry’s constant movement. His first three times touching the ball went as so: Cutting for a left-side layup, coming off a screen for a three at the top of the arc, and running around for a layup on the right side. These are sights Thunder fans are used to seeing for many years of torture from Curry in OKC. 

Curry scored seven first-quarter points in seven minutes, but also was called for two fouls, including a surprising Flagrant 1 upon review during an Isaiah Joe 3-point attempt. That marked the first flagrant foul of Curry’s 17-year NBA career after going 1,193 career games without being whistled for one.

But Curry was held scoreless in the second quarter after missing five shots in six minutes. He played 14 minutes in the first half and was a minus-17 with seven points and as many fouls (three) as made shots. 

Foul trouble followed him in the second half, too. Curry was called for two fouls in the first two-plus minutes of the third quarter, bringing him to five at the 9:41 mark. 

During his one game in OKC last season, Curry scored 36 points with five rebounds, seven assists and seven 3-pointers in a Warriors win. That wasn’t the player the Warriors got Tuesday night while the Thunder waxed them up and down the court.

Troubling Trend Continues

Turnovers once again doomed the Warriors. Again, and again, and again.

Trayce Jackson-Davis already had three in the first half, and a bad sequence when he entered in the third quarter gave him five in his first nine minutes. He wasn’t alone. 

Jonathan Kuminga also racked up five turnovers for the third time this season. He now has 17 turnovers and 16 assists in November, struggling with his handles and dribbling into traffic. 

His fellow forward, Green, also now has 17 turnovers in November in one fewer game after a three-turnover night against the Thunder. Green handed out four assists Tuesday night, giving him three more assists than turnovers. It was Green’s fifth straight game with at least three turnovers. 

As a team, the Warriors totaled 21 turnovers, two fewer than their number of assists. Those 21 turnovers became 27 points for the Thunder. The Warriors far too often are getting caught in the air, forcing passes and lack space offensively. 

An Embarrassment Of Riches 

Holmgren, standing one inch taller than Warriors 7-foot center Quinten Post, immediately showed what different skill sets the two young big men have. Over three straight trips down the court, Holmgren spun off Post for a layup, hit an 11-foot jumper on him and then extended his range for a 24-foot three from the left wing. He was in his bag and knew a long list of teammates would join the party. 

Holmgren is the Thunder’s second scoring option, and would be their third if two-way star Jalen Williams were healthy. He and Gilgeous-Alexander combined to score 26 points in the first half as the Thunder led by 19, with Holmgren scoring 11 and SGA leading with 15. They’re far from a two-man show. 

How deep are the Thunder with two-way players who can break you down offensively and defensively? Cason Wallace didn’t score a single point in the first half, missing three shots, yet still was a game-high plus-19 at the time.

They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re deep and they’re connected. This Thunder team can beat opponents to a pulp in every which way. The problems the Thunder present as a team aren’t going away anytime soon, and the Warriors only can hope lessons learned help for a better result when they play them three weeks from now at Chase Center.

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Three NHL Teams That Have Been Big Surprises So Far

We are now a month into the 2025-26 NHL season, and there have certainly been some teams that have surprised so far.

However, three specific NHL clubs entered the season with low expectations and are proving their doubters wrong. Let's look at all three of them and discuss why they have been the league's biggest plesant surprises early on.

Anaheim Ducks (11-3-1, 23 Points)

The Anaheim Ducks have been incredible out of the gate. 

They're currently at the top of the Pacific Division standings and second in the NHL with 23 points, so there is no question that the Ducks have been a big surprise so far. 

The Ducks finished last season with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Yet, with the way they are playing right now, they certainly have a great chance of breaking their playoff drought this year. BetMGM's odds of Anaheim making the playoffs are 1.40 (-250), compared to 3.00 (+200) odds of missing out.

Leo Carlsson (10 goals and 25 points in 15 games) and Cutter Gauthier (11 goals and 20 points in 15 games) are big reasons for the Ducks' hot start. Newcomer Chris Kreider has also played a role in Anaheim's great start, posting nine goals and 12 points in 11 games. 

Chicago Blackhawks (8-5-3, 19 Points) 

After a quiet off-season, many expected the Chicago Blackhawks to be among the NHL's bottom teams again in 2025-26. Yet, the rebuilding squad has instead started the season off strongly.

The Blackhawks currently have an 8-5-3 record and are third in the Central Division. They have also been getting better as the campaign rolls on, as they have won each of their last three games and six of their last 10. 

So, what are a few reasons for the Blackhawks' hot start?

Connor Bedard has been hitting a new level early on, as he has nine goals and 25 points in 16 games. Goaltender Spencer Knight has also been fantastic for Chicago, as he has a 6-3-2 record, .926 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi have been playing excellently as well. 

Overall, the Blackhawks have been a nice story early on this season, and it will be interesting to see how they build on it. They still have 7.50 (+600) odds of making the playoffs and 1.10 (-1000) odds of missing them, according to BetMGM.

Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3, 21 Points)

Many expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. However, they have responded by starting the season third in the Metropolitan Division after 17 games played. 

The Penguins have been cooling off slightly as the season progresses, having lost their last two games and going 4-3-3 in their last 10 contests. That said, they still have the fourth-most points in the Eastern Conference, which is undoubtedly a big surprise. 

Veteran stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby starting the year on fire is a big reason for the Penguins' strong start to the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, free-agent signings Anthony Mantha and the currently injured Justin Brazeau have provided Pittsburgh's top six with a big boost.

The Penguins' goaltending has also improved as Arturs Silovs has a .916 save percentage in nine games, while Tristan Jarry has a .911 save percentage in seven appearances.

Pittsburgh's odds of making the playoffs are 3.40 (+240), while the odds of not making them are 1.33 (-303).

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Advantage England? Emma Raducanu gives tips to squad for All Blacks clash

  • Tennis star visits training camp to share experiences

  • Steve Borthwick’s side take on New Zealand on Saturday

England’s preparations for their clash with the All Blacks on Saturday have been boosted by some words of wisdom from the former US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, who visited their Bagshot training base on Tuesday.

Raducanu took to the training field with Steve Borthwick’s squad, taking part in lineout practice and kicking drills with Marcus Smith before sharing insights with the captain, Maro Itoje. Borthwick also invited the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, to address the squad this week.

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NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know

NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The wait is over: The NBA on Tuesday announced the reveal of the U.S. vs. World All-Star Game format to be played in 2026.

In the game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (world) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

NBC and Peacock will broadcast the league’s annual midseason showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT at the new Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.

As previously done, 24 All-Stars will be selected (12 from each conference). But unlike previous years, players will be selected regardless of position. The process of assigning U.S. players across the two teams will be announced at a later date.

If All-Star voting doesn’t meet the exact quota of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select players to fit where needed. In such case, a team may have more than the eight-player amount.

The round-robin tournament will start with USA A vs. USA B in Game 1. Game 2 will be World vs. USA A followed by World vs. USA B in Game 3.

The two teams with the best record from the three games will face off in the championship match. If there is a 1-1 split between all three teams, the tiebreaker would be point differential.

Each of the four games will feature just one standard 12-minute period. The winner will be whichever team has the most points after 12 minutes.

It’s the latest format in a line of experiments by the NBA, which includes the classic West vs. East, followed by two team captains based on All-Star voting. A target score was also introduced, followed by a mini-tournament last season in which the then-“NBA on TNT” crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith drafted their rosters, along with a Rising Stars team comprised of rookies and sophomores.

But that format wasn’t well received in the end despite being a fresh tweak, leading the NBA to finally land on the U.S. vs. World idea that has proved intriguing in the past but never actually came to fruition — until now.

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Jim Hiller Makes Another Tweak To The Kings’ Power Play Despite Three-Game Goal Streak

The Los Angeles Kings have experienced trouble on the power play to start the season. From opening night on Oct. 7 to Nov. 2, the Kings had the 25th-worst power-play conversion rate. In 37 opportunities, they scored six power-play goals to that point, going 16.2 percent on the man advantage.

However, when Los Angeles took on the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 4, the team’s top unit was tinkered with as they replaced Andrei Kuzmenko with Corey Perry. Since then, the Kings have played three games and recorded a power-play marker in each of those contests.

Los Angeles Kings Make Much-Needed Change To Top Power-Play UnitLos Angeles Kings Make Much-Needed Change To Top Power-Play UnitCorey Perry, the Los Angeles Kings' joint-leading goal scorer, will be joining the team's top power-play unit, a much-needed alteration. Is this the change the Kings need to end their power-play scoring drought?

Despite that, the Kings' head coach, Jim Hiller, believes that it’s time to make another tweak to their first power-play unit.

Hiller is putting Kuzmenko back on the top power play, swapping with Quinton Byfield, who will now grace the second unit.

Kevin Fiala, Andrei Kuzmenko and Quinton Byfield (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

Los Angeles’ bench boss pleads that this is an alteration that will get the best out of both players.

"We feel that's his great strength that gets him going in his overall game...try to get him some more touches there and see if that can translate,” Hiller said of Kuzmenko.

Report: Los Angeles Kings Not In Adrian Kempe’s Ballpark As Negotiations Are Back OnReport: Los Angeles Kings Not In Adrian Kempe’s Ballpark As Negotiations Are Back OnThe Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe have reportedly resumed contract talks. However, it still seems that the two parties are on the same level just yet.

As for Byfield, he doesn’t see this change as a negative decision for the 23-year-old center.

"Want to put the puck in his hands....he's a lefty. We got (Doughty) as a righty. I really want those two to be the shooters," the Kings coach told reporters at Tuesday morning's skate ahead of the team’s clash with the Montreal Canadiens.

This suggests that Byfield and defenseman Drew Doughty will work the right and left flanks, respectively, on the second unit. That leaves D-man Brandt Clarke as the quarterback, and Alex Laferriere and Phillip Danault as the net-front presence and in the slot.

Report: Kings’ Brandt Clarke Generating Trade Interest From Other TeamsReport: Kings’ Brandt Clarke Generating Trade Interest From Other TeamsWhile the Los Angeles Kings are looking to hang on to Brandt Clarke, he still remains a pending RFA and that has attracted some customers across the NHL.

For Los Angeles’ top unit, the formation shouldn’t change too much, but Kuzmenko's substitution for Byfield will add more balance between left-handed and right-handed players on the ice.

The Kings are looking to continue their streak of power-play goals to four games against the Canadiens.

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Early Season Draft Risers in Sweden

With November’s international tournaments in the books, it’s time to look back at some early-season draft risers. Jacob Smeds takes a closer look at three draft-eligible prospects who have boosted their stock during the first part of the season, as well as two players already making a name for themselves ahead of the 2027 NHL Draft.


Alexander Command (C), 2026 NHL Draft
Alexander Command put together an impressive performance for Sweden at the Five Nations, adding another layer to his already rising draft stock. Since the early stages of the U20 Nationell season, he’s stood out for his powerful skating and confident puck handling. Command moves through the neutral zone with ease, gliding past opponents with a stride that looks both smooth and deliberate. What truly separates him from most Swedish forwards is the blend of skill and grit in his game. He’s unafraid to battle along the boards or drive to the net, combining finesse with a competitive edge that makes him a player to watch.

So far, Command has produced an impressive 11 goals and 22 points through 14 games in Sweden’s top junior league. The production continued at the international level, where he contributed in all four games for Sweden’s U18 team this past week. Command was a somewhat surprising omission from Sweden’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster earlier this year, though that was likely due to an untimely illness over the summer. I would be very surprised if he isn’t a regular on the national team for the rest of the season.

Elton Hermansson (RW), 2026 NHL Draft
Elton Hermansson’s draft stock was already high before the season began, but his play in Sweden’s second-tier league earns him a spot on this list. Beyond his brilliant offensive game, he has shown a surprising level of responsibility in his defensive play. Hermansson may never be a Selke candidate, but handling professional competition requires more two-way awareness than junior hockey does, and he has shown real progress in that area during the first few months of the season.

Hermansson’s offensive game remains brilliant. At this stage, it is mostly about refining his decision-making in the offensive zone and further polishing the raw diamond that he is.

Theodor Knights (D), 2026 NHL Draft
Theodor Knights has a clear profile as a reliable shut-down defenseman, filling a role that few other Swedish prospects occupy. What stands out most about Knights is his ability to blend physical play with strong skating. That combination allows him to time his hits perfectly in the defensive zone and effectively break up opposing rushes. Knights also has the right mentality, frequently standing up for himself and his teammates when things get heated around his own net.

With his 6-foot-4 frame and defined playing style, he’s an easy player for NHL teams to project. It’s not uncommon to see players like Knights go as early as the second round or even late in the first. With that in mind, I don’t think we’ll have to wait long to hear his name called at the draft.

Theodor Knights: Hlinka Lessons and Five Nations MindsetTheodor Knights: Hlinka Lessons and Five Nations MindsetThe Hockey News’ Jacob Smeds speaks with 2026 NHL Draft prospect Theodor Knights. After starring for Team Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he now prepares for next week’s U18 Five Nations Tournament.


Olle Karlsson (C/RW), 2027 NHL Draft
Olle Karlsson won’t be draft eligible until 2027, but he showed at the Five Nations that he’s a name to watch. Karlsson played on Sweden’s fourth line in a shutdown role, where he found great success. His line with Adam Andersson and Ludvig Andersson earned the coaches’ trust in key defensive situations and delivered with confidence. Karlsson was most effective as the first forward on the forecheck, repeatedly forcing turnovers and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. His strong skating ability was the most standout aspect of his game and played a major role in that success.

Hampus Zirath (C), 2027 NHL Draft
Hampus Zirath didn’t play U20 hockey last season and therefore wasn’t on many radars for the 2027 draft heading into this year. Over the first few weeks of the season, however, he has impressed in the Swedish junior league. Sweden’s U18 head coach Johan Rosén described Zirath as a blend of Viggo Björck and Victor Eklund in terms of playing style, combining Björck’s hockey sense and shiftiness with Eklund’s competitive edge. Zirath brings both offensive upside and a reliable two-way game, making him an intriguing player to watch ahead of the 2027 draft.

Sweden Wins Both the U18 and U20 Five NationsSweden Wins Both the U18 and U20 Five NationsIt was a dramatic final day at both the U18 and U20 Five Nations. Despite Czechia holding pole position heading into the final day at the U20 level, Sweden ended up winning the tournament — helped by a win against Czechia. Sweden also claimed the title at the U18 level on home ice, thanks to a victory over the United States on Sunday.<br><br>
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England play Generation Game against All Blacks with overhaul of traditional order of selection | Robert Kitson

Steve Borthwick has picked six British & Irish Lions on his bench with a further nod to the growing importance of the endgame

Selecting your best XV to start a big rugby match feels increasingly quaint these days, as redolent of a different era as the Generation Game or Starsky & Hutch. To the point where you half expect to find the home teamsheet to face New Zealand this weekend has D‑N‑A‑L‑G‑N‑E printed at the top of it. Even with the All Blacks in town, the traditional order of selection no longer applies.

Instead it is all about the endgame. On this occasion Steve Borthwick has picked six British & Irish Lions on his bench compared with only four in his starting lineup. At some point around the 50th minute on Saturday there will be a mass discarding of XXL tracksuits and a fresh set of white orcs will rumble on. As South Africa’s “Bomb Squad” have long since shown, it can be mighty hard to combat.

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LeBron James to work out with Lakers G-League team as he nears return

While the Lakers are on a five-game road trip without him, LeBron James will work out with the Lakers' G League team and is expected to be near a return when the Lakers return home in a week.

LeBron has been out since before the start of training camp due to sciatica on his right side. He was recently cleared for contact with a re-evaluation expected later this week or early next week. Part of the recovery process involves getting him back into playing, though 5-on-5 scrimmages. Before his team's win over Charlotte on Monday, coach J.J. Redick said LeBron was "practicing with South Bay" (Redick stated it was happening on Monday, but the Lakers' staff clarified it would take place at some point this week).

The Lakers' next home game is on Nov. 18 against the Utah Jazz. His taking the court then would fit with the long-planned return for LeBron in mid-November. Lakers players aren't concerned about James fitting in upon his return, whenever that may be.

"The thing about him is he understands the game, as everybody knows," Austin Reaves told the Associated Press. "Knowing him, he's been watching these first, what is that 11 games and, analyzing the game in a sense of where he knows when he comes back, 'This is how I can help the team.'"
The Lakers are off to a fast 8-3 start without LeBron behind a top-10 offense sparked by Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level. Reaves has stepped up as a high-level secondary scoring option, while Deandre Ayton has shown to be solid most games and the kind of two-way big man the Lakers have needed with Doncic. These Lakers will get a measuring stick game on Wednesday against the defending champion Thunder (who remain without their second-best player, Jalen Williams, who is nearing a return from wrist surgery).

Not long after, it appears the Lakers will add LeBron James back into the mix. With his return, LeBron will add another record to his already historic resume, becoming the first player to reach his 23rd NBA season.