Two weeks into the 2026-27 NBA season, Acuff leads all rookies, averaging 26.3 points per game. The Chicago Bulls’ No. 4 overall pick, Caleb Wilson, is second at 21.2.
But while Acuff looks like a budding superstar, the Kings are 0-6 after a 136-105 drubbing at the hands of the 6-0 Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night at FedExForum.
Kings coach Doug Christie didn’t waste any time after Saturday’s loss identifying what needs to change.
“Man, we have to help him,” Christie told reporters in Memphis. “It’s an absolute must. The kid is special. He’s highly competitive. He wants to win. I truly enjoyed coaching him and watching his growth already in just these games. I think the opponent, a lot of times, tells you what they think about your players and last time we faced these guys, I think they put seven people on him.
“So in his third game, that’s telling you who they think he is and that’s what we already know, management, obviously, and myself, is, he’s special, continues to develop, continues to compete. We put him in position to win ball games and he’s going to win a lot of them.”
Acuff scored a career-high 38 points in Saturday’s loss, two days after scoring a then-career-high 34 points in the Kings’ 12-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He has scored at least 33 points in three of his six NBA games.
Against the Grizzlies, only three other Kings players scored in double figures: De’Andre Hunter had 19 points, while veterans Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis finished with 11 apiece.
Sacramento’s bench, led by veteran guard Malik Monk, scored 20 total points in Memphis and is averaging an NBA-worst 19.5 points per game.
On defense, the Kings are giving up 128.3 points per game, second-worst in the NBA behind the Bulls, who are allowing 129.3 points per game.
But Sacramento is scoring just 109.3 points per game, leading to an NBA-worst 19.0-point differential.
“Yeah, it’s good to have a flow going but we got to hang our hat on the defensive end, just try to come up with more stops, we’ve got to keep communicating and just try to stay together,” Acuff told reporters when asked about his performances so far as a rookie.
Pushed to talk about making an NBA-rookie record-tying nine 3-pointers against the Grizzlies, Acuff still wasn’t in the mood to talk about himself.
“It’s good, personal-wise, but it don’t matter because we’re losing, so them two don’t go well together. So it doesn’t really matter,” Acuff said.
Christie and Acuff know the rest of the Kings’ roster needs to step up. Maybe injured players like Maxime Raynaud, Keegan Murray and Dylan Cardwell will help when they return.
But until they do, Sacramento needs more from LaVine, Sabonis, Hunter and Monk.
Otherwise, Acuff might be on an island for a while.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -OCTOBER 31: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives for two against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 31: 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs delivered the tricks and took home the treat on Halloween, earning a 121–111 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday night, sending the fans home with smiles on their faces and candy in their bellies.
The victory is the fourth straight for San Antonio, who started the season 0-2 after losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson informed reporters before the game that guard Stephon Castle was suffering from a migraine and was a game-time decision. He would eventually be in the starting lineup and play 22 minutes.
San Antonio opened the game with one of their strongest defensive efforts of the season, holding the Timberwolves to 37 percent shooting in the first quarter. At one point in the period, the Spurs led 11-2, but the Timberwolves went on an 11-0 run to briefly take a one-point lead. De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama combined for 19 of the Spurs’ 34 points.
“We want to just try to make sure we can get the best shot in every possession, and that’s never going to happen,” Coach Johnson said after the game. “But I think if you just constantly keep that at the front of your brain and at the at the forefront of the conversation, and if everybody, for the most part, over time is putting their energy into that, you’ll land in a pretty good spot.”
Wembanayama knew he needed to be more aggressive and he acted like it. From the opening tip, he was calling for Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle to lob him the ball. He scored 24 points in the first half (43 points for the game), including throwing the ball to himself off the glass for a dunk that got the crowd on its feet and had Minnesota head coach Chris Finch asking for a timeout.
“He’s just so dominant,” Harper said of Wembanyama. “I feel like he goes out there and when he puts his imprint on the game, he’s unstoppable, and he did that tonight from the jump to end of the game. So I mean, hey, I was okay with him taking those shots. Those are all good looks, and my biggest thing with him is just if you’re gonna take the shot, take it, be confident.”
San Antonio went up double digits, but turnovers allowed the Timberwolves to get back into the game, turning the deficit for Minnesota into a one-point lead at halftime. The Spurs committed four their 15 turnovers in the second quarter.
With Minnesota missing stars Anthony Edwards, Rudy Golbert, and Donte DiVincenzo, Finch relied on newly acquired guard LaMelo Ball. The new Minnesota guard saw himself in foul trouble, racking up four personal fouls in the first half. He would eventually foul out of the game, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The final quarter saw the Spurs turn it on, leaving no doubt on which team would go home with the treat of a win on Halloween. San Antonio outscored Minnesota 28-23 in the period, led by Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox. The sophomore guard finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists as he got aggressive with Wemby on the bench to begin the period.
“I love games like this,” Harper said after the game. “I love games where the other team starts talking first because when you respond, it’s not your fault when you talk.. the competitive nature that the Timberwolves brought kind of brings the best out of us. And obviously, when a team’s that competitive, it brings the best out of me.”
De’Aaron Fox had a solid outing, including hitting key shots when Minnesota threatened to come back. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists; crediting Wembanyama for making everyone better.
“His gravity is like Steph (Curry),” Fox said. “If he rolls to the basket, he’s going to have two or three defenders. To use that gravity, makes it easier for the rest of us.”
Game Notes
Luke Kornet had a strong outing after a string of poor games. He finished with 2 points and 8 rebounds, including four offensive boards.
Carter Bryant came off the bench and hit two threes. He played with confidence and that’s a welcome sign.
San Antonio will need to cut back on the turnovers, but they made up for it with solid defense in the final two quarters.
Julian Champaignie had 12 points off the bench, going 3-f0r-7 from beyond the arc.
Coach Johnson said pregame that the team will not rush Tobias Harris back to the court amid all the gruesome injury news around the league over the past week. I’d expect it to be a few weeks until he makes his debut.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after the Lakers made a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 30, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Austin Reaves is never one to duck the blame or shift the focus to something else. When he’s bad, he’ll admit he’s bad. And on Friday, he was bad.
Reaves turned the ball over eight times, shot 9-19 from the field and had a plus-minus of -13, worst among the starters. He was not the sole reason the team blew a 25-point first half lead to the Warriors and lost by double digits, but when you get the superstar contract, you also get the superstar treatment in losses.
Debating just how much blame he deserved is irrelevant as Reaves was as brutally honest about his game as anyone else would have been.
“I was terrible again. That’s it.”
Harsh, but fair.
When Luka Dončić was on the floor, the Lakers were great, though mostly because of him. When he sat, the Lakers were bad, with Reaves at the center of it.
If you were looking for an excuse, the fact that those non-Luka groups consist of many players who joined the team this offseason is a fair one. Those units are looking for chemistry, but when asked if that’s legitimate rationale for their struggles, Austin wasn’t interested in any excuses.
“It’s real, but that doesn’t give that second unit an excuse to be pretty terrible,” he said. “And that starts with me. I’ll watch the film and try to be better. But you have to learn on the fly and pick up things quickly. As I said, I have to be better to start that.”
Austin has modeled his career around constant improvement, so there’s little doubt this is just another hurdle he’ll have to climb. Even if he’s run second units without Luka before, they’ve often come flanked by LeBron James. This is a new challenge and teams have him one rung higher on the scouting report now.
The word is out that the way to disrupt Austin is to throw doubles at him on ball screens and try to overwhelm him physically into a turnover. That’s the punch defenses are throwing and now it’s time for Austin to throw a counterpunch.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 31: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche battles for the puck against Morgan Frost #16 of the Calgary Flames during the first period at Ball Arena on October 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It was a night where there were more treats than tricks as the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Calgary Flames on Halloween night. The game began well after the candy was handed out but Colorado tasted the sweet 5-2 victory at the end of the night. Artturi Lehkonen continued his hot streak with two goals and Cale Makar finished with four assists.
The Game
To start this game, the Avalanche generated many shots but no goals until Nathan MacKinnon broke through with just over five minutes remaining in the first period. A rebound found it’s way right to MacKinnon in his favorite spot on the left side and he nailed the post and it bounced into the net behind Arsenii Sergeev making his second career NHL start for the Flames. Calgary got a few good looks on Mackenzie Blackwood but he shut the door especially on Matt Coronato by making a sprawling save with eight seconds to go to preserve the 1-0 lead.
On this Halloween night things got scary as the Avalanche received a power play early in the second period. As the first unit remained on the ice for nearly the full duration, Martin Nečas finally scored from the left circle and continued his hot streak of scoring on Halloween.
Martin Necas can add to his Halloween point total tomorrow when the @Avalanche host the @NHLFlames, who have the League’s best points percentage on Oct. 31 (.833 P%). 🎃 #HockeyHalloween
Minutes later, Arturri Lehkonen continued his own hot streak scoring his 11th goal on the season and Brock Nelson soon after. At that point the game entered garbage time as the clock began approaching midnight both on the evening and this game. Calgary tried to make it interesting when Joel Farabee made a spin move at the net front and finally got on the board to make it 4-1. Nothing much else happened in the period except for Brock Nelson got hit in the head on a Cale Makar shot but he returned to the bench by the start of the third period.
Speaking of the final frame, Colorado was feeling generous when a Brent Burns turnover behind the net led to a Martin Pospisil goal. Two minutes later, however, the Avalanche got it back as a Cale Makar shot was deflected by Lehkonen for his 12th goal of the season. Not much else happened other than Fedor Svechkov got chopped in the face and had to leave the ice for repairs and the Avalanche got a four-minute power play but they couldn’t cash in. Therefore the 5-2 score stood at the final horn and Colorado secured their victory.
Takeaways
Lehkonen is on pace for 72 goals this season after scoring his 12th in 14 games. Never mind that it’s on 28 shots on goal or what the ramifications of this will be but the Avalanche will take a hot streak to help them in the standings right now.
The four points he generated tonight is a sesson-high for Cale Makar. His high mark previous to this was a three-point effort when the Avalanche visited the Flames earlier in the month. That’s nearly half of the 15 points Makar has on the year courtesy of Calgary. The Avalanche don’t see the Flames again until April so Cale will have to find a new favorite team to play against.
Upcoming
The start of another quick road trip featuring a back-to-back. The fun begins on Monday, November 2nd at the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. MT.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena on January 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 110-93. 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 Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (4-2) have another back-to-back with the Toronto Raptors (3-2) on Sunday. The purple and gold will be at home for these next two games.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors
When: 6 p.m. PT, Nov. 1
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday will certainly be in the running for one of their worst defeats this season. When it comes to games like this, the best thing to do is take note of what went wrong and delete the tape, especially after that first quarter.
Three things went wrong for the purple and gold in that game. For starters, they struggled mightily whenever Luka Dončić was on the bench. Second, they committed a season-high 20 turnovers, with Austin Reaves accounting for eight. Lastly, the Warriors simply played harder and smarter than the Lakers.
So now, how does Los Angeles respond to their worst loss of the young season thus far? We’ll know when they take on a very good Raptors team on Sunday.
The Raptors enter this game having the third-best defense in the league. They won’t have Kawhi Leonard, but they have capable scorers like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. They may look like the same Raptors team the Lakers have faced over the years, but make no mistake, this group has developed and is better than ever.
As a defensive-first team, these Raptors ranked second in steals and are an above-average transition team, so the Lakers really have to take care of the ball in this one. Toronto will also attempt to expose the Lakers’ weakness in rebounding, knowing they now rank dead last in the league in rebounds per game. The Lakers can’t be outworked once again if they want to win this game.
LA has to force the Raptors to execute in the half court, where their offense is less reliable. It would be nice to see a better performance from Reaves and Walker Kessler who has been quite mediocre for his standards over the last couple of games. Reaves and Dončić will face a lot of ball pressure and physicality, so they’ll have to counter with their ability to manipulate the defense and control the game’s pace.
After suffering their first loss of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers wasted no time responding, coming out firing and cruising past the L.A. Clippers the following day. Now, the Lakers have another opportunity to bounce back from their worst loss of the young season. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond and what adjustments they make moving forward.
Let’s see if they can execute better and more importantly, get back on the winning column against the Raptors on Sunday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Cameron Carr (right oblique strain) is no longer listed
However, Adou Thiero (left knee injury management) remains out and Ziaire Williams (left foot injury management) is questionable.
As for the Raptors, Leonard (left knee injury management) won’t be ready to go while Nate Bittle (right avulsion fracture) is out.
The Calgary Flames couldn’t carry their momentum from Friday night’s win into Colorado, falling 5-2 to the Avalanche on Saturday night.
Calgary was coming off a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken and had won six of its previous eight games heading into the second half of a back-to-back.
Recently recalled goaltender Arsenii Sergeev got the start between the pipes for the Flames, but faced an early deficit against one of the league’s top offensive teams.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Colorado opened the scoring at the 14:13 mark of the first period. After picking up a loose puck in the high slot, Nathan MacKinnon fired a shot upstairs past Sergeev to make it 1-0.
The Avalanche added to their lead early in the second period on the power play. At 2:37, MacKinnon sent the puck to former Flame Nazem Kadri, who found Martin Necas with a perfect cross-seam pass. Necas made no mistake, beating Sergeev with a one-timer to make it 2-0.
Just over three minutes later, Colorado struck again. Cale Makar dangled around a Flames defender before sliding the puck to Artturi Lehkonen, who quickly fired it past Sergeev to extend the lead to 3-0.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Avalanche weren’t finished. On a two-on-one rush, Gabriel Landeskog flipped a pass across to Brock Nelson, who chipped the puck out of the air and into the net to give Colorado a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Calgary finally got on the board before the end of the second period. Mikael Backlund won a battle along the boards and sent the puck out to Joel Farabee. Farabee kicked it to his stick before sliding a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood to make it 4-1.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Flames carried some momentum into the third period, with Martin Pospisil cutting the deficit to two early in the frame.
After a strong forecheck and a turnover forced on Ryan Strome, Pospisil found himself with the puck in front of the net and buried his opportunity past Blackwood to make it 4-2.
However, any hopes of a Calgary comeback were quickly answered by Colorado.
Moments later, Makar sent a shot toward the net that Lehkonen redirected past Sergeev for his second goal of the night, restoring the Avalanche’s three-goal lead at 5-2.
Three Takeaways
1. Farabee continues to deliver offensively
Joel Farabee has been one of Calgary’s most productive forwards lately. His goal against Colorado gives him 12 points in his last seven games, with five goals and seven assists during that stretch. He’s providing consistent offence and becoming an important part of the Flames’ attack.
2. Calgary connections make an impact for Colorado
There were a couple of familiar connections on the Avalanche scoresheet. Calgary-born defenceman Cale Makar recorded four assists, while Nazem Kadri added an assist against his former team. Both played important roles in Colorado’s offensive performance.
3. Frost closing in on career milestone
Morgan Frost is now just one point away from reaching 200 career NHL points. The Flames forward is approaching another personal milestone as he continues to establish himself in Calgary’s lineup.
Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov did his part in his first game after telling his teammates he had requested a trade from the team he led to two championships.
The NHL's reigning MVP set up the first three Lightning goals for a 3-2 lead against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, Oct. 31. Nashville, however, rallied to win the game 5-4 in a shootout.
"He's going to play hard and we can't look into the future," teammate Brayden Point told reporters. "Right now, he's a Bolt."
When NHL insider Pierre LeBrun wondered on social media whether Kucherov eventually would sit out to pressure the team, agent Dan Milstein replied, "Unlikely."
Kucherov is the final year of a contract that has a $9.5 million cap hit. After some negotiations for an extension, the Lightning were informed that he wouldn't re-sign with the team and wanted to be traded. According to puckpedia.com, he has a modified trade clause in which he submits 10 teams.
General manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement on Oct. 30 that the Lightning "unequivocally" have no intention to trade the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
What Lightning said about Nikita Kucherov's trade request
Lightning captain Victor Hedman: "It was a tough day."
Point: "That's his business. He's my teammate. He's my friend. That's how I'll treat him."
Lightning defenseman John Carlson: "I think it was surprising to everyone."
He added that the trade request wasn't a distraction.
"Once you get on the ice, there's only so many things you can worry about," he said. "I think we're focused on what I can do on the ice."
Jon Cooper on the Nikita Kucherov situation: "I will sit here and tell you nothing has changed in what our goals are this year just, maybe, the context of how it is going to go about. Kuch is 100% a part of this team. He wants to be a part of this team for this season and he is…
Lightning coach Jon Cooper on Kucherov's night: “He's a proud Bolt and he came in tonight to help us win a hockey game as he’s done his whole career here and he gave us a hell of a chance. It's too bad we couldn't pull that one out."
Kucherov did not talk to media after the game.
Dylan Larkin trade request update
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said he believes that Larkin's camp could make revisions to his current 10-team trade list.
"I think over the next 24-48 hours it's possible we see that trade list altered."
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 12: Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 12, 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
Boston Celtics (4-1) at Orlando Magic (2-3) Sunday, November 1, 2026 3:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #6 Road Game #2 TV: NBCSB, DAZN, NBA-LP Radio: Sirius XM, 98.5 Sports Hub, 96.9 The Game Kia Center
The Celtics look for their 5th straight win as they take on the Magic in Orlando. This is the first of 2 back to back road games. The Celtics will play at Houston on Monday. This is their 2nd back to back set this season and their first on the road. They won both legs of their first back to back. This is also the first of back to back games for the Magic who will host Washington on Monday.
The Celtics were 3-1 last year against the Magic. They lost one game in Orlando and won one in Orlando and two in Boston. This is the first of 4 games between these two teams this season. They will play in Boston on November 16 and March 18. They will play again in Orlando on April 7. The Celtics are 79-58 overall all time against the Magic and they are 27-40 in games played in Orlando.
The Magic have made a few changes since last season. Their biggest move was to fire coach Jamahl Mosley and hire former Spurs assistant, Sean Sweeney, as head coach. They also added former Celtic Nikola Vucevic to a 1 year minimum contract. They drafted Izaiyah Nelson with the 51st pick in the draft and signed him to a 2-Way contract. They lost Moritz Wagner and Jett Howard.
After this game, the Celtics will play at Houston in back to back games. They will then play at home against Milwaukee before a road trip that will take them through Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto. They play Dallas and Orlando at home before a West coast trip that takes them through Denver, Sacramento, Golden State, and Washington. They then play one game at home against Atlanta before playing at San Antonio and Dallas.
The Magic will also play back to back as they host Washington. They then play at Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento and Utah. They then have one game at home against Milwaukee before playing at Boston. Then they host Philadelphia before they play at Brooklyn, and Washington. Then it’s one game at home against Detroit before a road trip through Washington, Detroit, and Dallas takes them to the NBA Cup tournament.
The Celtics have started Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson in every game so far and I have once again listed the same starters for this game. Mitchell Robinson is listed as out for rest so the starting center will likely be Neemias Queta, but I wouldn’t rule out Garza or even Cenac starting either. I’ve listed the Magic starters from their last game, which are Jase Richardson, Desmond Bane, Anthony Black, Franz Wagner, and Wendall Carter, Jr.
For the Celtics, Devin Carter remains on the injury report due to illness. After missing the final 3 games of the preseason, Carter was diagnosed with mononucleosis and is without a timetable for a return. Mitchell Robinson has been added as out due to rest in the first of back to back games. For the Magic, Paolo Banchero (ankle), Jonathan Isaac (knee), Izaiyah Nelson (ankle), Noah Penda (hamstring) and Jalen Suggs (knee) are all out.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Jase Richardson
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesJase Richardson | Getty Images
SG: Jordan Walsh vs Desmond Bane
Jordan Walsh | NBAE via Getty ImagesDesmond Bane | Getty Images
SF: Paul George vs Anthony Black
Paul George | NBAE via Getty ImagesAnthony Black | NBAE via Getty Images
PF: Jayson Tatum vs Franz Wagner
Jayson Tatum | Boston Globe via Getty ImagesFranz Wagner | NBAE via Getty Images
C: Neemias Queta vs Wendell Carter, Jr
Neemias Queta | Getty ImagesWendell Carter, Jr | NBAE via Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Chris Cenac, Jr Mike Conley, Jr Luka Garza Hugo Gonzalez Ron Harper, Jr Sam Hauser Payton Pritchard Baylor Scheierman Two Way Players Devin Carter Dillon Mitchell Amari Williams Injuries/Out Devin Carter (illness) out Mitchell Robinson (rest) out
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Magic Reserves Goga Bitadze Jamal Cain Jevon Carter Tristan da Silva Nikola Vucevic
Two-Way Players Colin Castleton Alex Morales Izaiyah Nelson
Injuries/Out Paolo Banchero (ankle) out Jonathan Isaac (knee) out Izaiyah Nelson (ankle) out Noah Penda (hamstring) out Jalen Suggs (knee) out Head Coach Sean Sweeney
Key Matchups Jayson Tatum vs Franz Wagner Wagner is leading the Magic with 20.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 43.0% from the field and 18.5% from beyond the arc. He has been struggling from the perimeter but the Celtics shouldn’t understimate him and leave him open since he shot 34.5% from three last season. The Celtics need to defend him for both the shot and the pass.
Jordan Walsh vs Desmond Bane Bane is averaging 17.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. He is shooting 33.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. He is capable of putting up big numbers if not defended well. In a game against the Celtics last season, he finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks while shooting 53.3% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. As with Wagner, the Celtics need to defend him well.
Honorable Mention Neemias Queta vs Wendell Carter, Jr. Carter is averaging 14.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 65.0% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him both in the paint and on the perimeter as he is shooting well from both. Since Robinson is out for rest, we may see Queta or Garza, or even Cenac getting the start. I’m guessing Queta.
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is the key to winning this, and every, game. In the preseason, the Celtics were tops in the league with a defensive rating of 98.6. The Celtics are 10th in the league with a 108.1 defensive rating. The Magic are 25th with a defensive rating of 117.0. The Celtics need to continue to play tough defense and make that their identity and priority.
Rebound – As with defense, rebounding will always be a key to winning. The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team and go after every rebound. In the preseason, the Celtics were 1st with 55 rebounds per game and 3rd with 16.8 offensive rebounds per game. So far in the regular season, they are 19th in rebounding with 43.6 rebounds per game and 13th with 12.2 offensive rebounds per game. The Magic are 29th with 39.4 rebounds per game. The Celtics are 23rd in the league with 13.8 second chance points per game. The Celtics need to be aggressive on the boards and win the rebounding battle.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes– The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In the first half against the Bulls, the Celtics played hard and stayed focused, taking care of the ball and taking and making good shots. In the second half, the Bulls were the team that played harder and the Celtics lost focus on both ends of the court, allowing the Bulls to cut a 29 point lead to 14. The Celtics have to play hard and stay focused for all 48 minutes.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball to get the best shots. The Celtics are much better when they move the ball and don’t lapse into iso ball. But, they have to be careful with the ball and avoid turnovers. The Celtics are 14th with 15.8 turnovers per game. That is too many. The Magic are averaging 15.6 points off turnovers per game. The Celtics need to make the extra pass to find the best shot but they also need to stay focused and make careful passes.
X-Factors Road Game – The Celtics are playing on the road. They are facing distractions of travel and playing in an unfamiliar arena in front of hostile fans. Although, there is often a large contingent of Celtics fans in the arena. They need to shake off those distractions and keep their focus on playing the game. Young players often struggle more on the road and so the young Celtics have to stay focused and try to ignore the distractions.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. The Celtics also have to be aware of the new points of emphasis for this season and try to avoid off‑arm push‑offs, reckless closeouts, delays before free throws illegal screens and especially flopping. Paul George was already fined for a flop in the first game and there have been several other flopping calls as well.
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Dallas.
And now the Islanders will hold their breath, hoping there is no hearing and subsequent suspension for Emil Heineman following his knee-on-knee hit to Isaac Howard that got him kicked out of Saturday’s match just 2:22 into the proceedings.
Though the Islanders did have a fair gripe that the hit was not initially whistled on the ice, the penalty itself was textbook. It was the second time in as many games that the Islanders lost a player in the opening minutes after Ryan Pulock exited Thursday’s win in Minnesota with injury, but this time, the Islanders never found an offensive rhythm in a 4-0 defeat to the Oilers at UBS Arena.
“I was surprised it was upheld as a major, yeah,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But again, I haven’t looked at it that closely.”
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Dallas. NHLI via Getty Images
Heineman didn’t speak in the dressing room postgame — the Islanders, and most other teams, generally don’t have players speak after they get tossed from games — and his teammates mostly said variations of what DeBoer did.
“We haven’t had a chance to really see the hit,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “Obviously we hope the other guy’s all right. I know there’s no intention behind that. Heiny’s someone that plays hard and he’s always clean. To start like that, it’s obviously hard to create some momentum, but I thought we did a good job killing [the major penalty].”
The good news is that Howard, who left the game and did not return, might be all right, per Oilers coach Mike Babcock.
“We don’t think, Howard, it’s as serious as it looked,” Babcock said. “We’re hoping for a real good kind of recovery day for him tomorrow, and if he doesn’t [feel better], then we’ll get on with the medical part of looking into it. But they think it’s favorable.”
The bad news for the Islanders is that in addition to losing Heineman for essentially all of Saturday’s game, there is not an obvious replacement should he be suspended for Thursday’s match against Carolina.
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
They are carrying just 12 healthy forwards on their roster, and the group in AHL Hamilton is nearly as battered as the one in the NHL. Liam Foudy could be in line for a spot call-up, but none of the forward prospects — Quinn Finley, Cole Eiserman, Daniil Prokhorov — are believed to be ready.
Otherwise, the Islanders’ injuries are status quo, with Matias Maccelli (lower body) skating, Calum Ritchie (lower body) yet to begin skating and Mathew Barzal (left kneecap inflammation) still skating, but without any timeline.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 30: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates his three-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth quarter of the NBA Cup game at Target Center on October 30, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the 127-101. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the eighth anniversary of Derrick Rose’s 50 point game, your Minnesota Timberwolves fell victim to a Halloween monster performance by alien Victor Wembanyama, losing to the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 121-111.
With this being a second night of a set of back-to-back games and playing without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (back spasms), many fans may have expected tonight’s result.
What they may not have expected, however, was the amount of fight the Wolves had in them even if it was not enough for the victory.
Encouraging Signs from Joan Beringer
A performance I really want to highlight was that of Joan Beringer. Starting tonight in place of Rudy Gobert, Joan poured in 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, and committed five fouls in 34 minutes of play.
On paper, his French counterpart completely eviscerated him, with Wemby scoring an otherworldly 43 points on 17-34 shooting.
Looks like Wemby dominated him, right? It did feel like that at times, because Victor is such a freak. Every time Wemby came at Joan with something ridiculous, Joan just kept battling.
It was amazing growth to see, because at age 34 Rudy Gobert is going to miss games. Joan Beringer needs to be effective in those games, and although the stats didn’t show it tonight, he was able to hold his own.
Ayo Continues His Steady Play
Ayo Dosunmu continues to fill in admirably in the absence of Anthony Edwards, scoring 27 points on 11-15 shooting, splashing two threes, and even grabbing nine boards.
These types of performances are exactly why he was paid all that money to come back.
His speed in the open floor is outrageous, his willingness to defend, and his overall tenacity is exactly what this team will need come playoff time, but they need it even more now that Ant remains sidelined.
Tough Night for ‘Melo
Unfortunately, LaMelo Ball had a rough night. He had just 10 points, 2/10 shooting overall, and didn’t make a three. He spent much of the game on the bench due to foul trouble, and even fouled out at the end of the game when the Wolves were attempting to make a final push at victory.
It’s becoming a pattern now where LaMelo puts himself in these disadvantageous situations and it’s not something the Wolves can afford, especially on a back-to-back in San Antonio. He looks sped up, can’t find any rhythm with his shot, and is playing with his hands too much on the defensive end.
You maybe can get away with a performance like this against the NBA’s cellar dwellers, but not against the reigning Western Conference champions.
Moving forward, I would like to see LaMelo get himself going by attacking the paint and maybe getting to the free throw line or making easy dump offs for his teammates. Finding a rhythm isn’t just about making shots, it’s about finding your place in an offense on game in,, game out basis. The shots will start falling, just not if you force the issue too much.
Jonathan Kuminga Making Plays
Among the positives, Jonathan Kuminga I thought had a really nice game. He logged 40 minutes, which was good to see after only 22 last night, scoring 19 points, hitting two threes, and really helping defend the powerhouse San Antonio guards on the perimeter. Performances like these are why people keep falling in love with this man’s game. It wasn’t totally flashy, either, save for this dunk on Victor Wembanyama.
For some reason, I feel like we’re on borrowed time with Kuminga. It’s his reputation, based on his last two stops. Chris Finch is really good at defining roles for his players, and if this is the Jonathan Kuminga we’re going to see more often than not then I’m all for it.
Lackluster Bench Night
Bench wise, there wasn’t really a ton of note that happened tonight. The presumed sixth and seventh men were starting tonight, so Finch only went nine deep.
Outside of some Jaylen Clark made threes, there wasn’t a ton of production. TJ Shannon had a game he’d like to forget, making only one field goal and failing to draw iron on a couple threes. Trey Lyles made some nice plays, but also looked lost at times.
I was a little shocked that we didn’t see Cody Williams tonight. Without a true center coming off the bench, he’s someone with some size that I thought he could go throw his body around and battle among the tree that is Wemby.
Another head scratcher was the lack of Bones Hyland out there. With LaMelo down in foul trouble early, he came into the game and got six pretty quick points, but wasn’t really effective in his second stint and we didn’t really see him again. That could be a product of Ayo having a nice night, but it seemed as if he could’ve helped settle the offense down and there were times tonight where that was sorely needed.
Uneven Officiating
One last quick thing before we flush this one and move on to the next game: The way this team gets officiated is mind-boggling at times. I’m not saying that the majority of the fouls that were called on Minnesota tonight were bad calls, but a lot of the touchy calls that they get called on them don’t seem to go the other way when they happen to the Timberwolves.
Case in point, there was a sequence when Joan Beringer made an effort play on Victor Wembanyama to get a putback and keep the game tight and got a foul for going over the back of Wembanyama.
It’s totally fine if that’s the level of contact the officials want to whistle for. The ensuing possession down the floor, Wemby gets quite physical with Beringer in order to make himself available down low (a level of physicality you wouldn’t know Wemby had if you watched him drive to the hoop, just saying) and there was nothing called as Wemby almost put Joan in the rim. Add that on to the lack of calls Anthony Edwards gets going to the hole, and it creates a discrepancy that the Wolves should take issue with.
Final Thoughts
All in all, there were plenty of positives to take away from tonight’s game in San Antonio. The Timberwolves fought valiantly to keep themselves in the game, but just couldn’t quite get over the hump.
Game Highlights
Up Next
Your Minnesota Timberwolves are back in action on Monday, November 2nd, when they play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:00pm CT. That game will be streaming on DAZN-MIN for in-market fans, and on NBA League Pass for out-of-market fans.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks on before Game Two of the Championship Series against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dana Brown is reportedly returning to the Braves’ organization and the Alex Anthopoulos front office. Brown was a big part of the draft side of things for a while and highly respected in that role before joining the Astros as their top executive. His stint in Houston was a mixed bag and seemingly filled with owner meddling. He now rejoins the Braves on the amateur scouting side once again. I have heard a mixed bag of stories about Brown from the Braves’ prospect community, but clearly smart people in the Braves’ front office and around baseball value him highly enough to put him in important spots, so it seems like a good thing to add someone like that back into the fold.
And, unlike their Mammoth counterparts on Thursday, they were unable to play late-game heroics.
Despite a commendable effort in the third period by the Penguins, they were unable to muster enough to tie the game in the final minutes, losing by a score of 5-4. Sergei Murashov, who got his first start between the pipes in two weeks, surrendered five goals on 27 shots, while the Penguins put 29 shots on young Habs' netminder Jacob Fowler - most of which came in the final frame.
The Penguins were actually the first to get on the board in this one, as they cashed in on an early power play opportunity. Sidney Crosby set up Erik Karlsson for a one-time shot, and he buried it, giving Crosby his 1,112th career helper to break the NHL record for most assists with a single franchise.
However, the Penguins' only lead in this game didn't last long because, just 33 seconds later, Canadiens' forward Oliver Kapanen put one past Murashov for a bit of a shaky goal to tie the game. Then, only 24 seconds after that, yet another egregious defensive zone giveaway by the Penguins - this time, by forward Hendrix Lapierre - led directly to a goal against by Josh Anderson to make it 2-1.
A few minutes later, the Penguins' first line broke into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2. Crosby came down the right side and dropped it Rickard Rakell down the middle, and Rakell quickly put the puck on the tape of Tommy Novak coming down the left side. Novak cut across the net-front and went five-hole to beat Fowler and tie the game at 2-2.
Shortly after that goal, Montreal appeared to have scored again, but as it turns out, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse challenged the play for goaltender interference and won to keep things knotted up.
But the Habs still managed to take the lead early in the third period on a goal by Alexandre Texier. And, once again, the Penguins surrendered another goal within the span of a minute - this one, 27 seconds later to Chris Kreider - to make the score 4-2.
Less than a minute and a half later, Karlsson made an outstanding play at the offensive blue line to keep the puck onside, and he cut across the slot. He made a no-look backhand pass to Rakell, who was cycling into the high slot area, and Rakell beat Fowler to once again cut the Penguins' deficit to one.
Unfortunately, with a little less than seven minutes to go in the second period, Anderson netted his second of the game off a fluke play. Murashov made the initial save, but the puck hit off Kris Letang's leg and went into the back of the net, giving Montreal the two-goal lead.
The Penguins pushed hard in the third period, registering 15 shots and coming to within one after Crosby scored with the extra attacker and a little more than three minutes left in regulation. However, they could not muster another tally before the clock ran out, giving them their sixth loss in the last eight games.
Here are a few takeaways from this one:
- It's easy to say Murashov had a bad night, especially after the first goal he surrendered. And, yes, he could have made a save or two extra.
But the Penguins are absolutely leaving him out to dry in every single one of his starts. And it has been that way since the beginning of the season.
Another bad defensive zone turnover led to the second goal. The third and fourth goals from the Habs were results of poor defensive zone coverage. Say all you want about Murashov needing to be better, but it's not a particularly easy ask or reasonable expectation for your 22-year-old rookie goaltender with 10 games NHL experience under his belt to have to stand on his head each and every outing.
No, the AHL won't do anything to help Murashov. He's beyond that. The Penguins having only four games in two weeks didn't help, either, especially with Arturs Silovs performing the way he is. He has to ride it out and figure it out.
And that's just something that is going to come along with the youth movement in the NHL. Folks ask for young players. Young players are not going to have it figured out right away. Murashov needs time and NHL reps, and if the expectation is for him to semi-regularly steal games for the Penguins right from the start like he stole a point for them in Columbus, that expectation needs to be taken down a few notches.
- The giveaway by Lapierre on the second goal was, again, egregious. But It's a mystery what Declan Carlile was trying to accomplish on the next two goals against.
On the third goal, he committed to coverage higher in the zone, where Egor Chinakhov was already covering his man, leaving Texier exposed. On the fourth goal, he was all the way up near the blue line in defensive zone coverage, leaving Lapierre to defend the net front.
Carlile positions himself in the defensive zone like a forward, and stuff like this simply cannot happen at the NHL level. As a general rule of thumb, it is a defenseman's job to defend the net-front and defend down low as a whole. Leaving your forwards to carry that load in those situations, especially when there was already coverage higher in the zone, is not something that should happen.
The 26-year-old has some offensive talent, but he is a minus-9. Normally, that stat is a bit arbitrary, but in this case, that minus-9 is entirely indicative of his play in his own zone. At this point, it's nearly a nightly occurrence that he makes a defensive zone gaffe that leads to a goal, or multiple goals, against.
That slight offensive upside, in no way right now, outweighs his defensive zone liability. I'm not sure how much longer a leash the Penguins can have with him.
- On a positive note, Crosby sure looked like himself Saturday.
He was affecting the game everywhere. He was cycling and turning on the jets down low in the offensive zone. He broke an NHL record and also tied Marcel Dionne for sixth all-time in scoring by the end of the night. His chemistry with Rakell was on display. And Rakell himself scored his fourth goal in the last five games.
His line was, by far, the best line for the Penguins in that game. Novak looked far more comfortable Saturday, too, than he had in the previous games. If they can begin to gel - and the second line can continue to build - the Penguins should have no trouble scoring.
It was good to see the version of 87 that everyone knows and loves.
- Karlsson now has three goals and 16 points in 14 games. He was very, very good for the Penguins Saturday, and he was particularly good when they put Sam Girard on his left in the third period.
This pace for Karlsson is a big deal for a great many reasons. If the Penguins cannot stop the ship from sinking in the next couple of weeks, I would reasonably expect his name to pop up like crazy in trade rumors.
If he can't help the Penguins win, he could sure help another contending team win. And his value would be far higher earlier in the season at a point-per-game pace than it would be at the trade deadline, when he would be a pure rental.
There is a lot at stake for the Penguins in the next few games, even if it is early in the season. They will have some tough decisions to make regarding personnel this season, but depending on which direction their season goes quickly, that could make some decisions a whole lot easier.
HONOLULU, HI - OCTOBER 4: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the LA Clippers during the 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 4, 2026 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jay Metzger/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Friday night the Warriors dressed up as a lottery team for exactly one quarter, then took the costume off and beat the Lakers by 17. They were down 38-15 after twelve minutes, watched the deficit swell to 25, tied it at 53 by halftime, and outscored LA 59-42 the rest of the way. According to the league, no team in the shot-clock era had ever trailed by 23-plus after one and tied it by the break. So the Halloween party at Chase started a day early.
Now the Clippers come to town at 1-4, losers of four straight, fresh off a 127-101 beating in Minnesota where the Wolves closed on a 23-2 run, without Anthony Edwards. This is a different Clippers team than the one you’ve been booing for a decade. Kawhi is gone, and the keys now belong to Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler.
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors When: November 1st, 2026 | 5:30 PM PT Where: Chase Center TV: NBC Sports Bay Area Radio: 95.7 The Game
Steph Curry and Draymond Green will both rest tomorrow night on the front side of a back-to-back against the Clippers. Injury management. That should clear them to face the Suns on Monday night.
Al Horford will play vs Clippers, meaning he would rest vs Suns.
There’s also some history here that Clipper fans would rather not discuss. Last April, Steph came back from a knee issue and dragged the Warriors past the Clippers 126-121 in the play-in. That loss ended the season and, as it turned out, the whole Kawhi era. So technically the Clippers’ rebuild was built in Golden State’s backyard. Sunday is Día de los Muertos, which feels right for a franchise that’s still figuring out what came back to life and what stayed buried.
Wagler is the guy to watch on their side. He’s scored in double figures every night, and he gets to the line like he has a coupon, going 7-for-8 in Minnesota even while shooting 2-for-11 from the field. Brook Lopez gave them 13 off the bench, and Rui Hachimura is back from a quad issue. They’re also missing big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who’s out after Lisfranc surgery. That leaves a frontcourt that Golden State’s small-ball lineups should be able to run off the floor if the effort is there.
On the Warriors’ side, everybody’s watching the rookie. Yaxel Lendeborg spent the week in the national headlines for calling Luka a whiner after opening night, then had the kind of rematch you only have in a nightmare: six points, six fouls, five turnovers.
The bench is the other storyline worth your attention. Golden State’s reserves went for 50 against the Lakers bench’s seven, with De’Anthony Melton scoring 16, Georges Niang finishing plus-21, and Will Richard going plus-20 mostly on defense and pure nuisance. If that second unit is real, this team has a ceiling nobody gave them credit for in October.
Unfortunately the Dubs will be without Draymond and Steph; Steph is balling out of control this season.
Steph Curry this season:
— 29.2 PPG — 1.4 SPG — 4.4 3PM — 48/44/100% — Leading NBA in points per minute
The Warriors started 0-3, and Dub Nation was already measuring the Steph era for a coffin. Three wins later they’re back at .500, and a rookie has given everybody something to argue about besides the end of the dynasty. The Clippers are coming to Chase looking for a fresh start, and Golden State has a chance to remind them who ended the last one.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 31: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on October 31, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Allen was an absolute force to be reckoned with. He relentlessly attacked the basket by rolling hard to the rim and looking for any opening he could find to make himself available for a pass inside. Defensively, he controlled the paint and cleaned up the glass.
This was the ideal game from Allen.
Second star: Evan Mobley
27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Basically everything I said about Allen could also be said of Mobley. He was aggressive offensively, attacking inside. And when the defense sagged off, he took the outside shot, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
This game was the template from a process and results standpoint for Mobley.
Third star: James Harden
13 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Harden spread the ball around and looked to get the bigs involved. It was exactly what the Cavs needed from their starting point guard.
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Dud of the game
Bum: Tyler Herro
15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Milwaukee’s point-of-attack defense was a mess. Herro wasn’t the only reason to blame for that, but he was the most noteworthy example of someone who wasn’t upholding their end of the bargain. On top of that, Herro struggled to make anything happen as a scorer as he went just 5-for-18 from the field.
Cavaliers who deserve shoutouts
Donovan Mitchell
15 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, +31
Mitchell let the game come to him in a way that he doesn’t always do. He attacked when the moment called for it, and he deferred to his teammates when they had cleaner looks. This led to Mitchell controlling the game without controlling the ball, making room for the dominant performances from the bigs.
Mario Hezonja
8 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists
Hezonja thinks the game at a high level. He does a great job of reading how the opponent is playing, and then exploiting it to the best of his ability. In this game, that weakness was rebounding.
Milwaukee had to send extra bodies to contain Mobley and Allen on both ends. Hezonja ducked inside around the help to grab 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
Play of the game
Well, that's a new wrinkle.
Mobley off down screen into Allen handoff to get him going downhill on the catch. pic.twitter.com/h7Qfr7zWv4
Plays like this show how dynamic the bigs can be when you give them an opportunity to do so. Forcing a forward to chase Mobley around a screen from a guard, then around a dribble-hand-off with Allen is incredibly difficult to do. I would love to see them incorporate more actions like this that force bigger defenders to guard in space and navigate screens like a guard.
Quote of the day
“It was part of our film session this morning, so it’s nice to see it transfer. Reward these guys, they’re both playing great. Sixteen shot attempts, we were very intentional about getting them the ball. Good job by our perimeters, finding those guys in the right spots.”
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley led the team with 16 shot attempts each.
Allen and Mobley were aggressive in looking for opportunities to score, and their teammates were consistent in getting them the ball. That is a formula worth repeating.
This game will be remembered for how the Cavs got the bigs involved
Mobly and Allen were forces all night. Not just for a few minutes, not just for a quarter, but until the game was completely out of reach early in the fourth quarter. The bigs stayed aggressive inside, and their teammates kept feeding them the ball.
Getting the bigs involved to this degree can destroy a defense. It’s similar to establishing the run in football. Once you control the line of scrimmage, the pass game opens up because the defense has to sell out to overload the box.
Milwaukee’s defense tried to shrink the floor to stop Mobley and Allen. Defenders crashed down from the corners in an effort to cut off the initial drive, but this opened up the floor for everyone, including whatever big wasn’t the main focus of the defense. This allowed for some of the big-to-big passes and put-back offensive rebounds.
This offense is at its best when they’re forcing the ball to the bigs, and the bigs are rolling hard and aggressively looking for openings to attack inside. Despite that, both groups have struggled to establish the bigs as consistent scoring threats for a full 48 minutes.
Far too often, the Cavs abandon this formula when things get tough. Either the guards take it upon themselves to handle the majority of the scoring load or the bigs become passive and stop looking for opportunities inside — and usually it’s both.
It’s not always this easy to establish the bigs as scorers. Milwaukee’s defense is bad and easy to exploit, but this formula should be more repeatable than it’s proven to be. Maybe this game can set them on the right path.
