The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers both played in their ABA-inspired uniforms tonight. Their offensive performances looked like they were straight out of the 60s and 70s, but so was Brooklyn’s defense, and it got them their first win of the season.

So, if you ask us, old is gold.

The Nets were led by their two high-scoring vets, Michael Porter Jr. (23) and Julius Randle (20) as well two of the team’s younger set, Day’Ron Sharpe who finished with his first double double of the season (15 and 13) and the fast-developing Nolan Traore (16 points, four 3-pointers and six assists.)

Chaney Johnson started beside Nolan Traoré at the top of the key for a second straight game this evening, but the rotation was more fluid than what we’ve seen so far this year. The Nets went nine men deep in the first period. Terance Mann, who has only gotten burn during garbage time so far this year, even logged some first quarter minutes as the backup point guard with Mikel Brown Jr. sitting.

But with both teams looking to run early, and this being the first of a back-to-back for Brooklyn, those extra bodies were needed. There weren’t a lot of statistical fast break points, but both teams moved up the floor with a sense of urgency off misses in the first. Michael Porter Jr., who had a quiet night vs Detroit, was aggressive there and in the halfcourt, pitching in seven points while shooting 2-5 from deep in the opening frame. He ended up as our leading scorer by the end of the game with 23 points on 7-16 shooting from the field and 3-10 from deep. He also pulled down nine rebounds and dished three assists.

But outside of what MPJ provided early on, makes from beyond the arc came at a premium. When Indiana smoked Brooklyn last week, the triple was their primary weapon, as they shot 23-41 from downtown. But today, the Nets kept the safety on, limiting the Pacers to a 2-15 start from deep.

Nobody shot well from the other parts of the floor early either. In the first half, Brooklyn posted .385/.250 splits while Indiana put up .324/.200 marks. Both teams also combined to miss 10 free throws between the first two periods.

“We took good shots and they were not falling,” Fernández said. “A lot of times, the anxiety hits, but the team stayed together and won the first quarter, stayed together and won the second quarter, stayed together and won the third quarter, and I think that’s what matters the most.”

Indeed, even as eager participants in the rock fight, the Nets led after one. Despite their 0-5 record going into tonight, they’ve now won the first quarter in four straight games, and are 4-2 in the period on the season. They maintained that advantage heading into the break too, up by a 43-40 score. Porter Jr led the team offensively at that point with 13 points on 5-10 shooting, followed by Mo Wagner, who added 10 after a perfect 4-4 start.

Mo Wagner continues to play well at the offensive end for Brooklyn. Off balance take but he gets it to go. pic.twitter.com/EXL00A9i19

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) November 1, 2026

“Just taking what the game gives me,” Wagner said at halftime. “I think we’re playing really hard. We really need one.”

Get one, they did. After another string of misses, Porter Jr. began the scoring for both teams in the second half with a four point play…

No need for Oubre Jr. to be hedging on Randle with Siakam there. Mike gets four.pic.twitter.com/B3H5skIG4i

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) November 1, 2026

Then, Traoré hit his first triple of the game off a back-tapped offensive board from Day’Ron Sharpe. That gave Brooklyn their first double digit lead of the ball game. Day’Ron finished tonight with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Fernández called his effort tonight “unbelievable” postgame.

“I mean, he he was big on the boards,” Fernández said. “He did a little bit of everything. He made his three. He set screens. Very happy for him. We don’t win this game without him, and the reality is how much he cares about winning and impacting winning. And this game, 5-7, 13 rebounds, four assists, two turnovers? I think that line is impressive. So, all his energy and willingness to do the right things, it paid off.”

“Day’Ron’s a beast, for real,” Traoré added. “Like, he’s so strong, and when he’s playing like that he’s unstoppable. Me and him in the pick-and-roll is a really great thing for us, and if I keep finding him like that, he’s gonna be great like that every time.”

However, that make from MPJ seemed to open the floodgates for everyone. Sharpe buried his own three from the corner a few minutes later. He’s now shooting 3-7 from deep on the season. But the Pacers also nailed three triples in the third after making just four in the entire first half. That kept Indiana in striking distance, and with Porter Jr. picking up his fourth foul with 4:39 to go, Brooklyn’s lead, which already felt like something out of a dream, looked at risk of fading. It might’ve too if not for Traoré and Randle, who continued to hit shots with MPJ on the bench.

But while the Nets went into the fourth up nine, the Pacers wouldn’t go away. Triples from Andrew Nembhard and Larry Nance Jr. made it a three point game with 9:29 to go.

And, Randle and Traoré stiff armed Indiana again, closing out the game in the process as well.

After two made triples from Quenton Johnson, Julius Randle swung back with an isolation three from the top of the key before driving and assisting on two for Traoré during back-to-back possessions. That reestablished a 10-point lead for Brooklyn with about two and a half to play.

Nolan Traore is feeling himself after cashing his third three of the night. This was a big one.

He's started doing a Money Manziel-type of celebration. Not sure if that's his new thing. pic.twitter.com/fDIgGXTorE

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) November 2, 2026

Traoré finished with 16 points and six assists while shooting 6-14 from the field and 4-8 from deep with just one turnover. Randle added 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds while shooting 5-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep. He was also a +17 for the game. Over the past four games, the 6’4” 20-year-old is averaging 14.3 points on 46/39/72 splits along with four assists and a steal in 26 minutes a game.

“Great spacing,” Traoré said. “I know they want to double Julius, so we take advantage of this and make shots. I’m happy and proud of my teammates.”

“I thought Nolan had great moments, especially in that second half,” Fernández added. “You know, he shot the three well, but those were very good threes. I think that all of them are like Julius spraying the ball, and I think that’s huge.”

They didn’t have the strongest competition with Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell out, but the Nets defense was stout all night, and it stayed that way down the stretch. After those makes from Traoré, the Nets forced Indiana to miss four of their next five shots. It was tough, disciplined, and a crafty effort, as Noah Clowney sold an offensive “push off” foul on Nembhard to get a final stop 52 seconds to go.

Already up seven, that gave the Nets a technical free throw, as Nembhard got hit with a technical with after arguing against the call, and eventually, their first win of the season.

Final: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90

Milestone Watch

• With 15 points and 13 rebounds in tonight’s win vs. Indiana, Day’Ron Sharpe recorded his fourth career game with 13+ PTS and 13+ REB, two of which have now come against the Pacers (16 PTS, 13 REB on 1/5/25 at home). It was also his 20th career double double, and his first since February 26th of last year.

Next Up

For the first time this season, the Nets will play the defending champs on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. New York’s title defense hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the team 2-4. The Nets have their unprotected first rounder this year, so a win here helps increase the value there. Also, it’s just good to win against the Knicks. The Nets haven’t done that since January 2023, a rivalry record of 14 straight.

“We need to get a win,” Traoré said of the matchup. “I think it’s been a long time since we’ve won against the Knicks, so we got to do it.”

This one tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 (Video) – NBA.com
• Day’Ron Sharpe records double-double in Indiana (Video) – Meghan Triplett – YES Network
• Jordi Fernandez on Nets 98-90 win over Indiana Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Nolan Traore records 16 points and 6 assists in win over Indiana (Video) – YES Network
• Michael Porter Jr. scores 23 points in win over Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Porter, Randle help Nets to 98-90 victory over Pacers – Marc Ambrogi – AP
• Nets get revenge on short-handed Pacers for first win of season – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets find first win in familiar place, ride second-half surge past Pacers ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ troubling start raises bigger questions about competitiveness, accountability and the future ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ win vs. Pacers leaves just 1 team winless in 2026-27 NBA season – Brad Taningo – Clutch Points

The Knicks could be getting a needed injury boost.

Jose Alvarado is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets at Madison Square Garden. He missed the last four games with an ankle sprain.

Alvarado was able to go through practice on Sunday, coach Mike Brown said, though he didn’t have much of an update otherwise.

Tyler Kolek has gotten a shot in the rotation in Alvarado’s place. After two DNPs to start the year, Kolek played 57 minutes the last four games, notably recording 25 assists to just two turnovers.

Now, if Alvarado returns, Brown will have a decision to make — whether to keep Kolek in the rotation at the expense of some of Alvarado’s minutes or not.

“Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out,” Brown said last week. “When he comes back, we’ll figure it out.”

---

Brown has been making analogies to other sports recently to explain the Knicks’ struggles.

This time around, he used football to explain why the Knicks haven’t shot well at the rim.

“If you think about it, if you’re shooting the way we’re shooting the ball at the perimeter, it’s like in football, if you’re not able to pass the ball, they’re gonna put eight guys in the box,” Brown said. “It’s the same thing. If we’re not making shots, they’re going to do this [collapse in the paint] and it’s gonna be harder to finish in the paint.

“And so eventually, at least the green [high-quality] 3s, we’re gonna have to continue generating green threes but we’re gonna have to make some green threes. But in the same breath, while we’re not doing that, we gotta be better in other areas to compensate for our ability to shoot the ball right now.” 

The Washington Wizards go on a brief one-game road trip, heading down south to Orlando, to face the Magic. After an impressive NBA Cup win over the Hornets, holding the opponent to only 79 (!) points, they now face arguably a hungry Orlando team that hasn’t had a great start to their season (2-3 record so far).

In fact, the Wizards are coming with a better record (3-3).

Here’s the preview!

Game info

When: : Monday, November 2, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

How to watch: LeaguePass

How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM

Wizards: Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie, and Tristan Vukcevic.

Injury Report

Magic: Izaiyah Nelson, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, and Paolo Banchero.

Pregame notes

The Wizards are at .500 — The Wizards are back, after a good number of years to being a league average team. You can see that in many of their stats (defensive and offensive) and you can also see it from their split record 3-3. This is a big improvement already, although obviously there is still a lot of room for progress.

This is a must win for the Magic — The Magic consider themselves as a borderline contender, and so given the lukewarm start to their season (for instance, a 30 point loss to the Raptors) they are definitely looking to win this one, and not enter into a 2-4 record hole. Their potential for explosiveness is there, as was on display in their relative easy win over the champions, the Knicks, last week.

Defense — The Wizards have dramatically improved their defense. This was on full display against the Hornets, that were not able to cross the 80 point line. Can they keep it up against the very dynamic Magic?

Let us know your thoughts!

When the Celtics shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range, as they did Sunday against the Magic, that is often an indicator that perhaps it simply isn’t their night.

In this particular game, though, those numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Boston made crucial hustle plays, extra passes and played excellent defense, leaning on intangibles and collective grit to outlast Orlando, 108-97, and move to 5-1 on the season.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 32 points (15 of 17 from the free-throw line) and seven assists. Paul George added 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

The Magic (2-4) jumped out to a 13-4 edge, as the Celtics looked a step slow in the opening minutes and Orlando burned Boston from the outside.

Hugo González and Tatum responded with conviction, with González contributing an and-one and a crafty lefty finish in traffic and Tatum doing damage all over. González finished with 7 points in first start of the season.

Another strong finish from Hugo – leads the game with 7 points pic.twitter.com/OeKu9Lj1Zc

— Nik Land | NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) November 1, 2026

A Luka Garza and-one in the final minute gave the Celtics the lead, and they took that 24-23 edge into the second quarter despite shooting just 9 percent from 3-point range in the first. Orlando shot 50 percent from 3 but had eight turnovers, and Boston’s ability to turn defense into offense paid dividends.

Tatum took a hit to the head, started bleeding and briefly went to the locker room before returning.

The Celtics’ shooting woes continued into the second, as they started the game 1 for 15 from distance despite getting decent looks. But, they continued to make timely plays, as Payton Pritchard found Baylor Scheierman in the corner, Garza connected with Tatum for two more and Jordan Walsh sprayed it to Derrick White for a triple. Neemias Queta added a thunderous dunk, Pritchard kept Orlando off balance and Tatum was terrific defensively.

Jayson Tatum has 17 points for the Celtics at the half

AND he plays defense like this: pic.twitter.com/T7f0JjUp2J

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) November 1, 2026

Boston shot 23 percent from 3 in the half, yet won the turnover battle, 9-3, and built a 55-50 halftime advantage behind 17 points from Tatum.

George helped Boston push the lead to double digits early in the third, stymying Orlando on one end feeding Queta (who got the start with Mitchell Robinson resting) for a lob on the other. George continues to mesh well stylistically with the Celtics and look like he has been in Boston all along.

White buried a 3 to extend the margin to 69-54, and a diving hustle play and silky side-step 3 from Sam Hauser kept the energy high late in the quarter.

The Magic, playing without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, answered with a 12-0 run behind shotmaking from Tristan da Silva (23 points). They tied it at 72 on an Anthony Black (23 points as well) corner 3, then Tatum hit two five free throws late to give Boston a 77-74 edge through three.

Look at this extra effort by Sam Hauser pic.twitter.com/9KC12yhgBq

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) November 1, 2026

A Pritchard and-1 that Brian Scalabrine referred to as “Michael Jordan vibes,” and Garza 3 gave Boston an 85-79 advantage with 9:48 remaining. George extended it to 90-83 with a corner triple of his own two-plus minutes later.

Scheierman splashed another 3 to push it back to double digits. Orlando answered with an 8-0 flurry, then Tatum calmly canned back-to-back jumpers to create a bit of breathing room. A timely Queta swat and George dagger 3 helped seal it.

The Celtics (29 assists Sunday) have racked up 25-plus assists in all six of their games so far, which is the longest streak to start a season in franchise history.

Payton Pritchard – Shoulder of Death https://t.co/77g591E1jJpic.twitter.com/deMelQo6ZX

— Nik Land | NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) November 1, 2026

This was Boston’s first of 12 road games in November. Next up is a matchup at Houston on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The early-season success might’ve masked the reality of where the Lakers are at in their team-building journey. 

But they returned to Southern California for their back-to-back set against the Raptors and Heat with a renewed perspective on what needs to happen for them to grow into the championship-caliber team they’re hoping to become.

And how the process isn’t as easy or linear as they made it look early on.

“We want to become a great team,” coach JJ Redick said. “You don’t become a great team in six games. We want to become a great team after 82 games and have a chance to go compete for a championship in April, May and June. It’s a process to get there.”

There was a hitch in the process during Friday’s blowout loss to the Warriors at Chase Center. 

The Lakers went from looking like worldbeaters when they took a 25-point lead early in the second quarter to unrecognizable by the time the Warriors completed the 42-point turnaround.

Their offense fell off a cliff when the Warriors blitzed or put two on the ball against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers star guards created the types of advantages teams strive for.

But they didn’t cash in on the openings, with it being clear that the role players are still learning how to operate when playing four-on-three basketball.

“We just need to do better with that,” Doncic said. “You create [an] advantage, you put two on the ball. And you got to go score. It’s a four on three, so we gotta be better at that.”

It sounds easy.

But the small sample the Lakers have when playing against teams deploying more aggressive defensive coverages makes it clear it isn’t as easy as it appears.

There’s a rhythm to playing advantage basketball. 

Spacing principles need to be mastered.

Decision-making needs to be quick and crisp before those advantages disappear and evaporate just as quickly as they were created. 

With so many new faces, the nuances haven’t set in yet.

“Obviously, it’s a new team, so a lot of guys have different roles,” Walker Kessler said. “It’s different because guys aren’t necessarily comfortable yet, like talking to each other during tough times or calling each other out or taking coaching or taking a response. That just builds with time. We have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of good players. Everyone has seen it. When we’re playing well, playing connected, so continue to build that.”

With the Lakers entering Week 3 of the season, there’s plenty of time for these intricacies to be learned. 

“We know we are going to be patient,” Redick said. “There’s also, along with patience, doing what you’re supposed to do. As we play more games together, we do more walk-throughs together, we do more film together, we do more practices together, that we’ll all get better.”

The Sacramento Kings have enjoyed watching Darius Acuff Jr. take off, but are facing an internal problem with their roster as Domantas Sabonis isn’t too keen on playing alongside him.

According to Sean Deveney, of Heavy.com, Sabonis doesn’t appear to enjoy Acuff Jr.’s play style and the Kings could be willing to part ways with Sabonis via trade this season or during the summer.

“Sabonis has some hope, because teams always need size, and if he is not traded this season, he should be dealt off next summer. The Kings have no interest in keeping him there, and he is not enthused about playing with a ball-dominant guard like Acuff,” Deveney reported.

Deveney added that while teams could be looking to acquire Sabonis, the likelihood of Sacramento receiving a first-round pick for him is unlikely, and would be considered “a major score, and a long shot.”

Denevy added that due to Sacramento’s 0-6 start to the season, moving off from their star center could make it easier for them, as they could embrace tanking this season.

For the last five seasons, Sabonis has been a mainstay in the Kings lineup and is one of the last remaining players from the team’s 2022-2023 playoff appearance, which snapped a 16-year drought.

While the Kings ended up losing the opening series against the Warriors, they took the reigning NBA champions to the limit by going seven games.

Since then, the Kings have found themselves rebuilding from the ground up, yet again.

Acuff Jr. appears to be part of the Kings’ future, as he was taken with the No.7 pick of the NBA Draft this past summer and has had a promising start to the season, averaging 26 points through six games.

Yaxel Lendeborg bounces back to fuel Steph Curry-less Warriors' win vs. Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – If Yaxel Lendeborg continues to sing at this level, hit after hit after hit, his rookie season with the Warriors will fill a triple album.

Two nights after his self-described “wet the bed” performance, Lendeborg on Sunday dropped the kind of gem that has the Warriors raising their already lofty dreams.

Lendeborg’s season-high 37 points in a 124-112 win over the rebuilding Los Angeles Clippers was impressive enough, but his production delivered a showcase of various facets of his game. When he digs into his bag, you can’t predict what he’ll bring out.

“We knew he was a good shooter,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And when he came in for a workout, you could see the skill in terms of being able to put it on the floor and pull up and shoot. But I didn’t expect what I saw tonight when we when we worked him out in the summer.”

He entered the game shooting a respectable 36.4 percent beyond the arc and walked out shooting 40.9 percent from deep after draining 6 of 11. The variety of his triples – step-back, pull-up, catch and shoot in halfcourt and in transition – were like warning shots to the rest of the NBA.

Yaxel told Steph he can have the night off 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/kFzHFDVxjP

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 2, 2026

It's the Yaxel Lendeborg show tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/u4Umw0zZ7X

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 2, 2026

Lendeborg’s 37 points came on 13-of-19 overall shooting – he missed his last three shots in a vain effort to score 40 – adding six assists and four rebounds.

“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life, so just falling into peer pressure like I did just now was pretty much bad on my part,” Lendeborg said. “I’m a guy that loves ethical hoops. I’m a guy that loves efficient basketball, and I didn’t do that for the last two, three minutes. It’s bad on my part, but I know next time I definitely won’t do that again.”

Yaxel Lendeborg considers himself an "ethical hooper" 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZNiMtJCxjx

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 2, 2026

With Stephen Curry resting on the first night of a back-to-back set, Lendeborg seized the scoring load and carried it like a lower-case warrior.

“It changes everything,” Kerr said. “You see on a night like tonight without Steph and we score 124 points, and Yax is the main reason that we’re high-powered. You can play off him. I thought everybody did a really good job of spreading the floor and executing for the most part, and a lot of guys took advantage of the space out there.”

De’Anthony Melton, starting in place of Curry, finished with 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. Brandin Podziemski put in 17 points, and Brandon Williams matched that total coming off the bench.

Melton puts the game to bed 😴 pic.twitter.com/ur3Lz7Mqky

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 2, 2026

But everything revolved around the 6-foot-9, 240-pound rookie from the University of Michigan. This was what he wanted. What he needed to satisfy his soul after posting such a poor representation of his game Friday night: Season-low six points, season-high six fouls and five turnovers in a 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He’ll sleep better after this one.

“One hundred percent,” Lendeborg said. “I wanted to switch that up. That’s not who I am, and last game I was playing like a Debbie Downer, so I just got to go back to playing the way I always play, with a lot of joy, a lot of smiles, dancing and all that other stuff.

“I’m going to try to steal some of the Steph’s dance moves eventually, but I’ve just got to get back to being me. That was an awful game.”

Lendeborg has had a 37-point game, a 13-rebound game and is displeased that his season-high assists total is six. It’s conceivable, even likely, he will post a game with 10 dimes.

What may be the most surprising development seven games into Lendeborg’s NBA career is his relative comfort, particularly on offense. Things seem to come naturally for someone who didn’t get serious about basketball until he was approaching adulthood. The 24-year-old is raising eyebrows on the court without realizing it.

“He just be going out there and playing,” Melton said. “That’s what we love about him; he don’t even know what he be doing sometimes.”

What Lendeborg is doing is laying down enough potent tracks to give the Warriors a strong present and allowing them to visualize a tantalizingly wonderful future.

He’s not the only one dancing.

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