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CHARLOTTE — Early in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 119-80 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Joe Mazzulla called a timeout and walked over to Neemias Queta.

Queta had just gotten tangled up with multiple Hornets players while trying to secure a rebound. And, as is often the case, Mazzulla grew frustrated with his big man’s longstanding tendency to foul.

But this time, instead of reaming him out, Mazzulla chose to embrace him.

“I’m just trying to channel my anger into love,” Mazzulla said afterward.

“Instead of just yelling at him, I gave him a hug.”

Joe Mazzulla loved that effort from Neemias Queta

Called a timeout and went to give him a hug lol pic.twitter.com/p8mGKSPv6s

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) November 7, 2026

It’s no secret that Mazzulla is hard on the Portuguese big man, who began his journey with the Celtics on a two-way contract in 2023 and blossomed into the Celtics’ productive and reliable starting center last season.

Sometimes, Mazzulla’s yelling gets picked up by the TV broadcast. More often than not, his anger is visible from press row.

And, none of that tough love is something that the Celtics head coach denies.

“I’m hard on Neemi,” Mazzulla said on Friday night. “I’m hard on our bigs. Those guys, the way they need to play for us, there’s a ton of pressure on them. We talk about it all the time — the fives have the toughest job on this team because they got to do a ton on both ends of the floor.”

Mazzulla has frequently discussed how difficult the center position is in the team’s system, particularly as of late. That’s also applied to Mitchell Robinson, who has struggled in his acclimation to the Celtics as he takes on more responsibility in a new system.

Still, Mazzulla wants to make sure that amid his tough coaches style, there’s an understanding that all of it is rooted in love. He visits players in the offseason in order to better understand what makes them tick; this past summer, he joined Queta in Portugal, Mitchell Robinson in Nashville, and Luka Garza in Iowa.

In difficult moments, there’s a relationship that runs deeper than basketball.

“I appreciate that they allow me to be hard on them, but I also want them to know I appreciate them,” he said. “Just trying to do that for them.”

Last week, it was Payton Pritchard who was on the receiving end of a Mazzulla hug

Queta is not the only player to get a hug from Joe Mazzulla as of late; Payton Pritchard got an in-game hug from Mazzulla in a win over the Chicago Bulls, after a couple of high-impact plays.

“Joe challenged me,” Pritchard said after that win. “I feel like the first four games my defensive activity and my rebounding have been poor… He’s challenging me to step up in that area. I think the hug was for me doing that.”

On Friday, Pritchard reflected on how Mazzulla has successfully tapped into both sides of the emotional spectrum as a coach.

“Joe, he’s a competitor, and he has a lot of emotion, so it brings the best out of us, and it’s also cool when you are doing well; he shows the emotion of a loving brother type situation,” Pritchard said. “And then we’ll have moments where we get into it, and we have disagreements, and it’s all right. It’s just part of it — we go through love and hate.”

Pritchard said his bond with Mazzulla has strengthened over the years; he’s been playing for him since he took over as head coach in 2022, and it’s come with plenty of variance. Pritchard has gone through stretches in which he’s fallen out of the rotation, won Sixth Man of the Year, and was a part of the 2024 championship team.

“It’s a journey,” he said. “We’ve definitely gone through a lot of different situations, a lot of ups and downs, and you just grow your relationship through that, and it becomes stronger and stronger.”

Mazuzlla echoed that sentiment last week, after his hug.

“I like pushing him, I like coaching him, and I love him like a brother,” Mazzulla said of Pritchard.

For Mazzulla, turning anger into love has been the result of an intentional effort, especially when it comes to his relationship with Queta.

“A lot of meditation, a lot of journaling, a lot of just not being so mad at him all the time,” Mazzulla said. “But I love him.”

Still, Mazzulla’s ability to leverage anger hasn’t gone away, the Celtics’ veterans say.

“It just depends on the day,” said Jayson Tatum with a smile. “Some good days, some bad days.”

And, that’s not a bad thing.

“They’re both needed,” Pritchard said. “You can’t have love without the anger.”

SACRAMENTO, CA ― The San Antonio Spurs continue to roll, earning their seventh consecutive victory in taking down the Sacramento Kings, 124-109, in an NBA Cup group stage game on Friday, Nov. 6.

The Spurs were led by center Victor Wembanyama with 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting. He added 14 rebounds and two blocks. Four other players scored in double figures as Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper each had 19. Harrison Barnes scored 13 off the bench.

The Spurs dominated from the opening tip all the way to the end of the game. Wembanyama seems firmly in the early MVP race.

"I do not have a goal for Victor to get MVP," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said before the game. "I think that there's a lot of things that we're trying to get better and improve on and execute that's gonna be a byproduct of the conversation that could produce."

"He has shown in a short amount of time, in his career, and season by season, however you want, compartmentalized time. His improvement is rapid," he added. "When he gets ahold of certain things, whether that's how he's being guarded, actions we want to run, teammates he's playing with, when he gets ahold of certain things, he can become very dominant.
And if he continues to put his energy into the right stuff as he has, and to continue to have that level of retaining what works for him and works for us, then whatever the goals are, I would not bet against."

Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was welcomed with a mix of boos and cheers as he was announced in the starting lineup. Fox was drafted by Sacramento with the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and spent eight seasons with the Kings before being traded to San Antonio. Fox got the first points on the board on Friday. He finished with nine.

Sacramento only led in the game for a brief moment early in the first quarter. Kings center Domantas Sabonis opened the game with a thunderous slam over Wembanyama. He finished with a double-double, 17 points and 12 rebounds, in the loss.

Kings dynamic scoring rookie Darius Acuff Jr. followed Sabonis' dunk with a 3-point field goal to put Sacramento ahead 5-2 with 10:45 left in the first period. Acuff picked up two early fouls, which sent him to the bench with 6:19 left after playing six minutes in the opening quarter. Acuff finished with 22 points and eight assists. He shot 9-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-9 on 3-point attempts.

The real disparity came with player fouls. The Kings committed 26 fouls as the Spurs shot 42 free throws.

"I mean, early on, it was good, but, I mean, you know, when you get to the free throw line as much as they were, that's tough," Kings head coach Doug Christie said. "Because not only are they a good defensive team, they're even better when their defense is set, and that's what the free throw allows you to do. When we were able to get in open court, we were able to find some things and create the type of 3-point shots and different things, collapse in the defense."

The Kings have back-to-back losses after getting their first win of the season against the Dallas Mavericks in a 115-100 finish on Nov. 2. Sacramento welcomes the Miami Heat on Sunday, Nov. 9 to the Golden 1 Center.

The Spurs won the first game of their four-game road trip. They immediately board a plane to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Nov. 7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama scores 30 as Spurs beat Kings for 7th straight win

The absurd 62-foot three-pointer Luka Doncic hoisted and made late in the second quarter Friday night seemed to ignite him, pushing him to even higher heights on the way to scoring 53 points.

Doncic especially went to work in the third quarter, scoring 20 points in that span in delivering the Lakers to a 124-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers had been down by 16 points in the second quarter, but after Doncic’s shot, they trailed by only seven points and saw the momentum swing in the process.

“Oh yeah, definitely. I think it changes the whole energy in the team and in the gym,” Doncic said. “I thought it was an important shot to make. So that’s why I decided to make it.”

It was the second time Doncic has scored 50 points or more this season, his first time coming when he scored 52 points against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 25. It was the fourth time Doncic has scored 50-plus points as a Laker, passing LeBron James and tying George Mikan for fourth in franchise regular-season history.

It was Doncic’s 11th 50-plus point game of his career, which moved him pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and tied him with Allen Iverson for the 10th most in NBA history.

Doncic played 38 minutes and nine seconds. He shot 17 for 33 from the field and five for 15 from three-point range.

At one point, while Doncic was talking to the media, he blurted out, “I’m tired.”

A few minutes later, he was asked how he has been holding up during his offensive onslaught and how far he can keep pushing this.

“Feeling great,” Doncic said. “ But what do you mean how far?”

Can you do this every game?

“Oh yeah, I feel like that,” Doncic said. “But as long as we win, I’m good.”

Doncic is now averaging 40.1 points per game this season.

He was asked if he knew the last player to average 40 points per game in a single season.

“Kobe?”

No, it was not Kobe Bryant, Doncic was told.

It was Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.36 points per game during the 1961-62 season and then 44.83 points per game during the 62-63 season.

“Man, it’s obviously a long season,” Doncic said. “We’re just 10 games in. We got 72 left. But as long as we win, I’m good. Got them up today, not gonna lie. Hopefully it continues, but you never know.”

Doncic added five rebounds and five assists to help the Lakers win their first NBA Cup game after losing the first one to the Golden State Warriors last week.

When the Lakers saw their 16-point lead sliced to four in the fourth quarter, naturally it was Doncic who saved them.

His seven-foot floater with 27.7 seconds remaining gave the Lakers a six-point lead that stood.

Now everyone knows why Doncic is shooting a career-best from three-point range and why he practices those long-range threes all the time.

After Walker Kessler got a defensive rebound with 4.3 seconds left in the second quarter, he passed the ball to Doncic, who had nowhere to go with the Portland defense around him. So, Doncic just tossed up the three-pointer from the three-point line on the Portland side of the court that banked in as time expired. He looked at the crowd as he walked off the court for halftime.

“When he shoots them, it’s not a surprise if it goes in,” said Austin Reaves, who had 25 points. “So, it’s not a high-percentage shot by any means, but he seems to make them a little, you know, easier than the majority of people.”

Etc.

Redick explained why both Bronny James and Cameron Carr were assigned to the Coachella Valley Lakers.

“[The] messaging was very simple,” Redick said. “It’s just you guys need reps and you guys need to play.”

Redick said both James and Carr will be with the Lakers on the upcoming trip to Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee and Phoenix next week.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

LOS ANGELES – Walker Kessler had as good a look as anybody inside Crypto.com Arena at the biggest shot of the night.

The Los Angeles Lakers big man grabbed a Sidy Cissoko airball with six seconds left in the first half, handed the ball to Luka Dončić, set a screen for him and let the Luka Magic happen from there. Dončić launched a 62-footer from the top of the opposite key. The crowd held their breath with what felt more like anticipation than anxiety as the ball floated high in the air before coming back down and banking into the net for yet another unreal buzzer-beater.

"He's incredible to watch," Walker said after the Lakers' 124-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. "He's incredible to play alongside. He's my MVP. I think it's pretty clear right now."

Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori had the utmost praise for Dončić when he spoke with reporters at Crypto.com Arena on Friday afternoon, saying the Slovenian superstar "can do anything in the world."

Dončić proved his opponent's point in the closing seconds of the first half.

What made the shot even more notable, perhaps, was that the Lakers had collectively struggled shooting the ball up to that point, starting 0-for-15 from 3-point range and falling behind by as many as 16. Dončić's shot at the end of the half was just LA's fourth make from deep in 23 attempts; it also sent the Lakers into the locker room having cut the Portland lead to just seven points.

"I think it changes the whole energy, in the team and in the gym. I thought it was an important shot to make," Dončić said before cracking a smile. "So that's why I decided to make it."

LUKA JUST SANK IT FROM 3/4 COURT 🤯

Bruce Springsteen can’t believe what he just witnessed! pic.twitter.com/D0a9aSnwuX

— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2026

But it's not just Dončić who has an unshakeable confidence when it comes to that kind of shot, which he works on meticulously after practices and shootarounds. His teammates are starting to expect them to go in.

"At this point, it's pretty normal for him," Jake LaRavia said. "It's high difficulty for a lot of players, but it's pretty easy for him. I feel like he's just been playing at such a high level. Incredible offensive talent."

And true to what Dončić expected, a switch flipped for the rest of the night.

The Lakers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Trail Blazers 34-15 in the frame behind 20 points from Dončić, who has now dropped at least 40 in four consecutive games, joining Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and George Mikan as the only players in franchise history to do so. Dončić finished the night with a season-high 53 points, five rebounds and five assists. That brings his average up to an unthinkable 40.1 points per game, something that hasn't been accomplished since Wilt Chamberlain.

"I'm having a lot of fun," Dončić said. "Obviously playing basketball, it's a lot of fun for me. It's more when you play like this and when you win games. It's been like this my whole life. Basketball was my dream. Playing in the NBA was my dream."

The 27-year-old has completely kicked in the door and is dominating the early MVP conversation amid this historic hot streak.

Dončić currently leads Lorenzo Reyes' NBA MVP rankings, and a performance like the one on Friday only furthers the hold Dončić has on the top spot. Just listen to the multiple "M-V-P" chants that echoed through the building at various points in the night.

Not that MVP discussions have much meaning at all 10 games into an 82-game season. Head coach JJ Redick himself said pregame he doesn't get into those talks until they're at least 50 games in. But the level Dončić has been playing at makes it hard not to at least acknowledge it.

Redick, who has previously called Dončić a supernova, was asked if he's running out of superlatives to describe his best player. His response?

"Sure. I'm gonna just sit around and we'll gather one day, come up with more superlatives so I have more words ready," he said sarcastically. "For now, I don't have any words."

LUKA JUST DROPPED 53 POINTS 🚨

🪄 53 PTS
🪄 5 REB
🪄 5 AST
🪄 5 3PM
🪄 @emirates NBA Cup Group Play W

FIRST LAKER SINCE KOBE BRYANT (JAN 10-14, 2012) TO SCORE 40+ PTS IN 4 STRAIGHT GAMES 🤯 pic.twitter.com/auJqrGlwrk

— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2026

The Lakers look like the real deal early on. Their chemistry is off the charts; that much was on full display with their 17 total assists on Friday, or in Kessler's 16-point, 12-rebound night, or Austin Reaves' 25 points.

But Dončić has been the engine behind it all. He's playing like the best player in the NBA, and the team is that much better because of it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Luka Dončić already an MVP lock? Lakers star continues torrid start with 53-point outburst

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers avenged their opening-night collapse by thoroughly outplaying the Philadelphia 76ers for 48 minutes, leading to a 119-95 victory.

Three stars of the game

First star: Donovan Mitchell

23 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds

The Cavs need Mitchell to look to get teammates involved, but that can’t come at the expense of his aggressiveness. The start to this game was the prime example of the balance you want to see from Mitchell.

Mitchell got the scoring going with two layups attacking the basket and then a running jumper in transition in the first minute and a half of the game. That opened up avenues for him to find his teammates, which he did during the rest of the first quarter, resulting in three assists.

That opening set the tempo for what was a complete game from Mitchell. He was the undisputed best player on the court. It’s no surprise the Cavs won the minutes he played by 28.

“He feels the moment, he knows we needed this win,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He made some great passes too. He was very aggressive tonight.”

Second star: Evan Mobley

22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Mobley filled in admirably for Jarrett Allen at center. He controlled the paint on both ends and showed his range as a shooter, going 3-for-4 from deep. Comfortably hitting threes like he has been this season opens up Cleveland’s entire offense and allows him to easily fit at the four and the five. This was the ideal version of Mobley.

“He’s really playing great basketball,” Atkinson said.

Third star: Mario Hezonja

15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

The Cavs needed rebounding and a scoring punch from the bench considering who was out of the lineup. Hezonja provided both. He took advantage of mismatches inside, going 4-for-4 on shots inside the arc.

Hezonja is slowly becoming an integral part of this team. His presence has become invaluable over the first nine games.

Duds of the game

LeBron James

8 points on 3-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 turnovers

You could make a convincing argument that the Cavs would be at the top of the conference if James chose them in free agency instead. Cleveland has dropped games due to a failure to close out contests and poor rebounding. James would help immensely in both aspects. That said, those benefits didn’t exactly come through in this dreadful performance.

James wasn’t able to establish any kind of rhythm. He couldn’t create any separation whenever he attacked off the dribble, and he wasn’t able to get out into the open court. On top of that, he had only two more points than he had giveaways. That all added up to arguably his worst professional game ever played in Cleveland.

Joel Embiid

6 points on 0-of-9, 7 rebounds, 1 assist

Embiid struggled mightily. He had a difficult time getting around Mobley and generating clean looks. This resulted in going 0-for-9 from the field. On the other end, he couldn’t move laterally quickly enough to hang with Mobley.

Cavalier who deserves a shoutout

Peyton Watson

13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

This wasn’t a standout offensive performance, but his energy and effort on the glass made him a difference maker. That matters for a player who is being asked to fill very different roles depending on who he’s sharing the court with.

Play of the game

Meleek d'ing up the 👑 pic.twitter.com/Lc65yxqcpl

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) November 7, 2026

Meleek Thomas plays with a confidence that can’t be taught. Sequences like this show that.

LeBron got the mismatch against Thomas, except the rookie didn’t realize that it was a mismatch. Thomas held his ground, and then forced a steal that led to a basket on the other end.

“He’s talented, man,” Atkinson said of Thomas.

Quote of the day

“Nothing can get as worse as December 2, 2010, from a reception standpoint. I’ve seen the end of the depths of hell when it comes to reception here, all the way to the heavens above. So anything in between is easy money.”

– LeBron James on his return to Cleveland

Cavs fans gave James a respectful, but apathetic welcome home.

Stat of the game

The Cavs took 43% of their shots at the rim (92nd percentile). This allowed them to outscore the Sixers 50-30 in the paint.

Cleveland’s offense is at its best when it’s getting inside. They were able to do that with ease on Friday.

Main takeaway from this game: This is what the best version of the Cavs looks like

Consistency has been an issue for the Cavs this season. They showed glimpses of how good they can be, but had yet to show it for 48 minutes against a quality opponent. Even in their impressive win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, they struggled for prolonged stretches in the first half. This game, however, was different, due to the contributions of their three stars.

Mitchell, James Harden, and Mobley all fulfilled their roles perfectly. Mitchell was dynamic on ball as a scorer and passer. That energy carried the offense. Harden battled defensively and kept the offense on schedule. His steady hand helped Cleveland maintain their grasp of the game. Mobley controlled the paint on both ends, taking advantage of his slower frontcourt opponents.

There’s a downstream effect to the stars playing well. The rest of the rotation was able to more easily slot into their roles, even though they were shorthanded. Players like Meleek Thomas, Tyrese Proctor, and Mario Hezonja have much simpler and more defined roles when they’re able to play off the stars and aren’t forced to pick up the slack. That makes it easier for them to excel, as they did.

This all added up to a convincing and thorough beatdown of the team with the most wins in the league while also being the antithesis of the opening-night collapse.

The Cavs have shown incredible highs and low lows through nine games. At this point, we don’t know who this team will be on a night-to-night basis, and they haven’t quite discovered their identity. Yet, the talent is there. If they can put the pieces together, they have the potential to be dangerous.

The San Antonio Spurs got their first taste of Emirates Cup play on their successful trip to the home of the struggling Sacramento Kings. Despite the Kings being overmatched in talent, they gave a solid effort looking for their second win that made the Spurs sweat at times.

Things started getting ugly as the visitors kept plugging away on the glass and raised their lead to 16 points in the non-Victor Wembanyama minutes thanks in part to their 3-point shooting, ball security and Keldon Johnson’s hustle. They went on to have their second-highest scoring first half of the season (76), but had trouble getting back into their flow in the third quarter. 

Their large cushion was soon sliced nearly in half until Wemby led the charge that got them back on track. There were some defensive lapses in the following period, but the Spurs quickly atoned for them with a 3-pointer or a move inside.

Observations

• They were playing like they thought it would be easy early, allowing open 3-point attempts and transition baskets, but the flow of the game started changing when the Spurs started consistently getting to the line. The trickle effect was forcing the Kings to slow down offensively and take more bad shots, which put the Spurs in the transition.
• Wembanyama was merciless, scoring 30 points on 55.6 shooting at short and long range, while adding 14 rebounds and two blocks. He took his final rest with eight minutes left as the Spurs were up 22 points.
• Darius Acuff Jr. has been the league’s highest-scoring rookie, yet he can be a bit of a chucker, so the Spurs defended him mostly without help and in drop coverage on screen rolls. The strategy was more successful in the first half, holding him to 37.5 percent shooting, yet he started getting loose after.
• For a while, the Spurs were making mincemeat of the Kings, even having Acuff and Leaky Black frustrated with each other within five minutes of the game. It started with Devin Vassell’s early marksmanship helping steady the offense, and then Victor Wembanyama’s inside pressure piled on, leaving them without answers.  The Kings would also go to a zone when Wemby sat, but the ball movement made them pay for it. 
• The Kings do a bad job of helping the helper, which resulted in tons of clean outside looks and the Spurs setting a new season high in 3-point percentage. Wemby and Vassell combined for nine 3-point makes. 
• The Spurs had a rough start to the third quarter, making 25 percent of their attempts through eight minutes. The Kings made four 3-pointers in that span, yet the flow started slowly turning back to the Spurs because the Kings could not defend without fouling, again. To boot, the Spurs went on to shot the most free throws of the season (42).
• In the first half, Stephon Castle was too strong on the move to be denied. He wasn’t as assertive later but finished an emphatic lob supplied by Wemby. He finished with 19 points on 53.8 percent shooting with seven assists against one turnover.
• Crisis averted: Domantas Sabonis committed a flagrant one by sticking his foot under Wembanyama’s landing space on a 3-point attempt, causing his ankle to roll. Wemby made two-of-three at the line and subsequently looked fine in the next half.
• De’Aaron Fox didn’t have the biggest night on the stat sheet, but made good reads that helped take and maintain the lead. 
• Aside from the trophy, each player on the winning side of the in-season tournament gets $604,985.

The Long Island Nets had several individual performances worth recognizing in Friday’s G League opener and after all development is the point, but they ultimately couldn’t do enough to overcome the Greensboro Swarm, falling 121-111 at Novant Health Fieldhouse.

The game was close throughout with 12 lead changes and three ties. After going down 60-55 at the half, Long Island was still down only four, 87-83 at the end of the third, the Swarm took over, outscoring the Nets, 34-28.

It was a frustrating result for Long Island, considering the contributions it received from multiple players, whether on assignment from Brooklyn, two-ways or Exhibit 10s. Arguably, the biggest positive came from two-way Grant Nelson, who delivered an impressive double-double and established himself as the team’s leading performer … at least for opening night.

The 24-year-old 7-footer finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. The big man was active throughout his time on the floor, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and collecting six offensive rebounds. His ability to create additional possessions off the glass gave the Nets an important presence inside. The only negative for the Alabama product was his failure to hit on any of his five 3-pointers.

Nelson added two assists, one steal, and one block for a solid all-around performance. In a game that ended in a 10-point defeat, Nelson’s performance was the clearest bright spot for the Nets.

Nelson’s performance is an especially encouraging first step considering how limited his opportunities were last season. He appeared in just four games with Brooklyn, spending much of his time trying to establish himself despite knee issues that he says are now resolved after a summer of rehab.

There were also positive performances from two of the Nets 2026 picks.

Joshua Jefferson, taken with the 28th pick, had a solid showing with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and only one turnover. The Iowa State product shot 5-of-9 from the field and connected on three of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. A 6’9”, 240-pound point forward, he was selected by Brooklyn primarily because of his versatility which includes an ability to score from the perimeter while helping on the glass.

Tyler Bilodeau, the 6’9” sharpshooter taken at No. 43 in June, also provided a valuable offensive contribution, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. He also recorded five steals, giving Long Island an impact beyond his scoring. Bilodeau’s five steals marked the highest number of thefts ever by a Long Island Nets player in a NBA G League debut.

The 2026 second-round selection out of UCLA, who like Nelson is on a two-way contract, shot 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

On the other hand, Drake Powell, one of two members of the Flatbush 5 assigned to Long Island, had a difficult night offensively. The second year player finished with six points on 2-of-6 shooting, missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. He grabbed four rebounds and recorded three assists. He did record a block and a steal but the Nets needed more production from him. It was a game where his shot simply wasn’t falling.

Ben Saraf, the other Brooklyn Nets player on assignment, also struggled to find his shooting touch. The 6’6” 20-year-old finished with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field and just 1-of-8 from 3-point range. He had opportunities to make an impact as a scorer but couldn’t get enough shots to fall. He also finished with three turnovers in 32 minutes.

There was at least one positive to take away from Saraf’s performance: his playmaking. The young guard recorded a team-high seven assists, showing his ability to create opportunities. Defensively, he also added two steals. Saraf, a 2025 first-round pick who came to Brooklyn from German club Ratiopharm Ulm, is still adjusting to the NBA system and the professional game in North America.

Beyond the draft picks and two ways, there were some encouraging signs among the guys hoping to move up the G League ladder.

Isaiah Wong is the most experienced Long Island player, having played more than 20 games in the NBA as well as a season in the Spanish league. The 6’4” guard finished with 16 points, six steals, two assists and one rebound in 31 minutes. He shot an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range.

Dion Brown was another bright spot off the bench, recording 15 points in just 16 minutes. The St. Louis product shot 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Brown went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft but played well in the Summer League.

One of the most encouraging performances came from Dain Dainja, who made an immediate impression in his first game with the team. Coming off the bench, the 6’9” big with the gargantuan 7’7” wingspan finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. He was efficient offensively, shooting 6-of-10 from the field.

Long Island won’t have to wait long for an opportunity to respond . The Nets will remain in Greensboro for a rematch against the Swarm on Saturday, November 7, continuing the two-game opening-weekend series at Novant Health Fieldhouse.

After allowing 121 points in the opener, Long Island will look to make defensive adjustments and find a way to slow down Greensboro while building on the positives from Nelson’s double-double and the contributions from its bench.

• Boxscore: Greensboro Swarm 121, Long Island Nets 111 – G League

The Lakers opened Friday’s home game against the Trail Blazers by missing their first 15 3-point attempts.

But Luka Dončić ended the first half by making the toughest look of them all.

The Slovenian superstar guard banked in a buzzer-beating heave before the second quarter ended from just inside of the 3-point arc from the opposite side of the arc — 61 feet to be exact. 

After the Lakers missed their first 15 3-pointers, Luka Dončić made the toughest one of the night so far with this ¾-court make right before halftime: pic.twitter.com/iLhXHyiw6c

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 7, 2026

The home crowd inside of Crypto.com Arena roared as soon as the shot went through the net, which trimmed the Lakers’ deficit to 60-53 going into halftime. 

It also brought an end to what was a dreadful shooting half for the Lakers.

They only made 4 of 23 shots from beyond the arc in the first two quarters against the Trail Blazers.

Dončić is no stranger to miraculous shots.

He made a buzzer-beating shot from beyond half court in the season-opening win against the Warriors on Oct. 21. 

Luka Dončić’s hot start to the season received an early MVP endorsement from an opposing coach. 

Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori had high praise for the Lakers superstar ahead of Friday’s matchup between the Lakers and Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.

Dončić entered Friday with averages of 38.5 points on 49.5% shooting (43.1% on 3-pointers), 8.1 rebounds, eight assists and 1.8 steals.

The Trail Blazers saw the first glimpses of the Slovenian star’s strong play when he dropped 41 points to go with nine assists and five rebounds in the Lakers’ first loss of the season on Oct. 27.

“This is the best shape I’ve ever seen him in,” Nori said of Dončić pregame. “And what I mean by that is back in the day — and again we didn’t have a whole lot of success, he beat us in the [2024] Western Conference finals — but it was like pick [him] up full court. He’s gonna play a lot of minutes, wear him down and then later in the game you could maybe switch on this to him and then he might have a harder time going around people. But I don’t see that.”

The Trail Blazers coach agreed with NBA.com’s first MVP ladder ranking, which had Dončić at the top. 

“He’s playing at an elite level,” Nori said. “Watching him, it just looks to me like he is in elite shape. He’s playing with a great amount of confidence. He’s got shooters around him, and he has a rolling big. So for him, it’s a perfect offensive storm. And he’s the MVP right now.”

Technically, this game counts as a schedule advantage for the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets haven’t played since Wednesday, but the Phoenix Suns had a game on Thursday. In fact, this is the third game in four nights for the Suns, so I’m adding it to the counter.

After crashing back to earth after a phenomenal 5-0 start, the Rockets are 2-2 since. The defeat at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves should be a wake-up call for those that were itching to crown the Rockets as contenders. They still could be! It’s a long season.

As most of you are aware, the Rockets own Phoenix’s first round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Therefore, this game has double importance as Houston wants the Suns to be bad (but not too bad!) and the Suns want to make that pick bad (really bad!). These teams got most of the faux bad blood out of the way last year, especially when Kevin Durant finally played in Phoenix late in the season. The Rockets should win this game, but never underestimate a motivated Dillon Brooks or Jalen Green. Add in Rockets killers Luke Kennard, Collin Gillespie, and Pat Spencer (hmm…what do they all have in common?) and you get a recipe for a “We didn’t take them seriously” loss. And that’s before I mention Devin Booker, Miles Bridges, Ryan Dunn, and (kinda once-Rocket) Khaman Maluach.

Tip-off

8pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Clint Capela: GTD

Steven Adams: OUT

Suns

Mark Williams: OUT

Rasheer Fleming: OUT

Jordan Goodwin: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Schedule Advantage Counter

Rockets: 2

Opponents: 2

Looking ahead because we can

Monday night in Houston against the Denver Nuggets

The Lakers are one of the Western Conference’s best teams.

Their early success can be tied to Luka Doncic‘s MVP performance to kick off the 2026-27 season. Doncic is in many ways overlooked even with his strong start to the season, but his warmup shots never cease to amaze.

At Crypto.com Arena, Doncic drained a wild shot from the corner 3 on Friday night. The ball flew higher than the retired jerseys hanging in the rafters.

Just warming up pic.twitter.com/hwD4oxQOnv

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 7, 2026

Yet while his warmup shots may be flashy, Doncic isn’t known for his finesse on the court. Instead, the Lakers superstar is praised for the pace he plays with and his ability to control the offense.

Entering Friday’s game against the Trail Blazers, Doncic averaged 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, eight assists and 1.8 steals. He was shooting 49.5% from the field and 43.1% from beyond the arc.

He seems to be proving the rest of the league wrong as Doncic received zero votes for MVP in a survey done by NBA general managers ahead of the season.

The Lakers still have issues to address, but their strong start to the season has intertwined with Doncic’s marvelous performance thus far. If the Lakers and their superstar can continue trending in the right direction, there’s a chance LA can be a legitimate contender down the stretch.

LOS ANGELES — For as poorly as the Los Angeles Lakers shot the ball in the first half, Luka Dončić's buzzer-beater might serve as a wake-up call.

Dončić got the ball off a Walker Kessler rebound with six seconds left before halftime, dribbled up to the top of the opposite key and launched a 62-foot Hail Mary that he practices religiously. Maybe that's why it looked good coming out of his hand.

The Crypto.com Arena crowd − including Bruce Springsteen − could hardly contain their excitement as the ball sailed through the air, and erupted as it banked in to send the Lakers into the locker room with just their fourth made 3 in 23 attempts, giving them some much-needed momentum as they cut the Portland Trail Blazers' lead to seven points after trailing by as many as 16 in the second quarter.

LUKA JUST SANK IT FROM 3/4 COURT 🤯

Bruce Springsteen can’t believe what he just witnessed! pic.twitter.com/D0a9aSnwuX

— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2026

The Lakers' uncharacteristic offensive struggles on Friday night, however, haven't seemed to rub off on Dončić. He leads the team with 20 points on 43.8% shooting to go along with two assists and two rebounds. He's the only Laker in double figures; Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves are closest to him with eight points apiece.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Luka Doncic's impressive 62-foot 3-pointer to beat halftime buzzer