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Karl-Anthony Towns early, Landry Shamet late lift Knicks past Heat, 140-132, in NBA Cup

Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 39 points and the Knicks’ bench added 75 to beat the Miami Heat 140-132, in NBA Cup action on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

The pace, as expected, was blistering, and the shooting was pure as Towns set the tone early with 31 in the first half as he connected on 13 of 26 attempts from the floor (6-for-14 from deep) and added 11 rebounds, four assists, and a block, and was a plus-13 in 38 minutes on the night.

Playing without Jalen Brunson after he sustained a Grade 1 ankle sprain in Wednesday’s loss, New York lost OG Anunoby midway through the first quarter with a left hamstring injury. The bench erased that disadvantage, with their best game of the season, including going 24-for-41 from the floor and 11-for-20 from beyond the arc.

Landry Shamet scored 15 points in the third and 15 more in the fourth to give him 36 in the game. Jordan Clarkson had 13 of his 24 in the first half, and Josh Hart had a vintage game with his first triple-double of the year: 12 points (5-for-8 shooting) with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Heat went cold in the fourth and couldn’t keep the Knicks off the offensive glass (nine in the period), allowing them to keep possessions alive and turn a six-point lead into a 14-point edge with 4:20 to play. Miami cut the game to eight with a minute left, but New York kept them at an arm's length as both teams played out the final Cup minutes harder than normal.  

Norman Powell had 38 points on 12-for-22 shooting (8-for-15 from deep) as all five Heat starters had double-digits and Jaime Jaquez added 23 off the bench. But the Knicks had just enough against one of the league's highest-scoring offenses, making 21 threes on 53 attempts (39.6 percent) and coralling 51 rebounds (20 offensive).

“Fun game for the fans, probably,” head coach Mike Brown said after the win. “It was almost like a glorified pick-up game with good spacing. 

“... Both teams were just hooping.”

Here are the takeaways...

- With Brunson out due to his right ankle sprain, it was expected that Towns was going to have to carry the load. After the Knicks missed their first eight shots, with a turnover, Towns knocked down back-to-back threes to finally get the offense going. A Towns old-fashioned three-point lead put the home side ahead by one, erasing the early 7-0 deficit thanks in part to six early offensive rebounds, four from Robinson and two from Anunoby. Later in the first, an 8-0 run by the Knicks' big man put New York back up by one again, giving him 18 in the quarter on 7-for-10 shooting (3-for-6 from deep). 

After five early points in the second, Towns was quiet before exploding again for back-to-back threes before adding two more at the line to give him 31 for the game with his individual 8-0 run for a 69-62 lead with two minutes left in the half. The pace didn't slow a bit in the second with the Knicks going for 46 points (15-for-23 from the floor), grabbing a 78-68 halftime lead, holding the Heat to 11-for-23 from the floor in the period.

Miami changed its strategy after the half, sending more doubles the big man's way, and after a quiet third (four points on 2-for-7 from the floor), Towns entered with New York up a dozen in the fourth and had an equally quiet quarter with just four more points, all from the line, as he went 0-for-3 from the floor.

- Already down Brunson, the bench was going to be asked to pick up the load. And losing Anunoby after a few minutes didn’t help matters. At the half, the bench had 31 points, with Clarkson stepping up for 13 (2-for-3 from deep and 5-for-7 from the line), Hart adding 9 (4-for-5 from floor) with five rebounds and four assists, Shamet had six (2-for-5 shooting) but with three fouls, and Guerschon Yabusele three on his lone shot in four minutes of first-half action as he continues to see little time in the rotation.

As the Knicks looked to weather a storm that saw the 10-point halftime lead shrink to two, Shamet had 15 points in the third on 6-for-9 from the floor, including two threes and a dunk over the seven-foot-tall Kel'el Ware. He kept it up in the fourth, too, with 15 more, always popping up when the Knicks needed him, getting his name chanted by the MSG faithful.

Clarkson finished 6-for-13 from the floor (3-for-6 from deep and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line), he had five rebounds (four offensive) and three assists, and was a plus-4 in 33 minutes.

- It wasn’t all gravy early: Mitchell Robinson picked up a pair of illegal screen fouls and then, 13 seconds after the second bad pick, was whistled on the defensive end, sending him to the bench with 3:29 left in the first quarter. And Anunoby was seen on the bench holding the back of his left leg and went back to the locker room a few moments later. (He was then ruled out after the period.) Combined with a blistering pace and Miami shooting 55 percent (11-for-20) compared to New York's 43.3 percent (13-30) and the visitors had a 35-32 edge after 12 minutes.

Robinson saw some time in the second and grabbed two more offensive rebounds, but picked up his fourth foul under two minutes into the third quarter and was back on the bench. He picked up his fifth as the Heat cut the deficit to two with 2:06 left in the third. After two more offensive rebounds in the fourth, Robinson's final line was no points (0-for-2) with 10 rebounds (eight offensive), two assists, two turnovers, and was a minus-5 in 14 minutes.

Anunoby finished with two points (1-for-4 shooting), three rebounds, and a foul in 5 minutes; he was a plus-1.

- Mikal Bridges got off to a slow start, including blowing a breakaway dunk after a steal, and he had four points on 2-for-6 shooting early but walked into a three after grabbing his fourth steal of the first half to give him nine points in the half. After Bridges hit a three to open the third, he missed his next three from deep in the quarter to go 1-for-5 in the frame, but added two more steals, two rebounds, two blocks, and a turnover.

Bridges got a three to go (after a Hart steal and an extra pass by Shamet) to give the Knicks a 14-point edge, their largest of the game, and force a Heat timeout 2.5 minutes into the fourth in the hopes of stalling the 10-0 New York run.

He finished with 15 points on 6-for-21 shooting (3-for-12 from three) with seven steals, five rebounds, five assists, and was a plus-7 in 42 minutes.

- Miles McBride, getting the start for Brunson, started slow, 2-for-6 from the floor (1-for-4 from deep), for five points with two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes. He finished with nine on 4-for-10 shooting (1-for-6 from deep) with four assists, three rebounds, and was a plus-1 in 30 minutes.

Game MVP: Landry Shamet

It will be known as the Landry Shamet game as he went 12-for-19 from the floor (6-for-12 from deep) with three assists and two rebounds and was a plus-11 in 38 minutes off the bench. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks hit the road after the productive 6-1 home stand hit the road for five games, starting off Monday night in South Beach against the Miami Heat. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

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Rodney Rice notches triple-double in leading USC over Illinois State 87-67 in Hall of Fame Series

Maryland transfer Rodney Rice had a triple-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead four players in double figures and USC defeated Illinois State 87-67 on Friday night in the opener of the Hall of Fame Series doubleheader at Intuit Dome. The Trojans (3-0) got 18 points by Chad Baker-Mazara, 14 points from Gabe Dynes and 13 points by Ezra Ausar. Ty’Reek Coleman scored 16 points and Johnny Kinziger added 15 for the Redbirds (1-2), who won 22 games last season, their most in nine years.

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Boozer has 35 points and 12 rebounds as No. 4 Duke beats Indiana State 100-62

Freshman forward Cameron Boozer scored 23 of his season-high 35 points in the first half as No. 4 Duke put together three double-figure scoring runs on the way to beating Indiana State 100-62 on Friday night. Boozer, who also had 12 rebounds and five assists, finished 13 for 16 from the field after connecting on nine of 10 first-half shots. Caleb Foster added 14 points and Dame Sarr had 10 for Duke (4-0), which geared up for Tuesday’s showdown against No. 25 Kansas in New York City by reaching 100 points in consecutive games for the first time in nearly eight years.

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"I'm Pretty Fortune": Red Wings' Patrick Kane Reflects On Latest Major Career Milestone

The milestones just keep rolling for Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, a first-ballot future Hall of Fame player who is also widely regarded as the best United States-born forward in NHL history. 

With an assist during Thursday evening's 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Kane became just the 31st player in NHL history to reach 1,350 career points, and is now immediately in the rear view mirror on the records of Guy Lafleur and Brendan Shanahan on the NHL's all-time points list. 

"I didn't know if 1,350 was a milestone or a number, or why it was being put up there," Kane said with a smile.

Oh, and it won't be long before Kane notches his 500th career goal, as he's currently at 494 tallies and counting. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

During Thursday’s game, Kane’s latest accomplishment was displayed on the scoreboard to roaring cheers from the sold-out crowd. However, Kane admitted after Friday’s practice that he wasn’t initially sure why he was being shown.

"I didn't know if 1,350 was a milestone or a number, or why it was being put up there," Kane said with a smile.

Throughout NHL history, several high-profile Hall of Fame players have hailed from the United States, and Kane is at the top of the list among active players who fit that description.

As a native of Buffalo, Kane grew up watching players like Pat Lafontaine skate for the Sabres while also admiring the likes of Mike Modano and Chris Chelios. 

"I like (Pat) Lafontaine, Modano, Chris Chelios, a huge fan of him on and off the ice, just a complete warrior," Kane said. "I didn't like him so much when we were going against him and he was cross-checking me in the back, but he's become a great friend and he's probably the guy who's the best American player of all time, and I definitely look up to those guys. "

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Becoming one of the greatest U.S.-born NHL players wasn't something that Kane initially thought of when he first started becoming active in hockey, but it's not something he takes for granted. 

"I was just a young kid from Buffalo who tried to play hockey and enjoy it, and maybe try and get a college scholarship," he said. "As time goes on, you get opportunities and take advantage of playing in different situations, stepping into good opportunities, you get chances to do some pretty special things. I'm pretty fortunate with that." 

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Brady Tkachuk Tests Out Wrist Injury At Practice, Provides Potential Timeline For Return

On the first episode of his new podcast, Brady Tkachuk provided an update on how he's doing after wrist surgery. 

"I'm in the dog days of being injured right now. It sucks," Brady told his brother and co-host Matthew on the debut episode of their podcast, Wingmen, which launched on Thursday and appears to have been recorded earlier this week.

"On Thursday (Nov 13), I'm going to be four weeks post-surgery. Luckily, with this surgery, I was able to skate six days after. So I've been going probably three times, four times a week, over  the last three weeks."

That's the upside of upper-body injuries. You can usually keep your fitness up and not miss a beat when you return to play.

Matthew then threw it out there that Brady would probably be back in a couple of weeks, and the Sens captain agreed. Again, keep in mind the podcast was recorded at least two days ago. Brady also spoke about how pleased he was to work with pucks this week for the first time since the injury. And he was especially pumped about how good everything felt.

"Yeah, I was able to actually stick handle last night in the shooting room, my first time. And the hands felt good too. Like, they felt good. I was happy with them.

 "I'm able to stick handle on the ice now. And I'm really hoping that, come Friday, I'll be able to skate with the guys as a shadow, as I still work on my hands. I'll probably be able to shoot."

Brady did just that on Friday, and while he wasn't unleashing Happy Gilmore slapshots, his shots weren't muffins either. His rebuilt wrist looked strong at the club's optional practice. In one drill, he worked the slot area, receiving alternating passes sent from the boards and launching firm wrist shots at a practice goalie.

At his media availability, Green said Tkachuk was probably still a couple of weeks away at least, but he will be going on the club's upcoming seven-game road trip, which begins on Thursday.

Green also said that there's nothing new to report about Thomas Chabot's upper-body injury, other than he's day-to-day and doubtful to play on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, the last guy you would have expected to see at an optional practice was veteran defenseman Nick Jensen. Jensen is 35, coming back from off-season, hip resurfacing surgery and left Thursday night's victory over the Boston Bruins with an injury at the end of the second period.

But it's good to see that whatever knocked him out of that game obviously isn't serious.

Green didn't rule him out for Saturday's game, but if he can't go, the Sens will have to call someone up from Belleville. Their right-shot options would be former first-rounders Carter Yakemchuk and Lassi Thomson, along with Ottawa native Cameron Crotty. Thomson and Crotty are not waivers-exempt.

On the left side, it's probably Jorian Donovan, another Ottawan, or AHL-signed Scott Harrington. Harrington is the only one not on an NHL contract, but he does have the most NHL experience by far.

Yakemchuk is the club's top prospect and leads all Belleville defensemen with 8 points in 13 games. He was in Ottawa's final cuts in each of the last two training camps. If the Sens need a body, then giving Yakemchuk a little taste of the NHL at a time when they've built themselves a little room for error wouldn't be a bad play for his development.

You also never really know for sure how close a player is to being a full-time NHL player until you see him in meaningful NHL games. Perhaps Yakemchuk is more NHL-ready than they realize.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

The latest headlines at The Hockey News/Ottawa:
Four More Years: Senators Sign Shane Pinto To Four-Year Extension
Creator Of 'New Heights' Gives Brady And Matthew Tkachuk Their Own Podcast
Why Did The Senators Choose Kleven Over Spence For Overtime?
Senators Lose Defenseman Thomas Chabot To Injury
Former Ottawa Senator GM Passes Away At Age 70

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Knicks' OG Anunoby leaves Friday's game vs. Heat with hamstring injury; ruled out for remainder of contest

The Knicks are already short-handed with the loss of Jalen Brunson, but they will also be without OG Anunoby for their NBA Cup game against the Heat on Friday.

New York's forward injured his left hamstring on a fastbreak when he missed a layup and grabbed at his left leg. He was in visible discomfort on the Knicks bench during a timeout and went into the locker room with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter. The team ruled him out after the first quarter was completed.

Anunoby played just five minutes, scoring two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-1 from three) to go along with three rebounds. 

While not having Anunoby for Friday's game is a blow to the Knicks, losing him for an extended period of time would, obviously, be worse, especially the way he's played this season. The 28-year-old is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game through the first 11 games of the season. 

Those numbers and his play have caused first-year coach Mike Brown to declare that his forward is playing like an All-Star and that he deserves to be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. 

This story is still developing....

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Takeaways: Penguins' Lack Of Injury Depth Exposed In 2-1 Loss To Predators During First Game Of Global Series

Despite all of the excitement and fanfare surrounding the start of the 2025-26 Global Series, Friday simply wasn't the night for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And - despite nearly sneaking off with the two points - it showed in the results.

The Penguins were defeated in overtime by the Nashville Predators, 2-1, in a game where the Penguins were outplayed for the final 40 minutes. Evgeni Malkin scored a fluke second-period goal to put the Penguins ahead 1-0 until the final two minutes of regulation, when Swedish forward Filip Forsberg knotted things up for the Predators and sent the game to OT.

Steven Stamkos got a partial breakaway just 44 seconds into the extra frame and buried the opportunity to give the Preds the win.

It was a sloppy game for the Penguins in general, but their goaltender gave them a fighting chance. Arturs Silovs made two breakaway saves and came up huge on several occasions, and he was - really - the only reason the Penguins even earned a point with the game they played.

He stopped 28 of 30 Nashville shots. 

"I thought he was outstanding tonight," head coach Dan Muse said. "I mean, he kept the score the way it was. We got a point because of him and the way he played, so I thought he was great."

Let's get to some observations, both from this game and just in general right now:

- The Crosby line was pretty good in this game, regardless of the fact that they did not show up on the scoresheet. They were generating chances that they simply didn't finish, even with some brutal defensive zone play from Crosby at times. At the end of the day, Kindel, Crosby, and Rust have some real chemistry. 

That said, this team is really hurting without Kindel as its third-line center. 

The Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealThe Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealObviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.

The problem, however, is that they don't really have anyone else to plug on 87's other wing right now. Injuries have caught up to them. Rickard Rakell isn't an option and won't be for a while still. Justin Brazeau isn't an option, either, and will still be out another few weeks. Filip Hallander is no longer an option and won't be for another three-plus months.

So, who does that leave? There's Kindel. There's also Ville Koivunen, who is struggling to produce anywhere close to the numbers he put up in a short stint last season. There's Tommy Novak, who is currently filling Brazeau's spot on the second line next to Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha. You could try Connor Dewar there, but it's probably not a sustainable thing, and he and Blake Lizotte have some serious chemistry. 

Yes, you can move Kindel back down. But the top line will be worse as a result. And what is more important right now?

- On that note, I think it's time for the Penguins to give forward prospect Tristan Broz a look.

Obviously, that won't happen ahead of Sunday's game to wrap up the Global Series in Stockholm. But the Penguins' bottom-six is lacking right now, and a large part of that is because they do not have an effective third line without Kindel centering it. 

October Penguins' Prospects Update: ForwardsOctober Penguins' Prospects Update: ForwardsIt's a new season, and with the month of October in the books, that means it's time for the first&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects update of the season.

They could use another set of youthful legs in the bottom-six. They could use a guy who has some good two-way potential and has shown an ability - at least at the AHL and NCAA levels - to put the puck in the back of the net. It also gives them the flexibility to keep Kindel on Crosby's line - or at least bump someone like Koivunen up - because there will still be two capable young players left on the third line.

This team desperately needs center depth and scoring depth. They need to make a move to try and address that now, especially with things beginning to go south and with some of their top producers still on the shelf for several weeks.

- Speaking of young players, this was the fourth consecutive scratch for 19-year-old rookie blueliner Harrison Brunicke. 

I wrote a detailed piece a few weeks ago speaking on the potential for an AHL conditioning stint if Brunicke is scratched for five consecutive games. If he does not play Sunday, that will be five consecutive games, and he will have gone two weeks without playing a game. 

If I were a betting person, I'd bet that's what's happening here. If not, why take him on the trip if they're not going to ice him and just plan to send him back to the WHL right after?

What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?On Thursday, it was confirmed by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' head coach Dan Muse that 18-year-old center <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/penguins-top-prospect-ben-kindel-to-remain-in-pittsburgh">Ben Kindel will remain in the NHL through his 10th game</a>, meaning the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will kick in.&nbsp;

Besides, Kris Letang, Connor Clifton, and Matt Dumba (save for a nice play he made on the Penguins' lone goal Friday) haven't been doing much to help their team defensively as of late. In fact, they - like Brunicke - have made plenty of defensive mistakes and misreads.

If he's going to remain at the NHL level, he's got to see the ice at some point. But, I do think the conditioning stint - at this current point - is what's probably best for both sides right now.

- All that said, I do think Ryan Graves has been quite a bit better in his short four-game sample size so far. And he's honestly looking like the kind of defense partner that wouldn't be the worst thing for Brunicke, should he stay.

If Graves continues to play a solid game, I'd try it at some point. 

- It was a really special moment for Erik Karlsson, who had the opportunity to play in front of his own country. He was the last player announced in the Penguins' starting lineup, and he got a nice ovation from the Swedish faithful.

SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) on XSportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) on XThat crowd pop when Erik Karlsson is announced during the player intros 🔊 Sweden is READY for some hockey 🇸🇪

Karlsson was operating at a pretty high level during the first period in this game. Like everyone else, he didn't quite stand out as much as the game went on, but it was a perfectly solid performance from him. 

And Stamkos's overtime winner? Yeah, he was the defenseman on the play, but he couldn't catch up because he was clearly out of gas. Can't really put that one on him, in my opinion. 

- All in all, these losses happen. In a vacuum, losing to one of the league's worst teams isn't a great look, especially on the international stage - and when things haven't been going your way in general. 

But I don't think it's time for folks to write off the Penguins yet. They've been a little less dominant as of late, their five-on-five metrics have taken a hit, and they can't find the back of the net like they were doing with regularity before.

Is There Reason For Concern With Penguins' Recent Stretch?Is There Reason For Concern With Penguins' Recent Stretch?After an 8-2-2 start to the season during the month of October, all seemed to be going well and right for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.&nbsp;

But that tends to happen when two of your team's top goal-scorers are out of the lineup. It's not a mystery why the Penguins are struggling to score right now. 

I wouldn't read too much into their hot start, and I also wouldn't read too much into this current stretch for now. Yeah, you've got some of the "I told you so" and "see, this team just isn't good" folks populating sound boards. 

The truth is that this team is likely somewhere in the middle of where they started and where they are now. Injuries have played a big part, but they're not the only thing. Team defense hasn't been great, either. 

And that's why their start was so important and why this stretch is so important. Somehow, they just need to find a way to tread water and play at least .500 hockey until some of their key players start to return. And that won't be easy come December, when they have a gauntlet ahead of them.

Seven of their next eight opponents are outside of the current playoff picture. They need to bank the majority of those points, and it starts with getting two points on Sunday and three out of four on this trip.

Starting in Sweden, Penguins Must Win Upcoming Stretch Of GamesStarting in Sweden, Penguins Must Win Upcoming Stretch Of GamesOn Friday, the 2025-26 NHL Global Series kicks off.&nbsp;

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

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Big nights across the board give Flyers 6-5 shootout win over Blues

Big nights across the board give Flyers 6-5 shootout win over Blues originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Behind all kinds of individual performances, the Flyers erased a pair of two-goal deficits to beat the Blues, 6-5, Friday night in a shootout at Enterprise Center.

Trevor Zegras continued his magic in the skills competition with the lone tally, improving to 16 for 24 lifetime.

Samuel Ersson picked up his 11th career shootout win in 14 opportunities.

Owen Tippett erupted for a four-point game, while Zegras and Christian Dvorak had two goals apiece.

Rallying from deficits of 3-1 and 5-3, the Flyers (9-5-3) extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2). They’ve earned at least a point in 10 of their last 13 games (8-3-2).

The Flyers lead the NHL with 10 shootout wins over the last two seasons and are 4-0 this season. Rick Tocchet’s club has gone to overtime eight times and is 5-3-3 in games decided by one goal.

The Flyers see the Blues (6-8-4) again in six days.

• A night like this one is why you don’t give up on Tippett just because he’s a streaky player.

He’s 26 years old and can have these kind of games.

“His tools are unreal,” Tocchet said Thursday. “So can we piece it together? … We have to just continue to grow this guy because there’s something. He has got a lot of tools, so it’s on us to hone those skills.”

Tippett snapped his 10-game goal-scoring slump when he tied the game at 5-5 about halfway through the third period. He also collected three assists.

It was a good response from his late mishap that cost the Flyers in a 2-1 overtime loss Wednesday night to the Oilers.

• Ersson started the first game of the Flyers’ back-to-back set and wasn’t sharp in regulation.

He allowed the five goals on 17 shots for the night. But he delivered again in the shootout.

After the Flyers dug out of a 3-1 hole in the second period, St. Louis went back up two with consecutive goals not even five minutes into the final stanza.

For a second straight game, Ersson surrendered two goals in the first period. The Flyers didn’t help his cause by coughing up the puck. Zegras had a pass picked off in the neutral zone as the Blues grabbed a 1-0 lead. Travis Konecny committed a turnover in the offensive zone, which allowed St. Louis to regain its lead at 2-1.

Blues netminder Jordan Binnington couldn’t finish off the Flyers. He stopped 26 of their 31 shots.

• Danny Briere has to be really happy so far with his two offseason additions up front.

Zegras already has three two-goal games with the Flyers. He didn’t have any last season with the Ducks.

The 24-year-old trade acquisition had his third three-point effort and now leads the Flyers in both goals (six) and assists (13).

Dvorak also had three points for his third multi-point game with the Flyers. The 29-year-old free-agent signing can play all over the lineup.

• Emil Andrae had two assists and a plus-4 rating in 18 minutes. The 23-year-old defenseman showed he can handle more on his plate.

• The Flyers are right back at it Saturday when they visit the Stars (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Steph Curry, Warriors show Spurs, NBA they still can climb the tallest mountains

Steph Curry, Warriors show Spurs, NBA they still can climb the tallest mountains originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – Anything and everything a basketball fan could ever want from two regular-season games in November was cinematic greatness, attuned to Oscar winners on IMAX between the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in a three-day span. 

The superstar highlights. The intensity. The record books being rewritten. 

They had it all, including two comeback Warriors wins after beating the Spurs by five points Wednesday night and then outlasting them 109-108 off two Steph Curry free throws with six seconds left that gave him his 48th and 49th points of the game, one game after dropping 46. 

While Curry walked to the free-throw line, Victor Wembanyama, who now has witnessed Steph rip his heart out in his home country of France in the Paris Summer Olympics and his NBA home of San Antonio, tried all he could to rile Spurs fans enough to distract him. It didn’t work. 

Curry swished his first free throw, walked towards the Spurs crowd and mockingly did similar gestures back at them as he talked his talk. 

“I’m aware of everything,” Curry said. “It’s pretty fun. You have to find something to take the nerves out, and for me that’s just embracing the moment, smiling and having a good time.” 

A week before the Warriors’ win against the Spurs on Wednesday night, an illness kept Curry out for three straight games, in which his team went 1-2. He returned Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder but only scored 11 points in 20 minutes in an ugly blowout loss as the cold still lingered. He could have sat out the second night of a back-to-back in San Antonio, but that wasn’t an option after being embarrassed by the defending champions. 

The showman showed out in historic fashion. Curry’s 46 points on Wednesday gave him 43 games of 40 or more points after turning 30 years old, putting him one behind Michael Jordan. The 37-year-old then one-upped himself, knowing exactly when he had tied MJ. 

Dribbling the ball between his legs and pulling up from 29 feet away, Curry swished a three with six and a half minutes remaining to give him 41 points, cutting the Warriors’ deficit from 10 points to seven. 

The player then became the performer. Curry made a ‘2’ and a ‘3’ with his hands across his chest to the crowd running back to the other side of the court. He knew the moment in the heat of the game, and still could be the entertainer everybody comes to see. 

“Very aware,” Curry said. “I did it backwards, though. It’s the second time I’ve done that. But yeah, I was aware of it for sure. 

“I didn’t know I was one away until last game and then obviously was asked about it, and then when I got over that number – that’s pretty cool, just from an individual accomplishment perspective. To be able to be in that company and longevity is something that I pride myself on. So that was pretty cool.”

He also joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only players aged 37 years or older with back-to-back 40-point games. 

And he’s now the oldest player in NBA history to have back-to-back games of at least 46 points. 

Curry in a two-game span scored 95 points, made 29 shots, including 14 threes, and went 23 of 24 at the free-throw line.

On the other side was Wembanyama doing out-of-this-world things at 7-foot-7, with a pitbull a foot shorter than him barking up his tree. Draymond Green doesn’t back down. Never has, never will.

“Draymond is always going to battle,” Steve Kerr said. “He’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around. Obviously, he was getting pretty emotional out there.” 

When Wembanyama, on an out-of-bounds play, caught a pass with his left hand and hammered home a dunk on the heads of Green and Jimmy Butler, the Frenchman bumped Green and yelled right in his face. But this is Draymond. Saginaw’s own looked straight up with the top of his head meeting Wembanyama’s chin. 

He frustrated him to no end on Wednesday, and the ball didn’t touch Wembanyama’s hands on the final play with Green guarding him.

The fire only grew from there. An irate Kerr poured more gasoline on it shortly after, letting the referees know his expletive-laden feelings for a technical foul. 

“That tech right there probably got us going more than anything,” Gary Payton II said. “Steve fights for us. We’ll run through a wall for him. We love to see that fire from him.” 

Kerr’s technical foul gave Wembanyama three free throws, including the two from a loose-ball foul on Butler that put him over the edge, giving the Spurs a 10-point lead at the 7:25 mark of the fourth quarter. The Warriors then outscored the Spurs 27-16 the rest of the game. 

In a one-minute and eight-second stretch late in the fourth quarter, Payton and Brandin Podziemski made three 3-pointers on three straight Warriors offensive possessions. The Warriors went from trailing 100-95 to leading 101-100. Podziemski assisted Payton’s first three, then blocked a shot from De’Aaron Fox. It was Payton who assisted Podziemski’s three, and a Podziemski defensive rebound led to Payton’s triple that gave Golden State the lead.

Those two were the epitome of clutch after coming through in several ways Wednesday night, too. All small parts of the game that make Podziemski a critical piece shone, and Payton’s lockdown defense on Fox sealed the deal on the final shot of the game.

This baseball series of adjustments and deep intentions brought out the best of both teams, creating a playoff atmosphere just three and a half weeks into the season. 

“It did feel like a playoff game, especially tonight,” Kerr said. “The other night, it was a little different. A little looser, a little freer. Tonight felt more like the physicality of the playoffs.” 

Some might say the Warriors are the past. They’ll tell you they’re the present, showing the future what it takes to climb the NBA’s mountain. The climb itself can feel as exhausting as ever for the Warriors. The extra gear to get them to the top is still there.

The greatness. The drama. The passion. These games had it all, begging for more on an even bigger stage down the road.

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How Steve Kerr's passionate pregame speech fueled Warriors' wild win over Spurs

How Steve Kerr's passionate pregame speech fueled Warriors' wild win over Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr has seen a lot in his three-plus decades in the NBA, so the Warriors coach is no stranger to instilling the needed motivation when his team finds itself in a rut.

Sometimes it’s a pep talk; other times it’s a fiery display on the sideline, with the latter proving invaluable in the Warriors’ thrilling 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at Frost Bank Center.

Kerr received a technical foul in the fourth quarter after vehemently disagreeing with a loose-ball foul called on Jimmy Butler with 7:25 remaining in the game. Kerr’s animated display sparked something within the Warriors, who went on a 27-19 run to snatch a one-point victory in the final seconds.

After the game, Warriors star Steph Curry — the star of the night with 49 points — explained how much of an impact Kerr’s energy has on him and his teammates.

“We love it, he has broken clipboards along the way, he has gotten technicals — he gets fiery,” Curry told reporters after Friday’s win. “This morning, he was in his bag in terms of his speech he gave in our pregame meeting this morning. You can tell he still has that fastball if he needs it. It’s important for us to have that energy over the course of 82. We’re all in this together. He talked about that this morning, he showed it out there, and whether you win or lose, you just want to have a unit and a team that’s together. Coaches included.”

So what exactly stood out about this morning’s motivational speech from Kerr? Drawing back to his days with the Chicago Bulls, where he won three NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan in the late 90s.

Kerr used a compelling comparison to fire up his players, likening their assignments to that of a big-time band on tour, emphasizing the importance of all the moving pieces needed to complete the puzzle.

“He rarely talks about his Chicago days, and he gave some references to how they approached their team and their identity by comparisons to how a band comes together and everyone is playing a role,” Curry said. “You got your lead singers, you got your bass, your acoustic, your electric whatever. You got your stage hands, you got the guy who’s plugging in the speakers. He said he was just above plugging in the speakers guy.

“It speaks to it all matters, there’s value in all of that when a band is going on tour. I think Phil Jackson instilled that in him, and he used that as a reference for how we need to play and how we need to approach our identity. It’s going to take a long time to get through this year in terms of doing that, but it’s great to have a reference.”

While Curry’s historic scoring outburst led the way, it took a collective effort to get across the finish line against a tough Spurs team. Plays like Gary Payton II’s go-ahead three in the final minutes of the fourth quarter proved to be the difference on a night when Golden State needed every contribution possible for its thrilling victory.

It remains to be seen which band the Warriors most closely resemble, but it’s clear this group is capable of making sweet music together when the rhythm is right. And Friday night’s win is the kind of performance that will leave Dub Nation calling for an encore.

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