Posts

Posted on

Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly to miss 1-2 weeks with 'low grade' groin strain

Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss one to two weeks due to a "low-grade" groin strain, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Bucks are not required to make anything official until Tuesday, and the team did not practice or meet on Monday. However, coach Doc Rivers did appear on the Bucks' official podcast Courtside and said this (hat tip Eric Nehm of The Athletic):

"I don't know what grade it is, but I know it's not a bad one, so that's good news for us...Probably two weeks he'll be out — hopefully less."

Antetokounmpo had to leave Monday night's game against Phoenix late in the second quarter after injuring his groin on a drive to the rim, though it might have started earlier, coach Doc Rivers said after the game.

"He grabbed his groin, I think in the first quarter, and I asked him right away. He said it was fine," Rivers said, via the Associated Press. "Then I think he grabbed it again and said it was fine. And then on the third time, you know, that's when it happened. But I think it happened before, in my opinion."

Antetokounmpo is playing at an MVP level early in the season, averaging 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game, carrying the Bucks early in the season. The concern for the next two weeks is that the Bucks have a -13 net rating when he is off the floor. The Bucks' offense is 21.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

Jericho Sims started the second half on Monday with Antetokounmpo out, and both he and Bobby Portis likely see increased run until the Greek Freak returns.

Posted on

Georgetown’s Vince Iwuchukwu to have a medical procedure

Georgetown center Vince Iwuchukwu needs to have a medical procedure and will be evaluated after six to eight weeks, the school said Tuesday, without giving any specifics about his condition. Iwuchukwu is a 7-foot-1 senior who began his college career as a five-star recruit at Southern California. In July 2022, he collapsed during an informal workout and went into cardiac arrest.

Posted on

Giannis Antetokounmpo Groin Strain: Bucks' outlook and fantasy impact

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a critical loss on Monday, as star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the team's defeat in Cleveland with a right groin injury. Ahead of the team's practice on Tuesday, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that Giannis would likely be out for two weeks.

ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the forward has been diagnosed with a low-grade strain. Let's look at how Antetokounmpo's absence will impact the Bucks' rotation and fantasy basketball.

Who will move into the Bucks’ starting lineup?

With Kyle Kuzma (24 percent rostered, Yahoo!) already in the starting lineup, filling that role the last four games, the Bucks will need to turn elsewhere to fill the void. One possibility is that Gary Trent Jr. (seven percent) returns to the lineup after coming off the bench the last three games. As a starter, he's averaging 10.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 28.1 minutes, shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the foul line. Trent has primarily been a points and three-pointers option, offering limited value in the other categories.

Another option, if Milwaukee were to go big, would be veteran forward/center Bobby Portis (25 percent). However, like Trent, his fantasy production has been underwhelming this season. Averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 three-pointers in 20.9 minutes, this is the least productive that Portis has been since his second season in the NBA (2016-17). However, according to Cleaning the Glass, Portis and starting center Myles Turner have only shared the court for 120 possessions this season. Given that number, Portis' chances of starting may be slim.

Even if he comes off the bench, there will be opportunities for Portis to provide greater value, but fantasy managers can't assume that he'll come through.

NBA: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama Calf Strain: Spurs’ outlook and fantasy impact
The Spurs will be without Wemby for at least 2-3 weeks after he strained his left calf.

How does Giannis’ absence impact the entire rotation?

The gravity that Antetokounmpo has offensively opens things up for the entire team, even with his lack of a reliable perimeter shot. Ryan Rollins (51 percent) has emerged as a fantasy standout this season, sitting just outside the top-50 in nine-cat, per-game value. Turner (97 percent), one of the league's better pick-and-pop big men, will also be impacted by Antetokounmpo's absence. AJ Green (seven percent), who has provided solid three-point value, could be in a challenging spot in terms of delivering consistent value while the Bucks await Giannis' return.

Turner and Rollins are the safest bets to benefit from Giannis' absence, with the latter being the only appealing option who's still available in 12-team leagues. Outside of those two, fantasy managers may be best served taking a patient approach to see how Rivers handles the rotation, or simply looking to other teams to help account for Antetokounmpo's absence.

Posted on

NHL Norris Trophy Rankings: Avs' Makar, Canucks' Hughes Lead The Way Again

As the NHL reaches the quarter-mark of the season, it's time to look at the league's Norris Trophy race.

After last week’s Hart Trophy ranking, we move on to the current top five candidates to take home the Norris, awarded "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar won his second Norris Trophy last season, and it won’t be a surprise to see his name at the top again this time around.

Here are my top five NHL Norris Trophy candidates, as of Nov. 18.

5. Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer has been quite impressive in the first quarter of this campaign for the New York Islanders.

In 19 games, the rookie has 15 points, tied for eighth in scoring among D-men. More impressively, he leads all blueliners in goals with seven and eight assists to go along with it. Schaefer has the third-most goals on his team and is tied with Mat Barzal for second in points, only behind Bo Horvat’s 23.

In addition to his scoring, he’s been putting the Islanders in great spots to win hockey games. At the moment, they hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. 

A contributor to that has been Schaefer’s ability to draw penalties and be on the right side of the puck. He's tied with Connor McDavid for the second-most penalties drawn in the NHL, with 12.

More telling, Schaefer leads the NHL in net penalties (penalties drawn minus penalties taken), at nine.

BetMGMNorris Trophy odds: 51.00/+5000

Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer Takes On Miro Heiskanen After Battling Cale MakarIslanders’ Matthew Schaefer Takes On Miro Heiskanen After Battling Cale MakarAfter a strong showing against the league's best defender, Schaefer battles another elite blueliner.

4. Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey is playing his way on Team Canada’s Olympic team after a great 4 Nations Face-Off campaign.

This season, he has three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 18 games. With that, he’s on a five-game point streak and has points in 10 of his last 11 games. Morrissey is one of four D-men in the NHL full-time who average more than a point per game.

At 1.06 points per game, he’ll be challenging the 70-point mark for the second time in his career and the 80-point mark for the first time.

Morrissey is third in defensemen scoring and tied in second for the most primary assists from his position with nine.

Along with his scoring prowess from the back end, he leads the Jets in plus-minus with a plus-seven rating, sharing that top spot with defenseman Logan Stanley.

BetMGMNorris Trophy odds: 61.00/+6000

3. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

It feels that one of these seasons, Miro Heiskanen will win something. It could be a Norris Trophy or a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars, which have been sniffing around the final for years.

Nonetheless, Heiskanen has been a key contributor to the team’s success and ability to get far into the post-season.

The closest the Stars defenseman has been to a Norris Trophy was in 2022-23, when he finished seventh in voting. He scored 73 points in 79 games that season. Last year, he didn’t receive a vote as he was forced to play just 50 games because of a knee injury and scored 25 points.

Heiskanen, 26, has already recorded three goals and 14 assists for 17 points this campaign, nearing last season’s point totals in much fewer games.

The Finnish D-man is not far removed from a six-game point streak, where he put up a goal and 11 assists. 

Additionally, Heiskanen is fifth in the NHL among all skaters in average ice time at 25:18.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 26.00/+2500

Quinn Hughes and Miro Heiskanen (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

2. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

Despite the Vancouver Canucks sitting sixth in the Pacific Division, Quinn Hughes has been a breath of fresh air for them.

With one goal and 19 assists, he’s second in scoring among D-men, totalling 20 points. He’s also tied with Makar for the most assists by a blueliner this season.

Among defensemen who have played a minimum of 50 minutes this season, Hughes has a 58-percent on-ice expected goals percentage, according to moneypuck.com. When he’s off the ice, the Canucks’ expected goals percentage decreases to 34.6 percent, the lowest among all D-men.

In English, the Canucks captain is vital to the team’s success offensively, even from the back end.

Furthermore, Hughes averages the most time on ice among all NHL blueliners, at 26:58 per game.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 4.00/+300

NHL Hart Trophy Rankings: Bedard And Celebrini Crack A Surprising Top FiveNHL Hart Trophy Rankings: Bedard And Celebrini Crack A Surprising Top FiveAre the kids taking over? Bedard and Celebrini are among our top five NHL Hart Trophy front-runners so far, but there's no doubt two Avalanche superstars are crucial to their team's success.

1. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

It should surprise no one to see Cale Makar leading the way in these Norris Trophy rankings. He leads in enough categories that make his case to be named defenseman of the year in back-to-back seasons stronger than anyone else.

For starters, he leads all D-men in points with 25 in 19 appearances. The 27-year-old has six goals and 19 assists, leading the league with 12 primary helpers.

Makar also leads defensemen in plus-minus at plus-17, even-strength goals (six) and points (18). Incredibly enough, even with how much he does offensively, he only has 19 giveaways, according to moneypuck.com. For reference, Zach Werenski and Morgan Rielly lead in that category with 38 giveaways each.

Based on the start he’s had to this season, Makar is a candidate not just for the Norris Trophy but the Hart Trophy as well.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 1.30/-333

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Posted on

Macklin Celebrini nets third career hat trick for Sharks OT win vs. Mammoth

Macklin Celebrini nets third career hat trick for Sharks OT win vs. Mammoth originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

All the Sharks needed for an overtime 3-2 win against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night at SAP Center was three goals from Macklin Celebrini.

San Jose’s star center recorded the third hat trick of his young professional career and second of the season, completing the trifecta on the power play in overtime as just the third teenager in NHL history to have a hat trick that included an OT goal.

Celebrini got off to a hot start Tuesday, scoring his first two goals within the first six minutes of the first period.

After a scoreless second period for both teams, the Mammoth struck back in the third to tie it 2-2 on two goals from JJ Peterka.

Celebrini was able to delivering the game-winning goal in OT and make more NHL history along the way, then was his usual humble self following the Sharks’ huge win.

“I mean, it’s great to find a way to win,” Celebrini told reporters after the victory. “That game probably didn’t go as we would have liked, but it’s good that we found a way.”

Celebrini also revealed that the Sharks are starting a new tradition for the player of the game, donning a shark jaw around his neck in a shirtless postgame interview — a departure from the random locker room items the team would award players before Tuesday night.

Celebrini now has 30 points on the 2025-26 NHL season, making him the fourth teenager to hit that mark in 20 games or fewer after Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux. He also is one of just six players in NHL history with three or more hat tricks as a teen, with his previous coming on Oct. 23, 2025, against the New York Rangers and April 9, 2025, against the Minnesota Wild.

While Tuesday night’s might have been Celebrini’s most electric hat trick yet, it certainly won’t be his last.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Posted on

“We’re In That Transitional Phase": Barry Trotz Addresses Nashville Predators' Issues In YouTube Interview

Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators draft pick Tanner Molendyk shakes hands with incoming general manager Barry Trotz after being selected with the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

With the Nashville Predators having a six-day gap between games following their trip to Stockholm, Sweden, plenty of speculation is swirling about whether the club will make a coaching change or other moves this week.

In a Conversations and Coffee interview produced by the NHL and posted on YouTube over the weekend, Trotz and Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas sat down for a casual back-and-forth over coffee during the 2025 NHL Global Series in Stockholm this past weekend.

The two executives spent over 10 minutes quizzing each other about the state of their teams. Trotz didn’t reveal any earth-shattering news about what might come next for the Predators. He did, however, offer some insight as to where he views the team currently and moving forward.

On the subject of the team’s efforts to get younger, Trotz has often been reluctant to use the term “rebuild”. He took a similar stance in his conversation with Dubas.

“We’re in that transitional phase where we’re not in… I don’t want to say a rebuild,” Trotz said. “We sorta are, but I just call it a build. We’re starting to build. We’ve got some older players who hopefully can keep us relevant for a bit, and we’ve got some young players that we gotta wait for.”

That waiting process has become more difficult with the Preds’ disappointing start to the 2025-26 season. After earning a split with the Penguins in the two-game Global Series, the Preds stand at 6-10-4, giving them 16 points and placing them seventh in the Central Division.

Trotz acknowledged his team was short of playmakers, even joking to Dubas during their conversation, “I don’t have enough playmakers. Could you give me Sid (Sidney Crosby) or (Evgeni) Malkin for a little bit? I think they could be a little more productive.”

That alone is an indication Trotz is aware of the team's desperate need for offense, which is ranked 30th in the NHL with 48 goals.

The Penguins are in a similar situation: trying to get younger while maintaining a core of veterans in Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang. Through 19 games this season, the Penguins are faring better than the Preds at 10-5-4 for 24 poins, good for third in the Metropolitan Division.

Malkin leads the Pens with 23 points, while Crosby is right behind with 21. Filip Forsberg, who skated in his 800th career NHL game in Sunday’s loss, leads the Preds with 15 points, followed by Ryan O’Reilly with 13.

Waiting for prospects to develop, then meshing them in with the core of veterans isn’t always easy.

“That’s the hard part in this business because we were in the playoffs for 14, 15 years, very similar to Pittsburgh,” Trotz told Dubas. “The cupboards were bare and we’re trying to fill the cupboards and now waiting is the hard part.”

Trotz also admitted during the interview there are certain aspects of coaching he still misses now that he’s in a GM role.

“One thing I miss, and I call it game day, is being in the dressing room and being a part of those quick decisions,” Trotz said. “I miss the real closeness I can have as a coach… You feel like you can affect things a little quicker.”

Which brings to mind the rumors swirling around the Predators about moving veterans in trades and a coaching change involving Andrew Brunette. Not surprisingly, Trotz had high praise for Brunette in his public chat with Dubas, calling him a “really good person for our organization.”

During media availability at the end of last season, Trotz declared both he and the organization were “standing behind him”, in reference to Brunette.

That was before the poor start to this season. If Trotz does decide to make a coaching change, would he go back behind the bench the rest of this season along with maintaining his GM duties?

One might read that sentiment into his comments about missing being in the locker room, but trying to fix a team from behind the bench and in the front office would be a lot to take on. The more likely scenario would be to bring in an interim coach, whether it’s Milwaukee Admirals head coach Karl Taylor or an assistant on Brunette’s staff.

There are no easy answers, either in the short- or long-term. One thing is clear, however: the Preds need fixing, and fast. Moves are sure to be made with trading veterans, making a change behind the bench, or both.

No matter how much Trotz publicly sugarcoats his team’s current situation, even he realizes the status quo cannot continue.

Posted on

Three takeawys: Panthers embracing next man up mentality, Seth Jones starting to heat up offensively

The Florida Panthers picked up an important two points on Monday night when they hosted the Vancouver Canucks in Sunrise.

Despite falling behind 2-0, Florida eventually stormed all the way back before blowing their own three-goal lead, eventually skating to an exhausting 8-5 win at Amerant Bank Arena.

For the Cats, it was a victory that came on a night where they were already playing a bit shorthanded.

In addition to the long-term losses the team is trying to manage, they were also without one of their most productive wingers on Monday and then during the game, one of Florida’s centermen went down with an injury.

As we’ve learned over the past several seasons, a little adversity isn’t going to stop the Panthers from trying to do what they do.

Let’s get to Monday’s takeaways:

PROGRESSIVELY IMPROVED

It was a strange night for the Panthers on Monday.

While they did well to suppress much of what Vancouver was trying to do offensively, there were some leaky moments that cost the Cats dearly.

As has been the case many times in the past, once they got back to a physical, predictable game, things started to move in the right direction for Florida.

“We got better as the game went on,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “We thought we were late on a lot of our forechecking pressure in our last game, and I thought that was our strength tonight.”

BIG SETH HEATING UP

It’s been a steady season for Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, but a quiet one, too.

He logged six assists over his first 15 games but has seen his offensively production take a major uptick lately.

Over his past four games, Jones has registered three goals and two assists.

All five of those points have come on the power play, too.

“Confidence is such a big part of what we do, and I think he's been looking for it,” said Maurice. “He's had a whole bunch of good chances that just haven't gone for him, he's either missed the net or didn't get the shot where he wanted it, but now it's starting to go for him.”

FOURTH LINE WINGS STEP UP

Florida center Cole Schwindt left Monday’s game late in the first period after an awkward collision with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and did not return.

This came on a night where the Panthers were already down one of their regular forwards, with winger Eetu Luostarinen ruled out with a lower-body injury earlier in the day.

The injury to Schwindt caused Maurice to somewhat shorten his bench, meaning the shifts for fourth line wingers Noah Gregor and Luke Kunin were suddenly more difficult to come by.

That didn’t stop the gritty forwards from making the absolute best with their limited ice time.

Gregor had the primary assist on a goal by Kunin early in the second period, and they combined for three shots and a plus-three on-ice rating.

“Those two guys, you can't look at the minutes to decide how important they were to the game when Cole (Schwindt) went down,” Maurice said. “Sometimes you get a quiet night, you got to run your top three lines hard, just get them all into the game, and so both Noah Gregor and (Luke) Kunin had an important role in our game tonight. They didn't play as many minutes as they earned or they deserved, they deserve to play more based on the quality of their game, but that's a great example of making an impact and having an impact regardless of the number of minutes you play.”

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers' Cole Schwindt To Be Evaluated By Doctor; Expected To Be Out Long-Term

Seth Jones scores twice, Panthers earn resounding 8-5 victory over visiting Canucks

Panthers homestand continues against Vancouver, a team Florida hasn't beaten in a while\

Three takeaways: Trouble getting shots through, winning puck battles plague Panthers in loss to Tampa

Florida falters on home ice against rival Lightning, lose 3-1 to Bolts in Sunrise

Photo caption: Apr 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) shoots the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Rich Storry-Imagn Images)

Posted on

Cavaliers fined $100,000 for violating league player participation policy

On Nov. 12, the Cleveland Cavaliers were on the front end of a tough back-to-back, playing in Miami on Wednesday night then flying home to Cleveland to host Toronto on Thursday night. Cleveland chose to rest both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley for the game in Miami, both were healthy scratches.

That cost the Cavaliers $100,000. The NBA announced the fine on Wednesday, saying it was "for violating the league's Player Participation Policy."

That policy states teams cannot rest two healthy star players — defined as having made an All-Star team in the past three years, which both Mobley and Mitchell have done — for the same game. If Cleveland had rested one player against the Heat on Wednesday and one against the Raptors on Thursday, that would have been allowed, but resting both on Wednesday violated the policy (which was created to reduce load management of stars in major games). The first fine for violating the policy is $100,000, a second violation would cost $250,000.

The Cavaliers won the game where they were shorthanded, beating Miami 130-116. They fell to the Raptors at home the next night, in a game where Mitchell and Mobley combined for 38 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Posted on

LeBron James reportedly 'aiming' to make season debut Tuesday vs. Jazz

All signs are pointing toward LeBron James making his season debut on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. He went through a full practice with the team on Monday and said, "Got to see how the body responds over the next 24 hours-plus." He has been officially listed as "questionable," which is standard for a player returning from injury who is very close to a return.

Now comes a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania that LeBron is "aiming" to make his debut on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena against the Jazz.

Add that to the evidence that Tuesday night will be the night — and once he plays, LeBron will become the first player in league history to reach 23 seasons on the court. By tradition, Lakers' coach J.J. Redick will likely not make anything official until he has to turn in the starting lineup card 30 minutes prior to tip-off.

Starting in August, LeBron began experiencing sciatica on his right side, which caused him to miss all of training camp as well as the first 14 games of the season. Everyone was cautious with his return.

Last season, LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, earning Second Team All-NBA honors and an All-Star selection. There have been questions about how LeBron will fit in a more Luka Doncic-centric offense, but the guess here is very well. LeBron is a high IQ player, he sees defenses blitzing and trapping Doncic more to get the ball out of his hands and dare any other Laker on the floor to beat them. That's a much riskier strategy when it's LeBron and Austin Reaves in the 4-on-3 created by doubling Doncic.

We may bet to see what all this looks like tonight.

Posted on

Warriors' ‘Strength in Numbers' absent as Buddy Hield, bench struggle vs. Magic

Warriors' ‘Strength in Numbers' absent as Buddy Hield, bench struggle vs. Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Don’t blame the three veterans in the starting lineup. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green each played imperfect games Tuesday night, but they surely did enough to give the Warriors a reasonable chance at a victory that would have pushed their win streak to four games.

Several factors contributed to Golden State’s 121-113 loss to the Orlando Magic, but the most disappointing was the bench production. Or lack of it.

Orlando was without star forward Paolo Banchero, who averages 21.7 points per game. Yet he was not missed, as a 21-year-old wing named Anthony Black came off the Magic bench to torch the Warriors with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. He played 33 minutes and posted a team-best plus-18.

Orlando’s bench piled up 35 points, while Golden State’s reserves totaled 22 points on 8-of-23 shooting, including 2 of 10 from deep.

Folks, a minus-13 bench output is not a winning formula – particularly for a team that starts three men in their mid-30s.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, however, remains optimistic.

“We have good team,” he told reporters at Kia Center. “We’ve got a lot of depth, we’ve got a great approach, our players are connected, chemistry is good.”

The Warriors qualify as a “good” team. Their approach is mostly solid. The players generally seem to be pulling in the same direction.

The depth? It’s a tour of highs and lows. And it hit another low against the Magic.

Al Horford led the bench crew with nine points and six rebounds and two steals, but he finished minus-11 over 27 minutes. Brandin Podziemski contributed five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field, finishing minus-7 over 27 minutes. Gary Payton II, who scored four points, somehow finished minus-15 in 10 minutes. Quinten Post scored two points and finished with an even plus-minus.

And then there is Buddy Hield, the team’s most explosive bench player. The guy who over the last five seasons has drained more 3-pointers than anybody besides Curry. The guy who scored 33 points, dropping nine triples, to lift the Warriors to a Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets in a first-round NBA playoff series last season.
Hield came off the bench Tuesday, contributing two points and finishing minus-5 over 15 low-impact minutes.

The 32-year-old guard did not find his rhythm during the first four weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season. Since scoring 17 points – and banging five 3-pointers – on opening night, he is shooting 40.8 percent from the field and only 28.3 percent beyond the arc. He has scored in double figures only three times.

This Buddy isn’t helping the Warriors, and he’s trying the patience of his teammates. There is a reason why Butler, peeved committing a first-quarter turnover on a pass to Hield, barked at his teammate and friend.

“I’m never passing you the ball again,” Butler said.

No doubt, Butler will pass to Hield again. He’ll be a lot more comfortable doing so if he knows Buddy’s head is in the game and he’s playing at the level everyone knows he can reach.

Again, inefficiency and low production of the bench was the most disappointing factor. Turnovers, once again, damaged the Warriors. They were outrebounded (43-36) and punished in the paint (Orlando posted a 64-46 edge), as will happen to the smallest team in the league. Players not named Curry shot 6-of-21 from distance.

But to be destroyed by Black is a demerit for Warriors, and most of it lands on their bench.

“Anthony is a really good young player,” Kerr said. “He’s aggressive. I thought his defense was good and he attacked the rim and got some buckets.”

No lies detected, but the Warriors are in trouble if Black is outscoring their entire collection of reserves.

Black was leading an Orlando bench that entered the game ranked 28th in scoring, averaging 30.1 points per game. Golden State’s reserves, by contrast, were ranked 10th, averaging 37.1 points per game.

Insofar as this was Game 5 of a six-game road trip, the trio of heavy-minute veterans – who combined to commit 11 of Golden State’s 18 turnovers, clearly hurting the cause – really needed a boost from the bench. Not a lot, with Curry scoring 34 points, Butler dropping 33 and Green totaling 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

For the Warriors to become the feared offense they aim to be, there will have to be nights when they prevail with neither Curry nor Butler wearing a cape. As prolific as the Curry-Butler combo was, it was not enough.

Golden State’s bench, which has had some terrific games, must find ways to generate offense with more consistency. Even if it requires the support of the entire team to nudge Hield closer to his career shooting metrics.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

The Wraparound: Can The Canadiens Overcome Their Injuries?

The Wraparound is back with more NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Can The Canadiens Overcome Their Injuries? by The WraparoundCan The Canadiens Overcome Their Injuries? by The Wraparound

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello, and Jack Williams discussed in this episode:

0:00: Can the Montreal Canadiens overcome their injury issues?

4:17: Can the Toronto Maple Leafs save their season?

8:04: Breaking down Brad Marchand’s hot start with the Florida Panthers

11:09: Could Spencer Knight be the Chicago Blackhawks’ long-term answer in net?

15:24: Projecting how the Dallas Stars will handle Jason Robertson’s next contract

19:41: How important is it for Elias Pettersson to have a positive offensive season?

23:10: Could Josh Doan end up being a big part of the Buffalo Sabres’ future?

26:07: Looking at the most likely outcomes for the Nashville Predators this season

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Posted on

Lakers' LeBron James making season debut on Tuesday vs. Jazz

Lakers' LeBron James making season debut on Tuesday vs. Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After weeks of whispered optimism and cautious updates, the moment has finally arrived. LeBron James will make his long-awaited season debut tonight at Crypto.com Arena when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz, according to sources.

The 39-year-old superstar, who missed the team’s first 14 games with a right-side sciatica injury, has been cleared to return following a steady rehab process that tested both patience and belief. And with his first steps onto the hardwood tonight, James will cross a threshold no player in NBA history has ever touched — a 23rd NBA season, a landmark that bends the timeline of what longevity in sports was ever thought to be.

Thanks in large part to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have raced out to a 10-4 start, good for fourth place in the Western Conference. But James has always been the franchise’s gravity, the emotional and tactical engine that changes the shape of games just by existing on the floor. His presence stabilizes everything — pace, spacing, confidence — in ways analytics struggle to fully measure.

Tonight’s matchup against the Jazz suddenly becomes more than a mid-November meeting. It becomes a night where history and urgency share the same stage. Fans will see a player who refuses to age quietly, a man carrying the weight of two decades and still choosing to chase the game with the same fire he once brought as a teenage prodigy from Akron.

James said on Monday that he feels like “the new kid at school,” as far as re-entering the lineup on a team that added a few new faces in the offseason. Both James and head coach J.J. Redick said it could take some time for James to acclimate with new teammates DeAndre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia among others. 

James agreed, but it more concerned with his conditioning after he said his lungs “feel like a newborn baby” following a full practice with the Lakers on Monday morning at the team’s UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. 

Tipoff is set for 7:30PM PT tonight in downtown L.A., where the arena lights will feel just a touch brighter. The Lakers get their leader back. The league gets another chapter in a story still refusing to end. And basketball, once again, leans in to watch the King walk out of the tunnel and into history.

Posted on

Trent Grisham accepts Yankees' qualifying offer, returns on one-year deal

Trent Grisham is returning to the Bronx.

After the Yankees extended the qualifying offer to the outfielder, the 28-year-old accepted the $22.025 million deal for the 2026 season on Tuesday. 

It was an interesting decision for Grisham. The veteran outfielder has been a solid player in his MLB career, but broke out in 2025 with the Yankees. His 34 homers this season were twice as many as his previous career high (2022 with the Padres) and his 74 RBI were 12 more than his previous high in 2021. It wasn't just his homers and RBI. Grisham set career marks in slugging (.464), hits (116), walks (82) and OPS (.811).

Many believed that Grisham would parlay that performance into a more lucrative deal, but he's choosing to stay with the Yankees.

Now, how does this affect the Yankees' offseason? GM Brian Cashman said that at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this month that he was "comfortable" extending the qualifying offer to Grisham and paying him the $22 million for one season, but that doesn't preclude him from trying to bring back Cody Bellinger -- who opted out of his Yankees deal after the 2025 season -- or filling the rest of the team's outfield.

"We’re comfortable [extending the qualifying offer to Grisham]. This is a very thin outfield market. If he turns it down, that means the market is flush with teams that have the need," Cashman said at the time. "He had a hell of a year for us, was one of the big reasons we had the level of success we did, and we’d be happy if he accepted and came back."

Grisham's return takes some of the pressure off Cashman to fill out his roster. Aaron Judge is the only everyday outfielder he can trust, but now he can pair the AL MVP with Grisham for 2026. 

As for the other outfielder, Cashman will look to bring back Bellinger, but there are also internal options available (Jasson Dominguez/Spencer Jones).