DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 28: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Mavericks (3-2) hosted the undefeated, but depleted, Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) Wednesday night. OKC lost both Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace to injury and will be without them for months, and the Mavs took full advantage of the situation, almost like a good team would. Scary thought there, but pinch yourselves, Mavs fans, because Dallas handed OKC its first loss of the season behind a 120-96 final score.
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: B
15 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 2 STL / 2 BLK / 27 MIN
Irving came out of the gate red hot, hitting three three-pointers and all four of his shots in the first quarter. Relative to a minutes restriction, he was effective overall, despite his shooting cooling down (6-of-14). He uncharacteristically committed four fouls, but otherwise did a nice job running the show in his somewhat limited minutes. His team-high plus/minus of +25 shows his impact beyond the basic stat line.
Max Christie: C+
11 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 22 MIN
Christie still hasn’t quite found his shot, but his game looked better than it did in the first four games of the season. He drained 3-of-7 from downtown (42.9%) but once again shot too few withing the arc for my liking, missing his only two-point attempt.
Cooper Flagg: A-
26 PTS / 5 REB / 8 AST / 33 MIN
Flagg continues to amaze. Suddenly an assist machine, Flagg was finding teammates all night and they made the most of it. He led all players with eight assists and had zero turnovers to boot. He was short on a few close-range shots, finishing 10-of-23 and only 2-of-8 from deep, but he is simply a star in the making. You don’t have to squint too hard to see how he has improved over a stellar rookie season
P.J. Washington: A-
18 PTS / 9 REB / 1 BLK / 25 MIN
Washington looked as though he pulled the 2024 version of himself out of the timestream Wednesday night. He played somewhat spotty minutes with long stretches on the bench, but nonetheless made a positive impact. Dusty May spoke about needing Washington locked in each and every play and it’s looking like he is receiving that message and delivering accordingly. His 2-of-7 from beyond the arc left a bit to be desired, but one of those longballs was timely and he maximized his minutes beyond what appears in the box score.
Daniel Gafford: A-
7 PTS / 11 REB / 2 AST / 2 BLK / 27 MIN
Gafford nailed 3-of-4 shots including his only three-point attempt on a night where he joined Washington in turning back the clock to what we remember from 2024. He had a thunderous alley-oop dunk and made a nice move in the paint to finish strong and cap the play with the primal scream fans love to see. Best of all, he was a monster on the boards despite the Thunder being able to roll out a big at will. He was locked in on offense as well, with two blocks.
Zaccharie Risacher: A
13 PTS / 6 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK / 29 MIN
Risacher had his best offensive game of the season, shooting 5-of-6 overall and 2-of-3 from deep. Better still, it didn’t come at the expense of his defensive effort. I’ve indicated that a few players contributed more than the box score demonstrates, but it is truer for Risacher than probably anyone else Wednesday night. Hounding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into an airball in the first quarter was a nice display of defense, as was his tag-team effort with Caleb Martin to end the half with a steal. The guy is locked into the highest gear at all times, yet plays under control. Gilgeous-Alexander was 7-of-19 on the night and Risacher deserves a lot of credit for that sub-40% shooting.
Final Thoughts
This team is fun again. Even without a few key rotation players, the Thunder have the back-to-back league MVP but the Mavs had a gameplan and executed it well on both ends of the floor. The Mavs ended up connecting on 35.6% of their 3-point attempts, but were hot to start the game, allowing them to get a lead. They also held the Thunder to only 15.6% on three-point attempts, showing an effort on defense.
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 28: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz drives past Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of a game at Delta Center on October 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Without Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic, I sat down to watch this game out of necessity rather than anticipation. Victor Wembanyama has mastered the art of beating up on teams that cannot match up physically, and I don’t think a center rotation of Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba was striking much fear into his heart. Let’s get this one over it, and be one day closer to the return of our all-stars.
I am happy to report that my pessimism was, more or less, unfounded. Until the very end of overtime, the score fluctuated between a solid Jazz lead and a tie. What really made this an enjoying watch, however, was not the competitiveness itself but rather the means that led us to that outcome. The Jazz were carried by their three young pillars, and each was very consistently showing flashes throughout the game. Ace Bailey demonstrated strong mid-range scoring ability, with many sets run for him similar to what you’d expect to see run for a healthy Lauri Markkanen. Keyonte George was effective as the clear leader and offensive #1, scoring from all three levels. And Darryn Peterson, in my opinion, flashed the most ball-handling, shot-making juice that we have seen out of him thus far. Below you can find the clear highlight of the game:
However, this underdog victory was not meant to be, for two primary reasons. The first, and most obvious, was the immense talent differential between the two squads. The Spurs essentially rolled out the team that nearly won them an NBA championship the year prior, and the Jazz put out a team that is arguably worse on paper than its 22 win 2025-2026 squad. Victor Wembanyama was the clear best player on the game, and he played like it. He seemed to sleepwalk his way to 36 points and 14 rebounds; this was not close to the intensity that he was displaying during the playoffs last season. They were missing their threes and Dylan Harper was struggling with efficiency, but San Antonio won the firepower game tonight, and it became clear once we hit overtime; the Jazz were struggling to find good shots (Brice made two threes, but they were tough ones), and the Spurs seemed to collectively “lock in” and take control.
However, even with this talent difference, this loss was far from guaranteed, up until the bitter end. Instead, it felt like odd coaching decisions that put the final nail in the coffin. Will Hardy is taking his lumps adjusting to winning basketball just as much as any of the players, and it showed tonight. Injuries are surely a factor, but one consistent mistake he’s been making is playing entirely bench lineups for extended periods of time. Tonight, around the third quarter, the Jazz gave up a mini-run because Isaiah Collier was left as the lone ball handler with Ace, Keyonte, and Darryn riding the bench, Even less defensible was his overtime lineup choices. He began overtime with Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh as the backcourt with Keyonte and Darryn on the bench (we’ve been fined for less!), and even though Keyonte eventually came back in after a couple minutes of rest, Darryn Peterson did not find his way onto to the court for the remainder of the game. He explained (or at least attempted to explain) his rationale below:
Hardy on why DP didn't play the last 7 mins of the game:
"We gotta clean up execution, you know in those moments of the game you have to be able to execute the gameplan… in that moment I felt like it was better to go with Brice"
This is rather incomprehensible to me. What better developmental reps can Darryn Peterson be given than those in overtime against the defending Western Conference champions? It’s not as if he was struggling tonight – he dropped an efficient-enough 18 points, and continued to provide impact on the margins. I understand the desire to get Sensabaugh in the game; he is, at this point, the superior isolation scorer to Darryn Peterson, and he had a bit of a hot hand. However, if Darryn is ever going to learn how to consistently score in isolation against strong defenses, he has to be given the opportunity to try his hand. Perhaps, on the bench, he was beginning to display some of the symptoms of a concussion that he may have sustained on a hard fit to the face from Victor Wembanyama. However, this is the only understandable excuse that I can conceive to explain why, on an injury riddled team in a game that went to overtime, our prestigious prospect played only 26 minutes.
A few quick notes:
I was a big fan of Josh Okogie’s activity tonight (but not a big enough fan to agree with him playing more minutes than Darryn Peterson). 9 rebounds in 28 minutes as a 6’4 guard is game altering.
Mo Bamba was less eye-catchingly good, but he still provided perfectly respectable backup center minutes. He may be one of the better third string centers in the league when Nurkic returns.
Ace’s touch is nice, but sometimes he does seem to rely on it rather than getting all the way to the rim. 0 free throws is quite unfortunate.
What stood out to you from the Jazz’s game against the Spurs? Sound off below!
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 28: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs moves around Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on October 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following an easy win over the lowly Kings, the Spurs faced a tougher foe in Utah Wednesday night, narrowly escaping with a 117-111 victory to extend their winning streak to three.
With both Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. out with injuries, the Jazz’ frontcourt was severely undermanned. The offensive burden was thus placed on Keytone George, who came out swinging. The shifty guard scored 10 quick points, helping the home team build a double-digit lead early in the game. San Antonio’s defense left much to be desired, often slow on closeouts and switches, giving Utah good looks at the basket.
On the other end, the Jazz prevented Wemby from getting easy buckets by packing the paint. Still, it was only a matter of time before the big fella got loose, as the Spurs generated easy dunks for Wemby on the fast break and through pick-and-roll actions. San Antonio also ran successful inverted sets that used Wemby as the ball handler, taking advantage of his vision and the slashing ability of their guards.
Even so, the Jazz answered every time the Spurs went on a run. San Antonio was only able to either tie the game or build a small two-possession lead, and the perimeter defense was not good enough to contain Utah’s explosive backcourt. Even after scoring on three consecutive possessions in crunch time, the Spurs allowed the Jazz to tie the game. With four seconds remaining in regulation, San Antonio had a chance at a buzzer-beater, but some slight confusion resulted in a desperate heave that gave me PTSD from the ending of game 2 of the finals.
Overtime wasn’t much prettier from either side. Both teams had several disjointed possessions that somehow still ended up in the basket, and the Spurs pulled away by slowing down and getting Wemby some easy finishes at the rim. San Antonio built a multi-possession lead but still gave Utah life by conceding a wide-open three with less than a minute left, and it was a relief to finally hear the buzzer go off at the end.
Game notes
This was the Spurs’ third straight win, but the game still left me wanting more. San Antonio was disorganized for most of the night on both ends of the court, with the one silver lining being some of the offensive actions that they used involving Wemby as the hub. Other than that, there were a lot of rushed shots and possessions, and the point-of-attack defense also gave Utah too many great looks. Jeje reminded me that this was the second night of a back-to-back, so the team deserves some leeway, but there’s no denying that the team’s miles from their best at the moment.
A big reason why the game was such a slog was due to Harper’s struggles. The young guard played his worst game of the season, shooting just 4-17 and finishing with 13 points. He did have 8 assists, but it seemed like he was forcing things on offense, and lost his assignment multiple times on defense too. Perhaps he was a bit too jazzed to go up against college teammate Ace Bailey, as Harper tried to iso and make a tough contested fadeaway against him once in the fourth.
On the bright side, Wemby seems to be rounding into form. The Alien finished with 36 points on 14-25 shooting and 4-10 from deep, while also grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. He was undoubtedly the difference Wednesday night.
In a game that went to OT, Mitch Johnson elected to only play nine guys, including a short 5-minute stint from Carter Bryant. It was the first time this season that the Spurs played fewer than 10 guys, and it’s surprising considering that the match went long.
Play of the game
I loved how the Spurs used Wemby as a playmaking hub. It opens up so many different looks that can be exploited, and this is just one example of that.
Australia stuck twice in a crucial 13-over session before tea to put South Africa on the back foot on day three of the third Test in Cape Town. Live updates below!
He gave up two hits and a walk. The Rays made contact all night. They just couldn't do anything with it.
The velocity betrayed Misiorowski’s emotions.
His first 12 pitches were all four-seam fastballs, from 100.9 to 103 mph. The swing-and-miss wasn't. He didn't strike out anyone until the 14th batter he faced, and his two strikeouts matched his career low.
He felt the moment.
"My heart was racing," Misiorowski said. "I was nervous as everyone on that field. ... It's really cool that they trust me enough to do that."
The Tropicana Field mound didn't make it easy. The grounds crew came out three times early to pack down the dirt. Then, with two outs in the sixth, a right calf cramp sent him to the dugout.
He shrugged that off, too.
"Just a cramp," he said. "Happy I left it all out on the field. Obviously, wish I could have got one more out in the inning. But whatever. It is what it is. We got the win."
The 24-year-old is in his second big-league season and has set a high bar. His 37.9% strikeout rate was the second-highest for a full season in MLB history, behind only Gerrit Cole 39.9% in 2019.
He went 16-5 with a major league-best 1.80 ERA, then spent October hearing he wasn't that guy anymore.
His catcher spent the month reminding him that even if he wasn’t the same guy as the regular season, he was the Brewers main guy – and he had to carry that.
“I’m someone that has been able to tell him things, how they are to his face and I think he needs that,” William Contreras said of guiding the young pitcher this October. “Jacob is still a kid. Jacob is still young and he’s learning in his career."
He may have starter October as a kid, but he finished with some veteran experience. He finished the postseason 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. He opened this World Series by throwing the fastest pitch in its history, 10.5 mph, and finished that Game 1 start with 38 pitches at 100 mph or harder, the most in a World Series game since pitch tracking began in 2008.
If he wins the National League Cy Young Award, he'll join Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Bret Saberhagen and Orel Hershiser as eventual Cy Young winners who won a World Series clincher.
Wednesday night in a beer and champagne-soaked, smokey and crowded clubhouse, Misiorowski was not thinking about the Cy Young Award. He was thinking back to seven months ago when the Brewers gathered in Arizona.
He said the Brewers saw this coming back then in spring training. There was never a doubt for them.
"Yeah, of course," he said. "I think everyone did."
"It's insane that it happened so quick. But it's really fun to be a part of."
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Inglewood, CA - October 28: Guard Darius Garland #10 of the LA Clippers shoots over guard Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half of a NBA basketball game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
When the Lakers built out their team with more depth this offseason, a game like this was likely what they had in mind.
At the start of five games in seven nights and on the second night of the back-to-back, the Lakers rested Luka Dončić along with Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr all being out. But they still had plenty of quality players — and a really, really bad opponent — to rely on.
It wasn’t a pretty game by any means, but the Lakers’ defense and talent won out. Guys like Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton showed out exactly how you’d hope with Luka sidelined. These are the types of games you hope to sprinkle in through an 82-game season where you give your stars some rest and turn to your depth.
In the first test, the Lakers passed with flying colors.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
Prior to Sexton’s third-quarter explosion, it looked like Thybulle was going to be the role player of the night. He was perfect in the first half and this felt like safely his best game of the season so far.
After a pretty lackluster game on Tuesday, LaRavia had a great bounce back game. Five offensive rebounds and five stocks showed how hard he was playing. You can more easily forgive misteps if someone is playing hard.
Kessler had a much quieter game against the Clippers this time around. Still, it was impactful when it needed to be with some big blocks or steals. He’s still finding his rhythm and timing on offense and it was apparent at times on Wednesday. But still a solid game.
Another player who responded after poor showings against the Blazers with big games on Wednesday. Grimes looked much more like himself by attacking the basket and getting to the line. Hopefully he can translate this to games with Luka as well.
Chip Engelland is basically considered the shot doctor in the modern NBA. Whatever the equivalent of that is for dribbling, Austin needs to work with him.
The Clippers were sending multiple guys at him basically any time he had the ball with under 10 seconds in the shot clock and he did not handle it well.
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect showcase of what the Lakers wanted when they signed Sexton. He got to the rim relentlessly, mixed in some catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and took over in the third quarter to really put this game to bed.
Welcome back, Vando. He may not be the long-term answer at backup center but he’s the answer for right now and that’s more than adequate. Playing him alongside Mamu in the frontcourt gives the backup unit a lot of pace and speed and intensity.
Grade: B+
Jaden Hardy
In nine minutes, Hardy took six shots, five of them threes, and missed them all. There’s guys like Vando who make the most of their opportunities and play their way into the rotation and then there’s this.
JJ Redick
Redick finally pulled the chute on Kevon Looney at backup center and turned to Vando with great aplomb. I also liked how long he kept Sexton and Grimes out there with Reaves on the bench. Austin ends up only playing 30, a lot of those low-intensity minutes in the fourth.
Grade: A-
Friday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Kevon Looney, Chris Mañon
Friday’s inactives: Lawson Lovering, Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Luka Doncic, Ziaire Williams, Arthur Kaluma
MINNEAPOLIS — At 38 years old, Steph Curry is still doing things on the basketball court nobody else can. The umpteenth example: A 17-point flurry in the span of six minutes, the highlight being a heat-check 31-footer that, of course, found the bottom of the net.
Curry finished with 44, and the Warriors needed every last one of them to hold off the Timberwolves, despite Golden State pulling ahead by 24 after halftime and Minnesota playing its first game since Anthony Edwards learned he would require knee surgery.
With his first 40-piece of the season, Curry joined LeBron James in exclusive company. It was his 15th 40-point game since turning 35, tying James for the most in NBA history.
Stephen Curry, who scored 44 points, is all smiles as he walks off the floor after the Warriors’ 119-114 win over the Timberwolves on Oct. 28, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis. Getty Images
“I just see him doing what Steph Curry does,” coach Steve Kerr said after the 119-114 win. “I’ve been watching him for so long that it never surprises me when he gets hot. What makes him special is it can happen at any time.”
After starting 2-of-8 from the field Wednesday, Curry pulled up and connected on his first 3-pointer about three minutes into the second quarter. He drained another on Golden State’s next possession and shouted at the Warriors’ bench, who loved it.
Curry went on to connect on six of his next eight shots, pouring in 19 as the Warriors built a 64-48 halftime lead.
Despite building a lead that widened as far as 78-54 midway through the third quarter, the Warriors needed even more from Curry to close out a Minnesota team without its best player.
He delivered — in a different fashion.
Sixteen of Curry’s points came from the foul line, including an even dozen as he helped keep Minnesota at bay in the second half. It was Curry’s second-highest total ever on foul shots.
He had gotten to the line 16 times three other times in his career, but the win over Minnesota — in career game No. 1,073 — was the first time he converted every single one of them.
Stephen Curry handles the ball during the Warriors’ road win over the Timberwolves. NBAE via Getty Images
“They were pressuring pretty much all the way out to half court, so you’re gonna have those driving lanes,” Curry said. “Thankfully it helped us in a couple lulls that we had, getting to the line, getting easy buckets, which we needed all of them.”
Notably, Curry is also still doing things on the basketball court that would never be expected of a star of his caliber playing only the fifth game of his 18th season, especially not one coming off a season where injuries limited him to the third-fewest games of his career.
But that’s exactly what Curry did, diving after a loose ball early in the second half. LaMello Ball went diving across the floor as Curry came away with possession — and narrowly avoided Ball barrelling into his lower half. Curry said he wasn’t even thinking about his gimpy knee.
“I think that’s just more indicative of how good I feel, considering the age and miles and how last year went that I even tried it, I had a confidence that I could get down there,” Curry said. “There’s situations where you find yourself in where you’re just playing basketball and reacting, and that’s one of those.”
Stephen Curry goes up for a layup during the Warriors’ road win over the Timberwolves. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Curry had already secured his 40-point night when he checked out with the Warriors leading 100-87 with a little more than 9 minutes left to play. He was still at 26 minutes, and Kerr surely would have loved to allow him to rest for the remainder of the game.
Curry has been strictly capped at 32 minutes as the Warriors attempt to manage his ramp-up and keep the knee that cost him 27 games last season as healthy as possible.
He ended up coming 25 seconds shy of the limit imposed by the Warriors training staff but reached another milestone in the process — his first 30-minute night of the season.
“I honestly didn’t know until after the game, which was nice that we were just kind of in the moment, playing,” Curry said. “A little different flow to it when I got hot in the second, had to play a little bit of a longer stretch. So it’s nice to keep building and feel good coming out of it.”
Knicks star Jalen Brunson didn’t shoot well in the first four games of the season. He also didn’t shoot well in the first four minutes of Wednesday’s game in Chicago.
He missed three of his first four shots against the Bulls. At that moment, he was shooting 36 percent (31-for-86) on the season and 19 percent (4-for-21) from beyond the arc.
If you were getting a little antsy in the opening minutes on Wednesday, Brunson probably put you at ease over the course of the night.
The 2026 NBA Finals MVP hit six of his next nine three-pointers (12-for-21 overall) to help New York rebound from a 19-point third quarter deficit and take the second game of a back-to-back.
He finished with a season-high 38 points, seven assists, and two steals in New York’s first road win of the year.
The Knicks shot a season-high 46 percent from three and 45 percent overall in the comeback win.
They looked like the potent offense that emerged late last regular season and then again in Game 4 of their first-round series win over the Hawks.
For what it’s worth, Mike Brown was not panicked at all about his team’s shooting.
"The biggest thing is: are we getting good shots from the right people? Watching the film and watching the game, I think we are," Brown said before the Knicks’ win over Detroit on Tuesday. "We’ve had some pretty good looks from the right people at the right time that normally go in so I want them to keep shooting."
After a slow start, Brunson and his teammates certainly kept shooting - and shooting well - on Wednesday night.
The difference for New York in the past two games has been taking care of the minor details on both ends of the floor.
"(We’ve got to) focus on the little things until we get our rhythm. Once we get a rhythm, continue to do the little things. It' a big point of emphasis right no, our attention to detail."
They executed enough of the little things and big things to leave Chicago with a win. Next up? Friday night in Philadelphia.
Oct 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) during the second half at United Center. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images
BROWN EXPERIMENTING
If you see a lineup this season that you haven’t seen the last two years, don’t get alarmed. That’s Mike Brown’s way of stress-testing some ideas.
"There’s some things that I’m looking at or messing with that may or may not stay the same," Brown said. "That’s part of what you’re trying to do to figure out what’s best for your team long term."
One example? Brown played lineups with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench in the first two games. Brown abandoned that idea. But don’t be surprised if you see a few non-traditional lineups over the next couple of weeks as Brown gets a feel for this year’s version of the team.
TYLER TIME
Tyler Kolekhas move the ball well during Jose Alvarado’s absence.
Alvarado missed his third straight game due to an ankle injury. Kolek played well, finishing with nine assists and zero turnovers. He has 21 assists and zero turnovers over the last three games. If you’re wondering what Brown expects of Kolek, the coach laid it all out on Tuesday:
"He’s gotta run the team. What I mean by that is, when you watch our games, when he goes on the floor, people get up into his chest when he’s trying to run our offense. He can’t get off the ball too early, if it’s just one guy," Brown explained. "He’s gotta be able to go by that guy and get the guy off-balance and bring it back out and set our offense up and/or get by and make a play in the paint. He can’t let pressure bother him or disrupt our offense at all.
"And then defensively, he’s gotta be a pest. He’s gotta be nasty, not anything illegal or anything like that, just a guy that people wanna say ‘get off me, get off me,’ because he’s more than capable of doing that. He’s gotta play with some sort of force, particularly for his size."
Whether or not Kolek checked those boxes is open to interpretation. But, objectively speaking, Kolek has made some great reads with the ball - and protected it.
Kolek wasn't the only Knick to thrive off the bench Wednesday. Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson combined for 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting. New York outscored Chicago by 13 with either Shamet or Clarkson on the floor Wednesday.
Despite being without their best player and one of their starting wings, the Lakers got back on track after their first loss of the season, beating the Clippers 103-87.
Collin Sexton defends Cam Christie during the first half of the Lakers’ 103-85 win over the Clippers on Oct. 28, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
With Doncic sidelined, a significant amount of attention turned to Austin Reaves, the Laker’s second-best player who has gotten off to a career-best start to the season.
The sixth-year guard has shown several times what he’s capable of doing when he’s the lone star in the lineup, recording box score numbers that rival All-NBA guards.
Clippers coach Ty Lue acknowledged the threat Reaves poses.
“He can beat you by himself. … He’s elite,” Lue said.
And the Clippers treated Reaves as such, using aggressive defensive coverages to disrupt a rhythm that’s been challenging for opponents to slow down since the start of the season.
Reaves finished with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go with eight turnovers, ending his streak of 23-plus-point games while shooting at least 54% from the field in four games.
But the Lakers didn’t need a nuclear performance from Reaves.
They got Collin Sexton showing off why he’s nicknamed the “Young Bull”, with the veteran guard providing the “insanity”, as Redick put it, on both ends of the floor that the team has come to celebrate.
Brook Lopez tries to make a pass around Jarred Vanderbilt during the first half of the Lakers’ win over the Clippers. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
They got Quentin Grimes, who stepped into the starting lineup for the first time, having his best two-way performance.
And they got a near perfect shooting night from Matisse Thybulle.
Sexton finished with 21 points, scoring nine straight points late in the third quarter that pushed the Lakers’ lead from 13 to 20 points.
Sandro Mamukelashvili (left) celebrates with Walker Kessler after scoring during the first half of the Lakers’ win over the Clippers. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Grimes had a season-high 23 points to go along with five assists and four steals.
Thybulle scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting (4 of 6 on 3-pointers).
Veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt made his season debut in light of the team’s injuries, finishing with an individual plus/minus of plus-22 in 21 minutes.
The Clippers were short-handed, as they have been for most of the season, without Rui Hachimura, Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal.
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Dusty May of the Dallas Mavericks shakes hands with Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center on October 28, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a dominant showing for this rising Mavericks team. OKC entered the night undefeated but seriously undermanned — Jalen Williams is out for the season, Cason Wallace is out indefinitely, while Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso were out with minor injuries. This wasn’t a game the Mavericks had to win, but it was as good an opportunity as ever to take down a championship favorite.
Dallas did so by jumping on OKC from tipoff and never letting up. The Mavericks outscored the Thunder in all four quarters and led for 81 percent of this game. Outstanding win.
Here are the numbers we noticed.
16-5: Mavericks advantage in made 3s
The Thunder are a dangerous shooting team with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running the show, but missing three of their better 3-point shooters, the Mavericks took advantage. Dallas made 16-of-45 from distance, while the Thunder were just 5-of-32.
That massive shooting disparity basically decided the game. Dallas wasn’t on fire so to speak from deep, but took a ton of threes and made just enough. It was a team effort, as no Maverick made more than three 3s, while six Mavericks made at least two 3s. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg made three apiece in the win.
Just as important as the lack of makes for OKC were the attempts — Dallas took 13 more threes than OKC, and the Mavericks did a decent job of running the shooters OKC had left off the line. Some of this is luck, for sure — OKC’s Jared McCain went an uncharacteristic 0-for-6 — but credit the Dallas defense for digging in and doing the work on rotations and closeouts.
30: Mavericks assists
It was a rocky start for Dusty May’s offensive system in the season opener against the Rockets, but since then the Mavericks offense has been mostly humming, and Dallas was at it again with another outstanding passing night. Dallas had 30 assists on 46 made buckets, with only nine turnovers.
May encourages ball movement and player movement, and at first it almost felt like the Mavericks were oversharing to start the season, getting a bit too far away from their best players. That balance has come back, led by Flagg’s brilliance as a decision-maker. He had eight assists and zero turnovers against the Thunder as he continues to grow as a playmaker.
10: Caleb Martin points
Caleb Martin hasn’t had a good run in Dallas since being traded to the Mavericks in February of 2025, plagued by injuries and anemic shooting. Martin had a history of being a solid vet before coming to Dallas, so it was unfortunate just how much the wheels fell off once he landed in Dallas. That’s why we’re taking note of Martin’s stellar first game of the season — 10 points 14 minutes off the bench, going 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Martin only scored in double-figures seven times last season, so for him to return from injury and immediately score 10 feels notable. If Martin can give this Mavericks team anything, it’ll be a tremendous boost to what is suddenly looking like a very deep rotation.
Collin Sexton reacts after making a basket against the Clippers in the second half Wednesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers scoring phenom Luka Doncic missed his first game of the young season with back tightness, leaving a giant hole in their offense with the NBA’s leading scorer (36 points per game) sitting out.
Lakers defensive star Ziaire Williams also missed his first game with left foot soreness, leaving them even more depleted with two starters unable to play.
The Lakers added a lot of depth over the summer in case of injury situations and now it was going to be tested against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.
Collin Sexton is one of the players the Lakers acquired for a moment like Wednesday, and he delivered in a big way, coming off the bench to provide energy and effort in helping the Lakers take a 103-87 victory over the Clippers.
Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket. His play helped the Lakers open a 22-point lead they never lost.
He was four for five from the field in the third, six for 11 for the game. He was two for three from three-point range in the third, four for seven for the game. He also had four rebounds and two assists.
Quentin Grimes (23 points), Matisse Thybulle (15) and Austin Reaves (16 points) did their part to help the Lakers improve to 4-1.
Doncic and Williams played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, but they couldn’t go in the back-to-back game.
“Both those guys woke up with some soreness and tightness today — tightness for Luka, soreness for Ziaire,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “We have a tough stretch of games. Not a lot of time between [games so] just being overly cautious.”
The Lakers next play at the Golden State Warriors on Friday, their fourth game in six days.
Redick was asked if Doncic and Williams would be available for that game.
Redick turned to Jarred Vanderbilt, who didn’t play in the first four games, and Jaden Hardy, who played in the first game of the season, to help the shorthanded Lakers in their time of need. Vanderbilt played 21 minutes and had seven rebounds. Hardy played nine minutes and had two points.
“Yeah, I go back to something I said a couple of times already is that every guy’s going to get an opportunity throughout the season,” Redick said. “...Guys that haven’t played are going to get opportunities tonight.”
The Clippers, however, have their own injuries to worry about.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (left quad soreness) missed his first game of the season, joining Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right lisfranc surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear) on the injury report.
The Lakers signed center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract Wednesday and waived two-way forward AK Okereke.
INGLEWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 28: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the LA Clippers on October 28, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Even without Luka Dončić, the Lakers easily handled the Clippers in the Intuit Dome on Wednesday, picking up a 103-87 win.
The Lakers struggled with turnovers themselves, finishing with 21. But their 15 steals and 17 offensive rebounds helped overcome that.
Matisse Thybulle put the Lakers up by four early, as he was the only one to score. Derrick Jones Jr. was the only Clipper to score, draining a triple. The Clippers called a timeout after the purple and gold extended their lead.
Out of the break, Darius Garland converted on a layup.
The Clippers scored seven in a row, led by Jones Jr., to put them in the lead by two. They extended their scoring run to 12-2, as the Lakers continued to struggle offensively. It was a low scoring affair throughout the quarter, as neither team was able to create a lasting lead.
The purple and gold ended the first on a 9-2 scoring run to retake the lead by three.
First quarter: Lakers 25, Clippers 22
Back-to-back steals and transition finishes from Quentin Grimes gave LAL the lead after one. Austin Reaves has 7 points on 2-7 FG. Matisse Thybulle has 6 points. LA already has 5 stocks — half as many as they had all of last night.
Quentin Grimes scored for the Lakers early in the second period. Both teams were having a rough time controlling the ball. The Clippers had eight turnovers and the Lakers had six. Jarred Vanderbilt finally saw playing time and was spearheading a lot of great defense for the Lakers.
The Lakers were now up by three. Reaves was leading the charge with 12 points.
Led by their impressive defensive showing, the purple and gold built a lead of nine. Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili combined for 13 off the bench. Thybulle ignited for six points, draining two triples, pushing his point total to 12.
The Lakers ended the half on a 27-7 scoring run to lead by 18 heading into the half. The purple and gold had three players in double figures, led by Reaves’ 16 points.
The Clippers scored a quick five points to start the third period. The Lakers, meanwhile, started the quarter with multiple turnovers. Grimes fouled Garland while he was shooting from behind the arc and he converted on all three free throws, further extending the Clippers’ early run.
Walker Kessler stopped some of the bleeding for the Lakers with a dunk.
The purple and gold saw their lead shrink to single digits as they struggled to replicate the suffocating defense they showed in the first half. The Lakers were also 1-5 from the field.
Spearheaded by LaRavia, Thybulle and Grimes, the Lakers went on a 10-0 scoring run to go back up by double figures. Sexton went on an insane individual run, scoring 11 straight points to help the Lakers lead by 19 at the end of the third.
The final frame began with a dunk by Baba Miller for the Clippers. Grimes scored on a layup on the other end for the purple and gold. He added another three points, keeping the Lakers up by 19.
It was a continued Laker takeover with the Clippers trying to shave points off the lead, scoring five in a row, but they were still down big with 6:25 left. The Lakers did go on a four-minute scoring drought, but they put the final dagger with back-to-back shot from Grimes and Mamu.
Key Player Stats
Reaves finished with 16 points and five rebounds as he struggled on the night, shooting 6-16 from the field and turning the ball over eight times. Kessler notched 11 points with nine rebounds.
The big scoring nights came from Sexton with 21 points off the bench and Grimes with 23 points as a starter due to the injuries.
Thybulle pitched in with 15 points, shooting 5-6 from the field. Mamu had 13 points with eight rebounds. Jake LaRavia and Vanderbilt did the dirty work, combining for 17 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
The Lakers’ next game will be against the Golden State Warriors on Friday at 7:00 PM PT.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 28: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to his three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on October 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After Saturday’s loss, which moved them to 0-3, I sure didn’t expect the Golden State Warriors to have a decent-looking record anytime soon. They had a brutal schedule facing them, and it seemed likely that they’d return to San Francisco still winless.
Instead, they won the road trip, and head home with a chance to get to .500 on Friday night. Wednesday’s 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves was far from perfect, but it was, most importantly, a win. So let’s grade the players who got it done. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Last year, league-average TS was 58.1%.
As I reminder, I grade each player based on my expectations for them. And because of that, Lendeborg is easily the hardest Warrior to grade at the moment. Why? Because I’m simply not sure what my expectations are, or should be!
In just his fifth career game, he had an efficient 26 points and nine rebounds, while playing strong defense on Jonathan Kuminga. If you had told me that before the season started, I would have said it was an easy A at the very least … and probably an A+.
But Lendeborg played so well over the first week of his professional career that the expectations are already beginning to change. On the one hand, it’s unfair to judge him more harshly in just his fifth contest. On the other hand, he’s doing stuff like this, and it’s absolutely altering the equation:
So seen through that lens, we need to address the bad: Lendeborg turned the ball over seven times, and plenty of those turnovers were the type that could — and should — be avoided. He had some breakdowns late in the game, where he got the ball in critical moments and was unable to get off a good shot or make a quick pass. All of his free throws came when the Warriors were trying to ice a small lead, and he only shot 2-for-4 on them.
I don’t say that to criticize Lendeborg. Those are natural learning curves for a rookie who, again, made his professional debut just a week ago. But he’s played so well that the rubric is starting to change, and the grades will reflect that.
Grade: B- Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
With Gui Santos a late scratch due to knee tendinitis, Niang got a very rare start. How rare, you ask? It was his 549th career game, and just his 33rd start.
He played well. He defended larger than his frame, and had a nice sequence early in the game where he hit a three on one end, and then quickly stole the ball from Minny. I’m surprised at how much energy and effort he plays with, considering he’s a 33-year old coming off a major injury. Nice to be able to slide him into the starting five, even though I’m sure he’ll be back on the bench soon.
A really excellent defensive game for Green. Two days after having to start at center against Nikola Jokić, he did the same against Rudy Gobert, who finished with just one point, four rebounds, and a game-worst -11. So I’d say mission accomplished for Draymond.
Green’s defensive ability and versatility are once again powering the Warriors, and this was a good game for him from a playmaking standpoint, too. He made some excellent passes, directed the offense all through the game, and took fairly good care of the ball.
He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still damn good, and can be the catalyst on both ends of the court.
Grade: B Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds and assists.
Tasked with spending a decent amount of time on LaMelo Ball, Podziemski had a hard time finding a rhythm with foul trouble. But props to him for not pressing; he was more than comfortable playing a different role in this game, and not being one of the primary scorers. And he did everything else quite well: he was strong on the glass, set up his teammates, kept the ball moving, and made some big defensive plays. Not a great game for Podziemski, but a solid enough one.
Grade: C+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
If anyone had any questions as to whether Steph Curry was still Steph Curry, well … this week has been a pretty firm answer. On Monday, he had 24 points without missing a single shot. And on Wednesday, he casually dropped in 44 points (not to mention eight rebounds and six dimes), and looked completely unstoppable.
Curry took over in the second quarter, when he scored 19 points and helped Golden State take control of the game. From there, he masterfully bounced between shouldering the offensive load, setting up teammates, and serving as gravity to open up the floor for everyone else.
The aggression was a joy to see. Curry wasn’t foul-baiting so much as just being aggressive at all times, and especially when the Warriors were in the bonus.
The chef’s still got it. And between Curry and Lendeborg, you can rest assured that this team will be extremely entertaining this year.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points, tied for the team lead in assists, best plus/minus on the team.
It’s still very early in the season and, as a result, Steve Kerr is still trying to figure out his rotations. And so it’s a little bit unclear what Richard’s role is right now. It seemed on Monday that he was out of the rotation, but in this game he was in the opening set of substitutions, just a few minutes into the game, and ended up playing nearly half the contest.
I thought it was a very good defensive game for last year’s second-round pick, and the stat sheet doesn’t accurately reflect how impressive his rebounding was. There were a few occasions in this game where was outnumbered by multiple taller players, and somehow either came down with the board, kicked it to a teammate, or kept the ball alive.
Whatever his role ends up being, the Warriors are better with him on the team.
Grade: B Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
Melton had some huge plays down the stretch in this game, particularly on the defensive end. It seems like he was always in the right place to bother the Wolves, deflect a ball, or keep a play alive. He even blocked a shot with 18 seconds left in the game, when Minny just needed one bucket to get back into the game … ultimately the Timberwolves retained possession of the ball, but that huge defensive play not only kept points off the board, but used up critical time.
It wasn’t the most noteworthy game on offense, but defense and veteran play are what he’s there for. On Wednesday, he delivered.
Just a super solid game for Big Al. He played awesome defense, including on Gobert, a three-time All-Star. He was seemingly always in the right place at the right times, and his hands are so gifted for someone of his size and age. He doesn’t even need to shoot threes to be effective!
And up-and-down game for Williams. Ultimately, the Warriors simply need him to be more efficient than he was in this game. But his ability to attack and make things happen is huge, and the Warriors already rely on it with regularity when they need a bucket. No one else can get to the rim with as much ease as the ultra-speedy Williams. There were times in this game where it really felt like he was saving the entire offense and shifting the momentum. But ultimately, it simply needs to be more efficient, especially since he’s not contributing much elsewhere in most games (though I thought he did in this one).
Payton was jumped in the rotation by Richard for this game, though it may or may not be a long-term thing. He played his usual excellent defense, including a little bit on Ball, and his athleticism was, as always, on display.
Grade: B
Charles Bassey
2 minutes, 0 points, +3
Despite the Warriors being shy on frontcourt bodies right now, it looks as though Bassey is temporarily out of the rotation. Part of that is due to the rebounding and defensive flexibility of Lendeborg, which allows the Warriors to play Green at the five.
Grade: Incomplete
Wednesday’s DNP-CDs:LJ Cryer, Graham Ike, Malevy Leons
Wednesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porziņģis, Gui Santos
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 7: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants prepares for the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park on September 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Monday, I suggested that the team’s pitching woes were the fifth-most important story of this historically bad 2026 season and yesterday I handed some flowers to Bryce Eldridge and the Giants’ player development pipeline as a meaningful positive story, but today is all about being petty. Yes, I think the third-most important story of this 2026 season was Rafael Devers making all the losers and the haters eat crow, suck it long and suck it hard, and burnish in people’s mind that he is That Dude.
He nearly tied his career high in homers (38) with 37 through 148 games and 633 plate appearances. His 136 wRC+ was exactly what he put up last season between Boston and San Francisco. He has been 36% better than the league average for 3 years now, and his 3.5 fWAR also matches basically what he’s always been: a 3.5-4-WAR player. And that’s basically as a DH and not dreadful first baseman. Despite needing season-ending surgery, he was still the 14th-best hitter in baseball, in the same bunch as Bryce Harper and Riley Greene. He was on a 40-homer pace and finished 9th in MLB with those 37. He was the first Giant in 5 years to have 90+ RBI (he ended the year with 98).
So, I can’t myself among those losers he mashed in the face of. What was I thinking when I wrote this?
[…] Devers is definitely experiencing a physical decline of some sort (he’s not hitting the ball as hard), but the decline from a good player to a practically useless one appears to be entirely self-engineered. It’s unlikely that a 29-year old goes out like this based on aging alone. But, as Buster Posey is fond of saying, baseball is hard.
The situation isn’t hopeless, especially since Devers wound up having a good year after a rough time following the trade last year. It’s just that nothing the Giants have done this year and most of the last decade should give anyone hope for a better future.
Well, okay. There it is. Misery is contagious. Because the Giants had been such a bummer, I simply mapped those vibes onto Devers’ season to that point and on the occasion of the 1-year anniversary of his acquisition: .235/.293/.413, 7.5 BB%, 30.3 K%, 9 HR, 33 RBI (94 wRC+).
And, nope, he was hurt! Not a physical decline! He also had a fantastic post-trade 2025 with the Giants and wound up playing in 163 games. I, and many others across the sport, let a bad start to the year confirm some statistical suspicions. Everyone’s been trying to predict his downfall and all because the Red Sox signed him to a long-term deal and then came to regret it when they viewed his AAV as being too cumbersome to manage under their self-imposed salary cap upon the realization that they needed more money to cover holes they didn’t realize were there.
But I was just a loser. I was never a hater. Just disappointed that this was another Giants move that didn’t seem to be working out in a season that already promised to be extremely painful. These were the haters:
One Year Later, the Rafael Devers Blockbuster Doesn’t Look So Great
The Giants’ Long-Term Contracts Are Becoming A Big Problem
Rafael Devers has already become the worst contract in baseball
Nearly one year after his controversial trade, Rafael Devers is now the 3rd worst player in MLB
Giant problems: How the 2026 season has gone off the rails for Rafael Devers, Buster Posey and San Francisco
The Red Sox made the right move by trading the overrated manchild that is Rafael Devers — It has only been one year, but Rafael Devers is already wearing out his welcome in San Francisco
Inside the Giants’ tailspin: Everything that’s gone wrong since the Rafael Devers trade
Sure, less than a week after the 1-year anniversary there was a major public dispute between he and Tony Vitello which necessitated an apology, but that was a part of the larger story of Tony’s Terrible Start. I never accepted the Boston message that he was a clubhouse cancer, mainly because it was coming from Boston.
Grant Brisbee did a deep dive that offered up a pretty simple explanation:
Devers missed most of spring training, and when he returned, he faced pitchers who threw much harder than when he was a rookie. They pumped fastballs by him at the letters, which has always been the way to pitch him, but he was so concerned with them that he was whiffing on pitches down the middle. Devers wasn’t walking, so pitchers could expand the zone and get him to chase. He couldn’t get in a rhythm.
[…]
I don’t think it’s an accident that the nadir of Devers’ season in terms of OPS was April 30 (.537). It fits with the image of a player taking a deep breath and starting over. April couldn’t hurt him anymore. He immediately started an eight-game hitting streak, and while nothing can really hint at the kind of tear Devers has been on lately, he’s been the same hitter as always, which is pretty good indeed.
The tear he’s referencing is .275/.367/.588 (.955) from May 1st through September 7th. He was the third-best hitter in baseball (159 wRC+), trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong (177) and Yordan Alvarez (166). When the smoke settled on the season, his average exit velocity of 93 mph was in the top 4% of MLB and his 51.6% Hard Hit rate was top 6%.
Folks, this elite hitter continued to be an elite hitter.
So, why is this such a big story deserving of the #3 spot of this top 5? It changes the narrative for many aspects of the Giants.
They can pull off a big trade — they might have even won it
Power hitters can hit for power at Oracle Park (19 HR, .533 slug at Oracle, 18 HR, .517 slug away)
The Giants’ lineup really was just one big bopper away from being well above average — during this Devers hot streak, the Giants as a team were 10th in MLB (103 wRC+)
Buster Posey is not completely ignorant about running a baseball operation
It’s very important to create some organizational certainty. Knowing that the middle of the order is basically set for the next couple of years is a very good thing. It makes it easier to build a lineup and it takes the pressure off, say, Bryce Eldridge to be the 40-home run guy. Not many lineups have 35-40% better than the league average hitters in them.
“Why don’t we just get good players” is a simple enough idea, but the reason why not every team does it is for the same reason why a lot of firms shy away from the seemingly obvious move: consequences. What if the obvious move doesn’t work out? If it were so obvious a move, why hadn’t somebody done it before? Doesn’t that indicate a huge downside? Well, sure. Devers’ contract could be a huge weight around the team’s next in a few years, but what really compounds it are the Adames and Chapman deals. I think Buster Posey made the move ignoring that for the enormous upside: what if we get one of the best hitters in baseball into our lineup?
The main reason why there was so much blowback from non-Giants fans is because most internet people are trying to get jobs in front offices and the best way to post into that position is to emphasize surplus value. The rest of the noise was Boston media-generated. At the end of the day, if the Giants think 3-4 years of Devers bringing 40+ home run power into Oracle Park is worth the obvious downside of the final 4 years then I don’t really see what the problem is; the Giants might need a flawed profile like him more than the Boston Red Sox, but they probably could’ve used a hitter like him in 2026, when their offense was below league average (99 wRC+).
It’s easy to forget that these professional athletes have a bare minimum of professionalism that gets them into nine-figure deals and they don’t necessarily need revenge as a motivator to rebalance themselves after a stumble — but my goodness, it’s nice to think that Rafael Devers’ season got better exponentially as he silenced his critics one after another with every clout and multi-hit game. The Giants might’ve had a bad season that put them on a course for oblivion, but not Rafael Devers. He had a great one, and if the Giants have nothing else, at least they have him.
Matas Buzelis #14 of the Chicago Bulls loses possession of the ball against Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks during the second half of a game at the United Center on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.
CHICAGO — Mikal Bridges was benched for all but three minutes of the second half, as coach Mike Brown rode with streaking reserves Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet to beat the Bulls 133-127 on Wednesday.
It represented his shortest appearance as a Knick outside of the two times Bridges was subbed in briefly to maintain his consecutive games played streak.
Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls loses possession of the ball against Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks during the second half at the United Center on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images
Part of the reason, according to Brown, was the Kolek-Jalen Brunson backcourt combination was effective.
“We just found a combination we went with,” Brown said. “One of the things [assistant coach] Rick Brunson suggested was throwing Kolek in the game with Jalen. Just to give them a different look and get Jalen off the ball and put Tyler on the floor.
Landry Shamet, who scored 14 points off the bench, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ 133-127 comeback win over the Bulls on Oct. 28, 2026 in Chicago. NBAE via Getty Images
“Doing that, playing Jordan Clarkson extended minutes, Landry was playing well. Now there’s not much room. And the combination we had out there, we kept playing well. It was harder to go back to what we started with.”
Kolek, Clarkson and Shamet combined for 41 points and 15 assists.
There were a couple of injury scares in the first half Wednesday. False alarms.
Midway through the first quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns had the ball at the elbow and was knocked hard to the court by defender Noa Essengue.
Towns hurt his left hand during the spill and writhed in pain on the United Center hardwood. He went to the locker room but re-emerged quickly with tape on his hand and wrist. Towns finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
“He was still shooting that thing from 30 feet,” Brown said. “So the wrist looked good to me.”
With 9:26 left in the second quarter, Shamet limped to the locker room after twisting his ankle. He completed a dunk, took a step and clipped his foot on a Bulls defender. Like Towns, Shamet returned quickly.
