Colorado coach Deion Sanders will bring in 'Go-Go' coach Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator after a 3-9 season.
Chris Paul reportedly does not want to retire, Clippers stars were surprised by move to send him home
Chris Paul may have suggested weeks ago that he planned to retire after this season, but being sent away from the team and parting ways with the Clippers is not how he wants his career to end.
Paul "absolutely" does not want to retire mid-season, reports Marc Spears of ESPN.
"Does he want to retire, is he done? I was told absolutely not." @MarcJSpears on Chris Paul after being sent home from the Clippers pic.twitter.com/XVzDyEcTrH
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 4, 2025
Paul, who signed a veteran minimum contract with the Clippers this summer, cannot be traded until after Dec. 15 and the Clippers reportedly will look to find a new home for the future Hall of Famer. However, any teams that have any interest in him would rather wait to pick him up on the buyout market after the trade deadline — or, after the Clippers just release him — than give up anything in a trade.
Paul is known for being a very vocal leader, unafraid to call out anyone — teammates, coaches, management — in meetings and in private, and over the course of his career, that has worn thin at places. With the Clippers stumbling out of the gate, the relationship between Paul and coach Tyronn Lue reportedly grew strained, to the point that they were no longer speaking. That's when the decision to send Paul home and keep him away from the team was made.
Whatever one thinks of the reasoning, the Clippers' handling of Paul's exit — with the news leaking at nearly 3 AM Eastern while the team was in Atlanta — was not smooth. It caught Clippers players off guard, as they told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
"I'm just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world," (James) Harden said ... "Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it's a lot that we were dealing with. But that is out of my hands. I got to focus on what I got to focus on and what I can control. I guess the front office felt that was the best decision for the organization."
"It was shocking to me," (Kawhi) Leonard said. "I guess they had a conversation, and front office made a decision."
The Clippers did go out after all this drama and picked up a quality win in Atlanta, 115-92. LA is still 6-16 on the season and sitting 13th in the West.
UAB football elevating interim Alex Mortensen to full-time head coach
UAB football is elevating Alex Mortensen to head coach, according to multiple reports. What to know of the Blazers' new coach:
Sharks Send Forward Down To AHL
The San Jose Sharks have made a roster move, as they have assigned forward Pavol Regenda to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Regenda was called up to the Sharks' NHL roster back on Dec. 1. From there, he scored a goal in each of his two games with the Sharks following being recalled. Yet, with this latest roster move, he is heading back to the AHL.
Regenda will now be looking to make an impact after being sent back down to the Barracuda's roster. In 19 games so far this season with the AHL squad, the 6-foot-3 forward has recorded three goals, four assists, seven points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-2 rating.
In 21 career NHL games over three seasons split between the Anaheim Ducks and Sharks, Regenda has recorded three goals, two assists, five points, and 22 hits.
Sabres Ex-Files – Pacific Division
There are a number of former Buffalo Sabres players scattered throughout the NHL, having a varied level of success this season. Periodically, we will check in to see how their players are faring. Today we start with ex-Sabres playing for the eight teams in the Pacific Division. The Anaheim Ducks do not have any former Buffalo players currently on their roster, but here are those on the other seven clubs.
Calgary
Devin Cooley - G: The former Rochester Amerk played 14 AHL games for the Sabres AHL affiliate in 2023-24 and was called up to Buffalo, but never played a game. Currently, as Dustin Wolf’s backup, Cooley has a 3-3-2 record, but a sparkling .920 save % and 2.17 GAA.
Edmonton
Matthew Savoie - F: The Sabres 2022 first-rounder scored 54 points for AHL Bakersfield after being traded to Edmonton in the Ryan McLeod deal in the summer of 2024. Getting his first legitimate crack at the NHL, the 21-year-old has seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 27 games.
Curtis Lazar - F: Lazar played in Buffalo for 71 games between 2019-21, and for his seven NHL clubs he has one goal in 11 games this season.
Los Angeles
Joel Armia - F: The Sabres 2011 first-rounder spent three years in Winnipeg and seven seasons in Montreal before signing as a free agent in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old has 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 26 games.
Other Sabres Stories
Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere
Guerin Gathering Info On Possible Olympic Options
San Jose
Jeff Skinner - F: After being bought out by the Sabres in 2024, the former 40-goal scorer played for Edmonton and saw his first career postseason action. The 33-year-old had four goals in 17 games before being injured last month, but is expected to return to action this week.
Seattle
Brandon Montour - D: The Cup-winning blueliner had 18 goals in his first season with the Kraken, and is having another solid offensive year thus far, with 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 20 games.
Vancouver
Tyler Myers - D: The former Calder Trophy winner was part of the Evander Kane deal in 2015 and, after five years in Winnipeg, is in his seventh season with the Canucks. The big righty has seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 27 games.
Evander Kane - F: The talented but undisciplined winger wore out his welcome in Edmonton after four years and was traded to the hometown Canucks last summer. In 27 games, Kane has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists), but there are reports that he has already worn out his welcome.
Vegas
Jack Eichel - F: The former Sabres team captain reached the 90-point plateau for the first time last season, and this season is on pace to set a career-high, with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 26 games. Eichel will be on Team USA for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina next February.
Brayden McNabb - D: The stay-at-home blueliner won a Cup with the Golden Knights and, in his ninth season with Vegas, has one assist in 26 games.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
The Winnipeg Jets Have Too Much Talent Beyond Hellebuyck To Struggle
The Winnipeg Jets are a curious team.
While they're without star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who had knee surgery two weeks ago, this is still largely the same group that won the Presidents' Trophy last season as the NHL's top regular-season team.
And yet, after they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout Wednesday night, the Jets have gone 2-5-1 after Hellebuyck last played on Nov. 15. Their .313 points percentage in that span is tied for last in the league.
This speaks to Hellebuyck's immense value to the Jets – he is the defending Hart Trophy winner, after all. But scratch beneath the surface, and you'll see that there are clearly multiple other issues that are plaguing Winnipeg right now.
Yes, the Jets have allowed the 11th-most goals against per game during Hellebuyck's absence, while they conceded the eighth-fewest goals per game beforehand. Goalie Eric Comrie has a .891 save percentage and 3.14 goals-against average in seven starts, while Thomas Milic has an .882 SP and 3.65 GAA in two appearances.
But they also have the seventh-worst offense in the NHL since Nov. 16 at 2.50 goals-for per game. And their special teams have also been a problem in that span. Their 15-percent power-play success rate and 78.9-percent penalty-kill rate each rank tied for 20th.
Hellebuyck's injury is projected to keep him on the sidelines until late December or early January. Winnipeg is only two points out of a playoff spot with two games in hand. But this team has too much talent, even without Hellebuyck, to be in this predicament.
Free-Falling Jets Take Just Three of a Possible 10 Points on Lengthy Road TripJets stumble on another lengthy road trip, snagging minimal points. Can a crucial home stretch spark a turnaround for the struggling team?The Jets' next stretch includes games against the desperate Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. That won't be a cakewalk by any means, with the Avs, Stars and Caps sitting in the top three of the standings.
In the highly competitive Central Division, Winnipeg's challenge is considerable and constant. They need to be consistent in a way they haven't been since they came out of the gate 9-3-0. Even a .500 points percentage stretch likely won't push them back to the top of the division.
Some of their challenge falls at the feet of the Jets' secondary scorers.
Only four forwards have at least 0.50 points per game – Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter – and they need much more production out of players beyond their top line. Veteran center Jonathan Toews is a high-profile addition to the Jets, but the 37-year-old has three goals and nine points in 26 games.
Winnipeg wants more out of the second-line center spot they signed Toews to occupy, but he's been out of the league for two seasons before making his comeback this year.
Clearly, they need more out of their bottom six forwards and from their defensemen other than star Josh Morrissey.
The Jets have $4.28 million in salary cap space – which is projected to balloon to $13.6 million at the March 6 trade deadline. But if they wait too long to spend that cap space, Winnipeg could be stuck closer to the bottom of the Central standings. So Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has to balance his longer-term needs with his immediate goals.
In any case, Winnipeg's focus has to be on either ratcheting up its defensive game without Hellebuyck or getting out of this scoring slump. All NHL teams will only do as well as they can when their key players are healthy and in the lineup, but they have enough skaters right now to get the job done.
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James Madison finalizing deal with Billy Napier, former Florida coach
James Madison is reportedly finalizing a deal to hire former Florida coach Billy Napier, who was fired by the Gators earlier in the 2025 season:
NHL Rumors: Penguins Goalie Makes New Trade Board
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry has been given the No. 8 spot on Lyle Richardson's NHL Trade Targets Rankings for Bleacher Report.
Jarry has been the subject of trade rumors before, and it has carried over to the season. Because of this, it makes sense that he is being considered among the top trade candidates in the NHL right now. This is especially so when noting that the Penguins are retooling and Jarry is in the middle of a bounce-back season.
In 11 games so far this campaign, Jarry has recorded an 8-2-0 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.57 goals-against average. This is after he had a 16-12-6 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.12 goals-against average in 36 games last season for Pittsburgh.
With how well Jarry is playing this season, it would be understandable if he generated interest from clubs looking for goaltending help near the deadline. Yet, the Penguins could also very well decide to keep him around if he keeps playing well. This is because he is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season, carrying a $5.375 million cap hit.
In 304 career games over 10 seasons with the Penguins, Jarry has recorded a 160-99-31 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.74 goals-against average.
Who is Johan Oviedo? Get to know Red Sox' latest trade acquisition
Who is Johan Oviedo? Get to know Red Sox' latest trade acquisition originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox made another notable trade Thursday night, reportedly acquiring right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a five-player deal.
According to multiple reports, the Red Sox shipped outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and minor-league righty Jesus Travieso to Pittsburgh. Two minor leaguers — left-hander Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman — will head to Boston with Oviedo. Right-hander Cooper Criswell was designated for assignment to make room for Oviedo on the 40-man roster.
Oviedo, who’s under team control through 2027, posted a 3.57 ERA over nine starts (40.1 innings) with the Pirates last season. The 27-year-old missed most of the year after recovering from Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
In 2023, his last full season in the majors, Oviedo amassed a 4.31 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 158 strikeouts and 83 walks across 32 starts (177.2 innings). The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder was solid at the back end of the Pirates rotation and projects as a No. 4 or 5 starter on the Red Sox staff. If he can’t crack the rotation, he’d likely revert to the swingman role he had early in his career with Pittsburgh.
When he’s on, Oviedo’s stuff can be electric. He averaged 95.5 mph with his fastball in his return from Tommy John last season, and he continued to see success with his sharp slider and curveball. Where Oviedo struggles is with his command. He had an alarming 13.5 percent walk rate, and that wasn’t an outlier, as he has struggled in that category throughout his professional career.
While the walks are concerning, Oviedo’s upside and the Red Sox’ need for pitching depth make him worth the price Boston paid in the deal. Garcia, nicknamed “The Password” (Red Sox’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), showed potential in the minors but didn’t have a path to consistent playing time in Boston’s crowded outfield. The soon-to-be 23-year-old went 1-for-7 with five strikeouts in nine games with the big-league club last season.
Travieso, the second prospect headed to Pittsburgh, signed with the Red Sox out of Venezuela in 2024. The 18-year-old appeared in seven games with Low-A Salem last season, posting an impressive 32 percent strikeout rate.
The other pitcher going to Boston, Samaniego, posted a 3.08 ERA across 26.1 innings in Double-A last season. The 27-year-old figures to spend most of 2026 at Triple-A Worcester but could play a role in Boston’s bullpen at some point during the campaign.
Guzman, 22, was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The Arizona product played only one game at Low-A but put up strong offensive numbers last season with the Wildcats.
The Red Sox’ trade for Oviedo marks their second deal for a starting pitcher in as many weeks. They recently acquired veteran right-hander Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Big Challenge": Red Wings' Todd McLellan Previews Six-Game Road Swing
The Detroit Red Wings managed to pick up a badly-needed victory on Tuesday evening, taking down the Boston Bruins by a 5-4 final score at Little Caesars Arena to halt what was a four-game winless skid.
Their metal will now be put to the test once again as they've embarked on a six-game road trip that will begin on Thursday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
For head coach Todd McLellan, he's looking forward to the challenge that this road trip represents for his club.
"It's going to be a big challenge," McLellan said of the next six games. "The travel, the buildings that we go to, the teams that we're going to play, everyone's a little different, so we have to prepare each and every night. But I think the opportunity that lies ahead of us is two-fold."
"One, to have a successful trip and build, and then two, to find our game and continue to build on it. I'm looking forward to it, and it starts here tonight against a real good team."
The Red Wings defeated the Blue Jackets on Nov. 22 by a 4-3 final score in overtime thanks to a two-goal third period comeback effort that was capped by Alex DeBrincat's winning tally in the extra session.
However, Detroit's next four games weren't as fruitful. They dropped contests to both the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning on home ice, which were highlighted by multiple defensive miscues that their opposition took advantage of.
Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom, whom they'd like to contribute more offensively as he only has a single goal in the 14 games he's skated in, said Detroit isn't going to be taking Columbus lightly.
"I'm Happy For Him": Todd McLellan Talks Up John Gibson After Win Vs. Bruins Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan was happy for goaltender John Gibson on Tuesday night after he picked up his first win since Nov. 13. “They have some skilled players and some physicality,” Soderblom said of the impending matchup against Columbus. “Always good battles against this team. I think we always have tight games, so it’s going to be fun.”
Following Thursday's game, the Red Wings will travel to Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Chicago before returning home on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders.
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NBA fines Cavaliers $250,000 for sitting Darius Garland in nationally televised game
On Nov. 23 and 24, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a back-to-back, at home on Sunday against the struggling Clippers, then on the road Monday against the impressive Raptors, with their high-pressure defense. The Cavaliers chose to start Darius Garland in the game they most expected to win — against the Clippers — and rested him on Monday night in Toronto.
That decision will cost Toronto $250,000 for violating the NBA's player participation policy, a fine the league announced Thursday.
That Monday Toronto game was nationally televised as part of Peacock NBA Monday and "the violation occurred when the Cavaliers failed to make Garland available for the team's nationally-televised game on Nov. 24 and instead made him available on Nov. 23 which was not a nationally-televised game," the NBA said in its statement announcing the fine.
The league determined that Garland could have played both halves of the back-to-back. Garland has played in just eight of the Cavaliers' 23 games this season, battling a toe issue that slowed him in last season's playoffs.
The $250,000 sum was because this was the Cavaliers second violation of the player participation policy. Cleveland had previously been fined $100,000 for sitting Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against Miami earlier in November. After that fine, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said, "I gotta look at the Cavs' best interest." I think my No. 1 job is to protect the health of our players."
Observations after Sixers blow 24-point lead but Edgecombe makes game-winning put-back
Observations after Sixers blow 24-point lead but Edgecombe makes game-winning put-back originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Exactly one month after blowing a 24-point lead to the Bulls, the Sixers did the same Thursday night vs. the Warriors.
This time around, they still escaped with a win, earning a 99-98 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
De’Anthony Melton blocked Tyrese Maxey’s jumper on the Sixers’ final possession, but VJ Edgecombe leaped for a game-winning put-back layup with 0.9 seconds to go.
The Warriors then chucked the ball ahead and Melton appeared like he’d have a clean chance, but Maxey hustled back and snuffed his lay-in attempt to seal the game.
Maxey led all scorers with 35 points.
The 12-9 Sixers were down Paul George (left knee injury recovery), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).
Oubre will be re-evaluated next week, according to a team official. The 29-year-old wing said pregame that he’s been making progress, doing whatever the Sixers’ medical staff instructs and taking a “day-by-day” approach.
Golden State was without Stephen Curry (left quadriceps contusion) and Jimmy Butler (left knee soreness). Draymond Green exited at halftime because of a right foot injury.
The Sixers will fly to Milwaukee and play the Bucks on Friday night. Here are observations on their win over the Warriors:
Lid on the Warriors’ rim
Joel Embiid faced up against Al Horford on the game’s first possession and knocked down a jumper. Horford followed with a three-pointer, which was the last long-range success the Warriors had for a long time.
For much of the first quarter, there was a lid on the Golden State rim.
The Warriors started 2 for 21 from the field and 1 for 13 from three-point range. They managed a mere 10 points in the first quarter. The Sixers played sound defense, but many of those misses came on open and wide-open shots.
Meanwhile, Maxey had a swell time on the other end against his friend Melton, who returned from a torn ACL to make his season debut. Maxey hit a baseline floater, and-one layup and mid-range jumper on his former backcourt mate. He also nailed a step-back three against another former Sixer, sinking a deep jumper over Buddy Hield to put the Sixers up 21-5.
Nothing free for Golden State in first half
The Warriors made a 10-0 run early in the second quarter with Maxey on the bench. Edgecombe snapped it with a tightly guarded, off-balance three late in the shot clock.
The Sixers’ lack of fouls helped them maintain a comfortable lead. Golden State took no free throws in the first half.
The team has made significant improvement in that area this season. Entering Thursday, the Sixers ranked 11th in the NBA in defensive free throw rate, per Cleaning the Glass. They were 20th last season. The Sixers haven’t forced turnovers as often, but the decrease in free points conceded has helped the team at least be a middle-of-the-pack defense so far.
Two Maxey mid-range buckets built the Sixers’ lead back to 20 points. Jared McCain’s corner three with 3.1 seconds to go in the second quarter got a generous bounce through the hole and gave the Sixers a 56-34 advantage.
Sixers collapse but still pull it out
After the Warriors scored the first six points of the third quarter, Maxey canned a trio of triples in quick succession.
That sure didn’t spell the end of the contest.
The Sixers had many sloppy possessions against the Warriors’ zone defense in the third quarter. Maxey committed three turnovers in the period and Edgecombe had two. Melton scored a driving layup on Golden State’s final play of the third to cut the Sixers’ lead to 80-66.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, the Sixers were in serious danger of losing their lead.
Edgecombe missed a three and Hield then leaked out for a fast-break layup on his Bahamian teammate. McCain turned the ball over twice in a row against Golden State’s ball pressure. In general, the Sixers’ offense looked rushed and uncertain. Jumpers by Quinten Post and Melton sliced the Warriors’ deficit to 84-81.
Adem Bona checked in for his first action of the night and converted a put-back layup on his first play. Embiid logged 25 minutes and didn’t appear in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors began to drain all the jump shots they’d bricked in the early going. Post drilled another three and Gui Santos cut free for a layup that lifted Golden State to a 93-92 edge.
Pat Spencer made it 98-94 with a long-range jumper. Quentin Grimes then scored an and-one layup and the Sixers finally managed an important stop. Melton drove into the lane, got stopped in his tracks by Bona, and traveled. On the ensuing possession, Bona drew a foul … and missed both his free throws.
Melton missed a layup in traffic, but the Warriors retained possession thanks to a successful challenge that showed the rebound last touched Edgecombe on its way out of bounds.
The final seconds were full of more chaos. Edgecombe wound up stealing a Spencer inbounds pass and calling timeout with 8.2 seconds on the clock. The rookie had one more clutch play in store.
Oakland basketball coach Greg Kampe sounds off on absent student section: ‘Where are they?’
Oakland University basketball head coach Greg Kampe called out the team's student section for not attending games.
Former Mets manager Buck Showalter on Francisco Lindor-Jeff McNeil dynamic: 'We didn't have a problem'
Buck Showalter knows the dynamics of the Mets’ clubhouse as well as anyone, and the club’s former manager gave his point of view on the relationship between Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil in a recent appearance on Foul Territory.
According to Showalter, who took over as Mets manager after the 2021 season and held the position until the end of the 2023 campaign, there were never any issues between the two while he was there, but he did note that Lindor and McNeil have their own, distinct personalities.
“Jeff and Francisco are different,” Showalter said. “Jeff’s a Long Beach State Dirtbag, loves everything about the game, thinks the world is against him sometimes with line drives at people. Lindor is a very stylish, worldly guy, but it works. I called them together the first day that I got there, and I had heard a lot of stuff, and we didn’t have a problem. Jeff, I think, led the whole globe in hitting. Nobody on the globe hit for a higher batting average than Jeff McNeil.
“I think If you actually knew everything that went on behind the scenes with relationships when you're thrown together for eight months, seven months. I mean, heck, I’ve been married for 43 years and there’s not a day goes by that I don’t have to just shut up. But that’s okay. That’s not why they had a tough year. Their pitching wasn’t very good.”
Mike Puma of the New York Post recently reported that Lindor and McNeil had a “heated confrontation” this past season after a defensive lap during a June 20 game in Philadelphia.
During the 2021 season, Lindor’s first year in Queens, he and McNeil reportedly also got into a scuffle in the tunnel to the clubhouse, with the New York Post reporting that Lindor grabbed McNeil by the throat during the altercation.
"It was funny. I told him I was like ‘I’ve never seen a New York rat’ so we went down sprinting,” Lindor said that night. “I wanted to go see a New York rat, and [McNeil] got mad at me, and was like, ‘It’s not a rat, it’s a raccoon.’ And I’m like, 'Hell no, man! It’s a damn rat. It’s a New York rat, man.’ It was crazy. We were going back and forth debating if it was a rat or a raccoon. Crazy man, it was insane."
With McNeil entering the final year of his contract, coupled with the recent acquisition of second baseman Marcus Semien, the Mets have reportedly been fielding trade offers on the veteran.
Why Steve Kerr trusting his eyes is key to maximizing Warriors' lineup shuffling
Why Steve Kerr trusting his eyes is key to maximizing Warriors' lineup shuffling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
When the Warriors were running the NBA, staging annual races to the NBA Finals, whatever Kerr would see on the court in real time greatly influenced his substitution decisions. He strayed from that guidance pattern Tuesday night, and it backfired.
Kerr went back to those instincts Thursday night in Philadelphia and almost was rewarded with an unlikely victory.
The Warriors wiped out a 24-point third-quarter deficit, with the surge giving them a 98-94 lead on Pat Spencer’s 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining before the 76ers closed it out for a 99-98 victory that dropped Golden State to 11-12.
Spencer was in the game because Kerr trusted the eyes he didn’t trust Tuesday, when Spencer ignited a late comeback that threatened Oklahoma City but was subbed out for Brandin Podziemski with 3:56 left. The next two possessions went nowhere, with Podziemski missing from deep and committing a turnover.
This time, there was no questionable late-game substitution. Podziemski stayed on the bench, as Spencer played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter and was no less effective than he was two nights earlier.
“Yeah, tonight was a no brainer,” Kerr told reporters at Xfinity Mobile Center. “The other night was a tricky decision but tonight was obvious pat was just incredible out there and controlled the game and he’s just about the right stuff.”
Spencer scored 12 points in the quarter and was plus-13 for his efforts. He led lineups that were without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III or Draymond Green, who left in the second quarter after aggravating a sprained right foot.
To put a finer point on it, Spencer – with generous assistance from De’Anthony Melton in his season debut – pushed the Warriors in position to prevail mostly behind the bench. Gui Santos played more than 11 minutes in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield played 10 minutes, Quinten Post played eight and Melton played five.
“The effort was phenomenal,” Kerr said. “It felt like we really deserved to win, and I feel terrible for the guys that we couldn’t hang on because the effort, the energy, the commitment. Gui hasn’t played in a couple weeks and he’s playing the whole fourth quarter and is (plus-15), showing what he did last year. And the way Pat got us into our offense and got downhill and into pick-and-roll and distributed the ball . . . I like the way the guys fought.”
Kerr indicated that he hopes for a way that Spencer, operating on a two-way contract that limits him to 50 games, can be elevated to a standard contract. The coach also made it clear that he sees Spencer as “the perfect guy for a backup” at point guard behind Curry.
With Spencer playing exceedingly well in consecutive games, and Melton impressing in his return nearly a year after undergoing surgery to repair a slight ACL tear, the Warriors will be exceptionally deep at guard when Curry returns, which is expected next Friday.
“We’re deep,” Spencer said. “We got a lot of guys that could play and guys that have proven it time after time. So, I think that’s the tough part. I don’t envy Steve’s job at all.”
Make no mistake, a 10-point first quarter laid the foundation for this loss, which exposed – or re-exposed – some of the weaknesses that have rendered Golden State unable to escape mediocrity so far this season.
Ineffective defense at the point of attack. Poor shot selection, mostly in the first half, particularly in the first quarter when they jacked up 15 3s, making two. Too many live-ball turnovers, which Philly exploited for 25 points. Insufficient interior moxie and muscle, resulting in another rebounding deficit, with the 76ers scoring the game-winning bucket on an offensive rebound.
Spencer can help with a few of those ailments, and Melton surely will address some of them. When Curry returns, Spencer and Melton will be among seven Warriors vying for guard minutes in the rotation.
All of which gives Kerr the right to shorten his proverbial leash on a night-to-night basis.
The coach likely realized that on this night, when he went back to an old habit that served him well. He trusted his in-game eyes.