Worldwide Sports News

Luka Dončić might never live down what Steph Curry did to him last night.

Curry broke Dončić’s ankles and sent him sprawling to the ground before draining a three-pointer during the Golden State Warriors’ 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Plenty of people have trolled Dončić about this. But an Instagram post Jimmy Butler made on Saturday takes the cake.

Butler posted an AI video where Curry’s likeness is Bruce Leroy (played by Taimak) in the 1985 martial arts film The Last Dragon.

Curry is then asked, “Alright Leroy, who’s the one-and-only Master?” and responds, “I am!”

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Then Dončić’s likeness shows up as a bystander watching the exchange, and said, “Holy s***!”

Then Curry’s likeness is shown whirling his arms in what’s supposed to be an exraordinary martial arts technique.

Butler’s post (which also includes the actual video clips of Curry breaking Dončić’s ankles was captioned, “6/82. W.”

The post has gone viral, tallying over 100,000 likes in a couple hours and being reposted many times on social media.

View this post on Instagram

Butler is confined to the sidelined while he rehabs a torn ACL he sustained in January. There’s no clear timeline when he’s expected to return.

At least he’s finding ways to entertain himself in the meantime.

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss accused her siblings of running a "cloak and dagger" smear campaign against her through the media and voting to sell the family's remaining shares in the team in court documents filed earlier this week.

The filing, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, alleges that Jeanie Buss' five siblings -- Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse -- orchestrated a "manipulative plot" in response to her previous court filing in August to halt the proposed sale of the family's remaining 17.8% share in the team following the record $12.5 billion sale between Mark Walter and Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, "secretly pursued unlawful action behind Jeanie's back" and allegedly leaking their "petty grievances" to ESPN's Shams Charania.

"Respondents respond casting themselves as victims," the filing says. "When in reality, the entire episode is their own false flag operation."

The filing is the latest development in the ongoing Succession-esque drama that has ensued over the years since Dr. Jerry Buss' death in 2013 and escalated when Jeanie Buss' siblings voted 5-0 to sell their stake in the Lakers to Kushner, which would effectively remove her as governor. That led to an injunction from Adam F. Streisand, Jeanie Buss' attorney, that contested the sale violated a 2017 court order that established Jeanie Buss as the controlling owner and was null and void.

The five siblings filed a formal opposition on Oct. 7, claiming Jeanie Buss' petition "is legally and factually baseless." A hearing is scheduled in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 8.

"Jeanie sought to address Respondents’ desire to cash out of the Buss/Lakers’ legacy," Streisand says in the filing. "However, Respondents refused to engage, because they not only want to cash out of that legacy but cannot abide that the team’s owners would still want Jeanie to be part of the Lakers’ future. Jeanie had no choice but to seek court intervention to enforce the clear terms of the Trust and this Court’s 2017 Order."

Per NBA rules, Jeanie Buss would need to hold at least a 15% ownership stake in the Lakers to continue serving as governor. The siblings have defended their sale as being within their rights by invoking a tag-along provision that was included in the original sale to Mark Walter that would allow the Buss family to sell their shares if he were to ever sell the team, but Jeanie Buss' attorneys responded in Wednesday's filing that the tag-along right is for less than all of the trust's shares.

The filing continues by alleging no notice of the tag-along right was given, nor was a notice of a "put right" that would have enabled the siblings to sell the family's entire stake in the team, and that there is no offer from Kushner and Iger to purchase the trust's shares.

"Consent to a hypothetical, partial sale is not the full and final sale required to trigger termination under Section 2.4(c)," the filing said. "Thus, the Purported Resolution is void on its face."

ESPN reported on Friday that Kushner and Walter agreed to final terms of the sale of the franchise and are expected to sign a formal agreement soon. The deal would then need to be reviewed by the NBA and approved by a majority vote of the league's 30 team owners.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeanie Buss alleges 'cloak and dagger' plot by siblings over Lakers sale

In each of the Knicks’ losses, it has been something new. A different sign that captures how they’re still — even six games and four defeats into the season — a step behind opponents at the start of their title defense, even with the same starting lineup and most of the same rotation intact from last year. 

There was the entire game opening night, when head coach Mike Brown said it looked like the Knicks were “running in mud.” There was the third quarter against the Celtics. The fourth-quarter collapse against the Magic, too. And then Friday night, it was the Knicks’ start, when they trailed by double digits in the first quarter en route to their 98-93 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia. 

It marked their fewest points in an opening frame this season. It served as the latest reminder of a potentially concerning trend in a start to the year already filled with them. And as they’re trying to recover conditioning and erase the step missing after the condensed offseason that followed their championship run, it marked the latest sample in 2026-27 of the Knicks slipping into an insurmountable place in a game because of a costly quarter. 

“We gotta find a way to be that magical team we were last year at a more consistent pace,” Karl-Anthony Towns said following Friday’s loss. “You don’t always want to just wait until the end to find that magic. Lightning don’t strike twice, so we gotta be that team right now and we gotta continue to build off of what we did last year.” 

The Knicks trailed by 13 after the opening 12 minutes against the Pistons on Tuesday, but they responded by limiting Detroit to just three field goals in a 12-point second quarter. They only managed 13 in the third quarter. And by the end of it all, the Knicks defense had powered them to their first win of the season. 

But poor first quarters like Tuesday and Friday nearly eliminate their margin for error. With under five minutes remaining in the frame against the 76ers, Jalen Brunson tried to thread a pass to a rolling Andre Drummond, but Joel Embiid knocked the pass away — allowing for a VJ Edgecombe layup in transition moments later to give Philadelphia a 20-11 lead. Then, after the Knicks started to trim into their deficit with 3-pointers from Josh Hart and Miles McBride, Anfernee Simons responded with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 10. The Knicks weren’t able to execute the same counter defensively, either. 

“It was almost like we were just gonna show up and go hoop and not doing the little things that we need to do to go get a win,” Brown said. 

The Knicks, Towns said, looked like a team at the end of a road trip. They didn’t find “that gear” — the one they needed to overpower opponents, the one that defined their sprint through May and June — until the fourth quarter. Double-digit comebacks are “taxing,” Hart said, and it’s not something they can rely on, even if improbable rallies were a defining part of their postseason run. 

“I think when that’s happened, we’re just coming in a little stagnant offensively,” Hart said of the Knicks’ deficits. “Forced into either bad shots or turnovers. And then, you know, stops are harder.” 

The Knicks will have chances — starting with the winless Nets and 1-5 Bulls over the next two games — to figure everything out. To fix their offensive rating that dipped to 20th in the league (109.6) entering play Saturday and solve their turnover woes that frustrated Brown on Friday. To improve their defensive rating that sits 13th (110.6) and a defensive unit that has ebbed and flowed throughout the early portion of the season. 

To eliminate the growing pains that have prevented the Knicks from looking the part of reigning champions and delivering the same magic that defined last season in the first place.

If all Cris Carter did was catch touchdowns, all VJ Edgecombe does is hit clutch shots.

Edgecombe’s late three was part of a 13-0 run for the Sixers which helped them stage a fourth-quarter comeback and steal a 109-104 win in the second half of a back-to-back on the road in Charlotte. They’re now 6-1.

Tyrese Maxey was brilliant from the start and finished with 38 points. Edgecombe struggled most of the night, but buried a triple when it mattered. He finished just 4-of-13 for 10 points. Jaylen Brown returned to the lineup. Though he was able to shake off a poor start, he wasn’t as impactful as he’s been this season. He was 6-of-15 for 16 points.

Anfernee Simons was great again off the bench with 19 points (including five triples). Dean Wade got the start and was excellent on both ends, dishing out 10 assists.

The Sixers were without LeBron James and Joel Embiid, both sitting out the backend of the back-to-back. Dominick Barlow (back) remains out. They’ll host the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Here are a few takeaways from the night.

First quarter

• It was funny to see Dean Wade pass up another shot on the first possession and pass VJ Edgecombe a grenade … only for Edgecombe to bury a three.
• The Sixers had a tall task keeping Moussa Diabate off the offensive glass. Not only did Adem Bona do a great job there, but Bona was impactful on the offensive glass himself. Diabate had just one defensive rebound in the first half.
• Holy moly, Tyrese Maxey. To quote a former Sixer, he is just stupidly locked in right now.
• Jabari Walker got the backup five minutes, so it appears no Tacko Fall tonight.
• It was a rough start for Jaylen Brown in his return. He missed his first five shots and had two turnovers. Whether it was a rhythm issue or the knee still bothering him, he looked off.
• Justin Edwards got early minutes, but his stint didn’t last long. It was a little surprising to see Edwards get in there before Labaron Philon.
• The Hornets came in as one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA this season — so, naturally, they couldn’t miss against the Sixers, going 6-of-11 from deep and 73.7% from the floor in the first. They held a 37-27 lead. Maxey posted 15.

Second quarter

• Walker gave the Sixers strong minutes at the five. He drew a foul fighting for position with Diabate, then had a tough finish off a Maxey pass, then drove from the corner and had a nice reverse finish. Brown finally got a bucket to go and cut the deficit to 37-33.
• Well, hello, Dean Wade! You wanted him to shoot and what a beauty of a move on Naz Reid for a bucket at the rim.
• A decent stint for Philon. He hit a three and had a great defensive rep against fellow Alabama alum Brandon Miller. He then drew a foul on Miller before making a pretty dropstep move on fellow rookie Christian Anderson for a bucket. He missed a pair of free throws, but overall, good stuff from the rook.
• Bona fumbled a pass from Brown and of course calmly collected it and finished at the rim over Ryan Kalkbrenner to tie the game at 44-44. Brown was much better in his second stint, finding Maxey for another bucket to put the Sixers in front.
• The Sixers’ defense picked up big time. Another trio of threes from Anfernee Simons and Maxey buried another. Maxey led all scorers with 19. Some tremendous ball movement at times here. Grayson Allen’s red-shot shooting was the only thing keeping the Hornets in it. The Sixers were up 57-54 at the half.

Third quarter

• Credit where it’s due, more good Bona minutes and another pretty make in the post from Wade. It appeared Bona’s activity was starting to frustrate Diabate, as the Hornets’ big man threw an elbow into Bona’s gut. Diabate was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.
• The Sixers’ offense and defense started sagging. The ball stuck too much and Charlotte got way too many good looks at the rim. The Hornets pulled back in front, 67-65.
• Brown and Walker seem to have a little chemistry. Look at that, preseason reps paying off! Overall, the game became a slog. It looked like two teams playing the second half of a back-to-back. Charlotte continued to get to the paint with ease, building the lead to 73-67.
• Brutal night for Edgecombe so far. He was just 3-of-10 from the field. As we’ve seen though, Edgecombe can have three rough quarters and show up for the fourth…
• On a positive note, Brown has looked much bouncier as the game has gone on. He powered past Allen for a dunk and then had another nice finish at the rim on a drive. He kept the Sixers in it. The offense got bogged down again when he took a breather.
• Yet another three for Simons, cutting the Hornets’ advantage to 79-77. Wade notched his seventh assist on the play. Unfortunately, that was the last basket the Sixers made in the period. Charlotte pushed the lead back up to 83-77 as a Maxey three missed everything. You have to wonder if tired legs are a factor.

Fourth quarter

• Bona sort of turned back into a pumpkin here. It’s hard to even fault him. They’re asking him to play starter minutes and he simply doesn’t seem capable.
• Walker checked back in, buried a three and scored off an offensive rebound. After a steal, Maxey missed a transition three, but Bona gathered the rebound, got it back to Maxey who made a short fadeaway. For as poorly as the Sixers played in the second half, they hung around. It was a one-possession game with plenty of time left.
• In a different spot, I don’t mind Bona taking a corner three. Down six midway through the fourth with time on the shot clock? Yeah, I’d like a better shot.
• Wade’s so freaking good defensively. Hell of a possession on Reid. He really can guard anyone. Then a slick floater from Maxey. He’s doing all he can do keep them in it, but Edgecombe’s tough night continued. He grabbed a big offensive rebound, but was stuffed by Miller at the rim. The Hornets then got a Diabate dunk in transition.
• Another Maxey floater and a short turnaround jumper from Brown cut it to 98-94, but the Sixers continued to lose Allen on the perimeter, who made them pay with another three.
• More big time stuff from Wade, who grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Simons for another three. After a stop, Maxey was fouled, but split his free throws, an issue throughout the night. The defense was finally able to generate turnovers, one leading to a tough finish by Simons in transition to make it 101-100.
• A monster block by Wade and then the Sixers are bailed out as Dennis Schroder undercut Maxey going for a loose ball. Maxey made both free throws and the Sixers took a 102-101 lead.
• What a tremendous sequence for Maxey. He stands tough against Miller, who missed a fadeaway, then fought Diabate for the ensuing rebound, which the big man knocked out of bounds.
• How does he do it?! VJ Edgecombe got the ball with the shot clock winding down and what does he do? He buries a triple right in Allen’s eye. That’s a 13-0 run for the Sixers.
• Sion James missed a layup, Maxey grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Wow. Miller made another three to make it 107-104, but Charlotte fouled Brown with 5.2 left and he made both to seal it. Sixers win 109-104.

INDIANAPOLIS — Right now, every time the young Nets hit adversity, they go awry like a rudderless ship. 

That means their stars are going to have to do a better job steering them. 

That means Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. 

“[We’ve] just got to be mentally tougher, understand what’s going on in the game, understand what we’re trying to accomplish, what we can take advantage of, stuff like that,” Randle admitted. 

“But we just have to have better recognition in-game of what’s going on and just be better from there. But we get adversity right now as a group, and it just deflates us as a team. So I have to find a way to keep the group together, and get us out of those ruts when we’re facing those types of situations.” 

As the only winless team in the East coming into Sunday’s tilt at Indiana, the Nets have faced those types of situations every game. The result has been slumped shoulders, bad body language and the team coming unraveled. 

Granted, they played well at Cleveland and Boston. But more often than not, they haven’t handled adversity well. 

And while Randle and Porter are a 1-2 scoring punch, neither is a defender. But for the Nets to compete, they’ll have to be leaders. On a team this green, it’s not enough that they play well. They have to help their young teammates play well — or at least play together. 

“It’s easier said than done,” Porter said after Friday’s loss to Detroit. “In the NBA when you lose five straight, it can be tough. 

“But we’ve got to continue to watch film, and do our best to stay connected as a group, do our best to stay positive, to come out next game and do better than we did [the last] game. We took a step forward [in] the Boston game, a couple steps backwards [against Detroit]. We’ve just got to watch it and go from there.” 

The Nets have glaring personnel issues that may limit their defensive ceiling, but they’ve underachieved offensively due to a lack of chemistry and cohesion. They’ll need better cutting and spacing. 

Granted, Randle has done his job as a floor raiser. The Nets’ plus-22.9 net rating swing with him on and off the floor is the best of any Net that has logged over 30 minutes. But against Detroit, he shot 4-of-13 with three assists, five turnovers and too much ball-pounding. Porter finished a minus-25. 

Randle admits it’s on the veterans like himself and Porter to help guide this young team through its growing pains. But how? 

“That’s a great question. I don’t know. We’ve just got to find ways to keep making improvements,” Randle said. “We did that, [though] we didn’t get the result we wanted in Boston, we did it. I felt like we were on the path to doing that to start the [Detroit] game, and then we took steps back. So, I won’t accept it, but I understand it. 

“Taking bumps and bruises with the season, just gaining experience. But we’ve got to find a way collectively to be better and not let adversity affect us so much as a group. We keep talking about it, but we gotta find a way to come together. And yeah, it probably is on the vets. We gotta bring guys together in the moments of adversity and recognize those situations quicker than what we are right now.” 

It’s a tough ask with Porter set for unrestricted free agency and expected by many around the league to be on the market at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Randle — soon to be 32 — can opt out as well. 

Head coach Jordi Fernández defended both, saying he can’t ask either to step outside their comfort zones leadership-wise. 

“I always want them to lead and it’s got to come out of an honest place. I cannot force them to be out of character,” Fernández said. “I think they’re both good people and they both mean well, so whatever they’re comfortable doing I’m very happy they’re trying their best to help the group. And they’ve done it from the beginning, so I’m not concerned about that.”

Guards Egor Dëmin (right leg bone bruise) and Mikel Brown Jr. (back, injury management) are both out for the Nets on Sunday in Indiana.