Talk about the game with Pens fans here!
Gamethread: Penguins @ Canadiens
Sharks Outcoached and Outplayed Once Again, Fall to Injury-Riddled Senators
The San Jose Sharks were able to steal a win against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night and they were looking to bounce back with a more convincing performance against the Ottawa Senators in a Halloween matinee. Instead, the Sharks starred in a horror movie of their own.
Much like they did in the majority of the game against the Canucks, the Sharks looked lost for most of the night. It seemed like they had no clue what they were supposed to be doing and their play reflected that. Players were often caught out of position, puck watching, or just clueless at times. As a result, they were defeated by the Senators in very convincing fashion.
The Senators came out of the gate with an immense amount of pressure, controlling the game for quite a while in the opening minutes. The Sharks took eight minutes to get their first shot on goal, which was a dump from the neutral zone that went to Senators netminder Sam Ersson. That did seemingly start some momentum for the Sharks, as they started showing more signs of life during the middle of the period.
Despite the Sharks starting to look better, Dylan Cozens scored the game's opening goal at 13:24 of the first period. On the rush, he scored five-hole on Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who certainly would've wanted that one back.
The Sharks tied things up at 16:06 in the period, as Jacob Trouba and Kiefer Sherwood were relentless on the forecheck and forced a turnover. Trouba then found Michael Misa in front of the net, who slotted the puck past Ersson to make it a 1-1 hockey game. The Senators had quite a bit of pressure at the end of the period, but the Sharks were saved by the bell as time expired before they were able to get a go-ahead goal.
The second period started similarly to the first, with the Senators controlling most of the play. Unsurprisingly, Drake Batherson, who has been on a heater as of late, broke the tie with his ninth goal of the season. Once again, it was a goal that Nedeljkovic would certainly want back, as it bounced off of his glove and into the back of the net.
Tim Stutzle doubled the Senators' lead at 10:54 of the middle frame after Michael Misa was laid out in the neutral zone, giving the Senators a strong opportunity on the rush.
The Sharks got their first power play of the night shortly after the halfway point of the game, as Fabian Zetterlund sat for a bench minor too many men penalty. 39 seconds into the power play, Ridley Greig scored Ottawa's fourth goal of the night, and his first shorthanded goal of the season, on the rush to make it a 4-1 game.
At 3:46 in the third period, both Jacob Trouba and Sam Dickinson each took a penalty, giving the Senators a full two minutes of 5-on-3 hockey which the Sharks penalty kill was able to survive.
Shane Pinto then added an empty net goal, increasing the Senators' lead to 5-1 and securing the victory.
It was another poor performance by the Sharks and this time they weren't able to rally enough to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat.
European football: Kane misses penalty as Dortmund share spoils in Der Klassiker
Bayern Munich held to 2-2 draw after Silva equaliser
Barcelona on top of La Liga after thrashng Alaves
The Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane missed a penalty and hit the post for Bayern Munich as Borussia Dortmund snatched a last-gasp equaliser through Fabio Silva for a 2-2 draw in Der Klassiker on Saturday that kept the teams level on points at the top.
Kane, who collected his prize in a ceremony in London on Monday, was an unused substitute in the 6-1 German Cup second-round demolition of Magdeburg on Wednesday but returned to the starting lineup on Saturday, missing from the spot with Bayern 1-0 up. He also hit the post, one of four times Bayern struck the woodwork. Silva snatched the equaliser in the 89th minute to leave both teams on 18 points, with Bayern top on goal difference.
Continue reading...Canelo Álvarez defeats Christian Mbilli for WBC super-middleweight championship – as it happened
Álvarez captures Mbilli’s 168lb title in Riyadh
Mexican star fights for first time since Crawford loss
Here come the fighters. First it’s Mbilli, entering first despite his status as the champion, wearing a black tee and red trunks. And now after an extended video introduction it’s time for Canelo. It’s a muted, pyrotechnic-free ringwalk by his theatrical standards as he enters surrounded by his team and the recording artist Tito Double P.
Anthem time at Kingdom Arena. First the national anthem of Saudi Arabia, in honor of our hosts. Then La Marseillaise, for Mbilli. Then Himno Nacional Mexicano, for Canelo. The fighters should be making their entrances any moment now.
Continue reading...Rockets hope to bounce back tonight in Houston vs. Thunder
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
October 31, 2026
Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
Time: 7:30 PM CST
TV: NBA TV, Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Probable starting lineups
Rockets: Marcus Smart, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein
Can the Rockets rebound after the loss? Tune in tonight and come chat with us at TDS on on the SB Nation App!
Emilio Pagán declines option to stay with Reds, reaches free agency
The Cincinnati Reds got news on Saturday that they’d be free of an otherwise $10 million obligation for the 2027 season. Of course, they also got news that they’re going to need to go find a closer for the 2027 season, too.
Emilio Pagán officially declined his option to return to the club for next season, as BBWAA writer Francys Romero reported earlier in the day. In doing so, he’ll hit the market in search of another multi-year pact from someone, though in theory the Reds themselves could still be in the mix for his services on a new deal.
Pagán missed nearly two months of the 2026 season after a devastating hamstring strain, though as Romero notes he returned in excellent form through the end of the season.
It was the third straight season in which Pagán had been a valuable part of the team’s bullpen, and it marked his second year as the team’s primary closer. All told, he pitched 149.1 IP across his trio of seasons in Cincinnati, notching 58 saves and pitching to a 3.44 ERA and 3.86 FIP. That said, his FIP jumped up to 4.18 during his 42.2 IP in 2026, and while he has consistenly been effective at the back of the team’s bullpen he’s not exactly the 99-100 mph fireballer that many teams prefer to employ in the 9th inning.
Still, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him land a multi-year deal for a high leverage role from somewhere other than Cincinnati, even though he’ll be entering his age-36 season in 2027.
For now, the Reds have a lot more money to work with for 2027. They’ve also got another large hole in a bullpen that has already seen Brock Burke reach free agency and that lost Pierce Johnson when the Reds declined his mutual option earlier in the day.
As the Reds noted above, their 40-man roster now sits at 35.
Latest Flyers Roster Move Sends a Terrible Message
As more players get healthy, more roster spots are required, but what the Philadelphia Flyers did with their latest transaction was simply the wrong move, and it sends a terrible message to the future of the team.
In anticipation of Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny returning from injured reserve, the Flyers needed to cut one player from the roster to make adequate space, with Jacob Gaucher having already been sent back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
That one player was inexplicably Hunter McDonald, the brolic rookie defenseman whose physical play has quickly endeared him to Flyers fans, teammates, and coaches alike... or at least we thought.
McDonald, 24, filled in admirably for the Flyers in the face of injury, appearing in five games, including two of the team's three wins on the year, in a depth role on the bottom defense pair.
In his second game of the year against Buffalo, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder laid a vicious open-ice hit on Sabres forward Ryan McLeod, prompting Mattias Samuelsson to chase him down the ice and initiate a fight.
In the third period, nursing a 3-1 lead, McDonald's physicality was valuable, as Samuelsson's instigator penalty gave the Flyers two minutes of power play time to help sand away the remaining time on the clock.
That 3-1 win was the last win of a three-game streak: the Flyers' only three wins of the season, led by the youth.
Then, in the very next game against Anaheim, McDonald did the same, taking a big chunk out of Ducks forward Sam Colangelo along the wall. Colangelo got tagged for roughing, and A.J. Greer got tagged for instigating.
The Flyers got a 5-on-3 from the pair of penalties, and Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone scored on the ensuing 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 opportunities, respectively, to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.
Flyers Nearing Full Strength with Injured Top Forwards Set to ReturnTwo big reinforcements have entered the chat.Of course, the Flyers eventually blew the game and lost 5-4 in regulation, but a good team seals the deal, and McDonald's play would have effectively bought them a win with those two power play goals.
This isn't a good Flyers team, though, and despite their insistence on a rebuild and a youth movement, it isn't happening.
In his brief stint with the Flyers, especially while playing in a limited role, McDonald did everything the Flyers could have reasonably expected of him.
Instead, after seemingly establishing himself in the role he will play as a full-time NHLer in the future, the Flyers demoted McDonald back to the AHL outright, while veteran journeyman Simon Benoit returns to the lineup for the first time since the aforementioned Buffalo game.
Aside from the fact that McDonald has been straight-up better than Benoit this season, the Flyers should be prioritizing NHL reps for their young players.
Seriously, they are 3-8-4 and sit 30th in the NHL with 10 points in 15 games.
Despite that fact, 22-year-old David Jiricek, if indeed a healthy scratch on Sunday vs. Utah, will sit for his fifth game in a row, and McDonald is now headed back to the AHL, where he's already over 160 total games.
McDonald's demotion sends a terrible message from the Flyers to their young players. You can do everything the coaches and the team ask, seek improvement on small details, such as fighting, and out-perform peers, but still not get rewarded because of roster politics.
The Flyers talk a lot about having to earn a spot, and how nothing is guaranteed, but actions speak louder than words, and they just showed the fans and the players themselves the exact opposite.
Hawks at Pelicans, Dream at Valkyries: start times, TV, streaming, radio, combined thread
This combined game thread is for all the marbles — at least for the Atlanta Dream.
The Atlanta Dream (3-3) and the Golden State Valkyries are knotted in the first ever WNBA finals to go seven games. A champion will be crowned tonight.
Just before that, however, the Hawks (3-3) travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans (1-4).
Hawks starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Dream starting lineup:
G Jordin Canada
G Allisha Gray
G Rhyne Howard
F Naz Hillmon
F Angel Reese
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Hawks info:
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT
TV: Peachtree TV (WPCH), Atlanta News First (WANF)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming:Amazon Prime, NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Dream info:
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: NBC, USA
Radio: N/A
Streaming: Peacock
Some less important stories from 2026
I spent the week going over what I felt were the five most important stories of the season. On Monday, I wrote about the pitching and all of the ways that part of the team foiled it. On Tuesday, I tied Bryce Eldridge’s outstanding age-21 season to the team’s overall player development success. Wednesday was all about praising Rafael Devers for sticking it to his haters. Thursday was about saying goodbye to Mike Krukow. And yesterday, I declared that Buster Posey had tainted his legacy with his handling of the anti-Pride Night protest. Here are some others I considered spotlighting this past week.
Tony Vitello
Yes, it was a big deal how much the Giants spent on the manager’s position and the guy they went with to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Bochy, Gabe Kapler, and Bob Melvin. It was a big gamble with a lot of obvious downside and that’s where the play wound up going. It is possible that his “rookie” status caused a lot of the problems he and the team experienced. This is why it didn’t grab Top 5 status for me: we might still be in the prologue. He did not make a positive impression, that much is clear. If it had worked out as intended (the Giants make the playoffs), I might’ve also folded it into the Buster Posey aspect of this season.
The hitting group
For a minute there, the offense was pretty good. You can see the Giants trying to become this year’s Brewers or last year’s Blue Jays. But the injury pileup really does make it difficult to attempt a clean analysis.
But, obviously, Casey Schmitt broke out. Drew Gilbert showed why he has been a prospect able to stay in a team’s plans. Bryce Eldridge stepped into a version of the guy he’s projected to be. Victor Bericoto seems like he might be something — at worst, an immediate replacement for Heliot Ramos. Daniel Susac might be a perfectly fine replacement for Patrick Bailey specifically because of how well his bat plays.
Logan Webb’s partial decline
I’ve said it too many times recently, but it really does seem like Logan Webb has hit the 1,000 MLB innings wall. This is the point when the injuries begin to pileup. Or, he could start to separate himself from his peers and continue pitching on a Hall of Fame-esque track. He wound up having a pretty good season despite the knee injury that caused him to miss around 6 starts and despite the frequency with which he was shelled. From 2023-2025, he was a 4.5-5 fWAR pitcher. This year, his 3.1 fWAR in 27 starts had him on track to being around 3.8 fWAR… or a 4-WAR pitcher. That’s a step down anyway you want to look at it, but there’s always the chance that he does not go the way of Lincecum, Bumgarner and Cain, who all fizzled out at this point in their careers.
The trades
Along the same line as the farm system, I thought it was worth looking at the trades the team has made the past two years which have worked out in this narrow window of around 12 months. Their deadline pickups from this season have also offered flashes of quality that stokes similar hope for the future as the draft component of player development has done. In other words, Anthony Molina looks like a useful major leaguer already. The Giants were able to turn Patrick Bailey into Matt Wilkinson and Carson Bolemon.Henry Lalane, Miguel Mendez, Ramon Marquez, Kaeden Kent, and Marcelo Mayer? All very solid pickups.
Attendance
We heard about attendance for a good chunk of the season as it looked like the franchise was on course to break last year’s mark (2,925,823), but the team’s poor performance likely contributed to the team coming up short (2,856,810). Anecdata-wise, it sure did seem like most nights featured a loud contingent of fans for the visiting team; and, of course, Oracle Park is basically Dodger Stadium North now that the rivalry is dead.
But the team was strutting and the beat writers were dutifully pointing that out wile the team was being picked apart for being so bad. It especially came up when the topic of trading Jung Hoo Lee appeared in conversation, the implication being that the attendance totals are being bolstered by tourists there to see the Grandson of the Wind. But it seems like hanging an attendance figure on a platoon outfielder who can only flirt with being league average is probably not the way to go in the future.
The franchise’s valuation
The San Diego Padres were sold for $3.9 billion and the Los Angeles Angeles sold for $4 billion, but both of those transactions occurred at least a quarter after the Giants had announced an influx of capital thanks to two new investors: private equity firm Thrive and St. Louis Business leader Richard Chaifetz. There’s no official valuation of the Giants floating around out there. Forbes does an estimate each season and had the Giants at $4.05 billion for 2026, but the investors will have had their own figure when buying in. Also, a valuation doesn’t necessarily equal a sale price.
This isn’t to suggest that the Giants are on the verge of being sold, but as team valuations to continue to skyrocket and leadership’s land holdings expand it’s probably worth a thought exercise about a potential sale at some point. But from a story of 2026 standpoint, it’s a simple fact that this money helped the Giants cover a slightly expanded payroll and the other financial commitments the team had made (paying Bob Melvin’s contract and Tony Vitello’s buyout among the line items). The Giants have a large ownership group now.
I didn’t go with any of these for a single story mainly because of the strong injury component of the season — yes, I did consider the injuries as a single story, but I didn’t want to help build a narrative that they were a meaningful part of the season’s overall failure (at the major league level). Plus, I feel like these were all more like the first act of bigger stories that will be expanded upon in 2027 (whenever that season gets underway).
But, what do you think? Were any of these a bigger deal than one (or all) of the five offered over the course of the week? What might you have included in the 5 or on this quasi-Honorable Mention list?
Pacific Northwest Sportswatch Daily Listings
| (All times Pacific) |
|---|
| Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts |
| Sunday, November 1 |
| COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN'S) |
| 3 p.m. |
Maryland at Washington — BTN
| SOCCER (MEN'S) |
|---|
| 3:30 p.m. |
MLS: Seattle Sounders vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — Apple TV
| 9:45 p.m. |
|---|
MLS: Houston Dynamo vs. Portland Timbers — FS1, Apple TV
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.
Jazz spooked on their home floor against Trail Blazers
The Jazz desperately needed a shining light in the pit of darkness they’d fallen into. Sure, they went toe to toe with LA, Memphis and San Antonio, but they couldn’t capitalise on early leads they had no business having in the first place.
But on these Halloween festivities, the only ‘trick’ is Jazz fans having the hope of the team turning things around in just one year—at least through the first six games this season. The Jazz were completely overwhelmed in the Delta Center in a troubling 112-90 finish.
It took 2:10 minutes for the Jazz to take the lid off the basket by the way of a Darryn Peterson triple. Blazers missed their first three shots; the Jazz missed their first two, with both teams collecting a turnover each. Shooting woes continued, which the Blazers took advantage of to take a 17-0 run. Toumani Camara was able to terrorize whichever Jazz player was bringing the ball up, contributing to six turnovers at the end of the first quarter. Though there was some silver lining in seeing the Jazz close with their own mini 11-4 run on 100% shooting. Between Keyonte and Peterson, there was always at least one starter on the floor.
Then the Blazers regained a 16-point cushion after the Jazz gave away yet another 16-8 run on 3-for-3 shooting. There was no synergy at all; players were taking low-percentage shots and couldn’t recover on the defensive end. The Jazz made no effort to fight back; they didn’t push back on half-court defense, and Portland got what it wanted inside. After Utah crept within 12, Deni Avdija burst with a late seven points to restore a 17-point lead at the half; 19 points in total. For the Jazz, DP led all players with an 11-point double-digit performance. Hardy seemed to believe in his performance, considering he also led all Jazz players with 17 first-half minutes.
The lead just kept extending in the second half. Holiday and Avdja both hit consecutive three-pointers to help build a 25-point lead for Portland. There were yet another eight turnovers in the third quarter for the Jazz, who also shot 35% from the field. The fourth quarter was all the indicator of a blowout loss as soon as Will Hardy waved the white flag.
Ultimately, this was a game that showed how much the Jazz need to improve if they want to hang with the teams at a Playoff level. The lack of synergy, bench talent or even decent roster construction has been this team’s shortcoming.
Obviously, having Jusuf Nurkic back would help, unlocking pathways in the offense that currently can’t be run with Hayes, nor Bamba. But there are a million other little tidbits I notice from this team every night that have me in a cold sweat of peril.
Darryn Peterson’s usage was a perfect dose
The rook was active on both ends of the floor. Peterson was zipping back and forth through all of Utah’s shortcomings tonight. He ended up finishing with 16 points on 6-15 shooting.
Without the hot hand from The Jazz’s top two scorers, the youngest player on the roster lived up to the occasion. We’re hoping that’s a mainstay moving forward
Old habits die hard
The turnover margin for this team is a handicap that will never allow this team to get in the win column, at least with the way they’re playing right now. That issue persisted, with 19 turnovers tonight, resulting in 20points for the Blazers.
You can make excuses, like how a Toumani-Camara-led defense that consistently pesters opposing ball handlers is bound to result in unforced errors, but the Jazz are already a bottom-10 team when it comes to taking care of the ball. Just completing the first month of the basketball season, there’s little leeway for this group to give in to habits when they were tanking.
The woes of the Finnisher
This is certainly one of the worst starts for Lauri Markkanen, at least that I can remember. Even before the wrist sprain, Markkanen was shooting 39/35/88 shooting splits, barely able to get over the 16 PPG hump. Tonight, he was only able to record 13 points on 3-for-15 shooting and 2-for-11 from downtown.
Up Next
Utah drops to 1-5 with this loss, and lines up their next matchup in San Antonio on Monday night.
Lightning coach sheds new light on Nikita Kucherov trade drama — with caution
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said star right winger Nikita Kucherov wants to stay in Tampa Bay — at least for this season — despite the bombshell trade request on Friday.
Cooper said Saturday that Kucherov is “committed ” to the current group, but the coach did not say anything about future seasons.
“Kuch is 100 percent a part of this team. He wants to be a part of this team for this season, and he is committed to be with the group that loves him and the group he loves,” said Cooper told reporters Saturday’s matchup against the Predators.
Kucherov, an unrestricted free agent next summer, was in the lineup for the Lightning on Saturday. The 2025-26 Hart Trophy winner entered the game in Nashville with 15 points (good for second on the Lightning), four goals and 11 assists in 12 games.
The two-time Hart winner has spent all 13 of his NHL seasons with Tampa Bay, winning the Stanley Cup twice and contributing to a decade of dominance under Cooper.
Kucherov, 33, initially told the Lightning — which surfaced Friday night — that he would not sign another contract with them. The three-time scoring champion will turn 34 at the start of next season. He also has a limited no-trade clause, and he gave Tampa Bay a list of teams he’d approve being moved to.
“We are aware of the media reports regarding the future of Nikita Kucherov with the Lightning,” general manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement released Friday night.
“We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita.”
Even with the back-and-forth off the ice, Cooper sees no changes in game for Tampa Bay.
“I will sit here and tell you nothing has changed in what our goals are this year. Just, maybe, the context of how it is going to go about,” Cooper said. “What happens after our season is over, that’s Kuch’s right and he has earned that right for whatever happens. For us, it probably made the team stronger.”
Kucherov, in the final year of his $76 million contract, leads the way among impending free agents for Tampa Bay. Second-line winger Pontus Holmberg will also be an unrestricted free agent once the season concludes.
Jeanie Buss accuses siblings of secret plot to oust her from Lakers
The Buss family’s civil war over the Lakers just added another layer.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported that Jeanie Buss has accused her siblings of conspiring against her in a “cloak and dagger” campaign.
Holmes wrote that in addition to this campaign waged through the media, Buss said her siblings “were jealous that their father picked her over them to govern the Los Angeles Lakers and asked a judge to block her siblings’ attempt to sell the family’s shares in the team, which would end her run as the Lakers’ governor.”
The report, which stems from a court filing, was the response from filings earlier this month that were on behalf of Joey and Janie Buss in opposition to their sister. That court document opposed Jeanie’s previous petition seeking to remove them as co-trustees.
Jeanie Buss is still the Lakers’ governor and is trying to prevent her siblings from selling the family’s remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the franchise.
NBA governorship requires at least a 15% ownership stake. Therefore, if the Buss family sold its 17.8% shares in the Lakers, it would mean Jeanie’s removal from that governor role.
These court filings on both sides will come to a head Dec. 8, when there will be a court hearing that can determine whether Jeanie will be able to block her siblings from selling their remaining Lakers shares and sustain her role in the iconic franchise.
Islanders commit six penalties in 4-0 loss to Oilers
NEW YORK (AP) — Connor McDavid extended his NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 14 games by setting up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ second goal, and the Edmonton Oilers opened their road trip by beating the New York Islanders 4-0 on Saturday.
Nugent-Hopkins scored on a power play in the third period to give McDavid his league-best 29th assist. McDavid has a big lead in points with 37 and is on pace for more than 200.
Longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl recorded a pair of assists, including a perfect skate-to-stick exchange that led to Vasily Podkolzin putting the puck into a wide open net. Ilya Sorokin similarly had little chance on Nugent-Hopkins’ shot from point-blank range off a feed from Kasperi Kapanen 68 seconds earlier.
Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry stopped all 18 shots he faced for a second consecutive shutout, and Jason Dickinson scored into an empty net to seal the victory. The Oilers have won 10 of their first 14 games this season, their first with Mike Babcock as coach.
Despite 20 saves from Sorokin, the Islanders’ winning streak ended at two games, with top defenseman Matthew Schaefer getting whistled for two of the team’s five minor penalties. Forward Emil Heineman was ejected less than 2 1/2 minutes in for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Isaac Howard, who put no weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice and did not return.
New York was without defenseman Ryan Pulock, who was seeing a doctor after leaving Thursday night at Minnesota with what the team called an upper-body injury.
Up next
Oilers: Make their second stop on a three-game visit to the area by playing at the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Islanders: After some time off, host the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Observations after Maxey's 38 points lead Sixers to Halloween win over Hornets
Observations after Maxey's 38 points lead Sixers to Halloween win over Hornets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Tyrese Maxey’s 38-point performance helped the Sixers pull out a Halloween win in Charlotte.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Sixers earned a 109-104 victory over the Hornets.
Along with Maxey, the Sixers’ double-figure scorers were Anfernee Simons (19 points), Jaylen Brown (16 points), Jabari Walker (12) and VJ Edgecombe (10).
Grayson Allen scored 27 points for the Hornets and Brandon Miller added 24.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right foot plantar fascia injury management) and LeBron James (low back sciatica management). Charlotte’s injured players included Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams.
Next on the 6-1 Sixers’ schedule is a matchup with the Bulls on Monday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their win over the Hornets:
Maxey attacks early, keeps the points flowing
Adem Bona started for the first time this season, replacing Embiid. Brown and Dean Wade were the Sixers’ starting forwards with James out.
Edgecombe posted the game’s first points with a three that narrowly beat the shot clock. Maxey scored the Sixers’ next seven and put his team up 10-5 with a smooth step-back jumper.
He made his first four field goals and immediately hurt Charlotte in both the half court and transition. With all of his experience in undermanned situations over the years, Maxey has zero trouble tweaking his approach depending on who the Sixers have available. He was a tad more attack-minded than usual in the early going.
Maxey reached 15 points when he zoomed in for a layup late in the first quarter. He’s been ultra-consistent to start the season, recording at least 26 points in all seven of the Sixers’ games so far.
Rough start for Brown in return
Walker and Brown each came back from left knee injuries. Brown was well below his best out of the gates.
He started 0 for 5 from the floor and also missed his first free throw. The five-time All-Star managed minimal separation off the dribble and had multiple shots blocked in the first quarter.
Brown became the focal point of the Sixers’ offense when Maxey subbed out. The Hornets surged into the lead. Following an air-balled Brown three, Ryan Kalkbrenner slammed home a dunk. Charlotte took a 23-15 advantage with a 13-0 run.
The Hornets’ bench racked up 20 points in the first quarter. Allen was red-hot in the first half, shooting 5 for 6 from long distance.
On the Sixers’ side, the team concluded its back-to-back by using a 10-man rotation. Justin Edwards received meaningful minutes for the first time this regular season, getting a short run in the second quarter. Walker served as the Sixers’ main backup center behind Bona. Tacko Fall was available as additional big man depth but did not play.
The Sixers made a bright start to the second quarter and Walker played a key part, scoring twice inside. Labaron Philon Jr. also gave the Sixers a handy stint as an aggressive, shot-creating guard. The rookie knocked down a three and a tough bucket near the rim. The Sixers pushed back in front and took a 57-54 edge into halftime.
Simons helps Sixers bring it home
Brown’s second half was a bit better than his first.
The Sixers did again grow more deliberate when Maxey exited and Brown assumed the No. 1 option job. However, Brown focused more on hitting the paint and had greater success as a driver.
The Hornets’ defense was determined to slow Maxey and held him to four points on 1-for-4 shooting in the third quarter. Maxey air-balled a long three on the Sixers’ final possession of the third and his team entered the fourth facing a six-point deficit.
Playing alongside Bona at the start of the fourth quarter, Walker kept up his confident, productive, high-energy night. He converted a second-chance three and a put-back bucket early in the fourth quarter. A Maxey mid-range jumper brought the Hornets’ lead down to 89-86.
The Sixers then conceded a jumper to Allen on an after-timeout play. Bona missed a rare corner three attempt and picked up his fifth foul with 6:46 left. The Sixers want Bona to lean into his shot-blocking strength, but the 23-year-old’s foul trouble tends to be more damaging in Embiid-less games. He fouled excessively in his first two NBA seasons and hasn’t yet shown significant improvement in that area.
To their considerable credit, the Sixers hung around and didn’t view the night as a lost cause.
They tightened their defense, preventing the Hornets from a cruise to the final buzzer. Simons played a valuable role offensively, ensuring Maxey didn’t have to win it with a solo show. He’s been great the last three games, averaging 20 points off the bench and draining 16 of 27 threes (59.3 percent).
Simons canned a late jumper and made a fast-break layup. Two Maxey free throws gave the Sixers a 102-101 lead.
Yet again, Edgecombe was happy to fire a giant shot in the clutch. He nailed a step-back three over Allen with 35.4 seconds to go and the Sixers’ bench poured out on the floor in celebration. On the final night of October, the Sixers snagged their sixth win.