Location: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Time: 7:00 PM CST
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Tari Eason
Bucks: Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner
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CLEVELAND — The difference between good players and all-time great players often comes down to things that we on the outside don’t see. Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is an all-time great player. He’s revolutionized how the sport is played, was a perennial MVP candidate in his prime, and has consistently played at an All-Star level for a decade and a half.
Those who’ve been around Harden the longest aren’t surprised that he’s been able to keep up this level of play.
“There’s a reason he’s been doing this as long as he’s been doing it,” Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of Harden. “You don’t do that without being diligent about how you go about your work every day.”
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Keefe and Harden go way back. Keefe was on the staff with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they drafted Harden in 2009, and was with him until he was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets. Then, Keefe was with him again as an assistant when Harden was with the Brooklyn Nets.
Anyone who’s developed a reputation for a prolific nightlife — as Harden has — is often assumed to not be dedicated to their craft. That stereotype isn’t true with Harden. Anyone who’s been around him will tell you that he’s one of the hardest workers they know.
“He would come back early in his career, when we had him in Oklahoma, he would come back at night and just shoot and get some extra run in,” Keefe said. “This is not an accident why these guys are good players, and there was no accident why James has become a consistent player for all these years.”
That hard work has gone along with someone who sees and processes the game at a high level. There’s no stat or one thing that shows a player thinks the game well, but it has allowed them to continue being effective into his 18th season.
“He was always such a high IQ basketball player, and he was like that from the very beginning,” Keefe said. “He just saw the game so well. I think that’s what has always stood out to me about him is his ability to see all the angles, see all the passes. That was there from the very beginning.”
The Cavs are hoping that the high IQ and the work that he puts in will allow Harden to continue to play at a high level for at least the next three seasons. The guaranteed three-year, $97 million deal shows that they believe that he will, and that he has the capability to get the most out of Cleveland’s front court of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Time will catch up to Harden eventually, as it does with every single athlete, but Harden has done his best to stave off Father Time as much as possible. And there’s one main reason behind that.
“You don’t do that without putting the work in,” Keefe said. “He was like that since day one.”
Flyers fall to Capitals, lose for 12th time in first 15 games originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Things didn’t get better for the Flyers on Wednesday night.
They lost to the Capitals, 5-2, at Capital One Arena. They trailed for the majority of the game.
Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov provided the Flyers’ goals. Michkov pulled the Flyers to within 3-2 in the third period with a power play marker.
But Washington responded 3:07 minutes later and then added an empty-netter.
The Flyers (3-8-4) have followed up their three-game winning streak with a three-game skid. They’ve lost 12 of their first 15 games and have scored just 1.93 goals per game. They own a minus-21 goal differential (excluding shootout goals).
Last season, the Flyers were 8-5-2 through 15 games, had scored 2.67 goals per game and owned a plus-1 goal differential.
This was the first of four matchups between the Flyers and Capitals (7-4-0).
The Flyers were playing the second game of a back-to-back set, while Washington hadn’t played in three days. The Capitals were better. The Flyers had ill-timed penalties and couldn’t sustain momentum.
• Joseph Woll made 25 saves on 29 shots.
Not even two and a half minutes after Couturier tied the game at 1-1 in the second period, Trevor Zegras committed a bad penalty. He had to slash Alex Tuch as the Washington winger beat him up ice in transition. The Capitals took advantage on the power play to regain their lead.
The Flyers didn’t take any momentum from the Couturier goal because they had to go on the penalty kill three times the rest of the second period.
Washington extended its lead to 3-1 with 3:13 minutes left in the middle stanza. Aliaksei Protas was left alone at the side of the net for a deflection.
Logan Thompson stopped 23 of the Flyers’ 25 shots. The Capitals’ netminder robbed Zegras of a game-tying power play goal with 8:17 minutes to go.
Jordan Kyrou rewarded his goalie 1:08 minutes later when he collected a whacky bounce and scored to make it 4-2.
• The Flyers gave up the game-opening goal just 1:50 minutes into the action. Tuch coasted through the slot untouched to bury a big rebound.
The early deficit came a night after the Flyers had a brutal first period on home ice and fell to the Blue Jackets, 4-3, in overtime.
Against Washington, the Flyers at least had a quicker response. They generated 11 shots in the first period. However, they had just four in the second period and lacked discipline.
• There’s no doubt the Flyers have missed Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett.
Konecny was their top point man last season and Tippett led them in goals.
Konecny has missed the last 10 games because of a lower-body injury. Tippett has missed the last six with an upper-body injury.
The Flyers have also missed Rasmus Ristolainen for a total of 11 games. The top-pair defenseman is out with an injury to his left hand.
• The Flyers go three days without a game before returning to action Sunday when they host the Mammoth (4 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The Detroit Red Wings will play two straight home contests following a four-game road swing beginning on Thursday evening against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena.
It will mark the return of former Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who departed the organization to rejoin the club that selected him first overall in 2007 and that he helped win three Stanley Cup championships.
But while Kane will be back in Detroit on Thursday, the Red Wings will remain shorthanded.
According to head coach Todd McLellan, both Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are still at least two weeks away from being able to play. Kasper hasn't played since the club's season opener against the New York Rangers on Oct. 2, while Appleton hasn't played since facing his former Winnipeg Jets teammates on Oct. 4.
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Meanwhile, the Red Wings did get forward J.T. Compher back in the lineup following a prolonged absence; he had also been unavailable since Oct. 4 against the Jets.
At practice on Wednesday, goaltender Daniil Tarasov was back on the ice after suffering an injury during the road trip; the expectation is that Michal Postava, who picked up his first career NHL victory on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, will be returned to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.
And while Dylan Larkin was absent from practice, McLellan confirmed that it was just a maintenance day.
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The injury bug is here, and it’s hungrier than ever. Roughly 15% of the league was on tonight’s injury report, with everyone from stars to role players going down.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson shared his explanation for why the NBA has been hit with this recent wave:
“We as coaches are asking a lot about it,” said Atkinson. “Intensity is raised, there’s no doubt about it, there’s been tactical shifts, pressure on defense is up a lot, the average distance of pick-up, no one’s talking about the offensive rebounding… when you go to the boards, there’s contact, so there’s an exertion there.”
In this week alone, All-Stars such as Jalen Williams and Anthony Edwards have gone out with long-term injuries. Other standout names like Kawhi Leonard and Tyrese Haliburton are out with indefinite timelines. Some of these are freak injuries, while others seem emblematic of a larger trend across the NBA.
“Imagine bringing the ball up with no pressure, versus now you have a guy picking you up at the free throw line, and he turns you eight times; imagine the physical [toll], and then do that over time and multiply it,” said Atkinson.
Teams have become more aggressive than ever. The possession game is everything, and forcing turnovers begins in the backcourt. Attacking the offensive glass gets you another advantage. Going 110% on every play is the difference between winning and losing throughout 82 games.
“You have accelerations and decelerations, closeouts are longer, people shooting deeper,” said Atkinson. “So we’re aware of the physical toll, but it’s very complex because you got to keep up with the intensity of the other team… they’re going at you.”
It’s increasingly difficult to keep up in a league that is demanding an unsustainable pace. Atkinson believes the key is knowing when and where to apply pressure.
“It’s up to the coaches to figure out what is the right dose,” said Atkinson. “You can’t ask for everything; that’s my personal view.”
Reeling it in comes with a cost. The right opponent can run you off the floor if you aren’t ready to match their intensity. But in viewing this as a marathon instead of a sprint, the Cavs are at least taking advantage of the one thing they can control.
Well, here we are, at Game 5 of the World Series. Tell a Brewer fan before the series that they’d have a chance to finish it in the fifth game—with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound—and they’d probably feel pretty good. But losses hurt when they happen, so the angst amongst the Milwaukee faithful has been palpable since last night’s walk-off loss. It’s understandable.
Now, this Brewer team will have to show us what it can do with blood in its mouth. Luckily, they get to do so with their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, on the hill. Tampa Bay is also sending an ace to the mound, but one would think that Misiorowski will have the advantage here; Drew Rasmussen will start tonight on just three days rest, having thrown 89 pitches in Saturday’s Game 2. Misiorowski, who started a day earlier in Game 1, threw just 78 pitches in his five innings.
That Game 1 start was encouraging for the Brewers, even if Miz hasn’t been able to capture the Cy Young form that he showcased early this summer. On Friday, he put up a line of five innings, four hits, one walk, and one just one run. With only three strikeouts, we’re witnessing a different version of Misiorowski; his struggles locating his off-speed pitches have turned him into more of a “pitch-to-contact” guy, but having a 102 mph fastball still works heavily to your advantage when you have to pitch to contact. Misiorowski is pretty clearly tired: he has now thrown 188 innings combined between the regular season and the playoffs, after his full-season total last season was 141 1/3, combined between the minors, the major-league regular season, and the playoffs. Can he find the magic one more time at exactly the right moment?
Rasmussen, who came into this series with the best numbers of any pitcher this postseason, struggled on Saturday. He too has now far exceeded his previous career high in innings (196 2/3, after 150 last season), and pitching him on short rest is a little bit of a surprise—the Rays have been vocal about trying to protect his arm, given his history: he’s had two Tommy John surgeries and an internal brace procedure. If the Brewers are on him like they were on Saturday, then the pitch count question may not matter; he was chased in the fourth in that game, and finished with six hits, two walks, and three runs allowed in 3 2/3 innings.
The state of each team’s bullpen is up in the air, too, after last night’s marathon. The off-day tomorrow allows both managers to continue to be aggressive with their bullpen, and Robert Gasser’s big-time performance on Monday means that only Antonio Senzatela has pitched in both games in Tampa for the Brewers. JoJo Romero and Trevor Megill both worked an inning or less last night and figure to be full go tonight; Dustin May figures to be unavailable after his three innings, and keep an eye on Abner Uribe (19 pitches), DL Hall (24), and Aaron Ashby (31), who all pitched more than an inning. On the Rays side, Tyler Wells, Ian Seymour, and Bryan Baker all threw over 20 pitches, and Nick Martinez, who threw two innings and is normally a starter, probably isn’t available.
There may have been some question about Junior Caminero’s availability after the extent to which he was limping at the end of the game, but who knows how much of that was performative—he looked pretty spry when he needed to get from first to third on a base hit. In any case, he’s back in the lineup tonight. On the Milwaukee side, they’ll keep the lineup they used in Game 4, which was the same as the first three games except for the swap between Sal Frelick (batting sixth) and Garrett Mitchell (eighth).
It’s a big night. Milwaukee, who had terrible batted ball luck on Tuesday, will look to keep doing what they were doing at the plate but with a few more lucky bounces. They’ll need to play a clean game defensively. And they’ll hope their young ace can conjure up a little more Cy Young magic this season. If those things happen, the Brewers can lift a trophy tonight.
First pitch is at 7:08 p.m. on Fox and the Brewers Radio Network.
How Yaxel Lendeborg joined Victor Wembanyama in NBA history during Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is stuffing the stat sheet early in his NBA career, joining elite company in the process.
With 26 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lendeborg joins Victor Wembanyama as the only rookies since 1993 to tally 100 or more points and 40 or more rebounds in their first five career games, per SportRadar.
The Warriors rookie now has 112 points and 44 rebounds through five games. Wembanyama tallied 103 and 40 rebounds through the same mark.
Previously, Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal had a whopping 129 points and 82 rebounds through his first five career games in the 1992-93 NBA season.
On Monday, Lendeborg led the Warriors to their first win of the season over the Denver Nuggets, notching a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds.
Lendeborg now has scored 25 or more points in three consecutive games. Steph Curry was the last Warriors rookie to achieve the feat, doing so in five consecutive games (April 4 – April 11, 2010), per SportRadar.
The only Warriors rookie to reach that feat in their first five games is Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 25 or more points in each of his first 10 games.
After notching their first two wins of the season on a three-game road trip, the Warriors return home Friday to host the Los Angeles Lakers in their first NBA Cup matchup of the 2026-27 season.
The WBBL is back for the twelfth season of the marquee tournament, with the Hobart Hurricanes looking to defend their maiden title.
CLEVELAND — AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, will make his NBA debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing the first four games with a sprained left ankle.
Brian Keefe said Dybantsa will be on a minutes restriction. He wouldn’t reveal the exact minutes allocation. The 19-year-old forward hasn’t played since he injured his ankle on Oct. 16.
“I’m just excited for him to be on the court,” Brian Keefe said pregame. “This is his first game. I just want him to enjoy it. It’s obviously a great milestone for him and his family. So just excited for him.”
The Wizards are coming off a frustrating loss to a depleted Charlotte Hornets squad that dominated the glass. Washington must improve its rebounding effort against a Cavaliers team that features Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low.
With Justin Champagnie sidelined with a fractured right foot, Keefe mentioned Washington’s deep roster as something it’ll lean on.
“We got a deep roster. Different guys will step up,” Keefe said. “Not going to reveal the rotation, but this is what the NBA is about. Guys will get opportunities, and our guys are prepared to step in.”
WAS: Tre Johnson (right achilles soreness), Justin Champagnie (foot fracture), Tristan Vukcevic (hip impingement) and Jamir Watkins (ACL tear) are OUT.
CLE: Khalifa Diop (G League), Nae’Quan Tomlin (back) and Ernest Udeh Jr. (G League) are OUT.
Johnson felt some discomfort in his achilles during his pregame warmup, which is why he’s out tonight, Bullets Forever has learned.
Opponent: Cleveland Cavaliers
Tip-off: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rocket Arena
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
You can chat about the game in the comments below!
Damian Lillard had been in this situation many times before.
With 43.1 seconds remaining and the Trail Blazers up, 132-129, his teammates wanted the ball in his hands. It was Dame Time. It was the type of moment he lives for.
But this shot meant something different.
Lillard had missed all of last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series against the Pacers in April 2025. A few months later, he was stunningly waived by Milwaukee. It was the lowest point in his career.
Through all of that, Lillard learned something about himself.
“That I am who I think I am,” Lillard told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “Not as far as status, but the way that I operate, how I answer the call. I rise to whatever comes my way. It just showed me that’s really who I am.”
So, when Deni Avdija passed the ball to Lillard, he didn’t hesitate.
He made a pump-fake, shaking Matisse Thybulle. He then stepped behind the 3-point line and fired a 25-foot jumper. The ball swished through the net, sealing a 136-129 win over the Lakers on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Lillard’s resilience was deeply tested over the last few years.
After requesting a trade from the Trail Blazers, where he spent the first 11 years of his career, he had hoped to land in Miami. But he was unexpectedly dealt to Milwaukee in September 2023.
Lillard was shocked but decided to shake off the disappointment and embrace playing alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on a Bucks team that had championship aspirations.
But things didn’t go as planned.
The injury-riddled Bucks never got past the first round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo and Lillard only played in four games together over two postseasons.
Lillard’s final game with the Bucks was disastrous. Midway through the first quarter of Game 4 against the Pacers on April 27, 2025, he fell to the floor, grabbing his left lower leg and ankle. It was obvious he had suffered a torn Achilles tendon, an injury infamous for altering stars’ careers.
That’s a scary prospect for any athlete, especially one of the NBA’s top-75 players, who’s a nine-time All-Star and is widely considered one of the best point guards of all time.
When asked if he were worried he’d return as a lesser version of himself, Lillard didn’t hesitate.
“Never a moment I thought that,” Lillard told The Post.
For Lillard, things got worse before they got better. He was cut by the Bucks three months later with two years and $113 million left on his contract. He had suffered one of the most dreaded injuries in the NBA and was without a team.
He had no idea what was next. Would need to wait until he was healthy to workout for teams? Would someone come knocking before then? The uncertainty of it all was dizzying.
But everything came full circle for Lillard. After 2 ½ weeks as a free agent, he re-signed with the Trail Blazers. Lillard was going home. And the franchise was getting back its superstar.
Through everything, Lillard never lost faith in himself.
And so far this season, he has proven himself right.
He’s averaging 21.7 points on 45.2% shooting from the field and a career-high 42.9% from beyond the arc for the Trail Blazers (3-0).
“Pretty much every time he shoots, I think it’s good,” Ja Morant said Tuesday. “I’m pretty much bracing for a celebration every time he shoots. But in the fourth quarter, I’m for sure doing it.”
Things are working out for Lillard.
His team is already turning heads this season.
The Trail Blazers added Morant over the summer to a roster that includes Lillard, two-time champion Jrue Holiday, reigning All-Star Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara.
If things keep trending in this direction, Lillard could eventually have a shot at winning his first championship. He’s healthy. He’s with his three children, whom he deeply missed while he was in Milwaukee. He’s happy. And he’s looking like himself on the court.
So, when Dame Time struck Tuesday, it was as though no time had passed.
Muscle memory took over.
And all of the angst of the last year seemed like nothing but a distant nightmare, reminding him of how far he has come.
“It’s not like I was looking forward to a Dame Time moment,” Lillard told The Post. “I’m prepared. I’m prepared to do what I’ve got to do. I just want to keep building. I know those moments are going to come. I know those opportunities are going to come. It’s just a matter of me being ready for it.”
Observations after Sixers battle back in 4th quarter to top Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers emerged victorious from a back-and-forth battle with the Pacers on Wednesday night.
They overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to notch a 114-109 road win and improve to 4-1 on the season. Indiana fell to 2-3.
The Sixers had four players reach the 20-point mark in Tyrese Maxey (27), Joel Embiid (21), Jaylen Brown (20) and Anfernee Simons (20).
LeBron James added 13 points and 10 assists.
Pacers star Pascal Siakam posted 26 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Nembhard had 18 points and 14 assists.
The Sixers were down Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Jabari Walker (left knee soreness), Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear).
The Pacers’ absences included Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring tightness/soreness), Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) and T.J. McConnell (right hamstring strain).
The Sixers will return home to face the Knicks on Friday night. Here are observations on their comeback win over the Pacers:
The Sixers entered the night with the NBA’s worst offensive rating outside of garbage time, per Cleaning the Glass. They ranked 27th in half-court points per play.
The team’s offense did not have an especially crisp start on Wednesday. The Sixers committed seven turnovers in the first quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr. drew an early offensive foul against Maxey, getting a whistle for off-arm contact that displeased his former teammate.
Every Sixer got on the scoreboard in the first four minutes besides VJ Edgecombe, who returned after sitting out the Sixers’ loss Sunday to the Pistons with an abdominal contusion. Embiid’s efficient scoring was an early bright spot. He moved to 3 for 3 from the floor with a smooth fadeaway jumper and looked very comfortable against a shorthanded Pacers center group that featured Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr.
However, he subbed out after being called for his second foul with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Backup big man Adem Bona also picked up two first-quarter fouls, which led to Dean Wade and James sharing a frontcourt to begin the second period.
The Sixers missed their first five three-point tries. Simons knocked down their first long-range shot late in the first quarter and followed it up with another triple on the Sixers’ next possession to put his team up 22-17.
He added two more three-balls in the second quarter and finished the game 6 for 10 from deep. After missing the preseason with a hamstring injury and faring well in the Sixers’ opening-night win over the Knicks, Simons had gone just 2 for 13 beyond the arc over his past three games. When he’s on, the 27-year-old combo guard is a serious shooting weapon.
Speaking after the Sixers’ practice Tuesday, Simons didn’t sound concerned at all about his jumper.
“For the most part, I think they’ve been good (looks),” he said. “You can see now how not playing in the preseason has held me back a little bit. … I think it will come with time.”
A Sixer not named Simons finally made a three late in the second quarter when Brown drained a corner jumper. Edgecombe connected from extremely long range to wrap up the first half, sinking a half-court buzzer-beater to give the Sixers a 62-52 lead.
The Pacers were vastly superior to the Sixers at the start of the third quarter. Indiana opened the second half with a 17-0 run.
The Sixers dealt with a few unfortunate bounces and ice-cold shooting. Their offensive woes bled into diminished defensive energy. Remarkably, the Sixers had zero points in the third quarter until a James three with 6:05 to go.
Third-quarter trouble was a familiar theme for the Sixers last season. The team’s minus-10.6 net rating in the third was 30th in the league.
The Sixers trailed by 13 points entering the fourth quarter but soon wiped out that deficit. They defended hard, attacked the basket and created a comeback surge.
Simons and James drilled threes and Embiid converted an and-one lefty layup. A pair of Maxey free throws gave the Sixers a 96-94 edge.
The game stayed close in the final minutes. Embiid canned a key turnaround jumper to push the Sixers’ lead to 103-100 and Maxey then snagged a sneak-attack steal.
Maxey took over the game down the stretch. He nailed a clutch step-back three and then buried a catch-and-shoot jumper that essentially sealed the Sixers’ win.
Already, the Sixers have shown the ability to ramp up their collective level of play and battle back into games with heightened second-half urgency. They’d prefer four strong quarters, but the Sixers will be happy with a 4-1 start that’s contained stretches of brilliance.
The Atlanta Hawks (2-2) are hoping to not be the first victim of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat (0-4) in this home matchup.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
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)
The Buffalo Sabres needed to a way to get in the win column after losing three straight and a number of narrow losses in the opening month of the season, and goalie Colten Ellis provided that push with a 23-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
The Sabres goalie made an Olen Zellweger second period goal stand up, and Buffalo iced the win with Zach Benson scoring his first of the season late in regulation with Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov pulled for the extra attacker.
“Put (Ellis’ performance) in the excellent category. We mishandled the puck early, about a minute and a half into the game, and he made a great save….making a save like that early, probably helps a goalie.” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “(Colten is) a competitive kid. He’s given us some good hockey games. Today he gave us an excellent game. He made some timely saves at really big moments, that could’ve generated some energy for (San Jose) and he took it away from them.”
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The victory moved Buffalo into a tie with Detroit for seventh place in the Atlantic at 5-4-3 (13 points), with two games against Anaheim and Los Angeles left on their four-game Western road swing. The question will now be if the Sabres give Ellis another start after a good performance against the Ducks on Thursday. The club has struggled with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over his five consecutive starts, allowing 30 or more shots in the four of his five straight starts and going 1-1-3.
In other Atlantic Division news, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost winger Kirill Marchenko with a knee injury in a 5-2 loss in Calgary on Monday and on Wednesday it was announced that he will be out week-to-week. Marchenko had 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 14 games.
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Steph Curry's 44 points vs. Timberwolves remind Warriors what could have been originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
From the outside looking in, the Warriors’ 119-114 win Wednesday night at Target Center was billed more so as Yaxel Lendeborg vs. Jonathan Kuminga than Golden State vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On the one hand, there’s Lendeborg, a 24-year-old playing the role of co-star alongside Steph Curry as a rookie. On the other hand, there’s Kuminga, who’s on his third team in his sixth NBA season, is a week younger than Lendeborg and never was on the type of timeline his counterpart now is for the Warriors.
The two matched up against one another much of the game and had different levels of success. Lendeborg scored 26 points, and his nine rebounds were tied with Draymond Green and Joan Beringer for a game high. But his seven turnovers were a game high, too.
When Kuminga played his first game against the Warriors last season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, he scored just two points on a lowly 1-of-9 shooting. Kuminga in his second contest against the Warriors, and first in a Timberwolves jersey, scored a team-high 20 points.
Neither was the real story of the night. Curry was for the umpteenth time of his historic career.
His signature Curry Flurry occurred in the third quarter Monday night in Denver when he scored 17 points in eight minutes against the Nuggets. It came a quarter earlier two nights later. Curry in the second quarter against the Timberwolves dropped 19 points in just under nine minutes, going 6 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 behind the 3-point line.
What made his fingers turning to flames even more impressive was that this stretch came after Curry missed his first four threes and scored only four points in the first quarter. He missed his first 3-point attempt of the second quarter, and then made four straight shots – including three 3-pointers – in about 100 seconds of play.
“The first three threes I shot, all of them felt good,” Curry said to Bonta Hill, Chris Mullin and Festus Ezeli on “Warriors Postgame Live.” “I got my feet underneath me, and all you need to do is see one go in. Shooters know that. I kept finding good looks. Got one from deep. It’s just staying in it, staying next-shot mentality. It’s what I pride myself on as well. You got to have a short memory as a shooter, and thankfully got it going.”
A 23-point first half was followed by a 21-point second half for Curry to give him a season-high 44 points. Curry let it fly from long distance and made six threes on 16 attempts. He was 11 of 27 overall, but in unique and unusual fashion, Curry kept getting to the free-throw line.
Curry took 16 free throws and made all 16, giving him his most free throws in a single game without a miss. He’s now a perfect 39 of 39 on free throws this season, and the Warriors are 5-0 all time when Curry shoots at least 16 of them. Speaking of history, Curry set another milestone in Minnesota.
At 38 years old, Curry now has 15 40-point games after turning 35, tying him with LeBron James for the most in NBA history. Michael Jordan is next on the list with 12.
“It’s a blessing, man,” Curry said of his latest feat. “I got reminded today how fortunate I am to still be playing this game at the level that I expect, and when you have nights like these where the body’s feeling good, the ball starts to go in, all the joy comes back and all the work that you put in.
“It’s an incredible list, and the longevity is something that I’m trying to pride myself on, and it’s going well right now.”
What Curry did to the Timberwolves was a reminder of what could have been, and what is still possible with him in a Warriors jersey.
It was a reminder of May 6, 2025, the date that Curry sustained a strained hamstring on this exact court in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals after torching the Timberwolves for 13 points in just under 13 minutes.
The Warriors always have felt they would have won the series with a healthy Curry, and then who knows what happens after that. Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder would have been a daunting task, but OKC needed seven games to beat a hobbled Denver Nuggets team in the semifinals, and seven to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, in which Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles in the first quarter of Game 7.
Playing the what-if game is a waste, and the Warriors have moved on. But watch how Curry was moving and scoring on the Timberwolves defense, and take a look around the league.
The Warriors won this game without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Kristaps Porziņģis. Their opponent, the Timberwolves, didn’t have their best player in Anthony Edwards, and they won’t for up to two months.
The Thunder now are without Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for the foreseeable future. Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for six to eight weeks for the rejuvenated Utah Jazz, the Nuggets look like a mess, and the Western Conference all the sudden isn’t the gauntlet everyone has become accustomed to.
In the East, Haliburton is hurt again, Kawhi Leonard is back on the Toronto Raptors but is out with swelling in his knee, and the Orlando Magic are down two of their top players because of injuries to Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs.
The NBA season is in its second week, and the landscape already is turning upside down. For the Warriors, their timeline is being expedited by the emergence of Lendeborg, and Curry continues to make all possibilities feel plausible.
There’s what could have been, and in Year 18, Curry just reminded everyone what could still be as long as he’s a Warrior.
The Senators placed defenceman Cameron Crotty on waivers Wednesday afternoon, a move that strongly suggests captain Thomas Chabot is ready to return from injury.
Crotty, the 27-year-old Ottawa native, has appeared in just three games for the Senators this season, recording no points, a plus-one rating and averaging 11 minutes and nine seconds of ice time.
With all the injuries, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound right-shot defenceman probably would have logged even more NHL playing time if not for an illness that briefly landed him on injured reserve.
If Crotty clears waivers Thursday afternoon, he's expected to be assigned to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League, where he'll have an opportunity to play more regularly.
Originally selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round, 82nd overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft, Crotty played his college hockey at Boston University before turning professional.
Crotty played six games for the Senators last season, collecting his first NHL point. He even made his Stanley Cup playoff debut against the Carolina Hurricanes last spring.
While Wednesday's news isn't good for the hometown boy, it does suggest that Chabot is ready to return to face the LA Kings on Thursday night.
Chabot has been out since suffering an upper-body injury during the Senators' 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on October 17. He's appeared in seven games this season, recording four points, along with a plus-five rating.
He opened the season with a goal and an assist in the Senators' 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, his first game since being named the club's new captain.
Chabot is coming off an injury-shortened 2025-26 season where he had 31 points in 57 games. While Jake Sanderson has emerged as the Senators' top defenceman, Chabot remains one of their most important players. .
The Senators have managed to get by during Chabot's absence, as they have with all their injuries this season. They're still without starting goalie Linus Ullmark, winger William Eklund, and as of Tuesday night, Warren Foegele, who suffered a knee injury in Vegas.
If Chabot returns on Thursday in LA, it'll be the first time all season the Sens have had their top six defensemen all healthy on the same night.
Naturally, that will allow the D to settle back in with partners, ice time and matchups that are more familiar and appropriate.
With the way the Sens' season is going injury-wise, it may not be long before Crotty is needed again. So, from that perspective, it's important to get him back playing again. Crotty hasn't suited up in almost two weeks and the return to Belleville will at least allow him to get back to playing meaningful minutes.
But now there are several roster issues at hand.
Will Crotty get claimed by another NHL club?
Which defenseman heads to the press box on Thursday? Sanderson, Chabot, Zub, Spence, and Kleven are all locked in. So either Olympian Nikolas Matinpalo or former first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk will have to come out.
And how will they replace Foegele? Will it be Hayden Hodgson or will someone from Belleville get called up for a look?
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
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