Ja Morant's season-even when he has been healthy or between suspensions-has been nothing to write home about. The Memphis Grizzlies' highest-paid player has been one of the most disappointing performers in the NBA this season, averaging just 17.9 points per game (lowest since his rookie year) on 36/13/94 shooting splits (at least he's making his free throws). Memphis is 6-11, not good enough to compete in a loaded Western Conference but also not bad enough to blow it up.
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant will miss the next two games while tending to a family matter, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday. Durant will miss road games against two of his former teams -- the Phoenix Suns on Monday and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Durant is averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Rockets this season, while shooting 48.5% from the field.
The Thunder trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half; their 32-point win was the largest by any team that trailed by 15 or more point in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98). It was also Oklahoma City's second-largest comeback win this season, after they trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 19 points on Nov. 9. The Thunder improved to 5-0 when trailing by double digits, the only team without a loss in such games.
With a current FanDuel offer, new users who sign up can place a qualifying moneyline bet on any team to win, and if that bet is successful, they will receive bonus bets. This means you could place a $5 wager on the Knicks to win their matchup against the Magic, and if they do, you'll get your cash profit from the bet plus an extra $150 in bonus bets.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- James Harden made 10 3-pointers and scored 55 points, the most in LA Clippers' history, to help beat the Charlotte Hornets 131-116 on Saturday. It was the 25th 50-point game in Harden's 17-year career, tying Kobe Bryant for the third-most 50-point games in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. Charles Smith and Bob McAdoo previously held the Clippers' scoring record with 52 points.
Basically every rotation player has average to elite scoring efficiency, they pass the ball a ton, they score from a lot of different places with a lot of different players. Brandon Ingram is the NBA's best mid-range scorer. RJ Barrett is one of the best cutters in the league. Quickley is on a stretch of 45% shooting from downtown. Scottie Barnes is filling in wherever available and driving transition offense.
There were many questions about how he would fit into this new role and team, and I shared some of those concerns. He was good, but just how good could Ingram be when it mattered most? I always believed BI could be the prolific scorer he's proven to be, even if his time as the primary option with the Pelicans didn't fully realize the potential it seemed to hold when he first arrived as part of the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade.
It was announced today that Jakob Poeltl will miss tomorrow night's action against the Brooklyn Nets for lower back injury management, an injury that has plagued the 30-year old center all season. Resting him on the first night of a back-to-back against the Brooklyn Nets will allow him to be ready for a Monday matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who sit just behind Toronto in the standings.
Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo was seen wearing a hat after their 110-96 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. It wasn't just any hat, however. Adebayo was wearing a "Joy Dealer," hat, with many speculating that Adebayo, uncoincidentally, decided to wear the hat with Jimmy Butler (who did not play Wednesday) back in town, 11 months after his infamous "joy" comments.
Bilal Coulibaly entered the season with a lot to prove as a third-year man who's struggled to stay on the court long enough to prove why the Washington Wizards took a swing on his potential in the 2024 NBA Draft. As a former No. 7 overall pick, expectations were high for the French product entering the league, and as they should be considering the stock Washington invested in him when they opted to select him top 10.
The 905 are better. They experienced bumps on the road to a 114-103 win over a strong Swarm squad on Friday, but ultimately got the job done on the back of timely shot-making from their top players. The 905 extended their franchise-best start to six straight wins and are now one of only two unbeaten teams in the G alongside the 4-0 Windy City Bulls.
It feels like just yesterday, I was looking at the Raptors' rough start to the 2025-26 season, where head coach Darko Rajakovic and his staff were undoubtedly on the hot seat if Toronto couldn't turn things around ASAP. Now here we are near the end of a near unblemished November for the Raptors, where they've compiled an 8-1 record to date. It's a complete 180-degree flip on those discussions, even if their level of competition has been considered "easy" in a sense.
That's when UConn announced that starting senior center Tarris Reed Jr. was out with a sprained ankle. Reed, one of the nation's best big men who is averaging 20.0 points and 9.3 rebounds, is considered to be game-to-game, according to the team. Without Reed, UConn struggled mightily to slow down Arizona, with the Wildcats putting forth one of the most dominant paint displays against the Huskies under Dan Hurley en route to a 71-67 road win.
My relationship with Buzz Williams and the staff was great. Coach Buzz is a realist. Sometimes he is going to be raw. He is going to push you hard, break you down and build you up. He has developed players like Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder.
Even though it's not too often that two rivals like the Knicks and Heat do business with each other, the former could be a soft landing spot for Yabusele. The Heat needs a big man and will likely attempt to add one after December 15. Who knows if the Heat would look to New York, but he's a player who does become trade-eligible on December 15, and one who does have characteristics of being a culture-type player.
