AnalysisFriday, Oct 23, 2026

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's historic streak of 20-point games ended Thursday night when he finished with 17 in a 96-84 win over the Nuggets.

Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream look to take a 3-1 lead over Gabby Williams and the Golden State Valkyries in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.

CBS Sports' in-depth look at the best defensive players in college basketball, who probably don't get enough love in the preseason.

Here is what we've learned about Duke, Tennessee, Michigan State, UConn, Auburn, Alabama, Kansas and Louisville after a four-pack of exhibition games

Dan Titus reveals his Friday lineup for Perfect 5, Yahoo’s new fantasy basketball game tied to NBA on Prime broadcasts.

The Cleveland Cavaliers just made NBA history…by losing to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tiffany Hayes has been one of the most impressive players in the postseason so far, averaging 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 stocks off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries on their quest for a championship. The veteran guard has been an explosive force for the No. 2 seed, scoring when they… The post Run it Back: Tip Hayes’ journey from retirement to the Finals appeared first on Winsidr.

An anonymous NBA executive believes Golden State Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg gave Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić some added motivation during their season opener this week.

The Spurs’ new three-guard starting lineup experienced ups and downs during the season opener on Tuesday, but the biggest issue is the effect it has on the rest of the rotation, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Second-year guard Dylan Harper replaced Julian Champagnie as a starter, providing the look that many observers wanted to […]

The luxury tax, especially the repeater tax, may be a bigger obstacle for contending NBA teams than the second apron, according to a general manager from a playoff team. The Oklahoma City Thunder's rising payroll as they attempt to sustain title contention is the clearest example. "There's nothing wrong with going into the second apron for a year or two, if you're good enough," said the GM. "In fact, you probably should. The repeater [tax] is actually the bigger impediment." Oklahoma City sig...

Once the dust settled following a flurry of roster moves leading up to Monday’s regular season cutdown deadline, 13 of the NBA’s 30 teams entered opening night with full 15-man standard rosters, while the other 17 are carrying just 14 players on standard contracts, leaving one spot open to start the year. In some cases, […]

Ike will start Friday against the Grizzlies, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

With the Thunder facing an extremely expensive roster next season, rival executives are watching closely to see who might become available, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. He states that Oklahoma City is currently projected to have about $250MM in salary with a roughly $200MM luxury tax payment, but that doesn’t account for three potential […]

Josh Hart spent five years going at it with Mitchell Robinson in practice. Now, they’re about to do it in a real game, on opposing teams.

Russell Westbrook discussed his decision to retire from the NBA ahead of the 2026-27 season.

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns knows he can't afford to be whistled as early as he was in Tuesday's season-opening loss to the Philadelphia 76ers once his team is back on the court.

Mikel Brown Jr.’s second career game could present him with a long-awaited matchup against his friend and mentor, Donovan Mitchell.

The Hallway Rivalry between the Lakers and Clippers is dead. It’s a relic of the past. It’s a cemetery of unrealized fun.  It was never a real rivalry.  Not when the Lakers have won 17 championships while the Clippers have never reached the championship round in their 56-year franchise history.  But there were brief pockets...

The Lakers are projected to have one of the league’s easiest schedules through the first 10 games of the season.

The LA Clippers are entering a new era of basketball after having moved on from Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, but one thing fans still aren’t able to fully get over is the way the franchise moved on from Chris Paul. Paul and the Clippers parted ways last December, when the franchise elected […] The post Blake Griffin drops ‘confused’ admission on Chris Paul’s Clippers exit before retirement appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. isn’t coming off his minutes restriction “anytime soon.” The No. 6 pick played 20 minutes off the bench during his NBA debut on Wednesday. Jordi Fernandez explained on Friday why Brown will remain on his minutes limit moving forward. “[The minutes restriction] is not going to change in a […] The post Why Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr.’s minutes restriction won’t change ‘anytime soon’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Darius Acuff Jr. will face an acid test on Friday as the Sacramento Kings host the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center for their home opener. He will battle the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, who are both battle-tested and always ready to embarrass anyone. Acuff will be eager to redeem […] The post Darius Acuff Jr. shows love to Damian Lillard ahead of Kings-Blazers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 08: Anthony Davis #23 of the Washington Wizards reacts during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Washington Wizards play the Chicago Bulls tomorrow. Let...

Oct 21, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) and Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges (22) battle for control of the ball during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect It’s been nearly 48 hours since the Phoenix Suns tipped off their season, and boy did that opener get a reaction out of me. It wasn’t what we wanted, it certainly wasn’t what we expected, and it was absolutely cause ...

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Terrence Edwards Jr. #5 of the James Madison Dukes celebrates with teammates after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers 72-61 in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images James Madison is moving to the American Athletic Conference, and the majority of our dear readers here at Mid-Major Madness seem to think it was a good idea. The Dukes announced they’d de...

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 16: Devin Booker #15 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on October 16, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images The Suns’ ...

Dec 31, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A general view of a Nike Xavier Musketeers basketball on the court at Cintas Center. Xavier won 70-53. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Earlier this week, CBS Sports ran a story placing every high-major basketball roster budget into tiers. By popular demand, that story’s co-author, Matt Norlander, sent a follow-up post on Twitter/X placing a few of the top mid-major programs into tiers. Nearly every program i...

BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 21: Dennis Schroder #17 of the Charlotte Hornets plays defense open Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets eon October 21, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty ...

TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 21: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket against Leonard Miller #11 of the Chicago Bulls in the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 21, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images “Here we go,” said D...

PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 21: Deni Avdija #8, Ja Morant #1 and Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers react during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images Fresh off a dominant season-open...