Basketball Intelligence For 11/23/25
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
*FEATURES OF THE DAY*
Why Bennedict Mathurin has been a cut (assist) above the rest
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball She Wrote
Is the NBA’s new ‘heaves’ rule working?
Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports
Rick Barry: Warriors’ 1975 title was ‘biggest upset’ in major American sports history
Nick Friedell, The Athletic
TEAM-SPECIFIC
ATL: Hawks get the better of Pelicans, split two-game road trip
Lauren Williams, AJC
BOS: Celtics’ lack of focus is getting most foul
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe
BOS: Jaylen Brown rips Celtics’ effort after loss to Nets: ‘Come ready to play, or don’t play at all’
Jay King, The Athletic
CHI: Bulls get win over Wizards but still come out feeling ‘soft’
Joe Cowley, SunTimes
CHI: Noa Essengue makes long-awaited Chicago Bulls debut in 121-120 win — but patience is key for rookie
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CHI: Vucevic has emerged as the calm to avoid the storm
Joe Cowley, SunTimes
CHI: Buzelis continuing to add hustle with the muscle
Joe Cowley, SunTimes
CLE: While Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s shooting form is far from perfect, he is an impact player the Cavaliers need every game
Caleb Crowley, King James Gospel
DEN: As Aaron Gordon seeks second opinions on hamstring injury, Nuggets brace for impact
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
That shadow over the court was Aaron Gordon’s. Suddenly, the Nuggets felt his absence as painfully as their opponents usually feel his presence.
He would have been perfect for a crunch-time possession late Saturday night and the unenviable task of guarding DeMar DeRozan with a game on the line.
David Adelman instead asked for one stop from Spencer Jones, the eager 24-year-old wing who has prospered as a defensive specialist on a two-way contract.
He had started the game in place of the injured Gordon as well, but this was a step up in stakes. The Nuggets trailed 123-120 after a successful two-for-one bucket with 29 seconds to go, allowing them to play out a defensive possession instead of fouling. They had no margin for error, but they had a chance.
Jones does have one glaring flaw in his defensive game: He’s foul-prone. And against a savvy veteran scorer like DeRozan, discipline with hand placement is especially vital. Jones didn’t pass the assignment this time. He reached into the cookie jar, and DeRozan immediately drew the contact while burying an improbable midrange jumper. Ballgame.
The rest of today’s team-specific stories as well as leaguewide, draft-related and pro hoops history stories follow for paid subscribers