標籤: finds

New York – It’s been one battle after another for the Golden State Warriors right now.

The understaffed Warriors, missing more than $190 million in salary due to eight players out due to injury, lost 110-107 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The loss marked their fifth consecutive loss, their longest of the season, dropping them to 32–35 on the season.

But despite the loss, coach Steve Kerr was proud of his players for the way they defeated players including Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis.

“Couldn’t ask for anything more,” Kerr said. “It’s so much fun to coach these guys. They’re playing so hard together. I just want them to be rewarded for their efforts. And we’ve lost some of them, but we’ll keep fighting [and] Keep
To get better.”

Leading by 21 points at one point, the Warriors took the lead against the Knicks early in the game with Brandin Podziemski and Quinton Post leading the way. Podziemski finished with a team-high 25 points with six assists, while Post collected 22 points on 9 of 16 from the field.

But once New York gave up its complacency, it began imposing its will on the Warriors. They forced the Warriors into nine turnovers in the second quarter, reducing the lead to nine at halftime. And in the third quarter, they bullied the Dubs on the boards, outscoring them 15-to-1 in that period.

Still, Golden State held on until the final minutes, thanks to Gui Santos scoring 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. But with a chance to take the lead with 23.7 seconds remaining, Podziemski hit a 26-foot triple over Jalen Brunson that went in and the Warriors could not recover from there.

Steve Kerr supports Brandin Podziemski’s shot

Podziemski’s missed 3-pointer in transition will be remembered as a big ‘what if’ turning point for the Warriors in crunch time. But whether it was an ill-advised shot or not, in Kerr’s mind, he thought it was a good one to take.

“Felt great,” Kerr said after the game. “I didn’t want to call timeout. I wanted to play in the flow. He had Brunson. He looked like he was going to attack. Brunson backed off. I like that. Take the three, go for the throat.”

Despite this, the Warriors find themselves at their lowest point of the season. Five consecutive losses, barely hanging on to the ninth seed, slipping even further behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers, Curry still a long way from a comeback – it feels like it’s do-or-die time for Golden State right now.

But Kerr said that although he is being “beaten” right now, he could not be more proud of the effort he has shown recently.

“I’m just overwhelmed by these people,” Kerr said. “Just their effort, their intensity, their engagement. It’s really beautiful to see. And like I said, we’ll be rewarded for it. We’ll stick with it and keep getting better, and we’ll start winning some of these and getting some guys healthy.”

If the warriors have made any contribution in these defeats, it is their efforts. Effort, hustle, patience and fight. There’s a level of buy-in to this team that you don’t see on most losing teams. So the schedule remains the same for Golden State.

“We have to keep batting,” Santos said after the game. “We just have to keep trying to win games when we don’t have other players, because we know when they come back, we’ll be good.”

During his NBA career, Joakim Noah was the quintessential fan favorite. He played 13 seasons with utmost zeal and passion, which naturally earned him tremendous praise from the paying customers. That was certainly the case during his nine years with the Chicago Bulls (2007-2016).

He became a two-time NBA All-Star (2013, 2014) and was the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In the process, Noah teamed up with Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich to bring excitement back to the Windy City in the post-Michael Jordan era.

In 2011 and 2015, the Bulls made the playoffs. Noah and company led the Bulls to the best record in the East in 2011 with a 62–20 record and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Outside the court, Noah was the kindest person. He has his own Noah’s Ark Foundation to host a “peace” basketball tournament to support Chicago youth and prevent the spread of gun violence. Those efforts earned him the NBA Community Assistance Award in 2015.

In his post-playing years, Noah has tried his best to keep basketball the focal point. On one hand, changing lives and on the other, learning about the world.

The latter of which has enabled him to launch the documentary YouTube series, nomad. Noah, in collaboration with NBAT2, organizes globetrots to explore different basketball cultures in places ranging from Serbia to Japan.

In an exclusive with ClutchPoints, Noah talks candidly about his findings from his travels, especially from the audience’s perspective.

Joakim Noah fans celebrate freedom.

In American pro basketball, it is very common for fans to be ejected if they are too rowdy. And if they’re sitting in court, they’re especially at risk for possible removal.

However, in one episode, Noah visits Serbia. Of all the things that stood out to them, it was the reality that fans could just be. In other words, fans can do or say whatever they want without any repercussions.

“Even people sitting courtside are going crazy for their teams and letting the players hear it,” Noah said.

“Fans are definitely free to say what they want. And you think about the NBA, especially right now, if you’re a fan that’s out of line even a little bit, you’re being escorted off the field. That’s not the case there.”

Noah acknowledges the role fans play in making the sporting experience thrilling.

“You better bring it over,” Noah said. “And to me, I think that, I don’t know, there was something really refreshing about it. That a fan is paying money, but he has the right to push the player and say whatever he wants. And I think there was something about that that I think was very refreshing.”

Joakim Noah learned something about himself while living in Japan

During another venture into Japan, Noah was struck by the culture of respect and decency. In their basketball culture, altercations and arguments with officials are rare.

“Going to Japan and understanding their culture a little better and understanding why they have that level of respect for each other as a culture,” Noah said. “You see it in the culture. You never see Japanese players having technical fouls.”

In the process, Noah reflected on his career and the intensity it displayed, and he was surprised by something.

“So for me, it was an example of looking at myself and saying, wow, if I had studied these cultures a little bit, maybe I would have had a lot less stress, who knows? So it’s always a learning experience.”

Calm, cool, collected, or gritty, fiery, or gladiator. The game of basketball is played in different ways around the world. They are all beautiful and connected to their existence.

And Joachim Noah is on the ground, telling those stories.

Former Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors star Jonte Porter is attempting to return to professional basketball in 2024 after being handed a lifetime ban by the NBA. Porter is accused of “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting their participation in one or more sports for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.” Porter last played for the Raptors 905 in the NBA G League.

Jonte Porter is signing with the Seattle Superhawks of the United States Basketball League and will play for them next month.

He was given a lifetime ban by the NBA for gambling in 2024, where he pleaded guilty to related federal charges. He is currently awaiting sentencing. pic.twitter.com/sAfNKUrXtd

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 26 February 2026

However, according to a post on X by ClutchPoints, Porter is currently signing for the Seattle Super Hawks of the newly rebooted United States Basketball League while awaiting sentencing. The 26-year-old player, whose request to play professionally in Greece was previously denied by a federal judge, is expected to make the team’s debut in the March 7 season opener against the Lilac City Legends at Seattle Pacific University.

The revived USBL, an eight-team West Coast league that pays homage to the original 1984-2008 circuit that launched the careers of players like Muggsy Boggs, appears to be the new landing spot for Porter. In April 2024, the league banned him permanently after an investigation revealed shocking compromises with the integrity of the game.

While playing on a two-way contract for the Toronto Raptors, Porter intentionally limited his playing time in two different competitions in order to manipulate the results of illegal prop bets. Court documents further detail that he messaged co-conspirators between games to coordinate the scheme and personally placed illegal bets on 13 NBA matchups, netting $22,000 in winnings.

Prior to his ban, Porter, the younger brother of Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., recorded a total of 37 NBA appearances between the Memphis Grizzlies and Raptors, posting modest career averages of 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In July 2024, Porter pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

While the charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, he will most likely receive a sentence of three to four years.

Chicago native Matas Buzzelis continues to move forward. The second-year guard for the Chicago Bulls participated in the Rising Stars Game on Friday to kick off NBA All-Star Weekend. In the process, Bouzelis has long-term All-Star aspirations.

Derrick Rose’s desire to go far can be attributed to seeing his jersey retired by the Bulls. According to SiriusXM NBA Radio, during All-Star weekend, Bouzelis reflected on the ceremony and what it meant to him.

“It really put more motivation in my mind,” Buzzellis said.

“It really put more motivation in my mind.”

Bulls forward Matas Buzelis shares what it meant to him to see Derrick Rose’s jersey retirement.

For more NBA All-Star Weekend coverage: https://t.co/j3RPgmlH7e pic.twitter.com/pbmW5bmRXu

– SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) 14 February 2026

Rose had his jersey retired after the Bulls’ game against the Boston Celtics on January 24. He is one of four other Chicago players to receive this honor. The others were Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love.

Currently, Bouzelis is at a point where he is making his mark. Of course, he’s still adjusting to a new dynamic after the Bulls traded seven players during the trade deadline. Those players included Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic, all of whom played important roles in mentoring Buzzellis in his freshman year.

Right now, the Bulls are 24-31 and in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Also, they have lost 9 of their last 10 matches.

Currently, Bouzelis is averaging 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Buzzellis attended Hinsdale Central High School in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale for his freshman and sophomore years.

Rose is a native of Englewood. NBA All-Star Weekend will conclude with the All-Star Game on Sunday.

Next, the Bulls will return to action on Thursday, February 19 against the Toronto Raptors.