Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated by the NBA after being issued an indefinite suspension following a flagrant foul against Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. He revealed Monday via his podcast how “pissed” he initially was when former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant said he hoped Green “gets the help he needs” in the aftermath, but has since gotten over it. Durant insists he didn’t mean to offend his former Golden State teammate.
“I’m glad he’s back. I’m glad he can move past that. Draymond is an incredible teammate.” Durant told reporters on Monday. “He got his times where he loses temper, but everybody has those times and I’m sure they all [are] happy to have him back. But I didn’t mean no ill will by what I said. I know some people look at me as this malicious snake, passive-aggressive. I know how people feel about me sometimes, so when I say shit, I don’t mean no harm by nobody. I don’t mean to disrespect him or his family if he felt that way. I’m just glad he’s back on the court.”
Durant thinks the public and Green could’ve misunderstood his response and provided clarity on his thought process.
“You got to look at it from my perspective, like before I had made those comments, [people were] saying Draymond’s going to therapy and shit,” Durant said. “Like what am I supposed to think? They say somebody going to therapy, I’m hoping he gets better from that, and hope he learned from whatever he feels like he needs to learn from going to therapy.”
Green said that though he was initially “pissed,” Durant’s comments helped him have a “breakthrough.”
“I was like maybe you shouldn’t hear ‘help’ so negatively,” Green said. “Like maybe you’re listening to the word ‘help’ with the same mindset that the word ‘help’ meant when you were 15 years old. So maybe you shouldn’t hear that negatively, so negatively, and maybe he’s not saying that as negatively as you’re taking it. And even if he was, I made a decision in that moment that I wasn’t going to take it that way.”
Green’s one-week ramp-up could help him return to the hardwood as early as Saturday for a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tuesday’s NBA slate will feature five games, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Several key players have suffered injuries since the weekend, so fantasy managers should be on the lookout for who’ll increase value in the coming weeks.
Are you looking to sort through all the options on DraftKings and FanDuel? We’ve got you covered. Here’s who you should keep an eye on as you look to build optimal lineups on both sites:
Stud: Julius Randle Randle has been on an absolute tear since the New York Knicks sent RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that brought OG Anunoby to the Big Apple. The big man is averaging 30.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in January. Randle took at least 23 shots in three of those contests and should look to take advantage of his physicality in a head-to-head matchup with Portland’s Jerami Grant. Fantasy managers should be salivating over Randle’s bump in shot volume.
Mid-tier: Marcus Smart The Memphis Grizzlies lost Ja Morant to a season-ending shoulder injury, so Smart is set to serve as the full-time starting point guard. The former Boston Celtics floor general didn’t have spectacular numbers before Morant returned from suspension but has tallied 27.0 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds over his previous two outings. He also erupted for 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the team’s previous matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, whom the Grizzlies play tonight. Derrick Rose is dealing with a thigh injury that should help Smart see a very healthy workload.
Value: Chris Boucher Boucher’s productivity for the Toronto Raptors is up and he could be in for another boost while Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Boucher has totaled 31 points and 18 rebounds off the bench in his previous two outings and could move into the starting lineup for the Raptors’ Tuesday meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’ll have a tough matchup against Anthony Davis, but Toronto’s options are limited. Boucher and Jontay Porter will likely split most of the backup center minutes if the Raptors don’t just opt to go small.
Six NBA games are set to tip off on Tuesday. The action will begin at 7 p.m. ET and the final game of the night will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET. Are you looking to find an edge on sportsbooks ahead of the action? We’ve got you covered with three plus-money rebounding props worth considering here.
Pascal Siakam over 7.5 rebounds (+100) Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain so Siakam will have to step up and play big against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Toronto Raptors forward is averaging less than 7.0 rebounds per game for the first time since 2019-20, but will have no choice but to help out heavily on the glass in a matchup that’ll feature Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Chris Boucher and others will split center minutes, but bettors should expect Siakam to stay on as a small-ball center as well for stints. He’s tallied at least nine rebounds in four of his previous meetings with James.
Jalen Duren over 11.5 rebounds (+102) Duren has been on a tear without Isaiah Stewart and has snared at least 12 rebounds in five of his last seven games. The Detroit Pistons big man grabbed just five boards against Nikola Jokic his last time out and will face a prolific rebounder in Domantas Sabonis on Tuesday. However, the second-year big man posted 14 rebounds in his first-ever matchup with the Sacramento Kings center. I’ll keep rolling with him as he continues to hold down his team’s frontcourt.
Jalen Brunson under 3.5 rebounds (+110) Brunson’s playmaking is up since the OG Anunoby trade and his rebounding is down. The New York Knicks point guard is averaging just 3.9 rebounds per game and has grabbed three boards in his previous three games. Isaiah Hartenstein has carried a heavy workload and has racked up 54 rebounds in four games for the new-look Knicks. If he continues to dominate the center minutes so heavily, it’ll be hard for Brunson to make an impact on the glass.
Caitlin Clark has officially established herself as the all-time leading scorer for the Iowa Hawkeyes. On Sunday, Clark broke the previous record of 2,804 points set by Megan Gustafson in 2019.
The history-making moment happened at a sold-out McLeod Center during the third quarter against Northern Iowa. Clark tied the record on the free throw line less than two minutes after the break. She broke it a few minutes later with a spin and a bank shot.
That’s the record breaker. Caitlin Clark is Iowa’s all time leading scorer, passing Megan Gustafson. pic.twitter.com/o99yszgvcq
— Mark Woodley (@MarkWoodleyTV) November 12, 2023 Iowa’s new 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐫. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/bM64Bwu3Qk
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 12, 2023 The NCAA women’s basketball all-time record still belongs to WNBA star Kelsey Plum with 3,527 points during her time in Washington.
Iowa was last season’s top offensive team in Division I college women’s basketball with Clark being the second most consistent scorer in the nation by averaging 27.8 points per game via 47.3% shooting from the field. This season, the 6-foot guard continued that momentum and tipped off her senior season with 28 points against FDU and 44 points against No. 8 Virginia Tech.
Clark’s potential has been quite clear for a while, and even Gustafson herself said she saw this new record coming years ago.
“As soon as I saw her play as a freshman, I thought, ‘Yeah, this record isn’t going to last long at all,'” she said in March, as reported by The Gazette. “I love it.”
Iowa made it to the program’s first-ever championship game last season, and Clark was the biggest key to success. She put up historic numbers during the NCAA Tournament, including the first 40-point triple-double in the tournament — men’s or women’s.
Unranked NC State stunned No. 2 UConn 92-81 on Sunday. This became the first time since 1998 that the Wolfpack defeated the Huskies.
NC State junior guard Saniya Rivers led the way with 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, along with 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals.
“Everybody said we couldn’t do it. We had nothing to lose,” Rivers said on the broadcast. “We just gave it our best, left it all on the court and we just made history.
“We did it. We did it,” Rivers said.
LITTY pic.twitter.com/DqbMynDifi
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 12, 2023 This dominant performance by Rivers wasn’t exactly something many saw coming, but she believed in herself. She appeared in 31 games last season (12 as a starter), averaging 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Her previous career high was 22 points. Rivers was eventually named the 2023 ACC Sixth Player of the Year, but she felt this season it was her turn to shine brighter than ever.
“Support from my teammates, they believed in me,” Rivers said when asked what it took to lift her team with the best stat line in the Wes Moore era. “I wanted this to be my breakout game and I did it. The fans, they are here for me. I just couldn’t do without them and my teammates.”
Saniya Rivers with the steal and TOUGH finish 😮💨 @PackWomensBball pic.twitter.com/xmbo9zgmay
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 12, 2023 As a whole, NC State shot 52.5% from the field. Aziaha James, Zoe Brooks and Madison Hayes joined Rivers in the double-figure club.
Per ESPN, the 92 points are the most given up by UConn in a non-overtime game since Feb. 1, 2001– when the Huskies gave 92 points in a loss to then-No. 3 Tennessee.
UConn star Paige Bueckers led her team with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting on Sunday, while Aaliyah Edwards added 21 points. The Huskies had managed to enter halftime with a one-point lead, but head coach Geno Auriemma was not happy with the lack of movement he was seeing from his offense.
The Huskies did not make enough corrections after the break, while NC State saw an opportunity and took off running with it. The Wolfpack outscored the perennial powerhouse 50-38 in the second half. They also won the rebound game 41-29 and had a 28-14 advantage in fast break points.
Next up, NC State is hosting Elon on Wednesday. Meanwhile, UConn will have to shake this one off before taking on No. 14 Maryland on Thursday.
No. 6 South Carolina is looking strong as ever after a 114-76 win over No. 14 Maryland. This is officially the first time in program history the Gamecocks have scored 100 points in each of their first two games.
The 114 points the Gamecocks scored against Maryland also became the most points ever scored by South Carolina against a ranked opponent.
“We are going to be who we are. Seriously, we are going to be who we are…” head coach Dawn Staley said during the postgame press conference. “Just proud of the team, proud of who we are. We’ve come a long way. If you could’ve seen June, July, August, if you could’ve seen that, you would be sitting where I’m sitting where it was unimaginable for us to even think about what we were able to do the first two games of the season.”
“If you could have seen us in June”
Sunday’s 114-76 win marked the first time in program history South Carolina WBB has scored at least 100 in the first two games of the season.
It’s a start that has even HC @dawnstaley told me has surprised her@GamecockWBB | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/XaVyztNWQp
— Matt Vereen (@MattVereen) November 12, 2023 Every single South Carolina player who stepped on the floor on Sunday scored at least three points, while seven reached double digits. Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao led the way with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Freshman Chloe Kitts reached a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins got one too with 13 points and 11 boards.
If this is a rebuilding year for South Carolina, it seems Dawn Staley didn’t get the memo because her non-conference schedule is anything but easy. After losing the most historic class in South Carolina history, including two-time national player of the year Aliyah Boston, Staley challenged other players to step up and that’s exactly what they did.
They started the season with a bang on Nov. 6 by defeating No. 10 Notre Dame 100-71 in the first college basketball game ever played on Parisian soil. On Sunday, they proved that was anything but luck.
South Carolina took the 2022 NCAA championship and made the Final Four earlier this year. However, the hype around the program wasn’t as loud during this preseason because of the key pieces the team had lost. Even Staley told CBS Sports the current roster lacks experience in virtually every position.
At the time of their national title, the Gamecocks were a well-known defensive powerhouse but they had an inconsistent offense. It improved during the 2022-23 season, but now it seems they really have no trouble in that area and could be more dangerous than ever.
“I actually think they’re better than last year’s team,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said.
South Carolina has now won 43 consecutive games at Colonial Life Arena, meaning they have gone 1,074 days without losing at home. Next up, the Gamecocks will be taking on in-state rival Clemson on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
Me’Arah O’Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, on Sunday signed a National letter of Intent to continue her career playing college basketball for Florida. She chose the Gators over her father’s alma mater, LSU.
The 17-year-old, listed as a 6-foot-3 post player from Episcopal High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, was a legend at LSU who has maintained a close relationship with the school. After taking over Reebok, Shaq’s first move was signing Tigers star Angel Reese to an NIL deal.
However, Me’Arah has chosen to go a different route than her father. The proud dad told ESPN he stayed out of her decision.
“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,'” he said, “because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by ᴍᴇᴇᴢʏ. (@mearahoneal_)
The other teams that made the younger O’Neal’s top eight were Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee. For Me’Arah, who visited Florida in September, her decision came down to who she wanted as a coach.
“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she told ESPN. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly [Rae Finely] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”
Some of Shaq’s other children have also played college basketball. Shareef played for the UCLA men’s team before transferring to LSU and ultimately pursuing a professional career. Shaqir is currently a redshirt sophomore for the Texas Southern men’s team. Amirah, who is no longer playing, walked on to the LSU women’s team before she transferred to Texas Southern.
Me’Arah O’Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, on Sunday signed a National letter of Intent to continue her career playing college basketball for Florida. She chose the Gators over her father’s alma mater, LSU.
The 17-year-old, listed as a 6-foot-3 post player from Episcopal High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, was a legend at LSU who has maintained a close relationship with the school. After taking over Reebok, Shaq’s first move was signing Tigers star Angel Reese to an NIL deal.
However, Me’Arah has chosen to go a different route than her father. The proud dad told ESPN he stayed out of her decision.
“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,'” he said, “because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by ᴍᴇᴇᴢʏ. (@mearahoneal_)
The other teams that made the younger O’Neal’s top eight were Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee. For Me’Arah, who visited Florida in September, her decision came down to who she wanted as a coach.
“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she told ESPN. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly [Rae Finely] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”
Some of Shaq’s other children have also played college basketball. Shareef played for the UCLA men’s team before transferring to LSU and ultimately pursuing a professional career. Shaqir is currently a redshirt sophomore for the Texas Southern men’s team. Amirah, who is no longer playing, walked on to the LSU women’s team before she transferred to Texas Southern.
Former Miami point guard Haley Cavinder announced on Monday she has transferred to TCU. In April, she and her sister Hanna announced they were retiring from college women’s basketball, but Haley said she wanted to keep playing in October.
“Mom just bought purple cowboy boots after seeing this,” Hanna wrote on her sister’s Instagram post.
the last rodeo #committed pic.twitter.com/ob1i6H9G8S
— Haley Cavinder (@CavinderHaley) November 13, 2023 The twins started their careers at Fresno State and joined the Hurricanes after three seasons. They were part of the Miami roster that made it to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history, but the sisters are also known as businesswomen who have thrived in the NIL era. They signed with WWE in December 2021 and even appeared in a ring in June. The sisters said they were going to focus on WWE and leave basketball, but Haley changed her mind and is ready for “the last rodeo.”
“There was nothing filling the love for the game, and I just truly was like, I know I’m going to regret it down the road if I don’t go back,” she said in a recent interview with Forbes.
The sisters are now 22 years old but have an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Haley, a 5-foot-6 guard, has averaged 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in four years.
It is unlikely the former Mountain West Player of the Year will be able to suit up this season because she would need an NCAA waiver to do so. The Horned Frogs have not made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2006. In fact, they haven’t made it to the Big Dance since 2010, but Cavinder will bring invaluable experience next season.
There were a lot of questions about how the South Carolina Gamecocks would adjust after losing the most historic class in program history. Dawn Staley answered all of them with a pair of dominant wins that earned the Gamecocks the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP Top 25.
For the first time in program history, South Carolina scored 100+ points in each of its first two games. The Gamecocks non-conference schedule is anything but easy, but South Carolina beat Notre Dame 100-71 in Paris on Nov. 6, and Maryland 114-76 later in the week. Both opponents were ranked in the top 15 at the time. The 114 points against Maryland were also the most points the Gamecocks have ever scored against a ranked team.
The Gamecocks showed they have a deep roster, from their senior leader Kamilla Cardoso, to freshman extraordinaire Milaysia Fulwiley.
Meanwhile, the defending national champion LSU had entered the season as the top-ranked team in the country but opened the 2023-24 campaign with a 92-78 loss against Colorado. That result dropped them to seventh place this week.
UConn, the previous No. 2 team in the nation, also dropped six spots after getting upset 92-81 against NC State. The team has star player Paige Bueckers back, and she registered 27 points against the Wolfpack, but the Huskies still got outshined on Sunday while NC State junior guard Saniya Rivers had a breakout game.
Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes were business as usual. Clark broke the program’s all-time leading scoring record during the 94-53 win over Northern Iowa. She finished that game with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. That became her 12th career triple-double, and she has officially joined now-WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu as the only players in Division I history to record a triple-double in four different seasons.
The Pac-12 took care of business going 28-0 as a conference. No other conference in women’s basketball managed to stay undefeated in Week 1. Five of the top 10 teams this week are from the Pac-12.
UCLA climbed one spot to No. 3, while Colorado had the biggest jump (15 spots) to No. 5 after stunning LSU. This is the Buffaloes best ranking since 1995. Meanwhile, the USC Trojans moved up 11 spots, mainly due to their 83-74 win over then-No. 7 Ohio State. The Trojans hadn’t been ranked in the top 10 since 1994.
While most storylines during the preseason were about the senior class, the freshmen certainly made a statement during Week 1 of the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season.
There is plenty of young talent to keep an eye on, which has even big basketball names like Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant following the action. MiLaysia Fulwiley is reminding everyone that South Carolina is still very much on the map, while Mikaylah Williams is showing the world how deep LSU can be aside from the Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith duo.
Here are five freshmen who impressed during Week 1:
JuJu Watkins — USC The No. 1 player of the class of 2023 has certainly lived up to the hype. Head coach Linsday Gottlieb described Watkins as “the full package” and that’s exactly what she showed in the first two games of the season.
The 6-foot-2 guard lifted the Trojans to an 83-74 victory over No. 7 Ohio State in her college debut with 32 points shooting 61.1% from the field. She also added six rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal. With those stats, Watkins beat WNBA legend Lisa Leslie’s 30-point performance during her own first game as a USC freshman in 1990.
JuJu Watkins. That’s the caption. pic.twitter.com/gaj45tIaEB
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) November 7, 2023 Watkins had a more “quiet” game against FGCU with 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Last season was a breakout year for USC, and with Watkins on the roster, who is to tell what the Trojans can achieve.
MiLaysia Fulwiley — South Carolina Fulwiley pulled off what NBA great Magic Johnson described as “the best move in all of basketball” during her college debut. He didn’t mean just women’s college basketball, he compared Fulwiley to “pros like LeBron, Steph, KD, Victor, and Jokic.”
Here is the move that got Fulwiley a shoutout:
MILAYSIA FULWILEY WITH THE FANCY FINISH 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/xGIzCjE6og
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 6, 2023 But it wasn’t just that move. Fulwiley helped the Gamecocks take down Notre Dame 100-71 in Paris with 17 points, six assists, one block and six steals.
Later in the week, the Gamecocks got their second 100+ point game, this time against No. 14 Maryland. Fulwiley once again reached double digits with 12 points, including two 3-pointers. She also added two assists, two blocks and two steals.
Hannah Hidalgo — Notre Dame
The spotlight in Paris was bright enough for two freshmen to shine. Hidalgo scored 31 points against South Carolina, which is the most points ever scored by an Irish freshman — male or female — in their Notre Dame debut. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant gave her a shoutout, along with Fulwiley.
“Hidalgo and Fulwiley moving DIFFERENT out here,” he said on social media.
The 5-foot-6 guard kept that same energy going and registered a double-double of 26 points and 12 steals in a 104-57 victory against NJIT. The 12 steals tied a program single-game record set by Marina Mabrey in 2015. She also contributed with six rebounds and six assists.
Freshman phenom Hannah Hidalgo is stealing the show at Notre Dame! 🍀
Not only did she grab 26 points, but she also snatched a record-tying 12 steals in a single game! 😮@NDWBB | #ACCWBB pic.twitter.com/TdCDmDr5LS
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 13, 2023 Mikaylah Williams — LSU The Tigers entered the season as the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in the country but tipped off their 2023-24 campaign with an ugly 92-78 loss to Colorado. The bright spot of that night was Mikaylah Williams, who registered a team-high 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, along with four rebounds, one block and one steal.
Her debut stats might not have been as eye-popping as other players on this list, but it’s important to remember Williams is a freshman in a super team and shares the floor with two of women’s basketball’s biggest stars in Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith.
She only played 15 minutes against Queens and scored nine points, but her third game was her best one yet. Williams got a career-high 20 points in a performance that included going 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Mikaylah Williams has hit four threes already for #LSU. She doesn’t play like a true freshman🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ni5R3MqoWi
— Mik’d Up (@Mikdup_8) November 12, 2023 Nunu Agara — Stanford The Cardinal are on a mission to show everyone they are still a powerhouse despite coming off a “down” year. Yes, senior Cameron Brink is still very much the leader of the team, but the future looks bright with Agara.
The 6-foot-2 freshman dropped 18 points in her debut and is averaging 15.5 points on 62.5% shooting, along with five rebounds after two games.
— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) November 11, 2023 Stanford made a statement by taking down then-No. 9 Indiana 96-64 on Sunday. Agara’s performance was kind of overlooked because of double-doubles by Brink and Kiki Iriafen. However, her 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal, are sort of a quiet glimpse of the bigger role she could play later this season.
