The Brooklyn Nets will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games when they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Brooklyn's current 12-game run is the best streak in the NBA this season, and they are showing no signs of slowing down, with their past two victories against the San Antonio Spurs (139-103) and the Charlotte Hornets (123-106) coming by a combined 53 points.
Over that 12-game span, the Nets have gapped the field as the best offensive team in the league. In fact, their 124.2 points per 100 possessions is 6.0 points better than the second-placed Portland Trail Blazers (118.2).
That gap is greater than the distance between the Trail Blazers and the 24th-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (112.9).
Their offensive firepower has been ignited by some unbelievable, and perhaps unsustainable efficiency by their All-NBA duo.
Over the past 12 games, Kevin Durant is shooting 59.2 per cent from the field – well above his career-best field goal percentage of 53.7 from his 2016-17 and 2020-21 campaigns. It is the same story for Kyrie Irving, who has led the team with 29.3 points at 54.3 per cent shooting, which would both comfortably set new career-highs.
The all-time record for team three-point percentage in a season belongs to the 1996-97 Charlotte Hornets at 42.7 per cent, while during this stretch the Nets have shot the three-ball at an unprecedented 44.2 per cent.
Unless that pair – who are both in their 30s – as well as the Nets as a whole are truly about to shatter their own personal and franchise records, they will, at some point, have to come back down to earth.
However, there is no indication the Bulls will be the team equipped to stand in their way.
During the Nets' winning streak, the Bulls have had the third-worst defense in the NBA, conceding 119.2 points per 100 possessions.
A big part of that has been their inability to rebound and finish off their defensive possessions. They are allowing 16.8 second-chance points per game – the second-most – while at the same time being the league's worst offensive rebounding team, grabbing only 21.9 per cent of their own misses.
The Bulls have also been the absolute worst team in the league at restricting three-pointers, allowing an average of 15.7 made threes per game at an efficient 38.6 per cent.
But while the three-pointer has been the Nets' best friend and the Bulls' worst enemy, it is also the most volatile method of scoring, and teams will generally regress to the mean over the course of an 82-game season.
It means the Nets will not keep shooting this well, and the Bulls will not continue to get lit up from long range at this rate – and while it is impossible to predict when things will begin to swing in the opposite direction, both teams are due for a change of fortune.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving
While Durant is the Nets' undisputed best player, Irving is the X-factor, and his strong games generally coincide with wins.
Irving is shooting 52.6 per cent from the field and 43.7 per cent from deep in the 18 wins he has been a part of, while those figures plummet to 44.9 per cent from the field and 24.7 per cent on three-pointers in his nine losses.
Chicago Bulls – Zach Lavine
It is a similar story for the Bulls, who have DeMar DeRozan as their consistent centrepiece, but rely on Zach Lavine to bring the additional firepower to a team lacking in three-point threats.
For the season, the Bulls are hitting just 10.6 three-pointers per game – the fourth-worst figure in the league – but in the 15 wins Lavine has played in he has hit 3.5 threes per game at a red-hot 46.1 per cent clip. It is a stark difference to his 2.2 made threes at 30.6 per cent in his 18 losses.
KEY BATTLE – Who can control the paint?
It seems clear that whoever catches fire from long range will likely emerge victorious, but with so much volatility attached to high-volume three-point shooting, it may come down to whichever team gets the easiest baskets.
A diet of lay-ups, dunks and free throws will always be the most sustainable form of offense, and the Nets are a team that lack much true size beyond starting center Nic Claxton.
If Bulls center Nikola Vucevic can impose his will on Claxton early and perhaps get him into foul trouble, it could open up the paint and force Ben Simmons to play extended minutes as the Nets' primary rim protector, which is not where he shines defensively.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Bulls have won three of their past four meetings with the Nets, including the most recent fixture on November 1, coming away 108-99 victors after holding Irving to just four points.
Alcaraz crashes out of Paris Masters after defeat to Humbert
World number two Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Paris Masters after an upset at the hands of 15th seed Ugo Humbert in the third round.
Alcaraz was aiming for a fifth title of the season in the French capital, but it was the world number 18 who emerged as 6-1 3-6 7-5 winner in two hours 17 minutes.
The Spaniard had no answer for Humbert in the first set, but fought back to level the proceedings in the second.
The third set was a tight affair, but it was 26-year-old Humbert who prevailed to take it 7-5 and reach the last eight at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Humbert, looking for his third title of the season, will next face Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who progressed to the quarter-final by defeating Adrian Mannarino.
Bronny James feels the love in Cleveland
Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.
The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.
LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.
"It was insane," Bronny said.
"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.
"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."
Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.
"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."
LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.
"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.
"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.
"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."
LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.
"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.
"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."
Guardiola suffering without De Bruyne ahead of Bournemouth visit
Pep Guardiola conceded Kevin De Bruyne will not feature before the November international break as Manchester City prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday.
De Bruyne has not played since mid-September when he was removed against Inter in the Champions League, with a thigh issue his latest injury setback.
The Belgium captain also spent a four-month spell on the sidelines last campaign, and Guardiola revealed bad news on De Bruyne's recovery before Wednesday's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup fourth round.
"I would like to tell you [when he can return], I especially would like to know, but I don't know," said Guardiola.
"He feels better to train, but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain. Kevin has to feel good to express the huge talent that he has.
"If he doesn't come back as quickly as possible, we will struggle because we cannot sustain it with 14 or 15 players, but it is what it is.
"We need players to come back but it is what it is. Hopefully that can happen after the international break."
City sit a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table after their narrow 1-0 win over Southampton, while Bournemouth are 11th after their last-gasp leveller for a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola will be expecting a tough test at the Vitality Stadium, though suggested no one can match Villa's left-hand side – not even City.
"I made one sub in the first half for the first time in my career but I have to assume the responsibility because I put Julian [Araujo] in the most difficult game for a right-back that you can find in the Premier League," Iraola said.
"Everyone knows what they’re going to do, but it’s very difficult to defend. The timing and the way they turn the players in the middle, we need to be better in the decision making [going forward]."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
Antoine Semenyo has been involved in more Premier League shots following a ball carry than any other player this term (20 – 12 shots, eight chances created).
The Bournemouth midfielder also has three goals and an assist to his name this season in the competition, a tally he will hope to add to on Saturday.
Manchester City – Phil Foden
Talisman Erling Haaland only has one goal in four league matches against Bournemouth, so Phil Foden may be expected to step up here.
Foden has scored in each of his last five appearances against Bournemouth in all competitions (five goals), also providing three assists in these games.
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Guardiola's side are the heavy favourites for this clash, considering they have won all 14 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth.
City have outscored the Cherries 45-7 across their winning run, which is the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.
Overall, Bournemouth have won none of their 20 league games against Man City (D2 L18), too – it is the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.
The Cherries have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% such loss rate in the competition’s history.
Given City are unbeaten in 28 Premier League games in 2024 as well, a feat bettered by only two sides in England's top-flight history, it is hard to imagine anything other than an away win here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth win – 19.8%
Draw – 22.2%
Manchester City win – 57.9%
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