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Browsing: Pat
Pat Spencer explains how his old lacrosse stardom helps NBA career with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Pat Spencer was a lacrosse superstar before becoming the two-way Warriors guard that Dub Nation loves today.
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Over four seasons between 2016-19 at Loyola University Maryland, the former attackmen set the record for assists at the Division I level with 231 and won the Tewaaraton Award — which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy — as a senior. It wasnâ€t until Spencer transferred to Northwestern for the 2019-20 campaign that he prioritized basketball.
Spencer finished with a career-high 19 points with seven assists in Golden Stateâ€s short-handed 99-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on Saturday. NBC Sports Bay Areaâ€s Kerith Burke, alongside Zena Keita and Festus Ezeli, asked Spencer if his lacrosse experience helps his NBA court vision during “Warriors Postgame Live.â€
“It definitely does [help],†Spencer told Burke, Ezeli and Keita. “[I] just feel like thereâ€s a real overlap between the two sports. Iâ€m a believer in being an athlete first. Ultimately, my focus is going to be [on being] a team player, pass-first and [to] get other guys involved and find a way to help the team win. If it means scoring a couple of big buckets, great; if it means I score zero points, Iâ€m truly happy to do it.â€
Spencer has done an excellent job of making the right reads within his expanding opportunities during the 2025-26 NBA season. Specifically, he is taking smart shots when open and creating opportunities for teammates when he isnâ€t.
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Saturdayâ€s win was Spencerâ€s debut as a starter in coach Steve Kerrâ€s lineup. And the 29-year-old played with the same ball control he possessed as a lacrosse attackman.
Considering Kerr said that Spencer is “that motherf–ker,†itâ€s clear that the three-year NBA veteranâ€s lacrosse experience is helping him see the floor.
CLEVELAND — Playing on the road without their headliners, the Golden State Warriors upset the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-94 on Saturday night behind a career performance from a two-way point guard who was once a college lacrosse star.
Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton all rested with minor injuries. In Curry’s place, Warriors coach Steve Kerr opted to start Pat Spencer, the 29-year-old who first showed up in the franchise’s G-League program four seasons ago.
Spencer responded with 19 points in his first career start, including a pair of clutch fourth quarter 3s as well as the two free throws that clinched the win. He waved goodbye to the Cleveland crowd after the first foul shot put the Warriors up four with 4.1 seconds left.
“His coach realized that Pat is that motherf—er,” Kerr said. “That became clear. Sorry. Am I allowed to say that?”
Kerr was referencing a viral celebration from Spencer two nights prior in Philadelphia. Spencer hit a 3 with 1:12 left to put the Warriors up five over the 76ers and twice yelled “I’m that motherf—er” to the crowd after Philadelphia called timeout.
In the 48 hours that followed, Spencer’s vulgar label and the attention it drew became a playful inside joke with his Warriors teammates. Butler saw Spencer on his way into Rocket Arena on Saturday night and made it a show to get out of his way because “the star is coming through.”
But the Philadelphia performance didn’t come with a payoff. The Warriors blew a five-point lead in the final minute. Spencer threw away a crucial inbounds pass. Kerr called it a “gut punch” loss, dropping Golden State to 11-12 before a difficult back-to-back.
The Warriors were 8.5-point underdogs at Cleveland. The Cavaliers had Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland all available, but they looked sluggish on the second night of their own back-to-back. The teams combined for only 30 first-quarter points. The Cavaliers missed 18 of their 21 first-half 3s and fell behind by double digits.
“It’s deflating when you’re missing shots,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I don’t know who would be joyful in that situation.
“Give the Warriors a ton of credit. They came in there with a fresh, young group that had a lot of energy.”
The Cavs cut the lead to 82-77 with seven minutes left. That’s when Spencer hit back-to-back 3s, yelling at the crowd again as the Warriors’ advantage ballooned back to 11.
Spencer had his two-way contract converted late last regular season, making him part of the playoff roster. But he was brought back on a two-way contract this season, his third straight campaign on the fringe of the Warriors’ roster.
“It’s fun to watch a guy who has had to fight for everything finally get his moment and not only seize it but grab it by the neck,” Kerr said. “This guy is a competitor.”
Spencer is best known in the lacrosse community as one of the greatest college players the sport has seen. He became the all-time Division I assist leader during his four-year career at Loyola University and was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 Premier Lacrosse League draft.
But Spencer gave up lacrosse, spent a graduate year on the Northwestern basketball team and chased his hoops dream through the Warriors organization. Filling in for the injured Curry, Spencer has now scored 17, 16 and a career-high 19 across the past three contests, his most substantial moment as a professional.
“He’s really improved his jump shot,” Kerr said. “That’s the big thing. Last year, he’d turn down a lot of 3s, drive in, shoot a lot of floaters. He’s never going to be Steph, but he’s a threat out there.”
The win moved the Warriors back to 12-12 after briefly dipping below .500 for the first time this season.
They are expecting to get Butler, Green, Horford and Melton back on Sunday at the Chicago Bulls. Curry is targeting Friday night at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves for his return from a thigh contusion.
Warriors follow unlikely superhero Pat Spencer to encouraging win vs. Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors wobbled into Cleveland on Saturday and, for the first time this season, summoned the kind of performance that delivers a warm cup of encouragement to everyone on the payroll.
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Coming off a distasteful loss Thursday night in Philadelphia, they vanquished a quality opponent, on the road, without the services of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III and Al Horford.
The Warriors†99-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers was accomplished behind the horsepower of a patchwork starting lineup, their 12th of the season, and a rotation that mostly made sense even if at times it looked as if the names were drawn from a hat.
No one was more vital to this stunning triumph than Pat Spencer, the Bay Areaâ€s latest unlikely superhero. The two-way guard, making his first NBA start, submitted something of a movie trailer for his own Linsanity moment.
Spencer this week has moved from reliable part-time energizer to critical component of the Warriors. He is vastly outplaying his two-way contract.
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“Weâ€ve seen the competitiveness,†Kerr told reporters at Rocket Arena. “Weâ€ve seen what a good player he is over the past couple years. But heâ€s really improved his jump shot. Thatâ€s the big thing. Last year, he would turn down a lot of threes, drive in, shoot a lot of floaters. Heâ€s never going to be Steph, but heâ€s a threat out there. Thatâ€s what it takes. You have to be a threat from the line to pull the defense out. I just think now the shot quality weâ€re getting with him on the floor is way better than it was the last couple years.
“And the other thing is that his coach realizes that Pat is that motherf–ker. That became clear.â€
Spencer scored a team- and career-high 19 points, on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 4 from distance. He recorded a game-high seven assists, while committing only one turnover, and was plus-nine in 29 minutes.
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He was at his best in the fourth quarter, when the moment grew in magnitude and the Cavs intensified their defense, trimming a 13-point deficit with 5:17 remaining to two with 20.9 seconds left. Spencer scored 12 of Golden Stateâ€s 27 points in the quarter and assisted on two more buckets.
“It took a collective effort,†Spencer said on NBC Sports Bay Areaâ€s “Warriors Postgame Live.†“We had 10 guys, but we had 10 pretty young guys today. And [the Cavaliers] were coming off a back-to-back [set]. We knew if we played with pace, got up and down, weâ€d find some shots that were beneficial for us.â€
All 10 available Warriors provided something that helped the carve out the victory. Buddy Hield finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Quinten Post produced 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks while battling NBA All-Star big man Even Mobley to a virtual standoff. Jonathan Kuminga, making his first start since Nov. 11, scored four only points on 1-of-10 shooting but yanked seven rebounds.
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The bench came through with enough solid play at both ends to ensure there would be no significant drop-off from the starters. Golden State generated leads as high as 14 points. Gui Santos gave the Warriors 14 points and three assists, with two crucial free throws with 11.3 seconds remaining. Brandin Podziemski, struggling of late, delivered 10 points, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.
The Warriors pestered the Cavaliers into 34.6-percent shooting from the field, including 23.8 beyond the arc. Stars Donovan Mitchall, Darius Garland and Mobley combined to shoot 25 of 60 from the field.
“We were on a string,†Kerr said. “We were connected. We did a pretty good job taking care of transition, which was our No. 1 key. They are so fast in transition, one of the best teams in the league at scoring in the first eight seconds of the clock. They get the ball down the floor. I thought we took that away.â€
There is no doubt, though, that the high-velocity spirit of Spencer was contagious enough to push the entire squad to levels that must be as dynamic as they can reach without the teamâ€s best players.
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When Spencer went the line to shoot two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining and the Warriors up 97-94, he followed his first make by waving goodbye to the crowd. He then dropped in the second for the final score.
“Weâ€ll take any win we can get right now,†Spencer said. “Great energy in the locker room, just competing our butts off tonight. Weâ€re trying to weather the storm until we get healthy. But yeah, weâ€re fired up.â€
As well they should be. Who could have imagined the Warriors getting a quality road win with Curry, Green and Butler inactive? Who could have dreamed Spencer would be the driving force?
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To be sure, this victory doesnâ€t mean Golden Stateâ€s failed two-timeline plan has been revived – goodness, no. But itâ€s proof that the supporting cast is hearing the pleas the veterans have been urging for a few weeks.
Given the turbulent play so far this season, there is legitimate value in that.
Steve Kerr epically quotes Pat Spencer in NSFW podium quip after Warriors’ win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
If youâ€re not familiar with Pat Spencer by this point, then you probably should be.
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After his defiant declaration on Thursday in Philadelphia, Spencer backed it up in the Warriors†99-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night at Rocket Arena. The 29-year-old point guard — in his first career NBA start — scored a career-high 19 points to go with seven assists and four rebounds.
Steve Kerr offered a priceless moment in his postgame presser, repeating Spencerâ€s audacious quote that could end up being iconic in Warriors lore.
“I think the other thing is that his coach realized that Pat is that motherf–ker,†Kerr told reporters. “I think that became clear.â€
Was Kerr previously aware of that quality Spencer possesses? That was the next question for Golden Stateâ€s coach.
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“No, I was getting the inkling, you know,†Kerr replied. “It was starting to creep in, but I didnâ€t realize it until he told the world, and tonight it was very clear.â€
Minutes later, Gui Santos similarly agreed with Spencerâ€s assertion.
“A huge compliment for Pat, that guy,†Santos explained to reporters, before asking if he could swear. “Pat is that motherf–ker, you know. Heâ€s great. Itâ€s great to have a guy like that on the team.â€
Pat Spencer: not the hero the Warriors deserve, but the hero they needed. Just as we all predicted.
What we learned as Pat Spencer fuels depleted Warriors’ upset win vs. Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Remember all those games where the Warriors played a team without multiple stars yet still found themselves on the losing side? Saturday night in Cleveland finally was the opposite for Golden State.
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The Warriors, without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, continued to show their competitive spirit. They only had 10 healthy players on the first night of a back-to-back while the Cleveland Cavaliers had their Big Three and the majority of their most important players. As the Warriors have learned time and time again, the game isnâ€t played on paper but on the hardwood.
Behind the all-powerful Pat Spencer and a spunky bunch of role players, the Warriors pulled off a wild 99-94 upset win against the Cavs at Rocket Arena.
Spencer earned his first career start and continued to dazzle. The 29-year-old on a two-way contract scored a new career-high 19 points and was a plus-9 in 29 minutes. Spencer also had a team-high seven assists.
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Scoring came up and down the Warriors†roster. Gui Santos†14 points were second to Spencer, and five players scored in double figures.
Here are three takeaways from a huge Warriors win on the road.
Pat Spencer, Starting Point Guard
A major change was seen in the Warriors†starting lineup with so many injuries. But the move wasnâ€t made solely because of a lack of players. Spencer on Saturday was rewarded with his first career NBA start after providing a needed spark with perhaps the two best performances of his career in back-to-back games.
Spencer on Tuesday tied his career-high of 17 points with three rebounds, six assists and one steal. He then followed that up with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal. So, what did he do in his first start?
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The first quarter wasnâ€t easy because of two early fouls. But then Spencer got the Warriors going in the second quarter, pushing the pace, getting into the paint and assisting on three 3-pointers. That made Spencer a team-high plus-10 through the first half with four points, two rebounds and three assists as the Warriors led by nine points.
Winning time is Spencer time. He scored six fourth-quarter points against OKC, 12 in Philadelphia and another 12 in Cleveland with multiple clutch shots made. Spencer in the second half scored 15 points with two rebounds and four assists.
How JK, Podz Responded
During Steve Kerrâ€s pregame press conference, the Warriors coach laid out the best paths to success for Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, two former first-round NBA draft picks who have struggled as of late.
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“Well, JK, itâ€s always run the floor, take care of the ball – the turnovers have been an issue lately,†Kerr told reporters. “So Iâ€m really urging him to get up the floor instead of, you know, holding back in the backcourt and asking for the ball. I want him to be the first guy down the floor, not the last.â€
Kuminga was in the starting five after coming off the bench his past four games. He began by dribbling, dribbling, dribbling and missing between a couple fadeaways inside the arc, a missed three and a blocked layup. Kuminga missed his first seven shots and was the lone Warrior held scoreless in the first half, but he did have three rebounds and three assists.
The game became easier for Kuminga in the third quarter, cutting to the hoop for easy points or getting to the free-throw line. Kuminga only played two and a half minutes in the fourth quarter. Though he did grab seven rebounds, Kuminga was just 1 of 10 from the field for four points.
“With Brandin, heâ€s got to get off the ball early,†Kerr continued. “When he gets into trouble is when he tries too hard to make plays on his own, instead of doing what he does best, which is to move the ball and be part of a five-man group that is really executing.â€
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Unlike Kuminga, Podziemski did not get the starting nod. All 10 healthy Warriors played in the first half, and Podziemski was the only one whose plus/minus wasnâ€t in the positive. Podziemski was a minus-1 going into halftime with five points, two rebounds and two assists.
Podziemski made a huge step-through layup with a minute and a half left and closed the game after not playing the entire fourth quarter Thursday night. The third-year guard ended as a minus-5, scoring 10 points and adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Defensive Clinic
Great defense leads to offense, and that was the story for the Warriors in Cleveland. The Warriors†defense was connected on a string and frustrated the Cavs for all four quarters.
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The Cavs came into Saturday night averaging 119.6 points per game, good for seventh in the NBA. They scored 36 in the first half and finished with 94. They average 15.3 made threes per game, good for fifth in the NBA. Their 10 threes made were five below their season average. None of this was by mistake.
Donovan Mitchell averages 30 points per game and scored 29, but needed 26 shots. Nobody else scored 20 points for the Cavs. Evan Mobley (18 points) and Darius Garland (17 points) barely missed the mark. They also were a combined 14-of-34 shooting (41.2 percent).
The Cavs†94 points was a season low. The Warriors quietly have cracked the top five in defensive rating and for the second straight game held their opponent to under 100 points.
Nick Khan addresses Pat McAfeeâ€s WWE return timeline.
Pat McAfee hasnâ€t been seen on weekly WWE programming since June, weeks after losing to Gunther in their singles match at Backlash. McAfeeâ€s schedule has been packed due to college football season.
WWE President Nick Khan was a guest on a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show. During the conversation, Khan asked Pat about his WWE comeback plans, to which the host said he was in shape.
Khan then revealed he received text messages from six people asking about McAfeeâ€s WWE return status. McAfee joked that Khan only got one person asking, but exaggerated the figure to six.
“Weâ€re going to bring you back. I know you, and I am going to sit together with you once college football slows,†Nick Khan revealed. [H/T: Fightful]
Pat McAfee details reasons for extended WWE absence
McAfee explained his extended WWE absence back in July. The color commentator admitted he got “real tired†after working non-stop since last year, which included his daily show, RAW commentary, and other ESPN duties.
“I could just feel it,†he said. “Iâ€m like, ‘Oh my god, my brain is not operating right now.†I had talked to others that had maybe experienced mental exhaustion before whenever they have had it. Iâ€ve talked to them and Iâ€ve been like, ‘Iâ€m staring down what you went through thereâ€. I knew this moment was coming.
“I knew it was going to happen at some point and it happens to people. So, I talked to people about it happening and what they went through and as Money in the Bank was happening, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is it, Iâ€ve finally hit it.â€â€
READ MORE: Nick Khan Provides Interesting Example Of John Cenaâ€s GOAT Mentality
“I am in shape,†said McAfee.
“Weâ€re going to bring you back. I know you and I are going to sit together once college football slows.â€
Are you ready for Pat McAfee to make his full-time WWE return? Should he stick to commentary, or jump back into storylines and in-ring chaos? Drop your thoughts below and let us know how you want to see McAfee used when heâ€s finally back.
There will be at least one change to the Australia team from first Test, after opener Usman Khawaja failed to recover from back spasms.
Leeds-born batter Josh Inglis is the most likely to come into the side, having trained as part of the Australia slip cordon.
Travis Head, who made a match-winning century in Perth after being promoted to open in place of Khawaja, will remain at the top of the order.
Inglis moved to Australia when he was 14 and made a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka this year.
The 30-year-old, who has three Test caps, made a hundred for a Cricket Australia XI against England Lions over the weekend of the first Test.
“He’s a pretty attacking batsman,” said Smith. “He did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka. He’s been in really good form and he plays fast bowling nicely. I’m sure he’ll do really well.”
The return of Cummins – one of the best fast bowlers in the world – would be a huge boost to an Australia team 1-0 up and with the chance to move a step closer to retaining the Ashes.
Only Mitchell Starc has taken more wickets in floodlit Tests than Cummins. Cummins has a better average, strike-rate and economy rate when bowling with a pink ball compared to the red.
In batting at number eight, Cummins will also boost an Australia batting order that included a long tail in Perth.
England, who have not won a Test in Australia in almost 15 years nor a match in Brisbane since 1986, confirmed their team on Tuesday.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks has been included for his first Test in three years, replacing injured pace bowler Mark Wood.
With England identifying the need for a spin option, Jacks was chosen ahead of first-choice spinner Shoaib Bashir because of the runs he could provide at number eight.
“We tried to look at how we thought spin was going to be used and there was a bit of a tactical element to it,” said Stokes.
“Jacksy’s ability with the bat – to have that down the order for us is useful as well.
“If it ever comes down to picking our best spinner, selection would go the other way.”
By Ella Jay
Nov. 30, 2025 1:31 pm EST
G Fiume/Getty Images
The McAfee household will get a little bigger in 2026 as Pat and Samantha McAfee are officially expecting their second child, a baby boy, together.
Samantha, who married Pat back in 2020, shared the news on Instagram, writing “The path that led us here was filled with needles, hormones, countless appointments, and more emotion than we ever knew two hearts could hold. IVF pushed my body to its limits and stretched our spirits in ways we never expected. It was hope and heartbreak, faith and fear — all tangled together as we trusted science and prayed for another miracle. And now, with humbled hearts and overwhelming gratitude, we are overjoyed to share that we are expecting a baby boy, arriving June 2026.”
As added encouragement to her fellow women and couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), Samantha reassured that they are not alone in the journey. More importantly, she hopes that the latest McAfee family announcement can inspire faith that the “impossible” can indeed become possible.
Samantha and Pat welcomed a daughter into the world in May 2023. Since 2018, Pat has served as a broadcaster and occasional wrestler for WWE, with his latest match pitting him against former WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER at WWE Backlash in May 2025. Currently, Pat is on a hiatus from his on-air work for WWE, though he continues to host “The Pat McAfee Show” and work as an analyst on “College GameDay.”Â
Pat’s last WWE appearance came at WWE Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis, where he reemerged to commentate a handful of matches. The potential date for his full-time return with WWE is unknown.
The McAfee family is growing.
Pat McAfee and his wife Stephanie McAfee revealed on Saturday that they are expecting their second child. Stephanie wrote on Instagram:
“The path that led us here was filled with needles, hormones, countless appointments, and more emotion than we ever knew two hearts could hold. IVF pushed my body to its limits and stretched our spirits in ways we never expected. It was hope and heartbreak, faith and fear — all tangled together as we trusted science and prayed for another miracle.
And now, with humbled hearts and overwhelming gratitude, we are overjoyed to share that we are expecting a baby boy, arriving June 2026. ðŸ’
To every woman and couple still in the thick of this journey: you are not alone. I hope our news doesnâ€t cause you pain, but instead offers a spark of hope. Hope that your story isnâ€t over. Hope that the impossible can become possible.
One day, this storm will pass — and when it does, may your rainbow find you.”
When Pat and Stephanie McAfee announced they were expecting their first child in November 2022, Stephanie spoke about her parenthood journey, which included two lost pregnancies where she nearly lost her life. The couple then went through IVF treatments in an effort to conceive. Stephanie posted the following as a message to other couples facing similar issues: “Dear women and couples trying and battling, I hope this isnâ€t a trigger but rather serves as hope. Hope that you too can over come the battle of infertility. You will be parents! And remember that after a storm, a rainbow can occur.â€Â
The couple’s first child, a daughter, was born in May 2023. The McAfee’s post announcing they are expecting their second child is available below:
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Ian Carey
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.
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