Yardbarker

Sai Mohan

NBA Writer

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

EXPERTISE:

NBA, Tennis, Boxing, Pro Wrestling

Victor Wembanyama doesn't care about being dunked on — and it's refreshing

Wembanyama abides by the "no risk, no reward" philosophy.

Bucks HC Doc Rivers has shot at redemption after years of ridicule

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has, unfairly or not, caught a lot of flak in recent years.

Pacers fans should feel let down by their franchise

Fans of the Indiana Pacers waited 25 years to see their team return to the NBA Finals last season, and it looks like they could be waiting another quarter-century for a shot at that elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy.

VJ Edgecombe's audacity should scare the NBA

Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe is beaming with confidence, and understandably so.

Nikola Jokic on the cusp of a streak never achieved in 79-year NBA history

Jokic on Wednesday became the third player ever to start a season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21) in exclusive company.

Red-hot Austin Reaves solidifies his place in Lakers lore

Reaves has a achieved a feat no Laker has accomplished in 55 years.

Jonathan Kuminga proving why he was worth the drama for Warriors

Rather than cutting bait with the Congolese forward, the Warriors exhausted every option before agreeing to a two-year, $46.8M deal a day before the expiration date of his $8M qualifying offer.

Tyrese Maxey joins elite company amid hot start to season

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has that "y'all must have forgot" energy this season after a forgettable 2024-25 campaign hampered by injuries.

Knicks get the cold shoulder from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and also an L

Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks to a win over the Knicks and then poured cold water over reports of his willingness to play in New York.

Cooper Flagg experiences 'welcome to the NBA' moment

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg learned Monday how fast fortunes can change in the NBA.

NBA miss a trick by ending Victor Wembanyama's Halloween tradition

Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has dominated not just on the court since entering the NBA — he has also owned Halloween.

Lauri Markkanen could be most coveted player at NBA trade deadline

While Markkanen's hot start has given the Jazz a 2-1 start, it's hard to foresee them making the playoffs, given the might of the Western Conference.

Warriors' youth movement is in full swing

The Golden State Warriors (3-1) are trusting their young players, a strategy that is paying off big in the new NBA season.

Cooper Flagg matches Kobe Bryant feat as a teenager

Cooper Flagg, 18, is starting to get his feet wet as a pro. On Sunday, he joined the late Kobe Bryant in exclusive company.

Celtics face key question amid worst start in 12 years

The Celtics are winless after the first week of the 2025-26 season, going 0-3 for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.

Deandre Ayton needed Lakers teammates to troll him to fire him up

Deandre Ayton was widely criticized for his underwhelming performances in the first two games of the new Los Angeles Lakers season. All that changed Sunday.

Austin Reaves joins Lakers royalty with career-high performance

Whenever the Los Angeles Lakers are without Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Austin Reaves rises to the occasion. That trend continued Sunday.

Victor Wembanyama misses on 10-block triple-double, continues historic start

The 21-year-old phenom has been otherworldly to start the new season.

Mavericks fans bring back 'Fire Nico' chants during humiliating loss

Dallas Mavericks fans brought back the infamous "Fire Nico" chants Friday as their team suffered a humiliating 117-107 loss to the Washington Wizards, one of the worst teams in the league.

Luka Doncic draws Wilt Chamberlain comparisons for start to NBA season

You know a player is operating at an elevated level when they put up numbers like Chamberlain, the greatest statistical monster in NBA history. Doncic is doing just that through the first two games of the new season.

Damian Lillard lashes out at NBA star for mocking gambling arrests

Damian Lillard did not appreciate Kevin Love making light of a serious situation.

Aaron Gordon matches notable NBA record in Nuggets season opener

Gordon was unconscious from deep in his team's season-opening 137-131 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Pacers prove their NBA Finals run was not a fluke

No franchise in the NBA better exemplifies the old "basketball is a team sport" adage than the Indiana Pacers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'free-throw merchant' tag is here to stay

Gilgeous-Alexander was widely termed a "free throw merchant" during his historic campaign last year when he won the NBA MVP, scoring title and Finals MVP.

Is it already time to abandon the Cooper Flagg point guard experiment?

Flagg started at point guard for the Mavericks in their season-opener. The results were underwhelming.