PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 25: Daniss Jenkins #24 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 25, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cade Cunningham was the best player on the floor for the Detroit Pistons in their 106-93 win over the previously unbeaten Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. He had 26 points and eight assists, both leading the team, and added eight rebounds. No surprise there. But if you were going to ask me who the star of the game was for the Pistons, it would be hard to choose.
It’s a testament to the team’s depth and the roster’s unselfishness that so many people contributed in such critical ways against one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. Detroit’s depth was already set to be tested as starters Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson missed the game with injuries. Sixth man Isaiah Joe left the game tonight after suffering a tailbone contusion four minutes into his first on-court action.
The loss of Detroit’s best interior scorer, best perimeter defender, and second-best 3-point threat, and with all three handling the ball quite a bit for the Pistons, meant everyone else needed to play to the top of their abilities.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Pistons got it done. So who was the star?
You could say it was Duncan Robinson, who hit five three-pointers, including several when the Sixers were flirting dangerously close to getting fully back into the game. You could argue it was Daniss Jenkins, who never saw a clutch shot he didn’t want to take (and make). He scored 18 points and added eight rebounds and six assists. He hit three of his four three-pointers, including one in the final minutes that put the game out of reach for good.
Looking beyond the box score, you could say it was Ron Holland. He played 23 minutes off the bench and only made two of his nine field goals. But he played absolutely ferocious defense all night. None better than when he was matched up one-on-one against Jaylen Brown, whom he had in absolute jail several times in the critical fourth quarter.
It seemed like it might be a laugher early as the Sixers didn’t seem to have it in them as they were playing their third game in four nights. The Pistons were up 21 early, but the Sixers made a 9-0 run to end the second quarter, and from then on it felt like Detroit was just trying to survive.
They scuffled on offense for long stretches, but they could almost always rely on their defense. Brown was 5-of-20 on the night, and Tyrese Maxey was 11-of-24. It would have been much worse, but he turned it on in the second half, scoring 23 of his 29 points in the second half.
The Sixers were able to cut it to five, but the Pistons somehow always had an answer. I think they might be good.
Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler made his return to Salt Lake City to take on his former team, the Utah Jazz on Sunday, Oct. 25, as the Lakers produced a 132-123 victory at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Kessler had fit in nicely through his first two games for Los Angeles, averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and four blocks. It had been a welcome sight for a franchise in search of a quality big man in recent years.
Here’s how Kessler reacted to his return back to Utah:
Walker Kessler on return for game vs. Utah Jazz
After the game against the Jazz, Kessler admitted that the return did impact him a bit.
He finished with just two points after making just one of his two shot attempts in 28 minutes. He had six of his seven total rebounds come on defense.
"I think going into the game I let my emotions get the best of me,” Kessler said. “But you have to learn in those moments and move on. I’m just glad we got the win tonight … even though it wasn’t my best night I really appreciate (my teammates.)"
Kessler spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Jazz, but was limited to just five games last season due to a left shoulder labral tear.
“Obviously, Utah was the first four years of my career,” Kessler said. “It’s a special place for me. Kind of jumpstarted my career, you know, a lot of good memories.”
The injury required season-ending surgery in November 2025.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office made a trade for Kessler. He signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension after he was traded to Los Angeles. The Lakers had to give up two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030) with the Jazz.
Maybe it's time to keep hockey at the rink downtown.
Ten years after their 3-0 shutout loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field, the Winnipeg Jets nearly found a way to repeat some not-so-favourable history. Save for a late-third period goal from Isak Rosen, the Jets nearly pitched another donut at home outside.
Ultimately, Winnipeg dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Montreal Canadiens from Princess Auto Stadium in the 2026 Heritage Classic on Sunday evening.
“It was a spectacular spectacle," captain Adam Lowry said of the event. "It takes you back to youth hockey, it takes you back to growing up when you fell in love with the game. Obviously a disappointing result, but I thought the NHL and Winnipeg fans did a great job making it another great event.”
Photo by Danny Truong/Game On Magazine
The Jets had 10 years to figure it out, but were unable to find a win outside. At least this time around they got a goal... Maybe, just maybe, hockey at the football field isn't in the cards for Winnipeg.
And after a 4-1-1 start, the Jets have now lost five-straight games and six of their last seven.
On Sunday, Montreal came out as the quicker team off the opening puck drop, and put up the first three shots on goal. But the visitors slowed down as the period wore on. The Jets had two quality chances on a mid-period power play but failed to capitalize.
The Habs' best chance in the frame came off an Alex Newhook breakaway, but the Canadiens' forward completely missed the net on his chance.
Thanks to their push near the end of the frame, the Jets actually pulled ahead 10-8 on the shot chart through 20 minutes of play.
The middle stanza began right where it left off for Montreal. This time it was Cole Caufield who missed the net on an early-period breakaway feed from Juraj Slafkovsky.
But the visitors' luck finally struck as defensive phenom Lane Hutson found the first goal of the game on a net-front tap-in, bringing the red clad visiting fans to their collective feet within the stadium. The goal from Hutson knotted the shots up at elevens.
Kaiden Guhle doubled Montreal's lead on a long-range shot from the point, which once again tied the shot totals at 13s. The goal came at 11:04 of the period, given the Jets roughly half a game to find two goals.
“It was a pretty cool experience," said new guy, Dawson Mercer. "Definitely a weird situation to be thrown into but honestly a pretty special one that I’ll cherish. Obviously, the outcome is not what we wanted, but overall nice to get going with the guys right away, and then build off it from here.”
Despite a decent first period, the Jets were slow, uncreative and not particularly precise through 40 minutes of play. On top of that, Winnipeg was the only team to have been awarded a power play through the second period - and they were given two. They didn't do much on either opportunity.
The teams exchanged chances in the third, with Isak Rosen finding his first of the season off a cross-ice feed from Gabe Vilardi. The goal gave life to the home crowd of 32,343, as Winnipeg pulled within one with 4:24 to play.
So, after 115 minutes of goalless hockey at their stadium, the Jets finally woke up.
Then, with 1:32 to play, Josh Anderson took a tripping penalty, sending Winnipeg to its fourth power play of the day. But once again the Jets had no gas in the tank with the man advantage.
And for the second time in 3,654 days, the Jets were outscored in a home Heritage Classic. They made their way back to their makeshift dressing room losers by way of a 2-1 final.
Skinner turned aside 19 of the 21 shots fired his way by Montreal, while Jacob Fowler made 34 stops on the 35 shots he faced on the night. Winnipeg finished 0/4 on the power play, with Montreal successfully killing each penalty it took.
Next up for Winnipeg is a Tuesday night affair with the Florida Panthers from Canada Life Centre, before the Jets hit the road for four-straight through next week.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 25: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Javonte Green #31 of the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So much for 82-0.
The Sixers dropped their first game of the season 106-93 to the Detroit Pistons Sunday night.
Tyrese Maxey found his footing in the second half, leading the Sixers with 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting. He bumped heads with John Collins late in the game and hopefully avoided any injury. LeBron James also couldn’t sustain his pushes for long enough, finishing with 18 points and five assists shooting 8-of-15 from the floor.
Jaylen Brown was one of many to have his worst game of the young season, shooting 5-of-20 from the floor for his 16 points along with four rebounds and four assists. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26.
Joel Embiid was expectedly ruled out with plantar fasciitis management. VJ Edgecombe was ruled out later in the day with an abdominal contusion. Jabari Walker was also inactive after tweaking his knee against Milwaukee, along with Dominick Barlow who remains on the shelf. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson were out for Detroit.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
41 year-old LeBron James taking (and winning) the jump ball. What a world we live in.
Maxey took three of the Sixers’ first four shots of the night, good looks from in and outside the paint, but they rimmed out. Detroit had plenty of misses to run out on and get off to a 15-1 start to the game. Paul Reed grabbed two early offensive rebounds and putbacks over the Sixers’ committee of centers. The Pistons grabbed the first seven rebounds of the game.
In fact, the Sixers’ first two rebounds of the game were credited as team rebounds. The first Sixer to record one was Dean Wade, who scooped up a blocked Brown layup and dished it to KCP for their first field goal of the game. Nick Nurse quickly subbed Adem Bona into the game to try to get some height in there.
The offense looked just as ugly early. LeBron earned his first sarcastic cheer from the Philadelphia crowd after he finally made his first three throw. James started the night 0-of-3 from the charity stripe.
Labaron Philon Jr. got early minutes again, but this time they were planned as opposed to filling in for an injury the night before. His first play of the game was a drive-and-kick to an open LeBron in the corner but the shot didn’t fall. Philon scored his first NBA points with a transition floater and missed a more contested look on the next possession. He challenged former Sixer Isaiah Joe at the rim and ended up on a poster. Joe took a nasty fall on the dunk but was able to remain in the game for the time being.
Philon also threw a lob to Bona, who was having his best stretch of the young season, pulling down six rebounds in the quarter. They even got a particularly strong defensive possession from Philon guarding Daniss Jenkins, and it was capped off by Anfernee Simons blocking the jumper to force a shot clock violation. The Sixers really could have put a run together had Wade been able to make an open three or two. To make matters more difficult, a shooting foul that would have sent Brown to the line got overturned to an offensive foul via challenge. Simons was able to get a layup in right before the buzzer, which cut the Pistons’ lead to 12 after the opening quarter.
Second Quarter
Brown made a three off the catch, but none of his shot attempts off the dribble looked good at all, few of them looked close to going in. Maxey, still scoreless to this point, was also getting bottled up on his drives. The Sixers were lucky to score five points over the first four minutes of the quarter and the Pistons being unable to extend their lead.
Defensively the Sixers kept looking better, three stocks helped them keep the Pistons scoreless for over three minutes and without a field goal for over five. Only getting two more points from Maxey at the line, the Sixers didn’t come close to stringing together a run to get back in it. They were struggling from beyond the arc again, making only three of their first 11 three-point attempts.
Maxey finally got his first field goal of the night running out of a miss for a fast break layup and was able to get into the paint for a floater on the following possession. The Sixers were even struggling from the free throw line in this one though. Brown split each of his first three trips to the line.
In the first quarter, a lot of the Pistons’ damage came from the Sixers’ inability to stop Cunningham. He only had three points in the second though. The Pistons’ role players were just not being challenged enough and got plenty of open jumpers. It’s one thing to get cooked by one of the best players in the league, but the display in the second was far less encouraging.
With that being said, a mini-LeBron heater to end the half was enough to keep the Sixers within striking distance and get the crowd back into the game. After a half of missed layups he finally made a couple going downhill. It also helped that Wade finally saw a three go down. The Sixers were able to force a steal at midcourt and got the ball up to James for one last layup before the buzzer, keeping Detroit’s lead still at 12 at the half.
Three straight LeBron James buckets brings the Sixers back to within 12 at halftime pic.twitter.com/w9HbtmPP8f
The Sixers carried that momentum through the break. Brown got his hands on a pass that landed out of bounds to force a turnover on the first possession, leading to another banked in layup from LeBron. On the next possession James kicked to an open Brown in the corner for a three. Two more baskets and a turnover cut the lead down to five and forced the Pistons to call a timeout two minutes into the half.
With Duren and even Thompson out, the Pistons were similarly shallow at the center position. They were also using a small-ball look with John Collins when Reed was on the bench. It was pretty big then when Bball Paul picked up his fourth foul early in the third. The Pistons had already used both of their challenges in the first half to remove fouls from Cunningham and Reed.
The way this Sixers team gets their hands on the ball and rips it away from their opponents makes them really fun watch. Two more steals helped them keep clawing, but Cunningham found his groove again. He knocked down a pair of threes that halted the Sixers’ momentum.
Despite Cunningham going to the bench, the Pistons were able to hold the Sixers at an arms’ length. Philly’s offense stagnated again when they created less transition opportunities. Free throws continued to haunt the Sixers as Brown split another pair, bringing the team to 57% from the stripe.
A Philon three looked like a glimmer of hope, but sloppy mistakes cost the Sixers that momentum. Brown dribbled his way into a couple double teams, and Bona gave a rebound right back to the Pistons trying to throw it underhand. Brown was at least able to find Bona in the dunker spot on their final possession of the quarter, cutting Detroit’s lead to nine.
Fourth Quarter
The reserves continued to pick up bumps and bruises. KCP came up favoring his forearm after fighting through a couple screens and immediately called for a timeout to get subbed out of the game and head back to the locker room. He returned to the bench after a couple minutes and was able to check back into the game.
The injury didn’t immediately hamper the Sixers though. After Maxey got to the line, Bona timed up his first putback of the year for a big dunk. Maxey then hit a tough stepback in the paint and blew by everyone for a slam of his own. The building was deafening again as James and Brown checked back into the game in the process of Bball Paul giving the fans free chicken.
Any time the Pistons could keep the Sixers offense in the halfcourt, it would turn into ugly possessions that ended in a lot of midrange jumpers. The Sixers compounded the issue when the refs missed an and-1 call on Maxey. KCP got T’d for his disagreement, giving away a point the Sixers desperately couldn’t afford.
LeBron got to the basket, and was also found in the dunker spot after a good possesion of ball movement, once again making it an eight-point game with the Sixers running out of time. They got a couple stops, but put together an ugly possession resulting in a KCP layup that didn’t come close.
The game had to be momentarily stopped when Maxey bumped heads with Collins, making both players have to come off the floor for a possession. The Sixers fumbled two chances at a defensive rebound, eventually falling to Kevin Huerter who dished to Jenkins for the dagger three. This game was frustratingly winnable, but the Sixers never played well enough to come away with it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were without Jalen Williams for most of last year as the star wing battled wrist and hamstring injuries that limited him to only 33 games and caused him to miss most of the playoffs. Williams loomed as one of this year’s most interesting players entering this year, and threatened to make the Thunder the team to beat for the 2027 championship race if he could regain his top form.
Now the Thunder are likely looking at another long absence for Williams after he left the floor on a stretcher in their third game of the season. OKC beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 108-101, on Sunday night, but Williams’ gruesome injury is the bigger story.
Late in the fourth quarter, Williams landed awkwardly after a drive to the basket, and his ankle appeared to bend the wrong way. He was carried off the court on a stretcher, and gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken to the locker room. Watch the play here — but you might want to skip this one if you’re squeamish.
Jalen Williams has suffered a serious ankle injury, and they are bringing out the stretcher
Williams had eight points in 32 minutes before the injury. Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 34 points in the win, but for now the focus will be on Williams’ recovery.
Jalen Williams’ injury brought SGA to tears
Gilgeous-Alexander continued to be emotional when talking about Williams’ injury in his post-game interview.
It goes without saying that the Thunder aren’t the same team when Williams is injured. At 25 years old, he’s one of the best two-way wings in the league. He already helped the Thunder win the 2025 NBA championship, and his return to the lineup had OKC thinking about raising another banner.
Let’s hope Williams can fully recover from this injury.
Former Buffalo Sabres goalie James Reimer is officially set to play his 17th season in the NHL.
This is because the former Sabres goalie has signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the New York Rangers for the 2026-27 season.
Reimer landing this contract from the Rangers comes after he signed a PTO with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He impressed during his PTO with Hartford, as he put together a 35-save shutout against the Providence Bruins during his lone start with the AHL club on Oct. 23.
With that, it is entirely understandable that the Rangers have signed Reimer. They needed another goalie with Igor Shesterkin done for the season and Joonas Korpisalo out multiple weeks. Now, Reimer will give New York a veteran to back up rookie Dylan Garand for the time being.
Reimer appeared in 14 games last season with the Ottawa Senators, where he recorded a 7-4-2 record, an .886 save percentage, and a 2.42 goal-against average. This was after he had a 10-8-2 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.90 goals-against average in 22 games with the Sabres during the 2024-25 season.
The Knicks squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and suffered an ugly 111-102 defeat Sunday night at the Garden to the short-handed Magic.
Jalen Brunson again failed down the stretch — just like in the home opener against the 76ers — and shouldered the blame as one of only two starters who spoke to reporters afterward.
“Not happy,” the captain said. “Plain and simple.”
Brunson was aggressive but missed 16 of his 28 shots and was off all around — 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, 3-for-6 from the free-throw line. He also committed a costly turnover with about two minutes remaining, lowlighting an overall sloppy evening from the Knicks.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) goes up for a shot as Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) defends during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
On defense, the Knicks were carved up by forward Franz Wagner, who scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. The German finished one assist shy of a triple-double.
The Knicks were outscored by 19 points in the final nine minutes, mostly because they couldn’t get a stop.
“Giving up 40 points in the fourth quarter is way too much,” head coach Mike Brown said.
The Knicks now are the first defending champions to start 0-3 since the 2011-12 Mavericks. A loss Tuesday against the Pistons would match the 1969-70 Celtics as the only defending champs to start 0-4.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) goes up for a shot as Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) defends during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
“Everyone can say it’s early in the season. We can use that as an excuse, but I think the one thing I see is when we get those runs and start to look like the team that we did in the past, we get comfortable,” Brunson said. “So we have to continue to put our foot on the gas and execute like we did last year. And we’re not going to be the same as last year. That’s just human nature. But we have to accept this part of the journey and find a way to be better. Hopefully, after a couple games, we can look back and say we grew from that.”
Brunson’s struggles weren’t isolated to him Sunday. Mikal Bridges continued his start to forget with just six points, and the Knicks were outscored by 23 points over Bridges’ 35 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns (22 points, 14 rebounds) played well offensively, but the collective defense was a problem.
“Biggest thing is I will continue to coach them and tell them the truth,” Brown said. “We’ve got to continue trying to embrace the little things. And we’ve got to make sure we’re doing it in practice so it has carryover in the games. I’ll really jump their ass if I see the effort not there. To me, that’s a whole different thing. If we’re trying and trying the right way, sometimes you’ve got to fight through stuff like this to get yourself on track. Our crap stinks; it does. We’re the only ones that can do something about it.
“There’s no light switch that we can just turn on and think we’re going to go win ballgames. Nobody is going to give us any of that. We have to be better with the little things until we start shooting the ball well.”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts on the court during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
The Magic entered 0-2 and without top player Paolo Banchero, who sat with an ankle sprain.
The Knicks pounced. They scored the first 12 points and held the Magic scoreless for almost five minutes, a stretch that was interrupted when OG Anunoby trucked Wendell Carter Jr. for a flagrant foul.
A couple of hours later, the Knicks folded.
Adversity arrived faster than expected.
“One thing I’ve said during training camp and to this day is we’re going to see who we are within the first couple weeks of the season,” Brunson said. “And we’re seeing adversity. So how are we going to respond?”
The Florida Panthers picked up a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller played a major role in the Panthers' victory, as he had a clutch moment.
At the 17:37 mark of the third period, Eller scored his first goal as a Panther to give Florida their 3-2 lead. With this, the former Canadiens forward scored the Panthers' game-winning goal to get them two points.
Eller's goal was a good one, too, as he beat Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight with a perfectly placed wrist shot on the rush.
With this goal, Eller now has six points in 12 games this season with the Panthers. This was after the former Canadiens forward posted five goals and 15 points in 68 games last season with the Ottawa Senators.
The Panthers signed Eller to a one-year, $850,000 contract in free agency this offseason. So far, the move is benefiting the Panthers early on. Now, the former Habs center will be aiming to keep this kind of play up from here.
Eller spent six seasons with the Canadiens from 2010-11 to 2015-16, where he posted 71 goals, 83 assists, and 154 points.
The New York Knicks led by eight points with 8:40 left Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. Then the defending NBA champions watched another one slip away.
The Orlando Magic closed on a 33-16 run to beat the Knicks, 111-102, dropping New York to 0-3. The Knicks are the first defending NBA champions to lose their first three games since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.
Those Mavericks lost their opener to the Miami Heat, the team they had beaten in the Finals six months earlier. Then they dropped games to Denver and Oklahoma City before beating Toronto.
Orlando did it without its best player. Paolo Banchero sat out with an ankle injury, and Jonathan Isaac was also out.
The Magic made 18 3-pointers. The Knicks made nine on 38 attempts.
Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points on 12-of-28 shooting. OG Anunoby added 22. Orlando's bench outscored New York's 47-11.
Franz Wagner had 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Magic. Tristan da Silva added 19.
The Magic also had been winless coming into the game.
The close losses keep piling up for the Knicks. They lost by six to Philadelphia and four at Boston, where Jayson Tatum scored 36 and hit the 3-pointer with 30.3 seconds left that ended it.
Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams had to be taken off the court on a stretcher Sunday night following a nasty fall, which looked to me on the replay like his knee bent awkwardly under his full weight, although some reports out of the arena suggested it was more of an ankle injury. Either way, it looked like it could end his season three games in.
"Those are tough, man. We're not doing great," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said from the podium postgame.
"He just loves playing. He loves the competition. That's who he is," an emotional Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I have no doubt he'll be back better than before."
The injury occurred with 1:14 left in the game, when Williams made an aggressive drive to the rim and was met there by Derrick Jones Jr. in front and Kris Dunn in back. Williams went down at an angle, about to land on his back, but his left leg curled back under him and then was bent at an angle knees don't bend. Dunn was called for a foul on the play.
Williams stayed on the ground for several minutes, with teammates around him, and the entire arena fell silent. Williams was lifted onto a stretcher, and as he was taken out of the arena, some in the crowd started chanting "J-Dub" and he gave two thumbs up.
Williams played in just 33 games last season, largely due to a hamstring injury, and was incredibly limited in the playoffs. His return to health — averaging 16.5 points a game so far this season — was one of the reasons the Thunder were considered a title favorite.
The Thunder did get the win, 108-101, but nobody in Oklahoma City is celebrating. Everyone's thoughts are with J-Dub.
Always threatening | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Islanders hung with the Stars in Dallas for two periods, erasing three one-goal deficits before Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson pulled the Stars away with two goals in a 5:35 span early in the third period.
Matthew Schaefer, Kyle Palmieri and Brayden Schenn got the Islanders goals to tie the game at various points, following frustrating sequences or bad bounces that put the Isles in a hole. They showed defensive cracks all night that the Stars consistently exploited.
The Stars got on the board after the Islanders were buzzing in the Dallas zone and Jake Oettinger was without his stick. That made it sting all the more that Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were allowed to counter the other way with a 2-on-1. Seguin shot instead of passing back, and I’m still not sure how his shot found a hole in Ilya Sorokin.
After Schaefer tied it on a rush and neat short-side shot over Oettinger, Schenn coughed up the puck behind the Islanders net to allow Robertson to come around and score point blank for his first of two goals on the night.
And after Kyle Palmieri tied it early in the second on the rebound of a heavy bounce off the end boards, the Stars got a similar bounce to allow Justin Hryckowian to regain the lead, 3-2, on a power play with Logan Stanley in the box.
Schenn’s equalizer on a nice feed from Anthony Duclair from behind the net, with 2:15 left in the middle period, was the last of the Isles’ scoring.
They went into the third on a high note after that equalizer, but again the Stars exposed and took advantage of them. What started as an odd-man rush became good zone possession that got the Islanders mixed up, allowing Johnston a free look in the slot to give the Stars the lead and ultimate game winner.
Then Robertson got his second of the game on a clearcut breakaway, with Adam Pelech and Tony DeAngelo in no position to prevent him after Bo Horvat was stripped while trying to split the Stars D.
Mikko Rantanen, who didn’t have Alex Romanov to shove into the boards this meeting, finished things off at 13:02.
Up Next
The road trip continues Tuesday night in Nashville, with a similar .500-ish team in the Predators.
Williams' injury occurred after an awkward landing under the basket with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. The Thunder earned a 108-101 victory over the Clippers.
A team official was seen coming over to place a towel over Williams’ leg as he was quickly attended to by an athletic trainer. The tone immediately changed in the arena as members of both teams began to turn away, while Thunder players could be seen getting emotional over the scene.
The crowd was heard chanting "JDub" before the 25-year-old All-Star was carted off the court on a stretcher. He was seen giving two thumbs up to the fans in the arena.
Williams won a championship with the Thunder in 2025 and was named to the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive second team for the 2024-25 season.
"I just feel bad for him," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said while fighting tears in his postgame interview. "... We just got to hold the fort down until he comes back."
Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 34 points and added six rebounds and five assists, was among those visibly shaken on the court at the sight of Williams' injury.
Williams went up for a dunk at the 1:15 mark in the fourth quarter and was fouled by Clippers Kris Dunn, who came in hard from behind while Derrick Jones Jr. was guarding Williams underneath.
Dunn was called for a personal foul that was upgraded to a flagrant 1 after an official review. Gilgeous-Alexander made both free throws.
OH NO 💔
Jalen Williams suffers a serious lower-leg injury after an awkward landing.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was asked for the status of injured players on Sunday night, including Williams. Daigneault stated that Williams' injury "speaks for itself."
“Those are tough, man," Daigneault said when talking about the feeling in the locker room. "We’re not doing great.”
Thunder guard Cason Wallace (left shoulder soreness) and forward Jaylin Williams (right wrist soreness) also suffered injuries in the contest. Both players left the game in the first quarter and did not return.
Mark Daigneault on Jalen Williams: “Those are tough, man. We’re not doing great.” pic.twitter.com/3yOwhmNkAz
The coach thanked the fans for their support of Williams and chanting his name after the injury.
“I think anybody that's in the arena can empathize with that," Daigneault said. "So appreciate our fans for doing so.”
Daigneault stated that the team will come together on Monday, Oct. 26 as a team to be there for one another as they continue to process the tough situation.
Williams was limited to just 33 regular-season games and five playoff appearances during the 2025-26 season as he recovered from two wrist surgeries and suffered multiple hamstring strains.
Williams has dealt with lower body injuries throughout his career, including ankle injuries in 2024 and hip injuries in early 2025. He also had a previous wrist injury in 2023.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 25: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks confronts Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic after committing a flagrant foul during the first quarter of the game at Madison Square Garden on October 25, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The world champion Knicks (0-3) hosted the Magic (1-2) at Madison Square Garden. The victory seemed almost assured, given that Orlando was playing without their star, Paolo Banchero, and the champs were feeling—let’s not say desperate, but certainly eager to notch one in the win column. Their terrible shooting from the lines—the three-point arc and free-throw line—let the guests stay close all night, and faulty fourth quarter defense sank our heroes, 111-102.
As with most stories, this one started differently than it ended. Making half their shots, the Knicks dropped ten unanswered points to start the game while the Disney’s missed their first eight attempts from the field. Frustrations boiled over when OG Anunoby plowed over screening Wendell Carter, Jr. After the barking teams were separated, Anunoby received a flagrant-one foul. That started a run, with four points by Anthony Black to halve the lead. This was Black’s season debut, after missing time due to injury.
Temperatures rising after OG Anunoby collided with Wendell Carter Jr! 🍿
Coach Mike Brown was determined to deploy all of his offensive weapons. Karl-Anthony Towns facilitated the offense to start the game, Jalen Brunson took the reins on the next possession, and then OG Anunoby had a chance to penetrate with the ball, kicking out to Josh Hart on the far side. They tried that last play a seccond time to lesser effect, but it smacked of a one that they intend to make a fixture of their repertoire.
Towns sat at the midway mark after fouling Franz Wagner on a screen. Andre Drummond (4 PTS, 3 RBS, 7 MIN) relieved him. The Knicks misfired repeatedly from deep, but stayed ahead by dominating in the paint and on fast breaks. With the Magic stumbling and bumbling, the homers went up by 12 before finishing the quarter, 28-21.
KAT was at it again to start the second, laying out Jamal Cain on a screen for another foul. Love the player, hate the goofs. That brought Drummond back out. Reunited with the Magic, veteran Nikola Vučević laced a triple and led a comeback to tie the game. Tyler Kolek saw extended time because Jose Alvarado sat out with a sprained ankle. Kolek played hard, if not necessarily well.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs took a rebound coast-to-coast, dribbling past four defenders for a waltz to the cup. With such whimsical resistance, we understood why James Wiseman got the call two minutes later. Luckily, the Floridians were too sloppy to make serious headway against New York’s general mediocrity, and back-to-back buckets by Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet helped preserve the advantage.
Once or twice in the half, Josh Hart secured a rebound and rifled it long to a racing teammate for an advantage at the other end. His usual receiver, BFF Brunson, scored to give the hosts a seven-point lead deep in the period. That sequence is a crowd pleaser and, with Jalen’s ability to finish at the rim, almost guaranteed points. Meanwhile, Wiseman played well in his limited appearance, with a board, a block, and defensive intensity in the paint. Could there be a little Mitchell Robinson in that fella? If you squint?
You’d expect the team with a 28-12 advantage in the paint, twice as many offensive rebounds (8-4), and half their opponent’s turnovers (10-5) would have quite a lead by halftime, but the world champs were only up 52-48 at intermission. Orlando’s deep shooting (42%) was much better than New York’s (25%), to the tune of about 18 points. The Knicks’ offense stalled in the second quarter, making just nine of 29 shots after shooting 52% in the first. Extra possessions kept them afloat, but a better team would have really given them the bootheel. Through the half, Black led all scorers with 12. KAT had 11.
Out of the break, our heroes were led by Brunson and Towns, riding nine unanswered points to a 10-point lead. Towns blocked Wagner at the rim, and Orlando shot themselves in the sneaker with consecutive turnovers by Carter and Richardson, plus an offensive foul and technical for Carter. However, the game swung again on two bad passes by Towns, a charge by Hart, and two blanks by Bridges.
We figured Desmond Bane might receive more touches after halftime. The walking muscle helped keep Orlando within reach, assisting Jase Richardson’s (no relation) opening three and Carter’s jumper before adding a pull-up jumper and his own three. That three followed a Towns turnover and capped a quick 6–0 response that trimmed New York’s lead to four. He also committed a turnover and fouled Anunoby for two free throws, finishing his stint with five points and two assists. Tristan Da Silva shot fireballs off the bench, contributing a quick eight points, and Black’s trey brought Orlando within one. Kolek steadied the Knicks with assists on a Towns layup and Hart’s three, restoring a 75-69 cushion. But Vooch’s hook at the buzzer brought the score to 75-71 as we steered into the fourth.
Tristan da Silva has a team-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 5-of-8 from deep.
Towns, Anunoby, and Kolek synergized in the final frame, with the two starters passing the 20-point mark and Kolek dishing nine dimes (and no turnovers). After Kolek fouled Wagner at the hoop, Brunson replaced him with about eight minutes left. Meanwhile, Anunoby scored five-straight points, but Wiseman fouled Wagner, too, giving the German two freebies that completed an 11-point swing. Franz had 15 points and counting in the fourth alone, and the Disneys took their first lead of the night.
Hart answered at the other end. During an important stretch in the middle of the period, Mike Brown went with Brunson, Shamet, Bridges, Hart, and Wiseman. Drummond had yet to see the court in the second half. Read into that what you will. At the same time, the Knicks were shooting a woeful 8-of-33 after Hart missed two more threes.
Needing an offensive injection, Brown sent Towns back in, and he attacked the rim against the Magic’s smaller frontcourt. Bane delivered the bigger shot, however: a 26-footer that put his squad up 94-91 with under five remaining. Jalen Brunson missed his sixth attempt from deep, Black made one for a six-point lead, and what should have been a routine win looked anything but with three minutes left.
After a timeout, Brunson and Wagner traded buckets, then Cap threw the ball away. Suggs charged the basket at the other end and popped something in his knee. He was helped to the locker room. Prayers up for him.
Brunson missed a pair of free throws, Anunoby missed two, as well, and the hosts trailed by 10 with 1:21 left. Cap scored seven points in the final minute, but Orlando made their free throws and New York couldn’t catch up. Ballgame.
Up Next
Mo’s in the lab, perfecting a recap. Detroit visits NYC on Tuesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 02: Alexander Nikishin #21 of the Carolina Hurricanes hits Nic Dowd #26 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The long process is finally over, the Carolina Hurricanes finally were able to get Alexander Nikishin to agree to a contract. The deal will pay the defenseman $3 million for the 2026-27 season and it is just for a single season.
This is considerably less then what Nikishin originally wanted, (reportedly $8 to 9 million annually). It is also much less than the offer that the Canes supposedly, originally put on the table, a long term deal worth $6 million a year. (This is an unconfirmed rumor)
All the rumors mean nothing at this point. For all we know, the Canes could have originally offered $3 million a year and stayed hard on that number. They had no reason to offer more, since the team held all the cards. And that would make a valid reason for the defenseman to hold out, at least for a short time anyway.
But with the success of the team right now, along with the quality of work from Mike Reilly and Juuso Valimaki, the team certainly had no incentive to offer more.
So here we are. Will the Russian play with 100% effort when called upon? His future pay will depend upon it.
Will the coaching staff even give him a chance? Will they play him at all? Will they tell him to rehab and get in game shape in Chicago? At this point he is an asset, at least he is under contract. But if he plays and improves, he could become a more valuable asset.
Not that it mattered in the past with Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The coaching staff didn’t try to improve his value with some playing time last season. Keep in mind that the only reason Kotkaniemi is playing now is because of injury and they need him. Otherwise, he would probably still be sitting in the pressbox, behind Nicolas Deslauries on the depth chart. His value as an asset is certainly much higher now than it was when the season started.
People are frustrated with Nikishin but before everyone gives up on him, there are a few things to remember.
He has good size, has a long reach, and breaks up plays with his stick well.
He has the hardest slap shot on the team, which is valuable on the powerplay.
He had the highest number of hits per 60 minutes played on the blueline last season. He came in third of the top six defensemen with blocked shots per 60 minutes played. He was not a pylon out there.
Even though some folk discount the value of the plus/minus stat, he had the best plus/minus on the team, at least showing that he was not the weakest link on the defense.
He was selected to the NHL’s all rookie team, so some people around the league thought he was pretty good.
There is no reason to believe that he will not improve the above numbers, given a chance and more minutes. If that happens in Carolina, we will see.
Here is the team’s press release:
RALEIGH, NC – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Alexander Nikishin to a one-year contract. The deal will pay Nikishin $3 million for the 2026-27 season.
“We’re glad that Alexander is returning to our group,” said Tulsky. “This has been a long process, but we look forward to him re-entering our locker room ready to contribute with the Hurricanes, as he did during a Stanley Cup championship season last year.”
About Alexander Nikishin:
The 25-year-old was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2025-26, after ranking second among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (11) and points (33) and tied for second in assists (22).
Led rookie NHL defensemen and ranked second among all rookie skaters in plus/minus (+18) during the 2025-26 season.
Appeared in 17 playoff games for the Hurricanes in 2026, earning one assist and helping Carolina capture the Stanley Cup.
Spent six season the KHL with Spartak Moskva and SKA St. Petersburg prior to joining the Hurricanes, totaling 177 points (54g, 123a) and 166 penalty minutes in 288 regular-season games.
Established a record for single-season scoring by a Russian-born KHL defenseman in 2022-23, leading all KHL defensemen with 55 points (11g, 44a) in 65 games, and then broke his own record the following season, again leading all KHL defensemen with 56 points (17g, 39a) in 67 contests.
Was the youngest player representing Russia at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, capturing a silver medal.
Selected by the Hurricanes in the third round, 69th overall, at the 2020 NHL Draft.
