The Milwaukee Bucks… got gored… by the Chicago Bulls tonight, falling in their final home preseason game before the regular season tips off next week. Kam Jones led the Bucks in scoring with 23 points, while Brayden Burries and Kasparas Jakucionis finished with 19 and 18, respectively. Matas Buzelis starred for the Bulls with 19 points. Green, Rollins, Turner, Jaquez, Trent, Porter, Kuzma, and Herro did not suit up.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks marched out a starting lineup of Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, Ousmane Dieng, Pete Nance, and Jericho Sims. Jakucionis picked up two quick fouls, leading to Cormac Ryan hitting the floor and scoring the first points for the Bucks after a 9-0 Bulls run (a corner three, set up by Burries). That was his first of three assists in the opening stanza, helping the Bucks go on a 10-0 run and get right back in the game. Burries also stole the ball from Caleb Wilson later in the first quarter, keeping his motor running high. The same wasn’t true for the rest of the team, however, as messy perimeter defence led to the Bulls stringing together a few runs themselves. Milwaukee was down 24-15 after one.

The Bulls brought back their starting lineup to open the second quarter, and for the first four minutes, the Bucks treaded water and kept the deficit within nine. Milwaukee’s offense struggled, though, and the Bulls eventually found their groove, easily out-shooting the Bucks throughout the period. Through two quarters, the Bucks logged 17 turnovers and never looked comfortable, with defensive assignments breaking down or being missed altogether. After losing the offensive rebound battle, the Bucks were left with many one-shot possessions to close out the period, and the score was 62-39 at halftime.

The third quarter saw the Bucks get off to a faster start: Jakucionis nailed a floating and-one jumper on the first possession, followed by a steal and a three from Burries on the next. After a cold streak for the next several minutes, the Bucks started to regain their groove, with Jakucionis showing some creative shot-making, Burries drawing fouls, and the Brewers on a seventh-inning tear (they mentioned it during the broadcast, so count it). Last but not least: Kam Jones finished the quarter leading the team with 17 points on 6/9 shooting (2/5 from deep). Still, the Bucks were down big, 102-78, after three.

Milwaukee continued its steady offensive attack (and non-existent defensive formations) until about halfway through the fourth when both teams went even deeper into their benches. For the Bucks, it felt like an audition for a two-way spot: Cormac Ryan, Johni Broome, Jake Stephens, and Kam Jones would close out the game, along with Bogoljub Markovic. Markovic largely underwhelmed, scoring just one point in his 21 minutes, while Kam Jones made the most of his time, finishing with a team-high 23 points. Jones showed a creative touch while shooting 9/14 from the field. In the end, the home team had a poor showing, even considering who didn’t play.

Stat That Stood Out

30: the number of turnovers committed by the Bucks.

Obscene Overreaction

Despite committing four fouls in four minutes, Kasparas Jakucionis looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands, as did Brayden Burries (once again). While it remains to be seen who the long-term starters are, it is becoming clear that these two players need minutes (even if it is at the expense of veterans). The future is now, and the Bucks need to let Jakucinois and Burries keep getting comfortable.

The Dallas Mavericks (1-2) spent most of Wednesday night’s preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) playing from behind. While the deep reserves eventually made the final few minutes interesting, Dallas could never completely erase an ugly offensive start in a 101-97 preseason loss to the Pelicans.

With Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and several other rotation pieces sitting, Dallas opened with Naji Marshall handling much of the creation alongside Max Christie, Zaccharie Risacher, P.J. Washington and Moussa Cisse. The offense looked disjointed almost immediately. Washington turned the ball over twice in the first two minutes, Risacher missed an early three, and the Mavericks struggled to generate anything consistently in the half-court. Mar Hall gave them some life with seven first-quarter points, including a pull-up three and a late floater, but New Orleans still built a 26-18 lead after one.

Dallas actually played some of its best basketball in the middle of the second quarter. John Poulakidas hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Seth Lundy knocked down another, and Sergio de Larrea created easy looks for the bigs. Cisse scored twice at the rim, including a cutting dunk off a de Larrea assist that brought Dallas within three at 47-44. Instead of carrying that momentum into halftime, the Mavericks completely lost it over the final two minutes. New Orleans closed with a 9-1 run, capped by Bennedict Mathurin scoring through contact with one second remaining, and Dallas suddenly fell behind 56-45 at the break.

The third quarter never really produced the run Dallas needed. Tobi Lawal repeatedly found openings as a cutter, and Risacher finally got on the board with a pair of layups. Still, the Mavericks kept throwing away possessions and missing open threes as New Orleans pushed the lead back into double digits behind Jeremiah Fears, Zion Williamson, and Yves Missi, taking a 75-63 lead into the fourth. Most of the rotation players were done by then, but the end-of-bench group gave Dallas one final push. Law l continued attacking the rim, Poulakidas made shots, and Lundy got aggressive late, cutting a 95-86 deficit with just over three minutes remaining to 98-95 after a Tarik Biberovic three, four straight Lundy free throws, and a Lundy steal and dunk. Poulakidas eventually hit a pull-up jumper with nine seconds left to make it 100-97, but the comeback ran out of time.

Risacher’s rough night

Risacher started again and finished with six points, four rebounds, two steals, and a block in 23 minutes, but shot 3-of-11 from the field and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.

The misses aren’t the biggest issue. Dallas wants him taking those shots. The bigger question is what else he can consistently give them. He had a nice cutting layup and a block in the third, but he still looked uncomfortable on too many possessions when attacking or creating. Dallas does not need Risacher to look like a former No. 1 pick. He needs to become useful. This was not one of those nights.

Larry continues to look interesting

I did not expect to be this interested in de Larrea this quickly. He played 30 minutes and finished with 10 points, six assists, four rebounds, a steal, and two blocks while shooting 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 from deep. The most encouraging part is how comfortable he looks creating for others. He found Moussa Cisse for a dunk late in the second quarter and set up Lawal several times in the second half. There were also mistakes, including four turnovers, but that comes with giving a young guard this much freedom. Dallas desperately needs more ball-handling behind Irving, and de Larrea continues to look more NBA-ready than expected.

Tobi Lawal keeps making things happen

Lawal might have been Dallas’ best player against the Pels. He finished with 16 points on just six shots, went 8-of-8 from the free-throw line and added four rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes. He did most of his damage doing exactly what you want from him: cutting hard, running the floor, and attacking the rim. On a night when New Orleans couldn’t stop him, Lawal gave them easy offense through activity and athleticism.

Broad side of a barn

Dallas attempted 49 threes and made 10. That is 20.4 percent. Risacher went 0-of-7, P.J. Washington went 0-of-4, Caleb Martin went 0-of-4, and Tarik Biberovic went 1-of-9. I don’t actually hate the volume. Dusty May clearly wants this team taking threes. But this is also the downside. When the shots don’t fall, and Irving or Flagg isn’t around to stabilize things, the offense can get ugly fast. Wednesday was a pretty good example of that.

The Suns sat six regulars, hung around for a quarter, and then watched the Spurs pull away at the free-throw line and from deep. San Antonio won 123-103 and dropped Phoenix to 1-3 in the preseason.

The Suns won the paint by 16, but the Spurs went 30-of-35 at the line to Phoenix’s 12-of-15 and made 13 threes to Phoenix’s 7. That’s 36 points from those two spots in a 20-point loss. The bigger concern is Luke Kennard, who left in the second quarter with a left knee injury and did not return.

Ryan Dunn did not miss. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and 3-of-3 at the line, plus 2 blocks in 23 minutes. Jamaree Bouyea also scored 15, going 7-of-11, and handed out 8 assists. Koa Peat and Kennedy Chandler added 10 apiece.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 4 blocks in 23 minutes. Stephon Castle scored 18, and 14 of those came at the line. Carter Bryant added 16 off the bench on 4-of-7 shooting from three.

The Phoenix Suns emptied the bench right from the jump in this one. Devin Booker, Miles Bridges, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, and Oso Ighodaro all sat out.

Game Flow

First Half

It was certainly a slow start for both squads, especially the Spurs. The teams combined to shoot 4-for-21 to begin the game.

The Suns eventually broke out of that and jumped out to a 13-7 lead, led by 9 early points from Jamaree Bouyea and Ryan Dunn.

Duop Reath gave the second unit an immediate jolt. He knocked down 2-of-3 from deep and led Phoenix with 6 points in under five minutes of first-quarter action.

The defense did the heavy lifting early. Phoenix turned 3 Spurs turnovers into 7 points, while San Antonio managed just 2 points off turnovers going the other way. Ryan Dunn added 2 blocks in the frame.

Maluach grabbed 4 rebounds in the first quarter. Wembanyama answered with 6 points, mostly at the rim, including a putback in the final seconds.

The shooting never fully came around. Phoenix went 3-of-11 from three and 9-of-25 overall in the opening 12 minutes. Phoenix led after the first quarter, 23-22.

The second quarter is where it got away from Phoenix, and most of the damage came at the free-throw line.

San Antonio won the frame 38-26. The Spurs shot 12-of-19 from the field and went a perfect 12-of-12 at the line.

The Suns were whistled for nine fouls in the quarter, compared to four for San Antonio, and the Spurs were in the bonus for most of the period. The cold shooting carried over from the first quarter. Phoenix went 0-for-6 from three in the second and finished the half 3-of-17 from deep.

Ryan Dunn was the bright spot. He went 3-for-3 for 7 points in six minutes of the second, and went into the break with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting and 3-of-3 at the line. Jamaree Bouyea also had 11 at the half, along with 5 assists.

We also got a Koa Peat sighting. He went 2-for-2 with a block in just under seven minutes, and he looked comfortable.

The second unit had a rough stretch. Duop Reath was a minus-15 in the quarter, Rasheer Fleming was a minus-10, and Jordan Goodwin and Peat were each a minus-9. Fleming scored 6 points on 3-of-5 shooting but also turned the ball over twice.

Maluach had a quiet second quarter: no rebounds and two fouls in 5:28. Wembanyama went 3-of-4 for 6 points in the period and had 12 at the half.

Luke Kennard injury

The bigger concern came in the second quarter. Luke Kennard went down after attempting a floater and did not return to the floor before halftime. Coach Ott called it a “sore left knee” after the game. We’ll be waiting for more updates as they come.

Kennard played 5:17 in the second quarter before he left. He had 4 points on 2-of-8 shooting and 2 steals in the half. He would not return.

The game was tied six times in the first half, and Phoenix trailed by six with just over a minute left. San Antonio closed on a 7-2 push.

Phoenix trailed at the half, 60-49. Dunn and Bouyea led the Suns with 11 points each, and Castle led all scorers with 16.

Second Half

Neither team brought its full starting group back for long in the second half. Khaman Maluach did not play in the second half. Fox did not play in the third quarter, and Wembanyama, Castle, Vassell, and Harper each logged four to six minutes before handing it over to the Spurs’ reserves.

Wembanyama made those few minutes count. He went 3-for-3 with 7 points and finished a plus-10. San Antonio pushed the lead to 21 at 77-56, its biggest of the night.

Phoenix’s reserves chipped away from there. Koby Brea gave the second unit a spark, hitting both of his threes and scoring 7 points in nine minutes. Haywood Highsmith matched him with 7 on 3-of-3 shooting.

The extra possessions still went San Antonio’s way. The Spurs won the boards 12-6 in the quarter and scored 10 points off 7 Suns turnovers, compared to just 2 points off turnovers for Phoenix. Tarris Reed Jr. did a lot of that dirty work in under eight minutes: 5 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 blocks, and 2 steals.

Duop Reath had a rough frame in the third. He went 0-for-3 from deep and was a minus-10 in just over four minutes.

The Spurs took the third quarter, 32-26. After three, San Antonio led 92-75.

Both benches finished it out. Phoenix’s fourth-quarter group was Kennedy Chandler, Phillip Wheeler, Pat Spencer, Koby Brea, Koa Peat, Rasheer Fleming, CJ Huntley, Duop Reath, and a brief Mark Williams sighting.

Chandler played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter and scored all 10 of his points in it, going 3-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line. He also had 2 blocks. Spencer added 7 in the quarter.

San Antonio’s biggest lead came at 116-91. Ja’Kobi Gillespie did most of that damage, scoring 12 in the fourth on 3-of-5 from deep.

Phoenix closed on a 12-7 run. The final play was the highlight: Peat jumped a passing lane for a steal, and Chandler found Wheeler for a running alley-oop with 14 seconds left.

The Spurs won the fourth quarter 31-28.

Up Next

One last test awaits: the Utah Jazz at home on Friday. It is the final preseason game.

It’s good to see you back, Jalen Duren. The Detroit Pistons big man saw his first action since signing a long-term deal and it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Duren scored 24 points in 15 minutes of action. He was pulverizing the rim as a roll man, explosive in his face-up game, and looked to be a more assured ball handler as he navigated screens and weaved through traffic. He was 8-of-9 from the floor, shot a three(!), which he missed, had two steals, a block, and just one turnover. Not bad for your first competitive game in five months.

Duren was the best of several dominant Pistons performances in the team’s 128-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. After a sluggish first quarter that saw Detroit trail by double digits courtesy of some sloppy turnovers and not getting back on defense, the game flipped from the second quarter on. Suddenly, the Wolves couldn’t buy a basket, and couldn’t do much of anything about Detroit’s ability to get into the paint.

Detroit dominated the paint 64-30 and shot 57% from the floor and 44% from deep. Duncan Robinson was 4-of-5 from three, and John Collins, Ron Holland, and Tolu Smith combined to shoot 11-of-15 from the floor, with, I think, every shot at the rim.

Cade Cunningham had 14 points and nine assists, and I think the most remarkable Cunningham-related thing about this game is how much Cade didn’t handle the ball. The Pistons continued to rely heavily on Ausar Thompson as a ball handler, both bringing the ball up the floor and initiating offense, and Thompson looks much more comfortable in that role so far this preseason than he did last season. Thompson had four assists on the night.

It was good to see some things look easier for Collins, who still looks like he’s trying to find his way within this Pistons offense. It will come with time, as he is a high-level shooter and a player who loves to take advantage of easy looks created by his point guard, and Cade creates plenty of easy looks for teammates.

Isaiah Joe is still struggling. He was 4-of-10 from the field and 1-of-5 from deep. He’s still dribbling the ball a lot, navigating defensive pressure a lot, holding his own, and missing plenty of shots. As with Collins, I choose to believe it will come. He’s been an elite shooter for years. No reason to think that won’t be the case in Detroit.

The Wolves were led by 20 points from Anthnony Edwards, but on just 5-of-15 shooting. He had an incredibly quiet 2.5 quarters before he started to find his offense and Detroit started resting its starters. The Pistons will next play on Friday against the Toronto Raptors, who many are predicting will pass Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings this season. It should be another good test of two good teams.

The Utah Jazz are 2-1 in the preseason as they approach their final exhibition battle with the Phoenix Suns. Of course, that record will be of little significance from the moment this game is finished — we toss the results of the preseason into a massive bonfire on the eve of the regular season. I haven’t gotten your RSVP yet — you’re still coming, right?

The Suns, on the other end, enter this game with a 1-3 record in preseason play, losing their first two matchups against Detroit and Chicago, and a third loss arriving against San Antonio.

Their lone win came at the expense of that same Spurs squad, a team that ran out their reserves from the opening tip against the Utah Jazz, but pushed out their starting lineup in both games against Phoenix. So was the decision to preserve their stars against Utah an effort in espionage? Keeping the matchups a mystery to the upstart Jazz? No Wemby, no Castle, no Harper, no Fox — not a single starter out on the court for the reigning Western Conference champions. A power move? A declaration of superiority?

I wouldn’t say so. Considering how Phoenix has kept their stars — the eternal Sun Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the newly acquired Miles Bridges — on the sidelines, I’d lean more toward an overabundance of caution. The Suns certainly struggled in the second leg of their series with the Spurs.

The Utah Jazz have looked excellent in their first few preseason contests. Keyonte George has grown into a man by his fourth year and is now the steady hand that grips the steering wheel of Will Hardy’s offense. But the engine, wheels, body, and suspension are the remainder of his rotational peers.

Lauri Markkanen hopes to return to All-Star form following a year in which he averaged nearly 27 points per game in 42 appearances.

Jaren Jackson Jr. bolsters the frontcourt behind exceptional defending and a floor-spacing jump shot.

Ace Bailey put on some muscle over the offseason and is picking his spots more effectively in his early playing time off the bench.

And Darryn Peterson, of course, is the piece that could elevate Utah’s ceiling from that of scrappy Play-In fodder to a potential Playoff panic. Playing the Tasmanian Devil and sending a storm through the straightforward Western Conference trail, if Peterson ascends to stardom quickly, it’s hard to imagine any team boasting the defensive versatility to halt the Jazz’s attack.

But for now, the Jazz have the luxury of patience on their side.

Each of George, Markkanen, Jackson, Peterson, and Bailey has three or more years left on their contracts, meaning Utah has already added all the ingredients and can afford to sit comfortably and give their dough some time to rise.

Phoenix, meanwhile, is in win-now mode, whether they’re ready or not.

They’ve traded away far too many first-round picks for comfort, with their most recent exchange sending an unprotected first to Charlotte for a return of Miles Bridges.

Otherwise, this is largely the same 8-seed team in the West, battling to simply remain relevant after already sinking their future for immediate payoff. They’re stuck — no way around it — and they have no choice but to go all-in now. We’ll see how another year of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks works out for Phoenix. Maybe Koa Peat’s fractured jump shot can be repaired in time to contribute this year, or Ryan Dunn can climb out of his slump by recapturing the magic he wielded in the first few weeks of his rookie season.

They were wiped from the face of the earth in a 4-0 sweep at the hands of Oklahoma City last season. The chances of a notably better result in 2027 aren’t high from where I’m watching.

ESPN agrees that Phoenix’s circumstances are dire; they’ve listed the Suns as the number-one most desperate team for wins in the entire NBA. Not good.

We’ll see who makes an on-court appearance in this, Utah’s final preseason game. Either way, it should be a fascinating meeting between a franchise with its whole future ahead of it and another desperate for anything worth believing in.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.

Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. made his preseason debut on Wednesday night and showed why the team believed he was worthy of the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Logging just 18 minutes off the bench against the Miami Heat, Brown scored 15 points (4-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-5 from three) with three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one turnover. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Brown, who shot 34.4 percent from deep across 21 games at Louisville, buried his first shot (a three-pointer) of the game in the first quarter and finished the first half with five points in eight minutes. 

He kept it going in the second half, making his second three-pointer from well beyond the arc with the clock winding down in the third quarter. Later on with the team down 112-103 in the fourth quarter, Brown showed off his athleticism by getting a steal and going the distance for an easy two-handed slam.

Brooklyn ended up falling to Miami, 144-128, for their first loss of the preseason (3-1).

The rookie had missed the team's first three preseason games due to a left sprained ankle and was limited in training camp, but practiced fully over the weekend and participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage Monday, per the New York Post's Brian Lewis.

Now with his feet wet, Brown and the Nets will prepare for the first regular season game in a week against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Mikel Brown Jr.’s first preseason points as a Net! https://t.co/vhaulcrI0x

— SNY Nets (@SNYNets) October 15, 2026

The Miami Heat just hosted the Brooklyn Nets for a final dress rehearsal before the 2026-27 season. For Mikel Brown Jr., it was also a milestone. After sitting out his team’s first three preseason contests with a rolled left ankle, MBJ played his first non-Summer League NBA minutes tonight.

Not to make it all about one guy, but when he’s your highest pick in since 2010 and it’s in a game that doesn’t count, his progression is mainly about what does.

“[We] just want him to play as hard as he can,” Jordi Fernández said pregame. “We’re excited. I’m very excited to see him.”

Be that as it may, Brown Jr. came off the bench tonight. That means our story starts with Julius Randle and the rest of the usual bunch.

Unlike Brooklyn’s last two games, things weren’t so smooth to begin this one. The Nets struggled to get anything going at the offensive end during the game’s opening minutes. As advertised all summer, Miami’s size was difficult to play around, even with Bam Adebayo sitting. The Heat tallied four rejections within the game’s first eight minutes. The Nets began the game 1-of-10 from the field.

At the other end, Day’Ron Sharpe also picked up three quick fouls trying to box out or defend Nick Richards. Let’s just pretend he knew the starters weren’t going be playing a lot of minutes tonight anyway.

Despite all those whistles, the game moved at a breakneck pace in the first as both teams looked to challenge each other on the break. Miami’s Davion Mitchell was especially ruthless in getting baseline to baseline, as was Andrew Wiggins, showing he’s still got it as a cutter.

So, with the ideal environment now established for a guy who can move, shoot, and pass, it was then time to unleash Brown Jr. Nolan Traoré and Chaney Johnson were first off the bench after Wagner’s premature entry for foul-prone Day’Ron Sharpe. Then, with 3:54 to go, Brown Jr. followed along side Noah Clowney.

It took MBJ only two possessions to get on the scoreboard with him making his first attempt of the night. Even with Steph Curry and Dame Lillard having normalized shots like this, I’d argue his first one was a highlight…

For those who watched him last year at Louisville, it shouldn’t have a surprise. Brown Jr. led the NCAA in made 3-pointers from long range, that is deeper than 25 feet sway, doing it 27 times.

It’s worth noting the Nets ran much of the offense through Nolan Traoré while he and Brown Jr. shared the floor in the first, although that likely had more to do with the team’s desire to ease Brown Jr. into the lineup than anything else. Fernández also confirmed pregame that the Nets would watch his minutes tonight. He finished with 18.

Brooklyn continued to trail Miami through the second. While shots started to fall at the other end, the team continued to look out of sync defensively. The Nets were especially putrid in transition, where the Heat got 11 first half points. Giannis Antetokounmpo was also just doing Giannis Antetokounmpo things. He tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 16 first half minutes while shooting 7-of-8 from the field.

The Nets, however, went into the half down only three, largely thanks to a redemptive burst from Sharpe and a handful of tough makes from Michael Porter Jr. Egor Dëmin also got his second drive-by of the preseason on a future Hall of Famer…

Brooklyn went ahead after Dëmin set up Sharpe for an easy floater roughly three and half minutes into the second half. The Nets also did a far better job getting back in transition during that stretch, disrupting what once looked like an automatic source of offense for Miami. Then. Sharpe picked up his fifth foul of the game and a seat on the bench with 6:06 left in the period. Once again playing the unfortunate role of little guys on the basketball court, Brooklyn saw Miami enjoy an 8-0 jolt to jump back in front.

On the bright side, Brown Jr. came back in to drop eight points and three dimes in the third. He didn’t record any turnovers for that quarter or the entire game. The 6’5” Florida (Orlando) native finished with 15 points, two assists, and two steals while shooting 4-7 from the field and 2-5 from downtown … all in 18 very active minutes…

“Yeah, I feel amazing,” Brown told The Post pre-game. “Very exciting because I’ve been waiting and itching to play for the longest to this point. So I’m glad to see all the work is paying off and just continuing to stay on it and remain healthy.

“[I’d been doing] strength work, getting the strength in the ankle back, strengthening the muscles around it. I’ve been attacking it every single day. Just to be able to just go out there and just go play basketball again, it’s going to mean the world.”

After the game, his coach told the media liked what he had seen.

 “(I liked) his pace and how he moves,” said Fernandez. “He looked great. And it’s just the first few minutes. He’s gonna continue to get better & build from there. I love his communication, how engaged he was with his teammates.”

Brooklyn still hung around early in the fourth, helped by Wagner who made his third triple of the game in as many tries. And, down nine with eight to go, they even brought Randle and Porter Jr. back into the game but it was a fruitless.

The Nets simply couldn’t capitalize. Miami’s deep bench, with little left to lose and everything to prove, did. Led by Simone Fontecchio, they quickly put Miami up 16 with roughly six to go.

After that, even Fernández, ever the competitor, had to admit the risk of leaving his starters on the floor wasn’t worth whatever message an undefeated preseason might send. With about five to play, he put Grant Nelson and Drake Powell into the game for their first minutes. They played with Josh Minott, Danny Wolf, and Traoré the rest of the way.

“[The problem was] just defense. I mean, it was a very poor defensive game,” Fernández admitted. “[It’s the] second time that we’ve given up in one half 70 points — 69 in the first half, 75 in the second. That’s unacceptable. And if we want to be a competitive team, we have to play better defense than that.”

The worst of it was easy to spot mainly because it has been a weakness long discussed … rim protection. The Nets were outscored a staggering 62-38 in the paint, allowing 31-of-40 shooting. 

Porter Jr. led the Nets with 27 points while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 4-of-8 from deep, draining one tough shot after another. Dëmin followed with 17 points and three assists while shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep. Randle tied Brown Jr. with 15 points, picking up five assists and five boards in the process. Traoré quietly enjoyed another solid evening with an 12/5/2 line, never relenting in his speed game.

The Nets fell 144-128, but that final score mattered less than everything that came before it. It was another night when the players Brooklyn needed to see thrive did, and that’s all you can ask for in an exhibition. Nobody got hurt, too.

So, while not a perfect preseason in one sense, it was as in another.

Final: Miami Heat 144, Brooklyn Nets 128

Next Up

We’re back (for real) one week from today, with Brooklyn beginning the regular season at home vs the Charlotte Hornets on October 21st. The Nets haven’t won a season opener since the 2020-21 campaign, when a starting lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan smoked the Golden State Warriors by 26 points.

With Kon Knueppel likely out due to a hamstring injury, Brooklyn has a fair shot to break that streak on Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Miami Heat 144, Brooklyn Nets 128 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Miami Heat 144, Brooklyn Nets 128 (Video) – NBA.com
• Nets end preseason on sour note in ugly loss to Heat as defense struggles – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ top 2026 draft pick Mikel Brown Jr. makes long-awaited NBA debut after ankle injury – Brian Lewis – New York Post

There’s some incredibly unfortunate news to report out of Oklahoma City. On Tuesday night, in a preseason overtime contest against the Indiana Pacers, former Kentucky Wildcats star and current OKC Thunder rookie Otega Oweh went down with an apparent right foot injury, which came on a non-contact play.

Oweh planted, and when he went to explode off his right foot, he collapsed to the floor. He could be seen grabbing at the back of his ankle, suggesting it could be an Achilles injury.

Sadly, the Thunder confirmed that Wednesday evening, announcing Oweh sustained a season-ending Achilles tear. He’s already had surgery to repair the injury.

This setback is a major gut punch for Oweh, who turned 23 in June, just days before being selected 41st overall by Oklahoma City. The former Kentucky star already had a rough start to his pro career, leaving his first-ever summer league game with a left foot injury and not returning to action.

After Tuesday’s game, OKC head coach Mark Daigneault kept it short while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.

“It’s really tough, really tough. It’s tough for him,” Daigneault told reporters.

Anyone who has followed Oweh’s career knows how crucial his speed, athleticism, and explosiveness are to his effectiveness on the court.

Fingers crossed that Oweh will be back out there chasing his NBA dreams next season. You don’t have to look very hard to realize how gritty of a competitor he is, so there’s no doubt that Oweh will put in the work to rehab this injury.

The Boston Celtics have now crossed the halfway point of the preseason, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night and moving to 3-0 in their warmup games, claiming the win 114-93.

The Celtics opted to go with the same starting five for a second straight game, opening with Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George and Mitchell Robinson.

Tatum led the way in scoring for the starters with 19 points in 29 minutes, while Charlotte was paced by Brandon Miller and Tidjane Salaün with 16 points each.  White also added 19 points for the Celtics, and Robinson had 12 on perfect 5-for-5 shooting. Payton Pritchard led the team in playmaking with 11 assists and zero turnovers.

The Celtics took a 28-20 lead out of the first quarter. Robinson scored Boston’s first 6 points, starting with a putback and a lob finish on a pick-and-roll with Tatum. 

Tatum also got going early, scoring the first non-Robinson points with a mid-range bucket. He later capped off a 9-0 run with an open triple, and finished the quarter with 11 points and the half with 14. Pritchard also caught fire, checking in and scoring a quick 7 points. 

Coming out in the second quarter with Robinson and Neemias Queta sharing the floor, the experimental double-big lineup had a 9-0 run to start, all coming from Derrick White, who went into the half with 13 points. 

George, who missed his first six shots, got on the board with a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer set up by an offensive rebound from White. 

At halftime, the Celtics led 54-44. Boston’s defense shined in the half, helping them win the turnover battle, 13-4. White helped in the matter with four steals. 

Keeping the starters on the floor to start the second half, the Celtics opened on a 10-2 run, highlighted by a powerful alley-oop finish from Robinson that again came off a Tatum lob.

Brandon Miller responded with a big third quarter, scoring 12 points and helping get the Charlotte deficit down to as low as 6. Tatum continued to make an all-around impact, scoring 5 points with 3 assists and 4 rebounds in the quarter. Pritchard also found Queta for two late buckets, one of which was an impressive late shot-clock find on a pump-fake step-through move that helped the Celtics carry an 85-77 lead into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, Queta continued a productive day by calling his own number, faking a handoff and taking a drive from the perimeter to throw down a one-handed dunk. Queta finished with 16 points in 24 minutes.

Luka Garza and Hugo Gonzalez checked in early in the quarter, quickly making an impact with a 3-pointer each and a transition play where Gonzalez fed Garza for an easy layup and a 16-point lead.

Garza kept it going after a Hornets timeout, scoring off a nice find from Walsh, and hitting another 3-pointer at the top of the arc.

Halfway through the quarter, the Celtics brought in Ron Harper Jr., Chris Cenac and Dillon Mitchell, who helped keep Boston in front by double figures. In the final minute, both Cenac and Mitchell scored off their own steals.

Boston will wrap up the preseason in Philadelphia on Friday, October 16, taking on the 76ers for a second time at 7 p.m.

The Phoenix Suns took on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday evening in their fourth of five preseason games. After playing 14 minutes, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, and recording four points and three assists, newly acquired sharpshooter Luke Kennard exited the game with what appeared to be a lower left knee injury.

The injury occurred as Kennard drove to his left. It was difficult to determine whether it happened on his way up or upon landing, but he immediately made his way to the locker room.

The injury didn’t appear particularly drastic, but the fact that it occurred without contact certainly raises some concern. For a Suns team that will be desperate for consistent three-point shooting this upcoming season, any extended absence from one of its perimeter shooters could prove costly, especially when that player is somebody who has previously led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage.

Stay tuned to Bright Side of the Sun as we continue monitoring Kennard’s status in preparation for next Wednesday’s regular season opener.