The Knicks' championship defense has gotten off to a slow start, dropping their first two games after Friday's loss to the Celtics, but not as slow as the play of Mikal Bridges.
After scoring just four points on 2 of 8 shooting in 33 minutes during New York's series opener against the 76ers, Bridges was held scoreless in 22 minutes on 0 of 8 shooting -- including 0-for-5 from three -- versus Boston.
"For the most part, most of his looks... I mean, he had three or four wide open threes. And we want them to make half of them if they're open," head coach Mike Brown said of Bridges after the loss. "But he's got to keep shooting them. And hopefully, they'll eventually go in sooner than later, but he's getting the looks that he needs to get. He's just gotta knock them down now."
Bridges' offensive ups and downs date back as long as he's been a Knick. Last season, he averaged 14.4 points per game, his lowest since the the 2021-22 season when he was with the Suns.
While the offensive inconsistencies Brown can manage, he can't go too long without Bridges' defense.
Searching for offense against the Celtics, Brown rolled with Miles McBride, who scored 20 points in 30 minutes off the bench. That left Josh Hart in charge of guarding Jayson Tatum, a task that even Hart had trouble with. Tatum finished with a game-high 36 points and made some clutch buckets down the stretch when the Knicks threatened to steal the win in the final moments.
Perhaps the game result could have been different with Bridges guarding Tatum. But Brown won't put it all on missing Bridges, as the Knicks head coach pointed to how Boston was more physical than the Knicks.
"He's got to make sure that he's physical on the defensive end," Brown continued on Bridges. "And he, as well as everybody else because it was all of us, are laying on screens when we get hit, and that when we do switch, there's a level of physicality to the switch so that they're not able to take advantage of us."
The Knicks will look to get their first victory of the season when they return home to host the Magic on Sunday. Perhaps Bridges' offense and defense will be a factor in that one.
The injury occurred midway through the second quarter. Duren attempted a spin move past Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Duren appeared to tweak something, as he abruptly pulled up and grabbed his leg in apparent discomfort. Duren immediately went to the locker room.
The Pistons declared him questionable to return, but Duren did not play the remainder of the game, which Detroit dominated from the opening tip.
In his place, backup Paul Reed filled in admirably, perhaps allowing coach J.B. Bickerstaff to exercise caution with Duren’s injury. Reed scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
Duren played just 10 minutes and scored 4 points on 2-of-4 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.
Duren wasn’t the only Pistons player to suffer an injury Friday night, as forward Ausar Thompson, a first-team All-Defense selection, fell awkwardly on his back, forcing him to the locker room. Thompson played just 19 minutes, recording 4 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
After the game, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he did not have any updates on either injury.
The Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics on Friday night, 107-103.
Here are the takeaways...
-- In search of their first win of the season, the Knicks went down 4-0 and didn’t hit their first shot until Karl-Anthony Towns hit a deep three to get New York on the board. Towns finished the opening quarter with eight points while going 3-for-3 from the floor.
-- OG Anunoby had five points and Jalen Brunson added four in the first 12 minutes, but the rest of the starters were held in check so the Knicks went to their bench looking for a spark.
-- They got it in the form of Miles McBride who checked into the game with 6:21 left in the quarter and immediately went to work by draining two threes and drilling two free throws and matching Towns’ eight points.
-- McBride’s second three-pointer gave the Knicks a five-point lead with just under three minutes left in the quarter, but from there New York was outscored 7-3 and the Celtics cut their deficit to one point and entered the second quarter down 27-26.
-- Boston opened the second quarter by outscoring the Knicks 13-4 to take an eight-point advantage. Anunoby’s made three put an end to the ambush and eventually New York tied the game at 41-41 thanks to Josh Hart’s first points of the game following a two-minute stretch of misses and turnovers by both teams.
-- Hart tied the game again with a three with 56 seconds left in the half before giving the Knicks their first lead since midway through the first quarter on a driving hook shot.
-- However, Paul George nailed a three-pointer as time expired and sent the Celtics into the locker room with a 50-49 halftime lead.
-- Both teams traded baskets to kick off the second half as Anunoby and Brunson got more involved offensively and each hit a three. Towns also made a triple later in the frame, but New York wouldn’t hit another shot for over two minutes before Brunson’s second three-pointer of the quarter.
-- The Celtics weren’t able to take advantage during the Knicks’ scoring drought, scoring just four points themselves.
-- After abandoning McBride following his hot start, New York went back to him late in the third and he stayed hot by making back-to-back threes to pull his team to within one.
-- Once again, though, Boston ended the quarter on a 13-4 run, spearheaded by Jayson Tatum, to go into the fourth quarter up by 10. Tatum had a monster third quarter, leading all scorers with 16 points.
-- The Knicks, down by as many as 12 points, did their best to climb back. Landry Shamet hit a couple of key threes off the bench to get back within striking distance which got New York going in the right direction.
-- They hung around for as long as they could, going shot for shot with Tatum and George, but in the end Tatum’s 36 points was too much and the Knicks lost for the second straight time to begin their season.
-- McBride had a great game, scoring 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field (6-for-8 from three). Mikal Bridges, on the other hand, was held scoreless (0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-5 from three) and only played 22 minutes – far less than any other starter.
-- Anunoby, Towns and Hart all finished with a double-double and Anunoby led the team with eight assists. Still, the trio of Anunoby, Towns and Brunson combined for 10 turnovers as the Knicks gave it away 16 times compared to Boston’s 10 turnovers – the difference in the game.
-- In his first game against his former team, Mitchell Robinson was a non-factor with four points, four rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. He also picked up five fouls.
Game MVP: Jayson Tatum
Tatum led all scorers with 36 points and took over whenever the Celtics needed him to.
The one player the Dallas Mavericks didn’t want injured, Cooper Flagg, got hurt. But initial comments from coach Dusty May signaled some optimism that Flagg may have avoided a serious injury.
Flagg, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, suffered a left shoulder injury Friday, Oct. 23 in a game against the Indiana Pacers, after a flagrant foul by Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith on a breakaway dunk attempt sent Flagg tumbling to the court. The Mavericks officially designated the injury as left shoulder soreness, which may be a positive sign that Flagg avoided a serious ailment.
May said Flagg would be evaluated “in the next couple of days” and added that Flagg was in “good spirits” when he saw him in the locker room. Though imaging results will provide the official diagnosis, the timeline May put forward suggests that Flagg will miss Dallas’ next game, which is Saturday, Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.
During the play, Flagg was streaking toward the basket on a fast break before he was fouled. Nesmith swiped at Flagg’s right shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. Flagg tried to brace his fall but landed awkwardly on his left shoulder, near where camera operators sit along the baseline.
Flagg immediately favored his left shoulder as he writhed on the floor in apparent discomfort. Trainers hustled over to tend to him for several moments. The foul incensed Mavericks players, as forward Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith and shoved him.
This led to a brief altercation as multiple players from both sides started shoving each other. Assistant coaches eventually separated the players.
PACERS-MAVS GET CHIPPY AFTER A FLAGRANT FOUL ON COOPER FLAGG 😳
The foul was eventually reviewed and elevated to a flagrant 1. Flagg would step up to the line and convert both his free throw attempts, though he was immediately subbed out.
Shortly afterward, the Mavericks ruled Flagg out for the rest of the game.
Flagg played just 17 minutes and scored 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He also collected 5 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and recorded 3 steals.
Flagg is the franchise player and No. 1 selection from the 2025 NBA Draft. Dallas is undergoing something of a rebuild, as the team builds around the 19 year old Flagg.
“Look, Nesmith is a great guy – heck of a player,” May said. “I’ve known him since he was in high school. Obviously, an unfortunate play. Hopefully Coop is fine, but obviously it’s something we wished wouldn’t have happened.”
Flagg injured the same shoulder in his rookie season.
But his initial appearance proved to be brief. Podziemski left the game with 8:17 left in the first quarter after taking a shot from Grizzlies center Zach Edey.
Podziemski went backdoor and took a pass from Graham Ike as he went up for a layup over Edey. Podziemski scored but not without contact. Edey appeared to have struck Podziemski in the face as he was making a play on the ball. No whistle was blown and everyone played on ... except Podziemski, who stayed on the ground after the contact.
He got up and walked off the court and into the locker room on his own. Podziemski had scored four points, making both shot attempts.
He did eventually return to the bench and get back into the game.
Brandin Podziemski went to the locker room after Zach Edey appeared to hit him on the head https://t.co/uunqOyl0C4
Podziemski missed the Warriors' season opener, Wednesday's 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, due to a sore back.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters before Friday's game that Podziemski was not only available, but starting at the two-guard position.
"He had a workout this morning," Kerr said. "Went through it fine, so he'll be in the starting lineup."
Podziemski appeared in all 82 games for the Warriors last season. His availability was one of the many attributes that gave Golden State confidence before extending the 23-year-old.
The Warriors and Podziemski agreed to a five-year, $110 million rookie-scale contract extension, which includes an option for the final year in 2031–32.
Podziemski averaged career highs with Golden State last year (13.8 points per game, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals on 45% shooting). The Warriors drafted Podziemski out of Santa Clara with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
A team that has had abysmal injury luck with its best players, the Magic may have another issue on their hands. Star forward Paolo Banchero left Orlando’s game Friday, Oct. 23 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with an ankle issue; the team later declared him doubtful to return with a sore right ankle designation.
Banchero tweaked his ankle early in the third quarter, prompting him to get subbed out and head to the locker room. The issue appeared to happen after he and Magic guard Jalen Suggs were going for a rebound. Banchero landed awkwardly and immediately grabbed his ankle as he fell to the floor.
The positive news was that Banchero not only returned to the bench, but also returned to action.
Yet, Banchero was subbed out at the start of the fourth quarter, which might be precautionary, as the Magic were getting blown out and down by 26 points at the time.
Both Banchero and fellow Magic forward Franz Wagner had injury issues over the past two seasons. During the 2024-25 campaign, an oblique injury limited Banchero to only 46 games. Wagner battled a similar injury the same season and played only 60 games that year; last season, he played just 34.
Banchero scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting Friday night, adding 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal.
Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks were in the process of spoiling Tyrese Haliburton’s return in front of the home fans when the 19-year-old forward exited the game with injury. Flagg has been ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury on a Flagrant-1 foul by Indiana Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith on a fastbreak. The injury happened in the final minute of the first half, and the Mavericks were already up 33 points when it happened.
Flagg raced down the floor in transition following a bad turnover by Indiana forward Pascal Siakam. Nesmith charged after him and challenged the play from behind. The two sides scuffled after Flagg went down, and the refs reviewed the play before assessing a Flagrant-1 on Nesmith. Flagg stayed in the game to make both free throws, and then headed the locker room. He didn’t start the second half, and wasn’t even on the Dallas bench.
Nesmith remained in the game. Players are only ejected for Flagrant-2 fouls, which Nesmith didn’t get because he hit Flagg in the arm while going for the ball, not his head.
Here’s the injury announcement from the Mavericks. The team called it “left shoulder soreness.”
Cooper Flagg (left shoulder soreness) will not return to tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 23: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 23, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Aaron Nesmith rose to challenge Cooper Flagg’s transition dunk attempt, even though he was clearly beaten to the rim late in the second quarter on Friday as the Dallas Mavericks were putting the hurt on the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The arm he went up to contest with didn’t come within a foot of the ball as Flagg extended it toward the rack, but Nesmith followed through anyway on a hard foul, sending Flagg to the hardwood with one minute left before halftime and the Mavericks up 73-40.
Flagg stayed on the ground for a minute while a shoving match escalated between Naji Marshall and Nesmith after the play. It looked like the hard landing was what hurt the shoulder, more so than the initial contact in the air with Nesmith. Flagg was with a member of the training staff for a few minutes while the officials sorted out what ended up being a double-technical foul situation, but did shoot and make the two free throws that resulted from the play.
But Flagg did not start the third quarter against the Pacers. Marshall took his place in the starting five for the second half after scoring five points and coming to his teammate’s defense late in the first half.
The officials’ debate in the extended review after the foul was called was most likely between a flagrant-1 and a flagrant-2 penalty. A flagrant-1 penalty is called when contact is made that is deemed unnecessary or outside of a normal, legitimate basketball play, such as a reckless closeout, tripping, or a hard shoulder check. A flagrant-2 is called when a player commits contact that is deemed both unnecessary and excessive, carrying a high potential for injury.
Flagg made both his free throws after the play to give him 14 points for the game. He was on his way to another big game to open his second season, also filling out the stat sheet with six first-half assists and five rebounds before the hard foul.
The team was slow to update the second-year star’s injury status throughout the halftime break, and mum was the word for the first half of the third quarter.
With about five minutes left in the third, the Mavericks PR team announced that Flagg would not return to the game. They officially designated the injury as “ left shoulder soreness.”
Cooper Flagg (left shoulder soreness) will not return to tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers.
The play had all the markings of sour grapes against the young stud that was tearing the home team apart. The situation felt dirty, even if there were arguments to be made either way as to whether the play was dirty.
Tempers flared again late in the third quarter between Mavericks guard Marcus Sasser and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, when Sasser fouled Nembhard inside on a broken play.
Mavericks fans the Metroplex over now hold their collective breath in anticipation of further announcements on how long Flagg might be out. The good news is that the team initially termed the shoulder issue as “soreness” rather than a sprain.
Oct 10, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
BOSTON — Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t anticipate a clear pathway to coast through the Eastern Conference this season.
Unlike last season, the conference is in much better shape. The return of Tyrese Haliburton plus the upgrade-filled offseason executed by the 76ers are merely a few challenges the Celtics will need to navigate this season. Mazzulla understands this and is prepared to construct his outlook with a much more nuanced perspective.
“This year, in particular, I would say 50 wins is a marker of a good team,” Mazzulla said before Friday night’s home opener against the Knicks. “I don’t know if a record will be a reflection of how good a team is in the East this year.”
The Celtics are among those in the East rolling out a new-look group. They’ve re-added Tatum, joined by veterans Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, which gives Boston a depth upgrade in comparison to last season’s Jaylen Brown-led Celtics. But that’s on paper, and it’s without consideration for the rest of the conference.
Brown, now in Philadelphia, has joined forces with LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in Miami with Bam Adebayo and the Heat, and Kawhi Leonard is once again a member of the Raptors, pairing with two-time Toronto All-Star Scottie Barnes.
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 20: Jayson Tatum #0 and Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics talk during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 20, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mazzulla isn’t looking at Boston’s competition through the simplicity of a black-and-white lens. He not-so-subtly referenced last season’s Celtics as a prime example of a team’s win total only meaning so much.
“You could have a 41-win team and still be a matchup nightmare in the playoffs,” Mazzulla said. “There was a team I once (coached) a long, long time ago. They were a 56-win team, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs. So it could go either way.”
Just one game into the schedule, the Celtics have work to do.
Boston coughed up a 22-point third-quarter lead in Tuesday’s season-opener against the Pistons by allowing second-half shooting woes to aid Detroit to a 23-0 run and eventual 121-113 Celtics collapse.
Sloppy late-game execution came with a dreadful price in Detroit for the Celtics, although Mazzulla doesn’t view the loss as a reflection of the team’s determination.
“It’s not an effort thing,” Mazzulla said. “There’s a ton of data that goes into it. There’s a ton of a particular mental training that you have to have for that. I think when people look at leads, they automatically think you are the sole reason why a team is up big when in reality the other team is just as much as culprit of why they’re down 22 as to why you’re up 22. So I think it’s a dual relationship to a lead.”
Detroit dropped a 76-point second half on Boston’s defense after shooting just 38.6 percent going into halftime. Tatum’s 1-for-10 shooting through the remaining 24 minutes of regulation, combined with a red-hot 52.4 percent Pistons shooting turnaround, doomed the Celtics for their first humbling defeat of the campaign.
“Our analytics team provided us with some great insight and perspective on things that you can try to combat in those moments,” Mazzulla revealed.
The conversation surrounding double-digit leads is one Mazzulla challenges. There’s the expectation to preserve or build on huge leads, which Mazzulla understands — to a degree — but doesn’t subscribe to.
“There’s a natural tendency to say, ‘We’re up 20, get it to 30,’ and I don’t think that’s realistic. I don’t think that’s possible,” Mazzulla said. “I think you have to work on winning the transitions of it. So if you’re up 20, analytically it’s really only a 15-point lead. So you have to know that. You’re really only up 15. You’re not really up 20 because of the variance of that game.”
It’s about time for the housewarming party, Dub Nation. The Warriors come home tonight after getting run off the floor 127-105 in LA, with Walker Kessler going 12-for-12 in his Lakers debut and Luka dropping 28 in three quarters. Chase Center should be the cure for that. But in 17 seasons with Steph Curry, the Warriors are just 8-9 in their first home game of the year, and the building has a habit of letting other teams have the party.
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors When: Friday, October 23, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT Where: Chase Center TV: NBC Sports Bay Area Radio: 95.7 The Game
Let’s do a quick recap of how home openers have treated the Warriors during the Curry-era.
2009: Rockets 108, Warriors 107
Steph’s first home game was also his first NBA game, and he posted 14 points, seven assists and four steals in a one-point loss. Oracle didn’t know it was watching the start of everything.
2010: Warriors 132, Rockets 128
Monta Ellis matched his career high with 46, and Curry added 25 and 11 assists. Keith Smart got a win in his first game as head coach.
2011: Clippers 105, Warriors 86
The lockout-delayed season opened on Christmas at Oracle, and Chris Paul’s Clippers debut ruined Mark Jackson’s. The Warriors led at halftime before a 34-point Clippers third quarter buried them.
2012: Grizzlies 104, Warriors 94
Tonight’s opponent has been here before. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined for 42 points to spoil the home opener, and Brandon Rush hurt his left knee on a first-quarter foul by Zach Randolph. It’s still the only time Memphis has visited for a Warriors home opener, and the Warriors are 0-1 in those games.
2013: Warriors 125, Lakers 94
Klay dropped a then career-high 38 in a franchise-record opening-night rout, and the Warriors shot 53.5 percent against a Lakers team without Kobe. This was one of the first signs that Klay was going to be a supreme problem for the league.
2014: Warriors 127, Lakers 104
Kerr’s first season opened in Sacramento, so the Lakers got the Oracle opener again and it went even worse for them. Klay, in his first game after signing his extension, broke his career high again with 41, and Curry added 31 points and 10 assists. Kobe scored 19 of his 28 in the third quarter to make it interesting for about 12 minutes. Then the Lakers collapsed in the fourth, and the 67-win season was off and running.
2015: Warriors 111, Pelicans 95
The first banner went up in a pregame show with fire and glow sticks, and then the MVP went to work. Curry scored 24 points in the first quarter alone and finished with 40 on 14-of-26 shooting. Anthony Davis went 4-of-20. Luke Walton was on the bench with Kerr out recovering from back surgery, but the team didn’t miss a beat.
2016: Spurs 129, Warriors 100
Kevin Durant’s Oracle debut was a 29-point embarrassment, with Kawhi scoring 35. The Warriors got outrebounded 54-35 and this was the game that pundits universally decried the KD addition. How wrong they would be.
2017: Rockets 122, Warriors 121
Ring night number two ended with a one-point loss to Houston. The Rockets were already telling everyone what kind of spring it would be. HOW WRONG THEY WOULD BE.
2018: Warriors 108, Thunder 100
The final season at Oracle opened with a third banner and 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from Curry. Russell Westbrook didn’t play but it still was pretty funny watching Durant get ring night against his former OKC teammates.
2019: Clippers 141, Warriors 122
Chase Center’s first regular-season game started with the Warriors down 14-0 before they scored a point. Kawhi, who had also spoiled the last game at Oracle in the Finals, scored 21 in three quarters. Curry put up 23 but went 2-of-11 from three without the injured Klay Thompson.
D’Angelo Russell scored the Warriors’ first ever points at Chase in 2019.
The pandemic pushed the home opener to New Year’s Day, the Warriors’ first home game in 297 days. Oakland’s own Damian Lillard scored 34 and reached 15,000 career points.
2021: Warriors 115, Clippers 113
Fans were back in the building for a full home opener for the first time in two years, and Steph took the mic before tipoff to thank them. Then he went 9-for-9 in the first quarter for 25 points, matching his career high for a quarter. The Clippers clawed back to lead in the fourth. Curry hit a 31-footer and then a go-ahead three with 56.8 seconds left, finishing with 45 points on 8-of-13 from deep, and Draymond sealed it with a bucket in the final seconds. A title team announced itself that night.
2022: Warriors 123, Lakers 109
Banner four went up and Curry and LeBron traded 33 and 31. The Warriors handled the Lakers again, though LA got the last word in May.
2023: Suns 108, Warriors 104
The Warriors rallied from 15 down but couldn’t finish against Phoenix. Devin Booker scored 32, Curry had 27, and Draymond sat with an ankle sprain.
Aaron Gordon scored 50 and hit 10 threes, tying the NBA record for a season opener, and Denver still lost. Curry scored 17 in the final seven minutes of regulation, including 13 straight capped by a 34-footer to force overtime. He finished with 42, with 35 coming in the second half and OT. Jimmy Butler hit the three that put it away, and Steph did the “night night” after it. It snapped a two-year skid in home openers, and for one night Chase Center felt like Oracle.
Memphis already knows the way in
Add it up and Chase Center is 3-4 in home openers since it opened, and the Kerr-era Warriors are 6-6. Tonight, Memphis brings No. 3 pick Cam Boozer back to the only building where the Grizzlies have ever crashed a Warriors home opener. Brandin Podziemski has been upgraded to probable, which helps, but Charles Bassey is out and Butler, Moody and Porzingis are still in street clothes. The Warriors have spent 17 years learning that a home opener doesn’t guarantee a warm welcome, and tonight they’re hosting with a frontcourt held together by hope and athletic tape. If Memphis finds the door open again, the Warriors will be sitting at 0-2 and still waiting for the party to start.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 23: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyler Herro #11 high five during the game against the Chicago Bulls on October 23, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Milwaukee Bucks start the year 0-2 after dropping a (very) winnable home opener to the Chicago Bulls 132-125. Tyler Herro continued his strong start in a Bucks uniform with 34 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Seven Bulls scored in double figures, led by Norman Powell (25) and Caleb Wilson (21).
The new-look Bucks made a strong first impression on the Fiserv crowd against their I-94 rivals. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro got hot early, scoring five and four points each as Milwaukee jumped out to a 16-6 lead. However, the two young squads then got very sloppy, combining for seven turnovers, and neither team scored for a long while until Norman Powell hit an eight-foot bank shot. Still, the Bucks led by a lot at that point (26-13). Milwaukee added another triple from AJ Green and went into the second quarter up big, 32-17.
Chicago responded well out of the break, starting with a 10-4 run. As the Bulls crept back in, second-year guard Kasparas Jakučionis flashed some high-level offensive potential; he threw a great lob pass to Ware, drained a corner three, and then found a wide-open Ryan Rollins for another bomb. That stretch put the Bucks up 13, forcing Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter to call a timeout. And man, Chicago came back with a vengeance after the timeout, going on a ridiculous 21-7 run to take the lead, capped by a Leonard Miller triple; it was their first lead since they were up 2-0. Kyle Kuzma, of all people, helped right the ship for the home side, scoring five points in the final minute to put Milwaukee back in front at the half, up 62-61.
Tyler Herro carried his strong start into the second half, adding five more points and an assist on a three by Kuzma in the opening minutes. Both sides were cooking on offense: at one point, the Bucks shot 8/12 from three, while the Bulls hit 8/11. Both offenses kept humming with little resistance, but a nice pass from Jakučionis to Brayden Burries for three, followed by a hook shot from Ware, gave the Bucks a five-point lead with under three minutes left. The two divisional rivals largely kept pace for the rest of the third, but the Bucks closed poorly. After Jaquez hit a fadeaway jumper with eight seconds left, Milwaukee allowed Chicago to score at the buzzer as Jalen Smith slipped the pick and slammed it home. That final basket gave Milwaukee a razor-thin lead heading into he fourth, up 104-102.
The Bucks’ offense hit a wall in the fourth; five minutes in, they were just 2/10 from the field. That rut let the Bulls pull away, and they went up by eight after another three from Hield. However, hometown kid Tyler Herro refused to give in, going on an electric run to score 10 of Milwaukee’s next 12 points and put Milwaukee back up by one with just under four minutes remaining. The Bulls responded with two consecutive buckets to regain the lead, but Myles Turner cleaned up a Rollins miss on the offensive glass to put the Bucks back up 123-122. Then, in a controversial call, the officials called a blocking foul on a retreating Jakučionis when he appeared to be in legal guarding position. Wilson proceeded to hit both free throws with 1:16 left to give his team a one-point lead, and the Bucks overthought their final few possessions, losing a very winnable game.
Stat That Stood Out
In a close loss, missed free throws are often what do you in. The Bucks left 12 points at the line, going 14/26, while the Bulls went 26/28. That is rough.
Obscene Overreaction
Kasparas Jakučionis has already made the Bucks win the Giannis trade. Whenever the Bucks struggled on offense, Jakučionis settled things down and made crucial plays. Crucially, KJ wasn’t just scoring; he had five assists too! #ExtendKasparas
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives against Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Barclays Center on March 01, 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 Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t have asked for a worse way to lose their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. They were in complete control of the game in the first half, building a 29-point lead. Then they went away from everything that got them that lead in the second half, allowing the Sixers to come away with a 114-106 victory.
The Cavs will try to get the bitter taste of that defeat out of their mouths as they host the Brooklyn Nets for their home opener on Saturday night.
Brooklyn isn’t expected to compete for a playoff spot in a deep Eastern Conference. At the same time, they don’t have an incentive to tank, are led by a good coaching staff, and do have competent veterans in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Even if the Nets aren’t a great team, they do have the ability to steal games if you take them lightly.
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MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Kaseya Center on March 08, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons are getting an early-season test with three games on the road against three of the most talked-about teams in the Eastern Conference. First up is a trip to Miami to face a Heat team now led by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Afterwards, they’ll jet off to face the Philadelphia 76ers and then the New York Knicks.
First up, though, is Giannis. The Heat were embarassed 131-106 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on their opening not. There isn’t much shame to be had on being on the receiving end of a masterclass from Anthony Edwards, but 30-point blowouts are not what Miami had in mind when they traded for Giannis. The star forward equitted himself quite well, scoring 35 points and getting to the line 14 times. But outside Antetokounmpo, the lineup lacked punch and the bench was nonexistent. That was sorta the worry when Miami made their big moves.
For the Pistons, this could be a night where their depth is what propels them past the Heat. Detroit has a deep roster of folks who all defend their ass off, but can also occasionally pop off for buckets. Case in point, Game 1 hero Javonte Green. Perhaps tonight it will be Daniss Jenkins. Or maybe Ron Holland. Or maybe Isaiah Joe. But it feels like the game will be won when the lineups start changing.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida Watch: TV: 20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN Odds: Pistons -1.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (1-0)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Miami Heat (0-1)
Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo
Rui Hachimura is now in his fifth NBA season in Los Angeles but returns to Crypto.com Arena wearing a different uniform.
He spent the past three-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the L.A. Clippers as a free agent during the offseason. The Lakers and Clippers play Friday night.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Hachimura said Wednesday after the Clippers’ season-opening win over the Sacramento Kings. “I’m going to see all my old teammates and coaches. Playing in that arena is special. I’m excited.”
The former Gonzaga basketball player signed a two-year deal with the Clippers worth $28 million.
“I’m excited to see the fans,” Hachimura said. “I love them. It’s a special game but we got to get the win.”
Hachimura nearly produced a double-double in his debut with the Clippers. He finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes of play as a starter.
Rui Hachimura on Friday's game vs. Lakers
Hachimura spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Washington Wizards before he was traded to the Lakers in January 2023.
The Japanese player started nine of the 33 games he played for the Lakers that season. He earned a key role in the rotation.
He averaged 45 starts per season during his final three seasons with the Lakers. He averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds during his tenure with the Lakers, shooting 41.5% from the 3-point line.
Lakers coach JJ Redick knows what kind of person Hachimura is after two seasons as his coach, and he knows what kind of threat Hachimura will be as an opposing player now.
“In terms of his offensive packaging, he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA,” Redick told reporters this week. “We got him at a good point in his career. ... His mid-range game is great.
“He's one of my favorite players I've ever been around in the NBA and one of my favorite players that I've ever coached and it's because of the consistency of joy and personality that he brings every day.”
Lakers standout Austin Reaves shared a similar sentiment about Hachimaura and described his initial reaction to him.
“He's an unbelievable human, but I didn't know if he spoke English for the first two weeks,” Reaves told reporters. “I would sit by him on the plane and he didn't speak to me and then after that I couldn't get him to shut up, but he's a great guy and a great player and I miss him.”
When will Clippers play Lakers?
The Clippers will visit the Lakers Friday for a Pacific Division game at Crypto.com Arena. Tip-off should come shortly after 7 p.m. PT.
