Category: NBA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings' training camp and preseason are officially behind us, and the 2026-27 regular season is set to start again.

There's excitement surrounding the team in California's capital for their upcoming season following a tumultuous 2025-26 that saw injuries and losses pile up. In turn, it resulted in one of the worst seasons in Kings history since moving to Sacramento in 1985, finishing 22-60.

But now they have a clean slate. 0-0. It's a new day. There's a newfound energy that fills the Kings' practice facility at Golden 1 Center. And a reason to be hopeful that the Kings won't be as bad as they were in the previous year.

"Everyone's excited," Domantas Sabonis told USA TODAY. "There was a lot of guys who were hurt. A lot of guys that didn't play above like 20 games. So just being out there. Everyone's happy to be out there, you know go out there and do what you love."

Sabonis appeared in just 19 games with a torn left meniscus injury, Keegan Murray only played 23 games mostly due to an ankle injury. Zach LaVine missed half the season with a right pinky injury. All three have reported to camp healthy, ready to compete. Second-year center Maxime Raynaud did have a setback with a right knee injury in a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, but he'll be reevaluated in a week.

They recently lost newly signed former All-Star Ben Simmons after he sustained a torn Achilles injury that is believed to be a season-ending injury for Simmons.

The Kings' offseason wasn't very busy; it did have some moments. It was highlighted by the retirement of Russell Westbrook, a contract buyout for DeMar DeRozan and their 2026 draft class featuring No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.

With their offseason acquisitions and multiple players returning from last year, there's good reason why the Kings won't be as terrible as they were in the previous year, despite the considerable loss of Ben Simmons. Here's what the Kings need in the 2026-27 season:

Everything needed for the Kings to have success

Here's what the Sacramento Kings need for a considerably successful season.

Darius Acuff Jr. is as advertised, if not better than expected

Darius Acuff Jr. was the Kings' No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He has a superstar written all over him and Sacramento is just completely enamored with what the 19-year-old brings to the table.

As a freshman at Arkansas, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists on 48.4% field goal shooting. It's not just his skill or his potential. It's his work ethic that will really shine through.

Acuff is regularly one of the last ones to leave the practice facility. Once the session ends, another one begins for the rookie, where he's getting up shots, working on his spots, demonstrating his desire to make a name for himself in the league.

"That's how I got to get better," Acuff told USA TODAY. "I just got here, so I ain't really did nothing. I ain't did nothing to show nobody yet. But like I said, that's kind of been my whole motto my whole life. Just putting work in. If I see something that I didn't do well today, I'm gonna do it after to try to work on it. So that's just how I am."

Kings head coach Doug Christie will at times jaw at him to see if he could throw him off concentration. Acuff isn't phased by it. Christie knows the pedigree Acuff comes with. They're cut from the same cloth. He loves it.

"He is about as hard a worker as you see," Christie said to USA TODAY Sports. "For us to push him, we're going to push him in a lot of different ways. Obviously, defensively, offensively, he is special, man. I mean, he can make the shots, he can make the passes, he sees it all. You can't really speed him up like he plays on the ball, off the ball. So there's a lot of of things to be happy about with Darius."

Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis need to have All-Star caliber seasons

The Kings will be a solid team that surprises opponents if their best players produce All-Star seasons. Even if they get snubbed, playing at an All-Star level is still significant. Both players missed large portions of the 2025-26 season due to injuries.

Both have said their health is intact and they are ready for the campaign. LaVine has been selected to an All-Star team twice, in 2021 and 2022. He put up 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 39 games last season. He shot 47.9% from the field in 2025-26.

Sabonis is a three-time All-Star, appearing in 2020, 2021, and 2023. He only played in 19 games with Sacramento last season. He's played for the Kings for five seasons where he's averaged 19 points, 13.1 rebounds on 59% field goal shooting and 37% 3-point shooting.

Kings are healthy, stay healthy

The Kings were unfortunate in the health department last season. Their projected starting lineup did not log a single minute together. Guys were filling in or playing out of position throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

Sacramento cannot afford to miss guys, especially key players. Last year it happened and it got ugly at times. They enter this season relatively healthy. Their success will depend on how available their players are.

Team depth and bench production

A lot has been made of the Kings starting lineup but they have talent coming off the bench as well, but they will need consistent contribution from that group of guys, led by Malik Monk.

Last season, the Kings were ranked 13th in the NBA for total bench points and bench points per game during the 2025–26 regular season. But they need to be consistent on defense as well.

They will be heavily dependent on Monk, Raynaud, Emmanuel Sharp, Precious Achiuwa, De'Andre Hunter, Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell and Daeqwon Plowden.

And although a starter, not a reserve, Keegan Murray will have a major presence in this team's success. He's not being asked to do too much, nor too little. Just answer the phone when your number is called, because it will be often.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 reasons the Sacramento Kings are better than you think despite Simmons loss

Duke fans were understandably dazzled by the precocious and highly athletic play of freshman Deron Rippey, as he led Duke to a dominant win over Tennessee. You have to be mindful of the hype this early, but it’s inevitable that he’s going to get a lot of comparisons. We talked about his game having elements of Johnny Dawkins, Jason Williams, and Allen Iverson.

Rippey’s not really built like Dawkins or Williams. Dawkins was, and is, incredibly lean. Williams was explosive and muscular.

He’s somewhat closer to Iverson. Like Iverson, Rippey is deceptively strong. He debuted a much shorter hairstyle against Tennessee, which made his lean, muscular build much more apparent, and you saw an ability to maneuver in very tight spaces like Iverson. AI’s been retired since 2013, so a lot of people have forgotten how great he was in his prime. Here’s a reminder.

We don’t know if Rippey will ever get close to this, much less consistently, but on Tuesday night, we got a pretty good idea of his potential, and it’s considerable.

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At Madison Square Garden last night, the Knicks unveiled their 2025-26 NBA Champions banner, gave out some very fancy rings, and they even threw in an NBA Cup banner as well because hell, why not? It was a season for the ages. Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice were in attendance. Remember when the Yankees had events like these? Granted, the most recent ones phased out a championship flag going up a flagpole and just stuck to the rings, which I thought was unfortunate. That was fun! Oh well. Maybe we’ll see another one someday.

It’s a shorter day for us on the site today, but don’t miss Kevin running through the disappointment of Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s 2026 season (which was not a 50-50 season) and Kento wishing a happy birthday to a fella named Eddie Ford. Whitey would have turned 98 today, and it feels fitting that he and his pal Mickey Mantle had birthdays within one day of each other, albeit with Mantle three years younger. What a twosome they made for opposing teams to have to deal with in the 1950s.

Today’s Playoff Matchup:

Offday.

Questions/Prompts:

1. Did you watch any of the Knicks’ championship ceremony last night?

2. Here’s an Immaculate Grid-esque question: Who is the first player that comes to mind who played for both the Brewers and Rays?

Who's next? It's a question that lingers over every NBA season, but perhaps never more so than at the dawn of a new one.

The 2026-27 campaign begins this week after the NBA crowned a ninth different champion in nine years when the New York Knicks captured the 2026 NBA Finals. Despite the spotlight on New York, Victor Wembanyama remains at the forefront of the league conversation entering the season as the San Antonio Spurs star continues his ascent toward becoming the NBA's next dominant force.

Older superstars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still among the league's biggest attractions, while established stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson are squarely in their primes. But the NBA's next generation continues to gain ground, a trend reflected in USA TODAY Sports' Top 100 player rankings entering the season.

Twenty-five players under the age of 25 made the list, led by Wembanyama. The rankings also feature three teenagers, two members of the 2026 draft class and multiple young stars expected to shape the NBA's future for years to come.

Here's a look at the top 25 NBA players under 25, according to USA TODAY Sports.

NBA: We ranked the best player on every NBA team. Sixers among biggest surprises

NBA top 25 players under 25

Each player on this under-25 list is ranked based on where they were voted in USA TODAY's NBA top 100 rankings released ahead of the 2026-27 season. Their overall player ranking is in parentheses.

25. Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns, 24 years old (99)

24. Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz, 19 years old (98)

23. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers, 22 years old (97)

22. Peyton Watson, Cleveland Cavaliers, 24 years old (96)

21. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers, 23 years old (92)

20. Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder, 24 years old (90)

19. Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder, 22 years old (87)

18. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks, 23 years old (84)

17. AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards, 19 years old (82)

16. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers, 21 years old (79)

15. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz, 22 years old (67)

14. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls, 24 years old (66)

13. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons, 23 years old (64)

12. Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets, 23 years old (57)

11. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets, 21 years old (51)

10. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs, 20 years old (47)

9. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets, 24 years old (40)

8. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons, 22 years old (39)

7. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic, 23 years old (34)

6. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks, 19 years old (31)

5. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets, 23 years old (29)

4. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs, 21 years old (28)

3. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, 24 years old (25)

2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder, 24 years old (23)

1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs, 22 years old (3)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama leads USA TODAY's top 25 NBA players under 25

The arena was amped, the fans were in their seats early, but the San Antonio Spurs laid a dud in the first half and could never recover as they suffered a 116-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday night.

San Antonio shot just 29 percent in the first half, including a dismal 31 percent from three-point range in the opening 12 minutes. The Spurs began the second half on a 14-3 run to cut a 26-point deficit to just seven points, but turnovers and mistakes would halt their momentum as Oklahoma City built up their lead back to 15 points later in the period.

Victor Wembanyama suffered his worst shooting performance of his young career, finishing with 12 points on 1-13 shooting (7%) and 13 rebounds. After the game, Head Coach Mitch Johnson declined to cast blame solely on his star player. 

“I think everybody struggled pretty equally,” Johnson said when asked about Wembanyama’s performance. “I know his field goal [percentage] will stand out, but we all participated in that one.”

Johnson said his team did not come out firing as expected, saying the Spurs may have been a bit excited and could not properly channel that energy when needed.

“It didn’t feel very connected,” he said. “Execution wasn’t very good, and I thought we competed and played hard, just didn’t feel like we put our energy in the right places.

Stephon Castle, who led the Spurs with 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting, agreed with his coach’s assessment of the game.

“I think that we got excited with shots,” Castle said of the offensive struggles. “We were taking the first one instead of making them work on defense and finding a better shot.”

Despite Johnson not wanting it to stick, Wembanyama’s poor night was the highlight of the evening. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points per game during the regular season against the Thunder. After the game, the Spurs’ big man admitted he did not feel like himself for most of the night.

“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like,” Wembanyama said. “This is not the sport I like right here. I’ve got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. I’m good when I have fun. I missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots, and I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it. I don’t need to do more. I need to think less probably.”

Wemby added that he did not feel like himself, and when asked he said “for many reasons” but did not go into it.

Oklahoma City’s defense was a tough nut to crack for the Spurs, but their offense was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points on 48 percent shooting from the floor. Jared McCain added 20 points, including going 6-for-8 from deep. Chet Holmgren rebounded from a poor Western Conference Finals to score 14 points and pull down seven boards.

With Wembanyama struggling, the Spurs’ three-guard lineup trio of Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper combined for 56 of San Antonio’s 104 points on the night. Devin Vassell had a poor night with seven points on 25 percent shooting.

“We can’t get away with these type of mistakes against a team like this,” Wembanyama said.

With one game down and 81 left to play, the Spurs will hope that their clunker will be behind them early, and they can learn and move on. Who waits for them next? Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Austin on Friday night.

“It’s good to get the first one (bad game) out of the way,” Johnson said. “Got a lot of tape to look at and learn from.”

Game Notes

• Despite the loss, the Spurs fans made the Frost Bank Center feel like Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals all over again. It was loud from the opening tip and when the Spurs made their second half comeback attempt. Nice job, Spurs faithful!
• Dylan Harper hobbled over to the bench in the second half after grimacing, but was only out for a few moments before returning to finish the game.
• Carter Bryant had a few moments where he shined and others where he still is showing some growing pains. This will be a big season for the second year player and he’s one I am keeping my eye on as the season goes on.
• I know fans may overreact to this game, but breathe. Let’s see how the team responds to the loss in Austin on Friday.
  

LeBron James scored 14 points on his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers as they defeated champions the New York Knicks on the NBA season's opening night.

The 41-year-old James, entering a record-extending 24th season in the league with his fourth team after his summer move from the LA Lakers, also racked up seven assists as his new side triumphed 106-100.

Tyrese Maxey top-scored with 28 points for the 76ers, while Jaylen Brown, who also made his debut after joining the 76ers from the Boston Celtics in a high profile trade for Paul George, scored 19 points with eight rebounds and six assists.

The Knicks enjoyed title celebrations prior to the match, raising their third title banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden in the presence of a crowd that included celebrity Knicks fans Ben Stiller and Spike Lee.

The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought with their victory over the San Antonio Spurs in last season's NBA Finals but were unable to open their season with a win as the 76ers held out after taking the lead in the third quarter.

Jalen Brunson led the scoring for the Knicks with 21 points and Karl-Anthony Towns picked up 19 points with 12 rebounds.

"I could be a lot better," James told broadcaster NBC. "Still getting my rhythm, obviously just a little bit over two weeks with the new squad.

"But I like the way we played. I think we played exceptionally well, especially defensively."

In the opening match of the NBA's 81st season, the Detroit Pistons fought back in the second half to win 121-113 against the Boston Celtics.

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren added 22 points each and Duncan Robinson scored 15 of his 21 in the fourth quarter as the home side secured their victory with a 23-0 scoring run.

Celtics debutant Paul George scored 38 points for his new side in a match between last season's top two regular-season teams.

In the night's final encounter, back-to-back NBA most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they completed a 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Stephon Castle top-scored for the Spurs with 24 points but his side were unable to match the form that saw them put out defending champions Thunder in last season's Western Conference finals.

Victor Wembanyama made just one basket in 13 attempts for the Spurs but contributed 13 rebounds and six blocked shots and scored 12 points largely thanks to 10 free throws.

"Obviously, this is the team that eliminated us from achieving our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

"But for us, I think it was more like we're just happy to be back. It's a longer summer when you don't win and we felt that this summer."

SAN ANTONIO — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder opened their season with a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the team that ended their dreams of a title defense last season.

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama had 12 points but was 1 for 13 from the field. It was his fewest field goals since going 2 for 5 against Minnesota on May 10. Wembanyama’s lone field goal came on an alley-oop pass from De’Aaron Fox as time expired in the third quarter.

Wembanyama missed his first 12 shots, including having an alley-oop attempt blocked by 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara.

Jared McCain added 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers as Oklahoma City led for all but the opening five minutes of the game.

The Spurs beat the Thunder 111-103 in Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on May 30 in their previous matchup.

Nearly five months apart did not cool this heated rivalry.

Three minutes into the second quarter Fox received a Flagrant Foul 1 for tossing Chet Holmgren to the court after they became entangled in the paint.

The body slam led to a huge scrum with Wembanyama and Jaylin Williams having to be separated after pushing each other. Wembanyama, Williams, Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams each received a technical for the dust up.

Oklahoma City went on a 9-0 run after the scuffle with Jalen and Kenrich Williams accounting for five points. Harrison Barnes’ 3-pointer ended the run, but the Thunder responded by scoring 13 straight capped by Cason Wallace’s 3-pointer for a 59-33 lead.

Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 31-16 in the second quarter in taking a 65-44 lead at the half.

The Spurs opened the second half on a 23-9 run to pull within single digits after trailing by 26 in the first half.

Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain stepped up when San Antonio pulled close, combining for 25 points in the second half.

The Knicks will remember the night of October 20th for the rest of their lives. 

Championship banner. Huge rings. Adulation from a sold-out crowd. 

“It was really special to have that moment again here in New York after 53 years,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. 

The rest of the night, though, was largely forgettable. 

The Knicks were, as Mike Brown said, stuck in the mud on both ends of the floor in a loss to the Sixers. 

They allowed too many points in transition (17 in the second half). They had too many costly turnovers (76ers had 22 points off Knick turnovers). And they didn’t get enough easy baskets on offense (New York’s starters combined for just five assists on 35 percent shooting in the first three quarters). 

There will be plenty for New York to clean up ahead of Friday’s game at Boston — Jalen Brunson believes that some positives can come from the ugly opening night loss.  

“I think it's good for us to, you know, kind of get knocked down off the mountain. Humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what's gonna happen,” the Knick captain said. 

Brunson has said several times already that the Knicks will learn a lot about themselves in the first few weeks of the season. They will be hunted by new teams with fresh legs. Ten of their first 15 games are against playoff teams. And one of the non-playoff teams they face is an Indiana team with Tyrese Haliburton in the backcourt. 

“I’ve told you guys since Day One. Whatever happens this first couple weeks of the season, it’s going to show who we truly are. So, let's see.”

MELO BULLISH ON KNICKS

Carmelo Anthony knows more than anyone not to make too much of the first game of the season. 

Regardless of what happened on Tuesday, Anthony sees the Knicks as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. 

“For me, it’s very simple. I think the Knicks are still in the driver’s seat. I think they have an opportunity to really get off to a good start,” Anthony said Monday night at an NBA Tip Off event for American Express. “Especially with the way they played at the end of the season… I think going through what they went through, how they won, will help them [at the start] of the season."

Anthony was at the Garden working Knicks-Sixers for NBC. It was his first time attending a game since New York’s Game 4 win in the Finals. 

Anthony, like the rest of us, was in awe of the Knicks’ comeback and the OG Anunoby tip-in to seal it. 

“That’s probably the greatest moment, to me, in sports, almost. When you really think about it, that moment, the way that the Knicks were down, the way they were losing. Down 20, the fans still in there, it was still a packed house. The way that they just rallied back. And it came down to that OG tipoff,” Anthony said Monday night. “It’s funny how, in Knicks history, you can go from the dark days of missing the tip in to making the tip-in. That’s how the universe works, 53 years later.”

Anthony spent last weekend at an American Express event near the NBA Store in Manhattan. The event took place in a bus that was transformed into a showroom of vintage NBA collectibles. Anthony was on hand to meet and greet cardholders and fans.  

“It was nice to kind of get back to that environment with the fans, up close and personal at the NBA Store,” he said. “Brought me back to my playing days.”

The Los Angeles Lakers begin the post LeBron James era on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

It'll be the first time in eight years that James won't be suiting up at Crypto.com Arena to open the season (not counting the sciatica injury that delayed his 2025 debut). This is now unquestionably Luka Dončić's team. The roster has been re-shaped around him to show for it.

But are they better off?

President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka wasted no time in overhauling the team with the roughly $52 million in cap space created by James' departure in free agency for the Philadelphia 76ers. The first priority was locking in Austin Reaves long-term. They got him on a four-year, $184.8 million contract. The next box to check was acquiring a franchise center; they traded for Walker Kessler.

The third item on the offseason agenda was to sign players who could dribble, pass and shoot. Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Ziaire Williams and Jaden Hardy check all those boxes.

There's a depth to this Lakers squad that previous iterations of this team simply couldn't afford. They seem to be tight knit after the offseason trip to Slovenia helped kickstart their chemistry. There's a level excitement among the players and third-year head coach JJ Redick, who's changing the defensive scheme to feature Kessler in a similar fashion to how the Spurs used Victor Wembanyama in their Finals run a year ago.

"I think this is going to be a team that is really committed to each other," Redick told reporters on Tuesday. "And that can take you a long way."

Walker Kessler lays it in for his first Lakers preseason bucket 👏

Warriors/Lakers is LIVE on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/oFkiR1tz36

— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2026

There are also a lot of unknowns.

The new core of Dončić, Reaves and Kessler played just 13 minutes together in the preseason. The Lakers also aren't entering Wednesday's season opener against the Golden State Warriors at their healthiest: Collin Sexton, who is expected to be their primary ballhandler off the bench and pair nicely with Mamu, is questionable with a right calf strain. Williams impressed in the preseason and could potentially crack the starting five, but he's had limited time on the floor as well with a foot injury that seems to be cleared up by now.

Adou Thiero is out with fluid buildup in his surgically repaired left knee, while rookie Cameron Carr is dealing with a right oblique strain.

USA TODAY Sports projected the Lakers to finish 48-34 this season, particularly because of how hard it is to predict this team with so many new faces. Redick and Dončić have emphasized that there will be a need for patience as this team adjusts to each other.

"I think the biggest unknown to me is how this team deals with adversity," said Redick, who re-inforced that predictions don't mean anything. "And that's different for every team, and that's different maybe how we deal with adversity in November versus how we deal with adversity in March. Hopefully there's growth throughout the season so that we can deal with adversity in the right way, and that ultimately will prepare us for a deep playoff run."

Whether or not they're better off without LeBron is a question that will have to be answered at a later date.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are the Lakers better without LeBron? Luka Dončić Era begins with plenty of questions

After spotting Oklahoma City a 21 point halftime lead, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper keyed a Spurs push spanning the third and fourth quarters that fell short under the glare of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s heady bucket getting combined with timely and accurate shooting from his supporting cast.

San Antonio failed to demonstrate what Gregg Popovich would describe as ‘appropriate fear’ over most of a disappionting first half in its season opening loss to Oklahoma City. The tale of the Spurs’ futile first half included 14-for-48 from the field (including 0-for-7 from Victor Wembanyama) and failing to stem the tide of the Thunder’s execution (10-for-14 from three) to go down as much as 26 before finding its footing on both ends in a better second half.

Wembanyama (12 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks) suffered an 0-fer from the field through nearly three quarters, and San Antonio thus needed every bit of its production from Stephon Castle (24 points and 7 rebounds) and De’Aaron Fox (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) to keep pace. Keldon Johnson (10 points and 2 steals) provided some nasty off the bench. Dylan Harper (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) appeared to roll his ankle after scoring the team’s first basket of the fourth quarter, but returned to action moments later.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 points, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) led a (mostly) poised Thunder effort, while Chet Holmgren (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks) availed himself well after a disappointing conference finals. Jared McCain (20 points) and Alex Caruso (9 points and 7 rebounds) keyed Oklahoma City to its lead in the first period and beyond.

The teams battled with a frenzied pace early on that resembled their late May battles but with far fewer makes. Oklahoma City pieced together a 7-0 run to briefly leap ahead and kept that advantage over the final three periods. The Spurs shook off the rust and shared the ball better from the halfway point on, and seven Spurs scored over the first nine minutes. McCain and Caruso led a surprising three-point shooting barrage that portended future doom – pushing the Thunder out ahead 34-28.

After the fireworks of the first quarter, the teams combined for just three total in the first three minutes of the second. The residual bad blood between the teams came to a boil when Fox fouled Holmgren, and the teams had a baseball-style meeting on the mound in the Thunder frontcourt. San Antonio lost its composure from there and the Thunder took advantage of their mental lapses to soar ahead. While the Spurs saw many shots fail to find their target, the Thunder’s halfcourt and transition execution helped the lead balloon to as much as 26.

The highly-anticipated starting guard group of Fox, Harper, and Castle kickstarted a Spurs run to start the third. Any progress that San Antonio made seemed to be answered either by Jalen Williams or Gilgeous-Alexander. Fox repeatedly charted a path through the Thunder paint to score a handful of needed baskets. While the Spurs were able to close within single digits on several occasions, Gilgeous-Alexander converted some Kobe-like shots to keep distance between Oklahoma City and the Spurs. Wembanyama finally made his first field goal at the quarter-end buzzer, but San Antonio still was down 13.

Observations

• The spotlight lighting on the court (darkened crowd) is wholly appropriate.
• Enough of the national pundits’ predictions for this newborn season! Here are our esteemed PtR writers’ set of predictions! Given that tanking is being more sternly looked at, I see us going 56-26!
• I’m so very happy that Lu Dort took his careening bull-in-a-china shop ways to the other conference.
• Since it’s behind a subscriber paywall, San Antonio made it again to #1 on Zach Lowe’s League Pass Rankings and these nuggets are pretty cool to see: “The defending Western Conference champions offer so much beyond the all-court authority of Victor Wembanyama—starting with the electric, relentless young guard duo of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper,” “He is almost certainly their best perimeter defender, though Carter Bryant might have something to say about that soon. Being guarded by Castle seems like a nightmare. You can practically feel him through your screen, bumping his poor mark chest-to-chest full court, staying attached at the hip on screens, reaching for every dribble, rising in time with jump shooters,” “Devin Vassell sports one of the league’s silkiest jumpers,” and in conclusion ”The silver-and-black color scheme is unimpeachable, with occasional fiesta nights brightening the scene. The Coyote is a pants-optional riot, his green, coked-out eyes sometimes tilting 90 degrees so they droop vertically over his snout.“
• Gilgeous-Alexander did not fall to the floor on THREE of his first quarter fadeaways. #PROGRESS
• Carter Bryant – a big NOPE in the first period and unsurprisingly sat the rest of the game.
• Sequence of the Game #1: On a first quarter drive, Harper, looking like he was in trouble deep in the paint, found a diving Kornet for a power dunk.
• Sequence of the Game #2: Just like the above sequence, Keldon Johnson soon after rambled down the court before glimpsing Kornet in the paint for a lob dunk.

Game Rundown

With Wembanyama operating from the Dirk spot, he fed Vassell in the deep corner for the first bucket of the campaign. After two Castle bricks, Holmgren and Harper converted physical layups. Fox went to the bench for Champagnie four minutes in – making the Spurs’ lineup noticeably taller. Coach Johnson challenged an early foul whistled on Wembanyama, and it was overturned due to Hartenstein interfering with the action. Wembanyama drew Hartenstein’s second foul midway through the frame, which brought in Adey Mara – the rookie certainly didn’t embarrass himself in his 10+ minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander’s third field goal put the Thunder up two. Two McCain buckets put the Thunder up eight before Fox and the Spurs countered with their own 6-0 run. However, a pair of Caruso triples supplied Oklahoma City a comfortable six point cushion exiting the first.

Both teams found the scoring to be far more difficult in a roughshod and combative second period. Castle was laid out by a Jaylin Williams screen to cause a Thunder turnover. Fox committed a hard foul on Holmgren which caused a commotion between the teams which resulted in THREE different Williams’ confronting Fox and Wembanyama. Fox was assigned a Flagrant 1, while Wembanyama and the three Williams’ were assessed technicals – setting an unofficial NBA surname technical record. A Kenrich Williams three and deflating Jalen Williams breakaway layup put Oklahoma City 46-30. Harrison Barnes 100% made the Spurs’ first basket 4 1/2 minutes into the second. Wembanyama swatted away consecutive Holmgren attempts, but as San Antonio field goal percentage sank below 30%, back-to-back scores from Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder up 18. Harper’s rebound and putback trimmed the Spur deficit momentarily but were unable to make a run thereafter. Oklahoma City left the first half up 21.

San Antonio’s trio of starting guards – Fox, Harper, and Castle – pieced together an opening 9-0 run to start the second half. Vassell picked up three quick fouls checking Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. Castle’s second three brought the Spurs within ten and woke a muted Frost Bank crowd. Castle saw his third three go down to offset a pair of Jalen Williams’ lay-ins. An action-packed sequence saw Castle lose his shoe on a lay-up and Wembanyama swat away an OKC attempt at the other end and dove to the floor to wrest away a loose ball. Johnson’s and-1 again inched the Spurs within ten. Gilgeous-Alexander’s shotmaking prowess helped keep San Antonio at bay. A Johnson foul on Mara that coincided with a shot-clock violation was reiewed and overturned. Fox’s dribble-drive success made up for Wembanyama’s stunning ineffectiveness. After two missed Wembanyama free throws, Gilgeous-Alexander connected on an and-1 to put the Thunder up 13 after three.

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For the Thunder fan’s perspective, please visit Daily Thunder.

San Antonio hosts Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on Friday October 23 at 8;30 PM CDT on Prime Video.

The Knicks began the night with a celebration 53 years in the making, raising their first championship banner since 1973. 

The new-look 76ers were the ones celebrating by the end of the evening. 

LeBron James, Jaylen Brown & Co. ruined the festivities, reminding the Knicks last year is now in the past with a 106-100 victory in front of a sold-out Garden crowd Tuesday night. 

“It’s good, what we wanted to do, be a little spoiler,” Brown said after scoring 19 points and adding eight rebounds and six assists in his 76ers debut. “The Knicks’ accomplishment is great, but it’s a new season, new year.” 

The 76ers are expected to be one of the Knicks’ top threats in the Eastern Conference after adding James and Brown in the offseason to the core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. 

Maxey torched the Knicks for 28 points and James added 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Philly took control with a 29-18 third quarter in which Brown scored 10 points.

In crunch time, the 76ers locked down Jalen Brunson, holding him to 1-for-5 shooting. 

“I don’t think we sent a message. We’re just trying to win as many games as possible, stack days,” Brown said. “It’s still early for us. We’re still figuring out a lot of stuff. We still have a lot to learn and grow, but it’s good to learn and grow and win at the same time.” 

Last May, the Knicks swept the 76ers out of the second round of the playoffs, winning the four games by an average of 22.2 points. 

“I told Tyrese after the game, I was like, ‘We’ve been going against these guys for the last couple of years.’ And, tonight felt a little different,” Embiid said. 

Had the Knicks not won it all last June, James and agent Rich Paul have said he would have joined them. But the title changed that. Knicks fans reminded James that the Knicks won a championship without him. 

When he was at the free-throw line in the first half, they chanted: “We don’t want you.” 

After the victory, James took the high road when asked if he took any pleasure in spoiling the evening for the Knicks. 

“It is a great night for New York fans, 50-plus years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn’t won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years,” James said. “The fans will never forget this moment, and will never forget that championship run. We’re happy just to be able to come and play on such a historical night in a historical building and play the game we love.”

After a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on banner night at Madison Square Garden, Knicks head coach Mike Brown was clear about his disappointment in his team's poor attention to detail.

"There were some things that we could've done better," Brown began. "Our transition defense was not good with our starting group in the third quarter. All throughout the game, we looked like we were running in mud; whether it was in the front court or it was in transition, we were not good getting to our spots and putting pressure on Philadelphia the right way ... That's where the game was won and lost."

Facing their newly-revamped Eastern Conference rivals, who added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to their already-stacked roster in the offseason, was always going to be a challenge. 

It didn't help, Brown said, that New York failed to execute in small ways up and down the court.

"If we're going to play like we did, it don't matter who it is. It's going to be a long night for us," Brown said. "We have to make sure we focus on the little things -- Are we sprinting to the corner? Are we touching the paint and trying to spray it? When we do spray it, are we relocating and spacing the floor the right way so our teammates can now drive the basketball? ... Those are the little things that don't necessarily add up in the stat sheet that I didn't think we were good at tonight offensively, and then just sprinting back defensively and making sure we build a wall."

"All throughout the game, we looked like we were running in mud." Mike Brown's opening statement after the Knicks' loss to the 76ers, which he says was a "tough ballgame to watch for me" https://t.co/4CBo2DPGfV

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2026

As a team, the Knicks shot just 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from the arc. They turned the ball over 15 times for 22 points, and they allowed 28 total fast-break points (19 in the second half alone).

No one played particularly well individually either: OG Anunoby went 3-for-12, Mikal Bridges was 2-for-8, Deuce McBride went 1-for-5. After a historic effort in which he became the first Knicks player to record a first-half double-double in the season opener, Andre Drummond finished 5-for-13. Even Jalen Brunson, whose 21 points led the team, went just 6-for-19 (though he did knock down all eight of his free throw attempts).

"We have to finish with authority or some form of aggression, or what we do, which is spray the basketball," Brown said. "We've got to do a better job of those things: hit the paint, play off of two [feet], finish strong, or spray it ... You can't shoot 42 percent for the game in the paint while you're turning the ball over, while you're getting beat in transition."

In the playoffs, the Knicks quickly became known for their dynamic fourth-quarter comebacks, often spearheaded by a series of heroic buckets from Brunson. The Finals MVP attempted to pull from the same bag of tricks in the final five minutes of Tuesday's game, but it wasn't enough to beat a team like Philadelphia. A missed three with 10 seconds to play sealed New York's fate for the evening. 

Understandably, Brown said he never wants to rely on being a team that can rally late. 

"If we would've played the right way, it wouldn't come down to [Brunson's three]. We put ourselves in the hole not doing the other little things, and sometimes it works at the end of the games, and sometimes it doesn't," he said. "We have to watch the film, regroup, and go see how we can put a stretch of 48 minutes together the right way to try to get a win."

Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished the night second on the team in points (19) and total rebounds (12) but led the team in turnovers (4), admitted that no team is capable of using that strategy this early in the season -- not even one like the Knicks, who retained all but one of their core players from the championship squad.

 “I just thought that we put ourselves too much in a deficit,” Towns said. “We're not that Knick team yet from last year. We had that spark, we had that execution, we had that time to figure it out as everyone, and I just think too early in the season we're trying to rely on that playoff Knick team you saw last year."

Despite the messy outcome, Brunson said he isn't taking the loss to heart. 

In fact, he said an early loss may even help his team battle through the 81 games still left in the regular season.

"I think it's good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain," he said. "Humble ourselves, put our egos in check, and see what's gonna happen. Whatever happens these first couple weeks of the season -- that's gonna show who we truly are."

"I think it's good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what's going to happen." Jalen Brunson talks about the Knicks losing tonight and how it can help them improve: https://t.co/sDFWPHE4Lh

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2026

The Houston Rockets have not won an opening game since 2017.

That game came against the Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant hit a shot that was correctly ruled just a beat too late, and Houston escaped with a 122-121 win. Houston is 0-8 in openers since then, and haven’t won a home opener since 2013, which came against the Charlotte…Bobcats.

Yeah, it’s been a minute.

Tonight, the Rockets welcome the Dallas Mavericks to town. These teams are of course quite familiar with each other since they’re fellow Southwest Division foes. The teams split the four contests last season with the home team winning each game. The Mavericks didn’t have Kyrie Irving last season, but Houston had more than enough trouble with Cooper Flagg and Max Christie. Oh, and of course Anthony Davis played in those games.

The Mavericks will feature three number one overall picks this year, as they added Zaccharie Risacher. Dereck Lively II only played in seven games last season before needing foot surgery. Combined with Irving’s return, the Mavs will need some time to gel and get into game shape. In the meantime, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Daniel Gafford will provide solid veteran play. Dallas’s exciting rookie is Morez Johnson Jr., who was drafted out of Michigan. Speaking of the Wolverines, Dallas poached Michigan’s head coach, Dusty May. So there’s a lot of interesting aspects to this squad that will take time to integrate.

The Rockets will also be integrating a few pieces. Fred VanVleet missed all of last season. Steven Adams played in 32 games total. Dorian Finney-Smith never got healthy so he’s gone. Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic are in.

It’s weird to say that an opening game is important, but with Houston heading to San Antonio after this one to start a road back-to-back, the Rockets could really use a 1-0 record for the first time in 9 years.

Tip-off

7:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

N/A

Mavericks

Santi Aldama: GTD

Dereck Lively II: GTD

Jett Howard: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -8.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Friday night in San Antonio againt the Spurs