HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 21: Kevin Durant #7 and Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets embrace during the second quarter of the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets got 30 points apiece from Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr., as they used a massive first half of basketball to build a lead, and then cruised home in the second half to a 128-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the season opener Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.
The Rockets were up 70-38 at the half behind 16 points each from Durant and Smith, and then emptied their bench by the fourth quarter giving Houston their first victory of the year.
Durant finished with 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting, 2-for-4 from deep, with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. While Smith’s 30 came on 11-for-17 shooting, 4-for-8 from deep, along with 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Durant had 4 turnovers while Smith had 1. Despite Ime Udoka’s preseason promise of less KD minutes, Durant led the team with 37. Is anyone suprised? Ime just can’t help himself, even in a bench-clearing blowout.
The presence of Fred VanVleet added a floor-setter for the Rockets, but he was just 2-for-8 from the floor for 6 points in 30 minutes of action, but he did add 11 assists and 0 turnovers. That didn’t stop KD’s 4 give-ups or the 4 turnovers by Alperen Sengun, so it appears those two can still rack up some turnovers even with FVV back. But Sengun had a solid game despite the turnovers, going for 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists on 9-for-15 from the floor and 2-for-2 from deep.
Amen Thompson added 16 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists, while Marcus Smart had 10 points and 2 assists in 26 minutes off of the bench to round out Houston’s double-digit scorers.
Tari Eason was ejected after receiving a flagrant 2. He played just three minutes and scored 2 points. Reed Sheppard struggled with his shot, going just 1-for-6 from the floor with 3 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. We also saw what Ime’s plans are for Reed when his shot isn’t falling, and that was just 16 total minutes for Reed, even in the blowout. Newcomer Bogdan Bogdanovich had 5 points in 13 minutes and hit a three.
Houston shot 16-for-36 as a team from deep, a respectable number, and they shot 53 percent from the floor. They also won the rebound battle against the Mavs at 42-33.
Dallas was led by 32 points from Cooper Flagg, who I think is about to have a monster season. Heads up if you’re into fantasy basketball at all. But the Rockets might have an emerging player of their own. Jabari looked good this preseason and has now carried that over to the start of the regular season. Breakout incoming?
The Rockets will be back in action Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs.
Lakers center Walker Kessler, looking to pass while under pressure from Warriors center Graham Ike, finished with 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting from the field in the season opener on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
He spent the offseason admiring the great Lakers centers that came before him. He pondered how he could possibly continue such a legacy.
Turns out, Walker Kessler makes it look easy.
The new Lakers center scored 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting with nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks in his purple and gold debut to help the Lakers (1-0) to a dominant 125-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
From admiring Lakers legends, Kessler can now be mentioned in the same breath. His 12 made field goals without a miss were the most by a Laker since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969. His 10 dunks are the most for a Laker since Shaquille O’Neal in 2003.
O’Neal, for one, welcomes the company.
“Walker Kessler is the best big man in the NBA,” O’Neal proclaimed on “Inside the NBA” after the game where he also christened Kessler “Milk Chamberlain” and officially dubbed him a member of the “Big Man Alliance.” “You heard it here. And I’m not playing.”
Kessler deflected his success, crediting the play of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The dynamic guards who scored 28 and 23 points, respectively, combined for 13 assists. Doncic connected with Kessler on an alley-oop on the game’s first play. He hit him with a behind-the-back pass wrapped around Draymond Green. He looked for Kessler even when the center wasn’t looking back. Kessler admitted one lob went down as just a layup because he didn’t see the pass in time.
“It’s not what I saw,” Kessler said of his sizzling debut. “It’s what Luka and AR [Austin Reaves] and all the other guys saw, throwing me the ball, honestly. Again, I wish I could tell you it was [that] I did something crazy, but I think just being in the right spots and being vertical and just trying to dunk everything. That’s really the biggest thing is having the attitude and mentality to try to dunk everything.”
Doncic, who had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, understood it was more than just Kessler being 7-foot-2. He praised the center for his activity and how he reacted to the game. When Doncic drove, Kessler knew to step up. When the star point guard got doubled, Kessler expertly played in the pocket.
Kessler did his part. Trailing a play in transition during the third quarter, Kessler saw Doncic methodically probing the lane. Passing the three-point arc, Kessler shouted Doncic’s name. Doncic answered with a no-look, backwards bounce pass.
“He’s just smart,” Kessler said, still stunned from his first competitive game with Doncic. “He’s just wicked smart. His basketball IQ is crazy.”
After playing together for just one half during the preseason, Kessler and Doncic said there would be an acclamation period during the regular season. But from the first lob Kessler caught from the star guard — when the team was playing pick up during a five-day trip in Slovenia this summer — the 25-year-old Atlanta native sensed something special building.
“I could get used to this,” Kessler said with a smile of his first alley-oop connection with Doncic.
The Lakers hope so. They sent two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps to pry Kessler, a restricted free agent, from Utah. The organization was desperate to pair Doncic with a rim-running, lob-catching center to maximize the star guard’s offensive capabilities as he enters the prime of his career. The move was a significant risk. The Lakers now don’t own their first-round draft pick until 2032. They signed Kessler to a four-year, $130-million contract, which places him among the top-10 paid centers this season. The elite group includes NBA champions (Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis), defensive players of the year (Victor Wembanyama) and former NBA most valuable players (Joel Embiid).
Kessler, meanwhile, has not even approached the All-Star conversation while toiling with Utah.
Kessler acknowledged the investment the organization made to get him. It motivated him to live up to the expectations of a franchise that exists under a spotlight he’s rarely seen. Just as he’s growing more comfortable with Doncic’s unexpected passes, Kessler is accepting the scrutiny that comes with playing with a team like the Lakers.
Walker Kessler is about to slam home two points off of a lob from Luka Doncic on Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“I wish I could say I’ve always been comfortable with it, but I haven’t,” Kessler said. “When I was younger, going to college, I definitely let the pressure and kind of let outside voices and stuff kind of dictate how I felt. But I’m a big believer in what an opportunity. … When you count your blessings and give thanks giving, it’s really hard to focus on the negativity when you actively do that.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Kessler’s end-to-end transition running that led to his instant impact. Kessler said running keeps him engaged in the game, so much so that he will sometimes run needlessly, searching for any spark. By the time the Lakers subbed him out with six minutes remaining in the fourth and a 30-point cushion, Kessler looked exhausted. Teammates gave him extra hugs on the bench. Forward Matisse Thybulle massaged Kessler’s shoulders.
After his historic debut, Kessler sat down at a table in front of a room packed with reporters. More than half a dozen TV cameras were lined up at the back of the room.
“Wow. Big crowd,” Kessler said as he picked up the microphone. It was the first time he remembered to hold the microphone at a formal Lakers news conference without being prompted.
And the Slovenian superstar made it clear that whatever the Warriors rookie said was out of bounds.
Yaxel Lendeborg defends Luka Doncic during the Lakers’ 127-105 season-opening win over the Warriors on Oct. 21, 2026 in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
“He was talking crazy,” Doncic said.
The trash talk started when the Lakers 6-foot-8 guard picked up a shooting foul against Lendeborg late in the second, with Doncic laughing as the No. 11 pick in June’s NBA draft became frustrated with the call.
Luka Doncic drives past Yaxel Lendeborg during the first half of the Lakers’ season-opening blowout victory over the Warriors. Getty Images
Even after Lendeborg subbed out, Doncic kept talking to the 6-foot-9 forward out of Michigan while he was on the bench after knocking down a fadeaway against Will Richard, and once again while Sandro Mamukelashvili was shooting free throws.
Lendeborg picked up a technical foul with 22 seconds left in the first half after he and Doncic, presumably, kept chirping at each other.
“Nobody understands what he says,” Austin Reaves quipped of Doncic. “He’s not speaking English. I didn’t understand anything and barely knew anything was going on. So, I know we need an article to come out and I’m going to start paying people to talk s— to him so gets [into] another gear when people start trying to talk to him.”
The most impressive part of the back-and-forth was Doncic not picking up a technical foul during the whole ordeal after being assessed 16 technical fouls last season.
Luka Doncic and Yaxel Lendeborg look on during a break in the action in the Lakers’ season-opening blowout win over the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
“I wasn’t trying to talk back this season,” Doncic said. “I’m trying to not get techs. So it was the first time that [it] was not a double tech, because I didn’t say nothing. So I’m working on it. But as you see, it worked great.”
“It’s a lot better when you’re on his side than the other side, for sure,” Williams said. “I mean, the rookie, he was talking a lot of smack, too. Shout out to him for not backing down. Luka definitely had the better day. At least he didn’t back away from the challenge.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 21: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 21, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Well, Wednesday sure was a bad day for Bay Area basketball. A should-have-been thrilling doubleheader began with disappointment when the Golden State Valkyries were blown out by the Atlanta Dream in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, and ended with disappointment when the Golden State Warriors were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game of the season.
It can only get better from here … I hope. Maybe I just jinxed things.
With the first game tragically in the books, it’s time to break out the red pen for the first time this season, and dole out some grades. Spoiler alert: they won’t be very good!
As is always the (admittedly strange) rubric around here, grades are based on my expectations for each individual player, with a “B” grade considered the average for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Last year, league-average TS was 58.1%.
Statistically, Santos had one of the better games for the Warriors. But it’s hard to get over just how much he was alone on a haunted island every time Luka Dončić attacked him. Mind you, Dončić is one of the greatest scorers to ever live, so having a rough go defending him is not exactly a fatal flaw; if it were, there wouldn’t be enough players to field an NBA team, let alone 30 of them. But this was a particularly uncompetitive matchup, which is part of why Steve Kerr tried so hard to make sure that Santos didn’t end up with that assignment throughout the game.
Good energy and hustle as always, but not a very competitive showing until the white flag was coming out.
Grade: C- Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds
From a strictly basketball standpoint, Lendeborg had a lot to like and a lot to work on in his NBA debut. But from an entertainment standpoint? He already appears to be the savior we’ve been searching for. The No. 11 overall pick was the most entertaining part of an otherwise dreadful game, and if it weren’t for a Steph Curry flurry in the first quarter, the Michigan product might have been the only entertaining part of the game.
He wasted no time getting into it with Dončić. He trash-talked him all night long, and even picked up a technical foul in the second quarter — with an accompanying fine that I have zero doubt will be covered in full by Draymond Green.
Yaxel Lendeborg with great defense on Luka Doncic, causing him to miss, continues with a trash talk and he receives a technical foul (with replays) pic.twitter.com/8jsW1B95WH
I’m not sure the trash-talking worked, as it seemed to light a fire in Dončić, but it was hardly reckless, either. It was the type of mentality the Dubs are sorely missing, especially with Jimmy Butler III sidelined. How do we know it wasn’t reckless trash-talking? Because after the game, Green, Curry, and Kerr all commented on how much they loved it. You’re not going to get those comments — especially from Kerr — if the team sentiment was that Lendeborg was running his mouth detrimentally.
It unfortunately looks like the Warriors might have a rough season, but thanks to their first-round pick, it certainly figures to be an endlessly entertaining one. Thank you for that, Yaxel; you not only will make this season far more fun, but you’ll make my job so much easier.
With the important stuff out of the way, let’s talk about how he played. There were some bumps and bruises along the way, and it was clear that he has an adjustment to make with the size and physicality of the league. Lendeborg had said during the preseason that rebounding was easier in the NBA than in college because pro players don’t try as hard, but in this game it was clear that facing a motivated Walker Kessler in a meaningful contest was a different experience. He only grabbed three rebounds, and there were a few instances where he was caught ball-watching and out of position.
That’s stuff he’ll learn, and there’s still some growth to do within the offensive system, as well. But, critically, I thought he not only stood up to Dončić in the verbal department, but played strong defense against him as well. He didn’t shut him down — no one does — but Lendeborg’s defense was very solid, I thought.
Luka Doncic scored 23 PTS in the first half but Yaxel Lendeborg was the only Warrior to slow him down 😤
According to ESPN's tracking, Doncic scored 2 points on 0-of-4 FG with Lendeborg as his primary defender in the halfcourt in the first half. https://t.co/LifqHA3rA4
And a hot mic suggested that Kerr thought Lendeborg was playing against more than just five players, too (a sentiment he repeated on a normal mic in his post-game presser).
"They call all that sh*t here; they wouldn't call it in any other arena."
All in all, a very successful debut for Yaxel, who looks like he will more than hold his own on both ends of the court, while being wickedly entertaining on and off it.
Grade: A for the defense, the debut, and the trash talk
Draymond dropped some dimes early on, as his playmaking was excellent in the first quarter. As is so often the case with Green, his performance and effort seemed to wax and wane with the team’s competitiveness. Once the game started to slip away, Draymond stopped playing well, and started turning the ball over with less disciplined defense. He was a non-factor scoring.
Grade: D+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists, tied for the worst plus/minus on the team
Melton wasn’t supposed to start this game, but was pressed into a different role due to Brandin Podziemski’s sore back. And all we can really say is: heal up, Podz. Melton is better than this — much better than this — but it helps to play the role you’re supposed to play. Hopefully he looks better when he returns to the bench. It wasn’t really that Melton did anything awful in this game, so much as that he played nearly half of the contest and I don’t seem to remember him ever actually being on the court.
The first quarter was absolute vintage Curry. It was a reminder that the Warriors can never be counted out, because they have one of the 10 greatest players to ever step on the hardwood court. Steph had 14 of the Warriors’ first 17 points, which was both a reminder as to how great he is, and a warning about how reliant on him the Dubs are. He finished the first quarter with 16 points, but then only had seven more for the rest of the game (though his minutes were very limited due to the blowout).
He was better than usual and then he was worse than usual. For that, we give him an average grade.
Grade: B Post-game bonus: Led the team in points, tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Some good stuff from GPII scoring and keeping the ball alive. As is often the case, his work on the glass was better than the rebounding total suggests. But it wasn’t a very impactful game. Much of his scoring came with the outcome already decided, and he wasn’t able to have his usual defensive impact.
I’m optimistic about Niang’s impact this year, and you could see glimpses of it. He made a handful of winning plays that required either high effort or high IQ, and those didn’t slow down even as the game got out of hand. At the same time, he looked a little bit like it was still the preseason, and let’s be honest: his best skill is his three-point shooting, so when he goes 0-for-4 there, it’s going to be hard to have an impact.
Horford’s role just got a lot larger now that it appears the Warriors’ future doesn’t include Kristaps Porziņģis. Unfortunately, the Warriors are going to need a lot more from Horford than they got on this night. He looked a touch slow and still in preseason rhythm and, like Niang, couldn’t make his jumpers.
I’m not sure if I’d call this a “good” game from Williams, per se, given the lack of efficiency. But my goodness was it an exciting glimpse of what he can bring to this team. You have to go back to Jordan Poole’s tenure to find someone on the team who was that quick with the ball in his hands, and that explosive. It’s simply an element that has been missing from Golden State’s offense for years, and it was exciting seeing it return. Williams was an instant spark plug when he entered the game, breaking down the defense and getting wherever he wanted on the court. He sought out contact, was crafty with the ball, and did a good job playmaking as well.
He brings something the team desperately needs, and that was evident even amidst his shooting struggles.
It seemed like Richard might be on the outside of the rotation looking in after the preseason, but Podziemski’s injury opened up a lot of minutes for the second-year guard, and he certainly made the most of them. To my eye, Richard looked a little larger and more physical than he did as a rookie, and he put that to use by attacking the rim both with and without the ball, and also while attacking rebounds. As is almost always the case with Richard, he played in control, made smart plays, and didn’t make mistakes. A quality opener for him.
Grade: B+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
Leons, who is on a two-way contract this year, got a steady run to end the game once the outcome was determined. He didn’t do much statistically, but I thought he played really good defense.
Cryer, another two-way contract, also got some good run to close out the game, and he really made the most of it. The sharpshooter impressed last year, and picked up where he left off in his season debut. It’s hard to see Cryer getting playing time early in the year — he needed garbage time to see action in this game, and that was with Podziemski, the starting shooting guard, injured — but he certainly made a strong audition. If he keeps playing like this, it will give Kerr the option to elevate his role should Melton, Payton, or Williams struggle at any point.
I thought we might see Ike earlier in the game. Kerr had been open about how much the undrafted rookie deserved playing time, so with both Porziņģis and Charles Bassey sidelined, I thought the Gonzaga product might get into the game before it was determined.
Instead, Ike had to wait until the start of the fourth quarter, with the team trailing by 34 points, to make his NBA debut. And then he stayed on the court the entirety of the 12 minutes, was arguably the best player on the court for either team during that stretch, and made one hell of a case that he should get more meaningful minutes the next time out (he’ll certainly play this weekend, as the Dubs have a Friday/Saturday back-to-back and Horford will only play in one of those games).
Ike’s offense was smooth, his defense was strong, and he was constantly in the right place. He was physical and athletic, and the game didn’t appear to move too quickly for him. I’m excited to see what he can do the next time out.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team
Wednesday’s inactives: Charles Bassey, Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Kristaps Porziņģis
With just under six minutes remaining on Wednesday night, Walker Kessler walked toward the Lakers bench, his jersey drenched in sweat, his left knee bloodied and bruised, his work finished.
At that moment more than 18,000 fans inside Crypto.com Arena rose to their collective feet to give the new Lakers big man a standing ovation for his spectacular debut in the purple and gold.
Walker Kessler slams home a dunk during the first half of the Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Warriors on Oct. 21, 2026 in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
And somewhere, back at the “Inside the NBA” studios in Atlanta, Shaquille O’Neal was smiling.
The Lakers legend christened Kessler with a hilarious new nickname during ESPN’s postgame coverage: “Milk Chamberlain.”
Considering the company Kessler joined on Wednesday, it couldn’t have been more appropriate.
The 7-foot-2 center became just the second player in Lakers franchise history to make at least 12 field goals without missing, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 34 points on 14-for-14 shooting in 1969.
His 10 dunks were the most by a Laker since O’Neal himself in 2003, according to ESPN, and reportedly established an NBA play-by-play era record.
But the most frightening development for the rest of the Western Conference wasn’t Kessler’s historic stat line. It was how ridiculously easy the Lakers’ new Big Three made everything look.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves spent Wednesday treating the rim like a dartboard, tossing alley-oops into Kessler’s general vicinity and watching their new center finish everything in sight.
On one particularly outrageous possession, Doncic wrapped a behind-the-back pass around Draymond Green and delivered it directly into Kessler’s chest beneath the basket. Doncic might as well have put a bow on it.
Shaquille O’Neal makes an appearance at New York Comic Con in the Jacob Javits Convention Center to promote his new comic, Vengeance Unchained, The Legend of Black Ceasar with Archie Comics on Oct. 8, 2026 in New York. ZUMAPRESS.com
“When I was driving he stepped up. When I was doubled he played the pocket,” said Doncic, who finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “It was a very impressive game from him.”
Kessler added nine rebounds and two blocks, giving the Lakers precisely the interior presence general manager Rob Pelinka envisioned when he surrendered two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps to acquire him.
That price looked outrageous this summer. Wednesday, it looked like a bargain.
Even Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged the significance of the moment.
Luka Magic was on full display in tonight's action!
A day earlier, Kessler spoke about embracing the pressure of playing for one of basketball’s most storied franchises, but on Wednesday evening he admitted he was nervous.
By night’s end, those nerves had disappeared beneath a thunderous standing ovation.
And now one thing is for certain, the “Snowtime Lakers” era is off to a thunderous start.
Walker Kessler looks on during the Lakers’ blowout win over the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 21: Collin Sexton #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers arrives to the arena before the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 21, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In theory, Collin Sexton is a Laker.
Fans are still waiting for his debut after he was sidelined for the entirety of the preseason. Things seemed to be trending toward Sexton making his debut on Tuesday after he was a full participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday.
Initially, Sexton was listed as questionable for the contest with a calf strain. However, hours before Wednesday’s game, the team downgraded him to out. Head coach JJ Redick spoke to the media pregame and shared more on why Sexton didn’t play.
“No setback,” Redick said. “Collaborative decision with [the] performance [staff]. Everyone [was] involved. I always say this with soft tissue injuries, the athlete has to have confidence and full confidence.”
That last line seems to indicate that perhaps Sexton is not feeling fully healthy enough to return. Perhaps that means there’s still a bit of soreness or perhaps that means he doesn’t feel his conditioning or fitness is up to par after missing so much of the preseason.
However, that’s all speculation. What we know is that, in the past, the Lakers have erred on the side of caution with injuries, particularly with calf strains. It’s an injury that can lead to much worse setbacks, so it’s not necessarily a surprise to see him held out.
Lakers fans are eager to see Sexton’s debut, especially given the state of their backup guards and ballhandlers. But patience will be required before that finally happens.
The most entertaining part of a blowout loss for the Warriors was undoubtedly Lendeborg’s ongoing back-and-forth with the Lakers’ equally loud-mouthed superstar, whom the 24-year-old rookie said he once “had a lot of respect for him, just watching him. … I’d see him kill people all the time.”
Lendeborg finished with 12 points, four personal fouls and one technical in 29 minutes.
Yaxel Lendeborg defends Luka Doncic during the Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Lakers on Oct. 21, 2026 in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
He often drew the defensive matchup with Doncic, who went off for a game-high 28 with nine free throws.
But Lendeborg’s biggest takeaway was all the Slovenian’s extracurriculars that came after the whistle.
“Like, me getting frustrated, it’s not about the foul getting called. It’s about him complaining the entire game,” Lendeborg said. “Then you get the foul called — congratulations, bro — and you talk to me like you did something great? That’s just weak. It kind of threw me off for a while. Because like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone, man.”
Though Doncic only made it to the line nine times, Lendeborg said it felt like 30. Two of his four infractions came while guarding Doncic.
“He probably had three fouls that wouldn’t be called fouls in any other league in the world,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But it’s the NBA. … It was a frustrating night for him, but a lesson well-learned.”
Doncic mostly kept his talking on the court, merely saying afterward that the Warriors rookie was “talking crazy.” Lendeborg, on the other hand, was happy to get into the nitty gritty.
“I was telling him he sucks. ‘You can’t score on me. You talk and you can’t score on me.’ I said it the whole game,” Lendeborg said. “I said a couple cuss words. That’s why I got the technical. But I was letting him know, because he was laughing and talking all this because of one foul call.”
Lendeborg bit on one of Doncic’s pump fakes midway through the first half, and the two were off and running — their mouths, anyway. Doncic pointed and laughed. Lendeborg responded.
At one point, Lendeborg started putting both his hands behind his back when guarding Doncic.
Yaxel Lendeborg (left) and Luka Doncic look on during a break in the action in the Warriors’ loss to the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
“I tried my best,” he said. “I still got called.”
The back-and-forth continued for the remainder of the first half, hitting an inflection point after Lendeborg successfully defended Doncic on a step-back 3. He followed him back down the court, yapping all the way, until he was T’d up for the first time in his career.
Doncic returned the favor after banking in a half-court shot at the buzzer going into halftime.
Coach Steve Kerr said it was “kind of ridiculous” that Lendeborg was the only one to draw a technical in the exchange, calling it the “rookie treatment” — but also a “great welcome to the NBA.”
Yaxel Lendeborg looks on during the Warriors’ loss to the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
“I loved the back and forth. … They were jawing at each other. I think it was the words Yaxel chose that got him the T,” Kerr said, acknowledging that Doncic “kind of lured him in.”
Lendeborg looked at it differently, despite Doncic’s well-known proclivity for elevating his play when an opponent pokes the bear. The rest of the league will learn he feeds off it, too.
“I feel like it works for me, for sure. On the defensive end I feel like it worked,” Lendeborg said. “I know he has a reputation for that. That’s probably why the half-court shot went in. But I didn’t really see nothing else. I definitely thought that he was gonna do more than that.”
If we learned anything from Lendeborg’s NBA debut, the No. 11 overall pick may be the league’s No. 1 most captivating newcomer, possibly even a spiritual successor to Draymond Green.
Green, of course, loved it.
“Everybody’s gonna be like, ‘Ah, man, he shouldn’t talk to Luka, you should not talk to Luka,’ and I disagree with that s–t one thousand percent,” Green said. “You f–king gonna talk to somebody, you talk until you can’t f–king talk no more. And if he bust your ass, guess what, you play him again three more times and you go back at his ass again. …
“Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, man, the rookie learned his lesson.’ What’d he learn?”
Allow Lendeborg to answer that one.
“I got to see what the NBA’s like, man. A lot of flopping, a lot of foul baiting, a lot of praying to the ref,” Lendeborg said. “Interesting first game, for sure.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 21: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 21, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Even the rain that poured over downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday couldn’t have prepared Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg for the storm Luka Dončić wrought upon him in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Warriors.
In a game with plenty of highlights for the purple and gold, Luka’s evisceration of the overeager rookie may be what’s remembered most. Lendeborg poked the bear only to be mauled in a second-quarter onslaught, punctuated by a technical foul and a memorable buzzer beater.
“He was talking crazy,” Dončić said of Lendeborg. “I was trying not to talk back this season, not trying to get techs. It was the first time that was not a double tech, because I didn’t say nothing.”
Dončić instead opted to let his game talk. He scored 10 of his 23 first-half points after the chirping began, including a halfcourt heave well before the halftime buzzer sounded. Dončić pointed and smiled at Lendeborg as he regretfully walked to the tunnel.
“Oh yeah, I knew that was going up before it got in my hands,” Dončić added.
LUKA MAGIC ✨
Beyond half-court at the buzzer to extend the Lakers' lead against the Warriors 🍿 pic.twitter.com/RiPZVHk7gg
The Lakers star finished with 28 points and was a team-leading plus-31 in 29 minutes. Lendeborg was a minus-21 with four personal fouls in 28 minutes. Dončić was the eccentric rookie’s defensive assignment in his first NBA game, and, despite the result, he doubled down postgame.
“I had a lot of respect for [Dončić],” Lendeborg said. “Being in there first-hand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. That was awful… It kind of threw me off because, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone.”
Yaxel Lendeborg on Luka Doncic: “Watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect.” pic.twitter.com/X8s5qaKA2n
Lendeborg joins a long list of foes that learned the hard way what happens when they bark at Dončić.
“It was a frustrating night for him, but a lesson well-learned,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
This opening-day feud shouldn’t overshadow the teamwide effort the Lakers displayed, though. Dončić’s threes, Walker Kessler’s dunks, Austin Reaves’ elusive isolation buckets were all complemented by Quentin Grimes’ scoring pop off the ball, Ziaire Williams’ dives to the floor, Jake LaRavia hounding after 50-50 balls. (And, yes, Lendeborg’s chirping.)
Los Angeles outscored the Warriors by at least 12 points when each of them was on the floor. LaRavia and his refined jump shot scored 10 points off the bench on 2-of-3 shooting from the perimeter. Grimes added 10 himself, mostly attacking closeouts as an off-ball guard. Williams had nine points and was a plus-12 in 24 minutes.
The Lakers gave up 33 first-quarter points and proceeded to allow just 35 over the next two quarters. Redick said before opening night that he still wanted to learn how the team responded to adversity. Respond they did.
“I thought we did things that a connected defense [would] do,” Redick said. “The thing that I saw a lot — particularly on the court — was, [during] dead balls, timeouts … those guys were on the court talking and problem-solving together.”
It’s game one of 82. Nights won’t always be this high, but the precedent the Lakers set is a promising sign for a team enduring a new era with serious championship aspirations.
Sacramento Kings rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. made his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Oct. 21.
The Kings dropped their season-opener against the Clippers in a 121-96 loss. As for Acuff, he struggled in his first-ever NBA game.
He wasn't shy about shot attempts, which is something you might want to see from your No. 7 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The 19-year-old played 35 minutes in his debut game for the Kings. Here's how performed.
How did Darius Acuff Jr. perform in his NBA debut?
Acuff scored 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. He also had four turnovers. Acuff didn't have the best shooting night as he struggled to find the bucket. Acuff shot 5-for-24 in his rookie debut, shooting 20.8% from the field.
Darius Acuff stats
Points: 12
Rebounds: 3
Assists: 3
Field goal: 5/24 (20%)
Steals: 3
Kings vs Clippers highlights
Check out the Sacramento Kings vs the Los Angeles Clippers
“Man, I can’t even put it into words, man. It’s great,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, I still wanted to win. That’s the biggest thing when it comes to that stuff. But I was excited to be out there.”
Brown finished with six points, three rebounds and three assists with just one turnover.
Mikel Brown Jr. looks to make a move past Christian Anderson during the fourth quarter of the Nets’ 110-103 season-opening loss to the Hornets on Oct. 21, 2026 at Barclays Center. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
After missing the first three preseason games with a rolled left ankle and not suiting up until the finale, Brown was on a minutes limit.
He logged just 19:48 off the bench, after playing 18 minutes in the preseason finale in Miami.
Brown checked with 3:57 left in the first quarter, and scored his first points on a strong drive into Charlotte center Moussa Diabate for an and-one 1:40 later.
He looked fairly composed and comfortable on the ball, but did get sped up at times and shot just 2-of-8. The rookie guard also tried to posterize Hornets big man Naz Reid.
“Yeah, really just got to slow down, pick my spots better. I’ve been talking to Julius [Randle] about it, just trying to slow down. Everything I want is there. It’s just all about me being patient,” Brown said. “And on the defensive end, just keeping that same mentality of not letting the guards touch the paint. There’s a lot of things that I can clean up. But it’s Game 1. We’re going to get better.”
Egor Dëmin started at point guard, but struggled on his drives. While he did touch the paint, unlike last season’s rookie campaign, he was ineffective when he got there.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez gives Mikel Brown Jr. instructions during the Nets’ season-opening loss to the Hornets. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brown showed downhill juice, and threw a nice behind-the-back pass to Randle for a 3-pointer.
“He’s going to be great, man. That play was fun,” Randle said. “His vision, I’ve said it from the beginning, but his vision and understanding how to play and make reads off of pick-and-rolls or just make the right play every single time comes really natural to him. So he’s going to be amazing.
“He did great. He did exactly how I’d expect a first-year player to do first game. He was aggressive. I can tell he’s a little sped up at times, but he’s going to continue to get better and better. His future is going to be really, really bright in this league and I put it on myself to try to help him accelerate his growth because he’s going to be a big part of this team and can help us win a lot of games.”
There was a lot of that all night — Kessler finished with 10 dunks in his Lakers debut, the most dunks in the first game of the season by a Laker since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003. It was just one game — against a shorthanded Golden State frontline — but this was exactly what Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick — not to mention Lakers nation — had dreamed it would look like when they paid a high price to get the big man out of Utah, then paid another high price with a new $130 million contract for the center.
Kessler finished the night 12-of-12 from the floor for 24 points, and his shot chart says it all.
Kessler understood the assignment.
"Just the way he saw, you know, when I was driving, he stepped up. When I was doubled, he played in the pocket," Luka Doncic said postgame.
What was Kessler seeing to step up into the right place?
"It's not what I saw, it's what Luka and [Austin Reaves] and all the other guys saw, throwing me the ball..." Kessler said. "I wish I could tell you I did something crazy, but I think just being in the right spots and being vertical and just trying to dunk everything — that's really the biggest thing, is having the attitude and mentality to try to dunk everything."
These are Doncic's Lakers now — everything ran through him on offense — and he looked comfortable leading the Lakers to a 127-105 win (that wasn't that close). Doncic finished with 28 points on 7-of-18 shooting, with eight rebounds and seven assists. The Warriors started with rookie Yaxel Lendeborg on Doncic, and to his credit, he did a respectable job (Doncic shot 1-of-5 in the matchup, according to NBA.com stats), did not back down, and was in Doncic's face and talking trash. That was his rookie mistake. You don't want to light a fire under Doncic, or this kind of thing happens.
The Warriors stayed close for a quarter, mostly because Stephen Curry had 16 first-quarter points and was getting free on backcuts. Eventually Curry had to rest, the Lakers tightened their defense, and this shorthanded Warriors roster — no Jimmy Butler, no Moses Moody, no Kristaps Porzingis, no Brandin Podziemski — is going to struggle if Curry isn't lighting it up.
It's just the first of 82, and the Warriors aren't the stiffest test, but the Lakers like what they saw.
This is the Doncic and Kessler pairing the Lakers need.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 21: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors & Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game on October 21, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Yaxel Lendeborg made headlines during his debut NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Was it all for the right or wrong reasons? That’s up to you.
A tall task was given Lendeborg during his first official game at the highest level of professional basketball: guarding one of the league’s best players in Luka Dončić.
Given Dončić’s penchant for trash talk and Lendeborg’s refusal to back down from challenges, two strong personalities would inevitably clash — and clash they did.
Rookie Yax goin’ at Luka 🍿
Yaxel Lendeborg and Luka Doncic got into it during Warriors-Lakers 👀 https://t.co/DRQb9kTVqI
Trying to go at one of the league’s preeminent scorers — who, by the way, is infamously fueled by trash talk — is a bold move from the rookie. Although it wasn’t primarily due to Lendeborg’s defense (Gui Santos spent considerable reps on the Slovenian superstar), Dončić did end up scoring 28 points, albeit on an inefficient 7-of-18 from the field. But through the use of his foul-baiting trickery, Dončić did end up going to the line plenty, going a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe, which allowed him to finish with a respectable 63.8% true shooting clip.
The highlight of the Lendeborg-Dončić feud on the court came on a half-court heave to end the first half:
From halfcourt.
To end the 1H.
This shot from Luka 🤯 https://t.co/K5vM0otMtE
Off the court, Lendeborg — known for his blunt postgame quotes with nary a filter applied — was asked about his verbal altercation with Dončić. Suffice to say, he did not mince words:
Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic after facing him tonight because he said Doncic was “complaining the entire game.”
On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.”
Full soundbite https://t.co/1NPctFQ3Vp
Might I remind everyone: the Warriors and the Lakers play three more times this regular season. With what happened tonight, the next couple of tilts will be must-watch TV — if only for the continuation of this budding feud.
What was not must-watch TV, however, was the Warriors’ performance, in which they were blown out easily by a Lakers squad led by Dončić and Austin Reaves. Granted, the Warriors were missing approximately $100 million in salary tonight — but they will continue to miss a considerable chunk of their important personnel for a considerable chunk of the regular season.
If this portends the upcoming season, it’ll be a long one, indeed.
Clippers guard Darius Garland lets out a yell after scoring against the Kings during the second quarter Wednesday at Intuit Dome. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Darius Garland, microphone in hand, waited patiently at midcourt to speak before the Clippers tipped off their 2026-27 NBA season against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
“Clipper Nation, Clipper Nation,” the eighth-year guard said to raucous cheers in Inglewood. “We’ve been working hard all summer, ready to really turn up this year. [We’ll] try to play at the highest level. [I] really appreciate the support from my teammates, coaching staff [and] organization — really appreciate everybody that comes out and … continues to support. We’re gonna be here all year.
“Clipper Nation, let’s go.”
Garland wasted no time giving Clippers fans something to smile about after an offseason of torment and transformation. He started the game shooting five-for-five from the field and three-for-three from deep, scoring 16 points in nine minutes and fueling the Clippers’ 121-96 blowout win over the Kings.
“Darius, I thought, came out and set the tone early, scoring the ball offensively,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “And [in] the second half, just getting everybody else involved, getting guys shots. … He did a good job of really orchestrating that second half.”
Garland led the Clippers with a dominant 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting and four assists.
“Shots [were] falling,” Garland chuckled. “The first trey ball went in, and after that, the rim just looked bigger and bigger.”
Perhaps most importantly for the team’s near future, Garland looked comfortable and confident as the Clippers’ alpha, beginning his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired from Cleveland in a trade for James Harden in February.
“He’s our leader,” Clippers center Brook Lopez said. “Our best player. Everything starts with him. He’s been so great.
Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, meanwhile, did the heavy lifting for Sacramento, with the shooting guard scoring 28 points and the center facilitating the offense with 14 points, eight assists and 18 rebounds.
Kings forward Keegan Murray was scoreless through the first three quarters and was held to just two points. And rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., whom Sacramento selected No. 7 in the draft out of Arkansas, posted 12 points on an abysmal five-for-24 shooting in his debut.
The Clippers, however, had fun to start the post-Kawhi Leonard era.
Following Garland’s lead, L.A.’s returners, including forward Derrick Jones Jr., guard Kris Dunn and centers Isaiah Jackson and Brook Lopez, were efficient and productive. Jones finished with eight points, five assists, six rebounds and an electric alley-oop slam; Dunn had seven points, seven assists and five rebounds with his usual hard-nosed defense; Jackson had 13 points and five rebounds; and Lopez had 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
“I’m excited, obviously, home opener, great energy,” Lopez said. “But just taking it one game at a time, trying to help my team win.”
The Clippers’ new guys also had the fans’ attention.
Former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year deal with the crosstown rival in the offseason, struggled in his Clippers debut and finished with 10 points on three-for-13 shooting.
Ironically, Hachimura’s looking forward to bouncing back against his old team on Friday.
“[Nervous] for what?” he laughed.
Guard Gradey Dick, a piece of the offseason trade that sent Leonard back to Toronto, was far more productive with 12 points.
Then there’s the rookie out of Illinois.
Keaton Wagler, the Clippers’ No. 5 pick in the draft, posted 15 points with five assists and five rebounds off the bench.
“It was definitely chills,” Wagler, 19, said of his regular-season debut. “From the intros, to the first bucket, to the end of the game. The fans were into it. It was live in there. It was a great atmosphere. I love playing here.”
Wagler had an assist on his first touch and converted a savvy layup for his first career points.
The Clippers’ highest draft pick since Blake Griffin (No. 1 in 2009), Wagler was comfortable from the jump and gave his new fan base plenty to be hopeful for.
After all, he is the youngest NBA player since LeBron James to score 15 points on 50% shooting with five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds. Wagler also joined Ernie DiGregorio (1973) as the only other Clippers rookie to have at least 15 points and five assists in a season opener.
“He’s been working his butt off, literally,” Garland said. “He’s been in the gym every day.”
Fellow rookie Baba Miller, a forward the Clippers drafted with the No. 36 pick, finished with four points and three rebounds.
Lue — whose first starting lineup featured Garland, Dunn, Jones Jr., Hachimura and Jackson — and the Clippers are in unfamiliar territory without a superstar on the roster and with most outsiders expecting the team’s streak of 15 consecutive plus-.500 campaigns to end.
But as Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden nervously said on media day, the team works well with its back against the wall.
“Win as many games as we can,” Lue said pregame. “Our goals don’t change. We have our team goals that we don’t wanna discuss outside these walls, but we feel confident, we understand we’re putting the work in.”
Postgame, though, Lue began his news conference by shouting out Steve Ballmer, the Clippers’ governor, who was suspended for a year after the NBA’s salary cap circumvention investigation.
Lue, Lopez and Garland all noted how they’re competing in the house the billionaire built.
“That win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said. “Just want to thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Injury updates
The Clippers said guard Bradley Beal (knee), center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) and forwards Brandon Ingram (heel) and Max Strus (foot) are all making progress in their rehab journeys but won’t travel for the team’s first road game on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He set the record for most points during a debut in franchise history with 35 – a mark previously held by LeBron James.
He set the tone with a 21-point first half on a barrage of downhill drives and finishes at the rim, giving the Heat a legitimate Most Valuable Player candidate they haven’t had since James was on the roster. He played with pace and was practically impossible to guard in transition and in the paint, where he scored a game-high 24 points.
Yet – and it’s essential to point out here that it’s merely one game and that it was always going to take some time for this group to find its potential – the Heat will be in trouble if they cannot do these two things.
Miami bricked 3-pointer after 3-pointer on Wednesday, Oct. 21 in the 131-106 beating it caught in their much-anticipated season opener, which is concerning because this was precisely the weak spot the team was facing headed into the season. The Heat also got torched on defense, especially along the perimeter, which fed into the offensive struggles.
Miami traded away much of its young core and had to scramble during the offseason to add worthy shooters. And on a team with Antetokounmpo as its centerpiece, shooting is a non-negotiable. Antetokounmpo carries so much gravity when he has the ball in his hands, sucking defenders into the paint, which tends to leave players wide open in the perimeter. It’s why Antetokounmpo has averaged at least 5.4 assists per game each of the last 10 seasons.
Yet, Miami made only 8-of-33 attempts (24.2%) from 3-point range. Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jović, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Pelle Larsson – players expected to convert catch-and-shoot looks – combined to go 3-of-20 (15%).
“We didn’t get many good looks,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “(Antetokounmpo) was a force of nature, for sure, doing what he does. But we didn’t look like us offensively.”
In fact, it was so bad for the Heat that Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who dropped 45 on Miami, actually made one more 3-pointer (nine total) than the entire Heat lineup.
Spoelstra went on to say that Miami did “uncharacteristic” things, but he was generous with the good looks comment. A lot of them were with plenty of space. The issue was that role players seemingly still don’t know how to play with Antetokounmpo, with many resorting to standing around, waiting for the ball to come to them.
Compounding the poor shooting was relative disinterest on defense. This is particularly uncharacteristic of Spoelstra and the Heat, who pride themselves on making everything difficult for opponents.
Minnesota shot 46.9% from the field, which is fine – Miami was actually more efficient at 48.1% – but the Timberwolves unloaded from deep, draining 21-of-50 attempts (42%). The edge of converted 3-pointers for the Timberwolves, 13, created a differential of 39 points. Very few teams, if any, will be able to win with that disparity.
The Heat under Spoelstra have usually had their defensive intensity feed offensive rhythm. Spoelstra’s teams do best when they get stops and force turnovers, so they can sprint out into transition. But when having to take the ball out time and time again, that momentum is totally neutralized.
The good news for Antetokounmpo and the Heat is that it’s merely one of 82 and that they now know what they cannot let happen against a team that shoots well.
For his part, Antetokounmpo chose to start the assessment from within, as he told reporters after the game, simply: “We have to trust what we’re doing.”
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 21: Cooper Flagg #32 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks look on during the game on October 21, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (0-1) opened the 2026-27 season against the in-state rival Houston Rockets (1-0) on Wednesday night, falling 128-110 at the Toyota Center after one of the worst second quarters you will ever see. The long-awaited return of Kyrie Irving only halfway materialized, as the veteran guard logged just 24 minutes in his first game back from a torn ACL he suffered in March 2025. But for those 24 minutes, Mavs fans got their first look at the dynamic duo of Irving and Cooper Flagg.
Head coach Dusty May made plenty of lineup switches in the early going. In fact, 10 players logged over five minutes each, well before halftime rolled around. The starting five fared well in the opening minutes, but the sample size was small and you have to wonder if the frequency of substitutions didn’t contribute heavily to the lack of rhythm thereafter. It didn’t help that the Rockets are a much more well-rounded team and Dallas is still finding its way. About 20 minutes into the game, this one was over.
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: A-
15 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Yes, this grade is intentionally generous. Irving’s numbers didn’t jump off the box score, but this is a guy who hasn’t played in nearly 600 days(!) and who, in limited minutes, arguably played harder than any other Maverick. He drove, he shot (very well; 6-of-9 overall), he absorbed contact and got to the line, he played defense and he even got in amongst the trees for a few rebounds. Certainly not the best game in his Hall-of-Fame career, but against the backdrop of a return from injury, this was nothing short of amazing and a nice welcome back from a very long layoff.
Max Christie: C-
5 PTS / 3 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 29 MIN
Christie is likely to face some slightly harsher grades from me on nights where he camps out at the 3-point line almost exclusively. He’s a great shooter from deep (not tonight; 1-of-7) and needs to be hoisting from beyond the arc, but he’s got to mix it up a bit. Worse than not driving, the one time he did, he made an ill-advised pass underneath to Daniel Gafford rather than taking an open mid-range or finishing at the rim.
Cooper Flagg: A
32 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 33 MIN
This was a funny game for Flagg. He didn’t shoot well at first, but then jumped his shooting percentage to over 50% at the end of the third quarter (10-of-17 overall for the game). He scored 23 of his game-high 32 points in the second half. Turnovers and fouls were the primary blemishes (four each), but otherwise he picked up where he left off last season, playing beyond his years and putting up a really impressive opening game.
P.J. Washington: C+
10 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 31 MIN
Washington started hot, played well overall, but ultimately disappeared — not in the sense that he was on the court and did nothing, but rather that he literally didn’t play much late in the game. Overall, he was just fine, but his four turnovers really hurt his grade, and he didn’t leave a meaningful mark on the game.
Daniel Gafford: D
2 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 2 BLK – 22 MIN
Gafford looked sluggish, as though he was just plodding around somewhat aimlessly. The Mavs got shredded at the rim and rebounded poorly for stretches of the game whether Gafford was sitting or playing. As the only real center on the team, the Mavs needed more from him than logging as many fouls as rebounds (three) before checking out in the first half. Then he added another foul in the second half without another rebound. The starting center had more fouls than rebounds for the game.
Morez Johnson, Jr.: N/A
6 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 14 MIN
Johnson is not grade-eligible yet simply because there is no real sample size to draw from, but we wanted to include the rookie for his first NBA game. Johnson delivered what you could reasonably expect for a rookie coming off the bench with limited minutes. He shot well enough (3-of-5), grabbed a couple of boards, took care of the ball, and fouled like it was his last chance to ever do it. Did he look like a rookie? Yes. Did he show promise? Also yes. Reasonably solid game for his first true outing.
Marcus Sasser: A
17 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 23 MIN
Sasser was nothing short of awesome. If he can play like this every night, the Mavs will have gotten a steal for sure. He didn’t pepper every category of the box score, but he microwave scored and looked very comfortable with the ball and running the offense a bit. He made the most of his time and impressed relative to what was likely limited expectations. He was 6-of-8 overall, including 4-of-5 from deep.
Final Thoughts
The Mavericks’ performance in the second quarter will hopefully be the worst quarter they play for many years to come. No hyperbole — it’s very difficult to imagine they could play that badly again anytime soon. This is a new team, experimenting with lineups, on the road against a much more established opponent. There are 81 games yet to come, so flush this one, chalk it up to an ongoing feeling out process and move on. Irving is back, rookies are getting some burn, and a tighter rotation will be established as time goes on.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
28 PTS
