Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was visibly overcome with emotion after making a triumphant return from a torn Achilles tendon on Wednesday, Oct. 21, leading Indiana to a 123-120 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in their season opener.
As he gazed up at the cheering fans in the Smoothie King Center and was asked in the postgame interview how much fun he was having in his return, Haliburton could not hold back his tears as the emotion of the moment overwhelmed him.
"I'm just really thankful to be back out here," Haliburton said, voice trembling with emotion.
Tyrese Haliburton broke down during his postgame interview with Jeremiah Johnson 🥹So good to have you back, 0 💙 https://t.co/w0py2seq2C
In the game against the Pelicans, Haliburton recorded 23 points, two rebounds and 12 assists in 34 minutes.
Haliburton acknowledged that the team still has plenty of room for growth, but expressed optimism about their direction. “We have a lot to improve on and Pacers basketball is coming along,” he said. “I’m really proud of this group.”
This was his first game back since suffering a right Achilles tendon tear in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025, a game in which the Pelicans ultimately lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who later went on to claim their first NBA title.
That’s not how the Miami Heat wanted to start their season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat were blown out at home in his franchise debut Wednesday night by the Timberwolves 131-106.
After the home opener, Antetokounmpo immediately called for better play from himself and the makeshift roster around him following the stunning offseason trade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (7) of the Miami Heat looks to pass the ball during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center in Miami on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“We got to trust each other. When things don’t go our way, we got to dig in. We didn’t do that tonight,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “Our effort has to be better. It starts with me. My effort has to be better. I set the tone.”
Antetokounmpo arrived in Miami with a completely new squad, as the Heat traded Tyler Herro and more to the Bucks after he had spent his entire career in the Midwest.
The former Buck poured in 35 points and six rebounds, though he didn’t get much help from his supporting cast, and the team’s defense was an even bigger issue.
Minnesota, debuting a new look in its own right with the addition of LaMelo Ball, shot 42 percent from 3-point range on 50 attempts.
Ball had 21 points while Edwards went scorched earth, scoring 45 points in the season opener on 29 shots and 9 of 17 from deep.
“They have two players that can make shots that make your spirit get defeated. You got to keep playing through that,” Antetokounmpo said. “When [Edwards] made shots, we got discouraged, and the game got easier for them. When guys get going, we have to be more physical with them.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
There are plenty of issues for the Heat to figure out, starting with depth, as Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal had some jokes about the roster.
“You take away Giannis, Bam [Adebayo], Klay [Thompson], and [Andrew] Wiggins, name me three Heat players,” Barkley asked the crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and O’Neal.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (7), and guard Davion Mitchell (2) react during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
O’Neal joked that he could name Herro, now in Milwaukee, and coach Erik Spoelstra to show the team has little behind its starters.
Meanwhile, former player Jeff Teague, who is a popular basketball personality, said he’s out on Miami.
“I’m done with the Heat,” Teague said after the loss. “I didn’t know they were gonna be playing Milwaukee basketball still. I didn’t know they’d take the Milwaukee Bucks and put them in Miami.
“(Giannis) still doing the same s–t. I’m good.”
It’s a big reaction to the first game of their season, but the Timberwolves are a projected Western Conference contender and they exposed some Heat flaws Wednesday night.
Fans watch as Clippers guard Keaton Wagler grabs the basketball during a win over the Kings Wednesday at Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Starting over has to start somewhere, and so the Clippers got on with it Wednesday.
Not with superstars or championship aspirations. But with the promise of free parking, a jersey trade-in and a basketball team that is, at least, better than the Sacramento Kings, who they beat 121-96 in both teams’ season opener. Coach Tyronn Lue dedicated the win to suspended team owner Steve Ballmer: “Just want to say thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue directs his players during a win over the Sacramento Kings Wednesday at Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Wednesday’s fan appreciation stuff was a swell gesture, as a start. But it wasn’t nearly far-reaching enough.
Not for embattled Clippers supporters who have stuck with the team through thick and thin, sickness and health, in spite of Donald Sterling, the former cheap, racist owner and now Ballmer, the wealthy, over-invested one whose salary cap circumvention cost his team its first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA drafts.
To fans, that was the most consequential part of the historic punishment dealt by the NBA, which commissioned a year-long investigation that determined the Clippers committed audacious levels of salary cap circumvention.
The league also fined the team $30 million, suspended team owner Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker for a year and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months.
And Leonard? He got a $700,000 slap on the wrist and got traded back to Toronto, where he signed a two-year, $115 million contract extension and on Wednesday, had Raptors coach Darko Rajaković saying he was “super excited for the chance to bring a Hall of Famer back home.”
“That’s one of the most insulting parts of it all, the way [Leonard] was able to walk away scot-free and the fans are left sort of holding the bag,” said San Pedro’s Justin Ratterree, while he tried to dodge raindrops as he waited in line, four hours before tipoff, to trade in his No. 2 Leonard jersey.
Young Clippers fans watch the team play the the Sacramento Kings Wednesday at the Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
“It’s rough right now. Defending the team this past couple months has been really rough ... and I’ve kind of just given up defending. How can you defend it?”
Even Ballmer stopped doing that, releasing a statement on Sept. 13 that read, in part: “This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets.
“I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.
“We are,” he added, “committing to put this chapter behind us.”
Yes, let them try to scrub the memory of Leonard, the intensely skilled and private player who demanded so much of the Clippers when he signed with them as a free agent in 2019. Who made no efforts to popularize the team, missed almost as much time as he worked, and who failed to lead the Clippers to their first championship or anywhere close to it in his seven seasons.
After his trade to Toronto went through on Sept. 23, the Clippers resisted posting the “Thank You, Kawhi” graphic that pro sports teams do when they part ways with a player.
Let them also forget to play a tribute video when Leonard’s Raptors visit Intuit Dome for the only time this season on Nov. 2.
And let the Clippers expand the jersey swap beyond the first 4,000 paying customers at Game 1; there was no official figure available Wednesday night for exactly how many jerseys were traded and how many of them belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named.
The Clippers should keep it going, offer the option all season. Set it up at the Intuit Dome’s Lost and Found — invite fans to exchange the No. 2 jersey of the player whom they lost all respect for a guy they’ve found themselves newly enamored with, likely rookie Keaton Wagler if Wednesday’s exchange was any indication.
Clippers fans also deserve more than having their parking picked up until an hour before gametime, on one rainy workday, on late notice.
They should have their parking at games covered all season — or at least substantially reduced from the typical $70 price that’s already too steep. (The Dodgers didn’t start charging $65 until the National League Championship Series!)
They should do more if they want to continue to draw a crowd to watch a team whose best player is now Darius Garland, whose future is compromised, whose current best-cast scenario — the play-in! — only Clippers fans could love.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura drives past Kings guard De'andre Hunter and center Domantas Sabonis Wednesday at the Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Several fans Wednesday also said they would appreciate improved transparency, including in terms of player injury and availability news.
It’s the least the team can do for these patient people, who will have the type of team that they usually fall hard for, actually — a group of gamers, devoid of divas, punching above their weight.
“All this stuff that’s going on,” Lue said, “you can’t take that out on our players … that’s not their fault, you know?”
It’s not fans’ fault, either. Let’s see the Clippers go above and beyond for them.
The NBA never wastes any time getting back to business. The first day of the season gave us the biggest opening night comeback in league history on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s full slate of games included everything that makes this league such a treat to watch, all the way down to LaMelo Ball getting away with the most obvious travel of all-time in his debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves beat the Miami Heat, 131-105, in a nationally televised barnburner as both sides debuted new stars. Ball and the Wolves got the win despite Giannis Antetokounmpo going off for 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting in his first game as a member of the Heat. Ball was solid with 21 points and six assists in his debut, and he helped set up teammate Anthony Edwards for a 45-point scoring outburst.
Everything was going so well for the Wolves that the refs even let Ball take about eight steps on a step-back three-pointer. Did LaMelo just forget he needed to dribble? It sure looks like it, but the refs let him get away with it anyway. Watch the play here:
I usually hate when casual fans harp on uncalled traveling, and then I have to explain the concept of the gather step. Not this time. Ball clearly traveled, but the refs let him do it because the vibes were good, I guess.
The Wolves jacked 50 three-point attempts in their opening night win. Is this team going to great the record for most threes attempted? The 2024-25 Boston Celtics took 48.23 three-point attempts per game, so it’s a high bar to clear. I was very high on the Wolves, ranking them No. 4 overall in my championship rankings coming into the season. This win was encouring for that.
The refs can’t just let players travel like this, because it gives the NBA a bad reputation. This time, the traveling scourges are right. I have no idea how LaMelo got away with this.
PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER 21: Devin Booker #15 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 21, 2026 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. 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 Jaden Coleman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There are a few tricks of the trade you pick up when you write as much as I do. One of them is keeping a thesaurus nearby, a trusty little companion that helps you find different ways to describe situations, emotions, and perspectives. Sometimes you need a better word to properly articulate what you’re trying to say. And as I sit here holding that thesaurus in my hand, flipping through its pages like a desperate man searching for answers, I cannot find a collection of words that adequately expresses the disappointment and frustration I experienced Wednesday night watching the Phoenix Suns open their season.
Every season opener carries a certain magic. There is hope. There is anticipation. After months of speculation, theorizing, and convincing ourselves that certain players will develop and certain decisions will pay off, the rubber finally meets the road. The basketball starts counting. Reality arrives.
On Wednesday night in Portland, reality arrived driving a car and promptly ran over the Phoenix Suns. Apparently, that wasn’t enough. Reality threw the damn thing into reverse and backed over the mangled corpse for good measure. Perhaps it’s appropriate the Suns call The Morg home.
As the regular season began, nearly everything we feared about this team was on full display. The inability to facilitate an offense. The inability to consistently knock down three-pointers. The inability to effectively rebound the basketball. All of those concerns we spent the offseason discussing came screaming back to life, standing in the middle of the Moda Center like some grotesque collection of basketball nightmares.
And the things we hoped would carry this team through those deficiencies? They were nowhere to be found. The energy we expected never materialized. Instead, we watched technical-inciting tantrums. The leadership and composure we believed would help establish an identity evaporated into chaos. The toughness, connectivity, and collective effort that were supposed to define this version of the Suns seemed to disappear the moment the ball went into the air.
I kept searching for the right word to describe it. Frustrating? Disappointing? Pathetic? Somewhere in the English language, there had to be something that captured the magnitude of what we witnessed. And after exhausting the thesaurus, I kept coming back to one word.
Now, I understand this was Game 1 of 82. If life and decades of watching the Phoenix Suns have taught us anything, it is that the opening game of a season rarely tells the entire story. There will be adjustments. There will be growth. There will be nights when this team looks considerably better than whatever the hell we witnessed in Portland.
But understanding the importance of perspective doesn’t mean we have to ignore what happened in the moment. We are allowed to react. We are allowed to be frustrated. We are allowed to look at a team that scored 12 points in the first quarter while surrendering 43 and wonder how in God’s name an entire offseason of preparation produced that particular brand of basketball catastrophe.
Eventually, things will settle down. The rotations will stabilize. The offense will find some semblance of rhythm. Hell, we might even score a few points along the way. But Wednesday night made one thing abundantly clear. The hope and belief surrounding this team will have to be earned. Every ounce of it. The Suns spent the offseason talking about culture, toughness, accountability, and fortifying their identity. Those words sounded wonderful in September. They looked considerably less impressive when the lights came on in Portland.
Reality is here now. And reality doesn’t give a damn about your offseason optimism.
Bright Side Baller Standings
Jalen Green’s performance in the preseason finale was enough to earn him his first BSB of the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 1 against the Blazers. Here are your nominees:
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a free throw during the game against the Washington Wizards on October 21, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Well, in a game that truly had it all, the Milwaukee Bucks fell 128-116 to the revamped Washington Wizards. The Bucks were led by “the Heat package,” which combined for 68 points. The final score really doesn’t reflect how the game transpired; frankly, the Bucks controlled most of the contest but just couldn’t turn an eight-point lead into a 15-point lead. Some of that was Washington, but I felt like Milwaukee shot itself in the foot a good number of times by playing frantic and rushed instead of calm and poised.
That said, take a step back and think: “frantic and rushed” is about what you would expect when a bunch of guys who have barely played with each other—including young fellas getting thrown into the fire—suit up for a regular-season game. A beautiful mess, shall we say—I can’t wait to do it all over again on Friday. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Editor’s note: this year, we are trialing a more consistent grading criteria (while still allowing for your interpretation)—grades are not rewards for production, they’re judgments of performance against expectation:
A: Exceeding expectations. B: Above expectations. C: At expectations. D: Below expectations. F: Fail (i.e., substantially below expectations; actively detrimental to the team).
Rollins vastly underperformed compared to what we have come to expect from him and rightly rode the pine to close the game. Yeah, he missed some makeable shots—took some bad ones too—but he is also relied on as the team’s best point-of-attack defender, and he failed on more than a few occasions to keep dudes in front of him and navigate screens. I also thought Rollins allowed himself to get sped up going to the basket, which really isn’t like him; he’s usually cool as a cucumber in tight spaces. An out-of-character game on so many levels.
My Prescient Prediction was basically right on. This was the Herro we expected to see in the preseason and, indeed, it looked like he took it up a notch for the real thing. Except when Bilal Coulibaly was on him, Herro got wherever he wanted. Look, we know Herro can score, but the nine assists were the story (and the reason he gets into the B band). Washington paid him a lot of attention in the pick-and-roll, and he was able to methodically locate the open man most of the time. As expected, Herro’s on-ball defence wasn’t great—and I’d like to see him compete 10% more in that part of the game—but I thought he was largely in the right spots off-ball.
Jaquez was nails all game long. He used his size to make plays for himself and others in the paint, especially when Washington tried to hide Young on him—straight to the post! Jaquez also proved a helpful defensive option on the Wizards’ big front line, which might even be a preferable matchup for him than wings or guards. Other than Jericho Sims, who played under two minutes, Jaquez was the only Buck who didn’t have a negative plus-minus—and it felt like it.
Woof. Where do I start? Look, Kuz’s defence was good, and he did have some solid posessions guarding (and fronting) Davis, but his game had no other redeeming qualities. First off, this whole “returning to Washington and embracing the hate” thing is so corny and has to stop—he’s done this every time Milwaukee has played them! You could tell from the jump that this was a game within a game for him. Sure, Kuz wanted to win, but he wanted to be the reason the Bucks won—give me a break! He missed gimmes at the rim, took out-of-rhythm shots, missed a free-throw blockout, and made two of the most diabolical passes I’ve seen. To top it off, as Miggity pointed out, I’m pretty sure Kuz scored a bucket for the Wizards via a controlled tip. Hated almost every second of Kuzma’s game.
Turner’s offensive numbers look fine, but I thought he was woeful on defence. My biggest issue was his lack of urgency and awareness when recovering to rolling big men after showing on pick-and-rolls. He was surely aware that Trae Young loves to throw lobs, yet there were at least three instances where Turner could have easily recovered to his man after showing on screens, only to dawdle, let the big get behind him, and catch a lob. I also thought Turner was straight-up soft on the inside, letting himself get pushed around.
On the one hand, I don’t want to go crazy on a 22-year-old for not being able to physically deal with Anthony Davis. On the other hand, I wanted to see him compete more. I just spoke about Turner lollygagging after showing on screens while his man got behind him—Ware might have been worse. Ware was BBQ chicken for Davis and simply couldn’t be on the court at the same time as him—hence he fouled out in 13 minutes. I felt like Ware was a little lost and sped up on both ends, and it is year three for him now, so you’d hope to see less of that. Still, based on the preseason, I can’t say this sort of game was out of the ordinary. He won’t be playing against an All-NBA centre every game, though, which we need to keep in mind.
Wow. What a game for Jakucionis! So much to like. With this season being a developmental one, giving KJ—who is younger than Brayden Burries—26 minutes on opening night and having him look right at home is huge. Jakucionis handled (and beat) pressure with relative ease, while holding up OK on defence (though Young did catch him too many times). The final thing I want to highlight is KJ’s feel and how he used it to draw a few Young-like BS fouls. People don’t like it, but guards who aren’t elite athletes need to have this in their bag. Swing-throughs, up fakes, accentuating contact—you need it all, and his counterpart at point guard last night is the perfect example.
I mean, you couldn’t have asked for much more from Burries in his first official game. You could tell his heart was racing a bit at the start, but he settled in after getting his name in the books. By the third quarter, Burries was nailing step-back threes with a one-point lead and doing celebrations running back down the court. Also, as we saw in the preseason, Burries is going to get to the charity stripe. Yeah, he got caught in the wrong spots on defence a few times, but that’s to be expected—great first outing.
I thought Ous played… just OK. He had a smooth windmill gather that left our guy Khris in the dust, and his defence was mostly solid, but man, the dude needs to make threes for this to work.
Grade: D+
AJ Green
15 minutes, 6 points, 2/3 FG, 2/2 3P, –10
AJ was AJ. Hit an open three and made a tough one off a wide pindown. Jenkins drew up some action for him out of a timeout, but it broke down. Defence was fine even if he was undersized.
Grade: C
Taylor Jenkins
It’s tough to judge Jenkins too harshly, given it was the first game. The Bucks generated 42 three-point attempts and won the possession battle. He also “played the kids” like fans wanted. Maybe Jenkins could have had the team better prepared for the foul-baiting that Young and (to a slightly lesser extent) Davis were going to do; I did think the refs got sucked into a few horrendous flails by Young, but some were definitely there. Ultimately, I think we could easily be sitting here talking about a Bucks win if a few things had gone differently, so overall, not much to complain about at this point.
Grade: C
Limited minutes: Jericho Sims
DNP-CD: Gary Trent Jr., Nate Ament, Bogoljub Markovic, Caris LeVert
Inactive: Kam Jones, Cormac Ryan, Pete Nance
What We Learnt
Jenkins will lean toward playing the youth, even if it costs him wins and leads to frustrating moments. Good.
Bonus Bucks Bits
Postgame, Jenkins credited his team’s ability to weather multiple storms in the third, but said their inability to keep the Wizards out of the paint and off the free-throw line was what did them in. Mentioned the backside rotations as a key flaw as well.
On Burries: “The shots were great, but I thought he was making good reads… Looked very comfortable. I thought he did some good things defensively… He’s got a lot to learn, but this is great for him to get this exposure right out of the gate.”
As I mentioned, this was a classic game where veterans were playing a rebuilding team, and the refs seemed obliged to call everything in favour of Young and Davis. On one possession, in the bonus, Young “set” a screen (flopped at the slightest bit of contact). The ref saw him on the floor and called it. Really frustrating; you could see the dismay on all the Bucks’ faces.
I’m both very happy that Gary Trent Jr. didn’t play and incredibly worried that it means something is coming down the pike.
Milwaukee did a lot right. They won the possession battle (91 attempts to 86), played in transition (16-9 fast break points), and got strong contributions from their bench (45-39). They just couldn’t handle Washington’s size, got destroyed 70-50 in that area, and, obviously, the free throw discrepancy (41-23).
In the wake of the aftermath, Stephen A. Smith emphatically voiced his support for Lendeborg on ESPN’s First Take.
“He [Lendeborg] was saying [to Dončić], ‘Yo, stop whining for help from the officials! Let me guard you, then! Stop sitting up there looking to the officials for help, if you wanna go, let’s go!’ I don’t have a problem with that!” Smith exclaimed.
“I like that level of competition. I like the fact that this kid didn’t back down,” Smith added. “This rookie went out there had no fear whatsoever, [and] was willing to compete with him.”
In his NBA debut, Lendeborg took on the daunting task of being the primary defender assigned to Dončić. The two began letting the trash-talk fly in the second quarter, and the tension precipitated in a technical foul charged to the rookie in an interaction that appeared to be 50-50.
“I was really, really ticked off when that referee gave Yaxel Lendeborg the technical foul in the second quarter, I was mad about that,” Smith commented. “Give it to both of them, they were both talking!”
When Smith’s co-host Chiney Ogwumike pointed out that Lendeborg was apparently T’d up for a specific choice of words, Smith’s position remained unchanged.
“So what? I’m calling out the NBA on that. [The] NBA gotta stop that nonsense. Let ’em talk!” Smith replied. “As long as there’s no fisticuffs, let ’em talk. We like that!”
“I was telling him he sucks,” Lendeborg said after the game. “He can’t score on me. You’re talking? You can’t score on me. I said it the whole game. I said a couple cuss words, obviously, that’s why I got the technical and all that. But I was letting him know because he was laughing and talking all this because of that one foul call. His only bucket on me was a banker from half-court.”
Many Warriors fans were quick to draw comparisons between Lendeborg and his mentor Draymond Green, which Smith also pointed out.
“You gotta love that if you’re Draymond [Green],” Smith said. “You’ve got a young rookie coming into this game going up against a superstar in this league, no fear whatsoever going at him, getting in his face talking and accusing him of whining and moaning for help from the officials.”
Green certainly did love that.
“Everybody’s going to be like, ‘Oh man, he shouldn’t talk to Luka. You should not talk to Luka,’ and I disagree with that s— 1,000 percent,” Green said in the locker room postgame. “You f—— gon’ talk to somebody, you talk until you can’t f—— talk no more. And if he busts your ass, guess what? You play him again three more times, and you go back at his ass again. And then you see him the third time, and you go back at his ass again.”
Draymond Green on Yaxel Lendeborg going at Luka Doncic: “Everyone will say the rookie learned his lesson. What he learn? The next time he see him, go at his ass again.”
Lendeborg didn’t show much interest in letting what happened on the court stay on the court during his postgame press conference, and showed equally little backing down at the podium.
“Being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man,” Lendeborg said. “That was awful. Like, me getting frustrated, it’s not about the foul being called; it’s about him complaining the entire game. And then you get the foul called, congratulations, bro.”
“You want to talk to me like you did something great? C’mon dog. That’s just weak,” Lendeborg added. “It kind of threw me off for a little while, because, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone.”
Smith supported Lendeborg’s comments and spirit the following morning.
“If you’re so great, stop whining to the officials. Just go out there, and if you’re gonna bust my ass, bust my ass. But stop whining to the officials, looking to them for help,” Smith said, paraphrasing Lendeborg’s sentiment. “If you that bad, what the hell you whining for help all the damn time for?”
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Kingston Flemings #4 of the Atlanta Hawks is defended by Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hawks initially had the number 23 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, the New Orleans Pelicans had other plans, swapping with the Hawks in a trade that moved themselves up to the number 13 pick while the Hawks moved down to 23.
The Pelicans took Derik Queen, center from Maryland, and in the process gifted the Hawks an unprotected first round pick for 2026, which drew scrutiny from circles around the league. The pick the Hawks received turned into the eighth overall pick, in which the Hawks selected their point guard Kingston Flemings from the University of Houston.
A former five-star high school recruit from San Antonio, TX, Flemings led the Cougars to the Sweet Sixteen, where they were defeated by Illinois. Despite the early exit for a team that was looking to avenge their heart- breaking loss in the national championship the year prior, Flemings stood out as one of the best players in the country.
The lottery pick guard led the Cougars in both points (16.1 per game) and assists (5.2) per game in his one year at the collegiate level. In a loss against Texas Tech, Flemings exploded for 42 points, which set Houston’s record for a freshman. The historic feat for Flemings featured both flashes of athleticism and touch that allowed him to find consistently at the rim as well as knocking down shots from behind the arc at an efficient clip (shooting 4-for-9).
Both scoring and dishing out passes at a high mark turned Flemings into a no-doubt lottery pick. Though he was not an elite shooter coming out of high school, the ex-Cougar worked hard and developed himself in a trusted source of three-point scoring, converting at an impressive 38%. While obviously talented on offense, Flemings is a scrappy defender who averaged 1.5 steals at Houston and was sound in his efforts both on and off the ball. This combination of offensive and defensive prowess drew comparisons to De’Aaron Fox when he was a draft prospect.
While Flemings is clearly talented, the question of how he’ll fit in the Hawks is a different matter. One thing is for sure. With the exit of Trae Young, the Hawks desperately need someone to take over and lead the team as their undisputed floor general. Flemings exhibited notable leadership qualities that allowed Houston to preserve through adversity in close, competitive games. His natural leadership will ease him into the role of commanding the team’s offense, which was desperately missed by the team once the playoffs arrived.
Flemings taking over the main ball handling role would greatly open the Hawks offense. Last season, CJ McCollum took over as the team’s primary ball handler despite not being a “true point guard.” Once again equipped with the impressive scoring trip of McCollum, Jalen Johnson, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Hawks will need someone like Flemings to be at their best and flow in the offense.
While of course Flemings is scoring threat who will continue to develop himself as a three-point shooter, I don’t believe his success in the NBA will come from being a high-scoring guard. Longevity in the league for most players is often in the form of finding your niche or role and starring in it. For Flemings, that role is being a facilitator and play initiator that allows some of the most talented scorers in the league to thrive as well as being a scrappy defender who becomes an irritant for any opponent the Hawks face.
It’s not quite fair to expect Flemings to be that guy immediately out of the gate, or even in his first year, but the Hawks have the guy who I believe will be their floor general that leads them to winning some playoff rounds in the years to come.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 16: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates with LeBron James #23 against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter during the preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 16, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 125-120 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NBA Basketball is back! The Sixers are coming off the season opener with a solid win over the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks, defeating them 106-100. There isn’t much time to savor the win, however, as the Sixers travel back to Philadelphia to host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Coming off their first game, it’s hard not to feel good about how the Sixers performed in their regular-season debut. In particular, their defense was much better than most expected. Defensive rotations were crisp, and effort was shown across the board, including from Joel Embiid, who stated after the game that one of his goals this season was to get back on an All-Defensive team.
Offensively, results were mixed, but the Sixers had several stretches where the Knicks’ defense simply didn’t know what to do. They ran high screen-and-rolls with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, which resulted in blitzes that freed up one or more of Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe. When healthy and firing on all cylinders, defenses are going to have a hard time defending that five.
Fast forward to tonight’s game, and the Sixers will look to build upon their early success, though there’s plenty to clean up in that department. The Sixers’ three-point shooting was dreadful for most of the Knicks game, and they’ll look to get back on track in that area.
It will also be interesting to see how Nick Nurse utilizes the rotation. He really only went 7.5 players deep in their first game, and of course, that is not sustainable considering we’re not even in November. Both Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow, who are expected to be in the rotation to varying degrees, were out. If that’s the case again tonight, they might have to turn to rookie LaBaron Philon Jr. or Jabari Walker, who played a handful of minutes in their first game. Regardless of whether it’s tonight or in a week or two, Nurse will simply have to cut down the heavy minutes load with more than 80 games on the horizon.
Shifting focus over to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sixers are slated to go from one tough opponent to the next. The Cavs retained most of their core group, with James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. They did change things up beyond that, however, adding Peyton Watson and Mario Hezonja in free agency, along with Meleek Thomas through the draft. The Sixers had their fair share of trouble against the Cavs during the regular season last year, so this will be another good test to gauge how this team is performing compared to last year’s.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Sixers are listing Dean Wade as questionable while Dominick Barlow remains out. For Cleveland, Jarrett Allen is questionable with right patellar tendinopathy. Nae’Qwan Tomlin (back) and Khalifa Diop (knee) are out.
The Sixers have an opportunity to start the young season with back-to-back wins against talented opponents in a highly competitive Eastern Conference. Let’s see if they can get it done.
Game Details
When: Thursday, October 22, 7:00 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: ESPN Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
In his Wizards debut, Anthony Davis dominated the Milwaukee Bucks and led Washington to victory. | NBAE via Getty Images
The season opener was between two teams headed in opposite directions. The Washington Wizards want to win, and — led by a whale of game from Anthony Davis, they did. The Milwaukee Bucks — after trading away perennial Most Valuable Player candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo — succumbed.
For the Bucks, a lot of nights will be like this.
For the Wizards…82-0 is on the menu.
More seriously, even without No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who was out with an ankle injury suffered in the preseason finale, the Wizards demonstrated they can be formidable at full (or nearly full health).
It was not a perfect performance by the Wizards. Trae Young generated open and wide-open corner threes, which they bricked. In fairness, they were slinging bricks from deep from the wings and out top — 6-28 from three for the game. Young was the worst offender, shooting 0-6.
Starting in place of the injured AJ Dybantsa, Bilal Coulibaly was a disruptive defender in the team’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks. | NBAE via Getty Images
The Wizards made up for it by avoiding turnovers, scoring inside, and getting to the free throw line (32-41). The scant turnovers were something of a surprise. Controlling the paint and getting to the free throw line were not. The Wizards used two bigs together most of the night, and a team with Davis and Young are going to make the other team foul.
A few fun things from this one:
Davis dominated — 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assist, 2 steals and a block. He was too much for Milwaukee handle, especially since the twin towers lineups meant he was being guarded by Kyle Kuzma much of the evening.
Starting in place of Dybantsa, Bilal Coulibaly was a defensive terror. He kept popping up all over the court to deflect the ball, get a steal, or block a shot. On one block of a Tyler Herro attempt, Coulibaly flashed from the low block on the far side to swat Herro’s attempt from above the free throw line. He finished with four steals and two blocks.
Young had 13 assists, and it could have been more if teammates made a few more open looks. He’s enormously skilled at drawing defensive attention, holding it, and then hitting a teammate left open. I particularly liked a play in the second quarter where he jumped, looked at Justin Champagnie on the wing while in the air long enough for a help defender to leave the paint to start the closeout sprint, and then fire a pass to Ayton, who was open under the basket. It’s been a while since the Wizards had someone who could make that kind of pass. (He was on the broadcast team last night.)
Speaking of Champagnie, he played a helluva game. My hope is that he stays a significant part of the rotation when Dybantsa is back. He could, for example, take the minutes Khris Middleton played last night (no disrespect to Middleton, who’s had a terrific career — just that Champagnie is better now and has an NBA future).
Thoughts & Observations
Has Chris Miller always pronounced Chipotle without the T?
John Wall brought some good moments to the broadcast, which has long needed some help. Two notes: 1) it’d be great if Wall could talk just a little slower, and 2) it’d be great if the production could bring the level of his mic up a touch. That’s it — I loved the stories, observations, and the “technical” basketball talk. His presence brought out some good stuff from Drew Gooden too.
One grumble about the broadcast and then I’ll shut up about it — Chris Miller sharing the stat about Tre Johnson making 115 threes last season, which he said was the most for a Wizards rookie through 60 games. He said it like viewers should be super impressed. Except, it mainly just highlights that the game has changed. Most teams have a similar stat from the past few years because everyone shoots more threes.
Okay, one more. Miller had me grinding my teeth when he praised Bub Carrington after Carrington harassed Ryan Rollins full court. It was a start to good defense, which Carrington messed up with a dumb foul. The effort was good. His intent was good. The play was not good defense.
Speaking of Carrington’s defense, the first half ended with an open three from Milwaukee’s Herro. That open look arose because Carrington inexplicably lunged at the ball, got overextended and off balance, and then had to scramble frantically to try to get back into the play. Good effort, but he needs to play smarter.
A play at 5:44 of the first quarter made me laugh. Davis got a wide open three because George blocked for him like he was a member of The Hogs. George’s blocking, which should have been called for a foul, kept two defenders away from Davis.
I jotted the same basic idea (using different wording but the same point) in my notes three different times during the game: Trae Young is a tough cover. The league literally made rules designed to stop some of his more egregious free throw grifting tactics. Last night, he shot 16 free throws.
I like the idea of Kyshawn George. Last night’s game has me vigilant because it included four turnovers and four fouls. Excessive fouling from over-aggressive play has been an issue throughout his career. Turnovers have been a chronic issue, as well — and the adventurous passing on display last night (attempted a lob to Davis in a crowded paint, tried a bounce pass in traffic in a crowded paint). He can be a good player if he dials back the aggression and focuses on right play instead of highlight play.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
BUCKS
WIZARDS
LGAVG*
eFG%
53.3%
55.8%
54.6%
OREB%
28.9%
30.0%
26.0%
TOV%
15.7%
10.8%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.209
0.372
0.206
PACE
102
99.4
ORTG
114
126
115.8
Note: the LGAVG column is the league average from last season. That will update with averages from this season going forward.
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks go up for a jump ball during the game during the Emirates NBA Cup Final game on December 16, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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The Spurs made it to the Emirates Cup Finals last season upsetting a bevy of teams believed to be more prepared for the battles. The Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers (with LeBron James and Luka Doncic), and Oklahoma City Thunder were all upset by the fledgling Spurs.
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Walker Kessler mumbled just loud enough for the press to hear him as the 7'2 big man sank into his seat at the podium following the Los Angeles Lakers' season-opening 127-105 rout over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The ease with which he answered questions – at one point, he said, "Contrary to my name, I run a lot" – mirrored how effortless he looked on the floor, always seeming to be in just the right place and just the right time to receive a lob from Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves.
At one point early in the third quarter, Kessler was running behind the play as Dončić dribbled into the low post. Draymond Green stepped towards Dončić, freeing Kessler up in the paint with no one near him.
"Luka!" He shouted out.
Next thing Kessler knew, the ball was in his chest.
Dončić had rifled it behind his back past Green and right to Kessler and before the Warriors enforcer had any idea what had happened, Kessler was already coming back down from the rim.
"He's just wicked smart," Kessler said of Dončić. "His basketball IQ is crazy, and I think he recognized I was running the floor. ... He just found me."
And it wasn't just Luka Magic. Kessler finished the night a perfect 12 of 12 from the floor for 26 points, his shot chart entirely in the restricted area. Ten of those were dunks; the most in a game by a Laker since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.
O'Neal gave Kessler his flowers on-air postgame.
"For so long, the Lakers big men have been historical and dominant," he declared on Inside the NBA. "Walker Kessler is the best big man in the NBA."
A glowing review from Laker royalty, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.
The spotlight that comes with donning the purple and gold – especially at its glamor position – can be blinding. The weight of following in the legacy of Shaq, Kareem, Wilt and George Mikan has crushed other superstars before. Dwight Howard infamously spurned Kobe Bryant in 2013 for the Houston Rockets. Russell Westbrook became public enemy No. 1 in his own hometown.
Kessler hasn't just shown he can handle the pressure that comes with this job. He somehow looks comfortable in it.
"He understands what this is and the pressures that come with it," head coach JJ Redick said. "I think it was a good opening statement for him."
It hasn't always been that way for the North Carolina and Auburn product.
By his own admission, there were times in his college career that Kessler let pressure get to him. Outside voices dictated his own thoughts and feelings. But as he's gotten older, he's focused more on being grateful for everything that comes his way.
"I'm a big believer in what an opportunity," Kessler said. "God is so good in my life for me to be here. ... It's really hard to focus on the negativity when you actively do that, and so I've been the past couple years really focusing on that."
Wednesday was just game one out of 82. Dončić kept it in perspective, saying he was impressed with his new running mate and how they played off each other. When Luka would drive, Kessler would step up. When he was doubled, Kessler he played in the pocket.
"I think our ceiling is even higher," Dončić said. "But ... he did an amazing job today."
He knows that even if Kessler makes catching lobs look easy, the reality is far from it. But keeping in mind that this was just their first game together, the future – and present – at Crypto.com Arena looks just as bright as the lights that so many before them have shrunken under.
The Golden State Warriors got the chance to see their No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft make his league debut on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg got a taste of the NBA and earned his first 'welcome to the league' moment during the season-opening matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Warriors, 127-105.
Lendeborg played 29 minutes and scored 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting, adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal. However, the main lesson Lendeborg learned of the day is don't mess with Luka Dončić.
The rookie found himself guarding Dončić on multiple possessions during the game. Lendeborg accepted the challenge. He didn't back down, playing physical with the Lakers' All-Star and letting him hear it, too.
That might have been where Lendeborg messed up. Dončić scored 28 points on 7-for-18 from the field and added eight rebounds and seven assists.
The two went at each other, especially in the first half. But Dončić had the last laugh at the end of the second quarter where he banked in a half court shot from about 50 feet to beat the buzzer. Going into the locker room, he had some words for Lendeborg.
LUKA MAGIC ✨Beyond half-court at the buzzer to extend the Lakers' lead against the Warriors 🍿 https://t.co/RiPZVHk7gg
Lendeborg even received a technical foul for his back-and-forth with Dončić. After the game, Lendeborg discussed what happened on the court with him and Dončić.
Lendeborg described his debut as "interesting."
As for Dončić, he said he lost respect for him.
"I had a lot of respect for him," Lendeborg said. "I didn't watch the NBA much. I just watched highlights, seeing him kill people all the time. But then being in there first hand, just watching him whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. Like, that was awful.
"Like me getting frustrated, it's not about the foul being called, it's about him complaining the entire game. And then you get foul call. Congratulations, bro," Lendeborg added. "And then you talk to me, like you did something great, bro. Come on, now. It kind of threw me off for a little while, 'cause, you know, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone."
On Dončić's end, it was business as usual.
"I think everybody knows when somebody starts talking, it (brings out) a different me, so that was it," Dončić said in postgame interview with ESPN.
Later, he told reporters that Lendeborg "was talking crazy" and Dončić wasn't trying to talk back.
"This season I'm not trying to get techs, so it's the first time that that was not a double tech because I didn't say nothing," he added. "So I'm working on it. As you see, I think it worked great."
Warriors support Lendeborg's 1-on-1
Head coach Steve Kerr's message to Lendeborg: "Better days ahead."
"I loved the back and forth," Kerr told reporters. "Yaxel's a competitor. This was a great welcome to the NBA game for him, having to guard Luka, who's as tough to guard as anybody in the world. Having to learn about all the little tricks that exist in the NBA. He probably had three fouls that probably wouldn't be called fouls in any other league in the world, but it's the NBA, and he's got to learn this stuff."
"It's his first game," Kerr added. "He is an unbelievable young guy, and great talent, and it was a frustrating night for him, but a lesson well learned, and he'll get better from here."
For what it's worth, Kerr thought that Dončić and Lendeborg should have received double technical fouls for their back and forth banter. However, it was the rookie that got whistled.
Teammate Draymond Green encouraged him to keep talking and was honest when speaking to reporters about how Lendeborg should approach guarding Dončić for the rest of the season.
"Everyone's going to say 'you should not talk to Luka' and I disagree with that (expletive)," Green said. "1,000%. You (expletive) gonna talk to somebody, you talk until you can't (expletive) talk no more. And if he bust your ass, guess what? You gotta play him again three more times and you go back at his ass again. Then you see him the third time and you go back at his ass again."
Green said you have to earn respect in the league at the end of the day.
"If you start talking to someone, then you got yourself into a battle," Green said. "When I lose respect is when you start talking to someone and you realize 'oh I'm into a battle' and you stop. You keep going. You get all my respect."
Draymond Green on Yaxel Lendeborg going at Luka Doncic: “Everyone will say the rookie learned his lesson. What he learn? The next time he see him, go at his ass again.”Full soundbite https://t.co/jb87fMCjJW
LeBron James made a triumphant Sixers debut on Tuesday, exhibiting how he’ll help put the pieces together on this new-look roster.
James played the role of connector on offense against the Knicks, not often initiating himself, but utilizing his elite passing and basketball IQ to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He totaled 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Working in the pick-and-roll with Tyrese Maxey was one example of that within the Sixers’ half-court offense. The two are an enticing pairing. Maxey brings stellar shooting and out-of-this-world acceleration, while James can attack downhill and pick defenses apart as a passer.
They also have the established chemistry that contributed to James’ decision to come to Philadelphia.
“A lot of the reason why I’m here is because of him,” James told reporters after the Sixers’ preseason finale against the Celtics.
Everyone knows James has a well-rounded game. However, he has not been the roll man in pick-and-rolls at a high volume throughout his career.
In the 2025-26 season, James averaged just 0.8 possessions per game as the roll man. Since the NBA started tracking pick-and-rolls in 2015-16, the most James has done that came in 2023-24, but still at just 1.5 possessions per game.
He’s shown that he can be effective setting a pick and rolling. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, he’s scored 1.25 points per possession as the roll man, which would have ranked in the 76th percentile last season. It’s just not something he’s done much.
“The luxury of my game is I can do everything,” James said at his media day press conference. “Literally, I can do everything.”
He’s played into that versatility in the very early days of his Sixers tenure. James has been working with Maxey as the picker in empty-side ball screens.
The advantage of an empty-side ball screen is how far off-ball defenders have to rotate to help. It gives Maxey and James more space to operate and creates cleaner reads.
“It’s a good set for us. It’s a good movement for us,” James said following the preseason finale when asked about his two-man game with Maxey. “It’s good to know we have that in our back pocket whenever we need it. It’s a connection that we have.”
That connection was on display early in the regular-season opener.
In the first quarter, James set a down screen for Maxey near the break. They then used a dribble handoff to catch Jalen Brunson off guard and get Maxey open for a baseline jumper.
It was a nice look at that chemistry between the two and highlighted James’ comfort being the screener that a guard like Maxey can work off of.
The two of them were back at it in the second quarter. James set the same empty-side ball screen. After Mikal Bridges iced it, Maxey rejected the screen and burst towards the baseline. James’ defender, Andre Drummond, dropped to help. That left James open at the free throw line after a short roll.
The defense collapsed on him once he caught the ball. The slightest of pass fakes to Anfernee Simons sent OG Anunoby and Brunson flying toward the far corner. The fake meant Jaylen Brown had nobody near him in the dunker spot.
The savvy from James on that play underscored the menace he can be as a passer off a short roll. Especially if he’s playing as a small-ball center, like he was during that stint, James can punish a defender who drops to support towards the ball handler. James playing the five has downsides, but how he can attack slower-footed centers is a benefit.
James also still possesses the size and strength to exploit switches against guards. With around 3:30 left in the first, he set a ball screen for VJ Edgecombe that forced Landry Shamet and Josh Hart to switch the matchup.
Despite a bump from Drummond on the roll, James successfully played bully ball against Shamet in the paint.
James was good facilitating offense after setting screens on Tuesday. Where he can be better is finishing when he gets the rock off of the roll. There were a couple occasions when he didn’t convert on a pass from Maxey off the empty-side ball screen.
Late in the first half, Maxey hit him on the roll off a dribble handoff. James took a dribble and started to go up with the ball, but Miles McBride rotated over and tied him up, forcing a jump ball.
In the fourth quarter, Maxey and James went back to the same ball screen. Maxey threw him a bounce pass and James drove into Hart before missing a contested layup.
On a high pick-and-roll a few minutes beforehand, James passed up an open jump shot at the top of the key to drive towards the basket against OG Anunoby. He ended up settling for a bad shot.
“I can be a lot better, still getting my rhythm,” James told NBC’s Zora Stephenson after the win.
James was good playing to his strengths on Tuesday. As a connector in half-court offense and a finisher in transition, he was true to form.
Once he and Maxey work together more in the two-man game, he should find his groove as a half-court scorer, too. He has, after all, scored more points than anyone else in NBA history.
That dynamic could give the Sixers offense a changeup pitch that it has lacked. Pairing a true rolling threat with Embiid’s tendency to pick-and-pop could keep defenses on their toes. Plus, if and when Embiid misses time, James can still provide playmaking off the pick-and-roll as a small-ball center.
Even if he’s not the isolation scorer he was in his prime, James is still a creation hub. Some of that will come off setting screens for others. If he can score off those looks as well, he’ll present yet another problem for opposing defenses to solve against the Sixers.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Sam Hauser #30 and Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics high five during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 19, 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
The Boston Celtics trotted out a starting lineup of Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Mitchell Robinson in the team’s Opening Day loss — but it might not be the team’s best.
In fact, its best might look more like last year’s starting squad, just with Paul George instead of Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics’ most effective lineup of the game featured Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Neemias Queta. It’s a small sample size, obviously, but the team was steamrolling Detroit while these five were on the floor for a 5-minute stretch in the second quarter.
At the point Queta subbed in for Luka Garza halfway through the frame and joined the others, the game was tied 39-39. By the time White and Hauser were subbed out with 1:11 to go in the quarter, Boston had broken ahead with a 18-4 run and taken a 57-43 lead. Unfortunately for the C’s, who eventually choked the lead in the second half and lost, that lineup didn’t see the court for the rest of the game. To be fair to head coach Joe Mazzulla — who was clearly experimenting with different squads throughout the game — only two other lineups saw more time on the floor, led by the starters, who played only 8 minutes together.
Over their short run together, the lineup recorded an absurd 172.7 offensive rating and an equally absurd 36.4 defensive rating, according to NBA.com. That results in a 136.4 net rating — the highest mark of the game for any Celtics lineup. Boston’s second- and third-best lineups finished with net ratings of 60 and 56.7, respectively, but only totaled 5 minutes combined. The starting lineup finished with a 146.7 offensive rating, a 106.3 defensive rating, and a 40.4 net rating. All impressive marks, but nowhere as dominant as the Hauser-Queta lineup.
Apr 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) and center Neemias Queta (88) react during a break in the action against the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The lineup’s statistical success is completely unsustainable, but its early chemistry makes sense. With four out of five of last year’s starters reprising their roles, the lineup may have the most continuity and rapport of any potential starting five Boston could roll out, especially if George is locked in as a starter when he’s healthy. And slotting him in next to the other four is easy when he is such a perfect fit for Mazzulla-ball.
Talking about Mazzulla Ball, the Hauser-Queta lineup may fit better into the scheme than opening day’s starting lineup, at least in part due to the shooting Hauser brings to the table. The starting lineup against Detroit featured only one elite three-point shooter in Paul George, who shot 39.2% from distance last year and 38.4% over his career. Otherwise, neither White nor Tatum shot better than 33% from three-point range last year and Queta is a non-shooter despite a few long-range attempts this preseason. Walsh shot 38.4% from distance last year, but has yet to shoot at the volume that may be needed for a starting lineup (he shot a career-high 1.8 attempts per game last year, whereas Hauser put up 6.5 per game). If Tatum continues to struggle with his deep shot, Hauser’s level of high-quality volume shooting might be needed to make up for it.
The difference between Hauser and Walsh is pronounced, but the same can’t be said for Queta and Robinson. The 7-footers share a similar skillset and may have some level of interchangeability. While Queta was a part of the Celtics’ most successful opening day lineup, we didn’t get to see Robinson have a chance to run with the same crew, and — despite finishing -8 for the game — he played an important role in the starting lineup’s success. The gap between the two centers’ performances in Tuesday’s game may come down to a difference in rapport with Tatum and the others. Queta’s had years to develop chemistry with his Boston teammates. Give Robinson some time, and he might be just as effective alongside White, Hauser, George, and Tatum.
All in all, it’s a long season, and a one-game sample size means very little. Nevertheless, through one game, the Celtics’ best lineup to hit the court hasn’t been the starters. But, if its level of statistical prosperity balances out into sustainable success, it might just become the starting lineup.
