Category: Basketball

The Knicks raised a championship banner for the first time in over half a century at Madison Square Garden, but the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the party, handing New York a 106-100 loss on Tuesday night to open the 2026-27 NBA season.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 21 points (6-for-19 shooting), five rebounds, and three assists, but was a minus-11 in 34 minutes as he and the rest of the defending champs were stifled on the night they got their rings by some very good Philadelphia defense, including from the new Sixers stars of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.

New York has returned nearly all of their championship core and got a big contribution from the lone key offseason acquisition to Mike Brown’s rotation, but lacked the championship sharpness that was a hallmark of their drought-breaking run to a title.

After seeing a 10-point lead slip in the third, if the switch was going to flip in the fourth quarter, it was going to have to come after OG Anunoby bounced in a corner three. Jose Alvarado poked the ball away from Tyrese Maxey for his second steal of the night and hustled down the court to knock in his second three and force a Sixers timeout with eight minutes to play and the lead down to two. 

The deficit was four when Brunson checked back in with just over five to play in the game. Soon after, Brunson found Karl-Anthony Towns for a deep three and had a chance for the lead the next possession, but a contested fadeaway was off, and Joel Embiid answered with a three. Back down by five, Brunson and Towns again combined for a from deep, but Philly again answered with a pair of dunks, and Brown called for time with two minutes left and the deficit at six.

The Knicks cut the game to four and got a stop, but a Brunson three with 10 seconds to play was way off, and that was all the Knicks had left.

Here are the takeaways...

- Towns blocked a noticeably slimmer Embiid early, but threw the ball away as Maxey capitalized for his second three in the game’s early going. Towns would pick his first foul inside three minutes and 18 seconds later got his second with an offensive foul as he extended his leg on his jumper and tripped Maxey to send him to the bench. 

Andre Drummond, who spent the last two years in Philly, entered for his first action as the Mitchell Robinson replacement. And the veteran took full advantage of the opportunity with six points and six rebounds (three offensive), adding an assist, a steal, and a block in nine minutes in the opening quarter. He made it a double-double debut inside his first 12 minutes on the floor as KAT continued to sit and was a huge bright spot.

Towns made a three-minute cameo in the second, scoring five points before he picked up his third and returned to the bench. He was a minus-3 in six first-half minutes.

Towns, who turned it around in the second half, finished with 19 points (6-for-9 shooting), 12 rebounds (three offensive), two blocks, and was even in 23 minutes. Drummond finished with 12 points (5-for-13) with 14 rebounds (seven offensive) and four assists, two blocks, and a steal, but was a minus-6 in 24 minutes.

- Starters started slowly. Josh Hart, who had a great year shooting the three last years despite his finger trouble, missed his first two from the outside and Anunoby missed his first five from deep as New York opened the game 2-for-10 from three, but were down by just one late in the first. Brunson's late floater gave the Knicks a 25-23 lead after 12 minutes, as he had just five points in the opening stanza. The defending champs shot just 37 percent (10-for-27) from the floor in the quarter.

The Knicks starter did not start the third crisply, going 1-for-7 from the floor and committing three turnovers, as Brown used a pair of timeouts in four minutes as the lead was cut to one. After two more Knicks misses, the Sixers had a lead, since late in the first quarter, before a Hart three, to give him 10 on the night, stopped the bleeding. 

But New York shot 23.8 percent (5-for-21) and allowed the Sixers to close the quarter on an 11-0 run to grab a seven-point lead entering the fourth, which was made possible by a fifth turnover of the period.

Hart added 14 points (5-for-10 shooting) with seven rebounds and three assists and was a plus-1 in 30 minutes. It was not Anunoby's night: 10 points (3-for-12, 1-for-9 from deep) with five rebounds and was a team-worst minus-20 in 32 minutes.

- Brunson had a relatively quiet half until he had a Brunsonian spurt late in the second with two at the line, taking a charge, hitting a floater, and then adding three more at the line. At the half, Brunson led the Knicks with 15 points (4-for-9 shooting) with two rebounds and two turnovers and was a minus-1 in 17 minutes, but the Knicks' lead was down to four.

- The Knicks’ second unit really started to twist the screws on the visitors as players off the bench, led by Drummond, had 23 of the Knicks’ first 38 points as New York built a 10-point lead four minutes into the second.

The bench contributed just nine more points the rest of the game, with Alvarado adding eight, Landry Shamet five, Jordan Clarkson four, and Miles McBride three. The reserves were a combined 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) from the floor on the night, weighed down by going 3-for-13 (23.1 percent) after the half.

Game MVP: Jaylen Brown

On his Sixers' debut, the former Finals MVP had 19 points (7-for-14) with eight rebounds, six assists, and was a plus-17 in 35 minutes, including 10 points and five assists in Philly's big third quarter.

Highlights

Jalen Brunson's first points of the year 🤝 https://t.co/sTXkvvV0a4

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 20, 2026

Andre Drummond denies Joel Embiid 🚫 https://t.co/Zj8UPxbvWo

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 20, 2026

Jalen Brunson closes out the first quarter with a bucket https://t.co/lVBURDkiG0

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 20, 2026

Andre Drummond has a double-double in 12 minutes 🔥 https://t.co/SaTG2gjMST

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 20, 2026

THE FIRST GRAND THEFT ALVARADO OF THE 2026-27 SEASON https://t.co/gGfXYzWLzf

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 20, 2026

Josh Hart from downtown! https://t.co/qW64TDNS8L

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2026

KAT from WAY downtown! https://t.co/G5LETzSXTC

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2026

Up next

The Knicks are back in action for the second game of the 82-game slate Friday night to take on the Celtics for a 7 p.m. tip-off in Boston.

The Knicks found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter. Just like before those heroic playoff moments — those moments they celebrated in a stirring ceremony. 

Except this time, as the defending champs Tuesday, Captain Clutch struggled when it mattered most, OG Anunoby committed a costly turnover, Mikal Bridges totally disappeared and the Knicks became the rare team to lose on their own ring night, 106-100 to the revamped 76ers. 

Brunson shot 1-for-5 in the final five minutes, including a botched open runner on his first possession after being subbed in for the homestretch. The point guard — who missed 13 of his 19 attempts — airballed a trey with 10 seconds remaining that sealed New York’s defeat. 

It capped a game in which the Knicks shot 42 percent from the floor and 27 percent on 3s. They committed 15 turnovers. 

“What an ugly game,” coach Mike Brown said. “All throughout the game, we looked like we were running in mud.” 

Karl-Anthony Towns, who struggled for much of the evening, came alive in the fourth quarter and finished with 19 points and 12 boards. His trey cut the deficit to two with 2:15 remaining, but Philly’s VJ Edgecombe responded with an easy bucket against a lax Knicks defense.

Then New York’s wings — Anunoby and Bridges — flubbed their opportunities. 

Anunoby threw an errant pass to Tyrese Maxey, who converted a breakaway for his final bucket of a 28-point gem. With about 90 seconds left, Bridges went up softly for a layup and missed with his left hand. He had just four points in 33 minutes. 

The Knicks became the first home team to fall on ring night since the 2020 Lakers, who were playing in an empty arena because of the pandemic. Before Tuesday, the NBA’s defending champs were 64-15 in their home openers. 

So the Knicks lost against history — and Josh Hart, who dropped 14 points with seven boards in 30 minutes, said the team isn’t panicked but also can’t relax. 

“We play basketball for a living. If you can’t get up and get excited to play basketball, no matter who the hell we play, you got to do some soul-searching,” Hart said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re defending champs, it doesn’t matter if we have the worst record in the league last year. No matter what we got to make sure we are professionals and do what our job is and at the end of the day, I don’t think anybody picked us to win the championship again. 

“So nothing to it. We shouldn’t sit there and think we’re the champions because we’re not. We’re 0-1. We’re the worst team in the NBA right now. So we need to play like it.” 

At the start of Tuesday’s game, and after the banner was elevated, the Knicks played like they skipped a beat. A couple of beats, actually. 

Their offense was disjointed and stagnant in the opening minutes, lowlighted by immediate foul trouble from Towns. Maybe it was the emotions spilling over from the ceremony just minutes prior, or maybe it was rust after four months away. 

Despite their struggles, the Knicks were within striking distance as the final buzzer neared. That’s usually the time for the Brunson takeover. He couldn’t come through on ring night, though. Neither did his teammates. 

Brown was almost happy they lost after an effort like that. 

“Is he capable of making those shots? Yes,” Brown said. “But if we played the right way, then it wouldn’t come down to that. But we put ourselves in a hole not doing the little things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And we have to watch the film and regroup and see how we can put a stretch of 48 minutes together. 

“I want to win. Don’t get me wrong. Don’t get it twisted. I want to friggin’ win. But not at the expense of us skipping steps. So if he hits those shots down the stretch and we win, as a coach, there’s going to be something inside of me that wouldn’t be happy. Because it’s like you’re playing with fire, and you ended up winning that time without any water.”

NEW YORK — The defense comes through in the end, just like we all expected.

The Sixers opened the 2026-27 season with a nail-biting 106-100 victory over the defending champion New York Knicks Tuesday night.

Tyrese Maxey had a great night leading the Sixers with 28 points, shooting 9-of-19 from the floor with five assists and three steals. Jaylen Brown seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one big block on Jalen Brunson to end the game.. 

LeBron James, also making his Sixers debut, had 14 shooting 5-of-13 along with nine rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid struggled offensively in the second half but made some big plays defensively, finishing with 13 points on 15 shots with 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• The first possession of the season saw an Embiid post-up get swung around to Maxey for a three on the opposite side of the floor. Hopefully there will be a lot of that this season. Embiid was stripped by Towns shortly after, but Maxey stole the loose ball back and buried another three for a quick 6-0 start. New York missed their first four shots of the game before a putback from Bridges and a Brunson three trickled in. The Sixers were also able to send KAT to the bench with two fouls, quickly bringing Andre Drummond into the game. Drum finally got Embiid back, blocking one of his old teammate’s pull-up jumpers.
• The first bucket for the new guys was Brown cutting to the basket, with LeBron hitting him with a nice bounce pass for the layup. Shortly after, Brown blocked an OG Anunoby three, though it a took a challenge to overturn it from a foul call.

The new guys in town going to work early for the Sixers pic.twitter.com/8jYTpxCkMK

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 20, 2026

• The initial stagger ended being different than the preseason. The first two Sixers subs of the night were Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope checking in for Maxey and Brown. The Sixers were generating open threes, but the first two Maxey hit to start the game remained their only shots from deep that had fallen. Drummond continued to put in a solid shift against Embiid as a couple offensive rebounds helped the Knicks offense get going. Embiid continued to make enemies in this building as Landry Shamet started jawing at him in between plays.
• Simons hit a couple pull-up jumpers as the Sixers’ offense fell into a rut, something that could become a theme, especially from behind the arc. Brown missed a pull-up, turned the ball over, and split a pair of free throws across a three-possession stretch. A layup from Brunson put the Knicks up by two to close the first.

Second Quarter

• LeBron had a layup just rim out, and Adem Bona slightly mistimed the jump for the putback. As Drummond pulled down his fourth offensive rebound of the game, Nick Nurse opted to go with Jabari Walker at the five. Walker made a nice find to Maxey, but defensively the unit was struggling to get stops.
• Drummond was playing so well the arena had begun to randomly chant his name. That being said, he got away with one of the most egregious goaltends that left both Maxey and Walker stunned at the no-call. It’s fitting that the two guys lighting up the NBA world on opening day were Drummond and Paul George.

Not goaltending, apparently… pic.twitter.com/LZoGWMdVtw

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 21, 2026

• The return of Embiid to court helped them stop an 11-2 Knicks run. He and Maxey each hit a midrange before he hit a three from the top of the key. Towns returned to the game as well and punished the Sixers’ defense off the dribble. It didn’t help that the Sixers still struggled to buy a three on their end. They swung to a wide open KCP who had the ball go all the way down and rim out.
• Easily the best thing to come out of the first half was how Embiid was moving. He was able to get back and swallow up multiple shots and passes at the rim. He checked out with two minutes in the half a +4, giving us our first look at small-ball five LeBron minutes. James got tied up by Miles McBride for a jump ball, but won it and knocked down a midrange jumper. Offensively they made some good reads to find open layups, a lot came as a result of picking on Brunson.

Count em! That's two more points for Jaylen Brown off the Joel Embiid steal pic.twitter.com/VDe9ojAvvc

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 21, 2026

• On the other end though, they couldn’t keep Brunson off the foul line, including a defensive three second violation with 11 seconds left in the half. The Sixers were at least able to get a stop on the ensuing possession, keeping themselves to within four at the break.

Third Quarter

• LeBron with a steal and fired it up the court to Maxey for the fast break layup. He made a good read from the middle of the paint to find Maxey open in the corner for three, but the Sixers continued to miss those good looks. Brown was finally able to get downhill and behind the defense for a dunk, but Josh Hart drilled a three coming out of a timeout before Maxey and VJ Edgecombe both missed another open corner triple.
• Nick Nurse switched LeBron onto KAT to start the second half and that did junk up the Knicks’ offense to start the third. With Embiid roaming the Knicks found themselves taking shots not far from the rim, but with multiple defenders contesting it hard. The Sixers used that time to get out in transition and go on a 6-0 run to briefly retake the lead, but a Josh Hart three took it right back.
• Simons drilled his first three of the night and the team’s first of the second half, making the team just 4-of-21 from beyond the arc on the night. The offense got stuck in its tracks again, but just before he got doubled, Brown was able to find Simons again, who drilled another one with the hand in his face.

ANFERNEE SIMONS. 3-FOR-3 3PT IN Q3. SIXERS LEAD. pic.twitter.com/pyl9sjmmDE

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 21, 2026

• Maxey, who was easily the best Sixer on the floor all night, made a spectacular finish to pull the Sixers within two. The Sixers continued to actually make three-pointers, which allowed them retake the lead once again. Simons drilled another one and Brown got left so alone in the corner he took his sweet time to sink one. After both teams had ugly possessions, the Sixers got one last chance with 1.5 seconds left. Brown got open again and buried the three at the buzzer off a great LeBron pass.

JAYLEN BROWN IS A SIXER! Sinks the three as time expires in Q3 and Philadelphia leads by 7! pic.twitter.com/uMmHgdMsfC

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 21, 2026

Fourth Quarter

• Embiid and LeBron returned to the game to start the fourth, but LeBron quickly picked up his fourth foul of the night, inviting more caution for him. Maxey was rewarded for his downhill aggression, drawing fouls on two straight possessions including an and-1 floater over Anunoby. The Knicks contested a LeBron shot pretty well and turned Maxey over, leading to a pair of threes to cut the lead to two and force a Sixers timeout.
• Maxey got to the line again out of the timeout and KCP hit a pair of threes to stop the bleeding. Bona was having a rough night. He made some nice stands during this stretch but the team wasn’t able to close those possessions with rebounds and the Knicks again made them pay with second-chance points.
• Embiid made some big blocks, but had been scoreless for much of the second half. The Sixers were teetering after coming up empty on their previous possession despite two offensive rebounds of their own. As the ball was swung around, Embiid was left open on the three-point line and drilled it, extending the lead to four and prompting a timeout from Mike Brown. Brunson got a good shot over Edgecombe coming out of the timeout but it rimmed out. Embiid made a nice high-low pass to Edgecombe who drew a foul coming back down the floor, but he was only able to split the pair.

jojo for three! pic.twitter.com/wAPp31Zl6w

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 21, 2026

• KAT drilled a high arching three with a hand in his face to cut it right back down to two. The Sixers once again leveraged the double on Maxey, dropping it to Embiid, then Edgecombe on the block who this time finished the layup. Maxey picked off the following Knicks pass to push it back up to six with just under two minutes remaining.

Tyrese Maxey with a HUGE steal and score to extend the Sixers' lead to 6 with under two minutes to play! pic.twitter.com/5ze0hXq2Fo

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 21, 2026

• Bridges got open for a layup coming out of the timeout but LeBron was able to get all the way over to get a hand on it. Once again Maxey’s attention got a Sixer open under the basket, but LeBron somehow wedgied the layup. The Sixers won the jump ball, but Brown turned it over with 49 seconds left.
• Brunson was able to beat Maxey off the drive, prompting another timeout from Nurse with 41 seconds to go. The Sixers ran a really uninspired possession that led to a horrible Embiid three, but they were able to force a miss on the other end thanks to Brown blocking Brunson’s three. LeBron got the rebound and was fouled with 7 seconds left, finally putting this one away.

Ben Simmons was well on his way to making a comeback in the NBA.

That was until he tore his Achilles while practicing last Sunday.

Now, he will miss the rest of the 2026-2027 season.

After the Kings finished wrapping up practice on Tuesday, Simmons’ teammate told the media that it was “probably the worst thing I’ve seen on the basketball court.”

Keegan Murray said Ben Simmons injury was “probably the worst thing I’ve seen on the basketball court.”

“When he did it, obviously there was a different feel in the gym…. It was a tough situation, and for me, I got to be able to step up for what he was going to bring us.” pic.twitter.com/a0zeZhcV9j

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 20, 2026

“Sunday when he did it, there was obviously a different feel in the gym and it was a tough situation,” Murray said. “For me, I got to be able to step up for what he was going to bring us.”

Murray added that he is hoping Simmons comes back next year, “in a great way.”

Simmons’ NBA journey has not been easy.

In 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the No.1 overall pick of the draft but he did not play in a single game due to him injuring his foot during the middle of NBA training camp.

Midway through the year, Philadelphia announced he would miss the rest of the season after it was revealed he had broken his right foot.

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Through the next seven years, Simmons would spend time dealing with nagging injuries that specifically pertained to his knee and back.

Last year, he opted not to play in the NBA so that he could focus on rehabbing all of his injuries properly.

Before training camp began this year, Simmons signed with the Kings on a one-year, $3.5 million deal that included $1 million guaranteed if he made the opening night roster.

Simmons appeared in only two games during the preseason but was impressive, including last Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, when he scored 14 points, with eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.

While he won’t be suiting up during the Kings’ opening night game against the Clippers on Wednesday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks provided a silver lining, when he reported that the team intends to give him his full salary.

Unsurprisingly, guard Brandon Williams has made the Golden State Warriors roster. While he was one of just 15 players with a contract on the team heading into the preseason, Williams’ contract included no guarantees. So if another training camp invitee or preseason acquisition forced their way onto the roster, Williams would have been the presumed odd-man out. Instead, Williams’ contract is now partially guaranteed for roughly $1.4 million of the roughly $2.6 million salary he would receive if he remains with the team for the entire season.

Once he plays in an official game with the Warriors, Williams will have appeared in five NBA seasons, debuting with the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2021-22. While he was primarily a G-League player for most of his career, receiving occasional cups of coffee in the NBA, Williams had his biggest opportunity last season wit the Dallas Mavericks. In 66 games, Williams averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists in 22.2 minutes per game.

While Williams’ inconsistent outside shot has limited his upside, he is one of the most dynamic on-ball creators on the Warriors roster and is expected to lead a significant portion of second-unit offense. Even if he ends up failing to find a role in Golden State though, he’s at least now guaranteed $1.4 million this year regardless of what happens going forward.

The Golden State Warriors have not been subtle in their preseason praise of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The 14th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has made a strong first impression with fans, coaches, and his teammates. With expectations low, especially with Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, Lendeborg is seemingly the only acquisition that has the fanbase excited. Dubs star Draymond Green is not doing anything to hold back the pressure either. On the latest edition of The Draymond Green Show, Green chatted with guest Taylor Rooks about Lendeborg and gave some effusive praise.

“The Golden State Warriors has found the next face of the franchise,” Green said.

Green went on to add that Lendeborg is his pick to win Rookie of the Year this season, a particularly bold claim given most experts agree this is one of the strongest rookie classes in recent league history.

It’s worth noting that Green has always hyped up young players. He talked about Jacob Evans as a 16-game player that would be impactful in a playoff rotation. He publicly praised James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga during their tumultuous tenures. Many fans will rightly point out that Green also made positive statements about Jordan Poole before and after he punched Poole during a practice. So… it’s worth taking with a grain of salt.

However, this is far from a one-off statement. Green, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, and almost every prominent member of the organization has been united in sharing significant excitement about Lendeborg’s potential to make an impact immediately. He’s backed it up on the court as well during the Summer League and preseason. He’ll officially begin his NBA career tomorrow when the Warriors tip off their season against the Lakers.

After two tanking seasons, almost 120 losses and one hand tied behind his back by his own organization, Jordi Fernández will finally get to do his job. 

For the first time he’ll be coaching a non-tanking team, one with at least a chance to win every night, starting with Wednesday’s opener against Charlotte. 

Yes, that means for the first time since coming to Brooklyn in April 2024, there will be expectations on Fernández and urgency around his Nets. But that has him more excited than anxious. 

“Yeah, more [excited]. I think anxiety is usually negative. It’s a good sense of urgency. It’s positive. It’s excited about something,” Fernández said. “We cannot think that all this feeling is going to take us to do something wrong. It’s just control what you can control, the excitement. 

“Probably the first stint of each player, they’re going to be gassed in the first few minutes. It’s because it’s normal, it happens every year. So everything we’ve worked on here behind closed doors, now we can display it in front of our crowd, and show them how hard we’re willing to play for them, for the community. So, it’s exciting.” 

Fernández’s excitement at finally having a chance to do his job — unencumbered by lottery positioning, the greater good or any such concerns — was clear to his players. 

“Jordi’s really excited. He feels like going into every game, we’ve got a chance to win every single game,” Julius Randle said earlier. “We’re coming in trying to win. It’s as simple as that.” 

Likely no Nets are feeling that more than the ones who had to suffer through the past two tanking seasons in Brooklyn. 

Once the Nets committed to a rebuild, they slogged through a 26-56 campaign followed by last season’s 20-62 mark. In an upside-down bizarro world, victories were greeted with fury by fans and losses were celebrated for lottery positioning. 

But unlike Charlotte’s lengthy tank — they’re riding a stretch of 10 straight seasons in the lottery — Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks always planned a short two-year tank. 

That stretch is mercifully over. 

How well it served its purpose remains to be seen. 

The Nets will surely lose their fair share of games, but they’ll at least be vertically aligned in trying to win. 

That in itself has created a different vibe in the locker room. 

“Everybody’s excited about it. With that being said, there’s no benefit from losing: nothing,” Noah Clowney said. “Playing games, we think we’re going to go in every game with the idea of winning it, put our best foot forward. And I think that excites a lot of people. So yeah, I would say it’s a lot more excitement in the building.” 

Keon Ellis — a summer free agent signee — may be one of the newest Nets, but he has known Fernández the longest. 

The veteran guard played in Sacramento from 2022-24, when Fernández was the Kings’ associate head coach. And while Ellis said Fernández isn’t the most outwardly emotive, he can sense the latter’s excitement. 

“It’s tough to tell with Jordi because he’s not like an expressive guy, but yeah. So I know he’s excited, just because that’s what we’re here for, long summer. So, just happy to get back to it,” Ellis said. “I know everyone’s excited.” 

Between owing a pick swap to Houston and the NBA’s recent lottery reforms, the Nets have no reason to tank this season. 

That’s why Marks went out and traded for a floor-raiser in Randle. 

“Sean brought me here because of that, because it was time to win. So, that’s just what it is. I’m not here to lose. I don’t think anybody’s here to lose this year,” Randle told The Post, the “this year” caveat hanging in the air. 

“We definitely want to be a team that goes out there and competes every single night. We’re playing to win. That’s as simple as I can put it.”

As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to open the 2026-2027 NBA season on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors, they could be shorthanded.

Per Khobi Price of The California Post, the Lakers announced that guard Collin Sexton is questionable to play due to a right soleus strain.

Collin Sexton is questionable for the Lakers' season opener against the Warriors.

Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero have been ruled out. pic.twitter.com/uJVrJ1u1ss

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 21, 2026

Along with Sexton potentially being out, Cameron Carr (right oblique strain) and Adou Thiero (left knee contusion) are listed as out.

Sexton has been sidelined through all of training camp due to what the Lakers were calling a lower-leg injury, causing him to miss all five preseason games.

On Monday, Sexton appeared in his first full Lakers practice and told Melissa Rohlin of The California Post he’s been “taking it day by day.”

Sexton added that he felt he had a “really good practice” and was “super excited to be back out there with the guys.”

After spending the last eight years of his career playing for the Cavaliers, Jazz, Hornets and Bulls, Sexton signed with the Lakers over the offseason on a two-year, $19 million deal to play on the team’s second-scoring unit.

The former No. 8 overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft has averaged 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

For the Lakers, the potential absence of Sexton will likely mean Ziaire Williams will take his spot in the rotation.

Like Sexton, Williams was one of the eight new contracts Rob Pelinka handed out over the offseason.

Williams appeared in two games during the preseaon and averaged 13.5 points per game while averaging 15.5 minutes on the court.

The Lakers and Warriors will tip off at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.

It’s Game Day, Pounders! The last time the Spurs saw the the Thunder it was in the rearview mirror on their way to the Finals, as Devin Vassell ended their postseason with one final, borderline disrespectful dunk.

Tonight, the Thunder will get their first crack at the San Antonio since that exclamation point back in May, and the Silver and Black get the chance to start their season with a warning shot for the rest of the NBA.

Since then, the Spurs have overhauled their big man rotation, drafting three big men (though Jayden Quaintance is still rehabbing his pre-draft injury) and knicking Tobias Harris away from the Detroit Pistons.

The Thunder did some drafting of their own, but lost some depth in the off-season, saying goodbye to Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and the universally loathed (in San Antonio, at least) Lu Dort.

Whose off-season additions will pay off more? Who will come into the game with more of a chip on their shoulders, and with more frustrations to unleash?

I don’t know, but between the rust of a season opener and the still-smouldering fire of their postseason series, I expect the game will go down to the wire once again.

Game Prediction:

Devin Vassell gets to lay down another disrespectful dunk in this one! Go, Spurs, Go!

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
October 20, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Streaming: Peacock
TV: NBC
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The Knicks’ famous fans were out in force to see the 2025-26 NBA champions receive their rings and open up the season, with the hopes of successfully defending their title.

Many of the celebs who took in the Knicks’ playoff run last spring returned on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden as Spike Lee showed off his usual flair for the team, sporting an orange-and-blue pinstriped suit, along with “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay, comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Ben Stiller. 

Hargitay was seen giving Morgan a big hug during the pre-game show, while Stiller was seen in the background snapping a photo. 

“I know I’m going to cry tonight,” Morgan told “NBA Showtime” ahead of the game. “Been a long time and then we going to turn the page. It’s time to defend now. .. We going to run it back. … I’m not scared. We not scared of nobody.” 

Other celebs on hand included Fat Joe, Edie Falco, Steve Schirripa, John Turturro, Action Bronson and Sam Morril. 

Jordyn Woods, who tied the knot with Karl-Anthony Towns in August, was courtside for the game, with a gold bag in honor of ring knight. 

Roger Goodell Watching The 76ers-Knicks Season Opener And LeBron James Philadelphia Debut.

The NFL Commissioner Sits Courtside At Madison Square Garden As The Knicks Raise Their Championship Banner Before Tip-Off.

Front Row. pic.twitter.com/AMf2vJjMzg

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 20, 2026

Singer Bon Jovi was courtside for the game, along with NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell.

Mets owner Steve Cohen was seen at the game, and failed presidential candidate Chris Christie was spotted in the stands. 

One notable star was not there for the ceremony: “Dune” star Timothée Chalamet. 

The important news!! Jordyn Woods just informed us at the Knicks home opener that the lucky bag is in retirement pic.twitter.com/KUsoqyChQN

— Page Six (@PageSix) October 20, 2026

Chalamet had been one of the Knicks’ biggest A-list fans making trips to New York and various road games during the championship run. 

“The Knicks fan base needs to be studied and observed. We move,” Morgan said. “We take over stadiums. We take it over. What the Knicks did doesn’t go down in basketball. That happens in soccer. We pulled four million people together and we got a glimpse of greatness.” 

For more than five of the last eight minutes, the Boston Celtics were held scoreless. Jayson Tatum tried to stop the bleeding with a layup off the glass, but missed and fell to the floor. On the other end, the Detroit Pistons rushed five-on-four, as former teammate Javonte Green drained a wide-open 3-pointer.

Tatum, unable to get back in time to contest Green’s three, admits the Celtics have some adjustments to make going forward.

“I think our communication has to be better,” Tatum told reporters after Boston’s 121-113 season-opening loss, per CLNS Media.

Tatum and the Celtics built a cozy 22-point lead as Detroit struggled mightily to muster up any offensive rhythm. Boston rode Paul George’s 38-point outburst and set themselves up for an easy victory line trot. But then the Pistons, eager to avoid embarrassment in front of their home crowd on Opening Night, made the Celtics pay for their plethora of miscues throughout the second half.

The same Boston defense that held Detroit to 45 points on 38.6 percent shooting in the first half allowed a 76-point second half.

The Pistons went on an unreal 23-0 run in the fourth quarter, completing their largest come-from-behind victory over the Celtics in the last 30 seasons, according to ESPN Insights. Detroit flipped the script, shooting 52.4 percent in the third and fourth quarters and knocking down 11 threes, fueled by Green’s five made 3-pointers amid his 19-point second half.

DETROIT'S 23-0 4Q RUN IN UNDER 5 MINUTES, UNCUT 🍿🍿@DetroitPistons open the NBA season with a 22-point comeback win! pic.twitter.com/ZgEF1IHgY4

— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2026

Too often, the Celtics paid the price for their inefficient offense. Detroit, meanwhile, turned Boston’s misses into quick scoring opportunities by pushing the pace in transition.

Time and again, the Celtics failed to get back quickly enough to contest.

“It probably started on defense,” Tatum said. “A couple of times we gave up the offensive rebound, they were scoring, we were fouling. That kind of slows the game down. Obviously, in the first half and early in the third, we were at our best when we were getting stops, and we were able to push the pace.”

Tatum, in particular, struggled to find his offensive spark in the second half, going 1-for-10 from the floor — and 6-for-23 overall.

The Celtics still managed to give themselves one last fighting chance, as George’s seventh 3-pointer cut Detroit’s lead to six at 116-110 with 41 seconds left in regulation. But Boston couldn’t complete the comeback, suffering its first blown 20-point lead of the season.

“We did a lot of good things, and obviously there’s a lot of stuff that we gotta do better,” Derrick White told reporters, per CLNS Media. “So we just gotta continue to grow and learn and see what we did wrong, and we’ll be better at it.”

Boston suffered the consequences of a combination of woes. White hurled a Hail Mary fadeaway 3-pointer with 5:25 left, and George missed badly on a layup with 4:48 left, allowing Detroit to coast amid its game-changing run in the fourth.

The Celtics missed 10 consecutive shot attempts at one point.

“You get better shots, that definitely helps,” White said. “Crashing definitely helps. Transition defense. Those two things can kind of set your defense up to get matched up and be able to find their shooters. I think there was a couple of times we didn’t find their shooters and then they would miss and we didn’t get the rebound.”

Bad shot attempts plus an outnumbered defense in transition helped seal Boston’s fate faster than anyone could’ve anticipated.

“It’s kind of all those things that we gotta do better,” White added.

To kick off the season, the tale of two halves caught up to the Celtics. They weren’t the same team coming out of the tunnel after halftime as they were when they entered it with a 58-45 lead. Boston carried its preseason momentum into the regular season for the first two quarters of the opener before letting it slip away, putting itself in a position where it desperately needed to claw back for a chance at redemption in its final few possessions.

The loss gives the team plenty to review before returning home to host the New York Knicks on Friday night at TD Garden.

“We’ll go back and watch, and separate out of the 76 points which came from our offense and which came from our defense,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Some of those things were a byproduct of our lack of offense in that third quarter. So we’ll separate the points of the 76: which ones came from our offense — we have to fix our offense to prevent some of those — and which ones came from our half-court defense.”

Perhaps it’s early-season rust or a new cast still figuring itself out. Regardless, letting a 20-point lead slip away against a Pistons offense that looked just as out of sorts as Boston did remains inexcusable.

While the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers have officially opened a new NBA season on Tuesday night, Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James was catching strays during pregame.

Comedian and actor Tracy Morgan was being interviewed by the NBC Sports broadcast team and called out James on national television.

Tracy Morgan: “Bronny looks like he got JUCO ball written all over him” pic.twitter.com/3alCVzDWLh

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) October 20, 2026

“Bronny looks like he’s got JUCO ball written all over him,” Morgan said.

Morgan followed up his statement on James by saying, “I just want to say what I feel. What you want?”

Morgan, 57, who is a well-known, passionate Knicks fan, is watching his team play James’ father, LeBron James, who is currently playing in his first game as a member of the 76ers after he departed from the Lakers over the summer.

Before he was talking about Bronny, Morgan was saying that the Knicks are not “Scared of nobody.”

While Bronny James was being scrutinized, it came after he just made the Lakers’ opening night roster, as the team elected to keep him over small forward Dalton Knecht.

The decision on keeping Bronny James over Knecht came down to the wire for Los Angeles, as both of them were excused from attending Monday’s practice.

Both came out of the 2024 NBA Draft, when Los Angeles selected Knecht in the first round and then took Bronny James in the second round.

When Knecht first joined the team, he was regularly in the Lakers’ starting rotation, but injuries would shortly accumulate, and he was never the same.

Bronny James has spent time back and forth between the G League and the Lakers’ active roster.

Last season, he saw an increase of playing time, by appearing in 42 games and averaging 8.9 minutes per game, 2.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Through the preseason this year, Bronny James’ production has trended downward, scoring only 11 points in five games, while averaging 16.4 minutes per game.

As the Lakers are set to usher in a new era of basketball — playing without LeBron James for the first time in eight years — the 2026-2027 season will be a make-or-break year for Bronny.

The Lakers will open their season against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night when they tip off at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Paul George’s heat check three with 8:32 to play in the third quarter of Tuesday’s season opener marked his third straight triple. More importantly, it gave the Celtics a commanding 72-50 lead over the Pistons in what was shaping up to be a tone-setting victory.

This was the last bit of fun today, btw https://t.co/C80SjPGl1j

— Sam LaFrance (@SamLaFranceNBA) October 20, 2026

Then… then it got worse.

Detroit closed the game on a 71-41 run. Duncan Robinson exploded for 21 points, with 15 coming in the fourth to help the Pistons cement the largest comeback in Opening Day history (at least since the NBA’s play-by-play era began in 1997).

The Celtics will head back to Boston with absolutely nothing to show for their trip to Little Caesars Arena except for a big fat disappointing loss.

Ironically, they’ve started the 2026-27 campaign the same way that they ended last year’s — with a monumental collapse. Boston’s unwillingness to finish of their commanding 3-1 lead over the 76ers last spring gave the front office the green light (from a general public perspective) to make serious changes.

They obliged and made it #DifferentHere.

As I write this, Jaylen Brown is warming up for his Sixers debut at Madison Square Garden ahead of Knicks Banner Night (Imagine reading that sentance a year ago). Boston moved on from Brown in favor of George, who was not remotely the problem today. He finished with 38 points, five rebounds, five steals, and made seven threes in the process.

He gave it all he had 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/2Leswh1Rna

— How 'Bout Them Celtics (@HowBoutThemCs) October 20, 2026

Yet, the way the Celtics fumbled this game away was reminscent of collapses of years past.

(Yes, I saw the stat.)

Celtics blew a 22-point lead today, their largest blown lead since they blew a 22-point lead vs the Cavs on Feb. 28, 2025.

Boston was 38-0 when leading by 20+ points last season, incl. playoffs.

— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) October 20, 2026

Regardless, if the lead eclipsed the 20-point mark is largely irrelevant. Boston led by 12 points early in the fourth quarter of this one. Much like Game 5 against Philadelphia last spring, or Games 1 and 2 against the Knicks in 2025, they failed to do enough to ultimately secure a win.

Detroit got out in transition and created clean looks from deep. Not a single Celtic could do anything to stop the bleeding. There was no calming presence on the floor for Boston — an alarming lack there of really.

Jayson Tatum, who the team fully committed to as their guy this summer, did not give them enough to get across the finish line in this game. He was 1-10 from the field in the second half and didn’t grab a single rebound after the break. This was a game where the Celtics needed all of the rebounding help they could get.

It’d be unfair to pretend like Tatum didn’t do anything well. He managed to get himself in plenty of great positions to score, at least earlier in the game. He just didn’t take advantage.

The good looks stopped in the fourth. Tatum took just five shots, and none of them were “oh, I can’t believe that didn’t go in” shots. It was more of a “why didn’t he do something different?” type of looks. If the Celtics are going to continue to be a staple towards the top of the Eastern Conference, they’re going to need Tatum to level up his consistentcy towards the end of games.

He’s put together undeniable performances throughout his career. Game 6 in Milwaukee in 2022. Game 6 in Philadelphia a year later. Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Even Game 3 against the Sixers in the spring featured a tremendous fourth-quarter showing.

Yet, it doesn’t traditionally feel like he’ll will the team to a win when things aren’t going their way late in games. Without Brown to lean on (not to pretend like he wasn’t out there when the aforementioned collpases happened), Boston needs Tatum to become a more reliable closer.

Tuesday was a reminder that he’s not quite there. Whether Jayson Tatum wanted it this way or not, the spotlight is soley on him. Time to shine.

It was at 6:57 p.m. Tuesday that Jalen Brunson’s voice delivered the line Knicks fans have long been waiting for. 

“Thank you guys,” Brunson said, “let’s raise this banner.” 

And the 2025-’26 championship banner slowly made its way to the Madison Square Garden rafters. The team that earned it posed in front of it, then simply stared at it in awe. President Leon Rose and coach Mike Brown wrapped their arms around one another and savored the moment. 

The title run of a lifetime and a team that stirred New York in a way few ever have were officially cemented in immortality. 

This was a moment just over four months in the making, since they clinched the championship June 13. It was a moment 13 years in the making, the last time there was a new banner in the MSG rafters — for the 2012-’13 Atlantic Division title. A moment 53 years in the making, since the team’s last championship. 

The banner remained next to the jumbotron — above the court — for the night. It wasn’t until after the game, when fans had exited, that staff placed it among the other banners — where the NBA Cup banner had already been raised ahead of the ceremony. 

The Knicks wore white quarter-zips with gold lettering — fitting for the current NBA royalty. Their jerseys underneath had gold lettering and numbers as well. And on the back of the jersey, there was a championship patch that was impossible to miss. 

The executives — Rose and William Wesley — and coaches — Brown, Chris Jent, Brendan O’Connor and Rick Brunson — received their rings first. The rest of the executives and assistant coaches were not part of the ceremony. 

The players, one by one, collected theirs next from the legendary Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe and the families of Dave DeBusschere and Willis Reed were also involved, giving out the executives’ and coaches’ rings. It was perfectly poetic — the last Knicks championship team bridging the gap to the current one. 

The starters went last — Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and then, finally, Brunson. 

“To celebrate one last time with the fans, it means a lot,” Towns said after the Knicks’ 106-100 loss to the 76ers. “We wanted to give them a better version of ourselves tonight than we did, but it was really special to have that moment here again in New York after 53 years.” 

Ariel Hukporti — who joined the 76ers in the offseason but tore his Achilles in the preseason opener — was even there to claim his, scooting across the court with his foot in a cast. 

And just like that, the championship was officially behind them. The challenge of repeating began in earnest. 

“We’re excited to get this season going,” Brunson said. “We’re ready to turn the page as a team. But one thing I wanted to say — the joy that the city had this summer, we would love to replicate that again.” 

Then, a game actually had to be played. 

Not just any game — one against a 76ers side, now with LeBron James, most labeled the biggest threat to the Knicks’ chances of repeating. And the 76ers delivered the first punch against a Knicks team that at times looked lethargic and emotionally drained. 

“Definitely not your normal game day,” Brunson said afterward. “We can make all the excuses in the world about all that stuff. But if you asked me what would I rather have, to finish that and then not have a regular first game or not, I would do that.” 

7:18 p.m. — the time of the opening tip — marked the official end of all the championship celebrations. A dreamlike few months were put in the past. 

And a new journey began. 

“I’m just happy,” Brunson said, “we can move forward now.”