Category: Sports News

The Dallas Mavericks (1-2) have a chance to lock the new-look Miami Heat (0-3) in the freezer on Monday when they travel to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. at the Kaseya Center. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.

The Heat have lost three in a row to open the 2026-27 season after nabbing Antetokounmpo in an offseason trade this summer and blowing up their young core to get the deal done. The Heat also brought on Klay Thompson in free agency, and now harbor two former Mavs sharpshooters in Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr.

So, yea, if it sounds like Miami is the NBA’s geriatric unit, that might be why. They made quote-unquote “win now” moves this offseason, but the (very) early returns have yet to yield any actual wins. Meanwhile, the little Mavericks seem to be taking the first few baby steps toward growth, with the NBA’s fifth-youngest roster, guided of course, by sage ball guru Kyrie Irving.

So, let’s go over three points that make Monday’s Mavericks-Heat game appointment television.

Return of the return of Irving and Flagg

Both Irving and Cooper Flagg missed Saturday’s 122-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Mavericks’ home opener. Flagg injured his shoulder when Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith fouled him hard on the way to the rack in transition right before halftime, while the Mavs were on their way to upsetting Indiana, 121-105, the night before.

Irving sat the second night of the back-to-back on “injury management,” which is confusing since Irving’s recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in March 2025 was extended by six months as last season got away from Dallas after the calendar turned. Wasn’t he supposed to be ALL the way back after 18 months of recovery?

Anyway, whatever the case, Irving has been removed from the Mavericks’ injury report as of Sunday night, and Flagg has been upgraded to questionable for the game at the Heat. If Flagg isn’t back on Monday, we suspect he would be back on Wednesday when Dallas plays host to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He took a scary fall on Friday after absorbing the hit from The Coward Nesmith, but it appears the injury associated with the fall is a relatively harmless one. Bullet dodged.

All eyes on Miami

The Heat made big, splashy offseason moves this summer, but trading for Antetokounmpo limited how much they could bring on around him, as he is set to make more than $58 million this year — good for just north of 29% of the Heat’s available salary under the cap. So, while they have some intriguing players deeper on their roster, the bulk of their scoring punch comes from Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt.

Klay Thompson is a hall-of-famer and a name, sure, but as Mavericks fans know, he doesn’t affect winning at this point in his career like he did during his time with the Golden State Warriors. Point guard Davion Mitchell, in his sixth season out of Baylor, appears poised to take the first big leap of his young career and has jumped out of the gates to the tune of 17 points and 8.7 assists per game through the first three games.

But Miami, as currently constructed, presents a pretty straightforward challenge. Throw all the resources you can at limiting Antetokounmpo from going nuclear, and see if the rest of the roster can beat you. Through three games at least, the Heat have not shown that they can.

The Charlotte Hornets coerced the star forward into foul trouble in Saturday’s 115-110 win over Miami, limiting Antetokounmpo to just 4-of-11 shooting and 14 points in 25 minutes. The Mavericks definitely have the bodies to throw his way at that position as well. The Heat have gotten most of their offensive production going to the basket through three games this year, and that makes sense — that’s a huge part of their star’s game. Staying in front of Antetokounmpo will be essential to stealing one in Miami. Dallas comes into the game as one of just four teams shooting over 50% from the field through three games played, while Miami is shooting just over 42% from the field to start the year, which puts them in the bottom third of the league, for whatever that’s worth.

For better or worse, the Heat are a name brand with easily recognizable star power. Getting a win in their barn would be a nice feather in the Mavericks’ hat in the middle of a brutal six-game stretch to start the season.

Intriguing young talent

One through line for the Mavericks through three games has been the emergence of a couple of intriguing young guards. In the season opener at the Houston Rockets, it was Marcus Sasser, who’s using a return to his old stomping grounds in the Dallas area as a fresh start after getting lost in the shuffle with the Detroit Pistons, who came up big with 17 points off the bench. He has shot a combined 8-of-14 from 3-point range to start the year.

In Saturday’s loss at the Spurs, it was Sergio de Larrea who stood out. His first bucket that night was his first NBA score, and that alone would have made for a landmark moment for any rookie, let alone a young Spanish phenom viewed in NBA circles as more of a project than a first-year contributor. He went on to score a team-high 21 points in the loss on 3-of-4 shooting from deep.

Which of the Mavericks’ young pieces will turn heads at Miami? And the third time around, could it coincide with a win? It’s early, but going 2-2 to start the year would be an encouraging start.

Regular Season Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 1.5
Joel Embiid – 1
Jaylen Brown – 0.5

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The Sixers once again had to battle a sluggish start, but were unable to come back against the Pistons despite resilient efforts from key Sixers.

It was a poor shooting night for the Sixers, who made only seven threes compared to Detroit’s 14. The more alarming figure is their free throw tally on Sunday. They went 14-of-23, with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James both missing four each.

Brown struggled to get in a rhythm against the gritty defense of the Pistons, and it was evident quickly Anfernee Simons did not have it either. They were missing VJ Edgecombe badly in the first half, on both ends of the floor. They could’ve used Joel Embiid as well.

Just before halftime the Sixers gained some momentum thanks to one of our Bell Ringer nominees, but it would become a defensive struggle the rest of the way.

Now to Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 29 points, 11-of-24 FG, 1-of-5 3PT, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

Maxey finished the third quarter with only 11 points, but went ballistic in the final frame. He went 6-for-10 from the field, notched 18 points and kept the Sixers in striking range offensively in the fourth. His speed paired with shooting ability makes him impossible to stop when he gets an advantage on his defender. He was able to turn the corner on multiple occasions in the latter 12 minutes, giving the Sixers quick scores in their attempted comeback.

Maxey’s defensive impact has been felt in every game for the Sixers this season, and it continued tonight against the Pistons. His point of attack defense and team-wide effectiveness at blowing up dribble-hand-offs has created a large handful of easy transition buckets each game. Against Detroit, Maxey went vertical for a nasty block as well.

Tyrese Maxey blocks Jenkins and tells him "I'm sorry" pic.twitter.com/eb0WvUOOV3

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 26, 2026

He added a three and pull-up deep two in the fourth as he valiantly willed the Sixers into a close game late.

Unfortunately, Maxey collided heads with John Collins with 1:40 remaining in the game. He was able to walk to the bench under his own power and return to the game, but it was already out of reach.

LeBron James: 18 points, 8-of-15 FG, 2-of-6 FT, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds

The intensity that Maxey had in the fourth to keep the Sixers in reach, LeBron James had at the end of the first half.

A sloppy start for the Sixers had them staring at an 18-point deficit with a 1:10 remaining before halftime. James goes on a personal 6-0 run to bring them to within 12, and gathered some much-needed momentum.

Three straight LeBron James buckets brings the Sixers back to within 12 at halftime pic.twitter.com/w9HbtmPP8f

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) October 26, 2026

James joined Maxey in their fourth quarter push, but poor shooting from the Sixers and decent shooting from the Pistons kept them from completing the comeback.

James has been an omnipotent force for the Sixers. He continued to fill holes offensively and fight defensively as the makeshift five with Dean Wade.

The King doing it on both ends pic.twitter.com/dZUi3WnXFq

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 26, 2026

Honorable Mentions

Labaron Philon Jr.: 5 points, 2-of-4 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

The rookie notched his first career bucket and three-pointer against the Pistons. The first field goal came in transition, off a LeBron James assist, as he found the bottom of the net on a pretty floater. He also displayed his playmaking once again with a savvy lob to Adem Bona in the paint over the taller defender.

Adem Bona: 6 points, 3-of-5 FG, 13 rebounds,3 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assist

Bona still needs to work on staying on the ground defensively, but you have to credit his energy level in attacking the boards with Embiid out. Against the Pistons, when he jumped he either got pump faked, or blocked a shot. He finished with just two fouls in what was an overall uptick of a performance.

Mike Brown and the Knicks aren't panicking.

Yes, the championship hangover could be real, with the Knicks having lost their third straight game to begin the new season against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

Regardless, New York's head coach remains unfazed, eager to continue tinkering and tweaking the way his team plays while keeping the faith in the team's star-studded starting lineup.

Against the Magic at home, Brown gave some extended playing time to newly signed backup big James Wiseman, who cut into the bench minutes of fellow newcomer Andre Drummond.

"Our starting five is what it is, everybody else after that -- until we're at a point where it's consistent -- I'm going to try to give guys [like Wiseman] that opportunity."

Along this vein, with regular bench unit floor general Jose Alvarado sidelined with a sprained ankle, second-year guard Tyler Kolek stepped into a larger role and delivered nine assists and zero turnovers. It will be interesting to see whether Wiseman and Kolek continue to earn the coach's trust as the season progresses.

Brown shared more of his outlook on how the contest unfolded, focusing on the "game within the game" rather than the final score and squandered lead.

"Our transition [defense] wasn't good in short bursts... we didn't do a great job of taking care of the ball... there's no single common thing," he explained. "In the first half, we gave up 13 fast-break -- or transition -- points. In the second half it was six, but those came off of our turnovers, so while we were doing a great job with our rules of transition defense, other things bit us in the behind."

"It's the focus on the details," he continued. "We'd go on a run, and then throw the ball away. I'd say three-fourths of our turnovers were our mistakes rather than their [defensive] pressure."

"We'd do a pretty good job on some closeouts, and on others we'd stop short and let them shoot a comfortable shot," Brown lamented. "We'd play great defense and force a tough shot, and then not box out. Those are the little things we have to embrace for 48 minutes, especially when we're not shooting the ball well."

In spite of the rocky start, Brown is as composed as usual. He has no doubt that the shots will start to fall, the rust will shake off, and the ring-wearing returnees on the roster will find their consistency again. 

However, the coach knows the attention to detail must improve for the Knicks' self-inflicted struggles to subside.

94-117. It can only be hoped that those 5 digits are remembered well by those who took the court for the Toronto Raptors today as a symbol of what cannot happen again this campaign.

The Bad

In the Raptors’ first game without Kawhi Leonard, the team fell apart early on against the still-undefeated Minnesota Timberwolves, a horrific loss punctuated by a very messy game from Scottie Barnes, where he went 0-12 from the field, picked up four steals, didn’t get to the line once, and scored zero points. That is an unquestionably bad night for Barnes, no two-ways about it, where there was no two-way play from the star who’s expected to do it all on the basketball court.

But, is this an early herald of Raptor-related doom? A sign that the team as currently constructed just can’t work? No, not really.

A lesser organization might try to pass around blame, talk about “analytical wins” or make some kind of excuses to the media, but the Raptors aren’t the type to do that. Rather, this game furthers a number of talking points that if applied correctly, could lead the Raptors to a much more stable future.

The Good

Starting with RJ Barrett. Barrett, who has been on the trade block for months, has once again proven his value to the team by giving the Raptors 20 points and three steals in a night where nothing was falling for Toronto. “I’ve done my part on the court this year,” RJ said last May. “And I will continue to do my part, and just hope things work out that way.”

Barrett did just that tonight, adding added offensive value to a team absolutely starving for volume, and handicapped on attack with Kawhi Leonard out of the starting lineup. In his place came Ja’Kobe Walter, whose 22 points led the team, while shooting 62.5% from three on eight attempts tonight. That’s the type of performance a dangerous bench player gives when given the opportunity to start, and Walter has yet again proven the importance of his shooting on a team that rosters so many players who are streaky from long range.

While Walter’s future on the team is likely secure, Barrett, who has yet to sign a contract extension, is playing his heart out on a team that has yet to commit to him. It would be extremely disheartening to see Barrett build up his value this year, just to be traded for a piece that is perceived to “fit” the Raptors’ needs better. Toronto has already made a Faustian Bargain, trading away a hometown star for a shot at championship success, once in the past decade, and the potential blow to morale for a failed version of such a swing could be catastrophic.

There is something to be said about standing by players that produce well for a franchise. The NBA is a business, yes, but there are real feelings and real relationships at stake here. But beyond that, when placing a significant bet on Kawhi Leonard’s health as contingent to team success, there is no world in which the Raptors can afford to play without a clear number-two on offence, who can step up and make the shots that Leonard is not there to make on nights he’s resting.

Barrett looks like he can be that guy.

The Ugly

The three-game sample size from Jakob Poeltl is tasting particularly unsavoury this year. As of October 25th, there has not been a concrete explanation from Raptors staff or from the centre himself as to why his offensive production has been practically non-existent this year. The Raptors’ starting centre has not grabbed double digit rebounds, nor scored double digit points, despite averaging more than 24 minutes of play per game. He has attempted four shots across three games, and has scored a total of nine points. Points scored tonight? Zero.

Considering Poeltl’s massive contract extension set to begin next season, this level of production is absolutely unacceptable. Lingering health issues are the most obvious potential culprit to blame, with potential obfuscation regarding these concerns possibly tied to attempts at maintenance of Poeltl’s trade value. But, for the team to work this season, something has to give.

Either Poeltl gets it together and starts looking like his old self within the month, or the Raptors will be put in a position where starting Collin Murray-Boyles full-time will be their best course of action. Either way, the team can’t go on like this.

And Scottie Barnes. From anyone else on this team, going scoreless would be the ultimate failure, and while it’s still a case of abject horror coming from Barnes, his 5 stocks is not nothing. Granted, his zero points is nothing, but it might serve as the perfect kick in the pants for the young star, who is averaging 25.5 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to start off the season.

Is it a problem that Scottie Barnes didn’t score tonight? Yes. Who else has gone scoreless in a game? A lot of the good NBA players.

Stephen Curry had five scoreless games in his career, Kobe Bryant had 15, Kevin Garnett had 13, and even David Robinson had two. Now, are these outings anything to be proud of? No. Just like tonight, those occasions were failures on the parts of the players to do what they were meant to do on the court. But, Barnes is a professional, who, with any hope, will take this loss to heart and work hard to have it never happen again. At least, that’s what Darko Rajaković thinks.

Darko on what the Minnesota Timberwolves did well against Scottie Barnes tonight:

“I don’t think they did anything, to be honest with you, that they got him off the game. He just missed his shots. All the shots that he took in the game, I thought they were good shots.”

“This… pic.twitter.com/QUtfzZAh3L

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) October 26, 2026

“This is not going to happen again to Scottie. Scottie is going to make those shots next time,” said the coach tonight, according to Omer Osman. And those words had better be true.

Scottie is the team’s leader, whether he likes it or not, and judging by last year’s playoff run, he likes it enough to be able to do it at a high level. Only he has the combination of pedigree and regular production in a Raptors jersey who can lead this team successfully. What happened tonight can’t happen again, but he probably knows that already.

What should you ride off into the sunset with?

The Raptors sucked tonight without Kawhi Leonard, but having two starters who go totally scoreless is an anomaly amongst anomalies. Scottie disappearing like that again is extremely unlikely this season, and while Jakob Poeltl’s production is beyond questionable at this point, the Raps’ coaching staff won’t allow that to happen on a regular basis, lest they condemn the team to total failure.

A 23 point loss is bad, but a 23 point loss to one of the world’s best scorers while your best scorer is out, and two of your most important players have their worst game of the season is something a little easier to swallow. The Raptors need a good, hard look in the mirror after this game, and changes must be made, both internally for players, and potentially externally to the starting lineup. But, while fans have a right to be miserable and demand better, there needs to be a level of understanding that sometimes, a good team is going to stink. And after two convincing victories, considering tonight a death knell for the team is unrealistic and unhelpful.

Toronto needs to learn to win without Kawhi Leonard. Expecting him on the court for every big game is a matter of wishful thinking, and how the Raptors adapt to make up for his absence will be an indicator of just how well they handle the realities of this season. Still, this was a low-low for the current squad.

well, this game was basically all of the Raptors chickens coming home to roost

– can’t shoot
– Kawhi out
– POA D worries
– Jak a negative
– Scottie negative on O

It doesn’t get worse than this at least!!

— Samson Folk (the coach) (@samfolkk) October 26, 2026

Samson Folk of Raptors Republic said it succinctly: “it doesn’t get worse than this.” At least, it shouldn’t.

Either way, today should be a turning point for the Raptors. They remain a dependable, if flawed product, and nights like tonight should be few and far in between. But if disappearing acts like this start to become the norm for anyone in Toronto’s starting lineup (or from six to ten on the bench too, for that matter), this team’s odds at real playoff noise might *poof* and vanish just like they did tonight.

Jalen Williams had to be taken off the court on a stretcher after he sustained a gruesome lower-leg injury as he went up for a layup late in the Thunder’s 108-101 win over the Clippers. 

The scary injury had players and fans alike in shock, with Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander visibly shaken while team trainers and medical personnel attended to Williams on the Paycom Center court. 

Williams drove to the net for a basket when he got sandwiched between two Clippers players as he went for the layup and went flailing to the ground. His left leg got caught underneath him as it hit the ground and bent awkwardly, resulting in the injury. 

A team trainer immediately put a towel over the All-Star wing’s left leg to cover the injury, while team staff frantically waved over the medical staff and the stretcher.

The ESPN broadcast showed Gilgeous-Alexander with his jersey covering his face, while other members of the Clippers were also seen visibly upset about what had just happened. 

OH NO

Jalen Williams suffers a serious lower-leg injury after an awkward landing.

pic.twitter.com/94x3rJvUn1

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2026

Chants of “JDub” broke out from the fans as Williams was being tended to, and he was given a standing ovation as he was stretchered off the court. 

Williams was seen giving the fans two thumbs up. 

An emotional Gilgeous-Alexander said, “I just feel bad for him,” as he fought back tears. 

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault told reporters after the game that “we’re not doing great” when reacting to the injury. 

“Those are tough, man,” he said. “We’re not doing great. That’s tough on the guys. Everyone empathizes; I think both teams in those situations and so not doing great.” 

He added that the injury “speaks for itself” and that he would have more information on Williams on Monday. 

Williams was coming off an injury-plagued season in 2025-26 in which he played just 33 games while dealing with strains in both hamstrings and a nagging shooting wrist injury.

Luka Doncic is already putting his stamp in the Lakers’ history books.

He had 52 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in the Lakers’ 132-123 win over the Jazz on Sunday, surpassing LeBron James for sixth-most 40-point games with the Lakers.

James was with the Lakers for eight seasons, his longest consecutive stretch anywhere in his career. Doncic, whom the Lakers acquired in a trade from the Mavericks in February 2025, is entering this third season in Los Angeles.

It was the 10th time in Doncic’s career that he has scored 50 or more points. Since Doncic entered the league as the third overall pick by the Mavericks in 2018, only James Harden (16) and Damian Lillard (11) have had more 50-point performances than Doncic.

Doncic helped the Lakers storm back from an 18-point first-quarter deficit against the Jazz to jump to 3-0 record.

Doncic recently told the California Post that he hopes to spend the rest of his career with the Lakers.

“Hopefully, yeah,” Dončić told the California Post. “But as you know in this NBA business, you never know what’s going to happen. But I feel like I’ve found something here that’s very comfortable for me. And hopefully [that happens].”

Cade Cunningham was the best player on the floor for the Detroit Pistons in their 106-93 win over the previously unbeaten Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. He had 26 points and eight assists, both leading the team, and added eight rebounds. No surprise there. But if you were going to ask me who the star of the game was for the Pistons, it would be hard to choose.

It’s a testament to the team’s depth and the roster’s unselfishness that so many people contributed in such critical ways against one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. Detroit’s depth was already set to be tested as starters Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson missed the game with injuries. Sixth man Isaiah Joe left the game tonight after suffering a tailbone contusion four minutes into his first on-court action.

The loss of Detroit’s best interior scorer, best perimeter defender, and second-best 3-point threat, and with all three handling the ball quite a bit for the Pistons, meant everyone else needed to play to the top of their abilities.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Pistons got it done. So who was the star?

You could say it was Duncan Robinson, who hit five three-pointers, including several when the Sixers were flirting dangerously close to getting fully back into the game. You could argue it was Daniss Jenkins, who never saw a clutch shot he didn’t want to take (and make). He scored 18 points and added eight rebounds and six assists. He hit three of his four three-pointers, including one in the final minutes that put the game out of reach for good.

Looking beyond the box score, you could say it was Ron Holland. He played 23 minutes off the bench and only made two of his nine field goals. But he played absolutely ferocious defense all night. None better than when he was matched up one-on-one against Jaylen Brown, whom he had in absolute jail several times in the critical fourth quarter.

It seemed like it might be a laugher early as the Sixers didn’t seem to have it in them as they were playing their third game in four nights. The Pistons were up 21 early, but the Sixers made a 9-0 run to end the second quarter, and from then on it felt like Detroit was just trying to survive.

They scuffled on offense for long stretches, but they could almost always rely on their defense. Brown was 5-of-20 on the night, and Tyrese Maxey was 11-of-24. It would have been much worse, but he turned it on in the second half, scoring 23 of his 29 points in the second half.

The Sixers were able to cut it to five, but the Pistons somehow always had an answer. I think they might be good.

Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler made his return to Salt Lake City to take on his former team, the Utah Jazz on Sunday, Oct. 25, as the Lakers produced a 132-123 victory at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Kessler had fit in nicely through his first two games for Los Angeles, averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and four blocks. It had been a welcome sight for a franchise in search of a quality big man in recent years.

Here’s how Kessler reacted to his return back to Utah:

Walker Kessler on return for game vs. Utah Jazz

After the game against the Jazz, Kessler admitted that the return did impact him a bit.

He finished with just two points after making just one of his two shot attempts in 28 minutes. He had six of his seven total rebounds come on defense.

"I think going into the game I let my emotions get the best of me,” Kessler said. “But you have to learn in those moments and move on. I’m just glad we got the win tonight … even though it wasn’t my best night I really appreciate (my teammates.)"

Kessler spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Jazz, but was limited to just five games last season due to a left shoulder labral tear.

“Obviously, Utah was the first four years of my career,” Kessler said. “It’s a special place for me. Kind of jumpstarted my career, you know, a lot of good memories.”

The injury required season-ending surgery in November 2025.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office made a trade for Kessler. He signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension after he was traded to Los Angeles. The Lakers had to give up two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030) with the Jazz.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walker Kessler makes Utah return in LA Lakers' win over Jazz

So much for 82-0.

The Sixers dropped their first game of the season 106-93 to the Detroit Pistons Sunday night.

Tyrese Maxey found his footing in the second half, leading the Sixers with 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting. He bumped heads with John Collins late in the game and hopefully avoided any injury. LeBron James also couldn’t sustain his pushes for long enough, finishing with 18 points and five assists shooting 8-of-15 from the floor.

Jaylen Brown was one of many to have his worst game of the young season, shooting 5-of-20 from the floor for his 16 points along with four rebounds and four assists. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26.

Joel Embiid was expectedly ruled out with plantar fasciitis management. VJ Edgecombe was ruled out later in the day with an abdominal contusion. Jabari Walker was also inactive after tweaking his knee against Milwaukee, along with Dominick Barlow who remains on the shelf. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson were out for Detroit.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• 41 year-old LeBron James taking (and winning) the jump ball. What a world we live in.
• Maxey took three of the Sixers’ first four shots of the night, good looks from in and outside the paint, but they rimmed out. Detroit had plenty of misses to run out on and get off to a 15-1 start to the game. Paul Reed grabbed two early offensive rebounds and putbacks over the Sixers’ committee of centers. The Pistons grabbed the first seven rebounds of the game.
• In fact, the Sixers’ first two rebounds of the game were credited as team rebounds. The first Sixer to record one was Dean Wade, who scooped up a blocked Brown layup and dished it to KCP for their first field goal of the game. Nick Nurse quickly subbed Adem Bona into the game to try to get some height in there.
• The offense looked just as ugly early. LeBron earned his first sarcastic cheer from the Philadelphia crowd after he finally made his first three throw. James started the night 0-of-3 from the charity stripe.
• Labaron Philon Jr. got early minutes again, but this time they were planned as opposed to filling in for an injury the night before. His first play of the game was a drive-and-kick to an open LeBron in the corner but the shot didn’t fall. Philon scored his first NBA points with a transition floater and missed a more contested look on the next possession. He challenged former Sixer Isaiah Joe at the rim and ended up on a poster. Joe took a nasty fall on the dunk but was able to remain in the game for the time being.

Philon Jr. gets the floater to go in transition for his first NBA bucket! pic.twitter.com/22D6yMqxcy

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 25, 2026

• Philon also threw a lob to Bona, who was having his best stretch of the young season, pulling down six rebounds in the quarter. They even got a particularly strong defensive possession from Philon guarding Daniss Jenkins, and it was capped off by Anfernee Simons blocking the jumper to force a shot clock violation. The Sixers really could have put a run together had Wade been able to make an open three or two. To make matters more difficult, a shooting foul that would have sent Brown to the line got overturned to an offensive foul via challenge. Simons was able to get a layup in right before the buzzer, which cut the Pistons’ lead to 12 after the opening quarter.

Second Quarter

• Brown made a three off the catch, but none of his shot attempts off the dribble looked good at all, few of them looked close to going in. Maxey, still scoreless to this point, was also getting bottled up on his drives. The Sixers were lucky to score five points over the first four minutes of the quarter and the Pistons being unable to extend their lead.
• Defensively the Sixers kept looking better, three stocks helped them keep the Pistons scoreless for over three minutes and without a field goal for over five. Only getting two more points from Maxey at the line, the Sixers didn’t come close to stringing together a run to get back in it. They were struggling from beyond the arc again, making only three of their first 11 three-point attempts.
• Maxey finally got his first field goal of the night running out of a miss for a fast break layup and was able to get into the paint for a floater on the following possession. The Sixers were even struggling from the free throw line in this one though. Brown split each of his first three trips to the line.
• In the first quarter, a lot of the Pistons’ damage came from the Sixers’ inability to stop Cunningham. He only had three points in the second though. The Pistons’ role players were just not being challenged enough and got plenty of open jumpers. It’s one thing to get cooked by one of the best players in the league, but the display in the second was far less encouraging.
• With that being said, a mini-LeBron heater to end the half was enough to keep the Sixers within striking distance and get the crowd back into the game. After a half of missed layups he finally made a couple going downhill. It also helped that Wade finally saw a three go down. The Sixers were able to force a steal at midcourt and got the ball up to James for one last layup before the buzzer, keeping Detroit’s lead still at 12 at the half.

Three straight LeBron James buckets brings the Sixers back to within 12 at halftime pic.twitter.com/w9HbtmPP8f

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) October 26, 2026

Third Quarter

• The Sixers carried that momentum through the break. Brown got his hands on a pass that landed out of bounds to force a turnover on the first possession, leading to another banked in layup from LeBron. On the next possession James kicked to an open Brown in the corner for a three. Two more baskets and a turnover cut the lead down to five and forced the Pistons to call a timeout two minutes into the half.
• With Duren and even Thompson out, the Pistons were similarly shallow at the center position. They were also using a small-ball look with John Collins when Reed was on the bench. It was pretty big then when Bball Paul picked up his fourth foul early in the third. The Pistons had already used both of their challenges in the first half to remove fouls from Cunningham and Reed.
• The way this Sixers team gets their hands on the ball and rips it away from their opponents makes them really fun watch. Two more steals helped them keep clawing, but Cunningham found his groove again. He knocked down a pair of threes that halted the Sixers’ momentum.

COOKIES! 🍪 pic.twitter.com/3Ct139Bd2g

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2026

• Despite Cunningham going to the bench, the Pistons were able to hold the Sixers at an arms’ length. Philly’s offense stagnated again when they created less transition opportunities. Free throws continued to haunt the Sixers as Brown split another pair, bringing the team to 57% from the stripe.
• A Philon three looked like a glimmer of hope, but sloppy mistakes cost the Sixers that momentum. Brown dribbled his way into a couple double teams, and Bona gave a rebound right back to the Pistons trying to throw it underhand. Brown was at least able to find Bona in the dunker spot on their final possession of the quarter, cutting Detroit’s lead to nine.

Fourth Quarter

• The reserves continued to pick up bumps and bruises. KCP came up favoring his forearm after fighting through a couple screens and immediately called for a timeout to get subbed out of the game and head back to the locker room. He returned to the bench after a couple minutes and was able to check back into the game. 
• The injury didn’t immediately hamper the Sixers though. After Maxey got to the line, Bona timed up his first putback of the year for a big dunk. Maxey then hit a tough stepback in the paint and blew by everyone for a slam of his own. The building was deafening again as James and Brown checked back into the game in the process of Bball Paul giving the fans free chicken.

FROM THROWDOWN TO SHUTDOWN 😳 pic.twitter.com/KT8TXPNTiL

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 26, 2026

• Any time the Pistons could keep the Sixers offense in the halfcourt, it would turn into ugly possessions that ended in a lot of midrange jumpers. The Sixers compounded the issue when the refs missed an and-1 call on Maxey. KCP got T’d for his disagreement, giving away a point the Sixers desperately couldn’t afford.
• LeBron got to the basket, and was also found in the dunker spot after a good possesion of ball movement, once again making it an eight-point game with the Sixers running out of time. They got a couple stops, but put together an ugly possession resulting in a KCP layup that didn’t come close.
• The game had to be momentarily stopped when Maxey bumped heads with Collins, making both players have to come off the floor for a possession. The Sixers fumbled two chances at a defensive rebound, eventually falling to Kevin Huerter who dished to Jenkins for the dagger three. This game was frustratingly winnable, but the Sixers never played well enough to come away with it.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were without Jalen Williams for most of last year as the star wing battled wrist and hamstring injuries that limited him to only 33 games and caused him to miss most of the playoffs. Williams loomed as one of this year’s most interesting players entering this year, and threatened to make the Thunder the team to beat for the 2027 championship race if he could regain his top form.

Now the Thunder are likely looking at another long absence for Williams after he left the floor on a stretcher in their third game of the season. OKC beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 108-101, on Sunday night, but Williams’ gruesome injury is the bigger story.

Late in the fourth quarter, Williams landed awkwardly after a drive to the basket, and his ankle appeared to bend the wrong way. He was carried off the court on a stretcher, and gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken to the locker room. Watch the play here — but you might want to skip this one if you’re squeamish.

Jalen Williams has suffered a serious ankle injury, and they are bringing out the stretcher

Sending prayers. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/slBsN4GB4d

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 26, 2026

Williams’ injury brought teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to tears as he was being loaded onto the stretcher.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander devastated after Jalen Williams suffered a scary injury 💔 pic.twitter.com/iVs9bgkmKr

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 26, 2026

Here’s an ugly still image of Williams on the floor. Feel free to quickly scroll past this one if you don’t want to see an awful injury.

Ankles aren’t supposed to turn like that.

Prayers for Jalen Williams 🙏 pic.twitter.com/JPskYeeylF

— kawhi fan (@KawhiNewEra) October 26, 2026

Williams had eight points in 32 minutes before the injury. Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 34 points in the win, but for now the focus will be on Williams’ recovery.

Jalen Williams’ injury brought SGA to tears

Gilgeous-Alexander continued to be emotional when talking about Williams’ injury in his post-game interview.

SGA Shai JDub pic.twitter.com/IPCKwTDU6S

— Moonball (@moonball30) October 26, 2026

It goes without saying that the Thunder aren’t the same team when Williams is injured. At 25 years old, he’s one of the best two-way wings in the league. He already helped the Thunder win the 2025 NBA championship, and his return to the lineup had OKC thinking about raising another banner.

Let’s hope Williams can fully recover from this injury.

We’ll update this story as it develops.