PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Tyrese Maxey #0 and LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers react during the fourth quarter of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Regular Season Bell Ringer Standings: Tyrese Maxey – 1
Following a first half that saw the Philadelphia 76ers turn the ball over 14 times and trail Cleveland by as many as 29 points, the Sixers team we dreamed about all summer re-emerged in the second half. The Sixers ratcheted up the defensive intensity four or five notches, and were flying all over the court, scoring 14 fast break points in the third quarter alone as part of a 37-point frame. They kept up the intensity in the fourth and hit a number of clutch shots down the stretch to keep the Cavaliers at arms-length for a 114-106 win. The 29-point comeback was the largest for the Sixers in the play-by-play era, the worst lead blown by the Cavaliers during the same time period, and the biggest comeback of LeBron James’ career (which has been going on for quite some time in case you’re just checking in). The Sixers move to 2-0 and that second half provided us with a glimpse of what sort of ceiling is possible with this squad.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 22: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives around Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You can make a very credible argument that Tyrese Maxey was the best player on both ends of the court tonight. Tyrese was once again the most consistent scoring threat for the Sixers, flying up and down the floor, sometimes stopping and popping from three, but more often streaking all the way to the cup for crafty finishes around the rim. Philadelphia is running so many of their actions through him as the clear focal point of the offense. But the defensive end was probably where he changed the game even more. In the second half, Maxey started pressuring James Harden full-court, completely taking the Beard out of the game and disrupting Cleveland’s offensive rhythm. Harden got so frustrated that there was a sequence at one point where the former close teammates exchanged some shoves, leading to a bit of a scuffle between the two sides. It’s amazing that Tyrese has the juice to go full pedal to the metal on both sides of the ball for over 40 minutes.
Looking back on it this was a bold reject from Tyrese Maxey and a tough bucket pic.twitter.com/r3GHkU38ym
Joel Embiid: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 22, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Like many of the Sixers, Joel had a shaky first half of action. But he found his offensive rhythm after halftime, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line. With the Sixers within striking distance in the fourth quarter but trying to do the always difficult thing of getting over the top following a long comeback, it was Joel who took over the game. Embiid went on a personal 7-0 run in a little over a minute, turning a six-point deficit into the Sixers’ first lead of the game at 96-95. He later hit a tough fadeaway over Jarrett Allen in crunch time to extend the lead to six points, capping off what was a scoring exhibition in the fourth.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 22: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second straight game, I was impressed with Brown’s defensive intensity. He is taking on tough assignments, and you can see the effort he’s providing and how locked in he is on that end. One play I loved that won’t end up in the box score was Jaylen helping off his man to try and wrestle the ball away from Jarrett Allen around the nail, forcing a jump ball. Then, Brown also had a sequence where he took over the game offensively, taking the baton from Embiid during that fourth-quarter surge. He scored buckets on three consecutive possessions as part of the overall 15-0 Sixers run. It was reminiscent of Jimmy time back when Butler was with the team, where the Sixers could give it to the strong wing in isolation and let him handle the rest in the guts of the game.
After starting the season 0-4-2, the Los Angeles Kings (2-4-2) have now won two impressive back-to-back road games, defeating the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and, today, winning a thrilling overtime match against the New York Islanders.
The fear was that the way Los Angeles had been playing to start the season, this five-game road trip starting on Tuesday would potentially end their season because of how horrid they've looked, and traveling on the road against quality teams would drop them to potentially 0-10.
Forward Artemi Panarin showcased his presence and reminded everyone why he's still an impactful player in the league, finishing with two goals and two points, putting the Kings' offensive engine under his belt.
After nearly blowing a two-goal lead, the visiting team took care of business in the extra period, with Brandt Clarke scoring the game-winner to give the Kings a 3-2 win at UBS Arena.
"These are vital points. We don’t want to drop these; we want to capitalize on our chances, Clark said after getting a 3v3 win. "The coaches emphasized capitalizing and crisscrossing, as Juice and I did there. We’ve been working on it. I was happy to capitalize.”
New York outshot and outscored LA on the power play throughout the game, which isn't a surprise given how poor the Kings' shot selection and power play have been to start the season.
Still, the Kings prevailed, with Clarke's clutch overtime goal and goaltender Darcy Kuemper having a great night, finishing with 41 saves on 43 shots, including several big saves in the final period and overtime.
What the Kings have got in these back-to-back victories is an offense that's looking increasingly comfortable, especially the Panarin-Adrian Kempe-Quinton Byfield line, despite missing tonight's game with injury, and a defense that's looking more organized.
LA jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead on back-to-back goals from Panarin, putting pressure on New York at home to crawl back. We headed into the second and third periods, where the Islanders each scored one goal to tie the score 2-2.
It looked like the Kings would blow another lead, as they've been accustomed to in seasons past, especially in overtime, but this time they stayed calm and let Kempe drop the pass to Clarke, who finished the play to end the game.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 22: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2025-26 season effectively ended when they squandered a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to the eventual champions. Fittingly, they started this season by blowing a 29-point lead to a Philadelphia 76ers team that could become the eventual champions.
Three stars of the game
First star: Tyrese Maxey
32 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
The Sixers came out flat and struggled to establish any kind of momentum after an emotional victory on Tuesday against the New York Knicks. They could’ve rolled over after they fell behind by 29 points, but their best player kept fighting.
Maxey’s energy and effort in the first half kept the game somewhat manageable. Then, his shot-making in the third and fourth quarters helped close the gap and get them over the hump.
LeBron James’s decision to go to Philadelphia was a bet on Maxey being ready to take the next step forward and become a top-tier star in this league. Through two games, he has to feel good about that gamble.
Second star: LeBron James
17 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals
James wasn’t spectacular on the court. The days of him single-handedly taking over games are long behind him — yet few players influence winning more than he does.
LeBron used to control the game with the ball in his hands. He would dictate the matchup he wanted and bend his opponent to his will. Now, he does the same thing by being a chess master behind each move, without being the one actually making every play.
Here, James deferred to his teammates when he needed to, he told the defense where to go to take away Cleveland’s bigs, and he picked his spots to score when they were there.
The Sixers needed a steadying presence when things got tight. James provided that with consistent high-IQ plays on both ends. And in the process, he also showed why this Cavs team desperately needed James to choose them last summer.
Third star: Donovan Mitchell
32 points, 3 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
Mitchell was phenomenal this game. He’s a world-class scorer who proved that once again in a showcase game. Thirty-two points on 19 shot attempts is impressive work, especially when you only take four three-pointers.
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Dud of the game
James Harden
16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Talent hasn’t been an issue for the Cavs — a lack of composure in big moments has. The same thing could be said about Harden’s career.
The Cavs needed their point guard to settle the storm in the second half, yet he couldn’t. Harden turned it over four times in the final two quarters, and wasn’t an impactful scorer. On top of that, he wasn’t able to get the bigs involved at all after both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley had tremendous first halves before disappearing from the offense. The blame for that falls squarely on the point guard.
One regular season game shouldn’t be a referendum on Harden or this team, but it’s difficult to ignore the pattern that’s been developing for years now.
Cavalier that deserves a shoutout
Mario Hezonja
10 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Hezonja showed how useful he could be. He created mismatches in the post, leading to easy baskets whenever he got a smaller guard matched onto him. That opened up what was at times a stagnant offense.
On top of that, he held up well defensively as he used his frame to stay in front of opponents in space.
This was a solid debut for a player the Cavs hope can provide consistent bench contributions like this.
Play of the game
We have someone else that can recognize an early pin in transition and deliver a clean look?! pic.twitter.com/bPxQlar41r
In the first half, the Cavs did a great job of recognizing mismatches and then continually exploiting them whenever they could. This was seen most in how they hunted Joel Embiid in the pick-and-roll, but it also came through in their insistence on getting the ball to their forwards when they had a mismatch in the post.
Here, Peyton Watson sees that Allen has a shorter Jaylen Brown on him and gets the ball to him quickly before Embiid can get back into the play.
On it’s on, this play isn’t spectacular, but it could be emblematic of an overall shift the Cavs are trying to implement. If you see a mismatch, exploit it.
Quote of the day
“We were anticipating and excited [to land James] and then you have that [news]. Having gone through free agency a lot, when you’re expecting something to happen and it doesn’t happen, that first day or two, you’re just like, you’re depressed, quite honestly. That’s the emontions of it.”
The result of this game was also pretty depressing for the Cavs.
Stat of the game
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley combined for 18 shot attempts and 29 points in the first half. In the second half, they combined for just five shot attempts and three points.
Allen and Mobley were one of the main reasons the Cavs were up by double digits throughout the first half. Philadelphia didn’t have an answer for them inside, and the guards were consistently looking to get them the ball whenever they had an opening. And then in the second half, the guards seemed to forget that the bigs existed.
The Cavs have consistently been at their best when they’re forcing the ball inside to their bigs. Their three-point shooting and entire offense flow from playing inside out. When that goes away — as it consistently has late in big games — things can become far too stagnant offensively.
There’s no excuse for this team forgetting about the Allen and Mobley this far into this core’s time together.
This game will be remembered for the blown lead
The Cavs had a chance to make an emphatic statement against a Sixers team that should be a title contender. They also had an opportunity to prove to LeBron that he made the wrong choice by going to Philadelphia instead of heading back home.
For two quarters, it looked like they were going to deliver both fronts. They jumped out to a 29-point lead, showing everyone the immense talent that they have. Then, they confirmed why the national media didn’t take them seriously in the run-up to the season.
The Cavs can’t be trusted with leads in big moments. They showed us a preview of that last Christmas against the Knicks before repeating it in Game 1 of the Conference Finals. And now, they’re starting this campaign exactly where they left off the last one.
This isn’t a contrived narrative. It’s a reality the Cavs have created for themselves, and only they can change that.
Losing on opening night means very little in the grand scheme of things. However, how they lost does. Every time they drop a big game like this, it becomes that much easier to lose the next one.
PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 21: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns talks with Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at Moda Center on October 21, 2026 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. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We all witnessed a basketball atrocity in the Suns’ season opener.
Portland scored the first 21 points of the game. The Suns lost before they even scored a single point. Phoenix didn’t get on the board until Devin Booker went to the free-throw line with 5:54 left in the first quarter, and the Suns didn’t make a field goal until Oso Ighodaro dunked with 4:27 to go. After 12 minutes, it was 43-12.
The final at Moda Center on Wednesday night was 124-83. A 41-point loss to open the 2026-27 season, with the Suns trailing by as many as 52.
Phoenix finished at 35.7% from the field and 6-of-31 from three. Damian Lillard, playing his first regular-season game for Portland in 1,310 days, dropped 25 and matched the Suns’ team three-point total alone with 6 of his own. It was rare territory we entered. Just how rare, you ask?
So here’s the question every Suns fan is asking this morning. Has a team ever lost its season opener by more than 40 and still made the playoffs? The answer is yes. Exactly once.
According to Basketball Reference, over the past 50-plus seasons, only six teams in NBA history have lost their own season opener by more than 40 points, and two of them joined the list on Wednesday night.
The Miami Heat are the only team that made the playoffs after a 40+ point loss in their opener. And it was actually on their ring ceremony night, which is an incredible nugget I found looking this up. That Heat team ended up getting swept by that same Bulls team that spanked them on opening night in the 1st round of the playoffs that year.
The Chicago Bulls joined Phoenix in the club last night, after getting smacked by 43 points to the Raptors in their season-opener.
Now, this is a verysmall sample size of teams, but the fact that it’s that short a list tells you everything you need to know about how rare it is. Blowouts like this happen in the NBA, but rarely ever on opening night. To people saying it’s just one game, it is. But it was one of the worst “one games” in NBA history given the context of the season opener.
Especially after we heard about continuity, how the team was in the gym together all summer, etc., all offseason and on Media Day.
You’ll notice the Suns are on this list twice, with both games coming against the Blazers. I was in the building for that one, unfortunately.
The Suns got humbled. Plain and simple. Now, it’s about how they respond. We will learn a lot about this team on Saturday night based on how they respond.
The energy needs to be better. The effort needs to be better. The ball movement. The shot selection. The defense. The communication. All of it needs to be better.
They have two full days off before hosting the Golden State Warriors in Phoenix on Saturday night. Which version of the Suns will we get? Either way, it will tell us a lot.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash made the surprising decision to give the ball to Nick Martinez for Friday’s Fall Classic opener against the Brewers, opting to give Rasmussen an extra day of rest before his likely Game 2 start.
“He’s had a pretty thick workload here,” Cash said of Rasmussen’s playoff usage, according to ESPN. “We’ve relied on him heavily. We know when he takes the ball, we’re trying to get the full-pitch allotment out of him.”
Drew Rasmussen of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts to a double play during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. Getty Images
Martinez, who posted a 3.10 ERA across 180 innings in the regular season, held the Guardians to one run over 5⅓ innings in his last postseason outing.
“It’s exciting,” Martinez said. “I think as a team, as a staff, we’re confident in whoever we call up to the mound. It fell on me, and my job is just to rack up as many outs as we can and keep us in this ballgame.”
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez (28) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Friday, May 22, 2026, in the Bronx borough of New York. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Martinez, 36, came to Tampa Bay after signing a one-year, $13 million deal over the offseason and has enjoyed a career year in his first season as a full-time starting pitcher.
He will start opposite Milwaukee flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski, who is a heavy favorite for the 2026 National League Cy Young award after leading the majors in both ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252).
Rasmussen has tossed a team-high 21 innings this October, including seven innings of one-run ball in his most recent outing in Game 5 of the ALCS on Oct. 18, meaning he will have a full five days of rest if he does indeed take the mound in Game 2 on Saturday.
The Rangers have signed veteran forward Luke Glendening to a one-year contract, president and general manager Chris Drury announced on Thursday.
Glendening, 37, appeared in 70 games last season, splitting time with the Devils (52) and Philadelphia Flyers (18). He tallied nine points (two goals, seven assists) while averaging 10:32 of time on the ice and finished a minus-7.
In 10 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Philadelphia last year, he recorded one goal and was a plus-3, while averaging 13:56 time on the ice.
The 13-year NHL veteran has stops along the way with the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning before last season's two-city campaign. In his 934 career games, he has 175 career points (85 goals, 90 assists) while averaging 13:23 of ice time. He has seven goals and four assists over 60 postseason games.
His speciality is the face-off with a 55.6 career win percentage, including 57.2 percent with the Flyers last season. Since the 2020-21 season, Glendening's 57.5 face-off win percentage is good enough for ninth in the league among skaters with a minimum of 1,000 face-offs.
Artemi Panarin pondered the question of whether it would feel like a homecoming of sorts to play on Long Island, and in the moment, he never really answered it.
“It’s a hard question,” he said.
Seven-and-a-half hours later came the answer, and it wasn’t to the Islanders’ liking. Panarin won’t return to Madison Square Garden for four more days, but he made UBS Arena feel like his old digs on Broadway anyway, scoring twice before Brandt Clarke’s overtime winner as the Kings beat the Islanders 3-2 on Thursday night.
“Panarin’s one of the best goal scorers in the world and has been for a decade,” Islanders coach Pete DeBoer said.
Former Ranger Artemi Panarin is all smiles as he get mobbed by his teammates after scoring his second goal of the game in the Islanders’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Kings on Oct. 22 2026 at UBS Arena. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
What made the night more frustrating for the Islanders is that there wasn’t really much of anything for them to be upset about aside from the result. They controlled the run of play, had the Kings doubled up on shots on goal for much of the night — finishing with a season-high 43 — and tilted the ice for long periods of time.
It’s not the first time this year they’ve lacked finishing, and it was the second of Semyon Varlamov’s three starts in which he’s looked rusty. Those two things were the difference much more than Panarin, who twice beat Varlamov when the goaltender was behind the play and looked out of position.
“I was cheating a little bit,” Varlamov said when asked about the first of those two. “Expecting him to make a pass in the middle, and he beat me short side.”
Los Angeles Kings score against New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) during an overtime game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
By any meaningful statistic except for that on the scoreboard, the Islanders had the better of the night, but those two goals were enough for the Kings to hold a precarious 2-1 lead heading into the last 20 minutes. The Islanders’ lone goal to that point had also come on a goaltending miscue, as Darcy Kuemper mishandled Victor Eklund’s power-play one-timer at 14:06 of the second.
The Islanders got closer still, tying the game 7:06 into the second on Matthew Schaefer’s first goal of the season, a bullet of a wrist shot from the right circle.
That belied, though, that the third period was the visitors’ best. Even with Varlamov noticeably sharper after stopping Adrian Kempe’s penalty shot at 10:59 of the second, the Islanders didn’t tilt the ice as much as they had and couldn’t make good on the momentum from Schaefer’s goal.
The Islanders did retain their points streak — now at five games — by getting to overtime, and no one will complain about a homestand in which they took three of four points. But for the second time in their past four games, the Isles were left with one point thinking they could have had two.
After Bo Horvat’s shot 17 seconds into overtime that Kuemper gloved down, the Islanders didn’t touch the puck again, and at 2:43 of the extra period, with the Islanders gassed, Clarke scored to end it.
Logan Bailey (left) fights the Kings’ Samuel Helenius during the Islanders’ overtime loss. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I saw an opportunity to shoot through the screen and catch him off guard,” Horvat said. “Just didn’t pick my spot, but it is a possession game in overtime. I gotta do a better job winning that [next] draw.”
Mostly, this game served for the Islanders as a frustrating two points not to get on home ice, but not much of a big-picture indication of anything.
To the extent you could pinpoint any concern, it might be Varlamov. His glove side in particular has looked susceptible throughout the preseason and regular season.
Matthew Schaefer scored a third-period goal but it wasn’t enough in the Islanders’ overtime loss to the Kings. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Still, his third start of the season is too early to start wondering about whether two partial knee surgeries will prove too much for him to be an effective backup for the Islanders, especially given he had a .905 save percentage through the first two. The 38-year-old finished the night with 24 saves on 27 shots.
This was a frustrating way to lose. It wasn’t a particularly indicting one.
The most prescient analysis came from DeBoer when asked about the state of his 5-3-2 club at the 10-game mark.
“We break it down, and we look at our game analytically every 10 games, but I’m not looking at points,” he said. “I’m looking at our process right now. I think the points take care of itself, and I like our process.”
With a .600 points percentage so far, he might just be correct.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 22: Victor Eklund #38 of the New York Islanders (c) celebrates his second period goal against the Los Angeles Kings at UBS Arena on October 22, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a really impressive effort from the New York Islanders tonight after going down 2-0 in the first period. Semyon Varlamov wasn’t at his sharpest tonight; both shots that Artemi Panarin got past him weren’t great. But the Isles responded well, especially in the second period, which they controlled offensively in a way we haven’t seen yet this season. It just took a long time to get anything past Darcy Kuemper. Victor Eklund broke Kuemper’s shutout with a power play goal, and then Matthew Schaefer picked up his first of the season to tie the game. That goal also tied him with Bobby Orr for second-most goals by a teenage defenseman, so no big deal there or anything.
Eklund had a really strong game overall, and he’s looking more and more like he fits in the NHL with each game he plays. It’s also extremely funny to see him looking like a little kid out there and taking down big guys like Konstas Helenius. I hope he really starts stringing these good performances together, it’d be awesome to have another young talent take big steps forward.
Unfortunately, the Isles came up short in overtime. They definitely miss Mat Barzal in 3 on 3 situations. There’s no one on the team that can replace his skillset in general, but it’s especially noticeable in OT. They still picked up a point, and they’ve got points in their last five games, and have still looked solid despite all the injuries up front.
The Isles went to an early power play after Scott Laughton was called for holding, but they couldn’t convert. Just a minute later, Artemi Panarin opened the scoring from a tough angle on a shot Semyon Varlamov probably wants back. Emil Heineman’s backhand shot was stopped by Darcy Kuemper right after.
Victor Eklund won the puck along the boards from Konstas Helenius and set up a great chance, with Matt Kessel’s shot getting behind Kuemper. Mikey Anderson had to dive behind him to stop that shot from crossing the line.
Unfortunately, right after that great shift, Panarin picked up his second of the night on another shot Varlamov probably should’ve had, putting the Isles in a 2-0 hole towards the end of the first.
Bo Horvat went to the box for hooking, but then Drew Doughty took a shot at Matthew Schaefer, which led to Logan Stanley fighting Konstas Helenius. Approximately 45 seconds later, Mats Zuccarello was called for slashing, canceling out the Kings’ power play.
Just 40 seconds after that, Tony DeAngelo took a tripping penalty.
Near the end of the period, Varlamov saved shots from Panarin and Doughty to keep just the two goal deficit heading into the second.
Second Period
The Islanders dominated the whole period, outshooting the Kings 17-9, but couldn’t get anything past Kuemper for most of the period.
Heineman and Eklund got a 2 on 1, but the pass option was taken away by Brian Dumoulin and Heineman ran out of time to do anything interesting with the puck. Brayden Schenn tipped a shot off the post, and Simon Holmstrom had a chance in the slot but Kuemper got the save.
Schaefer took down Adrian Kempe on a breakaway and Kempe was rewarded a penalty shot, which Varlamov crucially saved.
Heineman was tripped by Dumoulin a couple minutes after that, and on that power play, Victor Eklund took a shot that trickled past Kuemper to make it 2-1.
Jared Wright got tangled up with Schaefer, and they both went to the box late, for holding and hooking respectively.
Third Period
The Isles didn’t quite keep up the pace from the second period into the third. Varlamov needed to be sharp, making a few critical saves when needed.
Then, 7 minutes into the period, Schenn passed the puck off to Stanley, who found Schaefer with space, and Schaefer scored his first goal of the season to tie the game.
Despite putting up 42(!!) shots on Kuemper in regulation, the Isles couldn’t find the go ahead goal, and so we went off to overtime for the first time this season at UBS Arena.
OT
Bo Horvat’s shot was saved by Kuemper, but once the Kings got possession, they never really gave it up. Adrian Kempe had a great chance saved by Varlamov, but Brandt Clarke put the winner home for LA in a game the Islanders really should have picked up two points from.
Up Next
Next, the Islanders head out to Dallas to take on the Stars on Sunday, October 25, kicking off a three game road trip around the Central Division.
NEW YORK (AP) — Artemi Panarin had two goals, Brandt Clarke scored in overtime and the Los Angeles Kings won a second consecutive game, 3-2 at the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
The Kings have back-to-back victories after losing their first six games. They were the final NHL team without a win before defeating Washington on Tuesday night.
LA was outplayed for much of the Islanders game and outshot 43-26. Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.
Kuemper cracked for the first time with just under six minutes left in the second period when rookie Victor Eklund’s shot squeezed through on a power play. Islanders face of the franchise Matthew Schaefer wired a wrist shot by Kuemper 7:06 into the third.
Clarke scored the winner with 2:18 left in 3-on-3 OT after he and his teammates possessed the puck for several shifts in a row.
Varlamov, the 38-year-old making his first home start since Nov. 25, 2024, following double partial knee replacements, denied Adrian Kempe on a penalty shot and made some big-time saves after giving up the soft goals to Panarin on the Kings’ first five shots.
Panarin has four points in two games after four combined over the first six.
LA forward Quinton Byfield was out after getting hurt against the Capitals. Byfield did not take part in the morning skate and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Up next
Kings: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in the third of five games on their road trip.
Islanders: Open a three-game Western Conference trip Sunday at the Dallas Stars.
The Clippers kicked off the 2026-27 season with an Opening Night victory.
Head coach Tyronn Lue dedicated the Clippers’ 121-96 win over the Kings to owner Steve Ballmer, who is currently serving a one-year suspension for violating the NBA’s salary cap circumvention rules.
“That win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said. “Just want to say thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Head coach Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers speaks to the media during a press conference before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome. Getty Images
Since the NBA handed out its punishment to the Clippers, the organization has attempted to rebuild trust with the fanbase. Their effort began at media day, where interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden issued an apology to fans.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer celebrates after guard Chris Paul hit a last second basket during the second half of Game 7 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. APLos Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland waits to enter the game during the second half an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings. AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers defend a shot from guard Peyton Watson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As much as things change, they stay the same. The Cleveland Cavaliers opened the new season with a performance that was eerily similar (and equally as deflating) to their Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks in May.
Let’s unpack this.
As always, grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Player of the game
Mario Hezonja
10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
If there is a single thing I can leave this game feeling encouraged about — it was Mario Hezonja.
Hezonja looks like he belongs. His added strength allows him to be a mismatch-beater in the post, putting Philly into a bind anytime they switched a smaller player onto him. Hezonja is a skilled finisher and a crafty playmaker. This makes him a great option to have on their bench.
Defensively, Hezonja kept up with Philly’s pace (until the wheels came off around him). His isolation defense on Jaylen Brown was a highlight. So was this pick-six.
He also had a pair of surgical post-ups to end the third quarter that gave me life.
Grade: B+
Passed the Class
Donovan Mitchell
32 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers
There was a lot to like about Mitchell’s first half. He scored 22 points and only missed two shots. His dynamic scoring gave Cleveland a massive lead that should have been enough to coast to victory.
It wasn’t. And Mitchell’s turnovers (5) didn’t help the Cavs hold on as the lead was slipping.
Still, I think Mitchell is the only other player who did enough to keep a passing grade. I’m not saying he passed with flying colors — but an efficient 32 points and 10 rebounds is hard to knock. I don’t think he was the most guilty party in this meltdown.
Grade: C+
Missed the mark
Peyton Watson
8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 5 turnovers
This was not a good showing for Watson. The biggest concern you could have had (his effect on the floor spacing) was a factor right away.
Philly began ignoring Watson in the second half. Leaving him open and packing the paint. He responded by clanking an open three-pointer and barreling into traffic. Watson shot 0-3 from downtown and had 5 turnovers.
We can see where Watson fits defensively, and it’s beautiful. But they’ll need much more from him offensively to justify this.
Grade: F
Jarrett Allen
14 points, 7 rebounds
Allen was electric to start this game. His 14 points in the first half felt massive as the 76ers simply couldn’t contain him.
It turns out, the Cavs would help Philly turn the tide in that regard.
Allen didn’t score in the second half. He only attempted one shot.
Much of this came from the aforementioned floor-spacing issues. You can’t pass the ball into the paint if there are five bodies there.
Still, how many times have the Cavs soared to a massive lead by riding the backs of their bigs, only to ignore them down the stretch?
I don’t get paid to solve the problem… but I can confidently say the Cavs need to figure this out!
Grade: D+
Evan Mobley
18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
I could repeat almost everything I said about Allen here.
Mobley was fantastic in the first half, particularly in the second quarter when his outside shot made it feel pointless for the Sixers to even try.
But those results were diminishing, and Mobley struggled to hit perimeter shots and create a bucket when given a runway. I’m placing this more on Mobley than anyone else. He has to find a way to avoid scenarios like this if the Cavs are going to be taken as serious threats.
Grade: F
James Harden
16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers
Harden was playing fast and loose for most of the night. There was a sequence in the first half where he turned it over on consecutive possessions, topping it off with an airball on the third.
He was far from their biggest problem. In fact, his shot-making gave them a fighting chance in the final minutes. But still, your starting point guard can’t have more turnovers than made field goals if you want to win a game.
There’s not much in cricket that will question the make-up of a team more than being beaten by an innings, and that’s exactly where Australia finds themselves after a horror show in Gqeberha this week.
LeBron James is living up to the hype with his new team.
In his debut in the City of Brotherly Love as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA's all-time leading scorer led a 29-point comeback to boost his team to a 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Philadelphia went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, powered by three straight buckets from Jaylen Brown. The 76ers went up by as many as nine points with 4:06 left in the game.
In the final minute, Tyrese Maxey and Brown each had a basket to secure the win. Maxey led the team with 32 points, six assists and three rebounds. Joel Embiid added 24 points and seven rebounds while Brown had 21 points and eight boards.
James had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists and three steals.
Also for the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley contributed 18 points and eight rebounds while James Harden added 16 points, three rebounds and five assists. Harden was greeted by boos at tipoff in his return to Philadelphia, where he played from 2021 to 2023.
The 76ers were down by as many as 29 points in the first half (69-40) and went into the halftime break down 69-45.
Per ESPN, the comeback is the largest James has been a part of in his record 24 NBA seasons. Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press adds that it is the biggest comeback for the 76ers and blown lead for the Cavaliers in the play-by-play era, which started in 1996. Teams across the NBA had won 466 straight regular season games in which they were leading by 29 points, Reynolds added. The New York Knicks came back from a 29-point deficit in Game 4 of the NBA Finals this summer en route to their first championship in 53 years.
The 76ers' win comes after they beat the Knicks 106-100 in Madison Square Garden after their ring ceremony on the NBA's opening night.
The comeback was another chapter in James' career against his hometown team, which he was drafted by and won the 2016 NBA Finals with.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Colin Graf had a goal and an assist, Yaroslav Askarov stopped 39 shots and the San Jose Sharks beat the Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Thursday night for their first regulation victory of the season.
Nolan Allan, Tyler Toffoli, Jacob Trouba, Zack Ostapchuk and Ivar Stenberg also scored for the Sharks (6-4-1).
Tim Stutzle and Jordan Spence scored for Ottawa (7-4-0). Samuel Ersson made 23 saves.
Ottawa placed goalie Linus Ullmark on injured reserve Thursday after he suffered a lower-body injury a night earlier.
Spence scored at 6:24 of the third period to make it a two-goal game.
The Senators pulled Ersson while on the power play with under four minutes remaining, but Ostapchuk took advantage of a giveaway and scored an empty-net goal.
Stenberg added a second empty-netter to round out the scoring.
Up next
Sharks: At Boston on Saturday night.
Senators: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a tale of two halves…
The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly kicked the 2026-27 season off with a bang, sending a first-half message straight to the King with a 29-point lead.
Then the second half happened.
Everything the Cavs did right in the first went out the window. They had begun the game forcing 15 turnovers. Now they were the ones being stripped and taken the other way. Their presence in the paint dissipated as the Sixers took full control.
A few factors spun this the wrong way for Cleveland.
Those 15 turnovers from Philly in the first half amounted to nothing. The Sixers only turned it over once in the second half — and finished with fewer turnovers than the Cavaliers. Philly’s speed in transition was enough to narrow the gap almost immediately.
On offense, the Cavs faced a shrunk floor as Joel Embiid was moved into the paint to play free safety. He no longer worried about Evan Mobley or Peyton Watson from downtown. Those are shots the Sixers were willing to concede. In effect, the paint was now swarmed with length and athleticism to make life difficult for the Cavs.
It’s hard to feed the bigs when the paint is packed. Cleveland’s frontcourt combined for 29 points in the first half. They only scored 3 points in the second. That’s a story we’ve heard too many times with this team.
Bad turned to worse, and the Cavs found themselves on the wrong end of a massive comeback.
I’ll leave you with one positive.
Mario Hezonja had a triumphant return to the NBA despite the final score. He showed his growth by attacking a mismatch in the post before taking a steal and going coast-to-coast for a slam. Hezonja also held up defensively and steadied the ship momentarily with his post-scoring.
The Cavs can at least find solace in knowing they have a legit talent in Hezonja.
