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Continue reading...Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets
It may be just the second game of an 82-game regular season, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early for the San Antonio Spurs to get a bad taste out of their mouths. The bad taste in question would be their opening night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which featured some dreadful shooting from the Silver and Black and included a putrid 2nd quarter where they went just 3/21 from the field.
While their opponent tonight, the Houston Rockets, aren’t considered to be in the same tier as OKC and San Antonio, they still boast a formidable roster built around the older, yet still effective enigma that is Kevin Durant and a mix of younger talent. The Rockets went 52-30 in Durant’s first year, which featured drama off the court in-season and injury woes before the season even started with the loss of starting point guard Fred VanVleet to an ACL tear that cost him his season. VanVleet is back in the fold now though and Houston is hoping that having a proper point guard in place alongside Durant, do-it-all big man Alperen Sengun, and other young talents in Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson can at least give them a fighting chance in the Western conference.
San Antonio Spurs (0-1) at Houston Rockets (1-0)
October 23 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Watch: Amazon Prime | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Line: San Antonio -6.5
Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox, wrist (game-time decision), Keldon Johnson, laceration (game-time decision), Tobias Harris, calf (OUT), Jayden Quaintance, (OUT)
Rockets Injuries: Steven Adams, calf (day to day)
What to watch for
- In their own home/season opener against yet another Texas opponent the Dallas Mavericks, Houston got an idea of they were missing last year with the absence of Fred VanFleet. Due largely in part to VanVleet’s injury, the Rockets played much of last year without a true, proven point guard to run their offense, relying instead on Durant and other wing players to handle the majority of the ball-security and playmaking. That arrangement led to mixed results, as the Rockets were one of the worst teams in the league last year at both protecting the ball (14.4 turnovers per game, ranked 24th) and bottom 10 in assists per game. VanVleet wasted no time showing Houston what they were missing last season, as he had 11 assists and 0 turnovers in 29 minutes in the 128-110 win over the Mavericks.
- No one should have a worst taste in their mouth than Victor Wembanyama, who was practically non-existent on offense against the Thunder with a 1/13 shooting performance. Wembanyama is a generation-defining player on the defensive side of the ball and has made significant strides as an offensive player since coming into the league, but he occassionally still gets in his own head on that end of the floor, something he alluded to following the loss. With guys still finding their legs and getting their game-wind up at the dawn of a new season, there’s no reason to think that Game 1 was anything but an aberration for the French Wonder. Wembanyama averaged 23 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and nearly 3 blocks a game in four games against Houston last season.
- The highly anticipated three-guard line-up made its debut against the Thunder to somewhat mixed results. While all three had solid individual games, nothing they did was able to get the San Antonio offense out of the mud. The most glaring deficiency that was on display though was that none of them are really super willing 3-pt shooters. They shot a lackluster 5/14 from behind the arc. All 5 of the makes and 12 of those attempts came from Castle, who can get hot from time to time but really isn’t known for his shooting prowess, while Harper and Fox both went 0/2. While the bulk of the blame falls on Wembanyama’s shoulders for his poor showing in that season opener, being surrounded by good-not-great shooters who are all at their best trying to get downhill can certainly help opposing defenses keep one foot a bit closer to both the paint and Wembanyama.
If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!
James enjoys dream home debut in 76ers comeback win
LeBron James says his home debut was "everything that I dreamed of and more" after the Philadelphia 76ers turned boos into cheers by overhauling a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106.
It is the largest comeback win of James' 24-season NBA career and also the largest comeback by the 76ers in the play-by-play era, which began in 1996-97.
Booed from the court after trailing 69-45 at half-time, Philadelphia took the lead for the first time with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, with a spell of 15 unanswered points putting them 104-95 ahead.
Although the Cavaliers, one of James' three previous franchises, pulled it back to 106-102, the 76ers held firm having emphatically outscored their visitors 69-37 in the second half.
James contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals while fellow home debutant Jaylen Brown scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
Tyrese Maxey top-scored for the Sixers with 32 points, with Joel Emiid adding 24.
"We got the boos. That was amazing and we deserved it. And then we got the cheers and almost blew the roof off this thing, in a good way. It was a hell of a night," said James, who joined the 76ers on a two-year contract.
The result caps off a thrilling start for James at his fourth franchise, after the Sixers defeated the New York Knicks 106-100 on the opening night of the season to spoil the defending champions' homecoming.
However, he also had to respond to criticism from President Donald Trump, who labelled the 41-year-old a "total disgrace" for not standing still during the national anthem before Tuesday's win over the Knicks.
"It must be a slow news day at the office," James said on Thursday night.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said his side are used to tuning out such distractions, adding: "I think that goes right in with other outside noise we've already had.
"I keep saying the same thing. All I really care about is getting to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor. The focus that they've had and the intent has been outstanding."
Son of Wallabies great named in spring tour squad as Les Kiss turns to new faces
Teddy Wilson and Tom Lambert part of 33-man group to tour Europe
Australia to face England, Scotland and Wales in Nations Championship
Son of a gun Teddy Wilson and prop Tom Lambert are the new faces in the Wallabies’ spring tour squad, which welcomes back some international reinforcements.
Coach Les Kiss on Friday unveiled his 33-man group to tour Europe for Tests next month against England, Scotland, Wales and another yet-to-be-determined side in the maiden Nations Championship finals weekend.
Continue reading...Islanders’ Victor Eklund already turning heads after just 10 games
There was no fanfare around a decision that was so obvious as to preempt suspense, but Thursday marked confirmation that the Islanders are planning for Victor Eklund to be around for the long haul this season.
Since the Islanders’ 3-2 defeat to the Kings in overtime was Eklund’s 10th game with the club this year, the Swede — who scored a power play goal in the loss— will officially burn a year of his entry-level contract. That is, of course, exactly what should happen, with Eklund having passed every test so far this season with flying colors.
“Honestly, we’ve played some teams, and some GMs go, ‘You know what, I noticed Eklund,’ ” Isles general manager Mathieu Darche said Wednesday. “He’s not the biggest guy, but even in the third yesterday, he’s one against three on the forecheck. He comes out from behind the net with the puck. He’s relentless. He has a dog-on-a-bone mentality.”
Indeed, though there was question about whether Eklund’s 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame would prove a hurdle to his effectiveness in the NHL, it hasn’t. The 20-year-old’s most evident qualities have been his physicality, play away from the puck and battle level, with an unusual level of detail in his game.
“I think his habits are really good naturally,” coach Pete DeBoer said earlier this week. “I think he’s got a defensive conscience to his game naturally that he showed up here with. And you combine that with he’ s a really smart kid, so he’s picked up the details of what we want to do fairly quickly.”
The lack of similar qualities often is what makes coaches slow to trust young players. While the Islanders haven’t quite gone into the deep end as far as throwing Eklund into defensive zone faceoffs or minutes late in the third period, they’re not going out of their way to shelter his matchups either.
“He’s not a guy that’s gonna cheat the game for offense,” DeBoer said. “He’ll take his offensive opportunities when they’re there, but he’s got a real good defensive conscience when he’s on the ice, which is really rare for a young guy.”
Thursday was the 43rd regular-season game and 55th game including playoffs between Pete DeBoer and Peter Laviolette.
DeBoer now holds a 23-18-2 regular-season record against Laviolette’s teams, with an 8-4 record in the playoffs, winning series in 2012 (with the Devils against Laviolette’s Flyers) and 2016 (with the Sharks against Laviolette’s Predators).
Semyon Varlamov made his first start on home ice since Nov. 25, 2024, but is still searching for his first win since returning from two partial knee replacements.
Matthew Schaefer’s 24th goal as a teenager tied Bobby Orr as the second-most all-time for a teenage defenseman.
Justin Barron's Fit With St. Louis Blues As Good As It Gets. "I Just Wanted To Come In, Obviously A Little Bit Of A Clean Slate"
ST. LOUIS – Justin Barron’s hockey world had just taken a twist that the 24-year-old wasn’t expecting.
He was fully committed and in the moment with the Nashville Predators, right in the thick of training camp.
Then, things changed, and the defenseman was put on waivers on Sept. 26.
The next 24 hours would be filled with uncertainty: would be be claimed by another NHL team; is he heading to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League, or do the Predators keep him?
The St. Louis Blues jumped in. They had a rash of injuries and needing help on their blue line.
“I just wanted to come in and obviously a little bit of a clean slate,” Barron said after becoming the latest Blues D-man to put up four points, which is a career-high on a goal and three assists Thursday in a 6-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. “Obviously there's been some injuries here and just try to come into the lineup and prove myself.”
Barron, who carries a $1.575 million cap hit in the final year of his contract before becoming a restricted free agent, had plenty of time to think about things on his drive to St. Louis from Nashville, up I-24 West, then I-57 North to I-64 West.
“Obviously it’s a whirlwind, your head’s spinning a little bit,” Barron said. “Talked to my parents, talked to my brother (Morgan, a center for the Winnipeg Jets). A bunch of the guys reached out here. I talked to a couple of them on the way up that I already knew. It was obviously a whirlwind, but like I said, I tried to come in with an open mind and it was a fresh start, a little bit of a fresh opportunity for me. Just trying to make the most of it.”
Make the most of it he has most certainly done, and in doing so, it’s pushed 2023 first-round pick Theo Lindstein out of the lineup, so much so, that the Blues assigned the 21-year-old to Springfield of the American Hockey League after the game Thursday.
Blues winger Dylan Holloway was one of those players Barron spoke to.
“I actually played with JB growing up a little bit,” Holloway said. “... He was such a stud back then, he's a stud now. It was a great pickup for us. He played so good tonight. I was really happy to see him have a big night like that.”
But Barron didn’t play right away, needing to get acclimated to the Blues’ system, which seems to fit quite nicely for the first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
But once he jumped into the lineup in the fourth game, the home opener against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 8, Barron hasn’t come out of the lineup.
“I feel good,” said Barron, who has a goal and four assists in seven games. “I've feel like I’m just trying to build my game since I got here. The guys on the team have helped me a lot, just get comfortable. I feel like I'm a part of this team. It was a good, full effort for our team tonight to play a full 60 minutes here at home.”
Barron was impactful in the game even before he scored a first-period goal with a quality scoring chance or two, with the puck on his stick quite a bit. But he jumped into the hole after recent call-ups Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg forechecked the puck back before Kaskimaki hit Barron coming down the slot. He beat Adin Hill by whipping in a shot from the right circle off the far post and in to give the Blues a 2-0 lead at 13:49 of the first period:
St. Louis goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 23, 2026
Scored by Justin Barron with 06:11 left in the 1st. Assisted by Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg.
STL: 2 | VGK: 0#VGKvsSTL#StlBlues#VegasBornpic.twitter.com/OFZ3bFULIA
“I'm not even sure if this was his best game,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “He got points and the puck went in, but every game he seems to have four or five attempts from the blue line. He's just done a really good job in all three zones. He hasn't over-complicated the game, makes the simple play, understands how we want to play. So credit to him because he's really taken advantage of his opportunity.”
St. Louis goal!
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 23, 2026
Scored by Dylan Holloway with 09:31 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Robert Thomas and Justin Barron.
STL: 5 | VGK: 2#VGKvsSTL#StlBlues#VegasBornpic.twitter.com/tNQZjHch9C
Thursday was a season-high for Barron in Minutes at 20:23, all at even strength; he’s averaging 16:28 on the season and is a plus-7 after being a plus-4 on Thursday. He’s been skating the past couple games on the top pairing with Philip Broberg on his natural right side after getting into the lineup with Colton Parayko playing his offside on the left.
None of it matters; he’s playing well these days, right or left.
“Obviously it showed up for me on the scoresheet (Thursday), but it really felt like everyone on the team played really well tonight,” Barron said. ‘It felt like one of the first games since I’ve gotten here that we played a full 60 minutes. I think a ton of guys played really well tonight.
“I think sometimes you can get lucky with some opportunities, someone believing in you. I think at a certain point, it’s up to you to try and make the most of it and really grab that opportunity. That’s what I’m trying to do here.”
The Blues play a more aggressive style with their defensemen allowing them to jump in and pinch in the offensive zone, and as an offensive defenseman, Barron is quite adept to that, which allows him to have the success he’s having.
When Barron is on the ice, the Blues have scored seven goals for and two against at 5-on-5, according to naturalstattrick.com.
“I think it’s just trying to play free,” Barron said. “One thing I really like about the team here is kind of the style they play with how aggressive the D are in the offensive zone. The D are always involved in the rush, and I think that fits my game pretty well with my skating. I think that part also made the transition a bit easier for me.”
Montgomery said, “Yeah, I mean, outside of your Crosbys, your Brett Hulls, you know, most people it takes the right fit. The right city sometimes, the right culture, the right teammates, the right linemates. For him, I don't know exactly what it is, but certainly he's really comfortable. He seems comfortable since the first practice.”
Who knows how long this will last, or what will happen when the Blues get Logan Mailloux (hand injury) and/or Tyler Tucker (knee injury) back. Can Barron’s hot run continue? It will certainly make for some interesting roster decisions. But in the meantime, the Blues plan on riding what Barron can give them and cross that bridge when it’s necessary.
And Barron will still live day by day and hope for the best.
“I’m still in the hotel. It’s been good,” Barron said. “There’s a couple other guys in there with me, which is nice. We’ve done a little car-pooling and stuff. Been going to dinners with some of the guys, it’s been great.”
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Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans preview: Wingin’ it at the Delta Center
No one has to remind you of the soul-crushing events that occurred less than 48 hours ago. The invocation of Ty Jerome’s name is enough to set fire to South Temple Street. Of course, one loss has near-no significance in the grand scheme of an 82-game season.
Utah will have a fresh set of feet along with a home crowd to cheer them on. Lost in a crowd of overreactions, people seem to forget the peak of the Jazz in the small three-game sample Jaren Jackson Jr. played when they were actively trying to sabotage games — oh yeah, we have Darryn Peterson now.
New Orleans, on the other hand, played slightly better in their season opener, finishing in a close 123-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers; of course, it was Haliburton who nailed the game-icing shot. They’ve got a fire lit under them that will certainly not make things any easier for the bounce-back hopeful Jazz, despite being low-ranked in the power rankings.
Injury Report
Don’t underestimate these lowly Pels
The most prevalent concern shown in Game One was the lack of assertion in the restricted area. Memphis held a 55-38 rebound advantage, which included a 15-5 advantage on offensive rebounds. The Grizzlies scored 17 points on these second-chance opportunities.
The struggle with containing downhill players will probably continue tonight.
Despite the Pelicans finishing near the bottom of the barrel last season — completely unintentionally, I may add — their crashing of the glass on the offensive end stood out as a major bright spot. Five Pelicans averaged over 5 rebounds per game, and the immediate impact of rookie Derik Queen anchoring the boards could prove to be a major threat to the Jazz’s weaknesses carried into 2026-27.
What they do struggle with, however, is the extremely poor spacing around a rim-reliant star. They didn’t have a consistent stretch big, and the offense relied too much on Zion or Dejounte Murray to score isolated buckets rather than on a cohesive team-first approach.
It does seem that these habits are going to die under newly appointed head coach Jamahl Mosley. Zion Williamson attempted four triples. He made 50% of them. I have not been that shocked at a three-point party since Walker Kessler decided he could simply start hitting them.
Staying cool and collective
But do you know what really grinds my gears? It’s the calendar year of 2026, and the turnover bug still haunts the Utah Jazz. Taking care of the ball is the ultimate key to this matchup. Both teams yielded matching 18-turnover games on opening night, fuelling heavy fastbreak runs for their opponents.
Keyonte George handles the majority of the creation, but there really isn’t much to go off of other than that. Darryn Peterson scored a quiet 9 points in his debut, but there’s no doubt in mind that the Jazz will look to truly unlock him against New Orleans’ tough POA defender Herb Jones.
Without the steady hands of the injured Jusuf Nurkić to act as a high-post hub, it will likely become a recurring story of the young backcourt guards finding themselves trapped.
Whichever team successfully tightens their passing windows and controls the pace will have a massive advantage.
Nevertheless, don’t worry about the critics. Don’t worry about what the box score says. Don’t worry about Jazz ‘fans’ themselves. No one can stop you from enjoying competitive Jazz basketball again.
Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans—How to Watch:
Who: Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
When: 7:30pm Mountain Daylight Time
How to Watch: KJZZ, Jazz+ (in market) or NBA League Pass (out of market)
Lucas Raymond Scores Twice, Red Wings Beat Canucks 5-2
Thanks to a strong first period, the Detroit Red Wings cruised to a road victory over the struggling Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.
A pair of first-period goals from Lucas Raymond, along with the second career tally from William Wallinder, helped carry Detroit to what was eventually a 5-2 triumph over the Canucks, their first road win of the campaign.
LATE NIGHT DUB‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/KVhw5q9A6z
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 23, 2026
The Red Wings also got goals from Michael Rasmussen and Emmitt Finnie, while Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored for the Canucks.
One note of worry for the Red Wings was that goaltender John Gibson, who stopped four of the five shots he faced through 40 minutes, did not play the third period because of an upper-body injury; he was replaced by Michal Postava, who had been called up from the Grand Rapids Griffins after backup Daniil Tarasov was injured during practice.
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The Red Wings took a 2-0 lead on goals from Raymond and Wallinder, only to have Pettersson strike on the power play, getting the Canucks back to within one. However, Raymond soon found the back of the net once more in the frame, giving him three goals in two games.
Raymond had gone without a goal in his first eight games before scoring as part of Detroit's 4-3 SO loss to the Seattle Kraken earlier in the week.
Rasmussen tipped home a shot from Anton Johansson in the second period for his first goal since January 5 of last season; J.T. Compher, playing in his first game since Oct. 4, picked up the secondary assist.
Goaltender Michal Postava To Be Called Up To Red Wings According to Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson, goaltender Michal Postava is set to be called up to the Red Wings. Finnie then scored four minutes into the third, while Lekkerimaki tallied late for Vancouver.
Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves; Postava stopped seven of eight shots in relief of Gibson.
The Red Wings will continue their road swing Saturday evening against the Calgary Flames. It will be their final visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome, which is set to close after this season and be replaced by Scotia Place, which is currently under construction.
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Raymond scores twice in the Red Wings' 5-2 victory over the Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Lucas Raymond scored twice and added an assist to help the Detroit Red Wings beat Vancouver 5-2 on Thursday night, sending the Canucks to their ninth straight loss.
William Wallinder, Michael Rasmussen and Emmitt Finnie also scored for the Red Wings (4-3-3), and Victor Arvidsson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard each had a pair of assists.
John Gibson stopped four of the five shots he faced in the Detroit net before leaving the game with an upper-body injury. He was replaced by Michal Postava to start the third period and the Czech netminder logged seven stops in his NHL debut.
The Canucks (2-9-1) got a goal and an assist from Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Elias Pettersson scored his fourth of the season on a first-period power play.
Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen struggled early, giving up three goals in the first nine minutes of the game. He finished with 26 saves.
Up next
Red Wings: At Calgary on Saturday night.
Canucks: Host former captain Quinn Hughes and Minnesota on Sunday.
___
From boos to a roar, Sixers give Philadelphia the night it needed
From boos to a roar, Sixers give Philadelphia the night it needed originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Over the last three weeks, it has not exactly been Always Sunny around the sports complex on South Broad Street.
There has not been much to cheer for, either.
The Phillies fell to the division-rival Braves in the National League Wild Card Series. The struggling Eagles lost Jalen Hurts for what is expected to be the remainder of the season after blood clots were discovered. The Flyers opened their season with a franchise-record nine-game winless streak.
Things had been heading in the wrong direction during the spooky month of October. That might be an understatement.
So, sure, there was weight attached to the start of the Sixers’ season.
After stealing a victory in the hectic environment of Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the Sixers returned to Philadelphia for one of the city’s most highly anticipated basketball events in decades.
A sellout crowd of 21,423 packed Xfinity Mobile Arena for the home debuts of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in red, white and blue. Boyz II Men performed the national anthem. Philadelphia boxing icon Bernard Hopkins rang the bell. Allen Iverson sat courtside.
The video-board presentation played like a movie trailer before public-address announcer Matt Cord introduced the starting lineups. His familiar, drawn-out delivery left just enough room for the crowd to insert “sucks” after the name of every visiting Cavalier.
Then the Sixers’ starters were introduced.
The place shook.
“You could really feel it before the game, probably more than ever that I’ve been here, for sure,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “Just the general buzz and all that kind of stuff.”
That buzz did not last uninterrupted.
Turnover after turnover. Mistake after mistake. Cleveland began pulling away while sucking the energy out of an increasingly anxious crowd.
Donovan Mitchell closed his 22-point first half with a seven-foot turnaround shot, assisted by former Sixer James Harden. It pushed Cleveland’s lead to 69-40 with 1:12 remaining.
Twenty-nine points.
The Sixers committed 15 first-half turnovers. The Cavaliers shot 51 percent from the floor. What had started as a celebration became an all-out chorus of boos.
By halftime, the fans had seemingly run out of things to boo. The halftime drone show did not escape them.
James understood.
“Got the boos,” he said. “That was amazing. We deserved it.”
The Sixers entered the locker room trailing 69-45. The players discussed how they would respond. The fans received a chance to reset, too.
When the Sixers came back onto the floor, there was soon nothing left to boo.
Philadelphia scored the first 11 points of the third quarter in 78 seconds. Brown hit a three-pointer. VJ Edgecombe converted a three-point play. Maxey stole the ball from Peyton Watson and found James, who scored through contact. James then fed Joel Embiid for a layup.
The deficit was down to 13.
Maxey picked up Harden for nearly the entire length of the floor. The Sixers began forcing turnovers and attacking the paint. They put together another 11-0 run later in the quarter.
With 5:21 remaining, Maxey pulled up for a 27-foot three-pointer that cut Cleveland’s lead to seven.
That was when the building found its voice again.
“When he hit that three, that’s certainly as loud as I’ve heard it here,” Nurse said. “You come back from 29 down, that’s pretty fun as a fan to ride that wave.”
Momentum began moving back and forth between the floor and the stands.
The Sixers gave their fans another reason to believe. The crowd pushed them to keep going.
“The energy was great,” Brown said. “The crowd helped us get back into that game. We didn’t do ourselves any favors in the first half, but I think Cleveland felt the atmosphere and they felt the crowd in that second half. It helped us crawl back.”
Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 37-21 in the third quarter. The Sixers began it down 24 and finished it down eight.
As “Enter Sandman” played through the arena before the fourth quarter, the crowd stood. The song is best known around sports as a closer’s entrance.
The Sixers still had to finish the job.
Cleveland pushed its lead back to six early in the fourth before Philadelphia delivered its final surge.
Embiid converted a three-point play and then hit a jumper that gave the Sixers their first lead of the night. Brown scored the next six points. Maxey finished the 15-0 run with a basket that pushed Philadelphia ahead, 104-95.
The game had turned completely.
So had the mood inside the arena.
When Maxey and Harden went nose-to-nose and exchanged shoves during the fourth quarter, the crowd responded with a loud, not-for-print chant directed at Harden.
When Edgecombe returned to the floor with cotton in his nose after taking an accidental elbow from James, the fans applauded his toughness. The second-year player clapped back at them.
“I think that’s the loudest I’ve ever heard Xfinity since I’ve been there,” Edgecombe said. “Shout out to them for not leaving after halftime when you’re down 25 points. That’s big time. I love how the fans supported us tonight.
“They helped us win that game.”
Cleveland made one final push and cut the Sixers’ advantage to 106-102. Mitchell then missed two free throws.
Maxey answered with a driving floater. James stole the ball from Evan Mobley on Cleveland’s next possession, and Brown finished at the other end.
Brown later punctuated the comeback with a driving dunk in the closing seconds.
The Sixers won, 114-106, after trailing by 29. They outscored Cleveland 69-37 after halftime and completed the largest comeback in franchise history during the play-by-play era.
Embiid has experienced nearly every version of a Philadelphia crowd during his years with the Sixers. He has heard the building during playoff runs, his MVP ceremony and plenty of memorable individual performances.
Thursday stood with any of them.
“That was probably top five for me since I’ve been in Philadelphia,” Embiid said. “That was amazing. I have no words.”
The night carried a different meaning for James.
It was his fourth home debut with a new franchise, but his family helped make this one personal. His daughter, Zhuri, spent her 12th birthday courtside. The Sixers displayed her name and a birthday message on the video board. James’ mother was there, too.
“Super special for me to be able to have moments like this in this building, in this city,” James said. “Philly is damn sure right up at the top. I’m happy to be here. I’m extremely happy.”
Philadelphia did not give James and his new teammates unconditional support Thursday night. That would not have been authentic.
The fans arrived ready to celebrate. They booed when the Sixers gave them every reason to boo. Then they stayed, believed and nearly lifted the roof when the team gave them a reason to believe.
For one night, South Philadelphia had something to celebrate again.
“It was everything that I dreamed of and more,” James said.
Singing the Blues: 3 Observations as Golden Knights are Blown Out in Second Straight Game
Things aren’t exactly golden right now for the Vegas Golden Knights. For the first time this season, they’ve dropped two in a row; to make matters worse, tonight’s loss to the St. Louis Blues was their second consecutive 6-2 loss.
“I don’t think our guys are going to be happy with this,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig following the loss. “We’re not pleased with this. I expect a response. We’re gonna get a lot of teams’ best games on each and every night because of what these guys have accomplished here last season. So we have to be ready for that push, because when we push, we’re a good team.”
Most of these wounds are self-inflicted. As a collective five-man unit, the Golden Knights have turned the puck over far too often, and their opponents have made them pay.
“We didn’t help ourselves as much as we could have,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig following the loss. “That’s two games in a row where we’ve put ourselves in some tough situations.”
“I don’t want to say it’s concerning, because obviously we know we have it in this room, but you don’t want to give up that many goals in back-to-back games,” Jack Eichel added.
1. Holtz Your Horses
Prior to puck drop, the Golden Knights announced that Mitch Marner would be inactive because of a family matter. Alex Holtz drew in, and made his season debut in Marner’s spot on the second line with Brett Howden and William Karlsson.
Holtz was a rare bright spot on a night where very few Golden Knights played well. He was strong on pucks and backchecked well, and the only Blues goal he was on the ice for was the third, which came off the faceoff. Holtz played 14:04, recorded five shots on net and nine total shot attempts, and threw a hit.
Holtz recorded his first point of the season on the Golden Knights’ first goal of the game. He got in on the forecheck and picked off Brandon Carlo’s clearing attempt, then fought to get the puck back after William Karlsson couldn’t handle his centering pass. Holtz fed Noah Hanifin at the point for a blast; Howden batted it down and put it past Joel Hofer.
“I thought Holtzy had some jump,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the loss. “He attacked the interior of the ice. He went right in there with Karly and Howie and did a good job. He was one of our better players tonight.”
2. In a Rut
Through their first 10 games of the season, the Golden Knights were a well-oiled machine. Their offense was humming, and they kept the puck out of their net. That hasn’t been the case in their last two games.
The Golden Knights outscored their opponents 42-24 in their first ten games of the season; in their last two games, they’ve been outscored 12-4.
“We understand what it looks like when it looks good, right? When we’re playing as a five-man unit, we’re breaking pucks out, we’re getting up, we’re forechecking, and we’re checking. In the last two [games], it hasn’t been like us,” said Jack Eichel following the 6-2 loss to the Blues. “It’s a good opportunity for us all to look in the mirror. We have to be better as a group, all five guys on the ice at a time.”
“I feel like it’s just sloppy play right now on our own part. I mean, I think we’re just giving teams a lot of chances,” said Eichel. “[The Blues] are good off the rush. They make a lot of plays. Their D are up in the rush, so if you turn pucks over going north, they’re countering pretty quickly, and they did that to us tonight. So, not our best by any means.”
3. Penalty Kill Woes
Last year, for the first time in a long time, the Golden Knights had a top-ten penalty kill. They finished the regular season killing 81.4% of penalties, tied for sixth-best in the league. Their success continued in the postseason, where their penalty kill fired at an 82.1% success rate.
The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has come back to earth. They’ve allowed nine power play goals and have the 29th-ranked penalty kill in the league.
The Golden Knights have allowed a power play goal in four straight games, and the Blues scored on both of their opportunities tonight.
“Our kill’s got to be way better,” said Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb following the 6-2 loss. “They get one [early]; if we kill that, maybe we get some momentum in the game. And they score another one in the third. That needs to sharpen up, and we’ll look at it a little bit better, but that’s definitely got to improve.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's historic streak of 20-point games is over
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's historic streak is over.
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar and reigning MVP scored 17 points in a 96-84 win against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Oct. 22. This ended his streak of 141 straight games scoring 20 points or more, the longest streak in NBA history.
He finished the first half without a field goal and his only points at the time were a pair of free throws. He got his first field goal at 11:32 in the third quarter with a jumper and then drained a key 3-point shot at the buzzer of the period. The bucket gave him seven points and put the Thunder up 70-64 after trailing by as many as nine.
He made a charge at 20 again in the fourth quarter, but his 3-pointer with 1:44 to go prompted a Nuggets timeout and when both teams returned to the court, all 10 players (mostly the starters) for both teams had been subbed out.
The last time Gilgeous-Alexander scored less than 20 points was two years ago, on Oct. 30, 2024. He had 18 points in a 105-93 win against the rival San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. The Thunder went on to win the 2025 NBA Finals that season.
Oklahoma City started its 2026-27 season with a 116-104 win over the Spurs. Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the top-ranked player in USA TODAY's preseason ranking of the top 100 players in the league.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's historic streak of 20-point games is over
McDavid scores twice and has 3 assists in the Oilers' 6-5 shootout victory over the Hurricanes
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid forced overtime with a late goal for his fifth point of the night, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the lone shootout score and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 on Thursday night.
McDavid had two goals and three assists to give him a whooping 31 points in the first 10 games of the season. He joined Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky as the only NHL players to reach the 30-point mark in 10 games or fewer.
Leon Draisaitl also had two goals and three assists, and Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist.
Edmonton tied it with 1:28 and goalie Devon Levi off for an extra attacker. McDavid sent a shot on net that deflected off Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s skate for his eighth goal.
The Oilers (8-1-1) have won three straight and seven of their last eight. Levi made 22 saves.
Jackson Blake, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankhoven and Juuso Valimaki scored for the the Hurricanes (8-2-2). The defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes have lost two of their last three.
Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for Carolina.
Nugent-Hopkins made his season debut, returning after sustaining a lower-body injury during training camp. The 33-year-old became the franchise leader for seasons played with the Oilers at 16.
Jarvis scored in his first game of the season, making his debut following offseason shoulder surgery.
Up next
Hurricanes: At St. Louis on Saturday night.
Oilers: Host Toronto on Saturday night.
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Senators Pay For Defensive Breakdowns In 6-2 Loss To Sharks
After Wednesday night's wild and emotional 5-1 victory over Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers, the Ottawa Senators were probably due for a letdown.
And playing again less than 24 hours later certainly didn't help.
The Senators fell 6-2 to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, although the game was considerably closer than the final score suggests.
After falling behind 4-1 in the second period, the Senators took complete control of the game, but couldn't capitalize on a steady stream of scoring opportunities.
Tim Stützle and Jordan Spence scored for the Senators, who outshot the Sharks 43-28, including a 17-6 advantage in the third period. Travis Green said after the game that the Sens probably created more chances on Thursday night than they have in any game all year.
Jacob Trouba and Colin Graf each had a goal and an assist for San Jose.
The Senators opened the scoring on Stützle's seventh goal of the season, but Nolan Allan replied five minutes later by roofing a snapshot to tie the game at one.
Things unravelled badly for the Senators in the second period.
Team defence has been one of the club's strengths this season, but it completely deserted them during a disastrous four-minute stretch that saw the Sharks score three unanswered goals.
Tyler Toffoli started the damage at 9:13, when his power play wrist shot from the point deflected off the shaft of Artem Zub's stick and past Samuel Ersson to give San Jose a 2-1 lead.
Then things got ugly with the Senators power play unit getting a little too casual on D.
Graf scored his second of the season, shorthanded, on what should have been a routine two-on-two situation.
But a spectacular miscommunication between Stephen Halliday and Jake Sanderson left Graf completely uncovered as he headed for the far post. He accepted a perfect pass and easily converted to make it 3-1.
The defensive breakdown on Trouba's goal was even worse.
With the Sharks coming off a penalty kill, Graf controlled the puck deep in the Senators' corner. Halliday, Sanderson, and Drake Batherson all decided to converge on him, somehow leaving Trouba completely alone in front of the net.
Graf simply slid the puck to Trouba, who tapped it past Ersson for a 4-1 lead.
The video of that goal might someday find its way into a Hockey Canada coaching clinic as an example of what not to do defensively.
Ersson was making the start in place of Linus Ullmark, and he's going to need to get comfortable in the role quickly. Ullmark is expected to miss at least two weeks with the lower-body injury he suffered against Florida on Wednesday.
To their credit, the Senators didn't fold after falling behind by three. In fact, they dominated much of the remaining game.
Spence cut the deficit to 4-2 with a beautiful wrist shot, and the Senators continued to generate quality chances, particularly during a one-sided third period.
Nobody had worse luck than Batherson.
With a wide-open net staring him in the face, Batherson appeared certain to score. But Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov desperately threw out his glove on a wing and a prayer.
Of all the places Batherson could have shot the puck, he somehow managed to find the geometric centre of Askarov's trapper.
It was that kind of night.
With a late Sharks penalty in the third, the Senators pulled Ersson for a six-on-four advantage.
But the comeback wasn't to be.
Former Senator Zack Ostapchuk scored into the empty net to put the game away, and Ivar Stenberg added another empty-net goal to complete the scoring.
The loss continued a troubling early-season trend for the Senators in back-to-back situations.
They're now 0-3-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, matching their total number of losses in those situations from all of last season, when they posted an impressive 9-3-0 record.
The Senators will have Friday to regroup before hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre. After an emotional high on Wednesday and a frustrating low on Thursday, a day off probably couldn't come at a better time.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
How Milwaukee Brewers fans can get free Miller Lite for World Series Game 1
The Milwaukee Brewers aren't named the Brewers for nothin'!
Molson Coors is celebrating the National League team's second World Series appearance by offering fans a free beer for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Friday, Oct. 23.
Wisconsin residents aged 21 years or older can purchase a 16-ounce Miller Lite or larger on game day and get reimbursed through the company's rebate program, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Molson Coors is also offering free tours of the Miller Brewery on game day. The company is treating 120 fans to an afternoon tour, which usually costs $20 and includes three beer samples. Each fan will also receive a Miller Lite Brewers hat.
“We can’t think of a better way to toast the Brewers’ incredible run than with beer and tours of the brewery we proudly call home," Alison Hanrahan, community affairs manager for the Miller Brewery, said in a statement.
In the World Series, Milwaukee will take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who are making their third appearance in the title series. Neither team has won a World Series, which means there will be a first-time champion.
The Brewers faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series and lost in seven games. That Milwaukee team featured several players who would eventually be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Rollie Fingers, Don Sutton, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Ted Simmons.
To get to this year's championship matchup, Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers previously beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the Division Series after finishing the regular season with a 103-59 record, making them the National League's top seed.
The Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series to punch their ticket to the World Series. They powered their way through the ALCS after going down 2-1 early and persevering after Game 4 was postponed due to rain. They were the top seed in the American League and swept the New York Yankees in the Division Series.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Milwaukee Brewers fans can get free Miller Lite for World Series Game 1