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Coming off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder to start the season, the Spurs traveled to the Moody Center in Austin to host the I-35 Series against the Houston Rockets. Both teams traded fast and furious buckets in the first quarter, with the Rockets taking a five-point lead into the second. The Spurs trailed by as much as 11, but managed to claw their way back before halftime and cut the deficit to two thanks to a Fred VanVleet buzzer-beating three. The third quarter was tough and gritty, as both teams struggled from the field but managed to get to the free-throw line.

The bottom line: the Rockets controlled most of the contest until just over six minutes left in the fourth. The Rockets’ fourth-quarter offense mostly consisted of spamming Alperen Sengun in the post, and the Spurs could not stop it. The Spurs fell behind by five late, but put together a few clutch stops and buckets to get within one possession. With five seconds left, Victor Wembanyama caught the ball in the post and put up a layup, only for Amen Thompson to immediately block it. The Spurs ultimately lost heartbreakingly, 114-110.

Victor Wembanyama bounced back offensively after his worst shooting performance of his career against OKC (1-13 FG). He dropped another double-double: 25 points and 13 rebounds, along with two blocks and two assists. Vic played with more confidence and was not afraid to let it fly. However, he was late on multiple defensive rotations and was beaten on backdoor cuts too frequently for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. After the game, he was asked if he would have done anything differently on the layup attempt to end the game. He simply said, “I would have dunked the ball.” Knowing Wemby, he’ll take that Thompson block personally the next time they match up in late January.

Wemby dropped a highlight reel of mostly dunks throughout the game. For the Spurs’ first points of the game, he skies in from outer space to clean up the mess.

VIC PUTBACK ‼️

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/hHGTpgRcKf

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 24, 2026

The return of Area 51 had the Moody Center in a frenzy. Stephon Castle dropped 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal. A couple of his dimes came on lobs like these to the Alien.

Area 51 has landed in Austin ⚠️

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/CUliRmj7CG

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 24, 2026

This pass was precise as Wemby spun off of Marcus Smart and slammed home an and-one finish.

OH MY VIC 🤯

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/rg85oqKTVO

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 24, 2026

De’Aaron Fox had another solid game with 19 points, nine assists, and two steals. He’ll look to clean up his turnover problem in Dallas, but first he’ll lob this dime to a cutting Wemby for the alley-oop.

tuffff @wemby 👀

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/ozG3c8eZ4c

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 24, 2026

Dylan Harper dropped 20 points, three rebounds, and two assists in his second straight start to the season. Late in the game, he took over and brought the Spurs within two on this fast-break poster on Sengun.

YEAR 2 DYLAN HARPER. pic.twitter.com/B0ULfPlXz0

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 24, 2026

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

The Spurs will try to bounce back in Dallas Saturday at 7:00 P.M. as they take on the Mavericks on DAZN.

Dalton Knecht’s frustrating time with the Los Angeles Lakers has come to an end. The team waived Knecht earlier this week, finally freeing the former Tennessee Volunteer to explore better opportunities. On Friday, he found one with the defending NBA champions.

Knecht signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks, according to multiple reports. The two-way deal will allow Knecht to go back and forth from the Knicks to the team’s G-League affiliate.

Former Lakers forward Dalton Knecht has agreed to sign with the New York Knicks on a two-way NBA contract, his agents at Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/1gePugMy3Z

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2026

Knecht averaged 7.1 points per game during his time with the Lakers, appearing in 132 games. He made 16 starts during his rookie season, where he averaged over nine points per game. Knecht shot 36.8 percent from three point range during his two seasons. Somewhere along the way, Knecht fell out of favor with the Lakers and struggled to find the floor.

The Lakers had a trade in place to move Knecht to Charlotte, but the deal fell through after center Mark Williams failed his physical. Los Angeles ended up waiving Knecht 20 months later.

At Tennessee, Knecht put up one of the most prolific offensive seasons we’ve ever seen. The fifth-year senior transferred in from Northern Colorado and averaged 21.7 points per game while shooting over 39 percent from three-point range. Knecht took over several games for Tennessee down the stretch, helping push the Volunteers to another Elite Eight appearance.

Knecht now lands in New York, where he’ll wear No. 99 for the Knicks. We’ll see if he can find new life, now finally with a fresh start.

Isn’t it great when your mood depends on the performance of your favorite team? It’s not a feeling I’ve experienced since abandoning fandom at school, but I empathize with those that do because the emotions and time they give a team matter. I even saw it up close with my mother recently, who has become a WNBA fan out of nowhere, and her spirits improved when her beloved Atlanta Dream got back in the win column in the Finals. 

Fortunately for those who have suffered this, there are no “statements” in an opener and the first weeks of the season are filled with weirdness with some teams taking long to get settled and some of the bad ones briefly performing above expectation. This means it might take a team like the San Antonio Spurs some time to reach sixth gear because they are getting creative with a three-guard set in the starting unit and they don’t have a high level of urgency at all times, so nobody needs to overreact to some speed bumps.

Anyways, the logistical casualty that caused us to wait three nights for the Spurs’ second game offered some time to watch the other teams and the Oklahoma City Thunder came up again in their winning effort against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. There was a need to see if they could follow up their opening win by making another high-quality team look as ordinary as they did the Spurs, and for the most part, they did. 

The Houston Rockets got checked out, too, and they looked mighty against the Dallas Mavericks. Some of the new swag was obvious when they played the Spurs because using another connector like Fred VanVleet added juice to the offense, but some of the extra intensity of the game was caused naturally by the matchup and its history. The battle for Texas supremacy is serious business and that was why the rebounding in the trenches looked like a mosh pit at times.

The team was down 10 points late in the third quarter, but never let the game get out of reach while not playing their style. As much as I am a fan of playing fast, the court was like a speedway in the third quarter, which will greatly diminish anyone’s legs, even if they have a fast set of wheels.

 So, there’s no surprise some players were slow to make defensive reads in the fourth quarter- one example was Wembanyama not switching onto Kevin Durant when he made the handoff triple in the last few minutes. The priority always has to be protecting the 3-point line late in a close game and that was an easy enough switch.

The Rockets led 89 percent of the night and upstaged the Spurs, yet it was some top-notch NBA action in large part because big-man battles, when done right, are maybe the best the league has to offer from a matchup standpoint.

It’s super early in the season, but I feel ashamed for underestimating the Rockets because Durant’s length gave Stephon Castle problems and Jabari Smith Jr. was equally impactful as an off-ball defender. I’m already eager for the next matchup on Jan. 26 in San Antonio to see how the Spurs get their lick back.

Wish I could report to the fans that things will be easier for the Spurs, but it seems like they’ll only have three easier games — two against the Sacramento Kings and one versus the Chicago Bulls — in the next 18 days.

Takeaways:

• Yes, an 0-2 record is hideous, but trust me on this, things could be so much worse, like how they look for the Miami Heat. They looked a class below both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons on opening week and Kaseya Center got sacked on both nights. Spurs fans would be shook up if they saw the same lack of effort and cohesion. 
• Castle should keep working on his ball handling like he did this summer, but the 3-point shooting needs to come around soon. Opponents think so little of him from long range that they keep giving him those shots, and he needs to drain them to prevent his teammates from being schemed by an extra help defender. Yet if he loses his confidence shooting from deep, an adjustment that can be made is parking him in the dunker spot; he has the hops to be effective there and it would force his defender to play him closer.
• Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie are nice shooters, but there is still a need for them to be more assertive when playing next to Harper, De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. Obviously, there are some things to straighten out if this three-guard set is going to be permanent, but in Champagnie’s case, there should never be a world where he only takes five shots when he is ignitable like jet fuel. 
• Luckily for Wembanyama, I won’t charge for this advice, but he should remember the importance of added strength training and having post moves. Going to the body is the only way the big guys can offset his length, and think about how Şengün was collapsing the defense with post ups and was scoring.  Improving in the post would give Wemby more angles to pass to his teammates, and it can also be a way to leverage a turn-around jumper.
• Houston’s frontline having three scoring threats and a fourth on the glass (Tari Eason will) be problematic in future matchups with the Spurs because Wembanyama can only do so much. It’s not ideal, but the next time Houston goes huge, I’d like to see what he can do sharing the court with Luke Kornet. There are plenty of moments that Houston had three of those guys together, and one figures they wouldn’t be as effective if the counter was a two-man zone with Wembanyama up front and Kornet in the back.
• Amen Thompson’s block on Wembanyama was spectacular, and I won’t forget it all season. Thompson and his twin, Ausar, have impressive springs in their legs and there may not be anyone who gets off the ground quicker than them in the league.

Sixers-Bucks by the numbers: New faces, paint points and opposite halves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Bucks team visiting Philadelphia on Saturday night does not look much like the one the Sixers have grown accustomed to facing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are in Miami. Four former Heat players have entered Milwaukee’s rotation. Taylor Jenkins has replaced Doc Rivers as head coach, and the Bucks have opened the season with losses to the Wizards and Bulls.

The Sixers, who will be without LeBron James, will begin a back-to-back Saturday. Milwaukee will complete one at Xfinity Mobile Arena after playing its home opener Friday night.

Two games are not enough to establish what the Bucks will be this season. They have provided a few numbers worth knowing before the Sixers attempt to improve to 3-0.

139

Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis have combined for 139 of Milwaukee’s 241 points.

The four players acquired from Miami in the Antetokounmpo trade have accounted for 57.7 percent of Milwaukee’s scoring. By comparison, Philadelphia’s offseason additions have scored 45 percent of the Sixers’ points.

Herro has scored 58 points. Jaquez has added 41, while Jakučionis and Ware have combined for 40 off the bench.

Herro and Jaquez have started both games alongside Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner. Jakučionis and Ware have been regular members of Jenkins’ rotation.

Herro has led Milwaukee in scoring and assists. Jaquez is averaging 20.5 points and nine rebounds. The four former Heat players have already become the largest part of the Bucks’ offense.

123.9

Milwaukee has allowed 123.9 points per 100 possessions through two games, the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating entering Saturday.

The Bucks have surrendered 130 points per game despite their opponents shooting only 18 for 73 from three-point range, the fourth-lowest opponent rate in the sport.

Washington and Chicago combined to make 24.7 percent of their threes. Milwaukee has shot 39.1 percent from deep and made 16 more three-pointers than its opponents, giving the Bucks a 48-point advantage from behind the arc.

They have still been outscored by 19 points.

The difference has come closer to the basket and at the foul line.

Plus-42 and minus-25

The Sixers have outscored their opponents 121-79 after halftime.

Their plus-42 second-half margin allowed them to erase a four-point halftime deficit against New York and a 24-point halftime deficit against Cleveland.

Milwaukee has moved in the other direction. The Bucks led at halftime in both games but have been outscored 148-123 during the second half. They have lost the two fourth quarters by a combined 24 points.

The way Philadelphia rallied against Cleveland also lines up with Milwaukee’s early defensive issues.

The Sixers scored 69 points in the second half Thursday. They scored 36 in the paint, went 18 for 22 from the foul line and committed only two turnovers.

They did that while making only three of their 13 three-point attempts.

The Sixers did not need a hot shooting half to come back. They protected the ball, reached the lane and drew fouls.

66

Milwaukee has allowed 66 paint points per game, the worst mark through two contests.

Washington outscored the Bucks 70-50 in the paint during the season opener. Chicago followed with a 62-44 advantage Friday.

That leaves Milwaukee with a minus-38 paint differential.

The Sixers scored 64 paint points against a Cleveland frontcourt featuring Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Thirty-six came after halftime, when Philadelphia scored 69 points and turned a 24-point deficit into an eight-point victory.

Milwaukee starts Turner and brings the 7-foot Ware off its bench. That size has not prevented opponents from consistently reaching the paint.

Maxey, Brown and James all give the Sixers ways to attack off the dribble. Embiid presents another interior challenge if Philadelphia can deliver him the ball without repeating the turnover problems from Thursday’s first half.

71

Washington and Chicago attempted 71 free throws against Milwaukee.

The Bucks committed 32 fouls against the Wizards, who went 32 for 41 from the line. Milwaukee committed another 27 fouls Friday as Chicago made 28 of 30 attempts.

The Bucks have been outscored 60-33 at the foul line. They have allowed 22 more attempts and made only 67.3 percent of their own free throws.

Philadelphia has attempted 57 free throws through two games. The Sixers took 22 during the second half of their comeback against Cleveland.

The Bucks have allowed opponents to score 132 points in the paint and make 60 free throws. Those two areas have accounted for 192 of the 260 points Milwaukee has surrendered.

72:48

Milwaukee gave first- and second-year players only 318 minutes during the entire 2025-26 season, the lowest total in the NBA. Every other team gave that group more than 1,300.

The Bucks have already distributed 72 minutes and 48 seconds to first- and second-year players through two games.

Second-year guard Jakučionis has played 48:56. Rookie guard Brayden Burries has logged 23:52. They are the only Milwaukee players in their first two seasons who have appeared.

Their combined total is already 22.9 percent of Milwaukee’s full-season figure from last year.

That does not mean the same rate will continue over 82 games. It does show the immediate difference between a roster built around Antetokounmpo and one beginning to evaluate its younger players.

The Bucks’ roster is new. The clearest place for the Sixers to attack is not. Philadelphia scored 69 second-half points Thursday by getting inside and reaching the foul line. Milwaukee has spent its first two games allowing both.

Sixers rule James out for matchup with Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James will sit out for the first time as a Sixer on Saturday night.

The 2-0 Sixers downgraded James’ status from questionable to out Saturday afternoon before their meeting with the 0-2 Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. James’ official listing on the injury report was “low back/sciatica management.” 

Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) and Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) were also listed as out. Dean Wade remained questionable as of Saturday afternoon with a left ankle sprain.

The night off for the 41-year-old James does not come as a surprise. The Sixers will finish their first back-to-back of the season Sunday when they host the Pistons. 

The team hasn’t detailed its exact plans with James and Joel Embiid’s availability, but the Sixers have made it clear that neither star will be every-game players this season. Embiid said he expects to play one leg of the back-to-back, so it appears he’ll be out Sunday. 

“We have plenty of meetings and discussions about it. … It’s obviously an important topic,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Sept. 29. “Like our fans and like all of us, we want those two guys ready to go come April.”

James averaged 33.5 minutes over the Sixers’ first two games and posted 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. 

The season has begun, but the good feelings have not joined the party. The Brooklyn Nets began their 60th season at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, but everyone left it feeling frustrated and disappointed as the home team lost 110-103.

The Flatbush 5 looked flat and while Mikel Brown Jr. looked good, it was in limited minutes, a situation likely to continue for a while.

The opponent tonight is trying to break into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, but Opening Night brought back some horrible memories. The Cleveland Cavaliers were up by 29 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, but somehow let the lead slip as they suffered a dispiriting 114-106 loss. Ouch.

Game info and broadcast details

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
• Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
• Time: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
• Venue: Rocket Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)
• TV/Streaming: YES Network/DAZN

Nets vs. Cavaliers: Who’s out?

Brooklyn Nets

• Out – Tyler Bilodeau (right shoulder sprain)

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Out – Khalifa Diop (left knee)
• Out – Nae’Qwan Tomlin (lower back)

The game

Julius Randle had a solid outing in his Brooklyn debut. The former All-Star scored 30 points and was the team’s best player. Afterwards, he took responsibility for the team’s lack of success o the boards and moments of malaise. It’s what your team leader is supposed to do and Julius is setting the tone for how this team ought to play in 2026-2027.

Randle will have his hands full on the inside with the duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cavs duo helped hold opponents to just 63 percent shooting inside the restricted area, third best mark in the NBA last season. Finishing at the rim against this team is a tall task, and Randle will have to find his way to the cup. Philadelphia punished the Cavs in transition to spur the comeback, and it would help the Nets immensely if they could get out and run early and often.

Of course, the big story at least for fans is when will we see Mikel Brown Jr., without minutes restrictions. MBJ looked good in his 19 minute debut vs. the Hornets but Jordi Fernandez offered no firm timeline on when the restrictions would be ended.

“[The minutes restriction] is not going to change in a way. He played 19 games last year, I believe. This season is 82,” Fernandez said after the team’s practice session on Friday. “We’re going to build him to be healthy and to be a strong NBA player. We have a plan for him. Obviously we’re not going to disclose every single step of the way, but the number one thing is to build him up and build up his body to be able to sustain the minutes that can help the team win games.”

At least we have this from Michael Porter Jr. to help us get through things:

“There’s been practices where he’s completely dominated” Porter said. “So, there’s not a lot of weakness in his game.”

Tonight is the first night of a back-to-back for the Nets. Once this wraps up, they’re heading home for a Sunday night matchup against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. Will Brown play vs. Indiana? The Nets want to be better this year, and this weekend will be a big early test of that.

Player to watch: Donovan Mitchell

If Cleveland wants to finally break through, they’re going to need Mitchell to get them there. Mitchell is one of the best players in the sport and someone that can heat up at a moment’s notice. Mitchell has tormented the Nets for many years and it will take a team effort to slow him down. With this being Cleveland’s home opener, look for Mitchell to start with an extra level of aggression to set the tone for the night.

Egor Dëmin had a pretty terrible game on Opening Night! He said as much in postgame

“I’m not very happy with how I ended up playing the game. I started with two [made] buckets but then kind of just got slower from a standpoint of my intensity, and I’ve definitely got to bring the energy, higher energy.’

As the lead guard on the team, it’s up to Egor to play with the appropriate energy and level of desperation needed to get the win. Brooklyn had a lot of unforced errors against the Hornets, and Dëmin will be responsible for organizing a better, more cohernt offensive unit tonight.

From the Vault

How bout we cruise to Larry June?

More reading: Fear the Sword, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, SNY, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Cleveland Cavaliers Game Notes – Cleveland Cavaliers
• The Nets’ plan for Mikel Brown Jr. is going to require plenty of patience – Howie Kussoy – New York Post
• Nets’ crowded rotation leaves three sophomores waiting as Jordi Fernández stays patient ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Why Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr.’s minutes restriction won’t change ‘anytime soon’ – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

The Atlanta Hawks continued their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 season as they notched a record-margin victory against the Charlotte Hornets with a 128-81 battering on Friday night at Spectrum Center; a winning margin of 48 points. The Hawks’ scoring was led by Jalen Johnson’s and Aaron Wiggins’ 19 points apiece as seven players scored in double-digits. For the Hornets, Naz Reid scored 17 points as they battled without Coby White and Kon Knueppel.

The Hornets took a brief lead in the first quarter as they racked up some offensive rebounds/second chance scoring opportunities, but once the Hawks reeled off an 11-0 run to take a 15-9 lead by the first timeout they would never look back in this game. What was established from quarter one — and would continue all throughout the game, even with the end-of-bench guys in the fourth quarter — was defense. The Hawks made life miserable for the Hornets all night long: from contesting shots, to running the Hornets down to short-clock scenarios (forcing them into tough shots as the 24-seconds loom) to forcing/creating turnovers, it was relentless from the Hawks.

The first quarter margin of 13 points in Atlanta’s favor wasn’t too unusual in an NBA first quarter, but the Hornets’ struggles continued and inside a couple of minutes in the second quarter the lead had risen beyond 20 points. By halftime, the lead had risen to 25, and it didn’t take too long to grow to 30 points in the third quarter.

Dyson Daniels, a menace all night defensively, racked up four steals alone in the third quarter — taking his tally up to seven (!) — as the Hornets scored two points in just under the opening six minutes of the quarter to ensure this game was dead and buried.

The Hornets waved the white flag to begin the fourth quarter, and the Hawks followed suit several minutes later (with one eye on today’s fixture against the Houston Rockets). The defensive intensity with that end-of-bench unit continued, with Dorian Finney-Smith in particular enforcing himself on the defensive end. The lead rose as high as 49 points before finally settling on a 48 point margin of victory, the highest in Hawks franchise history.

The Hawks blitzed the Hornets and set a new franchise record (!!) for margin of victory in a 128-81 win.

Complete domination, including 27 turnovers forced (17 steals) on defense and 37 assists on offense.

Full breakdown coming on the @LockedOnHawks podcast.

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) October 24, 2026

Postgame, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was more so pleased with the manner of the victory more so than the margin of victory.

“We’ve been in this business and, as a player or coach long enough, you’re on both sides of those things,” said Snyder on the record-setting margin of victory. “I think for us it’s more about how we play and I think it’s important for us to keep that focus. We won the game the way we did because we played a certain way and that’s what we need to take from it, as much as anything.”

It’s more so inferring that Snyder was happy with how the Hawks played with a defensive edge and physicality, which was present all throughout the game. Dyson Daniels was excellent in this regard, not just for his headline grabbing seven steals, but he played a key role in guarding the Hornets’ new number one scoring option, Brandon Miller.

“He just finds so many ways to impact the game,” said Snyder of Daniels. “Whether it’s on the offensive glass, defensively making plays, anytime he generates possessions for your team. The more possessions the better. He does that at an elite level. …Playing through him and his ability to give people advantages, he’s a special player.”

The Hornets played poorly in this game, and they continued to throw the same passes in lanes where Daniels was stood, picking them off with ease as the steals racked up, particularly in the third-quarter. His on-ball pressure made Charlotte’s ball-handlers uncomfortable, prompting many errors and mistakes.

For the game, the Hawks recorded 17 steals while the Hornets committed 27 turnovers, leading to 25 points off of turnovers. These elements are part of an identity the Hawks are looking to form.

“We’re trying to develop an identity and that identity is defending, running and sharing the ball,” said Snyder. “When those three things happen, particularly in that sequence when you get stops and we can get out and convert, our ability to convert in transition and take advantage of the stops, or creating some steals, that fuels runs.”

At this point, and several before, I’d love to actually run through defensive clips and how the Hawks excelled, forced turnovers, made Miller’s life difficult etc., and I’d love to share more Hawks quotes, but the NBA has made none of these available as of writing this…

So, instead, let’s run through some quick-fire takeaways from this game:

The Hawks absolutely dominated this game; they outscored the Hornets by 10 or more points in every single quarter. It was impressive that the Hawks’ end-of-bench unit (plus Kingston Flemings) convincingly won against the Hornets’ unit to maintain that margin.

It also highlights the Hawks’ depth — Corey Kispert and Asa Newell were rotation guys last season in the regular season and they could only see game-time when the Hawks are 30+ points clear. From a roster standpoint, there are worse positions to be in! Finney-Smith looked good when he was in the lineup too.

Speaking of the Hawks’ depth, the bench was excellent last night, scoring 61 points led by Aaron Wiggins’ 19 points as he shot 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from three. Wiggins was part of a second unit lineup that featured Flemings, Alexander-Walker, Wiggins, Dort, and Jock Landale. That lineup has a nice balance of playmaking, shooting, physicality, and size — it was a lineup I’d like to see in action more at this early part of the season.

Speaking of Flemings, I thought he was excellent last night. He scored his first NBA points, but it was his willingness to pass — and the quality of his passing — which really stood out last night. Flemings did an excellent job setting up opportunities for his teammates, racking up eight assists. He set up many more than this assist number credits him for and could have easily had 13 or more assists in this game. Flemings also had some good rebounds, which is an added bonus (six in total last night).

The extended garbage time allowed him a good opportunity for longer minutes, with the Hawks’ winning work allowing them a large margin for further opportunities. Flemings looked great in a backup point guard role, and that’s what the Hawks have sorely missed from a young guard.

Something I’ve enjoyed this season so far is seeing more of Dyson Daniels in ball-screen actions as the screener. I’m not sure his concerns from three-point range will ever really go away, and one way to limit the potential problems that can bring is to involve him in this way. There was a play in the second half where Daniels set the screen for Johnson which led to a basket. I just liked the way the Hawks have used him in this way. Plus, Daniels is great with his off-ball movement and has a good touch at/around the rim with his floater/runner, so he can maybe roll a little on these plays as well.

I thought this was a game that really highlighted the advantages of continuity at this stage of the regular season. Aside from the additions of Dort, Wiggins, and Flemings (important but not on the franchise-changing scale). This is a Hawks side that knows how to play with each other, more so in the case of the starting lineup — they look like they haven’t missed a beat from last season so far.

The Hornets, however, made a decision to cash in on LaMelo Ball’s season and move into the direction of Brandon Miller as the offensive focal point, in addition to integrating major offensive pieces like Naz Reid and Grayson Allen in place of Miles Bridges, who had been around the Hornets for a long time. While the absence of Coby White and Kon Knueppel was clear for the Hornets, that team has a lot to figure out offensively as they figure out what life in a post-LaMelo era looks like and Miller adjusts to his role.

From the Hawks’ perspective, they don’t have to go through growing pains like this: the hierarchy is clear. Last night wasn’t just a win defensively, it was a win for continuity, and as they face teams who have gone through some significant changes there will be chances to take advantage of that lack of continuity.

All in all, a crushing victory for the Hawks, it really was a perfect night for them. Their defensive potential is the big take-home message from this game. It didn’t need a Jalen Johnson triple-double or 31 points from Alexander-Walker or McCollum to ensure a comfortable victory. Atlanta did it with defense, and it just took so much pressure off their offense (which hummed to 50% shooting from the field and 40% from three anyways). A huge margin of victory on the first night of a back-to-back; no one played huge minutes nor needed to play big minutes.

These first two road games weren’t the easiest on paper, particularly Orlando, but the Hawks have come out on top and in an encouraging fashion. Now, the biggest test of their early season comes in their home opener against the Houston Rockets, victorious themselves on Friday night in San Antonio. Should be an enthralling affair for the State Farm opener!

Until next time…

Some “fan” apparently forgot which team Mitchell Robinson plays for.

Former Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson posted an Instagram Story hours after besting his former team Friday in his first contest since leaving for the Celtics in free agency, in which he called out a fan who apparently believed he still played for the blue and orange.

“Hey, tell me why a fan, bro, said that we lost tonight?” Robinson said while wearing a pink Bass Pro Shop hoodie and seemingly in a car after Boston’s 107-103 home win. “I think he still think I play for the Knicks, and I’m like, ‘You dumb motherf–ker. He a fake fan, bro.”

Robinson laughed off the remarks, adding that he’s “out here in Boston having the time off my life” before going off on the fan, labeling the person as “stupid as a b—h.”

The center certainly could enjoy the night and the interactions after he secured the upper hand, at least for one night, after he helped drop his former team to 0-2.

Robinson had four points, four rebounds and two assists, registering a minus-two rating during his 22 minutes on the court to help Boston rebound to 1-1 after an Opening Day choke against the Pistons.

This season marks his first playing for a team other than the Knicks after he left the team for the rival Celtics, signing a three-year, $47.4 million deal to be Boston’s starting center.

He had been the Knicks’ longest-tenured player and ended his time on a high note, winning the franchise’s first title in 53 years last season in June, and he holds no ill will toward his former employer despite stating that they never formally offered him a new contract

“Yeah. I was like, cool,” he said Friday night. There wasn’t bad blood behind it. Fresh start.” 

He noted that joining Boston may not have sat well with Knicks fan, but he didn’t care.

Robinson added that he’s more involved offensively — albeit through two games — in Boston’s system.

“That was the only thing that was kind of different was going to the rivals. But you know me, man. I like to troll,” Robinson said. “Nobody was happy with that move. But I was.” 

Robinson received a standing ovation from his new fan base Friday after he blocked Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth quarter and shortly after scored on an alley-oop to give the Celtics a 12-point lead.

He said it was “cool” to play against his former team for the first time — and that all the years with the franchise provided some extra help.

“Still NBA, so playing against them guys, so I know all they plays and stuff like that,” Robinson said. “Just a little battle.”