NBA Basketball 24-Hour Briefing

Last updated: October 22, 2026, 3:40 PM ET

Opening Night Results

The 2026-27 NBA season kicked off with a tripleheader, and the results and highlights gave fans an early look at the new campaign. Anthony Edwards dropped 40 points in another opener, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to reach that mark in their season debut, as Minnesota routed Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat. The Clippers opened with a win over the Kings while dedicating the night to banned owner Steve Ballmer.

Thunder, Lakers and Sixers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise to two-time MVP is traced in a profile of his partnership with the Thunder front office, which fueled Oklahoma City's rise. In Los Angeles, Luka Dončić paired with Kessler for a 127-105 blowout of the Warriors, and he took out a full-page newspaper advertisement declaring that the Lakers' title run starts now. Philadelphia opened with a rally in LeBron James's debut, with James posting 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Joel Embiid shined with three blocks as he targets an All-Defensive season.

Eastern Conference

Tyrese Haliburton made an emotional return from his Achilles tear as Indiana edged New Orleans, and he wore a jacket nodding to Triple H. Giannis Antetokounmpo said the new-look Heat must trust each other more after an opening-night blowout loss. In Washington, Anthony Davis drew MVP chants from an eager crowd in a strong debut win over Milwaukee. Toronto's Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in his return to Toronto as the Raptors routed the Bulls 135-92. Coach Mike Brown said he would have felt uneasy about a win given the Knicks' play against Philadelphia.

Western Conference

Kyrie Irving was held to 15 points as Houston trapped him in a Dallas loss. Tari Eason was ejected in the first quarter after shoving Dallas's Washington in the back. Damian Lillard received a warm welcome in his first regular-season game back with Portland. Victor Wembanyama started 0-for-12 in a career-worst shooting night. Chet Holmgren received support from Oklahoma City teammates after a scuffle in the season opener.

Transactions and Off-Court

Dallas agreed to a two-way deal with former first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr., and Golden State is reportedly exploring trade options for center Kristaps Porzingis. Kyrie Irving offered to pay the fine levied against Azeez Al-Shaair after he wore Hind Rajab's name on his eye black. ESPN Analytics is also unveiling an interactive NBA Trade Lab tool for building and voting on mock trades. Commentary on the end of the Warriors-Lakers rivalry appears in a retrospective on the LeBron James and Stephen Curry era.

Coming Up

The Lakers' remaining questions are laid out in a five-part breakdown of Luka Dončić's situation in Los Angeles.