The hottest team in hoops? Cade Cunningham and the East-leading Pistons.
But first, we honor the memory — and the legendary life — of Lenny Wilkens, one of the all-time great members of the NBA family.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Remembering Wilkens: Celebrating the life and legacy of a true NBA great
Hot At The Top: OKC tallies 10th dub, Detroit edges Philly for sixth straight
Sunday Roundup: KD & Rockets overcome Giannis, Knicks stay perfect at MSG and more
What’s Trending – West: Luka, Wemby & Jokić power three 7-win squads chasing OKC
What’s Trending – East: A familiar power joins Detroit atop the standings, more squads rising
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Nine games tip off tonight, opening with the Pistons seeking their seventh straight win as they host the Wizards (7 ET, Peacock | Tap to Watch) and closing with the Clippers hosting the Hawks (10:30 ET, NBA TV | Tap to Watch).
1. REMEMBERING LENNY WILKENS: A LASTING LEGACY
The NBA family is mourning the loss of three-time Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Lenny Wilkens – a legend who embodied the best of the game as both a player and coach. He was 88.
One of the greatest playmakers in NBA history, Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star before bringing his innate feel for the game to the sidelines – first as a player-coach and later as one of the game’s all-time winners.
He coached a record 2,487 NBA games, retired with 1,332 coaching victories – another league record at the time – and led the Seattle SuperSonics to their lone NBA championship in 1979.
He became a Hall of Famer as a player, a coach and again as an assistant coach for the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. He helped guide Team USA to another Gold medal in 1996. | Career Retrospective
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reflected on Wilkens’ lasting influence:
“Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA – as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the game’s most respected ambassadors. So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the league’s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time.
“But even more impressive than Lenny’s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his commitment to service – especially in his beloved community of Seattle where a statue stands in his honor.
“He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who considered Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class.”
Read more on Wilkens’ legendary career and enduring impact here
2. HOT AT THE TOP: OKC ROLLS ON, DETROIT WINS 6TH STRAIGHT
Twenty days into the season, only one team has 10 wins – the defending champion Thunder.
Thunder 114, Grizzlies 100: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained red-hot (35 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast), while Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell added 21 points apiece to rally OKC from 19 down, improving to an NBA-best 10-1. | Recap
- Shai Shining: The league’s steadiest team is led by one of its steadiest stars, who’s tallied seven straight 30-pieces while averaging a career-best 33.2 ppg
- MVP Closing: Shai’s final points last night? A personal 9-2 run late in the 4th to ice the game
- “He knows what time it is,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on SGA’s closing burst. “He’s got an appetite to be in those situations.”
- Defense Swarming: On the other end, OKC’s been just as hungry, leading the league in DefRtg and opponent FG% (41.9)
- Storm Rising: OKC’s +12.9 point differential last season was the best in NBA history. This season? It’s +13.5 – and that’s without the injured Jalen Williams
For the first time in 20 years, the Pistons are 8-2 or better through 10 games.
Pistons 111, 76ers 108: In a showdown between two of the league’s hottest young stars, Cade Cunningham (26 pts, 11 ast) and Tyrese Maxey (33 pts, 7 ast) put on a show, trading buckets – and posters – in the 4th.
But Detroit secured the dub thanks to Cunningham’s lead-extending fadeaway with 16 seconds left, sealing the Pistons’ sixth straight win. | Recap
- Cade Control: Down 10 at the half, Cunningham scored 24 after the break, going 8-of-11 from the field to rally Detroit
- Duren & Defense: Jalen Duren added 21 points and 16 boards – his fifth double-double amid the six-game heater, in which Detroit’s allowed just 108.3 ppg
- Maxey Makes History: Despite the loss, Maxey shined again, joining Allen Iverson (2005-06) as the only players in NBA history to open a season with 10 straight games of 25+ pts and 5+ ast
3. ROUNDUP: ROCKETS & KNICKS STAY ROLLING; WOLVES, C’S & DUBS WIN
Few teams have been able to outduel the Greek Freak this season. But few have been rolling like the Rockets.
Rockets 122, Bucks 115: Giannis Antetokounmpo was a force (37 pts, 8 reb), but Kevin Durant (31 pts, 7 ast), Alperen Sengun (23 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast) and Amen Thompson (14 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl) were too much, as Houston dropped 40 in the 4th to rally past Milwaukee. | Recap
- Titans Duel: 22 of KD’s points came in the 2nd half, as he went tit-for-tat with Giannis down the stretch
- Blast Off: After starting the season 0-2, the Rockets have won six of their last seven games, posting 124.3 ppg in that span – the 2nd-most in the NBA
- Greek Freak Fire: Sunday marked Giannis’ fifth 35+ point games this season – the most in the NBA – including a 41-pt, 15-reb outing in Friday’s Cup Night win over Chicago
- MVP Level: Through nine games, Giannis leads the league in scoring (33.8 ppg) and ranks 5th in rebounds (12.3) while shooting 64.2% from the field
- Next Up: The 6-4 Bucks visit Cooper Flagg and the Mavs tonight on NBA League Pass (8:30 ET). The Rockets host the Wizards on Wednesday (8 ET, LP)
In the city that never sleeps, the Knicks have yet to be beat.
Knicks 134, Nets 98: Karl-Anthony Towns paired a game-high 28 points with 12 boards, Jalen Brunson chipped in 19 points and 7 dimes and the Knicks never trailed to win the Battle of the Boroughs, improving to 6-0 at MSG for the first time since 2012-13. | Recap
- Broadway Burst: After a 2-3 start, New York has won four straight – all at home – with Towns (24), Brunson (22.3) and OG Anunoby (20.3) combining for 66.6 ppg in that span
- East Push: New York now holds 3rd place in the East, leading four other six-win squads (CHI, MIA, MIL, PHI) and sitting 1.5 games back of 1st-place Detroit
Wolves 144, Kings 117: Anthony Edwards (26 pts) ignited a 1st-half avalanche, as the Wolves entered the break up 71-54 and never looked back to top Zach LaVine (26 pts) and the Kings. | Recap
Celtics 111, Magic 107: Two days after falling to the Magic in NBA Cup play, the C’s responded. Jaylen Brown (27) and Anfernee Simons (25) combined for 52 points as Boston used a decisive 4th-quarter run to stave off Paolo Banchero (28 pts, 6 reb) and Orlando. | Recap
Warriors 114, Pacers 83: With Steph Curry sidelined (illness), Jimmy Butler III did it all (21 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl), leading six Warriors in double figures as they outpaced the shorthanded Pacers. | Recap
4. WHAT’S TRENDING: SUPERSTARS LEADING BEST OF WEST
Three games.
That’s all that separated last year’s No. 2 seed out West from the No. 6 seed. That’s five teams – divided by moments, inches and seconds that define the chaos of an 82-game sprint.
And three weeks into 2025-26, things are already crowded atop the West.
Right behind OKC stand a trio of squads – the Spurs, Nuggets and Lakers – separated by just a half-game, each with seven wins and powered by scorching superstars.
Luka Magic: Only two players have scored 200+ points through the first 5 games of a season: Wilt Chamberlain and now, Luka Dončić – averaging an absurd 37.0 pts, 10.0 reb and 9.5 ast amid the Lakers’ best 10-game start since 2020-21.
- Hollywood Heat: Behind Luka and Austin Reaves (31.1 pts, 9.3 ast), the Lakers rattled off five straight wins before falling to Atlanta on Saturday
- Kon Clicking: Tonight (7 ET, LP), they’ll look to respond against Charlotte, with No. 4 pick, Kon Knueppel, coming off three straight 20-pieces, including a career-high 30 pts on Friday
Spurs Spark: Victor Wembanyama’s been a problem all season (24.3 pts, 12.9 reb, NBA-best 3.8 blk), powering the Spurs to a 7-2 start behind the league’s 4th-best scoring defense. Now, they’ve added an offensive jolt in De’Aaron Fox.
- De’Aaron Delivers: Fox dropped a team-high 24 points in his season debut on Saturday, capped by the game-sealing bucket with 29 ticks left
- Swat Streak: Wemby posted another monster statline (18 pts, 18 reb, 3 blk), marking his 94th straight game with a block – tying Mark Eaton for the 3rd-longest streak ever
- Playmaking Pair: Also adding a double-double? Stephon Castle (14 pts, 14 ast), giving Fox a fellow floor general in San Antonio’s dynamic backcourt
Joker Effect: Nikola Jokić has been special. In nine games this season, he has an NBA-best six triple-doubles. Nobody else has more than two. That includes a historic 30/15/15 masterclass on Wednesday amid Denver’s four-game win streak.
- Orchestration: With 33 pts, 15 reb and 16 ast, Jokić notched just the 12th 30/15/15 game this century, seven of which belong to him
- Efficiency: While he leads the league in assists, he’s also elevated his scoring, averaging 31.3 ppg on 69.6% shooting in November
- Explosiveness: Denver is pouring in an NBA-best 124.2 ppg and hasn’t lost all month
More Stars Shining: Devin Booker has led Phoenix to four wins in its last five games, Deni Avdija has lit up November (30.7 ppg, 9 rpg, 6.3 apg) and Anthony Edwards dropped 37 on Friday in his second game back from injury – resulting in a Cup Night win.
5. WHAT’S TRENDING: EAST STREAKS & OTHERS ON THE RISE
The Pistons (W6) and Knicks (W4) aren’t the only East contenders riding win streaks, as one familiar power is rising fast.
A half-game back of Detroit is a surging Cleveland squad, winners of four straight, including victories over 6-4 Philly and 6-3 Chicago.
- Leading The Charge? Donovan Mitchell, with 37- and 46-point outings amid the heater while shooting a blazing 47.9% from 3
- Garland’s Impact: Darius Garland’s return has unlocked Cleveland’s offense – the Cavs are averaging 140 ppg in his two outings back from injury
- Buckets vs. Buckets: Tonight (8 ET, LP), the Cavs face another high-octane offense in Miami, posting the 2nd-most points in the NBA (124.1) and eyeing its 7th dub
Chi-Town Symphony: While Cleveland edged Chicago on Saturday, the Bulls are still rolling. They sit just a half-game back of the Cavs, with Josh Giddey fueling a well-rounded attack that keeps the rock spinning.
- Balanced Buckets: The Bulls are averaging 29.8 apg – the 3rd-most in the NBA – with six players scoring 12+ ppg
- Go-To Giddey: That starts with Giddey, one of three players averaging 20/9/9 this season – joining Luka & Jokić
- Up Next? An interconference test tonight against Wemby’s Spurs (8 ET, LP)
- Six Surge: Another East squad on the rise? Toronto, which has won four of its last five games after a 1-4 start
More Monday Matchups: Fresh off a big win against the Lakers, Jalen Johnson and the Hawks meet the Clippers tonight on NBA TV (10:30 ET). Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero and the Magic visit the Blazers (7 ET, LP), who handed OKC its only loss last Wednesday.
