On the night the reimagined NBA TV launched, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller reimagined the art of the bucket.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Oct. 16, 2025

The Association: Inside the primetime basketball-cast and the new-look NBA TV

Revamped Rematch: What GMs think about Houston & Atlanta ahead of 2025-26

Paolo vs. Zion: Two top picks, two former Blue Devils and two teams ready to respond

About Last Night: New Dallas duo shines in desert, Tillman calls game at TD Garden

Roundup: The veteran Clips can’t miss and welcome to the Charlotte Show

BUT FIRST … ⏰

One sleep ‘til preseason finale, five ‘til Opening Night…

Five games get underway tonight, highlighted by Kevin Durant’s Rockets visiting Trae Young and the Hawks in both teams’ preseason finale (7:30 ET, ESPN2).

30 Rocks at 30 Rock begins today at Rockefeller Center – a weeklong NBC Sports event featuring 30 team-inspired basketballs, a custom LED court, fan events and appearances by NBA legends.

1. NEW-LOOK NBA TV & THE ASSOCIATION DEBUT WITH A BANG

The new era of hoops coverage is live.

The reimagined NBA TV and NBA App premiered yesterday, marking the start of a new 24/7 home for live games, exclusive content and – if last night’s any indication – last-second winners.

Leading the way? The Association, a new weeknight primetime “basketball-cast” featuring MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall – blending real-time analysis, player perspective and authentic hoops conversation.

• The Debut: The Association’s studio lights flicked on for the first time in LA, where Acosta-Ruiz, Gay and Wall tipped off a new kind of hoops coverage: “It’s going down.”
• Title Talk: The crew wasted no time diving in, debating who could challenge OKC’s throne – and one team stood out
• Insider Intel: Meanwhile, Haynes weighed in on Russell Westbrook reportedly joining the Kings, and what it could mean for Sacramento
• Perfect Touch: The action culminated on NBA TV with a wild finish at TD Garden (but more on that in Section 4)
• Just The Start: The Association will air weeknights in primetime on NBA TV and the NBA App throughout the season

Loud City: The OKC Thunder’s Championship Season also premiered Wednesday, offering a cinematic look at the rise of a young powerhouse.

Narrated by Jalen Williams, the NBA original series takes fans behind the scenes of OKC’s 68-win journey to the title – from the team’s 2024 Playoff exit at the hands of the Mavericks to training camp, all the way through a Game 7 Finals triumph.

• “The Dallas series … coming out of that, so many guys had a blueprint of where they needed to grow,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, looking back at the team’s climb.
• “When they came back in the gym, they were new players .. they were different mentally … and they had a vision for how they wanted the season to go.”

See hoops from a whole new perspective – catch The Associationweeknights on NBA TV and the NBA App, and stream Loud City now on the NBA App, NBA.com or YouTube.

2. TONIGHT ON ESPN2: REVAMPED ROSTERS CLASH

Mercedes Oliver/NBAE via Getty Images

There were two teams the league’s general managers lauded most for the best offseason moves.

Atlanta and Houston.

Per the 2025-26 NBA GM Survey, 53% of voters thought the Hawks had won the race. Another 27% pointed to the Rockets.

Both revamped rosters clash tonight (7:30 ET, ESPN2) for the second time in 11 days, running it back after Houston took the opener.

It’s the preseason finale for each of these squads, offering one last chance to experiment and evaluate how their newly-acquired pieces fit in before the game gets serious starting next Tuesday.

Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

• Flying High: With four additions – including Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porziņģis – against seven departures, the Hawks tied for 2nd in most improved voting
• Under The Radar: Asa Newell has also entered the fold as the team’s lone 2025 draft selection, and as the 23rd pick, 7% of league decision-makers see him as the biggest steal
• Afterburner: Houston was picked to finish 3rd in the West and received 23% of 2nd-place votes following last campaign’s 52-30 regular season and first-round exit
• Tall Task: That last group was one of the league’s premier defensive units, ranking 5th in DefRtg. For this season, they earned the 4th-most votes as best defensive team

Action has been limited for some of the biggest stars, but there’s much more to come when the regular season gets rolling. New pieces of these two puzzles are falling into place.

• Weaving Nests: Newell scored 19 points as a starter in Atlanta’s contest Monday, while Alexander-Walker and Porziņģis dropped 13 apiece on Oct. 6 and 11, respectively
• New Face, Same Game: Kevin Durant – the offseason acquisition voted to have the biggest impact – has looked the part thus far, averaging 17.5 points on 56.5 FG% across two appearances
• Amen To That: At his side has been Amen Thompson, seen as the most athletic and best breakout candidate by GMs, who is averaging 17.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.3 spg
• Running Hot: Thompson, who was an All-Defensive First Team selection last year, racked up 21 points and five rebounds last time out on Thursday

3. LP SPOTLIGHT: PAOLO’S MAGIC vs. ZION’S PELICANS

David L. Nemec + Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

Tonight (7 ET, LP), two former No. 1 picks and fellow Duke Blue Devils, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero, lead their teams into one final preseason clash in Orlando.

The two stars are primed to put injuries behind them, looking to push their teams back up the standings.

After trending upward in win totals for 4+ straight seasons, both the Magic and Pelicans saw their streaks end in 2024-25, with injuries hindering progress.

Orlando used the Play-In Tournament to get back into the Playoffs for the second year in a row, but again exited in the First Round. A mix of regained health and key acquisitions looks to reignite expectations for these squads and their stars.

• Feel-Good Story: “It feels good to feel good,” Williamson said of his offseason training. “I really felt a shift in my body. Whatever my team needs, that’s what I’ll do.”
• Expectations Welcome: Banchero is “[very] relieved to have some real expectations for our team and for myself,” following Orlando’s aggressive offseason. “As a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great.”

Adam Hagy + Edgardo Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

• Bring Your Rings: The Pelicans front office worked to surround Zion & company with championship experience, bringing in former Warriors champs Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney and installing Pistons champion Joe Dumars as Head of Basketball Ops
• “I know he’s going to hold me to a really high standard,” said Williamson of Dumars
• Bane & Gain: Orlando went all-in to trade for the scoring support of Desmond Bane, and their offense already seems to be feeling the benefits, ranking second overall this preseason with 124.7 ppg

Despite the buzz of the exciting offseason deals and the leadership of their top-pick stars, it’s a pair of 2025 first-round draft picks that are pacing these two teams this preseason.

• JaseTime: Jase Richardson (25th overall) leads all preseason players with 70% shooting from 3 (min 10 3PA). “Just coming out, trying to be as aggressive as I can,” said Richardson, who also leads Orlando in minutes per game (21.0)
• October Fears: Helping New Orleans fill the loss of Dejounte Murray to injury, rookie Jeremiah Fears (7th overall) ranks second on the team in preseason points (13.0) and flashed his playmaking on Tuesday versus Houston (20 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast)

4. WEDNESDAY HIGHLIGHTS: AD & COOPER COOK, TILLMAN JUST IN TIME

Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg are clicking – from Dallas to the desert.

Mavericks 121, Lakers 94: On a crisp backdoor, Davis found Flagg for an early slam, setting the tone for another strong showing as the veteran big (18 pts, 9 reb) and rookie wing (13 pts, 3 ast) helped the Mavs rally past the Lakers in Las Vegas. | Recap

• Rookie Boogie: After taking flight, Flagg showed off his iso game, spinning to the cup for this and-1 finish in the 1st quarter
• Gabe Goes Off: Meanwhile, Gabe Vincent was cooking for Los Angeles, burying six 3s and 22 points in the 1st half
• Desert Storm: But it was the Mavs who erupted in the 4th, outscoring the Lakers 37-8 in the final frame to complete a 17-point comeback
• All Love: Luka Dončić got the night off for Los Angeles but shared a postgame moment with AD, who then gave a fan a moment to remember

Another night, another game-winner.

Celtics 110, Raptors 108: Derrick White caught fire, splashing six 3s en route to 33 points, before Xavier Tillman called game, sinking a go-ahead floater with 0.8 seconds left to give the C’s a thrilling dub in their preseason finale. | Recap

• 4th-Quarter Fireworks: Jamison Battle splashed a deep 3 with 7.8 ticks left to tie it for Toronto, capping a 14-2 run. But it was too much time for Tillman – who buried the third game-winner in as many days
• Steady Hand: Tillman, a five-year vet who won the 2024 Finals with Boston as a reserve, finished with 7 points, 7 boards and his coach’s full confidence
• “He’s the ultimate professional,” said Joe Mazzulla postgame. “I don’t care that it’s preseason … we won, and he was a big part of that … we’re going to need him as we start the season.”

5. ROUNDUP: THE CHARLOTTE SHOW, NEW CLIPS SHINE

Just because it’s worth another look… ⬆️

Hornets 145, Grizzlies 116: LaMelo Ball was dishing (23 pts, 8 ast, 1 nutmeg), Brandon Miller was dunking (21 pts, 6 ast, 1 epic finish) and Miles Bridges was doing it all (29 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) as the trio combined for 73 of the Hornets’ 145(!) points to outpace the Grizz. | Recap

• Miles High: Bridges splashed five 3s – including one off a behind-the-back feed from Ball – then joined the dunk party as LaMelo found him for a highlight lob of their own
• At The Buzzzzer: Summer pickup Collin Sexton (13 pts, 6 ast) helped beat the horn twice – first thanks to a slick dime in the 1st quarter, then a crafty banked finish to close the 3rd
• Grizz Attack: Rookie Javon Small (18 pts, 8 ast) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (17 pts) led the way for Memphis, which had seven players finish in double figures

Clippers 109, Kings 91: LA’s new frontcourt acquisitions John Collins (24) and Brook Lopez (16) combined for 40 points, while Chris Paul added 8 along with 10 dimes and one 1st-quarter buzzer-beater, as the Clips never looked back to top the Kings. | Recap

• The Klaw & The Cannon: Kawhi Leonard chipped in 15 points, while James Harden turned quarterback, flicking a ¾-court alley-oop dot that hit Derrick Jones Jr. in stride
• Sac Spotlight: Last year’s leader in double-doubles, Domantas Sabonis, did it again (15 pts, 14 reb), while No. 24 pick Nique Clifford got buckets (team-high 19 pts) and the love of a Big Red Dog fan section