Stepback. Splash. Smile.
Luka Dončić capped off the NBA on Prime premiere with a scintillating scoring showcase for the history books.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Oct. 25, 2025
Welcome To Prime Time: Luka’s 49-piece, Knicks win highlight Prime Video debut
West Spotlight: Wemby outduels Zion; Clippers, Blazers & Kings get first wins
East Spotlight: Giannis makes history; Hawks & Cavs get first wins
Roundup: Pistons, Wizards & Heat earn wins in Friday’s inter-conference matchups
Saturday Preview: Thunder-Hawks on NBA TV headlines five-game slate
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Weekend hoops loading…
Countdown To The Cup: Group Play in the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tips off in just six days and will once again feature playing courts with a bold and distinctive style.
Saturday On NBA TV: After becoming the first team in NBA history to open a season with back-to-back 2OT games, will the Thunder need extra minutes again tonight when they visit Atlanta (7:30 ET)?
1. PRIME ERA OPENS WITH LUKA MASTERPIECE, KNICKS WIN
Wilt Chamberlain. Michael Jordan. Anthony Davis. Luka Dončić.
That’s the list of players that have opened a season with back-to-back 40+ point games after Luka’s 49-point gem on Friday night in Los Angeles.
Lakers 128, Wolves 110: In the nightcap of the first-ever doubleheader on Prime Video, Luka delivered a tour de force (49 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast, 5 3pm) to not only outduel Anthony Edwards (31 pts, 4 reb, 3 3pm) but help L.A. secure its first win of the season. | Recap
- Quickstrike: Dončic needed no time to heat up, erupting for 23 points and four 3s in the 1st quarter. However, behind Edwards’ 14 points, the Wolves won the opening frame 40-36
- Follow Up: Luka added another nine points in the 2nd quarter, giving him 32 at the break as the Lakers took the lead late in the half and never trailed again
- Closing Time: Dončic added 17 more in the 2nd half – six in the 3rd and 11 in the 4th – falling one point shy of his eighth career 50-ball
- L.A. Record Books: Luka (92 pts) passed Jerry West (81 pts in 1969-70) for most points over the first two games of a season by a Laker. He also joined Kobe Bryant as the only Laker to record a regular-season game with 45+ pts, 10+ reb, 5+ ast and 5+ 3s
- NBA History Books: In addition to joining the legends above with back-to-back 40-pieces, Luka became the first player ever to open a season with back-to-back games of 40+ pts, 10+ reb, and 5+ ast
- More Standouts: Austin Reaves (25 pts, 11 ast) and Rui Hachimura (23 pts) combined for 48 points for L.A., while Julius Randle (26 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast, 4 3pm) combined with Edwards for 57 in the loss
Last season, the Knicks (51-31) finished third in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the No. 1 Cavaliers (64-18) and No. 2 Celtics (61-21).
This season, the Knicks opened the season by knocking off the Cavs on Wednesday, then followed it up by taking down the Celtics on Friday.
Knicks 105, Celtics 95: In Prime’s debut game, Jalen Brunson (31 pts, 5 ast) and Karl-Anthony Towns (26 pts, 13 reb) combined for 57 points to lead NY past Boston in a rematch of last year’s East Semis. | Recap
- The Turning Point: Trailing 30-22 after the 1st quarter, the Knicks outscored the Celtics 42-14 in the 2nd – led by OG Anunoby’s 10 points in the period – to lead by 20 at the half
- Rewind: The last time the Knicks began a season 2-0 and the Celtics began a season 0-2 – the 2021-22 season, which ended with Boston in the Finals and NY in the lottery
2. WEST SPOTLIGHT: WEMBY WINS DUEL WITH ZION
In a clash of former No. 1 overall picks, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson both flirted with triple-doubles with an extra five minutes needed to decide a winner.
Spurs 120, Pelicans 116 (OT): Wemby (29 pts, 11 reb, 9 blk) fell one block shy of his fourth career triple-double, but put the Spurs up for good with the first bucket of overtime before fouling out. San Antonio opened the season 2-0 for the first time in five years. | Recap
- Block Party: Wemby posted his fifth career game with 9+ blocks – the most by a player 21 or younger. He’s also the fifth player to have 60+ points and 10+ blocks through a team’s first two games since blocks began being tracked in 1973-74
- Wemby vs. Zion: The stars went at each other throughout the game, with Zion opening the game with a poster jam and Wemby coming up with a double block
- Triple 20s: Zion (27 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl), Trey Murphy III (24 pts, 10 reb) and Jordan Poole (21 pts) combined for 72 as the Pelicans fell to 0-2 to open the season
- Rookie Clash: In a matchup featuring four 2025 lottery picks, NOLA’s Derik Queen led the group with 15 points, while teammate Jeremiah Fears and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper scored 13 apiece
Clippers 129, Suns 102: After combining for just 25 points in LA’s season-opening loss to Utah, James Harden (30 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) and Kawhi Leonard (27 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) combined for 57 to help the Clippers pull away from the Suns and get into the win column. | Recap
- Taking Control: The Suns led by nine with 4:22 left in the opening quarter before LA closed the period on a 15-5 run and never trailed again, leading by as many as 32 points despite a combined 39 points from Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks
- “Let’s See If This Works:” Actor Adam Devine led The Wall in a free throw distracting wave during the 1st quarter, resulting in Oso Ighodaro splitting the pair. Last season, LA’s opponents shot the second-lowest FT% (74.8%) at Intuit Dome compared to the sixth-highest (79.5%) at home
Kings 105, Jazz 104: After missing the season opener (hamstring), Domantas Sabonis (12 pts, 12 reb) capped off his season debut with a game-winning putback layup with 6.4 seconds left to help the Kings light their first beam of the season. | Recap
- Scorers Duel: Zach LaVine (31 pts) and Lauri Markkanen (33 pts) each splashed four 3s, but it was LaVine and the Kings that got the win, extending their streak over the Jazz to nine straight victories
Blazers 139, Warriors 119: Behind a combined 48 points from Deni Avdija (26 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 4 3pm) and Jerami Grant (22 pts), the Blazers overcame a 35-point game from Steph Curry to grab their first win and hand the Warriors their first loss of the season. | Recap
- Early Bird: The Chef was cookin’ early with 16 points and four 3s in the game’s first eight minutes as Golden State led by as many as eight in the 1st quarter before the Blazers seized control
3. EAST SPOTLIGHT: GIANNIS MAKES HISTORY AS BUCKS START 2-0
Bucks 122, Raptors 116: How do you follow up a 37-point, 14-rebound, 5-assist season opener? If you’re Giannis Antetokounmpo you drop 31 points, 20 boards and seven dimes to lead Milwaukee past Toronto for a 2-0 start to the season. | Recap
- One Of One: Giannis became the first player in NBA history to have 60+ pts, 30+ reb & 10+ ast in first two games of a season
- Depth Shines: Powered by Cole Anthony’s 23 points and seven assists, the Milwaukee bench outscored Toronto’s reserves 45-25
- Clutch Time: The game was tied at 107 with 4:26 remaining before Milwaukee closed the game on a 15-9 push, with Anthony (6) and Gary Trent Jr. (8) combining for 14 of those points
- Dino Duo: Brandon Ingram (29 pts, 6 reb, 3 3pm) and RJ Barrett (20 pts, 6 reb, 9-12 FG) combined for 49 for the Raptors in the loss
Hawks 111, Magic 107: The Hawks trailed by as many as 14 points in the 2nd half, but outscored the Magic 33-21 in the 4th quarter to rally for their first win of the season behind Trae Young, who scored six of his team-high 25 points in the final 46 seconds. | Recap
- Taking Flight: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (19 pts, 4 ast) led four more Hawks in double figures, joined by Onyeka Okongwu (17), Mouhamed Gueye (13) and Jalen Johnson (12)
- Not Enough Magic: Franz Wagner led all scorers with 27 points, while Orlando got 15 points apiece from Desmond Bane (7 reb, 5 ast) and Tristan da Silva (6 reb, 3 stl) in their first loss of the season
Cavaliers 131, Nets 124: Donovan Mitchell’s game-high 35 points and 22 points apiece from Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill helped the Cavs hold off a late Nets comeback attempt to earn their first win of the season. | Recap
- Mirror Image: Mitchell (35 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl, 6 3pm) is the first Cav to open a season with back-to-back 30+ point games since … Donovan Mitchell in 2022-23
- No Quit In Brooklyn: Trailing by as many as 25 and down 22 to start the 4th, the Nets outscored the Cavs 38-23 in the final frame, making it a one-point game with 3:48 to play before the Cavs responded with a 10-4 close
- Nets Trio: Cam Thomas (33 pts, 9 ast, 3 3pm), Michael Porter Jr. (31 pts, 8 reb, 5 3pm) and Ziaire Williams (25 pts, 6 3pm) combined for 89 points and 14 3s in the loss
4. CONFERENCE CLASHES: PISTONS, WIZARDS, HEAT GET FIRST WINS
Pistons 115, Rockets 111: Cade Cunningham scored 10 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter – including a pair of free throws with 5.5 seconds left to ice the game – as the Pistons held off Kevin Durant (37 pts) and the Rockets for their first win of the season. | Recap
- Sibling Rivalry: Ausar Thompson (19 pts, 4 ast) made it 2-2 in four head-to-head games with twin brother Amen (10 pts, 4 reb) with one more matchup on the schedule between them this season (Jan. 23)
- Like Father, Like Son: Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff earned his 300th career win, making he and his father, Bernie (419), the first father-son duo in NBA history to reach 300 coaching wins
- Yao In The House: Former Rockets center Yao Ming was in H-Town for the home opener, witnessing another strong game from current Rockets center Alperen Sengun (17 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl)
Wizards 117, Mavericks 107: Kyshawn George’s career night (34 pts, 11 reb, 7 3pm, 4 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk) helped the Wizards overcome an early 14-point deficit, build a 17-point lead, then hold off a late Mavs rally led by Cooper Flagg for their first win of the season. | Recap
- Young Wizards: At 21 years old, George became the youngest player in Wizards franchise history to total 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 3+ blocks in a game, while Tre Johnson (this year’s No. 6 pick in the draft) scored 17 with three 3s
- Dallas Duo: Anthony Davis (27 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) filled the stat sheet for the Mavs, while Flagg (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) scored 13 in the 2nd half, including nine straight Dallas points in the 4th quarter to keep the Mavs close before ultimately falling to 0-2
Heat 146, Grizzlies 114: After nine lead changes and two ties in the game’s first six minutes, Miami closed the 1st quarter on a 24-4 run and never looked back, earning their first win of the season and handing the Grizzlies their first loss. | Recap
- Bam’s Hot Start: Bam Adebayo scored 18 of his 24 points and hit all four of his 3s in the 1st quarter as the Heat racked up 44 points
- Eight Is Enough: Adebayo (24) and Nikola Jović (20) led eight Heat players in double figures, while Jaren Jackson Jr. (19 pts) and Cedric Coward (16 pts) combined for 35 for the Grizzlies
5. THUNDER-HAWKS ON NBA TV HEADLINES 5-GAME SATURDAY
The new season hasn’t exactly been light work for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Both of the Thunder’s two contests have gone to double overtime – first against the Rockets, then again versus the Pacers. Those transpired in a span of three days.
Not only has SGA’s conditioning been put to the test, but he’s been asked to make big shot after big shot in crucial, close-game situations.
He continues to deliver.
Tonight, Atlanta plays host to Oklahoma City for a cross-conference showdown (7:30 ET, NBA TV) following SGA’s career-high 55-point showing that saw the reigning MVP get buckets from all over the court.
- Same Old Shai: On 15-for-31 shooting Thursday, the 8th-year guard had a pair of 3-pointers to complement seven makes in the paint and five from mid-range
- Not Once: He drove to the hoop and converted a tough layup over the long reach of Pascal Siakam with 1:37 to go late in the 4th quarter, putting his team in front by one
- But Twice: With just 26.4 remaining in the 1st overtime, SGA also drained a pull-up jumper in the face of Bennedict Mathurin, securing a two-point lead, before adding two more buckets in the second OT
- Iron Man: Already with 93 total minutes played, he’s scored 20-plus points in 74 straight games – 358 days have passed since he failed to hit that mark
- Early Test: After earning their first W on Friday, the Hawks look to sustain their winning ways by knocking off the defending champs
Emilee Chinn/NBAE via Getty Images
Also on tap, the 76ers welcome the Hornets (7:30 ET, LP) in the wake of VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey’s monster efforts on Wednesday.
- Dynamo Duo: The two guards combined for 74 points on 26-for-50 shooting to help secure a comeback win in their season opener against the Celtics
- Three more games wrap up the season’s first night of Saturday hoops on League Pass: Bulls at Magic (7 ET), Pacers at Grizzlies (8 ET) and Suns at Nuggets (9 ET)
