Rookie wings. Next-level lift.
VJ Edgecombe’s got bounce – and the world’s starting to catch wind.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Oct. 5, 2025
Abu Dhabi Sweep: Jalen Brunson and the Knicks leave the UAE 2-0
Aussie Takeover: Zion, Poole and the Pels light up Melbourne to sweep the NBA x NBL series
Roundup: Wolves win, Jokić in midseason form and new beginnings for Bane & MPJ
Lakers at Warriors: Two revamped contenders meet in an Opening Night preview (8:30 ET, ESPN)
Thunder at Hornets: OKC’s title defense opens today against Kon Knueppel & Charlotte (5 ET, LP)
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Bay vs. L.A. on ESPN…
Sunday serves up a pair of marquee matchups, headlined by Lakers vs. Warriors in prime time (8:30 ET, ESPN) – a precursor to their Opening Night clash on Oct. 21.
Game 2 of the WNBA Finals also tips off as the Aces look to protect homecourt and take a 2-0 lead over the Mercury (3 ET, ABC).
Border League: Catch elite prospects live from Vegas today (12 ET) on NBA TV & the NBA App, then the NBA App at 1:30 ET.
1. KNICKS COMPLETE ABU DHABI SWEEP
Halfway across the globe, the Knicks’ core kept spinnin’ it.
Knicks 113, 76ers 104: Jalen Brunson (14 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl) and OG Anunoby (13 pts, 3-5 3pt) came out cooking, while Mikal Bridges (10 pts) joined them in double figures to help build an early lead, as New York outlasted Philly to finish the Abu Dhabi Games at 2-0. | Recap
- Hot Start: Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson chipped in six points apiece as New York’s starters combined for 49 of its 60 1st-half points before sitting the final two quarters
- ‘Sele Sends It Back: Guerschon Yabusele, who joined New York this summer after spending last season with Philly, left his mark with a big-time block that set up a Bridges slam
- Clarkson Clicking: Fellow first-year Knick Jordan Clarkson (7 pts, 2 ast) also showed early chemistry with his new squad, connecting with Robinson for a clean transition oop
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Sixer Spark: Dueling with Brunson early, Tyrese Maxey dropped 16 points in 17 minutes to lead Philly in scoring alongside Kennedy Chandler. But it was another young Sixer who stole the show.
- Early Riser: Three minutes into the game, Philly’s No. 3 pick, VJ Edgecombe, put Abu Dhabi on its feet with a soaring tomahawk poster
- Access Denied: After taking flight for 2, the rookie rose up to save a pair on the other end, flashing his athleticism with an emphatic swat
- All-Around Edge: The two-play sequence captured Edgecombe’s two-way impact, as he finished with 10 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block (worth a second look ⬇️)
The highlights didn’t stop there, as the second and final game from Abu Dhabi delivered plenty beyond the box score — showcasing what makes the exhibition an international spectacle, from courtside celebrities to creator cameos.
- TJass From The Top Rope: After sinking his patented pregame 360 heave from deep, Tristan Jass wasn’t done – serving up a halftime alley-oop dime from the stands
- Showing Love: More hoop creators were in the building, with The Professor displaying his iconic handles, followed by another crossover moment, as Jesser autographed a fan’s drawing of himself
- Point Gods: Speaking of crossovers, Derrick Rose took in the preseason clash to celebrate his birthday, along with fellow legend Oscar Robertson, who caught up with KAT pregame
- “It’s a great atmosphere,” said Bridges postgame. “The crowd is great. Glad we got some wins out here too.”
2. PELICANS PUT ON A SHOW, CLOSE MELBOURNE AT 2-0
Pelicans 127, SE Melbourne Phoenix 92: Zion Williamson was a force (8 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Jordan Poole added 15 points and Saddiq Bey led all scorers with 21 as NOLA pulled away from SE Melbourne Phoenix to sweep the NBA x NBL series. | Recap
- Poole Party: Poole also dished out four helpers in his second game with New Orleans, including this ridiculous halfcourt oop to Karlo Matkovic
- Hustle ➡️ Hammer: But it was this fullcourt sequence that produced the highlight of the night, as Zion came up with a steal and behind-the-back save to rookie Jeremiah Fears, who rose up for an and-1 dunk in transition
- High-Risers: Williamson stayed active on the defensive end with this swat, while Yves Missi showed off his vert with a rim-rocking jam
- Fan Favorite: Zion also delivered off the court, taking photos with fans, signing autographs and creating a memory one youngster will never forget
3. ROUNDUP: STARS SHINE IN PRESEASON OPENERS
In North America, the stars wasted no time finding their rhythm – and a few newcomers made strong first impressions with their new squads.
Timberwolves 126, Nuggets 116: Nikola Jokić only needed 18 minutes and five field-goal attempts to stuff the stat sheet (14 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), but the Wolves got the win behind big nights from Bones Hyland (18 pts) and Johnny Juzang (16 pts, 6 reb). | Recap
- Full Pack: Naz Reid (10 pts, 12 min) led Minnesota’s starters with Anthony Edwards out, and 15 different Wolves scored
- Joker Effect: Jokić’s playmaking already seems to be rubbing off on his new frontcourt partner Jonas Valančiūnas, who found Julian Strawther with a slick one-handed, over-the-head dime
Tom O’Connor/NBAE via Getty Images
Magic 126, Heat 118: In his first game with Orlando, Desmond Bane (9 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast) teamed up with Paolo Banchero (7 pts, 3 blk) for 16 1st-half points, before rookie Jase Richardson caught fire, scoring all 13 of his points in the 3rd quarter to power Orlando past Miami in Puerto Rico. | Recap
- Like Father, Like Son: Richardson, the No. 25 pick and son of 2x Slam Dunk champ Jason Richardson, showed off his bunnies with a floating two-handed hammer and went 3-for-3 from deep in the 3rd
- New Miami Link: New Heat guard Norman Powell found Nikola Jović for a coast-to-coast lob off an Andrew Wiggins’ steal
Nets 123, Hapoel Jerusalem 88: Michael Porter Jr. flushed home Brooklyn’s first bucket of the preseason as the Nets’ newly acquired sharpshooter turned in 13 points, 5 boards and 4 dimes to lead his new squad to a near wire-to-wire win over Hapoel Jerusalem. | Recap
4. DUBS & LAKERS DUEL TONIGHT ON ESPN
In 16 days, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the Warriors will travel to Los Angeles to take on LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Lakers on Opening Night on NBC (Oct. 21, 10 ET).
But before they open the regular season in L.A., the two sides meet tonight in the Bay for the first of their two preseason matchups (8:30 ET, ESPN).
And entering 2025-26, the Warriors and Lakers share far more than the same state.
- They’re both led by two icons in Steph and LeBron, each eyeing a fifth career title
- They both traded for superstars last February in Butler and Dončić, each hungry for their first
- They both retooled this summer with veteran additions around their star duos
- They both believe they can win a championship this season
Dubs Making Deals: While Los Angeles opened its preseason on Friday versus Phoenix, Golden State’s quest for a 2026 title officially begins today.
That quest comes after a busy two weeks, which saw the team re-sign Jonathan Kuminga after a summer-long stalemate, bring back Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton, and add Al Horford and Seth Curry – the younger brother of Steph. | Read more
- “It’s definitely special,” said Seth on playing with Steph. “It feels like a good time in both of our careers for me to be here … trying to win a championship.”
But championships aren’t won on paper – they’re won through work.
Just as the Lakers are setting the tone through JJ Redick’s fullcourt sprints, the Warriors are doing the same through Steph – whose conditioning regimen continues to drive the standard in Golden State.
- “He works the way he plays,” said Pat Spencer on Curry. “You see him run like 20 miles a game – it’s the way he trains … everything has a purpose.”
- “I saw him the other day running up some hills with a [weighted] vest. It’s insane,” added Buddy Hield. “That’s stuff that motivates you to go even harder as a player, when you see a guy like Steph doing that…
- “He’s accomplished so much … and he’s not slowing down. He’s not stopping.”
As for the Lakers, they’ll look to bounce back after Friday’s loss, which saw Austin Reaves lead the team with 20 points in 20 minutes, while rookie R.J. Davis – North Carolina’s No. 4 all-time leading scorer – added 14.
- Sunday King Sighting? After missing Friday’s opener, James’ status for tonight is TBD, while Dončić remains out, resting from EuroBasket 2025
5. OKC OPENS TITLE DEFENSE TODAY AGAINST CHARLOTTE
Joshua Gateley/NBAE via Getty Images
Entering 2024-25, only three players in NBA history had won the scoring title, Kia MVP and Finals MVP in the same season – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan (4x) and Shaquille O’Neal.
Until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined the list in June.
So how did the league’s newest triple-crown winner spend his championship summer? As authentic as he is accomplished, Shai kept it low-key.
- “I chilled with my friends and family. Played a lot of basketball. Chased my kid around the house, around the park, around the jungle gym … I did a lot of chasing this summer.”
And after chasing his son around all offseason, SGA and the defending champs are now chasing something even bigger – another title.
- Running It Back: After posting the best point differential in NBA history last season (+12.5), the Thunder return 95% of their 2024-25 regular season minutes – the most in the NBA
- Built To Last: Additionally, their entire core rotation is under contract for 2026-27, including SGA, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who all agreed to extensions this summer | Read More
- “It’s changed the trajectory of my family’s life,” said Williams at Media Day, reflecting on his new deal and first ring. “The championship is something you obviously play for. But all of that is in the past.”
The NBA has not seen a repeat champion since the Warriors won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
In the seven seasons that followed the last successful title defense, the league has seen seven different champions – the longest such run in NBA history.
Now, the Thunder, as complete and connected as ever, have their sights set on ending that streak.
- “You really are chasing greatness,” said Williams. “You’re chasing to achieve stuff that hasn’t been done in our organization. And that’s everybody’s motivation. I think that’s why we’re such a special group.”
Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
Today (5 ET, ESPN), OKC begins its title defense against Charlotte — a team that lifted its own hardware this summer, winning the 2K26 Summer League title in Las Vegas.
- Rookie Buzz: That run was powered by No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel, who earned Championship Game MVP after averaging 15.6 ppg across five contests
- Blooming Hive: Knueppel (20) joins LaMelo Ball (24) and Brandon Miller (22) in a backcourt featuring three top-four picks, all 24 or younger
- Seasoned Swarm: Charlotte also added some established vets this summer in Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee — sprinkling experience around its young core | Read More
