A Coop scoop for the first pick’s first points – and a new dawn in Dallas.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Oct. 7, 2025
Flagg’s First Act: How a coast-to-coast connection marked the Mavs’ future
NBA Worldwide: Wemby wows versus Guangzhou, stars shine in NBA Canada Series
Monday Roundup: Sengun sizzles, Cade cooks, Turner boosts Bucks and more
Peacock Premiere: The Cavs & Bulls meet tonight for the first-ever NBA game on Peacock (7 ET
Indy Opens: The East champs are back, ready to prove the doubters wrong again
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A new national stage…
Peacock makes its NBA preseason debut tonight as the Cavs and Bulls open play in Cleveland, headlining a two-game slate (7 ET, Peacock).
The Suns and Nets are arriving in Macao this morning for the 2025 China Games. They’ll face off in a pair of contests on Friday (8 am ET) and Sunday (7 am ET), with both games live on NBA TV.
1. FLAGG PLANTED: MAVS OPEN NEW CHAPTER WITH WIN
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The Cooper Flagg era in Dallas began with a bang – and a block.
Mavericks 106, Thunder 89: In his first preseason game, the first overall pick set up another to make a first impression, swatting a shot off the backboard to ignite an Anthony Davis oop at the other end.
The rookie-to-vet sequence didn’t just open the scoring – it signaled a new beginning. By night’s end, Flagg tallied 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 win as Dallas outpaced OKC to open its 2025-26 campaign. | Recap
- Soaring: After rising above the rim for his first block, Flagg flew around a defender for his first bucket, flashing his athleticism with a smooth transition finish
- Scoring: The 18-year-old wing went on to splash two triples, finishing 3-of-6 from the floor in 14 minutes of action, as the Mavs built a 66-40 halftime lead
- More Mavs: Davis finished with 7 points and 7 boards, while P.J. Washington paced Dallas in scoring (14 pts) and D’Angelo Russell added 5 dimes, including the lob to AD
- OKC Standouts: Brooks Barnhizer (16 pts) and Jaylin Williams (14 pts) led the way for the Thunder, who rested their core rotation
2. NBA WORLDWIDE: WEMBY SHINES, CANADA SERIES DELIVERS
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In his first NBA action since the 2025 All-Star Game, Victor Wembanyama looked right back in All-Star form.
Spurs 119, Loong Lions 88: Facing an opponent based halfway across the world, Wemby showed off his otherworldly skillset, posting 9 points, 10 boards, 7 assists and 3 blocks as the Spurs outpaced the Guangzhou Loong-Lions in an NBA x CBA crossover. | Recap
- Alien Activity: Wemby opened his preseason with a pair of jaw-dropping rejections – first pinning a shot against the glass without leaving his feet, then swatting one off the backboard to set up a fast break the other way
- Perfection: Offensively, the 7-footer didn’t miss, going 3-for-3 from the field, including one triple, and 2-for-2 from the line
- Spurs Standouts: While Wemby stuffed the stat sheet, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and newly-acquired Luke Kornet led San Antonio in scoring with 16 points apiece
- Still Ballin’: On the other side, a pair of familiar faces led the Lions in Frank Kaminsky (22 pts) and Victor Oladipo (20 pts)
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In Vancouver, a slew of stars showed out in the NBA Canada Series.
Nuggets 112, Raptors 108: In a game with regular-season feel, Nikola Jokić gave fans a glimpse of his playmaking wizardry (17 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast), while his Canadian co-star Jamal Murray matched him in scoring (17 pts, 2 ast), leading to a Nuggets dub. | Recap
- Six Stars: RJ Barrett – another Canada native – and Brandon Ingram scored 19 apiece for Toronto, with Ingram making his first Raptors appearance after missing the second half of last season with an ankle injury
- Midseason Form: Jokić dazzled the crowd with an outrageous crosscourt dish that’s worth another look, bucket or not
3. ROUNDUP: SENGUN & CADE COOK, TURNER BOOSTS BUCKS & MORE
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Rockets 122, Hawks 113: Fresh off his first career All-Star selection in 2025, Alperen Sengun picked up right where he left off with a game-high 19 points, 6 assists and 2 blocks, as Houston topped Trae Young (9 pts, 8 ast) and Atlanta in both teams’ preseason openers. | Recap
- Amen At Work: Amen Thompson (11 pts, 3 ast) showed off his bag with this crafty step-through, while Kevin Durant was a DNP, with his first Rockets minutes still to come
- New & Notable: Summer acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker (13 pts) led Atlanta in scoring with Jalen Johnson (11 pts), while Kristaps Porziņģis added 5 points, 1 assist and 1 steal in his Hawks debut
Pistons 128, Grizzlies 112: After a fourth-year leap, Cade Cunningham entered Year 5 airborne with this ridiculous hand-switch reverse finish as Detroit’s superstar led his squad past Memphis in both sides’ first preseason action. | Recap
- Strong Starts: Cunningham notched 20 points and 4 dimes in one half, while new Memphis additions Ty Jerome (16 pts) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15 pts) led the Grizz
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Bucks 103, Heat 93: After 10 seasons with the Pacers, Myles Turner made his Bucks preseason debut with 8 points and 2 blocks in one half of play, while Pete Nance added 15 points to push Milwaukee past Miami. | Recap
- Glass Work: After shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.6% from deep last season, Turner wasted no time showing off his floor-stretching touch, banking in his first bucket as a Buck
- Heat Check: In his second outing with Miami, Norm Powell poured in 18 1st-half points, matching a game high with Kel’el Ware (18 pts, 13 reb) – who somehow got this circus shot to drop
4. PEACOCK PREMIERE: CAVS & BULLS OPEN NEW BROADCAST ERA
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Opening Night on NBC is exactly two weeks away. Tonight, fans get their first taste of a new NBA broadcast partner as Peacock exclusively streams its first NBA preseason game, featuring the Cavs and Bulls (7 ET).
Running It Back: After rolling through the regular season with an East-best 64 wins – two shy of their franchise record – the Cavs’ championship hopes ended in the East Semis for a second straight season, falling to the Pacers in five games.
Now, Cleveland enters 2025-26 with familiar firepower and unfinished business.
- Core Four: Despite the stinging Playoff exit, the Cavs chose continuity over change this offseason, returning their three 2025 All-Stars – Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – along with frontcourt anchor Jarrett Allen
- Two-Way Help: After losing Ty Jerome in free agency, Cleveland reinforced its depth by swapping Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball (with Chicago) and signing Larry Nance Jr.
- Balanced Boost: Both vets bolster a defense that fell from fifth in the regular season to last in the Conference Semis, while Ball stabilizes a backcourt missing Max Strus to start the year | Read More
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Next Step: The Cavs know they’re close, but after two straight Playoff runs derailed by injuries, they also know how thin the margins can be.
That gap – between title contenders and lasting champions – comes down to two things, they said: details and determination.
- Mitchell: “We have to mentally continue to take our steps forward … being able to persevere through whatever hurdle we have is going to be huge.”
- Garland: “It’s the little things that’s going to get us over the top this year.”
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Youth Movement: On the other side, Chicago’s banking on its young core to push it back into the Playoff picture. After trading Zach LaVine midseason, the Bulls handed the keys to Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey — all 25 or younger — to lead a new era.
- White Hot: With a larger role, White took off post All-Star break, averaging 24.5 ppg, including five outings of 35+, the fifth-most in the NBA during that span
- Rising Role: Meanwhile, Buzelis worked his way into the starting lineup for the final 31 games, where he boosted his scoring from 5.8 to 13.0 ppg
- All-Around X-Factor: And the only player not named LeBron or Jokić to record 1,000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 500+ assists last season? Giddey, who inked a four-year extension this summer | Read More
Tonight, the two division rivals – each looking to level up – open preseason play on Peacock, part of the league’s new national broadcast lineup for 2025-26.
5. PACERS OPEN PRESEASON TONIGHT AGAINST WOLVES
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One game. That’s all that separated Indiana from its first-ever NBA title last season.
One step. That’s how a new journey must begin in hopes of eventually returning to the championship stage despite Tyrese Haliburton being sidelined for the time being.
Tonight (8 ET, League Pass), the Pacers visit the Timberwolves to commence their preseason slate, exactly two weeks before Opening Night.
- Spotlight Shifted: Defending the East begins with Pascal Siakam – the 2025 East Finals MVP – who reeled in his third All-Star selection last campaign while recording a career-best 38.9% 3-point percentage
- Been Here Before: The 10th-year forward is well-accustomed to offering leadership on both ends of the floor, but doesn’t see himself taking on the burden of a No. 1 option
- “The way we play as a team, it’s always been about a team. It’s never been about one person,” Siakam said. “This year is not going to be different.”
‘Rostering seven double-figure scorers last season, the Pacers relied on a balanced offensive approach. Several young talents who were part of that group can continue momentum.
- Loaded Arsenal: Aaron Nesmith (12.0 ppg, 43.1 3P%), Obi Toppin (10.5 ppg, 62.1 eFG%) and Andrew Nembhard (10.0 ppg, 5.0 apg) will look to shoulder more of a load this season
- Court Committee: Indiana’s 46 games featuring six or more players with 10+ points in the 2024-25 regular season were the most in the Association
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The Timberwolves are already off and running. After a 126-116 defeat of the Nuggets, the back-to-back Western Conference finalists are hunting a 2-0 start to their own preseason.
- Dual Debut? It could happen for Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, neither of whom played Saturday. The two former All-Stars combined for 46.3 ppg in 2024-25
- High On Hyland: Leading all scorers against Denver was Bones Hyland with 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting as he approaches his first full season with the franchise
- “I felt the continuity, I felt the energy, I felt the love when I first got over here,” said the fourth-year guard. “It was everything once I stepped into the premises of Minnesota basketball.”
