No lift needed.
The Alien added to his jaw-dropping preseason – this time, staying on Earth for an otherworldly putback.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Oct. 14, 2025
One Week Out: New season, new look and new keys to watch ahead of Amex Tip-Off
Monday Stars: An unreal night for an unreal player, while Flagg & AD fuel Dallas
Roundup: Houstan, we have a game-winner, young Wiz cook, Dillingham dazzles
Tonight On Peacock: A 2024 NBA Cup Championship rematch as the new chase nears
LP Spotlight: A rising playmaker meets an all-time orchestrator, plus Luka’s preseason debut
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Primetime on Peacock…
Six games tip off Tuesday, headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Peacock (8 ET).
Loud City: The OKC Thunder’s Championship Season – a new NBA Original Series narrated by Jalen Williams, chronicling the team’s epic run to a Game 7 Finals win over the Pacers – premieres Wednesday at 5 ET, exclusively on NBA TV and the NBA App.
1. ONE WEEK OUT: NEW SEASON, NEW LOOK, NEW KEYS TO WATCH
We’re seven days away from American Express Tip-Off – and the start of a new broadcast era.
From NBC’s Opening Night doubleheader (Oct. 21) to Prime’s NBA debut (Oct. 24), eight national games headline the first four nights of the regular season.
With a new season bringing a new look, here’s one new key to watch in each Opening Week matchup.
Tuesday, Oct. 21 (NBC): New Banner & New Beginnings
Rockets at Thunder (7:30 ET): OKC will raise its first championship banner inside the Paycom Center, then tip off the regular season against the new-look Rockets – led by four-time scoring champ and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
Warriors at Lakers (10 ET): Luka Dončić and Jimmy Butler III’s midseason arrivals jolted their respective teams up the West standings. Now, they open their first full seasons with Los Angeles and Golden State – both aiming even higher in 2025-26.
Wednesday, Oct. 22 (ESPN): New Vets & New Rooks
Cavaliers at Knicks (7 ET): Two East powers bolstered their backcourts this offseason, with New York signing former Kia Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson and Cleveland trading for Lonzo Ball.
Which vet will make the bigger impact as these two contenders clash at MSG?
Spurs at Mavericks (9:30 ET): One new thing to watch? How about two, as this year’s top picks, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, go head-to-head when the Mavs host the Spurs. Not to mention, a battle of 7-foot All-Stars as AD duels Wemby.
Michael Owens/NBAE via Getty Images
Thursday, Oct. 23 (ESPN): New Test & New Depth
Thunder at Pacers (7:30 ET): A Finals rematch on ESPN brings a whole new test for Indy – opening 2025-26 without its floor general, Tyrese Haliburton, as it seeks revenge against the defending champs.
Nuggets at Warriors (10 ET): Both teams fell in last year’s West Semis – and added experience around their co-stars for another title push. Denver brought in Cam Johnson, Jonas Valančiūnas and Bruce Brown.
Meanwhile, Golden State added Al Horford and Seth Curry to strengthen its veteran core. Which new supporting cast will click first?
Michael Owens/NBAE via Getty Images
Friday, Oct. 24 (Prime): New Roles & New Range
Celtics at Knicks (7:30 ET): The first NBA regular-season game on Prime also marks Boston’s first regular-season clash against New York without Jayson Tatum since 2021.
With JT sidelined, Jaylen Brown steps into the spotlight as Boston’s lead option – highlighted by this early Playoff rematch.
Wolves at Lakers (10 ET): Anthony Edwards has raised his scoring average in each of his first five NBA seasons, evolving from raw talent to full-fledged superstar.
In 2024-25, he expanded his game beyond the arc, leading the league in 3s at a career-best 39.5% clip. What new element has Ant added to his bag this year?
The Opening Week showdowns tip off the new national broadcast schedule, giving fans more ways than ever to catch the action ⬇️
2. MONDAY STARS: WEMBY WOWS AGAIN, FLAGG & AD FUEL DALLAS
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
We’re running out of words to describe Victor Wembanyama, and it’s only the preseason.
Spurs 124, Pacers 108: In another display of his physics-defying toolkit, Wemby went to work for 27 points, 11 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals in 24 minutes, and the Spurs used a late run to pull past the Pacers, improving to 4-0 this preseason. | Recap
- Full Court: The now 7-foot-5 phenom opened the show by snatching a steal, going coast-to-coast in four dribbles and finishing an and-1 finger roll en route to a 9-of-13 night from the field
- Full Stretch: The Alien added another outrageous highlight with this putback off a missed free throw – barely leaving the ground to slam it home
- Perfect Half: Speaking of outrageous, Bennedict Mathurin went a perfect 9-for-9 with four 3s in the 1st half, racking up 27 pointsbefore finishing with a game-high 31
- More Standouts: Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson each added 14 points for San Antonio, while Andrew Nembhard chipped in 11 points and 8 dimes for Indy
While Wemby stayed grounded, another No. 1 pick took flight.
Mavericks 114, Jazz 101: Cooper Flagg made his presence felt on both ends (11 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk), while Anthony Davis powered Dallas with 25 points, as the Mavs outpaced Brice Sensabaugh (16 pts) and the Jazz. | Recap
- End-To-End Energy: Flagg did a bit of everything, showing his all-around game – blocking a shot off the glass, kissing in an and-1 floater, then turning defense into a dunk
3. ROUNDUP: HOUSTAN HAS A WINNER, WIZARDS & WOLVES ROLL
Hawks 119, Heat 118 (OT): Norman Powell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. turned in 17 points apiece, but Miami couldn’t cool down Jacob Toppin (26 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast) and Caleb Houstan (21 pts) – who splashed his fifth 3 of the game with 12 ticks left in OT to lift the Hawks over the Heat. | Recap
- Trading Blows: The game saw 17 ties and 17 lead changes, including Myron Gardner’s clutch bucket with 3.9 seconds left to force OT for Miami. But Toppin (8) and Houstan (6) took over the extra frame, combining for 14 points
- Beast On The Boards: Charles Bassey was a monster inside for Atlanta, collecting 17 boards and 5 blocks while adding 7 points
Wizards 120, Knicks 103: Marvin Bagley III (18 pts, 11 reb) and rookie Will Riley (17 pts) led six Wizards in double figures, as Washington earned a near wire-to-wire win over New York, which rested its starters. | Recap
- Diving Dub: The Knicks’ undefeated preseason bid came to an end, but one New York fan still walked away with a W thanks to an all-time hustle play in life-sized tic-tac-toe
Wolves 134, Loong-Lions 74: 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham put on a clinic, posting a game-high in points (27) and assists (9) while breaking down defenders with some nasty off-the-bounce buckets, leading the Wolves past Victor Oladipo (14 pts) and the Loong-Lions. | Recap
4. TONIGHT ON PEACOCK: NBA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH
Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
One was voted the best point guard in the NBA in this year’s GM Survey. The other was voted the game’s best power forward.
Both have “NBA champion” and “Kia MVP” on their resumes – and both are coming off historic seasons.
Tonight on Peacock (8 ET), the two superstars could square off as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks.
- The Engine: Coming off back-to-back unprecedented seasons of 30+ ppg on over 60% shooting, Giannis didn’t miss a beat in his preseason debut, bulldozing through defenders for a double-double (13 pts, 10 reb) – on 60% shooting
- The Operator: The only player to finish ahead of Giannis in scoring last year? Shai, who made his preseason debut on Saturday, slicing through defenders for 16 points and 5 assists in just 20 minutes
The matchup isn’t just a potential superstar duel – it’s a rematch of the 2024 NBA Cup Championship.
Milwaukee lifted last year’s trophy, but the Thunder didn’t leave empty-handed, gaining Playoff-like experience that helped spark their title run six months later.
On Halloween night, a new quest for the Cup begins on Prime. Here’s what to know before group play tips off.
- NBA Cup Hub: All things NBA Cup, all in one spot
- Group Breakdowns: Six groups of five teams – and why each one is unique
- Full Slate: The complete 2025-26 NBA Cup schedule, including 10 exclusive games on Prime
- Cup 101: Need a refresher on how the Cup works? Let Amazon studio analyst Blake Griffin explain
5. LP SPOTLIGHT: ALL-AROUND PLAYMAKERS MEET IN DENVER
Garrett Ellwood + Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images
Only two players recorded 1,000+ points, 550+ rebounds and 500+ assists last season – Josh Giddey and Nikola Jokić.
Tonight on League Pass (9 ET), Chicago’s rising star and Denver’s all-time orchestrator will meet as the Bulls visit the Nuggets as part of a five-game slate.
Both are connectors in every sense – able to lift everyone around them, control pace and dictate flow without pressing.
But what makes them so tough to guard – and so easy to play with? Let’s take a look at how both turn similar preseason looks into completely different creations.
Joker Manipulation: Year after year, Jokić redefines what playmaking looks like from the 5. The 2025-26 GM Survey only reaffirmed it – not only predicting him to win Kia MVP, but naming him the league’s best passer, highest IQ player and the one who forces the most adjustments.
Why? Because of his command – both of space and timing – coupled with special creativity.
Above, operating from his office at the elbow (where he led the NBA in touches last season), Jokić turns what looks like a simple dribble-handoff into something entirely different:
- What We See: With all five defenders zeroed in on Jokić, he first fakes the exchange to Jamal Murray, who screens for a curling Christian Braun at the top of the key
- What He Sees: As LA sifts through the action, Jokić is already tugging at invisible strings – lulling the defense to sleep before snapping a no-look dart to Aaron Gordon in the corner. 3 points for Denver, before LA can even blink
Giddey Flow: From the same exact spot, Giddey surveys a similar layout – both corners filled, an empty paint and all five defenders keyed on him.
But where Jokić manipulates with patience, Giddey forces the issue with the rock. He takes a single dribble, rolls downhill just enough to draw the help, then threads a bounce pass to a cutting Patrick Williams for a beautiful backdoor dish.
- Giddey’s Growth: The Bulls guard isn’t on Jokić’s level – few are – but the growth is undeniable: After last year’s All-Star break, Giddey was one of two players to average 21+ points, 10+ boards and 9+ assists
- The Other? Jokić
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Four more games tip off tonight on League Pass, capped by Luka Dončić likely making his preseason debut as the Lakers visit the Suns (10 ET).
- Pistons at Cavaliers (7 ET)
- Rockets at Pelicans (8 ET)
- Warriors at Blazers (10 ET)
