The Association: Postgame - 10/14/26
MJ Acosta-Ruiz, Rudy Gay, and Chris Haynes discuss the best of the 2026 preseason action.
The Spurs are looking just right heading into the 2026-27 season.
But last night, it was all about jamming with the left.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Flying High: Spurs throw down, Greek Freak goes off, Bulls shine bright
Roundup: Duren debuts with a bang, Tatum sparks C’s, Pels & Clippers win
OKC’s Next Quest: Thunder eye another championship run with new-look supporting cast
Kia Rookie Ladder: What coaches, teammates and executives are saying about this year’s Lottery picks
Milestones To Watch: Historic individual and team achievements within reach this season
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The preseason winds down, with free hoops for NBA ID members…
The second-to-last night of the preseason brings two games, as the Knicks host the Raptors on League Pass (7:30 ET), before the Thunder visit the Rockets on NBA TV (8:30 ET).
It’s an NBA ID Member Day! Today marks the first of two NBA ID Member Days (Oct. 15-16), giving members free access to stream up to 14 preseason games on League Pass. Don’t have an NBA ID? Sign up for free now.
Five Days From Tip-Off: After the preseason concludes Friday, the regular season tips off Tuesday (Oct. 20), with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader.
1. SPURS DUNK FEST, GIANNIS DOES IT ALL, BULLS BALL OUT
After a run to the NBA Finals, the Spurs are soaring into this season.
Spurs 123, Suns 103: Victor Wembanyama (19 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 4 blk) set the tone with a lefty poster for San Antonio’s first points, before De’Aaron Fox topped it – throwing down a vicious hammer, also with the left, to send the Spurs’ bench wild. ⬆️
Dylan Harper joined the party soon after, reaching way back for a full-extension, must-see putback. The hand? You guessed it: the left.
The Spurs carried a double-digit lead into halftime and never looked back, topping Ryan Dunn (15 pts) and Phoenix. | Recap
- Core Clicking: Fox and Harper scored 9 apiece, while Stephon Castle (18 pts), Carter Bryant (16 pts, 4 ast) and Devin Vassell (12 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl) all finished in double figures
As the Spurs rocked the rim in San Antonio, Giannis stuffed the stat sheet in South Beach.
Heat 144, Nets 128: After a pregame fusion with Bam Adebayo, Antetokounmpo went supercharged, racking up 20 points, 15 boards and 9 dimes in just 24 minutes to power Miami past Michael Porter (27 pts, 4 3s) and Brooklyn. | Recap
- 94-Foot Force: Giannis went 8-for-10 from the field while adding 3 blocks, including an emphatic rejection at the rim leading to a coast-to-coast and-1
Bulls 125, Bucks 104: The highlights kept coming, as Caleb Wilson took flight in Milwaukee (10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 double-clutch jam), while Josh Giddey (6 pts, 9 ast) pulled out a no-look, over-the-head dime to set up a Matas Buzelis trey (19 pts, 5 3s).
It was one of 20 3s for Chicago, which caught fire from deep to outpace Milwaukee. | Recap
- Bulls Buckets: Norm Powell added 16 points for Chicago, which shot 40% from beyond the arc, with nine different players hitting at least one 3
- Bucks Bright Spots: Kam Jones led Milwaukee with 23 points, while this year’s No. 10 pick, Brayden Burries, shined on both ends (19 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl)
2. ROUNDUP: DUREN DEBUTS, TATUM SPARKS CELTICS, CLIPS & PELS WIN
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Duren is back, and he’s still a problem in the paint.
Pistons 128, Wolves 106: After agreeing to a new extension with Detroit earlier this month, Duren didn’t miss a beat in his preseason debut, going 8-for-9 from the field for a game-high 24 points – in just 15 minutes – as the Pistons pulled past Anthony Edwards (20 pts) and the Wolves. | Recap
- From The Jump: Duren made his presence felt immediately, scoring Detroit’s first four points before tossing a lob to Ausar Thompson 20 seconds later
- More From Minny: Cade Cunningham added 14 points and 9 assists for Detroit, while LaMelo Ball netted his first bucket in his new home arena off a feed from Edwards
Celtics 114, Hornets 93: Jayson Tatum came out hot (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl), scoring 11 points in the 1st quarter to build an early lead that Boston never relinquished, as the C’s topped Brandon Miller (16 pts, 5 reb) and the Hornets. | Recap
- Green Groove: Derrick White (17 pts, 4 stl) and Neemias Queta (16 pts) combined for 33 points as Boston moved to 3-0 this preseason
Juan Ocampo + Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Clippers 122, Nuggets 110: Darius Garland steered the ship offensively (14 pts, 7 ast), while Rui Hachimura (team-high 16 pts, 5 reb) and this year’s No. 5 overall pick, Keaton Wagler, flashed (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 3 3s) as LA outlasted Trevon Brazile (20 pts) and Denver. | Recap
- More Notables: Derrick Jones Jr. (14 pts) joined five other Clippers in double figures, while Nikola Jokić (5 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast) and Jamal Murray (14 pts, 4 reb) each logged 16 minutes for Denver
Pelicans 101, Mavericks 97: Coming off an All-Rookie Second Team season, Jeremiah Fears delivered Wednesday for NOLA (16 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl), which staved off a late push from John Poulakidas (16 pts, 4 3s) and Dallas. | Recap
3. TONIGHT ON NBA TV: SGA & THUNDER VISIT ROCKETS
Kenneth Richmond/NBAE via Getty Images
No stranger to exclusive clubs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined yet another last season.
The four-time All-Star won his second consecutive Kia NBA MVP award, becoming the 14th player in league history to go back-to-back.
But he wanted more.
He also sought back-to-back championships. The Thunder ultimately came up short, falling to the Spurs in Game 7 of the West Finals.
Tonight, Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC continue preparing for a new season — another shot at the Kia MVP and another shot at a title. They’ll visit the Rockets (8:30 ET, NBA TV).
- “I’m not going to win the award in the first week of the season. It’s hard for me to put so much into it and think about it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said at Media Day
- “I’ve just got to be the best player I can be for this basketball team, win as many games as possible.”
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
The Thunder enter 2026-27 with a different supporting cast, but the same championship aspirations, writes the AP’s Tim Willert.
“It is a new-look Thunder in many ways, after the team traded starter Lu Dort and key reserves Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins…
“There is an addition of sorts: Jalen Williams, an All-Star two seasons ago, is back after missing more than half of last season with injuries … Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace are all expected to take on larger roles this season.
“Fundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder,” guard Alex Caruso said. “We want to be the same kind of team and have the same principles and play the same way.” | Read More
On League Pass, the Raptors take on the Knicks (7:30 ET). It’s their second meeting in three days — this time, on the heels of Kawhi Leonard’s 21-point, 5-rebound preseason debut.
4. KIA ROOKIE LADDER: WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Kenny Giarla + Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
The hype has been building around the 2026 rookie class for months.
Now, its members are ready to make their mark, and the Kia Rookie Ladder is back to track the league’s top first-year players throughout the season.
For the first edition, NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt gathers insights from coaches, teammates and front-office executives on all 14 Lottery picks ahead of Opening Week.
Below is a sneak peek at what they’re saying about this year’s top four picks.
Caleb Wilson (No. 4 pick, Bulls)
The good words from Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham: “The expectations are probably pretty high because Caleb is pretty outspoken, but internally we know it’s a season of growth, of development.”
Geoff Stellfox/NBAE via Getty Images
Cam Boozer (No. 3 pick, Grizzlies)
The good words from Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo: “His passing is already at a very, very high level, and that’ll be something that we definitely utilize.”
Darryn Peterson (No. 2 pick, Jazz)
The good words from Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge: “He has brought intensity, work ethic, and maturity that is unique.”
AJ Dybantsa (No. 1 pick, Wizards)
The good words from Wizards forward-center Anthony Davis: “He’s ready for it. He’s got all the tools to be successful in this league. He’s a very special talent – can defend, can make any shot.” | Read More
Note: While this edition focuses on Lottery picks, rookies – regardless of draft position – will be recognized for their achievements in Zillgitt’s Rookie Ladder throughout the season.
5. BIG MILESTONES TO WATCH THIS SEASON
David Berding + Ishika Samant/NBAE via Getty Images
Several records could fall this season. With opening tip just five days away, NBA.com staff has highlighted a few of the individual and team milestones within reach in 2026-27.
Below, we spotlight four stars closing in on major career achievements.
Nikola Jokić: “[Jokić] is 1,991 points away from 20,000 career points, 1,023 rebounds shy of 10,000 and 920 assists away from 7,000. Reaching all three marks would make him just the second player in NBA history, alongside LeBron James, to record at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists.”
LeBron James: “[The all-time leading scorer] enters his record-setting 24th NBA season with several more milestones in sight … He is 560 points away from reaching 44,000 regular-season points and 1,560 away from becoming the first player to reach 45,000 …
“He needs 76 assists to pass Jason Kidd for third on the NBA’s all-time assists list and 537 to pass Chris Paul for second.”
David Berding + Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Stephen Curry: “[Curry] needs just 102 more [3-pointers] to become the first player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career 3-pointers, adding another achievement to his already unmatched shooting legacy.”
Klay Thompson: “One of the NBA’s greatest shooters, Thompson is within 75 3-pointers of passing Ray Allen for third on the league’s all-time list. Reaching the milestone would put him behind only Curry and James Harden.” | Read More
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