Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto had the old rhythm: a corner three, a soft bounce on the rim and a building full of Raptors fans on its feet. Leonard scored 21 points in only 17 minutes as Toronto crushed New York 148-98, one of several preseason storylines rolling into a seven-game Wednesday slate.
Leonard owns another Toronto moment
Leonard had not appeared for the Raptors since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, the night Toronto secured its first championship. Back in Raptors colors Tuesday, he was welcomed with a pregame standing ovation and quickly made a three-pointer for his first basket.
- Leonard finished with 21 points, five rebounds, two steals and four made threes.
- All 21 points came before halftime, when Toronto carried an 86-47 lead into the locker room.
- His 4-for-8 night from deep included a corner jumper from nearly the same area as his celebrated Game 7 winner against Philadelphia in 2019.
- Asked whether the friendly roll brought back memories, Leonard shrugged it off: “A lot of my shots do that.”
- Scottie Barnes added 19 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block for the Raptors.
Elsewhere, Oklahoma City outlasted Indiana 114-112 in overtime at Paycom Center. The building was the site of Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals 16 months earlier, but the Pacers guard looked sharp in his return, posting 24 points, three assists, two blocks and four threes.
Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 15 points and six assists, traded stretches in the first half. Indiana’s Kobe Brown forced overtime with a late tying layup, but Zhaire Smith knocked down consecutive jumpers in the extra period to put the Thunder ahead for good. Jared McCain led OKC with 20 points and six threes, while Jalen Williams scored 16 as the Thunder climbed out of a 20-point second-quarter hole.
Warriors, Magic and Blazers deliver preseason answers
Golden State matched Oklahoma City’s comeback work in Las Vegas, turning a 20-point deficit into a 101-89 win over the Lakers. Austin Reaves had 28 points and seven assists in 25 minutes for Los Angeles, but the Warriors held the Lakers to 26 points after halftime while scoring 51.
- Brandin Podziemski and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 17 points apiece for Golden State.
- De’Anthony Melton collected six steals, including a one-handed takeaway that led directly to a transition basket.
- Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick and 2026 Summer League MVP, has scored at least 17 points in each of his past three outings.
- Orlando never trailed in a 132-116 win over Cleveland. Paolo Banchero scored 24 with eight rebounds on 10-for-13 shooting, while Franz Wagner had 20 points and eight assists on 7-for-10 shooting.
- Donovan Mitchell finished with 15 points and eight assists for Cleveland.
- Portland beat Sacramento 110-98 behind Deni Avdija’s 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Ja Morant and Damian Lillard each scored 14; Morant handed out six assists and Lillard had four.
Wednesday schedule brings Dallas, Los Angeles and San Antonio into focus
The night’s NBA TV doubleheader opens with New Orleans visiting Dallas at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Denver at the Clippers at 10:30 p.m. ET. Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan are both positioned to make their new situations matter immediately.
Irving returns to the Mavericks’ floor
Irving missed last season while recovering from an ACL injury, yet remained active around Dallas’ young group, including fellow former No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. Irving said he tried to offer needed direction and leadership to a roster with considerable talent but plenty of developing players.
He made his on-court return Sunday in Macao, his first game action in 586 days, and scored 17 points in 22 minutes as Dallas beat Houston in the second NBA China Game. Mavericks coach Dusty May praised both Irving’s physical and mental readiness, describing him as an artist and “a jazz musician.”
For Irving, the comeback is not limited to scoring. He said basketball has given him more than he could have imagined, and that his purpose now involves the legacy he leaves for younger players watching him.
DeRozan enters Denver with a title chase in mind
DeRozan begins his 18th NBA season in Denver after Sacramento missed the playoffs in each of the past two years. The six-time All-Star is Toronto’s career scoring leader and ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, but he is still pursuing his first championship.
“My mindset is to win,” DeRozan said at media day, adding that he wants to compete and help the Nuggets in whatever fashion brings victories.
- Denver lost scoring in the offseason with the departures of Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown.
- DeRozan is one of five active players with at least 25,000 points and 5,000 assists, alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and James Harden.
- He has averaged 5.3 assists per game since the 2018-19 season.
- Nikola Jokić called DeRozan an underrated passer and said the veteran could bring new ideas to Denver’s usual offensive system.
On League Pass, San Antonio hosts Phoenix at 8 p.m. ET. Second-year guard Dylan Harper enters the game after averaging 18.5 points in the 2026 Finals, second on the Spurs only to Victor Wembanyama’s 26. Harper and Magic Johnson are the only rookies since 1980 to average at least 15 points in an NBA Finals.
Harper, 20, came off the bench during that Finals run but showed another layer in his first preseason start: 16 first-half points and four assists as San Antonio’s starting point guard. His downhill drives remain a strength, while his growing comfort on pull-up jumpers could make the expanded role more than a preseason experiment.
- Nets at Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Hornets at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Bulls at Bucks, 8 p.m. ET
- Timberwolves at Pistons, 8 p.m. ET, with another possible look at LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards sharing a backcourt
NBA Cup courts set for an October debut
The league has unveiled all 30 Emirates NBA Cup floors for the 2026 tournament. The designs will be used during Group Play, the quarterfinals and the semifinals, extending the visual approach of Nike Basketball’s 2026 Standard Issue collection onto the court.
- Each floor uses oversized team wordmarks and colors designed to contrast with the home club’s Statement Edition uniforms.
- The host logo sits over the Emirates NBA Cup trophy at center court, with another trophy mark placed in the paint.
- Teams added individual out-of-bounds details, including Boston’s parquet pattern, Indiana’s state outline and club-specific slogans.
- Every court carries the tournament message: 30 teams, eight qualifiers and one champion.
Group Play starts Friday, Oct. 30, with 10 games. The opening Prime Video doubleheader has New York at Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Lakers at Golden State at 10 p.m. ET. Eight teams will reach the single-elimination portion, with quarterfinals scheduled for Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. The championship game is set for Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The regular season begins six days later on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader. In the WNBA, Finals Games 3 and 4 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will both be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Game 3 has been moved to Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET, while Game 4 remains Oct. 24 with a revised 1 p.m. ET tip.
