San Antonio’s preseason closer carried the look of a team already comfortable with its pace, its young legs and its finishing power. Victor Wembanyama opened the Spurs’ 123-103 win over Phoenix with a left-handed poster dunk, De’Aaron Fox answered with another lefty hammer, and Dylan Harper followed with a full-extension putback as San Antonio built a halftime cushion it never surrendered.
Spurs’ core brings energy into the final preseason stretch
Wembanyama finished with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and four blocks against the Suns, setting the defensive tone as well as the highlight reel. Fox and Harper scored nine points apiece, while Stephon Castle added 18 points. Carter Bryant posted 16 points and four assists, and Devin Vassell supplied 12 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Phoenix was led by Ryan Dunn’s 15 points, but the Spurs’ advantage was already in double figures at the break. San Antonio is entering the 2026-27 campaign after reaching the NBA Finals, and its preseason group has flashed both continuity and extra athletic pop.
- Victor Wembanyama: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks
- Stephon Castle: 18 points
- Carter Bryant: 16 points, 4 assists
- Devin Vassell: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
- De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper: 9 points each
Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo filled every column in Miami’s 144-128 victory over Brooklyn. He produced 20 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks in only 24 minutes, shooting 8-for-10 from the field. One of his blocks became a full-court sequence, with Antetokounmpo running the floor for an and-one finish. Michael Porter scored 27 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Nets.
Chicago beat Milwaukee, 125-104, behind 20 made 3-pointers and a 40% night from deep. Nine Bulls connected from beyond the arc. Matas Buzelis scored 19 points and made five triples, Norm Powell had 16 points, and Josh Giddey handed out nine assists to go with six points. Caleb Wilson contributed 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, including a double-clutch dunk. Kam Jones led the Bucks with 23 points, while No. 10 overall pick Brayden Burries posted 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Duren’s 15-minute burst headlines a busy slate
Jalen Duren made his preseason debut after agreeing to an extension with Detroit earlier this month, and the Pistons center needed little time to reintroduce himself. Duren scored a game-high 24 points on 8-for-9 shooting in just 15 minutes as Detroit handled Minnesota, 128-106.
Duren scored Detroit’s first four points, then fed Ausar Thompson for a lob only 20 seconds later. Cade Cunningham added 14 points and nine assists for the Pistons. Anthony Edwards scored 20 for Minnesota, and LaMelo Ball made his first basket in his new home building off an Edwards assist.
- Detroit 128, Minnesota 106: Jalen Duren scored 24 points in 15 minutes; Anthony Edwards had 20.
- Boston 114, Charlotte 93: Jayson Tatum had 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals.
- Los Angeles Clippers 122, Denver 110: Rui Hachimura scored 16 points, while Darius Garland had 14 points and seven assists.
- New Orleans 101, Dallas 97: Jeremiah Fears recorded 16 points, five assists and three steals.
Tatum put Boston in command early against Charlotte, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter. The Celtics never gave up the lead and improved to 3-0 in preseason. Derrick White finished with 17 points and four steals, while Neemias Queta scored 16. Brandon Miller paced the Hornets with 16 points and five rebounds.
The Clippers received 16 points and five rebounds from Hachimura, with Garland directing the offense through seven assists. Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 pick in the draft, added 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three 3-pointers. Derrick Jones Jr. scored 14, one of six Clippers to reach double figures. Trevon Brazile led Denver with 20 points. Nikola Jokić logged 16 minutes and finished with five points, six rebounds and seven assists; Jamal Murray also played 16 minutes, scoring 14 points with four boards.
New Orleans held off Dallas late behind Fears, who is coming off an All-Rookie Second Team season. John Poulakidas kept the Mavericks close with 16 points and four 3-pointers.
Thunder, Rockets and Knicks-Raptors close the preseason calendar
The second-to-last night of preseason includes two games. Toronto visits New York at 7:30 p.m. ET on League Pass, followed by Oklahoma City at Houston at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. The Raptors and Knicks are meeting for the second time in three days, with Toronto coming in after Kawhi Leonard’s 21-point, five-rebound preseason debut.
Oklahoma City’s trip to Houston begins another season in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will carry MVP and title expectations. The four-time All-Star won a second straight Kia NBA MVP last season, becoming the 14th player to claim the award in consecutive years. The Thunder fell to San Antonio in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals while chasing a repeat championship.
Gilgeous-Alexander said he is not approaching the season as an individual-award pursuit.
“I’m not going to win the award in the first week of the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said at Media Day. “It’s hard for me to put so much into it and think about it. I’ve just got to be the best player I can be for this basketball team, win as many games as possible.”
The Thunder reshaped their supporting group by trading starter Lu Dort and reserves Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. They also expect a healthier Jalen Williams, an All-Star two seasons ago who missed more than half of last season through injury. Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace are in line for larger responsibilities.
“Fundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder,” Alex Caruso said. “We want to be the same kind of team and have the same principles and play the same way.”
The preseason ends Friday. The regular season opens Tuesday, Oct. 20, with an NBC and Peacock tripleheader. Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 are NBA ID Member Days, offering members access to stream as many as 14 preseason games on League Pass.
Rookie voices and milestone chases entering Opening Week
The first Kia Rookie Ladder examination of the 2026 class includes feedback from around the league on all 14 Lottery selections. Four of the top picks have already drawn strong reviews from their new teams.
- Caleb Wilson, No. 4 pick, Chicago: Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham said expectations could be elevated because Wilson is outspoken, but stressed that the internal focus remains “a season of growth, of development.”
- Cam Boozer, No. 3 pick, Memphis: Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo called Boozer’s passing “already at a very, very high level” and said the team intends to use that skill.
- Darryn Peterson, No. 2 pick, Utah: Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge praised Peterson’s intensity, work ethic and uncommon maturity.
- AJ Dybantsa, No. 1 pick, Washington: Anthony Davis said Dybantsa is prepared for the league, calling him a special talent who can defend and make any shot.
The Rookie Ladder will recognize first-year players throughout the season regardless of where they were drafted.
Several veterans also enter 2026-27 within reach of major statistical landmarks.
| Player | Milestone watch |
|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | Needs 1,991 points for 20,000, 1,023 rebounds for 10,000 and 920 assists for 7,000. Reaching all three would make him the second player, with LeBron James, to own 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists. |
| LeBron James | Is 560 points from 44,000 regular-season points and 1,560 from 45,000. He needs 76 assists to move past Jason Kidd for third all-time and 537 to pass Chris Paul for second. |
| Stephen Curry | Needs 102 made 3-pointers to become the first NBA player with 5,000 career triples. |
| Klay Thompson | Is 75 3-pointers away from passing Ray Allen for third on the league’s all-time 3-point list, behind Curry and James Harden. |
