The Lakers beat Utah 132–123 to reach 3–0. Orlando beat defending champions New York 111–102, leaving the Knicks at 0–3. Minnesota beat Toronto 117–94, Memphis beat Sacramento 123–112, Detroit beat Philadelphia 106–93, Indiana beat Brooklyn 136–109 and Oklahoma City beat the Clippers 108–101.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132–123 in Salt Lake City on 25 October, improving to 3–0 as Luka Dončić scored 52 points—the NBA season’s first 50-point game. Orlando scored 40 points in the fourth quarter of its 111–102 win over defending champions New York, who fell to 0–3. Minnesota and Memphis also won to reach 3–0.
According to ESPN, the Knicks led Orlando by ten points with 9:20 remaining but conceded 40 points in the final quarter. Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points in that period as the Magic handed New York its third straight defeat to open the season. Wagner added 13 rebounds and nine assists. New York made nine of its 38 three-point attempts.
| Winner | Score | Opponent | Winner’s record | Opponent’s record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando Magic | 111–102 | New York Knicks | 1–2 | 0–3 |
New York overturns a 15-point deficit to hand Detroit its first defeat. Portland beats the Lakers 136–129 to reach 3–0; Boston beats Brooklyn 125–124 in overtime and San Antonio beats Sacramento 130–103 to reach 2–2, leaving Brooklyn and Sacramento at 0–4.
5 min
| Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 117–94 |
| Toronto Raptors |
| 3–0 |
| 2–1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 123–112 | Sacramento Kings | 3–0 | 0–3 |
Ty Jerome led Memphis with 31 points at Golden 1 Center. The Grizzlies and Timberwolves each won their third game without a defeat.
Detroit beat Philadelphia 106–93 on 25 October. Philadelphia’s injuries have left it short of tall players and struggling to collect missed shots, ESPN said. Opponents have outrebounded the 76ers in every game this season: Detroit collected 17 more rebounds, after Milwaukee collected 22 more on 24 October.
Joel Embiid sat out to manage plantar fasciitis in his right foot, a condition affecting tissue along the sole. Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall were also injured, leaving Adem Bona as Philadelphia’s only available specialist center—the position usually occupied by a tall player near the basket.
LeBron James started at center for the first time in five seasons and finished with 18 points, five assists and two rebounds. He said he could play the position but was not on the team to fill it regularly, pointing to Embiid’s place on the roster. Bona scored six points and collected 13 rebounds, including five on offense, in a season-high 25 minutes.
Indiana beat Brooklyn 136–109 at Barclays Center on 25 October, leaving the Nets at 0–3. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 24 points and ten assists.
Eurohoops said Indiana center Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle after stepping on Kelly Oubre Jr.’s foot while chasing a rebound with 4:57 left in the first quarter. Zubac played seven minutes and left the arena on crutches. Coach Rick Carlisle said the X-ray was negative, but the ankle was swollen and Zubac was unlikely to face the Milwaukee Bucks on 26 October.
Oklahoma City beat the Clippers 108–101 on 25 October. All-Star guard Jalen Williams injured his lower left leg while being fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:14 remaining. ESPN said medical personnel attended to Williams before he left seated on a stretcher. Play stopped for about five minutes before the Thunder completed the victory.
Williams helped Oklahoma City win the 2025 NBA title. He missed 49 games in 2025–26 with leg problems, mostly involving his hamstrings, the muscles at the back of his thighs. The Thunder did not immediately announce a diagnosis or return timetable. Coach Mark Daigneault said the team expected a briefing on his condition on the morning of 26 October.
Utah led by 18 points in the second quarter before Dončić’s step-back three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in the half gave the Lakers their first lead, 74–71. He later finished a 14–5 fourth-quarter run with consecutive three-pointers that put Los Angeles ahead 127–121 with 1:42 remaining. Dončić made eight three-pointers in all and added ten assists and seven rebounds.
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Luka Dončić | Los Angeles Lakers | 52 |
| Austin Reaves | Los Angeles Lakers | 29 |
| Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz | 28 |
Oklahoma City was scheduled to host the Phoenix Suns on 26 October. The Lakers next play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on 27 October.
Houston beat Atlanta 120–110, Oklahoma City beat Phoenix 125–114 and Memphis beat Utah 110–105 to stay unbeaten. Golden State beat Denver 134–114, Cleveland beat Minnesota 127–125 in overtime, Boston beat Chicago 134–99, Charlotte beat Washington 110–103 and Milwaukee beat Indiana 110–102.
4 min
Philadelphia and Houston reach 3–0, while Charlotte recovers from a 47-point defeat to beat Miami 115–110 and leave the Heat at 0–3.
2 min
