A record 24 NBA seasons. One home debut in Philadelphia.

The largest comeback of LeBron James’ career – and history for the Sixers.

About Last Night: A Philly special from 29 down, plus an OKC defensive clinic as SGA’s streak ends

Tonight On Prime: Classic rivals collide in Boston, KD meets Wemby in Austin

League Pass Spotlight: Ant and Hali seek encores after season-opening bangers

Courtside Crossover: Jamal Crawford shares six takeaways from Opening Night at MSG

Numbers To Know: Eye-popping season-opening stats, plus more action tonight

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The season’s first Prime doubleheader headlines Friday’s 12-game slate, as the Knicks visit the Celtics (7 ET) before a Texas showdown in Austin between the Rockets and Spurs (9:30 ET).

Record Ratings: Tuesday’s 76ers-Knicks and Thunder-Spurs doubleheader was the NBA’s most-watched opening night ever, averaging 6.41 million viewers on NBC/Peacock.

Community Assist: Wizards All-Star Trae Young has earned his third NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for his offseason efforts. Young will be honored in a pregame ceremony tonight as the Wizards host the Raptors on League Pass (7 ET).

1. ABOUT LAST NIGHT: SIXERS STORM BACK, THUNDER LOCK DOWN

It started as a night oozing with anticipation: LeBron James and Jaylen Brown making their home debuts. A Philadelphia crowd ready to erupt.

It ended as a night for the ages: the largest Sixers comeback in the play-by-play era.

76ers 114, Cavaliers 106: Down 29 late in the 1st half and 24 at the break, the Sixers stormed back with a 37-21 3rd quarter, cutting the deficit to eight and bringing Xfinity Mobile Arena roaring back to life.

“We’re going to learn what kind of team we are right now,” said Tyrese Maxey entering the 4th.

Then came the answer: A 20-5 avalanche to open the closing frame, with Maxey, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown each leaving their mark on a historic comeback. | Recap | 4 Takeaways

Three weeks ago at Media Day, James spoke about the sacrifices Philly’s stars would need to make to achieve something special together.

• “If we want to accomplish something that’s really, really important, like if we say that we want to do something special,” James said, “there will be a collective sacrificing in a good way.”

After 14 1st-half turnovers helped Donovan Mitchell (32 pts, 10 reb) and Cleveland suck the life out of the building, Philly’s stars leaned on that collective approach to flip the game.

And when it mattered most, they took turns delivering.

• The Stars: Maxey (32 pts, 6 ast), Embiid (24 pts, 7 reb), Brown (21 pts, 8 reb) and James (17 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) combined for 94 points
• The Swing: That included 32 in the 2nd half from Embiid (15) and Brown (17), who ignited a 15-0 burst in the 4th to take the lead for good
• How It Started? Three straight buckets from Embiid, capped by a go-ahead jumper for Philly’s first lead of the game, sending the building into a frenzy
• How It Ended? Three more buckets from Brown, back-to-back-to-back, before Maxey delivered the exclamation point: a running finger roll that brought the house down
• In 4:10 of game time, the Sixers had flipped a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead (104-95, 4:06 left)

By the final buzzer, Philly had outscored Cleveland 69-37 in the 2nd half, improving to 2-0 after beating the defending-champion Knicks at MSG and mounting its largest comeback since play-by-play tracking began in 1997-98.

• “It was everything that I dreamed of and more,” James said postgame of his home debut. “It was a hell of a night.”

While history was made in Philly, a historic run ended in OKC. But the Thunder still found a way.

Thunder 96, Nuggets 84: On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s all-time record streak of 141 straight games with 20+ points came to an end, OKC leaned on its trademark defense, limiting Nikola Jokić (13 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 5-19 FG) and Denver to just 36 2nd-half points to pull away in the 4th. | Recap | 4 Takeaways

• End Of An Era: SGA finished with 17 points, but struggled to find his shot until late (6-19 FG), snapping a streak that dated back to Nov. 1, 2024, a span of 718 days
• Defense Delivers: But the Thunder didn’t need another 20-piece from their back-to-back Kia MVP, holding Denver to 84 points on 37.8% shooting
• For Perspective: The Nuggets’ lowest scoring total last year was 87 points, and they shot at least 40% in all 82 games
• Stepping Up: Chet Holmgren came up big on both ends (12 pts, 17 reb, 4 blk), while Jalen Williams paced OKC with a game-high 21 points and 5 boards
• “If you’re a good defensive team and you’re tough, you can give yourself a chance every night,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “And I think that’s what we did tonight.”

Speaking of defense, Gary Payton stopped by the new Game Pulse in the NBA App last night during Nuggets-Thunder to give a Hall of Famer’s POV on what he was watching in the nightcap.

Read on for a few of GP’s insights, and tap here for what’s new in the App this year.

On OKC’s Defense: “They get into your chest, and they don’t back down … They play like my Sonics in the ’90s.”

On Jokić’s Playmaking: “And that guy Joker, he’s gonna find you. I guarantee he’s gonna find you.”

On OKC’s Mindset: “You can tell Oklahoma’s trying to make a statement. They got knocked out in 7 by the Spurs, and they have a chip on their shoulder.”

2. ON PRIME: RIVALS MEET IN BOSTON, ROCKETS-SPURS IN AUSTIN

Boston vs. New York. 

It’s a classic rivalry that dates back decades. Each city’s hardwood – home to two of the last three champions – is imbued with iconic moments, from OG’s tip-in to Payton Pritchard’s half-court buzzer-beater.

Tonight on Prime (7 ET), the Celtics will play host to the Knicks for the 503rd chapter in their historic rivalry.

• Vintage PG: Paul George was every bit his All-Star self with 38 points on 12-for-21 shooting in his Boston debut, though it was Detroit that got the win Tuesday
• Growth For Green? In the season-opening defeat, Jayson Tatum shot 6-for-23, coming off an abbreviated season in which he posted a 41.1% field-goal percentage
• “Definitely not one of my best nights. Obviously, I just have to play better,” Tatum said. “I felt really good about a lot of the looks.”

The Knicks also have an opportunity to rebound. The reigning champions began their title defense with a six-point loss to the 76ers on Tuesday.

• Perspective: The 2026 Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, had 21 points, five rebounds and three assists that night, and said there’s something to be gained from it
• “It’s good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what’s going to happen,” Brunson said

For Kevin Durant, tonight is a homecoming. He’s back where it all started — Austin, TX — 20 years after playing college ball for the Texas Longhorns, as the Rockets face the Spurs (9:30 ET, Prime).

The 16-time All-Star opened his season with 30 points in a win over the Mavericks, and has become an idolized veteran in the league, writes NBA.com’s Shaun Powell:

“These are unique times in the NBA, where players enter the league younger than ever and stay longer than ever. It makes for some interesting interactions when young players somewhat nervously approach veterans and pay their respects …

“Kevin Durant has had a number of these tributes as he begins his 20th season, none more impactful than Victor Wembanyama’s revelation that Durant was his favorite player growing up.” |

The Spurs will look to spoil the homecoming and secure their first win in the process after dropping their opener to the Thunder.

3. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: ANT & HALI EYE ENCORES

Anthony Edwards curled off a screen in Miami, caught the ball beyond the arc and pump-faked. As his defender flew by, Edwards sidestepped into space and rose up for 3. Splash.

Less than 30 minutes later, in New Orleans, Tyrese Haliburton drove into the lane with the game tied. He absorbed contact, lofted a lefty runner and got the whistle. And-1.

Two players on separate floors, both doing what they do best.

• For Edwards, it was his 45th point and ninth 3 of the night, another scoring outburst to break his previous Wolves record for points in a season opener
• For Haliburton, it was the go-ahead bucket in his long-awaited return, capping an emotional night with another dose of late-game heroics

Tonight on League Pass, both stars are back in action as the Wolves visit the Magic (7 ET) and the Pacers host the Mavs (7 ET).

Both selected in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards and Haliburton have become two of the league’s brightest stars, each with his own distinct style.

For Edwards, it’s an electric blend of athleticism, shotmaking and swagger, making him must-see TV – and a threat to erupt at any moment.

• Record Wolf: Wednesday marked Ant’s 30th career 40-point game, including his 20th since 2024-25. The next most in Wolves history? Karl-Anthony Towns with 13
• Like Mike: It also marked Edwards’ second straight season opener with 40+ points, a feat last accomplished by Michael Jordan

New Connection: Edwards’ scoring brilliance is familiar, but his partnership with LaMelo Ball brings a new dimension to Minnesota’s offense.

• Before Ball: Last season, Edwards averaged 9.9 “open” (7.0) or “wide-open” (2.9) shots per game
• With Ball: On Wednesday, Edwards got 13 open or wide-open looks, including 12 from deep, as he set a Wolves season-opener record with nine made 3s
• “I got, to me, the best point guard in the NBA on my team,” said Edwards of Ball postgame. “So I gotta take advantage of it.”

For Haliburton, it’s a different kind of brilliance, built on court vision, creativity and a knack for delivering late.

Naturally, in his first game back since tearing his right Achilles tendon in the 2025 Finals, Hali picked up right where he left off.

• Magical Run: With Haliburton running point, the Pacers had a league-best 13 comebacks by 15+ points in 2024-25, including five in the Playoffs – an NBA postseason record
• Fitting Return: With Indy down 10 in the 3rd on Wednesday, Haliburton scored 13 of his 23 points in the 4th, fueling a late 15-3 run before his go-ahead and-1 with 1:24 left

Indy never trailed again, and for its All-Star guard, the turnaround began with a reminder of how far he’d come.

• “Perspective is everything,” said Haliburton postgame. “I think what got me going again was … I just kind of took a step back when I was on the floor, and I was just like, ‘Man, I’m back playing, I’m back here.’”

The comeback sparked an outpouring of emotion from Haliburton after the buzzer. But for Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, his clutch heroics were nothing new.

• “Ty came back in, and he had enough in the tank,” Carlisle said. “And it was spectacular.”

4. JAMAL CRAWFORD: SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM OPENING NIGHT AT MSG

A championship banner rising. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in their Sixers debuts. And a Garden atmosphere 53 years in the making.

Tuesday’s season opener at Madison Square Garden had no shortage of storylines, with New York celebrating its title before facing the new-look Sixers.

Former Knick and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford had a courtside view of it all, breaking down six things that caught his eye at MSG. Below is a glimpse into three of his takeaways:

Ring Night At MSG: “Over 20 years later, it was surreal to watch a championship banner rise to the rafters with those same Knicks fans finally celebrating a title. It almost felt like they won the championship twice.”

LeBron In Year 24: “The biggest thing that stood out to me courtside was how invested he is in every single play. Not just when he’s directly involved on offense or defense; it’s his talking and his leadership.”

Brunson’s Increased Pressure: “The Knicks need to embrace being the hunted team … It doesn’t matter who it is. They’re the champs, and they’re the hunted.” |

5. NUMBERS TO KNOW FROM A WILD WEDNESDAY OF OPENERS

Eleven games, 22 teams making their season debuts and a whole lot to unpack from Wednesday’s monster slate.

From Luka Dončić’s playmaking to Ty Jerome’s 45-point takeover, the numbers tell some fascinating stories.

NBA.com’s John Schuhmann dug into the stats behind the action, identifying five numbers worth knowing. Here are two:

78.1% – “The Lakers’ expected effective field-goal percentage on shots off of Luka Dončić’s passes. That’s the highest mark among 88 players who were the passer on at least 10 shots in the first two days of the season.”

33.0 – “Ty Jerome’s points per 36 minutes over his 16 career games with the Grizzlies. While 45 points is 12 more than he’d ever scored before, Jerome was putting up relatively big numbers over a small sample size with Memphis last season.” |

Tonight On League Pass: Jerome is back in action as the Grizzlies visit Steph Curry’s Warriors (10 ET), while Luka and the Lakers host the Clippers in this season’s first Battle of LA (10 ET).