Another season opener, another 40-piece for Ant?

Make it 45. With a little airtime.

See how Edwards joined a legendary list last night amid a Wednesday full of marquee debuts and monster performances ⬇️

Opening Acts: Ant outduels Giannis, Haliburton delivers late, Luka & Kessler shine in L.A.

Hot Hands & Debut Dubs: AD dominates, Jerome drops 45, Kawhi returns, Dame & Ja roll

Roundup: KD & Coop trade 30s, NAW comes through, Hornets & Clippers win

Dr. J Q&A: Julius Erving reflects on his 76ers tenure, basketball history and more

Tonight On ESPN: Cavs open season in Philly, Jokić & SGA duel in OKC

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Tonight brings two games on ESPN. First, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown make their home debuts for Philly when the Sixers host the Cavs (7 ET). Then, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets open their season against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder (9:30 ET).

Class Is In Session: The NBA and Prime Video unveiled “Emirates NBA Cup University,” a new campaign featuring NBA stars and legends in a fictional college setting ahead of the Emirates NBA Cup’s Oct. 30 Group Play tip-off, culminating in the championship game on Dec. 11 at the legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Atlanta Grabs WNBA Finals Lead: The Dream defeated the Valkyries, 97-71, in Game 3 at a sold-out State Farm Arena to take a 2-1 series lead. Angel Reese paced Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds | Recap

1. OPENING ACTS: ANT GOES OFF, HALI COMES UP CLUTCH, LAKERS DAZZLE

Last year, Anthony Edwards set a Timberwolves opening-night scoring record with 41 points.

364 days later, he raised the bar again – and joined special company.

Wolves 131, Heat 106: In his Year 7 opener, Edwards opened his bag, erupting for 45 points on nine 3s to break his own franchise record, while LaMelo Ball added 21 points and 6 dimes in his Minnesota debut for a statement win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Miami. | Recap

• Stars Duel: Giannis poured in 35 points – the most by any player in his Heat debut – but it wasn’t enough to overcome Edwards, who showed off an array of shotmaking while going 9-for-17 from deep
• Standing Alone: Ant added 10 boards, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 45+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ 3s in a season opener

Give Ant a stage, and he’ll give you a show. With his latest explosion, Edwards joins Wilt Chamberlain (4) and Michael Jordan (3) as the only players in NBA history with multiple 40-point season openers.

• More Good Company: Edwards is getting along swimmingly with his new running mate, too
• “At this point,” said Ant of LaMelo postgame, “me and him are gonna be like best friends.”

Speaking of showmen, Tyrese Haliburton turned his long-awaited return into a classic Hali close.

Pacers 123, Pelicans 120: Sixteen months after tearing his right Achilles tendon in the 2025 NBA Finals, Haliburton was back like he never left (23 pts, 12 ast), fueling a late Pacers rally alongside Pascal Siakam (30 pts, 8 reb), before dropping in a tie-breaking and-1 with 1:24 left.

Indy never trailed again, holding off Dejounte Murray (23 pts, 7 ast), Zion Williamson (22 pts, 3 stl) and New Orleans. | Recap

After the final buzzer, the emotion of Haliburton’s long road back poured out.

• “It means a lot – to be back out here,” said Haliburton, fighting back tears postgame. “I’m just really proud of this group.”

As Hali closed in NOLA, Luka and the Lakers opened a new chapter in L.A.

Lakers 127, Warriors 105: Dončić was clinical (game-high 28 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast), pouring in 23 1st-half points, capped by a 49-foot buzzer-beater to put the Lakers up 66-52 at the break.

Los Angeles kept rolling, as Luka connected with newcomer Walker Kessler (26 pts, 9 reb, 12-for-12 FG) for multiple highlight buckets, powering the Lakers past Steph Curry (23 pts) and Golden State. | Recap

• Wilt 🤝 Walker: Kessler is just the second Laker to shoot 100% from the field on 12+ attempts. The other? Wilt Chamberlain in 1969
• First Day, All Class: Luka’s grade for Kessler’s debut? “A-plus,” said Dončić. “He was unbelievable for us.”
• Two-Way Win: Austin Reaves added 23 points and 6 assists, while Los Angeles held Golden State to 8-of-36 from deep (22.2%)

2. HOT HANDS AND DEBUT DUBS

It’s a new era in D.C., and the Brow is already balling.

Wizards 128, Bucks 116: Anthony Davis was a force in his Wizards debut (34 pts, 12 reb), while Trae Young was operating (20 pts, 13 ast) as Washington used a 16-5 run in the 4th to pull past Tyler Herro (24 pts, 9 ast) and the new-look Bucks. | Recap

• Sizzling Start: Davis’ 34 points match Antawn Jamison for the most by any Wizard in his debut, and Washington had six players in double figures despite missing No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa (ankle)

While AD dominated in the District, Ty Jerome couldn’t miss in Memphis.

Grizzlies 123, Jazz 103: Jerome caught fire for a career-high 45 points, going 17-for-25 from the floor with five 3s, while adding 7 boards and 6 dimes as Memphis outpaced Keyonte George (22 pts, 5 ast) and Utah. | Recap

• Ty Time: It’s a new Grizzlies record for points in a season opener, and Jerome is just the eighth player since 2000 to drop 45+ in an opener, joining Edwards, who did so earlier Wednesday
• “He’s never afraid of the moment,” said Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo on Jerome postgame. “It becomes very, very difficult to stop if he gets going. Just a tremendous performance from him today.”
• Top Rooks Debut: No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson posted 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for Utah, while No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer (7 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast) was a game-high +32 for Memphis

Raptors 135, Bulls 92: Back with the franchise he led to the 2019 NBA title, Kawhi Leonard received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd in his official return, then wasted no time showcasing his two-way brilliance as the Raptors built a 7-0 lead.

Toronto never looked back as Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley scored 23 apiece to power a wire-to-wire win. Matas Buzelis (17 pts) and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson (16 pts) led the way for Chicago. | Recap

Blazers 124, Suns 83: After missing all of last season with a torn left Achilles tendon, Damian Lillard began his second stint in Portland with a bang (game-high 25 pts, 6 ast, 6 3s) as the Blazers jumped out to a 21-0 lead and rolled the rest of the way. | Recap

• Ja Does It All: Ja Morant tallied a game-high 8 assists to combine with 14 points, 5 boards and 3 steals in his Blazers debut. Plus, one floating finish off a Dame dish ⬆️
• Avdija Delivers: Deni Avdija added a double-double (18 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast) as Portland recorded its third-largest season-opening win in franchise history

3. ROUNDUP: KD LIFTS ROCKETS; HAWKS, HORNETS & CLIPS WIN

A 30-piece to open Year 20? What else would you expect from KD?

Rockets 128, Mavericks 110: Durant was in prime form (30 pts, 6 reb), while Jabari Smith Jr. matched him with 30 as Houston used a 38-12 2nd quarter to pull away from Dallas, despite a big night from Cooper Flagg (32 pts, 5 reb, 3 stl). | Recap

• Ageless Buckets: Durant joins LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to score 30+ in a season opener in his 20th season or later
• Welcome Back: After both missed all of last year with ACL injuries, Fred VanVleet dished a game-high 11 assists for Houston, while Kyrie Irving made an efficient return for Dallas (15 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 6-of-9 FG)

Hawks 132, Magic 125: In a game that featured 22 lead changes, it was Nickeil Alexander-Walker (31 pts, 5 3s) who delivered the decisive blow, hitting back-to-back treys in the final 90 seconds to lift Atlanta past Paolo Banchero (35 pts, 10 ast) and Orlando. | Recap

• Flock Party: NAW, Jalen Johnson (20 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast), Dyson Daniels (20 pts, 5 stl) and CJ McCollum (19 pts, 4 3s) combined for 90 of Atlanta’s 132 points

Hornets 110, Nets 103: Julius Randle was cooking in his Nets debut (33 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast), but Charlotte’s newcomers had the final say, as Naz Reid (20 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast) and Grayson Allen (21 pts, 5 3s) led the Hornets to a road dub. | Recap

Clippers 121, Kings 96: No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler did a bit of everything (15 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl), while Darius Garland led the way for LA (30 pts, 4 ast), which never trailed in a win over Zach LaVine (28 pts), Domantas Sabonis (14 pts, 18 reb, 8 ast) and Sacramento. | Recap

4. Q&A: DR. J REFLECTS ON BASKETBALL’S PAST & PRESENT

Few players have left a mark on basketball quite like Julius Erving. From his gravity-defying dunks to his championship run in Philadelphia, Dr. J helped shape the game across two leagues and generations of fans.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger, Erving sat down with NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt to reflect on his ABA roots, his 11 seasons in Philly and the importance of basketball history.

The Sixers legend also shared his thoughts on the team’s current star-studded roster, as Philly plays its home opener tonight against Cleveland (7 ET, ESPN).

Below is a glimpse of Erving and Zillgitt’s conversation:

In terms of style and talent, what did the ABA have?

“You should be asking (NBA and ABA legend) George Gervin that question. He answers it better than anybody, and George and I were teammates with the Virginia Squires for half a season. And when he answers it, he just has this smile on his face and he says, ‘We played for the crowd. We wanted to make sure they got their money’s worth and we were not going to let them down no matter what.’ So, George says it best.”

Erving on his time in Philadelphia:

“Philly never really got old because there was always something brewing. And the fans were so much a part of the organization. They adopted the organization and said, ‘This is our team.’”

Erving on the makeup of the 2026-27 Sixers:

“I like what I hear them saying right now because everybody’s talking about the sacrifices that have to be made.” |

5. TONIGHT ON ESPN: CAVS VISIT SIXERS (7 ET), THUNDER HOST NUGGETS (9:30 ET)

The Cavaliers have consistently been in the hunt. Since 2022, they’ve finished top four in the East every season, with over 200 wins in that span.

They got all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but fell to the eventual title-winning Knicks in four games.

Tonight (7 ET, ESPN), Cleveland starts anew, eyeing the next step — its first NBA Finals berth since 2018. The team will visit Philadelphia to open its season.

• Decade Man: Donovan Mitchell will lead the Cavaliers in Year 10 of his All-Star career after averaging 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in 2025-26
• Familiar Faces: Like Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are back, as is James Harden, who’s set to begin his first full season in Cleveland  | Cavaliers Season Preview
• “So many things change and shift throughout the course of the year,” Harden said. “Just us, having the opportunity to start off together, is already exciting.”

LeBron James will play his first regular-season home game as a Sixer at Xfinity Mobile Arena, against the team he won a championship with in 2016. He tallied 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in his Sixers debut on Tuesday, helping Philly beat New York on their banner night.

• Well-Rounded: Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 28 points, while James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all scored in double figures
• “This group is very competitive. I’ve been saying it all training camp,” Maxey said. “You could tell guys don’t like losing.”

A star-studded affair follows when the Nuggets visit the Thunder (9:30 ET, ESPN). Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who have combined for five of the last six Kia MVPs, will battle.

• Hunting History: Jokić, who averaged a triple-double for the 2nd straight season in 2025-26, needs 12 more to pass Russell Westbrook for the all-time record
• Denver DeMar: The Nuggets brought in six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan to complement him and returned key pieces in Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun
• “At the end of the day, I love basketball,” DeRozan said. “Me going out there to do whatever I need to do to win — that’s all I care about.” | Nuggets Season Preview

In OKC’s season opener, SGA, the reigning back-to-back Kia MVP, showed up and showed out (32 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk), leading the Thunder past the rival Spurs on Tuesday.

• “It’s his poise and his ability to answer the call that allows you to come on the road and perform like that,” said coach Mark Daigneault. “He sets a great tone for us as he always has.”