A two-way sequence to seal the win and a two-way clinic to make history.

Cooper Flagg was everywhere Monday, highlighting a packed night of clutch finishes and young buckets.

Monday Moments: Cavs overcome Ant’s 47 in OT, Flagg and Lendeborg take over

Roundup: Thunder, Rockets & Grizz move to 4-0, Miller & Pritchard catch fire, Herro boosts Bucks

Coast 2 Coast: Knicks seek first win vs. 3-0 Pistons, Lakers & Blazers battle to stay unbeaten

Power Rankings: Two teams make major jumps into the top three after Week 1

NBA Cup Spotlight: How stacked is East Group B? Brian Martin breaks it down

BUT FIRST … ⏰

NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday highlights tonight’s four-game slate, as the Knicks host the Pistons at MSG (8 ET), before the Lakers meet the Blazers at Crypto.com Arena (8 PT).

Players Of The Week: Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome and 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 1.

NBA Cup In 3 Days: The chase for the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup begins Friday with a 10-game slate to open Group Play.

Valkyries One Win Away: The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals to take a 3-2 series lead, moving one win shy of the young franchise’s first title. Game 6 will be played Thursday at 12:30 ET at State Farm Arena.

1. MONDAY MOMENTS: CLUTCH CAVS, YOUTH DELIVERS

Five days after pouring in 45 points in the Wolves’ season opener, Anthony Edwards was at it again.

But the Cavs’ core had other plans.

Cavaliers 127, Wolves 125 (OT): Edwards went off for 47 points, but Cleveland had the answer down the stretch, with James Harden (19 pts, 9 ast) dropping in a game-tying floater with 10 ticks left in regulation, before Peyton Watson denied Edwards at the rim as time expired to force OT.

That’s where Donovan Mitchell delivered, scoring back-to-back clutch buckets while Cleveland’s defense held firm to secure the win, handing Minnesota its first loss of the season (3-1). | Recap

• OT Duel: Edwards tallied 11 points in OT, trading buckets with Mitchell (26 pts, 7 ast), who answered with a driving finger roll and a tiebreaking jumper with 48 seconds left
• All Hands: Mitchell and Evan Mobley (18 pts, 10 reb) each scored 5 in the extra frame, while seven Cavs finished in double figures to overcome a 15-point 1st-half deficit
• Rookie Boost: That included 16 points from Meleek Thomas, this year’s No. 34 overall pick, who was making his NBA debut
• “We don’t get there, I don’t get to do what I do … without Meleek Thomas giving the energy in the 1st half,” said Mitchell postgame. “He made the most out of his moment.”

Speaking of moments…

Mavericks 113, Heat 109: To punctuate a record night, Cooper Flagg (29 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast, 5 stl, 3 blk) got a fingertip on a late 3-point attempt before converting a tough, off-balance finish on the other end, putting Dallas up four with 10 ticks left to ice the Heat. | Recap

• Youngest Ever: At 19 years, 309 days old, Flagg is the first teenager in NBA history to record 25+ pts, 10+ ast, 5+ reb and 5+ stl in a game
• “The guy’s a winner,” said Mavs head coach Dusty May of Flagg postgame. “You see the plays he makes – he has a different gear.”
• Giannis Not Enough: Antetokounmpo led Miami with a triple-double (29 pts, 14 reb, 11 ast, 1 poster), but Flagg got help from P.J. Washington (20 pts, 9 reb) and Kyrie Irving (18 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) as Dallas dropped Miami to 0-4

Flagg wasn’t the only young hooper making noise Monday.

Warriors 134, Nuggets 114: After a strong opening week, Yaxel Lendeborg provided his biggest spark yet, posting a game-high 31 points, 12 boards and 6 dimes as Golden State outpaced Nikola Jokić (19 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) and Denver for its first win. | Recap

• Full Circle: Lendeborg is just the sixth rookie in Warriors history to record 30+ pts, 10+ reb and 5+ ast in a game. The last to do it? Steph Curry on Feb. 10, 2010
• Perfect Steph: Curry also had himself a night (24 pts, 8-8 FG, 3 3s), scoring 20+ points on 100% shooting for the first time in his career
• Paying It Forward: Steph broke out the clipboard, too, coaching up the No. 11 pick during a timeout
• “He’s got composure, feel … he’s never really in a hurry, and he’s starting to see the pictures really well,” said Curry of Lendeborg postgame. “He’s kind of the full package.”

2. ROUNDUP: THREE 4-0 STARTS, TWO HOT HANDS, ONE PACKED NIGHT

Only three teams in the NBA are 4-0. All three hail from the West, and all three got there last night.

Thunder 125, Suns 114: Hours after learning they’d be without starters Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace indefinitely, Ajay Mitchell stepped up for OKC with a career-high 30 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 to guide the Thunder past Phoenix, keeping their perfect record intact (4-0). | Recap

• Injury Update: Both injured in Sunday’s win over the Clippers, Williams will need surgery to repair a broken left fibula and dislocated left ankle, while Wallace will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder

Rockets 120, Hawks 110: Up two in the 4th quarter after 20 lead changes, Houston used a 14-0 surge to take control for good, with Alperen Sengun (29 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast, 6 stl) and Kevin Durant (22 pts, 9 reb) leading the way as Houston moved to 4-0. | Recap

Grizzlies 110, Jazz 105: Entering the night as the NBA’s leading scorer, Ty Jerome struggled to find his shot Monday (4-15 FG). But when Memphis needed a bucket, he had multiple.

Jerome (15 pts, 8 ast) buried back-to-back jumpers in the final 2:44 to extend a one-point lead to five, helping the Grizzlies hold off Keyonte George (26 pts, 6 ast) and the Jazz to join OKC and Houston at 4-0. | Recap

From red-hot squads to red-hot hands…

Hornets 110, Wizards 103: Anthony Davis (29 pts, 10 reb) and Trae Young (22 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast) were clicking offensively, but Washington had no answer for Brandon Miller, who hung a career-high 39 points as the Hornets held off the Wiz to move to 3-1. | Recap

• Fast To 500: Miller (15-28 FG, 5 3s) eclipsed 500 career 3s in the win, becoming the second-fastest player in NBA history to hit the mark (170 games), behind only Duncan Robinson (152 games)

Celtics 134, Bulls 99: Boston led Chicago by 10 midway through the 3rd. Then, Payton Pritchard happened. In just 7:11 of game time, Pritchard poured in 19 points while going 5-for-5 from 3, igniting a 33-12 3rd-quarter burst that blew the game open. | Recap

• Hot Hand: Pritchard finished with a game-high 28 points on seven treys, while Jayson Tatum contributed across the board (23 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast)

Bucks 110, Pacers 102: With Milwaukee looking to avoid its first 0-4 start since 1976-77, Tyler Herro came through (23 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) as the Bucks surged past Tyrese Haliburton (22 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast) and the Pacers for their first win. | Recap

3. COAST 2 COAST TUESDAY: EAST POWERS & WEST UNBEATENS

Ahead of the Lakers’ season opener against the Warriors last Wednesday, Luka Dončić took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times to set the tone for the journey ahead.

• “Dear LA, Tonight we start our run for a championship,” Dončić wrote. “We have a special team. We know what you expect, and we are going to do everything in our power to deliver it.”

Three games in, Dončić has delivered, leading Los Angeles to a 3-0 record, capped by a 52-point masterclass to beat the Jazz on Sunday.

Tonight (8 PT, NBC), the Lakers eye their first 4-0 start since 2010, hosting another unbeaten West squad: the 2-0 Blazers.

Dončić made history Sunday, becoming the first Laker to tally 50+ points, 10+ assists, 5+ rebounds and 5+ 3s in a game. But the win also offered an early sign of growth for a team looking to build championship habits.

• Protecting Leads: Last regular season, the Lakers went an NBA-best 40-1 when leading entering the 4th quarter
• Playing From Behind: On the flip side, Los Angeles went just 1-9 when trailing by double digits after the 1st quarter, the 7th-worst winning percentage (.100) in the NBA
• Sunday’s Challenge: The Lakers faced their first such deficit this season, trailing 47-29 after the opening frame. L.A. outscored Utah 103-76 the rest of the way to secure the win
• “It’s a reference point for resiliency,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick postgame. “We talked to the guys at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, and there was an immediate response … We had to gut out a win.”

Detroit knows a thing or two about gutting out wins. After rallying from 22 down to beat Boston in the season opener, the Pistons knocked off Miami and Philly, limiting the Sixers to a season-low 93 points on Sunday.

And while Detroit’s defense remains a constant, ranking 5th in points allowed (105.7 ppg), its offense is finding another gear behind the arc.

• Early Accuracy: Through three games, the Pistons are shooting 42% from 3, the 3rd-best mark in the NBA
• Early Volume: They’ve also made at least 14 3s in each game, a total they hit in just 20 of 82 games last season
• Robinson’s Range: That starts with Duncan Robinson, who has hit five triples in all three games at a 53.6% clip

But tonight (8 ET, NBC) brings a stiff test for 3-0 Detroit as it visits the defending champion Knicks, who are seeking their first win after an 0-3 start.

The message in New York’s locker room?

• “Find whatever it takes to win,” said Jalen Brunson after Sunday’s loss to Orlando. “Most importantly, stick together.”

4. POWER RANKINGS: OPENING WEEK JUMPS

One week into the season, and multiple teams have made moves in John Schuhmann’s Power Rankings since last week’s preseason report.

After going 3-0 in Week 1, the Pistons and Wolves have each climbed eight places in his latest rankings, joining another unbeaten squad, Oklahoma City, in the top three.

What’s fueling their early success? Below is a glimpse of Schuhmann’s analysis of his top three squads entering Week 2.

1. Thunder: “The defense has been terrific, with the Nuggets’ 84 points on 94 possessions on Thursday being a worse offensive performance than any that they had last season.”

2. Pistons: “The Pistons had the best record (18-7) in games played between Eastern Conference playoff teams last season, and they’ve begun the new year with impressive wins over the Celtics, Heat and Sixers.”

3. Wolves: “The Wolves are the second team in NBA history (joining the 2004-05 Jazz) to win each of their first three games by more than 20 points. And the third of those wins came against a team (Toronto) that had won its first two games by a total of 53.”

5. NBA CUP COUNTDOWN: EAST GROUP B SPOTLIGHT

The Emirates NBA Cup countdown continues. With Group Play tipping off Friday, we’re spotlighting one group each day this week as NBA.com’s Brian Martin explores the teams, storylines and matchups to watch in his all-encompassing previews.

Next up: East Group B, featuring the Cavaliers, Sixers, Heat, Pacers and the defending Cup champion Knicks.

How loaded is this group? Martin breaks down its absurd résumé, featuring a wealth of championship experience and NBA Cup hardware.

“Since 2015, eight of the last 12 teams to win the Eastern Conference came from this group: Cleveland (2015–2018), Miami (2020, 2023), Indiana (2025), and New York (2026).

“Since the competition debuted in 2023, every NBA Cup MVP came from this group: Philly’s LeBron James (2023 with the Lakers), Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (2024 with the Bucks), and New York’s Jalen Brunson (2025).

“The group features three 2026 Playoff teams, all of which reached at least the conference semifinals … [and] includes two teams that advanced to at least the Quarterfinals of the last NBA Cup …

“Now, these five teams will battle for one guaranteed spot in the 2026 NBA Cup Quarterfinals.” |