Cooper Flagg is taking flight.
The No. 1 pick’s first 20-piece came with a poster on Sunday. See what else is trending around the NBA after a historic Opening Week.
5 stories in today’s edition 🏀
Oct. 27, 2025
What’s Trending: Another Wemby spectacle highlights a slew of historic starts across the league
Peacock Premiere: The first-ever Peacock NBA Monday tips off tonight between conference foes
NBA Cup Countdown: The stage is set as the quest for the Emirates NBA Cup begins Friday
West Stars Shine: Reaves erupts for 51, Flagg flies high, Randle rolls, Kawhi & Harden cook
East Statements: Cavs overcome Giannis, Heat & Pistons dub, LaMelo joins LeBron & Big O
But first … ⏰
A Peacock NBA Monday premiere …
Peacock’s NBA debut highlights tonight’s 11-game slate. First, Cade Cunningham and the Pistons host the Cavs (7 ET), followed by Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets visiting the Wolves (9:30 ET).
1. What’s trending: Superstars shine in Opening Week
An unprecedented three-game tear by the Alien punctuated an unprecedented Opening Week of hoops.
Spurs 118, Nets 107: In yet another mind-bending performance, Victor Wembanyama dazzled with 31 points, 14 boards, 4 dimes and three 3s, while adding 6 blocks and 3 steals to move the Spurs to 3-0, despite a 40-piece from Cam Thomas. | Recap
Unreal: Wemby’s statline has only been matched by two players since steals and blocks were first tracked in 1973-74 – Karl-Anthony Towns (2018) and Raef LaFrentz (2000)
Pure Wemby: Two of his six blocks came on the same possession – swatting one off the glass, rejecting another at the rim, then taking it coast-to-coast for a pull-up triple… from the logo
Historic Heights: Wemby joins Shaquille O’Neal (1994) and Kevin Garnett (1999) as the only players in the last 50 years to tally 100+ points and 40+ boards in their first three games of the season
Another First: Take rebounds out of the equation, and he stands alone as the first player to open a season with 100+ points and 15+ blocks through three games
Harper & Pop: No. 2 pick Dylan Harper also stuffed the stat sheet (20 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl), while Gregg Popovich’s career was immortalized in the rafters
Bart Young + Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Wemby’s jaw-dropping start to 2025-26 highlights an all-time Opening Week – one that’s seen a record 11 players averaging 30+ points through the first six days, and multiple superstars already resetting the record books.
Luka Magic: Luka Dončić’s first full season as a Laker began with him joining Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor as the only players in franchise history to drop 40+ in a season opener, posting 43 pts, 12 reb and 9 ast.
Then, He Did It Again: In Friday’s win over the Wolves, Luka went for 49/11/9, becoming the first player in NBA history to post back-to-back games of 40/10/5 or more
Sidelined (For Now): Dončić will reportedly miss at least a week with a finger sprain and lower leg contusion
Greek Freak Fire: Coming off consecutive never-before-seen seasons of 30+ ppg on 60% shooting, Giannis Antetokounmpo picked up right where he left off, dropping 37 points and 14 boards in the opener, 31 & 20 on Friday and a near 40-point triple-double in Sunday’s loss.
Bart Young + Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
OKC & Shai Sizzling: The defending champs opened their season with back-to-back double-OT thrillers, capped by an epic Finals rematch where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went for a career-high 55 points – and he still hasn’t cooled down as OKC stands at 3-0.
He’s Averaging 40!: Yes, 40 ppg, and he’s the first player in 50 years to notch 120+ points on over 50% shooting in the first three games of an NBA season
Jokić Being Jokić: The Joker hasn’t missed a beat, beginning the year with consecutive triple-doubles – a feat accomplished only once since 1990 (Russell Westbrook, 2020).
The early fireworks didn’t stop there:
VJ Edgecombe made history with 34 points in his NBA debut, the most since Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 in 1959
Steph Curry took over late to rally past Denver in an OT thriller on Thursday, dropping 42 to spoil Aaron Gordon’s 50-piece
Kevin Durant delivered 37 points in his first home game as a Rocket on Friday
Austin Reaves erupted for 50 last night
And Cooper Flagg did this
2. Peacock NBA Monday opens Week 2 national slate
New week. New matchups. New opportunities.
Same high-level hoops.
With a brand-new ‘first’ coming tonight.
The Cavaliers and Pistons will battle at Little Caesars Arena (7 ET) in the first-ever NBA game available exclusively on Peacock. Two of the league’s top guards — known as elite performers in primetime — could turn this premiere into a movie.
Riding High: Donovan Mitchell has played the part of the All-NBA First Team honoree he was a season ago, averaging 30 ppg to lead Cleveland
Another Gear: Opposing him will be reigning first-time All-Star Cade Cunningham, who makes things happen all over the court — responsible for 23 ppg and 9 apg
Out West, a Peacock doubleheader concludes with the latest installment in one of the league’s burgeoning rivalries.
The Wolves and Nuggets met in the First Round of the 2023 Playoffs. Then again in the 2024 West Semis. Tonight, they’ll play at Target Center for the first time this season (9:30 ET).
To Be Continued: Nikola Jokić has thrived in generating possessions and buckets — 52 combined rebounds and assists — but has yet to break 30 points. Could this be the night?
In Question: Anthony Edwards has been elite with 72 points in his first two contests this season, but he exited Sunday’s game in the 1st quarter because of hamstring tightness
Last Time Out: Minnesota defeated Denver in double OT in April, though Jokic dropped 61 points en route to the highest-scoring triple-double in league history
What’s Next: Two more games tip off on Peacock tomorrow (one on NBC, too) with the debut of “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday,” followed by a Wednesday ESPN doubleheader.
Tuesday: Knicks at Bucks (8 ET, NBC & Peacock)
Tuesday: Clippers at Warriors (11 ET, Peacock)
Wednesday: Cavaliers at Celtics (7 ET, ESPN)
Wednesday: Lakers at Wolves (9:30 ET, ESPN)
3. Emirates NBA Cup 2025 begins Friday
The chase is about to begin.
The Emirates NBA Cup 2025 tips off in just four days, with Group Play opening on Halloween night, headlined by a doubleheader on Prime.
NBA Cup on Prime (Friday, Oct. 31)
Celtics at 76ers (7 ET, East Group B)
Lakers at Grizzlies (9:30 ET, West Group B)
Full Schedule: Six more Group Play matchups get underway on League Pass
Before players take the floor Friday, attention turned to the hardwood itself last week as this year’s custom NBA Cup courts were unveiled.
This Is Different: While Cup games count toward the regular-season standings (except for the Championship Game), they bring their own brand of energy and intensity – from the players and coaches to the fans and even the hardwood itself.
Bold Color: Designed by artist Victor Solomon, each court features a gradient rooted in the host team’s core color. The gradient is angled, with its direction determined by the team’s conference alignment, East or West
Statement Look: The courts’ colors are designed to contrast with the home teams’ Nike NBA Statement Edition uniforms, while road teams will wear Nike NBA Association Edition uniforms
30 Stories: Each court prominently displays the team’s city or state name at center court, along with a unique logo, wordmark or graphic overlay that celebrates individual franchise identities
Group Play runs through Nov. 28 with matchups every Friday. Then, eight teams advance to the Knockout Rounds, followed by the Semifinals and Finals in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 and 16.
How It Works: Need a refresher on the NBA Cup format? Let Prime studio analyst Blake Griffin break it down
NBA Cup Hub: Your one-stop shop for all things Cup – from group breakdowns, key matchups, full schedules and more
30 teams. Six groups. One champion. Who will capture the Cup?
It all starts Friday.
4. West stars shine: Reaves erupts, Flagg flies high & more
Ezra Shaw/NBAE via Getty Images
The previous record for most 40+ point games in the first six days of an NBA season was seven. By Sunday night, that number had reached 11 – and Austin Reaves wasn’t done adding to it.
In historic style.
Lakers 127, Kings 120: With Luka Dončić out, Reaves didn’t just step up – he took over, pouring in a career-high 51 points along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists, willing the Lakers past the Kings in a game that featured 12 ties and 19 lead changes.
Rare Form: Reaves is just the fourth player in the last 40 years to tally 51/11/9 in a game, joining Luka, Russell Westbrook and James Harden
Closing Time: He went 12-of-22 from the field, hit six 3s and buried four free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal Los Angeles’ second straight win
L.A. Lore: The only other Lakers to drop 50 in a game this century? Kobe, LeBron, AD and Shaq
“We play basketball for those moments,” said Reaves – just the fourth undrafted player to score 50+ in the shot-clock era. “It was special.”
Buckets In Bulk: There have now been three 50-pieces and nine other 40-pieces through the first six days of the season – both NBA records
“Get this man in space and watch him climb the mountain!”
Mavericks 139, Raptors 129: Cooper Flagg continued his steady rise, upping his scoring output for the third straight game (22 pts) while adding an epic poster (see it again) to lead Dallas past Toronto, with help from Anthony Davis (25 pts, 10 reb, 3 stl, 2 blk). | Recap
Flagg Bag: The No. 1 pick broke out some fancy footwork on this crafty and-1 finish, while adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists to help the Mavs earn their first win
“He’s relentless,” said D’Angelo Russell (24 pts) on Flagg postgame. “His motor’s nonstop offensively and defensively. When he’s doing that on top of making shots … it’s just the cherry on top.”
Wolves 114, Pacers 110: Julius Randle led the way for Minnesota (31 pts, 6 ast), while Jaden McDaniels dropped in a clutch layup with 20 ticks left to extend the Wolves’ lead to 4, as they edged out Pascal Siakam (33 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) and the Pacers. | Recap
Clippers 114, Blazers 107: Kawhi Leonard (30 pts, 10 reb) and James Harden (20 pts, 13 ast) each turned in double-doubles, while Ivica Zubac added 21 points to help the Clips pull past Deni Avdija (23 pts) and the Blazers for LA’s second straight win. | Recap
5. East statements: Cavs, Heat & Pistons dub; LaMelo catches fire
Cavaliers 118, Bucks 113: Giannis Antetokounmpo added to his monster start with a near 40-point triple-double (40 pts, 14 reb, 9 ast), but the Cavs’ balance was too much as Cleveland staved off a late 4th-quarter push to hand Milwaukee its first loss of the season.
All-Star Spark: Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland with 24 points, including 10 in the 4th quarter, while Evan Mobley was a problem on both ends (23 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk)
Greek Freak First: Giannis is the first player ever to start a season with 100+ pts, 40+ reb and 15+ ast through three games
Heat 115, Knicks 107: Two days after scoring a league-best 146 points, Miami stayed hot behind Norman Powell (29 pts, 7 reb) and Bam Adebayo (19 pts, 13 reb), overcoming Jalen Brunson’s big night (37 pts, 7 ast) to drop the previously unbeaten Knicks.
Pistons 119, Celtics 113: Jaylen Brown scored his most points in the calendar year (41), but it wasn’t enough to match the Pistons’ trio of Cade Cunningham (25 pts, 8 ast), Jalen Duren (24 pts, 18 reb) and Ausar Thompson (21 pts, 12 reb), as Detroit rallied past Boston to improve to 2-1.
One day after a last-second loss to the Sixers, LaMelo Ball and the Hornets left no doubt.
Hornets 139, Wizards 113: Ball’s first triple-double since November 2023 saw him turn in 38 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, while Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel each scored 20+ to power Charlotte past Washington.
Legendary Company: LaMelo is just the third player in NBA history to post 38/13/13 in a game before turning 25, joining Oscar Robertson and LeBron James
Charlotte Showtime: And he did it while putting on a show, drilling five triples and dishing out dime after dime, punctuated by this thunderous Bridges poster
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