The 2026-27 NBA season is already a week old, and it's already been turning a few preseason scripts. The defending champion New York Knicks suffered their home defeat. Michael Jordan and Anthony Edwards became the only team to join Wilt Chamberlain in the record book. Atlanta handed Charlotte a 47-point beating, the biggest win in Hawks history.
Here is all you need to know about these games from Oct. 20 to 25 (U.S. dates) for the Filipino fans who saw them at breakfast and in the lunch break. We'll discuss the key results, the sensational players, the pivotal plays, and the implications for the odds board going into Week 2.
| Game | Final | Why it mattered |
| Pistons vs. Celtics (opener) | DET 121, BOS 113 | Detroit erased a 22-point hole with a 23-0 run, the biggest opening-day comeback since 1997-98 tracking began. Paul George scored 38 in his Celtics debut and still lost. |
| 76ers at Knicks (ring night) | PHI 106, NYK 100 | LeBron James and Jaylen Brown debuted for Philly. Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 to spoil the Knicks' banner celebration. |
| Thunder at Spurs (West Finals rematch) | OKC 116, SAS 104 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 32 points, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Victor Wembanyama went 1-for-13 from the field. |
| Timberwolves at Heat | MIN 131, MIA 106 | Edwards scored 45 and outdueled Giannis Antetokounmpo (35) in Giannis' first game for Miami. |
| Warriors at Lakers | LAL 127, GSW 105 | The Lakers' biggest season-opening win since 1973. Walker Kessler went 12-for-12 in his Lakers debut. |
| Hawks vs. Hornets | ATL 128, CHA 81 | A 47-point win, the largest margin in Hawks franchise history. Charlotte's crowd booed its own team. |
| Rockets vs. Spurs (in Austin) | HOU 114, SAS 110 | Amen Thompson sealed it by blocking Wembanyama in the final seconds. |
| Knicks at Celtics | BOS 107, NYK 103 | Jayson Tatum scored 36, including seven straight points in the final 1:24. It was Boston's first win of the season. |
On the same Wednesday night, at least four players hit 40 or more in Week 1, with two of them doing so.
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): 45 points vs. Miami. He hit eight threes in 15-for-26 shooting until he reached 40 and then continued. He now joins Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as one of just three players in NBA history with 40+ points in more than one season opener. Edwards would be able to win only 15 points in Orlando to win that night, and then Minnesota would beat Orlando 115-93 the following night.
Ty Jerome (Grizzlies): 45 points vs. Utah. The week's big news. Jerome was 17-for-25 with seven rebounds and six assists. He had the previous record of 33. This wasn't so much a surprise, though, as it was something he averaged late last season, averaging 31.4 points over 15 games and playing 36 minutes a game. NBA.com's John Schuhmann notes that wasn't a coincidence.
Devin Booker (Suns): 43 points vs. Golden State. Phoenix fell behind 21-0 in its first game against the Suns, which was in Portland on Saturday, but Booker brought it back with a 131-122 victory.
Jamal Murray (Nuggets): 42 points vs. New Orleans. Murray hit eight of 16 threes and tied the game with free throws in the final seconds of regulation. After starting at 23 points back, Denver went on to come back to win by 141-135 in overtime.
Paul George (Celtics): 38 points in his Boston debut. That is the most ever by a Celtic in a debut, with seven threes. He still lost and that's all you need to know about Detroit's fourth quarter.
It's also worth noting that Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 and 36 points in his Heat debut two games and the Heat were defeated each time. Jayson Tatum scored 36 in his return from injury to beat the Knicks. Anthony Davis scored 34 and 12 in his Wizards first game.
The 2026 class of draft was not to be squandered
| Player | Team | Best Week 1 game | Note |
| Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7 pick) | Kings | 33 pts in a loss to Portland | Most points by a teenager in Kings franchise history |
| Cameron Boozer (No. 3 pick) | Grizzlies | 25 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast vs. Golden State | Third-youngest ever to post 25-10-5, behind only Cooper Flagg and LeBron James |
| Caleb Wilson (No. 4 pick) | Bulls | 21 pts vs. Milwaukee, 19 in the second half | Led a comeback win after Chicago lost its opener by 43 |
| Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 pick) | Warriors | 18 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast vs. Memphis | Near triple-double in a loss |
The Rookie of the Year competition begins with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa sidelined with an ankle injury in Milwaukee's opener.
The newcomers didn't disappoint, either. LeBron James (14 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and Jaylen Brown (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) each got in the box score in their first game for the 76ers. Walker Kessler went 12-for-12 in his first Lakers game, with 10 dunks. It's the most by any player in a game since Shaquille O'Neal had 11 in 2003. Kawhi Leonard's return to Toronto was accompanied by four steals on Chicago.
The play of the week was a block, not a shot: Amen Thompson piled on the pressure as he rose to block Victor Wembanyama in the final seconds at Austin.
The Knicks' loss to the Celtics in Tatum's final stretch (107-103): Jayson Tatum got the game's seven-point start in succession to put the Knicks out of the game with 1:24 remaining. It ended a losing streak of 36-9-7 and provided Boston with its first victory.
Murray puts on overtime, Brazile finishes the rest (Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135): New Orleans led 124-116 with 1:37 to go. Jokić and Murray knocked in threes, Aaron Gordon dunked and Murray tied the game at 126 with a foul on a three with 16 seconds remaining. In overtime, Trevon Brazile's corner three with 1:25 to play put it 133-129 and Denver sealed it.
The 23-0 run (Pistons 121, Celtics 113): Detroit was down 22 in the early part of the third quarter. During a 23-0 run, Duncan Robinson found the back of the net 12 times. When Paul George's seventh three cut the lead to four late, Ausar Thompson answered with a pull-up with 41 seconds left.
SGA's dagger (Thunder 116, Spurs 104): When San Antonio brought it within seven, it was Jared McCain's three that found the back of the net and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's baseline pull-up that made the score 0-4.
Brown at the buzzer (76ers 106, Knicks 100): Jaylen Brown's fallaway three at the end of the third quarter capped an 11-0 run. From there Philly never looked back.
Memphis' 20-2 finish (Grizzlies 111, Warriors 108): The Grizzlies' rookie Cameron Boozer and the team went on a 20-2 run to grab a road victory from Stephen Curry's Warriors.
Amen Thompson, Wembanyama (Rockets 114, Spurs 110). Dylan Harper's poster dunk reduced Houston's lead to two with 46 seconds to go. After Thompson missed a jumper, San Antonio had the last look. The 7-foot-5 Wembanyama had met up with Thompson at the rim and was swatted. After the game, Kevin Durant told him that he was a freak athlete.
Jokić's forced turnover: Against New Orleans, Jokić got the ball to keep the match even in the final moments of regulation to force overtime.
Kawhi's hands: Leonard had four of Toronto's 15 steals against Chicago and the Bulls went 4-for-11 when he was at his best. The Raptors did just the opposite and exploited it with 43 transition chances.
Walker Kessler's 10 Dunker tall night. Kessler went 12-for-12 in his Lakers debut and 10 of the shots were dunks. Luka Dončić passed five of his tokes. That was the most dunks a player had in a game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.
Poster by Dylan Harper about Houston. Before Thompson, the Austin game was just about to turn on its head when the Spurs guard's late slam did the trick.
Portland's 21-0 start. The Blazers took the lead 21-0 before the Suns found a way to score, as the pair of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant played their first game together. The 20-goal lead, though, was the sixth time in 31 seasons a team is leading when its opponent scores.
The MVP board has moved a lot more than most bettors expected in one week – sometimes for the wrong reasons.
The two largest opening week moves in the MVP market were made by Tatum and Dončić and Edwards. Opening price / US betting market price on Oct. 25. Implied chance (before bookmaker margin) = 100 / (American odds + 100).
| Player | Opening odds | Oct. 25 odds | Implied chance (open xe2x86x92 now) |
| Victor Wembanyama | +230 | +230 | 30.3% → 30.3% |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +400 | +380 | 20.0% → 20.8% |
| Luka Donxc4x8dixc4x87 | +600 | +475 | 14.3% → 17.4% |
| Nikola Jokixc4x87 | +650 | +600 | 13.3% → 14.3% |
| Anthony Edwards | +1500 | +1100 | 6.3% → 8.3% |
| Jayson Tatum | +2500 | +1100 | 3.8% → 8.3% |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1200 | +1400 | 7.7% → 6.7% |
| Cade Cunningham | +3000 | +3000 | 3.2% → 3.2% |
| Jalen Brunson | +6000 | +5000 | 1.6% → 2.0% |
Futures and player props are staked in the preseason on power ratings and then pushed around when the games commence. A single big night, on its own, doesn't make a lot of difference. What moves it is a performance which fits a story that the market half believes.
This is most clearly the case with Jayson Tatum. He went to +2500 to win MVP and was +1100 in US betting markets by Oct. 25 following a 36-point gain that included the game-winners with the Knicks. Off his 45-point opener, Anthony Edwards jumped from +1500 to +1100. Luka Dončić went from +600 to +475 as the Lakers began the season strong against the Clippers and Golden State.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the other option. He got to +1200 and +1400 from 35 and 36 in his first two games with the Heat, but dropped back down the court in both losses, including a wire-to-wire defeat in Detroit. Players are rewarded by the MVP voters and the market prices that early.
Victor Wembanyama was in the black despite a .500 shooting night in the first game. As it's often said, the market ignored it, so it's noise for a player of his standard.
The same applies to player props, just on a smaller scale. Look for books to get scoring lines on Edwards, Murray and Jerome following their 40-point outings and points and rebound lines on Walker Kessler after his 12-for-12 performance.
A helpful question following Week 1 is which numbers are based on repeatable habits and which are based on hot shooting.
| Week 1 storyline | Lean | Why |
| Ty Jerome's 45 points | Likely regression | His previous career high was 33. Even his strong late-season run last year (31.4 points per 36 minutes over 15 games) came in a small sample. Inflated scoring props are the risk here. |
| Minnesota's +18 shot-opportunity edge vs. Miami | Watch as a trend | It came from 17 offensive rebounds and fewer turnovers, not just makes. Possession habits tend to hold up better than shooting percentages. |
| Toronto's 101 shots to Washington's 79 | Watch as a trend | A 19-6 offensive rebounding edge plus 43 transition points against Chicago suggests a style, not a fluke. |
| Miami's 8-for-33 from three vs. Minnesota | Likely to bounce back | Very cold three-point nights tend to correct. Chicago's 4-for-36 against Toronto is the same story. |
| Walker Kessler's 12-for-12 | Partly sustainable | The volume depends on Dončić's passing, and 5 of his 12 makes came off Luka assists. Perfect shooting will not repeat; a steady diet of dunks might. |
| Detroit's comeback form | Trend | Detroit rallied from 22 down, then beat Miami wire-to-wire. Two different ways of winning is a better signal than one hot quarter. |
Two cautions: A Week 1 number is not a guarantee, it's just a guess at how it will be. Early season injuries can turn around a market in an instant: Paolo Banchero (high ankle sprain), Cooper Flagg (left shoulder sprain) both suffered them this week.
The following times are Philippine times (PHT) which are U.S. Eastern times.
| Game | Date and time (PHT) | Storyline |
| Mavericks at Heat | Tue, Oct. 27, 7:30 AM | Miami needs a first win; Flagg's shoulder status matters for Dallas. |
| Suns at Thunder | Tue, Oct. 27, 8:00 AM | Booker's 43-point form meets last season's top-ranked OKC defense. |
| Warriors at Nuggets | Tue, Oct. 27, 10:00 AM | Murray and Jokić after their overtime comeback; Curry's Warriors still chasing a win. |
| Pistons at Knicks | Wed, Oct. 28, 8:00 AM | The East's hottest team visits the struggling defending champions. |
| Trail Blazers at Lakers | Wed, Oct. 28, 11:00 AM | Lillard and Morant against Dončić and Kessler. |
| Heat at Hawks | Thu, Oct. 29, 7:00 AM | Atlanta's defense, fresh off a franchise-record win, against Giannis. |
| Emirates NBA Cup group play begins | Sat, Oct. 31 (PHT) | Cup games tip off Oct. 30 in the U.S., adding stakes to every group-stage result. |
Sports OKBet offers lines and live markets for all of the games listed above. The lines move late when early-season rest is given to minor injuries, so be sure to look for injury reports near tip-off.
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Anthony Edwards and Ty Jerome tied for the highest scoring game with each scoring 45 points on Oct. 21 through Saturday. Edwards did it against Miami and Jerome did it against Utah for a new career high.
No. In the 76ers' debut game after upgrading their roster with the banner, Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, helping the team defeat the defending champion 106-100 at Madison Square Garden.
Atlanta beat Charlotte 128-81. This is the biggest victory in Hawks' history with a margin of 47 points.
Victor Wembanyama is still favored at around +200 to +230 while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić follow in the pack. Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards had the biggest price moves of the week.
Darius Acuff Jr. scored 33 for Sacramento, Cameron Boozer added 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists for Memphis and Caleb Wilson dished out 21 points in a comeback as the Bulls.
