He’s back.
A walking highlight, the Ant-Man wasted no time adding to his 2025-26 reel.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Oct. 8, 2025
Tuesday Thrillers: One Peacock premiere, one OT finish, each decided by one point
Wemby’s Road Back: The Spurs star’s transformative summer, from Kung Fu to KG
Portland Push: The young Blazers aim higher in 2025-26, with new vets leading the way
LP Spotlight: A new season in Boston comes with a new edge, beginning tonight
NBA China: Why Macao means more than a change of scenery for the Nets & Suns
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A loaded Wednesday…
Five games get underway tonight, headlined by an NBA TV doubleheader as Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs face Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell and the Heat (7:30 ET), followed by the Blazers opening preseason play against Steph Curry’s Warriors (10 ET).
Game 3 of the WNBA Finals also tips off tonight, with the Aces aiming to extend their 2-0 series lead over the Mercury in Phoenix (8 ET, ESPN).
The NBA China Games are just two sleeps away as the Nets and Suns square off in Macao on Friday (8 a.m. ET, NBA TV).
1. TUESDAY THRILLERS: BULLS WIN AT BUZZER, PACERS EDGE WOLVES IN OT
The NBA’s first preseason game on Peacock came down to the last shot.
Bulls 118, Cavaliers 117: Matas Buzelis went off for 19 points and 8 boards in 18 minutes, while Dalen Terry saved the game in the final second, swatting a potential game-winner at the rim as time expired to top the Cavs in both teams’ preseason opener. | Recap
Buzelis Buckets: Fresh off a Second-Team All-Rookie campaign, Buzelis flashed some sophomore sauce with this slick hesi that had Reggie Miller raving: “I mean, that is just a special move.”
Hot Starts: Buzelis finished 7-of-11 from the field, while Isaac Okoro, who was traded to Chicago from Cleveland this summer, added 11 points
Cavs Clicking: De’Andre Hunter and Craig Porter Jr. led Cleveland in scoring with 17 apiece, while reigning Kia DPOY Evan Mobley was back patrolling the paint – and erasing shots at the rim (12 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk)
Did someone say extra basketball?
Pacers 135, Wolves 134 (OT): Anthony Edwards (17), Julius Randle (14) and Naz Reid (10) combined for 41 points in the 1st half, before Johnny Juzang dropped 20 in the 2nd, splashing six 3s to spark a 22-2 run and force OT.
But it was the East champs who prevailed in the extra frame thanks to two clutch triples from Jalen Slawson and multiple defensive stands. | Recap
Flying With Ant: In his first quarter of the preseason, Edwards reminded fans what makes him so electric with this hang-and-reverse finish
Showtime: Benedict Mathurin also showed off his bag of tricks with this off-balanced and-1 circus shot before Johnny Furphy ran the runway and took flight
Indy In Sync: Pascal Siakam (14 pts) and Aaron Nesmith (12 pts) led the way for Indy’s starters, who helped build a 65-57 halftime lead before sitting
Pure Pacers: And how about some classic Pacers ball? 90+ feet in one dribble for 2 points – from Siakam to Nembhard to Mathurin
2. WEMBY’S ROAD BACK: FROM SETBACK TO SELF-MASTERY
Victor Wembanyama’s physical gifts are obvious. At 7-foot-4 with guard-like ability, the 21-year-old star is a basketball anomaly. But entering Year 3, it’s not just his size or skill that sets him apart – it’s his mindset.
Last season’s abrupt end – a blood clot diagnosis that sidelined him just as his superstardom was crystallizing – forced a rare pause in his ascent. It also sparked a deeper pursuit of growth.
“The traumatic experience is very much linked to all the stuff I’ve done in the summer,” said Wemby at Media Day. “Obviously, to come back, rehab and be better than before…
“But there’s also a big feeling that life isn’t forever and there are some experiences we’re going to miss on. It’s inevitable. But I’m going to miss on the least that I can.”
After overcoming a scare few athletes ever face, Wembanyama took an equally uncommon road to recovery – starting in China’s Shaolin Temple, where he practiced Chan meditation and Kung Fu with monks whose focus is as spiritual as it is physical.
“It was very much out of my comfort zone,” said Wemby. “[That] was my intent from the start … movements that I or NBA players aren’t used to doing…
“So it really paid off in terms of training and as a life experience … it makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made me understand.”
The Alien’s curiosity for the unknown took him from temples back to Texas, where he visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center, connecting with others who push the limits of what’s possible.
“Meeting astronauts that have been to space or are going to [space], that was one of my favorite aspects,” said Wembanyama on the visit. “It was incredible.”
That same spirit of exploration led him to another rare breed: Kevin Garnett – a generational big in his own right and ultra competitor who once famously declared, ‘Anything is possible.’
“He’s got a very unique perspective,” said Wemby on KG. “He’s very smart emotionally. He’s got this energy but knows how to channel it and use it for the best.”
Part of what led Garnett to the NBA mountaintop in 2008 was his willingness to sacrifice individual accolades for winning, embracing a defensive role while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen carried the scoring load for Boston.
That same selflessness surfaced in Wemby’s preseason opener on Monday, when he tallied seven assists – including one sequence he summed up perfectly:
“I turned down a shot I can make with my eyes closed,” he said. “But that was to get one of my teammates a shot he can make in his sleep.”
Tonight (7:30 ET, NBA TV), the Spurs return to action against Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell and the Heat, exactly two weeks before San Antonio’s regular-season opener in Dallas.
For Wemby – the game’s great unknown, still pushing what’s possible – it’s another opportunity to keep growing.
3. PORTLAND’S PUSH: BLAZERS BEGIN 2025-26 TONIGHT vs. WARRIORS
Exactly halfway through last season, the Blazers stared at a 13-28 record, leaning closer to a lottery pick than Playoff position.
But then, a supposed rebuilding year turned into a legitimate postseason push, as Portland went 23-18 down the stretch – more wins than it had in all of 2023-24 (21) – to finish just three games shy of the Play-In.
Now, just two years removed from finishing last in the West, the Blazers are back with Playoff intentions as they open their preseason against Golden State (10 ET, NBA TV).
Breakout Boost: Portland’s 15-win improvement from 2023-24 coincided with breakout seasons from Shaedon Sharpe (18.2 ppg) and Deni Avdija (16.9 ppg), who both averaged career highs in points
Identity Unlocked: As Sharpe and Avdija blossomed offensively, Portland locked down defensively, posting a top-three DefRtg in the second half of the season, anchored by Second Team All-Rookie Donovan Clingan
Culture Add: This summer, the team traded for Jrue Holiday – a six-time All-Defense guard and two-time NBA champ, ready to make an elite unit even tougher | Read More
Veteran Voices: A 16-year vet, Holiday doesn’t just bring a championship edge to what was the league’s third-youngest roster last season — he brings guidance.
And he won’t be the only new veteran presence, as Damian Lillard – the franchise’s all-time leading scorer – returns while recovering from a torn Achilles.
Together, the two will mentor Portland’s young backcourt of Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, who’s also sidelined with a torn hamstring.
“My investment in the team will be the same as if I’m playing,” said Lillard at Media Day. “Having a young, rising point guard like Scoot, Toumani [Camara], Deni, Shaedon…
“Being able to pour into them and be a part of their progress is something that elevates me.”
Golden Standard: As for the Warriors, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green didn’t miss a beat in Sunday’s preseason opener, flashing the same chemistry that fueled a 22-5 record with all three on the floor last season.
The win also marked the Warriors debut of another seasoned vet, as Al Horford did a bit of everything (3 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk) – wasting no time benefiting from Curry’s presence.
“He does such a good job terrifying everyone in the league every time he moves,” said Horford on Curry. “That’s something I’m going to really take advantage of.”
4. LP SPOTLIGHT: CELTICS OPEN 2025-26 WITH NEW EDGE
There’s one word that has lingered in Celtic circles during training camp — physicality.
It’s an aspect of the game where Orlando tested Boston in the First Round of last year’s Playoffs. And Oklahoma City’s title-winning defense wielded it better than anyone.
On a new-look squad, the quest for a new identity starts with building those sorts of strengths.
After last season’s East Semis exit, the Celtics will get their first dose of preseason action tonight against the Grizzlies (8 ET, League Pass).
Boston Calling: Accustomed to being a co-star, Jaylen Brown is poised to take the stage as the team’s headliner, having shared the court with Jayson Tatum for eight seasons
Main Man: The All-Star wing three years running averaged 22.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg and a career-best 4.5 apg in 2024-25, but is prepared to embrace a new cast around him
“We’ve got five new players that we’ve got to get onboarded and acclimated into this system,” Brown said. “So I’m trying to expedite that chemistry-building.”
Anfernee Simons is one of them. He was acquired in the Jrue Holiday trade this summer after seven years with the Trail Blazers, and this preseason, he’ll look to establish his role.
Make It Rain: The guard was an offensive asset in Portland — a career 38.1% 3-point shooter who averaged 17+ points in each of the last four seasons
Seasoned Student: But with the Celtics — a team which has finished top-five in DefRtg for four straight years — an early training camp focus has been defensive drills
“[Coach] Joe [Mazzulla] pushing me every single day and being in this type of environment is going to bring the best out in me,” Simons said
Two other contests round out the evening on League Pass, as Kevin Durant could make his Rockets debut when they visit the Jazz (8 ET), while Domantas Sabonis and the Kings open preseason play against the Raptors (10 ET).
5. GLOBAL GAMES CONTINUED: COUNTDOWN TO NBA CHINA
From Abu Dhabi to Melbourne, San Juan to San Diego and Las Vegas to Vancouver, the NBA preseason has spanned the globe – and now it arrives in Macao for the NBA China Games between the Suns and Nets.
Held at The Venetian Arena, Phoenix and Brooklyn will play two games in Macao – the first on Friday (8 a.m. ET) and the second on Sunday (7 a.m. ET), both on NBA TV.
It marks the first NBA action in China in six years and the first in Macao since 2007, but for the players, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I’m just so excited to go overseas and to go to a new continent,” said Suns rookie Khaman Maluach at Media Day. “See a different part of the world … and play on the big stage.”
“I know there’s so many fans, so it’ll be fun,” added Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. “It’ll be fun to get our first taste against another NBA team in the Suns, so we’ll really get to see where we’re at.”
The Nets have already had a taste of international play this preseason, defeating Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. 123-88 on Saturday, with Porter (13 pts) and fellow offseason addition Terance Mann (15 pts) leading the way.
The Suns, meanwhile, are coming off a win over the Lakers, powered by Devin Booker (24 pts) and Dillon Brooks (10 pts), while Jalen Green still awaits his first minutes with the team.
For both sides, the trip offers more than a change of scenery – it’s a chance to mesh after their summer shakeups.
Brooklyn enters the season with five 2025 first-round picks and new veteran pieces in MPJ and Mann | Read More
Phoenix, three months removed from trading KD, is breaking in a retooled core around Booker, Green and Brooks | Read More
“The time spent as a team, going to China and in China, I think it’s a great team-building event for our group,” said Suns head coach Jordan Ott. “Especially a group that’s new to each other … it’s a unique experience we can always look back on.”