No. 0. Triple zeroes. Nothing but net.

Tuesday Thrills: JT does it again, Blazers come up clutch, Knicks clamp down, Spurs win big

Tonight On ESPN: Back in rhythm, Haliburton leads Indy vs. Philly; Flagg eyes encore vs. OKC

On League Pass: Red-hot Rockets seek 5-0 start vs. Bucks, plus nine more matchups

Roster Rundown: Breaking down all 30 opening-night rosters by the numbers

NBA Cup Spotlight: A deep dive into East Group C, featuring fresh faces & new expectations

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Twelve games tip off tonight, headlined by a star-studded ESPN doubleheader as the Sixers visit the Pacers (7 ET), before the Mavs host the Thunder (9:30 ET).

NBA Cup In 2 Days: The chase for the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup begins Friday with a 10-game slate to open Group Play.

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals tips off Thursday in Atlanta at 12:30 ET (USA/Peacock/E!), with the Valkyries up 3-2 and looking to capture their first title, while the Dream fight to force a Game 7.

Ant Injury Update: Wolves All-Star Anthony Edwards is expected to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and miss several weeks, according to the AP.  Jazz All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. is also out at least six weeks with an MCL tear.

1. TATUM CALLS GAME, DAME TIME IN L.A., KNICKS & SPURS WIN

It was a game of runs: 15 ties and 10 lead changes. It was a game of little separation: no lead greater than eight. It was a game of endless drama: not one, but two last-second buckets in regulation and OT.

It was a game that Jayson Tatum finished.

Celtics 125, Nets 124 (OT): Using a 13-4 burst, the Celtics took a four-point lead with four ticks left in regulation. But a Julius Randle free throw cut the deficit to three, before this year’s No. 6 pick, Mikel Brown Jr., drilled a wild fallaway trey with 0.2 left to stun TD Garden and force OT.

Tatum didn’t blink. After Brooklyn jumped out to a five-point edge in the extra frame, Boston’s six-time All-Star ignited a 6-0 closing run, capped by a pull-up banger at the buzzer to call game. | Recap

• Thirty 40s: Tatum finished with 40 points and 8 dimes, marking his 30th career 40-piece, a total only one other Celtic has hit: Larry Bird (47)
• Closer & Cast: Paul George (20 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) and Derrick White (16 pts, 7 ast) combined for 36 on the night
• Brooklyn’s Best: Michael Porter Jr. (27 pts, 12 reb, 6 3s), Randle (24 pts, 9 reb) and Brown (17 pts, 5 ast) led the Nets, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Tatum’s heroics

What He Does: Tatum’s last 40-piece came in March 2025. Two months later, he tore his Achilles in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, costing him the first 62 games in 2025-26.

Now, four games into his first full season back, he’s averaging 28 points, 6.3 boards and 8 dimes, capped by Tuesday’s 40-ball.

And fittingly, he got there by doing what he’s done so often: closing.

• Nothing New: Since 2019-20, Tatum has hit seven game-winners with three seconds or less remaining, the most in the NBA
• MVP Company: Only one other player has more than five such game-winners in that span: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6)
• “Was a hell of a feeling,” said Tatum postgame. “Just kind of getting back to doing things that I used to do before I was injured, and sharing that moment with my teammates on the court.”

Hours after Tatum called game in Boston, Dame Time struck in L.A.

Blazers 136, Lakers 129: Two nights after dropping 52, Luka Dončić poured in 41 points with six 3s and 9 dimes.

But the Blazers used four 20+ point scorers to overcome another dose of Luka Magic, as Damian Lillard drilled a dagger 3 with 43 ticks left to edge the previously unbeaten Lakers, improving Portland to 3-0. | Recap

• The Four: Lillard (21 pts), Ja Morant (23 pts), Deni Avdija (23 pts, 9 ast) and Jrue Holiday (22 pts) combined for 89 points, helping Portland outscore L.A. 34-26 in the 4th
• The Swing: That included 10 points in the final frame from Lillard, who provided the 11th and final lead change of the night on a tiebreaking 3 with 3:38 left
• The Dagger: The triple sparked a 15-8 closing run for Portland, including back-to-back Ja buckets in the final 2:01, before Lillard stepped back, splashed and hit his signature celly
• “It’s a blessing to be able to play around with one of the best shooters of all time,” said Morant postgame. “We just gotta keep the chemistry going.”

The defending champs have their first dub of the season. And they did it with defense.

Knicks 111, Pistons 97: After allowing 38 points in the 1st quarter, New York clamped down, holding Detroit to just 12 in the 2nd to take a 51-50 lead into halftime.

The Knicks kept rolling, outscoring the Pistons 37-13 in the 3rd, capped by a Josh Hart buzzer-beater, to take control for good and hand Detroit its first loss of the season. | Recap

• Katalyst: Karl-Anthony Towns was a force (27 pts, 20 reb), while Jalen Brunson added 23 points and 7 dimes as New York dominated the final three quarters, 86-59
• It Started With Stops: The Pistons entered Tuesday shooting 42% from 3, the third-best mark in the NBA. The Knicks held them to just 24.3% from deep, as Detroit went 9-for-37
• Even More Impressive? The Pistons never scored fewer than 15 points in a quarter all of last season. Last night, the Knicks held them below that mark twice

Spurs 130, Kings 103: Victor Wembanyama (29 pts, 10 reb, 5 blk) dropped 23 points in the 1st half as San Antonio exploded for 80 before the break, outpacing Domantas Sabonis (20 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast) and Sacramento for the Spurs’ second straight win. | Recap

• Champagnie Sizzle: Julian Champagnie (26 pts) added to the 1st half eruption, scoring 24 points on eight 3s, including six treys in the 2nd quarter
• Above & Beyond: Wemby went 14-for-21 from the field and dished out two assists, plus one unofficial helper: retrieving a ball stuck atop the backboard

2. TONIGHT ON ESPN: HALI LEADS INDY VS. PHILLY, THUNDER & MAVS DUEL

Tyrese Haliburton has stepped back in for the Indiana Pacers with uncommon style and grace, keying their offense like he never left.

It took months of rehabilitation, and the guts to bounce back after the highest of highs — competing in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals — gave way to the lowest of lows.

But after missing a full season with a right Achilles tendon tear, Haliburton is averaging 9.5 apg — second in the Association — and is grateful to be on the court with his teammates.

• “It means a lot to be back out here,” said Haliburton to Yahoo Sports. “I’m obviously only 26 years old, but it’s a new perspective that I found, and I’m just really appreciative to be playing.”

He’s pushed the pace, resumed his pick-and-roll partnership with Pascal Siakam, and broke out the self-lob — to great effect.

Haliburton is at the helm in this edition of Rick Carlisle’s whirring, shifting offense. They move the ball with alacrity; they run intelligently; they attack the rim, bolstered by new center Ivica Zubac.

As they prepare to face the 76ers (7 ET, ESPN), Haliburton’s Pacers are third in assists per game (29.3), fifth in fast-break points (19.5) and first in passes per game (331.3).

All those marks are up from last season. They’ve doubled down on their style, with Hali, still getting into shape, at the center of it all.

• “The cardio part of it is a big thing,” Haliburton said. “But just getting my legs back is the biggest thing.”

As Haliburton finds his form, he’s showing flashes of the play that helped propel Indiana to the 2025 Finals.

The Thunder are charting their path forward after injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.

• “You’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt in life,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Monday. “It is what it is … it’s part of the game.”
• Shaun Powell has more on the Thunder’s plans, including thoughts from General Manager Sam Presti about the injuries.

Tonight (9:30 ET, ESPN), OKC faces the Mavericks, led by Cooper Flagg (25 pts, 5.3 reb, 6.3 ast, 3.7 stl, 1.7 blk), who’s done it all in Dallas, highlighted by a historic two-way performance on Monday.

• “Coop, he’s trying to win,” Coach Dusty May said. “The guy’s a winner. He has a different gear, a different level of focus. When he needs it, it’s there.”

3. ON LEAGUE PASS: ROCKETS LOOK TO STAY UNBEATEN + NINE MORE MATCHUPS

It’s been over a decade since the Rockets started this hot.

The last time they blasted off to a 4-0 start was 2014-15, when they reached the Western Conference Finals.

Tonight on League Pass (8 ET), Houston seeks its fifth straight win as Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun lead the Rockets into Milwaukee.

“We have a standard that we set,” Durant said. “This is not a surprise to us. We’re not too excited about this. But we know we can build on it and keep getting better.”

• Ready for Liftoff: Four of the last five times the Rockets started 4-0, they reached at least the Conference Finals, including capturing back-to-back titles in 1994 & 1995

Sengun, coming off back-to-back All-Star campaigns, has been instrumental to the latest undefeated start.

• Strong Start: The sixth-year center has averaged 24.5 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game, with a high of 29 points on Monday and last Friday
• “He just looks focused,” KD said of Sengun’s start. “Locked in on both ends. It helps that we got more spacing around him too: guys that can shoot, catch and shoot, catch and drive.”

Durant, in his own right, has continued to play at an elite level — even at 38 years old, two decades after being drafted.

• Still Ballin’: The 16-time All-Star is up to 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game to begin his second season in Houston
• On The Podium: The Rockets rank No. 3 in the league with a 120.8 offensive rating, trailing only the Blazers (126.8) and Lakers (126.7)

The Bucks enter tonight hoping to start a streak after notching their first win of the season on Monday, beating the Pacers 110-102 behind Tyler Herro (23 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast).

Nine more games tip off tonight on League Pass, including Denver vs. New Orleans, with Nikola Jokić eyeing his 200th career triple-double. | Full Schedule

4. OPENING-NIGHT ROSTERS BY THE NUMBERS

519 players. 30 teams. Countless stories.

The 2026-27 season is in full swing, and with it comes a new collection of players, personalities and backgrounds across the league.

So, we broke down all 30 opening-night rosters by the numbers to see what they reveal about the league’s overall makeup.

Below are three of the many statistics that stood out, from the game’s global reach to LeBron’s remarkable longevity … and some fun facts along the way.

43 — Countries represented, matching the league record. France has the most players of any country outside the United States (17).

120 — Players born on or after Oct. 29, 2003, the date of LeBron James’ NBA regular-season debut (23.1% of all players). James is the NBA’s oldest player at 41 years, 294 days old.

12 — Jersey numbers worn by exactly one player, out of 58 distinct numbers across the NBA: 36, 42, 47, 50, 51, 52, 54, 61, 91, 93, 94 and … |

5. NBA CUP COUNTDOWN: EAST GROUP C SPOTLIGHT

The Emirates NBA Cup countdown rolls on. With Group Play tipping off Friday, we’re continuing our tour of all six groups, turning our attention to East Group C.

Featuring the Celtics, Hornets, Bulls, Wizards and Hawks, the group is full of new faces and fresh expectations. NBA.com’s Brian Martin breaks down the field and what’s at stake:

“With four of the five teams in East Group C having made significant roster changes from last season, the Emirates NBA Cup will serve as an early measuring stick for these new-look teams to evaluate themselves in games with elevated stakes.

• “Boston enters its first season without Jaylen Brown in a decade”
• “Charlotte features two new starters after trading LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges”
• “Chicago debuts a new coach and a new franchise cornerstone in No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson”
• “Washington pairs veteran stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa”
• “Atlanta mostly stood pat, adding perimeter depth with Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from OKC …”

“None of these five teams advanced out of Group Play last year. Which one will punch the guaranteed ticket to the Quarterfinals?” |