After an Election Day pause, the NBA is back with 14 games tonight, including a must-see ESPN doubleheader:

• 7 ET: 1st-place Sixers vs. 2nd-place Pistons
• 9:30 ET: Coop’s Mavs vs. Wemby’s Spurs

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Tonight On ESPN: How Philly & Detroit are winning, Spurs’ streak and Flagg’s leap

Luka Magic: Inside Dončić’s rare tear ahead of Lakers-Kings on League Pass (10 ET)

More League Pass Heat: Jerome’s breakout, Sengun’s hot start & a Thunder-Cavs rematch

Kia Rookie Ladder: The 2026 Draft class has delivered. But who’s leading the way?

Visualizing The Game: The remarkable numbers behind Jokić’s 200 triple-doubles

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Twenty-eight teams take the floor tonight, with 12 games on League Pass in addition to the ESPN doubleheader. Before the action tips off, check out the latest standings below ⬇️

The 2026 NBA Mexico City Game tips off Saturday, Nov. 7, as the Nuggets and Pacers square off at Arena CDMX on NBA TV (5 ET).

1. TONIGHT ON ESPN: EAST BEASTS COLLIDE, TEXAS RIVALS REMATCH

Thirteen wins combined. Only one loss apiece.

The very top of the Eastern Conference.

A true treat is in store when the Pistons host the Sixers tonight on ESPN (7 ET). Both teams rank top-three defensively and boast plenty of star power, but have taken different approaches to their hot starts.

• The Philly 5: The 76ers brought in Jaylen Brown (20.6 ppg) and LeBron James (16.2 ppg) to complement Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe – a potent mix
• Above The Rest: Their lineup has fired on all cylinders. It’s the only one in the league with each player averaging 12+ ppg through at least four starts together
• “We’ve started out the season great, 7-1, and you haven’t seen our best version yet,” Brown said. “So that’s a good sign.”

Detroit is 6-1 in its own right. It has relied on the same crew which, a season ago, yielded the franchise’s first 60-win season since 2005-06.

• Well-Oiled Machine: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson have run the show – again – with John Collins stepping in at power forward
• Star Collision: To counter Maxey and his 29.1 ppg, the Pistons have an All-NBA guard of their own in Cunningham, who has averaged 23.7 ppg and 7.1 apg
• “He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen,” said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “His ability to choose the moment and then get his teammates to go along with him is just special.”

And there’s more. A Texas rivalry will be renewed in the nightcap when the Spurs and Mavericks meet in San Antonio (9:30 ET, ESPN).

It was against the Mavericks when, on Oct. 24, the Spurs began their five-game winning streak. They’re now looking for six.

Cooper Flagg won’t make that easy. The reigning Kia Rookie of the Year, averaging 25.2 ppg on 48.6% shooting, has been even better as a sophomore, writes NBA.com’s Shaun Powell:

“If anything, at 19 he is biologically still in development — mind, body and NBA soul.

“This reality is welcomed by the Mavericks, obviously, and concerning for the rest of the league. Flagg is on pace for superstardom if all goes according to logic in the future, all because the follow-up to 2025-26, his rookie season, is next level at the moment.

“Is it possible to step up without hitting your stride? That’s what we’re seeing from Flagg.” |

Now, Flagg faces two players who know a thing or two about making an immediate impact: Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, the two Kia Rookie of the Year winners before him who have the Spurs surging.

2. LUKA MAGIC: THE ART OF THE UNGUARDABLE

In the NBA’s 81-year history, only three players have scored 260+ points through their first seven games of a season: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Luka Dončić.

Wilt accomplished the feat three times (1959, ’61, ’62), while Barry did it once (1966).

For decades, no one else joined them. Until Luka, who has now done it in back-to-back seasons.

• Special Start: Dončić opened last season with 260 points in his first seven outings, averaging 37.1 ppg
• Greater Heights: This year, he’s raised the bar, racking up 268 points on an absurd 38.3 ppg
• League Of His Own: That includes five straight games of 35+ pts, 5+ ast, 5+ reb and 5+ 3s. The rest of the NBA has just five such games combined this season
• “We got to witness it for a month last year, and it was like supernova,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick of Luka’s start on Sunday. “It was loud. And it feels loud right now … but it also feels normal.”

But it’s not normal. Because somehow, the reigning scoring champ has elevated his offensive game yet again.

How’s he doing it? Let’s break it down.

The Shotmaking: With a career-high 39% usage rate, Dončić is shouldering more of the Lakers’ offense than ever, demanding constant attention from opposing defenses.

The problem? He can score from anywhere – at an elite clip.

• Inside & Out: Dončić is averaging 11.9 ppg off drives (6th in the NBA), yet just 18.7% of his points have come inside the paint, the lowest share of his career
• One Reason Why? His intermediate scoring has reached another level, as he’s shooting a career-best 55.2% from the midrange, trailing only Kevin Durant (64.5%) for the best mark in the NBA (min. 25 FGA)
• Deadly From Deep: To top it off? He’s shooting a scorching 42.7% from 3, leading the NBA with 5.9 treys per game
• “It seems like everything he shoots is going to go in,” said Quentin Grimes. “It’s kind of surreal. I don’t think I’ve ever been on the court when everything somebody shoots, you think it’s going in.”

The Dilemma: Send extra help and Dončić will make you pay, using his gravity and world-class vision to create open looks for teammates.

• The Playmaking: Luka is dishing out 8.1 dimes per game, the 3rd-most in the NBA, while directly accounting for 57.9 ppg through his scoring and assists
• The Perspective: That’s nearly 12 points more than the next closest player and accounts for 41.3% of the Lakers’ total scoring
• The Ripple Effect: Los Angeles has eight players averaging 8+ points, while ranking 1st in field goal percentage (52%) and 2nd in 3-point percentage (39.7%)
• The Result: The Lakers lead the league in offensive rating (121.9) and have scored 120+ points an NBA-best six times in eight games
• “It’s pick your poison because he can just make any shot. And then you start putting two on the ball, and everybody else is the beneficiary of that,” said Redick of Dončić Sunday. “He’s a terrific offensive engine.”

Tonight on League Pass (10 ET), Luka looks to continue his rare tear as the 6-2 Lakers seek their third straight win, visiting the Kings.

For basketball fans, it’s another chance to watch a generational talent go to work. Just ask Giannis:

“A guy like Luka, obviously, he’s one of the best scorers to ever play this game – if not, the best … not right now, of all time.”

3. MORE ON LEAGUE PASS: HOT STARTS & KEY MATCHUPS

As Ty Jerome addressed the press at Grizzlies Media Day in September, one word stood out: hungry.

“I think we got a hungry and mature group of young guys,” said Jerome. “And a lot of older guys that are still really hungry too.”

So far, that hungry group has been eating. Especially Jerome.

• Baseline: Entering this season, Jerome had averaged 9.3 ppg for his career, with just one 30-point game
• Breakout: This season, he has three 30-pieces while posting 28.2 ppg, the 6th-most in the NBA
• His Latest: Jerome tallied his second 40-ball of the season Monday, scoring 17 of the Grizzlies’ final 19 points, but Memphis fell to New Orleans in OT for its first loss of the season

Tonight (8 ET, League Pass), the Grizzlies look to bounce back as they host the Pacers. A win would mark just the third 7-1 start in Memphis franchise history.

And after Monday’s setback, Jerome and the Grizz remain hungry.

• “The minute we start to think, ‘we won a few, we can relax a little bit, we’re not going to beat anybody,’” said Jerome after the loss. “But we’ll stay together … and be more physical from the jump.”

A half-game up on Memphis are the 1st-place Rockets (7-1), who eye their third straight win as they welcome LaMelo Ball and the Wolves (8:30 ET, LP).

• High-Powered Houston: The Rockets rank 2nd in offensive rating (121.2), with four players averaging 16+ ppg
• Leading The Way? Alperen Sengun (23.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 7.8 ast), who joins Luka as the only players averaging at least 23/8/7 this season

More League Pass Heat: The Blazers (5-1) also seek their third straight win tonight as they visit Devin Booker and the Suns (9 ET).

Fresh off handing Memphis its first loss of the season, Zion Williamson and the Pels eye a fourth straight dub as they host the Jazz (8 ET).

Plus, the Thunder and Cavs meet for the second time in three days, this time in OKC (8 ET), after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 43 in Cleveland, capped by a go-ahead 3 with 33 ticks left.

4. KIA ROOKIE LADDER: YOUNG STARS, MAJOR IMPACTS

A teenage triple-double from Cam Boozer. Back-to-back 30-pieces from Darius Acuff Jr. Yaxel Lendeborg lighting up the Bay and a high-flying start from No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.

Through two weeks of the NBA season, the highly touted 2026 Draft class has wasted little time making its mark.

So who stands atop Jeff Zillgitt’s Kia Rookie Ladder? Today, we spotlight his top three, along with the numbers behind their impressive starts.

1. Cameron Boozer: “Of all the players in the league, just two – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boozer – are averaging at least 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.”

2. Yaxel Lendeborg: “Lendeborg is the sixth player in NBA history to register at least 100 points, 40 rebounds and 20 assists in their first five games, joining Elgin Baylor, Connie Hawkins, Oscar Robertson, Maurice Stokes and Sidney Wicks.”

3. Darius Acuff Jr.: “Acuff had a fantastic week, averaging 32.2 points, 8.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field and 42.4% on 3-pointers.”

More Rooks To Watch: Dybantsa looks to help lead the Wizards to a third straight win tonight as they host the Hawks (7 ET, League Pass), while Caleb Wilson makes his Madison Square Garden debut as Chicago visits New York (7:30 ET, League Pass).

5. VISUALIZING THE GAME: INSIDE JOKIĆ’S 200 TRIPLE-DOUBLES

Last week against New Orleans, Nikola Jokić became just the second player in NBA history to record 200 career triple-doubles, moving within nine of Russell Westbrook’s all-time record (209).

But the milestone only tells part of the story. From his triple-double frequency to his impact on winning, the numbers behind Jokić’s historic production are just as remarkable.

Ahead of Denver’s matchup against Toronto tonight (9 ET, League Pass), NBA.com’s Brian Martin dives into those numbers in the latest edition of Visualizing The Game.

“Jokić has a commanding lead on all other active players when it comes to stuffing the stat sheet. The next closest player to Jokić is LeBron James, who has 75 fewer triple-doubles while playing nearly twice as many games (1,628 to Jokić’s 816) …

“Where Jokić strays from Robertson, Westbrook and every other member of the [all-time] leaderboard, is in triple-double rate. On average, Jokić records a triple-double once in every four times he takes the court.” |