Rockets 135, Mavericks 117
In the NBA China Games on Oct. 9 the Houston Rockets beat the Dallas Mavericks 135-117. Tari Eason paced Houston with 20 points and nine rebounds while Alperen Şengün recorded a triple-double (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists); Fred VanVleet added 17 points and seven assists. The win opened Houston’s preseason slate in Macau.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Lakers 114, Kings 110
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 114-110 in preseason action on Oct. 9. Luka Dončić led the winners with 23 points and a perfect 9-for-9 mark from the free-throw line on the night, while Bronny James contributed playmaking off the bench with six assists in 22 minutes as the Lakers improved to 2-1 in exhibitions.
Source: Bleacher Report
Nets 114, 76ers 108
Brooklyn edged Philadelphia 114-108 in preseason play on Oct. 8–9. The Nets balanced scoring across the roster; Julius Randle led Brooklyn with 14 points while Egor Dëmin added 13 and five assists. Philadelphia got 10 points and five assists from LeBron James in his limited first appearance with the Sixers.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Heat 128, Pelicans 118
Miami defeated New Orleans 128-118 in preseason on Oct. 8. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Heat in limited minutes, finishing with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 17:52; Andrew Wiggins added 13. Miami’s defense forced turnovers that fueled a fast-paced attack in the first half.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Isaiah Stewart out at least two weeks
Memphis announced that Isaiah Stewart sprained his left ankle in his preseason debut and will be re-evaluated in two weeks; NBC Sports reports the Grizzlies call it a moderate sprain. The timeline projects Stewart could miss the regular-season opener on Oct. 21 but may return shortly after, per the team’s update.
Source: NBC Sports
Caleb Wilson pours in five 3s
In Chicago’s preseason loss to Memphis (104-100) on Oct. 9, rookie Caleb Wilson exploded for 21 points and hit five three-pointers, the bulk of his output in the third quarter and late rally attempts. Memphis’ Cam Boozer paced the visitors with 10 points as the Grizzlies held on in the exhibition.
Source: Bleacher Report
LeBron’s first 76ers preseason look
LeBron James made his Philadelphia preseason debut, playing 18 first-half minutes on Oct. 8–9 and finishing with 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal; he was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Sports Illustrated highlighted his playmaking chemistry with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown in limited action.
Source: Sports Illustrated