NBA round-up of the 15 games played on 1 November 2026.
Cleveland Cavaliers 112-117 Oklahoma City Thunder
We open with one of the great individual performances of the night, from a two-time MVP who only shows his best self when his back is against the wall. Yes, we’re talking about a 43-point Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who swept through Cleveland like a hurricane.
Far from throwing in the towel in the face of adversity, Shai is determined to be even more lethal, and last night Donovan Mitchell and company paid the price. The Cavs didn’t play any worse, but they were up against a once-in-a-generation opponent.
Either way, the game was tight until the very last moment. With three minutes to go the Cavaliers were two points up, but they couldn’t prevent a 10-3 run against them that sealed the win for OKC.
Philadelphia 76ers 126-107 Chicago Bulls
The Sixers got their best starting five back tonight and, even against a good first half from the Bulls, never saw a win that keeps them top of the Eastern Conference at 7-1 in danger.
Without needing a hero on the court, the Pennsylvania side enjoyed 26 points and 11 assists from Tyrese Maxey and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Jaylen Green, as well as double-figure scoring from their other three starters.
In Chicago, heading for the bottom of the table, they can at least stay excited about the great form of their rookie, Caleb Wilson, who finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.
Charlotte Hornets 91-124 Detroit Pistons
There was no contest in North Carolina. The gap between the Hornets and the Pistons is enormous and it was reflected in a final margin of 33 points (it could have been more).
Cade Cunningham needed just 27 minutes to reach 33 points, and the Michigan side finished with an absurd 57 per cent from the field (49 per cent from three).
The feeling with Charlotte is that the season has caught them on the back foot. They no longer have the traded LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel is injured. They need much more to compete despite Brandon Miller’s efforts.
Orlando Magic 94-103 Washington Wizards
There is still a long way to go, but these Washington Wizards don’t look bad at all. After seven games they are 4-3 and have the eighth-best defence in the NBA, conceding 108.7 points per 100 possessions.
Against the Magic, who are honestly really poor, Anthony Davis dominated again with 27 points and 9 rebounds, while Trae Young created for others with 15 points and 9 assists. This time he also joined the party with 22 points, and rookie A.J. Dybantsa nailed another 21.
For the Florida side, Franz Wagner stood out with 24 points, but as we have pointed out on other occasions, there is no collective fluidity.
New York Knicks 103-90 Brooklyn Nets
A comeback and 15 consecutive wins against Brooklyn. The Knicks’ numbers against their neighbours are tremendous, and this time the win also came after overturning the deficit they carried into the final twelve minutes.
The champions are still not quite right – Mikal Bridges remains missing in action – but at least wins are coming that stop them slipping too far back in the Eastern Conference. Best player last night? Landry Shamet with 22 points off the bench.
As for the Nets, everything suggests the season will go just as the first two weeks have. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. will put up numbers, but wins… few.
Indiana Pacers 104-108 Atlanta Hawks
The most incredible thing about this game is that Indiana lost by only four points. Rick Carlisle had just six players available and none of them would come close to making the ideal starting five.
Either way, the Pacers competed against a Hawks side for whom this game came at the perfect time, having lost four of their previous five. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the best player on the court with 34 points, while for the home side Jay Huff stood out with 22.
It has only just begun, but Indiana need to turn things around as soon as possible if they want to be a direct playoff team in a few months. They have now lost five in a row.
Memphis Grizzlies 134-135 New Orleans Pelicans
And the last unbeaten team has fallen! You can argue there was a foul on Ty Jerome on the final play of overtime, but the reality is that nobody can say they are unbeatable any more.
Because that’s the NBA. Along come a Pelicans side who haven’t stood out for anything in particular and suddenly they hit you for 135 points to bring you back down to earth. A very good game from Zion Williamson with a double-double of 21 points and rebounds, and no less from Karlo Matkovic, who took advantage of his start to score another 25 with 5 of 8 from three.
For Memphis and Ty Jerome (40 points again), it should be no more than a stumble on the way to maintaining the high level shown to date.
Minnesota Timberwolves 112-100 Milwaukee Bucks
LaMelo Ball’s first big performance with the Timberwolves has arrived. Against a favourable opponent in these Bucks, the guard racked up 34 points with 6 of 13 from three to mark himself out as the best player on the court.
Despite LaMelo’s numbers, you can’t say Milwaukee didn’t fight; they went into the last quarter trailing by just four points. They couldn’t do any more. Tyler Herro was their top scorer with 21 points.
Dallas Mavericks 100-115 Sacramento Kings
And Sacramento won too. After many social media messages from Domantas Sabonis saying they had to keep working and the results would come, at last they have.
On the Dallas Mavericks’ court and against an off-target Cooper Flagg, the California capital side claimed victory with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists from Darius Acuff Jr., a rookie who is breaking records and who can no longer be accused of empty numbers – it was absurd.
For the Mavs, Kyrie Irving was unavailable, Flagg finished 3 of 19 from the field and the team shot 21 per cent from three. No further explanation is needed.
San Antonio Spurs 119-97 Utah Jazz
The Spurs have already switched to cruise control and in games like last night’s against Utah they don’t even press the accelerator; so much so that none of their starters played more than 27 minutes.
Leaving behind the two defeats with which they began the campaign, they now have five wins in a row to establish themselves in the upper reaches of the Western Conference, with an eye on reaching a playoffs in which they will again be among the favourites in the best possible shape.
Individual performances? 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks from Victor Wembanyama in 25 minutes. For the Salt Lake City side, 22 points for a Lauri Markkanen who is unable to prevent the disaster (1-6).
Houston Rockets 109-93 Boston Celtics
We warned you in the preview. It is one thing for it to be a great game on paper and another for it to actually turn out that way, as the Celtics arrived after playing 24 hours earlier.
The Celtics looked tired, especially because Houston is a team that doesn’t let you breathe and also has enormous talent. So it’s no surprise to see Alperen Sengun finishing with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists. Jayson Tatum posted 19 points, but with a poor 5 of 16 from the field.
Not long ago we said on the podcast episode dedicated to the Western Conference that the Rockets were exciting, and they are now top of the West at 7-1. Thanks for backing us up.
Denver Nuggets 110-118 Portland Trail Blazers
What is going on in Denver? It seems laziness has completely taken hold of Nikola Jokic and, of course, if they already struggled with the Serbian at ‘200 per cent’, now they are in the middle of a crisis.
Portland are good, but they shouldn’t win with some comfort in Colorado, and yet that’s what happened. Deni Avdija racked up 28 points and Damian Lillard continues to make clear he hasn’t come back to say goodbye but to compete, with a 20/6/6 in 30 minutes.
The best of the Nuggets was Jamal Murray with 35 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The guard is really good at the start of the campaign, but even so it isn’t enough to make them a reliable team.
Golden State Warriors 116-113 Phoenix Suns
One, two, three, four and five. That is the count of consecutive wins for the Golden State Warriors, undoubtedly the team that has changed the most overnight. Because yes, not long ago everything seemed like frustration and now they are living on a cloud of optimism.
Against Phoenix they struggled to win and Draymond Green was also ejected, but even so they didn’t buckle thanks to a sublime Stephen Curry with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. For the Arizona side the top scorer was Devin Booker with 26 points.
LA Clippers 118-125 Toronto Raptors
There are defeats and ‘defeats’, and this last one is a real blow for the Clippers, who after going into the final quarter 13 points up conceded 47 points in it to end up losing.
Applause for the Raptors, who while waiting for the return of the injured Kawhi Leonard have managed to pick themselves up so as not to lose touch with the competition. Last night, 22 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists from a spectacular Scottie Barnes, who had help from Immanuel Quickley (27) and R.J. Barrett (26).
For the Angelenos the best was Kobe Sanders, who in his second year in the NBA is coming out of his shell. 26 points carried his signature.
Los Angeles Lakers 138-117 Miami Heat
To say Luka Doncic is going all out for his first MVP is anything but an exaggeration. Against the Heat he needed just 36 minutes on court to pile up 42 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds, making it clear he is the best player of the present.
The Slovenian is averaging an absurd 37.7 points per game and has the Lakers at 6-2, which invites more than a little optimism about the present and future, above all because he is surrounded by pieces he combines with really well.
And the Heat? A double-double of 30 points and 12 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo that served absolutely no purpose. They remain far from what they want collectively, and it is reflected in their 2-5 record.
(Photograph by IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
