NBA roundup of the 12 games played on 28 October 2026.
Indiana Pacers 109-114 Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers had to dig deep to win in Indiana. Despite Tyrese Haliburton’s absence and a strong start from the visitors, the Pacers took control in the second half and entered the final quarter with a 13-point lead, leaving Philadelphia with a mountain to climb. But in a team with so much talent, no game is lost until it is over.
Nick Nurse’s side turned the game around with a 39-21 run in the final quarter, in which Tyrese Maxey emerged as the hero of the night with 17 of his 27 points. The guard was the main instigator of the comeback and also the man who finished it off, hitting two three-pointers in the last 70 seconds to make it 106-112 and seal Philadelphia’s fourth win, which sends them to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 4-1 record.
Tyrese Maxey turned the fourth INTO. HIS. SHOW. 17 PTS 4-8 FGM 12 MIN He would finish the game with a game-high 27 points as the @sixers move to 4-1 on the season! https://t.co/VeK3xPmX5F
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2026
Detroit Pistons 97-89 Charlotte Hornets
4-1 is also the Pistons’ record, as they are joint conference leaders after beating the Hornets thanks to Cade Cunningham’s 30 points and 7 assists and, above all, their excellent defensive work. After a first half in which they struggled to find their rhythm, the Michigan side held Charlotte to just 38 points after the break, which allowed them to win on a night when Cade was largely on his own.
Brandon Miller was in the same position, and with 31 points he was clearly the visitors’ top scorer, scoring more than double Dennis SchrΓΆder, the only other Hornets player in double figures with 14. Charles Lee’s side missed Kon Knueppel and Coby White in that respect, and they were held below 90 points for the second time in the five games they have played so far.
Atlanta Hawks 117-129 Miami Heat
At last. More than a few had started to panic about the Heat’s future, but, at least for tonight, Spoelstra’s men can sleep easy. The Florida side took their first win of the season after dominating from start to finish in Atlanta, and although the Hawks cut the lead to 4 points in the final quarter, the visitors ultimately won comfortably.
Key to that was the awakening of Bam Adebayo, who, with 24 points, turned in his best performance of the season and chased away the ghosts that had followed him after a more than questionable start. Giannis Antetokounmpo also finished with 24, looked fully engaged on both ends, and added 18 rebounds. With seven players in double figures, the Heat certainly played like it was the final.
Cleveland Cavaliers 121-111 Washington Wizards
AJ Dybantsa could not round off his good NBA debut with a win. The No. 1 pick in the Draft began his league career with 19 points and an efficient 8/12 shooting, and with the capital side leading by double figures for much of the night, it looked as though everything would go perfectly for him. But then the Cavaliers brought out the heavy artillery.
Donovan Mitchell and James woke up after a very quiet first half and supported Evan Mobley, who, with 24 points, was Atkinson’s most consistent player. In fact, it was the forward who, with 10 points in the final quarter, completed the comeback, which gives the Ohio side their third consecutive win and a chance to leave behind the disastrous debut against the 76ers.
Toronto Raptors 129-99 Orlando Magic
A game without much of a story in Toronto. Without Paolo Banchero or Jalen Suggs, the Magic never found themselves and were unable to put up a fight for more than a quarter and a half. With a strong finish to the half, the Raptors went into the break 16 up, and from there the gap only grew, reaching 33 points.
Scottie Barnes and R.J. Barrett led the hosts with 28 and 25 points respectively, while in Orlando it was much harder to find anyone who stood out. Franz Wagner, called upon to lead the team in the absences, had many problems with turnovers and could not get past 14 points, and in fact it was Tristan da Silva with his 20 who managed to fill the scoresheet a little and try to dress up the scoreline on a dismal night.
Milwaukee Bucks 110-132 Houston Rockets
The Rockets’ visit to the Fiserv Forum was no more exciting, in a game that, with the city consumed by the Brewers in the NBL final, did not even seem to matter to those present. And you certainly could not say that those in the stands, more focused on watching baseball on their phones than looking at the court, missed anything very interesting, as Houston broke the game open without difficulty in the second quarter, in which the Bucks scored only 14 points, and it was all calm from there.
Udoka’s side therefore remains unbeaten, and the feeling could not be more positive. Even without Sengun and Smart, the Texans once again worked like clockwork, led by a Fred VanVleet who is back at a great level and eager to show that when he is on the floor, the story is very different. With 24 points, the Canadian was in fact his team’s leading scorer, followed by the 23 of an Amen Thompson who also looks ready to take another step forward this year.
Minnesota Timberwolves 114-119 Golden State Warriors
Nobody should write off the Warriors just yet. The opening defeats raised some doubts, but as long as Stephen Curry is around, Kerr’s side remains a team capable of standing up to anyone on an inspired night. Especially because the guard seems to have found his ideal partner.
Steph went up to 44 points in his umpteenth display of excellence, but almost as important to the Californian win were the 29 added by Yaxel Lendeborg, increasingly established as one of the most promising rookies of this generation. With his third consecutive game above 25 points, the forward has been quick to confirm that he was ready to contribute in the NBA from day one, and he already looks like a veteran in a team that needed his youth.
LaMelo Ball looked much worse, failing to get past 8 points in his first game without Anthony Edwards, shooting 3/11 with 6 turnovers. Although others tried to take the reins of the team, it will be difficult for the Minneapolis side to maintain their good start with this version of him.
New Orleans Pelicans 91-104 Denver Nuggets
There is no confidence problem that cannot be fixed with a visit to New Orleans. The Pelicans, who are still without a win, were easy prey for a Nuggets side who needed to regain their feel after their heavy defeat to Golden State, and they did so on a night when they led from start to finish and won with a degree of comfort. Although, more than for the team as a whole, this was a memorable game for Nikola Jokic.
With 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, the Serbian recorded the 200th regular-season triple-double of his career, becoming the second player after Russell Westbrook to reach that figure. And considering that the guard has 209, there are probably only a few weeks left before the Serbian climbs to the top of the list.
Chicago Bulls 127-133 New York Knicks
It looked as though the Knicks were going to make life a little harder for themselves. With Norman Powell at his most lethal, the Bulls’ young players inspired, and the Illinois side going 19 up midway through the third quarter, it felt as though the champions were having another of those half-speed nights that have been so common in this start to the season. It turned out, however, that they were preparing one of those heroic comebacks that took them to the ring a few months ago.
Jalen Brunson led his side to victory with a magnificent final quarter, in which, with 14 of his 38 points, he spearheaded a New York exhibition. Mike Brown’s side scored 43 points in the last 12 minutes, shooting 8/13 from three and annihilating the defence of a Bulls team that fell just short of a remarkable feat. But, within their limitations, they continue to leave promising impressions for the future.
Utah Jazz 111-117 San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio needed overtime to win in Salt Lake City. Their lack of creativity in the clutch again got them into trouble and stopped them from closing out the game in the final quarter, but once overtime arrived, their defensive intensity and ability to score in transition were enough to overcome the Jazz. The Texans thus take their third consecutive win, and despite the early doubts, they now have a positive record of 3-2.
Victor Wembanyama made sure of it with his best performance of the season, as the Frenchman took advantage of Utah’s absences in the frontcourt to dominate from start to finish with 36 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. However, just as important as him was Devin Vassell, who with 12 points between the final quarter and overtime stopped his side getting into trouble when Will Hardy’s men were pushing.
Dallas Mavericks 120-96 Oklahoma City Thunder
It is true that the Thunder had many players out. With three starters absent and one of their most important substitutes also out, the version of OKC that turned up at the American Airlines Center was a rather depleted one in terms of capabilities, far from the fearsome team that a little over a week ago opened the regular season by beating the Spurs and establishing themselves as the team to fear in the West. But none of that changes the fact that the Mavericks used this game to make a statement.
With Cooper Flagg in stellar form with his 26 points and 8 assists, as many as seven team-mates in double figures, and a defence that squeezed out all its potential, Dusty May’s side have taken their third win of the season and are starting to convey an optimism that not many predicted before the campaign began. And not even in their most watered-down version do the Thunder usually look so beaten in the closing stretch of a game.
Perhaps something special is being forged in Dallas sooner than expected.
Los Angeles Clippers 87-103 Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic’s rest day did not stop the Lakers taking the first Los Angeles derby of the season. Redick’s side dominated a weak Clippers team without any problems and ended up winning without too much suffering and without needing a big performance from their other star. Even as the leading man, Austin Reaves did not get past 16 points, letting the rotation players gain confidence with good individual performances.
Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, two of those most criticised after the defeat to Portland, were in fact the standouts with 23 and 21 points, while Matisse Thybulle, who also came off a quiet night, went up to 15 with 4/5 from three. For their neighbours, by contrast, there was rather little to highlight, as not even Keaton Wagler’s 21 points proved entirely promising after his 4/15 from the field.