Shai Gilgeous 30 Point Machine, Curry Still Dances, and Wembanyama Dazzles in San Antonio - NBA WEEK 1.
The NBA just completed its first week for the 2025-2026 season and the stakes have never been higher. On the court we’ve seen spectacular performances from star players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry, and Victor Wembanyama - with a few players beginning to elevate this season as well. Although just one week in, we see teams like the Thunder, Spurs, 76ers, and Bulls find their groove early and remain undefeated through their 4 game start. Dropping down a tier, we see the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers trailing right behind the 4-0’s with just one loss at 3-1. Let’s dive in and break down the opening week for the National Basketball Association.
Kicking things off for opening night, the Oklahoma City Thunder received their coveted NBA Finals Championship rings for their 4-3 victory over the Indiana Pacers last NBA Finals. All attention to the champions, the Thunder closed out the Houston Rockets in a double-overtime thriller, while only capturing the victory by a 1-point margin. Stat totals included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top 35 points along with 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Chet Holmgren posted 28 points and 5 rebounds along with double digit scoring from Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell off the bench for OKC. The Houston Rockets didn’t receive much help from the bench and primary offensive responsibility fell on Kevin Durant with 23 points and 9 rebounds, Jabari Smith Jr with 16 points, and Alperen Sengun topping 39 points and 11 rebounds. This Houston Rocket performance was washed away by 1 point at the buzzer. Also, speaking of last year’s Finals opponent Indiana Pacers, they haven’t won a game yet and the Thunder already beat them in their second game of the year - also a double-overtime game.
via NBA & NBC
Next up, the Golden State Warriors took a trip south to Los Angeles to take on the Luka-led Lakers. This game didn’t disappoint viewership as we saw the two of the NBA’s most storied franchises match up, with Golden State taking the first victory 119-109. Jimmy Butler was the star of this show with 31 points 4 assists and 5 rebounds. Stephen Curry made a heavy contribution with 23 points along with Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield with 17 points. As we see the Warriors remain alive through several obstacles, their style of play remains fluid. Stephen Curry is not only the primary ball handler for the team, but his presence on the floor draws down the help defense so much and defenders leave several other Warrior shooters open. This is the reason why we see stars like Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, or Buddy Hield explode for double digit scoring at will. If the Warriors finish those open shots, they will beat you, as we see here. With almost no productivity from the bench, the Lakers finished with just 109 points total, Luka Dončić scoring 43 of those himself.
Going out to Texas, we saw an extraterrestrial performance from the 7’5 Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs. The French protege put on a dazzling show with 40 points and 15 rebounds on 15/21 shooting. Watching Wembanyama in play is absolutely unreal as this 7’5 beast plays and moves the ball like a 6’2 point guard - truly scary for any defense. Not only was it Wembanyama, Stephon Castle contributed 22 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Wembanyama/Castle duo saw major productivity on the court as both players fed intensely off of each others offensive output. Leading scorers for the Mavericks were Anthony Davis with 22 points and PJ Washington with 17 points, with the rest of the team sitting at 10 points and under. This low offensive performance finished with just 92 points total - San Antonio wins with 125.
via NBA & ESPN
Other top performances for the week saw Stephen Curry send an intense game with the Denver Nuggets to overtime. Curry finished with 42 points and on the other side of the ball Aaron Gordon scored a career high 50 points on 10/11 three-point shooting - insane. Austin Reeves also recorded a 50 point game against the Sacramento Kings. Going forward, keep an eye on star guard Tyrese Maxey as he’s been grabbing 30-40 points per game thus far. Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecomb have combined for 186 points in their first three games, the most from any backcourt since 1970-1971. We also find star rookie Cooper Flagg finding his spots on the floor as the season continues and we monitor his progress. An interesting Week 2 comes up next.
