Two of the 12 games on the NBA's 23 October schedule (US time), played on 24 October in Vietnam, were decided in the final seconds. According to NBA.com, Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama to seal the Houston Rockets' 114-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Austin, while Jayson Tatum scored 7 straight points in the final 1 minute, 24 seconds as the Boston Celtics held off the New York Knicks 107-103 for their first win of the season. The Atlanta Hawks also beat the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points, the biggest win in franchise history.
Thompson's block in Austin
The all-Texas meeting was staged at the Moody Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin, where Kevin Durant starred for the Longhorns two decades ago. NBA.com counted 14 lead changes and 11 ties. Houston led by as many as 11 points early in the second quarter, but San Antonio kept clawing back and retook the lead several times, never by more than a single point.
The finish was frantic. After a De'Aaron Fox alley-oop to Wembanyama cut the gap to one, Durant hit a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 34 seconds left to put Houston 4 points up. Dylan Harper (20 points) answered with a poster dunk that made the margin 2 points with 46 seconds remaining. Thompson then missed a midrange jumper, handing the Spurs a final chance, and made amends by soaring to reject Wembanyama.
“Man, what a game-saving block,” said Durant, who called Thompson “a freak athlete”. Fred VanVleet was just as impressed. “There's not many people on the planet making that block,” he said. “That's why he's the special player that he is.” Thompson was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2025.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 14 of those points in the fourth quarter. Thompson finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Durant added 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Wembanyama bounced back from a 1-for-13 opener with 25 points on 9-for-21 shooting, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. Houston are 2-0, while the Spurs, the defending Western Conference champions, are 0-2. It was Durant's second NBA homecoming in Austin; the first, with the Phoenix Suns in 2024, ended in a 120-109 loss to the Spurs.
Tatum closes out the Knicks
No two teams have met more often in NBA history, and this was the 503rd meeting between them. Both arrived after opening-night defeats: as KBVN+ reported, the Knicks lost 106-100 to the 76ers on their banner night, and the Celtics were overrun by a Pistons comeback in a 121-113 loss.
Boston led by as many as 12 points in the second half before a 16-5 Knicks run cut the margin to 1 point with under two minutes left. Tatum then scored on three straight trips: a fadeaway over Josh Hart to put Boston 3 points up with 1 minute, 24 seconds left; a deep corner two after a Karl-Anthony Towns offensive foul to make it 5 points with 49 seconds to go; and, after two OG Anunoby free throws made it 103-100, a pump-fake 3-pointer over Towns. Boston won 107-103.
Tatum finished with 36 points on 14-for-26 shooting, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, after managing 13 points on 6-for-23 shooting, including 0-for-7 from deep, in the opener. “You look at the stat sheet tonight, 14-for-26, 36 points, that's probably the game that everybody expects 82 nights a year,” said coach Joe Mazzulla. Tatum, who is expected to carry more of the scoring load now that he no longer plays beside Jaylen Brown, sounded grateful. “Just playing with a sense of joy and gratitude,” he said. “Obviously, being injured, I feel like the game was taken from me.”
Paul George added 15 points and 7 rebounds after his 38-point Boston debut. Mitchell Robinson, who joined Boston in free agency, faced his former team for the first time and told Prime Video before the game: “I love y'all, but tonight, we're not friends.” He had 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in 22 minutes, including a 21-second sequence in which he swatted a Towns layup and then finished an alley-oop.
For New York, Towns had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Anunoby 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Hart 10 points and 12 rebounds. Mikal Bridges went scoreless and is 2-for-16 through two games. “He's getting the looks that he needs to get, he's just gotta knock them down now,” said coach Mike Brown. The Knicks are the first defending champions to start 0-2 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks, having lost to the 76ers and Celtics by a combined 10 points.
All 12 results from 23 October (US time)
| Result (winner first) | Standouts |
|---|---|
| Rockets 114-110 Spurs | Alperen Sengun 29 points, 7 rebounds; Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 25 points, 13 rebounds |
| Celtics 107-103 Knicks | Jayson Tatum 36 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists |
| Hawks 128-81 Hornets | Dyson Daniels 11 points, 7 steals |
| Bulls 132-125 Bucks | Caleb Wilson 21 points; Tyler Herro (Bucks) 34 points |
| Raptors 112-102 Wizards | Scottie Barnes 28 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists |
| Timberwolves 115-93 Magic | Anthony Edwards 15 points; Wendell Carter Jr. (Magic) 20 points |
| Mavericks 121-105 Pacers | Kyrie Irving 24 points |
| Pistons 128-111 Heat | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Heat) 36 points, 12 rebounds |
| Jazz 120-119 Pelicans | Jaren Jackson Jr. 24 points, 10 rebounds |
| Grizzlies 111-108 Warriors | Cameron Boozer 25 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists; Stephen Curry (Warriors) 23 points |
| Lakers 125-117 Clippers | Luka Dončić 23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists |
| Trail Blazers 128-120 Kings | Deni Avdija 26 points; Darius Acuff Jr. (Kings) 33 points |
Table compiled by KBVN+ from NBA.com's Starting 5 newsletter.
The Hawks' winning margin of 47 points beat their previous record of 46 points, set against the Sacramento Kings on 15 November 2017. Memphis closed out Golden State with a 20-2 run, and Boozer, aged 19 years and 97 days, became the third-youngest player in NBA history to post at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a game, behind only Cooper Flagg and LeBron James. Detroit opened with a 17-2 burst and led Miami wire to wire. In Sacramento's loss, Acuff Jr., the No. 7 pick, scored the most points by a teenager in Kings history, but Portland had 7 players in double figures. In the Mavericks' win over the Pacers, Irving reached 20 points for the first time since 1 March 2025; Cooper Flagg's shoulder injury in that game is covered in a separate KBVN+ story.
Opening-week context
The season tipped off on 20 October (US time) with three games, as KBVN+ reported in its NBA 2026-27 opening-night recap: the Pistons erased a 22-point deficit to beat the Celtics 121-113, the 76ers won 106-100 at the Knicks, and the Thunder beat the Spurs 116-104. Day two on 21 October (US time) brought Haliburton's return in the Pacers' win over the Pelicans; NBA.com noted that the Pelicans have now played two nail-biters to start the season.
NBA.com described the 76ers' start as “a crazy ride”. After the win at Madison Square Garden, the 76ers produced the largest comeback in franchise history in the play-by-play era, also the largest of LeBron James' career, in their home opener. Tyrese Maxey is averaging 30 points per game on 50% shooting, according to NBA.com.
What's next
NBA.com lists 8 games for 24 October (US time). The 76ers will host the Milwaukee Bucks at 6:30 a.m. on 25 October, Vietnam time, in the first half of an NBA TV doubleheader. Trae Young's Washington Wizards will meet the Chicago Bulls at 7:00 a.m. on 25 October, Vietnam time. Young played just 15 games in 2025-26 after four All-Star selections in his first seven seasons; in this season's opener, he and Anthony Davis combined for 54 points in a win over Milwaukee.
The Phoenix Suns will host the Golden State Warriors at 9:00 a.m. on 25 October, Vietnam time, in a rematch of last season's Play-In meeting, when Jalen Green scored 36 points with 8 made 3-pointers to knock out Golden State while Stephen Curry was held to 17 points.
The Knicks' next game is at home to the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, 25 October (US time); NBA.com did not give a tip-off time. Catch up on the NBA 2026-27 opening night and Haliburton's return in the Pacers' win over the Pelicans.