Starting 5: Jokić and Murray Deliver, Rookies Make Noise

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Sometimes, you just have to will it in.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Denver’s Duo:

Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray lift Denver in overtime as stars thrive Saturday

A Packed Slate:

Close games abound, as Caleb Wilson joins some familiar names in Bulls history

Big Paws:

Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball have the Timberwolves roaring before tonight’s game on NBA TV

Growing Up Fast:

Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff Jr., both coming off historic performances, prepare to face off

Inspiring The Next:

NBA.com

’s Shaun Powell on Kevin Durant and the longevity of greatness in the NBA

BUT FIRST … ⏰

There are seven games

on tap for this Sunday, including LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves hosting Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors on NBA TV (7 ET).

The Golden State Valkyries

evened

the 2026 WNBA Finals

at two games apiece, with

Game 5

back at the Chase Center Monday (USA/Peacock/CNBC).

1. STARS LEAD, JOKIĆ AND MURRAY RIDE AGAIN

Denver was down 23

with five minutes left in the third quarter, facing just their third 0-2 start in the Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić era.

As they have, time and time again,

the Nuggets turned to that championship duo.

Nuggets 141, Pelicans 135 (OT):

Murray (

42 pts

) and Jokić (35 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast) were at their trademark best, willing the Nuggets back to beat New Orleans in overtime.

The Two-Man Game:

Denver is 5-0 all-time when Murray and Jokić combine for 75+ points

Joker On The Rise:

Jokić earned his

199th career triple-double

— 10 shy of Russell Westbrook, and 11 away from the all-time lead

Earning OT:

Jokić (8 pts) and rookie Trevon Brazile (17 pts, 7 in OT) had all of the Nuggets’ 15 points in the extra period

On Jaylen Brown’s 30th

birthday, with no LeBron James, the Sixers moved to 3-0.

76ers 127, Bucks 116:

Tyrese Maxey, Brown and Joel Embiid combined for 81 points, while VJ Edgecombe (17 pts, 13 reb) added a double-double, as Philly resisted the Bucks’ comeback attempt. |

Recap

Strength In Numbers:

Embiid (

28 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast

), Brown (

27 pts, 3 stl

) and Maxey (26 pts) are the first trio to each score 25+ in a game this season

Watch Kuzma Soar:

Kyle Kuzma (14 pts, 12 reb) had the dunk of the game, throwing down

a one-handed poster over Adem Bona

Maxey’s Moment:

The point guard pushed the pace and sank

a half-court buzzer-beater

to close the first quarter

Suns 131, Warriors 122:

Devin Booker (

43 pts on 25 FGA, 7 reb, 7 ast

) went off to lead Phoenix over Golden State, which was without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Al Horford. |

Young Yaxel:

No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg (26 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 6 3PM) had another strong outing, increasing his point total for the third straight game

Spurs 122, Mavericks 106:

Victor Wembanyama (23 pts, 7 reb, 4 blk, team-high +32)

rose up

to help San Antonio earn its first win of the season, dispatching their Texas rival despite a strong game from No. 25 pick Sergio de Larrea (21 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast). |

2. ROUNDUP: EXCITEMENT THROUGHOUT THE SLATE

Two up-and-coming teams

went jam-for-jam Saturday night in Chicago.

Wizards 124, Bulls 120:

Caleb Wilson (30 pts, 14 reb) earned his first NBA double-double, but the Wizards used a 40-20 third quarter to take command before holding off a late charge from the Bulls. |

Rarefied Air:

Wilson has scored 67 points through his first three career games for the Bulls — the second-most in franchise history. Only Michael Jordan had more (74 pts).

Bullish:

At 20 years, 98 days old, Wilson is the second-youngest Bull to log 30 / 10 in a game, behind Luol Deng, who put up 30 pts and 11 reb at 19 years, 298 days old in a 107-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 8, 2005

Tough, Trae:

Trae Young (

25 pts, 9 ast

) led the Wizards in scoring, including

this difficult jumper fading into the corner

Fire From Coulibaly:

Bilal Coulibaly put up a 118.7 dunk score on

this aggressive slam

— the best of the young season

Rockets 121, Hawks 114:

Kevin Durant (22 pts) led seven Rockets in double figures, overcoming a big performance from Jalen Johnson (26 pts, 9 reb,

16 ast

) to hand the Hawks their first loss. |

Hornets 115, Heat 110:

Miami opened the fourth quarter on a 25-4 run, coming back from a 23-point deficit to tie the game with 3:45 remaining, but Grayson Allen (20 pts)

slammed the door

with seven points over the rest of the game, lifting Charlotte to the victory. |

Brandon Buckets:

Brandon Miller (

34 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast

) was a workhorse for the Hornets, days after signing

a five-year extension

Cavaliers 125, Nets 121:

Cleveland took advantage of a 16-point edge in points in the paint, led by Jarrett Allen (21 pts, 8 reb) and Evan Mobley (20 pts, 10 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk), to hold off a fervent fourth-quarter push by the Nets. |

Determination:

Egor Dёmin (22 pts, 6 ast, team-high +7) put up 15 points in the final period to get Brooklyn back in it

3. ANT, LAMELO ROARING UP A STORM ON NBA TV

Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

For the first time,

the Timberwolves have opened the season with back-to-back 20+ point wins, led by their new backcourt.

Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball

have gelled quickly, sharing the ball and firing away from 3-point range to turn Minnesota’s offense up a notch.

Running With The Pack:

The Timberwolves are sixth in offensive rating (119.4) and seventh in points per game (123.0) so far this season

Check out some examples

of their must-see chemistry.

Ball quickly recycles the ball off the offensive rebound, finding Edwards wide-open in the corner.

Edwards’ drive sucks in the defense, leaving Ball unguarded for a 3-pointer of his own.

Ball’s attack draws Jalen Suggs’ eyes, letting Edwards relocate into space for another 3-pointer.

There’s plenty

to keep an eye on when these two electrifying guards share the court, including when the Timberwolves host Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors Sunday (7 ET, NBA TV).

4. ROOKIES LOOK TO REPEAT STELLAR PERFORMANCES ON LEAGUE PASS

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Cameron Boozer

has been a force at every level — high school, AAU, college.

He wasted no time

proving the same in the NBA, becoming the third-youngest player in league history to

total 25+ pts, 10+ reb and 5+ ast in a game

, behind LeBron James and Cooper Flagg.

Boozer capped the performance by

hitting a game-winning jumper, completing

a stunning Grizzlies comeback over Stephen Curry and the Warriors

.

“

The kid is 19

,” said Memphis head coach Tuomas Iisalo afterwards. “The kid is 19, and he’s making big-time plays offensively and defensively.”

Thomas W. Henderson/Getty Images

Darius Acuff Jr.

, also 19 years old, brings pressure.

Quick, strong, aggressive

, he keeps getting into the teeth of the defense and making plays when other players would take a step back.

He set the Kings’ record

for points in a single game by a teenager Friday,

dropping 33 against the Trail Blazers

while adding four assists.

“He’s very, very smart

,” Domantas Sabonis said of his new teammate. “A high-IQ player at the point guard position, he can pass and shoot, knows how to control the tempo.”

These two precocious rookies

seek to continue their rise in the Association Sunday as the Kings host the Grizzlies (9 ET, League Pass).

Also on League Pass:

LeBron James and the 76ers face Cade Cunningham and the Pistons for early bragging rights in the East.

5. KD, WEMBY AND THE LONGEVITY OF GREATNESS IN THE NBA

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Growing up in France,

a young, tall youth named Victor Wembanyama found inspiration in watching NBA star Kevin Durant.

On Friday,

Durant’s Rockets defeated Wembanyama’s Spurs, proving that the legends still have a few tricks to teach the rising stars.

As a new generation

finds their place in the League,

’s Shaun Powell considers the story of Wembanyama and Durant, and gives flowers to the other veterans still inspiring their young peers.

“After leading France

to the gold medal game in the 2024 Paris Olympics and falling short to Durant and the U.S., Wemby said, ‘I want to learn from him and perhaps steal one or two of his secret techniques.’”

As a teenager,

Wemby saw similarities in their body types — both are tall and slender — and viewed Durant as the perfect archetype.”

“At age 38,

Durant is among a handful of stars who have been in the NBA as long as some players have been on Earth. These situations make them larger-than-life mentors and, even better, still active and therefore approachable. Rookies are competing against their idols in real time because the influence of Durant and other durable players remains great.” |

Read More

One of those greats,

Luka Dončić, leads the Los Angeles Lakers against No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz Sunday (5 ET, League Pass).

Pacers at Nets (6 ET)

Magic at Knicks (7 ET)

Clippers at Thunder (7 ET)

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