Lakers, Thunder Stay Unbeaten, Knicks Lose Third Straight — NBA Roundup

Doncic stars as Lakers

NBA wrap: Doncic's late heroics keep Lakers perfect at 3-0, Knicks drop to 0-3 after Magic loss, SGA scores 34 as Thunder win, Anthony Edwards drops 26 for Wolves, Haliburton posts 24-10 for Pacers.

Lakers, Thunder, Grizzlies go 3-0 as Knicks hit rock bottom...

Luka Doncic put up 52 points as the Los Angeles Lakers continued their flawless start to the post-LeBron James era with a 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Now the Lakers' undisputed star after James left for Philadelphia this summer, Doncic added 10 assists and eight rebounds in a dominant display that included eight three-pointers and two steals.

Keepin' it going ✔️ https://t.co/Zv70HEEIMT

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 25, 2026

Doncic got support from Austin Reaves, who added 29 points, as the visitors took control in the final four minutes of a game they had trailed for much of the night.

“It's one of the best feelings - down the stretch, tight game, hitting those threes,” Doncic said.

“We played the basketball we know how to play. We are learning our lesson... we cannot start games like this anymore.”

It was the first 50-point game in the NBA this season. The Slovenian point guard was the league's leading scorer last campaign.

After easing to comfortable opening wins over the Golden State Warriors and city rivals the Clippers, the Lakers overcame their first real test of the young season in Salt Lake City.

Utah dominated for most of the first half and led by as many as 18 points, with Finland's Lauri Markkanen in outstanding form.

The Lakers fought back, however. A pull-up three from Doncic in the dying seconds of the second quarter put Los Angeles narrowly ahead at halftime.

The Jazz edged back in front with just over four minutes left, before another three from Doncic levelled the game at 116-116.

Doncic and Reaves then took over, outscoring the entire Jazz team between them down the stretch as the revamped Lakers improved to 3-0.

“We have a tight group. I think everybody new that came, they feel very welcome here. That's what we want,” said Doncic.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks suffered a third consecutive defeat, going down 111-102 to the Orlando Magic despite 28 points from Jalen Brunson.

It is the worst start by defending champions since the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

“The reality of it is, giving up 40 points in the fourth quarter is way too much... When you're not shooting the ball well, like we are, you got to figure out different ways to win the ballgame,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown.

Franz Wagner scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone to seal Orlando's first victory of the season.

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 34 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 108-101 win over the Clippers.

The victory was soured by a serious injury to Jalen Williams, who badly twisted his ankle while driving to the hoop and had to be stretchered off.

“I just feel bad for him... We just got to hold the fort down until he comes back,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, appearing to be in tears after seeing his teammate go down.

“Those are tough, man. We're not doing great. That's tough on the guys,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said.

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 26 points to continue his hot start, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a third straight comfortable victory with a 117-94 rout of the Toronto Raptors. Three other Minnesota starters also scored in double figures alongside Edwards.

It was a frustrating night for Toronto after a strong start to the season. Scottie Barnes endured a night to forget, going 0-for-12 from the field and finishing scoreless, with both he and Jakob Poeltl failing to make a shot. The rest of the starters impressed, with RJ Barrett scoring 19, Immanuel Quickley adding 20 and Ja'Kobe Walter putting up 22 in the absence of Kawhi Leonard.

After a disappointing defeat last time out, the Indiana Pacers responded emphatically on Sunday, putting up 136 points against the Brooklyn Nets. Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 24 points and 10 assists, looking fully fit again after missing the entire 2025/26 season with the injury he picked up in the 2025 NBA Finals.

Pascal Siakam also impressed with 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists, as seven Pacers players finished in double figures. Despite recent departures and roster changes, Indiana once again showed why they remain one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. For Brooklyn, no starter managed more than 11 points, with Nolan Traore leading the team with 17 as the Nets slipped to 0-3, with more difficult times seemingly ahead.

Then there were the surprise package Memphis Grizzlies, who improved to 3-0 on the season with another strong performance, this time on the road against the Sacramento Kings. Ty Jerome led the way with 31 points, as all five Grizzlies starters finished in double figures.

On the other side, it was another disappointing night overall for the Sacramento Kings, although Zach LaVine rediscovered his scoring touch with 37 points on 13-of-25 shooting. With the Kings also falling to 0-3 early in the campaign, they could already be in contention for a top pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.