Atlanta looked buried after San Antonio's 39-point first quarter. The Hawks answered with 42 in the second and finished the night with a 123-116 win, the sharpest turn in a five-game preseason slate built on small advantages and uneven control.
Atlanta Hawks @ San Antonio Spurs: Atlanta answered the opening surge
Atlanta Hawks @ San Antonio Spurs finished Atlanta Hawks 123, San Antonio Spurs 116. Assists tell the first part of Atlanta's comeback: the Hawks finished with 30 to San Antonio's 20. Their 18-for-46 shooting from three kept the floor open, and 12 steals helped turn pressure into extra chances. The Spurs still won the rebounding count, 49-43, but their 22 turnovers against Atlanta's 10 gave away too much of that work.
The sequence matters more than the early deficit. San Antonio led 39-20 after one quarter, then Atlanta scored 42 in the second to change the shape of the game. The ESPN scoreboard records the quarter-by-quarter swing. For an exhibition, it was a useful reminder that a first punch means little if a team cannot keep its possessions clean.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Miami Heat: Miami won despite the perimeter edge
New Orleans Pelicans @ Miami Heat finished Miami Heat 128, New Orleans Pelicans 118. Three-point shooting favored New Orleans, which made 19 of 43 attempts, 44%, compared with Miami's 16 of 41, 39%. The Heat's 36 assists to the Pelicans' 22 point to more connected creation, while Miami committed 11 turnovers and New Orleans 21. The Pelicans collected 54 rebounds to Miami's 47, but the ball security gap was larger than that deficit on the glass.
That is the more interesting read than the final margin. New Orleans found enough perimeter looks to stay dangerous, but Miami generated more of its offense together and avoided the loose possessions that can waste a good shooting night.
Washington Wizards @ New York Knicks: Washington took the glass and the last two points
Washington Wizards @ New York Knicks finished Washington Wizards 111, New York Knicks 109. Rebounding tilted toward Washington, 46-39. The Wizards also made 10 of 26 threes, 39%, while the Knicks went 8-for-31, 26%. New York did move the ball better, with 29 assists to Washington's 21, but the Wizards' extra boards and steadier perimeter shooting helped offset 22 turnovers against the Knicks' 16.
The margin leaves little room for a grand preseason verdict. It does give New York a clear counterpoint to study: the Knicks created more assisted offense, but Washington found enough second chances and made two more threes to take the result.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets: Brooklyn's pressure flipped a tight game
Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets finished Brooklyn Nets 114, Philadelphia 76ers 108. Steals were Brooklyn's clearest edge, 14-8. The Nets made 10 of 27 threes, 37%, to the 76ers' 6-for-20, 30%, and turned the game after trailing 58-56 at halftime, outscoring Philadelphia 37-23 in the third quarter. The 76ers were excellent at the line, making 31 of 33 free throws; Brooklyn made 19 of 26.
That third-quarter burst supplied the separation that the final six-point margin preserved. Philadelphia's free-throw accuracy kept it close, but Brooklyn's defensive activity and better outside return created the decisive cushion.
Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers: Boston's extra possessions outweighed its giveaways
Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers finished Boston Celtics 124, Cleveland Cavaliers 113. Turnovers went Cleveland's way: Boston committed 16 to the Cavaliers' 11. The Celtics still won by owning the boards, 56-39, and making 17 of 47 threes, 36%, against Cleveland's 12-for-36, 33%. Boston also blocked eight shots to the Cavaliers' five.
Luka Garza supplied the slate's strongest individual line for Boston, with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks, according to ESPN's box-score leaders. The Celtics' margin came from more than one player: a large rebounding edge and a stronger three-point return covered for the extra mistakes.
The wider preseason picture
Philadelphia's frontcourt also has a longer-term question hanging over it. ESPN reported that an MRI confirmed 76ers center Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles, a significant absence as the team works through its preseason rotation (ESPN's league update).
Across the five finals, no single style dominated. Atlanta and Miami won the possession battle, Washington leaned on the glass, Brooklyn forced mistakes, and Boston survived a turnover disadvantage with size and shot volume. That is a useful preseason snapshot, not a standings forecast. The next question is which of those habits holds when rotations tighten and the games start counting.
