Victor Wembanyama's 43 points helped San Antonio recover from a Minnesota surge, while Philadelphia and Houston made late control look like a repeatable skill. Cleveland's second-quarter burst and Memphis's franchise-matching start gave the seven-game Halloween slate two different measures of separation.
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Houston Rockets: Houston owns the arc
Houston made 18 of 41 three-pointers to Oklahoma City's 10 of 32, the clearest gap in a 119-98 Rockets win. The ESPN box score also shows Houston with 29 assists to 20 and 10 turnovers to the Thunder's 13. The Rockets created more clean looks and wasted fewer possessions.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 points and Marcus Smart added 24, while Alperen Sengun returned with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Oklahoma City briefly trimmed a large deficit before halftime, but Houston opened the third quarter with an 8-0 burst and kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way, according to the ESPN recap. The Thunder's 26 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could not overcome a night when its usual pressure did not produce enough stops or extra possessions.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ San Antonio Spurs: Wembanyama restores order
The blocks tell the story of San Antonio's response: the Spurs swatted nine shots to Minnesota's two. They also won the glass 49-38 and made 25 of 31 free throws, compared with 22 of 26 for the Timberwolves, per the ESPN box score.
Minnesota had moved ahead 51-46 with a 16-0 run before San Antonio opened the second half on a 13-4 answer. Victor Wembanyama finished with 43 points, seven rebounds, six blocks and four assists, a season high in scoring. The ESPN recap notes that the Timberwolves were without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. San Antonio still had to earn its way back into the game, and Wembanyama's rim protection gave the comeback a foundation beyond the headline total.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Charlotte Hornets: Maxey closes the door
Philadelphia's eight turnovers against Charlotte's 18 made the difference in a five-point finish. The 76ers also made 14 of 35 threes, while the Hornets went 14 of 39, and Philadelphia held a narrow 27-26 edge in assists. Those totals are in the ESPN box score.
Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points and put Philadelphia ahead for good with two free throws in the final two minutes. Charlotte had led 97-90 after Brandon Miller blocked a layup and set up a dunk, but Anfernee Simons answered with two baskets before Maxey took over the closing possessions, according to the ESPN recap. The 76ers were without LeBron James and Joel Embiid after playing the previous night. This was not a comfortable win, but Maxey kept a seven-point hole from becoming a damaging road loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Milwaukee Bucks: Cleveland's second quarter changes everything
Cleveland controlled the glass 56-45, moved the ball for 41 assists to Milwaukee's 33, and made 20 of 46 three-pointers while the Bucks went 17 of 51. The ESPN box score captures a 136-111 result built on more than one hot stretch.
The hot stretch was still the turning point. Milwaukee led 25-24 after one quarter, then Cleveland scored 48 in the second and carried a 72-46 lead into halftime. Evan Mobley had 27 points and Jarrett Allen added 25 points and 11 rebounds; Cleveland stretched the margin to 34 in the third quarter, per the ESPN recap. A 48-point quarter can make a game look simple in retrospect. The rebounding and passing edges explain why the surge held.
The wider note: Memphis matches its best start
Memphis shot 47 of 85 from the field to Sacramento's 35 of 86, then added a 19-of-38 three-point night and a 45-33 rebounding advantage in a 136-105 win. The ESPN box score shows the Grizzlies also finished with 30 assists to 25. Rookie Cameron Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
That result lifted Memphis to 6-0, the only unbeaten record in the league, and matched the best start in franchise history, set in 2014-15, according to the ESPN recap. The early-season note is not just that the Grizzlies are winning. They are already matching a mark that has stood for more than a decade, with enough shooting and ball movement to make the record feel earned rather than accidental.
