Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are facing the Heat in their season opener on ESPN.
The NBA season opening week continues tonight with 11 games!
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball are making their debuts as Heat host the Timberwolves (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), followed by a duel between superstars Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić, as the Warriors meet the Lakers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Follow along for updates throughout the night.
11 games on the slate tonight.
The Miami Heat are hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), marking the official debut for two of the blockbuster moves of the offseason.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball made their respective debuts, as Anthony Edwards starts his 7th NBA season.
Steph Curry and the Warriors open their 2026-27 campaign vs. Luka Dončić and the Lakers at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
9:59 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Ant on parade
Timberwolves 114, Heat 90 | 4Q, 5:43
Anthony Edwards (40 pts on 15-for-26 FGA, 8 3PM) has made ESPN’s opening contest of the 2026-27 NBA season his own, dominating Miami en route to a historic performance.
ANTHONY EDWARDS IS ON FIRE FROM DEEP 🎯
36 PTS
7 3PM
Wolves lead in Q3! pic.twitter.com/L9d8lrap3o
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
9:56 p.m. ET / OCT 21
A little Luka Magic
Never gets old.
Luka hits the halfcourt shot during warmups ➡️ pushups for the @Lakers staff 😅
The Lakers open their 2026-27 season at home against the Warriors at 10pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/v2AyxB7yDr
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
9:43 p.m. ET / OCT 21
‘Putting on a show for the district’
Wizards 128, Bucks 116 | FT
Anthony Davis: 34 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast | Trae Young: 20 pts, 13 ast | Tyler Herro: 24 pts, 4 3PM
The Wizards took control late to dispatch the Bucks, earning their first win of their season in front of an excited crowd at Capital One Arena.
Washington posted 28 assists on 45 field goals to 11 turnovers, paced by Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
“We got the win,” said Davis. “Feels good!”
“This is what Wizards’ basketball looks like moving forward. Multiple ball-handlers; everyone on the floor can score,” said Monumental Sports’ Chris Miller. “The more you can do, the better.”
9:33 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Ant with a flamethrower
Timberwolves 96, Heat 81 | 3Q, 1:23
Anthony Edwards is making a statement in Miami to start the campaign.
ANTHONY EDWARDS IS ON FIRE FROM DEEP 🎯
36 PTS
7 3PM
Wolves lead in Q3! pic.twitter.com/L9d8lrap3o
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
9:31 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Bilal!
Wizards 124, Bucks 111 | 4Q, 1:42
Bilal Coulibaly (11 pts, 3 stl) just threw down a ridiculous tip-in slam for the Wizards, coming in from the left wing to throw it down with the right hand.
OMG BILAL pic.twitter.com/AsfjONddvI
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 22, 2026
One more highlight on a celebratory night in D.C.
9:24 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Hawks-Magic going down to the wire
Magic 109, Hawks 108 | 4Q, 8:07
It’s been a barn-burner between these two division rivals, as Paolo Banchero (31 pts on 8-for-9 FGA, 12-for-16 FTA) exerts his will offensively.
Atlanta has five scorers in double-figures, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20 pts) and CJ McCollum (19 pts on 7-for-9 FGA, 4 3PM).
The Hawks have won the last five games over the Magic, dating back to the 2024-25 season. Can Orlando scratch one out tonight?
9:18 p.m. ET / OCT 21
It’s lit in Washington
Wizards 105, Bucks 98 | 4Q, 8:13
Julian Champagnie just crashed to the rim for a transition layup, giving the Wizards a little wiggle room late and firing up the crowd at the Capital One Arena.
“It’s rocking in here right now,” said Monumental Sports’ John Wall.
Anthony Davis (30 pts, 11 reb) and Trae Young (17 pts, 11 ast, 2 stl) have it working for their new squad.
“It’s just different, Chris,” said Monumental Sports’ Drew Gooden. “This is different.”
9:13 p.m. ET / OCT 21
LaMelo lets it fly
Timberwolves 78, Heat 70 | 3Q, 7:46
The shifty guard out of Chino Hills is always a threat to step back and finid the range.
Then, Anthony Edwards shakes former Timberwolf Andrew Wiggins to knock down a 3-pointer, jawing with the crowd in this competitive matchup.
ALL OF THIS >>>> pic.twitter.com/6lB7DROzyg
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 22, 2026
9:04 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Brown Jr. in the books
Hornets 62, Nets 60 | 3Q, 8:49
The No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Louisville stretches to the rim for the finish to open his NBA career.
Mikel Brown Jr. scores his first NBA bucket!
A nice finish through contact 😤 pic.twitter.com/6YE6LgFY7s
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
8:52 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Superstars dueling on ESPN
Timberwolves 69, Heat 59 | HT
A fun battle between two of the league’s best.
Ant and Giannis go back and forth 😤
Anthony Edwards: 21 PTS
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 21 PTS
Wolves lead at the break! pic.twitter.com/VAL8Bq12Uq
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
8:48 p.m. ET / OCT 21
A tip-off for Tyrese
Pelicans 41, Pacers 38 | 2Q, 8:12
Tyrese Haliburton (7 pts, 3 ast) is back to work his magic for the Indiana Pacers, showing off his skill against the Pelicans.
Sent ’em flying ✈️
A pumpfake & triple for Tyrese Haliburton. pic.twitter.com/cbHwVrfsfM
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 22, 2026
8:43 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Beware of Paolo
Hawks 81, Magic 72 | 3Q, 7:41
Paolo Banchero (23 pts on 6-for-7 FGA) is our top scorer of the evening so far, getting in his bag against the Hawks.
Paolo is 5-for-5 from the field 💯
He’s got a game-high 15 PTS in the first half! pic.twitter.com/kAa1qvoRcP
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
We last saw Banchero dropping 38 points in a valiant effort against the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round. The Duke product is vying to become an elite scorer in this league.
8:39 p.m. ET / OCT 21
A tribute for Stacey King
Heartfelt and real.
“I know exactly who he was, I know what his gift could do, and I know that we were all just a little happier, a little better off, for getting to hear the song…for as long as we did.”@adamamin gives a touching tribute to his late partner, Stacey King ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VPRP58XjOA
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 21, 2026
8:33 p.m. ET / OCT 21
The first for Peterson
Jazz 21, Grizzlies 17 | 1Q, 3:42
No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson demonstrates the deft touch with his first bucket of his NBA career.
Darryn Peterson scores his first NBA basket 👏
Jazz/Grizzlies is LIVE on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/EwnMWxunmz
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
8:26 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Our top two slams of the night
Brandon Miller delivers an 84.4 on the Dunk Score scale; Onyeka Okongwu a 71.9.
Brandon Miller SOARS for the slam 💥
He’s got 12 PTS in Q1! pic.twitter.com/b6D8mWeODn
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
Jalen Johnson ➡️ Onyeka Okongwu
A smooth alley-oop SLAM! pic.twitter.com/ioTyCzUFBC
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
8:24 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Giannis on the attack
Timberwolves 42, Heat 39 | 2Q, 8:07
Giannis Antetokounmpo (19 pts in 12 minutes) is going off in front of his new home crowd, including shaking and baking Rudy Gobert with a hesitation dribble for a layup.
“That’s just a nightmare for Rudy Gobert,” said ESPN’s Tim Legler.
8:10 p.m. ET / OCT 21
Klay raining in Miami
Timberwolves 34, Heat 30 | 1Q, 0:51
The legendary shooter becomes the fourth player in NBA history to make 2,900 3-pointers with this make from the corner. He’s chasing Heat legend Ray Allen (2,973).
2,900 pic.twitter.com/KqycfPTVFs
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 21, 2026
8:05 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
Kawhi looks relaxed in his return to Toronto
Raptors 21, Bulls 10 | 1Q, 3:57
No braids, silky touch — Kawhi Leonard’s in his element at Scotiabank Arena.
Kawhi MAKING PLAYS on both ends in his Raptors return 😤
Sinks a 3.
Steal & assist. pic.twitter.com/UDY9bih0lI
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026
8:00 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
LaMelo is balling for Minnesota
Timberwolves 29, Heat 21 | 1Q, 3:41
LaMelo drilled a 3-pointer from the logo to open his account for the Timberwolves. Classic from the one-time All-Star.
FIRST OFFICIAL BUCKET AS A TIMBERWOLVES PLAYER. 👌 pic.twitter.com/rVYcjsCVex
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 21, 2026
7:50 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
Giannis on the board
Timberwolves 17, Heat 17 | 1Q, 7:08
The Greek Freak pulls up smoothly for his first bucket in South Beach, as the first game of our ESPN doubleheader gets underway.
Giannis scores his first bucket in his Miami debut 🔥
Wolves/Heat is LIVE on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/VWtbJcThFA
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
7:32 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
‘M-V-P’ chants for Davis
Wizards 22, Bucks 18 | 1Q, 3:40
“Listen to the crowd, the ovation for one Anthony Davis,” said Chris Miller, as AD (10 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl) took a rest.
Anthony Davis is in ATTACK MODE early 😤
He’s up to 10 PTS in the first quarter of his Washington debut! pic.twitter.com/sCh7AHfvEr
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
Davis has looked energized by his new home fans, as well as his springy young teammates.
Kyshawn George (7 pts) threw down a dunk in transition earlier in the period, beating the Bucks down floor to catch a go-ahead feed from Trae Young (3 ast).
7:22 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
AD shining in his new threads
Wizards 16, Bucks 13 | 1Q, 5:31
Anthony Davis (7 pts, 3 reb) is off to a quick start for Washington, crashing the glass a moment ago to tip in a missed Trae Young floater, then knocking down a 3-pointer.
The 10-time NBA All-Star is one of the best players to suit up for the Wizards in recent memory. It’s a fun night in Capital One Arena.
7:10 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
Wizards hit the floor in the district
Trae Young, Anthony Davis and the new-look Wizards are making their entrance, ready to take on Tyler Herro and the Milwaukee Bucks,
We’ll see if this revitalized squad can gel — I’m excited to watch Trae Young and Anthony Davis run the pick-and-roll.
6:40 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
The stars resume their orbits
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard are on the hardwood, ready to start a new season.
Giannis warms up ahead of his Miami debut 💪
The Heat open their season against the Wolves at home at 7:30pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/ppYYkoBMYq
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
Power level: LOADING… ⏳ pic.twitter.com/zcl9MWPckz
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 21, 2026
Kawhi is feelin’ it in warmups 🎯
He’ll make his @Raptors return TONIGHT in their season opener against the Bulls at 7:30pm/et on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/zh6L2un04F
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
6:30 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
A top-notch draft matchup
These two last met in the 2026 NBA Summer League, where Peterson (25 pts, 12 ast, 3 3PM, 2 stl) led the Jazz over Boozer (18 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast) and the Grizzlies 109-100.
What’s in store tonight?
A PAIR OF NBA ROOKIES ARE HERE 🔥
No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer make their NBA debuts TONIGHT!
🍿 Utah/Memphis
📺 8:00pm/et on NBA League Pass pic.twitter.com/4HyS0tEmzS
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
5:45 p.m. ET / OCT. 21
The guards are styling
Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton are making their season debuts tonight.
Ant arrives for the @Timberwolves season opener 🔥@anthonyedwards opens Year 7 on the road against the Heat TONIGHT at 7:30pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/IHQuM8iGAT
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
LaMelo is in the building for his Wolves debut ‼️@MELOD1P and the @Timberwolves open their season in Miami against the Heat at 7:30pm/et on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/2C2NIgVSQY
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
Trae Young arrives for Washington’s season opener 👏
The Wizards square off against the Bucks at 7:00pm/et on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/5BfZUyaTvz
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
Tyrese Haliburton arrives for his first game back in 486 days!
Indiana opens their 2026-27 NBA season against New Orleans at 8:00pm/et on NBA League Pass 🏀 pic.twitter.com/BMvWSzW0tt
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
4:23 PM / OCT. 21
1 storyline to follow for every team
With 22 teams in action tonight, NBA.com’s Shaun Powell writes that “every team has a reason to believe something special could be ahead.”
12:05 PM / OCT. 21
NBA games tonight
The second night of the regular season brings 11 matchups and plenty of storylines. The action starts at 7 p.m ET!
22 TEAMS OPEN THEIR SEASON TONIGHT!
🏀 New duos Ant & LaMelo and Giannis & Bam duel in Miami
🏀 Steph, GSW visit Luka, LAL
🏀 Kawhi returns to TOR, faces No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson, CHI
🏀 Hali, Kyrie and Dame return to regular-season action
🏀 Durant, HOU & Flagg, DAL meet in a… pic.twitter.com/SgXak5IEHa
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026