Our NBA week 1 winners and losers start with a reminder: one week rarely decides a season. Still, the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season, played from October 21 to 26 in Philippine time, produced a historic start in Minnesota, a record comeback in Philadelphia, and a rough title defense in New York.
These are the teams whose first week said the most, good or bad, with records through the games of October 25 in the US. For daily coverage, follow our NBA news and game recaps.
Winner: Minnesota Timberwolves
No team looked better than Minnesota. The Timberwolves opened 3-0 with wins over the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors, by 25, 22, and 23 points. That made them only the third team in NBA history to win its first three games of a season by 20 or more points each.
The offseason trade for LaMelo Ball is already paying off. In his Target Center debut, a 117-94 win over Toronto, Ball had 15 points and eight assists and was plus-33 in 16 minutes, while Anthony Edwards scored 26 in 27 minutes. Minnesota shot 56% from the field in that game and won the rebounding battle 49-34.
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
The rebuilt 76ers backed up their offseason. They spoiled the Knicks’ championship ring night in the opener, then erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106. According to the NBA, it was only the 10th time since 1997-98 that a team had won after trailing by 29 or more, and it was the biggest comeback win of LeBron James’ career.
Philadelphia then beat Milwaukee 127-116 without James, who sat out with lower back pain. Joel Embiid posted a triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Jaylen Brown scored 27 on his 30th birthday as the Sixers won their first three games.
Winner and loser: Oklahoma City Thunder
On the court, Oklahoma City’s week was close to perfect. The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, as we previewed in our Thunder vs Spurs preview, and closed the week with a 108-101 win over the LA Clippers.
The cost was huge. Jalen Williams fractured his left fibula and dislocated his left ankle late in that win over the Clippers and will need surgery, with no timeline set for his return. Guard Cason Wallace will also need surgery. Williams, a former All-Star and All-NBA selection, missed 49 games last season, so the Thunder again face a long stretch without their second-best player.
Winner: Houston Rockets
Houston was one of the West’s other unbeaten teams after the first week. The Rockets beat Dallas in the opener, then took down San Antonio and Atlanta to improve to 3-0.
The win over the Spurs carried the most weight. San Antonio reached last season’s NBA Finals, and beating them early is a sign that the Rockets, who finished fifth in the West a year ago, can compete with the conference’s best teams this season.
Winner and loser: Orlando Magic
Orlando lost Paolo Banchero to a high right ankle sprain against Minnesota, an injury expected to keep him out for about four to six weeks. It’s a major blow, since Banchero is the team’s leading scorer. Jalen Suggs then left the Knicks game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter.
Even so, the Magic won that game 111-102 at Madison Square Garden for their first victory under head coach Sean Sweeney. Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as Orlando outscored New York 35-16 over the final nine-plus minutes. Banchero’s absence also matters for awards, since players generally need 65 games to qualify, a rule explained in our NBA season format guide.
Loser: New York Knicks
The defending champions opened 0-3, losing to Philadelphia, to Boston 107-103, and to Orlando. They became the first defending champion to start a season 0-3 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.
The Orlando loss was the most worrying. New York led by 10 with just over nine minutes left, then committed eight of its 14 turnovers in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds, so the issue so far has been closing games, not star production.
Loser: Miami Heat
Miami traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo to contend, but the first week went the other way. The Heat lost to Minnesota, to Detroit 128-111, and to Charlotte 115-110, where Brandon Miller scored 34 points for the Hornets.
Antetokounmpo has done his part individually, scoring 35 and 36 points in his first two games. But it is the first 0-3 start in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s 19 seasons in charge, and Miami’s worst start since it lost its first five games in 2007-08.
What week 1 tells us
A three-game sample is small, and every team on this list still has nearly 80 games to change its story. Injuries already look like the biggest storyline, with Williams, Banchero, and Suggs all hurt in the first week.
Week 2 will show whether Minnesota’s blowouts and Philadelphia’s comebacks are signs of something lasting, and whether New York and Miami can turn their starts around.
