It’s been a week since the NBA 2025-26 season got underway, and there’s plenty of action to unfold already. It has been a record-breaking start to the season for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was named the East’s Player of the Week. The Greek Freak became the first NBA player to start a season with upwards of 60 points, 30 rebounds and more than 10 assists in just two matches.
The Chicago Bulls are sitting pretty atop the league standings with a 3-0 record. The Cleveland Cavaliers are close behind in third place; meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets are yet to win a match so far.
Key Match Summaries
The Bulls got their season underway with a 115-111 win over the Detroit Pistons. Nikola Vučević ran the show with 28 points. They defeated the Orlando Magic 110-98, followed by another 128-123 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are the other team unbeaten in the East. They started their season with a thrilling 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics. VJ Edgecombe smashed 34 points, the most by a debutant since 1959, followed by wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 3-1 so far. An opening defeat against the New York Knicks was followed by three wins on the bounce against the Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. Donovan Mitchell impressed this week under Kenny Atkinson’s high-octane offense.
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Nets in their season opener, followed by a loss against the 76ers. They bounced back with a thumping win over the Washington Wizards.
The Miami Heat are above the Knicks with a 2-1 record. Their season-opening loss against the Orlando Magic was followed by a 146-114 hammering of the Memphis Grizzlies and a narrow win over the Knicks.
Mike Brown’s men will hope to stay ahead of the Bucks before they meet in week 2. The Knicks are 2-1 after losing to Heat. They had earlier stunned the Cavaliers 119-111 in an early-season heavyweight clash, followed by an easy win over the Celtics.
Despite Giannis’ brilliance, the Bucks were beaten by the Cavaliers 118-113. Before that, they did beat the Wizards and the Toronto Raptors.
The Detroit Pistons occupy the last playoff berth after losing their season opener to the Bulls. They fought back with a narrow win over Kevin Durant’s Houston Rockets, before beating the Celtics, but the Pistons were no match for the Cavaliers.
The Wizards, Raptors, Hawks, Magic and Celtics have all won just one game at the end of week 1. Meanwhile, the Pacers and Nets have yet to register a single win so far this season, ahead of what could be a very difficult campaign for both sides.
Standout Players and Performances
Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest Sofascore average rating (9.23) in the Eastern Conference. 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (8.77) also features among the best-rated players. LaMelo Ball (8.43) has scored 28.3 points per match, meanwhile Jalen Brunson (8.13) has amassed 30.3 points per match after week 1. Cole Anthony (7.95), VJ Edgecombe (7.93) and Pascal Siakam (7.9) also feature among the best from the opening week.
League Table & Impact
As mentioned previously, the Chicago Bulls are leading the Eastern Conference alongside fellow unbeaten side Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers are close behind, followed by the Hornets, Miami Heat and New York Knicks. The Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons are in the playoffs berth contention just yet.
The Wizards are in ninth place, followed by the Raptors and the Hawks. Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics are close behind, just ahead of bottom-placed Pacers and Nets.
Injuries and Suspension Updates
The Nets could have Ziaire Williams and Egor Denmin back soon. Coby White’s injury will be evaluated this week. Sam Merrill is being monitored on a day-to-day basis by the Cavaliers. Darius Garland (toe) is nearing full fitness. The Pistons will monitor Marcus Sasser and Caris LeVert.
The Pacers have quite a few men out injured; Taelon Peter, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin are all sidelined. Simone Fontecchio is being monitored regularly by the Heat. Cole Anthony and Kyle Kuzma could feature in the Bucks’ next outing. The Knicks have three players being monitored on a day-to-day basis.
Looking Ahead
The NBA Cup makes its season debut this week. The marquee matchup in week 2 will see the Milwaukee Bucks host Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The 76ers will face the Wizards, followed by Heat’s meeting with the Hornets.
Toronto Raptors will take on Houston Rockets, while the Pistons will face Orlando Magic. The Cavaliers will want to continue their winning run as they will face the Celtics, while the Hawks face bottom-placed Nets. Chicago Bulls’ unbeaten start will be challenged by the Sacramento King.