Attention Planet Earth: the war of the worlds has been lost. The Aliens have taken over.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Lonzo Ball, Lou Williams, Rick Carlisle, Evan Turner, and Andrew Bynum! 🎉

Game Recaps

Wemby’s 31 PTS, 6 BLK propel Spurs past Nets 118-107, San Antonio moves to 3-0

Remember the guy who analysts said might be the greatest prospect in the history of team sports? Turns out they might not have been overselling it.

Over the weekend, Victor Wembanyama put together his third dominant performance in as many games, racking up 31 PTS, 14 REB, 6 BLK, and 3 STL in San Antonio’s double-digit win over Brooklyn. The dub moved the Spurs to 3-0 on the young season, while Wemby’s masterclass made him the first player in NBA history with 100+ PTS and 15+ BLK in the first three games of a campaign. For the Nets, Cam Thomas notched 40 PTS and helped spark a comeback bid in the third quarter, but San Antonio ultimately closed the game on a 10-0 run to secure the win.

After missing the back stretch of last season with blood clots in his shoulder, Wemby says he isn’t taking basketball “for granted.” That’s shown in his play on the court, where he creates a new category of highlight nearly every time out. The Spurs are appointment viewing this season, and it isn’t hard to find the reason why— after all, he’s 7-foot-4.

Reaves scores career-high 51, Lakers dispatch Kings 127-120

No LeBron? No Luka? No problem for L.A.

The Lakers earned their second win of the season Sunday night behind a career performance from Austin Reaves, who went off for 51 PTS, 11 REB, and 9 AST in a shootout victory. Reaves was +22 during his minutes on the floor, hit 21/22 free throws, and nailed six threes en route to a near-50 point trip dub. Take a bow, Austin!

Sacramento’s Zach LaVine notched his third straight 30+ point game to open his age 30 season, while DeMar DeRozan added 21 and Russell Westbrook added 18 off the bench, including this diabolical stare down which was probably worth another two points. But it wasn’t enough against Reaves, who will run the show for the Lakers as Luka misses at least a week with finger and leg injuries.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• For much of the offseason, it wasn’t clear whether or not Quentin Grimes would be back in a 76ers uniform. Now, he’s a Philly hero. In the Sixers’ 125-121 win over Charlotte, Grimes scored 24 PTS off the bench and connected on a clutch three to put Philly ahead with 15 seconds to go. Icey.

• After that loss in Philly, the Hornets bounced back with a 139-113 win at Washington with LaMelo Ball leading the way. The former No. 3 overall pick stuffed the stat sheet with 38 PTS, 13 AST, and 13 REB, providing a glimpse of the production he’s capable of in the right system. Rookie Kon Knueppel has also been effective for the 2-1 Hornets, including a 20-point effort against the Wizards. There’s a buzz in Charlotte… 🐝

• Luka isn’t the only star guard in the West who could miss time. In Minnesota’s 114-110 win over the Pacers, Anthony Edwards exited the game with a hamstring injury and did not return as Julius Randle filled the scoring gap with 31 PTS. Coach Chris Finch did not provide an update on Ant’s status post-game.

• The Thunder have kept rolling to begin the new season, and those max extensions they gave to Shai, Chet, and J-Dub in the offseason are starting to look like bargains. After SGA’s ridiculous scoring start, Holmgren joined the party with a 31-point performance in OKC’s 117-100 win over Atlanta.

• Cedric Coward played Division III basketball three years ago and was originally supposed to be hooping at Duke this season. Now, he looks right at home on an NBA court. In Memphis’s Saturday night clash with the Pacers, Coward scored 22 of his 27 PTS in the second half and hit all six of his threes to help the Grizz to a 128-103 win. Talk about an Enjoyable story!

Enjoy Survey Results

Last week, we asked you to make your predictions for the winners and awards of the 2025-26 NBA season. Let’s break down the most popular picks for each category…

1. Who will win the Most Valuable Player award?

   🥇 Nikola Jokic

   🥈 Luka Doncic

2. Who will win the Defensive Player of the Year award?

   🥇 Victor Wembanyama

   🥈 Evan Mobley

3. Who will win the Sixth Man of the Year award?

   🥇 Naz Reid

   🥈 Josh Hart

4. Who will win the Rookie of the Year award?

   🥇 Cooper Flagg

   🥈 Ace Bailey

5. Who will win the Most Improved Player award?

   🥇 Amen Thompson

   🥈 Andrew Nembhard

6. Who will win the Coach of the Year award?

   🥇 Ime Udoka

   🥈 Mike Brown

7. Who will be the #1 seed in the Western Conference?

   🥇 Oklahoma City Thunder

   🥈 Houston Rockets

8. Who will be the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference?

   🥇 Cleveland Cavaliers

   🥈 New York Knicks

9. Who will WIN the Western Conference?

   🥇 Oklahoma City Thunder

   🥈 Denver Nuggets

10. Who will WIN the Eastern Conference?

    🥇 New York Knicks

    🥈 Cleveland Cavaliers

11. Who will win the NBA championship?

    🥇 Oklahoma City Thunder

    🥈 Denver Nuggets

    🥉 New York Knicks

12. What is your hottest take/wildest prediction for the season ahead? (some of our favorites)

    • “Benedict Mathurin will make an All-NBA team.”

    • “The 76ers will win it all behind VJ Edgecombe’s strong rookie year, resurgences of Paul George and Joel Embiid, and quality performances from Dominick Barlow and Trendon Watford.”

    • “Payton Pritchard is gonna be top five in the league in assists.”

    • “Erik Spoelstra leads the Heat to a very unexpected #2 seed and wins Coach of the Year.”

    • “Kevin Durant wins MVP.”

Stay tuned for the end of the season, when we look back and see which Enjoyers had it right!

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to give yourself grace in your day-to-day life. There’s nothing wrong with holding high standards, but accepting that we all make mistakes is crucial to a healthy headspace. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan