Seven Preseason Games, Two One-Pointers and a Lot More to Talk About Than Highlights

All seven games are final

Preseason has a habit of making everybody overreact to one good night. I'm not doing that. But October 10 gave us two one-point finishes, a physical overtime game, a Boston blowout, a young big man on the glass and a serious injury concern. Here are the scores and the performances worth knowing.

Toronto 114, Clippers 106

RJ Barrett scored 20 with five rebounds and five assists, Immanuel Quickley had 18 points on five made threes, and Scottie Barnes grabbed 10 boards. Toronto held a 17-point lead after three quarters. The Clippers' 34-point fourth wasn't enough. Takeaway: Toronto's early efficiency mattered more than LA's late burst.

Atlanta 119, Indiana 117

Jalen Johnson had 20 points and seven rebounds, Onyeka Okongwu added 18, and the Hawks survived Indiana's 31–23 fourth quarter. Indiana shot 44.1% from deep. Takeaway: the Hawks won without matching that outside accuracy, but neither defense should be celebrating.

Washington 114, Detroit 108 (OT)

AJ Dybantsa scored 14 with seven rebounds, Anthony Davis put up 10 and 11, and Trae Young dished eight assists with five turnovers. Paul Reed had 11 and nine for Detroit. Washington needed overtime after scoring 40 in the first quarter. Takeaway: the intensity was real; the execution remains inconsistent.

Boston 144, Philadelphia 106

Payton Pritchard posted 25 points and seven assists, Jayson Tatum added 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, and VJ Edgecombe had 19 for Philadelphia. Boston shot 22-for-49 from three. Takeaway: forget just the pregame silence—Boston's on-court performance was overwhelming.

Minnesota 125, Miami 124

Bones Hyland hit five threes on his way to 23 points, Zyon Pullin scored 22 and Joan Beringer had four blocks. Miami's Ryan Conwell finished with 22 points and nine assists. Takeaway: the fringe rotation guys made a real impression in this close one.

Golden State 111, Sacramento 106

Yaxel Lendeborg went for 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, Podziemski scored 14 with seven boards, and Darius Acuff Jr. gave Sacramento 25 and eight assists. Maxime Raynaud scored 10 before leaving with a knee injury. Takeaway: the final score is a footnote to the player-development and injury questions.

Phoenix 102, San Antonio 98

Kennard scored 20, Maluach pulled down 15 rebounds, Jalen Green had 18, and Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 15. Wembanyama had 13, seven rebounds and six assists. Takeaway: the Suns got useful minutes and San Antonio showed promise with more mistakes to fix.

What I'm watching next

It's early, so I'm looking for repeatable habits more than preseason wins. Can Washington take care of the ball? Will Boston keep moving it like this? Which bench guys from Minnesota and Miami can turn one game into a roster role? And can Sacramento get a clear medical update on Raynaud? Those are better questions than acting like any single preseason result predicts a playoff series.