PAYTON
PRITCHARD.
25 PTS · 7 AST · 5 THREES
The scorer who set the tone in Boston's 144-point win. Coming off the bench, he gave the Celtics instant production and helped make the whole offense look comfortable.
4DK NBA NIGHTCAP · PRESEASON · OCTOBER 10, 2026BOSTON DROPS 144.
BOSTON DROPS 144.
YAXEL BREAKS OUT.
WIZARDS SURVIVE OT.
Seven games, seven final scores. Boston's offense exploded, Yaxel Lendeborg kept making his case, Washington found a way to survive overtime, and the rest of the league gave us more to think about than exhibition records.
7 GAMES · ALL FINALOCTOBER 10, 20264DK ORIGINAL NIGHTCAP
PLAYER OF THE NIGHTPayton Pritchard · 25 PTS
ROOKIE SPOTLIGHTYaxel Lendeborg · 23 / 10 / 6
GAME OF THE NIGHTWizards 114, Pistons 108 (OT)
BIGGEST TEAM SHOWINGBoston · 144 points
THE 4DK READ
DON'T CONFUSE THE SCOREBOARD WITH THE STORY.
It's the preseason, and we're not about to hand out championship trophies for October exhibitions. But seven games gave us a useful snapshot of who's sharpening a role, who's pushing for minutes and which teams are still searching for rhythm. Boston's 144 is impossible to ignore. Pritchard led the Celtics in scoring, Tatum looked comfortable, and Golden State's rookie made sure the Warriors weren't just another Curry headline.
Washington's overtime win had everything an exhibition shouldn't need to be entertaining: an early runaway, a Detroit comeback, an ejection and late-game responses from young players. Phoenix's frontcourt got an encouraging moment against Wemby, and Minnesota–Miami delivered a one-point finish without requiring the biggest stars to carry the show.
Here's the entire slate, the standout numbers, and what we're actually taking into the regular season.
TONIGHT'S HONORS
THE NIGHTCAP AWARDS.
One night. Different kinds of impact. Our picks are about this slate—not a prediction of the season's final hierarchy.
PAYTON
YAXEL
LENDEBORG.
23 PTS · 10 REB · 6 AST
Six assists are what make this more than a scoring breakout. His size, movement and feel could unlock real combinations in Golden State's rotation.
WASHINGTON
VS. DETROIT.
WIZARDS 114 · PISTONS 108 · OT
A 40–20 Washington first quarter, a Detroit comeback, Trae's third-quarter ejection and a young Wizards group finding another answer.
THE ENTIRE OCTOBER 10 SLATESEVEN GAMES.
SEVEN GAMES.
SEVEN REAL STORIES.
Final scores and grounded analysis. The 4DK perspective goes beyond a one-line scoreboard.
GAME 01 / 07FINAL
BOS144
—PHI106
BOSTON MAKES THE BIGGEST STATEMENT
PAYTON PRITCHARD • 25 PTS · 7 AST | JAYSON TATUM • 23 PTS
A 38-point preseason blowout does not make anyone a champion in October, but it does tell us something about the difference between a team finding its rhythm and one still waiting to see its complete rotation. Boston put up 144 against Philadelphia, with Payton Pritchard scoring 25 off the bench and Jayson Tatum adding 23. Pritchard hit five threes; Tatum did his damage without needing a fourth-quarter shift. Paul George also made his Celtics preseason debut, giving this remade group another look at how the pieces can fit. Philadelphia played without LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, so there's no reason to pretend this was a full-strength East showdown. Still, Boston's offensive spacing and depth stood out. VJ Edgecombe gave Philadelphia 19 points, four assists and four steals, one positive in a night that got away quickly.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
The real test is whether Boston's scoring balance holds once rotations tighten, while Philadelphia has to get its stars on the floor together before any real conclusions are fair.
GAME 02 / 07FINAL
GSW111
—SAC106
YAXEL IS MAKING THE ROTATION CONVERSATION REAL
YAXEL LENDEBORG • 23 PTS · 10 REB · 6 AST | DARIUS ACUFF JR. • 25 PTS · 8 AST
Golden State came away with the win, but the larger story was the rookie who filled the box score in multiple ways. Yaxel Lendeborg's 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists are the kind of all-around line that forces a coaching staff to think seriously about opportunity. The scoring matters; so does the ability to move the ball and rebound without the offense stopping. For a team still trying to find reliable help around Stephen Curry, a versatile forward earning meaningful minutes would be a development worth watching. Sacramento rookie Darius Acuff Jr. answered with 25 points and eight assists, giving the Kings a bright individual performance despite the loss. One serious note overshadowed the basketball: Kings center Maxime Raynaud exited with a right-knee injury. We are not putting a timetable or diagnosis on it without a confirmed medical update.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
Golden State wants Lendeborg's effort to turn into consistent rotation value. Sacramento wants Acuff's creation to keep growing—and, above all, good news on Raynaud's knee.
GAME 03 / 07FINAL / OT
WAS114
—DET108
WASHINGTON SURVIVES THE GAME OF THE NIGHT
FINAL / OVERTIME • AJ DYBANTSA 14 PTS · 7 REB
This was the kind of exhibition that reminded us why the final score is only part of the story. Washington raced to a 40–20 opening quarter, then watched Detroit work back into a game the Wizards seemed to have controlled. The Pistons even moved in front late, but Washington's younger and reserve groups steadied themselves and pushed the matchup to a 114–108 overtime victory. Tre Johnson and Will Riley scored 15 apiece for the Wizards; AJ Dybantsa supplied 14 points and seven rebounds. Trae Young finished with eight assists but was ejected following an altercation during the third quarter. For a team building a new culture, the comeback against them is a warning and the late response is encouraging. For Detroit, making a game out of a 20-point first-quarter hole shows resolve even if the closing execution still needs polish.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
We are watching Washington's young players more than its preseason record. Dybantsa's involvement and the team's response under pressure were valuable parts of this one.
GAME 04 / 07FINAL
MIN125
—MIA124
THE BENCH GUYS TURN IT INTO A THRILLER
BONES HYLAND • 23 PTS | RYAN CONWELL • 22 PTS · 9 AST
Minnesota got a one-point win in a game that belonged to players fighting for roles rather than established stars logging heavy workloads. Bones Hyland led the Wolves with 23 points and connected on five of his six three-point attempts. Miami's Ryan Conwell countered with 22 points and nine assists, showing why second-unit creation deserves attention even when the top-line names are resting. The Wolves held on 125–124, but the takeaway for both teams was less about the final possession and more about depth: can these bursts of offense survive a regular-season rotation, and which reserve guards can be trusted when a game gets fast? Every preseason roster has players who can put up a number once; the ones who repeat it and defend tend to stay on the floor.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
Hyland's shot-making and Conwell's playmaking belong on the next-games watch list. One-point preseason finishes can reveal more about bench decision-making than a comfortable win.
GAME 05 / 07FINAL
PHX102
—SAS98
PHOENIX'S YOUNG BIG MAKES HIS CASE
LUKE KENNARD • 20 PTS | KHAMAN MALUACH • 10 PTS · 15 REB
Phoenix finished the late window with a 102–98 win over San Antonio. Luke Kennard supplied a team-high 20 points, but Khaman Maluach's 10 points and 15 rebounds gave the Suns a different kind of headline. An imposing young big getting a real test against Victor Wembanyama is worth a longer look than the preseason win-loss column. The Spurs got 15 from Dylan Harper, while Wembanyama scored 13 and led San Antonio with six assists. De'Aaron Fox sat with hip tightness. San Antonio also saw Carter Bryant leave early after twisting an ankle, making health a more immediate concern than the four-point loss. We're not panicking over the Spurs' 0–2 exhibition record, but their smaller lineup combinations still need work if they are going to consistently finish possessions on the glass.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
Maluach's rebounding and interior presence are encouraging for Phoenix. San Antonio's focus is lineup cohesion and health as the real opener gets closer.
GAME 06 / 07FINAL
TOR114
—LAC106
TORONTO FINDS AN OFFENSIVE RESPONSE IN VANCOUVER
RJ BARRETT • 20 PTS | IMMANUEL QUICKLEY • 18 PTS
The Raptors gave their Vancouver crowd a 114–106 preseason win, paced by RJ Barrett's 20 points and Immanuel Quickley's 18. Scottie Barnes added 10 rebounds, the sort of detail that matters when evaluating Toronto beyond whichever scorer gets the highlight package. The Raptors' best version depends on multiple ball-handlers keeping defenses moving, with Barnes setting a physical two-way tone and the backcourt finishing plays. The Clippers received 14 points from Rui Hachimura but couldn't match Toronto's overall production. Both teams are still feeling out rotations, so we won't pretend this settles a larger conference debate. What it does show is a Toronto group with enough scoring options to avoid putting every half-court possession on one player.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
The important next step is consistent creation against settled defenses, not just one efficient preseason night.
GAME 07 / 07FINAL
ATL119
—IND117
JALEN JOHNSON SETS THE PACE
JALEN JOHNSON • 20 PTS · 7 REB · 3 AST
Atlanta edged Indiana 119–117 with Jalen Johnson providing 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. He hit eight of 12 shots, an efficient lead performance in a close game. Indiana, which got 13 points from Kelly Oubre Jr., made a late push after entering the fourth quarter down double figures, but it wasn't enough. This is a useful reminder that Johnson's ability to score, rebound and initiate action gives Atlanta more than a traditional one-dimensional wing. The Hawks' challenge is turning those varied skills into a repeatable half-court attack against teams loading up on him. Indiana showed offensive life late and will want to build on those possessions rather than wait until the fourth to find urgency.
WHAT MATTERS NEXT
A good preseason sign for Johnson; a reminder for both teams that late execution is just as important as early rhythm.
TONIGHT BY THE NUMBERS
THE RECEIPTS.
144CELTICS POINTS VS. PHILADELPHIA
23 / 10 / 6YAXEL LENDEBORG'S FULL LINE
25 / 7PRITCHARD POINTS / ASSISTS
15KHAMAN MALUACH REBOUNDS
40–20WASHINGTON'S FIRST QUARTER VS. DETROIT
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THE 4DK NIGHTLY STANDARD
THE ARCHIVE KEEPS GROWING.
October 9 stays right where it belongs. Every completed Nightcap remains available, and the latest one moves to the top of the NBA desk. We'll keep reporting the results first, then explaining what actually matters.
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