The NBA played a full 15-game slate on Monday before pausing on Election Day, and it did not lack drama. The league’s last unbeaten team finally lost, Luka Dončić kept rewriting the record book, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a decisive shot in a game full of lead changes. Here are the main takeaways, based on NBA.com’s nightly recap.

1. Pelicans end Memphis’ perfect start in overtime

The Grizzlies entered the night 6-0 and looking for the first 7-0 start in franchise history. New Orleans beat them 135-134 in overtime. Ty Jerome scored 40 points for Memphis, including a personal 9-0 run in the final 1:43 of regulation to force extra time. Zion Williamson countered with 25 points and 11 rebounds, scoring nine in the overtime period. Jeremiah Fears put the Pelicans back in front with a pair of late free throws, and New Orleans held on during the final possession.

2. Houston takes over first place in the West

The Rockets beat the Celtics 109-93 and improved to 7-1, moving into first place in the Western Conference. Alperen Sengun had 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and NBA.com noted Houston had eight players scoring at least eight points. Boston lost for the first time since its season opener, and was held under 100 points for the first time this season.

3. Luka matches a record streak

Dončić scored 42 points with 13 assists, seven rebounds and six three-pointers as the Lakers beat the Heat 138-117. According to NBA.com, it was his fifth straight game with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers, which matches Damian Lillard’s 2020 streak for the longest such run in league history. Over those five games, he is averaging 43.4 points, 8.6 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 6.8 threes. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds for Miami.

4. SGA’s late three-pointer lifts the Thunder

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points and hit a tiebreaking three-pointer with 33 seconds left to beat Cleveland 117-112. The game featured a season-high 23 lead changes, per NBA.com, and Oklahoma City snapped a two-game skid. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of his star: “There’s certain nights, when you have a player like that, when you just kind of unleash them.”

5. Curry and the Warriors keep rolling

Stephen Curry scored 34 points, including 18 in the third quarter, as Golden State beat Phoenix 116-113 for its fifth straight win. He has scored at least 30 in three straight games and is averaging 30 points per game, which NBA.com lists as second in the league.

6. Spurs and Blazers stay hot

San Antonio beat Utah 119-97 to improve to 5-2 after an 0-2 start, with Victor Wembanyama adding 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Portland beat Denver 118-110, as Jamal Murray scored 35 and Nikola Jokić had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets in defeat. The Blazers are 5-1.

7. The East’s best record belongs to Philadelphia

The 76ers beat Chicago 126-107 for their fourth straight win and an East-best 7-1 record. Tyrese Maxey scored 26 with 11 assists, Jaylen Brown added 25 and 11 rebounds, and VJ Edgecombe had 21. Detroit crushed Charlotte 124-91 behind Cade Cunningham’s 33 points to move to 6-1, and the Knicks used a 25-5 fourth-quarter run to beat the Nets 103-90.

8. Quick hits

  1. Washington beat Orlando 103-94 and moved above .500 through seven games for the first time in five years, according to NBA.com.
  2. Atlanta beat a six-man Pacers rotation 108-104, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker hitting nine threes for 34 points.
  3. Minnesota beat Milwaukee 112-100 as LaMelo Ball scored 34.
  4. Toronto came back from 16 down to beat the Clippers 125-118.
  5. Sacramento won its first game of the season, 115-100 at Dallas, with rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scoring 25.

What’s next

Play resumes Wednesday with 14 games, including an ESPN doubleheader of 76ers-Pistons at 7 p.m. ET and Mavericks-Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET. That Sixers-Pistons game is a first look at two of the East’s best records, and the late game gives Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg a showcase.

NBA.com also reported that the Thunder will retire Russell Westbrook’s No. 0 on February 7 against the Knicks.

The bottom line

It is early, but Monday’s results showed how crowded the top of both conferences already is. Houston and Portland are surging in the West, Philadelphia and Detroit lead the East, and Dončić is putting up numbers that match league history. With every night bringing a new storyline, this season looks like one worth watching.

*Source: NBA.com, as linked above. Scores and statistics are as reported on November 3, 2026.*

Image: Angular Basketball Hoop by MarkBuckawicki via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0