BBNBA: SGA dominant in multiple OTs, Maxey is a star, and Murray drains halfcourt heave

We aren’t even a full week into the NBA season, and former Kentucky players are already dominating the league. In fact, the very first game of the season featured last year’s MVP, Finals MVP, and point champion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on full display, and the former Coal Lodge resident did not disappoint. Tyrese Maxey also planted himself as the face of the 76ers franchise, while Jamal Murray was out there doing Jamal Murray things, taking advantage of a new rule tweak this year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder played in one overtime game all of last season, but they have played two double-overtime games in their first two games this season. And like the MVP he is, SGA led his team to victory in each of those contests. Against the Houston Rockets in the season opener, Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 35 points in a one-point victory, putting a final celebratory stamp on ring ceremony night in OKC.

He followed that performance up with a career-high 55-point outburst against the Pacers on Thursday in a Finals rematch that also led to another double-OT win.

Haters call SGA a free-throw merchant, a point chaser who gets bailed out by the refs way too often. His 40 free-throw attempts through the first two games combined gave these naysayers ammo, but Shai scored 30 points on Saturday while only shooting four free throws, each of which came after an and-one. This game was less of a sweat, as he sat the entire 4th quarter as the Thunder rolled past the Hawks.

Shai now has the fourth most games in NBA history of scoring 30 or more points while playing less than 30 minutes. Free throws or not, that is a masterclass in efficiency.

Tyrese Maxey is a problem

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is picking up where he left off last season, Tyrese Maxey has jumped up to the next tier. Through the first couple of games this season, Maxey leads the NBA in 3-pointers made per game at 5.5. That comes off a 40-point performance to open the year against the Celtics and a 28-point showing Saturday against the Hornets, both wins.

With Joel Embiid easing back into things after missing much of last year, Philadelphia appears to have handed the keys to the franchise over to Mr. Maxey. And now that rookie VJ Edgecomb is playing alongside him, defenses are less able to double-team the scoring machine, so look for Maxey’s ascent to only improve this season.

Jamal Murray from way downtown

The NBA snuck in one of the best low-key rule tweaks in the history of sports this year. It is subtle, but will be the source of many a highlight, no doubt. Instead of end-of-quarter half-court heaves counting as a shot attempt for the player, it will now only count as a shot attempt for the team. That means players who previously shied away from the low-percentage prayer to avoid damaging their 3-point shooting rate can now do so will impunity.

Jamal Murray took advantage of that new statistical adjustment on Saturday, launching a shot from well past the half-court line at the end of the 1st quarter and draining it.

It wasn’t just a one-highlight night for the Blue Arrow, though. He had 23 points and five assists in the Nuggets’ win over the Suns which followed up a 25-point, 10-assist outing in the season opener against the Warriors.

Murray claims that part of the reason he’s off to a strong start is to prove the people who say he always starts slowly wrong. He said on his slow-start narrative, “That’s why I wanted to come out and have a good November. October —whatever it is.”

JAMAL MURRAY BEATS THE 1Q BUZZER FROM BEYOND HALFCOURT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/8diZV7iha6

— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2025

Other BBNBA Notes

• Devin Booker is going to score a lot of points this year, but the Suns are going to put up very few wins. Book has two 31-point games in Phoenix’s first three contests, but two of them were blowout losses, and the other was a one-point win over Sacramento after being down 20.
• Reed Sheppard has been a hot topic on NBA Twitter and not for good reasons. He will have an increased role with the Rockets this year, but if the first few games of the season are any indication, opposing teams are going to attack him mercilessly on defense. Reed has made five out of 11 3-point attempts through two games, and he’ll need to keep up that type of efficiency on offense to offset defensive deficiencies.
• Anthony Davis and PJ Washington are off to a 0-2 start in Dallas, taking losses to Wemby and the Spurs, as well as the Washington Wizards. Davis is averaging 24.5 points with Washington not far behind at 17.5, but it looks like it could be a long haul for the Mavs this year.
• Malik Monk could be in line for the best season of his career. With no De’Aaron Fox, the Kings are going to rely on his scoring ability more than ever, and he has come out of the gate on fire. He has made nine out of 13 3-point attempts, averaging 19.5 points through two games for Sacramento.