Last night in the NBA delivered its share of surprises and confirmations. The current powerhouse, Oklahoma City , once again hammered home its status as the undisputed leader, while other games were much more closely contested.

⚡️ The Thunder steamroll the Blazers

Still atop the Western Conference, Oklahoma City delivered another impressive performance, securing a resounding victory over the Portland Trail Blazers (122-95). The demonstration began in the first quarter, spearheaded by a red-hot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . The OKC point guard tallied 37 points and 7 assists, including 17 points in just 11 minutes of play early in the game. Once the lead was established, Gilgeous-Alexander transformed into a playmaker, connecting with teammates like Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, and the Williams-Joe duo, who were effective from beyond the arc. With 17 wins in 18 games, the defending champions are simply unstoppable at the start of this season.

☀️ The Suns win despite absences

In a game marred by numerous injuries on both sides, the Phoenix Suns prevailed over the San Antonio Spurs (111-102). Despite being without key players like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, the Spurs got off to a strong start (13-21) thanks to their superior aggression. However, despite the absence of veterans such as Jalen Green, Grayson Allen, and Ryan Dunn, Phoenix's key players, led by Isaiah Livers, Oso Ighodaro, Jordan Goodwin, and Collin Gillespie, responded well. After a 12-2 run , the Suns allowed the Spurs to regain the lead at halftime (49-56). The second half was a completely different story: a tighter defense enabled the Suns to outscore the Spurs 37-24 in the third quarter, taking a decisive lead (86-80). The Goodwin-Gillespie duo was invaluable, greatly helped by Dillon Brooks (25 points) who sealed the game from long range.

😰 The Lakers win a hard-fought victory

The Los Angeles Lakers were held to a draw by the Utah Jazz, but ultimately secured the victory (106-108). While the "Big Three" of Luka Doncic (33 points), Austin Reaves (22), and LeBron James (17) were productive, they surprisingly struggled from three-point range (4-for-24 combined). The visitors led at halftime (55-62), but the game turned around thanks to Keyonte George for the Jazz, who extended his team's lead to seven points (78-71) midway through the third quarter. The Lakers' stars then took control, building a 13-point advantage with four minutes remaining (89-102). However, a blistering Jazz comeback, cutting the deficit to just one point with 40 seconds left (106-107), gave the Californians a scare. Finally, a free throw from Doncic was enough to seal the victory, as George's last desperate attempt failed.

⛰️ Cleveland dominates Clippers who fall short

Without needing to exert themselves, the Cleveland Cavaliers easily defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (120-105), who relied solely on the performances of returning Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac. Overwhelmed by the Cavaliers' pace, the Clippers quickly fell behind (27-24), but Leonard's strong play allowed them to stay within striking distance at halftime (59-52). Even though Tyronn Lue's men responded to a 10-0 Cavs run by closing the gap to one point thanks to center Zubac, the momentum was broken by Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland definitively pulled away at the end of the third quarter (92-79) to secure a well-deserved home victory.