By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers debuted in the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season with losing efforts on Thursday.
Tipping off their 82-game schedule at Paycom Center, Denver led for large stretches but never created a double-digit advantage. They eventually fell into a deep deficit in the fourth quarter, losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder 96–84. Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic struggled with a 5-of-19 mark from the floor en route to 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal in 35:19 of action.
On the winning end, German starter Isaiah Hartenstein provided a solid interior presence, finishing with six points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block in 22:46. Spanish Aday Mara chipped in two points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in 12:41, while Belgian Ajay Mitchell netted 12 points, five steals, and one block in 23:00. However, Serbian Nikola Topic watched from the sidelines as he continues to recover from low back surgery.
Sixers complete massive comeback
Earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a stunning turnaround. They dug their way out of a 29-point hole to take down the Cavs 114–106 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Turkish reserve Adem Bona logged two points, two rebounds, and one block in 13:37. French guard Rayan Rupert did not see action, and German center Ariel Hukporti remained sidelined.
Featuring in Cleveland’s rotation, Mario Hezonja suited up for his first NBA contest in over five years. Playing 18:38 off the bench, the Croatian forward scored ten points on 5-of-13 shooting. He missed all five of his three-point attempts, but added three rebounds, two steals, two assists, and a block. Dutch Tristan Enaruna did not play.
Thursday games
Philadelphia 76ers – Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106
Oklahoma City Thunder – Denver Nuggets 96-84
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia 76ers 2-0
2. Detroit Pistons 1-0
3. Atlanta Hawks 1-0
4. Toronto Raptors 1-0
5. Washington Wizards 1-0
6. Charlotte Hornets 1-0
7. Indiana Pacers 1-0
8. New York Knicks 0-1
9. Brooklyn Nets 0-1
10. Orlando Magic 0-1
11. Boston Celtics 0-1
12. Cleveland Cavaliers 0-1
13. Milwaukee Bucks 0-1
14. Chicago Bulls 0-1
15. Miami Heat 0-1
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 2-0
2. Portland Trail Blazers 1-0
3. Los Angeles Clippers 1-0
4. Houston Rockets 1-0
5. Los Angeles Lakers 1-0
6. Memphis Grizzlies 1-0
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 0-1
8. Denver Nuggets 0-1
9. San Antonio Spurs 0-1
10. Dallas Mavericks 0-1
11. Utah Jazz 0-1
12. Golden State Warriors 0-1
13. Sacramento Kings 0-1
14. Phoenix Suns 0-1
15. New Orleans Pelicans 0-1
-Top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-7th through 10th place teams in each conference qualify for the Play-In tournament
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