OCTOBER 7, 2026 — The NBA preseason slate delivered three entertaining contests Tuesday night, with dramatic comebacks, balanced bench scoring and lineups testing new rotations ahead of the 2026-27 regular season.

New Orleans Pelicans 116 – Oklahoma City Thunder 110

The Pelicans mounted a massive second-half comeback to take down a Thunder squad that jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead. Oklahoma City sat nearly all of its top starters, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, while New Orleans rolled out most of its core group. The Thunder shot red-hot from deep in the first half and built a 67-52 advantage at the break. But the Pelicans exploded for 38 points in the third quarter, erasing most of the deficit, then closed strong in the fourth. Bennedict Mathurin led New Orleans with 13 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Jeremiah Fears chipped in 12 points and 4 rebounds, while Derik Queen added 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Oklahoma City’s top scorer was Bennet Sturts with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Denver Nuggets 117 – Utah Jazz 106

Denver overcame a slow start to beat Utah. The Jazz jumped ahead early, holding a 31-22 lead after the first frame. The Nuggets flipped the script with a dominant 41-point second quarter to seize control. Jamal Murray returned to action for Denver, Nikola Jokić finished with 6 points and 5 assists. Aaron Gordon poured in 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Peyton Watson / Julian Strawther supplied steady bench scoring with Strawther scoring 15 points. For Utah, rookie Darrin Peterson was the standout, dropping 23 points and 3 assists in the losing effort.

Golden State Warriors 124 – Los Angeles Lakers 98

Golden State cruised to a 26-point home win, as the Lakers rested all their main stars and trotted out a developmental-heavy roster. The Warriors shot efficiently from three-point territory, knocking down 15 of their 35 long-range attempts. Stephen Curry logged 16 points and 5 assists. Lindberg led all scorers with 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Podziemski added 16 points. On the Lakers side, Mamukevishvili scored 15 points, Hardy posted 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Grimes had 12 points, Knecht scored 11, and Bronny James finished with 4 points and 5 assists. The contest was held on “Nellie Night” at Chase Center, a tribute to legendary former Warriors coach Don Nelson.

Across all three games, teams prioritized experimenting with rotations and evaluating depth players rather than chasing full-strength regular-season intensity, giving coaches valuable tape to finalize rosters before opening night.