Alperen Sengun opens NBA season with double-double as Rockets beat Mavericks 128-110

Turkish basketball star Alperen Sengun opened the NBA season with a double-double, recording 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 128-110 at Toyota Center.

Sengun, who also handed out five assists in 30 minutes, helped Houston secure a comfortable victory in one of 11 games played across the league.

A double-double refers to a player reaching double digits in two statistical categories, such as points and rebounds, during a single game.

Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets' scoring with 30 points each, while Amen Thompson added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

For Dallas, Cooper Flagg finished with a team-high 32 points, followed by Marcus Sasser with 17. Kyrie Irving, making his first official appearance since March 2025, contributed 15 points.

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past the defense of Walker Kessler #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (AFP Photo)

Lakers beat Warriors as Kessler delivers perfect shooting performance

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers began their season with a 127-105 home victory over the Golden State Warriors, powered by an impressive debut from Walker Kessler.

Playing his first official game for the Lakers, Kessler converted all 12 of his field-goal attempts to finish with 26 points and nine rebounds.

Luka Doncic contributed 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Austin Reaves added 23 points to help Los Angeles pull away.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points.

Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots a three point basket during the game against the Miami Heat on October 21, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. (AFP Photo)

Edwards joins Jordan and Chamberlain in NBA season-opening milestone

Anthony Edwards delivered one of the night's standout performances, scoring 45 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 131-106 at Kaseya Center.

Edwards knocked down nine three-pointers and became only the third player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in multiple season openers, joining Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

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LaMelo Ball added 21 points in his Timberwolves debut, helping Minnesota overcome a strong performance from Miami newcomer Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo scored 35 points in his first official appearance for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo contributed 15, but their efforts were not enough to prevent defeat.

October 22, 2026 11:04 AM GMT+03:00