Eleven NBA games were played on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, and seven of them were won by the home team. The two biggest results were the Toronto Raptors’ 135-92 win over the Chicago Bulls, a margin of 43 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers’ 124-83 win over the Phoenix Suns, a margin of 41. Anthony Edwards scored 45 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 131-106, Ty Jerome also scored 45 as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 123-103, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 127-105. All the winners are now 1-0 and all the losers are 0-1.
The argument that Wednesday was a night of dominance is based on the large margins and the strong quarters. Toronto scored 43 points in the first quarter against Chicago, and Portland did the same against Phoenix, who scored only 12 points in the opening period. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley each scored 23 points for the Raptors, and Damian Lillard scored 25 for Portland, while Ja Morant made eight assists. Edwards added 10 rebounds to his 45 points in Miami, with Rudy Gobert taking 15 rebounds. The Clippers beat the Kings 121-96, with Darius Garland scoring 30 points, and Houston beat Dallas 128-110, with Kevin Durant scoring 30 and Fred VanVleet making 11 assists. Luka Doncic scored 28 for the Lakers, and Walker Kessler scored 26 points with nine rebounds.
The counter-argument is that several losing players were outstanding. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points for the Heat, and Cooper Flagg scored 32 for the Mavericks, while Paolo Banchero had 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for the Magic in a 132-125 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 31 for the Hawks, who scored 44 points in the second quarter, and Jalen Johnson had 14 rebounds. Four road teams won: Atlanta, Minnesota, Charlotte, who beat the Nets 110-103 with Julius Randle scoring 33 for Brooklyn, and Indiana, who beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120, with Pascal Siakam scoring 30 and Tyrese Haliburton making 12 assists. Anthony Davis scored 34 points with 12 rebounds for the Wizards and Trae Young made 13 assists in a 128-116 win over the Bucks, while Tyler Herro scored 24 for the Bucks.
The results matter because they show how wide the early range of outcomes can be in an 82-game season. A 43-point margin and a 41-point margin on the same night are far from the three-point margin in Indiana’s win in New Orleans. The Suns’ 83 points was the lowest total of the night and the Bulls’ 92 the second lowest, while the Raptors’ 135 was the highest total and the Hawks’ 132 the second highest. Of the 11 games, seven were won by the home team and four by the visitors, so home court gave an advantage but not a decisive one.
Elsewhere on the night, Grayson Allen led Charlotte with 21 points, Naz Reid had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Zach LaVine scored 28 for Sacramento and Domantas Sabonis grabbed 18 rebounds. Wednesday brought big margins and big individual nights. Edwards and Jerome both reached 45, and the Raptors and Blazers set the early standard for lopsided wins.