Philadelphia improved to 3-0 despite resting veteran signing LeBron James, with Joel Embiid producing a triple-double and Jaylen Brown celebrating his 30th birthday with an impressive scoring performance.
Embiid leads 76ers past Bucks
Embiid finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Philadelphia to its third consecutive victory.
Brown contributed 27 points, while Tyrese Maxey added 26. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe scored 17 points, including five three-pointers, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 12 points off the bench.
The 76ers made 19 three-pointers and converted 28 free throws to keep Milwaukee at arm’s length, despite the Bucks scoring 35 points in the second quarter.
Brown acknowledged that the team still had work to do despite its strong opening to the season.
"It's awesome to start off good but we've still got a lot of work to do," he said.
Milwaukee suffered its third consecutive defeat to open the campaign.
Spurs end losing run against Mavericks
The San Antonio Spurs recorded their first victory of the season by beating the Dallas Mavericks 122-106 on the road.
Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 23 points, while rookie Dylan Harper added 22. De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle contributed 19 points apiece as the Spurs recovered from defeats to Oklahoma City and Houston in their opening two games.
Dallas played without injured rookie Cooper Flagg and could not prevent San Antonio from pulling away.
Rockets remain unbeaten
The Houston Rockets maintained their perfect start with a 121-114 away win over the Atlanta Hawks in a contest between two previously unbeaten teams.
Kevin Durant led Houston with 22 points, while the Rockets benefited from a balanced scoring display, with seven players reaching double figures.
The victory moved Houston to 3-0, keeping them alongside Philadelphia among the teams making an early statement in the new season.
Hornets hand Heat third straight defeat
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat 115-110 to improve to 2-1, leaving Miami winless after three games.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 34 points, while Dennis Schroder added 25. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joined Miami during the off-season, managed 14 points.
Miami faced a 21-point deficit entering the fourth quarter but mounted a late rally to draw level before Charlotte held on for the win.
The defeat marked Miami's first 0-3 start to a season since 2007/08.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said his team needed to show greater energy throughout games.
"We need a lot more inspiration throughout the course of 48 minutes," Spoelstra said.
Cavaliers and Wizards also claim victories
The Cleveland Cavaliers recovered from their season-opening defeat by beating the Brooklyn Nets 125-121. The result improved Cleveland's record to 1-1, while Brooklyn remained without a win.
The Washington Wizards also prevailed, edging the Chicago Bulls 124-120. Trae Young led Washington's scoring with 25 points as the Wizards secured another victory in the early stages of the campaign.
NBA results – Saturday, 24 October 2026
• Philadelphia 76ers: 127-116 Milwaukee Bucks
• San Antonio Spurs: 122-106 Dallas Mavericks
• Houston Rockets: 121-114 Atlanta Hawks
• Charlotte Hornets: 115-110 Miami Heat
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 125-121 Brooklyn Nets
• Washington Wizards: 124-120 Chicago Bulls
Philadelphia will look to extend its unbeaten run when it hosts the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, while the rest of the league continues to settle into the opening weeks of the 2026/27 NBA season.