Magnolia turned Manila Clasico into a statement victory, while Boston overwhelmed Philadelphia and Golden State found another encouraging young contributor. Kyrie Irving also completed an emotional return as Dallas closed the NBA China Games with a win.

1. Magnolia routs Ginebra and clinches a quarterfinal place

Magnolia dismantled Barangay Ginebra 112 to 93 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, sweeping their two Governors' Cup meetings and securing a quarterfinal place. Zavier Lucero led the Hotshots with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Jerom Lastimosa supplied 16 points and seven assists. Magnolia recovered from Ginebra's opening 6 to 0 burst, led by as many as 28 and held the Gin Kings to 38.2 percent shooting. Jordan Murphy led Ginebra with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, but the response seen in the Gin Kings' victory over Rain or Shine disappeared against Magnolia's defense. The Hotshots improved to 6 wins and 3 losses, while Ginebra fell to 3 wins and 5 losses and now badly needs a victory over Phoenix on Sunday.

2. Boston overwhelms Philadelphia in Paul George's Celtics debut

Boston crushed Philadelphia 144 to 106 at TD Garden and won the rebounding battle 70 to 41. Payton Pritchard scored 25 points with seven assists, Jayson Tatum added 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Paul George recorded 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals in his Celtics debut. Philadelphia rested LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, leaving Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe against a much stronger rotation. The score needs preseason context, but Boston's ball movement, depth and physical advantage were still impressive. The teams meet again Friday in Philadelphia, where player availability should determine whether the rematch offers a fairer comparison.

3. Yaxel Lendeborg lifts the Warriors past Sacramento

Golden State beat Sacramento 111 to 106 as rookie Yaxel Lendeborg produced 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in only 24 minutes. He shot 10 of 14 and created offense without forcing Stephen Curry to carry the game. Curry had eight points and two assists in 14 minutes as Steve Kerr managed his workload. The performance added another layer to Golden State's recent commitment to Brandin Podziemski, because the Warriors need young production around their expensive core. Sacramento's Maxime Raynaud left with a right knee injury after scoring 10 points. The Kings later announced a patellar subluxation and said he will be evaluated again in about two weeks.

4. Kyrie Irving returns as Dallas earns a split in Macao

Kyrie Irving played his first game in 587 days and scored 17 points with three assists in 21 minutes as Dallas defeated Houston 132 to 115 in Macao. Irving had not appeared since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in March 2025, so moving confidently through live competition mattered more than the score. Cooper Flagg added 14 points and seven assists as Dallas split the two game China series. Marcus Smart scored 20 points in his Houston debut, but the Rockets rested Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun. The teams meet again October 21 in their regular season opener, when the rotations and stakes will be different.

5. Golden State Valkyries reach the WNBA Finals

The Golden State Valkyries reached the WNBA Finals in only their second season by beating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 87 to 77 in overtime and completing a semifinal sweep. Golden State used a 17 to 0 third quarter run, then dominated overtime 16 to 6. Kayla Thornton scored 18 points, Gabby Williams added 16, and Kiah Stokes delivered 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while helping contain A'ja Wilson. The Valkyries now face the Atlanta Dream in a best of seven Finals beginning October 17 at Chase Center. Their speed to the championship round is already a major franchise achievement.

Recent Results from Our Watchlist

All dates below are in Philippine time.

Date	Matchup	Final Score	Key Performer
October 11, 2026	NBA: 76ers at Celtics	Celtics 144, 76ers 106	Payton Pritchard: 25 points and 7 assists
October 11, 2026	NBA: Kings at Warriors	Warriors 111, Kings 106	Yaxel Lendeborg: 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists
October 11, 2026	NBA: Mavericks vs. Rockets	Mavericks 132, Rockets 115	Kyrie Irving: 17 points and 3 assists in 21 minutes
October 11, 2026	PBA: Magnolia vs. Barangay Ginebra	Magnolia 112, Barangay Ginebra 93	Zavier Lucero: 21 points and 9 rebounds

Important Games to Watch This Week

All dates and times below are in Philippine time.

Date	Matchup	Location	Quick Note
October 14, 2026, 10:00 AM	NBA: Warriors vs. Lakers	T Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States	Major neutral site preseason meeting
October 15, 2026, 7:30 AM	NBA: Hornets at Celtics	TD Garden, Boston, United States	Boston continues testing its new rotation
October 17, 2026, 7:00 AM	NBA: Celtics at 76ers	Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, United States	Immediate rematch after Boston's rout
October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM	NBA: Trail Blazers at Warriors	Chase Center, San Francisco, United States	Golden State closes its preseason against Portland
October 17, 2026, 10:30 AM	NBA: Nuggets at Lakers	Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, United States	The Lakers finish their preseason against a strong opponent
October 18, 2026, 7:30 PM	PBA: Barangay Ginebra vs. Phoenix	Ynares Center, Antipolo City, Philippines	Ginebra needs a response to protect its quarterfinal hopes

The next focus is whether Ginebra can rescue its campaign against Phoenix and whether the Warriors' young players can keep producing beside Curry. After Magnolia's decisive sweep, do you still believe the Gin Kings can recover in time to become a serious playoff threat?