The New York Liberty are WNBA champions for the first time, and the celebration was 28 years in the making.

New York City held a ticker tape parade and City Hall celebration as part of a full day of festivities Thursday after the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, a contest that wound up being the most-viewed WNBA Finals game in 25 years, according to ESPN.

It’s a long time coming for one of the WNBA’s original franchises, which endured a stretch of four consecutive losing seasons before morphing into the league’s best team beginning last year. But those struggles prompted the changes that brought Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and more to a roster that got its deserved coronation in the Big Apple.

More memories were made Thursday, as the Liberty got the parade and rally treatment from New York City for the first time. USA TODAY chronicled all the best moments and highlights here, as well as what’s planned beyond the championship parade:

‘Ellie,’ New York Liberty mascot, closes first championship ceremony

‘Ellie,’ the New York Liberty’s mascot, finally emerged for one of her signature dance routines, dancing with Liberty forward Kennedy Burke on stage after giving her purse to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Then a new round of confetti fell on the City Hall steps. ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ came blasting from the speakers once more. Thursday’s parade and celebration were over, but the party isn’t done.

The Liberty will hold another celebration at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Breanna Stewart wants another WNBA title

Liberty star Breanna Stewart’s decision to sign with her hometown WNBA team elevated the franchise to championship level. So the New York native had a message for fans near the end of today’s celebration, with a distinct Big Apple flair to how she delivered it.

New York Liberty players receive keys to the city

The players have all spoken and now they’re all receiving keys to the city from New York City Mayor Eric Adams to commemorate winning the 2024 WNBA Finals.

Sabrina Ionescu: ‘I think I’m a New Yorker now’

The New York Liberty getting the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and selecting Sabrina Ionescu out of Oregon started the franchise’s turnaround to this year’s championship. This title run and subsequent celebration left her thankful for how New York City fans embraced her.

‘Seeing how many people were smiling and celebrating,’ Ionescu said of today’s parade, ‘puts in perspective what it means to win a championship.’

She then declared, despite her California roots, ‘I think I’m a New Yorker now.’

New York Liberty owner, coach, GM thinking repeat

New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai, coach Sandy Brondello and general manager Jonathan Kolb all reflected on stage about the path this franchise took to winning a title since Tsai and her husband took control of the organization in 2019.

Tsai said it was about ‘investing in these players and create conditions where they can excel.’ She also acknowledged the longtime fans and some of the team’s great players of the past in attendance, such as Teresa Weatherspoon and Kim Hampton.

‘I know some of you have been waiting 28 years for this,’ Tsai said before addressing the team. ‘Judging from the love, you’re going to have to run it back.’

That theme has been prevalent in all the speeches thus far.

‘We’d love to be back here,’ Kolb said from the steps of City Hall. ‘Let’s run it back.’

New York governor, mayor tip off Liberty championship ceremony

The New York Liberty have made their way from the floats to the City Hall ceremony celebrating their WNBA championship. New York Gov. Kathy Holcomb and New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke to begin the celebration. Holcomb even called for a ‘two-fer,’ calling on the New York Yankees to win the World Series and have a championship parade of their own. The City Council has also declared Oct. 20 every year to be New York Liberty Day in New York City.

WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones is enjoying the party

WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones probably had the most festive of the New York Liberty floats on Thursday. She was filmed with the Bahamian national flag draped over her shoulders dancing to Dancehall music blasting from speakers as her float made its way through New York City. The Liberty are en route to City Hall for an upcoming formal celebration that’s scheduled to begin shortly.

Breanna Stewart pops champagne with WNBA championship trophy

Sabrina Ionescu custom jacket, trophy celebration

New York Liberty championship parade has started

The New York Liberty championship parade is officially underway, with players on floats and buses celebrating with fans lining Broadway and the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan.

When is the New York Liberty championship parade?

The Liberty will get a parade celebrating the 2024 WNBA championship on Thursday, Oct. 24.

The victory parade is free to attend, and will start at 10 a.m. ET on Battery Place. Very quickly, it will turn onto Broadway and head up the Canyon of Heroes, a roughly 0.8 mile stretch ending at City Hall.

What will the New York Liberty championship parade feature?

The ticker-tape parade for the Liberty will include a slow-moving procession up Broadway, heading from Manhattan’s southern edge to City Hall. Upon arrival, the Liberty will participate in a ceremony on the steps of City Hall (an event whose start time hinges on the speed of the parade and its conclusion). While the City Hall ceremony is open to the public, the team has announced that all tickets for the event have been claimed.

Following all of that, at 7 p.m. on Thursday the Liberty will host a championship celebration at Barclays Center. While that event is free and open to the public, tickets are required, and per the team’s website, those tickets are already sold out.

How to watch New York Liberty parade

The Liberty’s ticker-tape parade celebrating the team’s 2024 WNBA championship win will stream on ABC 7 NY and on Fox 5 NY.

Things are starting to get serious in the Bowl Subdivision.

Non-conference play is a thing of the distant past this season. Contenders are being chewed up in league play, with teams such as Michigan, Oklahoma and others getting erased the from College Football Playoff conversation amid multiple October losses.

Another team that has been put on the verge of playoff elimination is Alabama. The Crimson Tide went into October riding the wave of a win against Georgia but have lost twice this month, to Vanderbilt and Tennessee, and barely survived a third possible loss by escaping with a 27-25 victory against South Carolina.

Even still, the playoff picture remains cloudy with six weeks to go until conference championship weekend. There are 20 teams in the Power Four with one loss or fewer: six in the ACC and SEC, five in the Big Ten and three in the Big 12.

This home stretch of the regular season will help trim the list of playoff contenders. Beginning with this Saturday, these are the 10 games that will decide the final standings in the Power Four and which teams advance to the playoff:

No. 21 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon, Oct. 26

After losing to Penn State and looking very average in a 50-49 win against Purdue, Illinois rebounded with a very dominant win last Saturday against Michigan. That sets up this weekend’s trip to Oregon, a must-have win for the Illini’s playoff hopes. That the Ducks are about three-touchdown favorites shows the long odds Illinois will have to overcome to land an enormous upset.

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Georgia now top seed of College Football Playoff

ONE THING RIGHT: Auburn was smart to have manageable Freeze buyout

No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 24 Navy, Oct. 26

Notre Dame benefits from the way Texas A&M has climbed the national rankings and how No. 23 Army and No. 24 Navy have turned back the clock with a combined 13-0 start. While the Fighting Irish are in the playoff with just one loss, running the table and landing another two ranked wins would have a major influence on where they land in the playoff bracket. This game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, so a win for Notre Dame would be carry even more weight with the playoff selection committee.

No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State, Nov. 2

The winner of this game would very likely reach the Big Ten championship game while the loser is relegated to competing for an at-large bid. A second loss with four weeks to go would make things very stressful on the Buckeyes, though they’d be favored to win out against Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan. Even with a loss, unbeaten Penn State would remain in an enviable position to secure that at-large berth.

No. 5 Miami at Georgia Tech, Nov. 9

Miami has the easiest path to a perfect regular season of any current Power Four unbeaten, starting with Saturday’s rivalry against Florida State. But there are some quality teams on the schedule, including Duke at home on Nov. 2 and a trip to Syracuse on Nov. 30. The biggest challenge should be Georgia Tech on the road, though Notre Dame had no trouble with the Yellow Jackets this past Saturday.

No. 15 Alabama at No. 7 LSU, Nov. 9

Alabama first has to get past No. 17 Missouri this weekend, and nothing seems certain given the way the Crimson Tide have stumbled in October. But winning against the Tigers and then LSU would get Kalen DeBoer’s first team back on track for the playoff with Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn to close the regular season.

No. 8 Tennessee at No. 2 Georgia, Nov. 16

Like Alabama, Tennessee can’t get caught looking past Kentucky and Mississippi State before the trip to Athens. Saturday’s 24-17 win against the Tide was very meaningful given how earlier wins against North Carolina State and Oklahoma have since lost their luster. Beating the Bulldogs could get the Volunteers into the SEC championship game.

No. 9 Clemson at No. 20 Pittsburgh, Nov. 16

Clemson has been on a tear since dropping the season opener against Georgia. Behind an explosive of offensive productivity and amid Miami’s hot-and-cold run to start conference play, the Tigers have looked like the ACC favorite. Pittsburgh has played them very well since joining the ACC, winning in 2016 and again when the two teams last met in 2021. The Panthers would leap into second place in the conference power rankings with a victory and become a very legitimate playoff contender.

No. 13 Indiana at No. 4 Ohio State, Nov. 23

Indiana has swayed even the most cynical doubter by charging off to the program’s best start since 1967. Given how they’ve looked in recent weeks, including a 56-7 win last weekend against Nebraska, the Hoosiers could be favored to beat Washington, Michigan State and Michigan to stay unbeaten before taking the Buckeyes. One possible snag is the injury suffered by quarterback Kurtis Rourke that could hold him out for multiple weeks.

No. 6 Texas at No. 14 Texas A&M, Nov. 30

The rekindled rivalry hits the ground running with a matchup that could determine which teams make the SEC championship game. Remarkably, A&M has immediately gone from one of the biggest disappointments in the Power Four under Jimbo Fisher to a serious player in the SEC under new coach Mike Elko. Should the Aggies beat LSU on Saturday, this could be a matchup of one-loss contenders that sends both teams to the playoff regardless of the result.

No. 16 Kansas State at No. 10 Iowa State, Nov. 30

Maybe Iowa State won’t cruise to 11-0 before meeting Kansas State, given how the Cyclones barely survived last week’s test against Central Florida. But this one is the biggest game to come in the Big 12 even if the two meet again one week later to decide the conference championship and which team receives an opening-round playoff bye. After a decade of Kansas State dominance in the series, ISU has taken four of the past six meetings.

The New York Liberty are WNBA champions for the first time, and the celebration is underway.

New York City is holding a ticker tape parade as part of a full day of festivities Thursday after the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, a contest that wound up being the most-viewed WNBA Finals game in 25 years, according to ESPN.

It’s a long time coming for one of the WNBA’s original franchises, which endured a stretch of four consecutive losing seasons before morphing into the league’s best team beginning last year. But those struggles prompted the changes that brought Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and more to a roster that will now get its deserved coronation through the Big Apple.

More memories could be made Thursday, as the Liberty get the parade and rally treatment from New York City for the first time. We’ll be chronicling all the best moments and highlights here, as well as what’s planned beyond the championship parade:

New York Governor, Mayor tip off Liberty championship ceremony

The New York Liberty have made their way from the floats to the City Hall ceremony celebrating their WNBA championship. New York Governor Kathy Holcomb and New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke to begin the celebration. Holcomb even called for a ‘two-fer,’ calling on the New York Yankees to win the World Series and have a championship parade of their own. The City Council has also declared Oct. 20 every year to be New York Liberty Day in New York City.

WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones is enjoying the party

WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones probably had the most festive of the New York Liberty floats on Thursday. She was filmed with the Bahamian national flag draped over her shoulders dancing to Dancehall music blasting from speakers as her float made its way through New York City. The Liberty are en route to City Hall for an upcoming formal celebration that’s scheduled to begin shortly.

Breanna Stewart pops champagne with WNBA championship trophy

Sabrina Ionescu fit check, trophy celebration

New York Liberty championship parade has started

The New York Liberty championship parade is officially underway, with players on floats and buses celebrating with fans lining Broadway and the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan.

When is the New York Liberty championship parade?

The Liberty will get a parade celebrating the 2024 WNBA championship on Thursday, Oct. 24.

The victory parade is free to attend, and will start at 10 a.m. ET on Battery Place. Very quickly, it will turn onto Broadway and head up the Canyon of Heroes, a roughly 0.8 mile stretch ending at City Hall.

What will the New York Liberty championship parade feature?

The ticker-tape parade for the Liberty will include a slow-moving procession up Broadway, heading from Manhattan’s southern edge to City Hall. Upon arrival, the Liberty will participate in a ceremony on the steps of City Hall (an event whose start time hinges on the speed of the parade and its conclusion). While the City Hall ceremony is open to the public, the team has announced that all tickets for the event have been claimed.

Following all of that, at 7 p.m. on Thursday the Liberty will host a championship celebration at Barclays Center. While that event is free and open to the public, tickets are required, and per the team’s website, those tickets are already sold out.

How to watch New York Liberty parade

The Liberty’s ticker-tape parade celebrating the team’s 2024 WNBA championship win will stream on ABC 7 NY and on Fox 5 NY.

Lincoln Riley proved he’s a smart coach, and USC has too much talent to stay mediocre, right? We said the same thing about Jimbo Fisher.
Lincoln Riley literally ran out of answers after loss to Maryland.
Lincoln Riley’s whopper contract protects him … for now.

The Southern California coach can’t explain why his team can’t finish off opponents.

“I don’t know,” USC’s third-year coach said Saturday, after his Trojans blew another second-half lead in a 29-28 loss at Maryland.

And out pop the pitchforks. Unless those pitchforks have $100 bills on the tips, Riley’s too pricy to fire – for now, at least.

While Oregon makes the transition to the Big Ten look like a breeze, USC (3-4) has an arduous road to simply making an also-ran bowl game – not that such a bid would be a salve.

They say you get what you pay for, but they’re wrong about the Trojans.

USC paid for a Ferrari, but a Kia Forte sits in the driveway on an empty tank.

The Trojans play too soft, especially at the end of games, but that’s no headline news. Soft play typifies Riley’s teams, and, in fact, this team has more appetite for defense than either of Riley’s first two USC squads.

More appalling – and more surprising – is the disappearance of Riley’s offense.

Riley once earned regard as college football’s brightest offensive guru. He developed not one, not two, but three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks that were taken No. 1 overall in the NFL draft. His offense became his moneymaker, his failsafe, throughout his Oklahoma tenure and his USC debut.

Early in Riley’s Oklahoma tenure, the question seemed not whether Riley would win a national championship, but rather, how many.

Riley’s updated national title count: Zero.

He’s as far away as he’s ever been, as USC prepares to host Rutgers on Friday, in a battle for .500.

If Riley thought he’d feast on Pac-12 defenses, then USC’s entry to the Big Ten came as a sour twist. Teams have an appetite for defense in this conference, and Riley’s offense vanished in the 3M vise of Michigan, Minnesota and Maryland.  

Riley proved he’s a smart coach, and USC has too much talent to stay down, right?

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Georgia now top seed of College Football Playoff

ONE THING RIGHT: Auburn was smart to have manageable Freeze buyout

I thought the same thing about Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M. Fisher never pulled out of his funk, though. The Aggies finally fired him – at a cost of a $77million buyout – in 2023, amid his sixth season. The Aggies already look better without Fisher.

Riley’s tenure emits a whiff of Jimbo.

The Trojans, like the Aggies, invested too much in this coach to fire him at the first or even the second sign of trouble. So, you muddle on, telling yourself it’s going to get better, it must get better, you’ve seen this guy do it, … until you finally realize you paid for a coach who inexplicably vaporized into a mist of mediocrity.

The Aggies redefined the standard for high-end coaching contracts when they awarded Fisher a 10-year, $75 million fully guaranteed contract to hire him from Florida State. The hire seemed like a slam dunk, and the Aggies foolishly doubled down with an even richer contract after Fisher’s third season.

At FSU, Fisher replaced legendary coach Bobby Bowden after previously being Bowden’s offensive coordinator. Fisher won at least 10 games in six of eight seasons there as FSU’s coach, and he captured a national championship in Year 4.

Fisher never won 10 games in a season at A&M.

Riley was Bob Stoops’ final offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, replaced Stoops as the Sooners’ coach to great success and now … the Jimbo freefall.

And Riley will turn it around, right? Just give it a little more time. Because, he’s a good coach, and USC attracts talent, and we’ve seen him do it before, and he can do it again. But, what if he can’t?

We said all these same things for years about Fisher. Today, Fisher’s unemployed.

Here’s what else I’m seeing in this view of college football from the ‘Topp Rope’:

How Georgia could finish ranked No. 1, but miss SEC championship game

Here’s a juicy development: No. 2 Georgia could win out but not reach the SEC championship game.

You might be thinking: Wait, didn’t Georgia restore its SEC front-runner status by mangling Texas?

In terms of optics, yes. In terms of the standings, no.

No. 7 LSU and No. 14 Texas A&M are undefeated in SEC play, and while only one of those teams could finish undefeated in the conference – the teams will square off Saturday in College Station – both teams could wind up in hte SEC championship, at the expense of Georgia.

The SEC’s intricate tiebreaker system might be needed to determine its championship contestants, and if that tiebreaker comes into play, Georgia’s loss to Alabama could haunt the Bulldogs.

Consider this scenario: The Aggies beat LSU, win out, and claim on SEC championship spot. LSU recovers from a loss to the Aggies to beat Alabama on Nov. 9 and win out.

LSU and Georgia don’t play, so there’s no head-to-head tiebreaker. If you proceed down the list of tiebreakers, an LSU win against Alabama, paired with Georgia’s loss to Alabama, would tip the scales in LSU’s favor.

Let’s get even wackier. Say No. 17 Missouri upsets No. 15 Alabama this weekend. There, too, Missouri would leapfrog Georgia in the tiebreaker pecking order.

To be clear, Georgia retains a shot at Atlanta if it keeps winning. The Aggies, LSU and Missouri might fizzle. The Bulldogs just don’t enjoy full control over their path.

Just imagine, Georgia finishes No. 1 in the final CFP rankings, but doesn’t get a spot in its league’s championship game, and therefore doesn’t receive a first-round playoff bye, because of the SEC’s tiebreaker rules.

Three and out

1. Riley’s not the only coach at a blue blood languishing in Year 3. Brent Venables made a mess of Oklahoma’s quarterback situation, starting with his failure to retain Dillon Gabriel, now the star of No. 1 Oregon. Venables fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell this week. Being a readymade scapegoat is part of a coordinator’s duties. But, if Oklahoma doesn’t get a quick-fix transfer quarterback this offseason, Venables might be the next one out the door.

2. Dan Lanning doesn’t appreciate leftovers. He’s all about cleaning his plate.

“You don’t sit halfway through a meal and say you’re done eating when there’s still a lot of food left on the plate,” Oregon’s coach said.

To which he means, there’s no prize for starting 7-0. As to the Ducks’ No. 1 ranking?

“Who cares,” he said.

Oh, c’mon, that’s no way to treat the US LBM Coaches Poll!

3. Too bad Texas already played Michigan. In Michigan, you can receive 10 cents for recycling a beer bottle.

If Texas collected 2.5 million bottles and recycled them in Michigan, it could pay its $250,000 fine, imposed by the SEC after Texas fans trashed the field with bottles during Saturday’s loss to Georgia. Now, wouldn’t that be the ultimate college football story? Paying your fine with the same bottles that caused the fine.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

The ‘Topp Rope’ is his football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network.

Subscribe to read all of his columns.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ newly opened Intuit Dome cost $2 billion to build, but it’s already starting to generate returns – in the form of a home-court advantage.

The 38,000 square-foot halo Jumbotron is certainly eye-catching. And the cell phone chargers at every seat are awfully convenient. But the most striking feature at the new arena is ‘The Wall,’ an uninterrupted 51-row section of seats directly behind one of the baskets that’s reserved for only the most diehard fans.

On opening night, with the Clippers’ game against Phoenix going down to the wire, Suns All-Star Kevin Durant – an 88% career free throw shooter – missed two crucial shots from the line.

‘Yeah, it was crazy,’ Durant said when asked about The Wall. ‘I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.’

What is The Wall?

In designing the Clippers’ new home, owner Steve Ballmer sought to create an atmosphere similar to what’s found at major soccer stadiums and college basketball student sections, where fans can chant, jeer opposing players and generate additional excitement.

All things Clippers: Latest Los Angeles Clippers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Wall is a continuous, nearly vertical row of seats behind the basket where Clippers opponents shoot during the second half of games at the Intuit Dome.

Who sits in the Clippers’ Wall of fans?

Only passionate Clippers supporters are allowed to be part of The Wall.

The first 13 of the 51 rows are dedicated to the most fervent fans, who have to be vetted by the team beforehand. They’re expected to stand during the entire game.

Tickets in that section can’t be listed on resale websites.

Does The Wall give the Clippers an extra advantage?

Hard to say after just one game, but the Suns definitely took note.

‘I missed a free throw,’ Suns guard Devin Booker said. ‘I was pissed. I think K (Durant) missed two down there, too. So that (expletive) might work.’

Durant said the fans’ enthusiasm reminded him of a college crowd.

‘Oklahoma State has somewhat of an arena like that, obviously not that big,’ he said. ‘But to see something go straight up, and I always thought that was cool. The noise sounds a little different. It’s going to be a tough road environment for anyone who comes in here.’

(This story has been updated with a new photo.)

Twenty-four NBA teams have opened their 2024-25 season. The remaining six teams open their season Thursday.

We’re not making sweeping conclusions after 12 games, but we will acknowledge the good and the bad – and the unfortunate, which includes new New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray sustaining a fracture in his left (non-shooting hand), per ESPN.

Boston picked up right where it left off, LeBron James and Bronny James made history and the Los Angeles Clippers played their first game in their new $2 billion Intuit Dome.

Here are winners and losers from the first two nights of the 2024-25 NBA season:

Winners

Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama

Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who was an All-Star last season in his second season and made USA TODAY’s top 30 NBA players list for 2024-25, compiled 33 points and 11 rebounds in a 116-97 victory against Miami.

Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Charles Lee, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Budenholzer, JJ Redick

Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick and Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer collected victories in their first games with their new teams – the Hornets beat Houston 110-105, the Cavaliers beat Toronto 136-106, the Lakers topped Minnesota 110-103 and the Suns beat the Clippers 116-113 in overtime.

Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics forward-guard Jayson Tatum had 37 points and 10 rebounds and made eight of his 11 3-pointers against the New York Knicks, jump-starting his MVP campaign on opening night.

Celtics 3s

The Celtics made 29 3-pointers, tying an NBA record for most 3s in a game, against the Knicks. Besides Tatum’s eight 3s, Derrick White made six, Jaylen Brown five, Jrue Holiday four, Al Horford three, Sam Hauser two, and Payton Pritchard one.

Lonzo Ball

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball played in his first NBA game in almost three years after undergoing three procedures on his left knee and grueling rehab. Even in just 14 minutes with five points, four assists and two rebounds in a loss to New Orleans, it was a triumphant return.

LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Lonzo’s brother, posted 34 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the victory against Houston.

LeBron James, Bronny James

LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father-son combo to play in the NBA at the same time – and in the same game and on the same team. Cool moment for the James Gang and the league.

Losers

New Orleans Pelicans

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, and guard Dejounte Murray, playing in his first game with New Orleans since Atlanta traded him in the offseason, produced 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a 123-111 win over the Chicago Bulls. But now Murray is injured and it’s uncertain when he will return.

Philadelphia 76ers

No Paul George, no Joel Embiid in Philadelphia’s season-opener and while the 76ers want those two healthy for the playoffs, their absence took the sparkle off the matchup against the Bucks.

Houston Rockets

Looking to build on a promising 2023-24 season, the Houston Rockets lost their season-opener at home against the Hornets, who outscored the Rockets 61-45 in the second half.

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo

J.B. Bickerstaff, Jordi Fernandez

Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez lost their first games with their new teams – Indiana topped Detroit 115-109, and Atlanta stopped Brooklyn 120-116.

Trail Blazers, Pistons, Sixers 3s

The Portland Trail Blazers shot 23.5% on 3s in a 139-104 loss to Golden State, the Pistons shot 27.3% on 3s in the loss to Indiana and the Sixers shot 25.8% on 3s against Milwaukee.

New York Knicks

Whatever message the Knicks wanted to send Boston that 132-109 loss wasn’t it. The Knicks trailed by as many as 35, just another team – at least on this night – on the Celtics’ schedule.