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Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased his skills with a double-double in his debut during the NBA Preseason 2025, contributing significantly to the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory over the Chicago Bulls with a score of 127-121 at the United Center.
“On October 22, I’ll be out there dressed and ready to go. It doesn’t matter how I feel; whether I feel good or not, the focus is on the 82 games ahead. The best ability is availability,” the 30-year-old point forward remarked, downplaying the significance of his initial exhibition game while looking ahead to the start of the 2025-26 Regular Season.
In his time on the court for 21 minutes and 28 seconds, the Greek sensation scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting from inside the arc, grabbed ten rebounds, and dished out three assists. His brother, Thanasis, remained on the bench for Doc Rivers’ team. For the Bulls, Lithuania’s Matas Buzelis led with 19 points while Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic added six points along with nine rebounds and three assists, and French player Noa Essengue contributed five points, three steals, two rebounds, and an assist.
Across town in the Intuit Dome, Serbian Nikola Jokic achieved 12 points, nine rebounds, and six assists for the Denver Nuggets in a 102-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Lithuania’s Jonas Valanciunas added ten points and nine rebounds. With Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic absent for the Clippers, Croatian Ivica Zubac recorded a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds, while Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser netted four points, and Nicolas Batum did not score.
The Los Angeles Lakers postponed the preseason debut of Slovenian Luka Doncic but still secured a win against the Golden State Warriors, 126-116, at crypto.com Arena. German Maxi Kleber and Lithuanian Augustas Marciulionis also missed the game. The European representation for the Warriors came from Dutch Quinten Post, who scored nine points in his starting role.
The Toronto Raptors clinched a thrilling 113-112 victory over the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena, thanks to a last-second shot by French player Olivier Sarr, which also interrupted the first game appearance of his younger sibling, Alex Sarr, since an injury had cut short his EuroBasket 2025 tournament with France.
“It was fun,” remarked the 20-year-old center, reflecting on the chance to play against his brother. “I’m still processing the fact that I played against him, but it was enjoyable. The few minutes we shared on the court together were amazing.”
Olivier finished the game with four points, three rebounds, and three assists. Georgian player Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed nine points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals, although Austrian Jakob Poeltl was unavailable. For the Wizards, Alex Sarr recorded 12 points, with Swiss Kyshawn George contributing 11 points and nine rebounds, while Serbian Tristan Vukcevic added nine points, and French Bilal Coulibaly was absent.
German Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic with 17 points in a 120-104 triumph against the Miami Heat at the Kia Center. Fellow German starter Tristan da Silva scored 11 points, while French Noah Penda chipped in seven points, and Georgian Goga Bitadze added two points. However, Moritz Wagner did not suit up.
Serbian Nikola Jovic, Italian Simone Fontecchio, and Russian Vladislav Goldin were all unavailable for head coach Erik Spoelstra, and Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis had to leave early due to right hip discomfort. Conversely, Swedish player Pelle Larsson made an impact starting with 14 points.
In TD Garden, the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 138-107. Contributions from European players included Bosnian Luka Garza with seven points, Spanish Hugo Gonzalez, Portuguese Neemias Queta each with four points, and two points from British Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga.
For the Cavaliers, French player Killian Hayes recorded ten points, while Dutch Tristan Enaruna chipped in seven points.
At the Venetian Arena in Macao, the Brooklyn Nets narrowly overcame the Phoenix Suns, 111-109, in a part of the NBA China Games 2025. This marked the league’s return to China after a six-year hiatus, with the teams facing off on both Friday and Sunday.
Under Spanish coach Jordi Fernandez, Israeli Danny Wolf scored nine points, while Israeli Ben Saraf matched four points with 11 assists, and French Nolan Traore added another four points. Russian Egor Demin did not participate due to injury.
Additionally, the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks have been confirmed for the 2026 edition of the China Games.
