October 21, 2026 | Ethical Sports Takes
Well, the NBA is officially back, and our predictions didn’t exactly get off to the greatest start.
We finished opening night with a 1-2 record, correctly predicting Detroit’s victory over Boston but getting both New York and San Antonio wrong.
Three games, two misses, and plenty to talk about.
Detroit Pistons 121, Boston Celtics 113
EST Pick: Detroit Pistons — CORRECT ✅
At least we got one right!
Detroit looked like it was heading toward an ugly opening-night loss after falling behind by 22 points against Boston.
Paul George was absolutely outstanding in his Celtics debut, finishing with 38 points. But Detroit refused to go away.
The Pistons stormed back, including a ridiculous 23-0 run in the fourth quarter, to steal the victory.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each finished with 22 points, while Duncan Robinson added 21.
This was exactly the kind of resilience we wanted to see from Detroit after last season’s disappointing playoff exit.
Our prediction wasn’t looking particularly smart midway through the third quarter, but the Pistons got the job done!
Philadelphia 76ers 106, New York Knicks 100
EST Pick: New York Knicks — WRONG ❌
This is one prediction I’m not upset about getting wrong. After all, I was rooting for Philadelphia to win!
We actually believed the 76ers had the better roster heading into this matchup. However, with New York raising its championship banner at Madison Square Garden, we figured the Knicks would find a way to win on their special night.
Well, Philadelphia had other plans!
Tyrese Maxey led both teams with 28 points, while Jaylen Brown contributed 19 in his 76ers debut.
LeBron James took on more of a facilitating role, helping orchestrate Philadelphia’s offense rather than focusing on scoring.
New York struggled to find its shooting touch, with Jalen Brunson finishing with 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Neither team shot particularly well from beyond the arc, but Philadelphia made the plays that mattered.
We said before the game that Philadelphia could become the better team once its stars developed chemistry.
Turns out the 76ers didn’t need much time to get their first win together.
I’ll happily take this loss in the prediction column if it means watching Philadelphia spoil New York’s championship celebration!
Oklahoma City Thunder 116, San Antonio Spurs 104
EST Pick: San Antonio Spurs — WRONG ❌
We backed San Antonio because of its success against Oklahoma City last season, particularly in the Western Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, the Thunder had other plans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points, while Jared McCain added 20 points and six three-pointers off the bench.
Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, had an absolutely miserable shooting night.
The Spurs superstar finished with just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting.
Oklahoma City built a 26-point lead before San Antonio fought its way back into the contest, but the damage had already been done.
We expected Wembanyama to set the tone.
Instead, Oklahoma City reminded everyone why it remains one of the most dangerous teams in basketball.
Opening Night Record
Correct Picks: 1
Incorrect Picks: 2
Overall Record: 1-2 (33.3%)
Final Thoughts
Not exactly the start we were hoping for, but that’s basketball.
Detroit rewarded our confidence with an incredible comeback, Philadelphia showed that its new superstar lineup might click faster than expected, and Oklahoma City got some revenge against San Antonio.
The biggest lesson from opening night? Don’t underestimate talented teams just because they’re playing on the road.
We’ve got a long season ahead, and plenty of opportunities to improve that record.
EST NBA Picks: 1-2. On to the next slate!
Leave a Reply