The NBA's opening week doubled as a Gonzaga showcase. A record 12 Bulldogs appeared on opening-night rosters — the most in program history — and several made their presence felt immediately.
Holmgren Puts the League on Notice
Chet Holmgren's opening week was the kind that resets a narrative. Five months after getting carved up by Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder center flipped the script in emphatic fashion on opening night, limiting Wembanyama to a stunning 1-of-13 from the field in Oklahoma City's 116-104 victory over San Antonio. Holmgren finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 30 minutes.
The fireworks didn't stop on the court. A hard foul from De'Aaron Fox sent Holmgren to the floor, igniting a full bench-clearing scuffle that drew a flagrant and sparked a week's worth of hot takes — including a broadside from Draymond Green and a "disrespectful" jab from Fox himself. Holmgren, characteristically understated, said he was baffled by the technical foul avalanche that followed and deflected questions about whether the Wembanyama rivalry had turned personal in just five words.
He wasn't done. Against Denver on Friday, Holmgren poured in 12 points with 17 rebounds and 4 blocks as the Thunder moved to 2-0. The Gonzaga big man is looking every bit like the anchor of OKC's championship defense.
Hachimura Switches Sides — Then Faces His Old Crew
The week's most intriguing subplot belonged to Rui Hachimura, who arrived at Crypto.com Arena as a Clipper for the first time after signing a two-year, $28 million deal with the Lakers' crosstown rivals this past summer. The transition came with an appropriately awkward moment: Hachimura reportedly wandered toward the Lakers' locker room out of habit before catching himself — a story that made the rounds fast.
The reunion game against his former team didn't go smoothly on the scoreboard. Hachimura put up 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals but finished at -17 in a 125-117 Clippers loss. Luka Doncic provided some trash talk along the way — Hachimura said afterward he had no hard feelings. Earlier in the week, he'd contributed 10 points, 8 rebounds, and a +13 rating in a Clippers win over Sacramento. The transition is clearly a work in progress, but his productivity and minutes (31-33 per game) suggest he'll be a real piece for LA.
Timme's Roster Shuffle, Plus the Broader Zag Picture
Drew Timme made news before he ever played a minute. After being waived earlier in the week, he was immediately scooped up by the Phoenix Suns in a waive-and-sign move — a seamless roster maneuver that kept the former Gonzaga big in the league and pushed that opening-night Zag count to a record 12.
Elsewhere, Andrew Nembhard quietly had himself a week for Indiana: 18 points and 9 assists in a Thursday win over New Orleans, followed by 16 points and 5 assists in a Friday loss to Dallas. Jalen Suggs logged 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists for Orlando on Friday — a steady presence on a Magic team still searching for its offensive identity. Domantas Sabonis put up back-to-back monster lines for Sacramento (14 points/18 rebounds/8 assists Thursday, 27 points/19 rebounds/10 assists Saturday), though the Kings dropped both games. Corey Kispert flashed efficiency off the bench for Atlanta, posting 11 points on a +13 in just 9 minutes in a blowout win over Charlotte.
Twelve Bulldogs in the league. At least four already making noise. Week 1 belonged to Gonzaga.
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