Patryk Stachowiak
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A single week into the NBA season, and defenses are already waving the white flag. If it feels like the league’s been drowning in high-scoring performances, you’re not imagining things — this start is one for the record books.
Unprecedented Scoring Surge
Through Tuesday, the NBA has seen 16 instances of players scoring 40 or more points in a game — the most ever recorded in the first week of a season. The usual suspects are leading the charge: Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic have already done it twice for the Lakers, while Tyrese Maxey has two for Philadelphia. Add in the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Victor Wembanyama — who dropped 40 in his first regular-season appearance in eight months — and you’ve got a star-studded list rewriting history.
“I felt like I needed to make a statement to my teammates,” said Wembanyama after his comeback performance.
Apparently, that mindset has gone league-wide — because players are making statements almost every night.
Read also: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ‘Deeply Disturbed’ by Gambling Arrests of Billups and Rozier
Records Fall and Betting Boards React
For context, the league usually averages just 2.4 forty-point performances through the first four games of a season. The previous record was nine — set three years ago. This year’s 16 nearly doubles that, and there’s still time left on the clock. That’s not just eye-catching for fans; for bettors, it’s a clear signal that offensive overs are trending hard early this season.
According to early stats, teams are combining for an average of 236.6 points per game — a massive 7.6% increase from last season’s opening stretch. Teams are playing faster, drawing more fouls, and attempting more free throws than at any point in the last 30 years. Combine that with an era where nearly every player can shoot from deep, and you get fireworks on a nightly basis.
Nikola Jokic. Source: bbc.com
Historic Nights Piling Up
The scoring fever peaked on Monday with four separate 40-plus outings: Reaves (41), Maxey (43), Jamal Murray (43), and Lauri Markkanen — who exploded for 51 points. That makes this the first time in NBA history we’ve seen four 50-point games in the opening week, including standout performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (55) and Aaron Gordon (50).
“Lauri played great, 51 points is a lot,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy, stating the obvious — but speaking for everyone watching.
Reaves even joined a select group by recording 40+ in back-to-back nights — something only Shaquille O’Neal (1994), Michael Jordan, Reggie Theus, and the incomparable Wilt Chamberlain have achieved this early in a season. Chamberlain, of course, went one better — doing it on three consecutive nights in the 1960s.
Fatigue, Firepower, and Future Bets
“I’m tired,” Reaves admitted after his second straight scoring binge. “But this is why we play the games. It’s fun.”
That blend of exhaustion and exhilaration perfectly sums up the new NBA pace. With superstars trading blows and the league-wide tempo cranked to eleven, oddsmakers are scrambling to adjust lines. Totals and player-point props have already started climbing — but if early trends hold, bettors backing the over might keep cashing in.
Beyond the Buzzer
The offensive explosion is taking place against a backdrop of off-court headlines — including investigations into gambling-related schemes involving Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami’s Terry Rozier. Even Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that “the on-court play should be the biggest story.”
And it is — or at least, it should be. Because this first week has given fans and bettors a glimpse of a new scoring era. The league isn’t just running faster; it’s rewriting the statistical script of what early-season basketball looks like.
Final Word
The NBA’s first week of 2025 is already one for the books — a record-setting, scoreboard-shattering reminder that offense rules the modern game. Whether you’re watching for the thrill or wagering on the next 40-piece, one thing’s certain: this season is built for fireworks.