Credit: The Sporting News
Darren & Vic's Takes: NBA Week 3 Preview
Published: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
by Darren Worrell & Victor Lisboa
Week two of the NBA season is in the books! A lot of great games last week including NBA Cup action, which began on Halloween night. Luka came back from injury and dropped another 40 points, three teams are still undefeated, and two of them are a surprise to most fans.
It is now week three, so Darren and Vic are back to preview the matchups that we feel
are going to be some big games this week!
Darren: Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs
This is one of those games that could go either way. On one side, there is arguably
one of the best scorers in NBA history in Kevin Durant. On the other, likely the best
young talent in the league in Victor Wembanyama.
The San Antonio Spurs are currently 5-1 and second in the Western Conference. They
still have a couple of games before this matchup with Houston, so it will be very
interesting to see if they can keep up this impressive start to the season that they
are on.
The Rockets are in fifth place right now at 4-2, they have a few games before this
matchup as well, and the season is just getting started. Both teams look to be in
good shape.
While it is clear that both Durant and Wembanyama are the stars of their respective
teams this season, their supporting cast has been great as well.
In Houston, Alperun Sengun does not get as much credit as he deserves. Before Kevin
Durant came to Houston, Sengun was arguably the main star of the Rockets. Without
Sengun, they did not win a lot of games last year.
This year, while has taken a back seat to Durant, he still is the second leading scorer
on the team. When Durant struggled in his debut, Sengun dropped 39 points, proving
his worth.
Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, and Josh
Okogie have also been great, all averaging around ten points per game. They have added
some much needed depth to this Rockets squad.
For the Spurs, reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle looks like a seasoned pro
in just his second season sitting as the team’s second leading scorer. Add in Devin
Vassell and rookie Dylan Harper who is getting more minutes with De’Aaron Fox still
sidelined along with Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson. When they return, this team
looks stacked.
What Wembanyama has been doing, no other player has done. He is a 7-foot-4 center
who can shoot the ball, has ball handling, interior game, and great defense. He has
been getting help from Hakeem Olajuwon and Jamal Crawford. The rest of the league
may be in trouble!
In terms of who wins this game, it should be a tough one, but my pick is the Spurs,
as they seem to be the better team, and quite honestly, nobody is stopping Wembanyama
at the moment. My predicted final score is 120-115 in favor of San Antonio.
Victor: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
While Darren already highlighted the Spurs, when I looked at this week’s matchups,
I could not resist this one. This matchup has a chance to be one of the best rivalries
in the league for years to come.
Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama already look like they could be two of the best
the league has offered in its history.
Although he has only played four games so far this season, dealing with a few nagging
injuries, Luka Doncic has had another historic start to the season. He’s currently
averaging 41.3 points per game, 11.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists to start the season.
Victor Wembanyama, now in his third season, is averaging career highs across the board
thus far. Wemby is averaging 26.7 points per game, 13.7 rebounds per game, and an
incredible 4.7 blocks. For both of these players, these numbers should come back down
to Earth a bit, but not by too much.
Another exciting aspect of this matchup is the potential for these teams to meet in
the playoffs. The Lakers and Spurs have produced some great series in the past, especially
in the early 2000’s during the Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan era.
Perhaps this rivalry can be rejuvenated with two generational talents that have blown
NBA fans away in their young careers. These two teams currently occupy the second
and third seeds in the West, the Lakers being the latter with a 6-2 record.
The Spurs started off hot at 5-0 and just suffered their first loss of the season,
falling to the Phoenix Suns this past Sunday. They are looking great, and like playoff
contenders, as they await for their star point guard, De’Aaron Fox to return from
a hamstring injury to make his debut.
The Lakers on the other hand, are also dealing with injuries as Luka Doncic has missed
four of eight games so far. LeBron James also has yet to play this season as he nurses
a nerve issue in his back.
However, in his absence, and Luka’s murky availability, the Lakers are still 6-2 to
start the year. Much of this can be credited to the play of Lakers star guard Austin
Reaves. He has been a fan favorite since his arrival with the Lakers in 2021.
Reaves is having easily the best start to his career, averaging 31.0 points per game,
5.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists, in seven games thus far. Pretty good for an undrafted
player.
To say the least, I am very excited for this game, and for this potential rivalry
for the coming years. Of course, with big-name injuries still lingering, these teams
won’t be at full strength, but I still expect a great battle between Luka and Wemby.
A lot can happen and change from now to the trade deadline, but I expect these teams
to be among the top six in the West. They play Wednesday, November 5 at 10:00 P.M.
Eastern time.
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