Cleveland Cavaliers roll past Magic, Central Division roundup

The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered the strongest showing of the day in the Central Division on Sunday, cruising past the Orlando Magic 119-105. In what still feels like a tune-up stretch before opening night, the win evens Cleveland’s early record at 1-1 in the division standings.

Cavaliers take care of business, Bulls lose in shootout

Against Orlando, the Cavaliers controlled the matchup and came away with a comfortable 14-point margin, 119-105. It’s a steady way to start the week with the regular season set to tip off on October 20.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a high-scoring game in Denver, dropping a 133-128 decision to the Nuggets. Despite the narrow loss, Chicago currently holds first place in the Central at 1-2, helped by the fact that the rest of the division is clustered around .500 with matching early records.

Bucks stumble and still have an open two-way slot

The Milwaukee Bucks had a rougher outing in Charlotte, falling 105-90 to the Hornets. The defeat drops Milwaukee to 1-2, matching Chicago’s record at the lower end of the Central Division table in these early days.

Off the court, Hoops Rumors reports that the Bucks are among seven NBA teams that still have an open two-way contract slot as the 2026-27 season approaches. Milwaukee is one of several clubs yet to finalize that piece of its roster ahead of opening night.

Quiet day for Pacers and Pistons, Haliburton in injury notes

The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers were both idle, remaining at 1-1 in the Central standings. Indiana still found its way into the news cycle: Tyrese Haliburton is mentioned in an "Injury Notes" roundup on Hoops Rumors, though the summary available doesn’t provide further detail. For now, the division remains tightly packed, with four teams at 1-1 and both the Bucks and Bulls sitting at 1-2.