The League Took Election Day Off, and Tonight It Comes Back Loud: Sixers-Pistons, Mavs-Spurs and a 14-Game Wednesday

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RF Sports Radio branded title card with NBA logo: NBA returns Wednesday, 14 games

By Jordan Pierce, RF Sports Radio NBA voice

Hoops heads, there was no NBA basketball Tuesday night, and that was on purpose. The league paused for Election Day. Tonight, it is back with 14 games and a doubleheader that might be the best of the young season.

The facts

The NBA took Tuesday off to encourage voting in the midterm elections, part of its Get In The Game. VOTE campaign, per NBA.com. Play resumes tonight with 14 games, headlined by an ESPN doubleheader: 76ers at Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT, and Mavericks at Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. CT, per NBA.com.

The opener is a heavyweight East matchup. Philadelphia is 7-1, the best record in the East, after a fourth straight win Monday, 126-107 over Chicago, per NBA.com. Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and 11 assists and leads the league with 88 fourth-quarter points, 26 more than anyone else. Detroit is 6-1 with the league's top-rated defense after a 124-91 win at Charlotte, with Cade Cunningham posting 33 points and five steals, per NBA.com.

The nightcap has San Antonio, winners of five straight, hosting a Dallas team coming off a 115-100 home loss to Sacramento, per NBA.com. Victor Wembanyama was the West Player of the Week for Week 2.

Elsewhere, the West standings are crowded at the top. Houston is 7-1 after beating Boston 109-93 and holds first place, and Portland is 5-1, a game back, per NBA.com. Memphis lost its first game Monday, 135-134 in overtime to New Orleans, to fall to 6-1. Luka Doncic has five straight games with 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five threes, matching Damian Lillard's record streak, per NBA.com. And the Thunder announced they will retire Russell Westbrook's No. 0 on Feb. 7.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: good for the league. Taking one night off so players, staff and fans can vote is the right thing to do, and nobody is going to miss one Tuesday in November.

Now, Sixers-Pistons is the game I am most excited about. Philly's offense against Detroit's defense, Maxey's fourth quarters against Cunningham's two-way game. The winner can say it is the team to beat in the East right now.

And Luka? Five straight games like that is not a hot streak anymore. It is a statement. The Lakers built around him, and he is making that look smart.

What to watch next

Watch Maxey in the fourth quarter tonight and whether Luka extends the streak. For Monday's 15-game recap, read our Nov. 3 recap of Monday's slate, and follow the league on our NBA page.

Radio question: who wins tonight's East showdown, the 7-1 Sixers or the 6-1 Pistons, and is either one for real?

Sources: NBA.com - Starting 5: Monday's packed 15-game slate ahead of Election Day; NBA.com (Field Level Media) - Surging Spurs seek sixth straight win against Mavericks; NEWS.am Sport - NBA game results, Nov. 2, 2026.

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