The Precedent Daily: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Minnesota hands No. 1 Houston its second loss, and Wembanyama scores 52
The NBA's top team stumbles at home, a one-point thriller in San Antonio, Philadelphia gets to 8-1, and UMass wins in overtime.
New on The Precedent
What the World Series Doesn't Prove · The Long View
Bob Sloop's latest Long View looks past this fall's two low-payroll World Series teams to the other end of the table, where clubs like Pittsburgh and Miami have spent years near the bottom of baseball's payrolls, and asks what a salary floor would change.
Wednesday's top five
- Minnesota beat No. 1 Houston 117-107. The game was tied at halftime, and the Timberwolves pulled away by outscoring the Rockets 35-23 in the fourth quarter, with Jonathan Kuminga sparking the late surge. Houston, now 7-2, stays first in The Precedent Rating. Minnesota climbed from 14th to ninth; its own win counted, and the teams it has played now have a combined .458 winning percentage, up from .421.
- San Antonio held off Dallas 112-111. The Spurs led by 17 at halftime, and the Mavericks came all the way back to tie it late. Victor Wembanyama finished with career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds and made the go-ahead free throw in the final half-minute. San Antonio, 6-2, stays sixth; Dallas fell from eighth to 11th.
- Philadelphia is 8-1 after winning at Detroit. The 76ers beat the Pistons 112-106 and moved from fifth to third. They led by 16 after three quarters and held on as Detroit scored 31 in the fourth, with Jaylen Brown scoring 30. Detroit, 6-2, stays second.
- Memphis lost and fell five places. Indiana won 107-103 at Memphis, and Aaron Nesmith's late three ended a Grizzlies rally that had cut the lead to one. Memphis dropped from 11th to 16th. At 6-2 it has the fifth-best record in the league, but the teams it has played have a combined .344 winning percentage.
- UMass won in overtime, 31-30 over Ball State. Ball State tied the game late in regulation and scored first in overtime but missed its extra point. William Watson III answered with a 13-yard touchdown run, and the kick won it. UMass is 5-4.
NBA
Chart of the Day
Memphis has the fifth-best record in the NBA at 6-2 and is 16th in The Precedent Rating, the largest gap in the league. Boston, also 6-2, is 13th. Golden State and Denver go the other way, ranked four places higher than their records.
Houston, first in The Precedent Rating, lost at home to Minnesota. The game was even into the fourth quarter, when the Timberwolves took over. Houston is 7-2 and still first. Minnesota is ninth.
Philadelphia's 112-106 win at Detroit moved the 76ers up to third at 8-1, behind Houston and Detroit. Philadelphia's own win counted, and the teams it has played now have a combined .432 winning percentage, up from .397. Oklahoma City beat Cleveland 124-116 but slipped from third to fourth, and Portland won 132-119 at Phoenix and slipped from fourth to fifth.
Denver had the biggest climb among winners, from 13th to eighth. The Nuggets trailed Toronto at halftime, outscored the Raptors 41-15 in the third quarter and won 128-109. Boston beat Milwaukee 109-102 and still fell from 10th to 13th: the teams the Celtics have played now have a combined .375 winning percentage, down from .420.
Two games went to overtime. Miami trailed the LA Clippers by 15 at halftime, forced overtime and won 117-116. New Orleans erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Utah and won 120-113 in overtime. Brooklyn beat Charlotte 114-104 for its second win and rose from 30th to 25th, and New York routed Chicago 135-105 after leading by 32 at halftime.
Wednesday's results
| Final (away first) | Away rank | Home rank |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota 117 @ Houston 107 | 14 → 9 | 1 → 1 |
| Philadelphia 112 @ Detroit 106 | 5 → 3 | 2 → 2 |
| Cleveland 116 @ Oklahoma City 124 | 12 → 12 | 3 → 4 |
| Portland 132 @ Phoenix 119 | 4 → 5 | 23 → 24 |
| Dallas 111 @ San Antonio 112 | 8 → 11 | 6 → 6 |
| LA Lakers 116 @ Sacramento 103 | 9 → 10 | 26 → 27 |
| Milwaukee 102 @ Boston 109 | 29 → 29 | 10 → 13 |
| Indiana 107 @ Memphis 103 | 25 → 23 | 11 → 16 |
| Toronto 109 @ Denver 128 | 17 → 17 | 13 → 8 |
| Atlanta 120 @ Washington 105 | 15 → 14 | 19 → 21 |
| Chicago 105 @ New York 135 | 28 → 30 | 16 → 15 |
| Charlotte 104 @ Brooklyn 114 | 18 → 20 | 30 → 25 |
| Utah 113 @ New Orleans 120 OT | 24 → 26 | 20 → 18 |
| Miami 117 @ LA Clippers 116 OT | 22 → 19 | 27 → 28 |
Ranks are The Precedent Rating, yesterday → today.
Biggest upsets by Rating
| Winner (rank yesterday) | Loser (rank yesterday) | Score | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 25 Indiana | No. 11 Memphis | 107-103 | 14 |
| No. 14 Minnesota | No. 1 Houston | 117-107 | 13 |
| No. 30 Brooklyn | No. 18 Charlotte | 114-104 | 12 |
Rating Top 5
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating | Move | SOS | SOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 7-2 | 0.446 | — | 0.278 | 4 |
| 2 | Detroit | 6-2 | 0.408 | — | 0.247 | 14 |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 8-1 | 0.384 | ▲2 | 0.234 | 21 |
| 4 | Oklahoma City | 6-2 | 0.375 | ▼1 | 0.270 | 5 |
| 5 | Portland | 6-1 | 0.346 | ▼1 | 0.183 | 28 |
Teams tied on Rating share a rank. SOS = average Rating of the opponents played.
Biggest risers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 2-6 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 0.118 | won |
| Denver | 4-3 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 0.323 | won |
| Minnesota | 6-3 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 0.305 | won |
| Miami | 3-5 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 0.190 | won |
| Indiana | 3-6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 0.158 | won |
Biggest fallers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 6-2 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 0.258 | lost |
| Boston | 6-2 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 0.281 | won |
| Dallas | 4-4 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 0.291 | lost |
| Charlotte | 3-6 | 18 | 20 | -2 | 0.180 | lost |
| Chicago | 1-7 | 28 | 30 | -2 | 0.071 | lost |
Rating vs record
| Team | Record | Record rank | Rating rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 4-3 | 12 | 8 |
| Golden State | 5-3 | 11 | 7 |
| Memphis | 6-2 | 5 | 16 |
| Boston | 6-2 | 5 | 13 |
Record rank is by winning percentage. The gap comes from the records of the teams each has played.
NHL
Seattle beat Calgary 2-1 in overtime and moved from eighth to a tie for sixth with Washington. Calgary fell five places, from 16th to 21st. Ottawa came from behind with two third-period goals to win 2-1 at Buffalo, rising from 14th to 12th while Buffalo fell from 18th to 22nd.
Edmonton stays first, ahead of New Jersey, and Boston slipped from a tie for second to third without playing. Los Angeles beat San Jose 7-2, and Florida beat Chicago 5-3 to move from 22nd to 20th. Carolina, 12-5, has the best record in the league and is ninth in The Precedent Rating.
Wednesday's results
| Final (away first) | Away rank | Home rank |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary 1 @ Seattle 2 OT | 16 → 21 | 8 → 6 |
| Ottawa 2 @ Buffalo 1 | 14 → 12 | 18 → 22 |
| Chicago 3 @ Florida 5 | 30 → 31 | 22 → 20 |
| San Jose 2 @ Los Angeles 7 | 24 → 26 | 28 → 27 |
Ranks are The Precedent Rating, yesterday → today. In The Precedent Rating, an overtime or shootout winner gets a win and the other team a loss, so records here are W-L.
Rating Top 5
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating | Move | SOS | SOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 11-5 | 0.334 | — | 0.243 | 20 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 10-5 | 0.331 | — | 0.244 | 19 |
| 3 | Boston | 11-5 | 0.327 | ▼1 | 0.235 | 26 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 11-6 | 0.318 | ▲1 | 0.249 | 13 |
| 4 | Utah | 10-6 | 0.318 | — | 0.255 | 8 |
Teams tied on Rating share a rank. SOS = average Rating of the opponents played.
Biggest risers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 6-7 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 0.241 | idle |
| Florida | 9-7 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 0.239 | won |
| Ottawa | 10-7 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 0.271 | won |
| Seattle | 9-6 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 0.305 | won |
| St. Louis | 7-8 | 19 | 17 | +2 | 0.242 | idle |
Biggest fallers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | 7-9 | 16 | 21 | -5 | 0.234 | lost |
| Buffalo | 7-8 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 0.232 | lost |
| Montreal | 9-6 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 0.262 | idle |
| San Jose | 7-10 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 0.208 | lost |
| Boston | 11-5 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0.327 | idle |
Rating vs record
| Team | Record | Record rank | Rating rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 8-6 | 13 | 6 |
| Columbus | 6-7 | 22 | 19 |
| Carolina | 12-5 | 1 | 9 |
| Florida | 9-7 | 14 | 20 |
Record rank is by winning percentage. The gap comes from the records of the teams each has played.
Full NHL standings and playoff picture →
College Football
Three MAC games filled Wednesday night. UMass led Ball State at halftime, saw the Cardinals tie it late in regulation, and won 31-30 in overtime. Central Michigan beat Eastern Michigan 35-7 at a neutral site and had the biggest climb of the day, from 99th to 84th. Toledo won 20-17 at Sacramento State but fell from 58th to 69th; Sacramento State is 2-8.
The top 10 didn't move. Miami (FL), Utah and UCLA are still unbeaten at 8-0. Oregon moved up to 11th and Ohio State down to 12th without playing, two days before they meet in Columbus.
Rating Top 5
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating | Move | SOS | SOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | 8-0 | 0.509 | — | 0.268 | 41 |
| 2 | Indiana | 8-1 | 0.483 | — | 0.268 | 41 |
| 3 | Texas | 6-2 | 0.475 | — | 0.344 | 2 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 7-1 | 0.453 | — | 0.312 | 10 |
| 5 | BYU | 7-1 | 0.446 | — | 0.256 | 54 |
Teams tied on Rating share a rank. SOS = average Rating of the opponents played.
Full College Football Ratings →
Biggest risers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan | 4-5 | 99 | 84 | +15 | 0.212 | won |
| Buffalo | 6-3 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 0.275 | idle |
| New Mexico | 7-1 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 0.317 | idle |
| UMass | 5-4 | 117 | 111 | +6 | 0.140 | won |
| Western Michigan | 6-3 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 0.287 | idle |
Biggest fallers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 7-2 | 58 | 69 | -11 | 0.246 | won |
| Ball State | 3-6 | 111 | 116 | -5 | 0.125 | lost |
| Eastern Michigan | 4-6 | 112 | 115 | -3 | 0.131 | lost |
| Liberty | 7-1 | 55 | 58 | -3 | 0.269 | idle |
| Florida Atlantic | 5-3 | 90 | 92 | -2 | 0.198 | idle |
Unbeaten tracker
| Team | Record | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Miami (FL) | 8-0 | 1 |
| Utah | 8-0 | 9 |
| UCLA | 8-0 | 23 |
Full College Football standings →
Men's College Basketball
The second night of the season had three games with a team from the power conferences. Butler beat Fairleigh Dickinson 99-65, Auburn beat SE Louisiana 92-59, and California beat Radford 84-70. Most of The Precedent Ratings are still tied after the opening games.
Biggest upsets by Rating
| Winner (rank yesterday) | Loser (rank yesterday) | Score | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 279 California | No. 1 Radford | 84-70 | 278 |
Full Men's College Basketball standings →
Coming up today
Which app carries each channel: Where to Stream
NFL · 1 game
Week 9 opens tonight in Baltimore. Jacksonville, eighth in The Precedent Rating at 5-2, visits the 4-4 Ravens, ranked 17th, at 7:15 PM on Prime Video.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 7:15 PM | No. 8 Jacksonville (5-2) |
| @ No. 17 Baltimore (4-4) | |
| Prime Video |
College Football · 2 games with a top-25 team
Two ranked teams play Thursday night. UTSA, 24th at 7-1, visits Florida Atlantic at 6:30 PM on ESPN, carrying a five-game win streak. James Madison, tied for 25th at 7-2, plays at Southern Miss at 7:00 PM on ESPN2.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 6:30 PM | No. 24 UTSA (7-1) |
| @ No. 92 Florida Atlantic (5-3) | |
| ESPN (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 25 James Madison (7-2) |
| @ No. 117 So. Mississippi (3-5) | |
| ESPN2 (ESPN app) |
Men's College Basketball · 8 games with a top-25 team
Several power-conference teams play their second game. Wake Forest visits Vanderbilt at 5:00 PM, and Duke hosts Coastal Carolina, Michigan State hosts Toledo, Texas hosts Gardner-Webb and Florida hosts Jacksonville at 7:00 PM. Arizona, 0-1, hosts Cal Poly at 9:30 PM.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | No. 1 Wake Forest (1-0) |
| @ No. 1 Vanderbilt (1-0) | |
| ESPN2 (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 1 Toledo (0-1) |
| @ No. 1 Michigan State (1-0) | |
| Peacock | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 1 Coastal Carolina (0-1) |
| @ No. 1 Duke (1-0) | |
| ACC Network (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 1 Gardner-Webb (0-1) |
| @ No. 1 Texas (1-0) | |
| SECN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 289 Jacksonville (1-0) |
| @ No. 1 Florida (1-0) | |
| SECN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 7:30 PM | No. 289 Penn (0-0) |
| @ No. 1 Illinois (1-0) | |
| FS1 (Fox One) | |
| 8:00 PM | No. 1 Bethune-Cookman (0-1) |
| @ No. 1 Texas Tech (1-0) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 9:30 PM | No. 289 Cal Poly (1-0) |
| @ No. 1 Arizona (0-1) | |
| truTV (HBO Max) |
NBA · 2 games
A light night of two games. Golden State, seventh at 5-3, hosts Miami at 9:00 PM on NBA TV, and Orlando visits Phoenix at 8:00 PM.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | No. 22 Orlando (2-5) |
| @ No. 24 Phoenix (1-5) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 9:00 PM | No. 19 Miami (3-5) |
| @ No. 7 Golden State (5-3) | |
| NBA TV |
NHL · 11 games
First-place Edmonton hosts Anaheim at 7:00 PM. Earlier, at 6:00 PM, New Jersey hosts St. Louis, Boston plays at Pittsburgh, Carolina visits the NY Islanders and Utah, tied for fourth, plays at Montreal.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | No. 4 Utah (10-6) |
| @ No. 14 Montreal (9-6) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 11 Vegas (10-7) |
| @ No. 25 Detroit (7-9) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 31 Chicago (4-12) |
| @ No. 8 Tampa Bay (9-5) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 17 St. Louis (7-8) |
| @ No. 2 New Jersey (10-5) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 9 Carolina (12-5) |
| @ No. 16 NY Islanders (7-7) | |
| Disney+, ESPN+ (ESPN app), Hulu | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 30 Philadelphia (4-13) |
| @ No. 13 NY Rangers (8-8) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 3 Boston (11-5) |
| @ No. 29 Pittsburgh (5-10) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 10 Dallas (9-6) |
| @ No. 19 Columbus (6-7) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 32 Vancouver (3-14) |
| @ No. 28 Winnipeg (5-11) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 24 Anaheim (7-8) |
| @ No. 1 Edmonton (11-5) | |
| ESPN+ (ESPN app) | |
| At stake: No. 1 Edmonton plays | |
| 8:30 PM | No. 23 Nashville (6-9) |
| @ No. 15 Colorado (9-7) | |
| Disney+, ESPN+ (ESPN app), Hulu |
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What's Next?
What the World Series Doesn't Prove
Two low-payroll teams played for a title this fall. Fans of baseball's lowest spenders have lived a different story, and a salary floor is now on the bargaining table. By the time this reaches your inbox, either Milwaukee or Tampa Bay will have won the first World Series in franchise history. Both got there on payrolls that would barely register in New York. The Rays opened the season at about $89.6 million, 26th in baseball. The Brewers opened at $125.5 million, 19th. The Mets started at $357.
