The Good, Bad and Ugly of Week 8 of the 2025-26 NBA Season

Week 8 of the 2025–26 NBA schedule delivered everything we love and hate about the league in one chaotic package. We got a dramatic playoff-style upset, a frustration-fueled meltdown, and yet another lower-body injury to a key player. Let's break down the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between.

Victor Wembanyama hadn't played since November 14, but he could not have picked a better game to make his comeback. The Spurs' French phenom dominated the NBA Cup semifinal against the Thunder, guiding San Antonio to a stunning upset victory that sent them to the championship game. Playing his first game in nearly a month, Wembanyama looked like he hadn't missed a beat, applying his unique two-way impact to propel the Spurs past the league's hottest team, coming off the bench to play 21 minutes, scoring 22 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. The timing couldn't have been more dramatic, and it serves as a reminder that when healthy, Wemby remains one of the most game-changing forces in basketball and a key reason why the Spurs are in a battle for a top-six playoff spot. 

Playing without Devin Booker and already struggling in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Phoenix Suns absolutely could not afford to lose another key player. Then Grayson Allen, in a moment of pure frustration, threw Chet Holmgren to the ground and earned himself a Flagrant Two ejection. With the game already getting out of hand as the Thunder led 94–58 with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter, Allen's lack of composure turned a tough loss into a disaster. For a player who's spent years trying to shake his reputation for on-court antics, this was a brutal reminder that old habits are hard to break. 

At the beginning of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked like legitimate title contenders; however, injuries to key players have seen the team struggle, currently sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference at 15–12. On Friday evening, during Cleveland's victory over the Washington Wizards, Evan Mobley suffered a Grade 1 left calf strain that adds to an already crowded injury report featuring Max Strus, Sam Merrill, Larry Nance Jr., and others. What makes this particularly ugly is the timing; Cleveland appeared to finally be healthy with Darius Garland playing more minutes, and Jarrett Allen scheduled to return on the weekend, and now they are forced into another rotation shuffle, especially as Mobley's two-way impact is irreplaceable. For a team with championship dreams, the injury bug has become its greatest opponent.