Friday is shaping up as one of the busiest days of the autumn sports calendar. Overnight, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a comeback that the NBA’s record books had not seen in the modern era, Bayern Munich and Arsenal traded blows in Germany, and one of basketball’s most remarkable scoring streaks came to an end. Tonight, the World Series begins, and Formula 1 opens its Austin weekend with a championship in sight. Here are the sports trending today across the US, UK, Canada and Australia, with scores, context and the start times you will want to save.
LeBron’s 76ers Erase a 29-Point Deficit Against the Cavaliers
If Tuesday’s opening-night win in New York was a statement, Thursday night was an event. In LeBron James’s first home game for Philadelphia, the 76ers trailed Cleveland by 29 points, then won 114-106. According to Al Jazeera, it was the biggest comeback of the play-by-play era, which began in 1996, and the biggest of James’s career.
The Cavaliers led 69-40 at half-time, and nothing about the first 24 minutes suggested a Sixers win. Then the defence flipped the game. Philadelphia held Cleveland to 21 points in the third quarter and just 16 in the fourth, according to Basketnews. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 32 points and powered a 15-0 fourth-quarter run, Joel Embiid scored 24, Jaylen Brown added 21, and James finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Donovan Mitchell had 32 for Cleveland, who will wonder how they let this one slip away.
Off the court, there was noise as well. Hours before tip-off, President Trump criticised James and accused him of disrespecting the national anthem at an earlier game. James had not publicly responded at the time of writing. The Sixers are now 2-0. If you missed our broader look at the contenders, read our NBA 2026-27 season preview.
SGA’s Historic Streak Ends as Thunder Stay Unbeaten
The other big NBA headline came from Oklahoma City. The Thunder beat Denver 96-84 and remain undefeated, but the story was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring streak. He finished with 17 points, which ended his run of 141 straight games with at least 20, an NBA record that began on 30 October 2024. Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 21, while Aaron Gordon scored 20 for Denver. Nikola Jokic had a quiet night, shooting 5-of-19 for 13 points. The numbers come from the same Al Jazeera report.
Elsewhere, the opening week has already produced a few ugly results. Toronto beat the Bulls 135-92, the largest season-opening loss in Chicago’s history, as the Bulls turned the ball over 27 times and made just 4 of 36 three-pointers. Milwaukee lost its opener 128-116 to Washington, where Anthony Davis scored 34 in his Wizards debut. Today, the two losers meet. Bulls at Bucks tips off at 3 pm CT, earlier than usual, so that fans can get to Milwaukee’s World Series game tonight, according to Urban Matter.
Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal: A Thriller in Munich
Arsenal took the lead after 25 minutes when Eberechi Eze, who came on early after an injury to Bukayo Saka, finished a move started by Martin Ødegaard. Bayern equalised within ten minutes through Alphonso Davies, then went in front after the break when Harry Kane scored a penalty following a handball by Jurriën Timber. Arsenal levelled in the 82nd minute, when substitute Viktor Gyökeres set up Declan Rice for a close-range finish, per the Bundesliga match report.
It was a close call at both ends. Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano hit the post, and Manuel Neuer tipped a Bruno Guimarães header onto the crossbar, while David Raya made key saves at the other end. The draw keeps Bayern unbeaten in the competition with five points from three games, though they have now dropped points in back-to-back matches. Their next European test is at Atlético Madrid on 3 November. If you want to understand how this league phase works, our guide to what the Champions League means explains it, and our piece on Arsenal or PSG asks who is best placed to win it all. For the other results from this matchday, see our earlier trending roundup.
World Series Game 1: Rays at Brewers Tonight
Baseball’s showpiece starts tonight at American Family Field in Milwaukee. First pitch is at 8 pm ET on Fox, which is 5 pm PT. For fans elsewhere, that is 1 am Saturday in the UK and 11 am Saturday in Sydney. Canadian viewers in the Eastern time zone watch at the same time as New York. The Tampa Bay Rays beat Cleveland in six games to win the American League pennant, while the Brewers finished with the best record in the majors and swept the Dodgers, as MLB.com reports.
The series has an unusual hook: neither franchise has ever won a World Series, so a first-time champion is guaranteed. Milwaukee has the home-field edge and the deeper regular-season résumé, but Tampa Bay arrives in form after beating Cleveland 7-3 in the clincher, with ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta on the mound that night. Expect close games and plenty of late drama.
Formula 1: Can Antonelli Clinch the Title in Austin?
Formula 1 is at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for round 18 of 23, and Kimi Antonelli can clinch his first championship here. It is not straightforward. According to F1 Oversteer, if George Russell finishes in the top eight, Antonelli cannot seal the title even with a win, so the celebration may have to wait until Mexico City. If he does it, he would become the youngest champion in F1 history and give Mercedes its first title since 2020.
The weekend schedule is simple, because there is no sprint race. Here are the key sessions in UK time, with US Eastern in brackets:
- Practice 2, Friday: 10 pm UK (5 pm ET)
- Qualifying, Saturday: 10 pm UK (5 pm ET)
- Race, Sunday: 8 pm UK (4 pm ET), 7 am Monday in Sydney
In the UK, Sky Sports F1 shows every session live, while Channel 4 airs highlights. Remember that UK clocks go back on Sunday morning, so the race time above is already on winter time. We covered the other big events of the week in our This Week in Sports guide.
Why These Stories Keep Trending
There is a pattern behind today’s searches. Fans in these four countries look for results first, then for start times, then for the story behind a surprise. A 29-point comeback, a broken record and a draw in Munich all give people something to share, while a World Series opener and a possible F1 title give them a reason to plan their weekend. If you want a wider view of what makes some sports bigger than others, our top 10 most popular sports in the world is a good next read.
Quick FAQ
How big was the 76ers’ comeback against the Cavaliers?
Philadelphia erased a 29-point deficit to win 114-106, the biggest comeback in the play-by-play era.
What time is World Series Game 1?
8 pm ET on Friday 23 October, which is 1 am Saturday in the UK and 11 am Saturday in Sydney.
What was the Bayern vs Arsenal score?
The match finished 2-2, with Kane scoring a penalty for Bayern and Rice equalising late for Arsenal.
Can Antonelli win the F1 title this weekend?
Yes, he can clinch in Austin, but a top-eight finish by George Russell would stop that from happening.
Scores and schedules are accurate as of Friday 23 October 2026 and may change. Images are illustrative stock photos from Unsplash (photographers: Markus Spiske and Isaac Maffeis) and do not show the events described.