Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points as the San Antonio Spurs started their season with a convincing 125-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Frenchman, making his first appearance in the regular season since undergoing surgery on his shoulder for deep vein thrombosis in February, recorded the fifth 40-point match of his career.

The 21-year-old's performance overshadowed a nervous start from Cooper Flagg on his NBA debut.

The 18-year-old, the number one overall pick in the 2025 draft, became the second-youngest starter in NBA history behind LeBron James on his Mavs debut.

But the teenager struggled to impose himself, failing to score until the second half and finishing on 10 points.

Wembanyama, by contrast, had 21 points by half-time and displayed little rustiness after his eight-month absence.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe scored the third-most points of a debutant in NBA history in his side's 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics.

His 34-point haul was the most any debutant has managed since Wilt Chamberlain hit 43 points on his Philadelphia Warriors bow in 1959.

"Man, yeah, that was crazy. That surpassed my expectation, to be honest," said Edgecombe.

Elsewhere, OG Anunoby, who was born in England but moved to the US when he was four years old, hit 24 points and recorded 14 rebounds as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 to give Mike Brown victory on his first outing as head coach.

NBA opening round results in full