By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Always a pleasant sight with European stars extending their dominance of the NBA into top-level encounters, also highlighting the protruding NBA Sundays.
Getting plenty of help from sharpshooting Grayson Allen (7/8 3pts), Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double combined with four assists and one steal over 29 minutes. The Freak powered the Milwaukee Bucks to the 124-115 victory versus the Dallas Mavericks in Fiserv Forum Sunday. His brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili got in the mix but did not score.
Slovenian Luka Doncic went for 27 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds in the fourth straight loss for the Mavs. Additional European action with German Maxi Kleber tallying six points, four rebounds, and three assists, Latvian Davis Bertans sinking 1/3 from beyond the arc, and French Frank Ntilikina logging three fruitless minutes as another bench option for head coach Jason Kidd.
In a history-making outing for Ivica Zubac at crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Indiana Pacers, 114-100. The Croatian big fouled out with 31 points and 29 rebounds, while French Nicolas Batum filed four points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. On the opposite end, Georgian Goga Bitadze put in five points in eight minutes.
The Washington Wizards fell to 10-10 in the NBA Regular Season despite Latvian Kristaps Porzingis connecting 7/12 from the field in a 21-point effort against the Boston Celtics in TD Garden. Also starting, Israeli Deni Avdija recorded ten points. But Jaylen Brown poured a season-high 36 points sending the Celtics to the win, 130-121.
Turkish Furkan Korkmaz set his 2022-23 personal best at 17 points as the Philadelphia 76ers blew out the Orlando Magic, 133-103. For the slumping Magic, Italian Paolo Banchero had 18 points, German Franz Wagner finished with 17 points and his brother Moritz Wagner collected 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
More NBA Sundays games and notable European showings:
Brooklyn Nets – Portland Trail Blazers 111-97 (Jusuf Nurkic 17pts, 14reb)
Minnesota Timberwolves – Golden State Warriors 114-137 (Rudy Gobert 9pts, 10reb)
Atlanta Hawks – Miami Heat 98-106
Detroit Pistons – Cleveland Cavaliers 94-102 (Killian Hayes 16pts, 8ast – Cedi Osman 10pts)
New York Knicks – Memphis Grizzlies 123-127 (Isaiah Hartenstein 4pts – Santi Aldama 7pts)
Standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 16-4
2. Milwaukee Bucks 14-5
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 13-7
4. Indiana Pacers 11-8
5. Philadelphia 76ers 11-9
6. Atlanta Hawks 11-9
7. Toronto Raptors 10-9
8. Washington Wizards 10-10
9. Brooklyn Nets 10-11
10. Miami Heat 10-11
11. New York Knicks 9-11
12. Chicago Bulls 8-11
13. Charlotte Hornets 6-14
14. Orlando Magic 5-15
15. Detroit Pistons 5-17
Western Conference
1. Phoenix Suns 13-6
2. Denver Nuggets 12-7
3. Memphis Grizzlies 12-8
4. New Orleans Pelicans 11-8
5. Los Angeles Clippers 12-9
6. Sacramento Kings 10-8
7. Portland Trail Blazers 11-9
8. Utah Jazz 12-10
9. Golden State Warriors 11-10
10. Minnesota Timberwolves 10-10
11. Dallas Mavericks 9-10
12. Oklahoma City Thunder 8-12
13. Los Angeles Lakers 7-11
14. San Antonio Spurs 6-15
15. Houston Rockets 5-14
-Top six teams of each conference advance directly to Playoffs
-Teams seeded 7th to 10th will compete in Play-In tournament
Photo Credit: Getty Images