By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A comfortable win for the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant and Eric Gordon combined for 47 points in the 126-104 victory versus the Utah Jazz on Saturday evening.
The starting center from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jusuf Nurkic delivered ten points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block, lasting 23 minutes in the first installment of NBA Saturdays in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season. In his tenth campaign in the league, the lone European player of the Suns averaged 9.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the 2-1 start.
For the Jazz, Finnish Lauri Markkanen was the top scorer with 19 points in the Footprint Center. Three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal described his remaining efforts. Italian Simone Fontecchio had 13 points, three rebounds, and one block, Croatian Luka Samanic five points, one rebound, and one steal, and Turkish Omer Yurtseven four points, four rebounds, and one assist.
Dennis Schroder and Rudy Gobert in double-double mode
Germany’s 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP Dennis Schroder got a second straight double-double in a losing effort with 15 points and ten assists alongside two steals as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 114-107. Austrian Jakob Poeltl finished with six points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block. British O.G. Anunoby sat out with muscle cramps.
French Rudy Gobert posted a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double, and added one assist and one steal for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Naz Reid tallied 25 points in the home win, 106-90, versus the Miami Heat. Starting for the shorthanded visitors, Serbian Nikola Jovic went for eight points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Elsewhere, a career-high 51 points by Zach LaVine was not enough for the Chicago Bulls to avoid the loss, 118-102, to the Detroit Pistons. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic had 12 points, four rebounds, and one assist. For the winning side, French Killian Hayes produced six points, four assists, and one steal.
The remaining European showings in NBA Saturdays
New Orleans Pelicans – New York Knicks 96-87 (Jonas Valanciunas 8pts, 4reb – Isaiah Hartenstein 4pts, 3reb, 1ast)
Washington Wizards – Memphis Grizzlies 113-106 (Deni Avdija 10pts, 6reb, 2ast, 2stl, Danilo Gallinari 5pts, 1ast, 1st, Bilal Coulibaly 1reb, 1blk)
Cleveland Cavaliers – Indiana Pacers 113-125
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Orlando Magic 2-0
2. Indiana Pacers 2-0
3. Boston Celtics 2-0
4. Milwaukee Bucks 1-0
5. Detroit Pistons 2-1
6. Philadelphia 76ers 1-1
7. Charlotte Hornets 1-1
8. Washington Wizards 1-1
9. Chicago Bulls 1-2
10. Miami Heat 1-2
11. New York Knicks 1-2
12. Cleveland Cavaliers 1-2
13. Toronto Raptors 1-2
14. Brooklyn Nets 0-2
15. Atlanta Hawks 0-2
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 2-0
2. Dallas Mavericks 2-0
3. Denver Nuggets 2-0
4. New Orleans Pelicans 2-0
5. Phoenix Suns 2-1
6. Golden State Warriors 1-1
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 1-1
8. Los Angeles Lakers 1-1
9. Los Angeles Clippers 1-1
10. Sacramento Kings 1-1
11. San Antonio Spurs 1-1
12. Utah Jazz 1-2
13. Portland Trail Blazers 0-2
14. Houston Rockets 0-2
15. Memphis Grizzlies 0-3
-Teams ranking first through sixth advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh through tenth compete in the Play-Ins
Photo Credit: Getty Images