By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The countdown towards the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season continues, and in the meantime, European players keep on preparing during Preseason duties.
One of them is the French 2004-born talent Rayan Rupert, who had 20 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers get over the Utah Jazz. The Israeli forward Deni Avdija, who recently played against countryman Ben Saraf in facing ratiopharm Ulm, followed his teammate with 10 points and 7 assists.
On the other end, it was a sloppy night for Lauri Markkanen, who only had 5 points and 3 rebounds; Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had a 9-point losing effort for the Utah Jazz off the bench.
Rayan Rupert isn’t the only French player who played last night, as Guerschon Yabusele had 9 points and 6 rebounds for Philadelphia in the loss to Orlando. Franz Wagner, Tristan da Silva, and Goga Bitadze each contributed with 6 points for their team.
Nikola Vucevic’s effort is worth mentioning, as he dropped a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the overtime win by Chicago against Cleveland. Another big man who shone last night is Santi Aldama; despite the loss against Miami, he had 19 points and 7 rebounds for Memphis.
Last night’s NBA Preseason results:
Orlando Magic – Philadelphia 76ers 114-99
Washington Wizards – New York Knicks 118-117
Brooklyn Nets – Toronto Raptors 112-116
Chicago Bulls – Cleveland Cavaliers 139-137 OT
Memphis Grizzlies – Miami Heat 109-114
Portland Trail Blazers – Utah Jazz 124-86
Golden State Warriors – Los Angeles Lakers 132-74
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League