By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A career-high 33 points by Jonathan Kuminga, including key makes in crunch time, lifted the Golden State Warriors to a 99-93 victory versus the Houston Rockets in Chase Center and to 13-8 in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season.
The Rockets were forced to a second consecutive loss in the Regular Season and fell to 15-8. Turkish center Alperen Sengun scored a team-high 16 points with 7/15 from the field. He also produced eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals over 29 minutes.
Due to directing inappropriate language toward a game official during the previous team outing, Sengun fined 15,000 dollars by the league, as announced before the fixture in San Francisco.
Thunder, Grizzlies, and Pelicans win
After ruling out Austrian Jakob Poeltl due to an illness, the Toronto Raptors and Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic were blown out, 129-92, by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Scotiabank Arena. Helping their side improve to 17-5, German Isaiah Hartenstein combined two points with 16 rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal, and Belgian Ajay Mitchell threw in 13 points, three assists, and two steals.
In FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies edged out the Sacramento Kings, 115-110. Spanish Santi Aldama chipped in a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double and three steals. On the wrong end, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis logged a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double plus six assists.
With German Daniel Theis out due to neck spasms, the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Phoenix Suns, 126-124, in Smoothie King Center. For the visitors, Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic (right thigh contusion) remained sidelined.
Thursday games
Cleveland Cavaliers – Denver Nuggets 126-114
Washington Wizards – Dallas Mavericks 101-137
New York Knicks – Charlotte Hornets 125-101
Toronto Raptors – Oklahoma City Thunder 92-129
Memphis Grizzlies – Sacramento Kings 115-110
New Orleans Pelicans – Phoenix Suns 126-124
San Antonio Spurs – Chicago Bulls 124-139
Golden State Warriors – Houston Rockets 99-93
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 20-3
2. Boston Celtics 18-4
3. Orlando Magic 16-8
4. New York Knicks 14-8
5. Milwaukee Bucks 11-10
6. Atlanta Hawks 12-11
7. Miami Heat 10-10
8. Chicago Bulls 10-13
9. Brooklyn Nets 10-13
10. Indiana Pacers 9-14
11. Detroit Pistons 9-15
12. Toronto Raptors 7-16
13. Charlotte Hornets 6-16
14. Philadelphia 76ers 5-15
15. Washington Wizards 2-18
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 17-5
2. Houston Rockets 15-8
3. Dallas Mavericks 15-8
4. Memphis Grizzlies 15-8
5. Golden State Warriors 13-8
6. Los Angeles Clippers 14-10
7. Phoenix Suns 12-9
8. Denver Nuggets 11-9
9. Los Angeles Lakers 12-10
10. Minnesota Timberwolves 11-10
11. San Antonio Spurs 11-11
12. Sacramento Kings 10-13
13. Portland Trail Blazers 8-14
14. New Orleans Pelicans 5-18
15. Utah Jazz 4-17
-The top six teams from each conference clinch a berth in the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh to tenth advance to the Play-Ins