By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks took the court last night in the NBA, but their European stars didn’t. Luka Dončić is out for a while with an injury, while Nikola Jokić missed the clash against the reigning champions Boston Celtics due to illness.
Therefore, other European players took the stage, with Lauri Markkanen dominating for the Utah Jazz, but ultimately losing at the buzzer 121-124 to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Finnish power forward led the Salt Lake City team with 35 points, but saw Trae Young beat the buzzer from half-court for the win. Clint Capela had 18 points for the Hawks, Zaccharie Risacher added 14, Vít Krejčí scored 13, and Bogdan Bogdanović contributed 11 points.
While Markkanen couldn’t lead his side to victory, Alperen Şengün had better luck, with the Houston Rockets dominating the Washington Wizards and winning 112-135 on the road.
The Turkish center delivered another great performance with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Jonas Valančiūnas scored 18 points on the other side. Bilal Coulibaly with 12, Kyshawn George with nine, and Alex Sarr with two points and nine rebounds couldn’t help Jonas and the Wizards be more competitive against the Texas team.
Amid the drama surrounding Jimmy Butler’s trade, Nikola Jović found a way to lead the Miami Heat to a 98-114 road win over the Golden State Warriors. The young Serbian forward had a brilliant game, scoring 20 points, along with six rebounds and four assists, while Dennis Schröder managed just five points but dished out seven assists for the losing team.
In other games, Rudy Gobert recorded seven points and 14 rebounds in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 97-104 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, who saw Zion Williamson return to the court and score 22 points.
Denver Nuggets vs Boston Celtics – 106-118
Golden State Warriors vs Miami Heat – 98-114
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets – 104-115
Washington Wizards vs Houston Rockets – 112-135
Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks – 97-118
New Orleans Pelicans vs Minnesota Timberwolves – 97-104
Utah Jazz vs Atlanta Hawks – 121-124
Eastern Conference:
Cleveland Cavaliers 31-4
Boston Celtics 27-10
New York Knicks 24-13
Orlando Magic 22-16
Milwaukee Bucks 18-16
Indiana Pacers 19-18
Detroit Pistons 18-18
Atlanta Hawks 19-18
Miami Heat 18-17
Chicago Bulls 17-19
Philadelphia 76ers 14-21
Brooklyn Nets 13-24
Toronto Raptors 8-29
Charlotte Hornets 8-27
Washington Wizards 6-28
Western Conference:
Oklahoma City Thunder 30-5
Houston Rockets 24-12
Memphis Grizzlies 24-13
Denver Nuggets 20-15
Los Angeles Lakers 20-16
Dallas Mavericks 21-16
Los Angeles Clippers 20-16
Minnesota Timberwolves 19-17
Golden State Warriors 18-18
San Antonio Spurs 18-19
Sacramento Kings 18-19
Phoenix Suns 16-19
Portland Trail Blazers 12-24
Utah Jazz 9-26
New Orleans Pelicans 7-30