By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Sidestepping a weird finish and nearly dropping the win in the final seconds, the Boston Celtics edged out the New Orleans Pelicans, 120-119, in TD Garden on Sunday.
Latvian Kristaps Porzingis contributed on both ends of the court, tallying a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double alongside three blocks and one assist. “Winning this kind of game and also losing this kind of game is important for us, and I think we had some of those tough losses this season,” he reacted to the narrow win, “To pull this one out is great for us.”
On the wrong end of a tight NBA Sundays affair, German Daniel Theis paired six points with six rebounds.
With German brothers Franz Wagner (right oblique tear) and Moritz Wagner (left knee surgery) already out, German Tristan da Silva was forced to an early exit due to illness after one steal in one minute and Georgian Goga Bitadze suffered a right hip contusion after four points in 12 minutes. However, the Orlando Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 104-99, in Kia Center. For the Sixers, French Guerschon Yabusele combined eight points with three rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. Turkish Adem Bona drew one block and one steal.
Elsewhere in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, another German big, Isaiah Hartenstein was the only available European for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blowout win, 136-95, over the Washington Wizards. He posted a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double in Capital One Arena. For the hosts, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas scored 11 points off the bench, while French starters Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly had ten points each.
In Delta Center, British Tosan Evbuomwan netted a career-high 22 points with 7/8 field goals in just under 24 minutes but the Brooklyn Nets fell to the Utah Jazz, 112-111, in overtime. Finnish Lauri Markkanen did not play for the Jazz due to low back spasms but Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk put in 16 points.
With Bosnian trade candidate Jusuf Nurkic ruled out with the flu, the Phoenix Suns rallied past the Charlotte Hornets, 120-113, in Footprint Center. Coming off the bench for the visitors, Serbian Vasilije Micic banked in five points, one assist, and one rebound. French Tidjane Salaun registered two rebounds.
Also, the Indiana Pacers snapped a 12-game winning streak of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 108-93 victory in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
NBA Sundays results
Dallas Mavericks – Denver Nuggets 101-112
New York Knicks – Milwaukee Bucks 140-106
Chicago Bulls – Sacramento Kings 119-124
Boston Celtics – New Orleans Pelicans 120-119
Cleveland Cavaliers – Indiana Pacers 93-108
Orlando Magic – Philadelphia 76ers 104-99
Washington Wizards – Oklahoma City Thunder 95-136
Utah Jazz – Brooklyn Nets 112-111 OT (102-102)
Phoenix Suns – Charlotte Hornets 120-113
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 33-5
2. Boston Celtics 28-11
3. New York Knicks 26-14
4. Orlando Magic 23-18
5. Indiana Pacers 22-18
6. Miami Heat 20-17
7. Milwaukee Bucks 20-17
8. Detroit Pistons 20-19
9. Atlanta Hawks 19-19
10. Chicago Bulls 18-21
11. Philadelphia 76ers 15-22
12. Brooklyn Nets 13-26
13. Charlotte Hornets 8-28
14. Toronto Raptors 8-31
15. Washington Wizards 6-31
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 32-6
2. Houston Rockets 25-12
3. Memphis Grizzlies 25-14
4. Denver Nuggets 23-15
5. Dallas Mavericks 22-17
6. Los Angeles Lakers 20-16
7. Los Angeles Clippers 20-17
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 20-18
9. Sacramento Kings 20-19
10. Golden State Warriors 19-19
11. Phoenix Suns 19-19
12. San Antonio Spurs 18-19
13. Portland Trail Blazers 13-25
14. Utah Jazz 10-28
15. New Orleans Pelicans 8-32
-The top six teams from each conference clinch a berth in the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh to tenth advance to the Play-Ins