By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The surging Sacramento Kings stopped the Houston Rockets at five straight wins in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season with a 132-127 victory in Golden 1 Center on Thursday.
Fueling an eighth win over ten games with Doug Christie as the head coach to improve to 21-20, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis chipped in a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double to go with seven assists and one block. Playing nearly 38 minutes, he made 8/13 from the field. Fellow starters, DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 31 points and Malik Monk followed with 26 points. Ukrainian teammate Alex Len stayed on the bench.
On the wrong end, Alperen Sengun posted a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double plus four steals, three assists, and one block over 33 minutes but his side fell to 27-13. The Turkish starting center of the Rockets tucked in 8/15 field goals, including one three-pointer.
“He’s a super talented big. He can do a little bit of everything,” Sabonis described facing Sengun, “It was a tough one tonight. It was just team effort, team defense. And we got the win.”
With Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic (illness) still unavailable, the Phoenix Suns held on for a 130-123 victory versus the Washington Wizards in Capital One Arena. Among two French starters on the losing end, Alex Sarr finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and one steal, lasting 28 minutes. Bilal Coulibaly went for 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal over 35 minutes. Off the bench, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal in just under 15 minutes.
The Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 134-114, and matched them on top of the overall standings. European contribution was limited to French Ousmane Dieng tallying three points and two rebounds over nine minutes in Paycom Center since German Isaiah Hartenstein (left soleus strain) joined Belgian Ajay Mitchell (right great toe surgery) and Serbian Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) on the crowded injury list.
Clippers notch back-to-back blowout wins
Coming off a record-breaking win against the Brooklyn Nets, the Los Angeles Clippers completed a solid back-to-back by cruising past the Portland Trail Blazers, 118-89, in Moda Center Croatian Ivica Zubac put in ten points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals over 28 minutes. French Nicolas Batum added three points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
On the losing end, Belgian Toumani Camara did not score and was held to 0/5 field goals, but produced two steals, two assists, one block, and one rebound over 25 minutes. French Rayan Rupert piled up five points, two rebounds, and one assist in six minutes. Israeli Deni Avdija (right ankle sprain) remained sidelined.
In Little Caesars Arena, Italian Simone Fontecchio recorded five points, two rebounds, and one block in just under 18 minutes as the Detroit Pistons lost, 111-100, to the Indiana Pacers. Swedish Bobi Klintman remained on a G League assignment.
Thursday results
Detroit Pistons – Indiana Pacers 100-111
Washington Wizards – Phoenix Suns 123-130
Oklahoma City Thunder – Cleveland Cavaliers 134-114
Portland Trail Blazers – Los Angeles Clippers 89-118
Sacramento Kings – Houston Rockets 132-127
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 34-6
2. Boston Celtics 28-12
3. New York Knicks 27-15
4. Milwaukee Bucks 22-17
5. Orlando Magic 23-19
6. Indiana Pacers 23-19
7. Atlanta Hawks 21-19
8. Miami Heat 20-19
9. Detroit Pistons 21-20
10. Chicago Bulls 18-23
11. Philadelphia 76ers 15-24
12. Brooklyn Nets 14-27
13. Toronto Raptors 10-31
14. Charlotte Hornets 9-28
15. Washington Wizards 6-33
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 34-6
2. Houston Rockets 27-13
3. Memphis Grizzlies 26-15
4. Denver Nuggets 24-16
5. Los Angeles Clippers 23-17
6. Los Angeles Lakers 21-17
7. Dallas Mavericks 22-19
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 21-19
9. Sacramento Kings 21-20
10. Golden State Warriors 20-20
11. Phoenix Suns 20-20
12. San Antonio Spurs 19-20
13. Portland Trail Blazers 13-27
14. Utah Jazz 10-29
15. New Orleans Pelicans 10-32
-The top six teams from each conference clinch a berth in the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh to tenth advance to the Play-Ins